September 10, 2011

So I Went to My Cousin’s Concert on Wednesday

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And I tried to take notes of the setlist. I have most of the songs down, considering I was writing in the dark and had to decipher my writing. Two full days after the concert.

Lea is a great personality. She’s been in the biz for a long time, and she’s at ease with the audience. The band was great.

No one in our honorable audience seemed to post any contraband video on YouTube. So, here’s concert coverage from everywhere else in my attempt to recreate the experience for you.

It was a lot of fun. My cousin speaks great English. Awesome.

Feeling Good

This has got to be one of my favorite cabaret songs.

-
Hahanpin Ko

I played part of this for my mom, and she at least translated the title for me.

http://youtu.be/bcrcEk-8tgk
-
I Dreamed A Dream

This always makes me want to cry.

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Pokerface

She said she wanted to sing something fun after turning 40 this year. We had fun with her.

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Reflection

She told the story to us about how Disney cut the song in half for the movie, so she had to sing it again. And she always sings the full version when she can. Which is perfectly fine with me.

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(A song I don’t remember)

I Give My Life for You

Yeah, of course girl gets a Tony for this role.

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The Last Time

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Blackbird

Very pretty version.

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(Another song I don’t remember)

On My Own

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For Good

Wicked will always carry wonderful memories for me.

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A Whole New World

The volunteer from the audience who sang with Lea during this song had a good voice, but he was nervous and missed a few cues. It was still pretty fun, though. The guy in the video does a much better job.

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Everybody Says Don’t

So, she didn’t say at BYU what she says in this video. She just went right into this song without an introduction. Maybe she felt it was safer not to say anything.

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Journey

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Encore
On My Own – She resang this one with a camera man circling her for footage for a series BYU TV is producing for the spring. It’s called something like “The Song that Changed My Life.” We clapped extra hard, partly because she told us to, but mostly because it’s an incredible song, and she doesn’t ever sound like she gets tired of singing it, even after thousands and thousands of times.

Forget You

I sort of cringed throughout this last song, because I wondered how many people in the audience were aware of the original version, which is the first version I had heard. I felt uncomfortable for the older part of the audience who expected more of the Broadway hits. Anyway, this is a very interesting sign-off song. Just saying.

 

August 24, 2011

The Past Blog Post and the Song Might Be Distantly Related

Posted by mayiwrite under music, new york city, nostalgia | Tags: , , , , |
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Aimee Mann. Summer concert at Rockefeller Park; June 30, 2004. Free. I may have just seen Magnolia within the past month. This is one of the songs from the soundtrack.

It’s not what you thought
When you first began it
You got what you want
Now you can hardly stand it, though
By now you know
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

You’re sure there’s a cure
And you have finally found it
You think one drink
Will shrink you till you’re underground
And living down
But it’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

Prepare a list for what you need
Before you sign away the deed
‘Cause it’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

No, it’s not going to stop
Till you wise up
No, it’s not going to stop
So just give upIt’s not what you thought
When you first began it
You got what you want
Now you can hardly stand it, though
By now you know
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

You’re sure there’s a cure
And you have finally found it
You think one drink
Will shrink you till you’re underground
And living down
But it’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

Prepare a list for what you need
Before you sign away the deed
‘Cause it’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
It’s not going to stop
Till you wise up

No, it’s not going to stop
Till you wise up
No, it’s not going to stop
So just give up

–

Almost a year later. An experience that didn’t involve very much wisdom at all.

 

 

July 28, 2011

Hey, Kids

Posted by mayiwrite under advice, environment, friends, health, music, my life, observations | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Do I EVER have a blog post for you. But not tonight.

When I get rested and showered and when my homework is back under control, and when the level of inadvertent THC in my body has returned to zero from off-the-charts, then I can think about writing you a lovely post about lovely things.

Because I love you.

But first, attempts to sleep.

Good night, my darlings.

 

July 23, 2011

Cute Friends and Live Music and STOP CHANGING THE DANG RULES WITHOUT TELLING ME

Posted by mayiwrite under food, friends, government, links, miscellany, my life, new york city, observations, photo | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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So, Thursday night. Decemberists. And being outside. And enjoying Decemberists. And being outside.

These are my two homies from the Senegal study abroad. I don't know if you can tell, but these ladies are very happy to be in America. Also they have excellent taste in music. Which explains why we're all at this concert. Seriously, these girls SAVED MY LIFE in Africa. I owe them big time.

I don't know why I choose to surround myself with crazy people. I like them--I like them a lot. The two girls on the right are sisters. The girl on the left is a former classmate, and a friend of the sister in the middle, and a co-novelist with the girl in the sunglasses from the previous photo. Small world. These girls like the Decemberists, too. The sisters even have an accordion to prove it.

