Coachella Day 1- Weekend 2

Show: Coachella Day 1
Venue: Indio, CA
Date: 4/20/12
Show #24

I'm not sure how to begin describing one of the most fun weekends I've ever had to date. This was my first Coachella and it lived up to be everything I wanted it to be and more. If you've never experienced Coachella or a music festival in general, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's such a great way to discover new bands, and just party for 3 straight days with your friends.

If you do Coachella, there is a definite list of things you'll want to make sure you have to make your experience as great as it can possibly be.

Below is what I called my Coachella Survival Kit. Some of the important items were:

- Sun Screen
If you think you're bringing too much sun screen, grab another bottle. Seriously, you have no idea how much sun screen I went through in 1 weekend. Due to the heat, and excessive sweating, it ends up just being sweated off so you're constantly re-applying. I recommend the spray type by Neutrogena, it's great and not messy!

- Baby Wipes
These bad boys are what kept me from feeling and smelling like a homeless person the whole weekend. Before bed at the campsite everyone wiped down with these to remove the layers of dirt we had accumulated on our bodies throughout the day. Even throughout the day, they were great to just wipe down your face with. You NEED these at Coachella, put these on your do not forget list, you'll be glad you brought them.

- Hand Sanitizer/Wet Ones Wipes
Coachella is in the middle of no where, in the desert which means you better get used to the smell of port-o-potties baking in the 106 degree heat. But to make you feel better after you step out of the rancid sweat box,  you can sanitize yourself with lots of hand sanitizer and hand wipes.

- Hat
The weekend I went, it reached 106 degrees. Being outside in it ALL DAY, any extra barrier you can put between yourself and the sun is a good thing.

- Large empty water bottle
Security doesn't let you bring beverages inside, but you can bring an empty water bottle in and there are water bottle refill stations throughout the grounds. You'll find yourself drinking more water in one day than you might usually drink in a week and never have to go to the bathroom due to the fact you just sweat it all out.

- Solar Powered Phone Charger
I saw people actually attach these to their backpacks so it would charge as they walked around the festival. So if you have a phone you know doesnt have the best battery life, you'll want to get one of these. Fair warning though, they require A LOT of sun in order to do anything to your phone.

Enough about sun screen and port-o-potties, on to the bands!

The first day, I hit the ground running and I was inside at shows starting at 12. I saw 9 shows on day 1, not bad!

Bands seen Day 1:
Wallpaper.
This guy was SO MUCH FUN. It was the perfect way to kick off day 1 of Coachella. If you like LMFAO and fun party music, you'll love Wallpaper. They're known for their song "FUCKING BEST SONG EVERRR" and "#STUPIDFACEDD". You can't help but want to dance and let it all go when you hear either of those songs. In addition to those 2 songs though, they also did some funk inspired tunes as well. I recorded one of them, called "Trouble"

Wolf Gang
I was really excited to stumble upon these guys, they've quickly become one of my favorite new bands. The best way to describe them is symphonic pop-rock. They're from the UK, so there's naturally a little European influence there as well. My personal favorite song is "Lions in Cages"

Givers
I left this show with my jaw on the floor. I was thoroughly impressed with these guys (and 1 girl). Listening to them at home just does not do them justice. It was one of those shows where everyone was looking around wide-eyed and in awe at each other admiring what it was that we were witnessing. When you listen to their album you might think they're just another indie pop band, but they bring it to another level when played live. I recorded a video of them, see below:

SebastiAn
My friend and I decided we weren't hot enough already in the 106 degree heat and headed over to the Sahara Tent (All DJ's) to join in on the early afternoon dance party. Besides the sometimes unnerving and political themed images on the screens behind him, it was a fun set!

Grouplove
Ahh Grouplove. They were #1 on my list for the weekend as my must see set, and they did not disappoint. Forget the Sahara Tent, this is where the dance party was at. If you're not familiar with the name Grouplove, and you don't live under a rock, you've probably heard their song "Tounge Tied" or "Colours". No one cared about how hot they were, or the sauna like conditions under the tent during this set. They had everyone dancing and sweating like they've never sweat before. People began shedding every ounce of clothing they could!

