'Nuff Said

My take on disputes like paper or plastic or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (which is a work in progress). I will let you draw your own conclusions. I'm just here to offer some perspective.


Twilight vs. Harry Potter
Harry Potter is an unlikely hero tasked with saving not only the wizard world, but the human world as well from a dark lord. Meanwhile Edward Cullen is trying to save his high school girlfriend. 'Nuff said on 11.24.09.

All I want for Christmas

For Christmas, my siblings and I draw names for gifts. The rules are you can't get your spouse or someone you live with. We each put our names and write stuff we want. Every year, I try to put outrageous things on there because the rules are we can't spend less than $100 on a gift-- but there's no maximum amount we can spend. So for fun I'll write something like a pearl necklace from Tiffany's (I'm still waiting on them). Realistically here's a few things on my Christmas wish list:

• DJ Hero for XBox - I used to go to Guitar Center a lot when I was trying to learn how to play guitar. I always wanted to play with the turntables because it looked so cool-- but there were always people in there! Guys who actually DJ'd so I'd be too embarrassed to go. Well, now I can live out my DJing dreams from home where no one will ever see :)

• Anthropologie Gift Card - Because I'm obsessed.

• Polaroid Camera - Like the old school kind. Not a Polaroid brand digital camera. I want the one that spits out the picture when you take it and has the white border.
• Golf Clubs and Golf Lessons - I need to stop borrowing and get my own set. I hear golfing is essential to climbing up the corporate ladder. It's a small essential part of my master plan.
• Concert Tickets to see Bon Jovi at ARCO in March
• A bike - So I can relearn how to ride a bike... don't believe people when they say "It's like riding a bike, you never forget." Yes, you do. I am living proof of that.

• Airplane tickets - good for anywhere anytime.

I hope you get your Christmas wish list!

San Francisco Outside Lands Music Festival 2009

(August 28-30)

This year's SF OSL was my first music festival and I LOVED it! The event was held at Golden Gate Park, which by the way, makes for a beautiful backdrop. I had a wonderful experience at the festival... there's something about tens of thousands of people having a good time wanting to listen to live music (no, not like Woodstock). We saw the best and worst of the weather, going from hot humid to freezing by the third day. The following are pictures and reviews of what I saw, heard, touched, drank, ate, etc.

Day 1: Incubus

The first act I saw. To be honest, I do not remember it well because I showed up in the middle of the show and strangely, the San Francisco weather decided to be hot and humid-- ick! I also haven't heard about Incubus.. I don't know.. since high school? I'm not saying they were bad-- they were good.

Day 1: Pearl Jam

Plaid shirts, jean shorts and dock martens... that was the attire for Eddie Vedder taking me back to the 90s. Pearl Jam closed the first night and they rocked, however, all I saw were shoulders of guys-- remember I'm short? What I thought was funny was how many guys were in the audience singing along and really getting into the concert! Guys who were in their late 20s - 30s. P.S. Eddie played TWO tambourines... there's a special place in my heart for tambourine players.

Day 2: Things to do...

One of the best parts of OSL are the booths and different tents. The Beatles were there-- in spirit inside the Beatles Rock Band tent. We were able to rock out to the Beatles tunes before the game was released. Barbary also set up a tent with a sort of tricked out burlesque singer. She had some diRRty lyrics!

The mood was happy... fellow outsidelanders were happy... there was an end of the world puppet show... huh?!?

Day 2: Mr. Tony, Toni, Tone... or is it Lucy Pearl?

Oakland native Raphael Saadiq brought the funk to OSL. His new album which he actually uses his real name is more funk and Motown style. It was entertaining and this white couple next to me were so into it... haha.. I love it! They were cute. I secretly wished Raphael Saadiq would have sang "Feels Good" or "Anniversary" or "It Never Rains in Southern California" -- basically become Tony, Toni, Tone again.

Day 2: Jason Mraz... I'm Yours.

Just close your eyes, relax and groove... that's what Jason Mraz's show is like. He sings about love, life and happiness... I felt like we all should've been holding hands and swaying in unison. It made me happy :) Jason Mraz is a good performer because he really engages the crowd. My favorite part of the performance was when he said, "All the short people sing." He also gave a little shout out to Bob Marley... my ultimate feel good music. We all sang, "Baby don't worry, about a thing. Every little thing, is gonna be alright" and I believed him. haha.

