Top 50 Musical Acts I've Heard Live (Some More Than Once)

1. Fleetwood Mac—Dallas, Texas; Reunion Arena, “Tusk” tour. Had obscured view seats and it still remains my favorite concert.

2. INXS—Richmond, Virginia; The Mosque. “Kick” tour. The only band I can remember actually sounding better live than on their albums.

3. The Police—Austin, Texas; Frank Erwin Center. “Ghost in the Machine” tour. In my opinion they went down from there.

4. Jackson Browne #2—San Antonio, Texas; I forget the venue. “Lives in the Balance” tour. Politically edgy.

5. Elvis Costello #1—Austin; Austin Country Club. Very, very cool live.

6. Adam Ant—San Antonio; The Majestic Theatre. “Vive Le Rock” tour. Absolutely the loudest show I’ve ever experienced. Ears were still ringing the next afternoon.

7. B-52’s #2—Little Rock, Arkansas; The Riverfront Amphitheater. The kids and I were standing together at the front of the stage. Very cool experience.

8. The Pretenders—Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Opened for the B-52’s and, of course, were just as good.

9. Jackson Browne #1—Austin; Erwin Center. The “Hold On, Hold Out” tour. He was still playing big arenas at that point.

10. The Bus Boys—San Antonio; Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University. Best known from the “48 Hours” soundtrack, they opened for the Stray Cats and were way, way better.

11. Al Stewart—San Antonio; forget the venue. Way past his glory days, but a real treat.

12. Karla Bonoff—Little Rock; Piano Center. A very intimate concert.

13. Elvis Costello #2—Austin; Austin Country Club. Knew every song.

14. Bob Seger #1—Austin, Erwin Center. “Hollywood Nights” had just come out and he had been on the cover of Rolling Stone.

15. Jackson Browne #3—Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Shawn Colvin opened.

16. LL Cool J—Little Rock; Riverfest. Old school!

17. Ho Hum—Little Rock/North Little Rock; Various venues. Knowing members of this Arkansas-based group makes the shows more enjoyable. Very accessible stuff.

18. Nick Lowe and his Cowboy Outfit—Austin; Austin Country Club. Opened for Elvis Costello. Very nice set.

19. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band—Austin; Erwin Center. Though not one of my all-time favorite acts it was certainly a great show, full of energy.

20. Willy Nelson—San Antonio; Hemisfair Arena. Actually heard him perform several numbers while I was part of the crowd for his movie “Honeysuckle Rose.”

21. Smash Mouth—Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. One of those shows where you don’t realize how much of their music you know until you hear them play it all.

22. Bob Seger #2—North Little Rock; Verizon Arena. Good performances of most of his hits.

23. Squeeze—Austin; Austin Country Club. Opened for Elvis Costello. Very cool vibe.

24. Billy Squire—San Antonio; Hemisfair Arena. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this show. Another one where I had no idea how much of his music I knew until I heard him play.

25. Dave Matthews Band—North Little Rock; Dickey Stephens Park. I’m not real familiar with their music, but this was a very good show.

26. Bo Diddley—San Antonio; can’t remember the venue. Played with a group of local musicians so it wasn’t great, but it was a thrill to get to hear him.

27. Ringo Starr—Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. One of his “All Starrs” tours. The only former Beatle I’ve ever seen.

28. Lloyd Cole and the Commotion—Austin; forget the venue. A mostly Scottish band who had a few minor hits on MTV. Got to meet them after the show and found them to be very affable.

29. Gregg Allman—North Little Rock; Dickey Stephens Park. Opened for Dave Matthews Band and later performed “Melissa” as a part of the DMB set. Great blues and rock.

30. Thompson Twins—San Antonio; Laurie Auditorium. This was very early in their career so there were none of the later hits. But it was a crazy show with a lot of energy.

31. B-52’s #1—Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Good show, but we were seated way in the back and didn’t get in on any of the energy.

