Pot of Gold Festival: Bleachers, Awolnation, Bastille, Fall Out Boy

This weekend I had the great pleasure of attending two of the days of the Pot of Gold Music Festival. The major acts I saw included Bleachers, Awolnation, Bastille, and Fall Out Boy. I also got to see Girl Talk, Chromeo and Milky Chance on the side stage. Festivals are one of my all time favorite events. Despite the fact that the artists are limited to a short set, the vibe and energy of a music festival is so unique.



BLEACHERS
I was so psyched to see this band. I grew up as a huge fan of fun., and considering that the lead singer/songwriter of Bleachers is also the lead guitarist of fun. made me instantly interested in the band. They're most well known for their songs "I Wanna Get Better" and "Rollercoaster" which are often played on the radio. One of my favorite things about loving a band is that you can almost guarantee that they will be even better live! (So if you ever get the chance to see one of your favorite bands live, never pass up the opportunity.)

The show started off kind of slow, but it only kept getting better and better. The band's stage set up really stands out compared to other bands. They have two drummers, two keyboardists, saxophone player, a bassist, guitarist, and lead singer; yet, there are only five members of the band. Jack Antonoff, lead singer/songwriter/guitarist, has an incredible amount of energy on stage. Even with some of the technical difficulties that occurred, his energy never wavered. I find that one of the best ways to find what the chemistry of a band is like is by watching how they introduce themselves, if they do it at all (I can talk for a long time about this, but I won't get into now). Jack introduced every member which was followed by them doing a wicked solo. The band spends a lot of time of just instrumental stuff, which I'm usually not a huge fan of, but they totally pulled it off.

Closer to the end of the show was possibly the best part of the whole night. During "You're Still A Mystery," the saxophone made an appearance and wow'ed the crowd. The saxophonist was beyond talented - he strutted around the stage and had everyone's eyes on him with some help from Jack shouting "The louder you yell, the harder he blows!" The saxophone solo was followed by a guitar vs. saxophone show down. The guitar would play something, then the saxophone would repeat it exactly and it was absolutely amazing!

Bleachers closed their set with "I Wanna Get Better" which is a song that I could never stop loving, despite how many times it is played on the radio. It was a great way to end the show, and they really seem to pour their heart and soul into the song.


AWOLNATION
I thought that Awolnation was a completely different band before I saw them live. I knew their song "Sail" (who doesn't?) and I guess I made this assumption in my head of what kind of band they are, but, wow, was I wrong. They are a lot BETTER than I had assumed. Actually, I have been listening to this band on repeat all weekend because they sound so good. Most of their songs are filled with really dark themes, but the vocals and beat draws you in to listen to more. It took me by surprise on Friday night when Aaron Bruno, the lead singer, screams the lyrics to almost every one of his songs. Don't get me wrong, it isn't all screaming. But when he did break out like that, to see him casually lean into the mic, hands in pockets, I has amazed that that sound was coming from him, a 36-year-old quiet kind of guy. Add that to his awesome dancing moves and it was an interesting combo, but a combo that keeps your eyes glued to the stage.


While their sound was completely on point and blew me away, I'm disappointed when bands don't make that much conversation with the crowd (even though it's usually the same kind of stuff). However, Aaron did say a really nice speech about music, pointing out that everyone in the crowd were there for the same reason - to enjoy the music and have a good time. That is possibly may favorite thing about going to shows and is probably the reason why I feel the most comfortable at concerts. Every single person is there to listen to the band on stage and enjoy themselves. The speech was followed by a song where Aaron requested everyone to put their arms around the person next the them, and before you know it, the whole crowd was swaying (I believe it was to the song "Jump on My Shoulders").


Awolnation performed some songs from their new album, "Run," that is set to be released tomorrow, March 17. If the album is anything like the songs they played, then I'll be very happy. I suggest checking out the songs "Hollow Moon" and "Kill Your Heroes" if you have never heard this band before (besides "Sail").


BASTILLE
If you haven't heard of these guys before, you are probably at least familiar with their song "Pompeii." Well, these four English guys put on a hell of a good show. Equipped with humor, seriousness, interaction with the crowd, and great music, Bastille has everything you could ask for. Between almost every song, Dan Smith thanks the crowd and is extremely polite and humble, especially considering that the band has been nominated for two American Music Awards, a Billboard Award, and two Grammy Awards. Dan Smith is mostly a vocalist, but he does have two little drums set on each side of the stage that he goes to from time to time. Being a front man is usually a hit or miss. For Dan, it is definitely a hit. He was born to do this and the audience can tell this by how comfortable he was on stage and his entertaining dancing.

