Where it all began......

I thought I would share with you when my Concert/Music Addiction first started! I had always liked music but in September of 2009 I fell in love with it! It all started because I went to a Barlow Girl concert with my mom. One of our friends paid for us to go, not only just to go but she got us V.I.P. tickets! Here is a picture of the V.I.P. pass!

                               
We met up with our friend and we left early for the concert. We did a little shopping to kill time and then finally it was time for the V.I.P.'s to go and meet the bands! We got there waited in line for a little bit and then they opened the doors and let us go get our seats. We got seats in the second row! Then the bands came out for questions. First it was Superchick, I didn't really know who they were I was mainly going to see Barlow Girl. They answered some questions and the only one I remember was one girl asked if Matt (the guitar player) would be doing any screaming tonight. So he told her that he would scream just for her! I thought that was pretty cool! Then Barlow Girl came out for questions, I didn't ask them anything because I was to nervous but they got asked the basic questions that everyone asks. Then we got to get our picture taken with Barlow Girl and Superchick! As we were greeting the band and getting ready for the picture, My mom says to Barlow Girl "Hi this is my daughter Courtney and she is homeschooled." lets just say I was a little embarrassed! But then after she said that the Barlow Girl's said that they used to be homeschooled too! (My mom knew that they had been homeschooled and that's why she mentioned that I was) Then Matt from Superchick feeling left out, said "I'm homeschooled!". Then the lead singer Tricia was like "No Mattie your not"! It was funny and although I was a little embarrassed, I was kinda glad my mom said that. Then after pictures we went and looked at the bands merchandise tables. I got a Barlow Girl T-shirt and a VOTA hat! Here is a picture of the hat!

                               

 I only got the hat because I thought it looked cool, I had never even heard of VOTA. After buying our stuff we went and sat down and waited. While we were waiting and talking, they let the rest of the people (who didn't buy V.I.P. tickets) come in. Then finally the concert started, VOTA was up first. While watching their concert I realized that I actually knew a couple of their songs and they were GREAT! After they played Superchick was up and I was kinda excited for them to play because I had heard good things about them from my friend, but the things that she said were no comparison to how GREAT they did! I loved it! Superchick was almost done and Matt hadn't screamed yet, I was getting worried. Then one of the last songs they played he did his scream for the girl in the audience! Although only the people who had been there early knew he was screaming just for her, but still it was awesome! That made me like Superchick WAY more! Then finally the moment I had been waiting for Barlow Girl took the stage! They did an awesome energetic show and we were right up front so it was even better! I was jumping almost the whole time they were playing! It was great! Then after the show we waited to get autographs! I had brought a T-shirt that I wanted all of the bands to sign.  We got VOTA's autograph first and that was the best! I had no clue who they were or what their names were but I wanted their autograph! I waited in line for like maybe five minutes and then they signed my shirt! The last guy to sign my shirt said "Hey I like your hat!" (if you remember from my long story I had bought their hat and I was wearing it!) I said thanks and then he said "You were standing on the left side of the audience weren't you?". I was so stunned, at first I was thinking "stalker" but then I was like yeah how did you know? He said "The hat gave you away!" I was like oh yeah that makes sense! Still to this day I don't know what that guys name was! He isn't in the band anymore either, but he made me a HUGE VOTA fan! Then I waited in line and got Superchick's autograph! They talked to everyone who went through the line and I thought that was pretty sweet! They even had their dogs out there while they were signing autographs! Then we waited in line for a while to meet Barlow Girl! I was so excited when I finally got to meet them! I was wearing the shirt that I had just bought and it has a drum set on it. So Lauren (the drummer) asked me if I was a drummer! I said I kinda am but I'm still learning. She said "That's great!" Me and my mom even made them a sign! (I was going to put a picture of the sign on here but it won't work) So I put the sign on the table for them to sign and they said "Wow this is awesome! Thanks so much!" (I don't know why they said thanks, they complimented my sign I should be the one saying thanks!) They signed it and I got my picture taken with them! It was AWESOME! That is how I fell in love with music! Now you know! :)
(if you read this WHOLE story then thank you!)

