Pockets Full of Sunshine and Showers

Last Thursday my mom, my friend Lauren, and I did our annual summer ritual: go to Rye Playland, get a number one at Nathan's, and watch a free concert. This year one of our favorite singers, Natasha Bedingfield, came to perform. I was in shock when I found out she'd be in my neck of the woods and I think I still am.



We knew we had to get there early for good seats. My friend and I wanted to be closer to the stage than we were when we saw Teddy Geiger last year. We got to the park around 4:15 and so did a thunderstorm. We huddled together surrounded by camp children and two girls from the stage crew for almost a half hour. When the storm ended we rushed to get seats and luckily found some in the seventh row. Mom watched the seats while Lauren and I fetched food.

Natasha came onstage at 8PM decked out in a black dress, a purple belt, and cool heels. She, her backup singers, and the band were amazing. When they put on a show, they put on a show! She sang with all her might, as did the backup singers and the band played with passion.

Natasha worked the stage as she moved from one side to another, which made it hard at times to get good photos of her, but I liked the challenge. One of my favorite parts of the show was when she read a sign that said "Natasha, can I sing with you?" and she replied, "You just did. You sounded good."

Natasha got the crowd to stand up, wave their hands, and sing along as she sang a slew of songs from her new album mixed with old favorites and a cover of Madonna's Ray of Light. The last song in the set was Unwritten. As she started singing, the rain started falling, but I kept on filming. I was literally "feeling the rain on [my] skin" and "reaching ... in the distance" to get a good video as the people in front of me started putting up their umbrellas.

Seeing Natasha Bedingfield live was definitely a dream come true and the highlight of my summer. Now one can only wonder how Playland will top this next year. Justin Timberlake anyone?



Here's my vid of Natasha singing Unwritten. Sorry the audio's so sketchy, but you can totally see those people putting up their umbrellas in the front rows.


Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Live

Concert Announcement! Natasha Bedingfield at Playland Tonight!

ONE NIGHT ONLY ... NATASHA BEDINGFIELD AT RYE PLAYLAND ... THE SHOW STARTS AT 8PM ... ACE WILL BE THERE, WILL YOU?

InSensical Things to Do in Summer '08

Be bored no more!

(1) Enroll in Trapeze School.

Ever want to fly high? Well, now you can do just that.



If you're in NYC, Baltimore, Boston, or LA, check out trapezeschool.com. Hurry. Classes fill up quickly.

(2) Perfect your IJ skills.

You're probably thinking, "What's an IJ?" An IJ is an iPod DJ. Here's how to become one.

- Get an iPod.
- Learn how to use it.
- Create hot playlists.
- Convince people to hire you to IJ their events. (Yes, you can actually get paid for this.)



A relative of a friend did this. You would be surprised how many people don't know how to use an iPod, let alone create a playlist.

(3) Walk runways before models do.

A few weeks before fashion week starts, head to NYC's Bryant Park and watch workers set up the runways many a model will be trecking on. If you're lucky enough, you may be able to walk the runways before models do. And of course you must take pictures and send them to us for postage!



(4) Go to AST Dew Tour stops.

Want to get Ryan Sheckler's autograph? Check him out at Dew Tour Stops in Baltimore (June 19-22), Cleveland (July 17-20), Portland (August 21-24), Salt Lake City (Sept. 11-14), and Orlando (October 16-19).

Go to astdewtour.com to find out more.



(5) Create mosh pits.

What better place to do this than at the MySpace generation's version of Woodstock, the Vans Warped Tour.

Go to warpedtour.com for more.



(6) Take a trip to the Woodstock Museum.

Before Warped Tour, Coachella, and Bamboozle, there was Woodstock. If you're feeling nostalgic for the famed music festival, head to the new Woodstock exhibit in Bethel Woods, NY. Go to bethelwoodscenter.org/museum for details.



(7) Get InSense on TV!

Tired of bad E! reality shows (i.e. Denise Richards and the Lohans)? Here's our solution:
- complain to the network
- bombard them with emails about making InSense a show



Problem solved. (See what happens when InSense rules the world?)

(8) Get cooked vending machine food.

Do you remember that scene in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift when the guy and the girl go to that vending machine place and there's actual cooked food in it? Did you ever wish you could get that in America? Well, now you can. BAMN! on 37 St. Mark's Place in NYC allows you to get everything from mac & cheese to hot dogs and corn dogs. If you're spending summer in the city, swing on by.

Go to bamnfood.com for more.




(9) Free concerts in Central Park!

Who says you can't find free things to do in the city? We don't. During the summer, Central Park's Summer Stage concert series puts on free concerts. Past performers include Citizen Cope, The Apples in Stereo, and Seu Jorge. This year the stage will see the likes of Santogold, Vampire Weekend, and Kid Cudi. Check out summerstage.com for more.



(10) More free concerts!

If Central Park crowds aren't your thing, head to Rye Playland right off the I95 (NY exit 19). Past performers include Lifehouse, Bowling for Soup, The Plain White T's, and Teddy Geiger. Head to ryeplayland.org to see the list of performers. (This year's performers won't be posted until July 18.)