Performing most of the songs from "Bad Blood" album, they also included the song "The Driver" from BBC1's rescoring of the movie Drive and a cover of TLC's "No Scrubs." One of the best moments of their set was when they played the song "Overjoyed" which was a cue for everyone to hold up triangle paper cut outs. The act was designed by some fans and the triangles were passed out to people before Bastille walked on stage. You could tell that they were all taken for surprise, Dan whispered "wow" into the mic and they all had to take pics of the crowd after the song. I love when the crowd can do something that amazes the artist.

During "Flaws" another special thing happened where Dan jumped off stage and then continued to walk through and around the perimeter of the crowd. I expected him to stay behind the barrier that separated the stage and fans, but that wasn't enough for Dan. As he walked over to my side of the crowd, I actually got to shake his hand! This was such a great way to interact with the crowd.


FALL OUT BOY
Fall Out Boy performed on Sunday night while the previous bands I talked about played on Friday. I signed up to volunteer on Sunday, and that was how I got a free ticket for Friday. I signed up to work at a station where I knew I could have a clear view of the stage, but that didn't happened. I ended up having to work in parking where I couldn't see the band whatsoever and the sound was okay. While that was a huge bummer, I'm still happy that I got to hear most of their set. Then, I was released early from my shift and got to catch the last 30ish minutes of Fall Out Boy's set and that made the night 10000x better.

I got to witness a lot of great songs, including quite a few songs from their latest album "American Beauty / American Psycho." Hearing those songs live made me love the album even more. I wish I got to see the crowd react to them playing "Uma Thurman" since that song is such a hit, but I did get to see other fan favorites. "Young Volcanoes" was made more interactive by having the crowd help Patrick sing the beginning of the song. They ended night with "Saturday" which never fails to impress me when Pete ditches his bass to scream into the mic instead.

I had the amazing opportunity to see FOB live last August so I had an idea of what to expect and in no way do they disappoint. Pete is really chatty with the crowd, and the fans love it when he gets shy Patrick to chat with them. Their guitarist, Joe Trohman, didn't play that night due to recovering from surgery. That inconvenience didn't stop the rest of the band from putting on an amazing and unforgettable show. However, I have to mention how different it is seeing a band during their tour and at a festival. That extra hour that they don't get to play at a festival makes a difference.


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The crowd at Pot Of Gold on
Friday night during Chromeo's
show.

Pot of Gold was a huge success. Tempe Beach Park came the closest it has ever been to selling out on Saturday night with Kendrick Lamar as the headline. This weekend was a great way to begin Spring Break. Tomorrow morning I leave for California for the next week! And today something very incredible and magical and amazing happened - I GOT TICKETS TO SEE BLINK 182 ON WEDNESDAY AT THE ROXY IN HOLLYWOOD. I have never in my life been so excited to see a show. I've been buzzing all day long. To be honest, I'm surprised I sat still long enough to write this post. The Roxy is a nightclub that holds 500 people. And blink are playing there. And I will see them. I can't believe this is real. I will also see blink on Sunday night at the Musink festival that Travis Barker is hosting. These next few days are going to be - I don't have a word strong enough to describe how awesome it is going to be. (*When I say blink-182, I mean blink-182 ft. Matt Skiba)


On a side note, because I was at the festival last night, I didn't do my weekly Sunday's Seven Songs. I also won't be able to do it next Sunday because I will be at the blink show. Not like that many people follow my blog, but I thought I would just mention that I haven't forgotten about it!

Looks like the next time I will blog will be after I see blink. Wow. What a thought.


Until then,
Nikole

Sunday's Seven Songs (Week Four)

February feels like it never ends. My least favorite month will probably always feel like this one because it just feels too long even though it's the shortest month. Anyways.... I watched the 1999/2000 show Freaks and Geeks which was unfortunately cancelled right after it got started. It's honestly one of the best shows I have seen even though it's brief, but it is just so relatable. I highly suggest it to everyone, especially high school-ers, and you won't have to worry about getting hooked because there's only one season anyways. Plus, it has young James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogan. Another show I have been completely hooked on is Parks and Recreation. Literally everything done and said on that show is absolutely hilarious. I can't even begin to explain what makes it so funny - just go watch it for yourself.

