The One From Branson

Okay, not really FROM Branson, because I am already back home, but it's about Branson.

Did I tell you that I was going to Branson? Maybe not.

*****Enters Time Machine*****

Date: 10 March 2007

Tomorrow I am going to Branson!!!!

*****Exits Time Machine*****

There we go, all better.




Gosh that was stupid. Don't read that part.

Anyway, I went to Branson and it was definitely interesting. I have to admit that I was a little worried before I left, but things turned out very different than I anticipated. A lot of things have changed in the past week and it's difficult to figure out exactly where to start. I guess let's just go for the gusto!

In the next few months, a bunch of stuff is going to change here at SHINE. For one thing, the main site is going to get a complete overhaul (including a new intro movie...sheesh that one's embarrassing). In fact, I will probably take it offline in the next week until the update is finished. There are also going to be a number of changes here at the Blog - the least of which is a new template. With any luck, the design will be smoother and easier to use. I also intend to swith over to a Flash Music Player instead of the embedded WMP one we use now.

But here comes the real meat of the matter. This blog has not been very honest. Not that I have been writing a bunch of lies for the past however many years, but I censor a LOT of the stuff that appears here for various reasons and for various people. This week I realized that I don't want to do that anymore. I have kept a journal since I was very young and in it I would write as truthfully as I could while on the Blog, I wrote what I figured people wanted to read. That eventually got pretty boring so a few weeks ago, I started a podcast. I know, right? Sorry I didn't say anything earlier. If you would like to subscribe, open iTunes, go to the iTunes Store and search for my name. The podcasts will be able to shed more light on the big ramifications of my trip to Branson. But keep in mind that NOTHING is censored on the podcasts. Listen at your own risk.

Now, that being said, let's move on to the fun part! Here's the re-cap of Branson.

Day 1: Arrive in Branson. Freak out a little because it is nothing like expected. Have dinner. Check in to flippin' sweet lodge. Unpack.

Day 2: Meet up with parents for lunch and exploring. Pick up tickets to Pierce Arrow Theater. Have dinner. Go to Pierce Arrow concert. Let me just tell you a little about Pierce Arrow. They were so good that we were worried we might have jinxed the rest of the week so we bought tickets to their second show on the last day we were in Branson. The harmonies were AMAZING! They had a great time performing and it was a lot of fun to watch. They also had a singer named Desta from Altus, OK who performed a couple of country songs and was exceptional (not to mention quite a looker....oops, did I write that out loud?). The group is composed of six members (only five of whom sang on this night...don't know why. Only four sang the last night.), a comedian who was pretty darn funny, and Kim Boyce, a former Miss USA contestant. If you go to Branson, SEE THIS SHOW!!!

Day 3: Was interesting...We started out the day on the Branson Scenic Railway, on which I recorded this Video Post...


Unfortunately, this little trip was not the most interesting of trips. I got bored. So I recorded a few more videos...




Then, I just decided to turn the camera on and record whatever popped out of my mouth...


Hee hee hee...So that was the Branson Scenic Railway. Not my favorite. But AFTER that, we stopped by the Stone Hill Winery and took a tour, complete with wine tasting!

These casks are something like 100 years old and hold 43 million gallons of wine.

Or something like that; I wasn't really paying attention. :-) It was really interesting to get to see the wine-making process and our guide was pretty funny.
In the same room with the uber casks were these:

Each of these casks will sit in this room for 3.5 years before the wine they hold is bottled and sold. Ain't that cool?

One more picture. This is me and my dad.

Some of the wine was really good! Some of it was not... But we had fun nonetheless. Here is my mom. She is going to freak out when she sees this post. You wait and see...


After visiting the winery, we grabbed dinner and headed off for the Music City Centre for the Haygoods show. Which, by the way, was AMAZING! The Haygoods are a family (7 brothers and 1 sister ranging in age from 29 to 14) who have been performing together for over 15 years. These guys were very impressive! Vocally, they were not the best, but their show was my favorite by FAR! They wrote and produced the entire thing themselves and their energy is addictive! Again, GO SEE THIS SHOW!

Day 4: This evening we went to see a show by SIX, a group of brothers (family acts are a big thing in Branson) that was very good! They opened with Beautiful Day by U2 and I was hooked. Really that's all it takes. You play the right song and I am yours, baby! They also had an entire section of Beach Boys songs...Um, HELLO!!!!! I wish I was a Beach Boy.

That day, we also went to the Butterfly Palace. It is a very cool building architecturally and inside is an entire Rainforest room containing thousands of butterflies. Here are a few of them.






Okay, yes the butterflies are all pretty and stuff. However, the best part of the whole thing is the MIRROR MAZE! Woo Hoo!
It was so much fun! Here is a picture of the rainforest maze. It's a little unclear, so I took two. One with a flash and one without.



In addition, I recorded this little video. Again, it's hard to make out, but it cracks me up!


Day 5: On Day 5, we chilled a bit, then we went to see Pierce Arrow again. And again, they were amazing! *sigh* I want to be in Pierce Arrow.

Anyway, almost each day we stopped by a place called Branson Landing. It is the very nice little area with a hotel, some lofts and a new outdoor mall. It reminded me of home and I really enjoyed hanging out there. One of the COOLEST things was a plaza that played music 24/7 and had a fountain/flame tower show every hour. It was WAAAAAAAYYYYY cool...Here's a picture.
And I am going to include this picture as well because I think it's really good! A new show is coming to Branson next year and to advertise, they erected a huge statue of Noah's Ark. It's cool, so I decided to take a picture of the white tigers on the front. Now, I want you to appreciate the effort this took. The top of the Ark was HIGH up in the sky. It took me something like six tries before I got a decent photo. So...APPRECIATE!!


One day, there were even a couple of kids outside playing on a bunch of buckets. They were good! I was impressed!


And that, ladies and gentlemen is Branson in a nutshell. I hope that you have enjoyed this little update and we'll see you next time!

P.P.S. I came back from Branson with some KILLER new music and you know that I HAVE to share it with you, right? Now I have always figured that this was understood, but someone asked me last week, so I figure I should clarify. All of the music in the player on my page has been purchased by me, most exclusively for the page. Not that I think any of you would, but please do not try and pull the music from the page. Now, on to the good stuff.

Canon in D - This is one of the songs from the show we saw on Wednesday night. The Haygoods arranged this version themselves and it is KICKIN'! Four of the siblings are on violin, one on electric guitar, one on bass guitar, one on piano, and one on drums. It ROCKS!

Baby, It's Fact - Yes, this breaks my own rule. There are now two songs by Hellogoodbye in the player. But since getting this album, it has quickly become one of my favorites! Listen! I think you'll like it!

Bogoroditse Devo - This is it, folks. This is THE song. This is the one that started the waterworks at my last concert with the Concert Choir. The dean of the music school said that it alone was worth the price of the ticket. Yes, it's that good. It is my favorite choral piece ever. You should definitely turn the speakers up when you listen.

Miss Blue - Okay, Filter is not that great of a band. They really only have two good songs. The first is Take a Picture. The second is Miss Blue. Tell me what you think.

Take It Easy - This is one of the groups that we saw in Branson and they single-handedly changed my mind about country music. I know, Truett, I know. Shut up. Anyway, great cover.

P.P.P.S. Okay, do you realize that it's been two years since I recorded the audition songs on the right? Scary. Gonna have to record something new.