Where You Lead, I Will Follow

Choosing to rewatch Gilmore Girls was single-handedly one the best decisions I’ve made.
Not just because it’s a good show, the writing is witty and hilarious and the music selection is phenomenal, but because it’s exactly what I needed. Case in point, I am currently on the seventh and final season, which Rory is graduating  from college. She and I are in the exact same position and career path, the idea that it is the end of an era and the beginning of the unknown.  During these last few episodes I keep finding myself relating to dear Ms. Gilmore more than I ever have. Here I am entering the last few months of my college career, an incredible internship already under my belt, and now I’m not sure of what my next move is. I’m watching friends make these big life choices and celebrate with them as they receive news of a job offer, or internship choice, or acceptance into that graduate school program.

Yet here I am, waiting, almost hesitating to make the next big step. Much like Rory herself and having just finished the episode titled “It’s Just Like Riding a Bike”, Rory turns down her first job offer to go after her dream of working at the New York Times, only to be rejected, thus ending up with no future career path while everyone else around her is finalizing their plans post-graduation.

I’m given the real possibility that I might not end up where I want to be (if I figure that out) just like Rory herself.  While of course there are moves I want to make, but the issue is seems is more of when. Do I move home for a year to save money? Do I pack up and go on to another state and start new? Do I accept the first “big-girl” job I’m offered as a safety net, or do I hold out until one I really want comes along?  The deciding factors seems to be: when and where, and for once I’m thankful it doesn't rely on a “who”.  It might be that I’m too in love with myself and my passions, or that I’m too “busy” for anything else really, whatever the case, I’m pretty happy with the direction I’m going. Where I'm going...seems to be the biggest question.

Maybe 2015 can help me figure that out....

xoxo.

From (Web) Page to Paper

I'll be the first to admit it, I spend a lot of time in my own head.
Most of the time my head space is occupied by lyrics to songs that I'm always surprised I remember, or those equally annoying times when I can remember the lines to that annoyingly catchy pop song that won't stop being played on the radio.  

If it's not song lyrics, it's story lines. Ever since I was little I wanted to be an author, but I've got this whole thing about grammar and rewrites. That thing being I hate grammar rules, the whole i before e, except after c rule makes my head spin and I'm notorious for using one too many commas. So my apologies now if I commit any grammar crimes -- my AP Style book is being delivered from Amazon and you know how unreliable the U.S. Postal Service is.
And don't get me started on rewrites, this paragraph alone has been rewritten a solid seven times already.

Anyways, back to my point here...
Being in my own head.
It's messy and cramped and filled with endless nonsense that usually comes out of my mouth, or via my Twitter page, and sometimes I have a hard time keeping track of it all.
Which is why I originally decided to start this blog. A place to keep all my thoughts.
Enter the problem: My brain goes a lot faster than my hands can keep up with, which can result in a lot of spelling mistakes (another grammar crime I often commit, so thank god for spell check). I've considered doing a podcast, but 1) I'm lazy and have yet to actually follow through with it, and 2) I'm not too keen on hearing my own voice on recording...yet-if I do happen to land my own radio show right after graduation, than I'l get over my own-voice-listening-to-aversion and gladly accept the position.

Recently, I got this idea of how to document my head space clutter sans a computer.
A good old fashion journal. Think of one of those "Wreck this Journal" journals, just minus the prompts and actual destruction.
With 2015 a day away, I feel like this is just what I needed to start the new year, and to finish the final chapter of my collegiate career.
I'm hoping to fill this journal with doodles, song lyrics, as well as quotes and other momentos of 2015.

Now...to find a journal and a New Year's Eve outfit, wish me luck!
xoxo

Happy Reading and Sage Advice

Christmas Tradition

Currently, it is 10:30pm on Christmas Day 2014. My family and I per tradition are competing to see who can be the most lazy. Currently, I'd have to say it would be a tie between myself, and my mother, who has been napping on the couch on-and-off since 3:00 pm. Christmas, for us, was celebrated early this morning, (midnight, if you want to be exact) and since than we've been enjoying our presents, and quality napping time. 

