New Orleans/Chicago 2008

I've decided to stay clear from technology for the next week (e.g. computer, internet, cellphone..well maybe not the cellphone) as I embark upon a journey to find myself that's been lost among the city of angels...i suppose i shouldn't have to leave my home to find myself but it makes for a great experience...there's lot to be seen that's outside of this great city...so I seek adventure, danger, and romance? well, more of the former than the latter...at least that's what i plan to do...who knows when prince charming will appear? or has he already?????? in any event i'm off to see the wizard for the next week helping w/ Habitat for Humanity and then attending Lollapalooza in Chicago...hopefully by that time i'll be able to spell the festival. so i hope to bring back stories of music, food, people, and more music...so until next time: peace be with you. -Andria

p.s. i'm a little late on the updates to this blog but i still have to share my experience at Hard Fest 2008...but that'll have to wait. i'll leave you with a favorite:

Bitter:Sweet @ The El Rey 07-18-08 (Full Review)

i hadn't had any expectations of this show since my Bitter:Sweet listening days were in college and really who remembers much from those days...when you have fourteen hour shooting schedules and two internships and business law exam every other week you don't remember much of anything (contrary to popular belief no substances were involved)..in any event i remember one band: Bitter:sweet...i won't lie my introduction to Bitter:sweet was through myspace...I had enjoyed it but never was able to see them live...cut to: two years later and Bitter:sweet is performing across the street from my place and employment and some coworkers had planned on going cut to: i'm the second person in line to purchase tickets at the box office!

in light of their new album (Drama) the show was promising to be a good one...they began their concert tour in Los Angeles, appropriate for this "LA band" and from the first hand experience they started on a high note...



if you take james bond, marilyn monroe, chet baker, humphrey bogart, and mix it with guitar, bass, two turntables and a mixer, violin, drums, bongos, electric keyboards, and the sweet sounding voice of Shana Halligan...i'm sooo glad that the bassist Kiran Shahani is a on a wireless bass..he gets to shake what his mama gave him...



i wish i could write more but i've been busy at work to think of anything else great to say about Bitter:sweet. enjoY!

Bitter:Sweet@The El Rey
I opted to not bend over to the convenient charges so I bought tickets at the box office the music gods heard my cries:-D

ASTRA HEIGHTS @ THE ECHO

it was a night of socially insensitive jokes and just shutthefuckupandlisten kind of music...which i find delightfully entertaining



in any event i ended up at The Echo on a tuesday night..which unbeknownst to me Astra Heights was performing...which unbeknownst to me that Astra Heights existed...but it's sorta like those unplanned surprises that destiny throws at you...like money on the ground, teenage pregnancy, and unknown yet refreshing LA bands...i had planned to see Von Iva (the headliner) but the second of the opening two bands ended up being more memorable...i don't know if i have mentioned it before but i obsessive compulsively arrange my itunes into specific playlists...for example: music for driving, music for driving long distances, music for driving short distances, music for sitting in the car while waiting, music for sitting in the car while waiting on the 405 during rush hour traffic on a friday afternoon, music for rockin' out, etc etc etc...and now with the discovery of astra heights i've entered an entire album to a playlist entitled music for rockin' out with friends on a road trip to oblivion...good times, the end.



don't get me wrong its no violin concerto in D major, Op. 35: Allegro Moderato (Pyotr ll'yich Tchaikovsky) at the 6:27 minute...but they are a great live band....so get up and get out of your comfort and find a Astra Heights show (they have shows in LA July 16, July 26, and August 7)they stand for melody, rhythm and harmony which in the game of life stands for all that is good in the universe...well besides cotton candy. i'm no genius but they're the difference between inter- and intra- or even the difference between that and which (of course when used appropriately) i'm no mathematician but they're the sum of the average and the minus of the mean and when multiplied by itself it equals to one...i'm no farmer but they're something special...yeah something like that...they just get it.