Category Archives: Music

Events and spotlights

Group Therapy

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Last weekend I was shopping at Borders to use up my remaining balance in gift cards before their stores close down completely. I really didn’t know what to get. I’m not a huge book person — and usually when I am shopping for a book I know which exact one I want and I always shop around for the best price. I was just wrapping up my meander around the store when I saw it sitting abandoned on a CD rack — Group Therapy by Above & Beyond. I instantly knew this was my purchase. I checked iTunes and also calculated the final Borders price after the liquidation discount. I would be paying about $1 more at Borders to have this physical CD. I was sold.

I have been a pretty loyal listener of Above & Beyond’s music. I know the artist voices and know immediately when I hear just a fraction of a song playing. It has been a while, however, since I have invested in more of Above & Beyond’s discography, so I figured I would give Group Therapy a go. The last purchase I made from them was, in fact, my all-time favorite album — Sirens of the Sea by spin-off artist OceanLab. I knew Above & Beyond had released Group Therapy as I have received the updates on Facebook, but for some reason I never really pursued the album.

I am so glad I made this purchase. Not only does it feel fantastic to have a physical CD and tri-fold case, but I really love these new tracks. It’s been a little less than a week and I’ve only had a couple days to listen to the songs but they are already implanted in my mind. I have great favorites — but in general it is a solid vocal trance album worth purchasing.

SF 2010: The Big Day

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Saturday was absolutely packed busy with awesomeness. In the morning, my mom decided that she did want to make a poster to bring to the concert that night, so we went to the FedEx Office across the street from our hotel. Ideally, we wanted to make a poster and then have in laminated so that it won’t wear and tear. However, this FedEx Office on Market Street had a broken laminating machine so we tried the next one up a few blocks. We went there and then they said that their laminating machine was broken as well. Frustrating! So, we opted out of laminating and got poster board and some Sharpies. It turned out nice after all.

After making the poster, we met my brothers Trevor and Corey and their girlfriends Jen and Melissa at Burger Bar in the Union Square Macy’s. It was quite a tasty burger! I went with basic, but at the restaurant you are offered countless ways to customize your burger — you can even put sprouts and asparagus on it! It was so good to see everyone again. The last time I saw my brothers was spring break of last year. Too long.

We departed in our own ways, and my mom and I took a trolley down to Fisherman’s Wharf. We actually didn’t walk around a whole lot, but we got my grandma a loaf of sourdough bread, as she likes, and did other little knick-knack shopping at street vendors.

We realized the time was getting a bit late so we took a bus all the way back up Market Street to our hotel. We changed, got our stuff ready, and headed back out again — this time taking the underground Muni shuttle to AT&T Park just southeast of where we were staying. There was a lot of confusion figuring out which train to get on. We almost gave up to take a cab instead.

So, finally we were off to see Paul McCartney. It was just a short ride and the shuttle arrived down near the park. We got off and could hear Paul actually performing another sound-check. It was teasing! We were hungry by this time and decided to try and find some food. Naturally, being any type of event at AT&T park, good luck on finding an opening anywhere. Many places had over and hour waiting time. We got lucky and found downstairs seating at a place I can’t even remember the name of. The place was packed and our chips and salsa appetizer and drinks took a long time to arrive. It was understandable, though. This process took quite a while, but once it got relatively close to Paul McCartney time, we headed over to the Park.

After a little confusion we found out how to get to the field where our seats were. We made acquaintances with a nice Japanese couple to our left to whom we talked to for a long while as Paul was an hour late to start the concert. Then, it started, and nothing else mattered — not even my need to pee. He sang so many songs (over 30!) — I think a couple of my personal favorites were “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da”, “Live and Let Die”, and “Dance Tonight”. I was thrilled with “Dance Tonight” because Paul had released his Memory Almost Full album in the time after I last saw him in concert. So, this was the first time hearing that song live. With “Live and Let Die”, everyone knows that this is the “big bang” song that has all the pyrotechnics. Because the stage was outside in an uncovered area, the show was impressive. During the key points in the song, you would not only have sparks and stuff on stage — but also higher aerial fireworks that were amazing!

Also, during one of the songs, we saw the camera pan right in front of where we were sitting. I held the “Paul” side of the poster up and you could see it on the big screen behind the band! So neat! Whew! It was such a good concert. I’m so happy I was able to go with my mom — even if it was only for the weekend and with an incredibly long drive to get to San Francisco.

After the concert, we were going to take a cab to Tommy’s Joynt, a restaurant where Paul had visited in the past, but all the cabs were taken and it was too late. We finally figured out how to get back to our hotel and opted to split Subway instead. We were so tired of being on our feet all day. I think I even fell asleep with my glasses on looking out the floor-to-ceiling window in front of my roll-away bed. I loved our weekend excursion to San Francisco. I still love the city and can see myself working there someday. Until next time, San Fran.

SF 2010: Let the Music Play

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I’ll post the rest of this action-packed day come tomorrow, but for now we are at Pete’s Tavern just near AT&T Park. We took BART to get here and that was a bit tricky to figure out. But, it all worked out and here we are. We can hear Paul playing his soundcheck, but the gates don’t open until 6pm.

Anyway, I have set up my blog for phone-in audio postings. I’ll call my blog and hold the phone so you can all hear Sir Paul himself. So, check back after 7:30pm. Enjoy!

My Musical Origins

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Music.

Where did I start, and where am I now? I used to be ashamed of the music I enjoy. If it wasn’t the social normal then it generally was not acceptable. I have an interesting musical history.

It all started with Cher — yes, I admit it. She was my first favorite artist. Disco is old, and even at the young age when I began to enjoy it, this genre was relying on long-time fans to keep it alive. Cher has a negative stigma too — homosexuals, middle-aged to old junkies, and druggies. It is not considered a college student’s type of music. But I don’t care. Music is like a language that speaks more than just words. It speaks rhythm, tone, and beat and is able to penetrate our tough outer shells and alter our emotions and mindset. Suppressing our taste of music due to social expectations is denying who we are.

Every once in a while I dig up Cher from my iTunes library — I actually have quite a collection of her work. To me, her music never grows old unlike today’s new hip-hop, electronic, or pop music. Seriously, can you stand hearing “Whatcha Say” or “TiK ToK” on the radio anymore? Even then, are you going to pick out that song in your library just to listen to it? It got old fast, and personally, if I hear any of those songs pop up on shuffle I will skip them in a second.

But now I step back and analyze my music collection as a whole. What I realize is that today’s electronic and pop genres assume many cues from the past… Like from disco. I hear a lot similarities between Cher and new artists. I feel like if Cher was to release a single using iTunes Single of the Week or Starbucks Pick of the Week under a different artist name, it would be a hit. Does iTunes even have a disco genre in the store anymore? Isn’t it mostly categorized as dance music? The dance genre is among the newest of music types, yet it’s as age-old as disco.

Cher has done a lot for me. Her music, that is, has pulled me through a lot of times. For years, as I have battled my emotional issues with obesity, I turned to Cher many times for support. And when I was finally amidst making changes in my life and losing the weight and rebuilding it how I wanted, I accidentally played a Cher song. I almost changed the track… But I stopped and let the song run through. I think I’m hooked all over again.

I challenge you to listen to some of Cher’s music. Put aside stigmas and her image. Just let your ears do the work. I hope you recognize her music as I do… Pure, empowering, invigorating and perfect for your ups and downs. It’ll be our own little secret.

Published from my iPad.

All You Need [Really is] Love

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After observing a small, fun discussion via Twitter between Lindsey Cox, Matthew Salgado, and Chris Livengood regarding how one would need more than just love to survive, I thought I’d input my thoughts in a more formal style – and that being through this posting.

Some may say that either “more than” or “in addition to” love, someone would need essentials like water, shelter, food and money. However, as I agree with these ideas, I still revert back to The Beatles’ original line, “All you need is love.” I think about it briefly, and then I realize that love really is all you need.

This is not specifically physical, sexual, emotional, or social love – this is simply the solid concept of care. Think about it: YES, we cannot live without food, water, and shelter. However, with love we can have the essentials listed. You can initially exist without water, shelter, food and money… But when you have love, you have these things. Love is an interaction between two or more individuals, and when you care someone and that person cares for you, you will find (or be given) a way to the elements of water, food, and shelter – probably money as well depending on the deepness of love.

However, when you consider the lyric at its utmost basic level, sure… You can’t live without the water, the shelter, the food, etcetera. But when you’ve got love, “there’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.”