Bands I’ve Seen (that I can remember!)

Aerosmith

A Flock of Seagulls

Bassnectar

Beach House

Beautiful Days

Beirut

Big Head Todd and The Monsters

Black Eyed Peas

Jeremy Buck and the Bang

Cake

Calexico

Cat Power

The Chemical Brothers

Chromeo

Citizen Cope

Eric Clapton

Collective Soul

Dave Matthews Band

The Dead Weather

John Doe

The Eagles

Edward Sharpe &the Magnetic Zeros

Elbow

Elvis Costello

The Fixx

The Flaming Lips

Peter Frampton

G. Love and Special Sauce

Peter Gabriel

Genesis

Gogol Bordello

Goldfrapp

Gnarls Barkley

The Go-Gos

Groove Armada

Guns N Roses

Beres Hammond

Incubus

India.arie

Gregory Isaacs

Wanda Jackson

Elton John

Journey

Juanes

Angelique Kidjo

The Kills

The Kinks

The Knitters

Femi Kuti

Ray LaMontagne

Lenny Kravitz

Level 42

Barrington Levy

Little Dragon

Live

Living Colour

M83

MGMT

M.I.A.

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Massive Attack

Steve Miller Band

Moby

Morcheeba

Muse

Nas

Nneka

Nortec Collective (Bostich and Fussible)

Ozomatli

Pavement

Pearl Jam

People Under the Stairs

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Robert Plant

The Police

Pretty Lights

Prince

The Prodigy

Rooney

Michael Rose

Rush

The Raconteurs

Corinne Bailey Rae

Rolling Stones

Royksopp

Amber Rubarth

Raphael Saadiq

Santana

Santigold

Shaun Cassidy (first concert!)

Sidestepper

Silversun Pickups

Slash

Sonic Youth

Rod Stewart

Sidestepper

Sonic Youth

STS9

Sweet & Tender Hooligans

The Temper Trap

Them Crooked Vultures

Thievery Corporation

Thom Yorke/Flea

Toots & the Maytals

Tricky

Robin Trower

U2

UB40

The Untouchables

Vampire Weekend

Van Halen

Suzanne Vega

Viva Mexico!

Ween

Emily Wells

West Indian Girl

Wolfmother

X

The XX

Z.Z. Top

Zee Avi

Zero 7

 

My inspiration for Cali-gramsTM

On May 3, 2008, I saw John Doe perform at McCabe’s in Santa Monica.  My new friend, Nancy, just happened to know the videographer and the next thing I knew we were invited upstairs to hang out with John.  We took pictures with John and I was so freaked out and nervous that I couldn’t talk to him.  We were in the room for at least 40 minutes and I didn’t have one thoughtful thing to say.  Driving all the way home, I felt like the biggest moron and cursed myself for not even saying “thank you for your music.”

Three months later, I found out that John was playing a free show at Levitt Pavilion, in Pasadena.  I created my first Cali-gramTM which incorporated the lyrics to “The Golden State” in the shape of California.  We chatted briefly, I told him about the McCabe’s incident, and expressed how much I wanted to share my art with him since I had been listening to him for 28 years.  He seemed to really love it and said he would hang it up. 

In April 2010, I attend John’s recording session with Jill Sobule at The Pass Studios, in Los Angeles.  I walked over to John, reintroduced myself, and reminded him of the Cali-gramTM I made for him in 2008.  He told me that first he had it hanging in his bedroom for about six months.  Then, he said he gave it to his girlfriend, K.T., because he actually wrote “The Golden State” for her and he hoped I didn’t mind that he gave it to her.  Mind?  I was getting teary eyed that MY ARTWORK meant that much to him!

Music is my passion and I listen to it all the time.  I’m fortunate to attend 3 to 4 concerts every month.  I’m in awe of musicians and songwriters because they have such an amazing gift to share with the world.  Think of all the songs ever written and then lo and behold you hear something new that captures your attention … some lyrics that speak to you … a hook that you can’t get out of your head.  Music brings people of different races and backgrounds together.  Music touches my soul and gets me out of my head.  Music transports me somewhere else.

I can’t play an instrument or sing a note but I’ve discovered that I have a gift for creating Cali-gramsTM and I’m fortunate enough to live in Los Angeles where I have access to hundreds of musicians every year.  It is a very special feeling to be able to give back and touch a musician’s soul when they have given so much more to me.