Author Archives: Krissie

Shawn Fisher & The Jukebox Gypsies

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Took a drive tonight to see a new band…kind of on a whim. Haven’t taken a little road trip on a week night in awhile. So glad I went. GREAT set by Shawn Fisher & The Jukebox Gypsies, a band out of Jacksonville, FL – and how much does this gal love a four-guitar aural assault? Straight up rock n’ roll.

Seriously, these guys played to a crowd of maybe 30 people like there were a thousand people in the room. Super energy and passion for what they’re doing! And holy crap, they covered “Rock and Roll” and knocked me out of my seat. *This close* to being the best cover of any Zepplin song I’ve ever seen.

If they come to your town, free up some calendar time and go see ’em. Here’s a little preview of the full band (not the best sound on this video, but you’ll get the idea – thanks to the gal who posted this to YouTube):

And really, who doesn’t love a band with a sense of humor? (You can get the full band version of this one on iTunes, kids.)

Watch out for these kids, gang. I predict you’ll be hearing their name around sooner rather than later!

SUV Rant

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GM announced today that it is closing down its Hummer business. While I’m sad for all the jobs that will be lost and of course, the hit to the economy, the rest of me rejoices. Tally one on the good side to rid the world of SUVs!

About three years ago, as I was driving out of a parking lot, I got backed into by what I then called “an SUV-wielding soccer mom.” The woman was clearly not paying attention, overwhelmed by her two children, driving a giant Escalade or something of that nature. Because her two kids needed all that space. Ever since, I’ve been on a bit of a rant about SUVs, and lately, it’s getting worse.

Here’s my biggest problem with “sport utility vehicles” – most people who drive them drive them like there’s no one else on the road. They don’t pay attention and they’re more dangerous than they are safe. I can’t tell you the number of times my little car has nearly been picked off by a merging SUV driver not paying attention, tailgating, or just driving like an a-hole because they think they can since they are driving a tank.

I’ve heard the logic that driving one of these behemoths protects the occupants better than your average car, but I think it’s a crock – 95% of people driving SUVs are driving them for status purposes. Oh, and I know SUV drivers think they need all that space for their children, dogs (yes, I’ve heard this one, too), etc. But give me a break. Growing up, my Mom carted three of us kids around in a little Nissan Sentra and we did just fine. None of us has scoliosis or anything today because we were cramped into a small car.

And let’s be honest – the bulk of SUVs are horrible for the environment. It’s completely irresponsible for someone who doesn’t need to truly drive an SUV to drive one. They are guzzling gas that they don’t need to guzzle – gas crisis, anyone? It’s a waste of energy!

I seem to be getting crankier and crankier about this issue with every passing day, but honestly, I just think these things are the spawn of Satan. Save me the pro-SUV comments, folks. I know them all. I just don’t agree with them. I will keep crusading for an SUV-less society…

Fight the good fight!

Love and Art

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“What’s the use, in pushing through, I’m already dead to you…” – Matthew Mayfield, “Dead to You”

I’m currently reading Linchpin by Seth Godin. It’s my first foray into Godin’s writing, other than the occasional flip through a column here and there that he’s written – and I’m utterly fascinated by his perspective. The book is about people in business who are integral players – those who innovate, break the rules when necessary, and basically set their own course. These people, by nature of their ability to envision things, become turnkey to the business – linchpins that are the “essential building blocks of the organization.”

As a critical part of this theory, Godin stresses that in each of us, there is an artist. The artist has a gift, and therefore has the ability to envision, to create, to inspire, to build. It is up to each of us to identify our gifts and put in the work to bring them to fruition. It’s easy to see how this applies to business – for example, I love writing. I’m a damn good writer. Therefore, it’s up to me to put myself into a situation that allows me to write, and then, to work at my writing, take chances, and…to quote Lloyd Dobler, find a “dare to be great situation.”

“Most of all, art involves labor. Not the labor of lifting a brush or typing a sentence, but the emotional labor of doing something difficult, taking a risk and extending yourself.

It’s entirely possible that you’re an artist.

Sometimes, though, caught up in the endless cycle of commerce, we forget about the gift nature of art, we fail to do the hard work of emotional labor, and we cease to be artists.”

– Seth Godin in Linchpin

In a conversation with a friend today, I told her that I thought I was dead inside when it came to relationships. I have effectively given up even trying to date. I’ve been burned too many times, disappointed more times than I care to admit, and have grown tired of having faith in people only to be let down. So, rather than invest myself in any further relationships, I have walled off my heart. It’s just easier to be by myself.

But it’s not better.

Last week, someone that I don’t know very well called me jaded. It upset me more than I wanted it to…because I think it’s true more than it isn’t. And it’s sad. Because I was once a girl who, like Carrie Bradshaw, wanted the fairy tale. And I am lucky that I inherited my Mom’s huge heart – there is a part of me that wants to give endlessly. I firmly believe that I am a better person when I’m in a relationship. I’m complete on my own, but I’m MORE when I’m with someone that I love.

I’ve stopped being an artist in my own love life. Because rather than put the work in, rather than risk getting hurt, I’ve just stepped away. Put no emotional labor in, you get nothing out. And in cutting myself off, I’ve just made myself more bitter and angry.

