No real entry tonight, as I'll be leaving for my art class shortly. I just wanted to post couple more cool images from Sunday night's U2 concert. I'll be posting most of these in my snap shots section (which I updated again last night) in the near future, but wanted to have some fun with them now. More later. Enjoy!

Thursday's Playlist:

1. Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill Accoustic

2. U2 9/25/05 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, 8:55 PM

G

|

It was quite the weekend. It's surreal to think that everything that happened, all the fun I had, only occurred within three days. Needless to say, my ass is still dragging, and I think I've acquired a nasty cold. I'm going to start with the U2 concert first, just because it's freshest in my mind. I will talk about the rest of the weekend in a later post, if I manage to get around to it.

There were three things that Bono talked about that made the night extraordinary:

#1: This was the 29th birthday of U2. 29 years ago in Larry Mullen's kitchen, U2 performed together for the first time .

#2: Bono announced that as of Sunday, the G8 (the political leaders that Live 8 was directed toward), and the World Bank dropped the debt of the 38 poorest countries. All of Bono's work for the Drop The Debt Campaign, all of his wonderful work in Africa, made a difference. These counties have been set free of decades worth of debt.

#3: During Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono announced as of Sunday, the Provisional IRA decided to destroy their weapons. Perhaps there will finally be peace in Ireland. He grabbed an Irish flag from a member of the audience and raised it high and proud and full of hope. Amazing.

The first half of the show was almost identical to the one I saw in Chicago back in May. The second half, though, was a different story. They played The First Time and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, pulling them out of retirement since the early 90s. They ended the night with All Because of You, Yahweh, and 40, a very religious/spiritual set. It was breath-taking. I've been waiting to hear 40 live since I saw Rattle and Hum way back when. The live acoustic version of Yahweh brought tears to my eyes. It was incredible. Bono made religion and God cool that night, and the crowd dug it.

Midway through the show, they performed Miss Sarajevo, a song from the "Passengers" album. This was one of many highlights from the concert. The song is a kind of a duet with Luciano Pavaritti, who wasn't there, of course. Instead, Bono sang his parts as well. It was jaw-dropping, hearing Bono sing the Italian like that, in a strong voice I'd never heard from him before. It was as if he became the opera singer that his dad used to be.

My other special concert moment was during Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own. As soon as they started the song, tears started streaming endlessly down my face. Yup, Bono moved me to tears. That song has a special meaning to me, being all about a sick father and his relationship with his son. Hearing it live was one of the most special parts of the night.

I snuck my iPod into the show and using a little device called an iTalk, recorded the entire concert. The quality is horrible. It's completely patchy and saturated; the arena was LOUD! But as I listen to it now, despite all the pops, hisses, and much of mine and my friend Splash's ridiculous singing along, I will cherish this digital piece of concert memorabilia.

Click here to read the U2.com review of the night. It gives a good idea of just how special the night was. Here is the setlist from that amazing night:

U2, 9/25/05
Milwaukee Bradley Center Setlist

City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
Cry / Electric Co.
The Ocean
I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For/In A Little While
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky/Hands That Built America
Miss Sarajevo
Pride in the Name of Love
Where the Streets Have No Name
One

First Time
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
With or Without You

All Because of You
Yahweh
40

Within the next few days, I will be posting more pix from the concert in my Snap Shots section of this site. Tonight I added a few pix from the Episode III premiere in May. I have a few pix from this past weekend to add in yet before the U2 shots. I never even got into the majesty of the stage show, the neon, the beaded curtain lights, etc. The images will do much better justice to the art that was before our eyes than I ever could with words.

The concert was an purely amazing, magical, beautiful, inspiring event, only elevating the band even higher into the stratosphere in my eyes. The goal was indeed soul, and they achieved it with flying colors.

Tuesday's Playlist:

1. U2 9/25/05 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, 8:55 PM

2. Sheryl Crow - Wildflower

That's all for now. :)

G

|

But the U2 concert seems months away.

