Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

It's been a decade since I first got into goth music and subculture. And, with my tongue firmly stuck to my cheek, I observe how I am  still  a baby bat! I'm young enough to still be called a "baby" at shows and club nights yet old enough to recall, with deep nostalgia, vying for a spot directly in front of the stage at my first Peter Murphy show nearly 10 years ago at a now-relocated venue in Atlanta... I also remember with fondness—and some embarrassment—writing a cliché poem for Peter Murphy, referring to him as the "original Bat." And, instead of keeping it to myself, I actually threw the typed poem up onto the stage directly following the show, hoping he'd pick it up and keep it in his breast pocket. Ah, the folly of youth! I don't recall there ever being this many bands of the goth or goth-adjacent persuasion playing in Atlanta since I got into the subculture. That's not to say there weren't plenty of bands playing this city. I only f...

Staying in and getting more sleep is wise. I love sleep, and sleep is good for my health. But lately, the desire to bedeck myself in gothic clothing and become a creature of the night at local goth nights and shows has risen once again. Why? I love music, especially music that happens to fall under the "goth" umbrella. That's no surprise to readers of this blog. I like to dance to that music too. I'm not the best dancer (my mother once said I dance like Elaine from Seinfeld ), but I do it nonetheless. I also like dressing up in clothing that's black, creative and perhaps otherworldly. I don't get to do it all day everyday because of my corporate™ job, so I've been relishing these chances. My husband's been working hard to finish his doctorate these last few months, so I've had more time on my own in the evenings. I've been using this time to dress up and get out and even socialize with other folks in my local scene (which is relatively new to...

found on Goth Memes Ryan and I went to see The Cure this month when they came to Atlanta. They played at a big amphitheater, so we sat on the lawn along with all the other fans, including a couple who got married during the concert! People were dancing and drinking, hitting around beach balls, and enjoying the music of course. The Twilight Sad is the name of the band that opened for them. Check them out: This was my first time seeing The Cure, and I was delighted and surprised by the fact that they played over thirty songs with four encores. And, the weather was skin-melting. They talked about how it was "bloody hot" and that we Atlantans should "vacation in Greenland," ( I hope you're reading that in Robert Smith's voice) but they still kept going, taking breaks occasionally to stick their heads in the freezer. Here is a link to the concert's setlist if you'd like to take a look. I haven't been dressing up much lately. I'll us...

Earlier this month, I went to go see an exciting band called The Soft Moon. Originally, they were scheduled to open for Killing Joke. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Killing Joke cancelled the show. However, I still got to see The Soft Moon performing the new Deeper album: You can listen to the full album above. Listen with headphones and imagine hearing it live. I guarantee you will be hooked. It's hard for me to describe this band's "genre," but it reminds me of Post-punk, Dark wave, EBM, and even Shoe-gaze at times.  Also, I got really pumped when Luis Vasquez took a trashcan from the side of the stage and started playing it. I thought I heard someone behind me yelling "more trashcan!"

I see it's been over a month since I've last posted, which is actually less time than I thought. It's probably no surprise that I've been busier than ever. In fact, I've been in a perpetual state of busyness for as long as I can recall. I thought it'd be considerate to give an update because a lot of things are happening this year. The most exciting are my plans for Summer. For two months, from May through July, I will be visiting Cusco, Peru! This will be my first time abroad and the longest amount of time away from home. I will be studying and doing some service work (probably a teacher's assistant at a primary school). I'm going to take a Spanish literature class and a Quechua class. Both will be taught in Spanish. I'll be staying with a host family too! Hopefully, this will be the push I need to finally gain fluency in Spanish. Fluency is a really ambiguous concept anyway. I've been taking Spanish on and off for about seven years, and onl...

As soon as Lion was released in June, I went to various stores to get my hands on a copy. It was after having little luck that I turned to amazon, receiving a copy of the deluxe version in the mail (which comes with the album + a live Bauhaus set). I put the CD in my car's player and subsequently jammed out for about a week straight including on the way to an observatory trip with my lovely and handsome astronomer. With great care, Ryan had planned out our evening for when Peter Murphy was to roll up into town (7 August, 2014). I got all dolled up in a white dress, since Peter Murphy commented about no one wearing white on his Ninth tour, and I did my hair up in a braided turban wrap with a flower headband.  Ryan took me out to dinner at a place called Bone Garden Cantina ( link ), which is a Day of the Dead themed restaurant filled with beautiful paintings and sculptures. Ryan had a nice looking margarita with a taco and enchilada, and I had a couple of hibiscus (flores de ...

