Saturday, June 27, 2009

pattycakes

Three nights ago I saw one of the most amazing concerts ever.  One that had been on my life to-do list and exceeded my expectations.  

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert.
On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller.
On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever).
On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video.*
On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video AND had VIP wall passes.
On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video AND had VIP wall passes for FREE!

Now let me give you some details:

The Greek Theatre is this amazing amphitheater tucked away in a forest (basically) in Griffith Park in LA.  It was the greatest, most intimate, amazing concert.  Patty, Emmylou, Buddy and Shawn all sat in a semi circle with their instruments right next to them and each just had one microphone in front of them.  All night, they just went around and around, one person at a time playing their music.  For example, Patty would be sitting, leading one of her songs on guitar and vocals, Emmylou right next to her would be playing this little miniature djembe or shaker, while Buddy sitting next to her would be playing cool riffs on his acoustic and Shawn was singing harmony.  This went on for 2 hours with everyone accompanying each other on their songs and laughing and telling stories in between.  It was amazing and made my heart so happy. 

I also saw my first pair of Chacos since I've been in LA.  The people there were so granola and perfect. :)

*pictures to come

Monday, June 22, 2009

hi world.

Was that arrogant of me to title this "hi world."?  Like, people all over the world read this?  Probably.  (Probably arrogant, not probably people all over the world read this.)  Anyway I apologize for snubbing this b as of late.

In other, more urgent news: like one second ago Regina's new album dropped.  PTL, "Laughing With" wasn't actually the best track from "Far".  In my opinion, the track that really brought home the bacon is "Eet," with "Dance Anthem of the 80s" and "Two Birds" following close behind.  Give me a few more listens to the album I actually bought* and then I'll humbly offer a more extensive opinion.

*this whole working in the music industry thing is super convicting when it comes to treasures like zamzar.com.

More on the music front:  AFTER WEDNESDAY NIGHT I CAN CROSS A DREAM CONCERT OFF MY LIFE LIST.  Patty Griffin herself will be blessing me with the sweet, sweet sounds of (hopefully) "Heavenly Day", "Moses", "Every Little Bit", and in my wildest dreams, "Rain".  I think it's safe to say you can expect a blog post devoted solely to this concert.  (Which also features Shawn Colvin!!! Emmylou Harris-what a miserable name, and Buddy Miller.  It's sure to be unreal.)

Another topic that is recently relevant to my life (and probably should've received it's own post) is none other than Bikram Yoga.  And by Bikram Yoga I mean voluntary, self-inflicted pain that I paid for.  What can $13 get you in Studio City?  An hour and a half of yoga in a 115° room with mirrors on all sides.  I'm not exaggerating about the temperature either.  That's the point of Bikram.  The only slight comparison I can make is this: take the sweat from every single day of my life that I've spent at Kanakuk or visiting my brothers in July at Boy Scout camp, multiply it by about 7000, and you're getting close to how much sweat jumps off your body during these 90 minutes.  If the sweat weren't enough, the yoga poses themselves were some of the most difficult things of my life (granted I've never done yoga once.  Ever.).  For instance:

 this one, I did-













this one, I did not.  Next time, right? (Yeah right, I'm never going back): 








Next: today in the ally of my office there was a movie filming going on!  Unexcitingly, I don't know what for or who it's starring cause I couldn't see but there were fun signs everywhere saying "Filming in Progress" and huge Warner Brothers and Paramount semi trucks with equipment and set stuff and wardrobe rolling racks everywhere.  Fun!


So that's the latest!

Praise Him for:
  • Regina, Patty, the elliptical, six weeks left, skype

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

2 corinthians 4:17-18

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

a pearl for today

"To those with ears to hear and eyes to see, there will be very great release from unbearable burdens in the language of autumn trees, for example, when they dress most gloriously in preparation for death.  The red of the leaves is the sign of the cross.  Winter follows, when snow closes everything in frozen silence.  The trees then are skeletons, but wonders are being performed under the surface of things.  Spring comes, and the hidden wonders burst out all at once-tiny shoots, swelling buds, touches of green and red where all seemed hopeless the day before.  Miss Trotter shows the yellow blossom of the gorse springing straight out of last year's thorn.  Plain lessons for us, if we'll open our eyes.  

If the leave had not been let go to fall and wither, if the tree had not consented to be a skeleton for many months, there would be no new life rising, no bud, no flower, no fruit, no seed, no new generation."

-Elisabeth Elliot, from Passion and Purity