Garrin, Jason, Levi, Eric, Tom & Nathan Live!

Top: Garrin Benfield. @nd Row: Jason Antone, Eric Himan, Levi Kreis. 3rd Row: Nathan Leigh Jones. 4th Row: Tom Goss and Garrin Benfield.

As I was thinking about the blogiversary, I couldn't help but be reminded that I am a very lucky boy, having been able to catch some seriously good shows over the last 6 months. It all started last December, when I got to see Garrin Benfield for the first time! I have been a fan for several years, and have collected it all. Somehow, our schedules just never seemed to be in synch. So I was unbelievably excited when I had the chance to see him at the Grape Room in Manayunk, PA, with dear Mistress Maddie. It was a fantastic time!



When I saw Jason Antone, Levi Kreis and Eric Himan at The World Cafe Live! in Philadelphia, PA, in early January, I will admit it was not the first time I had the chance to enjoy them. I saw a show in Virginia in December, but my pictures were bad. I did have a great time, for I caught the show with Sweet Tom Goss and his husband, Mike. But in January, I was the show with family, having my sister, my niece, and cousins along to share the joy.



I was so very excited to catch Tom Goss at The Psalm Salon in Philadelphia, PA, for his CD Release Party for the new one, Turn It Around. With an album of new music, I knew it would be thrilling, but it surpassed my expectations. What a great time!



I went to another CD Release Party, this time for Australian singer/songwriter Nathan Leigh Jones at Joe's Pub in New York, NY. I was joined there by the delightful David Dust, who will always make for a fun time. But we both had a great time when David Raleigh sang an opening number, and Nathan played the entire album for the appreciative audience.



And just a few weeks ago, I was back in New York City to see Garrin Benfield at Sullivan Hall in New York, NY. Yes, after having missed his several years in a row, I was catching a second show, another CD Release Party. To be sure, I was loving the new album, The Wave Organ Song, but hearing it played live, well, that was just spectacular!



I look forward to catching more show, and bringing them back for you, my friends. Jake Walden is coming to town soon, Eric Himan is coming back in support of his latest album, and so many others are looking to play. And I am always more than willing to hear!

Through The Years

Boldly going where few smart men have gone before, I thought the blogiversary would be a perfect opportunity to show that I have fallen victim to many of the style fads of the last 50 years, from the time when I was a mere child. The hair, the clothes, well, they say so much, don't they? To celebrate the fashion malfunctions, I thought I would just give some music that might capture that same period of time, starting when I was an infant in the playpen. The Who released an album and single of the same name in 1965, My Generation. OK, more of the time I am wearing the suit on the porch than playpen time, but you get it.



Somehow, I manage to skip the 70s, at least with pictures I have on my computer. The 80s are certainly represented, from the white jacket to the appearance of a major amount of hair. And since in one of those pictures I was wearing a Cure Head On The Door Tour t-shirt, it seemed only right to post a clip of The Cure singing Picture Of You, a truly beautiful and melancholy song.



In the 90s, I let the hair get longer and more wild, and was listening to Pearl Jam. I can't help it, I had a huge crush on Eddie Vedder. I was also listening to bands like Live, Origin, Depeche Mode, as well as singer/songwriters like the incredible Duncan Sheik. But I think it only fitting to celebrate the decade and the pictures with a live performance of Pearl Jam's Alive.



Come the new millennium, I know the focus of my musical passions turned toward the LGBT singer/songwriters, many of them in playing a variation of Folk/Pop/Rock. A leading example of this would be Eric Himan, from whom much of my fandom springs. You see, it seemed that first several people who opened for Eric, or played with him, became part of my collection. That would include Aiden James, Tom Goss, Levi Kreis and Andy Moore. And those talented people exposed me to others, like Jake Walden, Adrianne, Stewart Lewis, and others. Well, I'd like to pay tribute to my Music-Daddyman, Eric Himan singing No Urgency from his 2002 album I Go On...

2nd Blogiversary

At any given moment, it can feel like I have been blogging here for almost no time, while there are moments when I feel like I have been doing it for-freakin-ever. There are moments when I feel incredibly inspired, and there are times when I know, deep in my heart of hearts, that I will never be able to come up with any music I have not already covered. Yep, in a nutshell, that is my blogging life. Well, that, and looking through pictures and videos trying to decide what it the best to use for a post. And, of course, finding new and interesting way to procrastinate about writing the next post.