Watch Hannah draw some of their signature album artwork live on stage during the song "Slow":

"Naked Kids"

Dawes
This was probably my least favorite set of the day. They're a band from San Diego that has a decent following, but I wasn't having it. Just an overall boring set. 


Black Keys
I won't lie, I only saw maybe 5 minutes of this set, and I remember even less than that. I was having a great time at this point in the night if you know what I mean. But from what I remember, they sounded great, and everyone was having a good time.

Explosions in the Sky
Same comment as Black Keys.

Datsik
All of my friends had dispersed through the night and we all met back up at the Sahara Tent at the end of the night for a group dance party. I had never heard of Datsik, but we all had an amazing time. Lots of dancing, jumping and laughing. Just an all around good time.

I think that sums up Day 1 of Coachella. On to day 2!

M83 at Fox Theater

Show: M83
Venue: Fox Theater- Pomona, CA
Date: 4/12/12
Show #23

This was a super last minute show for me. I got a call from a friend at 7pm the night of the show saying he had an extra ticket. I was in Downtown LA at the time, and not being one to turn down a free show, I accepted and hauled ass down to Pomona and made it in the nick of time!

Downside is no pictures, just one video:

If you're not familiar with the name M83, you may know their big song "Midnight City". Watch the video regardless, it involves creepy children with special powers escaping from a mental institution. 

If you ever go see M83 live, don't worry about being close to the stage, everything is so dark, you can't see anything anyway. Maybe just don't get tickets in a seated area because when you stand, people around you get upset, but I couldn't care less and did it anyway. :-)

 They have a cool setup on stage with lasers and lots of smoke, and keep things dark which  plays to the overall mystique of their music. Fun show, check them out if you get a chance!

Mat Kearney at The Canyon Club

Show: Mat Kearney
Venue: The Canyon Club- Agoura Hills, CA
Date: 4/5/12
Show #22

So unfortunately, it looks like I accidentally deleted all but ONE picture I took at this show. I remember deleting them thinking I already uploaded them, but I was wrong. Bummer! Oh well, they all looked pretty similar to my other post on him from The Mayan, so if you really need to see more of him, you can go there.

I managed to get the set list.... by climbing on stage afterwords to grab it :-)

Luckily I took some videos and didn't delete those before uploading!

All I Have

Runaway Car

Ships in the Night

You Can Count On Me

Talking about the show "Ancient Aliens"

Dan Layus at Hotel Cafe

Show: Dan Layus (of Augustana)
Venue: Hotel Cafe- Los Angeles, CA
Date: 4/4/12
Show #21

There's something about simple shows, in small intimate venues that just blow major productions out of the water. Sometimes all you need is a guitar and some kick ass lyrics. That was the case when I saw Dan Layus of Augustana perform a solo set at Hotel Cafe.

If you're not familiar with Augustana, you probably are and don't know it. This was their big hit in 2005:

Armed with just a guitar and light piano accompaniment, Dan Layus proceeded to captivate the attention of everyone in the room that night. Usually at that venue there's always an annoying group of hipsters standing in the back chatting away, but that wasn't the case at this show.

He of course played the big hits such as Boston, and Fire, but he also debuted a few brand new songs that did not disappoint. I recorded a few:

Love in the Air
Need a Little Sunshine

Matt Nathanson and Kelly Clarkson at Nokia Theater

Show: Matt Nathanson and Kelly Clarkson
Venue: Nokia Theater- Los Angeles, CA
Date: 4/3/12
Show #20

I've been a fan of Matt Nathanson for a while now, so I can't believe this was my first time seeing him live. But to make it even better, he was performing at the wonderful venue that is Nokia Theater, opening for one of my favorite ladies, Kelly Clarkson!

I have to say that he completely exceeded my expectations! His set was so much fun! He totally had the audience in the palm of his hand too. He definitely won over the audience with his adorable personality, sense of humor and his feel good pop rock vibe. Oh, and he's pretty damn sexy too. He's quite the hip shaker when he performs, and I thank him for that.

*Sigh*

He sang all the songs I wanted him to which included Run, Room At The End of The World (which included a mash-up of I Just Wanna Dance With Somebody and most importantly Wedding Dress. Click on the song names to check out the video I recorded of each.

