Live music, and great company will cure anything…I’m not kidding!
I was feeling really sick and down in the dumps on Friday and ended up getting into my car at the end of the day and just crying to myself. It felt really good to let it all out and just be sad for a second instead of constantly putting on the flippin’ happy face. I called Tara immediately, and I felt better after I unloaded on her. I was very grateful for her kind face and words. I sometimes feel as though I have nobody to talk to these days, but then I remember that no matter what Tara has always been there for me…a shoulder to cry on. And it makes me feel a little better to know that.
Shortly after, Tara made me a daiquiri which instantly made me feel better, but I couldn’t shake the icky feeling in my stomach or the sickness in my body. I was slightly dreading the rest of the evening, as I had made plans earlier in the week to meet up with some friends at Live on North Ave. to see Jon Hainstock’s show but I knew that being around good friends would make a world of difference for my mood.
It most definitely did.
John’s show was amazing! He has quickly been thrown to the top of my list of "live musical acts to see whenever possible", and everyone else at the bar seemed to be thinking the same thing. Tara, Nicky, Joe, Sara and I grabbed a table close to the front of the stage and enjoyed our half priced martinis and free Bud Lights, courtesy of the Bud Light girls running a special promotion there that evening. Jayne and her posse arrived shortly after and I was thrilled to be able to spend a little bit of time catching up with a dear friend whom I see not nearly enough. In between sets you could hear the rumble of the crowd singing sounds of praise for what they were hearing that night, and the friends I arrived with that evening said they would definitely be willing to see him again. Score! By the time the show ended I was a proud owner of a new Jon Hainstock CD and a certified fan no doubt. He rocked, seriously. I need to talk to his “manager” about getting him to Milwaukee more often!!
We left the bar early as I was sick and needed sleep desperately but I was thrilled that I trooped it out for the evening and went to the show. Music is my safe haven to a world of chaos. No matter what happens, or how I’m feeling, a good song and a great sound will heal almost anything I’m feeling…even if it’s only temporary. Throw in some great friends and some yummy drinks into the equation and you have your own personal psychological treatment facility right there at your fingertips.
It felt good to smile that day.
Showing posts with label Live Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Live Music. Show all posts
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, July 10, 2006
Awww, Summerfest is officially over. I’m always a bit saddened at the end of it all, because I feel that my summer has an official lull in it. I never made it to the final night, but I went out with a bang on Saturday, seeing Pink for all of 4 songs and pigging out on the final combination platter at Saz’s for the year.
Tara and I started out our Saturday festivities with martini’s at the Hi-Hat near my apartment and by the time Erin arrived at my apartment around 6:30 that evening, we were half in the bag already. *cheers to summer*. We polished off a bottle of champagne with Erin at my apartment, chatted about wedding stuff (sorry Tara), then headed back to the Hi-Hat to get one last drink, and a free ride to Summerfest.
The bus took a bit longer than we had anticipated, and we didn’t end up getting to the grounds until close to 9:30 which put a damper in our evenings plans but we weren’t willing to sacrifice any portion of the evening: Saz’s, booze, and Pink. We would just have to hurry along this way.
We hurried over to the Saz’s stand, waited in an obnoxiously long line (which is pretty common for the famous restaurant) and pigged out on our combination platters on our way to the Briggs and Stratton stage on the South end of the grounds. We quickly grabbed a drink (a beer for me, mixed drinks for Tara and Erin) and headed to the stage, disappointed to find that actually seeing Pink was going to be a pretty hard feat to accomplish.
Annoyed at some of the Summerfest patrons, and sick of hearing Erin complain about not being able to see Pink, I decided to lead the group up the front of the stage, in hopes of getting a better glimpse of pink. I was sadly mistaken as I realized the further up we went, the more condensed the bleachers became and the harder it was to see above the screaming heads. We got a few quick glimpses, enough to say we actually “saw” Pink that day, and hurried back out the way we came.
Ready to leave, we decided to foot it the rest of the way home (my brilliant idea) and I think about 45 minutes later we finally made it to my apartment…ready for bed.
It was a great end, to a terrific 11 days of fun. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
Tara and I started out our Saturday festivities with martini’s at the Hi-Hat near my apartment and by the time Erin arrived at my apartment around 6:30 that evening, we were half in the bag already. *cheers to summer*. We polished off a bottle of champagne with Erin at my apartment, chatted about wedding stuff (sorry Tara), then headed back to the Hi-Hat to get one last drink, and a free ride to Summerfest.
The bus took a bit longer than we had anticipated, and we didn’t end up getting to the grounds until close to 9:30 which put a damper in our evenings plans but we weren’t willing to sacrifice any portion of the evening: Saz’s, booze, and Pink. We would just have to hurry along this way.
We hurried over to the Saz’s stand, waited in an obnoxiously long line (which is pretty common for the famous restaurant) and pigged out on our combination platters on our way to the Briggs and Stratton stage on the South end of the grounds. We quickly grabbed a drink (a beer for me, mixed drinks for Tara and Erin) and headed to the stage, disappointed to find that actually seeing Pink was going to be a pretty hard feat to accomplish.
Annoyed at some of the Summerfest patrons, and sick of hearing Erin complain about not being able to see Pink, I decided to lead the group up the front of the stage, in hopes of getting a better glimpse of pink. I was sadly mistaken as I realized the further up we went, the more condensed the bleachers became and the harder it was to see above the screaming heads. We got a few quick glimpses, enough to say we actually “saw” Pink that day, and hurried back out the way we came.
Ready to leave, we decided to foot it the rest of the way home (my brilliant idea) and I think about 45 minutes later we finally made it to my apartment…ready for bed.
It was a great end, to a terrific 11 days of fun. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Fourth of July
Today, a week’s worth of festivities has finally caught up with me. My throat hurts, my body aches, and I really could just sleep. But alas, it’s summer and it’s summerfest, and rest is not on the radar until early next week. Yes, I am a Summerfest junkie. There is no better time to me than a cold beer, great friends, and a night of fabulous food and music. I feel so lucky to live in a place that for 10 days out of every year, I can pay my $15 and access hundreds of different bands. Not many other places can boast something so marvelous. Not to mention, for anyone who loves people watching, what better place than in Wisconsin! Summerfest has some of the best people watching EVER. In just a few hours you'll see a great mixture of many different types of people. Thanks to the likes of Nine Inch Nails playing on the same night as Dirks Bentley, you're bound to see a wide aray of people. It's great!
I’ve been there three days so far, and have three more lined up. Thursday’s outing was by far the most intense but Sunday’s trip was equally as entertaining. Katie, her sister Julie, and Julie’s friend showed up to my apartment around 6:00 and we headed down to the grounds, Cabby top down, boppin’ away to the sounds of Brittney and Rihanna. Parking is always absurd around Summerfest, but luckily we found a lot close enough spot for only $7 (a steal of a deal).
We started off the night with…Saz’s of course…and made our way to the Harley Davidson Stage to watch Pat McCurdy perform (One of Katie’s favorites). He was AWESOME. He had this unique gift of being able to get the crowd jumping and singing to anything he decided to spit out of his mouth. I laughed hysterically as I watched the crowd turn from hick to hip hop in a matter of seconds and they laughed along the entire time. He had quite the following and not to mention the Dirks Bently concert had begun to draw quite the crowd at the stage as well, so by 8:30 we were pretty much trapped on our bleacher seats. I guess we were staying for the concert =)
At 9:00 A CMT producer came on stage and informed us all that this specific concert was going to be televised on July 16 and we laughed at how random it all seemed. Here we were, stuck on these bleachers, and were about to be televised on national television. I love Summerfest. =)
The concert was awesome. I had never heard of Dirks Bently prior to the concert, but I left a full fledged fan. I even went out and bought his newest CD the next day. He was personable, and fun, and super cute. Minus the drunken morons that frequent Summerfest, we girls managed to have a fantastic time.
My third trip to Summerfest came a bit spontaneously. Tara and I woke up early Tuesday morning and decided we wanted to go see Kenney Chesney that night. 10 minutes later, we had 15th row seats…I was pumped. Before the concert however, we had plans to meet up with Katie and Mary at Miller Park for the brewer’s game that afternoon. We met them in the Petit National Ice Center parking lot at 10:00 and made our way to the stadium.
Only in Wisconsin can you enter a place at 10:00 in the morning, and find the parking lot full of people with grills, lawn chairs, and plastic footballs. If there’s one thing us ‘sconies are known for, it’s our ability to drink. *cheers to us* ha ha.
