November 1. 2013
Tame Impala is one of those bands that doesn't need any special light effects or props to make their shows memorable. Their music, energy and message have a strong enough power to leave you in the most wonderful trance. That's when you know you've struck musical gold; when the raw energy of a band can give your entire body chills. And that's exactly what happened. I'm not entirely certain, but once 'It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' came on, I'm pretty sure that I screamed, had my life flash before my eyes, left my body and went to heaven, and almost cried of happiness. I've been told I'm a bit dramatic when it comes to music. I like to think of it as emotionally invested and really enthusiastic but that's a whole other argument.
With Kevin clad in his infamous scarf and bare feet and Dom making me wish that I was a badass guitar player, I couldn't have asked for more. They did this really amazing thing where they would improvise with new sounds as they transitioned from song to song, creating a really unique and spectacular performance. It was all a blur because I was having too much fun, but the setlist included: Elephant, Solitude Is Bliss, Apocalypse Dreams, Mind Mischief and even a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. Talk about a good time.
September 26. 2013
FINALLY. I have been a long time listener and fan of Arctic Monkeys for over seven years and let me just say that it is about damn time that I was finally able see them live at the Fox Theatre in Oakland. It's been a while since I've been completely mystified over seeing a band perform live and I think that having never seen them before definitely helped with that. They played new songs off their most recent album AM like 'Knee Socks' and 'Arabella' but I also appreciated the fact that they didn't forget about their stellar oldies like 'I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'Pretty Visitors'. Honestly though, I was so impressed with how tight their performance was. They definitely live up to the hype that surrounds them, they know what they're doing, and they're incredible musicians who are well versed in the art of crowd entertainment.
The fact that they had me screaming like the girl that I am and basically yelling out the words to each song (you can't call what I was doing, singing) says two things: 1. yes I am a fangirl... but 2. they are just that damn good.
I love spending time with my Grandpa, so when he came to visit in October, I decided to take him to breakfast at a place I had never been but had heard so much about. We went to The Girl's Restaurant which is a diner type style place where he used to work as a busboy many years ago. It was really nice for him to be able to see some old friends and for me to learn a bit more about his history. And I mean, come on... There's no way you can go wrong with coffee and french toast!
