Musings

Though I've never been professionally diagnosed, I've always wondered if I dealt with some sort of depression. Since the third grade I've morbidly thought of ways I could die, or at least run away and never come back.

It was things I've tried to keep hidden however, but it always made me a moody person to be around and at times not the most pleasant person. I have spells where everything is fine, and I'm in my happy spot-but then my mood dropped back down and I wanted nothing to do with the world. It would make sense, since my own mother deals with depression-I just never got to a Doctor.

Maybe I'm too afraid to know the truth.

When I was little, all my siblings had their favorite band. All six of them. My oldest had Metallica, another was really a big fan of Rage Against the Machine and my sister at the time liked anything by Beyonce. [Or just whatever what was popular on the radio, which was me for a while too. She changes her favorite music though, so there's that.]

I was in 8th grade when I wondered who my favorite band would be, but no band stood out for a long time. I was really into country in Junior High, and I liked to listen to a lot of Simple Plan. And a lot o Ciara for some reason. [I got her CD for Christmas, never got another album from her again. Same goes for Simple Plan.]

The beginning of my Sophomore year I was really into All American Rejects. I thought maybe I found my band, this was going to be the band. When I met my best friend, she started to realize I was into some Japanese songs. Granted they were anime openings, but she saw my spark of interest which leads me to believe is why she introduced me to Visual Kei.

At the time, I didn't listen to anything heavy other than maybe Metallica. I didn't care for screaming, or the heavy guitars. It wasn't my style, or at least at the time I thought it wasn't my style. During all this, I was still dealing with all my sadness and sometimes anger. But I thought it came with being an angsty teenager, I just thought I needed that angsty band to match.

She made a mix of bands she thought I would like. I forgot a lot, but I knew it included Kagrra, Dir en Grey [their softer songs I guess] and Kagerou. I instantly took a liking to Kagrra, I listened to Satsuki over and over. She burned me all their albums [well, all their albums up til like 2006 lol].

One day at school she came up to me. She was like "I ran out of Kagrra, albums to make you, so I made you a GazettE mix." the GazettE of course was her favorite band, second to maybe Dir en Grey [Am I wrong? It was like ten years ago so meh]. I always remember on messenger she would have a picture of Ruki, though at the time I never knew who he was.

I'm going to admit, I didn't touch the GazettE mix for about two weeks because I was so into the Kagrra, albums I had. No matter what I was doing, I always had their songs playing in the background.

And my eyes went to the GazettE mix. "I know you don't like screaming much, so I put most of their ballads and softer songs on there for you."

And that's how I ended up here. The first song had been Bathroom, but since  it starts out slow I thought the first song was broken so I skipped it. So technically my first song from the GazettE was Zakurogata No Yuutsu. And it all went down from there. 

I could probably ramble onto what made me into a GazettE fan, but that's another story for another time. [Perhaps I've already said it, I've been on the  net so long I don't remember what I post anymore...]

At the time, and sometimes now, I felt at peace just listening to them. And honestly they opened up doors for me as far as other music. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be as big as a coldrain fan as I am now.

So while they don't completely erase my sadness, they make and have made life a little bit easier to deal with. Which is why I'm with them for the long run.

Top Five Guitarists

Honestly, the last post I had a hard time coming up with reasons why I liked the drummer, other than their drumming was rad and I quite liked it. [Lame, I know, so lame.]

So with the guitarists, [and bassists] I have cut it short to five simply because I don't think I can just bullshit my way through with this. And obviously, I'm only going to choose one guitarist from each band-if they happen to have two that is.

As always, personal favorites-don't like them? Oh well.

Let's get moving.

5. Orianthi

Orianthi has a promising career, she's playing with the likes of the Rock legends such as Alice Cooper and Steve Vai. Granted her album that she debuted with was too pop for someone like her, but she really shows promise when it comes to playing guitar. I really liked that she credits none other than Carlos Santana for her interest in guitar, because what better role model to have especially if you come out as a solo guitarist.

4. Carlos Santana

If this was a list of 'who is the best damn guitarist in the entire world', Carlos would definitely be in the number one spot. But this is not that list, as I am going by my personal favorites. I grew up on Santana, my dad was always playing his albums when he came home from work. So I'm not just putting him on this list just because.

Honestly he plays 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' as if it were his own song, no matter what song he plays he just owns it like a boss. He was once stated to be the best guitarist in the field, though he's always respectful of other musicians and their accomplishments. My dream is to take my dad to a Santana concert, so he can at least hear him play live once.

3. Shin of Kagrra,

When it comes to guitarists being underrated, I always thought Shin was underappreciated for his work as a musician. Not only did he play the guitar and do good with it, he also played the Koto in a few songs [such as Utakata]. After the disbandment of Kagrra, he formed a band called PLAYERS with Nao [now known as Naoki] but he has since left PSC and fell under the radar like Izumi has.

Though I'm not sure if that's completely accurate, I just know he has nothing to do with PSC at this point and time.

2. Yokochi of coldrain

Masato stated that Yoko writes almost all of their songs, and that's quite a feat in itself. He is extremely talented, and I really had a hard time choosing between him and Sugi. [I have a thing for ssecond guitarists, what else is new?]

