Summer, concerts and my personal plea to Matt Nathanson...

It's been over a month since my last concert and honestly, I'm starting to feel a little shaky. I've had at least one concert per month since 2011 started, and it's been amazing. I am a lucky girl to get to see so much of the music I love played live.

I was worried July would pass me by and I'd have no concert to attend but thankfully Ernie Halter and Curtis Peoples came through for me and I'll close out July with their sweet sounds. And then the real fun begins...this is why I have a job. 

August

I'm starting August with the Beach Boys, then moving on to Michael Buble. I've never seen either of them live and am really looking forward to both. A little over a week after those I get to see the Goo Goo Dolls for the fourth time, and they're joined by Parachute (third time seeing them) and Michelle Branch (another first). That should be a fun show and a good way to end the August set of concerts.

September

September is crazy. I'm starting things off with Hanson. Yes, the Mmm Bop kids. I seriously can't wait, as I've always wanted to see them live. Three days later it's Hall and Oates, another first; then the next week brings me to the Matt Nathanson/Train/Maroon 5 tour and Alpha Rev - a band I've been dying to see since I first heard their voices. I've seen Matt and Train numerous times and neither have ever disappointed me, but it will also be a first for Maroon 5. All in all, that would be a good month of shows, but wait, there's more! I'm closing out the month with none other than Smokey Robinson. It is YAY!

October

Yep. I already have a concert booked in October, and I'm terribly excited about it. The band is Yellowcard and again, I've wanted to see them for several years so I'm very happy that they're finally playing a show I can get to.

Nothing set for November or December, but I have faith that someone I love will schedule something in my vicinity. Because let's face it, no one would want to leave me hanging for two months without a concert. That would just be wrong. 

I'm talking to you Todd Carey, Nathan Angelo, Third Day, Switchfoot, David Cook, Ryan Star, and yes, even you Matt Nathanson. 

[Here comes my personal plea...]

Because even though I know you will rock as the opener for the Train/Maroon 5 show, your solo concerts are epic and I need one. The entire Bay Area needs one. So just give it to us. We love you the most and we need to see you and your 12-string gracing a local stage for a 2-3 hour performance. We don't ask for much. And also, I need a new photo with you...not that these aren't awesome, but you know, we just need a new one.

Until then...enjoy whatever music you're listening to. And just because I haven't done it in a while, here's a sampling of what's in my Current Faves playlist on iTunes...I'm nothing if not diverse.

ROCK ON.

U2: Tainted by Oakland, BART and Potheads

If you read my last blog you know that I saw U2 in concert earlier this week. It was my fifth time seeing them and I knew they'd put on a good show. In fact, I'd seen this very tour - 360 - in Las Vegas about a year and a half ago. I knew it was going to be great. What I didn't know is how great everything else was NOT going to be. Where to begin...well, I guess at the beginning...

I bought the tickets for this concert (held June 7, 2011) in November of 2009. That's right. 2009. I bought them about a month after seeing the show in Vegas (since the first round of the tour came nowhere in California, much less somewhere near me...but I digress...sort of...). Anyway...the concert was originally scheduled for June 2010 but then Bono hurt his back and the whole tour was postponed. I should have known right then and there that it was tainted, that the whole night would somehow turn into a fiasco.

Because I'm a member of the fan club I actually bought extra tickets and had a total of 5...my thoughts being that I could easily sell the extras, maybe make a little cash, whatever. A friend had planned to go with me when it was still in 2010, but I didn't try selling the extra tickets right away thinking that the demand would go up as the concert date approached. And then, of course, there was no concert date, so I had all these tickets. Again, I should have known...

Sometime last fall I decided to donate one pair of tickets to an auction because the idea of selling them was just more than I cared to deal with and it seemed like a good thing to do. So I did. And I figured I'd sell the single ticket as it got much closer to the event date. But then the friend who was going to go with me had to back out (and I don't blame her...she'd agreed to go over a year earlier...life happens...). Anyway, I was back to three tickets. I asked some other friends if they wanted to go but came up empty and decided to just go by myself and sell the other pair...which I did, just about two weeks prior to the show.

I have to admit, I was not as excited about the show as I have been about past U2 shows...partially because of everything listed above and partially because I was just tired and kinda bummed that no one was going with me...not that I don't go to concerts by myself all the time, but for some reason it seemed strange. Anyway...when I woke up Tuesday morning I actually was excited and listened to U2 tunes all day.

I changed clothes at work and loved putting on my 'boys play rock and roll' t-shirt from the Vertigo tour a number of years ago. Yes. I'm a real fan. I own all the albums, some on vinyl; I own the t-shirts; I own the concert poster and have it professionally framed. At that point, I was ready.

I will admit that I wasn't terribly excited about getting to Oakland to see the show, but I told myself I'd take BART and it would be simple. I even checked the BART schedule to make sure the trains ran late enough - not being a seasoned BART rider. It all looked good. Of course, since I live in San Jose I had to first drive to Fremont to get to BART because apparently all those years ago when it was originally built no one had the foresight to bring the lines all the way down here. To be fair, this was pre-Silicon Valley explosion, but still. It's lame. Anyway...

