Other happenings

Sometimes it is hard to get an interview or to find the time to watch a movie so that u can review it.  Sometimes my other blogs are grabbing all kinds of content while another one waits for something.  Right now I am in that predicament.  My other blog, www.TheFoodieWithin.com has gotten some great interviews with some very famous chefs with more to come, so I invite you over to read those while I get some content for this blog! 

TeeJay Interviews Cody Belew : New Album, Voice Finalist, Awesome Guy

Cody Belew

Cody Belew was a finalist on Season 3 of The Voice where he was mentored by CeeLo Green.  Cody has his own album coming out, so we thought we needed to get in contact with him... This is what we learned:

TeeJay Today: Give us a quick bio.... Mom and Dad, siblings, hometown, etc...
Cody Belew: Grew up in Beebe, Arkansas. Steve and Lisa Belew- parents. Casey Belew- younger brother

TeeJay: Tell us about some of the jobs you've done in the past that aren't music related that got you to where you are now.

Cody: When I was a kid, I worked for a man that cut and baled hay during the summers. I worked my way through every job (starting with dishwasher) at a local restaurant. They used to call me out of the kitchen to sing happy birthday and present a piece of pie to customers.

I worked on a chicken farm, in a grain mill, a Christmas tree lot, and a coffee shop. Most notably, I worked for a number of years as a tailor altering clothes. That lead me to designing and building costumes for my college theatre program. I went on to minor in theatre.

 

TJ: Tell me everything about your first big show that you played.

CB: My first big show wasn't a big show in terms of capacity, but it really set the tone for every show after that. I was set to play a Wednesday night at the little jazz club in Little Rock, Arkansas. I told them I felt that I was ready for a weekend slot, and promised that I could fill the place if given the chance. They wouldn't allow it. Wednesday it was. I played the gig, sold out the show. They only had one waitress on duty and the crowd nearly ran her to death. My crowd drank their bar completely dry!!! HAHA. I never played another Wednesday night. From then on, I was a top draw. :-)

 

TJ: What one artist do you look up to the most and why?
CB: I really look up to Lady Gaga right now. Not because of her music, but because of her work ethic and how she as structured her business. She is very savvy and knows how to build a good, strong team of people around her. I want to do that for my own career.

 

TJ: If you had to choose one song that summed up your life and challenges, what would it be?
CB: "thank you falettinme be myself" -Sly and the Family Stone. 

 

TJ: In 3 words, describe your freshman album?

CB: Refreshing, Sexy, Twerkable

TJ: Tell us about the tour coming up!

CB: Planning a few dates in the Midwest at the moment. Chicago being the one I'm very excited about. I'm playing the Hard Rock Cafe there on November 8th.

TJ: Tell us about the album dropping sept 3rd in your own words!  

CB: Its my pride and joy. It's my soul's work. This album achieves what I said I was going to write- timeless pop music that is relevant, catchy, and fun to listen to. I want listeners to fall in love with this project.

TJ: Favorite song on the album? (We know its hard to choose just one)

CB: "Give Me Your Love"

TJ: Biggest inspiration?

CB:  My family. I want to make them proud.

TJ: What is one thing that you want future fans to know about you?
CB: I am not artificial, and I am not in the business chasing celebrity. I want to leave a legacy of good music and good, strong live shows. If you're willing to go on this journey with me, I promise I won't let you down.

Rapid Fire: Favorite: (one word answers)
Animal- Falcon
Color- Olive Green
Food- Grilled Pork Chops
Sports team- Tennessee Titans
Song- "Up To The Mountain"
Sport- Tennis
Artist- Spencer Tunick
Magazine- Architectural Digest
Actor/Actress- Shirley Maclaine
Number- 12
Astrological sign- Taurus
Movie- Fried Green Tomatoes
Book- "The 13th Tale"
Drink- Whiskey and Coke
Interviewer- Oprah

TJ: Single or Taken?
CB: taken

TJ: Describe your perfect date?
CB: A really great restaurant and an amazing bottle of wine, OR going to the movies. 

TJ: Favorite music collab you've done?
CB: Cee Lo Green, of course!

TJ: What is the last dream you remember?
CB: I dreamed a tornado came through during a snow storm and after it over it was a sunny, summer day.

TJ: Can we get some tips from "The Voice" ?
CB: SMILE- there's ALWAYS a camera on you. haha

TJ: What is one fact about you that no one else knows, not even your close friends and family?
CB: If I told you then it wouldn't be something no on else knows!!

TJ: Where can we find your Album?
CB: iTunes with physical copies in stores around the US soon.

TJ: What was it like working with CeeLo?
CB: A genuine artist. It was a dream working with him. He always keeps things fun.

TJ: Any dirt or weird habits you can spill on CeeLo?  
CB: He has 3 little diamonds embedded in his teeth.

TJ: If someone were to write the Cody Belew biography the first sentence would read.....
CB: They used to call him "the boy that sings."
TJ: If the same biography were made into a movie, I want ___CB: Richard Madden_______ to play me!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my silly questions!

Don't forget to go buy Cody's NEW ALBUM at the link below and as always please follow us on twitter!  @CodyBelew and @TeeJayToday

 

Movie Reviews... Whoop! Whoop!

I went and stayed the entire day at the movie theater the other day to catch up on all of the new releases then I watched a few oldies on Netflix the other night....  Let's dive in shall we..

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

I was lucky, I was able to see this movie a full day before everyone else.  It was great.  It has been getting mixed reviews because it is not Twilight, Harry Potter, or The Hunger Games.  As much as I like those films, I think it should get bonus for NOT being like those other films.  It took a different route.  This installment adds a few more stars to the mix (Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion) and of course all of your favorites including Logan Lerman.  The best lines go to Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion, but you will have to watch it to get those.  The special effects are amazing, I especially liked the water horse thing that pops us in the movie.
Another thing is that parts of the movie are actually rooted in Greek mythology: golden fleece, the gods, their attributes, the metal bull, etc...
Go see it in 3D in the theaters, you won't be disappointed!

Turbo

This CGI animated cartoon film was enjoyable.  It has Ryan Reynolds as Turbo, the snail that dreams of entering the INDY 500.  It was funny, had some heartfelt moments too.  I took my 2 younger brothers to see it, they really wanted to see it, I wanted to see something else.  They really enjoyed it, but if you don't have some younger ones to go see it, you might want to wait til this one comes out on video.

 

Wolverine

Easy... LOVED IT.  I am a huge action super hero person.  This one felt more gritty than any other of the Wolverine movies, (including XMEN).  In this one we get to meet new mutants, The Viper!  Great movie, it really builds onto Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is still ripped and can carry this franchise even further.  I like how it explains some of the Nagasaki and that it was just another theater of war that Logan was in.  Go See It!  *I was extremely excited to see the Easter Eggs at the end of the film!

I also watched a couple older movies, if you remember them or have something to say about them, comment below or send me some tweets!

I also watched:
The Faculty
The Rescuers: Down Under

I love days off!

I had a much needed day off today and am taking full advantage of it. 

First of all, I slept in til 10AM...  I cant believe I did that!  Played on my iPad a bit, went to the movie theater and saw RIPD.

RIPD


It was a great movie!  I have been reading where this movie is getting a bad wrap when it comes to online reviews.  But I went into the theater with an open mind.  I liked it!  Ryan Reynolds is his normal self, full of one liners and some action thrown in too!  Jeff Bridges is hilarious in this movie, he steals the show!  From seeing the previews I even had a surprise in the theater... Did you know that Kevin Bacon is one of the main characters?  I had no idea!  If you like Sci-fi and Action with a bit of comedy, you will enjoy this movie!

