#I bought a live stream ticket for the sunday concert!!!!

[juusangatsu]

Itou Masami (Izumi's VA), the true leader of Knights (lol)

I subbed this bit from today's live stream I thought was really funny. I love Knights' seiyuus so much.

[insanityclause]

The last Broadway season ended, unexpectedly, nearly a year ago. The next one will begin who-knows-when.

But deep in this winter of our theaterlessness, a dormant tradition is starting to stir: the Tony Awards.

Hundreds of voters, this week and next, are casting ballots for the best shows, and the best performances, of a theater season abruptly cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

The jukebox shows “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical’ are competing for best musical, and hope to resume performances whenever Broadway reopens. All five of the best play contenders have closed. They are “Grand Horizons,” by Bess Wohl; “The Inheritance,” by Matthew López; “Sea Wall/A Life,” by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne; “Slave Play,” by Jeremy O. Harris; and “The Sound Inside,” by Adam Rapp.

In this strangest-of-all Tony competitions, the voting is disconnected from both the period being assessed, which ran from April 26, 2019, to Feb. 19, 2020, and the ceremony for handing out awards, which has not yet been scheduled.

In other words, we won’t know the results until — well, for a long time.

But here’s what we do know:

Who’s going to vote?

Not a lot of people.

There are 778 Tony voters, but they can only cast ballots in categories in which they’ve seen all the nominees. Because the pandemic prevented any spring theatergoing, there are fewer qualified voters than usual.

There are 25 prize categories; the Tonys won’t say how many people will actually be able to vote in each category, but producers believe slightly fewer than 400 people will qualify to cast ballots for best musical, and fewer than that for best play.

What’s missing?

Parties.

The usual Tonys season is all-encompassing. Shows that opened in the fall (and that would have included all three of last season’s nominated musicals) invite voters back to see them again. Monday nights are jammed with nonprofit galas at which nominees mingle with voters, and those who can sing, do. There are press junkets and mixers; display ads in The New York Times and caricatures at Sardi’s; plus, of course, a raft of spring openings to catch up with.

So much hugging. So much schmoozing. So many four-hour dinners. Everyone complains. And now they long for it.

“I can’t believe I miss buffets,” said Eva Price, a lead producer of “Jagged Little Pill.” “So much that we took for granted, and sometimes grimaced at, we would give our left arms for right now.”

Is it appropriate to campaign?

Yes, but very gingerly.

We’re still in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a huge number of people who work in theater are currently unemployed. Also: money is tight because there are no ticket sales.

“The 2020 shows can’t run a campaign in the usual way, and even if we could it would feel icky to try,” said Carmen Pavlovic, the lead producer of “Moulin Rouge!”

“This is not a moment for cocktail parties and gossip,” she added. “It’s just a moment for lifting up artists from darkness, and hoping that lifts everybody else along the way.”

So swag is minimal. “Moulin Rouge!” and “Jagged Little Pill” sent voters coffee table books about their shows, but that’s about it. The main form of campaigning this year is in the form of “For Your Consideration” emails.

The nominated show that is furthest in the rearview mirror — a revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” which closed in July 2019 — sent voters a video montage of interviews including its playwright, Terrence McNally, who died eight months later from complications of the coronavirus.

Nominees are sitting for profiles with theater trade publications. And last week, “Tina,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “The Inheritance,” “Slave Play” and “Betrayal” bought daily sponsorships of Broadway Briefing, an emailed industry newsletter whose subscribers include many Tony voters.

And there are other, newfangled ways to refresh voters’ memories. “Betrayal” on Sunday held a cast reunion on Instagram Live; “The Sound Inside” sent voters videotaped selections from the production; “Jagged Little Pill” released a video reflecting on the year and is re-airing a concert version of its show. “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Inheritance” built voter web pages with performance clips, interviews, scripts and more.

The message needs to be focused, producers say. “We have to be very mindful and respectful of what people’s experiences are right now,” said Tali Pelman, the lead producer of “Tina.” At the same time, she said, “Honoring our talent and their contribution is important. More than ever, we have to shout out about their exceptional value in society.”

What happens when the votes are tallied?

An accounting firm sits on the results.

The voting period runs through March 15, with votes cast electronically via a password-protected website, and tabulated by Deloitte & Touche LLP. Even in pre-pandemic years, results are not shared with the leaders of the organizations that present the awards — the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing — or anyone else before they are announced.

This year they will just be kept secret for longer than usual.

Can you lose if you’re the only nominee?

Theoretically, yes.

Aaron Tveit of “Moulin Rouge!” is the only person nominated as best actor in a musical. This is an unusual circumstance, for which the Tonys have imposed an unusual rule: to win, Tveit must get a positive vote from 60 percent of those who cast ballots. But, to be clear, he’s likely to pick up his first statuette this year.

There are a couple of other nomination quirks, too. There will be no prize for best musical revival, because the only one that managed to open, “West Side Story,” did so after the retroactively imposed eligibility date. And the contenders for best score were all from plays.

So when will we know the winners?

Stay tuned.

It seems clear that the ceremony will only take place after live performance is allowed to resume in New York and tickets to Broadway shows have gone on sale.

That’s because the industry’s priority will be to use the ceremony to remind potential audiences that Broadway is back. The goal, said Heather A. Hitchens, the Wing’s president and chief executive, “is to be most helpful to the industry.”

Several producers and publicists say they are now thinking the most likely time frame is after Labor Day, a full year and a half after Broadway shut down.

The organizers have shared a few other details. This year’s ceremony, like those before the pandemic, will be overseen by Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner. There will be some noncompetitive awards (those are honors like lifetime achievement). But there has been no announcement about whether the ceremony will be in-person or virtual, televised or streamed, live or taped; only that it will take place “in coordination with the reopening of Broadway.”

“We hope to have news very soon,” said the League’s president, Charlotte St. Martin.

[redowlkitchen]

Dulcimer Update

I attended my first dulcimer festival this weekend!

Under usual circumstances, I probably wouldn’t be able to attend a dulcimer festival. I don’t live in an area with any festivals nearby and without a dulcimer-playing friend to attend a festival with me, I wouldn’t want to travel states and states away to go to one. However, due to Covid-19, many of the dulcimer festivals that would be taking place across the country this summer and fall are going virtual! That means I can attend them from the comfort of my own home, no travel required!

About two months ago, my dulcimer teacher let me know that he was helping to organize an online festival called Quarantune. I registered for three classes; one on accenting my playing, and two others to learn songs. As I’d never attended any sort of festival like this before, I didn’t know what to expect and was a little nervous. It turns out, there was really no reason for me to feel that way.

The nice thing about a virtual festival is that all the classes were conducted over Zoom and with your microphone muted (which was expected unless you were asking the teacher a question), no one could hear you play. That means you could practice as much as you wanted during the lesson without bothering anyone!

I’m not going to lie. It was a really good thing that I had my microphone muted because I floundered through most of my classes. I did pretty well with the accenting class because it was all about exercises to help accent your playing, but both song classes were a challenge. I had signed up for one beginner’s class… which probably should have been intermediate and one intermediate class… which probably should have been advanced (the teacher even admitted that at the end). I’m used to learning a new song over a few days at my own pace, so going through an entire song in an hour was a new experience. I spent a lot of both classes playing catch up while the teacher answered questions or helped other students.

Even so, participating in this festival was a big confidence booster for me. It felt good to be part of a dulcimer community for once and watching professional dulcimer players play and interacting with them was really inspiring. I had the easier song down by the end of the day and I’ve got about a third of the trickier one memorized now. (I’d have more memorized, but I didn’t pick it back up again after the lesson until yesterday.)

Definitely the highlight of the festival though were the concerts that they held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m so glad I bought tickets to all three shows. Originally, I had only planned to stream one or maybe two, but they were only $5 a piece, so I thought I’d buy all three tickets and then come and go from the three concerts as I felt. I watched every second of all three shows. There were hammered and mountain dulcimer players performing and they were all amazing. I really hope I can play like them one day!

The organizers have already announced that they’re putting on a second Quarantune festival either in the late summer or early fall. I can’t wait!

[pjstafford]

To Rock My Soul

This blog is dedicated especially to those with whom I attended concerts in my life.

It is November 1, 2020. Need I say more? If you are living this moment, you are living it. If you are reading this in the far distant future of say November 5, 2020 or later, than google 2020. You will know all you need to know. I am on my second glass of wine and attempting to make sense of here and now. Finding that impossible, I seek to find some indulgence in the things that have brought me joy.

I envy those of you who have spent the last few months with those you love. I have spent it alone. I have no children. I have failed at romance by loving and trusting unworthy men. My immediate family dynamics have been complicated since before I was born. My happiest times have been writing; although even in this passion I have been unsuccessful. Still, notice, I turn to the written word now to seek solace from the isolation of 2020 and the anxiety of the upcoming election. Seeking inward within my self, my truth has not changed in close to sixty years of life. I yearn, as always, to “dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free”. For those who don’t know, that’s a Bob Dylan quote. The title of this blog is a Grateful Dead song. If I could be one place tonight, I would be dancing to some great live music.

I can’t rank the best concerts I’ve been to right now. No energy, really for contests. I can tell you about the six musicians/bands I have most loved hearing in some kind of order.

1. My father

My father was a semi-professional country musician who made extra money on the weekends in the local bars. I remember Sunday jam sessions when I was very young. I remember looking for a spot behind a speaker because if my parents didn’t see me they couldn’t send me to bed. Later, when I was in high school, I was allowed to see him play at the VFW lodge. Still, my favorite memory is him pickin’ a guitar on the living room couch. Third grade I came home and proudly sang the song I learned in school “This land is your land” . My dad, whose family had fled Oklahoma in the dust bowl, said “that’s Woody. Where did you hear him?” I told him in school. “No, he’s blacklisted. Ma, Ma” he said calling to my mother in the kitchen “they are teaching Woody in school.” It dawns on me now this must have been a moment of vindication for him. “Do you want to hear more?” he asks and I sat at the end of the couch while he gladly sang “ Oklahoma Hills where I was born” for his audience of one. Oh, don’t ask me why the word socialist doesn’t scare me or why I have wanted to hear live music my whole life. The dust bowl, Woody, the McCartney era and my labor union father, with no high school diploma, who picked a mean guitar are my heritage. This tells you who I am.

2. David Duchovny ( that X-Files guy)- I have spent a lifetime trying to obtain a type of zen now where time stands still for me except for the now. I achieved it in Seattle in 2017 during one of the most stressful and difficult time in my life when, for one moment, David Duchovny bent down in my face and screamed “I said I’m done.” There has never been a performer as dedicated to connecting with his audience. I was in the front. I watched the sweat dropped off his forehead. It was a night wild and extreme and perfect in every way. I’ve seen him twice since. Each time being filmed.I will love this man every time I see him, but, I want a packed in crowd, me in the front and him bending down again.

