Note to self...
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

... an energy drink in the evening may be necessary in order to stay up and finish all my writing for the T-S, but only in the most desperate of circumstances.

3 1/2 hours of sleep is more like an annoying long nap, which just makes you want more sleep. It also does not make it easy to deal with the alarm in the morning.

3 a.m. is a weird time of morning, where apparently, when I'm still awake, I get Matchbox 20 songs stuck in my head.

By 3:45 a.m., that Matchbox 20 song has changed to a New Kids on the Block song.

"oh OH-o, she's my cover girrrrrrl, oh OH-o, oh-oh OH-o"


I'm more than kind of a geek on only 3 1/2 hours of sleep. I hope I can stay awake through my classes today.

(less than 24 hours til we're on the road to Sacramento!)

2:43 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Static of the Gods 10-4-08 [photo blog]
Category: Art and Photography

Boston's Static of the Gods played at the Lil Red Lion on Saturday night. I interviewed them for last week's Northern Lights section of the Times-Standard, and we've conversed here and there beyond that.

I'm really glad I drove back to Eureka for the show, as SOTG was excellent and all three of the band members are the kind of people I want to keep as actual friends. I've been really lucky like that, lately. One of the perks on the job(s), I guess. :-)

9:52 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Cave Singers 10-2-08 [photo blog]
Category: Art and Photography

This band, the Cave Singers, opened for Death Cab for Cutie at the Van Duzer, back in April. That time, I was totally unimpressed by them. My sister remembered that they kept making lame 420 jokes, because they played on 4/21. Maybe that's why I was less than impressed?

Anyway, they came back through town and played the Jambalaya on Thursday night, and seriously, they nearly impressed the pants (okay, socks) off of me. Check 'em out.

9:34 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Step By Step/ 18 years
Category: Music

This is where I was when I found that old camera... pardon the sidetrack.

A couple of months ago, my mom wrote a blog about my love for the New Kids on the Block and included an awesome photo of a bunch of my old fan stuff that I'm glad she never let me throw away.

My intention when I got into my bottom dresser drawer was to dig out the New Kids stuff that I knew I still had, like this VHS tape:



Love is your mommy letting you record a New Kids' Disney channel concert over the top of her Victory Garden episodes.

My cassette tapes! Minus "Hangin' Tough," which I know I had, I just don't know where it went... maybe Shane stole it from me. :-D (kidding, Honey!)

These little gems, which I forgot I had. Stoked! They're 1-1/2" buttons. Joeeeyyy, I looovvve youuuu!!!

And lastly, I know I've written about my t-shirt quilt before (it's been a long time), but here's my concert t-shirt from 1990... the No More Games tour. Mom and I saw NKOTB with my best friend Erica and her mom at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno. We were in the top balcony (I think) and the boys were only thiiis big (come on, envision the squishy-fingers with me). This t-shirt is my proof of that moment, 18 years ago.

That show at Lawlor is quite the change from this time around though... obviously I'm older and wiser now (though still in lust with Joey McIntyre), but this time around, we've got floor seats for both Sacramento's ARCO Arena and San Jose's HP Pavilion. 13th row and 34th row, respectively. *drool*

Another thing that hasn't changed? I fully expect that by the time the show in San Jose rolls around next Friday, my voice will probably be trashed from the Sacramento show on Thursday. Hey, I'm still a girl. What do you expect??

8:57 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Accidental artsy project [photo blog]
Category: Art and Photography

I accidentally discovered something fun and artsy tonight... while digging through the bottom drawer of my dresser for some stuff (later blog to come), I found my old Minolta camera that I used when I was a kid. I think it used these 16mm film cartridges that are impossible to find now (I looked).

Anyway, I peeked through the viewfinder on the old thing and was inspired to play... even though I can't use the camera the way that God/Minolta intended, I could use it the way I want to! So I held the viewfinder up to the lens of my Rebel, let it focus and took a couple of photos in my living room.

I'll call it "Through the viewfinder of a crappy old Minolta, via Canon Digital Rebel":

4:42 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

A shift in consciousness
Current mood: contemplative
Category: School, College, Greek

The other night, I had drinks and a long conversation with a friend who graduated from HSU last semester, had the time of her life over the summer and has reached a sort of "now what?" moment.

As we talked things over, we both sort of reached a perspective changing conclusion... or in my case a perspective affirming conclusion... the key to my general sense of contentment in life has to do with the fact that I always have something to look forward to. Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year... even when I'm at my most stressed, I know that as soon as I have my current worries taken care of, there's something else good on the other side.

