FabulousLorraine.com

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Lady Gaga!!!!!!!!!!

The Great Road Trip to Chicago, with Young Maddy was a huge success! We had so much fun. Hardly know where to start. Here is Maddy ready at the hotel, to go off to see Lady Gaga. That might well be a good place to start, I am thinking, as the concert was kind of a high point.

Our host for the Event was Mr Drew, pictured here with Maddy. By a strange coincidence, he is also our own Miss Kitty's Sweatheart, and that he is. Really smart too. He is on the tour just now doing lighting. There are, obviously, a LOT of lights.

Mr Drew gave us a full backstage tour, which for me was as cool as the concert. I love the logistics of big tours, and seeing how they work. It's pretty amazing the amount of work, and things that go into a show. This set was by far the most complex I have ever seen. The stage screens alone, not the audience video feed, but for the graphics on stage were several MILLION dollars worth of equipment.

This is a view, if you can see it, taken on the stage looking out into the empty hall, from behind the big screen. When lit and working, this screen is transparent, and can have any graphics one wishes on it, while you still see the performers behind it.

The Stage Manager came only with us and answered as many questions as I could think of very happily. Everyone on the crew was really welcoming and so nice to us. Shows could not HAPPEN without the Crew, and they are the ones that make it happen. They put it all up, make it run, and then take it all down, only to do it again the next night.

And with a set like this, that is no small endeavor. This picture (taken by Maddy, as are all the Lady Gaga shots) is hard to see, but this box actually has a small circle in it that she stands on, and it rises about 12 feet UP. That was one piece. Most of the stage, even in theaters which HAVE a stage to start with, is built each night for the show.

Lady Gaga does a really lovely show. She is rarely still, and dancing plays as much a part of the show as does the music. She does her own singing, and what's more, is does a LIVE version of her songs, it's not a set canned number. She sings it the way she feels it should be sung, and the version you hear is not a carbon copy of the cd, which I love.

It's a sexy show, but it doesn't get lewd. There's a fine line, and I think she stays mostly on the right side of it. Think Cabaret, or Burlesque. Would I recommend it for a 15 year old? Depends on the 15 year old. Maddy has been to a lot of shows in her life, and knows about performance. She loved it.

It being Chicago, our Lady Gaga did a bit from the musical, one of my favorite songs "He had it coming...." and did it well, that girl can SING.

Her fans are also very cool. They love her. A lot. And she loves them. Her little Monsters she calls them. Very like Tori fans to Tori, or Melissas to her. It's a whole Tribe. Or whatever one calls a group of Monsters. I got to talk to a lot of them, and they are wonderful.

One of the things she talked about most on stage was how much she loved her Monsters, and how it was THEM that made her alive, and made this worthwhile. And how much she loved them, appreciated them, and knew how they felt. I think that is one of the most important and coolest things a really great artist does, and knows. It's about the fans.

I would have liked to meet her afterwords (And Maddy REALLY wanted to) but the show started quite late, nearly an hour after set time, and then our hosts had a un-scheduled meeting that happened directly after, and so that part didn't get to happen. (Next time, Maddy, for SURE)

We did take lots of books from the Boss, for the Crew, and Lady Gaga. This made the Crew Folks very happy, books on tour are NEEDED, and we passed on Lady Gaga's to her, and I am sure this will make her happy too.

I loved the show. I am really glad I got to see her on her first big tour. I really want to see how she grows up, and what she does. I don't think she is the sort of artist, and she IS an artist, that isn't going to stay put in the same place, but is going to keep growing, and changing.

And I want to see this.

Maddy took this photo as we were driving home, out my window, from her seat.

I think it is just about perfect.

Love and Gaga,
Lorraine

216 Comments:

At 21:30 vampi said...: awesomesauce! looks like a very fun time was had. i'm so glad.
really great pictures
At 21:32 Anonymous said...: love to all of you. wonderful to read
At 21:33 Kate T said...: Glad your travels were safe and the concert great.
At 21:42 Dragonsally said...: I'm impressed that she does a live show...makes such a difference doesn't it.

I'm glad you two had such fun, and that you were able to share Maddy's pictures with us. I have now put Lady Gaga on my "To See" list.
At 21:49 AletaMay said...: Sounds and looks like a wonderful time! Love that last photo.
At 21:50 Kitty Cat said...: oh MAN, i shoulda been there to help you meet her.
sad. but glad that you got to see the show.

oh a different note, is Boyfriend a werewolf????

love that blog, will reread it, on way to Viper Room, the fast is OVER and I gonna see some ROCK!
kisses to you and so glad it was a fun time.
At 21:52 Kitty Cat said...: ps that tree? that is Drew's lighting cue, did he tell you? xoxoxo
At 22:02 ariandalen said...: So glad you got to go, and that you had a FABULOUS time!

You may be a monster, but we're still your Fiends. ;)
At 22:21 Craig Steffen said...: Wow, that's terrific!

Awesome of you two to deliver books to crew.

Too bad you didn't get to meet-and-greet. Sometimes those things happen.

Interesting what they do with the scrim. I've seen them in theater, but usually you're only showing stuff in front or behind; it's an interesting idea to have both at the same time.

That IS a lovely photo, Madeline. Nice work.

Thanks for the report on the concert! Great to hear how creative and realy LG is. Also look forward to what she does in the future.
At 22:21 Chantrelle said...: That looks awesome! I definitely respect the Lady as an artist. Not music i'd really listen to but i bet I'd really enjoy the live show.

Glad you had such a blast!
At 22:30 Unknown said...: Glad you had so much fun. Hope Maddy wasn't too disappointed not to meet Lady G.
At 22:43 FabulousLorraine said...: Drew DID show us the tree! We got to see it all at rest, then all lit up!

It would have been nice to say hello, but the FIRST thing about going to a show like this, and being backstage, and getting such special attention, is that you do not want to be a bother, in the way, or asking too much.

These people are working, and working HARD. On the right night, when there is time, it works. If it isn't the right time, and there is work to be done, one scrams.

Trust me when I say I know one more person, wanting one more thing from a talent, is just one more bit of work, and sometimes, no matter how much you would like to, you can't give another thing.

I've been on the other side, having to say no. When on the fan side, I want to be the person who understands completely.

Besides, the Mr Drew bits, and touring the set with the stage manager was the really cool bit.

