My Last Story

So it turns out that Evil Bebos was my last Band of the Week!  It's sort of a bittersweet ending-I loved writing but time was tight this semester as I took on the equivalent of at least 20 hours.  I plan to take 19 hours next semester but want to continue to blog.  Unfortunately, I do not see having time to write for Sidelines on a regular basis but may do an occasional opinions column. Surprisingly I found many topics floating through my head this semester that could be opinion pieces! This blog, however, has been my favorite project this semester.  I started it for my editing teacher, Dr. Flanagan, and have enjoyed every aspect of creating my own online voice.  At first I did not know what to write about but since I ended up covering local musical talent, the decision became clear.  Since my stint at Sidelines is over now, I don't know which direction my blog will take.  I would hate to scrap this one and start over but that may be necessary!  I guess only time will tell.  

A Small Vacay

This week my editor, Michael Stone, did Band of the Week. He wrote a great article over a Johnny Cash tribute band called Far From Folsome. I know he enjoyed doing the article because Band of the Week was his baby and I was just the recruited writer. This semester has provided ample opportunity for me experience wise and I'm thankful to be a part of anything MTSU! Check out Band of the Week- Far From Folsome by Michael Stone. Its written in a refreshing form and is a great read! And for my fans-don't worry I'll be back next week for one last harrah before semester's end! Happy finals to all and to all a good night!

A Day in the Life

I get off of work at 7:45 on Friday night and change clothes in the car on my way over to Club 527, where I have an 8 p.m. interview with the next Band of the Week. I am still smelling like fried food and have no time to shower. I always feel rushed but this night particularly so, because I actually have to work after work - which is oh so annoying. I run into 527 out of breath and quickly explain my status-reporter on duty- to the girl at the front desk. She graciously lets me in for free after checking my i.d. I run up to the stage, trying to slow my labored breath and yell to the guy above me-"Are you with Evil Bebos?" Thankfully he is and, when he climbs down, he proceeds to find all the other band members and introduce me. I go through my spiel about how I am with Sidelines like a pro, and manage to grab 20 minutes of their precious time before they are scheduled to perform. Backstage, we talk about their journey, how they came together and where they are going. They talk about the new project, Metropolis. They share their tour plans which involve driving up and down the East Coast in a beat up S.U.V. with all their music equipment and five guys. When I question this plan they tell me that this will be the third such trip and that they also plan to sleep on the floors and couches of many gracious friends. All in all, these boys gave a great candid look into the life of up and coming artists-Thanks goes out to my new friends Chris, Corey, Devin, Jeff and Rob. May the tour be prosperous and keep the dream alive. I can't wait to see you guys in Chicago!

Beautifully Crude

So its been a while since I strictly wrote about my column and the featured band, but with all the hype of Halloween and the election of our 44th president over, I feel its appropriate to get back to the point. This week's Band of the Week is called Beautifully Crude and they have an album scheduled to drop at the beginning of December (just in time for Christmas) titled "The Ties That Bind." This band, a convergence of two separate projects, gives rock fans in Murfreesboro a reason to step out on the town and support the local rock scene. They are based out of Nashville, but come to the 'Boro' often enough to create a following. Self-described as a little bit Seether, Drowning Pool and Disturbed with influences like Led Zeppelin and Alice in Chains, this band will rock your socks off. The show was great and the guys were even better. With all the Hollywood attitudes out there I can honestly say that this crew from Nashville knows their roots and were perfect gentlemen! Thanks goes out to this wonderful band for a great show Saturday night at Wall Street.

I'm Glad It's Over -I Think?

Now that the election is over and Barack Obama has been declared the winner, I can officially breathe a sigh of relief. It was a roller coaster of emotional political discussion and heated battles with friends and family. Now that its behind us (for at least 4 years) we can sit back and reminisce on all the hilarity that has come out of both George Bush's 8 years and the last few months of SNL political comedy. With George W. and Sarah Palin exiting stage left I sure will be sad not to see them spoofed on SNL. A special thanks goes out to Will Ferrell (who played W. on many occasions to the T -here's my favorite) and Tina Fey (who played such a convincing Sarah Palin that at times I wasn't sure if I was looking at Fey or Palin>see for yourself!) for easing my pain with lots of laughs! I hope to see some equally funny bits very soon from both comedians.
God Bless America!

