Posts Tagged ‘One Tree Hill’

May
11
2010

All That You Can’t Leave Behind

As I write this, there is only one episode remaining in Season 7 of One Tree Hill. However, as the credits rolled following last night’s show, it was quite clear that there are still more stories to tell than can possibly be finished in one solitary episode. And yet, we’re all in a holding pattern, wondering if we’ll see these stories come to fruition, or if, after being faithful to this great show for seven years, its completion will be left to our imaginations.

As I’ve already covered in my last two posts, there are a million reasons to love One Tree Hill, and I don’t think it’s presumptuous in the least to say that The CW Network owes us a season 8 and a proper conclusion befitting the legacy of our show. So far, they’ve avoided giving any clear answers, either afraid of the fallout if they deny our request, or they are enjoying the game a little too much. It disappoints me, but I don’t want to dwell on it here.

As promised, this third and final blog in my “We Are One” series, is to discuss the stories yet untold – the things I would like to see happen in Tree Hill before the show’s ultimate coda. I’d like to hear your ideas as well. So, let’s tell our stories.

“When archaeologists uncover lost civilizations and they unearth their worlds that have long been since been destroyed, you know what they find most often? They find stories, ancient languages, words, inscriptions from people who have been gone for thousands of years, because chances are, like you, they wanted to know, “What’s the point?” And they wanted us to know that they were here, you know? They told their stories, and they tried to make sense of their lives and their worlds and their tragedies. So that’s what we are gonna do.”

Mark Schwahn and the rest of the One Tree Hill writers have given us a lot of stories in seven years. We’ve certainly been dealt some twists and turns along the way – shocking moments we never saw coming, heartwarming scenes that got us a little choked up, and hilarious one-liners that we’ve done our best to work into everyday conversation as often as possible.

But even after seven years, the well hasn’t run dry. One Tree Hill is still telling great stories, and there are many more that haven’t even been touched yet. I have every confidence that, given an appropriate amount of time, the writers and producers of the show will not let us down. We just need a little more time to get to that “happily ever after” conclusion that we deserve. For me, that includes a number of things:

• Dan. I know some people have said that season 4 had a storybook ending. Others point to the finale of season 6 and say it offered the picturesque conclusion we needed. I disagree. Those two seasons didn’t have any splashy cliff-hangers, but that doesn’t mean they were sufficiently wrapped up, either. (Hence why the show has continued!) My reasoning all points back to Dan. While not generally named with the original “Core Five” of the cast, I tend to think that One Tree Hill began with at least SIX key players. Without Dan Scott, there would be no One Tree Hill. And further, without Dan Scott, there can’t be a proper ending. We have seen Dan do a lot of evil, unspeakable things. We have even seen him be kind and vulnerable in unexpected ways. Ultimately, we have seen him reach for redemption and forgiveness, but despite valiant efforts, he’s never grasped it. I do understand that some characters (and some viewers) will never excuse him, no matter what he does. For my part, I would like to see at least two things happen before the show ends. First, before One Tree Hill goes off the air, Dan should finally breathe his last. Bear in mind that I love Dan, so I envision this happening about one episode prior to the series finale. That is the only true closure Dan can have. We know he’s not going to turn into the model of perfection, and he can’t just go back to being evil at this point. But, he can still die in peace. I’d rather like to see him die a hero. And not alone. Nathan has said time and time again that he will never forgive his father, no matter what he does, and despite some pretty spectacular displays of love and support from Dan, Nathan has only barely tolerated him, and even then, it was only in service of Jamie. But as Jamie told Nathan at the beginning of season 7, “I think you’re good enough to forgive him.” I think Dan can accept being ostracized from everyone else’s life, but the rift between him and the son that he raised has tormented him for years. And Nathan, as the veritable hero of the show, has the capacity to heal that breach, even if only so his father can die in peace.

• Brooke. When all the original characters finished pairing up, Brooke got the shaft. Regardless of whether you’re pro-Brucas or pro-Leyton, I hope we can all agree that Brooke certainly deserves to find some happiness. She loved Lucas, but he chose her best friend – a scenario which Brooke (eventually) was able to handle with class and dignity. After that initial heartbreak, what followed was a litany of failed attempts: Felix, Chase, all the Nicks (not the Knicks) of New York City, Owen, to be capped off with a rather tumultuous, on-again, off-again relationship with Julian. I may be in the minority here, but I am not convinced that their love can (or should) stand the test of time. In addition to romantic turmoil, we’ve seen Brooke dream of motherhood since she returned to Tree Hill at the on-set of season five. She took care of Baby Angie long enough to get attached just before having to send her home to her parents. Then, she bravely stepped up and took in Sam – passing up an opportunity to adopt an infant – only for Sam to leave her as well. Now, her dreams have been utterly crushed by the news that she’s infertile, and after so many disappointments, the spark in her eyes has all but died. Now, we know Mark Schwahn to be a sucker for a happy ending, so I have to believe there is one in the cards for Brooke – as long as he has time to tell the story. Now, as I said, I’m not a big advocate of Brulian, and believe Brooke met her soulmate in season five. Remember the sweet and adorable Dr. Ethan Copeland? The one who operated on Baby Angie? Yep. Him. There were sparks flying between Brooke and the good doctor, but every time they had a nice moment together, along came Lucas to mess it up. So, if Brooke could run into him on the street somewhere, I have a feeling they would finally hit it off, and chances are, he either knows a few fertility specialists through his work, or he’d be more than happy to adopt a lot of Baby Angies with Brooke.

• Whitey. I love Whitey. He added so much heart to the first four seasons of One Tree Hill, being essentially the father that Lucas and Nathan never had, and offering his sage wisdom (and crotchety attitude) to any and everyone that needed a little bit of guidance. I squealed with joy when he appeared for the flashback episode in season five, and again at the end of season six, wherein I cried like a baby to see him offer encouragement and a loving embrace to perhaps his most bitter enemy. We have not seen anything of Whitey this season, but I would dearly like to see him again before the show ends. In my mind, he certainly must visit Nathan, Haley, and Jamie from time to time. I can’t imagine he made such a tremendous impact on Nathan’s life (and career) only to disappear into oblivion and not keep in touch. The scene at the end of season 6 supports my theory, and I would be over the moon to see Whitey show up for at least one family dinner at the Scott House. Can you imagine the epic cuteness of a scene between Whitey and Jamie? I must see that. And I would not be even remotely opposed to seeing more of Whitey and Dan. Perhaps Whitey could help with that Dan/Nathan reconciliation I mentioned earlier.

• Nathan and Haley. Aside from one or two *slightly* cheesy lines in the course of seven years, I have zero complaints regarding the way my favorite couple has been written. I was hooked on them from the very beginning, and their stories have never disappointed me. There is no other couple in TV, movies, or literature that I enjoy more. (Darcy and Elizabeth are a distant second.) All that being said, I obviously think they should stay together all the way to the end (and it would be preposterous if they didn’t, so I don’t really have any worries there). But the one thing my Naley-loving heart desires is another baby. They got their son, so taking what Nathan said to Haley in “The Desperate Kingdom of Love,” they’re still due “a little girl, just like you [Haley].” And I want to see it happen! They can even throw in some cheesy lines (“Now I know why they call it true love”) and I swear, I won’t even wince. Plus, given the present state of season 7, One Tree Hill simply cannot end with Haley in the midst of (or even beginning to recover from) a very dark and serious depression. It’s a great storyline, but it’s not the stuff of “happily ever after.”

• Lucas and Peyton. Now, I know what you’re going to say, because I’m usually the one saying it: they’re not coming back. And hey – you know what – I can accept that. But if One Tree Hill got (at least) one more season, I figure that only increases the odds that they might be willing to make a guest appearance in the eventual series finale, which would be a nice nod to the fans that have been around since day one. (And the Leyton fans would be ecstatic, obviously.)

• Chris Keller. I had a fierce hatred for Chris Keller for obvious reasons, but darn if he wasn’t just so funny that he grew on me after all. Plus, Tyler Hilton is fantastic. And – it just so happens that when last I saw him, he said he’d love to come back to One Tree Hill for a series finale. So, there must be a way to let this fellow drop by Tree Hill. He and Nathan were almost kinda sorta friends the last time we saw Chris in season 4, so I see no potential problems there. And wouldn’t it be hilarious and awesome if Chris Keller returned to town on the arm of the love of his life, and let’s say her name is Taylor James. Oh, that’s what you call a win-win, folks.

• Levi Weaver. Now, I suppose none of you remember that character. Which makes sense, since there never was any such character in Tree Hill. Rather, Levi Weaver is a musician – a darn good one, whose songs would go so nicely with the always-fantastic One Tree Hill soundtrack, and come to think of it, the man himself would probably look pretty well at home on the set of Red Bedroom Records. One Tree Hill has done some great things for independent artists and acts that deserve a second look. The integration of Mike Grubbs in season 7 to launch the extremely noteworthy music of Wakey!Wakey! is only one example. One Tree Hill has changed the lives of a lot of musicians by giving them an avenue to get their music out there to the public. Radio simply doesn’t do that anymore – it’s TV’s arena, and One Tree Hill does it best. And for an independent musician like Levi Weaver, a song placement in a TV show with two million plus viewers can make a huge difference in a career – and in whether he can afford to keep making brilliant music. I am constantly awed by the song placements on One Tree Hill (Lindsay Wolfington is a genius, by the way), so I don’t suggest this lightly. I hear Levi Weaver’s “We’re Tornadoes When We Dance,” and I think of Nathan and Haley. “Drink, Drink, Drink” is reminiscent of Dan Scott – did I mention I love Dan Scott? And “You Are Home” – well, that kind of fits the show as a whole, doesn’t it? “Oh, you are home. And no matter where I go, you’re in my bones. And no matter where I sleep, I never rest outside the place I keep my soul.” So, yes. This is my wish list, and it absolutely includes hearing a song by my all-time favorite artist playing through the coda of my all-time favorite show.

I could go on and name a million different storylines, but then this blog would never end. And I’ll leave the writing to Mark Schwahn, since the last 7 years of stories have come from him, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Still, I’d like to hear your ideas in the comments. What stories are important to you? And what do you need to see before you’ll feel like One Tree Hill is complete? Here’s hoping that we get to see all those stories play out on our TV screens, and we get all the things we wished for.

To The CW, I’d like to reiterate another relevant One Tree Hill quote:

“Regret comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are small, like when we do a bad thing for a good reason. Some are bigger, like when we let down a friend. Some of us escape the pains of regret by making the right choice. Some of us have little time for regret, because we’re looking forward to the future. Sometimes we have to fight to come to terms with the past. And sometimes we bury our regret, by promising to change our ways. But our biggest regrets are not for the things we did… but the things we didn’t do.”

