Each year, the timing of the Grammy Awards aligns with the annual dinner at my church.  Sure, I suppose I could record the festivities.  But the likelihood that I would watch it later is slim.  I used to watch every music related awards ceremony available as a child, yet over the years I have lost interest.

Though when I opened up my Facebook account this morning, I noticed several status updates with comments on the event.  So I decided to go over to Twitter and read what folks had to say.  In some cases, I had to read several tweets from different people in order to pick up what had happened.  I then collected various tweets from friends, musicians, writers, and fellow inReview staff and in the end, almost felt as if I had watched it with them.

As folks begin to make plans for summer tours and festivals, we thought we'd dust off this exclusive interview with The Devil Wears Prada from the Warped Tour in 2008.  We spoke with Jeremy DePoyster and Andy Trick at the Scranton, PA stop.  Unfortunately a bad sound quality from the press area almost stopped this interview from going to print, but we were able to salvage some good conversation.

inReview: I'll admit, I am not a huge fan of hardcore music, but I like your sound.  Why do you suppose that is?

Jeremy: We don't approach it the same way, I guess, a lot of times ... I guess it all comes back to just trying to be as real as possible or whatever.    

In my family, the Christmas season does not start after Halloween. It doesn't even start after Thanksgiving.  We usually put the Christmas tree up 3-5 days before Christmas.  In our family and at my church, the period after Thanksgiving until Christmas is called "Advent."  This time is a period of planning and preparing for the birth of Christ Jesus.  It's a time to remember the great wonder that God the Father sent his son, Jesus, to earth.

Appetite for Construction
Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, PA
Friday November 16, 2007
Local Crew

I had the privilege of working local crew for this show so I decided to do a sort of photo journal about the experience to help others understand what goes on before and after a show. Before I start, my disclaimer is that I used my cheap camera and since I was working, I could not take a lot of time to get the best pictures. Stick around to the end of the article for photos taken during the concert with a better camera.

The work began at about 9 AM with unloading the first of two tractor-trailers. Before we began, the tour crew, normally holding some form of caffeinated beverage, assessed the stage area so they would have a better understanding how to set up for the show. Many of the crew looked liked they just woke up. They have long days as the load in begins early in the morning and load out ends early the next morning.

Tim Foreman of Switchfoot at RevGen fest

So today as I look at the pile of discs purchased in the last 4 months or so, I pondered whether or not someone might benefit from my short list when looking for Christmas gift options.

Photo by Janet MattoxSitting in my college dorm during my first “life away from home” experience the world was opening up with a lot of new experiences, and music played a big part in my growth.  My first love called with tickets to a movie that was being shown in the biology hall called Rattle and Hum, thus introducing me to my first musical love of U2.

For years I followed them from afar.  Buying their CD’s but never being able to secure a ticket to a show.  As time marched on so did my admiration for their musical genius.  Not long after moving to Houston, a friend offered to help me get tickets to FINALLY see U2 live.  Our group arrived to the venue early enough to secure a spot in the inner circle of the 360 stage.

Their first album in nearly three years, Switchfoot have said Hello Hurricane has been the hardest record they have ever made. The band tracked over 80 songs out of 150 written, the end result being 12 remarkably cohesive tracks. Between the aggressive rock numbers and powerful ballads, Hello Hurricane is a solid release embodying tales of struggle and loss intertwined with the overlying theme of hope and love. Their seventh studio release, Switchfoot prove their music is as important now than ever.

Right now as I write, Hello Hurricane is one of the trending topics on Twitter.  Why?  Perhaps it has a little something to do with the highly anticipated release of said album by Switchfoot.  Perhaps folks are writing about the apparent transformation of musical style.  Or maybe the diehard fans are re-tweeting to get the counts up.  Either way, the first studio release in three years has been causing a buzz even before today's official release.

I first encountered this Birmingham, AL, band about a year ago at The Anchor, located in southern New Jersey, a spin-off of the official Anchor Venue in Nashville. They played in the sanctuary of the rather small church, filled with hardcore and scene kids windmill kicking and moshing. With the pews pushed to the sides of the room, I attempted to dodge the audience's thrashing arms and punches as I Am Terrified confidently took the stage.

Not being the biggest fan of hardcore music, I was already skeptical. But my skepticism soon turned to intrigue as I listened to the band's clear, crisp vocals placed strategically in between and overlaid among screams that weren't too high pitched to be annoying, or too low to resemble growling. To say that I enjoyed the set would be an understatement. High energy guitar solos and pounding, high-speed drumming were mixed with intense vocals, especially when the small crowd joined in on "I'll fly away oh glory, I'll fly away…" during the chorus of "Some Glad Morning."

Much of America these days is, as it always has been, defined by the coasts.  The East Coast is the birthplace of America and the original states as well as the worldwide leaders in fashion and commerce. The west coast brought new avenues of trade, the gold rush, and now the worldwide leaders in technology and entertainment.

Although this is the image of America that many around the world hold, there are the unsung heroes of these United States.  These more simple folks work hard just to keep food on the table for their families.  They don't go down to the club on a Saturday night; they just stop by the bar for a drink with a few friends or sit on the front porch.

Thankfully, the honoring of these unsung heroes has continued through the decades of pop music, from Woody Guthrie to Credence Clearwater Revival on through John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty.  One band continuing this rich tradition is Seymour, Indiana's The Elms and their latest album, The Great American Midrange.