Can You Feel My Heart?

I feel like lately music and movies are the only things giving me any real sense of feeling in my heart. I’ve been hyped for Mother Mary and the Mandalorian and Grogu saga. I’ve been so excited about the Nine Inch Nails and Boy Noize collaboration, and I’ve had the new Korn song on repeat over and over again. And then there was this: me somehow finding “reasonable” tickets to see BMTH at MSG.

Do You Feel Love?

The mission of the day was to see if Prudential was going to piss me off or not, considering the Nine Inch Nails incident. We arrived 15 minutes before doors opened at 6 pm and got through in 5 minutes, even though I was patted down by security. *Rolls eyes.* I know I’m a fiery short bitch, but all I had was jewelry on, no weapons. So Prudential is still on my shit list, but they have a chance at redemption. I really hope I never have to go back there, though.

You Get Me Closer to God

What’s more romantic than seeing Nine Inch Nails on Valentine’s Day? This was another 2026 concert I questioned on whether I should spend my money on, and if I was making the best life decisions, as I had just seen NIN five months ago, but it was Valentine’s Day, and I don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity to see one of my favorite bands of all time. Ironically, Trent Reznor even said at a recent show that he doesn’t know if they’ll ever tour again. Hearing that only reinforced my reckless decision to be there.

Everything is Blue 🩵💙

Halsey really is that bitch. She came out with just herself and her band. No backup singers, no dancers, no outfit changes. Just her and the stage. What made it funny was that I’d been dying to see her live after all the fomo from people who went to her shows last year. That tour had all the glitz and glam… sets, costumes, dancers. Even Halsey called it the greatest pride of her career, like you just had to be there. So yeah. Thanks, girl, for twisting the knife even deeper.

John Carpenter Live!

 Tonight, I saw the John Carpenter live at the Knockdown Center in Queens, and I honestly don’t know how to put into words what that felt like. The venue really set the tone. The Knockdown Center is basically a massive industrial warehouse, raw and spacious, with high ceilings and exposed beams. I have to say it felt eerie, especially with the glowing red overhead lights that gave me major Carpenter vibes. 

Nine Inch Nails!

After manifesting a Nine Inch Nails tour for over a year, it finally happened. I didn't expect Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to mix their musical endeavors with movie scoring when the Tron soundtrack was announced, but it gave us a new NIN single and a whole tour. I remember this announcement was made last year at D23, and most whack ass Disney influencers barely covered it. How are you NOT excited?!

System of a Down & Korn!

I definitely screamed when I saw System of a Down announced three East Coast shows, with KORN on the New York lineup. SYSTEM OF A DOWN  in NEW YORK with KORN. Sometimes the universe loves me. 

Metallica!

When you talk about the titans of heavy metal, Metallica is at the top. For over four decades, they've shaped, redefined, and propelled the genre forward. From the early thrash-heavy days of Kill 'Em All to the mainstream breakthrough of the Black Album, their influence is etched into the DNA of metal itself. To be honest, I’m not a die-hard fan. I enjoy their music, I respect their legacy, but I don’t have every album memorized. Still, I think seeing Metallica live is a rite of passage for any metal fan. I mean, most of my favorite bands might not have existed without Metallica. While I'm more of a casual listener, experiencing Metallica live in concert was something I felt I had to do at least once in my life. It's ticking something essential off my concert bucket list. 

Spiritbox!

I finally had the opportunity to take a day off for a concert, which was refreshing. I wanted to get a good night's rest and have enough time to prepare and arrive at the venue at least an hour before the doors opened. The downside of attending a concert at a smaller venue is that there are no assigned seats, so you must get there early to secure a decent spot. I realized that I hadn't been to Hammerstein Ballroom since I saw Sevendust in my early teen years, so I had no idea how this experience would turn out.

Deftones!

There’s a moment in every teenager’s life when music stops being background noise and starts becoming a lifeline. When lyrics seem to echo your inner monologue, and a guitar riff mirrors the angst humming just under your skin (looking back now, I ask myself what I was so angry about lol). That moment arrived the first time I heard music from bands like Korn, Slipknot, and of course, Deftones. When White Pony dropped in 2000, it wasn’t just an album but a revelation. I was deep in my nu metal phase. Although it wasn't really a phase. I’m still listening to the same bands 25 years later lol. Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot—they were all in heavy rotation. But Deftones were different. They weren’t just aggressive; they were atmospheric. There was something sensual and ethereal in their chaos, especially on White Pony.

Poppy!

This week has been a stressful mix of balancing the busiest work week of the year with two concerts. I’m unsure why my favorite artists were trying to sabotage me by scheduling their New York dates at the beginning of April - my worst nightmare. I’ve been dreading how I would pull this week off for a while now. Despite my anxiety, I managed to wake up at 7 a.m. and accomplish what I needed to stay on schedule and meet my tight deadlines. I finished my tasks by 5 pm and had just an hour to prepare for the concert. I opted for minimal makeup and a cute outfit with bows, reminding myself that no one would see me in the dark theater. LOL.

