Tag: ONE OK ROCK

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Making Monday Better: ONE OK ROCK 2018 Ambitions Japan Dome Tour ~A Playlist~

Another Monday is upon us and you know what that means! Yup! Another playlist is here to help brighten up the most dismal of weekdays! Woohoo!

As any OORer knows, yesterday was ONE OK ROCK’s “Field of Wonder” concert. To say it was a concert to remember would be such an understatement. It was an experience like no other. But I won’t spend this entire post gushing about how amazing it was. Instead I’ll just say that if, at any point during this pandemic, OOR decides to do another live-streamed show, I’ll be there.

With the concert now over life seems to have lost a bit of its color. It was fun, having something new to look forward to. Now life has gone back to the same old routine and honestly, it’s kind of depressing. Still, OOR did perform a new song during yesterday’s show and that does give me some hope that something good might be appearing on the horizon sometime in the not-too-distant future. I’m crossing all my fingers anyway. I am in desperate need of a new OOR album. Heck, I’d be happy with just a single. Honestly, anything I can use as a reminder to keep on keeping on would be great.

Until the day comes when OOR graces us with new music, I’ll keep listening to all the music we already have and I’ll keep making more playlists. (At least until I run out of concert setlists.) Because everyone needs to find a reason to smile every now and then. Even on Mondays.

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Making Monday Better: ONE OK ROCK 2017 Ambitions Japan Tour ~A Playlist~

Another Monday has somehow managed to creep up on us and you know what that means… Yup, it’s time to chase away the dreary doldrums of the day with a brand new ONE OK ROCK playlist!

To be perfectly honest, this playlist was a bit of a challenge to put together. It could be because I’m suffering from a serious case of fuzzy Monday brain or it could just be because there are so many different versions of these songs out there. Finding videos to fit this particular tour wasn’t easy. (The overlap between the 2017 Ambitions tour and the 2018 Ambitions Dome Tour makes things a bit tricky.) All I can really say is that, I tried.

Honestly, if you want the full concert experience for any of these playlists, you really need to go buy the official DVD/Blu-Ray. The 2017 Ambitions Japan Tour is one of my particular favorites. The Toruka moments in “20/20” are absolutely priceless (I can’t help but squeal every time I watch them) and their rendition of “One Way Ticket” is one of my all-time favorites. Between the emotion in Taka’s voice and Toru’s freaking guitar solo, I find myself in tears every. single. time. I can’t really help myself. It’s just soooo good!

Speaking of concerts… Was anyone else’s mind completely blown by the teaser trailer OOR released last night/this morning? For some reason, I was expecting this upcoming concert to be more of a hyped-up studio jam session, rather than a full-blown concert. But then I watched this latest trailer and my brain completely exploded.

I realize that this upcoming concert has “Stadium Live Streaming” in its title, but for some reason I just didn’t expect it to be held in an actual stadium. After watching this trailer I’m slapping myself in the head because, of course, if OOR is going to do a live concert, it’s going to be on the most ridiculous scale imaginable! Do feel silly for not expecting this upcoming concert to be anything less than epic? Yes. Yes I do. But that’s okay because now I’m even more excited than I already was, and that’s not a bad thing!

With a concert less than a week away and a new playlist to enjoy, hopefully we can all find a reason to smile today. But if, for whatever reason, you just can’t find something that brings you joy, go look up that Toruka moment I mentioned earlier. If that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will!

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Making Monday Better: ONE OK ROCK 2016 Special Live in Nagisaen ~A Playlist~

Believe it or not, it’s Monday once again and you know what that means! Another ONE OK ROCK playlist is here to help bring a little sunshine to your day! Woohoo!