That being said, one of my presents was Amy Poehler's book "Yes Please" and although I'm currently preoccupied with a whole other list of books (see my previous post, in case your wondering what list I'm talking about), but I couldn't help myself and had to read a few pages.

Amy's Advice

With Christmas coming to an end, and the New Year around the corner, it's natural to start thinking about next year, after all 2015 is a big year for me. Graduation, adulthood, complete panic at "officially entering the real world" It's strange, knowing that four years has gone by so quickly, but it's exciting at the same time.
I have successfully avoiding answering any prying personal details to my extend family, managing to mumble the general, "Oh I'm a Journalist Major...Oh I go to school in Aurora...I'm graduating in May.." all while having the great internal battle that one more cookie I eat won't spoil my Christmas dinner.

While reading the first few I'm reminded how much of an idol Amy Poehler is. Granted, I finished Parks and Recreations fairly quickly so I may be a little biased on my "Amy Poehler Appreciation" but that is besides the point here.

My point being, is that within the first chapter of the book, Poehler shares the hard truth- writing is hard. Life is hard, and messy and complicated, and becoming an adult is really scary. At 22, and an almost-college-graduate, I'm already sick of being asked "what are you going to do when I graduate?"

Within my first couple of pages of reading "Yes Please" I was given the best answer I could ever hope for via the great Amy Poehler. "...we should stop asking people in their twenties what they "want to do" and start asking them what they don't want to do. Instead of asking students to "declare their major" we should ask students to "list what they will do anything to avoid." It just makes a lot more sense..."

And it does make a lot more sense, and makes me so much more excited to start reading.

Happy Holidays!
xoxo

Bookworm Forever

Between two pages; my favorite place to be.

I'm a lover of many things. Music, obviously. Of comfy socks, and superheros, of pizza and good coffee. Most importantly, I am a lover of books.

Growing up, I wasn't the athletic type. I didn't actively compete in a sport until my senior year of high school, and even now, I'm limited due to a knee injury. I was always someone who kept to myself, and was rather on the shy side. (A complete opposite of who I am now.) With my mother always working late hours, I often found myself looking for things to keep me entertained. That entertainment usually came in the form of music and television (which resulted in my vast knowledge of pop culture), but most importantly: books.

While my main focus of this blog has primary revolved around music, and my experience at my music-industry focused internship, I cannot shy away from another big part of my life. Books, much like music, have always served as an escape. A journey, and always an exciting adventure.

Currently, my internship with Cumulus Media (owner of 101.1 WKQX, 97.9 The Loop, and 94.7 WLS) has come to an end, (as all good things must do) I find myself with an endless amount of free time. Something, that since the semester started, I have not found myself having a lot of.

The Challenge 

With this vast amount of free time of my hands, I have done two things: scan the vast cyber world of Pinterest, and shamelessly binge watch various television series on Netflix. Currently, I am working my way through NBC's Parks and Recreation, and Gilmore Girls. As I made my way through Gilmore Girls, a show I had watched during much of my adolescence, I was reminded why I admired Rory Gilmore. She was beautiful, quick-witted, and intelligent and held a such a high admiration and knowledge on music, books, and pop culture that I could only dream of achieving

Her graduation speech alone nearly moved me to tears. Partly because of the close connection to her mother, much like myself, and partly because, I, much like Rory, have always loved books.

With that being said, I came across the massive list of books referenced in Gilmore Girls. The grand total: 339 books.  I have taken it upon myself to begin this, "Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge", because, what else do I really have to lose?

I'm a firm believer that if the time I'm wasting isn't due to sleeping, it best be wasted due to reading.

"...I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I’ve been a resident of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina, and strolled down Swann’s Way. It’s a rewarding world...." Rory Gilmore; "Those Are Strings, Pinochio" (Season 3, Episode 22)

Shut Up and Steal Christmas

Another Day, Another Concert

The life of a Promotions Intern, is certainly never a boring one. Exhausting? Yes. But boring, never. This week kicked off 101.1 WKQX's "The Nights We Stole Christmas" two night concert events, and while I missed out on opening night last Monday, I got to witness the chaos first-hand on Saturday.

