A New Country Music Listener's Playlist

One of my college roommates, Dana, has been relocated to Chicago and now Las Vegas since graduation.  If you know Dana, you know how out of her comfort zone this is, but with this change and whirlwind of new experiences she has decided to expand her musical interests as well.  When she told me that she had been listening to country music and was actually liking it, I was ecstatic.  She has been resisting for the past four years, acting like her ears were bleeding every time I put on a country song.  I knew I had to make her a few CDs to properly introduce her to the genre.  I wanted her to hear my favorites and not be able to turn back.  You can still keep Drake on your iPod though, Dai. 

This was obviously a daunting task.  Before I knew it I had 80 songs on the playlist both old and new, some smash hits and some of my personal favorites.  How was I going to cut down the list?  I wanted to give her a variety of styles and artists, but not too much that she would get overwhelmed.  I had to choose carefully.  And this is what I came up with (in no particular order):

Side Note:  I included all of Chris Young's Neon album and my favorite 15 songs of Jason Aldean's because I knew Dana would like them and they are among my top favorites right now! :)

Don't worry Kate, I'll be burning you this playlist next! :)

What are your favorite Country Music songs?

A Year Working in Country Music

January has marked my 1 year anniversary of working in country music.  I started as an intern at Philadelphia's Country Station and was then hired as a promotions assistant in May 2012.  Though I was hired full time with a completely different organization shortly after, I have continued to work at the radio station part time.  Music is a passion of mine and I would love to have a full time job in the industry (and relocate to Nashville!).  This year has brought many amazing experiences for a country music enthusiast like myself.

I have had the opportunity to meet new artists/up-and-comers and be one of the first to listen to their new music.  I've met icons and some of the greatest artists in the industry.  I have gone backstage and on tour buses.  I have also been a part of the behind the scenes of radio and concert programming all while promoting and representing Philadelphia's Country Station with great pride and integrity. 

Country has been my favorite genre of music for a long time and took over my music collection once I out grew the boy bands of the 90's.  I haven't looked back since.  The industry represents more than just music.  It tells soulful stories and represents a culture.  I love everything it stands for. 

I am lucky to have been given such great opportunity to work, get to know, and experience country music the way I have.

There are three days that I can pin-point as being my favorite moments of the year: The XTU 28th Anniversary Show, the Rascal Flatts Changed Tour concert, and the day I heard/met a brand new artist play acoustically at the station for the first time.  These days were all unique in their own way, but the experiences are something that I'll never forget.

The XTU Anniversary Show:  This concert is free to all in attendance.  You can't buy tickets to this show.  For months prior we hold tickets runs at various establishments, where many people (anywhere from 200-700) show up for a chance to get their ticket to the show.  The tickets are given away by the pair in a raffle formation.

The concert has a head-liner and many other artists that perform throughout the day, starting around 2 o'clock.  This year performers included: Laura Bell Bundy, Josh Thompson, Eden's Edge, Kix Brooks, Unkle Kracker, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Young, and Miranda Lambert.
 
On the day of the show I was in charge of pictures at the VIP Tent.  All of the station's major sales accounts were there and I took their pictures and put them in souvenir frames.  Most of the artists also stopped by the VIP Tent to take pictures with our listeners!  This was amazing, because while each of the artists were there I had was able to have lengthy conversations with them and their entourage.  Later in the day, Kix Brooks introduced the entire XTU Family to the crowd and they all sang "Happy Anniversary" to us!  It was an amazing day and I was thrilled to be a part of it. 

The Rascal Flatts Changed Tour Concert:  This was another day I was thrilled to be a part of and grateful for the opportunity.  At each concert the radio station sets up a tent with promotional giveaways for listeners and sometimes even interviews.  This show was different than most for me though because I was invited to go backstage for a meet & greet with Eden's Edge, Little Big Town, and Rascal Flatts.

When I met Eden's Edge for the second time, they had remembered me and our conversations from the Anniversary Show and greeted me as if we were old friends.  They meet lots of people at every show and I couldn't believe they had remembered me, I thought it was so nice of them.

While waiting in line for my meet and greet with Little Big Town, Philip (the blonde guy) kept peeking behind the backdrop for a sip of his drink.  He joked with my co-worker and I that we might have slipped something in his drink.  They were such a nice and friendly group.  I told them how we listened to Pontoon all the time and especially when we were on our boat, they loved it!  Later when we saw Philip again backstage as he was getting ready to perform, he joked that he was still awake and that we didn't do a job of roofie-ing him!

After the Meet and Greet with LBT, we were invited on Rascal Flatt's Tour bus.  We were literally hanging out with the guys and having conversations like they weren't huge stars.  It was so great to be able to interact with them like they're "real" people. We were in the section of the arena where their buses were and families hung out. We saw Joe Don's kids riding around in their toy cars and interacted with his wife. We then got in line for the official meet and greet. We did not have much interaction with them here, but they joked "long time, no see" from just being on the bus with us.

It's experiences and interactions like these that make me even more overjoyed to be a fan.  They're so appreciative and take the time to recognize their fans.  It definitely does not go unnoticed to us, well, me at least.

This was at least my 7th time seeing Rascal Flatts and every show is better than the last. For the encore they brought everyone in the tour on stage to sing a song together! That was one of my favorite parts! What a wonderful day!

 

The day I heard/met a brand new artist play acoustically at the station for the first time:  Early in my internship Thomas Rhett came to the studio on his radio tour. This is when new artists go to visit and play their music for the Music and Program Directors of the station, hoping they'll play their new music on air. Thomas Rhett played his guitar and sang us a few songs including his first single Something To Do With My Hands, his second single, Beer With Jesus as well as Whatcha Got In That Cup. I instantly fell in love.  That experience made me appreciate the new-comers so much more.  They realize it's because of radio that their fans hear their music and help them succeed.  It's going to be cool to see his career grow because his talent is amazing and he's going to be big time- he's that wonderful!  It also doesn't hurt that he's so damn cute!  I've seen him perform twice since originally meeting him in February 2012 :)

Visit my Music Review page to read more about my passion for country music 

and my reviews of artists/new releases! 

**The views presented on this blog are strictly my own and do not reflect those of my employer or any future employer I may have!**

Jackson Hole

Better late than never, right?

Skiing has always been one of my family's favorite activities.  The five of us ski, well Kaylee snowboards, and most of my extended family either skis or snowboards as well.  We have gone on many family trips to various ski resorts, such as the Pocono Mountains, Mount Snow and Stowe Mountain in Vermont, Vail, Colorado, and Park City, Utah (Park City, SnowBird, and Canyons).  We enjoy being on the mountain together and always keep it competitive by playing "tag" on the way down.  That's definitely not the safest thing, considering it involves chasing each other down the mountain and whacking someone with a pole to "tag" them "it", but we like to keep it interesting and only one time did someone get hurt, so we'll probably keep playing it until it becomes serious.  

This ski trip to Jackson Hole was completely different for me.  It was the first time I had gone on a ski trip without my parents, sisters, or cousins, besides day trips to the Pocono Mountains with friends.  One of my college roommates, Naomi, moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with her boyfriend, Jeff, in the fall.  Another one of my roommates, Liz, and I decided to visit them for New Year's Eve and a weekend of skiing in the Rocky Mountains.

Let me start off by saying that being 10,450 ft above sea level on a clear day brings views that are nothing short of breath taking.  Literally.  No camera will be able to capture the immense beauty of the world, nature, creation, and opportunity of surroundings at that altitude.  Un-be-lievable.

The mountain terrain is just as amazing.  Double-win!

When Liz and I arrived on Thursday, December 27th, we took a shuttle to meet Naomi and Jeff at the Clock Tower in Teton Village, which is at the base of the mountain resort.  The shuttle took us through Jackson and gave us our first glimpse of the small western town.  We then had lunch at the famous Mangy Moose and walked around the village a bit.  Naomi and Jeff live in Jackson, which is about a 25-30 minute ride from the mountain resort in Teton Village.  That night we got settled and went to bed early to prepare for a fun, adventure-filled day on the greatest mountain in the United States.

We arrived in Teton Village just in time for lift opening and took the Bridger Gondola up for our first run.  The visibility on this day was very low.  I couldn't see the amazing mountain ranges because the "tents" were low (just a Jackson Hole way of saying it was cloudy).  I couldn't even see up the mountain once I skiied down a bit, but the sun was still trying to shine through!

We skied until a little after 3 with only one 15-minute break and then headed back to a bar in town, Sidewinders, to watch Rutgers play in the Russell Brand Bowl against Virginia Tech.  It was a great bar and we were able to sit on couches in front of a fireplace and watch the game!  It was the perfect way to unwind and relax after the first day of skiing, even though the game was boring and the outcome was less than favorable- Rutgers lost 13-10.

Saturday (the 29th) we got up and headed to Teton Village again.  Today we took the Tram up to the very top.  The visibility was high and the views were remarkable, like I previously mentioned.  I literally felt like I was on top of the world.  The lodge at the top has the most amazing smelling waffles- we didn't have them because it was a 45 minute wait and we were anxious to ski.

All runs from the Tram are for "expert skiiers only".  They are all pretty much black diamonds, or double black diamonds, and maybe one blue.  Those who are not comfortable with this terrain have the option to take the Tram back down once they have soaked up the views.  But the runs down are just as amazing.  Rendezvous Bowl is a wide open, steep area that allows for many conquering options and also leads to various trails.  I couldn't get enough.

After the ski-filled day we went to Apres Ski, which is literally just a ski town phrase for happy hour.  We went to happy hour.   Then went home, ate dinner and relaxed a little before going out.  That night we went out with Naomi's friends from work to The Tavern.  I always like experiencing new cultures/lifestyles and the lifestyle of Jackson Hole, Wyoming screams laid back.  I was wearing jeans and a cute sweater, which would have been under dressed for going to most bars/clubs anywhere around here.  Not in Jackson- some people still had their ski gear on or were literally wearing sweatshirts/sweatpants.  Okay?! :)

Sunday was our day of rest.  We slept in and went to breakfast in town, then shopped around.  There are lots of cute-western stores with many choch-kas and souvenirs.  We even tried on real fur in one store. 

We drove through Grand Teton National Park (again amazing views), stopped at the National Elf Refuge and visited the Jackson Hole visitor center.

While driving through Grand Teton National Park we saw 2 moose in the distance.  My camera did not take great pictures of them, but we saw them and I was happy! (For some reason I was on a mission to see a damn moose!)

The next day was my last ski day!  We got up early to be at the lifts for opening.  When we got to the top, the tents were below us and there were "sundogs".  A sundog is when you can see rainbows around the sun.  The pic below is not edited.  The snow was literally sparkling like glitter!  It was amazing.

I focused on the trails that were my favorite while also exploring some more challenging ones.  I conquered Thunder and Moran Face- both black diamonds with tree trails and moguls!

Headwall had been something that was on my mind the whole trip and I had finally decided I was going to conquer it.  Headwall is a trail that is in-bounds, but you have to hike to it.  There are no lifts that lead you to the top.  Every time I would pass the bottom I would get a little more confidence that I could do it.  Finally, towards the end of the day, I decided to go for it.  I headed up the Tram with my route mapped out to get to where I could hike up Headwall.  I was so excited/nervous.  When I got to the point of hiking, Headwall was closed.  I was so disappointed that I didn't bite the bullet to try sooner.  Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back! ;)

New Year's Eve was so much fun as well.  We went to a club in town and rang in the new year with mediocre music, lots of booze, and good friends.  It was funny being on Mountain Time because all my friends and family were calling/texting to say Happy New Year when it was only 10 o'clock!  

I flew home on January 1st, but got to explore more before my flight.  We shopped, had lunch, and drove further into Teton National Park, stopping at the visitor center and various look-outs along the way.  The visibility was low this day, so the views were not as specacular, but they were amazing just the same.

To wrap up, cause I know this was a long one:

My favorite runs were off the lifts of Sublette and Thunder.  Casper also has great runs, but they tend to be more crowded, since they are a bit less challenging, but still wonderful and worth exploring. 

But my favorite run?  I loved the challenge of Rendezvous Bowl and Thunder, but Tensleep was one of the first runs that I fell in love with.  The view of Corbet's Couloir is amazing and the jaw dropping feeling of the fact that people actually do it gives such a rush!  My favorite route was Tensleep to Pair-a-chutes.

 Jackson Hole has an app that is 110% worth downloading and it's free.  The app not only shows the trails, it tracks what trails you take (in pink), along with the altitude and distance that you ski.  It's awesome.  After a run you can go back and see exactly what you did, so you can do it again.  The app had many other features like how much snow, which lifts are open, etc., but the tracking feature was my favorite!



Fun Fact:  Did you know that when standing on top of The Grand Teton Mountain range you are higher than when a captain takes off the fasten seat belt sign and allows you to use your electronics.  Kinda mind blowing.

It was a wonderful trip to Jackson Hole and I'm so glad I got to experience it with some of my best friends!  :)

That's what DVR is for....

Over the weekend when I said, "Who's excited for Monday?" and my mom and sisters replied, "OMG, yeah I can't wait!", I knew we weren't talking about the same thing.  We quickly realized there was going to be a serious conflict come Monday night in our house.

Sean Lowe's season premier of The Bachelor

or

the BCS Championship Bowl game.

Can you guess which one I was more excited for?

Yes, I reluctantly religiously watch the always drama-filled and usually ridiculous ABC series, The Bachelor and Sean was my favorite throughout Emily Maynard's season of The Bachelorette.  But it was the BCS Championship game.  The biggest game of college football.  The game that every player dreams about playing in.  This year it was Notre Dame, who started the season un-ranked, against Alabama, looking to defend the title.  As David Pollack tweeted, Bama (& the SEC- who everyone is sick of winning) or Notre Dame (who everyone loves to hate)!  How perfect is that comparison? But seriously?  What college football fan didn't want to watch the best teams of the year compete in the biggest game of the year?  I certainly did.  

So I DVR'd The Bachelor, cause that's what it's for- to watch shows later and at your convenience. And although we usually watch TV shows together, my dad and I watched the BCS game upstairs while my mom, sisters and their friends watched The Bachelor downstairs.  It just wouldn't be the same to watch the BCS game today and especially after last night.  

I'm not a die hard fan of either team. But I will say that I am a fan of the SEC in general and also the tradition that is Norte Dame! Prior to the game I said that I wanted/ thought Alabama was going to win because I like and have much respect for Coach Saban.  Though it would have been nice for Notre Dame to win a championship for the first time since 1988, I just didn't think the Irish could stop Coach Saban and the Roll Tide! Clearly they couldn't even slow them down, let alone stop them!

I wanted to see Norte dame win for Manti Te'o because I also wanted to see him win the Heisman! But, his performance was sub par to say the least.  And although he had many missed tackles I don't think he's any less of a player and I wouldn't think it will affect him too much come draft time! He's had an outstanding career!

BAMA obviously dominated from the beginning with only one pass for 80 yards in their first drive. After a kick off to Alabama with the receiver down field signaling a late fair catch that was "fumbled" then "recovered" by Notre Dame, the refs called a kick interference giving Alabama 15 yards.  I would have said that play hurt Notre Dame, but its not like they answered Bama's momentum with exciting drives of their own! So who cares about that could-have-been bad call. 

My dad started snoring before the half even ended!  And I can't say I blame him.  Did Notre Dame know there was a game going on?  Did they know they were playing for the National Championship Title?  Didn't look like it!

I was hoping Norte dame was going to be a different team in the second half but on their opening drive Alabama intercepted a pass.  On offense, Alabama's Eddie Lacy continued to plow through Notre Dame with the help of his solid offensive line.  The amount of missed tackles by Notre Dame could correlate to that of a bad high school football team.  Where was the team that started the season un-ranked, became the #1 college football team and recieved a BCS bid?  I mean really, what the hell happened?

Like I said, I thought Alabama was going to beat Notre Dame, but I at least thought it was going to be a game to watch.  I never expected Alabama's quarterback's girlfriend to be such a hot topic during the game. 

Side note: Alabama's quarterback, not to mention 2 time National Champion, AJ McCarron, would be dating Miss Alabama! Did people really expect anything less? They're like the Gisele and Tom Brady of college football.  And was anyone else creeped out by Herbie and Musburger's commentary about her?  I guess there really wasn't anything else to comment on.

I think it would have been a more entertaining game if Oregon played against Alabama for the title. The Ducks' defense might not have been able to keep up with the Crimson Tide, but their offense would have kept the score interesting and given everyone an entertaining game to watch instead of the snooze-fest that was Monday night.  

Regardless of the score, Alabama didn't back down! Clearly, cause they won 42-14. They played the game through and through- still blitzing, still passing and running the ball- that's what you like to see, even though they completely blew ND out of the water, it's a championship game, you have to come to win and you have to play hard!

So, Congratulations to Alabama and Coach Nick Saban on a fantastic win and the Dynasty that now is Alabama Football.  Winning 3 National Championships in 4 years is extremely impressive and AJ McCarron is the first QB to win back to back championships in BCS history! -Wowzaaaa!!!

And with that, College Football season, aka my most favorite time of year, has officially come to an end!  I'm going to try to adapt Coach Saban's rule of only mourning or celebrating for 24-48 hours (he said both in an interview, so which is it, 1 or 2 days?).  Then I'll be anxiously waiting for the 2013 CFB season to start! :)

. . . . . . .

Thinking about it now, I don't know why I didn't switch to watching the bachelor once the game was at the point of no return for the Irish.  It's probably because they had already started watching it downstairs and I wouldn't have seen the whole thing.  I'm excited to watch the shit show of drama tonight and pick which girls I think are the most desperate.

Happy New Year!

These past few weeks have been such a fun, festive, and exciting whirlwind of events from Christmas with family to ringing in the New Year in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with my friends.  I can't wait to write about my trip to Jackson Hole and share some pictures that won't even do the views justice.  Being 10,450 ft. above sea level on a beautifully clear day with a big, bright sun making the snow literally sparkle is absolutely breathtaking, to say the least.

A New Year means new beginnings and a clean slate, right?  A chance to be better, to set new goals and to watch yourself grow from the person you were the previous year.  2012 was a wonderful year of obstacles, change and growth for me.  2013 is an opportunity for me to develop further into the person I want to be, so just like most people, I have set a list of resolutions that I plan to accomplish this year.

What are some of your resolutions for the new year?