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...

Wild Foo Chase

Foo Fighters @ Spaceland 02/08/11

Foo Fighters w/ Scream

When: Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Venue: Spaceland, Silverlake/LA

Accompanied by: Colleen, Sarah, Steve K. & friends
Genre: Rock 

It all started with the "secret" gig at the end of January in Santa Barbara. Dave said "see you next week" and most everyone wanted to believe that was true. And there was no disappointment as a 2nd secret show popped up on Friday 1/4 at Dragonfly in LA. I already had plans that night and truth be told, I was just not feeling it. I convinced myself that the SB show was enough for me. THEN, word was out that another show would happen in the very near future...  and rumors flew left and right: Monday 1/7 The Roxy. But it spread like wildfire and people were lining up as early as morning time. The cat was out of the bag and I had to let the idea go of even trying to head out with hopes of getting a spot in line. Hell, there wasn't even any need for Dave to send out "FooClues" via Twitter, that is how sure folks were of the venue. Wanting to believe that there would be at least one more time to catch another show that might be less of a clusterfuck, I chose not venture off to The Roxy.

Luck was on my side and all ended up working out. Tuesday afternoon, I read that someone had passed by Spaceland in Silverlake and there was a truck there unloading equipment. Figured WTF, I packed up my desk at work and hit the road around 1:30p.  Within 40 minutes I was out front of this tiny venue and told by staff that we had to leave. They asked how it was that we knew to come to Spaceland and I told them much in thanks to this little diddy that came out bright and early on Monday 2/7. There were five of us there and we discovered that the wristbands for the show would not be distributed at Spaceland, that the location would be divulged via Twitter and would be within a 5 mile radius of where we were at. Ummmm, okay. This is when the chaos, fun and brainstorming began!!  BAM...Five cell phones chirped simultaneously - Twitter alert!!  

Between the group of us, we chose to stick together and pile into one car to see what we could come up with. Those who knew the LA area, plugged "pizza" into their smartphones and we were off.  The first spot that seemed feasible was a place called Two Boots, which is directly next to The Echo, which is directly tied to Spaceland. So that was our first stop. Two from our posse hopped out of the car to inquire on the situation, but the folks at Two Boots honestly seemed stumped. Because we were the first to roll by, there were no other people to interrogate for information, so we thought maybe this spot was too obvious. 


Back into the car and off to pizza place guess #2...which just seem the perfect fit and had to be it: Garage Pizza!! Come on, right? Album #7 was created in Dave's garage, so of course the clue had to be directing us to Garage Pizza!!  It seemed so fitting.  It was still early and we had time to kill, kinda sorta, so we bought a slice and chilled. The guy working the counter would not tell us one way or the other if we were in the right place, but was so insanely cryptic that I personally believed we had nailed it.  10 minutes, 20 minutes, nearly 30 minutes go by. Everyone is calling various contacts to see what could be found out when it happened!!  I got a call from a Foo connection who had driven all the way out from Nevada that morning telling me that the location was indeed Two Boots!!  Holy crap!!   By the time we bolted back, we ended up about 100+ back. It was dizzingly exciting and if it wasn't for being with an awesome group of people that I had pretty much just met, I probably would have been a basket case.

As we waited in line, still waiting on more clues as to what was going on...Twitter alert chirps are heard up and down the street...not just one, not two, not three...but SIX back to back "clues". All photos of the universe...Space!! Spaceland!! But then a 7th Tweet that made us all go "huh"?

"Okay you're listening to umm, Silverlake Pirate Radio, whatever, who cares....tonight at Echoplex umm, Foo Fighters are playing but I'm totally not going cuz they're total corporate sell out dicks and um I don't even care, so, whatever, forget everything I just said...who cares."  Listen Here.

Echoplex??  How is the show going to be at the Echoplex? All their gear is at Spaceland. We pondered it for a bit, but at the same time were just happy that we made it in time to get a wristband!! And then the "ha ha" moment came when as we were handed our wristband, we were also given a note "Psych. See you tonight at Spaceland...."  Oh, Dave. What a prankster you are!!

We made our way back to where we came from and to kill time grabbed a bit of Thai food, then wandered the streets for a bit. Really not too much to see or do in the Silverlake community - at least not in this particular area. But it was cool. We made do. Grabbed a cup of coffee at a little spot across the street from the venue. In walks Shifty. Easily exchanged hellos and pleasantries. I made a comment about how the band certainly found a way to put the secret back into secret show, and he honestly had no clue that there had been a switch-a-roo. Made me realize that the guys in the band really don't need to know what's going on other than where to be and what time. After we said goodbye, I slapped myself upside the head for not offering to buy his coffee order. I owed him from the Hotel Cafe gig he did a few month backs when promoting his Dead Peasants CD...not that he would remember, but he graciously gave me a CD because he wasn't able to break a twenty.


By 7:15 or so, we were allowed to line up in front of Spaceland. Doors were to open at 8p and Scream would be the opener. Wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but at this point just thrilled to be there!!  By the time we got inside, I pretty much lost track of time. Scream hit the stage and while they weren't my cup of tea, it wasn't the worst band I've ever seen. Personally, I would have preferred to see Mariachi el Bronx again...and in actuality, I've been listening to a CD my friend burned for me of their music and LOVE them!  But that wasn't the case tonight.


There isn't anything I can write about what came next that would even do it justice. Set list was: Bridge Burning, Rope, Dear Rosemary, White Limo, Arlandria, These Days, Back and Forth, Matter of Time, Miss the Misery, I should Have Known, Walk...All My Life, Times Like These, Enough Space, Generator, Up in Arms, Big Me, Cold Day in the Sun, Stacked Actors, I'll Stick Around, Learn to Fly, My Hero, Sine and Bones, Monkey Wrench, Hey Johnny Park, Everlong, Aurora, This is a Call.


Here's one review that I found online, for anyone who is looking for an actual review. I will certainly testify to the fact that it was sweaty as all hell in Spaceland that night! The energy was raw, as was the smell. I honestly don't know how those who chose to stand in front of the stage managed to hold out for the entire show. I've never thought of the Foos as a band to mosh to or crowd surf to, but this night was unlike the large venue shows I  had seen before. It was different from the December Paladino's show and even from the first 2011 secret gig in Santa Barbara. It was rough and as  long as I could stay to the sidelines, I liked it.


Nearly 3 hours later, the show ended. Wish I had had the strength to hang out inside the venue but I needed air! Spent a bit of time in front of Spaceland chatting up friends. Saw Kathy Griffin and Ron Jeremy...hell, even saw the "McLovin" kid from Superbad!! After cooling off and wondering how long the ringing in my ears was going to linger, I headed to my car and made my way home.


As I finally finish writing this up, a week has gone by. There had been more rumors of weekend shows. Speculation spreading like wildfire. Leaks via LA Weekly blogs that may or may not have effed things up. Or maybe the guys were burnt out. Add on top of all the madness of the Grammy's and it's anyones guess. But it was a dark weekend and no foo fun was to be found.


BUT...but...but...the Twitter taunts have begun as of tonight - Valentine's Day evening!!  And the boys are "feeling itchy again..." So it's back to one last final WILD FOO CHASE and I'm going to be ready. At least, I sure as hell hope so!

A few photos from Tuesday, 2/8/11- outside the venue. 
Miss Kathy Griffin
Mr. Ron "Hedgehog" Jeremy

Foo Fighters @Velvet Jones in SB 1/28/11

Foo Fighters w/ Mariachi el Bronx

When: Friday, January 28, 2011
Venue: Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara
Accompanied by: Kelly O.
Genre: Rock 


The buzz around town over the past week via Twitter was that the Foo Fighters were itching to perform their new album live in front of an audience. Heck, even The Bronx, who also perform as Mariachi el Bronx, were in on the fun, posting cryptic tweets indicating something big to happen on Friday. To be honest, I did not read between the lines - and completely believed that the only thing happening yesterday was going to be an announcement of a gig that would have everyone clamoring. Boy was I wrong!!  We all knew that we needed to be ready for some sort of surprise to be posted on Twitter, but not a clue as to when. Work being slow and me being bored out of my mind, I was glued to Twitter pretty much the entire morning. 


By lunch time, there was no word. Shortly after, a Tweet was posted asking "you guys ready". Um, yeah! Done been ready!!  And yet, we were back to waiting. 

About 3:00pm, I picked up a message from a friend that it might be in my best interest to head North towards Santa Barbara. I was hesitant because there had been no confirmation of any sort. That's about when the fun began with the "I spy" photos that were being posted by Dave Grohl tweets. By 3:30, I had picked up my partner in crime and we were northbound on the 405, making our way to the 101!!

As we fought the typical LA traffic, and so glad we could make use of the car pool lane, my copilot continuously check Twitter for new clues and messages. We knew without a doubt we were on the right track when we saw the photo of the Big Yellow House sign. And for sure there would be no turning back!  The excitement continued to set in! And the traffic tried its best to kill the mood. But we persevered!! After being on the road for a couple of hours, the creme de la resistance was posted and I felt my foot go heavy on the gas. 


There were moments when we discussed the possibility of getting there and not being able to get in. But we tried to not let those negative thoughts enter our minds. Besides, we had come this far so of course, we were going to get in. And then it happened. We couldn't have been more than 15 minutes away from the venue when we read this tweet 

What?! Are you serious?? I refuse to get upset over this. Santa Barbara is a beautiful town and there are plenty of restaurants...surely, we will make a night of it no matter what. But to be honest, my heart sunk a little. And then I thought about how much it would have sucked to be the person in line at the venue where the number was cut off...can you imagine his or her disappointment? So we just kept on going. And let me tell you, hot damn, I am glad we did!!

TWENTY SIX song set!! The new album, which has yet to be titled, was performed in its entirety and I got to hear it live!!  Hell yes! Don't expect a review here from me...that's not what I do. I leave that to the professionals - so if you want to read a great review of the evening, please read this awesome article from the amazing Johnny Firecloud. My opinion of the new album is this - you won't be disappointed. We will find no "Wheels" or "Word Forward" songs on this album. And as much as I love ESP&G, this album pretty much rawks all the way through from start to finish. 


As for The Bronx/Mariachi el Bronx - I had never seen them before, but was familiar with the Mariachi alter ego. Mi amiga is a big fan and this band was the reason she joined me on this venture. I have to say, they freakin' kicked ass and I definitely want to see them again. The downside is that we had to view MeB from outside because we didn't have the golden ticket/wristband. But the door was open and the sound was loud, so we caught a fairly decent show. And of course, we had their last CD playing on the drive up and back, so I got my fair share.


Overall, a memorable adventure. Of course, during the show, Dave eluded to more shows to follow soon by saying "see you next week". But that is speculation...or is it? All I know is I have my Twitter settings geared up to automatically text me when certain you-know-who's tweet and/or send me direct messages!! Next time, and there will be a next time, I plan on being within the first dozen in line and shall suffer no more mishaps!!


oh, and they allowed phones in to this venue...so you know what that means!? A lot of cell phone videos on youtube! Enjoy!