Hollywood Bowl Dance Fest

This summer has been amazing in regards to new music. Since high school live music is an atmosphere I absolutely lose myself in. Tonight on a whim I went to the legendary Hollywood Bowl with some friends to see Hot Chip and Passion Pit. I started to smile bright when I heard one of Hot Chip's songs "Day and Night." The lyrics include the repeated verse, "Let's sweat." I got sweaty openly and freely.



Walking A Mile... Again
Just like FYF Fest (post here) I had to endure a bit of a trek to the venue. The walk to the Hollywood Bowl from my apartment is about a mile and a half. Before I made the journey I decided to think about the route and how I could best combat the most noticeable sweat.

• Hydration: I knew there was a Starbucks along my seemingly daunting trek. Having a severe hangover this morning and lack of sleep I knew I would need some caffeine. So I ordered a venti green ice tea. Helped keep me cool and give me the fuel I needed for the night. It also provided an air conditioned relief to collect myself for the remainder of the walk.

•  Bathroom Break: Once I got to the Bowl I bee lined it to the bathroom. I took off my two tank tops and wiped myself down with toilet seat covers. I find the toilet seat covers are much more resilient than toilet paper. Avoid using toilet paper unless you want to be picking pieces off of you for a while. 

• Keep Calm: I immediately wanted to go into panic mode as I walked into the Bowl. The place was filled with people and all eyes felt like they were on me. Then I mentally slapped myself realizing that people are in their own worlds, especially in LA. In yoga we learn uijayi breathing.  When I start to feel over heated I go to that breathing to help calm my body. I'll write more about that another time.

If you're ever in Los Angeles during the summer seeing any type of performance at the Bowl is a truly magical experience. It's worth the nerve wracking walk.

Nose bleed seats are the best.

Passion Pit! Hot Chip!
Once the music begins all bets are off for me staying cool and dry. I have to fucking dance. Although I'm usually the most sweaty my friends are sweating too. It's easy to forget that other people sweat. Hugging my friends goodbye in a euphoric state I felt the dampness of their shirts and was comforted to know I wasn't alone.

If you're not familiar with Passion Pit I highly recommend giving a listen. I recently read this article on Pitchfork, "Passion Pit: Inside the brilliant and troubled mind of Passion Pit leader Michael Angelakos." Having suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety from HH and other life situations this was a fascinating read. Their music is so catchy and melodic but if you take a moment to really listen to the lyrics there are some serious lines to ponder. Reminds me we need to look out for one another. We're worth it.