Posted by Brian Fending on July 17th, 2008 — Posted in Music, Rails, Social Media, Technology
I don’t subscribe to many podcasts, but definitely give RailsEnvy a listen when I find the synopsis to be of interest. They recently did something quite interesting and set up a voicemail box to get feedback. Another of their listeners, frustrated that he only uses console to build applications (as I do), left a voicemail that the RailsEnvy people have aptly labeled, “We ain’t got no RSpec - Best Voicemail Ever“. Check it out - and definitely listen to the original voicemail before consuming the “remix”. It is a testament to their creativity as product evangelists and marketers.
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Posted by Brian Fending on July 14th, 2008 — Posted in Music, Personal
Rachel and I attended a wedding at bar this weekend. Not the usual kind of bar wedding we attend - no hogs parked outside or tequila drinking contests involving the bride - but a rather nice affair. There were cab rides home at the end of the night stemming from the in-house microbrews and generous Sapphire & tonics, and nobody’s car was stolen while sleeping off the festivities. The food was quite possibly the best buffet ever spread at a wedding, and I can honestly say that I had good friends old and new to talk to all night. It was awesome on many levels.
But this, my friends, is not the primary reason for today’s entry. Scheduled for 9pm that evening was a Karaoke Hour. The news spread far and wide and my closest friends first thought of me and tales of the LAST wedding karaoke at which I stepped up, belting out - respectably, I might add - Ring of Fire. I was notified, I made preparations. I had committed to singing this song. It was my tribute to the happily married couple, the song of course being the June Carter ballad that Cash (with Carter Family Singers) took to new mariachi heights.
DJ to crowd: “Okay, Karaoke time is appraching. I’ll need about 21 people to fill the hour… at least 15…” (I didn’t understand this part.)
Me to bar-neighbor: “Well, time to finish this and go sign…”
DJ: “You know… Johnny Cash wouldn’t be appropriate, but anything else…”
Me: “[sigh]“
Was this a coincidence? Had the excited communications about Ring of Fire made their way to somebody in charge of such things as Karaoke Hour??? To my discredit (or not), I did not pursue. This was a wedding, after all, and the new couple deserved whatever time they wished to have. But damn.
After that, some arrangements for a minivan-cab were being made, and we had a timeframe to work within. Drinks were finished, belonging were found, goodbyes were said… The song playing the last time I walked past the Karaoke Hour stage? Jay-Z’s 99 Problems. If “I got 99 problem but a bitch ain’t one…” is an appropriate tribute, but “Love is a burnin’ thing… It makes a firey ring…” isn’t, then I give up. I may as have been intending to sing Cocaine Blues.
In any case, World, you are on notice: Expect a Ring of Fire when this Wedding Karaoke concept is revisited. It is, after all, the only song that celebrates my limited vocal range.
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Posted by Brian Fending on June 26th, 2008 — Posted in Music, Personal
For my birthday this week, Rachel upgraded my musical life in the form of an 80GB iPod Classic to replace my 4GB iPod Mini (which is now quite officially the “norahPod”). The brianPod2, as I titled it, is - how do I say this… &%$^$@#%^@#%@ AWEsome. For starters, I get a LOT more of my music with me for commuting and traveling, a color screen capable of accommodating my episodes of 24 and BSG as well as the TED Talks videocasts that I became addicted to last year, and… and a lot of room to move my favorite stuff on & off. I just love this thing. I may never work in silence again. And WHOA… do I really have that much Wu-Tang Clan and Patsy Cline? Who knew???
In short, it is perhaps the single greatest non-alcoholic, non-breathing gift I’ve received in a rather long time. And I had darned well better start a Rachel Birthday Fund now. 
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Posted by Brian Fending on April 15th, 2008 — Posted in Music, Reviews
On Sunday, our friends Jen and Mark took us to the symphony. The bill:
Wagner - Overture to Faust
Brahms - Symphony No.3
Adams - Harmonium
Obviously, I went for the second half. On the way to that, I was pleasantly surprised by their performances of the Wagner and Brahms - really sensitive in the adagio and tight in the allegretto. In a word: Nice. Maybe that should be a given, but the last time I took in a BPO performance was less than this stellar. My hopes were held high for part deux.
Now, for a matinee performance, I didn’t expect high energy. A local college choir was singing the vocal score. There were a lot of youngish-looking extras in the percussion section. I didn’t expect much except to hear a rendition of the Adams classic, and that was going to be good enough.
First, the bitchy part: Some really strange and avoidable stuff stuck out - deadened almglocken, too-big suspended cymbals that didn’t match the orchestral timbre, “unison” timpani and bass drum hits that had 0.7% chance of being together (the odds prevailed), and some balance issues - whoooo some balance issues. All in all, this was a lot of score and a lot of orchestra, with a lot of the conductor stooping into said score and hanging onto his baton for dear life. I don’t blame him - there’s a lot to lose when you get a couple hundred people on a stage.
There were definitely some inspiring moments, the usual in the minimalist repertoire with quasi-unison and “oh my GOD I’m inside an organ right now I must be don’t let it stop” events. However, the absolute best was Rachel turning to me at the conclusion and saying, “that… was really cool.” Ah-HA! You DO like something composed last century!
I think I may actually get to see more BPO concerts, though there is a dearth of 20th (let alone 21st!) century programming in Buffalo.
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