Lollapa-OH YEAH! {2016}

Ah, yes, yes yes. One of my favorite posts of the year, one of my only posts of the year these days, is about Lollapalooza. While late to give it the sum-up, it couldn't be neglected.

The fest got another day added on this year in honor of the 25th anniversary (which we have now found out will be an on-going occurrence) and while I was amped on a good majority of the headliners and various other artists, money was a factor this year. One day was going to have to do it, and since I had seen Radiohead and could settle for not seeing RHCP (I know, I KNOW). It was all about LCD Soundsystem. I had been wanting to see them for so long, and after their retirement, I never thought the chance would come around. LOW AND BEHOLD!! 

Sunday was the obvious choice, because not only had I really wanted to see LCD Soundsystem, but I also was pretty amped on the idea of seeing Flume. His album, and recently, albums, have been in heavy rotation over the past year. Another sneaker-peaker was Bloc Party and Third Eye Blind, which means aspects of my younger self were very, very satisfied. There's not too much to say, I had a great time, the skies were blue and the breeze was light. Delightful company, great music, and solid surroundings. Who wouldn't have great things to say? So let's break this down;

Third Eye Blind: Well, this hardly counts, but we (by "we" I mean Dan and I) were DEFINITELY there for all of 'Semi-Charmed Life', which is what we all wanted to be there for. Honestly? That was the only full song that we saw by this group that helped epitomize my youth. We got there later than anticipated, but isn't that always how it goes? 

My obligatory festival pose. Give me all the music.

Flume: He played a great set, majority of what I wanted him to play, which was fantastic. It was so satisfying to see him live after listening to him SO much recently. I really just had a great time throwing down constant grooves out in that field, along with the rest of the crowd gettin' down. This was a perfect way to get settled in. Listen to: 'Take A Chance'.

Bloc Party: My high school self was more than satisfied hearing these guys play live. I never really thought that chance would come around. I thrived on Silent Alarm (and it's dandy remixed version) in my teen years and haven't stopped listening to them, just not as much. Since I had really only clung to certain songs off certain albums since then, their setlist didn't strike me as much as I had hoped, but then I had to remember I wasn't seeing them in 2006...Listen to: 'Pioneers'

Dan and I waiting for LCD Soundsystem.

LCD Soundsystem: OH, THE GLORY! The groovin' began immediately. It's hard not to channel David Byrne (Stop Making Sense) when you're dancing along to those beautiful beats. The song selection was perfect, as was the execution of each song. James Murphy's voice floated on summer air better than I could have imagined and the rest of the band filled in the gaps with electric magic. The satisfaction of seeing artists you'd never thought you'd see, is immense. There wasn't too much time to think, as my mind was being flooded with musical greatness, a tinge of herb (contact, of course), and the bottle of wine dispersed into 5 different cups. T'was a phenomenal evening, and I am so happy that I chose the final day of Lollapalooza, as my day. Listen to: 'Dance Yrself Clean'

This year the mood was so different. Normally I have to "come down" from the Lolla experience, but perhaps it was the whole one-day thing. Needless to say, much has been neglected in terms of writing. I have been to a plethora of shows, all worthy of saying something about, in the past three months. Summer always comes as an onslaught. Nice weather is here so briefly, that I'm trying to utilize it the best I can. Frankly, this has been the best summer I've had in years. Perhaps ever. It's been chocked full, and the people I've seen and met! I feel lucky. I am lucky. I am grateful that I got to attend this festival at all.

Here's to next year, although I can hardly believe this year's has already come and gone. TG

28 and Feelin' Great!

A couple of big things went down over the past couple days (and then I bought some makeup);

I turned 28;

HOLY MACKEREL! It feels good, it feels great! I like being this age. I like being older and I think for me, the journey will only get better, or at least that's what I'm hoping for. I'm enjoying gaining a bit of wisdom along the way and having different opportunities and experiences to look forward to. For the first time, perhaps ever, I worked on my birthday. I normally was always able to weasel my way out of it, but this year was different. While it's a fact I couldn't pass on the cash, I also wanted to surround myself with my work crew. They've become such an important aspect of my life, as I work with them each day the ones I share the most laughs with. You all know how it goes; your work friends have the ability to know you on such a different level and I really value that aspect of the relationship. I also have a lot of spectacular regulars that I've become well-acquainted with by now, and some of them stopped by for my birthday with a small gift in hand, and others were there just for the sake of being there, and I got to say hi and pass on a little birthday cheer. The best birthday gift is being around those who bring you joy, who fill your life with that much more purpose, those are the faces I want to see, those people are the ones I want to celebrate with. 

Scofflaw;

Oh, what a lucky duck I was. It was my choice for dinner (birthday brat). While there are SO many places I want to go, sometimes you just want to go somewhere you love and are familiar with. There's little room for error on such days, and I knew Scofflaw wouldn't disappoint. A friend highly recommended this place to me over a year ago, and last night, it was my 5th time heading to the swanky gin joint and every time it hits the mark. I'm a huge fan of their "Swizzle" series. It's always a tropical-based tiki drinks, finely tuned with things I typically really go for in cocktails; coconut, lime, & pineapple. Any one of those three items listed in a drink will typically result in me ordering one. HOWEVER, last night was all about kicking it off with a Red Snapper. I needed to settle the score with my Bloody Mary craving, it was simply just too far ahead in the game and I had to get my fix before it totally took me over. In all honesty, you really cannot go wrong with any drink you order; they are all made extremely well and while each one is unique, they each taste superb. 

The kick of that drink was fantastic. The perfect amount of spice, and while there was no garnish (duh, it was a Tuesday night), it was exactly what I needed. The vibe was there and that's all that matters. But you best believe I followed it up with not one, but two Swizzle #15's.

Me with my Red Snapper!

Besides having on-point drinks, Scofflaw has a bangin' menu; it's chocked full of goodies at extremely reasonable prices. Mixing, Matching, Pairing, & Sharing is the name of the game at Scofflaw. Charcuterie, kale salad, braised short ribs, liver mousse, and of course, a cheeseburger, will all be found on their menu, along with plenty of other things to fill in the gaps. The environment is unique and the vibe is always a good one. Head over there when you get the chance and head into the back room.

Lollapalooza line-up announced;

Ay yi yi. This day has the ability to make me or break me. I get so anxious around Lolla lineup/ticket time that I hardly know what to do with myself. Last year's line-up blew it out of the water, almost every act was someone I wanted to check out or was an act I needed to see. I didn't know what to expect this year. Once the headliners had crept out into public knowledge, I was thirsty for this festival. I LOVE Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, & Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I couldn't come up with who else would round this fest out. While up early for work, I took a peak at the dropped announcement this morning and just kind of went "huh, alright."

I wasn't that stoked about it, and while I would absolutely be tickled pink by the opportunity to see Radiohead again, I couldn't justify spending $120 on another time around. While there are other artists I could see that day, sometimes I just prefer the venue show, and perhaps that will be my chance to check out pre-shows/after shows when they roll through. Same with Red Hot Chili Peppers. Would I love to see them? Hell yeah, but not for $120. What I DID do was get a Sunday ticket so I can groove my little heart out to LCD Soundsystem - that to me was extremely worth it. Also, Flume?! That was another artist I was pretty hyped on who also happens to be playing on Sunday, along with Haim. Hell yeah!

I'm almost relieved. I was a bit stressed about making the money work. I'm glad that the line-up isn't all I wanted it to be this year, because frankly, now's not the time to be spending money on festivals or be filled with sorrows over missing killer acts. I am very glad I get to enjoy the glory for a day, there's a lot to look forward to.

The mini makeup haul;

I'm not going to act like this is suddenly a make-up blog, but you get the idea.

1) Physician's Formula mineral wear 2) Maybelline BB cream 3) Essence XXXLShine 15 True Love 4) Essence liquid lipstick 5) Essence black gel eyeliner 6) Maybelline Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara 

For makeup and me, it's been a journey. Needless to say, it was pretty vital that I hit Ulta in March for double points, the $10 off coupon, and of course, to get the freebie gift (Benefit roller ball mascara #blessed). I was also equipped with $30 in gift cards. It was the perfect time to reload on a few things that had been running low, plus, you know, birthday treats.

While I always go with Physician's Formula powder, my other items have an ability to shift. I like trying out new products and brands, and today I was extremely curious about Essence. Keep in mind I've been seeing this brand for a long time, but for whatever reason, at that particular moment, it piqued my interest. So much so that when an employee came by, I asked her about it and raided her brain of everything she knew about the line. What it boiled down to was that the brand had actually gotten some great feedback from users, but certain items were more reliable than others (so I figured). 

Based on appearance only, it seems as if it's branded similar to a Korean makeup company- very cute and unique packaging, but they're not, they're based out of Europe.What I really wanted to know if their products were cheap (like, really cheap) because they was shitty or cheap because sometimes you just get lucky and can come across great products that aren't marked up. I like to take a gander and see where certain things are made. XXXLShine is made in Germany, as where the liquid lipstick is made in Italy, which holds some validity. Essence even has little ingredient guides for their products off to the side, which is always nice to have on hand. I am looking forward to seeing how these items play out.

I've tried a lot of different brands at this point, and sometimes for certain items, I just keep coming back to the "mass product" side of the store. While I do believe there are certain things worth paying more for, there are a handful of things you can get in this area of the store. This time around, I wanted to get the most bang for my buck, whilst getting the best quality at that price range. A lot of time was spent at Ulta, comparing different products and shades, which was nice versus just making impulse buys, because that is so easy to do in such an environment. I'm happy with my new stash, but don't look for a review anytime soon, unless it's some life-changing shit.

All in all, this has been a great start to the week. I've got a couple tunes up my sleeve to get out to you guys next time. Get out there and do something awesome! TG