Chill Pill: Sam Smith

Oh, hey. Sam Smith covers Whitney Houston's How Will I Know and it's giving me all the right kind of chills. 

Merlin's beard, that voice.

How's your week so far?

Toodles!

The New Year

Happy 2015, minions!

While I'm trying to figure out ways to enhance my blog, here's a Chill Pill to help you nurse your New Year's Eve hangover!




Hang tight for improvements on the blog! Now, put down the beer bottle and work on your New Year's resolution which you will totally ditch in a week or two.

Toodles! :)

Rockin' With The Black Keys

Childhood buddies Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney a.k.a. The Black Keys are probably the best duo that's ever come out of Ohio. I can't really point out what kind of rock music they play. It's like a mix of alternative, indie, blues and folk music. Dan Auerbach sings and plays the lead guitar while Patrick Carney does the drums. And since they are a duo, Carney interestingly doesn't hide in the back like most drummers do, but shares the front part of the stage equally with his band mate.

The Black Keys played at the newly-renovated, The Forum, located in Inglewood, California. I'm not gonna lie, the trip to the venue could make you feel a little squeamish since you have to pass through shady parts of the city so make sure you don't make a wrong turn or you'll have yourself quite an interesting night to talk about.

The boyfriend and I arrived early enough to find a good parking spot (don't forget to bring cash for the parking fee!) and get ourselves situated inside where we were only a couple of feet away from the stage! 

Jake Bugg opened for the night--- he's got a very unique, Bob Dylan/ Johnny Cash kinda thing going on and he's very talented with a guitar too! Here's a clip of him singing "Two Fingers". You guys should check out his albums Jake Bugg or Shangri La.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Black Keys.

Auerbach is pure genius with a guitar. In fact, I think he switched between at least three different ones during the show.

Dan came out with a denim jacket on but once the adrenaline kicked in, he took it off after a song or two.

With the pianist and back-up vocals in the background.

When the crowd wanted an encore, everyone busted out their phones and made what seemed like a dark sky filled with thousands of bright stars! Very cool!

Carney (the drummer) is so adorable, he's like this quiet guy with thick glasses who only gets crazy when he's on the drums, so much so that he keeps losing his glasses during the show.

You see the specs on...

And then you don't...

Concerts are just too much to handle for this little Canon of mine. It takes great photos for a compact camera, but the audio especially in a concert? Fuhgeddaboutit! So just like what I say on my previous concert posts, please excuse the awful audio and don't be discouraged by it because they sound truly freakin' awesome live!

Don't forget to select 720p HD and up so the video looks better! :)

Howlin' For You

Lonely Boy

Tighten Up

Their cover for Edywn Collins' Never Met a Girl

Fever

Little Black Submarines

This night was quite surreal for me, as Miguel and I have always bonded with music, especially rock music. And now, we've finally watched our first rock concert together, in a Black Keys concert, no less!

Watching a rock concert while holding hands with the boyfriend, surrounded by teenager couples with raging hormones practically licking each other's faces off...that's what's up.

Toodles! :)

Date Night: Hall and Oates

I went on a date last night...so I took him to The Greek and his name is not Russell Brand. I'm an 80's baby so I pretty much grew up with one of the greatest music eras evvaahhhh. Male artists used to be very comfortable with their feminine side (eyeliners, long locks), music lyrics used to woo women and not consist of words like butt, bootycall, twerk or up in da club. Damn, I miss the good ol' days.

To kick off a pre-celebration of the beloved boyfriend's birthday, I took him to see one of the iconic groups that greatly influenced my childhood, even until now--- HALL AND OATES!

I was supposed to cancel out on this, but thanks to my family, we made it!

Getting there...
The Greek Theatre is an amphitheater with mostly stacked parking lots, so I opted to purchase an off-site parking pass that includes free shuttle to and from the concert without the hassle of dealing with heavily congested roads and the crazy parking situation. The parking area is actually just located at Griffith Park so it's pretty close to The Greek. The best part? They only charge $7 per vehicle, not per person!

The Greek is perched up on the mountains...so the roads are sloped and walking around, even from the closest parking lot, in sky high heels is just not worth it---PLUS it's an amphitheater, which means you're gonna be climbin' up and down those steps.

We got there about an hour and a half before the show started so we decided to check out their concession stands. They served alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and different kinds of food like pulled pork, beef brisket, hotdogs, burgers, kettle popcorn, etc.