I drove to Fremont and ate an early dinner before heading to BART. I knew I had zero interest in the food at the Oakland Coliseum - especially since they don't have Coke. I also knew I didn't care about the opening acts for the show and that I didn't have to rush to get there. I figured I'd get on a train around 6:30 and take my time to walk from BART to the stadium without being crushed by a sea of humanity.

I pulled into the Fremont BART station around 6 thinking I'd have plenty of time to park, get my ticket and wait for the train. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! The lot was PACKED! I parked in the farthest spot in the farthest lot and even debated screwing the whole thing and driving but couldn't bear the thought of sitting in 880 traffic or paying $30-40 for parking.

I got into the station and stood in a line of about 20 people buying tickets, which is apparently really hard for a lot of people. Wow. Got my ticket, went through the gates and got to the platform just in time to squeeze into the train about to leave. And I mean squeeze. Because not only was there the U2 concert, but there was also a Giants game meaning the trains were just stupidly filled with people. And it seemed to me that BART probably knew these events were both going on, in addition to the normal daily commute, and should have increased the length of trains or added trains or both. But it didn't seem like they really cared enough to do anything. Whatever. I stood between people for the 25 or so minute ride and was never so happy to see the Coliseum station in my life.

I got off the train and, along with thousands of other U2 fans, made my way into the station slowly...inching along hoping I wouldn't get trampled, happy I had no interest in seeing the opening act. As I came through the gate I started seeing signs that didn't make sense, signs telling me the Coliseum station was closing at midnight and that the last train was at 12:20. What? That's not what the online BART schedule told me, but sure enough, that was the story. "It's okay," I said to myself. "U2 will probably start at 9, play until about 11:30, and there will be plenty of time to get back." HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

More on this later.

I made my way, along with the rest of the Bay Area, to the stadium and after taking every single item out of my tiny purse for the security guy, I got inside and found my seat, and it was actually good. 

The opening act (the first of two) was still playing and I had absolutely zero interest. Neither did anyone else from what I could see. They played too long and then we waited for almost 30 minutes before the actual opening act, Lenny Kravitz, came on. I'm not a Lenny Kravitz fan. At all. And he played way too long. He's a headliner, not an opener, so of course he has a lot of songs. He finished around 8:30 I think and I still had hope that U2 would be starting at 9. In fact, I think they were supposed to based on other things I read, but they didn't start until 9:30 and by that time, I knew I was going to be hosed with the whole BART station closing earlier thing. Still, as soon as The Edge hit that first chord, I was lost in the music.

Because the fact is, U2 puts on a show like no one else. They are fantastic musicians and they know how to entertain. And until 11:25, when I decided I'd better make my way to the station so I didn't miss the midnight closing, they rocked.

Here's what didn't rock: the numerous pot smokers all around me. It's not like I was surprised people were smoking pot. People always do it at an outdoor concert, but this was the absolute worst I'd ever seen. It's as if all of the Bay Area was just saying, "Screw you," to the law about legalizing it that was NOT passed. Criminals, all of them. And look, if you want to smoke that crap and mess up your head, knock yourself out, just don't involve me. But you don't care about me do you? It's all about you.

You.Are.Awesome.

I can honestly say that I had a scarf wrapped around my nose and mouth for most of the show to avoid the smoke and at one point thought about leaving altogether. That's how bad it was. It was the first time I ever wished it would rain at an outdoor show.

And really Coliseum security? You can't do anything about this? Really???

When the band was about to start their second encore, I knew I should just go because I was already getting stressed about missing the last BART train back to Fremont. For about five minutes I debated just paying a wad of cash to a cab driver to drive me back but realized that was beyond ridiculous. I even thought about who I might know in the vicinity that I could convince to come pick me up but knew that there was no one. So, I started walking out of the stadium as Bono swung on his glowing red microphone and started singing Kiss Me, Kill Me. If I'd never seen the band before, I would have been even more angry that I had to leave early. And as I wandered back to the station, along with thousands of others, it was clear that no one was happy about the situation. As I started up the ramp toward the bridge they started playing With or Without You. It's just wrong that I was outside when this was playing. I couldn't even recognize the next song as I was about halfway across the bridge when it started. Ridiculous. By the time I got inside the station and put my ticket in the gate, it was 11:55. Seriously. Thirty minutes.

I got to the platform and one train was just leaving. We waited several minutes for the next train and saw on the board that there were two coming so I decided to wait for the second one...maybe BART did add an extra train. When I looked across to the stadium where the concert had clearly ended I felt bad for all those people that were going to miss the midnight station closure. I wondered what in the world they were going to do. And then I wondered why people ever bother with public transportation when it turns into the nightmare that it was that night.

