The Ladybug Jilts Milan Fashion Week to Play the Field in Rome pt. 3: Roman the Ruins

A bit hangover from the beer and still quite wet from the rain of the day before, I woke up early Sunday morning to take a long ride alone while the others went to see the Pope in Piazza San Pietro! (Please don’t scold me for this… my mum already did!)

I indeed preferred to follow Marco’s advice to have a look at the Borghetto Flaminio, a typical junk dealers market in Piazza Marina where I could find some good vintage and thrift bargains! I had already heard about it before so it was time for me to have a look.

There is a bit of everything: from thrift finds for men and women to real vintage gems, everything at very affordable prices! The atmosphere is very nice and most of the stallers were extremely friendly and funny. For the entry price of 1,60 euros, I must say it was a nice experience! It is not very big and not crowded at all. And in the center of it all, there’s a nice bar with tables where you can stop for a nice pause and take in the sun (yes, it came out on Sunday!) during a shopping session!

I was dying for a Fendi vintage coat and a Gucci handbag, but in the end I only left with this lovely red dotted sweater with a silk bow from Blumarine in mint condition for only 35 euros!

While waiting for the others to meet me, I walked around Piazza del Popolo and Villa Borghese and took some pictures of the sights… I also found a nice small handcrafts market with some great American vintage pieces (mostly jewels), but I managed not to buy anything!

Once we were all together, we headed to Piazza di Spagna for a typical tourist photo session: I am wearing an old Kate Moss for Topshop dress, Patrizia Pepe coat and a thrift snood and French hat with my lovely Opella brooch! I added my new Max & Co. messenger bag and riding boots.

Looks Like You’re Gonna Have Good Luck… There’s a Ladybug in Milan!

One of the beauties of becoming a blogger is that my posts give light to my pictures. I am the kind of girl who takes pictures all the time, I’ve always been that way, even before Facebook gave us the excuse to all become models and photographers!

So it’s no surprise that my external hard-drive is mostly full of pictures! Every now and then, I decide to put some order to it and create or append my catalogs, just to make sure everything remains easy to find. When I do that, I always find pictures that I want to share here and this, sometimes, is the origin of a blog post!

It is happening quite often lately, and a few days ago I found some other pictures that I liked.

Many of you know or understood this past summer I finally moved to Milan: I say finally because it is something that I really wanted since I was beginning to outgrow the Southern village. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a “Southern Gul” (to use Erykah Badu’s words!), but I’s a small town girl with big city dreams. [...and now I can't get Rahsaan Patterson's "Sure Boy" out of my head ... or Erykah's "Southern Gul," for that matter]

I’ve always loved Milan: it has everything (and I’m not speaking only about fashion)!  It’s big but- not messy; loads of things to do: concerts, cinemas, vintage shops and fairs; it’s the in center of Europe and every other place in the world is easily accessible.  It’s Italy’s London, Paris, Tokyo or New York!  I’ve always said that if I had to live in Italy, it would be in Milan.

It took some time, but finally- here I am. And very happy to be here.

KNAGUI took these pictures when we met here in May to go house-hunting because I had to move at the end of June. Nothing special about my outfit (very comfy and sporty to walk around in many different areas of the town!), but I like the “this is in Milan” factor of the pics: the typical bikes to rent, the tram, the architecture. I just liked it.

Of course, there was also some vintage shopping to do between a flat on the Navigli and one in Porta Romana! I wasn’t here for vintage shopping, but when a shop so kindly opens its door and invites me in… I can’t refuse to have a look inside, right?

On that same day I found a little shop near the San Lorenzo columns which is actually one of the most ancient vintage shops in Milan, called Backstage Vintage. If you see it from the outside it looks like a cozy messy little shop and in all actuality- it is! It’s very small and full of little gems from bow-ties to ’50s skirts to ’40s hats and ’70s floral dresses. If you’re in a rush or crunched for time, it’s hard to have a proper look as it’s a bit messy, but if you love spending time in search of some rarities- this is a great place for you! I found a rainbow ’80s skirt, a red floral dress and a red bow-tie (all pictured in my latest outfits here, here and here).

