Why?

I would be curious to know who came up with this concoction, who decided it was a good idea and who ok’d the release? IMHO? It tastes like I would imagine Redneck Ass tasting like. Non-washed-no-indoor-plumbing-been-wiping-with-corn-husks-kind-of-ass.

Oh. Was that too harsh? I am sorry Anheuser-Bush, as I am quite a fan of other beverages you choose to produce for us fellow humans. This, however, not so much. I do believe you missed the mark here.

Orange peels and Coriander?  Who the fuck puts that in beer?  *shaking head*

I am sitting here, wracking my brain trying to come up with some way to seriously adequately describe the undescribable taste of this beer. I am having a hard time. It tastes seriously heavy on the hops.  I suppose you can taste a hint of the orange peels, there is a citrus kind of undertone, but it doesn’t compliment the beer in any way as, say, a slice of orange in a Blue Moon. (Lord I love that stuff!) Maybe it’s the Coriander that has been added. Maybe it’s because this is a “light” beer, and really, something with this much (or this many?) flavors going on needs to be stout and heavy. I’m not real sure, all I know for a fact is that it doesn’t work.

“Bud Light has the unique ability to introduce wheat beers to a broader audience of beer drinkers,” said Mike Sundet, senior director of Bud Light brands. “With the personality of Bud Light, Bud Light Golden Wheat appeals to light beer drinkers who seek a variety of flavor options from their beer.”

Whether garnished with an orange or enjoyed straight from the bottle or in a glass, Bud Light Golden Wheat offers a light wheat-malt sweetness upon first sip, which quickly gives way to a refreshingly crisp, citrus finish.

Um. Not really. Are you drinking the same beer Mr. Sundet? Something tells me you’d even rather be sitting at the Pub with a frosty mug of Blue Moon in your hand and this is Anheuser-Busch’s sorry substitute for such a desire.

You know, I betcha Coke employees sneak a Pepsi once in a while….just sayin’.

BoneSauce

Move over Trent Ash, here comes something meaner, meatier, and saucier!

BoneSauce fans got a treat last night as BoneSauce brought out their newest front man, Mike Postin from Cuba, Illinois. He was loud, proud and playin’ to the crowd last night! I believe he is the exact opposite of former front man Trent and has the potential to bring a needed ingredient to this bone rockin’ band.

Once I’d heard there was going to be a change in the band, I began to get itchily nervous for their future. Selfishly, I began to wonder if I was even going to like them as much, as I am not a big “change” lovin’ kind of gal. Waiting for last night’s BoneSauce appearance at Crossroads was the longest wait I think I’d ever experienced in my life. I was not patient about it either.

I arrived in the middle of their first set. I like to time my arrivals around there because I figure they should just about be warmed up, losing the beginning jitters and really starting to rock the joint. Of course, all bands are most relaxed and fluid by the second set, however, I like to see a little bit of that unease that comes along with the first set.  Seeing a group grappling for that comfort level, feeling out the crowd, warming up their voices and finding their groove speaks volumes to me about not only how the band is going to perform  the rest of the night, but how they meld as group as a whole.

It seems the chemistry in this sauce is just right. There wasn’t any kind of awkward “new guy” tension that you might expect from a new front man finding his way within a new band. At least none that I picked up on mind you. Mike came across as professional, yet approachable, and most importantly, at complete ease standing before a live crowd performing.

While I didn’t notice the range in Mike that Trent had, I do think that Mike’s voice lends an edge to the group that they desperately needed. I liked his sound and I am anxious to hear him after he’s had more time to rehearse, feels more comfortable with the play lists and really lets loose. I see all kinds of potential in his performance and the air that he brings to BoneSauce. You could feel it in the other band members too. They are so pumped with Mike’s ability it literally oozed from them when I spoke with them regarding their newest member. Of course, I really didn’t expect otherwise. I mean, if they didn’t feel confident in their pick, they wouldn’t have picked him, right?