Anyways, we grilled out and drank in the parking lot until well after the 4th inning and finally made our way inside the stadium. It was Bobble Head Day and we were WAY excited about leaving with our free little toy. However, we soon realized that you cannot expect stock to remain well into the 5th inning and so we left instead with a blue “rain check” for our bobble heads. We were a bit disappointed.
We left the stadium at the top of the 9th inning, still bitching about not receiving our Bobble Heads. We decided to wait out the crowd and play a few games of cards outside our car and we ended up meeting a group of really great people who were waiting out the crowd as well. A nearby Chicago girl had heard us all bitching about how we never received our Bobble Heads, so she came over and dropped hers off at our table…she was never going to use it again. We were like kids in a candy store. I have never seen four grown women more excited about a Bobble Head in my life! We took pictures, and named it, and talked to it…it was a little ridiculous. But I suppose that’s what alcohol will do to you sometimes =)
After the game, Tara and I made our way to Summerfest and soon after to the Kenney Chesney concert at the Marcus Amphitheatre. We had fantastic seats (as we usually do when it comes to Kenney) but I was a bit disappointed in the concert itself. The entire show just seemed awfully random to me. Generally when I go to a concert, the headliner lets you know that he’s going to be starting…in some way. The lights go off, the music plays, there’s a moment of anticipation. But for whatever reason, there wasn’t any of that. Suddenly I just hear “Summertime” playing, and I look behind me and he’s standing on some bleacher singing in the middle of the theatre. What?! Um...okay there’s Kenney. As the rest of the concert went on, random people came out and sang with him. Sugarland. Why? Uncle Cracker...from where?! I just found myself trying to stay focused and enjoy what was going on, but was being way over stimulated =)
Regardless of the randomness of the concert, I enjoyed myself immensely. It was the best Fourth of July I’ve had in a long time. I love summer! I’m so happy that it’s finally here.
I’ve been there three days so far, and have three more lined up. Thursday’s outing was by far the most intense but Sunday’s trip was equally as entertaining. Katie, her sister Julie, and Julie’s friend showed up to my apartment around 6:00 and we headed down to the grounds, Cabby top down, boppin’ away to the sounds of Brittney and Rihanna. Parking is always absurd around Summerfest, but luckily we found a lot close enough spot for only $7 (a steal of a deal).
We started off the night with…Saz’s of course…and made our way to the Harley Davidson Stage to watch Pat McCurdy perform (One of Katie’s favorites). He was AWESOME. He had this unique gift of being able to get the crowd jumping and singing to anything he decided to spit out of his mouth. I laughed hysterically as I watched the crowd turn from hick to hip hop in a matter of seconds and they laughed along the entire time. He had quite the following and not to mention the Dirks Bently concert had begun to draw quite the crowd at the stage as well, so by 8:30 we were pretty much trapped on our bleacher seats. I guess we were staying for the concert =)
At 9:00 A CMT producer came on stage and informed us all that this specific concert was going to be televised on July 16 and we laughed at how random it all seemed. Here we were, stuck on these bleachers, and were about to be televised on national television. I love Summerfest. =)
The concert was awesome. I had never heard of Dirks Bently prior to the concert, but I left a full fledged fan. I even went out and bought his newest CD the next day. He was personable, and fun, and super cute. Minus the drunken morons that frequent Summerfest, we girls managed to have a fantastic time.
My third trip to Summerfest came a bit spontaneously. Tara and I woke up early Tuesday morning and decided we wanted to go see Kenney Chesney that night. 10 minutes later, we had 15th row seats…I was pumped. Before the concert however, we had plans to meet up with Katie and Mary at Miller Park for the brewer’s game that afternoon. We met them in the Petit National Ice Center parking lot at 10:00 and made our way to the stadium.
Only in Wisconsin can you enter a place at 10:00 in the morning, and find the parking lot full of people with grills, lawn chairs, and plastic footballs. If there’s one thing us ‘sconies are known for, it’s our ability to drink. *cheers to us* ha ha.
Anyways, we grilled out and drank in the parking lot until well after the 4th inning and finally made our way inside the stadium. It was Bobble Head Day and we were WAY excited about leaving with our free little toy. However, we soon realized that you cannot expect stock to remain well into the 5th inning and so we left instead with a blue “rain check” for our bobble heads. We were a bit disappointed.
