We all won when Hollywood High took the prize for Best High School Musical

You probably have heard me talking about 'In The Heights,' the annual spring musical at my girls' high school. You may have seen me mention it on Facebook, or on Twitter, or on Instagram – or maybe I walked up to you at Costco, rammed your cart and ordered you to come to the show. If that was you I'm really sorry I made you drop your baby.

But the show was really that good, and I wanted people to see how talented these kids are, how hard they work and what an incredibly professional production the school put on. It's not your average high school show – and believe me I know. Back when my high school put on The Wiz, the backdrop consisted of a huge piece of butcher paper that the freshman art class stenciled with poster paint. I remember Dorothy was wearing a blue apron over a tube top and kept reaching behind her to adjust her gym shorts.

So you can see why I wanted everyone to see the caliber of the show Hollywood High put on. And apparently other people thought this show was pretty awesome too, because Sunday night the show won Best High School Musical at the Jerry Herman Awards at the Pantages Theater. 

'In The Heights' beat out 22 other productions from high schools all over Southern California to take the top prize, and it was presented by Kenny Ortega, the producer/director/choreographer of the mothership of high school theater - Disney's High School Musical movies. It was like having Spock escort you into a Star Trek screening.

I know everyone always says, "I had no idea I was going to win," whenever they accept a prize, but in this case we really, truly had no idea we were going to win. Because did I mention we had no idea the show was even nominated? All along we'd thought that because 'In The Heights' took place so late in the year that the show wasn't included in the judging. Hollywood High wasn't even mentioned in the video montage that opened up the night's festivities that features all the participating schools.

(I totally compared it to the feeling you get when you're watching that TLC show about women who don't know they're pregnant and then give birth. You know what I'm talking about. One minute they're standing in line at Starbucks and in the next scene they're walking out of the bathroom with a baby and you're screaming at the TV, "Holy crap you were just ordering a Frappuccino and NOW YOU'VE GIVEN LIFE.")

The award is so fantastic, of course, and so very much deserved. But even more satisfying is seeing the school and these kids get the recognition they've had coming for a long time. So many negative things have been said about public schools – especially those like ours that don't have the wealthy demographic or resources that other schools have.

Another win? A chance to see these kids showing such a positive side of teenagers – that much maligned segment of the population. This group of talented students have been working non-stop for the past few weeks - after school and into the night and even on weekends - while still keeping up with their regular classes (all performers must keep up their GPAs in order to participate in the production.) Like the sets you see in the picture above? They were all built by the kids. That's right – my daughter learned how to use a power saw after geometry, people.

But don't take my word for it – come on out and see one of their productions one day. Not only will you be supporting Hollywood High, but you'll be encouraging public schools everywhere to support their teachers and nurture their arts programs and most important of all – show some faith in our teenagers.

Don't make me come over there and ram your cart. 

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On her way

Last night Kira played a 45-minute gig out on the patio of a local Italian restaurant. I should add that she booked the gig herself, made all the arrangements with the manager and performed from a playlist of songs that she learned entirely on her own. Not a small feat for a 15-year-old. As you can tell the girl doesn't wait around for things to happen - the day she was born is a little fuzzy to me now, but I think I remember her sending out an ETA bulletin and a breast milk order ahead of her arrival.

 Her playlist.

She did allow Rigel to carry in a microphone and an amp and set them up, but beyond that she didn't really want us involved. I don't even think she was too keen on having us in the audience, but I begged and pleaded because I heard they serve a killer penne arrabiata there and besides - who leaves their fifteen-year-old in the company of a bunch of strangers at a show? I've heard Miley Cyrus' downward spiral started when her parents left her alone at one of her arena gigs armed with only a cell phone and a tour bus, so I wasn't taking any chances.