Their play list kept the crowd jumping, even dancing away, something that I didn’t see happen at their last show. Was it the electricity in the air over the excitement of the addition of Mike? Was it Mike’s stage presence? Possibly both. I recall a certain tension in the air from the band themselves when Trent was the front man. Being on the sidelines I am not willing to guess at where that tension came from, but I can say it was felt all around. It was splendid not feeling that tension in the air last night.

All in all it was another great show put on by a great band whose potential has just been stepped up a giant notch. I look forward to catching them at their next performance at Crossroads! Maybe I will be able to get me a new necklace/swag since mine broke last night while I was dancing my little big ass off! 

Hmmm…..?

Shotgun Dixie

**Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the diagnostic classification system used in the United States, as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.” [1]The narcissist is described as turning inward for gratification rather than depending on others, and as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, and prestige.[2] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness. It is also colloquially referred to as “the God complex.”**

Before you go off on me, you must understand one thing. I am a music lover and the only types of music that I don’t love include a) Jonas Brothers b) Off key singers c) Shotgun Dixie. Why such a strong reaction to this particular band?

I don’t even know where to start.

Let’s start with their sound. It’s country. I love country, when it’s done well. Just like anything else. This band couldn’t carry a tune if it had a handle.

Now, the lead singer, Steve Towery, could sing. Why he would surround himself with such tone deaf boneheads is beyond me.

They kept touting and referring to certain “bragging rights” such as opening for the likes of Dierks Bentley adding in comments to the tune of “look where he landed because we opened for him!”

Bah. The only thing I could think when that was said was “narcissistic idiots, if you launched his career what the hell happened to yours?”

Which brings me to the second reason I couldn’t stand this band. Their God complex. They thought they were all that and some chips when really they were not made of win. They weren’t good looking. You had Larry the Cable Guy in the lead with some goofy lookin’ dudes backing him up. Larry, aka Steve Towery, being the only member who could actually sing. Then you had this guy:

He was the epitome of narcissism. I wanted to gag. I am not real sure what he did or what he was. He just sorta stood there, looking foolish with a beer in one hand, the mic stand in the other hand acting like he was something special. He didn’t really sing. He kind of threw in a two or three word back up vocal from time to time, off key mind you, but that’s about it. He was obnoxious to the max, totally distracting from the band, and didn’t do a damn thing to enhance the performance or even help carry to carry it. Upon further researching this band, I found that they are the “official house band for WFYR-FM 97.3 River Country – A winning combination!” I beg to differ on the “winning combination” statement.

I found all the explanation I needed on this idiot they put out in front of the band on their own Band Bios web site:

“Randy Williams is the newest member of SHOTGUN DIXIE. Since all of the other members of the band have many, many years of experience, it was decided what the band needed was some new blood with no experience at all! Actually, Randy has run sound for the band, been a head roadie, and has sung hundreds of hours of karaoke. Randy helps out on background vocals, announcing, percussion (occasionally), and is the band’s version of the class clown. Randy’s role is to help get the crowd involved with the performances and to add some versitility to the band’s music with some well-placed background and harmony vocals. In addition, Randy helps out with promotion and bookings. By the way, Randy is the youngest (non-musician) member of the group and the ONLY single (unmarried) member.”

Ahem.

I think that was a bad decision on the band’s part. Makes me wonder if Randy has some blackmail on the band since he’s been “head roadie” and all. Hours of karaoke does not make one a band worthy singer/addition.

Band clown? Really? Hmm….

It is not surprising to me that this band has not made it big nor is it surprising that this Randy clown is unmarried and single.

100% FAIL.

She Swings, She Sways @ Balloons Over the Mississippi

***WARNING*** Click the following link at your own risk. It contains auto-play muzack. I hate that! Don’t say I didn’t warn you…..

