Happy Monday.?!

Happy Monday is back. And there's good reason to be happy today because we had a great time hanging out with Boy Wonder and all the great acts at World Cafe Live! The exclamation point is in the name - does that mean I have to put another exclamation point at the end of the sentence if I'm really excited about playing at World Cafe Live!? Uh oh, did it just seem like I was curious and excited at the same time? I don't know. Maybe some former English majors can help me out with that.

Also, in case you didn't already know, we're playing as the house band for Zombie! The Musical starting this Thursday, Sept. 3rd. OK, I think I got that sentence right - Zombie! The Musical was in italics, so you weren't confused and thought I ended the sentence with "Zombie!", right?

Punctuation is hard sometimes. Especially on Monday.

Bye!?

- Nick

Happy Un-Monday

If you've ever listened to the podcast I make with my friend Brian O'Rourke, you know that I don't read much. Well actually, I do read, but it's mostly for information. I usually prefer my entertainment to be watchable or listenable. But when Brian recently published his first novel, I had to check it out. I'd like to write a long, intelligent review praising it, but I'm no authority (no pun intended) on literature. I will say that I really enjoyed it, and couldn't wait to finish it, no matter how much I was distracted by TV shows, Phillies radio broadcasts, or news involving the producers and cast of the new Star Trek movie.

In The Unearthed, Brian is able to draw up characters who are easy to care about. The suspense is handled skillfully, and some intriguing plot twists keep you guessing right up to last sentence. His description of the action is vividly detailed, but it doesn't sacrifice the swift pace of the storytelling. Given the subject matter, reading it at 2AM with all the lights off was probably a bad idea. I scare easy.

Whoa, hold on, I think I almost tried to write a review there, even though I said I wouldn't. I'll quit while I'm ahead. Buy Brian's book here and you can tell me what you thought instead.

I think books may be trying to convert me to their teachings. Today I visited Barnes & Noble and a book called to me from the shelf. It literally called to me, yes. Then it made me read the first two chapters of itself before it'd let me leave. The Unthinkable is a non-fiction psychology book that analyzes human behavior during disasters, natural and man-made. It's an in-depth exploration of how and why people make certain decisions under extreme stress, and it's a topic that I've always wondered about. That's probably because I freeze at the grocery store when I'm trying to decide between 7-grain or 12-grain bread. How many grains do I need? I don't know!

What I do know is that I need to read.

If you'd also like to read, I say find some books whose titles start with "The Un". They seem to be a good bet.

Happy Monday (it's over!),

- Nick

One Hill of a Weekend

I wasn't sure which headline would get a bigger groan, "Happy Monday" (again), or the awful pun I decided on. You tell me.

This weekend I finished the first leg of my Journey to the End of the Philadelphia Metro Area. By that, I mean I'm going to travel to the terminus of each of SEPTA's regional rail lines, and explore its surrounding town. The idea came from my grandparents, who often remind me that if you don't have a lot of money to travel to exotic places, there are plenty of things to see in your own backyard. Luckily, riding to the end of each line is free on the weekends with my Zone 1 trailpass. The first stop was Chestnut Hill, which is the closest station to my Germantown home.

Chestnut Hill has long been a tourist destination for locals and visitors, and is the home to many historic and architecturally significant buildings, as well as a lot of cool shops and restaurants. I decided to investigate a local bookstore/cafe called "Borders". They have a nice collection of books, and the cafe makes a mean strawberry Fruitkula.

After working on my laptop for a while, I took a walk down the famous, cobblestoned Germantown Avenue, stopping to photograph some of the unique local establishments. The weather was perfect, so I was very happy strolling down the hill, taking in the sights, and listening to Denison Witmer's song, "Chestnut Hill". But I soon tired of walking and decided to board one of Chestnut Hill's historic trolleys, which didn't look how I expected, apparently because of this.

It was a fun trip, and I look forward to next time, when I'll visit the other end of the R7 in Trenton, NJ. Anyone know any fun places to visit while I'm there?

- Nick

Happy Monday (Tuesday Edition)

I missed my day. But it's OK, because I was busy being happy. I spent the Easter weekend with my family, and Monday and Tuesday at my grandparents house. There was no internet there, as you can imagine in a town called Mountain Top. But it's a favorite town of mine, for that reason. It's a great place to get away, spend time outdoors, and think. And of course, enjoy the kind of hospitality only your family can provide.

My grandfather, "Bud", and my grandmother, "Renie", have lived in their small mountain farmhouse for as long as most of my family can remember. My grandfather drove Greyhound busses and tractor trailers, and my grandmother took care of children - her own, and the kids she served lunch to in the local school cafeteria. They also babysat my little sister and me quite often in our youth; I have lots of great memories of running around their numerous wooded acres, grassy fields, and pond banks.

For as many weekends I spent there, I've eaten just as many pots of my grandmother's famous chicken soup. I've also been given lots of advice and support to go along with that soup. (Insert Chicken Soup for the Soul joke here, if you like.) They've always encouraged me to do what makes me happy, and as they know, playing music is one of those things. I can't tell you how many performances they've videotaped, or how many practice sessions they've had to endure. But it's a lot.

Bud and Renie have called my cell phone on occasion during practice with the Sobriquets, and the band likes to kid me about it. But they'll soon realize the extent to which my grandparents will go to show that they care. I recently asked to borrow their conversion van for part of our summer tour, and my grandfather offered to drive it himself.

So, I'm happy on Monday once again. And well-rested from more than a few breaths of fresh air.

- Nick (drums)

Happy Monday?

Hi everyone, this is Nick.
I hit stuff for The Sobriquets. I'll be posting here every Monday. Since no one really likes Mondays, I'll do my best to post something to cheer you up. What makes you happy? Let us know in the comments section and I'll look for some tiny pieces of happiness and bring them to you via Songs De Guerre.

Tonight's happiness is about us, The Sobriquets. We just had a meeting about plans for our summer tour, and it looks like we'll be playing a lot of shows, probably even one near you. So keep checking our site and this blog for updates on where you can see us. We'll also be releasing our first record with the full band lineup this summer. And since I was able to contribute to making this one, I am a very happy man. We're really excited for everyone to hear it.

Stay tuned for additional weekly posts from the unique perspective of each Sobriquet. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to your comments and feedback about the blog and the band.

Oh, and above is a picture of the first time I played the drums.
Do I look happy? I think I may have been a little uncomfortable in those overalls.