melississippi

back from Seattle!

2009-12-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

So Seattle was great, it's one of those cities you feel like you know already since you've seen it on TV so many times. The trip had a bit of a slow start, we were flying stand-by and got bumped from a few flights and had to hang out in the airport . . but we knew that was going to happen so it's ok, i'd rather save the money and wait!

When we got in it was raining (how very cliche Seattle, haha) and we spent the night hanging out at our hotel, the Hotel Max was as great as it purported to be online. The rooms had modern art in them, the doors were all giant black and white photos. This was our door (notice the do not disturb tag). We did go next door to the adjoining sushi bar, Red Fin. We had some great food and I was blown away by how every song that played was like my favorite (arcade fire, yeah yeah yeahs, mgmt, etc). (me in the hotel hallway)
The next day we got Top Pot doughnuts we'd seen it on Food Network and it was just as delicious as promised. Then we met up with some friends from when Tom was in grad school, Margot and Lyle. We did the underground tour, it was very cool walking around under the city and I feel like I learned something too, lots of history! Then we ate at Ipanema, they surprisingly had lots of vegetarian options for being a Brazilian meat restaurant! We then headed over the Seattle Art Museum to check out the exhibits, the Alexander Calder exhibit was pretty cool. (in the lobby of the museum)

After spending a few hours there we decided to walk over to Shortys, a bar that everyone kept recommending. It was great, they had a veggie hot dog, very delicious, tons of pinball machines and circus-y hipsters. Another one of Tom's old friends, Jeff met us up there.(Margot & Lyle enjoying Shorty's dogs)

After the late night on Thursday we slept in on Friday awhile. When we finally got up we went to see the Troll under the bridge and then drove to Tacoma to stay with one of my high school friends Danielle and her husband Corey. They are so cute, with their little dog Gustav.We went and walked around the glass exhibits outside the Museum of glass. Then we had a little driving tour of Tacoma, I didn't know they had a rainforest there, it was awesome. That night we ate at Primo Grill and stayed in.

The next day we drove back to Seattle to do some sightseeing. We met up with another high school friend of Tom's, Angel and her husband Ian, at ate at Dick's burgers. I only had the fries but they were good! Then we walked down to the piers, browsed the Ye Old Curiosity Shoppe, Pike's Place Market, saw fish being thrown around, watched cheese being made, checked out a Polish Pottery shop that was cool but pricey, and many many more things I'm probably forgetting. When we finally settled down we had lunch at the Crab Pot, I needed me some clam chowder! After that we drove up the hill to get a good view of the city, by then it was pretty rainy and I was sooo glad I had brought my toe-warmers along for the day.
Then we checked out the GIGANTIC REI store, they have a giant climbing wall where you can test out the equipment, it was pretty cool but I didn't brave it in my dress! We then swung by to say hi to another of Tom's high school friends, Leah, before heading back to Tacoma for a chill night. That night we had some Thai food, watched Public Enemies and Saturday Night Live, very much a good evening.

The next day we amazingly got on a plane home (it was way busier than we had thought because of the holidays) after being in the airport forever!

let's pretend it's saturday

2009-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

so let's just pretend i've finished my paper, since i'm not really working on it anyway . . .

i want to go out this weekend! anyone else? look at all these things to do

It's not the holidays without 80s TV specials

2009-11-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

Being born in 1983 I was the perfect age for the years of the best holiday TV specials. My mom and dad would set the VCR to record and we treasured those tapes, watching the same holiday specials in the fall and winter every year.

For Halloween there was:

A Disney Halloween, Charlie Brown, and Garfield

For Thanksgiving:
Garfield's Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,

And last of all for Christmas there is: Charlie Brown, Garfield, The Chipmunks,

and Pee Wee!!!

I now have some of these on DVD and get to watch them, but I do sort of miss the funny commercials that were on those old tapes. And I'm not going to say this is a nerdy thing to love, because EVERYONE likes the Charlie Brown specials I think. We went to the Rob Zombie concert last month and he was playing Charlie Brown Halloween on the giant screen over the stage, it was great.

So Happy Thanksgiving! This year I am not only thankful for old TV, but all the wonderful friends and family in my life.

what is your favorite artwork?