Looking at the line up, I could barely contain my excitement when I realized that Walk The Moon was the headliner. For those you, who haven't heard of them (shame on you, first of all), they just released their new album "Talking Is Hard". Their hit single, "Shut Up and Dance" has been playing non-stop on my iPhone since it came on my iTunes Radio shuffle back in September. A catchy and dance-worthy song, I'm happy to say that Walk the Moon sounds just as great live, as they do on their album. Too often I find myself being greatly disappointed when a band sounds great on recording, and awful live. 

I spend a solid 10 hours at The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Saturday. (This is where the exhausting part of being an intern comes in) Being a part of the Promotional team, it was our responsibility to not only set up the entire venue before the show, but also to manage any of our contest winners and set them up with their VIP and Meet The Band passes.

Perks Of Being an Intern

With that being said, I have to share the good parts that come with being an intern. We arrived at the Aragon at 2:00pm, (I had arrived in the city at 11:00, so my day had already started waaaay before getting to the Aragon), and the set up began: promotional tables, hanging posters and signage from all there sponsors, setting up our "Awkward Family Photo" booth. The whole thing was exhausting. But--being there early before doors opened did mean one good thing: hearing the bands warm up. Kongos, Meg Myers, Vance Joy, and Walk the Moon, I was in heaven.

But it got better. While I was incredibly excited to be wearing my "Working" pass, and to get a chance to see the bands performs I wasn't exactly sure what perks came with wearing it. The perks, I quickly learned, were amazing. We were granted access to the VIP Lounge, I got a chance to meet Walk the Moon, be in the balcony behind the stage (giving me perfect view of the bands) AND during one of the performances, I found myself dancing with Noelle Scaggs (of Fitz and the Tantrums) who showed up after performing at their own show earlier that night. 

The Nights We Stole Christmas is certainly a show I'll remember, and with my internship coming to a close within the next few weeks, I'm beyond thankful to have gotten this experience of a lifetime.

                 For more behind the scenes footage, follow my instagram: xoxo_cgonzales

 

          (Video taken December 6, 2014 by Christina Gonzales. Aragon Ballroom. Walk the Moon.)

I've Got Another Confession To Make: Foo Fighters in Chicago

Bad Day, Made Better

Driving to class from work this morning. I found myself having a particularly awful morning, a second case of "The Mondays" if you will,  considering my actual Monday hadn't been so great either. It was just one of those days where I regretted getting out of bed.

So here I am, driving down this construction jammed road, not particularly in a pleasant mood, scanning the radio for anything to listen to. I was having no such luck, and was stuck between changing the station from a boring commercial, to hearing "All About That Bass" for the fifth time that morning, when I settled on 101.1 WKQX.
It wasn't the "happy-go-lucky" song I needed to put me in a better mood, but it was just the news I needed.  

Listening to the morning DJ's, I learned that the Foo Fighters will be playing here, in Chicago, at The Cubby Bear on Friday.

Let that sink in now.
Foo Fighters. Cubby Bear. Friday.

Foo Fighters In Chicago 
Now, if you happen to be a Foo Fighters fan, like myself, you would be jumping off the walls. (Or in my case, screaming "No way!" excitedly over and over as I sat in traffic when I first heard the news this morning). With Foo Fighters currently promoting their new album, it was no a surprise that playing a show was in the talks. The big nail-biter, was really, where they would be playing that show at.

Foo Fighters playing a venue like the Cubby Bear isn't something you hear every day. Usually, big names like Foo Fighters would be playing at the Metro, but thankfully Cubby Bear has a soft spot for frontman, Dave Grohl. (It was the venue where Grohl say his first ever concert). Luckily, I'll be in the area tomorrow, so even if I don't get tickets, I'll be hanging around the Cubby Bear and Wrigleyville, just hoping to hear bits and pieces of the show.