Only the Fox God Knows

Last concert of the season! I saw Babymetal this past week, and it was a great way to end the year. They had two shows in New York City at Terminal 5, and as you can imagine, every date sold out on this tour. This was my first show at Terminal 5. I mistakenly thought I saw The Pretty Reckless perform there about 12 years ago, but that was at Irving Plaza. I can never keep my NYC venues straight. Since it was a packed show, we had a bit of trouble finding a good spot. We started on the first balcony but eventually moved to the second balcony. Being super short can make it difficult for me to see over the balcony barrier, but I prefer that to being on the floor amidst the chaos. Unfortunately, Danny didn’t have a great spot to see the concert. Being the noble person he is, he wanted my brother-in-law and me to be able to see the concert since we are the real Babymetal fans.

4U

Per usual, I spent an absurd amount of money to see Korn, so it was off to Philly I go. I could have gone to the Korn show at the Prudential Center, but I mistakenly thought the other New Jersey date was at PNC, which is very difficult to reach by public transportation compared to all the venues outside of NYC. I've visited Philadelphia many times with Danny, but we never had the opportunity to take proper photos because it always rains when we visit. Fortunately, this weekend was clear and sunny, with temperatures in the low 80s, so I was hopeful we'd finally accomplish a few things on my Philly itinerary. However, I wish it had cooled down more because it was still humid.

Here Comes the Pain!

I finally got to see Slipknot this year! There’s nothing like watching one of your favorite bands live to temporarily lift summer depression. This was an exceptional performance for Slipknot. It was a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. It felt like a throwback to 1999. The stage was stripped down from its usual massive setup with LEDs, pyrotechnics, and hydraulic percussion sets. The band wore their iconic red jumpsuits, with some original members sporting updated versions of their old masks. Corey Taylor had his classic dreads, Sid Wilson wore the iconic gas mask again, and Shawn Crahan donned the original creepy clown mask that earned him the nickname Clown. It was all very nostalgic for the teen who was a Nu-Metal kid at heart.

Electric Callboy!

I finally got to see a concert at the Rooftop at Pier 17! I was disappointed I didn't initially see Deftones in 2022 at this venue. Deftones rescheduled their tour with Gojira in 2020 for obvious reasons, and it kept getting pushed back. My ticket was originally for the Philly tour date, but the touring schedule wasn't optimally doable. Furthermore, the show in NYC was disappointingly sold out. All this to say, I've always wanted to go to the Pier 17 venue, and I would like Deftones to come back on tour.

This Could All Be Yours

I FINALLY saw Spiritbox live! After being so heartbroken about missing their show at the Brooklyn Steel last year, I was so happy to see the band was going on a headlining tour for Eternal Blue. Truth be told, this was the best outcome for me in the long run. In 2022, Spiritbox was on tour supporting other bands, thus their set list was very limited. First, at the Brooklyn Steel for Underoath. Then, at the UBS Arena for Ghost. I would have only heard about 6-7 of their songs in comparison to the 15 song set they did for their own tour.

Can You Feel My Heart?

The first time I had ever heard a Bring Me The Horizon song was on a sleepy morning drive to the train station while I was on my way to work. Happy Song rang through the speakers of the car courtesy of Sirius XM’s Octane, which I had loathed listening to a majority of the time. It was one of those songs that spoke to me at the time, which was a good 6-7 years ago. Sometimes, all it really takes is a heavy song to release you from your inner spiraling. Fast Forward to 2020, Danny introduced me to their Post Human: Survival Horror EP, which includes a collaboration between BMTH and BABYMETAL that I never knew I needed in life. Ever since then, I’ve been invested in this new journey of BMTH fandom. So much so, that when a tour was announced, there wasn’t much hesitation in buying tickets for the show.

But Don't Worry, We are With You

I’d been waiting for this concert for over two years due to the pandemic, but in reality, I’ve been waiting for this show all my life. Rammstein doesn’t visit the US very often being an industrial metal band from Germany. In fact, the band has gone lengthy periods of 8-10 years without touring here. The last time Rammstein played a show in New York, it was back in 2017 for a one off performance at Jones Beach, which I sadly could not attend. Ironically, Rammstein was on the lineup on The Pledge of Allegiance tour with Slipknot and System of a Down in 2001, but left the tour before the NJ show that I attended back when I was teenager. So, Rammstein announcing their North American Stadium tour in 2020 was unprecedented. I was BEYOND excited. It was finally my chance to see Rammstein live at least once in my lifetime.

Are You Ready?!

It’s probably been a good 10 years since I’ve seen a concert at Jones Beach. The last show I attended here was for System of a Down and Deftones. This concert adventure would be my testament to how easily accessible this venue is from the city. Turns out, it’s quite simple to travel to Jones Beach by train, and not as daunting as I had initially thought. All we had to do was jump on the LIRR to Freeport, and then catch the N88 bus that shuttles people between the train station and Jones Beach. Also, the train rides from Brooklyn are thankfully only 45 minutes. The older I get, the more I’m concerned about how late I have to stay out until I’m home cozy in my bed lol.

I Let It In as If I Had a Choice

Sometimes, I forget how many concerts I have lined up throughout the year, and it feels so good! I ended the summer of 2019 with Korn and Slipknot, not knowing of the impending pandemic that would pause tours around the world for over a year. Our concert adventures were kickstarted in the fall of last year with Korn and Slipknot, which is quite poetic. Another band that I unexpectedly saw live for the very first time last year was The Devil Wears Prada.