Yeah, so he knows who I am...mental

I know I don't update my blog as much as I used to. But with Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and HelloGiggles, I'm writing for so many different things.

Lately I've been Tweeting a lot about this amazing band called Bastille from England. I was lucky AND blessed enough to get to interview the lead singer, Dan Smith, for HelloGiggles. Now my job is to tell everyone I ever come in contact with to listen to them.

Okay, let me tell you how the interview with. First, I got severely nervous and sick the day before. Okay, it's no secret that I have some anxiety issues (some) but I had to do this interview right. I mean, I'm pretty much obsessed with the band (think how Kat vonD is over Him and Ville Vallo). So speaking to Dan, him knowing who I am, blew my mind. On top of that, I had to be professional. I take my writing quite seriously and I didn't want to come across as just a giggly fan. I'm a journalist!

When I was first connected to him through his management, whom I'd been e-mailing back and forth for a few weeks, she said "Dan, you're on with Angie Grace from HelloGiggles" and he said "Hi Angie!" I went "Hi Dan!", and I swear to God, you could literally hear me melting! How do I know this? I had to record the conversation to transcribe it for the site. So everytime I listened to it, all I could think was "I sound like a fool". I remember shaking, also. After I got the first question out of the way, I realized how normal and down-to-Earth he was! I mean, this guy does not take himself seriously at all! I even asked him how did he feel about being considered a sex symbol and he said "awkward". Okay, I love him. The way he speaks, saying "quite" this and "I'm an awkward guy from London", I wanted to say "You know you're a friggin' rock star, right? Like, girls are obsessed with you".

I held it together. After a few questions, it felt as if we were having a normal conversation, with me asking the questions. Then he started asking me questions, like asking me what did I think of the show "Twin Peaks". I then mentioned that I went to buy tickets for their show and found out they were already sold out and then found out the whole U.S. tour was sold out already and not only was he humble by this, he said that I should ask his management about getting on the guest list and then he said "I'd love for you to come". Yes, I've fucking replayed the tape recorder for all who have visited my house, live here, etc.

I haven't heard from his management about that, yet, but I'm sure they're busy with the U.S. release of the album. He then tweeted me a few days ago when I pointed out the album was #4 on the iTunes chart and he tweeted back at me "It was good to speak to you last week". Yes, I died again. Twice dead.

It means so much to me to be able to know people I truly respect and enjoy their art. Knowing Sherri Dupree of Eisley means a lot to me. Knowing Josh Fadem means a lot to me. Meeting Chris D'Elia means a lot me. Now sorta kinda a little bit knowing Dan means a lot to me. And I just got tickets to go see them live at Jimmy Kimmel for Bry's birthday. Did I mention Bry also loves Bastille? We've both said that Dan is not capable of writing a bad song. He's amazing. Also, he uses the word "Mental" a lot. As in "Wow, that's mental!". Love it.

My favorite Bastille performance, thus far:

Bastille, "Bad Blood", Last.fm sessions

"Things We Lost in the Fire"

"Laughter Lines" (my current obsession)

Bastille on Conan performing "Pompeii", the first time I saw them. Which is weird, because I watch every Conan episode but usually skip the musical guest, unless it's somewhere I've heard of. I think this just happened to come on while we were talking and no one cut it off, then they came on and wow.

Sorta Long, Image Heavy Ramblings

So I've been way too busy! I'm not really complaining, but I'm pretty sure I used to update this blog wayyyyy more!

First off, I've been writing for this amazing site called HelloGiggles! I was asked by Molly McAleer (writer of 2 Broke Girls and co-founder of HG) to be a regular contributor! I have my own author page and everything! Pretty excited about it! I even wrote an article about how I became a contributor to the site, which started with me taking the Warner Brothers studio tour! They really should have me do commercials for their tours!

In the meantime, in between writing articles (Look for my interview with Sherri Dupree-Bemis of Eisley in the next week!), I've been hitting up the comedy clubs, doing research for my own show! Yep, I booked a show, as part of the open competition at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, CA! I've been watching other comics and paying attention to their styles, how they walk the stage, how they handle the mic, etc. I even watch them before they go on stage. I'm doing a few open mics this coming week, trying to get ready and work on some material so I can go out there on the 7th and KILL! I'm really excited!

My husband pointed out to me that all these great things have been happening to me in just a little over a month! There was the studio tour, that led me to meeting the writers of "2 Broke Girls", then I started improv class at iO in Hollywood, I got an Emmy-award winning writer to agree to read my pilot "Jersey Did It" and give me feedback, I got feedback from a former SNL writer, I went to Conan as a VIP and met Conan and he flirted with me, won a contest through HBO for the show "Girls", won several contests just by retweeting a link and got free tickets to go to both the Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store, got to meet and get great advice from Nyima Funk, who wrote for Nick Cannon's "Wild & Out", met several people from the show "Mash Up", including Marc Evan Jackson, met Larry Joe Miller from "According to Jim", Keegan-Michael Key (a huge comedic inspiration), talked to Kelly Oxford and Jenny Johnson, met Brent Morin, who's a stand-up comedian and starring in a tv show for NBC in the fall, oh, and met my current obsession/comedic inspiration Chris D'Elia from the show Whitney. I've seen him perform three times now and got to talk to him twice. Conversations. He knows me by name. He hugged me. Are my eyes x's yet??

