No Means to No End

So let’s back everything up to High School. Sophomore year. I decided I wanted to be a physical therapist. I was going to go to school for 6 years, getting a degree, and traveling the U.S. as a physical therapist for a bit. A year later, I was going to be a language teacher, or a translator. Then I finally realized I did not know what I wanted to do. I still don’t. At this very young stage in life, we were all asked to basically plan the rest of it. We were asked what you wanted to do with your life. And everyone tried as hard as they could to answer the question. Including me.

Original Versus Cover - All Along The Watchtower

Jimi Hendrix was a huge fan of Bob Dylan, as were most musical poets back in the 1960s. Dylan's strength was in the stories he told and the way he told them. Dylan's approach to music was very spartan. He used no unnecessary notes and wrote no unnecessary parts. But sometimes his stories could have really used an expansive musical background, which is what the people he inspired tended to provide.

When Music Mattered - Machine Head (1972)

It was written completely in the studio, which was actually a hotel in Montreux, Switzerland. Much of the material was improvised on the spot, and the recording conditions were some of the most unique any major rock band had ever used. If you are interested in the history of hard rock music and want to read a good story, then you should read the story of the recording of Machine Head by Deep Purple. Not only is this album a testament to the band's dedication to what they were doing, but it is a shining example of just how much raw talent this band had.

Tinker Toys: Greatest Toys Ever?

This is not a "Reminiscing" article, though it seems like one. Possibly it could be added to to make a nice "Reminiscing" piece, but this just struck my fancy today. I originally wrote it for my personal blog, and re-read it this morning. I did some editing and decided to post here. Enjoy.

I had a love affair with Tinker Toys when I was a kid. Well, I guess you could say I still do. I loved creating cityscapes with those toys. When I talk about Tinker Toys, I'm talking about the old, wooden ones, not the supersized plastic pieces of crap being sold today.

Getting My Life Back

This week's column is late for a very good reason, Today was my first CT scan after my first round of chemo, and my mind could not process anything until we got those results. For three months, my wife and I lived the life of a couple facing the possibility of a terminal illness. I have had my kidney removed, been to countless doctor's appointments, made three trips to emergency rooms, and even had a stroke. But everything has fallen together today as I got the news that my body has maintained its record of responding to medication when I was told that my tumors are shrinking.

Local Author, Laura Pedersen, to Speak at Lockport Library

Tuesday, May 10th at the Lockport Library, author Laura Pedersen will be speaking about her book, Life in New York. The free event will take place in the Community Meeting Room, 6:30-7:30, Tuesday night.

Literally the Best Reviews: Lay Down Your Weary Tune

Lay Down Your Weary Tune -- W.B. Belcher

Other Press

384 Pages

Once in awhile when skimming the New Books shelves at the Lockport Library, I run across a book that just looks cool by virtue of its cover. Then I see the title, and I know that this is a book I want to read. Such is the case with Lay Down Your Weary Tune by W.B. Belcher. Without reading the summary, I had visions of fictional tales of Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, or Bob Dylan. So, the book went into the pile and came home with me.

Eli Page is a musician who lives in the shadows. A mythos has been constructed around him amid which the truth has been lost and rewritten. It comes down to Jack Wyeth to shuffle through the stories and find the true life of Eli Page. Hired to write the story of the elusive folk singers, Wyeth also has to look into his own past. Their paths have crossed before, and it is those crossings where the truth is hidden.

Looking at Movies (First Run) - The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)

Snow White and the Huntsman came out in 2012, four years ago, and I saw it once. The Huntsman: Winter's War committed the cardinal sin of sequels in that you have to have seen and understood the first movie to understand this one. Over the course of four years, I have completely forgotten what the first Snow White was about (it was a forgettable movie) and I certainly don't remember any details. That left me at a disadvantage with this sequel, and I don't like when a sequel does that.

REMINISCING: How Things Have Changed

Sometimes when I’m talking with my kids about something I did in my youth, they get confused. Some of the things I mention no longer exist, or have changed dramatically. Likewise, when my parents talk about the “good, old days,” my siblings and I end up having questions about their stories. As an historian, I sometimes know of what they speak by simply having read about it during research I’ve done. So, what has changed? Do you remember some of these things? Are they any other stories you can tell me about them?

YMCA Healthy Kids Day April 30th

On Saturday, April 30, the Lockport Family YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. This year marks the 25^th annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day^®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families.  The day-long event features activities such as games, fitness screenings,  demonstrations, arts and crafts to motivate and teach families how to develop healthy routines at home.

Prince On YouTube

We are not a news outlet, but we are an entertainment website and this is a significant development in the entertainment world. After years of Prince and YouTube squashing any live or studio videos of Prince's music, the online video outlet has opened up the doors and allowed live and studio Prince videos to be posted online.

