First Day of Spring Quarter

Last night was just as incredible as the first. One change was made to the set list, though: "On an Island" was replaced with "What Do You Want From Me" from The Division Bell. This is apparently David's first time performing that song as a solo artist. It sounded great, nonetheless. I got two pieces of merchandise before the show: a small women's tour tee and a keychain. I'm wearing the shirt now. It fits great and I've even received a compliment for it. The keychain is attached to my car keys. I wrote on Facebook that this is a spring break I am never going to forget. It was truly special and memorable. I got to see my musical hero twice. I will always remember that, because I thought for a long time that I would never get to see him.

I texted my dad to record tonight's episode of Jimmy Kimmel, since David is supposed to be performing on that show. I hear this is a rare occurrence, as David doesn't often perform on TV shows, let alone talk-show programs.

Anyway, aside from David, I drove back to campus today to start the third and final quarter of the year. Can't believe it's already almost done. It's as if yesterday I was just moving in. I am taking four classes this quarter, all of which are breadth requirements. Breadth requirements are also called general education classes, as they don't have anything to do with your major. They're just classes you have to take to graduate. I had two meetings today. The first was my new English class. This class is more about writing persuasive and argumentative essays. I think I can handle that. We're even reading The Hunger Games starting next week. I'm going home this weekend since dad and I are seeing Steve Hackett on Friday, so I will grab my sister's copy of the book to take back with me. The second meeting was a lab that accompanies the lecture for a computer science class. It's called Intro to Computing. The class description stated it would be about basic computer use. Sounds doable…

On the drive back, I played two albums: Dark Side of the Moon, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I played Dark Side because I have had a strong urge to play anything that features David lately. I played Sgt. Pepper because I hadn't heard it in a while and it is commonly mentioned in the prog rock history books and documentaries I have studied. I actually ended up liking a lot more than I remember. I can understand better why it was such a landmark album. From what I've heard, it was basically the first album to introduce the idea of songs running into each other, as well as a certain concept surrounding the entire record, even though it's debatable as to whether the album is in fact a concept album. I don't know. You make your own conclusion on that.

3/26/16

I got a couple of emails from the professors of two of my spring quarter classes. One is for an introduction to computing and the other is for a class about contemporary poetry. I spent some time taking notes on the books I will need to get. I decided to step things up a notch and take four classes instead of three this quarter, especially since that is the recommended amount of classes one should take in order to be considered a full- time student. The books for the computer class are all online only, so that will save me some space in my dorm and in my backpack. I know I’m going to be busy this quarter, but I want to finish my freshman year as best I can. I can’t believe I’m already almost done with my first year. It went by so quickly.

Anyway, I’m very excited for tomorrow. Never mind the fact that it’s Easter Sunday, I will be spending the evening enjoying Mr. David Gilmour again. He’s playing at the Forum in Inglewood. I haven’t been there since August 2014, when I saw Arcade Fire there. Our seats aren’t great but I am still glad that we are able to go at all. Many of my friends are also going to see him when he goes to Chicago and New York. Some people I know were at last night’s show at the Hollywood Bowl. I heard that he added another song to the set list: “What Do You Want From Me” from The Division Bell. That makes me wonder if he will add or subtract anything at tomorrow’s show. We’ll see…

I have decided that I would like to get a shirt from the merchandise stand. Lately, I have been getting just tour programs at concerts instead of shirts, but since this is so special to me, I would like to have a shirt as well. I don’t mind getting one from a person selling them outside the venue, since I have done that before. It beats standing in line for ages at the merchandise stand. Plus, the people outside the venue sell them for way cheaper. However, there comes a certain problem with being a female prog fan: it’s often very difficult (and sometimes impossible!) to find women’s shirts. Most of my prog shirts are men’s tees, unfortunately, either because that was all that was available, or I didn’t like the women’s shirts that were offered. The men’s shirts do tend to be better I have to say. It’s very hard to predict what will be available at prog merchandise stands. Again, we’ll just have to see…

What Happened Last Night

Normally, when I write about a concert experience, I describe the event in as much detail as possible. I usually begin with what I did before the show, and then take you through the entire show song by song. I think I will do things a little bit differently, since what I saw last night was something I would consider to be landmark moment in my life. I think instead of going through the whole setlist, I will just focus on the moments that meant the most to me. Last night, I watched David Gilmour for the very first time at the Hollywood Bowl. It was 3 emotional hours of magic. I told Dylan afterward that David is to me what Stevie Wonder is to him: the very best there is.