She Swings, She Sways was the house band on hand at the 7th Annual Balloons Over the Mississippi celebration on July 18th. They touted themselves as Americana/Pop/Folk and I believe that to be the perfect description of their sound.

An odd compilation of characters, this band included a stand up Bass player, an accordion, a trumpet and a mandolin. At any given point you weren’t sure exactly what you were going to get. The three front men wore flannel shirts and jeans while the drummer and the rhythm guitar player wore t-shirts and baseball caps. The one female of the group played keyboard and the trumpet was dressed up, albeit tastelessly. The awkward way that she used a huge sparkly purple scarf to cover up the front her “over the top” of a bolero style black jacket was distracting. A beautiful girl, with a fantastic voice, really needs a personal stylist. Or, follow in the footsteps of the front men. Don a cute flannel top, a pair of jeans and high heels.

Their music was quite melancholy. I didn’t realize that Americana/Pop/Folk had to be so depressing.

If they had removed a few members of the band, I could see them fitting in quite nicely performing at some high end yuppie-style coffee shop between poetry readings in Chicago. It wasn’t until they began doing covers, such as 4 Non Blonds “What’s Up” that they began to grab my attention. Their original music (of which you can purchase at their website) did not whet my pallet on any level. Their commentary between songs was supposed to be humorous and down to earth I believe, however, once again they missed their mark. It was borderline idiotic rambling that got annoying pretty quickly. Their inside jokes that anyone not living in their “band house” wouldn’t get isn’t something that a general audience is going to bite and run with and really should be saved for nights of beer drinking around their table together.

However, the did have swag and plenty of it. From cd’s to t-shirts to buttons. They even had a sheet to sign up for their mailing list.

They are trying. Maybe we’ll see them around sometime. I would be interested to see if they grow or if this band is stagnant in their sway.

Hawt As Hell

Once again I had the great privelidge of dancing the night away to the tasty sounds of Bogart Jones. That in it’s self makes for a fantastic night, right?

Now, toss in the fact that it was Jamie’s  (Crossroads) birthday, my birthday and a friend of ours’ birthday and you got yourself quite a whollup of good time!

There is no place I’d rather celebrate my birthday than at Crossroads surrounded by great friends, making new great friends and listening to the likes of Bogart Jones.

It’s a girl’s dream come true, really.

These guys amaze me. Their talent is through the roof and their song choices keep the crowd pumped and going all night long from the first song of the set on to the last song of the night. Folks just don’t want to sit down and listen. That would be nearly blasphemous. You almost have to get up on your feet in order to show the guys the respect that they deserve when it comes to their music! This ain’t no toe tappin’ hummin’ along kind of band ladies and gentlemen. This is a bust out your rump shaker kind of band.

I have seen bands who are phenomenal like this in the talent department, but they all are lacking in comparision. The very thing that makes Bogart Jones one of the best of the best is that they aren’t too good to interact with the audience. They bring the fans into the  performance, into the show as though we were all intimate friends just hanging out in someone’s garage having a jam session and a few beers.  They just happen to be a rock band and we all just happen to be their groupies.

They are very talented performers in what they do, however, my favorite is when they play their own stuff. Their own tunes are ten times better than any cover that they can muster (which are awesome mind you) and the more I listen the more I like them. I have put a playlist of their original music over there in the side bar. I highly recommend you checking out their songs. Find them on ReverbNation. Become a fan. Support them in all arenas. Find them on Myspace. What I’d really like to see from these guys now is some swag. Even maybe a shirt just for me. You know. I can cut it up and wear it to the next show. Whaddya say boys? Who is against free advertisement?

Maybe next time Wes takes his shirt off, he can just toss it my direction? That would work too.  I won’t be a t-shirt snob.

If you haven’t seen/heard their eargasm-ness yet, you must, MUST, go see a show. There are no excuses as I have posted their very schedule here for the ease of your perusal. All you have to do is pick a time and a place and get your ass there. Not hard, right?

