Bailey Zimmerman “New To Country” Music Video – Private Jets, Friends, and Triathlons?

Bailey Zimmer-who?? If you’re not familiar with one of country music’s most energetic performers, his latest video will give you a glimpse into how country this new country artist is. Of course, calling him new might be a conflict with the title of the song but he IS just 24 years old, after all. His small town loyalty, though, is firmly rooted in all things southern (even though he’s from all the way up north in Illinois!). Check out Bailey Zimmerman’s video for “New To Country” then scroll down for more…

If you zoomed in on his shirt (yes, I did) you’d see the name of a local shop called Speedy’s Used Cars – Louisville, Illinois. If you Google it (yes, I did), you’ll find that Speedy’s is a real place. Free advertising in a music video is never a bad thing, huh? By the by, if you’re in the area and you need a car, I guess you should go to Speedy’s, endorsed by Louisville’s own Bailey Zimmerman. Or you can always be lazy and just go to their website. Be honest, though, did you even know there were two Louisvilles?

Actually there are at least 4 Louisvilles. Bet you didn’t see THAT coming, did ya!? There’s one in Georgia and another in Tennessee, just northeast of Friendsville. I wonder what the crime rate is in Friendsville. Can’t be high. If you live there, are you always in the friend zone? Did anyone tell them life was gonna be this way (clap, clap, clap, clap)?

The BZ video was directed by Justin Clough, a name familiar to music entertainers. He’s responsible for videos like this one from Jake Owen, this one from Mat Kearney, and this one from Morgan Wallen. Pretty good clientele there, huh? I was about to post the link to Justin’s Instagram but then I went down a rabbit trail (fine, here it is: @datboyvideo) after seeing a few of the pics Justin posted. I knew of his work in country music but I didn’t know he was training to take my 18th place spot in sprint triathlons!

screenshot of Justin’s Instagram page

We all get medals, Justin, just let me blend in with the middle of the pack in peace! OK, that’s not true. I mean, I do finish a little closer to the top but Justin is rocking it on podiums all around the country. I love that. Maybe we’ll cross paths in an upcoming race. I’m already looking ahead to 2025 but I still have one more sprint tri to go, this one in October near Pensacola, Florida. It’ll be my first ocean open water swim in a race. Praying for calm seas and favorable tides, for sure.

Ok, back to Bailey. He’s not stuck in second gear, and it HAS been his day, his week, and his year (another Friends reference 👏). Just like the boats, 4-wheelers, and PJ in the video, his career is taking off. If you want more of his backstory, you can find a good snapshot on the Grammy website here. In the meantime, here is a picture of a bird.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Progressive Work Thing Commercial – Phone Addiction Is Real

Progressive has a very relatable commercial about something we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives: Phone addiction! Their playful take on it centers around a family at the dinner table and everyone but the father is on a device. Take a look, then scroll down to find out more about the idea behind the ad…

Of course Jamie ruins the family bonding time by offering a tidbit of info about ground turkey that no one wanted to know, to which the dad responds by quickly dissolving the no-phone rule. But this display is a great commercial because phone addiction has become so common. I suffer from it and basically everyone I know does, too. On their website, Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous says:

There is widespread consensus from both researchers and clinicians that the problematic and compulsive overuse of the internet, digital media, and mobile devices has been rising over the past two decades, and that the prevalence of this behavioral addiction is associated with a variety of mental, emotional, physical, interpersonal, and professional problems.Perhaps most significantly, the dopamine releases triggered by internet and technology addiction have been shown to cause structural changes in the brain very similar to the changes experienced in people with alcohol or drug addictions.

Structural changes is what stands out the most to me. The brain (and I’ve heard the eyes can do this, too) actually changes shape based on the addictions we have. That’s wild. The origins of this addiction (or how to manipulate it) is depicted well in the movie The Social Dilemma. In regards to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc) influence, the film is described on its website like this: Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives.

Scary stuff. Phones, tablets, websites, social media, all are designed to keep us coming back. I’m a victim of it and I succumb to it all the time. I’m sure most of us do, just like the family at the dinner table in the Progressive commercial. I rarely go anywhere without my phone and I bet it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find someone without their phone, even at the dinner table! I hope the trend can change but I have serious doubts. In fact, I’m not even sure it’s just a trend. It’s a lifestyle that we’ve all grown accustomed to and… addicted to.

