Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at hermixtape.com.

Nothing like enjoying the best meal I’ve ever tasted, walking in front of a two-hour line to enjoy drinks at one of the world’s most expensive nightclubs ever built and then collecting enough in winnings at the tables to be driven home in a limo at 6 am. How Vegas of me.

Song that matches the mood:
Waking Up In Vegas, Katie Perry

Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at hermixtape.blogspot.com.

Loving:
I’m headed back to the Windy City on Tuesday!!!

Loathing:
Men. Rubik’s Cubes are easier to solve.

Listening:
Reason Why, Rachel Yamagata

Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at hermixtape.blogspot.com.

One of my favorite parts of winter is cozying up in a bunch of blankets straight out of the dryer and throwing on a movie. And nothing makes a movie scene better than when it’s matched with the perfect song track. So here is Volume I of movie songs I love….

50 First Dates

Love Song, 311

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo Ole

A Lot Like Love

Brighter Than Sunshine, Aqualung

Breathe (2 A.M.), Anna Nalick

Trouble, Ray LaMontage

Because I Said So

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, KT Turnstall

Boondock Saints

The Blood of Cu Chulainn, Mychael and Jeff Dana

The Break-Up

Story of My Life, Social Distortion

Timebomb, Old 97’s

I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Moon River, Andy Williams

Catch and Release

Razor, Foo Fighters

What If You, Joshua Radin

City of Angels

Uninvited, Alanis Morissette

Cruel Intentions

Colorblind, Counting Crows

The Departed

Shipping Up to Boston, Dropkick Murphys

Empire Records

Til I Hear it From You, Gin Blossoms

The Devil Wears Prada

Suddenly I See, KT Turnstall

Sleep, Azure Ray

City of Blinding Lights, U2

Elizabeth Town

Learning to Fly, Tom Petty

Forrest Gump

San Francisco, Scott McKenzie

Let’s Get Together, The Youngbloods

Turn! Turn! Turn!, The Byrds

Volunteers, Jefferson Airplane

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

Against the Wind, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Respect, Aretha Franklin

Mrs. Robinson, Art Garfunkel

California Dreamin, The Mamas & The Papas

Joy to the World, Three Dog Night

Fortunate Son, CCR

Garden State

In the Waiting Line, Zero 7

Don’t Panic, Coldplay

Such Great Heights, Iron & Wine

The Groomsmen

Four Cheers, The Blue Jackets

I Hear You Knocking, The Blue Jackets

The Breakup Song, Greg Kihn

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Somebody Like You, Keith Urban

Jerry Maguire

Secret Garden, Bruce Springsteen

John Tucker Must Die

Instantly Gratified, People in Planes

Honestly, Cartel

Sunset Lover, Josh Kelley

The Last Kiss

Chocolate, Snow Patrol

Star Mile, Joshua Radin

Warning Sign, Coldplay

Hold You In My Arms, Ray LaMontage

El Salvador, Athlete

Reason Why, Rachel Yamagata

Lost Highway

The Perfect Drug, Nine Inch Nails

Love Actually

The Trouble With Love Is, Kelly Clarkson

Here With Me, Dido

Sunday Morning, Maroon 5

Turn Me On, Norah Jones

The Notebook

I’ll Be Seeing You, Billie Holiday

Ocean’s 12

The a la menthe, La Caution

P.S. I Love You

Same Mistake, James Blunt

Fairytale of New York, The Pogues

Pulp Fiction

Son of a Preacher Man, Dusty Springfield

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Rock & Roll, Eric Hutchinson

You Are Mine, Mute Math

Rent

Seasons of Love, Rent

Walk the Line

Jackson, Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon

Wayne’s World

Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at HerMixTape.com.

If They Were Nice:

Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at hermixtape.blogspot.com.

Despite the recent epidemic of allowing Christmas music the four-to-six week “cold sore” lifespan, I don’t put my Christmas playlist on a healthy shuffle until mid-December.

Christmas Mix
To listen to this playlist via FavTape, click here.

Christmas Time is Here, Vince Guraldi Trio
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, John Mellencamp
Santa Baby, Eartha Kitt & Henri Rene
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Frank Sinatra
I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby
What Are You Doing New Years Eve, Nancy Wilson
Sleigh Ride, Ella Fitzgerald
O Tannenbaum, Vince Guraldi Trio
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch, Thurl Ravenscroft
All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, Elmo & Patsy
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Burl Ives
A Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Dean Martin
White Christmas, Bing Crosby
Pine Cones and Holly Berries, Hank o
Linus & Lucy, Vince Guraldi Trio
Let it Snow, The Ray Brown Trio

Editor’s Note: The following is written by KD at HerMixTape. A transplant resident of Las Vegas via Chicago, KD reviews the diverse musical scene that Sin City brings to her doorstep. In her free time, she keeps busy creating the perfect playlist and contributing to the TicketStumbler blog. Check out her website at hermixtape.blogspot.com.

