Secular Gospel (funk)

I damn near "got" the holy ghost last night at D'Angelo and the Vanguard's, "Second Coming" concert last night. No Bullshit. It's not often that an artist surpasses my highest expectations at a show. Please believe me when I tell you that I had nosebleed level expectations for this show and he still exceeded them. The show started around 10pm maybe...He kicked it off with "Ain't that easy", but he sure did make everything he did look and sound easy. Prince popped into my mind when he was strumming his bedazzled electric guitar during that funky ass cut. I mentioned this to my homie Chris and he was like "no disrespect to Prince, but D'Angelo  is better".....now, I ain't touching that statement and I have never seen the Purple one perform live, but hey....Chris went on to say that this must be what a Sly concert musta been like ......and I have to agree. I mean, I only have youtube to go by but damn, the funk is true.

( Photo courtesy of @gorillavsbear )

I was very happy to see that D'Angelo and his awesome band, The Vanguard, performed mostly cuts from his latest project Black Messiah. I am a big fan of Brown Sugar and the masterpiece Voodoo, but we are living in the NOW and NOW what's poppin is Black Messiah. When I heard the intro to "The Charade" I lost my shit. The song is very emotional to me especially considering the racial climate of our nation. I put my left fist up in solidarity. The Reverend D'Angelo took the crowd thru a call/response sequence while introducing "Brown Sugar", the men chanting, "I want some of your brown sugar" and the ladies singing the falsetto "Ohh Ohh Ohhhhhh, OH, OH". Shit took me to church and yes I realize what I just did there. Of course D himself was playing the organ, directing the beat......

( Photo courtesy of @gorillavsbear )

While I'm sitting here writing this I'm thinking that I could break down every cut he did in those two hours but lets just put it this way, he's the shit. His energy was off the charts and filled with love. My boi @thehomiejig mentioned that he felt a feeling of bliss from the evenings events. I felt the same thing and from the look on everyone's face around us we weren't the only people in the joint feeling that bliss. They did play some cuts from Voodoo as well, "left and right", "chicken grease" and I think I remember "Spanish Joint". All of them done with abundant joy and energy. We stayed for the first encore when he performed "Another Life". It seemed as tho the entire crowd was singing word for word with that joint. Bye the time the 2nd encore came around a certain member from our crew was feeling a bit, lets say....full....haha. It was time to go. I found out later that he performed a flawless rendition of "Untitled". Although I hate to miss anything D'Angelo performs it was okay that we skipped out on that one. Lazy "fans" might think that song defines D. I turn my back on that notion because almost every song I've ever heard from him is an absolute gem. We all know why that song/video blew up like it did but that's not what makes him one of the most electric and talented artists of our generation. Just go to one of his shows if you don't believe me. Find out for yourself....I guarantee you will thank me. One

( Photo courtesy of @gorillavsbear )

-tshurn

Sports Blessed.

Sorry Seahawks fans, not everyone can repeat as Superbowl Champs. The struggle is real, and the pain will linger. I cannot even imagine what it felt like when Wilson threw that pass - I imagine fans were like, "WTF! Noooooo! Why didn't they run the f*cking ball?!"

It's times like this you drink away your sorrows and reflect on how blessed you are as a football fan to have witnessed an amazing season. No? Too soon? Okay, well, allow me to express how blessed I am...

In my lifetime, I have been witness to 3 Dallas Cowboys Superbowl wins, 1 Dallas Mavericks Championship, and 1 Texas Longhorn National Championship. My sports fan resume is pretty much as good as it gets. But a fan is never satisfied. Some fans go a lifetime without their team or teams winning the big kahuna. That just sucks. That's a void in a fan's life...unfinished business. Some get so close...but close doesn't get you that feeling. The feeling of indescribable joy. The feeling that you just won everything that is important in life. In that moment, and sometimes several days after, nothing else matters. You're on top of the world.

The Cowboys were close this year. I know in my head it wasn't a catch...but in my heart, it was right there. We could have beat the Seahawks, maybe. The Mavericks have the players, but seem to be missing the chemistry this year. So much talent - they need to finish the second half of the season strong. And the Longhorns...well, I am being patient. The football team is rebuilding, and the basketball team needs to get their shit together.

It's a tough life for a sports fan. I only hope to one day experience the euphoric feeling again.