Don’t let canceling One Tree Hill be your biggest regret. And don’t let it be ours, either.

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Posted in Editorial, Music | 2 Comments »

May
03
2010

You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side

“You know, it’s been said that we just don’t recognize the significant moments of our lives while they are happening. We grow complacent with ideas or things or people and we take them for granted. And it’s usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you that you realize how wrong you’ve been – that you realize how much you need it, how much you love it. God, I love this game.”

I love this show. I assume you do, too, and that’s why you’re here. I must say that I was humbled and honored by the outpouring of support from One Tree Hill fans regarding my last blog, pleading with the CW to give us a season 8. In fact, your support has compelled me to be a little more forthright about my motives for saving this show in the first place.

There are not a lot of things I’m willing to campaign for, but when I find something I’m passionate about, it’s impossible for me not to share that. If I find a good thing, I want others to find it, too. Usually, I’ll dispense music suggestions to anyone who will listen, but I have thrown myself into promoting One Tree Hill with a similar tenacity.

Of course, music and One Tree Hill go hand in hand quite nicely, which may explain why I’ve been able to relate to it so strongly. The writing is truly fantastic. The stories are compelling. But there is something about One Tree Hill that can’t be put into words, and something that can only be grasped by watching it – One Tree Hill has heart.

The truth is, I’ve only been watching One Tree Hill for about two years. I have no TV reception in my apartment – not a single, solitary channel – and no internet, either (I am typing this from my office after everyone else is long gone). But, I do have Netflix and a DVD player. So, when I wanted a show to watch, I remembered hearing how great One Tree Hill was, and I knew that Bethany Joy Lenz (now Galeotti) was in it. I was familiar with her prior work and thought she was amazing, so armed with that information and little else, I slipped the first disc of season one into my DVD player.

By episode 3 (“Are You True?”), I was completely hooked. When I finished season one – and after picking my jaw up off of the floor – I remember saying aloud, “And that was only the FIRST SEASON!” While watching season 2, Netflix accidently sent my discs out of order. I had a good system going, where every day I put a disc in the mail, and every day I got a new one. So, when I logged in to my account and saw that I was getting disc 5 before disc 4, I freaked and called customer service. That poor guy who answered the phone – I had to wonder how many people called him daily saying things like, “But you don’t UNDERSTAND! What am I supposed to do tonight?” My co-worker, Kelli, who has since started watching One Tree Hill as well, took pity on me and found somewhere online where I could watch the disc 4 episodes with Japanese subtitles, and sound that didn’t match up with the picture. Still, I was elated and stayed at work until past 10:00 watching them online. Then, I went home and watched disc 5 that was in my mailbox. The next day, I ordered all the seasons online.

Beyond sheer enjoyment of the show, there was something else at work. I was really struggling, personally – not in any way that I could explain even if I wanted to, but there were nights that I was so racked with anxiety that I couldn’t even fall asleep. But I discovered that if I visited Tree Hill for a while, I could ease the tension, calm down, and fall asleep. That method still works on a bad day, or even on a good day when I just want to relax. In sharing that, I know I am telling many other stories besides my own. I have heard a lot of fans attest that One Tree Hill has seen them through some difficult times, and I dare say there are not many (if any) other shows that can do that. So to Mark Schwahn, show creator, Lindsay Wolfington, music supervisor, and every single producer, director, writer, actor, and crew member involved in making this show, allow me to say: “Your art matters. It’s what got me here.”

OTH Cast – “Feeling a Moment”

“Most of our lives are a series of images; they pass us by like towns on a highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens and we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever.”

There is plenty to love about One Tree Hill, and I’m sure every fan has his or her own set of favorites. I am hoping you will all share your own in the comments below. For my part, nothing beats Nathan and Haley. “Always and forever.”

Fictional characters on TV and in movies sure spend a lot of time talking about “always” and “forever,” but very few of them actually follow through with it. And while I am a little too cynical about love in general, it’s really only because I want it to be great, and I see too many people settling for less. I, meanwhile, have always been a sucker for a fairy tale: Ariel and Eric, Darcy and Elizabeth, Nathan and Haley. But the thing I love about Nathan and Haley is how imperfect they are. Most of the time, we go to a movie or read a book and see a couple struggling through their dating relationship, and they finally make it to the altar just before the credits roll with music that leaves us with that “happily ever after” feeling. With Nathan and Haley, however, we saw them as the unlikely pair that fell in love, and then they were married by the end of season one – at the ripe old age of sixteen, no less. So the six seasons since have shown them making huge mistakes and hurting each other, but deciding through everything that their marriage comes first, and the more problems they face, the more love they need to have to get through it. “And, that’s what true love really is. It’s not this fairytale life that never knows pain, but it’s two souls facing it together and diminishing it with unconditional love.”

Nathan and Haley – “Brand New Day”

Coming in at number two on my “Why I love One Tree Hill” list is Dan Scott. I love him and I hate him and that is what makes compelling drama. He is also the master of one-liners that make me chuckle like a supervillain. Dan Scott is, after all, the most lovable villain in entertainment history. TV.com recently did an interview with James Lafferty, wherein he confessed Dan Scott to be his favorite One Tree Hill character:

Dan Scott, hands down….Paul Johansson has just masterfully performed [the role of Dan]. When he comes on the screen, I’m glued because of the way he plays that character. There are so many different colors of Dan Scott. And [he's] written so well, first of all. That’s where it starts. Then you’ve got somebody like Paul Johansson who can execute it so well. Not everybody can play such a villain and, at the same time, get the audience to care for them. To emotionally invest in them. It blows my mind. I love Paul as an actor and a director and a friend, and I love the way he plays that role.

I completely agree with that assessment, and I am definitely “emotionally invested” in Dan Scott. At the very beginning, he was just so overwhelmingly cold-hearted and mean that it was hard to see anything else. But I remember the moment when that changed. In the season one episode titled “The Living Years,” Nathan goes to the beach house to tell Dan that he isn’t sure that he wants to play basketball anymore, and wonders if the problems in his family all center around him – if, in fact, Dan should have chosen Lucas instead of him. Then, with Ryan Adams’ “The Shadowlands” playing in the background, Dan gets teary-eyed and says, “Nathan, you have to know, whatever you do, whatever you decide, you’re my son, and I am proud of you. I love you.” And, oh boy, did I cry. I mean, if the devil himself says “I love you” and means it, that’s a moment when it is OK to cry. And since then, anytime Dan is the least bit earnest or kind – and heaven help me if he is sad – I am ready to climb in my TV, give him a hug, and tell him it’s all going to be OK. Not bad for a murderer. And don’t even get me started on “Grandpa Dan.”

We’d be here all day and into next week if I tried to list every single thing I love about this show, so this will not be an exhaustive list. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I enjoy the relationships on One Tree Hill. And by relationships – I don’t necessarily mean romantic ones. In fact, other than Nathan and Haley, I have never gotten extremely invested in any Tree Hill romance. Sure, I like some more than others, but I prefer the family relationships: the volatile connection between Dan, Nathan, and Lucas; the loving connection between Karen, Keith and Lucas; and certainly the father/son bond that Nathan shares with Jamie, in spite of his own messy childhood.

Then there are a whole host of friendships – “Real friends…the kind of friendships we used to believe in” – that have always carried the characters through the toughest of times: Lucas and Haley, Haley and Brooke, Brooke and Peyton, Peyton and Nathan, Nathan and Clay, the James sisters, and the list goes on and on.

OTH Cast – “You Found Me”

“This all means nothing if you can’t knock down the shot.”

My favorite friendship, though, is the one that developed between Nathan and Lucas, as they built a bond as brothers that will last forever. After all, One Tree Hill was originally a story about these two brothers who were at best, strangers, and at worst, bitter enemies. And yet, through their mutual passion for basketball and their love of the same woman (albeit not the same kind of love), they learned to be brothers and best friends. They also had their ups and downs along the way, but I believe their relationship was cemented in the finale of season four. That is not to say that they wouldn’t face any struggles (as obviously they have since then), but that no matter what happened, they would remain brothers first and foremost.

When that chapter of One Tree Hill came to a close at the end of high school, there seemed to be few options: either cancel the show or concoct ridiculous storylines to send all the principal characters to the same college, and present “One Tree Hill: The College Years.” Everybody knows that the college years never pan out for “teen dramas,” and it would have been such a shame to walk away from a good thing. So, once again, One Tree Hill reinvented the wheel and stepped forward in time, skipping college altogether and reuniting its now-adult characters back in Tree Hill four years, six months, and two days later. It was a bold and risky move, but it paid off by revitalizing the show and giving each character new obstacles to face and new people to meet.

With the end of season six, we saw another chapter come to a close with the exit of original characters Lucas and Peyton (Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton), which was met with some opposition from longtime fans of the show. Now, I do not want the comments section on this blog to break out into a brawl, Brooke-and-Peyton-Prom-Night-at-Hater-High-style. However, I would like to explain why I am OK with those departures, and still see a bright future for One Tree Hill. Namely, Lucas and Peyton got their “happily ever after” story and literally rode off into the sunset. I don’t have any trouble believing or understanding that they would want to go and sail the world with Karen, Andy, and Lily. Yes, I am sure that Peyton misses Brooke, and Lucas misses Haley and Nathan and Jamie, but no more than Lucas had surely been missing his mother during the years they had spent apart, or being able to watch Lily grow up. Characters aside, sometimes actors move on and do other things, and sometimes a story ends and the writers see fit to wrap it up and move on. Whatever combination of those things (or maybe something else entirely) that happened in this case, we have no further control over it.

However, we may still have some control over whether the current One Tree Hill gets to have an 8th season. I can only imagine how disappointed I would be if Nathan and Haley were the ones gone instead of Lucas and Peyton, but I would like to believe that I’d still support the show that gave me those characters and so many other storylines that moved me through the years. Some “Leyton” fans haven’t been watching season 7, and I’d say they’ve missed out on a lot of great new characters and storylines featuring the old and the new. However, because One Tree Hill is such a compelling show, many of you who name Lucas and Peyton as your favorite characters have stuck with season 7 and been rewarded by a lot of excellent storylines.

Season Seven – “I and Love and You”

OTH Cast – “All the Right Moves”

My favorite season 7 moment so far (aside from Nathan Scott putting Jake Ryan to shame) came when Bess Armstrong reprised her role as Haley’s Mom, Lydia James. It was a quiet, bittersweet exchange between Nathan and an ailing Lydia, wherein we saw the bond that had obviously developed between them during Nathan and Haley’s almost nine years of marriage:

Lydia: You’re taking good care of my daughter. I remember the day you came to ask our permission to marry her. You were so nervous. But I looked into your eyes and I just knew.
Nathan: What did you know?
Lydia: That you were gonna change my daughter’s life. And I was right.
Nathan: You are responsible for raising the woman who changed my entire world. I’ll never forget that, Lydia. Thank you for saying yes.