Boroughs Are Band of the Week-plus my dog in Halloween Costume!

So I know this is way off topic but its just too darn cute! Oh and of course check out the Band of the Week - lots of hot guys and great pics thanks to Erin Oleary- The Boroughs!

Halloween Parties in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Need plans for Halloween on Friday? There's a plethora (yea I love that word) of shows going on in the Boro-and for those of you on a tighter budget now that the economy is spiraling out of control, staying here in town is cheaper than driving all the way down to Nashville, paying to park and shelling out some more cash for cover-not to mention ticket prices for shows like Nine Inch Nails. Plus, this is a great holiday to support local talent! Right here in downtown Murfreesboro's, Wall Street is hosting THB and SkyHi-a double wammy Band of the Week with a cover of just $5! Blue Rooster's got Hellbillies and a $500 cash prize for best costume but no word on the cover. Down on Main Street, Club 527 has The Incredible Heat Machine, Old Union, and The Last Straw starting at 9:30 pm with just $5 cover! Don't forget about the new bar on Ruutherford-Graffiti is having a Halloween bash with a $500 cash in cash and prizes plus great drink specials. Coconut Bay Cafe is hosting its 9th annual Monster Mash with tons of games , prizes and giveaways, costume contest and $1 Halloween shots! Also there are usually plenty of Halloween parties around the houses just off campus in the Bell Street area. I am sure I have left out a few people so leave a comment and I'll update the post. Whatever your plans are, dress up, go out and party like a rock star!

Beware of the Zombies!

What band features four undead zombies that rock your face off plus might just take a bite of it? Zombie Bazooka Patrol, of course. Their last local show at Club 527 on Thursday night will have to sustain local fans for a while. Today they headed out on a month-and-a-half-long "Dress Like a Zombie Tour," which will take them to Chattanooga, Knoxville and Johnson City in Tennessee and then out of state to Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. But don't worry, ZBP will drop the brand new album this week, titled Zombie Bazooka Patrol at the Center of the Earth. That should contain the hysteria until they return to claim local stages in the Burro again. If deader than dead zombies eating brains and playing in a rock band is your thing, check out ZBP. The next local show is Dec 5th at House Pride in Murfreesboro. Special guests Emotron, Mose Giganticus and Tigers con Queso will help welcome the zombie's back to home. This promises to be one HELL of a show with an undead nightcap! If you want to check out my article along with some ultra cool pics set to a new track off of their upcoming album click HERE.

Older and Wiser

So last weeks Band of the Week, Stretta, is a little band out of Nashville that has worked both together and individually with some big names. I mean, Garth freekin' Brooks people! They are real talent. Older and wiser than all the other featured bands, they offered some practical advice for those going into the whole music thing as a career. They all agreed that following your dreams with a backup plan is a smart investment. With so many artists in Middle Tennessee it is easy to set your sights on a career in the music and entertainment business, but sometimes hard to succeed. If you know what you want and don't take no for an answer, Stretta taught me that you can reach star status even if it sometimes means doing so on a small stage. Click here for bios of all five band members or view the Stretta blog, which captures some classic Stretta tour stories.

Get Out There Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro and Nashville have some great local musical talent. In the MTSU area alone there are hundreds of bands forming, changing, and performing every week. Most of the 21+ crowd can be found on any given night crowding Graffiti, Wall Street, Liquid Smoke, Blue Rooster (formerly Bluesboro), The Burro , Club 527 and many more venues listening to live music and drinking cheap beer. These venues offer students a chance to sample some of the local bands for next to nothing. I would advise you to go out and make the most of this opportunity. Though many of you have never heard some of the bands featured at any of these fine establishments, you should step out on a limb and try something new. This was my experience on Friday night and I got an unexpected treat. A band from Nashville was featured at the Blue Rooster-which by the way is almost exactly like Bluesboro-and they were great. They not only covered some of the best hits throughout the 80-90's, there were some highly acclaimed artists on that stage that have worked very close with the likes of country star Garth Brooks to funny man Conan O'Brian. Don't forget to check out this week's 'Band of the Week' to find out who I saw last weekend and get out there this weekend to sample some music for yourself.
Cheers!

Ladies and Gentlemen.....SkyHi

The best band in the Burro, and this week's Band of the Week: introducing SkyHi! Along with the privilege of writing for Sidelines, I get to talk with some pretty talented individuals, but Dee Adams, Aaron Heffron and the other members of SkyHi top them all. I'll admit I'm a little star-struck but who wouldn't be? Spending any time with Dee is a pleasure and getting to meet with the other band members is the cherry on top! He is so grounded, has great taste in music, is educated, young, and immensly talented. With the new but nameless album scheduled to drop in early 2009, fans are on the edge of their seat. The wait for the album will be well worth it, but you can catch a sneak peak of whats to come on October 31st, 2008 at the Wall Street Halloween show with former Band of the Week, THB, and again at Club 527 on November 14. See you there!

This Week

This week is going by so fast! Already its Tuesday and my editor is asking me..."You got my piece yet?" Ummm....... Yes.....Is it perfect?.....Not yet!......But it will be-On Wednesday! I feel good about it but it has to be perfect since this weeks article is about my personal favorite band in the Burro. Is the suspense killing any of you yet? Who will it be? I'M NOT TELLING- but just know that it will be good! Check out this Thursday's edition of Sidelines to find out who will be this week's Band of the Week.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I am sad to report that I will not have an article in Sidelines for Band of the Week, though someone else will. I had a band but could not get the interview on time so look for a great article next Thursday. Mean while, don't miss me too much!

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A quick note to the ladies...October is here and as you probably already know it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As most everyone does, I had cancer hit home in a very real way last year when my mom's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer-she survived because her docters caught it early before it spread. So please, lets take care of our health. MTSU has a brand new facility with a wonderful women's clinic. If you are putting your annual check-up off, go now! It might just save your life.

Murfreesboro's Thief

This week's Band of the Week is Thief and I am here to say they put on a great show Saturday night at Club 527. The music was hot and the crowd was on its feet as the boys of Thief rocked the house with their crossbreed style of Spanish, dance, pop,and hip-hop infused jazz. Every song was different and over all it was a great night. Can't wait to see Thief again October 5th-same time same place!

Talking to Strangers

So as I continue to write for Sidelines I find myself doing the exact opposite of what my parents taught me...talking to strangers. A guy opened the door for me the other day and I found myself talking to him on the way to class. I told him who I was, my major and that I was writing a column for the student body newspaper. This conversation led to me talking to a female friend of his with a dynamite voice. I will be writing about her in an upcoming edition of BAND OF THE WEEK! I'm so excited to have finally found a female to write about. If anybody out there has any suggestions on who I could write about next (in the Murfreesboro area) please let me know.

In a Hurry!

This one will be short but check out my new article in Thursday's Sidelines. It features Battle of the Bands winner C.J. Vaughn and Highway 58-a father and son team with a great sound. I love John Mayor and Jack Johnson-they remind me a little of them with the blues thing they got goin on. Oh and go check out Graffiti, Murfreesboro's newest bar located in Alexander Square-2962 S. Rutherford Blvd. Its the newest hotspot in the Burro- Thursday night is the GRAND OPENING PARTY and promises to be wet and wild! Hope to see ya there.

My First Time

I am creating this blog to compliment my new column in Sideline's, Middle Tennessee State University's student body newspaper, called Band of the Week. So far I have interviewed two local bands, Ribbonpigeon and THB. They were both fun interviews and I learned alot, both professionally and personally, about the guys and their music. Ribbonpigeon is a great band with an original sound. They are full of good looking, educated men, all from MTSU -ladies-eat your heart out. They were last week's Band of the Week. THB, who I just wrote the article about yesterday-and hasn't even hit the press yet- was very interesting. Brothers Lenny and Mike (or as older brother Lenny affectionately calls him, Mikey) grew up with close friend Glen on The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee. For those of you who didn't know-like myself- The Farm is a community of hippies from the 70's that decided to live together and are still there today. The PC term for these places is 'intentional communities.' The name "The Homegrown Band" is so appropriate and was actually given to the band by friends and family in their community. This band has traveled all over the American south and to Amsterdam to play with big names like Redman. Both these bands deserve a tremendous thanks for taking time out of their busy lives to talk to me.