I thought it would be cool to make note of every show that I have been to, as there are a ton, and I'd hate to forget about any of these great experiences I have been so lucky to have. My very first show was the 2014 induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Green Day and Joan Jett, and my most recent concert was Hardy with Lainey Wilson at the Covelli Center in Youngstown. The next show I would really love to see is the Violent Femmes, coming to Cleveland October 9th. The best show I have been to was Superorganism at Skully's in Columbus. They are my all-time favorite band, and I was so stoked to be front row (close enough to untie the guitarists shoes) and to have the opportunity to meet them and get a concert tee signed. 

As you can tell from this list, I like a broad range of music and enjoy just about anything played live. From Bob Marley to Taylor Swift, I don't put my nose up to anything that sounds good. Basically, if there are musicians actually playing instruments, I'm into it. I describe my musical taste as riding a skateboard in cowboy boots because I love alternative music and country alike! When it comes to live performances, I don't like shows without a band onstage, and everybody hates lip syncing. I'll venture to say Country music artists are generally the most authentic and caring for their fans, and I think that's super cool of them being down to earth and humble. 

Here is the list of performances I've seen thus far, and I am hopeful there are many more to come. It's pretty crazy to actually see it all on paper, and I think future Joe will thank me for doing this to look back upon. 

• Green Day 
• Joan Jett 
• Weezer (x2)
• Pixies
• Modest Mouse
• Nas
• The Strokes
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Thundercat
• Superorganism
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Sam Hunt
• Zac Brown Band
• Jon Pardi
• Chase Rice
• Riley Green
• Jake Owen
• Tim McGraw
• Travis Tritt
• Rodney Adkins
• Wynonna Judd
• Tracy Byrd
• John Michael Montgomery
• Mark Wills
• Frank Foster
• Tyler Booth
• Lainey Wilson (x3)
• Megan Moroney
• Joe Nichols
• Ashley Cooke
• Hardy
• Lauren Alaina
• Dustin Lynch
• Tyler Hubbard
• Warren Zeiders
• Cooper Alan
• Randy Houser

My bucket list includes Blink-182, Toby Keith (I pray he beats his cancer), Eric Church, Ween, Tenacious D, Olivia Rodrigo, The Bloodhound Gang, Miranda Lambert, The Black Keys, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris, Blake Shelton, Kesha, Zach Bryan, T-Pain, Thomas Rhett, Luke Combs, and especially Morgan Wallen. I'd also really love to see an NPR Tiny Desk Concert at some point in my life. There's definitely more I'm forgetting right now, and I likely excluded an artist or two on the list of shows I have seen. All in all, it's a good summary.

How about you, though? What shows have you seen, what's up next, and what's the dream concert? 

If you're looking for some great shows to attend, there's a ton lined up at the Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown as part of their concert series. You can check those out here: http://www.dustya.com/concerts.asp We're also gearing up to have a heck-of-a night with Chase Rice and Pricilla Block acoustic at the Akron Civic Theatre on October 18th for our 24th annual WQMX Bosom Buddies Benefit Concert. Info for that is here: https://bosombuddies.wqmx.com/ 

Thanks for reading! 

Dad joke alert: I had a dream I was muffler, then I woke up exhausted! 

How was your weekend? I spent mine helping my best friend move, and I now feel like my muscles are pudding. I straight-up believe I could sleep until next weekend undisturbed, given the chance. Sadly, I can't, but if there's anything I'd care to be doing overnights aside from resting, it's spending my time with our wonderful listeners through the workweek. Thanks always for tuning in to 94.9 WQMX, and have a great first week of October now! 

If you read my blog about the super blue moon we had at the end of August, you know I dig it when there's a full moon in the night sky. This time around, it is yet again a supermoon, albeit a less rare one. The full Harvest moon makes for the third supermoon we have been graced with within two months and it comes just two days after the moon reaches perigree, it's nearest point of orbit to earth.

It might be tough, if not futile, to see that big piece of cheese up there for the overnight into Friday, as mostly cloudy skies are forecasted through morning time. Friday night into Saturday seems like a better chance to catch it, and although it isn't technically full, you or I supposedly can't tell the difference as casual stargazers anyways. Here's a great resource if you'd like to learn more about the phenomena:  https://www.space.com/38006-september-full-moon.html. 

 If you're having a bonfire or just out and about this weekend, make sure to check out that Harvest Super Moon! 

There are so many great films out there, and everybody has their favorites. For me, I like a movie that isn't too difficult to follow, has a good soundtrack, and has a solid storyline free of any frustrating major plot holes. I like everything from action movies to foreign art films, but as you'll notice in my top ten, comedy and animated ones tend to be my prefrence. Sometimes I just need a good chuckle, and other times I like to have my emotions stirred. 

When I first started doing these Thursday Top Ten blogs, I figured it would be an easy way to write about something everyone can relate to. I had no idea how difficult it would be to settle upon my choices for these, as I like what I like and what that is could be different on any given day. Naturally, I will forget to include some stuff or will change my mind on the order, but all in all it is a lot of fun! (Side note: should I be doing The Tuesday Top Ten? It rolls off the tongue better, I think). 

Well, here's the list for my ten favorite movies; are any of these on your list?

10. Zombieland

9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

8. Hot Rod

7. The Simpsons Movie

6. Talladega Nights

5. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

4. The Fast and the Furious

3. Cars

2. Fight Club 

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

*Bonus!* WQMX Weeknight Host Eric Matthews' Top 5 Movies:

5. Halloween IV

4. Scream 

3. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

2. Mrs. Doubtfire

1. Airplane!

I am too hyped for the "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" anime coming to Netflix November 17th. I've read and own the graphic novel series, I have played the video game, and I have watched the movie literally hundreds of times. If you've never seen Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, my favorite movie, you can peep the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wd5KEaOtm4 

Do you ever utilize A.I.? Are you fearful of the potential dangers of it? Personally, it's a yes to both of those, and with news of the WGA strike coming to an end this week, I figure it's a good time to put out a little commentary on the subject. 

Whether it's generated images or text, A.I. is here to stay, and my perspective is that it is a tool best used for the mundane as opposed to the creative. We often encounter new ideas and inventions which may seem scary at first, but to resist change purely from fear stands in the way of progress. The issue many of us hold with A.I. is its capability to replace authentic human artistry, and regarding the writer's strike, the concerns centered around protections against the technology. There's also big push towards more regulations with visual artists like painters who believe all artificially generated images are a form of copyright since they draw upon preexisting human creations. I'm not sure on that one. 

My brother recently showed me something that left me scratching my head in relation to this; there are A.I. episodes of popular animated shows such as South Park. The one we watched was weird, and everything from the cartoons to the script and even the voices was generated. The imposter episode wasn't very good, but it was coherent and nearly watchable. To me this means we are on the cusp of something huge in media, where everything from TikToks to major box office films can be produced with little to no human involvement. It is no wonder why these writers have felt threatened, but just because something can do their jobs for less money and quicker does necessarily not make it better. 

Regarding media, naturally, broadcast radio is similarly susceptible to the encroachments of artificial intelligence. Not long ago I read something about the very first A.I. radio host hitting the airwaves somewhere in here in the United States, and it gives me the ick! I'm not about it, but if it ends up putting on a good show there is certainly the possibilty that this may become a trend in stations nationwide. My priority as an on-air personality is to play the best music and connect with listeners, and in that regard alongside a multitude of other reasons involving community, uniqueness, and authenticity; I believe us flesh and blood hosts will always have an edge. 

I'm not infatuated with Elon Musk, but I came across a comment of his about the technology that really stuck with me. He essentially said that we need to proactively respond to the threats of A.I. instead of scrambling to react. Word! 

Ultimately, I'm happy for the WGA union as their resolution seems to be a win. I'm curious to see what the future holds for artificial inteligence and media, and despite being concerned I am not afraid. As the infamous Spiderman quote goes, "with great power comes great responsibilty," and I have faith that we can collectively draw a line and lay the framework for how this technology can help the greater good. Some people will lose jobs, just like the switchboard operators connecting calls in the telecommunications industry did to automation. We simply must understand and accept that new technologies also bring on new, different jobs. For now, don't sweat it! 

My good friend recently sent me some photos from 2016, and with them the memories flooded in. We were in West Virginia at his family's cabin out in the sticks riding quads and enjoying life to the fullest. I don't remember the exact make or model of ATV on which I rode, but I fondly recall how awesome it felt to be close to unstoppable on a well maintained 4x4. Whether it was a mud pit or a mountain, that thing just crawled through it all with ease, unlike the two-wheel drive quad I personally have now. It even had brakes!

This trip we took was basically the first time I had done anything of the sort; I had maybe been on a quad a couple of times, but never 'ffroading like we did. As a kid, I had a dirt bike and later a go kart, but never really went on any overlanding adventures. After the first ride I was hooked, and still regard riding four-wheelers as one of my all-time favorite activities. It's fair to say that this vacation in WV was likely a catalyst for me to buy my Honda a few years later.

From the trails to the "roads" even, the terrain in that area was pretty intense. I put roads in paranthesis because they were hardly more than flat dirt trails, and they lended themselves to some gnarly ripping speeds on the bikes. Leaving it in 2wd lead to some dusty rooster tails and sweet drifts, and by the time I left I was so much more comfortable operating the machine. That's not to say that all went smoothly, however.

I flipped the quad on the very first day we went out, within the first thirty minutes. All the veteran rider old guys we went with surely didn't let me live that one down, but thankfully both I and the ATV were okay to continue. I learned from that mistake and had an otherwise accident-free couple of days, but let me tell you, it's dangerous down there. At any given moment as you take on a narrow trail at a steep incline, a small turn of the handlebars in the wrong direction could result in a freefall and potential fatality. That risk is part of what made it fun, and we were sure to always wear helmets.

To wrap this up, I love riding. The trip I took back in 2016 is one of the best vacations I have ever been on, and I cannot wait until the next time I go overlanding. I felt on top of the world, both literally and figuratively, in the picture for this blog, and if you have ever been out like I was you know the feeling. My perfect trip would include riding powersports, a hot tub, some cold beverages, and fishing... how about you?

Country music legend Dolly Parton is set to release a new album Novemeber 17th, and let me tell you I'm hyped! After her induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she has decided to go outside her typical format and put out some rock oriented music. She's collaborated on songs with some huge names like Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and many more. The album will consist of 21 cover renditions and 9 brand new original pieces for a healthy total of 30 songs. It's kind of a big deal. 

Information has been trickling out about the project since the announcement of the album, and just today I came across a newly released music video for one of the tracks, "What's Up?" The song's a smash hit from the early 90's sensation 4 Non Blondes, and the original singer/ songwriter Linda Perry accompanies Dolly in this remake. Did you know Lainey Wilson also covered this song in her latest and greatest album, Bell Bottom Country? Anyways, I have high expectations for Dolly Parton's Rockstar album coming out in less than two months, and here's a link to the video of her version of "What's Up" for you to check out! 

Dolly Parton - What's Up? (feat. Linda Perry) (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Disappointed is an understatement on this one. The car market in general is crazy as ever, and EVs are huge these days. VW is well aware of this, and with successes like that of the new Ford Bronco, it's prime time to bring back an old classic like the bus. 

According to Volkswagen, the "ID.Buzz" will arrive at U.S. dealerships sometime in 2024, and it's a very cool ride by all acounts. I'd drive one in a heartbeat. That's not the problem. The essence of the van has been destroyed if you ask me. That's because of the sticker price, 40k on the low end. The original van represented freedom, basic transportation, and affordability; and this is quite the stretch from those origins. As it is with most any brand new car these days (Jeep Grand Wagoneers are in the 100k range!?!) with dealership markup and preoder options, this will inevitably become a status symbol reserved for those with wealth beyond the typical American. It's gotten to the point where I'm not sure I will ever be in a position to buy anything but a used vehicle, and with what's new these days I don't think I mind! 

I love all sorts of pets from parakeets to goldfish and everything in between, but we all know a dog is man's best friend. I've never met a dog I haven't liked, just ones that don't like me, unprovoked. (Just let me love you!) This blog is part of a series in which I rank all sorts of stuff, and the purpose of it is to give you some insight into who I am and what I'm about. It's also a lot of fun to get some input on my lists by those who rank things differently, so let's get into it and determine if we see eye-to-eye on favorite breeds of pups! 

10. Miniature Pinscher

9. Great Dane 

8. Labrador Retriever

7. Basset Hound

6. Dachshund

5. Rottweiler

4. Husky

3. Chihuahua

2. German Shepard

1. Bloodhound

If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I love everything with wheels. Whether it's a skateboard, bike, tractor, or truck; if it's something you can ride, I'm all about it. I especially love powersports like ATV's, motorcycles, and go karts; I even have a retired podcast on them! 

I know my way around a garage and have fixed up my fair share of machines, but I am no mechanic. I was reminded this after attempting to fix up a snowmobile that had been given to me a while back. It was crashed and had not been started in a number of years, but I was optimistic. I had a moment of clarity about a week ago and made the decision that I was in over my head having taken a bigger bite than I could chew. 

I posted the sled online for sale or trade and asked to be sent offers. I got some random offers like mini bikes, tools, and cash, but what really caught my eye was this big two-seater go kart project. I had actually seen it in an ad prior, and did my best to hide my excitement, though I was stoked. I jumped on it, and the offerer and I met up at his place to initiate the deal.

I was looking for a kart project to build up because I have a spare engine waiting for transplant in the garage, but I had no idea just how big this thing was. It's a Yerfdog Spiderbox with a Honda four-wheeler front end welded on in a questionable fashion, and it has a ton of potential. There is no engine or brakes and a few of the steering components need modified or repaired, but all things considered it's a solid start. 

Had he seen the snowmobile in person prior to agreeing to trade, I don't believe this fellow with the kart would have gone for it. It was rough, but I did nothing to mislead or misrepresent; I'm not like that.  To say loading that sled onto his trailer was a challenge, is a definite understatement. We tried every hairbrained idea until simply yanking it up onto the trailer with the truck, aggressively. I was glad no one got hurt and quite happy to see that piece of junk go to someone who is likely better suited to do something with it. 

Of course I am ecstatic about my new buggy project, but I have been left scratching my head on what to do for the powertrain. I unfortunately cannot use the engine I have on deck as it lacks ample power for the application, so that's gone out the window. I considered scooping up a used motorcycle or four-wheeler motor, (especially one with reverse) but those can be a nightmare with wiring and especially fabrication. With the stock engine putting down about 8hp, any 250 or bigger would easily do the job and gears sure would be cool. 

Going back to the title of this blog, I now have a toss up on my hands. Option one is the motorcycle engine with an unknown amount of work put in to adapt it to the kart platform. I could find something with gears including reverse, but it won't come cheap or easy. Option two is equally if not more expensive, but hugely simpler. Harbor Freight has a 15.8hp Predator engine on sale right now for a decent price. That motor combined with an Amazon 40 series torque converter would set me back nearly $700. Everything else needed to make it go would probably be an additional hundred dollars. That's nothing to scoff at, but the advantages of this option have me tempted. 

Both motors would have an electric start as well as a pull start, and with that a battery. Either option could power lights and maybe a winch. The motorcycle engine would likely have a clutch which may hinder certain friends of mine from driving it and complicate the intallation, whereas the Predator would allow for some pedal to the metal simplicity. Maintence is another consideration, as Predator parts are as cheap as they come whilst motorcycle and quad engine parts vary in afforability. The biggest appeal of all for the Predator over the alternative however, is the warranty. Buying new from a retail store provides confidence, and with such an expensive investment I know I want that.

The biggest toss up is not even necessarily between those two options, but rather when/if to proceed with purchasing a powerplant. I could get a very nice mini bike for the same price, or any number of other things. I'm looking at getting a dog, updating some appliances around the house, and some other major purchases right now, but my desire to make this kart into a mini-RZR is overwhelming. If I'm going to do it, I want it built and ready to rip come wintertime. Maybe I'll call it a birthday present to myself, as that's coming up soon! The sale on the Predator ends on the last day of September, so I guess I have until then to decide. I'll keep you posted on my progress, and thanks for reading!