Hi Elizabeth,
I am home from Pearl's, just checking in because I saw your post (Chris Cornell) and I see what you are saying. At least I think I do. You are saying, "it's just work, it's just my job", etc. If that is what you meant by that post, I understand, and it's what I already thought before I wrote any of the stuff in the last couple blogs. I know that you and Johan have a working musical relationship.
Sigh.......
In analysing the situation, which is always good for me to do, I think that it all goes back to 2013/14 and Johan's relentlessness on the "like" button. (said with a smile and good humor). I think that's what got my radar up, lol, because you had (and have) been working with a lot of different musicians, many of them guys, but back then, it was "likelikelikelikelikelikelikelikelike" from Johan, like he had a speed dial on the "like" button, as fast as he could post it. And I guess that's what got me thinking, "Hmmmmmmm"........
Anyway, it's just something I have to process. It would've helped a little bit had you posted something on those two weekends you were gone, and maybe you did, I don't know. The news feed is sketchy sometimes. But I didn't see anything, until I saw your picture on Monday morning, of the hands playing the synth. And then I thought, "oh boy, Johan again"........well, I've already written enough about all of that. I will take your word for it, that it's just a working relationship. I was still gonna write anyway, so no worries. :)
I am looking forward to the Alcest show tonight. I will take the subway to Downtown L.A., as always. I think The Regent is just a few blocks from the Pershing Square station. I should be back at Pearl's by Midnight or 12:30, and I will write more then. For now, I will be around til about 3:30, then a couple errands, then back to Pearl's at 4:30.
Have a great afternoon!
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
1:40am : Hey, Elizabeth - I am back from the show. Got back about 15 minutes ago. It was later than I thought because there was an extra band, and also they didn't start the concert until 8:45. It said 8pm on the ticket. Anyhow, the first band came on, and they had a girl singer, and they were playing some really dark, twisted music, so I thought they were Emma Ruth Rundle (Emma & band). I didn't know anything about her, so I watched the whole set and I thought, wow, she's pretty good. Really spooky music, like from a David Lynch movie. But then the band finished, and the stage crew were setting up for the next act, and twenty minutes later out comes a lone female singer, holding a guitar. I had been expecting Alcest to come on next, but now this really was Emma Ruth Rundle. Boy, she's pretty intense, eh? Very emotional music, nervous or even tormented perhaps. She was good, though, and somebody said it was her birthday. Neige came out to play guitar on one of her songs.
After she finished, there was an overly long set-up time for Alcest. It wasn't their fault; the venue just wanted to sell more drinks. It's tough for me at general admission shows, if I have to stand in place for several hours, cause my feet and legs really start to hurt. It would have been a piece of cake years ago, but not nowdays. :)
I was up close, though, about five feet from the stage, and Alcest finally came on at 10:45pm. Man, what a set. One song I was surprised to hear was (and I had to Google the spelling) "Sur L'Ocean Coleur de Fer". The live version they pulled off, mesmerising with twin chiming guitars and slow blending harmonies, really shows more than anything how far those guys have come as a live band, and I really think it's all that touring that has done it, just hundreds of shows in the last four years, since they became an international act. Zero especially, has become an MVP, right on the money with powerful tenor vocals and guitar accompaniment. Now it's this huge double vocal sound with him and Neige, high notes riding above the guitar parts.
They played 90 minutes, their longest set so far in the three times I have seen them. This time being their first headline show (at least since I've been seeing them starting in October 2011). The theater was pretty full, several hundred people.
When it ended, I walked quickly back to the subway station. It was only three blocks away. I would've liked to hang out, but it was already much later than I thought it'd be. But, once I got on the subway, it only took me 50 minutes total to make it back to Pearl's from Downtown L.A. Not too shabby. :)
So, all in all a great show and a nice evening. I hope you had a nice evening, too.
I see your Eva Cassidy post just now, and I know she is your favorite singer. :)
It was super loud tonight, and I am half-deaf but happy. I will get to sleep pretty soon here, and then I will see you in the morning.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
My Take On Things
Hi Elizabeth,
Happy Late Night. I hope you had a good day, and I am thinking of you. I saw your post about Alcest (from Fursy), and I am excited to be going tomorrow night.
It just takes me time to process stuff, you know? Just to process all the Johan stuff. I just kind of want to know where everything is going, and at the same time I know that's not an easy question for you to answer. It's just that, well, I look at things from a guy's perspective, and right from the beginning I looked at the Johan situation from his perspective. I described to you how I saw him pop up all of a sudden, in early 2013. Before that, in much of 2012, I had been having actual conversations with you, via FB messages. But then in 2013, all of a sudden there was this new guy, and he was hitting the "like" button on your posts as if he was sitting there waiting to do so.
