Please comment to be added.

PS. Thank you to my fellow ostrich for the pic. <3

I kissed a girl, and a strange boy - and I liked it! XD

Thanks to sainterre for the idea (sort of). ♥
-----

** SOLD **
I am offering: ** AUTOGRAPHED ** 100 Monkeys "Swimsuit" Calendar
- Signed by members: Jackson Rathbone, Ben Graupner, Ben Johnson, Jerad Anderson, Uncle Larry
- Purchased from 100 Monkeys Monkeymart (at the time of this posting, item is no longer listed).

Fandoms (if appropriate): 100 Monkeys, Jackson Rathbone, Ben Graupner, Ben Johnson, Jerad Anderson, Uncle Larry, Movies: Twilight, The Last Airbender, Girlfriend

Additional Info:
- Pics of each month can be found at here. This is NOT my site. They are NOT my pics.
- Pictures of actual item and autographs can be made available to the winning bidder prior to donation if requested.
- Copies of original order/receipt from 100 Monkeys Monkeymart can also be provided for authenticity.

Starting Bid (in USD): $35.00 + shipping
* Shipping costs will depend on the packaging and delivery method requested, as well as the destination. Please message me if you have any questions or would like quotes.

Preferred Charities:
Japanese Red Cross (link for those in Japan)
International Medical Corps
Music For Relief
Shelter Box

Please reply to THIS POST to bid.

x-posted: + | +

( Apologies & DisclaimersCollapse )

( Arrival & Pre-showCollapse )

( Dir en greyCollapse )

( Meet & GreetCollapse )

( AftermathCollapse )

THANK YOU GUYS! THANK YOU DIR EN GREY! And thank you for reading. :) Hope it was marginally enjoyable.

xposted @ dir_en_grey

HYDE: FAITH LIVE 2006
[July 02, 2006] 21:00
House of Blues - Anaheim, CA

I was actually running around too much to enjoy the opening band, The Black List Club, but what I was able to hear, I loved. Check out their myspace for song samples. I hope they stick around. >.> Apparently the lead guitarist/vocalist used to be the guitarist for Avril Lavigne's band.

I didn't bring my notebook because I figured I'd be standing and didn't want to lose it getting jostled around so you'll have to bear with my memory, apologies.

Hyde appeared around 21:00. Just walked onstage with the rest of the band, guitar-ed up, and broke into the first song.

-----( Read more...Collapse )
All in all, it wasn't the near-religious experience the Dir en grey live (almost) was, but it was hella fun and my respect for Hyde's music and showmanship has grown in leaps and bounds.

Even if he did slip and girlydance during one of the first songs. XD
-----

NOTE: Corrections/additions to ANY of the above are greatly appreciated, particularly the quotes. I'm not guaranteeing the wording, just the main gist of what was said. I've already mentioned my failing memory, haven't I? :)

For those on my friends list, personal accounts of before and after the show to follow, mainly because I figure everyone else could care less. :p

Thanks for reading!

[EDIT] I'm told he messed up on "Midnight Celebration" and started the chorus too early, then sort of fudged the rest of the song. XD I didn't notice but there it is. ^_^

They came. They saw. They conquered.

And we we didn't want to let them go.

---

DIR EN GREY: US SHOWCASE TOUR 2006
[ March 23, 2006 ] 20:00
The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA

- [ The Short Version ] -

They rocked. Pure and simple. Every song, every second, they gave what they could and the crowd gave it right back to them. The sea of flowing hands, the floor underneath jumping, voices singing- screaming- in pain, joy, anger, every emotion in the rainbow and more- all of it orchestrated by the madman convulsing in front of the stage and the four egging him on. The band was tight. The place was alive. It was a truly different world.

A guy taking pictures for Rolling Stone magazine came up to us after the show so I asked him what he thought. His words? "It was... amazing... I've never seen anything like it." If that quote makes it to the mag, I couldn't be prouder of the band... and the crowd. Drama aside, for that hour and a half, they were one. Or at least tried to be. I almost laughed actually at the stupefied wonder and amazement on his face. It took all I could not to say, "If you think that now, wait until you see what they can really do."

