Music Archives - Wendy Nielsen

Orange County Fair Concert Summer Series

February 12, 2013 by wendy nielsen 3 Comments

I told my daughter that if her favorite Disney actress turned musician played a show this summer at our local county fair that I would take her to the concert. So, guess who’s coming to the Orange County Fair this summer? Yep, Bridgit Mendler from Good Luck Charlie. My girl is so excited. I’m not going to hate either because her CD Hello My Name Is…Bridgit Mendler isn’t bad. It could be far worse.

Hell, my first concert was Debbie Gibson.

The summer concert series at the Orange County Fair is usually pretty good. I think the 2012 season was the first year that I wasn’t excited to see someone. They’ve only announced a handful of acts so far – including the Go-Go’s, Styx, Hall & Oats. They also have that cute little puppy Hunter Hayes – who was all over the Grammys the other night – performing. I might even be up for seeing him – along with all the other 15 year olds in Orange County.

Orange County Fair or not – who would you like to see perform live this summer?

Filed Under: Interests Tagged With: 2013 summer concert series, bridgit mendler, Good Luck Charlie, Hunter Hays, Music, orange county fair

No Doubt, Anytime.

July 17, 2012 by wendy nielsen 18 Comments

Yep, I spent my formative years growing up in Anaheim (er…Hills) and I consider myself a huge homer for Tom, Tony, Adrian, and Gwen. That’s No Doubt to you.

I felt 19 years old again last night when I had to stop and record the new No Doubt video Settle Down before heading upstairs to tend to my preschooler’s bedtime routine. Instantly, I was back in 1994 asking my parents to videotape a set of No Doubt music videos on our local cable channel.

I gotta say, I really like the new single. It’s been long enough, right? Something like 10 years since their last album. I’m definitely looking forward to Push and Shove which comes out in September. They’ve also hinted at a 2013 tour. Time to dig out my old tee from the early days.

This particular photo of Gwen and I was taken at Triangle Square in October 1995. It was shortly after the release of Tragic Kingdom but Just a Girl wasn’t getting any radio air play yet. My friends and I got there hours early and watched the band do a sound check. That’s when I was able to get this photo. I was having a full blown fan girl moment here. I never really understood why she was pointing her thumb at me. Maybe it was to say “this girl is wearing a backpack.”

That was a great show at Triangle Square. Afterwards, the band signed autographs in the old Virgin record store. I still have the set list from the show that the band signed. My friends and I also were picked to be extras in the Just a Girl video (I later opted out but both friends did make it in the video!).

I can’t say that I’ve loved all their albums. To date, my favorite remains to be their independently released The Beacon Street Collection. I still love Total Hate ’95 featuring Bradley Nowell from Sublime and I chose to play Stricken during the cake cutting at my 2001 wedding!

I will say that I love Gwen. I loved both of her dance records – especially The Sweet Escape. Wind it Up is brilliantly bizarre and Early Winter kills me every time I hear it. I was barely pregnant when I saw her at Verizion in Irvine and was completely exhausted at the end of the show that I suggested we leave. From the car I could hear No Doubt playing and realized that the band was having a mini-reunion and I was in the damn parking lot!

I did get to see them again on their summer tour after that and danced my ass off the entire show. Honestly though, nothing beats those old warehouse shows we’d go to in an industrial park in Orange or Anaheim. 150 or 200 people crammed in a tiny space, sweat flying, ears ringing the next day because it was so loud. I can remember the details like it was yesterday. Good times.

It shouldn’t be any surprise that I’ve already downloaded Settle Down (in the video, I love the nod to O.C. when Tony grabs an orange in his rig) and I will keep my eyes open for tour dates because this girl will definitely be in attendance.

You know mine so tell me what your favorite ND song is! Bonus points if you know where “No Doubt Anytime” comes from!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Music, No Doubt, Settle Down

Reverb 11 | Reflecting on Goals, Movies, and Peace

December 20, 2011 by wendy nielsen 7 Comments

Another set of Reverb 11 prompts and responses for your enjoyment.

Day 13
What Goals Have You Achieved?

