The end of this blog… and moving on to other things!
June 27, 2013
Dear readers,
I’ve come to the hard decision that it’s time to put Steve Cross Loves Music and Science to rest. Don’t worry, I still love music and science! I just don’t have time to blog about it anymore. The natural progression of life, relationships, commitments, etc… has forced me to re-organize priorities. That’s not a bad thing, it just means that blogging has to take a backseat to more important things. So, this is the end of this blog! I’ll keep the domain for the foreseeable future, and everything will remain archived as-is. Everything has a a life cycle, and this blog has reached the end.
This is not the end of me sharing this type of content on the internet, however! I do intend to share more science articles, links, tidbits, etc… on my Facebook and Twitter feeds, so follow me there. This will allow me to still share my interests and love of music & science with whomever is willing to listen. I’m also on Instagram, so follow me there for more visual content.
I also have other blog ideas that I’ve been milling around for a while, but I’m keeping that under wraps until I officially decide what I’m doing. If and when that comes to fruition, it will be made public via my Twitter and Facebook.
Whether you’ve just started following me or have been for many years, I hope you learned something, gained something, or otherwise benefited from this blog!
Peace out.
-Steve
It’s been quite a while since I posted much of anything weather-related, but now is as good a time as any! Our middle TN National Weather Service office started a Facebook page a while back, and I’ve been loving the hell out of it. Let’s face it, the weather service has always had a bit of an image problem. I’d be willing to bet that when most people think of the NWS, they think of a boring office with a bunch of crotchety old dudes staring at weather maps & computer screens. But in reality, the meteorologists are dedicated and passionate scientists who truly love what they do, and they enjoy talking about weather on a more conversational level, too! That’s exactly what their Facebook page is for, and it’s filled with tons of interesting factoids, tidbits, and more humanized/conversational information about the forecast. The forecasters are on there quite often, and are very good about responding to comments or questions posted. They also just closed submissions on a summer weather photo contest, and you can browse through the album and vote on your favorites. The photo with the most likes as of June 20th will be declared the winner. So check out their Facebook page and Like it. Even if you’re not as big of a weather nerd as I am, I promise you will learn something interesting if you Like the page and follow their posts!
Speaking of weather, I’m looking forward to the very favorable forecast for this year’s Bonnaroo! I will be there taking photos for the Scene as I have for the last 5 years, and thus I’m issuing my yearly Bonnaroo posting disclaimer: *This will be my last post before Bonnaroo, and posting will resume sometime early next week.* Be sure to follow our coverage and photos over at the Nashville Cream! Also, my girlfriend Lauren will be there with me blogging about the new & improved food options on her blog Old Red Boots, so follow her coverage to see the festival through the eyes of a foodie. But back to the weather- while it’d be nearly impossible to beat last year’s utterly euphoric Bonnaroo weather, this year’s forecast looks very good. Thursday is a little iffy as there’s currently a 30% chance of showers & storms, and the Storm Prediction Center has Manchester right on the edge of their ‘Slight Risk’ area for severe weather in their convective outlook. BUT, that activity should be pretty scattered/isolated so the risk is still pretty low. Friday & Saturday are damn-near perfect, however- sunny skies with mid to upper 80s for highs and low to mid 60s for lows- very similar to last year! That temperature span also suggests lower humidity! Sunday will be a little hotter with highs in the upper 80s and Sunday night brings back a 20% chance of showers. Overall, you really couldn’t ask for a better Bonnaroo weather forecast. See you here next week!
Here’s an interesting tidbit that came across my radar today: A very illusive and rare meteor shower may flare up tonight for the first time since 1930! On June 11th of that year, a small group of astronomers reported a short-lived meteor shower that was sought out in subsequent years, but never seen again. Now an astronomer named Peter Jenniskens with NASA and SETI has suggested that Earth is passing through the same comet trail it did back in 1930, and thus we could see this rare outburst, called the Gamma Delphinids, again- TONIGHT. Fortunately the moon will have set several hours before the expected peak between 2:30 and 4:30am CDT, leaving only the weather to stand in the way of getting to witness this rare event. I must point out, however, that scientists aren’t nearly as certain about this meteor shower as they are about the more reliable yearly showers such as the Leonids, Geminids, Perseids, etc… So if you’re a fan of meteor showers and have the will power to get up in the wee hours and sit outside to watch, tonight could reward your efforts with a show not seen in 83 years. (Via Universe Today and the American Meteor Society)
In other science news, more evidence of normal, habitable water on the ancient Mars surface was discovered recently. You’re probably thinking this discovery came from the Curiosity rover, but it actually came from Opportunity, one of the twin rovers that landed on Mars in 2004. Opportunity’s team sent her to investigate an interesting rock outcropping, and they found evidence of certain clay minerals that could only have formed in water that would be habitable to life as we know it. This discovery is right in line with Curiosity’s findings from February, and strongly supports the theory that Mars once had running water on the surface, and might have even supported microbial life! As Curiosity keeps trekking toward Mount Sharp, the rover will keep looking for these same minerals to help paint a clearer picture of Mars’ watery past. (Via New Scientist)
A Few Good Shows: 6/7/13 (CMApocalypse)
June 7, 2013
As most native Nashvillians are painfully aware, it’s CMApocalypse weekend. And although Morgan and Christy have been too busy to regularly update Nashvillest like they once did, they have indeed returned this week for one of their most popular ideas- CMApocalypse Bingo! So give that a look and have a few laughs, then check out my non-CMA show picks for this weekend. We have plenty of great rock shows to see, just be sure to allow plenty of extra driving time because traffic will be a nightmare all weekend. 
FRIDAY:
Forget Cassettes, Hanzelle, DAMS, and Fielded @ Exit/In. 9pm $10
Sleepy Kitty, Bows and Arrows, Cigarette Trees, and The School @ The End. 9pm $7
Tipper Whore, Stevie Binge & the Fork Hunts, and Choking Sickness @ Springwater. 10pm $5 21+
Orchard Lounge, This Is Art, and Quiet Entertainer @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10
SATURDAY:
Ri¢hie, Kidd Ramius, and BF/GF Sex @ The Basement. 9pm $5 21+
The Hannah Barbarians, Gunther Doug, and Couched @ The High Watt. 9pm $5
My So-Called Band @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $15
Bad Cop, Todayshits, and Majestico @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $7
SUNDAY:
Jacuzzi Boys, D. Watusi, Cy Barkley & The Way Outsiders, and Weekend Babes @ The End. 9pm $7
A Few Good Shows: 5/31/13
May 31, 2013
Before I get to the regular show picks, I must indulge in a moment of shameless self-promotion. As you probably know, I’m in a band called Scale Model. We have an exciting show tonight at the High Watt and I strongly encourage you to come check it out! We’re playing with our friends Tipper Whore, who have been taking Nashville by storm recently, and The Static Trees, who we saw blow the roof off a house show in Murfreesboro a few months ago. This is a really solid lineup, and we’re gonna be debuting a few new songs, so if you’ve seen us recently that’s no excuse! Arrive early because the first 20 people get in for FREE!
Onto the listings:
FRIDAY:
Tipper Whore, Scale Model, The Static Trees @ The High Watt. 9pm $7 (1st 20 people get in free!)
Vitek, Hanzelle, and Phin @ The Basement. 9pm $5 21+
Megajoos, Rajhi Gahler, The Deadtowns @ Springwater. 10pm $5 21+
SATURDAY:
David Wax Museum, w/ Amanda Shires @ Exit/In. 8pm $10
Subsonics w/ Tiger! Tiger! @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $5
SUNDAY:
The Thermals w/ PUJOL @ Exit/In. 8pm $12 adv/$15 DOS
Snowden w/ Nudity @ The High Watt. 9pm $10
That’s it, have a great weekend!
As you probably know, I’ve been involved with YEAH (Youth Empowerment through Arts & Humanities) for many years and try to help them out in any way I can. I’ve volunteered for SGRRC and TNTRC multiple years and can say from experience that it’s AWESOME. It’s easily the most rewarding volunteer work I’ve ever done and it honestly changed my life forever. Unfortunately I can’t spare the time off from work to volunteer for them this year, but that doesn’t mean YOU can’t! I strongly STRONGLY encourage you to checkout their volunteer form and see if any of the positions interest you. Remember, you DON’T have to be a musician or even musically-inclined to help out! There are plenty of non-musical needs as well. You get free lunch every day, a cool t-shirt, and most importantly the good feeling of helping foster the love of music and the arts in some of coolest kids you will ever meet.
So what are you waiting for?!?! Go sign up now! Click here for Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp, or here for Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp.
