Jason Donnelly's Blog, page 3

Gather round audiophilers

After my earlier review of their BLU-100 Bluetooth Earphones, the wonderful people over at Brainwavz hooked me up with their two new headphone hangers, the Truss and the Hooka for me to review. And I gotta say, I’m thankful they did.

The Truss

First up, the dual-headphone hanger.

When I took this out of the box, I immediately ripped off the 3M VHB adhesive on the bottom and attached it to my desk at work (sorry Jukely!). The first worry I had was that the “sticky” stuff wouldn’t actually be able to do the job. I was quickly relieved. If you’re going to stick this on something, make sure you want it there… forever. I grabbed it after a few minutes and the thing is solid. The heaviest of headphones will have no problem hanging comfortably on it.

Build quality? It’s a beast, in the best of ways. If you don’t read anything about it, it looks like some plastic that will most likely break… then you get it. Thing is solid aluminum and built to last through the armageddon. On the side of the box it says there’s a 24 month warranty, but honestly, they’ll be with you long past you have the ability to actually hear, headphones.

The Hooka

Now, the single headphone hanger!

I actually like this one even better than the Truss! Everything above stays the same, it’s built to last forever, solid aluminum, it’s got the 3M VHB adhesive, and it’s got the 24 month warranty, but it has a wider shelf for your cans and you can attach it right to the wall next to your listening setup.

Honestly, the only negative that I could possibly say about the build quality or the products at all, is that I’m afraid of how well it sticks to stuff. When you find a spot you want to have your setup, make sure it’s forever!

If you’re looking for a super easy and affordable headphone storage solution, these guys make an incredible product and honestly, if I didn’t already own them, I’d buy both. ❤

Thanks Brainwavz!

Jason Donnelly is a published author, music lover, and content manager at Jukely (a dope live music subscription service). Find me on Twitter and tell me a joke. ;-)

When you’re ready to make your relationship with music official, these are the engagement ring…

I had the privilege of giving a listen to these beauties through work, and let me tell you, I’m thankful for it. I’ll go through the gamut on this and tell you about packaging, comfort, sound, and overall thoughts, but before we get there, just know, I rated it 5 stars for good reason! :-D

Packaging:

At this level of earphone, you expect the best, and they deliver in packaging and overall build. In the box you receive 2 stickers, 2 wristbands, a carabiner, 11 tips, a pelican case, a metal owner card, and the earphones themselves. Everything is gorgeous and compact. No space is wasted and honestly, it’s everything you’d hope to receive and more with a set of earphones at this level.

Comfort:

Amazing. First off, they provide 11 tips, try them all out and find the best set for your ears. I went to my normal go-to (the soft squishy set) and used them for the first few days, they were great, but… for this review, I wanted to make sure and try them all. Surprisingly, a pair of the silicone tips worked even better for me and my ears. When they offer so many options, definitely dig in and see what works best for you.

Cable:

Don’t get me wrong, the cable is great, but personally, I would have liked a little thicker of a beast. This could be a personal thing, but it just feels like over time it could weaken or break. Maybe I’m just being a worrier. Then again, it is detachable and if you feel the same, change’er out.

Sound:

With 10 drivers per ear, you want to know how the sound is, right? This is why we’re all hear (intended dad pun).

These are by far the most natural sounding earphone I’ve ever heard. It’s not bass heavy, it’s not pitchy, it doesn’t show love to highs or mids or lows it’s just… perfect. As far as a soundstage is concerned, these are the first in-ears that I’ve listened to that truly make me feel like the band is in the same room as I am. You can hear each instrument separated from the next. No matter how busy the music is, you can still differentiate. I was listening to one piece that had a tambourine and honestly felt like I could hear the shimmer of each individual tiny cymbal. Just an overall enjoyable experience with any style of music.

Overall:

As the title suggests, these are the engagement ring of music appreciation. If you’re ready to truly make your relationship official for all of your friends and family to know. Get these earphones. Figure it out. Make it happen. They’re worth it.