I've explained all this before, but that was my introduction to Johan, and I had been - up to that point (or just prior) - the guy who was having conversations with you. Now, all of a sudden, here was some new guy, going wild on the "like" button (he seems to have tailed off somewhat, which is good because he probably would've calloused his index finger over)........
I looked at it from a guy's perspective, saw that Johan really liked you, and here we are today.
Sigh.......
Please take this statement with a smile from me, and a little bit of weary good humor, but I'm a little bit worn out. :)
At this point I don't care if Johan is your boyfriend. He certainly wants to be. I mean, I feel ridiculous even typing these things, because again, here I am on Facebook and Blogger, typing to you in computerland, and while I know you read what I write, and I know you respond by your posts on FB, it is still a far cry from knowing you in real life as Johan does.
Elizabeth, I am sorry to be so blunt about the situation but here goes : for you, it may be just about music, or it may be more. I don't know. You seem to be an honest person, and yet you hacked my computer. But even then, I know (sort of) why you did it, and it seems to have come from the heart. Anyone else, and I'd have (maybe) called the FBI on 'em, but with you?.......well, I have always thought that You Are You. You are Elizabeth, so how could I stay mad about it? And so, in that sense, I think you are indeed an honest person, and you come from the heart. I haven't actually heard you weigh in on the Johan situation, not fully. You have said he is your musical partner, but you have also spent two straight weekends in Chicago with him.
Again, I feel so stupid.........so,so stupid......at my age, sitting here typing on the Internet about two young people whom I've never met, though you and I have had this unusual, symbolic and powerful communication and connection for 3 years or so now. But still, I feel stupid. I am an intelligent man, with a lot of things to think about, in a life that has been complicated, and here I am sitting and typing about a guy I have never met who is less than half my age who likes a girl I know from the Internet. It makes me feel just a little bit ridiculous, not because I don't have real feelings for you, but because I am literally communicating from a computer screen for all this time.
I know I just got sidetracked there, and I know I tend to do that, but I was trying to say that, bottom line, I know you are an honest person because I can feel it. And you have indicated (sort of, but perhaps not definitively) that Johan is merely your musical collaborator. That's fine.
The problem for me is that, being a guy, I can see things from Johan's perspective. I am a very perceptive person, but even if I wasn't, it doesn't take much perception to see that Johan would have no problem if your relationship with him became more than a musical collaboration. He. Likes. You. :) ....A Lot.
It's the truth, and again - who the heck am I to even comment on it, much less complain about it?
I feel stupid, because I am a guy twice your guys (you and Johan) ages, and I have never met either of you, nor spoken to, and here I am typing a blog about it, complaining about the poor guy. I feel almost absurd, to be honest, like an absurd person.
It would be different if I thought you were ever gonna talk to me, but right now, there just doesn't seem to be any sign that that is ever gonna happen. Meanwhile........there's Johan. I get the feeling he's kind of a quiet guy, maybe a tad shy with you, but he's persistent, and he's just waiting for the chance to be your boyfriend.
So, Elizabeth, that's why I am kind of resigned to it happening. I am still here, and I am still gonna write, but the thing is, that what you get out of a situation is what you put into it. You know, if you ever wanted to actually talk to me, you could get so much more from our conversations than I could ever give you in a blog, even a lengthy one. But you've gotta want to talk, or eventually the whole thing runs out of gas. And if Johan is waiting in the wings, well.........
That's the way I see it.
I have written, written and written, over 800 blogs now, many of them tedious with nothing to say, but I can't make any progress unless you are willing to.
Meanwhile, I am not gonna compete with Johan, who is your age and who lives near you, and who is relentless (in a gentlemanly way) in his pursuit of you.
I'm just too old for all of it. I have so much to think about in my life........so much......so much to think and wonder about, and to contemplate.......that I don't need the added worry of "is that guy pursuing Elizabeth"?
So you know what? I don't worry about it. I just let the chips fall where they may. I am still here; I will still write. I have complained in this manner for a couple of years now, have asked you to communicate with me directly. But now, Johan is in the picture more than ever, and that makes it even more difficult to not have direct communication.
So I am still here, I will still write, and by tomorrow (or at most a couple days), I probably won't even be upset anymore and things will be back to normal. That's my Aries Mars-In-Pisces nature.
What happens, though, it that when patterns continue, things erode.
Just please remember that what you put in to a situation, you get out.
God Bless whatever happens, and I am still on your side, and still with you in every way. But when I am dealing with a situation in which another guy likes the same girl as me.......well, I don't play those games. I am too old for that stuff, I have too many other things to be thinking about.
I don't trust guys.That's really the bottom line. Guys wanna make moves. And women are succeptible to moves, if the guy just hangs in long enough, and makes the right moves.
