Nuts N’ More Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Purchase

I was at the Empty Bottle drinking last Friday checking out the Farewell Milwaukee show when I got a text from my sister asking if I was watching “Shark Tank”? Since I was at the show she told me about a company named Nuts ‘N More that were on the show doing their pitch and that they had a Pumpkin Spice flavored Peanut Butter. My family likes to think that I have three loves. Owls (long story), peanut butter, and pumpkin anything. Well this combined 2 of the 3! Maybe they can put on owl on their packaging in the future for the trifecta but thats a pipe dream. I told my wife about the company and she immediately took out her phone to check out the website and before I knew it she had ordered Pumpkin Spice PB and Chocolate Almond Butter and after shipping we dropped $30 on our order. This was clearly a drunken order but I am so happy we made the purchase. Both flavors are delicious and the Pumpkin Spice will be worth the price for any Pumpkin lover out there! They also mix in whey protein (14 grams a serving), flax, and Omega 3’s with no added sugars. So while it may be a little pricey if you want to treat yourself check it out!

http://www.nuts-n-more.com

Mobb Deep Live 20th Anniversary Tour Tonight!

I have been to hundreds of concerts but never a rap show. I have been listening to Prodigy and Havoc aka Mobb Deep since “The Infamous” in 1995 and they have always been my favorite rap group. They have never been mainstream but they command respect from anyone that knows rap. It’s been a long time in the making but if anyone is gonna pop my rap concert cherry I’m glad its these guys.

Mobb Deep “Quiet Storm”

Deer Tick Live from The City Winery in Chicago, IL

What a great show! When Deer Tick started setting up last night it started to become apparent that they would have no drummer. I had read that their drummer had a death in his family but I figured maybe they would find a fill in but that wasn’t the case. So this show was a more scaled down acoustic type show which I was very cool with. Lead singer John McCauley even made reference to MTV’s Alice N’ Chains Unplugged as well as joking their show was sponsored by Mike’s Hard Lemonade’s new Blood Orange Flavor (which he bought at a gas station in Missouri and drank quickly before switching back to Budweiser’s). The crowd was very receptive to this pleasant acoustic surprise and when they opened with “Ashamed” it set the tone for a great show. They also played “Easy”, “Smith Hill”, “20 Miles”, “Dirty Dishes” (with all 4 members harmonizing), “Art Isn’t Real” and a John Prine cover of “Mexican Home”.   They sounded great and provided many “O Face” moments when they were singing (as pictured).  I would recommend City Winery for a show as well.  It’s not the cheapest place ($6 PBR Tall Boys, $6 Goose Island Matilda’s, and many wine’s to choose from) but the building and atmosphere are worth it!  Just have a few drinks at home before the show and you will be good to go.

The City Winery made a special Deer Tick vintage for the night!

Deer Tick Show Tonight!

I have seen Deer Tick twice but its been a few years. I’ll be checking them out tonight at the City Winery which sounds like a pretty cool intimate venue here in Chicago. Should make for a nice little Tuesday night. Concert review to follow. Here are a few of my favorites. Also click on picture to check out Deer Tick’s website.

Deer Tick “Ashamed”

Deer Tick “Smith Hill”

Deer Tick “Easy”

Urban Nature Brings Me Happiness – Whip-Poor-Will Addition

Living in the third largest city in America sometimes make me feel like I am losing touch with nature. Sure from time to time I will travel to our countries great National Parks and State Forests to rekindle the flame with my first love but I always end up back into the daily urban grind. Nature never lets me forget her though. Every once in a while she will send me a subtle reminder of why I love her and what makes her so beautiful. A message that almost seems personal because in the fast paced city life no one else really seems to take notice. Tonight was such an instance. As darkness fell on a beautiful spring day I settled into my couch and flipped back and forth between the NBA Playoffs and Law & Order SVU when I heard a beautiful call coming from the dark alley. It echoed off the two brick apartment building walls like they were the sides of a canyon. At first I thought it was too loud to be a bird and that it was probably someone using a bird whistle which are common souvenirs from Latin America. But my inner child always curious with nature and wildlife beckoned me to the window. The call continued but I couldn’t see anyone in the alley. Just the dumpsters and parked cars remaining motionless. Silence, yet I still waited and listened and watch from my window. Then a blur of feathers flew right past my window and did a quick 180 for another fly by before disappearing into the night. What was it? I had to know. I had a hunch but needed to check my Audubon phone app to be sure. I typed in Whip and searched. It was too dark to get a visual identification so I went to Voice and played “song #1 (eastern) VA” and sure enough the beautiful night call belonged to a Whip-poor-will. I had never heard its call before and never expected to hear it in a alley in Lincoln Park, Chicago! It’s hard to believe a bird with this beautiful of a call was once suspected of witchery and called a “Goatsucker”. I guess if you see ones eyes of deep ruby red in the headlights like I did in Costa Rica you might believe. Now I can see why songs have been written about this bird!  Here are two of my favorites.

Magnolia Electric Co “Whip Poor Will”
RIP Jason Molina

Doug Burr “Whippoorwill” Live 2008

To hear the Whip-poor-will call click on its picture.  Now get out there and enjoy NATURE!!!

JP Harris & The Tough Choices “I’ll Keep Calling”

Is country music dead? No way thanks to bands like JP Harris & The Tough Choices who are doing their best to keep this genre alive. It’s true that whats passing for country music these days is more of what I like to call “Bubblegum Country”. Adorable acts like Hunter Hayes & Rascal Flats receive the air play and win the awards and that’s fine if I’m a 12 year old girl with no real problems. But I’m a man that is getting old, pays taxes, and drinks heavily on the weekends to forget the aging and taxes. I need something more than what Top 40 Country radio provides. That’s why I constantly keep my eyes and ears open for real country bands and once in a while I get lucky. JP Harris & The Tough Choices is so good that last night when I discovered them I immediately poured myself a whiskey and got lost in their songs of honky tonk heart break. Once I got drunk my wife and I went to the only Honky Tonk left in Chicago aka Carol’s Pub. If that’s not a ringing endorsement for a good Country record then I don’t know what is. Enjoy!

Here is a “Just Your Memory” & click on album art to hear entire album

Lucero Live from The Majestic Theatre in Madison, WI

Last night Amanda and I went to our 6th Lucero show and our first show at The Majestic Theatre in Madison, WI. This charming little venue sits in the shadow of the capitol building on King Street in downtown Madison and is the oldest concert venue in town. It reminded me of a smaller version of the Vic Theatre here in Chicago. We were lucky enough to meet lead singer Ben Nichols before the show. He was hanging out in front of the theatre for a smoke and was nice enough to take a picture with us and chat. I had always heard he was a real genuine nice guy and now I know that to be very true. As for the show the band brought their A game. They played all the crowd favorites “Nights Like These” “Kiss The Bottle” “On My Way Downtown” “Chain Link Fence” and took a few requests like “Here at The Starlight”. They also played “Texas & Tennessee” and “The Other Side of Lonesome” off of their new EP. Ben played “Last Pale Light in The West” off his solo record which I can honestly say is one of my favorite songs of all time. Great show and and if you ever get the chance SEE THIS BAND LIVE!!!!

 

New Lucero EP “Texas & Tennessee”

One of my favorite bands Lucero (Not to be confused with the sexy Latin American superstar who shares the same name) just released a new 4 song EP titled “Texas & Tennessee”. Two of the songs I have heard live including the band playing the title track “Texas & Tennessee” twice at a January show at the Metro in Chicago. The song got a louder reaction the second time it was played which says a lot for a NEW song from a band with a loyal fan base and 7 Albums under their belts. Many times as fans we get a little jaded and roll our eyes when a well established band plays “new stuff” and if they played it twice we tuned it out. This was not the case at all and really never is with Lucero. I was lucky enough to find a video from the show on YouTube and convert “Texas & Tennessee” into a live Mp3 which held me over till this release. So check out the EP! It is streaming on Spin’s website and if you like it buy a copy. Better yet go see Lucero live. I will be seeing them for the 6th time tomorrow night in Madison and can’t wait to hear Ben & The Boys play the classics but also anything off this new EP.

Tour link
http://www.luceromusic.com/site/tour/
Click on the Album Art to hear the new EP

Son Volt’s New Album “Honky Tonk”

It’s not often these days that I can listen to a record all the way through without skipping a few songs but Son Volt’s newest effort Honky Tonk achieves that difficult feat with relative ease.  Believe me I have listened and listened and expected to find a few songs that just weren’t up to par.  Judging by my iTunes “Plays” column there really isn’t a stinker in the bunch.  I downloaded Honky Tonk in mid March and as of today here are my “Plays”.

The top played track “Wild Side” has 50 plays while the least played track “Brick Walls” still has 37 plays which really stands out to me as a sign of a great album from top to bottom.   I honestly cannot remember the last album I listened to this evenly for a full month.   This is the kind of album that makes me want to rent a Jeep, go out west, take the top off, and drive through the desert on a desolate road towards Bakersfield.  So enjoy the scenery and loose yourself in the music and sagebrush.  Its a beautiful thing.