Memories in Music

Well hello again! It has been a minute has it not?? We have had a couple of crazy years for sure. Things have happened that I never imagined seeing in my lifetime yet alone the lifetimes of my children....but hey, here we are. Still perservering. Thankful for every day that welcomes me. I wanted to do a little walk down memory lane. My memory gets fuzzy somedays but others it is pretty good and these are great memories so why not share them? My first concert (that I willingly went to) was in my 8th grade year in Philadelphia, PA. It was Twisted Sister with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts opening the show. My step sister Jamie and I were gifted the tickets for our birthdays. I remember getting ready in our attic bedroom....two giggly teens playing with colored hairspray, glitter and makeup (rare, as my Dad did not allow me to wear that) We wore jeans and oversize shirts and teased out short hair as high as we could. I remember being so nervous on the way and my Dad kept telling us how to be safe in the big city of Philly ( he was dropping us off and going to do journalist stuff while we had the concert). He took us to the Rocky steps as well so it was way cool. We got into the stadium and went to the merch table, we bought the tour books, pins and a bumper sticker. With dreams of meeting the band, we made our way to the seats. I was overcome with excitement! It was huge and jam packed with people. We giggled and jumped up and down in anticipation. Soon, the lights dimmed and my first girl crush stepped out onto the stage....she belted out "I Love Rock n' Roll" and I was screaming along with a sea of other voices. By the time they finished their set...I was already deaf and hoarse. The band bowed and Joan Jett exited the stage. I sat eagerly awaiting Twisted Sister and anticipating a glimpse of Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda (my band member crush at the time). Lights dimmed, neon lights flashed across the stage and all you heard was the magical scream of Dee Snider blast through the building. We all screamed, I cried and we jumped up and down. All you saw was a sea of fists raised into the air, pumping along to the music. He egged the crowd on, having us participate with the song. I was crying from excitement...this was the most fun that I had ever had in my young life. This was 1984, prime time to be experiencing hair bands. The concert went on, my step sister and I kept saying how amazing this was and that we were grown now haha. The concert came to an end, they did an encore for the roaring crowd and we then had to make our way in a sea of people to find my Dad who was waiting somewhere on the street. We went outside into the chilly winter night. Looking everywhere for my Dad, I did not see him and had a moment of panic. Two little girls in a big city, scary times. Finally I heard my name and turned around and there was my Dad. We got in and he asked us all about it. We were giddy and giggly and excited teenage girls, he actually humored us (this was rare). When we got home, we cleaned up and went to bed. We stayed up all night talking about this concert, this was really a moment of bonding for us as we rarely got along. I can still remeber the feeling of each moment of that night, still makes me smile. This concert fueled quite an obsession for me in regards to concert going (and hair bands haha). No concert is quite as memorable as your first. I have been to so many. At one point I had all of my concert tickets stubs, tour books, pins and t shirts from each of my concerts. Sadly a storage unit mishap with a disgruntled idiot took those memories, but the ones imbedded in my brain are permanently lodged in the nooks and crannies of days gone by. Let's see......I think now I will do a quick run down of the ones that I went to. I am proud to say that I was able to see all of the great hair bands in the 80's and some very cool notable shows sprinkled throughout the 90's and into the 2000's. Some of these bands played together but I could not for the life of me remember the order so you get a list. There is no order to these concerts as they are sprinkled throughout my life thus far, so here I go....let's see how many of you went to see any of these shows. Twisted Sister w/ Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Bon Jovi Cinderella AC/DC Warrant Great White Tesla Motely Crue (the spinning drum set one) w/ Whitesnake, Poison, Jet Boy Poison Dokken Robert Plant Jimmy Page (w/ Jason Bonham on drums) Scorpions (most memorable concert while being under the influence) Tesla Aerosmith (Dream On still holds different meaning to me to this day) Red Hot Chili Peppers (after Kiedis cut the hair...sad day in fan history lol) Marc Anthony (long hair and karate chop moves on stage.....we are talking 1995 maybe?) ZZ Top (thanks to some great dudes, I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream to hear TUSH live) All American Rejects (helps to be a parent of a teenage girl) Fallout Boy (again, pays to be a parent of a teenage girl) Old School Jam which included Rose Royce, Zapp and Cameo to name a few (I was gifted these tickets by 104.3 radio on Mothers Day) Evanescence (more specifically Amy Lee with an orchestra- one of the best moments in concert going for me) Brother Ali (another dream of mine, gifted to me by a person with whom I was once very close to). There may be some that I have missed as the 80's could be a blur sometimes. There are numerous outdoor concerts that I have been to that I could not tell you who it was that I saw before they became famous. The concerts have all shaped me and gave me a different love of music. Some hitting me so hard that now when I hear a familiar song it hits me in my gut. I do have some concerts that I missed out on (and kick myself pretty hard now) or that I should have gone to when offered the opportunity (I was to chicken shit to follow through on the plans) Prince was a coulda shoulda woulda, Beastie Boys, Digital Underground (before they were a household name), David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers (when they were a up and coming band, playing at a dive bar in San Francisco), Metallica, George Clinton, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Boys To Men....soooooo many to speak of, sadly. I will say that the memories of these shows are cherished and I hold them all near to my heart. I still remember who I went with, what I wore, where I was, and of course there are some crazy ass stories that go along with each and every single show. I was a bit of a wild child. Those moments are what make me glad that I grew up when I did and that we did not have cell phones or social media, my quiet, good girl facade would have surely been exposed. Concerts were a chance for me to come out of my shell and let loose from my normal icy exterior. Thank you for going down this memory lane with me. I hope it made you chuckle. If you were with me at one of those shows, I hope it gave you some good memories. I hope it made you reflect on the shows that you have gone to. We all need great memories to reflect on, it can bring a smile to your face when you least expect it. Here is to future music shows, the people that you share them moment with and to all the musicians out there bringing the joy to all of us! Until next time....thank you for reading and I will be sharing more random memories soon. Peace, Love, Unity and Happiness

