Tag Archives: concert

“Cover Me” in Depeche Mode Tonight!

The day is finally here: DEPECHE MODE’S “GLOBAL SPIRIT TOUR” AT MATTRESS FIRM AMPHITHEATRE!

I believe the show is sold out, but there are verified tickets still available on Live Nation. I have the Live Nation app and I’m taking advantage of the “Fast Lane” Upgrade, since I have lawn tickets. This will allow me, my sister and our kids to get some prime real estate at the front of the lawn area next to the railing.

Keep up with me on my Instagram for all of my concert coverage and I’ve created a separate section here on my blog of all of my Depeche Mode posts!

Cheers!

I Said Don’t Stop, to Punk Rock

Happy New Year to you, and I’m starting off the new year with an outfit post! I can’t recall exactly where, but I know I’ve mention that my style seems to lie somewhere between classic, chic and punk rock. It’s kind of like those Reese’s commercials from the eighties when they would argue “Hey, you got your peanut butter in my chocolate/No, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter”; I always have to add a little punk to my classic outfit, or add a little chic to my rocker one. I love this article from Complex called “Know Your Rights: A Complex Guide to Punk Rock Style“. I think I own every piece in that guide and wear them anywhere and everywhere, from the office to the concert hall. Truth be told, I did not read the article prior to putting together my outfit for this post, and wore two of the mentioned pieces together: a bomber jacket and leopard print. Now that I think about it, I want to take each of the pieces mentioned in the Complex article and create outfits around them, since I have them all!

I believe I own ten bomber jackets (and counting), and this one from Shimmer is one that I intend to do a DIY patch job on very soon, where I’ll be adding patches from my favorite bands to every inch the fabric real estate of the jacket will allow. As an FYI, I bought that jacket because of the fact that two of the patches are indirectly tied to Depeche Mode: the Union Jack patch because they are British and the Route 66 one because they did a cover version of that song. Before the additional adornments, I wore my jacket to a few concerts and this photo shoot with my sister at The Observatory North Park.

Although I know many bands have performed there, I’ve only seen Blondie at The Observatory (so far). I’ll have to check out their concert calendar to see who else is playing. Another FYI: I saw George Clinton and Parliament in Los Angeles a few years ago, but I did not see them when the pictures were taken. But I did include a couple of pictures when I ate at the West Coast Tavern (which is connected to The Observatory), prior to seeing Blondie live with my friend Angi. Debbie Harry is definitely a style icon, and I featured an image of her in a post about my love for vintage rock t-shirts (here). I mean, check her out in the picture I captured below, rocking fishnet stockings at age 71. I only hope to be that cool in 30 years!

Outfit: Distressed t-shirt by G Mini, Eunina Jeans and choker c/o Shimmer; C’Est Toi jacket purchased from Shimmer; CHARLES by Charles David over the knee boots (old); Kate Spade purse (old); “Keiko” Rx sunglasses in Roxy Noir by BonLook

(All outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao. West Coast Tavern and concert photos by moi. Post title from the song “Rapture” by Blondie.)

Last Christmas: Farewell George Michael

I absolutely cannot believe it. I have to say goodbye to yet another favorite artist in 2016: George Michael passed away on Christmas Day. I truly thought we could escape another passing in 2016, but alas, it was not to be. I was looking at pictures of the record collections of some people who I follow on Instagram, when one of them mentioned that he was sad that George Michael had passed away. In disbelief, I exclaimed what I just heard to my husband and rushed to the computer. Instantly, my fears were realized and George Michael was gone. At that time, information was scarce, but it soon came to light that he passed in his sleep due to heart failure.

I came to know about George Michael when he was in what I first heard about Wham! UK. I remember going to The Warehouse at Plaza Bonita (a former chain record store), asking for the newest Wham! UK song. The person behind the counter answered, “We don’t have Wham! UK, but we have Wham! Is that the same?” He handed me the seven-inch single, which was Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (pictured above). I was 14 at the time, so I just smiled and paid for the single. My mom bought me and my sister the Make It Big album, and soon Wham! was everywhere. I never saw Wham! in concert because I don’t recall them ever touring in San Diego. I also don’t recall the exact moment when I heard that Wham! dissolved, but I did purchase their last musical effort in the US called Music From the Edge of Heaven. I’m Your Man is one of my all-time favorite songs, and the album itself is quite wonderful. I still listen to it to this day over both Fantastic or Make It Big. In my senior year in high school, I distinctly remember missing out on seeing George Michael live because the concert sold out very quickly. One of my classmates said that he had concert tickets and went to retrieve them from his jean jacket pocket, only to see that his mom washed his jacket and with that, his tickets. I’m happy to report, that has never happened to me.

I finally saw George Michael in 2008 with my sister, Rholnna, and best friend, Janice. It was a fun night filled with hits from his days in Wham! to his own amazing music. I remember thinking, “I just want to hear I’m Your Man, Father Figure, Hard Day, A Different Corner and Careless Whisper and my life will be complete…” My wish was granted and I got to hear all those songs live, including so much more. Prior to the show, a band of friends dressed in 80’s gear roamed around the arena and asked random people to “Pose With George”. Silly me obliged and here is my only picture with George Michael from his concert (and the set list below).

Edit this setlist | More George Michael setlists

It was also memorable because not only because of Mr. Michael himself, but because it was a day after the announcement of same-sex marriage being legal in the state of California. During the show, he said something to the effect of “I heard a lot of you ladies were able to get married yesterday!” My mind instantly traveled back in time, and I recalled my friends and I having discussions about George’s sexual preference due to the Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go video because although we all had his pictures up on our walls, there was always a question about his sexuality in the back of our minds. It got even more confusing when the I Want Your Sex video came out, hearing that he was dating the girl who was staring in the video with him (Kathy Jeung). No matter what the circumstances are or what swirls around the gossip columns, I always want my idols to be happy because in the end, they will continue to do what they love, which means I get to enjoy a wealth of their artistry. I mean, David Bowie released an album right before his untimely death at the beginning of this year. I worry about my idols and I think that’s why this year has been difficult. I care about the music so much, but I never forget that there are people behind the hits with emotions and lives to live.

I have read a couple of things that give me such mixed emotions about George Michael: how he was recently afraid to face the public due to his weight gain and then news about his quiet generosity. I’m saddened by the fact that George became recluse in his last days because he was nervous about how he would be perceived by the public. I know we all have an image of him, but it was his voice and musical talents that have endured over the years, and that’s what I will remember about him most. I also find it heart achingly lovely that he gave so much to so many charities and people over the years. I read recently about how he gave a large tip to a waitress who was upset about her debt and that he donated a generous sum of money to a charity at the same time annually. One charity even stated that they would not have been able to stay afloat had it not been for George Michael’s financial backing. These are the instances that make the images in those posters on my walls when I was a teen come to life. This is what makes me ache and cry over their passing. Last Christmas will be a bittersweet testament to the sadness of lost love during an otherwise joyful holiday season, as well the loss of a beloved artist.

Farewell George…

(Top image is the “Cowboys & Angels” 12-inch single. All pictured items are from my personal collection.)

Kick Out the Style, Bring Back the Jam

I’m so excited that it’s finally Fall, and I can wear sweaters, coats, boots and more importantly: LAYERS! Although the weather was a bit up and down throughout October, I still wore a sweater to see one of my favorite bands from the 80’s, Tears for Fears. My sister and I have been waiting for them to tour again, because we just seem to keep missing them. Thank goodness they decided to end their tour with two dates in the San Diego area, and we were lucky to get tickets to their sold out Saturday October 8th show at Pechanga Theater.

I have been wearing more and more comfortable clothing to concerts because it just makes the night so much easier to handle, especially since I really like to stay standing and dance my heart out! Overall, this is a very basic outfit consisting of a sweater, leggings and sneakers. The criss-cross on the sweater meant I didn’t need a necklace, but I still added a few other details to keep my outfit stylish, like a fedora, bold ring and cute purse. Although comfy, I still like to feel dressed up enough because you never know who you’ll meet…like maybe one of the band members after the show!