By the time I got home it was about 1:15, and I was exhausted - otherwise this blog would have been written then, in the heat of my anger. I was still too tired to think about it yesterday, but I told anyone that asked that I was not happy about what had happened. I read this morning that the traffic and parking situation was even worse...tons of people didn't even get in? Some sat in traffic for hours and then there was no parking? What the heck is up Oakland? It's not like you don't have big events all the time. What was wrong with this one? Where was the planning? I also read that BART extended it's service until 3:30 in the morning. Well that's nice. So I could have stayed for the whole show? Really? BITE ME.

This whole experience was a nightmare and I have zero interest in ever going to Oakland again. For anything. I don't even want to go see my Yankees the next time they come to town. A concert, especially one from one of your favorite bands, should make you excited and energized. Unfortunately, this left me quite the opposite. The music? Yes. That was great. But everything else has made that part fade quickly and now I have a bad U2 concert memory. And that is the worst part of all.

I'm going to a concert...

My friends hear this response from me a lot when they ask me what I'm doing on a certain weekend or even weekday night. I'm what you might call a concert junkie, and I'm incredibly blessed to be able to see so many of my favorite artists live. Someone mentioned to me last weekend, while we were waiting for a concert to start ironically (I think it was a concert...maybe it was a Sharks game...I don't know...I've lost track!), why I hadn't been blogging about concerts I'd been to this year or what concerts I was planning to see. I had no real reason for it other than I've been busy...I guess...but since I'm sitting here awake at 3:35 in the morning I figured it was as good a time as any to fill you in on what's been happening and what's on the radar. So here we go...

January
I started my concert season early and unexpectedly this year when I took a quick weekend trip to Chicago. It wasn't planned ahead of time but turned out to be a great weekend, especially since I got to see Todd Carey in concert for the third time in about six months. I was thrilled to share the experience at Schuba's with my friends Tasha and Beth. As usual, TC did not disappoint.

I was supposed to have a second concert in January but it got rescheduled to April...more on that later.

February
Almost a full month later came concert number two with my friend Shawn at The Fillmore in San Francisco. The main act was Plain White T's but I was also entertained by the two openers, MIGGS and Parachute. I'd seen both of them before and they were great, and I absolutely loved Plain White T's! I would definitely see all of these bands again.

March
I had no concert plans in March but did have tickets to see Rock of Ages and that was sort of like a concert since it's a musical of all rock music from the 80s, and believe me, it completely rocked! My friend Jill and I saw it in San Francisco and I recommend it to anyone who loves music and loves the 80s.

If my concert in January came out of the blue then the one I actually went to in March came out of the wild blue. I literally decided at noon to go to a concert that night in San Francisco. I flew solo...okay, took the train solo...to a little place called The Hotel Utah to see Chris Gelbuda live and he was great! I also got introduced to a new artist, Chi McClean, that I am really liking. I wasn't able to stay for the main act due to the train schedule but my main mission was Chris so it was a good night.

April
As mentioned above a concert from January was rescheduled to April so my friends Jill and Veronnica and I started the month with 30 Seconds to Mars at the San Jose State Event Center. I'd wanted to see them for a long time and they put on a great show. We were definitely entertained by the music but possibly even more so by the guy dressed in a cat costume prancing around throughout the show. TSTM has some, um, interesting fans.

I closed out the month with my friend Travis by seeing The Boxer Rebellion at Slim's in San Francisco. We actually had tickets to see them last fall but decided not to go when we learned they wouldn't be taking the stage until sometime around 11 on a school night. I was very happy to finally get to see them and they put on a great show - this time on a Friday night.

May
I'm pretty sure seeing Hugh Jackman perform a one-man show counts as a concert since he sang for nearly two straight hours in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. Jill, Veronnica and Janice and I enjoyed his loveliness immensely and I would go see his show again in a second!

As for the concert I saw this last weekend, well, it was another artist I'd been wanting to see for years. Prince. Yes. His royal purpleness threw it down in the HP Pavilion and my friend Stephanie and I absolutely loved it. I'm thrilled I finally got to see him in concert.









So, what's next?

May
Well, depending on the hockey I may or may not be going to see The Script at The Warfield in San Francisco on Thursday. If the Sharks win tonight then I'll be skipping The Script and going to Game 6. If they lose, then I'll be drowning my sorrows to The Script's Irish lullabies.

June
The month will start with another rescheduled concert from a year ago, U2 in Oakland. I'm heading to this one by myself too and am really excited to see them again. Later in the month I'll be checking out Augustana at The Fillmore in San Francisco. I'm looking forward to seeing them again too.

July
So far, there are no concerts on the July agenda. I'm sure something will come up though because it would be wrong if I had a month without live music!

August
My friend Shawn and I will be doing some old school rocking to The Beach Boys at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga at the beginning of the month. I've never seen them live and I think it will be a fun show. Later in the month I'm heading back to The Winery to see The Goo Goo Dolls along with opening acts Michelle Branch and Parachute. Really excited to see that last band again and I can never get enough of The Goo.