The next day, while walking on the Alzaia Naviglio Pavese (not far from my B&B), I found a great vintage shop called Sous Vintage Shop where I bought 3 amazing vintage dresses (one of them is in my post from last Friday). I had such a blast there that I even decided to make a video in the shop and a lovely interview with the owners… stay tuned to know more!

(Jeans: Met, Sneakers: Adidas, Handbag: Phard, Sunglasses: D&G, Skull bracelet: Patricia Field)

[Photo credit: KNAGUI]

The Ladybug & Friends’ Very Vintage Weekend in Milan!

So; take three girls: one from Italy and two from London, add a lot of love for vintage, a splash of fashion and sprinkling of cakes… Put them all together for a weekend in Milan, during the fashion week and what do you think you’ll get?

I’m going to tell you right now!

I met Daisy from Make Thrift London and Salina from Vintage Teatime on Twitter and, if you follow my blog, you might know that we met for real in London this past February during one of the amazing Pop Up Vintage Fairs. We became true friends and I returned the love by inviting them to spend a weekend in Milan, which happened two weekends ago, during the Milan Fashion Week.

We had an amazing (but tiring!) weekend walking around.  We toured all over Milan, from the city center (the Duomo area) to the very characteristic Navigli’s area- visiting monuments, suggested points of interest in town and, of course, shops! Especially vintage shops!

On our first day, we decided to take it slow with shopping (even if I didn’t!) and to do more visiting.  We started from Piazza San Babila through the Duomo, then the “Quadrilatero della Moda” where we spotted a few local celebrities and many lines for parties and fashion shows! We ended the day in the Brera area (at Marc by Marc Jacobs shop, of course!) with a Japanese aperitif! (Did I mention we ate cakes and real pasta earlier?!? The saffron and bacon gnocchi were to die for!!!)

While in Brera, I introduced Daisy and Salina to my girl crush in Milan… this girl works in Cavalli & Nastri and every time I see her- I fall in love with her amazing outfits (do you remember her during the VFNO?). This time I fell in love with her beautiful vintage hatpin!

I also took them to my favorite vintage/charity shop in Milan (so far): Humana Vintage where I’ve been very bad and bought a lot of stuff, but I’m going to talk about them (and about ALL that I bought there so far!) soon. Let me just tell you that this is absolutely one of my favorite places in Milan! (visit their site for more info: www.humanavintage.it)

For the second day I decided to bring the girls to the Navigli for brunch, ice-cream and of course… more vintage shopping! We were a bit disappointed because most of them were closed, but we managed to buy some stuff though… like a lovely vintage ’70s bag from Cavalli e Nastri where we also spent some time taking pictures in their lovely shop on via Mora.

Tired but still excited about the weekend, it was time for Daisy and I to take advantage of Salina’s greatest expertise in baking cupcakes… we started baking quite late, but we enjoyed it so much and our cupcakes tasted delicious!

I think we’ll have to do that again soon… maybe in London for another great Pop Up Vintage Fair??!? …Maybe we can ask a good “boy – friend” of TLC to come along to take photos, maybe perform at the fair and… carry our bags.

The Ladybug Rode the Gospel Train to Vintage Heaven… and It’s in Brooklyn, NY

It has been 4 months now, but as you can see my heart is still in New York and it has no intention of coming back!

It was such an amazing trip that I find it hard not to still talk about. Indeed, there is still a lot to say. For a vintage and thrift lover, New York is absolutely THE city, but let me say that my heart was completely held by Brooklyn, so expect a few posts about it!

Not only is it, in my opinion, one of the most extraordinary and characteristic places I’ve ever seen- Brooklyn is also a real paradise for vintage lovers! The whole area of Williamsburg is a delirium of bars, people and vintage shops!

One of these  is considered the King or should I say the Queen of Vintage Shops in Brooklyn: Stella Dallas, a huge Japanese store with some of the best vintage pieces in town. Let me tell you that I headed in 30 minutes before the closing hour (which helped limiting the damages!) so that I could spend very little time and I kind of regretted it because it was the kind of shop where you must spend at least a few hours! But 30 minutes was enough to buy these two lovely ’80s shirts that I adore!

The prices are average and mostly fair and this big shop was full of gems! Don’t miss it if you are in the area because it is really worth your time and don’t be afraid of spending both your time and money there… you’re sure to find unique pieces that you will wear forever!

For a late vintage shopping night I also advise you visit Beacon’s Closet, in the same area (10 minute walk) and it is open until 9pm.

Earlier that morning I read about this big shop in a free newspaper at the Brooklyn museum, so I decided to have a look! The shop is very big and always full of people and it is half vintage/half thrift shop (if this is a proper definition!) because you can find vintage pieces and thrifted ones, but the prices are very good and the way they ordered the space by colors is absolutely adorable!

Of course, I found something to buy here too: a pair of electric blue ’80s heels and a vintage enamel hand-painted necklace.

There were a few dress that I would have bought too, but they were too small for my curves!

I just mentioned these two shops but, really… Williamsburg is full of little gems! Take at least a day to walk in the area… you’ll love it like I did (and you’ll spend some good money, I guarantee it!)

Soul Sunday with KNAGUI: The Mechanical Bull Ride of Life

If any of you have been fortunate enough to be at or near a track when Ferraris are lapping, you’ll know the distinct sound of them looming around.  I liken my experience hearing them like a swarm of bees.  It was an exciting moment because, like any boy, I remember playing with my cherished red Ferrari Match-Box. But as exciting as that was, it wan’t a highlight of my life because… well, my heart had been stolen and my loyalty locked by the true love of my car life… LAMBORGHINI.

I remember the day it happened: April… or… May something… 1986.  You see, there was a new kid who came to school earlier that semester, Rob Schimmel, and I somehow became his friend.  Rob was mad cool.  By his account, he was the grandson of Arch Rizzo, the wealthy owner of the exclusive restaurant Archie’s Intown which explained why they lived in the loft above the restaurant.  His dad drove a Porsche and his older sister was a HOT punk chick (can’t remember her name and it’s a good thing because of FB – lol)!!!  She introduced me to The Cure and other punk bands like The Dead Kennedys.

So back to this day in April or May… I went over to Rob’s after school, as usual.  He picked up the mail as we walked in the door and in the mail was his latest issue of some car magazine.  This guy had to be rich, he was getting magazines mail to him… in his name!!! Damn, he’s cool!. LOL  So his sister made us a snack and we went up to his room to listen to music and see who could tell the most believable lies about stuff we knew nothing about (every guy reading this knows exactly what I mean).  At one point during this BS fest, I opened his new magazine and the page it landed on had a picture and caption I will never forget: ‘The Lamborghini Motorcycle: From Concept to Creation’ (…or something like that).  My head went spinning… “WHAT?!?… ROB, LAMBORGHINI MAKES MOTORCYCLES!!!” He responded, ‘I know; my dad took me on a ride of a friend of his the summer before 6th grade.’  Later I found out that was a continuation of our BS fest, but at that very moment he was the 80′s version of the Fonz.

At the time, I was into motorcycles much more than cars and Lamborghini sweet talked me into loving it by speaking my language.  There were only five made and they are now vintage (see how I just justified telling you this story? – lol)  From that day on, I stopped loving Ferrari and married my beloved Lambo… ’til death us do part.

Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 under the sign of Taurus (this explains the logo). The extraordinary history of ‘Lamborghini Automobili’ began in 1963. And just like the perfect moment when idea meets opportunity, he founded a tractor factory in the period following World War II. It was a major point of reference in this industry and other businesses followed. He amassed the bulk of his fortune before he turned 50 and set out to take on a new challenge… to build a super sports car to compete with Ferrari.
…You can read the rest of this history on the Lamborghini website in the language of your choosing. (there you’ll also see the Lamborghini off-road vehicle- just another reason for me to love them)

Fastforward to August 17, 2012… OK, maybe I need to rewind just a bit so you’ll understand.

Last year my family bought me a gift for my birthday that they were busting at the seams to give to me.  I was out of the country when my birthday rolled around so they had to wait until I got home.  The gift? A one hour drive of a Lamborghini Gallardo.  I was amazed and joyfully grateful.

