my deflowering of belle & sebastian

*** let the back-dating begin! ***

venue: the greek theater in berkeley
band: belle & sebastian with real estate and perfume cruise
when: 12 april 2015 (sunday)
show started at 4p

my lovely cousin's wife and childhood friend, nina was my date and witness to the deflowering. at this point, i've probably been to 200+ concerts and i'd yet gone to see belle & sebastian until now. i have always wanted to see belle & sebastian and they sound amazing live. the greek in berkeley is one of my favorite venues so it was super exciting to go.

we got there early and noticed all these random people, including kids, dressed up and all in white. once the show started, we began to recognize all the people in white were now on stage dancing with the band! i was super jealous. turns out, it was some sort of first 50 to sign up got this gig. the white attire would have been very appropriate for the deflowering of this experience. finally, i can say that i've seen them live. for someone who used to go to a show every week for years, catching one a month at this age has been a challenge.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
i didn't see it coming | make me dance | i want to surrender

no one is lost

venue: the fillmore
band: stars with leisure cruise
when: 5 march 2015 (thursday)
doors open at 7p

my 12th stars show (one where they opened for broken social scene) and the 3rd show with joe. corrie and arlo met us there. it was their first stars show. and i'm told, stars is arlo's new fav band! yay! i do love to spread the love of stars. they are so good and versatile that it is so easy to love them.

this new album is much different from the last two but i enjoy it very much. there's a song i absolutely love on this album. it's called look away and it reminds me very much of the beautiful south especially with both amy and torquil singing as they do on many of their songs. arlo mentioned that it reminded him of the housemartins who basically became the beautiful south. afterwards, joe and i hit tommy's joynt for our usual after concert snack. they don't do the combo pastrami and corned beef anymore. :(

i didn't know that the show was sold out but turns out, there was a fillmore poster for the show and i'm told they only make posters for sold out shows. this made my collection complete. yay!

the setlist:
1. from the night
2. ageless beauty
3. we don’t want your body
4. backlines
5. you keep coming up
6. a song is a weapon
7. this is the last time
8. hold on when you get love and let go when you give it
9. look away
10. dead hearts
11. trap door
12. one more night (your ex-lover remains dead)
13. elevator love letter
14. take me to the riot
15. your ex-lover is dead
16. no one is lost
encore: are you ok? & nothing i can do

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ turn it up!

thao (solo)

venue: swedish american hall (upstairs from café du nord)
artist: thao (solo), the myanbirds and two other openings (sold out!) @noise pop
when: 23 february 2015 (tuesday)
doors open at 7:30p

last month, i saw thao nguyen perform live for the 6th time. we started off with dinner at l'ardoise and it was just as i remembered the last time i was there. while the first two openers were not very good. the third opening band, the myanbirds which was really just laura bernhenn, was pretty surprisingly fantastic. she did the whole looping thing with her vocals and all the different sounds she played on her keyboards. i was very impressed. i wouldn't mind seeing her on her own.

it is still amazing to watch thao. she's also got a witty and awesome personality. and even though there were three openers and it wasn't over until after midnight on a work day, it was worth not getting enough sleep over.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

new order again!

venue: bill graham civic auditorium (sold out!)
band: new order & la roux (opening)
when: 11 july 2014 (friday)
doors open at 7p

for some reason, i keep thinking that i've only seen new order 3 times before this show but it was actually 4. i kept forgetting about the area one festival where they headlined. in any case, this is new order #5. this year, i went with 3 first-timers and that was very exciting for all. i snagged pre-sale tickets this year so we had lower balcony seats (section 213). the capacity of this venue is 7000 which is more than double the size of the fox theater in oakland (venue of the last show). it was a crazy sea of people below. and we received a surprise second encore which they never ever do. when i first saw them, they didn't even do an encore. we waited but nothing. ages ago, i'd read that they didn't play encores because it's not technically part of the show. but in recent years, they've become more and more generous with their time. despite not having played any songs off of technique, it was another amazing show. especially with tommy's joynt for snacks afterwards! yum!

here is the setlist from the show:
1. elegia
2. crystal
3. regret
4. singularity (new song!)
5. ceremony
6. age of consent
7. your silent face
8. california grass
9. bizarre love triangle
10. 5 8 6
11. plastic (another new song!)
12. true faith
13. the perfect kiss
14. blue monday
15. temptation
encore: atmosphere & love will tear us apart (both joy division)
surprise encore #2: san francisco (be sure to wear flowers in your hair)

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ another fine time.