Soooo.....now that I've gotten all that ridiculous stuff out of the way (man, I feel like a ridiculous person), I will wish you Sweet Dreams.
I do love you, Elizabeth, and I will see you in the morning. I'll be back tomorrow.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox :):)
Happy Late Night. I hope you had a good day, and I am thinking of you. I saw your post about Alcest (from Fursy), and I am excited to be going tomorrow night.
It just takes me time to process stuff, you know? Just to process all the Johan stuff. I just kind of want to know where everything is going, and at the same time I know that's not an easy question for you to answer. It's just that, well, I look at things from a guy's perspective, and right from the beginning I looked at the Johan situation from his perspective. I described to you how I saw him pop up all of a sudden, in early 2013. Before that, in much of 2012, I had been having actual conversations with you, via FB messages. But then in 2013, all of a sudden there was this new guy, and he was hitting the "like" button on your posts as if he was sitting there waiting to do so.
I've explained all this before, but that was my introduction to Johan, and I had been - up to that point (or just prior) - the guy who was having conversations with you. Now, all of a sudden, here was some new guy, going wild on the "like" button (he seems to have tailed off somewhat, which is good because he probably would've calloused his index finger over)........
I looked at it from a guy's perspective, saw that Johan really liked you, and here we are today.
Sigh.......
Please take this statement with a smile from me, and a little bit of weary good humor, but I'm a little bit worn out. :)
At this point I don't care if Johan is your boyfriend. He certainly wants to be. I mean, I feel ridiculous even typing these things, because again, here I am on Facebook and Blogger, typing to you in computerland, and while I know you read what I write, and I know you respond by your posts on FB, it is still a far cry from knowing you in real life as Johan does.
Elizabeth, I am sorry to be so blunt about the situation but here goes : for you, it may be just about music, or it may be more. I don't know. You seem to be an honest person, and yet you hacked my computer. But even then, I know (sort of) why you did it, and it seems to have come from the heart. Anyone else, and I'd have (maybe) called the FBI on 'em, but with you?.......well, I have always thought that You Are You. You are Elizabeth, so how could I stay mad about it? And so, in that sense, I think you are indeed an honest person, and you come from the heart. I haven't actually heard you weigh in on the Johan situation, not fully. You have said he is your musical partner, but you have also spent two straight weekends in Chicago with him.
Again, I feel so stupid.........so,so stupid......at my age, sitting here typing on the Internet about two young people whom I've never met, though you and I have had this unusual, symbolic and powerful communication and connection for 3 years or so now. But still, I feel stupid. I am an intelligent man, with a lot of things to think about, in a life that has been complicated, and here I am sitting and typing about a guy I have never met who is less than half my age who likes a girl I know from the Internet. It makes me feel just a little bit ridiculous, not because I don't have real feelings for you, but because I am literally communicating from a computer screen for all this time.
I know I just got sidetracked there, and I know I tend to do that, but I was trying to say that, bottom line, I know you are an honest person because I can feel it. And you have indicated (sort of, but perhaps not definitively) that Johan is merely your musical collaborator. That's fine.
The problem for me is that, being a guy, I can see things from Johan's perspective. I am a very perceptive person, but even if I wasn't, it doesn't take much perception to see that Johan would have no problem if your relationship with him became more than a musical collaboration. He. Likes. You. :) ....A Lot.
It's the truth, and again - who the heck am I to even comment on it, much less complain about it?
I feel stupid, because I am a guy twice your guys (you and Johan) ages, and I have never met either of you, nor spoken to, and here I am typing a blog about it, complaining about the poor guy. I feel almost absurd, to be honest, like an absurd person.
It would be different if I thought you were ever gonna talk to me, but right now, there just doesn't seem to be any sign that that is ever gonna happen. Meanwhile........there's Johan. I get the feeling he's kind of a quiet guy, maybe a tad shy with you, but he's persistent, and he's just waiting for the chance to be your boyfriend.
So, Elizabeth, that's why I am kind of resigned to it happening. I am still here, and I am still gonna write, but the thing is, that what you get out of a situation is what you put into it. You know, if you ever wanted to actually talk to me, you could get so much more from our conversations than I could ever give you in a blog, even a lengthy one. But you've gotta want to talk, or eventually the whole thing runs out of gas. And if Johan is waiting in the wings, well.........
That's the way I see it.
I have written, written and written, over 800 blogs now, many of them tedious with nothing to say, but I can't make any progress unless you are willing to.
Meanwhile, I am not gonna compete with Johan, who is your age and who lives near you, and who is relentless (in a gentlemanly way) in his pursuit of you.