3. Bob Dylan. It’s hard to decide the best. I might say Tingley coliseum when Merle Haggard opened because it was the best out of the multiple times I’ve seen the Hag and, also, there is a Cold Iron Bounds which haunts me. However how can I not say the first night of old Coachella when in subsequent nights I added Paul McCartney and Waters and Neil Young and The Who. Or since I’m not going to talk about the times I’ve seen Willie without Bob and I’ve seen Willie more than anyone else, than Dylan, Willie and Mellancamp. Or the time in Albuquerque after Dylan won the Nobel Prize or the last time when he was as good as I’ve ever seen him or in Montana when I crowd dive during a moment when the security was heavily sending folks back and a stranger said “ there you are” and wrapped his arms around me and we danced together. Or the time I saw him in New Orleans. Every time, I have ever seen Dylan! I was going to see him in June 2020. I so hope I get to again.

4. Grateful Dead et al. I only saw Jerry once. I’m going to say there was something special about The Dark Star Orchestra in Alb Stella Blues several nights in a row. Then there was something special about Further at Red Rocks with Kadlicek jumping up and down. And Further at the Pepsi Center and Dead and Company at Isleta. Bob Weir solo in Santa Fe or Mickey Hart at the Sunshine. Oh, my God, and I can loop it around to the first time I saw Bob Dylan was with Phil Lesh. If only I had grandchildren, so I could think about them dancing fifty years hence to a Dead type band. These are the songs that Rock my Soul.

5. The Moody Blues. The first time I saw the Moody Blues was at the Pacific Amphiteater in the 80s, then the Paolo Solari which was intimate and serene, but it was at the Route 66 casino a few days after my sister died that I remember the most. I freely let the tears flow during Question. The band with the words most romantic lyrics.

6. The Who. There are six because I couldn’t leave out The Who...from their first farewell tour...where, truthfully I went up and asked a guard if we would be ticketed for smoking pot ( no, but don’t use cocaine) to the multitude of times I’ve seen them since. They were the first band I saw alone after thinking, oh they weren’t that good the last time, but not being able to tolerate they were playing in my home town and I wasn’t seeing them I bought a ticket the night of and attended my first concert alone. Last time I saw them was old Coachella.

I’m leaving out, among others, Neil Young, the Eagles and Don Henley solo, Prince, and George Clinton.

I’m just missing live music tonight. Yes, Dylan first original music in eight years came this summer, Duchovny dropped a political single, Springsteen has a new album and there is more streaming music than I know what to do with. 2020 -we head into the winter- no dancing in an open sky to live music for me. If it’s not your thing, you think I’m weird. You are missing other things. It is my thing. It is the thing that lifts me out of body, sets me down and says “just be here for now.” It is timeless. It is Woody and my dad and the children of the future and now and you and a performer and we are going to have a moment. It is transcendent, sometimes, and I wish I could transcend a little right now. I am getting old, now, but believe there might still be a dance within me.

But if Rona takes me, in the times ahead, know I will be there still, when the time is right, when the music rocks my soul. I will be the barely visible you think you see out of the corner of your eye....dancing beneath the diamond sky with one hand floating free. Let there be songs to fill the air.

[seeingyourname]

I’ll never forget finding GOLD on soundcloud and listening to it nonstop the week before saturation came. It was the last week of senior year and i remember playing it so loud in my busted jeep liberty after school driving to the ****** dam to celebrate ********’s birthday. That summer I listened to saturation casually but was pretty excited for saturation II. When that came out, I didn’t look back. Walking from ***** to ***** for spanish class at 8:30 and listening to sunny and summer. Listening to the snippet for Johnny when it was still wild. Telling everyone I knew about them. When the video for billy star came out i cried at bleach. I watched that video so many times. I thought I was so cool for liking them. I bought that $10 shirt when I had no money and wore it so proudly. When I met **** it became even more important to me. The fact that she had met kevin was the coolest thing in the world. Summer was our song. Going to that concert on a monday night in february with her friends from the radio station was a dream. I had told **** I wanted to kiss her while bearface was singing summer. I didn’t. I got to the second row for the end of the concert. I was in the clouds. The anticipation for puppy was unreal. **** and I would talk about them all the time and we would make out to their music and i was in a movie. I would still try to put my friends on to them all the time. When the teaser for let’s get married came out on youtube i was in ****’s bed late at night on a friday and i was losing my mind. Watching their performance at the novo on youtube had some so excited. When I got back home from that trip to colorado and woke up that sunday to the news that ameer had gotten kicked out and puppy was shelved i was devastated. I had tickets to see them at mopop and wasn’t sure if they were gonna cancel. Seeing them come back in jimmy fallon was surreal. The radio shows were cool that summer but seeing them at mopop with **** again was so much fun. I think we made out to summer that time. Iridescence came out in september and i overhyped it but it was still fun to experience. **** and I were planning to see them in october but she had to go to seattle for a radio thing and i went with ***** and **** and ***** and it was so fun but started to feel different. The feelings started to fade. I broke up with **** next May. Sugar leaked in june and i was right back in but it wasn’t the same. **** and I would listen to sugar and it wasn’t right. That didn’t work out. Ginger came out and I was up north at **** camp with no service. I had somehow downloaded the album and listened to it on a file extractor every night after everyone went to bed. It felt like camp. The songs were humid and weird and i liked it but i didn’t feel all the way invested. Sugar was still a hit and the title track made me sad but the magic was all but gone. I didn’t see them live that fall. The technical difficulties era was fun but i never had it in me to stay up for the live streams. Baby bull made me think of ****** and i remember listening to twisted in bed on a saturday morning in ** ***. That was nice. Them teasing roadrunner had me excited but not as much as i used to be. I had a great time listening to the album for the first time with **** when it dropped but it was dark. The songs were fine and good but it didn’t stick. The magic was gone. And now it’s over. Brockhampton brought a lot to me. A community of people online i could get excited about with. ****. Convincing ***** to see them with me brought us a lot closer i think. They gave me so much joy. They didn’t even inspire me to do something great or make me feel like i wasn’t an outcast or anything. They just made me feel something.

[purplesurveys]

1301

i really have no idea why i’m taking this considering i’ve only been to a handful of shows, but the questions seemed interesting so let’s go

How many concerts have you been to? Just mentioned it but only a handful, honestly. I only go to concerts or gigs if it has artists I really like or if I would hate myself if I missed it.

Have you been to any festivals? I’ve been to fairs that had local lineups, but not any festivals. They barely hold any here anyway and if they do, the bands are too hipster or indie for my liking.

Which artist/band have you seen the most live? I’m sure there’s a smaller band out there that I’ve seen like 10 times, like Ashley’s Kryptonite...but if we’re talking big shows, I’ve seen Paramore twice which is already luckier than others considering they’ve only been here thrice.

First concert you went to? Other than smaller shows, Paramore in 2013.

Last concert you went to? Does purchasing tickets to an official online concert count? BTS’ last one was held just last Sunday and my friends and I all got together in my place to watch. If not, Paramore in 2018.

What is your next concert? Again, if online concerts count then I’ll be watching BTS again this December. They’ll be in LA for that particular show (and performing in front of a crowd again after nearly two years) but it was also recently announced that they’ll be doing a livestream for it, sooooo I’ll be buying tickets for that. The timezones will be a bitch though for sure :/

Also makes me think about how the concert landscape is changing now. Obviously the factor of performing in front of real crowds should never be given up, but discovering that simultaneously streaming those concerts for online fans has some pretty cool implications as well. I’m excited to see where this is headed, hahaha.

Which artists/bands would you love to see live? Beyoncé is definitely on top of that list considering I’ve wanted to watch her in concert since I was 9 years old. The farthest you’ve traveled to go to a concert? All the concerts I’ve been to have been held in one complex, honestly. The Philippines isn’t big enough to have big sports arena in every city! Hahaha. But the most I did to see someone live was probably the time my ex and I saw Coldplay ‘illegally’ - their concert was outdoors, so what we did was just drive up to the top of a parking lot and watch them from like the fifth floor.

Also not technically a concert but YouTube Fan Fest was held in Marriott, which is somewhere in Manila I literally never go to. I’d say that was an adventure in itself.

Best opening act you’ve seen? I got to see Reese Lansangan before my 2018 Paramore concert. Not a fan of her music per se but she’s a pretty big artist here so it was still a cool experience. 

Worst opening act you’ve seen? I don’t think I’ve had any negative experiences with an opening act.

Have you met any bands/artists at a concert? Nah. The closest I got was when BP Valenzuela was performing at my high school and Gab, who was heading that event, offered to take me backstage because she knows I love BP – but my fear of meeting celebrities took over and I vehemently rejected her pleas to let me meet her haha.

What’s one thing you have to bring to a concert? Idk, my ticket. I’m not the type to be particular at concerts because all I want is to have fun for those couple of hours and not accidentally lose anything.

What’s the most you’ve paid for a ticket? Technically One Direction cost my parents ₱14,000 because they bought tickets for me and my sister. That’s a little over $290. 

Best concert you’ve been to? Paramore, 2018. It was the first time I got to have VIP tickets too, so it’s a huge reason as to why I had fun.

Have you been in a social media post an artist posted after a show? I mean, technically? Some artists post photos of the whole crowd after a show, and Paramore did it for their last show here. Considering I was at the very front of the crowd it’s easy to say I technically made it onto the shot haha.

Funniest concert memory? One Direction threw a lot of antics during their show here but it was particularly funny when Harry told us to stop standing on our chairs to avoid any accidents. The thing is the concert was held outdoors, and not in an arena, so people beyond VVIP really would not be able to see anything unless they stood up on the chairs. Anyway, we protested against his wishes and it turned into a really funny bantering thing for a few minutes. The boys ultimately realized they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it and went on with the show, and fortunately nobody got hurt.

Not really a concert, but Chris Jericho’s ‘gago’ bit when the WWE roster went here in 2016 was hilarious too.

Do you buy your tickets as soon as they go on sale, after, or the day of? As soon as they go on sale. Again, the Philippines is a really tiny country with just one sole arena in Metro Manila. Given the facts that a) artists rarely go here, and b) if they do, they only do one show, it’s usually a fight to the death only on the day tickets go on sale. Shows usually sell out within 10 minutes to an hour and people who miss out will normally just have to wait for scalpers. That’s why it’s honestly more important to have connections to concert organizers here, because that gives you better chances of getting tickets and skipping the lines.

Have you ever been noticed by an artist at a concert? Joe Sugg noticed me which I appreciated. Hayley looked at my camera a few times too but I don’t think that counts as being noticed.

Have you met any internet friends at a concert? Yessss, during WWE’s show here. I went with Rafie but I also got to spot Jila while in line and we had a scream-filled meetup haha. Which concert that you’ve been to has had the best stage setup/production? Coldplay probably had the most impressive one out of the shows I’ve seen. I like that the crowd had lightsticks that were coordinated with their setlist too.

Have you ever caught a guitar pick, drumstick, got a setlist, etc.? Nah. They’re not too important to me and I think I’d be too overwhelmed if I wrestled for those anyway. 

Favorite concert venue? I’ve been to a grand total of one arena lmao.

Least favorite concert venue? Concert grounds because you can only have a good time if you’re lucky enough to get VIP tickets. Anything beyond that and it’s squinting and tiptoeing galore.

Which do you prefer: indoor or outdoor concerts? Indoor.

