Summer concert update...

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but it's not because I've been sitting on my ass. It's been crazy-busy at work, and the weekends have been pretty crazy too. Brad and I have slipped into summer concert high-gear. We saw NIN at Jones Beach last weekend--what a f*@#ing amazing show. I mean, Jesus Christ. It was out of control how amazing every single somg sounded. I was super psyched because not only did they do all the good stuff off of the latest record, With Teeth, they did all the amazing NIN we know and love--including two somewhat obscure songs, "Get Down, Make Love," and "Dead Souls" (which is actually a Joy Division cover)--just one more reason why I love NIN so much and have ever since back in the Pretty Hate Machine Days...

Anyway, we also saw A.F.I. this past Friday at Roseland. Brad's friend Jen works for the label and scored us awesome seats, so we were actually sitting in the balcony and not down below in all of the mess, which was a good thing because honestly, I thought the kids in the pit were going to take someone's head off it was so crazy. A.F.I. was really impressive. I wasn't expecting them to sound better live than they do on their records, but that was exactly what they did and they put on an amazing, high energy show. My favorite moment was at the end of the show when the singer, Davey Havok, actually came into the crowd and was standing (I think on people's shoulders) as he was singing. It was an amazing show.

Upcoming concerts...belive it or not, Brad and I are sort of on a cheese-metal kick, so I think we're going to see Poison and Cinderella (I LOVE Cinderella) in August and then Aerosmith and Motley Crue in September. Very cool!

The Dirt...

I just borrowed The Dirt: The Autobiography of Motley Crue from a coworker, and I must say, it is freaking awesome. It so brought me back to all of the things that I love about metal and how freaking excited I was about music back then. I used to love finding out about the craziness that my favorite bands were always up to in magazines like Metal Edge and Rolling Stone; there was nothing better that lusting over pictures of Nicki Sixx, Tommy Lee (both from Motley Crue of course), Duff McKagan (bassist for G N'R), Sebastian Bach, Snake (both from Skid Row), Ian Ashbury (The Cult), and Tom Keifer (Cinderella) and my room was plastered with pictures of them. All reminiscing aside, The Dirt is an great read, told through all of the band member's perspectives (and Mick Mars is as insane as I always thought he was), with lots of commentary from band managers, ex-fill-in lead-singers, roadies, and some letters and scribbles from Tommy Lee when he was in prison. It really gives you an inside look at what the band was going through, their oft unruly passion for music and life, the insane amounts of drugs they put into their bodies, and really tugs at your heartstrings during moments. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a really engrossing summer read.

G is for Goth

My friend Melissa posted about this store Sugar Baby in LA, where their motto is "Rocker Moms Not Soccer Moms." Do I need to tell you that I love this store? My favorite item (thus far) are these adorable G is for Goth t-shirts. I want one right now!

Guns N' Roses! I'm not ashamed!

Yes, I used to be a metal chick. I had the hair, metal t-shirts, ripped jeans, MC jacket and everything. Since the late 80s/early 90s the sun-in has grown out, I switched to designer jeans with holes in them, and I've given the MC away, but I still have metal roots. I don't care. Make fun if you so desire. But I am not ashamed!

A few weeks ago, Brad and I were talking about the possiblity of going to see Guns N' Roses--or the skeleton crew of Axl Rose and Dizzy that has become G N'R--but we couldn't get tickets. None were available anywhere, unless you wanted to pay $200 a seat on e-bay. Since I've seen them before (several times--including giving up my seats for a show during high school because I had to take a damned Regent the next day and my mom wouldn't let me go--grrrrr, I'm still pissed about it), it didn't seem worth it to pay that much for seats especially when it wasn't even the original band--just Axl really.

However, I just got an e-mail from Live Nation (basically, that's ticketmaster) saying that there were tickets available for this Sunday's show (probably because it's Mother's Day) so we're going! We're going! Yes, it's cheesy! And yes, Axl Rose is a money-grubbing fuck! But I don't care! We're going! And Izzy Stradlin is supposed to be playing these shows, so it's more like the original Guns (there have even been rumors circulating that Duff--my first bass-player lust--is playing with them too; I'm not sure I really believe that, but it would be awesome if he was). I'm really glad that I got to see them when it was really the whole band back in '91 at MSG (Soundgarden opened for them) when Steven Adler was still the drummer (is he even alive anymore? I thought he OD'd or something). I also saw them at Nassau and Giant's Statidum when they toured with Faith No More and Metallica, but I'm so excited that we're going to see them. Ahhhh, metal memories! I'm going. I'm going!!!

Displaying my metal roots at our wedding:

Die Die My Darling...

I got a hoodie! I got a hoodie! Brad ordered this Misfits hoodie that I saw in Hot Topic a couple of weeks ago and he ordered it for me as a surprise. He is the bestest ever. (Yes, before you say one single thing, I am 30 years old and still occasionally purchase clothing at Hot Topic. I am more punk than you and that will always be true [and if you are into punk you will get the song reference, and if you don't get the song reference and you are contemplating making fun of me because I occasionally shop at Hot Topic then you can really freaking kiss my ass because you're a lame-ass loser who has never heard of decent music unless you got forcefully hit over the head with it and even then your musical taste couldn't have improved all that much because like I said--you're a loser who probably listens to emo ::gag::]). Anyway, I love my hoodie!

Contramano--The best band you've never heard of...

Hubby and I discovered Contramano approximately a year ago at a show at the Brooklyn venue, South Paw. They were opening for one of our favorite bands, Rasputina--an amazing band whom I've blogged about extensively, but the nitty gritty is this: two chicks singing incredibility sarcastic, funny, and off the cuff lyrics, simultaneously playing cellos, and backed by a male drummer. They like to dress in corsets, and also like pilgrims and native Americans. Seeing them live is better than their albums. Their album A Radical Recital will make you pee yourself. But back to Contramano--an amazing, innovative and exciting band, hailing from Argentina, with live cello, lots of stuff done with an iBook, a crazy singer, and immensely catchy, politically driven lyrics. We're going to see them again this evening, at South Paw in Brooklyn, and if you're interested in coming with, you should call me ASAP.

Here's hubby's epinion he wrote about them forever ago:

Contramano, The Best Band You've Not Yet Heard Of...
Contramano: you should know about them. It was my duty to inform, and that duty is done. Thank me later.