What's Sweeter Than HoneyHoney?

Not much!

Stuart and I had the opportunity to go to another Rocco Deluca concert tonight. (THANK YOU, San and Tim for watching our three kids!!!!) We were especially excited because this one was the closest yet -- a mere 45 minutes or thereabouts away -- in West Chester. And we were even more excited because we hadn't seen Rocco live in concert since September 2007 when we took the kiddos to his free end-of-tour outdoor concert in Baltimore.


Of course being in West Chester meant no Hard Rock Cafes and no new Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts (a RDB concert tradition from the beginning). *wink-grin* But The Note was one of our favorite venues to date. From the outside it looked like a small storefront for a deli or take-out restaurant. But it was quite roomy inside and seemed to have lots of history (though I overheard one lady in the audience say otherwise when that was stated from the stage).

Anyways....back to the concert.

Another reason we were eager to go -- besides the obvious wanting to see Rocco live again -- was that we wanted to hear one of Ironworks' newest band, honeyhoney, perform since they were listed to open for Rocco. We didn't know much about them but thought it might be fun nonetheless.

FANTASTIC! That's the word I kept using while listening to them. They have a real eclectic sound to them: a little folksy, sometimes a bit rocky, maybe some blues in there, and even a bit of country. Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe are the leads and give a memorable "down-home" fun performance. We bought the CD and I even got to meet them to get their autographs and a photo. They're very humble and genuinely excited to meet fans. They knew that most people had come to see/hear Rocco, but they were happy to be "tagging" along. I told them how much we enjoyed them and would spread the word.


After a few minutes of set-up, the lights dimmed and Rocco came out with his drummer, Ryan.

AWESOME! is the word I used for them! The amount of playing time versus stopping to change instruments made my fingers hurt for them. They never seemed to stop. They played new songs and old songs and even came out for a 2-song encore, including one of our favorites, "How Many Times." For over an hour! It was such a treat to hear Rocco and his guitars sing again.


We managed to get home a bit earlier this time -- though we had to take a quick detour to Dunkin' Donuts. You would have thought the adrenaline of the music would have kept us going...but I guess we're getting older. *grin*

(I'll put together a slideshow of photos from the concert and post it another day.)

Musings and Mussiness on Monday

Ethan doing his best Jack Bauer impression with Build-a-Bear sunglasses
I know. I know. I'm a "slave" to this silly Monday alliteration stuff. Still. It fits.

Happy Monday to you! The very first one in April!

Only a few people were fooled by my April Fool's joke. Shucks. I was hoping for a slew of you. I thought I'd totally "get" you with that great ultrasound photo from Google images.

Sigh.

Life should be slower this week.

I'll pause to stop laughing and catch my breath.......................

Well, in theory, it should be quieter and slower. We're on our Easter break. But, sadly, dance class and our homeschool learning group don't take breaks for school holidays. So we're still committed to those this week. And we have 4-H tomorrow night. (We're heading to a rabbitry about an hour away. It should be interesting.) But not having to do official schoolwork will be nice. I still have all the household chores, laundry, and meals to do... so no break for me. Waaa-waaa! Poor Mommy... *wink-grin* I'm also hoping to start (I use this word tentatively here) Spring cleaning...by pillaging the house of the mountains heaps piles of junk that have taken over.

24 is getting more and more exciting...though my nerves are having a hard time keeping up with the week-to-week viewing. I'm really not sure how we did it years ago when that was the only option for watching our favorite shows. And if you missed a show? Well, that was it until you might catch that episode by accident in the reruns. Now we have all sorts of online viewing options in addition to catching reruns... and/or buying the whole season on DVD later on. Ain't technology amazing?

Speaking of technology, we got to chat "live" with Stuart's parents in England yesterday. How cool is that?? We were so excited! We even chatted some more this morning. And all for FREE! Thank you, Skype! It was so much fun to see them in person! I think the kids would have kissed the computer screen if I'd let them. *grin*

And back to 24, we started seasoning and cooking our own pretzels for the occasion. (It's a bit cheaper than chicken wings.) So far, Stuart has enjoyed his immensely. I burnt mine last week. But it's still in the experimental stage. Once I figure out how to do mine, I think they'll taste phenomenal.

