Current mood: electric
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart
Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
~ "The Scientist" by Coldplay
In 48 hours I will be in a car driving South! I am really looking forward to being in New Orleans this weekend! There is nothing quite like road tripping with Ali-Son. She is one of those friends who will let you get wild and crazy – while keeping you 100% safe. And unlike last year, where I was rather tame and wanted to enjoy and remember my first trip to New Orleans, this year I am ready to remember nothing.
We should be pulling into the city around Midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning –just in time to grab a drink or four on Bourbon Street then head over to Café Du Monde for some beignets and café au lait! I don't have any idea where we are staying or with whom. I don't care, actually. Like I said, I trust Ali-Son to take care of me.
This time around, however, I do have some goals.
1. Do not trip and fall on a public street.
2. Know where the car keys are at all times.
3. Use feminine wiles to avoid long lines for alcohol at Voodoo
4. Take pictures
5. Find the Praline lady
These are not lofty goals – well, except the first one – but they may still present a challenge as the weekend goes on. I also need to buy some sunglasses before I go since I have misplaced my fake Versace's and broke the ones I bought in San Diego. This situation is why I refuse to invest more than 20 bucks in a pair of sunglasses. I am looking forward to warm weather, friendly people, southern drawls, and some incredible music!
CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: I cannot explain it either - but that's okay. I don't need an explanation for it to 'just make sense'.
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For those who missed it – here is a recap of our trip from last year:
"[28 Oct 2007 | Sunday]
There's One Less Fall Out Boy Fan in the World Tonight
Current mood: drained
Category: Music
This weekend was a whirlwind of music and sights and more music. I spent my first trip to New Orleans on Bourbon Street and at New Orleans City Park – for the Voodoo Music Experience. An experience, it definitely was. In fact, it ended at 5am this morning, as I pulled my friend's car into my apartment complex – just in time to get an hour nap before getting ready for work.
Here is a quick rundown of the weekend – in Awards Show format.
Most Graceful Moment: Crossing the street – heading into City Park, I apparently missed the curb – started to fall – quickly recovered, then tripped again – sending me careening in slow motion towards the asphalt. Luckily my karate skills kicked into high gear and I spread the impact throughout my entire body. I skinned my knee and scraped up my palms pretty badly – but I didn't break anything and the only laughing witnesses have been disposed of. It was New Orleans after all.
Best Breakfast Ever: The Café Du Monde Beignet and Café au Lait. A beignet is a square piece of dough, fried in vegetable oil and lavishly covered with powdered sugar. The Beignet is also known as the French Market Doughnut, and is the Louisiana State Doughnut. They use Cottonseed oil at the Café Du Monde. I could have eaten there for days. Yummers!
Most Surprising Act at Voodoo: Paolo Nutini. I watched him because my friend, Veggie Girl, loves him. He is a Scottish Songwriter. Though he danced like he had to pee during his entire performance, his show was fantastic. I am now a fan. Plus, his Scottish accent is kind of sexy – though I could not understand a single thing he said besides "thank you".
Best Miracle of New Orleans: Long story short – Sunday (Day 3 of the festival) – we are leaving the park, after 8 non-stop hours of musical extravagance. And Ali cannot find her keys. Seriously – we emptied her purse, pockets, etc, no keys. 5 sets of keys at the Lost and Found – none of which were hers. We walk through the very dark, very scary park toward her car, where I open the back door (oooops – no locked door) and there are no keys. Then she says, "No Way!" There are her keys, sitting ON the trunk of her car, in plain sight – on a very busy intersection in New Orleans – for 8 fricking hours! We did a 'praise Jesus' dance in the street, and thanked the SoCo beads for their part in it all.
Most Disappointing Old School Band: 'Smashing Pumpkins'. Billy Corgan looked old, tired, and like he felt he was entitled to fandom – without any work. He was "God awful – we left after song 2" said one former- fan. We stayed a little longer than that – but it was a huge disappointment. They should have stayed broken up. Bloody Hell!
Performance that lived up to All the Hype: Plain White T's. They were fantastic. They had energy, a sexy-yet-nerdy look, and that boy can sing. Wow! They played at 11:45 in the morning, and you would think they were headlining a sold-out crowd based on the energy and effort they put into their too-short show. I was so pleased that these boys from Chicago could put on a show of that caliber. Plus – who doesn't love "Hey there, Delilah"?
Friendliest People: The guys who shared their blanket so I didn't have to lay my head on the ground in a muddy field – the people who didn't rob me while I slept during 'Clap Your Hands and Say yeah' and that girl at the ATM who posed with me in a photograph for those guys who also hated the Smashing Pumpkins show!
Worst Live Performance Ever: Hands down, this award goes to 'Fall Out Boy'. They sound great on my iPod – but that is where it ends, folks. These dreamers cannot play their instruments – they cannot sing for shit – and even Pete Wentz (the Emo-poster child) only impressed me with his ability to wear all black – including a ragged hoodie – on a very hot day. They sucked. 'Gym Class Heroes', 'Plain White T's', and 'Cute is what we aim for' should abandon the tour and form their own before the crappiness plagues them as well.
And that, my friends, was my weekend. See ya next year at the 10th anniversary -- VooDoo Musical Experience 2008 – New Orleans."