When I got back from the movies I stopped at the Rusty Taco and got a shrimp taco and fish taco with a Mexican Coca Cola.  (Breakfast was a smoothie so I was pretty hungry)

When I got home I decided to make some Peach butter since I was out of jelly and I bought a bunch of fresh peaches at the farmers market the day before.  I then took a nap which I normally dont do.  Watched a few YouTube videos, drew and painted a Spider Man painting that I had been wanting to do.  Ate some Mexican food.  Now I am typing this and I have Paranorman playing on netflix and my xBox.

I love days off!

Michael Atkins: Musician Interview

Please go read Micheal Atkins' musical bio at www.mikeatkinsmusic.com

TeeJay: Give us a quick bio.... Mom and dad, siblings, hometown, etc...:
Micheal: Born in Liberty, TX, mom played the piano and I quickly followed suit by starting at 6 months old. Dad played the guitar well enough to get me interested in the guitar. I grew up with an older brother and sister who were always listening to everything from Willie Nelson to The Police, and I subsequently raided their record collections when they left home. I started singing when I was a little boy, around 5 or 6, but I didn't really get introduced to serious singing until I joined the school choir in the 6th grade. At that point we lived in McAllen, Tx. My choir director was Mr Emby Tanner, and he pushed me to keep singing and convinced me to join high school choir when I got there. The whole time I was exploring songwriting, and synthesizers. This would've been around the time I was 13. It all culminated in me wanting to make a living playing music. Whatever that would entail. Since that time I've worked as a church music director, I've been music director for several bands, toured as a keyboard player for some major label acts, mostly Christian artists. Today I pay the bills playing piano and singing as an entertainer at Petes Piano Bar in Austin, Tx. That job certainly takes every skill I have to make it successful. My family and I currently reside in New Braunfels, Tx and couldn't be happier living here.

TJ: Tell us about some of the jobs you've done in the past that aren't music related that got you to where you are now.
MA: For a musician every job is to keep you afloat to play music. When I was young my dad owned a small fleet of vintage airplanes for a cargo business. I swept the floor in the maintenance hanger. At another time my wife and I were janitors in a church. But the weirdest job I ever had consisted of taking staples out of papers in old medical files.

TJ: Tell me everything about your first big show that you played.
MA: The first big show I ever played was at the High School auditorium at Memorial High in McAllen, Tx. Well over two thousand students. I had played other shows, but never for that many people. I did a one man band act playing eclectic music. Everything from The Stones and Howard Jones to Jean Michele-Jarre, who I thought was extremely cool at the time. It was crazy, I played intermission music for the other bands. There were at least ten bands that night.

TJ: What one artist do you look up to the most and why?
MA: I'd say the one artist that I keep returning to over and over throughout my life is Peter Gabriel. He seems to always be creating true musical and sonic art, and seems to consistently push boundaries. He inspires me, though I sound nothing like him.

TJ: If you had to choose one song that summed up your life and challenges,> what would it be?
MA: The Late Greats by Wilco.

TJ: In 3 words, describe your freshman album?
MA: Total musical disregard.

TJ: Tell us about any shows coming up.
MA: Pete's Pianos keeps me busy enough that I really can't tour, but I am able to keep writing and recording. At the moment I'm working on music with a great artist in San Antonio named Chris Taylor. I'm also working on a series of EP style records that will be mainly piano and vocals. One will be all original material, one will be covers of my favorite songs. And one will be a reworking of old hymns.

TJ: What is one thing that you want future fans to know about you?
MA: That I try to write songs that come from a place of honesty. If I haven't experienced it in my life it's hard to write about. Others are really good at writing made up stories in song. I'm not.

 Rapid Fire: Favorite: (one word answers)
 Animal : Tiger
 Color :  Blue
 Food : I'm having a love affair with sushi
 Sports team : The Roswell Grays
 Song :  The Long And Winding Road by The Beatles
 Sport :  Hiking
 Artist : Ansel Adams
 Magazine :  Keyboard
 Actor/Actress :  Benedict Cumberbatch/Karen Gillam
 Color :  Blue, is this a trick question?  (Just making sure you are paying attention! LOL!)
 Number :  13
 Astrological Sign :  I'm a cancer. You can't get much better than that.
 Movie :  Star Wars (1977)
 Book :  Psalms
 Drink :  Skinny Vanilla with heavy cream
 Interviewer :  TeeJay of course
 Single or Taken :  Taken

TJ:  Describe your perfect date.
MA: Gourmet lunch at the Huisache Grill in downtown New Braunfels followed by a walk through the town square, and coffee somewhere in there. I'm pretty simple these days.

TJ: Favorite music collab you've done?
MA: Working with producer Matt Erickson on my EP Box of Letters.

TJ: What is the last dream you remember?
MA: I don't remember the details, I just remember my cat kept showing up. Just sitting in the corner. Creepy!

TJ: What is one fact about you that no one else knows, not even your close friends and family?
MA: It may seem trivial, but I once tried to cross a low water crossing in my first car. Nearly got swept away but managed to get out. That cured me of ever doing that again. (Good PSA)

TJ: Where can we find your Album? What is your twitter handle, Facebook,> etc.....
MA: Box Of Letters is on iTunes, I'm also on Reverbnation at reverbnation.com/atkinsmusiconline, @funkdaddyone on twitter, My fan page on the book of faces is Mike Atkins

TJ: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my silly questions!
MA:Thanks for interviewing me!

The Lone Ranger & FIREWORKS!

The 4th of July weekend is over and today is the last day of my vacation.... 

What I did:

Went to a new zoo,
Played glow in the dark puttputt
Went to a Giant Farmers Market
Went to an IMAX Dome theater
Went to a Science Museum
Saw The Lone Ranger
Watched Fireworks

The Lone Ranger:

I love it... a lot of the reviews that I am seeing are kind of bad.  People don't understand that my generation or the next don't know about the Lone Ranger...That is why it takes a 2:30 hour long movie to reintroduce him and Tonto to mainstream again.  Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp did a wonderful job of bringing them back to life.  Tonto has some of the funniest lines.  My favorite parts are at the end of the movie when they start making references to the old series.  You hear the theme song to the old series at the end of the movie during the "Big Scene" and the whole theater starting clapping along with the music!  That was Awesome!  I love when a theater of people really get into a movie together.
*I was probably one of the youngest people in the theater, but I went for the 3P showing.

World War Z

Epic movie... I loved it... made me completely disinfect my home after watching and I will probably become a "prepper" now.  Great story line, great actors, awesome special FX and makeup.  Plus... I LOVE ZOMBIES.
This DVD will become a part of my home collection.  SPIOLER ALERT>>>The only thing is that I wish they would have made it a 3 hour long movie and shown more of how they cleaned up after the apocalypse and how they got the vaccine to the masses.



Later that night I went to a Fireworks Show in Downtown Longview TX.  Here is THE WHOLE THING!  I recorded it for you, and got a lot of ant and bug bites in the process!  Enjoy!

Suggested Reading

This is a post that I will keep adding to and updating as I read more books.

Here Is a list of all o the books that I have read lately and what I currently have on my agenda to read.

On the List to Read ASAP:

The Harry Potter Series ("Ive only watched the movies)
The Great Gatsby
World War Z
Jurassic Park
All of the books by James Franco (he fascinates me)

Books I have read and recommend:

The Hunger Games Trilogy

I loved this series, and cant wait for the other movies to be released.  Lots of action

The Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

I think I am one of the only guys that read this book, but it was pretty good!  (I caught myself blushing during some of the parts though)

Life of Pi

I watched the movie first.  This book took FOREVER for me to finish, its not a long book, but just too many chapters, I'm bad about reading a chapter then stopping for the night, instead of reading like 10 pages or something.  Good book!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This book now ranks right up there with the Hunger Games Series as one of my favorite books.  I loved the movie too!