Wake Up Exhausted

Last Saturday, the weekend BEFORE Halloween and all it’s upcoming shenanigans, was quite busy itself. Kieran had been off school for two days, feeling feverish, but by saturday was just a bit sniffly and bored out of his gourd sitting indoors. Well, he would have been, if not for daddy letting him try the “Video Gaming Cure”, where he got to spend hours in front of the tv rally car racing and pretending to be Batman.

It was his first Saturday sitting on the sidelines only watching his Earthquakes, and we ended up going to the Home Depot Center to watch the actual San Jose Earthquakes get smashed by the LA Galaxy. Kieran was distressed for about a minute that we couldn’t root for “his team: the big guys.” His mind was changed by the fact that Rice purchased a Landon Donovan Jersey for him pre-game, and Donovan went on to score 2 goals. Kieran has since sat around looking at the game program chanting “GO GALAXY! GO DONOVAN!” I smell hero worship!

Sunday the Tegan & Sara concert was FINALLY HERE. It seemed we only bought the tix a million years ago. After I proceeded to get tipsy on pumpkin martini’s at Ugo, we made it to the Orpheum Theatre in pretty record time. Oh wait, it was Sunday.

Tegan & Sara did not let us down. They were jovial and talkative, and of course, the music rocked. They played the entire new album along with older faves (I recorded a few of my faves. Bad, bad techy girl!) and left feeling pretty excited for the new album. Now that it is my possession, I keep getting different songs stuck in my head.This is their 6th album peoples! They had me at So Jealous. Check them out!

Tegan and Sara at the Orpheum Theatre

 

I think I’ve been struck speechless.

Yeah  Yeah Yeahs, Greek Theater, LA

Oh. My. Fucking. God. 

(and yes I mean that in a GOOD way.)

 

Something Old, Something New

Nope, the title does not refer to a wedding (though they are pretty common this time of the year). It’s describing 2 of the bands I had the chance to catch at the end of Aug. who couldn’t be more different. One band is a large group of young ‘ens from Cardiff, the other 4 guys from Santa Barbara who’ve churned out quite a few radio hits since 1990. One I paid my hard earned money to see at a small club/theater called The El Rey. One, the whole family enjoyed downtown under the stars at Pershing Square for the price of a round-trip Metro ride.

I’d mentioned Los Campesinos! once ages ago, after Rice and I received their CD “Hold On Now, Youngster…” from the KCRW CD Club. The garage-esque sound, the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the overall poppiness [yeah, I make up words] pulled me in immediately. They’ve got everything but the kitchen sink in their songs and even some of the goofiest of lyrics still somehow come off a bit poetic and very astute. (I also kind of like their blog. They are young, unsullied by fame and silly.)

The show at the El Rey was no disappointment. They sounded exactly the same as on both the albums I’ve listened to countless times (Hold on Now… and We Are Beautiful, We are Doomed). I screamed out the lyrics an danced [ok, shimmied] along with them and have decided I will purchase their new album to be released any day now, and if they come back again, I am nabbing some tickets. (Please play another small club!)

And now we go from a high energy concert to something a little more low key. Rolling out a blanket, eating street food (Latvian! Delish!) and watching Toad the Wet Sprocket under the high-rises of downtown LA was a bit surreal. I’d never owned a single album of theirs, but with every song it became apparent that they were clearly in the background noise during my tumultuous teen years.Those memories coupled with being so far removed from it (LA is quite the distance from home town in miles and way of life) was an experience I’m not likely to forget. Oh, and they were great live, though they could use some work on their banter (their ideas for a Toad Cover band: Rock on the Ocean or All I Rock).

Next up is Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I’ll be in the pit at the Greek Theater, again, screaming out songs and attempting to dance/make eye contact with Karen O. Since Placebo cancelled (I do not wish to discuss this right now. Still. Very. Sad.) I’m waiting for a Tiffany concert to help jog memories of when I was 12.

 

Ting Ting Tueday: The Results Are In.

What can I say about the Ting Tings show from last night?

1. In an attempt to get wristband for the pit, got in line early amongst a surprisingly large group of under 18-year-olds wearing really bad faux ‘80s garb. Result: Felt terribly old.
2. Wore the sluttiest top I’ve worn in a very long time. It was completely backless which means: No Bra. Result: Felt extremely naked, not very worthy. But my tatts looked cute!
3. Downed well drink after well drink (instead of my usual penchant for Bacardi) to save money. Result: Still dropped $25 for a T shirt.
4. Hot Tub really wanted to channel Salt-N-Pepa, but I wasn’t buying it. I’m sure those ladies never shouted “Hey LA, let’s make some SANDWICHES!” Result: Still wondering where the sandwiches at?
5. Second guest, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, sang to us about a sideways ponytail, which lead singer kindly demonstrated beforehand. Result: Clearer understanding of the teenyboppers in audience now.
6. Ting Tings finally come out to wow and get us party people to dance as soon as my feet cry “Mercy!” Katie White, bless her, wore a hideously printed bodysuit with sleeveless purple sequined shirt over top. Sound was LOUD and sometimes hard to distinguish actual tunage or lyrics (though, of course, I knew them all) TT’s sang every song on the album, stretching a few to get the crowd pumped, said goodnight and left. Result: Made it back home by midnight. No sandwiches in the house, so wolfed down some mac & cheese. Didn’t turn into a gremlin.