Day 2: Tonight's Gonna Be a Goooood Night! Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas opened for Dave Matthews Band. What can I say about BEP I haven't said... nothing. Here's some photos. BTW... I just noticed that Will.I.Am spells WILLIAM! haha!

Day 2: Sittin' on top of the world with my legs hanging free... Dave Matthews Band (my reason for being here)

The moment I found out DMB was going to be at the festival, it was a must that I attend. DMB is one of my all time favorite bands and they are the best band to watch live. They are incredible musicians. They sang a lot of the songs they typically sing at their live shows like "Stay or Leave," "Lie in Our Graves" and my favorite "Ants Marching." Dave is really strange... he told the audience they reeked and he loved the smell of dirty underwear-- gross. I like to think that was code for pot because that's all I smelled all weekend long.

One of the highlights and I would say an epic concert moment was when Dave brought out Black Eyed Peas to sing and dance battle. Dave dance battling a BEP member - comedy. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of that once in a lifetime event... but here's a different picture.

If you have not seen DMB live go watch them live. I was not a huge fan until I saw them live. Now I'm hooked. P.S. Carter Beuford: kick ass drummer.

DMB also played songs from their new album which was dedicated to the late LeRoi Moore, their saxophonist. The band isn't the same without him, but his replacement did LeRoi justice.

Day 3: Big Light and Cage the Elephant - let's body surf

On the third day of the festival, San Francisco finally showed it's true colors - it was cloudy and freezing. The first show I saw of the day was a band called Big Light. I've never heard of them and to be honest I can't remember what they sounded like.

The second band I saw was Cage the Elephant. I have never heard of them before either but according to Bethany she read somewhere that this band was a must see at Coachella. So we saw them. They were very lively... especially the lead singer. The best part was his body surfing... he had some good hang time. They sounded punk/hardrock... I think. I really should've written this right after OSL.

Day 3: What's Art? Are We Art? Is Art, Art? Pretty things at OSL

After all, this also was an art festival and there were some pretty cool stuff hanging around... like fish in the forest...

...or bird sculptures fashioned out of small paintings. I loved these... a good representation of love, peace and music.

It wouldn't be SF if it weren't green :) P.S. Toyota had the best booths because the had a photo booth, arts and crafts for souvenirs and silk screened canvas tote bags.

Day 3: Fun, crazy and scary...

Gooferman - scary clowns. The stage dancers molested a rubber chicken and drank what was made to look like windex out of a windex bottle during the performance. Scary clowns come to life. They sounded heavy metal-goth(ish)... but like I said, I should've written this earlier because my memory is rusty.

The Intel ladies with blue juice and my concert buddies!

At OSL, you stand and walk A LOT. If you want a good spot for a show, you better stake your spot! And once you do, forget about trying to go to the bathroom (or in this case porter potties).

Day 3: A Good 'Ol Fashion Nightmare and The Show - Matt & Kim and Lenka

I was looking forward to seeing Matt and Kim. I do not think they sound great live, but they are very funny and very likable. They really can't put on a big production, after all, there's only two of them! No back ups, nothing. Two people, one keyboard and a small drumkit. Matt makes all the guitar noises and everything else on the keyboard. I also learned a new term from Kim - Hoochie Hoops (aka hoop earrings which I wear ALL the time!).

P.S. My favorite songs out of Matt & Kim's new album, "Daylight" and "Good 'Ol Fashion Nightmare."

I first heard Lenka while I was in Bloomingdales in SF. The store played "The Show" and at first I thought it was cheesy, then heard it again and I really like Lenka. Plus she's got great style. I didn't get to watch her entire show, but in my opinion, she had the best outfit :). She's kind of like Lily Allen minus the sass.

Day 3: A Little too Modest Mouse

I don't know if they're being too modest, socially awkward or total jerks... but Modest Mouse does not know how to put on a live performance. Musically, they're phenomenal live-- but they said "hello" to the audience 40 minutes into the show. I felt neglected. That was the only time they talked to audience or even really looked up until they were done and literally just said "thank you." wow. I don't even know why they do a live performance when live shows are all about music, and showmanship.

Day 3: No One on the Corner has Swagger Like MIA

MIA Delivered at OSL. She's fun, energetic, full of life and colorful much like her music. She was wearing this really cool dress that if you look closely is a tiger's head with the large shoulder pads as ears.

