Fresh From Iceland: Of Monsters and Men

A friend just introduced me to these folks.  Can you please make some more music ASAP?  Their debut album, Into The Woods, will hopefully be out soon!

Instant Girl Crush

Eine Kleine Drogen Musik

Blissful tune... Don't think this is the actual video for it, but it works.

My Sweet Lord

Martin Scorsese Does George Harrison.  Yes please.

San Francisco Ladies' Festival Style

Coachella has a fashion rival: Outside Lands.

From the printed backpacks, smart layers (think scarves, hats, fingerless gloves & navajo printed sweaters), boots and cross body bags, these girls were fashionably prepared for the chilly weather.

Bright colored jeans paired with simple tops

Dancing girls rocking out to Sia

Must need item: Sweater

Hot prints

I Felt The Earth Move: A My Morning Jacket Live Review

Okay, so maybe I didn't take that picture, but that doesn't mean I wasn't there last night to enjoy My Morning Jacket pierce through some of their most majestic tracks at the Mann Center for Performing Arts. Playing for nearly three hours, the band transformed the Philly venue into an arcade game of psychedelic proportions.

The set was dominated by tracks from their three most recent albums. They opened with the trippy "Victory Dance," and played it straight into "Circuital." That was just the beginning of this vibrant invasion, and the whole band brought their a-game with them the ride. For "Off The Record" Jim James flew through the stage in his cape like some sort of rock n' roll superhero, while Patrick Hallahan brought a new meaning to the word groove for his drum-break during "Run Thru." But the highlight of the whole show was when Broemel whipped out the sax at the end of "Dondante" and let each note resonate all the way to the cheap seats and beyond.

It was almost an hour into the set that James decided to acknowledge the crowd, and of course the first thing he mentioned was the earth quake that had just hit the East Coast. "We're lucky to be alive," he said. "But it makes for one hell of a trip." Well he said something along those lines, but he couldn't have said anything more appropriate.

For the encore the band brought out Neko Case (from The New Pornographers) and covered Tom Petty's "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." It was Case's last night opening for the band on this tour so James handed her a bottle of champagne. "It's a bitter sweet night for us," he said. "We hate to see our dear friend go." She then shook the bottle and exploded it onto some lucky (or unlucky) fans in the first row.

The show ended on a high note with some unbelievable energy during "One Big Holiday." The band jumped around, while the crowd wouldn't let James sing a single word alone. It was everything you could expect from a My Morning Jacket show: great jams, great energy, great overall experience. What more could you ask for?

Red Hot

SF Outside Lands 2011

Another great festival weekend in chilly San Francisco.

Stand-outs: Sia, John Fogerty, The Black Keys

Amazing headliners as usual: Phish, Muse, Arcade Fire

Sad I missed: Foster The People, Major Laser, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tune-Yards

Disappointments: Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists

Wine & Chocolate, enough said.

What a better festival getaway than a Choco Lands in the middle of a shaded forest?

Muse & Arcade Fire rocked the house!  Check out Matt Bellamy's sweet american flag tee & sequined blazer ensemble.

And a little festival love...

3 Favorite Outside Lands Looks

Killer, ladies

Bouncin' Round The Room

After a weekend at The Gorge, Phish made history and played at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time on Monday night.  And what an amazing venue!  Behind the pit, there are several "boxes," which are gated 4-seater sections--genius, intimate and plenty of room to noodle dance.

Another first--their cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover."
Phish spent the last two nights in Tahoe, covering Elton John's "Rocket Man" and Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times."  I will happily be at their next show in San Fran this Friday for the Outside Lands Festival.  The Summer Tour continues in Chicago & ends in Colorado over Labor Day weekend.

I thought it would be impossible to find some fashionable ladies amidst the Cali hippies, but Phish fans aren't so dirty anymore...we're all grown up.

How was Lollapalooza?

I want to hear your highlights!  Favorite moments?  Do you have any great pictures?

 Coldplay by Cambria Harkey ~ lollapalooza.com

 My Morning Jacket by Jack Edinger ~ lollapalooza.com

 Deadmau5 by Matt Ellis ~ lollapalooza.com

 Cage The Elephant by Matt Ellis ~ lollapalooza.com

Foster The People by Matt Ellis ~ lollapalooza.com