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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2020
Holiday Update 2020
2020 is almost over and the Christmas Season is upon us. #PVX is in the bag and Platinum Vinyl 11, while the eligibility year is finished, the entries are a disorganized mess due to many upheavals because of government overreach with coronavirus. Note I said due to government. Physically, I have been unaffected by the virus and that will remain the case.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Concert Review: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve Tour, Hartford, CT
We are back in the office after an exciting weekend. For me anyway. I traveled to the Big City of Hartford, about an hour away. Big is a relative term, however. A lot of New England is big compared to my small town. The occasion was the Ghosts of Christmas Eve Tour at the XL Center. For the uninformed that is the title of the current Christmas Tour of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Though I don't want it to be, it is one of those Once in a lifetime opportunities.
First, the negatives. Hartford is a mess of a city. And Google maps turned what should have been a 5 minute scoot turned into a half hour lost journey because Google says staying on 44. The venue was unprepared for a sold out crowd because people herding was poor. And everyone got patted down. Fortunately I got seated soon after hearing Brian Hicks bellow "ladies and gentlemen, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra." So I didn't miss much. That can't be said for a lot of people as the lines were massive to get in. Some didn't get in until the second half began.
Time For the Show. The Acronym OMG seems to pale in comparison. I saw Mannheim Steamroller Live, but this is way bigger. Band, Singers, Local String Session Players, Lights, Lasers, Smoke and FIRE. Yes you heard correctly, Fire, as in Flamethrowers. Yours truly was on the floor and I can testify that it got fairly toasty when those went off. I can only imagine the heat on the stage.
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (incidentally, a song of that name is part of The Christmas Attic Tour) is the "Christian Tour". Though Christmas is highlighted on both tours, the songs on this tour are "traditional" (March of The Kings, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, Good King Joy (Wencelas), and What Child Is This frame the Programs first half. The story line is a Christmas Remake of The Prodigal Son, or in this case the Prodigal Daughter. A teenage runaway is shown the True Meaning of Christmas (and yes, it is Jesus, not Santa). Consider this lyric from Good King Joy
"It was long ago
In a foreign land
When the Lord looked down
Said to make a stand
So He sent His son
And said, 'through him you'll know me!'
Compare this scripture. Colossians 1:15
Berean Study Bible
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Or for 2 or 3 witnesses, try Hebrews 1:3
New International Version
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
In other words, "Through Him (Jesus) You'll know Me (God, The Father)" Sometimes the Best Sermons are preached by Rock Music.
The Second Half of the show is the Rock Show, which has very little Christmas Music (except for the classic A Mad Russian's Christmas (Nutcracker Improvement) , Wizards in Winter, and Christmas in Sarajevo (the Grand Finale). The singers and dancers steal the show, especially the ladies. And jestingly My Current Crush is Kayla Reeves, who at 24 could be my daughter, so that is a cold water on fire. Still, hearing her growl her way through "Not The Same" and "Night Conceives", she is my Ultimate Rock Chick. And watch for the impromptu "candlelight service" via cell phones. Very cool.
It took me longer than I wanted to do this review, but It is done the way I wanted. I can't leave you without a TSO Classic. Christmas Canon Rock, with Georgia Napolitano, Lisa Lavie, Kayla Reeves, and Natalia Rose. Enjoy. I am Awaiting Your Reply.
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (incidentally, a song of that name is part of The Christmas Attic Tour) is the "Christian Tour". Though Christmas is highlighted on both tours, the songs on this tour are "traditional" (March of The Kings, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, Good King Joy (Wencelas), and What Child Is This frame the Programs first half. The story line is a Christmas Remake of The Prodigal Son, or in this case the Prodigal Daughter. A teenage runaway is shown the True Meaning of Christmas (and yes, it is Jesus, not Santa). Consider this lyric from Good King Joy
"It was long ago
In a foreign land
When the Lord looked down
Said to make a stand
So He sent His son
And said, 'through him you'll know me!'
Compare this scripture. Colossians 1:15
Berean Study Bible
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Or for 2 or 3 witnesses, try Hebrews 1:3
New International Version
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
In other words, "Through Him (Jesus) You'll know Me (God, The Father)" Sometimes the Best Sermons are preached by Rock Music.