I was pretty close to the stage during MIA's performance which was great, but I was pushed up against this kids who just couldn't get enough of their pot and one of them was showing off to me how great he rolled his joint. Yeah. He's a real winner. During MIA's performance, she threw out these horns to the audience, I think I was the only person where in my area who didn't catch one.

From what I saw of MIA's performance at OSL, I'm guessing she puts on an amazing show in-doors with all the lights... She's definitely someone I would go see again. Tenacious D was the closing act at OSL... which I was really disappointed that they were chosen as a stand in for the Beastie Boys. I mean... at least get a band with the same caliber as the Beastie Boys! I saw about 20 minutes of Tenacious D. They were funny but I think they would be just as funny if I saw them on TV. By this time my feet were aching from three days of walking, standing, walking standing, I was freezing and tired, so we left.

OSL was so much fun and I have a lot of fond memories from those three days. Whenever I think about the summer, I think of OSL and wish I was there again :) I guess I'll just have to wait until next year.

Festival Facts

Venue: Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CA

Seat: GA

Attended with: Danny and Bethany

Live in 2009: A Year of Dancing, Fistpumps, Footaches and of course MUSIC

I have spent a good deal of money and time attending concerts this year and I have truly enjoyed every single one of them. The following is my review and my photos of each of the shows I have seen live this year. Why do I think anyone will care about my reviews? It's because I like to pretend I'm a legitimate music critic. Hey, it's my blog.


I AM... (Woman, hear me roar)

The first big concert I attended this year was Beyonce's I AM tour. I do not own any of Beyonce's CD's but I've always liked how she sings about women's empowerment. Whenever I hear the song "Irreplaceable," it makes me wish that a man would break my heart just so I can sing with assertiveness and attitude the words, "You must not know 'bout me... I can have another you in a minute..." and tell him to remove his bags from the jag that I bought him. Ok, back to the show. It was well produced and Vegas over-the-top. At one point she was harnessed to the ceiling as she descended upon her fans. I think she sang her entire new album, old hits from her other albums and Destiny's Child as well. Backed by her all-female band, Beyonce put on a lavish show catering to her fans. The great thing about Beyonce is that she is truly a singer. The light show, the production and the crazy costumes do not drown out or distract from her powerful voice.

One of the highlights of the night was at the end of the concert when Beyonce acknowledged members of the audience even saying, "I see you in the purple dress..." and so on. I enjoyed seeing mothers with their daughters and groups of girlfriends having a good time. The one odd thing was that amount of girls/women dressed like they were going to a club-- I guess they all wanted to weartheir "freakum" dresses. My philosophy about concert attire has always been whatever you can stand, dance and sit in for hours.

Concert Facts: 


Date: July 9, 2009 
Venue: ARCO Arena, Sacramento, Ca

Seat: Lower Level (not floor) section 100's 


Opening Act: Not even worth mentioning


Attended with: My friend Stephen who was a stand-in for my sis-in-law Jayne who had a NKOTB concert to attend that day. 


Rating (out of 5): 3

VIVA LA COLDPLAY

I'll get to the point. One of the best if not the best concert experience I have had thus far. Coldplay puts on anincredible show and the best part about their show is that everything is centered on the audience. Chris Martin (Coldplay's frontman) is quite endearing and loveable. The band played to a crowd of about 40, 000 in one hundred degree weather and they seemed genuinely grateful for every single fan who showed up. Chris Martin repeatedly acknowledged the crowd even thanking us for coming out on a Tuesday night. He even mentioned Sacramento/Marysville/Wheatland several times. They even played on three stages; the main stage, a small stage amongst the middle seaters and a stage for the lawn seats!

Coldplay sounds great live. One of my favorite performances was when he did a slowed down piano version of "The Hardest Part." When they sang "Yellow", large yellow balloons fell onto the audience and inside were confetti-- it looked beautiful. Another great moment was when they sang "Lovers in Japan" and little butterfly confetti exploded onto the crowd. Of all the great moments in that concert, the most memorable one was when they sang an acoustic version of "Billie Jean" as a tribute to the late Michael Jackson (the concert was just a week after MJ's death). That is one of my most epic concert moments.

At the end of the night, we each got free CDs of their live music from their tour. If I could, I would follow them around the world on tour, but for now, I'll just listen to my free CD and remember that great experience that was the Coldplay Viva La Vida show.

