I was surprised to see Brussels sprouts (which I'm not usually a fan of, but they actually tasted pretty good here) and shitake mushrooms (I had to pick them out due to an allergy) in my curry, but delighted by the amount of veggies.
My dining companions enjoyed the Pescatore pasta and the beef curry. They have both decided that their new favorite curry place in Little Tokyo is Fat Spoon.
I wish I could combine the fresh ingredients at Fat Spoon with the variety offered at Curry House to make one super curry shop!
They packed the medical-themed nightclub, The Good Hurt, for their record release party. Despite the sound being too low for the backing vocals, the show went off without a hitch. The lighting looked professional and the stage looked great.
I could see heads bobbing during the punkier songs, in which Xander's voice excels. I overheard someone agreeing to this, but disagreeing with his style on the more experimental tracks. I can imagine their 80s influenced, moodier songs with a singer like Jonathon Pierce of The Drums.
Before the show, we grabbed some dinner at Murakami, a restaurant Wing used to frequent when she worked in the area. Chirashi bowl was good for the low price. Although, my albacore tasted weird, I did like being able to Make My Own Bowl.
Thanks to The Scenestar's Twitter updates, we knew exactly when The Rapture would be on stage and didn't have to waste too much time waiting around during and after a potentially mediocre opening act.
We thought The Rapture would open with Heaven, instead they opened with (what must have been inspired by The XX) In the Grace of Your Love, which was equally great as an opener if not better. Surprisingly, they didn't play Heaven at all that night.
They knew how to keep the crowd dancing all night. The songs were practically back to back. Wing's excitement over songs off Echoes may have exceeded my excitement over songs off the latest two albums. The audience didn't discriminate; they loved it all. My favorite song of the night: Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh. EVERYONE was dancing to that. I worried about a mosh pit starting, but each time someone tried to start, they were given dirty looks or immediately stopped. I love the less violent, I-just-want-to-dance Rapture fans. The encore only included two songs, but at least one of them was the extremely radio-friendly How Deep is Your Love?, which got stuck in my head for days after.
High Note: less moshing, more dancing. Low Note: Two German girls, who didn't seem to understand that it's rude to dance around by forming a bridge with your hands and arms straight out, whipping your hair with reckless abandon, and steamrolling your way to the front. I'm hoping my bony elbows weren't the only ones they felt.
I've heard her name quite a bit recently, but never paid any mind. After seeing her live, I wondered how I had never heard of her before. She used to tour with the likes of Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Johnny Cash, all singers that I love. Although her singing has slowed down at the ripe age of 73 (I'm amazed she's still alive, let alone yodeling!), I could still hear her unique vocal style. She still sings like the Queen of Rockabilly, which was kind of a disconnect for me because of the seductive crooning and her age, but I did enjoy the tour through her song catalog: teetering from rockabilly to yodeling, from an Amy Winehouse cover to gospel (which maybe wasn't the best choice for a general audience, but everyone still cheered because who can resist such a vibrant personality).
Riot in Cell Block #9
I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse cover)
I wish I could have seen a duet with Wanda Jackson and Amy Winehouse.
The venue was much bigger than the last place I saw her at (HOB SD). The sound was great, but I wish the big screens were as crisp as what they have at Hollywood Bowl. The Greek reminded me of a baby version of The Bowl. I disliked the stacked parking, but luckily, the cars in front of me were leaving around the same time, so we made it out pretty quickly.
LA Times has a fantastic concert review of that memorable night, so I'll keep mine short. I loved hearing all the stories behind her music and her interactions with the crowd. She was cackling (LOVE her laugh) and joking around all night, which really personalized the show. When she mentioned her latest album was all about her ex, it made all the songs sound much more depressing, but also more meaningful.