2009-11-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

So for my BLE 220 class the teacher always sends around an attendance sheet that you write your name, and then also answer the question next to it. Sometimes the question is what is your favorite sport, hobby, movie, band, etc.

The question last night was "What is your favorite artwork?" Which you would think for an art major would be easy, but surprisingly it wasn't. The first thing that popped into my head was this sculpture: Nike of Samothrace ca. 240-190B.C.

I don't know why, I saw it once in an art history textbook and was enthralled. It's in the Louvre in Paris, so someday I'll have to go see it. Then I thought, No, I should have a photo and I thought of this: Nightsky by Lori Novak 1990.

After I had made some photos using a slide projector one of my teachers had shown me her work, I think I liked that I came to same idea as her, before ever seeing these photos the most. But then I couldn't decide. By then I was like "hurry up melissa, people will think you're weird worrying so much about this little question on the attendance sheet." So I ended up putting down this:Mayme Kratz, Knot 222 Resin and Weeds on Panel 12x12.

Not because it's my favorite work of all time, but my favorite thing I've seen recently. Kratz has a show at the Lisa Sette Gallery in Scottsdale running through January 2, 2010 and I went the other week and wanted to bust out my credit card to buy one, but I didn't. I like that they look like paintings from far away, but up close it's natural materials and resin, so more like sculpture. I'm loving the multi media and mixed media art that doesn't really seem to have a title of "painting" "sculpture" "photograph" anymore.

Anyways, to anyone reading this, what is your favorite artwork?

what i did this weekend

2009-11-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

School
Paper on Shakespeare
ASU Art Museum opening of Zombies vs. Vampires
Sakebombers
The Rogue
Cadillac Ranch
San Felipes
TV
Met Alando Tucker from the Suns
Free Suns Tickets
Unloaded/loaded a Kiln
Gym
babysat cute baby (see picture below)Skateland for Janet's birthday
TV

whew . . .

Indie Chic on 10th Street

2009-11-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

So ASU is having a new event, Indie Chic on 10th Street, their website says it best:

Indie Chic @ 10th Street is an alternative craft fair with a collection of art and crafts. The show features local vendors and handmade items ranging from clothing to jewelry to ceramics and wall art.

Shop handmade and local. Why? It helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint, it keeps your hard-earned money in the community and it supports Phoenix’s handmade revolution!

Free parking is available just outside of the Ceramics Research Center on the NE corner of Mill Ave. and 10th Street, in museum-marked spaces. Metered parking is also available on the street.

It should be an awesome shopping for the holidays event! Tom is going to have a booth and I'll be working at it so it would be great if everyone would stop by.

When: Saturday 12/05/09 10am-5pm
Where: ASU art museum (click for maps page)
Cost: Free

And if you're an art lover that day you can get a two for one. The Tempe Festival of the Arts is going on right down the street and also has free admission!

Speaking of the ASU art museum . . .

On Friday night from 5-7pm is the opening for the Zombies vs. Vampires movie by Jillian McDonald. Me & Tom are going to go watch!

Hollywood Alley

2009-11-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Living in Arizona as long as I have I've been to concerts at a lot of venues . . . .

the nile, nita's hideaway, new nita's, the marquee, the clubhouse, the rythym room, the modified, the dodge theater, cricket/blockbuster/whatever it is pavillion, the web theater, the phix, the trunk space, four white walls, the big fish pub, bostons, the buddha lounge, etc (and i'm probably forgetting quite a few).

But one place I'd never been was Hollywood Alley, and I don't know why! Last Tuesday me, Kat and Dareena all went to celebrate our friend Alice's early birthday and went to see Girl in a Coma. As soon as I walked in I loved the place, the big booths and records everywhere. So I'd like to say more good shows should be there! Or it should just be my new hang out. On Friday 11/20 they have a movie/concert/fashion show/spy thing happening, me & Tom might have to check it out . . .

halloweeeeeen

2009-11-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

i love halloween. did everyone know that already or what? i love dressing up, i love an excuse to stay out late, i *used* to love candy (this year i did not have one piece and was pretty darn proud of myself). Because Tom and I love dressing up so much we had two different costumes each. One was PG rated so we could wear them to our Saturday morning classes where we teach little kids ceramics. Tom printed a free Chewbacca mask that I thought was pretty cool. I was going to be martian girl from planet v (aquabats fans will get it) but then i got lazy and didn't paint my skin green. But I did write in martian language: Later that night, we transformed into the living dead and headed out into the darkness. We found other zombies (Daryl and Shawna) and feasted together. Then we moved on to the zombie prom at the rogue bar. My favorite costume i saw that night was this dancing bear. something about a dancing bear made me quite happy.

"RUNNING."

2009-10-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

that's my friend Spencer from high school, intense right? Just a little something to get excited for Halloween!

tomorrow night we will heading a few places looking like the living dead, one of them being the Zombie Prom for the Finale party of Shake at the Rogue.

Let there be light . . . and books

2009-10-28T14:16:00.001-07:00

Those are me & Tom's new bedside lamps (on top of our new Ikea Malm bedside tables :). We made them and I've been meaning to post (and brag a little) about our crafty-ness. My favorite magazine, Bust, has a DIY (do-it-yourself) section every month that I usually tear out and put in a folder of crafts to try. A few weeks ago we were having a "recession weekend" (staying in and trying not to spend too much money) and started these. The first set of books were took from the library in our house, but we couldn't find 4 more we were willing to destroy so we went to Goodwill for the other set. The hardest part about it was actually finding the lampshades, most lampshades these days don't use the harp and we had bought a kit from Home Depot that needed a harp! I finally found these at Big Lots.

Shows you should apply to (because I am!)

2009-10-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Spraygraphic (a clothing brand and artists online community) is having two different calls for artists. I like the Spraygraphic shows (I was in the mini mini show before) because they showcase a lot of good work, they try to include everyone that submits and really create an excitement for the arts in the community. To find out how to apply to the vinyl record show go here. The deadline is 12/01/09.To apply to the Black and White photo show check out the requirements here. This one is due 12/10/2009. (Plus the opening is at Green, my FAVORITE vegetarian restaurant).

Cerama-rama

2009-10-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

First of all I have to give props to my husband Tom. Last week his piece, Melting Pot, won first place in the "History in the Making IV" show at the Genesee Center for the Arts and Education in Rochester, NY.

Last week we also saw artist Kathy Butterly speak at ASU. A lot of the work she makes is using the same mold for a cup or mug and then she will alter it and fire up to 20 or 30 times to get all of the different effects in the glazing. It was pretty amazing to think about how many hours must be put into each one of those small objects. Tom and I talked about spending that much time on an artwork on our way home, I rarely spend that much time on something, but it's obviously worth the effort.

Kathy Butterly-FlashKathy Butterly-Pillow

Conspire 2nd Anniversary Saturday!!

2009-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Fashion, Live Art, Potluck, Open Mic, Treasure Hunt, Shanty Town, Smash Booth, Shopping, and Concert all rolled into one. Conspire is celebrating their 2 year anniversary with a bang! Me & Tom will be there that evening, make sure to check out Tom's ceramics for sale inside while you're there!

GhOsT hUnTiNg CaMeRa

2009-10-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

So I found this kitschy little treasure at Big Lots the other day for 4 bucks and had to buy it, a Ghost Hunting Camera! Since the camera promised a ghost in every frame I tried to guess the placement and only a few worked, haha. The film quality is crappy, i'm wondering if these cameras were from last halloween . . .

I did a photographic series a while back where I projected images onto my house, it's funny how similar it is. Here are two of mine, "Fireplace" and "Lake"

i love to create

2009-10-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

So there is this website that I love the title of: ilovetocreate.com

I haven't actually made anything shown on there yet, but I was thinking about how that statement is true. I do love to create things, I'm a little bored this semester without any studio classes. No one is asking me to make anything and frankly, I'm usually too busy to have time to make things for fun.

Last Saturday I did get to make something though, and even use my sewing machine! Just making something out of materials around the house makes me feel productive. I spend too much time on the computer making electronic things that I can't touch. Hopefully I'll get more time to make stuff, the holidays are coming . . . maybe everyone should get handmade gifts this year.

Busy Weekend

2009-10-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Why does everything have to happen on the same weekend?

So tonight is the Season Opener for the ASU Art Museum. There main exhibit is Defining Sustainability. Jarbas Lopez-Ciclovia Aerea

But I have to work till 7:30pm and then drive to Peoria to pick up my mother-in-law from a Quincinera (and maybe do some dancing . . . we'll see how the party is going by the time I get there!)

Then Saturday is the Tour de Fat and there will be a bike parade in Tempe! But I can't go to that either . . . I teach kids ceramics for one of my classes on Saturday mornings so I will be there. But look how cute it is to teach them how to throw: After my class I'm meeting up with my craft group to work on our book (yes, we're making a craft book, it will be awesome, but it will take a long time, so we'll talk about it in 6 months or so)

Then Saturday there's also a pretty awesome looking free show starting at 2pm and probably going late at the Yucca Tap Room with Fishbone playing. But we also got invited to go see Couples Retreat which I think looks funny so I want to do that too.

Sunday is the Race for the Cure so I'll be running/jogging/walking my way for a good cause. (last chance to donate anyone with money!!!)

Anyways, the point of the post is that I would like all of these things to be spread out over a week so I can do them all :(

log this under things I need:

2009-10-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Tara McPherson embroidery patterns now at Sublime Stitching! I think this will be $5 I need to spend. Time to brush off my embroidery hoop . . .

Come visit me at First Fridays!!!!

2009-09-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

So, to all of you thinking "what should I do this weekend??" I have a suggestion:

Come visit me & Tom at First Friday!

We'll be on the front lawn of Conspire (the artist run co-op he's a part of) with a two-for-one table.

One half will be me selling delicious baked goods to raise money for Race for the Cure. I've never had a bake sale that I can remember, so let's hope this goes well. I'm thinking of making vegan treats, the crowd down there might appreciate it . . .The other half of the table will be Tom selling his ceramics. So whether you want to help raise funds to cure breast cancer, give money to Tom, or if you just love cookies and hand-made bowls you will be in luck!

And if anyone is interested in donating to Race for the Cure just out of the goodness of your hearts you can do so on my page HERE.

Hug a Vegetarian Day!

2009-09-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today is International Hug a Vegetarian Day. Don’t believe me? Check out PETA’s website they probably made up the holiday but so what?

To celebrate I’m wearing my Vegetarian shirt today, it looks like this . . But that’s not me, that’s a man.
I’m not always a strict veggie though, I’m technically “Pescatarian” which means I eat fish sometimes. I love sushi, tuna sandwhiches and grilled fish too much to give up forever! I haven’t eaten other meat for about 2 years now. I think it was a good decision, I originally started out wanting to be vegan, but couldn’t handle it (soymilk and fake eggs were not as much fun for me). The main things I’ve learned being vegetarian are

#1-Surprise! I like tofu, but only if it’s cooked right. I have to marinate it and chop it into small pieces to like the taste. P.F. Changs has the best fried and Pei Wei has the best pan cooked.
#2-Fake meats are delicious, but expensive, so I have to try and use sparingly.
#3-Vegan jello is better tasting than regular jello, I thought it would be gross, but fruit pectin is great.

So I encourage everyone to eat some veggies tonight instead of animals!
My bunnies would agree, they’re vegetarian too :)

Opening Monday September 21

2009-09-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Artist Whitney Zama has an opening at ASU, her work makes me laugh (in the good way!)

Her "Episodes from the Grab Bag of Life" combine photography and captions or short stories of her personal experience. The opening night will have acrobatic performances and snacks! I think I need to check it out.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a graphic novel worth?

2009-09-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

So it seems like everyone I've talked to is pretty interested in my paper (I'm being vain, haha) that I wrote on how the graphic novel (comic book) Watchmen is a good example of the definition of literature. If you've read the book, not just seen the movie, you can let me know if you agree! This is just the rough draft, I have a little revision to do . . .

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a graphic novel worth?

A generic definition of the word literature may read as: creative writing of recognized artistic value. However, what literature is has been argued over by writers, readers, experts and critics for years. Some would say literature is only the “important” works or the well-respected books of a culture. There are many components that make a work literature, but one of them is not the exclusion of visuals. By this I mean whether the story has a few photographs or drawings to illustrate the story, or is totally made up of them does not matter. One such novel that challenges the assumption that literature is written word only is the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Many would argue this work is just a comic book and not worthy of the title of literature. Nevertheless, the work should be considered literature for three reasons; the work is still relevant to the reader years after it was written, it employs many elements of literature, and the story can be read on many different levels.

One test of whether something is literature or not should be if the writing is still relevant years later, Watchmen passes this test. Watchmen was originally published in 1986, but twenty-three years later the themes still seem familiar. The story takes place in an alternate version of 1985, the political climate is charged because of the cold war with Russia. Though the context of the Cold War no longer applies, today’s War on Terror has many similarities. The threat from a militant country, political use and misuse of power and the culture of fear are still things that are heard in the news of the U.S. everyday. The book follows a number of characters that live in New York City. These characters are used to show the common man, as opposed to the superheroes in the rest of the story. These common people are living under a shadow of fear brought on by the Cold War with Russia. One character complains “It ain’t fair. We didn’t ask for no war . . .The ordinary guy got no protection. Like a turtle with no shell.” (Chapter X, p. 23) This echoes the culture of fear that many in New York or other large cities felt after the terrorist attacks of 09/11.

The depth of the story is another characteristic that classifies Watchmen as literature. There are many different levels on which it can be read, the story employs a large amount of character background development, foreshadowing, symbolism and symmetrical story telling. To develop the characters not only are flashbacks and dialog used, but at the end of each chapter an excerpt from a fictional text is included. It may part of a newspaper article on of the superheroes, a police report, or a scientific essay on a superhero’s power. For example, at the end of chapter six we are shown the psychiatric evaluation on one of the superheroes who has turned toward becoming a violent vigilante. After reading the private thoughts he shared of his troubled childhood though, the reader will at least understand, if not approve of, his actions. This extra information draws the reader in, helping the reader understand and relate to each character more.

Foreshadowing and symbolism may be the two most important elements of literature used in Watchmen. One important symbolic element used is the face of a clock. From the title of watchmen, which can mean a guard or watcher as well, to the many instances of background imagery that involve clocks, the reader will notice this theme. The doomsday clock, which appears to count down at the beginning of each chapter, foreshadows a countdown to some disaster that is unknown. The reader will infer that it is World War III, but may be surprised at the terrible event that actually occurs at the end. The author was also thinking very deeply about the concept of time throughout the story. One of the main characters, Dr. Manhattan, can see time in a different way, allowing him to see the future, present and past simultaneously. The author was likely considering Einstein’s theory that time is relative and not immutable. In the apartment of Dr. Manhattan we can see a painting by Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, that hangs on the wall and as Dr. Manhattan is pondering it he is saying “I can’t prevent the future. To me, it’s already happening.” (Chapter IV, p16) That painting, involving melting clocks, is thought to be based on Einstein’s theory as well.

The many different lines of plot that intersect involve a narrative of the present time (1985) involving a group of superheroes, but also intertwines stories from their past, from their parents and predecessors and from a graphic novel within the story called The Black Freighter. There is a young boy who reads a comic book that often parallels what is happening in the city around him. On Chapter V, page 12 in the Black Freighter comic the main character states “I’d swallowed too much horror” when talking about the evil deeds he had to do to survive a shipwreck. As the young boy is reading this comic by the newsstand the owner of the newsstand is wondering aloud about the impending war, he says “I mean, World War Three, it’s a nightmare. The only people who can even think about it are the arms companies.” The author is trying to draw a comparison here between the evil deeds that the character in the pirate comic is doing to save himself and his family with the evil deeds that are being done just for political or financial gain. This type of comparison continues throughout the story, adding a layer of symmetrical story telling that makes the reader stop and ponder each frame. Re-reading these passages is necessary to understanding the stories as well and comparing them to each other.

