Well in war he was a tiger, when it was over like a dove.

One of the only good things about Jesse being away on tour is that I get to wear lipstick. When the dude's around, can't go wearing any sticky gloss or red lips!

This weekend I had a mighty fun time wearing my new Lancome Rock Icon Fuschia lipstick, per my post about hot pink lips trending. Paired with a neutral eye (thanks for letting me borrow Stila's Kitten eyeshadow, Amber - going to buy some myself this week!), I felt quite vamped up. My go-to/signature "party look" usually involves cat-eye retro eyeliner and red lipstick, so this was different for me.

Check it:



Amber and I got real classy for Saturday night dinner and dancing. Also, I love how she smiles in the first picture and decides to be goofy for the following ones. THANKS, Bams.

Also taking it's first outing Saturday night? My L.A.M.B. wristlet!

Yes, I am wearing a shirt that says "You have died of dysentery," via the Oregon Trail. A gift from Jesse, because he knows my love of nerdy nostalgia. The rest of my outfit was pretty killer, too, I must say - L.A.M.B. cheetah print shorts + tights + combat boots.

Whaddya think? I think I pulled off the fuschia lips quite well, but you tell me if it looks too garish.

In other weekend activities, the second-to-last meeting of the War & Peace book club went swimmingly (and by swimmingly, I mean literally through three bottles of champagne) and we only have 88 more pages left! We have big plans for our final meeting in two weeks. BIG PLANS.

I haven't had a night of outright dancing in a long time, and some ladies and I amended that with a trip to Beauty Bar, in which we shook our hips and heads to the 80s, 90s, and a section which seemed from Kells' 2001 mix cd she sent me in college. Good stuff! We got all sweaty! Also, weirdly, playing on one of the walls was the movie Logan's Run, a 70s sci-fi movie, which also happens to have my namesake. My dad named me after the character Jessica Six. Also? I've never seen the movie. We decided, after seeing such spectacularly hilarious scenes, we would need to have a movie night for the film.

On Sunday, my lovely Curbside ladies and I got up early for brunch in the Lower East Side. At one point I needed to go to an ATM, so Jiscilla and I branched off and walking down Norfolk towards Delancey I saw a dude talking on his cellphone. As we got closer I realized it was Sam Rockwell, he of Moon and Choke and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame, and my jaw dropped, I grabbed Jiscilla's arm, and then he looked right at me. Obviously he realized I'd recognized him, which made me practically drag Jiscilla further down the street in haste. Great actor - if you haven't seen Moon, check it out - most overlooked performance of 2009.

After brunch, we walked a whole lotta blocks to 26th Street to take in a Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" dance class. Yes. I learned the choreography to the video. There are a lot of claw hands. I think I excelled at that, at least. Since everyone else had taken the previous three classes in the series, and this was the last class, I lagged behind a bit. It was a lot of fun though, I got a good workout, and now that song will be stuck in my head for weeks. I don't even have it on my iPod....yet.

Though we were all sweaty from dancing for two hours, the girls and I decided to check out the IFC theater for a showing of a new Italian film called Vincere ("Win") about Mussolini and a supposed first/secret wife he had. It was seriously one of the most intense films I've ever seen, and it was good. Also, they cast an Italian actor who resembles an exact cross between a young Al Pacino and Javier Bardem. AKA I went through the first half of the movie thinking, damn I didn't know Mussolini was so fine, and then later when they showed the actual Mussolini in vintage clips, I was going, wow, they really miscast that guy didn't they? He was a great actor, though, a great performance.

I ended my Sunday evening with a gelato and phone call from the husband. How was your weekend?

Honey, I ain't never had nobody like you.

HERE IT IS. The moment where I share with you exactly how nerdy my thoughts can be. If you read here a lot, you know this happens quite often, and especially about a certain dude's own band and songs - but I feel like this is way different.

And to continue giving you examples of said nerdom, I bring you ten songs I super love right now. Ten songs that I'm sure you can guess as to why I've been listening to them on repeat, and ten songs that don't really go together at all. I'm guessing not many people will be amused by this mish-mash of a playlist (I can only guess two people who will!) and I don't care! I have no shame in what my ears hear in succession!

