7 of My Fave Moments in Music: 2017 Edition

Me and my partner in concert life, Glori.

Oh 2017, you sure were a bitch but the richness of relationships and memories made through music helped cancel out some of your negative noise.

I invite you to check out 7 of my top moments in music in 2017. Hope they will entertain you and be a spark of inspiration to get out there and experience more of the magic of live music. Here is a list of some of my faves (in no particular order).

1.  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I witnessed Pearl Jam being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. LIVE. Do I even need to continue?! 

I was fortunate enough to attend this monumental moment in history with a couple of my best pals and PJ family aka Jamily (Stone Gossard actually used this term during his speech!). 

From the band’s honest, humble and hilarious speeches to Ed singing "Alive" in a suit, the evening was one for the books. What a surreal experience to enjoy - I could even spot the band’s table from my seats! Seems silly but during a 5 HOUR ceremony, distraction is welcome and appreciated. It was neat to see Ed and Mike chatting during the show and catch a glimpse of Jill and the girls. 

Another impactful artist I admire was inducted, Tupac Shakur. Tupac’s tribute video was moving and it was comforting to see him receive some of the recognition he deserves. Gratitude and respect filled the arena as we happily sang and danced along to his songs in tribute. 

Lastly, big up to Barclays Center for serving fried chicken with mac and cheese at your concession stand. Really helped prevent a hangover the next day. Thanks!

2.  Characters in the Pit

As I mentioned in my Foo Fighters Anthem post, their DC concert was my first real pit experience. GA shows are one thing but fans that choose the pit over seats are another breed of concert animal. I’ve always been a fan of an assigned spot (I get into why in my Anthem post) but after my experience, I’m more of a seat/pit hybrid.

I stood behind a 65-70 year old couple who were super into the show, jammin’ along. A lil dancin’ here, a lil head bangin’ there - it was fan-fuckin-tastic! A daddy/daughter duo stood to my left. Unfortunately, the dad seemed like sleazeball. Homeboy played me a little too close for comfort at times (he backed up after I shot him an intense I will F you up glare paired with an old-school Rock raised eyebrow). 

This was his daughter’s first concert (I am an excellent eaves dropper) which was sweet. At first, she was timid but mid-concert she was jumping nonstop. There was a point where we made eye contact, smiled and jumped together. Pretty rad. 

There’s always that one asshole that gets too drunk and violent. A fight broke out during "Monkey Wrench" which was unnerving for a moment until the crowd united and pointed the jerk out to security who then literally ripped the dude out of the crowd. My best friend Glori and I gave him the finger and screamed obscenities at him on his way out, so that was fun.

Pit Life.

3.  Green Day Wrigley Field & Concert Express NYC

Green Day was with me from the beginning. At 11 or 12 I discovered them and was immediately fascinated by their rebellious but sincere lyrics and heavy hooks. Fun fact - the first time I ever heard the term masturbation was during their song "Longview." My fan commitment level has varied over the years. But, alas, the renaissance. Listening to their new album lead me down a rabbit hole of rediscovery for the band that helped fuse my love for rock & roll. 

Concerts at Wrigley Field are THE SHIT. The energy and history of Wrigleyville along with the passion and vigor of the fans set the tone for a spectacular show. Seeing Green Day for the first time as a fan play Wrigley for the first time as a band was pretty damn special.

And what a show! Kick ass vocals, musicianship, personality and props! They brought the "Bang Bang" - fireworks, confetti, fire, steam & smoke - you name it!

I was blessed enough to see Green Day again a month later in my hometown, NYC, at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park on a gorgeous, clear, airy September evening. 

Best part? I avoided all the painful parts that come along with huge (and free) music festivals of the like - lines, crowds, wait time, thirst, hunger, aching feet, etc. 

A buddy that works the event granted me access to a close-to-the-stage location right before the band came on. Once they were done, my best friend and I decided to go (the crowd was overwhelming and it would be a nightmare leaving with them, plus I was under the weather). 

