Category Archives: Music

Dec18

Making Music

Posted on December 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! My Johnny is an incredibly skilled musician and it is one of my greatest joys to hear him play. He is skilled in several different instruments including guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and piano and it honestly blows my mind every time he creates a little music magic. Prior to the pandemic, Johnny was playing A LOT with the band he was in called The Outside Voices. It was freaking awesome. Unfortunately, like a lot of things during the pandemic, the band came to a grinding halt and hasn’t played since. That’s not to say that Johnny wasn’t still playing at home, but after a while, he kind of dropped off. Which is why I am SO happy that he has been picking up his guitar again for the past few weekends. Don’t mind the mess in Johnny’s record room lol:

Every Saturday for the past month or so, Johnny has been back in the record room Making Music and it is music to my ears. He is so gifted and being able to hear him in his zone is just the coolest. Johnny really does play a MEAN electric guitar and I love to sit there and watch him. He makes everything he does look so effortless and I am always clapping and cheering away for these solo performances. And he claims that he is “rusty”. As if!!

This Saturday, I had an amazing three and a half hour chat-a-thon with my blogging bestie, Kate of Live In The Nautical. As we talked, and talked, and talked some more, Johnny was playing the entire time. And, by the time Kate and I said our goodbyes, he STILL kept playing! Not only was I impressed, but I was elated that the concert wasn’t over so I could rock out more to my all time favorite musician. How lucky am I that said musician is also my husband?!

I am so proud of Johnny for making an effort to get back into music again and I can’t wait to hear what he plays this upcoming weekend! ❤

Do you play any instruments? What was the last concert you saw? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

A Moment To Complain

Posted on November 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Nothing pleases me or Johnny more than an amazing concert and the most recent one we attended was Alice Cooper. We both like to keep tabs on when our favorites are coming to Cleveland, Columbus, or Pittsburgh and I was simply elated by the news I recently discovered… Jack White would be playing at The Agora in Cleveland in April of 2025. For those of you who don’t know, I am his number one fan and have been for as long as I can remember. In fact, I have a portrait of Jack’s face tattooed as well as some of his lyrics. So, needless to say, I was stoked to hear that he was coming to Cleveland so I could see him for the third time. It would also be Johnny’s first time seeing him live too!

As soon as tickets were on sale, I pounced and was pleased to see that the General Admission tickets were right in front of the stage. This is always appealing because you can get yourself up close and personal with some fancy footwork, which is exactly what I did when I saw Jack White at X-Fest and Stage AE. The tickets were one hundred bucks a pop and I considered it to be well worth it to 1) See my all time favorite and 2) Have the opportunity to get to the front of the stage. I was about to place my order and then everything went terribly wrong. And by terribly, I mean expensively.

Now, I am all for treating myself and would never, ever call myself cheap. However, my purse strings instantly tightened when the grand total for two one hundred dollar tickets ended up being three hundred and twenty dollars because of fees. The fees costed more than one ticket!!! As much as I would have LOVED to attend the show with Johnny, we were both in agreement that the total price was absolutely ridiculous and couldn’t justify it. It was extremely disappointing, to say the least.

This truly begs the question of when TF did ticket prices become so expensive?! My mind was honestly blown by the grand total because I paid less for two tickets to a full fledged two day music festival in Chicago. Unfortunately, Johnny and I couldn’t attend because the pandemic, but you get the point. All week, I have been wrestling with the buy the tickets or not buy them dilemma. And, every time I think that I should just do it, my pride gets in the way because it seems insane to me. I know, I know it’s not good to complain and I am thankful to have seen my beloved Jack White twice. I’m not saying it wouldn’t have been nice to see him thrice, though!!

MAN do I feel better after getting all of this off my chest! And, in conclusion, a big fat middle finger to the dreaded fees that skyrocketed the ticket prices into something unacceptable!

