5/7 Van Morrison @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Not pretty to look at but beautiful to listen to, Van Morrison will take the stage at Alpharetta’s hot and still fairly new Verizon Wireless Amphitheater @ Encore Park.  I could certainly do without ever having to listen to “Brown Eyed Girl” ever again, and although it will certainly be played, what keeps me listening to Van the Man is his fantastic catalogue of songs such as “Caravan”, “Into the Mystic” & “And it Stoned Me”.   If you like Van, and have yet to visit Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, this is a great excuse to check it out.   As far as outdoor concert sheds go, this place is fantastic.

5/15 Norah Jones @ Cobb Energy Center

Here’s one that’s easy on the ears & eyes.  The lovely and talented Norah Jones will perform at another fairly new music venue the Cobb Energy Center.  Having just released her latest album “The Fall”, Norah has hit the road with a completely new lineup of band members that is full of talent.  This will be a great concert for a “date night” and my wife and I will certainly be in attendance.  Hope to see you there.

5/29 Neil Young @ The Fox Theater

Definitely not easy on the eyes, and some say not easy on the ears as well, but Neil Young ranks right up near the top as one of my personal all time favorite songwriters / musicians.  There are not many that have as extensive a career as Neil Young,  having been part of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Crazy Horse and as a solo artist.  Known as the “Godfather of Grunge”, Neil Young’s performances are typically full of crunchy, raw, gritty rock & roll.  Not this time around however.  Neil is out touring a solo acoustic performance that will showcase his more gentle side.  The show should be chock full of timeless classics, at a timeless classic of a venue to boot!

GO SEE LIVE MUSIC!!!

Eric Joy

You should be able to enjoy your music and movies with the finest audio and video equipment, but don’t sacrifice your hearing by listening at damaging levels.  Our inner ears contain microscopic hairs that vibrate along with our ear drums so that we can translate frequencies within the air pressure in to sound.

Normal conversation in a quiet room is registered at around 50 decibels.  A decibel is a unit of measurement used to indicate how loud a sound is.  Exposure to decibel levels above 80 for long periods of time could be permanently harmful to your hearing.  Look at the bigger picture; stereos and home theaters are our least concerns (unless you listen to them at maximum volume).  Most men like to use power tools, and those power tools can be LOUD.  A typical lawnmower is 90 decibels, and a chainsaw is about 110 decibels.  Protect your ears from that and you’ll spend more time enjoying your audio system.

Here are 5 tips from the House Ear Institute to help prevent further or permanent hearing loss:

1. Monitor your exposure time to sounds over 85 dB and take periodic 15-minute “quiet” breaks. Although the maximum time to safely be exposed to 85 dB is 8 hours, the maximum time to safely be exposed to 100 dB is only 15 minutes. See pie-chart for more information.
2. Avoid hazardous sound environments. If you have to raise your voice to be heard, you are in a potentially hazardous environment for your hearing. This includes loud music performances, operating power tools and driving with the windows down at high speeds.
3. Whenever you can’t get away from an extreme sound environment, wear hearing protection, such as foam, silicone or pre-molded earplugs, earmuffs or custom earplugs. Look for products with noise-reduction ratings (NRR) of at least 9dB. Most products provide a NRR of 22dB or greater. To hear music and conversation clearly, look for high fidelity hearing protection. They will reduce all sound frequencies equally, and can often make listening to music more enjoyable than without any protection. Shooter’s plugs combined with earmuffs should be used for hunting and target practice. All can be found over the counter at your local drugstore or sporting goods shop.
4. Move away from on-stage monitors or amplifiers.  Position yourself so you are not directly in front of the speaker while performing or listening. Musicians should avoid practicing at performance levels when possible.
5. If you suspect hearing loss or notice sudden changes in your hearing or have ear pain, see an otolaryngologist (ENT) or otologist. Also, have your hearing tested by a licensed audiologist. Common hearing tests include the pure tone threshold test, the otoacoustic emissions (“OAE”) test, speech audiometry and the Hearing in Noise Test (“HINT”), which was developed by HEI scientists to assess how well you can hear speech in real world situations, where background noise is present.

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Keep your ears healthy and you’ll enjoy your music for many years to come!

David Privitera

In additon to all the great tunes, be sure to check out their extensive selection of collectible concert posters, rock & roll photography, vintage t-shirts, and more.

The Wall Street Journal called Wolfgang’s Vault “The Most Important Collection of Rock Memorabilia & Recordings Ever Assembled”!

Go Here NOW! www.wolfgangsvault.com Enjoy!

Eric