It looks like the change in policy started yesterday and continues. Normally, YouTube pulls a Prince video within minutes of it being posted. But videos that were posted yesterday are still available and fans should take advantage of YouTube's generosity before it ends.

Prince videos are being uploaded at a furious pace, and many are getting hundreds of thousands of views in a matter of minutes. YouTube has started to limit the sound on full albums and has even pulled a few full albums already, but there are hundreds of live performance videos being posted every hour that are still available.

Original Versus Cover - Smooth Criminal

I guarantee that Michael Jackson fans are not going to like the end result of this comparison, but I would encourage you to read through to the end to understand my point of view. Keep in mind that we are comparing songs and not videos. If we were comparing videos, then Alien Ant Farm wouldn't even be on the same planet as Michael Jackson. But as a cover, the Alien Ant Farm version of "Smooth Criminal" is probably one of the most famous covers ever made. There are some very good reasons for that.

The Development of Cognition

As children we are very naïve and innocent creatures. We assume nothing but good in everything, and we don’t really notice or care to understand when something criminal or immoral happens. Our biggest worry is what toy we’re going to play with. The most upset we got is when we couldn’t eat dessert before our vegetables (or imagine something else inherently petty; the effect is the same). As we grow up, so do we develop, and our problems and values do the same. At thirteen and fourteen, as we grow slightly older, we start to understand long term versus short term gratifications. We start to see that not everyone is a good person, acknowledge — maybe not be able to understand necessarily —  when something criminal happens. Our biggest problems expand, and we continue to develop. We decide who we question, why we question them, what we like, what we don’t like, and how we live — our values.

Introducing Derick Sears

Niagara's Watercooler has a new voice shouting from the rooftops. Derick Sears will be penning a column that will run on Saturdays. Derick, the nephew of co-founder, Craig Bacon (yes, nepotism is alive and well) is a freshman at SUNY Stony Brook. A 2015 graduate of Royalton-Hartland Central School District, Derick will be regaling readers with his outlook on life and how it's changed since he's moved away from home.

Keep in mind, he's a college freshman just learning how to spread his wings. He's hoping to be able to use his experience at the Cooler to hone his craft as he matures into a better writer. It should be an interesting ride, so hang on, and welcome Derick Sears to our club. Check out his musings every Saturday, starting April 23rd.

The Lion King Was the Cat's Meow

Thursday evening, Emmet Belknap students put on the first of three sellout performances of "The Lion King" in the auditorium at their school. With a cast of 51 and a student crew of 25 (including one of my twins, IdaLena Bacon), the young thespians treated us to all the talent bubbling in their veins. Under direction of Kelly Tokash, with assistance from Timothy Martin, Naomi Moore, Katie Merrill, and countless others, "The Lion King" was enjoyable for all.

Discussing Prince

Craig: Yesterday when I heard the news that Prince had died, I was taken aback. Ironically, for the past month or so, there has been quite a bit of Prince music playing at the house. For some reason, I got "Purple Rain" stuck in my head and ended up playing it quite often. My kids were rolling their eyes and saying, "again?" I happened to run across a video of Adam Levine doing a cover of the song for Howard Stern's Birthday Bash. It was an excellent cover.

When Music Mattered - Purple Rain (1984)

I figured I would get around to reviewing this album at some point, and today wound up being that day. On the heels of the announcement that Prince has passed away, I wanted to just take the time to honor the record that helped to make him into Prince the superstar. While 1999 was a great album, it was the Purple Rain movie and album that put the Paisley Wizard onto the map.

To those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, the track listing for Purple Rain is burned into our minds. Anyone from my generation will instantly recognize the whining keyboard sound from the opening of "Let's Go Crazy," and the mournful guitar that starts off the album's title track. Prince created a lot of great music during his life, but this was the record that reached out to the widest audience and, in my opinion, made the biggest impact.

I saw Prince at the old Memorial Auditorium on this tour, and the show was exactly like the movie. Prince had laryngitis that night, and he asked us all for our forgiveness for the sound of his voice. But he was still able to hit the notes, and his guitar was just as brilliant as it always was. The man was a virtuoso on a long list of instruments, and the only reason he needed a band was because he could only play one instrument at a time.

Purple Rain is a classic for the same reason Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon remains relevant to this day. Both of those classic records are oozing with emotion, and both records hit on common themes that are as timeless as they are personal. The biggest difference between Prince's display of emotion and Pink Floyd's is that Prince is not nearly as subtle as Floyd. When you listen to Purple Rain, you can tell when Prince is angry, happy, and heart-broken. It is all right there, and it is easy to absorb.

Despite the fact that Purple Rain is a movie soundtrack, it still stands up on its own. Many of the tracks on the album were actual live performances and done well before the movie was written. Prince was always the kind of person who preferred to show his emotions in his music, instead of in his actions.

