Yesterday, Grantland.com published an article looking ahead to the San Francisco Giants 2016 season. You can read the article here: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-san-francisco-giants-even-year-2016-world-series/. In the article, the author Jonah Keri referred to the Giants infield of 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Joe Panik, SS Brandon Crawford, and 3B Matt Duffy, also including C Buster Posey, as the best infield in the game. Now I have felt that, since Joe Panik was promoted to the big club on 6/21/2014, and including Pablo Sandoval until this season, that the Giants have had a very good infield, but I don't know if I'd be so bold to call it the best in the league. But that got me to thinking, what other team has a better infield? My first reaction would be the Chicago Cubs. 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Starlin Castro (although Castro initially started at SS and of late has been coming off the bench), SS Addison Russell, and 3B Kris Bryant. Now that lineup certainly has more power potential than the Giants, especially from Rizzo and Bryant, but you know, I'd still take my chances with the Giants infield. So, just because I feel like it, here are the starting infields for every team in Major League Baseball. I've also included the primary 5th Infielder. Which do you think is the best?
Arizona Diamondbacks - 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 2B Chris Owings, SS Nick Ahmed, 3B Jake Lamb, IF Aaron Hill
Atlanta Braves - 1B Freddie Freeman, 2B Jace Peterson, SS Andrelton Simmons, 3B Adonis Garcia, IF Pedro Ciriaco
Baltimore Orioles - 1B Chris Davis, 2B Jonathan Schoop, SS J.J. Hardy, 3B Manny Machado, IF Ryan Flaherty
Boston Red Sox - 1B Travis Shaw, 2B Dustin Pedroia, SS Xander Bogaerts, 3B Pablo Sandoval, IF Brock Holt (note: Allen Craig was supposed to be Red Sox starting 1B, but has only played in 60 games with the club since being acquired from St. Louis in 2014)
Chicago Cubs - 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Tommy La Stella, SS Addison Russell, 3B Kris Bryant, IF Starlin Castro
Chicago White Sox - 1B Jose Abreu, 2B Carlos Sanchez, SS Alexei Ramirez (can also pitch in a blowout, see White Sox vs. A's from 9/15/2015), 3B Mike Ott, IF Gordon Beckham
Cincinnati Reds - 1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, SS Euenio Suarez, 3B Todd Frazier, IF Skip Schumaker (note: starting SS Zack Cozart was lost for season to a right knee injury on 6/10/2015)
Cleveland Indians - 1B Carlos Santana, 2B Jason Kipnis, SS Francisco Lindor, 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, IF Mike Aviles
Colorado Rockies - 1B Justin Morneau, 2B D.J. LeMahieu, SS Jose Reyes, 3B Nolan Arenado, IF Daniel Descalso
Detroit Tigers - 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Ian Kinsler, SS Jose Iglesias, 3B Nick Castellanos, IF Andrew Romine
Houston Astros - 1B Chris Carter, 2B Jose Altuve, SS Carlos Carrea, 3B Luis Valbuena, IF Jed Lowrie
Kansas City Royals - 1B Eric Hosmer, 2B Omar Infante, SS Alcides Escobar, 3B Mike Moustakas, IF Ben Zobrist
Los Angeles Angels - 1B C.J. Cron, 2B Taylor Featherston, SS Erick Aybar, 3B David Frese, IF Ryan Jackson
Los Angeles Dodgers - 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 2B Howie Kendrick, SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Justin Turner, IF Alex Guerrero
Miami Marlins - 1B Justin Bour, 2B Dee Gordon, SS Angel Hechavarria, 3B Martin Prado, IF Derek Dietrich
Milwaukee Brewers - 1B Adam Lind, 2B Scooter Gennett, SS Jose Segura, 3B Elian Herrera, IF Hernan Perez (note: starting 3B Aramis Ramirez was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates)
Minnesota Twins - 1B Joe Mauer, 2B Brian Dozier, SS Eduardo Escobar, 3B Trevor Plouffe, IF Eduardo Nunez
New York Mets - 1B Lucas Duda, 2B Daniel Murphy, SS Wilmer Flores, 3B David Wright, IF Ruben Tejada
New York Yankees - 1B Greg Bird, 2B Stephen Drew, SS Didi Gregorius, 3B Chase Headley, IF Brendan Ryan (note: starting 1B Mark Teixeira was lost for season to a leg injury)
Oakland Athletics - 1B Mark Canha, 2B Brett Lawrie, SS Marcus Semien, 3B Danny Valencia, IF Eric Sogard
Philadelphia Phillies - 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Darnell Sweeney, SS Freddy Galvis, 3B Cody Asche, IF Andres Blanco (note: starting 2B Chase Utley was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers)
Pittsburgh Pirates - 1B Pedro Alvarez, 2B Neil Walker, SS Jordy Mercer, 3B Josh Harrison, IF Jung Ho Kang
San Diego Padres - 1B Will Myers, 2B Jedd Gyorko, SS Clint Barmes, 3B Yangervis Solarte, IF Cory Spangenberg (note: starting 1B Yonder Alonso out for season with lower back injury)
San Francisco Giants - 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Joe Panik, SS Brandon Crawford, 3B Matt Duffy, IF Ehire Adrianza
Seattle Mariners - 1B Logan Morrison, 2B Robinson Cano, SS Ketel Marte, 3B Kyle Seager, IF Brad Miller
St. Louis Cardinals - 1B Matt Adams, 2B Kolten Wong, SS Jhonny Peralta, 3B Matt Carpenter, IF Pete Kozma
Tampa Bay Rays - 1B James Loney, 2B Logan Forsythe, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 3B Evan Longoria, IF Tim Beckham
Texas Rangers - 1B Mitch Moreland, 2B Rougned Odor, SS Elvis Andrus, 3B Adrian Beltre, IF Hanser Alberto
Toronto Blue Jays - 1B Justin Smoak, 2B Ryan Goins, SS Troy Tulowitzki, 3B Josh Donaldson, IF Cliff Pennington
Washington Nationals - 1B Ryan Zimmerman, 2B Anthony Rendon, SS Ian Desmond, 3B Yunel Escobar, IF Danny Espinosa
Some of these lineups have been altered due to trades, injuries, etc. Some of them were hard to fill out because some teams have a utility player currently listed at the top of their position depth chart. But there you go. So who do you think has the best infield?
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
I HATE radio
I realize the subject of this post is a little strongly worded. But if it got your attention, then it is worded exactly right!!!!
I do not listen to the radio in my car. I mostly listen to CD's. I realize even that is old school, but I do not have an auxiliary jack or USB port in my car to hook up my iPod so I work with what I have. Those occasions that I do listen to the radio, I mostly listen to the stand up comedy station. There are 2 main "rock" stations in Denver, 93.3 and 106.7, both owned by Clear Channel. I rarely listen to either of them because in my opinion, their playlists are (expletive) awful.
I'll first explain my distaste for Clear Channel as a company. In 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Clear Channel distributed a memo to its 1,200+ stations. The memo contained 165 songs containing "questionable lyrics" and a "suggestion" that these songs might not want to be played. As a society, we have argued and fought to protect our freedom of speech and our right to artistic expression. This memo should be looked at as a slap in the face of that freedom. Clear Channel used a tragic event to "suggest" increased censorship on its stations. I won't post the entire list of songs here, but among the highlights are ALL songs by Rage Against the Machine, Imagine by John Lennon (really?????), and Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm (but not the original recording by Michael Jackson oddly enough).
Now for the local issue, 106.7 has a love affair with the band Five Finger Death Punch. You literally cannot listen to this station for an hour without hearing this band at least once. The reason for this is the singer of the band is from Denver, CO. Keep in mind, Five Finger Death Punch IS NOT from Denver, they did not get famous in Denver, but for some reason 106.7 and their DJ's seem to have a need to claim some sort of responsibility for their success. Personally I dislike the band. Nothing personal, I just am not a fan. So this morning I'm driving to work and I decide to skim through the channels to see what they're playing. Who do you think is playing on 106.7 the first time I've turned on that station in months? Five Finger Death Punch OF COURSE. I listened for all of about 2 seconds before I just turned the radio off.
So there you go folks. I hope this entertained you a bit. See you next time.
I do not listen to the radio in my car. I mostly listen to CD's. I realize even that is old school, but I do not have an auxiliary jack or USB port in my car to hook up my iPod so I work with what I have. Those occasions that I do listen to the radio, I mostly listen to the stand up comedy station. There are 2 main "rock" stations in Denver, 93.3 and 106.7, both owned by Clear Channel. I rarely listen to either of them because in my opinion, their playlists are (expletive) awful.
