Reileen van Kaile

I went with my friend Melissa to see a live performance of Vienna Teng for the third year running that I almost forgot I was going to go see because I haven't been paying close attention to the passing of the days. We had a quick dinner at Clark's Diner off the Belmont Red Line, and then since we had a ton of time to kill and the weather was wonderfully cooperative, we walked the couple of blocks straight down Belmont to the tavern.

Vienna was playing with percussionist Alex Wong, who is a music deity in his own right. I swear, a few more extra arms and legs and that man could play an entire orchestra. Instruments he played during this performance included standard drums, the glockenspiel, the waterphone, the guitar, and the...shit, I forget the name, but it's like a small keyboard with a mouthpiece. And he has a really nice voice as well. The combined awesome of him and Vienna together on stage was so overwhelming that I'm surprised that the place didn't collapse from that much epicness gathered in that tiny tavern.

Highlights? What, you want me to just pick out a few moments? Oh, fine:

*As I mentioned before, Vienna performed three new songs here: In Another Life, Antebellum, and Grandmother Song. The first two were, of course, brilliant (because it's Vienna, durrr), but Grandmother Song took it to an entirely new level. She sang it only with Alex accompanying on varied percussion, as she stood at a microphone and...how shall I describe it...she acted the song, which was from the POV of her grandmother giving a speech to her about her choice of a career. The music is great, but you really do have to see this woman acting the song. Vienna once said that she felt more at home in the studio than in live performances, but when I hear her live recordings and - even more - when I see her live, I'm often reminded that her recordings tend to fail to capture the immense presence and energy she has in-person.

*We now have what I am currently calling the Reuben's Sandwich Remix of "I Don't Feel So Well", which was inspired by the fact that, when Vienna and Alex took the Lake Express boat from...I forget where it was, they were either headed to or coming from Milwaukee and I can't remember the other destination...but at any rate, they got on the Lake Express because they thought it would be a nice, scenic way to get around. Except that Alex got seasick not long into the ride after eating some crappy sandwiches. So this remixed version of the song (by the way, I adore the live performances of this song for the jazzy piano improv) includes these changes to the lyrics:

Reuben's sandwiches are no good
I thought that you should know, I thought that you should know that
Reuben's sandwiches are no good
I thought that you should know before you fall

I saw it begin to dawn on us both
And somehow it wasn't surprising
And so you're preparing to swear every oath
But all the while, I'm realizing

I don't like the Lake Express
I thought that you should know, I thought that you should know that
I don't like the Lake Express
I thought that you should know before you fall

...it's probably funnier if you hear it, but what the hey. If I manage to get a recording of this song later, I'll post it.

*Vienna played "Harbor" as a birthday dedication to me! I was surprised - I'd mentioned the proximity of the performance date to my birthday in a post on the forums, but when one of the other forumites offered to shout out a dedication for me, I declined. So either someone went and tipped her off despite me turning down the offer, or she just happens to keep up on her forums. No one yet has taken credit for telling her about my birthday, so I'm going to assume that she is just so awesome that she keeps up with what her fans talk about at the forums. *glee* And I find it interesting that she chose "Harbor"...I know that there's probably no real reason for her deciding on it besides "Well, hey, I've got a birthday dedication and this is one of the happier songs I've got", but to hear that particular song for me at this point in my life means more than I can express, and the song itself has taken on new meanings for me. I guess this probably also means I should really finish mastering the vocals for it...

*I found out when I went to talk to her after the show that she's aiming for her next album to be released on February 6th next year. Mark your calendars, all ye that be interested! Even if the date changes, at least we've got one to fixate on for the moment!

***

I'm headed out on a roadtrip to Canuck-side Niagara Falls with the family for the weekend. I'm...not sure what to expect. I'm mildly miffed because that means I can't immediately get at the next Weekly Jump chapters for Gintama or Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (a series that I really need to write about soon in this journal - both the anime and the manga). I can deal with missing Gintama, because the "WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIINNNG SORACHIIII D:!!!"-inducing events seem to have quieted down in the current arc, but Neuro's seriously going to pwn Genuine's ass in this week's chapter of MTNN and I want a front-row seat to the smackdown. I BET HER BLOOD WILL TASTE LIKE SPARKLY CANDY Daaah. I'm debating on whether I want to bring my laptop with me so that I can check e-mail and sites. But I probably won't, because 1) my parents will probably bitch me out for it and 2) I have a huge-ass laptop anyway that's not very ideal for carrying around. And it's not like I can use it for working on my writing either, because I found out the hard way (working on a philosophy final paper the morning of the day it was due on the way back to the campus from home in my dad's car) that I will get hellishly, fiendishly carsick.

Still, I'll probably end up bringing a few books to read (not necessarily in the car) and a notebook to doodle or to scribble in.

***

In other good news, I managed to get my scholarship back, even though I wrote the letter of appeal for it only two days ago! Here's to hoping I can make this school year worth it.

***

"Fallen Goddess" still isn't behaving for me. I have the lyrical melody, and I can play a rough accompaniment from the second chorus all the way through to the end, but I'm not happy with it. Myuuuu. I think I'll probably leave it and muck around with simple instrumental piano melodies, or practice old classical favorites of mine...