I'm just too old for all of it. I have so much to think about in my life........so much......so much to think and wonder about, and to contemplate.......that I don't need the added worry of "is that guy pursuing Elizabeth"?
So you know what? I don't worry about it. I just let the chips fall where they may. I am still here; I will still write. I have complained in this manner for a couple of years now, have asked you to communicate with me directly. But now, Johan is in the picture more than ever, and that makes it even more difficult to not have direct communication.
So I am still here, I will still write, and by tomorrow (or at most a couple days), I probably won't even be upset anymore and things will be back to normal. That's my Aries Mars-In-Pisces nature.
What happens, though, it that when patterns continue, things erode.
Just please remember that what you put in to a situation, you get out.
God Bless whatever happens, and I am still on your side, and still with you in every way. But when I am dealing with a situation in which another guy likes the same girl as me.......well, I don't play those games. I am too old for that stuff, I have too many other things to be thinking about.
I don't trust guys.That's really the bottom line. Guys wanna make moves. And women are succeptible to moves, if the guy just hangs in long enough, and makes the right moves.
Soooo.....now that I've gotten all that ridiculous stuff out of the way (man, I feel like a ridiculous person), I will wish you Sweet Dreams.
I do love you, Elizabeth, and I will see you in the morning. I'll be back tomorrow.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox :):)
Monday, October 5, 2015
Just Little Ol' Me :) (sweet dreams)
Hi Elizabeth,
I am just getting home from Pearl's. I'm happy to see that you have so many projects going. That's fantastic! Sorry I didn't respond earlier, it's just that it always takes me a little while to adjust to the whole Johan situation. It's nothing to do with the musical project of course, cause I always think it's great whenever you have the opportunity to make music. :)
It's just............oh heck, I dunno. I mean, I have said this a bunch of times, and I know I'm repeating myself and I also know it's probably extremely tedious to hear again and again, but I just feel like Johan seems to be the guy who takes precedence, while I am just a guy on Facebook. Now, I know that that's somewhat of an oversimplification of the situation, but on the other hand there is some truth to it. And yet, it is also perfectly understandable :
Johan lives near you. Johan is a musician. You guys have the same taste in music. Johan is close to your age. I would guess he's around 25? Okay, at any rate......
The thing is, it's all okay. Really and truly. Johan seems like a good guy and all. It's just that, two weeks in a row - or rather two weekends in a row - you were gone all weekend and didn't post. The first time was in Chicago for the Alcest concert, and I saw the picture of all you guys, you and Johan and the band, and I'm glad you had a blast. But then came the next weekend (yesterday and Saturday) and you didn't post again all weekend, and then this morning you posted that you were working on Johan's new album. So I guess that means you were back in Chicago again.
Elizabeth, the truth is that I'm not upset about it. I have no right to be, because I am way over here in Los Angeles, and I have never even spoken to you, much less met you.
Johan knows you personally and you guys seem to be close. How close, I don't know, and it's none of my business anyway. So I'm not upset, but I am kind of resigned to it. I am resigned to the fact that Johan is gonna take precedence in your life. He's The Man, as they say, or he sure seems to be, and there is no doubt he likes you a lot.
Anyway, it's all good. I saw your other post, the Emily Tebbits one, and I guess that was meant for me, and I am glad and I know that comes straight from your heart. I still feel the same way, so don't worry. I'm just resigned to the Johan situation, and it just feels like he's the guy, y'know? I mean, two weekends in a row, you go to Chicago, you don't post all weekend, and you're with Johan.......
At any rate, as I said earlier, it's all good. I am glad you have so many things happening. How in the world did you land a beer commercial? That sounds big time, or somewhat, at least. So things are still on a roll, and the opportunities are gonna keep coming in! :)
That makes me happy. :)
I'll keep in mind your Emily Tebbits post, and I know you mean it, but just please understand that it is not easy for me to adjust to what seems like - to me, anyway - the inevitability of the Johan situation.
No worries for now, though. Things sound good, and I am happy. :)
I Love You and I'll write more later back at Pearl's. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12;20am : Happy Late Night. I hope you were able to find the right actors for your beer commercial tomorrow. Best of luck on the shoot, too. And, I also hope you get to go to the Russian Circles concert on Wednesday night. I saw that you entered a contest for tickets. :)
Nothing much else to report for today. I am having fun thinking of really oddball horror movies to post. Reading "Dark Mission" and "Ultimate Encounter", a book about the Travis Walton experience......
