Oh hey, I didn't see you there. I was just too busy watching THE SWEETEST WROCK MUSIC VIDEO EVER!!!!!
After the last Harry Potter book came out, I kind of lost all interest in wrock (wizard rock inspired by the Harry Potter series), but apparently the genre is still alive and kicking. Then today, I heard "Lumos Flies," a "Fireflies" parody by ALL CAPS, a collaboration between two members of The Parselmouths and the Ministry of Magic. Basically, here's the deal with the song:
Ron + Hermione + the melody of Owl City's song "Fireflies" = perfection
Give it a listen...
...then check out Luke & Kristina's MySpace for more hilarious songs about everything from NaNoWriMo to snow days to zombies. And their respective bands are also respectably awesome. :)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
'Tis the Season...
Ah, 'tis the season for generosity, sappy stories, and happy holiday tunes. In the holiday spirit, I'd like to point you toward some of the most generous music websites out there, and spread some heartwarming stories. (See yesterday's post about my Christmas playlist for more of the holiday tunes.)
First off, I'd love to give you all the gift of great holiday music, but Amazon's already playing Santa for me. In case you haven't heard, their 25 Days of Free promotion is giving out a free Christmas song every day. Today's release: Relient K's beautiful "I Celebrate the Day," one of their most moving songs about struggling to be close to Jesus.
If you're looking for something a little lighter, don't worry - you can still download the other 21 songs released earlier this month. I, of course, had to snatch of a copy of Lady Gaga's deliciously and disturbingly provocative "Christmas Tree" feat. her buddy Space Cowboy. As with all of her songs, her infamous advice to not listen, "just dance" certainly applies with this track.
The only problem with the Amazon giveaway is it works best when you download the songs with their free Amazon MP3 Downloader, and by "it works best," I mean it barely works at all. But rather than crappy software, I prefer to think of it as a daily exercise in meditation and self-restraint. By Christmas, you'll be ready to tackle those pesky plastic packages that can only be cut with knives, no sweat.
If Amazon's 22 free holiday songs aren't enough, you can download 25 free songs at Green Label Sound. No reindeer or baby Jesuses in this collection, but nothing says holiday excess like four versions of "Big Bills" by Flosstradamus. Still, I can't complain about free songs from Matt & Kim and Chromeo. (And okay, Flosstradamus is officially my new fave dance-pop duo.) Maybe I'll make a New Year's resolution to actually listen to all these remixes I just downloaded...
Oh, and for the truly tireless, if you can download those and still stand to download another free remix, LIGHTS is giving out a free download of the Spike Club Mix of her (minor) hit "Ice" to all members of her website. I highly recommend joining, not just because joining is free and lets you comment on all her pictures of her adorable self holding ginormous ninja swords, but also because she and Owl City appear to be Siamese twins when it comes to touring: she's opening for him on both his winter and spring North America tours and squeezing in a Europe tour with him in between. I feel reassured knowing that in case his email list, MySpace blog, and official Street Team don't alert me of one of his concert presales in time, her mailing list will :]
And speaking of their spring tour, you've heard Adam's sneaky presale announcement, right? April 22, Constitution Hall will def be where the party's at. Me and eight of my coolest friends already snatched up our tickets; I suggest you follow suit. I know I haven't gotten around to posting my review of his fall tour yet, but like everything he does, it was fairly magical.
Oh, and speaking of Owl City, Adam sparked a minor panic over his marital status when he tweeted "DING DONG! WEDDING BELLS!" on Friday. He's rumored to be dating Ann Monson (whose tweets he occasionally retweets), but sources relatively close to Adam reassured us crazy fangirls and boys that Adam's not tying the know anytime soon. Coincidentally, Skillet's guitarist Ben Kascia confirmed that Adam was just celebrating a friend's wedding when he tweeted that a friend of his, whose sister is dating Adam, got married on Saturday... It's a small world. A strange, small world.
One pop star did go off the market this weekend, of course: Kevin Jonas married his girlfriend Danielle DeLeasa on Saturday. Details on the "fairy-tale"-like ceremony here. [Be sure to notice the part about the faux-icicles at the New York ceremony. If they'd waited a day, they probably could have gotten a few icicles from Mother Nature, free of charge.] According to People magazine, when Kevin popped the question, Danielle responded "Yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row." Awww.
Looks like Kevin and Danielle won't be getting much of a honeymoon, though - the JoBros are slated to perform at the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade this Friday. Pity; they're some of the only pop stars I can think of who probably wait until the honeymoon.
Wait - this just in - Inspirational Story Alert!
If you love a good overcoming-adversity-to-sing-tear-jerking-ballads story, well, you probably already watched Charice Pempengco perform on Oprah. But in case you didn't, meet one of the most adorable Asian exports since Hello Kitty. During interviews, this Filipina singer looks like a harmless little ball of cuteness, but put her onstage and the girl can sing. Her unbelievably strong vocals have drawn rave reviews from everyone from David Foster to Josh Groban, who says she has one of the most beautiful voices he's heard in a long time. And to top it off, she's got a great inspirational story about being raised in the Philippines by a single mother. Her mother left with Charice and her brother after their father domestically abused them. After receiving only informal vocal lessons from her mother, she performed well on the American Idol-like singing competition Little Big Star. Her career didn't really take off, however, until videos of her singing reached YouTube. Since then, she's appeared on every talk show ever, as well as in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I think her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One," accompanied by the Chipettes, is sure to become a classic.
Here's a video of Charice performing her new single "Note to God" (sans rodents) on Oprah. And be sure to stay tuned for her adorable interview afterwards, in which she talks about her career, as well as her crushes on Justin Timberlake and Josh Groban. (Spoiler alert: Then Oprah gives everyone Xboxes.)
Also, check her out on David Archuleta's Christmas album singing a duet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with him. Treacly Christmas song, American Idol's favorite teddy bear, and a girl whose voice is the only thing better than her back story? Sounds like a downright Christmas miracle.
And finally, before you head over to the fireplace or sip some hot chocolate, here's a video to put you in that warm-n-fuzzy mood. For a song questioning the substance of love in the light of his parents' divorce and his off-again on-again relationship with his girlfriend, NeverShoutNever's new video "What Is Love?" still manages to be incredibly heartwarming.
What Is Love?
nevershoutnever. (new song & video) | MySpace Music Videos
Happy Holidays!
First off, I'd love to give you all the gift of great holiday music, but Amazon's already playing Santa for me. In case you haven't heard, their 25 Days of Free promotion is giving out a free Christmas song every day. Today's release: Relient K's beautiful "I Celebrate the Day," one of their most moving songs about struggling to be close to Jesus.
If you're looking for something a little lighter, don't worry - you can still download the other 21 songs released earlier this month. I, of course, had to snatch of a copy of Lady Gaga's deliciously and disturbingly provocative "Christmas Tree" feat. her buddy Space Cowboy. As with all of her songs, her infamous advice to not listen, "just dance" certainly applies with this track.
The only problem with the Amazon giveaway is it works best when you download the songs with their free Amazon MP3 Downloader, and by "it works best," I mean it barely works at all. But rather than crappy software, I prefer to think of it as a daily exercise in meditation and self-restraint. By Christmas, you'll be ready to tackle those pesky plastic packages that can only be cut with knives, no sweat.
If Amazon's 22 free holiday songs aren't enough, you can download 25 free songs at Green Label Sound. No reindeer or baby Jesuses in this collection, but nothing says holiday excess like four versions of "Big Bills" by Flosstradamus. Still, I can't complain about free songs from Matt & Kim and Chromeo. (And okay, Flosstradamus is officially my new fave dance-pop duo.) Maybe I'll make a New Year's resolution to actually listen to all these remixes I just downloaded...
Oh, and for the truly tireless, if you can download those and still stand to download another free remix, LIGHTS is giving out a free download of the Spike Club Mix of her (minor) hit "Ice" to all members of her website. I highly recommend joining, not just because joining is free and lets you comment on all her pictures of her adorable self holding ginormous ninja swords, but also because she and Owl City appear to be Siamese twins when it comes to touring: she's opening for him on both his winter and spring North America tours and squeezing in a Europe tour with him in between. I feel reassured knowing that in case his email list, MySpace blog, and official Street Team don't alert me of one of his concert presales in time, her mailing list will :]
And speaking of their spring tour, you've heard Adam's sneaky presale announcement, right? April 22, Constitution Hall will def be where the party's at. Me and eight of my coolest friends already snatched up our tickets; I suggest you follow suit. I know I haven't gotten around to posting my review of his fall tour yet, but like everything he does, it was fairly magical.
Oh, and speaking of Owl City, Adam sparked a minor panic over his marital status when he tweeted "DING DONG! WEDDING BELLS!" on Friday. He's rumored to be dating Ann Monson (whose tweets he occasionally retweets), but sources relatively close to Adam reassured us crazy fangirls and boys that Adam's not tying the know anytime soon. Coincidentally, Skillet's guitarist Ben Kascia confirmed that Adam was just celebrating a friend's wedding when he tweeted that a friend of his, whose sister is dating Adam, got married on Saturday... It's a small world. A strange, small world.
One pop star did go off the market this weekend, of course: Kevin Jonas married his girlfriend Danielle DeLeasa on Saturday. Details on the "fairy-tale"-like ceremony here. [Be sure to notice the part about the faux-icicles at the New York ceremony. If they'd waited a day, they probably could have gotten a few icicles from Mother Nature, free of charge.] According to People magazine, when Kevin popped the question, Danielle responded "Yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row." Awww.
Looks like Kevin and Danielle won't be getting much of a honeymoon, though - the JoBros are slated to perform at the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade this Friday. Pity; they're some of the only pop stars I can think of who probably wait until the honeymoon.
Wait - this just in - Inspirational Story Alert!
If you love a good overcoming-adversity-to-sing-tear-jerking-ballads story, well, you probably already watched Charice Pempengco perform on Oprah. But in case you didn't, meet one of the most adorable Asian exports since Hello Kitty. During interviews, this Filipina singer looks like a harmless little ball of cuteness, but put her onstage and the girl can sing. Her unbelievably strong vocals have drawn rave reviews from everyone from David Foster to Josh Groban, who says she has one of the most beautiful voices he's heard in a long time. And to top it off, she's got a great inspirational story about being raised in the Philippines by a single mother. Her mother left with Charice and her brother after their father domestically abused them. After receiving only informal vocal lessons from her mother, she performed well on the American Idol-like singing competition Little Big Star. Her career didn't really take off, however, until videos of her singing reached YouTube. Since then, she's appeared on every talk show ever, as well as in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I think her rendition of Alicia Keys' "No One," accompanied by the Chipettes, is sure to become a classic.
Here's a video of Charice performing her new single "Note to God" (sans rodents) on Oprah. And be sure to stay tuned for her adorable interview afterwards, in which she talks about her career, as well as her crushes on Justin Timberlake and Josh Groban. (Spoiler alert: Then Oprah gives everyone Xboxes.)
