Okay, so, it's been pretty warm here recently so this morning I pulled a dress out of my closet to wear to work. I didn't have any stockings clean (and yes, I not only still wear stockings, but I CALL them stockings - I am 85) and the dress is kind of long so I am like, "Enh, I'll be okay bare legged." And that's all worked out in my mind until I see my reflection in the glass doors outside my office in the harsh light of day. My legs are as white like snow. Pale like I imagine Nicole Kidman would look if you stuck her in a cave for thirty days. Whoops.

( HIMYM )

I still haven't had a chance to watch The Hills premiere and I am starting to get the shakes. I love watching those girls and cringing when they do dumb things.

EDIT: Duh, forgot to mention. Rhett Miller at Largo before they shut down the Fairfax location and move. Who's in?

Hey - someone come with me!



Ben Kweller is playing the Echo three times nights in a row and each night he will play one of his albums in its entirety. It was a tough choice, but I went with "Sha Sha" night, which is September 5. Tickets are $18 and avaiable here.

I'm trying for the quick update. Edit: Sorry if you saw this twice, it wasn't showing up on my Friends list earlier, so I am reposting

Saturday's show by The Decemberists was amazing. I was really blown away by how much fun it seemed like everyone was having, from the crowd to the performers. I also could not believe that the Bowl was nearly sold out (attendance ended up being in the 14,000's) for Band of Horses, Andrew Bird and The Decemberists. They definitely didn't disappoint with the set list either. I was a squealing idiot when they played my favorite song "We Both Go Down Together." I don't remember everything and I definitely don't remember the order, but they played:

-The Crane Wife 1&2
-The Infanta
-We Both Go Down Together
-Los Angeles, I'm Yours (how could they not?)
-Odalisque
-O Valencia
-The Perfect Crime #2
-The Tain
-I Was Meant for the Stage
-The Chimbley Sweep

Blessed with the help of the LA Philharmonic, it was all so beautiful. I took some video of Odalisque, and it's here.

Also, I cannot, CANNOT recommend Andrew Bird enough. Seriously. He very nearly stole the night playing his violin and guitar practically at the same time. And whistling! I mean, I listen to lots of crap, but I think Andrew is a real artist and I feel lucky now that I was able to see him play Largo all those years ago. Our seats were pretty good, but not good enough to take decent photos. I suggest going to Flickr if you want to see how it all looked. I think I'll be hard pressed to find a better concert this year, but I still have Rufus doing the Judy show in September so, game on.

And now for the shallow waters of Big Brother 8. This will include talk from the live feeds but I'm not caught up on them yet so nothing past Monday. Spoilers for all aired CBS eps, though.

( Read more... )

I was really unsuccessful with the short update. Keep the Harry Potter updates coming, friends list! I am not going til Friday evening. My hat won't be finished and now I'm mad.

OH YEAH - tomorrow is the 12th, fellow documentarians! Don't forget the 12 of 12.

My post title is because it is apparently the 1990's all over again for me as I've been listening to music from that time period ALL WEEK.

OKAY! It's June, it's the 12th, here's the 12!

( Hello hello hello how low? )

Thank GOD that the big family event that was conflicting with my very first The Decemberists show has been canceled. I just got an e-mail that the opening act will be none other than ANDREW BIRD! That's fantastic news (for me and him)!

HURRY UP 07/07/07!

It's Monday, I'm sitting all by myself in my office area so it's time for...

Things That are Currently Rocking My World!

01. So, most of you "met" me post-wedding, but I am a total geek for all things weddings. So picture me totally over the moon when I found out that Issac Mizrahi (whom I totally wish I could hag over hang with) did a line of bridal gowns for Target. None of what I see is particularly my style (though I do love this one), but the prices are fantastic, a lot are two piece ensembles, and sizing goes up to 18. There's even a wedding SUIT! I asked Art if he was interested in renewing our vows so I could wear Isaac and he is still not over how much we spent on our original wedding, so he backed away slowly.

02. Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way on PBS. I'm starting to get into cooking shows lately and superbonbon4 got me watching Jacques and he charmed me so much he's got his own season pass now. I just LOVE his quick meals and frenchified tales from his past. I could listen to his accent forever. Plus, the man has knife skills for days and I nerd out over that because I can't chop anything to save my life. KNIFE SKILLS! Why are you people still reading this? I am embarrassing myself.

03. On the other end of the spectrum, I bought a $.99 store brand brownie mix last night at the grocery, and made them for me to eat while watching the SNL in the 90's special and they were SO good. Mmm...cheap dessert...

* * *

( More from This Weekend )

And oh yeah, I promised photos from the Rufus show, didn't I? I had a mixed bag of photos that I was happy with and photos I was less thrilled with. Oh well, better luck next time. Unfortunately for you all, my camera died right when Rufus came back out in his pajamas so I don't have photos of that. I was trying to update my show count, but I am having faulty memory. I think this was my 24th Rufus show.

( Rufus Wainwright, Live in L.A. 05/01/07 )

I live! I'm back at work after a whirlwind of a week - here is the update in quick list format:

-superbonbon4 was a wonderful host to me for a few days last week and I had SO MUCH FUN. Plus, my allergies are not as concerned with her adorable cats as they have been previously. I will mark that down as a win. Also a win? Peanut Butter rice krispie treats.
-Rufus Wainwright. Oh my god, I love him SO MUCH. I saw him perform his new album in its entirety last week in San Francisco and he just won me right on over all over again. I am back to talking about him/listening to him constantly. It's annoying, I know it. A huge nostalgic bonus was sharing this experience with the same dear people that attended my very first Rufus show just over five years ago. It was amazing seeing the old tour gang again. Fortuitous - after exhaustion set in, I missed the San Diego show, but my awesome friend B found me a ticket to see him tomorrow here in Los Angeles.
-Knitting. K helped me get over a few humps and I finally finished the scarf I started while on vacation in Seattle. I started another beginning project this weekend but it's a slower knit so I am trying to be patient with it. Pictures and more knitting stuff is forthcoming in an entry that will be more easily skippable for those non-interested.
-Sing Along Songs. GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS for aprilbegins! I attended her karaoke birthday party last night and it was the perfect capper to a great weekend. I had so much fun and realized that one martini is NOT enough to convincingly sing Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl," but it is just enough to sing Daniel Bedingfield and not be the least bit embarrassed.

I just remembered why I don't cook very often. I was putting tomato sauce into a hot pan and it splashed back and I burned my finger. OW.

I am so fascinating it hurts.

Yesterday was awesome as long as I kept forgetting that sweetcynic23 was flying away. I have co-dependence issues if you didn't realize that already! Art and I went out with his bestie to a bar (that happened to be at a MALL, best of both worlds!) to watch the NCAA tournament's second round. We had a total blast and I even had fun despite being the designated driver (totally my choice!). Those were some great games yesterday, except the UCLA game which was so boring it couldn't keep two drunks entertained. I was sad to see Washington State get the boot but that double overtime was the best basketball I've seen in a long while. Today's games were good, too, I can't believe that UNLV beat Wisconsin - that is just fantastic. I am IGNORING that USC beat Texas. Dammit, Longhorns! You were supposed to knock them out.

Hey, hey, hey - I don't know if I have any game show fanatics on my friends list (I'm a junkie!) but did you all hear that Jeopardy! had a three-way tie on Friday? I think that's pretty awesome. I need to remember to definitely tune in on Monday to see who comes out on top.

Oh, hey hey, guess what? I bought tickets to see The Decemberists with the L.A. Philharmonic in July. I have never had the opportunity to see The Decemberists before and I am way excited.

Annnnd that's your Susan update.

Okay, I always say this when I have a weekend with the girls, but: BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.

But REALLY, I'm posting today to talk more about Rufus Wainwright's new album/tour because that's the thing that I am most excited about! The release date is officially May 15 but I am hoping a leak shows up ANY DAY NOW because I am so ready to hear this.