I don’t have any idea how things are in your life right now, but in mine, they’re hovering somewhere between absolute chaos and utter despair. Last Friday, both my mom and my grandma tested COVID positive. While my mom is home, resting and recovering as well as she can, while trying to distance her from my dad (who is currently waiting for his own test results to come in), my grandmother, being the high-risk person that she is, was immediately admitted to the hospital. The fact that she’s now lying in a COVID ICU room, an hour and a half away from her nearest relative, is weighing heavily on me at the moment. So you can see why I need some pretty serious cheering up.

I’m not entire sure this single playlist can cheer me up, but any sort of distraction from my daily life is welcome right now and OOR is always a good distraction! Here’s hoping today’s playlist can work a little magic in both my day and yours!

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Making Monday Better: ONE OK ROCK 2015 35xxxv Japan Tour ~A Playlist~

As promised, I’m back on this most Monday-y of Mondays, with another ONE OK ROCK playlist that should, in theory, help make this day just a little bit better.

To be perfectly honest, I’m at the point in the day when I’m beginning to wonder how I’m still managing to function. It’s a bit of a mystery but I’m choosing to believe my love of OOR, and this concert set in particular, is compelling me to keep going.

You see, OOR’s 35xxxv North American Tour was the very first time I saw OOR live. It was only a few months after I’d moved to the Chicago area and I was in absolute shock, when I realized my all-time favorite band was playing in my city. I’d spent years lamenting the fact that I would probably never see OOR live. So, as you can imagine, buying that concert ticket and seeing them live, was a literal dream come true. And it’s why this concert setlist is just a little more special to me. It holds some serious sentimental value, and honestly, “Memories” is one of my all-time favorite songs. I actually want it played at my funeral one day but I won’t go into the “whys” on that one…

Like all good OORers, I’m still counting down the days to OOR’s “Field of Wonder” concert. And like all good OORers, I’ve been keeping up with all of the teaser trailers that have recently been released. To say I’m excited about this concert would be a HUGE understatement. I am freaking ecstatic!

I’m also very excited about the release of OOR’s newest concert video, which they also announced last week. At the risk of sounding ridiculously dramatic, my life literally changed during OOR’s “Eye of the Storm” Tour stop in Chicago last year, so having the chance to re-live a little bit of that magic, even via Blu-Ray, was too good to pass up. Yes, I know the Japan Tour is different from the North American tour, but it’ll be close enough. And yes, I have already pre-ordered the sucker. Why??? Well…

To be perfectly honest, I’ve been watching the concerts I already have in my collection, as a means of helping me cope with the overall crappiness of pandemic life. It might seem slightly weird to some, being lulled into a peaceful moment of serenity via a rock concert, but nothing makes me happier than being at an OOR show. Since there isn’t much in life that makes me happy, period, at the moment, letting myself indulge in a rare moment of joy has become a vital component of my daily self-care. Reading, yoga, and ONE OK ROCK may seem like an odd combination to some, but it works very well for me. So well, in fact, that it’s become part of my nightly routine. There’s nothing better than falling asleep to the sweet sounds of Toru’s wailing guitar and Taka’s screams…

On that note, I hope you have a chance to enjoy this new playlist. May it bring as much joy to you as it does me.

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Making Mondays Better: ONE OK ROCK 2014 MIGHTY LONG FALL AT YOKOHAMA STADIUM ~A Playlist~

Remember last week, when I mentioned a little something about ONE OK ROCK’s upcoming LIVE-streamed concert, “Field of Wonder”? Well, I may be just a teensy bit excited about said concert and as such, I’ve been thinking that doing a little pre-concert celebrating might not be such a bad thing. But how does one celebrate a concert that is exactly 26 days, 13 hours, 16 minutes, and 21 seconds away? Why, with a heckin’ lot of OOR playlists, of course!

I’m very much aware that putting together a playlist comprised of the setlist from OOR’s 2014 show isn’t quite the same as being at the show. Heck, it’s not even the same as watching the show when OOR streamed it on YouTube this past spring. But let’s face it, we’re not going to be going to any shows in-person for who knows how long, so I figure this is the next best thing.

