Tag Archives: AFI

Jan7

Sweet Surprises: New Record Edition

Posted on January 7, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello! My Johnny is not only an incredible musician but an avid lover of all music. He has an insane record collection, boasting over five hundred vinyls and it is his payday treat to hit up a few of his favorite haunts and pick up a new record or two. Despite his insistence on me purchasing records for myself, it is honestly something that doesn’t interest me. At the end of the day, you can wear a new pair of shoes but you can’t wear a new record lol. Because of this, Johnny makes it a point to surprise me with a new record every so often and he did so this weekend. While I was out with my nieces, Johnny placed one of my all time favorites under my pillow for me to return home to. I couldn’t contain myself when I saw that it was Sing the Sorrow by AFI:

Johnny and I are elder emos through and through and were blessed to have been around for the surge of emo and alt bands in the early 2000s. While Johnny was a My Chemical Romance kind of guy, I was a total AFI gal. AFI became one of my favorite bands after one listen and Sing the Sorrow was actually the first album I bought with my own money. I am SO lucky to have seen them perform live twice with my sister and have the fondest memories of both shows as well as the top of our lungs sing alongs in her first car. AFI is a band that has been with me for such a long time, through the good and the bad, and will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Whenever I am out shopping, I love to look for “little treats” for Johnny and tend to go the clothing route. Buying records for me is truly his equivalent of this and it really is sweet. Of course, it’s nice to be thought of but his sheer excitement for it is the best. Little by little, he has made an effort to expand my record collection too and it is working! Just like Johnny, I tore my AFI record open and wanted to listen to it immediately. So we did. While we played video games and chatted away, one of my desert island records played too and It. Was. Glorious!

I felt spoiled rotten by my surprise from Johnny and it made our standing weekend date of records and games even better! He is just the best. ❤

What do you like to collect? Do you have any vinyl records? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug17

Concert Cutie OOTD

Posted on August 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! A few weeks ago I attended a concert at Blossom Music Center with my sister to see one of our favorite bands, AFI. We had an absolute blast and it was the most perfect sister’s night out! I didn’t have time to take outfit pics before we went to the show and by the time we got there, it was already going in full swing. Even if it weren’t, I was a sweaty mess after making the long trek to the venue from our parking spot so it was no harm no foul. I did love what I wore, though, so I wanted to make sure Johnny snapped some pics over the weekend to show all of you. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Handkerchief Top: Japna, TJMaxx

Boyfriend Jeans: Banjara, TJMaxx

Platform Heels: Olivia Miller, Walmart

Skeleton Hand Earrings: These were a Christmas gift from my bestie!

For the AFI concert, I wanted to put together an All Black Everything OOTD which only seemed appropriate considering I am the textbook definition of an “elder emo”. This look was kind of up in the air because a show at Blossom is tricky to dress for as it is an outdoor venue. There is a lot of walking involved and you never know what the weather is going to do on a summer evening. I decided that jeans and a top would be a good compromise, especially if there was a chill in the air. But, I wanted to stay cool enough because I knew I would be dancing my ass off so my handkerchief top by Japna was the way to go. Yes, it’s cute AF but it also allowed for ventilation as I got my groove on. And, of course, I’ll take any chance I can get to show off my tattoos!

In the pantaloons department, I selected my boyfriend jeans by Banjara. I simply adore the relaxed fit, distressing, and the huge rhinestones for a bedazzled pop. The more roomy style was also much appreciated as my sister and I hustled and bustled through the venue and it was nice to be wearing something that wasn’t clinging to my skin. I loved the silhouette created by the tight top and baggier jeans because it added some visual interest to make the eyes dance. This was further accentuated by the difference in texture of the silky top and denim jeans.

At the concert, I actually ended up wearing a pair of Nike tennies. The last time my sister and I went to a show at Blossom, the platforms I had on ended up breaking on our way to the venue. I was SO not trying to repeat that again! These pics were shot at home, however, so I could wear whatever shoes I wanted and couldn’t wait to break out my new pastel pink platforms by Olivia Miller. The unexpected sweet as sugar hue made for such a fun touch! Finally, it was onto earrings and I popped on a pair of dangly skeleton hands from my bestie. With that, I was concert ready – albeit several days after the fact!