Honestly I didn't appreciate him until the second time I saw coldrain. He was such a sweet person to meet, after I gave them all a hug he had smiled at me and said "Have a good day!" He is also a dork, playing around with Ryo and what not.

I believe mostly all the solos Coldrain has is played by Yoko as well.

1. Aoi of the GazettE

Are you surprised? No? Well....

Yeah, you shouldn't be. I'm extremely bias when it comes to Aoi, but everything he does with the guitar and his work I love. It was his ending solo in Cassis that made me fall in love with the GazettE, so I owe a lot to him just as an individual musician. Uruha overshines him in a lot of aspects, I've argued with fans that Aoi is just AS talented as him before.

I really said all I could say about Aoi in a previous post, but I could ramble on and on about him some more. He really is talented, and I don't think he'll be leaving my number one spot for a long time.

Top Ten Drummers

I'm doing really good on posts lately, I'd like to keep up that momentum. So I decided to make another list, this time with my personal Top Ten drummers.

Like any list around, these are my personal favorites. If you don't see someone you like, then I'm sorry-but not everyone can like the same people I suppose.

I am going to include one drummer of a band I don't even listen to, simply because I do think he is a good drummer and I respect what he does. Also, I won't add anyone who is known to me to be a dick-so no Lars from Metallica on this list. Sorry.

So let's get on with this list.

10. Jenny Ledger of Skillet

Jenny was sort of my inspiration for a while, because I was happy to finally see a female drummer that I liked. Though my brush with the Skillet fandom was very brief, I still think Jenny is an excellent drummer and underappreciated at times within this scene. If you listen to Forgiven and Hero off their Awake album, you'll understand where I'm coming from.

9. Shinya of Dir en Grey

I'm going to be honest and say I've only ever liked two Dir en Grey songs, and it's been years since I even heard those songs. But the reason I liked them so much were because of Shinya's drums, and honestly if it weren't for certain things I would definitely be a Dir en Grey fan. I highly respect him as a musician and a drummer, and I can honestly see why some fans look up to him.

Though I'm not a fan of the band as a whole, I nod my head at them in respect simply because they are a good band in some perspectives. Just not my cup of tea. Perhaps one day I will finally sit down and listen to an entire Dir en Grey album, only to hear more of Shinya's work.

8. Etienne Bowler of Misterwives

Now I just love about everyone in Misterwives. I feel like they're an underrated band as a whole, and I love hearing him play though usually I'm more captivated by Mandy Lee's voice that I forget that there's a whole band surrounding her. Honestly, I don't think I have any song that I don't like the drums in it, or the whole beat as a whole.

I'm seeing them in April with Panic! and I can't wait to hear what these guys can do live. Also his name goes to the number one spot of most interesting name on this list.

7. Brandon Barnes of Rise Against

It's actually becoming harder for me to come up with reasons why I like these drummers, other than they're pretty badass. I don't listen to Rise Against as much as I should, but honestly their music is still really good. [I'm saving my energy for the top three, so sue me]

Not much to say about Brandon, other than it looks like he's doing a swell job at what he's doing, but I don't know him as a person. Rise Against is one of those bands I do casually listen to.

6. James Culpepper of Flyleaf

Ah way back in High School I was a Flyleaf fanatic. And like Misterwives, sometimes I got too wrapped up in the vocalist. But James's playing was really good, especially live and honestly I found myself watching him and Pat when I wasn't watching Lacey. Not much to say about him either, as I lost touch with the band since Lacey left and Kristin joined.

5. Will Ferri of Against the Current

Honestly he's my favorite of the band, only because he's hilarious and he's pretty good live. I don't know much about him either, as I said before I'm not heavily into Against the Current as others are simply because they cater to the teenage crowd.

4. Tatsuya Amano of Crossfaith

I stated before I saw them live once, but honestly though his drumming is really good-I was too captivated in Hiroki that I didn't really pay attention to anyone else. He really is a nice person, though I don't know much about him.

[I'm so sorry, the next three will be better...]

3. Izumi of Kagrra, [disbanded]

Sadly after Kagrra,'s eventual demise, Izumi fell off the radar. While his other bandmates had gone on to other projects within the Visual Kei realm, he decided not to pursue music any further and honestly I think he was the one who hurt the most when the band disbanded. He was underrated as a musician and as a drummer, not many fans think of him-but I loved him.

As a person and as a musician. Hopefully he's doing well in whatever he's doing, and maybe one day he will return to the scene.

2. Katsuma of coldrain

Honest to god I had a real hard time deciding where to place Katsuma because honestly he's so close to the number one spot it's not even funny. I'd be damned if I didn't say that he was the best drummer I've seen in my life, but eventually I had to let the other guy win. If you listen to coldrain, you will understand why.

Especially with songs like Wrong, the Story, and Gone even. Katsuma has such a stage presence, and personality wise he's so sweet and loving. I mean the guy dotes on his cat and shows his pet off to the world like the proud pet parent he is. I've met him twice, and both times he was super sweet and honestly I could go on about him.

If you can, give coldrain a shot.

1. Kai of the GazettE

And then there's this fucking loser.