Mr Drew is my friend and he was the one I really wanted to see.
At 23:05 Wendy Withers said...: I'm glad you guys had fun! That's awesome!
At 23:48 Wendy Withers said...: I updated my LJ (you can clickens on my name to see) with pictures and stuff. Also, Serious Black allowed his picture to be taken to appease his fans.

He seems to have stomach problems. He's going to the potty constantly. Is it probably the stress of moving? It might be from feeding them more wet food than they usually have, because I've been celebrating EVERYTHING up here... :/ He hasn't seemed sick, other than stinking up the apartment two or three times a day...
At 23:55 Chantrelle said...: Goodnight fiends. Must get a good night's sleep. I'm interviewing Kim Boekbinder (of Vermillion Lies) for FoodPorn tomorrow! :)
At 00:27 Na said...: Sweeet! I reckon it must be nice for Drew on tour to have friends drop in, too.
At 01:30 Marjorie said...: Sorry you didn't get to meet Gaga, but it looks and sounds as though you both had a wondeful time - and getting to hang out with friends must be great, too! Love the pictures!
At 01:44 spacedlaw said...: Looks wonderful. And the technical tour sounds fascinating (I love that type of stuff).
Great pictures, Maddy!
At 07:07 Siri said...: And Tick
At 07:38 EmilyLady said...: I'm so pleased you had such a marvelous trip. This sounds like one worth remembering, one of those really special times.
At 08:34 Siri said...: And, Happy Palindrome Date Day
At 08:53 Dan Guy said...: K-rad!
At 09:01 One Sock Short said...: Sounds like an amazing time. I've never been to a concert, so I can only imagine all that's going on. But the behind-the-scenes logistics sounds fascinating. I'd love to see something like that. Oh, the geeky lure of how stuff works.
At 09:42 dabbler said...: I so love that you post about the tech stuff. As part of a family of techies, I love the detail, and the fact that the tech gets credit! Good tech allows the performer to do what s/he wants and enhances and supports him/her. Bad tech interferes and is painful. i once left a Renaissance/Steeleye Span concert because the sound was so painful I couldn't enjoy it. I'm spoiled for life...can't go to any show without figuring out "how'd they do that?"
At 09:50 FabulousLorraine said...: Morning!

Been up for a couple hours, good thing. Stuff seems to be happening all over. This will be a day of much work.

Once Boss is on a plane tho (which OUGHT to work just fine today) I am going to buy Magic's Fish Friends. Or lunch, hard to say. We will see.

If I can, I will do a Magic blog tonight, with pics of him and his room.

I love the Tech things too about tours. I would LOVE to shadow a tour manager or his assistant for a week someday. The details of How exactly such a huge event moves from town to town fascinate me. There is so much that goes into a show.

And it ain't easy.

Right. Now to work and waking a Boss, who judging from twitter was up far too late.
At 09:50 dabbler said...: Siri,

Happy Palindrome date to you, too. Thanks for pointing this out.
At 09:51 dabbler said...: Lorraine,
Have a great, productive day! And I'd add, stay warm, but....I know where you live!
At 09:57 One Sock Short said...: I find myself imagining a speculative fiction novel in which a road crew like that gets transported to medieval times and have to orchestrate a siege. Their mad skillz win the day and change the course of history.

Hey, it's been done with Vietnam Vets, so why not?
At 11:01 Phiala said...: Sat down to tackle soon-to-be-overdue revisions...

The reviewers only really asked for four things:
#1. Okay, I disagree but not strongly. Can do this without too much problem.
#2. Violation of federal confidentiality rules.
#3. Physically impossible.
#4. Would involve dropping about half of my data.

...now I remember why I put these off for so long.

Must be Monday, no?

I'm listening to Lady Gaga, trying to decide what I think. I was unimpressed the first couple times I heard her music, but "Poker Face" has kind of grown on me, so I'm trying again.
At 11:21 EmilyLady said...: I have never been to a concert either, OSS. But Jack went to a Paramore concert once - had a great time. I mean, I have been to his concerts ... but I don't believe that counts ...
At 11:21 EmilyLady said...: That is to say, not Paramore's concerts (they're a band, not one person) - I meant Jack's concerts.
At 12:10 Jess said...: Yay! Glad you both had a fine time.

Haven't been to a big concert in a long time. I can't take all the noise, and the ringing in the ears for tgwo days afterward. Used to like it. When did I turn into Granny Grumbles?

You should all know that today I am suffering Bumache, after falling on it yesterday. This has resulted in me sitting on a heat pad, which is pretty nice. I can see where cats are coming from. I may not get up again.

What scintillating commentary, this! Jess doesn't like it loud. Jess's butt is toasty.
At 12:15 Na said...: Jess, sorry you're still sore! As for concerts, I always take ear plugs now. The really good foam ones that construction workers wear. (You can actually hear the lyrics better, anyway.)
At 12:26 Jess said...: I meant to take earplugs along to the AFP gig last year, and forgot, so I ended up standing there with my fingers in my ears for The Builders and the Butchers set to hear them properly. There's a very fine line between protecting your hearing and looking like you're making some kind of protest, and I think I probably crossed it. Fortunately we were at the back. I don't think anyone noticed.
At 12:27 Chantrelle said...: Earplugs are a must! I didn't wear them to shows when I was younger because that woulnd't be cool...now my right ear is definitely damaged. I say "HUH?" a lot!
I go to a lot of shows. Went to many more pre-ben. Music is my thing. Live music even more so. It was the thing I missed most when ben was an infant and I couldn't go out. Now we take ben when it's appropriate. He saw Devo a couple of months ago although he slept through the show. And he's going with us to Medeski, Martin and Wood in February. :)

T-1hr 40min until foodporn interview. Whee! Trying to write up our Carmel dinner for the site now. Food was good but nothing to go out of your way for...dessert and wine however were awesome. The sommelier was the best. Want to keep in touch.

I'm rambling...back to foodporn writing.
At 12:32 vampi said...: phiala, the radio edits, wile fun and poppy, also did not pique my interest. check out some of her acoustic live performances, that's where she blinds with brilliance. such as this ellen appearance. i'm so intrigued by her oddness while performing and then that really strong voice. it's like she's an opposite susan boyle.
At 12:35 Rick W said...: I have to admit, I wanted to not like Gaga when she hit the scene. My wife loves her so I couldn't help but listen to it, and when I started seeing (and hearing) that she has actual talent (her blues singing at the piano stuff stabs me right in the heart) as a singer and a brand artist I loosened up and gave her props. I'm sure she was worried too, so now she can sleep at night knowing she has my seal of approval.
At 13:57 dabbler said...: Yay for Jess's toasty butt, though I'm sorry for the cause.

An update on Cherokee... I kept dithering, and didn't get there to meet him, and now some other kind soul has adopted him! I'm delighted, because I was pretty sure I wasn't ready to take him on right now, but felt guilty/tempted anyway. Whew.
At 15:18 Laura B said...: Looks like it was a very cool show.

The last concert I went to was Emilie Autumn, which was very good. AFP is actually one of the few artists that I still really want to see, but she never comes close enough to me.
At 19:32 FabulousLorraine said...: Richard, she was worried, I will let her know! Gaga is one of those artists you really need to dig in and listen to. It's all there.

Music is music. I love it all.

Dabbler, this means there is another waiting for you. They come along like that. I see Bengal in your future.

Madeleine, where do you live? I can put in a word with AFP if you like, you never know...

Just kind of almost nearly sort of done with this day. it never did stop really.

Didn't get Magics fish, will do so tomorrow and do a new blog...I can chat with you tonight tho, if anywone wants talk with a tired brain dead assistant.

Oh, my Birthday party is February 13th, at Charlies. You are so all on the list. There will be cake.
At 19:34 Chantrelle said...: I'll chat w/ a braindead assistant if she'll chat w/ a braindead mom!

Had an awesome lunch w/ Kim Boekbinder. she's rad and a huge foodie so it was a great foodporn experience.

Ben's playing w/ neighbor boy in his room. So i can kinda hang out on the computer!
At 19:37 FabulousLorraine said...: I have nothing to say sadly. I need questions to answer....Structure as it were. Gaga'd and worked to death I am.
At 19:38 Dragonsally said...: one overheated dragon is here to chat...while listening to The lady G
At 19:39 Dragonsally said...: ah, well then. What do you recommend as a starting point to Lady Gaga?
At 19:41 Chantrelle said...: Ah crap...questions? I spent my lunch asking questions....ummmmm

harumph, I've got nuthin'.
At 19:45 FabulousLorraine said...: Video for Bad Romance works for me, Sally. It's pretty cool.
At 19:48 One Sock Short said...: Don't think my previous comment went through, so I'll skip to the question. Any especially bluesy songs you would recommend, that would give me an idea of her voice?
At 19:51 One Sock Short said...: If you find one kind of fish disappearing the most from the tank, will you avoid them because the swim too slowly, or get more because they apparently taste the best?
At 19:52 FabulousLorraine said...: Yup. Go find a vid or download an acoustic Poker Face. The Cherry Tree sessions one on Itunes rocks my world.
At 19:53 FabulousLorraine said...: Good question. We are starting with one kind of fish: Gold. If they get eaten, we will go for another kind: Bait.
At 19:53 vampi said...: fishies fishies
magic's swimming fishies
fishies fishies
eat them up, yum
At 19:55 Dragonsally said...: I've just decided to employ a variation of what Jess is doing. Instead of sitting on a heat pace I'm sitting on an ice-pack, and man is it good!

Mmmm, chilly butt.
At 19:55 FabulousLorraine said...: Not sure that was a question, Vampi, but I give you a point for art.
At 19:58 One Sock Short said...: How is Illicit Affair doing? Have you been able to visit him with all this bad weather?
At 19:58 FabulousLorraine said...: I ask for questions and I am hearing where your BUTTS are??????
At 19:59 vampi said...: oh question, speaking of art what has become of the ulleian(sp?) pipes?

is there bee maintenance to be had during these cold months, or just hope they keep themselves warm for spring?

do the bengals like snow, and do they get a walk when it's snowing? will magic or the royals ever be able to enjoy a nice leash walk like the ladies?
At 20:00 FabulousLorraine said...: I suppose we could make this really interesting and I could tell you I went to a shop today while Boss got a haircut called the "Smitten Kitten"

Didn't sell cat toys, if you get me here...
At 20:00 EmilyLady said...: Let me see, I'll ask some random question. Ever tried a foreign language other than French, and if so, did you like learning?
At 20:01 EmilyLady said...: I'm pretty sure none of us will object to hearing about the Smitten Kitten.
At 20:01 Dragonsally said...: Well,you know, we Fiends share.

Icepack is now on my back. As its 34C/93.2F inside, the ice is delish.

And yeah, how is Illicit Affair?
At 20:02 Dragonsally said...: Oh yes, tell us about the Smitten Kitten *grin*
At 20:03 One Sock Short said...: Okay, but first thought was "a haircut called 'smitten kitten'" Then I couldn't think again for a minute there.
At 20:03 FabulousLorraine said...: Oh Lord,I would ask.

OK: I suck at bagpipes. One either devotes ones life to it, or leaves it alone.

One keeps the snow away, put in moisture board and wraps the bees up snug. SOmetimes they come out. And die.

Mim wold go out no matter what. I don't think the others will get to go for leash walks, but it will be warm enough this week for me to open the Scream Porches, and I am going to let the ROyals out on Venus and Mim's, when they are not. There are 2 doors, one goes to the Royals stairs, one to the kitchen for Venus and Mim.

They can Scream Porch serially. They may get to the point where they are cool together, but I doubt it.
At 20:05 FabulousLorraine said...: WHy is it our Teenager is the one who first pops up wanting to know about this Smitten Kitten?????

Tried Russian, Emily, some German, a bit of Gaelic, quite a bit of Swedish, almost spoke that one for a while there.
At 20:07 FabulousLorraine said...: No, the haircut and the Smitten Kitten were separate events.