The Second Half of the show is the Rock Show, which has very little Christmas Music (except for the classic A Mad Russian's Christmas (Nutcracker Improvement) , Wizards in Winter, and Christmas in Sarajevo (the Grand Finale). The singers and dancers steal the show, especially the ladies. And jestingly My Current Crush is Kayla Reeves, who at 24 could be my daughter, so that is a cold water on fire. Still, hearing her growl her way through "Not The Same" and "Night Conceives", she is my Ultimate Rock Chick. And watch for the impromptu "candlelight service" via cell phones. Very cool.
It took me longer than I wanted to do this review, but It is done the way I wanted. I can't leave you without a TSO Classic. Christmas Canon Rock, with Georgia Napolitano, Lisa Lavie, Kayla Reeves, and Natalia Rose. Enjoy. I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas. Night Beat Style
Christmas isn't really Christmas until you've heard Linus. Now I love Linus Van Pelt, and you can never go wrong with simply reading the Gospel of Luke, but there is more to the story. When politicians blather on about the Christmas story being about homelessness, you know there is a lot of ignorance out there. In the meantime, enjoy the clip
In the Spirit of Joe Friday, and with respect to Harry Morgan (Bill Gannon)--Just the facts. Mary and Joseph were not homeless. They had a home, it was in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. They had come to Bethlehem for the Census Bureau and a meeting with the IRS. "That all the world should be taxed". Because Joseph was a procrastinator he didn't consult with Travelocity beforehand, and as a result, when they got there, "there was no room at the inn." No Vacancy means No Vacancy, it doesn't mean that he didn't have money. He was there to pay taxes after all. A good hearted innkeeper most likely volunteered use of the stable. (As and aside, the Christmas Song "No Room" is wrong "There's no room...no room to lay your head, If you were wealthy we might find you a bed, but there's no room in here for you". The Bible is plain, No Room, not no room but if. And Apologetix is wrong to with their Eagles parody "Hotel Can't Afford Ya". The stable was all there was, and it was probably on the down low and off the books. I doubt a rental agreement was drawn up.
The best part, which should appeal to all us Tea partiers and fellow conservatives, The three wise men brought gold (money) and Frankincense and Myrrh, both valuable spices/perfumes that could be sold for more gold. Money answers all things. One aside on that. To all the Christmas Card makers out there, I am sorry to burst your bubble, but the wise men arrived approximately two years after Jesus was born, not at the same time. Actually the cards are wrong regardless, because most of them have the Shepherds there as well, and even the Catholics/Orthodox have a twelve day space between the two events. But back to the Wise Men. There were probably more than three, plus servants and other attendants. Whether Kings, Magicians or Astrologers, they had Klout (not the website) in their nation. There were only three types of gifts. There were probably tons of each. And best of all, since Joseph had already seen the IRS agent, this new infusion of Cash was Tax free. There was no being able to go back seven years for an audit back then. Oh for the good old days. Plenty of money for a Palace on the Nile. Hey you didn't think they just brought Jesus one gold coin. Most likely it was bags upon bags. Money fit for a king, from a king. For reference, check out 1 Kings 10:10 for a gift to Solomon. If not for his whole life, at least for his youth things were most likely very good. Jesus was most likely from an Upper-Middle Class Business owner family in the Construction business.
Some would say that both events had to happen at the same time. That once the Shepherds announced the birth Herod would have been on the warpath. But remember, Shepherds announced his birth. From what I can gather from the Bible a lot of cultures simply looked down on Shepherds. I doubt Herod believed them. Now the Magi. He believed them. God Was a good Father, he made sure his Son was provided for in Royal Style. No scrimping here. To the OWS, a newsflash, Jesus, and his disciples, were in the 1%, or pretty close to it.
The rest of the Story.
Merry Christmas to all from The Night Beat.
In the Spirit of Joe Friday, and with respect to Harry Morgan (Bill Gannon)--Just the facts. Mary and Joseph were not homeless. They had a home, it was in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. They had come to Bethlehem for the Census Bureau and a meeting with the IRS. "That all the world should be taxed". Because Joseph was a procrastinator he didn't consult with Travelocity beforehand, and as a result, when they got there, "there was no room at the inn." No Vacancy means No Vacancy, it doesn't mean that he didn't have money. He was there to pay taxes after all. A good hearted innkeeper most likely volunteered use of the stable. (As and aside, the Christmas Song "No Room" is wrong "There's no room...no room to lay your head, If you were wealthy we might find you a bed, but there's no room in here for you". The Bible is plain, No Room, not no room but if. And Apologetix is wrong to with their Eagles parody "Hotel Can't Afford Ya". The stable was all there was, and it was probably on the down low and off the books. I doubt a rental agreement was drawn up.