So, I deliver to you, a very weird and strange playlist consisting of a mere three artists who probably wouldn't meet in any other playlist:

01 Magic Trick - M. Ward
02 These Bones - Dashboard Confessional
03 The Swiss Army Romance - Dashboard Confessional
04 Home - She & Him
05 Carve Your Heart - Dashboard Confessional
06 The Good Fight - Dashboard Confessional
07 Ridin' in My Car - She & Him
08 Rollercoaster - M.Ward
09 Hell on the Throat - Dashboard Confessional
10 Never Had Nobody Like You - M. Ward (f. Zooey Deschanel)

Yes, She & Him/M.Ward songs and Dashboard Confessional. I'm sorry, but I love them both so much, and ever since that crazy week in which I saw them both live, I have been listening to them nonstop. My apologies for those SICK of hearing about it (Jesse, Curbside, and my tumblr followers, mainly!).

                     


Now I must enumerate the ways in which I absolutely love each song. (And yes, I've linked the Amazon mp3 for each in case you want to aurally take in my special brand of crazy.)

01 Magic Trick - M.Ward

Why: From M.Ward's 2006 solo album Post-War, it's only 1:43 minutes long, but it's groovy. Yeah, I said groovy. I never use that word. But when I hear this I just want to start strutting around like I own the place. Sometimes that place is the corner of 59th and 5th in the morning and I catch myself getting stared at for grooving. And strutting. This song makes me that girl. Oh! And you can hear it right now - I posted it on my tumblr!

Choice lyric: It's like now you see her / Now you don't / You think you're gonna get to know her now? / Well, you won't / She's got one magic trick / One, and that's it / She disappears

02  These Bones - Dashboard Confessional

Why: I don't know why Dashboard doesn't perform more songs off of The Shade of Poison Trees live - perhaps because he has a jillion songs to choose from. However, I get excited for any song from Shade, it's a great album. I haven't heard this song live from the band, though I'm dying to, as it is my favourite song off the album and I thought maybe hearing it on repeat would up the chances of hearing it live next time. My logic has flaws, I understand.

Apparently a lot of fans freaked out when this song first came out because many read the lyrics as some sort secret code to Carrabba retiring. Then he came out with another album, so, no. I love old Dashboard, but I also love Carrabba's recent lyrics because of the imagery he uses. And in this particular song, Carrabba uses two symbols I strongly associate with: maps and keys. Honestly, throughout my life, those are two symbols I've used to represent me or aspects of myself. From my nomadic childhood in a military family or the image of my grandmother's wall of keys, they've always been personally important and representative.

Choice lyric: So lay with me, I could use the company / You could help me ease / These bones / Are like maps and keys / Where they took their hits / And they felt those teeth / There's a story hidden underneath

03 The Swiss Army Romance - Dashboard Confessional

Why: Because if there is such thing as a "classic" in my emo-life, it would be this song, this anthem, if you will. (Oh dear, I am really letting you into my brain right now, and it's slightly embarassing!) I'm pretty sure this was the first Dashboard song I heard back in 2001 from his acoustic debut full-length. It was the first one that stuck with me, at least.

Rick took me to my first ever Dashboard concert, and I had no idea what I was in for. Everybody singing along, a singular man with enough stage presence for a stadium, and this weird we're-all-young-and-lovin'-it camraderie. And nowhere was that last trait more evident than during this song. And if you've heard this song, you know which part. Carrabba steps away from the microphone and the entire room screams ---

Choice lyric: We're not twenty-one / But the sooner we are the sooner the fun will begin / So get out your fake eyelashes and fake IDs / And real disasters ensue / It's cool to take these chances [PAUSE!] / It's cool to fake romances / And grow up fast...and grow up fast...and grow up.........fast

...it's always my favourite and most nostalgiac part of any Dashboard live show. There was a fellow with Ang and me at the last Dashboard show who didn't know the music at all. Right before this part of the song I turned to him and said: "Get ready for awesome..." He was totally impressed.

04 Home - She & Him

Why: I don't know if I would even have room to count the many intricacies of this song that I love. I'll try. First, this song is a personal favourite from Volume Two, because...well, for similar reasons that "Be Home Now" from No Doubt's Return of Saturn is. They're about two people trying to call the same place "home," and for me, that speaks to being in a long distance relationship. Of course, She & Him's song is much more light and positive than No Doubt's. "Home" makes me smile ear to ear - "I want to be where your heart is home."

