the weekend in review.....and some music

wow, this whirlwind weekend is finally winding down! the majority of friday was spent being "dad" with amelia while sarah was attacking the woodbury garage sales. then it was off to small group for the evening. saturday was spent with mom as an early mother's day celebration. it was great to get together with everyone. we are truly blessed by great families.

and today....well it was crazy. i must have had a lapse in good judgment a few weeks ago when i agreed to give this message today in worship. of course that was done on top of my usual job of worship leading. i have a new found admiration for good speakers. Hopefully i got my points across......

ok, here's something i'm maybe more capable of doing....music reviews!


warren barfield - reach
i was first exposed to barfield in 2003 with the song 'my heart goes out' it was on a different album than the above mentioned but it was great. got a hold of it and the rest is history.

i have had the chance to see him several time in both small and large settings. he is a truly gifted acoustic guitar player and you can really see his heart in the music.

this latest cd "reach" is much different than his first effort but it works. barfield is dipping into new territory this time around. this new disc has funk, rock, ballad, blues.....you name it. his lyrics are deeper this time around as well covering an array of topics from hardships, grace, and living life outside of ourselves.

while this is a good disc and worthy of a couple downloads on itunes (recommend: saved, i'll be alright, beyond these walls), you really have to catch him in a live setting to really enjoy the fruits God has given him.

rating: ****


teddy geiger - underage thinking
a few years ago there was a show on nbc called "ed". i really enjoyed this show. it was a quirky hour long dramedy (spelling?) about a big city lawyer coming back to his small town, buying a bowling alley and chasing after his high school crush. well it ended all too soon after a few short seasons.

i was delighted to find that the lead character would be involved in a new show earlier this year called "love monkey". the show was about a record company rep (tom) and all the hoopala that goes along with it. long story short on this one; really lame show but great music.

ok so there was this "artist" that tom was trying to shop around. the kid had a great voice and decent music abilities. i wondered though if it was really him doing that or just lip syncing over a john mayer track.

turns out he was the real deal and his name is teddy geiger. while john mayer is alright (his latest "try!" is actually pretty good) this guy takes mayer's style to a new level. i'm a fan of the acoustic guitar over most instruments but when others are done well i appreciate it. geiger showcases his talents on the piano, bass and drums through much of the album. his voice is right in midrange with a nice rasp to it. it has a real honest feel to it as well which is always a nice touch.

this is a good release but i think he has a tough road ahead of him if he wants to beat the john mayer comparisons. he has the stuff, time will tell

oh did i mention...he's only 17. nice

rating: ***1/2