That $&@# Kray!

Rockin the faux fur to work today. Ready for tonight's Jay-Z and Kanye concert!

Soul Train's 40th Anniversary

While spending some time at Millenium Park taking pictures at the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean), we couldn't help but notice an enormous crowd of people in one area equipped with a DJ blasting jams from earlier time periods. Our initial thought was that crowds were likely surrounding street performers, but when we walked through the crowd it was actually a massive dance party in celebration of Soul Train's 40th anniversary.

I spent a few minutes as a spectator and the music put me right into my happy place - so much that I had to join the diverse crowd which, btw, was filled with people of all ages. Not only did we join forces to create the biggest Soul Train line in history, we even danced the electric slide as a group also. This is probably the closest I'll ever get to my dream of being part of a flash mob so I had a blast and enjoyed every single moment. 

Later that evening, we attended a free concert at Jay Pritzker Pavillion for the same celebration. We stood among the people of Chicago, visitors, performers like the Chi-Lites and Impressions - even Don Cornelius made an appearance and said a few words. We really just stumbled on both of these events and it was such a nice surprise.

Goapele at Yoshi's SF

The last time I saw Goapele perform was 5+ years ago when she opened up for a Hieroglyphics concert at the Fillmore. This time, she was the star of the show at this intimate venue. She performed songs from her last album, Change It All and mixed in a few other tracks like an acapella version of A Change Is Gonna Come (which she also performed for Obama 2 weeks ago when he was here). She did such a beautiful rendition that I was nearly moved to tears. I fell in love with the music of special guest, Mateo, who sang a duet with her (watch out for his upcoming album).

Thia Megia

My parents & American Idol's Thia Megia have something in common - they both live in Mountain House. It's a small town where not much happens so it's a pretty big deal to everyone that lives there. Unfortunately, Thia got eliminated a few weeks ago and has break before she starts touring with the top 11 contestants, so Mountain House had a welcome home festival for her to celebrate. Since I was visiting that weekend, we decided to stop by. It was packed with tons of people, yummy food and I managed to get my photo taken with her. She's such a cutie.

P.S. The sisig fries at Papa Urb's Grill stand were delicious!

Janet Jackson in Concert

Last night at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Janet Jackson performed her #1 hits. Every song that played sent me down memory lane and although her performances were a bit lackluster, I couldn't help but still enjoy them and have fun. How can you not when you're listening to songs you've grown up to? Some of my favorites last night were Let's Wait Awhile, Escapade, That's the Way Love Goes, Control, If and the list goes on. The venue was more of an intimate setting which I loved and I can't complain about our seats. She didn't have any costume changes, but she still looks great (her biceps are enormous) and her dancers are just as amazing. She even played clips of Poetic Justice.

BIEBER FEVER!

Not too long ago, I started hearing about this kid. Justin Bieber this, Justin Bieber that and the whole time I was thinking, "Who the hell is Justin Bieber?" So one day, I YouTubed his name and after one video I'd click on another and another and another. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and I'd watched every single video and fell in love (with his talent of course). There are a million haters and I'm happy to say that I'm not one of them. At the end of the day, the kid has a voice, can play 3 instruments and has the most amazing fans. So people should stop saying Drake is better than him (because he's not). After watching Never Say Never 3D, I'm even more of a Believer!

The Lion King

I've heard nothing but great things about Lion King on Broadway so when I found out that they were performing in Las Vegas I made it a goal to check it out. I stumbled upon a 50% off promo code from Travelzoo and jumped on the offer before I headed to LV and I'm glad I did. This was such a memorable show with incredible performers, unique costumes and fun music. I've done a Disney Broadway musical with Beauty & the Beast and wasn't impressed, but this was an entirely different show. The first act was so good it nearly brought tears to my eyes (well, I actually did get glossy-eyed). It's definitely a must-see.

Hip Hop in the Park

The sun was out for this free hip hop festival in Berkeley. It unites hip hop heads from all walks of life. No food at this festival, but you will find great music, graf artists doing their thing & b-boys and b-girls bustin' their skills on the linoleum. The Blue Scholars headlined the show and before this, I've never heard of them. Events like this are a great way to introduce new favorites into your life. I just finished downloading a bunch of Macklemore tracks too.

Alicia Keys

I couldn't believe my ears at the Alicia Keys concert. She sounds just as amazing live as she does on her records. Ms. Keys is a wonderful performer - artists that play their own instruments are always winners in my book. I was entertained from beginning to end, singing along to every single song. Concerts are definitely more fun when you know the words!