See you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am just getting home from Pearl's. I'm happy to see that you have so many projects going. That's fantastic! Sorry I didn't respond earlier, it's just that it always takes me a little while to adjust to the whole Johan situation. It's nothing to do with the musical project of course, cause I always think it's great whenever you have the opportunity to make music. :)
It's just............oh heck, I dunno. I mean, I have said this a bunch of times, and I know I'm repeating myself and I also know it's probably extremely tedious to hear again and again, but I just feel like Johan seems to be the guy who takes precedence, while I am just a guy on Facebook. Now, I know that that's somewhat of an oversimplification of the situation, but on the other hand there is some truth to it. And yet, it is also perfectly understandable :
Johan lives near you. Johan is a musician. You guys have the same taste in music. Johan is close to your age. I would guess he's around 25? Okay, at any rate......
The thing is, it's all okay. Really and truly. Johan seems like a good guy and all. It's just that, two weeks in a row - or rather two weekends in a row - you were gone all weekend and didn't post. The first time was in Chicago for the Alcest concert, and I saw the picture of all you guys, you and Johan and the band, and I'm glad you had a blast. But then came the next weekend (yesterday and Saturday) and you didn't post again all weekend, and then this morning you posted that you were working on Johan's new album. So I guess that means you were back in Chicago again.
Elizabeth, the truth is that I'm not upset about it. I have no right to be, because I am way over here in Los Angeles, and I have never even spoken to you, much less met you.
Johan knows you personally and you guys seem to be close. How close, I don't know, and it's none of my business anyway. So I'm not upset, but I am kind of resigned to it. I am resigned to the fact that Johan is gonna take precedence in your life. He's The Man, as they say, or he sure seems to be, and there is no doubt he likes you a lot.
Anyway, it's all good. I saw your other post, the Emily Tebbits one, and I guess that was meant for me, and I am glad and I know that comes straight from your heart. I still feel the same way, so don't worry. I'm just resigned to the Johan situation, and it just feels like he's the guy, y'know? I mean, two weekends in a row, you go to Chicago, you don't post all weekend, and you're with Johan.......
At any rate, as I said earlier, it's all good. I am glad you have so many things happening. How in the world did you land a beer commercial? That sounds big time, or somewhat, at least. So things are still on a roll, and the opportunities are gonna keep coming in! :)
That makes me happy. :)
I'll keep in mind your Emily Tebbits post, and I know you mean it, but just please understand that it is not easy for me to adjust to what seems like - to me, anyway - the inevitability of the Johan situation.
No worries for now, though. Things sound good, and I am happy. :)
I Love You and I'll write more later back at Pearl's. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12;20am : Happy Late Night. I hope you were able to find the right actors for your beer commercial tomorrow. Best of luck on the shoot, too. And, I also hope you get to go to the Russian Circles concert on Wednesday night. I saw that you entered a contest for tickets. :)
Nothing much else to report for today. I am having fun thinking of really oddball horror movies to post. Reading "Dark Mission" and "Ultimate Encounter", a book about the Travis Walton experience......
See you in the morning.
xoxoxoxoxo :):)
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Sunday Evening Hello
Good Evening, my Darling,
I am home from Pearl's and wanted to say hi. I haven't seen you around much for the past several days, so I hope everything is okay. A usual Sunday for me, singing in church, etc......
Post if you get a chance, if you feel like it. :)
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am home from Pearl's and wanted to say hi. I haven't seen you around much for the past several days, so I hope everything is okay. A usual Sunday for me, singing in church, etc......
Post if you get a chance, if you feel like it. :)
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, October 2, 2015
Van Halen, but first a Dogwalk (the mighty Van Halen)
Happy Friday Evening, my Darling,
I am at Pearl's and will be heading out at 6:30 to go see Van Halen at the Bowl, so I wanted to check in and say hi before I go. I hope you are enjoying your Friday night. I should be back from the concert by about 12:30 or so. Right now, a quick dogwalk before I go..........
See you in a bit. I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12:15am : I am back. I actually made it to Pearl's at 11:50pm, an hour after the concert ended. Not too shabby, considering that I had to beat 18,000 people out of the Bowl (not easy!), then walk a mile back to the subway station (easy), then take the Red Line, then drive back from NoHo.
One of my easier trips home from a concert.
Well, Van Halen. I was thinking on the way down there, "what band has been with me the longest"? At least as far as concerts go? It's not Rush; I first saw them in 1978, so they've been with me 37 years, because I saw them this year too. So I am talking from first to last. It's not Ritchie Blackmore (in any of his musical incarnations), even though Deep Purple was part of California Jam, my first concert. That was in 1974, but Ritchie last played L.A. with Blackmore's Night in 2005, so that's just a 31 year span. I saw Black Sabbath last year at the Hollywood Bowl, and they were part of California Jam, so that would account for 40 years. Except that it doesn't quite count because Bill Ward the drummer wasn't part of the 2014 lineup.