The best part, which should appeal to all us Tea partiers and fellow conservatives, The three wise men brought gold (money) and Frankincense and Myrrh, both valuable spices/perfumes that could be sold for more gold. Money answers all things. One aside on that. To all the Christmas Card makers out there, I am sorry to burst your bubble, but the wise men arrived approximately two years after Jesus was born, not at the same time. Actually the cards are wrong regardless, because most of them have the Shepherds there as well, and even the Catholics/Orthodox have a twelve day space between the two events. But back to the Wise Men. There were probably more than three, plus servants and other attendants. Whether Kings, Magicians or Astrologers, they had Klout (not the website) in their nation. There were only three types of gifts. There were probably tons of each. And best of all, since Joseph had already seen the IRS agent, this new infusion of Cash was Tax free. There was no being able to go back seven years for an audit back then. Oh for the good old days. Plenty of money for a Palace on the Nile. Hey you didn't think they just brought Jesus one gold coin. Most likely it was bags upon bags. Money fit for a king, from a king. For reference, check out 1 Kings 10:10 for a gift to Solomon. If not for his whole life, at least for his youth things were most likely very good. Jesus was most likely from an Upper-Middle Class Business owner family in the Construction business.
Some would say that both events had to happen at the same time. That once the Shepherds announced the birth Herod would have been on the warpath. But remember, Shepherds announced his birth. From what I can gather from the Bible a lot of cultures simply looked down on Shepherds. I doubt Herod believed them. Now the Magi. He believed them. God Was a good Father, he made sure his Son was provided for in Royal Style. No scrimping here. To the OWS, a newsflash, Jesus, and his disciples, were in the 1%, or pretty close to it.
The rest of the Story.
Merry Christmas to all from The Night Beat.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A Night Beat Christmas, Part One
The Christmas Season is officially here, and in honor of that, I think it proper to spend a few posts sharing some wonderful Christmas Videos. Of course what would Christmas be without Mannheim and TSO, but we shall wait for those in due course.
We will begin with a home video version of Jingle Bells by two lovely ladies from New Mexico by the name of Poema.
Next up we shall rock out with the Almost and The Little Drummer Boy
Time to get a little animated. Animation that is. Here is the Sleigh Ride Video from the slightly demented Relient K
Forget What I said about Relient K. I think someone spiked Tenth Avenue North's eggnog. This is a Totally Demented version of Deck the Halls
I think that is enough for one post. We shall continue with the Night Beat Christmas Video Show throughout the week as I find them. A Merry Christmas To All and A Blessed 2012 from The Night Beat.
We will begin with a home video version of Jingle Bells by two lovely ladies from New Mexico by the name of Poema.
Next up we shall rock out with the Almost and The Little Drummer Boy
Time to get a little animated. Animation that is. Here is the Sleigh Ride Video from the slightly demented Relient K
Forget What I said about Relient K. I think someone spiked Tenth Avenue North's eggnog. This is a Totally Demented version of Deck the Halls
I think that is enough for one post. We shall continue with the Night Beat Christmas Video Show throughout the week as I find them. A Merry Christmas To All and A Blessed 2012 from The Night Beat.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Post Thanksgiving Musings
Now that Black Friday has passed, both yours truly and the voters in my poll agree that it is now O.K. to start with the Christmas Music. And it is Christmas Music,People. Like most bastions of Liberalism and Political Correctness, my town has a "Tree Lighting". And what kind of tree might that be? It's not even a blah "Holiday Tree" lighting. It's just a tree lighting. I think that is usually done with matches and may need a permit.
It definitely is an anti-Christian bent. I mean, nobody insists that Muslims be "tolerant" by putting a Star of David in their Ramadan displays (Are there Ramadan displays?, Doesn't Ramadan involve fasting? I digress.) Tolerance used to mean "I let you do your thing and you let me do my thing and if we never talk we can't fight, so all is cool." Now, at least when a liberal is talking, tolerance means "Undying Love and acceptance of me, and nothing for you, after all, I'm wonderful and you are a hateful S.O.B." or something like that. So You wish me a happy holidays all you want, I will wish you a Merry Christmas. Of course if you really want diversity we can go HannaRamaQwanzMas on you. I don't want that, and I don't think you do either. One further thought. If you're Jewish, I have no problem wishing you a Happy Hanukkah, and I hope you don't have a problem wishing me a Merry Christmas. That's supposed to be the fun of it. We're all supposed to be able to enjoy our holidays without being offended that someone else has a different holiday. You know that first amendment, it was meant to make sure there wasn't a State Religion, not as a hammer to bash others beliefs.