Right now, I look forward to seeing the Cave Singers at the Jambalaya tomorrow night and the New Kids on the Block next Friday (and possibly Thursday, too!!)... beyond that, it's the Flogging Molly show on the 17th. Then the November 4th election and the Mason Jennings show the week after that. Then Winter Break (woohoo!). Finally, next year, I look forward to graduating... having in my hands that magical little piece of paper that shows my worth (right?) and tells the world that I'm ready for a fortune-making job... or not. But either way, it's a goal.

I have thoughts of my plans beyond that, but honestly, I don't even have to go further than that, right now. The writing I've been doing for the Times-Standard gives me something new to look forward to every single Monday, when I get my assignments for the following week.

My friend and I also discussed the post-Grad blues, which apparently is quite common. I can't say as I'm surprised by that and I have thought about it... what will I do with myself when I don't have school anymore? As much as I get tired of showing up to some seemingly meaningless classes on a daily basis, I like learning... a lot. At least I know that my bigger goals include finding major market freelance gigs and other things that will utilize what I've spent the last 10-ish years learning, but I do have the concern of feeling like I'm not busy enough. I thrive on busy. I also thrive on deadlines. I think that's what will keep me from the post-grad slump.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on post-grad, cuz that's really where all of this started. I'd love to know what anyone else who's been through it has to say.

9:44 PM - 6 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

iTunes Genius, really genius?

The latest iTunes update introduced a new feature called Genius, which compiles a playlist for you, by clicking on one song in your library (assuming that band/song is in the iTunes store) and clicking the little Genius button at the bottom of the screen. There's something about complex logarithms and little birds on the shoulders of the iRobots that build a supposedly appropriate playlist out of your own library...

Inspired by the Local Cut blog, as shared by Jen Savage, I decided to conduct my own very unscientific research to see how well this new feature worked. I started off my selecting the new Ben Folds/Regina Spektor song "You Don't Know Me," to see where it would take me.

1. Ben Folds - "You Don't Know Me" ft. Regina Spektor
   
2. Eef Barzelay - "I Wasn't Really Drunk"
   
3. Fleet Foxes - "He Doesn't Know Why"
   
4. Clem Snide - "I Love The Unknown"
   
5. Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk"
   
6. Beck - "Chemtrails"
   
7. Mason Jennings - "Boneclouds" (playing at the Van Duzer on Nov. 11, BTW!!!)
   
8. Death Cab For Cutie - "You Can Do Better Than Me"
   
9. The Decemberists - "On the Bus Mall"
   
10. Pinback - "Good To Sea"

Result: PASS- This list also included Josh Ritter, Conor Oberst, Bob Dylan, Spoon, the Arcade Fire, and many others who made my time spent listening rather peaceful.

1. New Kids On the Block - "Summertime" (Gimme a break, I'm seeing them twice next week!)
   
2. Cheap Trick - "Surrender"
   
3. Kate Nash - "Merry Happy"
   
4. Rage Against the Machine - "Bulls On Parade"
   
5. Sublime - "Wrong Way"
   
6. Modest Mouse - "Dashboard"
   
7. Foo Fighters - "Long Road To Ruin"
   
8. Bob Dylan - "Like A Rolling Stone"
   
9. New Kids - "Step By Step"
   
10. Flogging Molly - "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" (playing Arcata Comm. Center on October 17th!!!)

Result: Overwhelming FAIL- Seriously... New New Kids, Cheap Trick, Rage... Bob Dylan?? I can't even fathom how this list came about.

One more:

1. Strength - "Let's Cruise (In A Non-Cruisin' Zone)" <-- Portland dance band... check them out if you don't know them already.
   
2. Interpol - "Slow Hands"
   
3. Modest Mouse - "Dashboard"
   
4. White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
   
5. The Raconteurs - "Steady As She Goes"
   
6. Wolfmother - "Woman"
   
7. Justin Timberlake - "SexyBack"
   
8. Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go"
   
9. The Shins - "Caring Is Creepy"
   
10. Silversun Pickups - "Well Thought Out, Twinkles"

Result: Underwhelming FAIL- This is a bizarre mix. Not bizarre in an "I'd like to see these bands play a show together" sort of way, but bizarre in a WTF kind of way. Strength is dance music. Justin Timberlake is dance music (you can't argue that no matter how hard you try). Wolfmother/White Stripes/Raconteurs? Really?

Obviously, the Genius feature is dependent on two key factors: 1) Songs in your library that are also in the iTunes store and 2) Songs in your Library... If you have nothing but rock, it will have no choice to pick rock. I have a lot of different styles in my Library. I own more than 600 CDs, only a fraction of which have I had the time and energy to rip into iTunes, but of the approximately 26 Gigs I have loaded in there, there should be ample fodder for a good mix.

Keep trying, iTunes, keep trying.

8:55 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Loni Anderson sighting in Eureka?!?
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Loni Anderson... Arkley Theater... Wha-wha-what?!?

For rizzle.

It went like this;Shane and I were @ the Arkley Center, row 4 center, for the Kingston Trio and Brothers Four and after the Brothers Four played, Shane asks me if I saw that lady sitting a seat away from him, on the aisle. The blonde lady with her boobies pushed up to her chin. She looks like Tammy Fay, he says...
We get out to the lobby and I say "You mean the lady who looks exactly like Loni Anderson?" Weird.

We get back to our seats and the gentleman next to me asks if we saw that lady that looked like Loni Anderson. I laugh and go "dude, I totally thought the same thing!". She doesn't come back to her seat for the Kingston Trio.

After the show, I stick around to say hi to Bob from Brothers Four and George from the Kingston Trio, both of whom I spoke to last weekend for my Times-Standard piece. Bob thanks me for the article and asks me to stick around. We do.
Once again, we see the lady who looks like Loni Anderson... Signing autographs. Bob sees me and calls me over to him...to her... "Loni, this is Monica. She wrote the story for the local newspaper." She shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you," I say and smile. I walk back to Shane. "OhMyGod," I mouth as we turn to walk away and I bust up laughing.

Loni Anderson is married to Bob Flick of the Brothers Four. Now we know. :)



(And me without my camera phone... Dangit!)

Images courtesy foxnews.com and latimes.com

7:23 AM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Sneaking out for a few (and showing my biases)
Category: Music

I finished with my articles for this week's T-S just before midnight and decided to run up the street to Humboldt Brews for a few minutes. Hot Buttered Rum played tonight and they were one of the bands that I wrote about for last week's paper. Super nice guys and they're touring in a converted bio-diesel tour bus. Greeeeeen.

Anyway, two things struck me about the experience. 1)  Passion Presents, the promotion company who put on tonight's HBR show, as well as last Thursday's JJ Grey/Mofro show (and so many others) freaking rocks. It's a Tuesday night and HumBrews is abuzz (I might have made up that word) with dancing, stoked people. Admittedly, Passion often brings through genres of music that I'm not usually into. Bluegrass, I like (whoo! Never thought I would have said that, four years ago!)... funk, I like... anything with the word/prefix "jam" tacked onto the beginning of it just starts getting to me. Jamgrass, jamrock (oh, Damien Marley, how I despise you), jam-almost-anything just makes me cringe. I've come to the conclusion that while I appreciate technical prowess, I like songs to have a beginning. And an end. And generally not 20 minutes of noodling between point A and point B. But I digress.

2) Hippies... everywhere. Hemp pants, white-guy dreds, spinny-guy who continuously oscillated up and down the walkway with no regard for the people (and pints of beer) around him. Don't get me wrong... I'm a fan of sustainable agriculture, such as hemp production... and dreds I can deal with if they're kept clean (Matt from Passion Presents has uber-long dreds and they're pretty sweet, actually).... but spinny-guy, I can only blame on the amount of/number of drugs he had to have in his system. I don't know what the drug(s) of choice are these days. Besides weed, which I barely even count as a drug, I'm not sure which hallucinogenics are commonly imbibed, but that gets me to my conclusion...

I have not done enough drugs in my life to properly deal with jam bands/huge numbers of hippies/Reggae on the River and still have a good time.

But that aside, props to Passion Presents. Those guys know how to throw a damned party and promote the hell out of it.

END disjointed stream of consciousness

(Photo courtesy Trendy New Hairstyles)

8:41 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

JJ Grey and Mofro 9-18-08 [photo blog]
Category: Art and Photography

I finally got a chance to cruise through the photos I took last Thursday at Humboldt Brews... JJ Grey and Mofro.

JJ Grey is sexy. That's all there is to it. *drool*

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed being in front of the stage, taking them. :-)

6:36 PM - 6 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment