Footana - May 2011

Foo Fighters Make it to Missoula, Montana

When: Thursday, May 26, 2011

Venue: Adams Center, University of Montana

Accompanied by: Justin 
Genre: Rock 

Some may say the only reason I went to Montana was to see Foo Fighters...but that could not be furthest from the truth. A few years ago, my friend, who also used to be my former personal trainer decided to move to Hamilton, Montana and set up home for him and his wife. I had never thought about going for a visit. Pretty much figured I'd see him if and when he ventured back to Long Beach. But when Foos announced Missoula on their current tour and Justin called and asked if I wanted to come out (I might have put the idea in his head with a random wall post on FB, but whatever)...well it was a win-win all the way around.  And memories to last a lifetime!!

Grill Master Yetter

The Yetter Abode

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Flight lands in Missoula early evening where Justin picked me up and we make the hour or so drive back to Hamilton. Amazingly, by 9:30pm it is still light outside.  Being the host with the most, Justin lights up the grill and tosses on deliciously marinated chicken and veggies. Definitely a great way to start of the first night as their guest.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Justin's House of Pain

Up at 5:15 am where Justin and I hit the gym for over a hour of self inflicted madness!! We had done more before 9am than the average person that is for sure!! 



But no time for rest. The remainder of the morning and mid afternoon was spent running around town, taking care of random errands and such.  Eventually we made our way back out to Missoula where we decided to hit up a few bars before heading to the show.







After hitting up a handful of some of the finest watering holes Missoula had to offer and properly hydrating ourselves, we made our way over to the University of Montana to prepare for 3+ hours of face melting rock! And as you will see from the set list below, we were not disappointed!!


SET LIST: Bridge Burning , Rope, The Pretender, My Hero, Learn to Fly, White Limo, Arlandria, Breakout Play, Cold Day in the Sun, I'll Stick Around, Stacked Actors, Drum Solo, Hey, Johnny Park!, Monkey Wrench, Let It Die, Generator, Walk, Shake Your Blood, This is a Call, All My Life 


ENCORE: Long Road to Ruin, Best of You, Times Like These, Young Man Blues, Breakdown, Tie Your Mother Down, New Way Home, Skin and Bones, Everlong

By the time we got home after the show, we had been up for 23 hours straight, but that is the power and energy of rock and roll!! And the beauty was that I still had another day and a half left to spend in Montana!!


Friday, May 26, 2011

Lake Como

No rest for the wicked, that must be Justin's motto. Fortunately or unfortunately, the weather this day wasn't really cooperating. What was suppose to be a 3 mile hike around Lake Como was put on hold due rain...so we drove out to Darby, Montana and wandered around there for a bit.

Darby, Montana

Eventually the rain subsided and we ended up somewhere that Justin decided would be a good place to hike...not forewarning me that there would be obstacles along the way. What felt like miles upon miles of uphill, we made our way up and around and back again...and I came away with the realization that my hamstrings need some serious work!!

One of the many creeks we had to cross!!

Saturday, May 27, 2011

My last day in Montana...and Justin made sure I was up early for another morning hike to Blodgett Overlook which is near his home. And this time, no creeks to cross!! I will admit this hike certainly helped me understand why Justin loves where he lives. I'm not a country girl at all... give me my ocean breeze and sunshine, but I appreciate the appeal of what Montana has to offer.

After this final hike, we headed back to Casa de Yetter so I could quickly pack and we could wander the Hamilton Farmers Market for a bit before I had to say goodbye.

Tai, Justin and Carolyn

Looking back on this trip, I am amazed at how much we were able to pack into 3 1/2 days!! But that's Justin - Mr. Iron Man - he leaves no stone unturned and that is one of the many reasons why I am so happy to have him as my friend!!  He and Carolyn made my trip so completely awesome...and yeah, seeing Foo Fighters was icing on the cake but spending time with friends and seeing the beauty of Montana put the cherry on top!!

So thank you, Justin & Carolyn!! And thank you Foo Fighters for hooking me up with a win-win situation!!

Two weeks following this trip, the Yetters welcomed beautiful baby Marisol, born June 6, 2011.

Marisol Alayna Yetter - 06/09/2011 - 8:33am - 6lbs, 15ozs - 19"

Daddy time with Marisol

Foos Invade the LBC on Record Store Day 2011

Foo Fighters @ Fingerprints 04/16/11

Foo Fighters

When: Tuesday, April 16, 2011

Venue: Fingerprints, Long Beach

Accompanied by: Nicole, Cosmo, Tiffany, & Sarah
Genre: Rock 

EDITED to ADD: Article & Photos by Jena Ardell - seriously some of the most amazing photos of this event!!

More than a month has passed since the Foo Fighters made their way into MY city. I wish I had taken the time to write about it in the moment, but as we all know life has a funny way of getting away from us sometimes.

Rather than attempting to piece it all together - I'd rather just show it through pictures. A lot less boring that is for sure!!  Enjoy...

"Knoxy's Proxy" & WWLD?

Taylor arrives via White Limo

Left Side is Shifty's Side!

Shifty

Dave

Taylor

Nate

Dave & Nate

Chris

Dave

Photo taken by Gus (Tour Manager) from above

This video captures the one and only encore. The boys went with All My Life. But the funniest part is the very beginning. Between finishing the last song and leaving the stage, the vultures ripped off all the picks from the microphone stand. It was insane...I guess people didn't think they'd have a chance to be given a trinket from the show so they just took it. The look on Dave's face when he looks down to see that all the picks are gone..."Where are my fuckin' picks, assholes? Give 'em back. We're still on the clock!!" PRICELESS!!

Tiësto Vegas Style

Tiësto @ The Joint/Hard Rock Casino
When: Saturday, May 7, 2011
Venue: The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Accompanied by: Miss Sandy Fontes
Genre: Dance, dance, dance

Girls trip to Vegas is always fun!!  Had this one planned since December as part of a Christmas and Birthday gift to my friend, Sandy. While May 2011 seemed so far away then, now that it's come and gone, I have no clue where the time went.


No review of this event...it was what it was. A reminder that I'm a little too old for such late nights, and yet still young enough to have a damn good time.  If I were to do anything differently, it would have been a different choice of shoes. 

Tiësto In Concert, a groundbreaking live show featuring the world’s number one electronic DJ and producer Tiësto, begins residency at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday, Jan. 1. Tiësto In Concert is a visual and aural experience of epic magnitude that has been created exclusively for The Joint. Tiësto In Concert will be the most immense Tiësto experience Las Vegas has ever witnessed.
His recently completed Kaleidoscope World Tour spanned more than 15 months and 175 dates across 6 continents playing to over 1,000,000+ people. The tour featured an epic live show including an exhibition of lasers, light shows, and state of the art video content as well as sound from one of the most powerful sound systems ever used.

Widely regarded as the number one DJ in the world, Tiësto has worked with global superstars such as Nelly Furtado, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Goldfrapp and more. Tiësto’s latest album Kaleidoscope Remixed is a reworking of his fourth album Kaleidoscope and includes a stunning collection of songs written and recorded in collaboration with a variety of music talents from the worlds of dance, pop and rock. He was nominated for a Grammy in 2007, voted number one DJ in the world by DJ Magazine three years in a row, voted number one DJ in the World 2008 by Mixmag Magazine and has sold millions of records worldwide.

We arrived at 11:30 to catch the tail end of the first DJ...followed by a 2nd DJ who could have easily stepped off a bus fresh from some small mid western town. But he had rhythm and knew how to mix so we had no complaints.  Tiesto took the stage around 1am and we hung out for a bit to head bop and hip shake. Taking a bit of break out on the casino floor, we came back for another 30 minutes of groove but by 4am, we were beat. All in all, a good time. Glad to have experienced it once...but chances are, wouldn't do it again.