So, no matter your favorite character or couple or your stance on this season, we are all fans of One Tree Hill. And if I could impart a little wisdom from Nathan Scott, “I wear that uniform just like they do, so it doesn’t matter if I’m playing or not, it’s still my team. We win as a team and we lose as a team.” So, whether are not your favorite couple is on the proverbial court this season, One Tree Hill is still your show, and you’re still a part of it. So I think we should focus on the ways in which we share a similar passion for this show, and consider how we want One Tree Hill to be remembered – not as a show that was cut off mid-story, but one with a lasting legacy that we can all share. With that in mind, please share your favorite moments, quotes, actors, directors, characters, or songs from One Tree Hill in the comments below. And don’t forget to tune in tonight!

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound up in sorrows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures.”

On the next blog, I’ll throw out some ideas on things I’d like to see happen before One Tree Hill goes off the air for good, whether that’s at the end of season 8 or the end of season 18. (The end of season 7 is simply not an option.)

In the meantime, I’d like to send out special thanks to the folks over at One Tree Hill Blog, who posted several of the videos shown here to help us get through the hiatus. (I would also like someone to explain to me how you do it! I think I could manage to compile the video, as I’ve done some of the photo slideshows with music for weddings and the like, but where do you get all those clips?)

Here are a few other videos that I didn’t embed in the post above, but that I thought you might enjoy seeing:

Tik Tok (OTH Cast)

Things I’ll Never Say (Brucas)

The Best Years of Our Lives (Leyton)

The Freshmen (OTH Cast)

One Last Chance (Naley)

Missing You (Naley circa Season 2)

P.S. – The rudimentary Photoshop art came from me, so be gentle.

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Posted in Editorial | 9 Comments »

Apr
27
2010

The Show Must Go On

After two months on hiatus without even reruns to keep us company, One Tree Hill has returned to The CW to air its final four episodes of season 7, and fans are left wondering if those will also be the final four episodes of the series.

One Tree Hill began in 2003 as a “teen drama” focused on the lives of five teenagers, but more specifically on the relationship – or the lack thereof – between half-brothers Nathan and Lucas Scott.

Despite the stigma surrounding “teen shows,” One Tree Hill has always managed to appeal to a broader audience by incorporating strong and intriguing adult characters, and spending time on family dynamics instead of trying to produce endless scandals to satiate the teen set.

One Tree Hill has always been a show with a lot of heart, explaining why its fans are among the most loyal in all of television.  Show creator Mark Schwahn and the other writers deserve credit for the compelling drama, managing to offer storylines that haven’t been done (and redone!) before.  The writing on One Tree Hill has been enhanced by the use of classic literary voiceovers and a quality soundtrack unparalleled in television.

But even though One Tree Hill has enjoyed seven years of success, and the actors, cast, and crew are already signed on and enthusiastic about making an eighth season, The CW has yet to issue an official renewal for one of their most successful shows.

The obvious question is “Why?” and the obvious answer is money.  After all, seven years of success equals a hefty production cost, and comes with a price tag that The CW doesn’t seem to want to pay.  However, you get what you pay for, and the CW gets a great return on its investment in One Tree Hill.

Quality programming is disappearing from the airwaves at an unprecedented rate thanks to reality TV, which happens to be the cheapest medium to produce (along with game shows).  Scripted dramas cost more money, because they feature actors and writers who must be paid for their contributions.

In the same vein, younger shows with inexperienced casts (like The CW’s 90210, for example) come cheap because the actors are in first-time roles and haven’t earned the salary of a seven-year veteran actress like One Tree Hill’s Sophia Bush.

This might serve to illuminate The CW’s decision to grant renewals to shows like America’s Next Top Model, 90210, and Gossip Girl, while leaving One Tree Hill in limbo.

However, when you look at the numbers, there is still a disconnect in that logic.  Cheaper production costs is one thing, but ratings still matter, right?  When advertisers see big numbers tuning into a show, they’re more willing to shell out money to air commercials during that show, or pay for product placements to be used within the show.

Gossip Girl is The CW’s darling because critics took an initial interest in the show and everybody was talking about it.  The CW has promoted Gossip Girl relentlessly in every possible avenue.  They even incorporated mentions of Gossip Girl into episodes of One Tree Hill!  Why would they do that?  Because One Tree Hill, without the articles and the interviews and the attention of Gossip Girl, still managed to pull in significantly higher ratings.  In fact, One Tree Hill’s LOWEST rated seasons match Gossip Girl’s HIGHEST rated seasons.  Something seems a little backwards there, right?

Then, consider The CW’s remake of 90210.  Its series high ratings were from early in the first season – 5.14 million viewers.  People who loved the original 90210 tuned in to see if the new one would match the original.  Unfortunately for The CW, those ratings quickly went into a freefall and settled in to around two million, with one episode as low as 1.48 million.  Still, 90210 got an early renewal from The CW, because even though their ratings are in the tank, it still costs very little to produce and has struck the interest of the teen set.

The only CW shows yet to see renewal are One Tree Hill and the freshman drama, Life Unexpected.  I have heard that it’s a good show – something with a little more substance than 90210 or Gossip Girl, at least.  In order to create an audience for the show, The CW put it on the air initially right after One Tree Hill and marketed the new drama to One Tree Hill’s loyal fans.  Then, they sent One Tree Hill on hiatus for two months and put Life Unexpected in its time slot, so that viewers used to tuning in on Mondays at 8pm would naturally watch Life Unexpected instead.  I might not have minded the bait and switch quite as much were it not for the fact that The CW left these two shows hanging, in seeming competition for the sole remaining time slot on their fall docket.  Did they think that One Tree Hill fans would just forget about their show of 7 years and accept a premature cancellation in exchange for a new show that’s only aired for half a season?

After The CW renewed all their shows but One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected (besides the obviously-over Melrose Place), polls started popping up online asking fans to decide which show should be saved.  I can’t imagine the results surprised anyone:  fans wanted BOTH shows to stay, but having to choose only one, One Tree Hill was the obvious winner.

Oops.  I guess The CW should have weighed its options a little better before offering up early renewals for shows with dwindling audiences before considering that it might be in their best interest to keep both One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected around for another full season.  (Life Unexpected, by the way, is pulling in higher ratings than 90210 or Gossip Girl, but still about half a million viewers lower than One Tree Hill.)

Further proof regarding One Tree Hill’s viability came in the form of E!Online’s Save One Show Campaign, wherein fans vote to save one “bubble show,” and the winner gets a big push in the press.  Nineteen shows were in the running this year, but it came down to a top five including: One Tree Hill, Life Unexpected, Chuck, Better off Ted, and Parenthood.  Twitter support brought Heroes back into the running for the final vote, as well.  During the campaign, E!News decided to champion Chuck and lend that show some extra support to drum up votes.  The Daily 10, meanwhile, threw their support behind Life Unexpected.  The rest of the shows were on their own.  Still, when the votes were tallied on the official poll and on Twitter, the results broke down like so:

Official Poll:

  1. Chuck – 52% of the vote
  2. One Tree Hill – 20% of the vote
  3. Life Unexpected – 11% of the vote
  4. Heroes – 8% of the vote
  5. Better off Ted – 5% of the vote
  6. Parenthood – 4% of the vote

Twitter Mentions:

  1. Heroes – 36%
  2. One Tree Hill – 32%
  3. Chuck – 28%
  4. Life Unexpected – 2%
  5. Parenthood – 1%
  6. Better off Ted – 1%

Combining the two lists, the obvious top three are:  Chuck, One Tree Hill, and Heroes.  You’ll notice that One Tree Hill came in second place for votes as well as Twitter mentions.  What may not jump out at you right away, though, is that both Chuck and Heroes air on NBC – one of the “Big Three” networks.  And while The CW is now considered a network (and is owned by CBS), they do not bring in ratings comparable to the big three.  So, Chuck has 6.5 million viewers, and Heroes, once a ratings powerhouse, now brings in about 4 million viewers.  Conversely, One Tree Hill’s success in the poll came from its 2.5 million viewers – 4 million less than winner, Chuck.  Also of note:  One Tree Hill was on hiatus (and had been on hiatus for over a month) when this campaign began.  So, One Tree Hill had significantly less viewers, and was effectively “out of sight, out of mind,” but STILL managed to come in second place in both polls.

If I were a CW executive, I would take those numbers straight to my advertisers and point out that while One Tree Hill has a smaller audience by comparison, the fans are obviously devoted to the show, passionate, and involved in social networking – in other words, a marketing dream for advertisers hoping to push products on viewers.  (Raise your hand if you watch One Tree Hill and you’ve ever bought Sunkist!)

In case The CW needed any more proof that One Tree Hill fans are a force to be reckoned with, the fans have been busy campaigning for Season 8.  Christy-Anne, over at One Tree Hill Bugs, accepted fan donations to mail out uniform postcards on behalf of each fan who wanted to express their support to the network:

Meanwhile, fans took it upon themselves to start their own show-specific mailing campaign by sending thousands of basketballs to The CW, like Ali’s below:

The bottom line is this.  One Tree Hill has devoted fans who have stuck with this show for 7 years, through a major network change (from the WB to the CW between seasons three and four), numerous schedule changes, a four and a half year time jump, and even the loss of two original cast members after season six.  Any one of these things can cripple or end a show, but One Tree Hill has continued moving forward seamlessly, rewriting the playbook at every turn.

These fans, along with the creator, cast, and crew of One Tree Hill, deserve to see their show get its “happily ever after” ending – not to be dropped in the middle of developing storylines.  When it is time for One Tree Hill to end, fans should know about it before the last season even begins, so that the writers have time to give it the sendoff we have all earned.

“No matter where you go, or who you become, this place will always be with you. There is only one Tree Hill. And it’s your home.” – Karen Roe, “The Games That Play Us.”

Along with emailing The CW and voting in the various online polls, I’ve decided to lend my voice to the show I love via this blog.  So, if you’re a regular reader who doesn’t watch One Tree Hill, then I would first suggest adding season 1 to your Netflix queue post-haste, and second, bear with me as I have two more installments on the way.  I first wanted to address why The CW should keep One Tree Hill from a business standpoint.  In Part II, we can reminisce about why we love this show in the first place, and in Part III, discuss what we’d like to see happen before One Tree Hill eventually leaves the air.

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Posted in Editorial | 33 Comments »

Apr
22
2010

Farewell to the City and the Love of My Life

Seven years ago, I made my first trip to New York City when I was invited by some friends to attend the As the World Turns fan club luncheon with them. I wasn’t much of a traveler back then, but these gals bought me a ticket and begged me to join them, so I threw caution to the wind and headed north.

Since then, I have been to New York almost fifteen different times, and every time, I seem to love it just a little bit more, and find myself feeling more and more at home. This past weekend, I attended the final As the World Turns luncheon, saying “goodbye” to a show I’ve watched for a quarter of a century before it leaves the airwaves in September. (I bid a similar adieu to Guiding Light last October.) That made this trip feel like a farewell in many ways. For starters, these fan events have been the catalyst for my regular NYC trips for seven years, leaving me to wonder when I’ll visit the Big Apple again. In the larger sense, though, this trip carried the weight of the realization that I would be saying goodbye to some people that I may actually never see again, which is as appalling as it sounds.

Still, even with a bittersweet tinge marking this trip, I had a glorious time sharing the experience with dear friends.

My best friend, Jessica, along with her 8-year-old daughter, Thai, accompanied me on this trip. They had been planning one of their own, and we decided to lump our trips together in the interest of finances and fun. We set out for NYC on Friday morning, by way of a JetBlue flight from RIC to JFK. We made it into midtown Manhattan just after noon, dropped our bags off in the room, and set out on our first adventure to the Statue of Liberty.

First, we stopped by a street vendor for some hot dogs. I tend not to eat hot dogs, and I REALLY tend not to eat food that: was cooked outside, is currently outside, or is sold in a building where you can also buy motor oil. That being said, I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before, so I actually took a bite of one of Thai’s hot dogs – a New York City first for me. Jessica even had to ask for clarification, because she thought she was seeing things. (Later in the weekend, I took THREE bites of a pretzel from a food cart. I’m a wild woman, I tell you!)

Eating on the run like true New Yorkers, we headed for the Subway station to ride downtown. Thai enjoyed the experience immensely; first, for all the germ-laden surfaces she could touch immediately before adjusting the gum in her mouth; second, for trying to stand up while the subway was moving. Luckily, she stayed within catching distance.

Possibly due to the foggy skies or chilly weather, the ferry line for the Statue of Liberty was very short. We breezed right through security and braved the wind atop the boat for optimum views en route to Liberty Island.


This was my first time actually going over to Liberty Island. Previously, I have opted to ride the (free!) Staten Island Ferry to simply get a good view of the statue, but it is a nice experience to actually go over to the statue at least once.

When we returned to Battery Park, we hopped back on the subway and rode up to visit one of my favorite locations, Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Little Italy. I’ve been to Riverside Church on the Upper West Side and to Trinity at Wall Street, and while I suppose those are larger and more celebrated, they still do not outdo this place in my mind.

After leaving the cathedral, we proceeded to another hallowed location: Pinkberry.

I got a mix of plain and pomegranate yogurt and topped it off with strawberries, kiwi, and blackberries, pictured here in all its glory. Jessica and Thai both got chocolate yogurt with strawberries and fruity pebbles, and while they were enamored with the taste, it was the nastiest looking cup of stuff I have ever seen, so I will not be sharing those pictures.

When we left Pinkberry, we proceeded to walk through Little Italy and head down to Chinatown. Thai has a reading assignment coming up at school about Chinatown, so her teacher suggested taking her down there so she could report back to the class about what she saw. She was not overly excited about the prospect of doing something school-related on our trip, and she seemed even less interested in walking the necessary blocks. In fact, having seen enough of Chinatown to satisfy Thai’s teacher, we discovered Thai’s favorite New York City attraction – the taxi cab.

We took the cab to a place called S’Mac, which serves only macaroni and cheese – in other words, my mecca. The menu featured many different varieties, or you could build your own, and I didn’t even recognize all the cheeses listed. While my mind boggled at the possibilities, Jessica ordered a regular mac and cheese for Thai and cheeseburger macaroni for herself (pictured). I settled on the Four Cheese with Bacon.

That’s when things got interesting. We were seated at a table near the kitchen, and Jessica and Thai’s order came up first. The delay seemed longer than necessary between the arrival of their orders and mine, but I attributed that to my overwhelming hunger at that point. When my piping hot skillet arrived, I quickly grabbed a fork and dug in, but while I was still blowing on the first bite to cool it down, an older lady seated by the window got up, crossed the restaurant, and stole my skillet of mac and cheese right from under my nose (and my dangling fork that still held a bite full). I was in shock, and the waitress came over and explained that I had gotten that lady’s food and she got mine. She then asked if I wanted the skillet she was holding (which had come from the other lady’s table, as evidenced by the blanket of pepper on top and the gaping hole in the side where she had taken her first bite). I declined that generous offer and said I would wait for a new skillet. In the meantime, I finally ate the bite that was on my fork, which is probably the best bite of macaroni and cheese I have ever tasted. Only a few moments passed before the waitress returned and offered me a “new” skillet – still oddly covered with pepper and caved in on one side. This time, Jessica flagged the waitress down and pointed out that this skillet didn’t have bacon in it, which I had overlooked due to sheer astonishment and disbelief. What I really wanted to do was go punch that other lady in the face and take my skillet back with the magically delicious mac and cheese. I couldn’t do that, anyway, because after STEALING my food from me, she took one bite and then brought it back up to the counter and told them it was cold and she needed another. Unbelievable. I did eventually get my order, two bites into which, Thai asked if we were ready to leave. *blink*

After our candid camera experience in fine dining, we proceeded uptown to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka “The Met.” Jessica loves all things historical, and Thai seems to have picked up on the gene, so while they ooh’d and ahh’d over various old pieces of pottery and stone busts of various old dead people, I simply looked around for pretty stuff to photograph:

 

 

 

 

Given our early morning wake up time and our long day of travel, we were ready to head back to the hotel fairly early (by New York standards). We did linger around Times Square and let Thai take in all of the lights before passing out in the hotel.

On Saturday, our itineraries went two separate ways. Jessica and Thai went off on their own to take in the Empire State Building, the Museum of Natural History, and the Hayden Planetarium. They also did a little napping and a little shopping, which were NOT on the itinerary. Bloody insurrectionists.

Meanwhile, my friend Christina came in from Staten Island, and Terri flew in from South Carolina, and together, we went down to the ballroom (in our hotel) for the As the World Turns luncheon.

Having procured a script from the final episode of Guiding Light at the luncheon in October, I entered the raffle for an As the World Turns script as well. (The final episode hasn’t been filmed yet, so that script obviously wasn’t available.) I did end up winning one of the scripts, which will be quite welcome in my collection. After lunch, we were off to the meet and greet lines, and while I made the rounds, I figured I’d just post a few highlights.

First, this fellow from France, whose name I have already forgotten, was in NYC with his parents, who had flown him over for his birthday so he could attend the luncheon for the first time. As the World Turns, he said, is his favorite show. Here he is sporting an autograph from Eric Sheffer Stevens.

Since this was the final luncheon, several actors returned to see the fans even if they hadn’t been on the show in years. One of my old favorites, Peter Parros, was on hand and told me about his company, Ten Talents Productions, which produces comic books and a cartoon aimed at ministering to children. Another familiar face back to visit was Jon Prescott (pictured), who was only on ATWT for a short time, but made such a great impression on me years ago that I had to go and say hello to him again.

On the list of the most talented people I have ever had the pleasure to meet is Tom Pelphrey, and he was also on hand to greet the fans, even though he wrapped filming on ATWT months ago. His line was one of the most popular at the luncheon, and certainly with me. I cannot say enough good things about his acting (the man can make a simple play reading riveting) and he has one of those infectious personalities that is a joy to be around. The incredible success that he has had during his very short career so far tells me that the whole world will know his name one day.

On the topic of talented youngsters, let’s go even younger (I’m a cougar now, apparently) and mention Mick Hazen, who seemed like such a little boy just a few years ago, and suddenly he turned 17 and shot up to six feet, three inches tall! More importantly, he’s a wonderful actor, and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of him after college. No matter how tall he gets, he’ll always be sweet little Parker Munson Snyder to me. I resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks like an old lady.

After the luncheon, I walked over to Latitude Bar & Grill to participate in another grand tradition: Martinis With Henry. I was fortunate enough to be present when this tradition was born, and it has grown to a much bigger group over the years. Trent Dawson (the “Henry” of Martinis with Henry) has always and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope my next trip to NYC will be to see him tearing it up on Broadway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After reuniting our group at the hotel, we headed out once again to visit the Top of the Rock. Great view and that light room is fantastic.

Afterward, we walked across the street to Rockefeller Center so Thai could check out the ice skating rink.

By then, it was time for me to part ways again so that I could head down to the Lower East Side to see Matthew Perryman Jones play at Rockwood Music Hall. I was a little tentative about hopping on a subway alone and going to a part of New York I was entirely unfamiliar with at 10:00 at night, but the inducement was strong enough, and partly I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

When I made it down to 2nd Avenue, and walked up the stairs out of the subway station toward the street lights and graffiti, I almost ran smack into Jon Prescott. We laughed at the coincidence – New York City is such a big place in a very small world. He remembered from our earlier conversation that I was headed to the show, so he pointed me in the right direction. I found the line of people waiting to go inside the Rockwood and waited with them for a few minutes. The act before was finishing up, and when he did, enough people exited the hall to allow those of us on the street to get inside. I found a seat at a table against the wall (I don’t like standing in the midst of a big crowd), and shortly my table was filled with strangers, all there for the same reason as me. The guy next to me initiated conversation, and it took only minutes for us to discover that we had a lot of common musical interests. Then, no one could shut us up! We talked in detail about Derek Webb and Caedmon’s Call (whose drummer, Todd Bragg, is touring with Matthew Perryman Jones) and we even tossed some music suggestions back and forth.

Watching Matthew Perryman Jones perform (and he is fantastic, by the way), the whole essence of the evening struck me. I was in New York City, having come downtown alone, sitting next to a fellow Caedmon’s Call buff, listening to one of my favorite artists perform just a few feet from me. It is hard to explain the emotion of a moment like that, but it was beautiful.

I was in such great spirits that I forgot I was taking a different train back, so I hopped off one stop too early and, weighing my options, decided to just enjoy the 14 blocks back to Times Square on foot.

Even though I was the last one in bed Saturday night, I still managed to wake up first on Sunday morning. (Anybody who knows me also knows how ridiculous that is.) With a chorus of snoring around me, I contemplated slipping out on my own again, but as I started to move around, I saw some signs of life, so I waited for Jess and Thai to get moving so we could head down to Central Park.

Thai was eager to ride a horse-drawn carriage, so we took the 45-minute tour of the park with a guide named Kevin and a horse named Beethoven.

