I try my best not to miss Dashboard when they are touring. Especially when Chris does the solo acoustic gigs. Tonight was a solo one and as expected, Chris brought a set list full of fan faves and had a few surprises up his sleeve as well.

Dashboard Confessional
(solo acoustic)
House of Blues San Diego
1/20/12

The Good Fight
The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most
Swiss Army Romance (Say Anything “Wow I Can Get Sexual Too” tease)
Where There’s Gold
As Lovers Go
Saints and Sailors
Tall Green Grass (Cory Branan cover)
So Impossible
Cold Comfort
The Sharp Hint of New Tears
Screaming Infidelities
Again I Go Unnoticed
Carry This Picture
The Cape (Guy Clark cover)
Get Me Right
Ghost of a Good Thing
Remember to Breathe
Stolen
Vindicated
Hands Down

Encore:
The Best Deceptions

The first surprise of the night was definitely the Say Anything tease - Chris loves to tease songs in the middle of his own and those choice “Called her on the phone and she touched herself” lyrics were (gasp!) shocking. Most of the set went the way of most D/C shows, Chris banter, crowd sing-a-longs, girls professing their love. I was really happy to get “Ghost of a Good Thing” …

“Love is like a role that we play.”
But, I believe in you so much I could die for the words that you say
But, you’re chasin’ the ghost of a good thing…

dearoldlove:

After eight years my PIN is still the date I met you. 

My busiest travel year ever! Final stats:

Trips: 35
Days:189
Distance: 94,515 mi
Cities: 45

These photos are from the tour I took to the Mauna Kea Summit. You go up to the top (13000 feet) for sunset and then head back down to the visitor center at 9000 feet to star gaze.

We got the best sunset type photos at 10,000 feet, there was a cloud that would not move out of our way. But it was still beautiful and I loved the pinkish hues.

The star gazing was mind blowing. You see so much up there without interference from city lights. Venus and Jupiter were most prominent in the sky, but you could see a ton of constellations - Orion (and the red twinkle of Betelguese), a few of the Zodiacs, Casseopia, Pegasus, etc, etc. So freaking amazing. Through the telescope we saw Jupiter and its moons. And seeing the Andromeda galazy pretty much was the icing on the cake.

I didn’t have a hard time compiling this list at all this year. In alpha order because that’s how I sort my music. Bonus: listen to my Spotify Playlist of the highlights from each album. (I actually arranged the order of that one for optimal listening pleasure.)

Cults - self titled
Just a fun album. Also one of my fave live performances of the year at Lolla.
Highlights: “Go Outside”, “Bad Things”

The Decemberists - The King is Dead
This one came out early but it haunted me all year and there was never a doubt this would be on my list.
Highlights: “This Is Why We Fight”, “Rise To Me”

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
On their sophomore effort, DIOYY keeps the playful and dancy in the mix, but adds a dimension that reminds me of early Radiohead,
Highlights: “Pull Out My Insides”, “Wrong Time Wrong Planet”

Eisley - The Valley
The DuPree girls have never been more emotional and that made for great songs.
Highlights: “Smarter”, “I Wish”

Diego Garcia - Laura
My soundtrack to Spain. Diego really explored his Latin roots.
Highlights: “You Were Never There”,”Under This Spell”

Mates of State - Mountaintops
I can always count on Mates of State to put me in a better mood. Even their slower tempo songs are good!
Highlights: “Maracas”, “Desire”

My Morning Jacket - Circuital
MMJ keeps finding ways to amaze me.
Highlights: “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”, “Slow Slow Tune”

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
Shoegaze-y goodness. (Also, check our their debut if you haven’t already, I love that one too.)
Highlights: “Belong”, “Heart in Your Heartbreak”

Phantogram - Nightlife EP
This EP has been in constant rotation since it came out.
Highlights: “Don’t Move”, “Make a Fist”

The Rapture - In The Grace of Your Love
Hands down my favorite dancy pants album of the year.
Highlights: “In The Grace of Your Love”, “How Deep Is Your Love?”

Patrick Stump - Soul Punk and Truant Wave EP
I really love that Patrick Stump went this way on his solo material. It’s totally a pop album made by someone who is a “Soul Punk”. His love of both soul and punk comes through into something altogether different. I’m also amazed that he played every instrument on this album. Dude has got it going on….
Highlights: “Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)”, “Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers)”,”Coast (It’s Gonna Get Better)”

Single of the Year:
Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk
I really loved this single but still warming up to the album.

The landscape of the Big Island is so different from what I think most people expect of Hawaii. I marvel at the lava rock and love the local custom of using coral to “write” things on the lava rock on the highway. But this lava cave was something I hadn’t seen, just a cave on the side of the highway that you can walk through. I didn’t walk through because I have been sporting a twisted ankle this whole trip but it was amazing just walking up to the opening. It’s hard to get the perspective here, but the opening is about 12 feet tall!