Outfit: Lush sweater & ring (c/o) from Wysh Boutique (original post here); Girlfriend Collective leggings; Rebecca Minkoff purse; Stan Smith by Adidas with cork soles from Size.co.uk; Lookmatic glasses; Unknown brand fedora

Yes, that would be me, my sister and Rob, all meeting Curt Smith after the show! He autographed my records (below). Unfortunately, we did not get that same chance with Roland Orzabal. Maybe next time?

“Head Over Heels”

(Outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao. All other photos & video by me. Post title: Lyrics from “Sowing The Seeds of Love” by Tears for Fears)

Edit this setlist | More Tears for Fears setlists

I’ve Got The (Global) Spirit!

Oh yes, Depeche Mode have announced the title of their new album AND tour! Last week, they held a press conference in Milan, Italy and announced that the new album will be entitled Spirit to be released in 2017, followed by the Global Spirit Tour next summer. Currently, only the European dates are available, which I’ve listed below. I seriously considered going to the London show (tickets are still available for the pitch/general admission), but that would be too difficult to pull off with Dominic still in school. I’ll just have to wait until the US dates are announced to have my shot at seeing my all-time favorite band live. Most dates for the European leg have already gone on sale, so cheers to the lot of you who already have tickets!

May 5 – Stockholm, Sweden – Friends Arena

May 7 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

May 9 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis

May 12 – Nice, France – Stade Charles-Ehrmann

May 14- Ljubljana, Slovenia – Dvorana Stožice

May 17 – Athens, Greece – Terra Vibe Park

May 20 – Bratislava, Slovakia – Štadión Pasienky

May 22 – Budapest, Hungary – Groupama Aréna

May 24 – Prague, Czech Republic – Eden Aréna

May 27 – Leipzig, Germany – Festwiese

May 29 – Lille, France – Stade Pierre-Mauroy

May 31 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Telia Parken

June 3 – London, United Kingdom – London Stadium

June 5 – Cologne, Germany – RheinEnergieStadion

June 9 – Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion

June 11 – Hannover, Germany – HDI Arena

June 18 – Zurich, Switzerland – Letzigrund Stadion

June 20 – Frankfurt, Germany – Commerzbank-Arena

June 22 – Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion

June 25 – Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico

June 27 – Milan, Italy – Stadio San Siro

June 29 – Bologna, Italy – Stadio Rentao Dall’Ara

July 1 – Paris, France – Stade de France

July 4 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Veltins-Arena

July 6 – Bilbao, Spain – BBK Live Festival

July 8 – Lisbon, Portugal – NOS Alive Festival

July 13 – St. Petersburg, Russia – SKK

July 15 – Moscow, Russia – Otkritie Arena

July 17 – Minsk, Belarus – Minsk-Arena

July 19 – Kiev, Ukraine – Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex

July 21 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy

July 23 – Cluj-Napoca, Romania – Cluj Arena

(Photo courtesy of Depechemode.com)

KAABOO 2016 Day 2 Recap

As I mentioned in a previous post (here), Angi and I won single day passes to KAABOO. Sadly, Angi couldn’t make it due to a work/travel assignment. Although she tried her hardest to make it happen, alas, it just wasn’t cost effective for her to create time for a break from her out-of-town commitment. Luckily, my best friend Janice was free and jumped at the chance to see one of her favorite artists live: Lenny Kravitz. I was anxious to see Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Third Eye Blind and Aerosmith, which is already quite the line-up! For the most part, it is difficult knowing you may not see all of the acts you want to because of the way the shows are scheduled, but because it’s known as “The KAABOO MIX-PERIENCE”, it should be understood that you just have to get to what you can, when you can and you just have to get creative to ensure the best use of your time.

I want to also express wholeheartedly that I had a phenomenal time. This was my second festival ever (my first was The Rewind Festival, post here), and it was amazing! I’ve read some negative reviews this year because of what happened after The Chainsmokers set was completed. Apparently, due to noise ordinances, the “Encore” portion was scheduled to take place indoors. Because of the limited accommodations, many of the people who wanted to see Ludacris followed by Steve Aoki couldn’t get in, and a near riot happened. I also read that a lot of people couldn’t get in to see Sarah Silverman as a part of their “Humor Me” comedy club. I remember the line was pretty insane as we were leaving the Aerosmith show. Because we chose to make the most of this experience by purchasing a parking pass and arriving incredibly early (12:30 pm), we enjoyed a leisurely tour of KAABOO prior to it becoming crazed and crowded. We also decided that Aerosmith would be the last act we would see before heading home, where we took the back-way and completely avoided any traffic. This is why we were so surprised to hear about how insane the night had become just after we left.