September
Shawn and Travis and I will be heading back to The Winery in September to see Hall & Oates and I have to say I'm totally jazzed about this one. I was a huge fan of theirs in the 80s but have never seen them live and am certain the show will be a lot of fun. A couple of weeks after that Shawn and I are heading to The Concord Pavilion to see Matt Nathanson, Train and Maroon 5. That looks to be a great show. I just wish Matt was doing a solo tour so we could see more of him. A week after that Shawn and I are seeing Smokey Robinson at The Winery and I know that will be great.

After that it's anyone's guess...no other plans, but with David Cook and Matt Nathanson's new albums dropping in June, and Todd Carey promising to come back to California to play, I am certain some other dates will fall into place on my calendar.

So there you have it...if you ever wonder what I'm doing with my nights, chances are I'm at a concert.

Top 15 Concert Memories

I've been reading Todd Carey's Ping playlists over the last few weeks and have really enjoyed seeing what he's listening to and why, finding some great new music along the way, and I thought for a moment that I might want to do my own list. And so, thanks to TC's challenge, here we go...

I decided my list needed a theme or I'd just be listing hundreds of songs I think are awesome, and I started thinking about concerts I'd been to and decided to create a playlist of my top 10 (okay 15 because I couldn't narrow it down!) concert memories. They are in order by when I saw the concert...I found the best videos I could...some mine, some the official videos, some from other people...enjoy!

1 - Al Jarreau - Roof Garden - Saw him live at Red Rocks in 1984. It really doesn't get much more awesome than Red Rocks, and his voice...so pure, so perfect. Hearing this song now takes me right back to that moment.

2 - Boyz II Men - Motownphilly - Saw them in Pittsburgh in 1992 open for Jodeci who were the opener for MC Hammer. Yeah. They were brand new. And all kinds of awesome! Their harmonies were spot on and I love that I saw them when they were first starting out.

3 - Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home - Saw him in Pittsburgh in 1992 also and he did not disappoint. We lost a great voice when Luther died, and this song live was simply amazing. It can bring me to tears even today.

4 - Public Enemy - Fight the Power - They opened for U2 on the ZooTV tour, and I saw it in Chicago in 1993 (I think...maybe 1992). I probably wouldn't have gone to see them on their own but wow. They could perform! Great lyrics, great presence...still love this song.

5 - Burlap to Cashmere - Basic Instructions - This band only recently came back on the scene, and I am so glad! I saw them tour off their first album in 2000 in San Francisco (The Warfield) and I honestly don't think I've ever seen anyone play guitar like them. Their hands moved so unbelievably fast that I really thought I was seeing things. This song always reminds me of that night, and I've still never seen anyone else play like that.

6 - Third Day - Agnus Dei - I first saw Third Day in 2000 at Marine World in California, and this is the song they ended their show with. It was quite possibly the most moving experience I've ever had at a concert and thinking about it now just gave me chills. One of my all-time favorite bands who I have actually seen more than ten times now, but I will certainly never forget that first show.

7 - Train - When I Look to the Sky - In 2004 Train played 4 or 5 shows at this tiny little club in San Francisco called Cafe du Nord. It might hold 200 people. We were lucky enough to get tix for the Friday night show and wow. It was AMAZING! I could have honestly picked any song from that night, but this is one of my favorites and seeing them perform it live and being so close to them was truly great. However, the best part of the night was being handed a cd of the first two-thirds of the show when we walked out. Yeah. Very few people have that cd. So very cool.

8 - Switchfoot - On Fire - Another band that I have seen more than 10 times, and they play this at every show, but I remember the first time I saw them at The Warfield in San Francisco. Truly amazing showmen and phenomenal musicians. So much energy! This song moves me so deeply...I couldn't even describe it in words if I tried. Switchfoot live is something everyone should experience at least once.

9 - U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name - My memory of this song at a U2 concert is actually from the second time I saw them, which was in San Jose in 2005 on their Vertigo tour. I always loved this song before that show, but something about the way the stage lights moved and the swell of the crowd noise when The Edge starts playing the very famous opening riff...wow. It was spine tingling and it is now one of my absolute favorite U2 songs and the thing I remember most about that show.

10 - Matt Nathanson - Still - If you've never seen Matt in concert, make plans to do so immediately. It's so much more than just a concert. The man is hilarious and can, in one night, make me laugh until my sides hurt and bring me near tears. The performance of Still I'm remembering is from a radio show he played on Halloween at a tiny place in San Francisco called The Slide Lounge. It was about as close to perfect as a person can get. Watching his emotion as he sang the words that I knew by heart made it so much more special for me. Of course, the fact that in the middle of the show we had a 1-2 minute exchange about my phone made the night fairly memorable too...

11 - JJ Heller - Love Me - I've seen JJ perform this many times, and while I can't pinpoint a specific date, I just know that it never ceases to move me. She has since re-recorded this and renamed it What Love Really Means, but I will always know it as Love Me. The words are so pure and so real, and I can't help but think part of it was written just for me. JJ and her husband Dave are longtime friends and I can only smile when I hear their music now...could not be more happy for them.

12 - Kelly Clarkson - Sober - I saw Kelly sing this live in San Jose in late 2009 and wow. The song hadn't done a lot for me on the record but hearing it live changed my attitude completely. Simply amazing. The woman can just flat out sing.

13 - Billy Joel - Scenes from An Italian Restaurant - Hands down my favorite Billy song, and while I've seen him sing it live several times I'm remembering the last time, in San Jose in 2010. Billy is pure rock and roll and this song embodies all of it. Absolutely awesome.

14 - Elton John - Levon - I've seen Elton several times too, but I don't ever remember him performing Levon until the last time I saw him, which was in San Jose in 2010. I only need to hear the introductory notes and I'm completely lost in the song. It's always been a very moving song to me, and I will never forget him doing it live that night.

15 - Todd Carey - Photograph - Since my list was inspired by Todd I certainly couldn't leave him off of it, but believe me, he would have made it either way. In a little less than 6 months in 2010/2011 I saw TC in concert 3 times, but there is nothing I will ever remember more than him playing Photograph - my absolute favorite of his songs - in the green room in this tiny little club in DC called The Red Palace. Truly a night I will never forget.

So, there you have it...maybe I'll do another one of these some day...we'll see...

Sometimes, you just have to be a little hare-brained

So, if you read my last post you know that I was having an all-out war with the first week of January. In case you missed it, let's recap:

Monday, January 3 - First day back at work after being off for 10 days. Right away you know it's just going to be a hot mess. What I didn't expect was to have my first call be to HR. That's never a good way to start the day. I certainly didn't expect to encounter a software problem that impacted literally every employee on campus, and I really didn't expect the cause of it be related to people not doing their jobs. Finally, as if that weren't enough, and this is really what sent Monday straight downhill, one of my employees resigned. And it was completely unexpected; a great opportunity for him, a crappy moment for me. And at the end of the night the Sharks lost, so it was really just a day I wanted to forget. And then came Tuesday.

Tuesday, January 4 - Well, that started off by me oversleeping, which I NEVER do. So I drove out of my neighborhood at 7:50 knowing I had an 8:30 meeting...32 miles north. Awesome. Do I really need to tell you that the drive, which on a good take takes 35-45 minutes took an hour? Yes. An hour. Lots of traffic, multiple accidents, not good. I was 30 minutes late to the meeting. Oh, did I mention it was our bi-weekly staff meeting with our VP? Yeah. That was great. The best part though was that in my mad rush to leave the house, I forgot my purse. That's right. No purse. No ID. No money. Nothing. I was pretty done with the week, January and even 2011 at that point. I wanted to go back.

Wednesday, January 5 - When I got up Wednesday morning I blogged everything out and made myself have a truce with January. And I was feeling good about it too. And then, I fell down my stairs. Seriously. It was like a joke. And yet not, because I have a giant bruise as evidence that it actually happened. I'm lucky I didn't hurt myself worse, but needless to say, I wasn't very excited about Wednesday either. When I got to work, I had just had it and decided a hare-brained scheme needed to ensue. So, I called my friend in Chicago and asked her what she was up to over the weekend, and after a few minutes I decided I would go. And so, I used a free ticket, rescheduled a few meetings and had a plan. Wednesday definitely improved after that point.

Thursday, January 6 - Thursday actually started off great. I was excited about my scheme and for most of the day, Thursday behaved. But then, as I was getting things ready to leave, the most bizarre thing ever happened. I actually got my bracelet stuck on my purse and couldn't get it off. I sat under a light for nearly 20 minutes to attempt an extraction but it just wasn't happening. It's still on there now, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to take it to a jeweler to get it off. Seriously. Ridiculous. But you know, it wasn't horrible. So I went home, changed purses and went to the Sharks game. And that turned Thursday into crap. Another loss that left everyone wondering if we'd even make the playoffs.

Friday, January 7 - Friday was mostly good, though it was the last day for one of my employees who had resigned in December, so that was a bit of a downer. Great opportunity for her though, and we had a nice lunch to celebrate. We also left early and went to a signing with Dany Heatley from the San Jose Sharks. It was fun to see him and get his autograph, but I was really happy to just get home and get ready for my trip.

Saturday, January 8 - Hare-brained scheme put into action...nearly perfect flight to Chicago, where I actually landed 25 minutes early. When does that ever happen? Uh, never. I knew I was off to a good start.

Most of the weekend was spent relaxing and eating...neither of which are a bad thing. Saw some movies, laughed and talked a lot and saw some wonderful people.

In the end, I had an absolutely divine weekend, which was topped off by seeing Todd Carey at Schubas Tavern. When I planned my scheme earlier in the week I remembered that he was starting his month-long residency (playing every Monday in January!) last night, and I honestly couldn't believe I'd figured out a way to see him in Chicago. Of course, he did not disappoint and my friends that joined me had a great time too.

