Taylor Swift Is the Greatest Performer of All Time

Taylor Swift performing at Petco Park in San Diego on August 29th, 2015

The title says it all. You may say "Oh, well you've never seen Michael Jackson or U2." Believe me, I have always wanted to see both. Unfortunately MJ is dead so that's out for me. But for real, let's take a look at Miss Swift.

Nothing. I literally mean NOTHING will stop her from performing. On the Red Tour, she chipped her tooth. That hurts. A lot. You know what she did? Acted like it didn't even happen and finished the rest of her show. She has performed in Pouring rain. Several times, actually. The other day (Saturday August 29th, 2015) I saw her and she was sick and losing her voice. While she was talking, you could tell she was, but when she was singing, you would never be able to tell. Shes performed with the stomach flu. 

She plays about 5 different instruments. She is like the Dave Grohl of pop music. Not to mention, shes arguably one of the best songwriters of all time. You may disagree, but come back to me when Bono or Springsteen hide a mini story in the lyrics of their songs. 

Nothing is stopping her. Even though her songs are more or less about breakups, she will still be performing long after she is married. Maybe she will do a hiatus, but I think she will be like MJ and literally do this till she dies on a stage. Its her life. Its what she loves. And when you have 100's of millions of people in love with you, no way would you stop anytime soon.

Who do you think is the best performer of all time? And why? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Alex

You Only Love Jesus If You Like This Photo

We've all seen those photos on Facebook. "Like if you love Jesus. Keep scrolling if you love Satan." Probably hundreds of times. I'm just gonna come right out and say those posts tick me off almost more than anything. Imagine if a new Christian is scrolling through Facebook fast and passes by one of those photos on accident. He (or she) is gonna think they are going to hell. Well let me tell you one thing: As a loving Christian I'm 100% sure Jesus is going to love you no matter what you do. He isn't gonna think a stupid picture on Facebook is going to prove your love for Him. As long as you say and prove you love Him, you're in the clear. Now, I'm not saying go out and do drugs, get drunk or have sex with a bunch of people. Read the bible. Go to church. Expand the kingdom. That's all you need to do. End of rant.

21

Today (August 25th) is my 21st birthday. The 21st birthday is a milestone for many people. You get to celebrate another year of life. Although I won't, people use their new found ability to drink to celebrate and get drunk. I wanna share with you guys 21 things I have learned in my 21 years of life. And if you are asking, yes, I added the twenty one pilots logo because my age is the number in their name. Here goes nothing!

1. Don't turn on that computer at 4 AM at age 13 and start what would soon be a 7 year porn addiction. 
• I unfortunately still struggle with it but it is better than it has been.
2. Don't call the girls "sexy" on the first day of school at a new school
• Yeah I (used) to be immature.
3. Not every girl you meet is your girlfriend
• I have made this mistake too many times and it will lead to heartache.
4. (Most) friends from high school aren't forever
• Another thing that'll cause heartache and you damn well better learn this now. Shane and Melissa, Thanks for sticking with me for 8 years. Love you two
5. The girl you take to Prom isn't forever and it'll most likely go down in flames
• She might even give her number to another guy who had 2 girlfriends and took a whole different girl to Prom. Can someone say player?
6. Don't spend your money on whatever you want
• Shouldn't you tithe and put some in savings? It's not good to be at $0 at 21.
7. Don't get a credit card just to get the teller to shut up
• I'm actually in debt and have no way to pay it off because I'm out of a job and it sucks. Once it's paid off, I'm gonna be shredding it.
8. Whether you are a girl or guy, you will cry. All this is true because it rhymes.
• You're gonna cry over your first heartbreak. You can't fight it.
9. Someone close to you will die
• I've never met anyone my age that hasn't had someone close to them, whether its a family member or friend.
10. Stop eating when you're full, not until you're sick
• I know the food kicks ass but really its not worth weighing 260 lbs. 
11. Go to the gym
• Workout till it hurts and don't quit just because you can't pay for it
12. It's okay to be 21 and not have been in a relationship yet
• Eventually you're gonna get over it and it will be around your 21st birthday. Plus, being single is fun!
13. It's okay to be 21 and not have had your first kiss
• Seriously I've heard you better be ready for it though. Gonna be amazing
14. Don't tell the boss at your first job that you need every weekend plus next Wednesday off.
• He will schedule you only for every Friday, Saturday and occasionally Sunday. He will still tell you "You kick ass" or "You're my best employee." Doesn't add up.
15. Writing songs will make you one of the most popular kids in school
• One of my worship songs was played in chapel like my freshman year and the rest is history.
16. Don't reply to emails from the girls in home school
• It can get you into a heap of trouble and sin
17. Writing songs or poems really helps
• Writing a song or a poem can really get your mind off things. Hey, one day it could be a hit song or poem.
18. Music saves lives... it literally saved mine
• I was considering suicide after Miss Prom girl back in 2012. God played "He Said" by Group 1 Crew and I cried because that song prevented me from ending my life.
19. Stay in contact with your former Youth Pastor... Even when he moves away to Seattle
• Just like the song, he saved my life by giving me a call. God put that in my life
20. Don't stop going to church
• Church can help you with a lot of your problems and most of the time, any of the pastors are available to talk to you if you need someone
21. PRAY
• Last but not least, praying is the only way out because as I have said before, God is the only one who is there to listen.

If you read this, thank you. It took me a couple days to write and I'm hoping these help you. Some of them were hard to write and share with you.