32. Joan Jett––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Late in her career, but it was a lot of fun.

33. David LaMotte—Little Rock; Westover Hills Presbyterian Church. A great guitarist/singer/songwriter. Check him out on Youtube. Also he’s a Presbyterian, which is worth a lot of points in my book.

34. Dan Fogelberg—Austin; Erwin Center. I thought I would hate this show (only went to take pictures for my college newspaper). But it turned out to be a pretty good show.

35. Elton John––Austin; Erwin Center. A surprisingly disappointing concert. There were a bunch of hits he didn’t play, but his encore was “Get Up and Dance.” Yuck. Plus Nigel Olsson was the drummer on the tour and he did a set of songs like “Dancing Shoes.” Yuck, yuck. Still, we’re talking Elton John.

36. Sheila E.––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Part of Ringo’s All Starrs. She did a great job on percussion for the band and then took a set of her own songs, like “Glamorous Life.”

37. The Members—San Antonio; Laurie Auditorium. Opened for the Thompson Twins and had one hit called “I’m In Love With a Working Girl.”

38. Rush—San Antonio; Hemisfair Arena. “Moving Pictures” Tour. The only backstage pass I’ve ever had which made it fun. But this was never one of my favorite bands.

39. Paul Carrack––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Another of Ringo’s All Starrs he covered several Squeeze numbers and “How Long Has This Been Going On” which he recorded with Ace.

40. Shawn Colvin––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Opened for Jackson Browne and did the obligatory high harmony on “Load Out/Stay.” Not someone I was familiar with, but a good show.

41. Colin Hay––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. Yet another of Ringo’s All Starrs. He covered several Men At Work numbers as a part of the show.

42. Marshall Tucker Band—Little Rock; Riverfest. Well past their prime, but a good show.

43. Ice House—San Antonio; forget the venue. This was well before they went top 40. My friend David Arthur and I had an interview with them before the show which helped. Plus it was my birthday.

44. Billy Burnett—Dallas; Reunion Arena. Opened for Fleetwood Mac on the “Tusk” tour. Had one big hit at the time, “Toeing the Line.”

45. John Waite––Little Rock; Riverfront Amphitheater. One more of Ringo’s All Starrs. He covered his own music plus some Babys tunes.

46. Georgia Satellites––Little Rock; Riverfest. Way, way past their prime, but still a fun show.

47. Gym Class Heroes––Little Rock; Riverfest. Not someone I would have sought out, but they were on the same stage as LL Cool J, and “Cupid’s Chokehold” was a hit at the time.

48. The Stray Cats—San Antonio; Laurie Auditorium. Very disappointing. In fact, The Bus Boys opened and in my opinion stole the show. But these guys did have some unforgettable songs.

49. Yes—San Antonio; Hemisfair Arena. Not a very good show, either. It was a strange lineup including the guys from the Buggles (“Video Killed the Radio Star”) so I’m not sure it really qualifies as Yes. But they covered the classics pretty well.

50. Michael Murphy—San Antonio; Laurie Auditorium. “Wild Fire” was the only song I knew, but I got to interview him after the show and he told me he expected to see me writing for Rolling Stone someday. (He was wrong).

50 Countries From Which My Blog "Daily Readings" Has Been Accessed

Australia

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Columbia

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France

Germany

Ghana

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Kenya

Kuwait

Latvia

Malaysia

Malta

Mexico

Netherlands

Netherlands Antilles

New Zealand

Nigeria

Philippines

Poland

Puerto Rico

Russia

Saint Lucia

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Turkey

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United States

50 Things I'm Waiting For This Advent (Subject to Change)

The reign of God to come in its fullness

The Tennessee Titans to win the Super Bowl

A sustainable and relevant third party in American politics

A trip to Scandinavia

An end to incivility in Washington

A trip to Lambeau Field in December to watch the Packers and Bears

A trip to the Monopoly World Championships

A professional Monopoly tour—I would have to give it a shot!

Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr to tour together—it’s a natural!

Klatuu’s first four albums on iTunes

To hear from the new Presbyterian Hymnal as to whether my submissions were accepted

To lose 20 lbs.