I associate the word "California" with Jesse because that's where he was born and spent much of his childhood. And the first word of this song? California. There are handclaps, lovely piano sounds, oohs and aahs, changing of pace, and my fave part where Zooey sings "I could be sweet..." and then only through the left speaker in a whispery voice: "...and I could be sweeter..." I love a little whisper-voice in songs.

Choice lyric: I could be your state / And I could be your nation / It doesn't get better than home now does it?

05 Carve Your Heart Out Yourself - Dashboard Confessional

Why: Besides maps and keys and songs about home, I'm a sucker for a song about reassurance. In a long distance relationship, it's incredibly easy to feel insecure about yourself, the relationship, and the future. This song is basically treading the "I'll be there for you" genre of lyrics, but I think does it so much better. It's also got a great twang, a slightly country vibe - even though I'm by no means a country fan, I dig the folkiness. Another one that makes me smile! Especially when it gets to the last part, written below, and specifically the way he sings it. And Mike Marsh on the drums! Damn, I love it.

Choice lyric: Oh, you're so sure I'll be leaving in the end / Treating me like I'm already gone / Well, I'm not, I will stay where you are - always / I will stay / I will stay / I will stay...

06 The Good Fight - Dashboard Confessional

Why: I like words. Seriously. (Do see how many I've written just here?!) And there are some superb phrases in the biting lyrics, and I'm always impressed at seeing the lyrics and wondering how the hell he put it together to be able to sing them. Of course, the verses are particularly full of verbiage while the chorus is simple for effect: I begged you not to go / I begged you, I pleaded / Claimed you as my only hope / And watched the floor as you retreated.

One more thing: I air drum to this song all the time.

Choice lyric: The martyr is meaningless / The campaign has died / In the planning stages and the fallen faces / Are the singular proof that it was ever alive / This purchased rebellion has been outbidded / Denounced and rescinded / And left to die championless

07 Ridin' in My Car - She & Him

Why: This song is a cover of a 1977 song by NRBQ, but if you haven't noticed yet, I'm kind of in love with M.Ward's voice. And Zooey's, of course - this is a duet. It's definitely a song I can see myself driving along to - I always have an image in my head when I hear it. Driving along a highway, definitely next to a beach, sunglasses on, by myself, and maybe stopping by a local hangout. Like I said: my mind works in mysterious ways.

Choice lyric: So I went to the place where everybody hangs out / To see what everybody was talkin' about / And over in the corner, all alone with you / Was the boy from last summer singin' songs to you / And he can't sing what I can sing / Oh, baby it's so hard / And I still think about you every time I'm ridin' in my car

08 Rollercoaster - M.Ward

Why: For a song that uses the phrase "heavy metal," it's the complete opposite. M.Ward's swoon-worthy voice sounds like he's strumming his guitar and singing at the base of a tree next to a river. Err, you know what I mean? It's a slow, sunny-day song....and it contains my current favourite lyrics of the week.

Choice lyric: You're like a ro-ro-rollercoaster / You give me heavy metal dreams / You could make a dead man scream...

09 Hell on the Throat - Dashboard Confessional (acoustic version here)

Why: I would consider this song the most emotional listed here. I'm not going to lie: my eyes have watered up to this song in the past (and occasionally still do). It's slow and winding, but it...ends up happy and, reassuring (again!). Every song is up for one's own interpretation, of course, and that's the beauty of song - being able to personalize it. So, you can probably guess what my interpretation gears towards: a traveling (touring) man.

There are many allusions to travel ("trail," "trip"), and my mind just goes straight to the subject at my own heart. Plus, there's this heartbreaking line: "Well, it's hard to belong to a girl or a song in the crease of a strangling winter." I could write five pages just on this one line, that's how good it is. I could write a whole chapter of a book on just this one song, but I should probably stop talking now, or it's going to get way too long. I mean, longer than it already is. Just um, listen to the song and I hope you'll get it.

Much like the album, I was going to end the playlist with this song, but I couldn't end it with something so semi-tragic and happy-sad. (Does anybody else cry at really happy things too? I always do.) Anyway, this is the last line of the song and the one that gets my eyes all watery. After a song talking about the pitfalls of travel, it ends with this.