So, we literally walked in to the festival, were positioned near the stage, sang and raged with GD for 35 minutes while the sun set across the NYC skyline, then left. Priceless.

  

4.  The Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery

I was introduced to Danny Clinch’s photography through Pearl Jam. Danny is the man behind the epic Ed Ved jumping into the heavens over Wrigley Field’s legendary stage photo. Once I began following him on the gram, I realized, damn this dude is the business. He’s been around for decades and has photographed Tupac, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, Prince and Green Day to name just a few. Turns out, he has a photo gallery right in the heart of Asbury Park, NJ at the swanky hotel, The Asbury. 

I was stoked to check it out. Although The Asbury is a fancy boutique hotel with a wannabe stuck-up vibe, the gallery is relaxed and inviting, in addition to being absolutely gorgeous and full of character. 

You walk in and are surrounded by decades of work from the man with the master click, Dany Clinch. The staff’s friendliness is genuine and they each have their own funky style, not uniform in any way. You get to view perfectly positioned photos of your favorite musicians in a beautifully lit, industrial-chic, eclectic atmosphere surrounded by cool and interesting antiques (that were also for sale). Plus, local musicians perform live from 4pm-7pm on Saturdays! 

You feel at ease staring at the photos for as long as you’d like without any staff side-eye. As lively musicians express their art through song, you can feel the support and sense of community between the artists, crew and crowd. I loved the place so much I ended up taking the 2 hour train trek there a few times over the summer and brought friends along. I briefly met Danny who was kind, humble and funny in a dad-joke kinda way. Check out this link for my IG post with pics of the place.

One amazing talent stood out to me during my time at the gallery - Rachel Ana Dobken. She is the host/emcee of the live music show and is an immensely talented musician herself - guitars, drums & vocals - this woman does it all. I felt personally connected to her original songs. Her voice is sultry and sincere, her lyrics are relatable and vulnerable, and her personality is like a beam of sun energy - golden and bold. I had the pleasure of attending a couple of her solo shows in NYC and she was stellar.

During one of my Asbury Park ventures, I attended a loaded best of the 90’s outdoor concert at The Stone Pony. It was really a Gin Blossoms show but opening acts were Alien Ant Farm, Dishwalla, Marcy Playground and Fuel. So yeah, it was a best of the 90’s treat fo sho.

Pic of me and Danny Clinch and his signature hat. Cool night!

5.  Breathe In, Breathe Out - Bush Live!

There are not many bands I would travel to Brooklyn for with a summer cold, but I knew I could pull myself together long enough for Bush in Coney Island. 

I first saw them live in 2016 at Webster Hall in Manhattan. Back then I thought, why not? Tix were cheap and they’d likely play their 90s bangers I treasured as a teen. 

I was shocked! Gavin has always come across as a stoic, robotic brooder of a man, but live he is engaging, full of energy and actually smiles often. That night at Coney Island, he was kick-ass once again and totally in is element - jumping, ripping his guitar and involving the crowd. His voice sounded just like it did on Sixteen Stone. He even ran full on into the crowd while singing "Little Things" allowing gushing gals to pat his sweaty back. Gavin was glorious - quickly running through the venue while singing, letting us know he is serious about his cardio routine. I nearly face-planted twice running after him through the amphitheater. True story.

Oh, and I respected that he played Alien (one of my low-key go to emo songs) and dedicated it to Chris Cornell. Magical.

Sweaty Gavin and an adoring fan.

6.  Chris Cornell Tributes

How do fans deal with the loss of a beloved artist? 

Well, by coming together to celebrate and sing their music. Brooklyn Bowl rocked my soul when they held a tribute concert to the late, always great Chris Cornell. Bands and artists united to cover songs spanning his entire career. Chris is an all time great, so it was hard to “cover” him as an artist but the show was all about heart, soul and finding comfort together through music which was the perfect prescription.