We left the stadium at the top of the 9th inning, still bitching about not receiving our Bobble Heads. We decided to wait out the crowd and play a few games of cards outside our car and we ended up meeting a group of really great people who were waiting out the crowd as well. A nearby Chicago girl had heard us all bitching about how we never received our Bobble Heads, so she came over and dropped hers off at our table…she was never going to use it again. We were like kids in a candy store. I have never seen four grown women more excited about a Bobble Head in my life! We took pictures, and named it, and talked to it…it was a little ridiculous. But I suppose that’s what alcohol will do to you sometimes =)
After the game, Tara and I made our way to Summerfest and soon after to the Kenney Chesney concert at the Marcus Amphitheatre. We had fantastic seats (as we usually do when it comes to Kenney) but I was a bit disappointed in the concert itself. The entire show just seemed awfully random to me. Generally when I go to a concert, the headliner lets you know that he’s going to be starting…in some way. The lights go off, the music plays, there’s a moment of anticipation. But for whatever reason, there wasn’t any of that. Suddenly I just hear “Summertime” playing, and I look behind me and he’s standing on some bleacher singing in the middle of the theatre. What?! Um...okay there’s Kenney. As the rest of the concert went on, random people came out and sang with him. Sugarland. Why? Uncle Cracker...from where?! I just found myself trying to stay focused and enjoy what was going on, but was being way over stimulated =)
Regardless of the randomness of the concert, I enjoyed myself immensely. It was the best Fourth of July I’ve had in a long time. I love summer! I’m so happy that it’s finally here.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Summerfest 2006...Day 1
Every year, Summerfest roars into Milwaukee and every year I anxiously await its arrival. The festival kicked off on Thursday with a full day of music, food, and beer and I was bound and determined to be there for it!
After work on Thursday, Katie D and her two friends showed up at my apartment, ready to party it up, the way Milwaukeeans do. We mixed a few Rum and Cokes, girlified ourselves, and headed out the doors at 8:30 destined for the Milwaukee lakefront. We had a bit of trouble figuring out transportation but luckily we met a very nice woman, and a very helpful bus driver, and we were able to get ourselves to the lakefront with very little hassle. I’m really bad at telling stories, so I won’t go into detail about the bus ride and events leading up to it. But luckily, we made it =)
We started off the night with a Miller Light and an REO Speedwagon concert. We only caught the last couple of songs, but were there long enough to hear “Roll with the Changes”, “Keep on Loving you” and “Ridin’ the Storm Out”. I was sad to have missed “Can’t Fight This Feeling” but what can you do right?
After REO was finished, we made our way to Jo-Jo’s Martini lounge, sipped on a few Cosmopolitans, and awaited the Big Bang fireworks. The fireworks were amazing, a little long, but still amazing. They really are the best fireworks display all year…in the state of Wisconsin I think! Not that I’ve seen that many to compare it too, but I’m sure it’s up there!
For the remaining couple hours we spent some time at the Harley Davidson stage watching Common and then headed to the Miller Light Oasis to watch the Bodeins. At 12:30 the grounds closed and we made our way back to my apartment for some Pizza Shuttle, sobering talk, and a pass out session =)
I’m hoping to make it to Summerfest a few more times before it all ends. I’ll definitely be there on Sunday with Katie again for the Love Monkeys and then on Monday for Phil Vassar and Keith Anderson with Tara. Thursday is The Frey and Saturday Pink is playing and I’m going to try really hard to make it to that as well. Luckily I have a free ticket in my wallet to utilize. Summerfest is getting quite expensive! But it’s totally worth it. $15 gets you inside the grounds, and access to a ton of bands….FOR FREE! It’s the greatest festival ever! For anyone not from Milwaukee…get your ass up this way. You’re missing out on a fantastic time.
After work on Thursday, Katie D and her two friends showed up at my apartment, ready to party it up, the way Milwaukeeans do. We mixed a few Rum and Cokes, girlified ourselves, and headed out the doors at 8:30 destined for the Milwaukee lakefront. We had a bit of trouble figuring out transportation but luckily we met a very nice woman, and a very helpful bus driver, and we were able to get ourselves to the lakefront with very little hassle. I’m really bad at telling stories, so I won’t go into detail about the bus ride and events leading up to it. But luckily, we made it =)
We started off the night with a Miller Light and an REO Speedwagon concert. We only caught the last couple of songs, but were there long enough to hear “Roll with the Changes”, “Keep on Loving you” and “Ridin’ the Storm Out”. I was sad to have missed “Can’t Fight This Feeling” but what can you do right?