Which do you prefer: clubs, theaters, arenas, or stadiums? I would LOVE to go a stadium show one of these days. I think being with like 40,000 to 50,000 people who are enjoying seeing an artist as much as I am would be a very emotional and cathartic experience for me.

Have you ever missed school or work to go to a concert? Not a whole school day but I have cut classes, yes.  I’ve also breezed through an exam just to get in line early for tickets.

Have you ever been surprised with tickets from someone? Yesss, for my One Direction and first Paramore show. For the 1D concert, we were only supposed to get tickets for my sister but when it had been our turn to pick a seat my dad suddenly asked the clerk for two tickets :) Then for Paramore, I got tickets for Christmas.

Who do you enjoy going to concerts with? My favorite companion so far has been just myself, honestly.

General admission or seated concerts? General admission.

Have you been to multiple dates for one tour? Nah but I’d love to try that someday.

Have you been to concerts 2 or more days in a row? I attempted to, hahaha. I went to One Direction’s concert venue for the two days they held shows here, but I technically only had a ticket for one. For the second day, my sister and I just listened from outside.

Have you ever received free tickets from a contest or an artist’s crew? I’ve gotten free tickets from a friend whose mom had connections to the show organizer.

Have you been front row and/or back row for a concert? Front row, yup.

Have you ever gotten sick, bruised, or broken a bone after a concert? Nah.

Have you ever had surprise guests at a concert you attended? Manila isn’t relevant enough for surprise guests hahaha so no.

Did you start listening to an opening act after you saw them in concert? No. 

What’s the latest you’ve got home from a concert? Idk, maybe sometime like 2 AM? since I also drove some friends home then.

When is the earliest you’ve arrived to a venue for a concert? Around 10 AM for 1D.

Have you seen your favorite artist in concert? My favorite band, yes :)

Longest you’ve waited in line for a concert? I look for connections since it’s kinda futile to line up where I live.

Have you ever attended a concert alone? Yup, I went to my second Paramore show alone. I did go with some friends who watched the same show but they all were in lower box, so I had to go to the VIP section by myself.

What’s the best part of a concert in your opinion? The moment where they stop playing ads or random jingles and the lights finally dim, and their opening music or vignette starts to play.

Have you ever heard/seen an artist soundcheck before their show? Not themselves but we did get to hear BTS’ live band do their soundcheck at like 2 PM.

What’s the biggest venue you’ve been to a concert at? I’m not sure which venue I’ve been to has the biggest capacity.

Have you ever had side stage seats? Hmmmmm I wouldn’t say so. I’ve had lower box tickets before but they weren’t overly too the side, so I still had good views.

Which venue have you been to the most concerts at? MOA Arena.

Do you post a lot about a concert you’ve attended on social media or very little? I just update before and after; never during since the signal gets bad anyway.

Has a concert or tour you were planning on going to got cancelled? Not cancelled but there were stuff that came up that needed adjustments:

For my 1D concert, Manila was the first show wherein they announced that Zayn wouldn’t be performing. He left the band like a week later.

My 2018 Paramore show had been postponed to a later date since Hayley got sick. It was originally scheduled for Feb 2018, but we had the show in August.

Have you seen a band in concert before a member left the band / they broke up? Well like I said, we were extremely unlucky because Zayn stopped showing up with the band when it came time for them to perform in Manila; we were literally the first show that watched the group as a four-piece. I also got to see Jeremy Davis before he left Paramore.

Have you ever seen an artist/band play an album in full? Nearly. Paramore performed After Laughter in its entirety save for Tell Me How, which is understandable as Hayley finds it difficult to sing live.

Have you ever been to a concert at a venue that no longer exists? No.

Have you ever lost something/got something stolen at a concert? I don’t think so, no.

Have people made fun of you or laughed because of how you were acting at a concert? Possibly.

Have you ever been kicked out of a concert? Almost hahaha, because I brought a DSLR camera given that that was the only camera I owned. I didn’t have my own phone or digicam back then. A bouncer eventually spotted me and threatened to kick me out.

Has an artist thrown or spit water on you? Nopes.

Have you ever seen a security guard dance to a song at a concert? I don’t think so. Have you seen any acts you don’t like at a concert? Eh, not really.

Have you ever passed out or thrown up at a concert? Nope.

Have you seen any artists in concerts that you don’t like anymore? No. I still appreciate all of them.

[mikumanogi-blog]

2021-09-28 “You worked hard today☺︎” Hayakawa Seira blog [ENG]

Everyone, hello!

I’m 21-year-old Hayakawa Seira from Osaka. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance☺︎

Recently it’s been chilly every day and so today I decided to eat hot pot.

 Last week I wanted to have hot pot and so I bought nappa cabbage but I was busy everyday and before I realized the cabbage went soft. Cry. ‘But it’ll all be the same when I eat it’ I thought and so I cooked it anyways!

 Last week we appeared on a lot of song programs.

 NHK-san’s ‘utakon’ TV Asahi-san’s ‘Music station’ Nippon TV san’s “Buzz Rhythm 02’

They were all really fun! Thank you very much.

 Everyone, did you watch them??

 Recently my hair has grown longer, I’ve been challenging a lot of different hair styles.

 Everyone, what hair style do you like?

If you want, you can let me know ^ ^

I love Rei-chan starting here solo concert backstage.

The promotion period for the 28th single will be starting soon! I need to focus during the time we have remaining and do my best. Please look after us!

 Next, on Monday, we had our first online meet and greet in a while. To everyone that came, thank you very much!

I’m so glad that I was able to see everyone’s face for the first time in a while.

There was some trouble, and I was late to some slots but I was able to have fun and talk with everyone until the very end!

Thank you very much to everyone that spent a long time waiting in line.

 This time I wore

 1st slot: Love is lacking t-shirt

2nd slot: big sister wearing a knit vest & glasses

3rd slot: big sister wearing a stripped shirt & Alice band

4th slot: white cardigan & ponytail

5th slot: an encore of the ‘love is lacking’ t-shirt

This time I got my revenge, and a lot of people were wearing my birthday t-shirt! I was really happy〜

Thank you ☺︎

Next, somehow, the national event participation limited tickets 1st round for ‘online meet and greet’ are until today, Tuesday September 28th, at 23:59!

The way to apply is through the inserted CD bonus and going to the site printed on the URL or QR code on the ‘National event participation ticket or special present recruitment ticket’. After that you need to input the serial code printed on the ticket to apply!

 I’m looking forward to talking with everyone! Recently I have been talking a lot about my recent activities, if you like, I’d love to talk and listen to everyone, so please tell me your hobbies 〜^ ^

Anyone can register for this event with ease! I’ll definitely be waiting〜

https://www.nogizaka46.com/smph/news/2021/09/post-210906103.php

↑Please check out the details here ☺︎

The other day, after the online meet and greet I appeared as the regular MC on ‘Radirer! Sunday’!

Did you listen to it??

 Recently I’ve been less nervous on the Radio, but this was my first time as MC so I was a little nervous. However, all the program’s staff Fujimori-san, Yoshimura-san, and all the listeners helped alleviate those nerves and it was able to be a very fun time.

I’m, glad I received a lot of mail!

From here on I’m going to borrow everyone’s strength and deliver to you a wonderful time, I’m going to do my best!

Please continue to look after me〜

The answer to the quiz, I wonder what it is? =(^.^)=

Everyone please try and get the right answer!

 Also, speaking of radio! Last week I appeared on ‘Cleanpa! Presents Sato Matsuharu’s do not disturb radio’

It’s the first time I talked with Satomitsu san since right after the 27th single senbatsu announcement, it’s really been a while.

 We talked about the 28th single, hobbies, music, and various other genres but stomitsu listened to everything I talked about and I was relaxed and was able to have fun talking ^ ^

It was a lovely time 〜!

To everyone that listened in, thank you so very much.

 After all, talking is a lot of fun.

 Which means, tomorrow, late night I’ll be appearing on ‘Nogizaka46’s all night nippon’ and so if you like please listen-in ^ ^

Also I’ll be appearing with Ayamen on ‘Nekojita SHOWROOM’! I’m excited.

 I’m going to do my best tomorrow!

Everyone let’s have fun together(*´-`)

☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎annaouncements☀︎☀︎☀︎☀︎ ☀︎ Nogizaka46’s 28th single ‘Kimi ni Shikarareta’ is now on sale! It successfully released last week! Thank you for all the support

https://youtu.be/1_oWkusqP4Q

↑「Kimi ni Shikarareta」MV

https://youtu.be/rZiqc7OeKZg

↑「Moshimo Kokoro ga Toumei nara」MV

 -EVENT-

☀︎TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2021 October 3rd. Sunday October 3rd ast 19:20-19:50, Zepp DiverCity (Tokyo) we’ll be appearing on the HOT STAGE! Let definitely have fun together ^ ^ Please look after us.

https://official.idolfes.com/s/tif2021/?ima=0559

↑details can be found here!

☀︎「J-WAVE INNOVATION WORLD FESTA 2021 supported by CHINTAI」Saturday October 9th and Sunday October 10th. I appear as a regular on the radio program, INNOVATION WORLD, and for the event I’ll be appearing as a general moderator! A lot of innovators and artists will be there so if you’re interested, please make sure to participate.

https://www.j-wave.co.jp/iwf2021/

↑please check out the details here!

Thank you very much.

 -TV-

☀︎Nogizaka Star Tanjou! 2nd season. Nippon TV Monday October 11th 25:29. It’s a tv show where the 4th generation members are challenged to sing hit songs from the Showa and Heisei era. The last broadcast was the final episode but the show will continue in the second season!

Thank you very much to everyone that watches. The second season will not only have the 4th generation members sing hit songs but the senior members will also be appearing I want to power up and do my best, please continue to look after me!

https://www.ntv.co.jp/nogistar/

↑details are here

 -Live Stream-

☀︎Nekojita SHOWROOM

Wednesday September 29th, 19:00, Tsutsui Ayame-chan and I will both be appearing! It’s been a while since I’ve done Nekojita SHOWROOM, and so I’m really looking forward to ti. Please check it out ☺︎ Thank you.

https://www.showroom-live.com/nekojita

Tomorrow ↑you can watch it here!

 -Radio-

☀︎The Hit Studio Every Wednesday at 24:00 on MBS Radio. Next time will be the last time. This program always had a warm atmosphere and I really loved it. I’ll be lonely but if you like I’d be glad if you listened until the very end. Recently our theme has been trending topics! Of course, the people in Kansai and in other regions can listen to it on ‘radiko’.

http://radiko.jp/share/?t=20210923000000&sid=MBS

↑If you like you can listen to last weeks broadcast here ^ ^

☀︎ Nogizaka46’s All Night Nippon, Nippon broadcast, Wednesday September 29th 25:00.

I haven’t been on since July! I’m looking forward to talking with Shinuchi-san ^ ^ Thank you very much.

https://radiko.jp/share/?sid=LFR&t=20210930010000

Tomorrow↑You can listen to it here.