Overall, the food was wonderful, the mix of artists was fantastic because I don’t think I would have ever been able to see any of the bands I did in such a short amount of time, and for us, everything went without a hitch. There was plenty of areas to chill out between the shows, and I liked the “Hydration Stations” throughout to provide much-needed water at an outdoor event, along with several areas to charge any portable communication device (phones and tablets). I had gone to the San Diego County Fair earlier this year, and the Del Mar Racetrack was completely transformed into a hip alternate universe, which I’m sure was the whole point! I would love to attend KAABOO again next year, and maybe upgrade myself to the VIP experience.

To make the most of documenting my experience, I broke up this post into three parts: The Food, The Music, and Everything Else. I hope you enjoy my recap!

THE FOOD

I should have taken pictures of the inside of “Posh Nosh” because not only were there seated areas with tables, but comfy cushions to really get that lounge experience. Arriving early in the day allowed us time to walk around and get to know all of the food choices.

Of the food inside “Posh Nosh”, we opted for one of my favorite restaurants, Sausage & Meat. I’m not the biggest fan of slaw, but add bacon to it and I’m sold! This was the “2 Eggs, 3 Balls, Slaw” combo meal and it was definitely the heartiness we needed before tackling the day.

Outside of “Posh Nosh”, there are many places to grab a bite to eat. After seeing the Gin Blossoms and during Third Eye Blind, we decided on the Lob Mac at Wicked Maine Lobster. I swear, that’s an entire lobster tail in there! It was better than I can describe, so shall I say it was wicked good?!

I ended my KAABOO food experience with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake from The Milk Bar. Not only was it absolutely delicious, the crew was so much fun!

THE MUSIC

GIN BLOSSOMS

I have always wanted to see Gin Blossoms because one of my all time favorite songs is “Hey Jealousy”. By sheer coincidence of scheduling, they were moved to Saturday and I feel that the universe was aligned for this moment, and it was everything I hoped it would be. “Til I Hear It From You” and “Found Out About You” were also great live, and they are a fun band to watch. Check off another one from my concert bucket list!

THIRD EYE BLIND

I think the picture above should give an indication of just how crowded it got right around 4pm. As we ate our Lob Mac, we enjoyed the many hits of Third Eye Blind. I think this picture was taken during “Never Let You Go”, and I was so happy that I also got to hear “Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life” live.

COLLECTIVE SOUL

Truth be told, I’m a novice when it comes to Collective Soul. That did not stop me from wanting to see them, so this is where Janice and I split-up. She wanted to catch all of Lenny Kravitz’s show, and I got to witness live the only two Collective Soul songs I know: “Shine” and “Better Now”. I’m infinitely glad I did, and my hubby was a bit jealous that I caught their show. “Shine” is even better live!

LENNY KRAVITZ

Even after arriving a little late, I still got to catch songs like “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, “Fly Away” and “American Woman”. Great set!

AEROSMITH

It’s not often you get to witness greatness, and one should acknowledge when that happens. Aerosmith are rock legends, and it had been over a year since they played live. There are moments where you need to make a choice, and although The Chainsmokers are wonderful in their own right, there was just no contest when it came closing out KAABOO for us. “Walk This Way” was worth the price of admission alone, and everything was icing on the cake. I am truly not worthy.

Edit this setlist | More Aerosmith setlists

EVERYTHING ELSE!

Janice and I roamed around KAABOO prior to it getting uber-crowded, and took advantage of everything they had to offer in terms of sampling food, photo ops and areas to chill. One of our favorites was an area called “Indulgences”. Inside, they offered spa services, retail mini-boutiques, and places to relax and not only recharge your body, but your phone as well! Between shows, we stayed there to cool off and hydrate. During a gap after seeing Third Eye Blind and before seeing Collective Soul, I went back on my own before joining Janice at Lenny Kravitz.

