BEST. CONCERT. EVER.

Every Thursday, I get "The Weekly Round-Up," an e-mail from Rhode Island Monthly with various to-do's around the state. They have anything from concerts to art shows, petting zoos (I'm not kidding, there was one this past weekend!) to local festivals (i.e. Newport International Boat Show). I hadn't made any weekend plans, so I thought I'd take an extra close look to see what was going on over the weekend. I was a little disappointed by my options (ex: the petting zoo) until I saw option #5: RODRIGO Y GABRIELA!!!

I love all types of music, but it is usually my brother that ends up introducing me to new genres and/or groups. Ryan introduced me to Spanish bacchata several years ago (when we were still at Purdue), followed by Rodrigo y Gabriela some time after that. There are no vocals to any of their music (with the exception of a few yells here and there during live music)- just two acoustic guitars.

So, needless to say, I bought my tickets in less than five flat after I say they were going to be in Providence. The concert was at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, which is sort of a combination bar/concert venue. It has some seats right in front of the stage, as well as some in the mezzanine level. There weren't any seats left by the time I bought my tickets, but general admission was fine with me. (I mean, let's be serious... no way I'd be able to sit down and not dance during the concert!)

Some information on the duo, courtesy of iTunes:

Guitar heroes from Mexico via Ireland, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have been dazzling fans internationally since the release of their Rodrigo y Gabriela album in 2006. Armed with only a pair of acoustic guitars, the duo creates a full, energetic sound. Rodrigo covers leads and melodies, while Gabriela’s specialty is harmony, rhythm, and guitar-based percussion.

Before they became the most visible flamenco duo of the early 2000s, guitarists Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero bonded over heavy metal while growing up in Mexico City. They combined their talents for a time in the metal group Tierra Acida, playing around D.F. in the roughest clubs the city had to offer. Though they recorded some material, Tierra Acida never hit it big, and an album was never released. Instead, Sanchez and Guintero concentrated on learning more guitar styles, teaching lessons during the day and playing bossa novas in hotel bars at night. Bored and frustrated with their chances in the Americas, the two decided to try their luck in Europe instead.

Rodrigo y Gabriela traveled to Dublin, where a friend had offered them a place to stay. The musicians spoke no English, carried little money, and upon their arrival found that their offer of European hospitality had vanished. The pair soon turned toward busking on the streets on Dublin, a move that enhanced their reputation and helped land several contacts. Among their new found friends was fellow busker Damien Rice, who soon asked them to accompany him on tour. The Mexican duo had, by this time, developed a large repertoire of original material in a variety of styles, and they released their debut record with 2003’s Re-Foc. A concert album, Live: Manchester and Dublin, followed one year later.

Rodrigo y Gabriela became the newest fixture of the world music circuit, known for their nimble-fingered guitar work and diverse background (few flamenco guitarists could boast a background in metal music.) Their third album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, was released in 2006 and debuted atop the Irish charts, beating out Arctic Moneys for the number one spot. They continued to tour, making their way through Japan and America, and 11:11 expanded their discography upon its 2009 release.


Below are some of the pictures I took at the show, followed by a few short videos. (Don't worry, I wasn't one of those people that holds their phone/camera/whatever up to film the entire thing, how annoying.) Just like anything else, it's difficult to capture the whole experience in a picture or video clip, so take them for what they are worth. The last video is my favorite song, Tamacun.

After a few songs, Gabriela talked to the crowd for a bit. There's nothing better than watching people who are extremely talented and loving what they get to do, but even better yet, still thankful for every opportunity they have to play.

Every time I had a good shot, someone with an enormous head got in the way.

They played a short set (between all of their songs) with the intro act- one of the songs was by Pantera. How crazy is that?!

During a couple of slower songs...

My favorite picture from Friday's concert

If you ever have the chance, you *have* to see them in concert! For those of you in Indy, they are going to be at The Vogue on May 13!!!

Enjoy the videos!

