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Boo! for having a toothache that causes a sinus infection that makes your face feel like it's going to explode.
Yay! for having dental insurance again after about 10 years!
Boo! for not being able to get work done on your tooth because the gum immediately around it is too inflamed.
Yay! for getting a prescription for a rinse that makes your mouth stop hurting after one single use.
Boo! for discovering that the rinse actually makes another tooth hurt on the other side of your mouth.
Yay! for getting a prescription for Vicodin from the dentist.
Boo! for discovering that your body is apparently immune to Vicodin.
Yay! for not really needing the Vicodin anymore because tylenol/advil/etc taken once in the early afternoon pretty much keeps the pain managable.
Boo! for having to wait 2 weeks before going back to the dentist.
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Yay! for having vision insurance again.
Boo! for discovering that your body apparently can not handle anesthetics, no matter how minute they may be.
Yay! for finding an optometrist who seems like a really cool guy.
Boo! for throwing up in his trashcan after he puts eyedrops in your eyes. :/
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Got the new Matt Wertz cd in the mail yesterday. Yay! fireweaver, you'll like it. ;) So far, I like it, but I'm not sure if I like it more than "twentythree places". My favorite songs on the album are the ones that I've heard live, too... the recording of "The Way I Feel" and "Heartbreaker" are great, and "Naturally", with Josh Hoge singing along, is excellent. Marc Broussard helps out with "Carolina", and even though I'm not a fan of Marc, I really like the sound of this song.
I also got Dave Barnes' latest CD, "Chasing Mississippi", but I haven't had a chance to listen to it completely yet. I'm impressed, though, by the liner notes. LOL! Plus, other artists featured on the CD: Josh Hoge, Vince Gill, Matt Wertz, and Amy Grant.
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Carbon Leaf's latest album, Love Loss Hope Repeat, came out a couple of weeks ago. I was very wary of it before it was released, because I just wasn't blown away by the songs I'd heard so far. It's very hard to explain... I love Carbon Leaf, and I love their music. They are definitely one of my favorite bands, and I will support them even if I don't like a particular song (see: "Attica's Flower Box Window" and "The Sea" and most of Meander). While I loved individual songs from Indian Summer, the album as a whole just left me flat. Before LLHR came out, all the songs I'd heard from it sort of blended together in my mind, and nothing stood out. While the songs were all "ok", there was nothing that made them stand out from one another. I didn't come away from any of the concerts with a refrain stuck in my head, like I did after my first show, when "Desperation Song" would NOT leave me alone. So I was very afraid that the album would be too bland and polished down.
What I discovered after listening to the full album, though, is that all the songs that the band has been playing live are the ones that all sound alike. :p There are other songs on the album that sound completely different, like the title track (which actually reminds me a LOT of "Desperation Song") or the final song, "International Airport", or even "A Girl and Her Horse", which I actually don't care for. (Sorry, Cubs...)
Overall, though, I like the album as a whole. I like the way the songs work together, and by the time "International Airport" plays, I'm ready to restart the player. I still don't like it as much as I do Echo, Echo, but it's better than I feared it would be.
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Gaelic Storm had a new album come out at the end of July, and I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it here, but I absolutely LOVE it! Bring Yer Wellies is the name, and I honestly think it's my favorite individual album of theirs. I'll still recommend Special Reserve to folks who are looking to buy that first album, because it's a "Greatest Hits", but Wellies is my second recommendation. :)
I saw GS last week... it was kind of a last minute decision to go, but I'm really glad I did. I ended up working merch for the show, but they left the doors open between the bar area and the lobby where the merch table was, so I was dancing around the lobby singing along. The bouncer kept laughing at me. Several of my friends who were at the show joined me throughout the evening, and we had a lot of fun. Caused some problems with Patrick at the end of the night because Tina and I added some things to the inventory when we found them in a case under the table, but it was all worked out. I still feel bad about it, though. :/ They'll be back in this area in... November, I think it is. I miss them already!
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Upcoming shows:
Tues, 9/26 - Ari Hest @ Schuba's in Chicago. Pretty boy with a guitar... he's got a nice voice, too. :) Anyone wanna go?
Wed, 9/27 - Jackson Rohm at The Wine Knot in Kenosha. I'd really love it if someone would come with me, 'cause I feel very self-conscious going to this place by myself. Not that I won't do it if I have to. :)
Sat, 9/30 - Either Chris Trapper at Schuba's or The Dukhs @ Martyrs. I've heard good things about both, but haven't seen either...
October shows: (That last week and a half or so of the month is going to be insane if I actually go to all the shows!)
Wed, 10/4 - Carbon Leaf in Madison. It would be really nice to know whether I'm supposed to be working merch for this show or not... :/
Thurs, 10/5 - Carbon Leaf at House of Blues in Chicago. See above. :/
Tues, 10/17 - Sister Hazel @ HoB in Chicago
Wed, 10/18 - Tony Lucca @ Martyrs (per seimaisin, he's good :) )
Thurs, 10/19 - Josh Kelley, Shawn Mullins, and Gin Blossoms at Park West in Chicago (Anyone want to go to this with me? I really need to get tickets, but I haven't quite confinced myself to cough up the money they want in fees from Ticketmaster. :p )
Fri, 10/20 - Josh Kelley, Shawn Mullins, & Gin Blossoms in Joliet. Already have aticket to this one.
Sat, 10/21 - Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers @ Schuba's. (Again, I've heard good things...)
Sun, 10/22 - Matt Wertz in Madison (Hey, piwacket, wanna go?)
Tues, 10/24 - Matt Wertz @ HoB in Chicago.
Sun, 10/29 - Mat Kearney @ HoB in Chicago.
Mon, 10/30 & Tues 10/31 - Ingram Hill @ Schuba's.
Hey, friends in Florida... In case you've been hiding under a rock, I'm going on a cruise in January, leaving out of Fort Lauderdale (Jan 10th-15th). I'm considering either flying in early (Jan 6th) or staying afterwards (Jan 21st)... any interest in getting together? Any offers of transportation and/or lodging? LOL! I'm leaning towards staying late, because one of the bands I like (Enter The Haggis) is playing in Orlando on Sat, Jan 20th.