If you will remember from yesterday’s post about how kickass my fave local band Redline Addiction is (are you following them on the Tweet yet? Liked them on Facebook? Bought their albums??? GET ON IT!)- there’s another very important part to this Challenge; the “Personal” aspect.
Personal: What three musical moments have impacted your life most?
Let’s do this.
Moment The First!
When I was still a wee Masshole in the 4th grade, I got my very first CD. I played it over and over and over and OVER until I’m sure my parents wished I’d never heard of that hot new band…
ACE OF BASE!!!!!
Not only did I have the album on repeat for the better part of 1994, my teeny bopper pals and I choreographed an entire dance routine to “The Sign”- a very, very literal one- and performed it at my elementary school’s talent show for all the world to see.
Even as a munchkin, I knew not what “embarrassment” was. And I’m about to prove that I remember every. last. move…
It was cuter when I was 10. Promise.
(The crimped hair, BoSox t-shirt, and super-flared jeans are all throw backs to my years as a 90′s kid in New England. Wicked pissah, right??)
Moment The Second!
When we made it to middle school and decided that Swedish pop bands weren’t cool enough for us anymore, my super edgy friends and I dove into the swing and ska phase that swept the nation. (I guess we weren’t so edgy after all, huh.)
I’ve always loved the old school big bands and brass boys- Glenn Miller, Duke, Dizzy, Benny Goodman, Louie Armstrong. But with the arrival of Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (whose album my father refused to buy me- ha!)- my love of horns suddenly had a modern place in my life.
When The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, my MOST FAVORITE BAND EVER IN THE WORLD WORLD AT LEAST THIS MONTH ANYWAY I’M A TEENAGER AND I’M FICKLE, YO!!! came to town, I begged and begged and begged my parents to let me go to my very first concert, unsupervised, on New Year’s Eve, with a pack of 14 year olds. They said no approximately 4,389 times… and then relented just in time for a very convenient Christmas present.
We were having an okay time at the Worcester Centrum, but we wanted to get down to the floor where the actual skanking was going on! Only problem was, you needed a very fancy (read: expensive) orange wristband to do it.
So, we did what any kid would do. We bought king-sized Reese’s cups (orange!), and folded the wrappers into “bracelets.”
I don’t think we fooled the guards for one second, but they must have felt sorry for our pimply little faces, because they let us onto the floor, where we proceeded to have the Best. Night. Ever. Of our pathetic adolescent little lives, anyway.
I still have that Reese’s wrapper.
Moment The Third!
Throughout my life, whenever someone has asked me who my favorite artist of all time is, I’ve not once hesitated. It is, without question, Billy My Main Man Joel.
As long as I can remember, his songs have moved me like no one else’s. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, She’s Always a Woman, The Entertainer, Piano Man, Captain Jack, We Didn’t Start the Fire, The Longest Time, Uptown Girl… (well, okay… ALL OF THEM, basically).
And yes, especially “Only the Good Die Young,” even though I will never forget this moment; my father and I were driving home listening to it (Hi, Dad!), and at the tender and awkward age age of 16, I proudly belted out every last word. He pulled into the driveway, stopped the car, looked at me, and said,
“Do you know what that song is about?”
OHMIGOD OHMIGOD WE ARE SO NOT HAVING THIS TALK RIGHT NOW EFFFFFF MY LIFE!!!!!!
Somehow, that moment passed without me dying. And years later, when I finally- finally- got to see my musical hero live in Madison Square Garden… that is a night I will never, ever forget.
It is, undoubtedly, one of the very biggest checks on my Bucket List.
LOVE YOU BILLY, you musical genius you!!!
Bonus Round!
I promised to RickRoll a bar if y’all got me to 3,500 followers on Twitter, and by George, you did it. So last Friday at our DC Amazeballs Happy Hour, I dragged the crew over to one of my favorite spots in town, Fado, who not only allowed us to partake, they supported me throughout with Tweets and Facebook posts. You guys are the best!
Karaoke has always been one of my favorite extracurricular activities, and the Ginger’s is often my go-to song… so in short? I’d say we rocked it.
Update: So, I just watched the Ace of Base and Rick Astley videos and succession, and I realized that my skills as a choreographer are currently EXACTLY the same as they were when I was 10.
Like the post tag says, it’s a good thing I make a mean martini. (And a mean tweet. There’s no dancing in tweeting, right, MTV?!)
{ 63 comments }
I was very proud to witness the Rick-Roll in person!
And karaoke with you is my favorite EVER!
Heh, so glad you fixed the first video. <3 it. (And that song)
First video doesn’t work. says it’s private.
BTW- you are fabulous.
