Music + Sports + Writing = Therapy
Posts tagged Rockstars
Beer and ball
Aug 26th
For me, music and sports go together like milk and fresh-from-the-oven brownies. Whether it’s hearing Alabama’s Rammer Jammer cheer or “Crazy Train” when Atlanta’s Chipper Jones steps up to the plate or “I’m Bad” while working out, music gets me fired up.
So as the Boys of Summer get ready to make a run for October and the Boys of Fall kick off their season, I’ve got singer/musician Chris Blake here to talk about how music makes the sports we love even better.
Chris, whose latest EP Girl is just out, explains why sports and music are so intertwined. “Music does so much to bring the game to a new level–particularly baseball,” he says. “Music accompanies celebration, loss, traditions like the 7th-inning stretch. It adds to the tension, like when the organist plays Charge! during a two-out, bases-loaded situation.
“Music also keeps us entertained in a big way during the breaks between innings–like when the little kid starts playing air guitar to Don’t Stop Believin’ at Dodger Stadium!”
While Chris enjoys a few college football match-ups each year, baseball is his real love. The Southern Cal Trojan says, “The only reason I ever really watched football games back in college was to drink beer.”
However, he figured out that baseball was much more conducive to beer-drinking. “You could lose an entire inning waiting in line for a Coors Light and still come back to your seat and not have missed anything.”
A Chicago White Sox fan, 2005 was a big year for Chris and his family as the team won the World Series. “Along the way (catcher) A.J. Pierzynski brought (Journey’s) Steve Perry along for the ride, and now, even though I had such strong childhood memories attached to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ’, all I can think of when I hear it now is how amazing it was at that moment when the Sox somehow managed to go all the way.”
Want to know more about the 7th sexiest man on Twitter? RSVP for The Music Mamas Twitter Party happening Friday night from 8-9:30 Central, and join us for a chat with Chris and a chance to win an iPod touch and his CD Girl.
Below is a playlist of Chris’ favorite get-pumped songs. What tunes do you crank up when you want to get your adrenaline pumping?
Hard times, good tunes
Aug 4th
Happy Ending
Jul 25th
I first heard this song during Riley’s dance recital rehearsal and loved it. It’s beautiful and sad, and the dance that was done with it was gorgeous. I finally downloaded Happy Ending by Mika today and found this video.
Summer Breeze
Jul 11th
Summertime and the living is easy … mostly. Riley’s at day camp every day while Ryan and I work (this week she’s in Town Creek with my parents), we’ve been spending lost of time with friends, and we’ve spend lots of time at the softball field since she made all-stars. (We played two tournaments and didn’t do so hot, but the experience was so good for Riley’s confidence and her desire to win. But that’s another post.)
Anyway, these are the songs we’ve been listening to this summer–some old, some new. Riley enjoys most of them, but don’t worry, I keep the dirty words to myself. And I’m not including her HSM songs, because, really, when they’re playing year-round they don’t make the Summer Playlist.
Pardon Me–Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
Baby, Baby–Justin Bieber
All I Do Is Win–DJ Khaled, et al
Baby Jane–Rod Stewart
Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight–Amos Lee
Not Afraid–Eminem
She’s a Bad Mama Jama–Carl Carlton
I Want A Love I Can See–The Temptations
Carryout–Timbaland, Justin Timberlake
The Ballad of Jayne–L.A. Guns
Your Love is My Drug–Ke$ha
Love Uncompromised–Jason Castro
Show me your hearing
Jun 30th

So I got this email the other day from Jennifer with the Hear the World initiative about a photography contest, sponsored by Phonak, called “Show Us Your Hearing.” The project wants to see you in a “conscious pose of hearing” (hand cupped behind your ear) and aims to raise awareness of hearing loss, which affects 16 percent of the world.
Each year in the United States alone, 12,000 babies are born with hearing loss, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery reports that 1.3 million children under age 3 have a hearing impairment.
Clearly, hearing loss affects every aspect of a child’s life, from academics to developmental to social issues. Most of you know our story: Our daughter, Riley, was diagnosed with profound deafness when she was around 18 months old. We were devastated, but with education and information we made the right decision for our family. Just before she turned 2, she had cochlear implant surgery and now at age 8, she is a bilateral CI user headed to the third grade, an all-star softball player and an incredible dancer.