As we mourn the loss of this iconic artist, we can at least comfort ourselves with his huge catalog of music. He leaves behind a legacy that includes some of the finest music ever recorded, and an image that has endured through years of fads and trends that have come and gone. Prince will be as relevant 100 years from now as he is on this day, and that is something that not many artists can say.

R.I.P. to a genius, and thank you for all of the music.

Rating: 5 out of 5

George N Root III is a classic rock fan and huge fan of Prince. We mourn Prince's death by enjoying his music. Follow George on Twitter @georgenroot3 or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.

Aviation History on the Niagara Frontier Lecture by John Percy

If you're an aviation buff, you don't want to miss a presentation by John Percy, "Larry Bell's Aircraft Challenges and Accomplishments." The presentation will take place on Thursday, April 28th, at 7pm in the Lutheran Church of the Messiah (915 Oneida St., Lewiston, NY).

Lock City Glee Club to Celebrate 50 Years With Concert

The Lock City Glee Club is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a concert at Lockport High School on Saturday, April 23rd at 7pm. Presale tickets are $10 from any member or at Scirto's Awards & Gifts (458 Walnut St), and $12 at the door. There will be a basket raffle to benefit the club as they work towards another 50 years entertaining Lockport.

The Harrison Men's Glee Club was formed in 1965 at Harrison Radiator in Lockport. The chorus was mostly for publicity purposes, and performed at many civic and organizational functions. The man within Harrisons chiefly responsible for supporting the club was Bernie Raynor. One of the greatest memories of the old members was a trip to Lake Placid, where Bernie was responsible for bringing the chorus for entertainment. The Glee Club was well received with an impressive performance.

 

The original Music Director was Dick Geise, a Newfane school music teacher. He remained with the chorus through it’s evolution to a community-sponsored chorus, the Lock City Glee Club, and beyond, retiring from Music Director and returning later to sing and become an Associate Music Director.

 

From ’65 through the 70s the Glee Club was much the same and continued success gained a devoted audience. As they entered the 1980s, a new period of our history would develop to change the face of the chorus. the Lock City Glee Club, Inc was the name taken at the transition to a community-sponsored organization.

 

Then President Claire Watkins (1981) had to assist the separation from sponsorship to a much required self-supporting unit that could maintain staff and find if any interest would appeal to the existing audience and continue to grow. The Glee Club had a public following and certainly enjoyed the fellowship enough to try to keep going. Watkins remembers having discussions with Dick Geise when Dick stated he had done shows before so why not try that for fund-raising.

 

Another impetus was the shortly advanced an invitation to join the Associated Male Choruses of America (the New York-Penn District) in 1981. Jack Ernisse, from a Rochester chorus and then officer in the district, had heard about the club and came to visit a rehearsal one evening to recruit the chorus. The Glee Club sent three men to the next District Big Sing,  an annual gathering of the member choruses held on a Saturday. The event was held that year at Wellsboro, PA, with the Wellsboro Men’s Chorus hosting. The report back to Lock City Glee Club was only positive and enthusiastic, and they joined the Association that year.

 

Having such opportunity to interface with other Male Choruses was most fulfilling and rewarding to their success in the following years. They learned new music, found fellowship and friends to share the experiences with, and became very competent performers.  The Lock City Glee Club also learned to be very good hosts, having always been prepared to take rotation scheduled for holding the District Big Sing in Lockport.

 

Recent events with new Music Director, Drew Burke, and accompanist, Debbie Hutter, shows promise with enthusiastic progress. The Officers and Board of Directors continue to pursue plans to reach younger men, and even introduce the idea in area high schools. Presently, the club continues to present two annual events --  a free Christmas Concert, and a fund-raising concert, the Spring Sing. Requests for performances can be made at any time and will be discussed for each opportunity presented.

And as the song goes, “Brothers Sing On!”…

Spring Is In The Air!

It is springtime in Lockport, and anyone who knows Lockport knows that spring is a great time of the year to explore our outdoors! Along with all of the regular stuff we have going on around here, there are a few new things I wanted to point out to give everyone a chance to explore something different.

It looks like we get Wide Waters back this spring, and my family and I cannot wait! When the floods of a few years ago claimed the old Wide Waters as its only victim, it was a dark time in our little community. Anyone who knows and loves Lockport is familiar with Reid's and Wide Waters. They represent businesses that are truly Lockport. When we lost Wide Waters, we lost a little of our identity.

This spring, it looks like the Wide Waters building is being spiffed up and is ready to make its comeback. I could not find an exact opening date, so I invite anyone who knows when it will open for sure to put a comment on this column for all to see. It is a place that I raised my boy on, and now it looks like the grandkids will get to enjoy it as well!

The Palace Theater is alive with live productions this spring, and they are worth checking out. Craig Bacon does some great reviews of the Palace live productions here on the Watercooler, and I encourage you to read Craig's reviews and then get out to the Palace this spring. It looks like April and May have a couple of great productions for the community to enjoy.