But that Jamie? He’s funny. Good commercial!

-Out of the Wilderness

What Happened to Michelle Obama’s Voice at the DNC?

I’ve been watching segments of the Democrat National Convention just to keep an eye on them. I haven’t caught any shenanigans, it’s mostly just been a thinly veiled praise fest for Joe Biden and a celebration of Kamala… which has the feeling of something that could crumble at any second. Yesterday I compared it to those chocolate Easter bunnies that are hollow on the inside. Of course, Tim Walz’s energetic personality is a combination of those inflatable clowns and a shaken up soda can…

…but they brought out the super elites last night– Michelle and Barack Obama, speaking in that order. It’s no surprise that Michelle is a gifted speaker. Barack is, too. Michelle spoke with eloquence and purpose, even if I disagree with 105% of the things she said. One moment caught me off guard, so much so that I had to back it up a thousand times to hear it again. There is such a thing as a voice cracking, or a hiccup while a person is speaking, but I have no idea what happened during Michelle’s address last night. Listen especially to her pronunciation of “This…” and let me know in the comments if there’s an obvious explanation for it.

-Out of the Wilderness

Pastor Quotes Bible While Misquoting Bible at the DNC

The party of pride and joy started their convention yesterday with a bunch of speakers and a country singer we’re supposed to like. Of course, AOC made an appearance because why not? Miss Irrelevant Hillary Clinton said stuff, too. A bunch of people I didn’t know. The final act of the night was Joe Biden (Mr. Irrelevant?). What a slap in the face that, not only was he strongly encouraged to drop out of the race, but then they give him the 1130pm slot, when they KNOW he’s terrible later at night. It’s such a joke how they’re treating him. Chants all night of “We love Joe”. Then why did your party force him out? If that’s love, I don’t want to be any part of it. Of course, we’re talking about the same party that picked Hillary Clinton when Bernie Sanders was the more popular candidate in 2016.

A few take-aways from night #1 of the Democrat National Convention:

  • Tim Walz reminds me of a can of soda after you shake it up. Watch Walz wave his hands at people anywhere he goes and see if you don’t think of Fanta.
  • The Democrat party is hollow inside. Just like those chocolate Easter bunnies. Looks good on the outside but when you bite into it, pure disappointment.
  • Raphael Warnock (Senator from Georgia) spoke and completely botched the Bible. Go figure. Early in his speech he referenced Micah 6:8, saying that Donald Trump ought to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” Then he ended by saying “we are all God’s children!” Um, no sorry that’s wrong. In Romans it says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” In other words, Christians. It sounds good (which is all Warnock cares about) to say we are all children of God, but it’s Biblically untrue. I’m getting a wolf in sheep’s clothing vibe from this guy, and it’s alarming.

There was lots of talk about how important every child is. Except for the day before they’re born. “We love Joe” but not really, they love that Joe dropped out. Democracy except when you’re losing and need a new candidate. The glitter is going to wear off, it’s just a matter of time. I just hope it’s before November 4th.

-Out of the Wilderness

Creed is back and asking if we’re ready…

It wasn’t that long ago that a certain Super Bowl commercial featured the music of the well-known band Creed. It had a host of famous people in it; I thought it was one of the better ads in a category that usually has more duds than winners. Check out the music of Creed in this Super Bowl commercial.

Perhaps that was a foretelling of what was to come because Creed is back! Well, technically they never left but to celebrate their 1999 album “Human Clay,” the band has released a new music video for the song “Are You Ready?” Strategic for sure, the band is currently on tour and football season is ramping up. This song has Saturday morning pregame teaser video written all over it.

To be honest, I hadn’t heard this song even though it’s off their 1999 album. It might be that the song was overshadowed by two gigantic hits, “With Arms Wide Open” which charted high all over the world and went platinum two times over.

The other big song was “Higher,” which went to #1 in countries around the world and was certified gold in the U.S. Of the two songs, “Higher” is my favorite just for that guitar lick alone.

The new remastered version of “Are You Ready?” is a lot like the original, perhaps with more guitar pumping through and it seemed a bit twangier in the first guitar strums before the electric rips in. I think, and hope, we’ll be hearing this song on Saturdays for college football and all the days the NFL is on TV.

Creed, partying like it’s 1999… and I think it’s a welcome callback to rock music that isn’t so mainstream in 2024.

-Out of the Wilderness