Summer songs

As the weather gets warmer, you're going to get the urge to listen to music with the windows rolled down.

For all of our sakes, please practice safe listening and make sure the songs are cool enough to be heard by a large audience.

Here are three suggestions:

1. Just What I Needed - The Cars
2. Rapunzel - Dave Matthews Band
3. Ball and Chain - Social Distortion
*Bonus suggestion* Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Going Backwards

Let me preface this post by saying I am, in fact, 25 years old.

So I'm here sitting at my desk listening to music, and the next song on the playlist is "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Johnny Cash. I start tapping my foot and nodding my head and I think to myself, "Man, Johnny Cash is so awesome..."

Then it hits me.

While my friends and the rest of the world blaze forward in their music tastes, I am driving in reverse.

I am constantly discovering bands today that most people discovered 30 years ago (The Who, for example). I love Johnny Cash, I love Lynyrd Skynyrd, I love Jethro Tull... what am I, my dad?

And remember how grunge spread like wildfire in the early '90s and was extinguished just as fast? Apparently I didn't get the memo, because Pearl Jam is one of the fastest rising stars in my music galaxy. I am just now buying "Ten."

'80s New Wave, '70s Southern Rock, '60s progressive rock, I love it all. That's what I buy when I go shopping for "new" music. I don't even know what kind of music the kids are putting out these days.

Thank goodness for bands like Muse, The Shins and The Killers. These bands keep me at least somewhat current.

Oh yeah... I'm also just now starting to like Rush. I'm such an old soul.

Another summer of concerts

Every March/April/May I think to myself "I'm going to a billion concerts this summer," and then I go on a rampage. I buy tickets, I mortgage my future, I incur massive credit debt... but I see some pretty dang good shows.

Here's this year's list.

Tickets in hand:
Dave Matthews Band - 9/1
The Killers (practically) - 9/26

Probable:
Styx/REO Speedwagon - 5/30
Death Cab for Cutie - 7/13
Robert Randolph and the Family Band - 8/27

Long Shot:
No Doubt - 5/25
Incubus - 7/16
The Fray/Jack's Mannequin - 7/18
Depeche Mode - 8/25

Wish I Could:
David Byrne - 6/21
Flight of the Conchords - 5/17

Not This Year:
Slightly Stoopid/Snoop Dogg - 7/20

Anyone interested? We can even hit up Training Table on the way up. My treat.