Until Next Time,

Alex

I Want Hillary Clinton to Win the Democratic Nomination For President

Before I actually start this post, I should let you know that I am Republican. Being Republican, you might see that title as an oxymoron, but I challenge you to read on as I make some very valid points.

I'm sure all of you have heard about Clinton's email scandal. People don't trust her. Its as simple as she cost the lives of Americans and she doesn't give a flying fig. I saw a comment on a Facebook post the other day asking "If you could ask Hillary Clinton anything, what would it be?" The comment was "Would you act differently on this situation if your daughter was in Benghazi when the killings happened?" Also let me say if a Republican did this, they would have been sent to prison with no bail and forced to stop running for president.

She is just like Obama and doesn't care about Americans. She is a female version of Obama.

Another thing that is getting on both Republicans and Democrats nerves is Planned Parenthood. If you didn't know, they are taking aborted babies parts and selling them. THAT IS ILLEGAL. Clinton has the guts to say she supports it. Which leads me to the same question that was stated before. "What if your daughter got an abortion on the baby she just had?" Again, of course she would feel different.

My point here is, if Hillary wins the Democratic nomination, she can't win the oval office. She isn't trusted enough. That way we can get a Republican back in the office for the first time in too long

5 Artists to Watch For The Rest of 2015

I did this last year and never thought of it this year until now! But these are 5 bands that you may or may not know about! Watch for them because by the end of the year, they will be household names!

1.) PVRIS 

PVRIS won the annual Warped Tour Battle Of The Bands to play the Boston stop of the 2014 tour. A year later, they were selected to play the entire tour. Their debut album White Noise is one of the best records of 2014, in my opinion. The thing I love most about the band's singer, Lynn Gunn, is her voice. It is one of the prettiest voices in rock but at the same time it is edgy which is perfect for their Electronic/Indie/Rock/Pop sound.

Songs to check out: "Holy," "St. Patrick," "Fire"

2.) Tonight We Rise

Tonight We Rise you most likely haven't heard of (unless you are reading this from the link I posted in The Defend Pop Punk Group). They are fastly becoming one of my favorite Punk/Alternative bands. When singer Ben Weir kept blasting his band in the DPPG and Lights Go Down Army, I guess it was time to check them out. I'm glad I did and I'm sure you will be too.

Songs to check out: "Breaking Ground," "Worth Dying For," "Broaden Your Horizon"

3.) Lights Go Down

Remember when Jason Dunn surprisingly left Hawk Nelson back in 2012? Well, this is what he has been up to! Don't let his Christian roots from HN detur you away if you don't typically like Christian music. The band's mission is to keep pop punk alive which is why their debut EP (out later this Summer) is called We Kept It Alive. Their first single ever releases on July 10th so go and pick it up! Check out their reverbnation.

Songs to check out: "West Coast Calling," "Wait For The Next Train"

4.) Knuckle Puck

Just like PVRIS, Knuckle Puck is on this years Warped Tour all Summer. Just like Tonight We Rise, I discovered them courtesy of The Defend Pop Punk Group. So by saying that, you can guess that they are Pop Punk. The are one of the fastest growing bands on the scene and I'm excited to see where they go. Especially since their debut album, Copacetic, is out on July 31st. I guarantee itll be one of the best albums of the year.

Songs to check out: "True Contrite," "Disdain," "No Good"

5.) CROOKS

Now by looking at that picture, you might guess that CROOKS is an indie band. Well they are actually a post hardcore band from the UK. They are huge over there (touring with Hardcore hit-makers Being As An Ocean a couple years back). If you like this kinda music, I highly suggest checking them out. Not to mention everything they have ever release is FREE on their bandcamp! 

Songs to check out: "Above Me," "Mountain Heights & City Limits," "Tired Eyes"

So there you have it! I want you to go check every one of theses bands out if you haven't already!!

Until Next Time,
Alex

Top 5 Albums of the Second Quarter of 2015 (April - June)

5.) INNOVA by Fireflight

4.) The Waterfall by My Morning Jacket

3.) The Story So Far by The Story So Far

2.) Unbreakable Smile by Tori Kelly

1.) Blurryface by twenty one pilots

Pillar Announces First New Album In 6 Years

One of the most popular bands in Christian Rock, Pillar, just announced their first new album since 2009's Confessions. They are back with the original lineup which is Rob Beckley (Vocals), Michael 'Kalel' Wittig (Bass), Noah Henson (Guitar) and Lester Estelle III (Drums). The last album the quartet did together was their best album, in my opinion, For The Love Of The Game. The new album, One Love Revolution, is perhaps the group's most anticipated album to date. The album was funded by fans on Kickstarter over 2 years ago. Since then, Rob has become a pastor, Noah has began playing for Brantley Gilbert, Lester has played for Kelly Clarkson and Kalel has played for pop band Stars Go Dim (who are now signed to Word Records) and become a personal trainer and online motivator. The album will be out on digital and physical on August 18th, 2015. You can view the tracklisting below: 

1. One Love Revolution

2. Disconnect
3. Nails
4. We Ride
5. Shooting Star
6. Unafraid
7. Ember of Hope
8. Paratrooper
9. Embrace The Chaos
10. Lion Leads The Way
11. More Alive
12. Don't Cry Forever

There will also 2 bonus tracks which we will be getting more info on soon. You can stay up to date with them on social media because there will be sound clips of some songs coming soon!! Pillar Nation, we are back! #OneLoveRevolution

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Until Next Time,

Alex Vanderspek