On to music matters. New Release Tuesday is taking an extended Christmas break, so one of my full album sources is out until January 10 (That's even better than Government Work). With a reduction in new material, I am thinking of going back over a few older releases and catching up on Rewind and a few other thoughts like I did with Small Business Saturday. Of course the Christmas releases keep coming in so I will have a few more Christmas editions coming.
Thanks for staying with me all through the season and beyond. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
It definitely is an anti-Christian bent. I mean, nobody insists that Muslims be "tolerant" by putting a Star of David in their Ramadan displays (Are there Ramadan displays?, Doesn't Ramadan involve fasting? I digress.) Tolerance used to mean "I let you do your thing and you let me do my thing and if we never talk we can't fight, so all is cool." Now, at least when a liberal is talking, tolerance means "Undying Love and acceptance of me, and nothing for you, after all, I'm wonderful and you are a hateful S.O.B." or something like that. So You wish me a happy holidays all you want, I will wish you a Merry Christmas. Of course if you really want diversity we can go HannaRamaQwanzMas on you. I don't want that, and I don't think you do either. One further thought. If you're Jewish, I have no problem wishing you a Happy Hanukkah, and I hope you don't have a problem wishing me a Merry Christmas. That's supposed to be the fun of it. We're all supposed to be able to enjoy our holidays without being offended that someone else has a different holiday. You know that first amendment, it was meant to make sure there wasn't a State Religion, not as a hammer to bash others beliefs.
On to music matters. New Release Tuesday is taking an extended Christmas break, so one of my full album sources is out until January 10 (That's even better than Government Work). With a reduction in new material, I am thinking of going back over a few older releases and catching up on Rewind and a few other thoughts like I did with Small Business Saturday. Of course the Christmas releases keep coming in so I will have a few more Christmas editions coming.
Thanks for staying with me all through the season and beyond. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Symphonic Steamrollers: The Night Beat Christmas "Rap" Vol.1
Christmas seems to come earlier every year. I consider myself a traditionalist that way. One of the local easy listening stations that gets pumped into just about every restaurant or Dunkin Donuts out here will start playing non stop Christmas/"Holiday" Music (Don't get me started on "Happy Holidays", it's Merry Christmas) It's too much. Christmas is supposed to be a time of great joy, and if hearing the 5 Trillionth play of "grandma got run over by a reindeer" or "Last Christmas", by November 25 leads one to thoughts of homicide, that kind of spoils the holiday cheer.
There is a cure to HMIHT though (That's Holiday Music Inspired Homicidal Thoughts. If anyone can think of a better acronym, I'm all ears). The cure is simple. Break out the Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. There are some others, but these two are key. They will get you into the proper spirit fast, and they rarely make a music FAIL. 5 Emeralds can get awarded on reputation alone. Usually.
Given enough time even Mannheim Steamroller can make an average album. There, I said it. It's not that Symphonic Symphony is bad. It isn't, not by a long shot. It's just, there's something missing, and that is the electronics. There are certain things that people expect from certain bands, and for Mannheim that means Renaissance Inspired Synth-Rock. The Synthetic Instrumentals have been replaced by a real orchestra, in this case the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Only the Renaissance tunes (Silent Night, Carol of the Birds, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) survive intact. For the Rock Tunes (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Rock). Sorry, you just can't replace synths, and electronic instruments in general, in a rock tune. With Rock strings and orchestra should accompany the electronics, not replace them. I am giving Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Symphony a mere 4 Emeralds (Christmas music is not eligible for the PVA's, so this is an honest rating. Still, it's a major ouch).
Since the Christmas Music releases started on September 27 (Major Ouch), here are a few more CD's to pass my ears so far. Don't worry, I'll spread out these posts throughout the season. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
There is a cure to HMIHT though (That's Holiday Music Inspired Homicidal Thoughts. If anyone can think of a better acronym, I'm all ears). The cure is simple. Break out the Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. There are some others, but these two are key. They will get you into the proper spirit fast, and they rarely make a music FAIL. 5 Emeralds can get awarded on reputation alone. Usually.