Meshell Ndegeocello - Largo at the Coronet

Meshell Ndegeocello
When: Thursday, March 3, 2011 & March 10, 2011
Venue: Largo at the Coronet, Los Angeles
Accompanied by: My better half
Genre: Funk, soul, R&B, hip hop, reggae, rock, jazz


I've heard on more than one occasion from my husband that he does not see an artist more than once. He claims "what's the point?" He knows well enough that such a concept falls on deaf ears when it comes to me. I can see some of my favorite artists and bands night after night and never tire of the experience. So, when it was announced that Meshell Ndegeocello would be performing two shows at Largo at the Coronet, imagine my surprise when "he who puts up with my madness" purchased tickets for both nights!! I quickly marked my calendar and looked forward to the experience because truth be told, I really only knew one song by Miss Ndegeocello. 


Night #1 was Thursday, March 3, 2011 KCRW presents Meshell Ndegeocello...completely full house, not that it's a big venue but impressive all the same. Think back seeing a performance in your high school auditorium but only if you went to a relatively small high school. It's impossible not to make a few new friends due to the close proximity of seating arrangements. But for a show like this, it's a good thing. 

It's been nearly 2 months since we went to this show, so I honestly have no memory of what songs she performed. However, even if I had written about it the moment I got home, I'd still have no idea what songs were done that night. I know she didn't sing the one song I do know, If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)... but that's okay because the evening was mesmerizing all the same. Her voice is hypnotic regardless of knowing the music or not. She comes across as a little shy and extremely humble. Her love of music and for making music is apparent. And her audience ADORES her!!  The love in that little auditorium was undeniable. She owns her fans, that is for certain. And I sure as hell came away that night happy as hell knowing we'd be back for more the following week!!


AND it was not going to be a repeat performance...Night #2 was Thursday, March 10, 2011 - Gett Off: Meshell Ndegeocello Covers Prince - SOLD OUT ...I won't attempt to review it myself, but for anyone interested, check out this LA Times blog by Mikael Wood. We decided that this night we'd get out there a little earlier to secure good seats and then grab a bite to eat before the show. That is the nice thing about Largo at the Coronet. They open the box office at a set time and pass out assigned seats. Get there early for good seating w/in the first few rows and then wander up the street to Beverly Center where there are plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from. Then wander back before the show begins and you're set. And damned if I can remember the name of the tiny little bar right next door to Largo, but you can't miss it...Red Door or something like that. Pricey but one martini will get even the most seasoned drinker a little buzzed. Oh, and they serve absinthe. For those who dare!!


We chatted with the group of people seated in front of us who asked which Prince songs we thought might get covered that night and what songs we hoped she might do...Erotic City, Head, Sexy Mother, ...the dirtier, the better because that's what Prince is all about. But of course, Meshell made it so much more. There was no missing the fact that Prince influenced her life in ways that those of us who grew up in the 80s remember quite clearly. 


As for what video to post...well unfortunately, the ones I found on youtube of the 2011 tour were all super shaky and dark with poor sound quality...so I figured I'd share the one song that I do know of Meshell...but trust me, everything she does is addictive but in the best of ways!! Enjoy.

All You Need Is Now!

Duran Duran "Unstaged"
When: Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Venue: Mayan Theater, Los Angeles
Directed by: David Lynch
Accompanied by: The beautiful Kathryn Knox
Genre: New Wave/80s Deliciousness that stands the test of time


I need to set aside time after each show I go to so I can write about it when it's fresh in my mind. I told myself that I am not allowed to write about last Saturday's Record Store Day with Foo Fighters until I at least pay tribute to THIS amazing show that happened last month. Damn, where does the time go?

The day these tickets went on sale, I had a feeling that they would go fast. I had never been to the Mayan Theater, but with a capacity to hold a little over 1000 bodies, this would be the smallest venue I'd have the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands from the 80s. And for sure there were going to be 1000+ LA residents thinking the very same thing!!  Within the first 30 seconds on getting online, I managed to secure two tickets and when I tried for more, was quickly denied.


So, here's the beautiful thing about this show...it was going  to stream live which meant an early start time. How old am I when a gig starting at 7pm is a good thing? But being able to get my groove on for 2 hours AND still be home in bed before 11pm on a weeknight is something I could do on a regular basis.  More bands should do this.... especially those bands that have members who are as old as me!!



The Mayan Theater was the perfect location for the Lynchesque atmosphere. Cameras were set up from all around the theater and stage. Those tuning in via the online streaming connection could choose what view they wanted to enjoy - from the stage or from within the audience. Complete with effects that combined all the goodness of what one would expect from David Lynch.


During the show, there was a screen in the background reflecting images from the Duran Duran Unstaged photo project - painted faces and hands of the most artistic kind. They had a professional body painter available in the lobby who would create colorful designs for those who wanted to feel like they were a part of the show. I opted for a lovely purple and green design on my hand. Free of charge...but tips appreciated. 


Duran Duran sounded amazing. Simon's voice was everything I remembered it to be and while truthfully, I drifted off from Durannie fandom in the early 90s, the newer stuff sounded exactly as one would expect from this band. Deliciously pop and ready to make your hips wiggle.


The evening was fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a better date than my friend, Kathryn who was rocking for two that night. When we got home that night to review the repeated streaming video, it turns out one of the cameras was located in our corner of the floor - capturing us getting our groove on in between texting and facebooking. Hey, gotta be able to share the love as it happens, right? 


To read a real "review" of the evening, check out this one via Hit Fix by Melinda Newman http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-beat-goes-on/posts/concert-review-what-do-you-get-when-you-cross-duran-duran-with-david-lynch

Video Selection from March 23, 2011 - Duran Duran "All You Need is Now"

Special Guest Appearances made by:

• Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance
• Beth Ditto, The Gossip
• Kelis
• Mark Ronson

Final Foo Finale @ The Foobadour

This is where we left off on Valentine's Day eve --->

Foo Fighters @ The Troubadour 02/15/11

Foo Fighters w/ Mariachi el Bronx

When: Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Venue: The Troubadour, LA

Accompanied by: Megan, Colleen, Sarah
Genre: Rock 

Tuesday morning (2/15), bright and early we were gifted with this tantalizing tidbit of a tweet:

Later on, a follow up tweet directed followers to FOO FM 90.8 which looped Donna Summer's disco hit "Last Dance"...a secret message? Is this our last chance at love with the Foos? I wasn't entirely sure they would even have a last dance since the "secret" weekend show had been cancelled.

Holding tightly to Dave's joking references to Echoplex and Troubadour as places they hadn't played "yet", I connected with a friend of a friend, who I can now say is my friend too, and made arrangements to meet up by The Troubadour. Why the Troub and not Echoplex? It seemed to be the consensus location that most everyone was speculating upon...and after last weeks near miss of the wristband location (NOT Garage Pizza, go figure), I was going to follow the majority lead.  As it turns out, my new friend...we'll call her Megan (but that's only because it's her name), lived a few minutes away from The Troubadour, so when she drove by and saw the line already forming by 1:30, she grabbed her "mom kit" complete with iPad, snacks, and a blanket and set up camp. I arrived about 40 minutes later and got comfortable on the blankie ready to people watch and await more Twitter clues.

Technically, Megan was 50th in line when she got there, putting me at #51...so we felt pretty secure that we'd have no problem obtaining wristbands. But there were a few factors that we had lingering in our heads:

1. What if they pull the old "wristband/venue switch-a-roo" again like last Tuesday?
2. What if each of the 49 people in front of us are holding spots for above and beyond the unspoken +1/no more than 2 rule?
3. Why are they not unloading the truck that appears to have equipment in it? Is it a decoy?
4. At this point, there had been NO confirmation/tweets of this being the place to be, what is our exit strategy if they tell us "psych, this ain't the place"?
5. Why are we stressing ourselves out with such thoughts??

We determined that the venue had approximately a 500 person capacity...so we fairly confident we were golden, and pretty sure that the majority of those behind us would also score. Unfortunately, that was not the case...but we'll come back to that.  As the afternoon passed by, the line continued to grow, nearly to where the end wrapped all the way around to where it began. Eventually the Twitter chirp alerts went wild and four yfrog photos appeared.  Can't say the photo clues made a whole lot of sense to me...but then I am completely Los Angeles illiterate. Honestly, at this point, if the show was going to be at any other venue than the Troubadour, all holy hell would be sure to break loose.

