see more live music

Dear Lord.

...this is, hands down. the BEST live band I have ever seen. Not only was the band brilliant, I met some awesome people there and the crowd were so friendly! At least, until we got trmapled during Parklife. Last night was probably the best night ever.

...are who I went to see the other week.

Also, Aaron Norton was playing at prom, and he counts as live music!

Changing this goal’s name from ‘Expand My Music Taste’

Mostly because its not so much finding new cds I like, more finding ways to see more live bands, ones I already like and new to me bands too.

Aw. these guys are so cute. They’re really energetic in their live performances, they played a short set of 5 or 6 songs, but they were all great. We met the band afterwards, and this music photographer guy wot we met in the queue with his Australian gap year friend took a photo of us. It was fun!

Citizen Cope- 6/27- Telluride Wine Festival, Telluride CO
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic- 7/11- KOTO Doo-Dah, Telluride, CO
MIchael Franti & Spearhead- 9/3- Central Park Summerstage, NYC, NY

Florence is booking us Gary Numan tickets @ Shepherds’ Bush Empire on the 25th July.
And Chloe wants to see The Virgins on the 2nd July in Camden Electric Ballroom.

...time to take some money out…

I made a decision in January to get out to see more live music. I love music. I seek out and listen to music more than I do just about any other activity.

But, over the last few years my live music attendance slowed down. It started feeling like too much work. Figuring out which shows, driving in Los Angeles traffic, parking, standing up for a lot of them, dealing with crowds, getting home late and being tired the next day… all of that overwhelmed my love for music.

Really, though, many transcendent memories are of seeing some amazing band, right place, right time, with good friends, caught up in the energy of the crowd and the band. Do I think about how bad the traffic was getting there afterward? Never… ok, sometimes.

I live in a time and place when I can go out and see amazing musicians perform any night of any week in any of 50 or more venues. Plus I want to support working musicians.

In short, love of something should trump fear of minor hassles.

Since January, I’ve gone to at least 7 shows. I’ll write about some of the highlights on this goal.

I’ve just ordered a batch of CDs I’ve been wanting for ages, including two by artists from the previous list (Operation Ivy and Airbourne)plus an album by Skindred, who my friends and I have just bought tickets to go and see in October.

So this is partly expansion and partly re-inforcement of my music taste which is doubly good. Can’t wait to get them added onto my iPod!

03/06/09: Hockey? @ Banquet Records, Kingston
26/06/09: Brand New @ Birmingham O2 Academy
02/07/09: The Virgins @ Electric Ballrooom, London
03/07/09: Blur @ Hyde Park, London
25/07/09: Gary Numan @ Shepherds’ Bush Empire, London
02/08/09: Underage FestivalThe Horrors, Patrick Wolf @ Victoria Park, London
24/10/09: Tim Minchin? @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

Well, I’ve definitely seen MORE live music than I’d previously done when creating this goal. But I don’t know if that’s good enough.

Are playing an instore in town on the 3rd June. I’ll need to convince my parents to let me go, but I’ll be home before 9pm so it should be fine. And they know where I am…