So, I did not quite get around to actually turning on my computer last night. Jim opted to tear apart our half-bath on Thursday night, and when we returned yesterday afternoon, we still had work to do to make it a functioning bathroom again. Add to that daylight savings time and springing ahead and the general exhaustion I felt from the concert the night prior and you have a recipe for just sitting down and relaxing. Hence, the Sunday Salon post that I wanted to write on Sunday is actually getting written on Monday. Oh well.
The concert – OMG. Muse. Was. Absolutely. Phenomenal. I had the pleasure of seeing Coldplay and U2 last year, and I feel that Muse blew both of those bands out of the water. Matt Bellamy took some chances on their latest album by including his three-part symphony he wrote; I was positively stunned (and thrilled) to see them include Part 1 in their concert. Dom and Chris performed a breath-taking duet while the stagehands were removing the grand piano; it remains one of the songs that Jim and I are still discussing two days later. I knew they were outstanding musicians, but my respect and admiration for all three has only increased tenfold after seeing their performance on Saturday. It was such a mind-blowingly outstanding concert that it is all I can do to purchasing tickets for another concert anywhere in the U.S. We both agree that we would kill to be able to see them perform outside the U.S., where they are properly revered and appreciated for their talents. Saturday confirmed what the rest of the world already understands – Matt, Dom and Chris are music gods!
I have been so busy getting ready for the concert, traveling to and from soccer and piano, and helping Jim with our bathroom that I am severely behind on posts, reviews, and my feed reader, along with household chores. I have no idea when I am going to get caught up either, since Connor is supposed to have a three-game soccer tournament this weekend, and we have various practices every day this week. It would help tremendously if the field had wi-fi, but I think that may be asking a bit too much. I hate feeling this behind on things, especially when I WANT to write. I also want to get back to writing for Examiner.com; I have severely neglected my column over the past two months and have some ideas for future articles there. It all comes down to time, and unfortunately, there is not enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I want to do.
If you cannot tell, I am struggling right now to find the right balance between have-to’s and want-to’s. How do others balance life’s chores? Do you schedule your day down to the minute? Do you spend one night a week doing one thing on your to-do list or do you prefer tackling everything every day, even if it means only working on said items for a few minutes each day? For those of you with children, how do you while away your time at the numerous practices? Do you read and use that time to relax, or do you try to fit in some of the items on your to-do list? I am open to any suggestion possible at this point in time, as the spring is only going to get worse with scheduling issues and lack of time.
Happy Ides of March! I refuse to believe that today is unlucky, mainly because I am still flying off of adrenaline from Saturday night. I hope everyone has a great day and even better week.
Lisa – I still find blogging fun. I just want to do it more often than I have time to do so! I haven't quite gotten to the point of neglecting the house but there are times I am definitely tempted!
Still flying high here and loving every minute of it!
The duet has been dubbed the Helsinki jam; I'm not certain why. It appears between a set change while they are putting away Matt's piano. Here's a version of it played at Madison Square Garden:
I really hope they put it on a CD! It was that good!
They played a great mix of old and new. Yes to all those you listed, plus Plug In Baby, Stockholm Syndrome. I did not think it was terribly loud. No, I did not have ear plugs, but my ears were not ringing like they were after the U2 concert in September.
Silversun Pickups opened for them. I do like their music and thought they did a decent job of opening. I think they do better in a smaller venue but would be interested in seeing them headline their own show.
LOL! I almost had my husband convinced to take off Monday and see them in Nashville too. It would have been worth every penny and two vacation days to do so too!
We saw U2 last September when they were on tour, and Muse opened for them. I think U2 spends more money on fancy sets and can sell out the large arenas here in the U.S., but I think that in five years, if Muse continues its trajectory here, they will be as big if not bigger. And their concerts will be ten times better. It really was an amazing concert.
I haven't quite reached the point of being completely overwhelmed but try me in a week or two, and I know I will be there. I think the time constraints get me more than the responsibilities. I can handle those, but I cannot handle trying to squeeze in so much in such a short period of time. There are only so many hours in a day, but I have enough to do that I could stay up for 22 of those hours and not complete everything. That's when I begin to lose it.
If you like alternative and rock, then you should like Muse. They are phenomenal.
Alas, no wi-fi at the soccer fields, which means lots of time to read. That isn't a bad thing!
I like your idea of the push and pull of the want-to and have-to. Unfortunately, my want-to list has a stronger pull, even though my have-to list has dire consequences for not completing them!
It took me weeks to come down from the high of seeing Josh Groban in concert, so we'll see if Muse affects you the same way! So glad you loved it! So glad to hear it lived up to expectations. The duet you mentioned, did they just ad lib? And it's not something on the CD or anything, right? Oh, I hope they do the same thing a few weeks from now! Did they play some of their "old" famous ones (Supermassive, Knights, Hysteria, etc.)? And they only ended up playing one part of the symphony? Interesting. Was it very very loud? Did you use ear plugs? How was the opening band?
Yes, it is! I can't wait to hear your reactions!
Lisa – I still find blogging fun. I just want to do it more often than I have time to do so! I haven't quite gotten to the point of neglecting the house but there are times I am definitely tempted!
April 5. It's getting closer!
My recent post The Sparrow: Read Along Discussion Questions
Still flying high here and loving every minute of it!
The duet has been dubbed the Helsinki jam; I'm not certain why. It appears between a set change while they are putting away Matt's piano. Here's a version of it played at Madison Square Garden:
I really hope they put it on a CD! It was that good!
They played a great mix of old and new. Yes to all those you listed, plus Plug In Baby, Stockholm Syndrome. I did not think it was terribly loud. No, I did not have ear plugs, but my ears were not ringing like they were after the U2 concert in September.
Silversun Pickups opened for them. I do like their music and thought they did a decent job of opening. I think they do better in a smaller venue but would be interested in seeing them headline their own show.
When are you going again?
LOL! I almost had my husband convinced to take off Monday and see them in Nashville too. It would have been worth every penny and two vacation days to do so too!
We saw U2 last September when they were on tour, and Muse opened for them. I think U2 spends more money on fancy sets and can sell out the large arenas here in the U.S., but I think that in five years, if Muse continues its trajectory here, they will be as big if not bigger. And their concerts will be ten times better. It really was an amazing concert.
I haven't quite reached the point of being completely overwhelmed but try me in a week or two, and I know I will be there. I think the time constraints get me more than the responsibilities. I can handle those, but I cannot handle trying to squeeze in so much in such a short period of time. There are only so many hours in a day, but I have enough to do that I could stay up for 22 of those hours and not complete everything. That's when I begin to lose it.
Thanks, Nymeth! I so wish more people in the US appreciated them, and I would KILL to see them at a festival. I just really want to see them again!
Dude. I would pay large sums of money to see them again and wouldn't bat an eye at the expense because they are worth it. Un-fricking-believable.
If you like alternative and rock, then you should like Muse. They are phenomenal.
Alas, no wi-fi at the soccer fields, which means lots of time to read. That isn't a bad thing!
I like your idea of the push and pull of the want-to and have-to. Unfortunately, my want-to list has a stronger pull, even though my have-to list has dire consequences for not completing them!
Are they not rocking!!
It took me weeks to come down from the high of seeing Josh Groban in concert, so we'll see if Muse affects you the same way! So glad you loved it! So glad to hear it lived up to expectations. The duet you mentioned, did they just ad lib? And it's not something on the CD or anything, right? Oh, I hope they do the same thing a few weeks from now! Did they play some of their "old" famous ones (Supermassive, Knights, Hysteria, etc.)? And they only ended up playing one part of the symphony? Interesting. Was it very very loud? Did you use ear plugs? How was the opening band?
Okay, enough questions for one comment!