RIP

Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025

January 1, 2025 — Leave a comment

It’s day one of a new year, and while I am not known for preaching positivity, I will say that we all have a chance to make 2025 great.

I don’t know how y’all fared in 2024, but it wasn’t such a terrible year for me. I got to see and meet Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria/We Are Harlot) with my mom, and she amused him so much that he told a story about her on Facebook. My dad took me to the Marilyn Manson/Five Finger Death Punch tour for my birthday. I have been a fan of Manson for almost 25 years, and it was my first time seeing him. As an added bonus, The Funeral Portrait opened the night (and they were phenomenal). And while we’re on the subject of concerts, I finally made it to the promised land: one of my best friends took me to see Creed for Christmas! I missed them during their heyday – I was, like, 10 – and that always depressed me. I was so excited about their reunion, and they were worth waiting for. Mammoth WVH and 3 Doors Down were the openers, and both bands kicked ass!

On a personal note, my best friend moved back to Alabama! I had missed her and her family terribly. I gained self-confidence this year. My friends and coworkers helped immensely with that challenge. I like myself better at 37 than I did at 17.

The negatives for 2024 were huge, I will admit. We lost my paternal grandmother in October. She was my last grandparent, the one I spent the most time with and knew the best, so when I say that it’s been a struggle… More than my own grief, I’ve been very concerned about my dad. It’s only been two years since his youngest brother passed. Now it’s just him and my uncle Chris. If you could spare a thought for them, that would be lovely.

I’m also stuck in a job that doesn’t make me happy, but I plan on changing that as soon as possible. I guess that’s a minor complaint overall, though it does impact me almost daily. Still, I’m thinking positive! I will find something better in 2025!

Happy New Year to all my readers/followers! I hope this January 1st finds you well. Drop me a comment and tell me a good thing about your 2024, or tell me what you’re looking forward to in 2025.

Here are a few pictures from the past 12 months.

Danny Worsnop
Jericho Rose
Me and Dad at the Marilyn Manson show
Birthday!
Halloween with the bestest and her family 🎃
With Jesse at the Creed show 🤘🏻
Creed at State Farm Arena 🔥
Christmas 🎅🏻

A Few Things…

January 4, 2023 — Leave a comment

The majority of my posts over the last week have been previously scheduled posts, so I figured I’d give y’all a real time update on my life in general.

We lost my uncle (my dad’s youngest brother) last week. His funeral was Sunday, the 1st, which I hope is not a sign of how our 2023 is going to go. The aftermath has been rough: I won’t pretend I was super close to my uncle, but I wasn’t prepared for that generation of family members to start dying. I mean, my grandmother is still trekking along! And yes, I know that’s not the way the world works; people don’t always pass from oldest to youngest. However, I can tell you that I’ve made my peace with my grandmother’s inevitable death, as she has had health issues for a while now and I have thus had time to accept what’s coming. But my uncle? That one blindsided all of us.

On a positive note: it is now 19 days until my date with Alter Bridge! I have three interviews I’m in the process of wrapping up (and one I just started), so get ready for those. And last, but certainly not least, I have been putting a lot of time and energy into the Facebook page for this blog and it seems to be paying off. I’m gaining followers and my blog views have increased and I’ve been interacting with some really cool bands/artists. If you’re interested, the link to that page is below.

I hope all of you had a Happy New Year, and the first four days of 2023 have treated you well! Be ready for my first Goodreads Reading Challenge update soon!!!

Visit my Facebook page! 🤘😘

RIP Taylor Hawkins

March 26, 2022 — Leave a comment

Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins has passed away at the age of 50. There are no details at this time about the cause, but the band was just hours away from playing a festival in South America when the news broke. Click here for a video showing the tribute given for him at the Festival Estéreo Picnic.

I know the news has sent the music world into a state of shock: I couldn’t believe it when I first saw a friend posting about it on Facebook. I am sending all my thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and fans. And in honor of Taylor, I am going to share my two favorite Foo Fighters songs – “Everlong” and “Best of You.”

Fly high, Taylor.

RIP Ben Graves

May 12, 2018 — Leave a comment

I can’t believe I’m writing another one of these…

Ben Graves (Murderdolls, Dope, Pretty Boy Floyd, Davey Suicide) passed away on Wednesday, May 9th. His fiancée Lydia posted this on Facebook:

“This is incredibly hard for me to write this, but I know it is necessary because Ben has so many friends and fans.