I got home later than planned from my art class last night (around midnight!) and my ass is dragging today. I'm not sure where I'm going to find the energy to go out tonight, get up early tomorrow, or even drive to Minneapolis. Somehow the thought of all of this fun overrides any common sense where sleep and taking care of myself is concerned. I know I'm burning it at both ends right now. That will happen on these worldwind weekends. Luckily I took Monday off.

Hopefully tomorrow morning before I leave, I can still add my post from my May U2 concert. That's all for now. I have fun to attend to.

Soul
I've got no self-control
Been living like a mole now
Going down, excavation
I and I in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation

G

|

My friend Splash's girlfriend Alisa knows the bass player of the opening act, Dashboard Confessionals. There's a minor, minor, minor chance that we could end up back stage for this. I'm not getting my hopes up, but who knows. This will be my seventh time seeing U2 in concert, second time this year. Maybe this will be lucky #7.

"Oh, hi Bono...Um, this? Oh, just an iPod with an iTalk on it...What's it for? Oh, just to record stuff. The concert? Never even crossed my mind. Don't worry, it won't show up on the internet."

Or maybe....

"Your glasses? You want me to put them on? Well, if you insist. The rosary the Pope gave you too? Yeah, I'll take good care of it."

Of course I'd be all cool and throw in:

"And for what it's worth, Pop is one of my favorite albums."

Then, of course, I'd slip and fall in a puddle of my own urine when the Edge walks by, remaining unconscious for the rest of the night.

These days I feel like a walking iPod commercial, walking around with my white earbuds in, jamming out to "Vertigo." Today I listened to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (part of a "Definitive U2" playlist that I made up), and actually got chills thinking about hearing the song live. Their catalogue is so rich; it's anybody's guess what gems they'll play.

Hopefully during the next few nights before the concert, I will get a chance to post my initial review of the May concert, which was part of the first leg of the tour (this will be the third leg of the tour as they spent the summer touring Europe). I had a rather lengthy post written, or at least started, back in May. But thanks to my incredibly slow computer at the time, it was virtually impossible to finish. I made a copy of the post to complete at a later date. It would seem fitting to revisit that post in preparation for Sunday night. But Sunday night has to come first.

As if the concert isn't excitement enough, I have a wedding to go to in St. Paul over the weekend. My friend Heather is getting married and I really don't want to miss it; she's such a dear friend. I won't know anybody except the bride and groom and am actually making the five hour trek by myself. At first, I was going to let that be the reason I wasn't going to go. In the end, though, I decided to be a big boy and suck it up. It's kind of one of those things that I think I'd regret if I didn't go to. I'll bring my camera along and if I have problems mingling, I'll just put on the photography hat and introduce myself to people as I snap their pictures.

I plan on driving to St. Paul Saturday morning. The ceremony is late in the afternoon at Summit Manor, the same place that Todd and Tanya's wedding was at a few weeks ago. I have a room reserved about a mile away from the manor, so I can have a few drinks if I choose. Then it's up bright and early to make the five hour drive back to here, where my friend Mark will pick me up to head to Milwaukee, another two hours in the car.

Why do I think it will be U2 all the way?

My mind is all over the place this week. I just want the weekend to be here so my plans can be set in motion.

I drew the picture in this post tonight at the laundromat, getting my clothes ready for the rest of the week. It's a vague self-portrait done in the reflection in one of the dryer doors. It seems fitting to post it here tonight, as the picture has no real focus and is more an impression of what I look like, rather than a finite representation. That's how I'm feeling this week, with these big plans looming ahead. It's taking all of my energy not to be that vague abstraction at work as my mind is already meeting Bono, the Edge, Larry, and maybe even Adam.

"You want me to play tambourine during 'All Because Of You?' Honestly, you guys are too generous."

That's all for now. I think it's time to watch the Elevation concert.

Wednesday's Playlist: "The Definitive U2"

G

|

Many of the original drawings that I've posted in these pages have been drawings I did in sketch books from way back when I was in college. I'm placing the sketches in reverse chronological order as they appeared in my journal. Eventually I will get to the stuff I've been posting in my 2005 pages, it just may take a little time for that to happen.

