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From Elise J. Schwartz:

I have a favor to ask of you.  Pepsi, Co. is hosting their most recent round of giveaways to charitable organizations, ending on December 31st.  While I don’t in any way support or recommend Pepsi or any of their products, I truly don’t mind them supporting people and organizations in need in our communities.  I have to ask for your votes.  I call this place my third home (after mom’s and the in-laws): The Calumet Theatre.  Located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it is a historic theatre offering a diverse selection of performances each year, from local theater groups to your big name groups and performers.  I have been performing on this stage since I was 4 years old, so it hit home to learn that they are in desperate need of a new roof.  Winters are hard that far north, and water damage is a big deal when your roof is worn out, especially when the building is over 100 years old.  So, I am asking you to help the Calumet Theatre!  Give them your votes to up them in the running for $250k.  You can vote EVERY DAY until December 31st.  And get this, you can actually vote three different ways (meaning 3 votes from you every day!): facebook account, twitter account, and texting in.  Please help!  Visit this site!  APPRECIATE IT!!

Stace and I were pretty bored this afternoon so we decided to check out the Cliff Range area, home of one of the first copper mines in the Upper Peninsula.  It has been a while since we lingered around this beautiful area, so we figured it was time to go back and take a look at everything.

Still, after many visits to the Cliff Mine cemeteries, it still amazes me at how creepy it is to find these headstones in the middle of the woods.  Nonetheless, it is very interesting to see how short people lived in the harsh winters of the Upper Penisula in the mid 1800s.  Here are some pics from todays adventure.

Since our old wedding website is stagnant, I figured I would update folks on my website.  Our wedding photos are up, and they are pretty damn good.  Adam Johnson and his crew did a fantastic job shooting our wedding.  I’ll stop writing, I think the photos speak for themselves.  If you would like to see the full highlight gallery, visit the gallery.

While an inmate breaking out of jail happens once in a blue moon, I hope people start to realize the immediate threat a jail has to the Houghton area. This proposed new Justice Center will hurt downtown businesses, with a jail towering over Shelden Avenue. It will be visible to all of Hancock and Ripley and Keweenaw waterway visitors, looking like a permanent bruise on a beautiful town. Homes in the neighborhood will depreciate in value with a huge jail on site. There are many other options that are way cheaper (Camp Kitwen, Keweenaw Academy, etc…) and can be considered and make a lot more sense. The state of Michigan closes justice centers and let them rot into ruins, and the county wants to build them and avoid monetary efficiency and common sense. Furiating.

Houghton County Justice Center
www.houghtoncountyjusticecenter.com

A lot of people have asked me recently why I haven’t been updating my blog.  Needless to say, I’ve kind of been on hiatus.  There are a couple questions that I have been trying to answer as I move forward with my web development and blogging.

1. What is my role in the world wide web?

2. Who reads my blog?  Who looks at my website?

3.  What is my goal/purpose?  Why is it important to reach that goal?

A lot of the blogs I read have a certain purpose, whether its news about music, social media, politics, graphic design, photography, silent sports, etc.  I feel as if my blog serves no purpose other than being a diary for myself to go back and reflect on.   Sure, I have a handful of readers, but nothing I write has an intended structure.  Within the next few weeks, I hope to answer these questions and be able to make a blog that serves a purpose for an intended audience.  Should I focus on personal endeavors, entertainment, or educational topics?

Until then, we’ll see how things go, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted…

-BW

Facebook, it has only been around for 5 years, and yet the interface has changed tremendously.  Take a look for yourself:

Facebook in 2004:

Facebook in 2006:  

Facebook in 2007: 

Facebook 2009:  

Facebook 2010:

I have been listening to Phish’s new album Joy for a few weeks now, and I feel like I need to categorize my thoughts, and there is not a  better place to do it than my blog.  This album is much more re-playable than a lot of Phish  studio albums, and it also has a very upbeat mood throughout most of the tracks.  Phish, not known for their albums, this one might change the minds of many.  I would argue, and Trey Anastasio would agree, that you don’t get the full “Phish” experience until you see them live, but this album certainly has a great deal of satisfaction built into it.  I am going to breakdown the songs one by one by discussing them as a studio track, as well as a potential live jam vehicle of the future.   If you have yet to hear this album go to Phish’s MySpace page or purchase it for a measily 4 bucks at Amazon.com

I think the most significant part of “Joy” is the title of the album by itself.   “Joy” speaks volumes to Phans after 5 years of absence.  Jnan Blau, a former teacher of mine and a scholar on the band said it best, “Listening to this summer’s shows, feeling it all out, reading reports from phans;  it’s clear they’re here to do good in the world again.  I discern a clear sense of purpose and communication.  There’s risk-taking, playfulness.  And, most importantly, a sense of joy.  The upcoming album could not be more aptly titled, fo’ sho’. It’s good see/hear/feel that again, to be feeling the feeling the I forgot….”

I think the album title, “Joy” also holds a great deal of significance for each of the band members; Page, Trey, Mike, and Jon.   Page and Jon, through the course of 5 years, remained very quiet on music scene.   Mike was working with a few artists here and there, but was relatively quiet as well.  Trey was enjoying success as a solo artist with his band until getting into legal and financial trouble with heroin and pain killers.  Throughout the course of five years, I’m sure the band had financial issues, and were starting to run out of money.   This is not why Phish came back to the stage, I believe they came back together as a band for all the right reasons, friendship, memories, sobriety, and the love of the Phans, but I’m sure they had plenty of Joy coming back to the stage for multiple reasons.

The first track on the album, “Backwards Down the Number Line” was a song written by Tom Marshall, long time lyricist and a good friend of Trey.  Trey received the lyrics to this song as a poem for a birthday present, and ultimately, this song, brought the band back together.   BDtNL  sounds like something that might have come off of Trey’s solo self-titled album.  The song is pretty poppy, but I am optimistic that the  improv potential for this song will be something unbelievable in the future.  I heard a glimpse of greatness when I heard this jam played at Toyota Park and I can see this jam going multiple different ways as it evolves in the years ahead.  I plan BDtNL to stay as a Set II opener, as it would seem awkward for it to go anywhere else in a setlist.

“Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan” is the second track on the album, and I think it is place nicely after BDtNL.  The song starts with a nice guitar lick from Trey, and great support from Page and Mike.  I would say this is the best song lyrically on the album as a whole.   This song seems to be the song asthetic evidence that Steve Lillywhite was the producer of this album.   I definitely could have saw this song on “Billy Breathes,” my favorite Phish Album, if it was written 10 years earlier.   This song as well, has a lot of potential in the improv market, and I expect it to be in rotation relatively often during the Summer of 2010.

“Joy” is the next song on the album.   This song was written by Trey  to his sister, Kristy Manning, who died this past spring from cancer.   Kristy was one of Phish’s first phans, an environmental activist, and her impact on the band has been exponentially important during their earlier years as a band. Musically, this  ballad slows down the album, but still holds an upbeat feeling.   I heard Joy debuted at Alpine Valley this year, and it was a huge emotional swing in the show.  Everyone just stopped and listened in a melancholy mood.  “We want you to be happy, because this is your song too….”

“Sugar Shack” is probably my least favorite song on the album.  Not because its a bad song, but because it just doesn’t seem to fit correctly with the other tracks.  If there is a sore thumb, this track would be it.   “Sugar Shack” was written by Mr. Mike Gordon, and has a nice funky groove to it.  It almost seems if this song came off of Gordo’s solo album, “The Green Sparrow.”  I really don’t see this making it onto many setlists in the future, but then again, Phish is always full of surprises.

“Ocelot” brings the album back around to where I think it should be.  Trey’s ability to belt out these lyrics with passion help me argue that this band actually does have a lot of talent singing.   I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around the lyrics of this song yet, but musically, it is composed very well.   Nice flow, slow, but not too slow, with nice support bass licks by Gordon in the background that almost go unnoticed.   Trey belts out a few pretty notes at the end of the song, setting a springboard for improve.  If this jam sticks around on the live circuit, I think it will have to pick up some pace in order to hold the energy of a show.