When our ride was finished, we still had about an hour before we were supposed to meet Terri and Christina for lunch, so we decided to go to the Conservatory Gardens in Central Park, since we didn’t have time on Friday. I am glad we were able to fit that in, because the gardens were absolutely gorgeous, and this wasn’t even peak season!

Our group gathered together again to chow down on some delicious (and cheap!) pizza before heading to our matinee of Mamma Mia at the Winter Garden Theater. David Andrew MacDonald – once the evil villain, Edmund, on Guiding Light – was playing the much more affable role of Harry for Mamma Mia, so we were excited to see him on stage. The show itself was fantastic, and we all found ourselves singing and dancing along. Of course, there was plenty cause for laughter, too. Broadway is the only place on earth where platform boots and spandex can add up to a good time!

After the show, we waited at the stage door in the hopes of saying hello to David. He was the first one out the door and as charming as ever. We talked to him and he signed our playbills and posed for a picture.

Thai was more excited by that than we originally anticipated, and she wanted to hang around and see who else might come out from the show. We were happy to oblige her, and she got more pictures and signatures from Mamma Mia’s “Tanya” and “Sophie.”

From there, we had to say goodbye to Christina, because she had to get back home to return to work the next day. She headed down to Battery Park to catch the ferry home, and the rest of us were Brooklyn-bound.

We made it to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade just as the sun was setting, and were able to enjoy the view (and take some photos) as the sky got darker and the lights got brighter.

We hopped on the subway again, but this time Terri and I left Jessica and Thai behind as we transferred trains to go back downtown to the Rockwood Music Hall again. They have recently built a new space next door to the original hall, and refer to it as “Stage 2.” In a brilliant stroke of luck, Wakey!Wakey! was playing there Sunday night! Terri opted to come along, although she had never heard any of their music before. We weren’t sure how our music tastes would line up, but I appreciated the company all the same, and just hoped that she’d enjoy the show.

When we walked in the door, the first person I saw was Mike Grubbs, lead singer of Wakey!Wakey! (and bonus: Bartender “Grubbsy” from One Tree Hill). I am pretty sure the combination of those two things made me a little too giddy, but he obliged me with a photo and we talked a bit. I related how I’d fallen in love with their music upon hearing “War Sweater,” and then when he popped up in a recurring role on One Tree Hill, that was the icing on the cake for me.

We settled in for the show – again, mere feet from the stage. Two songs in, I looked back at Terri to gauge if she was enjoying herself and she nodded yes. Meanwhile, I was over the moon! It is disappointing when you love an artist and then you go to a show and realize that what you really loved was the miracle-working producer who put the album together. In this case, though, it was quite the opposite. I’ve been a fan of the music for quite a while, but seeing them live was – wow – spectacular!

The whole band played most of the show, and Grubbs did a few songs on his own as well. Rosi Golan even joined him onstage for a rendition of “Blame You.” When the whole band was playing, I was quite taken with the violinist, Patrick. Amazing!!

Somewhere around the middle of the show – and I don’t even remember what song was playing – Terri tapped me on the shoulder. When I turned around, she was grinning and giving me a big thumbs up! Needless to say, Wakey!Wakey! has a new fan, and since Terri asked me, “Man, what did I miss last night?!” – she’s probably home looking up Matthew Perryman Jones as well. We both talked to Mike Grubbs again after the show, and then I got to meet the band’s manager, Wesley, which was a delight after having corresponded sporadically on Twitter.

Monday morning, we all slept in, but still woke up exhausted. There wasn’t much on Monday’s schedule for that very reason. Terri was meeting another friend for breakfast, so Jessica, Thai, and I walked around Times Square some more, hitting the Hershey store and the M&M store, much to Thai’s delight.

We had lunch at Junior’s (and packed our cheesecake in our purses to go), met Terri at the hotel for the goodbyes, and jumped in a cab back to the airport.

The cheesecake never made it out of the city, since we ate that while we waited at our gate, but before long, we were on a plane headed back to Virginia.

Thai certainly seemed to enjoy her first-ever trip to New York City, and I can only hope that, like me, she finds something new to love about it every time she goes from now on. For my part, I am sure I will find another reason to go back to the Big City soon enough – you can bet I’ll be keeping a keen eye on the schedule down at Rockwood Music Hall!

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Posted in Music, Travel | 1 Comment »

Mar
10
2010

I Couldn’t Breathe Without Your Music In My Lungs

I marvel at those lists that boast the best songs or albums… of the year, of the decade, or of all time. I am equally fascinated every time someone posts a more personal list of their 10 favorite songs or their most influential albums. Just thinking about crafting a list of that sort is daunting enough to scare me away from it. I feel like my opinions on that change with every day, every mood, and every new album released. The only question I can answer with some certainty is “Who is your favorite artist?” and even then, it’s a three-way tie between Derek Webb, Ryan Adams, and Levi Weaver.

There are songs that I will always love for various reasons. I’d never scroll past a radio station playing “She’d Give Anything” (Boy Howdy) because it brings a surge of memories, and quite frankly, I still relate to it. But I also couldn’t really name one other song that group ever did – and I probably wouldn’t want to! On the other end of the musical spectrum, there are songs like “Paris is Burning” by St. Vincent, which – while I have no emotional attachment to it whatsoever – awes me every time I hear it. That song is a work of art – a masterpiece, actually. But it doesn’t hold a piece of my heart like that cheesy country song from 1994.

Then, there are songs that are my favorites for a day, a week, or a month, and then I move on. I get stuck on songs like “Daughters of the Soho Riots” (The National) or “I and Love and You” (The Avett Brothers) and listen to them on repeat until they are branded on my soul. But catch me one Friday afternoon in the summer on the open road with the windows down, and I just might be rocking out to Fall Out Boy. When I’m 90 and in the nursing home, I’m going to remember The National, but “Dance Dance”? Probably not.

I face this internal conflict about music. On the one hand, I savor music that is well-crafted, with atypical chord progressions and lyrics that slay me. On the other, I can and will rock out like a 12-year-old when I hear the New Kids on the Block, and I pity the fool standing between me and the dance floor if the DJ plays “You Shook Me All Night Long.” It’s like I have Multiple Musical Personality Disorder. And I make no apologies for it.

Thankfully, I have a lot of friends who are the same way, and we float recommendations back and forth to great effect. Word of mouth is the new way to discover music, since radio is on life-support and desperately waiting for someone to put it out of its misery. I’ve also discovered quite a few artists thanks to music supervisor Lindsay Wolfington and music-loving show creator Mark Schwahn over at One Tree Hill, who are responsible for introducing me to the likes of Trespassers William, Lucero, Wakey!Wakey! and others, as well as causing me to give a little more play to music legends like The Cure or Led Zeppelin.

So, despite my ever-changing, ever-growing musical catalogue, I decided to attempt to satiate the masses (heh.) by discussing some artists, albums, or songs that have either had a profound impact on me, or that represent an era in my life.

Let me begin by saying that I grew up on country music. And when I say “grew up on,” the truth is that I’m not sure I even knew that any other kind of music existed. When people talked about “the King,” I figured that must surely be George Strait. I don’t regret that upbringing by any means. Even though country music crashed into Shania Twain mountain long ago, some of it still holds a special place in my heart. For example, Clint Black was my first crush (not counting He-Man) in his tight jeans (why, Clint?), his blazer, his black cowboy hat, and that grin. I still think he is adorable to this day. My favorite artist growing up, though, was The Judds. They provided the soundtrack to my childhood, and I still love listening to them. I have every album they ever made, but back when all I had was two Judds’ cassettes (Love Can Build a Bridge and River of Time), my Mom had the Greatest Hits on vinyl. Anytime I was left home alone as a child, I’d slip down to the record-player and crank this album up while I sang along and danced around the living room. When I was 10, Naomi got sick and The Judds came down to just Wynonna. Her solo album was the first CD I ever owned, given to me on my birthday along with a “boom box” that still resides somewhere in the dark depths of my closet. And since not many pre-teens can afford to expand their record collections too much, this album is about all I listened to for years. I loved every beat of it. I still think Wynonna is one tough broad with an amazing voice. And lest I should ever be without a boots-clad, guitar-playing country boy to swoon over, I have Joe Nichols for that.

Then, about 15 years ago, my musical landscape changed forever. I related the story on my old blog of how I came to own the self-titled Caedmon’s Call cassette tape, which was my introduction to what would become my favorite band of all time. This album made me fall head over heels in love with music, and I have never looked back. That album followed into 40 Acres, which houses one of the contenders for my favorite song (“Somewhere North”) as well as the song responsible for my internet alter-ego, “Shifting Sand.” After the release of “Long Line of Leavers” in 2000, Caedmon’s Call lost a few of their key members – Aaron Tate and Derek Webb – to other projects. Unfortunately, Derek and Aaron were their chief songwriters, and without their well-crafted lyrics to drive the music, the band lost quite a bit of its luster in my eyes.

Three years later, I got the magic back when Derek Webb re-emerged with his first solo offering, “She Must and Shall Go Free.” To me, it packed a punch akin to Luther’s 95 Theses, and Derek has not stopped convicting and infuriating the Christian community since. No matter what anyone says about Derek Webb, though, he stands by his convictions and backs them up with the way he lives his life. So, even if I don’t always agree with him, I can always respect him. Luckily, we tend to agree. I had the great privilege of meeting Derek Webb several years back, and since then, I’ve scarcely missed a show within a reasonable driving distance, and I find that I enjoy hearing what he has to say as much as listening to his songs.

Of course, I listened to more in my teen and college years than just Derek Webb and Caedmon’s Call (though that certainly captured the majority of my attention). Alanis Morissette got me through the angst with “Jagged Little Pill,” which was certainly a departure from my usual musical style, but a great album is a great album and THAT was a great album. To carry on with my country background, I left the Dixie Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” in my CD player for probably a year, and even if I live to be 200 years old, I’ll probably still know that album from beginning to end. And like any good teenager of the 90s, I had to participate in the great debate: ‘NSYNC or BSB? I sided with the Backstreet Boys and collected EVERYTHING – carefully-clipped magazine articles, posters covering 90% of my bedroom walls, CDs shaped like their heads (which you probably didn’t know existed, did you?), and VHS tapes of concerts that I watched over and over again with my cousin, Tracey. She loved Brian and I loved AJ. I kind of still have an AJ poster on the wall in my office at home, but I swear, I’ve been thinking about taking it down. For some weightier subject matter, I had Jennifer Knapp’s Kansas, which remains a favorite album of mine to this day.

Over the course of college, I stopped hearing any new music that I liked, because the radio certainly wasn’t playing it, and I didn’t really know where to get it. I also had some trying times in college, where I listened to Alison Krauss non-stop in my car as if the engine wouldn’t run otherwise. At a certain point, I wasn’t listening to music much at all, because there was nothing to compel me or excite me or awaken that part of me anymore.

