Concert!

Friday night was so awesome. Miranda and I went and saw The Black Keys perform at the Oakland Arena. It was so, so good. They are absolutely incredible live, I must say. Better than I even expected, and I expected a lot. They played all my favorite songs, we danced like maniacs, spent too much money on beer and concert tees, but it was so worth it.

Also, the encore of "Everlasting Light" was incredible! It involved the largest disco ball I have ever seen and made the coolest light effects in the arena. Just awesome.

If you ever get a chance to check them out live, I highly recommend. They are like no other.

Have a good week everyone!

One Lazy Weekend

I was going to put this playlist up on Friday, like I usually do, but the internet was being a brat and it didn't happen. Then yesterday I was too busy being lazy all day before going out with Jenny to stuff our faces with French food (SO DELICIOUS), so it's going up today. Sometimes these things happen.

Anyway, my obsession with 90s music was reignited recently, so I made this playlist and have been listening nonstop. So many awesome songs, so many memories attached to them (like MTV playing real music). I got my inspiration from songs I have on my iPod, but I was inspired by a Vh1 countdown of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s", which you can check out here.

What are some of your favorite songs (with memories attached)? And not just from the 90s, but from other decades too, I'd love to hear them.

PS I think I might have to do an 80s playlist next week

Fall Friday Tunes

So it's fall. Autumn. One season away from winter. My music taste tends to change come fall. I switch over from obsessive Lady Gaga/Britney Spears/whatever crazy dance songs are popular playing to obsessive emo-indie rock music playing. Maybe cause it's all dark and gloomy? I don't really know. And, for the record, it is currently still very warm here in California, despite it being October, and despite the fact we had four days of rain (which were wonderful). Anyhoo, ignoring the fact that it is very sunny outside right this minute, the music coming out of my speakers is changing, because I am ready for the heat to GO AWAY. Now, push play and pretend it's raining. It makes it much more wonderful.

Obsessed much?

So I know I put this song on my Vegas playlist, but I had to give it its own post. I love it so much. I wish it never ended...enjoy!

Friday Tunes

I tried to get a playlist up last Friday, but failed. My apologies, but I wasn't at home and didn't have access to my computer. But today we have music!

I personally go through phases with my music. Like, I'll listen to only one CD or one Pandora station obsessively for weeks at a time. This summer has been no different. Right now, or for that last month or so, I've been listening to my Carole King Pandora station pretty much nonstop. I find that all the songs capture that laid back, end of summer vibe that I feel every August and September. So the playlist I made today features some oldies, but most definitely goodies, and I hope you enjoy them on this lovely Friday, as we say bye bye to summer (it was a good one) and hello to fall.

P.S. Last weekend was awesome, and I will be doing a recap post, I just need to get the pics off my camera. So it might be a little late. Just sayin'.

Eeep!

Remember when I got all nostalgic about music from the 90s and Pop Up Video?

Pop Up Video is coming back! For realsies!

I'm super excited! This means they'll hopefully be doing some of the crazy recent videos out there, like the ones on this list by Flavorwire. I know I'm down for some Lady Gaga video trivia. Her stuff is trippy.

Anyway, YAY!

A Night at the Monster Ball

I have a love/hate relationship with Lady Gaga. I find her both exciting and interesting as well as exhausting and annoying. But I do like most of her songs; they're great for dancing, working out, longs drives in the car, etc. But sometimes her act/schtick/whatever you want to call it just gets annoying and I have to take a break from her for a while. Then there was the disappointment of Born This Way. I mean, it's a good song, I like the message, but it wasn't as good as I expected and hoped it would be. I mean, this is the lady who gave me Bad Romance, a song and video that literally blew my mind when I saw/heard it. In a good way. I have some hope with Judas, because I really like it, maybe because it reminds of Bad Romance? I do have a lot of respect for Lady Gaga, she writes, produces, composes, and is very involved in every aspect of her image and career, and she is a tireless campaigner for gay rights.

Anyway, yesterday I watched her HBO special Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden.

I really wanted to see her in concert, but this entire tour has been completely sold out every time I try to get tickets. Or they are just REALLY expensive. I like going to these kind of big, lavish arena production concerts because they are FUN. I went and saw the last Britney Spears tour and it was awesome. You just dance and sing along the whole time and it's really wonderful.


After watching the special, which was really well done, I kind of fell in love with Lady Gaga again. First of all she doesn't lip sync (ahem Britney) and she still sounds amazing. She dances, wears crazy outfits, covers herself in fake blood, plays piano, it's awesome. But I just really liked when she would talk to the audience, which she did quite a bit, talking about growing up in New York and always wanted to play Madison Square Garden, telling everybody to get drunk and have fun. I guess it made her seem a little more human? Because sometimes I really think she might be a robot.

