It's official...The Foos will be in Philly on Thursday, February 21, 2008!

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, good news, local news, music, Philadelphia

It seems the Foos have rediscovered their sense of humor with this video for the next single Long Road to Ruin.

Dave plays an overly-sensitive actor on a 70s' hospital soap opera. Love the hair!

Labels: Foo Fighters, funny stuff, music, TV

OK.

I realize that what I’m about to say could be considered heresy by many, but I just can’t keep this thought to myself any longer:

How can anyone possibly enjoy listening to Bruce Springsteen? Especially 1970s-era Springsteen?

I’ve tried so hard for years to appreciate, if not truly like, his music. Really, I have. You know, since he’s a Jersey boy and all. I know people who wax endlessly poetic about him, that he’s an icon, blahblahblah.

But man, whenever I hear his voice, I just want to slit my wrists. To me, his singing resembles that of a drunken bricklayer’s who has commandeered the mike at Friday night karaoke in some dive bar. Tuneless, without any dynamics whatsoever, and just plain shitty.

If Hell exists, my own personal concept of it would be a place that plays an endless loop of The Boss.

Sorry, folks.

Labels: deep thoughts, music

I will be watching these guys extremely up-close and personal!!!!



Can't wait, can't wait!

I so totally need this. My coworker was fired on Friday afternoon, somewhat unexpectedly, and now my workload has doubled. I've already been putting in some seriously long hours anyway. Now I might as well keep my pj's and slippers there.

Ugh.

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, music

I busted out some of the old-school jams tonight while I was working on my 'puter. Right now I'm listening to "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.

Back in the late 90s, there was a resurgence of interest in these forefathers of hip-hop and they did a small club tour. One of the stops was The Lagoon in Essington, PA, which was (sad but true) one of my haunts back in the day. I'll get to that in a future post.

Somehow, two of my girlfriends and I got pulled up onstage with The Sugarhill Gang by their bodyguards/roadies. It was surreal and hilarious. I got to do the Bump with Master Gee. I only wish I had pictures.

Since then, whenever I hear "Rapper's Delight" or "Apache," I just laugh.

Good times, y'all.

Labels: friends, funny stuff, memories, music

Well, I just broke a personal record: most amount of money spent on concert tickets.

Last time we went to see the Foo Fighters, I told my husband that I would spend any amount of money to get REALLY good seats for their next show. That was over two years ago.

I reminded him of this fact again just this past July, as I drooled while watching their LiveEarth performance on TV.

They just announced a few tour dates this weekend, and they're coming to the Borgata in Atlantic City on October 6. The show's already sold out, of course. So I did a little comparison shopping online between StubHub, Ticket Liquidator, and eBay.

Now, I don't know what most married couples do, but my husband and I have an agreement: if either of us wants to make a big (over $200) purchase, we run it past the other one first.

So what do you think I did tonight?

I did what any self-respecting wife would do when lobbying for a big-bucks item: I waited until after he'd fallen asleep, then woke him up and asked him if it was OK with him that I buy the tickets.

"Whuh? Huh?" he sputtered after I gently shook him in his sleep.

"The Foo Fighters are coming to the Borgata in a few weeks," I whispered. "I want to get tickets for us. Are you busy on October 6?"

"Mmmmm....zzzzz.....uh, no," he mumbled. "Don't think so..."

"OK, good."

"Wait...how much?"

I paused. Damn. I was hoping he'd be so out of it as to forget to ask about that part.

"About $300."

"Mmmm....okay," he muttered as he rolled over, pulling the blankets back up over his head.

Score!!!

I wound up going with the eBay deal, and I just bought two tickets that cost me $277 including priority USPS shipping.

Yes, I am crazy.

But hey, unlike most women, I don't buy expensive shoes or purses or even clothes...so I have to splurge on something. Right?

I've never been to the Borgata for a show, but it seems that their arena is a little different than most; there is a large general admission area in the front, not the rear, of the reserved seating area, and it's standing-room only...which means that we will have to get there very, very early that day to get a good spot by the stage.

Still, I'm amped. Now that I've got a quality digital camera, I hope to get some really great shots of my second husband, Dave Grohl. When they came to the Tower in 2005, I was using my parents' digital camera and it totally tweaked on me as I stood in the pit, quivering like a leaf in a hurricane, just underneath Dave Grohl during the acoustic "Everlong" encore. Not a single picture came out properly. Dammit.

Not this time!

(I hope).

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, marriage, music

I took well over 100 photos at the concert.

Labels: concerts, John Mayer, music

I know, I know...I haven't been around here in a while. Sorry. I've been crazy busy with work and studying for yet ANOTHER professional certification (NASD Series 65 investment license) and also...just living life.

Here's what I did last night:







And no, Jessica WASN'T there...

Labels: concerts, John Mayer, music

I just bought a few songs from Elliott Yamin's debut album.

Go ahead. Make fun of me. I know you're just dying to.

I am pleasantly surprised by his offering, though. His voice is so clear and strong. It's hard to believe that he's deaf in one ear! This album is good blue-eyed soul.

I was a little disappointed by his rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You." This is one of my very, very favorites, but I think he oversings it. If you want to hear a PERFECT version of it, check out Michael Buble's. It's much subtler and more elegant. Elliott's take goes in the direction of gospel, which isn't terrible...but it doesn't move me the same way. Buble's version actually brings me to tears every time I listen to it. And Chris Botti's trumpet on Buble's version is sublime.

BUT...Elliott's song "Wait For You" is amazing. It's got that old-school slow jam vibe, which I love.

I'm also liking "Moving On" and "Alright."

My rating: four stars out of five. Nice debut. And I DID mention around a year ago that out of all the American Idol contestants, Elliott's album was the only one I'd seriously consider buying.

Labels: American Idol, music

I'm shamelessly taking this from Teri's blog...

Five Questions

What is the single best piece of advice you’ve ever been given, and who gave it?

Ha. I don’t take advice well…mostly because I’m the kind of person who likes to figure things out for herself. A few years back, I was taking a business management class online and had to read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz for the class discussion. This book blew me right out of the frickin’ water. So here are the four agreements (and yes, I’m cheating because I consider it all one “piece” of advice!):

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

What was the last thing you purchased for yourself, and what do you think you will purchase next?

I bought myself an automatic iced tea maker and love it. Yes, I’m a dork. My next major purchase will be either a mountain bike or satellite radio. Or both. Still not sure.

In your humble opinion, the Best! Invention! Ever! Is…

Modern plumbing. Gotta love it. I’m totally grateful for that every single day.

What makes Lori happy? What makes Lori sad?

I’m a fairly happy person, and I try to find joy in everything I do. Happiness is a choice, and it’s a brave choice, I think…it’s much easier to stay miserable and bitch about how unhappy you are than to consciously work at being happy. Don’t you think?

That being said, music makes me VERY, VERY happy, and I couldn’t imagine life without it. The internet makes me happy. My family and friends make me happy. Animals make me happy. Beautiful weather makes me happy. Reading a good book makes me happy. Writing makes me happy. Cooking, gardening, learning new things, working out, doing crossword puzzles, taking long walks…all very good stuff.

The older I get, the more I realize that material things don’t factor too much into the happiness equation. At least not for me.

Death of loved ones saddens me. Needless suffering. Child and animal abuse not only make me sad, but piss me the hell off, too. The news saddens me most of the time…I’ve voluntarily given that up for the moment…it’s just too much for me to handle.

What character on TV do you identify with most?

TV’s crap and I try to avoid it as much as I can, unless it’s educational. And let’s not broach the embarrassing topic of my American Idol addiction.

So I really couldn’t answer this question. Sorry!

I'm tagging anyone who wants to play...

Labels: deep thoughts, family, friends, music, TV, writing

This movie was so, so awesome.

The 1980s were horrifically embarrassing, weren't they?

Labels: funny stuff, movies, music

Wonder what Dave thought of this?

I thought it was pretty damn hot. I just about wet myself when I realized what he was singing...

Well done, Purple One. Well done, indeed.

Labels: Foo Fighters, music, Prince, sports, TV

Well, the holiday mayhem is winding down.

NOT.

For us, Christmas was fairly low-key this year. We were home, not in Binghamton, which always makes me very happy. There's just something nice about waking up in your own house on Christmas morning.

We went to the movies on Christmas Eve and saw The Good Shepherd. Word of advice? Skip it. It was unbearably long and drawn-out. I thought we'd never make it out of the theatre. Ugh.

When we got home from the movies, we opened our gifts. Remember how much I loved Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor last year? I've decided that my favorite CD of this year is John Mayer's Continuum, which was one of the things that The Huz bought for me. Love it. LOVE it. It's sublime, bluesy goodness. I especially like the first three tracks and the last track. Fantastic album!

I also got Alicia Keys' Unplugged...another great album. I've seen Alicia in concert twice and she never disappoints. In fact, I think that she is one of the few artists whose voice sounds better live than on recordings. This album captures her at her best.

So now I'm getting ready for the party we're having on Saturday afternoon. Hence, the title of this post. We're expecting almost fifty people--more than I've ever tried to entertain at one time! I'm trying hard not to start hyperventilating when I think about it. The guest list consists almost entirely of my family, most of whom have never seen our new house, but we're also having a few neighbors as well. I think I'm in good shape so far...the catered portion of the food has been ordered, I've test-run a few recipes for food that I'm making myself, and we've been slowly straightening up the house for the past week. Still, I've had a couple nightmares in which people show up at our house and I've overslept and there is no food for them and I am still in my nightgown. I wake up gasping for breath.

Entertaining shouldn't be this stressful, should it?

Hoping that you all had a wonderful holiday!

Labels: holidays, movies, music

If you are a Foo fan, you must buy this. It was just released last week, and it's a live performance CD from this past year's "Afoostic" tour.



It is amazing. I have been sitting here, eyes closed, listening to it, and I am covered with goosebumps. This was by far the best concert of 2006, and as most of you know, I went to many concerts this year.

The only thing that disappoints me a bit is that it excludes most of the banter between Dave and the guys that Foo fans love so much.

A live performance DVD will follow next month.

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, music

I love the ability to post videos from YouTube here.

This is probably my favorite video OF ALL TIME. So fucking funny.

Can you understand why I love Dave Grohl? He's hilarious! Not to mention the lyrics to some of his songs are the most romantic I've ever heard (see: Everlong; Burn Away; Disenchanted Lullaby; Miracle).

Sigh.

Labels: Foo Fighters, funny stuff, music, technology

If you had to pick one album to sum up your college years, what would it be?

(If you didn't go to college, answer it anyway, applying the standard college age range of 18-21).

This morning I'm burning some of my CDs into iTunes on my PC at work. Right now I'm listening to Ben Folds' Five's "Whatever and Ever, Amen." This entire album is so evocative of my college years. I got it as a birthday gift when I turned twenty from one of my friends, Big Jon, who attended Widener University.

I partied more at Widener than I did at my own school (which is amazing, considering that West Chester University has a nearly legendary reputation as a huge party school). I even had more friends at Widener and UDel than I did at West Chester! I don't think I could name a single person from West Chester. Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you're NEVER in class. Hee.

Anyway, whenever I hear any song from this album, I am sent back to that time in my life. I remember the good times: sneaking into The Bent Elbo, Abilene and Manny Brown's on South Street, and Walio's Frog Pond (Widener's campus bar) to celebrate their 21st birthdays while I was still underage; smoking bongs in the absolutely decrepit bathroom of the off-campus rowhouse where Jon lived with his two roommates, Pat and Bob; playing Beirut and "Think While You Drink" with them, going to strip bars with them (yes, I did!); going glo-bowling at midnight at Conchester Lanes in Aston.

I also remember the not-so-good times: being in love with David, my ex-boyfriend with the serious drug problem, who never wanted to hang out with my other friends; the handful of one-night stands I had with guys I really liked but who wouldn't commit; watching all my Widener friends graduate (they were a year ahead of me, remember?) and move on with their lives while I was still unhappily stuck at West Chester; and oh yeah--failing out of college. How could I forget that one?

Still, this album never fails to put a smile on my face. All those experiences made me who I am today, and I will always look back fondly on those days.

So tell me about your musical memories from college.

Labels: college, friends, memories, music, nostalgia

I'm laughing so hard, I think I might wet myself!



The part that really sends me over the edge is the commentary underneath each album photo.



I'd just like to mention how thankful I am that I was born too late to experience most of the 1970s.

Labels: funny stuff, music, technology