So, to avoid my procrastinating until the blogiversary is well beyond us, I will be doing a series of short posts filled with great music as a way of saying thank you to my regular readers, and to those who are just stopping in. I will start with one of my favorite female vocalists of the last 40 years - Linda Ronstadt. I chose to lead the day off with a live performance from 1976 in Offenbach, Germany. She sings Heart Like A Wheel, the title cut from an album of the same name. To make it all the more special, she duets with the late Andrew Gold, whose obituary I just wrote.

REPOST - Saturday Rocks - Collective Soul

This was originally posted on November 13, 2009. Since I am on the run this weekend, I thought I would try to offer up this post.




It's the weekend, time to rock! My fondness for @Collective_Soul extends beyond Twitter, as I do have most of their albums, including 7even Year Itch, the greatest hits set, covering 1994-2001. The band consists of Ed Roland, Ed Roland, Dean Roland, Joel Kosche, Will Turpin, and Cheney Brannon. The 13-song album included six #1 and two #2 singles from the US Mainstream Rock charts, as well as 2 previously unreleased songs. It has many of my favorites on it, and now seems like a time to share. I love it when the boys rock it out, like in Shine, which I blogged out earlier, both the Collective Soul version and the one by Dolly Parton. Give me a song with multiple guitars, a blaring bass and driving drums, and I am happy. One such song is Why Pt 2, a 2001 single, the first from Blender.

Why Pt 2

Tino | MySpace Video

And there is Heavy, from the 1999 release, Dosage. Heavy had a more industrial sound, a crisp and tight sound driven by the hard edged guitars and drums.


Watch Collective Soul Heavy in Autos & Vehicles | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Another of my favorites is Better Now, released in 2005 a few years after 7even Year Itch. It is a pop/rock song with a harder edge, and some fantastic guitars.

Better Now

Jiff | MySpace Video

And, of course, there is the amazing vocals from Ed Roland, this brilliant rich voice never failing to use the music as an anchor, yet scale new heights. To catch up more with Collective Soul, visit their website here, or add them on Twitter here.

Ari Gold - Wave of You

I can remember the first time I saw an Ari Gold video, for it was quite the experience. I had read about an out and proud Jewish man who refused to compromise with his music or his life, so I went online to search out his videos. I found Wave of You, and was instantly entranced. The song itself would have been enough, but coupled with the images of gorgeous men and beautiful transsexuals, I knew I had to seek out more.



I did, and I loved what I saw. So I quickly added Ari's albums to my collection, and love to hear it when he plays on my iPod. His latest album, Transport Systems, is so strong, including the song I Can Forgive You. Here is the video, directed by Christopher Ciccone.



For more about Ari Gold, check out his official website here.

And this concludes my series of some of my favorite artists. That is 28 arts in the past 37 hours, all in a celebration of the support the readers of Soundtrack to my Day have given over the past year. Thanks, and you enjoyed it.

Gregory Douglass

I am not sure how this happened, but while I was living in Shelburne, Vermont, I had no idea about Gregory Douglass. However, as soon as I moved away, I discovered him online, and purchased his music. What I didn't get, however, was the chance to catch him preforming live at any of the myriad of shows at some the the places I went to in Burlington with some co-workers, including Higher Ground. But I have managed to caught him 'live' on the internet, from a few special gigs on the road, to his current Monday night gig, 'virtual' house concerts, where he broadcasts from a studio performing live songs as part of a campaign to raise money for his next release. His last release, Battler, was produced by Syd, whose music I really like, and it was a wonderful album. One of my favorite cuts from the album was Broken Through, and here is a clip from the CD Release Party for the album.



But I had found Gregory long before that album. Some of his 'older' music is rather wonderful, and that is what drew me to him in the first place. Like, for instance, I Wanted To Run, from his 2003 release Pseudo-Rotary.



For more on Gregory Douglass, check out his official website here. To catch one of his virtual house concerts, click here.

Anthony Callea - The Prayer

I first got to hear Anthony Callea when the video of him singing The Prayer on Australian Idol, and his voice blew me away. In fact, the entire performance just took my breath away. I mean, he was singing live!



