A Malibu life...

After many requests, I've finally put together a list of my favorite spots in Malibu. So, here they are:

1. Coast along the PCH
2. Paradise Cove
3. Malibu Beach Inn
4. Diesel Books
5. James Perse Apparel
6. Malibu Country Mart

The Beatles Remastered

Amoeba Music > The Remarkable Return of The Beatles by Chris Morris

Source: www.amoeba.com

Sometime in January 1964, my high school buddy Paul, who lived around the corner from me in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, visited the neighborhood record shop and picked up a copy of The Beatles’ ...

Best of L.A. - BEST DOG HIKE - Los Angeles Magazine

Best of L.A. - BEST DOG HIKE - Los Angeles Magazine

Shared via AddThis

Dog supplies & artist

Just came home from my favorite dog retailer, Maxwell Dog in Studio City. I love this store and so does my baby, Bella. They carry everything from toys to healthy food and treats, various colors and sizes of leashes, harnesses, collars and apparel. They also have a wide array of dog beds, blankets, accessories and publications about dogs. While there I checked out the artwork of the native Malibu artist, B.Johnson. He has garnered much praise and attention for his uniquely rendered dog paintings and has a long list of celebrity clientele who have commissioned his work. On my way out, I picked up a copy of this month's edition of BARK magazine. I am very excited about their first annual Short Story Fiction contest. I have the perfect story in mind for it and plan on writing it tonight.

James Taylor & Carol King @ the Troubadour

This morning as I was driving through the canyon, I played my new mix CD that includes tracks by Starsailor, James Taylor, Jamie Cullem, Leona Lewis, Erin McCarly and Colbie Caillat. This reminded me of the last time I saw James Taylor. It was at the Troubadour where he had a private show with Carol King.

It was the best show that I had seen all year and I saw some great legendary artists in concert last year including Sting and the Eagles. When an artists' music effects me so deeply that it moves me emotionally and conjures up memories, I enjoy it more than an artist who can put on a good show, but whose music does not strike me deeply. I have loved James Taylor's music since I was a child. I first met him when I was in boarding school and his daughters band performed there. I have seen him since then, but hearing him perform with Carol King was the best. I used to go to the Hot Tin Roof club on Martha's Vineyard that James and Carly Simon owned and would see them both there frequently.

James and Carol performed at the Troubador together back in 1974 and this was the first time that they have performed together at the Troubador since then. It was great to see how they connected with each other and hear stories of they came up with their songs. I especially loved James story of how he ended up writing "Sweet Baby James". He said that he had just come back from making his first album in London in 1969 and was driving back to North Carolina to see his brother's baby that had just been born and was named after him. He wrote the song for his nephew.

Oh, I do have to mention that the VIP seats were filled with celebrities including Colin Ferrel and Joni Mitchel. I am a Joni fan also. I love her in "The Last Waltz" with The Band.

Madonna & The Black Crowes

After ruffling through my wall of CD's, I was reminded of the last Madonna and The Black Crowes concerts I attended. I wrote my reviews of them a while ago, but thought they were worth reprinting. Here they are:

All that I am going to say about Madonna is that I have never and will never pay to see her in concert. Yeah, I was a material girl back when the lace hair berets and multiple rubber bracelets were in style and danced in my bed room to "lucky star" and "like a virgin" for hours on end in 1985, but that doesn't mean that I need to stay devoted to a rude ungrateful rock star who doesn't appreciate her fans. The two times that I have seen her she was rude to the audience and acted like her fans should all be grateful to spend $500 on a ticket to see her. I've seen Mariah Carey 3 times in concert and Cher once and would go back to see either of them 10 times more than I would see Madonna. Enough about her.

The Black Crowes I saw at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood. I didn't know anything about them or their music before I saw them last month. All I knew was that the lead singer was married to one of my favorite actresses, Kate Hudson. I thought they were o.k.. I definitely felt like I was back in prep school or college at a Phish show with the scent of whisky and pot fumigating throughout the bleachers. The only song that I recognized was their 70's remake of "Up on Cripple Creek" by The Band. It was a nice night out, so we stayed for most of the show, but I am not in a rush to see them again and was disappointed to not even have a Kate sighting there.