technopop

venue: fox theater (sold out!)
band: kraftwerk
when: 24 march 2014 (monday)

last week, i went to my very first 3D concert at the fox theater. i wasn't sure what to expect when i was handed this red envelop with 3D glasses. it was innovative and surprisingly amazing. i couldn't take my eyes away from the show. even though their music reminds me of music from 80s video games, it was very advanced at the time as it is still super cool. the german quartet stood at consoles on stage, in matching outfits. but what you see beyond that in 3D, was really fantastic. all of which was choreographed with the music perfectly.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

glasvegas @ popscene

venue: rickshaw stop (popscene)
artist: glasvegas
when: 6 march 2014 (thursday)
doors open at 10p

yes, that's right. it says popscene up there. yes, it's been ages since i was there last. i don't even remember the last time i went dancing there. i certainly have yet to go to popscene while it's been at the rickshaw stop. the last time i went, it was still at 330 ritch. and i thought i was done.

but popscene is like an old friend who hasn't changed very much. even though the venue has changed and is better like a facelift sometimes is, it felt familiar and almost comforting. they still play the same music there, though much of it is new. i think the djs are the same. hard to believe i've been coming to popscene since i was 18.

unfortunately, glasvegas didn't come on until 11:30p. my friend had to leave at midnight and i wasn't sure i should stay much longer than that either. so what we saw and heard from them, we really enjoyed. the first thing that caught our attention about them is that the drummer is this badass woman. she not only rocked the drums while standing but she rocked the flock of seagulls 80's do too. we were very impressed by her.

they played a lot of songs from their latest album which i picked up on vinyl. very exciting. what else we noticed about this band was their front man, james allan. especially when he took off his jacket to reveal a shirt that was open at the sides and really nice arms to go with it. i don't remember him being especially sexy in their youtube videos. but from the second floor in the dark at the rickshaw stop, he was looking pretty hot. my friend concurred.

despite not really being able to understand most of it, i love love the scottish accent. that was a nice treat for me.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop with bob mould

venue: great american music hall
artist: bob mould with zach rogue & jon ginoli (sold out!)
when: 27 february 2014 (thursday)
doors open at 7p

i usually look forward to the annual noise pop festivals but wasn't particularly interested in any bands this year. i just didn't know any of the bands performing. i didn't know who bob mould was but given free tickets to this sold out show.

jon ginoli was the first opening act. he was funny and folky. it seemed like they put some random gay guy in a pink shirt and pink converse on stage, singing songs about loving men. after the first couple of songs, the joke was sort of over. the second opening was zach rogue. he was much better. his soothing vocals were such a contrast from jon ginoli's songs. someone in the audience even shouted a request which he seems pleased about.

i'd heard some songs from bob mould's workbook as it was it's 25th anniversary. he was playing the album in its entirety that night. generally when artists do that, it's a special night. and it was. not only did the company (thanks nisa!) make it special but i was pleasantly surprised. the songs reminded me of a summer i spent just listening to music and going to really good shows with friends. we spent days and nights in saratoga sitting by the pool. it was in the mid-90's and an exciting time of music adventures which helped mold me into the proud music snob i am today.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

slaughterhouse

venue: rickshaw stop
artist: ty segall with burnt ones & the endless bummer (sold out!)
when: 25 february 2014 (tuesday)

i admit that ty segall is more noise rock than i am used to. and despite being a music snob, i still try to be open to new things. i think going to this show proves it. i'm all about action and not just talk.

i haven't been to the rickshaw stop in years (since 2008!). i remember it was not one of my favorite venues. so when this came up, i suggested that we get there early to get some prime seating on the second floor. we scored this cozy love seat in a corner where there was no one standing behind or over us.

the opening bands were quite loud and noisy. luckily, my friend brought me some ear plugs which made listening much more bearable. i rarely ever wear them but it gave me a better understanding of the music. it didn't just sound like noise. i could hear the guitars, vocals and drums more clearly. and when ty segall came on, i could appreciate the difference between good noise rock and bad noise rock. for instance, ty segall's vocals were much better than the second opening. it was a nice music adventure. i feel i've grown musically.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

thao at nightlife

venue: california academy of sciences (cas)
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down & the french cassettes
when: 17 october 2013 (thursday)

it has only been about 6 months since i last saw thao in concert but it has been much longer since i've been to nightlife (maybe a year or so?). and perhaps even longer since i've been to a show on a date.

coincidentally, we are both members at cas. he had never been to nightlife so i thought it would be a fun thing to do together. having thao there was the cherry on top. we started the night with the planetarium show and it was quite romantic being in the dark for 30 minutes. in fact, the 30 minutes went by much faster than i preferred.