The Penalty Box in the new Cornerstone Arena gets the chance to prove that it is not just a winter thing by opening its patio this spring. A little ambiance from the outdoors will help people to see that the Penalty Box is worth checking out on those warm spring and summer nights. The arena is also open all spring and summer long, and it looks like the arena football team is getting ready to play as well. That should be worth checking out!

The canal walkways have been spruced up, and the new paved trails are ready for bicyclists and walkers. My wife and I have already see groups of people and their pets enjoying the trail. Now that the trail is complete, it looks like a very family-friendly place to get some exercise and spend a spring afternoon.

The weather has finally broken and there is no reason for Lockport residents to hide indoors anymore. We have a lot to do in our community this spring, and it is never a bad idea to check out everything Lockport has to offer when the skies are blue and the weather is warm.

George N Root III is a Lockport resident who does venture outdoors during the spring quite often. Follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3 or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.

Mary Poppins Soars at the Palace

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the Curtains Up Productions are all local actors and actresses living out a hobby. The shows they put on at the historic Palace Theater in Lockport are very often some very professionally produced, directed, and entertaining musicals. This past weekend’s “Mary Poppins” was one of those great shows. Lucky for you, a second weekend of performances is on tap for Thursday through Sunday of this week.

Emily Prucha as Mary Poppins

I was fortunate enough to see “Mary Poppins” both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Saturday evening are our season tickets, with prime seating nearly dead center of the second row. For Sunday, we took the entire family to the matinee and sat in the balcony on the left side of the stage. Both shows were well done, with each being just a tiny bit different.

For those people who were expecting the musical to be a clone of the saccharine Disney movie of 1964, you found something unexpected. In the case of the musical, it has taken elements from the Disney movie as well as some of the grittier parts from the books by P.L. Travers. Mary Poppins for instance, is not as sweet as the portrayal by Julie Andrews.The addition of Miss Andrew from the original novel is an example of things from the novel that Disney felt was too dark.

Bert and Mary dance and sing in the park.

Robby Syruws, who we have seen previously as the ghost of Jacob Marley in “Scrooge” and as the Scarecrow in “Wizard of Oz,” hits the stage in the role of Bert, the Jack-of-all-Trades and Mary’s friend. Once again, his commanding stage presence and vocal acumen keeps the audience fixated. He channels Dick Van Dyke’s bloody awful Cockney accent in a way that is both endearing and humorous. He plays the part of Bert so very well.

Playing the beautiful, prim, and proper Mary Poppins is the very talented Emily Prucha. Emily brings a vitality to the role that demands that the audience follow her every move. Her singing shines on old favorites like “Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” as well as on new songs, “Practically Perfect” and “Anything Can Happen.”
 

Robby Syruws as Bert serenades from the rooftop.

Sadie Igoe was a perfect choice to play Jane Banks. Her facial expressions in response to her costars were completely in line with the role, and probably more her own reaction as an actress rather than something that was directed to her. While I’m sure that Chris Parada gave her direction on how to react to certain situations, but there seemed to be quite a bit of Sadie in those reactions. She was wonderful. During Sunday’s performance, Sadie had to pick up some of the lines of Michael Banks when that actor was forced to leave the stage due to illness. She more than ably covered the unexpected change to the dialogue.

Jane and Michael are ready for a "spoonful of sugar
with Mary Poppins.

Speaking of Michael Banks, Isaac Fesmire was just as well suited to the role he was given. Again, some of the facial expressions were priceless. There were moments that Isaac mimicked some of the great facial tics of Matthew Garber. Unfortunately for Isaac, he was not feeling well during the Sunday performance. While the rest of the cast were extremely capable at picking up and covering his absence, we missed his personality on stage. Even though he is still very young, like Sadie Igoe, will be a force upon the Palace stage for as long as he feels the desire to do so.

Mary measures the children, while she is "practically perfect."

Meanwhile, the tandem of Kyle Beiter and Angela Szafran as Mr. and Mrs. Banks worked wonderfully. With Beiter playing a self-absorbed banker, and Szafran playing his eager for attention wife, this team of two provided much of the back story that the main story of the children and Poppins rested upon. Szafran’s singing alone is worth the price of admission. Her voice rises above the music of the pit and grabs ahold of your attention, not letting go until the echoes of her last syllable fade into the corners of the theater.

Much of the comedy in the show comes from the duo of Jake Hayes and Meghan Curr. As always, Jake’s physical comedy and timing make his laughs that much greater. Meghan plays straightman (or rather straightwoman) to Hayes and his antics. They work well together and off each other. There seems to be a natural comedic connection between the two.

The highlight of the entire show was the choreography. Dyan Mulvey took the dancing during this musical to new heights. The dance numbers were crisp. Even Isaac Fesmire, who probably didn’t have a lot of dance background, fit in wonderfully with the dance numbers. Everyone on stage brought their A-Game to the dancing.