Also, check her out on David Archuleta's Christmas album singing a duet of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with him. Treacly Christmas song, American Idol's favorite teddy bear, and a girl whose voice is the only thing better than her back story? Sounds like a downright Christmas miracle.
And finally, before you head over to the fireplace or sip some hot chocolate, here's a video to put you in that warm-n-fuzzy mood. For a song questioning the substance of love in the light of his parents' divorce and his off-again on-again relationship with his girlfriend, NeverShoutNever's new video "What Is Love?" still manages to be incredibly heartwarming.
What Is Love?
nevershoutnever. (new song & video) | MySpace Music Videos
Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Perfect[opop] Christmas Playlist!
There may only be four days til Christmas, but whether you need a soundtrack to keep you full of Christmas cheer during your last-minute shopping or you need a little boost of Christmas spirit to make up for those Christmas parties you had to miss because of the blizzard of '09, we've got you covered with some of the most fun holiday pop and rock songs. From classics by the Beach Boys to dance songs released just this year, this list may seem a bit eclectic, but I can assure you it's nice.
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra: It's just not Christmas without an overly dramatic, full-orchestra-meets-heavy-metal rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" colliding with "Carol of the Bells" like two monster trucks... No, seriously, it's not.
Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town - Relient K: A very imaginative Night-Before-Christmas tale of everything going wrong in the North Pole, culminating with Santa trying to hitchhike around the world in one night, told over thrashing guitars riffing on "Jingle Bells."
Ugly Christmas Tree - Oh, Hush!: Whoever the members of Oh, Hush! are, they must the masters of Christmas spirit. It takes a true believer to pen a bouncy little tune about your ugly Christmas tree without losing any of your “Christmas glee.”
Girl of My Dreams - Jonas Brothers: Forget sticking your tongue on frozen poles; I triple-dog dare you to listen to this song without jumping or dancing around... Can't do it? Aw, it's one of the most fun songs the JoBros have ever recorded; I'll let you dance around a little. It's Christmas.
Angels We Have Heard on High - Relient K: Hands-down best pop-punk performance of a traditional Christmas song ever. Why can't we rock out like this during the Christmas eve service?
My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas) - The Click Five: Okay, Eric, maybe I can see why the other guys kicked you out of the band (unverified rumor alert): you seem a bit obsessed with your possessions. Despite the two entire verses devoted to things the singer bought or received, the song is fun and supremely danceable. Also, way to have a better attitude than the guys on "Last Christmas" - you still have New Year's!
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys: What can I say? The sunny, harmonious music of the Beach Boys both preceded and perfected the art of swoon-inducing pop songs The Click Five and JoBros always seek to emulate. Gotta respect the classics.
Disco Christmas - Oh, Hush!: The title says it all. Also, I will definitely top my tree with a disco ball instead of a star next year.
Last Christmas - Wham!: I've loved this song ever since I first heard Hilary Duff sing it on her Christmas album Santa Claus Lane. (Yeah, I bought it... Okay, okay, quit laughing!) Last year, I looked under every igloo and toy shop in the North Pole, searching for the greatest cover of this song. I checked out everything from Ashley Tisdale and Cascada to Jimmy Eat World and Busted, but I couldn't find a cover that could top the original.
Step Into Christmas - Elton John: I must admit, I think this one of the most festive Christmas songs of all time... Aw, go ahead and laugh. I'll keep dancing around the house, playing this on repeat.
Greatest Time of Year - Aly & AJ: A true Christmas miracle: two uber-Christian Disney pop princesses who don't believe in evolution release the most politically-correct, non-denominational holiday song Hollywood Records has ever produced. We only get a hint of which holiday they are celebrating when they casually mention decorating the tree and hanging mistletoe. Oh, and that whole "joy to the world" thing is kind of a Christian slogan, isn't it?
Why Doesn't Santa Like Me? - Skye Sweetnam: This song simultaneously shows the impish little tween pop-punker at her most rocking and her most adorable. It's told from the perspective of a little girl fearing that Santa won't give her any presents, even though she's been such a good girl this year (hey, her brother has recovered from the time he took the remote control). Skye, Santa may not like you, but we adore you.
Wild Christmas - Huckapoo: Sure, the over-produced vocals are even more sparkly and plastic than fake snow, but this song is pure pop music joy. (And for all you former Dreamstreet fangirls out there, I would like to note that Chris Trousdale's cover is slightly less saccharine but still highly recommended.)
The Christmas Song - Owl City: Adam young brings his usual misty-eyed magic to this original holiday song. Guaranteed to make your heart as warm as a night spent by the fire. And this song's inclusion on my list shouldn't surprise anyone: you know I believe Adam Young can do wrong. His label, Universal Republic, might not agree. They pulled a scheduled November release of this song when they realized its one line about Jesus being the only way might upset fans of other religions. Still, check out this song on YouTube and enjoy his sweet (and totally secular) story of meeting a girl and not having to spend Christmas alone.
I Hate Christmas Parties - Relient K: What this song is missing in Christmas cheer and jingle bells, it more than makes up for with its honest and simple tale of teen heartbreak during the holidays. With less spunk than the similarly-themed "Mood Rings," this is one of Relient K's most clear-eyed and poignant songs about being hurt by girls they don't understand.
Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra: It's just not Christmas without an overly dramatic, full-orchestra-meets-heavy-metal rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" colliding with "Carol of the Bells" like two monster trucks... No, seriously, it's not.
Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town - Relient K: A very imaginative Night-Before-Christmas tale of everything going wrong in the North Pole, culminating with Santa trying to hitchhike around the world in one night, told over thrashing guitars riffing on "Jingle Bells."
Ugly Christmas Tree - Oh, Hush!: Whoever the members of Oh, Hush! are, they must the masters of Christmas spirit. It takes a true believer to pen a bouncy little tune about your ugly Christmas tree without losing any of your “Christmas glee.”
Girl of My Dreams - Jonas Brothers: Forget sticking your tongue on frozen poles; I triple-dog dare you to listen to this song without jumping or dancing around... Can't do it? Aw, it's one of the most fun songs the JoBros have ever recorded; I'll let you dance around a little. It's Christmas.
Angels We Have Heard on High - Relient K: Hands-down best pop-punk performance of a traditional Christmas song ever. Why can't we rock out like this during the Christmas eve service?
My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas) - The Click Five: Okay, Eric, maybe I can see why the other guys kicked you out of the band (unverified rumor alert): you seem a bit obsessed with your possessions. Despite the two entire verses devoted to things the singer bought or received, the song is fun and supremely danceable. Also, way to have a better attitude than the guys on "Last Christmas" - you still have New Year's!
Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys: What can I say? The sunny, harmonious music of the Beach Boys both preceded and perfected the art of swoon-inducing pop songs The Click Five and JoBros always seek to emulate. Gotta respect the classics.
Disco Christmas - Oh, Hush!: The title says it all. Also, I will definitely top my tree with a disco ball instead of a star next year.
Last Christmas - Wham!: I've loved this song ever since I first heard Hilary Duff sing it on her Christmas album Santa Claus Lane. (Yeah, I bought it... Okay, okay, quit laughing!) Last year, I looked under every igloo and toy shop in the North Pole, searching for the greatest cover of this song. I checked out everything from Ashley Tisdale and Cascada to Jimmy Eat World and Busted, but I couldn't find a cover that could top the original.
Step Into Christmas - Elton John: I must admit, I think this one of the most festive Christmas songs of all time... Aw, go ahead and laugh. I'll keep dancing around the house, playing this on repeat.
Greatest Time of Year - Aly & AJ: A true Christmas miracle: two uber-Christian Disney pop princesses who don't believe in evolution release the most politically-correct, non-denominational holiday song Hollywood Records has ever produced. We only get a hint of which holiday they are celebrating when they casually mention decorating the tree and hanging mistletoe. Oh, and that whole "joy to the world" thing is kind of a Christian slogan, isn't it?
Why Doesn't Santa Like Me? - Skye Sweetnam: This song simultaneously shows the impish little tween pop-punker at her most rocking and her most adorable. It's told from the perspective of a little girl fearing that Santa won't give her any presents, even though she's been such a good girl this year (hey, her brother has recovered from the time he took the remote control). Skye, Santa may not like you, but we adore you.
Wild Christmas - Huckapoo: Sure, the over-produced vocals are even more sparkly and plastic than fake snow, but this song is pure pop music joy. (And for all you former Dreamstreet fangirls out there, I would like to note that Chris Trousdale's cover is slightly less saccharine but still highly recommended.)
The Christmas Song - Owl City: Adam young brings his usual misty-eyed magic to this original holiday song. Guaranteed to make your heart as warm as a night spent by the fire. And this song's inclusion on my list shouldn't surprise anyone: you know I believe Adam Young can do wrong. His label, Universal Republic, might not agree. They pulled a scheduled November release of this song when they realized its one line about Jesus being the only way might upset fans of other religions. Still, check out this song on YouTube and enjoy his sweet (and totally secular) story of meeting a girl and not having to spend Christmas alone.
I Hate Christmas Parties - Relient K: What this song is missing in Christmas cheer and jingle bells, it more than makes up for with its honest and simple tale of teen heartbreak during the holidays. With less spunk than the similarly-themed "Mood Rings," this is one of Relient K's most clear-eyed and poignant songs about being hurt by girls they don't understand.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Give a Hoot!
Hey guys! In case you've been a bit disappointed with my sporadic blogs about the occasional free music or hot new artist (by the way, anyone see Lightfoot last weekend? I was sick and couldn't make it) over the past 4 months, I am here to say that I have been planning a massive Year In Review extravaganza that at this rate should show up around mid-January (coincidentally, around the same time as the weekend after my mid-terms. And my birthday. Just sayin'.) I've also been planning The World's Biggest, Comprehensivest Blog Ever About the Life and Work of Adam Young, also known as Owl City. And before I post the list of all his MySpace pages (I lost count after the first 12 or so, but believe me when I say it will be massive), I'd like to thank the site that has taught me so much about Adam and exposed me to all of his beautiful work: the Hoot Owls, Owl City's official street team.
Like Relient K and a bunch of other great bands, Owl City's street team is hosted by Fancorps. For the uninitiated, these street teams basically have a website with a list of "orders" for street teamers to complete. All the orders are optional, and they can range from circulating banners and putting up posters to making chalk art and Christmas ornaments. Besides the obvious allure of hanging Owl City on your Christmas tree, one of the main incentives for completing orders is accumulating points. (And of course, you get more for covering your street in chalky lyrics than putting a banner in your Facebook status). All orders require photos, screenshots, or written proof that you completed them, which actually gives me a reason to open the Photoshop program I got 3 years ago for Christmas and never learned to use. (I can't doctor any photos with it, but I can convert my screenshots for web!)
I've heard a lot of people complain that street teams are ways for artists to get free labor, but there's so much more than that, including but not limited to nice prizes like merch items for people who complete the most orders. (I'm shooting for a vinyl copy of Ocean Eyes at the moment!) I also get the personal satisfaction of knowing I am 65th highest earner of points out of the 3,605 members on the team. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
But really, the best part about the Hoot Owls is that it really is a street team. We're a little community that all have one big interest in common, so we all help each other out and don't get in too many heated confrontations!
