Moves Like Jagger

It turns out that Adam is just as good-looking in person, and Pat is just as awkward. And Gavin...well, I'm still not sure what to make of him and his need for affection.

This concert was fantastic - practically no waiting to get into or out of Red Rocks, and NO RAIN! Beautiful weather, including a gentle breeze, a great view of the city at sunset, and hours of good music. Each band had an entirely unique stage setup, with different platforms, screens, lights, and sound techs. Amazingly, it only took 20 minutes in between each performance to reset.

Gavin played mostly songs that were on his first album, which you might remember from waaaaaaaay back in 2005. It was unfortunately obvious that nobody was really there to see him, except for one girl several rows in front of us who was standing up and dancing the entire time he played, while everybody else filtered in and settled down with food and drinks. His sound mix was painful! I don't know if his vocals were too loud or the guitars were up too high - but something was awfully out of balance and I was relieved when the noise stopped.

Train had the biggest production, including an evolving wardrobe for Pat. They had a ramp across the entire stage with lights, that was most creatively used to feature a dancing cellist. He pulled a gimmicky stunt collecting girls from the front row to "dance sexy" to "She's On Fire," which was entertaining for a bit but I could have lived without. They didn't play "Get to Me," but I heard all of my other favs.

Maroon 5 was definitely my favorite act. I don't know what it is, because their music isn't super creative, but something about them has always registered with me. Even going back to Songs About Jane, I have enjoyed performing their music, and have used several of their acoustic recordings to inspire my efforts picking up the guitar. I've found that watching Adam take the stage seems to be hit or miss - sometimes he is an awkward front man in skinny jeans who doesn't know what to do with himself while the band plays behind him, but when he is on he cannot contain himself and his energy is contagious. He was bouncing off the walls last night, and I couldn't get enough of it! Especially their new single, which will be stuck in my head all week(don't tell her, but it was better without Christina).

Brian had a great time, too, so the evening was an overall success!

We'll be Better than Before

Dry wall has been installed - it's so weird looking at the walls that we painted blue back in 2005, and the new ones that are a blank canvas. Next steps are the cabinets, the flooring, and then the finishing touches like the granite and tile. Then paint, varnish, and fixtures. Can't wait to see the final outcome!!

It's An Exponential Thing...

Ben Folds rocked so hard he broke two piano strings at the Ogden last night. It was such a fun show! We went with Jill & Brian, and had a great evening.

Kenton, whom you might remember as the quirky Asian who led the group the Backbeats in the Sing-Off last season, was the opener. I liked him on the show, despite his group, but to open for Ben Folds I was expecting more than a guy and a mic, singing with recorded tracks he set in Garage Band. However, his slow and sensuous cover of "Toxic" made me very, very happy.

Ben performed a great blend of classics and songs off his new album. I enjoyed hearing him explain each song before he sang it, and learned a lot about his art. Just as I was regretting that I didn't get to hear him play "Philosophy," that was the encore!

If only there hadn't been five silly girls in the section in front of us recording the entire concert, it would have been absolutely amazing. A few pics, even a few video clips, fine - I am guilty of that too. However, using a flash will only take a photo of the heads in front of you. And taking 35 shots of every song is only adding to your library of...images of the people in front of you? I paid to watch a live concert, not to watch Ben in blurry colors on your LED, randomly disrupted by your flash going off. And the fact that there are other screens distracting people in the theatre doesn't mean it's ok for you to disregard those around you. All I have to say is that Karma is a bitch, babes.

Shed a Little Light

The windows are in, and the rooms look enormous! There are giant sliding glass doors out onto the future patios, and the "sunroom" is actually just that. I know the view is the same as it has always been, but looking at the Smarts' house across the street from a different angle is rather odd...

This is the view standing in the 'sunroom,' looking through the master to the north. I love that there will be a patio off the bedroom, and I think Mom and Dad will enjoy many sunsets there.

This is in the dining room, also facing north. There will be a hood between the windows, over the (gas!) range, just past where you can see the island framed. Eventually the wet bar will go up and its glass-faced cabinets will partially obstruct this view.

The french doors on the floor are blocking the lovely crystal lights (water that collects solar energy to heat the house, for those of you non-Coloradoans), where they will remain. We're still brainstorming window treatments that might camouflage them. Don't mind the poor piano, still not sure where that is going...anybody on the market for an upright?

The Sun Will Always Come Again

My faith in the universe has been affirmed. Completely and absolutely.

My contract with CU ended yesterday, and I have been on the fence between whether I would be excited to have all day to dive back into a job search full-force, or chagrined to have opened myself back up to an unspecified period of unemployment.

But I got The Call last week. The position suits me and my education, the commute is ten minutes with traffic, and the timing will provide me with an extra long Holiday weekend. Everything fits so perfectly, I have never been more sure that I am on the right track, and in the right place!