Jul. 3: Wow. Just. Wow.

So this is just a teensy bit exciting for the fam:

Gotta encourage you, yet again, to check out this band called The Rouge. Here’s their web site, where you can hear a bunch of recorded songs, which can be purchased on iTunes and max3.

Unfortunately, The Rouge won’t be playing Portland this summer, but dates and venues of their other tour stops are listed on their site. And yeah, then there’s Red Rocks. Could that be any cooler? I think not.

Color me the proudest auntie ever. Lovin’ that drummer boy!

May 28: A little drummer boy

Stephen’s band was written up in the Denver newspaper The Westword yesterday. Read the article here. They’ve posted more of their singles at their web site too. I love Heat & Light. They’re all great though.

Check out these band photos:

That’s Stephen, my way-cool nephew, on the far left. I think he’s on the far left because he’s the most important.

Here’s Stephen during a recent performance. I think it’s really nice that some girl loaned him her shirt for the show.  Heh heh heh…

If you ask me, this is the coolest thing of all—The Rouge is currently on the front page at Westword.com. Click the image below to check out the awesomeness (I added the yellow writing and arrows, obvy):

If they hit Portland while on tour this summer, as planned, they’re staying with us. I hope they don’t have any of those outrageous rock star demands that mean I have to spend the two weeks before they get here peeling M&Ms. And while I love the idea of The Rouge having their very own groupies, is it too much to ask that they don’t let said groupies into my house? I don’t want any groupie cooties on my furniture.

Rock star cooties are fine.

May 6: It’s all about Lori

Stuff Jen Says is quickly turning into All Lori, All The Time. If you think it’s an improvement you’re welcome to go right ahead and keep that thought to yourself because why you gotta be so mean?

Today’s Statesman Journal has an article about local boy done good Deen Castronovo. If you’ve been paying attention, you know Deen is The Loveliest Lori’s brother-in-law** and the guy my drummer nephew likes to call “Uncle” Deen because apparently he’s way cooler than Uncle Vic. The article tells about Deen’s work with the Boys & Girls Club of the Salem area.

Drummer aims to spark musical journey for kids

It must be nice to have a celebrity for which a city can be proud; sadly, people remember Tonya Harding’s Portland connection much more readily than Matt Groening’s.

Lovely Lori H—the Lori formerly known as Lori (other)—do you have any celebrity relatives we can claim as our own? I think anything within a few degrees is worth a mention.  :)

**Photo of Deen and Lori lifted from Lori’s Thanksgiving ‘08 Facebook photo album because I think it’s super cute. Click it and you’ll surely agree.

Apr. 28: Too much talent? Time?

I’m not sure I should admit this, but we have a John Williams CD in our collection. I will readily admit that I did not purchase said CD; it was part of the deal when I married Vic, and in the 12+ years that we’ve been married, I don’t think we’ve played it even once.

The guy in this video—whose taste in T-shirts is to be admired, by the way—makes me feel like the biggest loser ever. I could never, in a googolplex years, come up with something so brilliant. I’m gonna go drown my self-pity in swine flu medicine.

Sherilee, woulda been cool to hear the Messengers do this medley, huh?  :)

July 2: NOT a band camp tale

I love my seester, I really do. But she got Jack a snare drum and I think I might have to consider loving her a little less.

It’s quite a nice drum, actually, and she was thoughtful enough to throw in a practice pad, junior drumsticks (yum... drumsticks...) and a stand. My musician nephew helped her pick out just the right combo to help Jack with his budding career as a drummer. So while I really do appreciate all the efforts that went into this gift, well, it is still a drum.

Nevertheless, it is set up next to Katie’s keyboard in our living room. Jack and Katie are quickly becoming quite the noisemakers. It’s cute to hear them try to jam, but mostly they like to play “who can be loudest?” and “who can give Mom a migraine?” and “how long before Mom screams ‘use the practice pad!’?” and “let’s make Mom’s ears bleed!” It’s downright adorable, wouldn’t you agree?

I try not to discourage them. I try not to complain about the noise. I try to be supportive during this early stage of musicianship. So I tried to think of a name for their band but I couldn’t think a single thought with all the clatter coming from downstairs, so I enlisted the help of Blogthings’ band name generator. I entered “Manullang” and they told me this:

Your Band Name is: The Above Average Elves Band Name Generator

You'll thank me someday, kids. You will.

J.