I felt like a star in my Concert Cutie OOTD and it was just right for a summer evening out. I stayed cool and comfortable the whole time and had the best time with my big sis!

What was the last concert you went to? What is your favorite concert venue in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug12

AFI Concert

Posted on August 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! As you all know, I very rarely do much of anything that isn’t work related during the week days. My schedule is always crazy and I like to be well rested every day so I can do my best. However, sometimes exceptions need to be made because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! This past Wednesday, I enjoyed the most amazing sister’s night out with Kristen to see AFI and 30 Seconds To Mars at Blossom Music Center. We scored fantastic seats in the pavilion, had a perfect view of the stage, and spent the evening living our best lives together. Check it out:

Kristen and I were not interested in seeing the two opening acts, KennyHoopla and Poppy because we never heard of them and frankly didn’t care. We arrived right when Poppy was finishing their set and they actually sounded really good so we are both going to be looking into that! Very shortly after we settled into our seats, AFI entered the stage and we were so happy to have gotten there right in the knick of time. We haven’t seen AFI in seven years since they played at the House of Blues and we didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

The show opened with Girls Not Grey and when I say Kristen and I lost our shit, I mean we literally lost our shit lol. We were going absolutely crazy singing our lungs out and dancing like no one was watching. We were both huffing and puffing after three songs and needed to take a breather and it turns out people were watching! The concertgoers sitting behind us apparently were deciding amongst themselves if we were sisters or not and one of the ladies was so triumphant because she called it. Kristen and I often get told we don’t look alike at all but that’s simply not true. Our style might be polar opposites but our faces are incredibly similar. The reasoning behind this gal’s educated guess was so sweet – she told us we were dancing exactly alike. ❤

AFI’s set included tons of crowd pleasers like Miss Murder, Love Like Winter, I Hope You Suffer, and Beautiful Thieves. Kristen and I were both elated that the show closed with our all time favorite of Silver And Cold! AFI sounded amazing from beginning to end and were just as good, if not better, than when we saw them almost a decade ago. Our only regret was that their set wasn’t longer. They played for roughly forty-five minutes or so with no encore and it just wasn’t enough. AFI was the reason we were going out to begin with and in my perfect world they would have played all night.

30 Seconds To Mars took the stage at nine o’clock and Kristen and I both agreed on leaving after thirty minutes to avoid traffic. We left after twenty minutes because they lightweight sucked lol. Neither of us are 30 Seconds fans but we were willing to see what the performance was going to be like and even stick around longer if we wanted to. It was cool to see Jared Leto in the flesh and I definitely made the joke of “Do a scene from Dallas Buyers Club” several times. However, their music was kind of lame, was basically just saying “woah” a ton, and we had no desire to stand there any longer. Jared did a lot of talking and in the twenty minutes that it took to walk back to our car, he was still talking. We were both so not mad about dipping out early!

Kristen and I were exhausted the following day but that is a small price to pay for a sister’s night on the town. I loved every minute of our time together with my best friend!

What was the last concert you saw? Who would you like to see live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May31

Mini Mall Haul

Posted on May 31, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! After a very long tenure of working retail in the mall, I tend to avoid it like the plague now lol. I can probably count on ten fingers the amount of times I have been to the mall since being employed there and that is fine by me! You know your girl is a TJMaxx frequent flyer at heart. This past week, however, I crossed the threshold into Summit Mall because my brother had some birthday gift cards. I told myself that I wasn’t going to buy anything for myself, but that changed when I saw the most perfect T-shirt I have ever seen at Hot Topic. I also had a freebie coupon from Bath & Body Works to cash in! Check it out:

Bath & Body Works has recently switched up their freebie options and it has been most exciting! For the longest time, a free travel size product coupon left you limited to shower gel and lotion. Then, they upped their game to mini fragrance sprays, bar soap, and hand cream and they are all fair game for the free coupon. It is awesome and turns every time I get a B&BW coupon in the mail into an “I need to go there right now” event!

