End o' week musings

It's been a weird week and an even weirder day. I'm trying to get everything done so I can relax and enjoy the Vans Warped Tour (http://www.warpedtour.com/ ) at the Fairplex tomorrow in Pomona, but my mind is over-full. I had barely got over the news of the death of Farrah Fawcett, when it was announced that Michael Jackson had died. With Ed McMahon and David Carridine that makes four major celebrities in a very short time...

Musically speaking, Michael Jackson made the biggest impact on me. I grew up listening to his songs and watching his various television appearances. I was disappointed when he went "strange," although I sympathized with him, as his childhood must have been a mess. He seemed like a very quiet, insecure man, yet he had enormous talent. I was kind of hoping to see him make a comeback with updated material and even a few more catchy dance moves... Jackson will be missed, but he will be remembered for the impact he made on the music industry, as well as his fans.

My week was strangely - almost eerily - quiet. I spent Saturday at IKEA with my mother. She bought a new dining set, while I found a few odds and ends to give my home a bit of new life. When we got home, I cooked her dinner and she raved that it was better than a restaurant!

Sunday I worked around the house. I tossed out old things that needed to be tossed, started a box to give to charity and cleaned... a lot.... It was very cathartic and it looks great!

Later I went to see The Dear Hunter at the Glass House in Pomona. Bear Colony opened and they were quite good and had a large crowd. Even more people piled into the venue for The Dear Hunter, who were amazing. They were different from their albums, but what they did worked best and was a refreshing changeup - they did what they could do live without any backtracks or other "tricks" and it was awesome. You can read more about The Dear Hunter, both a review and an interview, at http://www.dabelly.com/ after July 1.

Mewithoutyou was the headliner, but they didn't really stand up to the caliber of the first two acts. And to check my own opinion, I wandered through the venue-- the crowd was thinning. I stayed for about half of their set and decided to follow suit. They are a decent band, but I think the booking might not have been quite right because they were obviously a mismatch to the other groups on the bill.

Tuesday I spoke with Zak Stevens of Machines of Grace. He is also in Circle II Circle, but the interview was in reference to MOG's album coming out in July. He was so much fun. He has a great sense of humor and loves doing what he does-- singing lead vocals, very well I must add. Check them out at http://www.machinesofgrace.net/

Next week I will be speaking with KK Downing of Judas Priest about their new tour, which includes a performance of "British Steel" in its entirety. This should be cool.

And that brings me back around to Warped Tour. If you come out and happen to spot me, please don't hesistate to say hello!

In rotation this week: Beat Union, Orange Sky, Joe Walla, Judas Priest and The Randies.

Photos we got 'em: Just one cute kitty pic from Stuffonmycat.com and a photo from Disney's upcoming film, "G-Force." Darwin the guinea pig looks just like my first pet guinea pig, Junior. I loved the heck out of the little guy and took him almost everywhere just like a dog. He was one of the best pets ever! He could do tricks, knew his name and was a little bundle of love and happiness...

Thought o' the week: Don't let your fears hold you back. I'll confess I've really been going through a bout with my health and some of it has had me very stressed and afraid. The unknown is always worse than knowing in my mind because at least if you know, you can select a plan of action.

Well, despite everything I have gotten off my butt and been really good about working out the past two weeks and I'm starting to feel better. There were some moments here and there where pain would make me think again and wonder if I was doing the right thing, but I forged on and now I'm starting to feel a lot better. And as for my health, according to my doctor who just called yesterday, things are looking up!

Keep on rockin'

Mickie