It's pretty cool seeing drawings I did back in 2003 when I became reacquainted with my art, mixed together with stuff I did in college, back in the early 90s. It's neat seeing how I've changed and relive some of those old memories. It's pretty mind-boggling seeing how, after all that time, I've changed as an artist and a person.

It seemed fitting to start working on placing these old sketches in my site as last week I went back to my art class again for the first time in months. As I started drawing again, I struggled with the same hurdles I've always struggled with. But more importantly, I also got the same sense of achievement and gratification that I used to get whenever I was drawing and emerged myself deep into my creative self. I couldn't believe I let it go as long as I did.

As I revisited drawings that I did as long as 15 years ago, I couldn't help but constantly look over my shoulder, at the easel I have set up in my computer room/office. On that easel, I always display my newest work of art. I kept looking over my shoulder at the new drawing I did on Thursday night, realizing how far I've come, despite the time off. The art on my easel is my present and future. It's who I am and who I will be some day. The stuff I'm currently placing on that Sketch Book part of this site is so much the past, so much of who I was. It's neat to see those drawings, just for personal historical purposes, I suppose. I wonder where I will be with all of this in another five years or even another 15.

My art is as much a part of the story of my life as are these words. I've noticed that whenever I start drawing again, the direction of my writing changes as well, becomes more internal. I can live with that. Of course, that's neither here nor there.

My mind is kind of all over the place tonight. I think that's all for now. I can't wait to go to class again on Thursday night.

Monday's Playlist:

1. Paul McCartney - Chaos And Creation In The Backyard

2. Paul McCartney and Wings - Wingspan: Hits and History

G

|

The smell of the pencil, the feel of the graphite scratching into the paper, even the smudge of the lead on the side of my hand, were all sensations that I realized I've missed. Man, it's good to have it back.

Not only haven't I been to class since May, but I haven't drawn a thing either, other than a couple of random doodles at work. Sure, I've still had many creative outlets this summer, there's no denying that. Whether its my photography, making my music in GarageBand, or even writing in and designing these web pages, I can't not be creative. That's the strongest force in my life. But none of those replacements even come close to, compare to, or feel as natural to me as drawing.

When I first designed this website, my main goal was make it an online journal. I thought it would be neat to post old pen and ink drawings as well as some new ones to accommodate the writing. The intent was to never make this some kind of art journal. Shortly after creating this site, though, the drawing class (which is actually more of a co-op) came into my life. This site slowly became about recapturing and re-finding the artist within me. My intentions when initially making this site had nothing to do with pencil sketches or art classes; it all just kind of naturally happened. But I can't imagine it any other way now.

As my site continually evolved into what it is today, it became a place to explore all of my different forms of media and self-expression. Granted, the main point of it still was my journey as an artist, but suddenly my photography, music, day-to-day life, etc. all became equally as important. It really turned into something far greater than I ever imagined those few years ago. Gosh, do I feel like I've grown. But through it all, drawing is still key. Drawing is what makes me tick. Drawing is who I am.

So after taking a summer off, after ignoring my most special gift for such a long time, it's really good to be back. Even though I didn't finish the drawing I now present here, and can find a hundred different things wrong with it, I can't begin to explain how good it feels to place an original drawing in these pages again.

Especially with the promise of so much more to come.

That's all for now.

Friday's Playlist: Cinecast #37: Still In The Mood For Love

G

|

That's all for now.

Thursday's Playlist:

1. Paul McCartney - Chaos And Creation In The Backyard

2. Tracy Chapman - Where You Live

3. Sarah McLachlan - Bloom (Remix Album)

4. Coldplay - Fix You - EP

G

|

"Oh, he's pretending he's Mr. Incredible."

I gave Derick The Incredibles for Easter this year. The movie took a while with him to stick. But, low and behond, I think I made my mark.

A few years ago, when Derick was much younger, I was spinning him around, giving him what I always call an "airplane ride." He said something once or twice, but I couldn't understand him. I asked my sister, "What did he just say?"

"I'm not sure. He's been saying it all week."

As one airplane ride of course turns into two, once again, I grabbed both of his arms, and spun him around again until we both got dizzy. Then he said it again. But that time I understood him: "To infinity and beyond."

Wow.

To this day, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are Derick's favorite movies. I gave him my old copy of the original on VHS and a burned copy of Toy Story 2 on DVD for Christmas. A few years ago, I gave him a Buzz Lightyear that's proportionate to the one in the movie, and also a Woody plush toy. He sleeps with Buzz every night and still flies him around. A few weeks ago, I introduced him to my PlayStation 2 and a cool Toy Story 2 video game that neither of us has quite yet mastered. Now he walks around all the time asking my mom or sister how and where he can collect coins and find sheep (two of the objectives of the video game). I certainly have made my mark. When Derick grows up, I hope his memories of Buzz Lightyear and Woody are as fond as mine are of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. To infinity and beyond, indeed.

My next plan, of course, is in introduce my nephews to Spider-Man and Star Wars. Hey, I can only try.

Tuesday's Playlist: Tracy Chapman - Where You Live

G

|

I remember needing to stop at Sam's Club after work to pick up some cat food for Anakin. The store was like a ghost town. I stopped at the gas station afterward to fill up my car. It was before rush hour, but there was a line at the pump. By the time I got home, many of the gas stations had raised gouged their prices to over $5 a gallon. The quickie-mart here in town was closed, out of gas. Panic had set in.

In thinking about 9/11, I couldn't help but think back a couple weeks ago, when the hurricane struck New Orleans. Once again gas prices sky rocketed. People lined up at the stations. Panic had set in.

On 9/11, everybody said never forget. How easily we do. How easily the same behavior happens time after time.

I remember on 9/11, babysitting my nephew. He was 16 months old at the time, a quiet little toddler. I sat on the living room floor covered with a blanket. We had Tellatubies on in the background. I couldn't handle anymore coverage of those towers crashing down. He drove his cars up and down my blanketed back, like some huge bridge or mountain. I remember being moved to tears by his innocent beauty and my strong love for him. No attack - nothing in the world - could make that bond crumble down.

I spent the afternoon yesterday at my sister's house. As my family watched the Packer game, I watched both my nephews play. My oldest nephew, the one I babysat on 9/11, is almost six years old now and in kindergarten. The one my sister was pregnant with at the time is now three-and-a-half. They played with their bowling set, superballs, and fire trucks while watching The Incredibles in the background. As I played with them like countless times, I couldn't believe their comfort with me, their unconditional love for me, and their intense, but innocently beautiful unbreakable bond with me.

How easily the same behavior happens, time after time.

As I relaxed my mind late into the night after zoning my way through The Simpsons and Family Guy, the day's events slowly merged into one, slowly becoming memories. As Katrina and 9/11 somehow became forever bonded together in the archives of my mind, it dawned me that I'd never been to New Orleans, never been to Marti Gras, or had never been to Burbon Street. I've never been to New York either. I haven't seen Time Square, the Statue of Liberty, or the World Trade Center. If I ever visit either of those places, they will never be what they once were. I'll never visit a pre-9/11 New York or a pre-Katrina New Orleans. How sad.

Some things will always stay the same while other things can never be the same again.

Monday's Playlist: U2 - Actung Baby

G

|

Sunday's Playlist: U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

G

|

Anyway, here's the setlist for that show as well today's iPod music listening experience.

Square One
Politik
Yellow
God Put A Smile On Your Face
Speed of Sound
Low
The Hardest Part
Everything's Not Lost
White Shadows
The Scientist
'Til Kingdom Come
Ring of Fire (Acoustic)
Don't Panic (Acoustic)
Clocks
Talk

Swallowed In The Sea
In My Place
Fix You (ending w/ curtain call)

(I might add that when the show ended, the speakers kicked in "Good Night" by the Beatles.)

Today's playlist:

1.Sarah McLachlan - Bloom (Remix Album)

2. 10,000 Maniacs - Our Time In Eden

3. Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow

4. Cinecast #34: Tough Guys Don't Top 5

G

|

P.S. After work tomorrow, I'm off to Madison for the weekend. Catch you Sunday night!

The graphic that I had on the homepage when I launched the new look was something I shot in Arizona on a really nice golf course for a work-related business trip. I manipulated the color of the photograph and turned it from a cluster of trees on a swanky golf-course on a 120 degree day to a chilly looking single tree reminiscent of the TV series Six Feet Under. The series was coming to a close. It had a home in my brain. In Gary-speak, I was "all about" Six Feet Under during that time, hence my homepage paying homage to the series.

The last few hours today at work, as well as during the complete drive home, it down-poured like nobody's business. It's been months since I've seen a sky that dark and heavy. As I was driving home, I realized what my new homepage graphic had to be.

The linger thoughts and images in my mind the past few days have dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I keep seeing image after image of a city submerged in water, like an abandoned Atlantis. I've gotten to a point where I shy away from the coverage. It's all too much.

Over the weekend, of course, the current devastation was the topic of conversation with my family. The other thing we kept talking about, though, was the price of gas, which, to my understanding, is all related to the hurricane damage. I saw one report about what the increased oil prices will mean for heating our homes this winter. If you look at the cause and effect of things, it will only be logical to realize that these increased fuel prices will hit our pocket books in many other ways. Eventually food and clothing, all of our basic necessities, will have to absorb the additional transportation costs. I wonder how this will effect our economy? Filling up my car has already gone from $20.00 to almost $40.00. How will that eventually add to the cost of groceries and clothes? What's it going to mean when it's time to pay the gas bill this winter? What's this going to mean for the long-term, and not just for me?

I know this may all come across as selfish. There are many ways I can cut back to absorb these prices. But if all of this leads to an inflated cost of living, what will it mean for a once prosperous economy? What will it mean to those who are already scraping to get by? I've heard one report that this could be all it takes to fall into a depression. Who knows?

As Uncle Sam starts to help clean up Katrina's mess, my other concern is that our homeland security, already spread too thin because of the fuckin' war in Iraq, has only been spread thinner. The U.S. is so incredibly vulnerable right now. If I were a terrorist, now would be the time to attack the west coast, while the all of the concentration is on our south. Why haven't we heard anything about the terror-rating lately? I'd imagine we're at a bright orange, maybe even a fluorescent yellow, or whatever other color is suppose to indicate that we're going to be caught with our pants down once again. I shudder at the thought. Could it be that we're our own worst enemy?

One of the things I've notice this past week while things only seem to be getting messier down south, is some of the overt racism that's been present. When I think back to 9/11, I never once remember somebody asking me what color of skin the victims had. It's disgusting. The insensitivity that I've noticed through all of this is mind-numbing. If any of the comments I've been hearing this past week would have even been whispered on 9/11, that person would have been considered a traitor. The lack of caring I've been hearing appalls and saddens me to the core. If an economic depression doesn't come out of this entire mess, the depression of our moral fiber has already become painfully obvious.

The past few days, my mind has been on thoughts of people losing everything they have, hatred geared toward them, and what this will all possibly mean to the weakening of our country economically and morally. These are dark times, and I feel like the people in New Orleans aren't the only ones in danger of drowning.

That's my rant for the week. That's all for now.

Wednesday's Playlist:

1.U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind

2. Van Morrison - Moondance

3. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra

4. The Simpsons - Songs In The Key Of Springfield

5. The Simpsons - Go Simpsonsin With The Simpsons

6. R.E.M. - Around The Sun

G

|

On Thursday morning, I left for St. Paul for my friends' wedding. The traffic west was wonderful, with most of the highways I took all new four-lane roads. When the traffic is good, I love long drives like that, this one being around five hours. The drive really went fast, thanks to my iPod.

I started out my drive with about an hours worth of podcasts, which really made the time go by. My favorite of the moment is one called Cinecast. This is a bi-weekly podcast from a couple of guys, Adam Kempenaar and Sam Hallgren, from Chicago. These guys just do their podcasts for the heck of it, usually with no sponsorship at all. The impression I get is that they're younger guys, more my age, and just huge movie buffs, which is what the podcasts are about. Listening to them talk reminds me of talking to my friends about movies. It's great. Since I found their podcast this summer, I anxiously look forward to it each week. I called them about a month ago with a listener voicemail, telling them how great I thought their show was. On last Tuesday's podcast, THEY PLAYED MY VOICEMAIL!

So there I was, minding my own business, driving along highway 29 heading west. All of a sudden, I heard them mention voicemail, and a lister who does an AV club thing with one of his friends from Arizona. I was like, "Whoa, that's me!" What a nice little surprise to start my trip out with. I've posted the excerpt with my voicemail on the media page of this site, available for download.

Traffic was great until I actually had to start navigating around and through Minneapolis/St. Paul during rush hour. Can anyone explain to me why there's a 35W, North AND South, as well as a 35E, North AND South? I've never experienced traffic like that.

Todd and Tanya's wedding was really nice. It was held at a place called Summit Manor, an old house with all kinds of character. This being the fourth wedding I've stood up in almost a year, the little joke with Tanya was that, "This is Gary, he's the professional groomsman." The wedding was a good time, meeting new friends and hanging out with some co-workers who also made the trek to the cities. I posted a few pix from the day on my snap shots page of this site.

The night before the wedding, we had the typical church rehearsal and groomsman dinner, which was pretty fab. For being an attendant, Todd got me an iPod Shuffle, probably the coolest groomsman gift I've ever received. I know that it seems pretty indulgent, considering I already have an iPod. But today I took it out for a run, and I have to say, it's just great having that little mp3 player, barely noticeable during my run. It was enough to get me outside running again, finally being able to move both arms while running. I'm such an Apple geek. Adding another iPod to my arsenal of white computers only makes me more excited.

The day after the wedding, a couple co-workers road back with me. We went to the Mall of America. There I picked up a few iPod Shuffle accessories. I could have spent all day at the Apple Store!

The one thing lingering on my mind during my trip to the cities was all of the devastation because of Hurricane Katrina. Even if you tried to ignore it, it was there with the inflated gas prices (we're at $3.09 in this part of Wisconsin). On Friday, I had a lot of time to hang out in my hotel room before the wedding. I couldn't help but watch story after story on CNN about the disaster. It's absolutely mind-boggling. As I sat there in my plush little hotel room with the $5 bottle of water that they had in the minibar, I couldn't believe how removed from that hysteria we really are. We have no idea how lucky we are. The wedding trudged on, of course, as it should, in our expensive formal-wear in that beautiful manor while the people down south have lost everything. Everything. Probably every photo album, every physical memory they had. As time moves on, as the stories unfold, they're only becoming more and move gut-wrenching.

If you haven't already, here's an opportunity to help make a small difference.

I mentioned this in my last post, but one of my favorite bloggers, John Strain, lives near New Orleans. His first-person account of this disaster is fascinating, inspiring, gut-wrenching, and just a wonderful example of the power of the blog when put to the proper use.

Well, that's about it for the night. As I said, my mind is all over the road tonight. Back to work tomorrow after a five-day break. My nephews go back to school (my oldest nephew started school on Thursday, which I'm sure will be more content for a future post), and even Dad has to go into work for bit to help out with some plans. Back to school, back to work. Where did summer go?

That's all for now.

Monday's Playlist: Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

G

|

P.S. Check out the August archives. Once again, I realize that last month was another thin month where journal entries were concerned. But I somehow managed to pull out a site redesign, added my music to the site as well as a bunch of snap shots of friends and family, both which are pretty huge. When one door opens...