Eric's Eddyfications

Andrea Dawn & Jeremy Junkin

Just got back from a CD release party at the yellow box for Andrea Dawn and Jeremy Junkin, two independent musicians who have joined together to craft a great selection of songs. Andrea is married to Zack Goforth, our Montgomery Campus Arts Director, and she's a brilliant singer-songwriter. I enjoyed their set, and am looking forward to listening to the new CD tomorrow.

And here's the thing: these folks here are doing it for the love, and I would love to see them be able to continue to do so. So go on over to their website and purchase a copy of it yourself. For only $10, you can't beat it, and you get to support independent music at the same time. Do it, do it right now. Just because you're my friend and you read this. Do it.

My favorite song of the night was "Over It": rich textured song crafted with great pop sensibilities. It's the first track on the disc. Buy it, and let me know what you think!

You can also download the mp3s directly at CDBABY - click here. Do it!

All-Staff gathering

Nothing more energizing than hanging with the best staff in the world, talking about how we're going to change that world in the coming months and years. Rock!

May 25, 2009 - Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day, everyone, from Naperville's annual parade! We're gonna beat out the rain, I just know it!

Why the new Star Trek is like Church Planting

Saw the new Star Trek last night. It was very entertaining. I was trying to put my finger on the feeling I was having watching it, and the best that I can come up with is that it felt like church planting. Here was a familiar story, but told in a fresh new way. And the fun part was how giddy the Trekkies around me were (and, okay, I was too) when they would hear the echoes of the "original"...

When Kirk yelled "Bones!"
When Chekhov pronounced Vulcan
When Spock said "live long and prosper"
Kirk Out
And most of all: "Space, the final frontier..."

Everything old is new again, and when church planters get up there and share the gospel of Jesus in new ways, with new technologies, and truly dare to do something new... they do it with the first great story. And when it works, it fills you with glee. And echoes of the original:

When the prodigal son comes home
When the stones drop from the accusers
When the last bit of oil is given to Elijah
It is finished
And most of all: "Go into all the world and make disciples..."

It made me proud to be a part of something like NewThing. And it makes me excited to see the next sets of "re-imaginings" of the best franchise out there. Coming soon! Los Angeles, San Francisco... the world wide web...

Matthew 9:16-17: "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

American Idol - the Final 2

Here it is, and here we are! American Idol in the hizzouse. Here are my thoughts, before judges say stuff...

BTW - what up with Randy's outfit?

Adam: Mad World - glad to see this song on my Big ole TV instead of youtube like last time. He totally needs to record this on his CD. Brilliant, only caution will be uptempo/ballad combo for the overall night.

Kris: Ain't No Sunshine - I'll say it again, one of my all time favorite songs ever. Did he play the piano last time? I don't think so, but I can't remember. He has picked the best side to hide his muppet jaw when it stretches to the left, so that's good. I do like the guy, I just think he looks like a muppet. What can I do? Another ballad - they must know something about the Simon Fuller pick.

Adam: Change is Gonna Come - Great suit! Again, the boy can interpret. I almost think he's black. Or at least down for the struggle. My only complaint with his interpretation skills is that he doesn't change his attack mid-song, so there's not as much of a progression. But holy smokes when he hits those notes  - I know in some cases he is only screaming, but that song was full on singing, brilliant. Bring on the rainbow flags, 'cause a change is gonna come...

Kris: What's Goin' On - Kudos to Simon Fuller for keeping the playing field even by picking two R&B classics. Great groove, but he needs to open his dreamy eyes. I have a hard time imagining him overtaking Adam with this in "round two", but it's groovy, it's like the next gen Jack Johnson. Not enough to overtake Adam for sure, but man, very palatable and enjoyable.

Adam: No Boundaries - Let's just called a spade a spade, this song stinks. And I hate that it puts these guys in such a goofy bubblegum box. This is a part of the competition that they just have not figured out. The only thing worse than what's coming from the judges, is how they'll have to tiptoe around the "song choice" issue. No. Good. First time all season his interpretive skills have fallen short.

Kris: No Boundaries - Did he grow a mustache over the break? This works for him better because it plays into the contemporary worship song rut we find ourselves in, but it's like the worst worship song ever. He can pull it off, but only just barely.

Funny things:
How about Danny getting squeals on his closeup... he's still got it!
Paula: "Kris, you awakened the spirit in all of us..." meh?
Kara's superlatives are finally getting annoying for me.
Socially conscious song? Paula claims a dead Marvin Gaye is proud?
How would you like to be the ghost co-writer of the song KARA co-WROTE?
So I guess that there were more than one. And now we know who to blame.
Simon has the dignity to not trash the song live and in person.

So, a dissapointing ending to the show, with yet another bust trying to find the 'perfect' song to introduce at the finale. It just makes no sense especially now that the competition more than ever is about song choice and interpretation of known songs. To force an unknown song to compete with Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye? Please. But who's going to win? I kind thought before tonight that Kris would win defacto by taking Danny's votes and adding them to his, but after tonight, I'm not so sure. But we'll all find out tomorrow night!

Weekend (w)Rap Up

Well, this weekend we concluded another great series at COMMUNITY, if I do say so myself. Suburban Legends hit the right notes, and this weekend was no exception as we examined the legend that "getting divorced is better than being unhappy." - Check out the message here, and our take on the SNL sketch (imagining a 10th anniversary carpet ride between Jasmine and Aladdin) can be found here.

And while what took place on the Adult stage was really great, I was equally pleased and impressed with the entire series for Kids'City. Rather than try to match up exactly with many of the very "adult" themed topics, instead, we crafted a theme for the entire series about relationships, focusing on "back talk", and how our kids can learn to make the wise choice when it comes to the words they use and when they use them, particularly to their parents. Great stuff.

But the best part came this weekend when the series ended, and our media/theatre/storytelling team, led in this instance by Brian Prunty and Elic Bramlett, crafted the "back talk rap up", a ridiculous rap that encapsulated all of the learnings of the previous five weeks. You can watch it here, and you can also download the mp3 from our website, and put it in your kids' ipods. They'll be pleasantly surprised. And you'll be addicted to the chorus. And, as Bill Cosby used to say, "you might just learn something..."

American Idol - Top 3

Well, it's getting close - two more weeks and I'm going to have to start bloggin about something else. But for now, it's American Idol, the top three! Two and a half guys are left, and it's getting crazy! Here are my thoughts before the others have their say...

Danny - Dance Little Sister - TTD - Great pick Paula! Danny's shout-singing it though. And the scatting leaves a little to be desired, but it was high energy. I wish he had said the opening line of the track though - "get up off your rockin' chair grandma!"

Kris - Apologize - One Republic - Another great song... I'm not sure if I would have played the piano for this song, as it loses steam in the verse, and it's not doing anything other than plunking quarter notes. Good, but not really off the charts for me. It revealed how much of a great song that is, not necessarily how great he is.

Adam - One - U2 - He's still the only one out there who is actually interpreting the songs. His hairdo and his earpieces make him look like a vulcan. All in all, I still think he's the best, but I also think he's a one-trick pony with one really kick-tail trick.

Danny - You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker - Classic. This performance could beat out Kris. Not because it's better necessarily, but because it plays so well into his strengths. It really depends on what Kris brings next, because right now, he's the odd muppet out.

Kris - Heartless - Kanye West - Great risk taking with this number - the stripped down arrangement thought reveals how weak the chorus is - great song, great performance, will it be enough? Can he beat the widow?

Adam - Cryin' - Aerosmith - Hmmmm. This might actually be a bad pick for him, particularly in that it's a simple blues song that doesn't really go anywhere. I mean, don't get me wrong the freak still gets his show on, I'm just sayin' that it isn't exactly what I would imagine to be on his CD. Doesn't ring true exactly. But man, he's still a great showman.

So there you have it, can't imagine Kris being able to beat these guys out of their rightful place on the AI final two as predestined by Paula, but who knows? Stranger things have happened on the AI stage.

STORY

Hey y'all - my friend Ben Arment has put together a great lineup for a brand new event called "Story." It's a two day event at the Paramount Theatre on the first day (main sessions) and the Orchard Valley Community Church on the second day (workshops), both in Aurora.

I was privileged enough to be in on an early brainstorm meeting for this experience (can you tell how hard I'm working NOT to say conference?), and I think it's going to be really challenging and inspirational.

Don't miss it! Find out more here, and check out Ben's blog here, as I'm sure more details will eek out there.

American Idol - Rockin' with four

Well, it's getting down to the nitty and gritty. So let's get to it. American Idol, I say stuff before the judges, before I get emails, comments, facebook yearnings for my philisophical waxings, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...

Adam - "Whole Lotta Love" - So glad he did the proper ending to that song. Gotta remember that one. I think he's certifiably brilliant. That being said, after a while his insane high notes get a little grating. But he rocked.

Alison: "Cry Baby" -  She was awesome too, the only thing she lacked as compared to Adam, was just energy of the song selection itself. It was great, but it was just a little slow. Could be trouble for her.

DUETS. Really? Okay. Well, can't go wrong with Styx, I guess. Right? Renegade - great foreshadowing of our upcoming series called "Renegade Joy." - looking forward to it. Are they done yet? Completely moronic to have the judges review them after this.

Kris: " Come Together" - He's having fun with it, but come on, this guy's a McCartney, not a Lennon. Nonetheless, he does okay, though it feels a little "Up With People" to me. Or dare I say... muppet-esque? Pretty sure this was Dr. Teeth's arrangement.

Danny - "Dream On" - Danny, youy can't scat "doo-bee-doo" during Aerosmith. But he attacked the high note, and that's what counts. I love the competetiveness of this choice - it's like, Adam? You think I can't blow? Let's do this!

DUET the second. - "Slow Ride" - OR, the only song my kids can "nail down" in Guitar Hero.

Bottom Two? I'm going with Alison and Kris. I think even with the first song of the night, Adam won't be in the bottom two tomorrow.

But who's going home?