After checking out some of his other performances on the show, I was hooked. I ordered his first album, as well as the second - packages from Australia can take forever! I also purchased his Live Concert DVD, and eagerly await new music! What amazes me is that the boy can sound like a chorus of angels in The Prayer, but can also sound like this when he sings Addicted To You, from the sophomore effort.



It was an added bonus when I discovered Anthony was gay, and in a relationship with actor/singer Tim Campbell. I follow Tim on Twitter, and he is not only unbelievably handsome, but he is funny! For more information about Anthony, check out his official website here. You can purchase the first album on US iTunes here, and if you like music, you should have Anthony's music in your collection.

Tom Goss - Rise

The first time I saw Tom performing, I will admit to being disappointed at first, for I was hoping Aiden James would be opening for Eric again. So when it was this cute kid I didn't know, I was thrown. In fact, my niece and I had a discussion about him, since I thought he was some str8 frat boy, while Mandy had a much better sense of Gaydar. But as the music went on, I found myself forgetting all the rest, and really liking him. Especially one song in particular. Well, many concerts later, I can say I not only love his music, but I truly enjoy the person as well. And I find it hard to pass up a chance to see him when I can, to enjoy the music and to get a chance to chat with one of the nicest people I have ever met. Oh, and that song I really liked at that first show? It is Rise, still one of my favorite songs of Tom's. The lyrics, they are just beautiful.



Check out Tom's official website here.

Casey Stratton - For Reasons Unexplained

Despite being aware of him for some time, I managed to not have a single Casey album in my collection. He has been so prolific as an artist, I was a bit intimidated by the catalog. Since I had seen him on Twitter, I decided to solve the problem, and ask him which album to purchase first. Instead of treating me with disdain, he told me, and he was right, Standing At The Edge is a great album, and it was not my last purchase. But it was the first album reviewed on this blog, and so both it and Casey hold a special place in my heart. From that album, here is For Reasons Unexplained.



Check out the pictures and msuic on his official website here.

Archy & Mehitabel - Hammerspace

Left, Alexander Horwitz, right, Lee Waters.

It has gotten to the point that just mentioning the name Archy & Mehitabel and I start getting a little giddy. Musically, they are my favorite find in the last year. I am not sure I remember running into them on Twitter (@leewaters & @opusvox), but do remember chatting tweeting with Lee and then finding the music and knew this was a duo I needed to not only follow, but also to see live one day. This is a video for Hammerspace, taped ostensibly live, and the minute I knew I was a fan for life.



Visit Archy & Mehitabel on their official website here.

Levi Kreis - Nothing At All

This Sunday, Levi Kreis will be seen on the Tony Award broadcast, and we shall see if he wins an award for his incredible performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet. But before he was a Broadway star, Levi was a talented singer/songwriter, putting out albums and making great music. In my collection you will find One of the Ones, The Gospel According To Levi, Bygones and Where I Belong, his latest album. And I will be eagerly awaiting the next album from this soulful, gifted and gorgeous man. This is his latest video, Nothing At All.



To hear more of the irresistible music of Levi Kreis, visit his website here.

Christopher Dallman - Anthem

Sometimes, luck just runs your way. A couple of years ago, I was ordering CDs from CDBaby, and I read a review of Christopher Dallman's Race The Light, so I added it the order. That was a lucky day for me, for when that package arrived, I was blown away by what I heard. I have been a fan ever since, and love the music he makes. Whether it is the Sad Britney EP, with his take on some Britney Spears songs, the singles Subterranean or Anthem, or his latest EP, Never Was, I have loved them all. I recently caught his live show in New York, and my love only grew. Here is Anthem, a beautiful song talking about marriage Equality song, something he knows a bit about, having married his partner, Josh Pohja.



And, speaking of Josh, he took the photographs and edited the video for the Gimme More video from the Sad Britney EP. Quite the talented couple!



To listen to more of Chris' music, visit his official website here.

SIRPAUL - Addicted

I've been a fan of SIRPAUL for a couple of years, having come across his music and loving it. The music is as varied as the looks SIRPAUL has sported over the years, and he has yet to hit a bad note or a bad haircut. I am going to see him on June 26th at a live show in New York, and I can't wait. For the longest time, Addicted was my favorite SIRPAUL song, and it still might be. Only it changes from time to time; sometimes it might be Do U, other times is is Music & Me from the new album. But, I will say listening to his Dismantle album was practically a profession for me a few years ago. Here is Addicted.