 ☀︎INNOVATION WORLD (KYOCERA TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE) J-Wave, Every week on Fridays around 21:40. This time Tohoku University Vice President and Library director Noriko Osumi will be doing a lecture. The topic of this lecture will be on ‘the direction of neuroscience’. The amazing professor can picture all the students close together ^ ^ please make sure to listen.

http://radiko.jp/share/?t=20210924200000&sid=FMJ

↑Last week’s broadcast is here!

☀︎ Radirer! Sunday, NHK Radio 1, Sunday October 3rd 20:05. Next time the 3rd generation members Ito Riria-san and Yoda Yuuki-san will be appearing! It’ll be a continuation of last week’s, Thank you very much ^ ^

https://www.nhk.or.jp/radirer/

↑I’ll be waiting for your mail!

 -Magazine-

☀︎blt graph. On sale now

I was able to publish a solo gravure! Iwamoto Renka-san is on the cover. The photoshoot was really bright, I also had the opportunity to wear an outfit I don’t usually wear, a pink one-piece dress. It was a lot of fun!

 ☀︎ EX Taishu, on sale Friday October 15th.

The photoshoot this time, I was able to do a lot of my favorite things! Gardening and frying Takoyaki! It’s been a while since I’ve done a photoshoot for EX Taishu-san and so I was really glad to be doing one again ^ ^ please check it out when it goes on sale.

 !!!! The Unreliable Q&A!!!!

·         Seira-chan, recently, what is one of your favorite cosmetics?

→Recently I’ve been really liking CLINIQUE-san’s ‘clinique cheek pop flower pallet’ that I got form Mayu-tan as a birthday present ^ ^ Recently I’ve been mainly using it on the song programs! Thank you, Mayu-tan, love you

 Unreliable

·         What’s your favorite flower?

→Lisianthus

Unreliable

 ·         When watching foreign films are you a subtitle person or a dub person?

→Subtitles are the only way!

Unreliable

 ·         Tell my Sera’s Kichen’s number one recommendation!

→Omelet ^ ^

Unreliable

 ·         What should one do to become a sweet potato artisan?

→Potato digger! I want to go dig up potatoes!

Unreliable

 The end!

 As always thank you for all the comments. Doesn’t matter how small, feel free to comment whatever in the comments!

 Ah! I got the job of taking care of a new kokedama plant, I’m taking names ^ ^ If you’d like you can become a godfather! I’ll be waiting ^ ^

 Which means, thank you for reading until the very end!

Bye for now〜^ ^

 2021.9.28 Serra

 https://blog.nogizaka46.com/seira.hayakawa/2021/09/063258.php

[adventuresinclientservice]

“Why do this?”

These days the new business presentations I pursue are pretty modest affairs, most often about a possible workshop, consulting engagement, or a coaching assignment, but it wasn’t long ago I was part of an Ammirati & Puris pitch team hunting multi-million-dollar national and even global accounts, opportunities like Burger King (a win) and Delta (a loss).   

A technique we used to advantage might no longer be germane these days – advertising and marketing has evolved in so many ways – but we often found it effective to end our presentation with a PowerPoint headline like this:  “Five Questions We Would Ask if We Were You.” 

Clients immediately were drawn to this, partly out of curiosity – “What will they ask?” – and partly out of cynicism:  “This should be interesting; I didn’t know you could read our minds.”  For us, it was an opportunity to do three things: 

Demonstrate an ability to view matters from the clients’ perspective, not just our own.

Substantiate our skill at being insightful, by crafting exactly the right list of (no more than five) questions to ask, inevitably leading to discussion that often was the very best part of the meeting.

Shape the conversation to play to our strengths and competitive advantages over competing shops (assuming we knew who they were). 

I was thinking of questions like these as I prepared a workshop proposal the other day, writing this headline in my letter:  “Why do this?” 

Considered from a client’s perspective, it leads to a question about, “Why should we pay this much money to have Solomon visit, when for 15 bucks we can just buy his book on Amazon, then read it and maybe discuss it among ourselves, no Solomon needed?” 

This is what every prospective workshop client should ask.  It’s what I would ask if I were in the market for a workshop.   

But then I’m reminded that Roberta and I are going to see a Giants game when the Phillies visit San Francisco.  We pay way too much money for tickets, then spend the better part of a full day going up and back to the ballpark, when we surely don’t need to do either.  We could watch the game on television, record or stream it, and certainly read about it afterwards in the papers.   

Yet I for one get pretty excited about seeing the game live; knowing the Phillies will be in town alter this summer, we’ve already bought tickets and made plans to attend on a  Sunday afternoon.   

So why do people attend concerts when they can download the music or stream video on YouTube?  Why do they pay way too much money to catch a live performance on Broadway?  Why do people attend conferences to hear people speak? 

There is something galvanizing, almost electric, about live performance, and, in a modest way, that’s what I strive to replicate in my workshops.  Yes, I do hope people read The Art of Client Service; I didn’t write it to make money (I haven’t), or to become famous (I’m not); I wrote it simply to be helpful.  That said, reading or even discussing a book doesn’t come close to matching what live learning means in terms of professional growth. 

Late last year I actually wrote a blog post that touches on this, called, “Am I any good at this?”  Shortly after the post went live, I heard from one of my readers, someone who had attended the workshop: 

“In your latest post you questioned whether or not you did a good job.  Well, around here they’re still talking about your visit; you were amazing.”   

We are living in the land of opinion here, not the land of fact, and others certainly could take a different view, but there is something almost magical participating in a session with someone who brings a bit of perspective, a dose of wisdom, and a wealth of learned experience to share with those assembled. 

This is what I strive for in every presentation I conduct.  And it’s why I continue to believe the benefit you receive from it more than justifies the money you put into it.  

[yume-arunda]

ONE OK ROCK AMBITIONS ASIA TOUR LIVE IN MANILA 2018

How do I begin? How do I put to words the emotions I have felt one Monday night? My head still screams ONE OK ROCK but not a single word can describe my January 29th.

Everything went fast but at the same time, everything was slow. It is like time stopped only to leave me question myself where my two hours went. It makes no sense. I know. Nothing makes sense right now. And it has been a week since the live happened.

ONE OK ROCK knows how to make you reconnect with your inner self – with the person you are desperately hiding inside. Through their music they recreate you. They pull out the sleeping person there is in you. The person you are supposed to be. The person waiting to be discovered. ONE OK ROCK helps you to call out for your other self; they help you become better.

When you look at them on stage, you just don’t see a rock band, you see four brilliant men terribly in love with their music. The passion they show while performing makes them deserving of the title “Japan’s no. 1 rock band”.  It’s not just because they have the best songs or that their vocalist has such an amazing voice. It is more than that. With every word there is in their music, there etched a mixture of emotions and the certainty that listeners will understand even if it is written in Japanese. Because before the mind can process their songs, it always connects first with the heart.

And luckily, the Filipino fans once again witnessed ONE OK ROCK’s brilliance, live on stage.

I don’t actually remember when it was announced that they are going to have an Asian Tour but I do remember how I reacted when I heard about it. Well, I was happy, glad, thankful that they are coming back but at the same time, I was scared, sad, and a bit of regret made through my stream of emotions that one night. Because I was in the middle of planning my death and I actually thought I will be killing myself on the first day of January. I had to think everything thoroughly. I had to talk to myself countless times, forcing me to come along, enlightening me, telling me that just one more compensation shouldn’t break my will to die. Although I know I do not deserve another enjoyment in my life, I settled with going to the live. I decided to watch them one more time.

I flew to the capital, on a Sunday and arrived at around noon. I had to go to NAIA Terminal 1 since I landed on Terminal 3. The people I decided to tag along with were there, waiting for ONE OK ROCK’s arrival. I didn’t want to be left behind so I followed them. They waited for me at the arrival section of the terminal but it was so funny because for minutes, maybe it reached thirty, I was lost. No, I wasn’t on the wrong terminal nor was I lost in a way that I don’t know where I am. I was just simply unable to locate them. But eventually I was able to and ONE OK ROCK still hasn’t arrived. It was already one in the afternoon and we were all starving. So we decided not to continue the wait and go straight to the condominium we are to stay for three days. There, we met with other fellow fans and immediately check ourselves in because, as you all know, we are all starving. We took four rooms and they had to share the three rooms while I get the other room all for myself. Because I have anxiety and social issues I do not want to be triggered on such a special day.

We ate at Dohtonbori, at SM Mall of Asia. I was able to sit on a tatami on a konkatsu-like set up and it was fun. It was the first time I ate with people I barely talk with but not a single attack happened. It went smooth and I realized, sometimes, people really aren’t that scary after all.

Fast forward, January 29th came, it was a Monday. The night before, as I was on another room on my own, Kirst posted on our group chat that breakfast will be served at 7 in the morning. Since I didn’t want to become a burden, I decided to get up early and help with the preparations. I went to their room at around six and to my surprise, I became their alarm clock. They were still sleeping. Alex opened the door for me. I felt embarrassed. And although I came to their room early with the thought of helping with the preparations for the breakfast, I ended up not helping at all. But in compensation, I helped with the cleaning.

We went to the concert venue, SM Mall of Asia Arena at 11 in the morning since we had to get our tickets and freebies at around 12 noon. Some of the people I was with bought the concert’s most expensive ticket. In total, there were maybe 200 PR ticket holders. Then, after we ate lunch we went back to our rented rooms to freshen up and prepare for the concert. The line started at 4 in the afternoon and gates opened at 6. Unlike before where I had to line up early in the morning, this time, the organizers prepared a line sequence basing on the date and time we bought our tickets. I was sequence 122. Yes, I was too far but luckily, I was still able to stand behind the barricade. Although I wanted to be on the center barricade, I couldn’t because people were already gathered there. So I settled on the left side barricade as the people I was with were standing there.

Two hours of wait and they came out. ONE OK ROCK revealed themselves! Taka, Toru, Ryota and Tomoya greeted us with big smiles. And Taka, as he went on the center of the stage looking at the sea of yellow and red lights brought by us fans using our phones’ flashes said, “You guys came prepared.” And on that point I already knew, the band are ecstatic for coming back, and it will be an amazing night.

They sang eighteen songs. It was too few, I tell you. Although it felt like there was no end to it, it still has to. I have to say ONE OK ROCK is the best band ever! They will be the best artists in the entire world. And they had an MC part were all the members spoke in Tagalog. We were in so much awe. My admiration for them deepen. My love for them grew stronger. ONE OK ROCK rocked Manila!

The concert was magic. It was the best concert I was ever been to. The best so far, if I don’t end my worthless existence, that is. It really is such a wonder how people who know nothing of you, become the reason of your joy. People who you only see on your laptop screen, who you only see from afar, are the cause of your change of mind, the cause of your genuine smile. I wanted to die before the concert, but after, I wanted to try living, again, for one more time.

I pray that ONE OK ROCK will continue their journey. After all, Taka did say they will continue touring the world because it has become their life. Music has become an irreplaceable member of their ever growing family. And may they become the best band in the world.