Concert Facts:


Date: July 14, 2009 


Venue: Sleeptrain Amphitheatre, Wheatland/Marysville, Ca


Seat: Just three rows shy of being the very back seat (not lawn) - I tried to get better seats.. but they sold out quick!

Opening Act: Can't remember


Attended with: My brother 


Rating (out of 5): 4.5 - only because I wish I had better seats.

SAN FRANCISCO OUTSIDE LANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Because this was a 3 day festival with 30+ artists, I have dedicated an entire blog for this event (see posting above).

DAY AND AGE DANCE PARTY!

That's exactly what it was. A giant dance party. If you were going to fist pump, The Killers concert was the place to do so. This concert was a blast! I am big fan of The Killers. Their music always puts me in a good mood and the concert did as well. Brandon Flowers does not really interact too much with the audience; however, their music is lively enough to make you want to get up off your feet. Well.. actually.. Flowers had to guilt the people in the seats to get up. He told them "You people sitting down are killing me, we aren't the Fray!"

They sang a lot of songs from their latest album Day and Age and their first album Hot Fuss. They also sang other hits like "When We Were Young." My favorite part of the concert was when they sang "All These Things That I've Done" because confetti fell onto the audience -- I just love that!

Concert Facts:

Date: September 22, 2009

Venue: ARCO Arena, Sacramento

Seat: Floor/General Admission

Opening Act: Some Marriachi band I have never heard of (obviously not worth mentioning)

Attended with: Bethany, Molly and Amy (my usual crowd)

Rating (out of 5): 3.5

THE HISTORIC 360 TOUR

The biggest band in the world on the biggest stage ever built for a rock show. Need I say more? Yes. U2's 360 show was a significant and I would say a pinnacle in my concert experiences. I do not think I will ever see a show as grand and as significant as this show. From beginning to end, U2 delivered a stellar performance only elevated by the spectacular light show. The 360 tour has been called the biggest tour ever and by the size of the stage you clearly see why.

The stage itself is something to behold. Dubbed "The Claw" or "The Spaceship," the stage is so massive that it practically takes up an entire football field giving everyone in the arena a sense of being closer to the stage. At the show I attended, there were 90,000+ people and youtube broadcast the show live-- making this one of the most watched live concerts in history. The night was filled with epic moments, from the opening show of the Black Eyed Peas to the very end of U2's performance.

Black Eyed Peas. This is the second time I have seen them live (unintentionally). Despite their empty grade school lyrics, their songs do get the party started. One of the most epic concert moments I will remember for the rest of my life was when Black Eyed Peas brought out a special guest-- Slash! Yes. The legendary guitarist from Guns 'n Roses was there in the flesh playing "Sweet Child of Mine." That was a historic moment.

U2 played for nearly 3 hours-- which is understandable because they have a lot to cover. They played songs from their new album but it those songs did not move the crowd as much as their old hits did. One of my favorite moments of the concert was when they sang "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and of course all 90,000+ of us knew the words and Bono let us sing. It must be an incredible feeling hearing tens and thousands of people singing YOUR song. Of course it would not be U2 without the politics. During "Sunday Bloody Sunday" images of Iran and Iranian women appeared on the screen.

U2 also did a sort of call to freedom for Burmese freedom fighter Aung Sung Suu Kyi while performing "Walk On." There were some odd times of the night when U2 did a whole tribute to space travel... huh? At one point Bono even said "Space travel turns me on." What?

Getting to this concert was a bit stressful and required some money. However, it was worth the trouble, money and so much more. There were also some comical and tense moments. While we were packed in like sardines on the floor waiting for the show to start, several people kept trying to sneak in and stand in front of us. I am short and this is a problem at concerts. My friend Molly and other concert-goers near me were getting umm.. a little violent. At one point, I look over at Molly and I see her in some woman's face and her fists are clenched ready to pop her! It was hilarious! I guess the woman was trying to walk by with her Bono look alike boyfriend. Ridiculous! Needless to say there was a lot of pushing and shoving and yelling. I don't think Bono would approve. :) Nevertheless, the concert was rock history in the making and I was glad and honored to be a part of it.

Concert Facts:

Date: October 25, 2009

Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Ca

Seat: Floor/General Admission (p.s. the floor was steel so my feet were limp at the end of the night)

Opening Act: Black Eyed Peas (with surprise guest Slash)

Attended with: Molly, David and Bethany

Rating (out of 5): 5