There have been a few other things that I'm not reporting yet.

Oh! And I have a writer's workshop with Brian Stack from Conan tomorrow. Then improv on Sunday.

It's great to finally be busy and not bored.

I saw Dane Cook live! Surprised the hell out of the crowd this week!

Chris D'Elia killin' it!

Me and Brent Morin. Has one of the funniest sets you'll ever see! Really nice guy too!

Chris D'Elia and me, outside of the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Love this guy so damn much. Don't worry, Bry was there and Bry thinks he's pretty cool too!

Yep, this happened! Everybody was freakin' hilarious! 

Maribeth Monroe and Andy Cobb. Yes, she's on Workaholics, one of the funniest shows on TV. They're part of The 313 improv. Saw the show twice now at Second City.

This is what I won from the HBO show "Girls". It was all Hannah had written for her book. Also, that same frame is on her wall in her apartment on the show.

One of my articles on HelloGiggles.com

The first time I met Chris D'Elia, at the Comedy Store. One of the greatest nights of my life. I introduced myself and he goes "Oh, I know you from your tweets!" and I said "Yeah, I probably tweet at you too much, I'm not a stalker or anything" and he goes "No, it's cool" and he laughed. When I saw him a week later with  Bry at the Laugh Factory, we were talking outside and I said "I'm way calmer this time. I think I said some stupid shit last time" and he said "Don't worry about it, no you didn't" and he gave me a hug. Sweet guy. 

My lovely friend Comedienne Carmen Barton offered to make this flyer for my show! She took time out of her uber busy schedule to make this for me! Love her to death! She's going to be on NickMom Night Out soon!

Larry Joe Campbell from "According to Jim", and part of The 313 improv!

Me and Nyima Funk and her adorable little baby boy, Moze! This was after another 313 show.

I met Keegan-Michael Key! What a great guy. We talked for a few minutes after The 313 show at Second City. He thought it was cool I was from Second City in Chicago!

Birthday in Chicago

Yesterday was my birthday...yes, it was fantastic! I woke up to the dining room garnished with movie-style decorations from Party City, and 3 little girls and hubby who had a bunch of presents, including the new Kindle Fire and some snazzy Betsey Johnson heels! Quite exciting for me, as you can see. Then, on top of that, I got my mom and aunt to watch the girls so Bry and me can go out and have a fun time in the city, alone. Not as mom and dad, but as Angie and Bry! Not that I didn't miss them...to be perfectly honest, I spent most of the day hugging and kissing at them like I'd been away from them for days!

We went to this Vegan restaurant on the city's north side called the Chicago Diner. I had vegan country fried steak, which was made of this stuff called Seitan, which tasted really a lot like chicken! It was interesting and delicious! I'm really enjoying being a vegetarian this time. I'm five seconds from veganism, but I still drink cow's milk. But I don't eat any meat, no eggs, no fish. And I'm perfectly fine with it this time, and I feel better than I've felt in a long time! Then on top of that, I've been going back to the gym, trying to get California Slim! And by that, I mean my idea of what I should be, which is not skinny. I like having hips and boobs. Hubby likes me having hips and boobs! LOL

But nonetheless, today I spent kissing toddlers, cleaning up, signing the lease, and paying the deposit on our new Los Angeles apartment! Shyeah! It feels good to think that in 20 days we shall be there. There's still a few things that need to be figured out, logistically...like, if we're having our things shipped, and they're saying give it 4 business days to get there, where are we going to stay for 4 days? In our empty apartment here, the empty apartment there, or take another couple of hundred dollars and stay in a hotel? Yeah, that's what we're figuring out. The hotel thing sounds better, considering we're travelling with a 5 year old and 2- 2 year olds!

Hanging our around Chicago, going to the Betsey Johnson store in the Water Tower, going over the downtown bridge, eating at a restaurant on the north side...I think I'm already getting a little homesick. And I had the nerve to be out there in 30 degree weather with a short dress on with see-through lace sleeves (see pic above) and some flats, a coat, a hat, a scarf, no gloves...and I'm the one who's always complaining about the weather! No worries, though, because Bry found a parking spot a block away from the Water Tower, and right in front of the restaurant when we went up north. Yes, my nose is a little runny today! Who asked you?! It's all for the greater good though. I looked cute on my birthday! Haha!

Laters.

P.S. What also made yesterday pretty cool was Jontynise and me got several celebs to tweet Happy Birthday to me, including Kelsey Chavarria and Saj Golde from "The Real L Word", Layzie Bone from my favorite rap group of all time, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and Wesley Jonathan, who I've had a crush on since I was a kid! And the adorable, wonderful Sherri Dupree-Bemis, from Eisley! She told me too! Even though I just talked to her like, 3 times last week, it still made me happy!