One Of Those Moments....

When you move to a new house, there are always those moments where you are frustrated by the lack of familiarity.

Where did we put all the photo albums?
You're putting silverware over here?
Are you sure we packed the kids' summer clothes?

Some of these moments happen immediately or a few days after moving in.

Others take awhile.

Like realizing you have know idea where your bathroom plunger is.

And you really, really need it.

If I have to go to Wal-Mart at midnight on a Saturday night, I'm going to be ticked.

(LIST)

1. Our internet provider called Kristen this week and promised a 4x increase in wireless connection speed for another five bucks per month. That man is a liar.
   
   
2. Robert Conn has officially busted my chops for neglecting to blog at worshipnotes. Not many men bust my chops and live to tell about it, but Robert's one of the select few.
   
   
3. We took the kids to see "The Velveteen Rabbit" on Friday. It was really good, especially for something from Feature Films For Families. (My wife has a great rant on Feature Films for Families. Next time you see her, ask her about it.) But nonetheless, the movie was good. We had a great time.
   
   
4. I'm astounded by MercyMe. I think they're one of the few major Christian music acts that are actually getting better with age. I'm constantly inspired by those guys.
   
   
5. Wish I could do another post about the new U2 record, but my readers tend to get all weird when I obsess too much. I'll just say this...I can't stop listening to it.
   
   
6. I've got a couple of cool video ideas for church. Can't wait to make them happen.
   
   
7. Kristen and I have decided to start a new Life Group at Bethel. We'll kick off at the end of March. We're nervous, but excited. Still haven't found a curriculum yet. We better hurry!
   
   
8. I am finished with this list.
   

I didn't watch the Oscars, so I just now found this, but I think it's hilarious.



I'm also astounded at much Stiller looks like David Crowder in this getup.

Courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel...

on DNOW...

Ten observations after my recent weekend at Disciple Now for FBC Lake Jackson, TX.

1. It is impossible to eat healthy at DiscipleNow.
   
   
2. I start missing my family within one hour of leaving for DiscipleNow.
   
   
3. Some form of technology will malfunction. Usually at the most inconvenient time.
   
   
4. Youth pastors who stay up Saturday night to edit video deserve a medal. And a nap.
   
   
5. I only need one thing to survive DiscipleNow...wifi.
   
   
6. Whataburger would not survive without the "late night church crowd."
   
   
7. You cannot go to bed at a decent hour during DiscipleNow. Seriously...I don't think it's allowed.
   
   
8. Leading worship is fun. It's more fun when students are with you every step of the way. (Thanks, FBCLJ!)
   
   
9. The Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson is carpeted. It surprised me, but in the end, I found it be quite nice.
   
   
10. The band gets to play extra loud at DiscipleNow. And everybody's cool with it.

What about you? Got some DNOW observations?
Share them below...

MUSIC TUESDAY

When I was 13-years old, an English teacher of mine made copies of a few Larry Norman records. For the next two years, I was captivated and confused by the man and his music. I am not alone...lots of folks have followed Larry's wild and weird career throughout the years. And next week, the public will get an inside peek into the life Larry led.




I'm very interested in this. Any other Larry Norman fans out there?

link: larrynorman.net

MUSIC TUESDAY (No Line On The Horizon...)

Yes, I've listened to it.

Here are my thoughts.

Track 1 -What the heck is happening? Oh, no, they're getting weird again. Wait a second. Oh, that was cool. Ah...that's awesome.

Track 2 - Okay, this is cool. Oh, that's cool. Still cool. Very different...very creative.

Track 3 - Long intro, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Nice programming. Here comes the verse. Dang, Bono sounds fantastic. What a cool chord progression and neat timing. I am in love with this song.

Track 4 - Haven't made it all the way through this one yet. Just ain't grabbing me.

Track 5 - This could be the radio hit.

Track 6 - This sounds like Radiohead. I don' t like Radiohead. Next...

Track 7 - Dang. That riff. Was Lenny Kravitz in the studio that day? Like it, like it, like it.

Track 8 - Meh. Feel like I'm listening to an outtake from "Pop."