Because of my travel and work schedule, I wasn’t able to find the time to commit to the drive… not to mention the booking for the car was not the most open of their selection.  Time passed and I forgot about it, but then I was coming close to the expiration- calls were placed, appointment made and I was ready for my bull ride.

The place that provides this experience is called DFW Drive Your Dream in Fort Worth, Texas – USA.  I loved learning the story of how the business came to be and they have some INCREDIBLE cars on site and beautiful museum.  You know I could have spent my morning in there looking at every detail; still, my appointment was for 10am and it started promptly.

It was an amazing experience, but there are two moment that I’ll never forget.  The first is the sound and feel of starting the engine.  Honestly, it all could have ended right there.  Let me try to explain: my high school mascot was the Bearcat.  It’s drawn fictitiously as this beast with the body of a bear and the head of a cat (mix between a tiger & bobcat).  I imagine this beast to sound scary, but the truth is- the bearcat is real and they are… small.  And the sound it makes is not very menacing at all… it’s cuuute. (LOL a bit of an inside joke between the Ladybug and me).

But the sound of this engine was like the size of the bull it bares with the body of a lion and the ferociousness of morphing these two animals into one.  My back still holds the scars of it’s claws and horns ripping through my flesh… I’m serious when I say, that really could have been the end of the ride for me, but thank God it wasn’t.

The second moment came near the end of the tour.  This ride is not on a track, it’s around the streets of downtown Ft. Worth and on the highway.  My tour guide and I had a great conversation during the entire ride, but when came the “official” time for me to open this beast up:  she simply challenged me to get it above a certain number of mph (miles per hour)- then… silence… For me, the feeling driving that fast was amazing… the sound and feel of the engine at my back, blue skies in front of me… I felt like I was flying, but the real rush hit me as I saw how quickly things were coming toward me while I was slowing down.  In the words of Mos Def on that Bilal record: “My heart rushed, my face flush, tell the driver “hit the breaks, slow the pace up…”

All in all, I would suggest anyone to take advantage of this opportunity.  Search online for exotic car tours in your area.  And if you’re in the D.F. Dub., give the fine people at Drive Your Dream a call… you will not be disappointed. And like me, you’ll schedule your next drive nearly immediately.

Enjoy the video.

See you “next Sunday.”

The Ladybug Experiences Group Sex in the City: …Hey, I’m a Lady!

It should be quite clear to all of you that I am a Sex & The City addict and if it’s not, well now you know! And when I say SATC, I mean the TV series of course, not the movies… true fans all over the world know what I mean!

There’s no need to say how many times I’ve watched every single episode as if it was the first time, but let me just tell you that I’ve seen them in Italian, English, French and Spanish and I know by heart most of the quotes in the first three languages… is it clear the kind of fan I am?! …Good!

Everything I came to know about New York came from Sex & The City: I’ve always felt as if I’ve known this city and visited many times because I saw it hundreds of times in the series and of course, when I got there, I immediately felt like I was inside my television… more specifically, I was kind of living what I’d been watching for more than a decade!

I decided to go on the Sex & The City guided tour my last day there.  Even if I had seen so many of the places during my own moving about, I wanted to see all of places that I saw on TV for myself!

Let me say that walking down the streets of NYC, like in Soho, Greenwich, Park Avenue you already feel like you’re in SATC! Carrie once said,  “Sex & the City is the NYC streets, where everything may happen- the expectations, the future… love.”

I realized how many crazy SATC fans there are in the world when: a) I saw there are least three different agencies that organize guided tours based on the TV series; b) these tours are completely booked for weeks!! I squeezed in on the On Location Tours (+1-212-2093370 www.screentours.com, the guides are young actresses and the price is about 45 dollars). I must say I expected a bit more… still, I don’t regret it! I have KNAGUI to thank for blowing up my phone- encouraging me not to leave the city with any.

