Sunday night us and 1000+ watched as Modest Mouse rocked our socks off. I've been a fan for several years now and haven't gotten a chance to see them , until now. I expected a good show and what a got in return was way more. Isaac Brock (singer) blew my mind with his voice and intensity. They came out to a full house and played 23 songs old/new (setlist here) for about two hours. I always enjoy watching a band play live and the person behind the mic not sucking. I've seen A LOT of shows where the singer's voice is straining the entire show (like nails on a chalk board) and Isaac's voice held up nicely the entire show. If you haven't already done so do yourself a favor and check them out when they come to a city near you.

01 // My night with Frida Kahlo

I've been a fan of Frida Kahlo since learning about her in high school (a few years ago). Her story is a true inspiration for women especially Mexican women. No matter what obstacle was in her way she always managed to rise above it. I've been admiring her work for so long that when I finally was in front of her pieces it was a great feeling. I could finally see her brush strokes and so much more detail on the six pieces. The exhibit was fantastic the replication of her garden was gorgeous just think a lot of cacti and succulents. It's a great exhibit even if you don't know much about her work so if you're in the NYC area it's a must to check out the exhibit runs through the summer so you still have time New York Botanical Gardens did a phenomenal job .
|photo overload after the jump|

My weekend at ACL ...

You're all probably wondering how was Austin City Limits ? It was ok, this was the first year where my days weren't full of back to back shows. Maybe that's cause the line up was not as exciting as the past years that we've attended I guess it is hard top ACL 2007 (Arcade Fire, Bjork, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Regina Spektor, LCD Sounsystem etc.. full line up here ) and ACL 2013 ( Depeche Mode, The Cure, Phoenix, Franz Ferdinand, Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar etc... full list here ). The one nice thing is we got to go and spend time with our friends and enjoy Zilker Park without having to make that decision we all hate at a festival "Should I go see --- or --- ". Either way it was nice to be in Texas and see my family have some delicious TexMex food and get some much needed sun.

This year I decided to go hands free and rely on my iPhone to capture my weekend, so my apologies for the distorted photos.

*Picture overload after the jump.

My night with The XX

*all images edited via VSCO app*

Last week we made the hour drive to Wilmington ,DE to catch The XX first show of their mini 2014 tour. We had such an amazing experience last year when we saw them in Maryland that we were anxious to see them again. This time around they played at a much smaller venue the World Live Café downtown Wilmington, we were excited that we got tickets to their “intimate” show.  They were a little late coming on but when the lights shut off at 9:40 they began to play The Intro – the wait was worth it. They played some old and new songs which both sounded great.  I enjoyed Oliver’s bass dancing and Romy killed it on vocals.  My only complaint is that the show seemed very rushed  and for a band that has two albums and working on a 3^rd you would’ve thought they would have had more material to share with a crowd that waited 2 ½ hours for them.  But regardless Oliver, Romy & Jamie played their asses off for one hour , thank you for the experience.

My night with AHJR

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of seeing a Stroke- Albert Hammond Jr. AHJR set sail on his mini tour with the first stop DC, thanks AHJR. He released a 4 track mini EP titled AHJ back in October and lets just say I've been listening to it non-stop. He released his first solo album Yours to Keep back in 2006 followed you by Como te llama? in 2008.

We had the pleasure of seeing him perform in Seattle for his previous records and I definitely wasn't missing him this time around. Sunday night we kept the tradition going and saw him perform at U Street Music Hall. AHJR took the stage at 9pm and played his ass off. He had a little difficulty with the sound but I blame the venue. Come on U Street get your sound in check. He was very excited to be back on stage and sharing his music with his fans. His energy was contagious and his fans sang along to songs like In Transit and Rude Customer. We had an amazing time and thanks again DC for another great show.



My weekend at ACL

Last month we headed down south with over 100,000 music lovers to attend Texas largest music festival - Austin City Limits Music Festival . With schedule in hand we spent three days watching bands like Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Local Natives, Depeche Mode and The Cure just to name a few. Over 150 bands playing on 8 stages at Zilker Park turns into a 3 day party. This was the first year ACL was extended to two weekends and luckily we picked the first weekend. The second weekend mother nature had other plans and Sunday was canceled.

This year was my fourth time at ACL and it was probably one of my faves. We met up with friends from New Orleans and I finally crossed off a couple of bands off my list. I roamed Zilker Park with my husband enjoyed some wonderful Texas food and heard some of our favorite bands ,it was a wonderful weekend.

(*photo overload after the jump)

My night with ...

Au Revoir Simone is back after their four year hiatus and rocking them keyboards. I bought this album a couple of weeks ago and haven't stopped playing it since. The first time I heard these ladies they were opening up for Voxtrot at The Crocodile Café in Seattle and I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing, pure magic and I've been a fan ever since.  Tuesday night my wonderful Hubby took me to see these ladies for the second time and it was magical. Playing all my favorite songs along with a great cover of Mazzy Star's Fade Into You. If you haven't heard of these ladies you must go out and grab their new album Move In Spectrums it won't disappoint.

 

My night with ...

Thursday we went to watch Parquet Courts do their thing at Baltimore's coolest venue Ottobar. As you all probably know I am a huge music lover so it's no surprise that catching a great band perform is my happy place. I was quite surprised by the venue it's in downtown Baltimore on N. Howard St. , this place was very small. Walking in I was intrigued by all the posters, stickers, wall art inside this place - poster from previous bands that have played there like White Stripes among others. We decided to catch the show from the upper level since this was a punk band I didn't feel like having my feet stepped on since I was in sandals. It's happen to me before and it was awful - I will spare you all the details on that story.

Parquet Courts went on promptly at 10:30pm these guys set up their equipment and just began to play. These four boys played their asses off with songs like Borrowed Time & Yr No Stoner. If you weren't a fan you definitely went home and bought their album Light Up Gold. The show was awesome with about 75 + in attendance jamming out to great rock punk bands. These guys are touring till the end of October so if they happen to be in your neck of the woods [check here] you must check them out.

Thank you Baltimore for another great show... until the next show.

My night with The XX

Sunday night we were lucky enough to see two great bands in one night Grizzly Bear and The XX

 I lost my mind a few months ago when I saw both were playing on the same stage in my neck of the woods. We saw The XX a few years ago at Austin City Limits Music Festival their first album had just been released and they played at one of the smaller stages during the day. They put on an amazing show then and we were anxious to see them again on their own tour. Sunday they came on promptly at 9:15pm after Grizzly Bear to a packed house (sold out show) of roaring fans anxious to hear songs like Crystalised , Try ,and VCR. You wouldn't think 3 musicians would put off such a powerful sound, well it was done . Watching Oliver Sim play the bass was electrifying , hearing Romy Croft soft angelic voice gave me goose bumps. These two don't say much but who needs to when they play their asses off. When they came back for their encore playing Intro from their first album the crowd went BANANAS ending the song with a minute of applause that seemed to overwhelm them. Ending the show with Angels repeating "being as in love with you as I am..." was a sure sign of their appreciation for their fans. Thank you Oliver, Romy, and Baria for an amazing performance.

*The XX performing Crystalised at Sunday night's show*