Justin Timberlake continues to break hearts

I'm cloaked in solid black today. I'm mourning.

As of yesterday, Justin Timberlake will not bring sexy back to Bossier City. First, I'm sad because the area could use a little more sexy. Secondly, my hope of meeting, or at least phone interviewing, my former No. 1 N'Sync heartthrob was shattered.

OK, so I'm not really wearing all black, but I am disappointed. This was one event, I was really looking forward to. The CenturyTel cited "unresolved technical issues and tour production logistics" as the reason for the cancellation. To me, that translates into either Cameron Diaz or poor ticket sales.

Count me in for Jazz Fest

Six days of live music echoing from 10 different stages, it doesn't get much better than Jazz Fest.
Among more than 500 groups performing, festivalgoers can hear Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, Norah Jones, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Brad Paisley, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Bonnie Rait, New Edition, Jerry Lee Lewis, Counting Crows, Allman Brothers Band, Better Than Ezra and a long list of other notable groups. Harry Connick Jr., will be the closing artist for the festival.

The idea of attending one event and catching both ZZ Top and Ludacris is most of Jazz Fest's appeal. Imagine what you would pay if you tried to hear each of these artists in concert. Top that off with more than 100 varieties of Louisiana cuisine and Jazz Fest becomes downright irresistable.

So mark your calendars for April 27-29 and May 4-6. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the gate. Tickets for children (ages 2 to 11) are only $5 in advance or at the gate.

Tickets went on sale yesterday and can be purchased at www.nojazzfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 488-5252 or (504) 522-5555.

Dog days

Since this summer, I have been sharing my life with a miniature Schnauzer named Baxter.

He's a great lap dog. He's good with people. And if I want him to chill out all I have to do is give him a rawhide bone. Of course, as all relationships do, we've had our ups and downs. I'd be more specific, but it's pretty gross so I'm choosing to spare you the icky details!

Bottom line, I have a dog and I love him. However, this morning I was served a heaping dose of guilt by my Schnauzer desk calendar. Each day the calendar offers thoughtful words on dogs and pet ownership, but today's though read, "Being left behind is the saddest feeling a dog can have." Seriously, the last thing I need is criticism from a desk calendar!

This quote flashed me back to this morning when I left the house. I scooped up Bax to put him in his kennel, he started shaking. Shaking! Talk about feeling bad. I left the house feeling like the worst dog owner ever. But what can I do? I've got to work. Even he should understand someone has to put the Eukanuba in the bowl.

There's a lot going on this weekend, but my guilt is telling me to make some lap time for my dog. I think my conscious may need it more than him.

... to Wednesday

I'm convinced Shreveport is the land of Kevin Bacon. Yes, that's right. I said Kevin Bacon. Have you ever noticed that everyone in Shreveport seems to know everyone else in Shreveport? If I'm correct, I think Kevin Bacon is linked to every other actor through six other people. Do you ever feel it's the same way in Shreveport? In fact, you can probably connect with most local social circles without use of all six "degrees."
Technically, this city isn't small, although at times it feels that way. Weekends easily blend together because, for the most part, we're at the same bars with the same people. Now, I love seeing those same people, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I want something new.
Last night, an unlikely Wednesday night, offered me just that. I accompanied my roommate to Strange Brew (formerly Rocks) to meet some of her friends. I'd never been to Strange Brew and I hadn't met any of the group we joined, but the night resulted in side-splitting, eye-watering laughter.
Sure, I'll always love Superior margaritas and hanging out at the Cub, but sometimes it's great to pop the bubble we live in and do something different.

Get an earful at 516 Soundstage

This weekend you can hear just about everything the Shreveport-Bossier music scene has to offer at 516 Soundstage. The Shreveport Music Festival will showcase 24 of the area's up-and-coming bands. Each band will have 40 minutes to setup and perform. Friday night there is a $7 cover charge and Saturday the cover is $14. Two-day pass for $17 will also be available at the door Friday night. 516 Soundstage is at 516 Texas St., in downtown Shreveport.

Here's the lineup:

Friday

6 p.m. LIZ
6:30 p.m. The Chemistry Mode
7 p.m. Naked Shannon
7:45 p.m. Idle of the Peach
8:30 p.m. Mary
9:15 p.m. Walk Away Arizona
10 p.m. Calling Joshua
10:45 p.m. Emmanline's Escape (formerly The Everglow)

Saturday

1 p.m. [non] Conformity
1:30 p.m. Brilliant Minds Wasted
2:15 p.m. Hymn of the Lost
3 p.m. Reach Here Thy Hand
3:45 p.m. Letters to Ephesus
4:30 p.m. Two Guys
5:15 p.m. Take it to Heart
5:45 p.m. Spill Your Guts
6:20 p.m. Agent 77
7 p.m. The Skanks
7:45 p.m. Fallen to Rise
8:30 p.m. Jaguar Shark
9:15 p.m. Zack the Rookie
9:45 p.m. Riptied
10:30 p.m. Another Reason
11:10 p.m. Pandora's Kyn

Scratch Track's sound is hard to define, but it's good

A press kit grabbed my attention when it landed on my desk today. When mainstream music rules the world, it's always refreshing to come across something completely different than what you've heard before.

Up-and-coming band Scratch Track (who I hadn't heard of before today) will offer Shreveport a truly unique listening experience. The band gracefully captures acoustic folk, blends it with beat boxing and vocals to create a simple style with broad appeal.

Having performed more than 300 shows over the past two years, the threesome will stop in for a 10:15 a.m. performance at LSUS on Jan 25.

Scratch Track is simple, composed of three guys and a guitar. However, the band's bare-bones approach yields a complex sound. The music is a melting pot of sound that will appeal to Dave Matthews fans and Neptunes fans alike.

To hear it for yourself, check out the band's official Web site or Myspace.

(Photo by: Chad Riley/www.scratchtrackmusic.com)

Beware of cabin fever

Hello bloggers. Sorry for the lack of posts recently. This week, was not so "in" for me considering I spent the entire week confined to my home with a virus. About 15 movies, 6 bowls of soup and three prescriptions later, I must say, oh, how you have been missed. But I've shed my pajama pants, which you can actually get sick of wearing, and I'm back.

All plans for the weekend were cancelled. I missed George Strait and even my dog was sick of seeing me around the house. As my physical health improved, my mental health took a heavy hit from cabin fever. If I were forced to stay in any longer I would have reenacting a few deranged scenes from "The Shining."

I resolve myself to ...

Ahh, it's that time of year again. The time where we make empty promises to workout three times a week or vow to not eat sweets except for during the weekends. I'm typically not a New Year's resolution kind of gal, but this year I've felt inspired.

I'm going to become a morning person. Easy enough right? Not for me. I've never been a morning person. In high school, my older brother woke me up each morning by ripping all the covers off my bed and turning on the light. It seems cruel, but it was the only thing that worked.
I've vowed to begin waking up each morning between 5:30 and 6:15 a.m. Instead of feeling stressed out and rushed each morning, I'm going to begin giving myself more time in each day. Although this is clearly easier than kicking an addiction to sweets, it's no easy feat for a heavy sleeper such as myself. I'm not promising to workout three times a week either, but at least now I'll have the time to do so if I choose.

So, now that I've exposed my New Year's resolution that I'll likely drop in a month or so, let me know what's the one thing you've sworn to change in 2007?