In fact, my favorite part of the site is the forums. Wayyy back in the day before "Fireflies" exploded (a whopping six months ago!), this was THE place for me to talk to other Owl City fans. Now that us fans are everywhere you look (especially on the iTunes Top Downloads list), you would think the forums would be a bit less special. Actually, they're even better. Now, they're THE place for me to me talk to kids in Nebraska, Utah, and even the UK. Of course, most of our conversations (like the rest of our thoughts) are dominated by Owl City, but we've also had some really good conversations about religion, songwriting, being a fan of a very popular artist vs. a very small one, the coolest hotels in Dubai, and the cutest breed of owl (it's pygmy owls, by the way). It's also a meeting place for some of the most obsessed - er, knowledgeable fans of Adam Young, which means you get to find out about loads of interviews, videos, and side projects that would be virtually impossible to stumble across on your own.
So in conclusion, if you like Owl City, you should definitely check out the Hoot Owls! You can choose to complete as many orders as you wish. (I usually complete as many as I can on Fridays, then attempt to do schoolwork the rest of the week. Though I stop by the forums almost every day... It's all about priorities.) And unlike most lame-ass fan clubs, there's no fee to join - and almost none of the orders require you to own anything but a computer.
Also, we are planning a field trip to Dubai to stay in the hotel on the cover of Ocean Eyes. We are inviting Adam Young and Matthew Thiessen to join us. You doubt that we'll actually accomplish it (I do too), but you know you want in on this action. And the pictures of pygmy owls.
^props to the amazing Hoot Owl Chelseaoyesums for enhancing that natural cuteness with the design and caption
So. Damn. Cute.
Thank about it. :)
Like Relient K and a bunch of other great bands, Owl City's street team is hosted by Fancorps. For the uninitiated, these street teams basically have a website with a list of "orders" for street teamers to complete. All the orders are optional, and they can range from circulating banners and putting up posters to making chalk art and Christmas ornaments. Besides the obvious allure of hanging Owl City on your Christmas tree, one of the main incentives for completing orders is accumulating points. (And of course, you get more for covering your street in chalky lyrics than putting a banner in your Facebook status). All orders require photos, screenshots, or written proof that you completed them, which actually gives me a reason to open the Photoshop program I got 3 years ago for Christmas and never learned to use. (I can't doctor any photos with it, but I can convert my screenshots for web!)
I've heard a lot of people complain that street teams are ways for artists to get free labor, but there's so much more than that, including but not limited to nice prizes like merch items for people who complete the most orders. (I'm shooting for a vinyl copy of Ocean Eyes at the moment!) I also get the personal satisfaction of knowing I am 65th highest earner of points out of the 3,605 members on the team. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
But really, the best part about the Hoot Owls is that it really is a street team. We're a little community that all have one big interest in common, so we all help each other out and don't get in too many heated confrontations!
In fact, my favorite part of the site is the forums. Wayyy back in the day before "Fireflies" exploded (a whopping six months ago!), this was THE place for me to talk to other Owl City fans. Now that us fans are everywhere you look (especially on the iTunes Top Downloads list), you would think the forums would be a bit less special. Actually, they're even better. Now, they're THE place for me to me talk to kids in Nebraska, Utah, and even the UK. Of course, most of our conversations (like the rest of our thoughts) are dominated by Owl City, but we've also had some really good conversations about religion, songwriting, being a fan of a very popular artist vs. a very small one, the coolest hotels in Dubai, and the cutest breed of owl (it's pygmy owls, by the way). It's also a meeting place for some of the most obsessed - er, knowledgeable fans of Adam Young, which means you get to find out about loads of interviews, videos, and side projects that would be virtually impossible to stumble across on your own.
So in conclusion, if you like Owl City, you should definitely check out the Hoot Owls! You can choose to complete as many orders as you wish. (I usually complete as many as I can on Fridays, then attempt to do schoolwork the rest of the week. Though I stop by the forums almost every day... It's all about priorities.) And unlike most lame-ass fan clubs, there's no fee to join - and almost none of the orders require you to own anything but a computer.
Also, we are planning a field trip to Dubai to stay in the hotel on the cover of Ocean Eyes. We are inviting Adam Young and Matthew Thiessen to join us. You doubt that we'll actually accomplish it (I do too), but you know you want in on this action. And the pictures of pygmy owls.
^props to the amazing Hoot Owl Chelseaoyesums for enhancing that natural cuteness with the design and caption
So. Damn. Cute.
Thank about it. :)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Free (Ear) Candy!
I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for forgetting to blog about Orianthi's kick-ass new single "According to You," which was iTunes' Free Single of the Week... until today. I thought I was so over the whole tough-girl-with-guitar thing, but Orianthi's new single just drew me back in to that world of Kelly and Avril doppelgangers who think "I'm the girl with the worst attention span; you're the boy who puts up with it" is a well-written verse that contains two rhymes.
I also wish the song gave Orianthi more opportunities to showcase the guitar goddess skills her Wikipedia insists she possesses. ("Her style is often compared to other virtuosos such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eddie Van Halen." I am not making this up, I swear.)
Still, the song is catchy as hell (assuming hell is as catchy as a Hannah Montana song), and I would consider paying ninety-nine cents for it.
But since the single of the week is now the lackluster country ditty "Keep on Lovin' You," I feel like I should mention some more great free music.
Hellogoodbye is still giving away their "When We First Met" EP for subscribing to their mailing list. I subscribed a couple weeks ago, and so far, I haven't gotten any annoying emails from them, but I did get two adorable songs and a renewed love for Forrest Kline. Check it out. Then watching the song's too-cute video. I could watch that until my hair grows long...
Also, go snag a free download of DC indie rocker We Were Pirates' cover of "Thriller." Though Mike Boggs' nasaly vocals are far from Jacksonian, the cover has plenty of kitschy charm. In fact, today, Towermix's Bobby Tate had a nice little interview with Boggs. Tate accurately described Boggs as "a one man bandgasm of awesomeness," which pretty much says it all.
Oh darn, I should have mentioned that one last week, too, when it was, you know, Halloween...
(Oh, and speaking of kitschy charm, who else is dancing for joy now that the full Glee soundtrack has been released?)
I also wish the song gave Orianthi more opportunities to showcase the guitar goddess skills her Wikipedia insists she possesses. ("Her style is often compared to other virtuosos such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eddie Van Halen." I am not making this up, I swear.)
Still, the song is catchy as hell (assuming hell is as catchy as a Hannah Montana song), and I would consider paying ninety-nine cents for it.
But since the single of the week is now the lackluster country ditty "Keep on Lovin' You," I feel like I should mention some more great free music.
Hellogoodbye is still giving away their "When We First Met" EP for subscribing to their mailing list. I subscribed a couple weeks ago, and so far, I haven't gotten any annoying emails from them, but I did get two adorable songs and a renewed love for Forrest Kline. Check it out. Then watching the song's too-cute video. I could watch that until my hair grows long...
Also, go snag a free download of DC indie rocker We Were Pirates' cover of "Thriller." Though Mike Boggs' nasaly vocals are far from Jacksonian, the cover has plenty of kitschy charm. In fact, today, Towermix's Bobby Tate had a nice little interview with Boggs. Tate accurately described Boggs as "a one man bandgasm of awesomeness," which pretty much says it all.
Oh darn, I should have mentioned that one last week, too, when it was, you know, Halloween...
(Oh, and speaking of kitschy charm, who else is dancing for joy now that the full Glee soundtrack has been released?)
Sweet Little 'Echoes'
I think it's part of my civic duty to help let the world (or at least the world wide web) know about DC's next indie folk sweetheart, Lightfoot. Lightfoot is the solo project of former (and possibly current?) member DC folk rock band Vox Pop, and the only thing more adorable than her nom de plume "Jess Because" is the demo for her song "Echo." "Echo" keeps a few folk touches from her Vox Pop days, but it's far more delicate than their usual twang. Although her MySpace is peppered with morose mentions of how she is at war with herself and music is cheaper than therapy, the song is anything but a downer.
Lightfoot has a couple of shows in Virginia this weekend, leading up to her "big public debut" at Rock N Roll Hotel on November 27th. In a show that should attract many Vox Pop fans, Lightfoot will be opening for rockers Loose Lips and folk band Typefighter at that show. Then, moving to the other end of the musical spectrum while staying in the DC area, she'll opening for ethereal electropop princess Lights at DC9 on December 12th.
She might only have 14 friends on MySpace and two fans on Facebook, I'd watch out for this lightly-treading folk sweetheart. She just might sneak up on you.
Lightfoot has a couple of shows in Virginia this weekend, leading up to her "big public debut" at Rock N Roll Hotel on November 27th. In a show that should attract many Vox Pop fans, Lightfoot will be opening for rockers Loose Lips and folk band Typefighter at that show. Then, moving to the other end of the musical spectrum while staying in the DC area, she'll opening for ethereal electropop princess Lights at DC9 on December 12th.
She might only have 14 friends on MySpace and two fans on Facebook, I'd watch out for this lightly-treading folk sweetheart. She just might sneak up on you.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Dream Team to the Extreme
My ex-future husband Matthew Thiessen of Relient K recently told Indie Vision Music that he and my current future husband Adam Young of Owl City are likely to create a side project together called Goodbye Dubai.
I will tell you how excited I am as soon as I stop hyperventilating.
I will tell you how excited I am as soon as I stop hyperventilating.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Few Open Letters about Tarnished 'Golden'
Dear Calvin Harris and Bob Sinclair,
Please stop trying to remix "We Are Golden." It is perfect the way it is.
Dear Mirwais,
I don't even know how to respond to someone who wants to turn that into a dance song.
Dear Mika,
I love how tickets for your Europe tour go on sale today, but can you please, please, pretty please grace us folks on the other side of the pond with a show or two? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
And finally, dear people actually reading this (cuz Mika toootally reads my blog...,
I swear I am going to start posting regularly again in a few weeks. Then you will have all the information you could ever want to know about Mika's epic concert in Paris, the one music video channel I have seen that appreciates him, and stuff about Owl City, a crazy Scottish boy in a lion hat (hint: he sings, er, plays the minor UK electropop hit"Lion Hat"), and the most severe injury I have ever suffered in a mosh pit. Also, I promised I'd finish the stories of my Warped Tour adventures and Martin Johnson's tongue action. But for now, I'd just keep spinning The Boy Who Knew Too Much if I were you. Or if I were me.
x3 Meredith
Please stop trying to remix "We Are Golden." It is perfect the way it is.
Dear Mirwais,
I don't even know how to respond to someone who wants to turn that into a dance song.