It's a really cool shop, run by women, so women can, uh Get things, and ask questions and not have to go to icky places.
At 20:08 FabulousLorraine said...: I hoe my horsie is good. It's been way too cold to go out to him. This week tho! MIGHT get to ride him!
At 20:09 Dragonsally said...: No matter how tempted I am, I will NOT ask if you bought anything.
At 20:10 vampi said...: I was right there with you OSS. so that's what he means by crazy hair...
smitten kitten sounds like a great store, what a cute name.
At 20:11 FabulousLorraine said...: OF COURSE I did. A girl gets CURIOUS you know. And they were so nice and friendly about it.
At 20:17 Dragonsally said...: Oh look, they have a webpage
content warning
At 20:17 One Sock Short said...: Oh, how exciting that you might soon be able ride IA. So glad his back is getting better. Any further thoughts on his name?
At 20:22 FabulousLorraine said...: I can't believe someone in Australia just googled my Toy Store.
At 20:23 FabulousLorraine said...: No more thoughts on his name. Bit of a dilemma. He is all better tho, which is good. So far I call him Loverboy.
At 20:24 Phiala said...: I too read it as smitten-kitten-haircut. Been a long day!

And I have no questions either.
At 20:25 Chantrelle said...: My goodness ladies, i leave you alone for 5 minutes, you get all nasty.
At 20:25 FabulousLorraine said...: Always loved this quote:

Horse, thou art truly a creature without equal, for thou fliest without wings and conquerest without sword. ~ The Koran
At 20:26 FabulousLorraine said...: Nasty? Surely not. It's purple, which is sweet.
At 20:26 Dragonsally said...: I'm just too curious for my own good Quiche. That and I love checking out online stores.
At 20:27 Chantrelle said...: Ooh, bad memories of purple w/ an ex. We don't need to go there either. Ex for a reason.

Why am i telling you this?
At 20:27 FabulousLorraine said...: Here's the full quote, I think:

When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth shall lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt cast thy enemies between thy hooves, but thou shalt carry my friends upon they back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou fly without any wings, and conquer without any sword. ~ The Koran
At 20:29 FabulousLorraine said...: Considering what I just let onto, why not, CHantrelle?

I am so going between quoting horses in the Koran and talking about...

Is this wrong?
At 20:30 Dragonsally said...: Not at all -its intriguing. BTW, the online store had an item named after me!
At 20:31 Ms T said...: There's an equivalent to the Smitten Kitten here too. Now why is it I can't remember the name, but I can remember where it is...?
At 20:31 FabulousLorraine said...: I do not want a Toy called Sally. Sorry.
At 20:32 FabulousLorraine said...: There are a lot of Fiends really missing out here, I am thinking.
At 20:41 Chantrelle said...: Dragged away from this very interesting conversation by a game of electronic battleship w/ ben. Much safer ;)
I'll be back later for more seedy talk!
At 20:41 Ms T said...: Veering back onto discussion of Lady Gaga...Bad Romance was the one that got me hooked too. And I'm sure that has nothing to do some iffy choices during my misspent youth. They were character-building. :)

(Taking a break from work, because the stupid index keeps dropping a stupid sodding entry and I can't work out why. Gah!)
At 20:42 Dragonsally said...: I'd find it hard having a toy named Sally too - or any other person's name. I'd rather chose the name myself, after all.
At 20:43 Jess said...: Was gonna say, horses and purple, erm, devices in the same thread...

I have a question: why does The Water Street Inn keep emailing to tell me about special offers and exciting one-evening-only dinner packages the day before they happen? Listen: I live far, far away. I can't drop everything to get there tomorrow. It's like they're taunting me. It's not fair.

I'd say something about how my butt's still toasty, but the way this thread's heading, maybe I oughtn't.
At 20:47 FabulousLorraine said...: Bad Romance is really lovely, and I can hear it so many ways.

Mostly I think it is about love, and how when you love someone, you take all their bits, even the bad ones, and you want ALL of them.

Fine idea.

I love show me your teeth too, really tribal kind of music. And Starstruck. ANd Paparazzi. She's got a lot going on for someone so young, REALLY want to see where she goes.

One thing I would say, is she does need to learn how to work a new audience, and a bigger one.,. It's very different than a bar, or small crowd. Learned that opening for Puke and SNot, you can't handle it the same way, and she doesn't quite have that yet, on this first tour.

"HEY MOTHERFUCKER BITCHES!" May translate to "Hello dear friends, I love you, thank you for coming" in a drag club in NY, but the translation is lost on a midwestern audience of mostly girls.

In a bar, you can play to each person. In a huge crowd, you play to a crowd. She is young, she will get it.
At 20:47 Jess said...: Also, I think that "Purple Sally" should be our euphemism of choice from now on.
At 20:47 One Sock Short said...: Meanwhile, I have been hearing and obeying, and have just listened to a sample of LG's accoustic songs. Yes, yes indeed. She can sing. Not sure I'd get into having her CDs, but I can see how that would have been one amazing concert.
At 20:49 FabulousLorraine said...: Good point Jess. I will mention that...
At 20:52 FabulousLorraine said...: One thing I think on Gaga is that it would have been far better for her to have been hungry for a few years, done some small budget tours, come up a bit more slowly, in a lot of ways, she is still figuring it all out.

SHe has a lot of talent, a lot of ideas and a creative team around her, but perhaps not a lot of people who know what they are doing talking sense.

She will learn.
At 20:56 Ms T said...: I also love that Lady Gaga puts so much effort into her staging and costume. And yet I don't feel the same about Madonna. Maybe it's because it's feels like Lady G uses her dress and showmanship to connect with her fans, while Ms M. seems more distant.

But then again, I could just be talking through a hole in my head. :)

I get what you mean about connecting with a larger audience, Lorraine. I think My Chemical Romance had a similar thing going on when they played an arena here.

And now I must beat that index into submission...

P.S. I think the local equivalent of Smitten Kitten as purple carpet on the floor, but that was from its days as your average pharmacy.
At 21:02 Jess said...: For a minute there I thought you meant either purple sallies, or my toasty butt, or worse, both. And I was all, mention it to whom?!

My impression of her is that there's a great talent there which has been massively over-produced, at least in the studio. I think I could get into her if it were all that stripped-down sound of her acoustic performances; she's really something else there. But the stuff they play on the radio: meh. Dance pop just doesn't do anything for me.
At 21:03 FabulousLorraine said...: Lady Gaga REALLY has the fan thing going on, she truly loves her fans, her little monsters. She talks more about them than anything else.

She is also doing serious work for homeless kids, especially gay and transgendered ones. People who volunteer at shelters get tickets to her shows, and she is matching donations just now.
At 21:09 Ms T said...: Just musing (yep, and procrastinating) - if you're into Lady Gaga's sound, you might like Roisin Murphy/Moloko too.