Okay joke aside, I really did have a hard time with Kai and Katsuma, because my love for their work is so close they can both be number 1 in my heart. [Just not on this list...] I loved Kai's drumming from the beginning, but it was when I heard Chizuru that I really started to appreciate him more. And honestly Ugly is a song where his talent shines through.

He really is a good drummer though, and I'm glad his fanbase keeps growing. He's such a sweetheart, though sometimes I guess he can say dickish things.

But Katsuma was so close to beating him. 

Just not today. Sorry love.

____

And that's it for this post! I'm not doing any honorable mentions this time around.

Hopefully tonight I can get my top five Guitarists out, as I'm only doing five with that list.

Bye for now! 

Top ten bands|Musicians I've seen live.

I stated before on this blog that I've seen pretty much all of my Dream concerts, aside from a few. There were bands that I absolutely would die [and have] to see, and there are bands that I would love to see live but it wouldn't kill me either way if I never did.

With that said, these are the top ten bands I've seen live. Granted, some of these bands I haven't listened to a lot since seeing them-but they're rad live and I'd see them again because they put on a good show.

This is also based off my personal experiences as well.

 10. The Wonder Years

Honestly, this band is a one time deal for me-but I have to say they put on a pretty good show. This show had been a while ago, and I hadn't gone on my own accord just to accompany my brother. I don't even have good memories of the actual concert, I kept getting kneed in the face by a fan and I was squished against the stage.

And I never saw them when they came back for my first Warped Tour. Are they still around?

Still putting them on the list though, for putting on a good show.


9. Yellowcard

Yellowcard is that band that just screams middle school to me, and honestly they're one of the only bands I've seen that I loved during that age. I can say I saw them before their disbandment [which is this past year] and they put on a great show. I lost interest somewhere in high school [in which Visual Kei took over my life], but I was glad I got to see them at Warped Tour.

Unfortunately I didn't make their show when they came back to Utah, I didn't have the funds and I couldn't find people to go with. So sadly that was a one time thing for me, but if they do a reuinion show down the road I'll be in for that.

8. Cane Hill

Cane Hill hadn't been the band I originally got tickets for, but they had put on such a great show that I had to include them. I had known nothing of them, and neither did my brother which is shocking because my brother is one of those who is more into this scene and digging up bands left and right. I included them simply because they do put on a damn good show, and I'd be damned if I didn't say I catch myself listening to their music.

Smile is a really good album and a good listen, and if you have a chance to see them live I highly recommend it. After their set I did get a chance to meet the vocalist I believe, though my memory is a bit foggy. And I had only met them briefly as I had wandered off while my brother was talking to them.

Follow them on twitter, and give their music a shot.

[I might add I did have a chance to see them at Warped Tour, but I got my times mixed up and I missed their set. I'm still upset at myself.]

7. Lindsey Stirling 

I hardly listen to her music anymore that I forget that I even saw her live. I'm not saying I don't catch myself checking what she's doing, but I lost interest like the fickle person I am. She however, puts on a good show. I have mixed emotions about her concert however, as I saw her in the Venue [in Salt Lake] and I was stuck behind a tall person the whole set.

[I even tried to move so I could see better, but the girl looked behind her and at me and moved in front. Apparently she thought I didn't deserve to see her?]

One thing I remember is when she was playing the Phantom of the Opera medley, I was singing to myself [Think of Me] and she smiled at me. My brother told me she didn't, but I like to pretend she did. (:

6. Northlane

Like Cane Hill, I didn't really intend to see Northlane even though they were the headline band. I did however, listen to their music before the concert so I did get a feel of how they were. And honestly I liked what I heard, and when I saw them live finally I really liked what I heard. They are a really good band, and I'm surprised I don't hear more people talk about them.

I felt bad however, I missed half the set because I worked at six am the next morning and I had to drive an hour to get home. So if Northlane is ever in the area again, I'm definitely getting tickets and going.

5. Crossfaith

Crossfaith was introduced to me via my brother. In 2013 at Warped Tour he had practically dragged me to their set, and honest to god this band puts on a damn good show. [I'm repeating myself a lot, but meh]. Honestly I was so captivated by Hiroki that I forgot that I didn't know a damn song by them, despite my brother constantly shoving songs at me.

I still need to listen to them more, but I don't regret seeing them. They're nice people, yet the only person I remember meeting is Hiroki.

4. Linkin Park

The other band from middle school that I got to see live! Honestly, if it weren't for the top three on my list-these people would be number one for sure. It was really great to see them play, and I loved how they played their fair share of their [at the time] newer songs and then their classics. Honestly when In The End came on, everyone was singing to that.

Don't remember much other than they played One Step Closer as their closer, and I went with a High School friend. I definitely wouldn't miss them again if they ever come back.

3. Flyleaf

In my list on my tumblr I had put Flyleaf on number one, but because of certain things I did bump them down to number three. This had been my first concert, at least of a band that I loved myself and listened to almost daily. Flyleaf had been the band that had been second to the GazettE in favoritism, so they still hold a special place in my heart as does that night.

