Author: Lori Stratton

Music blogger, concert goer, vinyl collector and music curator

‘Victory Dance’ – My Morning Jacket Captivates Fans with Magical Live Performances

The door to our hotel room slowly clicked open at 5 a.m.

I grumpily shifted in my sleep on June 14, 2008 as I heard my brother Steve creep into the DoubleTree hotel room. He quietly tried not to wake Brian and me after spending all night at Bonnaroo, but I was already up.

After opening both eyes, I saw his feet and legs were covered in mud, while the smell of sweat, rain and humid Tennessee air filled the room.

“Are you just getting back now?” I asked.

Steve triumphantly looked at me and said, “Yes, My Morning Jacket played for four hours in the rain at Bonnaroo tonight. It was one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.”

“Was it really worth staying out all night?” I asked.

“It was. You guys should have stayed,” Steve said.

“No artist is worth standing in the rain for four hours in the middle of the night to watch,” I said.

“Your loss,” Steve said with a victorious smile.

“Whatever,” I tiredly muttered and rolled my eyes as I went back to sleep.

Sadly, he was right. It’s not often I admit that, especially since I’m the younger sibling. (Steve will do a victory dance when he reads this part.)

I didn’t reflect back on that memory until two years later when I stood in the rain at My Morning Jacket’s May 2, 2010 show at Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.

Continue reading “‘Victory Dance’ – My Morning Jacket Captivates Fans with Magical Live Performances” →

‘The X-Files Theme’ – Mark Snow’s Iconic Anthem Reveals Hidden Truths in My Life

The moment I hear the eerie echoes and whistles I’m instantly transported to another dimension.

The dimension I’m entering is “The X-Files,” which features the iconic TV theme developed by composer Mark Snow in 1993.

“The X-Files Theme” represents the hidden paranormal world I find so fascinating throughout the beloved sci-fi series.

It’s only in the last year “The X-Files Theme” has played loudly in the foreground of my life. The theme was always there. I just had to listen closely enough to hear it.

In the late ‘90s, I heard quiet whispers of the theme, but it wasn’t enough for me to stop and listen.

In June 1998, I heard the TV theme and entire score for “The X-Files: Fight the Future” while watching the movie. My husband Brian and I went to see the movie since a college friend was a diehard fan. I enjoyed the movie, but for some reason my interest in the show didn’t stick.

In May 1999, Brian and I played “The X-Files Theme (DADO Paranormal Activity Mix)” during our wedding dinner from “Pure Moods,” a 1997 new-age music compilation album.

Again, it didn’t stick. Not until June 2015.

Continue reading “‘The X-Files Theme’ – Mark Snow’s Iconic Anthem Reveals Hidden Truths in My Life” →

‘Fall to Pieces’ – New Matt and Kim Track Builds Strong Sense of Camaraderie

I flipped through the pages of SPIN magazine’s September 2010 issue and noticed a photo that made me smile.

The photo showed Kim Schifino of Matt and Kim standing on a drum throne holding her drumstick proudly in the air before crowd of thousands at New York’s Coney Island in August 2010.

With bandmate Matt Johnson sitting nearby at his keyboard, Schifino made her signature move to pump the crowd up.

Those guys look like fun, I thought. I need to check out one of their shows.

Later that month, I noticed Matt and Kim had a show scheduled at Detroit’s Majestic Theater. I bought tickets to the show without even knowing what their music sounded like.

I had a gut feeling they wouldn’t let me down, and I was right.

Continue reading “‘Fall to Pieces’ – New Matt and Kim Track Builds Strong Sense of Camaraderie” →

The Stratton Setlist Receives Liebster Award Nomination

Liebster Award

I’d like to thank Robin from One Sunny Place for nominating me for a Liebster Award. It’s an honor to receive this recognition and be part of a growing community of bloggers who write about what they enjoy most.

It’s time to pass the baton, so here are my Liebster Award nominations:

Dream4fun

SS&H

Along the Side of the Road

Soundtrack Alley

Parenthood & Passports

Lily Zacharias

Hello Happiness!

Lost in Theatre

Memoirs of a 21st Century Time Traveler

My Groovy Little Soul

The Cultured Traveler

Please see the official rules below for the acceptance and nomination of the Liebster Award.

liebster-award-rules.jpg

1. When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in August 2015 to write about my love of music. I’m a frequent concert goer, vinyl album collector and professional writer, so my friends encouraged me to start a music blog, The Stratton Setlist.

2. What’s your greatest strength?

My greatest strength is bringing people together. I’m the one who often organizes social gatherings with my family and friends. It’s natural for me to spend time with several people at once doing something that we all enjoy – concerts, movies, dinners and gatherings.

Continue reading “The Stratton Setlist Receives Liebster Award Nomination” →

‘Moth to the Flame’ – Chairlift Attracts Ann Arbor, Mich. Crowd with Spellbinding April 4 Live Show

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Chairlift performs at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Mich. on April 4.

I quickly glanced down and typed the words, “Get Real,” into my cell phone.

Not long after I finished, I felt instant pressure being applied to the back of my phone.

“What the …?” I thought to myself.

I looked up and saw the clear heel of Caroline Polachek’s white plastic boot tapping my phone.

The Chairlift frontwoman nonverbally scolded me for being in the phone zone and not watching her band’s performance of “Get Real” on Monday at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Mich. I was standing at the front right corner of the stage, so I should’ve known I wasn’t anonymous.

