Monthly Archives: October 2010

Everyday is Halloween

Well, not really but I like the title of that Ministry song.  Here are some images from this past week and weekend that are all things Halloween.   The first three below are images from work.  One is my team’s winning submission to our company’s pumpkin carving contest.  A couple of my direct reports found an image of a pumpkin as a burger, so they ran with the idea by getting all of the In-N-Out accessories to make it truly unique.  The second and third pictures are what my husband I wore to work on Friday (I’m in my goth girl outfit again, and Deon is “V for Vendetta”).

These last few pictures are of Halloween night and going “Trick or Treating” with my sister’s family and our kids.  My sister, her husband and daughter were dressed as Super Mario Bros (don’t they look awesome?).  It was nice to see that our neighbors had an awesome haunted garden.  At first my son didn’t want to go in.  When his cousin joined him, he practically ran in.  There is a great picture of Dominic and Mei-Lin watching a mechanical bride and groom sing “I Got You Babe”.

All in all, it was fun to see our kids go out for the first time together down the very same street we used to go down as kids every Halloween.  Hope everyone had a great weekend as well!

My Favorite Mode – The Tour Edition

Now that the phone and internet situation has been corrected at home (I bumped into the AT&T guy on the way to work), I feel whole again.  This is when I wonder, “What did we ever do before the internet?”  But I digress…

I’ve been really thinking about what my favorite Depeche Mode shows have been.  Most of my favorites were when they were still four members in the band, and the most recent have been the solo tours.  All images of tour programmes are from depmod.com (see the “Listen to This” blogroll), one of the most comprehensive Depeche Mode discography/collectors sites I’ve ever come across.  Ever since I’ve been on the internet, they are my source for everything Depeche Mode (other than the official site).  If you are anywhere near a Depeche Mode fan, you must check out depmod.com.  Your socks will be knocked off.  Plus if you’re like me, you will truly realize there is a lot more that you don’t have in your collection.  Also, all dates listed are for the concert date I attended in San Diego.

Note:  I have the set lists from every concert I’ve seen up until the Devotional Tour because I would religiously write down every song during the concert.  This is why I’ve included the set lists for the first three of my favorite concerts.  I have since stopped doing that because I can no longer see that well in the dark, and I’m just plain lazy.  It’s amazing what you have the tolerance for in your teens to your early 20’s.  The only list I am unsure of the order (with the exception of the encore songs) is the Some Great Reward Tour.

Some Great Reward Tour – April 1, 1985

I have mentioned previously that this was the first concert I had seen by Depeche Mode, and have since discovered that it was their first appearance in San Diego.  I truly feel blessed to have seen this concert knowing that information.  A couple of funny notes about this show:  my friend Eileen and I had not purchased any of their albums yet prior to this show, so we thought “See You” was “Sing You” and “Boys Say Go” was “DE-PECHE MODE!”.   I’m pretty sure we sounded absolutely silly to all the die-hard fans around us, but hey, we were 15-years-old at the time.  Needless to say we each got our parents to purchase all of their previously released albums so that we can catch up.  I think Depeche Mode knew there were many of us out there who were in the same boat because the album “Catching Up With Depeche Mode” soon followed.

I am forever glad that we went to the SGR tour because we got to hear songs live that I never heard again in concert, as you can see by the set list.

Set list:

Master and Servant (instrumental intro)
Something to Do
Two Minute Warning
Puppets
If You Want
People Are People
Leave in Silence
New Life
Shame
Somebody
Ice Machine
Lie to Me
Blasphemous Rumours
Told You So
Master and Servant
Photographic
Everything Counts
See You
Boys Say Go
The Meaning of Love

Encores:
Shout!
Just Can’t Get Enough

Black Celebration Tour – July 11, 1986

This was the tour where we followed the tour bus from the Sports Arena to the…wait for it…Travelodge across the street.  I’m sure they have upgraded their hotel stays since those days, but that’s where they were back in 1986.  I have pictures of their tour bus, which was the closest I ever got to any member of Depeche Mode until I got to meet Alan Wilder last week.  I also remember the first song and the lasting effect of the dropped curtain.  It was “Black Celebration” and if you are familiar with the song, you know that the song starts off very slow.  During this slow beginning, the curtains were still up, so we only saw shadows of the band behind it.  When the lyrics “I look to you…” were sung with music in full force behind it, the curtain dropped and the band was revealed to a screaming crowd.  I still feel the crescendo between the first note to the dropping of the curtain to this day.