"Hometown Glory" - always reminds me of how patriotic everyone was after 9/11
"I'll Be Waiting"
"Don't You Remember" - I was neutral about this and Lovesong, but they definitely sound better live
"Turning Tables"
"Set Fire to the Rain"
"If It Hadn't Been For Love"
"My Same" - always thought it was about a bf, but like it even more now that I know it's about her bestie
"Take It All" - so sad. Written for her bf right before he broke it off
"Rumor Has It"
"Right as Rain"
"One and Only"
"Lovesong"
"Chasing Pavement" - entire stadium knew this song and sang it at the top of their lungs
"Make You Feel My Love" - dedicated to Amy Winehouse. Was actually listening to this the day of Winehouse's death and thought it would be perfect for a dedication
Encore:
"Someone Like You"
"Rolling in the Deep" - great song to end the night
Of Montreal covered The White Stripes' Fell in Love with a Girl. It's not a bad cover, but I thought they would somehow have a more Of Montreal sound to it, like you could tell it's them singing. Instead it just sounds like the song, but with screechy vocals.
The Market (it's like a gourmet food court) just opened last weekend and Jennio and I got to check it out during their preview. It was nice to see some new dining options for 3rd Street Promenade.
The Cookie Guru - had some amazing chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies
The Curious Palate - their menu made me curious, but they were only serving beer, so I actually thought it was a pub at first. I do like the idea of farm-to-table cooking
As soon as we got to Las Vegas, we settled into our hotel and only had time for a quick bite at Nathan's Famous (for their hot dogs). Matt was shocked that I had never heard of Nathan's ("but they're famous at Coney Island!"). 1. I've never been to Coney Island and 2. I didn't grow up in New York.
Later on I listened to a Stuff You Should Knowpodcast and learned that they're also famous for their hot dog eating contests. Okay, maybe I should have known that. Anyways, I could see why he liked them so much. The hot dog produced a nice snap as I bit into it and the Crinkle Cut fries were addictive.
As we entered the Hard Rock Hotel, I was inundated by douchiness (although I did like seeing the music memorabilia). I thought the floor plan for The Joint would be similar to House of Blues, but it was much bigger. I actually liked it a lot. It had 3 balconies for VIP and several raised levels on the ground floor, so you could get a good view in various spots.
That is a mighty mustache.
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately because people missed out on a great band), not many people there knew who Local Natives were, so we got really close to the stage.
Now, whenever I listen to Local Natives, I always imagine them playing acoustically around a campfire. I know they sound great with strings (definitely check out their KCRW performance) and they sound good live (listen to Brainstormer I - Riverhouse Barn), but I still thought of them as a pretty mellow band. I never thought they would be moshable, but they changed my mind after they got everyone throwing their hands up and jumping around for Sun Hands.
I haven't sung that loud, or jumped around that much, at a show in awhile.
They were definitely done sound checking before the hour it took for them to come out. I hate when bands keep you waiting for no reason.
I couldn't be mad for long because they played a high energy set.
I loved hearing Haiti, The Suburbs, Rococo (my favorite song off The Suburbs), and the epic Wake Up, but I was disappointed they didn't play My Body is a Cage.
Loved how Win joked about how corny he used to think Hard Rock Cafe was
* Local Natives and Arcade Fire photos courtesy of Renee Barrera
I was apprehensive as soon as I stepped foot into Palace Station because honestly, it looked like the Walmart of Vegas hotels. And I know midnight probably isn't the ideal time to eat seafood, but I'm glad we went because there was hardly a wait (it was still full, so we did have to wait for a couple to leave) and the most experienced chef was working that night.
We ate:
Seafood Combination - there was cause for concern after reading about this starter in Gas-tron-o-my, but we were so hungry! The oysters and clams were surprisingly good (although I did have 1 bad clam) and the huge shrimp were unfortunately overcooked
Pan Roast - I had heard so many good things about this and they were all true. I wish I had some right now
Manhattan Clam Chowder - this is how Manhattan Clam Chowder should be, not like the sad tomato juice version I had at Sam's Chowder House
Top: Manhattan clam chowder. Bottom: Pan Roast
Coincidentally, we ran into a Long Beach, food-loving couple who had also come here to eat right after the same concert. Small world.
Lately, I don't understand the song choices for Glee. They either choose really overplayed songs or they don't even seem to make an effort to cover them in a different way. I can't believe they contributed to Rebecca Black's undeserved wealth by covering Friday...badly (although Art can do no wrong). I guess it makes sense that it would get played at a prom because it's so bad it's funny and so many people already know the lyrics, but I didn't think I'd have to experience it on TV.
I was a little worried about hearing another Adele song on Glee because of Gwyneth Paltrow's paltry version (lyrics fit the scene, but there's no way she could ever have a strong enough voice to sing one of Adele's songs. That was the first time I was really disappointed by one of her covers), but Jesse and Rachel had the chops to carry it. I'm just not a huge fan of the church choir version. They didn't even really try to put a new spin on it besides turning it into a duet.
Black Kids + unbelievably catchy dance song + Blaine (I love how The Warblers cover songs in a barbershop quartet kind of way) = high note of ep.
It's been awhile since the last time I saw The Idyllists. This show was somewhat bittersweet: sweet because 2 bandmates were back in town for the show and another bandmate was about to start a family (evidenced by the very pregnant wife, whom singer Ian was charmingly serenading); bitter because although the band was reunited, it was only for a short time. Matt (piano / guitar), who now lives in New York (hence the city mention in Rose Coloured Glasses), exchanged songs with Ian before meeting up with him to help select tracks for the EP.
The Idyllists' classic, dancey songs padded the new, mellow ones, giving the show a more melancholy than expected tone.
Ian's tracklist off his iPad
I loved all the old tracks and it was great to finally be able to sing along. The new songs were enjoyable too, although more grownup. Maybe their sound is starting to age a little...like a good red wine.
Favorite New Tracks:
Good Red Wine
Rose Coloured Glasses
More:
I discovered Ian and Sam's side band, Hopelessly Devoted (love the name), who I can't wait to see because I've always thought Ian's voice was made for rockabilly!
I'm digging this new feature, Desert Island Discs, that Food is the New Rock is starting, where they ask chefs about their favorite music. Food is the New Rock is quickly becoming one of my favorite blogs to read and the name is genius. It's so simple it makes me feel stupid for not thinking of it first. I've always wondered how to best blend food and music into one blog and they have done it perfectly.
Favorite questions from the post:
First love? Food or Music…
DC: Food. Eating blue crabs at the Chesapeake Bay when I was 5 years old.
Musician you’d most like to cook for (alive or dead) and what would you serve them?
I enjoyed listening to The Lady Killer, a mix of motown and r&b with a film noir theme, and loved Forget You, so I thought it'd be fun to enter The Scenestar's contest for free tickets to Cee Lo's show. To be honest, I didn't start listening to Cee Lo's latest album, The Lady Killer, until I heard Gwyneth Paltrow covering Forget You on Glee (which is probably the only reason anyone even knows she can sing because, really, who even watches the Country Music Awards? Glee is also the only reason she got to do an entertaining, colorful duet with Cee Lo at The Grammys). That's not to say Cee Lo isn't talented (he has a great, soulful voice and put on a good show when I saw him at ACL), he just wasn't really on my radar after Gnarls Barkley.
The day of the show, I found out I won. Because I had forgotten about the show, up until I won, I had already made dinner plans that night (I couldn't miss out on Kokekokko's chef's 3-day stewed ox tail curry, which is awesome BTW), so I had to miss Big Boi's performance, which I'm now a little disappointed at because I found out later that Janelle Monae was a guest.
When we got there, Cee Lo was finishing up his opening set with Goodie Mob. He had some issues with sound after his all female band (which reminded me of Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love music video) set up to play his first song, but he kept the crowd entertained while it was being resolved. He had a slow start, but ended strong with his two biggest hits Crazy and F- You. He was a ball of energy, getting the crowd to dance, chatting at high speeds, and having fun dancing to his own songs. I love watching Cee Lo perform because he always seems to be enjoying himself.
I wasn't too excited about Glee covering Michael Jackson's Thriller in the previous episode even if it was a mashup because really, that song has been covered to death. And I'm not a Katy Perry fan, so I'm getting tired of hearing her songs. So I enjoyed The Warblers cover of Teenage Dream. It was good enough for me to enjoy the song even though I despise the original, but enough already with California Gurls and Fireworks.
