2013 - Favorite Shows

Looking back... I can tell I it'd been a over a year since my friend and fellow music lover, Pastor Bock passed away.  I can also see how much my job and my stress levels prohibited me from branching out from my go-tos.  But there were some epic shows in my 2013...shared with some pretty incredible people.  The ones in bold are my top 10.  Boom!

The XX; Austin, ACL-Live, with Kelly and Angie

Billy Joel; New Orleans, JazzFest w/ Misa

Dave Matthews Band; New Orleans, JazzFest w/ Misa 

Atlas Genius with The Neighbourhood; Austin, Emo's w/ Aaron

Milo Greene; Austin, The Parish w/ Nicole

Pearl Jam; Chicago, Wrigley Field (first set) w/ Nicole & Owen

Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z; Chicago, Soldier Field w/ Nicole

Public Enemy and Ice Cube; Austin, Stubbs w/ Aaron

DMB; Austin, 360 w/ Kelly, Kim, Jane, Aaron, Mandy, Jaime, Amber and Lolo

DMB; Irvine, Meadows w/ Holly, Jen, Diane, Sven, King, Garret and Maya

Phoenix; Austin, ACL-Live w/ Kelly and Uma

Muse; Austin, ACL with Matt & Mike

Queens of the Stone Age; Austin, ACL with Nicole

STS9; Austin, AMH with Kelly, Amber, Dawn and Kim

Kings of Leon; Austin, ACL w/ Nicole

Pearl Jam; Phoenix, Jobing.com Arena w/ Owen

Willie Nelson; Phoenix, Celebrity Theater w/ Ian

2012 Recap: Top 12 Favorite Songs & Shows

... Because I love me some music!  In no particular order...

Top 12 Favorite Songs

1.  Madness – Muse

2 .  Only Love – Ben Howard

3.  Mercy – Dave Matthews Band

4.  1957 – Milo Green

5.  Lucky Now – Ryan Adams

6.  Take a Walk – Passion Pit

7.  Just Breathe – as sung by Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder and Willie & Lukus Nelson

8.  Trojans – Atlas Genius

9.  Levels – Avacii

10.  Anna Sun – Walk the Moon

11.  The Motto – Drake and Lil Wayne

12.  What you Know – Two Door Cinema Club

Top 12 Favorite Shows

1.  Avacii – ACL

2.  Eddie Vedder – Bass Concert Hall

3.  Dave Matthews Band – The Woodlands

4.  Ben Howard – ACL

5.  Willie Nelson – The Backyard

6.  Jay-Z – Made in America

7.  Lil Wayne – Austin Music Hall

8.  Bon Iver – Moody Theater, ACL Live

9.  Lance Herbstrong – The Belmont

10.  Ghostland Observatory – White Water Ampitheater

11.  Pearl Jam – Made in America

12.  The Temper Trap – Stubb’s

+52 Shows. New Appreciation. Mind Blown.

Music it is my religion.  And passion.  I was thinking a few weeks back if the guitar or the airplane had never been invented, I’d have a hell of a lot more money saved up… but my life wouldn’t be nearly as rich.  

My taste in music is pretty diverse.  In the last year, I’ve seen Little Wayne to Willie Nelson, Asher Roth to Bon Iver, Run DMC to Ben Howard and Dave Matthews to Drake. 

Back in September we went out to Philly for the Made in America Festival – JayZ was all I really cared about seeing. Because of a Block M... on a Maize hat... I met a guy whose love for Pearl Jam was as deep (maybe deeper) than my love for DMB.  He flew to Philly ONLY to see Pearl Jam.  I can appreciate that sort of intense love for a band because I can totally relate.  But no, he takes it to a whole, WHOLE new level.  Proclaiming, “It’s Pearl Jam Day!!” and going to the Pearl Jam fan meet up before the festival.  Dude really, REALLY loves him some Pearl Jam.  Now I’d seen Pearl Jam once before – at The Staples Center.  I was underwhelmed at best.  The sound was awful.  But I thought… hey, for someone to travel like this guy had… maybe I missed something. 

The second night of MIA, or as Owen called it, “Pearl Jam Day”… we met up with he and his crew.  Seeing him and his friends… grown men with real, respectable careers and stellar educations dancing around with their shirts on their heads brought a whole new appreciation to Pearl Jam.  Eddie Vedder has an amazing voice, and is damn sexy.  And oh wait, he’s playing guitar as JayZ sings 99 Problems?! 

Ok.  I’m a fan. 

Because that dancing, shirtless man told me I had to go… I drove an hour to get tickets to see Eddie Vedder play in Austin. My mind was blown away last night.  Like completely.  I’d venture to guess I’ve seen more than a few hundred artists perform – but last night was very quickly thrown into my top 3 shows of my life.  Everything was perfect.  The sound.  His voice.  The acoustics.  The commentary. The day.  The typewritter.  The letter.  The company.  

So thank you, Owen.  I wish you could have been there.  It was pretty magical…and maybe a little life-changing. 

"Feel the sky blanket you with gems and rhinestones..."

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And because I’m crazy and wanted to figure out how many shows I’d actually been to this year… I tried to count them up.  It gets tricky around festival times and SXSW because I feel like we stumble upon some great acts that I forget we even saw.  Case in point (or point in case if you’re my friend Tots!) my text to Bevil this morning:  “Other than Big Krit and Little Wayne, who else did we see during SX?”  So here’s my best guess at who I’ve seen in 2012.  Cra to the zee!

Little Wayne - Busta Rhymes - Big Krit - Quiet Company - Fun. - Sarah Jaffe - Shiny Toy Guns - Tyga - Asher Roth - Fab-olous - Ben Kweller - Wild Child - Marcia Ball - Bon Ivar - Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Dave Matthews Band - Ghostland Observatory x2 - The Temper Trap - The Head and the Heart - Ziggy Marley - Lance Herbstrong -Aleso - Calvin Harris - D’Angelo - Drake - Maybach Music  - Jay-Z - Pearl Jam - Run DMC - Skrillex - Jill Scott - Willie Nelson - Erikha Badhu - First Aid Kit - Delta Spirit - Ben Howard- Teegan and Sarah - A-Trak - Weezer - Florance and the Machine - Bassnectar - Big Gigantic - Polica x 2 - Two Door Cinema Club - Avicii - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Neil Young - Lera Lynn - Gary Clark Jr. x2- Iggy and the Stooges- Passion Pit - Eddie Vedder

And much love to the friends who've been there along the way... Kelly, Lindsay, Jen, Anthony, Hallie, Chad, Owen, Sarah, Chase, Amanda, Meredith, Chelsie and Stacy!

When Someone Else Sings...

When I was a little girl, I remember sitting in the backseat of the car... looking out the back window.  I know, I know... why didn't I have a seatbelt on?  Well, it was before we were required to wear them... which seems just silly.  Anyway... I was sitting there, looking out the back and I remember my mom turning up the radio (or was it an 8-track) and exclaimed... "It's my honey!!"

I remember either thinking or saying aloud... "If he's your honey, how come he never comes to visit me?"

I've never met my biological father, still, to this day.  But even as a 3 or 4 year old, I somehow equated "honey" with "someone you love" and equated that to "someone you have a child with."Smart girl I was.

Well, that man singing was Willie Nelson.  And for a brief moment in time I thought he was my father. Willie singing was part of the soundtrack of my childhood.  I'm grateful that I've heard him play live.

In other news... I've been on a bit of a random Pearl Jam kick since Philly.  A newfound appreciation since my high school and college days.  I heard this on the radio the other day and smiled.  I love when older artists do covers from rock bands, it makes me smile when music worlds collide.  I've posted this song before, but seeing Willie and his son Lukus sing it as a duet literally brought a whole new meaning to the words Eddie has sung and brought tears to my eyes.  Check it out - I promise it'll make you cry and immediately want to call your parents...   Good stuff right there.  This is what happens when you can appreciate the lyrics and the music.  <3 p="p">

Amanda and I at Willie Nelson this summer

Kill Your Heros

It's a crazy break from their first big hit, Sail... but I love this new track by AWOLNation.

Well, I met an old man
Dying on a train.
No more destination,
No more pain.
Well, he said
"One thing before I graduate
Never let your fear decide your fate."