If you liked the read, give’er a recco. If you didn’t… my B. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot’em my way! ❤

If I’m Not ON The Stage — I’m Watching It

Top 10(ish) Music Shows I’ve Been To

My boss told me I had to give him a list of the top shows I’ve been to, so here’s the list, leading up to the #1 show and a few runner ups.

I’ve also realized something. 95% of the shows I list here weren’t unforgettable because of the show, but because of the experience that came from it.

Thanks for making me realize that, Chris.

And just because we’ve got a top 10(ish) list here, doesn’t mean it was easy. I saw like 65 shows in 2015 alone.

#10: The Head & The Heart

While, it’s at number 10, that doesn’t make it any less special. This was one of the first shows that affected me emotionally. They’re just stupidly talented and make some beautiful music.

#9: Modern Electric

This show was awesome. The band is passionate as hell. And as you can see, they took the time to hang out after the show. And, even wrote a song for me back in the day for a nominal fee. I’ll see them anytime they’re in town.

#8: Underwater Sounds

Saw these guys at Bam Margera’s bar in Philly a few years ago and they dedicated the set to me. In a follow-up show in NYC, I asked a woman at the bar what time their set was, when she said, “Don’t I know you?” and it was the lead singer, remembering me. Just felt super cool. Go listen to their song Airplane.

#7: NIN

No 50 year old should be able to rock as hard as this guy, but apparently, he is immune to age. I wrote another medium post about it, here.

#6: Anti-Flag

This was a teenage dream of mine and the entire night, I would tell anyone who would listen that it was 15 years in the making. Another great part about this night is the fact that I moshed. When I was into the scene, I would try, but I was little and always ended up getting hurt, this night, I went for a good two hours and came out on top.

#5: The Arcs

This one hit for multiple reasons. 1. I won the tickets from NPR on Twitter, which was awesome. 2. I gave my last reading from my novel Gripped at Housing Works Bookstore. 3. Yes, that’s the lead singer of Black Keys, and it was the Arcs first show ever. Coolest part of the show, when they said, here’s one off our next album… AT THEIR FIRST SHOW.

#4: Tool

Kids, before camera phones, we had to lug around actual cameras… when I saw them back in 2001, I didn’t have one. So, no picture, but… it was my friend’s birthday and one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been to, because… Tool.

This isn’t from the show in PA, but another show I was at. f

#3: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Top 3 shows are super hard to differentiate. They all mean something special to me. This one, was the first band meeting experience. AKA, before the show, we all hung out, talked tattoos, and drank before they went on.

It was in the basement bar of this venue called The Chameleon Club.

#2: Green Jelly

You know the band and the song, 3 Little Pigs. When I was a teenager I loved the song, it was one of the first harder songs I got into. At this show in NYC, I was under his arm while he sang it. Overall, just one of the most fun shows I’ve ever been to.

#1: Mariachi El Bronx

Yes, the band was amazing. The lead singer started the set by saying he’d been on mushrooms for 3 days (which doesn’t make sense, but we’ll go with it) and then diving into the music. Don’t get me wrong, they were awesome, but what was waiting for me outside was even better. I walk out the door and standing in front of me is Dave Grohl. If you don’t know who that is, you most likely live under a rock and that makes me sad. But anywho. I walk up to him and say, “Fuckin’ Dave Grohl.” and shake his hand. I can’t for the life of me remember what we talked about, but then another person walked over and started talking to us. Dave walked away for a second and I said, “So, how do you know Dave?”

“I toured with him.”

“WHO ARE YOU?”

“I’m Max, from the Swingin’ Utters.” After hearing this, I pushed him on the chest and said, “I love that band!”

We all talked, we went inside, I bought them beers because I don’t understand how finances work, and we parted ways. At 1:30, I was walking through the venue, looking for my buddy, when Max slaps me on the back and says, “We’re heading to another bar if you want to come.”