Cherry on top? I found out about the tribute show through a fan-friend I met at a CC tribute spin class at Monster Cycle in NYC, of all places. What a unique and therapeutic way to deal with the loss. The class had screens projecting Chris’ official music videos while riding to the songs. I was able to cry, scream and sweat along to songs like Hunger Strike, Cochise, Jesus Christ Pose, all with visuals. Glorious.

Celebrating the life and music of Chris Cornell

7.  Dinosaur Pile-Up

Who? Dinosaur Pile-Up, bitches! A UK based rock band that I became acquainted with through a beloved “Jamily” member. She was at a music festival where they performed and blasted them on social media for being a rockin’ new band. Just so happened that they were playing at Webster Hall in NYC a few nights later, so I had to check em out. 

Their vibe and sound were right up my alley - no frills, loud guitars, on point vocals and interesting lyrics. A few tracks have become regulars on my playlist - 11:11, Nature Nurture, and T-shirt and Jeans are my go-to’s. I even got to snap a selfie with the lead singer during a bathroom break at another show they played in NYC. Finally, my tiny bladder served me well!

Here it is! The pre-bathroom break selfie with Matt Bigland, lead singer of Dinosaur  Pile-Up. Not my finest photo but I like it anyway. 

Feel free to share some of your memorable moments in music in the comments below. Have a rockin new year!!

Chris Cornell: A Poetic Tribute

December is naturally a time of reflection. We are reminded of the past year’s burdens and beauty, pain and progression. And, oftentimes we focus on the unfinished.

As I internally summarize and come to terms with 2017, one thing remains…the incredible pain and loss from the passing of Chris Cornell.

There have been many calls to action for tributes to Chris, though I could never find the words to describe the loss and confusion I felt over his death. Confusion that was two fold - how could this happen to him and why does this affect me so deeply? 

I've often been asked, “Why are you so upset? It’s not like you knew him.” 

While this is true, you don't need to personally know someone for them to have a profound effect on you. I know that the love, loyalty and appreciation I feel for him is genuine. 

After recently watching this powerful, poignant Chris Cornell tribute video by Jake Bowen, I was inspired to create something for Chris as well, the way he created for others. Here is a poem I wrote for him. 

the wake of mourning



buzzing 
13 minutes before my alarm

the message…

No!

disoriented with disbelief

eyes blurry from morning 

stiff fingers type

the unthinkable

chris cornell  dead

headlines flow like a flood
Grunge Star Dead at 52

       Soundgarden 

Frontman

       Audioslave
Artist 
       Chris Cornell

I drown in dread of reality

sickness swirls in stomach 

sadness swells within 

No!

voice raspy and desperate

cries 

unrecognizable and uncontrollable 

social channels confirm

glorious pictures and grim captions 

stream steady 

unending unsatisfied 

force-feeding submission

RIP Chris Cornell

  this can’t be true

No one sings like you anymore

or ever will 

your eyes even more glorious now

translucent and telling

pure and kind

hair the color of bark

curls like the softness of spring 

this can't be the end

I meant to see you

again

tour plans 

setlist dreams

living the songs 

of youth

your rock and roll

your hall of fame

your future

your…

voice

romancing my soul

riffs of fire

rich and raw

rough edges

silky core

refined but not contained

the essence of God energy

filling rooms of fans 

you made equal

lyrics like

flutters of fresh love

honest hope

never denying the grip of darkness 

and its goal to mirror-image 

you claimed me with your art

substance of connection 

a heart vibration

of nostalgia 

and new

forward words

chords to loosen

tensions of life 

tapping into realms of hurt

dimensions of dread

kept hidden

even from myself

I was never alone

though we’ve not met

you were a friend

in times of trouble

a leader in community

questioning reason

flirting with freeness of spirit

guarding the miracle of creativity 

and inspiring it

oneness 

fierce but frightened 

brave but buried

heavy but enlightened

like magnets we remain 

drawn to you

we share the same

an artist’s soul

an insatiable desire to create

communicate 

to be heard

understood

to understand

beyond the deep dimensions 

that separate us now 

dear Chris Cornell 

we harken with honor

to your art

your soul teller 

your spirit spark

photo credit: Paul Lorkowski

Feel free to share any great Chris memory or memory of an artist lost in the comments below. Would love to hear about them! xo Monica

A Foo-less Encounter with The Struts

“Oh shit Glori, I think that’s the Struts,” I said mid-squint as we entered into the fluorescent lit fast food joint across the street from our hotel. 

It was almost 3am in Nashville and all we wanted, all we needed, was some fried food to soak up the Patron. 

Although the next night’s Foo Fighters concert was cancelled, ahem, postponed due to a mysterious family emergency, we wanted to be functional enough hours later for a day about Nashville. We flew all the way from New York for the concert so wanted to make the most of our trip. 

“Who?” asked Glori, also mid-squint, in a half-hazed sort of way as we approached the register to order.

“They opened for the Foos, remember? We saw them in DC last week.”

We were not prepared for this. After a long, fun night of bar hopping on Broadway, we arrived to our room, kicked off our shoes, aggressively removed our lipsticks with bathroom tissue and skimmed through the room service menu. We happily decided on our order - wings, a cheeseburger and fries to split. A perfect portion and combination of food.

“Hi, I’d like to order room service,” Glori announced into the phone. I can tell she was desperately trying to control the end of the night slur and was over enunciating in the process, in addition to being fucking loud. I laughed as I pulled my hair into a pony. 

“What do you mean, there is no room service?!” The slur is back. “The whole reason we chose this hotel was for the 24 hour room service!”

That wasn't the reason, but ok, maybe this rant will get us food.

After a minute of trying to negotiate a burger, she agreed to order food from a nearby restaurant. Within 3 minutes, there was a lovely young gentleman at our door with an even lovelier pizza menu. 

“Do you know how long they take?” I asked.

“About 45 minutes ma’am.” 

“45 minutes?!” I knew I would be dead asleep in 45 minutes. I didn't have that kind of time to spare. We needed food. NOW. He saw my distress.

“Well, there is a place still open right across the street.”

So, there we were…

“Yup that’s them,” I confirmed to Glori (really to myself) as she placed two orders of chicken nuggets and onion rings.

I tried not to be obvious as I scoped out their table. They were done eating and were just kinda hanging out - chatting it up and laughing. The lead singer Luke Spiller, with his pearly porcelain skin and Joan Jett hair, stood near the table alongside a tall, thin, honey blonde with a seductively low cut shirt accentuating her large, perfectly perky ‘look at me’ tits. They have to be fake, I thought.

“Glori, I’m going up to him to take a selfie,” was my immediate reaction.

“Yeah Monica, go. Do it now before they leave.” I realized she didn't recognize the band because she would have been all over it herself.

I walked up to Luke, phone in hand. “Hey! You’re Luke from the Struts, right?” 

“Yeah,” he confirmed with a half smile. He had the same glassy-eyed post Nashville night out look we had. I introduced myself.

Luke and his model girlfriend were warm and welcoming. I was surprised by how nice they were and was smitten by their British accents. 

We were unexpectedly interrupted by a pompous American accent who chimed in with a delayed response, “His name is not Luke and he isn't in the Struts,” he said in a tone reminiscent of an 80’s movie bully.

He was so out of place we all just looked at him like WTF, Luke included. 

I ignored the idiot and continued my chat with the British rock star. 

“We saw you guys in DC at The Anthem when you opened for the Foos. It was awesome.”

“Oh, thank you. Yeah, it was a great show.” 

“I also saw you guys at Irving Plaza in New York.” He lit up

“That show was cool, man. I loved the confetti!”  As soon as I said that, I knew it was a loser comment sort of like Baby’s “I carried a watermelon” moment in Dirty Dancing. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice.

“I’m sorry my friend offended you,” he said as he looked in the direction of his annoying AF friend.

“I’m from LA,” the guy interjected with a smirk. 

“Well, I’m form New York and I’ll make you cry,” was my response. Good one.