I also really enjoyed seeing Book of Love live, who opened for Depeche Mode for the US leg of the tour (I am unsure if they opened up for any other shows).  Their self-titled album was a staple in my CD player for months after seeing them live.

Set List:

Christmas Island
Black Celebration
A Question of Time
Fly on the Windscreen
Shake the Disease
Leave in Silence
It’s Called a Heart
Everything Counts
A Question of Lust
Blasphemous Rumors
New Dress
Stripped
Something to Do
Master and Servant
Photographic
People are People

Encores:
Boys Say Go
Just Can’t Get Enough
More Than a Party

World Violation Tour – July 28, 1990

Of the three dates they were here for this tour, I only went to the first show (a friend of mine went to two dates).  Another bonus was that I won tickets to the show and sold the tickets that I bought before.  I also recall someone saying that they went to the Fashion Valley Mall and saw Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher shopping one of the days they were here.  Depeche Mode, shopping?  In my city?  Where was I when this was happening?

Shocking that I didn’t pick the Music for the Masses as one of my favorite tours, and it’s only because of the sad memories of not going to the Rose Bowl concert (still a very sore spot for me).   Truly, I liked this concert because it is one of my all time favorite albums.  I also really loved the images of the band dressed as cowboys and that some of those images were actually funny in nature.  The highlight of the show was seeing “World in my Eyes”  and “Halo” live.

I’ve always regarded Depeche Mode as “my band” because I didn’t follow the crowd when I discovered them (like Duran Duran).  I felt for a long time like they were my little discovery, and would share them when I decided to.  But after the Wherehouse store incident, there was no escaping that the boys were on the map, and three sold out shows in San Diego just proved to everyone that Depeche Mode were no longer some obscure band.  They were on the charts and violating the world, in a city near you.

Set List:

World in My Eyes
Halo
Shake the Disease
Everything Counts
Master and Servant
Never Let Me Down Again
Waiting for the Night
I Want You Now
World Full of Nothing
Clean
Stripped
Policy of Truth
Enjoy the Silence
Strangelove
Personal Jesus

Encores:
Black Celebration
Question of Time
Behind the Wheel
Route 66

The Singles Tour – December 15, 1998

Because I did not go to the Exotic Tour or the Ultra Parties (neither came to San Diego, but I should have gone to the Irvine Meadows show), the first concert I went to where I saw the band as three was the Singles Tour.  I went with my friend Angi, and we had a hard time in the beginning of the show with a few guys behind us who just kept chanting like it was a soccer game.  They finally stopped a few songs in, which was such a relief.

I have to say I was quite apprehensive seeing the band live without Alan Wilder.  For years he was my favorite, and after five concerts, you get used to looking forward to seeing him with the rest of the guys.  But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed myself and was looking forward to more Depeche Mode albums and tours with the three left.  Alan kept putting out Recoil music, so at least he was still around, even if he wasn’t with them.  I really missed not seeing Depeche Mode live.  It had been five years since the Devotional Tour, so this was a welcome sight.

Paper Monsters Tour, David Gahan – August 21, 2003

My sister and I went to this concert not knowing exactly what to expect.  I think it’s because it was Depeche Mode’s front man, the voice of the band, on tour without anyone else that we recognize.  How could Dave be up there withtout Martin or Fletch?  No matter how we felt about a tour without his band mates, we would not miss this for the world.

I liked the single “Dirty Sticky Floors” and thought the rest of the album was pretty good.  I knew that Dave would definitely infuse Depeche Mode songs in there, so we were not surprised when he closed with a song or two.  I just remember my jaw dropping when he sang a bit from a song that I have always thought he would be great at because his voice is so similar to Ian McCulloch, which is “Lips Like Sugar” by Echo and the Bunnymen.  When the words came out of Dave’s mouth, my sister and I looked at each other in disbelief.  Easily the highlight of the show for me.

A Strange Hour, Recoil – October 23, 2010

Of course I would pick this as a favorite show, simply because it had been 17 years since I have seen Alan Wilder live with Depeche Mode, or live at all.  If you’ve seen my “Strange Hours” post, you will know exactly how I felt about the concert and the whole experience of meeting him, so I won’t repeat it all here again (just click the link for my post on Anthology’s blog).  Suffice it to say that sitting in a club with my sister watching Alan Wilder in a very intimate setting has made up for the fact that the Tour of the Universe concert date was canceled last year in San Diego.  Hands down.

I hope you enjoyed this portion of “My Favorite Mode”.  After this weekend, I will post my favorite B-Sides and rarities, then a list of my all time favorite Depeche Mode songs.  I just haven’t decided how long the list will be yet!

Halloween Rocks!


Since the internet at home is still a very unreliable thing (and because my husband is out playing softball for the company team, so I’m left to tend to our son), I’m just going to do a quick post of a couple of pictures of my son’s costume for Halloween. He’s going to be DJ Lance Rock. This little get-up cracked us up all day today. He didn’t want to take it off, so I think we found the perfect costume (the second picture is him running because it was time to put the outfit away until Saturday). Gotta love “Yo Gabba Gabba!”

My Favorite Mode

Our internet is still very intermittent at home (due to flooded phone lines causing our DSL to act up), so my post about cape jackets will have to wait until the repairs to our lines happen later this week.  I’m on my little Nokia Booklet 3G with an LG wireless modem, and it doesn’t have any kind of photo editing program, so my ability to post a nifty pictorial is very limited.   What I will do is stay on my Depeche Mode/Alan Wilder high and post my all time favorite albums, songs, tours and rarities. 

Favorite album:  Some Great Reward

For all the reasons I’ve stated before, this is still by far my absolute favorite album.  This album solidified me as a fan, and provided  the soundtrack that justified all my reasons for feeling different at an age when conformity was forefront.  It also marked the first time I had seen the band live.

No other album juxtaposes the angst of personal religious struggle with sadomasochism like “Some Great Reward”.  The lyrics have some of the sexiest lines, and some of the most ironic.  The album also showcases the beginnings of how they started mastering their industrial yet fluid sound, which really was very metallic on “Construction Time Again” but became more organic with “Some Great Reward”.  I have an interview were they said that they would just walk around outside the studio recording sounds and manipulating them before running them through their synthesizers.

One of the songs that sort of hit me was the beautiful ballad “Somebody”.  The haunting acoustic piano with the street background noise only enhance the irony of the words.  The lyrics are quite sentimental and lovely, until the very end of the song:

But when I’m asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I’ll get away with it

As I got older, the words of all of their songs started to really take on new meanings, only because I really started to understand exactly what they meant (I was a very naive 14-year-old).  Here are my favorite lines from various songs:

It’s a lot like life
This play between the sheets
With you on top and me underneath
Forget all about equality
 Let’s play master and servant

So lie to me
But do it with sincerity
Make me listen
Just for a minute
Make me think
There’s some truth in it

I don’t want to start
Any blasphemous rumours
But I think that God’s
Got a sick sense of humour
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

Of course a line from “If You Want”, the only song on the album penned by Alan Wilder, became the quote that I would use time and time again:

Let tomorrow and today
Bring a life of ecstasy

Funny how that at the age of 14 this album became a defining musical moment in my life.  Was I really that complex at that time?  I’d like to think so.

Favorite Song:  World In My Eyes

I have many favorite songs from my favorite band, all of which would require its own top 20 list.  But when someone asks me to define what I think the “Depeche Mode” sound is, I don’t ask them to listen to “Enjoy the Silence” or “Personal Jesus”.  I don’t even ask them to listen to anything from “Some Great Reward” because that was just the beginning of their ever evolving sound.  I think the song that is quintessentially Depeche Mode is the song “World in my Eyes”.  Another very sultry song, it comes from their most popular album to date, “Violator”.  All of the songs on the album again juxtaposition religious overtones next to very sexual undertones.  The reason I think it’s the most “Depeche Mode” sounding song of their repertoire is because of the overall production, the rhythmic beat and the layering of sounds along with very seductive lyrics.  It’s upbeat yet dark, all at the same time.  Dave Gahan had truly honed his soothing voice by this album, so this song is just dripping with pure sensuality.  The best part is that you can dance to it.

As it is time that I tend to my son who is having trouble sleeping, I will tackle some of my other favorites in the next few posts.  Good night!

Next:  Favorite B Sides, Rarities, and tours

Never Let Me Down Again

I’m going to be on this Alan Wilder high for a little while longer.  I’m sorry if my blogs posts have become so Depeche Mode/Alan Wilder centric, but I guess I have to confess about how the fandom started in order for anyone to understand why this weekend was so important to me.

I remember when I first heard Depeche Mode.  I was in CCD class when I first heard about the station 91X back in 1983.  Someone had told me about this station because of my taste in music, so I started listening to it.  The first song I ever heard by Depeche Mode was “Everything Counts” and I thought it was a great song.  I saw the video and I really enjoyed their music.  When “People are People” came out the following year, I started to pay attention more and more.  I found out that they were an all synth band, and as a classically trained pianist, it was a band I could relate to because they played the same instrument that I did.  A whole band, all on keyboards?  Could it be true?

The fandom really didn’t kick in until the next album “Some Great Reward”.  It’s ironic that I had heard about 91X and Depeche Mode in CCD class because I really was trying to figure out what role religion was supposed to play in my life.  At the tender age of 13 going on 14, I had started to struggle with my relationship with God and Catholicism.  Then I heard “Blasphemous Rumours” and for whatever reason it spoke to me.  It let me know that I wasn’t the only one wondering about what it all meant.  There in lyrical and musical form was my struggle.  From then on, I had found my band. 

Luckily the following year, Depeche Mode toured to support “Some Great Reward”.  By some miracle, my friend Eileen and I were able to snag these incredibly hard to come by tickets.  They only opened up about a third of the San Diego Sports Arena because they were unsure of how well the tickets would sell.  We already purchased our tickets when they opened up a few hundred more seats, then those sold out almost instantly.  I didn’t realize then that this was the first time Depeche Mode had ever played in San Diego (April 1, 1985).  I still have the ticket stub that says the tickets were a mere $13.75.  My how times have changed!

I went on to see Depeche Mode eight more times, only missing “Tour of the Universe” last year because it was cancelled here in San Diego.  The only other member I had seen solo prior to seeing Alan Wilder this weekend was Dave Gahan for his “Paper Monsters” tour.  My biggest regret was missing the 1988 Rose Bowl concert that turned into the “101” movie.  I did see a show for the “Music For the Masses” tour, but the Rose Bowl concert was the one that almost any fan who was in the Southern California area was in attendance, except for me (it seemed at the time). 

Through it all, my favorite member had always been Alan Charles Wilder.  The oldest of the group, he is the only classically trained musician, so I related instantly with him.  I taught myself how to play “Somebody” on piano, among a number of other Depeche Mode songs.  I bought myself a drum machine and a Korg keyboard to write songs.  Much like people followed the Beatles, I followed Depeche Mode.  And much like people liked Paul McCartney or John Lennon, I liked Alan Wilder.  I had followed his career from all the way through Depeche Mode, and now to Recoil.

As you can see, this weekend was very important to me because it marked such a milestone in my fandom.  I had never tried too hard to try to meet Alan or any member of Depeche Mode because it was always an elusive idea.  When the opportunity presented itself the way it had this past weekend, it felt like fate.  This weekend was meant to happen, exactly the way it was supposed to, and it did not disappoint. 

So please pardon the interruption while I let this weekend’s experience sink in.

Photos 1, 2, and 3 are courtesy of the official Recoil Facebook page

Strange Hours: The Alan Wilder Experience

Sometimes one doesn’t have to plan for a spectacular event to happen. Sometimes it just happens because of synergy or karma. Sometimes it’s just pure luck, and sometimes it’s all about timing and opportunity.  Sometimes, it’s all of the above.

I had an unbeliveable day with my sister in meeting Alan Wilder and seeing his show “A Strange Hour” with Recoil and friends.  It started off with being the very first person in line at the M-Theory Music store signing (we got there and met up with my friend Rob and his friend, Todd at 2:30pm), winning the “dance-off” judged by Alan Wilder himself (music by DJ Edgartronic), then chatting with him briefly while getting many of my Depeche Mode and Recoil rarities signed.  The dance-off was quite funny because five people signed up, but I was the only who danced.  Alan remarked that I won not only because of the dancing, but because I was the only brave one to go up there and actually do it!

Winning the contest afforded me two tickets to the show, so I took my sister.  While still at the signing, Alan said that I need to be there because Anthology is such an intimate venue that he wanted to make sure I got up and danced to get the crowd going.  I said that since I won the contest that I had tickets, I would definitely be there.  After waiting for my sister, Rob and Todd and their signings, we exited M-Theory. 

Later that night, my sister and I went to the show at Anthology.  Because I won the contest, our seats were just five feet from the stage.  I’d never been to Anthology before, and it’s a very beautiful venue.  The night started with Conjure One, who did a pretty good set (this was my first time seeing them).  Then Alan Wilder himself came out to check out the crowd.  He scanned the front to see if there was any one he recognized, and pointed me out and said “I remember you from earlier!”  I got a couple of high-fives for the “shout out” from Alan, which just brought out the 16-year old in me all over again.  He then introduced Daniel Myer of Architect.  Alan encouraged people to please come down to the floor, as this set up was just too “sophisticated” and wanted to see people dance.  He also mentioned that the Architect set was cut short at the show the night before, so we would get the privilege of enjoying Daniel’s entire set (a little over 30 minutes long).  The Architect set mixed in some Depeche Mode samples which really got the crowd going.  It was a very strong proggy/industrial set, which I enjoyed. 

Of course, last but not least was Paul Kendall and Alan Wilder, who did a magnificent set from their new “Selected” album, which is a selection of classic Recoil songs that are remastered.  What surprised me the most about the set was just how much Depeche Mode was mixed in.  Songs that I remember the snippets of were “Never Let Me Down Again”, “Behind The Wheel”, “Walking in my Shoes” and the encore song that included “Personal Jesus”.  I guess I expected it to be strictly Recoil music, but one can never forget where Alan spent a big part of his musical career.

I felt that Alan was also so much more relaxed and grooved the entire concert, something I don’t recall seeing when he was with Depeche Mode (who I’ve seen at least eight times in concert since 1985).  Maybe it was the dynamics of the group at the time he was there, but Alan was in his element last night, enjoying every single moment of this musical journey he started well before he left Depeche Mode.  Additionally, Alan is just such a nice person.  He was so gracious judging the dance-off and so very sweet during the signing.  One always hopes for a great experience with someone they have admired and followed for so long, so the moment is even better when that person is as wonderful a person as Alan Wilder is.

All in all, it was a spectacular day.  I was so pleasantly surprised throughout the day by all the events that it made the day even better than I hoped it would be.  My inner-teenager was so thrilled to have had this opportunity to fulfill what seemed to be a lifelong dream.  I want to thank my sister, my friends Rob and Todd, M-Theory Music, Anthology, DJ Edgartronic and most of all, Alan Wilder for making this an experience I will not soon forget.

True Calling: Major Art

I entered this great contest by The Natori Company that I received today in my email.   Click on the picture for the Facebook link to enter the contest (you can also enter on Twitter).  My entry is in the quote below.  Good luck to those who enter!

Major Art

Choosing to have an art major was a difficult decision for me because as the daughter of Filipino immigrant parents, it was expected that I choose a different path, preferably something in the medical field like a nurse or doctor.  But luckily my parents understood that my calling was to choose a path less travelled by my friends and relatives and to choose a major of visual arts.  I’ve always been very creative, both musically and visually, so choosing an art major was natural for me. 

As a result, my time in college was one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life.  I was at my most creative, working with film,  video and music (I also became a choir director at my church).  It afforded me some incredible opportunities that I will never forget, like the many shows I got to work on for MTV; working with Toni Braxton on a made for TV movie for VH1 (“Play’d”); and most notably, working with Denzel Washington on a major motion picture (“Antwone Fisher”).

I’m currently in a different career that allows me to have time for a family (which was difficult when I was a free lancer for film and video production), but I do not regret at all the decision to have the chances and opportunities that I did as an art major.

Two Day Warning

I’m a big fan of indie-record stores and M-Theory Music is as indie as they come.  I love their selection of older vinyl records and CD’s mixed in with new and independent artists.  They even have 45’s, which is a rare find these days.  Located in Mission Hills, this award-winning store has listening stations which makes it a great place to listen before you purchase.  Since it’s near Hillcrest, one can head on over to grab a bite to eat or get a cup of coffee close by after a little music shopping. 

It’s Thursday and the Alan Wilder signing will be in two more days.  My husband and I went to M-Theory Music to scope out the area and see how this highly anticipated signing may play out.  I got a chance to chat with Rick, the manager at M-Theory, who stated that this is going to be a very popular event, with people coming down from LA and elsewhere (I know someone coming from Riverside).  There’s even going to be a dance off to win Recoil tickets.  Overall, it sounds like they are going to do what they can to make this a fun event for everyone.

I’ve already called my friend Eileen and my sister to let them know that we may have to get to the signing a bit earlier due to the size of the store and the location.  Either way, my excitement is starting to grow.  Friday will be spent thinking about what I’m going to bring for Alan to sign and what I’m going to wear.  Although I want to bring practically my whole collection, I’m going to have to narrow it down.  I’m taking lots of deep breaths for the next two days…*sigh*

Outfit:  Trilogy jacket; Tucker for Target dress; Zac Posen for Target belt; Jessica Simpson suede boots; Louis Vuitton Palermo PM purse; vintage cameo necklace, Old Navy tights

Photos by Deon Chen

(Note:  The title of this post is a play on the song entitled “Two Minute Warning” written by Alan Wilder when he was with Depeche Mode.  I’m sure some of you new that, right?)

Stick a Fork In It!

I’m breaking a bit from the fashion posts today to share one of my son’s firsts:  we bought him his first utensil set!  He’s used a spoon before, but this is Dominic’s very first fork and spoon set and his first “big boy” meal.  It’s amazing how fast they grow, so we’re always capturing his firsts. 

In the end, Dominic ditched the fork and spoon (and the rest of the meal) to pick up his fruit snacks.  Well, we tried.

(And for those who are wondering:  yes, that is a Juicy Couture bib.  Can’t completely escape fashion, now can I?)

Cameo Appearance

Aren’t cameos beautiful?  I own three (so far) and am always happy to add more to my collection whenever I come across a beautiful one.  Full of whimsy, they always remind me of the era of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth anyone?).  They are delicate and intricate, adding a vintage touch to any outfit.  I wore one for my “Military Luxe” outfit that I bought from Forever 21 (seen here), but I have an antique cameo that I got from my mom quite some time ago that can be worn as a brooch or a necklace (the one pictured above).

I’ve included a couple of cute cameo items I found on Modcloth that I will be adding to my collection (I’m such a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” that it’s funny the bracelet I found is called “Ms. Darcy”).  I just purchased a mini-lot of cameos on eBay (sparking the idea for this post).  Now that my cold has run its course and as soon as the weather permits, I guarantee that all of these cameos will accompany a few outfits on many a pictorial.

(Click on the Modcloth pictures for links to the items)