I have been to the beach more times this winter than I had gone during the whole summer. California is a wonderland. When my sister Alison and I decided to head to Laguna Beach one warm winter day, it seemed that everyone else in southern California had the same idea. We could not find parking whatsoever, so we headed south on PCH a ways,
the sound spectrum.
hoping to find something somewhat close to the main beach. I am a frequent visitor of the Sound Spectrum (www.soundspectrumlaguna.com), a locally owned music store, offering both used and new records, CDs, posters, t-shirts, and other memorabilia. I knew for a fact there is always available parking down there, even though it is quite a hike from the main beach. We didn't feel like trekking all that way, and after parking, we just walked straight toward the ocean, hoping there would be some way down to the beach from the street. And, hallelujah, there was! Steps right down to the sand! After the descend into paradise, we laid our giant purple blanket down on white sand and noticed the beach was almost vacant. Why? we wondered. It was absolutely perfect. We also noticed something else that surprised us: dogs! People had their dogs down here! The only dog beach I knew of close to us is in Huntington Beach. I read the nearby sign and it said they actually allow dogs from October to March and I knew right away I had to bring my little Tucson down here.
So, a couple days later, we did! I brought my sister and her best friend, my best friend and our two dogs, Katy and Tucson. As we walked down the steps a second time, Tuc couldn't hold his horses! The teeny dog almost pulled me right down the steps, he was so excited! He had never experienced the beach and the ocean before. As I unhooked his leash from his collar, it was like unleashing the Tasmanian Devil. He spun off, leaping over rocks, splashing in the shallow waves, flinging sand all around himself, a black flash zipping in every direction. He was simply overwhelmed with excitement.
I put my purse down on the same giant purple blanket that we had placed in the same spot as last time, pulled out two green tennis balls and launched them toward the water. My little pup's ears pointed straight toward the sky and tail spinning like a propeller, tongue flopping, he chased the heck out of them. Chest deep in the salty waves, he bobbed for tennis balls, retrieved them like a proper retriever, raced them back up the beach and waited for more.
my tucson havin' some fun in the sun.
Katy, the little princess that she is, watched comfortably from the blanket, keeping an eye on her little buddy and barking orders at him when he got too out of control.
We all chased the little dog while he zigzagged in and out of our legs, coming barely within our reach. He knew we wouldn't be able to catch him and he teased us relentlessly.
People walking up and down the beach watched him in delight too, not expecting this teeny dog to be so energetic, playful and fond of the ocean. They all secretly wished their dog was as cool as mine.
Watching him myself, I saw pure joy in my little boy that day. And with that, I found pure joy in myself. I was so happy watching him be so happy. He had no troubles in the world. A simple day at the beach has the power to make a dog's whole life. I'm positive with every fiber of me that he had the best day of his life that day. I could see it. It doesn't take much to please a dog. A tennis ball and someone to throw it.
The Energizer bunny masked as a dog appeared to have run out of juice by the end of the day in the sun. He slept in my lap the whole drive home, wet and sandy, the wind in our faces as he wouldn't allow me to roll the window up. I love that silly dog to death.
Sometimes it takes so much for people to be happy. Maybe not even happy, just content. It's the simple things in life that we need to find joy in. Like playing with our puppies in the sunshine. Watching the waves. Spending time with people we love. It shouldn't take much. p.s. i do not own the photo of sound spectrum but I do own the photo of my puppy!:) www.lagunabeachinfo.com www.lagunabeachcity.net
the roxy theatre, sunset boulevard, west hollywood.
Turning onto Sunset Boulevard, I really felt like I was living the true California lifestyle and I felt lucky. Although I live pretty close to Los Angeles, it's not very often that I get to visit and treasure the famed city. And it's especially exceptional when I get to spend my time at one of the coolest venues ever, The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. Many famous artists have recorded and/or performed here, including (but definitely not limited to) Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Jane's Addiction, Chili Peppers, so on and so forth. But tonight, my dad and I were here for one reason -- The Walking Papers.
After having a lovely dinner whilst people-watching at a nearby Italian restaurant, and a pleasant chat with a man at Coffee Bean that looked and dressed shockingly like Jesus Christ (except for the brand new New Balance sneakers), we walked down Sunset toward the Roxy. Dad and I arrived for the show an hour before door time. How nerdy are we!? Very. But we have a great time wherever we go, even waiting by ourselves in the line outside a closed nightclub. We even ended up making friends with the security guard that was manning the front door.
jesus christ, obviously.
As we were explaining to him just how great this band is, Jeff himself, clad in an almost Jimi Hendrix-style psychedelic flowered shirt and vintage dress shoes, vest and fedora, walked right past us! I'd always imagined that if something like that happened, I would freeze and/or fall to the ground in shock of being "starstruck" (even though I believe that being "starstruck" is completely idiotic). By some unknown miracle, neither happened. Instead, I made eye contact with Jeff and said "Hey, how are you!"
With a nervous laugh, his response was, "Flustered," and with that, he disappeared around the side of the building. I had said hello to my new-found idol, how cool is that! And I thought that was it, and that was already more than enough to make my whole night. And of course, after Jeff was out of sight, I turned back towards Dad and proceeded to jump around with excitement.
However, Jeff reappeared around the corner with a smile on his face and calm in his eyes. He walked straight toward Dad and I and said, "False alarm! How are you both?" In my surprisingly calm state -- and with Dad's perpetually composed nature -- the three of us made great conversation. He told us about his plans during his visit in L.A. and we let him know that we are big fans of his and his music, and how we came about discovering the band. I had always thought that telling someone I am a fan of theirs would be an awkward, uncomfortable thing. But it felt like talking to a friend. And after about ten minutes of conversation, I was confident (and still am confident!) that we are now friends of Jeff Angell's. Before going back into the venue, Jeff gave us two of his personalized guitar picks and told us to enjoy the show. Now, I've been to lots of concerts but not one musician has ever acted like that towards me, a "fan". I was in awe. Who'd've thought that a rock god can double as quite the gentleman?
After entering the venue, there were only about twelve people inside. It was early, around 7:30 p.m.
While we were waiting for the first band of the lineup to play, Dad left to go to the restroom and after speaking to our friend, Mr. Security Guard, he somehow came back with passes to sit in the VIP seating area. Perfection. Especially since the band we really came for won't be playing until 10, seats would be great!
The first band was announced: The Wasted Damsels. A blonde female lead and a couple of dudes. While they seemed to be talented, their music was nothing exquisite.
wasted damsels.
After the Wasted Damsels, there was an intermission. As we sat at our table, our security friend came over to our table and handed me the official poster that had announced the Walking Papers and their performance date at the Roxy. Just for me! I was beginning to really feel like I belonged in VIP. I couldn't thank him enough for this extremely kind gesture.
A couple minutes later, I headed to the restroom and as I was at the sink, the lead singer of Wasted Damsels was standing at vanity next to me, slumped over the sink, fixing her hair and makeup. I told her, "You guys did really great tonight!"
burning in rome.
She stared into the mirror at me with absolutely no emotion and said, "Oh, thanks," looked back to her own face and that was it. Alrighty, then. I left the bathroom, deciding she sealed the deal that I won't be following The Wasted Damsels.
The second band played: Burning In Rome. They were also also just another rock band, but with the added bonus of a hip bassist. The venue was starting to fill up. The spirit and enthusiasm of the audience began to spike.
The third band I really loved. They are called Thick As Thieves (thievesmusic.com) and at first, we weren't quite sure what to make of them. They are extremely original and are made up of
thick as thieves (video below).
a jumble of characters that fit together perfectly. Thick As Thieves is a large, hip, talented, young group outfitted in all denim and their music is something I had never heard until then. The single female, keyboardist/lead vocalist, Sunday, has a very soft, sweet voice like sunshine and sweet tea. However, it is complemented uniquely by the other lead vocalist, a guy that sharply raps the clever verses. Their genre might be classified as something like bluesy-funk
y-soul, but it's almost folksy hip-hop. Thick As Thieves really do seem as thick as thieves.
pink slips with duff mckagan.
The fourth band? The Pink Slips. This acoustic band is made up of two young girls, one of which belongs to the one and only Duff McKagan. That night at the Roxy, we were suddenly all part of a family affair! What must've been Duff's parents were there to watch their granddaughter and her friend perform. Duff was hanging out in the audience with his parents, along with his wife. It was a very surreal, unique experience to be
a part of. It was family. Duff wasn't a rock star at that moment, he was a father. Duff also accompanied the girls on stage for a co
uple of songs. Every person in the audience watched the father-daughter duo proudly.
beware of darkness (video below).
After The Pink Slips performed, the hurricane that is Beware of Darkness was impending. Garage-grunge rock at its finest. Wailing at the top of his lungs, performing full-circle spins in midair, falling dramatically onto his knees, leaping and kicking in every direction, all while shredding the guitar like wood in a chipper. Impressive and unexpected tunes like "Ghost Town", "Sweet Girl", "Morning Tea" and, of course, "Howl", were all enriched by frontman Kyle Nicolaides and his sizzling stage presence.
jeff angel wooing the roxy.
"We played this song here at the Roxy about a year ago and butchered it. So, we're here again to make up for it," Nicolaides introduced "Howl". They sure lived up to their promise as they blasted into the invigorating, high-energy piece. Beware of Darkness' performance was doubtlessly delicious (bewareofdarknessmusic.com).
And finally, last but absolutely furthest from least, were my Walking Papers -- the incredibly talented supergroup from Seattle. Whether the members of the audience were there to witness Duff's newest ensemble, or because they were already true fans of the 90's grunge-style band, Walking Papers were greeted warmly with screams, shouts and whoops from the crowd. Jeff, clad in his signature fedora and psychedelic shirt, seized the crowd, roped them in and soaked them in his aura. A word I use predominantly to describe him is mesmerizing. And he proves every single time that the precision of this adjective could not be more dead on.
During a potently dynamic setlist including "The Whole World's Watching", "Two Tickets & a Room", "The Butcher", "Already Dead", "Red Envelopes" and more, Jeff was undoubtedly the main attraction. Any person that dares to make eye contact with him will be hypnotized by the crazed passion in his eyes. Grating the mic stand against the fret board of his guitar, strutting through the crowd, shivering with each word, quivering with each note, encouraging applause and hollers from the audience, he is the epitome of rock and roll. He is rock and roll.
Not to mention, Ben Anderson's banging the keys. It is fascinating to watch him become the music, to witness that connection between man and instrument. They are one entity.
walking papers at the roxy.
This bunch of incredible artists presents an unforgettable show that leaves the observer needing more and more and more, like some kind of healthy addiction.
Long story short (almost).....the Roxy rocks.
walking-papers.com
@walkingpapers1
bewareofdarknessmusic.com
@bewareodarkness
thievesmusic.com
@thievesmusic
@pinkslips97
theroxy.com
@theroxy
p.s. like always, i do not own any of these pictures! i really need to start taking pictures.....
p.p.s. here's a teeny sampling of the music from some of the bands mentioned above. please listen. please discover. please enjoy. :)
beware of darkness "howl"
thick as thieves "dangerous"walking papers "two tickets & a room"
