Pearl Jam Night #1

When: Saturday, November 23, 2013
Where: Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles
Accompanied by: Lisa, Dion, & Tiffany
Genre: Rock/Alternative

Set List: Pendulum, Release, Long Road, Corduroy, Lightening Bolt, Mind Your Manners, Why Go, Dissident, Getaway, Got Some, Garden, Do The Evolution, I Got Id, Sirens, State of Love and Trust, Jeremy, Leatherman, Eruption, Spin the Black Circle, Rearviewmirror, Yellow Moon, Footsteps, All or None, Come Back, I Believe in Miracles, Given to Fly, Once, Porch, Unthought Known, Black, Alive, Baba O'Riley, Indifference

The LA Sports Arena opened in 1959 and I don't think they've done much to upgrade it over the years, so why PJ chose this venue over Staples is beyond me. I'm guessing it had to do with timing of the tour and the Lakers and/or Clippers schedule, but regardless, they were here in LA and I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to catch at least one of their two nights.  Granted, I ended up with a stage left seat, ALL the way at the top, smack dab against the wall, but even with being so far away, I had no doubt that it was going to be an amazing night.

The evening started off with a somewhat ruffled Eddie.  It appeared that a fan down in the GA floor area was trying to get to the front by any means necessary and Eddie knows all too well that the fans at the rail had been lined up from before the crack of dawn. The culprit was called out and told to watch the show from somewhere else. Thanks, Ed. You're aces!!

Photo by Brian Michaels

Beyond that, the show went on with a 30+ song set list. Just when some people thought it was over, BAM, another song. No complaints here. Since I was only able to catch one of the two nights in LA, I have been happy with a dozen encores, but thrilled to get what I got. And what I got was a lot. A lot of love, happiness, and warm fuzzies. And while I may have been a million miles away from the stage, the music embraced me as if I was right there at the rail. That's what good music does. For that, I am thankful.

And yes, Eddie swung from the stage. 

Photo by Brian Michaels

NIN @ Staples Center

Sympathy Set List

When: Friday, November 8, 2013
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
Accompanied By: Anthony, Daylin, Will & Judith
Genre: Industrial Rock & Deliciousness

Where do I begin? What words could possibly describe this evenings events? Brilliant. Fantastic. Amazing. and as I stated before when describing the 9/3/13 show, life changing. If I thought I wouldn't end up being served divorce papers, I'd be on my way to Vegas later this week for more. But the reality is, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to top my first and only three NIN experiences. But I certainly would like to try. And I will. Again. Someday. Just not this week.

Thank you KROQ!!

To back it up a bit...I was lucky enough to win tickets to this show many months back, courtesy of KROQ. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when the tickets were made available for pick up that I discovered they were GA floor tickets. I had assumed they would be seats, and I was prepared to saunter into the show shortly before starting time to get comfortable. But with GA floor, I thought, why not take advantage and get there early to be up close and personal. However, I discovered that those fans who had purchased tickets through the NIN presale would be allowed a priority line up, and that cancelled out my great plan. And then BAM, I was presented an opportunity. And everything was right as rain, thanks to my friend, Anthony. 

# 5, #6, #7, #8 & #9

So, Friday morning arrived and Anthony made his way to Staples early enough to claim spot #6. Being the nice guy that he is, he told me that it would be okay if I met up with him later that morning, which allowed me to sleep in a little and miss morning traffic. I got to Staples around 10:30 and prepared for the "hurry up and wait" routine. Over the course of the next few hours, I met Daylin #5 (New York), Will #8 (Toronto) & Judith #9 (UK).  As you can see, we were very excited about our wristbands.  One, because we had single digit numbers and two, because now it meant we could run over to The Yardhouse for cocktails and food.  It was on and we were good to go! 

I've never experienced a more organized event. The wrist bands actually meant something. By 5:45pm, everyone was lined up in order, according to number. We were escorted down to the floor area and instructed to slowly and safely make our way to the front. There was no running, bum rushing, pushing, shoving, etc. Center right rail was ours and we were happy. And then it was back to more waiting. And watching the droves of people fill the venue.  Highlight of the waiting game was Josh Eustis walking past us and obliging us with smiles and waves.

Explosions in the Sky opened with a 30-45 minute set. it wasn't bad. It just wasn't good. Completely instrumental, which is fine and well, but there wasn't any semblance of when one song ended and one began. Either way, I was happy when they exited the stage and would be happy to never see them open for anyone again. That's all I've got to say about that.

And then it was time. As the crowd surged forward, I knew it was going to be a wild ride and holding on tight was all I could do. Any space that existed from body to body to body became no longer, and the story that we were fed at Bridge School a few weekends back came to mind about rocks and pebbles and sand.  But there was something comforting with having that sacred rail to hold on to and that all those hours of waiting had paid off.

The next 2+ hours was hot, sweaty and magnificent. I can't say there was one particular favorite moment...however, having hundreds of people pushing forward while screaming the lyrics to Wish is definitely something I will never forget.  Every now and again, Anthony would ask if I was okay. I just looked up (way up, dude is 6'5"), smiled and nodded. I was beyond okay. I was in heaven. Although, when all was said and done I felt like I should be lighting a cigarette and getting the name of the guy behind me.

It turned out, the evening was set up to be filmed so hopefully somewhere down the line I'll be able to view this entire show over and over again from the comfort of my couch.

Random photos of filming (c) TaiDyed

As the encore approached, something happened that pretty much made this experience come full circle. From the hours upon hours of waiting in line, to securing a spot on the rail, and being in the pit of a Nine Inch Fucking Nails concert, the night became complete with a random foot hitting me squarely across my face and nose. Yup, not necessarily my idea of a good ending, but at the same time, once my eyes finished tearing up, I found the irony and humor. And the best part about this accidental randomness was that the head security guy, after making sure I wasn't hurt, came up to me later and placed a folded up set list into my hand. Which then made the tears start all over again, but in a good way.

So there we have it. My first and only three experiences with NIN. Two Vegas shows are right around the corner and I've tried to figure out a way to make it happen, knowing that it's absolutely impossible. But as is with any addiction, I'm obsessed with wanting more...

Robin Finck - Trent Reznor

NIN @ Staples 11/8/13

Tension 2013

NIN Treasures 2013

NIN @ Jimmy Kimmel Live

When: Thursday, November 7, 2013
Venue: Jimmy Kimmel, Hollywood CA
Accompanied by: Cassandra
Genre: Industrial Rock

Set List: Various Methods of Escape, All Time Low, Sanctified, Came Back Haunted, Hand That Feeds

Thanks to a very special NIN-obsessed friend, I was given a heads up about the announcement of their television debut on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Now, as is with all Kimmel shows, the tickets are free, but you have to request them through 1Iota. Easy enough, but realistically, knowing this show was going to "sell out" fast, I had to get on it quick. The downside is that I was in a car on I5 making my way back home from the Bay Area after a weekend of Bridge School Benefit (yeah, I know, #firstworldproblems, right?). Luck was on my side and two priority tickets were reserved in my name. Yeah!! Life is good.

Tai & Cass

So happy to have been able to share this event with my sweet friend, Cassandra. I've known her since she was 17 and now she is 22 (which makes me....never mind). One of the last times we hung out was for a Kimmel show to see Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders, which seems like forever ago. It was a last minute "are you available" conversation, but it worked out just perfectly. 

Despite us being within the first 20 people in line (originally, we were much closer, but that's how it goes sometimes), getting to the rail was a bit of a clusterfuck. In the end it all worked out. Cass & I made it left rail, in front of Josh, which was a lovely place to be. A few other friends made it front center rail, which was all sorts of awesome, but when it became clear that we would be too many people back, we opted for the side. I honestly could not complain. I was happy.

NIN @ Kimmel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nineinchnails/10809866155/

NIN on Kimmel 11/7/13 (c) TaiDyed

Was it worth standing around for nearly 7 hours to hear five songs? Absofreakinlutely. This was the appetizer before the Staples main course and I sure as fuck did not want to miss it. After having seen this band for the first time back in September at The (mother effin') Troubadour, the idea of being anywhere other than rail for future shows will forever haunt me.

Bridge School Benefit Weekend

When: Saturday, October 26 & Sunday, October 27, 2013
Venue: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View CA
Accompanied By: Lisa, Tiffany, Sarah, Cosmo, Debbie
Genre: Rock, Folk, Acoustic, Jazz - a plethora of music




Man, what a weekend. Too much fun to put into words. Let's just say it was worth the long ass drive (thanks Tiff for driving) and lack of sleep!!  Tiff, Lisa and I hit the road Friday night, arriving in Sunnyvale shortly before 2am. Sarah had flown in a few hours earlier and was relaxing upon our arrival. Got up somewhat early Saturday morning to make enough time to get in a little cardio (that was the only day I managed that feat) and grabbed a quick bite at the hotels gratis breakfast buffet. 

For Day #1, with a 5pm start time, the goal was to head to Shoreline Amphitheater by 1pm. We hit up the bagel shop and market for a few last minute snacks and were on our way. Thanks to Sarah, we had "fast pass" tickets that allowed us to line up in a shorter area giving us the advantage in securing a spot on the lawn rail. It worked flawlessly. 

Day #2 was a bit of an earlier start. The show was set to begin at 2pm, so we hit the road a little after 11am. Oddly, the lawn Nazis were out in full force and gave our group a hassle for trying to set up enough space for the rest of our peeps who would be meeting up with us momentarily. We stood our ground, but not without getting a speech about a jar filled with rocks and pebbles and that the sand would soon be trickling in, filling up the cracks and grooves.Whatever. We had our spot and we were golden.

The weather was perfect, the people were perfect, the spot on the lawn was perfect. Everything about these two days pretty much ranks up there with all of my favorite things. Looking down on the seating area of Shoreline, which was my home away from home when I lived in the Bay Area in the 80s, I recalled many of the shows from my past. And how much smaller the venue appeared to me now, as an adult. Back then, the lawn seemed so far away, and now, it was the perfect place to be.

No complaints at all about any of the acts on the bill. I'd say my least favorite of the weekend was My Morning Jacket. Can't say exactly why, but they just didn't do it for me. Jenny Lewis was pleasant, as was Diana Krall. 

I was surprised that Heart didn't have a higher placement in the lineup, but regardless, they kicked ass!!  Their version of Zeppelin's The Rain Song pretty much brought me to tears. 

The band fun. were exactly that... fun!! I absolutely loved their version of The Stones You Can't Always Get What You Want, which they did Saturday. And then on Sunday, they covered Queen's Somebody to Love.

Elvis Costello hit the stage for the latter part of his wife's set and finished up with a with a Hollies cover of King Midas in Reverse with Graham Nash. 

Jack Johnson was a Saturday only act, as was Arcade Fire and both sounded spectacular. Jack Johnson is as nice to look at as he is to listen to. Arcade Fire took up the majority of the stage with as many various instruments as there were people in the band. They debuted a song titled "I Dreamed a Neil Young Song" while Neil joined them on stage. 

It turns out that it's been 5+ years since Tom Waits has performed, so the number of people there to see him on Sunday was enormous. After he finished his set, I could understand why. With his extremely distinctive voice and Les Claypool rocking the upright bass, it was 45 minutes of enjoyment to my ears. Plus he was just a funny guy. 

QOTSA, my reason for being at Bridge this year, did not disappoint. With a semi acoustic set, the boys were dressed to impress and managed to dazzle the entire crowd. Two days of this was simply not enough.  Josh managed to keep the cussing to a minimum, with the exception of Sunday night when he expressed his joy of seeing Tom Waits perform. While both days were spectacular, I'd have to say that Sunday was slightly more perfect with My God is the Sun and The Vampyre of Time & Memory being added to the set list.

CSN&Y - the only disappointing part of this was it was EXACTLY the same set list for both nights, right down to the narrative in between songs.  But it didn't matter. They sounded amazing and I enjoyed both nights all the same.

Yet another memorable weekend to add to a most amazing year of shows!  And to think, 2 years ago when we bought our home, I thought that going to concerts would become a thing of the past...I am thrilled to have been so completely wrong.  Rock on!!!

Friends - Bridge 2013

Set Lists:

Jenny Lewis
Saturday: Head Under Water, Rise Up with Fists, You Can Out Run 'Em, Buffalo Springfield Again, Acid Tongue

Sunday: Run Devil Run, Rise Up with Fists, unknown, unknown, unknown, Silver Lining

Heart
Saturday: Even It Up, The Rain Song (Zeppelin), Nothing But Love, Rock Deep, Dear Old America, Crazy On You

Sunday: Even It Up, The Rain Song (Zeppelin), Nothing But Love, War Of Man (w/ Neil Young), Dear Old America, Crazy On You

fun.
Saturday: Carry On, Some Nights, The Gambler, We Are Young, You Can't Always Get What You Want (Stones)

Sunday: Some Nights, Carry On, The Gambler, Somebody to Love (Queen), We Are Young

Diana Krall
Saturday: There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears, We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye, A Man Needs a Maid, Sulphur to Sugarcane (w/ Elvis, Wall Flower (Bob Dylan; w/ Elvis)

Sunday: On the Sunny Side of the Street, Simple Twist of Fate (Bob Dylan) I'm Gonna Sit Down and Write Myself a Letter, A Man Needs a Maid, Let It Rain, Sulphur to Sugarcane (w/ Elvis), Wallflower (Bob Dylan; w/ Elvis), Salt of My Tears

Elvis Costello
Saturday: (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, New Amsterdam/You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, A Slow Drag w/ Josephine, Jimmie Standing in the Rain, Brother Can You Spare a Dime, Alison, King Midas in Reverse (w/ Graham Nash)

Sunday: Radio Sweetheart/Jackie Wilson Said, Tripwire/(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love & Understanding, A Slow Drag w/ Josephine, Brilliant Mistake, Love Field, Blame It On Cain, King Midas in Reverse (w/ Graham Nash)

My Morning Jacket
Saturday: Circuital, Pastures of Plenty, Victory Dance, Harvest Moon (w/ Neil Young), I'm Amazed

Sunday: Wonderful (The Way I Feel), Welcome Home, The Way That He Sings, Gideon, Golden, Harvest Moon (w/Neil Young), Oh! Sweet Nothing (w/ Neil Young, Elvis Costello, & Jenny Lewis)

Arcade Fire (Saturday Only)
Saturday: The Suburbs, Relektor, Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice), Normal Person, I Dreamed a Neil Young Song (w/ Neil Young), Wake Up

Jack Johnson (Saturday Only)
Saturday: Good People, Sitting Waiting, Wishing/Just What I Needed, Home, Better Together, Tape Deck, Banana Pancakes, Mudfootball, Out On The Weekend (w/ Neil Young)

Tom Waits (Sunday Only) 
This set featured Les Claypool on the upright bass, David Hidalgo on guitar & accordian
Sunday: Raised Right Men, Singapore, Talking at the Same Time, Chicago, Lucky Day, Tom Traubert's Blues, Lucinda/Ain't Going Down, Last Leaf, Cemetery Polka, Come On Up to the House

Queens of the Stone Age
Saturday: Long Slow Goodbye, Make It Witchu, I Sat By the Ocean, ...Like Clockwork, Kalopsia, Go With The Flow

Sunday: Long Slow Goodbye, Kalopsia, My God is the Sun, The Vampyre of Time & Memory, Make It Witchu, Burn the Witch, Go With The Flow

Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Saturday & Sunday: Just A Song Before I Go, Human Highway, Don't Want Lies, Singer Without A Song, What Are The Names, Deja Vu, Long May You Run, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Teach Your Children (w/ everyone)

A Few Pix from Bridge 2013 - Courtesy Debbie Flaska