Johnny’s mom gifted me with some bar soap this past Easter and I forgot how much I enjoy a good ol’ bar of soap every now and again. With plenty of B&BW shower gel and lotion in my stockpile, I decided that trying out their bar soap for the first time would be the move. There wasn’t a huge selection of bar soap scents to pick from and I went with Coco Paradise to welcome summer with. Coco Paradise is a combo of coconut (obviously lol) and the softest hint of tropical flowers and it is lovely. It also is a shea butter based bar so I’m sure it will be ultra lush and hydrating. I can’t wait to try it out!

After browsing at other stores, my brother and I ended our rounds at Hot Topic. As a reminder, I truly had no intention of buying a single thing… Until I saw the AFI T-shirt that I just had to have. AFI’s album, Sing The Sorrow, was the first album I ever bought with my own money. It was and will always be in my top three favorite albums and seeing them live was one of the best moments of my life. I was so lucky because they only had one size small in this shirt among a sea of XLs and believe me when I say, I literally snatched it from the shelf!

The last T-shirt I bought from Hot Topic was from a few years ago and now I understand why almost all of Johnny’s T’s come from there. When I sported my AFI T the following day, I was blown away by how soft it was! It felt like a hug when I was wearing it and I honestly regretted not buying a few more! The fit was also perfect – not too loose and not too tight but just right. I am freaking obsessed with my new favorite T featuring my forever favorite band. 😀

After this trip to the mall, I don’t think I will go again for another handful of years lol. But, I was able to treat myself with an awesome pick me up purchase and for that I am grateful!

What was the first album that you ever bought? What is your favorite band? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov12

November 2019 Funky Time Jams

Posted on November 12, 2019 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! We are moving right along in November and the holiday season will be officially upon us in the blink of an eye! The weather is cooling down, the Christmas shopping has begun, and some of you might already be thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions. November is undoubtedly a busy month full of the hustle and bustle of family gatherings and plenty of cooking. It can also be a bit of a stressful time if that really isn’t your thing, so allow these fiery, fiery jams to keep you sane in the midst of it all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Q_7k-XuFo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcsOVrmcPs

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!

So, I don’t know if any of you have seen this hilarious video of Bill Hader dancing but it has become quite the thing on social media and people have began playing a wide variety of music over the video. From Smash Mouth and Michael Jackson to Lil Nas X and Britney Spears, the joy of the video is that his dancing literally goes with any song. This includes “Don’t Trust Me” by 3OH!3 and ever since bearing witness to it, I have been on the biggest kick of their music a la freshman year of high school 2008. It amazes me that I still know all of the lyrics to their songs and it definitely makes my crazy amount of driving for work much more tolerable!

Also, do be sure to check out the video at the top for “Stoned & Lonely” by my boyfriend’s band The Outside Voices. Shooting this music video was an absolute HOOT so see if you can spot your favorite Lil Red hanging out and give their page some love. ❤

What is your favorite viral video? Are you looking forward to the upcoming holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan17

January 2019 Funky Time Jams

Posted on January 17, 2019 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the first Funky Time Jams post of 2019. One of the music related things that I’ve enjoyed the most for the past year is going to a vinyl record club at one of my local libraries. We play a record chosen by one of our members each meeting, talk music, and soak up each other’s company. Then, we often hit up a nearby bar after for the festivities to continue. It’s so much fun and I adore all of the new friends that I’ve made through the program. Seen below are some of the bands that I’ve had on repeat for the month and, who knows, maybe one of their albums will be featured at an upcoming record club!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVmVLOL2LnA

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!

This past month at record club, we had two very opposite artists featured during our biweekly meetings. I brought in AFI’s decemberunderground, as it was the band’s most commercially popular album and another member brought in a best of compilation of Aretha Franklin. And, that is the beauty of our little merry band of wanderers, because we get to hear such vastly different talent every time we have a get together. It’s fun to bring in an album that you enjoy so much and want to share with everyone and I was happy that decemberunderground was well received by my friends. I can’t wait to figure out an album for my next turn providing the entertainment for the evening!

