Music Review: Chevelle & Nothing More in St. Louis

St. Louis - It had been way too long since I rocked out in person. It recently dawned on me that I hadn't been to a rock show in years, perhaps dating as far back as Chevelle in November 2009. Yowza, right?

Chevelle started touring this month and St. Louis was the second stop on April 5 at a stellar venue called The Pageant. The icing on the cake was the opening band, Texas rockers Nothing More. I heard about the San Antonio quartet from The Music Enthusiast blog that follows the local Dallas rock scene. This so had to happen.

It made for the perfect weekend getaway. Nothing More opening for Chevelle in St. Louis, roughly 3 hours, 45 minutes away from our residence in Overland Park. Balcony seats were available at an affordable price.

The best part of the concert was meeting Jonny Hawkins (at left), lead singer of Nothing More, after their set. We instantly related to each other, discussing topics ranging from general Texas awesomeness, to living the engaged life (he recently got married), to the local Dallas rock scene. The five-minute conversation time-warped me back to the mid-2000s when my brother Dave and I used to talk with Kirk Baxley, lead singer of Greatness in Tragedy, after his shows. He was genuinely nice, expressing gratitude for our support while inquiring about our interests and remembering our faces every time. Jonny was the same way. It made me so glad to spend my hard-earned money to take the trip.

A Way-Too-Early Rangers State of the Union

OK, it's only five days after Opening Day, but I still have some big-picture observations on the state of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers took two of three from the Phillies and dropped a game at Tampa Bay to arrive at 2-2. Here we go:

Could 2014 Be a Catastrophe for Texas Rangers?

Just about any other year, with five days remaining until Opening Day, I'm so sports giddy that shortly before I fall asleep at night, I recite the Texas Rangers batting order and starting rotation in my mind - maybe twice through for good measure.

Heading into 2014, however, I'm about as comfortable listing the Rangers rotation as I am on the Superman ride at Six Flags. Yeah - eek. The Rangers don't have much of a rotation. They have an infirmary. It led me to thinking on my car ride home from work:

Could this season be a complete disaster? 

As Rangers Enter Spring Training, No One More Important Than Yu Darvish

Photo credit: SI.com

It's a beautiful time of the year, when hope springs eternal for just about every squad in Major League Baseball. Four of the most adrenaline-pumping words in sports - "pitchers and catchers report" - appear on the calendar, just in time to look ahead to warmer weather, green grass, melting snow (at least here in Kansas City) and a brand new season of America's pastime.

It's common for baseball fans to look into their crystal ball and formulate optimistic hypotheses around this time of year.

5 New Year's Resolutions for Texas Rangers

I'm not sure how else to say it: 2013 was one hell of a year.

My work life also took a step forward in 2013, when I accepted a position as Senior Brand Content Specialist at CommunityAmerica Credit Union in Lenexa, Kan. After beginning my professional career in journalism, I've now been in marketing for more than two years.

Rangers Make Another Splash in Acquiring Shin-Soo Choo

General manager Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers aren't messing around. In their second major move of the offseason on Saturday morning, the Rangers inked free agent Shin-Soo Choo to a seven-year deal worth $130 million. The development took place exactly a month after Texas traded for slugger Prince Fielder.

Talk about bolstering the lineup in a hurry. It's still four days before Christmas, and about two months before Spring Training. Considering how many moving pieces have already factored into the offseason equation, it feels like we're playing a speed game of Checkers.