And I think it's so cool when artists involve themselves in the community rather than distancing and staying on the pedastal they sometimes get plonked on (by us; by the industry; by whomever).
At 21:39 Wendy Withers said...: I love the Smitten Kitten!!!!! Although, I've never actually been inside... >.>

I think Bitch and/ or Bust magazines have carried ads for it for a long time.

Ummm... I think I had lots to say and maybe ask. Now I can't remember any of it...

Oh yes! I will not be able to make it to the birthday party, due to having no monies and just moving. But, if you ever want to come visit Chez Serious Black in New Orleans, you are on the list! Also, this invite is probably extended to most of the fiends who are not stalkers and/ or serial murderers.
At 21:43 FabulousLorraine said...: Really, really love New Orleans. MAy take you up on that, Wendy. Haven't been since Maddy was a baby.

The second Flash Girls cd, Maurice and I, came out of that visit to New Orleans. The title, and cover art were all from it, and the story behind it.

Maurice was an alligator head that Boss bought me. Still have it.
At 21:55 Wendy Withers said...: I like Lady Gaga's music videos. I like getting the whole experience, as opposed to just listening to her music. I also love the work she does for the GLBT community.

You should definitely come out! I love New Orleans about 50,000 times more now that I live here.

And, in Florida I bought an alligator hand at a truck stop and immediately put it on my rearview mirror as a type of totem. My ex thought it would be funny to put a clove cigarette butt in between its little fingers, which I thought was distasteful and disrespectful. He was also prone to bursts of violence. My little totem was in charge of protecting the car, and once my ex got mad and started hitting the dashboard and I think even broke the overhead light. My little alligator hand popped up and the little thumb finger stabbed him in the forehead. Even though it wasn't sharp at all, it sliced open his forehead and left a scar. It made me feel quite smug. Little alligator hand is still in my car.
At 21:57 FabulousLorraine said...: Will come. New Orleans is like, in my backyard. Easy trip.

Loved that story! Too true and fitting..
At 22:00 Na said...: *g* I love that one can now buy vegan and eco- Toys.
At 22:03 FabulousLorraine said...: Na, you are coming late to this, you are supposed to ask me a question...

(Totally have had a long weekend, which tho fun was long, followed by a 14 hour work day of intense-ness. Need some relax and you Fiends are IT)
At 22:08 Dragonsally said...: I'm a euphemism?????

Wendy, that is the best story...hahaha sucker to him!
At 22:09 Dragonsally said...: I have a serious question for you.

Can I please have some of your snow?

Also Aline needs some.
At 22:10 Ms T said...: Why is that I have Regina Spektor's Apres Moi song stuck in my head, when I returned the CD to the library last week?

(Hey, you said you wanted questions!)
At 22:12 Ms T said...: Sally and Wendy, I was also going to say that I think I would love New Orleans, but the finances will probably only get me across the ditch to Australia (room for one more Kiwi over there?). Although I might wait until it cools down a bit before attempting that trip!
At 22:13 FabulousLorraine said...: Earworms have no answer, sorry Mrs T. Try listening to Cheap Trick, once you have I want you to want me in your head, nothing else can get in.

Sally, I do not ship snow.

I once did have a friend at DC Comics who would fed ex me sandwiches from Stage Deli tho. Kid you not. They came thru fine overnight.
At 22:18 Unknown said...: Oh dear me. Can't leave you alone for 5 minutes... hehehe

I love Bad Romance, I loved it instantly, the first time I heard it on the radio.
As an old fogie, i too cannot cope with the loudness of concerts but love going to small, intimate gigs where something acoustic may be playing.

D'you know, I think I had the name for Illicit Affair at one point but then thought, nah, Q will figure it out herself. Now can't remember what it was.

Looking forward to Magic blog tomorrow.

My pink rabbit says hi.

;)
At 22:20 Na said...: Oh ho. I see, yes. (Was reading in email, slooowly catching up.)

When the light turns green you go.
When the light turns red you stop.
But what do you do
When the light turns blue
With orange and lavender spots?

(Shel Silverstein)
At 22:21 FabulousLorraine said...: Another lovely horse quote:

A pony is a childhood dream, a horse is an adulthood treasure. ~ Rebecca Carrol
At 22:24 Na said...: Found Bad Romance video through Gaga links earlier today. Also her appearance on "Ellen." The nearly-5 year-old monstress watched some (carefully selected) with me and said,

"Lady Gaga is beautiful."

and

"I want clothes like Lady Gaga's, Mama."

I told her she needed to grow a bit first, and learn how to sew.

Wendy - poetic justice!
At 22:26 Wendy Withers said...: There is always room for another Kiwi!!!!

Oo Oo OO!!! I have a question! What is the best movie/ book/ music you discovered last year?
At 22:27 Unknown said...: Oh crumbs, I forgot to ask a Question!

Question: What happened to that kitty from the tree?
At 22:32 AletaMay said...: Wow. Stopped by to catch up in the comments and got... distracted by a certain link.

Ummm question. Hmmm.

Having set aside the pipes what other instrument might you want to learn next?
At 22:37 El said...: Oh Gaga!fiends. I have a gift for you.

http://raraahahahromaromamagagaoohlala.com/

Thank you and goodnight.
At 22:57 Ms T said...: Hmmm...let's see

Movie of 2009:
Aethetically and for the stories - Coraline & Ponyo
Loved (most of) the characters
- An Education
Couldn't say it was a film I enjoyed but it certainly stayed with me - Hunger
(Don't make me choose one!)

Music: Florence + The Machine (still playing that sucker to death - my neighbours must be so glad I have headphones)
AFP beat out Leonard Cohen for the best live gig.

Art: Yayoi Kusama's installations at the City Art Gallery (Just squeaks into 2009 because I saw them on 31 December.)

Still pondering on the book of the year.
At 23:02 FabulousLorraine said...: Ok...

Keri Arthur, the Riley Jenson series, GREAT TV books, plane books, lovely romps. Start at #1 and go on, that's the best books, no deep and meaningful here.

Haven't seen the cat in the tree since tho we do have food and water out for it...

I want to learn to play piano/organ/harpsichord. It bothers me that I can't.

I sometimes sit at my organ and make horrible noises on it at night, pretending I know how to play. Drives the Bengals insane, no sense of drama them. But I have fun...
At 23:11 AletaMay said...: I would love love love to play the harpsichord!
At 23:23 Dragonsally said...: I'd love to play harp.
At 23:38 FabulousLorraine said...: Getting pretty sleepy and I know tomorrow is going to be a DAY......thinking I am going to sleep now.

But I do love you. One should always go to sleep saying that, so to you....

Good Night.
At 23:40 Wendy Withers said...: It must be comforting knowing you are loved by a gaggle of fiends roaming the earth in white buckled jackets.

Or, maybe not so reassuring... :/

Good night!!!
At 23:50 Dragonsally said...: Sleep well our Leader.
At 23:55 Chantrelle said...: Sleep well my darling. I won't ask if purple is joining you.

I'm off to bed as well.

Night fiends!
At 01:49 Lysandwr said...: hah!

Loverboy.

I knew it!! :) (you have to go most of the way down the page, tho...)

<3 you....

Sorry to hear about the uillean pipes. Every tour to Iraq, kept telling myself that was the project I needed to take up. Still on the someday list (since all my previous instruments are pipe and finger related)
But you're surely right--they are a lifetime commitment.
At 01:54 Lysandwr said...: ps..

Did some questsurfing for you, and found several online organ and piano lesson opportunities. The oddest thing, tho, is that the ones that look the best are from places called "secretministries" and "learnjazzgospels". Interesting, what?
At 06:54 EmilyLady said...: I wake up to 129 comments.

Today is the day William and I read the last of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. After we are done, he plans to read them again. It's nice ... I think William is finally realizing that the world is full of awesome books. This is the first time he's gone, "NO NO DON'T STOP READING TO ME YOU CAN'T GET LUNCH YOU HAVE TO READ."
At 07:09 Precision Grace said...: Aww that's so sweet. Mother made me learn to read that way - she just refused to read me any more and said, learn to read then you can read it to yourself. Krafty.
At 08:46 Rick W said...: (here's hoping I'm showing up as Rick not Richard *crosses fingers*)

Girls get cool trendy places and cool sexy toys. Our stuff is...creepy. Wonder what the equivalent would be...The Jolly Roger? The Pleased Weasel? Hmm.

Here's a question: How come, after having bought ink for my printer at least a YEAR ahead of time and coming across the cartridges every time I search for something else, the very moment I actually need ink...it's gone. I have no idea where it is.

Also, good morning fiends. I've been creatively unproductive; haven't drawn or written. Designing poop. Sleepy.
At 08:48 Rick W said...: Sweet! I'm Rick again. I guess I should change it to "HOTY" just so you know who this loser is that keeps showing up, but I can't bring myself to do it. hotty, indeed.
At 09:50 Jess said...: I have I Want You to Want Me stuck in my head, and I know who to blame. Curse you, Quiche!

*shakes fist at sky*

We're dangerously close to employing the Rick Astley option, here. It's the only other song which automatically dislodges any other song. (And there it goes. Crap.)

Trouble is, Rick (and I mean Rick W. and not Rick Astley), if I come on here and say Hey, Hoty whenever you show up, my husband might get upset. He wouldn't threaten fisticuffs, but he might resort to sarcasm, or puns.
At 10:12 Rick W said...: Hehe, I shall then have to establish myself as Rick (or the geek formerly known as HOTY).

I pronounce it "Hooty", btw. It's the only way I can sleep at night.

Actually, I find the opposite is true as far as brain-splinter exorcism. I put the offending song on repeat, sing along, learn all the words, LIVE THE SONG...then I get so tired of it I can't stand to even think about it.

NB: This only works if the song does NOT have the power to eat your brain meats. It can be very dangerous with something like...The Bird is the Word or the theme from the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.
At 10:27 FabulousLorraine said...: HOTY! Well, Rick, I guess we should not call you HOTY, we can get used to Rick, and we are very glad you are here. We need more boys! It's not just a girls club.

There were couples in the Smitten Kitten yesterday, so guys, if they are cool and secure, can go there too. It shouldn't be sleazy for anyone, I say.

Sorry about the earworms, Fiends...
At 11:14 vampi said...: hahahaha pleased weasel hahahahahahahahaha Love it! good one Rick.
At 11:16 louisa said...: Hello! ::waves:: way behind on comments, will catch up tonight I hope, it's a dirty, sleety evening so sitting in by the fire is most appealing. I see mention of Smitten Kittens? The gentler cousins of the Smite Cat.

Think Fiends will like this art using books as the canvas. Reminds me of something but can't quite put my finger on what - not exactly Gorey, not exactly Dave McKean.... [scratches brain] There's one of Miniature Horses (Sally!) and one called Secrecy of Catwalking
At 11:16 Rick W said...: *bow*
At 11:46 DataGoddess said...: I will deny (until I crack up) that when Ticia mentioned she was going to Berkley recently I asked her to get me something at Good Vibrations.

It was pink. It had ears.

Rick, we're mostly geeks here, of various arenas of geekitude, so HOTY probably still applies ;-)
At 12:26 Unknown said...: Questions...

I also want to know what questions Maddy asked at the concert :)
At 12:42 Cecily said...: GAH! So much to read and no time to do so. I am a sad Fiend to have missed out on some Q&A. I wanted to contribute my two cents, but I forgot what I was going to say by the time I hit comment 90something and then I gave up. I am sick still and going to sleep.

The concert looks awesome. So glad you had great time. You lead a wicked awesome life. \m/

Still want to hear about the *other* questions though. ;-)
At 13:20 Rick W said...: If I'm to be marked a 'hoty', then so be it. Others shall hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that posted here with us, regarding the smitten kitten...to paraphrase the Bard.
At 15:18 Lysandwr said...: we few, we (slap)happy few, we band of FIENDS!!
At 17:30 Dragonsally said...: Oh Louisa, cool pics. I'll pass the miniature horses one on to Tanya, she'll love it too.

My AFP tickets arrived in the mail today. So excited.

