Hits on the Diamond, Hits on the Charts

This is going to be a heavily music-oriented post, but I promise that there is a baseball connection.  Stick with me here.

I have seen a lot of excellent shows courtesy of one of my favorite radio stations in the Chicagoland area, 101 WKQX.  On many occasions, I have been fortunate enough to win tickets to see acts such as Fall Out Boy, Courtney Love, Rise Against, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Alkaline Trio and more courtesy of their apparently overly generous contests.  Furthermore, every month or so, the alternative station hosts what they call a "No Dough Show"- essentially, a free show with severely discounted beer prices in smaller, local venues featuring upcoming alt-rock artists on the rise.  Pretty damn cool, right?  Unfortunately, I've never made it to one of these showcases myself - being an adult with responsibilities and such means there's always something to stand in the way.

That is, until Thursday night:

With the wife at her office Christmas party, to which no "plus ones" were given (boo!), I found myself with a free night and nothing on the agenda.  Thus, I finally took the chance to head over to one of these "No Dough" concerts, which happened to be just down the road from my apartment, at a popular watering hole known as 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park (if you're from the area and were curious).  I'd heard from a spot earlier in the week that the billing featured an act by the name of Judah and the Lion.  Now, if you've listened to any alternative radio in the last year or so, you have to be familiar with their folksy, hip hop-influenced, number one single, "Take it All Back."

If not, here you go:

Seeing as that ear-worm with a unique blend of influences has been on rotation in my household for a while now, I figured I should get up off of my butt and see what else they had in their set.  After all, with the show being free, draft beers costing just a buck, and the venue being just a few blocks down the road, there really wasn't a reason not to go.

Let me just say, I'm truly happy with that decision.

First of all, there aren't many rock shows that feature mandolins, banjos, hip hop covers, Tom Petty tributes, and acapella sing-a-longs.  I'm usually a pretty reserved, wallflower type of concert-goer, content to stand in a corner and sipping on an adult beverage; however, I couldn't help but find myself in the middle of the crowd, bouncing along to each and every song in their arsenal.  All in all, if the band ever rolls through your area, I highly encourage you to circle the date on your calendar.

Image courtesy of Joe Lang - I was too engrossed to whip out my phone!

I was especially impressed with the group's energetic stage presence, especially that of their frontman, Judah Akers.  As I conveyed my thoughts about Mr. Akers to the person standing next to me (who had apparently seen them a few times), they imparted an awesome bit of trivia upon me:  Judah Akers had been an NCAA Division I baseball player for Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

Saaaaaaay what?  The lead singer of a rockin' band AND a high-level participant in my favorite sport?  Color me intrigued!

After the show, I made sure to verify this information and it turns out that it wasn't just the cheap spirits talking - Aker was a top-ranked high school prospect (showcasing with Perfect Game USA) who played four years of varsity baseball for the Belmont Bruins.  He was no slouch either, posting a career .296/.363/.444 slash line with 21 homers as a starter in both the infield and outfield, all while juggling his schooling and his burgeoning career as a musician.  How about that?

Having learned that tidbit and discovered a few crisp images of him tearing it up on the diamond during the verification process, I couldn't help but whip up a custom card featuring these dual interests.  I chose the 1983 Topps Super Veterans template for my tribute, although I made a few alterations to fit my aesthetic tastes and the altered theme.  I must admit, seeing baseball and rock 'n' roll on the same card brings a beaming smile to my face and I'm quite content with how this puppy turned out.  What say you?

I only wish that I knew about his baseball career before the show... then I could have printed this bad boy out and tried to get it signed by the crowd-friendly Aker himself.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to see them again!

Then, I began to think to myself, "if I were to do that, would the rest of the band feel jealous?" - it's probably a bad idea to upset a Lion, right?  So, with Photoshop still being open on my desktop, I pulled together a second custom trading card, this one featuring the entire band:

Of course I was going to use the most iconic, music-centric trading card set for my full-band piece - doesn't that publicity shot just scream MusiCards?

After having finished this exhibits, I knew I had to share them on my humble, little blog, as well.  What fun is it making them if I can't show them off?  Plus, I know there has to be a few other people out there who would A) find Judah and the Lion to be a good listen and B) be intrigued by their frontman's dual career.  I know for a fact that there are a few other music connoisseurs on the baseball card blogosphere!

All in all, the decision to finally take the leap and make it out to one of WKQX's "No Dough" shows was a phenomenal one.  I discovered a new band, broke out of my shell a little bit, learned some fun facts, drank for cheap, and - heck - I even got  blog post out of the experience!  What more can a guy ask for from a free concert?

I can't wait until WKQX announces their next such show.  Will that band also have a tie-in to our nation's pastime?  Stay tuned.