A girl after my own heart. I have HOURS of video tape – yes VIDEO, as in VHS – of my besties and I belting out Billy Joel while I played the piano. Some of my favorite memories ever.
Oh, and I met Reel Big Fish. Before they got Real Big. They played at my brother’s fraternity!
Billy Joel Live has to have been one the highlights of my life, as well. (Nevermind that we got the tickets because the friends our friends had originally invited bailed on them…)
And, when I grow up, I want to be LiLu.
Awesome. Just awesome.
The Rickroll? That was awesome. Just awesome.
i’m totally booking you for my next party. done and done. philadelphia is so not far. it’ll be smashing!
haha love the videos, you are ridiculous and i love it all.
Girl.
That was so much awesome I kind of teared up (and NO I am not PMSing….that much….)
First, MAD SKILLZ dancing to Ace of Base. Props to you, because I would never EVER do that and post it online.
Second, Billy Joel is my absolute, no-questions-asked favorite songwriter/singer/performer EVER. I listened to his greatest hits cd so many times I had to replace them. Twice. Thank God for iTunes.
Anyhoo, I love what you’re doing and hoping you’ll win the MTV TJ Challenge!
Later, Holmes.
Mommy had that Ace of Base cd, too – but all of her embarrassing lip sync routines were to Paula Abdul songs.
I saw the Bosstones in Philly on Halloween about 10 years ago. Kick ass show. I’d love to see them again, but sadly they have no Florida tour dates.
Loved the Rick Roll video. Finally, there’s a person more tone deaf than me!
ACE OF BASE WAS THE SHIZZZZ!
This post is made of win. Hands down.
HELL YES BILLY JOEL.
That is all.
Okay, that’s not all. Those videos are freaking hilarious! Love it.
you’ve outdone yourself. seriously. as i sit on my couch, pantsless & watching reality tv, i raise my glass to you.
Watching you dance might actually make me move to DC. At least temporarily so I can see it in person Friday night after Friday night. I’m not even kidding. Also? See you in approximately one month.
WAM BAM
check out this band, please
http://www.myspace.com/jakehillsings here’s their latest video http://vimeo.com/13024113
I love the fact that your cat made a cameo at the end of your Ace of Base video!
i love that axe murderer (murray?) no i’m pretty sure it’s axe murderer wandered in to participate in the ace of base video magicalness.
Omgggg you are awesome. Your music taste is oh-so-much cooler than mine. For me it would be: 1. 4 Non Blondes 2. Green Day 3. Eminem. Yes, Em. No judgment pleaze!
Yes! There is so much fabulous in all of this!
OMG! You are the best. I love that you fill up my twat box with all your tweets. I love that you are just a goofy goob! I love it all! WORK IT GIRL!
OMG! I am a long time lurker but just HAD to comment…Ace of Base was my very first CD, too!!!! It’s all I listened to for months and months. Oh, and love, love, LOVE Reel Big Fish!! I still have both those cd’s still today!!!
True story: I once mentioned at a work lunch that I wanted to be Billy Joel’s next teenage wife. I may or may not have been totally serious. You’re pretty much my new favorite person.
Also, I miss the Centrum back when it was the Centrum. Brings back such fond memories of Disney on Ice and the Fashion Outlets.
Dear God… Ace of Base. There are long-repressed memories struggling to break free at that video.
PS: the RickRolling is hilarious. Way to go!
I can totally listen to a song and relate it to some part of my life. Case in point(s): Ace of Base – 8th grade graduation cruise; Less than Jake – Junior Summer in High School when we thought we were cool. Do you do that or am I just the weird one???
…and now I’m listening Less than Jake, bopping my head around, re-living my glory days in.my.house.alone. Thanks, LiLu, thanks. (and for the love of God, could they please create a sarcastic font already???)
Haha, my favorite part of that first video is when the kitty jumps in front of the camera. LOVE. As for the second video, all I can say is I freakin wish I had been there! You are hilarious.
So I totally did one of those “fake” music videos to Ace of Base at Six Flags in the early 90s. I’m glad I don’t know where that VHS tape is.
And the Rick Rolling? Well you know I loved it and being there for you, despite the fact I seemed to take more in the video than be a back up dancer. Now if you had needed a ballet back up dancer (or do in the future), then I’m your girl! Let me know what else I can do to help you on the quest for MTV Twitter Jockey! xoxox
Ha! Now you’ll never be able to run for president, but I lust you anyway!
A. I voted as soon as I could.
B. YOU DANCE LIKE ME. Obviously long lost friends.
(okay confession time)…lemme first preface with this, ive had a few glasses of wine and im tired, but for like the first 10 seconds of the video, i really thought you were showing a video from when you were 10 years old…hahaha sorry if im the only one amused by that…
-i think i may have been one of about 100 black fans they had
oh, my heart and soul, i ADORE me some billy joel. at least four really integral parts of my life involve billy joel lyrics. i once had a guy i have this intensely complex relationship with “dedicate” “she’s always a woman” to me while we were driving to the beach together late one night in his car.
ok, i’ll stop now. late-night nostalgia…
(and i LOVE the ace of base vid!)
Amazing moves….I can’t judge though…..that’s exactly how I look everytime I hit a dance floor *sigh* I’m not blessed with grace or sexy-improvness!
And LOL to the awkward Dad moment….I’ve had too many of those!
I love how the cat was like part of the finale of the AOB video- just in time, just jumped up to counter. And those were definitely the same kind of moves I had when I was 10.
You crack me up. AND make me feel super old since that Ace of Base album came out when I was in COLLEGE!
that rickrolling was awesomeness, i knew you’d pull that off!
Those two videos just made my LIFE. I’m so sad I couldn’t make it there in time for everything on Friday!
Funny thing is – Saturday I was in the car switching through XM channels and I heard that song and just about died laughing!
I don’t know if I love you more or less for the Ace of Base video… Ah, who am I kidding? It’s definitely more. I also choreographed a smoking dance to this song… Mine required a mask made from a paper plate taped to a pencil and my mom’s old graduation gown. The only people lucky enough to see that performance were my parents. And I haven’t impressed them since.
Ace of Base may or may not be on my iPod
I could not be more impressed with that Ace of Base video.
Okay, that “The Sign” dance is precious. Although I’m also just a huge sucker for the song. Are you a Mountain Goats fan? John Darnielle covers “The Sign” pretty frequently (oh god so indie) and has a similarly literal routine of hand signals that’s pretty similar to your genius choreography.
Link to a video (without hand signals, sadly) that I’ll admit is totally, totally my default cell ringtone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsXLl2QDrKo
Your Ace of Base talent show video reminds me of the time in 4th grade when EVERYONE (including myself) sang Mariah Carey’s Hero. And I’m pretty sure we all sounded awful…well not me of course, I was awesome-sauce, but everybody else was terrible.
I have to second what a couple of others have already said:
Cat Cameo in the AoB video is my fav.
Lookin’ good! I love that you still know the dance moves. You’ve just proven yourself times 1000000000000000000000 that you will be great for this job.
WHAT IS A RICK ROLL? also… the videos aren’t coming up on my computer so i’m very sad panda at this moment. Also, I LOVE BILLY JOEL. I’ve seen him twice. He’s such a sexy, chubby old dude.
I think my favorite part of the Ace of Base is when the cat appears. and you keep going. awesomeness.
(oh, hi again! It’s been a while, at least here.)
ace of base is like the b52s people thought they were so cool until you played them out, then the radio played them out, and like, what….20 years later i still wana pop out my ear drums when i hear all that she wants….or love shack.
*cringe*
Best post ever!!!! Your dancing is sweeeeet. I think I was at that Mighty Mighty Bosstones show too!
Love the cameo appearance by the cat. Also, when you slap your wrist and say “ow” during the rick roll video…..all I can say is “good stuff!”
I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one that can (proudly?) claim Ace of Base as their first CD. I mean, at least it wasn’t Vanilla Ice…?
As a person who’s had 13 years of dance training, I approve of your mad skillz on the dancefloor. Or anywhere.
Ps; I can’t vote for you yet. Something’s wonky with the link on my end. Pfftt.
Billy Joel is amazing! One of my favorites too. And the Reese’s bracelets? CLASSIC. Love.
OMG STOP being so hot. No, don’t. But really.
I still have my Ace of Base and Reel Big Fish CDs, along with NKOTB’s entire library. We saw Mighty Mighty Bosstones open for Dropkick Murphys a couple of summers ago and they are still rocking the plaid suits and horns.
HAAHA…. I love your joie de vivre… ;o)
About the only thing I can compare this to is singing Friends In Low Places in a gay dive bar in Dallas.
Best.night.ever.
Ace of Base was totally my first CD too! AND AND AND AND my friends and I choreographed a music video to it too!
Dude your cat even loved it so much it had to get in on the action. He or she doesn’t want you to have all the fame, obvi.
I’m coming to a DC Happy Hour one of these days. It would totally be worth the drive.
you double made my day
best rickroll EVER
ps – i love the random guy “i have no idea what’s going on in front of us” lol
7th grade, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and The Squirrel Nut Zippers. What a great year. <3
You rick roll’d a whole bar. What a delight. Oh – PS? I was at that Bosstones concert too. We were meant to be, friend.
Ace of Base was my first CD ever as well. LOL. It’s like you know…..