To walk the entire Little Rock/North Little Rock River Trail in a day

To stage my play “Fragments”—once it’s finished

To finish the “Dumpton Park” CD

To finish my Doctor of Ministy degree

To have a SECOND visit with the members of U2—yes, I’ve met them once before.

To preach in Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia

To figure out what I’m going to be when I grow up

The Presbyterian Church (USA) to return to annual General Assemblies

To find out whatever happened to Mary Magdalene

Kent Hull to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame

A trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio

To find my name in the index of someone else’s book—how cool would that be?

A majority of Americans to put the eradication of poverty ahead of the accumulation of personal wealth

Universal health care to be accepted as the right thing to do in America

An end to the AIDS epidemic sooner than later

Access to safe, clean water for all people

Adequate housing to be seen as a right, not a privilege

An end to global warming

To hear one of my son’s songs on the radio

To watch my daughter flourish in whatever career she chooses

My wife’s migraines to end once and for all

The peace that surpasses all understanding

Christmas and Easter to return to their status as religious festivals and not as marketing tools

Courage

More drive and determination

Less procrastination

An end to states’ dependence on lotteries as a source of revenue

More time with friends from high school, college, and seminary

To be able to eat pizza with cheese again—and ice cream

To be able to read two books a month

To get the house painted

A copy of “It’s A Wonderful Life” to replace the one that’s ruined

Two weeks in Montreat, North Carolina

A trip back to Scotland

To do play-by-play for a sporting event

To become a tidy person

To record a podcast

To interview Paul Simon

My 50 Favorite Bible Passages

Passages that I've found particularly meaningful over the years and which I would recommend to others.

1. Romans 8:18-39—If I could have only one scripture passage to use for the rest of my life I believe this would be the one I chose.

2. Psalm 121—For generations this has been the traveling psalm for the Freeman family.

3. 1 Peter 2:4-10—The first time I became aware of this passage it resonated strongly with me, and has ever sense.

4. 2 Timothy 3:14-17—The passage with which my grandfather Freeman inscribed the Bible he and my grandmother gave to me when I was a child.

5. Micah 6:6-8—My personal mission statement.

6. Psalm 84—I wrote a play based heavily on this psalm and the notion of belonging to God.

7. Romans 14:7—In life and death we belong to God.

8. 2 Corinthians 4:1-12—(Especially verses 5-6.) What we preach is not ourselves; these are very liberating words for a minister to hear, and have long helped me clarify my sense of call.

9. Psalm 8—A long-time favorite and a reminder of God’s sovereignty over all creation.

10. Isaiah 6:1-8—Also very helpful in considering my call. This is the first of several Old Testament call stories on the list.

11. Luke 2:1-20—The familiar words of the story of Jesus’ birth remain relevant in any era.

12. John 1:1-5—Though John is not my favorite of the gospels, the words of this passage are very profound, pointing to Jesus (the Word of God) as vital to creation.

13. Matthew 28:16-20—Jesus’ “Great Commission” to his disciples.

14. Psalm 23—Though often read at funerals the words of this psalm are appropriate in any setting as a reminder of God’s love.

15. Hebrews 12:1-2—This passage serves to remind me of all those who have gone before me in the faith, especially my grandparents.

16. Habakkuk 2:1-4—For Presbyterians the “watchposts” of the faith are the font, the table, and the pulpit.

17. Isaiah 40:1-11, 27-31—Great words of hope.

18. Luke 1:46-55—A firm reminder that God is fully on the side of the dispossessed and downtrodden.

19. Ephesians 4:1-16—Full of imagery about the unity of God and of the faith.

20. Genesis 32:22-32—Jacob wrestled with God at the ford of the River Jabbok. In Hebrew the term for wrestling is to get dusty. What great imagery, God drawing close enough to humanity to get dusty with us.

21. Ezekiel 1—Another call story. The part of this that I love most is Ezekiel’s reaction to encountering God in the exile. He falls on his face.

