Month: July 2010

Open Mic: the Blog Reset Button (I need your feedback!)

/ Paul Burkhart / 8 Comments

shrug

I need some help with this blog.  I don’t know what to do anymore.

There are a few reasons for the lack of posts recently here at the long way home.  My job and living situation notwithstanding, I really do feel my thinking, writing, and inspiration slipping through my fingers like sand with each passing month I go while not in school.  I really miss it.  Even my very ability to think deeply feels muddied by the monotony of having a 9 to 5 job.  The deepest, most meaningful things I’ve said or written in the past several months have only been regurgitations of things that I said or thought months ago.

The good news is this: this seems to be changing.  Or at least, the desire to see it change is growing. I’m finally finding the rhythm I need at work to find time to write.  I’m reading and listening to the right things that are spurring me to think once more– driving me to want to create again.  I seem to be hearing once more the whispers from all those albums, short stories, plays, blogs posts, articles, books, and even my forlorn podcast I was working on way back when.  It’s all pretty exciting.

But…
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Free Recordings from our Housewarming Show

/ Paul Burkhart / 3 Comments

A little more than an month ago, myself and my roommates held a Housewarming show to inaugurate our new presence in South Philadelphia.  In all, we had six musical acts play, 32 songs performed, and almost 60 people attend.  It was an amazing night.  One of the best I had had in a long time.  For all those that came, thank you again.

We also live recorded the music that night, and today, we are proud to officially release The Birdhouse Presents, Vol. 1: The Housewarming. Those recordings are now available for download for free (or donation, if you like).  The album comes in two editions.  The Color edition has the evening broken up by individual song; the Black & White edition contains each artists’ full sets, including the talking, joking, and intros between each song.  Just click on the banner below and pick your edition:

The recordings themselves are a bit quiet, but are fine with headphones or external speakers.  They came out really well.  As a preview, here were some of the covers and songs everyone seemed to enjoy a lot that night from each of the performers:

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“Inception and the Art of the Review”- PatrolMag

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

Hello, I have about 5 or 6 separate articles/reviews I’m working on at the moment, and not just for Patrol Magazine, but also this site!  We finally have internet at my place, so if I can only find some time (and a little inspiration).  But, until those articles get up here, I have more Patrol articles to send you all (you can read my past articles here).  This week, I have a sort of review of Christopher Nolan’s new masterpiece Inception.  I say “sort of” because it’s more of a reflection on how the movie’s impacted me than an actual typical review.  Anyway, read and enjoy.

And see Inception. [Photo credit]

“Inception and the Art of the Review”- PatrolMag

Of Liturgy, Communion, and Relationship [a liturgy]

/ Paul Burkhart / 5 Comments

[This weekend, I had the privilege of helping lead the prayers and liturgy at my church. I thought I would post my manuscript up for all to read and take part in as well. I hope this blesses you to read as it blessed me to write.]

Greeting and Preparation

Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.

Hello, my name is Paul, and welcome to Liberti: South Philly. We are a community of people–people with struggles, doubts, addictions, and frustrations–who are still in the process of figuring out what it means to believe in this God we believe in, and relate to Him and others in a way that reflects that belief. This may be your first time here or your hundredth, but either way we want to welcome you all and we hope that your time here today is meaningful.

The part of the Christian faith we will be talking about today is that of community and relationships. Most likely all of us in here have our own sets of insecurities, uncertainties, and baggage concerning this topic. Our relationships seem to be the area that can frustrate us like no other; the area that it appears no amount of mere intellectual knowledge can change. It is often the source of our greatest joys, our deepest sorrows, and our most profound change.

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Free Philly Concert for the 4th: The Roots & Goo Goo Dolls

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

fireworks

For those living in Philadelphia, tonight (on the 4th of July) will be what is supposedly the largest outdoor concert in the country (really?).  Last year they had Bruce Springsteen come in and play.

This year?  Well, the Goo Goo Dolls are headlining (I had no idea they were still around).  But that’s not why I’m writing this.

One of the other acts is Philly’s very own The Roots.  For much of the country, this band gained notoriety as Jimmy Fallon’s band on his late night show.  For me, they’re perhaps my favorite hip-hop ensemble out there.

Their new album How I Got Over came out a couple of weeks ago.  It is amazing; one of the best hip-hop albums released in the past few years, in my opinion.  I’m working on a review of the album for Patrol Magazine, so to prepare, I’ve been listening through The Roots‘ entire discography this past week.  Wow.  What a group.  I can’t wait to see them tonight.  And if you’re around, you should be just as excited to come out.