U - Unreal

This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge. This year I have decided to go themeless. Each day I will post about whatever topic pops into my head. The result of this spontaneity is anyone's guess. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Unreal. That's the only way I can describe seeing Home Free in concert. I've talked about them before, but please indulge me for a moment. Last night, my wife and I, our four kids, my nephew, and a good friend all went to see them live in Tulsa. This is the second time we've seen them in concert in twelve months. When we saw them last year, we were all floored. BEST CONCERT EVER! Then we saw them last night. They've gotten better. A LOT better!

Having seen them before and following them closely on social media, I already knew much of what they would do in the show. I've felt Tim's bassquake vibrate the whole building. I've seen Adam perform a beatboxing routine that defies belief. I've seen the group mesmerize an audience with their harmony and true camaraderie. They are best friends and family and it shows.

I was shocked by what I witnessed last night. Tim's bass has gotten even stronger. The harmonies are spot on. They have the audience dancing in their seats one minute, crying the next. And laughing and smiling the whole way. But two things stood out last night that cranked it up to 11.

The first was Adam Rupp's beatboxing solo. I think he's been practicing. For ten minutes, he proved why Austin Brown introduces him each night as "a freak of nature." He makes sounds the human body was never designed to make. His drum solo sounds like a full drum kit played by a professional. Then he goes into his DJ Blank Stare routine. All culminating with the finale, introduced by his simple statement, "Drop the beat." I can't begin to describe it. You must witness it. Click on Adam's picture below to see his solo. You'll need good speakers to get the full effect, but it still can't capture the experience of the live show.

The second thing was, in my opinion, the greatest performance I have ever seen by Home Free. They did a cover of "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. On their album, Country Evolution, the song is very cool. In concert, they went insane. They added a shorter Adam Rupp drum solo. Then Austin Brown joined in with a beatbox solo. Then Chris Rupp. And Rob Lundquist. And Tim Foust. Then they had a beatbox battle with Austin and Chris on one side and Rob and Tim on the other. Adam joined both sides and kept things under out of control. I may have swallowed a bug or two during that performance. My mouth was hanging open long enough. I won't even bother posting a video of that one. You can look it up on Youtube, but it doesn't do it justice.

If you get a chance, see them live. You're welcome.

U - Using up the letters quickly

Welcome to day twenty-one of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to T: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

We're getting very close to the end. That means only a few letters left. Unfortunately, that also means some letters that have very few movies. I don't know if that makes it harder or easier to pick one. So here goes.

Quote
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Character
Roger "Verbal" Kint - A disabled conman who is the only survivor of a thief crew that works for a legendary mob boss who may or may not actually exist. The movie is essentially told from Verbal's viewpoint.

Synopsis
Five criminals meet in a lineup. Their lives will never be the same again. And who is Keyser Soze?

U - Say Uncle

This late in the A to Z Challenge, many bloggers have already cried Uncle and run away. Many more are still here, but some are thinking of crying Uncle. So it's only fair that I have a bit of an Uncle theme to today's musical selections.

Love (Song)
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Warrant) - Hair metal strikes again. I told you I really like hair bands, right? Warrant had several hits in the early 90s including Uncle Tom's Cabin. About a witness to a police involvement in a double murder, the writing style was completely different from anything Warrant had done before. I still rank it as one of their best.

Love (Band)
Uncle Kracker - I only know a few songs by Uncle Kracker, but I like the ones I know. Follow Me has a great mellow groove. Their cover of Drift Away featuring Dobie Gray is my favorite of theirs. I can listen to it anytime under any circumstances.

Hate
Until It Sleeps (Metallica) - I like Metallica. Who doesn't? But this song is just terrible. I don't know what it is about this song that's so bad, but I just can't stand to listen to it. It has a creepy sound that just makes me uncomfortable. I don't know why. I think it sounds too Lovecraftian for my tastes.

Hate to Love
Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers) - Few songs have been recorded as many times by as many artists as Unchained Melody. The best version is still by the Righteous Brothers. This is the version best known for its inclusion in the movie Ghost. That's the entire reason I hate to love this song. Patrick Swayze blew it for any guys being allowed to publicly admit to liking this song. So let's just keep it between us, okay? Thanks. (Good thing everything posted on the Internet stays private.)

Anyone ready to cry Uncle? Or is everyone powering through to the end? Any other "uncle" related songs I've forgotten? Let me know in the comments. I'll even keep your secret if you have any embarrassing songs you love.

U - Unusual

I'll admit it. I'm unusual. I'm fine with that. I got married at age 19 to my 18 year old fiancee. Almost 22 years later, we're still married. I have four kids, while most people today have one or two. I own guns and love to shoot them, but I've never hunted a day in my life. I am an ultra-conservative that writes Sci-fi novels for fun. (I'm currently unpublished, but that will change.) I am a pilot that hasn't flown in 18 years. I carry a gun on a daily basis, but I've never shot anyone or even considered shooting someone, even when they cut me off in traffic.

Oh wait, that isn't unusual. That makes me just like 99+% of all gun owners in America. Especially those with a carry permit. So scratch that off the unusual list.

The thing that makes me most unusual to people I know is that I'm Messianic. Not Messianic Jewish. As far as I know, I am not Jewish at all. However, I believe in and follow the Torah and the rest of the "Old Testament", or Tanakh. I also believe in and follow Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and the "New Testament" or B'rit Chadasha. This makes me stand out at work or in many social situations. Keeping the Sabbath on Saturday and eating kosher (biblical, not rabbinic) will definitely make you noticeable. Especially when you tell your boss you won't work when he says he needs everyone to come in on Saturday to move equipment. As my co-workers have gotten used to my work and dietary restrictions (no pepperoni on my pizza, please!), I haven't felt as odd. Until I try to visit Messianic websites from my work computer. There's just something strange about seeing them blocked and categorized as "Non-standard religions, folklore, or cults."

Unusual indeed. But that's how I like it. Besides, turkey pepperoni is better for you anyway. Shalom!