thao played outdoors and it was cold that night. since i've been to nightlife for a show (jens lekman), they have added very cool technological changes. not only did that include a screen behind the band to see them better but there was also a slideshow playing on the screen throughout and during the intermission between thao and the band before, called the french cassettes. they weren't bad either. anyway, thao was upbeat, energetic, and a little crazy as usual. and despite the cold, it was a great show and an even better date night. i thoroughly enjoyed myself.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

pet shop boys

venue: fox theater (sold out!)
band: pet shop boys with jacques lu cont
when: 6 october 2013 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

this was the second time i've seen the pet shop boys and they are better than i remembered them. i saw them back in 1999 so it has been quite some time. back then, they had a light show but nothing compared to the light show, costumes, and performances at this show. back then, i also met neil tennant and chris lowe thanks to a san diego radio station. i have a picture somewhere that i will have to find, scan, and upload.

we had upgraded tickets which gave us access to the telegraph room an hour before the show. it also gave us access to some comp fried goodness, comp coat check, separate restrooms, and a special vip area to watch the show from. it was on the first floor near the sound techs. it was awesome and so very convenient.

while they have a new album out, they still played most of their classics. despite having to stand in 4-inch heels the entire time, i had a grand time singing and dancing to music of my youth.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

stars again

venue: great american music hall
artist: stars with trails and ways
when: 17 september 2013 (tuesday)
doors open at 7p

this is my 11th stars show and even though i just saw them last year, i would have seen them on the 18th if i could find someone to go with me. it was really nice because they played their old stuff. songs they haven't played in years. songs from their first album. though i have never seen them play the very thing, the song i first fell in love with them over. the kind of song that speaks to you.

we had dinner tickets which i love because it basically guarantees a seat. and at my age, i want to sit and enjoy the shows. the food is a plus!

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

10 years!!

i was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in the summer 2003. i also had my thyroidectomy late that summer. coincidentally, a band called postal service released their new (and only) album give up earlier that year. for two weeks, after my surgery, that was all i listened to during my recovery.
venue: greek theater in berkeley (sold out)
artist: postal service with baths & divine fits
who: joe & sileena
when: 27 july 2013 (saturday) at 8p

my friend joe came up again with his friend for the show. i decided it would be a good idea for us to stay in berkeley near the greek theater so we could just walk there. it was really convenient.

the last time i was at the greek theater, i saw ben gibbard on his 30th birthday. that was 7 years ago. while i have seen death cab for cutie 3 times, i had never seen rilo kiley live. however, jenny lewis was playing with postal service so it was very exciting for me. she has a great voice. it was super cute how both jenny lewis and ben gibbard danced together. it was an amazing show. being there really brought me back to 2003, in a good way. we didn't stay for the second encore since they'd pretty much played all of their songs including any new songs they might have released with the 10th anniversary album. i would definitely see them again, even if they played the same songs over and over.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ nothing better

bearded men who sing like robert smith

venue: great american music hall
artist: shout out louds with haert
who: nisa
when: 22 may 2013 (wednesday)
doors open at 7p

optica is the new album by shout out louds which is a return to their first and second albums. i enjoyed every song. initially, i was disappointed with their last album work. but after another listen, i am finding it quite nice. it was just different. it's slower and has several delightful songs on it. i know it's unfair to compare them to the cure all the time and they really are a band on their own. but robert smith has such a unique voice and singing style. i haven't heard anything like him until i heard shout out louds. i discovered them while on my swedish pop high on pandora.

back to the show. nisa and i had dinner tickets so we could get first dibs on seats. we arrived so early that not only did we have to line up but we also got rock star parking. the opening band haerts could have been much better than they were. their vocalist had a cool stevie nicks vibe about her and had so much potential. however, i could tell there was a difference of musical opinions with the rest of the band. they were more rock and roll while she was more country folk.

i didn't remember adam olenius being so cute from the last show. but having such optimal seating, we were able to gawk at him for the duration of the show. another 80s throw back. it was something really wonderful. nisa and i had a great time eating, dancing, and best of all, gawking at the cute bearded man who sang like robert smith.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ like sugar on my tongue

diamond rings & omd (again)

venue: regency ballroom (sold out!)
band: omd with diamond rings
who: cousin lam & nina
when: 12 april 2013 (friday)
doors open at 8p

when i saw diamond rings open for stars at the fillmore, i was blown away. his energy was contagious, along with his music. it was an 80's throw back. i was thrown back. i was very excited to see that diamond rings opened up for omd. i'd never been to the regency ballroom and was unsure about what general admission tickets would look like since nowadays i prefer sitting to standing at concerts. luckily, others preferred standing. we were able to get seats next to the stage.