Some Cool T-shirts

I love christian T-shirts and I have found some really cool ones that I want to share with you!

                          

                             I want both of these! :)      

                       

                                                                          

                       

                      

                      

  Let me know what one is your favorite or let me know if you know of some other cool ones! :)

Manafest 3 CD Pack

Manafest has a deal going right now where you can get 3 of his CD's for only $22.00! In the CD pack you get the CD's "Glory", "Citizens Activ" and his newest CD "The Chase". You can read my review of "The Chase" Here .

                     

 This is a really good deal that I wanted to share with you guys just in case you don't have these CD's!
You can go and order them Here :)

VOTA House Party Tour

Ok so I have some really AWESOME news! VOTA has announced that they are doing a "VOTA House Party Tour"! So what this means is that VOTA is having a contest where YOU can enter to win a private concert in your very own living room! How cool is that? I haven't even got to the best part.......VOTA is so AWESOME that they are making this a tour, so 30 lucky fans will get to have VOTA come play at their house! Yes I said 30!

                                       


 The only thing is that VOTA is only getting partially sponsored for this tour, so your mission if you choose to accept it is to be the promoter for the show (if you win). So that means that you have to try to get other people to come and buy tickets or you could buy everyones tickets (if you wanted to be that nice!) This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you DON'T want to miss out on! So if this sounds like something your interested in sign up Here

         You can also Follow VOTA on Twitter @VOTAband
                      

The Rock and Worship Roadshow

Last weekend I had the privilege to attend the Rock and Worship Roadshow! It was really awesome, even though one of my favorite bands Thousand Foot Krutch wasn't able to go. I got to see Mercy Me, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, The Afters and Anthem Lights!

                    

Starting off the Show was Anthem Lights, I had never heard of them before the concert  but they were amazing! They only did 3 songs but they were great! The band is made up of  Four male singers and they all have great voices and dance moves! The one thing that I really loved about their show was when two of the guys bent down like they were really into their singing, and then all of a sudden the other two guys come and jump off of those guys backs! They even did a high five as they were jumping through the air! They had the most energetic show of all and it was really cool seeing them all do dance moves at the same time! The next band to play was "The Afters" and they were really cool! They put on a great upbeat show filled with all of their hit songs, they even played part of the mainstream song "Dynamite"! I don't listen to much mainstream music, but I have heard "Dynamite" and I LOVE it, I sing it ALOT! Another thing I enjoyed about "The Afters performance was that the lead singer really interacted with the crowd! He was in the audience for almost half of the show! He was having people sing into the microphone and he was jumping across peoples chairs! They put on a great show!

       The next band was "Matt Maher" and he did a good job too! Personally I'm not as much into the worship type music at a concert, but still he did great! He was having the whole audience waving the arms and clapping along! The next band was "Jars Of Clay", they did great! They played alot of their big songs and did great! One thing that they did that I really enjoyed was when the lead singer started playing this giant drum, and then one of the guitar players grabbed a drum! I LOVE drums so it was Great! Then finally the last band to play was Mercy Me! Since they were the head liners of the show they had everything from lighted drums to confetti cannons! They put on an amazing show and I still have their songs stuck in my head! The lead singer Bart even did some talking, he was talking about how we should love God because "He Is" not just because of what he has done! He said that if you love God just for what he has done, then when he doesn't do something (or he doesn't do it in your time) then you start resenting God. But if you love Him just because he is God then it changes everything! He used the example of his son, he said that if you were to ask his son why he loves his mom he would say "because she makes me sandwich's". Bart said thats the immaturity that we show with God. He said if someone asks us why we love God we would say "because he did this for me". Bart was saying that when his son is older if you were to ask him why he loves his mom he would hopefully say "I love her just because she is mom". He was saying that as you mature in your relationship with God that you should love God just because "He is". I really enjoyed Bart's talk because it makes you think about it "Why do you love God?". All in all the concert was great, it was loud, there were tons of lights and alot of singing! If I were to pick my favorite band out of the whole concert I would have to say it was Anthem Lights!

                    

They just totally blew me away! I had never heard of them and now I'm a huge fan! If you to check out the song by them that has been stuck in my head since last weekend click Here  Another thing I loved about Anthem Lights was that they responded to me on Twitter! For me a band gets SO much better when they reply to me on twitter!  You can follow Anthem Lights on twitter too!  @anthemlights

Prayer Rock

About a month ago a got a prayer rock with this cute little message attached:


     

I'm your little prayer rock and this is what I'll do.
Just put me on you pillow 'til the day is through.
Then turn back the covers and climb into your bed, and,
WHACK! your little prayer rock will bump you on the head.
Then you will remember as the day is through,
to kneel and say your prayers as you intended to.
Then when you are finished dump me on the floor.
I'll stay there through the nighttime to give you help once more.
When you get up the next morning, CLUNK! I stub your toe,
so that you will remember your prayers before you go.
Put me back upon your pillow when you bed is made,
and your clever little prayer rock will continue in your aid.
Because you Heavenly Father cares and loves you so,
He wants you to remember to talk to Him, You know.

Ben Kasica Is Leaving Skillet

I have some sad news for all you panheads, Skillets lead guitar player of 10 years is leaving the band. Here is the official announcement from Skillet's Facebook page.
          
          Panheads, fans, friends, and rockers,

What’s up everybody?  We have just returned home from Australia,  New Zealand, and Japan, where we had an awesome tour! 

However, as we are taking a little time off, we have a sad message to share with you.  Our long-time guitarist Ben Kasica is going to end his time with Skillet.  We have had 10 years working together, and  It has been an amazing ride!  From the years we spent driving through the night in a van; to playing concerts all the way around the world,  I’ve seen Ben transform from the kid who was nervous to play a guitar solo, to  the rocker who now plays a solo…with his teeth!  I always knew the time would come for Ben to leave and pursue other dreams, and now it is here.  We are a family and we are going to miss him.  We appreciate how hard he has worked for us and wish him the best in his  life off the road.   We have asked Ben if he would like to give a  message to the fans, being that I’m sure all of you would like to hear from him, and of course he did:

Hello panheads. After 10 amazing years of playing with Skillet, as John has told you, I will be leaving the band. This has been an incredible journey for me. Joining the band shortly after turning 16 and basically growing up on the road, I had no idea how long the ride would last but have enjoyed it immensely and been thankful to God for everything I’ve been a part of.  We’ve traveled to loads of places, met many many wonderful people, drunk way too much coffee, made tons of memories and hopefully touched lives with eternity.  I feel completely blessed and honored to have been a part of Skillet’s history. I want to thank John and Korey for the opportunity of a lifetime. They’ve been encouraging, compassionate, long-suffering  with me and it’s been what’s kept me going on all these years. I’m grateful for their years of input in my spiritual, personal and business life. They’re amazing, inspiring hardworking people that i have the utmost respect for. I wish them the absolute best in their future in and outside the band.
After getting off the road, I will be focusing on building my other companies, producing and developing artists at Skies Fall Studios and designing for LifeLoveMusic Clothing. I also look forward very much to being home and catching up on churchlife, family and friends.

I want to thank you panheads for 10 years of incredible support. You’ve been encouraging over the years and made touring an amazing experience. You are the absolute best fans ever. 

Thank you.

Benjamin Judah Kasica

We appreciate Ben’s work , we love him, and wish him the best in his music and various business ventures. Thanks to all of the fans for your support,  and we will see you  all soon on tour!

Stand and be strong,
John Cooper

My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go

FM Static is releasing a new CD on April 5th called "My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go".  I am really excited for this CD to come out because I am a big fan of FM Static!


               


1. My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go
2. F.M.S.T.A.T.I.C
3. (Hey) I Want It
4. Lost In You
5. You Don't Know Me Like That
6. Cinnamon & Lipstick
7. Black Tattoo
8. Last Train Home
9. Breaking Me Again
10. Inside Out

You can Pre Buy "My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go" Here (You even get an air freshener!)

Happy Valentines Day!

Today is February 14th, Valentines Day! So I thought I would share a few different ways to say "I Love You" and a few corny jokes, that you can share with the people you love! Here is a few ways to say "I Love You" in different languages!

                        English - I love you
                        French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
                        German - Ich liebe dich
                        Greek - S'agapo
                        Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
                        Italian - Ti amo
                        Japanese - Aishiteru
                        Latin - Te amo
                        Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo


                      

Here are a few jokes that you can tell your family and friends today!

Q. What did the boy squirrel say to the girl squirrel on Valentine's Day?
A. I'm nuts about you!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Frank.
Frank who?
Frank you for being my friend!

Q. What did the boy bird say to the girl bird on Valentine's Day?
A. Let me call you Tweet heart!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive you!

Have a Happy Valentines Day! :)

Apple Tree Quote

I found this quote the other day and so I thought I would share it with you guys! "Girls are like apples...the best ones are at the top of the trees. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples that are on the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think there is something wrong with them, when, in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree..."  — Pete Wentz 
  I just love this quote because it is SO true and encouraging!

          

#5 Rock What You Got

And finally #5 of my Top 5 CD's is "Rock What You Got" by Superchick! I love this CD because it is really encouraging and it has an AWESOME sound! The name "Superchick" kinda makes you think that they are gonna be really girly and not very good. But in my opinion they are great! Superchick has a rock sound with female vocals, so it sounds really kuel! The first song is "Rock What You Got" and this song is encouraging you to be yourself and Rock What You Got! I really love the sound of this song, mostly because of the guitar in it! The next song is "Alive" and it is about living you life to the fullest. One of my favorite lines is "We were meant to live while we're still alive". The fourth song is "Hey Hey" it has a really kuel sound, and its really fun in concert! One of my favorite lines is "I won't sell out even if the whole world thinks I'm crazy". The fifth song is "Hold" and  its a slower song about asking God to help you. The sixth song is "Breathe" and its a slow song and honestly it's a little boring. The seventh song is "So Beautiful" and it is one of my favorites because it has a great sound and awesome lyrics! Its basically a song for ALL girls, saying that you are beautiful! Some of my favorite lines are "We have dreams we were born to fufill, We were meant to be more than just fairy tale girls, We are the colors so bright, Each beautiful girl, We are the stars in the night, And we are changing the world, When every girl can see her beauty we will be an army!" T he eighth song is "Cross The Line" and it is probably my favorite on the CD! I love the sound and lyrics. Some of my favorite lines are "Everybody freeze - don't step over the line, Don't stand up, they'll shoot down the first one who tries, Try to change the world, they'll think you're out of your mind, Revolutions start when someone crosses the line, They want us to lie down, give into the lie, Nothing has to change, and no one has to die, That's not the secret, but I know what is: Everybody dies, but not everyone lives" The ninth song is "One More" and it also has a great sound, its about pushing yourself to go farther. The tenth song is " Crawl (Carry Me Through)" and it is a slower song. There are also a couple bonus tracks!