So, if you have the opportunity, check out the special, or if you're really lucky, go see her in concert. I think I have to now, because if a taped special was this much fun, imagine a real show!

The Sounds- a concert

Last night Sasha and I journeyed into San Francisco for a concert. It was The Sounds. I discovered The Sounds a few years ago and I have all their albums and I've been DYING to see them live for so long. But it never works out, either I don't find out about a show until it's over or they aren't coming anywhere near me for awhile. Not this time. I finally got to and I was so excited and it was so amazing.

Yes, I know my pictures aren't great...I was too busy dancing to care about taking a great picture

You know how sometimes when you go see a band or a singer live and they don't sound the same or they sounds really bad? Not The Sounds. They sounded great live and they put on one hell of a show. The lead singer, Maja Iversson, is one of those singers that swaggers around the stage with all this attitude and I love it. She's really fun to watch. And I think I have a crush on the guitar player, Felix Rodriguez.



Images via google

Isn't he dreamy in that hipster-euro boy way? How I love a cute hipster-euro boy! Plus he's and awesome guitar player. Yes, I am aware I have strange taste in men. I love 'em tall, skinny, dark haired and if they're European, well that's just fantastic. (The Sounds are a Swedish band, btw)
There were only a few drawbacks: the venue (Rickshaw Stop) was definitely too small. Don't get me wrong, it's a really cool venue, but I don't think that whoever planned the tour realized how many fans The Sounds have in San Francisco because the place was packed beyond capacity. Also, before the show started, Sasha and I were near the stage and when the band took the stage, everyone just started crushing in and spilling drinks all over us, which was just annoying. I just wanted to dance and being near the stage obviously wasn't working. I understand that people want to get close, but being violent is not cool. Maja even kept making sure the people in front calmed down so no one would get hurt. So Sasha and I moved a little farther back, and we were able to dance our little hearts out. The last thing was that there was a smoke/fog machine going above the stage and at times, I couldn't even see the band, which wasn't so great, because I came to see the band. And I couldn't.

But like I said I got to dance and get all hot and sweaty to my favorite song:

All in all, it was sooo much fun and I am so happy I finally got to see The Sounds live, it was totally worth it and I will definitely be seeing them again.

P.S. after we left SF, Sasha and I were starving, so guess where we went? The only place in Marin open past 1am, Denny's. We ate some fries and buffalo wings and they were delicious. The perfect end to a great night!

Nostalgia: music from the 90s

This weekend I was hanging out with Miranda and we got to waxing nostalgic about music from the 90s. Now, I am aware that I am only 23, and was therefore very young in the 90s, but I watched a lot of MTV and Vh1 (when they both still played music videos) plus I had Miranda, who was five years older, and her friends exposing me to all kinds of music. A lot of which included gangster rap. Picture that in your head for a second...15 year old Miranda and 10 year old me...listening to gangster rap. Yeah.

Anyway, starting in fourth grade I was a latch key kid and everyday I would come home from school and do my homework while switching back and forth between MTV and Vh1. Back then they actually used to show videos during the day, not in the middle of the night or at 5am, and none of this Jersey Shore or Teen Mom crap...don't even get me started on that stuff.

Wait...what was I talking about? Oh yes, music! I would dance around my living room to all kinds of stuff, some that probably wasn't entirely appropriate for a 9-10 year old, but who cares? It's not like I had the Disney channel (which cost extra $$ to have then). So much great music and so many artists that either are retired, died, changed genres, or just went crazy (I'm looking at you Lauryn Hill). Oh and all those one hit wonders who were kind of awesome? Remember "Sex and Candy"? And when Madonna wasn't trying to act like she was 21 and she wore her infamous cone bra and the sex book?

I suppose that everyone is nostalgic for music from their childhood, I mean my dad pretty much only listens to stuff he grew up listening to, so I understand that aspect. But, despite the fact that I really do enjoy a lot of music that comes out today (like my Britney), I just don't necessarily connect in the same way. And there is just so much bad stuff that is so popular right now as well...Justin Beiber anyone? I like me some Lady Gaga, but no matter how deep or artistic she says her music is, to me it's just good music to dance or work out to. I don't turn on Lady Gaga or Katy Perry or Bruno Mars when I want to listen to music that's more than just a good beat. And there are great artists today that do create more of a connection with their music, like Adele or Florence and the Machine, so I'm not totally discrediting the music industry of today. Luckily today we have so many options. Just sometimes I miss my awesome 90s music!

With that, I leave you with some songs that I loved and still do.

And arguably one of the best bands of all time and probably the greatest song of the 90s.
You know what it is, don't you?

P.S. Do you remember Pop Up Video? I totally want that show to come back. Could you imagine how great it would be today?