and i just got lei'd!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Happy Viva, everyone!!!!
The time has come! VivaWildSide's 4th Annual Sin City Soiree has begun! Mardi Gras ain't got shit on us, so YES, it's been decided that VWS is now a national holiday! The troops are on the ground, and I'll be joining the fray around 3pm tomorrow afternoon! Nothing left to say, but...IT'S F*#KING ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned to this bat station for updates and pix from the scene of the crimes!!!
Hit it boys...
Stay tuned to this bat station for updates and pix from the scene of the crimes!!!
Hit it boys...
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls; Please welcome to the stage the best FUCKING rock band you will ever see...Cheap Trick!
There is Nothing like flirting with Rick Nielsen for an hour and a half from backstage! KIKi & TriXXi are the new Miss Tomorrow's. The Trick rocked The TerrorTwins!
Me & my bestie KiKi were in the VIP section (thanx KiK!) for Cheap Trick tonight as they played the Long Beach Grand Prix. What an amazing show! Cheap Trick is by far one of my favorite bands of ALL-TIME! The first "real" rock-n-roll album I ever bought was Cheap Trick "Live At Budokan" and I first saw them at a Day On The Green at the Oakland Coliseum on July 27, 1980. They are every bit as vibrant and noteworthy now as they were then and whether they are acknowledged as such or not by that douchy place in Cleveland, Cheap Trick is a Hall Of Fame band; they totally rock!!! Their open alone is so perfect (a woman's voice in a very matter of fact tone saying..."Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls; please welcome to the stage the best FUCKING rock band you will ever see...Cheap Trick!") Truer words have never been spoken! They played a good 90 plus minutes. Rick changed guitars after EVERY song, including a bad ass custom painted Beatles one! And I don't care what anyone says, there isn't a better front man in all of rock-n-roll than Robin Zander. Even at 57, he still has the look & voice of a mega rock star! The set had a lot of songs from their new album, "The Latest" (not a bad thing at all, and if you don't have it, GET IT! For a band that has been making music for 36 years, it sounds fresh and current without a clunker in the bunch!) It was kind of a bummer not having Bun E. Carlos there. On their website they say he is still in the band, but really don't give an explanation as to why he isn't on the road, although I do know he has a bad back. No worries though cause Daxx Nielsen (Rick's son) played in his place and was a great fill in. I would have liked to hear Voices or Ghost Town instead of The Flame, but that's just nit-picking at this point. It was a fucking excellent show!
Like I said, we were in the VIP section off to Rick Nielsen's side of the stage and I got to totally flirt with one of my fave rock stars up close all night! I can tell ya, he totally knew I was there; it was soooooooo wild! I scored 3 guitar picks and got some awesome photos! I'm so serious, Cheap Trick doesn't get the credit they deserve. They are one of the greatest American rock bands EVER. 36 years together and still going strong! Long live The Trick!!!!!!
Here is their set list from the show tonight...
Way of the World
When the Lights are Out
Clock Strikes Ten
I Want You to Want Me
These Days
Wrong All Along
Need Your Love
Don't Be Cruel
That 70s Song
Ballad of TV Violence
Baby Loves to Rock
Miracle
Miss Tomorrow
Sick Man of Europe
Closer - The Ballad of Burt and Linda
Surrender
The Flame
Dream Police
Gonna Raise Hell
Goodnight
There are more pics from the show here.
Me & my bestie KiKi were in the VIP section (thanx KiK!) for Cheap Trick tonight as they played the Long Beach Grand Prix. What an amazing show! Cheap Trick is by far one of my favorite bands of ALL-TIME! The first "real" rock-n-roll album I ever bought was Cheap Trick "Live At Budokan" and I first saw them at a Day On The Green at the Oakland Coliseum on July 27, 1980. They are every bit as vibrant and noteworthy now as they were then and whether they are acknowledged as such or not by that douchy place in Cleveland, Cheap Trick is a Hall Of Fame band; they totally rock!!! Their open alone is so perfect (a woman's voice in a very matter of fact tone saying..."Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls; please welcome to the stage the best FUCKING rock band you will ever see...Cheap Trick!") Truer words have never been spoken! They played a good 90 plus minutes. Rick changed guitars after EVERY song, including a bad ass custom painted Beatles one! And I don't care what anyone says, there isn't a better front man in all of rock-n-roll than Robin Zander. Even at 57, he still has the look & voice of a mega rock star! The set had a lot of songs from their new album, "The Latest" (not a bad thing at all, and if you don't have it, GET IT! For a band that has been making music for 36 years, it sounds fresh and current without a clunker in the bunch!) It was kind of a bummer not having Bun E. Carlos there. On their website they say he is still in the band, but really don't give an explanation as to why he isn't on the road, although I do know he has a bad back. No worries though cause Daxx Nielsen (Rick's son) played in his place and was a great fill in. I would have liked to hear Voices or Ghost Town instead of The Flame, but that's just nit-picking at this point. It was a fucking excellent show!