*waves* hi Rick.
At 20:49 One Sock Short said...: Cold Pt.2 laid me low today. I had to stay at home and sleep all day. Seriously, I woke up around 4pm. Then laundry, so I have clothes to pack, and, oh Fods! I am so not ready for this trip to Boston.
At 20:50 Siri said...: Hurray for the tickets, Sally - hope the cool comes soonest, too!
At 21:05 Wendy Withers said...: I know some Tweeple were worried about my financial aid situation. I have it posted on my LJ.

I'm trying really hard to use Quiche's lessons on interpersonal skills when dealing with frustrating people. :(
At 21:27 Lysandwr said...: TOTALLY off topic...but the news kinda stunned me, so I had to share. Have y'all heard this?

Google may pull out of China, reported by BBC.

Elsewise--yay,DSally!! You should introduce your purple namesake to AFP when she comes to town. Somehow I think she would appreciate the connection :)

Wendy--much wishes for better fortune in dealing w/school related bureaucracy to you. I *know* what that is like...you have my utmost sympathy.

Hope you feel better soon, OSS
At 22:31 vampi said...: Rick, wear the HOTY title with pride.

Wends, fingers crossed the situation works out quickly.

i am exhausted. long day taking boy to long beach aquarium for birthday shenanigans. Thanks to all for the birthday wishes, he was smiling all day as i showed him the wishes.
At 08:43 Anonymous said...: Who dances better? Lady Gaga or the skeleton on the spoon?
At 08:48 spacedlaw said...: Greetings from cold and snowy Holland!
Minus 6 (celsius, mind so still in the positives F-wise) and snow. And wind chill, because Holland would not be Holland without wind. Wheeeaaargh.

Good thing is that I get to see a lot of old friends.
At 08:53 Laura B said...: Wow. I spent yesterday on the couch with my sore back(not sure what I did to it), and look at all the fun I missed here!

Q, to answer your question to me, I live around Dayton, OH. I usually have to go to Columbus, or, Cincinnati for concerts.

Ah, I'm still laughing over "The Jolly Roger" and "The Pleased Weasel." Good stuff.
At 09:18 Hellie said...: Wrap up warm Nathalie! It's relatively balmy here after the -12c of last week - only 0 degrees today, and it's been snowing steadily over Manchester all morning.

All the horsey quotes made me remember one you might like, Lorraine:
She was iron-sinewed and satin-skinned, Ribbed like a drum and limbed like a deer, Fierce as the fire and fleet as the wind,
There was nothing she couldn't climb or clear

It was quoted in a storybook (i think it was something by Enid Blyton!) that I read when I was about 8 or 9, and it lodged itself in my head! Can't remember what I did yesterday, but I still remember those lines of poetry! Weird how the brain works.

Just googled it and found the whole poem, it's called the The Romance of Britomarte
At 10:01 Jess said...: Lys - I saw that last night. Good for Google! At last, someone stands up and actually says something! About time.

I haven't suggested any horse quotes because all that comes to me is A horse is a horse, of course, of course/ And no one can talk to a horse of course/ That is, of course, unless the horse/ is the famous Mr. Ed. Which isn't quite what we're after, I should think.

A few people have been emailing me to say that they're thinking of doing something for Night Garden based on one of the pieces that are already up. This is exciting to me. I think we're going to see some very cool stuff. :)
At 11:06 One Sock Short said...: Panic!!!!

Run in circles!!!!

Okay, got that out of my system for now.
At 11:10 Hellie said...: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Just thought I'd join in with OSS. Everything ok?
At 11:16 Phiala said...: Oh yes, definite panic.

It shouldn't cause panic to discover that Monday is a holiday, should it? And yet...
At 11:29 Jess said...: Monday's a holiday? Oh! Of course it is.

Panic!! You're telling me: I've got a writing workshop starting up tomorrow, and I have no idea yet what I'm going to say. We've got two stories to critique, so that'll suck up an hour, but there needs to be a handout, and a schedule, and I have to find out where the books are, and there are comments to write up...

...so what am I doing? Emailing people about Night Garden. Prioritize much, Jess? Aagh.
At 11:32 spacedlaw said...: Sounds more like procrastination in the act...
At 11:39 Arwenn said...: Procrastination:
Prioritization gone
just a bit awry?
At 11:52 Jess said...: I'd get right on that
procrastination thing, but
maybe I should wait.
At 12:13 Chantrelle said...: Ahh, it rained yesterday. Everything is clean and fresh. It is supposed to rain more but at the moment things are just sunny and sparkly.

I had a lovely, unproductive birthday. Odd, those weekday birthdays. Hubby was at work (not a great day with google coming out about china, etc) and Ben was at school. I transcribed some of my interview w/ Kim Boekbinder and then read a bunch of Harry Potter Book 4. It's much more fun to read outloud to ben but i have to read ahead to make sure they don't get to scary or freaky for him.

And not to start rumours but did everyone see this picture of AFP posted on twitter by Boss?
At 12:17 vampi said...: i saw it, i smiled.
At 12:25 DataGoddess said...: Robyn, I saw AFP tweet this on New Year's Day, but it seemed to be just a silly comment. After seeing that picture, hmmm...
At 12:31 Chantrelle said...: Yep, i saw that too. Hubby and I were discussing how awesome they are together the other day. Either of them would be hard to be in a relationship with. Between travel time, tour time, creative/writing time. I couldn't do it. I did however point out that I would be able to live in Neil's house but only if it's transported here ;-)

They are the cutest.
At 14:27 louisa said...: The only horse reference I ever think of is Father Ted. Which is now firmly stuck swirling 'round my brain. my lovely [pause] horse, running through the [pause] field....
At 14:58 Rick W said...: I'm proud to say I got to meet AFP years ago when the Dolls did a charity gig in Lexington MA. Signed a CD for me. Lovely lass, that.
At 15:37 Phiala said...: Damn. A friend was diagnosed with breast cancer on Dec 27, and is believed to have about three weeks. She always was the efficient type.

If you've always meant to get to know someone better, there's no better time than now.
At 15:40 Marjorie said...: Oh Crap. That's the worst news, and the worst timing, Phiala. (and good advice)
At 15:41 Ms T said...: I was going to post about any number of things, but I was distracted by various AFP/Boss twitterings. Awww...sweet! :)

And Phiala, I'm so sorry about your friend. Thank you for your wise words.
At 15:41 One Sock Short said...: What a shock to everyone concerned. Not much to say except, except what? Such a short notice is dumbfounding. {{{Phiala & Friend}}}
At 15:46 Chantrelle said...: Oh Phiala! No words...hugs to you and her and family and friends.
At 16:03 Jess said...: Oh, my god. I'm so sorry, Phiala.
At 16:17 Dragonsally said...: Oh Phiala, that is hard. Thinking of all affected, and hugs to you.

