Naked Beggars In Des Moines

If songs, talent, and showmanship were what really mattered in the music industry, Naked Beggars would be ruling the rock n roll world. Songs that remind you of all the bands you listened to growing up from one genre to another with a sound all their own. The talent among these 5 musicians is incredible and everyone already knows the pedigree of Jeff Labar and Eric Brittingham from Cinderella. The lead and rhythm prowess of Kris Casamento is something to be seen as well. Kris has been part of the song backbone for this band since the inception. New drummer, Lisa Rev, is a very welcome addition to this band. She brings a steady backbeat that just grooves in the pocket with Eric's bass playing. Her dynamics bring a seductive feel to songs as the beat infects you and makes you move. Leading this band on stage is Inga who has a great sense of humor and a unique way of bringing you into the lyric with her showmanship. The whole is greater than the 5 members, which is what makes Naked Beggars such a wonderful band and live experience.

Last night was another great live show from this great band. The crowd was quite small so we had an intimate night with Naked Beggars. (Doesn't that sound like fun?) There was a lot of joking around as Inga picked on Jeff. Jeff had a recurring theme all night that he just learned the songs yesterday or learned to play the Mandolin yesterday. Inga led the humor, but the guys were right there with the jokes. When Inga told everyone that Eric was a farm boy, Jeff piped up that it was a pot farm. Jeff told a story about getting the finger from Inga and said it was the best finger he'd ever gotten. Eric then chimed in saying "except for the time in jail". Jeff having gone to jail was another running joke throughout. You could tell through all the banter that this is a group of friends who have become family and let it shine through all they do.

The songs are what Naked Beggars boil down to. It's the songs that move them and the songs that provide further insight into this family. The set list is as follows:

Ain't Your Mama
Lies (I love the rhythm of this song! Drums and a Les Paul through a Marshall stack make this song!)
Spit It Out
Bitch
Go Where You're Wanted (The first new song of the night! Tasty groove!)
I'm All Over It (Another new tune with some great rhythm.)
Creep
Naked N' Beggin' (Jeff has a very melodic guitar part that sets the tone from the outset on this new song.)

ACOUSTIC SET
What You Give (Tesla)
Discombobulated
Nobody's Fool (Cinderella)
Destiny (A new song Jeff really did learn the day before! There is a great vibe to this slower tune.)
Going To California (Led Zeppelin)
Lullaby

No More
Kind Of Girl
Too Late
Dream On (Aerosmith)
Never Runaway (My favorite of the new tunes because this rocker just makes you involuntarily! You have to!)
Nothin' But Trouble
Hole In The Wall
Get It On

Twenty-two songs. Most bands are content to do ten, twelve, or even 15 tunes, but these guys gave us a full evening and obviously enjoyed every minute of sharing their talent with us. They took us away from our day to day lives for a full evening of great rock n roll. They enjoyed smiling, sharing, and rocking out with us. Not to us or for us, but with us. They invited us into their music and we loved every moment.

I had a few personal highlights visiting with the band afterwards. When I arrived at Shooter's Hideaway, I saw Eric milling near the front door, but I went over to see some new friends first. I figured the band was gearing up to get ready and I wanted to take in the venue. When the band gathered up getting ready to leave to go eat dinner, I walked toward them and Inga said "You made it!". She remembered that I had mentioned that I may not make the Clear Lake date, but I assured her that in Des Moines, I'd be there. She and Eric shook my hand and genuinely seemed glad to see a familiar face of a fan. Lord knows I've pestered Inga enough about getting to Des Moines. Of course, I hadn't known about Shooter's having shows so it was a venue I hadn't even mentioned to her. I'm glad others have been instrumental in getting Naked Beggars to Des Moines. Now to just have them back often! Dave, the Waterstock webmaster, took pictures since I'd left my memory card at home. I will post the ones he took of me with the band and put a link here for his live shots if he allows me. JW was able to get some pictures he'd taken previously in Clear Lake signed by the band members. I got a set list signed and was able to go over my recollection of the originals with Inga. They were also impressed that I had a Spit It Out sampler that I brought in to get signed. (I have two of them.) I was able to ask Inga and Kris about the new CD they HOPE to have out in February. I know that Inga and Kris have done a major share of the writing in the past and there have been member changes with each CD. With the new CD they have 4 members that have toured and written together for quite some time now. Inga said that there is more of a collaborative effort this time around as they have lived with each other and the songs for a while now. They still have more songs to write and the titles of the new songs may change and the songs themselves alter as they grow into the tunes with time. Kris said they hope to be in the studio in the first part of December. They still have more to do, but as a fan I can hardly wait to hear the new CD and I'm hoping they are able to hit the February time frame with something they are proud to share.

I asked Inga about their missing member, Kristine. I was curious when she might return to touring with the band and that seems to be up in the air right now. Kristine is missed with her keyboards, violin, and wonderful harmonies. The band sounds very muscular without those instruments, but they do provide a great feel to the tunes. I hope Kristine is able to return. I know the band and fans miss her. She's a great addition. Of course, I have to stress, too, in all fairness that there is so much talent in the five that were there last night that while Kristine is a great addition, the band certainly isn't lacking without her. In fact, it does provide a more muscular sound with stipping it down to guitars, bass, and drums. Watching Kris and Jeff trade licks at one point was incredible!

I didn't know Shooter's Hideaway had any live music until I heard about this gig. I had the good fortune of meeting Paul who set up this room for live shows. He knows what he's doing with the sound and lights and he was absolutely correct about the acoustics at Shooter's. This is a great venue for smaller live shows and maybe over time bigger ones. They may need to raise the stage off the floor more as people will block people in a larger crowd and with a small drum riser, Lisa did hit the ceiling a couple of times. There is talk of having Naked Beggars back some day soon and I hope it works out to do so. Word of mouth will help this venue as they start bringing bands like Naked Beggars there on a regular basis.

Go see Naked Beggars. Support them by spreading the word about this wonderful band. They will laugh with you. They will rock you. They will move you.

LA Guns in Des Moines

You can always expect a great show from LA Guns. Steve Riley holds down the beat with Adam Hamilton. Stacey Blades cranks up the Les Paul through his Marshall stack with some tasty leads. Phil keeps the crowd entertained with a sense of humor and his plays to the crowd.

Keyster's hosted this event with Iowa's own Gibbs Brothers opening. The Gibbs Brothers were tight with a rock sound based in the blues. Their drummer is also the singer and he puts his kit front and center so that he can entertain while keeping time. His brother provides some soulful licks while their bass player keeps the groove going. They covered Cinderella's Last Train and Motley Crue's Wild Side in addition to some previously recorded originals and some from their upcoming CD being produced by Rikki Rockett. I was impressed. I'd heard about these guys, but this was the first I'd seen them. I can't wait to hear the new CD and see them live again.

LA Guns hit the stage with their brand of sleazy Hollywood rock firing on all cylinders. Phil was sans hat, but wore a new mustache that he said he's trying out. About halfway into the set, the owner came up and mentioned that it needed to be turned down as he'd received his second citation in two nights. The guys turned it down a tad, but being front and center it still sounded great. The set list was as follows:

No Mercy
Sex Action
Never Enough
Some Lie 4 Luv
Over The Edge
I Wanna Be Your Man
Rock N Roll Outlaw
Gypsy Soul (My personal favorite from their newest CD!)
It Don't Mean Nothing
Wheels Of Fire
Hellraisers Ball
Nothing Better To Do
One More Reason
Electric Gypsy
Ballad Of Jayne
Rip N Tear

There was no encore, but the set list had "Don't Look At Me That Way" listed at the end and it wasn't performed. There wasn't but a few of us calling for more tunes. We had an extra hour with the time change, but the band didn't return to the stage.

LA Guns came out with their remaining T-shirts and CD's and met with everyone and signed everything they were asked to sign. As always, a great show by my favorite sleazy Sunset Strip band.

TV Schedule Fall 2006

Thought I'd throw up my TV schedule here to give a detailed account of what I watch.

SUNDAY

Meet The Press (NBC) - The mostly liberal interpretation of politics for the week.
Fox News Sunday (FOX) - The mostly conservative interpretation of politics for the week.
Various Football Games (CBS, ESPN, & FOX) - Gotta see the Cowboys and Chiefs!
Cold Case (CBS) - A great procedural with heart.
Without A Trace (CBS) - A great procedural with great characters.
War At Home (FOX) - I've always loved Married With Children and this has a similar humor.

MONDAY

How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Great comedy! Gotta love Barney!
The Class (CBS) - Fun new comedy with a payoff each episode so far.
Two And A Half Men (CBS) - This comedy gets away with so much for the hour it's in.
The New Adventures Of Old Christine (CBS) - This comedy is really finding its legs. Humor in divorce.
CSI: Miami (CBS) - Fun setting for a procedural. I hope they start getting into the characters better soon.
Heroes (NBC) - I love shows about superheroes. Brittany watches this one with me.
Justice (FOX) - I hope this show survives. Great procedural on the side of the defense. Always the truth at the end.
Studio 60 On Sunset Strip (NBC) - I've just caught the opener so far and have 3 shows to catch up on.
WWE: Monday Night RAW (USA) - Everyone needs to see someone kick some butt with hot women by their side.
Gene Simmons Family Jewels (A&E) - The Demon as father, husband, and business man. Much better than Ozzy's show.

TUESDAY

Friday Night Lights (NBC) - Very realistic look at a Texas football town. Similar in style and feel to the movie.
The Unit (CBS) - The men who serve and the women who love them. Great stories on both the battlefield and the homefront.
ECW (SCI-FI) - Owned by WWE, but with more "extreme" style.

WEDNESDAY

30 Rock (NBC) - Tina Fey is a good writer. I'm anxious to see if this is gonna be as fun as it sounds.
Twenty Good Years (NBC) - John Lithgow and Jeffrey
Bones (FOX) - Great prodedural with great characters. I love the banter and the search to understand each other.
Criminal Minds (CBS) - Reminds me of a short lived show called UnSub. Loved it and love this procedural about catching serial killers.
CSI: NY (CBS) - A tad more gritty take on the CSI procedural theme.

THURSDAY

Ugly Betty (ABC) - Selma Hayek produces this show about a Latino girl trying to make it in the fashion business.
Smallville (CW) - Superman! What more needs to be said?
Supernatural (CW) - A great horror TV show about brothers who hunt the supernatural.
My Name Is Earl (NBC) - Redneck trying to understand karma and getting laughs in the process.
The Office (NBC) - This is the best awkward comedy I've ever seen.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) - The original CSI procedural. Great show with great characters.
Shark (CBS) - Great procedural on the side of the prosecution.
Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback (SPIKE) - Gladiators vying to get into the UFC. A new fight every week.

FRIDAY

Ghost Whisperer (CBS) - A horror show with heart? You may jump in the first half and tear up in the second.
Men In Trees (ABC) - Ok, I can't believe I'm watching a chick style show like this, but it's got so many truths.
Happy Hour (FOX) - Fun sitcom with potential.
Foxworthy's Big Night Out (CMT) - Jeff Foxworthy continuing the Blue Collar style.
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (CMT) - Cheerleaders from my favorite football team. What more needs to be said? I watch this with Paige.

Is there anything on Saturday nights now? That's currently my catch up day.

My Space, Blogger, and MSN

I've been having trouble all weekend with My Space. I can view my page, but I can't log in. I rarely get a login page. When I do get a login page it won't allow me to log in. It's been this way since late Friday night. I love the networking on My Space. If it was similarly done on MSN, I'd just do everything through my MSN site.

The Blogger site has been upgraded to the new beta version. I think I've lost all of my comments, but there hasn't been much action on Blogger for a while. I like it a lot better now since I don't know HTML. Blogger has always been reliable, but the new look adds some features that I like about the MSN site. My favorite upgrade is being able to rearrange all of the lists. Blogger is a great site for people who know HTML, but I'm a bit of a rookie so it's great to be able to have simple things like that.

I like the MSN site the best, but there are two major changes I'd make. MSN doesn't allow list rearrangement and I could really use that for my concert lists. The other major change would be the layout. I'd love to be able to add columns to fit higher resolutions so that you can put more at the top of the page to catch people's eye. The less clicking, the better. The less scrolling, the better. The only other change I'd make is a minor one and that would be to add a Calendar similar to My Space.

It's easy to keep up three blogs when I'm mostly copying and pasting posts to each one and updating the Calendar on My Space. The minor layout changes I make on occasion aren't a hassle, either. I believe it's good to be a part of a few environments for various reasons. Mainly, you will only meet some people in certain places. My Space has been a great area to meet rock bands and fans. I've even run into a couple of old classmates through it. Blogger is a great place for another network of friends that I've made through concerts. This site was my first and still the best and I link to it from every place I post about music. I've had great people from Metal Sludge and the Waterstock site come here to view the pictures and a few people have hit this site from the Des Moines Register blogs. Each blog is good in its own way. Now if only My Space will let me log in!

Softball Week 7

We won one and lost one Monday night and didn't even play the games. We had to forfeit the first game against Milo Methodist due to not having enough players to play. Heaven Help Us called earlier in the day and forfeited the second game for the same reason. We expected to lose against Milo and win against HHU, so it worked out the way we thought only without having to actually show up to play. That put us where we thought we'd be at 6-9 or 4th place for the fall season. Now we await tournament details.

Yankees Lose

Only 4 playoff games in, the Yankees are done. They won the first game against Detroit with heroics by Derek Jeter going 5-5 and finishing his at bats with a home run. The Yankees then lost the next 3 in a row to end the season. This wasn't supposed to happen. The Yankees were on their way their first World Series since 2000 and now that dream has ended. I'm shocked and saddened by this, but as they say every year...there's always next year.

Yankee Fan

I've been a Yankee fan since the 1977 World Series. It's the first baseball I can ever remember knowing about or understanding. The Yankees beat the Royals in the playoffs and then beat the Dodgers in the World Series. The same thing happened the following year. I wanted to know more about baseball and started playing on my small town team that my dad coached. I started collecting baseball cards and my mom got my brother and I each a half box of cards for Christmas. Since the Yankees were the big winners, I tried to collect mostly their cards and wanted to know more about the team. My dad encouraged this since he grew up a baseball fan and a fan of the New York Yankees. His favorite player was Mickey Mantle. I started reading about the players that contributed to the history of the Yankees and Mantle was my favorite, too. I read biographies about Ruth, Maris, Mantle, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and all the rest and wanted to know more about the players of the day like Reggie Jackson, Craig Nettles, Ron Guidry, Sparky Lyle, and Goose Gossage. I knew girls that thought Bucky Dent was the cutest thing and had his poster on their wall. I could mimic the pitching styles of Catfish Hunter, Tommy John, and Luis Tiant.

I've been a New York Yankee fan since those days and have followed them and all of baseball every year since to some degree. They are consistent winners. I've heard all the derision over the years about them paying large salaries and buying up the best players, but people don't seem to understand that you still have to play the games. Also, the Yankees have a huge history of being winners. They have had this history long before George Steinbrenner and his antics. There is a Yankee tradition of excellence that hasn't been matched in baseball. There have been 101 World Series' played since the first in 1903. The Yankees have been in 39 of them. They have won 26. The closest team to that kind of record is the St. Louis Cardinals. They have been in 16 World Series' and have won 9. The Oakland Athletics have won 9 out of the 14 they have been in. It's tradition and the fans expect to win every year. The Yankees have also had the highest run of World Series Championships with 5 in a row. Winning is expected. Isn't this what we teach our children when they learn about life? We expect excellence.

I've been fortunate enough to see a few Major League baseball games in my life. My first was at Busch Stadium watching the Cardinals and Dodgers. Roger Freed hit a 3 run homer to end the game and win it for the Cards. That night must have been his highlight that year because it was on the back of his baseball card the following year. I got autographs from Ron Cey, Boog Powell, Ted Simmons, and Roger Freed. I've seen the Astros play the Cardinals twice. One of those games I sat in the right field stands and watched Nolan Ryan win one for the Astros 4-3, I believe. I've also seen three Royals/Yankees games. I was fortunate enough to see them win two of the three. I got autographs from El Duque and David Cone. Cone signed his baseball card for me as we sat right behind the Yankee dugout and El Duque signed a baseball for me through his bus window.

I own a Yankees cap, a Yankees leather jacket, and over the years I have owned a T-shirt and those plastic hard hats you can get at fairs and such. I also have an autographed baseball from that 1977 team that was sold through Post Raisin Bran with a small plastic stand. I don't have all the baseball cards I had as a kid, but I have a few. I remember selling my Mickey Mantle card. It was tough to part with and I probably shouldn't have. I still have the book "And On The 8th Day God Created The Yankees".

There are bigger fans than me for sure. I'm just an average fan, not a bandwagon fan. I like rooting for winners and enjoying the history of this team as it unfolds. Just thought I'd post a few memories of days gone by with the hope of more to come.

Softball Week 6

We are staying solidly in 4th place out of 6 teams. We played a triple-header on Monday and won the first game easily, but lost the next two. We had hoped to win the second game against a team we'd beaten before, though. We have one week left. So far our season has looked like this:

WEEK 1
FDCC - 4
Fairview Christian - 5

FDCC - 2
TRYM - 8

WEEK 2
FDCC - 9
Indianola Church Of Christ - 11

FDCC - 8
Heaven Help Us - 4

WEEK 3
FDCC - 1
Fairview Christian - 2
(Not accurate, but we lost by one.)

FDCC - 3
Milo Methodist - 6

WEEK 4
FDCC - 9
Indianola Church Of Christ - 8

FDCC - 8
TRYM - 27

WEEK 5
FDCC - 10
Fairview Christian - 6

FDCC - Winner by Forfeit
Milo Methodist - Loser by Forfeit

WEEK 6
FDCC - 8
Heaven Help Us - 7

FDCC - 7
Indianola Church Of Christ - 24

FDCC - 11
TRYM - 15

WEEK 7 (Yet to be played.)
FDCC
Milo Methodist

FDCC
Heaven Help Us

This puts us at 5-8 for the season above Fairview Christian and Heaven Help Us. With next week's schedule we will likely finish the season 6-9 and be the 4th seed in the Fall Tournament. Not a bad finish, but a drop from last year's second place finish and first place tournament finish. Of course, you never know until you play the games.

Baseball Prediction

It's time to lay out my prediction for the Major League Baseball Playoffs. I've been predicting since about a month before Labor Day that we are going to have a Yankees vs. Mets Subway series. The Yankees are going to win the World Series this year and it won't go 7 games against Detroit or the Mets. Oh, and yes I can say I've been predicting this that long or longer as I've been giving a co-worker who is a Mets fan a hard time for quite a while. E-mails will back that up. :) Ok, I'm usually not very good at sports predictions, but you gotta admit that this is an easy one! Go Yankees!!

Now as for my own team tonight. Game one should be an easy win. Game two could be a good close game win like we did last time. Game three we will get creamed! It's going to get tougher as the night wears on, but you never know what happens until you play the games. One more week and then it's tournament time.