Music, Misc, and Money Monday

Music: Friday night I got my music fix by going to the M83 concert at SOMA. I can honestly say it was one of the most fun concerts I've been too. They're phenomenal performers and played with so much energy. A perfect and to the work-week and start to the weekend! I love me some live music.

a little video for your entertainment:

Misc: The random/miscellaneous parts of this weekend included trying a new-to-me restaurant called Noodles & Company. It was pretty good and kinda reminded me of Panera but was pasta, soup, and salad dishes in Asian. American, or Mediterranean styles.  I got the Bangkok curry dish with shrimp and it was seasoned perfectly.

Enjoyed some quality time wandering a bookstore, taking a sunset walk, excising, and relaxing.

 

Throw in some work and school stuff for good measure. Hey, what's Labor Day weekend without a little labor?

Money Monday: For our day off, Shaun and I spent the day at the Del Mar Racetrack.

 

 

I bought a Groupon deal earlier this summer which was 2-for-1 admittance in the Thoroughbred Club. We enjoyed the great weather and spent a few $s placing some cheap bets.

 

This was my first time betting on the ponies and it was pretty fun. It'd be more fun if I had more money to spend ;) Maybe one day...

 

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend?

Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2012

Alternate title: Coachella, a Music Festival of My Dreams
Alternate alternate title: Coachella: Once you Leave, Reality is a Bitch

I've written about my love and anticipation for Coachella a few weeks back (here), and since then the festival has come and gone, leaving me beyond happy and craving next April's festival already.  Keep in mind this is about 2 weeks after the fest has ended, so I've already gone through the worst of the Post-Coachella Depression and my brain is back to full-functioning form (it was a rough couple days after...). I'm no veteran, being this was only my second year going, but I can already proclaim my undying love for everything that Coachella offers.  Coachella somehow manages to blend my favorite things in life and make it even more perfect.  Music, Friendship, Art, and Freedom.  The polo fields are a special place and I'm going to do my best to share that with you; but, as I've said to others, it's really hard to capture the essence of what Coachella is until you actually go!

Let me discuss some key components...

On-site Camping
For me camping is a must.  Some people love it, some people hate it, but I suggest trying it atleast once and it should be a MUST for first-timers.  I will probably prefer a hotel some year in the future, but for now the benefits of camping outweigh the perks of a hotel.   First of all, it's on site.  This year we were less than a 5 minute walk to the festival entrance, which makes it easy to go back to the campsite during the day and refuel, rehydrate, or change clothes.  Also, no need to worry about driving anywhere.  Coachella offers a variety of activities and amenities for campers: dance party, arts and crafts, merch, food trucks, and more.  To be quite honest the worst part of camping is the port-a-potty situation, but if you can get past that (bring your own TP and babywipes), camping is just a party in and of itself. Before the festival starts and when it ends, the camping lots are where the party is at.  You're guaranteed to meet new people and have a fun time if you camp!

One of my favorite Coachella moments is arriving on-site and the party that ensues in the security entrance lines.

 

Our campsite views:

 

 Daytime fun:

 

 Nighttime fun:

The Music
The main reason you choose to go to Coachella and a huge part of the overall experience.  There are a wide array of genres that play the festival including indie, folk, rock, rap, reggae, EDM, and more.  One of the most fun things is not only seeing the artists that you love, but also discovering new music as you wander around the polo fields. There may be some musical conflicts, but I've rarely had regrets when leaving the festival.  Some music makes me dance, some music just makes me happy to be here, and some music moves me in a different way entirely.  It's a blessing to see so much good live music in one weekend.

Musical Bits and Pieces:

Artists seen in 2012:  Breakbot, Yuck, Neon Indian, Arctic Monkeys, M. Ward, The Rapture, The Black Keys, Explosions in the Sky, Swedish House Mafia, Childish Gambino, AWOLNATION, The Head and the Heart, Andrew Bird, Jeff Mangum, The Shins, Bon Iver, Miike Snow, Radiohead, Band of Skulls, Flux Pavilion and Doctor P, Santigold, Gotye, Justice, Girl Talk, Florence + the Machine, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg (plus holo 2pac and the whole crew)

*bolded some of my favorite sets of the weekend

The People

This includes the people you go with and camp with as well as other festival go-ers.  My Coachella group this year included 6 of us from last year and 3 newbies, along with another 2 guys who ended up joining our group once we got there.  A good group of friends is important when it comes to a music festival.  Not everybody will have the same musical tastes, so not being afraid to split up, go to a set by yourself, and have meet-up times factor in to the whole equation.  However, some of the most fun times are when you're whole group is together enjoying in something as one cohesive unit.

Most of the group...somehow we didn't get a picture with everyone

At a festival, I love to people watch.  For the most part, everyone is polite, happy, and overjoyed just to be there.  There are a few d-bags here and there, but that's just life.  It's amazing to watch a sea of people all connecting through the music.  It's not uncommon to be wished a "happy Coachella" out on the fields and while camping.  Having a great group of festival attendees, boosts the overall moral of the festival.  Coachella is a place of love and happiness thanks to the people there...and I don't think it's just because of the illicit substances . haha.

Atmosphere & Environment

I suppose the people are also a part of the atmosphere and environment, but the polo fields themselves are a magical place. I love when the gates first open and taking in the sights and feel of the fresh green grass (one of the perks of going Weekend 1) and the surrounding palm trees.  This year, weekend one could be dubbed chilly-chella or windy-chella because Friday and Saturday nights were coooold!  It even rained on Friday night for a bit which made for a completely different Coachella experience.  It was nice not to be sweating all day and enjoy some earlier and mid-afternoon sets without feeling like death due to heat (note: weekend 2 had temps that were 100degrees +).  The heat is usually something that defines Coachella, but the cool temps were a welcome change, albeit sometimes too cold.  Sunday was the definition of my perfect day: clear, sunny skies and in the mid 80s.

 One of the downfalls of the wind was not having as many art installations up because they could be a risk.  As I mentioned before, soaking up the sights of the fields when they are fairly empty is one of the greatest things.  Once night comes, I feel as if the fields are completely transformed; you notice things you didn't notice before and the energy of the festival is completely different.  I love both day and night at Coachella, they have two vastly different feels. 

I hope you enjoyed this review, learned a little bit, or got to reminisce if you too have gone Coachella. Just remember, no two experiences are alike, so you might just have to try it out for yourself. 

See you next year, Coachella.

The Places I Have Been

Why hello there! I promise I'm still alive, the last couple weeks have been busyyyyy.  I'll briefly update on some recent events and post more in depth on some things later.

Where did I leave off?...

For Easter weekend I headed back home to celebrate my friend Shannon's 25th birthday as well as enjoy Easter with my family.  We celebrated during the day at Malibu Wines (which I've blogged about before).  Wine and good friends made for a fun and drunken day.  The weather was absolutely perfect too!  I love this place -- live music, good wine, and your can bring in your own food. We continued celebrating at the birthday girls' house after our winery fun was over...Oh, and we pet a camel. Nope, not drunk at all...

On Easter, we went to church and then had brunch with my mom's side of the family.  Then it was out to my dad's house for more Easter celebrations.  One of the greatest things was seeing the foster kittens my dad and stepmom our caring for.  They were about 4 weeks old when I was there.

The greatest news of all...Shaun and I will be the proud new parents of one of these kittens in the next week or two!  Hurray!

Since I last blogged, I've also gone to Coachella...but that deserves to be its own blog post.  For now, let's just say music, friends, and a free feeling that I can only get from the music festival in the desert. 

Can I go back there, please?

And since my fun adventure, it's been work, work, work.  My internship is actually going really well and everything is looking great as far as my research progress.  I sadly can't divulge more, but yayyy science!

Last weekend I also participated in the So Cal Color Run with my college roommates.  This too will be getting it's own well-deserved post.  It's basically a 5k non-timed, non-competitive fun run where everybody wears white and by the end your are covered in a variety of colors, thanks to the colored powders in each of the "color zones" along the way.  Seriously, one of the most fun runs I've ever done!  Just a preview to keep you hooked...

Cement Legs and a Countdown

This weeks workouts, so far:
Mon: rest
Tuesday: 3 miles + Jillian's Ripped in 30
Wed: Spin!
Thursday: none...unless Kickball counts?
Friday (today): trying to squeeze in 2-3 miles after work/before baseball game*

*note: I'm totally writing this on my lunch break

Tuesday it felt good to get the legs moving again after mainly focusing more on strength since the half marathon last month.  The run before doing Ripped in 30 made the workout at least 5x harder, I swear.  Wednesday, I manned up and tried to push aside my irrational fear of new group exercise classes and went to spin!  I looooved it!  It was such a good workout and I worked parts of my body that I haven't in a loooong time; way different feel than running though.  I think I'm going to try to make it a 1-2 times a week commitment in my schedule.  As for running, I attempted to do 1-2 cool down miles after spin.  That's right, attempted.  My legs felt like cement!  I was trudging along doing 10min/mi pace, and my half a mile I was done, so I walked I bit.  Getting out of bed Thursday was tough and I didn't have enough time to fit in a workout between work and kickball, but at least kickball is active.  Forget about the part where I don't burn enough calories during it to burn off the two beers I drink during the game.  What can I say, it's just so FUN!  Crossing my fingers I get in a few miles today!

Countdown time...!

Tonight
Going to Petco Park tonight to see my beloved Dodger's take on the Padres.  Yup, I'll be rooting for the "rival" team; I'm pretty sure half the crowd will be.  They don't call it Dodger Stadium South for nothing...or is that just me?  Bring on the baseball, beer, and my boys in blue! Baseball season, I love you!

Tomorrow
Driving back to the homeland in the AM and celebrating on of my besties/college roomie's 25th Birthday (you might remember her from Halloween and The Roommate Cruise)!  I can't wait to see everyone, drink wine, and help Shannon have the best birthday ever!

Shannon and I celebrating over the years

Sunday
Enjoying Easter with my family.  I miss them a lot actually.  Besides seeing my mom during Spring Training, I haven't seen anyone else since December. I must be growing up!

6 days
I'll be headed to the happiest place on Earth! No, not Disneyland...C O A C H E L L A!  Just pure excitement.  Friends, Music, Desert, Bliss.

9 days
Shaun and I will be celebrating 3 years together!  I can't believe he's put up with me the past 3 years ;) Like last year, we will be celebrating together at Coachella. Perfect.  We will probably do something special when when get back to the real world.

The beginning. Guest appearance by out friend Lauren.

One Year

Two Years

so much to look forward to in the coming days!

Countdown to Coachella

I know with a half marathon coming up this weekend I should be more concerned with that than with a music festival in the dessert next month.  However, my ticket box of treats arrived this week and it has made me simply giddy.

Plus, Coachella isn't just any music festival.  It's a 3-day extravaganza that over 75,000 crazy people attend.  This year is two-weekends (identical festivals both weekends), so that is 150,000+ people!  Sometimes I feel so blessed to live in California.  People travel from worldwide to come to this festival.

Music is something I'm passionate about.  It helps be get through the day, get through a workout, gets me in a better mood, can make me want to dance, and can make me want to think.  In my opinion, one of the best ways to celebrate music your like, and to discover new music, is seeing it live.  Those of just some of the reasons I can't wait for Coachella; the friendly, unique people there also make it one of a kind.

I figure I'd share some of my favorite Coachella artists/songs of this year with you.  Take a listen and enjoy!

Florence + the Machine- Take Care (Jamie xx/Gil Scott Heron, Drake/Rhianna cover)

Gotye ft. Kimbra- Somebody That I Used to Know

Breakbot- Fantasy

SBTRKT ft. Little Dragon- Wildfire

Andrew Bird- Imitosis

   
Justice- Audio, Visual, Disco 
(this video is what it's like to be in huge crowd and listening to awesome beats...all the Aussie accents chanting "Justice" at the end are great too)

Hope you enjoyed some of the musical choices.  They're all over the place, in terms of genres, but that's the beauty of a music festival.

What's the best musical performance you've ever seen live?

Have you ever been to a giant music festival?  Which one would you want to go to?
I would looove to go to Glastonbury sometime in my life.