I’m not sure what the first step is to try to be an artist again. I don’t know if I can figure it out. But I am vowing to myself that I will try.

Thanks for the inspiration, Seth.

Olympic Pride…for those GRO Boys!

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Like a lot of other people, I love the Olympics.  I am a sentimental schmuck…I freely admit that tear up watching people win.  And the Olympics ALWAYS make me proud to be an American. But this year, I have another reason to swell with pride…a musical one.

One of my favorite bands, and a bunch of seriously good guys, Green River Ordinance, was asked to record a song for AT&T’s Team USA Soundtrack.  Man, seeing it on the iTunes home page got me a little misty-eyed.  So excited for Josh, Joshua, Jamey, Geoff and Denton…and so proud of ’em

And of course, the song – called “Rise Up” is great…upbeat and positive and everything that GRO represents!

Go support Team USA and buy the soundtrack (or just the GRO track)…all the proceeds go to the U.S. Olympic Committee to benefit Team USA!

Christy

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As I’ve mentioned before, music has brought a lot of amazing people into my world. While they are all very special to me, one in particular has had a huge impact on my life.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and one of my best friends is worried that she won’t get a Valentine from anyone. So, I decided to write her a big Valentine on my blog so she (and the rest of the world) will know how thankful I am for her friendship. 🙂

I met Christy in May 2004. After my first Rock Boat, I became a TRB Message Board junkie. One day, some person called “MemphisQueen” posted a message about coming to Charlotte for a music festival we were having, wanting to know if any other Rock Boaters would be there and would want to meet up. I responded. We met. And a friendship was born.

Megan, Christy, Me & Andrea – May 2004

After that, we traded e-mails regularly, ran into each other on road trips, and started trading notes on artists we liked and didn’t like. Then, Christy sent me her “Best Songs You’ve Never Heard” mix. A tradition was born – for which a lot of you reading this blog should thank her. Christy was the person who inspired me to start making the seasonal mixes!

Along the way, we found out that we had more in common than we knew. Musically, other than sharing a love of a lot of artists in our “circle,” we both loved the Stereophonics – a popular Welsh band that no one in the States really knows and had once upon a time (and okay, still maybe did) loved New Kids on the Block. Non-music wise, we found that we had a lot of same beliefs, and took similar (and sometimes cynical, but hilarious) views of the world.

I often call Christy my “music dealer” to other friends. Because of her, I (and a lot of other people who don’t give her credit for having an insanely good ear) have come to love countless musicians, and one in particular who you all know I adore – Gareth Asher. From his first appearance on a Christy Mix in Summer 2005, I have loved that man’s voice, and because of her, went to see him that fall when he was still with Illbreak. Like me, Christy appreciates music for music. She listens to instruments, dissects lyrics, and studies the way musicians play. When she sends me music and says, “You’ll love this,” I know instantly that I will. When I hear something new that I instantly like, I always buy two copies – one for me, one for Christy.

And because of her, I’ve traveled places and done things that I may not have…I’m not really the adventurous sort. In 2007, for my birthday, Christy convinced me to come down to Atlanta to visit her…and then we promptly got in a car and drove to Birmingham to see Eliot Morris…where she had arranged for another friend of ours to be waiting with a birthday cake for me – and a signed birthday card from her, Katey & Eliot. In 2008, Christy twisted my arm to go with her to Hawaii – her 50th state visit. That same year, for her birthday, I ventured to Boston – and got to see the Stereophonics live from the front row of an itty bitty little club.

Kualoa Ranch

Christy & Me in Hawaii, May 2008

Sometimes, I’ll come home from a tough day at work to find little presents in my mailbox from Christy. A random CD. The Flight of the Conchords Season 1. A postcard that says, “We are total fucking badasses.” A memento from some foreign land that she’s visited. Or, I’ll get texts message in the middle of the day (or night, sometimes!) that say the most irreverent and hilarious things…Not suitable for public broadcast on the blog, but jokes that we’ve shared, or snarky comments about something that neither of us might ever say out loud to someone else. Or, she’ll leave me a voicemail. Christy voicemails are unlike voicemails from any other person. They go on for minutes…like you’re on the other end of the line talking back to her. I love it. She will have an entire conversation with herself – and sometimes, you can actually hear her thinking out loud in the middle of the message. It’s priceless and endearing and one of the things I adore about her! I’m sure she has no idea how these little things she does make her friends smile.

Christy understands me more than most people in my life. More often than not, I don’t even have to explain why I feel the way I do. I can, in one sentence, sum up a situation to her and she completely gets what I’m saying. Part of that is that she’s wicked smart, but the other part is that she’s very insightful and intuitive. Our viewpoints aren’t always the same, and sometimes we disagree on things (somewhere along the line, we somehow managed to make an unspoken decision never to talk politics, because we are at opposite ends of the spectrum). But, she always seems to know when I need someone to be on my side and when I need to hear that I’m maybe being a bit bullheaded and that I need to stop being a jerk. It’s hard to find friends like that, especially as you get older.

And so, on this Singles Awareness Day Eve, dearest Christy – I hope you know how special you are to me, and how lucky I am to call you one of my best friends. You are one of a kind and I love ya to bits. Thank you for being such an amazing person and friend. (And for the rest of you, I wish that you all have someone like Christy in your life.)

Pre-Hawaii Sunburns