22. Amos 7:14-15—Amos describes his sense of mission as a prophet of God.

23. Luke 4:14-21—The inauguration of Jesus’ ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth.

24. 1 John 1:8-9—If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves.

25. Acts 2:1-21—The day of Pentecost and the birth of the church.

26. Galatians 1:13-17—Paul’s account of his conversion to Christianity.

27. 1 Samuel 3:1-18—Samuel hears God’s voice in the night.

28. Mark 1:9-11—The baptism of Jesus.

29. Mark 16:1-8—The resurrection, which, in Mark’s account, is brief and almost ambiguous. As my colleague the Rev. Dick Hardie has said, the tension and excitement comes form knowing that Jesus is “our there, loose in the world.”

30. Isaiah 5:1-7—The song of the vineyard, God’s judgment of the people of Israel.

31. Galatians 3:27-28—All are one in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32. Amos 5:18-24—“Let waters roll down like waters…”

33. Jeremiah 18:1-11—Jeremiah and the potter working the clay.

34. 2 Samuel 11:27-12:15a—Nathan condemns David for his sin against Uriah.

35. Philippians 2:3-11—An appeal for humility in the example of Jesus Christ.

36. Micah 4:1-5—A beautiful image of the restoration of Israel “In days to come.”

37. Romans 12—A very rich and meaningful chapter.

38. Psalm 24—“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” in the KJV. A profound statement of God’s glory.

39. Luke 8:40-56—Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the flow of blood, each of which shows Jesus’ willingness to accept even the lowest members of society into fellowship.

40. Matthew 5:1-12—The Beatitudes, a significant part of the Sermon on the Mount.

41. 2 Kings 5:1-19a—Elisha cures Naaman of leprosy.

42. Exodus 3: 1-4:17—The call of Moses.

43. Deuteronomy 6:4-9—The “Shema,” one of Judaism’s most sacred texts.

44. Genesis 1-3—God’s work of creation reveals a great deal about God and humanity.

45. Revelation 21:1-6—The new Jerusalem in the midst of a new creation.

46. Jonah—This entire book tells a story rich in detail and full of truth about God.

47. Acts 10—The conversion of Cornelius and his household.

48, John 3:16—A verse so familiar that it’s like an old friend.

49. Psalm 100—One of the earliest psalms I ever learned.

50. 1 Corinthians 4:1—I once had a plaque made to recognize the 50th anniversary of a colleague’s ordination. I meant to refer to 2 Corinthians 4:1, but wrote 1 Corinthians instead. Turns out this passage was more appropriate.

50 Greatest Events in History (Good or Bad)

My list of the 50 most important events (good or bad) in history (with the frank acknowledgment that I am a white, male, North American, Christian and that my background has a profound effect on how I see things).

1. The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (c. 4-37 AD)

2. The birth of the Church at Pentecost and conversion of Saul to Christianity (c. 37 AD)

3. The dawn of Greek Civilization (and ultimately Western culture) (c. 1600 BC)

4. Guttenberg’s invention of moveable type (1455 AD)

5. Martin Luther launches the Protestant Reformation (1517 AD)

6. Dawn of Egyptian culture (3414 BC)

7. Hammurabi’s Code is history’s first system of laws (c. 1760 BC)

8. The fall of Roman Empire (476 AD)

9. United States Declares Independence (1776 AD)

10.. Birth of Muhammad (c. 520 AD)

11. Constantine converts to Christianity (312 AD)

12. Birth of William Shakespeare (c. 1564)

13. Columbus sails west (1492 AD)

14. The Wright Brothers prove that human flight is possible (1903 AD)

15. Germany’s invasion of Poland and the beginning of WW2 (1939 AD)

16. The Holocaust (1939-45 AD)

17. The signing of the Magna Charta (1215 AD)

18. The French Revolution overthrows the French monarchy (1789 AD)

19. Assassination of John F. Kennedy (1963 AD)

20. Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968 AD)

