Concerts Galore!

I love music, probably more than a healthy amount. However I can't change and must embrace that fact. Recently I have had the chance to see some pretty awesome shows lately.

Of course Arcade Fire will never be topped, that was the most amazing show EVER.

Lately I have seen 3 pretty awesome show though

First was Blind Pilot at CalPoly on Oct 14th during UU hour. They are such a cute band from Portland that just bring joy to my life.

I LOVE this song!

Then this Thursday in the rain again during UU hour was Trevor Hall who brought so much joy and a whole hour of stress relief that I so greatly enjoyed.

I couldn't find a live video that I liked, so here is a song that I love

Friday I went to the grand re opening of SLO Brew (formerly Downtown Brew/DTB) with a concert by Still Time.

My Friend Dave's band Central Currency was the first opener, followed by a band that to be honest I can't remember the name of and it isn't on the website. But it started with a Z and they were from Sacramento! Also they had a rapper come up during their set and he was AMAZING.

Still Time as always rocked and they had 2 new songs that they premiered, the second was especially awesome.

here is a favorite song of mine:

Drowning Rat...

I'm a great drowning rat! School is killing me and I have literally given up everything just to keep up. I'm dying emotionally and physically though. I seem to have given up dance, food and sleep... basically every essential thing in my life. I've never had a nervous break down but I think last night was pretty damn close.

on top of more school work than any human could ever handle, I had a broken toilet, broken printer, and broken spirit. I miss dance and I miss real food not school food I buy because I literally live in the library now (no seriously they put down a cot with my name on it near Julian's coffee shop). The staff at Julians officially has my orders memorized all they as is chai or coffee, dirty or straight and how bad. that brings about only a few options:

how bad = medium or large

chai or coffee (chai latte or cafe au lait)

dirty or straight (added shot or not)

The people at Linnaea's my local cafe have also memorized me and my needs, wednesday after a breakdown I went and they guy gave me a mint brownie that I plan on marrying (no seriously it was the most amazing ever)

next week is hell part 2, pray for me to any and every god you can think of... I am

tonight however I will finish up a little work before Still Time's show at SLO Brew with Dave's band Central Currency opening and tomorrow 6 hours of rehearsal (YAY variable velocity!) then shower at school and head to the library (I know you're shocked!) for a meeting then who knows... probably more studying let's be honest.

also I think I'm growing an ulcer, I don't know if that's how it works but I feel like I'm having a coffee baby that will become an ulcer. good thing I don't smoke or my heart palpitations would possibly grow to make my heart actually explode from stress.

Just remember... SARAH LAWRENCE! SARAH LAWRENCE SARAH LAWRENCE...

Crazify your day

a friend posted this video on facebook and I thought it was BEYOND cool

here is the link to the HD version on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1664492411895&ref=mf

and here is the normal quality version:

How the Rain Soothes my Soul

It's been raining here in SLO for a couple days now and it makes me so happy. I know that sounds weird, but I love the rain it has always comforted me. I like to say the rain can wash away any problems or pain in my life. I've always loved the solace it brings, like a big fuzzy blanket from childhood.

I've been a little out of sorts and crazy in the head the last 2-3 weeks and I've had very little dance in my life to center me and make me feel better. So I've just been getting crabbier, antsier, and more agitated. I found myself snapping at people when I finally got to dance after my classes were over because I didn't know what was going on, and I felt out of the loop and stupid. I hate feeling stupid more than anything in the world.

Saturday morning before leaving for Berkeley I had a good, long, solid rehearsal for a piece that I was SO lost in. I learned the piece and began to feel the undercurrent of the piece not just "oh shit what comes next!" It was so nice not to feel lost in a sea of unknown movement and to settle into it a little.

Last night we rehearsed the piece a little more and when I arrived I could quickly grasp what they had already been working on, learned a bunch of new material and felt immediately good in it (except the beginning of that damned coat phrase! haha). I was laughing and making jokes again... it felt natural and I was reminded of why I love dance so much.

This morning I'm attempting to finish up some reading for my meetings and classes today, however I am more focused on the sound of the soothing rain mixed with Arcade Fire's The Suburbs swirling in the air around my head and I keep getting lost in the movement in my head. I'm dancing away to a far away place that is so joyful, that I have a hard time returning to the world of financial decisions and simulation guidelines.

Can I just graduate now? I'm ready to go to grad school and eat, sleep and breathe dance...

I found this video from the show at Berkeley, just to think I was right there in the pit right in front of the guitarist on stage right (left side of the screen)

Surrealism part 2

All of these photos were taken from my crappy little phone so the quality is not ideal but I don't care it shows where I was and what I love. (Arcade Fire in Berkeley Oct 2, 2010)

Greek Theater :

Calexico opened

Arcade Fire's Entrance
Ready to Start! first song of the night

They are so epic

No Cars Go (I loved the background on the screen for this one)

This was the last song of the regular set: Rebellion, which is my favorite song, Win came right in front of me... I almost died. He really is larger than life

That's all the photos I got because I wanted to focus on the concert not taking photos and video and everything else. I wanted the proof of my being there to be the memory and feelings that I will keep forever in my heart (cheesey I know but deal with it)

Surrealism in real life

last night I was in the pit at Berkeley's Greek Theater for the Arcade Fire Concert. I don't have words to explain how amazing the concert was; mind blowing, life changing, surreal are as close as I can get however even they don't suffice for the feelings I had for that short time.

How I've been trying to explain it is: Nothing in the world has EVER matched how I feel when I dance. Nothing has even come close... until last night. Seeing Arcade Fire from the pit in person was the only thing to ever make me feel that much, and make me that in the moment and true.

this is a terrible description but that's the closest I can get

here is video from this tour at Madison Square Gardens of the final song of the encore... nothing can top standing and singing with thousands of people to this song

My Revelation of Sinner men

I LOVE this section of Ailey's Revelations it's called Sinner Man.

it is a great example of Horton Technique, Ailey style, and the most amazing male dancers

it's a short section but so very very powerful