a few of my favorite things....

Inspired by the 50th Anniversary of "The Sound of Music" this year, and the fact that I need to get back to blogging (no matter how short and sweet), here is a quick hit of a few of my favorite things lately:

Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways HBO Series

This was actually one of my favorite things of 2014, but I never got around to writing about it. So here, in honor of it being released on DVD April 9, is why I love it:

1. It's directed by Dave Grohl, who can do no wrong and is quite possibly the coolest guy on earth.
2. It stars Dave and the rest of the Foo Fighters.
3. It tells the story behind every song on the Foo's Sonic Highways album. Watching the series, which takes place in each of the eight cities the album was recorded in, you literally see and hear the songs being born. Each of those cities was chosen because they are part of the history of music in America. And now, as I listen to the album, I'm reminded of each of those stories. It was just an amazing, inspiring and educational premise.
4. There is an episode set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. 'Nuff said.
5. Because Dave interviews Dolly Parton in the Nashville episode, I was able to trick my mom into watching an hour of Foo Fighter awesomeness.... and she liked it! 

Live Music

This is and always will be one of my favorite things. There is nothing like being in the presence of people who can take instruments and make magic come out of them.

I kicked off my 2015 concert series last night with one of the most amazing musical magicians around, Jonny Lang, who started off in 1997 as a blues-guitar prodigy with a deep, soulful voice coming out of a scrawny blond kid from North Dakota. He's now a veteran at 34 (ha!) and last night at The Canyon in Agoura, he and his band made some amazingly awesome sounds come out of beautiful guitars.

Coming up on the concert calendar:

• Fleetwood Mac  @ The Forum to check it off the concert bucket list since this will likely be the last time they're all together
• Bette Midler @ Staples Center (Mom's Christmas gift)
• U2 @ The Forum -- I'm only going once this tour, I swear!
• Foo Fighters @ The Forum 
• Idina Menzel @ the Hollywood Bowl -- GNO with Erin and JZ
• I will also be going to the Bowl to hear the score of my favorite movie performed live Labor Day weekend. I'm so excited! 
• And there is also the chance that I will cave and buy a last minute ticket to Maroon 5 @ The Forum this Friday.

(FYI, The Forum is NOT one of my favorite things, yet I sure am going to be there a lot this year. Ugh.) 

Wild

This was my favorite movie of 2014. I was crushed that it was not nominated for Best Picture by anyone. I don't know if it was the hiking, the beauty of nature, the being away from everything, the searching for something, the writing in a journal every day, the anger at disease striking a beloved mom or all of the above, but this movie spoke to me. I'm now reading the book, because BKF said I should. (If I ever finish it, I'll let you know ;) The movie comes out on DVD/Blu Ray this Tuesday.

My Garden

It's in full bloom and the weather is great. Next weekend, I'm uncovering the patio furniture and filling up the grill's tank and going to buy a lounge chair. I want to spend the summer out there reading (when it's not 100 degrees ;).... and maybe even writing more. We'll see.