It’ll certainly be hard to beat. This post is likely to be long-winded, somewhat incoherant at points or similar to a teen-aged journal entry…bear with me.  The Hotel Cafe has an annual holiday show to benefit little one’s by taking the proceeds and loading up on toys for a bunch of kids who might not get much, otherwise. Pretty cool all on it’s own. Add to that a bunch of amazing musicians, a venue with incredible sound and a cool but laid-back vibe and it’s even better. I love The Hotel, it’s truly a place I love to be anytime, but last night was just the best I could have ever asked for. We (my husband and I) went to see Butch Walker, whose shows I try to see every single time I can. He’s truly amazing in every sense of the word. His music is genius and chances are he’s probably written your favorite song. Seeing Butch live makes me genuinely happy, it brings me true joy and it’s my opinion that everyone should see him play music live at least one time, you’ll be a happier person for it. He’s real on stage, his music comes from a place of real emotion and it makes you feel alive and he never fails to bring an abundance of good old fashioned fun. People who know Butch know that he happens to be dear friends with P!nk and it’s not too unusual for her to show up at his shows and take the stage with him for a few songs. She’s just amazing like that.

So there I was, sipping a tasty beverage in my own world while the stage manager arranged gear on stage when my husband kicked me and told me I should be more aware of my surroundings. Before I had a chance to get my bearings and look around she was about 1 maybe 2 inches from me with her husband, getting situated in a seat. I’ve always wondered what I’d do if I met her, figuring I’d probably act a fool or just loose my nerve and clam up (and always regret it). I didn’t do that. I did experience a moment of physical bizzarreness, where my brain and body sort of detached and I was left slightly dumbfounded. Before my brain knew what my body was doing my emotions jumped into action. I bent down (she was seated on her husband Carey’s lap and I was standing directly beside her) and sort of whispered to her that I was having a heart-attack. She turned to face me, fully, and in such a sweet voice, told me to please not do that, she and I both said something else then maybe because she could see some overwhelming emotion on my face, she hugged me. We hugged for what felt like a very long time and I told her several times how I adore her (I may have said a four letter word a few times). She must be one of those people that friends love to hug because it honestly felt like one of the best hugs I’ve ever had, even she commented on it’s sweetness. After, she turned to face the stage as did I (as well as try to put my heart back in my chest) and the show went on. A few minutes later she took her seat on the floor right in front of me so that when the time came, she could join Butch on stage and my night just got better and better with each song.

Butch. He just looks like he’s happy to be up there, making people happy.

Doin’ what they do. My husband was ready with his iPhone to get a little video footage. Go check out “Synthesizers” here. This is such a rad version of the song. I didn’t pick up the camera much during any of Butch’s set, with or without P!nk. Photography is clearly a huge part of me but music is bigger. Notice the screaming in the video…that’s me (and several other very awesome people).

I like the iPad in this shot. Thanks, Apple, for all the amazing things we’re capable of these days. 

You may recognize P!nk’s tattooed arm handing up a drink to Butch. It was that kind of party.

She’s taking a picture of the audience. How super cute is that? Before she hopped up on stage I noticed her snapping pics of Butch with her phone, even superstars do it. 

They also forget song lyrics like the rest of us. They did a killer cover of Patsy Cline’s “Walking after Midnight”. Check it out here, my husband was so awesome to get this one on his iPhone too. I’ll watch it somewhere around a million times, I’m sure. At the time I’m writing this, over 2000 people from around the world have seen it too!

I’m just so in love with this night. Really wishing it were endless.

I must sound like a broken record spinning at my house, I have repeated over and over the sentiment that last night was literally a dream come true for me. Those two people at that particular venue on stage together doing what they love to do and me doing what I love, seeing the art of music being made and photographing. Some days life just seems so dull. And others, I can’t even believe how exciting it can be…  if you get off the couch, get yourself downtown and shake it all out.

just because she’s amazing, just because we wanted to always remember her just as she sounds today…working, learning, growing, just because it’s a rad experience, claudia took a couple of songs into the studio.

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claudia spent monday through saturday of last week having the time of her life at rock camp for girls L.A. and i mean literally the most fun, most encouraging, most empowering, most supportive, most enthusiastic, most amazing 6 days in her sweet little life. she was smitten immediately. i dropped her off at camp on monday morning hoping that she would have a good time, or at least not be miserable. i picked her up 8 hours later to not only the biggest smile i’ve ever seen on her face, but a different one than i’d ever seen. she actually seemed to stand a little taller and it was as if she had some little secret that the rest of us weren’t part of. i think it all just boiled down to copious amounts of fun and encouragement. i could go on and on, literally. i’ve been a walking billboard for this beautiful organization since monday evening when i picked her up. i just can’t say enough good stuff about everyone involved and everything my sweet girl took away from it. i think the most glorious gift these girls were given was freedom. freedom to let fear and embarrassment fall away. after seeing each of the bands perform their song at the camper showcase on saturday, i could really see it. the support and encouragement the girls are given in connection to expressing themselves through music, allowed them to go out on a stage at an actual rock venue on sunset blvd in los angeles california and just feel it and experience the unique fun that comes with playing live rock music. claudia, for one, has commented to me at least 3 different times while watching live rock show videos (Butch Walker, The Foo Fighters and Mumford and Sons) that they looked like they were having “so much fun”. when i saw her on that stage, i saw that fun on her own face. rock camp made that possible. i’m forever thankful for that moment.

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offers up another collection of shots rather than a single image. i had a truly remarkable time last night at the hotel cafe 1oth anniversary and ho-ho-hotel benefit show to benefit the LAFD Spark of Love Toy Drive. the hotel cafe is sort of the oasis for the singer-songwriter set and just a  damn good time.

i’m just gonna get right down to it, despite all the rad talent last night, this was the highlight of my night. butch walker along with a few of his black widows, plus a couple of other fellas. butch walker is without question, a lyrical genius. aside from writing amazing songs for himself, he’s probably written at least one of your favorite songs recorded by someone else. i’m smitten. check him out if you don’t know him, you won’t be sorry.
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…she’s got that part down, the super-awesome-cool part, the love of rock-and-roll and the bad-girl part for sure…now all we need are about 9990 more practice hours and we’ll have a master on our hands. seriously,  these shots just make me happy when i see them, that’s worth an awful lot some days.

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