Which we did.

We got there, ordered a drink, and waited… After that beer, we figured that they weren’t coming, so we grabbed one more and cut our losses. Except, then… they came in.

We drank until the bar closed at 4, we went outside and Dave told stories about being on the road, about Sonic Highways, and then, a 15 seat passenger bus pulled up, he turned around, looked at it, and said, “Guys, this was awesome, my rides here.” and got on alone.

The one thing I can say about Dave is that he’s cooler than you think he is, and I know how cool you think he is. ;-)

Here are a few other top shows, cause like a teenage girl, I can’t even…

The Hives

Not only was the show fucking amazing, but the picture on the left… He was on top of a speaker looking down at me (if only it was in focus).

Parlor Mob

This had been one of my favorite bands from PA and now that I saw them live, I also got to meet the guys and hang out for a minute outside the venue. Amazing guys, amazing talent, amazing night.

Catfish & The Bottlemen

This is the second or third time I saw them, but the first time, the lead singer came out on stage, said, “Hello America! You may not know us, but you will.” And at the time, before he started singing, I thought, this guy is a prick… but he was right, and they are.

Fiction of the Future

I’d wanted to see these guys for years before I got the chance. Then, on the day of their show, I sparked up a conversation with their Drummer on Facebook. When I got to the show, a guy walked up to me, not the drummer, and said, “Are you Jason Donnelly?”

“Yes…”

“Hey, we’re in the band, our drummer told us to find you and drink with you.”

By the end of the first night, we were pals, and I’ve seen them 4–5 times since.

Snoop Dogg

Cause… Snoop Dogg. And, he was this close to me and my all-access pass.

Lil’ Jon

At the same show as Snoop, Lil’ Jon was headed to his performance when he did this pop-up performance with some buskers… it was intense.

Wyclef Jean

She that guy at the bottom left of the picture… yeah, that’s me. A friend got me into his last record release party at… Trump Tower (I know… I should have seen it coming…). It was a super weird night.

Party Hard — Andrew W. K.

Finally… this one, cause I ran into him at the airport, and it was cool.

Enjoyed this? Recco it. Have questions? Ask’em. Thanks for stopping by!

How To Tell If You’re A Cheater

*Before we get into the nitty gritty of this, everything written below is just thoughts on a subject, not something that’s happened (specifically) or actively happening in my world. Just want to explore it and figure out my own thoughts. Enjoy!

From the time we’re kids we’re told that you shouldn’t cheat on your significant other, but when it comes down to it, what is cheating? Obviously, we include sexual intercourse, but what’s after that? Are there levels of cheating? And in those levels, what are the prescribed consequences? Are there consequences if there isn’t any physical interaction? Is an emotional cheat more or less significant than the go-to intercourse cheat? Wait, there’s something called an, “emotional cheat”?

Buckle up kids, we’re just getting started.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t to say that I don’t understand cheating. Cheating isn’t the problem, cheating is the symptom of a relationship with problems. Cheating is one person telling another, in the worst way possible, that they are unhappy. But, allowing yourself to fall into any of the following categories is just as bad as having sex with your girlfriend’s sister at Christmas. Yeah… that bad.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Physical Cheating

Most people define cheating as being sexually unfaithful. At the end of the day, this is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that guy from work say, “she cheated on me.” You believe that the she he’s talking about fucked someone else, right?

But are there levels of physical cheating? On the cheating scale, does a kiss mean less than a fuck? What if it was just hand stuff? “Oh, we just laid in each other’s arms in Central Park, feeding each other grapes, while listening to a violin quartet…”

At which level do YOU get uncomfortable, because everyone is different.

Emotional Cheating

Emotional cheating is a touchy subject. There are a billion different ways to cheat in this category. Emotional cheating happens when one person puts someone they’re interested in to in a category above their partner. It’s placing their partner in second place on the risers. The two main levels of emotional cheating are conversational and straight up dishonesty.

Also, in the billion different ways to do it, it’s just getting easier. Think about when Snapchat came out, it was a cheater’s dream. Sending dirty pics of your junk to whoever you wanted, whenever you wanted, and then it magically disappeared (also, they definitely didn’t disappear…)?

What about instant messenger, google chat, text messages? As long as it’s digital, does that mean it’s not valid? Are there people out there who actually believe that it doesn’t count if it’s not tangible? Because I gotta tell you, to the person who’s had this done to them, they definitely feel it.

As long as it’s just a text message here and a text message there, does that mean you should lawyer up? Get out? Run?

Where do you draw the line?

Conversational

It’s 2016, how many people a day do you communicate with on a daily basis? 10? 20? 100? Jesus, if you have any kind of following on social media, it’s probably even higher, if you think about view rates and click through.

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will break your heart.

I’m a writer. No matter how I look at it, words hurt me more than most. If a significant other is using their words to lead someone on, attract someone else, garner sexual attention, or get praise by another suitor, they’re emotionally cheating. If you‘re not getting what you need from your partner, tell them or leave them. In no way does any of this mean that people in relationships shouldn’t have friendships, because, friendships are awesome, but there should definitely be lines.

Dishonesty

Dishonesty, deception, lies, misrepresentation, etc. The second you lie to a partner about another “interest,” you’re cheating.

Welcome to the club, asshole.

When you get into this territory, you’re actively telling someone that you don’t respect them, but you’re doing it in a way that only you know (for the time being). What does it feel like to do that to someone? Do you enjoy yourself? Does it make your relationship better? I highly doubt it.

Closing

Now that we’ve gotten through the ways I’ve seen cheating defined, let’s hear mine, yeah?

My definition of cheating is, the moment you do something that you wouldn’t feel comfortable telling your significant other about (specifically, about the opposite sex (or same, if you’re into that kinda thing)). And, now that I think about it, I guess this falls right into the dishonesty category above. If you’re dating, engaged, married, whatever, you should be able to be you, be yourself, and be honest. The second you compromise that, you compromise everything. The person you’re with deserves your very best and in turn, so do you.

I’m extremely rigid on this thought process, because, why wouldn’t I be? Why half-ass something that, in a perfect world, lasts forever?

What are your thoughts on cheating? Do you believe a relationship can last through someone mentally or physically ripping your heart out? Personally, I do not, but call me a romantic.

Comment away and find more from my twisted brain HERE.

Thanks!

9 Reasons Only Children Are Better Than Siblinged…

Hello you big family connoisseur… if you’re lucky enough to be in the presence of an only child, there are a few things that you should know about before walking into the conversation. There’s nothing to be afraid of, just ease on in.

First thing’s first, only children have been told our entire live’s that we’re the best. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we believe it. Growing up, we didn’t compete around the house, we just won. We were our parents special little angel and we still are.If we have something, be it a toothpick, a Lamborghini, or a significant other, it’s ours, and we don’t want you to touch it. Yes, we’ve gotten better at sharing over the years, but at the end of the day, we’re screaming, “MINE!” in our heads 75% of the time.When we were little, we didn’t have siblings to take up all of our spare time. This is one of the bigger reasons why we had imaginary friends. It also means we’re probably more creative than you. Isn’t that right Sparkle-Mc-Sandypants?!We’re more independent. Growing up, we didn’t have brothers and sisters to help us along the way, we figured it out on our own. I’m even writing this article on my own…Boredom? It’s not a real thing, right? This has got to be a sibling thing, cause only children can spend hours on end alone and be perfectly content. There’s a saying, “only the boring get bored…” did they mean, only siblings get bored?Only child means that we talk to adults more, progress faster, and develop reasoning skills earlier. That’s right, we adult harder and faster than those with siblings.We get what we want — or else. With no extra mouths to feed or presents to buy for the other kids, we usually got what we wanted. If it was a new video game system or a some other single serving toy, we probably got it, eventually.We’re nicer than you. I know, you’re reading this and thinking, “only children seem like spoiled little brats,” but it’s just not the case. We didn’t have a house full of kids all the time and feel the need to be included, so yeah, we’re nicer than our multi-kidded counterparts.I’m the favorite. If you’ve got brothers or sisters, one of you is the favorite, maybe it’s you, it’s probably you, but I know for sure I’m the favorite. While, this goes for parents specifically, we tend to believe the rest of the world agrees with them.We all wish we had at least one sibling… even with all this greatness, we still wish we had a brother or sister. We’re jealous as all get out that you got a best friend through birth…

If you had fun with this, give me a comment or go read more of my stuff! Some of it’s offensive, some of it’s… most of it’s offensive.

FIND IT HERE!

You know this is a joke, right? :-D

You know this is a joke, right? :-D

The Evolution of Pokemon Go…

In a startling turn of events, the Dow sunk below 300 in August of 2016. Not since 1929 have we seen such an abrupt and deliberate attack on the financial well-being of this nation. Bulbasaur, Rattata, Meowth, and Bellsprouts are only a few of the characters to blame on these tragic events.

A whopping 98.6% of the country’s smart phone users downloaded and used the app on a daily basis. Six days after launch, the average daily use of Pokemon Go was higher than Snapchat, Tinder, Instagram, and Facebook. Within two weeks, it took over all other forms of media. Even those quoted as saying,

“This shit doesn’t make any sense.”

were logging in 10–20 times an hour, leading to what financial advisors are referring to as, “the poke that broke the country’s back.” Like a systematic parasite, the United States fell into the grip of an addiction that makes heroin seem like a child’s game (which, needless to say, actually happened when the parents were too busy “catching them all”).

In what started as a good way to make losing weight a game, many users were found wandering the streets far into the night, often mumbling to themselves,

“Gotta find Mewtwo.”

It wasn’t until the first Pokemon fatalities that the download craze really hit a fevered pitch. Many were asking for the game to be banned, some were asking for game-imposed breaks, others were so engrossed in it that they never heard the news. Then, everything changed.

Developers merely mentioned taking the app off of the market and the game started… changing. Without warning, people’s phones would start turning on with the game open and ready. Those around the world who didn’t have smartphones began receiving them in the mail, pre-loaded with Pokemon Go. No one could have predicted the sentients. But they came too.

I’m writing this from the resistance. There are people who don’t play the game and you can recognize us easily. We will have no phone in our hands when we walk. We will shake your hand when you walk near. We can beat them. We can survive.

If you liked this, I’ve got more for you. Check out the books, here!

Thanks for reading!

Shut the F&%# Up

There are two, and only two, types of people in the world. Those who do what they need to make things happen and those who bitch about not having the life they were promised. I’d like to think I’m in the doer category. I’m 35, live in New York City with the love of my life, I’ve got 3 master’s degrees, work for one of the fastest growing ad agencies in the country, and just released my fourth book. For all intents and purposes, or intensive purposes if that’s your thing, I’m gettin’ it done. But alas, every day I head to the friendly neighborhood Facebook, I see people bitching about everything from dating to diets to hangovers to politics.

Instead of just watching it all go down or making yet another negative post on the social that tells people to post pretty pictures of art or flowers or some other insignificant shit to “clean up the feed,” I wrote a book. And, not to toot my own horn, but toot toot, cause I wrote it in a week.

The book is basically “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” but a more abrasive and poignant in a society that I feel can only be communicated to with the addition of vulgarity.

Now that I think about it, I’m just going to link to the book below and Shut the F&%# Up, myself. ;-)

Thank you!

-Jason

Buy the book for $8.99 here:
https://www.amazon.com/Shut-Up-Unhappiness-Expletives/dp/1533347379?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc