Bryan Schubert
Account Manager
A few months back I was at Off Broadway catching one of my favorite bands, American Aquarium. They were opening up for a band I had not heard a lot about, but I never miss them when they are in town. Little did I know that Turnpike Troubadours, the band American Aquarium was opening for, would soon become one of my new favorite bands – and much like American Aquarium, would be a mainstay in my playlist.
St. Louis Cardinals fans may recognize one song from this Red Dirt group out of Tahlequah, Oklahoma: “One Hot Summer Day” is the walkup song for second baseman Matt Carpenter, also an Oklahoma native. Fans have described Turnpike Troubadours as a country lead roots rock band, with a bit of grit, touch of bluegrass and a little Cajun. Go listen to their most recent album, Goodbye Normal Street, or their previously released Diamonds & Gasoline and Bossier City. Better yet, they play in Carbondale, IL on September 4th… see you there!
Kimmy Favazza
Program Manager
I recently started watching a CNN original series called The Sixties. There are 10 episodes that all touch on iconic happenings in the 1960’s ranging from Vietnam to the music of the decade. Although I wasn’t alive in the 1960’s, this decade has clearly shaped the America we live in today. CNN does a great job of bringing these history lessons to life in a fun and informative way.
Ruko Senseney
Account Manager
My half hour commute to work is so gratifying when I listen to a compelling audio book. I just finished Garden of Stones, a historical fiction by Sophie Littlefield that is based around the Manzanar internment prison camps for Japanese-Americans. From the subject matter, you expect a sad story of struggle. Yet this book was so much more, and more of a mystery than history. Starting with a murder of an American man in the late 1970s, the story was filled with plot twists and corruption while also exploring deep relationships between a mother, daughter and friends. I was quickly hooked and often found myself sitting in the car, just to finish a chapter.
The book also shed light to the unbelievable treatment some Japanese-Americans faced during WWII as well as the dreadful conditions of the U.S. prison camps. It reminds you of the human perspective as we still struggle with cultural stigmas, inequality and effects of war today. The novel is gently written, realistic and provocative. It grabs you from the start and pulls at your heart. If you are a fan of the Kite Runner and similar historical/cultural fiction, this one is right up your alley.
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