Oak Ridge Boys Still Bringing It
Aug 12, 2013 General
The Oak Ridge Boys have been around since the 1940s in one form or another. The current group (William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban [L-R in the photo]) has been together now for 40 years and they have been delighting millions of listeners with timely music and great harmony.
The lead singer of the Oaks, Duane Allen, is a reader of this blog and through it he and I began conversing. As luck would have it the group played on 9 August in Havre de Grace MD, not too far away. I purchased a ticket and Duane was gracious enough to allow me to attend the meet and greet before the show. I met all the guys and though the encounter was brief, I was happy to finally meet Duane in person and to be introduced to the rest of the group.
I mention that because it brings it to a personal level to show what kind of guys they are. They are stand up folks who give all glory to God and this is reflected in not only their music but in the way they conduct themselves. Case in point, the warm up act was a group of students from the Baltimore School of Rock. These young musicians were aged 14-18 and they played very well. The vocals were great and they know their way around their musical instruments. The meet and greet was originally scheduled for the time when the warm up act was on stage. The Oak Ridge Boys delayed the event until after the kids were done performing. The Oaks did not want to have people getting up and walking out during another bands performance. They did not feel it was right to do that to other performers.
In the world of entertainment divas and pampered prima donnas it is nice to see artists who respect others and refuse to do things that would disrupt them. Keep in mind, the Oaks did not do this for some known entity but for a bunch of youngsters who are still learning their way around music. This might seem like a small thing but to me it shows a lot of character.
When the Oak Ridge Boys took the stage and began the show they did not disappoint the crowd. These guys have been singing with each other for 40 years and they still sound great. While these guys are not spring chickens they have more energy and stamina than some acts half their age. They performed for over 2 hours in the Maryland heat and humidity and were stronger at the end than they were in the beginning.
These guys worked the crowd, mingled in some light hearted moments and stories and had everyone out of their seats at the end participating in their signature song, “Elvira.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and it was worth every penny of the admission price.
I will point out though that this is only the second concert I have ever attended (not counting my kids and grandkids school concerts, LOL). It might be my third if you count Beetlemania as a concert.
I do not usually attend concerts because of my hearing. As some of you know I wear hearing aids and have had a high frequency loss since childhood. I have a hard time understanding the lyrics of songs whether on the radio or at a concert (particularly given the loudness of a concert). I look lyrics up and memorize them so I know what is being sung (as a child my friends went to music stores to buy records*. I went to look at sheet music to see what was being sung). With the advent of modern hearing protection (I have specially molded protection) I am able to attend loud events and not lose any more of my hearing.
This was not a concern when the Oaks took the stage (though I still wore my protection) because their instruments did not overwhelm their vocals. The kids from the School of Rock played LOUD music heavy on the electric guitars. I could hear their vocals but they were sometimes drowned out by the instruments. This was not the case with the Oak Ridge Boys. I think that says a lot about their music when the vocals are the focus rather than the instruments (though there were instrument solos where members of the band showed their great talent).
The fact that my ears were not under assault all night is one more reason I enjoyed the concert.
On a personal note, the song “I Get To” hit home for me. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this song but I never really got the message. At the concert the performance of that song hit home for me and I hope I never forget its message.
The concert was great and the performance by a timeless group celebrating 40 years together was totally enjoyable. I am happy to have been there. I highly recommend attending one of their performances.
Thanks Duane for the hospitality and thanks Oaks for a great concert.
Let’s do it again.
*For the youngsters out there, a record is a piece of vinyl that contains music and is played on a record player (or turntable). You recognize them as the things DJs “scratch“.
Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
Tags: 40th anniversary, class act, duane allen, harmony, havre de grace, joe bonsall, oak ridge boys, richard sterban, william lee golden
Transition Of Email
May 1, 2013 General
To all subscribers of this website. I am working on transitioning to a newsletter format for those who signed up for email alerts. For a little time you will likely get two emails when a post is published. I want to ensure the new system works before the old one is discontinued. If you have signed up I have ported you over to the new site. If you decide you do not want the alerts any longer there is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email.
There are a number of options. The new system allows per post and/or weekly alerts. I might add a daily if I publish more often (could use a few more writers for that to happen).
You can always add this site to any feed reader and there is an option to have text alerts sent to a text enabled phone. All options are in the right sidebar at the top. Those who register for the site also have the choice of subscribing at the time of registration.
If you are registered with this site I have sent a message to you asking if you want to be included. No one will be added unless they respond that they want to be.
Thanks for your patience while I work on the transition.
If the new system does not work out I will keep the old one in place.
Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
Tags: email, registration, site maintenance
Happy New Year 2013
Jan 1, 2013 General
A very Happy New Year to everyone. May God bless you and yours with good health and prosperity and may God bless the United States of America.
Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
[jpsub]
Tags: happy new year
Judicial System Costs A Teen Her Life
Aug 23, 2011 Commentary, General
A Chicago teen, Charinez Jefferson, was murdered by a gang banger who saw her walking with a member of a rival gang. Gang banger Timothy Jones fired shots at the two and his rival ran from the scene leaving Jefferson to fend for herself (what a real man this guy is).
Jones pointed his gun at Jefferson as she begged for her life explaining that she was pregnant. Jones shot her in the head and then pumped more rounds into her body. She died and her unborn child is in critical condition.
The anti gun nuts in this country will blame the weapon for the crime but the weapon was used by a person who should not have had it (criminals do NOT obey the law) and who should have been in jail. Charinez Jefferson was the victim of a liberal judicial system that refuses to incarcerate felons. Jones has a long rap sheet.
A police source said that Jones was a “stick-up man” well known to area police. At the time of the shooting, Jones was serving 2 years of probation for a 2010 burglary conviction, Dillon said. He also has a “lengthy” juvenile record, including convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and burglary. Chicago Tribune
Jones should have been in jail. He was well known to police and had a history of violence, criminal activity and use of weapons. Why was this thug on the street?
He was on the street because of a judicial system that allows judges who live in protected communities to be lenient on people who have shown they are unworthy of freedom.
Charinez Jefferson was murdered and her child is in critical condition because a judge or judges refused to put the animal who eventually murdered her in a cage where he belongs.
And since Chicago has one of the most stringent gun laws in the country, Jefferson and others are not allowed to carry guns for their own protection.
They are prey to people like Jones who refuse to obey the law and who are coddled by the lax judicial system.
Cave Canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
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Tags: chicago, guns laws, lax judicial system, murder, Second Amendment
Quick Hits
Mar 16, 2011 General, Political
Lots going on these days, beyond the horrible disaster in Japan.
- Food prices are way up, home construction is down, gas and oil prices are up — but don’t worry, the federal government says there’s no inflation. So just ignore that you’re earning less and paying more, that’s all just your imagination, according to the government. And after all, the government is spending at will and they’re getting raises (and not just there, all over the place).
- The TSA (may hellfire rain upon them) continues to screw up their job, but they’re unionized and forced upon everyone by law, so ignore them at your own peril. Unless, of course, you’re a government official, then you can ignore them at will.
- But hey, you can rest easy, because these overpaid government officials are on the job, ensuring that watching a video can get you years in jail and they’re working hard to ensure that sitting down can get you jailed, too. Or even telling people to kill themselves. If the courts were consistent, and this action was a crime, then urging someone to get an abortion should be a crime too, right?
- And yes, the left continues to advocate violence with people who disagree with them. But keep in mind — the government of the left IS violence. It simply cannot function any other way.
- And finally, as you know, words get redefined all the time in the English language. Now, according to Adrian Peterson, getting paid over ten million dollars in one year to play a game is now the definition of “slavery.” As Bugs Bunny would say, “What a maroon!”
I know it all sounds bad, and actually, it is. America, as the former leader of the world, is now trying hard to lead the world down, and they’re succeeding. But that’s just one reason why I don’t put my hope in governments or men. I know there’s a higher power at work, and I know how the story ends — and it’s a good ending.