Lacey meant so much to me, even now that she’s not a part of the band anymore she still means so much to me. Her voice is one of the most powerful female vocals I’ve heard live. It also meant so much to me that she had pointed directly at me and my sister during Fully Alive because we were so excited for that song.

2. Coldrain

And here's the reason I went to see Cane Hill and Northlane. [Thanks coldrain!]

They are also the first band I've seen twice, and honestly for good reason. I feel like coldrain sort of filled that void, as I was always searching for another band to love other than the GazettE. Flyleaf had been that band, but it wasn't the same after Lacey left the band.

They put on a great show, and being front row for both of the shows I went to was even more amazing. Masato has such a stage presence! And meeting them had been a delight as well, never thought I'd get a chance to meet them twice within a year. They are so kind too, and this is a group filled with the most genuine people I've ever seen.

1. the GazettE [annnnnnd you saw that coming, right?!]

I've heard their live DVDs, thinking that's all I would ever get to experience when it came to this band. Even when the rumors were flying about a possible American tour, I was on the fence because I knew they wouldn't come to Utah. But I am so glad I took the opportunity and saw them in LA anyways, because it's the best thing to hear them live!

I was on the balcony, but I could feel the ground beneath me shake. That's how crazy it got. And when I heard Ruki sing the first few notes of DOGMA, I honestly about cried because I couldn't believe I was hearing that in real time.

I'll see them again, hopefully in Japan next time.

They sound so much better live and I love it.

Honorable Mentions 

1. Against the Current
2. Rebelution
3. the Ataris 

Upcoming show

 Death of a Bachelor Tour with Panic!at the Disco and Misterwives March 18th

GazettE Survey

Today's date?November 30th
Name? Ash
Birthdate & Starsign? April 11th, Aries
Sex & age? Agender, 25
Location? Utah

Your hobbies & skills?
Reading, Writing
What's your character like?
Moody, I tend to think a lot to myself. Super awkward in social situations.
What's your favorite clothing-style?
I live on band T-shirts and jeans|boots.

Besides Gazette what other music do you like?
coldrain, Northlane, Against the Current, Misterwives

How long have you been a Gazette fan?
Ten Years

Why did you begin to like Gazette?
I really liked Aoi's acoustic guitar at the beginning of Cassis, I thought it was nice and the music was good to me. So there's that.

What do you like most about Gazette?
I like that they experiment with their music, and that when things get tough they don't just give up-they keep going because they all want it to work.

What do you dislike most about Gazette?
As of late the lack of recognition Aoi had been receiving, but I'm sort of at peace now with that. At least Uruha understands how Aoi felt, and I'm sort of glad that he talked to him at least.

What do you find Gazette Kai undefeated in?
I guess having money?
Favorite Gazette member?
Aoi.

What were your first impressions of each member?
Ruki: Honestly he was intense. I thought he'd be the mean one of the group, but he was so tiny.
Uruha: He was actually my second bias, but somehow Ruki took over that spot. I thought he was pretty.
Aoi:  I was actually looking at their old myspace for my friend, and I was like 'Who's that?' 'oh that's aoi' ' 'I like him.'
Reita:  What's with the noseband...?
Kai:  Japanese Michael Jackson

What song titles do you find best/most interesting?
Katherine in the Trunk I guess

Gazette in 1 word: Magical
Ruki in 1 word: Little
Uruha in 1 word: Murderer
Aoi in 1 word: Baby
Reita in 1 word: Crybaby
Kai in 1 word: Money
PS Company in 1 word: Dunno

What was your first Gazette song?
Zakurogata No Yuutsu 
What were/are your thoughts on it?
It was upbeat, I liked it

The song with your favorite lyrics?
Vortex

Your favorite lyric from above song?
You can't take my soul away from me

Your favorite Gazette song?
I have a lot, but it's probably going to be VACANT

What Gazette song do you dislike the most?
I honestly don't know, guess you can say I don't care for Ogre.

What song makes you happy?
Suicide Circus, surprisingly

What song makes you sad?
Undying

What song makes you nervous?
UGLY

What song would you recommend to someone who doesn't know of Gazette?
Most likely Nausea&Shudder

What do you call the members?
Ruki: Ruki
Uruha: Ruha
Aoi: Aoi-shi
Reita: Rei
Kai: Kai


You have to plan some gazette merchandise for the next tour. What do you make?
I'd like some more parkas or whatever you call them with their logo on it. That'd be cool.

What would you like to see in a Gazette live?
Just everyone having a grand ol' time.

If you got to go on a date, who would you chose, where would you go, and what would you do?
Ruki: I'd honestly take Ruki to a haunted house, probably the Fear Factory. He would probably get a kick out of it.
Reita: Taking this boy out for ice cream!
Kai: He's buying me dinner. :)
Aoi: I'm taking him wherever his little heart desires.
Uruha: I'm gonna fight him.

If Gazette's line-up were changed, what would you think? O___O
I guess it would be different, just put Aoi on vocals pls.

Gazette’s parts/instruments are shuffled. Who does what?
Ruki: Drums
Uruha: Maybe bass
Aoi: Vocal
Reita: Guitar
Kai: guitar

Relate each member to an animal:
Ruki:Fox
Uruha: Lion
Aoi: Panther
Reita: Cockatiel
Kai: Cat

Gazette become teachers at a school. Who teaches what?
Ruki: Japanese/English
Uruha: Guitar
Aoi: P.E. [?]
Reita: Engineering
Kai: Home Economics.