Anyone who knows Kira is aware that she has a singular vision in mind for her future, one that she's had as long as I can remember - to carve out a career as a musician. In fact, when Rigel once asked her if she had a Plan B in case the whole music thing didn't pan out she replied, "No, because having a 'Plan B' means you don't have any faith in your 'Plan A.'" And while we try and urge caution and practically - really, what can you say to drive and determination that is that fierce? Decide what we're going to wear to opening night at Madison Square Garden, that's what.

Here's a short video of awful quality of one of her songs last night. As I mentioned, she didn't exactly want us front and center waving a lighter like we usually do, so I had to sit off to the side and in the back, which just happened to be right under the air conditioning unit. Also, this was the only video I shot that didn't have the screams of a gaggle of out-of-control boys at the yogurt shop next door. Just appreciate it in the same way you would some early footage shot backstage at CBGB's. Minus the drugs and hookers.



But in spite of the noise, the dirty dishes being cleared, the hum of conversation and the traffic speeding by in the background, I have to say - she sounds perfect to me.

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That's the ticket!

I wrote this post over two years ago for the LA Moms Blog, back when Kira was in the throes of her Ting-Tings mania. Now she says she can barely listen to any of their songs without cringing because it reminds her of what an "obsessed fan-girl" she was. I know how she feels - 'Muskrat Love' just makes my skin crawl now.

A few weeks ago my daughter let out a scream while sitting in front of her computer.  It wasn’t exactly a scream, more of that thing twelve-year olds do to convey excitement:  a yelp followed by a couple of ‘omigods’ and punctuated by frenetic hand clapping. I figured she had just seen a cute boy on YouTube  so I ignored the commotion until she came running into my office, breathless, to announce that The Ting Tings were going to be in concert! She had a crazy look in her eyes,  kind of how my husband says I look whenever chicken breasts go on sale  for half-price at Costco.

The Ting Tings are the latest band she discovered through the amazing marketing machine known as the iPod Commercial.  I know this makes me sound old, but I remember the days when we used to discover new music by listening to the radio, or watching Soul Train or stealing our brother’s 45’s.  I’d kick back, relax and listen to my new tunes after I had finished washing my clothes down by the river and churning my own butter.

She immediately sent me a link to the website, and sure enough  there they were, IN CONCERT LIVE OMIGOD. And best of all the tickets  were a mere $16, which we all know is dirt cheap for a live show these  days since that pittance can barely buy you a movie ticket, or a cd, or  even a small coffee at Starbucks.

But as usual I procrastinated about buying those tickets, even though  she diligently asked me about them every single day.  Something always  seemed to come up that made me put it off, important things like that  extra nap I was trying to fit in, or rearranging my blogroll.  So when  the big moment came around and my husband pulled out his credit card to  place our order everyone was pretty excited, almost as much as the time I  finally broke down and ordered that tub of OxyClean I’d promised  myself.

And then we saw that the concert was sold out.

You’ve heard of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"? How about  "hell hath no sorrow like a tween whose parents waited to long to buy  Ting Tings tickets"?  She burst into tears almost immediately after  seeing the ‘SOLD OUT’ banner appear, and continued crying as my husband  furiously searched various websites trying to score some tickets.  He  did find some on Craigslist for $95 each, and another pair on Ebay for  almost $200, but there was no way we were going to pay those prices.  It wasn’t a total bust, though, since I did find a nice set of wine  glasses and some ‘Like New!’ ski pants.

We felt awful and I could have kicked myself for not snatching up  those tickets earlier.  I tried to make her feel better by promising she  could play the CD extra loud on the night of the show and we’d all wave  our cell phones in the air, but surprisingly this didn’t cheer her up  one bit and she went to bed sniffling and sadder than ever.

After she had gone to sleep I talked my husband into making one last  effort.  It was a long shot, but how about emailing the club directly  and asking if they had any plans to add another show, or maybe even some extra tickets lying around?  Surely there was an undeserving stagehand whose tickets they’d revoke after hearing our sad story about our tween  daughter's ruined life. I even contemplated embedding an mp3 of her  muffled sobs coming from the other room but my husband said it would be  overkill, and besides it would clash with the picture of the sad-eyed  kittens he was attaching.