I saw passion in ONE OK ROCK that I have never seen in anybody before. And during the concert, though it was heavy with rock, I felt peace. ONE OK ROCK encourages me to take the needed resolve and courage to step a foot forward my dreams, and meet the people that will help bring out the best in me. Because they are like that with each other and the love they have for everyone is visible as clear as crystal water. ONE OK ROCK makes me want to try becoming a photographer again.

PHOTOS BY JULENPHOTO

I want to thank my parents for always letting me go to concerts and for helping me with the funds. From the bottom of my heart, I am forever grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. And to the people I was with and met, thank you for making it extra fun and memorable. You guys rock! \m/

ONE OK ROCK 最高！

DISCLAIMER: SOME OF THE PHOTOS ARE NOT MINE

  Zaneでした

ONE OK ROCK RETURNS TO MANILA ONE OK ROCK AMBITIONS ASIA TOUR LIVE IN MANILA 2018 How do I begin? How do I put to words the emotions I have felt one Monday night?

[newsbiteswithjennysok]

Nov 12, 2019

1. Disney+ has been plagued by technical issues in the first several hours after it went live as more than 7,300 customers reported problems with logging in and streaming.  Nearly two million subscribers signed up for the $7-per-month streaming service ahead of its long-awaited launch at 3am EST Tuesday, eager to dive into its catalog of 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows - a mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series. However, many customers found themselves 'unable to connect' to the service in its early hours.  Outage-mapping website Down Detector reported more than 7,300 problems with the service as of 9am EST. Of those problems, 27 per cent were regarding log-in and 70 per cent were struggles with streaming. Disney+ addressed the issues on Twitter, writing: 'The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our high expectations. We are working to quickly resolve the current user issue. We appreciate your patience.' 

2. Alex Trebek teared up during the final round of Jeopardy! on Monday night after a contestant used his answer to honor the beloved game show host. The 79-year-old host, who is battling pancreatic cancer, got emotional during the Final Jeopardy round when contestant Dhruv Gaur conveyed his heartfelt message.Instead of writing in his question, the Tournament of Champions contestant wrote: 'We love you, Alex!' Gaur had bet $1,995 of his $2,000 on the answer - meaning he threw away his shot at a win in favor of honoring Trebek.

The host was clearly caught off guard when he saw the message.

'Oh, that's very kind of you,' Trebek said as he choked up. 'Thank you.

'(That) cost you $1,995, you're left with $5.'

The contestant later took to Twitter to say he had no regrets and was just saying what everyone else was thinking.

'Sorry for west coast spoilers, but I'm really glad I got the opportunity to say to Alex what everybody at the tournament was thinking,' said Gaur, who is studying at Brown University.

'For context, Alex had just shared with us that he was reentering treatment for pancreatic cancer. We were all hurting for him so badly.

'When Final Jeopardy came up, I could've tried to puzzle it together, but really, just kept thinking about Alex, and thought he should know.

'I'm just very grateful I got the opportunity to say what I know everyone was thinking. Sending all the love. #weloveyoualex'.

He told Good Morning America that after a short period of optimism when he stopped chemotherapy, his 'numbers shot up' and doctors ordered him back on the treatment.

Trebek said his goals for the summer were to get his strength and hair back but his progress on both fronts was dismal.

He said he didn't feel terrible, although he had fatigue and occasional pain in his back.

'There are moments when, for no reason at all, I feel this surge of sadness, depression,' he said.

'It doesn't last for very long, but it takes over your whole being for a period of time.'

While he's concerned about what his passing would mean for his loved ones, Trebek said he's not afraid of what lies ahead.

'I'm 79 years old,' he said. 'I've had one hell of a good life.'

3. She's won multiple Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Music Awards and has sold 75m records worldwide. But Shakira, 42, has admitted that in late 2017, she suffered a haemorrhage to her vocal cords and feared losing her voice for good.  She told The Guardian: ' I never thought that my voice would leave me, because it’s so inherent to my nature. It was my identity. So when I couldn’t sing, that was unbearable. There were times I couldn’t even get out of bed – I was so depressed.'

Colombian singer Shakira is married to Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, 32, and they have two children together, Milan, six and Sasha, four.

And she says she has never fallen out with her partner as much as when she stopped talking, in order to save her voice.

She said: 'He felt like one of those ex-convicts who are given their freedom and don’t know what to do with it. I was not positive. I was so pessimistic. I was a bitter person to be around. Gerard saw the worst of me.'

While doctors said she needed surgery, she wasn't sure it would work, so the site reports she tried hypnosis and meditation and went to Lourdes to get holy water.

Shakira's voice returned without an operation and she said: 'Either I needed surgery or divine intervention... it felt like I was having some kind of religious experience.'

She is set to star with Jennifer Lopez in the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami on February 2.

4. This definitely has Drake in his feelings. The 33-year-old Canadian rapper was booed off the stage Sunday after appearing as a surprise guest at fellow rapper Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Tyler hadn’t announced the headliner ahead of time, but fans had guessed the final act would be Frank Ocean. When Drake appeared instead, the audience was quite vocal about their displeasure.

“We want Frank!” they screamed amid boos, as Drake said, “You know, I’ma tell you, like I said, I’m here for you tonight. If you wanna keep going, I will keep going — what song?”

“It’s been love. I go by the name of Drake. Thank y’all for having me,” he said before exiting the stage. He reportedly performed nine songs — including Meek Mill’s “Going Bad” — before taking off 20 minutes early. The crowd appeared further disappointed when they realized Drake was the last act of the night.

Many took to social media to express their anger, both at Drake not being Frank and at the haters who made him end his performance early. “Nooo,” shrieked one fan when he realized Drake, not Frank, was performing the final set.

“F – – K YOU to all the fans that booed Drake off,” wrote one annoyed Drake lover.  “Bunch of ungrateful f – – ks ruined it not only for myself, but I’m sure for Drake and Tyler.”

On Monday afternoon, Tyler, the Creator sounded off on Twitter — in all capital letters — saying that “MOSTLY EVERYONE WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME” and calling haters “SH-TS” and saying they were “BEING MAD RUDE.” He went on to say the ingrates “REPRESENTED ME AND FLOG TO MY GUEST AND MADE US LOOK SOOO ENTITLED AND TRASH.”

5. It’s the Queen of Pop vs. the king of wet blankets. A Florida man is suing Madonna, saying her 10:30 p.m. concert starting time is too late for his early bird schedule, according to a report.

In his class action lawsuit, Nate Hollander claims he bought three tickets to see the star’s Dec. 17 show at the Fillmore Miami Beach, which was first scheduled to begin 8:30 p.m., NBC.com reports. But the Material Girl pushed back the time two hours, and he no longer wants to go, according the the outlet, which cited a lawsuit filed Nov. 4 in federal court in Miami-Dade County.

“Ticketholders [have] to work and go to school the next day, which prevent[s] them from attending a concert that would end at around 1:00 a.m.,” the suit states, according to the outlet. Hollander, who spent a total of $1,024.95, says it’s a breach of contract, and that the value of the tickets plunged due to the night-owlish time change, according to the report. He says the new time makes re-selling them “impossible.”

Hollander also accuses the 61-year-old pop legend of repeatedly arriving to her “Madame X Tour” shows tardy, saying she has a “long history of arriving and starting her concerts late.” Hollander is also suing Live Nation, the events firm that’s putting on the concert. A rep for Madonna didn’t respond to a request for comment.

[sh-lan]

last winter quarter mumbles...

First day of winter quarter: Only one class! #yas #nolab Also secret santa with the house! The circle: Me -> yuri -> vania -> leighton! Also i think i’m sick… EDIT: I AM SICK FUUU

cogs 187b - random groups pls kill me side note, there’s this guy that looks like jeff and i keep thinking that it’s him but it’s not so it’s super awkward when i stare just 0.1 seconds too long

damn what a wild morning i literally. cannot. with. my. body. this. first. week. #mlkday EDIT: in case i forget, i had like the worst case of food poisoning i have ever had in my life

bruh like i basically had a 4 day weekend cause i’m hella fuckin weaksauce these first two weeks wot is life side note: retreat was fun! and also lake arrowhead that we’ve been going to? IS WHERE THEY GET ARROWHEAD WATER i’m deceased. today i learned

y’all i can’t believe bts is going to have a comeback in february also i can’t fckin believe that the army bomb v2 has its own teaser photo bighit is so extra

Omg i fucked up one of my eyebrows …time to grow it out and then get it fixed

i think i’ve literally been living under a rock how did i miss the fact that mom literally has THE BEST matcha latte ever on campus? wtf what a concept

I somehow managed to get a free trial for BTS channel+ 아싸! Things are starting to look uphill from here cause my ded self is risin’ Bless

8am on thursday of week 2 woke up at 7:20 by yuri - the time i was supposed to leave gg to the both of us for not waking up omg LOL we got to school late but that’s besides the point i should probably get some waterproof jeans or something lmao

when you don’t think your stomach is strong enough to handle coffee just yet but everything in mom smells hella fckin good

sometimes…why…can’t…you…think?!?!?!?!?! #struggles

OMFG army bomb v2 changes color everybody go home wtf this is great #goodbyemoney

missed the army bomb v2 preorder, got sold out cause we waited too long :< EDIT: OMFG I CHECKED THE ANAHEIM TICKET PAGE JUST FOR KICKS AFTER MY SHOWER AND THIS GURL WAS LIKE THE BOMB IS GOING IN AND OUT OF STOCK AND I WAS LIKE HAHA NO WAY. so i went to check it and OMFG IT WENT BACK IN STOCK SO I WAS LIKE OMFG VANIA DO WE DO IT and we did it and it has been done there is no going back this is happening we bought the army bomb lol and immediately after i preordered it, it went back to being temporarily out of stock again wow wot is life

Thursday week 2 I didnt realize i was awake since 7:20 today…my brain thought what happened this morning were events from yesterday

The rain is so real. Almost skipped discussion. Good thing i didnt :O

BTS comeback on feb 13th Preorder starts jan 25th Im fuckin ded i just bought the lightstick Im hollerin

fml both versions of the album are my aesthetic i want to cry

omfg why did tumblr change the tags into bolded font TERRIBLE

Lol omg i was gonna go to sleep but then someone logged onto the monsta x plus channel and i was like i wonder who it could be AND IT WAS KIHYUN so i stayed lul wot

내 미래를 향해 가 저 푸른 바다와 내 헤르츠를 믿어 Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah #rediscoveringlyrics #andfallinginlove

really debating getting the bts album(s) but i shouldn’t because money because i should pay for my trip because i should have priorities EDIT: i got them

omg i want to die i just sent out like 3 job applications with the wrong dates on the cover letter shoot me

this girl straight up braiding her hair in the seat infront of me but dropping her hair onto my laptop SMH

but like why doesn’t pokemon go work on my phone anymore?????