This pretty much sums up my view for most of the concert. We moved from sitting on a sheet off to the side to weaving our way through the crowd toward the center. It definitely sounded better from where we were, but I'm pretty much doomed to smell armpits for the rest of my concert-watching career.

It was around this time that I tweeted the following, and a friend replied:

I really have accepted my fate. Sometimes I still wish, though.

So, I pretty much coveted the guy in the cherry picker the whole time. Can you see how thrilled he looks? Maybe he needed to use the bathroom or something. Maybe he wanted to see his wife and kids. But I cannot comprehend his not wanting to be at a Decemberists' concert. He's clearly not watching the concert. He has the best view! I wish I had an explanation.

Okay, occasionally I would catch fun glimpses of the band members. I listened hard to the instruments, and often I wished I could have been able to see the fiddler or the bassist or guitars riffing with each other. The band seemed pretty cool. They made fun of crowd surfers and they bossed us around quite well. Huge crowds are hard to contain sometimes with all the free admission and beer and pot. But the band did a bang-up job.

Speaking of pot, I tweeted this observation. The same friend replied and further confirmed my luckiness that he’s my friend:

So I texted Francis, and asked what he did to his keyboard. He replied, "Tea. I did 'tea' to my keyboard." I visualized this, and it was a pretty vivid image, most likely because the contact high was SO FREAKING STRONG.

We met a guy named Dennis who came with a friend. He introduced himself and extended his hand to shake, but we sort of brushed him off.

After the concert, we went to Denny’s, where our waiter was named Moe, which was short for Mohammed, and he sounded a lot like Barack Obama. Coincidence? I think not. He was a one-man show. Not only did he wait tables, he also was the cashier and he might have done all the cooking, too. And we spent a fair amount of time doing Barack Obama impressions on the way home.

What we also did? Acted high. But mostly we weren’t acting. Except we had to tone it down in Denny’s because undercover cops were also at the restaurant. It wasn’t possible to stop giggling, and I think we managed to order all the breakfast items on the menu. And half a sampler platter. Poor Moe.

Okay, so that was fun.

Yet, I have a small complaint.

Go to this website, and scroll down to the rules about food and beverages. Is it clear on whether one can or can’t bring food into the park? It doesn’t say we can’t bring food into the park. I brought food, and when we got to the entrance, I found out that food wasn’t allowed. And maybe I yelled, like, LOUD, and maybe no one cared, but come on, people, at least provide a clear policy on such things. I can go to a concert in Central Park, NYC, and they’ll have similar rules: no coolers, no glass containers, no outside alcohol. I can bring outside food; EVERYONE can bring outside food. They encourage it. Yes, I know that Pioneer Park isn’t Central Park. But Pioneer Park also doesn’t have to worry about the kind of attendance Central Park does. Pioneer Park should be able to handle food. I stood in line for an hour last month waiting to see Yo-Yo Ma with a book, a plastic bottle of water, and a Chipotle burrito. Free concert, even. Everyone knows what the rules are.

So, Twilight Concert Series people, don’t make like you’re Stephenie Meyer or the writers of Lost and change the rules whenever you feel like it. Or if you want to change the rules, make sure such changes are also on the website. It’s not a lot to ask.

But, thank you for bringing the Decemberists to Salt Lake City. For free.

 

July 9, 2011

Guess Who’s Coming to BYU

Posted by mayiwrite under friends, lists, music, my life, nature, nostalgia, single life, weekend | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Friday, September 2. 7:30pm.

I’m really excited.

Also, not coming to BYU, but giving free concerts in Salt Lake City:

Decemberists: July 21

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: July 28

Also coming to BYU: my bicycle.

This summer is so, so, so, so, so, so, so, and so awesome.

That last sentence is my shout-out to the Oxford comma. I love you, man.

 

March 10, 2011

More Legitimately Free Music

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I’ve always wanted to go to SXSW. I barely missed it when I visited Austin a few years ago. I love going to music festivals in general, because the cool music vibe from all the bands that perform blows my mind. What Paste magazine does every year to highlight the SXSW is probably the next best thing to going. In some ways it’s better because you don’t have to deal with drunk people.

Anyway, go to this page.

Sample the music.

“Save As” the links you like, or download what they’ll allow.

Sync to your portable music player.

Have fun.

 

March 6, 2011

Someone Like You

Posted by mayiwrite under advice, friends, links, miscellany, music, new york city, nostalgia, observations | Tags: , , , , , |
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On May 5, 2009, I got to see Adele at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. I had bought an extra ticket and decided to invite my friend, Brook, to come along.  We met for dinner beforehand, and we got to know each other a little bit better. I didn’t know Brook too well, but she was someone I really looked up to, and I knew she’d be a fun concert partner. When she paid me back for the extra ticket, she actually paid for both tickets, and I tried to refuse, but she insisted and won the way I learned she always insists and wins. I did mention to her I’d lost my job the week before, and I was exploring options about staying in the city for school or reapplying to BYU. But we were just catching up; I wasn’t trying to make her feel sorry for me.  I didn’t really expect her to pay me back for the extra ticket, much less mine, and it was her birthday just a few days before. I looked at the cash and felt my throat heat up, then I thanked her quickly and went to a different place in my mind to prevent that weird, grateful crying that sometimes causes a scene. I don’t like to cause a scene. Except sometimes on a crowded subway. Sometimes.

May 5 also happens to be Adele’s birthday.  In 2009, she turned 21. During the concert she told fun birthday stories about exploring the city with her mum,  and she passed around a bag of candy to all the audience members. It was pretty dang cool.

Of course, the music was incredible.

So, nothing but good memories and associations when it comes to Adele.

As you all know, the new album is out. Get it, if you haven’t already gotten it.

This is a cool song, which also happens to be free at Amazon. You’ll have to watch the video on YouTube, since Vevo is restricting playback on WordPress. Silliness. Anyway, I sort of want an attractive pianist in my house now. The song is reassuring: things will get better. All things considered, they have.

 

November 13, 2010

I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Want More

Posted by mayiwrite under music, nostalgia, observations, reviews, weekend | Tags: , , , , , |
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Harper Blynn opened right before Greg Laswell last night. They are also Greg’s band, and they asked to make sure we didn’t think they were Greg, probably because two other openers preceded them (Dustin Christensen sounded lovely, and the band after him not only had a French horn but had other fun quirkinesses about them), and maybe they felt we were getting restless. But: They really, really rocked the house, and they performed a phenomenal cover of Beyonce’s “Halo.” When they come to New York, go early. See Harper Blynn. Be impressed. They’ll also make you laugh.

I’d never been to the Avalon Theater. The audience space isn’t an open floor, but rather, benches. We sat about six rows from the stage, and everybody stayed sitting down throughout the evening. There were still a lot of seats even by the time Greg got to the stage, which makes me a little sad. I wouldn’t have preferred to be anywhere else last night; apparently, not everyone agreed with me.

My third time seeing Greg didn’t disappoint. He told stories and also made us laugh, and he sang the way someone like Greg Laswell sings. I don’t need to describe it: I couldn’t do it justice anyway. If you’ve heard him, then you know. We stuck around for a little bit after the show to say hi, but we decided to go back to Provo. There will be other times. I just wanted him to play to a packed house.

The setlist:

Around the Bend
That It Moves
Off I Go
(the story about when he sat next to a woman on a plane who asked if he might be someone his daughter would know)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
High and Low
(a few comments on writing a pop song and hearing himself on the radio)
Take Everything
Highway Patrolman (Bruce Springsteen cover)
What A Day (yes, I thought of you)
Marquee
Sweet Dream
How the Day Sounds

Encore:

Amazing Grace (I almost cried)
Not Out
Lie to Me
Your Ghost (yes, I thought of you)

 

October 27, 2010

Last Night’s Setlist

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So, the concert was a lot of fun. We waited for an hour outside while whoever was in charge was taking their time admitting the crazy long line. Once we got in, it was crowded. The show sold out, and while we stood next to a bunch of beehives and Mia Maids who talked the entire time (I actually think the father-chaperone was the fan and the girls were an excuse for him to go to the concert), Ingrid put on a fantastic show.

Soldier
Breakable


(A story about LeAnn Rimes tweeting Ingrid to maybe hang out sometime, and maybe Ingrid was completely starstruck and hasn’t responded yet, so instead at all her concerts she dedicates the next song to her.)
Once Was Love
Die Alone


Parachute
Mountain and the Sea
Everybody
You and I


(A story about covering the next song using a looping pedal at an R.E.M. tribute, where Michael Stipes approached at an afterparty at the City Winery and told her how original and inspiring her cover was, but she was too drunkenly, dumbfoundedly starstruck to say something dignified? so he walked away, but then she tried grabbing him by his far shoulder and ended up caressing his chest. Awesome story.)
Nightswimming
New song
New song
The Chain
Locked Up
The Way I Am
Maybe
Toxic

Encore (after hiding on stage while we cheered as if they left the stage and wanted an encore):
Be OK
The Way I Am – punk

Then, when we left the concert, this was waiting for us:

–

–

I like fun.

 

November 14, 2009

Greg Laswell

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I like him. Some friends and I went to his concert in September, when he stole my pen.

He’s amazing live. And totally lusty. How he’s rocking my world right now:

“What A Day”

“How The Day Sounds”

If I hadn’t already committed to preying upon considerably younger men for the next one-and-a-half to two years, and if Mr. Laswell were not dating someone seriously enough to relocate from California to New York City, I would stalk him.

He’s safe for now.

 

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