Kari Cox Gempeler
My earliest music memory is singing “Yellow Submarine” with my brother while my dad played it on his guitar. The Beatles: the bar was set high.
Rock in all its forms—metal, southern, ‘80s, classic, however you categorize it—is the go-to on my playlist. I exhale childhood nostalgia from The Eagles, sigh (and even close my eyes) for a good power ballad and, if you drag me into the now, attend every Blackberry Smoke show that comes my way.
Music means something to everyone, and that personal attachment fascinates me. As a writer, I lean toward storytelling that reveals real people. I love telling their tales and maybe discovering a little something even my subject didn’t realize.
Writing allows me to connect to others with a creative spin all my own. It’s a shared experience. Baking does the same thing. I gather up ingredients, combine them, invest in some fine details and watch it turn golden. I make it, you taste it and we connect.
I hope The Starving Groupie provides you with a taste of who we are, what we love, and how and why music and food bring us together. Enjoy.
Angie Freeland
I just like what I like. The CDs in the door of my car (yes, I said CDs) currently include Pink, Steel Panther, The Adicts, Dwight Yoakam, Jeff Goldbloom and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra,Tom Keifer and New Kids on the Block. And I don’t apologize for it.
Songs transport me back to different times. Whether it’s listening to Ronnie Milsap with my grandma, absorbing ‘80s rock and gangster rap from my brother as latchkey kids in the early ‘90s, swooning over Alan Jackson with my mom, or dancing to Vanilla Ice and watching MTV as a preteen. They are like snapshots in time, and I don’t regret one of my past loves.
I also capture memories with my camera. I see the world in pictures, and, as you’ll find out reading this blog, I document every concert, from the pre-show dining stops to the guitar solo and pyro finales.
When not traveling around the country going to shows, often tied in with an MLB game (Go Brewers!), I am home watching “The Golden Girls,” playing sports and cooking. I love to cook. In recent years, I’ve embraced experimenting with healthier ways of making my favorites. People see my pics on Facebook and Instagram and always ask me for the recipe. I usually disappoint them since I kind of make stuff up, but now it’s time to start writing them down--and sharing them with you!