This week, I’m continuing my never-ending quest for incredible live tunes and checking out the three bands below. Stephen Marley at HOB (I won a Twitter contest!), John Heart Jackie at the Habitat, and the Deftones in LA with my sister and her boyfriend Mike. I’ve actually seen all of these artists before, and I’m anxiously awaiting round deux. Reggae, folk, and metal? That’s just the way I roll!

Images: Philip Liborio Gangi, Oregon Music News, Last.fm

I hear you saying “But Monique, you’re not a photographer. You don’t even have a DSLR.” Umm, yeah, you’re absolutely right! I’ve never felt so ridiculous in a pit full of pro photogs with 3+ huge cameras a piece! Let’s just say they laughed a bit when I whipped out my tiny point and shoot, and eyes rolled when I got in their way with my iPhone. Nonetheless, I still had an amazing time. Alll of the bands put on a really good show, and the sunset and media pit made it worth the couple hour drive. Here are some of my faves from the evening…I think I did pretty well for what I was working with!

Undeserving of this badge.

Railroad cars cruising in.

Old Crow Medicine Show

Mr. Edward Sharpe...aka Alex Ebert

Always a sucker for a red Nord.

Givin' some love to the crowd.

Mum's the word.

Twinkle, twinkle.

Rocking. Out.

Red Nord again <3

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some pretty stellar shows in these months too. There was The Tree Ring’s record release show in February, and Donald Glover, Edward Sharpe/Mumford & Sons, and the mother of all shows, Coachella, in April (wow, that was a busy month). I was also lucky enough to experience little performances, like FOL CHEN at Soda in February and Family Wagon’s appearance at the Hess Brewing St. Paddy’s Day BBQ.

Yes, I’ve been a busy gal, but I don’t plan on stopping any time soon! May looks just as packed, and I’m totally okay with that. Me and nine of my closest friends are renting a van for the Yeasayer Belly Up show, little hurricane is playing Casbah, and Margot is coming back to SD as well.

As if I needed more reasons to jump for joy/spend all of my discretionary income on concert tickets, I noticed that Other Lives is playing Soda on May 19th! I first heard Black Tables by this talented group last year, and their new album comes out May 10th (but you can stream it on The Hype Machine or buy it on iTunes already). I am REALLY looking forward to catching these guys at a super small venue, it’s gonna be great. See you there!

Bonus: you can grab ‘For 12′ for free on iTunes this week!

Image: Dallas Observer

I’m really pumped for Coachella this year! I cannot wait to have a wild dance party in the desert with my best friend Chliana. Last year was so amazing, I think it’ll be hard to top, but boy will we try. It’s Chli’s birthday during the festival again this year, so that makes for double the fun and trouble. Here’s a playlist of the artists I’m most looking forward to seeing. Meow!

Image: Carly Ealey

I’ve seen them several times, and every show was amazing. I’m also looking forward to the new lineup, since many of the previous band members are no longer recording and touring with Margot. The stage will undoubtedly be less crowded, but as long as the group still gives me goosebumps, my ears will be happy.

We arrived around dusk and our name was on the list for VIP preferred parking. That was nice, since I’ve previously only had jam-packed experiences in the Del Mar Fairgrounds parking lot. We popped into the will call, and picked up our package from Lauren Greer, the lovely San Diego Fair intern that reached out to me initially.

The fair was already super busy, and hundreds of people flocked to endless fried food selections. I couldn’t resist the funnel cake, and Bekka and I watched 3 people take a bungee jump plunge while we indulged in our sweet treat. Although the cuisine options were endless, my only suggestions are less-expensive prices and more healthy choices. Chocolate covered bacon, fried pop tarts, and greasy pizza were all in abundance, but finding a salad or simple turkey sandwich was next to impossible. I understand the demand for such food is high and some can’t imagine the fair without it, but it would be nice to have the option to eat well, or at least decently.

Next, we headed over to the Grandstand to check out Sammy, who was joined by a band and several die-hard fans on the stage. We enjoyed our seats, surrounded by Bret Michaels-esque fans and a new generation of “Red-Rocker” lovers.

Towards the middle of the performance, Sammy shot off an amazing confetti gun, and I must find one of these for my next house party.

The San Diego Fair graciously supplied Mr. Hagar with Karl Strauss Amber Lager, and although I only saw him take 1 sip, he seemed to enjoy the local brew, and even gave KS a shout out during the show. I also thoroughly enjoyed his radical red microphone stand.

After the show was over, Bekka and I cruised around the fair checking out the booths and enjoying the nice weather. We came across these beautiful umbrellas, and some custom wood signs that would look great in any humble abode. Instantly falling in love with a tiny wood owl figurine, we were giddy with glee when the man behind the counter offered to engrave our “MoneKKa” moniker, free of charge.

It was definitely great to finally check out the fair this year. After living in San Diego for 6 years, it’s weird that I haven’t made it out before. I really appreciated the sweet hookup from Lauren and the rest of the marketing department, and it was an honor to be approached by the organization. You can bet I’ll be driving more than 55 to the fair again next year, and hoping they will have some great acts lined up. I would love to see Greg Laswell or Joel P West there in 2011, how about you?

Best lyrics I’ve heard in a while from one of my favorite local bands, The Vision of a Dying World. Make sure to swoop up their impossible-to-find-before-it-sells-out EP, I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand…or at least attend the Single Screen Records CD Sampler Release party on 3/5/10 at the Whistle Stop.