One of the things I loved about DC was their music scene.  I would discover a band, fall in love with their music, and soon after they’d be passing through for a concert.  I never had quite the same luck in Hawaii. Years would pass before a band I loved would play and by then, they’d play at the Waikiki Shell and I’d have to squish next to potheads and kids (or worse, teenage potheads).  The 930 Club was the kind of venue that you rubbed elbows with true fans and other indie kids who often said, “Yeah, I liked so and so before they became popular.” I’m guilty of saying that, I’ll be the first to admit it.  But regardless, the vibe is different at a place like that and the bands that performed were often humbled by the turnout.

I was excited to see what kind of concert possibilities being LA would bring me.  I wasn’t familiar enough with the area to drive to a venue further away than 30 minutes. My sense of direction is poor and really congested areas give me anxiety. Finally, my little igoogle widget told me that the Rescues were playing a show near my zipcode, whatever that meant. I told my friend in Santa Barbara to drive down, bought us two tickets, and prepared myself by listening to all of their available songs until their concert.

The Troubadour is an interesting venue. It reminded me a bit of the 930 club in DC, intimate and historic. You never really get over your first show at the Troubadour if you remember past musicians who have shared the same air as you. The walls of the tiny venue were definitely worn, decorated with staples like a telephone pole with tiny poster edges left behind.

My friends and I had great seats balcony level for Garrison Starr’s set.  When she performed “Beautiful in LA”, it felt like hearing a song you love for the very first time.  It had become sort of my anthem after moving to LA a couple of months ago, so when I heard it live for the first time, it was an amazing feeling.

When the Rescues took stage after Garrison Starr’s set, I could feel the balcony floor rumbling under my feet. There was a surge of energy that pulled me back to one of my first concerts in DC and I was overwhelmed with emotion.  It’s amazing how music can transport you to such specific moments in your life.  As many times as I’ve listened to the Rescues’ studio music and youtube videos (which are fantastic, too), they are so much better live. Their harmonies…they floor you. Each of them separately is such a strong musician and vocalist that when they sing together, you suddenly feel so small, as if tucked away in one of their instruments.  And even cooler, for many of their songs, they’d rotate positions and play a different instrument.

After the show, I let myself get swept up in the sea of people leaving the Troubadour. With the Rescues’ newest album in hand, I ripped off the plastic before even reaching my car, and then listened to it at the highest volume possible for the long drive home.

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Reading all the stories on various news sites this morning (like the one I posted above) broke my heart.  I’m all kinds of broke right now (my SLR broke and is at the repair shop right now), but I knew I had to donate something.  2010, as I’ve said, is about putting positive energy out there and the people in Haiti certainly need us to send some positive energy (in whichever form you choose) their way.

NPR has posted a listing of various charities you can donate to. Not a full listing, but definitely something to get you started. Go look here.

I chose to donate to the American Red Cross and it seriously only took 2 minutes to do.  All you have to do is select “Donate Now” from the front page and select “INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE FUND“.

If you’re not near a computer, you can actually donate via text message! The State Department’s DipNote blog writes that “for those interesting in helping immediately, simply text ‘HAITI’ to ‘90999′ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. For more information, read the Red Cross’ press release on it.

Skip buying lunch today and donate that $10 to the charity of your choice.

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