21. The Silicon chip is invented ushering in the modern computer age (1959 AD)

22. Aristotle writes Poetics, the first detailed account of drama (c. 335 BC)

23. Small pox vaccine developed (1700’s AD)

24. Jonas Salk develops a polio vaccine (1952 AD)

25. The US drops atomic bombs on Japan (1945 AD)

26. The Berlin Wall comes down ending the Cold War (1990 AD)

27. D-Day landings in France (1944 AD)

28. Washington and Rochambeau defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown (1781 AD)

29. First human to walk on the moon (1969 AD)

30. The Tale of Genji the world’s first novel, is written in Japan (c. 1021 AD)

31. Birth of Alexander the Great (356 BC)

32. Henry Ford perfects the assembly line (1913 AD)

33. The Russian Revolution overthrows the Tsar (1917 AD)

34. Jessie Owens wins gold at the Munich Olympics to Hitler’s embarrassment (1936 AD)

35. End of Apartheid in South Africa (1990-93 AD)

36. Development of the motion picture camera (c. 1880 AD)

37. Stalin becomes leader of the Soviet Union (1924 AD)

38. Civil Rights march at Selma, Alabama (1965 AD)

39. India gains independence from Britain (1947 AD)

40. Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England (1558 AD)

41. Elvis Presley records “That’s All Right” (1954 AD)

42. First TV broadcast takes place in London (1926 AD)

43. The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show (1964 AD)

44. Live Aid concerts for African famine relief organized by Boomtown Rats front man Bob Geldoff (1985 AD)

45. The attack on the World Trade Center in New York (2001 AD)

46. Great Chinese Famine kills anywhere from 15 to 40 million people (1958-62 AD)

47. United Nations founded (1945 AD)

48. Antonio Meucci invents the telephone (c. 1871 AD)

49. Native slavery abolished in Spanish American colonies (1542 AD)

50. Oil discovered in the Middle East (1908 AD)

My 50 Favorite Songs of All Time

1. “A Day in the Life” The Beatles
2. “Revolution” The Beatles
3. “Imagine” John Lennon
4. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” The Who
5. “Nothing From Nothing” Billy Preston
6. “London Calling” The Clash
7 “Year of the Cat” Al Stewart
8. “Stairway to Heaven” Led Zeppelin
9. “Don’t Stop” Fleetwood Mac
10. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” Simon and Garfunkel
11. “Instant Karma” John Lennon
12. “Hello Goodbye” The Beatles
13. “Rebel, Rebel” Davie Bowie
14. “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” U2
15. “Cars” Gary Newman
16. “Listen Like Thieves” INXS
17. “Rock the Casbah” The Clash
18. “Graceland” Paul Simon
19. “Hey Jude” The Beatles
20. “Shattered” The Rolling Stones
21. “Silly Love Songs” Wings
22. “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You” George Harrison
23. “Rocking In the Free World” Neil Young
24. “Whip It” Devo
25. “52 Girls” The B52’s
26. “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me” Warren Zevon
27. “Burning Down the House” Talking Heads
28. “Let It Be” The Beatles
29. “Break On Through” The Doors
30. “Peace Train” Cat Stephens
31. “Message In a Bottle” The Police
32. “Radio, Radio” Elvis Costello and the Attractions
33. “Finest Work Song” REM
34. “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” George Harrison
35. “Anarchy in the UK” The Sex Pistols
36. “I Wanna Be Sedated” The Ramones
37. “We Will Rock You” Queen
38. “Would I Lie To You?” Eurythmics
39. “1999” Prince
40. “Mama Said Knock You Out” L L Cool J
41. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” John Mellencamp
42. “S.O.S.” Abba
43. “No Brain No Pain” Hall and Oates
44. “Band on the Run” Paul McCartney and Wings
45. “It’s a Heart Ache” Bonnie Tyler
46. “I Want You to Want Me (Live)” Cheap Trick
47. “Good Vibrations” The Beach Boys
48. “Fire” The Ohio Players
49. “Middle of the Road” The Pretenders
50. “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald” Gordon Lightfoot