daily reminder to take one step at a time

been pampered by coffee on campus that starbucks taste real shitty

LUNAR NEW YEARRRRRRR #year2kbbq Lol omg so we decided to have a house dinner. And then we were like ok korean food and so we ended up deciding to go to kogi! So we were like it dun matter if we go to happy hour since it happens after 9pm but lol we got there around 8:20 but ended up waiting until like 9:30 anywayssss. Dinner was so great i ate so much meat tbh i dont even know whether or not i need to eat tmr LOL Then we drove home at like 11:30…and sat in our garage from 12 to 12:30 because we were too lazy to move from the car HAHA WHO R WE Also apparently, according to yuri and vania, we had the same waiter as last year and lel LEAVE IT TO US TO GIVE HIM HIS NEW YEAR GREETINGS HAHA. And here i am in bed with the biggest food coma. Let me end this with some season’s greetings lol 새해 복 많이 받으세요. 祝大家新年快樂！ 生體健康、學業進步、年年有餘、and most importantly 心想事成! ✨

I just got three bug bites on my ankle out of nowhere like???

after thinking long and hard, vania and i pre-ordered the albums today #goodbyemoney

why do i always find live streams for bts things at inopportune times??

i really still can’t get used to the way my vis60 professor lectures. she pauses at the weirdest times and emphasizes the most inopportune words… “i can think of. Perhaps - the most different. contrasts” ”the decisions. to make. something.” like…that is so hard to understand at 8am…

y’all i can’t wait to watch all the run BTS videos i’m so excited

Nervous about tomorrow but also excited about tomorrow I hope everything goes well! #interviewtime

bighit literally has no chill right now i thought concept 2 photos were going to come out a week later but then BAM IT HITS US IN THE FACE ONE DAY AFTER ANOTHER

2/2/2017 A day full of stufffs #praying #hoping #maybethingswillworkout Honestly, super thankful that my AB experience prepared me for group activities and on-spot presentations lOL (but like lowkey doe this one guy would have failed my group activity if he was interviewing for my trip smh) ALSO I MADE FRIENDS ;____; but i only managed to add one of them on fb, i should’ve added the other guy too *crying* but that’s ok. if fate has it, we’ll see each other again lel. EDIT: daily reminder that we fall down just to get back up

Bruh photography class got me like ??! CAUSE INCLEMENT WEATHER AND I SHOULDVE JUST TAKEN PHOTOS YESTERDAY I’M SUCH A NOOB

i made my own wintermelon tea and then my own wintermelon milk life is ok and going good

today yuri and i saw violin guy while we were sitting outside of ledden and i may or may not have freaked out too hard and he may or may not have noticed lol

watching hwarang and thinking wow park seo joon has come far since his dream high 2 days lololol

I saw a really cute ring on etsy Debated for a few days and …i bought it

I lost the little screw in my car key gg

Went hiking today with part of my group! It was lovely and 6 miles and now i’m tired hnngh

omg everyone park seo joon released his own version of that tears song for hwarang and it is like actually one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack HNNNGH

lowkey getting overly excited about hwarang ost fklewjafkelwa

This guy behind me straight up talking about how there’s some kind of apocalyptic event every century and how after each event, stability is restored. He was telling his friend to….create an apolyptic event right now to restore stability. I’m boutta flip a shit LOL WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT IT BETTER BE SOME FICTION NOVEL

Week 5 meeting MY AND HARRY’S FIRST FULL MEETING HOW EXCITING I LOVE IT

omg my professor is cancelling class on feb 14th and omfg BLESS NOT HAVING AN 8AM AND ALSO I CAN STREAM BTS CAUSE COMEBACK. LIFE IS GREAT. EDIT: no streaming because the first time they perform will be at the concert omg so shookt

not to be petty but i checked the revision history to see how much work my team members did and this one guy (who didn’t contribute last time either) did one slide and all he did was add the title somebody hold me back why do i always have teammates where i need to carry #hardcarry해 #smh

I fucked up by updating the messenger app smh

Finally got my tdap booster today It hurts Like an itchy mosquito bite Smh

y’all i was so shookt when i woke up to not today’s teaser OMFG JFKELAJFKELSJA IT’S GONNA BE LIT

I woke up at 7:30 on a sunday morning to watch the spring day music video and i’m so shookt by the edting and the song almost made me cry because lyrics And there’s the whole theory where they’re dedicating this song to the sewol accident and i just ;____;

그래 우리는 extra Omg i cant believe rapmon said that LOL SO ICONIC MY LIFE MOTTO FOR THE NEXT MONTH

when i first heard not today, i wasn’t really feeling it much since i feel like the teaser hella hyped it up but now i’m hella feeling it this is fire 2.0 LOL

ALICE CAME TO VISIT week 6 weekend Sushi ota on thursday night - BLESS NO MEETING HAHA Friday night bbq with the same waiter from lunar new year LOL he spoke to me in korean omg i almost forgot how to speak? Saturday morning cowles hike! And then….boba…and then ded Sunday didnt see alice ): but das ok i got to just rest and do a bit of hw

why 왜 為什麼 為何我做的事你也要跟著做 Side note. Why is the font size inconsistent for my chinese keyboard ???

Dont like the new gmail But it’s not actually new cause im just a noob for not updating Sigh

ARMY BOMBS HAVE SHIPPED. I REPEAT. ARMY BOMBS HAVE SHIPPED.

i had a dream that i was on a korean show or something and then i got assigned to sit next jungkook (omg it was like not up to me but then i was like holy shit holy shit?) and then we took a trip to the grocery store to get snacks? but like the thing i wanted was too high for me to reach so he grabbed it for me? but then somehow we ended up exchanging kkt somewhere in the grocery store lmfao what kind of dream is this but then his managers chased him down because he’s not supposed to do that or something? oh well LOL wut EDIT: who am i

i accidentally swallowed some toothpaste this morning

fml i just saw spoilers for hwarang EDIT: OMG SO DANGEROUS I ALMOST JUST SAW ANOTHER ONE AND NOW I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. NEED TO UNFOLLOW THE TAG FOR NOW

han got me pizza and a shitton of parmesan bites for valentines day :> happy child

man holy shit ep18 of hwarang had too much shit i cannot process

omg i’m gonna die park seo joon is so cute in she was pretty

omfg i was JUST wondering if park seo joon would have to go to the military qq BUT HE ALREADY WENT!!!!!! side note: i told vania i was going to finish she was pretty in two days and i really finished it in two days…

Week 6 Thursday ARMY BOMB IS HERE! #yas in retrospect, should’ve just bought the albums from the official shop cause who knew they were paying for EMS cause dayum, my army bombs got here in 3 and ½ days. SHIET so excited it’s lit

Seventeen’s lightstick hands down the prettiest lightstick i ever seen omg

i need to stop this whole “treat yo self” mentality went to return pants to zara that cost 42.99 walked out of f21 with 42.09 worth of clothes lol wtf BUT THAT FREAKING 65% OFF ON TOP OF THE ALREADY MARKED DOWN PRICE? i got three things for $9.10 omg bless? but that one other jacket i got was 29.90 ): is it worth it? eh we’ll see however, i would’ve stayed if it weren’t for my yogurt in the car…and actually shopped a lot LOOOL it was so worth then i came out to a storming STORM GOD SO MUCH RAIN but now i’m home and dry and happy

i’m sitting here streaming the bts wings tour in seoul and getting highkey emotional it’s 1:30AM what is life when bangtan is life

WEEK 7 HAN CAME TO VISITSSSSSSS

unbelieveable han puts me on do not disturb on his laptop SMH

hello but can we talk about the not today mv HOLY SHIT not as fire as fire but still so JKLFJEKLSJF there are so many things in this mv that are just. omg i cant side note - i made han watch it with me LOL

tae and rapmon’s headband look jungkook’s pink highlights yoongi’s blue highlights what’s not to love

highly likely to go blind cause of vis 60

really been craving strawberry milk …and thai food

gonna give up sugary drinks until the end of this quarter *gasps* goodbye amazing tasting coffee drinks T^T

my arms are so sore from the spam musubi making fuuuuuuu

i forgot harry was only 19 and then i was like omfg jungkook is still only 19 too wut

thanks to jungkook, i have finally pinpointed one of my more or less favorite genres: tropical house…which han apparently doesn’t like LOL

Want 족발 Must go to grandma’s lunch on a weekday qq

Rewatching fire mv Why are they ironing jin at the behinning Suga has fake freckles? Why does 1thek have 5 million ads/links

Spam musubi and 8am got me so tired I went to sleep at 12am Why is it that when i go to sleep early, nothing happens in my social life and everything happens in bts life While when i sleep late, everything goes on in social life but nothing in bts life????

The world does feel really slow when you’re in a rush

dreading the photography critiques sigh

Stayed up to stream mcountdown because lol why not right? Even though i have an 8am…. NOT TODAY PERFORMANCE WAS SODIJWWJDIWK FUCKING JEON JUNGKOOK WINKING AT THE END HOW RUDE wtfbbq And also spring day choreography got me feeling some typa way? Shiet….maybe i can learn this…maybe ALSO ONG won that 1st place by a landslide WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH y a s

Just realized that there’s no “winking” emoji without the kiss What even Also i just unconsciously winked at my phone while looking for the wink emoji… Imagine the possibilites of face detection to emoji translation. Texting would be so much faster #busthoughts

omfg i was like where am i gonna ever use my bts cd ON THE CAR DUHHHHH!!

REALLY DREADING GOING INTO REVIEW ON MONDAY BECAUSE PICTURES WERE NOT GOOD FOR PROJECT 3 want to crawl into a hole why didn’t i take this class p/np lmao who am i EDIT: everything is ok she actually didnt hate them

Feels so great to not do anythingg this weekend??? Omfg But yo i literally slept from 8pm till 10am almost 11 and if that doesnt scream me i dont know what else does

i bought a “day old” pastry from mom today and it’s an espresso mocha chocolate chip scone thingy and i’m in loveeee

waiting for packages from korea to come~ no EMS is sometimes a pain~ we’ve been too pampered by amazon prime~

Feeling a little discouraged BUT i’ll stay positive!

I mean I can technically go to those concerts in japan Technically

Omfg leave me forever incapable of closing my water bottles correctly? SMH PLS DONT

Found out that my photography TA is 26. Das like alice age And also her first phone was the peanut looking motorola LMFAO CAUSE ME TOO

봄이왔다~ 春天到了~ CAUSE IT’S MARCH AND THE WEATHER IS REALLY NICE and i’m, for some reason, in a really good mood. it could be the music but it could also be the weather ahhhh this feels nice :>

Omg my ring from etsy finally came!! GREETINGS FROM SPRING AMIRITE After a whole month ;___; it finally got here on march 2nd Ugh but it’s so nice and pretty i’m about to die And it really was made to order! That’s crazy. It’s so cute and adorable If only their stuff wasnt so expensive I would buy like everything

When the right volume for your music is right in between the button volumes so you gotta manually slide the thingy VERY carefully

OUR KOGI WAITER WE JUST SAW OUR KOGI WAITER AT PC OMFG

Issue night: “I dont know how they had time to come up with an acronym (USA PATRIOT) maybe they were in shock or something….(from 9/11)” LOL “Lowkey sus” - Abe [the babe]

cooked curry with everything today reaffirmed that i dont like carrots that much

Debating getting more rings on etsy HNNNNGH struggle is real

I saw a license plate the other day that said “NUTELLA” and the same “UOUOUOU” car parks in peterson all the time lol

Had a dream that i met jungkook while checking out the bts schedule with vania Like the schedule said that they just had a fan meeting and they were gonna walk around the area and their fans could follow them or soemthing And i was like shit but do i wanna do that and vania was tryna convince me…but i thought that there would be too many fans so… And then jungkook fckin pops outta nowhere and somehow we got talking and ended up somewhere? Like their dorm or something And we were just browsing through army pictures of them and whatnot And then he was being all kinds of diff “kook” where he was a fangirl kook…and then regular jungkook where he “kissed” me on the cheek it was weird Dont remember the rest cause i woke up LOL EDIT: i think i wrote this while still being half asleep please excuse my fangirl tendencies LOLOL

Omg the kettle cooked jalapeno chips are so good wtf Dangerous

want to watch hyungsik’s new drama but i shouldn’t i shouldn’t

jungkook’s look in the spring day dance version is so boyfriend i cant

oh yeah how did i completely forget to mention that my week 8 was pretty much entirely occupied by yuri on ice!! after freaking week 7 annoying ass shit with everything due that week wow what a struggle

rewatching haikyuu!!

I. AM. SO. EXCITED. TO. READ. AEOE. AHHHHHH if only i could find the third book of the series as well )): qq EDIT: TIFF FOUND IT. bless her soul

March 6th The one day i decide not to check the mail THE ALBUMS COME IN A PACKAGE BY THE FRONT DOOR VANIA CAME HOME AND WAS LIKE AHHHHHH it was definitely a “shut the front door” moment Also onfg we took forever going through the album and just freaking out Vania got rapmon and jungkook photocards While i got jhope and jungkook photocards In retrospect, it was shipping like on feb 20th and took only around 2 weeks to get here so i would say that was pretty damn great Ugh they’re so beautiful why We also got random photocards created by kpopmart so those were a nice gift! I put them on my wall and kept one in my card holder thingy LOL I also put up a standee on my desk Now where to put the posters 🤔 HA It was a nice surprise :>

Lmao the recruiter called me this morning at 8:30AM but our call was supposed to be at 11:30AM, i’m surprised i even woke up It’s a miracle i even stuttered through that phone screen #shetotallymissedthepart #whereiwrote #PST

Craving chocolate milk and i neglected to get that On the otherhand, i spent around 21 bucks at trader joes getting all the healthy foods that i love AND ALSO STRAWBERRY YOGURT O’S THAT WERE JUST MY AESTHETIC EDIT: ok but like not only were they aesthetically pleasing, they also taste great. also the fact that they’re just a bit fatter means that they’re crunchier and takes a lot longer to get soggy in milk im in love

You know what they say When you crave choco milk You been traveling through time and space

had a one on one with harry at k cuisine today definitely gonna find time to go back and eat more chicken glad harry wanted to eat korean chicken and i actually had a place in mind also they were playing so many kpop songs that i knew and all the goblin songs were getting me real emotional lmao

Hnngh they’re gonna sell merch at the bts wings concert What is gonna stop me from buying shit if there’s actually enough stock Im ded EDIT: jk i cant believe that official merchandise goes on sale on march 9th aka tmr because korea time and like wtf ok bighit just let our wallets die and wither away smh i cant

Gonna have to hold off on buying rings or not buying them at all because bts merch ;___;

omg but ?? the video that jungkook made yoongi was so damn cute? also…editing on point… EDIT: i would fall in love with editing because it’s the damn iphone 7 promotional video that apple made. wot is lifeeee omggg that was crazy (why don’t i keep up with current trends? where was i??)

lol watching all the wings md getting the little “temporarily out of stock” red sticker haha

JK got new piercings right where i wanted to get them please stop tempting me i already told my dad i wouldn’t ask again hnngh

omg i had thai food for the first time in forever~ (ok realistically like week 3 but like still)

all these photos from the concert im ded because how do people have the money to go to multiple concerts esp in different countries? (aka headliner…) tumblr is too distracting

i broke my comb that one weekend that leighton went to irvine…because i dropped it on the floor…i was, to say the least, shocked weekend before week 10, i finally bought a new comb lOL

GOT7 never ever thoughts Yugyeom’s voice hit me in the face Choreo at the beginning looks nice I dont know how i feel about the chorus doe Wait. Yugyeom cant happen to me because omfg jungkook but wait they’re such a killer bffl pair fml

new highlight song got me shookt because…..b2st will always be <3 in my heart esp yoseob’s vocals

i’m having another watch phase dammit

actually really like bap’s comeback this time side note: harry calls it “bap” like “bop” but with an A. LOL

Day of daylight savings Couldnt sleep Reading AEOE Didnt sleep til 5am And now skipping 101b What needs saving is obviously my body not the daylight

When you realize out all the current playlists made on spotify, your music taste is closest to jin’s LOL

Week 10 tuesday Broke my retainers D: EDIT: got an appt with an ortho because need to get them imprints before my teef get shifted but holy shit dude it’s $350 for one retainer im ded. And i called 4 different places and it just keeps going higher and higher im

sharing opinions in photography class is hard because i can’t words

GLOW. IN. THE. DARK. RETAINERS. #gottagetmoneysworth

do you ever do that thing on facebook where you’ll be like “i’ll just scroll to a place where a video stops playing” but then the moment the first video stops, another comes into the browser and starts playing oh wait oh my god THEY MUST HAVE BUILD THEIR PAGE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE SIZING OF THE WINDOW SO THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THUS IT WOULD KEEP PEOPLE SCROLLING ON FACEBOOK facebook is evil everyone

too loud -_-

Discovering a tiny mole on jungkook’s nose

i can’t believe i’m sick for the 3rd time this quarter body r u ok also…runny noses aren’t fun my nose is literally leaking can barely reach for a tissue in time smh

i just saw a spoiler for the run bts episodes -_- tumblr is never safe

It’s hard to believe that i’ll be leaving for my trip in 4 days It’s hard to also believe that after that, vania and i will be heading over to see bts Oh man This is exciting

Flood warnings in peru making me have high blood pressure #pleaseleteverythingbeok

my trip got cancelled i am in shock still

Im so numb I think im ready to pass out

I broke one of the little feet thingies on my charger…. SMH

I feel broken But Getting it back together Currently on do not disturb

lol.....gonna end this one on a somewhat sour note because that’s actually how the quarter ended. spring break was a week full of shit as well. however, it was also a week full of healing and self love - as much as i can give myself for that matter

so we’ll leave it here. last winter quarter of my college career - one of the most busy in terms of AB life and one for the books for all the shit that has happened. i really wish that #adversity won’t be associated with this forever but looks like it’ll be related to this for a while. lOL.

moving right along~ things I can look forward to: spring break mumbles, last quarter mumbles! #staysane #staypositive

[powertogovern-blog]

Obama’s 2009 Inauguration Pt 1

A Day in DC Or, The Most Beautiful Event I Will Ever Witness

Act One: My planned wake-up time of 5:00 AM was not to be. The hotel room alarm didn’t work and I awoke with a start at 5:41 AM. The word on the street the night before was that folks would start arriving at the Capitol Mall around 4:00 AM, and security would close the Mall when the crowd reached 350,000…not a good sign since the estimated number of visitors in DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama was over 3 million. I flung myself into the shower and somehow got out the door at 6:02 AM. I felt prepared for the weather; I had worn lots of layers and taken Mike’s many emphatic admonishments about keeping my feet warm seriously.

Act Two: Union station I took the Metro to Union Station first because Michael had purchased an event ticket for me that needed to be picked up that day (more on that ticket later). My Metro experience was the first indication of the day to come: no matter how crowded each train was, people moved away from the doors to allow more people on. Everyone was covered with Obama buttons and pins and flags and the festive mood was palpable. You could discern dialects from all across the states in the many happy conversations humming through the trains.

Union Station was more of the same. As I wandered the station trying to locate the Great Tickets outlet, every brief conversation in the huge crowd was conducted with an emotion that’s hard to describe – but let’s call it Christmas meets a baby’s healthy birth plus winning the lottery. Every single human being there was in this amazing time and place to witness and share in this piece of history that will become an important piece of our country’s fabric. The election of our nation’s first African-American President was being shared by people from all walks of life, from many nations.

Many people were electing to stay in the warmth of Union Station until the mast minute. I had to assume they were operating under the official information that as long as they got to the Mall by 8:00 AM they would be able to get in…not believing that myself, I pushed on as soon as I could and joined the crowds walking towards the Capitol Mall.  

Act Three: 6:40 AM Arrival at the Mall The areas reserved for ticketed guests were well-signed and identified. Purple – go left! Silver – straight through! The rest of us relied on the many, many volunteers in red caps to direct us. The volunteers were cheery – well, in truth, they were about the happiest people you have ever met – and they knew just how to direct the streams of tens of thousands of people already at the Mall. I joined a splinter crowd headed into the Third Street tunnel to walk under the Mall and come out on the south end. (Splinter = thousands of people)

Having been to a ba-zillion rock concerts in my younger days, I was prepared for the crowds. But you cannot make an accurate comparison of this crowd to any crowd you’ve ever been in. The air was electric; there was a shared mixture of gratitude, relief, and happy release that’s indescribable.  The crowd’s mood was festive yet constrained.  The weight and import of the day was not lost on the attendees.

Act Four: First Stop light-post So, let’s call that about 2 miles of walking so far. There were no short-cuts; for security reasons everyone was herded onto specific controlled streets that seemed to go 4 or 5 city blocks further than the direct routes would have been. Still, walking was in itself a form of entertainment. I either engaged in direct conversations with strangers or eavesdropped onto theirs; the long walk and time went past quickly. At this point it was much colder than it had been at 6:00 AM. With the wind chill factored in, the weather was about 15*.  Once at the Mall, I crossed to the North side and found a light pole that I could lean against and take advantage of the pedestal for increased height.

On either side of the Mall, from the Capitol to the Lincoln memorial, event coordinators had installed very large jumbotron screens with huge speakers. Later, we would witness the inaugural events on those screens, but now the crowd was entertained by a re-run of the Sunday concert. Bruce Springsteen! Bono! John Mellencamp! And on and on. But few were paying attention to the electronic entertainment. We were happy, by the hundreds of thousands, to strike up conversations with the people standing next to us and learn their stories. The family I was nearest to was from the San Diego area and had brought their early-teen children with them. All around, small blankets were spread, buttons, badges and t-shirts were being bought, and cameras were clicking away furiously.

Act Five: On A Pedestal It wasn’t long after I staked out my light post territory that I felt I could upgrade. I made my way east towards the Capitol and saw that Madison Ave., bordering the Mall on the north, was open. I hopped up the stairs to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, climbed onto a pedestal on the east end of the stairs, and split my time standing (hopping, dancing) next to, or sitting on a large piece of petrified wood that sat atop the pedestal. I was soon joined by Beth from Alexandria and her college-aged daughter, and for a time by a group of 5 college kids. Other short-term visitors to the perch included a French journalist, 5 French college students, 2 guys from Alabama…

(There were a LOT of French people at the Inauguration. Apparently we’ve been forgiven our “freedom fries” gaff.)