Some big names in music are part of this initiative including Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart, Common, Billy Idol, Harry Belafonte, Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz. Singer-songwriter and photographer Bryan Adams captured each ambassador in the “hearing pose,” which “demonstrates the importance of being aware of your hearing at every age.”
Check out the Hear the World photographs—including ones of Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Moby, and Amy Winehouse.
Now the initiative wants you to submit your own photo! Details are below.
Show Us Your Hearing
Photography Competition
WHEN IS THE CONTEST DEADLINE? Monday, July 12th
HOW DO I ENTER? To enter, follow these 5 easy steps:
1. Register: You will receive an email registration confirmation from Hear the World. If you don’t receive an email, please check your Junk Mail folder.
2. Visit: Click the “enter the contest” button, and enter the entry form.

3. Upload a photograph of you, a friend, or family member in the “Conscious Pose of Hearing.” The photo must be high res (300dpi), between 1MB – 3MB.
4. Give your photograph a title and provide a description of up to 100 words describing the importance of being aware of your hearing at every age.
5. Click “Send.” Your Entry will not be officially entered into the Competition unless you click the final Send button and receive a confirmation screen that states that your Entry was accepted.
WHY SHOULD I ENTER?
- To take a moment to think about your sense of hearing and the sounds you are grateful to hear every day.
- To support the Hear the World initiative, which is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of hearing, while also educating the public about the consequences of hearing loss and the available solutions.
- For a chance to win a Polaroid 300 Instant Camera and for a chance to see your photograph published in the award-winning Hear the World magazine.
WHAT ARE THE JUDGES LOOKING FOR?
- Most visually appealing–50%
- Originality–30%
- 100 word description–10%
- Self-explanatory–10%
HOW AND WHEN WILL THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER BE DETERMINED?
1. The public will vote on their favorite photo between July 13 – August 3.
2. The top five entries that receive the most votes will be judged by a panel of judges between August 4 – August 10.
3. The grand prize winner will be announced on August 16 on the Hear the World website. Winners will be notified by phone and email.
That’s the way I like it
Jun 21st

Here’s a fun music survey from Music Savvy Mom. Post your answers on your blog and link back to me and MSM.
What is your favorite band/artist? (Specify “right now” or “all time”)
Elvis. See below for why.
What is your least favorite band/artist? (Specify “right now” or “all time”)
Rascal Flatts
What genre of music do you LOVE? (Gotta pick just one)
Rock ‘n’ roll
What genre of music do you HATE? (Gotta pick just one)
Electronica, or whatever you call it.
What is a song that you love?
You’ll Never Walk Alone (Elvis)
What is a song that you find incredibly annoying?
Anything by Rascal Flatts, except Fast Cars & Freedom
What is your favorite “embarrassing guilty pleasure song”?
I don’t feel guilty about any of the music I like, even New Kids on the Block.
If you were in/involved with a hugely popular band … what “position” would you most want to fill & why?
Biographer … I’m a writer, and I’d like to travel and see what road life is really like.
What “position” would you NOT like to attempt & why?
Publicist … I don’t lie very well.
If you could meet one musician who has passed away, who would it be and why?
Elvis, because he took the best of rock and the best of soul and melded them into a whole new experience.
![]()
Long lost Harry Connick Jr. review
Apr 20th
Happy Birthday to Jon Bon Jovi
Mar 2nd
Today is my rock star fantasy’s birthday: JBJ is 48 and still rockin’.
Here’s a bit about how this love affair started:
**************
My journey into infatuation started in the mid-1980s. I was about 14 and just getting into MTV. Long hair, tight leather pants and ripped shirts were all the rage. And I’m not talking about the ladies.
One band surpassed all others in every way…music, looks, number of cans of Aqua Net … Bon Jovi was the baddest, the coolest and the hottest. To use the slang of the day, lead singer Jon was fine. And I was hooked.
As a teenager, I didn’t have the means to buy the albums or go to the concerts. I started my collection by obsessively listening to the Top 40 countdown shows on the radio, tape recorder at the ready. “Casey, would you stop talking over the intro!” I wore those cassettes out, playing “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Bad Medicine” over and over and over.
I taped their videos, their appearances, anything I saw. I have no idea where those tapes are now, but I wish I could find them.
