Burgerama IV

Burgerama was last month! I was pumped because Isabel and I had talked about going to Beach Goth Fest and it just didn't happen, so we made sure we bought tickets in time for Burgerama, especially when we saw FIDLAR was playing. I've been on a huge FIDLAR kick lately, so it was nice timing. I normally end up on these kicks after I've seen someone live or when the band isn't touring anymore, and it's always nice to see a band you're currently obsessed with.

My pictures from Day 1 are not that great because we had the best possible outdoor spot, which admittedly was still not an amazing vantage point for pictures. But anytime my 5'0 self can see clearly it's a success even if the pics don't come out amazing. The Day 1 highlights were FIDLAR and Weezer for me, the energy in the crowd for FIDLAR was amazing and they had giant cardboard versions of themselves on stage which looked incredible. I probably never would have seen Weezer in any other place but I'm so glad that I did, their set was so fun it made me forget I had been standing in the same spot for hours. (I'm getting old you guys.)

Day 2 was a lot slower, we were pretty tired from the day before and I wasn't super into anyone we saw until we went inside and saw Tennis. I've been listening to Tennis nonstop now, I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't yet. After Tennis, Nick Waterhouse blew our minds with his set and at that point we were wiped out and ready to leave. We stayed for a little bit of Ty Segall's set and then hit up In-n-Out, because what Burgerama would be complete without that?

Now who's ready for the FYF line-up to be announced??


The best shot I got of FIDLAR's set

Weezer!

Tennis

Nick Waterhouse




<3

Pretty Girl Rock

A silver lining to listening to Pandora stations all day at work is that even when we're playing a station I didn't pick I'll occasionally discover a song I actually really like. My latest discovery is Keri Hilson's Pretty Girl Rock. Aside from the fact that it's super catchy, I love this song for the same reasons that I love Kanye; I just really appreciate any time someone can unabashedly celebrate themselves. I remember reading somewhere Kanye said something like 'You want me to be great but don't want me to say I'm great', and I thought that was really powerful. I've loved Kanye ever since, even though he gets a lot of backlash for his attitude. So many people struggle with self-confidence, and then when there are people who aren't afraid to sing their own praises they get vilified too. You can't win, so you might as well just say you're great and let that confidence shine.

<3

FYF 2014

There's nothing like waiting until the day before Thanksgiving to write about something that happened in August, am I right? Despite the delay, I couldn't let this go undocumented. FYF was a highlight of the summer, if not a highlight of 2014 as a whole. A little background, the first time I heard about Fuck Yeah Fest I was in high school, and my mom wouldn't let me go. Then when I graduated and started college I was always back in Oakland by the time FYF rolled around, and last August I had just gotten hired a month before the festival so I didn't have the money to spend or the seniority to request a weekend off. So I knew that this year was going to be my year, I almost didn't care who was playing, I just knew I was going. Then when the line-up was announced and I saw Blood Brothers were reuniting for the festival there was no doubt in my mind I had to be there.

It was definitely not a perfect weekend. At this point the festival's been discussed all over the internet so everyone who knows/cares about FYF knows that the lines to get in on Saturday were ridiculously long, and the whole set-up of the festival seemed poorly planned. I know the venue change from LA State Historic Park was probably a nightmare for the people who plan the fest, but it was really awkward maneuvering around the stages so I hope they go back to the State Historic Park next year. By the time we got in on Saturday, we had missed a couple bands we wanted to see and had spent over an hour just trying to get into the festival. I was almost at "I will turn this car around" levels of grumpiness, but we finally did get in. Interpol and Grimes were my favorites, even though Grimes didn't play my song.

Day 2 was much smoother. We got to the venue earlier, and got in easily. I was more pumped for the second day's line-up so I was happy we got to see Mac DeMarco, Tanlines, & The Strokes, but the Blood Brothers was hands down the best set of the festival. Such amazing energy, from the band and from everyone in the crowd. Festivals are exhausting and usually the whole crowd isn't as into it as they would be at a smaller show, but that Blood Brothers set was another thing entirely. I felt like I was 15 again, screaming those songs driving around with my friends.

Festival exhaustion and poor planning aside, it was a really great weekend. I feel like I was able to fulfill something by finally going to FYF, and I'm already looking forward to next year.




<3

Acoustic Bandits

As I've mentioned before, Rx Bandits is my favorite band. When they announced they would be doing an acoustic show in Long Beach I bought my tickets the minute they went on sale.

It was such a great show, especially because the venue was actually a movie theater so it had a much more intimate feel that complimented the acoustic vibe. And then there was the wonderful news that they are officially getting back together and are writing a new album!! They also said that they'll be doing acoustic shows in Long Beach once a year, as a tribute to their home base. So much good news all at once!

I was talking to my friend before the show started and I realized I've seen Rx B live more than any other band. I'm pretty sure this past show was the seventh time I've seen them play, and honestly every single show has been an amazing experience. I have so much love and respect for them, and I can't wait to hear the new album.