STMcC’s Vote On '2019, April 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Everclear Versus DJ Dave - And The Final Tally:
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Due to my recent road trip on "The Loneliest Road In America" (Highway 50 across the middle of Nevada to the Utah border), I was late responding to comments in my most recent BOTB installment. And I'm also a day late in getting these Results posted. "Sorry about that, Chief."
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I thank each and every one of you who took the time to watch and vote! And I hope y'all will be back for my next Battle on April 15th.
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The Battle took place HERE, and it was between two very entertaining videos: Everclear's 'A.M. Radio' and DJ Dave's 'Whole Foods Parking Lot'.
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As far as I'm concerned, RAP isn't music, and apart from their videos, neither of these songs have any real musical value. Several people said that DJ Dave's RAP was repetitive. Well, isn't all RAP repetitive? And, honestly, I felt Everclear's song was also extremely repetitive. I didn't mind the repetition in either video because I find both of them extremely entertaining. For me, this had nuttin' to do with "music"; this was more like "Battle Of The Videos".
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The Everclear video is clever and fun. It brings back lots of memories, and I'm smiling all the way through it. The DJ Dave video, however, is laugh-out-loud funny to me! I've probably seen the video about 80 times over the years and it *STILL* makes me laugh aloud in places. So, my vote went to 'Whole Foods Parking Lot', which needed every vote it could get because this was Blowout City:
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Everclear = 13 votes
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DJ Dave = 5 votes
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I'm genuinely surprised that the 'Whole Foods Parking Lot' video didn't fare much better than it did in this match-up.
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OK, that takes care of The Battle. Now I'll share a smatterin' of the photos I took on my road trip across 'The Loneliest Road In America'.
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First, these are the roads I've traveled in Nevada thus far in my life:
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And this next photo highlights Highway 50 which I drove (from Carson City, Nevada, to Garrison, Utah, and back again) from April 2-4. A total of 829 miles:
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That little "stuck-up piece of road" toward the right is where I missed my turn out of Ely and mistakenly drove to a tiny town called 'McGill'. Neat little town but, boy, was I mad at myself! I was cussing myself out all the way back to Ely!!
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| The lonely road behind me. |
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| The lonely road ahead of me. |
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| And yet more lonely road ahead. |
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| One of the rare times I saw a car anywhere in my own lane. |
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| Going over one of the mountain ranges. |
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| Low hanging clouds in one of the valleys. |
The following photo shows a new friend I made while in Ely, Nevada:
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| Dog in a sports bar. |
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| Austin, Nevada. |
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| Lonely street in Eureka, Nevada. |
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| Old miner's cabin in Baker, Nevada. |
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| Grave of an "Unknown" Mormon in Garrison, Utah. |
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| The best pizza on 'The Loneliest Road In America' (Silver State Saloon & Cafe in Austin, NV.) |
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| A new magnet for my refrigerator. |
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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All music is repetitive--that's partly what makes it music. Handel's "Messiah" is quite repetitive, but it's great music (with a repetitiveness that is more tolerable than a lot of modern music).
ReplyDeleteOh, and let me add: "All lives matter"--sorry I'm just randomly making connections with things that are "all" encompassing.
That road looks like the kind of road that I like. Sounds like a very cool trip. I'm looking forward to my next summer road adventure coming up in July.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteYeah, for sure, there's repetition in music (there's no such thing as a melodic hook without repetition), and then there's annoyingly repetitive. And it's the latter that made me hate Disco, and which makes me hate most Pop music since about 1983 or '84.
I DID think both songs I presented (Everclear & DJ Dave) were overly repetitive. But because I so enjoyed the images that went with the repetition, neither one of them bothered me. But... I wouldn't be too keen on hearing either of them over and over again on the radio divorced from the videos that made them *work* for me.
No, Lee! Only 'Black Lives Matter'!! You need to lose that White Privilege of yours and get with the times, Bro!
[;-)}
Highway 50 across the middle of Nevada was a really neat road to drive. It reminded me a lot of the sections of the original Route 66 that still exist and can be driven in Arizona. But... it was *a lot* of driving for one very tired 59-year-old man. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I'd had a driving partner AND if the car I'd rented had a CD player, so I could have listened to the music of my choice, rather than the nonsense on the radio.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
Welcome back, STMcC, and it's good to see the beautiful scenery and cloud cover, especially since there seems to be an ever dwindling chance that I'll drive looooong distances by choice. Oh, lumbar spine, why doth thou plague me so? (Now, there's some drama!).
ReplyDeleteBut hey! I actually voted for the winner! Maybe it's a new day! Maybe I've got the knack!
All this optimism is wearing me out, brudder. Ha ha ha...
HiYa, DOC!
DeleteI hear ya about the driving "looooong distances". I think this was probably my final major road trip. I don't dig sleeping in motel rooms and spending endless hours behind the wheel of an automobile, like I did in my twenties and thirties. To steal a line from B.B., "the thrill is gone".
It *IS* A New Day! Well... for me it seems to be. Everyone else around me seems to be on "The Rack Of Life". But... the pendulum always swings back again (i.e., don't get too high; don't get too low, and keep yer fool head down!)
[;o)}
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteYep, your battle was about like mine a hard swing to one side. The open roads and low clouds make interesting photos. I'd love to visit that part of the country someday. It's such a contrast to the east. I don't think I'd like to live there but certainly would like to see. Thanks for sharing the battle results and for your visit. Have a good week my friend!
HiYa, CATHY ~
ReplyDeleteI've almost forgotten what it's like to have a close BOTB contest.
I've been all over the continental U.S. and most areas have their good aspects, as well as some drawbacks. There's no Heaven on Earth, but that's why there's a Heaven.
My favorite areas today are the West (not the West Coast, which has some gorgeous scenery ruined by fruits and nuts) and the South. As I recall, you're in Tennessee, which I'd classify as the South, not the East. I love the South and could live in places there contentedly. (Funny, as I type these words, I've got a Maria Muldaur CD playing, and she's singing 'My Tennessee Mountain Home' at this very moment.)
But I think God led me to CC, and it's because I can happily live out the rest of my life here. There's some kind of, almost, mystical quality, and the fact I'm only 30 minutes from my favorite place of all - Virginia City, NV. - is like the cherry on top.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Welcome back, Stephen T!
ReplyDeleteSafe and sound, we hope ;-)
Ugh, that looong empty road. Not even a billboard beckoning the weary traveler to see "The Thing". https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2023
Did you peek inside the old miner's cabin? I would have. The new friend you made in Ely might have made a good travel companion.
Don't you sing in the car? That might have helped.
Looks like you didn't meet up with Diana. It's the most mysterious abandoned mine I've heard of (so far), along the Loneliest road, and no one - not even the internet - seems to know how she got her name.
So, Everclear won! No mystery there ;-)
Howdy, dIEDRE ~
DeleteI've seen billboards and bumper stickers advertising "The Thing", but I've never seen the real thing. Have you?
I didn't look in the miner's cabin, for fear that a "Thing" might be in there and would jump out at me. [;oD}
No, my singing could never help anyone. And I would not subject myself to it unless I'd been bad and felt I deserved the punishment.
I didn't know what your reference to Diana was about. Nor did I see anything or hear anything about a mysterious abandoned mine on my journey. Now I guess I have some Googling to do.
But I wouldn't go investigating abandoned mines much, though. You never know when a "Thing" might jump out at ya. Ha!
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
The photo of the mountains is beautiful. I miss living in a place where I see mountains everyday.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Howdy, JANIE ~
DeleteHaving grown up just 17 blocks from Santa Monica Beach, where I spent most Summer days, I used to think I could never be happy living far from an ocean. But here I am, having traded mountains for oceans, and I don't really miss the beach anymore.
One can't hike the ocean. Well, Jesus could. But no one else I know can.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
McKingofTheRoad,
ReplyDeletePeople don't give themselves credit that may be an inherent quality.... To rent a car for two days and drive into new horizons takes some intestinal fortitude and confidence. The West Side (represent) photos are... West Side Spartan.. awesome. Kudos and best wishes settling in to your new home.
For the battle, Everclear had me at hello. Even if they didn't, the Farrah posters would have put them over the top.
Westside,
G Dogg
WESTSIDE G DOGG ~
DeleteThe drive was a snap. Just had to keep an eye on the gas gauge because what makes that road so lonely is that towns are few and far between. Run outta fuel in the middle of nowhere and one could be out there for a good long time!
Ha! The Farrah poster... I very nearly mentioned that (and something about turkeys being done). A classic image from a golden era.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'