I wrote before about not having set any goals this year and sitting here without anything significant to tell you about is really depressing. 2012 is all about goal setting for me so I’m hoping to shout from the rooftops about all the wonderful things I set out and achieved next year! I will say though that I did commit to not committing to the Race for the Cure this year. I had organized and walked it the two years after my diagnosis and a part of me did so because I felt if I didn’t then something bad would happen. I walked out of fear. Not strength or pride. I’m glad I’ve put Team McLovin to rest, for now.

Day 14
What Soothes Your Soul?

Music soothed my soul as a teenager. Night after night, rotating Morrissey, The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, George Michael, Bonnie Raitt, and Eric Clapton behind my closed bedroom door. When I finally got a car, I’d play the same CDs – now throwing Pink Floyd and Guns ‘n Roses into the mix – driving past a particular boy’s house or stopping in on a friend at work at the mall. Hearing those same CDs conjures up many memories and still very much soothes my soul today.

Day 15
What Movies Have You Seen?

Movie dates are few and far between these days. We were in a rhythm of renting movies on demand on Saturday nights for a while so even though these weren’t seen at a theater this is my list:

Crazy Stupid Love (one of the best, Ryan Gossling = perfection)

Hangover 2 (a couple of funny moments but otherwise terrible)
Lincoln Lawyer (not a bad Matthew McConaughey flick for *I think* going straight to video)
The Dilemma (when did ‘Nona become so unlikable? She was at her best in Heathers – a true favorite of mine)
Happy Feet Two (seen at the theater and was downright awful – three year old in tow, obviously)
The Switch (looked funny is so different from being funny)
Take Me Home Tonight (’80′s themed, hilarious. Loved Dan Fogler in this movie!)
Something Borrowed (Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin were so incredible unlikable)
The Help (really, really good. “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”)

Seriously, rent Crazy Stupid Love if you haven’t seen it. And The Help.

Day 16
What Accomplishments Were Made?

I’m not sure how this is different than “What goals have you achieved?” I simply have no answers for questions like these. It’s kind of like when my dad calls and asks “What’s new?” and I don’t have an answer. I’m not setting out to accomplish anything significant on a day-to-day basis with the exception of my to-do list. But picking up a prescription and getting groceries are not interesting discussion topics. Thus, 2012 = lots of little short term goals and a few biggies that are worthy of talking about.

Day 17
What Are you Most Grateful For?

I am most grateful for making it to October 23, 2011. It was my three year anniversary of being cancer-free. Three years is a significant mark. Now if I can just stay NED for another two years I’ll be really grateful.

Day 18
What Scares You?

Not staying cancer-free. Almost daily I read an article or a blog post or a message in a thread that someone has just been diagnosed with mets. Mets is short for metastatic cancer. It’s when your original cancer has now been found somewhere else in your body – spine, lungs, brain, bones. Cancer cells that survived chemo have occupied a new organ. Mets is incurable and cancer always wins. That shit haunts me.

Day 19
What Brings You Peace?

The thing that makes me the most peaceful is seeing the sun dance on the ocean. Where the water looks like it’s been sprinkled with glitter. I love those moment and long for them.

Day 20
What Makes You Smile

That kid of mine makes me smile. She pushes my buttons, hits, asks a million questions, backtalks and fibs but she can make me smile in a hot second. And melt my heart even quicker.

11 days left!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cancer, cancer-free, Goals, metastatic breast cancer, mets, Music, NED, Race for the Cure, Reverb 11

Oldies but Goodies

March 8, 2011 by wendy nielsen 1 Comment

Last week when I told my friends what I was doing for my birthday, I was a little embarrassed to admit I was going to see Eric Clapton, live, in concert. What 35 year old listens to Eric Clapton?

I do.

I grew up listening to rock and roll. I think my Dad has been the biggest musical influence on me. He’s played the guitar since I can remember and as kids we didn’t have much choice about what we listened to in the car. I can still see him drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel. Buddy Holly, the Beatles, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins, the Eagles…this is what we listened to.

It was in high school when I discovered Eric Clapton. I’m certain that I had known the words to “Cocaine” long before that though. But it was his “Unplugged” album that would forever etch itself into my soul. I still listen to it at least once a week, almost twenty years later. I’m thrilled to get to see Clapton play for the first time ever later this week.

I think my Dad is proud.

And with that, I’ll leave you with my top 10 songs I could listen to for the rest of my life.

“Running on Faith” – Eric Clapton