Last night, Depeche Mode came to town. After a long week and much time spent looking forward to this, I'm glad to say I was in attendance. Justean and I ventured off to the venue with little incident this time (meaning not getting horribly lost like before). When we arrived, we noticed what a broad spectrum of fans Depeche Mode reached. There were a lot of drunken middle aged people, but besides that, there was a range of alternative types as well as more mainstream looking people. One thing is for sure that most everyone seemed excited to be there. In fact, at one point, I almost got in an altercation with a couple who was so excited, they decided to squeeze right in front of me and cut me off! Let's just say I got them to vacate my vicinity.  It was a great night for a concert. The moon shone brightly, and looming rain clouds dissipated. As for the show itself, Depeche Mode knows how to work a crowd. They sound mostly the same in concert as on their albums. They eve...

source source After a hell of a car ride (getting caught by every red light, and being led to a dead end by the GPS), we finally arrived at the amphitheater. Justean and I hauled ourselves down to the entrance with all the other black clad people. We started to hear someone screaming on a megaphone. It turned out, it was a religious picketer warning others of Marilyn Manson's music (whilst forgetting to mention Rob Zombie). You know a concert's going to be good when people outside are screaming about Hell.  We got up to the front gates, and a very elitist acting person in crow make-up -facepalm- was rubbing it in that he had front row seats, and we only had lawn tickets. Let me just say, one cannot act elite while wearing crow make-up. We got through the gates, and the venue completely closed off the lawn. I was wondering where we were going to sit. It turned out, The headliners didn't even sell enough tickets to fill up the seats. Everyone with lawn ...

Hey everyone. I thought I'd just give a quick life update. This October has been extremely busy, so school and work have taken up the majority of my time. I've had a considerable amount of people attend my ghost tours. Each weekend, I've been doing two tours per night with about thirty people on each. It's been tasking, but totally worth it for the sake of story telling (and big tips).  However, I think these evening tours in the cold where I'm forced to yell are starting to take a toll on my health. I woke up with a sore throat and runny nose this morning, and I had foot cramps the other night from all the walking. Regardless, I will not falter! There's a couple of posts I'd like to do, so hopefully I'll get them posted soon. I've got a DIY post in the works, and I'll definitely be posting my Halloween Costume. Last but not least, my best friend Justean and I will be attending the Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson Twins of Evil tour on October 25th....

I'm a little late in posting this as the concert was September 5th, but I suppose It's better late than never! source Months ago, I found out that Dead Can Dance was touring in North America, and they were going to Atlanta. This news gave me a fluttery feeling, as I routinely burn incense and sing and dance badly to Dead Can Dance alone in my room. I never thought I would get the chance to see them. I was incredibly excited, buying the most expensive tickets I could afford. I would not miss out on this experience since the group had just recently reunited! I purchased two tickets, and I had some trouble finding anyone to go with me. I gladly decided to take my best buddy, Justean. I wasn't sure if she would enjoy it, but she definitely did. It turns out, we both had a great time. Justean even found a new love that evening...her name is Lisa Gerrard. ;) The concert was amazing. The whole show was a spiritual experience. There was a beautiful light show in the backgro...

Since this month is so busy, it seemed like a good idea to have a little update about what's going on in my life lately. On the twentieth of August, I will officially be a college student at Georgia State University. I am very excited and a little nervous. On top of that, I have really exciting news: I am going to be working with Georgia State's English Department, specifically with the Writing Studio. This is a great opportunity for me to meet people who work in the field and are willing to give me advice. This job is going to put money towards my tuition as well. All I have to do is fill out some more paperwork, and speak with a couple of people about my  payroll and job responsibilities. My brother is also going to be moving to Thailand in The Fall (probably October). He's going to be an English teacher for a year or two. I'm very happy for him. I'm also saving up my money to buy a plane ticket so I can trek over there myself. Yay for 14 hour plane rides! Asi...

source Dead Can Dance is coming to Atlanta on September 5, and I just bought my tickets! I'm so excited! I've been a fan of this band since I was twelve of thirteen, and I finally get to see them at eighteen years old. I made sure to book good seats. I'll be sitting in the orchestra section. Everyone, buy your tickets soon! Here's the link to the website where you can buy tickets. If you haven't heard Dead Can Dance, my condolences. Here's a few of their songs:

The MAS...RADE!  (Masquerade) The Masquerade, a lovely venue in Atlanta, featured Peter Murphy in “Heaven” (top floor). He toured along with two other bands called Hussle Club and She Wants Revenge.  My boyfriend, Joe, bought tickets to this as a birthday present to me. Since he happens to be a metalhead (and Exhumed and Goatwhore were playing in “Hell” that night), this was very sweet of him. We first arrived, and the venue was nearly empty. I was very disappointed with the turnout at first, but many more people showed up as the night progressed.  I was also a little surprised to see a few people in Crow make-up, but never-mind that. Also, let me apologize in advance for the poor picture and video quality taken on my camera.  The first group that played was Hussle Club, a band from New York. They actually had some catchy songs like “Fxck Shxt Up ” and “Children of the Underground” They had a lot of energy on stage, and a couple of songs reminded ...