 

Summer of Love

Suddenly this year I feel like reliving how I wish my teen years were. Or my 20s even. Basically, I want a T-shirt in my closet from every concert I attend that I thoroughly enjoy. At present, it holds Rilo Kiley, Feist, The Airborne Toxic Event and Metric (freshly purchased at the Wiltern Monday night!) Really, I’m a sad excuse for a 33 year old mom. And one who wants to “appear” cool. But this summer has me excited with all I’ve crammed into it so far, with the potential for so much more to creep in. Next up:

• Thursday June 11 at the Henry Fonda: Camera Obscura
• Legoland trip with our good friends, the Malloys, and possibly my sister’s fam
• College and Career Day downtown at friend Amber’s school. I get to possibly “interview” students and talk about my college and job. Hot Dog!
• June 25th at Descanso Gardens: The Bird and The Bee
• a rockin’ Pool Party, BBQ Baby Shower
  
• July 5th at Hollywood Bowl: Tegan & Sara, The New Pornographers and Death Cab for Cutie
• Aug. 8th at the Ahmansen Theater: Spam-A-Lot
• Aug 21 at the El Rey: Los Campesinos! [jury still out on this one, though I'm gonna push hard to make it happen!]

Mix in a few visits from my parents, and plenty of lazy weekends at the beach, and I’m hoping this summer makes up for the crapfest that has pretty much been this year!

PS I just wanted to mention that the Metric Concert at the Wiltern on Monday was killer. I love Emily Haines SO MUCH now. Everybody, everybody: ilovemetric.com

 

My own Living Social [blabbery] Album List

Instead of putting everyone through it on facebook, I decided to make it a music blog for today:

THE 5 ALBUMS THAT SHAPED ME
(this way I can provide some sort of explanation for them. And can do more than 5)

THE 5 ALBUMS/BANDS THAT SHAPED ME: The Teen Years
and
THE 5 ALBUMS/BANDS THAT SHAPED ME: Adulthood

The Teen Years:
Let us not forget how old I am, [29] or what period in time I came from [neon 80s], or where I grew up [middle of BFE]. Thus begins my list of 5 from my youth

1) Michael Jackson ‘s Thriller
well, duh.
2) Madonna Like A Virgin
I asked my mom for this tape. She asked me,”Sweetie, do you know what a virgin is?” My completely truthful reply? “No.” I got the tape. And I wore out that tape. I grew up to hate Mads. But turn on ANY song from that album right now, I could sing every lyric.
3) Tiffany
Come on! You were either on board with Tiffany or Debbie. I chose the red head (surprise, surprise) and I played that pop shit over and over and over and she was my first concert. So she makes it in.
4) Pearl Jam Ten
At some point I graduated from poptarts to coffee grinds. And I could wear flannel not just because I lived in the middle of the woods in PA.
5) Billie Holiday
I suddenly had this appreciation for early jazz vocalists and spent a lot of time kicking around my attic bedroom or in my car taking in the voice of Billy. Maybe it was my first attempt to try and be “new and different” in the very unwavering and uninteresting small town I grew up in. Side note: My little sis jumped on board too….but of course, her fave singer was Ella Fitzgerald.

Adulthood:
So I went away to a small state college where I got exposed to a better array of tunage via the college station. From there I moved to Los Angeles, and ran with some people into good music, who opened my eyes to so many different worlds, that now I can say with satisfaction that my music collection is, indeed, eclectic.

1) Radiohead OK Computer
When they started to grow and change their sound yet at times (on this album) still hold on to some the past. It was my all time fave during some crucial years of my early 20s therefore it’s still my favorite album of theirs. And I refuse to tell the story of how I lost tix to their concert 1/2 hour after waiting in line to purchase them. No.
2) DJ Tiësto, In Search of Sunrise Vol 3
Lets face it, I’m into electronic music. And I do love me so good trance. I dig the repetition alongside beautiful melodies the build to a climax and breakdown. Give me Oakenfold, Sasha, Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buren, Paul van Dyk and Christopher Lawrence as well, but Tiësto has time and time again wore me out (in a good way.) And I don’t take Ectasy. No. The worst I might do is have lots of drinks. I still love it.
3) Thievery Corporation The Mirror Conspiracy
Wiki says “their music style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, Indian classical and Brazilian (such as bossa nova) with a lounge aesthetic.” I like it to chill the F out. My friend at the time, now husband, gave this album to me and I still dig it. Good for him or bad that he did?
4) The Beastie Boys
So I got into them a tad later (say 18) but I went gaga for them for years. My last car that I just replaced in 2007 had an actual Beastie Boys bumper sticker on it. I’ve definitely fallen out of any great love I had of these boys, but they sure had a funky repitoire and The In Sound from Way Out is killer.
5) Rilo Kiley
I don’t remember when I got so totally gung-ho about more indie bands and even alt-country, so I’m throwing down Rilo Kiley because I’ve had every album or song I could possibly have (legally) for years and I can still sit down and do a Rilo Kiley marathon for weeks. There is just something about them that is too hard for me to shake, and believe me, I could fall in and out of love with musicians like the wind changes. Here’s to hoping I just didn’t jinx my love of Jenny. Cheers!

Ahhh, lists.