Dreams of Cannibalism by Typhoon

I can't wait to get my hands on Typhoon's new album White Lighter due out August 20th! I also am very much looking forward to seeing them again live. They were unbelievable at The Echo last November!

Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) @ Shrine Auditorium - 6/26/13

Well, I must say last night was damn near perfect :) :) After enjoying a scrumptiously unique dinner of sushi, lobster bisque, cold & hot sake, beer & ambrosia-flavored HOOKAH at Lotus on Flower Street (only 0.6 miles from the venue), I was lucky enough to be treated by a far too generous friend to an orchestra seat at Shrine Auditorium where I saw Robert Plant (the lead singer of Led Zeppelin) for my very 1st time. And, at 62, the man can still wail as well as he did 40+ years ago! It was AMAZING.

About 1/2 of the 15 songs in Robert's set were classic, fabulous Led Zeppelin tracks to which everyone in the audience pretty much lost their minds. The other 1/2 were songs from Robert's solo albums that all completely captivated me despite not recognizing most of them initially. Check out the set list below for more details.

The only bummer of the evening was security making me check my camera at the coat check when I was stupid enough to ask if was OK for me to bring it in :-/ BUT I like to think it was a blessing in disguise because, since I no longer had my camera to mess around with & because my iPhone's zoom-less video & photo quality just sucks, I was able to focus 110% of my attention on Robert Plant whose voice & stage presence transcend generations. He's a LIVING LEGEND indeed.

One of my favorite moments of the night (captured by someone also sitting in the orchestra section but slightly closer to the stage than me) was when Robert sang the Led Zeppelin hit Going to California. Of course, since the show was taking place IN California, the crowd LOVED it:



SET LIST:
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (Joan Baez cover)
In the Mood
Tin Pan Valley
Spoonful (Howlin’ Wolf cover)
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)
Another Tribe
Going to California (Led Zeppelin song)
The Enchanter
Please Read the Letter (Jimmy Page & Robert Plant cover)
Friends (Led Zeppelin song)
Funny in My Mind (I Believe I'm Fixin' to Die)
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Led Zeppelin song)
Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin song) ("Who Do You Love" snippet)

Encore:
Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down (Uncle Tupelo cover)
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)

A Few Fave Led Zeppelin Songs Because I'm Seeing Robert Plant Tonight!!!

Black Dog


When The Levee Breaks


Kashmir


All of My Love


Ramble On


Whole Lotta Love


Dazed & Confused


Babe I'm Gonna Leave You


Tangerine


Stairway to Heaven

Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke Featuring Pharrell Williams & T.I. (VIDEO DEFINITELY NSFW)

I'm not normally into pop music but this particular video makes me kinda love this track ;-)

Robin Thicke is hot but the chicks dancing around him are obviously hotter.

Be careful where you watch this one...

Despair by Yeah Yeah Yeahs = The 1st Music Video Ever Shot On Observation Deck of The Empire State Building!

Black Skinhead by Kanye West (Live on SNL)

Lately, people have been expressing ALL kinds of opinions about Kanye West's new album Yeezus as well as opinions about Kanye as a person but the way I see it is this: the fact I think Kanye West is a cocky asshole in real life doesn't make his music any better or any worse. I like Kanye's music &, for the most part, I'm diggin' his new album.

I also guess Kanye West assumes, because he's black, he can be as racist as he wants to be? This thought crossed my mind while I was listening to the track I'm In It for the 1st time. To put it nicely, Kanye says all he needs is sweet & sour sauce when pleasuring an Asian woman...lol. Inappropriate, Kanye! :-P

Here's my favorite track thus far. The bass line is just too good:

This Life by Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (NEW!!!)

This brand new track by Ed Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is sad but BEAUTIFUL.

"I've been trying to pretend that death is my friend."

Camera Obscura @ The Wiltern - 6/18/13

I attended my 1st Camera Obscura show ever last night at The Wiltern & it was lovely :)

Razzle Dazzle Rose (Final Encore)

Do I Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys

I'm diggin' Arctic Monkeys' new, grittier sound & this official, animated video is just AWESOME. I'm stoked to hear the rest of Arctic Monkeys' 5th album set for release later this year. Do I Wanna Know? definitely gets the juices flowin'!

"Do I wanna know if this feeling flows both ways??"

Byegone by Volcano Choir

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, The Shouting Matches &, as I just learned today, ALSO Volcano Choir is very busy man...who's busy makin' magic ;-)

This is beautiful.

This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) by Talking Heads

This song always makes me feel like I'm vacation...even when I'm unfortunately not i.e. on a Monday afternoon at the office :-P

Bjork @ Hollywood Bowl - 6/11/13

Before Tuesday night, the only time I'd seen Bjork live was over 6 years ago at Coachella 2007 &, ever since then, I hoped I'd get another chance. My dreams finally came true 3 days ago when I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Bjork headline Hollywood Bowl! She played 3 shows at Hollywood Palladium in the week prior to her Bowl performance but, instead of attending 1 or more of those shows, I decided to hold out for what I expected to be the most epic of her 4 LA appearances. I like to think I made the right decision. It also was better for my wallet :)

Bjork is such a weird, beautiful, uniquely talented woman & I adore her for it.

Numb by Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr.'s guitar shredding skills are so unbelievable that he reminds me of a modern-day Jimi Hendrix. He's SO good live!!

http://www.concertaddictchick.com/2012/11/gary-clark-jr-troubadour-111412.html

Tiff' by Polica Featuting Justin Vernon of Bon Iver

I'm not sure what I think of this official video for Tiff' by Polica (I wish Justin Vernon was in it!) but I'm definitely diggin' the track!

The 29th Annual Twilight Concert Series on Santa Monica Pier Summer 2013 LINEUP!

I'm SO excited for the Thursday night pier concerts to start up again on July 11th! They're my favorite thing about summer in LA. You can't beat getting to bring your own booze, snacks & blankets down to the beach where you can drink, dance & socialize on the sand from 7-10pm every Thursday night (for 10 weeks straight!) without the cops even bothering to give you a hard time.

This is the only time I go to a concert & don't actually pay much attention to the performance itself...lol. I love listening to the music from the beach but I'm usually so busy partying that I can't get my ass up onto the pier to actually watch the shows. Luckily though, 2 years ago, they added large screens that face out from the pier so people on the sand could/can get a glimpse of what's happening on stage.

I'm especially grateful for those screens this year because the 2013 summer series lineup is the best I've ever seen! Surfer Blood kicks off the season on 7/11 then some additional highlights will include No Age, Hanni EL Khatib & Jimmy Cliff as the summer closer!

Check out the full lineup HERE!

Demon Dance by Surfer Blood

Came Back Haunted by NINE INCH NAILS (NEW!!!)

NEW NINE INCH NAILS!!! YES!!! And it's f*ckin SICK!!!

I can't wait for the full new album Hesitation Marks to be released on September 3rd & I'm SO excited to see NIN for my 2nd time ever at Outside Lands in SF in August! My 1st time with NIN was at my 1st Coachella ever in 2005 & my mind was simply BLOWN.

Finally, tickets go on sale at 10am on June 28th for Nine Inch Nails' 11/8 show at Staples Center in LA. I'll be all over that sh*t as well :)
UPDATE as of 6/28/13: I got 2 NIN tix for the Staples Center show yesterday!!! WOO HOO!!! AND, as of this morning, NIN just released their brand new, David Lynch directed music video for Came Back Haunted & it comes with a warning so BE CAREFUL!

WARNING: This video has been identified by Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.



“I’ve been less than honest about what I’ve really been up to lately,” said Trent Reznor. “For the last year I’ve been secretly working non-stop with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder on a new, full-length Nine Inch Nails record, which I am happy to say is finished and frankly fucking great. This is the real impetus and motivation behind the decision to assemble a new band and tour again. My forays into film, HTDA and other projects really stimulated me creatively and I decided to focus that energy on taking Nine Inch Nails to a new place. Here we go!”

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) & White Arrows @ El Rey Theatre - 6/1/13

I am SO happy I rallied my Sasquatch-sickness-suffering ass to suck it up & still go see !!! (Chk Chk Chk) & White Arrows at El Rey on Saturday night! My fellow concert-obsessed buddy, Alan, & I assembled a last minute stellar crew (consisting of myself, 3 other rad chicks & Alan so Alan was PIMPIN' it!) & !!! brought the house down! Lead singer Nic Offer's dance moves are pretty much the best I've ever seen. And !!! shows are pretty much the wildest & sweatiest dance parties EVER!!!

Californiyeah - "California's in my heart!"


Except Death - "Diamonds ain't no friend of mine & that's just fine."

Dark & Stormy by Hot Chip (BRAND NEW!!!)

Hot Chip's BRAND NEW (as of about 20 minutes ago) single Dark & Stormy just ironically brightened my dreary Monday morning :)