Rolling Stones - Staples Center

When: May 3, 2013

Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Accompanied By: Rosey G.

Genre: I know it's only Rock and Roll, but I like it
Surprise Guests: Gwen Stefani, Keith Urban

Setlist: I Can't Get No Satisfaction (performed by the UCLA Marching Band), Get Off of My Cloud, The Last Time, It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It), Paint in Black, Gimme Shelter, Wild Horses (w/ Gwen Stefani), Factory Girl, Emotional Rescue, Respectable (w/ Keith Urban), Doom and Gloom, One More Shot, Honky Tonk Women, Before They Make Me Run, Happy, Midnight Rambler, Miss You, Start Me Up, Tumbling Dice, Brown Sugar, Sympathy for the Devil

Encore:  You Can't Always Get What You Want, Jumpin Jack Flash, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Chevy Metal

When: April 27, 2013

Venue: Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, Tarzana

Accompanied By: Jane & Kathryn

Genre: Good ol' Rock n Roll

No clue of the setlist...but for sure it consisted of a number of hits from the 70s and 80s...complete with Van Halen and even the one time wonder hit "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. 

All in all a fun night with girlfriends. Consuming one too many vodka & sugar free red bulls and vague memories of french fries and pie.

Thankful for the opportunity to take a photo with Mick Murphy, who I think is the PERFECT addition to Chevy Metal. Awesomely animated on stage like a bad ass metal head.  

And then there's Taylor...as always, a super nice guy and took a moment before heading off for the night to pose with me. 

These are the types of memories that last a lifetime and I'm extremely thankful. I'm a lucky girl!

Depeche Mode at the Troubadour

When: April 26, 2013

Venue: The Troubadour, Hollywood

Accompanied By: Nic

Genre: New Wave, Alternative

Setlist: Angel, Higher, Walking In My Shoes, Barrel of a Gun, Heaven, But Not Tonight, Personal Jesus, Soft Touch, Soothe, Enjoy

Two weeks before this show, I was lucky enough to win tickets for one of the upcoming Fall Depeche Mode shows from my favorite radio station, KROQ. Oh, and not just any tickets, but THIRD row tickets!! I thought there's no way I'll ever get any closer than that to see one of greatest bands of my youth...but I was wrong. KROQ announced that same week of the show that they would be giving away tickets for an evening with Depeche Mode at the mother freakin' Troubadour!!

I won't divulge any secrets as to how we scored tickets to this show, but thanks to Nic and her intense desire to be there, we made it happen. And better still, once we arrived, we managed to secure a spot close enough to the stage that Dave Gahan was within reaching distance during some moments of the evening. I was prepared...I had my Canon S120 and extra batteries. I was ready to go. And then BAM, just when I took out the camera to figure out the best settings, I was hit with the realization that I forgot the freakin' memory card. Ultimate Fail.

Regardless of my oversight, Depeche Mode proceeded to amaze. And has left me even more excited knowing that I will get to see them from the 3rd row in September. This time, I won't forget the memory card!!

Blog Review by The Jet Set Family

Photo Gallery by KROQ

Jimmy Eat World Record Store Day Performance

When: April 20, 2013

Venue: Fingerprints Records, Long Beach

Accompanied By: Solo, but met up with Tiffany B., Lisa K., Jazz & Mark

Genre: Alternative Rock

Setlist: I Will Steal You Back, Big Casino, Work, Damage, Heart is Hard to Find, Hear You Me, Lucky Denver Mint, The Middle

The last time I was at Fingerprints for Record Store Day was when Foo Fighters were performing. When I heard that Jimmy Eat World would be there this year for RSD, I knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Fingerprints never disappoints. Add this to one of the many reasons why I love living in Long Beach.

Blog Review by Live Rock Gig (w/ videos)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2013

When: April 18, 2013

Venue: Nokia Theater Live, Los Angeles

Accompanied By: Solo, but met up with Susan, Jill M., Lisa D. and PJL

Genre: Progressive Rock

Setlist: I Love LA (Randy Newman, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and John Fogerty), I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman), I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It) (Randy Newman, Don Henley); So Far Away (Carole King); Oh, Pretty Woman (Can't Make You Love Me) (Albert King cover by Gary Clarke, Jr.), Born Under a Bad Sign (Albert King cover by Gary Clark, Jr., John Mayer, and Booker T); Rock with You (Michael Jackson cover by Usher); Bad Girls (Donna Summer cover by Jennifer Hudson), Last Dance (Donna Summer cover by Jennifer Hudson); Bring the Noise (Public Enemy), 911 Is a Joke (Public Enemy), Fight the Power (Public Enemy); Crazy On You (Heart), Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Baracuda (Heart w/ Chris Cornell, Mike McCready, Jerry Cantrell); 2112 Overture (Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nick Raskulinecz & Rush), Tom Sawyer (Rush), The Spirit of the Radio (Rush)

Encore: Crossroads (Cream cover) performed by everyone 

Review: Excellent recap of the evening by PJL

This, out of everything in my life, is one of the Top 10 Most Amazing events I've ever had the opportunity to experience.  Words really can't describe what this day/night was like for me. In many ways, this is my "full circle" moment. Where my life was before Rush and what has taken place from the second their music touched my heart ALL those years ago...well, it's been an interesting ride, to say the least. And the fact that it would be Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins inducting our boys into the Hall of Fame, it was too perfect to pass up. Add all that to the ceremony being held in Los Angeles, and damned if I was going to miss it.

Thanks to PJL for turning me onto Rush nearly 30 years ago...I still remember listening to Moving Windows over and over again on my bright yellow Sony Sportsman Walkman.  That album got me through a lot of angsty teen moments and also provided one of the many soundtracks to falling in love for the first time.

So, here we were at Nokia Theater Live for an evening that consisted of: Randy Newman, Tom Petty, John Fogerty, Jackson Brown, Don Henley, Lou Adler, Cheech & Chong, Carole King, John Mayer & Gary Clarke Jr.  (paid tribute to Albert King), Jennifer Hudson (paid tribute to Donna Summer), Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Harry Belafonte, Public Enemy, Chris Cornell, Heart, Jerry Cantrell, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and RUSH!! (I'm sure I'm forgetting quite a few other names).  

Granted, the reason I was there was primarily for Rush...however, the entire night touched upon various moments and memories of my youth. This night provided nearly five hours with "the artists who have formed the soundtrack to our lives." ~Jann Wenner

Video highlights from the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held in Los Angeles on April 18. Clip includes performances by inductees Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Heart and Rush. 

Q&A with Getty Lee & Alex Lifeson - Beyond The Lighted Stage

When: April 16, 2013

Venue: Archlight Theaters, Hollywood

Accompanied By: Jill M. & Gary

Genre: Q&A Session with Getty Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush hosted by Jim Ladd, followed by a showing of Beyond the Lighted Stage documentary and further Q&A with the directors, Sam Dunn & Scot McFadyen

Thanks to Jill for hooking me up with this AMAZING opportunity. The evening began with a Q&A session hosted by Jim Ladd with Getty Lee & Alex Lifeson. Immediately following the Q&A, we watched the documentary, Beyond the Lighted Stage, which I had only seen bits and pieces of before. What an awesome movie and to see it on the big screen was exceptional. Afterward, there was an additional Q&A with the directors, Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyn.

KROQ April Foolishness 2013

When: April 6, 2013

Venue: Gibson Amphitheater, Los Angeles

Accompanied By: Steph

Genre: Comedy

Line Up: Jay Mohr, Bill Burr, Doug Benson, Rob Delaney, Ari Shaffir, and Brad Williams

An evening of funny thanks to The World Famous KROQ and hosted by my favorite morning show, Kevin & Bean.  Can't say that any one moment of this even stood out in my mind, but the night as a whole was entertaining. Brad Williams killed it and makes his "disability" work for him in every funny way possible. 

Shortly after we attended this show, the news came out that Gibson Amphitheater will shut down at the end of the year. While the location was a bit of a drive, this really was one of my favorite venues. Never a bad seat in the house and despite occasional sound issues, it was just a fun place to see a show.  I'm sad to see it go.