Dear Mika,
I love how tickets for your Europe tour go on sale today, but can you please, please, pretty please grace us folks on the other side of the pond with a show or two? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
And finally, dear people actually reading this (cuz Mika toootally reads my blog...,
I swear I am going to start posting regularly again in a few weeks. Then you will have all the information you could ever want to know about Mika's epic concert in Paris, the one music video channel I have seen that appreciates him, and stuff about Owl City, a crazy Scottish boy in a lion hat (hint: he sings, er, plays the minor UK electropop hit"Lion Hat"), and the most severe injury I have ever suffered in a mosh pit. Also, I promised I'd finish the stories of my Warped Tour adventures and Martin Johnson's tongue action. But for now, I'd just keep spinning The Boy Who Knew Too Much if I were you. Or if I were me.
x3 Meredith
Saturday, September 19, 2009
DC Chillin'?
Last night, I went to see Wale at the Kia Soul Collective festival.
I saw 100 uniformed police officers outside instead.
This is why I love the DC music scene.
...If the cops didn't strongly advise you to leave, and you actually saw the concert, pretty please comment & tell me how it was! I'm really curious about how it went, but... I didn't really want to end up the same way as that fabled curious cat...
I saw 100 uniformed police officers outside instead.
This is why I love the DC music scene.
...If the cops didn't strongly advise you to leave, and you actually saw the concert, pretty please comment & tell me how it was! I'm really curious about how it went, but... I didn't really want to end up the same way as that fabled curious cat...
Sunday, September 6, 2009
More Tours to Fall For
(^Don't you love my rhyming skills? Door, chore, folklore...)
A lot has happened since I last posted fall tour info, and even though the days are getting darker earlier, the concert options are looking brighter than ever...
Didn't really want $100 seats for the Jonas Brothers World Tour this summer? Still remotely interested in checking out their protegee/Ken dolls, Honor Society? Honor Society will be playing a much more intimate show at Sonar, a Baltimore club the size of your closet in an area that will make the parents of many JoBros fans want to hop right back in their cars and take their kiddies to Port Discovery instead. But for the serious Honor Society fans, their show on Wednesday 9/30 should be the perfect antithesis to seeing them open for the JoBros. Get your $15 tickets here and wonder when the last time you could see the JoBros for that price was.
In case you didn't get tickets to Owl City's show this Saturday before they sold out, don't worry too much; there are other fish in the sea and birds in the electonica sky. Lights, often called Owl City's female counterpart (a moniker I completely disagree with, but whatever) is playing at Sonar on Saturday 10/3. Electronic indie trio Stars of Track & Field are opening. At Warped Tour, Lights performed one of the most awkward sets I ever seen (and I have seen Hottub, so I know awkward). There were over 150 people in the mosh, and I was one of the six who danced. The rest just stood there and gaped at her. I mean, she is certainly worthy of gaping at, but really, she's up there for half an hour; surely you can wrap your mind around her music within that time. Anyhow, when people have to shell out $12 for tickets, more than 4% of the crowd should dance. Get your tickets here.
Saturday 10/3 is actually a pretty huge night for Sonar, what with Geist's CD release party in the Talking Head Club and five bands playing a Sonar-sponsored event at Ottobar. Jay Reatard is headlining the Ottobar event, and if you're not the electropop type, his punk rock should provide some equally-electrifying entertainment for the night.
Is touring the East Coast every fall an annual tradition for Relient K? For the second year in a row, Relient K is coming to the area in October. Last year, I missed seeing them play at the 9:30 Club on a school night. This year, I'm going to miss seeing them play at the Recher Theater in Towson on a school night. Tuesday 10/6, to be specific. The same day they release their new album, which I'll talk more about later. Last year, their fall tour had a Halloween theme. This year, it's called "A Three-Hour Tour," so can we hope to see Matty T dressed up as Gilligan and Matty H as the Skipper? I think the guys would tell us there's always hope... More info on the tour with Barcelona and Copeland here.
Kate Voegele is coming to Rock & Roll Hotel on Friday 10/16 with Green River Ordinance. I saw the perpetually sunny Kate perform at Ram's Head a few years ago, and her on-stage exuberance matched only the love coming her diverse group of fans. Buy tickets here.
You might want to save your $16, though. The Friday after that, 10/23, though, mtvU brings out the big guns. Their inaugural Haloween-themed Ulalume fest will move in to the Merriwether Post Pavilion. Supporting acts Kid Cudi and Dead by Sunrise are sure to scare up a crowd before big-name headliners Paramore and AFI go in for the kill. With costume contests and other events that should put the "boo" in "booths" scattered around the pavilion grounds, this festival should be spooktacular. (Don't you love Halloween-themed puns?) Zip over to mtvu.com for all the details and ticket info. Hurry - I hear everyone's dying to get in (Oh gosh, I'm even making myself groan now...)
Give yourself a day off, then check out The Used at Sonar on Sunday 10/25. Or just go there instead of Ulalume because my incessant punnery has made you despise everything Halloween-related. (Sorry!) Get your tickets, along with a free song and uncensored music video, here.
Sunday 10/8, go to the Black Cat to get one last glimpse of local rocker-philanthropists Mae (buy a new song for $1 every month, and the money will buy materials for underfunded schools) before they jet off to Japan with Owl City. Or just for them to come home; they're only playing 3 shows in Japan. But still, isn't it so exciting when people tour Japan?
It's a pretty good season for electropop buffs: Pretty Lights is bringing his jazzy electronica to the 9:30 Club on Wednesday 11/18. Not to be confused with just plain Lights, Pretty Lights is actually not a pretty girl. (I think a name swap may be in order here.) He is actually producer Derek Vincent Smith, who brings a live drummer with him to live shows (as opposed to the dead drummers at... okay, I'll let it go). He also happens to be my newest favorite reason why electronic music is not all soulless, evil, and murdering other genres. To hear the instrumental beauty for yourself, download all three of his albums for the unbeatable price of free at his official site, give him a donation on his PayPal because, dude, you just three albums for free, then head over to his MySpace to leave a little more love and find some more info on his tour with Gramatik.
And last but definitely not least, Boys Like Girls is headlining one of the most exciting tours of the fall for the Fueled By Ramen crowd, supported by the dream team of Cobra Starship, The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon, and VersaEmerge. The only problem? It's not stopping in DC. But anyone who cares to travel a few hours to Philadelphia should be in for a treat on Saturday 11/21, when they play at Electric Factory. Tour dates & tickets here.
A lot has happened since I last posted fall tour info, and even though the days are getting darker earlier, the concert options are looking brighter than ever...
Didn't really want $100 seats for the Jonas Brothers World Tour this summer? Still remotely interested in checking out their protegee/Ken dolls, Honor Society? Honor Society will be playing a much more intimate show at Sonar, a Baltimore club the size of your closet in an area that will make the parents of many JoBros fans want to hop right back in their cars and take their kiddies to Port Discovery instead. But for the serious Honor Society fans, their show on Wednesday 9/30 should be the perfect antithesis to seeing them open for the JoBros. Get your $15 tickets here and wonder when the last time you could see the JoBros for that price was.
In case you didn't get tickets to Owl City's show this Saturday before they sold out, don't worry too much; there are other fish in the sea and birds in the electonica sky. Lights, often called Owl City's female counterpart (a moniker I completely disagree with, but whatever) is playing at Sonar on Saturday 10/3. Electronic indie trio Stars of Track & Field are opening. At Warped Tour, Lights performed one of the most awkward sets I ever seen (and I have seen Hottub, so I know awkward). There were over 150 people in the mosh, and I was one of the six who danced. The rest just stood there and gaped at her. I mean, she is certainly worthy of gaping at, but really, she's up there for half an hour; surely you can wrap your mind around her music within that time. Anyhow, when people have to shell out $12 for tickets, more than 4% of the crowd should dance. Get your tickets here.
Saturday 10/3 is actually a pretty huge night for Sonar, what with Geist's CD release party in the Talking Head Club and five bands playing a Sonar-sponsored event at Ottobar. Jay Reatard is headlining the Ottobar event, and if you're not the electropop type, his punk rock should provide some equally-electrifying entertainment for the night.
Is touring the East Coast every fall an annual tradition for Relient K? For the second year in a row, Relient K is coming to the area in October. Last year, I missed seeing them play at the 9:30 Club on a school night. This year, I'm going to miss seeing them play at the Recher Theater in Towson on a school night. Tuesday 10/6, to be specific. The same day they release their new album, which I'll talk more about later. Last year, their fall tour had a Halloween theme. This year, it's called "A Three-Hour Tour," so can we hope to see Matty T dressed up as Gilligan and Matty H as the Skipper? I think the guys would tell us there's always hope... More info on the tour with Barcelona and Copeland here.
Kate Voegele is coming to Rock & Roll Hotel on Friday 10/16 with Green River Ordinance. I saw the perpetually sunny Kate perform at Ram's Head a few years ago, and her on-stage exuberance matched only the love coming her diverse group of fans. Buy tickets here.
You might want to save your $16, though. The Friday after that, 10/23, though, mtvU brings out the big guns. Their inaugural Haloween-themed Ulalume fest will move in to the Merriwether Post Pavilion. Supporting acts Kid Cudi and Dead by Sunrise are sure to scare up a crowd before big-name headliners Paramore and AFI go in for the kill. With costume contests and other events that should put the "boo" in "booths" scattered around the pavilion grounds, this festival should be spooktacular. (Don't you love Halloween-themed puns?) Zip over to mtvu.com for all the details and ticket info. Hurry - I hear everyone's dying to get in (Oh gosh, I'm even making myself groan now...)
Give yourself a day off, then check out The Used at Sonar on Sunday 10/25. Or just go there instead of Ulalume because my incessant punnery has made you despise everything Halloween-related. (Sorry!) Get your tickets, along with a free song and uncensored music video, here.
Sunday 10/8, go to the Black Cat to get one last glimpse of local rocker-philanthropists Mae (buy a new song for $1 every month, and the money will buy materials for underfunded schools) before they jet off to Japan with Owl City. Or just for them to come home; they're only playing 3 shows in Japan. But still, isn't it so exciting when people tour Japan?
It's a pretty good season for electropop buffs: Pretty Lights is bringing his jazzy electronica to the 9:30 Club on Wednesday 11/18. Not to be confused with just plain Lights, Pretty Lights is actually not a pretty girl. (I think a name swap may be in order here.) He is actually producer Derek Vincent Smith, who brings a live drummer with him to live shows (as opposed to the dead drummers at... okay, I'll let it go). He also happens to be my newest favorite reason why electronic music is not all soulless, evil, and murdering other genres. To hear the instrumental beauty for yourself, download all three of his albums for the unbeatable price of free at his official site, give him a donation on his PayPal because, dude, you just three albums for free, then head over to his MySpace to leave a little more love and find some more info on his tour with Gramatik.
And last but definitely not least, Boys Like Girls is headlining one of the most exciting tours of the fall for the Fueled By Ramen crowd, supported by the dream team of Cobra Starship, The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon, and VersaEmerge. The only problem? It's not stopping in DC. But anyone who cares to travel a few hours to Philadelphia should be in for a treat on Saturday 11/21, when they play at Electric Factory. Tour dates & tickets here.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I've been trying to stay away from blogging and obsessively watching music videos until my summer homework is done, but when a couple of my favorite artists release videos as great as this, well, I just gotta share them.
Lots of other posts with other great videos coming up soon, but for now, keep the end-of-summer party train running a little longer with these:
First up, NeverShoutNever! released the adorable video for his equally adorable song "On The Brightside" yesterday. If you thought Christofer Drew was cute, wait til you see this video's animated star. This one will definitely brighten your day.
On the Brightside
The music biz hasn't been treating Canadian pop-rock princess Skye Sweetnam too well these days, but hey, she's never let her lethargic label get her down before. During this hiatus from performing, promoting, or doing anything else really, she made her directorial debut with "Explode (Makes My Head)" for fellow Canadian pop-rocker Ashes. Her raspy voice can get irritating, but the repetitive instrumentals are fun enough to almost make up for it. The video won't exactly have you glued to your seat, wondering what will happen next, but your eyes will definitely be glued to Ashes' rhinestone-coated lips. Yes, rhinestones. Her career probably won't stop stagnating any sooner than Skye's, but at least give the video a look.
And finally, I'm saving a lot of the good videos I've seen for a future post, but you simply must check out this darling little fan-made video for "Fireflies" by Owl City. (It's for a contest that I fully plan on entering and winning, but, well, this is pretty darn hard to compete with. It's creative, well-made, and as heartwarming as a Pixar film. I'll definitely have trouble kicking its ass) ;)
Keep your eyes peeled for more awesome music videos showing up here soon! I've got a whole rack of European hits I discovered on my trip to Italy that I can't wait to share with everybody!
Lots of other posts with other great videos coming up soon, but for now, keep the end-of-summer party train running a little longer with these:
First up, NeverShoutNever! released the adorable video for his equally adorable song "On The Brightside" yesterday. If you thought Christofer Drew was cute, wait til you see this video's animated star. This one will definitely brighten your day.
On the Brightside
The music biz hasn't been treating Canadian pop-rock princess Skye Sweetnam too well these days, but hey, she's never let her lethargic label get her down before. During this hiatus from performing, promoting, or doing anything else really, she made her directorial debut with "Explode (Makes My Head)" for fellow Canadian pop-rocker Ashes. Her raspy voice can get irritating, but the repetitive instrumentals are fun enough to almost make up for it. The video won't exactly have you glued to your seat, wondering what will happen next, but your eyes will definitely be glued to Ashes' rhinestone-coated lips. Yes, rhinestones. Her career probably won't stop stagnating any sooner than Skye's, but at least give the video a look.
And finally, I'm saving a lot of the good videos I've seen for a future post, but you simply must check out this darling little fan-made video for "Fireflies" by Owl City. (It's for a contest that I fully plan on entering and winning, but, well, this is pretty darn hard to compete with. It's creative, well-made, and as heartwarming as a Pixar film. I'll definitely have trouble kicking its ass) ;)
Keep your eyes peeled for more awesome music videos showing up here soon! I've got a whole rack of European hits I discovered on my trip to Italy that I can't wait to share with everybody!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Very Good 'Habit'
In an extremely convoluted manner involving a Jonas Brothers Facebook fan club and the sister of a friend of someone I don't know who doesn't know the girl who told me, whom I also don't know, I miraculously stumbled across an awesome little adult alternativesy band on MySpace (and if you could follow that sentence, there's another miracle right there).
They're called Third Street Habit, a pretty apt name, since their sunny music is as addictive as any habit-forming substance. I know two things about them (besides the things you can easily read on their MySpace page that are therefore not worth repeating):
1) Their lead singer/guitarist's parents have given him 6 months to "make it" in the music biz before they make him get a "real job."
2) He definitely sounds good enough to make it.
And 1+2=you should help them out by giving them a listen. And even if you're a heartless person who wants people to give up on their dreams or alienate themselves from their parents and therefore does not want to help them, you should still give them a listen. Because they are not just some they-suck-but-they're-local/my friends/really cute charity case. They sound amazing.
And while you're there, don't forget to download their demo for free. Not just because you want to help them out by burning copies for all you friends, but because you're gonna need a copy to play on repeat for the next several hours, unable to stop listening, wondering when the music will get monotonous, or at least when you'll be able to stop smiling. (I've been listening for about 34 straight minutes, and my smile's still going strong.)
They're called Third Street Habit, a pretty apt name, since their sunny music is as addictive as any habit-forming substance. I know two things about them (besides the things you can easily read on their MySpace page that are therefore not worth repeating):
1) Their lead singer/guitarist's parents have given him 6 months to "make it" in the music biz before they make him get a "real job."
2) He definitely sounds good enough to make it.
And 1+2=you should help them out by giving them a listen. And even if you're a heartless person who wants people to give up on their dreams or alienate themselves from their parents and therefore does not want to help them, you should still give them a listen. Because they are not just some they-suck-but-they're-local/my friends/really cute charity case. They sound amazing.
And while you're there, don't forget to download their demo for free. Not just because you want to help them out by burning copies for all you friends, but because you're gonna need a copy to play on repeat for the next several hours, unable to stop listening, wondering when the music will get monotonous, or at least when you'll be able to stop smiling. (I've been listening for about 34 straight minutes, and my smile's still going strong.)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Break Out the 'Sunblock;' These Bands are Hot
Say what you will about MTV's programming choices, but you gotta admit: MTV knows how to throw a party.
mtvU described this year's summer mini-festival, the Sunblock Music Festival, as a "killer music event" and did not disappoint. The concert will air on mtvU on 8/10. I've never met anyone who actually has mtvU, so fortunately, it will also be streamed online. But, having attended the event in Baltimore last week, I'd like to give a little preview/review.
The concert was at Pier Six in Baltimore, which, from a distance, looks a bit like a fancy meringue
dessert with several peaks. Or like an elaborate sandcastle. Meringues and sandcastles typically aren't very big, and from the other end of the pier, the pavilion doesn't look very big either. So you can kinda imagine my surprise when I arrive 20 minutes after doors open, 40 minutes before the concert is supposed to start, and find a line three people-think stretching across the fairly large parking lot. Then a comparable line inside for the Boys Like Girls/Gym Class Heroes/The Academy Is... merch tent... Oh man. This gonna be one big party.
But at least mtvU knows how to treat their guests. Half an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin, a DJ came out and started entertaining the crowd. (He might have been some mtvU personality, I don't know... I've never seen a TV that has mtvU.) I was pretty glad to have a cheesy DJ to sneer at during those tediously long breaks between sets at most concerts, and I think much of the crowd felt the same way. His attempts to get up pumped by telling us all the great things he's heard about those crazy partiers in Baltimore worked about as well as those attempts always do - marginally better, in fact, because he was a legitimately cool guy. Not any more cheesy than any other DJ. But he knew the key to getting the crowd to really go crazy: telling them they're going to be on TV. Maybe some of the kids there actually watch mtvU; they certainly jumped around and cheered like they were dying to be on it.
He even got a very substantial part of the audience to leave their seats for a chance to be on TV right now. My friends and I were still kind of suffering from heatstroke because July in Baltimore is just not the best time to be outside, but we could see the masses of girls jumping around and screaming at the mtvU booth thing on the lawn. Five minutes of fame.
Besides the fact that if you see four girls in homemade yellow shirts dancing like crazy, it is probably my friends and me, my favorite thing about having a TV crew there was discovering my dream job: working the ginormous camera on a pole. It looked like it might hurt your arms after a few hours, but getting to swing a camera all over the place and watching kids go bananas whenever it comes near them would be totally worth it. I think.
^So. Cool.
I know you're probably pretty antsy to get to the music, but hey, 15 minutes after the concert was scheduled to start, we were too. I mean, this DJ was cool, but he wasn't quite 45 minutes worth of cool. And the hip-hop he kept playing for us was quite danceable, but we had to save our energy for NeverShoutNever, who should be coming on in... negative 15 minutes. My friend and I couldn't take it anymore and decided to make a pilgrimage to the Boys Like Girls merch table and wait in the monster line there. At least the monster had lost a bit of weight since we arrived. But just a bit. Also, we got treated to a view of a girl bizarrely tucking her tank top into her bra to get the attention of some roadie 50 feet away. What a pleasant way to spend 10 minutes.
By the time, we made it within 5 feet of the merch table, the kids in their seats were cheering like crazy. By the time we were at the table, "On the Brightside" was blaring over the speakers. We were missing NeverShoutNever to buy t-shirts and tote bags! Nooooo!!!!
We blurted out our orders, threw our money at the merch girls, and stretched our legs, ready to sprint back to our seats. Like, really, I prepared to sprint there. No way was my consumerism going to make me miss the cutest guy in the world. At least, not for any longer than necessary to buy the stuff I spent 10 minutes in line for.
NeverShoutNever!
mtvU saved the best performance for first. NeverShoutNever sounded amazing, and his between-song banter was the most adorable thing thing you've ever heard.
The last time I saw NSN perform was in a dark, so-intimate-it's-claustrophobic club on the sketchy side of Baltimore (okay, one of its many sketchy sides). This time, he was only performing a few miles away, but the setting could not have been more different. Well, okay, it could have been in front of a crowd of metalheads or something, but physically, this stage out in the fresh air of the utterly un-sketchy Inner Harbour was quite a change.
And NSN changed his sound accordingly.
Last time, NSN played an intimate little set: he sang and played the tambourine, accompanied by an acoustic guitarist. This time, I believe the tambourine still made an appearance - but so did a ukulele, a harmonica, and an acoustic guitar. And that's just what Chris was playing.
He was joined by his band, The Shout. And with a full band came a fuller sound. And it totally rocked.
His sweet little acoustic songs became slamming rockers. Such a thing would be nearly inconceivable - NSN seems like the antithesis of rock. But it worked. He fleshed out his old acoustic and ukulele songs with the new instruments, and they sounded stronger and more forceful, but still melodic. And the increased intensity was good. The darker songs sounded angrier, as they should - most people wouldn't just write wimpy little acoustic songs about the things he's been through. But the sweet songs were no less sweet. Fans could just jump up and down to them now.
In short, he sounded amazing. Very different from his recordings, but not in a bad way. And he absolutely must record live versions with the full band.
Although NSN is still a solo project and The Shout are just his back-up, Chris gave them chances to shine. His guitarist performed a spectacular solo rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
At this show, Chris showed a different side of his music, and he also showed a slightly different side of himself. He kicked his leg up in the air, thrashed around a bit (nothing too crazy), and generally rocked out to the new rockable versions of his songs. But that's certainly not to say that the adorable little guy who repeatedly told the crowd at the Hellogoodbye show was gone.
"You guys are just too cute for your own good, dangnabbit!"
Such shout-outs were sprinkled liberally throughout each break between songs and sometimes even during songs.