Arts, Culture, and Exploration

I've been a very busy bee lately... I'm trying to fit in as many sites/attractions before my time in Rhode Island is up. We have had gorgeous weather the past two weekends, so I was able to do some exploring. I'll start with telling you about my Saturday in Providence and Boston (two weekends ago).

After a breakfast of fresh orange juice and Mini Spooners (the generic version of Frosted Mini Wheats... I actually think they are better than the brand... the cereal is much crunchier and has more frosting), I headed down to Providence to do some exploring. Both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are in downtown Providence in the College Hill district. Thanks to Rhode Island Monthly's weekly communication about upcoming events in the area, I learned that RISD was having several free activities on Saturday to compliment a new exhibit in the RISD Museum.

The Carrie Tower on Brown's campus reminds me of the clock tower at Purdue (When I was an RA on the eighth floor at Shreve, I had an amazing view of the tower... so many great memories from Purdue!). On the bottom of the tower is an inscription that reads, "Love is strong as death." (Kind of creepy if you ask me!)

The Van Winkle gates mark the entrance to Brown University. According to Mitchell in the Brown Encyclopedia, "They are opened inward to admit students at the beginning of the college year and at the beginning of the second semester and on Commencement Day are opened outward to allow the procession to pass through, at which time the graduates traditionally doff their caps."

The students frequently have art fairs to showcase and/or sell their work... I bought a pair of dangly, gold earrings that are made from aluminum cans.

This is a picture of the featured exhibit at the museum. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it. I drew things like this in kindergarten, and no one called it art, framed it, or paid money for it. (If you can't tell, the drawing is made up of cross-hatches and scribbles. There was another piece of "art" where the artist had drawn a square and filled it repeatedly with the alphabet. (It's a good thing I waited until the museum was free to attend; otherwise I think I might have felt ripped off.)

How about this for an admissions building?

I climbed the fire escape (don't worry... it had stairs and was somewhat sturdy) and took this picture of the city skyline. (Okay, so the trees are blocking most of the buildings, but I thought it was an interesting point of view.)

A church sits at the bottom of College Hill- doesn't this look like it belongs on a postcard?

I thought this was a charming old building... I love the name--"What Cheer Garage"

After RISD experience, I headed into Boston for another cultural experience. A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and purchased a GPS (tax return + amazing deal at Target = can't miss opportunity), which made it MUCH easier to a) navigate through the city and b) find parking. I can't believe I didn't own one of these earlier this year, but there are two sides to every story. I did get lost quite a bit, but without a GPS, you really get to know your way around an area. After a quick dinner (and changing in Uno's bathroom), I went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. About a month ago I received a notice (I am on so many list serves- you wouldn't believe it) that they were having a sale on tickets this spring. If you were under 40 years old, you could buy 2 tickets for $20 each (that tells you what the crowd is like), as long as you could show identification when you picked up the tickets. I didn't find out my seat location until I picked them up (they don't tell you), but I was in the fifth row!!! I loved being at the symphony... the music was beautiful and the backdrop was breathtaking (plus, who doesn't love to get dressed up?). The original featured violinist was unable to make the performance (he was stuck in Europe because of the ash cloud), but I was delighted to learn that there was a French horn soloist instead. For those of you who don't know, I played the French horn for 5 years (middle and high school). Learning to play a musical instrument is something I believe every child should have the opportunity to try- it teaches discipline, hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and an appreciation of the arts.

Here is a picture of the inside of the symphony hall... I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but I'm not sure my camera would even have the capacity or I would have had the angle for you to appreciate it. (Photo from the BSO website)

I did manage to sneak a picture of the light fixtures on the ceiling....

...And another one of my view of the stage (no zoom involved!)

I'm going to do my best to make a Boston Pops concert before I move back home, too--I'm just going to miss their July 4 show (I leave the day before), but I'm sure they are just as good any other weekend (and probably less expensive!).

Soul With a Capital S

After our grand food tour of the North End, my Dad and I took up Jim's recommendation on the best pizza place in the area- Regina Pizzeria. (This restaurant also came recommended by my brother who lived just outside of Boston for a summer.) We followed the directions and almost missed the place- the North End isn't that big but neither is Regina's.

It was a little chaotic and definitely noisy when we walked in- it reminded me of a cross between a small Italian diner and a mild version of an Ed Debevic's in Chicago. There wasn't a whole lot of order in the place- lot of shouts from waitress to kitchen to waitress across the room, people shuffling by each other through the narrow aisles. It was a good thing we were looking for pizza because that was the only thing on the menu. No salads, no breadsticks, no calzones. Just pizza. But I guess the best way to get good at something is to just make that one thing. The pizza was delicious... nothing you'd eat if you were on a diet, but they had the crust thickness to edge ratio down just right (thinner bottom of the pizza with a little more lip on the outside).

We got to Regina's just in time- when 6:00 PM rolled around, the line was already out the door.

After dinner, we headed off to Wilbur Theater in the Theater District of Boston to see Tower of Power. Originally from Oakland, California, Tower of Power is a funk and soul group that has been around for over 40 years. Not very many people know about them, but the ones that do tend to follow them around (I hate to say cult, so we'll call them "groupies," even though I don't think that is the right word, either). Tower of Power (of ToP, as they are often abbreviated) rarely come to the Midwest, so when my Mom saw that they would be in Boston, she jumped on the chance to get tickets for my Dad as a special present.

Here is a bit of the history on the theater from their website:

The Wilbur Theatre was built in 1914 by the Shubert brothers who named it for their friend and theatre manager A.L. Wilbur. It was built on the site of the former Winthrop School for Girls. The Wilbur was the first Boston theatre to draw its inspiration from American Colonial architecture rather than from European sources. It was designed by architect Clarence H. Blackall. To ensure authenticity, the porticos on the front of the theatre were copied directly from the 1837 Thomas Bailey Midrich House at 59 Mt. Vernon Street on Beacon Hill. This Federal Revival style is characterized by a quiet simplicity and intimate, almost home-like atmosphere. Architectural historian Douglas Tucci said of the Wilbur, "The auditorium is in its chaste way the handsomest of any Boston playhouse."

They didn't allow any photographs to be taken inside the theater (I hate this- can totally kill a blog post), which is shame because it is so beautiful. All of the original architecture is still intact. The building has lavish details such as filigree molding (is that a real thing?), a crystal chandelier, and a crest emblem with a gold "W" that I coveted the entire show. (FYI- for those of you that don't know, I am obsessed with monograms!)

There are three levels inside the theater- the top two had stadium seating that you would see in a movie theater today. We had seats on the first floor and were only about 30 feet away from the stage. It is a small venue (probably holds about 500 people), but they definitely pack you in like sardines. They had tables and chairs for seats on the first floor- bigger tables of 12 in front, and rows of chairs on the sides. The numbers of the seats were a little confusing, even to the staff. (I swear they had no idea what they were doing.) Not only did we get seated incorrectly (well, we actually sat ourselves), three other groups around us were put in the wrong seats by the ushers. Right up until the show started there was always some kind of commotion going on in our section about whose seats were where, what seats were extras, blah blah blah- it was hilarious.

Even if you wouldn't choose a funk and soul band to see in concert as your number one pick, Tower of Power is a great show if you love live music. You don't see a 10+ member band with a 5-horn section very often these days, and let me tell you, these guys can cook! I brushed up on some of the best of ToP the week before the concert- I mean, who doesn't love to sing along at a concert?

A picture of the sign outside Wilbur Theater

An old photo showcasing the interior

I probably took about 30 (illegal) pictures during the concert, none of which turned out. On top of that I didn't remember that I had a video function on my camera until the last minute of the concert when I saw a woman taping the show on her phone. I mean, I probably wouldn't make any money from selling it, but it would have been fun to have, especially since they were playing my dad's favorite song, You're Still a Young Man.

The best picture I got all night! Just a reminder that there's nothing like the real thing...

Click on the following links to experience a little ToP from your own home...

-Soul with a Capital S (my favorite)

-You're Still a Young Man (Dad's favorite)

-What is Hip (I love this video- it is from 1977! There are still 3 original band members playing today- isn't that amazing?)

