I can't believe my spring break is almost over. I feel like I just got here, and I already leave tomorrow afternoon. The past few days have been so much fun. The YACHT concert was incredible! They played downtown at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The show was very intimate. They really put on a great show.


After the show, we got our picture taken with them:

Since we were already late for the Devendra Banhart show, Noel and I decided to run back to the parking garage. Amazingly, we made great time. It only took about 20-25 minutes to get from downtown to the Belly Up in Solana Beach. We arrived for the last half of the show.

I have to say, I was disappointed with Devendra Banhart. I could have just been stressed out because we had to rush from downtown to get there. It just seems like his music has really evolved. Perhaps it has been influenced by his seemingly apparent substance issues. Regardless, it has lost its organic, minimalist "rawness" and is much more rock-oriented now. Also, the kind of audience that Devendra attracts is a strange one: outspoken Latinos, lesbians, and too-cool-for-school hipsters.

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad. My mom has been taking me there ever since I was a little girl.



My cousin Dani got into town last night. Today we are going on a beach picnic!

In other news, I am pleased to announce that plans for Coachella have been officially solidified. We now have plane tickets, concert tickets, and housing arrangements :) Check, check, and check!

No Place Like Home

Today was my first day back in San Diego. Leaving Colorado yesterday evening was an absolute nightmare. My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:20 p.m. I thought that leaving Boulder at 4:00 would give me plenty of time to get to the airport with ample time for a cocktail and the purchase of a Nylon magazine.

Wrong. The usual 40 minute drive to DIA was excruciatingly

exasperated due to a blizzard (got to love Colorado weather... it was 65 degrees and sunny just the day before), extending the trip to almost 2 hours long, and ultimately leaving me with a over-demanding bladder and just as an over-demanding urge for a stiff drink. I believe I travelled one mile in twenty minutes. Even though my flight was delayed, I barely made it in time. The pit-stop on Pena Boulevard to pop a squat didn't help the matter.

Needless to say, it's good to be home (although I have to return to the airport tomorrow to pick up a bag that didn't get checked on my flight). Today was a beautiful day. Noel and I went to Mozy's for tropical burritos, followed by a beach session. Tonight, Noel came over and I made an epic salad. We watched Pirate Radio and fell asleep.

I believe that Noel and I are in somewhat of a friendly feud right now. He has had his heart set on seeing YACHT play this Thursday. However, I just found out that Devendra Banhart is playing at the Belly Up on the same night. Who will win?

Today, I reached 300 subscribers on Youtube! Thank you to everyone who has been tuning in throughout the years! Here is a video that my good friend, Jesse Forest, and I recorded the other night. If you get the chance, check out his acoustic version of Harvey Danger's Flagpole Sitta (he recorded the video in a parking lot at 4 in the morning...what a rebel).

This weekend, my dad came to visit me. In the four years that I've been in Colorado, he has never come to visit me by himself. In fact, I don't think that we have ever spent prolonged one-on-one time together. When I was growing up, there were plenty of mother-daughter trips, and similarly, father-son trips. The only difference between them was that my mom and I would go to New York to shop and see shows while my brother and my dad would go on river rafting trips and things of that nature.

It was nice to get to spend time with my dad without having any sort of agenda. He came in on Friday afternoon. I picked him up from his hotel and we went to Whole Foods for a light lunch. Later that evening, we went to Jax fish house for dinner. The next day, we went to the Buff for breakfast and saw Shutter Island afterward. That night, we went to Japango for a sushi feast. My dad is the kind of person that usually orders teriyaki chicken at sushi restaurants, but this time, he let me take the reins when it came to ordering. I've been telling him for years that you can make a whole meal out of sushi and I think he finally believes me now. Today, we watched a DVD that he brought from home called Isn't She Great, an autobiographical movie about the life of Jacqueline Susann, author of the best-selling novel, Valley of the Dolls. We had both recently finished reading the book, so it seemed fitting.

I'm really glad that we got to have some "QT" time together. My dad is so uplifting to be around, and lately, I've been in need of some cheering up. Mission accomplished :) Thanks "Dadman"!

On the way back from dropping him off at the airport, I stopped off at ARC, a thrift-store chain in Colorado, and bought a pair of brown lace-up boots for $4.99. I've been a thrift-store hound for awhile now, but recently I've decided to refrain from department stores and boutiques and stick to second(and third and fourth)-hand garments. It's cheap (which agrees nicely with my monthly budget) and it's original.

In other news, I am about a twenty dollar-bill away from purchasing my Coachella ticket. Within the next couple of days, I'd also like to buy my ticket to see Devendra at the Ogden. As of now, I don't have anybody to go with, but there are a few weeks before the show. Worse comes to worse, I can just go stag. I love DB that much!

The week ahead will be a stressful one. However, I am looking forward to Friday - Alice in Wonderland finally comes out!! I can't wait :)

Announcements

Just a few announcements:

1. For the record, telling a sick and/or tired-looking person that they look sick (and/or tired) will not make that person feel any less sick or tired. If I'm sick or tired, there is a good chance that I know that I don't look good. Don't kick me while I'm down, I'll be back on my game in a few days.

2. This lovely man:

will be performing in Denver at the Ogden next month and I could not be more excited. The last time I saw Devendra Banhart was in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of years ago. Our seats were horrible, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in a more intimate venue. Looks like I am going to have to dig into my Coachella piggy-bank for this one.

3. In honor of Valentine's Day, I recorded a new youtube video:


That is all.
Enjoy the day!