I'll first explain my distaste for Clear Channel as a company. In 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Clear Channel distributed a memo to its 1,200+ stations. The memo contained 165 songs containing "questionable lyrics" and a "suggestion" that these songs might not want to be played. As a society, we have argued and fought to protect our freedom of speech and our right to artistic expression. This memo should be looked at as a slap in the face of that freedom. Clear Channel used a tragic event to "suggest" increased censorship on its stations. I won't post the entire list of songs here, but among the highlights are ALL songs by Rage Against the Machine, Imagine by John Lennon (really?????), and Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm (but not the original recording by Michael Jackson oddly enough).
Now for the local issue, 106.7 has a love affair with the band Five Finger Death Punch. You literally cannot listen to this station for an hour without hearing this band at least once. The reason for this is the singer of the band is from Denver, CO. Keep in mind, Five Finger Death Punch IS NOT from Denver, they did not get famous in Denver, but for some reason 106.7 and their DJ's seem to have a need to claim some sort of responsibility for their success. Personally I dislike the band. Nothing personal, I just am not a fan. So this morning I'm driving to work and I decide to skim through the channels to see what they're playing. Who do you think is playing on 106.7 the first time I've turned on that station in months? Five Finger Death Punch OF COURSE. I listened for all of about 2 seconds before I just turned the radio off.
So there you go folks. I hope this entertained you a bit. See you next time.
ESPN East Coast Bias
Alright everyone. Now, for years people have accused ESPN of having an East Coast bias when televising sporting events, in particular baseball games. I will first present an argument why this makes sense. For the East Coast baseball fan, a game will start at, say, 6:40 PM. Now assuming this game doesn't get crazy out of hand, like the score is 15-14 or something, it will complete in about 3 hours. So all those East Coast fans can get to bed at a reasonable hour, between 10 and 11 PM. That same game begins at 6:40 on the West Coast, well that's 9:40 for the East Coast fan. Now despite this argument, let me be clear that I am not defending the decision, in fact I am 100% against it and tonight is a prime example of that.
As a San Francisco Giants fan I will admit that I am biased in this matter. But here are the facts. Tonight the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. First, let's state the obvious. The Giants and Dodgers have a fierce and historical rivalry. This is right up there with Yankees-Red Sox, if not even more heated. I can't recall a game where a Yankees or Red Sox player went after an opposing player with a bat. Guess what? It HAS happened in the Giants-Dodgers rivalry (see Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro, August 22, 1965). Even if you still think Yankees-Red Sox is the #1 rivalry in baseball, Giants-Dodgers has to at the very least rate a close 2nd. So that's the obvious.
Now for the not so obvious, the pitching matchup this evening. Pitching for the Dodgers is Clayton Kershaw who, despite being off to a slow start in his first 3 starts, was the National League Cy Young Award winner as well as the NL MVP (which has only happened 10 times in HISTORY). Pitching for the Giants is Madison Bumgarner who was the National League Championship Series MVP AND the World Series MVP. So you have arguably the 2 best pitchers in the National League facing each other tonight. And where is ESPN? Why, they're in Washington, DC televising the Cardinals at the the Nationals of course. East Coast bias is in tact.
Let me also go one step further to defend the National League game. In football they constantly talk about Quarterbacks head to head. Take Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. But the reality is the Quarterbacks aren't really facing each other. They're never on the field at the same time, so a head to head record is really meaningless. In the American League pitchers never have to face each other due to the Designated Hitter. But in the National League the pitchers do hit. So yes we would actually get to see Madison Bumgarner face Clayton Kershaw, both as a pitcher and as a hitter. All the more intrigue to this game, and all the more reason that this game should be televised, but the heads at ESPN apparently feel the bedtimes of people on the East Coast are more important.
As a San Francisco Giants fan I will admit that I am biased in this matter. But here are the facts. Tonight the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. First, let's state the obvious. The Giants and Dodgers have a fierce and historical rivalry. This is right up there with Yankees-Red Sox, if not even more heated. I can't recall a game where a Yankees or Red Sox player went after an opposing player with a bat. Guess what? It HAS happened in the Giants-Dodgers rivalry (see Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro, August 22, 1965). Even if you still think Yankees-Red Sox is the #1 rivalry in baseball, Giants-Dodgers has to at the very least rate a close 2nd. So that's the obvious.
Now for the not so obvious, the pitching matchup this evening. Pitching for the Dodgers is Clayton Kershaw who, despite being off to a slow start in his first 3 starts, was the National League Cy Young Award winner as well as the NL MVP (which has only happened 10 times in HISTORY). Pitching for the Giants is Madison Bumgarner who was the National League Championship Series MVP AND the World Series MVP. So you have arguably the 2 best pitchers in the National League facing each other tonight. And where is ESPN? Why, they're in Washington, DC televising the Cardinals at the the Nationals of course. East Coast bias is in tact.
Let me also go one step further to defend the National League game. In football they constantly talk about Quarterbacks head to head. Take Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. But the reality is the Quarterbacks aren't really facing each other. They're never on the field at the same time, so a head to head record is really meaningless. In the American League pitchers never have to face each other due to the Designated Hitter. But in the National League the pitchers do hit. So yes we would actually get to see Madison Bumgarner face Clayton Kershaw, both as a pitcher and as a hitter. All the more intrigue to this game, and all the more reason that this game should be televised, but the heads at ESPN apparently feel the bedtimes of people on the East Coast are more important.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
People need to read a dictionary
Hey everyone. So it's been a bit since my last blog, but I saw something today that kind of made me shake my head. At first I wasn't going to comment on it, but then I read some other people's comments and It's a little comical the level of ignorance of some people. So let me tell you what I'm talking about.
This week, a pizzeria in Walkerton, Indiana closed it's doors due to backlash over comments the owner made regarding same-sex marriage. Basically, the owner said they would not cater a same-sex marriage because they are a Christian establishment. Phone calls and backlash over social media have caused the pizzeria to close until the backlash cools down. Now, before we get into some of the things that have been said, let me first say that I am not defending nor condemning the actions of the shop in any way. I am a heterosexual male and I am for same-sex relationships and marriages. While there are some of you who may disagree with my opinion, remember it is MY OPINION. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong. You have the right to feel and believe whatever you wish. I'm not going to try and sway you one way or another. But as far as myself, I see nothing wrong with it. Who am I to deny you what makes you happy, or WHO makes you happy?
The owner's father spoke to ABC and said, "That's a lifestyle that you choose. I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?" Now, there is something wrong with this statement. Science tells us that genetics and the structure of the brain have something to do with determining whether a person is gay or straight. So in that sense, no it is not a lifestyle choice. A person can choose not to act upon their urges, but this is the same as an alcoholic choosing not to drink. It doesn't mean they're not an alcoholic. But they are making a choice. The part I do agree with in the statement is, why should anyone be beat over the head because our choices are different than another's? We see this type of uproar more often where some establishment refuses to serve gay customers and the public reacts this way. Remember Chick-fil-A? But flip the roles, what if an establishment owned by a gay individual or a gay couple refused to serve heterosexual customers. Would the public outcry be the same?
Now, here's where we're going to get into some of the comments made. The owner has said the business is not discriminating against anybody, but she and her family have their beliefs and other people are entitled to their own. Some people who have to come to their defense say it is not discrimination because homosexuality is not a race. I'll give you a minute to contemplate that last one there and hopefully your head didn't explode. At what point did discrimination become solely a race issue? Did I miss that memo? Now, this particular individual goes on to say that homosexuality is immoral and against the word of God. I have no hatred towards Christians for the most part, but statements like this really suggest these people are intellectually at the bottom of the curve. As a business owner you do have the right to refuse service, but don't try to say this isn't discrimination. The definition of discrimination is "treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit". So to refuse to serve someone because they are gay is textbook discrimination. Your religious belief does not justify that. So please, stop trying to use Christianity like it's some sort of fiery shield to hide behind while also rationalizing your personal bigotry.
So, there you go folks. Let me clarify for any of you who may think this is some veiled manifesto, this is not a pro-gay/anti-gay message. This is not a way for me to bash on Christianity. This is merely a report of something that happened this week and my own commentary, MY OPINION, on these facts. If you agree with me or disagree with me, great. Leave a comment telling me why. Dialogue is a great thing. If what I've said pissed you off, maybe you shouldn't take yourself so seriously. But if it made you think, if some of my commentary made you laugh a little bit, whether inside or out loud, then really that was the whole point. Yes I'm going to have my own opinions, and yes I hope I do get to comment on more serious or controversial topics, but my goal is to entertain you. So I hope you enjoyed the read. Until next time.
This week, a pizzeria in Walkerton, Indiana closed it's doors due to backlash over comments the owner made regarding same-sex marriage. Basically, the owner said they would not cater a same-sex marriage because they are a Christian establishment. Phone calls and backlash over social media have caused the pizzeria to close until the backlash cools down. Now, before we get into some of the things that have been said, let me first say that I am not defending nor condemning the actions of the shop in any way. I am a heterosexual male and I am for same-sex relationships and marriages. While there are some of you who may disagree with my opinion, remember it is MY OPINION. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong. You have the right to feel and believe whatever you wish. I'm not going to try and sway you one way or another. But as far as myself, I see nothing wrong with it. Who am I to deny you what makes you happy, or WHO makes you happy?
The owner's father spoke to ABC and said, "That's a lifestyle that you choose. I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?" Now, there is something wrong with this statement. Science tells us that genetics and the structure of the brain have something to do with determining whether a person is gay or straight. So in that sense, no it is not a lifestyle choice. A person can choose not to act upon their urges, but this is the same as an alcoholic choosing not to drink. It doesn't mean they're not an alcoholic. But they are making a choice. The part I do agree with in the statement is, why should anyone be beat over the head because our choices are different than another's? We see this type of uproar more often where some establishment refuses to serve gay customers and the public reacts this way. Remember Chick-fil-A? But flip the roles, what if an establishment owned by a gay individual or a gay couple refused to serve heterosexual customers. Would the public outcry be the same?
Now, here's where we're going to get into some of the comments made. The owner has said the business is not discriminating against anybody, but she and her family have their beliefs and other people are entitled to their own. Some people who have to come to their defense say it is not discrimination because homosexuality is not a race. I'll give you a minute to contemplate that last one there and hopefully your head didn't explode. At what point did discrimination become solely a race issue? Did I miss that memo? Now, this particular individual goes on to say that homosexuality is immoral and against the word of God. I have no hatred towards Christians for the most part, but statements like this really suggest these people are intellectually at the bottom of the curve. As a business owner you do have the right to refuse service, but don't try to say this isn't discrimination. The definition of discrimination is "treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit". So to refuse to serve someone because they are gay is textbook discrimination. Your religious belief does not justify that. So please, stop trying to use Christianity like it's some sort of fiery shield to hide behind while also rationalizing your personal bigotry.
So, there you go folks. Let me clarify for any of you who may think this is some veiled manifesto, this is not a pro-gay/anti-gay message. This is not a way for me to bash on Christianity. This is merely a report of something that happened this week and my own commentary, MY OPINION, on these facts. If you agree with me or disagree with me, great. Leave a comment telling me why. Dialogue is a great thing. If what I've said pissed you off, maybe you shouldn't take yourself so seriously. But if it made you think, if some of my commentary made you laugh a little bit, whether inside or out loud, then really that was the whole point. Yes I'm going to have my own opinions, and yes I hope I do get to comment on more serious or controversial topics, but my goal is to entertain you. So I hope you enjoyed the read. Until next time.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
How I Became a Musician
So last night I was sitting up and couldn't fall asleep. I was thinking about a lot of things, but one of them was how I became a musician. What were my influences? Who did I look up to and try to emulate when I was first starting out? So we're going to take a little journey here. Strap in, enjoy the ride.
I think all kids get their first taste of music from their parents. Both of my parents being children of the 60's, albeit from different parts of the country, I was exposed to a lot of music from their generation. My mother, being from San Francisco, seemed partial to more psychedelic rock, bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, etc. My father, being from the Midwest was more into folk rock, bands like Bob Dylan and Joe Cocker. So my early musical education was filled with classic rock. Also, my mother played the piano so there was also some Classical element. When I started playing the piano at 7, I became more exposed to an even greater library of Classical music, and was able to explore the diversity of different musical eras throughout history, from Romantic to Baroque and more.
When I was in 5th grade I took up the drums. During this time I started getting into hip-hop. In the late 80's and early 90's, artists like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice began to take hip-hop music out of the street and make it more accessible to a more diverse audience. This was the gateway and it wasn't long before I started getting into artists such as N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and more. I was very much into the West Coast hip-hop sound. It felt like a more laid back groove and the bass was deeper and looser than a lot of East Coast artists, which I dug. This may come as a surprise to many of you, but I was not into rock music at all at that time. Think about the time period. Rock music was very much glam the latter part of the 80's and I was not into it AT ALL. No matter how many videos I watch on Youtube from now until the day I die, I will still have seen the video for Unskinny Bop by Poison more than any other video in my lifetime. They played it on MTV that much.
