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A few years back, veteran director Rob Reiner assembled the legendary duo of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman for his latest film, The Bucket List. The movie was pretty good, but inadvertently created a distinct awareness in the viewer by posing a simple question: What things do you HAVE to experience before you die? The title of the film gave a name to this phenomenon about assembling a direly important "To-Do List" before leaving this earth. Whether extreme activities like skydiving, visiting foreign countries, or reconciling with loved ones, there is definitely impact in realizing these important longings...and then eventually crossing one off your list.
With U2 in town this past week (and me without tickets), I had accepted the fact that I wasn't going to see them at Reliant Stadium. But then, in a whirlwind twenty-four period, Melissa and I were set to go, with great seats to boot. It was an incredible experience, to put it lightly. Seeing Bono & the boys is something on my own "bucket list," so I left quite fulfilled. 
The fact U2 played over two hours of great music--with a little Amazing Grace thrown in--was more than I was expecting. The best songs, in my mind: "Elevation," "Amazing Grace/Where the Streets Have No Name," "City of Blinding Lights," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "One." Hard to narrow it down from there! Getting to see Muse as the opener was awesome too, but there was no doubt U2 met and exceeded the lofty expectations of a raucous Houston crowd.
(Pictures courtesy of the Houston Press)
Annnnnnd I'm back into blogging! Though my few (if any) followers have little assurance that I won't go into a Howard Hughes-like disappearance again, I'm wholeheartedly giving consistent writing another shot. And look at the fancy new theme--fashioned after another movie I love, The Prestige--that means I'm serious, right? I'll jump back into the fray with a music review. Instead of harping on for eternity about individual songs, I'll quickly try to encapsulate the essence of an album, while highlighting songs I enjoyed or admire. Here we go...------------------The fusion of life experiences and the timing in which they take place is certainly one of the more peculiar phenomenons people encounter. Usually these events transpire under the weighty circumstances of love, something career-related, or even relocation. It is in the realm of music, however, where one's being and the written words of another sync harmoniously. So it is with my life and the little-Christian-rock-band-that could, Relient K. The boys from Dayton, Ohio are back and sounding better than ever with Forget and Not Slow Down. Given their past two efforts seamlessly fused with who I was or where I have been (college, in transition), I shouldn't be surprised lead singer/lyricist Matthew Thiessen seems to be in my head on this one, too.
The title track (and first single) is vintage Thiessen--just the right amount of catchy rock to get stuck in your head, while clever/poignant enough to make an impact. First-time listeners and die hard fans alike will discover a variety of sounds on Forget. As the band has aged, the more noticeable punk influences have faded, resulting in some occasional soft, charming songs like "Savannah." Thiessen has always been something of a romantic, but he also possesses a raw authenticity in his words. Between some of the hardest guitar play the band's ever featured and the laid-back acoustic nature, the album flows surprisingly well. This is definitely a Relient K-sounding CD, yet the group sounds so comfortable broadening that sound as they mature; a great thing for the fans.
My favorites:
-"Therapy"
-"Savannah"
-"Forget and Not Slow Down"
-"Candlelight"
The fact U2 played over two hours of great music--with a little Amazing Grace thrown in--was more than I was expecting. The best songs, in my mind: "Elevation," "Amazing Grace/Where the Streets Have No Name," "City of Blinding Lights," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "One." Hard to narrow it down from there! Getting to see Muse as the opener was awesome too, but there was no doubt U2 met and exceeded the lofty expectations of a raucous Houston crowd.