The argument of whether a graphic novel can be considered literature will most likely not be ended soon. In the same vein as what classifies a “movie” versus a “film,” it can be hard to define what characteristics transcend a work from being simply entertainment to art. The authors chose to illustrate the work, which eliminated the need for descriptions of the setting, but also allowed them to enter subtle imagery in the background. Would the work be as effective if it had been words only? Would the image of a doomsday clock in the background of an important scene read the same way as it looks drawn in the novel? The answers to these questions will most likely lead to the conclusion that the authors used imagery to tell the story because it was best suited to the work, not because they were unable to write a novel of words only. Watchmen is a story that can be appreciated by many ages and levels of thinking, but the elements of literature the authors included certainly make the work deserving of the word literature.

hidden treasure on a roll of film

2009-09-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling you get when you find $20 in the pocket of some jeans you haven't worn in forever? I get that same feeling every once in a while when finding something I forgot or didn't even know about on a roll of film. There was this half-used disposable camera that's been sitting on our kitchen counter for about 4 years or so. I never wanted to use it since I love my 35mm SLR and my DSLR so much. Finally, this summer I went to the salt river (once with Tom and once with my little sister Diana) and I thought I would bring it. I was afraid to bring my other cameras since they would most likely end up getting wet. I was able to keep the disposable dry and get a few pictures. Then I forgot to develop it for about another month, when Tom finally took it for printing this lovely hidden treasure was on it. About 4 years ago it looks like Tom's mom or dad bought the camera to take some pictures of family who was in town. There used to be a rooster that would walk around (and crow loudly in the morning). I'm sure this was just one morning when they were going out to their car. Anyways, I love this shot even if I didn't take it. And it reminds me of why you should always have a camera on you, you never know when a rooster might be posing in front of your car.

Anyways, here is me being cheesy at the river and Diana looking adorable.

Another reason to learn to knit . . .

2009-08-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I was watching Halloween on TV the other night (the 1978 version, much less scary then you would expect!). And when Michael Myers first attacks Laurie she reaches into her knitting bag, grabs a needle and stabs him in the neck! Not that it did her any good, he comes right back to life, but it bought her a few minutes. I had my knitting basket next to the couch when I was watching and thought that was great. I can't find a picture online though :( I'll have to hope someone will hook me up with that someday.

Falafel

2009-08-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

doesn't that look delicious? i took that picture about a month ago and I've been meaning to post the recipe. I didn't make it up, but it's soo good I wanted to share it anyway. Really, I've had friends try it who said it's way better than any other homemade falafel.

Falafel

(from the book 1001 low-fat vegetarian recipes)

Makes: 4 servings (can vary on how big you make falafel balls) I think it makes at least 6
Calories: 491
Fat: 30 gm
Carbs: 43 gm

2 ¾ cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
1 red onion chopped (I like to saute the onion, but it is also good raw)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3-4 slices whole-wheat bread
2 small fresh red chiles
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, ground coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro plus extra to garnish
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Salt and pepper

Optional to serve with: lemon wedges, tomato or cucumber

1. Put the garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, whole-wheat bread, chiles, spices and cilantro in a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Remove from the food processor and shape into walnut-sized balls.
3. Place the beaten egg in a shallow bowl and place the whole-wheat bread crumbs on a plate. First dip the garbanzo bean balls into the egg to coat them thoroughly and then roll them in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.
4. Heat the oil for deep frying to 350 F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Cook the falafel, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Carefully remove the from the oil with a slotted spoon and dry on absorbent paper towels.
5. Garnish the falafel with the reserved cilantro and serve with lemon, tomato, or cucumber if desired.

Concert Calendar

2009-08-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

So when I'm bored at work or home I like to peruse pollstar.com for upcoming concerts & comedians, if time, money, work and school were no object I think I'd like to check out these shows.

Wed. 09.04.09 Cherry Poppin' Daddies @ the Rhythm Room
Sat. 09.05.09 The Mars Volta @ Dodge Theater
Sun. 09.20.09 Ting Tings @ Jobing.com
Sun. 09.27.09 The Get Up Kids @ the Clubhouse
Mon. 09.28.09 The Killers @ Dodge Theater
Thr. 10.01.09 Sonic Youth @ the Marquee
Thr. 10.01.09 ACDC @ US Airway
Fri. 10.02.09 Pitbull @ Celebrity Theater
Sun. 10.04.09 Star Wars in Concert @ Jobing.com
Fri. 10.16.09 The Sounds @ the Marquee
Tue. 10.20.09 Gogol Bordello @ the Marquee
Fri. 11.06-08 Ralphie May @ the Improv
Thr. 11.12-15 Dave Attel @ the Improv
Tue. 11.17.09 Dethklok @ Mesa Ampitheater

Me & Tom have our tickets for Star Wars in concert . . . still deciding on the rest