Last Saturday, I headed up to my friend’s hometown of Logandale, Nevada to partake in some extreme, extracurricular activities. In short:
A) I was a passenger on a motorcycle reaching speeds of 135 mph on I-15. Ladies note: Do not wear mascara if you ever plan to do this.
B) We headed out on ATVs to cruise around the town’s famous Red Rock/Valley of Fire State Park, and I four-wheeled up the practically vertical and locally known ‘Easter Egg’ rock.
C) I came out with only a minor cut and a collection of bruises after driving down the side of a mesa wall in a pick-up truck. Next time, I will be sure to use my free hand to hold onto the Oh-Shit-Bar… instead of holding it out the window like I was a rollercoaster ride.

Just what I need: An expensive and potentially fatal hobby….

Off-Roading Play List:
To listen to this playlist via FavTape, click here.

Oh My God, Kaiser Chiefs
Burn This City, Cartel
Supermassive Black Hole, Muse
I Don’t Care, Fall Out Boy
Bodies, Drowning Pool
Allow Me to Introduce Myself… Mr. Right, The White Tie Affair
Fat Lip, Sum 41
Pioneer to the Falls, Interpol
Believe, The Bravery
Big Star, Mathclub
Army, Ben Folds Five
Dammit, Blink-182
When I Come Around, Green Day
Bossman, Lucky Boys Confusion
Ruby, Kaiser Chiefs
Hero/Heroine, Boys Like Girls
Diamond Hipster Boy, Washington Social Club
Tessie, Dropkick Murphys
Mr. Brightside, The Killers
Black Betty, Ram Jam
Muzzle, Smashing Pumpkins
Remember When, There for Tomorrow
I Won’t Be Back, New Atlantic
Tyrant, OneRepublic
Snow (Hey Oh), Red Hot Chili Peppers
Into Your Arms, The Maine
You’re Making it Come Alive, My Favorite Highway
Stop Me, Mark Ronson ft. Daniel Merriweather
The Quest, Bryn Christopher

By HerMixTape

After accepting a job in Las Vegas several weeks ago, it has been difficult preparing for a life 1,800 miles away from everything I’ve ever known. The past weeks have brought me the warped clarity and sentiment that’s usually reserved for the effects of flooding my brain with two bottles of cheap white wine. I tried to make sense of this new chapter in my life, and sought refuge from the goodbyes, by constructing a playlist for my drive out to Vegas that would reflect my frame of mind. Audible life, as I’ve been known to say.

Studies show that a person’s sense of smell brings fourth the strongest memories, but I disagree. For me, music is a portal, inviting fleeing memories from another lifetime to sit on the front porch of my mind for the duration of a song. People listen to music because they connect to it on some level. Sometimes it’s the melody or the rhythm, sometimes it’s the lyrics, but for me, the music I love is frequently due to the people or moments that the music begs me to recall. I find a lot of music enjoyable, but until I can attach a memory to magnify the song’s effect, it cannot begin to compare to the songs laced with recollections of the people and places that have shaped my life. So, as I pieced this compilation together, it truly has been a labor of love… if not a complete and utter distraction from everything I should have been doing.

There is no easy way to break up a playlist for two days of driving cross-country with an American Dingo dog as your co-pilot, so I decided to break it up geographically. Between playlists, as there is no way I have the time to plan a full 26 hours of music, I will most likely call friends, curse radio commercials or listen to my favorite albums. A lot of the typical “roadtrip anthems” have made it onto my list, because hell- I need something to keep me in the left lane, nervously testing my radar detector’s competence.

By HerMixTape

As a parting gift to Second City residents before I move to Vegas, here are all of the upcoming Chicagoland concerts worth seeing. Follow the links or head to TicketStumbler to compare prices from several different ticket sites. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Academy Is…

30-Oct-08

Pops

Sauget, IL

 

 

Steve Miller Band

30-Oct-08

iwireless Center

Moline, IL

 

 

OneRepublic, Augustana, The Spill Canvas, The Hush Sound 
30-Oct-08 
Congress Theatre 
Chicago, IL 

Relient K 
2-Nov-08 
House of Blues Chicago 
Chicago, IL 

The Academy Is

6-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

 

The Academy Is

7-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

Kaiser Chiefs

13-Nov-08

Park West

Chicago, IL

Usher

13-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

Andy Davis

13-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

 

Smashing Pumpkins

18-Nov-08

The Chicago Theatre

Chicago, IL

 

 

Eric Hutchinson

18-Nov-08

Double Door

Chicago, IL

Ingrid Michaelson

19-Nov-08

Park West 

Chicago, IL

Matt Nathanson

20-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

 

John Legend

20-Nov-08

The Chicago Theatre

Chicago, IL

 

Matt Nathanson

21-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

 

 

Smashing Pumpkins

21-Nov-08

Auditorium Theatre

Chicago, IL

John Legend 
21-Nov-08 
Chicago Theatre 
Chicago, IL 

Jason Mraz

22-Nov-08

Aragon Ballroom

Chicago, IL

 

Smashing Pumpkins

22-Nov-08

Auditorium Theatre

Chicago, IL

 

 

Freddy Jones Band 

28-Nov-08

House of Blues Chicago

Chicago, IL

 

The Verve Pipe 
29-Nov-08 
Martyrs 
Chicago, IL