ARROWFEST!!

The drive up to Lake Arrowhead is beautiful and serene. During the 7000 foot climb you look around and notice how green it is, how tall the trees are, how you are leaving the craziness of civilization behind and are entering the calm peacefulness of mountain life. You roll down the window, take a deep breath, think "this is a great place to unwind, relax". I would bet one of the last things you are thinking of when you pull into quaint Lake Arrowhead Village is "what a great place for a rock show". The quiet beauty of Lake Arrowhead does not lend itself to rowdy rock and roll. Yet, every year Lake Arrowhead hosts a summer music festival with bands from all genres of music. Saturday night it was Lights turn and they made the most of it! Shortly after they hit the stage, the serene quiet getaway spot of Lake Arrowhead Village was transformed into a rock and roll party! This wasn't your usual rock and roll party. No dingy club, no groupies, no wee morning encores. It was a lakeside rock and roll party out among the trees with beautiful (not freezing) weather and fresh (not smoggy) air.

Like any party, there was music at this one and it was rocking! When the band hit the stage and opened with the high-energy "Escape", it didn't take long for people to come out of the shops and restaurants to hear what was going on. Once they heard the music, they stayed all evening. That can be attributed in no small part to the ability of lead singer Juan Del Castillo to captivate an audience. The ability to entertain and hold the interest of an audience is the mark of a great front man and Juan has been blessed with that gift in a big way! His amazing voice and its remarkable similarity to Steve Perry's are what draw people in but that voice along with his charisma and easy-going charm make him stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Even the best can't go at it alone and Juan is assisted in keeping the melody by Jeff Vincent. When you are playing the music of a band as loved as Journey, comparisons are inevitable. To that end, Jeff has some big shoes to fill in those of Jonathon Cain. During his solo Saturday night, Jeff proved he is more than capable in filling those shoes. Believe it or not, Jeff's ability to play those lush keyboard melodies Journey is known for isn't his only talent. He also shares vocals with Juan on "Just The Same Way" and definitely holds his own. That song has become a crowd favorite!

Jeff and Juan aren't the only vocalists in the band. In fact, one of the things that make Lights so unique is that all members of the band sing. "I'll Be Alright Without You" is one of Journey's more jazzy songs and a song that, I imagine, is not easy to pull off. Lead by the always steady and grooving rhythm section of Casey McNerney and Michael Thompson, this song highlights the bands incredible ability to harmonize! This is a new song for Lights and one of the many bright spots in the show!

Most parties have dancing and this one was no exception. With seating at a minimum, the space in front of the stage was transformed into a dance floor. Couples young and older were dancing to the ballads such as "Open Arms" and "Faithfully". Even the kids got into the action, jumping up and down and playing inflatable guitars to the rockers "Anyway You Want It" and the eternally popular "Don't Stop Believin". By the end of the third, yes third, set, very few were in the seats and the "dance floor" was packed! The band was more than obliging to their new friends on the mountain, playing favorites "Wheel in the Sky" and "Don't Stop Believin" again. The crowd loved it the second time more than the first!

Music and good times weren't the only way Lights made their mark on Lake Arrowhead.
After the show was over, the band hung out and took pictures or signed things for anyone that asked. This made quite the impression on Gilbert Acosta, an employee of the Village. He mentioned to the Street Team that many bands play at the annual music festival but none of them have the humility and kindness that the guys in Lights have. He mentioned that he never saw a band hang out and be so nice to the public like that. I overheard similar comments a couple of other times, and not just from the giggly girls who got their pictures taken with Juan! J Talent is one thing but when it can be backed up with a respect and love for the crowd, new fans are made and the long time fans come back show after show.

My friends, Saturday wasn't just another night in tranquil Lake Arrowhead. It was a rock and roll party that included dancing and a whole lot of fun! The night was made complete with the music of a group of talented musicians who truly love to play and respect who they play for. That is a combination that is hard to find but we fans are lucky we have it in a band called Lights. Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Round 3

I am viewing my weight loss in rounds. Round one was the pre-emptive weight I took off with Weight Watchers. 27 pounds in 3 months. I needed to get that off to

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Were You There The Night Lights Lit Up The Canyon Club?

I got up this morning and my roommate gave me the Calendar section of the LA Times, just like she does every morning. On the front page is an article about Prince wowing the crowd at The Coachella Music Festival. I put it into my purse to read later. I got into the car to drive to work and Mark and Brian were talking about Prince at Coachella and how quick the clips ended up on YouTube. My co-workers were all a buzz when I came in this morning about the same topic. All this talk about Prince wowing the crowd at one of the largest, most trend-setting music festivals got me to think about where he came from. When did he go from club musician in Minneapolis to mega star in the California desert?