Emily Prucha and Robby Syruws "step in time" with the sweeps

Easily the best dance routine of the evening came late in the show during the song, “Step in Time.” For both performances that I saw, people stood to applaud at the conclusion of this number. Each dancer of the routine were on fire. The mid-air flips during this dane excited everyone. I heard one daughter on Sunday mutter “wow” during that particular sequence. Keep in mind they’re singing at the same time. It truly is a wonderful part of the show.

The Banks family: L to R: Angela Szafran, Sadie Igoe,
Isaa Fesmire, Kyle Beiter

Executive Director, Christopher Parada was the director for “Mary Poppins.” He put together a fantastic show that people of all ages will enjoy. If you’ve seen the movie, or read the books, this musical has a little something for everyone. Favorite songs from yesteryear will echo in your head even after leaving the Palace. You might find yourself humming or singing along to one of those tunes when you least expect it.
 

There is still time for those of you who haven’t seen “Mary Poppins” yet at the Historic Palace Theater in downtown Lockport. There are performances in the evenings of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a final matinee on Sunday. Trust me, please take the time to see these amazing local actors and actresses give new life to a grand, old, childhood favorite. If you miss your chance, you only have yourself to blame.

I’d like to thank Chris Parada for allowing me to post his photos of the performance to this column. I'd also like to give a shout out to a certain oboe player who was instrumental in catching Michael's bird seed bag when he finished feeding the birds. It truly is a great effort by all involved.

Craig Bacon is still singing “Step in Time” two and three days after seeing the show. He’s tried, but his umbrella still doesn’t fly.

Literally the Best Reviews: Your Fathers, Where Are They?

Your Fathers, Where Are They, And the Prophets,Do They Live Forever? -- Dave Eggers

Vintage Books

240 Pages

This week’s book has quite a long title. It actually may be the longest part of the book. Your Fathers, Where Are They, And the Prophets,Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers is just as weird as the title, but it is highly entertaining and makes the reader think. From the same mind that brought us, The Circle, Eggers questions everything we know about our modern times.

Thomas is our main character. He is struggling to understand his place in the world, and why it all hasn’t turned out the way he’s hoped. He questions everything that has hastened the perceived downfall of American culture. So, to answer those questions, Thomas kidnaps people who he thinks may have the answers and holds them hostage to answer for it. Ironically considering his questions of what has happened to his beloved United States, Thomas holds them captive in an abandoned military base along the ocean side.

The most interesting thing about this book is that it is written entirely in dialogue. It can be mildly confusing, especially since there are no quotation marks throughout the book whatsoever. Sometimes the conversation switches back and forth so quickly that the reader and easily get confused. Still, it is an intriguing premise to writing a book. Once I got used to it, it really was quite entertaining.

This novel questions all that we know about our country, and asks those questions some of us may have but are afraid to ask. Dave Eggers, with his often unique style of writing, explores everything we take for granted, breaks it down into its most basic form, and rebuilds it into a narrative that makes it question everything we know.

If you’re not ready for an in-your-face look at the way we live our lives, this unorthodox look at that very thing may not be the book for you. If, however, you question authority as well as reality as you think you know it, this might just be the book for you.

While this review is fairly short, the actual book is very short, also. With it being written entirely in dialogue, the storyline gets straight to the point and leaves no time to catch your breath. Dave Eggers, with Your Fathers, Where are They, And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? Will make you rethink all that you know is true. While most of us would never kidnap people to get the answers to life, we want the questions that remain unanswered to finally be addressed. Eggers puts it in your face and attempts to do that with this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read and who loves to question authority. In his nearly inimitable way, Dave Eggers continues to make us think. For a short book, there is a lot of punch in those few pages. You could read this book and The Circle and get a whole new outlook on life in general.

Next Week: Lay Down Your Weary Tune -- W.B. Belcher

Craig Bacon questions everything. Just because I said this book was great, don’t take my word for it. Read it yourself and make your own conclusions.

Looking at Movies (First Run) - The Jungle Book (2016)

The Walt Disney Company never goes into a project expecting to fail, but it does like to temper expectations for projects they are not too sure about. With the live action versions of Disney's most-loved animated features failing left and right, the release of The Jungle Book was not given nearly as much hype as you get with most other Disney releases. Despite the lack of major hype associated with The Jungle Book, it opened with an incredible $103 million weekend in the United States, and $290 million around the world (including the United States). So much for hesitation.

I have never seen the original animated version of The Jungle Book, and I have never read the book. It does not appear to me to be a coincidence that The Jungle Book was originally released in 1894, and the first Tarzan story debuted in 1912. The two stories seem to run together, which really has nothing to do with this review. I just felt like pointing that out to give everyone something else to think about.