Edward's Spring soccer season should be starting up soon. He's really excited. Hopefully we started his allergy medicines soon enough to keep him from having any asthma attacks this year. Ugh. Stinking pollen.

Stuart and I head to...West Chester to see a Rocco concert this Thursday evening. My dear, sweet, loving, wonderful oldest sister and her hubby have offered to watch the three munchkins to allow us this treat. I'm a bit surprised by the venue, being that West Chester isn't any kind of metropolis, but it is a college town so maybe they have a method in their madness? Think there's a Hard Rock cafe there?

Well, the little "man" is awake and singing to me, hoping I'll come and get him for his next installment of formula.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Friday Funnies

A funny clip from the I Trust You to Kill Me rockumentary. Isn't it amazing that someone so famous could go "incognito" when handing out free concert tickets?

Still More Muggy Monday Musings

Recycling a favorite photo of my hubby and the kids.
Another happy, but muggy, Monday to you! A new week -- and a birthday week in our house! My hubby celebrates his birthday tomorrow.

And the world remembers...

New video on the player. And don't forget to sign my guestbook or leave a "shout" in my sidebar shoutbox.

We finished our first week of school and survived the busyness of all the new after-school activities. I'll say it again, how do parents with more than two kids in more than one activity each do it?? We were hopping all week. This week doesn't look any better.

We enjoyed our Friday night surprise trip to see Rocco Deluca and the Burden in concert down in Baltimore. The kids loved it so much and keep talking about it! Being able to share in something that Daddy and Mommy have talked about and loving it alongside of us...priceless. We've been to six of the band's concerts -- mostly "local" (within a two-hour drive) -- and have to say we've enjoyed every one of them. If we ever make it out to L.A. before 24 is finished its run, we hope to catch a RDB concert in Long Beach, Ca.: Rocco's home turf.

Anyways...

Apparently, 24, our favorite-most show in the world, is beginning production today. We can only hope. Only 4 months to go until the premier!!! We have watched all but the last two episodes of the second season of Prison Break. It's such an excellent show! And Season 3 starts next Monday night. We also watched a few more episodes of The Closer last night. We're almost finished the first season. It's such an enjoyable show! I just love Kyra Sedgwick!!

Edward, our once-shy-6-year-old-guy, is infatuated with soccer now. He tells us everyday how many days it is until his next practice. He has his first-ever game on Sunday. Should be really fun to watch! Emily told him that maybe he'll play in the World Cup one day. He said he wasn't sure he wants to do that just yet...and asked if he had to. He has a long way to go before the World Cup is even a possibility...

He had us laughing last night when he asked, "Is miniature golf more dangerous than real golf?" Both Stuart and I hadn't really contemplated this before. We said we weren't sure and then asked why. He said he thought miniature golf might be more dangerous because if you hit the ball and the castle door closed, the ball might come back and hit you on the head, knocking you unconscious. Hmmm... Hadn't thought of it like that before. *grin*

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• the first move in chess

• a blue whale whistling

• artwork on the fridge

• shiny red cars

• parachuting

* * *

Isn't the first move in any game a bit tense at times? I think so anyway. And chess is probably the worst for me. There are so many possibilities, and I feel like I have to choose just right.

Edward began playing chess with Stuart last year while we waited for Emily during her dance class. He has no problem beginning that game....but that's because he's only just starting to strategize.

He knows how to play and what he has to do to win. But he likes to play by one rule: Don't let Daddy take his Knights. Not because they're powerful and can protect his King. Nope...just because they're his favorite piece.

Not really the aim of the game....but he has fun...and he does win sometimes. *wink*

Making Musical Memories

Have you ever decided on the spur-of-the-moment to do something that mentally seemed incredibly wild and bold? But somehow you have to do it -- to seize the moment?

There have been a few times in our marriage and parenting years that we've done things that we (and others) would deem as absolutely crazy. But we've been all the better for it....and we've made memories.

Driving all the way from Pennsylvania to Ohio (about 350 miles each way) to get our dog, Buster, ranks high among them.

Hmmm...I guess last night could join that list.

Being a regular peruser of several websites, I like to keep track of where Rocco Deluca is playing, just in case he's close enough to go to see.