If you’re looking for an exact replica of that incredible 2014 show, this isn’t it. I’m sure you could find something like that out there, if you really tried, but I’m not gonna go there. Instead, I’ve tried to use as many of OOR’s official music videos as I possible can, to recreate the set-list itself and nothing more. Sadly, not every OOR song has an official video, so I’ve tried to use the best fan-made videos I can find. Is it a perfect playlist? No. But if nothing else, it gives me something fun to watch while I slowly kill myself during my treadmill runs. (Anyone else hate those painful torture devices disguised as fitness machines, or is that just me?)

My plan is to create a playlist for every one of the concerts OOR streamed for us poor, miserable, pandemic-plagued fans, earlier this year. There were seven concerts in all, so doing one a week will take us way past the “Field of Wonder” date. I suppose I could do two a week, but having a weekly dose of ONE OK ROCK might be kinda nice. Maybe it’ll help lessen the inevitable post-concert blues???

Because I’m such a ridiculous fangirl, I have every one of these concert setlists already saved as playlists on iTunes (which you can find, if you really wanted to, by searching for me @TheZombieMamma). I also have the “Listening Together” playlist OOR created for Spotify, which I may turn into a YT playlist as well someday. It all depends on how crazy life gets and how interested anyone is in having it. I mean, I’m cool with endlessly sharing my love of ONE OK ROCK but I’m also aware that not everyone in the world shares my enthusiasm for this fantabulous rock band. After all, I really can curb the inner fangirl. When I have to.

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Wha… Wha… What???

Okay, okay, okay. So I know it’s been about 19 million years since I last wrote anything. And to be perfectly honest, it’s feels pretty weird to be writing this now but HOLY HECKIN’ HECK, GUYS!!!

About three weeks ago, the members of ONE OK ROCK began posting cryptic photos on their Instagram accounts that seemed to hint very strongly about an upcoming concert. Of course, I spent a lot of time discussing what all of this might mean with some of my most devoted OORer friends, and it didn’t take long for us to decide that yes, this was going to be some sort of online concert. (Yeah, we’re super clever like that!)

Then about two weeks ago, the members (and all of OOR’s official SNS accounts) started posting this short video, confirming our suspicions that “Field of Wonder” would, in fact, be an online concert and that tickets were now on sale.

Naturally, I had to buy my ticket the second I finished watching that short little video of instant joy and death. (I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a ticket so quickly in my life!) Needless to say, I’ve been counting down the days until October 11th ever since. And yes, I do mean literally. Because I really am that pathetic.

Then yesterday, the members of OOR started posting a link to this little gem of a teaser video and DEAR SWEET BABY FLYING MONKEYS! Those 65 seconds have made me happier than I have been in freaking ages!

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I am suffering from some very serious pandemic-induced concert withdrawals. So maybe my reaction to all of this is a bit more exaggerated than it might otherwise be. But honestly, considering the way this year has gone, having something to look forward to is a frickin’ godsend and October can’t come soon enough!

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RELEASE THE FANGIRL: Today’s The Day!!!

OOR 2

After months and months of impatiently waiting, the day to make one of my biggest fangirl dreams come true is FINALLY HERE!!!

OOR

Today I’m headed to the city to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in 14 years and see my very favorite Japanese rock band, One OK Rock. (I’m also unofficially celebrating my birthday, which was actually at the beginning of the month but I’m celebrating it now by going to the concert and indulging in a mini-shopping spree at the K-Pop Store in Chinatown. ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹) Talk about an awesome way to spend the day!

OH MY GOSH! AM I ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE OOR LIVE!?!

(I still can’t believe it!)

QUICK! SOMEONE PINCH ME!!!

oor 3

I’m so flipping excited about this concert I haven’t been able to sleep most of the night (which is why I’m writing this at 5:20 in the morning). I’ll probably be the full embodiment of a zombie by the time the concert rolls around but hey, that’s what coffee is for, right?

