Tag: writing

A Day Which Shall Live in Infamy

James HoganLeave a comment

A few random notes that I didn’t have time to write this morning (because I took all my time writing about my book!!)

Firstly – and I’m mostly sharing this so I can link it to Laura later, since she’s the only one who will appreciate! (Hi Laura!!) – last night had a dream about being at a Nightwish concert with Laura. It was a very weird concert apparently since…we were sitting somewhere up high and all the aisles sloped down to the stage at the bottom of the concert hall. Felt more like a concert hall for a symphony and not a metal show! And we were sitting, not rocking out in front. Terrible! As in the way of dreams, it started in the middle…at the point where we realized another singer was walking out for the next song and it turned out to be Tarja! We all started going crazy and chanting her name (or maybe I was the only one?) She sang one song with the band (and it apparently was a song that had been written after her departure, which I remember being slightly disappointed about…since she wasn’t singing a song that I knew with her voice!) and as soon as the song kicked into gear, I remember being simply thrilled. Just her voice made the song even more awesome than it already was. Hearing her sing a Nightwish song (even though I can’t remember which one?! I seem to remember it was one of their harder more recent songs…maybe Shudder Before the Beautiful?) was amazing and it was stunningly beautiful and I’m sad this can’t happen for real. After the song was over, the concert apparently had an intermission, which I didn’t know was a thing for metal shows. But again – dream! I decided I should walk down and say hi to Tarja, because. Laura and me walked down the sloping aisle to where she was chilling next to the stage, sitting on a monitor / speaker / box thing. Somehow no one else had the same idea to see her. It was just Tarja, Laura and I! I sheepishly said hello and she replied, “Hey you! Come here!” in that Tarja voice we all know and love. Gave me a hug and I asked her if I could get a picture with her. She of course said yes and I handed Laura my camera and we got a picture together…and then we went back to our seats to enjoy the rest of the show. Yes, that was literally my dream. It was a really fun dream. Pardon me sharing my dream here…but hey, couldn’t resist.

Secondly…I started reading Isaiah today. So excited!!! Simply love this book. It shall be truly wonderful these next weeks. Here are a few words that encouraged my soul this day:

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they will be like wool.
If you consent and obey,
you will eat the best of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

God speaks. Shall we listen? My heart is bound up in the love of my God.

Now it is lunch time…I shall write no more. Time to chomp down on some chicken and spinach wraps with my favorite Nando’s hot sauce. A wonderful lunch, yes? Yes.

Six or Seven, Pick a Number, Any Number!

James HoganLeave a comment

I’m about to head out from Starbucks here but figured I better write a couple words. Must confess…my primary reason for doing so is that I’ve noticed that I’ve actually posted every single day this week thus far. So I just could not pass up the chance to finish out the week right!! (…er…by posting on livejournal? Yeah. Sure) This has been a most busy day so far…but it’s been lovely nevertheless. My last weekend in Houston for a bit, so doing all my final Christmas preparatory activities! Had a most fantastic breakfast at Joshua and Sarah’s house…of course it was nice to eat breakfast and drink coffee with them…but the true joy was just talking with them and catching up on oh so many things! They are pretty awesome, I have to say. Then it’s been a mad dash through various Houston locations…and I’m still not done. Time to go to HEB now, then to pick up my dry-cleaning. Then…home?! Going to attempt to get a walk in…as this wintry weather is still just wonderful. Alright, I have been in Starbucks long enough…but I decided I am way far behind in posting my music playlists, so going to record one here this afternoon. (I’ll still be a few behind, but alas – one is enough for now!) I really enjoyed making this mix – it’s such a beautiful…chill indie mix, I guess?? Honestly, I got in an Owl City mood a few months back and felt sad I didn’t really have a good mix with Owl City songs. So attempted to remedy that with this mix. I know Laura’s not a huge fan of it, since she needs to be in a particular mood to enjoy Owl City! What can I say, my heart is weird enough…that something about Owl City / Postal Service / Snow Patrol just resonates with my emotions so beautifully. That middle stretch – bliss. This is a bit of an old-school mix as well. Besides Owl City, I got an Anberlin and a Panic! song squeezed in. Early college nostalgia right there. Right, enough talk. Mixed back in summer of this year…Clarissa:

1. Plimsoll Punks – Alvvays
2. Light of Loving – Faith Healer
3. My Only – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
4. Paperthin Hymn – Anberlin
5. Laid Low – The Naked and Famous
6. Derniere danse – Indila
7. I Constantly Thank God for Esteban – Panic at the Disco
8. I Summon You – Spoon
9. Air Traffic – Owl City
10. Recycled Air – The Postal Service
11. Sky Diver – Owl City
12. The Finish Line – Snow Patrol
13. I’ll Meet You There – Owl City
14. Take Care – Beach House
15. Blue Velvet – Lana Del Rey
16. Exit Night / Juliet’s Theme – Emmy the Great
17. My Least Favorite Life – Lera Lynn
18. Writer in the Dark – Lorde
19. Fuzzy Blue Lights – Owl City

Have a gorgeous day, dear friends.

The Chorus of the Heavens and the Sea

James HoganLeave a comment

I hesitate to write too many words now, as much as I would like to. But this is the kind of afternoon where I crave to end it by reading my book on this couch, cosy and warm inside as the cold wind dances down the pavement outside. And see, already I start at the end rather than at the beginning as is proper. Clearly I am in more of a hazy dream-lit mood than in the correct frame of mind for writing coherent thoughts. But pardon me if I spill but a few words out upon the page nevertheless.

I really should be logging a few of my latest reads (as I am now three books behind! knocked out the rest of Narnia this past week), but I can do that later, I suppose. Right now, I am just at peace in the Lord, and I am ever so grateful. It’s been a very busy last few weeks and I have been tired and frazzled, my energy seeping away ever more noticeably as I’ve progressed through these last weeks. But now – even though I’m congested and have a cold! – I finally am at a point where I can rest. And I am ever so grateful to my God for that. This day I was able to worship at church – which of course was a refreshment to my soul. And then following…a little bit of shopping at the store and a little bit of lunch (a great leftover lunch! 2 slices of pizza, a piece of cornbread and a bowl of salad!).

Now this past hour, I decided I couldn’t sit inside any longer. The chill air called my name. So out for a walk I went. Glorious mid-40s temperature. Weather in which it is appropriate for me to wear both my turtleneck and wool coat! And so my feet trod the streets around my neighborhood – up to 11th, over to Studemont, stopped for a quick coffee at Red, then back down to White Oak and over to home. But I fear I bore you. Because obviously the route of my walk signifies nothing to no one but myself!

(interlude for the laundry – I had to step away for a moment to get my clothes in the one operational dryer we have…as all afternoon, I keep missing my chance. Not again!!)

Now where was I? Ah, describing the afternoon and my walk. Well, there is not much to say. I have been finding moments of pure joy lately as I’ve walked around my neighborhood. Why is that? Well, to put it in words is something I fear I can’t do, as I attempt to write random snippets of poetry and they are all turning out to be uniformly terrible. I have an odd soul, I’m afraid. So what brings joy to me is something that I can’t describe to you without the strong possibility of eye rolls and other such reactions. I adore the grey sky on a cold winter day. The kind of grey sky that sits as a blanket over (or underneath!?) the heavens and promises so much more than it reveals. The sky is not uniformly grey, no of course not. That would be quite boring and indeed depressing. But this is the kind of sky that admits no blue whatsoever. It is a well-cloaked sky indeed. But in various spots, there are hints of that radiance of light. The sky pulses with vibrant gradations of colour and hums with glories unimaginable. They are not all seen. But the light is hinted at. Strongly. And so I walk underneath the beautiful blanket of cloud that holds the heavens at bay. The bare-branched trees wave slightly in the breezes. They are bare now, but not always. More glories not seen. But coming soon. Leaves flutter down the street in strong alignment with the wind that courses along in such reckless fashion. And the pavement continues to move backwards underneath my feet. The sky of curious grey, bare branches of wistful trees, and the winds of winter that dance just so. My heart throbs in fierce affection for these things. See now? I told you I was strange. But it is rather nice to be walking underneath the heavens and look to the skies and look to the earth and see such beauty. It is quite pleasing to feel the cool touch of winter upon my cheeks and pull my coat a little closer. It is in moments like these that my mind is agape that I should feel in concert with the heavens and with the earth and with the seas and with the stars – in worship of the One who made us all. A leaf slowly flutters to the grass, for a moment hanging weightlessly in the wind. The sky darkens with the coming of the night. The star song approaches. It is moments like these that my soul sings.

Reading Between the Lines of Autumnal Tendencies

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello friends! Been a bit too long since I’ve written…and I honestly don’t even feel much like writing now, but I suppose I should at least attempt to write something. I’m sitting here at Starbucks – not for long though as it is sunny and delightfully cool outside and I shall not waste that – and sipping on my coffee…and yeah, guess I can write a few words! I’m listening to a preliminary mix of a CD I hope to be completed sometime in the next few weeks. It’s not there yet, alas. Alas. Speaking of mixes though – why don’t I share one I made earlier this year? This must have been sometime in…July? August? I actually knocked out 3 mixes in short succession and I don’t exactly remember which I made when – and I’m not going to share all three today! But going alphabetically because why not? This one came about shortly after my Colorado trip with Robbie in which fantastic and memorable times were had. On Sunday of that trip, we had a hiking day in which we drove outside of Denver some ways, found a cool path and hiked up and back. It was beautiful and so different than the Houston I’m usually in. But as we drove there and back, we listened to the music on Robbie’s Spotify – and I realised he had some most excellent dance tunes! By dance tunes (this time), I mean more modern dance/pop music…music that’s fun to listen to, even if the content is a bit lightweight! But hey – great road trip music. And so when I returned from Colorado, decided I needed to memorialize the trip by making a mix using Robbie’s music. I messed with the flow a bit…but the content is pretty much straight Robbie. Thanks man. So now – for a fun, frothy mix…I humbly present Denver 2AM:

1. The Ocean – Mike Perry feat. Shy Martin
2. Summer Air – ItaloBrothers
3. Don’t Let Me Down – The Chainsmokers feat. Daya
4. Paper Planes – M.I.A.
5. Heroes (we could be) – Alesso feat. Tove Lo
6. Alone – Marshmello
7. False Alarm – Matoma & Becky Hill
8. Havana – Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug
9. Closer – The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey
10. Faded – Alan Walker
11. Habits (Stay High) (Hippie Sabotage Remix) – Tove Lo
12. Baba Yetu (Deep Radio Edit) – Supanova
13. Tilbake (Saevik Remix) – David André Østby feat. Marie Hognestad
14. S.O.S. – Indila
15. Sugar – Robin Schulz feat. Francesco Yates
16. So Good – LZ7
17. Runaway (U & I) – Galantis
18. Reload (Vocal Version/Radio Edit) – Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash & John Martin
19. Don’t Wanna Wake Up – Capital Kings
20. Tidal Wave – Sub Focus feat. Alpines
21. Headlines – Robin Schulz feat. Ilsey

So there you go! A bit more words shall I put to page? John (Dixon! From Scotland!!) was here this past week and it was glorious. I shan’t write about all we did(honestly, we didn’t do that much! But definitely enjoyed taking him to a Dynamo game – my first too! Good times were had wandering around Houston in the grey and the rain and the cold…he picked the wrong week to come to Houston for sun and warmth that’s for sure!)…for truly the best part was just being with him again and having quiet moments talking and being together. Sitting on the couch one evening, watching the baseball(World Series – Dodgers v. Red Sox – ugh) and talking about random life thoughts. Or down the street at Christian’s, enjoying a burger, half-watching the Rockets game (but not really) and again just chatting about our past, our future, our hopes, our dreams. You know. All that good stuff. I think one night, I was texting Julie about something and once she found out I was with John – she asked, “Why are you chatting with me when your friend is there!?!” And I thought about it and see that we’re chilling in the living room, half on our phones, half paying attention to whatever was on TV and then making random comments to each other now and again and realised…this just feels like being flatmates in Aberdeen again. A normal evening together. And so having that experience this past week was…quite nice. I treasure the friendship I have with John dearly and I thank my God for that. And I pray that God continues to bless John in all things!! To Him be the glory throughout, now and forever.

Now, before I spiral off into further flights of emotion, I shall take my leave. It really is a good time to get out of this dim coffeeshop and into the glorious light.

Skinny Love

James HoganLeave a comment

My muse burns but yet the words are dammed. Weeping, my heart sings in joy, in sorrow, in love.

And so…like so many times before, I flee to previous writings and remember the goodness of my God!!!

…and yes, so this is an excuse to run a word cloud on my poetry throughout the years. 2004-2018, inclusive of a few short stories as well. Clearly I need to stop using the word ‘now’. I’m so impatient, what can I say??

Oh my friends – be at peace this night. My heart prays for you.

Dawn

James HoganLeave a comment

Her blonde hair spills messily
down over her face
as her pen flies furiously
across the page,
red ink flowing strong
red ink flowing true
as her thoughts and her dreams
and her heart sings aloud
oh I ponder and I wonder
what now shall I write
for surely my love’s
nothing if not true
in this most star kissed night
so what shall I give you?
and the candle burns tall
over the mantel
and her leather notebook smells
of hopes sparking alive
and the fullness of night
caresses her face.

And cross-legged on the bed,
crumpled quilt beneath her
what formerly gave comfort
now lies strewn in ruins
of red text across the flickering
laptop screen
and her heart weeps aloud
oh I ponder and I wonder
what now shall I write
for the groans of my love
are surely not true
in the horrors of night
so what can I give you?
and the candle whispers
visions of fire and smoke
and her writings portend
nothing but glimmerings
of doubt
and the depths of the night
bring tears to her eyes.

She pushes her hair over her ears
with a sigh of despair
as the red ink slowly spills out
from the pen dangled between her fingers
and I ponder and I wonder
what more can I write
if my love isn’t true
in the remnants this night
so what am I to you?
the candle slowly gutters
not much more light left now
the nighttime is full
of dreams and regrets
but she sees a glimmer of light
seeping between the blinds

and I ponder and I wonder
how can I not write
for the love that is true
and the love that I’ve known
for I’ve known true love
and true love has known me
and I crawl across the bed
and twirl the blinds open
wider.

The Greatest Show on Earth

James HoganLeave a comment

Happy Saturday friends!!  I’m enjoying my espresso at Starbucks and listening to a potential-next-CD mix(power-metal themed and it shall be glorious if I do say so myself).  Interestingly enough as I was thinking on music-themed subjects earlier this morning, I remembered my old last.fm account…and somehow I was able to log back into it!  It used my ancient hotmail account but thankfully(terrifingly) I use passwords that are all related and too easily remembered and so I was able to access account after a few tries and reset my account to use the email that I actually have been using for the past…fourteen years.  Anyways!  It was fascinating to log into this old music logging site and see the statistics for all my music-listening.  I obviously used it the most during college, so my “top charts” all reflect my college music tastes.  Somewhat hilarious but unsurprisingly some of my tastes have stayed similar as well.  Relient K is in first place by almost a staggeringly shocking one thousand plays.  John Williams is second!  Muse third, Coldplay fourth.  Nightwish shows up at eighth, Green Day at ninth.  Switchfoot at 17th!  Needtobreathe is way down at 34th!  T Swift at 40!  My top album makes me happy and it actually still fairly represents me – Handel’s Messiah at 1.  Excellent.  But my top track?  This is most definitely college as it is Violet Hill by Coldplay…with 57 plays!!  What was I doing.  I mean, it’s a great song, but not quite sure why it’s 1 and not quite sure why it has so many plays.  2 is Brand New Colony by Postal Service.  A much more fitting song for 1 spot.  Ah well.  Clearly if this had been tracking my music consistently throughout the past ten years, things would be different.  Still – fun to see a time capsule of college days!  Ok, enough of music nerdery.

Not really.  I’ve for a while (and I’m sure I’ve mentioned it here before!) been wanting to chronicle a few of my favourite concerts I’ve been to.  This is quite a difficult task – even though I’m not a prolific concert-goer – for I’ve been to some truly epic shows and I can’t even imagine ranking them, but…well, I shall try.  Firstly, some ground rules and acknowledgments.  Firstly, I’m limiting myself to only one concert per artist as otherwise my top five would probably be entirely Needtobreathe and Nightwish.  Not quite tragic, but not quite truly representative either.  Secondly, confession that these rankings are very much influenced the experience of attending the show itself – i.e., who did I go with?  How was the crowd energy?  What other special circumstances made the night truly special?  Hence…it’s not just about the music!!  I’m writing this all from memory(some of these shows are near seven years ago now!!)…so….I’m sure my recollections are partly coloured by the passing of time.  No matter.

Before we go into the Top Five, a couple of honourable mentions – first goes to Mumford & Sons show in New Orleans a couple years ago.  While I do enjoy their music(not as much as I once did, true), I wasn’t really blown away by hearing them live and so I struggle with inserting them into the Top Five.  But I must acknowledge this show because I got to go with Maryanne – and being with her there was very special!!  Too bad I didn’t enjoy the show quite as much as some others I’ve been to…but being with her made it all worth it.  Second – really enjoyed going to a few Josh Garrels shows(will go to my third one of his next weekend!) and quite love his music…but he just barely doesn’t make the Top Five.  Music is just a touch too chill.  Alas.  Still – his music is aces and I shall hopefully discuss him more at a later date!  One more note – I’d love to put lots more pictures in this post, but my picture adding ability is a bit…deficient, shall we say.  So I’ll try to add at least a few more now and maybe a few more retroactively down the line.  We shall see.  And last note (for real!) – I took all the photos shown below with the exception of the one at 3 spot.  That is credit Karen Watson!

Now…enough of the disclaimers.  Here we go.  Let’s count it down, shall we?

5.  Snow Patrol
January 30th, 2012 – Aberdeen, Scotland

Snow Patrol!!  This one makes the top five(barely) for a number of reasons.  First of all, their music is simply gorgeous and is music I still enjoy heartily to this day.  It warms my heart and hits that sentimental/nostalgic part of me just spot on.  But as for this concert?  Well it was in Scotland(actually in Aberdeen!) and I have fond memories of that night for multiple reasons.  I went with Beth and Chris and Jo and what a wonderful night it was!  Beth and I had been good friends for a while by then so obviously I enjoyed her company.  But as for Chris and Jo…while we were friends, I would date the beginning of the deepening of our dear and abiding friendship to this night.  It was so much fun enjoying the concert with them – but really thinking about this concert now just reminds me of the oh so sweet friendship I have with Chris and Jo and for that reason I am very grateful I decided to go to this show!  Oh right, and the music was pretty good too!  They played all my favourites – Set The Fire to the Third Bar, Open Your Eyes, etc.  It was pretty fantastic hearing some of my fav songs live.  It was a good night.

4.  Coldplay
December 3rd, 2011 – Glasgow, Scotland

Another great band, albeit one I haven’t quite kept up with or listened to in quite some time!  Actually, I suppose the last album I bought and listed to was Mylo Xyloto, the one that came out right before this tour!  Regardless of my changing music tastes, what a night.  The energy at this show was astounding and the band was on fire!  This was the opener show to their world tour and so the band was hyped up and we were hyped up and the atmosphere that night was simply phenomenal!!  From jumping up and down to Charlie Brown to enjoying the beautiful chords of Yellow to singing along to Fix You…I mean, obviously – they did all the favourites and it was just a sublime experience.  I went with Rosemary and Beth and Bree(Beth’s sister) and we got there extra early and so actually got pretty sweet spots by the stage(as can be seen in pic above!).  Chris Martin was jumping around all night and the energy he exhibited was most definitely contagious!!  I was buzzing by the end of the night.  What a sweet show.  Hm, now I really want to listen to some more Coldplay now.  What a night in Glasgow.  What a beautiful night.

3.  Switchfoot
September 17th, 2016 – Houston, Texas

Oh Switchfoot, how I love thee.  Switchfoot is one of those funny bands that I was exposed to way back in 2005-timeframe(if not before?) and while I always thought they were good…well, I didn’t love them per se.  But the passing of time has made me wise to the beauty in the lyrics that Foreman writes and the truth that is expounded therein.  While not all of their songs are explicity from a Christian perspective, enough of them shed light on the longing we have for our true home, for our true Love that I cannot help but deeply enjoy their songs.  And hey, they rock out pretty hard too, right?  I’d never seen Switchfoot live before until a couple years ago though.  Funnily enough, they and Relient K were doing a joint tour.  In years past(back in college!) I would have ranked Relient K far above Switchfoot as a band…but just as my love for Switchfoot has waxed over the years, so has my love for Relient waned.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a fun band!  Just not quite as favourite as they once were.  So Relient K and Switchfoot both played this night, but obviously it was Switchfoot whose songs I most adored.  I went with a bunch of people from church(Peter, Dustin, Karen, et. al…) and we got some pretty sweet spots up near the stage.  Friends commented later that they were surprised that I seemed to know every word to every song!!!  I used my crowd-fu to manuever extra close…and so while I don’t think you can see it in the above picture, when Jon was crowd-surfing, I had my hand on his back, holding him up!!  (Yes, he was quite sweaty)  Speaking of Foreman, he was a man on fire that night – he had so much energy!!  Jumping around, singing with passion, singing with soul.  If I didn’t already respect him enough for his lyrics and musical craftsmanship, seeing his passion on display that night made me love him all the more.  What a man of God.  And my very favourite moment of this concert(and possibly my favourite moment of any concert, ever) was near the end.  They hadn’t yet played my very favourite song – Where I Belong – but then they announced they were playing their last song and then the chords of that song sounded and I was oh so happy and we started singing all together(“…this body’s not my home, this world is not my own…”) and those words near the end that bring an ache to my heart and tears to my eyes – “…and when I reach the other side, I want to look You in the eye and know that I’ve arrived, in a world where I belong” – all of us singing together I couldn’t help but look up to the heavens and praise my Father God to whom all glory is due.  Oh what a song.  And so as my heart melted in worship, I lifted my arms and pointed them up in worship to the One who knows my name.  And the song finished and I left my fingers pointed up in worship and recognition of my God.  And as the band walked off the stage to adulation…I saw Jon Foreman walk off, his two hands pointing up to the heavens.  What a moment.  What a concert.  What a night.

2.  Needtobreathe
September 23rd, 2017 – Houston, Texas

So somehow I don’t have any photos of this night.  Hm.  Alas!  Actually…of the three times I’ve seen Needtobreathe live, I don’t think I have ANY photos!!  Oh well, no matter!  Now, Needtobreathe.  Number 2.  Surely this was the most difficult for me to figure out which concert to choose for this spot.  As I said previously, if I had just put all my top shows on this list regardless of repeat artist…Needtobreathe would hold 2 of those top 5 spots, if not 3.  They are an absolutely incredible live band.  I listen to their studio albums…and they’re good, but definitely take me a while to warm up to.  For some reason, their musical craftsmanship doesn’t come across quite as well on the albums…and their sweet rock skills definitely do not translate.  But live?  Wow, they blow me away.  Every.  Single.  Time.  That’s actually how I first discovered them – a few friends invited me to a show of theirs back in 2010.  I’d never heard of them, but said yes and went.  Why not, right?  Well – I knew none of their songs.  But…the show was magnificent!  Dancing to Girl Named Tennessee and hearing acoustic un-amped Washed By The Water that night?  Mindblowing.  Honestly, I almost put that 2010 show here purely because of that moment of them pulling out their acoustics and telling us all to huddle in and be quiet before they started Washed by the Water…and me hearing that song for the first time that night and falling in love.  But no.  I decided also not to put the second show I went to with Daniel back in…2015 I think?  Mainly because while the show was magnificent and they were magnificent…this most recent show I went to was even better.  This was less than a year ago and honestly I wasn’t even going to go, even though I’d heard they were coming.  I’ve already seen them live twice, right?  But a few weeks before, Lea texted me and asked if I wanted to go.  I was the one that introduced Lea to them, so was quite proud of her!  I decided, sure why not.  Let’s go.  So me and her went…and for once, since it was a last minute decision, I didn’t get GA tickets.  Instead we got actual seats way up(shocking!).  But it wasn’t that bad once the music started!!  Their most recent album – H A R D L O V E – had just come out and it was a phenomenal rocking album.  Full of great dance songs and sweet guitar licks and even a little sax at one point!  So this show had tons of songs from that album and even though sometimes when a band plays all their newest album songs at a show and you’re annoyed because you want to hear the old ones…well in this case, the new ones were so good, I was super excited every time they started playing one!!  The whole crowd was on our feet, dancing and enjoying the show!  Thankfully everyone was rocking out, so Lea didn’t have to be too embarrassed by my dancing and singing!!  This show was just.  So.  Fun.  I love a good dance party, and this concert was it.  Great songs, great musical craftsmanship.  Again, live Needtobreathe is an incredible experience…if you’ve just heard them on the radio, trust me – doesn’t do them justice.  And actually my favourite CD of theirs to listen to is their Live From the Woods album, a live show they did in Nashville.  If you’ve heard other bands’ “live” CDs before, usually they’re not that good, right?  You might listen just for the sake of it, but they aren’t as good as studio.  This live album is best I’ve ever heard.  It’s my favourite way to listen to Needtobreathe now and if they ever put out another live album, you better believe I’ll buy it.  Too many words in this paragraph…but again, going to see Needtobreathe with Lea and having a rocking dance party to their incredible music?  Quality evening.  ‘nough said.

1.  Nightwish
May 8th, 2015 – Orlando, Florida
Number One spot – Nightwish.  Could it be any other?  Truly?  Part of the reason Nightwish is number one is purely because of musical style/genre.  I mean, sure it’s great to go see an acoustic show live.  I’ve seen Andrew Peterson live a few times and it’s great and I love him, absolutely.  But…there’s something a little more visceral and a little more emotional and a little more awesome about seeing a metal band in concert.  And Nightwish – symphonic metal band extraordinaire – knows how to put on a show.  Not my favourite band(but they’re up there!!), but in terms of live performance, they’re the best I’ve ever seen.  For Nightwish, I had a couple shows to choose from.  I could go with my first time seeing them live – Glasgow back in 2012 with Jackie! – but there’s no way I’d choose that show.  As magnificent as it was…Orlando show is and always will be first.  Why you may ask?  Well, it was a very special night at a very special show with a very special girl.  Me and my dear baby sister Laura got to see Nightwish together and it is my very favourite show I have ever been to.  I must take partial credit(and blame??) for introducing Laura to Nightwish back in the day…and so she has fallen in love with them almost as much as I have.  And so that’s why I chose photo I did to intro this.  (Also because I got no decent shot of band in concert since I was just enjoying the show!!)   Anyways…for me and Laura…Nightwish’s gorgeous songs, full of power and emotion and beauty and love…have enthralled both our hearts and so for both of us to together get to see Nightwish perform live…perfection.  And what a show!!  The openers(Delain and Sabaton) were both pretty decent themselves, but Nightwish.  Nightwish rules all.  We drove up from Tampa earlier that afternoon(listening to their newest album Endless Forms Most Beautiful in preparation!) and I made sure to leave extra early because I wanted to get as close to the stage as we could(Laura’s first metal experience and I wanted it to be an epic one!!).  We sat in line for a few hours, but it was fine because the weather was gorgeous and we took silly pictures and talked about our favourite albums to the hardcore fans we were chilling with…and then finally we saw the band walk past us!!….and then soon enough we got to rush into the venue and took our spots.  Center stage, pretty much at the front.  I got Laura to about second row so she could see properly and I stood behind her to protect her(and because I could see over her head!) and guard our spots.  And once Nightwish took the stage…we were rocking out all night long!  From the first song(believe it was Shudder Before the Beautiful) to the last, it was a gorgeous night of metal and beauty and song!!  And getting to see them with Laura…well…no words.  They played so many of our favourite songs…Sleeping Sun, Ghost Love Score, Alpenglow, Shudder Before the Beautiful…Poet and the Pendulum!!  I also somehow managed to catch Marco’s pick when he threw it out, so that was pretty cool too, y’know.  And being mere feet from the epic awesomeness that is Nightwish…Tuomas and Marco and Floor and Emppu…and witnessing their musical prowess as we sung and rocked out…yeah.  Again.  Epic.  I’ve talked of Nightwish before here, I know – so won’t belabour their greatness anymore.  Once again though – being with Laura at a live Nightwish concert…one of my favourite ever memories.  God is good in granting me this precious gift.  So is there any question this is my number one show?  What.  A.  Night.  

Wishmaster

James HoganLeave a comment

So finished another book last night.  Read:

11.  The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan.  I’m not going to overly detail my thoughts on this book, other than it’s another fantastic Wheel of Time book…full of high drama and delicious fantastical elements.  This is the book where Rand is barely ever in it, but he does show up at the end in time to defeat Ishamael and claim the Stone of Tear, prompting both Aiel and Defenders of the Stone alike to shout out in acclamation.  And this book also contains the beginnings of Mat being awesome…as well as Perrin meeting Faile.  For somer reason, the more I read these books, the more I like reading Perrin & Faile’s story…and this is where Perrin first discovers his falcon and their love story is beautiful, as messy as it later becomes!  In this book it ends with her wiping his blood off his face, the blood he shed to save her life.  Romantic to the core.  Now I apologize – for any of you who have not read this book, it sounds most confusing…and trust me, even reading it can sometimes be confusing.  But wonderful all the same.

What else shall I discuss today?  I suppose I could mention that myself and John are planning to go see newest Avengers movie – Infinity War – later tonight.  It should be epic, as it has approximately 23 superheroes in it.  And…I believe that’s not that much of an exxageration.  Excited for that!!

Also been for some reason in a Nightwish mood lately…listening to it both at work and in my drives to and from.  I forgot how much I love them and just how gorgeous their music is!!  And thankfully, I have Laura who I can call and we can go into great detail discussing our fav albums and singers (obviously Tarja is amazing….but I do like both Annette and Floor in their own way, as well!!)  Been remembering the times I saw them live(first with Jackie, second with Laura!) and it has renewed my desire to one day soon chronicle my all-time favorite concert experiences, of which surely Nightwish show will be near the top.

Now it is about time for me to take my leave, but firstly (note, I should really probably leave off that last stanza…but can’t help it – love it even though poem would probably be better ending stanza sooner…)…

The morning warm and dark breaks
like the darkened sea upon the shattered shore,
and though I think there is no beauty left to find,
and no more dawn song tripping through my mind,
I turn the key and turn my head and turn and see
her entering,
and the gate swings open, open
and the streetlamps’ light descends upon her
faintly.

Faintly yes
but enough for me
to see

Chocolate curls cascading,
Snow white dress shimmering,
Her eyes liquidly
Dark and full of magic,

and though I approach but softly
her lips quirk up in sheepish smile,
our eyes brush past each other
and touch oh so gently
and lips murmur
courteous nothings
in the wind.

And lo her eyes smile and dip and dance away
and so I bow and take my leave
and so
and so
the dawn song breaks upon my heart once more
as the foamy sea cast its waves
upon that golden shore.

Moor Street

James HoganLeave a comment

The fog is not quite lifting
though the night has been dancing
far too long
and although the
sky is darkly misting
and the cold breeze makes me
shiver, shiver,
I can smile
and be ok
and pull my wool coat snug around my neck.

For yeah, the fog’s still drifting
and yeah the night’s trance
is coming on a little strong,
but my feet do a little dance upon the pavement
in the streetlamps’ orangish light
and my eyes burn with
truer song
and starlit dreams
even through the bitter night.

The Last Hurrah

James HoganLeave a comment

So I was going to write a much longer post (and maybe even a poem!) but alas (not really) I actually talked to Dad on phone instead, which was very worth it!  And so now my minutes to write are few.  But quickly…

It is still wonderfully cold here – sub-50s temperature when I walked out to my car this morning!!  One last time I shall say – long may it continue!!  Even though…I know that no, it most certainly will not continue long.  But I shall enjoy it much.  Oh shall I enjoy it!  Yesterday was sublime.  After church and various errands, came home and quickly made and ate lunch(chicken & curry-spiced cauliflower & red peppers!) then fled to the glorious outdoors.  Walked down White Oak enjoying the strains of live music that were being played at every other bar and restaurant…then went to Red for a quick espresso (because why not, yeah?) then got to talk to Maryanne for a bit to wish her happy birthday as she is now 27 years old, what!!!  Happy happy birthday, Maryanne, dearest sister!!!  Then I realised I’d missed a call from Daniel…so once I walked down to EQ and settled in my usual spot on the porch, called him back and we had a beautiful time chatting.  Oh how I miss him.  But it was a great talk and I must remind myself to pray for him more, that God continues to bless him and grant him peace in all things.  After that…well, no more phone chatting, so I instead settled in my chair on the porch and soaked in the sunshine.  Brilliant blue sky.  Scents of springtime abounded.  And as I read my book (The Dragon Reborn, of course) and enjoyed the sounds of people talking all around me…I could not help but lift my eyes to the heavens and thank God for all that He has made.  Glory hallelujah.

That was yesterday and it was beautiful.  Briefly before I fly – must also mention how great Saturday night was!  Earnie and Mandy had both finally taken their PE exam on Friday and they were deliriously happy at being done with that!  Earnie feels most confident, Mandy slightly less so but I am still sure they both passed.  Anyways – since they finally now have time to have a social life again, I had them over for dinner.  I made burritos and avocado/tomato salad and we ate and talked and laughed…and many many hours later we realised it was almost 12:30 in the morning and probably a good time to part since church was indeed coming up the next (same!) day.  I just want to say though – their friendship is oh so precious to me and I am very grateful for them and the encouragement they are to me.  It even made me happy that I got to lend them a couple of my books – Revival and Revivalism by Murray and a Douglas MacArthur biography.  I love lending books to friends – it gladdens my heart!

Right.  I have now written far more than I thought I would, but I’m glad I could chronicle this wonderful past weekend.  Now, my friends, farewell.  Peace and love.