-Reileen
I know the border lines we drew between us

The Good: I show off my geek cred by making 1upcakes!

The Bad: They got burninated, though. I think I'll add more green food coloring the next time around (with maybe a dash of yellow), and I'll pick up red food coloring so I can make Super Mushrooms as well. And if I decide to be even more ambitious, I'll mix up purple cake batter and orange frosting for Poison Mushrooms! XD Or, as dantaron suggested, intentionally botch a batch and then color them the same as the Super 'Shrooms.

The WTF: My brother is being sued by the other party involved in an accident back in December in which the only known casualties/injuries happened to the things made of metal, fiberglass, and rubber - all of which should have been covered by insurance. What the fuck does the guy think he can get from my unemployed teenage brother, seriously?!

-Reileen
listen up y'all, 'cause this is it

My clueless buttmunch of a brother lost his cell phone (the third one already!) the other day, so Daddykins went out and switched our provider from T-Mobile to AT&T, and got me and Mommykins (and buttmunch) shiny new phones. (Mine's in gold/lime green.) It's a great phone and all, and I still have my same number, but...d00d. I liked my hot pink Motorola Razr, with its Hello Kitty background and its Super Mario Bros ringtone. I have to bring in my new phone to the AT&T store to get it fixed or replaced, though - the battery cover thingy on the back is peeling off and I can't get it to stick. And I may be able to transfer all the information from my Razr (phone numbers and such) over to this Samsung.

***

The awakening of my music muse has, in addition to compelling me to compose, also compelled me to expand my music collection. I managed to get my hands on stuff from the Black-Eyed Peas, Tori Amos, and Within Temptation, among others. WMP is currently playing Shine by Edenbridge, a symphonic metal/neo-classical band from Austria. They're close in sound to Within Temptation, although Sabine Edelsbacher has a slightly lower voice than Sharon den Adel. So far, I like Edenbridge in general, but I haven't yet found a song from them that sticks with me. I'm confident I'll find one, though - they've got some awesome stuff. Probably the closest thing America has to these female-powered symphonic rock bands is Evanescence, which is...well, I'll leave it to others to debate on how close the comparison is and whether it's well-deserved or not. Whatever your opinion on that issue, Evanescence is the band that got me into the genre in the first place, so that's got to account for something. It was my interest in them and my impatience with waiting for their next album (The Open Door hadn't come out yet) that led me to Nightwish (Shanni's boyfriend introduced them to me). After that came Lacuna Coil, although I don't remember how I got into them. But vyctori introduced me to Within Temptation, and thank you for that!

I wonder if there's a Japanese equivalent to Nightwish or Within Temptation? That would be interesting.

And I finally found out that Priscilla Ahn is releasing her first full studio album, A Good Day, on June 11! This heartens me immensely, for I adore Ahn's vocals and have been craving more of them ever since I first got her self-titled EP. In addition, Thrice is coming out with Vols. III & IV of their conceptual work The Alchemy Index on April 15. Nothing official on Metallica's ninth studio album, though, except that it may be released this fall.

-Reileen
that you were not mine to save, that you could not change

From Yahoo!News: Lunar eclipse to occur Wednesday night

I stepped outside to take a look. The news article warned of unfavorable viewing conditions for those in the midwest, but at least here, the skies were clearer than I thought they'd be. In addition to the half-veiled moon (which is really cool), you could actually see the stars out tonight. Or maybe this is just one time that I'm actually paying attention to things around me. I thought about pulling out my astronomy book to identify some of the constellations, but I got lazy.

I used to really be into astronomy when I was in middle school. Then I saw all the math involved and got scared. But one day I'll return to it for a bit. I've always been fascinated by the idea of things outside of Earth, outside of our solar system even. So many possibilities!

EDIT: Okay, so I went outside again with my astronomy book to try my hand at constellation hunting. I think I only identified Hydrus and Octans before starting to freeze, though.

-Reileen
living clouds, my blinded eye

When I walked outside tonight, the sharp flashes of lightning and the growls of thunder in the distance made me so much happier than Christmas lights and holiday carols.

***

Odessa Chen is like Enya in that her melodies are hauntingly beautiful and rich...but you can't make out a word she's singing. Nevertheless, I'm hooked, and I'll gladly pick up the next installment from her. I think I prefer "One Room Palace" over "The Ballad of Paper Ships," but that's a kneejerk judgment. If I could, I'd blast these albums from room speakers: the songs are technically quiet and subdued, but there's an emotional intensity to the delivery and arrangement that just screams to envelope you and swallow you.

Speaking of Asian-American female singer/songwriters, Priscilla Ahn's MySpace says that she's going to have a new album out in spring this year. Dude, between her, Metallica, and Thrice popping out new shit in the spring, I think I'm going to have to mug a bitch save up some green to get their CDs.

-Reileen
you're not virtual enough and you can't fake it

Today I went to The Alley Chicago, wondering if I could/should spend some extra money I had on a piece of clothing or two there. For those of you unfamiliar with the store, imagine Hot Topic on steroids.