For more videos and information about SIRPAUL, check his official website here.

Theo Tams - Lazy Lovers

As I was surfing the internet a year ago, I ran into a mention of a Canadian singer/songwriter and his new video. I found it on YouTube, and that was the start to my complete infatuation with the music of Theo Tams. I purchased his album, and thought it was wonderful. Then I did my research, and found out he was named the Canadian Idol in 2008, and won it as an out man. I checked out the clips from the show, and thought he really was talented. He also has some great fans who have been very sweet to me, and even have had the occasion to chat online to Theo, only to discover he is a funny, sweet, and interesting man. One I hope to see live and in person someday soon. But here is the video that started it all, Lazy Lovers form his debut effort, Give It All Away.



Theo recently released a video for Wait For You which I found intriguing. A live performance of the song captured on video, just a boy and his piano giving a heart-wrenching reading of a good song. I, for one, was truly impressed by this video.



For more about Theo, visit his official website here. Go there and check out the sneak peek of the music video for Manhattan Blue.

Aiden James - On The Run

I went to see Eric Himan playing live in Philadelphia, and was lucky enough to catch Aiden James as the opening act. Aiden lives in Philly, and is a fantastic artist, one I will see as often as possible. In fact, I was able to catch him on consecutive nights earlier this year. If you ever hear he is playing in your area, rush to get a ticket. With his gorgeous, rich voice, amazing songs, and charming personality, you can't help but have a great time. Here is Aiden singing the title track from his latest album, On The Run.



For more about songster Aiden, visit his official website here.

Daniel J. Cartier - Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper Cover)

I have been a fan of Daniel J. Cartier for several years, after stumbling across his music online. his original music tends to really speak to me, that is for sure. But when the man does a cover of a song he really likes, he truly makes it his own, breathing emotion and intensity one would expect, and then some. Damn, the boy is talented. Here is Daniel singing Cyndi Lauper's amazing Time After Time.



For more information about Daniel, check out his official website here.

Chad Cavanaugh - We Got Love

A more recent find for me, Chad is a San Diego-based performer, husband, and stay-at-home Dad, but I love his use of rhythms and phrasing, and his inherent charm while performing. This is We Got Love, the title track from his latest album.



For more about Chad, check out his MySpace here.

Blogiversary of Sorts - 4 Months & SIRPAUL

On June 9th, four months ago this evening, I posted my first entry to the blog, entitled Birth of a Blog. I had no idea what I was going to do with the thing, and thought I would figure it out as I went along. I guess I have, although I could see the blog continuing to evolve for some time to come. Interestingly enough, it had no pictures or videos, and was just two simple paragraphs:

So many people I know have blogs, and have been telling me to do one, too. I am still not sure that I am interesting enough to blog, but thought I would give it a shot. So what the hell am I going to say on this blog? I think I just might be finding that out as I go along, since I am, as usual, without a freakin’ clue.

What I do know is that I love music, and will most likely be focusing on the music I do like. I sit at my desk at work, sporting the ear buds and programming the soundtrack to my day on my iPod.

Amazingly, it still holds true. As I sit at my desk and pump out invoices, make sure payroll is under control, or sneak a peak at this blog or the blogs of others, I am wearing my ear buds and fiddling with my iPod Touch, picking out the next artist or album I will listen to. I am still not sure I am interesting enough to do this, but thus far the music as certainly pulled me through. And, of course, the readers.



Speaking of readers, the blog has another follower, who also left a rather sweet message. SIRPAUL, one of my favorite artists, stopped by, followed the blog and left the following comment:



I think of myself as first and foremost a fan of music. Whether it is on this blog, in a club or in an online store, I am going to support many of the artists I discuss here, like Eric Himan, Eric & the Adams, Tom Goss, Aiden James, Christopher Dallman, Shane Mack, Gregory Douglass, Casey Stratton, Angela Leo, Belkins, Derek Nicoletto, and, of course, SIRPAUL. There are many others, too. So, as a way of thanking everyone for their support, I thought I would share my favorite SIRPAUL song, one I have been holding for a very special occasion. It is Addicted, from his wonderful CD Dismantle. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.



And Beth, I still blame you and David.