to the blogs of friends and others that I like to read.
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...me by email ljcfyimailATgmailDOTcom
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Aaron and I went to see Guster
tonight and we got to meet them after the show. (Looking at these
pictures I feel bad because I realize I forgot to take my picture with
Joe, their newest band member. Whups.)
It was a super concert and it was great to learn more about
their Campus
Conciousness Tour
where they are trying to lessen their impact on the environment and
spread the word about renewable energy and alternative fuels. (I wrote
more about it on Rocha-chatter)
Lookit me grinning like a nut and clutching my post-consumer recycled
paper environmental pamphlets. It was all I could do to refrain from
loudly informing each of them..."I have reusable grocery bags! I love
your new album! Sign my sticker?"
I am embarrassed to say that I have been so busy, I haven't answered emails for over two months. I just cleared out my inbox, so if you sent me an email recently... I wasn't ignoring you... I was just a little late.
In those emails there were some excellent websites to look at. Thanks you for all the great links!
I just received an email informing me one of my favorite bands, Twin-A is breaking up. Really stinks. Flashback to when I was into the band Splashdown... they broke up too.
The only bit of joy on the horizon is Guster releasing their new CD this month. Hurrah!
Guster's website says they are playing on a cruise with Bare Naked Ladies next January. How great would that be? *sigh* I may just have to be satsified with catching them at High Falls on August 9th.
DisneyMike has passed me a musical baton. I answer these questions and pass them on...
Total volume of music files on my computer:
1.99 GB
The last CD I bought was:
Oooh that's tough... I mostly buy iTunes songs now... well my friend Kristen got us the soundtrack to "Ray" when we were in London... that is the last CD I can think of.
Song playing right now:
“An Honest Mistake ” by The Bravery
Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoole (our wedding song)
"Love is All Around Me" by Wet Wet Wet (our first "song")
"Fa Fa Fa Fa" by Guster
"Man of the Hour" by Pearl Jam
"Long Long Ago" by Shinichi Suzuki (because that is what I am on in my violin lessons!)
Five people to whom I’m passing the baton: Tina Sarah Aprille Nancy Aaron (in hopes he may blog once again)
Well lookee here, it's 2am here at the Hudson in NYC...I am milking a club soda while Tina is mopping a spilled appletini off of her boot. We are still basking in the glow of Maroon 5 or M5 as I like to call them. We both wore concert t-shirts to the show (Tina - her authentic 1981 ACDC and my circa 2003 Guster) in hopes of being recognized for our musical appreciation.
I am using a hotel computer with the funniest gummy keyboard. Must consume more pomme frites and jamba juice before it is time to head home.
This evening Aaron
and I went to hear one of my favorite, but little known bands Twin-A
at Milestones.
Like Guster, I anticipate the day they hit it big and I won't be able to see
them at such a small venue like Milestones, so I go whenever I can. They have
a new CD out and it is quite good.
Now that it is after Thanksgiving I feel comfortable talking about Christmas
stuff. I love Christmas music and there are three new CD's that have caught
my eye.
Maybe This Christmas Tree: This is the third installment after
Maybe This Christmas and Maybe This Christmas Too. I didn't think anything could
top last year's Guster contribution, but I can't wait to hear Death Cab for
Cuties "Baby Come Home" and Lisa Loeb's "Jingle Bells".
Music From the O.C. Mix 3: Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah :
I have never watched O.C. but Ben Kweller, Jimmy Eat World and Leona Naess makes
for an interesting Christmas CD.
Chris Isaak Christmas: Do I need to say more? Aaron is still
sore about the time I went to see Chris Isaak in concert five years ago, got
in the autograph line twice (I had to buy another cd for a friend!) and he said
" Hey... you again. " and winked. He REMEMBERED ME. *sigh*
Tina and I have become quite the Maroon 5 fans. So when we found out that our
favorite band Guster
was opening for Maroon
5 in London... it was almost too much to bear. I am actually going to be
in London visiting my friend Kristen, but a full two months after the November
concert date. So... close... yet... so ... far.
I run to the tv whenever I hear the Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved"
video playing. Has anyone else noticed though... the striking resemblance the
starring actress, Kelly Preston (married to John Travolta and sporting brown
hair in this performance) has to actress Stockard Channing (of Grease and West
Wing)? Wait! There is a John Travolta connection there! Weird!
After the Guster
concert on Saturday, we couldn't help but wander over to the campus festival
and get some funnel cake and cotton candy. We stood and stared at the whirly
twirly rides for a bit and then decided against getting on. In fact we decided not to even
stand to close to the questionable rides.
Aaron won me a goldfish and I named him Guster. He is just a little guy, but
we are going to see how big we can grow him.
We braved the RIT
spring flingers last night to see Guster
play at the Ritter Ice Arena. The were super... as always.
I got a green Guster tshirt with a fuzzy llama on it. It reminds me of that
Sesame Street bit that had a little
girl and her llama, and she sings... "Me and my llama, me and my llama,
goin' to the dentist todaaaaaay!". I would have liked to request that Guster
sing that... but no such chance arose.
Easter is next
weekend and I can't keep my mind off of marshmallow peeps. In fact Joel came
very close to having his office
covered in peeps instead of the upside down April Fools prank.
I was also pleased to see that JustBorn, the company that makes peeps auctioned
off a Guster
Peeps Easter Basket for Easter Seals. There was a Guster CD, stickers and
peeps signed by the band members. Tina and I like to feel somewhat responsible
for this seeing as how it was us that got Guster in touch with the peeps people
over a year ago. Mmm peeps.