Track 9 - Pretty dark tune. Feels like the closing tune from a movie.

Track 10 - Pretty jangly and weird. Very Beatles. Not so much.

Track 11 - Bono sing-talking over a chill jam. Pretty good.

________________

At this point, I think it's a good record.
Right now, I don't think it can stand up to Achtung, Leave Behind, or Atomic Bomb as a complete work, but I can appreciate it as an artistic endeavor.

Sounds like they've really tried to try something different with this record. Other than a few keyboard patches that long-time fans will remember and a couple of standard Mullen beats, there's very little "trademark" U2 here, which I can respect.

If you get a chance to hear it,
I'd love to know your thoughts.

MUSIC TUESDAY

I know this picture looks like some strange photoshop jumble of characters.
The current-day model on the far left, Olivia Newton-John on the right and a former member of Blind Melon down front.

But it's not.
This is Jypsi...one of my new favorite country bands.
All siblings, the Rische kids have found a way to blend bluegrass, folk and honky-tonk country into a perfect mix. Comparisons are sometimes lame, but consider Jypsi to be the new fix for all those who miss the Dixie Chicks.

All four siblings play (two fiddlers, one mandolin player and a bad-to-the-bone guitarist.) They all sing (girls are awesome, brother is really better at BGVs.) And the songwriting is outstanding, proving once again that country songwriting is some of the most clever stuff around.

In all honesty, Jypsi is struggling to find its place on country radio. I'd encourage you to give them a try and maybe even call your local country station and request them.

If you're a country music fan, you will dig Jypsi. (Songwriters, regardless of your personal preference, you'll love digging into these tunes.)

MUSIC TUESDAY (or "Todd Recommends...)

If you're like me, you're sick of the whole acoustic-guitar looping thing. Yes, it's impressive. And old news.

However, Zoe Keating is a breath of fresh air. Her music is really super good. With sampling, she's creating something much more "musical" in a classical sense...creating quartets/quintets/orchestras rather than just building a beat and a bass line.



via: Wil Wheaton
link: Zoe Keating

(picture day)

Morrisey really freaked me out in high school.

Some things never change.

Sheesh.

(picture day)

See the kid in sideways hat (borrowed from grandpa) and the army jacket (purchased from "army-navy store") and jams (cool at the time, I promise) and Wal-Mart fake-Vans with no socks?

That kid was cool.
In his mind.

I look at this picture and I realize two things about myself.

1. I really wanted to be cool. I remember. It was an obsession with me. (Still is, to some degree)
   
   
2. I was brave. I didn't know I was being brave back then, but I am so inspired to see that in 3rd grade (or whenever this was,) I was willing to be creative even it caused me great ridicule. I can't remember any ridicule, but that doesn't matter. I dressed like that 'cause I wanted to. I don't know if I'm that brave anymore...with my dreams or my songs or my family or anything.
   
   But I want to be.

Never in my life would I have dreamed that a little snapshot on a the playground would cause me to dig deep and think about my adult self.

Please also note that I am surrounded by hot girls.
Note the disdain with which I regard Steven Farris.

TW was an old-school playa'!

(Kinda' regretting that last line. Sorry. I got emotional.)

(picture day)

Once you have kids, you will have a whole new appreciation for this show.
(why do my kids love this show so much?)

(picture day)

That's it.
I've made a decision.

If a movie's got this kid in it,
I am going to love it.

PICTURE DAY...

Today is going to be Picture Day. I've scheduled short, random posts all throughout the day featuring a picture and one of my trademark charming quips.

Oh yes....I quip.

First post loads at 10am.

Be sure and stop by.

Today, me and the crew (otherwise known as the TWB) will head to First Baptist Church, Lake Jackson to lead worship for their Disciple Now weekend.

Posted an update over on Facebook and had planned to put it here, too, but who likes media saturation, right?

I feel pretty confident we'll be able to do some sort of streaming broadcast Friday and Saturday night. (You never know, though...just ask @justinromack.) If not, we'll still try to shoot some video and post it when we can grab some internet.

Playing events like this is a blast - I love multiple day gigs. Playing a one night thing is always so hard...hard to connect with the crowd...lots of pressure to be super awesome very quickly in a short amount of time. Those events have their place, they're just really hard to do.

Events like this DNOW are great because not only do I get three full sets to lead the students, I also get to hang out with the guys for three days. This weekend's lineup looks to be pretty interesting. Here's who I'm taking.

• Justin Romack. While it's true that Forrest Layton is the senior member of TWB, Romack is an undoubtable second. (However, if you're judging frequency of gigs, Romack has a serious leg up on Forrest. Just saying.) I don't need to spend much time on Romack. He's awesome. He's an amazing musician, but also one of the most humble amazing musicians I've ever met.
  
  
• Adam Fischer. I get excited everytime I can bring Adam in for a gig. Yeah, Adam's gonna' learn his stuff, but you can guarantee that at numerous points during the week something unplanned and stunning will coming from his amp. I won't even try to make a comparison here, but let's say it like this - think of a really creative electric guitar player.
  Yeah. Adam's JUST like that guy.
  
  
• Philip Melton. I've done a couple of things with Philip, but this will be my first road gig with him. Philip plays guitar, bass, piano and drums. He sings. He writes songs. His hair is the color of a lovely golden sunset. Should be fun having him with us.
  
  
• Austin Hodges. I've never played with Austin. But here's what I know. He plays guitar great. And he's got big muscles. So, when we show up, people will think he's my bodyguard at first. I'm also terrified that I've screwed up and somehow combined his name with someone else and I'll keep referring to him with the wrong name. Which would be awkward.

That's the crew. Wish I could be more eloquent, but I'm busy packing up, trying to use Handbrake to rip some live U2 stuff down to mp3 for the drive down and kissing my family goodbye.

Stay tuned the blog for either broadcasting or a recap video.

Or both.

Who knows?

Todd Blog is party, kids.

News From Bethel

todd vlog ep 59 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Go listen here!

...sometimes one line says it all.

"Just to know that You are near is enough."

What an important thing to sing.
RSB, gang.

Good Stuff...

Thanks to @chuckazooloo for sharing this great video from Mosaic church.

YouTube Celebrity PLUS Sam? You bet I'll be watching!

You can make fun of me now.


PS...running a new poll over at the actual blog. Go check it out.

PUSH...(todd likes movies WAY too much)

Just got in from seeing PUSH, the new sci-fi/hero movie. Figured I'd blog my thoughts. ('Cause that's what you do when you get home from a movie at 12:30am, right?)

Let me start by saying that I loved this movie. I'm so glad I saw it. It's not without its problems, but still a fun ride. Time to break it down:

WHAT WORKS

1. Complex story-line. Most folks don't expect complexity when it comes to hero films, but this one was great. I tend to enjoy movies that have me thinking, questioning, wondering until the very end. PUSH even had an almost "heist movie" feel to it thanks to great pacing and creativity. A few of the questions don't get answered until the very, very end and even then I left wanting to see it again so I could follow it better. Not everybody digs that in movies, but I do!
   
   
2. Nice look. There are some great post-production elements in the movie. Color saturation, film grain, quick cuts all made for a pretty cool viewing experience - even adding some surprise to scenes that might otherwise be pretty normal.
   
   
3. Conspiracy. A hero movie with government conspiracy isn't new, but most of the time it's pretty cut and dried. This movie delved pretty deep into an existing mythology/paranoia regarding these gifted people and the government that's trying to keep things under control.
   
   
4. Lots of characters. I love big ensembles in movies. And not just the main characters. There were at least two tiers of villains, some surprising supporting players and even names from the lead characters' histories are very present throughout the story.
   
   
5. Effects. There were some cool effects in this movie, but it wasn't overpowering. Personally, I thought there was good balance between "look-what-my-computer-can-do" and "here's-a-great-story-you-want-to-be-a-part of.
   

WHAT DOESN'T

1. Acting. I'll be honest. The acting could be better (specifically from Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou.) There are a couple of villains that are a bit too cartoonish for a film that's relatively grounded.
   
