Top 5 Thursday: Live Concerts

Top 5 Thursday: Live Concerts This top 5 is an idea of my brother. When I started this list, I realized how many great concerts I have already witnessed. Almost all with my brother. Here is a top 5 of my favorite live concerts.

5. Alter Bridge (june 11th 2011)
I saw this band last year on the Pinkpop festival in our country. I had heard of the name, but it didn’t ring a bell. This was definitely a very surprising concert. Right after their performance on this festival, Coldplay would play on the mainstage. Most people left Alter Bridge early to see Coldplay, but me and my brother stayed. And we were so glad we did. What an awesome band and Myles Kennedy is without a doubt one of the best singers ever. He hits every note. What a great discovery!



4. Lifehouse (september 22nd 2010)
Not per definition the best live band, but Lifehouse is my favorite band and it was a special moment to finally see them live. Their hit “Hanging by a Moment” was the only hit in my country. I followed them after that and bought their albums, but they never did concerts in my country. When their fifth album came out, “Halfway Gone” was a hit here and they started touring again. It was one of my favorite days ever.



3. Foo Fighters (june 13th 2011)
I saw them at the Pinkpop festival last year and they where the last band to play on that festival. And what a performance. No talking, just two and a half hours of rock. One minute it started to rain and a rainbow appeared. Dave Grohl actually stopped playing and said how awesome that was. This was a great concert, one I look back to with a lot of pleasure.



2. Metallica (june 15th 2003)
I was very young and this was one of my first bigger concerts. It was also a festival, Fields of Rock, in Nijmegen. Nowadays it’s called Rockin’ Park. Metallica was the headliner that day and my second favorite live performance I saw. My brother is a huge fan and because of him I started listening to their music and came to love it. This concert was so great. I saw them a second time that year and I really hope to see them again some day, because it’s so long ago.



1. Pearl Jam (june 27th 2010)
Also part of a festival and Pearl Jam was the headliner. Without a doubt the best live band I ever saw. Eddie Vedder is vocally so strong and convincing and their lyrics are fantastic. I wish to see them again, because this was the best concert I ever saw.



They almost made the top 5: Bruce Springsteen may 28th 2012, Mumford and Sons may 28th 2012, The Eagles july 18th 2009, Metallica december 6th 2003, Beth Hart march 9th 2012

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 23: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Story: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
Start: june 1st 2012
End: june 6th 2012
Comment: Although I was never a fan I saw all the movies in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the movie version of "The Hobbit" looks really good. I never did read any of the books though, so that's why I decided to read the first book in the adventure month. "The Hobbit" tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit that is visited by Gandalf the Wizard and the very next day twelve dwarves show up in his house and enlist his aid as a burglar in their quest. Before poor Bilbo knows it, he's on a quest with the twelve dwarves and Gandalf to the far reaches of Middle-Earth to rob Smaug the dragon of that which belonged to dwarf King Thorin's father Thrain and is rightfully his, the treasure of Lonely Mountain. What follows from there is most certainly one of fantasy fiction's classic tales and an extremely enjoyable tale for all ages where Bilbo, Gandalf and the twelve dwarves go from one adventure to another on their way to the Lonely Mountain and an inevitable meeting with Smaug. Especially that encounter is really exciting. Tolkien initially wrote this book for children, or more exactly precisely his children. I love writers with a big imagination, like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Tolkien can be added to that list. All the creatures Bilbo encounters, like trolls, goblins, giant spiders and ultimately a giant dragon. And he has a perfect eye for detail. Tolkien describes the simplest things so well, that it's not that hard to imagine or picture it. Bilbo is a very likeable character, the only one we really got to know. I can't name all the dwarves, it was hard to memorize them all. I do know that Oin and Gloin where my favorites, but it was pretty hard to keep them all apart. "The Hobbit" was written for kids, but a good read for everyone. I'm really interested in the other Tolkien books now.
Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Moments: "Shaun of the Dead"

"Shaun of the Dead" is my kind of humor. Everything about is just funny and I can watch it over and over again and still laugh at the same jokes. Here are my favorite moments from "Shaun of the Dead".