during the intermission, nina and i found our way to the merch table where diamond rings was doing a meet and greet. i was also interested in adding another record to my collection. it's also an excuse to talk to him. and he is so so pretty in person. i don't think the picture above does him justice.

you can tell that most of the audience was there to see omd as nina and i were basically the only ones dancing to diamond rings. i didn't care, i couldn't help myself. i saw omd for the first time in october of 2011. i had waited about 20 years to see them. not sure why i didn't see them sooner, it's not like they haven't had any albums out since sugar tax. in fact, they've had two albums after sugar tax before the tour of the show in 2011.

the show was fantastic. even more fantastic was going with my cousins. we all got up out of our seats and danced like it was 1989. the night was a great 80's throw back.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

noise pop 2013

venue: great american music hall
artist: thao nguyen + the get down stay down @ noise pop
when: 2 march 2013 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

thao has a new album out called we the common. at first, i wasn't sure how much i liked it. but after seeing her live and paying attention to what it was about, it was really meaningful. it's about taking care of one another. it's been a long time since i found meaning in full length albums.

unfortunately, all three of her opening bands (sallie ford & the sound outside, before the brave, and kacey johansing) were horrendous. fortunately, the company was fabulous which made up for the openings.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

swedish pop: jens lekman & taken by trees

venue: the fillmore
band: jens lekman with taken by trees
who: ashley
when: 5 november 2012 (monday)
doors open at 7p

i was supposed to see taken by trees at noise pop back in 2008. but the band got their equipment stolen and cancelled all the shows including the one i had tickets for. it was a bummer. so i was thrilled to see that she was opening for jens. for those who have not heard of taken by trees, it is the solo project of victoria bergsman, former lead singer for the concretes. her voice was quite sweet and lovely, much like her.

we arrived early so we could get prime seating in the balcony. we had a nice view into the stage from the left. jens was touring his latest album i know what love isn't. after making music about being in love and breaking hearts, this was heartbreak. his heartbreak. despite that, he can still put on a show.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

the north with stars

venue: the fillmore (sold out!)
band: stars, diamond rings & california wives
who: joe
when: 20 october 2012 (saturday)
doors open at 7p

joe came up again to visit and see stars with me at the fillmore. lisa & i took the day off on friday so we could go to napa with joe. we started with the house for lunch in the city and then picked up some egg tarts at golden gate bakery. we began our wine tour with castello di amorosa in calistoga for some wine tasting, then dean & deluca for raclette cheese ending with v. sattui for more wine tasting and a picnic of cheese, paté, salami and bread. incidentally, both castello di amorosa and v. sattui are owned by the same company.

joe and i had peruvian food for dinner. a few blocks from the fillmore, we made it there in less than 10 minutes. the first band, california wives from chicago were surprisingly good. joe and i listened to both opening bands before the show and they sounded much better live. the second opening, diamond rings was even more surprising. the lead singer is like a gay vanilla ice. he was a total diva. very entertaining. the songs were pretty good too. joe liked them so much, he got their tank top and was quite excited about it too. hah.

this album really speaks to me. though i think i say that about most of their music, i'm so in love with "the theory of relativity." i love this verse, i think it's so catchy and fun to sing:

back in the lame grade ten i was a total devastator, baby
down in the schoolyard they all fell to their knees
but it can't be '93 sadly 'cause i wish it could forever
you call it luck; i call it tragedy

and in the song, "the north," the chorus describes my sleep patterns exactly:

good luck, bad luck, survival
sleep is my friend and my rival
good luck, bad luck, survival

i struggle with getting to sleep every night, however, i love to nap and sleep in when i get the chance to. and i suffer during the work week because i am a night owl by nature but my work life forces me to be an early bird.

there is one more song that i have to mention. "lights changing color" takes me back to my most favorite and possibly, the best date ever. specifically these lines bring back the memories:

it was empty 'till you came up through the honey
nothing ever goes as planned
when you're walking and the lights are changing color
remember how you held my hand

this is actually my 10th stars show. i counted. i miscounted before because i think that i counted the memphis show as a stars show. maybe i should say that i've seen torquil campbell play ten times. in any case, this is the most i've seen a band and i can't help it, i don't want to stop. it's as if i am addicted to them. well, i suppose i am. as i am in still in love with this new album, the north. plus, the poster that the fillmore produced is obviously designed by someone who knows their music because this was the perfect poster (by brad kayal) for them.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ the heart suspends then bends it into three or five.

new order, back after 7 long years

venue: fox theater (sold out!)
band: new order
who: lisa
when: 5 october 2012 (friday)
doors open at 7p

this is the fourth time i have seen new order. the first time was in 1993, then i saw them at the area: one festival in 2001. the last time was in 2005 for the tour of their most recent album, waiting for the siren's call. come to think of it, every show was with lisa except for the last one.
see the close-up shots of bernard sumner? i had to show off the awesome zoom i have on my point & shoot canon camera. hahah.

since i've seen them, new order started playing joy division songs at their last show but didn't before that. this is nice for those of us who never got the chance to see joy division which is most of us since ian curtis killed himself right before their american tour back in 1980. here is the setlist from the show:
1. elegia
2. crystal
3. ceremony
4. close range
5. age of consent
6. isolation (joy division)
7. here to stay
8. your silent face
9. bizarre love triangle
10. 5 8 6
11. true faith
12. the perfect kiss
13. blue monday
14. temptation
encore: atmosphere & love will tear us apart (both joy division)

we were a bit disappointed that they didn't play anything from their technique album but it was still a 5-heart show for me. we left as "love will tear us apart" was ending so we could avoid the mad rush leaving the theater. and we listened to technique "all the way" home to make up for what we didn't get to hear at the concert.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ it was a fine time.

♥ from kip

venue: slim's
artist: pains of being pure at heart (pobpah) & twin sister
who: joe
when: 7 october 2011 (friday)
doors open at 7p

joe was visiting for about 5 days which is always nice. we got a work out in there, a couple trips to the city and of course, shopping! we also had tickets to see peter bjorn & john (pb&j) the weekend he was in the area. unfortunately, they cancelled. and in an effort to make the most of his stay, i got us tickets to see pobpah. coincidentally, at the same venue that pb&j were going to play.

we got there early enough to get a prime parking spot, something to eat and seats upstairs. from our seats, we could see the merch table and who was manning it. for a good period of time, it was kip berman, the lead vocalist for pobpah. i decided that i would check out the merch and maybe add some vinyl to my growing collection. i have a record that is white vinyl and another one (from the recent jens show) that is clear vinyl. so i wanted to get a record that is special. i have their second album, belong but only a couple of songs off of the first album. kip mentioned that the record has a marble pattern to it. this of course is the exact type of thing i wanted. to top it off, kip signed it for me (see image above). he was also very nice.

the opening band, twin sister was horrible. all due to their singer. her vocals had potential, however, she did not. the look she was sporting was terrible. it was some sort of homely-yet-slutty look. the two do not go together. it was dreadful. as far as their music, i clearly forgot because i needed to. nothing special.

for some reason and perhaps it was because of twin sister, but i liked pobpah much better when ro and i saw them at gamh back in april. i still enjoyed them, just not as much.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

orchestral manoeuvres in the dark

that's right, as in the band who wrote if you leave.

venue: the warfield
band: omd with washington
who: my brother and sister (our dentist, her brother, my friend thao and her friend)
when: 3 october 2011 (monday)
doors open at 7p

this was the first concert that three of us siblings went to together. i thought we'd gone to see the cure together in 1992 but no one seems to remember that far back. omd has a new album out called history of modern. usually, when bands go on tour, their playlist consists mostly of new music in order to promote the new album. not quite the case at this show. in fact, they played most of their classics. more than they did at their show at the fox theatre earlier in the year, apparently.

the opening band was washington as in megan washington, an artist from australia. her vocals are upbeat, a little bit sexy and very lovely. we all thought her set was quite good for an opening. i want to get her album.

omd was one of the few bands i hadn't seen live, that i really wanted to see. they toured during my senior year in high school but i was only 17 and couldn't get into the 18+ venues they were playing. that cd, sugar tax, is a good one. that was really the last album i listened to. andy mccluskey has a voice to swoon to. i remember listening to them when i was in middle school and just falling in lust with him. believe it or not, he's still got it. even at 52. he still gets down like it's 1990 but like i said before, he's still got it. i was quite impressed.

also impressive is the song, electricity. mccluskey said he wrote it in 1976, when he was 17! it's still a really great song. they played most of our favorites, all of the classics that we could remember. towards the end, everyone in the audience (even us on the balcony floor) got up and danced like it was 1999. for the most part, everyone there was around our age. however, there were people much older (white hair and/or no hair) getting down to omd. it was so much fun. i would definitely see them again.

rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

nearly caught up! i'm in october now...