Verbasan

ok, so i fell a LITTLE behind, BUT the drawing continues...
I know this is a little beside the point BUT week 2 is Crappy 90's Cartoons Week.  Now I know this is VERY subjective, so if any of the shows I chose to draw are shows anyone enjoyed, sorry.  But i thought they sucked lmao!!!  5 have already been posted, 2 to go!

Week 3 is plant based monsters!!!  Go through any sci-fi show, comic, cartoon, or movie and eventually you'll run into some form of plant based monster... this is the week that honors them!!!!

Thanks as always for all the faves/comments/watches/ and badges.
You guys are the best!
-Verb

Yea Yeah, im a little late announcing it, but HEY I'VE BEEN DRAWING!!!!  So this year, I'm keeping it low key, no huge multi person challenge, just me and I welcome the return of to the challenge.  For anyone that follows or cares, he's the one who started the challenge with me back in... i think it was 2006?  Still, its awesome having him back, check out his page for his pics, and give him a shout!

This year, I'm not enforcing the colored pic a week as frankly, I'm too busy.  I just want to get into the spirit of drawing constantly, SO IM DRAWING CONSTANTLY!!!  I'll be posting sporadically as i'm posting the drawings i do in bulk as opposed to 1 per day... who knows, maybe i will depending on time permitting!  So this years rules are DRAW DAMMIT DRAW!!!!

Week 1's theme is :
1 Eyed Characters!
Cyclopses, patch wearers, aliens or mutants?  Don't matter as long as they only have 1 functional eye!!!  We may get a pirate in here even.. assuming we're not all sick of them already!!!!

For anyone interested in following me on Facebook and Instagram here are the links, just add me and i'll do the same on Facebook, or just watch on Instagram.
Facebook- www.facebook.com/MiguelAngelVe…
Instagram- instagram.com/verbasan

I'm still considering a twitter and other such accounts... not quite sold on them yet.

Well, peace for now, thank you all for all the watches/faves/comments/and badges!!!  You guys are the greatest!
-Verb

Feeling a little down these days, BUT there is still plenty of work to do, SO.... screw the feels, i got crap to do!!!

Still going strong with the podcast, here are the latest episodes for anyone wanting to hear em!

Episode 30 Ranma 1/2
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 31 Ghostbusters
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 32 The Rise and Fall of Cartoon Network
firestarterrealms.com/video/32…
Episode 33 *batteries not included
firestarterrealms.com/video/33…
Episode 34 The Fall of CN Continues
firestarterrealms.com/video/34…

Thanks to all of you for all the faves/watches/badges/and comments, you guys are the best!!!

Peace y'all!!

And the next thing i knew, 3 months had passed since i got back and hadn't updated my damn journal due to fatigue, business, life, love, fun and everything in between!!!!

So for starters, let me finish up what I started last time with a little recap of the last 4 Pearl Jam Shows!

Spokane-Spokane Arena-Saturday, November 30th:
My stay in Spokane was less than stellar.  It HAD snowed, but was just kinda cold afterwards with no new snowfall which was kind of a bummer... plus I wandered around for 2 hours before i finally realized that the Holiday Inn I was looking for had been rebranded as a Howard Johnson Inn or motel or whatever... sure was nice of NO ONE to tell me lol!!!  Seriously, Expedia, Howard Johnson AND Holiday Inn, none of them could be bothered to send an email to a customer to let him know that the motel you reserved a room at had changed names and to keep an eye out for the new name?!?!?  So yeah, that was fun.  Once I got checked in I warmed up, got ready for the show, then ended up taking a cab.  The arena was only like 2 miles away, BUT not being used to temperatures less than 40 degrees (SoCal native here, I never deal with anything too far from 50 degrees lol) I decided to take a cab.  It was cheap enough and I made it to the show promptly.  The show itself...  I gotta say that the WHOLE show was blurred by the highlight... a fan held up a sign that read "will shave head for Brain of J".  Eddie saw this and asked him on stage, and proceeded to shave his head (the dude had HUGE dreadlocks, some over 2 feet long).  So the guy got his locks lopped off, they played his request, and hell he got to go onstage with the band for a minute... THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!!!!  Add to that, I got to hear a few rarities at this show.  Nothing as it Seems, Dont Gimme No Lip, a cover of I Wont Back Down, Push Me Pull Me... too good!!!!  Overall, this show was a BLAST, but aside from the rarities, it felt a little more... like a replay... not that I mind, but the setlist was a little weaker with so many repeats so I give the show a 9 out of 10, because that head shaving did make it pretty epic!!!

