Music and Theatre 101, Entry Numero Quatre

In April, my sister Taryn and I attended the 30 Seconds to Mars Concert....I came home with nothing but bruised arms, a bloody scalp and complete and utter disappointment.

 "I tried to be someone else, but nothing seemed to change.  I know now, this is who I really am inside.  Finally found myself, fighting for a chance.  I know now, this is who I really am."

I have found that I don't have much to say about this concert other than it was by far the worst concert I have ever been to.  The band's fans are a bunch of aggressive rude people that view the band as a religion.  Jared Leto is an absolute tool.  The band didn't sound great live and couldn't even come close to redeeming the egotistical pig that is their lead singer.  Jared Leto was awkwardly vulgar and the rest of the band members were a complete drag to watch onstage.  I still want my money back.

Music and Theatre 101, Entry Numero Trois...Part Deux...

Later in March I attended the Broadway tour of "Rock Of Ages" for my sister's birthday.  The show proved to be very different...not your typical Broadway musical.  It was rowdy, cheesy and sleazy...everything 1980's. 

 "back in the day if you had a dream, a fifth of jack, and a decent amount of hair there was nowhere else to be!"

"Rock of Ages"

"Rock of Ages," A Broadway jukebox musical spins the time machine dial back to the 1980s. It's a shamelessly silly and refreshingly self-amused ride for a good deal of the way. But it helps to have your nostalgia ticket punched in advance.  If the power chords of "We Built This City" or "Don't Stop Believin' " don't ring at least some kind of bell, you may feel left out of the "Rock of Ages" party. The music, freely cut, spliced, reorchestrated and repurposed, is by several arena-rock titans of the decade.

Chris D'Arienzo's book, set on L.A.'s Sunset Strip, is intentionally lightweight, occasionally clever and sometimes lame. The charming Constantine Maroulis plays a shy aspiring rocker who falls in love with a fresh-faced girl from Kansas (the vocally vibrant Elicia MacKenzie). True love behaves according to form, by not running smooth. Meanwhile a nasty developer and his son (did they have to be German?) are trying to wipe out the nightclubs and strip joints and replace them with strip malls. The performers, working on high octane in Kelly Devine's blunt, hip-heavy choreography, regularly break the fourth wall and invade the house. A narrator ( Patrick Lewallen) wears out his welcome with commentary about the other characters and the musical they're all in. Peter Deiwick delights as the preening but insecure rock star Stacee Jaxx.   

The show is full of gloriously awful hair and clothing. Teased, kinked, coiffed, brutally straightened or freely flowing, the tresses onstage are a wondrous phenomenon. So are the miniskirts, studded vests, the glam-rock and boy-band get-ups. You may get tired of the characters before you lose interest in how they look...

 

Music and Theatre 101, Entry Numero Trois

It's been a while, but I have been sticking to my New Years resolution!!  So here we go for March...

In March, Brett and I planned on going to the Good Charlotte/Forever The Sickest Kids tour.  It wasn't until we got to San Francisco that we found out FTSK and dropped out of two weekend shows and our just happened to be one of them.  We figured we would go re-live our jr. high years by attending the GC concert, however found ourselves a tad concerned.  Would GC have a terrible set with new music we didn't know?  Will they take themselves way to seriously?  Have they completely sold out and become major tools?  

...SURPRISE!!  

Out of all the concerts Brett and I have been to together, this still holds the #1 spot for best concert we have attended together.

"And if I make it through today will tomorrow be the same
Am I just running in place?
If I stumble and I fall
Should I get up and carry on or will it all just be the same"

So the GC concert started off rough...three absolutely tragic opening bands.  Painful and redundant. HOWEVER!! Good Charlotte was a most delightful surprise.  The band played their first two albums in entirety minus about 4 songs.  Only one song was played which Brett and I did not know.  Hearing "Emotionless" was a real treat because they almost never play that song live.  We also got another fun surprise when during the middle of their set the broke out into a cover of Blink 182's "Dammit".     From time to time when band members pause to talk to the audience one would pay whatever they had in his/her pocket just to shut the band up.  GC wasn't that way in the slightest.  They were funny, smart and very clean.  All in All it was a super fun show coming from a super fun and down to earth band that loves life, music, and mostly their fans.  We didn't quite realize how great the show was until walking back to my car.  When we realized we had almost lost our voices from singing so loud we felt a little lame, yet realized what a great time we had.  It looks like Good Charlotte was just as fun when we were 12 and 13 as they are now :)

Aaron Gillespie "We Were Made For You" (Official Music Video)

I love this video. I thought it needed to be shared.

"Foxy Teylor"

Forever The Sickest Kids...

NEW ALBUM COMING 3/1/11

So my sister made the highest donation to the Invisible Children organization.  In return I recieved a personalized video from 2 members of one of my favorite bands.  Best Valentines gift ever!!  Love my sister!!

Music and Theatre 101, Entry Numero Deux

Thank you to my wonderful boyfriend Brett for buying me tickets to see this musical.  One of the best birthday presents I have ever received.  This show was absolutely mesmerizing.

"Valium is my favorite color"

"Next To Normal"
This is one show that definitely has the ability to tug at your heart again and again...

Asa Somers, who plays Ripley’s onstage husband, Dan, held his own remarkably against the powerhouse, Tony-winning performance by Alice Ripley. Somers’ vocals were incredible and they blended perfectly with his son’s, Gabe (Curt Hansen), vocals.  Somer’s performance added an intensity to Dan that was just breathtaking.  And then there’s Emma Hunton who plays the jaded, sarcastic daughter, Natalie. Her crystalline vocals never stopped being impressive. Her rendition of “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” was spot-on. Hunton raised the stakes in a way that created a beautiful arc to Natalie’s character.  Henry (Preston Sadleir), Natalie’s boyfriend, also rounded out the fiercely talented cast. Sadleir did a marvelous job with the role and complemented Hunton’s intensity with his calm/easy-going personality.  At points, Ripley struggled vocally to get every note out but you don’t care because her dramatic intentions are so intensely motivated. There’s never a second on stage when you don’t believe that she’s not actually struggling with bi-polarism/schizophrenia.

Memories: October - December 2010

Here is a continuation of my memories from 2010...I finally have a free day to blog about it!!  Now where did I leave off?  Ahh yes!!  The Aunts game to visit....Onward ho!!!!!

BUT FIRST!!  I skipped a huge part of my summer in my last memories post...

I spent a couple of months over the summer playing on a co-ed softball team with my besties.  I wasn't too great, but I have some of the best memories!!  Got to hang out with church buddies every saturday over the summer, what could be better?

Columbia Saloon

Old Columbia School House

Angels Camp

Columbia Saloon

Creek at Murphy's

Old Columbia school house

Found at an antique shop.  Anyone who is familiar with The Music Man will understand why this made my sister and I laugh so hard.

So my family took a weekend of vacation and stayed in a little house in Columbia.  We love the old Gold Rush towns and visit them often.  The highlight of the trip for me was getting to see Big River.  This was the second time I saw the show, but it was a very special experience.  The Fallon House Theater in Columbia is one of the oldest in California, so this obviously has much sentimental value to me.  It was so amazing getting to see a show there.  I hope to perform there one day!

OK!  Now back to October...

The pictures above are that from Luke and BreAnne's wedding, as well as one of Bre's bridal showers!  Such a lovely wedding in San Francisco, and a fun time to dress up and be with friends.  Celebrating the marriage of two beloved (678) leaders was such a blast and an honor.

Why yes that is me dressed up as a chicken...
So Brett, Nicole and I wanted to do something fun for the (678) Costume party this year.  Nicole already had a cow suit, so I hand made my chicken costume and Brett dressed up as a farmer.  Unfortunately Nic couldn't make it to the jr. high party because she was at the hospital with her dear friend who was suffering from complications after giving birth to her beautiful little daughter.  So Brett and I were a farmer and his chicken.  This picture has been Brett's facebook profile picture for 3 months now...while I was an adorable chicken I'm a little tired of seeing myself all feathery.

Mini Kickers coaches at costume party

Over the beginning of Autumn I did a program with the church called Mini-Kickers.  We play around and teach the basics of Soccer to little kids.  Nicole directed the program this year, while Brett and I were coaches for the 3 year olds along with Nic's fabulous sister Rachel.  Our last day together we threw a costume party for the kids.  Brett and I finally got to reunite with our little miniature cow!

In October the girls of our Venture (678) middle school ministry took a girly trip to KOA for a weekend.  We stayed in little cabins, had movie nights, painted nails, laughed, told stories, but most importantly got to hear God's word from our wonderful speaker, fellow staff member and friend Leanne Gibson-Manzo.  I had a cabin of girls to myself and we stayed up late every night playing games, singing and telling stories.  It was one of my favorite weekends throughout all of 2010.

In November I got to meet Kat Von D the star of the hit TV show LA Ink.  I went to her book signing in San Francisco.  I had been counting down the months til I got to meet her, but started getting nervous.  I had heard so many terrible stories about how mean she was.  Luckily she wasn't.  She is such a sweet person and it wasn't a fake sweet.  She was 100% genuine.  I also got to meet Dan Smith, one of my two favorite tattoo artists working at High Voltage Tattoo.  Rooftop (Mike Escamilla) was also there.  He's a famous BMX rider and one of Kat's dear friends.  I also found the signed pair of headphones Rooftop had hidden in the bookstore.

With Miriam, Taryn, Tanya and the cover band inside the Hard Rock Hotel

This past November I took my first trip to Vegas.  As part of my early Christmas gift from my sis and brother in law they bought me tickets to see Viva Elvis, one of the newest Cirque Du Soleil shows.  It was absolutely amazing!  I also had the joy of having a whole set dedicated to me by a cover band in Vegas.  It was quite a memorable trip...came home with a new nickname.  From now on just call me Biscuit.

Taryn and I with our cousins Rylie, Noelle and Trevor!

Christmas 2010 was one of my favorites.  John came home from school in San Diego and was able to meet Brett for the first time...let's just say I ended up being the 3rd wheel.  Numerous Yahtzee, Catchphrase, Monopoly, and puzzle building games took place that Christmas break.  Was blessed with some great Christmas gifts and just had the greatest time celebrating Jesus with my friends and family.  Everything felt right with John being home.  It doesn't feel like Christmas without him because he is such a huge part of our family.  I really wish he was my brother by blood.

This concludes our journey through 2010....stay tuned for more amazing memories during 2011!