A Little "Home" Music

Sometime recently BooMama asked "So what about you? What music reminds you of home? What music takes you straight to your happy place? "

Three things crossed my mind. Jack Johnson. He makes me think of late nights in Mom and Dad's kitchen playing games, laughing, and just being happy. He takes me back to hotel rooms in Chicago before Dad was sick when Dosh was just at the beginning of his military career and he ate all Dax's baby munchies while we all hung out and watched Jack and Ben Harper on Austin City Limits. He also makes me smile at car rides where popping in a Jack CD would make one now almost 4 year old boy mellow into a peaceful laid back state. He just is. Listening to him makes me smile.




I began to laugh when I thought of th third type of "Home" music.(yes I said third, I'll get to the first in a moment). I'm not sure you could call this is a genre, "funny songs". You know, like Weird Al type stuff. Now Dad liked Weird Al, but he loved ones that were much more obscure than old Al. I've blogged about a couple of favorites like this performed by one of Dad's favs, Ray Stevens (if you're bored and have nothing better do do, look for his stuff on YouTube, it'll make you giggle). There are others, far less appropriate for this blog. I'm going to post this only if Mike thinks it's not so horribly inappropriate that I'll get asked to stop leading youth. Well, ok I might post it anyway just in memory of my dad. He'd get a kick out of my posting it. I'll leave the rest of his favorite Monty Python songs alone.



Back to my first taste of home. Motown. How fitting that tonight would be Motown night on American Idol. I had no doubt it would be, I prepared myself as soon as I read BooMama's blog. It seemed a warning somehow to be prepared. My dad loved to dance. He was actually on one of those local dance tv shows in Cleveland. The only good image I can conger up is one from the movie Hairspray. He was good, contest winning good and Motown was his flavor. Disco came and backed it up, our house, it was filled with Motown & Disco.

Smokey Robinson brings memories flooding back as he steps onto the AI stage tonight. I can't help but be excited, I can't help but pray that Mom and I will both make it throuugh this show in different states without breaking down. Tonight the contestants weren't all great, but there were moments.

My favorite of the night was a shock. I have admitted his signing ability, but have not enjoyed him, not at all. This song. I cried. This was a favorite of my parents. Let's just say anything by Smokey would be on that list. So here it is, my favorite of the night...



My dad would love this guy's dancing and the rest of us just love him!



Others worth mentioning ~
I do wish the videos were easier to come by this year! American Idol is cracking down!