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...

Today, it's all about the music

...Planning concerts

...Downloading albums and single songs

...Obsessing over certain artists

This is what I've been up to lately. Music. It's all about the music. Here's what my late summer/early fall looks like:

July 19 - Barenaked Ladies

August 15 - Rob Thomas

August 22 - Beauty and The Beast (it's a musical, so it counts)

August 31 - Todd Carey (that's him in the photo)

September 4 - Green Day

October 1 - Train

October 14 - Third Day

And I'm still debating about a July 23 Adam Lambert concert as well as an August 26 date with Switchfoot and the Goo Goo Dolls.

This is why I have a job.

In the last couple of weeks I've downloaded a wide variety of tunes from several genres:

Revive - Blink (whole cd downloaded)

B.o.B - Airplanes (featuring Hayley Williams) and Nothin' on You (featuring Bruno Mars)

Green Day's American Idiot (The Original Broadway Recording) - actual CDs purchased!

Todd Carey - 41 (cover of Dave Matthew's Band) - this one was free! Thanks Todd!

Allison Iraheta - Don't Waste the Pretty (featuring Orianthi)

Aaron Fresh - Spending All My Time

Drake - Find Your Love

Muse - Neutron Star Collison (Love is Forever)

Todd Carey - Gotta be Next to You (featuring Amber Rubarth)

Daughtry - Leave This Town B Sides

Nate Fowler - Hurricane - this one was free too! Thanks Nate!

So let's see...according to iTunes I've covered Christian and Gospel, Rap and Hip-Hop, Soundtrack, Blues, Pop, R and B and Folk. I am ALL over the place!!

Mostly, over the last week or so, I've been obsessing over Todd Carey and can't wait to go see him next month. I've been a fan for a couple of years but haven't seen him live, so that is definitely going to be a highlight for this year's concert tour.

It's funny because at home, I tend to listen to more mellow tunes via iTunes while I drift off to sleep or while I'm doing anything on my laptop. My soundtrack for the last week or so has been Todd Carey, Matt Nathanson, John Mayer and Rob Thomas for the most part. On my iPod, however, which I listen to in the car and in my office, it's all of them plus so many more. I'd list them here but you'd be bored. So here's a snapshot of the middle of my Current Faves iPod playlist.

So, what have YOU been listening to?