Sunday Meme . . .

I'm having a hard time thinking of something to write about today . . . I'm still profoundly saddened by what's going on in London, though over here, at least in LA, it's like nothing happened. Maybe it's because it was on a smaller scale than 9/11 or maybe it's because it happened in another country on the other side of the world . . . But aside from a tribute on the tower records sign, you'd never know. and that troubles me more than anything else.



But in an attempt to think about something lighter, here's today's task:

(More than) 25 Bands I've seen (in as close to chronological as I can remember):

1) Bryan Adams (w/ the Hooters opening)
2) U2 (Joshua Tree tour, though I also saw the Zoo TV tour in college)
3) the Ocean Blue and Mighty Lemon Drops (I got grounded for this one because I disobeyed my parents and went when they expressed told me I wasn't allowed to go, but I was 16 and had my drivers license, so I lied and said my friend and I were going to the movies. I still don't know how they found out that I wasn't where I said I was. . .)
4) the Affordable Floors (a local Pittsburgh band that I absolutely loved when I was in high school--saw them a bunch of times in a bunch of places, including Graffiti, Point State Park, opening for another band at the Starlight Amphitheatre, and my high school auditorium)
5) Depeche Mode (Violator@ Starlight--one of my favorite memories is being there on a beautiful clear summer night and hearing them play, "Waiting for the Night" and Songs of Faith and Devotion@ Civic Arena)
6) Sinead O'Connor (this one was a real disappointment because she only played for like a half an hour and then left the stage saying that she didn't feel well. Oh well, the songs she did were amazing, and the Affordable Floors opened so it wasn't a total wash)
7) Lollapollooza--the one with Pearl Jam, Nietzer Ebb, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers--my favorite was Pearl Jam.
8) Toad the Wet Sprocket--Have seen them more times than I can count, but the first time was the Fear tour ("All I Want"), even saw them open up for Hootie and the Blowfish, and despite what you might think, that Hootie guy can really sing!
9) the Flaming Lips: back in the "She don't need jelly" days . . .
10) the Dirges--my favorite college band. I still miss you guys and those nights at the Brewery!
11) Buffalo Tom--another college band favorite--saw them at PSU, in DC, in New England, and even a couple times out in California.
12) the Jayhawks
13) Son Volt
14) Live
15) Tori Amos w/ Dog's Eye View
16) 10,000 Maniacs--great show at Hershey Park, but I also saw Natalie Merchant do a solo show at Eisnehower Auditorium at PSU--Innocence Mission opened for them . . .
17) Third Eye Blind--a complete disappointment, especially because it was my birthday. They SUCKED live, and meeting the singer afterwards was a total letdown too--he's an ass.
18) Our Lady Peace
19) Love Spit Love (originally there was a band caled "Love Circle Logic" in this slot, but I didn't want to have to renumber everything again!)--Richard Butler has a scary wing/arm-span
20) Whiskeytown (and hung out with Ryan Adams after the second show--took him to get coffee and cigarettes at the local uni-mart, and then got to see the tour bus and meet the rest of the band. RA has a serious case of ADD, either that or the man really is a genius in the "eccentric and no social skills but totally brilliant kinda way"--he had a really disquieting way of getting to the heart of the matter--and apparently, I hadn't had enough trouble in my life. He said to me that I needed to get into some trouble: "I don't mean that you should hold up a liquor store or anything, but you need some trouble." Disconcerting how a complete and utter stranger could tell that I'd lived such a completely sheltered life . . . but he was right.
21) Wilco--Jeff Tweedy had to cancel the second night of this tour ("Summerteeth") because his father-in-law passed away. Luckily, I had tickets for the first night
22) Golden Smog: this alt-country supergroup with members of Wilco, the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, and Big Star . . . if you like wilco or son volt or that kind of music, you should check out their albums! They're terrific
23) Goo Goo Dolls (Buffalo Tom was opening)
24) Sparklehorse--my first show at the troubadour!
25) Glen Phillips--former frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket
26) Rubyhorse
27) Pete Yorn--saw him three times, oncein the Tower Records parking lot
28) RADIOHEAD at the Hollywood Bowl. This was one of thhe best concerts I've ever seen! An amazing night, and despite the fact that I was way, way in the back (the Skybox, my friend termed it), it was amazing.
29) and then the concert that changed my life: Damien Rice and THE FRAMES. If you've read my blog at all, you know how important this show was to me. It was the first one that I went to by myself, and by was I nervous! But I loved the Frames so much that it didn't even matter . . . changed my life!
30) the Shins
31) Death Cab for Cutie (seen them twice)
32) Jesse Malin
33) the Killers
34) Keane
35) Snow Patrol
36) the Black Eyed Peas--I would have never gone to this one on my own, but they did a benefit for the Kerry campaign, so as a volunteer for the campaign, I got to go for free. Turns out, they were absolutely AMAZING live. I'd definitely see them again.
37) Joseph Arthur
38) Kaiser Chiefs (2x--and for the record, I have no idea what the big deal is with Morningwood--they suck, though if you like women who try to shake themselves out of their low-cut tops, then maybe you'd like them)
39) Bloc Party (2x) believe the hype!
40) Stars
41) Josh Rouse
42) the Frames (headlining this time!--with Mark Geary)
43) Kasabian
44) Glen Hansard (frontman for the Frames)
45) Crooked Fingers (new band from the former frontman from the Archers of Loaf)
46) doves
47) Spoon
48) Bell X1 (2x)

This isn't everything, but it's a pretty good recollection of my life in bands . . .
missing, are, I'm sure, lots of bands I went to see in college at this club called the Crowbar--amazingly, lots of pretty big name bands played they because Penn State is mid-way between Pittsburgh and Philly, Pittsburgh and NYC, Pittsburgh and DC

And on the horizon (despite my concert moratorium to save money for my trip), once more: THE FRAMES, (do you see a trend here?) this time with Josh Ritter.

Have a Good Week!
:)