Tickets go on sale, tomorrow morning at 10:00am, wish me luck

Fleetwood Mac: Reunited and It Feels So Bittersweet

'Mac is Back 

While I'm incredibly excited for the beginning of October for various reasons, (the fashion, the changing of the leaves, my birthday, and the addition of my favorite television series, Gilmore Girls, to Netflix) the next two days, October will be torture.

Mainly because Fleetwood Mac will be performing at the United Center, in Chicago on October 2nd and 3rd, and I will be...well not there. Hence, the upset. The tour kicked off yesterday, opening in  Minneapolis, MN and is set to visit a total of thirty-three cities in North America. While Fleetwood Mac has been on tour plenty of times the past couple of years, this time ALL of Fleetwood Mac Band Members will be present. So, that means singer/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie, drummer Mick Fleetwood, singer Stevie Nicks and singer/keyboardist Christine McVie will be performing all under the same roof...FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE  1997!

So maybe now you'll understand my disappointment. 

Fleetwood Mac: Built My Life Around You

I'm not sure when I first became a fan of Fleetwood Mac, but all I know is their songs have the ability to make me want to dance, or make me want to sob uncontrollably. "Landslide" is the best example of a song that can make me cry, no matter what version. (Trust me, I've heard so many different versions, and every time I bawl like a baby).

While my favorite Fleetwood Mac song has to be "Landslide," my favorite album (as well as their most successful one),  would have to be Rumours, which was released just as the band was breaking up. (More specifically when Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham), and featured some songs you should really check out. "I Don't Want to Know", "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way", are more of their well known songs, but the entire album is one you should give a listen to.

Stardust in Chicago

I don't know whether to be excited, or terrified at the thought of a David Bowie exhibit in Chicago.
Excited because it is, the great David Bowie and terrified because...well it's David Bowie (or Ziggy Stardust).
He can be a pretty frightening man....but hey, he's a brilliant musician.

My favorite David Bowie song, has to be, "Under Pressure," which he collaborated with Queen on back in the 80s. Whenever I hear it on the radio (on those rare, rare occasions when the
radio will play a classic song), there's a split second of terror thinking that it's actually Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby", continued by relief and excitement when I realize that it's actually "Under Pressure". The opening riffs of the songs are identical, which sparked its own controversy when Vanilla Ice first released his song, but that's another story, for another day.   

As a huge pop icon, Bowie has been described as being, "the most pioneering and influential performers of our time," so it's understandable as to why the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago has dedicated to him and  is the only museum in the United States to pay tribute to Ziggy Stardust (That's Bowie's flamboyant androgynous alter ego for those of you who don't know). 

The exhibition opened on September 23rd, and runs until January 4th, 2015, and you better believe I'll be taking a day off and going to see David Bowie in all his glory.  

This Skin and Bones is a Rental

At the age of 21, I can say I've experienced my share of heartbreak, but I was no way prepared for the hurt that came when I found out my favorite band was going to be in town, and I wasn't going to be able to see them. Call it being dramatic, but I can say I was feeling devastated.

What band was I missing out on, you may ask? A small band, called Switchfoot. Before you roll your eyes, or say, "I've never heard of them", go to YouTube and type in either "Dare You to Move" or "Meant to Live", go ahead, I'll wait.

If you actually did YouTube those songs, kudos to you, and you'll have realized that those songs were featured in "A Walk to Remember" back in 2002, and it was because of this movie, that Switchfoot really went mainstream.

It was also back in 2002, while watching "A Walk to Remember" that I was first introduced to Switchfoot, and I fell in love. It happens all the time, a person will find a band, and something about that band just makes everything else fall into place. It's the music, it's the lyrics: it's the magic.

I've been lucky enough to see Switchfoot live three times already, and every time it's like hearing them for the first time all over. Any concert go-er can tell you that hearing a band live is a completely different experience than listening to their CD.  That, and every concert I've gone to, lead singer/guitarist Jon Foreman always climbs into the crowd. Every. Time.  Finding a musician that wants to in the crowd during his songs, now that's something else.