When I heard David was going to tour, it was July 2015. I had previously accepted that he was retired from touring due to the tragic 2008 death of Richard Wright. David was (and still is!) my favorite musician, but I guessed that I just wasn't meant to see him live, so the announcement of a new album and tour was a wonderful surprise. Actually, it was a dream come true. I had longed to see David ever since I first heard him back in 2009. He was the first musician whose music moved me to tears. I had made in my mind a concert "bucket list," putting him in first place, over any other band I wanted to see. I even told my dad that he would not have to ask me if I would rather see David or someone else if tours overlapped, since he should already know the answer. It was a very long wait (8 months to be exact), but it most definitely was worth it. Just as I did with King Crimson, I left my phone in the car once we parked so that I could experience this show as best I could without any distractions.

The show consisted of two sets, with a 15-minute break in between. The first half was mostly dedicated to playing material from David's latest solo album Rattle That Lock. The second half was mostly dedicated to Pink Floyd material. However, both sets were beautifully done. It was a great combination of sights and sounds. It was colorful, and music filled the entire venue.

I have seen well over 35 concerts since 2010, from performances in venues that seated from 150 to 90,000. But none of them moved me or impacted me nearly as much as last night did. Last night was a night I had dreamed of experiencing since I was 12 years old. Last night, I cried at 3 different points in the show. I had never cried before at a concert, not even when I saw Roger Waters in 2010 and 2012. The first time was during David's guitar solo in a song called "The Blue." I have always loved that solo, and he played it so perfectly that the tears started coming and wouldn't stop until the song was over. I didn't want to make a scene, but I was fortunately able to cry in peace. The other two times were during the moment I had always dreamed of experiencing: the performance of "Comfortably Numb."

I've been playing guitar for 8 years, and have been a Pink Floyd fan for 7 years. Through that time, I have heard many people cover the guitar solo for "Comfortably Numb," and even attempted to do so myself at one point. All were good, but the one musical moment I longed for more than anything else was to hear David himself play it live in person, and last night, that longing was fulfilled. I teared up plenty for the first solo, but I mainly wanted to hear him play the last solo at the end, which is nothing more than the most wonderful, emotional, and soulful guitar solo I have ever heard to this day, and I have heard many great guitar solos. Once that solo started, so did the tears. I actually cried pretty hard during that time. They were tears of pure joy and satisfaction. I never thought I would get to experience such a thing. It really reminded me of why music is so special to me. I thought of all the wonderful people I now have in my life because of music. I have shared many great experiences with them over the years. Without David or "Comfortably Numb," or The Wall, I probably never would have been inspired to branch out and explore other bands that also worked to create meaningful and timeless music. Also, given the current trend of musicians passing on, I am extra grateful I was able to get the chance to see David while he is still with us.

Last night is a night I surely will cherish always, and I look forward to living it all again this Sunday night.

A big 10/10

Comfortably Numb

When I was 12 years old, my guitar teacher showed me a song called "Is There Anybody Out There?" by this band called Pink Floyd. It was truly unlike anything I had ever heard before. When I came home from practice that day, my dad said that that song was part of this concept rock album called The Wall. He said I should listen to it since I really liked that song I heard. Well, eventually, I did sit down and give the album a complete listen. When that album was over, I knew that it had taken great effect on me. For the first time in my life, I learned how to connect with music on an emotional level. The moment where I realized this was when I heard "Comfortably Numb." That was the first time a guitar solo had driven me to tears. That was my introduction to the genius of David Gilmour. From that song, I realized that music didn't have to be complicated in order to be memorable. Before that album, I had been introduced to the likes of Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, and Jeff Beck. All are great of course, but I believed that in order to be a great guitarist, you had to be able to play as fast as they did. "Comfortably Numb" changed that for me. The simplicity of the chord progression and guitar solo structure is what caught my attention. I had also never heard an album that followed a specific storyline before. Still today, that is my favorite album of all time, and "Comfortably Numb" remains my favorite song of all time.

3/21/16

I played a lot of albums today on the new turntable. They all sounded great even though they were old copies. To be exact, I played the following albums: Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder, The Yes Album by Yes, Trilogy by ELP, A Question of Balance  by The Moody Blues, and Year of the Cat by Al Stewart. I hadn't played my vinyl copy of Year of the Cat in a while so I was eager to try it out on the new turntable. My Crosley turntable, which I've had for almost three years, is a good starter record player, but nothing more. It's supposed to be the cheapest one you can possibly get. The biggest flaw I think is the fact that the tone arm isn't weighted really at all. I ended up having to tape a quarter to top of it because the lack of weight would cause the needle to skip on any record I put on, including brand new ones. The quarter made a huge difference, because now it never skips, except on extremely rare occasion. It's also great that my Crosley record player is portable, with a carrying handle attached to the side of it. That makes me able to take it with me to and from campus. Spring break is only a week long but I didn't want to go that long without it so I brought it home with me.

I got an email a few days ago that Ian Anderson will be making a stop in Riverside this October with his new rock opera, Jethro Tull. I couldn't pass up the opportunity (even though it's on a Tuesday), so we were able to get a ticket. Just one though. My dad won't be able to make it since it's in the middle of the week. It won't be the same going by myself, but I am still looking forward to it. I read some Ticketmaster reviews of the show. It seems as though people either loved it or absolutely hated it. I didn't find many in-between reviews. Most of the bad reviews were from people who were complaining about the condition of Ian's voice or expecting to see the full Jethro Tull band.

Only three days left until David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl. I can hardly wait. Eight months passed by extremely quickly. I've said this before, but I can't believe that it's already here. It's surely going to be a great night. I've never been to the Hollywood Bowl before. I hear it's a great venue so I am really looking forward to that. King Crimson taught me the importance of "embracing the moment," so I don't plant to take any photos at the show. I think that will allow me to enjoy the show more instead of having to stress over getting photos.

3/17/16

We finally got my new turntable set up downstairs in the family room. I got it for my 18th birthday but we didn't have a good sound system to hook it up to. It took 14 months for this to happen but I'm glad we finally succeeded.

I only got Fulfillingness' First Finale yesterday and I've already heard it 3 times. It was the first album I played on the new turntable. Sounds much better than it does on my Crosley portable turntable. On the new one I also played side 1 of Diamond Dogs as well as some of my 45s.

I think I'll give disc 2 of that collection of The Nice recordings the owner of my local record store let me borrow yesterday. I really liked the first disc so I imagine I will like disc 2 as well.

Only a week left until I see David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl. David is my musical hero so I'm super excited for this. We got our tickets back in July so it's been a long wait. Hard to believe it's already almost here. Time really does fly. I got a vinyl copy of his new solo album Rattle That Lock so I could frame it in my dorm. I like his third solo album On an Island better, but I'm happy with this one too. I haven't looked up any past set lists because I want to go in surprised. I'm seeing David twice. Next Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl and next Sunday at The Forum. The first show I'm going to is the first night of his US tour, so I'm expecting there to be a ton of energy from everyone. We'll see…

3/16/16

I'm finally home for spring break! I can't believe the second quarter is already done. I think it went faster than fall quarter to be honest. I've heard people say they think spring quarter is the slowest of the year, but that's not how it felt to me.

Anyway, I went out for a few hours today because I was home alone and feeling bored. After I grabbed lunch, I made a stop at the record store I would go to almost once a week after school back in high school. It's a great place. It's small, but there's so much you can find there. My main goal was to look for Stevie Wonder vinyl because I really would like to explore more of his music since I've liked what I've heard so far. I picked up a copy of Fulfillingness' First Finale, since that is the next one Dylan recommended I get. He calls this album Stevie's "darkest" record, since it was released right after Stevie was in a bad car accident that put him in a coma for a bit. I played it as soon as I got home and really liked it. I think I will listen to it again before I go to bed.

That's not all I got. I also picked up a copy of The Yes Album as well as On the Threshold of a Dream by The Moody Blues. I do have a copy of that album, but it doesn't include the gatefold (I love gatefolds!) or lyric book, so I got a copy that had both of those things. When I went to pay for my records, the owner of the store noticed my Greg Lake Songs of a Lifetime shirt. He's seen me many times in the past but has only spoken to me a few times because I'm not much of a talker. Anyway, he asked if I had seen Greg in concert. I replied that I had and that I also met him after the show. The owner asked me what that was like. I told him Greg was definitely the kindest rocker I had ever met. We then started talking about the tragic death of Keith Emerson. He didn't understand why Keith had done what he did, so I told him that Keith had been suffering from depression for decades and also from a condition that was impairing his right hand. He then asked me if I had heard any music from Keith's first band, The Nice. I told him I had only heard their album The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack, but nothing else. As I was about to leave the store, he stopped me and offered to let me borrow a copy of a collection of The Nice recordings from 1967-1969. If I like it, I can come back and pay for it. If not, I can simply bring it back. I accepted the offer. I've only heard the first disc so far, but I definitely like it. Keith really was something special.

 I'm finding it a bit hard to listen to any ELP lately, as do some of my friends. I'm just taking this one day at a time.