Yet again I've caught the opening night run of Widespread Panic at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The band has returned for their third consecutive year for another 3-night stand in this venerable establishment.

Lats night marks the 60th Widespread Panic show I've attended according to my records. After 12 years I think I've counted all of their gigs I've seen to date! Normally I count my ticket stubs, but I've lost track of where some of those may be so have them penciled into a notebook.

Anyway, last night was a fantastic night, but I still feel that they could have turned up a few more notches. I had the feeling they were a bit subdued and noticed a couple of miscues. None the less I think they''ll round out the rest of the weekend very well. It's a shame that I'll miss tonight's show, but I'll be with genevieve_l  celebrating her 24th birthday. Which is actually tomorrow, but her party is tonight.

However, I will be returning to the Orpheum on Sunday for the final night of Panic. Which I look most forward to!

Here's the set list to last night's show:

Concert time in Anaheim at the HoB!
On my way to pick up genevieve_l in Pasadena now!

My last concert for 2008 will be to see Palo Alto's The Donnas and Los Angeles' RATT for a special Invasion of your Holiday concert at the Anaheim House of Blues! I would see them tonight in Hollywood too, but ya'know...money and extra driving crap.

So like, if you have nuthin' to do and the cash to spare go rock 'n' roll tomorrow night!



Crazy bunnies in that video!

I forgot to write up about seeing Café Tacuba at the Ventura Theatre on November 15th.

I initially planned to have my ticket to the show long, long before the show. However, seeing as I had many other things on my plate before that I neglected to budget accordingly. The $45 price tag kept me from getting the ticket that day since I was about to fly to Chicago 5 days later for MFF.

So when I stated this to my friend Scott he insisted I attend and that he'd have my ticket paid for so that I could go. His reasoning was because I treated him to Café Tacuba for the first time a couple years ago. Hardly seems that long. It might have been less than 2 years back. Anyway, he bought my ticket. All the while reasoning that if I had not introduced him to the band that he would never have discovered them.

The concert was awesome and I loved the song selection. There were songs I wish I could have heard, but then I had heard them do those songs from times before and they did play several of my other favorites. So through it all I loved the vibes and enthusiasm as well as the energy they put forth that evening. It was definitely one of the best shows I have seen them do thus far.

Anyway, here's the setlist. It's missing Pinche Juan in the encore, which was a whopping 9 songs aside from that!

Café Tacuba
Saturday, November 15
Ventura Theatre, Ventura, CA

Seguir Siendo->
Tengo Todo
Alármala de Tos
Vámomos
Eo
Cero Y Uno
La Locomotora
Las Flores
53100
Mediodía
Trópico de Cáncer
Esta Vez
Cierto O Falso
Volver A Comenzar
La Ingrata
Chilanga Banda
El Fin de la Infancia
La Chica Banda
Déjate Caer

Eres
El Baile Y el Salón
De Acuerdo
Quiero Ver
No Controles
La Pinta
María
Cómo Te Extraño Mi Amor
Y Es Que...

Café Tacuba won a Latin Grammy for Best Rock Song for Este Vez and also Best Alternative Song for Volver A Comenzar.

Last night's concert was simply awesome. I forgot my iPhone in my car so no photos. :( However, I did write down the set list on genevieve_l's Nokia as a back up. They played basically the same songs as they did back on June 22nd in Ventura in a little bit of a different order with one different song which was Paso El Tiempo instead of Soñar.

Now about Club Nokia. That was my first time seeing a show there and I must say that it's a very nice club to see shows at. It seriously has a lot of general admission floor space on three tiers with a balcony above which has both general admission and reserved seating. I never got to check out the balcony though.

They only have one bar on the floor section which takes up the entire back wall of the place. Several bartenders on hand so waiting isn't very long for a drink which is a plus. For the smokers there's a small patio to the side of the bar where you can look down at the people walking on the sidewalk and drive by on the street. Across the street is the Holiday Inn which is handy to note in the event I would want to get a room and stay the night for any future shows and not have to drive home.

My only gripe is parking. There's a large number of lots to park at in the area, but finding one that won't rape you for $20-$25 is a pain. I managed to find a parking garage a couple blocks away for $15 for stacked parking.

Finding parking was a crap shoot at that hour since there were several people going to the L.A. Convention Center for Adultcon and Ski Dazzle: The Los Angeles Ski Show and Snowboard Expo. John Mayer was also playing a sold out concert at the Nokia Theatre across from the Club Nokia where Belanova played their sold out club show. The Conga Room is located on the lower level of Club Nokia which also has a Lucky Strike bowling alley on the second floor. So the place was packed with people and parking was a bit hard to come by quickly and cheaply.

Traffic was plain awful on the 101 from Ventura to the 134 into Pasadena (bumper to bumper). Also the Rose Bowl hosted the UCLA vs. USC which snarled local traffic on Colorado Blvd. where I had to pick up genevieve_l. From there it was a bitch driving down the Arroyo Parkway to the 110 to the 5 which was backed up as well. Once I hit the 5 it was smooth sailing to Alameda and then to Olympic.

The only thing that hurt was $134 bar tab! The drinks were good though. I had one Sierra Nevada, 2 Pacificos, one Rockstar Pomegranate and vodka and 2 Belvedere's and cranberry. genevieve_l had just as much, but screwdrivers mostly, Jack & Coke and a Pom Rockstar and vodka also, plus some free drink that some other gal didn't want after she bought it.

After the show I was hungry as was my son Jay and of course genevieve_l. So we originally going to hit up Toi for Thai, but I had to hit the restroom so bad we stopped off at Tommy Burger for some yummy foods. I simply ordered chili cheese fries which was perfect for me at the time. No soft drink since they only sell Pepsi products which I utterly despise.

I managed to get genevieve_l home and Jay home before walking in the door at about half past 2am. I was beat and ready for bed by then. So for those that care here's the set list from last night's show.

Belanova
December 6, 2008
Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA

Rosa Pastel
Cada Que...
Bye Bye
Niño
Toma Mi Mano
Tus Ojos
Paso El Tiempo
Escena Final
Eres Tu
Me Pregunto
Miedo
Por Tí
Y Aún Así Te Vas
Baila Mi Corazón

Rock Star
1, 2, 3, Go!

Here's a lil'
Belanova video just for fun. It's an oldie, but a goodie. :)



Belanova won this year's Latin Grammy in the Best Album by a vocal Pop Duo or Group category.

Fantastic night! Belanova was amazing. I <3 Denisse Guerrero! I regret traffic slowing me down so that I wasn't able to get the wristband privilege to hit the orchestra pit. Three hours in traffic bit the big one though. All that aside I loved every minute of it. $134 bar tab! Great bartender though, props to Vito! I wrote down a set list, but it's in genevieve_l's cell phone. :P

I'm goin' to bed.

Yay! It's almost time to see Belanova at Club Nokia in Los Angeles! I can't wait and of course I'm very excited. Denisse Guerrero is super pretty and sweet! swoon

I'll be going there with my teenage son and also my friend genevieve_l. Both of whom I pretty much turned on to the sounds of Belanova. I first heard them back in December last Christmas when I had gone on a cruise with my ex-wife and our two boys. We were in Puerto Vallarta at the time when I and my eldest boy walked into a Bubba Gump's by the playa because I wanted a quick cold beer. The song Baila Mi Corazón was playing over the sound system at the bar. I asked who they were because my son and I thought the music was quite cool. So upon being home I managed to pick up a couple of their CDs and have been loving them ever since. :)

Finally it's the weekend! I have a couple shows planned for this Saturday and Sunday. I would go out tonight, but I don't feel like driving to Los Angeles and back then finding and paying for parking just to attend a $10 show. Which sucks too because it's a fucking discount for concert ticket prices these days. No matter, I'll check out Alyssa Suede another time. Perhaps next week in Santa Barbara.

So for tomorrow I will be joining my long-time friend Scott to check out Café Tacuba at the Ventura Theatre. This will be my 6th time seeing them and third time in Ventura. I love this band! Hands down the best diversified band from Mexico City! <3 I can't wait and look very forward to the show.

On Sunday I will be going to see Vicente Fernandez for the very first time ever! I'm very excited about this concert mostly because this is like the Mexican folk singer I grew up listening to through my parents and aunts and uncles as a small child. Growing up in a Mexican family one gets to listen to a lot of mariachi music and Vicente Fernandez is one of the best singers of ranchera music ever.

Last year my folks went to see him play last time he was at the Gibson Amphitheatre for their first time and I was jealous that I couldn't go. This time it's just me going, but I have the best seat I could have scored for this. I have a front row, rail seat right behind the orchestra pit! Getting good tickets is not easy and this man has SOLD OUT NINE SHOWS at the Gibson Amphitheatre!!! It will be one of the best shows I will have seen in my life to date. This man is a Mexican folk music icon and I can finally get the chance to listen to him perform. :)

So last Sunday I went to Pomona to see the Foo Fighters and ZZ Top play at the annual Love Ride motorcycle fund raising event for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

It was hot as balls out in Pomona with the sun beaming down on us the whole damn time. I bought three $9 20oz. beers to quench my thirst though. Was a great show too regardless. Next time I will bring a 6-pack in a cooler to drink in the parking lot before going into the event. Also, I need to remember to bring the sunscreen and a different hat other than a baseball cap! Shit, I have three western hats I could have taken instead that would have better shaded my head.

Anyway, I love the Foo Fighters and always enjoy seeing them when I can. It's been a while since I saw 'em last and I don't count the concert I saw last year with them opening up for The Police at Dodger Stadium. That show I would have enjoyed more if I had been able to get better tickets. Where I sat it sounded like crap the whole concert. This is the main reason why I won't go see Madonna play there November 6th since all the shitty seats are the only ones available.

ZZ Top is cool too and I thought this show was much more fun than the one I caught last year at the Chumash Casino. For a bunch of old guys that look like someone's redneck grandfathers they are still pretty damn cool to listen to and see live.

I have to thank my Chilean friend Marcelo for inviting me to go with him as I had planned to, but then let it go until he phoned me up a few days before the concert to tag along with him. Thanks man!

( Set lists )

Cross-posted from my FA page.

Okay, so like last month on the 29th I went to see Judas Priest with Motörhead with Testament.

( Details and set list. )</div>

Yup, I'm still alive and kicking. I just haven't sat myself down to actually compel myself to make a legitimate post. So guess what? You're stuck with this frivilous post! Bwahahahahaha!!!

All dopeyness aside yes I am home and have been since late Friday night last week from my trip to the Washington DC area. I spent a great deal of time with my friend Furlop and also with my special furiend Chero. I also took a trip up to visit with another Deadhead friend in Philly and we went to see an Allman Brothers and Ratdog show in nearby Camden with a bunch of other DeadNet Central friends. While in Philly I managed to catch a Dodgers vs. Phillies game. While visiting with Furlop I took in a Yankees vs. Orioles game and a Dodgers vs. Nationals game. Last Ssaturday I also saw Judas Priest. More details later though. Lunch will be here soon and I has SUSHI!!!

I can't believe I'm going to miss Buckethead because I'm going to be in Chicago for Midwest FurFest. :(

So last week I had gone to the County Fair twice. I didn't bother with the games, rides, vendors or deal with stupid carnies. I did go for the music. I already mentioned in a previous journal entry that I had gone to see the Beach Boys which was fun and entertaining. Just happy 'feel good' music. They drew a huge crowd of course.

On Friday last week I was iffy about going to the fair, but it didn't take that much encouragement from my friend to convince me to go again. Plus, I wanted to buy a new knit cap I saw at the reggae vendor. If you have seen my old beige knit cap you'll know what it looks like. I bought it in brown this time. :)

Right, so I get some terriyaki on a stick and a $7 beer, yes. It was Lite beer from Miller. Beggers can't be choosers. After eating we head into the grandstands to settle down and watch Tower of Power! These guys are from Oakland and waaaaay funky. They were fantastic and played a very good set. I enjoy another beer and take a look at the crowd around me as I sip. It looked like I was in the middle of a Lowrider car convention, biker festival slash Dodger game. There were herds of homies, bikers and folks sporting LA Dodgers gear. I guess this is what a typical crowd for the band War looks like. I was wearing my Dodgers cap and Ramirez emblazoned Dodgers shirt. (I also later put on my hoodie which is black and has the graffitti tagger cougar on the back from Rocky Mountain FurCon.)

This place was jumping during Tower of Power and when War came on they were still jumping. Lots of beer was flowing and the lines for them were always long and they were running out of beer by the end of the show! Hardly anyone was crowding the beer lines at Monday's Beach Boys show, but at Tower of Power/War the lines never shrank! While I was waiting in line one time I was randomly groped on the ass by some strange chick! Unexpected. *squints* I was busy watching the Dodgers pitch-by-pitch on my iPhone at the time and didn't quite have a quick reaction time to it.

So yeah, when the show came close to the end the fireworks shot off again which was cool. We left after the show and I got my knit cap and we walked downtown to see what was happening since it was a Friday night. My dorky friend didn't even have his ID on him so we couldn't go into the clubs where all the chicks were heading into. What a slacker. I wanted more drinks so I hustled across the street to check out a place I had yet to check out called Rookies. Place was dark and not too crowded yet busy none the less.

So I walk over to the bar and squeeze in to order a drink. I requested a Corona and a shot...I didn't even know what shot I wanted when I said that. I just knew I needed a one. So when the bartender asks me what kind the first thing that came out of my mouth was "tequila." So he served me up a Patron Silver with my Corona. While I'm waiting the chick I squeezed next to to get to the bar turns to me and says, "So why don't you just tell me to get the fuck out of the way why don't you?" I barely gave her a sideways glance and was in misdentence repeating what she had just said to me before I realized it was my friend Michelle. I felt lame! I was about to snub her right off and then recognized her and we just laughed. It's been many months since I last saw her so it was a funny surprise.

Anyway, I felt rather fine after all the beers I had during the concert and the Corona and shot at the bar. It was time to bail and go home since my friend was still outside waiting on me. We took off down to the corner since another friend we were with who drove moved the car closer to us. As we get to the corner there's a dude that set up a couple of telescopes on the opposite corner so we check it out. He had the scopes pointed at Jupiter and three of its moons were visible at the time. That was random and cool to check out on the corner. After this I went home and it didn't take long for me to totally fall asleep about an hour after getting home. I awoke with a mild headache the next morning though. Oh well, it was fun!

Today is the 13th Anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death.

I remember this day pretty clearly when I heard the announcement on the radio that morning. I remember the feeling I felt after it sunk in. I was shocked and never felt such a feeling of loss for someone I hardly knew but loved very much. I still can't believe its been thirteen years since then. It's always been tough for me to listen to any music of his or that he contributed to since then. I still went to many more concerts performed by his former bandmates and the myriad of bands they appeared in or reforming of as a group together without him. None of them sounded the same and only made me think more of Jerry and would only evoke sadness within me rather than joy or promise of a new beginning. After a while I just quit seeing Grateful Dead related bands and music. I think the last one I saw was 5 years ago.

The friends I used to hang out with at those shows I saw less of too. I felt kind of bad by not keeping up with them. This upcoming trip to D.C. will have me taking a side trip up to Philly & Camden, NJ where I will see some of those friends from my Deadhead days and catch a show of the Allman Brothers with Ratdog which is Bob Weir's band since leaving the departed Grateful Dead. I can't remember the last time I saw Ratdog, but I've turned down going to their shows no matter if they were in Los Angeles an hour away or in Ventura 15 minutes away. So this will be something new again for me. It may feel like old times, but most importantly it will be a gathering of friends and being able to spend a day together to enjoy some good music collectively.

No, not that damn song from Portal "Alive."

I'm making an obligatory post to say that I am still alive even though my DSL is down at home. Phone company has to come to deal with that. Meanwhile, still waiting. Fucking lame waiting.

In other news, I saw the Beach Boys last night at the county fair. That was cool. Fun to watch, but not thrilling or as exciting as other musicians/artists I like to see. I mostly went for something to do, music to listen to and to check out the fireworks after the show before the fair closed. Plus, the short walk on the promenade was nice.

So the past weekend was really fun if you're a baseball fan. Especially a Dodgers Baseball fan. *grin* After watching the Dodgers lose the first game against the D'Backs on Thursday at the stadium and then watching them lose the second on television to fall back 3 games behind Arizona I was seriously vexed. It became increasingly important for the Dodgers to take the final two games in the series in order to remain one game behind the Diamondbacks.



So yeah, still alive. Still very much alive. :)

Okay here's what I did the past three days/nights. I'll place them behind the cut to save your Friends Pages. ;)

( WSP Friday )</div></div></div></div></div>

I think maybe I'll dye my coat black and start crossing everyone's path! *evil grin*

That aside, I had a splendid one beer lunch! I was craving it, I deserve it! Fuck yeah!
So like my tickets for the Pirates vs. Yankees game came in the mail today! Woot! I look forward to going to PNC Park for the first time. It looks gorgeous and has awesome skyline views of downtown Pittsburgh. I'll be getting a me a few souvenirs for my tiny baseball collection and some stuffs for a couple other friends. I only wish it was a Pirates vs. Dodgers game, but I would love to see the Pirates (who are playing better ball than the start of the season) play the Yankees (who have been not so hot this season still clinging to third place narrowly). It should be a close game to say the least since both have won the last 6 out of 10 games to this day.

Also in the mail in the past week or so I received my tix to see Judas Priest/Testament/Motörhead in San Bernadino. I have yet to decide who I should take though. My tix for Widespread Panic at The Orpheum in Los Angeles came in too! I only got the first two nights because I will be going to Belanova here in Ventura that Sunday. I'm going by myself to WSP because its always a crapshoot to get anyone to come along with me to that. I did it last year and they played phenominally! Why no one wishes to go to a WSP show is beyond me. :P Belanova will be fantastic and I think I may be in love with Denisse! She's got style, a lovely voice and super-damn cute and gorgeous to boot!

Happy April Fools' Day!

Here's something by Be Your Own Pet called 'Ouch.'



I'm looking forward to the upcoming Nylon Magazine Music Tour as it passes through the Anahiem House of Blues on May 8th. The tour will feature She Wants Revenge, Be Your Own Pet, The Virgins and the Switches.

Eep, its been two months to the date since my First and Only post! Terrible! I honestly will work harder at updating this on a much more timely manner. For those that may even have the slightest curiosity in reading my LJ, I apologize for my inability to scribe something down for two solid months. Now that this is out of the way here's a brief recap of my days between posts.