   
2. Trying Too Hard. This may sound like I'm backtracking, but I'll throw it out there anyway. While I did love the twists in the story-line and how they were revealed, I think the production could have survived with a little less. Toward the end, I was expecting to be surprised, which is never good. (Right, M. Night?)

If you're looking to catch a movie, I'd highly recommend this one. You'll feel like you got your money's worth and it might even prompt some discussion with others who have seen it. I wouldn't recommend saving it for rental...some of the sound effects and post-production elements really need a big screen to survive.

And let's not forget one of my favorite parts of movie-going...TRAILERS! This one's been bothering me, but I think I've got it figured out.



This seemed really familiar..so I did some digging. And found this from 2007.



Oh...in "Next" Nicholas Cage plays a guy who can see the future. And in "Knowing," Nicholas Cage plays a guy who figures out what's going to happen in the future.

Wait...

Favorite Guest?

The only thing better than a documentary is a mockumentary.
And nobody makes them better than Christopher Guest.

Thought I'd put the list of films made by Guest and crew and see what you thought.
What's your favorite Guest movie?

• THIS IS SPINAL TAP
  
  
• WAITING FOR GUFFMAN
  
  
• BEST IN SHOW
  
  
• A MIGHTY WIND
  
  
• FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

(LIST)

• The donut place down the street from our house has the coldest drinks in the world. I'm not kidding...when I stop and get a Diet Dr. Pepper (which is hardly ever,) the drink ices up as soon as I open the lid. Diet DP slush! YES...
  
  
• Tuesday night, before going to bed, Jonah asked Kristen if the "devil" had a "pinchfork" that he used to poke "people's heinies" before "throwing them in the fire." Kristen told him that was absolutely correct.
  
  
• Last weekend we moved our treadmill into the game room with the TV, which is awesome, because now I can watch TV and run. The only problem is that I'm so interested in the stuff I'm watching that once I run, I stand there until the shows over. Some might say that I should exercise the remainder of the hour, but that's ridiculous. I'm not a machine.
  
  
• I listened to Glen Beck the other day for the first time in quite a while. Glen's still got it.
  
  
• A few days ago, I stopped at the DQ in Gresham (five miles down the road) and got a delicious chicken finger basket for $6. It was great...cheap, filling and I got to support Dairy Queen...that symbol of the old East Texas culture I grew up with. Gresham DQ isn't just hanging in there, Rob. They're thriving, dude.
  
  
• I love hanging out with the kids at Immerse. There are some phenomenal college students that constantly impress me with their devotion to God.
  
  
• For the past few months, I've needed to do a vlog about a pair of headphones I own. I may do that next week.
  
  
• I've been doing more random blogging through tumblr. I really like it. Very simple...like blogging lite...not a lot of bells and whistles, no comment option, just an online journal. You can check it at toddwrightband.tumblr.com.
  
  
• People keep telling me that I'm going to fall in love with our new dog, Bess. I think those people are wrong.
  
  
• Still no word on my two songs submitted to "TAXI." One of them is a Yes/No submission, but the other one will come back with an industry critique regardless of whether or not it passes. Those critiques are usually pretty good.
  
  
• Had somebody ask me the other day..."So, you carve out any songwriting time, yet?" While this is awesome because tthis person took time to read my blog and ask me something relevant to my life these days, it's also depressing because the answer is the same: NO.
  
  
• The more I watch Kevin Spacey, the more unimpressed I am. That guy peaked at Usual Suspects in my opinion. Man, that movie was awesome.
  
  
• When you get movie channels, you realize how many random, bland movies are being created on a yearly basis.
  

WOW!

For the past few years, I've been a fan of the music of Indelible Grace. I've always wanted to try their tunes, but never got the chance. I've just never known how to work that particular music into my setlists. There are a few reasons for this.

• Lyrics - as you know, Indelible Grace is made up of really old songs. Lyrically, they are beautiful and poetic tunes. But that almost always means that they're also very wordy. I've struggled how to work something lengthy and crafted like that into worship sets that are a bit more "modern."
  