Then one day, something happened that changed my life as much if not more than that Caedmon’s Call cassette had ten years earlier….

I created a MySpace profile. I know what you’re thinking. MySpace is basically a joke now (although I am thinking of returning there post-haste if they can promise no Farmville or Mafia Wars), but there was a time when MySpace was the hub of the internet and, for all its faults, it created the opportunity for independent artists to network and connect with fans that would never hear their songs played on the radio or stumble into one of their shows. The down side was that anyone who thought they had talent could put their music out there to the masses, and it became tedious trying to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Before the random friend requests became overwhelming, though, and MySpace was still quite new to me, I got a request to become “friends” with an England-based musician by the name of Levi Weaver. I clicked over to his page out of curiosity and immediately connected to the music that I heard. The lyrics were brilliant – with depth and authenticity – and the sound drew me in completely. Beyond that, I gave the profile a once-over and the bio impressed me enough that I decided to message Mr. Weaver and let him know that he had a new fan in me.

To my surprise, I received a fast response from Levi, despite the fact that it was well past midnight in England at the time. I’m not sure I can trace the progression from there, but suffice it to say we have become friends over the years, and music or not, I feel blessed to know him. Luckily for all of us, he has continued to produce one amazing song after the other with no signs of slowing down. So, I am grateful to be along for the ride, and because I pity the people who have not been introduced to his music, I try to spread the word at any opportunity.

(To wit, you can actually go HERE and subscribe to the new album AND get your hands on the rest of his catalog for one very small lump sum. Support independent artists, people!)

Discovering Levi’s music was enough to reawaken my slumbering zeal for the arts, but it didn’t stop there, because Levi proceeded to turn me on to the third member of my musical trifecta – Ryan Adams.

While I have specific (heart-warming!) stories to relate about Derek Webb and Levi Weaver, I have no such anecdote for Ryan Adams. I’ve never met him, and can boast only having been within about 20 or 30 feet of him at concerts. All I know is that once I got a small taste of his music, I could not stop listening until I had heard it all. And hearing it “all” is no small feat when you’re talking about a musical genius the likes of Ryan Adams, who gained renown for cranking out music faster than his fans could listen to it. Since I arrived at the party about a decade late (when you count his earlier Whiskeytown recordings), I had a lot of catching up to do. I started with a few selected songs that spanned the years, and then rushed out to get his latest release at the time, “Easy Tiger.” I loved it and it sent me into a frenzy collecting the other albums – albums that even surpassed what I had already heard. “Heartbreaker” (possibly his most acclaimed album), “Cold Roses,” and “Love Is Hell,” to name a few, are filled with amazing melodies, lyrics, and emotions. Much of his music was never officially released through a label, and came through Adams himself as he released the music online directly to fans – and the songs are by no means second rate! My favorite studio album, though, is “Gold.” The title may imply that it is some kind of “best of” collection, but it’s not – it’s an original album that houses several of my favorite Ryan Adams’ songs, like “The Rescue Blues” and “New York, New York.” While a lot of his music tends toward the melancholy, the content of “Gold” seems a bit lighter when compared to some of his other fare. It also contains the widely-covered song, “When the Stars Go Blue,” which shines best through the voice of its author. (And I can only hope that Ryan Adams got a LOT of money from Tim McGraw’s cover version, because that has got to be the most tragic thing to happen to a song in my lifetime.)

As my friend and office-mate, Kelli, will tell you, there are some days that I just do not function on anything other than Ryan Adams. Luckily, she also has a great appreciation for his music, so she doesn’t mind, and I dare say she’s had a few of those “Ryan Adams Days” herself. Sadly, Ryan Adams is on an indefinite “break” from making music (though he has been producing books of prose with about as much regularly as he did his music), but I am banking on the notion that a consummate musician like him will not be able to help but make more music as time wears on. If not, I take comfort in knowing that I have a tremendous catalog of his music that I can and will listen to until the end of time.

This blog has run a bit lengthy, even by my verbose standards, so while I could probably go on forever discussing this topic, I will leave you off by rounding out my top five favorite artists for you. Coming in at number four is Josh Ritter, who honestly took a while to grow on me. That recommendation came through Levi, as well, and though I was immediately taken by some of Ritter’s lyrics, I wasn’t sold on the sound, and I was ready to throw in the towel. Levi challenged me to press on, and I did – thank goodness I did! Ritter’s voice grew on me, and his lyrics have kept me coming back for more. (Lyrics always get me.) Critics say that Josh Ritter gets better with each album, which I do not doubt and am eagerly looking forward to his next release in May after a LONG wait, but while I think both “The Animal Years” and “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter” are epic albums, I stand by my favorite Josh Ritter album, “Hello Starling.” My favorite tunes on that album are “Kathleen” and “Snow is Gone.” Check it out.

My number 5 choice came through Levi in a way, though in this case he is the one that needs to see the light and embrace this artist. Through the marvel of the internet, and the mutual connection to Levi, I have gotten to know Mel, who is always ready to share her musical discoveries (and she has a keen ear for them). So, she is the one who introduced me to Patty Griffin, and oh, what a gift that has been. It is hard to single out one Patty Griffin album, because they are all filled with her rich, soulful style and there are plenty of songs to treasure. For the sake of this exercise, I am going to mention “Impossible Dream” because it contains my favorite Patty Griffin song (which also happens to be the one that most easily slays me), “Useless Desires.”

What are some of your favorite artists or songs or styles? I am interested to know. And if you want to talk even more about music, you know where to find me and I am always up to the task! If you’re just hearing about any of the acts I mentioned above, then you have some rewarding work ahead of you checking them all out!

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Nov
11
2009

Tonight We Sorta Kinda Tore the Lines Up

I fell in love with Tyler Hilton about the same time I wanted to crawl inside my TV screen and kick the crap out of Chris Keller.  I am referring, of course, to Tyler’s guest stint on One Tree Hill, playing the egomaniacal, sarcastic, playboy jerk of a musician who talked about himself in the third person.  He caused destruction in his wake all over town and then strolled off down the beach in the moonlight.  I enjoyed that character most when somebody was giving him a much-deserved punch in the face, but I was still sad to see him go.

After getting formally introduced to Tyler via One Tree Hill, I realized that I had seen him before – he also played Elvis in the mega-blockbuster Walk the Line.  (You may also recognize him from Charlie Bartlett.)  Hopefully, whether or not you’ve seen his face on the big or small screen, you’ve at least heard his voice, which is svelte (like buttah) with enough gravel to be dead sexy.

Tyler is a hot topic in our office (really hot. heh.) since Kelli and I like to crank up his tunes and swoon.  Kelli has always been particularly smitten with him.  I mean – she even loved Chris Keller, and as our friend Melissa put it, “Nobody loves Chris Keller.  Except Chris Keller.”

You may recall that Kelli and I attempted to go see Tyler in concert back in the summer, when he was set to tour with Better Than Ezra.  We were on the ball with getting tickets and booking a hotel down in Norfolk for the weekend, only to learn that Tyler had to drop off the tour.  Since then, we’ve been biding our time, knowing that eventually a new tour would come.

What we never imagined was that Tyler Hilton would book one solitary show in the midst of finishing his next album, and that said show would take place – not in New York City, not in L.A., not even in Wilmington – but in Lynchburg, VA.

It seemed too good to be true, so we spent a good deal of time flipping between the Facebook event and Tyler’s website, trying to determine if it was just a cruel practical joke.  Even with tickets in hand, it seemed unreal.  Finally, that great beacon of hope and purveyor of truth, Twitter, confirmed it all when Tyler tweeted:  “Let’s get ready to fly to Virginia!  Lynchburg…I’m coming for you.”

Kelli and I had talked about making t-shirts for the occasion since the first Tyler-show-that-wasn’t, so I worked on a few designs.  Kelli suggested doing “Team Nathan” and “Team Chris” shirts (you can guess who would wear which one), so I designed this:

With a great Chris-pertinent Nathan Scott quote on the back:

Ultimately, Kelli decided against the t-shirt idea, so it didn’t really make sense for me to do the “Team” thing alone.  Hence, I opted for this design (and I put the “Tyler Hilton” on the back with the infamous Chris Keller quote, “Chris Keller’s work here is done.”)

Kelli and I followed Tyler’s tweets with great interest once he got into town.  We could gather that he was staying downtown (and it’s not like there are a lot of options to choose from, but we’re not stalkers or anything).  It did just so happen that we were spending the day downtown at one of our favorite places, The Parlor Spa, getting facials, pedicures, and massages in celebration of Kelli’s birthday (which was a few weeks ago).  We did send Tyler a Twitter invitation to come down to the spa, but alas, he was a no-show.

After we left the spa, we each went home to wash all the oils off, and then we met back up and went to pick up the third member of our merry party – another OTH-watcher and Chris Keller-hater, Melissa.

We arrived at Lynchburg College quite early, to make sure that we were the first ones in line.  Arriving at the same time was a college student from Roanoke named Ali, so we were happy to welcome her into our group:

We waited and waited…and waited.  The doors opened promptly at 6:30 (small miracles, people) and we trucked right on over to the front of the stage.  Front.  And.  Center.

The opening act was a local(ish) musician named Dane Ferguson, who was entertaining and personable.  This seems like a good place to interject that I hate it (HAAAATE IT) when people yammer through the opening act (or any act, for that matter).  I get annoyed when people talk through movies, too, but at least then, the actors can’t hear you being rude and disrespectful.  Not so for musicians.  But ANYWAY.  Dane played a good set and got the audience to (shut up long enough to) sing along with a few covers along the way.  I could see the set list from where I was standing, and had jokingly said, “Hey, you skipped a few!” when he played the songs out of order.  Shortly thereafter, a young girl tapped me on the shoulder to ask if “She Knows” was on the playlist.  It wasn’t, and she looked heart-broken about it.  It turns out she was his sister, and so we all threw our lot in with her to request it.  He did not seem keen on the idea (you know every musician has at least one song they hate to play), but he acquiesced for his “baby sister.”  (Awwww.)

During the break after Dane left the stage, we realized that Tyler’s set list was also on stage, and if I leaned over juuuust far enough and snapped a photo at just the right angle, I could zoom in on my viewfinder to look at it.  Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Kelli’s favorite, “Missing You” – check!

My favorite, “When It Comes” – check!

And lots of other great songs, too.  He came out full throttle with “Tore the Line,” a song I’ve never been able to help singing and dancing along to whenever I hear it.  We were so close.  Like spit-range close.  A little too close for picture-taking, but great for viewing!  I did manage to snag some pretty decent pictures, anyway.

Tyler was very personable, joking with the crowd between songs and telling stories.  At one point, mid-story, he stopped suddenly and his eyes lit up with a big smile.  I realized from his gaze that he had spotted my shirt.  He laughed and said, “I like that!” and told the crowd that it said “Keller for President – nah, I’m just kidding, it doesn’t say that.”  I was beyond thrilled that he liked it – because, obviously, I made it in support of him, but also, I’m glad he still appreciates Chris Keller.  Probably 90% of the audience there knew about Chris Keller before they knew about Tyler Hilton, and he has managed to hang on to all those fans when he hasn’t been a Tree Hill regular for over four years, save a one-episode appearance in season 4 (which was still three years ago).  Then again, we OTH fans have always been intense about our music.

About midway through Tyler’s set, his band took a break and he pulled over a stool to play a few songs acoustically.  A girl yelled out “When the Stars Go Blue,” and he said he’d sing it if she came onstage to sing Joy’s part.  After a few moments of what I’m assuming was shock and disbelief, she pulled herself up onstage to sing the song.  She was in full freak-out mode – really excited – not that I blame her.  She was, however, the level of excited where she will probably be embarrassed to see any videos that her friends may have captured of the moment.  She first started looking out at the crowd, pleading, “What’s the first line?  What are the words?”  Kelli pointed at me and said, “You should direct all your Ryan Adams-related inquiries right over there.”  So, I slowly told her every line to the first verse, and she seemed grateful.  When the song was over, she wanted a picture, so Tyler handed her his other guitar and suggested they strike a pose:

Then, he sat back down on his stool and played a few more ballads, including Ali’s request, “I Believe in You.”  I was glad she asked for that one, because I do really love that song, and it wasn’t on his list.  It took him a few minutes of fidgeting and singing to the side of the mic before he found the right key.  I’m sure moments like that are terribly awkward for musicians, but I love them.  There’s a lot of value in a set list – those are the songs the band has actually practiced!  Especially in this instance, Tyler isn’t actually on tour, it was an isolated show, and he’s been in the studio for months on end recording new songs and certainly not singing the old ones.  Still, when an artist is willing to reveal the imperfections to play a special request, I admire them for it.  Once he found the right key, the song was perfect, anyway.

Melissa shared a few of her pictures with me, too, so you can see a different angle of Tyler!

When he finished up, he announced that he was going over to the merch table, so to come and say hello!  This was great news, since it meant we got to actually meet him – and I had something to give him, too.  While we were waiting in line, I saw Dane over to the side so I went to talk to him, to let him know I enjoyed his performance and that he should listen to his sister more often, because that song was great!

It didn’t take long to make it up to Tyler, and naturally he remembered me by my shirt, which he insisted on signing.  I obliged him, of course!

The event coordinators had put the kibosh on picture-taking.  We could take pictures as he was signing whatever, but no posed pictures (in order to keep the line moving).  Kelli told Tyler about the Norfolk show debacle, and he asked us to hang around for a bit until he got through the line.

We did, and I spent the time chatting with my old friend Amanda (who graduated high school with me and recently reconnected with me at Levi Weaver’s Lynchburg show).  She is also a big One Tree Hill and Tyler Hilton fan, and she had some friends along with her that were all very nice and funny.  Her hubby regaled me with tales of meeting Paul Johansson when they went down to Wilmington, and made me super jealous.  (I looooooove Evil Dan Scott.)

Before long, Tyler did come over, ready to chit chat and take photos.  Someone asked if he’d go back on OTH (because I’m pretty sure he’s got a standing invitation), and he said he’d definitely like to return for the finale, whenever that may be.  He said he loves going down and filming episodes, but when he goes, he gets so wrapped up in it that he doesn’t want to leave, and therefore he doesn’t do anything else (i.e. his primary career as a musician).  Hence why the last time Mark Schwahn invited him back on the show, he famously replied, “Chris Keller needs to focus on his music.”

We talked about Glee and “Bob’s Green Hut” (which was hilarious beyond what I can convey in a blog) and I told him he missed out on his massage.  He replied, “Oh!  Was that you?!” and lamented that he didn’t have time.  Putting two and two together, he asked, “So, which one of you tweeted that you were going to wash all the oils off to come to my show?”  Unfortunately *blush*, that was me.  (Of course it was me.)

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised with Mr. Hilton.  Not because I expected little from him, but because he delivered beyond my expectations.  He was funny and personable and his performance was off the charts.  The fact that he went above and beyond to hang around and talk to us and take pictures just sealed the deal.

I cannot wait for his new album to come out (because “So Young” has been in my head all week and I can’t actually LISTEN to it), and I hope to see him on tour again very soon.

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Nov
05
2009

Every Night is Another Story

I was always a big fan of Halloween as a kid.  My Mom is a whiz with a sewing machine (which seems to be the sole creative trait that I do NOT possess), so she made most of my childhood costumes, like this witch costume that was recycled through most of my family over the years:

Add to that, my flair for the dramatic, and Halloween was practically made for me.  I trick-or-treated well into my teen years (you wouldn’t have wanted me to send my little brother off alone, would you?), but I was much more interested in showing off my costume than eating the candy I received.

There aren’t quite as many opportunities to dress up as an adult.  This year, though, Jessica threw a Halloween party and gave me a great excuse to go all out for the occasion.  Kids get to dress up as their favorite Disney characters or action heroes, so I decided to dress up as one of my favorite characters:

One Tree Hill’s resident “Tutor Girl” Haley James Scott.  Of course, if I dressed in regular Haley clothing and went around correcting everyone’s grammar all night, I probably would not be easily distinguished from my every-day-self.  So, I elected to go with Haley’s cheerleader look (circa season 4).

So, I enlisted Mom’s help yet again to turn me into a bona fide Tree Hill Raven.

I put on my tattoo (I’ll not be posting that here on the world wide web, but trust me, it was there).  I’ll let you see the “R” I put on my face, though. 

I designed myself a snazzy “Tutor Girl” notebook (and even put some official things inside, for authenticity’s sake):

Since I was dressing up as a 17-year old, I figured I better bring her fake ID to the party, so I recreated that in Photoshop.  I also made a replica of Haley’s Cracker Jack bracelet, so it would be clear that I was a particular Ravens cheerleader.  Kelli’s cousin in NC provided the perfect blue and white pom-poms.  And I donned a wedding ring, too, of course.

So, after a great deal of planning, a lot of Mom’s sewing and me adding the ribboned-details (thank you, stitch-witchery), I was very pleased with the end result:

There was only one small detail that I had to do without.  The real Haley, you see, has a hot husband to cheer for:

But, as they say, “The Show Must Go On.”

The party was a blast, and there were lots of great costumes represented.  First, our lovely host Jessica went all out with a 1920s era Flapper costume.  She looked hawt.

Her daughter, Thai, dressed up like Cleopatra, and was pleased to be “older” than her Mom for the night.

Brandon, or “Bubba” as he is more affectionately termed, was a very affable convict.

His girlfriend Eleanor, was apparently the officer assigned to his case, ready to keep him in line by all necessary means:

Lenard could be spotted sporadically sporting his gorilla costume, but it was a little hot in there!

B.J. donned a Strawberry Shortcake costume, and I called her Strawberry Short-skirt all night.

Here’s our pre-party girl-group photo.

Even Jessica’s dog, Molly, got in on the costume action.  Her costume took only a little more fabric to make than B.J.’s.

Soon, guests started to arrive, including Kelli, aka The Wicked Witch of the West:

Jessa arrived as a very cute Alice in Wonderland:

And she set her sights on Hugh Hefner (Jessica’s Dad):

Some of the other great costumes that dropped in through the evening included…

Shrek and Fiona (Tristan and Michelle, I think):

And a football player and referee combo (Steven and Mary):

The kids had their own party in the basement…

…While the adults carried on upstairs.

A great time was had by all!

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Aug
19
2009

It’s Only Gonna Make You Love Me More

Monday was my birthday.  Sorry if you missed the momentous occasion!

I have become known for going over the top with my birthday celebrations, but you only go ‘round once, after all, and my birthday is the one day during the year when I can legitimately expect the world to revolve around me.  My wonderful friends are great about indulging me during this time of the year, and since August is the only month without a significant national holiday, everyone needs a good reason to celebrate, right?

I’m not even really finished celebrating yet (there are only so many hours in the day), but so far I have enjoyed an evening at the spa (Jessica’s gift to me), a short visit to Richmond to see Tracey and Adam (who took me to the Cheesecake Factory!), a lunch with my two best friends, a party at my apartment, and a full day of wearing a plastic “Happy Birthday” tiara, which secured many hallway greetings from friends and strangers alike!

Most notably, this year’s celebration included a very special birthday trip to Wilmington, NC.  The trip was Kelli’s idea and then our pretty fantastic bosses helped bring it to fruition the first weekend in August.

Wilmington is a beautiful place for anyone to visit, but our trip had an extra incentive.  Wilmington is the home of Screen Gems studios, where over 500 movies have been filmed, in addition to several TV shows like Dawson’s Creek, and – most importantly! – One Tree Hill.

The following recaps some of the places we saw on the trip, paired with screencaps from the show for reference.  You can probably tell the difference between pictures I took and the screencaps, because — well — there aren’t any people in the pictures that I took, aside from a few appearances by Kelli and myself.

(I guess this is where I should say *spoiler alert* — I mean, I didn’t give away the whole plot or anything, but spoiler-free purists should probably beware.)

We drove down armed with a long list of locations to visit, not the least of which included a tour of the studio itself.  While we waited for the tour to begin, we entertained ourselves by looking around the building, where we saw the Tree Hill Police car, and took photos in front of the One Tree Hill sign.

The tour itself was fun and informative.  Photos were not allowed inside the sets (a rule from the CW), and they were “hot” sets (i.e. already prepared for filming), so we were told not to touch anything.  We toured three sets, starting with Lucas’ house (Peyton’s Comet was parked outside), then moving on to the TRIC Office set (which is not inside the physical location of TRIC in downtown Wilmington), and ultimately to Brooke’s house set, which Kelli and I were both ready to move into because it is so beautiful.  Since we couldn’t do pictures, I just put together screen caps so you can get the general idea:

It was great to see a set that’s been in use since season one.  And yes, the bullet hole is there.  I checked.

The TRIC office set was really awesome.  The art department for One Tree Hill is no joke.  Even up close, the brick and the steel beams in the ceiling looked very real, when in fact, they’re all made of wood, allowing them to take down or set up the ENTIRE set in 20 minutes or less.  I loved the stained glass behind Peyton’s desk, and her albums on the wall.  There were also CDs sitting everywhere on set, just as you’d expect.  It struck me how small Peyton’s desk looked compared to how it appears on screen.  It’s amazing what camera angles can do!  The piano and sound board in the studio are the real deal, though.

Brooke’s house was a beautiful set!  Once again, the art department gets kudos for making wood look like marble in Brooke’s kitchen.  We were able to see the living room (very small!), both bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen.  (The stairs, as you might guess, don’t actually go anywhere.)  Our tour guide opened up Brooke’s fridge and cabinets to show us the contents.  She explained the types of product placement – one is contractual (Sunkist, anyone?), and the other is simply from companies who send a box of peanut butter, etc., hoping they’ll use it to dress the sets.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.

The rest of our time in Wilmington was spent driving around to various other filming locations to snap photos of familiar and iconic places.  Perhaps the most emblematic of them all is the River Court.  Season one started on the River Court and barely an episode has passed over the years that has not featured it in some way.  For my part, anytime Lucas and Nathan face off on the River Court – as friends or foes – is a great moment in my book.

The names from the season 4 finale have completed faded away, but I could still see the faint outline of The Cure lyrics that Peyton painted across the court in season 5:

Here’s Kelli on the River Court bleachers:

The basketball posts and the light poles on both sides of the court were filled with messages from fans all over the world.  They were all fairly recent, so I imagine they are painted over often for filming purposes.  I took some photos, but did not have a marker on me to contribute!  I’ll just throw my lot in with the “Always and Forever” folks.

On the opposite side of the river is the downtown River Walk, which has also been featured many times and is a staple of the show as well as the town of Wilmington.

My greatest interest in the River Walk were these little tables!  I think it’s safe to say that this scene, in the third episode of season 1 (“Are You True?”), is the episode that hooked me on One Tree Hill, and the beginning of the story that has kept me coming back through six seasons.  (Always and forever, indeed.)

We also saw several of the houses that have been used for exterior shots on the show.  Most of them are privately owned, so we did not want to get too close or linger too long.  Even so, I got a few pictures, and a few of the houses were for sale and vacant, so I got a closer look at those.

Peyton’s House

I think more trauma has gone down in this house than in any other Tree Hill location.  Poor Peyton.

The Scott House

I couldn’t get a view of the basketball hoop, but I’m sure it’s back there!

Naley’s House

This is one of the ones that was for sale!  Conveniently also one that I most wanted to see.

Lucas and Karen’s House

Lots of weighty conversations have taken place on that porch.

Jake’s Savannah House  (not actually in Savannah, obviously)

Haley’s House

I should have stayed there.  Perhaps James Lafferty would have eventually shown up and kissed me.  (Heh.)

Brooke’s House  (Felix and Anna’s house was, in fact, next door.)

“The girl behind the red door.”

Whitey’s House

I *love* Whitey and the sage wisdom (and crotchety old man attitude) that he brings to the show.  A lot of great advice has been dispensed from a rocking chair on his porch.

Naley’s Apartment Building

We didn’t see much of the outside of Nathan and Haley’s apartment, but this is it:

The community college in Wilmington doubles as Tree Hill High School, and here is the courtyard and walkways often featured on the show.

Who doesn’t love Keith Scott’s Body Shop?

Dan and Carrie faced off here – and Dan won.  Because he is awesome with a side of evil.

Kelli and I actually stopped in this diner for lunch and only realized later that it, too, has been used on the show.  Samantha and Jack frequented this diner in season 6, and Kelli and I sat right about where Peyton and Julian are sitting in the picture below.  I would like to think that Kelli was sitting there in Julian’s spot.  I know she’d like that.  (And for the record, we shared a ham sandwich, and it was gooood.)

This church and day school combo served as the same on the show.  Keith had a bit of a rough day here in season 2 (as did Nathan, and Jules, and Lucas, and Karen, and wellll…everybody else besides Dan), and then in season 5, Jamie went to school here.

Some emotional conversations (of the one-sided and two-sided variety) have happened in this cemetery.  The grave markers used on the show are not permanent fixtures – they are only set up as needed for filming. 

I think we all remember what happened at this mall.  But I try to focus on the Pretzel Stand aspect, myself.

Remember the boy draft dates?  Mouth and Peyton had a wild night here with Mouth’s grandpa.

I think this was one of Kelli’s favorite stops, seeing as it was home base to her all-time favorite Tree Hill resident, the infamous Chris Keller (aka Tyler Hilton).  It’s also the Record Shop where show creator Mark Schwahn put in some guest appearances over the years.  Since Tyler didn’t really make any of these photos, I made a little something just for Kelli that I’ll thrown in right here, too.

This church was the location used for most of One Tree Hill’s memorable 100th episode.  I don’t think this was anybody’s favorite day either – except for maybe the fans!  This episode is one of my favorites.

“You should have your mail forwarded here.  Did they give you the same cell as last time?”   “I don’t know.  They redecorated.”   Ah, the Tree Hill Police Station.

 This was on our location list, but we hadn’t planned to go see EVERYTHING, and this was kind of in the “insignificant places” category.  That is, until we realized that it was right next to our hotel!  They tried to make Deb go to rehab, and she said no, no, no… and tried to escape.

This show-owned store in downtown Wilmington has also been a part of One Tree Hill since season 1.  Back then, it was Karen’s Café, and now, it’s the store-front of Brooke’s Clothes Over Bros store.  (The “Jammin’ Java” across the street served as Karen’s Café in the pilot episode.) 

This is the bridge from the show’s title sequence in seasons 1-4.  It’s also been used for other scenes in the show, as seen below.

TRIC is another show-owned building in downtown Wilmington.  This warehouse has seen a lot of great acts come through Tree Hill!  The Wreckers, Jimmy Eat World, The Honorary Title, Fall Out Boy, and so on.  Apparently we’re in for another live performance in the early episodes of season 7!

While we were doing our One Tree Hill tour, we covered a lot of tourist attractions by default, and were led to a few other pretty places that the average tourist may have missed.

For one, the Hugh McRae Park probably isn’t high on the tourism list, but it was a beautiful area.  The ducks were very excited to see us, and followed Kelli around the park until they realized she didn’t have any food for them.  This park has been used a few times on the show.  Dan and Keith took a stroll down memory lane that did not end very well in Season 3, and Peyton and Skills had a heart-to-heart in this park before Jamie’s 5th birthday party.

The Airlie Gardens are in Wilmington, and they’ve played host to quite a few TV shows and films because their grounds are beautiful.  Kelli took a liking to this bottle statue at the beginning of our path:

We walked for a while through a series of beautiful trees and then found our primary destination – the Pergola.  The grassy area, walkway, and fountain constituted part of Andy’s yard in Season 2 of One Tree Hill, and Karen and Andy watched the meteor shower at the edge of the water.  This scene should also be familiar to fans of Dawson’s Creek.

As we circled around the rest of the gardens (I think it was about a mile walk, if memory serves), we spotted this view that looked distinctly like part of “Dawson’s Creek” –

We drove down the coastline, headed to Fort Fisher beach, and encountered a major thunderstorm.  The rain was pouring down, and we were losing hope of actually getting to see the location down on the beach.  But, about 2 minutes before we reached our destination, we drove out of the rain into a beautiful day!  We found some public parking and a public access area to get to the beach.  When we walked out onto the beach, we were looking for a very specific spot.  Eagle Eye Kelli looked down the beach to our right and said “Over there!”  We walked down the beach and climbed up the rocks to take some pictures of this beautiful wedding location.  For my part, I loved seeing the woods, next to the rocks, next to the sand, next to the beach.  Usually I find beach photographs a little one-note and boring, but I can definitely see why the location scouts chose this area for filming.  It was truly magnificent, and Kelli and I got in a nice stroll along the beach in the process!

We drove back through more rain and had lunch at a great little restaurant (what was it called, Kelli?) while another storm passed over Wilmington.  The rapid weather changes created some beautiful effects in the sky.  Pictures never do justice to that kind of thing, but here’s one through-the-windshield shot that attempts to capture the moment:

Another Tree Hill wedding took place at Greenfield Lake, which spans a huge area in Wilmington.  We were fortunate enough to happen upon the right spot without too much driving around – I credit my eagle-eyed companion once again, who spotted the bridge we were looking for over the water.

We had to get adventurous going out to Orton Plantation.  The heavy rains from earlier in the day had us four-wheeling through the mud and gravel road leading up to the plantation.  Running along one side of that road was a creek full of alligators.  I refused to glance to the side, but Kelli inadvertently saw quite a few of them poking their heads up.  Fortunately, we saw them on our way OUT of the plantation – otherwise, we might never have gotten out of the car.

The lady in the visitor’s center/ticket office gave us a brief rundown of the plantation, and provided us with a list (several pages long) that talked about various movies and TV shows that had used the plantation for filming.  The listing for One Tree Hill, unfortunately, was not entirely accurate, but it did point us to the house where they filmed the interior shots of the beach house when “MURDERER” was written on the wall:

We also saw (and were able to go inside) the chapel used in “A Walk to Remember” – Kelli and I both loved that movie back in the day.

The lady in the visitor’s center provided us with bug spray, but it either did nothing to actually deter the bugs, or there were just a freaking LOT of mosquitoes and such hanging around.  For that reason, we cut our tour a bit short, but we were able to get the general idea.  I even climbed up in the “tree house,” and you can see Kelli peering up at me from the path below:

I had to go home and re-watch the DVDs (amazing, I know) to figure out the exact location of the wedding ceremony.  Turns out, they did the ceremony on the private lawn of the Orton Plantation house.  There is an elderly gentleman who actually lives in the house, so while we were welcome to photograph the house from the gardens, we did not go onto the lawn.  The wedding reception – I was surprised to learn – was actually filmed on the plantation as well, in a huge white tent on the lawn beside the chapel.  I had assumed it was done inside the studio somewhere.  I know from some of my actor friends that they generally hate filming weddings, because everyone has to be there alllll day long, so everyone can film their pieces and still be a part of the congregation.  I imagine that could have gotten fairly miserable for everyone if they were filming on a hot day!

When it was time to pack up and head back home, we had one stop to make about an hour north of Wilmington.  I am guessing most folks skip this location, since it’s so far out of the way, but I was intent on seeing it and Kelli obliged me.  Fortunately, it probably only added about 30 minutes to our trip.  It was well worth it for me, because this bridge from Ep. 322 (“The Show Must Go On”) was part of the most climactic season finale in the show’s history.  I loved that entire episode, and while Haley was standing on the bridge screaming, I was standing in my living room screaming.  Plus, Led Zeppelin was playing, and it really doesn’t get much better than that.  (And yes, we definitely listened to “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” as we were driving up.)

I can’t remember the details of all my birthdays through the years, but much like I remember spending my 25th birthday in Hollywood, I’ll always remember 28 as the birthday I went to Wilmington.  And for the record – Wilmington was way better.

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