The Holiday Spirit is on high this December.
Saturday Night was an UNFORGETABLE night for my sis Lydia and I as we headed to the Nokia Theatre in L.A. for John Mayer's first annual holiday charity revue!
HOLY SMOKES Lydia and I had such good seats in the 4th row baby!
It was literally Lydia and I, then Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, then John Mayer!
Im not joking! Unbelievable!
Being that the TRIO is my fav and they where headlining it was a rare event. Being there in front of him and watching his fingers move along the guitar and feeling the music through my whole body I knew that this was as good as it gets. It's one of those experiences that remind you why its so good to be alive.
Here is how the Rolling Stone described it.....
For his First Annual Holiday Charity Revue Saturday night in Los Angeles, John Mayer brought together the three phases of his career — the solo acoustic work, the blues-rock John Mayer Trio, and his current touring band — into one night. Mayer devoted one set to each format, quipping, “It’s a real honor to be opening for myself,” as he began the acoustic set. “I ran into myself backstage and I was very nice — and, I mean, I’m huge!”
Mayer began with an acoustic version of the funky “Neon,” off his major-label debut Room for Squares. The half-hour set’s other high points were gorgeous versions of the rarely played “In Your Atmosphere” and a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” (which he had also performed at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit in October) with the two guitarists from Mayer’s touring band. But it was clear from the moment that the John Mayer Trio stepped onstage that their performance, already the most anticipated of the night, would go down as the highlight.
Looking dapper in matching black suits and skinny black ties, Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino tore through an electric 55-minute set of covers (”Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Wait Until Tomorrow,” “Bold As Love”), originals (”Who Did You Think I Was,” “Out of My Mind,” “Come When I Call”) and tracks from Mayer’s Continuum that originated on the trio’s 2005-2006 tour (”Vultures,” “Good Love is On the Way”). Mayer seemed thrilled and completely at ease, and addressed the recent spike in his tabloid appearances, telling the audience “My problem is not that my hair isn’t done or that I’m on video late at night and not walking straight. The reason it bugs me is that it messes with my message of playing guitar and being creative, and my message of being grateful to all of you in this room.”
Mayer closed out the night in his current mode — blending his acoustic and blues-rock sides with support from a seven-piece band. The set list was a tour through Mayer’s singles (”Bigger Than My Body,” “Why Georgia,” “No Such Thing”), and Continuum tracks (”Waiting on the World to Change,” “Heart of Life”). His guitar work shone on the poignant “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” as well as his unofficial 2007 anthem, “Gravity,” and Mayer slipped back into the Trio funk for a rendition of Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” When the band returned for an encore, it was as a ten-person superjam with two bassists (Palladino and Mayer’s touring bassist, David LaBruyere) and drummers (Jordan and touring drummer J.J. Johnson) for the groovier Continuum cuts, “Belief” and “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You),” and fitting closer “I’m Gonna Find Another You.”
Though Mayer had played for nearly three hours, it seemed the audience — which included Paramore, Fergie and Josh Duhamel, Mayer’s Best Week Ever pal Sherrod Small, Penelope Cruz, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher — could have seen him go on for another three. And with plans to release the show on DVD next year, it looks like they may get the chance.
I can't wait for that! It will be like watching it all over again and though it won't be the same it will help me remember what it felt like to be there.
You know the thing about feeling so good like that, is that also while Im standing there in this beautifull theatre with all of these people on the same thrilling musical high as I, I am also feeling guilty about all of the people serving in Iraq. It is really a constant conflict. That life goes on here with all of our luxuries, while across the ocean people are suffering so much.
I don't feel like there is much I can directly do other than stay informed and vote of course.
But recently the opportunity to give some comfort directly when my sister asked me to help with a holiday package to some young men stationed in the gulf.
We decided to make (our BEST) homemade cookies MRE's! and of course we collected some fun games and cards to entertain!
The funny thing about giving is that you get back way more!
We had soooooo much fun making these cookies. We haven't done cookies in years because of "diets" or "time". So we got to enjoy baking for the sake of baking and some how it brought us all together in the true spirit of the holiday!
Lydia, Kenzie, Macie, and I made the dough and baked it...
The next day Brian stopped by and thus was forced (but I think he liked it) to decorate cookies...
In honor of our favorite game to play right now...
and it's hero Dough-JO, Brian created.........
We call him NINJI-GINGI!
So TOGETHER we made many, many cookies....
and then Brandon loaded them into Tami's car to be packaged with her sealer....
She packaged and sealed our little cookie MRE's and sent them back.
By the third day Lydia and I made some adorable cards to go with our packages that were bowed and ready to go...