And we waited.  And when an email finally came in from the club the  next day, I was wary and decided to read it before calling my daughter  in. There was no need for her to see an automated response that said,  “thank you for your interest in our venue try bud light it tastes great  and is less filling.”

But I couldn’t help but let out a scream of my own when I read that,  as a matter of fact, they had a front row balcony table that they hadn’t  released to the public. That seated four people and would end up  costing us a little more than the original price but nowhere near what  they were asking on Craigslist and EBay.  I don’t think I’ve seen my  daughter so happy – it reminded me of the time I promised her I would  never wear my bathrobe again when picking her up at school.

So that’s where we’ll be going in a couple of weeks, and she’s  counting down the days.  She’s already made a sign to wave at the  concert, and her and my 10-year-old have already picked out their  outfits for that night.  And of course there’s a moral to this story:

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today, and if you do  you’d better pray there’s a kind person working in the box office who’s  got a soft spot for sobbing twelve-year olds and kittens.

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Kira Won Some Tickets, I Talked To Ryan Seacrest, Then It Stopped Being Fun

Kira's been trying for weeks to get tickets to Jingle Ball, the annual holiday concert put on by KIIS FM. This year Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Nelly and B.o.B. are going to be there and I'm sure everyone is going to have a grand old time and party like it's 2999. So every morning on the way to school Kira's been glued to her Blackberry calling in to the station, and this morning she finally got through and was told she was the winner. Hallelujah! What a great day we're having! What could go wrong!

Since Kira isn't 18 she had to hand the phone to me, and I had to pretend I was the winner. I woot-wooted and high-fived all around when I got on the phone with Ryan Seacrest, and said how excited my daughter was to be going to the concert. Did you hear me on the radio? Did it make my butt look big? It was over so fast I didn't get a chance to ask Ryan all the questions I've been saving up all these years, like if he and Simon really fight and who counts all the American Idol votes, and does he need a cover for his toaster. That last one may or may not have to do with a Christmas present I'm crocheting for him.

If you did hear me on the radio and I sounded a little more stressed out than usual, it might have been because at that moment I saw the red blinking lights in my rear view mirror of the Highway Patrol man who was pulling me over for talking on my cell phone while driving. Unfortunately neither my sparkling personality nor the wad of hundred-dollar bills I keep in my glove compartment for such encounters could convince him not to give me a ticket. Talk about harshing my mellow! One minute you're talking to Ryan Seacrest and the next minute you've crossed the threshold into life as a criminal. Don't laugh - I've heard that cell phone citations are the 'gateway crime' and I'm just one step away from stealing babies.

I don't even know how much this citation is, since the officer said I would find out when I got the actual ticket in the mail. It was so ominous when he said, "You'll see," in a tone that sounded more like, "It's so sad you won't be taking that vacation this year." Now I'm thinking these 'free' Jingle Ball tickets are going to cost me a small fortune, although I'm trying to tell myself that it'll be worth it for Kira to wave her hands in the air like she just don't care while she sees Katy Perry singing 'Teenage Dream' live and in person. In fact, I'm going to crochet her a tank top to throw on stage.

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LA Moms Blog: Lessons Learned

I have a new post up over at the LA Moms Blog. It's a story about the piano teacher I had when I was a little girl, but don't expect a warm, fuzzy nostalgic look back at years filled with a wondrous discovery of music. No, it's more of a bitter, angry tale of a cold, distant woman who made me never want to sit down at a piano again. Not that I blame her for my lack of musical talent, but I do credit her with instilling in me a deep fear of false eyelashes.

I took piano lessons for years when I was young but don't ask me to sit down at the piano at your dinner party and play "Ode To Joy" or request my keyboard accompaniment when you sing, "Always and Forever" at your sister's wedding. (Don't laugh -- you know you've never been to a wedding where they didn't play that song.)