Yes, I changed the words to “I was born to your baby, you were born to be my man.” Yes, I imagined getting backstage and meeting Jon. (Get your minds out of the gutter – he was always a perfect gentleman. And back then I wasn’t as well educated as the kids are now.) Yes, I begged my mom to let me go to their concert in Huntsville just before I turned 16 … no dice.
Fifteen years later, just as I was about to turn 30, part of my fantasy was fulfilled. I was in the same building as Jon. Oh, my gosh … finally I got to see my Jersey boys in all their glory! And I was not disappointed.
It was like going back to high school…I felt like a schoolgirl, screaming and dancing and singing every song. Even my husband enjoyed the show. Or maybe he just enjoyed seeing me so happy.
**************
I’ve seen Bon Jovi twice more since then, and unless I hit the jackpot, I doubt I’ll see them in April in Nashville. Ticket prices continue to climb, and I can’t justify $150 for a ticket stuck in the middle of an arena, where I can barely even see Jon, where my camera batteries will die five minutes into the show because I’m so far back I have to use the flash, where my photos will come out grainy because I have to shoot the big screen in order to even see Jon’s face, plus finding someone who can afford to go with me … and so on.
They’re pricing fans out of their shows, and it’s unfortunate. Even being a fan club member got me no perks … unless you consider $1,500 for a front-row ticket a perk. Sure it’d be a priceless experience, but sometimes the price is just too high.
The ever-increasing cost of seeing my favorite band live tends to dampen my love a bit. It’s disappointing that longtime fans have to spend so much money just to get decent seats. Meanwhile, bands and brokers and promoters are raking in the dough. It’s frustrating and unfair.
At least I’ll always have my fantasies.
Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights
Feb 10th
Kim and I headed to Crossroads in the pouring rain to hear Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights. I have been waiting for this day for more than a year now.
We got there early and headed for the bar and a drink. We camped out in a booth near the sound board and waited. It wasn’t long before I spotted bassist
Nick Jay and introduced myself. We chatted for a moment then he went to change clothes for the show.
A few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye, I see a guy walking up to the bar. Yep, it was Jonathan Tyler. I waved and went to say hi. Bless his heart, he remembered our conversation on Twitter, and he came over and talked to me and Kim.
Soon we were hanging out at the pool tables watching JT, Nick, Jordan Cain (drums), Brandon Pinckard (guitar) and Jimmy (tour manager) rack ‘em and break ‘em before showtime. The guys were easy to talk to and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say.
Once onstage, joined by fabulous vocalist Mo Brown, the band did not disappoint. Opening with a cut off their upcoming album Pardon Me, slated for release in April, they got the crowd,
though sparse, moving. From my post leaning on the stairs, I could see folks bobbing their heads, tapping their toes and doing that little shoulder shake we all do when we hear something we like.
They played two of my favorites Slow Train and Gypsy Woman, and though I’m sure I looked a fool, I couldn’t help but dance while shooting some photos. Good music always makes you move.
Their music?
Gritty, honest, soulful, Southern, bluesy rock. But listen yourself. And don’t let Jonathan’s soft-spoken, sweet voice fool you. This man can sing, with power. JTNL are not some little bar band hoping to make some cash. They have played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, AC/DC, even drawing a huge crowd, and an unheard of encore, at the Austin City Limits Music Fest.
After the much-too-short set, Kim and I finally met Mo and Brandon, took advantage of photo ops and the merch table, and shared a round of shots with the band. Maker’s Mark. (And I managed to stay upright.) We got the scoop from poet, playwright, author and singer-songwriter Mo, chit-chatted with the dudes and watched a few games of pool before it was time to load out.
All in all, it was one of the best music experiences I’ve ever had. Not only are they great musicians, they are nice, asking about our lives and including us in the conversation. Now that’s how you connect with fans … and keep them.
Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights are going to make it big. Right now, they’re touring the country, and if you get a chance to hear them, take it. I promise you won’t regret it.
Rock out while helping deaf kids hear
Dec 23rd
Live in Concert
at Workplay
Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 9, 2010, 8 p.m.
Brought to you by
Alabama Power & Tom Williams Lexus
Proceeds go to
The Children’s HEAR Center
Helping deaf and hard of hearing children of Alabama and beyond
Tickets on sale now at
Workplay
$20
All ages show


