The tour began at The Plaza Hotel (where Carrie says goodbye to Mr. Big after his engagement party before marrying Natasha)… but did you know that within that same square is the Paris? Yes, that cinema where Carries watches romantic movies in the 5^th season! The tour continues through the Public Library (where Carrie and Big are supposed to marry on the first movie… did you know that weddings are booked every day for months there??!!) and all the fashion addresses of the TV series: Tiffany (where Trey buys Charlotte her wedding ring), Takashimaya (where, in the middle of perfume’s testing- Carrie announces to the girls that she’s taken a lover – the Russian, Alexander Petrovsky), Jimmy Choo, Manolo Bhlanik and the TAO Restaurant (the Buddha Bar where Samantha brings her lesbian lover Maria and Carrie and Big sit at the same table with their dates).

You can also see The Little Church of Transfiguration (the name was changed on the show) where Samantha tries to seduce the young priest (“Mister All Souls”).

After these initial sites, we board a bus to our first stop… the sex shop where you can buy the in-famous Rabbit and before restarting the tour we took a tour through ABC Carpet & Home (the cult shop for home-ware, Charlotte’s favorite!). Just after that we saw the real home of Sarah Jessica Parker (and a little later Mr. Big’s real house).

The second stop is in the Greenwich area where you can eat delicious cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery (Carrie’s and Miranda’s favorite, just in fron of Marc Jacobs!), have a look at BookMarc (the bookshop where Miranda meets the guy who loves biographies… and not only!), and also see the little park where Carrie and Charlotte bring Brady when Miranda is on her honeymoon.

Before the third stop at Buddakan (where Carrie and Big celebrate the pre-wedding night), you can see Cow Girl on Hudson Street (where Carrie and Aidan go for their first date), Aidan’s furniture shop, Diane Von Furstenberg’s shop (where, in the first movie, Carrie announces to Samantha on the phone that she’s going to get married) and the famous Pastis.

In Soho you can admire Louis K. Meisel, the art gallery where Charlotte works along with the girls’ favorite shops like D&G, Jaime Mascarò and Patricia Field (she’ll have a special mention here later…) and there’s a third and very interesting stop: you can drink a real Cosmopolitan at O’Neals… which is Scout in the TV series, Steve and Aidan’s bar!

I also had the chance to find St. Mark’s Comics while walking down the street. Remember, it’s the comic book store where Carries goes- thinking that her shoe-repair shop is still there, but finds out it’s been replaced by this shop and its cute young owner!  I also saw the Prada store in Soho where Carrie brings Berger and Century 21 (see older posts).

After all that… can you believe that I didn’t see Carrie’s house?!?!?

Yes: I thought it was going to be part of the tour, but it wasn’t. Worst of all, I didn’t realize I had the address until I found it on a note… when I returned to Italy.

…I guess it’s a perfect reason to go back to NYC again soon! Don’t you think?

The Ladybug Finds Parking in NYC: Visiting the Antiques and Vintage Flea-Market in Chelsea!

If you are visiting New York and you want to spend a perfect Saturday morning in town, take this as some of the best advice from The Ladybug!

I was very excited about my first Saturday in New York because I read a lot of stuff about The Antiques Garage Market in Chelsea which takes place every week on Saturday and Sunday from 6.30 am to 5 pm. So, after fueling up on a very American breakfast in Chelsea (eggs, bacon and pancakes with maple syrup!) I headed toward the market located at 112 West 25th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Excited enough, I missed the arrow pointing towards it and I found myself in the middle of the very eclectic Chelsea Flea Market… This is an outdoor market, in the middle of the street, where you can find a bit of everything: food (from everywhere in the world and honestly one of the best red velvet cakes I’ve ever tasted!), music (at great prices!), posters and every kind of cheap gadget you can think of! But this couldn’t be what I was looking for so I decided to ask around and some very nice stallers pointed me to where I wanted to go!

When I finally found it, I understood why it is called the “Garage Market”… …it’s literally a real, two floor parking garage with about 100 stallers. The atmosphere reminded me of the traditional French “marchés aux puces.”  Indeed, this market is still considered the most authentic antiques market in New York.  I had the chance to talk with some of the stallers and I realized many of them are real “antiques and vintage icons” in New York and they have been selling there since it started in 1994!

This is a kind of vintage paradise because you can really find everything vintage and antique: from collectibles to clothing, from accessories to jewellery, from furniture to posters, from paintings to books- they leave no stone unturned.