Next on the album, “Kill Devil Falls” is the new “Chalkdust Torture” in my mind.   It won’t replace “Chalkdust” but it is by far the song that is most similar, at least in my eyes. It has a cheesy beginning with Trey playing a quick lick before the track actually starts.  There is a lot of dance to be had in this song, as I have danced my tail off both times I’ve heard this played live.   A very groovy tune, yet another song in which I can’t seem to comprehend the lyrics (imagine that, a Phish song where lyrics are ambiguous).   “…but I learned my lesson, I can still remember the last one” is a transitional part of the jam providing a very powerful and energetic aesthetic that would otherwise be lacking.   Both times I’ve heard this song it has reached a high level of energy, with soaring guitar solos by Trey and Page really hitting the keys on the grand piano.  This song will be around for quite some time on the setlists.

“Light” provides another break in the album, slowing everything right back down.   While beautiful on album, I don’t see this one going anywhere near the stage after it debuted earlier this summer in Boston.  Though it starts pretty psychedelic beginning, it really doesn’t belong on the stage except as maybe a Set II opener.  Lyrically, this song is another gem, with a great deal of ambiguity but respectively, a great deal of optimism.  This is another track that I think I would have found on Trey’s solo album “Bar 17″  or maybe even Phish’s last album, “Undermind”.

“I Have Been Around” was written by Page, and rightfully so.  Very Jazzy, just like Page likes it, provides a nice intro into “Time Turns Elastic”.  Here is where people will probably shoot me, but I truely enjoy “Time Turns Elastic”  on the setlist.   However, I think this song would be better as a set opener.  Ironically, TTE has grown on me significantly after it disappointed me at Alpine Valley.  I always enjoyed the studio version of TTE since it was released, even though the lyrics are pretty corny.  I thought it was a beautiful orchestra piece transitioned for a four member band, and I think it brought a lot of Phans back to the days of Goddard College.  If Phish work away from the original track by playing it exactly as it was written, I think this song has potential.  I can think of 3 or 4 places in which they could take this jam into left field and throw Phans for a loop, they just need to grow a pair and do it…and at the same time, I think Phans need to give this one a chance…it has potential.

The album is closed out with “Twenty Years Later” which is, in  my opinion, the BEST closer that Phish has ever assembled for closing a studio album.  “20 Years Later” is perhaps the most beautiful song ever written by Phish (along side with Wading in the Velvet Sea), and it brings the listener back to the title of the album and it’s significance, “Joy.” Lyrically, musically, this song has everything assembled perfectly, and I can’t think of one awkward note  in this song.  Very poppy, but very Phishy at the same time.  “Twenty Years Later” will never make its way onto the live circuit, and I’m pretty confident in that statement.  It’s placed at the end of this album for a reason, and it’s going to stay there.

So where does “Joy” list in my studio albums (Excluding White and Siket Disc)?  Well, it’s in the top tier.  I strongly suggest that they keep Steve Lillywhite around for a while, he’s a musical genius and the master at producing beautiful albums.  I predict Phish will be back in the studio this spring, working on a few more numbers to introduce to us this summer, and will probably again release an album next winter.

1. Billy Breathes
2. Story of the Ghost
3. Joy
4. Rift
5. Picture of Nectar
6. Junta
7. Farmhouse
8. Hoist
9. Undermind
10. Round Room
11. Lawn Boy

A week ago on Tuesday Evening (August 11), Phish made their Midwest Pitstop to play at the new soccer stadium in Chicago, Toyota Park. Certainly, at this point, I was ready for my phix. Phish is my version of crack, and it was over a month since I last saw them at Alpine Valley. I was sick of listening to set lists without being there, seeing Phish make remarkable progress in their improvisation and musical style. Fortunately, I was in luck, and I found tickets for real cheap, found a few buddies to bring along to split expenses, and we were off!

Aah yes, the parking lot.  Once again, full of Phriendly people, grilling out, selling merchandise, meeting up with people they haven’t saw since The Gorge or Red Rocks.  Soon we reached the parking lot, I knew that there was no other place on the planet that I would rather be than where I was.  Rolling into the parking lot, the band was doing a sound check, and what were they playing?  Harry Potter, no lie.   They also played “Windy City” which none of us in the parking lot knew what they were sound checking (later we found out).  After a few hours of grilling up a tenderloin and some potatoes, we made our way in to get a good spot of the field.  I was rather impressed with the venue walking in, small, but very nice.  I was a bit worried about the acoustics with all the metal around the stadium, but it didn’t seem to be a problem once the band took the stage.

Overall, the concert had little to no flow between songs. The show was much more of a “Greatest Hits” show than it was Phish in their rare and unique form. Phish provided gracious amounts of energy, as they always do, but they lacked to play any their complex compositions, and lacked to develop any jams into segued tracks. The band was on, with Harry Hood being the only noticeable jam that was forgettable. Am I going to complain about the whole show? Absolutely not, a “Greatest Hits” was just what I needed for my third Phish show. Toyota Park served as an eliminator to many songs that were on my wish list…in fact, lets go through that right now before I highlight my favorite parts of the show….

• Llama
• Harry Hood
• Chalkdust Torture
• Reba
• Limb By Limb
• Cavern
• Possum
• Squirming Coil
• Loving Cup
• Guyute
• Theme From the Bottom

• Free
• Split Open and Melt
• Heavy Things
• Mikes Song
• David Bowie
• Weekapug Groove
• ACDC Bag
• Suzy Greenburg

• Twist
• Tweezer (Reprise)

The setlist for Set 1 was as follows:

Hey, it seems that someone took off with one of our 15.5′ Perception Carolinas. That’s a long narrow yellow boat. If you happen to see one like that with some big mailbox numbers on the side, or happen to hear about someone who just got a five finger discount on a new boat, let me know.

We filed with public safety, but I figure the more eyes and ears we have open, the better our chance of getting our boat back. Thanks guys.

–Tom Maynard

Here are some pictures of what it looks like:

Well folks, its been a pretty uneventful set of weeks, so I haven’t been posting much.   I have been working on a bunch of projects that I have been ignoring for a while, going to class, and working here and there.   I guess you could say this is “the calm before the storm” as I have a bunch of events coming up relatively soon.

I have not been paddling this whole month of June.   It’s been pretty pathetic.   I have put a lot of my time and energy into golfing, as it is a lot cheaper to go to a course 2 miles down the road and play for free(well, its built into my tuition).   I’ve been golfing very well, given the fact that I haven’t golfed in 2 years.   Bogey golf puts me right back where I am.   Anyway, I am going to continue to golf once a week(Tuesdays), going to start paddling once a week(Wednesdays), keep playing IM softball once a week(Thursdays) and try to make the most out of mostly free entertainment.   Living on my own, I have to find these sources of free entertainment in order to remain…well…you know….entertained.

And Phish!  WOW.   These guys have been on fire the last 3 weeks, and I see them in 4 days.   I’ve been so amped that I haven’t been able to sleep at night.   They played with Bruce Springsteen on Sunday night to close out Bonnaroo.  This is certainly one of those magical moments for Phish and Bruce.   This adds another tally mark on quality musicians Phish has played with(B.B. King, Wynona Judd, Neil Young, Bob Weir, Kid Rock, Les Claypool, Steven Wright, Carlos Santana, Bela Fleck, John Medeski, Jay-Z, Sugar Blue, Son Seals, John Popper, Sarah McLachlan and Ben &Jerry).   Needless to say, I’m pretty freaking excited.

I bought an iPhone a few weeks ago.   Today, I returned it in order to get the new iPhone 3GS.   I should have the new iPhone within a week. Anyway, the iPhone will be a helpful tool as I will be tweeting from Alpine Valley on the setlists from the show.   Expect pictures and video while I am there, and expect an indepth Journal to be posted here when I arrive back in Houghton.

Have a good one folks.