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!

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.

Bounce

I'm trying to bounce back from the recent upheaval in my life, but it's not as easy as it should be.  All I can do is grin (somewhat) and bear (for the most part).  It seems she's bounced back sooner than I expected despite all that we've been through, and I'm still testing my abilities.  It feels like having to learn a basic function all over again after having taken it for granted all these years.  It's fricking hard.  Possibly the hardest thing I must endure.

On a lighter note, check out talented artist James Butterworth and his latest album entitled "Songs for Kahlan," inspired by Legend of the Seeker Cara/Kahlan ship.  This is a must for all you die-hard Cara/Kahlan shippers!

Wake me when it's all over...