How much would you pay for concert tickets? What is the best website to buy tickets from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Funko Pop Albums

Posted on November 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! A few weekends ago I went with Johnny and my brother to Akron Comicon and a wonderful time was had by all. It is a tradition of ours and we look forward to it every year. It was so much fun to see all of the vendors, cosplayers, and D-list celebrities and we all walked away with a little something something for ourselves too. I recently learned of the Funko Pop Albums collection when I purchased a Britney Spears one for my sister earlier that week. There were plenty of them at Comicon too and Johnny and I simply had to get these to display by our record player:

When I saw the Albums Funkos being peddled, I immediately locked eyes on Alice Cooper. Johnny and I are huge, avid fans of his. In fact, we plan on being Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl for next Halloween! I honestly don’t think we have ever come down from the joy of seeing him in concert a few months back so the Welcome To My Nightmare Funko was as good as ours. It looks perfect in our record corner where we frequently play his vinyls. And, if you haven’t seen the 1975 TV special that Alice Cooper did with Vincent Price called The Nightmare – watch it and thank me later. It is one of mine and Johnny’s favorite things in the world and we quote it constantly.

What Johnny was drawn to wasn’t Alice Cooper but Angus Young. Highway To Hell by AC/DC is one of his desert island record choices and also features his favorite form of Angus: Lil Devil lol. We got the biggest kick out of the little Funko in his likeness! Johnny dressed up as Angus Young during our very first Halloween together as a couple and it sounds silly but this Funko makes me highly sentimental. His band at the time was playing a Halloween show and I will never forget Johnny in his schoolboy getup duck walking across the stage! All Halloweens are my favorite, but that one holds an extra special place in my heart. ❤

Alice Cooper, Angus Young, and Funko Albums – oh my! We absolutely love the newest additions to our knick knack shelves!

Do you collect anything? What are some of your desert island albums? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

Chilly Day OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 19, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Chilly Day OOTD! These pictures were taken before an amazing afternoon with my main squeeze. That day, Johnny and I drove to Burton, Ohio so he could be a featured musician on the PBS show The World According To Polka. It was the best experience and Johnny absolutely crushed. I always say that we are a power couple but that week further solidified the sentiment. While Johnny filmed for PBS on Monday, one of the videos that I shot for Tim Misny aired on CBS that Friday! How cool is that?! Thankfully, none of these yikes shots were on TV so, naturally, I put them on my blog instead. Lol, check it out:

WOW. Talk about a come hither shot! 😉

Disregard my roots that desperately need touched up… And my face.

Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down!

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I appear to be malfunctioning so big ups to Johnny for capturing it

Who’s up for a game of Peek A Boo?!

A bow or a potential face plant? The world may never know! End scene.

During the work week, I feel like I am ALWAYS driving and that’s probably because I am. Driving to the homes of clients, driving clients, making the voyage to Misnyland, errands, appointments, it’s never ending. With the amount of time I spend in the Little Red Love Machine, you would think that I would listen to a book tape or perhaps a podcast. While Johnny loves them, they are not my bag at all. So, I opt for radio stations that play either rap (My favorite!) or Top 40 hits. Do I enjoy what I listen to? Not always – it often feels like there is literally nothing on. But, the music I do hear keeps me company and is familiar enough that I can perform solo concerts in my whip. It’s fun, keeps me alert and focused, and makes constantly being in my car something that doesn’t feel like a complete chore.

One thing that I have been living for recently as I listen to the radio is a new emergence of pop singers. IE: Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Chappell Roan. I was born and raised on Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and have never stopped loving them. These new gals on the scene bring such a fresh take to old favorites and I am so there for it. As soon as I hear ANYTHING by my three main baddies on the radio, it’s game over. I transform into lead singer, backup singer, and musician at the drop of a hat. I’ve got to say, I sound excellent (Not) and maybe Sabrina, Olivia, and Chappell could learn a thing or two from Lil Red (Still not)!!

It’s basically one person Carpool Karaoke all day every day for yours truly. It’s a lot, yes. But, when the jams are on nobody can tell me NOTHING!!

What is your favorite genre of music? Who is one of your favorite new artists? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Johnny On The Big Screen

Posted on October 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! My Johnny is an exceptionally talented musician and this past Monday was fabulous because I got to see him in action for something really cool. Johnny’s first band was called Johnny and The Apple Stompers and they played bluegrass music. One of the bands that they would play with over a decade ago was the Chardon Polka Band. The CPB absolutely rules and they have become a cult phenomenon – not just in Ohio but all over the country. One of their most recent ventures is a show on PBS called The World According To Polka and Johnny got to play for one of their future episodes that revolves around trains. It was the best, most fun experience and I was so happy I was able to share in it with my main squeeze. Check it out:

After I finished working on Monday morning, Johnny and I made the hour drive to Burton, Ohio to film in one of their historic villages. We met up with Jake, the lead singer and accordion player for Chardon Polka Band, Bob on washboard, and Jeff on fiddle and banjo, as well as a team from PBS. Of course, we were so excited for the opportunity but the best of all was seeing Jake. It had been literal years since either of us have seen him and he is pure joy incarnate. After catching up, the musicians began their practice sessions for Johnny’s song selections of “Freight Train” and “Waiting For A Train”. I was most surprised because I had no idea that Johnny was going to sing them along with playing his guitar!!