Track List

1. Rock What You Got

2. Alive (prelude)

3. Alive

4. Hey Hey

5. Hold

 6. Breathe

7. So Beautiful

8. Cross The Line

9. One More

10. Crawl (Carry Me Through)

11. Stand In The Rain (Symphonic Mix)

12. Dave Ghazarian *Guitar Hero*





#4 Awake

#4 of my Top 5 CD's is "Awake" by Skillet! I love this CD because well, its Skillet and they have an awesome sound! "Awake" has a good balance of rock with a couple slower songs. The first song on the CD is "Hero" and it has a really great rock sound! Also Jen sings on this one, so it has guy and girl vocals! The second song is "Monster" and it is one of my favorites on the whole CD! I love this song mainly because of the sound, but it has a good meaning too! "Monster" is basically about struggling with sin. The third song is "Don't Wake Me" and it is a slower song, but it has good lyrics! It is alot like the song "Yours To Hold" from their "Comatose" CD. The fourth song is "Awake and Alive" and Jen also sings on this song, so it has a really cool sound! The fifth song is "One Day Too Late" and this is a slower song, but yet it is one of my favorites because of the lyrics! Some of my favorite lines are "Today I'm gonna try a little harder, Gonna make every minute last longer, Gonna learn to forgive and forget, 'Cause we don't have long, Gonna make the most of it" and "Your time is running out, Your never gonna get it back, So make the most of every moment, Stop saving your best for last!" The sixth song is "It's Not Me, It's You" and this is probably my favorite song on the CD because its sounds great and the lyrics are good for when someone blames something on you! (Not that I ever do that *wink*) These are some of the lyrics "It's not me, it's you, Always has been you, All the lies and stupid things you say and do, it's you" The seventh song is "Should've When You Could've" and its a rock song about missing out on love. The eighth song is "Believe" its a slower song but its still pretty good. The ninth song is "Forgiven" and it is about God's mercy. The tenth song is "Sometimes" and this is another one of my favorites because I love the sound! The eleventh song is "Never Surrender" and it has some kuel parts in it, but the rest is just slow. The twelfth song is "Lucy" it is slower and kinda sad, but sweet! One of my favorite lines is "I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me".

                        Track List
1. Hero
2. Monster
3. Don't Wake Me
4. Awake and Alive
5. One Day Too Late
6. It's Not Me, It's You
7. Should've When You Could've
8. Believe
9. Forgiven
10. Sometimes
11. Never Surrender
12. Lucy

No Worries

I got this from a friend on Facebook, so I wanted to share my answers with you!

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle. Or use Pandora or Last.FM
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 10 friends.
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

Hand Grenade - Thousand Foot Krutch 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

Ordinary - Thousand Foot Krutch    (HaHa)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

         Everytime You Run - Manafest

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

We Don't - Lecrae 

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

It's Not Me It's You - Skillet 

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

Bring Me To Life - Thousand Foot Krutch 

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

The Altar and The Door - Casting Crowns

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Miracles - Newsboys

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN???

Avalanche - Manafest

WHAT IS 2 + 2?

Hold - Superchick

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Burn Me Down - House Of Hero's

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?"

No Signal - TobyMac

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Suddenly - Superchick

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Let's Dance - Hawk Nelson  (Ha Ha Ha)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Hurt - Thousand Foot Krutch

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Do You Know - TobyMac

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??

Welcome To The Show - Britt Nichole

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR??

Bring The Ruckus - Manafest

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?"

           Wish You Well - Thousand Foot Krutch

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

Battle Lines - Disciple

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

No Worries - Trip Lee

That was SO much fun,even though I think the answers would be better if you moved them down one! (Now read it again and then you will know what I mean) But I had to do it honestly!

#3 The Chase

#3 of my Top 5 CD's is "The Chase" by Manafest! I Love this CD mostly because of its sound, but it also has some good lyrics! In my opinion if you like Rock/Rap then you will love this CD! The first song is "No Plan B" and it pretty much sets the tone for the whole CD with the Rock/Rap sound. The second song is "Fire In The Kitchen" and this is probably my favorite song on the whole CD, just because it has more of a Rock influence! Also Trevor McNevan sings on this song with Manafest and so its a great combination of vocals. The third song is "Supernatural" and this song has some great lyrics! Some of my favorite lines are "This time, I will rise, Do or die, This time, I'll re-ignite, Stand and fight, This Time, I will love people cause it's a must from above, This time" The fourth song is "Everytime You Run" and Trevor McNevan sings on this song too. This song is a slower song, but it still sounds good. The fifth song is "Bring The Ruckus" and this song has a really cool sound. The sixth song is "Avalanche" and it is definitely one of my favorites because it has a really awesome sound! This happens to be my ringtone because I love it SO much! The seventh song is "Married In Vegas" and I have listened to this a few times, but I still don't really get the meaning behind the song, but it still has a cool sound! The eighth song is "Renegade" and this song starts off great in my opinion and it gets a little slower at the chorus but it still sounds great! Trevor McNevan also sings on this song. The ninth song is "The Chase" and this song is a really close second favorite of mine! If I hear this song than I just have to sing it, and that makes it a Great song! The beat of this song is what makes it great! The tenth song is "Better Cause Of You" and Dustin Anstey sings on this with Manafest. One of my favorite lyrics from this song is "I act like I don't know you, I crash your the first I go to, When I'm down and feeling alone, I'M BETTER OFF WITH YOU" The last song is "Breaking Down The Walls" and this song gets a little slow, but it has good lyrics!
           
                        
                       Track List
1. No Plan B
2. Fire In The Kitchen
3. Supernatural
4. Everytime You Run
5. Bring The Ruckus
6. Avalanche
7. Married In Vegas
8. Renegade
9. The Chase
10. Better Cause Of You
11. Breaking Down The Walls

#2 52 Television

#2 of my Top 5 CD's is 52 Television by KJ-52! This CD is one of my favorites because of the sound, I just LOVE the sound of this CD! On this CD KJ sings with Theory Hazit, Trevor McNevan, J.R., Braille, Rob Beckley, Da' T.R.U.T.H., Funky and Manwell & Blanca Reyes. 52 Television has 24 Channels (tracks) so I am not going to describe each one because that would just get boring! Instead I am going to highlight some of my favorites! I love the song "Adventures Of Tweezy Man" because it has a great sound and its just really funny! One of my favorite lines from this song is "Who's the man with a grasp of grammar, who writes songs on a pack of Pampers, The only rapper loved by yo grandma, Haircut like Adam Sandler". I also love the song "He Did That" because I just love the humor in it! I was telling my brother that it sounds like the Minions from "Despicable Me" are the back up singers! Another one of my favorites is Let's Go featuring Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch. I think that KJ and Trevor sound really good together and I love the rock/hip hop sound! I also love the song "Fuego", it has alot of Spanish in it and it has a pretty cool sound! Last but not least I love the song "Tweezy Dance" because it is just SO funny! These are some of my favorite lines from the song "I got a dance you can rock right upon ya block, Just take ya hands man then ya swing em round, Just like a fish out the water laying on the ground, Just be careful right when ya swing em now, You swing the wrong way you’re friend you gonna lay him out".


               


                Track List
1. Five-Two Television (Intro)
2. Adventures Of Tweezyman
3. End Of My Rope
4. The Chris Carlino Story: Day One
5. Headline News At 5 (with Theory Hazit)
6. He Did That
7. Let's Go (with Trevor McNevan from Thousand Foot Krutch)
8. The Chris Carlino Story: Week Two
9. Are You Online?
10. Calling You (with J.R.)
11. Headline News At 11 (with Braille)
12. Picture
13. Shake It Off
14. Gonna Be alright
15. Help Me Change (with Rob Beckley from Pillar)
16. Swagged Out With Tags Out (with Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
17. The Chris Carlino Story: Week Four
18. Fuego (with Funky)
19. Tweezy Dance
20. Let It Go
21. Firestarter (with Manwell & Blanca Reyes from Group 1 Crew)
22. Broken People
23. The Chris Carlino Story: Week Five
24. Dear God