So that leaves two bands, as I was thinking tonight. Sparks and Van Halen. Both L.A. Bands.
I first saw Sparks in 1975, and I saw them this year, so they are at 40 years, and they currently hold the record. But coming in a close second are Van Halen.
I can't believe I first saw them on New Year's Eve 1976, before their first record was even out. Eddie was 21 then. He's now 60. I think I've seen Van Halen about 20 times, give or take, in all that time. They have been with me 39 years.
Tonight was a blast. They played exactly two hours. I always check the time at the beginning and end of a concert, just for the heck of it. This one ran from 8:48 to 10:48pm, exactly. Concerts are exact nowdays, with all the lighting cues and such.
Roth was Roth. Some of the older fans don't like his performances these days. Grimsley is one. He didn't go tonight because he thinks DLR just goofs off onstage. And he does! But it's DLR doing the goofing, and if he doesn't sing as much as he used to, well, he was always like that. Part singer, part showman. Nowdays he's the same, but 62 years old and so he does it without all the jumping around. Me? I love the guy. He can do whatever he wants onstage as far as I'm concerned.
The real draw is the band, the songs, and Edward F. Van Halen. Van Halen the band is made up of all Van Halens nowdays, and man do those guys lock in together. On backup vocals, too. Eddie and son Wolfie are really the lead singers now. Their backing vocals never miss the mark and are strong and in tune every time. And they are on time, they hold the vocal melody together. Brother Alex on drums is a machine, one of the most underrated drummers in rock.
Then there is Eddie, the nuclear powered guitarist. He is the main reason Van Halen can still sell out the Hollywood Bowl for two nights after four decades. The guy is just over-the-top incredible. He went through a period in the late 80s through most of the 90s that would have finished most musicians, and it's a wonder he made it through alive.
But more than that, his playing and his music may have been what got him through. The guy just comes through on his guitar in a way that no one else does, a 100% original. He comes through : speaks through his playing, and he has complete control of his instrument. He can make it do whatever he wants it to do.
It's pretty astonishing to see, especially after all this time.
The sound was really good for an outdoor show, and the lighting gave a "circus-like" effect.
Sweet Baby, it's just such a trip for me, because so much time has gone by - 40 years! - but rock n' roll seems to make it's own rules. Time passes for the great bands, but only in a gradual way. Very gradual in some cases.
Man, I love those guys.
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams and I will see you in the morning........
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am at Pearl's and will be heading out at 6:30 to go see Van Halen at the Bowl, so I wanted to check in and say hi before I go. I hope you are enjoying your Friday night. I should be back from the concert by about 12:30 or so. Right now, a quick dogwalk before I go..........
See you in a bit. I Love You! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12:15am : I am back. I actually made it to Pearl's at 11:50pm, an hour after the concert ended. Not too shabby, considering that I had to beat 18,000 people out of the Bowl (not easy!), then walk a mile back to the subway station (easy), then take the Red Line, then drive back from NoHo.
One of my easier trips home from a concert.
Well, Van Halen. I was thinking on the way down there, "what band has been with me the longest"? At least as far as concerts go? It's not Rush; I first saw them in 1978, so they've been with me 37 years, because I saw them this year too. So I am talking from first to last. It's not Ritchie Blackmore (in any of his musical incarnations), even though Deep Purple was part of California Jam, my first concert. That was in 1974, but Ritchie last played L.A. with Blackmore's Night in 2005, so that's just a 31 year span. I saw Black Sabbath last year at the Hollywood Bowl, and they were part of California Jam, so that would account for 40 years. Except that it doesn't quite count because Bill Ward the drummer wasn't part of the 2014 lineup.
So that leaves two bands, as I was thinking tonight. Sparks and Van Halen. Both L.A. Bands.
I first saw Sparks in 1975, and I saw them this year, so they are at 40 years, and they currently hold the record. But coming in a close second are Van Halen.
I can't believe I first saw them on New Year's Eve 1976, before their first record was even out. Eddie was 21 then. He's now 60. I think I've seen Van Halen about 20 times, give or take, in all that time. They have been with me 39 years.
Tonight was a blast. They played exactly two hours. I always check the time at the beginning and end of a concert, just for the heck of it. This one ran from 8:48 to 10:48pm, exactly. Concerts are exact nowdays, with all the lighting cues and such.
Roth was Roth. Some of the older fans don't like his performances these days. Grimsley is one. He didn't go tonight because he thinks DLR just goofs off onstage. And he does! But it's DLR doing the goofing, and if he doesn't sing as much as he used to, well, he was always like that. Part singer, part showman. Nowdays he's the same, but 62 years old and so he does it without all the jumping around. Me? I love the guy. He can do whatever he wants onstage as far as I'm concerned.