And the reason is, I don't remember how to a play a single thing after all those lessons and that drain on my parents' bank account. In fact, one of the only things I remember has nothing to do with perfecting my scales or learning the difference between a major and a minor chord. It's this: I remember my piano teacher's false eyelash coming off during a lesson and fluttering down to her cheek, where it sat for the next thirty minutes, totally unbeknownst to her...Read More...

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tags: music lessons for kids | piano teachers | la moms blog

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In case you haven't heard, I really loved the Paul McCartney concert

I'm going to apologize up front to those of you who are sick and tired of hearing me talk about this damn concert, but it really was that good and I wanted to post some pictures here. Besides, it's either this or five paragraphs on why it took me three hours to clean our guest bathroom. That's right -- don't make me cut you with my housekeeping stories.

As you might know, Kiyomi is a HUGE Beatles fan, and besides really wanting to take her to see one of the two remaining band members we all really wanted to see Sir Paul. (I was the only one who has seen him live, way back when he was with Wings.) Also, we've taken Kira to see her share of concerts and we wanted to take Kiyomi to see someone of her choice -- can I just tell you how grateful we all are that she really dislikes Justin Bieber.

Oh, I think I might have offended all you Justin Bieber fans out there. I'm sure he's got some talent, and it's just a matter of his sound maturing. Like maybe when he's potty trained.

First of all a word on those tickets, which cost us a small fortune. Thank God Rigel and I are millionaires and have huge piles of cash laying around the house specifically earmarked for concerts! So it wasn't painful in the least bit to spend all that money for four seats in the last section of the Hollywood Bowl, and totally worth it I might add. Besides those piles were starting to become a nuisance -- constantly sweeping up hundred-dollar bills is really exhausting.

It was decided that the girls and I would take a shuttle and Rigel would meet us at the concert (he works just blocks from the Bowl) rather than deal with the hellish parking -- not only is their infamous 'stacked' parking a nightmare, but once the concert ends you're stuck in a gargantuan traffic jam. Rumor has it there are actually still some people attempting to find their way out from when the Beatles played there in '64.

But with only minutes before we had to catch the shuttle my van wouldn't start. I handled this minor setback with my usual calm manner -- by cursing, beating the steering wheel with my forehead until I was bloody and then blaming the whole thing on Rigel. Luckily one of our nice neighbors took pity on me and lent me her car -- it might have been after she heard me yelling at the girls to get out and push the van the five blocks to the shuttle stop.

Everyone knows the best part about seeing a concert at the Hollywood Bowl is being able to picnic there beforehand. We weren't able to find any grass to eat on, so along with a few hundred other people we had to settle for a curb near the entrance, right in the path of the service vehicles. Luckily I had wine to make it all better, and lots of it because I had to finish the bottle before we went in - I found out we couldn't take any alcohol inside. Surprisingly, I didn't have any problems finding several people who wanted to help me out so it wouldn't go to waste. And I'm proud to say I taught my kids a valuable lesson that day -- waving a bottle around and yelling, "Free wine!" is a quick way to make lots of friends.



Now that I've told you every detail leading up to the event I'm exhausted and you'll just have to make do with these photos and video. I'll just say that the concert was fantastic and there really is something so moving about hearing McCartney sing the Beatles songs live. And he did a lot of them: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road, Blackbird, just to name a few. (You can see an entire set list here.) But the best part was seeing how much Kira and Kiyomi loved the concert, and how they knew the words to all these legendary songs that were written way before they were born. Take that, Justin Beiber.

(These were taken with my new favorite camera, the Kodak Z950. Considering we were sitting way in the back, the zoom on this camera is amazing.)







Here's a video of them doing one of my favorites, Got To Get You Into My Life. My camera work on the first few seconds will probably make you nauseous and want to vomit, but hang in there. How's that for a setup.



(Video also taken with the Z950.)

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tags: paul mccartney | hollywood bowl | paul mccartney at the hollywood bowl

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She's With The Band, Part I: Beg and Ye Shall Receive

On Sunday Rigel took Kira to a concert, something that's become part of a regular routine. It always starts off the same way - She sits down at her computer, lets out a piercing scream because one of her favorite bands has posted their tour dates, immediately IMs and texts two hundred of her closest friends and then spends the next few weeks begging and pleading for one of us to take her to the concert. Most of the time it's Rigel she grovels to the most since she knows he usually can't resist getting out to see live music anyway, the same way she knows she can get me to take her to Target if she tells me they're having a two-for-one sale on beef jerky.

(Although I did take her to this a couple of weekends ago, an event that proved to be so traumatic for me that I haven't been able to write about it yet, the event that resulted in Kira proclaiming that day "The best freakin' day of my entire life" while at the same time made me wonder if I was fit to be a parent. Trust me - you'd feel the same way if you just let your 13-year-old loose in a room with a bunch of drunk twenty-somethings squirting paint on each other's nipples.)

There was no way in hell my parents would ever have taken me to a concert when I was a teenager. Of course, I was the youngest of five kids, so by the time I came along I'm surprised they even had the energy to feed me, let alone schlep me to a concert. I do remember winning a pair of KISS tickets on the radio when I was 14 and my dad, who was usually so protective, dropped me and friend off at Anaheim stadium to fend for ourselves, paying no attention to the legions of potentially dangerous adult men walking around wearing full face makeup and thigh-high boots.

The concert this weekend was a pretty tame event, an indie rocker named Ladyhawke that Kira likes. She was playing a free gig in front of the Urban Outfitters store across from Amoeba Records on Sunset Boulevard. It really was the ultimate afternoon for Kira - a concert with one of her favorite artists, coupled with the prospect of shopping at two of her favorite stores. Live music, vintage vinyl and spandex leggings all in the same day - the only way it could have gotten any better is if there was a mosh pit made up entirely of the cast from Gossip Girl.

As is typical with Kira she got to meet Ladyhawke herself, having positioned herself at just the right spot in front of a stage door. She has a knack for that, and I'm starting to think that her ability to push herself to the front of any stage, or talk a photographer into letting her slip into a restricted area of a club may be a skill that will get her far in life, or at least maybe get her mom a spot at the front of the crowd at the next Barneys sale.

But really, we're grateful she's found something she's so passionate about and we're happy to support it. She's a good kid, a straight-A student and she doesn't ask for much else. And besides, we tell ourselves there are worse things she could be dragging us to, like an ultimate cage fighting event or heaven forbid - a KISS concert.

Oh, but don't just take my word for it - go read Kira's version of her day at her blog, Metronome (Didn't you just figure that my kid would have her own blog?)

Up Next: She's With The Band, Part II: What's a nice girl like Kira doing at a club called The Smell?

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tags: ladyhawke | teens + music | my indie girl

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Michael Jackson

I heard this on the radio today and almost burst into tears. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. I don't care what anyone says, the guy was a freakin' genius when it came to songwriting. I'm going to miss him.



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tags: michael jackson | i'll be there | jackson 5

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12-years-old and already on tour with a rock band

I've written here before about Kira's intense obsession with the Ting Tings, an English band that got its big break when they were featured in an iPod commercial last year. We took the girls to see them in concert, and since then Kira's frenzy hasn't died down one bit. She spends an unhealthy amount of time chatting online with friends about the band, checking out their website and making lists of all the Ting Tings merchandise she's going to try to con us into buying for her. Lately I've been begging her to find something else to do, like hang out on the corner and chew gum like all the other kids at her middle school.

A few weeks ago she saw a bulletin on the Ting Tings MySpace page asking for original videos that the band could use on their upcoming European tour. They've done things like this in the past - used art as a way to get audience members and fans to participate in their shows. Kira was determined to enter, and came up with an idea for a video that involved our garage door and a huge stack of Post-Its. She asked Rigel to help but turns out he was merely a cameraman - at one point I think I heard him trying to tell her where to stand and she went all Christian Bale on his ass so he backed off.

Today Kira got an email from the lead singer herself, Katie White, telling her that they loved her video and that they would be using it on their tour, and that she would get a credit every night at the end of each show.

She's over the moon, of course, and we're so very proud of her. Here's the video - sorry for the poor quality, but I put some music to it and unfortunately my iMovie skills aren't up to speed. Kira assured me it was okay for now, and besides she's not paying me that much. Yet.



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tags: the ting tings | ipod commercial | itunes

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She's Done With Lullabies

A couple of weeks ago we took the girls to the much anticipated Ting Tings concert, the one we almost didn't make it to because Rigel and I didn't get off our fat asses to get tickets in a timely fashion. After that debacle Kira kept reminding us every day when the concert was - I think she didn't want to take any chances on us forgetting the date. Everytime she would bring it up I would say, "Well, I also have other things on my mind like work deadlines, and remembering to pay bills and cook dinner" and she would say, "Yes, but THIS IS THE TING TINGS MOM" and I guess she had a point. Even if the bills went unpaid, the phone got disconnected and there was no food on the table, at least we would be able to say we had taken our tween girls to a concert by a band that almost no one had heard of.

After racing across town to get there during weekday rush hour, we almost weren't allowed up to our balcony seats, since they told us it was considered the "bar area" and was strictly 21 and over. Rigel and I started to bid our girls farewell and head on in for a martini, but we're good parents and thought better of it, and after some haggling with the manager (thank goodness we had brought along our emails that had the woman's name that sold us the tickets) they allowed us all in. As you can imagine by then we had no problem fulfilling our two-drink minimum, and were relieved when the waitress informed us that there was no maximum.

Kira had spent hours on a sign to hold up during the concert, and there was no way she was going to settle for just flashing it from our balcony seats. So as soon as the lights dimmed she turned to me and said, "I'm going down to the stage!" It was kind of surprising - this was my normally reserved daughter, acting like she had just been called down on The Price Is Right to do her bidding for a washer/dryer combo sitting behind Door #3. After a few minutes Rigel and I suddenly remembered that she's only 12 and maybe standing alone in a crowd being pressed up against by a bunch of strangers wasn't the smartest thing in the world, so I followed her down to the front. Besides, I didn't want her to be disappointed when one of the surly guards turned her away and she had to slink back to our table to sit with us old fogies and our cocktails and her ten-year-old sister in the balcony.

Let's just say she certainly didn't need me down there, as by the time I got to where she was she had already talked a guard in to letting her walk up to an area that was close to the stage. I got a spot a few feet back where I could keep an eye on her, and watched as she then chatted up a photographer who let her get up even closer so she so could hold her sign aloft. It's probably a good thing I got there when I did - any longer and she probably would have talked her way onto the tour bus and gotten engaged to the drummer. But I was impressed by her skills, and I'm sure her talents will come in handy if I ever get my hands on those Prince tickets - I'm going to send her up to the front of the stage to see if she can score one of his tiny sequined platforms for me.

The Ting Tings played for what seemed like only twenty-five minutes, but I've never seen Kira happier or more excited, even though her dream of the lead singer pulling her up on stage and letting her play lead guitar didn't come true. To be perfectly honest, that was my dream too, since if they had let Kira up there for just five minutes I'm sure some record company executive would have seen her, offered her a contract worth millions, and I could finally afford that new patio furniture I've been eyeing. That's the kind of mom I am - always wanting my kids dreams to come true, especially if means some new stuff for myself.

