Reflecting on my ten year High School reunion

I didn’t originally want to go.  But to everyone who told me I should: Thank you.

Everyone knows I didn’t know what to expect.  But now that the Grant Community High School class of 1999 reunion is over I can’t help but look at those four years far different than I did before.  I’ll be honest and tell you that I really did discount that time.  It wasn’t awful, but I was glad it was behind me.  But now after reuniting with my friends for the first time in ten years I realize things were quite different than I remember them.

I forgot how amazing my friends were in high school.  Smart, passionate, creative, extremely fun people.  Obviously I know I had a good time with them, but I forgot the details.  I guess time can do that.  I forgot all of that “silly fun” we used to have.  The singing in the car, the dancing like an idiot.  All the inside jokes.  And it came back right away.  Immediately.  We all picked up where we left off.

Becky is still the beautiful, intelligent, exciting girl that she always was.  Al, though certainly out of his shell in so many ways, is still the logical guy I always remembered.  Michelle… is still Michelle.  Loud, passionate, and proud of it.  Christy is still the bubbly, cheery girl that you never find without a smile on her face.

Starting from the moment I saw Becky Friday I felt like I was transported into a different world.  I was sent back in time and surrounded by the people who filled my life from 1995 – 1999.  We goofed around, we ate good food, we saw old teachers, we went to the football game, we partied hard and I didn’t want to leave.

We immersed ourselves in the soundtrack of the 90s.  The boy bands, the pop rock, the Lilith Fair superstars.

The only thing different is that we could legally drink with each other now.  Something none of us partook in during the high school years.   Our group was too busy with rehearsals and performances to go party like many may have in their four years.  We discussed how others would have parties and sneak in beer or wine coolers, where that was always the last thing on our minds.  We had no interest in it.

Our favorite teacher showed up to the reunion.  Something he’s never done before.  He felt we were a special group and he wanted to see us all again.  To celebrate we took part in a 10 person shot.  Who would have thought ten years later I’d be buying my teacher a drink.

I wish I could have spent more time with Amanda Glassford , who never graduated from Grant due to a family move, but always felt that it was her home.  And Jill who I lived near for years after moving to Illinois.  I hadn’t talked to her even online in the ten years since graduation.  And Amanda Perryman who just recently joined Facebook and I was able to say hi to again.

So all in all was it a good experience?  No, it was an amazing experience.  It makes me wish the past ten years would have had these people in my life more than they were.  Even though we’ve all scattered across the country I’ve never made an attempt once to see any of them, ever.  And to make it worse, maybe due to having internet access to them at any time I wanted: I didn’t feel the need to.

Now I do.  I miss them, and that’s a good feeling.

Michelle, Christy, Becky, Gabe, Al

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Weekly Song Recommendation: BT – Circles

I knew when I started this song recommendation column day one I needed to feature a @BT track.  But I didn’t know where to start.  He is one of the most talented musicians of our generation hands down.  You hear his music in soundtracks, remixes, games, so many things.  His solo work is only a small drop in the bucket for a guy who’s been a huge influence to me since I first heard his music in the early 90s.  He also holds a spot for me in having one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen.  He toured with a full band in support of the release of Emotional Technology and was just an awesome experience.

He’s primarily known as an electronic artist.  And really that is what he is.  A talented DJ and producer.  But he’s written full orchestral compilations and directed orchestras.  So how do I pick a song that can really show off the depth of this musician?

I don’t.  It’s not possible.  So I just pick a song that I think both electronic, pop and rock fans alike would enjoy.

This track isn’t a single of his, never really been featured anywhere, but it’s one of the many amazing tunes from BT’s album “Emotional Technology“.

I can’t say enough about this album as a whole.  I can simply say It is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.  But I understand it’s not for everyone, so if you don’t like electronica/dance/trance stuff you may not really like it.  And that’s ok.  But I think you’ll like this song regardless.  Besides, look at this tidbit from wikipedia:

The single “Somnabulist” holds the Guinness World Record for most vocal edits in a single track, with 6,178 in the album version.

Well holy crap.

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And if you’re interested, here’s what I listened to last week. (dynamic depending on when you read this post).

Ten year class reunion

Wow, ten years since I graduated high school.  Many probably will say “it seems like only yesterday” but to me it seems much, much longer.  In fact, to be honest, I hardly remember those four years at all.  Sure some special moments stand out that included performances or things with friends, but on the whole… really, nothing.

I wasn’t planning on going to the reunion.  It wasn’t until my friend Becky from high school asked me to go did I cave and signed up and booked a flight.  I figured the people I wanted to talk to I already have on Facebook, and the rest I don’t remember anyway.

I kind of feel bad.  I hear my friends on Facebook mention names and I have zero recollection to who they may be.  I suppose I could dig through a year book or something before I head back to Illinois and try to recount people I may run into, but I don’t care that much.  I have a group of about five people I’m really looking forward to seeing.  The rest I guess never mattered enough for me to remember that they existed.

We’re (more or less) going to stick together as a group and travel via Becky’s mom’s car who only has a tape deck.  I volunteered to put together a sweet mix tape that would jive with our four years we were there.  And here it is:

1. Third Eye Blind – Semi Charmed Life
2. Bush – Swallowed
3. Oasis – Wonderwall
4. The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight
5. Hanson – MMMBop
6. Goo Goo Dolls – Black Balloon
7. Merrill Bainbridge – Mouth
8. Meredith Brooks – Bitch
9. Sarah McLachlan – Building a Mystery
10. Jewel – Foolish Games
11. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
12. Cake – I Will Survive
13. Savage Garden – I Want You
14. Spice Girls – Say You’ll Be There
15. Fool’s Garden – Lemon Tree
16. Beck – Where It’s At
17. Beastie Boy s- Intergalactic
18. Bloodhound Gang – The Bad Touch
19. Santana and Rob Thomas – Smooth
20. No Doubt – Sunday Morning
21. Chumbawamba – Tubthumping

So here’s to Grant Community High School class of 1999.  Go Bulldogs.  Here’s where I’ll be going, and for your entertainment some photos.

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Weekly Song Recommendation: The New Pornographers – Failsafe

The New Pornographers - Challengers

Failsafe isn’t the best song by Canadian supergroup “The New Pornographers” to be honest.  There are many I enjoy more.  But the history of this song is so cool that I’d be doing you a disservice by not sharing it with you.

I originally got into The New Pornographers via their 2005 album “Twin Cinema“.  I absolutely fell in love with the song “Stacked Crooked“.  It is this epic, long form masterpiece that totally resonated with me.  From then on I’ve enjoyed all of their albums and seen them perform live numerous times both in large and small venues and festivals.  High quality band of very talented musicians.

The first time I heard “Failsafe” was on The New Pornographers newest album “Challengers“.  I thought nothing of it until I was watching an episode of Moral Oral on Adult Swim and heard it playing in the background by a group and arrangement I’ve never heard before.  I waited until the episode was over and watched the credits to see it was a group called “The Choir Practice” performing it.  So I wondered “who are they?  Did they write the song and The Pornos covered it?”  So I went to the internet.

Luckily I stumbled onto a wealth of knowledge on this song due to a podcast done by CBC radio.  They gave a historical retrospective of the evolution of the song and its origins.  I have a link to this podcast in this post below that I recommend you listen to if you’re at all a song nerd like I am.

It turns out Carl Newman, lead man of The New Pornographers, originally wrote and performed the song as a part of his A.C. Newman solo project in 2004.  A member of the band who performed with him formed The Choir Practice, and then rearranged the song for that group.  After Carl Newman heard that version he decided to create another arrangement that would stand out from the other two and record it for the new “Challengers” album.  It’s actually a cover of a song that he originally wrote.

I love the story and the history behind songs like this.  But I’m a music nerd and totally get off on this stuff.

Oh, and @Maukingbird likes this song.  So hi to her.

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And if you’re interested, here’s what I listened to last week. (dynamic depending on when you read this post).

Gabe Kangas Association for Awesome is proud to sponsor Omaha Bar Camp 2009

The Gabe Kangas Association For Awesome

The Gabe Kangas Association for Awesome (GKAFA) is proud to announce they will be sponsoring this year’s Omaha Bar Camp.

As you may know The Gabe Kangas Association for Awesome is the branch of Gabe Kangas who’s goal is to spread awesome both in local and remote markets.  When the opportunity arose to take part this year team awesome jumped at the opportunity.

GKAFA has a long history of spreading awesome via sponsorships.  You may recall the time the organization left change in the “give a penny/take a penny” jar at the gas station, or the infamous “let me buy you a coffee”  event of 2003.

Tickets are going fast, so make sure to head over to the Omaha Bar Camp page and pick one up for the almost nothing price of $5.  This includes a T-Shirt and Brain Toniq thanks to Ninth Divison.

The Gabe Kangas Association for Awesome is very excited to be a part of this year’s Bar Camp and can’t wait to see all of you there.

Talk to you soon,
Gabe Kangas
Chief Awesome, GKAFA.