You see Gazette on the street! What do you do?
Honestly I'd probably wave, show off my RAD Jacket and run away.

You're a guest in Reita's room! What do you discuss?
I'd just ask to watch anime with him

Ruki writes a brief note for your sake! What do you wish him to write?
I don't know, something nice I hope.

You see Uruha throwing something away in a public park. What do you do?
Fight him.

What do you think about the relationship of PS Company bands?
I don't know, they don't seem to interact as much anymore though they still respect Naoki and Kagrra,.

Choose a member to be your lover? Aoi...

Boyfriend?
Aoi....again.

Elder brother?
Reita

Best Friend?
Reita

Younger brother?
.....Ruki?

Has your love of Gazette given you any self-confidence or special feelings?
I honestly just feel at peace sometimes when I listen to them.

And last messages for people reading?
Hello.
--

It was honestly fun to do that survey again, I had done it like 6 years ago and it's fun to see how much I've changed as a person and as a fan.

So there you go!

Questions about me and my significant other~

 1. What are your nicknames?
Nerd. That's it. 

2. How long have you been together?
In November, it'll be three years.

4. Who asked who out?
Matt asked me out.

5. Whose siblings do you see the most?
Probably mine. 

6. Do you have any children together?
Do Jimmy and Midget count?

7. What about pets?
I have a dog [Marley] and he has two cats [Jimmy and Midget] 

8. Did you go to the same school?
No, I went to Fremont and he went to...Box Elder. lmao I don't know.

9. Who is the most sensitive?
Probably me.

10. Where do you eat out most as a couple?
For a while it was Ihop, but we've been just eating Mcdonalds lately or cooking our own food. 

11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Park City, Utah I guess.

12. Who has the craziest ex's?
*shrugs*

13. Who has the worst temper?
...I don't think I've seen him mad, so I guess me.

 14. Who does the most cooking?
I do...I think.

15. Who is more social?
We're about the same.

16. Who is the most stubborn?
*shrugs* I guess me....

17. Who hogs the bed?
Matt...

18. Who wakes up earlier?
Me.

19. Where was your first date?
A place called Osaka in Layton. Sushis.

20. Do you get flowers often?
No, he just buys me nerd stuff.

21. How long did it take to get serious?
I think a month after we started dating is when he first kissed me lmao 

22. Who eats more?
I don't know? I think we eat about the same.

23. Who sings better?
Lmao I never heard Matt sing.

24. Who does the laundry?
We don't live together, so we do our own laundry the same?

25. Who’s better with computers?
Probably Matt.

26. Who drives when you are driving together?
I can't drive so Matt.

27. Who picks where you eat?
So here's how it goes down.
"I want food." [Me]
"What kind of food?" [him]
".....food that I can eat."
"oh my god." 

28. Who wears the pants?
...we both wear pants?

29. Who has the better sense of humor?
Probably Matt.

30. Who eats more sweets?
Me. Who wants donuts, all the time.

My favorite vocalists.

I wanted to title this super fancy, but nah.

Please note that these are just my personal favorites, and also that I might be crying in the middle of this blog post because one vocalist is.....well I don't want to talk about it.

This will also be in no particular order, though my top three will be first.

So let's move on to the first one! [And you should know who it is, but....]

Ruki|the GazettE

I'm going to be the first to admit here, I probably praise Ruki a little bit too much. I have this weird obsession with him, aside from my complete obsession with Aoi [but that's another post completely]. I can't seem to really hate this guy or hate the way he tries to be 'edgy', because I have a soft spot for him and 99% of that is because of his amazing voice.

Even before I heard him sing in person|live, I knew he had great vocals. But hearing him sing the first few notes in DOGMA astounded me. It never ceases to amaze me what he can do with his voice, and honestly I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it. Personality wise, I do like him. I don't really fantasize about him, but I would like to talk with him at least once about some things.

His lyrics have also helped me through my darkest moments, so I feel like I owe a lot to him and his insight. 

And I'm really sorry, I will listen to Cassis over and over until the day I die.

Masato|Coldrain

Masato did something to me that no other vocalist has done since Ruki, he made something resonate inside of me. His lyrics helped me get through the day, and honestly there are two other vocalists on this list that did that for me so it was refreshing to find another vocalist who can very well do the same. 

If you haven't listened to Coldrain yet, I really suggest you do. Because when I first heard 'Six Feet Under', I was definitely hooked. And when I saw them for the first time, well-it certainly was amazing! And Masato's voice is so amazing live! He puts on a damn good show, and he genuinely is a nice person too.

He's so kind to his fans, and that's what I love about him. I was so nervous both times I met him [and took pictures with him], but he was so kind and patient.

 

I don't know what else to say, other than to listen to his band? Also, if you get the chance-listen to his Acoustic version of Gone and the Story. His voice is BEAUTIFUL.

 

Isshi|Kagrra,

I did tell you I'd be crying in the middle of this blog post. Because I still miss him, he really was taken away from us too soon. A part of me feels like he knew that he would die, but I still deny any rumor that he died by his own hands. As a person close to him stated that Isshi was not that type of person.

He had a unique voice and talent in the Visual Kei world. He brought something to the movement that I haven't seen any other artist do before. I feel like he was loved by many of his comrades as well, and his lyrics were so creative and beautiful.

And sadly, I feel like he was underrated. Overshadowed by others, and it made me sad when my old friends criticized his voice because they said it was 'too high pitched'. Ah well, I suppose not everyone is going to like his voice.

....I miss him. [I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say ;A;]

Chrissy Costanza|Against the Current

Honestly, I didn't really consider her a favorite vocalist until I saw her perform at Warped Tour. It wasn't until I heard her sing the first few notes of 'Running with the Wild Things' that I ever thought that I'd be more than just a casual listener. Granted, still a casual listener-they're a young band who I feel has a younger fanbase.

Doesn't mean I still don't jam out to their new album 'In Our Bones' on Spotify here and then. I fell in love with her vocals in 'Chasing Ghosts', but I still say they're your typical Fueled by Ramen band. I don't think that will deter them from growing as a band however. Her best songs on that album are Chasing Ghosts and In Our Bones, because they show her range and shows what she can do with her vocals.

As a person, she's nice too! I didn't ever meet her at Warped Tour like planned, but she was so sweet with her fans. [Though some of them were way too old to be oggling her the way they were, which was sort of creepy. Mostly males hogging the center|front while the female fans were in the back...]

 Marcus Bridge|Northlane

For my last vocalist, I'll have to choose this guy. I'm still a noob when it comes to all things Northlane, but I saw these guys back in November and they really impressed me. I felt bad cause I had to go home early because of work the next morning, but the minute they come back I'm definitely going to that concert.

I don't know Marcus very well as a person though, but if you have a chance to listen to Northlane I highly suggest it.

 

 

--

 

And that's about it for my favorite vocalists, I didn't want to make it dreadfully long since I still have others so maybe that'll be another post for another day.

 

Thanks!

Warped Tour 2016 Salt Lake City Utah [and some recounts of 2013]

Warped Tour usually isn't my cup of tea. Before 2013 I hadn't even considered going to one, and I had only gone that one time because a band I liked at the time was going to be there. With my luck however, the band decided to be like "lol we don't want to do Warped Tour now." and dropped the fuck out. [I have sense lost interest in that band, oh well.]

Admittedly, my time at the 2013 Warped Tour wasn't a bad one. My brother, who I went with, wanted to see a Japanese band that he started to like. And since he knows I like Japanese bands, he dragged me to their set. The band was Crossfaith, and while their set was amazing and I liked watching the band play.....I still have yet to put their album on my computer. [I'm such a lazy person sometimes.]

Hiroki of Crossfaith
Warped tour 2013

I got to meet the band, though my interaction with the band is a little iffy. The only one who really stuck in my mind was Hiroki, because he was so friendly and smiled a lot. The others were probably just really tired and have met a lot of people already, but they were nice enough to give me a signed poster. And I got a tank top. [I plan to give it to Reida, but I forgot where I put it.]

So the rest of the time after Crossfaith was a little iffy, because as I said-I had gone there for one band and they dropped out. So I was just hanging around, watching Vegans run about handing out pamphlets and listening to some of the bands that were playing.

Fast forward three years later, and I got tickets to Warped Tour again JUST to see Coldrain. [I kept thinking with my luck, they'll have to drop out for whatever reason. I have a mindset like this ever since the first Warped, orz]

However, luck was on my side and they played their SLC date. Having already seen them before, I knew that the show [despite being thirty minutes] was going to be amazing. And it was! Since this is their first Warped Tour, I can only hope this opens so many more doors for them to possibly headline their own tour in the States.

 My brother and I got to the place early, because I told him if we miss Coldrain because of him sleeping in-he will go to sleep permanently. [Just kidding just kidding!] It ended up that we were right in coming early, as Coldrain was second to play after Cruel Hand.

When we arrived, I immediately got maps and located the stage|the merch tent. I found the Hopeless Records tent first though, and he led me back to the stage where the merch was. The girl who was selling merch was really pretty, and really cool|nice. When I bought two shirts, she gave me a pair of chopsticks.

Two shirts I bought+the complimentary chopsticks.
Both shirts cost 25 dollars each.

 After that we went to eat, but eating at Warped Tour is always a little expensive and the food I got was supposed to be a Teriyaki chicken but tasted nothing like it. I was a little disappointed. [And my Dr. Pepper tasted iffy, if you don't know me-I get really peeved if my Dr. Pepper is messed with....]

My brother really wanted to see this band that was playing early, but I decided to just hang around the Monster South stage until Coldrain came on. Cruel Hand played before them, they took forever getting set up and getting on stage though. I remember while waiting for them, I knelt down because my stomach was hurting [stupid Chicken Teriyaki!] and I almost fainted cause I saw Sugi through the gates.

There was also Yoko, but before I could snag a photo for my friend-he looked my way and I got shy and went back to watching Cruel Hand set up.

Cruel hand came on, played their set and the only thing I have to say about them is that they're very interesting and people look stupid when they mosh sometimes. The lead singer jumped off stage during the last song, and the crowd nearly hurt the two girls in front [who were also waiting for Coldrain].

Then it was time. I managed to snag the middle, right in front of Masato. :D

The band was setting up, so I got to see a lot of Ryo, Yoko, Katsuma, and Sugi. Though Sugi only came out to do a few things, then went back. One thing I remember is that Yoko was dorking around a little bit, and he drummed on Ryo's back and Ryo sort of gave him a look like 'what'. Yoko just walked off with a smile on his face.

I kept sending pictures of the two to Reida, but when I tried to snag one final photo of Ryo for her-Yoko was like 'lol nope' and walked in front of Ryo as I was taking the picture.

He knew what he was doing.

They disappeared a little while the band next to us played, and after that it was their turn and the members came out accordingly with Masato coming on last. I can't really explain the feelings when I finally saw Masato though, as he's my favorite out of the group [along with Katsuma *A*].

I had the setlist saved on my phone-but since it's destroyed I'll have to do this from memory.

The first song they played for sure was the Revelation, I believe after that it was Wrong, Runaway, The War is On, No Escape and then Gone was the last song they played. I believe that was all, as they usually only play 6 songs during a 30 minute set.

Before I get to the member's actions [and my mind is already foggy], I'll have to say I was a TAD bit disappointed I didn't get to hear EVOLVE again live. I fucking love that song, BUT I did hear it back in November so.....

So since I'm a lazy fuck, I'll just put their actions in a bullet list as opposed to writing it all down in a couple of paragraphs.

• Ryo moves around a lot, and he makes the most interesting faces. [He's basically a walking meme, just like Reita.] 
• Ryo also raised his fist a lot and pounded his chest. He wore a bandana over his mouth the first half of the set, but took it off the last.
• Also about Ryo, his sound system might have been off during the War is On because he was playing around with something and he looked perplexed. He talked to Katsuma quietly, and Katsuma made a :O face at him. But they continued on with the show, so it either got fixed or I might have been overthinking and nothing was wrong at all.]
• Sugi and Ryo showed love to Katsuma a lot actually, they were facing him quite a lot.
• Katsuma, my sweet Katsuma, I'm sorry I didn't pay much attention to what he was doing. He was playing drums as always, always killing it.
• I didn't really notice anything Sugi was doing either, but I did catch his guitar pic. [Well I reached out for it, and the guard gave it to me. Which caused one of the girls next to me to glare at me....] 
• Masato moved about the stage a lot, but he was in the middle for most of the show. He demanded we jump a lot.
• He sort of did this rap thing at the end of Runaway, like did the hand movements like a rapper would. He sort of reminded me of Ruki LOL 
• Masato and Yoko were smiling a LOT. [I think Sugi was too, but again I wasn't paying attention.] 

I'm going to be posting pictures of the live [which I took during No Escape I believe, but I did it quickly so I could enjoy the rest of the show. Taken by my ipod cause my phone -which is now broke anyways- is a piece of shit.] PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, if you do post it anywhere-give credit...please.

The Meet and Greet

So once again I am lazy, and will put things in a bullet point because I'm really tired. I'm going to try and edit this once I'm not as tired, but it might not happen either. So first things first, I am a very awkward person to begin with and I already sort of embarrassed myself in front of Masato before-so I was hoping maybe he wouldn't remember me much.

• After a couple of minutes of panicking, trying to find a line for the meet+greet I found it. Met and talked to another fan in front of me. [She was the nicest fan there, god bless her.]
• I looked over and Masato looked at me, but he didn't really smile-I just took it as he was preoccupied. Though this sort of made me nervous.
• My brother had to buy me the Revelation so they could sign it, as I had nothing for them to sign at the beginning. [The album itself was 10 dollars, I needed the Physical copy anyways.] 
• When I turned the corner and it was almost my turn, Katsuma noticed me and smiled a little while saying 'hi'. 
• When it was my turn, Masato actually said hi to me-but I was too shy to say hi back really. So I just smiled at him.
• After that I did muster up the courage to tell them I had seen them back in November, but he didn't hear me at first and leaned in to hear better and he smiled at me. 
• They signed the album for me, but I was just going to leave. However I took one final look at Katsuma and asked him for a hug. He obliged, then Masato was sort of like 'hey' so I hugged him too. Then I sort of was like 'might as well hug the rest of them' and went to Ryo and hugged them and such. I noted that Sugi was like not for human contact? But he hugged me anyways? And Yoko hugged me last, and he had a smile on his face [a smile of an angel...]. I pulled away from him and he said "Have a good day!!" 

They also were nice enough to shake my brothers hand and sign his hat.

THEY WERE ALSO NICE ENOUGH TO LET ME TAKE A PHOTO WITH THEM.

Katsuma, Masato [ugh, me] RxYxO, Sugi, and Yoko

After that I hung around while my brother checked out different bands, I wanted to make sure he at least got his money's worth. He really likes Chelsea Grin and he got to see them. We did go see Yellowcard and they played a few older songs, but also announced they were disbanding so.....

The last show I wanted to see was Against the Current and of course they played last. And that was it!

Chrissy of Against the Current

Overall this experience was far better than 2013, let's hope to more years of Warped Tour with Coldrain!

OR

Coldrain headlining their own tour in the U.S.!

One can only hope!

Two months late-but a memory of my first real Vacation.

Of course I've taken time off for myself before, but never like this. Up until May, I haven't really gone out of state [Nevada doesn't count, that was for a work party and it was bleh]. If I took time off, it was for in-state things like Anime Banzai and certain concerts. There aren't very many bands even that I would go out of state for-unless it'd be for the GazettE/Coldrain.

The trip to LA/Anaheim was spontaneous, the minute I bought tickets for the GazettE concert back in January my brothers and I started planning. I was so anxious. I didn't want to fly at first, but now that I think about it I'm glad that we did. It was my first time flying, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I was surprisingly calm the entire ride.

On the Second of May we flew out to LA. We left pretty late in the morning, but early enough to make it to Cali by noon. When we arrived at the airport we had to go get our rental car [my brothers didn't make me pay for it, since I wasn't driving. I did give money for gas though.] After that it was an hour drive to our resort in Anaheim.

I was thoroughly against staying in Anaheim at first. As I said, it was an hour drive [two hours if the traffic was super horrible]. I wanted to be near the concert venue, I was even adamant about it for the longest time. However, Jeff insisted that we stay in Anaheim because he wanted to go to Disneyland, which he ended up doing when I went to the concert. [It all worked out in the end, oh well.]

view from our hotel

When we got to the resort we hung out for a while, walked around the area and looked for things that we could possibly get as souvenirs. Granted, I didn't really find anything FROM California that I wanted, I ended up just buying for my family. The only thing I got from the trip was my RAD Jacket and a few items from Reida.

That night was I supposed to meet Reida, we had originally planned to eat at a Korean restaurant. We drove back, hung around Korea town for a while [all the while I'm searching for the venue]. It was a little while away from the venue, but we walked to the Wiltern and that's when I met Reida. We nearly ran across into oncoming traffic to hug each other. My brother Paul had to be like "Ashley" before I realized I couldn't cross quite yet.

I still laugh at the guy, but snagged this photo.

Meeting Reida was fun, since we've been talking for almost two years at that point I believe. We always talked about meeting, I even had made plans [that sadly failed] of going to Seattle for the fun of it and meeting her. I never really thought that we'd be able to meet like this however. When I was asked my both my Mom and brother why I didn't choose to Dallas show, I simply said I based my decision off where my friends were going. Which most of them were going to LA, but I ended up only meeting/talking to Reida.

We went out for Korean BBQ, which I already forgot the name of the Restaurant that we went to. It was one of those restaurants that you had to cook your own meal, and since I don't know much about Korean food [other than the one near my work] I was a bit nervous. It was still good food however, and it was nice to hang out with Reida and talk to her a bit.

I don't remember much of what we talked about, but we simply talked about GazettE and the concert the next day. After that we gave Reida a ride to Little Tokyo to meet up with her hotel mates [?] and went back to Anaheim to go to sleep after that. After we dropped her off though, my brother said he needed to go to a restroom so we stopped at a nearby Mcdonalds and the area was sort of shady so we were nervous.

Ended up having to pay to use the restroom, which I never heard of. Also, some guy tried to sell him his cell phone. [?]

I surprisingly went to bed easily that night.

I was first to go to sleep, and first to wake up! Not gonna talk about the actual concert, that was in another post before this one. I arrived there at around 9 in the morning, got breakfast [which was the only meal I had all day] and hung around until the concert started up.

That night I couldn't sleep. I was so hyped up after the concert, that I went to 'sleep' for two hours and woke up at 4 and stayed up the rest of the night. I ended up staying out in the balcony so I wouldn't bother my brothers with anything. I listened to the GazettE while looking out at the night and pondering the concert.

At around 8 I woke my brothers up, I seriously needed an actual meal in my stomach and I needed it soon or else I was gonna die. [Okay I wouldn't die, but]

We didn't really have a plan for that day, but I really wanted to see the Ocean. So we decided to head out to breakfast, then get ready for the beach. I didn't pack any swimwear, which I wish I had-at the same time though it wouldn't matter. It was too cold to go into the water. We had originally planned on going to Venice beach, but decided on Newport as it was closer and we didn't want to deal with LA traffic again.

Balboa beach was really REALLY pretty. I felt at peace there. I didn't even have time to have post-concert depression because I was so happy here. We didn't do much other than stick our feet in the water, find a restaurant with some good seafood in and shopped around. I got my dad a hoodie, and my mom some trinkets.

I forgot what I had gotten my sister though, but I got Harley a seashell that he could hear the ocean from.

I can't really think of anything else to say about the trip, other than the food was REALLY good and I miss it. Surprisingly the best meal I had the entire trip was at the LA international airport. We only ate Asian food too! We found a local Filipino restaurant and she made us homemade Pork Adobo....mmmm...

I also got to try bibinka for the first time.

Salmon

Pork Adobo and Bibinka

 The next way we went home!

And that's about it for my Cali trip!