Choice lyric: And when the sand turns to glass / And all that's left is the past / I will love you still

10 Never Had Nobody Like You - M. Ward (f. Zooey Deschanel)

Why: The word "cool" is used often, but this song just oozes it. From the opening sounds to M. Ward's voice to the entrance of Ms. Deschanel - cool. I'm listening to it now and I just want to get up and dance.  And actually? This song makes the perfect soundtrack for hanging out with your boo and you're kind of dancing but really just kissing and not talking and smiling. Smile-kissing. Isn't that the best? That's this song.

Choice lyric: And the stars in the sky / They never caught my eye / 'Cause I ain't never had nobody like you / I ain't never had nobody like you / Now it's like A B C / Life's just like 1 2 3

-----

There you have it: a look inside my brain. Did I scare you? Do you have your own personal tales about any of these songs? Are you going to download them now and have a listen to see if I'm really off my rocker or you can get into it in your own special way as well?! I'm just saying, in all simplicity and finality: I love these songs.

I need the rush to pulse through my veins.

On Tuesday I started working on a post about a playlist I've been listening to for the past week or so. Then I watched LOST that night, THEN I read about eight million recaps of the episode, THEN I came back to my post and started writing it like it was a freakin' term paper about TEN SONGS. I'm serious. I opened it back up yesterday and was like, "Wow, am I a crazy person? Did I just spend a few days writing pages and pages about ten songs and why I like love them and then basically dissect their lyrical meanings and what their sounds mean to me? Really?"

And also: in light of some recent developments, it's slightly embarassing if certain people were to find it and read it. Okay, I lie, not even slightly, majorly.

This is what LOST does to my brain. I get super analytical and it filters through every other area of my life. My friends and I were talking yesterday and someone brought up a relationship issue and I proceeded to give them three specific examples and a conclusion; much like a thesis.

My brain has issues. SO...I am still mulling over whether to post my super-analytical, slightly personal, and majorly embarassing post about A PLAYLIST. (I know I sound crazy!) Two questions:

01 Does LOST do the same to your brain?

02 Should I post My Post?

Holy crap, you're making fun of me right now, aren't you?!

Sometimes without goodbye, sometimes without hello.

How was everyone's weekend? I had quite the fantastic one.

On Friday: we played boardgames.

Jesse, Andrew, Jaime, Jim!

On Saturday we went to a great beer garden - Studio Square Beer Garden - in Queens and played some more games, in celebration of our friend Nadine's birthday:

The place was a beer garden, but it had sangria on tap. And Sunday was Easter! In which my friends and I gathered for a long brunch, and I wore a special Easter outfit:

J.Crew Cardigan, H&M dress, yellow tights!,  combat boots (new favourite thing ever), and of course, my LAMB bag.

We ate at the Film Center Cafe in Hell's Kitchen, which has a great brunch deal, and delicious food!

Jon, Hagney, Tiffany!

Kelly and Jon!

After the three hour brunch in which somebody turned up Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and a waitress broke out the entire dance in the middle of the restaurant - we went to The Gaf, a bar. We were pretty much the only patrons when we got there at 5pm and started off with some darts. Jesse and I partnered up and kicked everybody else's butt! Yes!

Kells and I striking a pose. 

Some of my darts went astray. And almost hit Jon. WOOPS.

And here is me and Amber - though, I'm not sure why I am posing as such. I think I look funny - like, a housewife or something. I know I'm not describing it well. Anyway, I laughed when I saw this photo.

If you couldn't tell, my friends are awesome and I love them. I truly feel blessed to have such good people surrounding me. Also, hilarious people.

Jesse left today for tour. Sadface. He was only here for four days, but we really made the most of it. I got him to watch Friday Night Lights, so we spent a good chunk of time watching the first season either before going to bed or when we woke up. We saw Hot Tub Time Machine. We met up for lunch on my workdays. We played darts and danced. We went out to dinner. We had fun! And now I miss his mug again, of course!

But I'm super happy. I'm just happy and feeling great and optimistic and fantastic. Better stop writing like this before I jinx myself...

But when I'm rolling in forward motion I think about only you.

Back in February, I desperately wanted She & Him tickets. They were playing two shows at the Bowery Ballroom on March 30th and 31st. I waited on Ticketmaster, refreshing at 11:59 the day the tickets went on sale. I refreshed to no avail: they were instantly sold out.