Since it is now October, Christmas decorations should be popping up in the
stores pretty soon (actually I saw a row of stuff at Target last week). So it's
not too early to post about the Christmas album Maybe
This Christmas Too. Guster has a song on it! "(Mamacita) Donde Esta
Santa Claus?" Note that none of them speak Spanish... and all three of
them are Jewish.
I will probably need last year's Maybe
This Christmas also. It has Coldplay's "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas",
Ben Fold's "Bizzare Christmas Incident" and the much sought after
Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".
We went to see Guster at the U of R last night. Abby got us into the sound
check, which was somewhat interesting... mostly a lot of listening to guitars
being strummed for just a few chords... microphones turning off and on.
There was a meet and greet afterwards and the Gusters were quite interested
in our camera phones. I got mine out to take a picture of Brian and Aaron, because
we have joked about how they look alike... but now looking at the picture they
don't look alike at all. Maybe from a distance. Squinting. At night.
We took a picture of ourselves outside later and sent it to the Guster email
address. They will probably receive it and wonder why on earth we sent them
a picture of ourselves.
Even though sometimes I wonder if I really want Guster to hit it big, possibly risking the fact that they will never return to my little city again, I am voting for them repeatedly on MTV2. Go vote for them too!
Several people emailed to let me know that there is a Meowlingual
device in the works. I guess after they made Bowlingual for dogs the cats got
miffed and they had to make a translation
device for cats too. Maybe with this we can tell what the real lyrics to
the Meow Mix song are. Guster records versions of their songs all in meowing...
I wonder if the Meowlingual would translate the songs back to English. Oh, the
things that keep me up at night.
Oscar informs me that this is ridiculous concept because cats were born to be misunderstood.
Ok... one more Guster post and that will end my Guster/Peep/Potter marathon
week.
Abby and I went to the House of Guitars at midnight last night to get the special
limited edition copy of "Keep it Together". What can I say? I missed
out on the Harry Potter stake-out.
I was thoroughly impressed with the album. The CD came in a little linen bound
book with a pocketful of Guster postcards and some excerpts from the roadlog.
I also got a Guster poster (while supplies lasted) and a slice of pizza. I went
to bed a happy gal.
When we found out that the Peeps Fun Bus was in Rochester, Tina emailed Guster to tell them they should have the bus come to their concert. Brian emailed back that he was on it.
Well, the bus couldn't make it, but they did send 40 cases of peeps. Actually they were Peeps Stars, but still tasty. We ate a 15 pack before the show. When the concert was over there were squashed Peeps Stars all over the floor. Not a pretty sight. Guster put on a great show. Abby and I are going to the House of Guitars Monday night to get the Special Edition CD.
Not only do I have the release of Harry Potter to look forward to, but on June
24, the new Guster
album "Keep it Together" comes out.
Tina won tickets to the concert Saturday night and I can't wait. Remember when
we
met them a few years ago? I am hoping that maybe they will be selling their
album a little early at their concert... and I can get it signed. I really like
the album cover with the humming bird. Not as much as the one with Big Friend
(the bear) on though.
I guess because I just watched "Life as a House" I went to the Guster
website. Guster is one of my favorite bands, thanks to Tina, and they had
seveal songs featured in the movies and the family dog was named Guster.
At their site I read that they did a song for the For
the Kids album. There were some other groups I like on the cd. Sarah McLaughlin
sings "The Rainbow Connection". I thought it might be a fun album
to own. The cover art is pretty cool. Well I listened to it at Barnes and Noble
and it was cute... but a little too kidish.
Instead I got the MTV2
Handpicked Vol II album with Guster's new song "Ramona" on it.
It has The Vines, John Mayer and Coldplay. I really like albums with variety
in them... I think this one is great.
Well, we weren't special guests that went backstage
this time, just regular shmoes at the Guster
concert this evening. Tina, Abby and I were in the second row being jossled
around while Aaron and Chuck hung out at the bleachers. Despite barely making
it through the two opening bands (my legs were killing me), I thoroughly enjoyed
the concert.
Aaron got me a patch of the little "Big Friend" that is featured
on their first album, "Parachute". I got the poster with him on it
too, but I didn't wait to get it signed. Maybe I should have. This may be the
last time we see them at a small venue. A lot of their songs were in the movie
"Life as a House" and even the dog in the movie was named Guster.
I think their next album may be the one to break them into the big time.
Matt scored us press and backstage passes for the Guster
concert last night. All through the concert there was the anticipation of going
"backstage".
Guster was great. As Tina would say...one of the best live shows I have seen.
Certain things about them make it special. They invited a local boy and his
brother to play their horn instruments on stage with them during a number.
The opening act "Joe, Marc's Brother" was good too and I especially
liked when they accompanied Guster in a cover of the Turtles' "Happy Together".
So after the show...we trot backstage...gripping our posters to be signed.
It's a strange thing to be there. The people who... moments before... seemed
ten feet tall on stage, are now sunk into overstuffed couches, tired...worn...munching
on corn chips and sipping hot sore throat tea.
They were still great...personable and interested in what we did. When we left
them, we exited through the back of the auditorium. The crowd of fans waiting,
expecting the group, were caught off guard. They cheered and screamed as we came
out the door.
This evening Aaron
and I went to hear one of my favorite, but little known bands 
After the Guster
concert on Saturday, we couldn't help but wander over to the campus festival
and get some funnel cake and cotton candy. We stood and stared at the whirly
twirly rides for a bit and then decided against getting on. In fact we decided not to even
stand to close to the questionable rides. 
We braved the RIT
spring flingers last night to see 
Easter is next
weekend and I can't keep my mind off of marshmallow peeps. In fact Joel came
very close to having his 
Only
84 more shopping days!
Meow meow
Special
Guster
Yay for Tina
New Guster
Guster