I hate that I have to leave this morning, but it's been a perfect getaway, and I think now I'll be able to handle the rest of January. So, until next time...

Just another fabulous night with Todd Carey

This is a follow up to a post I did back in August after seeing Todd Carey play live for the first time. I was lucky enough to get to see him again tonight, and once again, he was fantastic!

When I found out I had a work meeting in Philadelphia, I decided to take a few extra days and originally planned to go to New York. However, when Todd announced his December tour and I saw this date in DC, I decided to take my extra days here. Todd and I tweeted back and forth after I posted that I got a ticket, and I was thrilled when he promised to play my favorite song...Photograph.

So, the weeks passed, and finally, I was headed East. I got to Philly on Wednesday, had my work stuff on Thursday and Friday, and then played in Philly on Saturday - checked out some Flyers hockey, which was fun...very different than the Sharks games I'm used to, but still good. No fights though, which was frankly, a little disappointing.

Anyway...this morning (Sunday) I boarded a train to DC. Before the concert, I actually had some other fun...toured the National Postal Museum and ran into an old friend from WVU in Union Station. We had fun catching up and then I came back to the hotel to rest up for the night.

My journey to The Red Palace - a very cool venue by the way - started fine. I got a cab, and despite the tone of the cab driver, we got on our way. About $4.00 in, I realized I'd left my ticket in the room. I nearly died. That is so unlike me! So, I asked him to take me back to the hotel, paid him, came back in, got the ticket, made a visit to the ATM and then got another cab. And oy. The second cab driver was seriously the slowest driver on the planet and took us down the world's worst road. I felt so car sick by the time I arrived that I had to get a Sprite to settle my stomach. But then they let us upstairs, and shortly thereafter, the music started.

The concert kicked off with Isaac Russell, someone I'd never heard of, but definitely enjoyed. Next came Josh Hoge (that's him in the photo to the left) and I'd heard a lot of his music and liked it, but hadn't seen him live. He was great! And funny! I will definitely see him again. Todd was the final act of the evening, and as usual, his music was great, and his stage presence fantastic. He played a couple of new tunes, a couple of really fun covers - including a crazy one of C-Lo's latest, and then played a number of old ones. But no Photograph. I was bummed, but figured it just didn't work with his set, and that was fine. It was all still so good!

Afterward, I went back and chatted with him for a long time at the merch booth, got a new picture taken, which yes, looks suspiciously like the last one, but whatever! When I told him I was bummed he didn't play Photograph, he offered to play it for me, and I honestly didn't think he was serious, but he said if I could hang out for a bit, he'd play it. I had absolutely no problem hanging out!

While he chatted with others, I met Josh and chatted with other Josh and Todd fans, and then the bartender said we had to go. I made my way back to Todd figuring Photograph wasn't going to happen, but I was incorrect. He said he'd do an abbreviated version for me, and I was more than good with that. He pulled out his acoustic and started to tune when Steph, the gal manning his merch table and probably more than that - she rocked too! - said she was already in trouble for not getting him out already. That's when he said, "Okay, let's go to the green room." So, we went to the green room, and he played Photograph for me, and OMG. It was freaking awesome, and I will never forget it.

Once again, Todd gave me a great night of music, and I only wish I could see him more often. As you might guess, I'm having a hard time getting to sleep. It's well after 1am here on the East coast, yet here I sit telling you all about my night of joy.

Todd, you completely rock!!

(Note: A few videos from the evening are posted here...enjoy!)

Destination: Usher

When I found out that Usher was coming to Oakland I got very excited as I'd always wanted to see him in concert. I asked a friend if he wanted to join me and he agreed readily - although he would like you to believe I twisted his arm and had to convince him to go, that's just simply untrue. Anyway...on with the story...

Our adventure began at the Hayward Wingstop. There was nothing inherently bizarre about it to start with...we ordered, sat down, watched a lot of people come and go then finally got our wings. After we'd started eating a girl strolled in, pulled a cell phone charger out of her bag, plugged it in and sat down at a table. And then the fun began. She started singing along - badly I might point out - with whatever music was playing, and then she started talking to someone on the phone. And wow. She was a treat. Here are some snippets of the conversation with her mother. Yeah. HER MOM!

"So are you gonna come and get me or what? I'm at the Wingstop. Because I got angry and left. I don't let him treat me like I'm one of his ho's."

Oh yeah. She also threw down the N word a couple of times...as in, "He's my N...and something something MFN..." 

Super Special. 

She left shortly after and we could only shake our heads. 

We then headed to BART to begin our actual journey to Oakland. That's where we saw this little guy...and a smaller friend of his darting underneath the tracks:

So yeah. Before we even left Hayward, we got the Wingstop Ho and the BART mini mouse. 

We got to Oakland without any real adventure on BART, but then we began our walk to the arena. Wow. The outfits, the attitude, the boys trying to pick up on the girls as they walked by, the pre-concert tailgating...it was all a treat. I was never so excited to get to my seat in my life. 

Side Note: The Oracle Arena in Oakland is the absolute worst place to see a concert. I don't know why I keep giving it a chance, but I think this was it for me. It's a horrible design and I'm certain if there was an earthquake or a fire, we would have died inside.

Anyway...the concert started right on time, 5 minutes early actually, with Miguel. I'd heard of him before the show but didn't really know anything by him. Wow. He was just not good. At all. I took one picture...enjoy.

The crowd was ridiculous...people sitting in seats that weren't theirs, someone actually smoking, people standing on the stairs, blocking aisles and generally being annoying. Seriously. We would have died had there been any sort of emergency. 

Next up was Trey Songz, and he was fantastic! I'd heard a number of his songs and liked him from those, but he proved a great performer who could actually sing! 

We really enjoyed him, but the crowd continued to annoy, drenching my friend in beer from behind. Not yay. Finally, an usher (not THE Usher, but an arena worker) cleared people out to prepare for the main event, but we were already a bit annoyed.

When Usher finally did arrive, he made quite an entrance, complete with theatrics and a flying platform. There's no question that he can sing and wow, can he dance, and when he did those things, he was great. He played most of my favorites and definitely knows how to put on a show. What I didn't bargain for though was the simulated sex scene on stage with the microphone stand and then a woman. I mean really. It was just so not necessary and it rather tainted the rest of the show. Overall he was good, but I was just disappointed that he had to resort to that when he could just sing and dance and be awesome. Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to see him, but I don't think that I need to do that again. 

Two more concerts this year and I can assure you they will be vastly different than this one: Lifehouse w/Kris Allen, then Todd Carey w/Josh Hoge. Until then...

If only every Tuesday could be Todd Carey Tuesday...

Tonight I got to meet an amazing musician who I've been dying to see live for about two years. This was his first time playing San Francisco, and I am SO glad I was able to go. Believe me when I say, Todd Carey completely and totally ROCKS. If you have not heard his music, go listen now!!

I first met Todd via Facebook about two years ago. He saw that I was a fan of Matt Nathanson (no surprise to regular readers of this blog!) and thought I might like his music so he sent me a friend request...and after listening to about 8 seconds of one song, I accepted his request and bought his first album - Watching Waiting. I fell in love with his voice, his lyrics, his music...all of it. And I wore those songs out! And then I watched. And I waited. Hoping he would come to the Bay Area to share his music in person. But alas, my hopes were never realized.

Earlier this spring, Todd put out an EP, and started promoting a lot of live shows. I bought the EP as soon as it was available and fell in love once again. The new stuff was just as good, if not better, than the first, and I was really getting cranky that I hadn't yet seen him live. When he started posting shows online, I got excited...thinking that maybe, just maybe, he'd make an appearance in the Bay Area. And once again I watched...and I waited...

And I had a moment of excitement when he posted a show in Chicago, only to realize it was the day BEFORE I was scheduled to arrive for a friend's wedding festivities. I posted a note on his Facebook page saying how bummed I was to miss it and he kindly suggested I just change my ticket. Funny. But, I did look into it...too much money. Foiled. Then, I missed him by just a few days when I was in New York earlier this year. Not pleased.

BUT...

After I lamented via Facebook and Twitter about missing him in Chicago and New York (and about missing out on the super secret summer single, which, omg, I just realized I STILL didn't get!!), he messaged me that he would inDEED be coming to San Francisco later in the year, so I checked his list of dates and made a plan.

Cafe du Nord - August 31. YES.

I was kinda bummed when I realized he was the opener for two other artists because I knew that meant he wouldn't be playing a long set, but I didn't care. I was going to go no matter what. So, I asked a good friend to go with me, he agreed and off we went.

It's always nice for me to have an event in San Francisco after work because I get to leave early. That's just never a bad thing. I faced the evil San Mateo bridge, picked up my friend, and we made our way north where we began our evening with an excellent dinner at Chow. YUM-MY!! We then headed to the venue and waited for the doors to open. We were a little disappointed that the doorman didn't even look at our IDs and just slapped on the over 21 bracelet things, but we moved on, found a place to sit while we waited, watched and got ready for the event. At 8pm, pretty much on the nose, Todd came on stage and wow. He did not disappoint! I wanted more-more-MORE! Seriously.

So Stinking Good.

He played about six songs and had a great stage presence and good interaction with the audience. Cafe du Nord is one of the coolest places to see a live show because it's a very small venue and no matter where you stand you can see the stage - even if you're short like me! The only other time I was there I saw Train, and it really does spoil you from seeing shows in bigger venues. I really think every one I like should play there at least once so I can have the up close and personal experience with all of them too. Just a suggestion...

