My Cup of Coffee serves me well

I knew it all along the way but now it has been proofen again.  Those cups of coffee make me smarter in the long run.  Not now, but at some point I will rise like phoenix from the ashes wise and unfortunately at that point also white haired!!!

The New York Times has published a story about a study by Swedish and Danish researchers.  Supposedly there is a link between coffee and a lower dementia risk.  I like it!  Though I have to say that I prefer a Two Shot Latte made from the Espresso my mom sent me!

And for those of you who don’t like coffee:  I recommend “Tea“!

Langerado Music Festival cancelled!

Sometimes problems just disappear.  The Langerado Music Festival has been cancelled for this year “due to sluggish ticket sales.“  In this case it is sad!  Especially because it seems like it is the first bigger festival that fell victim to the depression.

Unfortunatelly Bonnaroo is not during spring break.  With Phish and many other bands this festival has a killer line-up.  Concerning Langerado, now I do not have to debate whether it is worth to spend the money!  All Spring Break options are open again.

“Music of Athens” on Wikipedia

A friend sent me that link.  “Music of Athens” was yesterday’s featured article on Wikipedia.  I thought it would be nice for you to find out more about the Athens music scene, too.  Which famous bands come out of Athens?  What club’s does Athens offer?  Wikipedia offers the answers!

Langerado Festival – Should I go?

What to do over spring break?  Right now I am debating whether to work at the Langerado Music Festival during the first weekend of the break.  I could be part of the WET core team like I was at the Bear Creek Music Festival.  It should be a lot of fun, but could also get kind of expensive (not the ticket, more the expenses for getting down to Miami).  And it would be a pain of a ride (or painful plane ride).  Then again, check the line-up:  Michael Franti & Spearhead, Umphrey’s McGee, Disco Biscuits, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Cold War Kids, George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic, Tortoise, to name just a few.  I don’t really know what to do!

Guest post: Under the Influence

This is my German friend and long time mars mushrooms band collegue Michael.  I asked him to write a guest post about any related topic.  And this is what he wrote:

When the news that Phish will really be back in March arrived in my mailbox a couple of months ago that feeling instantly came back.  I don’t think I need to explain which feeling I’m referring to, I’m talking about IT.  Along with that came all the good memories of past Phish tours, friendships that were made and will never cease, tapes that were traded etc.  And that certainty that I wouldn’t be who I am today without the Phish.  I recently spent some time pondering on what exactly changed after my first show on July 21st 1996.  One of the most notable aspects is surely the music I have been introduced to since that day.  Phish not only serves as a portal to the divine (no, seriously, I’ve seen it), they are also a band that introduces their fans to an incredibly wide range of other music.

Be real!

Here is a question that seems like a no brainer to me:

Which option do you prefer when interacting with other people?

a. People tell you something and you cannot be sure whether or not they mean it.
b. People tell you something and you can be sure they do not mean it.
c. People tell you something and you are sure they do mean it.

I would assume that most of us would like “option c” the best.  Although it kind of seems that approaching things backwards I could also live with “option b” because I would know not to pay any attention to those people.  But why do so many people in the music business choose “option a”?  Is it that they want to seem polite?  If yes, is it really polite to assume that somebody else cannot see through your bullshit?  Or, is it simply more convenient or makes you seem more important, more generous, or more accomplished than you really are?

Short Trip to New Orleans

Today I arrived back home after a week long stay in New Orleans.  One of the MBA students organized a group of volunteers and also the trip to help out in the damaged neighborhoods of the city.  Since I had never been to that area, I was glad to go there.

The city, although the tourist bureau would wish you to think otherwise, is far from being restored.  In the poorer neighborhoods especially, destroyed and abandoned houses sit wretchedly in various stages of deterioration.  Long after Katrina drove the occupants from the homes, whole neighborhoods lie quiet and stagnant. Mold is the only living thing occupying structures where people once lived.  Our group was given various assignments.  We fixed leaking roofs, tore down and rebuilt walls, hung sheetrock, painted interiors, and a number of other things that needed to be done.  The whole MBA team was divided into small groups organized by skill or experience.  By day one group would paint in one place and another might be on a rebuilding team or a roofing crew. By night we were out to explore the city.  In spite of the damage we saw, New Orleans is still a beautiful city especially the French Quarter.  With its Bohemian look and feel it reminded me of being in Europe (maybe somewhere in Amsterdam).

When is “Club-Mate” coming to Athens?

I just had dinner and realized that I am really missing something from Germany here in Athens, GA.  It is time to bring one of the coolest drinks of the world to this music town.  Where is my Athens “Club-Mate” distributor???  Maybe I should do that.  I will write them now.  I will keep you posted what they say.

Check the “Club-Mate” US-website to find some more information about this incredible drink or go to its Wikipedia entry.

I wish they would pay me for this…

My Phish

It was July 1997, a few weeks before I left to live for a year in Alma, KS, USA.  And like all the cool trends it came in somewhere from the side quickly spilling over to the “masses”.  All of a sudden my whole class was talking about this band “Phish” that was touring Europe on their Phantasy Tour stopping at the Serenadenhof in Nuremberg.  I am almost sure it was Michael, who later became the guitar player of the Mars Mushrooms, who started this buzz about Phish and jam bands in general.  For me that hype felt like an exaggeration of something that could not be as great as everybody was saying, so I decided to go against the majority of my class (well, the music loving part at least).  While everybody else went to see Phish I stayed home and thought I was cooler than the rest of the world!!!

That was more than eleven years ago.  About one year after this concert, Michael and I began talking about starting a band embracing the style of jam band music.  Two months ago from today I applied for Phish tickets now worth a couple hundred dollars for the Phish reunion show at Hampton Coliseum in Virginia.  Of course, I did not get a ticket.  And last night I saw Strange Design, a Phish tribute band for my second time here in Athens at the Georgia Theatre. 

How Terrapin has changed my life…

When I first came to Athens Georgia it happened that occasionally I walked out of a bar or concert hall only to be called back by the doorman who told me, “You can’t do that here! No beer on the street.”  More than once I was told by a cashier at the local supermarket as she disapprovingly eyed the six pack of beer I had placed on the advancing belt, “No beer on Sundays.”  I’d rather not get into what I think about those episodes.   Nor will I write about the availability and excellence of German beers and my favorite among those being “Augustiner” beer which I actually have found at the Trapezze in downtown Athens.  Instead I will write about Terrapin, a locally made beer that is flavorful enough to recommend to the folks back home in Germany.

Terrapin Beer has not only become my choice of beverage, but has also altered my life (in a sense).  I feel as if this company has taken a thorough look at Ben & Jerry’s the ice cream company from Burlington, Vermont.  The similarities I see in Terrapin; quality, flavor, marketing, and community involvement seem to imitate the practices that proved successful for Ben & Jerry’s.  The Terrapin Brewery operating here in Athens, in addition to providing darn good beer, is committed to enhancing this college town’s atmosphere and reputation by incorporating music and environmental awareness into their operations.