And for anyone curious about his unorthodox curse word-substitutes:
"Hellz yeah!" he exclaimed after one song. " I'm trying to stop cursing because cursing is a nasty habit. So I say 'hellz' because the z makes it okay, right?"
So cute. Who could stop themselves from loving him? Especially since he loves the fans so much.
During the second song of his set, "Happy":
"We love you." Plays a few measures.
"We love you." Plays a bit more.
..."We love you."
It was all one big love fest.
To introduce his sweet ukulele tune "Did It Hurt," after telling us we were beautiful, Chris said "I've got a little crush on you, so I wrote a song about you." Cue deafening cheer. Followed by even louder cheer when the crowd found out which song it was.
But it wasn't just love note shout-outs to the crowd as a whole. Chris really tried to connect with the crowd, an extremely valiant effort in a pavilion this big. He handed out several roses to girls in the front rows. A few girls near the middle of the pavilion (aka pretty far away) held up a sign saying "You Make Me Happy." He thanked them from the stage and told them they made him happy too.
Chris even did a great job of spreading the love amongst his fans, a feat most fantastically popular teen heartthrobs can't pull off. Before playing a cover of The Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand," Chris told the audience to grab the hand of the person next to them, whether they knew them or not. Fingers intertwined, not clasped. Then he told the crowd to jump up and down with their held hands in the air during the chorus. And everyone did it. Again, it was all one big lovefest. With his flowers woven around his mic stand and an American flag with a peace symbol on it draped over the keyboard, Chris truly looked like a relic of the 60's. If his original songs weren't so good, I'd say he and The Shout would make a great 60's cover band.
And to end the set, Chris performed "Big City Dreams" and even got off the stage and down into the crowd. I couldn't really see where he went after that, but the message was pretty clear: even with his big new sound, his big new band, and his big new flower budget, he was still a small-town boy with some big-time love and appreciation for his fans.
The Veronicas
Before you read my review of The Veronicas' set, there are two things you should know:
One: I love The Veronicas. They may be identical twins, but they are two different girls with different styles and different personalities, and I respect their individuality. I just can't remember which is which.
So for the purposes of this review, I will somewhat callously refer to them The Blonde and The Brunette. But I know that they are two girls named Jess and Lis who record terrific pop songs, as well as the occasional adorable vlog.
But they suck at playing live.
Two: Before the concert, my friends and I indulged in several of the Inner Harbor's attractions, including ESPN Zone, pedal boats shaped like purple dragons, and the mall. While perusing the pricey but crazy hip clothing at Urban Outfitters, I happened upon a t-shirt that said "Little Black Dress" on it. I looked at it like a bouncer looks at a twelve year-old with a fake ID (not that I've ever seen that...) and held it up to see if it could really be worn as a dress or if it was just a t-shirt impostor. It covered all the essentials with less than an inch to spare, so I put it down, deciding that it had passed the test and was, in fact, a little black dress. But only a shameless skank would wear it without leggings underneath.
When The Veronicas came on stage, my friend started screaming something about a t-shirt. I was utterly confused until I saw that one of The Veronicas - The Brunette - was wearing the exact same Little Black Dress shirt I saw at Urban Outfitters.
Without leggings underneath. Shameless skank.
Though honestly, her outfit looked less risque than The Blonde's tank top with "Lick My Legs" scrawled on it. Ohhkayyy...
Describing a band's outfits before their music usually seems rather petty to me, but for The Veronicas, it seems to work: their show was mostly about show. Musically, they didn't sound stellar. They sounded good enough, but they didn't perform nearly as well as the other bands at the festival. But the other bands were really spectacular.
Last summer, I saw The Veronicas perform at Ram's Head Live on the Verizon VIP tour with Natasha Bedingfield and Kate Voegele. That time, again, they looked good - slightly skanky, with a few too many rips in their tights, but good... But they sounded awful. A bit like Alvin and the Chipmunks. Because they sound so good on their albums, I gave them the benefit of a doubt and chalked it up to problems with their sound equipment.
This time, like last time, they opened with "Untouched." One played an adorable miniature electronic keyboard while the other just sang. And this time, like last time, their voices sounded freakishly high-pitched and squeaky. Here we go again... Maybe it's not the sound equipment. Maybe those are just their voices.
That was a rather scary thought, but before the song was over, they quelled my fears: their voices started sounding normal in the middle of the song. And they continued to sound pretty good for the rest of the set.
But the best part of the set still wasn't the music; The Veronicas can sing pretty well, but they can work the stage like pros. Which I guess they are.
After "Untouched," they played the song "Everything," which doesn't appear on either of their albums. I think they've said in interviews that they love to play it because The Blonde plays electric guitar in it. And she played well, but she didn't sound nearly as good as she looked while rocking out with that guitar. She would have looked like a tough, grungy rocker chick, except the guitar looked like it weighed twice as much as that little waif.
If The Blonde looked like every rocker's dream playing that big ol guitar in her giant sunglasses, blonde bob, and short shorts, The Veronicas got the (very few) guys in the crowd even more excited during "Mother Mother." They screamed and leaned all over their guitarist, Jungle George, and got down on their knees and held other and lifted their legs and radiated sensuality. Remember the Hurley.com and Smartpunk stages at Warped Tour, one of which housed the screamo-dance bands, the other of which housed every female on the tour? With this song - screaming and gorgeous girls - they would've blown both stages away.
Plus, at Warped Tour, there might have been a bit of testosterone in the audience. Sunblock Music Festival was very heavily populated by girls - girls in love with Christopher Drew, girls in love with William Beckett, girls in love with Travis McCoy, girls in love with Martin Johnson, but mostly girls in love with all four. And a few boys in love with the girls who dragged them there. So there wasn't a whole lotta love for The Veronicas.
This indifference in The Veronicas was very evident during the song "Take Me on the Floor." The Veronicas introduced this song, explaining that it was a dance song, so they wanted to see everyone dance. If Christopher Drew tells you to jump, you jump. If Travis tells you to put your peace sign up, you put your peace sign up. If Martin tells you to go crazy, you go crazy. But if The Veronicas tell you to dance... eh, you don't really have to dance.
Although I must admit, I disagreed with their diagnosis of "Take Me on the Floor." The way they played it live, it wasn't so much a dance song as a jump-up-and-down song. But hey, I jumped... Besides, I could be on mtvU!
The Veronicas schooled the apathetic crowd in how to dance during "This Is How It Feels." Throughout the song, The Blonde jumped around and kicked her legs and shook her head like only a blonde-bobbed waif can. Needless to say she looked So Frickin Cool.
The Veronicas wanted to get the crowd into it. At this show and their concert last year, they accepted the fact that "4ever" is their only song Americans know. So both times, they saved it for last and invited the audience to sing along if they knew the words. Some audience members did. Nowhere near as many as knew the words to "Happy" by NSN, but a fair amount. Overall, their performance was not too shabby. Not nearly as shabby as The Blonde's ratty little tank top, anyways.
The Academy Is...
William Beckett has something The Veronicas needed (besides male anatomy): charisma. NSN may have given the best performance of the night, but William Beckett was the best performer. I thought The Veronicas knew how to work a stage, but he really knew what he was doing. And he was doing a lot. Throwing the mic stand. Lifting it up in the air. Standing on top of the speakers with his fist in the air. Standing on top of the speakers and staring intently at the audience. His set was like one big photo op: every five seconds, he doing something that looked iconic. In another life, he could've been a crazy demagogue.
Except his voice sounded kind of squeaky when he spoke. Not as high as Chris's, but it was weird, since his voice sounded freakishly deep when he introduced the remix of "Automatic Eyes" on Fall Out Boy's free mixtape. I don't know if that was the mic or just him... For the record, Martin sounded pretty high-pitched, too, but Travis didn't. Huh.
TAI's set opened with the spectacular rocker "Summer Hair=Forever Young." Love that song. And he never lost any steam, plowing through other high-energy should-have-been-hits like "Neighbors" and "His Girl Friday" without losing any steam. Watching Beckett's energy and listening to his crazy catchy hooks, I could not fathom how The Academy Is... had existed for so many years without becoming one of the most popular powerpop-punk bands around.
Near the end of their set, Beckett asked the audience who had seen The Academy Is... before. Big cheer. Then he asked whose first time it was. Cheer of roughly the same volume. He told us neophytes to put our hands in the air (Okay, he didn't use the word "neophytes;" I think he said "guys." Just trying to put those ol' vocab words to work here.) He welcomed us to the club and told us to keep our hands in the air while they played "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands." (By the end of the night, I could barely lift my arms after all this rocking out.)
When the set ended with "About a Girl," the energy in the pavilion could have powered the entire city of Baltimore. Or at least Pier Six's crazy loud speaker system. It was actually a bit of relief when the set ended. I was exhausted, but I couldn't stop myself from rocking out to every one of TAI's songs. They're too catchy for their own good.
Gym Class Heroes
The Veronicas may have been the misfits in the crowd's eyes (Jungle George and the other guys in the band just can't compete), Gym Class Heroes were the musical misfits. Before each set the DJs played a mixture of pop, pop-punk, and emo tunes - except before GCH's. This time, DJs got the crowd prepared for the dramatic shift from nonstop powerpop to chill alt hip-hop by playing other hip hop tunes. They sounded out of place at a concert full of girls in homemade Boys Like Girls and NSN shirts, but they were a welcome change.
Gym Class Heroes was the band at this show that I hadn't extensively listened to beforehand - of course I know "Cookie Jar" and "Cupid's Chokehold," but I hadn't listened any of their albums all the way through. Rap just isn't my thing, even when backed by guitars and a full band.
But much to my surprise, I thought GCH's set was the most enjoyable set of the night. It was so chill. Their music wasn't going at a mile a millisecond like TAI's, and unlike most of The Veronicas' tunes, it really was danceable. Also, being madly in love with Christopher Drew and William Beckett, and needing to show a little love for the underappreciated Veronicas, I felt like I needed to be the craziest dancer in the audience so that one of them would glance at me and know how much I adore them. But I didn't need to go crazy to show Travis what a dedicated fan I was because, well, I'm not a dedicated fan. So I was content to chill out and do my own thing, which was so much more fun than forcing myself to jump up and down through all the verses to outdo the kids who only jump during the choruses.
I think there is a valuable lesson here about being yourself and not trying to impress others, but I won't state it explicitly because that would just be too cheesy. This is a televised concert, not a Lifetime movie.
Travis didn't rock out or go crazy on stage like his predecessors - he was way too chill for that. The flashiest part of their set was a flag with their name on it that they waved during the first and last songs.
Oh, and the guy in the American flag shirt. That was pretty flashy.
They played all the essentials - "Cupid's Chokehold," "The Queen and I," "Peace Sign/Index Down" (everyone put up their peace sign but very few people continued to follow their instructions after that - would they have been allowed to air that on mtvU?) Before "Cookie Jar," Travis demonstrated his "power over the female species": He asked where the guys were. A few cheered enthusiastically, but compared to the night's other cheers, it was a mumble. THen he asked where his ladies were. Oh man. I'm gonna lose my hearing.