Melancholy Musings Very Personal, Very Brief Year in Review

2018 was a helluva year! I don't do all of the "New Year Resolutions" but I will say that I will strive to grow, better myself, heal myself, love myself, love others, forgive, face fears and live life fully.
In one year I accomplished so much. In one years time I was able to face fears, write, forgive, make amends, move forward, love, practice patience a little more (this one is a challenge sometimes), make friends, walk away from toxic people and continue on a path to clear my spirit.
I produced 5 Zines, I participated (and sold a piece) in an art gallery show, I participated in First Friday events, I participated in Second Friday events, I participated in Art Festivals and a Zine Festival, I got stickers printed of my art and my photography, I produced Photo books and some included my poetry.
I supported my artist friends, I supported my DJ friends, I supported my foodie friends, I supported small business and local business, I supported my creatives out there by shouting their names from the rooftops, sharing their work with others or purchasing something from them.
I could never have accomplished as much as I did without those who have supported me and cheered me on. I am humbled by the people both near and far, close and distant strangers who always have a kind word or who are willing to help me along this journey. I appreciate you all.
I want to shout out to my daughter Briahna who is my biggest supporter, my rock, my side kick, my helper, my confidante, my counselor, my advisor, my daughter....without her I would be pretty lonely. She is a great help and a great spirit and silly as all hell, which makes me laugh even when I want to cry. Thank you Bri <3. I have made some amazing friends along the way and learned to appreciate them much more with each passing moment. I have strengthened bonds with those I hold dear and learned to appreciate what I have and who I have in my life more and more each day. I just want to say that anything is possible as long as you believe that you can do it. Anything is possible with hard work, determination and positive thought. This next year I will work towards what works for me, what feeds my soul. I will write more, no doubt about that. I will capture more beautiful moments. I will surround myself with nature and let that heal me. I will strengthen bonds and love fierce. The biggest goal that I have at this moment is to write a book. I do not know the subject, I do not know the size. That is what I see for this year thus far. Here is to living life, here is to loving life and here is to being true to you. Shout out to all of my friends and family for hanging around for another year and here is to many more! Peace, Love and Happiness....always!!

Keeping Culture and the Arts Alive, Phoenix Style!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying my good friend Angelica aka RoseWax to the Heard Museum for the annual Artes Vivas Mercado de las Artes at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The featured artist was Martin Moreno who had some amazing pieces that were painted, sketched, mosaics and etched. He was so friendly and full of knowledge. He was so willing to tell the story of the pieces on display and what went into their creation. He is a true inspiration and stands for community development, education and culture. I had the pleasure of speaking with him in depth about his art and the processes that he uses to create his amazing work. I also had the pleasure of meeting Veronica Verdugo-Lomeli. She is an amazing artist who recently had a gallery showing at the local Xico Gallery for her Growing Up Phoenix show. Her work is breathtaking and fills me with emotion and inspiration. Her work showcases the culture of Arizona as well and truly is a positive influence for our community. After speaking with the artists throughout the market, I meandered my way through the rest of the open air market. There was a fantastic performance by Samba dancers, they really had the crowd on their feet and shaking their tale feathers! We were treated to 2 different Mariachi performances by Mariachi Pasion and Mariachi Fuego de Phoenix. There was a wonderful Open Mic performance by Phonetic Spit which truly inspired the writer within myself. Rose Wax Vinyl Club and Siek held down the music with fantastic choices in between wonderful performances but the other entertainers at the event. The final set was done by local group Phoenix Afro Beat Orchestra. There were also activities for kids and adults, face painting and whistle making by artist Beto Perez (he even had to help me, my whistle making skills were amateur) and screen printing by Xico Gallery.
I am honored to be a part of this great city and all of the culture and diversity which is celebrated everyday. All you have to do is look around you and you will find numerous free events for the whole family that will celebrate diversity, the arts, music and community. Take a look on the web and see what you can find! You can look up the Heard Museum for other events coming soon. Thanks for reading!

Join Me In An Adventure To My Favorite Local Record Shop: Crates Records and Gear!

My most favorite record shop is in Sunnyslope, AZ. We now go to the North Mountain side. It is an amazing little shop packed with HUGE things. It is called Crates Records and Gear and it is owned by two of the coolest cats I know, big shout out to Serg and Todd!!!! I was blessed to meet these guys from my partner in crime. I walked into the shop my first time and immediately fell in LOVE. I was greeted not by just a mere hello, but by a hug by both of the guys! I knew that I would love it here. The walls are lined with wooden crates (yes, real Crates) full of records! The center of the store is filled with wheeled, portable crates. The back of the shop has a fantastic DJ set up! There is a studio as well! And a barbershop!! What more can you ask for, I mean really?? So in a brief synopsis.... a lovely record shop, art from local artists, a barbershop, a recording studio, a DJ set up, they have a radio station called Crates Radio run on Spreaker.com and so much more!! I mean, I really cannot put it into words but I will show you in pictures! It has been an honor to be a part of this family. They are informative, honest, fair priced and carry literally something for everyone in this store. Recently my partner held a Pop Up Art show before the Podcast that they put on called Slope Style Saturdays and it was a success. This is another great aspect of the shop. They believe in and support the arts, especially local talent. Local DJ's such as DJ Twist1, DJ Leidiom, DJ Rosewax, DJ Siek von Doom, DJ Darrell D, Durokski and much more! Not too many places have this much to offer. Stickers, Adult Vinyl Collectibles, Art, Model Trains featuring local writers, Clothing, Hats, Record Players, a barber (SNIPZ), a recording studio, a DJ set up (on which they let people play the records that they want to purchase if they ask nicely) and way cool events too. Their grand opening featured live music, live DJ's, live art and a cookout! I mean really this is the best place to hang out and add to your collection and have a great time! I always find hidden gems within the crates! I have found The Warriors sound track, Prince, Send Me an Angel (from the movie RAD) and original 2Pac. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun this place is. You really need to come and find out for yourself, you will not be disappointed. Stop in and see them, meet the guys, dig for hours and have fun! You can find them on Instagram - cratesrecordsandgear and on Facebook and of course give them a listen on Spreaker.com under Crates Radio. You will find the shop at:
Crates Records and Gear
8841 N Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85020
Hours:
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Tuesday through Friday 9:30am to 8:00pm
Saturdays 9:30am to 6:00pm