A Christmas 'Diamond'

This year I am getting into the Christmas spirit more than I normally do during this time of the year. When I was younger I was really into the holiday as all kids are. As I have grown older, Christmas has become more and more just like any other day. This year though, that is not the case and I have Diamond Rio to thank for that.

The guys recently released their first-ever Christmas album, "The Star Still Shines: A Diamond Rio Christmas," on Word Records, their new record label. The guys have wanted to do a Christmas CD for more than 15 years and have finally gotten that opportunity.

I got my copy and it is great, but then again, I am pretty partial to them. The songs have really gotten me into the spirit this year.

For those that are interested, you can go to either diamondrio.com or rhapsody.com to take a listen. If you decide to take a listen, please drop me a comment and let me know what you think of it.

I recently found out that the guys of Diamond Rio will be featured on XM Radio this Christmas Eve. They were in Washington, DC this past month to record a special Christmas show for XM's Artist Confidential series. According to the official XM web site:

"Diamond Rio celebrates the Holidays with a special Christmas edition of Artist
Confidential. Flying in from Nashville, the boys deliver a holiday twist to
their brand of country music that raises the roof of the XM Performance Theater.
Hosted by XM's Jon Anthony, join us for a down-home musical celebration of the
season."

For those interested in listening to the show, it airs all day long on XMX, XM Ch. 2.

I am really looking forward to this show, although, I would have rather it had been about their entire career and not focus on the Christmas project. I do think that it will be great show and they are getting some more exposure. I
really don't think that Diamond Rio gets enough airplay and exposure on radio these days. Its a real shame that an outstanding act like Diamond Rio is be slighted now. I guess that is just part of the business and all.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope that you enjoy the time with family and friends.

'Till next time.

Jason

Gary Allan in Concert

The Gary Allan concert this past Sunday at the Honeywell Center in Wabash was great and I had a lot of fun. I am going to do my best to give you a review of the night.

After stopping for dinner before the show, we arrived at the Honeywell Center at about 6:30 so we had to wait about an hour before showtime. In the lobby they had the Gary Allan merchandise stand open so we got in line to see what they had. I ended up getting a gray t-shirt that has a picture of Gary on it and the words Living Hard, the title of his brand new album, underneath it.

After waiting for a little bit, we were able to go into the Ford Theater to find our seats for the show. I must say that I was quite impressed with the venue. It is a very nice place and from the looks of it, there isn't a bad seat in the house. It is also not that big nor is it that small. Overall, its a great place to see a concert.

The show started with singer/songwriter Lee Brice as the opening act. He told us that he had just gotten to the venue. I guess the plane that he flew in on ran late and he got there in just the nick of time. He said that he was battling a cold, if we couldn't tell, and that he would do his best to do his songs. He sang a tune called "Upper-Middle Class White Trash." It was a hilarious song. He said that he had written the song from an experience that a friend had once. The friend, dressed like a typical guy from the south (IE, jeans, hat, etc), went into a fancy store and none of the people working there took him seriously. He pulled out a huge wad of cash and then they waited on him hand and foot. Lee said that reminded him of a scene in "Pretty Woman" and wrote the song. He did a few other songs that I don't remember much of. The last song he performed was the song that he had written that Garth Brooks recorded and that is now a #1 hit. I can't remember the name of the song though.

After the short intermission, it was time for Gary to take the stage. He came out and started the show off with "A Feelin' Like That" from his Greatest Hits CD. That really got the crowd into it and we were off and running.

Here is a list of the songs, in no particular order, that he did (and that I remember):

"A Feelin' Like That"
"Smoke Rings in the Dark"
"Tough All Over"
"Just Got Back From Hell"
"Life Ain't Always Beautiful"
"She So California"
"Watching Airplanes"
A medley that consisted of "Her Man," "Man to Man," "It Would Be You," and some others I don't remember
"Best I Ever Had"
"Drinkin' Dark Whiskey"
"Tough Little Boys"
"Breakdown" (Tom Petty cover, encore)
"The Joker" (Steve Miller Band cover, encore)
"Right Where I Need to Be" (Encore)

There may have been a few songs that I left out but this list is pretty much the jest of it.

Here is a slideshow from the pictures that my mom took. The quality of these shots are not the greatest. We had to turn the flash on the camera off so I think that has a lot to do with it.

Overall it was a great night and I had a great time. Gary does know how to party and I would defiantly go see him in concert again.

'Till next time.

Friends

Its been a while since my last entry and I thought that it was about time I update.

I was listening to the radio on the way to class earlier this week and heard an ad for a concert that will be near me in November. Gary Allan will be at the Honeywell Center in Wabash on November 4th. I ordered tickets on Wednsday and they came today. So I am amped and ready to go. It should be a good show and I am looking forward to it.

The same day that I heard a song on the radio that I had heard before but never listened to the lyrics. I really listened to the lyrics and was blown away. The message of the song was so spot on that I think it might have been the truest song that I have ever heard. The song is titled "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" by Tracy Lawrence.

Here are the lyrics to the song as well as the music video:

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of
nowhere
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your
back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus
fare

This is where the rubber meets the
road
This is where the cream is gonna rise
This is what you really didn't know
This is where the truth don't lie

{Chorus}
You find out who your friends are
Somebody's gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas, get there fast
Never stop to think 'what's in it for me?' or 'it's
way too far'
They just show on up with their big old
heart
You find out who your friends are

Everybody wants to slap your back
wants to shake your hand
when you're up on top of that mountain
But let one of those rocks give way then you slide
back down look up and see who's around then
This ain't where the road comes to an
end
This ain't where the bandwagon stops
This is just one of those times when
A lot of folks jump off

{Chorus}

When the water's high
When the weather's not so fair
When the well runs dry
Who's gonna be there?

{Chorus}

You find out who your friends are
(yeah, yeah)
You find out who your friends are

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of
nowhere
(Well man, I've been there)
Or get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your
back
Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus
fare
(Man, I've been there)

Man, I've been there
Oooh yeah.

I am sure that everyone has had situations where they found out who their friends were and I am sure that, maybe, we've all been there for one of our friend's. I think that really shows a lot about a person. I can honestly tell you that I would rather have just a handful of the friends mentioned in this song than a lot of those that aren't these kind of friends. I know that I do have a few of those and am very glad that they are my friends and that they always there for me when I need them. I hope that they all know that I am this kind of friend and that they can always count on me. Lord knows that its hard to find those kind of friends in this day and age.


To all those firends of mine out there, I thank you for your friendship and thank you for always being there. You guys (and gals) make me who I am.


'Till next time.

What a Day It Was: Diamond Rio & Martina McBride Concert

For those that read my previous post, I promised a surprise in this entry. While I would love to keep you all in suspense a little longer, unfortunately I can't because the surprise comes at the beginning! So without further ado, here we go!

The evening starts off when we arrive in Ft. Wayne to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. We arrived at the arena at around 6:30. We went inside and I had to go to the Will Call window at the ticket office to pick up the surprise that I spoke of earlier (not a surprise to me because I knew what it was on Wednesday). I got to the window and told the attendant my name. I provided her with my photo ID and was given an envelop with my name and Diamond Rio's logo on it. Inside the envelop I found 4 Meet 'N Greet passes to meet Diamond Rio!

For those of you that wonder how this was possible, let me explain. I have been in communication with one of the band member's close friends for a few years now. I told him about this concert a few months back. I told him that I would love to meet the band but that it wasn't possible as I am not a member of the fan club. He told me not to lose my faith in that. When asked what he meant, he told me that he might have some pull, that he would see what he could do, and get back with me. It was Wednesday when I found out the news. So, without this person, this Meet 'N Greet wouldn't have happened so thank you to that person, you know who you are! It means more to me than words could express. I am forever grateful to you.

The Meet 'N Greet was scheduled to take place at 7:00 and by this time it was 6:45! Good thing that we got there when we did or I might have missed this once in a lifetime opportunity.

We went to where we were to meet to be taken back for the Meet 'N Greet. We were given the run-around for a little while as there was confusion as to where the meeting place was. That was finally figured out and we were taken back to the area where it was to take place. We waited around for a few minutes and then the band appeared.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember the order in which I met each member of the band. I did have the chance to chat with each member of the band for a few moments, have my picture taken with them, and have them sign the T-shirt that I was wearing. I told Gene, the tenor vocalist and mandolin player, that I had been a fan of theirs for many years and that my favorite Rio song was "Nowhere Bound." He seemed a little shocked that "Nowhere Bound" was my favorite, I guess because it went so far back, so far that it was on their first album and was their third single. He said that they love hearing from the fans what their favorite songs are and that it's always great to hear when fans mention songs from way back.

When I spoke to Dan, the keyboardist, I told him my name and that I was an acquaintance of his friend Ron Saltmarsh. He and Ron are involved in a project called This Way That, which I have mentioned in past entries. Dan then realized who I was. He asked if I was the one that was doing the MySpace page for This Way That and told him that I was. It was so great to be able to talk to Dan and talk about something that the both of us are involved with, me being involved in a roundabout way. It was great knowing that Dan was expecting me, so that made it all the more special.

When I spoke to Jimmy, the lead guitarist, I asked him about his niece. He asked if I knew her personally and I explained to him that I "knew" her through Facebook as she joined the group that I made for fans of Diamond Rio.

When I spoke to Dana, the bassist and baritone vocalist, I told him that I liked the shirt that he was wearing (A Tony Stewart shirt) and he thanked me and said that he thought that he was in a great place to wear it since Tony is an Indiana boy.
The other two members, Marty and Brian, thanked me for all the support, for going to the show, and hoped that I had a great time and to enjoy the show.

After the Meet 'N Greet, we found our way to our seats for the show. We had some really great seats. We waited for about 10 minutes and then the house lights went down and it was time to get started. The guys were introduced and hit the stage. I cannot seem to remember the order of the songs that they did so I will list them in no particular order:

"Beautiful Mess"
"I Believe"
"One More Day"
"God Only Cries"
"Norma Jean Riley"
"Redneck Love Gone Bad"
A medley of "Love a Little Stronger," "Nowhere Bound," "Walkin' Away," "Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me," "That's What I Get for Lovin' You," "You're Gone," "In A Week or Two," and a few others that I cannot seem to remember.
"Meet in the Middle"
"That's How Your Love Makes Me Feel"

That's about it or that's about all that I can remember for sure.

Before performing "Redneck Love Gone Bad," Marty told the story of the girl that broke his heart and how bad it made him fell and yadda yadda yadda. He said that when he heard the song that he couldn't help but wonder if that song turned out to be the life story of that girl. They performed the song and then afterward, he went on to thank that girl for dumping him to allow him to meet the woman that he is married to today for over 20 years. Great, hilarious story.

The guys performed for about an hour and then it was time for intermission before Martina's show began. Intermission lasted about half an hour and then it was time for Martina!

Her show started off with her making her entrance. I was unable to see the entrance as everyone was standing and blocking my view. I was told that she came up through the stage. Once on stage the band began to play and the black curtains dropped to reveal and impress set of lights and stage.

Like the Diamond Rio show, I am unable to remember the order in which songs were performed so I will list then in no particular order:

"Anyway" (from her new CD titled "Waking Up Laughing")
"Blessed"
"Concrete Angel"
"This One's for the Girls"
"Happy Girl"
"Rose Garden"
"You Ain't Woman Enough"
"Help Me Make it Through the Night"
"Where Would You Be"
"Love's the Only House"
"When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues"
"How I Feel" (Her new single)
"Tryin' to Find a Reason (from her new CD titled "Waking Up Laughing")
"Wild Angels"
"My Baby Loves Me"
"A Broken Wing"
"Independence Day"
Cover of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" (Encore performance)

That's about it or all that I remember for sure.

All in all, it was a GREAT show and I loved every second of it. It was truly a night that I will never forget.
Here are the photos. So might not be the best in the way of quality, but it's the best we could get.

Meet 'n Greet Photos

Show Photos

What a Day It Was: Fire Chief for a Day

Today I was "Fire Chief for a Day" for the Kokomo Fire Department and what a day it was!

The day started off at 0900 hours (9:00 AM) when I was greeted by Deputy Chief of Operations, Dave King. He took me on a little tour of the administrative offices and introduced me to the administration. First I met EMS Director Brad Brey, then moved on to the Chief of the department, Dave Duncan. I sat and chatted with Chief Duncan for a few minutes after he explained how the day would run. Basically, it was up to me on what I wanted to do. Truth be told, hanging out with the firefighters was good enough for me. I asked and was granted Chief Duncan's permission to take photos as well as video of the happenings of the day so that I would be able to make a video to commemorate the day. I told him that I planned to create a department profile-type of video to promote the department. That video will be forthcoming, how soon I don't know. I am planning to take my time with this so that it turns out the best that it can. I then met Arson Investigator Pat O'Neill whom is also the handler for the department's arson dog, Tyson. Investigator O'Neill said that he would bring Tyson in to meet me a little later.

Chief King and I then made our way out to the apparatus floor. My friend, Captain Aaron Ashburn, then came downstairs to greet me. He and I spoke for a few minutes and it was determined that I would be tagging along with him throughout the morning.

Captain Ashburn and I then went back inside and went into the training room where we observed the newest KFD recruits during some classroom-type learning. The recruits were learning about different types of sprinkler systems that they may run into during the course of their careers. They were learning at what temperature each sprinkler head would melt away to release the sprinkler system to activate.

Next it was back out to the apparatus floor to get an up close and personal look at some of the department's newest trucks. The guys were kind enough to pull a few of the trucks out of their bays for a photo opportunity. It was great to see the rigs up close and to be able to have them photographed. I even had a few taken of me sitting next to them.

We then returned to the training room where the firefighters had to review the procedures on how to perform CPR. There were a few minor changes to the standards on performing CPR so they had to learn these new standards. Once they were finished with that, they had to test some of the newer hazmat suits that the department has. They had to inflate the suits with air to check for leaks. All of the suits passed the test and were put away.

During the hazmat suit tests, Investigator O'Neill return with Tyson. Tyson is a black Labrador Retriever. He was a rambunctious dog and was very enjoyable. Investigator O'Neill then gave me a little demonstration of what Tyson can do. He took some sort of accelerant that is commonly used to start fires and put half of a drop of it on a piece of paper and hid is somewhere in the room. He then brought Tyson back into the room and he began tracking. He found the accelerant in less than 30 seconds. When he found it, he sat to indicate to Investigator O'Neill that he had found it. As a reward, he was able to play a little game of tug-o-war with Investigator O'Neill. It is really neat what arson dogs can do.

Around noon it was lunchtime. A few of us went and had lunch out on the picnic tables. Firefighter Jeff "Coop" Cooper was kind enough to lend me a hand during lunch and assisted me when needed. The menu for lunch was spicy BBQ hamburgers and seasoned french fries. I tell ya what, firefighters sure know how to cook.

After lunch, the firefighters; with consent from Chief King, took the trucks out with lights and sirens wailing so that Captain Ashburn could get a "response" video of the trucks pulling out of their bays for my video. The great thing about it was that the trucks didn't have to go far. Once they pulled onto the road and "were off" they turned at the first corner past the station which happens to take them behind the station but from the video it looks as though they are really responding to a call. They pulled the trucks back into their bays from the rear of the station and were ready for their next run, when it came in.

I then accompanied the recruits and the Engine 1 crew to a large, empty lot that they sometimes use for training. This lot is great for doing hose training. When we got there, one of the recruits opened up the hydrant and hooked up a 5-inch hose, sometimes known as a supply line, to it. The supply line feeds water to the fire engine's pump that then pumps the water to the hoses that are attached to it. The recruits were working with 1.75 inch hand lines and 3 inch hoses known as masterstreams. They worked with these for a while. Once they had finished with those, the training instructor set up Engine 1's ladder that has a nozzle attached at the top, so that the recruits could ascend the ladder and get familiar with the controls and how to operate what I like to call The Stick. These types of trucks are called Quints. I, personally, hate the term quint and never use it but for the sake of information to those that aren't familiar with firefighting, I just did. Seeing the hose training was really great. I never really had a feeling for how hard it is to pull a charged hose until I saw it up close today.

Once training had been completed, the recruits spent the next forty-five minutes to an hour reloading the hoses back onto Engine 1. This chore is by far one of the most time consuming parts of the job. It's a lot easier and faster to set up to fight fire but it's harder and longer to pack it up when the job is done.

That wrapped up the day at around 1500 hours (3:00 PM). I thanked everyone for making the day a great one for me. I told them that I had a great time and would love the chance to be able to hang out with them again sometime but obviously it wouldn't be a "Fire Chief for a Day" as that was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Mom came and picked me up and we headed home.

Overall, I would say that it was one of the greatest days in my life to date. I had a really great time and its something that I will never forget.

Now it's onto Ft. Wayne tomorrow night for the Martina McBride and Diamond Rio concert. I am really looking forward to that. I am sure that it's going to be a great show. I will post a review of the show in detail along with photos. I must say that for those that don't know already, there will be a surprise in that entry that you will have to read to get. It's not one you will want to miss. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time.