Anyway...my friend and I made our way to the merchandise table after Todd finished his set and waited for him to come back to greet fans. I'd read over and over how nice he was and didn't ever doubt that based on our online chatting. Let me just say that Todd scored HUGE points for recognizing me and knowing my name. Wow. I mean, the man has thousands of Facebook friends and thousands of people following him on Twitter. I was very impressed. We had a lovely chat and I can honestly say he is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

I truly hope he makes it back out this way soon for a headlining tour so we can see and hear more of him because he was absolutely outstanding. And as you all know, I do get to my fair share of of concerts, so I know of which I speak. We listened to the second act for a bit, but honestly, it was a bit of a letdown after Todd's set so we headed home after saying a final goodbye and wishing him well on the rest of his California tour.

Hands down one of the best nights I've had in a while: dinner with a great friend, a great evening of music and great conversation with a rising star. Todd Carey...so happy to finally see you play live and meet you in person. You were, in a word, AWESOME. Please come back soon!!!

PS: Videos being posted...find them on YouTube soon...

3 Trips in 14 Days + 10 Days and 2 Concerts

That's right. 3 trips. 14 days. And if you make it 24 days, it also included 2 concerts. So yeah, let's go with that. 24 days. 3 trips. 2 concerts.

Trip One - Denver

I think I was out of town for a total of 36 hours for this trip - yeah, it was fast. I flew in to surprise my stepfather for his 75th birthday, and also got to see my mom, a good friend, 2 stepsisters and their significant others and Chick-fil-A. Yes. Chick-fil-A was definitely part of the agenda. It was fast and furious, but all good. 

Trip Two - Chicago

This trip was just slightly longer than my trip to Denver. I actually stayed two whole nights to celebrate the marriage of two very dear friends. The weekend started with an hour and a half trip from O'Hare to the W Hotel where, after I finally arrived, I got a lovely 75 minute massage at Bliss. I met my friend there and we were able to catch up a bit before all the festivities really got started. Celebrating their marriage was fantastic in itself, but I also got to meet several friends I'd only had via Facebook before that weekend. That was incredibly fun, and my circle of people and places has expanded greatly. I seriously love Chicago and enjoyed roaming about the city in cabs, and even a little on foot. Although, I did curse Bon Jovi when I was attempting to check into my hotel because their 8 million fans were also checking in at the same time. I love Bon Jovi, but I did not enjoy them having a concert at Soldier Field the night I arrived. They hindered my progress at every turn. But I'm over it now and managed to refrain from singing Have a Nice Day to all of them as I walked past all the cabs they were hogging. The wedding celebration was fantastic and included a healthy dose of Rick Bayless' guacamole. The weekend was topped off by a celebration of meat served at the newlywed's apartment. Two words: bacon explosion. Two more words: 14-pound briskit. Yum and yummier. All in all a fantastic and beautiful weekend, celebrating two of my favorite people!

Trip Three - Boise

Yes. Boise. That's in Idaho. Where they grow the taters. It's like my mother ship. I'd never actually been to Idaho despite living in a neighboring state for a good portion of my life. This was another two night trip to celebrate the wedding of some crazy kids about to embark on their senior year at Boise State. And oh yeah, it was HOT!!! It's like the desert there, but I enjoyed seeing the Boise State campus and catching up with a former CSU colleague. I toured around town in a ginormous Jeep Commander, apparently that's what they consider a compact car in Boise. Anyway...the wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun and I had a great Idahoan adventure, a final highlight of which was seeing one of my oldest and dearest friends who just happened to be in town at the same time. So Idaho? Thanks for rounding out my three trips with joy.

Concert One - Adam Lambert

Oh yes. The Glam Nation Tour. This was hands down the hardest I've ever had to work to get concert tickets. When they first went on sale, my friend and I went online right on time and got nothing. NOTHING. I've never had that happen before, and needless to say, we were less than pleased. But my friend would not be defeated. She started searching on Craigslist and StubHub and OMG! The prices people were asking for $30-35 seats was inSANE!! Seriously. Like $150. We laughed and scoffed and got further irritated. But we would not be defeated and finally, about 10 days before the concert, the prices started to dive. But, the only option was two seats not together - and $17 in FedEx fees. Her ticket came from Seattle and mine from New Mexico. Really? Anyway...the concert was totally worth it, and in the end we were able to sit by each other. If you have the chance, see this kid in concert, because he totally delivers!!

Concert Two - Rob Thomas

The Mountain Winery in Saratoga has to be one of the most beautiful concert venues I've ever been to. Seeing Rob there on Sunday night was my second time visiting this summer, and I now feel that all musicians I love should play there...at least once each summer. Are you listening Matt Nathanson? Before Rob took the stage we were exposed to a, um, comedienne?, from Mix 106.5. Wow. We were embarrassed for her and were so very thankful when she finished. But it was all forgotten once Rob took the stage. He's such a phenomenal musician that all he'd really need to do is play and sing, but he's also freaking hilarious! And even though he throws a few F-bombs down, he's just entertaining. I can't wait to see him again - although, I hope the next time he's standing in front of the MB20 guys. It's time!!

So there it is. 24 days. 3 trips. 2 concerts. 1 tired Carrie! What's next?

1 musical

4 concerts

1 conference

1 visit by the mother

And that's all before November! Guess I'd better get some rest...