What album would you bring in to a vinyl record club? Which songs have you had on repeat this month? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec8

December 2018 Funky Time Jams

Posted on December 8, 2018 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! We are already a week into December and Christmas is literally right around the corner. So crazy! We’re blazing through this month, so it’s time to discuss some fiery jams to match. I participate in a vinyl record club at one of my local libraries and it is my turn to pick the album come January. I had great success with The Pale Emperor by Marilyn Manson so it is important to me to keep the streak going. So, this month has been about listening through some of my favorite albums on my iPod to make sure that I make the best decision. So far, I’ve been selecting through albums with some of the following songs:

(And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!)

So many choices!! At first, I was really leaning towards Arcade Fire’s Funeral or Apologies To The Queen Mary by Wolf Parade. But, then I began playing around with other options and got distracted from my original choices. As of now, I am probably going to go with Decemberunderground by AFI. That album features songs that had radio success for them like Miss Murder and Love Like Winter, so some if it might be familiar to my record club friends, which is always a good thing. Plus, I had the pleasure of seeing AFI in concert for my birthday last year, which will make for good conversation. I think that I have my mind made up, but we all know that that’s subject to change within an hour!

Which album would you play for a vinyl record club? What are some of your absolute favorite albums? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr2

April Funky Time Jams

Posted on April 2, 2018 by lifewithlilred

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Hiiii everyone and welcome to another month here on lifewithlilred! With spring officially upon us, it only feels right for my music selection for the month to be upbeat, poppy, and filled with girl power. But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Lil Red music post without some good old horror rock and emo screamo thrown in! Let’s get to it:

(And, as always, I have no rights to the above songs or videos!)

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been watching The Voice with my mom and Kelly Clarkson is one of the judges or if spring really is in the air, but I have been going pop queen crazy lately. Britney, Christina, Lady Gaga – the works. There’s something about the increase in temperature and being able to drive with the windows semi down that puts me in the best mood. And, nothing puts me in a better than best mood than singing along to my most loved pop divas in the Little Red Love Machine!

Of course, all of the emoness that I can muster is still necessary and so is listening to Rob Zombie, since I’ll be seeing him with Marilyn Manson in July. I can’t say that I’m his number one fan or anything, but so far so good. 😀

Which artists do you like to play when you’re in a good mood? Who is your favorite pop queen? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

January Jams

Posted on January 8, 2018 by lifewithlilred

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Heyy everyone and happy Monday! Today we are going to rock out to the music that has been on repeat on the ol’ iPod. The icy cold winter weather is about to warm up with some flaming hot January Jams. Take a listen (And, as always, I have no rights to any of these songs or videos!):

I have been SUPER obsessed with Modest Mouse as of late and have been having a blast playing all of their albums on shuffle. I also recently got back into Purity Ring after a chance encounter with them on Serius XM, which brought me back to one of my favorite Danny Brown remixes on “Belispeak”. I am super pumped to get their latest album, Another Eternity, from the library because it has been far too long since I have heard anything new by them!

Another band that I have really been feeling lately is The New Pornographers and, like Modest Mouse, I have been playing their albums on shuffle, as well. Twin Cinema will always be the jam, though! And, as always, trust and believe that hella Marilyn Manson has been peppered into my selection, he just didn’t make an appearance on this month’s list. 😀

What are your favorite songs right now? What is your go to genre of music? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec10

December Jams

Posted on December 10, 2017 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooooo! I have been doing So. Much. Driving lately so I have been listening to lots of music in my car.

BUT WAIT… I thought you only listened to French tapes in your car!

Not anymore. I now listen to my French tapes when I’m getting ready for my day in the morning, instead. And, I have to say, listening to music in my car is way more fun! Here’s what I’ve been jamming out to as of late. And, as always, I have no rights to any of these songs or videos.

As you can see, my above selection is a solid mix of emo, princess pop, and indie – which is exactly how I like it! I am currently LOVING U2’s new album, “Songs Of Experience”, and you can always catch me rocking out to Arcade Fire’s “Everything Now”, as well. And, as per usual, Marilyn Manson and AFI is always a must!

These are my December Jams and I want to hear about all of yours! Who is on your playlist right now? Who has the best holiday music mixes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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