It was announced that Teddy Thompson is opening up for Rufus. My friend B emailed me this info and I was so excited that I could share it with Kesha since she was sitting right there on the couch with me (it's the little things when your bestie lives far away). Teddy opened up for Rufus the first time we saw him back in 2002. Talk about the memories rolling back from those days on the road.

Also, the internet was treated to a new photo of Rufus and the album's cover art:




I'm so excited I can't even stand it! Also, on Monday, I happened to meet this cute (and tooo young!) boy who works at one of the venues where we're seeing Rufus and he was all, "I think I'm working that night! Come say hello!" He said something about VIP, but that place is so tiny I don't think I could be given any better access.

Last bit of Rufus news: it was announced this week that Rufus would be joining Cyndi Lauper's gay pride tour along with The Dresden Dolls, The Gossip and Erasure. But he's only doing select dates so I'm waiting to see if this includes L.A.

YAY!

Hey - check out this super cute video of Ben Kweller courtesy of Stereogum. He's thanking the fans of the blog for giving feedback on his new single.

His new record shows up on 9/17 and I'm really excited about it. I still remember when I bought Sha Sha in Indianapolis at ariel_rose's insistence. It ended up being one of my favorite records in 2002. Good job, Ariello!

So anyway, here's that single if you're interested: Penny on the Train track (NOW OFFLINE)

P.S. He's playing L.A. (the Avalon) on 9/22, interested? I've missed him the last few times he's been here so I'd like to attend this show.

Monday night I returned to Largo with my friend B to see my original music boyfriend, Teddy Thompson. Teddy is the son of Richard and Linda Thompson but I first heard about him via Rufus Wainwright (another son of folk-rock luminaries). When I followed Rufus around in 2002, Teddy opened all of his shows and played guitar in his band. As an opener he was quiet between his songs and when he did speak, he was often rude and glared at the audience (leading superbonbon4 to call him The Devil). Of course, I fell in love with him the first night I heard him play in Washington, D.C.

Last night's opener was this extremely cute boy with a mess of curly hair who I thought could not be any older than 18. Imagine my surprise when I realized (not til very late the next day) that this Steve Schiltz person was the lead singer in Longwave. Ooops. You know, you'd have thought I'd have caught on when he sang "There's a Fire" and I thought, "Wow, he sounds JUST like the guy in Longwave!" All I can say is that I never purported to have a very quick mind. He did a nice set of mostly acoustic songs and I am now kind of crazy about him.

When Teddy finally took the stage, I was so excited to see him. It's been a while since I last saw his live show and he's improved so much since that first time I saw him so long ago. He looked really confident and had dropped the false bravado. His songs have become much more alt-country (as opposed to the alt-country lite of his first album) and while it surprised me on the album, it felt natural in a live setting. His lyrics are intelligent and kind of fun. Yes, even the song about depression. Teddy did a set that was comprised of stuff from his latest album (released this past February on my birthday because he obviously still loves me) and I just loved it. He completely reignited my Teddy Thompson love, so much so that I was completely bummed that I didn't bring his cd with me so I could continue listening to him on my way home from the club. He was even kind of nice to the audience! Though, I'm not sure how rude you can be when you're drinking a Seabreeze on stage.

A big highlight were the guests - he had Steve Schiltz playing with him on electric guitar for most of the set but then he called up another legacy of 70s folk, Chris Stills (son of Stephen for those playing the home game). Chris, Teddy and Rufus used to sing together regularly at Largo back in the late 90s/early 00s and I hate myself for not knowing about any of them back then. Chris and Teddy did a two songs together and they brought the house down. I didn't really think it could be topped (and Chris Stills wears his Converse low tops without shoelaces, just like me!) until Teddy asked his mom to join him for a song. She cursed at him in her clipped English accent, but she gamely jumped on stage. She looked like she was in her jammies which was adorable. Linda decided she wanted to sing a song she wrote about Pete Doherty and added, "God love him." The song was pretty biting and hilarious with mentions of Kate Moss. The last verse was sharp and basically said that there were many more like him just waiting in the wings with their own "dark brown eyes and deep blue songs." I wish I could remember the exact lines because it made the audience all, "oooh," when she sang it. And then the show was over, and even though it was very late, I was sad because Teddy was so awesome I could have watched him sing for hours longer.