Once he was finished, it was time for Kelly Clarkson to come out. Wow wow wow is all I can say. That girl just has it all. She's one of the most talented, down to earth, humble performers out there today. She's not afraid to make fun of herself, and gives it 1000% when she's up on that stage. I have so much respect for her and hope she'll be putting out new music for many years to come.

This show had the most surprise guests i've ever seen! See below for all the videos:

You Love Me
When You Believe (Feat. Tamyra Gray)
Till the World Ends (Britney Spears Cover!)
Leave the Pieces (Feat. Michelle Branch)
Don't You Wanna Stay (Feat. Blake Shelton)
Because of You (Feat. Reba McEntire) 

Check out Matt Nathanson's album "Modern Love" out now!
mattnathanson.com

The All American Rejects at The Troubadour

Show: The All American Rejects
Venue: The Troubadour- Los Angeles, CA
Date: 3/30/12
Show #19

Friday marked my 3rd, and sadly final All American Rejects adventure for that week. This was the one I had been looking forward to the most. The Troubadour is one of my favorite venues in LA, so to see one of your favorite bands there, in such a small intimate setting is just the best.

I won't say too much about this show and let the pictures speak for themselves, but if you've seen All American Rejects live before, you know just how amazing they are live. One of the best live acts around. They put on the type of show where you feel like you can't sing loud enough, jump high enough, or scream loud enough. You're a crazy sweaty mess after an AAR show, and it's fantastic.

Videos recorded:
Heartbeat Slowing Down
Fast & Slow (Feat. Audra Mae)
Beekeepers Daughter
I For You

 W/ Audra Mae (As heard on Fast and Slow)

And of course, I got a set list!

All American Rejects on Jimmy Kimmel

Show: The All American Rejects on Jimmy Kimmel
Venue: Hollywood, CA
Date: 3/27/12
Show #18

One of the many perks of living in Los Angeles, is that it's where artists come for album release festivities, and appearances. Which is why I got to see All American Rejects 3 times in one week. Excessive? Or awesome? I vote awesome.

Photo from my phone:

If you've never gotten to go to a taping a Jimmy Kimmel, here are a few tips:

- For tickets, go to 1iota.com
- Check that site often, as Jimmy Kimmel has a large outdoor stage and gets pretty big musical guests to perform there, and tickets are free! Given, it's not a whole show. Guests typically do about 5 songs (only 1 or 2 make it on air). But hey, it's free!
- Cameras are not allowed, and they mean it. Don't even try. Phones are ok.
- Purses are not allowed. Yes, purses. Keep everything on your person.
- Get there early. Try to get there at least an hour before the suggested time. That is, if you care about how close to the stage you are. For bigger acts, people have been known to camp out to be up front, or get there at all hours of the morning. Not that I've done it before *cough cough* This is what the line looked like when I showed up around the suggested time on the ticket for AAR:

- When you get there, look at your ticket and check to see if you're "Priority" or not. Priority ticket holders (these are luck of the draw when you're requesting tickets) get in before the general line. Look for a 1iota team member or ask people in line, to make sure you're in the correct line.
- Be prepared to stand. Once let in, you have to watch the whole taping of the show on a screen they project for all the outdoor audience members. Musical guests always come last.
- Have fun! Keep an eye out for cameras on you, especially if you're against the barricade, don't be caught picking your nose!

The guys sang 2 songs to air on TV (Beekeepers Daughter and Kids in the Street) and stayed after to do a few more for the fans, including Move Along and Gives You Hell. Before they hit the stage, they all did a walk by the barricade giving fans high fives and shaking hands. Nick even gave me a head nod and a point like "hey I remember you" haha I've been to a ton of tapings at Jimmy Kimmel and i've never seen an act come down and do that before the show. So that was very cool of them.

After the show, fans had the option to buy a CD and meet the band. I didn't stay to do it since I had met them all the night before, but it looked like a pretty big line of people!

Here's the recording of Beekeepers Daughter as it aired on the show:

Kids in the Street:

Here is a video a fan recorded on their phone of Move Along: