Hey yall. Just wanted to share with you my awesome experience at the Lady Gaga concert here in Chicago at the United Center! I experienced my first real ‘concert’ experience. I spent $250 for a floor ticket, waited 3 hours in the freezing cold to get into the building. As soon as I got in, I RAN to the lip of the stage and stood there for another 3 hours (I didn’t have anyone to hold my spot, so I had to jedi mind trick my body out of having to pee)… the concert was UNBELIEVABLE! I have never really experienced being starstruck before – that’s just not something I ever feel. However, when Gaga was revealed and opened the show with “Silicone… saline…” – I can’t even explain it. I went into a state of Rapture. I started screaming uncontrollably and reaching out to her – as did EVERYONE around me. It was amazing. I blew my voice out after the first 2 songs.. I couldn’t even scream anymore.

She bit the heads off 3 barbie dolls (I almost caught one!) and it is an amazing experience I will never forget. I have to say a big THANK YOU to my Aunt Lisa, who sent me $50 towards the cost of my ticket! Several of my friends (unbeknownst to me) were at the show, and one of them in the rafters snapped this photo. I circled myself in red —eeee! Can’t wait for her next single “Judas” to come out!

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Written on March 20th, 2011 , General, Music Tags: , ,

Yesterday Lady Gaga (after months of hype) finally released her new single, “Born This Way”. It’s such a fantastic nod to the “Express Yourself” era that Madonna brought, and carries a wonderful message of self-love and acceptance! This is going to sound SICK on the dance floors!

BORN THIS WAY
WRITTEN BY: LADY GAGA
PRODUCED BY: LADY GAGA, FERNANDO GARIBAY, DJ WHITE SHADOW
MIXED AND ENGINEERED BY: DAVID RUSSEL

INTRO:
It doesn’t matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
’cause you were Born This Way, Baby

VERSE:
MY MAMA TOLD ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG
WE ARE ALL BORN SUPERSTARS

SHE ROLLED MY HAIR AND PUT MY LIPSTICK ON
IN THE GLASS OF HER BOUDOIR

“THERE’S NOTHIN WRONG WITH LOVIN WHO YOU ARE”
SHE SAID, “‘CAUSE HE MADE YOU PERFECT, BABE”

“SO HOLD YOUR HEAD UP GIRL AND YOU’LL GO FAR,
LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY”

CHORUS:
I’M BEAUTIFUL IN MY WAY
‘CAUSE GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

DON’T HIDE YOURSELF IN REGRET
JUST LOVE YOURSELF AND YOU’RE SET
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

POST-CHORUS:
OOO THERE AIN’T NO OTHER WAY
BABY I WAS BORN THIS WAY
BABY I WAS BORN THIS WAY
OOO THERE AIN’T NO OTHER WAY
BABY I WAS BORN-
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

DON’T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON’T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON’T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON’T BE!

VERSE:
GIVE YOURSELF PRUDENCE
AND LOVE YOUR FRIENDS
SUBWAY KID, REJOICE YOUR TRUTH

IN THE RELIGION OF THE INSECURE
I MUST BE MYSELF, RESPECT MY YOUTH

A DIFFERENT LOVER IS NOT A SIN
BELIEVE CAPITAL H-I-M (HEY HEY HEY)
I LOVE MY LIFE I LOVE THIS RECORD AND
MI AMORE VOLE FE YAH (LOVE NEEDS FAITH)

REPEAT CHORUS + POST-CHORUS

BRIDGE:

DON’T BE A DRAG, JUST BE A QUEEN
WHETHER YOU’RE BROKE OR EVERGREEN
YOU’RE BLACK, WHITE, BEIGE, CHOLA DESCENT
YOU’RE LEBANESE, YOU’RE ORIENT
WHETHER LIFE’S DISABILITIES
LEFT YOU OUTCAST, BULLIED, OR TEASED
REJOICE AND LOVE YOURSELF TODAY
‘CAUSE BABY YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY

NO MATTER GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BI,
LESBIAN, TRANSGENDERED LIFE
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN TO SURVIVE
NO MATTER BLACK, WHITE OR BEIGE
CHOLA OR ORIENT MADE
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN TO BE BRAVE

REPEAT CHORUS

OUTRO/REFRAIN:

I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!

I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I’M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!

Written on February 12th, 2011 , General Tags: , ,

It’s late, I’m not tired, and I’m bored. Output: Have some great fucking music.

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Went to a trendy Chicago piano bar, 3160, last night to hear my friend/client and jazz singer Paul Marinaro. He’s so great! We met years ago before Gentry on Halsted became Scarlet, and we’ve been good friends ever since. If you want to hear REAL jazz music, listen to these clips of him and his killer trio (the sound clips aren’t great; i took them with my phone):

I’m Beginning To See The Light

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Blame It On My Youth

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Love Is In The Air

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Baby Don’t You Go Away Mad

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You can catch Paul at 3160 (3160 N Clark) on Wednesday nights here in Chicago!

Me and Paul

Me and Paul

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Written on March 12th, 2009 , General Tags: , , , , , , ,

Happy Easter!

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I google imaged “beautiful easter egg” so I could give everyone a beautiful Easter Egg for a present! But, this turned up. Easter Egg? Yes. Beautiful? You decide. But you decide alone. Read on.

My Easter gift to you this year is Inspiration.

…Hopefully. The ugly egg is what you get if you don’t take Inspiration.

As I was uploading a video to my YouTube channel (which, incidentally, seems to be turning into a shrine to Bernadette Peters) I was listening to this song. Someone requested that I upload it, so as I was doing so I listened to the song. Now, I haven’t heard it in a while, and it’s from a wonderful musical Into the Woods (by Stephen Sondheim). The song is called No One is Alone (I believe it’s sung by Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood) and has some of the most wonderful lyrics I’ve ever heard in a song. I heard these words and felt positively inspired. Not to do anything more than write a blog about it, mind you, but still – inspiration is inspiration! Absolutely beautiful words to go with an absolutely beautiful song. And – truly – words to live by.

No one here to guide you;
now you’re on your own.
Only me beside you -
still, you’re not alone.
No one is alone. Truly.
No one is alone.

Sometimes people leave you halfway through the world,
others may deceive you.
You decide what’s good.
You decide alone.
But, no one is alone.

People make mistakes;
Fathers, Mothers -
people make mistakes,
holding to their own,
thinking they’re alone.

Honor their mistakes
(everybody makes),
one another’s terrible mistakes;
Witches can be right.
Giants can be good.
You decide what’s right.
You decide what’s good.

Just remember:
Someone is on your side. Someone else is not.
While you’re seeing your side, maybe you forgot:
They are not alone.
No one is alone.

Hard to see the light now…
Just don’t let it go.
Things will turn out right now,
we can make it so.

Someone is on your side -

No one is alone.

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The performance is Bernadette Peters at her famous concert a few years back at Royal Festival Hall London. I love the way she uses vowels. GENIUS.

Oh, and P.S. – I love that I tagged this post as both “Inspirational” and “Wasting Time.” HAhaha!!

Well, you know what? You decide. But be warned: You decide alone.

:P LOL

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