  
• Musical differences - if you've heard much from IG, you know that the music is decidedly "folky." Lots of acoustic instruments, including mandolin, banjo, accordion, etc. While some of those tunes can be adapted with more standard praise-team instruments, many of them can't. In fact, I think the unique nature of the production makes many of these tunes stand out. And as much as I'd like to roll a banjo and mandolin up on stage, not many people would volunteer for that.
  
  
• They're not HYMNS - wait, wait. I know that they actually ARE hymns. But most of them aren't well known. And I'll be honest that one reason I enjoy using hymns in worship is because they are familiar. There's not much cooler than rolling from something new into a hymn that everybody knows. And while Indelible Grace may produce hymns, to a congregation, they're "new songs" and new songs need to be place very carefully in a worship list.

That's why I've always wanted to see somebody do these songs.

Imagine my surprise when I got an email today telling me that Matthew Smith, one of the frontment for the IG movement would be coming to Tyler in two weeks!

February 25, 2009
Sylvania Church
Tyler, TX (God's country)
6pm

I'll be heading over and possibly taking some of my team from Bethel if they're interested. If you're in the Tyler area and think it might be fun to hear a young guy and his band play songs that are older than your great-grandmother, come and join me!

If you'd like to hear some of Matthew's stuff, you can check out matthewsmith.us or head over to igracemusic.com.

I'm excited!

(LIST).....written very late at night

• Since starting Immerse, my left foot is sore on Monday nights. This is my first "worship injury." For some reason, leading worship on Sunday and Monday somehow heaps abuse on my poor little foot, rendering him useless to me on Monday nights.
  
  
• Last week was supposed to be my crazy week. So, why does this week feel just as out-of-control? Don't you hate it when that happens?
  
  
• I really love our Monday pastoral staff meeting at Bethel...I always leave feeling supercharged and excited to take on big challenges.
  
  
• I ate some "Ding Dongs" recently. Yes, I wanted to eat them, but as a secondary goal, I wanted to test out theory. You see, I believe that Ding Dongs have gone downhill since the manufacturer stopped wrapping them in foil. Who's with me?
  
  
• I feel bad that I haven't done a Todd Vlog in a few days. I'm trying to be as consistent as I can...but I'm not doing very good right now.
  
  
• Prerecorded Friends has to be one of the funniest podcasts I've heard in awhile. Genius. Genius, I tell you.
  
  
• I'm still impressed by the power of Ross King's worship songwriting. It's so good...his songs resonate in a powerful way. Proud to play those songs for my people!
  
  
• Finley is slowly recovering from her sickness, but Jonah started running fever. At the time of this writing, he's in our bed asleep next to Kristen. Guess that means that Dad is sleeping on the couch.
  
  
• Dave Ramsey is a really smart guy. But also seem likes a bit of a jerk.
  
  
• I made a great Michael Phelps joke the other day on Twitter. I'm sure I wasn't the first, but I was really proud of myself..."No wonder Phelps ate all that stuff during the Olympics. He just had the munchies." That's good stuff.
  
  
• The only other joke I've ever written was about domestic violence. (I know.) When I was a kid, there was a commercial with a slow zoom on a wedding picture while a narrator said, "Every sixty seconds, a woman in America is beaten by her husband." My punchline was..."You know, after half-an-hour, you'd think she'd get tired of that."
  
  
• I just remembered another joke I wrote that Clay Walker stole. (Watch - if he reads this, he won't remember that's its my joke and he'll throw a fit because he thinks its his.) Here's the joke: "You guys know Outback, right? The restaurant? 'No rules, just right.' I don't think so. Everything's fine until you try to eat a burger in your underwear, then they got ALL kinds of rules."
  
  
• These jokes are really funny to me, but I also think I'm suffering from severe exhaustion and sleep deprivation. So, it could be that.
  
  
• Go vote in my Celebrity Week series over on Facebook. You guys are great commenters...share it with the Facebook World.
  
  
• Goodbye. Obama be with you.
  

Upon arrival at Bethel, I quickly began to hear about a young man named Grant Trotter. Things like, "You gotta' meet Grant" or "Did you hear what Grant Trotter did?"

Soon enough, I met Grant. He's a great guy...He loves God and is super faithful to serve at church, seems to be a very smart young man and is a loyal friend.