It wasn’t long before all of the players made adjustments and got in their groove together. Then, it was time for the cameras to roll! Within three takes of each song, they were golden and I was legit glowing with pride. I am so used to shooting content at events like this and being able to sit back and enjoy the magic in front of me was such a welcome change of pace. Once each song was shot to their liking, we took a brief break to explore the grounds around Burton. It was so scenic and beautiful, as you can see, and we made friends with a really nice cow. 🙂 Afterwards, Johnny did some interviews for the show to showcase his vast musical knowledge as well as his sharp as a tack wit. He did beyond amazing and I can’t wait to see the end result.

Unfortunately, Johnny’s feature on The World According To Polka will not be aired until the fall of 2025. Until then, we will look back on the day fondly because it was an excellent one. I am the proudest wife!!! ❤

What is your favorite local band? What is your favorite genre of music? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep2

Alice Cooper Concert

Posted on September 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! Last Wednesday was one of the best nights ever because Johnny and I got to see Alice Cooper at Blossom Music Center. It was the most fantastic time and we both still can’t believe that we actually got to see him live. It always feels a bit surreal to see an artist you love in real life but this concert definitely hit different. We have talked about it every day since! Even though we were seated at the back of the pavilion, we had a pretty good view of the stage. I took tons of pictures and videos and just had to share some of them with all of you! Check it out:

As you can see, this was quite the production indeed! I have never been to a concert that felt like I was watching live theater too but that’s Alice Cooper for you! Every new song played was like a set change and it was so cool to see the stage transform before our eyes. There were amazing lights, projections, props, snakes, and sets which is such a far cry from any other concert I’ve seen before as the production value is limited to what can be done with lighting. Our favorite part has got to be when a giant Frankenstein lumbered about the stage during Feed My Frankenstein. We also loved when Alice Cooper entered the stage on a parade float for Elected. What really took the cake, though, was seeing a tried and true staple at an Alice Cooper concert: When his wife dressed as Marie Antoinette “beheaded” her husband on a guillotine!

The set list included lots of fan favorites including No More Mr. Nice Guy, Hey Stoopid, Snakebite (Complete with snake!), Go To Hell, and Poison. As I suspected, the show ended with a huge blow out production of School’s Out. It also included parts of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2, which was a nice touch. During School’s Out, there was confetti everywhere and the biggest balloons I had ever seen going haywire. When the balloons got close to the stage, Alice Cooper would pop them with his cane and more confetti went flying. My only disappointment about the set list was that Black Widow in its entirety wasn’t played. However, the intro was performed and we got to see a projection of Vincent Price so that was the tops. 🙂

This was, easily, one of the best shows Johnny and I have been to and we are elated to have checked Alice Cooper off of our concert bucket list. If he is coming to your neck of the woods, it is a must go!

What is your favorite Alice Cooper song? Are you going to any concerts soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep1

Best Date Night EVER!!!!

Posted on September 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Wednesday was the absolute best because Johnny and I had a night on the town. We literally never do anything during the work week because of our demanding schedules. However, sometimes exceptions need to be made and that came in the form of an Alice Cooper concert at Blossom Music Center. This is the second concert I have attended there in the past month and I am so happy that Johnny and I were able to make this date night work. This show was our very first concert together! I will post tons of pics tomorrow, but would love to discuss our experience today. Let’s get to it:

Johnny and I are HUGE Alice Cooper fans and when we learned that he was performing at a venue ten minutes away from our apartment, we just had to go. We spent all of Wednesday willing the day to go by faster so we could get our Alice on and made our way to the venue around 5:30. The show started at six and the opening act, Ministry, was already playing by the time we got there. This was no harm no foul because we didn’t care at all lol. As the opener played, Johnny and I purchased drinks and had to make a pit stop so he could use the little rock star’s room. This ended up being an awesome detour, indeed!