-bObD

Catching Up

I just wanted to say whaddup to anyone that is actually reading this post right now. We haven't been posting lately and out of the two of us who write on this blog, I, tshurn, hasn't posted anything in a while. So you ask, what have u been doing??? Well the short answer is living and the long answer goes like this: Over the last couple months I've been basically just try to be a witness in this dance that we call life and breathe thru each day as it comes.....with that comes another level of consciousness that has been running thru me. In short, pay attention to everything that happens and in and around you as a simple "witness" and enjoy each moment....be in the moment. My good friend @thehomiejig came back from the bay area and we been just going to hip hop shows and festivals and good shit like that. Since dude has been back from Cali where he was working for a while we been to see Dilated Peoples, Outkast, Eminem, the stay with me dude (forgot his name), Childish Gambino, .......damn, I know that I am forgetting some people. We also been hanging out a lil bit, hitting up the Crown and Harp a few times, and just chillin basically. We saw most of those groups at ACL the other weekend and it was a blast. I don't think that I'm a good enough writer to convey the feeling that I had when most of my homeboys and I were jumping up an down to Outkast and rapping along every word with Andre 3000. It was a trans formative experience to say the least. ACL was so much fun and learning and culture. Austin is like ur weird older cousin, who seems to know alot of secrets to a happy life but he wants to show you instead of talk to you about it......Austin is a dope city. I love the triple D but if I would live anywhere else in the state it would be Austin, cause I'm strange like that. I wish that I had time to go over all the shows, but I don't want to bore....I wanna move on to all the things that are going on sports wise right now. This is one of my favorite times of the sports calender. You got playoff baseball (GO CARDS!), NFL football (Rams suck :(),  and the Mavs are about to tip off.....shiiiit, I'm watching something every damn night! Not to mention the gambling....bye now ya'll know that me and my partner @BurntOinBigD are fantasy football junkies and pickem savants....Well savants may not be the right term, but we all right tho :) .......Bottom line life is good right now and the world keeps turning even if you think life ain't good. I'm just trying to take it all in and learn from the everyday happenings that go on that people ignore or brush aside. It's all important and I want to experience it. One Love.


-tshurn

Thank you, aTx.

Just got back from ACL 2014...

Thank you, Austin, TX for an AMAZING weekend!

Awe-inspiring music, delicious food, breathtaking weather, and exceptional people.

Keep weird, Austin. Until next time...next time, for sure.


-bObD.

Cowboy Up.

No one wants to ever start the season 0-2. Not in fantasy football and not in real life football. The entire week leading up to Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans everyone had the Dallas Cowboys as a sure bet to lose. The Cowboys were about to make 8-8 look like a far-fetched goal this season. Titans defense against a turnover-happy offense and Jake Locker against a misguided defense were must-starts on everyone fantasy team.

I've always been a Cowboys fan...more specifically a homer fan. I am also a Tennessee Titans fan (have been since they became the Titans), but my allegiances will always fall to the Cowboys because I have lived most of my life in Dallas. I grew up during the Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin days. I traded in 3 years of Christmas presents for a Cowboys Starter jacket in elementary school. Before discovering fantasy football, I spent every Cowboys game day watching every high and low of the team through each and every down. Every year I think the team is better, and every year I know we'd be lucky to win the wildcard spot.

It's been some rough years for Cowboys fans, and I am usually the last to defend them. My friends and colleagues call me the pessimistic one, Dallas Debbie Downer. I hardly ever pick them to win in straight pick 'ems, unless they're playing the equally turnover-prone Giants. Then it's 50/50. I, myself, even picked the Titans to win yesterday. But as the game drew nearer, I heard more and more negative things about the Cowboys on the radio...on social media. I like sharing a good meme just like the next person, but the fan in me was agitated. So much hate towards the Cowboys. If you hate the Cowboys so much, why don't you all choose another team? Jump on that Saints bandwagon...I hear they're 0-2. So little credit given to Dallas...it almost made me change my pick...too bad my picks were locked in already.

I hope fans take the time to rise above their sour attitudes and judgement of the Dallas Cowboys. They are just like any other team trying to find their way to the top. Could they do without Jerry Jones' entertainment antics? Of course. Could I do without Dez's dramatic exits and flair each and every game? Most definitely. But as a fan, I have to believe it can get better. DeMarco had a great game, and McClain is on his way to being the Comeback Player of the Year. It's going to be a long year, but I vow to be a more positive fan. Who knows, maybe I'll even pick them to win next week against the Rams.

-bObD.

Rez Ball 28.5

The WNBA has been getting some attention lately...even if it is from Drake at the expense of Skylar Diggins. This past Wednesday night, not only did Diggins get recognized for her exquisite gracefulness, but another WNBA player also got called out. Maya Moore got the much deserved Best WNBA Player award at the ESPYS.