He repeated the exercise three times. The handful of guys cheered as loud as they could, but they couldn't lay a finger on the ladies' volume. And speaking of laying fingers on things...
"You know what this looks like to me?" Travis asked the fellows. "A big cookie jar!"
And he was so funny and he sounded so good, the song didn't even totally repulse like it usually does.
But the least repulsive song of the set - that is to say, my favorite song - was definitely "Guilty as Charged." Travis introduced the song by telling about his incident with the law and how much it taught him. He had just two words to say about it: "I'm... innocent!!!"
I gotta say, I loved Gym Class Heroes' set. Their low-key hip-hop was the perfect respite from all the thrashing guitars and hyperactive drummers in the preceding bands. And a great opportunity to catch my breath before things really got crazy...
mtvU's Oh-So Talented DJ
The guy who DJed this show really was cool. He kept us entertained without getting too cheesy - excluding a weird bit where he introduced The Veronicas by adopting a fake Australian accent and trying to scare the other DJ (who ruled the turntables) with a stuffed leopard. Umm, all right...
But this DJ has way more than plush toys up his sleeve. And before Boys Like Girls came on, the DJ gave us his very grand finale: a tribute to Michael Jackson.
The DJ expertly performed one of Michael Jackson's famous dances. This guy was great. He danced like a pro, sang pretty decently before introducing an earlier band, successfully and consistently got the crowd pumped by reminding them they could be on TV, and didn't tell lame jokes! I wish I could remember his name because as he deftly performed Michael's old moves, it became clear that he was one talented guy - a bit overqualified for his DJ job.
Or maybe he was perfectly qualified. As I said, mtvU knows how to throw a party.
Boys Like Girls
Even before they came onstage, it was clear that Boys Like Girls' set was going to be a little different. They were the headliners, after all, the closers - and they got quite a bit of special treatment. The stage, which had been littered with drum kits and speakers and who knows what else, was completely cleared for their performance (hey, more room for the DJ to dance like Michael). The sun had set before Gym Class Heroes began, but they hadn't really used any fancy lights for any of the performances.
But for BLG, they brought out the big guns. The lights changed - orange! purple! - as they ran on stage and performed their insanely catchy new single, "Love Drunk." The crowd went wild. Each member of BLG got his own platform to perform on, and they looked pretty darn awesome.
No doubt about it, BLG's set rocked. After "Love Drunk," they stuck almost entirely to songs from their self-titled debut album. "Five Minutes to Midnight," "On Top of the World," "Dance Hall Drug," "Heels Over Head," "Hero/Heroine"... I expected a mix of songs from their old album and the soon-to-be-released album Love Drunk (September 16th, who's pumped??!) but they only treated us to one new song: "HeartHeartHeartbreak."
Martin even gave us the whole cheesy speech about all the good things he's heard about Baltimore - how we're such hard partiers, how we'd never "stare at a new song like it's a painting" - and I guess the speech worked. He taught us the words to the chorus: "Now we're heading for a heart heart heartbreak/And I don't ever ever want to hear you say" - No, he does not continue with "I want it that way." But I expected him to. Every. Time. - "Don't say you loved me, don't even/Don't say you loved me, you're leaving."
You can check out a pretty good-quality video of the song from another show on their tour here.
The crowd was pretty into the song, although based on my experience listening to it afterwards on YouTube, it's one of those songs that doesn't seem too catchy the first time around but gets much better after a couple listens.
But the show certainly ended on a good note: for the last song, BLG's quintessential summer hit "The Great Escape," they invited the audience to join them onstage. In the mad dash for the stage, I got separated from my three friends - one of whom even sprained her ankle in the chaos! - and swept forward to the stage. I wasn't one of the hundreds of lucky ladies who made it onstage (by the time I got there, the security guards had woken up and got into position to stop us), but I was about two feet away and five feet below Paul. Then I got swept sideways to where Martin was giving out high-fives. When he high-fived me, my ring fell off, so I stayed where I was to look for it as he made his way to greet the fans at stage left. I was still searching when he and the crowd came back to center stage, so I got another high five. And a bracelet I found on the ground. Eh, I'll take it.
**Note: I've got a bunch of pictures and a few more tidbits about Martin's tongue action and some technical difficulties, but I'll have to post them later (since I'm kind of leaving for Italy for 10 days, like, right now)! Ttfn! :)
mtvU described this year's summer mini-festival, the Sunblock Music Festival, as a "killer music event" and did not disappoint. The concert will air on mtvU on 8/10. I've never met anyone who actually has mtvU, so fortunately, it will also be streamed online. But, having attended the event in Baltimore last week, I'd like to give a little preview/review.
The concert was at Pier Six in Baltimore, which, from a distance, looks a bit like a fancy meringue
dessert with several peaks. Or like an elaborate sandcastle. Meringues and sandcastles typically aren't very big, and from the other end of the pier, the pavilion doesn't look very big either. So you can kinda imagine my surprise when I arrive 20 minutes after doors open, 40 minutes before the concert is supposed to start, and find a line three people-think stretching across the fairly large parking lot. Then a comparable line inside for the Boys Like Girls/Gym Class Heroes/The Academy Is... merch tent... Oh man. This gonna be one big party.
But at least mtvU knows how to treat their guests. Half an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin, a DJ came out and started entertaining the crowd. (He might have been some mtvU personality, I don't know... I've never seen a TV that has mtvU.) I was pretty glad to have a cheesy DJ to sneer at during those tediously long breaks between sets at most concerts, and I think much of the crowd felt the same way. His attempts to get up pumped by telling us all the great things he's heard about those crazy partiers in Baltimore worked about as well as those attempts always do - marginally better, in fact, because he was a legitimately cool guy. Not any more cheesy than any other DJ. But he knew the key to getting the crowd to really go crazy: telling them they're going to be on TV. Maybe some of the kids there actually watch mtvU; they certainly jumped around and cheered like they were dying to be on it.
He even got a very substantial part of the audience to leave their seats for a chance to be on TV right now. My friends and I were still kind of suffering from heatstroke because July in Baltimore is just not the best time to be outside, but we could see the masses of girls jumping around and screaming at the mtvU booth thing on the lawn. Five minutes of fame.
Besides the fact that if you see four girls in homemade yellow shirts dancing like crazy, it is probably my friends and me, my favorite thing about having a TV crew there was discovering my dream job: working the ginormous camera on a pole. It looked like it might hurt your arms after a few hours, but getting to swing a camera all over the place and watching kids go bananas whenever it comes near them would be totally worth it. I think.
^So. Cool.
I know you're probably pretty antsy to get to the music, but hey, 15 minutes after the concert was scheduled to start, we were too. I mean, this DJ was cool, but he wasn't quite 45 minutes worth of cool. And the hip-hop he kept playing for us was quite danceable, but we had to save our energy for NeverShoutNever, who should be coming on in... negative 15 minutes. My friend and I couldn't take it anymore and decided to make a pilgrimage to the Boys Like Girls merch table and wait in the monster line there. At least the monster had lost a bit of weight since we arrived. But just a bit. Also, we got treated to a view of a girl bizarrely tucking her tank top into her bra to get the attention of some roadie 50 feet away. What a pleasant way to spend 10 minutes.
By the time, we made it within 5 feet of the merch table, the kids in their seats were cheering like crazy. By the time we were at the table, "On the Brightside" was blaring over the speakers. We were missing NeverShoutNever to buy t-shirts and tote bags! Nooooo!!!!
We blurted out our orders, threw our money at the merch girls, and stretched our legs, ready to sprint back to our seats. Like, really, I prepared to sprint there. No way was my consumerism going to make me miss the cutest guy in the world. At least, not for any longer than necessary to buy the stuff I spent 10 minutes in line for.
NeverShoutNever!
mtvU saved the best performance for first. NeverShoutNever sounded amazing, and his between-song banter was the most adorable thing thing you've ever heard.
The last time I saw NSN perform was in a dark, so-intimate-it's-claustrophobic club on the sketchy side of Baltimore (okay, one of its many sketchy sides). This time, he was only performing a few miles away, but the setting could not have been more different. Well, okay, it could have been in front of a crowd of metalheads or something, but physically, this stage out in the fresh air of the utterly un-sketchy Inner Harbour was quite a change.
And NSN changed his sound accordingly.
Last time, NSN played an intimate little set: he sang and played the tambourine, accompanied by an acoustic guitarist. This time, I believe the tambourine still made an appearance - but so did a ukulele, a harmonica, and an acoustic guitar. And that's just what Chris was playing.
He was joined by his band, The Shout. And with a full band came a fuller sound. And it totally rocked.
His sweet little acoustic songs became slamming rockers. Such a thing would be nearly inconceivable - NSN seems like the antithesis of rock. But it worked. He fleshed out his old acoustic and ukulele songs with the new instruments, and they sounded stronger and more forceful, but still melodic. And the increased intensity was good. The darker songs sounded angrier, as they should - most people wouldn't just write wimpy little acoustic songs about the things he's been through. But the sweet songs were no less sweet. Fans could just jump up and down to them now.
In short, he sounded amazing. Very different from his recordings, but not in a bad way. And he absolutely must record live versions with the full band.
Although NSN is still a solo project and The Shout are just his back-up, Chris gave them chances to shine. His guitarist performed a spectacular solo rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
At this show, Chris showed a different side of his music, and he also showed a slightly different side of himself. He kicked his leg up in the air, thrashed around a bit (nothing too crazy), and generally rocked out to the new rockable versions of his songs. But that's certainly not to say that the adorable little guy who repeatedly told the crowd at the Hellogoodbye show was gone.
"You guys are just too cute for your own good, dangnabbit!"
Such shout-outs were sprinkled liberally throughout each break between songs and sometimes even during songs.
And for anyone curious about his unorthodox curse word-substitutes:
"Hellz yeah!" he exclaimed after one song. " I'm trying to stop cursing because cursing is a nasty habit. So I say 'hellz' because the z makes it okay, right?"
So cute. Who could stop themselves from loving him? Especially since he loves the fans so much.
During the second song of his set, "Happy":
"We love you." Plays a few measures.
"We love you." Plays a bit more.
..."We love you."
It was all one big love fest.
To introduce his sweet ukulele tune "Did It Hurt," after telling us we were beautiful, Chris said "I've got a little crush on you, so I wrote a song about you." Cue deafening cheer. Followed by even louder cheer when the crowd found out which song it was.
But it wasn't just love note shout-outs to the crowd as a whole. Chris really tried to connect with the crowd, an extremely valiant effort in a pavilion this big. He handed out several roses to girls in the front rows. A few girls near the middle of the pavilion (aka pretty far away) held up a sign saying "You Make Me Happy." He thanked them from the stage and told them they made him happy too.