Have I mentioned the clothes? I have NEVER seen so many fur coats in my life. At times I was sorely tempted to beg entry into some older woman’s arms just to warm up…lynx, minks, fox – it was as though the stuffed animals inside the museum had been let loose on the Mall. Still, there were times I cursed myself for not dragging Ruth Frishman’s lynx with me to DC. Those women looked COZY. Did I mention the 15* weather? Yes? Well, let me just say again it was freaking COLD! When the sun popped out it was better, but when the wind blew…OMG, I have never been that cold, even on a stalled chair lift in a storm at Alpine Meadows.

My hat’s off to the Smithsonian. Most if not all of their museums were open during the event, allowing the crowds access to the classiest “warming huts” I’ve ever seen. The museum cafes and restroom were open so hot chocolate and coffee were available to anyone braving the hour-long lines. But back to the inauguration…

Act Six: In Which Barack Obama is Sworn In The actual inaugural ceremonies were mercifully quick. I am certain anyone reading this will have witnessed the ceremony on CNN or elsewhere. But the applause you heard on the TV did not correspond with the crowd’s applause at all. Reader, you were treated to the applause of those closest to the actual ceremony, so the polite and politically correct VIPs applauded everyone that appeared. In the crowd, though, the story was different. When Bush (W) appeared, the crowd went so quiet that for a moment I thought my ear drums had finally frozen and I simply had gone deaf. But then a low murmur of boos could be heard…no large crescendo of anger, no significant outcry, just the sort of noise my cat makes when she’s unhappy but not really about to strike. In the main, I guess everyone wanted to rise above it and get on to the next administration as quickly as possible. But Bush was not to be applauded on January 20.

IMHO observations: I was very proud of my homegirl Dianne Feinstein. She represented! She spoke eloquently and was not self-indulgent. The invocation was not delivered by a person of faith I would have selected but when all was said and done, I thought he did a good job and set a fair and inclusionary tone. Yeah, I cried and sang and danced when Aretha sang.

How do I explain what happened when Obama took the stage to take the oath of office? I am struggling a mere 24 hours later to capture in words the feelings we were experiencing. I grew up in San Francisco in the 60’s. I rode on my dad’s shoulders in the S.F. Vietnam Peace March. I watched my father and mother spend a lifetime in politics and I share my family’s values of inclusion for all Americans, non-violent resolutions, informed and intelligent decision-making, participation in the process, supporting the nation’s social structure…this inauguration meant that a hurdle once thought insurmountable in my lifetime had been overcome. I was sharing that moment live with hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom had a common experience to mine, many more whose experience as black Americans had just seen a significant shift and all of whom whose lives would be forever lifted by this moment. Hope and change have been central themes throughout Obama’s candidacy and election, but here, on the Mall at this moment, hope and change were real, tangible, and a promise we all believed in.

Beth, my petrified-wood-on-a-pedestal mate, is about my same age. We cried together during the oath of office along with most everyone on the Mall. When Obama said “so help me God” the crowd erupted into the most joyous applause you can imagine. A sea of red, white and blue rippled across the top of the crowd as everyone waved their small American flags and chanted “Obama, Obama…”

(I am seeing on the news now that Obama missed or stumbled on a line during the oath. From the audience’s perspective it was a non-event – we simply didn’t notice and I doubt anyone there would have cared)

Act Seven: Departure, or You Can’t Get There from Here I was surprised at the number of people streaming out of the Mall after the oath of office and during Obama’s first speech as President. But then again, it was very cold, we had been on the Mall and on our feet for 6 – 8 hours, and most everyone was cold, tired from the emotional expenditure and hungry too. I stayed through his speech, crying and applauding with my new friend Beth.

The logistical information available to visitors before the inauguration was copious. You had to choose to avoid the information if you didn’t want to know how to access the Metro, which streets would be closed, what the security protocol was, which areas would be cordoned off, where first aid was, and more. The level of detail in the planning was extraordinary. We didn’t anticipate the many spontaneous decisions and changes that would occur at the event:

The event maps all showed several exits on the north and south sides of the mall. The crowds, cold and tired but still happy, easily followed instructions towards the exit streets. But while the entry to the Mall that morning of hundreds of thousands of people over a few hours was well-organized and orderly, the exit was not. Seemingly at random and arbitrarily, DC police and other law enforcement closed or never opened various exits on the north. The crowds on the north side of the mall found that no matter which direction they went, there were no exits on their side of the Mall. The volunteers had all evaporated and the police that remained gave conflicting direction and information, sending tens of thousands first in one direction, then another. Finally it became clear the only way out was on the south side, away from the parade and onto Independence Ave.

Act Eight: A Clusterf#@&k of Epic Proportions Once on Independence you had a few choices, or at least that was the plan. South was easy, though few people were headed that way. You could walk west past the Lincoln Memorial and cut back up to the north to see the parade or into N/W DC if that’s where you were heading. You could walk east along Independence towards the Capitol and do the same, or you could hop onto the Metro. Of course, anyone with half a brain would anticipate that the L’Enfants Plaza Metro, the first station the crowds would come to, would be packed. Apparently, the DC Police don’t have half a brain.

I have spent 47 years in awe and respectful of law enforcement. I believe anyone who puts their life on the line for the rest of us deserves to be cut some major slack. So, when I say that the DC police need to be dismissed en masse, from the Chief on down to the newest recruit, then there may be something terribly wrong with the system.

Act Nine: T-shirts, $20. Oxygen, Priceless. By then end of Obama’s speech, everyone on the mall (how many people were there? 3,000,000?) had to exit on the south side only. This funneled a huge crowd of people onto one street, Independence Ave. At first, everyone was walking along smoothly and there were no problems. But very suddenly, as though I had fallen into it, I was in a crowd of people standing still and tens of thousands of people pushing in from three sides towards the epicenter – ground zero – of a major catastrophe in the making. This was the place where the Metro station at L’Enfants plaza met Independence Street. Of course, the Metro station closed right away when it was overwhelmed by the crowds, so the intersection was being filled by attendees from four directions (south from their failed attempt to get onto the Metro, east, west and North from the Mall) all colliding into the center.

When the crowd stopped I was alongside a tour bus parked on Independence. I could see a DC police officer standing in the doorway of the bus, and many more officers inside the bus so I squeezed my way alongside the bus to get closer to the cops and, I thought, safety. Boy was I ever wrong. As I got closer to the door of the bus I was pushed past the door and towards the front of the bus. I pressed my back to the front of the bus windshield as the crowd grew denser. People were shouting at the police to do something, anything, to break the crowd. The officers all said “we can’t do anything, there’s too many of you.” The crowd, now concerned for their lives and safety, were begging the police to get on top of the bus and see what was happening. They implored the cops to get on their radios and ask for help or use their bullhorns to direct people to safety. They shouted to the officers that there were injuries in the crowd and to please get help. There were three or four officers off the bus and in the crowd (but staying close to the bus door), each of whom gave a completely lame response like “my sergeant isn’t here and I can’t do anything” or “there’s three million of you and only 20 of us…” Not one officer on the bus or off did anything to assess the situation and direct the crowd.

At 4’10”, I am usually the last person to see what’s happening in a crowd. Now, all I could see was the fibers of the coat of the person smashed into me, and I was hoping it wasn’t wool because the last thing I wanted was to have an asthmatic allergic reaction at that moment. Then a few feet away from me a woman fainted. She didn’t fall, though, because the crowd was so pressed in that she had nowhere to fall. Screams to the police finally encouraged two officers to make their way to her. However, this meant that two police officers with their backs towards me (and mine against the bus) now smashed against me in an effort to get to her. With a 200lb, 6 foot man wearing a bullet proof vest crushing against me, the windshield wiper of the bus pressing into the back of my head, I could not breathe. Up, I told myself, get UP. I grabbed the windshield wiper behind me and pulled and as I did, I lifted myself up onto the (very flat and slippery) bumper. Finally, I rose slightly above the crowd and got air. It was then that I could see that about 100 yards ahead, the crowd was less dense and that if everyone just moved east towards the capitol we could break the logjam and move. Just as I saw this, I heard pounding from inside the bus. Yes, the police on the bus were yelling at me to get off the bus bumper and back on the ground. I tried to tell them I couldn’t; I had nowhere to go, but they persisted. Still, I disobeyed and held my tenuous purchase on the windshield wiper because it was clear that 1) I could not survive on the asphalt and 2) even if any of those police wanted to get off the bus and remove me, they couldn’t. There simply was no way for them to make the 5 foot trip from the door of the bus to the front of the bus.

My take-charge gene kicked in with a fury. I was fearful for my safety, angry with the impotent police, and I knew this crowd needed to disperse before something really ugly or tragic, or both, happened. From my perch on the bumper, just slightly above the tallest men’s heads, I started yelling at the crowd to move towards the Capitol, to move east, that it was the only way out. At first I had a hard time getting heard but a few tall men closest to me heard me and started yelling with me. Soon we had a small wave of people pointing above their heads towards the east and saying “GO EAST” or “WALK TOWARDS THE CAPITOL”.

It took a few minutes for the wave of yelling to synchronize into a consistent message. But soon enough, the entire crowd was pointing east above their heads and relaying the message to move east. It was at that moment I became aware of a gentle arm holding my leg against the bus to help me stay on the bumper. I looked down and saw a pretty young woman defending my post and helping me. It occurred to me at that moment that there really are angels on earth.

The crowd was going to take a long time to break up. My hold on the windshield was failing and just as I slipped towards the pavement my angel, who stands a good foot taller than me, asked “Do you want to push our way through?” Choosing between dangers, I nodded yes, she took my hand and somehow she blazed a trail through the crowd towards the Capitol. We broke through into free air and it was at that moment of relief that I realized our lives had truly been in danger.

Act Ten: Walking with Amanda It turns out my savior is a journalism student named Amanda. She and I struck up an easy conversation as we tried to find our way out of the event perimeter. This was to be no easy task; we covered the length of the Mall to the east in vain then turned back and walked west back to the Lincoln Memorial after a few failed attempts at going south. By this time, the crowds were breaking and we could move freely. But we were also very cold and tired, with a mutual hankering for a cup of hot cocoa.

It’s worth noting that for the many miles we walked, we were always in the company of other Inauguration guests. The great vibe of the morning was not diminished by the lack of organized exit, and everyone on the street shared greetings from a happy “hello” to “what a great day!”

Because of the difficulty in egress, Amanda and I ended up walking together for several hours. Our conversation was easy and delightful; she is a bright gal with a huge curiosity and a good sense of humor. It was probably three hours into our walk that I realized she was still holding my hand! We share a love for chocolate and she spoke in passionate words about her favorite place for hot cocoa, explaining in vivid detail the “Marilyn Monroe” hot cocoa with berries and whipped cream. It wasn’t until we were nearly at the cocoa place that I realized it was the same fabulous chocolate place Mike’s nephew Sean and his wife Amy took us on our last trip to DC.

Amanda and I had our hot chocolates and traded email addresses and promises to stay in touch. I will always remember her as the woman who saved my life – I don’t believe I’m being overly dramatic – and I am happy that I will remember the best parts of the day with greater clarity than the worst.

Next: The Ball!