So first and foremost, I am a hip-hop inspired drummer. Then when I was about 12, I began a 2 year stint as the drummer for my school's jazz ensemble. Through this I was introduced to swing and big band music. We also played some Latin, surf rock, and rockabilly as well. I also started focusing more on jazz and Broadway in my piano playing. It was also during this time that rock music and my direction as a drummer shifted dramatically. I saw the video for Wherever I May Roam by Metallica. The video is more or less just live footage, mixed with footage of Metallica on tour, in the van, backstage, etc. The crowd, the energy they have on stage, everything, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be on stage, to perform. Also, the early 90's saw the rise of a new musical movement out of Seattle, Grunge. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam gave a voice to the voiceless, a presence to a generation that felt ignored. Then tragedy struck Generation X.
On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain died. The circumstances of his death remain a topic of debate to this day, but that's not why I'm writing about it. When Kurt Cobain died, the "spokesman" of our generation was gone. I would not presume to compare Kurt Cobain to John Lennon, but in my estimation, when Kurt Cobain died, the impact that it had on millions of people who had never met the man could be compared to the impact felt when John Lennon was murdered. I think there was a sense of anger and confusion amongst the Gen X'ers following the death of Kurt Cobain. I truly believe that we became a generation of lost souls. We weren't old enough to vote so we weren't old enough to truly affect change in our world, and our voice had been lost. And in the confusion I embraced punk rock.
In 1994, 2 monumental punk records were released, Dookie by Green Day and Smash by The Offspring. These 2 records, along with Bad Religion's Stranger Than Fiction and Rancid's ...And Out Come the Wolves, punk was thrust into the mainstream and gave a generation which at its roots was the definition of counter-culture a home and a tattooed and pierced family. For me, these records were a jumping off point into a diverse punk scene. Bands like Green Day and Rancid introduced me into the East Bay punk scene, along with bands like Operation Ivy, NOFX and AFI (from Ukiah, CA). The Offspring and Bad Religion introduced me into the Southern California punk scene and bands like Pennywise, Strung Out, Agent Orange, and Face to Face.
In 1995, I joined my first band. We were primarily influenced by grunge acts such as Pearl Jam, Bush, and Stone Temple Pilots. By 1996 I had left that band and started a new one that was more heavily influenced by bands like Nirvana and The Pixies. Also, in 1997, the Third Wave of Ska really began. Bands like Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, Sublime, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones discovered mainstream success. I don't know if it was the horns and my time spent in concert band, or just the energy and vibe of the bands, but I developed a deep love for ska music which continues today. In fact, only 2 weeks ago I went to see Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake live. Also in the late 90's, the Swing Revival began. Bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra were bringing swing and jump blues of the 1930's and 40's to a whole new audience and I loved it.
Through all of this, I also grew into the nu-metal scene. Bands like Slipknot, System of a Down, Mudvayne, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine. I would also jam and cover songs by Soundgarden, 311, MxPx, the Deftones, etc. Then in 2003, I moved to Denver.
Honestly, I think there comes a certain point in life where you no longer have room for influences. For the first 24 years of my life, I was exposed to so much music, so many different styles, so many influences. That's not to say that in the 11+ years I've been in Denver, I stopped listening to new music altogether. If you were to go through my iTunes library, which currently lists 10,381 songs, you would find a huge mix of old and new, rock, hip-hop, electronic, metal, punk, swing, classical. But I feel like I had already realized my own personal style and everything I do now is improving, honing those skills, and getting better. I can still pick up things like fills or the way a certain drummer plays his kick drum. If I were to list all the bands and drummers that I have "borrowed" from or that I listen to or take notes from, the list would be longer than this blog. I have always considered myself a student of drummers and their performance. Any time I listen to a CD or see a band in concert, I take it as an opportunity to watch and listen and learn. That is certainly not to say that I don't enjoy music and concerts, but I always feel like every song and every concert is an opportunity to learn from someone who's doing what you want to do.
So that's my story. Again, I could go on to list every drummer and every band that has influenced me over the years, and that list would be massive. But they have all been a part of my life, big or small, and have all contributed to my musical makeup.
I think all kids get their first taste of music from their parents. Both of my parents being children of the 60's, albeit from different parts of the country, I was exposed to a lot of music from their generation. My mother, being from San Francisco, seemed partial to more psychedelic rock, bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, etc. My father, being from the Midwest was more into folk rock, bands like Bob Dylan and Joe Cocker. So my early musical education was filled with classic rock. Also, my mother played the piano so there was also some Classical element. When I started playing the piano at 7, I became more exposed to an even greater library of Classical music, and was able to explore the diversity of different musical eras throughout history, from Romantic to Baroque and more.
When I was in 5th grade I took up the drums. During this time I started getting into hip-hop. In the late 80's and early 90's, artists like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice began to take hip-hop music out of the street and make it more accessible to a more diverse audience. This was the gateway and it wasn't long before I started getting into artists such as N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and more. I was very much into the West Coast hip-hop sound. It felt like a more laid back groove and the bass was deeper and looser than a lot of East Coast artists, which I dug. This may come as a surprise to many of you, but I was not into rock music at all at that time. Think about the time period. Rock music was very much glam the latter part of the 80's and I was not into it AT ALL. No matter how many videos I watch on Youtube from now until the day I die, I will still have seen the video for Unskinny Bop by Poison more than any other video in my lifetime. They played it on MTV that much.
So first and foremost, I am a hip-hop inspired drummer. Then when I was about 12, I began a 2 year stint as the drummer for my school's jazz ensemble. Through this I was introduced to swing and big band music. We also played some Latin, surf rock, and rockabilly as well. I also started focusing more on jazz and Broadway in my piano playing. It was also during this time that rock music and my direction as a drummer shifted dramatically. I saw the video for Wherever I May Roam by Metallica. The video is more or less just live footage, mixed with footage of Metallica on tour, in the van, backstage, etc. The crowd, the energy they have on stage, everything, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be on stage, to perform. Also, the early 90's saw the rise of a new musical movement out of Seattle, Grunge. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam gave a voice to the voiceless, a presence to a generation that felt ignored. Then tragedy struck Generation X.
On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain died. The circumstances of his death remain a topic of debate to this day, but that's not why I'm writing about it. When Kurt Cobain died, the "spokesman" of our generation was gone. I would not presume to compare Kurt Cobain to John Lennon, but in my estimation, when Kurt Cobain died, the impact that it had on millions of people who had never met the man could be compared to the impact felt when John Lennon was murdered. I think there was a sense of anger and confusion amongst the Gen X'ers following the death of Kurt Cobain. I truly believe that we became a generation of lost souls. We weren't old enough to vote so we weren't old enough to truly affect change in our world, and our voice had been lost. And in the confusion I embraced punk rock.
In 1994, 2 monumental punk records were released, Dookie by Green Day and Smash by The Offspring. These 2 records, along with Bad Religion's Stranger Than Fiction and Rancid's ...And Out Come the Wolves, punk was thrust into the mainstream and gave a generation which at its roots was the definition of counter-culture a home and a tattooed and pierced family. For me, these records were a jumping off point into a diverse punk scene. Bands like Green Day and Rancid introduced me into the East Bay punk scene, along with bands like Operation Ivy, NOFX and AFI (from Ukiah, CA). The Offspring and Bad Religion introduced me into the Southern California punk scene and bands like Pennywise, Strung Out, Agent Orange, and Face to Face.
In 1995, I joined my first band. We were primarily influenced by grunge acts such as Pearl Jam, Bush, and Stone Temple Pilots. By 1996 I had left that band and started a new one that was more heavily influenced by bands like Nirvana and The Pixies. Also, in 1997, the Third Wave of Ska really began. Bands like Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, Sublime, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones discovered mainstream success. I don't know if it was the horns and my time spent in concert band, or just the energy and vibe of the bands, but I developed a deep love for ska music which continues today. In fact, only 2 weeks ago I went to see Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake live. Also in the late 90's, the Swing Revival began. Bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra were bringing swing and jump blues of the 1930's and 40's to a whole new audience and I loved it.
Through all of this, I also grew into the nu-metal scene. Bands like Slipknot, System of a Down, Mudvayne, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine. I would also jam and cover songs by Soundgarden, 311, MxPx, the Deftones, etc. Then in 2003, I moved to Denver.
Honestly, I think there comes a certain point in life where you no longer have room for influences. For the first 24 years of my life, I was exposed to so much music, so many different styles, so many influences. That's not to say that in the 11+ years I've been in Denver, I stopped listening to new music altogether. If you were to go through my iTunes library, which currently lists 10,381 songs, you would find a huge mix of old and new, rock, hip-hop, electronic, metal, punk, swing, classical. But I feel like I had already realized my own personal style and everything I do now is improving, honing those skills, and getting better. I can still pick up things like fills or the way a certain drummer plays his kick drum. If I were to list all the bands and drummers that I have "borrowed" from or that I listen to or take notes from, the list would be longer than this blog. I have always considered myself a student of drummers and their performance. Any time I listen to a CD or see a band in concert, I take it as an opportunity to watch and listen and learn. That is certainly not to say that I don't enjoy music and concerts, but I always feel like every song and every concert is an opportunity to learn from someone who's doing what you want to do.
So that's my story. Again, I could go on to list every drummer and every band that has influenced me over the years, and that list would be massive. But they have all been a part of my life, big or small, and have all contributed to my musical makeup.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Snowing in Denver
Good morning folks. I know I started this blog as something of an outlet for myself, but to be honest I really haven't had a lot to say since my last post. So this is serving as kind of an update just to say I haven't forgotten about you, and I certainly hope you haven't forgotten about me.
I have always been pretty confident in myself as a chef, and this weekend I decided to try making fried rice for the first time. And I must say, the first time was a success. I know many of you may think fried rice is not a complicated dish to make, and you're probably right. But I submit that trying anything for the first time, whether extremely simple or maddeningly complicated, is a daunting task. I am happy to say that I did not give myself food poisoning so that's a plus. I have long felt that cooking is akin to chemistry. A recipe is a formula and if you get the ingredients or the measurements wrong, the results can be catastrophic. If I have one complaint about the fried rice, it is that I probably could have used a little more salt and soy sauce, maybe some sesame seeds. Other than that though, delicious.
It snowed here in Denver all weekend. It is still dusting a little bit this morning. I don't know how much snow was reported here, but there is over 6" accumulated on my balcony. I titled this blog Find Your Beach, which ultimately is supposed to be a state of mind, but it is difficult to find any sort of beach when it's all of 7 degrees where you live.
So that's it for today. Just a brief smattering of random thoughts and observations. Have a great day wherever you are today.
-Corey-
I have always been pretty confident in myself as a chef, and this weekend I decided to try making fried rice for the first time. And I must say, the first time was a success. I know many of you may think fried rice is not a complicated dish to make, and you're probably right. But I submit that trying anything for the first time, whether extremely simple or maddeningly complicated, is a daunting task. I am happy to say that I did not give myself food poisoning so that's a plus. I have long felt that cooking is akin to chemistry. A recipe is a formula and if you get the ingredients or the measurements wrong, the results can be catastrophic. If I have one complaint about the fried rice, it is that I probably could have used a little more salt and soy sauce, maybe some sesame seeds. Other than that though, delicious.
It snowed here in Denver all weekend. It is still dusting a little bit this morning. I don't know how much snow was reported here, but there is over 6" accumulated on my balcony. I titled this blog Find Your Beach, which ultimately is supposed to be a state of mind, but it is difficult to find any sort of beach when it's all of 7 degrees where you live.
So that's it for today. Just a brief smattering of random thoughts and observations. Have a great day wherever you are today.
-Corey-
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Welcome to Find Your Beach
Hello everyone. My name is Corey Wheeler and I'd like to welcome you and thank you for checking out my blog, Find Your Beach. This is the first blog I've written and am new to the medium so I'd like to introduce you to what I'm hoping to do here. Last year I was exploring starting a podcast. While I still have the equipment and the desire to do so, I wasn't sure what my topic of choice should be. I have a lot of interests and ideas of what I'd like to talk about. Sports, music, life, love, etc. Lately I have felt increasingly jaded about the world that we live in and I guess that's where the idea of starting a blog came from. Just a way to write down these thoughts when I have no one to talk to. That is not to say that I don't appreciate you taking a moment to read my ramblings and take a trip with me on my mental roller coaster. I do appreciate the time.
As far as the reason I'm calling this blog Find Your Beach, I am originally from California now living in Colorado. Yes this does mirror those Corona commercials somewhat, but sitting on a beach, listening to the water, feeling the sunshine, such a relaxing and peaceful feeling. I think it is a state of being that I wish I could find more often. So hopefully writing down some of my turmoil will help me find a more "sunny" disposition? Hence, I'm trying to find my beach. Anyway, thank you for reading my introduction and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Corey
As far as the reason I'm calling this blog Find Your Beach, I am originally from California now living in Colorado. Yes this does mirror those Corona commercials somewhat, but sitting on a beach, listening to the water, feeling the sunshine, such a relaxing and peaceful feeling. I think it is a state of being that I wish I could find more often. So hopefully writing down some of my turmoil will help me find a more "sunny" disposition? Hence, I'm trying to find my beach. Anyway, thank you for reading my introduction and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Corey
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