Vienna, U2, and OneRepublic

 "We're waking up ... And right on time." -OneRepublic, Waking Up

On Monday, the King five drove the windy Czech roads and ventured down in Austria. This wasn't just any trip. Our destination was Vienna, the legendary city of music of the ranks of Mozart, to a concert we bought tickets for almost exactly one year ago. This wasn't just any concert. The music we have been anticipating seeing live in concert is the music of the legendary band, U2.

And, oh! was it a CONCERT!

There are not many words to wrap around the fullness of the sound, the incredible heart-shaking bass, or the soul-flying energy and spirit to a crowd gathered around one of the music of U2-- all 68,500 Austrians, and the five of us Kings. The whole time was truly the experience of a lifetime. So grateful to have had it.

But I want to mention the band who opened for U2, a new-ish band called OneRepublic. It turns out that their music is familiar, and before the concert I dove into their band bio to learn a little more. Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic's frontman, says this, after he had performed on a singer/songwriter show on MTV and was given a prestigious recording contract, singing "POP" music:

"But how could I ever take myself seriously," he says, "if I was embarrassed by what I was singing? There are a lot of artists who want to make you shake your ass on the dance floor, but only a handful that connect on a deeper level. I wanted more than just a catchy tune. There's nothing like a good pop song, but there's a fine line between accessibility and credibility, and that's the line I want to walk."

When at the concert, and Tedder said, "This is a lifelong dream come true," about playing with U2. And when he mentioned they'd only seen U2 play once before, live, it began to make sense. This OneRepublic band, of amazing musical depth (violin, cello, 3 guitars, bass, keyboard, drums, etc.), has arrived at their dream only by remaining true to who they are. Not selling out for the popular music of little depth, not settling for something less than what they've dreamed. They stuck out the wait, and sharpened their skills, and practiced, and worked some more before their time came to sing. And sing and make music, they do.

I was deeply moved by their story, and by their music, and look forward to hearing more of them (live!) in the future. Oh, and to hold on to dreams ... they will come true, with hard work and patience, in time.

Starting the conversation: What is your favorite live musical performance? Has it changed you?

The Wealth of Czech Culture

In a handful of weeks, our family of five will be taking the giant leap across the Atlantic to settle into a new life in Prague, Czech Republic. We are all very excited about the adventure that is sure to come with life in a new country and a new continent. In addition to the endless physical preparations, we are doing our best to prepare ourselves from within, as well. This week, we went through cultural training, which not only gave us points of cultural differences to prepare for, but also introduced many wonderful aspects of Czech life to look forward to living and experiencing during our time there.

Since I really didn't know much about Prague and Czech Republic until recently, I’d like to share a few key elements I find interesting.

The Czech Republic is a beautiful, modern country about the size of the state of South Carolina with a population of roughly ten million. The Czech Republic has been a member of NATO since 1999 and of the European Union since 2004, and is bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the East, and Poland to the north. Though the region thrived as an intellectual European center prior to 1948, the government fell to Soviet rule, and Czechoslovakia endured communist regime until 1989. In 1993, Czech Republic and Slovakia split into their respective countries. Amazingly, the Czech people have only been without communism for only twenty years.


Prague, the main Czech city, has long stood as a cultural center for much of Central Europe, hosting artists and musicians and intellectuals for decades. One of my personal favorites, Antonin Dvořák, musician and composer of the New World Symphony and many Slavonic Dances, lived near Prague in the late 1800’s. Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart resided in Prague and found tremendous inspiration there. Today, opera, ballet, and symphony perform regularly in breathtaking opera houses.

Prague is also well known for poets and writers, including Franz Kafka. And since original buildings exist throughout the city, Prague is known for its wealth of architecture: Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Cubist, Renaissance, and Art Nouveau. On a practical level, the city's beauty is everywhere, brought to life in weathered plaster buildings, cobblestone streets, and brightly-colored geraniums planted in quaint windowboxes.

With castles and music and arts and natural and societal beauty, our time in Prague is certain to be a culturally decadent experience. As a writer, I know the rich surroundings of Prague and Central Europe will have a profound impact on my life, my living, and my art.

So much to learn, so much to enjoy, so much to savor and pass on … looking forward to the upcoming years of experiences in Prague, Czech Republic.

Looking forward to sharing it with you …

Enjoy Summer! -Jennifer