The guy semi-apologized in a half-assed non-memorable way. This time I interjected, “Don't worry bro, I’m tough. I’m from the Bronx. Look at my earrings,” I boasted as I pointed to my heart shaped bamboo earrings.

Luke looked puzzled. I was too. Why would I say that? 

I changed the tone of the conversation realizing the lanky LA maggot wasn't above getting into a back and forth with me.

“How’s the food here?” I asked as a filler.

“It’s ok. It’s wha(t)ever.”

“We tried to order room service at our hotel but it wasn't available,” I recalled which triggered a response from Glori.

“Yeah, what the fuck? It's a nice hotel - where is the room service?!” she asked passionately, both hands in the air.

It turned out they were staying at the same hotel and were referred to the fast food spot too because of the lack of food in the area.

We briefly spoke about the Foos and the family emergency (we couldn't pry more information out of them except what we already knew - that the show would be rescheduled in May). They said they might be back in May as well, but didn't seem certain.

Luke walked over to his friends and bandmates while Glori went off to check on our order. I made conversation with Luke’s lovely girlfriend, applauding her for her precise winged eyeliner that lasted until 3am all while stealing multiple peaks at her eye level gravity defying boobs. Real or not, they were impressive.

Luke came back to say goodbye and we exchanged a hug. I then reached out my arms to his girlfriend (I needed to get closer to those boobs). He looked over at Glori who was now seated at the table next to us, her head turned down.  What is her deal? She could handle more alcohol than we consumed that night. Something was up. *

He sort of poked at her shoulder and asked if she was ok. 

“Yeah, she’s fine,” I reassured him.

She perked up and they exchanged an awkward hug goodbye. **

As they left, we waved, “Bye, see you next time in May!”

Suddenly, one of the Struts, the bassist I believe, took a look at Glori and said, “Wait, she’s cute,” and came back inside to chat with us for a bit while the rest of their group was out front having a smoke. 

We found out that they were hanging out with Foo Fighters bassist, Nate Mendel, right before we caught up with them. Shoot! We just missed him!

I actually never got my selfie with the band and I’m cool with that. Asking for one might have changed the dynamic of the conversation. I’d much rather have this quirky story with my memory as proof (well, that and the really the drunken video I immediately recorded recounting the evening in case it was a blur the next day).  ;-)

Ever had a close encounter with a musician or artist you admire? Was meeting them in person a let down or all you had hoped? Would love to hear about it - feel free to share in the comments below!

* I later found out that Glori was stealing pulled pork sandwiches from the register area while I was with Luke and that is why she was acting so weird towards the end. Oh, and those pulled pork sandwiches that she stole? They were gross and made us sick. I threw up and she had stomach issues the entire next day. Guess thats what we get.

** The hug was awkward because Glori had the stolen pulled pork sandwiches under her shirt (don’t ask me why). She was apparently terrified they were going to fall when Luke went in for the hug.

Here are some pics from our trip!

When we first arrived at our hotel, we saw THIS!

And hoped and prayed it was the Foos (this was before the postponement announcement).
This actually turned out to be The Struts' bus. 

This dude, Kody, was awesome! 

He played in the band, Armors, that opened for Grizfolk, a dope ass band we saw at The High Wyatt. Here you get a glimpse at my "Bronx tough girl" earrings. (face palm)

Here with the lovely drummer from Grizfolk at the beginning of our eve, before the Struts encounter. Glori was totally crushin on him during the show.

Aside from the hot chicken, this was one of my fave parts of playing tourist -
Third Man Records. It's such a neat record store with all sorts of trinkets,
antique pieces, cool posters, recording booths and more.

I loved this cool skull at Third Man!

I thought this was an artsy photo at the time. Now, I just look like a dork.
Oh, Broadway...lol

She was by far my favorite singer in Nashville, Megan Ruger.
Megan was a recent contestant on The Voice and was super cool and genuinely bad-ass.

Until next time, Smashville, ahem, Nashville!