No excuses. I want to see y’all there.

Really? Do you think it could get any better than that? Wow. I got a hold of their new cd and I have to say, it’s every bit worth the buzz that it’s been gathering. The excitement around this newly formed super group and their debut self titled (yes, Chickenfoot is really the name, say it twice it stays the same) album is definitely not misplaced.

Sammy Hagar is better than ever, coupled with the talent of Satriani, Anthony and Smith, you surely can’t go wrong. It’s flashback of old days when music was simple 3 piece bands with musicians who actually have extreme talent within their genres.

“Oh Yeah”, their first released single grabs your soul from the start. It’s this tune that made me want to hear more and seek out the entire album so that I might find a gem or two among the masses. “Sexy Little Thing” is quickly becoming a new favorite and is on constant rotation on my iPod already. Unusual to cd releases in this day and age, I have not been able to find a single song on this album that I don’t like. I believe that anybody who has already been a fan of these fellows will be hard pressed to find a track they don’t like.

Beautiful simplicity surrounded by exquisite skill equals an incredible new super group that you can’t afford to miss out on.

Get your copy now. You won’t be disappointed.

Find Chickenfoot:
Facebook
Myspace
Official Website

I love this stuff! Enjoy a taste of Chickenfoot!

www.bonesauceband.com

Can I just say that BoneSauce rocked the freakin’ house down!

Once again, we headed out to Crossroads for a rockin’ night of music, friends and spirits. We had no clue who was playin’, as it’s been a short spell since we’d found ourselves at Crossroads. You know, sometimes life just gets in the way of what we want to do. As we climbed out of the truck, I glanced at the road sign and saw the band for the night was BoneSauce. I recognized the name, as Jamie had spoke of them to me before and told me just how amazing this band was.

Oh.my.lord. Amazing is an empty understatement. BoneSauce epitomizes finger lickin’ good on more levels than I can even put to words!

There wasn’t a bad set the entire night. Their talent as vocalists and musicians didn’t need to be overshadowed by fancy lighting, sound affects or outfits. Jeff “DOC” Jarvis of Doc Rox Stage Lighting did a perfect job of creating an atmosphere with his talents behind the scenes. The band members all dressed as though they had just stepped off of the back nine, save for Terry Hodges, the drummer, who more resembled that of an 80’s hair band rock god.

Trent Ash took the lead vocals by storm. His sound is reminiscent of STP while his unassuming and almost humble presence was a pleasant contrast to the power of his performance. Taking on contemporary songs such as NIN’s “The Hand That Feeds” brought butterflies of excitement to the entire crowd and an energy that was unstoppable. Being able to pull off a multi level skilled performance such as that of Trent Reznor with a three piece band was extremely impressive.

With Mike Conrad on guitar (whose hat I really really wanted, btw) and Jeff Vanosdall rockin’ out bass, BoneSauce put on a show worthy of a much larger venue, greater audience size and notoriety. Every song they played was something that I would have on an iPod playlist that would stay around forever.

One thing that I use to gage live bands is the audience reaction. That seems quite obvious, even elementary when said aloud like that, however, you have no idea how easy it is to lose yourself within your own tastes when listening to music for review purposes, forgetting that the entire world may not share your views and you, as the reviewer, could be way off base. As I watched the crowd, I saw each and every person before me enjoying, truly listening to and falling victim to the sound that BoneSauce was feeding them. Folks were on their feet dancing, singing and losing themselves in the music. Even I, the great jaded one, got up and shook her groove thang on the dance floor. My voice, as well as many other patrons I am guessing, was hoarse and fading come this morning’s sunrise. One man in particular stood out in the crowd of fans, the one we dubbed “McLovin’” and watching him was nearly as entertaining as BoneSauce themselves! There is always that one fan that brings out fits of giggles and utter enjoyment when there is a gathering of folks like this. When that one person is as fun and good natured as McLovin’ was, it makes it all the more entertaining.

Thanks BoneSauce for an awesome performance! We are looking forward to catching your next performance Friday June 19th – RJ’s Pub in Galesburg. Thanks for the bumper stickers and the t-shirt too! Love me some swag baby!

Thanks to Crossroads for providing an awesome venue for relaxation and for booking such great music! Love you guys!

A special thanks to McLovin’ for making us all smile!

BoneSauce - Crossroads Bar & Grill 06/06/09

Champagne Lil hit the stage around 9:45 and had us on the edge of our seats with anticipation. With a female, Mashayla, on lead vocals whose voice is reminiscent of the likes of Janis Joplin, it was bound to be good!

I have to admit, their first set wasn’t very good. We were disappointed. On the up side, we were listening to live music and enjoying each other’s company and it was shaping up to be a cheap evening as we probably would have gone home early. Lead vocals weren’t anything to write home about, the drummer decided to go off in his own direction making up the song as he went along and it all just seemed a little bland. Except for the lead guitarist. He was into it, having a fantastic time as he played, and it showed through in his personality! I was wishing for more personality from the lead singer, as she spent most of her time looking behind her at her band mates while she sang rather than playing to the audience and bringing us all into their performance. For lack of better terms, the showmanship just wasn’t there.

Their second set, however, shook the house down!

They came back from their break a whole new group. Their music choices were more contemporary, their energy levels were high, they were putting on a great show!

The crowd started dancing and providing MUCH entertainment as well! Oooof. Champagne Lil really came into their own in that second set and changed our opinion right quick! I almost wonder if maybe their first set they just weren’t warmed up, weren’t sure of the crowd or themselves and were feeling their way through. The songs they chose in that second set really showed of Mashayla’s vocals well. What a range of music too! When you go from Stevie Nicks straight into White Strips (mighty impressive, mind you) it really shows your range! Loved it. Absolutely had a fantastic time. We sang and danced (in our seats) till our voices were raw and we were out of breath. Hey now, don’t judge. We aren’t spring chickens anymore yanno? Not to mention, if we had gotten onto the dance floor last night we would have taken the spotlight away from good ol’ turquoise and well, she really was worth staying in our seats for!

Guess ya had to be there.

By the time they started their third set, they had moved into the 80’s music. While it was good, it didn’t have the energy and the levels of awesome that the second set had. Not to mention we were about smashed by that time and it was late. We were ready to go home and finish the party there! So, we did just that!

I want to thank my new friend Sam (thanks for the ass-slap btw), Bill & his wife (owners and fun, fun people) and our new favorite place to hang out and have a great time,Crossroads, for another awesome evening!

I can’t speak for my date, but for myself, the food just plain sucked. It was all kinds of suckage on levels of suck that I don’t think I have ever faced in a food arena before. I ordered a steak. Medium Rare. They completely forgot the “medium” and served me a slab of beef that had never even seen the heat of a hot pan. It was still alive I am sure. I’m not sure if the rest of my food sucked on it’s own right or if it just tasted horrible because I was still reeling from the raw meat, but nothing tasted good. Not the mashed potatoes or the shrimp or the french onion soup. And I love me some french onion soup too!

My bad experience at Applebees didn’t ruin the entire night, however. We finished with dinner and we headed out to a local watering hole, a honky tonk bar just on the outskirts of town here. I had met the owner the other day at the bank and he was telling me about the live music he has there every Saturday night. He told me that this weeks band was one of his favorites and we should come out to see them. That’s exactly what we did. And we had a blast! The band that was playing was called Bogart Jones touted as “Classic Rockin’ Southern Fried Country Western Metal Blues”. Now, I don’t know where they get the Country Western cuz I didn’t hear anything that was country. They were fantastic tho! They were so much fun to watch! I can’t wait to catch them again.

Not only did they rock the songs they played, but they rocked them with a killer sound, fantastic skill on their instruments, and those boys could sing too! The guitar riffs and solos were phenomenal and seeing it live was exhilarating. I tried to get a video of their performance to share with y’all, but damn if it didn’t come out sounding like a cat in heat. My cell phone doesn’t do well with video sound. Meh. Oh well. Maybe that will force ya to come out and see them for yerselves!

They are back at Crossroads Bar and Grill on May 16th, however they are playing in Galesburg @ RJ’s Pub on May 8th. Their schedule shows them pretty booked out all over the area so if you are somewhere in the vicinity and need to know where they are going to be contact them at bogartjonesband@yahoo.com, head to their myspace, or you can leave me a comment and I will let ya know!

Really, you shouldn’t miss these folks. Almost makes me wish I were planning a wedding or a big even just I could book ‘em for my own private show!

It’s About Time is my dear friend Bud Buckley’s latest cd release. His first cd, Feel My Love was a super huge hit around my house and I’ve been waiting anxiously for this next cd. One of the things that makes this newest cd super special is the fact that Bud got Deni Bonet to perform the violin arrangements! I know, amazing hu? I met Deni and Bud about the same time several years ago just roaming around in the blogsphere. I was new to the whole thing, and these two were so warm and welcoming. I had interviewed Bud around the time of the release of his first cd for an ezine I was writing for. Deni’s blog became a daily read for me as her humor and her warmth are addictive. She inspired my BTP to keep playing vionlin for a spell (she’s since given it up *sigh*).

I’ve been redecorating my bathroom all weekend and in such situations, one needs tunes – great tunes- loaded up on the iPod to keep them going. I’ve loaded It’s About Time up on my iPod along next to Colbie Caillet, Feist, Carrie Underwood, Good Charlotte, Kid Rock, etc. Yes, I like an eclectic mix of tunes. I didn’t even mention Kanye and Timberlake, but I was trying to get on with my story. Anyhow, I’ve listened to the album enough thus far that when one of Bud’s songs come on, just hearing the first few bars makes me feel at home. Cozy, comfy and familiar. His voice soothes my soul and his songs are addictive.

“Keeping Secrets” is my newest favorite. The guitar in this song brings goose pimples to my skin when I hear it beginning to play through my ear buds. After the third or so time, I had all of the lyrics memorized and now I sing it out-loud, totally not doing Bud any justice mind you as I’ll never be an American Idol – get it? Yeah, so anyhow. I’m totally convinced that “Keeping Secrets” is a song that they would play on a local station that we listen to quite frequently around here, KYOT. I can totally see us driving in the family mobile on our way out to dinner or to visit the in-laws, hearing the announcers deep voice say ‘KYOT’ and the next thing you hear is “Keeping Secrets” oozing through the speakers, taking you away with his incredible sound.

“Elevator” oooh, elevator. This song gets in your head – and stays. At least it’s not lame like the Macarana, making you want to kill yourself after having it stuck in your head for four days straight. “Elevator” has become a handy tool to irritate my children, however. Completely catchy, totally unforgettable and one that will grab ahold and not let go. Until you hear “Keeping Secrets”, then, when “Elevator” comes back around on the iPod shuffle all bets are off.

This whole album is fantastic. It’s edgier than his last, braver. Omg, when I first heard “Meltdown” I nearly choked on my soda. Hearing Bud be aggressive like that is almost a turn on! He comes across as such a mellow, go-with-the-flow kind of guy most of the time. I loved it. I love the edge, the power, the confidence that comes through in this album. You can feel every single song. I can relate to each lyric in my own way. As you will once you listen to his new album too! That’s just the way Bud rolls. He’s an amazing musician, a wonderful person and snuggles right in perfectly between ‘Sexy Back’ and ‘Bubbly’ on the good ol’ iPod!

Get your copy of “It’s About Time“.

You want your iPod to be in-the-know too, dontcha? :smirk: