"Wouldn't it be nice..."

Wouldn't it be nice to see the Beach Boys in concert ...just one last time? Here they are then...as I remember them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L--cqAI3IUI&feature=related

The Beach Boys
Jones Hall with the Houston Symphony
March 19, 2010 at 7:30 pm. 

Friday night we went to see the Beach Boys. I thought OK, Dennis and Carl are dead so there are only 2.5 of them left. But Brian doesn't tour and Al Jardine and Mike Love are feuding over Beach Boys "promotional rights" so Al doesn't tour. That leaves Mike and the the 0.5er, Bruce Johnson who has been subbing since 1966 and four guys I've never seen or heard before calling them selves the Beach Boys. I went to the concert expecting to be underwhelmed but an enjoyable evening regardless. The Beach Boys were backed up by some cheeseball, fly by night hack group who called themselves the Houston Symphony Orchestra. I gotta say, it was a great concert. They were on for 2.5 hours with minimal chatter and lots of songs. One of the good things about this type of concert is that, unlike the "old days" you didn't have to worry about them trotting out a new song. THERE ARE NO NEW SONGS!

The new members of the group are very good. The bass player, while not plucking a Fender bass as Brian did, is about 6'5" and can hit the high notes from Brian's parts to the songs. The lead guitarist, a quasi Glenn Campbell look alike, was very good between the frets as well as vocally, making several guitar changes during the evening, one I think was a 12 stringed Epiphone but stuck mostly to the traditional Fender Stratocaster. All the guitar sounds went through Fender amps and speakers. Thankfully some things don't change. I guess that helps reinforce the "traditional Beach Boy sound". The drummer looked like a refugee from Good Will Industries but could beat the skins and sing in true Beach Boy fashion. Bruce Johnson may have left his heart in San Francisco but he left his voice in Alhambra. Good but not strong. Mike Love, after 5 decades on the road, can still hit most of his notes. And for all that they can't, the 66 piece Houston Symphony filled in the holes nicely but didn't overwhelm the band. Well orchestrated.Was it worth the $60 a piece to see them? Yep. I'd go see them again. 
SING ALONG!!!

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong

You know it's gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through

Happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true
Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do
We could be married
And then we'd be happy

Wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But lets talk about it
Wouldn't it be nice...

GREAT CONCERT BOYS!
Read the reviews...and GO!

More Beach Boys!  On stage TODAY with:

"Why do fools fall in love?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWAh_2BJn9A

Ooh wah, ooh wah

Ooh wah, ooh wah
Ooh wah, ooh wah
Why do fools fall in love?

Why do birds sing so gay?

And lovers await the break of day

Why do they fall in love?
Why does the rain come from up above?

Why do fools fall in love?

Why do fools fall in love?

Love is a losing game
Love can be a shame
I know, I am a fool you see
For that fool is me
Tell me why
Tell me why

ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE!

See the picture? Then sing along to the lyrics below....Come on...you already know the melody!
If you don't remember how it goes, you can click on the link below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-XzGOZHYdA

It's ME....on the cover of  "TEXAS MONTHLY" !

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

WELL WE”RE BIG HAWG KILLERS
WE GOT ITCHY TRIGGERS
AND WE'RE FEARED EVERYWHERE WE GO

WE SING ABOUT SHOOTIN'
AND WE SING ABOUT THE ROOTIN'
AT TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A SHOW

WE TAKE ALL KINDS OF AMMO
THAT MAKES US FEEL LIKE RAMBO
BUT THERE'S THRILL WE"VE NEVER KNOWN…

IT'S THE THRILL THAT WILL GET YOU
WHEN YOU GET YOUR PICTURE
ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE

I GOT A FREAKY OLD LADY
THAT LIVES IN KATY
WHO TRACKS HAWGS BY THEIR SMELL

I GOT MY BIG BUSHMASTER
FOR SHOOTIN' HAWGS IN ACTION
SENDING THEM ALL TO HELL

AND THEY KEEP GETTING BIGGER
BUT WE CAN'T GET OUR PICTURE ON
THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONES...

CHORUS:
WANNA SEE MY PICTURE ON THE COVER
WANNA BUY FIVE COPIES FOR MY BROTHER
WANNA SEE MY SMILIN' FACE
ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLIN STONE
Hawg Killing in Texas....#11 on my Bucket List!

The Shadow Box

"Memories..."

Golden memories... 

Like the corners of my mind

Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were....
Scattered pictures,
of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were...
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again...
Tell me, would we? could we?
Memories...
may be beautiful and yet,
what's too painful to remember
we simply choose to forget...

So, it's the laughter
we will remember....
whenever we remember....the way we were...

The way we were....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And so, in keeping with this campy Streisand Theme Song, I was asked to build a Shadow Box to house those precious memories....
This will be an ongoing blog entry...so please bear with me as I post the trials and tribulations of building my project....  Please check back every once in awhile...just to see if I have been working on it!   LOL!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010:
How do I start?  Let's go to Hobby Lobby! Maybe they can make some suggestions...

Months ago, when picking up a piece of framed/matted artwork at Hobby Lobby, I discovered that the "framer" who worked there could build a shadowbox for me...
Since "WE" had to have a nice frame on the exterior of the box so that it would look like a work of art and since Hobby Lobby had been running a 50% discount sale on custom built wooden frames, "WE" went to compare frame depths/widths and finally settled on a couple of examples to price. 
The example sizes (frame only!) we wanted were originally priced over $900! YOWEE! Even with the 50% frame discount, museum quality glass, custom built box, hardware, magnetic hinges.catches, and labor, the price of the shadow box would cost nearly $750. Ridiculous!!!
Ramona, the framer who had helped me with the "Indy 500 Collage" I have hanging in my office, suggested that we take a look at some of the custom frames that Hobby Lobby had hanging in the 80% Discount Aisle...just past the Easter seasonal rows, back in the corner hidden behind the giant plastic palm fronds....  She said that we might be able to save a great deal if we could buy a comparable pre-built frame. So off we went on the quest..... 
LO and BEHOLD....there was the frame that we had originally picked out....hanging in the sale aisle!  We stood there amazed at the size. It was much larger than the one we had priced...
Original sticker price:  $930.  The first markdown was 50%...  The second markdown was 80% off $465....which left the frame priced at $93.  WOW... 
I went back to tell Ramona THANK YOU!!  I owe her big time!  Thank goodness I won't have to shop at every Hobby Lobby between here and Dallas to find the "right" SALE frame!

Now all I have to do is figure out how to build a box to insert into the frame. Below you can see what I have to work with....the frame by itself weighs in at 38 pounds, measurements: 48" x 48". That's a BIG box! We haven't decided on a depth yet...