./janella.com

Oh, my friends at Yahoo!, how I hope the rumor is not true. I went to only one YEP (Year End Party) out of three opportunities.

I missed The Flaming Lips and Earth, Wind and Fire, but did manage to see Ozamotli.  But Chris Daughtry? Granted, I would have voted for him, if I did that sort of thing. But if you’re going to have an American Idol perform at your Christmas party, can you at least get the current champ? Or better yet Kelly Clarkson?

Perhaps it’s a ruse. Maybe someone like Bob Dylan will show up?

What's your cell phone's ringtone? What made you pick it?

U2’s Vertigo is my default ringtone   You know the part?

Hello hello
I’m at a place called Vertigo
It’s everything I wish I didn’t know
Except you give me something I can feel, feel

I just never get sick of U2.  I’ve seen U2 several time in concert, both with BossaNova and farrah.  They always put on a great show.

Paris Hilton

"It will surprise a lot of people because there's real artistry coming from Paris."

This above quote is about Paris, France, right?

No, the article is talking about Paris Hilton and her catchy pop-reggae-island-beat song that is playing all over the airwaves.  I’ve seen the glimpses of the video on VH1 so many times - but I haven’t been able to sit through the whole thing.

Just goes to show you: anyone in the digital age can be made a singer.

What's the one CD that will totally remind you of the Summer of 2006?

Pearl Jam

Has the Summer of 2006 come and gone already?  Well, if I had to choose a CD for this summer, it would be Pearl Jam’s self titled release.  This CD was a return for Pearl Jam of sorts, at least to my ears.

The last CD I fully listen of theirs was 1998’s Yield.  Yield was a fine album, but I think I only remember two tracks from that album!

This one is chock full of rockin' tunes.  Pick it up when you can.

Just downloaded [Fiona Apple’s O' Sailor] from iTunes.  It’s good to hear her voice again, but the song sounds like something off her first album.  But hey, I’m craving some new stuff.

Speaking of new stuff, anyone hear the new [Goapele] cd?  Man, I like some of these artist’s web sites that allow you to hear album tracks.  Granted you can’t download them - listening to the album through a Flash player (I’m sure there is a way around this), but it’s good to know they want to make their music accessible.  (Ok, her site says her album comes out December 27th, but on cdnow.com it says it’s already out.  Confusing.)

Ok,  back to Madden 2006.  What?!?!?  Yeah, Farrah bought me a copy yesterday :)

Thursday was one of the times I was glad I checked my spam email.  I get the weekly email from [Ticketmaster] about concerts.  I guess I missed the one earlier about [Esthero] coming to town, and only found out on Thursday when she was playing on Friday?!?!?

I called Farrah to quickly confirm we had nothing plan, and was able to purchase some general admission tickets online.  Finally, we get to see Esthero after missing her so many years ago.

Esthero in Seattle.  Photos taken by [OptimusCrimeDeux]

Esthero came out full of energy.  Her vocals were strong, her manner confident,  and her energy contagious.  She was chatty with the crowd, taking requests for a song here and there.  She was wearing a black strapless number that posed problems for her during the show (having to continually pull it up to hide the goods), but otherwise danced around like there was no tomorrow.  A great show.

Her set was a little under 90 minutes.  Some of the songs she sang (in no particular order) were:

• Wikked Lil' Grrrls
• Breath from Another (just an a cappella tease)
• OG Bitch
• Superheroes (a cappella - by request)
• Gone
• My Torture

ENCORE:

• Joey
• Wish You Away
• We Are in Need of a Musical Revolution

Here are some of the new/old albums we’re listening to on the iPod - in no particular order:

• [Careless Love] - by Madeleine Peyroux : Farrah turned me on to her. Love the album.
• [Trouble] - by Ray LaMontagne : I think Farrah said she heard a song of his on the WB (damn advertising). Album is actually very good.
• [New Danger] - by Mos Def : My first Mos Def cd. I'm getting into about half of it. I'm sure the other half will follow.
• [How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb] - by U2 : U2 is just U2. I really like that album.
• [Love, Angel, Music, Baby] - by Gwen Stefani : Couple of catchy singles. Seems really 80's/90's pop.
• [Breakaway] - by Kelly Clarkson : Yes, I know I ventured into the very pop arena with the Kelly Clarkson album. But you know it's catchy as pop is supposed to be.
• [Street Signs] - by Ozomatli : Still have some Ozomatli in my head from the company Christmas party they performed.

I was reading two articles, both touting the demise of the album as a format of expression. I think both were in [Entertainment Weekly]. One article targeted the new [iPod Shuffle] as killing the rap skits in an album. You know, the funny little 10-30 second tracks you find between album tracks. With the iPod Shuffle those skits won’t flow as well - which might be just as well in my opinion. The other thing iPods and the digital music age in general has done is allow users to skip songs, randomize the order of what is played. The article describes how this started to take place with the introduction of the cd. I think it started way before that with the creation of the mixed tape. Once consumers were able to put certain songs they wanted to hear on a format that was portable, albums less of what they once were as far as expressing an idea or vision in the order it is arranged and produced.

this is a ‘concert’- me list listing all the concerts we’ve been to (so far). updated when another concert comes along.

[Bill Graham Civic Auditorium] 99 Grove Street, San Francisco CA 94102

Who we’ve seen there: Tori Amos (12.21.2002) Oasis (4.13.1996)

[Bimbo’s 365 Club] 1025 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133

Who we’ve seen there: Cardigans (6.19.96)

Berkeley Community Theater 1930 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

Who we’ve seen there: Dido (05.23.04) Cranberries (04.05.95) Jewel Chris Cornell (11.30.99) Ani Di Franco (10.31.97)

[Concord Pavilion] 2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord, CA 94521

Who we’ve seen there: Tori Amos/Alanis Morrisette (09.19.99)

[The Filmore] 1805 Geary Blvd. S.F. CA 94115

Who we’ve seen there: Fiona Apple (03.18.97) Sundays Lush (04.15.96) Morcheeba (4.11.2008) Lorde (9.27.2013) Greek Theatre-U.C. Berkeley Gayley Road, Berkeley, CA 94720

Who we’ve seen there: Alanis Morrisette Black Eye Peas/Macy Gray

Oakland Arena 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94621

Who we’ve seen there: Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel w/Sinead O’Conner sing backup(11.22.93) U2 (11.15.01)

Oakland Coliseum 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94621

Who we’ve seen there: Sugarcubes/Public Enemy/U2 (07.11.92) Oasis/U2 (06.18.97) Oasis/U2 (06.19.97)

Orpheium Theater

Who we’ve seen there: Sarah McLaughlin

Pac Bell Park

Who we’ve seen there: Macy Gray/Dave Matthews Band (5.18.01)

[Paramount Theatre] 2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Who we’ve seen there: Bjork (10.17.01) Sarah McLachlan (10.30.97) Tori Amos (11.11.01 and some other date)

San Jose Arena

Who we’ve seen there: Garbage/Smashing Pumpkins (08.18.96) INXS (04.08.94) U2 (4.19.01)

San Jose Event Center

Who we’ve seen there: Pearl Jam Soundgarden (06.03.94) Tori Amos (09.19.98) Sarah McLachlan (03.9.98)

Shoreline Amphetheater

Who we’ve seen there: Sting Lilith Fair 97 (07.08.97) (Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Jewel, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega) Lilith Fair 98 (06.24.98) (Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Natalie Merchant, Erica Badu, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Bonnie Raitt) Lilith Fair 98 (07.14.99) Santana Lollapaloza ‘94 (Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, George Clinton & P-Funk Allstars, The Breaders, Green Day…) - [http://www.jamesiha.org/interview/1994lolla.htm] Lollapalooza ‘95 (Hole, Sonic Youth, Beck, Cypress Hill, Elastica,…) REM (05.17.95) Sade (07.18.01) Sting (08.05.00)

Slims

Who we’ve seen there: Julianna Hatfield (http://www.julianasite.com/touragraphy.html#city) LLoyd Cole Garbage Cibo Matto (10.09.99)

[Villa Montalvo] 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga, CA 95071

Who we’ve seen there: Diana Krall (7.19.01) Norah Jones

[Warfield] 982 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Who we’ve seen there: Smashing Pumpkins (10.18 0r 19.93) Bjork (05.21.98) Portishead (05.31.98) Cardigans Crowded House/Sheryl Crow Garbage (05.20.98) Sundays Dido (08.10.00) PJ Harvey (05.19.95) Sonic Youth Sara Bareilles (12.16.2010)

I know I saw them, but where….

Hole (the Edge) Filter (somewhere in San Jose) Lisa Loeb (well, actually didn’t stay for that one) Pearl Jam @ Golden Gate Park (06.24.95) WOMAD (ft. Peter Gabriel) Golden Gate Park Smashing Pumpkins (2. 7.96) Kezar Pavilion

Tori Amos at the CPA TLC and MC Hammer (Hawaii) New Kids/Tiffany at Great America David Spade (05.30.98) Cassandra Wilson @ Nob Hill Masonic Center(10.24.97) Pharoah Sanders Quartet @Yoshi’s (03.17.01)