Well, anyways, here are the seven songs for the week:

1. Lock Me Up by The Cab
My sister started to play a couple songs in the car and it made me go rediscover their music. First of all, I have to mention that Alexander DeLeon (singer) seems like one of the coolest people ever. I follow him on Twitter and Instagram and he always seems to be enjoying his life and what he does and every day he seems to do something fun - whether it's working on music, hanging out with friends, going to Disneyland. The Cab came out with an EP about a year ago and I think they are working on new material, but don't take my word on that. I love the vibe of this song, just as much as I love the lyrics and the way you can't help swaying to the beat of the song.

2. Uptown Funk (Cover) by Fall Out Boy
I know there are a lot of people who would disagree with me on this, but I feel like Uptown Funk is extremely overrated. I feel like I was one of the last to hear this song, even though every other song on every radio station is playing it. I'm not saying it's a bad song, it's fun and catchy, but I'm getting tired of it. When I heard this cover by Fall Out Boy, it made me enjoy the song 100000x more. It's a guaranteed mood lifter, just like the tumblr caption said when I found it. Patrick Stump's vocals are perfect for this song and I can just picture the band playing this song which makes me smile. Pete Wentz, get the stretch. I find it impossible now not to like this song after hearing this.

3. Walking Disaster by Sum 41
I can't even remember when I started listening to this band and it's hard to believe that they have been playing since I was born!? "Walking Disaster" has always been one of my favorite songs of there's, despite it's sad theme. It's such an anthem song. I can't remember what got me listening to them this week, but I've had this song and their album "All Killer No Filler" on repeat. Honestly, it's probably because 5SOS just announced that they have been writing some songs with Deryck Whibley (vocals, guitar). Actually, Deryck announced last summer that he was working on some new Sum 41 stuff, so I'm still waiting to see if we're going to be getting anything out of that soon.

4. Let's Get Started by Dylan Gardner
A couple of days ago I got my new assignment for the last issue of my school's magazine. I didn't really care what the story was on, as long as it was about music. My teacher had some promotion stuff for an artist named Dylan Gardner, who I have never heard of before. That just made me more excited though. It's a new challenge, having to write about someone that I'm not already attached to and have seen live (compared to my previous stories on the 1D tour and Run 2 Cover). This 18-year-old multi-talented musician is extremely skilled at what he does. He was recently signed with Warner Bros. and his song "Let's Get Started" currently has over three million views on Spotify. He reminds me of a young, but modernized John Lennon (based more on looks and what I got from him from his music video, but not so much musically).

5. 18 by Anarbor
It honestly amazes me how much good music comes out of Arizona. Anarbor is an alternative rock back and it's hard not to fall in love with every one of their songs. I can have their latest album, "Burnout," on repeat for weeks. The album covers a broad range of emotions and I love when artitsts decide to throw a few alternative acoustic versions at the end. The acoustic version gives a deeper meaning to the song, but the original version is something that you can really rock out to. The beat is simple and the lyrics are catchy and easy to learn. I'm crossing my fingers that the band comes out of hiatus soon.

6. Addict with a Pen by twenty one pilots
I just found out that Chipotle (yes, the Mexican food place) is hosting their own free music festival that features twenty one pilots and some other musical acts. I think the point of the festival is to teach everyone how healthy and organic Chipotle is or something which is great, but the idea of a free music festival gets me on a whole new level of excited. Every song this band has written and the way they perform the show with so much passion speaks to me every time. There's a lot I can say about this song, but I really just suggest clicking on the link to the song and watching. Then you'll see what I mean about them performing with passion.

7. Come Sail Away by Styx
I mentioned earlier that I watched a show called Freaks and Geeks. So the show is based in the 80s and it has one of the coolest soundtracks of any show (which I had to look up since Netflic decided to replace much of the original soundtrack with cheap replacements). It really tries to capture the musical spirit of the decade and now it has me listening to bands like Styx. It's easy to forget just how amazing rock and roll bands were in the 80s. Last night I spent some time listening to Styx and it's so easy to get lost in this kind of music. I think I might be rediscovering some old classics this week.

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I made it a whole month with this weekly update! I know it doesn't get as many views as my album and concert reviews did, but I have to keep blogging somehow. As spring approaches, more tours and new albums are coming around and I promise you will see me blogging about that. Unless something comes up last minute, my next concert will be the Pot of Gold festival on March 13-15. Following that will be Blink 182 featuring Matt Skiba at the Musink festival on March 22. Before then, Tom Delonge's new album is scheduled to release on March 1. Lots of new stuff headed our way.


Until next time,
Nikole xx

Sunday's 7 Songs (Week 1)

I'm going to try something new for my little blog that will hopefully get me to write more. Each Sunday, I'll list the top 7 songs that I've been listening to for the past week. (Hopefully, I'll think of a better name for this weekly thing later.) It will probably be a mixture of songs I've had on repeat and new songs I discovered this week. I might change this idea or edit it as I go, but I really wanted to have something that encourages me to regularly update (kind of how youtubers are known to post a new video a certain day of the week). Anyways, here are the 7 songs.


1) Something's Gotta Give by All Time Low

All Time Low released their first single for their new album "Future Hearts" about two weeks ago and I have had it on repeat ever since. It's absolutely amazing. Everything from the lyrics (which are a mixture of motivated and sadness) to the energy produced from the instruments. It's one of those songs that you play in your car or in the shower and you can't help but scream the lyrics. If this is any indicator to how the rest of the album will sound, then I know I won't be disappointed. Their music video has an interesting plot twist, but besides that, it is just as great.

2) Favorite Record by Fall Out Boy

Last Tuesday, Fall Out Boy released their new album "American Beauty/American Psycho." I considered dedicating a post completely to that album, but for some reason I've put it off. I'll admit that I understand why they used the songs they did to promote the album because they were honestly the better half of the album. That doesn't mean the other half was bad. I've had the album on repeat all week, so I can promise the album isn't bad. Out of the new songs released on Tuesday, I've listened to the "Favorite Record" the most. As soon as you press play, the intro beat has your attention. I don't think you can get any sweeter than by comparing someone you love to the song that's been stuck in your head, to every song you've ever loved.

3) Go Go Go by Sleeping With Sirens

A few days ago, Sleeping With Sirens announced the release date of their new album "Madness" and the pre-order came with their single "Kick Me" as well as a new song, "Go Go Go." This song reminds me of early SWS which makes me really happy. The vocals are clear and it's just a fun, upbeat song. Even the music video is filled with the same humor that could be seen in their other videos. The band doesn't sound like they are trying to be something they aren't. I wasn't as thrilled with "Kick Me" as I am with this song. This song has gotten me even more excited for the rest of the album (which comes out on March 17).

4) Up 2 U by Walk the Moon

It's the vocals in this song that really catch my attention. The way Nicholas Petricca (the vocalist) starts the chorus with a little scream It's up to you! has me pumped. I've been happy with the entire "Talking is Hard" album. This song and "Sidekick" really stand out to me, though. There isn't any song on this album (and previous albums that I know of) that sounds anything like this song. I love when artist's throw songs like that in an album. It can either end up being a good or bad thing because sometimes listeners don't want change but it really comes down to what the artist wants to produce and I'm extremely glad Walk the Moon decided to include that song.

5) Shirtsleeves by Ed Sheeran

I listened to a lot of Ed Sheeran today because I was in the study zone and I had a good amount of homework to get done. I'm not sure if there is a particular reason why I play this song (and "Photograph") more than others, but I do. This song, like a lot of his other songs, is really mellow and relaxing. It's a really sweet song, as well.

6) I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco

I blame my sister for this one. I'm not too sure why she's had this song on repeat, but since she has, it's been stuck in my head all week. It's one of those songs where I think everyone knows despite whether they realize who the band is or what the song is called. This song is only a sneak peek to how talented this band really is. In my last post I mentioned that P!ATD have an album in the works and they haven't released any information on it yet, but I'm still hopeful.

7) So Much Better by Eminem

I can't even explain why I've had this on repeat. Over winter break, Kaitz and I played Eminem on repeat for hours and I haven't listened to him as much these past couple of weeks, but there are still some songs I can listen to over and over. Listening to it makes me really miss winter break though.

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I realized that this list is really good to show all the different kinds of music I listen to. I laughed just looking at how I can skip from Fall Out Boy to Ed Sheeran to Eminem. The more I wrote this post, the more I liked the idea about Sunday's 7 Songs. The reason I started writing tonight was because 1) I haven't blogged in two week and I miss it a lot and 2) I was trying to finish up my story for the next issue of the magazine and I cannot word it the way I want to. I thought it was kind of like a writer's block thing, but I seemed to write this pretty easily even if it took awhile for me to come up with an idea on what to write. I'll give another shot at the story tomorrow. I'm really close to finishing it, but for some reason I can't find the right words or phrasing.

Anyways, if anyone has any songs they would like to suggest for me to listen to, I would be more than happy to check them out. I love finding new music or rediscovering old music.

Until next time,

Nikole xx

The Most Anticipated Music of 2015

I got the idea for this post from Alternative Press magazine. Some of the anticipated music I'll be listing is also included in Alt Press's article, but I'm adding my own expectations. 2015 already sounds like it is going to be an incredible year for music and I doubt we barely know even half of the expected music to be released this year.

FALL OUT BOY
American Beauty / American Psycho 
January 20

Little by little, Fall Out Boy have been releasing songs from their album. "Centuries" has been by far the most popular since the song is played everywhere from ESPN to pop radio stations. They have also released "American Beauty / American Psycho," "The Kids Aren't Alright," "Immortals" (featured in Disney's Big Hero 6), "Irresistible" and "Uma Thurman." The songs are extremely promising and set some high expectations for the rest of the album. I've been looking forward to how the band would follow their last album, Save Rock and Roll, since it was such a large success. They've taken a few aspects from that album such as the story-telling technique. Based on their newest music video and comments from the band, the album focuses on an unhealthy love between the "American Beauty," Nancy, and the "American Psycho," Sid. Only a little over a week left until we find out the rest of Sid and Nancy's story.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
February

Three months ago, Sleeping With Sirens released their single, "Kick Me." This was the first sound of new music since the release of their last album, Feel (June 2013). The single was followed by another single called "We Like It Loud," which has some more rock vibes than their previous songs. The band decided to end their ties to their previous label, Rise Records, and instead sign with Epitaph in order to work more independently as a band. John Feldmann has also been helping in producing the album. The band is currently on their world tour alongside Pierce the Veil.

IMAGINE DRAGONS
Smoke and Mirrors 
February 17

Imagine Dragons were deemed by Billboard as "2012's Brightest New Stars" and "The Breakout Band of 2013." They also added three more Billboard awards to that list in 2014. Their last studio album was released in September of 2012 which was followed by a live album in April 2013. The band mentioned to Rolling Stone that the new album is mainly rock-driven with more hip-hop influences than their previous work.

THE MAINE
American Candy
Spring

This is one of the most anticipated albums of the year for me personally. I've grown to love this band more and more over the last couple of years and I even joined my first street team to help promote the band. Earlier this week, the band came out of hiding from the recording studio they were living at in Joshua Tree, California. They shut themselves off from the internet and dedicated themselves to the music. There hasn't been any released singles as of now, but they did release information about their new tour (which I have tickets to!). They've mentioned how they brought back some of their early pop sounds and tried to make the album not as serious as Forever Halloween was. The band sounds like they are about to jump out of their skin, they are so excited to release something new.

ALL TIME LOW
Future Hearts
Spring

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for this album and the new single that premieres TONIGHT. The last time we heard new music was in September of 2013 when the band re-released their October 2012 album as Don't Panic: It's Longer Now! which included some bonus songs. Just two days ago, All Time Low announced on BBC radio the album title and artwork. They were featured on the cover of Alt Press magazine as the most anticipated album of the year and the article by Evan Lucy is absolutely amazing and I recommend everyone to read it. They produced the album with John Feldmann. The band collaborated with Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Kool Kojak and Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. I can't think of a better way to describe the band's goals for the album other than how Lucy says it.
"If anything [All Time Low's] goal was simple: harness the parts of their sound that make the band great, amplify them and expand the sonic palette without losing sight of their roots." -Evan Lucy, AltPress

PIERCE THE VEIL 
Spring

Pierce the Veil have been working hard and long on their upcoming album and the only thing coming in the way of them putting on the final details and releasing it is the fact that they are constantly busy on tour. For months now they have been touring next to Sleeping with Sirens and they won't finish until early this summer. The band claims that touring and recording has actually been really helpful because they find a lot of their inspiration for new music while they are on stage and on the road. They plan to design their album based on their performance on stage, including some loud and exciting songs, but not forgetting about the softer places.

TWENTY ONE PILOTS 
Summer

There hasn't been much talk about a new 21P album, but the duo admits that it is definitely in the works and they are very worried about it. It's been quite awhile - two years -  since the guys last released new material. Tyler Joseph mentioned in AltPress that he was scouting in LA for someone to help produce an album. He described that the trouble was finding someone who didn't want to "polish" their sound. I love that the duo are staying close to their roots and not letting anyone change who they are. In the AltPress issue that they were on the cover of, they sounded like they had huge plans for 21P. Despite their confessions of being nervous, I'm looking forward to what they decide to release.

PANIC! AT THE DISCO
Summer

I hadn't heard anything about new P!ATD music until I read the AltPress article. There was an interview in September of last year where Brendon Urie stated that he wasn't sure if the fifth studio album would be a P!ATD album or a solo album, but according to his comment in the latest issue of AltPress, he is calling it a P!ATD album. The band is currently cut down to only two people - vocalist/guitarist Urie and bassist Dallon Weekes - so Urie kind of steals the show whether the music is released as a band or solo. Either way, I'm psyched (despite having to see some really talented guys enter and leave the band). I was impressed with the last album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, which was released about a year and a half ago, so I'm looking forward to see what else P!ATD has for fans.

MAYDAY PARADE 
Fall

Mayday Parade have announced that they are planning to experiment with their fifth full-length album. Their goal is to try to bring the raw human element that is seen on stage into the recording studio and onto the album. Their last album was released in the fall of 2013 and featured the pop-rock sounds that they are normally associated with. The band was traveling on their The Honeymoon Tour during the last few months of 2014 and have some international shows set for this year's spring and summer. I'm crossing my fingers to see them again at Warped Tour this year.

BLINK-182
Late Fall

A new Blink-182 album sounds like a myth nowadays. Their sixth
studio album was released in September 2011 and was followed by the Dogs Eating Dogs EP in December 2012. It's not like they've been sitting around doing nothing. Tom Delonge released an album with his band Angels and Airwaves in December 2014. Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker have been busy with their families and their own side projects. Even though whatever they release won't sound like the Blink most of us fell in love with in the late 90s/early 2000s, a new album is still a new album and it will show the band's growth and how they've changed. Delonge commented that the recording process for the new album will begin early this year and will have a lot of similarities with their self-titled album which was released in 2003. Delonge also mentioned in the AltPress issue that they are currently trying to find the perfect producer for the album. (I want to know why they don't produce it themselves since they all have experience in producing. Maybe they can't agree or something. Or hire John Feldmann because I've become a fan of his but his ideas may not reflect Blink's new sound...) I saw a rumor that they could be touring with Fall Out Boy and Cobra Starship this year, but it's unconfirmed (just think of how amazing that would be though).


**GREEN DAY

"I'm in a hardware store in queens. and this
is on my mind. #greenday15 #thefutureisnow
#greendayforever" -Billie Joe Armstrong on instagram

I have no information on a new Green Day album other than Billie Joe Armstrong saying on instagram that the band has big plans for this year. They released ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!  in September, November and December of 2012 and that was the last time they released anything new. A lot of events have been happening in their personal lives such as Mike Dirnt's wife developing (and beating!) cancer and the band's guitarist Jason White being diagnosed with tonsil cancer (which is said to be treatable). I hope after everyone is healthy again that they will be back in the recording studio soon and maybe even start touring again.



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As you can see, there is so much great music coming out this year. Think about all of the bands who haven't released information about new music or the artists that we may not even know yet. This year is going to be huge. Along with the music, I'm going to be graduating this year!? Actually, it's just four short months away. Then I move into a dorm at ASU and start my journalism major. Last week I interviewed a local band for the first time and while I noticed I have a lot to improve on in my interview skills, I had a lot of fun with the whole thing. On Monday I begin working at my first job at a local community college bookstore. It may not sound like much, but I am so excited to start. The closest I've come to a job is babysitting and tutoring.

I know it's been awhile since I last blogged but I promise to be more dedicated to this site. I've grown to like it a lot. I'm regretting not committing to this earlier. I love getting all my thoughts down on artists, albums, concerts and whatever else.

Anyways, I'm going to list the upcoming concerts I have coming up:

-Run 2 Cover (along with Jonny Craig, Kyle Lucas, Captain Midnite, Down with Webster, and So Loud) (January 17)
-Pot of Gold festival (March 13, 14, 15, 17)
-The Maine (April 3)
-Warped Tour (June 23, not sure if I'm going yet)
-APMAs (hopefully!!!!!!!!!!!) (July 22)

That's all of them for now. Well, I hope everyone's new year is starting off great and I will blog soooon.


Until next time,

Nikole xx