I've uploaded a few of his songs if you want to check him out, I definitely recommend. I decided to up the Longwave song also, so that others may benefit from my error. And if you want all of them, I decided to zip up all four songs for a faster download.

All songs now OFFLINE

Teddy Thompson, from Separate Ways
I Wish it Was Over
I Should Get Up
That's Enough out of You

Longwave, from There's a Fire
There's a Fire

Zip

Attention L.A. Area LJ Friends

Busy Saturday night? Interested in the sold-out Fiona Apple/Damien Rice concert? (David Garza is opening). I have two extra tickets for this show. The seats are in Section C, Row D, Seats 126 and 128. Seating Chart Here

If you have deduced that I happened to score better seats, you are correct. But don't hold that against me! Also - the Greek is a great venue where there really is not a bad seat and it will be a great evening to sit under the stars and hear some amazing music. Here's the thing: I know it's late notice, so I am willing to sell these under face, but I would prefer not to just give them away. The actual ticket price (incl. those nasty Ticketmaster fees) is 60 bucks each. So, if you want them, it's first come first served - we'll work something out. Tickets will be available to my LJ friends for a day or so and then I'll throw them up on Craigslist.

If you need more convincing, consider this: The Greek Theatre has amazing chili & cheese fries.

Comment here or send me an email to ms [dot] sinca [at] gmail [dot] com.

Anyone else a Muse fan, such as myself? I was way late on their train, not falling in love with their last album Absolution until they had finished all their L.A. tour dates. That's me, always on the fast track! The band is releasing a new album in the U.S. on July 11th and have released some preliminary tour dates!

( Visiting a Town Near You? )

Here are a couple tracks off the new album (change links from hxxp to http):

hxxp://www.sendspace.com/file/zd37g5 - Supermassive Black Hole
hxxp://www.sendspace.com/file/1dy1qz - Knights of Cydonia

In completely OTHER NEWS: OMGGGZZZZZZZZ, my mom just called to tell me to turn on Wheel of Fortune and my basketball boyfriend Mike Bibby is on! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

EDIT: Damn you, Ray Allen!

This entry is mostly for celaphane but why e-mail when I can talk publicly about my plans?

I got the call back from Largo - and I got the last table for tonight! Flanagan was quick to stress that it's not really an Eels show - it's a comedy show starring Zach Galifinakis (whom I ADORE) and others and the Eels are the "special musical guest." He said he didn't expect the Eels to do more than 5 or 6 songs but then added, "we might get them to do more, maybe with your encouragement" - (btw, that's the nicest Flanagan has ever been to me, ever and I've been to Largo about 50 times). So I wanted you to know that if you decide to stand in line. Still, even for a short set, seeing the Eels in a room with less than 150 people is pretty sweet. Art and I will be there so let me know if you decide to go!

Doors at 8:30, cover is still $10.

I know all the buzz in L.A. tonight is on the free Gnarls Barkley show at the Roxy, BUT, Fiona Apple and David Garza are appearing tonight at Largo with Dave Palmer. Fiona! David! LARGO. Cover is only 10 bucks. Of course the tables are gone but if you're there at a reasonable time you should be able to get in to the bar.

I have plans AND Art is home now so I can't make it. Someone go and tell me everything that happens!

Anyone in the area interested in Sondre Lerche at the Troub on 4/9? I don't wanna go by myself and my husband did his Sondre time a few years back.

Also - people that use iTunes? Can someone buy me this and burn it to CD for me? I'll pay you! I don't use iTunes and I hate that this is an iTunes exclusive. Apple, do NOT deny me any Fiona!

Confidential to my friends who receive the Andrew Bird mailing list:

( Read more... )

And if you don't get the Andrew Bird mailing list, well, check him out, will ya?