It’s the perfect place to look for real treasures! And it is funny to see people just popping by to say hello or to have a quick look on their way to somewhere else, or people (like me!) spending hours looking for a vintage gem!

And let me say that I found a couple… like this vintage green long dress and these amazing red cat frames (both on a “every piece for $10 ” table!)

Regret of the day: not buying this fantastic 80s maxi sweater…

And… look who I found there?!? The lovely (and stylish!) Elisa and Lily from Style Like U (www.stylelikeu.com)

I met Steven Jenkins just outside the Market… I loved his style so much that I asked him to be my model for our TLC in NYC Best Of Street Style Male Award!

Now; when I left, I found something very interesting in front of me… but this is a new post, a new story!

Soul Sunday with KNAGUI: Taking a Bite Out of the Ladybug’s “Big Apple”

“New York, New York big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain’t always what it seems. You might be fooled if you come from outta town, but I’m down by law- I know my way around.”  These lyrics by Grand Master Flash hit my mind often; especially when I touch down in New York, but when I visited the City in April I was introduced to another facet… New York Vintage.

My trips to New York are always the same: meeting in high story offices with incredible views, bagel run at H&H Bagels on the Upper West Side, Chinese at my favorite spot in Chinatown and a short visit with family.  This trip wasn’t to much different (H&H closed in January-sniff, sniff), but there was an added purpose.  The Ladybug had planned a trip the following month and asked me to visit and stake out some spots to know if they were still there and/or with her time.  You see, we wanted to be there together and show each other “our New York,” but it couldn’t happen- so we opted to do a check list with photo sharing.

One of the shops I stopped by was L Train Vintage.  The Ladybug has shown you the great pieces she picked up there, but I thought I might deviate from my norm and share with you my “virgin vintage” find.

As quiet as it’s kept, I’m a pretty good shopper.  I was raised shopping around with my aunts.  That might be where my “eye” comes from.  I’m not “into” fashion, so I don’t know what to call these pants, but I instantly loved them.

When I bought them I was super excited!!! Now don’t get me wrong- I didn’t some thrifting and retro wearing when I was in college, but this was different. The purpose around the purchase was vintage and I felt like I’m finally inside this world I correspond with.

I have to admit, I enjoyed the flavor of the Ladybug’s Big Apple and I couldn’t wait to tell her about my find, but I severely downplayed it and told her that I’d show them to her when I got to Italy.  Little did she know, she’d soon be my photographer and I her model.

So I’m seen here in my vintage pants by Thomson, paired with a Jack and Jones T-shirt I picked up in Berlin.  My accessories: Belt by Trussardi, a music bracelet that was a gift from a fellow musician I did a clinic with in May, charm bracelet is by Axcent with charms I’ve acquired over the years, pearl by MiMi and watch by Pryngeps. Finally the shoes are Bed Stü… I picked them up in a shop called Shoegasm near Canal.

The pants really worked out well. I only needed to have the hem lowered. One funny thing is the number size of the waist- 40… much larger than what I wear, but I guess that’s what that vanity sizing in today fashion is all about.

The Ladybug and I had fun doing this shoot.  I did a few Zoolander poses, but they were too awful to post.

Hope you like what you see.  And if you dig the photography, let her know!

See you “Next Sunday!”

Soul Sunday with KNAGUI: Escape to Moonrise Kingdom

Today started like most Sundays for me.  The alarm went off and the preparation for church was to begin… Well, like I said- It started like most.  I haven’t been getting much rest lately, so I decided to stay home.

As you know, I’m an avid Sundance Channel watcher and recorded.  While I was pulling movies off the DVR, I saw the trailer for a film called Moonrise Kingdom.  It got my attention, so I went online to see if it was playing at the Angelika.  It was, so I went.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this film.  I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud.  The comedy was both superficial and cerebral.  I don’t like spoiling movies for anyone but one of the lines that busted my gut was, “He does watercolors; mostly landscapes, but a few nudes.”

Really this film is a must see. Set in September 1965, Moonrise Kindom is a bit of a coming of age film directed by Wes Anderson. It stars Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban. The story is about a “misfit boy” who meets a “troubled girl” and all the unravelings and weaving their running away together instigates.