Moment # 1: Don’t you have work?
Shaun wakes up and joins his friend Ed for a videogame. Shaun logs in, but when he asks him if he doesn’t need to go to work, Shaun logs out again.

Moment # 2: “You got red on you”
Shaun is at work and he’s in charge today. His employees are not paying attention and one of them is even talking on his cell. When Shaun tries to step up to him all he say is “you got red on you”, meaning a leaking pen in his pocket. When his stepdad pays him a visit at the store, he says the same thing.

Moment # 3: The shop
After Shaun wakes up, he asks Ed if he wants something from the shop. Ed wants a cornetto. On his way to the shop, everything seems awfully quiet, people are walking around funny, there’s blood. Shaun doesn’t seem to notice any of it.

Moment # 4: First zombie encounter
Ed notices that there is a girl standing in their backyard. They try to get her attention and when they do they think she’s drunk. The girl, Mary, is actually trying to bite Shaun so he pushes her. She falls on a pole, but gets up with a huge hole in her body. When Shaun and Ed want to flee inside, a fat guy appears. In the house, a bleeding guy with only one arm enters and they knock him out. The two friends decide to take care of the two people in their yard by throwing things at them. When they are out of stuff, they start throwing old record. But not before they select which albums they can throw and which not. Eventually they beat them to death.

Moment # 5: The plan
Ed and Shaun want to think of a plan to save Shaun’s mom, kill Phillip who has been bitten and to go over to Liz. The plan changes a couple of times before they decide what to do.

Moment # 6: Going to the Winchester
Shaun, Ed, Liz, Barbara, Dianne and David are almost at the Winchester. Shaun just has to check if the coast is clear. He gets up on a small children’s slide. When he gets down they ask him if it’s clear. His response: “No”. There are lots of zombies waiting outside the Winchester.

Moment # 7: Act like a zombie
Dianne has a plan. If they act like zombies they won’t stand out and they can get to the Winchester safely. First they have to practice, but not everyone puts in an effort.

Moment # 8: Don’t stop me now
While in the Winchester, the group is attacked by its zombie owner. The jukebox starts playing “Don’t stop me now” by Queen and Shaun, Ed and Liz start beating the zombie. He ends up with his head smashed into the jukebox.

Moment # 9: Zombie Ed
Four months after the zombie outbreak, Liz and Shaun live together. When Shaun goes to the shed, he starts playing a videogame with Ed, who is now a zombie.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 8: Don’t stop met now

Pic Spam: Anna Kendrick

I only saw a couple of movies with her, but Anna Kendrick really stole my heart in "Up in the Air" and "50/50". That's why I decided to dedicate this picspam to her.

Best of... Amy Adams

Amy Adams appears in more movies and everytime I love her a little more. From supporting and meaningless roles, she grew out to be a fantstic leading lady. Here are my favorite Amy Adams movies.

Catch Me If You Can

Amy played the girl that Frank Abagnale Jr. almost married. How adorable was she with the braces? "Catch Me If You Can" has always been one of my favorites, a movie I always watch when it's on TV.

Junebug

It's just a small film, overlooked by many, that should be getting a lot more attention. It's such a great film, good performances and a even better characters.

Enchanted I think this was Amy's big break. Overacting is annoying, but in this film it's perfect! I love Disney and again they pulled it off to make a fantastic, loveable movie. With sing-a-long songs.

Charlie Wilson's War

Not one of Hanks' best movies, but it does deserve a place on Amy's list. Just a very solid movie, with strong performances.

Sunshine Cleaning

Again a movie that didn't get the attention it deserved. "Sunshine Cleaning" is such a heartwarming film, with a perfect balance between comdey and drama. This movie manages to make me laugh and cry, but not too much. Then you know it's prefect.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

The third movie on this list that was kind of ignored. The best thing about this movie is the duo Frances McDormand and Amy Adams. They work together perfectly. Lovely movie.

Doubt

Not a very spectacular movie, but it's about the story and the characters in this film. Three great actors; Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. The ingredients that makes this film so good.

Julie & Julia

I really love the concept of this film. A woman decides to write a blog on how she's going to cook all of Julia Childs' recipes. This is a highly enjoyable movie and a true delight.

Leap Year

Normally I don't go for those movies, but somehow Amy gets away with it. She was actually the only reason I watched it in the first place and it was actually a really fun movie. I loved her together with Matthew Goode.

The Fighter

Amy's best role so far. Also a perfect performance by Christian Bale, who finally got recognition for his acting by winning an Oscar. Just like Melissa Leo. The film is great, but the performances are even better.

 

The Muppets

I love the Muppets, I love Jason Segel and I love Amy Adams so really nothing could go wrong. Everything about this movie is just great and I really enjoyed every minute of this movie. LOVE IT!

Movie Trailer Sunday (40)

This weeks trailers are about gambling, Les Miserables, the expendables, a waiter pretending to be an author and a supernatural presence.

Lay the Favorite
Description: We follow unpredictable dreamer Beth (Rebecca Hall) as she goes from in-home stripper in Tallahassee to gambler's assistant in Las Vegas, working for Dink (Bruce Willis), one of the most successful sports gamblers in the business. She takes to the work like a natural, but makes the risky bet of falling for Dink, much to the chagrin of his retired showgirl wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones). That bet goes south, and a triangular war ensues. Against Dink's protests, Beth goes to work for the flamboyant, unstable Rosie who runs a less-than-legal operation in New York City, then for his doomed hyper-speed online sportsbook in the betting Babylon that is Curacao. When Beth's risky gambles result in her innocent boyfriend Jeremy (Joshua Jackson) threatened with prison, she must reunite with Dink, face up to the fearsome Tulip, risk jail, and return to New York City to confront her responsibilities. Can she beat the odds and win the day?
Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joshua Jackson
Trailer: Trailer "Lay the Favorite"

Les Miserables
Description: Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helene Bonham Carter, Sasha Baron Cohen
Trailer: Trailer "Les Miserables"
Comment: Super excited about this film. Maybe the best best musical I ever saw live

The Expendables 2
Description: Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.
Director: Simon West
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude van Damme, Chuck Norris
Trailer: Trailer "The Expendables 2"

Lila, Lila
Description: David (Daniel Brühl), a waiter, finds an unpublished manuscript in a dresser drawer. To impress a girl, he claims to be the author. When the novel becomes a best-seller the real author introduces himself in his life and begins to take-over David's life.
Director: Alain Gsponer
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Hannah Herzsprung, Henry Hübchen
Trailer: Trailer "Lila, Lila"
Comment: I really like Daniel Brühl!

The Apparition
Description: A couple are haunted by a supernatural presence that is unleashed during a college experiment.
Director: Tod Lincoln
Starring: Ashley Greene, Tom Felton, Sebastian Stan
Trailer: Trailer "The Apparition"

In My Mailbox (49)

Only four cards this week. The first one came from Cloppenburg, Germany. It's from a German TV-show I used to watch when I was a kid, so I really liked it.

Sent on: may 25th 2012
Received on: may 30th 2012
Distance: 231 km (144 miles)
Travel time: 5 days

A typical tourist card from Brezovica, Slovakia. The greatest thing about it is that this is the first one from this country.

Sent on: may 20th 2012
Received on: may 30th 2012
Distance: 899 km (559 miles)
Travel time: 11 days

From Minsk, Belaru this pretty card. I especially like the picture on the left.

Sent on: May 27th 2012
Received on:May 31st 2012
Distance: 1,486 km (923 miles)
Travel time: 4 days

Today I got this "Little Red Riding Hood" card from Sevastopol, Ukraine. The funny thing is that I just returned from a themepark where they have a forrest with fairytales in it. So this card was received on the perfect day. This is also my favorite of the week.

Sent on: may 23rd 2012
Received on: june 2nd 2012
Distance: 2,170 km (1,348 miles)
Travel time: 10 days

Thanks Stefan, Lubo, Margarita and Valerije for the nice postcards!!