A weekend of music...great music.

The best music really because who doesn't love music performed by an old, dear friend? And then a guest appearance by my sweet, talented hubby.

Our friend, Brendan, performed with his fellas at Cats Cradle on Friday night. We headed to one of my favorite cities, Chapel Hill, after work with my parents and met our friends, Todd and Lori, for dinner and the show.



A fabulous show and maybe even a little biscuit pudding to end the night.



Saturday night proved just as fun when we met more friends for another night of Brendan and Co. A beautiful backyard concert 10 minutes from home. Perfect.



Yep. Brendan gave Chad some stage time, too.

[photo cred: Paul Heist]

Here's a few quick video snippets from both nights. If you haven't checked out Brendan yet (first of all why not because I have blogged about him probably a dozen times), please do at www.brendanjames.com. You won't be disappointed.

(And yes I am aware I didn't get any pictures of us with Brendan but we just did in Charlotte a few weeks ago so in case you are wondering, we pretty much all still look like this.) :-)

Watch out, Disney!

Sorry for my absence. I got kinda excited when I busted out of "home sick/teacher workday" jail and sort of abandoned my blog.

And then my TV series got cancelled....

And anyways, I digress.

Before we were invaded with sickness last week, Brooklyn and I saw my God-daughter, Allie, perform as the Wicked Queen in Snow White with the local children's theater company.

She was AMAZING!



Thrilled to be made to take a pic with her old mom...

Really, seriously, not being bias here, but this girl has TALENT.

So proud of Allie, and glad that at least one of my "children" loves being on stage. :-)

Another great house concert with my favorite Carolina boy....

Back in September I helped host my very first house concert with my Aunt Patty and Uncle Bill. My college friend, Brendan, does these great house concerts in between his larger shows to break up their travel. We had such a great time in the fall that we decided to do it again. And it absolutely did not disappoint. My aunt and uncle have a PERFECT house for this kind of the thing, and they also happen to have a pretty great piano.

Add three cute musicians, 38 friends, and yummy food and drinks, and you have a pretty awesome evening.


About 1/3 of the way through the show, Brendan called Chad up to sing with him on one of his older songs. Thanks to my friend, Jennifer, you can view it on YouTube here:

Chad and Brendan also share a birthday, so we had an early birthday treat for them...


The guys stayed at our house for the night and we had a great time hanging out with them that evening and the next morning. Such great "road stories" they tell!

And apparently, white t-shirt is the official uniform for men's sleep clothes. :-)

A night to remember...

So, for you long(er) time blog readers, you have read about my friend, Brendan. It's no secret I am a proud friend, and you can read about it again here, here, here, and here. Oh, and here.

Last Wednesday, we had the unique opportunity to host Brendan in a house concert. As he is traveling the country visiting various venues, he is also stopping along the way performing for friends, family, and complete strangers.

My Aunt Patty was awesome to open her (so perfect) home for the concert. It was such an awesome night, and we had the best time hanging out before the show and laughing about the old college days.



The acoustics were perfect and it really truly was a night to remember.

I've always had faith that Brendan was going to become a household name one day....and I hope that day is soon. He has worked so hard the past 10 years and deserves all the success in the world.

In fact, while he was playing for us, the rest of America was hearing one of his newest songs playing on The X-Factor that evening. You can hear his song here as the background song.

Whoop! Whoop!

Dead Dad (alternately titled "I'm a proud sister!")

So, I briefly mentioned Dead Dad in one of my California posts. If you don't get my posts on Facebook then you may not know that my brother was the cinematographer for a film titled, Dead Dad.

Dead Dad is a low budget, but high quality film made by my brother and some of his graduate classmates from Florida State film school.

From the website:
PRODUCTION NOTE:
DEAD DAD is a feature film created by friends. It was shot in the greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas over the course of one month. Produced entirely from the funds of a successful Kickstarter campaign, the production embodies the independent filmmaking spirit. With limited means and an abundance of passion, the cast and crew devoted their free time to complete the film and bring DEAD DAD to life.



(Borrowstole the pic from their website)

It's been screening in film festivals across the country the past few months and doing GREAT!




We saw the film while we were at the beach with Eric in July. I thought it was amazing.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

Examiner
examiner.com
"Hell, there have been a few major studio releases this year that are not even on the same level as Dead Dad from a technical standpoint. The transitions in certain scenes come across as if a veteran crew was working on this...not a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears graduates."

VIP Movie Snob
vipmoviesnob.com
"The story is so solid and the production so well done, I forgot that I was watching a so-called 'small budget' film."

The Dropp
thedropp.com
"Some films try to hard too make this connection and end up coming off as fake, cheesy, or stereotypical. Out of the towering stack of screeners I have viewed, Dead Dad was hands down one of my favorites."

The Daily City
thedailycity.com
"Everyone responds to tragedy differently, and everyone needs their own catharsis, and that's something that director Ken Adachi and co-writer Kyle Arrington observe very well."

IMDb User Reviews"Perhaps the strongest endorsement that I can give to Dead Dad is that on the two hour drive home, I felt compelled to call my own sister and reconnect. It hadn't been too long, but it suddenly seemed more important than ever. If Dead Dad doesn't get a wide distribution, it'll be a shame, but I have an inkling that this won't be the last time you hear from Ken Adachi, Kyle Arrington, and the rest of the cast and crew."

Thursday, July 7: A Deputy and a Celebrity

On Thursday, July 7th, I did something that not too many people can say that they have done.

I became a Deputy Commissioner for the State of California.


At 11:40am, I was sworn in as a Deputy and thus given permission to legally marry Eric and Caroline. Basically, I get to sign their marriage license and then officially say, "By the power vested in me by the State of California as a Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriages I pronounce you as husband and wife." What power! Ha ha!


My mom watched my two precious ones, and they decided to spend time riding rides outside the local Rite Aid. It's the little things that thrill them to death!


After I took the oath and signed the papers, Chad and I drove northeast to Pasadena where we met our friend, Brendan, for lunch. It was soooooo great to spend a few hours with Brendan and catch up (and laugh about college days).

Brendan showed us around Pasadena, including a drive by the Rose Bowl.

We really saw some beautiful California land in our driving that day. We ended the night at the yummy Souplantation with the whole family.

And a special happy birthday to my sweet hubby today! (And actually, cooincidentally, Brendan, too.) Happy Birthday, Chad! I love you so much!!

Do you believe me now?

Ok, blog readers! I've given you all ample opportunity to get on the Brendan James bandwagon before his career skyrockets and you can say "Oh, I knew him waaaaay before he was famous."

Brendan made his national television debut on the CBS Early Show several Saturdays ago, but I don't think even then he got as much exposure as when he was seen on the Rachael Ray show last Friday. Here's a link to his spot:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/brendan-james/.

Chad and I had the opportunity to take my parents and see him perform in Charlotte last Monday night. Let me tell you, folks, I have seen Brendan many times. From a crowd of about 12 in a small bar in Chapel Hill to a full house at the Carrboro Arts Center...with his very first cheap keyboard or with a full band...Brendan never disappoints. He has always been such a true professional artist with both a dream and a down-to-earth approachable disposition that just makes you hang on every word- spoken or sung.

He's on his way to becoming a household name, but I will always remember him as the sweet guy who made me laugh in Communications class at UNC, who snuck downstairs in the music department to "borrow" the pianos, and who was such a special musical part of one of the happiest days of my life.

Chad and his "boys" on our wedding day: August 3, 2002.

(Dad, Chris Cobb, Chad, Brendan, and brother, Drew)

Singer no longer has to "steal" pianos...

Some of you long time blog followers may have heard me mention this guy. I first spoke about him here in 2008...and then mentioned the drop of his first album, The Day is Brave, here.

Well, Brendan just released his second album last week, and things are going awesome for him! I went by Best Buy to pick it up and there were only two CD's left.

It's flying off the shelves and selling like crazy on iTunes! In his first week, he reached the status of #1 Singer Songwriter, was #4 for Pop Albums, and #13 in all album catagories. I read today that he hit #93 on the US Billboard 200. It's been an awesome journey for Brendan, and I am so happy for my college buddy and wedding singer.

If you want to hear what Brendan had to say on CNN.com last weekend, click here.

Or just check out these pictures of two of his smallest fans....

Buy the album if you want to hear some great music...it's only $9.99 in stores or $7.99 on iTunes. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Still not convinced? Check out some of his reviews on Wikipedia.

shameless plug...again

I know it seems like I am beating a dead horse here, but really folks, you should buy Brendan James's album "The Day Is Brave" on Amazon.com, iTunes, or in your local music store. He hit #5 on the iTunes Pop Chart last week and he is SO close to breaking through onto the Billboard list.

Really....you won't be disappointed....really.....

We saw Brendan in Chapel Hill last night...Chad and I got a date night (thanks mom and dad!). It's always so great to see "Brendan-the friend" and not just "Brendan-the musician." The venue was small and we were early, so that gave us some precious moments to catch up. We're so proud of him and often think back to the days in my Village apartment in Carrboro where we would say "One day, after college graduation, we will reach our dreams....Brendan, you will be a famous recording artist, and Chad and I will have the family we have always wanted." It's nice to see both dreams have become a reality.

God is good.

sweet spring treats

Last weekend, we took a quick, spur of the moment trip to Bernie's Berries on Groometown Road. My mom had taken Brooklyn there about two weeks ago, and she loved it, so we went back for another trip since we had run out of strawberries. She loves riding on the "strawberry cart" and then choosing just the perfect ones for her basket. I think her favorite part, though, was running up and down the rows and checking to see how everyone else was doing. Bernie's Berries has an awesome supply of strawberries, were priced VERY reasonably (we got two huge baskets for $4.95), and as an added bonus, it is owned by my high school math teacher, Bernice Kenan. Mrs. Kenan was one of THE hardest teachers at Ragsdale but always had a smile on her face. And, because of her, I didn't have to take a single math class at Carolina- so yay for that! So, it was great to catch up with her and show off the family.

Another sweet treat this week was a surprise visit from some furry friends. My CEO here at the Girl Scouts breeds basset hounds, and she had two litters a few weeks ago. Her husband brought all SIXTEEN to the office yesterday so we could play. She only has 4 left to sell, so if you are interested in one, let me know! :-) They are VERY sweet.....and, as you can see, the brown ones were my favorite.

News:

A special HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to our bestest friends/god-family, Joe and Misty Henzler. We love you guys and are glad to see you made it another year- ha ha!

And also a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Andi, at work who announced she is 11 weeks pregnant. May the next 30 weeks be happy, healthy, and memorable!

And finally...the day is almost here...our friend, Brendan's, CD, The Day is Brave, is due out June 3rd! iTunes has released his single, Green, for sale this week, so if you have the 99 cents, buy it and support our boy! Just search Brendan James Green in the iTunes store.

brendan james update

From Brendan:

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that a video of me performing "Early April Morning" was the Video of the Day on PopEater. com!Check it out here: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnBvcGVhdGVyLmNvbS8yMDA4LzA0LzA5L2JyZW5kYW4tamFtZXMtZWFybHktYXByaWwtbW9ybmluZy12aWRlby1vZi10aGUtZGF5Lw==Please check it out and be sure to leave a comment, who knows what it could lead to!Thanks everyone, talk soon.- b.

congrats to brendan on a pretty big week!

Some big things are happening to a friend of ours, Brendan James. Brendan is a friend of mine from UNC (Go Heels!), and he sang in our wedding in 2002. Last week, Brendan's EP was selected as a featured album this week by the iTunes Editorial Staff. (See his email below)

Soooo my EP - The Ballroom Break-In was selected by the iTunes Editorial Staff as a featured album this week! If you go to the folk section of iTunes you'll see my mug under 'staff picks.' If you haven't bought my EP yet, check it out for only $3.96 on iTunes...That's about as salesy as I can get...hopefully music works out b/c i don't see a career in sales ;-) iTunes Link: http://phobos. apple. com/WebObjects/MZStore. woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=259242210&s=143441- b

Then....he sent word that his original song, Hero's Song, will be part of a double album hitting stores March 18th. He's surrounded by some pretty impressive company:

Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Bright Eyes are among the artists contributing songs to a forthcoming double album benefiting Iraq Veterans Against The War.'Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran', was compiled by was by Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, who was paralysed in the war after only one week of service.The collection, due out in the US on March 18, includes a previously unreleased version of Vedder's 'No More', which he wrote specifically for the 'Body of War' documentary about Young's life. Vedder performed the song with Ben Harper at Lollapalooza in 2007."Tomas has taught me a great deal, and our friendship has become one of depth and sincerity," Vedder said in a statement. "It has been a mind-expanding experience. I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day. It is a true living example of the power of music."The double-CD set also features songs by Rage Against The Machine, Roger Waters, Tom Waits and Tori Amos, among others. Sales proceeds will go toward Iraq Veterans Against The War, a non-profit organisation that gives voice to active-duty service people and veterans who areagainst the war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.The album tracklisting is:Disc 1'Hero's Song' - Brendan James' American Terrorist' - Lupe Fiasco'Light Up Ya Lighter' - Michael Franti & Spearhead 'Guerilla Radio' - Rage Against The Machine 'Son Of A Bush' - Public Enemy 'Empty Walls' -Serj Tankian 'Let Them Eat War' - Bad Religion 'White People For Peace' - Against Me!'Letter From Iraq' - Bouncing Souls'War' - Dilated Peoples'Overcome (The Recapitulation)' - RX Bandits 'Fields Of Agony' - No Use For A Name 'Bushonomics' - Talib Kweli & Cornel West 'The 4th Branch - Immortal Technique 'B.Y.O.B.' - System Of A Down 'No More' (Live) - Eddie Vedder & Ben HarperDisc 2'Devils & Dust' - Bruce Springsteen'Masters Of War' (Live) - Pearl Jam'When The President Talks To God' - Bright Eyes 'Gimme Some Truth' - John Lennon 'The Restless Consumer' - Neil Young 'Battle Hymns' - The Nightwatchman 'Anthrax' - Kimya Dawson 'WMD' - Blow Up Hollywood 'State Of The Union' - David Ford 'Yo George' - Tori Amos 'Love Vigilantes' - Laura Cantrell 'Black Rain' - Ben Harper 'To Kill The Child' - Roger Waters 'Day After Tomorrow' - Tom Waits--