There is certainly a debate as to whether or not cell phones and other camera devices should be welcome at concerts, and I think there's validity to both sides of the matter. On the one hand, performances are often very special occasions which merit something to fondly look back upon. On the other hand, taking these photos and videos distracts those around you, blocks views, and disengages/detaches you from the experience. 

Some artists have taken a firm stance one way or another, and I don't think we should knock them for setting expectations at their shows and sticking to their principles. Some performers, I'm sure, cannot get enough of the camera and will take every opportunity they can to expand their image whilst others just want a good old-fashioned show with an audience that is present in the moment. I'll enjoy a show regardless, but I fall somewhere in the middle. 

As a fan, I feel a little embarrassed when I record a video of a certain song I like, for example. It's like a mix of embarassment and shyness, kind of like pushing up through a crowd that's hestitant to let you by... I tell myself, "be brave Joe."  -LOL 

With my phone in the air, I figure I'm annoying the people behind me as well as giving those on stage a bad view. I know I would rather see people dancing and singing and clapping along instead of posting stuff to their Snapchat. This is not to say you can't do both, though! I think the older the band/artist is, the less they enjoy the new norm, but you just got to get a feel for the vibe of the crowd and not be rude with what you're doing. 

One of the most effective ways to not be disruptive taking photos or videos at concerts is fairly obvious, but so often overlooked. Turn down your phone screen brightness! Let me put that again. When you go to a concert where the lights go down on the crowd, if you feel the need to be on your phone, please turn down your screen brightness. 

That's all for now, thanks! 

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Megan Moroney. I'm picking up what she's putting down musically, and I think her voice is just so unique and cool. This might be a bold claim, but I think she's got the potential and right sound to work as (female) Morgan Wallen type. I feel like you could put the same song in front of them and either would make it great, and that she could cover just about any one of his songs tastefully. I NEED a duet between them! That's not exactly the topic of this blog, however. 

On the note of cover/tribute type songs, Thomas Rhett has been getting some appreciation and love thrown his way by a variety of country music stars, including Moroney. He just recently released his 20 Number Ones album, and to honor his impressive legacy with this milestone Fritos has sponsored a number of these cover performances with names such as Breland, Conner Smith, and Mackenzie Carpenter joining in to offer their talent. Like I said, I'm big into Megan Moroney, so hers was the one who brought my attention to this performances but I am excited to watch them all and see how each artist takes a spin on some notorius Rhett tunes. Here's her video:

It's about time I introduce you to my furry friends, Freddy and Fiona. Freddy, or Frank as I often call him, is my big boy who's essentially a slinky ragdoll. We got him a few years back for Christmas, and he was the last pick of the litter. I like to play fight with him and throw some karate chops his way as he claws and bites me. He's a bit of a menace who enjoys tearing up whatever he can get into, laying on top of our flat screen T.V. as it wobbles, and most of all eating tape. We have to hide packages, or he goes right at 'em. 

Fiona on the other hand, is a "sweet princess." She's just as affectionate, but only on her own terms more like your typical housecat. We found her at Belgrade Gardens in Barberton living in the streets, malnourished and in need of a good home. It truly was love at first sight, and without hesitation she became part of the family. She's got a bit of a mouth on her, and even squawks like a bird from time to time. She's a weirdo! 

At first, the relationship between the two cats was not good. They would attack one another on sight, with Fiona being the primary aggressor. It was so bad we had to keep them separated for a long time, with each living in a  separate part of the house. We gradually got them accustomed to one another, and after some pretty gnarly battles and lot's of treats, they have finally found peace in their coexistence. It's awesome now, and on my way into work I saw the cutest thing that stopped me in my tracks and made me take a picture, which prompted me to write this blog. 

Frank and Fiona were butt-to-butt on the couch! It's incredible and so dang cute that they have finally became friends. There was a point in time where we legitimately considering having to give Fiona up for Freddy's well-being, so I cannot emphasize enough how huge of a moment this was for me to see them cuddled up together. 

I've said it before;  I love pets and I've never met a cat or dog that I didn't like, just ones that didn't like me. I like all the furry friends, but some of the reptiles, amphibians, fish, and arachnids freak me out a little. A Komoda dragon for example, is like nightmare fuel for me. Those capybaras make me a little uncomfortable too... but I digress!

Video games are awesome! They're a fun way to kill some time, connect with friends, and decompress. Some people take them very seriously, but I would describe myself as a casual gamer. I like a game that I can pick up and play at any given time, with minimal commitment. RPG's like Skyrim are super fun, but these days I just don't have the time to get into any one game as such. 

Through the years, I've played on just about every console or handheld gaming device you can think of, and I got to give it to the old Xbox 360 as my favorite one, with the Playstation 2 coming in at a close second. There's hardly a bad console, and I favor the Nintendo DS or Switch for portable gaming. I have a Grand Theft Auto bundle for the Switch that has been a total game changer on road trips and vacations. 