After REO was finished, we made our way to Jo-Jo’s Martini lounge, sipped on a few Cosmopolitans, and awaited the Big Bang fireworks. The fireworks were amazing, a little long, but still amazing. They really are the best fireworks display all year…in the state of Wisconsin I think! Not that I’ve seen that many to compare it too, but I’m sure it’s up there!
For the remaining couple hours we spent some time at the Harley Davidson stage watching Common and then headed to the Miller Light Oasis to watch the Bodeins. At 12:30 the grounds closed and we made our way back to my apartment for some Pizza Shuttle, sobering talk, and a pass out session =)
I’m hoping to make it to Summerfest a few more times before it all ends. I’ll definitely be there on Sunday with Katie again for the Love Monkeys and then on Monday for Phil Vassar and Keith Anderson with Tara. Thursday is The Frey and Saturday Pink is playing and I’m going to try really hard to make it to that as well. Luckily I have a free ticket in my wallet to utilize. Summerfest is getting quite expensive! But it’s totally worth it. $15 gets you inside the grounds, and access to a ton of bands….FOR FREE! It’s the greatest festival ever! For anyone not from Milwaukee…get your ass up this way. You’re missing out on a fantastic time.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Bee Bop Shoo Wopp
I spent my time last night, immersed in the sounds of the 50’s and 60’s, while people watching amidst my favorite generation of people…senior citizens.
Last night, I accompanied Erin to a performance of Four Guyz in Dinner Jackets at the Marcus Center in Milwaukee. The show consisted of four guys, in dinner jackets (surprising right?), who bee bopped to the catchy tunes that made the 50’s and 60’s so famous. While the harmonies were awesome, and the singing itself very entertaining, I found myself lost in many of the “50’s humor” jokes and a bit annoyed at the overly done jokes and randomness of the show. But I suppose that just has something to say about the generation gap that exists between then and now, because as I looked around the room at all the men and women laughing and clapping and singing along, I realized that this was probably a huge treat for them! To be transported back to the days of their youth, and to hear the songs they all loved as teenagers! I know I’d be exstatic to hear “Like a Virgin” from Madonna 50 years from now =) I found myself smiling endlessly as I focused on the room and saw so many of them having such a great time, and watching them wiggle in their seats as the guys on stage harmonized to “Love Potion Number Nine” and “Runaround Sue”. As I’m sure many of you know, old people just warm my heart, and to be in an entire room of them was a slight taste of heaven to me.
I’m not sure if I would go see the show again, but I’d DEFINITLEY recommend it to my grandmother and her friends! The men were highly talented and truly entertaining to watch. It’s just hard to get into something fully, that you don’t really understand.
Last night, I accompanied Erin to a performance of Four Guyz in Dinner Jackets at the Marcus Center in Milwaukee. The show consisted of four guys, in dinner jackets (surprising right?), who bee bopped to the catchy tunes that made the 50’s and 60’s so famous. While the harmonies were awesome, and the singing itself very entertaining, I found myself lost in many of the “50’s humor” jokes and a bit annoyed at the overly done jokes and randomness of the show. But I suppose that just has something to say about the generation gap that exists between then and now, because as I looked around the room at all the men and women laughing and clapping and singing along, I realized that this was probably a huge treat for them! To be transported back to the days of their youth, and to hear the songs they all loved as teenagers! I know I’d be exstatic to hear “Like a Virgin” from Madonna 50 years from now =) I found myself smiling endlessly as I focused on the room and saw so many of them having such a great time, and watching them wiggle in their seats as the guys on stage harmonized to “Love Potion Number Nine” and “Runaround Sue”. As I’m sure many of you know, old people just warm my heart, and to be in an entire room of them was a slight taste of heaven to me.
I’m not sure if I would go see the show again, but I’d DEFINITLEY recommend it to my grandmother and her friends! The men were highly talented and truly entertaining to watch. It’s just hard to get into something fully, that you don’t really understand.
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