So when a Rocco Deluca and the Burden end-of-tour concert suddenly came up in Baltimore....and it was FREE...and outside...we got to thinking. We could look for babysitters...or we could take the kids along.

Before you think that we did it to save money on babysitters, both of our kids are huge fans of RDB's music. We listen to their CD often -- in the car, on the computer -- ever since our crazy trip to Atlanta last year. Emily has been talking about when they are "bigger" how they can go with us to see the group in concert. Yeah, right.

Well, how do you pass up a fairly nearby, free, outside concert for two smaller fans? It's the perfect situation.

So we surprised them by spending our family night, driving to Baltimore to see Rocco and crew.

They had no idea even when we went to Power Plant Live, the concert venue, which was a bricked courtyard in front of a row of restaurants and bars.

It wasn't until we took them up to the stage and Stuart pointed to the keyboard which read "Rocco Deluca and the Burden" that the proverbial penny dropped. The look of shock and excitement made our surprise journey all the more worth it. (See our slide show below.)

We had a bit of a wait until they actually came out to play, but the kids were so psyched to see Rocco and the other band members walk to the stage that it was soon forgotten.

The best part of all was still to come. We went to the side of the stage to see if we could get an autograph for Emily and a photo or two.

We were rewarded by hugs, handshakes, and photos for all.

Emily declared that she'd "never wash again"...because Rocco hugged her. And Edward said it was the "best night of his life."

It's not something we're likely to do again for awhile. They won't become regular "rockers," at least not yet.

But it was crazy...and fun! Something you gotta do once in awhile.

Memory making.

Photographing a Memory

Bleary-Eyed But Buzzing

Wow!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

What a show!

Last night, we headed to Philly in the 90-degree humidity to see another Rocco concert at the Fillmore Theatre on South Street. (I'll add videos as soon as I upload them to YouTube and post an entry with just photos later.)

It was EXCELLENT...as usual! (How do you convey this to rock stars? We enjoyed ourselves so much!)

To say we're pooped would be putting it mildly. We didn't get home until 2 a.m....and that was due to the 1 a.m. traffic jam on the Schuylkill Expressway. Egads! My poor sister and brother-in-law, who stayed with the kids, were stuck waiting for us...I hope they know how much we LOVE them. *smile*

One thing we've noticed in the five concerts we've attended is that they usually don't start on time...unless they're at the Fillmore. There they are prompt. The concert was slated for 8 p.m. and started at 8 on the dot. The three opening acts each got 30 minutes with 15 minutes in between to reset the stage for the next group.

Matt Duke opened the show, followed by Sara Barielles, and then The Last Goodnight. All were excellent! (You can listen to some of their music for free on MySpace. Just type www.myspace.com/[whichever musician you want to hear])

It took a bit longer to set up the stage for RDB, but they started at 10:30-ish and played until midnight! We got there early enough to get great seats about 15 feet from the stage, so apart from a "numb bum" and tired "babysitters," we could've listened all night!

They added a new player, Brett Bixby -- we weren't sure if he's a permanent member of the band or just a friend joining in for the tour -- who played the keyboard, various guitars, and several of the misc. percussion instruments. Apparently, he's Rocco's good buddy from Long Beach, Ca., and single....as Rocco so sweetly pointed out to the audience much to the embarrassment of Brett. (Maybe Rocco's not Brett's good buddy anymore?) Anyway, he was a nice addition.

So with my mind buzzing and my ears ringing and my head replaying all my favorite Rocco songs....I'll bid you adieu...and collapse on our bed....

Photo Fun in Philly

First stop: Jim's Steaks for din-din


Me: melting posing outside the Fillmore

Rocco headlines this time! Hooray!

They have some interesting upcoming acts...

Us: Self-taken outside the theatre whilst waiting in line.

A Philadelphia "gum" tree -- eeew!

The sign Stuart knocked down whilst we waited...

(Can you tell I was bored?)

A "arty" look at some Philadelphia architecture

Their banner -- something new for this tour


Rocco!! A bit blurred -- he wouldn't stand still! The cheek!


Rocco and Dave play "at" each other -- very cool!


One more of Rocco. A bit darker, but I was trying a different camera setting.