The big question I get a lot as a Switchfoot fan, is that most people didn't know that Switchfoot is still around, let alone on tour. Well they are, and they released their ninth album "Fading West" earlier this year, and are currently on their Fall Tour, hence why they were in Bourbonnais, Ill on Friday. Which I missed out on, and am still upset over.

I'll have to settle with listening to their CD on repeat...again.
Which really isn't punishment, but still isn't as great as hearing them live.

I highly recommend giving "Fading West" a listen, or any of their other albums, (Particularly Hello, Hurricane, it won a Grammy after all).

Mud & Music

If you’re someone who enjoys going to wild and extremely muddy concerts than read on, and if you don’t…well let’s just say I don’t like you and you should learn to live a little. Riot Fest 2014, where do I even begin? This past weekend was the three day celebration of Riot Fest’s 10^th anniversary.  Music, mud, and booze, seems like a great time to me.

I was lucky enough to spend two days at Riot Fest this year thanks to my internship with 101.1 WKQX, who was one of the many sponsors for Riot Fest. The way I see it, it was a win-win. 101.1 WKQX got a chance to further market themselves and I got to go to Riot Fest for free.

Two days filled with punk-rock music, and a killer line up, what more could a girl ask for?

Here, take a look at some of the line-up: 

Like everyone else who went to Riot Fest, I had a few bands that I was dying so see. The Flaming Lips, Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack,  Cheap Trick, Patti Smith and Wu-Tang Clan, just to name a few. I was lucky enough to make it through the war zone that use to be Humboldt Park, and get to see Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional and Wu-Tang Clan. All three were incredible, by the way.

Getting around Humboldt Park however, was the biggest pain I had to deal with this weekend. On the first day of Riot Fest, it rained the entire day, and like we all know when we mix rain and grass it usually results in mud. But hey, a little mud never hurt anybody (unless you're a pair of shoes, in which case RIP).

Even if I didn't get to see all the bands I wanted to, having the opportunity to even go to Riot Fest is definitely something I'm always going to remember, and I may have stumbled upon some new bands I'll be adding onto my iTunes (Here's looking at you Streetlight Manifesto) and going back to some bands I'd almost forgotten about (I'm sorry Dashboard Confessional, I'll never do that again).

Until next year Riot Fest.

XOXO.

Photo credit @chicago_wallflower

For the Love of Music

Like many others, music plays an incredible role in my life.
It's been there during the lowest points in my life, picking me back up and holding me together in ways I could never imagine.
Music has been my escape, my remedy, and overall the biggest constant in my life. (Secondary to coffee, of course.)

There's something magical when you feel music. You read that right, I said feel. There are rare occasions when I find myself, feeling the music, not just listening to it. It's hard to explain, but I'll do my best.

First and foremost, I want to make it clear that I am in no way a musician. My only musical interaction was five years of playing the violin, and looking back now I'm realizing I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. Singing is something I've always loved to do, but I'll leave that up to those lucky individuals with talent and stick to singing loudly in my car.

Having a career in music isn't an easy one, but it's one that I'm fighting to have. I'm not talking about making, or writing music, per say, but the music industry is definitely something I'm looking into, and with post-graduation plans always coming into conversation, I think it's in my best interest to start figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life. (So, no pressure or anything.) With a major in Communications, I’ve strategically made sure to cover all my bases, as my major and minors cover Journalism, Public Relations AND Advertising. The big dream is to be the one that picks the music for movie soundtracks, while the more realistic dream is to work in TV or Radio, but hey, I’ve still got a solid eight months to panic.

I've always considered my musical taste to be extremely diverse, and this blog is going to follow my journey exploring music. I'll be exploring new music I come across, talking about current Billboard hits (and possible complaining that mainstream radio does a marvelous job on overplaying songs to the point I never want to hear them again),  rambling on over my personal favorite bands or songs, and even taking suggestions on songs and artists I should try listening to.

Stay tuned!

XOXO.