Petty Fest 2009

If you know me at all, you can imagine my reaction when I discovered that the Bowery Ballroom would be holding an event called Petty Fest.

I put it on my calendar, recruited a sidekick and bought tickets two months in advance.

This week the day of the much-anticipated Petty Fest finally arrived. And I went. And it was good.

Kheaven agreed to attend to make sure that I didn't get out of control. I even threatened him into smiling for a picture instead of trying to look stoic and cool.


And here is a little bit of Petty Fest, from me to you...

And I WON'T BACK DOWN, No I won't... back... down.

Yes, I'm 14

Tragic Kingdom is the first album I ever bought. So when Roommate Sarah asked if I wanted to go with her to see No Doubt in concert at Jones Beach, I hesitated only for a second. Because hey, they were my favorite band when I was 14. But then again, they were my favorite band when I was 14.

So you see my dilemma.

We had to take a subway, a train and a bus to get to the amphitheatre.. but it was SO very cool that I didn't really mind.

Check this out, the stage is actually IN the water...

So Paramore opened the show, which added to my nostalgic adolescent trip. And the Gwen and the boys did their thing. It was fun. Of course I had forgotten how many great songs No Doubt has. They have been really quite successful over the years.

What I really fell in love with, though, was the venue.

Concert + Beach = Awesome

I'm with the band

Randy has been talking about his album release show since we met last fall, so this was one show that I was not going to miss. Besides, how many times in your life do you actually get to say, "I'm with the band."

Not many.

Of course I have the album and I know all the songs. But it was such a kick to see him perform live with his whole band and do all original work. Not to meniton that they were performing at the Bitter End, legendary for launching careers of some of music's greatest talents.







Congratulations Randy. Great show, great music. Best of luck on your summer tour.

I love the 80's, Part 2

Going to see Tainted Love at B.B. Kings is quite possibly the most fun I've ever had. Twice.

Tainted Love is of course the 80's tribute band out of San Francisco that we saw back in September. And I've been checking the performance schedule on their website regularly, hoping they would come back. And they did!

This time I invited, basically everyone I know, only to have them sell out half an hour before the show, meaning that most of the friends that showed up, didn't get in. BUMMER. Not wanting to be left to the mercy of the bouncers on a busy night, however, I had picked up my ticket the night before... and the few of us that did get in were not disappointed.

Their set list is loooooooooong. They play for over two hours straight...


Their guitar player rocks...


The guys in the band...


We were right up against the stage, where people were leaving their drinks on the tape that said "No drinks." Apparently illiteracy is a side effect of drunkenness?


THIS guy, I remember from last time we saw Tainted Love. He's a true fan. He even flew out the San Francisco to see them perform on New Years. Dedicated. He looks a little crazy here, but he's actually a nice guy. He gets like this when they play Journey.


Kevin made it in...


Amy did too. Isn't she too cute for words?


Outside afterwords... Dirty (because of the girl behind me that spilled her drink on me - there is nothing quite as disgusting as having beer in your hair), exhausted (this was about 2:30 am), and happy...

They even played my favorite song...

Street Music

Have I yet mentioned how cool it is to find so many talented people performing in the parks and streets of New York?

On any given day, but Saturdays in particular, you'll come across singers, dancers and a variety of musicians on the corners, in the subways and in the middle of the squares. Some play for money, and some play just because they love it.

Let me clarify, before I move on, that not ALL street performers in New York are talented. In fact, some of them are downright creepy. However, the majority are enjoyable, and so as collective group, I salute them.

I've seen a flock of bongo players in the Grand Central subway station:

I've also seen an old rock n' roll guy riffing on the electric guitar on a subway platform. This weekend I heard a man playing Frank Sinatra songs on his trumpet on the corner of Broadway and 76th. Yesterday I saw a man and a woman playing an acoustic guitar and a metal wash board in Washington Square Park.

But my favorite performance that I've stumbled upon were the a capella singers in SoHo, but I'll let them speak for themselves:

See what I mean?