"I am not half as patient with old women
now that I am one."
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
My First Time
In today's Los Angeles Times, music critic David Ulin had a charming article about taking his daughter to see her favorite pop star Taylor Swift play the Staples Center. The article captures that spark we get as youth seeing the artist we idolize play live, when we finally feel alive, energized and like nothing will ever be the same. I love that her dad was with her for it, and it reminded me of my first concert, which my mom took me to when I was 14. As a side note, I found the article through my favorite feminist news/culture site Jezebel, and the stories in the comments are great, too.
As readers of this blog/former listeners of the show know, Tori Amos is my number one, all time favorite artist forever and ever, amen. My fandom started during my freshman year of high school, when I would listen to Boys for Pele on repeat in the dark, burning incense and brooding. I was a charming teen.
When I found out that she was going to be playing the week of my birthday, I decided that I HAD to go. I had been denied access to seeing Hole and Garbage, but nothing was going to stand in the way of my seeing Tori. My parents were rather strict, so my mother insisted on listening to the disc before giving me permission. I was a little nervous, as the lyrics to the songs, not to mention the racy liner photos, might give her pause. Luckily Amos' singing is so breathy that my mother missed most of the dirty parts and agreed to take me. I think it helped that the show was in a theater, and she plays piano. It was decided that she would take my sister and I and we could each bring a friend. I was psyched.
The day tickets went on sale we sat around the kitchen table waiting for the clock to hit 10:00 a.m. so we could call Ticketmaster. Even just calling for tickets made me heady. Not only was I excited to see Tori play live, I was excited to see my first concert, period. I was so grown up!
The drive there felt like the longest drive of my life. I can still remember the butterflies I felt when we walked to our row, nosebleed seats in the top of the Rosemont theater. She played heavily from Boys for Pele and I don't think I breathed through the entire set. I definitly cried and had that rush of thinking that it was the Most Important Night of All Time. Eating at Dennys afterwards, I was pretty sure my mom was the coolest mom ever.
Of all the firsts young women go through, I think the first concert (or first time seeing an artist you truly, truly love) is near the top of the list of potentially life changing events. The feeling of community, of connection and exhiliration - it just can't be beat. Cheers to Ulin for helping his daughter experience that, and here's to all the parents who got our fandom and let us have our moment, our Most Important Night of All Time.
As readers of this blog/former listeners of the show know, Tori Amos is my number one, all time favorite artist forever and ever, amen. My fandom started during my freshman year of high school, when I would listen to Boys for Pele on repeat in the dark, burning incense and brooding. I was a charming teen.
When I found out that she was going to be playing the week of my birthday, I decided that I HAD to go. I had been denied access to seeing Hole and Garbage, but nothing was going to stand in the way of my seeing Tori. My parents were rather strict, so my mother insisted on listening to the disc before giving me permission. I was a little nervous, as the lyrics to the songs, not to mention the racy liner photos, might give her pause. Luckily Amos' singing is so breathy that my mother missed most of the dirty parts and agreed to take me. I think it helped that the show was in a theater, and she plays piano. It was decided that she would take my sister and I and we could each bring a friend. I was psyched.
The day tickets went on sale we sat around the kitchen table waiting for the clock to hit 10:00 a.m. so we could call Ticketmaster. Even just calling for tickets made me heady. Not only was I excited to see Tori play live, I was excited to see my first concert, period. I was so grown up!
The drive there felt like the longest drive of my life. I can still remember the butterflies I felt when we walked to our row, nosebleed seats in the top of the Rosemont theater. She played heavily from Boys for Pele and I don't think I breathed through the entire set. I definitly cried and had that rush of thinking that it was the Most Important Night of All Time. Eating at Dennys afterwards, I was pretty sure my mom was the coolest mom ever.
Of all the firsts young women go through, I think the first concert (or first time seeing an artist you truly, truly love) is near the top of the list of potentially life changing events. The feeling of community, of connection and exhiliration - it just can't be beat. Cheers to Ulin for helping his daughter experience that, and here's to all the parents who got our fandom and let us have our moment, our Most Important Night of All Time.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Festival For the Rest of Y'All
Summer is quickly approaching and with it comes more music festivals than you can shake a stick at. Chicago is home to festivals of all shapes and sizes, from street fairs hosting a bunch of music, to the stages at Taste of Chicago, to huge festivals like Pitchfork and Lollapalooza. Traveling festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and Lilith Fair will be swinging by nearby suburbs on their tours around the country.
Out of these, Lollapalooza is the largest, both in size and in stature. With 3 days, 91 bands and 34 DJs, and hundreds of thousands of attendees, it is a force to be reckoned with. Bands and artists who play Lolla have the chance to up their fame level and reach out to people who may have never heard their music before. I'm sorry, let me amend that - male bands and artists will have the chance to reach out to new fans. Because, much like last year, Lollapalooza is heavy on the dudes and light on the ladies. Of the 91 bands, 70 are all male and only 21 are female artists or bands with at least 1 female member. Of the 34 DJs, 30 are male and 4 are female.
With numbers like these, one would guess that there just aren't that many women involved in music. Perhaps they are stuck at home, churning the butter and making babies. But that just isn't the case. There are plenty of women, both musicians and DJs, to pick from. In 2010, the music industry is still an old boys club, and its biggest party of the summer, Lollapalooza, is a prime example of how rocking out with your co*k out still reigns supreme.
At least this summer we see the return of Lilith Fair. Started in the 1990s as an answer to male dominated summer tours, the need for an all female event is just as crucial today as it was then. And with an incredibly diverse touring lineup - depending on the city you could see folk, indie, pop, country, hip hop and soul all in one day - Lilith Fair is a refreshing answer to the phallocentric, hipster heavy festivals elsewhere.
Out of these, Lollapalooza is the largest, both in size and in stature. With 3 days, 91 bands and 34 DJs, and hundreds of thousands of attendees, it is a force to be reckoned with. Bands and artists who play Lolla have the chance to up their fame level and reach out to people who may have never heard their music before. I'm sorry, let me amend that - male bands and artists will have the chance to reach out to new fans. Because, much like last year, Lollapalooza is heavy on the dudes and light on the ladies. Of the 91 bands, 70 are all male and only 21 are female artists or bands with at least 1 female member. Of the 34 DJs, 30 are male and 4 are female.
With numbers like these, one would guess that there just aren't that many women involved in music. Perhaps they are stuck at home, churning the butter and making babies. But that just isn't the case. There are plenty of women, both musicians and DJs, to pick from. In 2010, the music industry is still an old boys club, and its biggest party of the summer, Lollapalooza, is a prime example of how rocking out with your co*k out still reigns supreme.
At least this summer we see the return of Lilith Fair. Started in the 1990s as an answer to male dominated summer tours, the need for an all female event is just as crucial today as it was then. And with an incredibly diverse touring lineup - depending on the city you could see folk, indie, pop, country, hip hop and soul all in one day - Lilith Fair is a refreshing answer to the phallocentric, hipster heavy festivals elsewhere.
Take Action on Equal Pay Day!
Equal Pay Day is today, and while I would wish you a happy one, its not a holiday for being happy. Equal Pay Day is a symbolic date when women's earnings into a second year finally catch up to the salary made by men in the previous year. While there's been some narrowing of the gap between men and women's pay in the last decade or so, it's unfortunately more attributable to more static salaries for men than increases for women. Over the course of her lifetime, the average women could loose out on over $700,000 or more in pay due to this inequity, an amount that makes a significant real world impact on things like retirement security, mortgage foreclosures, and quality of life, particularly as a woman gets older.
The good news is that the Paycheck Fairness Act is currently pending in the Senate, and you can help pass the Paycheck Fairness Act by writing to your Senators. Do it today!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Video Fridays: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
How about the new video from Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, "Tell Me"?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Witty Women: Quote of the Week
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
-Mother Teresa
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
-Mother Teresa
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights is THIS WEEKEND!
If you've never been to the CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights, you don't know what you're missing! Picture aisle after aisle of vinyl and CDs, just waiting for you to love them and take them home. Plus, there's beer and snacks, and live music and DJs! Best of all, it all benefits the Chicago Independent Radio Project and CHIRPradio.org. Hot tip: Print out this page, and you'll get a discount on admission!
Monday, April 5, 2010
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