Someday Lights fans will ask the same question. They will wonder when, where and how did the band go from the garage to being the best band out there. These questions can be answered for Lights fans today. When did it happen: Friday April 25, 2008. The location: The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills California. How did they do it: By putting on the most amazing show The Canyon Club has seen in a long time.

This was a night where everything just seemed right on target, starting with the venue! Nestled at the foot of Agoura Hills, The Canyon Club is known in the Valley as one of the premier places to play. Not just any band plays there. It holds more people than your average bar and with its warm atmosphere and friendly bar staff; people love to go there to see shows.

The next element was the crowd that came out Friday! They were primed and ready for a great show! All week long they were seeing MySpace bulletins and getting emails and phone calls from friends telling them how awesome this show was going to be! Wanting to see if the band would deliver on that promise, people turned out! The place was packed! All the tables were full and there was hardly room to breathe on the dance floor let alone move!

So we have a great venue and a pumped up crowd. Sounds like just another Lights show, right? Oh no, my friends! The band made sure that wasn't the case. From the first note of "Escape", the band came out playing like their lives depended on it. All through out the show, the guys played like a cohesive unit, every harmony dead on, every queue hit, not a note out of place!

This was the first show that put the members of the band in a spotlight all their own. Each of the three solos was special in its own way as every member of the band is talented. New member Michael showed what a powerful drummer he is. Keyboardist Jeff got the chance to come forward and show what a great keyboardist he is, something that doesn't always come through while playing in the background.

However, the solo that stuck out to me was from lead guitarist Jonny. I have always known he was talented but was never quite sure if he was serious. Did he want to just hang out and have a good time playing or did he want to make a bid at being the next Eddie Van Halen? By the sounds of his playing Friday, he is more than serious. Melodic and purposeful with incredible fretwork, Jonny's playing Friday brought to my mind a young Neal Schon back when he played with Santana. Jonny is just a little older than Neal was at the time so the possibilities are there for him to become so much more! That starts with the awesome solo he played Friday!

From start to finish, the band kept the energy high! The crowd was whipped into a frenzy early as the rockin music had them dancing and screaming and they stayed that way all night! Every crowd member has a favorite and with a 110 minute show, I would bet they were all played. From the powerful opener "Escape" to the fun closer "Oh Sherri", the fans sang along to every song. Some crowd members were there when Steve Perry sang them and then passed along there love of Journey to their kids. Both generations of fans came out to hear Lights recreate perfectly the songs they love so well, In fact during "Don't Stop Believin" the crowd was so loud I could clearly hear them and I was standing in front of the speaker!

Each band member did their best to make sure the crowd was having a great time and it didn't seem to difficult because the band themselves were having a blast!! Jonny and Juan played to the front rows and left all the ladies smiling while Michael entertained not only by keeping the beat but by twirling and throwing up his drumsticks like a pro. Casey and Jeff had smiles on their faces all night and their having a good time translated into the crowd having a good time.

So what was the difference between this Lights show and any other? The great venue, great crowd, amazing music are all staples of a Lights show and what fans expect. What was different was the guys obvious commitment to kicking things up a notch. They performed Friday night like a band that wants to take this to the next level, whatever and wherever that might be. From the looks and sounds of the show Friday night, they aren't going to stop at being just a good club band or a great tribute band. They want to be the best band out there, any time, any place. And when Lights fans think back to the show that started this to happening, they will all think of that Friday night at the Canyon Club. The lucky fans will be the ones able to say "I was there". Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Not Just The Lakers Go "Back To Back"

Back to back shows. It is the true test for any band! Can they keep the energy up for two nights in a row, especially when one of them is a weeknight? Will the crowds turn out? Lights and their fans found that out this past weekend as the guys played shows Thursday and Friday nights.
The weekend started a night early this week, on Thursday night. For one weekend every April, Long Beach is turned into race fan central. It is this weekend that the city hosts its Grand Prix, which is kicked off by a downtown block party. In the middle of this party sits a parking lot. It is bordered by bars, apartment buildings and a well attended Hooters. It is dingy and on most days, it is full with the vehicles people paid good money to park there. For the Long Beach Grand Prix Kick Off, with a stage, some amps and great music, Lights transfixed Long Beach Grand Prix fans and turned the parking lot into a rock and roll party!

The party started before the guys officially hit the stage! During sound check, I noticed people congregating against the back wall. I wandered over to a couple who were walking their dog and stopped to listen. It turned out they lived in the apartment building close by and thought they heard Journey playing. So they came over to check it out! Same for the officers cruising by to make sure all was well. They liked what they were hearing so they stopped the car and got out for a listen. Turns out a couple of them are Journey fans and really liked what they were hearing. On the opposite end of the lot, three guys coming out of Hooters wandered over and asked what was going on. When told this was a band that plays Journey, one said, "Are they going to play Don't Stop Believing"?

When Lights hit the stage, they delivered what everyone wanted; giving the Long Beach race fans a great show! Juan, Jeff, Jonny and Casey were great as usual but it was new drummer Michael Thompson that really impressed me! With only one show with Lights under his belt, Michael did an amazing job of keeping the beat and helped the band get everyone moving and grooving! There were a lot of hands in the air, heads bopping up and down, people dancing! Walking around the crowd, I saw nothing but smiles! From "Anyway You Want It" to "Escape", by the looks on the faces in the ever-growing crowd, the band played the favorites of every one there! Yes, the band played "Don't Stop Believing" and had not only the man that was waiting for it but everyone else dancing and jumping up and down!

Playing a show outside is both a challenge and a benefit and the Lights guys rose to the occasion! The benefit of being outside is that people walking by can't help but hear the music and see the crowd having fun. Most of the people stuck around for a least a few songs if not the whole show! The music got people to stop to check out what was going on and energy of the crowd kept them around. I think the band turned Long Beach race fans into Lights fans!

No less than twenty-four hours later, the band was back in the familiar confines of the club, playing a show at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello! While the place was different, the show was no less energetic! Just like the race fans in Long Beach, the crowd in Montebello was smiling, dancing and having a great time! This was the bands second time at the club and the crowd was treated to all of their Journey favorites as well as the many talents of front man Juan Del Castillo. Juan had the crowd in hysterics with his Joe Pesci impression! Who knew he was quite the impressionist? Another highlight of the night was the song "Just The Same Way", which spotlights another multi-talented band member, Jeff! Swapping lead vocals with Juan, the song shows that Jeff isn't just a great keyboardist, he can sing as well!

So, there you have it! Back to back shows are no problem for this band! Fans from Long Beach to Montebello found out that a great time is what you can expect at a Lights show, no matter the situation. It doesn't matter whether the show is in a parking lot or in a club, on a weeknight or weekend, Lights deliver great music, high energy and a lot of fun! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

What Makes A Good Band Great?

Whether they are seeing a band in a small club, a dive bar or a 15,000-seat arena, music fans hope for the same thing: magic! They are looking for the one night something different happens. They know they will hear the top 10 hits, the song that broke the band, the song that makes all the fans scream and throw their lighters, now cell phones, in the air. What they want to hear is the song that will make the night unforgettable. That one song that will have all the people that were there talking about it for a long time and those that were not there wondering why they picked that show to miss. Lights fans were treated to that experience at The OC Tavern. It started as a fun night and the fans were treated to all their Journey favorites! 'Wheel In The Sky', 'Just The Same Way' and the eternally popular 'Don't Stop Believin'.

Little did everyone know, the band saved the best for last. When they left the stage after another great performance, the crowd was left screaming for more! What would they come out and play? Escape? Patiently? Imagine the surprise when from behind the stage the crowd heard Juan singing the opening line of 'Oh Sherrie'! I feel it is safe to say the last thing expected was a Steve Perry solo tune but that is what we got. From the pounding bass line to the vocal harmonies, the band nailed it! Juan perfectly conveyed the heartache in the song and the band backed him up perfectly! The crowd was stunned but by the end of the first verse, I was seeing smiles and people singing along! Before this, the night was clicking along as usual! High energy, great music, good crowd! Another good Lights show, another fun crowd at the OC Tavern. After the encore, the night was no longer 'just another Lights show'. It became the first night the band played 'Oh Sherrie' and they played it well!

Something that makes the night special. These are the moments music fans wait for and I have seen many of them! Springsteen with his 'Devil In A Blue Dress' medley, U2 covering 'A Change Is Gonna Come', Bon Jovi opening at Giant's Stadium with Neil Young's 'Rockin In The Free World' to name a few. These are the experiences that make live music the magic that it can be. Lights proved Saturday at the OC Tavern that they can take a club show and turn it into something special. In my opinion, that is one of the things that make a good band great! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Not The Same Easter

It’s 10AM on Easter morning and I am sitting like I do every morning, blogging and drinking coffee. Instead of hymns in a church, I am sitting on the floor of my room listening to Matchbox 20 on my IPod. I am not thinking of the signifigance of the day, not even thinking of chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps. No, I am thinking of how I need to get to work by noon and how crazy things are going to be at PetSmart today. While I should be thinking of Christ rising after dying for my sins, I am thinking about keeping my back from hurting while crawling around playing with dogs all day! Sheesh, I am not even an "Easter/Christmas" Christian anymore! That’s sad!

Two years ago, this day would be the culmination of almost a month of preparation for the production I was in at Rocky Peak. "Jerusalem AD" was the recreation of the week leading up to the crucifixion and reserection of Jesus. It was musical, dramatic and the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of. We would do 2 performances a night for about a week and a half. Then after the last performance of 12 or so, as a member of the choir, I would spend Easter Weekend singing in 4-5 services. It was magical, wondrous, and while exhausting, uplifting and fullfilling.
As with much in life, things change. These changes led to our wonderful Worship Arts Pastor leaving for bigger and better things. That change led to the department being revamped and the choir being disbanded. It was that final change that led me to fall away. Yes, I know the church isn’t about one department, one ministry, or even the people. It’s about God. But that church no longer felt like home or felt comfortable. So I told myself I was looking for a church. I did...for awhile. But I didn’t put that much effort into it. Now it’s two years later and I am sitting at home on Easter blogging.

My question is can you life a decent life and still be a Christian? Sure the bible says to fellowship with other believers which points to the value of going to Church. But isn’t God everywhere? Wouldn’t He rather you live life being kind to others, not living in sin, trying to do the best you can than sit in the Church one Sunday a year and then live like you don’t care?

For my sake, I sure hope so because my heart is just not into Easter this year. Quite frankly, it snuck up on me. I think it’s because I don’t want to be a hippocrate. I am not going to send Easter greetings since I am not feeling it and I certainly am not going to buy into the commercialism of the whole thing either. So I am just going to go to work and play with the dogs of people that are going to church and hopefully, are getting the message. For me, maybe next year. Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.

Matchbox Rocks Staples

The year was 1996 and I was sharing a house with Ronda and her family! I was temping at Disney with no permanent job prospects in sight. I was in the kitchen deep in my usual routine of coffee and Mark and Brian. I remember Brian going on about this song that he couldn’t get out of his head. A song called "Push". They played it and it stuck in my head all day as well. I had to hear more from this band so I went to Target and got the CD. I was excited to find that every single, solitary song was amazing! It was just what I needed to escape from the craziness and uncertainty of my life. Very few people had heard of the band and I couldn’t understand why! I remember telling everyone I could to check them out! This CD was the most incredible music I had heard in a long time! It was the only CD in my player for months! Just as I thought music was doomed to grunge hell, here comes the most melodic, well written rock in years! The CD was "Yourself Or Someone Like You". The band? Matchbox 20!

I was thinking back to that morning last Sunday while sitting in my seat at Staples waiting for MB20 to come on stage! In that crowd of thousands, I felt a little pride in knowing I was there from the beginning. Oddly enough in the 11 years I have been a fan, I had never seen the band live. I sat thre wondering if their immense talent translated into an energetic, entertaining live show. It would have to as, truthfully, my heart wasn’t into being there. I had just come off a 7 hour drive from up North and I was dead tired.

The lights go down, a countdown clock above the stage starts counting down and at 0, the band comes on to the drumbeat of "How Far We’ve Come", an amazing opening to what was 2 solid hours of music! Rob said that the doors of the arena would be locked and for all of to forget what was going on outside and focus on the music. Easy to do because I can not thing of a song I wanted them to play that they didn’t. Songs like "Hang" and "The Difference", two of my favorites, were pleasant surprises! A highlight of the show was when, in the middle of "Bright Lights", the band seamlessly went right into "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", with guitarist Kyle and Paul taking turns on vocals! Amazing! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t jump up and down like a fool when Rob dedicated "Long Day" to "all of you that have been there since the beginning". That’s me! WAHOO! :) Rob is a funny and very endearing frontman! Incredibly talented and not hard on the eyes! One of the best songwriters of the last decade! But I must admit, as great of a time I had been having, I was a little worried during the encore. My favorite song hadn’t been played even though it was their breakout hit. Would they leave it out? Of course not! "Push" was the last song of the night and I left with a huge smile on my face!

Talented, energetic, awesome! I loved this show and can’t wait until their new album! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.