50 Questions

1. What are you listening to right now?
Joni Mitchell--"California"

2. What song makes you sad?
Dan Fogelberg--"Leader of the Band" & Don Henley--"End of the Innocence"

3. What is the most annoying song in the world?
"December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)"--hate that song. Totally associate it with Freshman year roommate in college. Didn't like her much either.

4. Your all time favorite band?
Depeche Mode

5. Your newly discovered band is?
Silversun Pickups...okay so maybe that was a while ago now. Bassboosa is another one, but again that's a few months back. Venus Hum and Sea Wolf are fairly recent discoveries.

6. Best female voice?
Amy Lee, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone

7. Best male voice?
Josh Groban

8. Music type you find yourself listening to most?
Electronica, alternative, folk

9. What do you listen to hype you up?
Imogen Heap, Bloc Party, Muse

10. What do you listen to when you want to calm down?
Mandalay, Trespasser's William, Lamb, Portishead

11. Last gig/concert you went to?
Coachella

12. Band you find yourself listening to the most right now?
Bands: Silversun Pickups, Placebo...Solo Artist: Feist


13. Most hated band?
Any boy band that was a rip off of New Kids on the Block (i.e., NSync, Back Street Boys, etc.).

14. Song that makes you think?
Peter Gabriel--"Mercy Street", Angelique Kidjo/Sade--"Pearls"

15. Band that you think the world should love as much as you do?
Band: Shearwater...Solo Artists: Josh Groban, Imogen Heap

16. Coolest music video?
Oddly, Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal"--back when he was still "somewhat" normal.

17. What do you play/would you play in the bedroom to spice things up?
Mandalay, Portishead

18. What song makes you yearning/longing/something of that sort?
Hoover--"2 Wicky"...Mandalay--"It's Enough Now"...Portishead--"Sour Times"

19. Ever been in a mosh pit?
Nope

20. Are you in a band?
Nope. But was in choir up until college.

21. Ever dated a musician?
Unfortunately, no.

22. Do you wish yourself that you were a musician?
Yes.

23. Best chick band you know of?
Saw The Like perform at last year's Coachella. They were pretty good. Other than them, I can't think of a chick band.

24. Last song that you heard on the radio/cd...etc...?
On the radio...Linkin Park--"What I've Done"...on my iPod...Nina Simone--"I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl"

25. What do you think of classical music?
Every once in a while I get in a mood and I'll listen to classical. I favor piano pieces. I do love classical concerts thought. Classical music done live, in the right setting, can be amazing.

26. What do you think of country music?
God, worst car trip ever, involved a driver who loved country music, and nothing else. Can't say I like it.

27. What do you think of Death metal?
Yeah, wouldn't be caught dead listening to it.

28. Last BIG band that you saw live?
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bjork, and Rage Against the Machine. I guess those are pretty big.

29. Do you listen to music in foreign languages?
Yes. French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian.

30. What famous musician would you invite to dinner?
Imogen Heap...she's just so freakin' cool!

31. Worst concert moment?
When I was 15 I went with a friend to see New Kids on the Block (way back in the day). I think it was in Albuquerque. My friend twisted her ankle during the show...she was balancing on the chair to get a better view and fell. I had to go get security and first aid and missed the last four songs of the concert.

32. Funny concert moment?
Okay, same concert...as security was trying to get first aid they took me back stage. At one point they left me alone, totally unsupervised, right as the band was getting off stage. I totally could have gone towards the dressing rooms, but I was too chicken!

33. Sad concert moment?
None that I can think of.

34. Best local act you can think of?
Silversun Pickups

35. If you were a musical instrument what would you be?
Piano. My favorite instrument.

36. Do you listen to the radio?
Not that much anymore. Radio sucks for the most part and I supposedly live in a top 5 radio market (LA); hate to think what it would be like if I lived in the middle of nowhere. When I do, it's KROQ, Indie, or KCRW.

37. Do you watch music TV?
Is there really such a thing anymore?!?!?!

38. Do you follow the music charts, like the top 40?
Not anymore. Did when I was younger and when the artists I listened to were actually on them; but the stuff I listen to now isn't on them and the stuff that is doesn't interest me.

39. Have you met any famous musicians?
No.

40. Are any of your friends/family/etc. musicians?
My brother played in a band when he was younger. Still plays guitar.

41. Song that best describes your feelings right now?
Kate Bush--"Running Up That Hill"

42. Song that describes your life?
Sarah McLachlan--"Fumbling Towards Ecstasy"

43. Do you know the names of all the band members that you listen to?
Mmmm...nope.

44. Does a musician’s physical attractiveness play a role in the music?
No...but if they happen to be hot, it doesn't hurt.

45. What famous musician do you want to marry?
Okay, have a little crush on Josh Groban right now. But have to admit, Peter Gabriel has been a long time crush, even if he is a little old for me.

46. Favourite movie soundtrack?
"Stealing Beauty"

47. What do your parents listen to?
Mother raised me on America, Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Ambrosia, Dan Fogelberg, and the Carpenters. The Carpenters are the only one I'm truly bitter about! Father is musically clueless. Recently discovered he doesn't know who Keith Richards is...sad sad sad. I'm thinking of disowning him.

48. What are you listening to right NOW?
Arcade Fire--"Keep the Car Running"

49. Do you wear band etc T-shirts?
Only have a few. Tend to wear them to sleep in or workout in.

50. What do you think of people who do?
More power to them.

A Touch of Insomnia

1:10 AM and I'm awake...and it's not like I'm doing anything productive to justify it. Maybe it's thoughts of my impending root canal later this morning. I hate dentists! I should be unconscious given the amount of pain killers I'm on!!!! But alas, I'm WIDE awake. This sucks!

Third Row Center!!!

Following on from Coachella, and just to prove that my music taste is completely schizophrenic...I got a third row center ticket for the Josh Groban concert in August at the Pond (I will never call it the Honda Center; just like the Gibson Amphitheater will always be the Universal Amphitheater to me! I don't adjust well to change!). Total improvement on 20th row at Staples in March. Happy Happy!! Need something to look forward to now that Coachella is over.

Coachella: The Good, the Bad, and the Unpotty Trained

Ah, so sad that it's now over and I have to wait another year!

Anyways. All was quite excellent.

~Saw some really good bands: Arcade Fire (Highlight! Love, love, love them now!), Interpol (Excellent!), Bjork (Entertaining, pretty damn good show!), The Decemberists (Good, mellow set), Placebo (They played "Blind" and "Running Up That Hill"; that's all I needed to be happy!), Silversun Pickups (As always, great!), Tokyo Police Club (Not bad. Had never heard them before.), Regina Spektor (Good. Reminds me too much of Tori Amos.), Travis (Loved), Rufus Wainwright (Boring. Realized I'm really not into him.), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Even though it meant skipping Blonde Redhead, I'm glad I stayed so I can now say I've seen them--even if I hate their latest album!), Tiesto (I went to a Eurotrash college and have spent a lot of time in Europe--thus, a misguided love of techno/electronica), Lily Allen (Glad I skipped Air to see her), Air (Saw the last two songs of their abbreviated set; weren't as cool as I thought they would be under the desert night sky), Damien Rice (Oddly, rocking!), Willie Nelson (One song, just to say I've seen him), and capped off the weekend with a little Rage Against the Machine, the Lemonheads, and VNV Nation. I know the RATM reunion was the big draw, but I've never been a fan (and I value my physical safety), so I watched their first song from afar and then took advantage of the short lines at the restroom and merchandise tents. Followed that up with a brief listen to the Lemonheads (kind of boring) and VNV Nation (just randomly stummbled into on my way out of the bathroom; entertaining for a few songs). Then went back and stood (securely) by the police lines to watch the Rage encore.

~Had to make some sacrifices: Jose Gonzalez (figure he plays in LA every once in awhile, so will catch him then), Blonde Redhead (already saw them, hadn't seen Red Hot Chili Peppers), Sonic Youth (how old are they now?), Peter Bjorn & John (wanted to see which one sounds like the girl!), Crowded House (okay, really just wanted to hear the one song that everyone knows--"Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over."), Klaxons (had heard good things), and Teddybears (although, I did see one of the bears wandering around by the merchandise tent in the afternoon.).

~Managed a decent tan to get the summer started and to not die of heat stroke! You know once it hits 100 degrees in the desert, finding out it was really 105 doesn't really matter. Anything over 100 is just hellish!

~Found a shortcut into the parking lot (NO, I will never tell!!! Let's just say I figured out a way to bypass the mile of cars waiting to make a left onto the road that takes you to the parking lot. Ah, you fools baking in your cars!).

~Discovered that a significant portion of the Coachella population was never potty trained! Seriously people, how hard is it to aim!??!?

~(On a related note) Confirmed that port-a-potties suck & are truly disgusting. It is totally worth the time to stand in line for the trailer toilets. For those few forays into the port-a-potties, fully appreciated the travel toilet paper and seat covers!

~Couldn't decide if there was any actual alcohol in the margaritas.

~Got a second-hand high from all the pot. I'm convinced there were more flies the second and third days because all the Friday flies told their fly buddies to come on by Saturday and Sunday to get stoned.

~Amused by the guy who threw an empty, then a half-full water bottle at the girl in front of us that was sitting on her boyfriend's shoulders and blocking everyone's view during Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sadly, she was uninjured and undeterred. But bottle guy still gets kudos for trying.

Just some of the memories to hold me over till next year. I think for year three, it might be time to shell out the money for VIP tickets (better bear garden and possibly better bathroom facilities--it's all about the bathroom facilities!!).