There were several areas for fun photo opportunities. No one ever accused us of being shy!

Outside of the music, prominent everywhere was the art. This was one of my favorites by artist Lauren YS called “Feed Your Head”, which was her take on “Alice in Wonderland”. Simply breathtaking, especially due to its sheer size.

Another favorite rest area outside of “Indulgences” was the Cox Live Lounge. There was a non-alcohol refreshment bar, plenty of seats and a place to charge up our phones. We made our mark on their Gigablast mural.

Our final stop was at the FM 949 booth. I wanted to capture a picture of us with a KAABOO sign, and after signing the banner, we closed out our night.

Many, many thanks to Discover SD and Delicious Buzz for the opportunity to win passes to attend KAABOO. Until next year!

Girls Night Out With Aall In Limo & Duran Duran!

Don’t we all have that group of friends we can do anything with? For me, it’s my sister, my cousin Regi and best friend Janice. They were all in my wedding, and we have gone to many nights out together, and most of them have been concerts. Imagine my delight to be able to surprise my girls with a limousine ride to see Duran Duran in concert, courtesy of Aall In Limo & Party Bus! Originally, there was to be six of us going, but sadly my friends Kim & Ian were not able to come, due to a mix up with their tickets. So they left the bottles of champagne for us enjoy, which we did. The limo was fully stocked with glasses and cold water for the ride there and back. Our driver, Mike, was so awesome, ensuring he had a designated place for us to meet up at the end of the show. Already excited for the concert, my girls and I agree that going to a show like this is definitely our favorite way to travel. Thank you again Aall In Limo & Party Bus for a memorable night!

Ready for our girls night out!

Janice and Regi had no idea we would travel to see our favorite band in such style!

A little pre-concert music in the limo because we were able to plug in our cell phones directly to their stereo system!

Clean Bandit opened for Duran Duran, and they were great!

A shot during “Pressure Off”

“Rio” anyone?! It goes without saying, Duran Duran sounded absolutely amazing in concert!

The obligatory “concert selfie”! I’m wearing the “DELETE” shirt by Patty Palazzo and her brand, Punk Masters (check out the many shots of Duran Duran in her shirts here).

With my sister, Rholnna, in post concert bliss. We finished off the champagne (and chased it with water). I recorded “Hungry Like The Wolf” live and included the set list below.

Edit this setlist | More Duran Duran setlists

FTC Disclosure: I received a service and was asked to review the service in return. Although I did receive the service as a courtesy, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Strangelove: The Ultimate Depeche Mode Tribute Band in Concert!

Earlier this month, I attended a fantastic night of music at San Diego’s House of Blues with my sister Rholnna, and my best friend Janice, featuring three tribute bands: Only-U, a tribute to Kraftwerk; SIN, a tribute to Nine Inch Nails; and Strangelove, a tribute to Depeche Mode.

Unfortunately we missed Only-U, but I swear it was for a good reason! But we did catch SIN, and they were fantastic. They played the staples like Closer and Head Like a Hole, but it was good to hear them include NIN’s version of Joy Division’s Dead Souls.

The highlight of the evening was of course, seeing Strangelove. Prior to the show, we had the honor and privilege of interviewing the band (coming soon), which allowed us to have a backstage view like I’ve never had before.

STRANGELOVE is (left to right):

Jim Evans as “In The Fletch” – keyboards, sequencing, backing vocals, percussion
Freddie Morales as “Devotional Dave”– lead vocals, visuals, lighting design, sequencing
Brent Meyer as “Counterfeit Martin”– music director, keyboards, vocals, guitar, melodic, sequencing, percussion
David Sepe as “Alan Wildest” – keyboards, sequencing, backing vocals, percussion

With Janice and Rholnna backstage.

As a Devotee to the religion that is Depeche Mode, I must insist that you see Strangelove live. If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know how big of a fan I am Depeche Mode, and when I closed my eyes at the Strangelove show, I not only hear them, but I feel them. It is truly amazing how much they devote to not only sounding like them musically, but Freddie (“Devotional Dave”) and Brent (“Counterfeit Martin”) also use British accents to complete the authenticity. Since Dave is the main visual focus of the group, Freddie turns it up a notch by taking the audience through a history of Dave Gahan’s looks, like the fringed jacket in the Personal Jesus video, the white outfit from the World Violation Tour and Dave’s more current sleek suited look from the Delta Machine tour. Freddie truly does Dave’s live persona justice to the point where is it almost uncanny, not just with his near exact replication of Dave’s vocals, but by the way he dances and interacts with the audience. But really all of the members take their rightful place in their true-to-life rendering of when The Mode were a fabulous foursome. Jim (“In The Fletch”) may be in the back, but he is incredibly energetic with his tell-tale Andrew Fletcher glasses. I nearly cried when Dave (“Alan Wildest”) played a spot on version Somebody on piano and Brent had me breathless at how much he sounds like Martin Gore on his amazing renditions of Home and Somebody.

With Brent Meyer as “Counterfeit Martin” (Violator dress by Idil Vice, Some Great Reward clutch purse by Sugar Shox Crafts)

From one song to the next, their set list reads like the greatest Depeche Mode show that would ever be played, and the sold out crowd loved every minute of it! In my upcoming interview with the band, Brent explains that some of the sounds are authentically Depeche Mode, received from none other than Alan Wilder himself! Still need convincing? I’ve included their version of Get The Balance Right below from the HOB show.

I want to thank the gentlemen from Strangelove for taking the time to talk to me and especially to Brent for inviting me, Janice and Rholnna backstage to experience their live show. I hope you enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for the upcoming interview post!

All live photos of SIN and Strangelove were taken by Rholnna Jiao.

Pay Tribute & Go See Strangelove in Concert Tomorrow!

I have concluded my week-long mind, body and soul refreshing experience, and I’m ending it in spectacular manner by finally seeing Strangelove, “the ultimate Depeche Mode tribute band” tomorrow at San Diego’s House of Blues. My BFF Janice and my sister Rholnna will be in attendance with me, and I believe tickets are still available here. I’ll have a full review of the show, and hopefully a little more. If you go, please make sure come up to me and say hi!

Frequent Flyer Tour: Chromeo in Concert

Last Wednesday, my husband and I went to see Canadian duo, Chromeo in concert at SOMA. SOMA is a venue I’ve always wanted to see a show at, but never really had the chance to, because any show I would attempt to see there would be sold pretty quickly. I’m not sure what cosmic synergy happened with Chromeo, but as soon as I saw the date on their Instagram (original post here), I dove in and scored tickets!

We arrived really early, which meant jockeying for position as close to the stage as possible, without compromising comfort. I like hearing the music played prior to the concert, because I understand that it’s the artist’s choice as to what gets played during that time. The music ranged from 70’s to 80’s, consisting mostly of R&B, soul and pop. I loved that they played “Right on Track” by The Breakfast Club, and I could see the kids all around me using their Shazam app to find out other tracks throughout the early evening like “Meeting in the Ladies Room” by Klymaxx or “No Parking (on the Dance Floor)” by Midnight Star. Little did they know they had an encyclopedia of 80’s music right next to them!

The night began with an hour set by Australian EDM producer/DJ, Wave Racer. His upbeat and incredibly danceable set was quite popular with the mainly Millennial crowd, and my husband was very interested in what he played, being a DJ himself.

Later, Dave 1 and P-Thugg stormed the stage with all kinds funkiness and groove, accompanied by a dynamic light show and the crowd chanting loudly “CHROM-E-O, WHOA-OH!”. I’m pretty sure we danced the entire night, and it was nice that they acknowledged that the crowd was a mix of their more seasoned fans, along with those of us who really jumped on board with the album “White Women”. Now that we’ve heard a nice little spectrum of their music, my hubby and I are on a mission to go back and grab the rest of their library. We heard everything we wanted to hear from their latest album, and a full set list of their show is below, courtesy of Setlist.fm. It truly was a fun evening filled with great dance music from beginning to end. If you get the chance, go catch Chromeo in concert, you won’t regret it!

My favorite shot of the evening, no filter needed!