theSoCal Live Music Review

Over 10 years I have had the privilege of calling Ashley my friend, and my concert buddy. Recently she moved on to the next adventure to listen to music in a place I cannot go just yet, and I cannot move forward without first taking a look back to say thank you.

Someone said grief is the price you pay for love and the day of her service that payment was high. 

I had the pleasure of attending many, many concerts with Ashley over the years and music one only one small faction of pur friendship. I posted a small tribute on her page, and now I am publishing this podcast episode, but I cannot begin to adequately put into words the impact, the significance, Ashley had on my life. 

10 years were not enough and I am going to miss her tremendously. Today, I am taking a moment to remember Ashley, my concert buddy. 

This is a special episode because it is a dual-show episode! This episode is being shared to both the SoCal Live Music Review and JohnnyBoy Studios listeners to highlight this journey I started on way back in 2018. I am taking a moment to celebrate and reflect on the fact I have gotten behind the microphone for 6 years to share my passions, my interest, my experiences, and my journey to the masses and to thank everyone who has tuned in.  Podcasting can take some amazing places and connect you with some really amazing people. Hit play and check out exactly how podcasting has developed for me over the years and celebrate 6 years of podcasting!

The SuperBowl 58 halftime show ft Usher took place and this was one for the books! Tune in as I review the performance, the game, the commercials, the expeirence of watching the latest SuperBowl halftime show performance by Usher.

As 2023 comes to a close I want to take a walk back down memory lane and explore all of the wondrous experiences from this year! 

The theme for me was definitely quality over quantity and I dove deep into that concept. Between Meet and Greets, swag bags, and excellent viewing opportunities 2023 brought so many core memories I will cherish for many years to come. 

Join me and lets look at 2023, a year in review. 

This may be my final concert of the year, but if that is so this is one hell of an experience to go out on. 

Andy Grammer is on my Must-See list for whenever he comes to town and being able to have a VIP, Meet N Greet, Pre-Show Show Experience was exactly what I needed at this point in time. 

In episode 23 I talked about my love for Andy Grammer, his music, and how I feel at many significant moments in my life one of his songs was there to keep me complany. 

Tune in, share with a friend, rate and review, all the things. Or just sit back and enjoy this episode of the podcast.

Within a 3 day period I attened 2 shows; Pink at the SoFi Stadium, and then Joshua Radin at The Troubadour. 

Each was a great show in it's own right and completely different from the other. 

I have put off recording this episode for some time because I had other creative focus, but I still want to share with you these amazing experiences I was able to have with live music. Tune in and be sure to share this episode with a friend!

3 episodes in a row talking Ed Sheeran!? Yes! Because this year Ed has been putting out so much great content and sharing his gifts with us I had to cover it. From documentaries to live shows to new albums Ed keeps dropping new content that keeps motivating and encouraing me so I want to talk about it.

This episode is no exception. His new album Autumn Variations is a collection of 14 songs each taking us on a journey through his relationships with his closest friends. 

Over on Amazon Prime Ed has a 1-hour concert featuring new music and classic hits. No matter your level of fandom with Sheeran this live concert recording is a great watch.

Join me once more are we Sheerios dive down the rabit hole and celebrate the creativity and musical masterpiece that is Ed Sheeran.

7 albums, 2 ½ hours, a circular stage that rotates, 81,000 of my closest friends, and 1 epic performance from the front row.

Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour came to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood CA so I had to attend. This was a ticket I purchased almost a year ago to be sure I didn't miss it and I am so glad I did. 

After watching the documentary The Sum Of It All on Disney+ the songs Ed sung on this setlist were even more impactful and more meaningful when heard live. You could clearly see the emotion on his face during a couple of them. 

Press play to hear all about the 4th or 5th time with one of my must-see artist and this incredible show Ed Sheeran put on at SoFi. 

I watched the documentary The Sum of It All recently and want to dive all into it. Ed Sheeran is one of my favorite artists and I am going to see him in a few months so this documentary dropped at the perfect time.

Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All is a 4-part docuseries released on May 3, 2023 on Disney+, a few days before Subtract. Like his previous documentary Songwriter, it goes behind the scenes making of the album Subtract but also includes Ed's private struggles during 2022 which lead to the album being made, like turning 32, dealing with grief over the loss of his closest friend and SBTV founder, Jamal Edwards, fear for his wife, Cherry Seaborn with her tumour, the Shape of You court case and being a first time dad of two while struggling with depression and anxiety.

You should check this out even if you consider yourself a casual fan of Ed, it is a deep look into everything leading up to the writing of his latest album Subtract and the Mathematics tour. It is a good peek behind the curtain of an artist and a look into the personality of one the best singer/songwriters in the game today. 

It's 75 Hard Week in JohnnyBoy Studios!

Since starting the 75 Hard challenge, and likewise the 75 Hard Daily podcast, I have been rediscovering music I have not listened to for some time.Walking down the musical memory lane has been incredibly rewarding and has helped me to continue on this journey. 

In this episode I want to share some of those song that have helped me on my workouts, and the playlist I found to help with the daily reading! This was a pleasent side affect of going through the 75 Hard challenge and commiting myself to seeing it through to the end.

If you are thinking of starting the 75 Hard challenge check out the 75 Hard Daily podcast and the brand new 75 Hard landing page put together for 75 Hard Week.