Like I said, we were in the VIP section off to Rick Nielsen's side of the stage and I got to totally flirt with one of my fave rock stars up close all night! I can tell ya, he totally knew I was there; it was soooooooo wild! I scored 3 guitar picks and got some awesome photos! I'm so serious, Cheap Trick doesn't get the credit they deserve. They are one of the greatest American rock bands EVER. 36 years together and still going strong! Long live The Trick!!!!!!
Here is their set list from the show tonight...
Way of the World
When the Lights are Out
Clock Strikes Ten
I Want You to Want Me
These Days
Wrong All Along
Need Your Love
Don't Be Cruel
That 70s Song
Ballad of TV Violence
Baby Loves to Rock
Miracle
Miss Tomorrow
Sick Man of Europe
Closer - The Ballad of Burt and Linda
Surrender
The Flame
Dream Police
Gonna Raise Hell
Goodnight
There are more pics from the show here.
Life!!!
Goin' to see Cheap Trick live tonight in Long Beach with my bestie! Dare I say, I'm feeling activation!! TerrorTwins, Cheap Trick, race cars and wrestling rings! Sounds like a another ho-hum night for KiKi & Trixxi!
Then Monday it's off to Vegas with my magic for a week of total sin & debauchery! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Hit it Joe...
Then Monday it's off to Vegas with my magic for a week of total sin & debauchery! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Hit it Joe...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Life magic
I'm so in really, really, really heavy LIKE! My happiness is totally overflowing! Now it's off to magic land!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Long Distance Listening
Listening to Beatles songs internationally with your sista is quite AWESOME!!!!
Cool ass cousin!
It's just GOT to make you smile when you ask your 11 y/o cousin what his favorite Beatles songs are and he rattles off "I Am The Walrus", "Dear Prudence" and "I Dig A Pony". Then he adds..."Oh yeah, "Don't Let Me Down" is pretty awesome too! Damn, he's got better sense than most of the adults I know!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Finally, my Macca Experience!
I know, I know, hella late, but you know me! So about a week ago me & my bestie KiKi went to what was in my mind, not just a concert, but totally a complete life experience...seeing Paul McCartney LIVE at the Hollywood Bowl. KiK had seen Paul a few times before, but this was a total first for me! I'm a HUGE Beatles freak, so this was something I had been wanting to do for ages, but for one reason or another, just never got to. I felt like this time was the time I HAD to go see him. For one, I've never been to the famous, venerable old Hollywood Bowl (which is amazing, btw) and two, Paul is 68 years old, and ya never know how much longer he will decide to tour. In any case, the stars totally aligned and it was all about Paul!
We started off with a lil Macca fiesta at El Compadres on Sunset (right across the street from Guitar Center), awesome food & FLAMING, yes flaming pineapple margarita's. It was totally delish and the perfect way to get us in the Macca mood. We went and parked over at the Hollywood & Highland garage (no way we we're paying $30 to be stacked up like hot wheels in a total nightmare of traffic) so we payed our $6 and walked up Highland to the Bowl.
For those who have never been to the Hollywood Bowl, do yourselves a favor and definitely put it on your list of things to see. It's absolutely gorgeous and you can just feel the history and hear the echos of the music that had been played before. It's really an amazing experience!
We got in about 8pm and the show started around 8:20. We had kick ass seats (Sec E, Row 13, Seats 5 & 7) which were about as close as you are gonna get without spending over $500, so we were very happy!!!
There was no opening band, just some funky remixes of Beatles & Paul solo music (some wasn't too bad) and then without any real fanfare, the lights went out and there he was. The greatest living rock star today, Paul McCartney standing in front of me with his Hofner bass. Chills just ran through me and he kicked right into Venus And Mars and Rockshow (two awesome Wings rarities). Let just say, Paul looks and sounds fabulous!! He looks fab for a guy who is in his 50's, let alone his late 60's. He did a lil reminiscing saying how his old band played this song here a long time ago, and went into All My Loving. It was so cool to see an actual Beatle playing an actual Beatle song live & in person, I was almost moved to tears!
He does a really great job of digging into his well stocked catalog and busted out a some real gems. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five was awesome, but I think one of the highlights of the night for me was when he did I'm Looking Through & Two Of Us (a VERY sentimental fave). I'm a fan of Wings and Paul's other solo stuff, but to me, nothing was better than hearing him doing Beatles tunes live and those two numbers were simply amazing!!!
I hate to keep harping on his age, but for a guy who is near 70, his stamina is off the hook. He did a three hour / 39 song set and never had as much as a voice crackle. He did everything I could ask for and then some. He played all his Beatles hits and did tributes to both George (he plays Something on the ukulele) and John...he actually gives two lil tributes to Lennon, the first is a beautiful song called Here Today; which Paul mentions was written as a conversation he never got to have with John. Although the lyrics aren't really relevant to me, that song totally made me think of my late Mom & Dad (who had seen the Beatles last "official" concert ever at Candlestick Park in 1966, so I had a nice cry) and then later he does A Day In The Life combined with Give Peace A Chance. I have to say that while it was way kewl seeing & hearing the crowd singing Give Peace A Chance, it seemed a lil much for me. I love the fact that he wants to memorialize his band mate & friend, but that song is such a Lennon classic, it's hard to hear someone else do it.
His band is tight as hell and they were spot on all evening. After the Give Peace A Chance thing, he went over to the piano and sat down to Let It Be. OMG!!! This was like the reason I had come (although in hind sight, I liked I'm Looking Through & Two Of Us better) but this was the song I had waited like all my life to hear played live and Paul didn't disappoint! I remember back in '85 when they did Live Aid and Paul played this song live, I was mesmerized and promised myself at that moment that someday I would see him do it in person. Well, the moment was now, and I had tears in my eyes as he sang. It was really beautifully done, and the full moon that had been hidden by trees was now in full glow which just made the moment PERFECT. I couldn't have been happier if someone had just dropped a billion dollars in my lap.
His encores took almost a full hour as he fit in like 7 more classic songs. Yesterday was great, but the highlights for me were Helter Skelter (which flat out ROCKED) and The End. It should like be mandatory that all human beings hear him sing that song; especially that awesome closing line..."And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make." WOW, I got chills just writing that, what a perfect finish to an absolutely amazing show!
It actually was so much more than just a show for me. It was a life experience that I can look back on for the rest of my life and just smile and feel a little chill. I got to see a real, live Beatle (no offense Ringo) play all his mega hits with one of my best friends (and fellow Beatle-holic), in a place that I've wanted to see all my life. So yeah, on a scale of 1-10, I think this one goes down as a 1,000,000!
I got a few decent pix and some choppy gnarly looking video that I hope you enjoy. Remember, I wasn't really thinking too much about the quality of the shots as I did the videos, I was too busy dancin with Kiki in our seats, so whatev!!!
Paul McCartney at The Hollywood Bowl; 3/30/2010
1. Venus And Mars
2. Rock Show
3. Jet
4. All My Loving
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Highway
7. Let Me Roll It/ Foxy Lady (Hendrix cover)
8. The Long and Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
10. (I Want to) Come Home
11. My Love
12. I'm Looking Through
13. Every Night
14. Two Of Us
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. Dance Tonight
18. Mrs Vandebilt
19. Eleanor Rigby
20. Something
21. Letting Go
22. Sing the Changes
23. Band on the Run
24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25. Back in the U.S.S.R.
26. I've Got a Feeling
27. Paperback Writer
28. A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
29. Let It Be
30. Live and Let Die
31. Hey Jude
Encore:
32. Day Tripper
33. Lady Madonna
34. Get Back
Encore 2:
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
38. The End
Happy Gina
All My Loving
My Love
Two Of Us
Band On The Run
Macca & his hofner
Let It Be
Hey Jude
Helter Skelter
"And In The End, The Love You Make Is Equal To The Love You Make"
The End
Confetti Finale
We started off with a lil Macca fiesta at El Compadres on Sunset (right across the street from Guitar Center), awesome food & FLAMING, yes flaming pineapple margarita's. It was totally delish and the perfect way to get us in the Macca mood. We went and parked over at the Hollywood & Highland garage (no way we we're paying $30 to be stacked up like hot wheels in a total nightmare of traffic) so we payed our $6 and walked up Highland to the Bowl.
For those who have never been to the Hollywood Bowl, do yourselves a favor and definitely put it on your list of things to see. It's absolutely gorgeous and you can just feel the history and hear the echos of the music that had been played before. It's really an amazing experience!
We got in about 8pm and the show started around 8:20. We had kick ass seats (Sec E, Row 13, Seats 5 & 7) which were about as close as you are gonna get without spending over $500, so we were very happy!!!
There was no opening band, just some funky remixes of Beatles & Paul solo music (some wasn't too bad) and then without any real fanfare, the lights went out and there he was. The greatest living rock star today, Paul McCartney standing in front of me with his Hofner bass. Chills just ran through me and he kicked right into Venus And Mars and Rockshow (two awesome Wings rarities). Let just say, Paul looks and sounds fabulous!! He looks fab for a guy who is in his 50's, let alone his late 60's. He did a lil reminiscing saying how his old band played this song here a long time ago, and went into All My Loving. It was so cool to see an actual Beatle playing an actual Beatle song live & in person, I was almost moved to tears!
He does a really great job of digging into his well stocked catalog and busted out a some real gems. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five was awesome, but I think one of the highlights of the night for me was when he did I'm Looking Through & Two Of Us (a VERY sentimental fave). I'm a fan of Wings and Paul's other solo stuff, but to me, nothing was better than hearing him doing Beatles tunes live and those two numbers were simply amazing!!!
I hate to keep harping on his age, but for a guy who is near 70, his stamina is off the hook. He did a three hour / 39 song set and never had as much as a voice crackle. He did everything I could ask for and then some. He played all his Beatles hits and did tributes to both George (he plays Something on the ukulele) and John...he actually gives two lil tributes to Lennon, the first is a beautiful song called Here Today; which Paul mentions was written as a conversation he never got to have with John. Although the lyrics aren't really relevant to me, that song totally made me think of my late Mom & Dad (who had seen the Beatles last "official" concert ever at Candlestick Park in 1966, so I had a nice cry) and then later he does A Day In The Life combined with Give Peace A Chance. I have to say that while it was way kewl seeing & hearing the crowd singing Give Peace A Chance, it seemed a lil much for me. I love the fact that he wants to memorialize his band mate & friend, but that song is such a Lennon classic, it's hard to hear someone else do it.
His band is tight as hell and they were spot on all evening. After the Give Peace A Chance thing, he went over to the piano and sat down to Let It Be. OMG!!! This was like the reason I had come (although in hind sight, I liked I'm Looking Through & Two Of Us better) but this was the song I had waited like all my life to hear played live and Paul didn't disappoint! I remember back in '85 when they did Live Aid and Paul played this song live, I was mesmerized and promised myself at that moment that someday I would see him do it in person. Well, the moment was now, and I had tears in my eyes as he sang. It was really beautifully done, and the full moon that had been hidden by trees was now in full glow which just made the moment PERFECT. I couldn't have been happier if someone had just dropped a billion dollars in my lap.
His encores took almost a full hour as he fit in like 7 more classic songs. Yesterday was great, but the highlights for me were Helter Skelter (which flat out ROCKED) and The End. It should like be mandatory that all human beings hear him sing that song; especially that awesome closing line..."And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make." WOW, I got chills just writing that, what a perfect finish to an absolutely amazing show!
It actually was so much more than just a show for me. It was a life experience that I can look back on for the rest of my life and just smile and feel a little chill. I got to see a real, live Beatle (no offense Ringo) play all his mega hits with one of my best friends (and fellow Beatle-holic), in a place that I've wanted to see all my life. So yeah, on a scale of 1-10, I think this one goes down as a 1,000,000!
I got a few decent pix and some choppy gnarly looking video that I hope you enjoy. Remember, I wasn't really thinking too much about the quality of the shots as I did the videos, I was too busy dancin with Kiki in our seats, so whatev!!!
Paul McCartney at The Hollywood Bowl; 3/30/2010
1. Venus And Mars
2. Rock Show
3. Jet
4. All My Loving
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Highway
7. Let Me Roll It/ Foxy Lady (Hendrix cover)
8. The Long and Winding Road
9. Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
10. (I Want to) Come Home
11. My Love
12. I'm Looking Through
13. Every Night
14. Two Of Us
15. Blackbird
16. Here Today
17. Dance Tonight
18. Mrs Vandebilt
19. Eleanor Rigby
20. Something
21. Letting Go
22. Sing the Changes
23. Band on the Run
24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25. Back in the U.S.S.R.
26. I've Got a Feeling
27. Paperback Writer
28. A Day in the Life / Give Peace A Chance
29. Let It Be
30. Live and Let Die
31. Hey Jude
Encore:
32. Day Tripper
33. Lady Madonna
34. Get Back
Encore 2:
35. Yesterday
36. Helter Skelter
37. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
38. The End
Happy Gina
All My Loving
My Love
Two Of Us
Band On The Run
Macca & his hofner
Let It Be
Hey Jude
Helter Skelter
"And In The End, The Love You Make Is Equal To The Love You Make"
The End
Confetti Finale
Beauty Personified
Wow, this is so insanely beautiful in both sight and sound!! The shots of Audrey at :23, Bacall at 1:09 & MM at 1:18 are BREATHTAKING!
Hello World!!!
So, I’m gonna try Blogger as the blog portion of the HotHouse. I’m planing on creating a HotHouse homepage, adding a links page, this blog and of course keep the WildSideWest forum going as well. I was doing some light blogging at the WildSideWest forum, but I wanted to re-open Gina’s HotHouse, so here ya go…we’ll see how it goes!
Hope you like!
G
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