Happily Burdened

Anyone can carry his burden, however heavy, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, until the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

We're off to see Rocco and co. in concert in Philadelphia tonight.

To say we're excited wouldn't even begin to describe our feelings.

We've seen them live four times so far; three times on the big screen in their rockumentary; and a few times on TV from the DVD of their rockumentary.

But no matter how much we've seen them, they're always excellent! The songs they play vary from fast and loud (I mean really loud) to soft and slow. They give a great show.

Funny really, since I've never ever been much of a rock music fan. I'm a lover of classical music and show tunes and movie soundtracks. You know, the "soft" stuff. None of that comes even close to rock music...especially much of the stuff done by Rocco Deluca and the Burden. (Check out their music on these K-Swiss ads.)

Still, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that we're "burdened" to be flexible, and it is a beautiful thing. You learn so much about yourself and discover wonderful, new interests.

In that way, I'm happily burdened...and excited to watch my new interest.

Colorful Kiefer

Whilst we're on "holiday" with my in-laws, I'll be popping on and off my blog to post things as the time allows. In the meantime, I'll put on a few great videos I found while perusing YouTube. This one is fun, using two of my favorite guys: Rocco and Kiefer. Enjoy!

Three Bands and a Li'l Ol' Couple

So the day finally arrived.

The day we get to see Rocco Deluca and the Burden in concert in our own state!!

Yee-haw! No long driving trips. A straight shot down the PA Turnpike and then a coast on the Schuylkill Expressway. We can relax and enjoy ourselves, knowing that we can get around Philadelphia fairly easily....



Okay. Okay. That's not exactly how it turned out.

It took us 2.5 hours to get to Philadelphia...instead of the usual 1 hour.

But we made it and we found the parking garage we wanted near the theatre and we walked the 1.3 (yeah, right!) miles to the Hard Rock Cafe....and the 1.3 miles back again.

We stood in line, about 20 people from the front. We were excited. We'd managed to get there with plenty of time.

Then Stuart discovered he had his utility tool on him. It has a knife on it. No go. He had to return it to our car.

Nevermind.

Eventually, we did get in. The theatre was small so it could only accommodate around 300-350 people. It had a balcony with seats and a small bar with tables. So no matter where you were, you really could see it all.

It's always a thrill to see this band in concert -- even if we were part of the "older set" in the crowd. And watching Mat Kearney and The Feeling was definitely an added bonus. We didn't get to meet any of them, but we enjoyed ourselves...and even got home in the normal amount of time.

Washington, D(a). C(ity).

So last week I'm perusing my usual favorite "24" sites, reading interesting tidbits on my favorite show and actor, and I come across a press release about another special screening of the rockumentary I Trust You to Kill Me with a Q & A with none other than Kiefer Sutherland, Manu Boyer, and Pliny Porter.

Oooo...ooooo!

This time it's in...Washington, D.C.!

A quick call to my parents to see if they're available for an overnight with the kids...another to my hubby to see if he's interested...and it's all organized.

Whoo-Hoo!! Road trip!!

Okay, okay. So we've already see the movie a few times (and now own the DVD). And we saw a Q & A about it in Atlanta last October. But this time the "cherry on top" was that Rocco Deluca and the Burden would be playing live after the Q & A.

It was all part of the closing ceremony of the D.C. Independent Film Festival held on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia outside Chevy Chase (who knew the actor took his name from this little suburb of Washington?), a suburb of D.C.

So we headed down after church and arrived about an hour and half early.

The tickets included a buffet of cheeses, meats, snacks, salads, and other goodies. After we finally got our seats, we watched the closing ceremonies of the film festival, including a cool video sampling of the films that were presented during the festival's 12 days. Then we watched the Rocco movie, and it was time for the Q & A.

Kiefer came out with the other two men, and everyone cheered. It's always so funny to see him in person since we watch "24" and expect him to be in L.A....where we last "left" him.

They answered lots of questions about the movie, about making movies, about becoming an actor or filmmaker. As an added bonus (to me especially!), Kiefer's longtime buddy and co-owner of Ironworks, Jude Cole, was there. (I desperately wanted his autograph and a photo with him, especially for the kids since we're all big fans, but, alas, not this time. He sat in a row across the aisle from us during the Rocco concert, but I didn't want to disturb him...or miss anything Rocco & co. were doing.)

Then Rocco came out with the band and played four songs. They were "phenomenal" (to borrow Kiefer's favorite adjective) as always. We left the auditorium feeling tired but exhilarated. And, of course, arrived home way past our "bedtime."

Still, it's always worth it! And we have tickets to see them in concert in Philadelphia next month.
Can't wait!

Q & A in Five (or so) Parts

The first 10 minutes or so of the Q & A. Sorry it's so small and shaky. I was using my little Kodak digital camera. Funny bits include how Manu managed to talk Kiefer into doing the movie, as well as how the Bunny joined the band...and more. Enjoy!

Georgia on My Mind

"You know, sometimes you have to go through something to find out why you did it...If everybody ends up not liking you because of it, well, they weren't gonna like you for real anyways."
~Kiefer Sutherland, on being tour manager for Rocco Deluca and the Burden during their first European tour.

Okay, we're crazy. Certifiably so.

But the above quotation definitely applies to me. (I've always been the "safe" one...the one who looks and then decides NOT to leap...just in case.)

We're heading to Atlanta, Georgia, today to see Rocco Deluca and the Burden in concert after watching the movie again in an old restored movie theatre, the Plaza Atlanta, and seeing a Q & A with Kiefer and Manu Boyer. Driving 11.5 hours to see this small, independent band play in Smith's Olde Bar.

Most people have never even heard of them, but Stuart and I liked their music after seeing their rockumentary in New York City last month. We knew then that we wanted to see them "live."

Okay, okay. Yes, they'll probably be coming to a venue somewhere closer, but I don't know....somehow I've got Georgia on my mind....

Call me crazy...my whole family thinks I am. (Though last time I checked I just turned 36...or twice-18.) LOL!

But sometimes you do have to do the crazy stuff (within reason, of course) at least once in your life to figure out other stuff about yourself.

Well, that's the theory at this point...

I'll let you know when we get back.

Start Spreading the News...

"...I'm leaving today! I want to be a part of it...New York, New York!"

Well, we're back from our trip to New York City. What "country mice" we are! We left the city -- and the sounds of people and cars and horns -- at 12:30 a.m. It was just as alive as when we arrived earlier in the evening. We returned home to W. City with a few cars on the road and the sound of crickets. Amazing!

The reason for our trip? To see a movie about an Indie rock band's -- Rocco Deluca and the Burden -- premier tour in Europe. Since the movie had a very limited release in a select few cities, we were very interested when we saw it would be shown in New York -- a mere 2.5 hours from us... LOL! It took us over 3.5 due to horrendous traffic around the Holland Tunnel. Oh, well. We made it, with 2.5 hours to spare. Our show wasn't until 10 p.m.

The movie, a rockumentary called I Trust You to Kill Me (the name of the band's first album), was excellent! The band is actually very good. I'm not particularly fond of rock music, per se, but they have a very unique sound, and the lead, Rocco Deluca, is phenomenal on the guitar. That said, each of the band's members is very good at what he does. What struck us is that they aren't worried about image. It's all about the music. It was humorous to watch them learn the ropes of touring.

The clincher? Their manager for this first tour was none other than Kiefer Sutherland. (He has since been "let go.") And, okay, he was probably the draw for me -- and lots of others -- to this band in the first place. But both Stuart and I found ourselves wanting to buy the album by the end of the movie.

So it was a wonderful adventure to the Big Apple to see a good movie.

And....


(Clicking on the photos makes them larger.)

...to get a photo or two of Kiefer Sutherland in person, including one with his arm around me. And get his autograph on the insert to my 24 -- Season One DVD set. (Yes, I was shaking after the whole thing!!) He and the director of the movie were there for a Q & A after the 7:45 p.m. showing. We caught him on his way in since we didn't have tickets to that show. And, WOW! I was feeling very shy...but Stuart wasn't about to let him get by without saying "hi" and asking for a photo and an autograph. (Have I mentioned how much I love my hubby??) Kiefer was very polite, very friendly, and very accommodating.

So an added bonus to a wonderful adventure to the Big Apple to see a good movie...and a very nice actor!

More another day on our trip and the theatre...I'm pooped.