She's already talking about wanting to see The White Stripes in concert. We're happy to indulge her love of music, but I'm thinking we're going to have to put a limit on the number of concerts per year we take her to. How many live shows does a 12-year old need to see? Isn't that what YouTube was invented for? I found myself fantasizing about the good old days, when my girls would have been happy with the free concert at the mall starring a giant plushie and some freakishly talented six-year olds.

For the next concert, we told her she might have to at least pay for half of her ticket, and we figured with the measly allowance we give her and the inflated price of seats these days she wouldn't be able to afford it until 2010. But she just informed me the other day that she thinks she may already have enough saved up, and a chill went up my spine when I saw her madly perusing the Ticketmaster site. Something tells me she wasn't looking for a Teletubbies show.

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tags: the ting tings | ipod commercial | el rey theater

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Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

I have a new post up at the L.A. Moms Blog, where I wrote about what happened when I promised Kira she could go to a concert and the high drama that ensued when we discovered it was sold out. If there's anyone who thinks that getting tickets to a concert isn't a stressful, nail-biting event, well you must not have any tween girls in your house.

A few weeks ago my daughter let out a scream while sitting in front of her computer. It wasn’t exactly a scream, more of that thing twelve-year olds do to convey excitement: a yelp followed by a couple of ‘omigods’ and punctuated by frenetic hand clapping. I figured she had just seen a cute boy on YouTube so I ignored the commotion until she came running into my office, breathless, to announce that The Ting Tings were going to be in concert! She had a crazy look in her eyes, kind of how my husband says I look whenever chicken breasts go on sale for half-price at Costco.

The Ting Tings are the latest band she discovered through the amazing marketing machine known as the iPod Commercial. I know this makes me sound old, but I remember the days when we used to discover new music by listening to the radio, or watching Soul Train or stealing our brother’s 45’s. I’d kick back, relax and listen to my new tunes after I had finished washing my clothes down by the river and churning my own butter...Read More..

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tags: the ting tings | ipod commercial | el rey theater

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I Wish Someone In This House Would Get a Record Deal So I Could Afford To Remodel My Kitchen

Somehow, in between working a full time job, taking out the trash, getting the kids ready for school and keeping his wife happy, my husband managed to record a CD! Rigel and his band, Nine2Midnight, spent countless hours and subjected themselves to hundreds of beers to get some of their songs onto vinyl (or plastic, or whatever CDs are made out of. Whalebone? The ashes of dead rock stars?) Obviously I'm partial, but I think they sound awesome - even though they ignored my requests to cover a Beyoncé song.

They even have a MySpace page, which apparently is what all the young kids are doing these days to pimp their music. Of course, this all just means they're one step closer to spandex jumpsuits, out-of-control drug habits and tour buses filled with slutty groupies. Which is all fine as long Rigel still gets up to take the kids to school.

Meanwhile, things aren't going too swell for Kira and Kiyomi's band, Off Limits. Their keyboard player quit a few weeks ago in a very dramatic Diana-Ross-leaves-the-Supremes fashion minutes before their first show. The way it went down was, they were finishing up a music and songwriting class they'd been taking together and were preparing to perform a song they'd written. All us parents were waiting outside, talking about what kinds of vacation homes and sports cars we were going to buy with our kids' money once they became famous, when the keyboard player stormed out and announced that she was quitting the band for two years, in her words, "Until Kiyomi grows up."

Now, you'd think Kiyomi would take offense with this, but she's actually been strangely eager to tell the story and has been repeating it to anyone who'll listen, adding some dramatic flourishes for effect. "So, she quit the band and said she wasn't coming back 'until I grow up.' Until I grow up! How do ya like that? She's giving me two years to grow up! Why two years? Why not four? I'll be eleven by then for goodness sakes! Am I supposed to wait around?" She's usually got her hands motioning wildly and flipping her hair by the time she finishes the story, and I can just picture her in ten years, telling the story to Rolling Stone while she's got a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and flashing her tattoo that says "I'm All Grown Up."

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