Things I tried on included:
-two cute black bondage dresses @ ~$77 each
-magenta, black, and cotton candy pink skinny jeans @ ~$54 (actually, the pink one was discounted 25% off)
-a hot pink fishnet sweater thing @ ~$54

Things I bought included:
-a pair of black and red striped armwarmers with cherry designs on them @ ~$9

And those armwarmers are quite warm, let me inform you.

I ended up depositing my extra money into my checking account. I figured I'd just shop around on eBay and see what came up there.

-Reileen
'cause I'm blind to all the good you see

I might!

After going around a few weeks ago and turning in job applications, I got a call from the manager of Gamestop asking me to come in the next day (that is, today) to interrogate me. Today, I got myself interrogated and was told to come back next week (Tuesday afternoon or so) so that the district manager could have a chance at me. From the looks of it, I'd only really be required to work one shift a week for three or four hours, depending on scheduling needs turn out.

In other words, Reileen might have herself a summer job~

This is in addition to opening up commissions soon. I still have to get my room cleaned, because if I don't do that it's going to drive me insane, and I'm trying to figure out procedures and pricing (because one of my friends wants to request art from me and yet is begging me to raise my prices).

***

I also beat Super Paper Mario. Short verdict: adorable and enjoyable, as can be expected of this series but it feels unsatisfactory after having also played its predecessors, Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Still, it's a good way to pass the time, and I'd recommend it to any Mario fans out there. You gain a whole new appreciation for Bowser - I am now a Bowser fan (though not quite a fangirl). I'm thinking of doing a re-play of Thousand-Year Door, although I have to beat my first replay still. :') I originally played through 99% of the game during senior year in high school, but that damn Shadow Queen kept on pwning my fucking ass, so I gave up and forgot about it for a while. But dantaron just picked it up and is fanboying over it awesomeness (for it is made of much awesome), and it's made me want to play through it again.

But I also have so many other games to play through once I can get my PS2 hooked up to a TV. Tales of the Abyss is high on my radar for that, as is Final Fantasy 8 and Final Fantasy 9 but only 'cause two of my good friends sent those to me and have threatened to murder me violently if I don't at least give them a try. I'm also dying to get my paws on the Phoenix Wright games for DS, since vyctori has sufficiently convinced me of their lolariousness.

-Reileen
workin' nine to five, what a way to make a livin'

There's the threads of a song lurking somewhere in my mind. It's in the key of F-minor (I seem to gravitate towards minor keys...I wonder why) and it's a generally really creepy song, with strange dissonant chords whose names I don't know, but who demand to be in the song somehow. It grew out when I was experimenting with stuff for "Abandon Hope," but I think I want to make this one into an instrumental - that is, a purely piano melody. But I can't piece together a main motif that sounds decent. I might open up Notepad and start doing some experimental transcription.

***

I just found out that an old high school classmate of mine has died of cancer. Her wake is on Wednesday. Apparently I'm to wear white because that's what she would have wanted.

She wasn't even twenty yet. I didn't know her all that well, but still. What the fuck, world.

***

Economics paper = finally pwned. Although it's still shitty as hell.

-Reileen
and the ghosts in the attic, they never quite leave

Apparently the informational theme of the week at my dorm is sex ed, yeah? So we've got posters and shit all around the dorm building talking about safe sex and STDs and yadda et nauseam.

I walk into the cafeteria tonight to get dinner, and what do I see hanging on the walls?

Announcements about different sex ed events written on giant pieces of construction paper in the shape of giant condoms.*

I would take a picture to prove this if: 1) I weren't so lazy and 2) I was sure that I wouldn't die loling on the floor.

-Reileen
let's talk about you and me

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*They even had different kinds! Normal, ribbed, female...

Spring break is here for ze Reileen. Huzzah! I'm hoping that I can get a significant amount of creative work done. I know I'm feeling the art buzz - I've been churning out sketches like crazy and I'm itching to CG again.

***

I discovered that my old AP Language teacher has a Facebook account. This amused me and delighted me to no end. I really miss her - she was an excellent teacher and I loved having a class with her. I used to come back to my high school and see her and some other favorite high school teachers and talk with them,* but now most of them don't teach there anymore for a couple of reasons.**

***

It's funny...I didn't like Evanescence's "The Open Door" album too much at first, but after listening to some songs from it and "Fallen" on my iPod, I'm finding that I like it way more than most of the stuff on "Fallen." I've also always liked their pre-"Fallen" songs better, too - to me, the stuff on "Fallen" feels over-processed to the point of blandness. Plus, I just prefer the melodies of the older stuff.

While we're on the subject of music, I need to see if I can get my Daddykins to buy me a flash drive or an external hard drive or something because lol 3.14 GB of music and counting. Need to get all this shit off my computer, or at least organize it better.

-Reileen
I see you there, farther away

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*I have probably just proved what a big friendless loser I am.
**I swear, my class was the one that held my high school together. After we left, it seems like everything's gone to shit now. Holy hell on wheat, Batman.