Tag Archives: music

Meet Hannah! She’s EPIC!… SoulFEST2012 VLOG

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Like I mentioned in recent posts, one of our favorite aspects of summer music festivals is the chance to discover new bands and find up and coming music to add to our iPods! Isn’t everyone looking for that next great song? Well, one night, while jamming to the main stage evening shows, one of the Security Volunteers who I’ve already introduced myself to says, “Hey, do you want me to get you an interview with the female singer of Epic Season?”

“Sure.” Who is Epic Season? is really what I’m thinking. But I love meeting new people and what could it hurt? If anything, I hope it will help me to develop my journalism skills and also give my readers a fun and new way to learn about what’s out there, musically speaking.

“You’ll love them!” She assures me. 

And she was right! Epic Season had their first real breakthrough at Soufest. Paul Colman on the Deeper Well Stage told them, “The only thing wrong is that I’m not producing you.” How fun!! Continue reading →

Up Close and Personal with Rapture Ruckus

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So when the Friday dance party at Soulfest comes to a halting stop, because the floorboards below us are breaking, every fan, except maybe my sleeping five-year old, is jumping to their heart’s delight to the mixing magic of Brad Dring, Lead Singer of New Zealand’s own Rapture Ruckus. The misfortune lead to my fortune…because the show gets shut down, I land a nice long interview with Brad!! And we all dance our hearts out the next day, at the outdoor stage, where there is no limit to how much, how high, or how hard we can jump on the Gunstock grounds during their big show. And what a show it was! I personally think a buzz was created about RR and how they partied so hard, the walls nearly fell down. Next thing you know, everyone wants to hear them and see what all the RUCKUS is about. Well, here’s a little glimpse into the life of Brad Dring, the man behind the voice. Enjoy…

Raj: Okay. We’re on. [Digital Camera this time. But not the best lighting for the video since the room was dim.] So you’re name is Brad? 

Brad: Yeah. Brad Dring. D.R.I.N.G.

Raj: Okay, Great. Awesome. And you’re from New Zealand. All right. So just a fun question to start out with: what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Brad: Oh. Umm. They have this flavor in New Zealand called “Hokey-Pokey.”

Raj: Hokey Pokey?

Brad: Hokey Pokey. That’s my favorite. And you can only get it in New Zealand.

Raj: Okay. Well, what’s in Hokey Pokey? Continue reading →

What’s All the Ruckus at Soulfest2012?

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Brad Dring [Lead Singer of Rapture Ruckus]
starting up the ultimate dance party…
that got shut down when they [who are “they” anyway?]
 reported the floor boards were breaking with all the fans 
jumping. Hello? If they write “Dance Party” on the schedule,
don’t they expect the fans to….um…dance?!? No joke. 

 

Last summer, the night before we began our annual drive across the country to visit a National Park or two, hubby made a U-turn in our agenda and added a four day musical festival at the start of our vacation. In Wilmar, Minnesota. It was on the way, he reasoned. And it was, sort of. When I looked at the line-up of performing artists, I agreed that we didn’t need to spend an entire two weeks in nature alone. We could have an outdoor music experience for four days and then move onto our hiking, biking, and kayaking activities. 


But I was nervous about one detail. The crowds. What if I lost one of my princesses in a mosh pit. What if one of my nephews got lost coming back from the port-a-potties? What if there were so many fans, we’d be stuck way in the back, unable to see the stage?

Plumb’ing into a Sweet Sounding Waterfall

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I have this crazy story to tell you about Tarps. Coming soon!
Soulfest 2012 Day One

Tuesday evening marks the night before Soulfest 2012 begins. We stroll around the Gunstock Mountain Resort grounds, hoping to hear a little preview of tomorrow’s bands and maybe even catch a glimpse of one of our favorite musicians. As we walk toward the main stage we bump into one of the Assistant Director’s of Soulfest and her co-worker and get the inside scoop on some of the changes before the start of the festival. 

“Jars of Clay won’t be here.” Her first bit of news is quite the blow. We love Jars of Clay. “The lead singer had a heart attack.”

“Oh no!” I feel bad for being silently disappointed. 

“Good news is that he’s going to come back even stronger.” She assures us.

“Do you know who will fill in their slot?” I ask.

“No idea.” 

Next we run into a guy named Nick who’s looking for a nut or a bolt to help put the stage together. He needs light since the tent with all the supplies is dark at 9:30PM. We are all equipped with headlamps so we offer to help. 

“In exchange with an interview with one of the bands.” I preface.
“You see I’m a writer. And I would love to blog about some of the bands and give my readers some fun interviews to peruse. Do you think you can get me an interview with one of the performers.” Yes. I’m bold like that. 🙂 Continue reading →

My Easter Playlist

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And you thought Christmas Carols were important? Personally, as much as I love a holiday jingle as much as the next person, songs that tell the story of Easter [the original one without the bunny—ftr], are the tunes that move me into this week and remind me daily why I live.

Let me back up a moment.

I’ve always loved music. From the time when I first laid on my stomach on my front porch, facing my radio almost daily after school in fifth grade and adjusted the antennae for maximum static reduction. Music has been almost as important as oxygen to me, and my iPod more dear to me than chocolate. Well, a close tie. Okay, we can have that debate another day.

I have a song associated with all my memories, especially the highlights, milestones, and low points in my life. Toni Braxton came in handy when some boy broke my heart and when you’re a teen, it feels like you can’t breathe when that happens. Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” embraced me when I started dreaming about my part in changing the world and making a difference. And the late Whitney Houston helped me through many a day when I asked, “How Will I know if he really loves me,” because I was one of those girls who was always falling in love, but never quite moving past the crush across the room phase.

So it only made sense that when I began to seriously pursue a faith that answered life’s deepest questions, certain songs helped me to understand the picture of a love that wouldn’t let me go. A God that loved me just the way I am. And Grace that offered to enter the darkest parts of me and tell me, it’s okay. I’m okay. We could get through this life. Together.

So instead of telling you why I love Easter or the story of my faith…I thought I’d take you on a short audible journey through the music that has gone past my ears and trickled into my heart. To tell me that I am Forgiven. Accepted. And Loved.

Enjoy! Continue reading →