OOR tour poster

If you’re one of the lucky ones headed to Chicago’s House of Blues this evening and you see a zombified fangirl walking around with super short, dark, spiky hair and glasses (yes, I chopped off all my pink hair *sobs*) be sure to stop me and say hi! I always love meeting new people and making new friends! If I don’t see you at the concert, you can always come back here (or find me on SNS) and we can squee over the concert together! (If you didn’t know already, I’m very good at squeeing!)

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Fantasticly Foreign Fridays

As you may or may not know, I’m an adventurer. I love to explore, to visit new places, try new things and one of my biggest goals in life is to experience as much of the world as possible before I die. Of course, my desire to explore is sorely inhibited by the fact I have four little zombies at home who need me much more than I need to see the world; so I do the only thing I can, I explore the world through my computer, or more specifically through the internet. I’ll be forever grateful to Al Gore for inventing something as amazing as the internet (and yes, that was said in complete sarcasm) because now, I can see and experience things I would have never known existed otherwise. Among other things, I have discovered the fantastically amazing world of foreign entertainment and being the sole fan of such awesomeness in my own limited world, I’ve decided to share some of my favorites with you, because let’s face it, most of you probably have no idea what I’m talking about and well…that’s just sad. This is why I’ve decided to dedicate my Friday postings to introduce you to all things foreign and fantastic, so that you too can discover the joy of exploring the world that lies beyond your doorstep.

OOK 1

I’d like to start off by introducing you to one of my new favorite bands, the Japanese rock band, ONE OK ROCK. Formed in 2005, ONE OK ROCK, describes themselves as a mixture of “emo, rock and heavy metal,” and I have to say, it’s a sound I can’t get enough of. I downloaded their latest album, Jinsei x Boku = earlier this year and it’s been on my Top 25 Playlist ever since. If you’ve never taken the time to explore the world of Japanese rock, or any style of Japanese music for that matter, you’re really missing out. To prove my point, I’ve added a couple of videos from ONE OK ROCK for you to check out for yourself. All I ask is that you give them a try. Who knows, they may end up on your Top 25 Playlist before you know it.

OOR albumOOR single


you're beautiful 2

Part of the reason I chose Fridays as my day to discuss all things foreign and fabulous is because Friday marks the beginning of the weekend and the weekend is the absolute best time to marathon an Asian drama. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, Asian dramas are shows, aired weekly in their country of origin, that typically run anywhere between 16-20 episodes (though there always shows who break the rules), usually with two episodes airing each week. Anyone with Netflix has probably come across a Korean drama or two, while searching for something new to watch without ever giving them a shot, shows like You’re Beautiful, My Princess, Protect the Boss, Boys Over Flowers, and Playful Kiss, and that’s just even more sad than never giving Japanese rock a try! The world of Asian dramas is vast and varied and some of the most entertaining shows you’ll ever watch, you simply have to be willing to give a show with subtitles a try. *And no, you can’t whine about how you hate reading your shows. Suck it up! Reading’s good for you!* If you don’t have Netflix (and even if you d0), have no fear, www.DramaFever.com has over 13,000 episodes from 60 content partners across 12 countries which means you can watch practically any Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese and Latin American Telenova you can imagine. (And yes, I also write for DramaFever so I’m a little biased when it comes to where I watch my Asian dramas, could you tell?) With so many options, it’s hard to know where to start, which is why I’m here to help. Each week, I’ll introduce you to a new drama so you can spend your otherwise boring and depressing weekend marathoning you new favorite show.

you're beautiful 1

This week’s drama is one of my favorites…You’re Beautiful. It’s the story of a nun-in-training who’s forced to enter the all male world of an idol pop band, in order to help her brother. Written by the Hong Sisters (who are hands down my favorite drama writing duo) You’re Beautiful is as hilarious as it is heart-warming and I dare you not to like it! Find it on Netflix or watch it here…and be sure to come back next week because this…is only the beginning!