There were some benches and even a grass area where people can just hang around, enjoy a quick bite or a full meal and of course, people-watch.

Mercedes Benz was one of the sponsors for the concert so they had some new models on display.

We just grabbed some food from the Greek Village so we could get that out of the way before the show started. The boyfriend got a double cheeseburger (why am I not surprised) and I had a Pink's regular hotdog. Very no-fuss.

 I tried the fresh lemonade from that "Fresh Lemonade Stand" but uh...it was totally NOT worth it. It was $5 dollars worth of watered down grocery lemonade.

Nothing better than thick-cut fries to save the day!

The boyfriend found our own little spot where we could enjoy our food and eat in peace. Romantic, ey?

We started heading up to the amphitheater to figure out our seats, but I did so with a heavy heart. You see, this is the first time that I grabbed really crappy seats---at least in my standards. I don't have to be in V.I.P. but at least be at the center, or the seats after the V.I.P would be awesome. My theory is, if you're going to a live concert and shell out some cash for it, you might as well get your money's worth. What's the point of going to a concert if you can't SEE the band or artist from the nosebleed seats, right? I got the tickets a little too late and it was either I swallow my pride and take the side terrace seating or not be able to see them at all. At this point, I was desperate. I just can't pass off Hall and Oates.

Our seats were not categorically nosebleed seats though, so you know I'm just whining. Still, I wanted better seats. And still, I'm whining.

I love the fact that the amphitheater is surrounded by big, leafy trees. It was a bit chilly when we got there but the temperature dropped further later at night so if you're planning to see a show here, make sure to pack a light jacket or sweater, even if it's not winter yet.

The opening act was Mutlu, I haven't heard of him but he was pretty good with his acoustic guitar. A few moments after, the dynamic duo came out to start the show with "Man Eater". The crowd was definitely a little bit more mellow, as the demographics consisted more of senior citizens. I felt like a teenager who needed to behave in front of my grandparents. Of course, there were still people around my age group, whom I totally sympathized with because they were always SCOLDED by granma and grampa, for standing and dancing and enjoying the music....at a concert. Luckily, the peeps behind me were in their late 30's so they didn't mind standing up too and they were tinier than me so I can just drop kick their asses if they told me to sit back down.

Overall, the concert was pretty good. I always enjoy real music---with real instruments and very few synthesizers. I think they did their best but of course, both Hall and Oates are already in their mid-late 60's so I understand sometimes they can't hit the high notes anymore. Oh, and I hope they get a better sound engineer 'coz there was bad feedback about three times in the middle of a song! Nevertheless, it was fun, nostalgic and I got to sing along with the songs AND I was holding hands with this hot, tall dude.

That long-haired dude on the keyboard? He's really awesome with a saxophone.

Maneater

She's Gone

Rich Girl

You Make My Dreams

And just like any other good date night, we went back home with his jacket around my shoulders. Alas, I indeed got myself a keeper.

Toodles! :)

Chill Pill

I'm pretty sure everyone's been there. Sleepless nights and weariness, with only the sound of the P.A. system blasting across the hospital rooms and hallways to keep you company. I know I said on the blog's Facebook wall that I'll be M.I.A. for awhile but I couldn't resist to sneak in a little Chill Pill in between taking naps in the hospital. It's all that my brain can muster right now so bear with me as I take a quick hiatus from the blogosphere.

I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding, as you all know that I always like to share my own personal thoughts and experiences in this blog but I cannot expound more on this part of my personal life since it involves the privacy of those who are dearest to me.

For now, here's a list of what I've been listening to, to drown out the beeping and humming of machines and Code Grey's.

Toodles!

Yelle

Uhm, yeah. This is why I love the French.

Lovely lead singer (omg--her hair, her face, her long legs and the dance moves) + Couture + Art + Fun, Eclectic melodies = Yelle 

They haven't released anything new since like around 2010 but I still love their songs!

Que veu-tu

Comme Un Enfant

Ce Jeu

Safari Disco Club (plus Que veu-tu)

A Cause De Garcons Sad that she's not in this video but I love the remix anyway.

Doesn't Yelle's music make you want to Sashey Shante everywhere and anywhere?


Toodles! :)

Chill Pill : Happy Fourth of July!

Hey folks, I'm sure you're all just starting to unwind and getting ready for your Fourth of July weekend so here's a little Chill Pill list that could help you shake off the stress away and ease into a fun-filled three-day weekend!

Bring out the BBQ grills and ice-cold lemonades!




Toodles!