The real draw is the band, the songs, and Edward F. Van Halen. Van Halen the band is made up of all Van Halens nowdays, and man do those guys lock in together. On backup vocals, too. Eddie and son Wolfie are really the lead singers now. Their backing vocals never miss the mark and are strong and in tune every time. And they are on time, they hold the vocal melody together. Brother Alex on drums is a machine, one of the most underrated drummers in rock.
Then there is Eddie, the nuclear powered guitarist. He is the main reason Van Halen can still sell out the Hollywood Bowl for two nights after four decades. The guy is just over-the-top incredible. He went through a period in the late 80s through most of the 90s that would have finished most musicians, and it's a wonder he made it through alive.
But more than that, his playing and his music may have been what got him through. The guy just comes through on his guitar in a way that no one else does, a 100% original. He comes through : speaks through his playing, and he has complete control of his instrument. He can make it do whatever he wants it to do.
It's pretty astonishing to see, especially after all this time.
The sound was really good for an outdoor show, and the lighting gave a "circus-like" effect.
Sweet Baby, it's just such a trip for me, because so much time has gone by - 40 years! - but rock n' roll seems to make it's own rules. Time passes for the great bands, but only in a gradual way. Very gradual in some cases.
Man, I love those guys.
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams and I will see you in the morning........
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Happy October! (late night love)
Good Afternoon, my Darling,
I am at Pearl's and just wanted to say hi, cause it's Thursday and I will be at the movies during the early evening. Tonight we are gonna see Welles' version of "Macbeth". Orson Welles and Shakespeare are a great combination, and I am looking forward to it. :)
I liked your posts this morning! That was some picture your friend Morgin posted. We can consider ourselves the "unmarked" version of that couple, lol. But yes, it was hot stuff in any case.
And I agree with your other FB friend Elizabeth Gadd : October is my favorite month. I think it is for a lot of people. I mean, for me it's close, and if you asked me in July I might say July! And December for the Christmas season. And April for Spring......but overall, I love October for so many reasons - but the main one is Halloween!
Halloween just plain rules. :):) Time to start watching scary movies (wait - don't I do that all the time already?)........well, time to double up then.
I had better get dinner ready, but I will write more when I get back, later tonight.
I Love You! Enjoy your evening. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12:25am : Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby. The Welles version of "Macbeth" was excellent, I thought, very dark looking and although it was all shot on sets, it still has the look of a fantasy. I will probably buy it on dvd, as I am becoming a big Orson Welles fan as well as a newly minted fan of Shakespeare.
I am also gonna try and find obscure or semi-obscure horror & sci-fi movies to post, for my new list. I saw "The Hearse" (definitely obscure!) with Mr. D (the late great Dave Small) when it was released in 1980. It only played about a week or two, and was made by a low budget studio, but me & D always remembered that movie because it was just plain weird as well as scary, mostly for the creepiness of the Hearse itself. As a bonus, it also featured Joseph Cotten - a regular in the films of Orson Welles, though we didn't know that at the time. Anyway........."The Hearse"! Weird, obscure horror movies rule.........
I hope you had a nice evening, and as you can see, James the singer is really digging your photo! He posted it again in a one year comparison of his band's progress, and this time, I really took notice of the angle of your shot, and I can tell that you made a point to frame it as you did, with band at the far left, and huge audience filling the center. Just a terrific shot, and you made James' day, and his band got to play at a big rock festival, and it's all super cool and moving things up and forward.
Tomorrow is Van Halen, so I am excited for that. I will do the usual and drive to the North Hollywood subway station and take the Red Line from there to the Hollywood & Highland station. Then I will walk a few blocks to the Bowl. Should be a blast.
Of course, I will be around at the usual times all day before that, and I will definitely write before I go. More hikes next week, too. :)
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning.....
I Love You, Elizabeth. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am at Pearl's and just wanted to say hi, cause it's Thursday and I will be at the movies during the early evening. Tonight we are gonna see Welles' version of "Macbeth". Orson Welles and Shakespeare are a great combination, and I am looking forward to it. :)
I liked your posts this morning! That was some picture your friend Morgin posted. We can consider ourselves the "unmarked" version of that couple, lol. But yes, it was hot stuff in any case.
And I agree with your other FB friend Elizabeth Gadd : October is my favorite month. I think it is for a lot of people. I mean, for me it's close, and if you asked me in July I might say July! And December for the Christmas season. And April for Spring......but overall, I love October for so many reasons - but the main one is Halloween!
Halloween just plain rules. :):) Time to start watching scary movies (wait - don't I do that all the time already?)........well, time to double up then.
I had better get dinner ready, but I will write more when I get back, later tonight.