The show lasted exactly an hour and a half. Less if you take out the 10-minute encore chant. I was hoping for the standard 2nd encore they give in Japan. The band was hyped but it felt like they were holding back just a bit. Maybe it's just me. *L* Not Kyo though. He gives everything until he has close to nothing left. Maybe I'm just expecting too much. It's the tail end of the tour after all and they're probably on their last dregs.

Even so, there was no question that they owned the Wiltern last night. And I think everyone in there- fan, staff, crew, whatever- was left with an impression they'll never forget.
x-x-x-x-x

( - [ The (Freakishly) Long Version ] -Collapse )

I'll probably do a writeup on the opening band, getting to and leaving the show, etc. but I figured this is what most people would be interested in anyway. Kudos if you actually read all that. I'm not sure I will. *L* Hope everyone had a fantastic time last night! And for those who got hurt/maimed/sick, best of luck on recovery. :p

See ya~

PS. If anyone wants to link, feel free, just comment and LINK. Don't copy. >_> Thanks.
[EDIT] If you MUST copy, then CREDIT and link back to this page.

PPS. The Nagano live of which I speak has been reposted here for those who missed it at Shiroi Heya.

Ow, ow, I burnt my tongue. I'm back home, eating ramen.

If there are any corrections, please let me know. It's almost 3am and I seriously need to get my ass into bed.

And yes, Micky DID JUMP INTO THE FRONT ROW and had a HELL of a time climbing back up.

VOLVO HALLYU CONCERT: BoA, TVXQ, G.O.D.
[ June 11, 2005 ] 20:30
Gibson Amphitheater - Universal City, CA

[EDIT: As you can see, I've been editing and correcting this post as I remember more or people point things out to me so keep refreshing. ^_~]

( Read on...Collapse )

( BoACollapse )

( DBSKCollapse )

( G.O.D.Collapse )

All in all, it was a fun, satisfying night, especially considering all the misgivings I was having about it. I definitely want to thank fellow fans for turning me onto the concert in the first place, Meela for forcing DBSK down my throat until I finally swallowed, *smirk* and finally Aki for hauling me there and back. It was definitely a night to remember, and one of the best experiences I've had this year. Ringing ears notwithstanding.

Good night. :)

DIR EN GREY: TOUR04 OVER THE CODE VULGAR[ism]
[ March 29, 2004 ] 18:30
Naganoken Matsumoto Bunka Kaikan [ Middle Hall ]

( My 1st Dir en grey liveCollapse )

( Encore: Happy Birthday, Toshiya!Collapse )

The main thing I got from this entire experience is the confirmation that Dir en grey is very much a live band. The recorded music- while powerful in itself- is almost half of what they can be live. That is a testament to the talent and potential of this band. Anything can be done to a song in a studio. To play live, flawlessly, and with that much added charge, takes so much more. And to be able to convey the sheer emotion behind a song to even a small portion of the crowd takes power, charisma, and a lot of sheer energy. These are all things each member has in abundance. Even with the relatively toned down performance, what was vital and what made this live something more than just playing on a stage, was the music which became a living, breathing entity that just picked you up in its teeth and never let you go.

That is Dir en grey.

---

Remaining Tour Dates:

04.05 (Monday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.06 (Tuesday) - Nagoya Diamond Hall
04.08 (Thursday) -NANBA Hatch
04.09 (Friday) - NANBA Hatch
04.12 (Monday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.13 (Tuesday) - Kobe Chicken George
04.15 (Thursday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.16 (Friday) - Hiroshima Club Quattro
04.18 (Sunday) - Zepp Fukuoka
04.21 (Wednesday) - Zepp Sendai
04.24 (Saturday) - Zepp Tokyo
04.25 (Sunday) - Zepp Tokyo

For more information visit their website in English or Japanese.

AREA 2 - MOBY, DAVID BOWIE, BUSTA RHYMES, BLUE MAN GROUP, ASH, and more...
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
3:30PM ~ 11:15PM
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA

(( Continued from this post. ))

( David BowieCollapse )

TBC...

Moby up next... with boring post concert stuff. ^^

I really have to get to sleep. I don't even know why I'm posting save for the fact that someday, I'll look back on this day and want to know exactly what happened, what went on, as morbid as it may seem. This was not exactly what I intended for my first entry at Live Journal but so many "intended" things went out the window today and this is but a microscopic bacterium compared to the magnitude of the other events that have transpired.

This morning began strangely enough. I woke up around 0400 PST. I normally don't wake up until 0700 at the earliest. So I was already not quite thinking right. I fell back asleep and woke up again a little over two hours later, just after the first plane hit the WTC. Lion had the TV on and I was staring at it rather bleary-eyed, wondering why he was watching the news so early in the morning. I glanced at the screen, noted a burning building, then dropped back off into a half-doze, still faintly listening to the broadcast.

My eyes flew open when the second plane hit. I think that was when I realized that no, I wasn't dreaming, and that this was actually happening on the other side of the country. I sat up in bed, unable to speak, as Lion filled me in. Report after report came in. Another plane crashed at the Pentagon. People were being evacuated. The president had made a speech.

After a while, I just started absorbing whatever came on the screen. There was no shock or surprise anymore, just a general acceptance that horrible things were happening, would continue to happen, and all I could do was sit there and watch as chaos unfolded across the country.

I was numbly watching some reporter describe the incredible plume of smoke caused by the crashes when another reporter interrupted rather frantically and informed us that SOMEthing else had happened- but he didn't know what. We switched channels quickly and saw the first tower live as it collapsed into itself.

I couldn't believe it. I'd never been to the Twin Towers but I'd seen what they'd looked like and heard plenty. The reporter kept repeating that one of the towers was GONE. It was there a few seconds ago and then it just DISAPPEARED. The Twin Towers had been reduced to a single. A national monument was DESTROYED. I heard it. I saw it. But I couldn't process it. I think that's when my mind just shut down and went on autopilot.

Everything else blurred after that point. The feeling of impending doom intensified. More reports were filtered in. Washington DC was in chaos, not to mention Manhattan. I couldn't even think about Manhattan. The news showed footage of what looked like walking snowmen fleeing the scene. "Snowmen" which were actually people covered in so much dust, their faces were unrecognizable.

What little hold on reality I had left was obliterated when the second tower, the first one that had looked to be a simple "burning building" when I first woke up, collapsed as well. Where two magnificent 110-story buildings once stood was reduced to smoke, ash, and fire. It was about then that it hit me. There were PEOPLE in those buildings. There may have been innocents on the planes. There may be MORE planes smashing into God knows where at any time. And my mind just shut down.

With Lion prompting and prodding, I managed to get to work and sit at my desk. But hell if I could concentrate on ANYthing. All I could see was Tower 1 falling. Over and over again. More reports flew through the office. Airports were being evacuated. Federal buildings were closed. Amusement parks were closed. The impossible became possible. The improbable became a reality. It was a nightmare.

The numbness didn't wear off as the day went on. I didn't know why it was affecting me so badly. To be honest, I didn't personally know anyone near the vicinity of the crashes. I didn't have much of a stake in anything that had happened, except perhaps for the loss of my peace of mind. But it was hitting me. On an emotional, physical, mental level, and it was hitting hard. I answered the phone mechanically, offered what little comfort I could to those on the other end of the line, and refreshed websites periodically for news.

The rest of the office had mixed feelings. A group of the women had gathered in the reception area talking agitatedly in shrill voices. Our boss gravitated between her office and the conference room where the TV was blaring announcements. A few of us were actually at our desks but I suspect most of them were on the phone with friends and family rather than clients.

One of the worst things I was the absolute helplessness. I couldn't DO anything. There was nothing that could be DONE. In the end, I got on AIM and just started talking to friends. Making sure everyone was okay. Offering a shoulder, a hug, some reassurance, ANYthing to help alleviate some of the shock, grief, and frustration so many of us felt as these devastating events unfolded before our eyes.

That was the first half of yesterday. I'll finish this up later. I have to sleep. Before I fall over. Before I fall apart. Thanks to Ger, Lyra, Agatha, Nin, Kako, Yume, and everyone who came into chat earlier tonight. *hugs* My prayers are with all those affected by this tragedy.