Chill Pill: Memorial Weekend

It's the Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. so everyone is out and about, snagging deals at the mall, hanging out with friends and family, and having a jolly good time. I am not an American by blood but it's still good to be able to recognize the real reason for this holiday, that people have sacrificed themselves to keep their loved ones back home and an entire nation safe. 

Thank you to those who selflessly serve for their country, no matter where you are, this Chill Pill is for you!

 Don't you just love that Safe and Sound remix?

Toodles!

Chill Pill: Morning Song

I'm sure everyone's got the mid-week blues but we all gotta get up on our hineys to make a living. Getting up at 4AM then sleeping early to get up at 4AM again, doing mundane errands, carrying the grocery bags on your own, keeping up with all the bills, nursing your own self from the flu, dealing with grumpy, rude and mean people in random places like the checkout counter or the gas station, managing your finances...ain't it fun living in the real world?

 I used to live in my little bubble so this song just hit the nail on the head for me...

"Where you're from,

You might be the one who's running things

Where you could ring anybody's bell and get what you want

You see it's easy to ignore trouble

When you're living in your bubble

So what are you gonna do

When the world don't orbit around you?

So what are you gonna do

When nobody wants to fool with you?

Ain't it fun?

Living in the real world

Ain't it good? 

Being all alone"

Paramore- Ain't It Fun

Okay, quit reading my blog and get back to work!

Toodles!

Chill Pill

Well hello folks! How's your weekend doing so far? Sorry I've been busy again this week so I'm just going to do a quick Chill Pill post for your listening pleasure. Don't forget, if there's anything specific you guys would want me to write about, just comment below or drop me a line on Facebook (or send a message through Jedi mind trick if you're a secret reader) ! I'm cooking up a great big set of posts but I need time to get my shhhh together :)

Time to turn the volume up!

Happy Weekend! I hope you enjoyed my short list for the weekend.

Toodles! :)

A Quick Getaway

Note: Yet again, another late post.

I am officially exhausted. I got home at around 1:30 AM from the Killers concert (see previous post) and had to get up early the next day to head out to Sin City. It was a very last-minute, spur-of-the-moment kind of thing that it still amuses me how I managed to shove my all my stuff in a hand-carry in 10 mins! Okay, I admit I was doing a bit of multi-tasking as I was belting out a Killers song, lathering up in the shower and planning if I should layer up my dress with a cropped jacket for a more conservative look (can't show too much skin when my Papi's around..ha!)---all at the same time.

My GPS system initially estimated that my time travel to Vegas was 4 hours but I'm getting used to driving like an Asian nowadays that I somehow managed to get there in 2 1/2 hours (perks of living in SoCal!)---Just don't ask how fast I was going. If you work for the highway patrol and you're reading this, peace be you!

And since my side kick was always uselessly fast asleep, upbeat or songs that I can sing along to are always my go-to music, especially driving through long winding roads.

And yes, I did decide on wearing a cropped jacket.

Time to turn your volume up! Here's a sample from my Vegas road rage trip playlist.

1. Madonna- Girl Gone Wild
2. Benny Benassi- Cinema
3. Goldfrapp- Ooh La La One word. Speeding.
4. Dirty South & Alesso - City of Dreams This one's for you my missing fave travel buddy =) aka Mr. Architect. I still miss yoouuuu =)
5. The Killers - The Way It Was Emote mode in the middle of the desert.

Luckily, I was able to book a room online at The Venetian the night before I left for Vegas and got to settle in my suite before meeting up with the rest of the fam and do the usual stroll down the strip. The room was spacious and I simply adore the fact that even the standard suites come with a sunken living room. They do have a newer sister hotel right next door called The Palazzo if you want to try a more "updated" version, since The Venetian has been open a few years before The Palazzo opened in 2007-2008. If you want to try any of the two hotels, make sure to check the rates on their company website, sometimes they have great deals especially for stays during Monday to Thursday.

Here's a glimpse of my suite:

One day I hope I'd have the extra funds, time and energy to offer you a more comprehensive review, at least on what's good on the strip since I've been to Vegas about 10 times but I pretty much end up bee-lining towards the buffet or hotel-hop with a big grin on my face and a tall drink in one hand---just like any other tourist. Unfortunately, this trip was short as it was spontaneous. I only stayed overnight and had to drive back home the next day so I apologize for this seemingly anticlimactic post.

If you're heading out to Vegas soon, let me at least impart with you some sound advice.

You should never forget that Vegas is a wallet hazard. One look and wham--- something shiny is beckoning your credit card. When this happens to you, look away and run--- 'coz believe me, what happens in Vegas---kills you on your next billing statement.

Be gone, you shiny Valentino.

See what I mean?

Toodles!

Killin' It

Note: This is a late post.

Sometimes there are just those moments when you decide on something spontaneously and you end up patting yourself on the back for making such a good call. Well, let's just say I would be patting myself with my arms and legs on the back if I could. You see, I've been dying to watch the band, The Killers for quite some time now. They passed by L.A. last year, around the time when I was about to watch Madonna but I couldn't find any tickets on sale...lo and behold, The Killers was going to perform again this May but somehow I never ever ever ever ever heard anything about it until a week and a half before they were about to perform. *insert googley eyes* Thank God for the internet and fickle-minded people, I got lucky and finally got a hold of some tickets!

I'll make this short and simple...Brandon Flowers (lead singer) is not only handsome rock band chic, he has a bewildering presence that could carry the band onstage as a whole. He's fun to watch, his voice is flawless and you won't have to experience those episodes of slight teeth-clenching, thinking if he's gonna make that high note without a hitch or not. An artist/band is considered legit when they sound as good playing live as they do on CD, or even better. Believe me when I say that they sound way better live than their studio-recorded versions---yes, they are THAT good. This is by far the only concert I've been to that everyone in the crowd was singing along from start to finish. Every. Single. One.

Do you know that they're a locally-grown American band from Las Vegas? Smack me in the face and call me Barbara but I really thought they were a British band since their music always reminded me of new wave/ 80's songs, even the lyrics and some of their music videos show some resemblance of that great music genre.

And um, Brandon? He's just mighty fine. Mighty hot and mighty fine in a 1960's Vintage shirt from the Levi's Vintage collection. He originally came out on stage with a moto jacket but my hard drive bonked out and being so smart as I always am, I didn't backup any of my data. And thus, no moto pic.

I can't imagine how the band kept up since they were performing from one song to another with virtually no breaks in between.  Despite the fact that my legs were killing me from standing for 3 hours before they finally came out and I was trying to be a steady human tripod while recording videos, I had the bestestestestest time ever.

Note: The video quality is good, but had a bit of a shaky hand 'coz the peeps in front of me were blocking my lens. Audio as usual sucks and didn't do any justice at all to the band's performance. I tried to record every single song until my two batteries went dead on me. Tee-hee. 
Enjoy the visuals, anyway! 

P.S. Don't forget to select the HD option when playing the videos!
P.P.S. Sorry not sorry for always zooming in and out of Brandon's face.

They sang a nice cover of Tommy James & The Shondells' I Think We're Alone Now. 
This is so embarrassing but you can actually hear my sister and I scream and sing so freakin' off-key haha.

I totally went nuts when they started playing All These Things I've Done.

I always admire the depth in their lyrics. Here they are performing Smile Like You Mean It.

Before Brandon sang Read My Mind, he sings California Girls just to get the girls all giddy...

Here they are performing Spaceman.

If they ever come to your town, purchase the VIP tix (if available--my event didn't have any but we nabbed tickets that we were the closest to the stage) because they are WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY AND MORE. This group of talented musicians were meant to be banded together. I hope to see them play until my future kids are old enough to watch concerts so I can drag their hineys and they can sink to the floor while they watch their mom girlfaning over a bunch of old dudes. mwahahaha!

Here's my sister, Kiwi and I squishing our way as close to the front as possible.

And to end this post, here's a random side-view picture of a (surfer) dude we were kinda stalking 'coz he was kinda cute. Hello, cheekbones. 

Mobile phones are indeed a stalker's bestfriend.

Toodles!

The Swedish Finale

Note: This is a late post.

Who's gonna save the world tonight? Swedish House Mafia...that's who! The electro dance trio are trotting around the globe for their final tour, aptly called One Last Tour, before they split and do their own thang. For those of you old-timer ravers (think PVD, ATB, Daft Punk scene) who can't keep up anymore of the current glowstick-filled parties, SHM group is composed of Dj's Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso.

 Anyhoo, it's been quite awhile since I've been to a dance music event (last one I've been to was Paul Van Dyk or was it Chicane?! Holy Shawarma, I am old) so I decided to just give it a go. I guess you can say it's only fitting that I'm tipping off my hat to the final days of my 20's by bobbing my head, pumping my fists in the air and mane-smacking everyone in the face with some of my hair strands left on someone else's mouth. Yeah, I rock like that.