I Love You! Enjoy your evening. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
12:25am : Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby. The Welles version of "Macbeth" was excellent, I thought, very dark looking and although it was all shot on sets, it still has the look of a fantasy. I will probably buy it on dvd, as I am becoming a big Orson Welles fan as well as a newly minted fan of Shakespeare.
I am also gonna try and find obscure or semi-obscure horror & sci-fi movies to post, for my new list. I saw "The Hearse" (definitely obscure!) with Mr. D (the late great Dave Small) when it was released in 1980. It only played about a week or two, and was made by a low budget studio, but me & D always remembered that movie because it was just plain weird as well as scary, mostly for the creepiness of the Hearse itself. As a bonus, it also featured Joseph Cotten - a regular in the films of Orson Welles, though we didn't know that at the time. Anyway........."The Hearse"! Weird, obscure horror movies rule.........
I hope you had a nice evening, and as you can see, James the singer is really digging your photo! He posted it again in a one year comparison of his band's progress, and this time, I really took notice of the angle of your shot, and I can tell that you made a point to frame it as you did, with band at the far left, and huge audience filling the center. Just a terrific shot, and you made James' day, and his band got to play at a big rock festival, and it's all super cool and moving things up and forward.
Tomorrow is Van Halen, so I am excited for that. I will do the usual and drive to the North Hollywood subway station and take the Red Line from there to the Hollywood & Highland station. Then I will walk a few blocks to the Bowl. Should be a blast.
Of course, I will be around at the usual times all day before that, and I will definitely write before I go. More hikes next week, too. :)
That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Sweet Dreams, and I will see you in the morning.....
I Love You, Elizabeth. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
The View From The Stage
Happy Late Night, my Darling,
I am really enjoying seeing these posts from Sonic Boom! The one with the giant crowd singing "Don't Stop Believing" is great, and so appropriate. :) Hey girl - you were up on that stage. How'd it feel to be up there? I'll bet it felt great. :)
Again, and I just can't overstate this, I am so happy you got that opportunity. And, because things build upon other things, this will lead to more photo passes and more opportunities. Just remember : I say so!
And because I say so, it will happen. :)
You hadn't posted earlier, which is why I didn't post until now, but I just figured you were working on something or another. Did you take pics at Alcest? I'd sympathize if you didn't. For one thing, venues don't always allow cameras, and cell phone shots are just cell phone shots. But more importantly, it goes back to the "I Just Wanna Watch The Concert" factor, and when it's your favorite band up there, that can factor quite heavily.
I am looking forward to the show next week. It's gonna be at the Regent Theater in Downtown L.A., another of our old-but-now-restored grand movie palaces from the 1920s. Those old theaters, known collectively as the Broadway Theater District, were just sitting there boarded up and collecting dust for over 70 years until fairly recently. Now, they are being restored one after the other. The Regent seems to be one of the latest restorations; at least I haven't heard of it before. But it will be a great show and I can get close because it's general admission.......
Not much to report from daily life. Just usual stuff. I need a new list to do on FB, cause I finished my progressive list. I love lists! Maybe I'll do some movies or something.....
That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby. I think everything is going great! Intent is everything, and imagining your life before it happens.
Sweet Dreams and I will see you in the morning.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I am really enjoying seeing these posts from Sonic Boom! The one with the giant crowd singing "Don't Stop Believing" is great, and so appropriate. :) Hey girl - you were up on that stage. How'd it feel to be up there? I'll bet it felt great. :)
Again, and I just can't overstate this, I am so happy you got that opportunity. And, because things build upon other things, this will lead to more photo passes and more opportunities. Just remember : I say so!
And because I say so, it will happen. :)
You hadn't posted earlier, which is why I didn't post until now, but I just figured you were working on something or another. Did you take pics at Alcest? I'd sympathize if you didn't. For one thing, venues don't always allow cameras, and cell phone shots are just cell phone shots. But more importantly, it goes back to the "I Just Wanna Watch The Concert" factor, and when it's your favorite band up there, that can factor quite heavily.
I am looking forward to the show next week. It's gonna be at the Regent Theater in Downtown L.A., another of our old-but-now-restored grand movie palaces from the 1920s. Those old theaters, known collectively as the Broadway Theater District, were just sitting there boarded up and collecting dust for over 70 years until fairly recently. Now, they are being restored one after the other. The Regent seems to be one of the latest restorations; at least I haven't heard of it before. But it will be a great show and I can get close because it's general admission.......
Not much to report from daily life. Just usual stuff. I need a new list to do on FB, cause I finished my progressive list. I love lists! Maybe I'll do some movies or something.....
That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby. I think everything is going great! Intent is everything, and imagining your life before it happens.
Sweet Dreams and I will see you in the morning.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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