Let's get into another top ten, and if you have any thoughts on some things I could rank in future editions of this blog theme, please do let me know! You can reach me on the WQMX studio phone line at 330-370-2000. I'm in weekdays from Midnight-5a.m. but if you're not up during the overnight, no sweat. You can send a message to our studio textline (sponsored by Cricket wireless) any time and I will be sure to see it! 

10. The Simpsons Hit and Run

9. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

8. Madden NFL '10

7.Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

6. Call od Duty: Black Ops II

5. Gran Theft Auto: Vice City

4. Minecraft

3. Gran Theft Auto: San Andreas

2. Skate 3

1. Gran Theft Auto V

So how about you; what are your favorite video games? I couldn't tell you how many thousands of hours I have dumped into gaming, but I do get outside a ton so I think it all equals out. LOL! I have been playing Grand Theft Auto V consistently, offline, since it's release in September of 2013. I had the game preordered and everything, and a literal decade later here we are still waiting on 6 to come out. I told myself I would buy a console newer than the Xbox 360 once Skate 4 or the next GTA was released and well, I'm still waiting!!! Thanks for reading :)   

On Tuesday I was out riding my mini bike doing some exploring, when out of the blue, my wheel bearing blew out and stopped me in my tracks. It threw my chain, causing my rear tire to skid in a somewhat sketchy fashion. Broken down, I was left with no other option than to push the bike back at least half a mile to my house in 80-degree heat. It wasn't a fun time. 

With my recent mechanical failure, I figure it's a good time to give an update on the status of all my fun stuff. Aside from that little incident today, the mini is just about as good as ever except for the front end. Someone crashed it somewhat hard a while back, and it hasn't quite been the same since.

Getting into the rest, we'll start with the boat. It's been a little more than two weeks since I've had her out on the water. It's an ongoing project with lot's left to do in terms of restoration, but it floats and the motor runs great. I'd like to have at least one more boat day before I winterize the vessel, but we'll see what the weather has in store for us. All that I really need to do to the boat is pull that old two-stroke Suzuki off for the winter and wrap it up, so I'm calling it good for now! 

Next is my lawn tractor, a classic Simplicity Broadmoor from the early 70's. I love that thing, but it's not without its faults. I've been using it as a "mud mower" riding through the woods tearing up the trails. It's slow but otherwise very capable off-road. I have the deck detached and have never actually used it to mow. Anyways, the key broke off in the ignition, my starter isn't working, the paint is getting a little scratched up, the tires need air, and I just recently lost all braking. I'm hoping it's a linkage that came undone or something else simple. I've got a buddy who is supposed to come check it out, and he was the one who got it running originally, so I'm crossing my fingers we can get that sorted out at a minimum. I plan to do a full restoration on the Simplicity one day and get it set back up to mow the lawn, as I no longer have a zero-turn. 

Next is my go kart, affectionately known as The Joe Kart. Of all my powersports, it is the closest to my heart. I did a full build on it with brand new parts from the tires to the engine, and currently it's actually not broken! It's fast and fun, and I cannot wait until the icy wintertime weather when I can do some drifting. I've got quite the story for you coming up in a future blog about a little incident I had with the kart out on the frozen Turkeyfoot Lake a few years back. 

I also have another new go kart that I traded a snowmobile for, but it needs a lot of work. I've been trying to get the steering together and buy a powerplant for it, but lately my priorities have shifted. It's not something I'll shove in the corner and forget about, not only because it's a massive two-seater buggy that's bigger than a Smart Car, but also because I think it's gnarly. 

Last but certainly not least in terms of brokenness, is my quad. It's an old Honda Recon 250 2wd that has been put through the ringer. I routinely abuse that machine, from plowing snow to regularly getting it stuck deep in mud holes. With how rough I am on it, it's no surprise that the old four-wheeler needs quite a bit of TLC. This would include fixing the brakes, repairing/remounting the winch, securing the axle, replacing bearings, rewiring my aftermarket reverse light, replacing a missing hub cap, installing fresh rear tires, and routine maintenance. In the two years I have punished it, I've never even checked the oil, let alone changed it... it's a Honda. 

This blog came out to be a lot longer than I expected, but hopefully it can serve as some encouragement to you if it seems like you have too much on your plate. I didn't even mention the work my Civic needs done to it (stupid E-check), but I'm not overwhelmed by all of this. It's just the nature of machines to break after time, and the work I have ahead of me is totally doable. My perspective on owning "boy toys" as such is this: you either have to have a lot of money or know how to work on your stuff, and let me tell you I'm by no means rich! Creating a garage to-do list has alleviated anxiety and helped me tremendously, and if I may, I'd like to suggest to you to do the same for whatever seems to be hanging over your head. Afterwards, prioritize that list. If it's time, motivation, or finances holding you back, just remember to take it one thing at a time! 

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!