Sunday, April 29, 2007

Shawn McDonald NOT @ Princeton University


For an awesome 36 hours, i got to go back home to new jersey this weekend. i'm flying back to LA first thing tomorrow morning, but it was great to see my family for a few minutes, remember how to drive my car, and hand my laundry off to my mom (i love you mom.)
Tonight i went over to Princeton University for a free Shawn McDonald concert on campus with my friends Dave and Jamie. We find out once we get there that Shawn's wife is currently giving birth to their first child and he's at the hospital with her. honestly, how dare he cancel like that. his wife could've just brought the infant to the show and he could meet his new son or daughter after he's done. i mean come on.
anywhos, we stayed and listened as Phil Wickham took the stage. dude can play. before he played an intense and beautiful worship song called "Divine Romance," he explained his frame of mind when he wrote it - the same God who created everything around us also personally loves each one of us more deeply than we can imagine. just as the song starts it begins to rain. poned, right? well, during the last minute and a half of the song, a rainbow (pictured) streches out over the Princeton dorms behind the stage. the same symbol God used in the Bible to describe his love and promise. After the song was done, the rain stopped. it was an amazing time of worship. even though Shawn was a no-show, it was still a great night and a fun 36 hours back in the dirrty jerz.

goodnight,
greg

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Cowboys


Big shout-out to Alex Noyes with cluing us in on the best attraction in all of Orlando: Sheplers; The World's Largest Cowboy Store. i'm in the house band for the 2007 Disney Channel Games taking place in Disney World and when we're not being sweet at the D.C. Games, we're buying loads of cowboy shirts and looking awesome.

Below: Real Florida Gators from the Animal Kingdom Safari in Diz World. i accidentally fell in. i'm fine. the gators are not.


-gg

Monday, April 23, 2007

Time Travel (back in Flowduh: part deux)


i find myself in the land of oranges and mickey mouse for the third time this month. We traveled from LA and my internal clock is still there. Last night i laid in bed for hours with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling in the dark, convincing myself i'm tired. and not being convinced. it's only 3 hours difference but my prediction is it takes a month for me to get on schedule. While I was laying in bed, i thought - if traveling across the country gives you jetlag because of a 3 hour difference, time travel must seriously mess you up. you would want / have to sleep for years. it just seems not worth it to me. time travel = poned.

PS - there are giraffes outside my hotel.

PPS - happy belated B-earth day Dad (april 22nd)

Friday, April 20, 2007

Death, Taxes, and Myspace


Only three guarantees in life my friends: Everyone will die, everyone will pay taxes, and everyone will have a myspace. If you're not on myspace yet, i'm sorry to say you've been beaten out by other "cool new people." That's right, other "cool new people" like...John McCain?

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Bowling for Mustaches


Good news:
we went bowling last night and sported fake mustaches.

Better news:
on our way there, we passed a store called “Garbo.” NO JOKE!

Best news:
i bowled a personal all-time low of 45. Record setting night! Olright!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Egyptians at the Roxy


Last night we went to the packed Roxy Theatre to see Rooney. The concert was going along fine, and then Susanna Hoffs (of the Bangles) walks on stage, plugs in a microphone, and performs one of my all-time favorite songs, “Walk like an Egyptian” with Rooney. i took an awful picture with my phone as you can try to see. Rooney followed that up with “I’m Shakin’” which immediately became the best two-song combo I’ve heard in a loooooong time. so sweet.

now I need to find a box of cereal and eat it.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Back in Flowduh

Yesterday we joined Jesse McCartney for the first of a couple shows in Florida. Before the show we kept talking about our first tour as a band, which was almost 2 years ago in the summer of 2005, as the opener-opener for Jesse. Wednesday’s show became an instant favourite for all of us and was the most fun we’ve had on stage all year (plus we debuted more new songs.)

Quick (humorous) story about our first show with Jesse back in ’05:
This was the first show of our first tour, we only had 6 prior performances in NJ/NY under our belt, so needless to say we were nervous and because we were behind schedule we had to soundcheck in front of the audience as they walked in. We played 7:05 as a soundcheck, walked off stage for 20 seconds while we were introduced, then awkwardly walked back on stage to the people we just soundchecked in front of and fumbled through 3 more songs.
Yesterday’s show was a great reminder of how much we’ve learned and how far we’ve come as a band with our live performances. God has brought us a long way and we’re pumped to take it to the next level. (sorry, cliché. but true.) Awesome. See you guys Friday. Rock.

August 1st, 2005 – Cary, North Carolina (1st show with Jesse, 7th show ever)

7:05
I Am What I Am
One Day At A Time
Time For Me To Fly

April 11, 2007 – Clearwater, Florida (1st show back with Jesse, 7 billionth show ever)

Poor Unfortunate
Mandy
Just Friends
S.O.S.
Goodnight and Goodbye
What I Go to School For
Hold On
Hello Beautiful
Still In Love With You
Kids of the Future
Year 3000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Hallucinations at the White House


At least that’s how it seemed as we spent our Easter Monday on the White House front lawn with a bizarre cast of creatures. There were the ordinary sights you would expect: kids hunting for colored eggs, Mrs. Bush reading to children, etc. And EXTRAordinary sights: a live alligator, a woman dressed as a pineapple, etc. There were more crazy life-sized characters (interns in costumes) than you would see in Soho on Halloween. Jack eloquently described looking out to the crowd as we performed, “i saw a dancing alien, Stephen Baldwin, and a secret service sniper - all within 20 feet of each other.”
that aside, it was a tremendous blessing and honor to perform at the White House. it was a long, but awesome day I won’t forget.
We played 3 sets which mostly included new songs, Y3K, poor unfortunate, kids of the future…

Godbless - gg


Friday, April 6, 2007

Have a Magical Day!

That’s the four word phrase every telephone operator here in Disney World ends the phone conversation regardless of the tone of the conversation. It’s an awkward way to end an otherwise normal exchange of words and catches me off-guard every time.
Example: (Valued Hotel Guest) – “Hi. how is it possible that Mickey Mouse is walking around in both Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios in different outfits at the same time?”
(Operator) – “Um…I’m not sure i understand the question."
(Valued Hotel Guest) - "You know what, nevermind. No big deal. Thanks anyway. Bye."
(Operator) - "Have a magical day!"
(Vauled Hotel Guest) - "I'm sorry, what?"
(Operator) - "................."
(Valued Hotel Guest) - "I didn't hear you. What did you just say?"
(Operator) - *click*
Still, I took the operator’s advice - i met arguably two of the coolest and nicest people alive in one super-ultra-magical day. The first is LeVar Burton who helped me learn to read via my television screen on ‘Reading Rainbow’, which dates back to my hard-knock early years growing up in the central jersey suburbs. the other is Shawn Bradley, the recently retired Dallas Mavericks center who measures in at 7ft. 6in. and currently on course to be the tallest man i will ever see in my lifetime.



We played a full-band show for the Children’s Miracle Network in Orlando yesterday and debuted a few new songs. During “Hello Beautiful” the boys brought all of the kids onstage who had either overcome or were still battling a life-threatening illness. (pictured below) If anything was magical, it was playing for those kids:

April 4th, 2007

Pour Unfortunate Soles
Mandy
Goodnight and Goodbye
Kids of the Future
Hello Beautiful
Australia
Hold On
Still In Love With You
Year 3000



HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

-g