My Looking Glass

A Blogger's Challenge

Use a movie title or parody thereof to describe your last week.

Mine?

Two Funerals and a Period

posted by LA @ 1:36 PM 14 comments

Pancho Fantastico!

John Hoskinson, one of the finest indie singer-songwriters I know, releases his new album, Pancho Fantastico, today. Produced by Joe Ongie, I've had the supreme pleasure of previewing it, and I wholeheartedly give it five stars. Check out John's site for previews and purchase details (his first album is on iTunes, so I presume this will be, too).

The release party is at the Gypsy Den on Friday. Swing by if you're in the neighborhood and give your ears a treat.

posted by LA @ 12:27 PM 13 comments

Lindsey Buckingham - A Photo Montage

In case you're new to this blog, Lindsey Buckingham is my favorite guitarist-singer-songwriter ever. Something about him just completely resonates with me, so I was happy that the tour he started last year swung through Southern California a second time, and I was able to see him twice in a period of about seven months.

I saw him last fall at The Grove; this time, at The House of Blues. This venue was general admission which means I was able to secure a spot on the floor and literally stand about ten feet away from the man, the closest I've ever been in all the years I've been going to his/Fleetwood Mac shows.

In spite of the bag search and the signs saying "no cameras," I was able to sneak mine in. I wasn't the only one, and frankly, with most cell phones having photo and even video capability now, it seems absurd that you can't bring cameras in.

At any rate, it was really fantastic to get these shots of him at close range.

But I digress.

For the uninitiated, Lindsey starts out his shows playing a couple songs solo and acoustic before he brings out the full band. This time around, he toured with a drumer and two other players who alternated between guitars, bass, and keyboards.

At one point, he was on guitar and the other two guys were both on bass.

Honestly, I find it really hard to write about him because I experience his shows on such a visceral level, and it's difficult for me to translate that into words.

Sometimes I imagine what it's like for someone seeing a Lindsey Buckingham show for the first time. I think they'd be surprised at the sheer intensity of his performance, how he starts out very intimate and personal (he recites poetry, talks about his family, etc.), and then builds up to a very frenetic energy that contrasts with the cerebral artist you meet early on.

I've always maintained that Lindsey Buckingham is one of the most underrated guitarists of his time. He does finger-picking that not all players bother to master, and he only uses a pick rarely (after which he flicks it into the audience, and no, I didn't get one).

I also think a newbie would be impressed by the crystal clarity and range of his voice.


Besides a couple songs from his new album (Under The Skin), he did some older solo material (Trouble, Go Insane which has been reworked and is awesome, Holiday Road where he and the band end up barking and he urges the audience to "bark like a dog"), and some Fleetwood Mac tunes including the guitar anthem, I'm So Afraid. I'm also a big fan of Tusk live.

I loved seeing Lindsey in such an intimate setting. He likes to connect with his audience, and a venue like the House of Blues enables that kind of contact between the artist and his fans. In these last two shots, he's thanking the audience and taking his bows.

posted by LA @ 11:26 PM 8 comments

A Preview

Guess who snuck her camera into the House of Blues last night and stood 10 feet from God?

More to follow...

posted by LA @ 9:56 AM 8 comments

Political Celebrity Sighting

I saw former California Governor George Deukmejian tonight at a pizza place in Long Beach. What does that say about me that I recognized him? Yeah, I know... FREAK!

posted by LA @ 12:26 AM 9 comments