The cinematography is impeccable.  I was tossed into the past and believed I was watching an old film because of the use and choice of filters and lighting.  The props and set were spot on! I smiled so big when I saw the jar of Tang.  I was rushed back to my childhood and started craving the flavor.  I think I’ll go get some after I finish this posting.

The costums were supurb! I couldn’t help thinking, “the Ladybug would love this!”  There were a few standouts for me.  Like Suzy’s and “Social Service’s” coat.  I also liked the Switchboard Operator’s outfit. Very “Ladybug,” in my opinion.

I was digging the importance that was placed on the record player.  The “learn to love Classical”/”Classical for kids” music that’s played in the family home and during the closing credits was AMAZING! And I’ve already downloaded Françoise Hardy’s Le Temps De L’amour which was featured in the film.

After deciding I’d share this film with you, I went online to find the trailer and pix.  I also found the official website for the movie- it too is a must see. Moonrise Kindom official site  One of my favorite points on the site is this 1965 Slideshow.

Enjoy.

 

…See you “next Sunday!”

Soul Sunday with KNAGUI: My Cool Went Down the Kravitz

A few weeks ago I was invited by a reader to the Lenny Kravitz concert with Raphael Saddiq as special guest here in Dallas at the Verizon Theater. It’s taken me a while to write about this experience because I had completely lost my cool somewhere in the vicinity of the song he opened his show with. I feel myself losing it again, so let me first tell you about Raphael’s performance.

Raphael Saddiq, in my opinion, is a musical genius. His ability to present this vintage music with today’s flare is more than worth a listen. His look was a cross between geek and greaser and although he only had 1/4 of the stage to call his own, he commanded it.

Speaking of the stage, he brought that back in time as well. Pure simplicity like the footage we see from concerts of huge artists of the 50s&60s playing a big show at the local high school or town auditorium. He even had coil-curled cable running from his guitar to his amp. I particularly liked the organist’s costume (yes, the Hammond B3 was in the house!)…a choir robe, and he commenced to take us to the stratosphere with Pastor Ray-Ray leading the way.

His is a show that I’d like to see again! A friend of mine from Luxembourg saw the show when it hit there. She said the people went so crazy for Raphael that they immediately scheduled a headline show with him. That just happened- I should find out how the show went.

So let me back-pedal just a bit: my first post was about Lenny Kravtiz. In it I spoke about how I am a fan of his recording process. What may have gotten lost was the fact that I was not a fan of his music. This is an important point for this post…

I’ve only seen Lenny play live once. It was in the early 2000s at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. He was playing on another stage at the same time as Macy Gray. I was with Macy, so I couldn’t catch his show. But after she finished I went over and caught him performing “American Woman.” Can’t say I was impressed. Loved the song, but it was just a performance. I remember being more excited about seeing Cindy Blackmon on the Jumbotron.

Fast forward to February 22, 2012… I enjoyed in utter euphoria the entire show. I have to admit that as an artist I get lost in “seeing the stage” and noticing everything “behind the scenes.” One of two things was true, the Kravitz camp is one of THE BEST oiled machines in the business or his concert story is so well told, that you can’t pay attention to anything else. I believe it’s a combination of the two, with emphasis on the latter.

I’ve never experienced an artist who has the ability to connect with his ENTIRE audience. I’d like to say that after his show, I’m going back to the shed and work on my “stage presence,” but I’m afraid that level of connection may be God-given. Either way, I’d love to sit in a week-long master class if he ever offered one.

So exactly how much of my cool did I lose? Let’s just say, I didn’t realize my new iPhone was missing until I was almost home. It must have popped out of my pocket when I hopped over a couple seats to get a close up of…Mr. Kravitz as he passed by singing “Let Love Rule.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ps On one of my flights from Bologna to Amsterdam, I met a trumpet player. He and I had a great conversation. He was mad cool, downplaying his artistry…the whole nine.  I’ll be dog-on if that wasn’t him on stage. LOL I love crap like that!!!

If you’d like to see more of my photos from the show, check out my FaceBook page (www.facebook.com/knagui); and like it… if you like it.