In other news, we still have no comments and I still feel like I'm talking to a macbook instead of a handful of intelligent beings.

In other other news, I've learned about some awesome music festivals in the area over the past week and I feel obligated to make a little list of the places you should plan on going this Summer!

My Favorite is... drumroll...
All Good Music Festival
July 8-11
Masontown, WV (160 miles/3.5 hours)
Check out the website for more details!
$160

Others within 6 hour driving range of our dear valley...
Shenandoah Valley Music Festival
July 23-24, 30-31, August 13-14, September 4-5
Orkney Springs, VA (35 miles/50 minutes)
Website
$20-$45

Out Among The Stars Bluegrass Festival
July 1-4
Benton, PA (275 miles/5 hours)
Website
$80

Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 9-10
Nescopeck, PA (275 miles/5 hours)
Website
$70

Pickin' In Parsons
August 5-7
Parsons, WV (100 miles/2.5 hours)
Website
$50

Underground Music Festival
July 9-11
Iselin, PA (250 miles/4.5 hours)
Website
$20

SunTrust Summer Jam
July 3
Massanutten, VA (15 miles/30 minutes)
Website
$15

FloydFest
July 22-25
Floyd, VA (150 miles, 3 hours)
Website
$60-$145

Wayside Bluegrass Festival
July 7-10
Stuart, VA (180 miles/3,5 hours)
Website
$75

Shoot, I could go on and on. I'll make this blog post an ever-changing one, so as I find out about festivals, I'll just add them to the list! If I've missed one that you're aware of, comment and let me know!!

Well, not having a computer for.... however many days.... (the days were bleak, I lost count) and actually ended up watching a lot of TV. I am not a TV-watching person. I mean, I'm as crazy about Grey's Anatomy as the next girl, but I watch that online. Basically, my TV was turned on for the first time in a really long time... And it stayed on. It started with an episode of The View (don't judge, it was that or a Lifetime movie until the House marathon started), and who was the guest? None other than Russell Brand! You may not be crazy about this guy, but I am. I've been into his standup for a while and I've been impressed with how he's learned and adapted himself (he's known for being an extremely lewd, foul British man) for success in America. Though he is still rather lewd and foul, a side of him was shown on The View (and later on George Lopez's show) that truly touched me. Needless to say, The View was a rather enjoyable experience for me. Then, the House marathon. I had only seen a couple episodes, and I was soaking in an entire season like a sponge. An entire afternoon of general good feeling while just watching TV? You bet. Basically, I got addicted. I could always find something cool to watch, if its Animal Planet or Adult Swim.

Now that I have my computer back, my TV is once again black, but I must say: They've gotten really good at programming things so that you feel like you're missing out if you leave the house.

So before I finish my Financial Accounting homework and study for the final tomorrow, I will leave you with this:

BAND OF THE WEEK: Sevendust
They're not for everyone, admittedly, but I'm crazy about them this week. They flirt with the line of hard rock and metal, providing soulful, melodic vocals with heavy riffs and double bass, but just as easily create a beautifully eerie acoustic melody for a ballad. The lead singer, Lajon Witherspoon, was found originally in an R&B group. The members of Crawlspace (As they were called at the time) loved Lajon's heavy, raspy vocal style and invited him to join their developing rock band. The band was faced with a legal issue as they were informed that someone else had already taken the name Crawlspace, so they settled on Sevendust (named for the bug killer, Sevin Dust). This had happened once before, when the band was called Rumblefish. They were legally obligated to abandon the name and instead used it as a later song title. The lyrics are pretty moving, too. One about addiction has a chorus that goes: "Destroy all you see. Tattoo the world, change everything."

One of the best things about this band is their live show, which I've seen twice already. Unlike other bands of their genre, who encourage their audiences to mosh and get angry, Lajon encourages his audience to dance and move. The floor turns from a frenzy of adrenaline-heavy metalheads to a sea of positive energy and grooves. Here come a variety of songs:

A beautiful slower song:
Skeleton Song

Their cover of NIN and Johnny Cash, sung by Clint Lowery, guitarist and songwriter
Hurt

WARNING: This is a much harder song. That said, it's one of my favesies.
Praise

Let me know what you think! More like this? Or do you prefer the more mellow kinds of music?

Bottom line: Comment on my posts! Feel free to let me know what you think about my opinions or styles, what you think about the band of the week, or just say hi and introduce yourself! I'll extend my virtual handshake.

There is a catch to this plea for communication... Don't use the comment space to advertise. If you'd like to post a link that you think is relevant to the topic, feel free! I feel it only fair to warn you that posts by robots or containing advertisements will be deleted. We don't want anyone lessening the value of our communication, do we? Now, some comments look a lot like legitimate comments, but aren't. For example, someone recently posted a comment on my post, Two Words. Here is the text of the comment:

I visit regularly and always something interesting like this is posted. I found a pretty useful site http://www.rapidsnake.com/Livin*-Blues---Blue-Breeze-(1976).html if you would like to check it out. Thanks again.

Though this looks like a legitimate comment, the link referenced takes you to an illegal downloading site called Rapid Snake and gives you the option to download a song about which no information is given. Though this comment may be from an actual reader, it has been deleted because
1. The link apparently has nothing to do with the subject of the blog post
2. We don't condone illegal downloading here at Adona, and would rather not associate ourselves with the practice.

If this was your comment and feel it was wrongly deleted, try posting a youtube link to the song, if that is what you wanted us to hear.

So I'm still kicking myself for not saving the blog I wrote last weekend. I was so excited about that one. Have you ever written something and re-read it and just thought "Man, that's beautiful"? No, I'm not a narcissist. The blog was about music and how it moves people and why the world would just downright suck if we all didn't have music in our lives. Maybe someday, I'll feel as philosophical as I did that day and recompose it for your reading pleasure and enlightenment.

Since I failed last week, I'll do 2 bands of the week this week. One now, one before Sunday. And you're gonna love this band.

BAND OF THE WEEK: A Perfect Circle
Can we agree that there are just some people in this world that have been chosen as true musicians? People who effortlessly produce incredible music? Musical genuises, if you will? One such man goes by the name of Maynard Keenan. Don't get me wrong-- He's weird. Like, WEIRD weird. But personality and quirks aside, he can write and say some of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. He plays for two bands, Tool and A Perfect Circle. Tool is definitely the more established, popular band, but it's a little more on the Progressive Hand Rock/Metal side, so I think you would enjoy "Tool Lite" instead. APC, as they are called by those too lazy to pronounce all five syllables, has both eerie, trippy musical ideas and classically momentous chord progressions which combine with some of the weirdest lyrics that don't generally make sense until the tenth time you hear them. A Perfect Circle is a sensory experience not to be missed. Here are some of their more "normal" songs:

3 Libras

Weak and Powerless

Check em out. Once again, some of the time signatures might throw you for a loop, but just relax and let the music take you places. I promise, it will!

I promise, I'll be back to you soon with a more lengthy blog, but for now, I hope my little bit of advice will give you something to chew on until I return. Who knows, maybe some day the inspiration for that music blog will return.

Quick Question:
Do you know of any really good songs that could be turned into jazzy ballads? If so, please comment and let me know! I'm trying to start playing shows at a local Italian restaurant and I found an accompanist who will help me out with a dress-and-a-piano type of gig. Now, we just need music! Some of the songs already on the list are:

Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang
Carly Simon - You're So Vain
Phil Collins - True Colors
Stockard Channing - There Are Worse Things I Could Do (from Grease)

...you get the idea. Do you know any more songs that go along these lines? Or would you happen to know some restaurants that might like to have a smoother live music performance as people eat and converse? Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Band of the Week:
Let me brag: I saw an amazing show last Tuesday in Richmond at The National. I fell in love with this band about 6 months ago when I found 5 random songs by them on my iTunes playlist. Porcupine Tree (wicked name, right?) is a band from Australia that focuses on the actual musicianship side of composition. Tons of great bands of history have been wonderful musicians, but they write for the radio. What does that even mean, write for the radio? Well, most successful bands try to write songs that a majority of the population will like. That way, their songs get played on the radio, even more people hear the songs and love the band, and record sales are all but guaranteed. Steve Wilson rejects that process entirely, calling modern radio music "muzak," which is just a nice way to say "meaningless elevator music." Instead, this revolutionary musician writes songs that are aesthetically pleasing to the band and that hold a deep meaning among the writers. Wilson and the other band members use crazy ideas like multiple time signature use in one song (which is more rare than you'd think) cryptic lyrics, and the regular creation of concept albums (an album designed to be heard as a whole unit, not as individual songs). Basically, this music is just plain WEIRD sometimes. Don't get me wrong - if you're a true musician, I don't see how you can dislike the band, unless you generally dislike the acoustic/electric/bass/synth/keyboard/percussion combo. They have put out 10 full-length albums and 4 EPs since 1991 and the show I saw Tuesday was a complete performance of the newest concept album, "The Incident." Talk about being moved. I can't remember ever seeing a more flawless, seamless performance.... and that's saying a lot because I'm a concert junkie.

Here are a couple of my all-time faves:

"Time Flies", the climax piece of the newest concept album

"Lazarus", a song I heard for the first time in the snow (which was perfect)

"Piano Lessons", just a great song

DISCLAIMER: If you're not well versed in time signatures, I humbly advise that you refrain from trying to keep rhythm with head nods or foot taps. This is not because I believe you are incapable, simply because I would rather you focus on the actual music than be distracted and potentially frustrated with trying to understand the timing of the song. Just push play and go with whatever comes at you. I promise, you will love this band if you let yourself get into them. I dare you to buy "The Incident" and listen to it from start to finish. Let the music move you. After all, that's what we're all about, right?

Crucial Substance.

Wicked name for a band, right? One group of guys in the tiny city of Harrisonburg, VA recognized the potential for a brand in the name and claimed it. I just happen to have seen these guys tonight live for the first time. To clarify, they have been performing for a while, this was just my first time seeing them.

At about 9:30 last night at the Artful Dodger, Crucial Substance made a crucial appearance at the Artful Dodger and, in so many words, rocked the house. Laced with little Spanish quips, essential for a Cinco De Mayo set, 5 guys led a room full of people of all ages in a musical experience that made it impossible to keep your feet still. Joel, the lead guitar/vocals man, displayed effortless vocal acrobatics in orginal versions of hit songs. Despite Joel’s vocal prowess, the soulful rhythm parts and intricate keyboard solos, the performance is far from gawdy. The down-home grooves these musicians produced were just so undeniably solid that it carried them through 3-minute jams in the middle of well-known songs. The set included unique versions of the 1963 hit “On Broadway,” Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” the more modern “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon, and a song that holds very strong personal meaning for me, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash.

**Personal Obligation To Tell This Story**
Beware: I digress from the point entirely. As we all know, the inspirational lyrics go something along the lines of I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that held me blind, it’s gonna be a bright, bright,,, blah, blah blah… You know what song I’m talking about, though, right? Anyway, My mother and I were riding along in the car one day with my little sister, who, at the time, was probably about 3 years old. This song came on the radio and my mom started singing along with it. (She has a lovely singing voice.) ☺ She began the song and sang, I can see all icicles in my way- Icicles instead of obstacles. Immediately, my sister called her out on the mistake in the most condescending tone possible. “Mom, those are the wrong words. It’s obstacles. Did you really think it was icicles?” She was 3!! Incredibly funny story, in my personal opinion.

Digressions aside, Crucial Substance was really awesome tonight. You should definitely check them out, say, on Myspace. http://www.myspace.com/reggeabluesfunk

I also must mention that Friday will bring some awesome talent to Adona: THE Charles Barone.

*Sharp Gasp*
YOU haven't heard of Charles Barone? You need to fix that. He's a phenomenal musician who specializes in covers of Old Blue Eyes himself, and he'll be at our very own Adona Music this Friday! The vocal resemblance between Barone and Sinatra is truly amazing and you're sure to enjoy this performance. Check out some footage from one of his shows last year here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efselZJWCmc

Unfortunately, we won't be seeing him with the entire Just Jazzin' Orchestra, but the trio with which he will perform provides a much more intimate, croon-tastic experience!

The show will be followed by the always-hilarious improv comedy troupe, Harrisonburg's own No Strings Attached. Could there be a more perfect thing to do with your family on Graduation weekend? We think not.

Check out the other First Friday events here: (though we're not sure why you'd need to)
http://hburgnews.com/2010/04/28/first-fridays-downtown-month-of-may/

I would like to apologize for my absence in bloggishness, as Alan calls it, to the followers of the Adona blog. Now that finals and stuff is all over, I’ll be much more faithful and postable. To hold myself accountable, I’m establishing a weekly staple: the Band of the Week. I’m constantly getting into new bands and as a musician and true audiophile, I humbly think that my tastes might be relative to those of other musicians and audiophile, such as yourselves. I leave you with first installment:

Band of the Week: Flobots. Most vocals are rapped with an unconventional, flexible flow, but the music varies from violin-based chords to popping reggae riffs to hard-rock power chords. I usually am not a fan of rap, but Flobots is more like tight percussive poetry than actual rap lines. Their recent hit, which you all know and may have hated, was “Handlebars.” You know… I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars… But have you ever listened to the rest of the lyrics? Did you know that the song is a powerful commentary on the hazards of the progress of humanity? Of course, not all the lyrics are that powerful. “The Moon” features a couple very interesting freestyle flows based on a uniquely broad vocabulary that is fun to follow and even more fun to learn. It’s not just those two songs, it’s almost everything they do. winning combination of ear-catching melodies and far-from-callow. This subject matter are what earned the band my devotion and the status of Band of the Week. Download their stuff NOW! (legally, of course.)

“Well, last Friday night was pretty awesome. I doubt I could top it today,” you might argue.

Oh, contraire, dear friend. At 7:00 tonight, you could have a handful of extremely talented people perform for your comedic pleasure as you roll on the floor in stitches of laughter. Honestly, what could possibly be better then starting your evening off with that?

“How could I experience this wonderful performance? What, exactly, am I getting myself into??

No Strings Attached (NSA), Harrisonburg’s improv comedy troupe, is one of the best experiences you could possibly have in this great city of ours. The members have been together since 2008, and all of them have a natural aptitude for one thing: Making you laugh. If you’re not familiar with the concept of improv comedy, you may be more familiar with a very popular improv TV show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Basically, the actors are given a situation and without any preparation whatsoever, they have to use witty dialogue and actions to make sense of each situation, no matter how obscure.

NSA will be performing at our favorite local music store, Adona Music, today, April 9, at 7:00 PM. Complete with archetypical characters, the improv corps is a great idea for all ages. Their comedy style could be described as community-driven and guaranteed not to offend.

I suppose since you’re taking my advice as to what you should do to fill your Friday evening, I should introduce myself. I’m Katelyn, a writer hired to help publicize this blog and the many events that happen at Adona. Consider this a virtual handshake.

Now that we’ve been properly introduced, I leave you with the main point of this entry (the first of many, mind you): Come see No Strings Attached doing what they do best. It’s the best way in the ‘Burg to fill your Fridays. Not feeling well? Had a bad day at work or school? Come anyway! NSA will fix you right up!

You know what they say-- laughter is always the best medicine.

So, the fourth rolled around, of course our windows didn't have the Star Spangled Banner on them. Mostly we had a couple instruments that were blue and white, but none that were really red. But I found out on the Monday after the fourth, that the Judging for the windows competition was actually on July 2nd. So it wouldn't have mattered had we gotten our windows decorated or not. The winner was the Laughing Dog, but next year... we'll get them!

At Adona Music, We hosted Charles Baron from Remember When. Basically, for all who don't know Mr. Baron, he is a Frank Sinatra singer. He sings songs by Frank Sinatra as well as song that are around the time that Sinatra became really famous.

I supported Mental Flossing by going to their 2:15 show at the Theater. They were really good and they had a full house.

He started his act at a little after one thirty. Before then, we had a nice keyboard plus Alan performance. It was fun watching my boss play with someone else for the first time. Alan does play with a group every once in a while but I've never actually seen him play before. Occasionally during Mr. Baron's performance, Alan would sneak back up to the stage with a trumpet to play for a little bit.

There were several people who came by to enjoy the music. At one point, we nearly had a full house of people listening to Mr. Baron's voice. It was a pretty good gig all in all.

There were a lot of people coming through to use us as a bathroom though. I heard that there were a lot of people going into the local restaurants to use them as potties as well. Though, as the saying goes, “When you gotta go, you gotta go.” So I'm not at all being harsh to the small amount of people who did stop in to use the facilities, but it would have been nice for you guys to have stopped and listened to Charles for a few minutes. You know? I do understand that port-a-potties are gross, but if everyone's using the same bathroom isn't it the same?

I didn't stay long after we closed the doors because I ride my bike home. I didn't want to go home in the dark. But I could still hear the fire works from my apartment.

As you guys probably noticed on our homepage, there's been an update of the on line store. Please, please please! Go there. My Boss, Alan, would appreciate even the smallest interest into the store. Other than that, what else has been going on, on the website? I altered the front page so that the slideshow doesn't cause movement as bad as it did before. Then I changed the Blog's header to a star pattern, I think it looks interesting and pretty much fantastic.