Twelve dates of Christmas: On our third date of Christmas...

... we saw Guster at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. 

I fell in love with Guster when I fell in love with Brian, so the band holds an extra special place in my heart. Brian and I have seen them about a dozen times together and we are not planning on stopping anytime soon! We took Emily along and she had a blast. Her first Guster concert was one of our 12 dates of Christmas back in 2013! What bands would you see perform again and again? 

Scenes from the weekend.

This past weekend was fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that I am still trying to catch up on sleep from it! Friday night my friend Jo and I went to Rockwood Music Hall to see Tall Heights perform. It had been a few months since I had seen them live, and after the show I was determined to see them again! After scanning their list of upcoming shows, I decided that a little road trip to the Palace Theater in Stafford Springs, CT would be the perfect date night. Brian and I drove up the two and a half hours Sunday evening, ate dinner from our favorite Italian deli in the car, and saw both Tall heights and Ryan Montbleau perform. Getting back on the road after 11 pm was rough, but it was so worth it. As I said on Instagram, you know you love a band when you rent a car and drive almost three hours to see them perform. You know you love a man when he doesn't question your decisions and offers to drive.

Between the two concerts nights we had a relaxing weekend at home. We covered our sidewalk in chalk art, watched movies, and devoured donuts from Peter Pan Bakery Sunday morning (an amazing surprise from Brian after he picked up the rental car!). All in all a wonderful weekend!

*If you have not listened to Tall Heights or Ryan Montbleau before, I highly recommend adding them both to your playlists! Their Youtube channels are a great place to start listening: Tall Heights and Ryan Montbleau. 

Tall Heights.

Last night I spent the evening at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side listening to one of my favorite bands, Tall Heights. I stood in front of the stage silently singing to every song. It was a beautiful evening. If you have not listened to this duo yet, I recommend checking them out immediately. They have been playing non-stop through my headphones since I first heard them live last fall, and I don't see myself tiring of their music anytime soon.

Twelve dates of Christmas: On our second date of Christmas...

... we saw Guster perform the album Keep It Together in its entirety at the Beacon Theater. It was Emily's first rock concert and we could not be more excited that she is now hooked on Guster!

Ben Kweller opened up the show, which was an added bonus. I fell in love with his album Sha Sha the year I moved to New York City (how has it already been ten years?!) and those songs always bring me right back to that exciting time in my life.

After Kweller's 30-minute set, Guster came on and the theater erupted in applause! It was obvious the entire Beacon Theater was full of diehard Guster fans. The crowd sang along to each and every song in their 2-hour set. Keep It Together is my favorite Guster album, so I was incredibly happy we were able to get tickets for the Saturday night show.

Our second date of Christmas might end up being my favorite of the 12 this year; it was such a fun night out as a family of three!

And just when I thought I couldn't love Guster any more... they released a new free album yesterday! Click here to download the 10-track album recorded with the Redacted Symphony. Enjoy!

#ligfest according to Instagram...

Good vibes save lives. Life is good.

With Life is Good founders, John and Bert Jacobs. 

Two weeks ago Brian and I attended our fourth Life is Good Festival. We are always giddy with excitement on our drive up to Massachusetts and in a state of pure bliss for the entire weekend. It is one of our favorite traditions as a couple. 

100% of the funds raised at the Life is Good Festival go towards the Life is Good Playmakers. The Life is Good Playmakers, formerly known as Project Joy, is a Boston-based non-profit organization that strives to provide children with joyful play experiences to help them overcome life-threatening challenges, including illness, violence, and poverty. Thank you to everyone who donated this year to mine and Brian's efforts; together we raised over $1,300 for children in need! This organization is near and dear to my heart and I am so grateful that with your support Brian and I are able to contribute year after year to their amazing efforts.

Our weekend was full of amazing music, delicious food, and lots of love and optimism. The way all weekends should be, if you ask me. Thank you John, Bert, and all of the amazing people at Life is Good for another wonderful festival. See you next year! 

Unlimited amounts of ginger beer. Yum! 

Gentlemen Hall

Gentlemen Hall

Gentlemen Hall

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

Trampled by Turtles

Trampled by Turtles

Trampled by Turtles

Trampled by Turtles

Josh Panda and the Hot Damned

Tall Heights

Bahamas

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Delta Rae

Delta Rae

Delta Rae

Amos Lee

Good Old War

Good Old War

Check out our other festival experiences here: 

Life is Good Festival 2012

Life is Good Festival 2011

Life is Good Festival 2010