Without having any previous experience with the story to skew my opinion in one direction or the other, I found this movie extremely entertaining. It was one of those movies where my wife and I both said "Now, that was a good movie" when it was over. That does not happen every week, and I consider any movie that can cause that mutual reaction to be something special.

When it comes to important elements such as casting and CGI, this movie is almost perfect. It wasn't until after I watched the movie that I read in IMDB that most of the movie was made using puppets and CGI. All I can say is that The Jungle Book has the most amazing and realistic CGI that I have ever seen. Everything looked realistic, and you can only appreciate the CGI when you realize just how much was used to complete the movie.

The voice actors and Neel Sethi (Mowgli) were ideal for their roles. Ben Kingsley's majestic voice was ideal as Bagheera, and Bill Murray proved that only he could voice Baloo in a way that makes it funny and emotional. Idris Elba is rapidly becoming my new favorite actor, and he was brilliant as the evil tiger Shere Kahn. To be honest, I found not one problem with all of the casting that was done for this movie. Every voice performance was ideal, and the young Sethi proved to be more than equal to the task of playing Mowgli the man cub.

There were two aspects of this movie that I found odd and potentially distracting. The first is the use of the songs in the movie. This version of The Jungle Book is not a musical, but yet there are several instances when the cast breaks into musical numbers that were choreographed and way out of place. The movie could never seem to make up its mind on whether it wanted to be a comedy, a drama, or a musical.

The other thing I felt to be odd was that this Disney movie did not have a single scene that ripped your heart out, as I have become accustomed to seeing in Disney movies. There were several potential tear-jerkers that were set up throughout the movie, but none of them actually occurred. I guess it was nice to be able to watch a Disney movie without having to fight back a few tears at the loss of a key character that we had all just come to love, but it also left the movie feeling incomplete.

This movie was able to get past its flaws and deliver something that I intend to see again and probably buy on Blu-Ray. This movie was fun, funny, entertaining, and perfectly paced from beginning to end. It is perfect for every member of the family, and it has Christopher Walken in it. Seriously, what else could anyone want from a movie?

Rating: 4 out of 5

George N Root III is a drive-in fanatic who always likes it when he gets surprised by a Disney effort. You can follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3, or send him an email at georgenroot3@gmail.com.

April is the Kindest Month

Courtesy: Facebook -- April is the Kindest Month

Yes, I am jumping on a bandwagon. No, it's not something I normally do. However, Ellen Martin's "April is the Kindest Month" is a great promotion and deserves all the attention it can get. Really, couldn't we all use a little more kindness in the world? Ellen Martin has a goal of 20,400 acts of kindness in the month of April. That would be one act for each resident of the City of Lockport. So far schools and businesses have kicked in to help, and I'm sure you've seen the signs around town.

REMINISCING: Always Prepared. You're in the Boy Scouts Now

This week’s Reminiscing column was influenced by friend and fellow Boy Scout, Bob Confer. I was reading through his blog a week or so ago and ran across a reference to his time in the Scouts. While writing the Washington Hunt columns from a couple weeks ago, I stuck that little nugget into a memory bank for withdrawal later. Well, now’s that time. And if you don’t like this week’s column, blame Bob (not really).

Let me begin by saying that Bob Confer is the quintessential Boy Scout. He lives the life taught to us from our time in the Scouting program. One only has to read his nature columns to witness all that he learned from being on the farm and, of course, from being a Boy Scout. Me? Well, I enjoyed being in the Scouts, but I was never an Eagle Scout. Classic underachieving can be thanked for that.

The day I left for Camp Dittmer with my brother and sister.
July 1986

I think I was in Mrs. Xapsos’ second grade classroom when the flyer for the Cub Scouts was handed out. So, I took it home, showed my parents and became a proud member of Cub Scout Pack 41 at Washington Hunt School. I can’t remember who our first Den Leader was, but I know that Chuck White, my dad, and Bruce Broecker were some of our leaders during the first few years.

Very clearly I can remember one time at the White’s where we had to do some kind of woodworking project. I made a Garfield cat. It came out just fine, but I never put the stake at the bottom to make it a lawn ornament. It’s around the house here somewhere. Yes, I keep everything, much to the chagrin of my wife.

When my dad was our den mother, we met in our basement. Sometimes when we were done with our meeting and we had extra time, we would go outside and play a bit in the backyard and driveway. My dad had one rule: stay away from the hedge between our house and the neighbor’s. Our neighbor, Mr. Enzinna, loved that hedge and took painstakingly great care of it. My dad did not want to have anything happen to that hedge.

Me and Adam Berry the morning before the monsoon hit.

Of course, five minutes into our play session, there is a rustle and and series of giggles. My dad turned around and there was a new hole in the hedge with just a pair a feet poking out, writhing to get some purchase in order to get himself extricated from the thorny branches. My dad helped Eric out of the hedge and said to him, “I thought I told you to stay away from the hedge?” Eric’s reply, in all innocence, was “I’m sorry. I forgot.” That phrase has stuck around our family ever since.
 