Moore has brought an unbelievable level of talent to the league. In her 4th year in the league, she is playing her best basketball. She is also playing with and against some of the best talent there has ever been in the league. Many fans, including myself, dismissed women's basketball after years of Houston dominating the league. When Swoopes retired, Lisa Leslie reigned...but it just wasn't enough to sell interest in the game. This year, there is Maya, Delle Donne, Diggins, Griner, Taurasi, Candace Parker...and many more. Each bringing their own game to the court. The best chemistry of young and old the league has ever seen. And yesterday's All-Star Game was probably the best display of all that talent.

There still isn't enough support for the WNBA to host an entire All-Star Weekend. Fair enough. But that doesn't mean there isn't enough talent. In one phenomenal game, we saw damn good basketball. The falling on the ground that stereotypes women's basketball was no more than what is seen in men's basketball these days. There were blocks, dunks, no-look passes, raining threes, and pure shooting. The veterans, Catching, Bird, and Taurasi held their own while the All-Star Rookies made it the Diggins-Schimmel Show. That game could have gone on for four more quarters.

I shared the news that Shoni's jersey was the number one selling jersey in the league with a colleague of mine. He responded with, "Do you even know what team she plays on?" Now I know - the Atlanta Dream. Shame on me for not knowing. But in my defense, she doesn't start for the Dream. I imagine Coach Cooper has his reasons for having Shoni come off the bench. But whether she is part of the starting line up or comes off the bench, there is no denying the court awareness and skill Shoni possesses. The Rez Ball she brings to the court is exciting and is exactly what the league needs.

I am determined to watch more WNBA games the rest of this season, instead of following the NBA head games and nonsense that is free agency right now. You should, too.


-bObD.

Her Light will forever shine bright

Maya Angelou passed away yesterday but she is not gone. She left many reminders of herself here on earth. Reminders filled with wisdom, love, and enlightenment. If you dig a little you will find all three of these things and much more in her many autobiographical works and poetry.

She was born and spent a majority of her childhood in my home city, St. Louis, Mo. We have a kinship in my eyes. I feel like I understand (in part) the way she grew up; the neighborhoods; the people. STL is a hard, downtrodden city where a lot of souls are crushed.....hers was too but still she rose. I read, "I Know why the Caged Bird Sings" when I was fifteen years old. The book saddened me and gave me hope. It opened my eyes to some things I couldn't swallow at the stage in my life but to this day I will never forget some of that prose. Maybe the most important thing one human can do for another human is to give them a sense of hope; a sense of strength; a glimpse at what they can be. Maya Angelou dedicated her life to passing these things on to other people. She found a way to rise from poverty, abandonment, and abuse and turn them into Love. That's something....to self teach Love.

With her passing, Twitter and FB blew up. I'm definitely cool with that because even if people didn't know her work or her story then maybe now they may take the time to find out for themselves. It can only help your life to have her teachings in it. Even if some idiots use her legacy and name in a negative light it's cool 'cause I was reminded many times yesterday of something she said long ago, "Nothing can dim the light which shines from within."


-tshurn

"Art is anything you can get away with"

The title of this blog post is a pretty famous quote from Andy Warhol. I have heard it before but I never really thought about it in any kind of distinct way before yesterday. I saw it framed at a trunk show that I attended in the bishop arts section of OC. The atmosphere of the whole event musta had my brain open because I started to think about that quote and a lot of other things while I was there. The trunk show was put on by Daniel Perez of Caviar Club menswear. I believe that he was debuting his line of mens accessories, such as bow ties, lapel pins, handkerchiefs and such. I have to admit that I have never worn any of these items but they looked great on the people that where wearing them at the event. He had classic bow ties, some a lil funky and some just plain elegant. Same goes for the handkerchiefs....but his items where not the only thing there. There was a photographer/graphic artist there showing and selling some of his pieces as well. His name is Daniel Driensky and his drawings were really dope. His pictures were of various things that he is interested in. The sriracha sauce bottle, miller lite can, robo cop vhs tape, and walkman where my favorite selections, the later of which I purchased to hang in my crib. It was so90's Dallas son! You can find Daniel on Instagram....Ya'll know that I consider myself pretty knowledgeable on the Dallas music scene so I have to speak on the sounds. Vinyl Fantasy was manning the 1's and 2's and he had me when I heard him spinning that Shaft, memories of my dad and his friends in our basement while I was stuck upstairs trying to sleep. Any DJ that incorporates 70's soul in his set has a fan in me.....So far it's looking good right??? Classic cool menswear, chill sounds, graphic art.....man, but there was so much more in this small studio. They were offering shaves for men, "menicures" by Vanessa Quilantan who I think is @pronailprincesa but I don't know for sure because of my social problems :), free chocolate mustaches, free TATS!....yall don't hear me tho!, FREE TATTOS! After my two Jamesons on the rocks, I was itching to get a tat on my forearm, but my friend who attended with me @verniciav talked me outta it. I'm not a virgin to ink but none of it is visible with my clothes on, last night I was willing to change that. Maybe it was the art in the air, I'm not sure.....@debdoingdallas hipped me to the party and that was really cool. It kinda represented the vibe that I got from the trunk show last night. People willin to reach out to one another for art's sake. I'm not into posturing and fake shit so it was refreshing to smell realness in the air. Like Andy Warhol said, "Art is anything you can get away with", well the artists last night got away with some really fresh items that will resonate with me for quite some time.


-tshurn

The (Other) Big Dance.

There are 2 big dances going on right now. Just like at the professional level, the women's collegiate players are often overlooked and forgotten during this time of year. Men's Elite Eight games may not start until late afternoon today, but the women's Sweet Sixteen tipped off this morning.

People who have never given women's basketball a chance have no idea. It is not like frowning upon a food like brussel sprouts without trying it. You're depriving yourself of a sport at another skill level. Less physical, perhaps. Less skilled, absolutely not.

There is no "one and done." You see players grow and develop with their team; you get to watch programs dominate. How do you know the name of Shabazz Napier and not know Breanna Stewart? You can't. You shouldn't. A sophomore on the Connecticut women's basketball team, Breanna is helping to build onto UConn's dynasty. Coach Auriemma describes her as "Durantesque." DURANTESQUE! Kevin Durant! The Slim Reaper! Her demeanor on the court is similar to Durant's - she does not have the flashy flare of Sue Bird or Diana Taurasi, but she doesn't need to. Her awe factor is in the completeness of her game. At 6'4" she is nearly unstoppable anywhere on the court; she is a proven mismatch for every team.

The Lady Huskies are a great team to watch. You're watching the team, not the game so much, because with an average winning margin of 30+ points, it is not much of a game by the second half. But to see Bria Hartley, Stefanie Dolson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, and Breanna Stewart's chemistry and dominance on the court, even for only 20 minutes, is simply amazing. At times, unfair even. Their game reminds me of perfectly lined up dominoes. Upon tip-off, the first domino is nudged, and the rest gracefully follow suit. The 40 minute game is seen as a well-coached pattern of pieces working together. Each pass, each drive, and each jump shot more impressive than the previous one. Each possession is damn near flawless.

Another team that has been exciting to watch is Louisville. Unfortunately for them, they share the same conference as the Huskies. Every time the two teams meet up, I get excited and expect a superb game. And each time, the same result - Connecticut is up by double digits at the half and ends up winning by 17+ points. If Louisville can make it out of their region and beat what looks like the undefeated Fighting Irish, it'll be another rematch with the Huskies. I'll be hyped again...because I like the fight. And I love the game.

And who knows...it could be a good game. After seeing Duncanville girls fall to Manvel in the Class 5A State Championship game this year, we all know a victorious program can and will eventually lose.


-bObD.

Shots...of Espresso.

While some were purchasing televisions and other high dollar electronics, I was at my local Starbucks buying a $75 tumbler the day after this past Thanksgiving.

Marketed as their Black Friday deal, this tumbler got you a free espresso beverage everyday in the month of January. SOLD! Wait - did I just pay $75 (plus tax!) for a tumbler?! I don't usually consider myself an impulse buyer...

The anxiety hit me later that day...
How much does my Vanilla Americano usually cost?
Will I even break even?
How am I going to remember to wash and bring the damn tumbler with me each day?
It's only November...I hope I don't lose the tumbler between now and January.

31 days later, I am feeling quite accomplished. Maybe it is all the caffeine. I think I broke even around day 24  - my drinks had paid for the tumbler. Hallelujah. I could shut up all the haters and disbelievers. It only took me upgrading from a Tall to a Grande...and occasionally adding an extra shot of espresso. But who couldn't use an extra hit every now and then? A few times I splurged on a White Chocolate Mocha, which helped cut into my tumbler debt.

Some caffeinated thoughts...
How am I going to go back to a Tall now?
So you're telling me I am going to have to start paying for my drinks again?
I wonder how many people actually bought the tumbler at the listed $75...as opposed to the Get Lucky clearance deal at Target.
What am I going to do with my tumbler now?
And now comes the withdrawal process...sorry, co-workers...


-bObD.