And now, I must look at the Twitter stuff.
At 21:27 AletaMay said...: So sorry Phiala. Also a very good reminder.

Learned some stuff at a workshop today. I like it when these sorts of work things are actually useful.

Hey -- writers -- this month Crossed Genres is taking steampunk submissions. Some of you might be interested.

Work to be done. Later Fiends!
At 22:17 Jane said...: Phiala, I'm so sorry. We're never ready to hear such news. Maybe we should all take your advice not put things off.
At 22:24 vampi said...: oh Phiala much hugs and good thoughts for you and your friend.
At 09:21 Wendy Withers said...: I got more good news and bad news about my financial aid today.

PFFFTTTTT.

It's up on my LJ.

Now I'm going to go find a job.
At 10:34 dabbler said...: Phiala, Much hugs for you and your friend.

And Wendy, hang in there...scary for sure, but you've got possibilities.... trust!
At 11:21 Phiala said...: Thanks all. It's just so sudden and scary. I feel just awful for her and her family and close friends.
At 15:20 vampi said...: thought ya'll might get a kick out of this dickens or romance novel character quiz. a little more highbrow than a cosmo quiz...
At 15:52 Laura B said...: Phiala, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I went through something similar with my grandmother a few years ago where it was sudden like that.

vampi, fun quiz! I only got 13 of them right, though. I'm afraid I've not read a lot of Dickens novels.
At 15:59 Marjorie said...: Vampi, that is fun! I got 14, but would have to admit there was a big pinch of guesswork in there, I've only actually *read* 3 ot 4 Dickens, although I've seen a couple more on TV.
At 16:05 vampi said...: i forgot to post my score, which was 8, because i don't exactly like dickens. he lost me at mrs haversham.
At 16:08 Marjorie said...: We had 'Oliver Twist' as a set book at school, which almost put me off for life, then later I read 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'A Christmsa Carol' and decided he wasn't *all* bad. I've never read David Copperfield, but did read 'Bleak House' last year, keeping about 1 chapter ahead of the TV adaptation...
At 16:14 Dragonsally said...: 16 out of 20, but I do love me some Dickens.
Good quiz. We need more like that.
At 16:24 Ms T said...: I managed to get 15 out of 20 - and that was definitely down to guesswork since I've read sod-all of Dickens' work.
At 16:52 vampi said...: you know, i did like oliver twist and a christmas story. it was great expectations that really killed it for me. the whole analyzing every thing in class. it didn't help that i read the whole thing ahead of class, and the teacher yelled at me for reading ahead. that really soured a lot of things for me. i was a reader, why yell at a child for reading.
At 17:05 Dragonsally said...: What a terrible teacher Vampi, that is ludicrous. I studied most of Dickens books over my English Lit degree, but still love them. Mind you, I had to wait a decade or so after all that close analysis to be able to just enjoy them. Same thing with Austen and DH Lawrence.
At 17:16 vampi said...: yeah, i had quite a few english teachers in the "bad teacher hall of fame" and not just because i didn't like english. i had another one who frequently told us stories about his life, like how to make dandelion wine, with the recipe up on the board, or the time he was trimming branches on a step ladder with no spotter and a chain saw. It wasn't all doom and gloom, but the bad teachers were early in my school career and by the time i got to the good teachers, i'd already convinced myself i suck at writing and like numbers better. i discovered jane austin long after high school and do somewhat enjoy those stories, although sometimes the language makes them slow reads.
At 20:55 Siri said...: Oh, well, Mental Floss, of course. I love that mag. Read it on the treadmill and the minutes fly by...

13 out of 20. Not bad!
At 21:26 ariandalen said...: So sorry to hear about your friend, Phiala. I know what a shock such news is. {{Phiala}}

I only scored 6 out of 20 on the Dickens/Romance quiz. Not surprising as the only Dickens I've actually read was "A Christmas Carol," and I've never read the usual Romance novel.
At 21:32 Beez said...: *blinks*

I....don't think I can catch up here. Jeez Louise.

Smitten Kitten (been there), Koran horse quotes, butts....

I have some reading to do. Twitter just ain't cutting it for Fiendage.

Phiala- I am so sorry. (((hugs)))
At 09:17 FabulousLorraine said...: Morning all! Goodness I am behind on things! Must catch up, and do you a new post, I believe I promised you Magic and his fishies, didn't I????

Tonight, for certain, once I am home from work...
At 09:26 Arwenn said...: Magic and His Fishies sounds like a cool band name.
At 10:50 Rick W said...: Mornin' everybody. Wasting away at work, counting down to a mini vacation this weekend. Going to tour the Magic Hat brewery!

...Ok either something in this office doesn't smell right or *I* don't.
At 11:03 Jess said...: Buh. I just tried to post a comment through my email. I'm not sure that works. I wonder who I wrote to.

Oh well. Try again:

There's a bar near here which has Magic Hat beer specials on Mondays, but I've never tried any of them. Am I missing out?

I'm a Great Lakes Brewery girl, m'self. Their one-off seasonals are always really good.

Hmm. Smitten kittens, Koran horse butts, beer. Yup, we're on Quiche's blog, all right.
At 11:40 One Sock Short said...: Greetings from Boston. I'm busy stuffing my head full of things I don't understand. Yet. I'm at a one-day workshop on mashups and APIs for library data. I'm in even further over my head than I thought I would be. But it's giving me some context, so I know what I need to learn.

Won't see much of Boston this trip. I technically had half a day free yesterday, but after getting up at 3am, then flying here, a nap seemed more appealing than sightseeing.

Tomorrow, if all goes well, I get to meet another Fiend. Woot!
At 12:31 Wendy Withers said...: I feel optimistic today!!!!!
At 12:53 Marjorie said...: Hurrah for optimism and fiends meeting up!
And for it being the weekend now (or very soon , for those of you in the past)
At 12:54 spacedlaw said...: Yeaaah. Weekend. I am SO sleepy.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Lady Gaga!!!!!!!!!!

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