In our Cub Scout years, we held a Raingutter Regatta in the cafetorium at Washington Hunt. I was never very good at it, but I did win a prize for having the best looking boat. I painted my boat jet black with fire engine red trim. I affixed a sunrise sticker to my sail, and named it “The Blazing Sun.” While it didn’t sail very well, it sure was a fine looking boat. Again, that is floating around the attic in some box.
 

Our campsite.

When we got old enough to move up from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, we started going to Emmanuel Methodist Church on East Avenue for Troop 6 activities. Mr. Bidleman and Mr. McCandlish were our Scout leaders. One of the greatest events of my Scouting experience came with the group from the Methodist church.

Halley’s Comet was making an appearance in the 1985/86 skies. The phone rang in the middle of the night and my parents rousted me from bed. They wanted to know if I wanted to go with Mr. McCandlish and some of the other Scouts to see if we could catch a glimpse of the elusive comet. (The 1986 visit was one of the worst viewing years on record for Halley’s Comet.) So, weary-eyed and full of anticipation, I got dressed and waited for our leader’s station wagon.

We went to the Remick Observatory at the Lockport High School. We crowded around the telescope, each taking our turn to look at the skies above. I remember it was cold. And I remember that we didn’t see the comet. We did get to see Saturn and Mars and some other celestial objects, though. It was very exciting. Even though I had spent most of the night out stargazing and comet hunting, I was still expected to go to school in the morning. I was tired most of the day, but I made it through and did my paper route. It was definitely worth it. I still look back fondly on huddling around the telescope, trying to keep warm, and seeing other planets from across the solar system.
 

Adam Berry, Jimmy Page, and Matt Broecker on the causeway.

One of the other great things I did as a Boy Scout was go to Camp Dittmer. The Boy Scout camp is out near Phelps, NY, and my best friend, Matt Broecker was my tent mate. For some reason, our troop didn’t stay in one of the nice camp sites at the top of the hill. No. We were at the bottom of the hill. Well, not just at the bottom of the hill, but all the way across the causeway to the furthest camp from practically everywhere. Honestly, we were in the middle of nowhere.

It was uphill to absolutely everything from our tent. To eat, we went up the hill. To get to the classes, we went up the hill. It was some pretty good exercise. The one thing that sticks in my mind is how I came home with only two merit badges. Yes, I was the classic underachiever. I was there to have fun, and I played hooky with all the other like minded lads.

Adam and Matt trying to figure out how to untie the boat.

The other thing I remember was that it rained every single day we were there. The sun finally came out about the time my dad came to pick me up. Now, that might seem like a crappy week of camp, but it was a whole lot of fun. We had the biggest, baddest game of Capture the Flag going on for a full day in the driving rain. Everything I wore was soaked through, including my shoes. For the rest of the week there, I had to wear hiking boots that I had failed to break in before attending camp. That made for an interesting hike into Phelps one afternoon.

I’m not sure how many of you remember this, but my hat ended up on the Moose several times. You weren’t allowed to wear hats into the Lodge. Ever. Of course, in our hurry, and because it was raining, we had hats on all the time. Once you stepped through the door with it still on your head, up it went on the Moose. You had to wait a full day to get it back. That part was kind of awful considering how hard it rained all week. Luckily, I brought more than one hat with me.

Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were an amazing learning experience for me. I’m sure Bob Confer could tell you even more. I’m pretty sure he became an Eagle Scout. Meanwhile, I petered out at First Class. I made some good friends and learned lessons that continue to help me through life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Next Week: Changes. Some things never change. Others are only memories.

Craig Bacon is always prepared. Well, except for that one time. But we don’t talk about that. He’d like to thank Bob Confer for planting the seed in his head for this column.

Original Versus Cover - Personal Jesus

In 1990, Depeche Mode was at the height of its creative powers and playing stadiums around the world. During their most creative period, Depeche Mode released a song called "Personal Jesus" that I instantly added to the list of songs that I would never turn off if they ever came onto the radio. I love the bouncy beat of the song, the sound of it, and the eerie aura of it. I became a Depeche Mode fan in college, and it is one of those things that never left me. To me, Depeche Mode is the only synth band that is able to add emotion to their music in a way that almost makes synth music sound real.

Then in 2002, Johnny Cash released an album of covers that was one of the rawest, down to earth, most wonderful things I had ever heard in my life. I am sure that I will get people who disagree with me, but Johnny Cash's voice always had something special in it, even when it was weak and shaky towards the end of his life. His ability to reach into even the most unemotional song and pull emotion out of it is what drew millions to him throughout his career. So it was no surprise that Johnny Cash was able to take an emotional song and make it even more dripping with emotion.

Let's first listen to the original Depeche Mode version to get a frame of reference on what this song can sound like in the hands of electronic geniuses:

I'm going to go on record saying that I really hate this video because I don't like videos that have no purpose. Videos that are just mish-mashes of scenes irritate me, and I think Depeche Mode is more creative than that. But the song grabbed me from the moment I first heard it and has not let go. Depeche Mode goes out of its way to add an element of scary to the idea that people idolize celebrities way too much. As I said before, Depeche Mode was the only synth band that had heart and this song is full of anger, cynicism, and fear.

Now let's take a listen to the Johnny Cash version:

Johnny Cash puts a strong sense of foreboding into this song that it deserves. It almost sounds like Cash has just given up on the public and accepts the celebrity worship America is known for as a way of life. Where Depeche Mode was more tongue in cheek with their presentation, Johnny Cash sounds like a tired old man who is done trying to tell people to stop worshiping him because he is famous. 

Johnny Cash took a song he did not write and turned it into his own, which is strange for a man who is famous for writing his own songs. What Cash gives us is an example of what people mean when they say that experience can often overcome talent. While Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan gives a powerful performance in the original recording, Johnny Cash gives an interpretation of the song that makes more sense to me and a lot of other people.

Verdict: The Man in Black

George N Root III is a music junkie who thinks that Johnny Cash was a brilliant artist. Follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3, or send him a  message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.

Lockport Express Name Becker Head Coach

The Lockport Express of the NA3HL are thrilled to announce the hiring of Brian Becker as Head Coach.  Frank Vecchio will continue in the role of General Manager and will focus on recruiting and building the Express program for the future.  

 

Becker played AAA hockey and Junior hockey in his hometown of Buffalo, NY.  He played on the SUNY-Fredonia NCAA Division III Team as a true Freshman. 

 

Since graduating, he went into coaching right away as an Assistant Coach on the Tier III Junior team as well as Video Coordinator.  He holds a double major in Business Management and American Politics.  He also volunteers with the Youth Hockey program in Hamburg, NY.  

 

Becker stated, “I am thrilled and honored to take the coaching reigns of such a professional organization.  Coach Vecchio and Coach Kasperek have laid the foundation in the first two years and I am excited to continue to build a winner in Lockport and help players attain their goals.”

 

Vecchio added, “Brian is a young man I have known for a number of years and respect not only his knowledge of the game but his recruiting ability, the ability to teach the game and most importantly, his high level of integrity and respect for the game.  I know Brian will do great things and together, we will continue to grow the Express program.”

 

This story originally appeared at: http://na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=17868

When Music Mattered - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

When Led Zeppelin released their first album, the hype surrounding the record was so thick you could cut it with a dull knife. The second album delivered rock standards that are still popular today, and the third record was something the band made to appease their own interests. But by the time Zeppelin got to their fourth record, music critics were merciless in their assertion that Led Zeppelin was all hype and no talent.

The criticism got to Zeppelin so much that they decided to put no hype behind their fourth album at all. There are no pictures of the band on the fourth album, and the album officially has no title. But even when Led Zeppelin is trying to be anonymous, they still manage to be iconic. The fourth Led Zeppelin album is the one where they introduced the four symbols that would identify the band for the rest of its existence, which goes as far away from anonymous as you can get.

The fourth Zeppelin album cemented the band's legacy as one of the classic rock icons that created the foundation of heavy music, despite the fact that the most popular songs on the record are not terribly original. Every music fan is aware of the spat between Spirit and Led Zeppelin about "Stairway To Heaven," and that has helped to take the heat off the other songs on the record that lifted their inspiration from other sources.

The John Bonham intro to the song "Rock and Roll" is a sped up version of the intro to the Little Richard song "Keep a Knockin'." The body of "Rock and Roll" is nothing but the same 12-bar blues that thousands of other songs are based on. The song "When The Levee Breaks" is a re-work of a 1929 blues classic. The band gives credit to the original writers, but they also take some of their own writing credit which may or may not be deserved.

That being said, all of this does nothing to dilute the fact that Led Zeppelin IV is one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded. In my opinion, Led Zeppelin could have recorded dozens of albums of all interpreted cover music and it still would be better than all of the garbage that is being released today. Every member of Led Zeppelin was a devoted blues musician who made a habit of lifting parts of songs and putting them into their own compositions. The problem other musicians had with Zeppelin is that when Zeppelin interpreted other artist's songs, the interpretation was usually much better than the original.

Led Zeppelin was the epitome of a blues-based rock band that wore its influences on its sleeve. There was never anything fake about Zeppelin, and Led Zeppelin IV captures the band at the pinnacle of its powers. It is an album recorded in studios all over the world, and it projects Jimmy Page's "wall of guitars" concept to perfection. If there ever was a perfect hard rock record, Led Zeppelin IV would be the shining example of that perfection.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5

George N Root III is a music lover who has an extensive collection of classic rock albums. You can follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3, or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.