my brother in law is awesome.

Went and saw Josh's band play at the Bug Jar.

Goons rock.

This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken with the Hipstamatic. Oh you little iPhone gem, you.

one song a day: song one | favorite song

I snagged this from an old livejournal friend. It seemed musical and/or fun.
So, day one, favorite song.
This was the first song that came to mind and I was going back and forth if I should pull it out and use it right away because it fits into some of the other categories. And I suppose that's why it's my favorite song. (And get ready, you're going to see Frank Turner all over this list.) It makes me happy, it makes me sad, I know all the words, it's a song I wish I could play, it makes me guilty, it describes me and I could dance to it all day long. Most of all, it makes me think. Hearing this song is a reminder about the ideas that are important to me. Sometimes I feel surrounded by a world obsessed with pretense, image, status and all the other useless things that people make a mad grab for to feel important... and Frank just grounds me with this amazing song.

I won't sit down. I won't shut up and most of all I will not grow up.

Day 01. Your favorite song: Frank Turner - Photosynthesis
Day 02. Your least favorite song
Day 03. A song that makes you happy
Day 04. A song that makes you sad
Day 05. A song that reminds you of someone
Day 06. A song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07. A song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08. A song that you know all the words to
Day 09. A song that you can dance to
Day 10. A song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11. A song from your favorite band
Day 12. A song from a band you hate
Day 13. A song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14. A song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15. A song that describes you
Day 16. A song that you used to love but now hate
Day 17. A song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18. A song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19. A song from your favorite album
Day 20. A song that you listen to when you’re angry
Day 21. A song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22. A song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23. A song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24. A song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25. A song that makes you laugh
Day 26. A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29. A song from your childhood
Day 30. Your favorite song at this time last year

imitation is the highest form of flattery?

Anna and I went on shenanigans tonight. Most of the trip was spent collecting the remaining bits and pieces for her Dalek dress and one or two things for my Sookie outfit. While wandering around JoAnn's in Henrietta, I came across these little gems in the framing section:

Super Weak, by none other than the infamous Nick James.

And who doesn't remember that toe-tappin' tune, You Are My Moonshine, by Jay Charles.

Turn it up to 11 for Diana Boss' big hit, Ain't No Fountain High Enough.

They're so bad, I kind of wanted them. However, I think I might just cut some holes in real 45s and make some neato mirrors for the house. It makes me wish I had kept some of the ones from the wedding centerpieces. Oh well, to the Bop Shop.

the best night of my life.

It's hard to imagine a story titled as it is above that involves Panic At The Disco in any way, shape or form, but please bear with me. Last night was spectacular.

The Honda Civic Tour rolled into Rochester, boasting the names of such bands as Panic At The Disco, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack and Phantom Planet. The first three bands I would not cross the street to see normally, but I forked over my thirty dollars for the chance to see one of my all-time favorites, Phantom Planet. I've waited years for them to come to this part of the state and I wasn't going to miss that show for the world.

The only drawback was that PhanPlan was opening and not the headliner. They were actually the first band on stage. Alex went out and did 1.5 songs solo before the rest of the band joined him (there was something about Sam holding everyone up). Then they did the following set:

• All Over Again
• Dropped
• Geronimo
• Big Brat
• California

Yeah, just five songs. I was initially disappointed, but when Alex mentioned he and the guys would be at the merch table to meet fans, I was feeling pretty good. Matt and I got in line and waited. I had absentmindedly left my pre-order copy of the new CD in the car, so I bought a second one to get their signatures. When I got to the table, I gave the insert to Alex first and mentioned that I was excited to see them and that they were the only reason I came to the show at all. He asked if my favorite songs were played and I said that some of them had.

Then the coolest thing in the world happened.

Alex said to go out to the tour buses at the end of the Panic set and he'd take requests on his acoustic for the Phantom Planet fans. I looked at him and said, "Seriously?". Apparently he was. So despite earlier plans to leave after PP, Matt and I hung out through the rest. The Hush Sound was okay, Motion City gets a solid "meh" and Panic At The Disco was really nothing. I don't get the draw, I suppose.

Anyway, when Panic went to their encore, Matt and I headed outside. We wandered around the buses and I noticed two women knocking on bus doors. I asked if they too were looking for Phantom Planet and I got a grumbled answer. Why so friendly? Well, when we did find the Phantom Planet bus, all these girls tried to do was get Alex to say he'd go to their house and use their hot tub. It was painfully pathetic. But I digress, I piped up and asked if he was still going to play and he confirmed he would, when Panic was totally through. So Matt and I wandered back and waited. The show inside the field house ended and the crowds dispersed. About 20-25 people were hanging on the sidewalk out by the buses, near this flight of stairs that leads up to the fieldhouse. About fifteen minutes after the show let out, Alex and Jeff came out (Alex with his guitar and Jeff with a video camera) and Alex gathered us by the stairs. He sat down and started taking requests in a campfire sing-a-long fashion.

Amazing. I still can't believe this whole thing happened. I was sitting by Alex Greenwald, listening to him take requests and organize audience participation in two part harmonies! Some of the older tunes required him to pull out his own lyrics via the web on his iPhone. But that was oddly cool. He likened it to trying to remember what you wore on some random Thursday while you were in high school. Some of the songs are that old. After he played 5-7 more songs, he was kind enough to sign more stuff and pose for pictures. All we had was Matt's cellphone, so the picture is fuzzy -- but I have a photo keepsake of me and Alex. It's cliche, but he's so nice in person and very real.

Phantom Planet is in my top five bands of all time and I got to sit on the steps outside the Gordon Field house with their lead singer and listen to an impromptu acoustic set.

And that's the story of the best night of my life.

And here are some crappy cell phone videos.