I was going to attempt to not update today until I got some more work done but I just can't. I'm too excited. I'm going to see Fiona Apple tonight! I read all the reviews in the communities (and a very lovely one by 2stars4arms) and tried to wait as patiently as possible, but yesterday I couldn't really control my excitement anymore and kind of bubbled over. It's still going on right now. You guys, it's been over five years since the last time I saw her in a full concert. Tonight David Garza is opening and wow, I am so excited. Excited enough to sort of forgive the person somewhere who wrote that David sounds like Jason Mraz. (It took all I had to not leave a snark-filled comment on that because - NO) A few warnings - I WILL act like a fool and I WILL cry. And I WILL call K during any song she wants.

singlestringwiz and I are leaving right when he gets out of work and then I'll be staking out the venue (we're heading down to the show in San Diego since I was a moron and missed the on sale for L.A.). mutinousmuse, I'll be looking for you but seriously, I will be a freak so that might encourage you to hide from me.

Fiona Apple's cover of a Jimi Hendrix song caused me to start talking to this skinny kid I worked with. The first time I saw Fiona Apple in concert (December 1997), the skinny kid was by my side, we had been dating two months. Her next tour was for When the Pawn..., and when the on sale for tickets was announced (just the on sale, ANNOUNCED) I screamed in delight in my drive way. She played two shows at the Wiltern and I went to both, the first night with Art, the skinny kid, and the second with O.C. E from Eels opened. That was it until I was lucky enough to catch her at Largo a few times, whenever Jon Brion would pull her reluctantly on stage for a song or two. Now, that skinny kid is still skinny but is now my husband and not a kid and there's no one else I'd rather have with me. Also, he'll put up with the freaking out and the crying with minimal complaining.

Tonight! I can't wait!

My e-mail has let me know that System of a Down and Nine Inch Nails are co-headlining this years K-ROQ holiday concert. Trent and Daron? Daron and Trent? My inner goth teen just squeed through her black fingernails and ripped fishnets. The rest of the line-up that night is Korn, Avenged Sevenfold (?), Rise Against (WHO?) and Fallout Boy. This is what I told Art about Fallout Boy.

"This band makes me want to peel off my own ears and wish I could forget that I even learned how to hear. Also, they break my cardinal rule of bands: the lead singer is U-G-L-Y."

In your "Life (or the Music Industry) is so Unfair" moment of the day: Fiona Apple will be OPENING for Coldplay on the band's next tour. Chris Martin, PLEASE.

I can't believe it but Flanagan actually called me the other night to offer me a table for Jon Brion's 12/9 show. I was trying to get in for the 12/2 show for singlestringwiz's birthday. I haven't been able to get a table in forever. Last time I had to wait for a seat at the bar and they basically ignored my late September begging for a November table. Another reason to regret his working with Kanye West. sweetcynic23, I ripped the album for you and will send it tonight while we watch Veronica Mars.

2stars4arms reminded me to squee with delight because Fiona Apple and the aforementioned Jon Brion are working on releasing the version of Extraordinary Machine that Brion produced. The article (I'm too lazy to link it this morning) mentions that the version that leaked to the internet was not ready and that Jon and Fiona wanted the complete version available to us diehards. This thrills me for so many reasons, but mainly for this one: the strings will return!! Jon + Fiona 4 ever!

My K, who rocks in so many ways, sent me word today that David Garza is opening up for Fiona on this tour! I am so excited! I love David! This will be great exposure for him. Anyone on my friends list who has tickets for this tour, I urge you to get there early to see David's set. He has great songs, a great voice, he dresses like a bum and he tells jokes that only I laugh at.

Quickly:

Happy birthday, idreamofpeace! I hope you have a stress-free and very fun day! I wish you much luck in finding Veronica clothes and plenty of money to buy them!

Thank you, California! I'll take this as a mandate that California is done with you Arnold. You never should have been elected in the first place.

Okay, nose is officially to the grindstone. I need to power through a ton of work today so I can fully enjoy the ass-slapping tonight! EDIT: I just realized how unbelievably dirty that sounds. I meant on Veronica Mars, I swear. God, how embarrassing.