Not sure what time this tweet appeared, but this finally confirmed that we were indeed at the right place, along with the latest Foo FM radio annoucement at 102.7. Sadly, it wasn't too long before the "that was quick. troub is totally sold out" tweet appeared.

By the time 5pm rolled around, security and Troubadour staff made their way over to the line and started with wristband distribution.  Now, remember, when Megan first got there at 1:30, she had secured us spots #50 & 51. What happened next merely solidifies why I am a bitch about how many people I will personally "hold" a spot for in line for gigs such as these.  As they made their way down the line, we had become #108 and 109. Then we heard whispers of "they are only selling 150 wristbands"...that just seemed impossible. Once we paid our $20 and had our wrists wrapped with the pretty blue band, we stepped back to see where the line would get cut. I can't say for sure, but it looked like they went about 50 - 75 more beyond us. We were floored!!  Surely there wasn't going to be a 300 something guest list?  But hell, it is rock and roll, and we are talking the mother effin' Foo Fighters....so sure, might could very well be!!

Megan, Sara, Tai & Colleen

At this point, we had less than an hour to kill. Megan, Colleen, Sarah, and I synchronized a plan between moving cars, juicing up cell phone batteries, and then meeting up to grab a bite. We ended up at some burger shack to wolf down some LA grease and I was over the moon discovering they had Ms. Pac Man!! Being the multi-task master that I am (not really), I ordered a cup of chili and tossed a quarter in the machine. Good times before more good times followed by even more good times.

Tiffany & Tai

Got back over to The Troubadour to get in line. Heard there were quite a few people who were really disturbed that they didn't get in. "How did everyone know to come here so early"...The police were brought in to make sure things stayed sane, but the number of unhappy fans ran high. And the fact is, no one had the inside track. Many of us had inside speculation based upon random music blogs and various Internet searches, but no 100% guarantees of anything. And let's not forget that damn LA Weekly Blog article that circulated the week prior, right? The difference for the first 150-200 people in line is that they were able to beeline their way to LA at the right time and willing to wait for hours upon hours on the off chance that they were right.


The reality is this..."You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time."  And so we moved on and made our way inside to wait for the show to begin. 


Upside of my evening was being able to watch Mariachi el Bronx from the front side of the stage which made up for having to watch them street view in Santa Barbara a few weeks prior. Seriously, this band is more fun than I can even describe. Since I had been listening to their current CD over and over again for the past few weeks, I recognized every song performed and let my Latin groove go hips and all!

Foo Fighters took the stage around 9 o'clock.  3 hours and thirty something songs later they called it a night. Absolute perfection! Best moment ever was during These Days (click link and forward to around 3:40 to enjoy), some girl felt the need to scream out as loud as she could "I love you, Dave" and Dave's response "shut the fuck up".  It was truly a priceless moment (and no people, it sure as fuck was not ME that did the yelling...not my style. Never has been. Never will be).


Thanks to Erich from the FFPB, here is the closest thing to a set list that I can locate:
1. Bridges Burning; 2. Rope; 3. Dear Rosemary; 4. White Limo; 5. Arlandria; 6. These Days; 7. Back & Forth; 8. Matter of Time; 9. Miss the Miserly; 10. I Shoulda Known; 11. Walk
------------------
12. Stacked Actors; 13. Pretender; 14. My Hero; 15. Generator; 16. I'll Stick Around;17. Enough Space; 18. Times Like These; 19. Cold Day in the Sun; 20. Big Me; 21. Watershed; 22. Long Road to Ruin; 23. Skin & Bones; 24. Aurora; 25. All My Life
-----------------
26. For All the Cows; 27. Monkey Wrench; 28. Hey JP; 29. Everlong; 30. Best of You; 31. Butterflies; 32. This is a Call

A few photos from our evening...

For any of you who have not been following the Foo Frenzy...and perhaps have missed this AWESOME video, please take a moment now to have your face rocked off!!  I present to you White Limo, bitches...