While Johnny was in the facilities, I sat at a picnic bench with a mom and her daughter who was my age. We got to chatting and Didn’t. Stop. Chatting. Johnny and I spent the majority of our time getting to know our new friends who were freaking hilarious. In fact, we were so deep in our conversations and belly laughs that we didn’t even realize the second performer, Rob Zombie, had taken the stage. I genuinely thought music was just being played through the speakers. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed not to have watched Rob Zombie’s set because I have never seen him live before. I had the opportunity to at another show but left before he went on. In a way, though, this was also no harm no foul. I can’t imagine the set was anything to write home about considering we had no idea it was even happening lolol.

As we continued with our newfound comradery, Alice Cooper finally began his performance. We said quick goodbyes and are very much looking forward to hanging out with them again. Johnny and I hauled ass to our seats in the pavilion and were treated to the show of a lifetime. Alice Cooper’s set was honestly like watching a horror movie unfold onstage. We were well aware of his usual tricks and gimmicks but to see them live before our very eyes was pure magic. He sounded amazing, the band was phenomenal, and the production value was equivalent to watching theater. A complete and total dream come true.

Alice Cooper played for roughly an hour and my only regret was that the show wasn’t longer! The concert ended with a rousing performance of School’s Out and it was so celebratory and fun. After the song ended, Johnny and I started making our long trek back to the car. We knew that if an encore was performed that we would still be able to hear it as we walked and we were not trying to be stuck in traffic for hours on end to get home. It took about twenty minutes to get back to the Little Red Love Machine and there was no encore to be heard. Once we were safely settled in my whip, we saw a massive throng of concert goers making their way to their cars too. We were well ahead in that race and got out of the venue and home within ten minutes flat. That’s what I’m talking about!

Johnny and I are still pinching ourselves that we actually saw Alice Cooper live and I can’t wait to share more from the show tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Who would you like to see in concert? What was the best concert you attended? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug12

AFI Concert

Posted on August 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! As you all know, I very rarely do much of anything that isn’t work related during the week days. My schedule is always crazy and I like to be well rested every day so I can do my best. However, sometimes exceptions need to be made because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! This past Wednesday, I enjoyed the most amazing sister’s night out with Kristen to see AFI and 30 Seconds To Mars at Blossom Music Center. We scored fantastic seats in the pavilion, had a perfect view of the stage, and spent the evening living our best lives together. Check it out:

Kristen and I were not interested in seeing the two opening acts, KennyHoopla and Poppy because we never heard of them and frankly didn’t care. We arrived right when Poppy was finishing their set and they actually sounded really good so we are both going to be looking into that! Very shortly after we settled into our seats, AFI entered the stage and we were so happy to have gotten there right in the knick of time. We haven’t seen AFI in seven years since they played at the House of Blues and we didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

The show opened with Girls Not Grey and when I say Kristen and I lost our shit, I mean we literally lost our shit lol. We were going absolutely crazy singing our lungs out and dancing like no one was watching. We were both huffing and puffing after three songs and needed to take a breather and it turns out people were watching! The concertgoers sitting behind us apparently were deciding amongst themselves if we were sisters or not and one of the ladies was so triumphant because she called it. Kristen and I often get told we don’t look alike at all but that’s simply not true. Our style might be polar opposites but our faces are incredibly similar. The reasoning behind this gal’s educated guess was so sweet – she told us we were dancing exactly alike. ❤

AFI’s set included tons of crowd pleasers like Miss Murder, Love Like Winter, I Hope You Suffer, and Beautiful Thieves. Kristen and I were both elated that the show closed with our all time favorite of Silver And Cold! AFI sounded amazing from beginning to end and were just as good, if not better, than when we saw them almost a decade ago. Our only regret was that their set wasn’t longer. They played for roughly forty-five minutes or so with no encore and it just wasn’t enough. AFI was the reason we were going out to begin with and in my perfect world they would have played all night.

30 Seconds To Mars took the stage at nine o’clock and Kristen and I both agreed on leaving after thirty minutes to avoid traffic. We left after twenty minutes because they lightweight sucked lol. Neither of us are 30 Seconds fans but we were willing to see what the performance was going to be like and even stick around longer if we wanted to. It was cool to see Jared Leto in the flesh and I definitely made the joke of “Do a scene from Dallas Buyers Club” several times. However, their music was kind of lame, was basically just saying “woah” a ton, and we had no desire to stand there any longer. Jared did a lot of talking and in the twenty minutes that it took to walk back to our car, he was still talking. We were both so not mad about dipping out early!