One of the few redeeming songs of this episode was Artie (one of my fav characters on the show) singing P.Y.T. That song is so rarely covered, I wonder if many people have even heard of it. It was terrific and I loved the whole dance number with Mike Chang.
When I arrived at The Grove, I could hear Matthew Morrison rapping to Gold Digger, which I was surprised he was doing, but I'm sure the Gleeks loved it. I missed half the concert thanks to a PR snafu with Kraft, but what I did see was just like watching Will Schuester perform on Glee. He was full of energy and got the crowd really excited. He sang mostly covers and the one original song above, My Name, which fell into the adult contemporary category and sounded like something you'd hear on KBIG. I was hoping to hear more original songs, but his album does drop in May, so he's probably still working on it.
“When I started the process, I had a vision of what I wanted it to be, and it’s now completely different,” he says. “I went into it wanting a Justin Timberlake-meets-Michael Buble kind of feel, but what came out of it was something more raw.” [Hollywood Reporter] When I read Morrison's above statement I thought his upcoming album could be interesting if it was an update of oldies like what Glee did with Singing in the Rain / Umbrella. Before hearing that mashup, I never thought Singing in the Rain could be turned into a good pop song. But then I read this "Mercury Records president David Massey, who signed Morrison soon after Glee premiered in 2009, says he hears a little Jason Mraz, too." [Hollywood Reporter] which worries me. Anything that sounds like Jason Mraz is so overplayed. I'm just tired of it. I'm hoping Morrison will be more original on his record. He's very talented and I look forward to hearing what he puts out.
As a Gleek I am extremely excited about Matthew Morrison's (aka Will Schuester on Glee) first solo performance this Saturday January 29th 12PM at The Grove. I'm even more excited that Oscar Mayer is joining him in donating $50,000 to the GRAMMY foundation, an organization dedicated to music education.
For those of you who can't make it, all you have to do is click "Like" on the Oscar Mayer Facebook page to see a live stream of Morrison in concert.
This is a comment from Wing, who is a bigger fan of Fringe than I am:
In the latest Fringe ep, Christopher Lloyd guest-starred as the ex-keyboardist of a once popular psychedelic rock band "Violet Sedan Chair" that Walter is a big fan of. Guess what? J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot crew actually made a real album for this fake band! You can stream it here: http://soundcloud.com/letitplayout/sets/violet-sedan-chair-seven-suns-lp-side-2/
This show...I have no words!
This was such a great episode. I loved the romantic struggle between Olivia and Peter, the Tessla mention, Walter acting like a giddy fanboy, the twist at the end about consequences / the butterfly effect, and the use of Lloyd in a time traveling theme.
And the music is actually pretty good!
The band "Violet Sedan Chair" is a fictional band, but one that J.J. Abrams had named-dropped two years earlier in an issue of Wired for which he had guest-edited, alluding to the band's album, Seven Suns, recorded in the 1970's. Prior to the broadcast of "The Firefly", a number of vinyl records of Seven Suns were shipped to a select number of independent record stores across the United States, which have been discovered by some people. The album does contain twelve songs in the style of psychedelic and folk. The album itself has been briefly shown in the series. (Wikipedia)
It's barely been less than a week and Coachella is already sold out. What happened?! Last year I was able to buy tickets up until a month before the festival. I blame fans of Kanye West fans and maybe even *shivers* fans of Kings of Leon. Oh well, I'm hoping to hear back from Coachella about press passes, but that's looking bleak.
Some ways you MIGHT be able to get passes are listed on The Scenestar. For now, I guess I'll just have to listen for them on KCRW's Winter Pledge Drive.
I feel kind of silly blogging about this dinner party when I didn't really contribute anything besides chipping in for HC's sparkling wine, so this post will be mostly pics!
Appetizers: Tangerines and olives - good thing there were snackages because we were getting HUNGRY before the grilling started.
Nathan brought the surprisingly dry apple cider from DomaineLA.
I have to thank him for the great notes he took during dinner. Sometimes I just see food and all my brain functions (except for seeing, eating and tasting) stop working.
2nd Course: Preserved quince, manchego cheese on homemade olive oil tsoureki by Chef Anna, paired with Spiral Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009 - secret ingredient: tears. Kidding kidding... unless it was baked into the bread... I mean, look at it. Who makes bread that looks THAT good?
Before
After
I had quince for the first time in Boston and now I LOVE it.
3rd Course: Salted coconut butter, homemade paneer, masala sauce, and vadovan naan bread by Chef Andy, paired with Maui Brewing Company’s Coconut Porter - this was his Indian version of a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, inspired by LudoBites 5.0.
I felt a little guilty eating a spoonful of butter, but it was soooo good. Andy was kind enough to remove fresh cilantro from my sauce, but after trying some of HC's sauce, I found that I actually didn't mind cilantro so much, not when Andy cooks with it anyways. I loved the sauce so much that I even asked for extra to go. What? I already had to take half my "sandwich" to go since I had to save room for HC's.
4th Course: Mesquite honey, Wisconsin mascarpone, blackberries, black currant jam on honey wheat by Chef HC, paired with Granny Smith Sparkler cocktail - just when I thought I could barely eat any more, HC brings out this light and tasty treat. HC has taught me to never leave a dessert behind, so I devoured it.
Besides helping contribute to the sparkling wine, I helped mix the cocktails.
Yep, that's my half sandwich I took home
HC, Andy, and I ended the night with Maui Brewing Company’s Mana Wheat beer made with (one of my favorite fruits) PINEAPPLE! It is now on my list of favorite beers. I'm actually still craving it...
I got to try new kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches and make new blogger buds. The night was such a success that Andy suggested another themed dinner party for next time. I almost regret suggesting a beer theme because everyone else is already extremely familiar with cooking with beer and next time I might actually have to make something. :O
And The Scenestar had it first...from what I saw on Twitter anyways. Announced it even before Coachella's Twitter did. Awesome!
Ugh, Kings of Leon is still a headliner. I heard about this a few months ago, but I kept praying that they would try to cancel before the poster was made. Bleh. Anyways, the other bands look pretty good. Too bad Daft Punk isn't on there, but I still excite. Let the listmaking begin! Here are my preliminary choices (after I make my top choices, I usually try to listen to the other bands - tedious, I know - to discover some new music):
Top Picks:
!!!
Arcade Fire
Cee Lo Green - been listening to a lot of his Lady Killer album lately
The tiki torches outside the Roy's Restaurant in Pasadena gave me the impression that the interior would resemble that of Trader Vic's. Apparently, the torches weren't allowed at the downtown location, but I think that helped make the restaurant look less cliched.
This was supposed to be a pit stop for drinks and snacks before HC and I headed over to Hatfield's for dinner, but manager, April McCaa, was generous enough to give us a taste of all the appetizers on Roy's Aloha Hour menu. They have not just one but TWO happy hours: Sun - Fri 4:30 - 6:30pm and 9pm - close. The second happy hour is great for people who work late like I do. Another plus: you can order any cocktail off their menu for $5!
Drinks:
Lychee Caipirinha - I'm a sucker for anything with lychee in it
Lemongrass Saketini
1988 - more than one person raved about this, so I had to try it. Success! Lychee again! It was just as strong as the bartender said it was. HC wasn't a fan because he doesn't like guava, good thing I do!
Pineapple Ginger Mojito - less gingery than I thought it would be
Best Bar Bites:
Tempura Crusted Spicy Ahi Roll - loved the crispy exterior
Crunchy Golden Lobster Potstickers
Biggest Bang for Your Buck (recommended by bartender):
I just finished watching The September Issue and was very impressed by the documentary's soundtrack. The behind-the-scenes action was fascinating (I wish there had been an interview with Andre Leon Talley because he was such a character, but I enjoyed learning about Anna Wintour, who only showed real emotion when she talked about her what her siblings thought of her job, and Grace Coddington, who seemed so down-to-earth, and a bit tragic, for someone in the industry), but definitely was helped along by the music selections.
As a Gleek I am extremely excited about Matthew Morrison's (aka Will Schuester on Glee) first solo performance this Saturday January 29th 12PM at The Grove. I'm even more excited that Oscar Mayer is joining him in donating $50,000 to the GRAMMY foundation, an organization dedicated to music education. 