Most of you don’t know that Ben has been battling cancer for the last 11 months. It was his decision to keep his health very quiet.

Ben passed away today, May 9th 2018, from complications due to his cancer. His diagnosis was grim but he fought a long and hard battle to try and beat it and overcome the odds. Some battles can’t be won no matter how hard you try.

Please respect me, his family and close friends while we grieve. Even though we knew it was eventually coming, the complication was sudden and very unexpected.

It’s devastating to lose someone you love more than yourself. My heart is broken, my heart died with him.

We will be taking him home to Massachusetts. I will organize a memorial for Ben’s LA friends, details to follow.”

Guys…I am at a loss. I’ve been a fan of Ben’s since 2002, when my best friend played me “Love at First Fright” by the Murderdolls (her discovery based on the fact that Joey Jordison was their guitarist).

Fuck cancer.

Rest in Peace, Tom Petty

October 4, 2017 — Leave a comment

When I was a tiny human, my parents played music constantly. It was only natural for my first favorite band to be a band they introduced me to — Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. I can remember, before I could use the turntable, asking my dad to put on Full Moon Fever for me. (I loved solo Petty as well as his work with the Heartbreakers). I would listen to that album from start to finish, on repeat.

My first favorite band…and later, my first rock star crush. Before the boy groups and all that, it was Tom Petty. To this day, I can’t explain it. I just had a thing for him. And while I was still in love with the man and his band, my parents took me to see them. Twice. I was the happiest and luckiest kid in the world. I had been to several concerts, but Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was the first one I was old enough to really remember.

And now, Tom Petty is gone. He passed away at 8:40 p.m. (PST) on Monday, October 2, 2017.

I’m at a loss. I know there are people here who can understand; after all, the music community has been grieving far too often lately. This, though, is different, for me. This was the artist who set me on my journey, the first to make me really feel so deeply about music.

Thank you, Tom Petty, and may you rest in peace.

https://youtu.be/B8m5p6V_NPQ

https://youtu.be/2SF1iLXSQtoi

https://youtu.be/cwqhdRs4jyA

RIP, Chester Bennington

July 21, 2017 — Leave a comment

There is no denying that Linkin Park speaks to our generation. Whether you love them, hate them, or don’t care, you know who they are — and you know someone who has been touched by their music.

After learning of Chester Bennington’s death, I gave myself time to process, for I am one who loved Linkin Park at one time, but I have a love/hate relationship with their more recent releases. I posted this on Facebook, and I was speaking from the heart:

“I’ve had some time to process, but I still can’t really believe it. I remember the night my brother and I first saw the video for “One Step Closer,” back in the days when MTV2 was called M2 and actually played music videos. Linkin Park was different than everyone else out there, and Rick and I both loved them. Yeah, we weren’t head-over-heels for some of the later stuff, but Hybrid Theory will forever be one of my favorite albums, and Meteora, for me, was also a gem. I saw Linkin Park in 2003, after my dad made the careless offer “If you win tickets, I’ll take you.” Well, I won tickets, and we went to Atlanta to see Linkin Park with a few others, including Limp Bizkit and Metallica. Chester was a wonderful front man. He gave 110%, and since they were my favorite band at the time, it made me happy beyond words. I guess all of this rambling concludes in one sentence: I hate this day. #RIPChesterBennington”

However you feel about the cause of his death, it does not negate the loss his fans, friends, and family are experiencing. Please, do not leave any disrespectful comments on this post. I have already seen a few in other places and I find it extremely tasteless.

I leave you with this, one of my favorite Linkin Park songs, “My December.”

 

 

Album of the Week: Soundgarden’s Superunknown

May 22, 2017 — Leave a comment

In honor of Chris Cornell, Superunknown is my album of the week, and Soundgarden is my featured band.

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Let’s Talk Covers: Chris Cornell Edition

May 19, 2017 — Leave a comment

Rest in peace, Chris Cornell ❤

1. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Prince/The Family cover)

2. “Thank You” (Led Zeppelin cover)

3. “A Day in the Life” (The Beatles cover)