Given enough time even Mannheim Steamroller can make an average album. There, I said it. It's not that Symphonic Symphony is bad. It isn't, not by a long shot. It's just, there's something missing, and that is the electronics. There are certain things that people expect from certain bands, and for Mannheim that means Renaissance Inspired Synth-Rock. The Synthetic Instrumentals have been replaced by a real orchestra, in this case the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Only the Renaissance tunes (Silent Night, Carol of the Birds, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) survive intact. For the Rock Tunes (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Rock). Sorry, you just can't replace synths, and electronic instruments in general, in a rock tune. With Rock strings and orchestra should accompany the electronics, not replace them. I am giving Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Symphony a mere 4 Emeralds (Christmas music is not eligible for the PVA's, so this is an honest rating. Still, it's a major ouch).
Since the Christmas Music releases started on September 27 (Major Ouch), here are a few more CD's to pass my ears so far. Don't worry, I'll spread out these posts throughout the season. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
- Various Artists - WOW Christmas 2011 4.5 Emeralds
- David Crowder Band - Oh For Joy 4.5 Emeralds
- Kutless - This is Christmas 4.5 Emeralds
- Toby Mac - Christmas in Diverse City 4.75 Emeralds
- Matthew West - The Heart of Christmas 4.75 Emeralds
- Phil Wickham - Songs for Christmas 4 Emeralds
Friday, December 24, 2010
The True Story of Christmas
And now...the rest of the story. Now I love Linus Van Pelt, and you can never go wrong with simply reading the Gospel of Luke, but there is more to the story. When politicians blather on about the Christmas story being about homelessness, you know there is a lot of ignorance out there.
In the Spirit of Joe Friday--Just the facts. Mary and Joseph were not homeless. They had a home, it was in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. They had come to Bethlehem for the Census Bureau and a meeting with the IRS. "That all the world should be taxed". Because Joseph was a procrastinator he didn't consult with Travelocity beforehand, and as a result, when they got there, "there was no room at the inn." No Vacancy means No Vacancy, it doesn't mean that he didn't have money. He was there to pay taxes after all. A good hearted innkeeper most likely volunteered use of the stable. It was probably on the down low and off the books. I doubt a rental agreement was drawn up.
The best part, which should appeal to all us Tea partiers and fellow conservatives, The three wise men brought gold (money) and Frankincense and Myrrh, both valuable spices/perfumes that could be sold for more gold. Money answers all things. And best of all, since Joseph had already seen the IRS agent, this new infusion of Cash was Tax free. There was no being able to go back seven years for an audit back then. Oh for the good old days. Plenty of money for a Palace on the Nile. Hey you didn't think they just brought Jesus one gold coin. Most likely it was bags upon bags. Money fit for a king, from a king. For reference, check out 1 Kings 10:10 for a gift to Solomon. If not for his whole life, at least for his youth things were most likely very good. Jesus was most likely from an Upper-Middle Class Business owner family in the Construction business. Now you know the rest of the story.
Merry Christmas to all from The Night Beat.
In the Spirit of Joe Friday--Just the facts. Mary and Joseph were not homeless. They had a home, it was in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. They had come to Bethlehem for the Census Bureau and a meeting with the IRS. "That all the world should be taxed". Because Joseph was a procrastinator he didn't consult with Travelocity beforehand, and as a result, when they got there, "there was no room at the inn." No Vacancy means No Vacancy, it doesn't mean that he didn't have money. He was there to pay taxes after all. A good hearted innkeeper most likely volunteered use of the stable. It was probably on the down low and off the books. I doubt a rental agreement was drawn up.
The best part, which should appeal to all us Tea partiers and fellow conservatives, The three wise men brought gold (money) and Frankincense and Myrrh, both valuable spices/perfumes that could be sold for more gold. Money answers all things. And best of all, since Joseph had already seen the IRS agent, this new infusion of Cash was Tax free. There was no being able to go back seven years for an audit back then. Oh for the good old days. Plenty of money for a Palace on the Nile. Hey you didn't think they just brought Jesus one gold coin. Most likely it was bags upon bags. Money fit for a king, from a king. For reference, check out 1 Kings 10:10 for a gift to Solomon. If not for his whole life, at least for his youth things were most likely very good. Jesus was most likely from an Upper-Middle Class Business owner family in the Construction business. Now you know the rest of the story.
Merry Christmas to all from The Night Beat.
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