-Diggin' on James Brown (Another crowd pleaser)

We definitely had a blast at the concert- thanks for the tickets, Mom!

More to come tomorrow about Dad and I in Newport...

Viva Las Vegas: Part II

On Monday morning, it was back to interviews at Midyear, but this time, the whole residency team was there! Although I am the only resident at my site, I have seven other peers across the country. I had the opportunity to meet them all in September when they came to visit Rhode Island, and I knew right away that I would have friends and colleagues for life. Fred and Kavita are at the site in Texas with Melissa and Giang; Lisa is in Arizona with Elizabeth; Andrea and Brandon are in Pittsburgh with Julie, Mary, and Jessica; and Sherry and Kevin are in Illinois with Lydia.

On Monday afternoon, we participated in what is called the "Residency Showcase." The set-up is similar to a job fair, except all of participants, instead of employers, are residency programs trying to recruit residents. For 3 hours, this giant convention room turned into a sea of people, all trying to find a program that is right for their needs. In years past, there had just been the resident and the director from my site, and with only two people at a booth, it can be difficult to manage the flow of traffic. This year we took a team approach and had the residents and directors from all of the sites, which made it much easier to triage the requests we were getting. By the end of the showcase, my voice was almost gone!

For dinner, Nick and I went to the Grand Lux in the Venetian, which I absolutely loved (I think I ate there 4-5 times while I was in Vegas!). I had the Asian salad (more than once-it was so tasty); I have been meaning to search for a recipe online similar to the salad I had. It was light and fresh- lettuce, carrots, crispy rice noodles (texture, people, texture!), a ginger dressing, and some type of small green herb that I couldn't identify (but liked nonetheless).

Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea

I'll have a big salad...

After dinner, Nick and I walked around the Palazzo, which is a tower that was added on to the Venetian. There are some glamorous stores on the first floor (David Yurman, Barneys New York, Kwiat), along with an illy cafe. The Illy cafe had more flavors of gellato and sorbetto than I even begin to name. Nick had chocolate (his favorite), and I tried the lemon ice and the cherry sorbettos.

Here is a picture of a fountain inside the Pallatzo... isn't it beautiful? They had another pool/water design (kind of like a modern wishing well), but I couldn't seem to get the right perspective for a picture.

I wonder who picks out the Christmas decorations for these places... I understand it needs to be over the top and a little wild (I mean, it is Vegas), but this just looked like the Loch Ness monster covered with lights.

While I was working, Nick did some research and bought us tickets to see the Blue Man Group. I have always wanted to see one of their shows (they are on my list of bands/groups/comedians to see before I die) but never had a good opportunity until now. If you've never seen them, it's a little hard to describe what their performance is like, but I think I've come up with a winning formula:

Gallagher (Remember the guy smashing all of the fruit? My other favorite was his painting of the United States)
plus the Three Stooges (At least one member of the group gets picked on/stands out/etc)

plus a mime (There was no talking during the show except for a short video)

plus Stomp (They focus on percussion, rhythm, and tone- another great show to see if you haven't already)

equals the Blue Man Group! (I know, this one is a little creepy)

You can't take pictures during the show, but here are a few highlights I found online...

The show started with these giant drums that had paint on the top and were used as drums (Dad, you would have loved this!)

Another part of the show used pipes for instruments- they changed the length of the pipes to change the sound (Sounds like a science experiment)

My favorite part of the show was when the rolls of toilet paper were passed from the back of the crowd to the front and then backwards to the back. They also had these glowing tubes that reminded me of the backbone of DNA (Wow, I am officially a nerd)

We snuck this one in before the show started... the people behind us thought they'd be funny and make faces in the background, hence the blurry face on the right-hand side of the picture. They apologized, but I don't really think they were sorry. (Note to self: do not tease young couples that want to get a cute picture together until after the picture has been taken.)

Nick headed back to Indy on Tuesday morning- luckily he wasn't delayed too long at the airport because of bad weather (his flight was changed, though, because of all of the snow in Chicago). On Tuesday we did some more interviewing, but it wasn't as crazy as Monday. I had a chance to walk around and catch up with some of my classmates from Purdue- how fun! I was told that 25% of my class was doing a PGY1 (Post-Graduate Year 1) residency, and I believe it- there were a TON of people there. It was nice to see so many familiar faces and hear future career plans.

I had been texting back and forth with Tony, a classmate of mine from Purdue, about meeting up sometime in Vegas since the previous Thursday and finally ran into him! Tony and I met the first week we were on campus through a mutual friend, David. Tony and I had so much fun during pharmacy school (I mean, as much fun as two kids could have during class)... to this day I am *shocked* that we did not have more professors tell us to be quiet or kick us out for talking during class. We tried so hard not to say anything, but something funny always happened. Either Tony spilled my Diet Coke, a professor would say something funny, I would spill my Diet Coke, or something else absurd would happen. One of our favorite activities was the "States and Capitals" game (much more interesting than medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, trust me); we became so well versed in the U.S. version that we had to move onto other continents to stay challenged. Tony is completing a hospital-based residency program this year in Ohio and plans to work in a hospital somewhere when he's finished (specific, isn't it?).

Here we are on our last day of pharmacy school (We are still friends, I promise!)

Look at these fine young scholars at Midyear (For one person who wasn't sure of what he wanted to do and the other who didn't want to do a residency, I think we turned out just fine...

To be continued...

Beating My Heart

It's hard to believe that Nick and I went on our first date one year ago today. Here is my account of story...

We had talked several times on the phone but hadn't had a chance to get together. Even though we were both busy, I called to see if he would be up for going to a concert with me (It was a Monday night, so I wouldn't have been shocked if he was on call or overnight at the hospital). I was thrilled to find out he would go and wanted to grab dinner before the concert.

Jon McLaughlin was playing at the Murat, and I had been thinking about going for a few weeks. (I think it was Chelsea who introduced Jon McLaughlin to me, but I can't be sure.) His first big break was singing the song "So Close" for the Disney movie Enchanted (I'm not sure the movie was that great, but it was still a break nonetheless). He is originally from Anderson, IN, which makes me like him that much more- he even has a song about Indiana (if you listen to it and are wondering, yes, it does make me cry). He had just released a new album entitled "OK Now," and I absolutely *loved* the CD. You can watch the video of his first son to be released from the CD, "Beating My Heart" here.

Nick suggested that we cook dinner at his apartment, and I was surprised to find out that he loved to cook. For an appetizer, he made baked goat cheese spread, and I instantly fell in love! (with the goat cheese, that is! He still makes it for me every time I come home.) For the main course, we had breaded chicken breasts, salad. and fresh fruit.

It was my first concert at the Murat (I know, can you believe it? All those years in Indy, and I've only been to one concert there!), so I was a little unsure of what to expect as far as seating goes, which was only listed as "open" on the ticket. After getting drinks, we sat in the middle of the room for a couple of songs, (It was a little hard to talk because it was so loud, but I guess that wasn't too big of an obstacle) but when my favorite song came on, Nick and I went up to join the crowd. We laughed, danced a little (more like swaying I think), and sang (well, that was just me). It was a wonderful night.

As a memento of the past year, I made Nick an accordion book and gave it to him when I was home at Thanksgiving. I picked up the accordion book kit at Paper Source when my mom and I went to Boston and then got the rest of the supplies at Jo-Ann's and a local scrapbook store I just discovered. I used two sheets of handmade paper to cover the chip board covers. Before gluing the back end of the paper to the chip board, I added a piece of ribbon to close the book, then glued the second end of the paper to the other board.

Here are a few pictures of the accordion book...

The front cover... I still need to work on my bow-tying skills

Here is the book on Nick's kitchen (kind of) table. The finished product is fairly wide...

...and takes up most of the table when spread out vertically as well.

Nick and Sarah: The Best of 2009

This is a picture from the St. Vitus dance last January. Erica took this picture and caught Nick looking at me (how sweet).

This picture from Jon and Myra's wedding in Fort Wayne. It was the day after we got home from Europe- guess we didn't get sick of each other on vacation!

The picutre on top is my favorite in the book by far- David took it at the Rathskeller. It captures our personalities perfectly. (I'm sure he said something ridiculous or was teasing me.)

The last picture is from my trip home at the beginning of November. You can read about this picture's story here.

It's hard to believe it's already been a year! I am very thankful that Nick has been so supportive of my adventure here in Rhode Island (we had only been dating six months when I left)... I am a very lucky girl

A Fox Drinking Wine in December

Saturday morning, I woke up to a phone call (this is a recurring theme) from my brother. He had seen a news piece about a concert that he highly suggested I attend- The Newport Folk Festival. Some of his favorite groups, including Fleet Foxes, Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, Langhorne Slim, and The Avett Brothers were all playing. Not having heard any of these groups myself, I decided to take his word for it and head down to Newport. I mean, how many times am I going to able to go to the Newport Folk Festival?

While I was driving into Newport, I was in absolute awe and said out loud, "This is gorgeous- I want to live here!" Because I got a late start (did I mention Ryan's call was at noon?), I didn't have much time to mosey around Newport. On Saturday afternoons, the traffic isn't necessarily desirable, and on top of that, the concert had already started. So, after a few wrong turns (naturally), I found Fort Adams State Park where the event was taking place. When I pulled in, I still wasn't sure that I wanted to go (the tickets were a little steep), so I turned around and got back on the main road. Less than five minutes later, I decided, "why not!" and came back to the park. Bonus: the parking lot attendant didn't make me pay the $15 fee.

Wow, am I glad I stayed or what?! It was a beautiful day... bright blue skies, sunshine, a slight breeze, the smell of water- just how I would have imagined it. This year happened to be the 50th anniversary of the event, so there was quite the buzz around Fort Adams. This was no ordinary concert. It had 3 different stages with staggered starting times to allow you to see more artists, so it was more like going to 4 or 5 mini concerts. There were people *everywhere,* but the crowd was very friendly. This may be the only concert I've been to where someone shushed (shhhhhhh) another attendee in the crowd AND they listened! There was a variety of age groups that were all very free-spirited... lots of dancing, singing, interpretive dance (I guess that's what you call it), and other visitors just relaxing. Nice change of pace for someone who's always on the go.

Here's one shot of the crowd...

... and this is the bridge to get onto the island.

The first group I heard was Fleet Foxes, which was definitely my favorite of the day. Lots of guitar but not too slow that you'll fall asleep. But the best part of all is the harmony of the vocals- just listen to any of their songs and you'll see what I mean. I downloaded one of their cd's from iTunes as soon as I got home!

Next up was Iron and Wine. I didn't realize that this was only one guy, or I would have made my way to his stage earlier. It was *packed,* and when I was at the perimeter of the crowd, I could barely hear him. So, using my crowd-weaving skills (Thanks, Ryan), I worked my way up to the 5-ish row. There were some chairs for this stage (it was smaller than the main stage Fleet Foxes played on) but standing was fine with me. He has a very soothing voice and was a great storyteller.


The last group was The Decemberists, which I enjoyed but probably wouldn't see again in concert (a little too hard core for me). They had a guest vocalist who was singing and moving her arms while onstage, which I found very distracting. I did like the accordion, though- it was a nice touch. (Made me think of Ron, who can also play the accordion).


At the end of the concert, Pete Seeger played onstage with his grandson- how sweet is that. I actually forgot to get any pictures, but I enjoyed their music as well. By this point, though, I was beat and ready to drive home. Rhode Island may be one of the smallestest states but it *still* took me over an hour to get home (New Englander driving to be explained in a upcoming post.)

This is what I'm talking about when I say it was a gorgeous day....

Thanks for the advice, Ryan- I probably wouldn't have gone had you not called me. I can't wait to go back to Newport and explore more! *If anyone knows someone who has a boat in Newport, could you please put in a good word for me? I would *love* to go sailing while the weather is still warm. (Although if you find someone, you can tell them I'll also go in the fall, too!)