Before I spill all the stuff black mail dreams are made of, let me tell you now about the crazy before the real craziness happened. Picture one of the busiest, horrifying freeways in the U.S. versus the person who has lived in the greater LA area for the past 10 years but has never taken the plunge to hell drive on the notorious 10 freeway. And then picture me finding out that I had to drive my sister and myself to downtown, using this said freeway---during rush hour. Let's just say there were some sweaty palms and a couple of Hail Mary's involved.

Now for the fun part!

With every bit of us squished like a pack of sardines, I tried my bestestestestestestest to hold still and take some photos and short videos. Regrettably, I wasn't able to take a lot since the rain was pouring over us and  I was too much of a pussy to risk my camera getting soaked. Oh, and I was busy going crazy just like everyone else was...yea, that too.

Scattered rain + muddy dance floor + Half-naked men/ pretty-much-naked women + about 30,000 people + Otto Knows + Nero + Alesso + SHM = One crazy mutha of a night.

It was my little sister's first rave and she enjoyed it so much despite the wet, cold rain and sardines part!

My poor little camera couldn't take the loud bass that the audio recording is so scratchy! Boo.
Anyhoo, here are some snippets of senseless dancing and jumping around. Dont forget to select HD quality:

Alesso on stage. He's a bit of a cutie.

Lose My Mind

Dont You Worry Child - FYI, there is a woman cussing in this video and it ain't me. Mmmmk?

Their final song for the night, Save The World...and some random girl's pits. Ha!

Like what I say about going to concerts and events, it always pays to prepare. Since this was an outdoor rave event, it only means that the weather may well be your friend or your worst enemy and you're bound to ruin your outfit one way or another. Always check for the weather forecast, it'll pretty much dictate on what you should and shouldn't wear. I wanted to dress to the nines but there's no way in hell that I was going to risk ruining my premium stuff so off I went to the mall to find cheap alternatives.

In my case, I needed a cheap  pair of boots to stand on the muddy ground and a cross body bag/clutch that was big enough to keep the essentials like tickets, cash, driver's license, wet wipes, lipstick and a compact camera. I survived the rave but needless to say, there were definitely some casualties...

The clutch couldn't withstand all the jumping that one of the straps detached in the middle of the show and ended up on the muddy ground...See that little leather piece hanging with the chain? Yep, it ripped right off. I got it for cheap at H&M so my heart isn't bleeding. It's a bad photo of the bag but it's actually pretty cute with the tassel detail (you can see it peeking through on the lower left) and the little chain strap.

Not realizing that I was clutching a muddy purse all throughout the last half of the show, I got home and saw this...

* Is it me or does this angle make me look like I have a bulge where I'm not supposed to...Ha!* I really love the black shirt I have underneath. It reads, "BAD DREAMS ARE MADE OF ME"

Thanks for screwing up this picture, Mr. Fat Fingers.

SHM threw a spectacular and overwhelming show so it was sad to see them go. Parting is such sweet sorrow...but alas,we must party on...tugsh tugsh tugsh.

Toodles!

Chill Pill: For The Monday Blues

There are awesome songs and then there are equally awesome covers. Ever heard of that song by Stevie Nicks that was revived by Linus Loves feat. Sam Obernik? It's one of those perfect songs that is so sad but you want to dance to it too.

I mean c'mon...the lyrics itself can eat me alive. My pre-Miguel (the boyfriend) days unleashed all over again.

"No one knows how I feel,
What I say unless you read between my lines,
One man walked away from me,
First he took my hand,
Take me home"

Not to mention, the video was so fun to watch. You can't beat the setting : Prom Night. Dude with folded sleeves, light grey suit. Skinny black tie. White socks. Off-white loafers--- and those nerdy yet oh-so-perfect moves to woo any dream girl.

Don't be shy, I know you did a little dance. Work it, girl (or boy)!

Toodles!

Chill Pill: Halloween Weekend

What's in your playlist this weekend? I usually like listening to music that has NOTHING to do with Halloween so I don't end up hiding underneath the covers every night.

Wait, what's that white pale silhouette behind you? hehehe. Kidding.

Little Boots - New In Town

Passion Pit - Little Secrets

Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks

Audioslave - Cochise Sorry, girly girls...I really need my dose of rock. hehe =)

The Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong

If you're going to go trick or treatin' by my place, I only have dog treats. Want some?

Toodles!