Cut to a couple of weeks ago, when my friend Alana who works in PR e-mailed Erica and I about an Audi event in which She & Him were performing. "Would you like to come?"

Oh an event held in an Audi showroom with a small group of partying people enjoying free drinks and hors d'oevres? YES. YES YES YES YES.

Last night - after rushing home to welcome my dear husband back from tour, then promptly bidding him adieu - Erica and I met up at the Audi showroom on 47th and Park. I didn't even know there was a showroom in New York. The crowd was definitely a mix of downtown folks (I spotted model Jessica Hart) and auto industry people. We saw some badges around necks: apparently this week is the CMJ of the auto industry.

So Erica and I sipped the free champagne and discussed how excited we were for She & Him. And we discussed buying a car:

(Yes, all I had was my iPhone and that light was RIGHT on me! Ick!)

And while the DJ was playing some great songs (straight out of an Erica Dagley night at Trainwreck, lemme tell you), we decided to go right up to the stage that She & Him would be performing on. We saw setlists! (And also signs not to take any pictures, not even cell phone pictures, of the band. Damn.)

AHHHH! You realize how amazing this setlist is, right?

I mean it started off with the song Jesse and I put on our wedding mix! And NRBQ = "Ridin' in My Car, a cover from the newest She & Him album Volume Two; it's a great, great duet song. And they even did M. Ward's song "Magic Trick." SO GOOD! They sounded amazing! Zooey played the ukelele, they both got together on the keyboard at one point, Zooey was bouncing around to each song. They put on a really fun live show.

And yeah, I was three feet away from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward! Literally: front row, no barriers or security guards. I placed my champagne flute on the stage in order to dance.

Here's a pic Erica sneaky-snapped:

Zooey and the backup singers! Here are some professional wire images:

That photographer was right beside us. And! At one point Zooey entreated everybody to dance - "nobody will remember seeing you dance tomorrow" - and so, obviously, Erica and I got down in the front row thinking everybody else would as well. When we took a look back: nope, nobody was dancing, and a lot of people were just standing there "taking it in" while Erica and I were singing along.
After the show I was walking to the restroom when someone stopped me - I turned and saw all of the band members (minus M. Ward and Zooey) and they told me thank you for dancing! They said that nobody else was dancing except for me and my friend and "we played for you guys!"

I DIE.

I then proceeded to tell them how awesome the band was, how awesome they sounded, and how awesome they were to notice me. I rambled, admitted, but I was just so excited. I shook all their hands and thanked them and then excused myself, trying to cut myself off from looking like a ranting and raving fangirl. Accomplished, methinks?

Then Alana told us Christy Carlson Romano from the tv show Even Stevens was in attendance. Erica and I nearly flipped out because, um, we used to love that show. No, seriously, we talk about that show at least once a month...and often lament at how funny Shia used to be. Then:

Us and Christy Carlson Romano! She talked about her off-broadway show and some joke that was made about her in Hot Tub Time Machine - but we haven't seen it, so we don't know what the joke was? Ha. I am seeing that soon, for sure! She was so personable and lovely, and we may or may not have invited her to hang out in the future.

Then! We saw M. Ward come out to talk to his band members. We went over and I told him what an amazing show it was, and he thanked us for being the only ones into it. Yes! And then I asked him for a photo - and he obliged though I could tell he hesitated. I think She & Him have some strict photo policies...but:

OH YEAH!

He was incredibly nice and we had a good conversation regarding his new album and how I've been trying to go to a She & Him show ever since I heard Volume One. At one point I said, "even my husband was working all his music connections to get me into that Bowery show!" and then he asked what my husband did and I explained Motion City Soundtrack. So fun. Matt (as he introduced himself) and Richard (I think that's what he said his name was - he's a guitarist for the band) told us that they hoped to see us dancing at the next show. We told them, of course! ....well, if we even get into the next show. No future show could top last night's though!

So we said bye to them and rejoined Alana and thanked her profusely and then the drummer from She & Him walked up to me with the setlist and said, "it's not much, but it's all we've got, thanks for coming!" Then him and the band were heading out the door and they all waved bye to us.

WOO HOO!

Thank you, dear readers, for letting me geek out on you and get fangirly. THANK YOU!