Kristen and I were exhausted the following day but that is a small price to pay for a sister’s night on the town. I loved every minute of our time together with my best friend!

What was the last concert you saw? Who would you like to see live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul15

Johnny’s Record Shelf

Posted on July 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of the gifts that I gave to Johnny for his birthday this past June was a new record player. Oddly enough, we had three in the apartment that were his old relics and none of them worked lol. It has been so nice to have a functional record player again and we have loved playing music and board games and hanging out in our game room. The only thing that wasn’t ideal was housing the records. Johnny’s collection is extensive and by that I mean, he has over three hundred vinyls! Thankfully, Johnny came up with an ingenious solution to this issue and he built it all by himself – and some help from his dad. 🙂 Check it out:

Ever since our new record player arrived in the mail, Johnny got to work by organizing his collection and giving the game room a deep clean. We soon found that no amount of rearranging or condensing was going to give the records a true home, though. So Johnny turned his attention to the closet and decided that it would work perfectly. He definitely had big things in mind because rather than going to the store to buy some shelves, he thought he would make them instead. He took measurements, sketched a plan, bought all of the lumber and supplies, and dedicated a day during our staycation to build them with his dad. Johnny is a handy guy, but this was on a whole other level and I was very impressed!

Johnny’s dad has an amazing workshop and they spent an afternoon cutting, drilling, and doing what needed to be done so Johnny could take the parts home and assemble them with screws. When I returned home from my outing later that day, I found Johnny in the game room putting the final touches on his handiwork. I honestly couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw it! The shelves were sturdy, fit just right in our closet, and turned the endless crates of records into an actual display. I know I was proud of the accomplishment, but it was even better to see Johnny so proud of it too. He put a lot of time and effort into this project and worked really hard to make it happen. Our game room is the best ever because of it. ❤

The record shelves Johnny built were a win in so many ways. He got to spend time with his dad, our game room looks awesome, and he found a new hobby too. Johnny enjoyed the build so much that he plans on trying his hand at cornhole boards next. I can’t wait!

Have you done any projects around the house recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May29

Elton John Brunch

Posted on May 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Sunday, Johnny and I enjoyed a highly entertaining day at an Elton John Brunch with his mom for a belated Mother’s Day gift. This event took place at the Music Box Supper Club, which is located in The Flats in Cleveland. While the venue hosts regular bands from time to time, they are known for having tribute performances and it is an absolute blast. We haven’t been to the Music Box Supper Club since seeing a Bruce Springsteen tribute band called Swamps of Jersey years ago. That was a total hoot so we all knew we were in for some fun at our brunch outing. Check it out:

I think myself, Johnny, and my beloved mother-in-law will say that the brunch portion of our time at the Music Box Supper Club left a lot to be desired. However, the mimosas were A-okay and our Elton John for the afternoon was spectacular. Tommy Lee Thompson from Akron (Represent!) was a brilliant combination of old and new Elton and he had the entire audience singing, dancing, laughing, and smiling from ear to ear. He had cheeky quips, could tickle the keyboard keys like nobody’s business, and the unmistakable Elton John voice to match. We were seated facing his back during the show, but this was actually a good thing. We could see everything he was doing on the keyboard perfectly and it was mind blowing!

For the hour and a half performance, Tommy Lee Thompson performed several classic Elton John hits. He also spent some time playing Billy Joel, The Monkees, and Carole King. Although these songs were good, I think we were all happy when he went back to Elton John. It was the Elton John Brunch, after all! Johnny and I were elated that he opened the show with The Bitch Is Back because it is our jam. And, as always, we got very sentimental when he performed Your Song. Our sweet niece did her flower girl thing to Your Song when we got married and it holds the most special place in our hearts. You could tell that everyone in the audience had some time of connection to the songs being played and it was so nice to be part of a crowd full of people having the literal best Sunday ever. ❤

We had a banner time celebrating Johnny’s mom at the Elton John Brunch and have grand plans for more visits to the Music Box Supper Club this summer. They have a stellar tribute band lineup and we are SO there for it!

What is the best tribute band you have seen? What is your favorite Elton John song? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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