Will the Real Artists Please Stand Up?

In the past couple of weeks, I was able to attend the shows of some amazing artists/performers. I feel like in this day and age, we tend to highlight artists who fit into a certain mold, but we really miss out on those who color outside those lines -- those who dare to try something new.

PENTATONIX 2/25
I don't really think this one needs to be explained. Talented beyond their years, they deserve all the success they've gotten in recent years/months -- from the Grammy Award to a top selling album in 2014, they are constantly reinventing the game. Real artists. And don't even get me started on their set design/lighting. I was in awe. [Thank you Grace and friends for letting me join you guys.]

BO BURNHAM 2/27
Literally my favorite comedian on the face of this earth. One of my favorite humans of all time. Buying his album in high school was and will be the last memory I have in a Borders. Iconic. Honestly I think I bought his self-titled album because I thought that juxtaposition of such a large man on a tiny piano was hilarious in itself, and I wanted to know what ideas and thoughts that man-child had in his brain. And that was definitely the right decision.
For this show particularly, I have no words [words, words]. He discusses the real problems of the world, like the size of Pringles cans, overfilled Chipotle burritos and the struggles of being a straight white male. I can relate to every single one [except the burrito because why would you get a burrito when you can get a bowl? (yes, I can relate to being a straight white male because I actually am one)] I think somehow after this show, abs suddenly appeared on my torso. Like, can you get high off of laughter? I think yes. I wish he sang more of his songs, but his set was perfect anyway. He flawlessly fuses music, prerecorded tracks, sarcasm and one liners to create an incomparable performance. A real artist, carving out his own place in the comedy world.

[Thank you Rosie for accompanying me, and thank you Bo for really being the real bonding element of our friendship. I can't wait until the special comes out on YouTube or Netflix so I can re-experience this joy over and over.] (Also an amazing set with great lighting and effects.)

DRAKE BELL 3/6
What can I say? Childhood crush, yes. From my favorite TV show as a kid, yes. Talented actor, possibly debatable, but still an icon. Talented musician, yes, a million times yes. Even after Drake and Josh stopped airing [a truly devastating time for us 90's kids, I know], I went back to his old songs and continued to follow Drake Bell's professional path in the music world -- from Telegraph to It's Only Time to A Reminder - EP, I really loved it all, especially the EP. I often wondered why he hadn't garnered more of a following for his music. Whenever I said I listened to Drake Bell, people would be surprised that he even made music besides the show theme song. But yes, I was that girl who had the physical copies of his album, and yes I was one of those people who has a personalized autographed copy of Telegraph.

When I heard that he was having a show at the Berkeley Underground, I was really confused as to what he was going to do, since I heard that he had broken his wrist... but apparently his passion for music exceeds physical pain and of struggle -- one of the marks of a true artist in my eyes. Although I hadn't listened to the entirety of his Ready, Steady, Go! album, I knew the direction that he was going for with his sound. "Bitchcraft" is really catchy and I love the other-era feeling that it embodies, as is the case with a lot of his new body of work. [It really reminds me a bit of Jace Everett's "Bad Things."]

Honestly, I was a little disappointed that he didn't sing anything off of his EP like "Terrific," "Speak My Mind," and "You're Not Thinking," [actually really important songs in my high school days] but I really do appreciate and respect what he is doing with his music now.

However, I was more disappointed that he didn't quite get the respect that he deserved at the show -- from the rowdiness in the back of the crowd to the side comments like "I don't understand his music" and the constant chants for him to sing "I Found A Way." It was at a point where he had to stop during his performance of "Blackbird" to get the audience's attention and without words, call them out on their behavior. And as an artist myself, I know I wouldn't appreciate it if I was defined by one piece I did like 10 years ago. I mean, it's nice for people to be able to connect to something, an idea, a memory that's bigger than myself, but it shouldn't define me. An artist is so much more than his or her most famous work (and more than their looks as well). Artists grow and may choose to focus on other styles and follow a different path -- and people need to learn to respect their choices, even when it's not exactly what they expect or want.

I guess, in conclusion, I am really proud of Drake Bell and how he's fighting to exploring new things. I respect what he's doing and that he's really throwing himself into the work. A real artist. And really, I hope that in the future I will have the confidence, persistence and "I don't care what you think" attitude to pursue my passion in my own work.

(Also, he is a really sweet guy. At the end of the show, he stayed a bit for photos. For some reason, the photo wouldn't take on my phone -- it was actually us smiling and posing for like 30 seconds waiting for the photo. So he took the phone from my friend and took a selfie with me instead. He waited patiently for the right lighting, and he shifted us back and forth to find the best angle for the both of us. And he did the same for the group photo -- he tried multiple times to get the perfect lighting, and we ended up getting a photo in red, green and blue. A sweet guy. Drake Bell is everything. A childhood dream come true.)

[Thanks to Grace and Catherine for accompanying me.]

friends, family, food

Food and Friends

Apartment life means cooking so here are some photos of that, and also here are also some photos of some cool friends:

(I swear I still write posts... this is not becoming a 100% photoblog)

But for now, here's a chicken salad:

Here's black pepper salmon over rice:

Here's banana oatmeal cookies:

 Here's lemon pepper chicken breast over rice:

Here's kimchi fried rice made by chrse and rosie:

Here's A$AP Ferg on the glade with chrse and rosie because that's definitely something I do on a regular basis:

Bok choy with shrimp:

Racha's with rosie:

i luv pumpkins:

Chicken and mozzarella raviolis topped with green onion, with a side of garlic pepper chicken breast and vegetables:

Me in action at Grace's apartment:

Grace and I cooking a single noodle to share #collegelife:

Final product:

Artichoke and Spinach Dip at Jupiter's with Katrina, Christine and Grace!

PIZZA TIME

Bobo Drinks in mason jars with these cool peeps:

Apartment life is great because for me, it's a perfect balance of being with company and being alone with my own thoughts. I have the opportunity to cook my own meals, go to the gym regularly, and paint in my room. I am able to give myself the time I need to recharge from the day's work and on top of that, I get to choose when to interact with friends -- which means when I'm with them, I can give each moment 100% and can enjoy myself fully. Finally finding this balance in my personal life has given me confidence to tackle my classes this semester, and I'm ready for the upcoming challenges.

Anyway, my friends are really great: those who have stuck by me since high school and also the ones that I've met in college. I'm extremely lucky that these friends are all so down to earth and are completely comfortable being themselves in public, no matter how embarrassing. And I'm so glad that we haven't compromised our personalities or values -- sure we've grown as people, we've gotten to experience new things while in our respective colleges, but when it gets down to it, we've stayed true to ourselves. *insert cheesy line here* I'm also really proud of everything that my friends have accomplished so far -- whether it's simple things like eating healthier, or things like becoming presidents of the clubs they're passionate about, pursuing internships that inspire their creativity, being a part of organizations that allow them to grow as writers, artists, people, or just being happy with themselves. It's great to hear about what friends are doing and what they are exploring; it encourages me to try to be a better person as well.

Also, on an unrelated note, I've been writing letters to my mom every so often and have been keeping them in a small notebook. When it's done, I plan to have it filled with my ups, my downs and lessons I've learned along the way. I will be giving it to her either when it's full or at the end of the year. I regret not starting it earlier in my college career, but now's a good a time as any. I think recently (within the past year) is when I really (and I mean really) started to seriously appreciate my relationship with my mom, and I really hope I can demonstrate it more so she can be constantly reminded that she is loved.

All these five paragraphs start with the letter A.

And I hope this means I will be getting them as my letter grades at the end of the semester. One A for each class I'm taking.