Just a Fan: My Stone Temple Pilots Concert Saga

Without fail, whenever I have a concert to attend, it rains. However, having to bear the elements always sets the mood of the story. "We stuck it out in 5 inch heels in the dead of winter for 6 hours straight" is a line that shows up in almost all of my concert re-tellings. Fro-ed out, frizzy hair is pretty much a guarantee, no matter how smooth it was when getting ready. When the band hits the stage you're too caught up in the magic of experience, transfixed by the music to give a crap about what you look like. Rain storms, other than emphasizing what I'll withstand for rock, and making my hair a frizzy mess, have made me superstitious. If it rains on a show date I'm pretty sure that night will be a magical rock n' roll experience. I've never been wrong.

Dave Navarro's Rock Loft

images courtesy of the LA Times/ Chicago Tribune, and Heidi Toll Design

Dave Navarro's Hollywood loft designed by Heidi Toll is the perfect crash pad with its golden ratio of modern elegance and rock n' roll glamor. Bone imagery, dramatic red lighting, and snake skins, give it the metal edge suitable for a the guitarist. I totally get off on unexpected patterns like the X-ray wallpaper, which has that Chuck Close affect.. it would look like a simple diamond pattern from a distance. The bathroom is a stage dressing room on steroids. How fun would it be getting ready for a night on the town in front of those glorious bulbs? The red lit chandelier over the bed is exceptionally sexy. A famed rock n' roll photographer once told me that red lighting makes everyone look better...I'm sure this applies here.

Rock n' High Fashion Collide: Givenchy

When Ricardo Tisci took over Givenchy in 2005, we were in for a treat. Givenchy became the go-to label for well tailored clothing with a modern approach to iconic rock looks. Even if the prices are out of reach for the average Jane or Joe, they inspire the season. This spring I scored a Bowie stripe inspired Givenchy knock blazer at H&M.. good design trickles down. Givenchy is still known for their brilliantly tailored suits, but now they look less like office wear and more like stage attire. Recent campaigns for the brand pay homage to the glam, metal and gothic elements of rock n' roll with unexpected styling. Each collection focuses on rock star staples--bold stripes, striking hair, and layers and layers of chains. If I could only peek into Tisci’s studio, I wouldn't be surprised to see a picture of Shirley Manson tacked to Fall '10's mood board. I may just have to go magenta come fall.

Rock N' Roll Style Guide: Betty Blowtorch

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all images courtesy of google images

I recently watched Anthony Scarpa’s wonderful documentary "Betty Blowtorch: And Her Amazing True Life Adventures" about the late great rock band. It was bittersweet. Four ferocious women break ground on the LA rock scene, come close to achieving some commercial success, and then lose everything due to the untimely death of lead singer and bassist Bianca “Butthole” Halstead. Their music was a combination of 80’s style hair metal with a bit of pop/ punk mixed in.

Rock N' Roll Style Guide: Keith Richards

"Fashion thinks more about me than what I think about it" says Keith, and I'm not surprised. When you're Keith Richards entire collections are built around you. Does Balmain Fall 2010 come to mind? Keith Richards is a classic rock star for a reason, he hasn't changed his signature sound or style in the past 40 years. When you have a good thing going..why change?

Rock N' Roll Style Guide: Stone Temple Pilots

Images courtesy of belowempty.com's incredible STP picture archive.

Stone Temple Pilots, (Scott Weiland, Dean Deleo, Robert Deleo, and Eric Kretz) have evolved together musically and visually. I've been blasting my Twitter this month with the BIG news (at least for a hardcore fan like me) that Stone Temple Pilots are releasing their first single in 9 years on March 31st. You can stream the new single "Between The Lines" here. I'll have to listen to it about 100 times before I can form a solid opinion, but STP can really do no wrong by me.

Rock N' Roll Style Guide: PJ Harvey

The so-called "effortless" look was all the rage this year. It was about trying to look as though you rolled out of bed without actually having rolled out of bed. The look was cool in that it was inspired by 90s grunge, but it quickly became tired and contrived when attempted by socialite party-people. Calculated looks can be as cool as effortless ones depending on how you carry them. The quintessential example of effortless, raw, low maintenance style is PJ Harvey.