Brandi Carlile Live and Unplugged

Brandi Carlile performing "Dying Day" unplugged!

How cute is Brandi in this photo?

"Dying Day" unplugged

Brandi and the twins, Tim and Phil

I saw Brandi Carlile perform live at the Hard Rock on the Strip tonight. Needless to say, Brandi, the twins, and the rest of her band were absolutely brilliant!!! She sang a few of her classics ("The Story," "Again Today," and "Dreams" to name a few), a couple of songs off her soon-to-be-released fourth album ("Rattled" was impressive), and a few cover songs (The Beatles' "I've Just Seen A Face," Alphaville's "Forever Young," and Patsy Cline's "Crazy").  Their encore performance of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones was fricking awesome and had me dancing my bum off!  But, the best performance of the night was most likely Brandi and the band performing "Dying Day" unplugged!!! BRILLIANT!!!

I loved the fact that Brandi is kind, personable, and a bit quirky (i.e, she made some cute hand and face gestures while performing)! At some point during the show, Brandi answered a fan's phone and spoke to the person on the other line!  She was funny and maintained a great rapport with the audience.  And she was very hot and absolutely adorable!  It's a shame she's off the market; I'm sure a lot of hearts were broken last night when she dedicated "Forever Young" to her "sweetheart."  The silence was deafening, but I'm one lesbian who's thrilled that Brandi Carlile is in love and happy.

Needless to say, I had an amazing night. It was a much needed change to my bleak and drama-filled life. And I'm absolutely thrilled that I can check "See Brandi Carlile live" off my bucket list. Yay!

*Note:  The first three photos were taken during Brandi's unplugged performance of "Dying Day."  Brilliant, I tell you!

Elizabethtown

Whenever I'm in a rut and hating life, I take refuge in a favorite book (Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke or perhaps Siddhartha by Hesse), a favorite CD (Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, or Madonna's Ray of Light among others), or an uplifting DVD, in this case Elizabethtown.

I love this movie!  It never fails to make me feel better about life and the circumstances I find myself in.  The message of the film from my point of view is to embrace the beauty of life in spite of its flaws, to move past our so-called failures, and to see the bigger picture- that there's no issue too big, too difficult or too humiliating which we cannot overcome.  That somehow, it's really not that bad.  You're not that bad off.  Life isn't as bad as we perceive it to be.  And hell, things could definitely be worse than they are, but they aren't.  It's all about perception and what you do with all those lemons thrown at you from time to time.  Like the saying goes, if life hands you lemons, then make lemonade.  Maybe add a shot of vodka and some syrup, then enjoy!

Sigh.  In juxtaposition with the dire events in the world today, my life isn't as bad as I thought it was.  And I'm grateful to be alive...

On a lighter note, I finally purchased my Brandi Carlile ticket!  YAY!  I can hardly wait to see her perform live!  I love her music!

Nothing is as bad as you initially perceive it to be.  Take a step back and see the bigger picture.  It helps to breathe...

A Dose of Hedwig, a Shot of Brandi, and a Taste of Tabrett

I'm going to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Onyx tonight, and I'm ecstatic about seeing this musical on stage again!  The last time I saw Hedwig was in NYC in 1999-2000 at the Jane Street Theatre.  Those were the days...sigh.

Yesterday's tragic events in Japan brought me to tears.  My prayers go out to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.  I'm grateful that my family in Hawai'i are safe.

On a lighter note, thoughts do become things!  I desperately wanted to see Brandi Carlile in concert, and last night I discovered that she'll be performing at the Hard Rock in May!  Squee!   I'm absolutely thrilled!  She's a brilliant musician, and I can't wait to see her perform live!  *doing my happy dance*

That's another item I can cross off my bucket list...

Breathe feel love
Give free
Know in your soul
Like your blood knows the way
From your heart to your brain
Knows that you're whole

- "Midnight Radio"

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

P.S.  Tabrett Bethell has been cast in the new ABC series Poe, an investigative crime drama centered around famed author and poet Edgar Allan Poe.  SQUEEE!!!  Life keeps getting better and better!

Positive thoughts, positive actions, positive results!

On Holiday

I'm on holiday for a week, and I'm enjoying every minute away from tiresome and boring work.  Blah.

I initially planned on spending a few days in NYC to see the off-off-Broadway musical Camp Wanatachi, which is co-produced by Legend of the Seeker (LoTS) alum Bridget Regan.  The musical tells the tale of a teenage girl who falls in love with another girl at a Christian-based summer camp.  Unfortunately, my lack of funds prevented me from following through with my plan, and I'm bummed about it.  Hopefully, the musical will garner good reviews and much needed attention to continue its run.

Although I'm not out on the open road, I've managed to keep myself busy with other matters.  I am determined to finish that LoTS fan fiction I've been working on for the past few weeks.  And when I do, I intend to post it here, biting back the fear and nausea that comes with publicly showcasing my work.  It's daunting, but I need to start somewhere, right?  I really need to stop procrastinating and start taking my writing seriously.  No more half-written stories.  From here on out, I will see each story through to the very end.


I also plan to do other things during this fortunate holiday, such as visit the Springs Preserve, something I've been interested in seeing for quite a while now, and declutter my closet and my life, throwing out unnecessary items and putting the past to rest.  I also plan to write JCM a long, overdue letter and file my taxes.  And I intend to visit that used bookstore in my neighborhood, as well as indulge in some thrift-store shopping.

This holiday is all about discovering new things, seeing things through to its end, laying the past to rest, and savoring all that life has to offer.  Sigh.  It's going to be grand.

On a lighter note, I've just discovered the musical genius that is Brandi Carlile.  I love her music!  And her voice and lyrics call out to my soul, leaving me open and vulnerable, yet somewhat stronger and self-assured.

Turning a new leaf is the only way to let go of the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future.