A Few Good Shows: 5/24/13
May 24, 2013
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
There’s not shortage of good shows to check out this weekend, but before we get to the listings I have a few noteworthy local music tidbits to mention-
- Creature Comfort are a talented new local band I’ve had the pleasure of playing shows with, and they’ve just released their debut album Fox Tales, which can be purchased digitally on bandcamp. Stream it here!
- My band Scale Model just released a 2-song remix EP for “Do It Tonight” off our 2012 S/T EP. The remixes were done by Makeup & Vanity Set and The Leech Boyz. It’s totally free for download on our bandcamp page, so stream it and grab it! While you’re at it, also check out our limited edition tshirts designed by Funky Catsterz.
My picks for what shows to see this Memorial Day weekend in Nashville-
FRIDAY:
Night Beds, Good Buddy, and Tristen @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10
Nashville Pioneers pep rally part 2 ft. DJs Coach and La Force @ the Stone Fox. 9pm $5
SATURDAY:
No Country For New Nashville 2-year anniversary party ft. Colorfeels, EL EL, and Beck’s Song Reader performed by Daniel Ellsworth, members of Milktooth, and more @ The Basement. 9pm $7 21+
Josephine Foster, The Cherry Blossoms, and Honey Locust @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $7
Those Darlins, Gills, Magnolia Sons, Vespers, Stagolee, Cooper & The Jam @ Eastside Hootenanny at East Park. 4-10pm Proceeds go to benefit Urban Green Lab. More info on East Side Hootenanny website.
You’d think there would more good shows Sunday night given the long weekend, but I couldn’t find anything I’m particularly thrilled about. Have a great weekend!
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity rover is back to work on Mars, after a few weeks of radio silence due to Mars’ being behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective. The photo above shows a new hole created by Curiosity’s drill, and scientists hope that the analysis of the samples taken from this hole will match up with, or at least support, the exciting results of the previous drilled rock analysis back in February. Those results suggested that Mars’ surface was once habitable for microbial life as we know it. The results of the analysis will no doubt be released in the next few weeks, before Curiosity begins the long drive to its ultimate destination, a huge layered mountain known as Mt. Sharp. (Via Universe Today)
Warning: If you are one who is prone to getting sucked into rabbit holes of Wikipedia links and losing all sense of productivity, I highly recommend you DO NOT read this article while at work! Wikipedia has a really awesome, really addictive list of common misconceptions. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! (Via Kottke.org)
A Few Good Shows: 5/17/13
May 17, 2013
Here we are with another weekend full of great shows to see. No excuses, get out and see at least one show this weekend! Here are my picks:
FRIDAY;
Frontier Ruckus, James Wallace & The Naked Light, and Fox Bear Snake @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $8 adv/$10 DOS
Scorpion Child, Slick, and Blüdeagle @ The End. 9pm $10
QDP @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $1 21+
SATURDAY:
Pale Houses (new project from Aaron Robinson of Imaginary Baseball League), with Photo Ops and Audrey Rose @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5
Molly Conley, Spike And Mallets, The Glorious Return, and Million Sellers @ Live True Vintage & Vinyl’s grand opening. 5pm, free. More deets on the facebook event.
Bobby Bare Jr., Birdcloud, and The Grenadines @ The Basement. 9pm $8 21+
SUNDAY:
R. Stevie Moore, Deluxin, Lame Drivers, and Woolen Men @ The End. 9pm $7
That’s it, have a great weekend!
Credit: NASA/Kepler
Some sad news from NASA: the immensely successful Kepler Mission in danger. The space-based planet hunting telescope has suffered another malfunction with one of its reaction wheels. The craft had four of these wheels to begin with, and they are responsible for keeping the spacecraft correctly oriented. It lost one of the wheels last year, but can still survive with three. Now that another wheel has stopped functioning, it will be nearly impossible for engineers to keep Kepler correctly pointed at the small patch of sky it’s been staring at since the mission began. NASA engineers think they can devise a way to use the spacecraft’s thrusters to coarsely aim it in the right direction, but since the process of analyzing Kepler’s observations is so painstaking and tedious, coarse alignments may not be accurate enough to keep the mission running normally. NASA engineers also haven’t given up on getting the wheel working again, so we’ll have to wait and see how this pans out. Even if Kepler dies, the mission has already been a huge success and there are several other new planet hunting missions in the works. For more on this story check out the always-reliable Bad Astronomy.
steve cross loves music and science 