Continue reading “‘Moth to the Flame’ – Chairlift Attracts Ann Arbor, Mich. Crowd with Spellbinding April 4 Live Show” →

‘High Hopes’ – Pink Floyd’s ‘Division Bell’ Tune Rings Promising Future

The division bell chimes to signal the start of a new era.

It’s an era filled with promise, wisdom and hope for a fruitful life that unravels new adventures.

In those adventures, I highly anticipate the gatherings, experiences, concerts and music that will fill my life with joy.

One could say I have “High Hopes” for the fourth decade of my life, which will arrive in a matter of weeks and encourage me to reflect back on who I’ve become.

At this point, nothing sums it up better than Pink Floyd’s 1994 ode to what’s been lost and gained in life, “High Hopes,” from “The Division Bell.”

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‘Painkillers’ – Brian Fallon’s Title Track Gives Small Dose of Escapement

It only takes a small needle to make the pain go away.

No, I’m not talking about a hypodermic needle, but a record needle. There’s a calm sense of euphoria that washes over me when I hear a needle drop delicately on a vinyl record.

At that moment, I can leave the present day and escape briefly into a new world the artist has personally created with his music and lyrics.

In a sense, I’m taking a quick journey into the mind of someone I’ve never met and imagining life through his eyes. It’s akin to personifying the emotions of Joy, Fear and Sadness in the 2015 Pixar animated film, “Inside Out.”

I can picture all three emotions running through Brian Fallon’s head when he sings “Painkillers,” the title track off The Gaslight Anthem frontman’s new solo album, which dropped March 11.

Continue reading “‘Painkillers’ – Brian Fallon’s Title Track Gives Small Dose of Escapement” →

‘Everlong’ – Foo Fighters Release Humorous Video to Squash Breakup Rumors

Despite the rumors, Foo Fighters are in it for the “Everlong” haul.

David Grohl and his bandmates released a witty seven-minute “Official Band Announcement” video yesterday poking fun at breakup rumors, which surfaced after Grohl gave an acoustic solo performance of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” during Sunday’s Academy Awards.

Leave it to the Foos to play the media for a fool and develop such a clever response. It’s hard not to respect a bunch of musicians who inject some much needed humor after the music press wrongfully speculated the band’s demise.

The humorous video opens with recent headlines promoting the Foos’ pending breakup and shifts to footage of drummer Taylor Hawkins admitting the band needs a break.

As the Hawkins footage fades out, the camera focuses on a painted portrait of Grohl wearing a white ascot with an orange coat while holding a wine goblet and a cigarette.

Continue reading “‘Everlong’ – Foo Fighters Release Humorous Video to Squash Breakup Rumors” →

Cornucopia of Music: Artists, Songs and Albums Abundantly Fill My Life

For me, music abundantly fills my life with a repertoire of endless possibilities.

There’s always a new artist, song or album to study, digest and experience. Each musical encounter slowly satisfies my hunger until the next one comes along. I live for musical abundance, and there’s still more for me to see, hear and do.

Each week, my life is a flurry of concerts, albums, family, friends and professional commitments. The energy I draw from concerts and albums replenishes me in a way I never thought possible. I recharge the most when I can combine music and people together. It’s truly what makes me tick.

One of my greatest joys is to discover new musical talent that leaves a sonic imprint in my mind. I constantly monitor satellite radio and social media for new artists, songs and albums. I keep mental and physical lists of artists and albums handy when I visit record stores and merch tables at concerts.

As a music aficionado, it’s not uncommon for me to randomly hear my favorite parts of different songs in my head throughout the day. Tony Banks’ iconic piano solo in the beginning and middle of Genesis’ “Firth of Fifth” is on repeat. Mick Fleetwood’s gentle drumming in Fleetwood Mac’s “Sara” is another. I hope these beautiful instrumentations never vanish from my mind.

My abundant love of music also allows me to draw musical connections between different artists. I often say to my husband that’s a Geddy Lee bass line or Steve Hackett guitar tap. It’s gratifying to form those connections and see how artists truly influence other musicians.

I just wish they all knew how much they influenced me.

Genesis, “Firth of Fifth”

Fleetwood Mac, “Sara”

Traveling the Writing Road

I write because it’s the real me.

For me, writing is a road I’ve traveled for more than 25 years. I took my first step along the writing road at age 11. I started writing short stories in fifth grade and acted them out in my front yard. I took turns playing all the characters and could see them grow right in front of me.

While I enjoyed the creativity associated with fiction writing, my true love of writing began four years later at another point in my journey. In ninth grade, I joined the high school paper and discovered my writing path led me to journalism.

At age 14, I wrote an article each week for the high school paper and learned my love of asking questions fit perfectly with my penchant for writing. My family and friends used to say that I interviewed every new person I met.

I’ve never had a fear of asking questions, and I still don’t today. Someone needs to find the answers to life’s questions along the writing road, so it might as well be me.

Today, I write professionally as a corporate journalist, but write personally as a music blogger. My favorite writers are musicians, lyricists and poets who open their songs up for interpretation and share different parts of their journeys.

They leave it up to fans and casual listeners to find personal meaning in their art. As music aficionado, I relish taking their art and adapting it to fit my life.

Their words, songs and music indirectly tell the story of my life and where I’m headed as a music writer. I’m excited to share those musical interpretations with you along the way, and I hope our paths cross soon.