Oh yeah...

HE MAKES AWESOME VIDEOS. Check it:



I'd encourage to click over and watch this at YouTube where you can read lyrics in the sidebar, it really does enhance the viewing experience. I'd also urge you to check out more of Grant's videos - specifically "Hot Like A Tea Kettle" and "Jesus Muzik Remastered" (feat. David Moody.)
If fact, head over to youtube.com/trottsie and rate him five stars on as many videos as you can. Let's make Grant Trotter an internet star!

(LIST)

• Finley has an ear infection. Jonah is coughing a good bit and Kristen and I feel totally exhausted. I feel one of my infamous sore throat episodes coming on, so I'm fighting it off with little chocolate donuts and ice-cold Diet Dr. Pepper.
  
  
• I'm hosting "Celebrity Week" over on Facebook for the next few days. If you're an FBfriend, I'd love to know what you think. Just check my videos and comment on Celebrity Week Day One.
  
  
• American Gangster has to be one of the more horrible movies I've seen in awhile. I keep catching it in parts on a movie channel and it's terrible. I'm not even talking about the sex, murder and drugs...it's just terrible all on its own. Not one of Denzel's best.
  
  
• I should be getting my CCLI check in the next week or so. I'm nervous. Expecting it to be tiny (but hoping for surprise!)
  
  
• I desperately need to carve out some songwriting time. I've got three or four strong ideas but I just can't seem to focus on them.
  
  
• My wife went to see TAKEN without me. That's not cool, is it?
  
  
• Bethel worship team debuts "Today Is The Day" next Sunday. I'm very excited to hear them do it!
  

The Last Time I Talked To My Mother...

I miss Lufkin. There, I said it, okay? I miss it. Miss the people, miss the places, miss Abe Martin Stadium.

Okay, I don't miss Abe Martin Stadium. (I already have a church, okay?)

So, when I get a call, it's a good thing. I love seeing "DAD" or "PAPA" or a similar ID. This past week, my phone rang and I noticed "MOM" on the screen.

Naturally, I answered it, glad to speak to my mother. Would she be just checking in? Would she be heading up to Tyler soon to spend some time with my children? Was she calling to tell me she loved me?

No.
None of these.

ME: "Hey, mom."

MOM:

"Hey, can you help me publish my 25 Random Things?"

Congratulations, Facebook. You've arrived.


_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"The Last Time I Talked To My Mother" is actually a regular series over at Melissa's blog. Melissa is one of my wife's best friends and she's a fantastic writer. I'd encourage you to check out her stuff...it's really great.

Only The Bluebirds Will Get This...

CLICK IT

Booyah.

Thanks to Chad Etheridge (who is one of the coolest, most knowledgeable music fans in the world) who hooked me on to a guy named Jon Troast.

I've been listening to his new record, "Second Story" for the past couple of days and I absolutely love it. It's actually available at his website, www.jontroast.com.

I'd encourage all of you to head over and check it out.

Survey Time...

BRET or JEMAINE?

Dean Jones Show, Episode II

Newest episode of "The Dean Jones Show." If you've got questions you'd like for Dean to answer, shoot an email to toddwrightband@gmail.com.

And now...the show!


todd vlog ep 51 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

TAVIN KNOWS WHAT'S UP

Things That...(1 of 2)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRAZY

1. Oprah.
2. Entertainment journalists.
   
3. Obama hype.
4. Mornings.
5. Empty Diet DP bottle.
6. Poorly written songs.
7. Bad drumming.
8. Soccer moms in Hummers. (Extra points if they're in "exercise wear")
9. The dude in Brooks and Dunn who doesn't do anything.
10. Losing my car keys.
11. Being late.
12. My bank. I think they steal my money.
13. Details.
14. Dentists.
15. Uploading to YouTube.
16. When GarageBand doesn't cooperate.
17. Packing up gear after a gig.
18. People who are inconsiderate.
19. Over-spiritualization.
20. Christian radio fundraisers.
21. The bandwagon.
22. Traffic cops.
23. Teachers who don't smile at kids.

Now..what drives YOU crazy?

via: LOS