I spent 2 more days in Spokane before heading out to Canada for the next show.  And once I arrived in Calgary.. it was miserable lol.  There was a HUGE blizzard/snowstorm going on, in fact the snow was coming down from the moment I arrived until about 3 hours before I left, making it a little difficult to even WANT to see the city.  I honestly considered not going to this show just because I had gotten so cold, and was starting to show signs of wear and tear from being out in the cold (-14 degrees here!).  Then I got a message from fellow Pearl Jam fan Richard Lee who flew from New Zealand to follow them too.  "Come on, you made it this far!".... he was right... SO I SUCKED IT UP AND WENT TO THE SHOW!!!!

Calgary-Scotiabank Saddledome-Monday, December 2nd:
Ok, first off, they started this show with Of the Girl and Hard to Imagine, which was just PLAIN FREAKING AWESOME!!!!  They played 2 more songs that I always wanted to hear live, Wishlist and I am Mine... I was floored lol.  There was a family sitting in front of me, a mother, a father and a son.  They kid couldn't have been older than 12 and he was singing along to most of the songs and dancing around to everything.  It was absolutely adorable, it honestly made me want to be a parent just cuz these two had clearly raised their boy right lol, he LOVED Pearl Jam, and that is just the right thing to do hah!  I wanted to ask the family if I could take their picture for my tour scrapbook but ended up leaving them alone, I thought it might be a little creepy for a complete stranger to ask for a photo, I just enjoyed the family singing along and having a great time, it made this show a little more memorable for more than ITS FREAKING SNOWING EVERYWHERE AND I MAY BE STUCK IN TOWN!!!  Still a solid set, really nice people everywhere and yet again, great seats!  8 out of 10!

So we were snowed in and it looked like I wasnt going to be able to get to the airport the next morning to get out of town, but luck shone on me and a cab came through at LITERALLY the last minute (about 15 minutes to 5 am).  So off I went to my next destination, Vancouver!

Vancouver-Rogers Arena-Wednesday, December 4th:
Ok seriously, this first thing I HAVE to comment about Vancouver is this... WHAT IS UP WITH THE LADIES THERE?!?!?!?!  EVERYONE HERE IS A BABE!!!!  I am convinced that I just missed the sign that read "you must be THIS hot to live here", because seriously everyone woman i saw there was gorgeous, and unbelievable!!!!  I will return one day just to go sightseeing haha!!  This town was pretty awesome, so clean.  Went to a McDonalds there, and I swear the food was "healthier" than anything i'd eaten in Los Angeles.  I could actually taste the lack of preservatives!  Yes Vancouver, you are an awesome city that I wish to return to one day!  But this isnt about the city, it is about... THE SHOW!!!  Second only to the hometown show in Seattle, and maybe San Diego since I was so close to the stage, this was probably the best show I went to based solely on the crowd.  Met 2 new friends from Seattle, Kevin and Christian, who were there because they didnt want to see a show in their hometown, they could do that whenever!  Also there were the folks sitting in front of us who started chatting with us the minute they sat down!!  This was a FANTASTIC setlist as well.  Wound up hearing a few more rarities like Thumbing My Way, Soon Forget, Can't Keep, and God's Dice, on top of a finally got to hear Not For You live!!!  After the show, went out for a few drinks with the new friends I'd made.  10 out 10, just had a BLAST at this show!!

Then...finally... the hometown show!!!!

Seattle-Key Arena-Friday, December 6th
Checked in to the hotel early and caught up on sleep.  Its really funny, the temperature here at the time was between 0 and 4 degrees, but honestly after the -14 weather in Calgary, this coldness didn't faze me in the slightest!  Finally got a chance to meet friend Richard from New Zealand and a few of his friends.  We went out for drinks then enjoyed the nearby sights as we walked around town and visited the Space Needle.  We also visited the PJ fans already in line for the show the next day and just had a blast!!!  The next day was the show and it was just... I know i say it a lot but it literally was the BEST SHOW EVER.  I've only been at 1 show in my life where EVERYONE in the crowd was singing along, it was the Hatsune Miku concert in LA at the Anime Expo in 2011.  Even though the music was not my cup of tea, i was moved by the amount of love pulsing out of the crowd to the stage.  I felt that at this show... PLUS I WAS ALSO SINGING ALONG!!!  But it is an amazing experience when the singing of the crowd almost drowns out the band playing on the stage!  The setlist was solid, but i had hoped for a little more... HOWEVER!!!!... I got to hear them play Let Me Sleep, a christmas song that they had only played live once before!  THAT WAS AMAZING!!  Plus, i finally got to hear their cover of Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, which almost brought me to tears.  This was a perfect end to a perfect vacation.  It was a blast, and I hope to do it again sometime!  10 out of 10!!!!!

That was the vacation side of it... afterwards I returned and got back to work ,only to get sick from what i can only assume was all the cold exposure lol!!  Had some hectic holidays, but some special events towards the end of the year made me able to cap off the year by saying 2013 was the GREATEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!  It was one for the record books for sure

That said, in January the NVP podcast returned, and I completely forgot to make an announcement here!
For Starters Nero and I have a new Website, www.firestarterrealms.com, and this site is the new home to Nero's movie reviews and the NVP podcast.  We're working on getting the old episodes back on there, and update weekly on Sundays.  Feel free to stop on by and give us a listen if you have some free time or if you generally enjoy nerd chatter!

Episode 23. The big return!  Nero and Verb recant about all that we missed on our break:
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 24. Pro Wrestling
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 25 Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 26 Shows That Were Taken From us Before Their Time
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 27 Shows That Have Worn Out Their Welcome
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 28 Underrated Comic Book Movies
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…
Episode 29 Super Smash Bros
firestarterrealms.com/video/nv…

Thats it for the wrap up... I obviously died out on the November Challenge this year, but I'll make up for it soon enough!!
Thanks as always for all the views/faves/watches/badges and comments!!!
You guys are the greatest!
Peace Y'all, its great to be back!!!
-Verb

Ok, so my trip to follow Pearl Jam up the West Coast is halfway done, and unfortunately it COMPLETELY derailed my November Challenge... this is Partly why i did that challenge earlier this year in July!!  But still, i will try to at least finish a dozen drawings, they just won't be posted until I return to LA after next Saturday, Dec 7th...
In the meantime, here's a play by play of the shows I've attended so far!::

San Diego-Las Viejas Arena-Thursday, November 21st:
Ok, I was in the pit for this show, Pearl Jam rocked, it was just AMAZING to be there.  An amazing setlist consisting of some of my favorite songs, including rarely played ones like "Tremor Christ", and "In Hiding".  Great experience and Pearl Jam played for 3 and a half hours, it was mindblowing!!!  Plus, I GOT A PICK!!!!!  SUCK IT, GUY STANDING NEXT TO ME!!!! A solid 10 out of 10 if such a thing is possible, especially after the false ending series of show closers... Alive could have closed, NOPE... Baba O'Reilly could have closed... NOPE!!! YELLOW EFFING LEDBETTER!!! NOPE!!!!  Finally ending with Rocking in the Free World... we were exhausted and I still had to drive from San Diego to LA... thankfully the roads were empty!

Los Angeles-LA Sports Arena-Saturday, November 23rd:
For this show, i was in the seating area so while the EXPERIENCE itself failed to compare, DAMN DID THIS SET LIST BLOW SAN DIEGO AWAY!!!!  They played all but 3 songs off of their first CD, Ten, and just barraged us with song after song, THAT I ACTUALLY KNEW!!!!  Usually half the show is composed of songs that I don't know the words to, or am not familiar with and leave little impact but DAMN these were some great choices!  Again, didn't compare to being in the pit, but from a purely set list oriented point of view, it was even better!  I'd say this was a solid 8-9 out of ten, the setlist was just on fire and a crowd please for anyone who was a fan!

Los Angeles-LA Sports Arena-Sunday, November 24th:
Ok, at this show I met up with some friends that I havent seen since 1998, it was GREAT just catching up with the guys, and talking about life and good times, and what became of ourselves.  That alone made for a great show, but of course...this show was FANTASTIC... you know what get used to it, there will never be a BAD Pearl Jam show to a fan like me, just shows that are not AS good as that other one lol.  They started the set with Oceans, so off to a great start!!!  They also did "Breath" which is a song i have ADORED since i first heard it on the "Singles" Soundtrack back in 1992!  They premiered a cover of a Lou Reed song, After Hours and it was REALLY GOOD, along with a cover of Pink Floyd's Mother which was almost tear inducing!!  Solid 9 out of ten... just because I got a few MORE faves at the San Diego show

Oakland-Oracle Arena-Tuesday, November 26th:
Ok, if there were a show that I could call bad it would be this one, BUT I am not going to. I will merely say that it wasn't as good as the others leading up to it.  Partly because there were quite a few lyrical flubs where Eddie completely lost his place in the song and as funny as it was, I expect a little more from the lead singer when he's playing a high capacity crowd, especially after all the smack talk...  See at one point, Eddie mentions that a Tuesday Night Crowd is WAY better than a Sunday night one... to which i responded HEY SCREW YOU, I WAS AT THE SUNDAY CROWD lol!!!  That and apparently some fans that flew in from Brazil were mugged in the arena and lost everything.  Thanks to other fans, they were going to be ok, but at that point Eddie jokingly says something like "Looks like we got some LA fans here tonight" to which I again responded, "HEY SCREW YOU, I AM FROM LA lol!!!"  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind a little smack talk, and to be fair its a great way to rile up the crowd.  BUT we didn't get any of that in the San Diego or the LA shows, so I felt a little cheated, while at the same time wondered is this what it takes to warm up the Oakland crowd?  Being in a place with so much hate for Southern California did make me feel like the odd man out, and I tried my best to simply blend in and not draw attention to myself.  That said, still a VERY strong set and an awesome effort from the band playing in at 3 hours and 20 minutes.  Only the audience swayed my vote to give this show a 7 out of ten, great band, harsh crowd if you're not from Norther California... If you ARE an Oakland native, this was probably a 27 out of 10!  Plus they DID play "Hail Hail", a song I REALLY wanted to hear!!  For what its worth though, let it be known that at THIS show, I lost my voice from screaming and singing along so much, so I'd say since i CLEARLY was enjoying myself at this show, that will put this show's review at an 8 out of 10!!!

Portland-Moda Center-Friday, November 29th:
Ok, Portland felt SO MUCH friendlier than the Oakland crowd, and I felt at home with fellow Pearl Jam fans as opposed to alienated!!  Again, a VERY solid setlist, plus i was surprised that for once, I got a really good seat from my online purchase, no nosebleed seats or anything, this was a legitimately GOOD seat!!  Got to hear "Rats" and "Life Wasted", 2 more songs that I really wanted to hear live.  The preceding shows didn't have an opening act, so we just had nothing but Pearl Jam all night, which while not a bad thing... there's something cool about having an opening act to know you're there and they didnt want you to get bored waiting!  Spoke to a lot of fellow fans, and had a blast at the show.  Solid performance and very little in the way of flubbing the lyrics lol.  Overall, a solid 9 out of 10 from me.

Tonight I go to the Spokane Arena in (suprise!!) Spokane!... its snowing up here... I might just take a cab to the show since I dont feel like walking in the snow after dark... Wish me luck!!!