Chris even did a great job of spreading the love amongst his fans, a feat most fantastically popular teen heartthrobs can't pull off. Before playing a cover of The Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand," Chris told the audience to grab the hand of the person next to them, whether they knew them or not. Fingers intertwined, not clasped. Then he told the crowd to jump up and down with their held hands in the air during the chorus. And everyone did it. Again, it was all one big lovefest. With his flowers woven around his mic stand and an American flag with a peace symbol on it draped over the keyboard, Chris truly looked like a relic of the 60's. If his original songs weren't so good, I'd say he and The Shout would make a great 60's cover band.
And to end the set, Chris performed "Big City Dreams" and even got off the stage and down into the crowd. I couldn't really see where he went after that, but the message was pretty clear: even with his big new sound, his big new band, and his big new flower budget, he was still a small-town boy with some big-time love and appreciation for his fans.
The Veronicas
Before you read my review of The Veronicas' set, there are two things you should know:
One: I love The Veronicas. They may be identical twins, but they are two different girls with different styles and different personalities, and I respect their individuality. I just can't remember which is which.
So for the purposes of this review, I will somewhat callously refer to them The Blonde and The Brunette. But I know that they are two girls named Jess and Lis who record terrific pop songs, as well as the occasional adorable vlog.
But they suck at playing live.
Two: Before the concert, my friends and I indulged in several of the Inner Harbor's attractions, including ESPN Zone, pedal boats shaped like purple dragons, and the mall. While perusing the pricey but crazy hip clothing at Urban Outfitters, I happened upon a t-shirt that said "Little Black Dress" on it. I looked at it like a bouncer looks at a twelve year-old with a fake ID (not that I've ever seen that...) and held it up to see if it could really be worn as a dress or if it was just a t-shirt impostor. It covered all the essentials with less than an inch to spare, so I put it down, deciding that it had passed the test and was, in fact, a little black dress. But only a shameless skank would wear it without leggings underneath.
When The Veronicas came on stage, my friend started screaming something about a t-shirt. I was utterly confused until I saw that one of The Veronicas - The Brunette - was wearing the exact same Little Black Dress shirt I saw at Urban Outfitters.
Without leggings underneath. Shameless skank.
Though honestly, her outfit looked less risque than The Blonde's tank top with "Lick My Legs" scrawled on it. Ohhkayyy...
Describing a band's outfits before their music usually seems rather petty to me, but for The Veronicas, it seems to work: their show was mostly about show. Musically, they didn't sound stellar. They sounded good enough, but they didn't perform nearly as well as the other bands at the festival. But the other bands were really spectacular.
Last summer, I saw The Veronicas perform at Ram's Head Live on the Verizon VIP tour with Natasha Bedingfield and Kate Voegele. That time, again, they looked good - slightly skanky, with a few too many rips in their tights, but good... But they sounded awful. A bit like Alvin and the Chipmunks. Because they sound so good on their albums, I gave them the benefit of a doubt and chalked it up to problems with their sound equipment.
This time, like last time, they opened with "Untouched." One played an adorable miniature electronic keyboard while the other just sang. And this time, like last time, their voices sounded freakishly high-pitched and squeaky. Here we go again... Maybe it's not the sound equipment. Maybe those are just their voices.
That was a rather scary thought, but before the song was over, they quelled my fears: their voices started sounding normal in the middle of the song. And they continued to sound pretty good for the rest of the set.
But the best part of the set still wasn't the music; The Veronicas can sing pretty well, but they can work the stage like pros. Which I guess they are.
After "Untouched," they played the song "Everything," which doesn't appear on either of their albums. I think they've said in interviews that they love to play it because The Blonde plays electric guitar in it. And she played well, but she didn't sound nearly as good as she looked while rocking out with that guitar. She would have looked like a tough, grungy rocker chick, except the guitar looked like it weighed twice as much as that little waif.
If The Blonde looked like every rocker's dream playing that big ol guitar in her giant sunglasses, blonde bob, and short shorts, The Veronicas got the (very few) guys in the crowd even more excited during "Mother Mother." They screamed and leaned all over their guitarist, Jungle George, and got down on their knees and held other and lifted their legs and radiated sensuality. Remember the Hurley.com and Smartpunk stages at Warped Tour, one of which housed the screamo-dance bands, the other of which housed every female on the tour? With this song - screaming and gorgeous girls - they would've blown both stages away.
Plus, at Warped Tour, there might have been a bit of testosterone in the audience. Sunblock Music Festival was very heavily populated by girls - girls in love with Christopher Drew, girls in love with William Beckett, girls in love with Travis McCoy, girls in love with Martin Johnson, but mostly girls in love with all four. And a few boys in love with the girls who dragged them there. So there wasn't a whole lotta love for The Veronicas.
This indifference in The Veronicas was very evident during the song "Take Me on the Floor." The Veronicas introduced this song, explaining that it was a dance song, so they wanted to see everyone dance. If Christopher Drew tells you to jump, you jump. If Travis tells you to put your peace sign up, you put your peace sign up. If Martin tells you to go crazy, you go crazy. But if The Veronicas tell you to dance... eh, you don't really have to dance.
Although I must admit, I disagreed with their diagnosis of "Take Me on the Floor." The way they played it live, it wasn't so much a dance song as a jump-up-and-down song. But hey, I jumped... Besides, I could be on mtvU!
The Veronicas schooled the apathetic crowd in how to dance during "This Is How It Feels." Throughout the song, The Blonde jumped around and kicked her legs and shook her head like only a blonde-bobbed waif can. Needless to say she looked So Frickin Cool.
The Veronicas wanted to get the crowd into it. At this show and their concert last year, they accepted the fact that "4ever" is their only song Americans know. So both times, they saved it for last and invited the audience to sing along if they knew the words. Some audience members did. Nowhere near as many as knew the words to "Happy" by NSN, but a fair amount. Overall, their performance was not too shabby. Not nearly as shabby as The Blonde's ratty little tank top, anyways.
The Academy Is...
William Beckett has something The Veronicas needed (besides male anatomy): charisma. NSN may have given the best performance of the night, but William Beckett was the best performer. I thought The Veronicas knew how to work a stage, but he really knew what he was doing. And he was doing a lot. Throwing the mic stand. Lifting it up in the air. Standing on top of the speakers with his fist in the air. Standing on top of the speakers and staring intently at the audience. His set was like one big photo op: every five seconds, he doing something that looked iconic. In another life, he could've been a crazy demagogue.
Except his voice sounded kind of squeaky when he spoke. Not as high as Chris's, but it was weird, since his voice sounded freakishly deep when he introduced the remix of "Automatic Eyes" on Fall Out Boy's free mixtape. I don't know if that was the mic or just him... For the record, Martin sounded pretty high-pitched, too, but Travis didn't. Huh.
TAI's set opened with the spectacular rocker "Summer Hair=Forever Young." Love that song. And he never lost any steam, plowing through other high-energy should-have-been-hits like "Neighbors" and "His Girl Friday" without losing any steam. Watching Beckett's energy and listening to his crazy catchy hooks, I could not fathom how The Academy Is... had existed for so many years without becoming one of the most popular powerpop-punk bands around.
Near the end of their set, Beckett asked the audience who had seen The Academy Is... before. Big cheer. Then he asked whose first time it was. Cheer of roughly the same volume. He told us neophytes to put our hands in the air (Okay, he didn't use the word "neophytes;" I think he said "guys." Just trying to put those ol' vocab words to work here.) He welcomed us to the club and told us to keep our hands in the air while they played "We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands." (By the end of the night, I could barely lift my arms after all this rocking out.)
When the set ended with "About a Girl," the energy in the pavilion could have powered the entire city of Baltimore. Or at least Pier Six's crazy loud speaker system. It was actually a bit of relief when the set ended. I was exhausted, but I couldn't stop myself from rocking out to every one of TAI's songs. They're too catchy for their own good.
Gym Class Heroes
The Veronicas may have been the misfits in the crowd's eyes (Jungle George and the other guys in the band just can't compete), Gym Class Heroes were the musical misfits. Before each set the DJs played a mixture of pop, pop-punk, and emo tunes - except before GCH's. This time, DJs got the crowd prepared for the dramatic shift from nonstop powerpop to chill alt hip-hop by playing other hip hop tunes. They sounded out of place at a concert full of girls in homemade Boys Like Girls and NSN shirts, but they were a welcome change.
Gym Class Heroes was the band at this show that I hadn't extensively listened to beforehand - of course I know "Cookie Jar" and "Cupid's Chokehold," but I hadn't listened any of their albums all the way through. Rap just isn't my thing, even when backed by guitars and a full band.
But much to my surprise, I thought GCH's set was the most enjoyable set of the night. It was so chill. Their music wasn't going at a mile a millisecond like TAI's, and unlike most of The Veronicas' tunes, it really was danceable. Also, being madly in love with Christopher Drew and William Beckett, and needing to show a little love for the underappreciated Veronicas, I felt like I needed to be the craziest dancer in the audience so that one of them would glance at me and know how much I adore them. But I didn't need to go crazy to show Travis what a dedicated fan I was because, well, I'm not a dedicated fan. So I was content to chill out and do my own thing, which was so much more fun than forcing myself to jump up and down through all the verses to outdo the kids who only jump during the choruses.
I think there is a valuable lesson here about being yourself and not trying to impress others, but I won't state it explicitly because that would just be too cheesy. This is a televised concert, not a Lifetime movie.
Travis didn't rock out or go crazy on stage like his predecessors - he was way too chill for that. The flashiest part of their set was a flag with their name on it that they waved during the first and last songs.
Oh, and the guy in the American flag shirt. That was pretty flashy.
They played all the essentials - "Cupid's Chokehold," "The Queen and I," "Peace Sign/Index Down" (everyone put up their peace sign but very few people continued to follow their instructions after that - would they have been allowed to air that on mtvU?) Before "Cookie Jar," Travis demonstrated his "power over the female species": He asked where the guys were. A few cheered enthusiastically, but compared to the night's other cheers, it was a mumble. THen he asked where his ladies were. Oh man. I'm gonna lose my hearing.
He repeated the exercise three times. The handful of guys cheered as loud as they could, but they couldn't lay a finger on the ladies' volume. And speaking of laying fingers on things...
"You know what this looks like to me?" Travis asked the fellows. "A big cookie jar!"
And he was so funny and he sounded so good, the song didn't even totally repulse like it usually does.
But the least repulsive song of the set - that is to say, my favorite song - was definitely "Guilty as Charged." Travis introduced the song by telling about his incident with the law and how much it taught him. He had just two words to say about it: "I'm... innocent!!!"
I gotta say, I loved Gym Class Heroes' set. Their low-key hip-hop was the perfect respite from all the thrashing guitars and hyperactive drummers in the preceding bands. And a great opportunity to catch my breath before things really got crazy...
mtvU's Oh-So Talented DJ
The guy who DJed this show really was cool. He kept us entertained without getting too cheesy - excluding a weird bit where he introduced The Veronicas by adopting a fake Australian accent and trying to scare the other DJ (who ruled the turntables) with a stuffed leopard. Umm, all right...
But this DJ has way more than plush toys up his sleeve. And before Boys Like Girls came on, the DJ gave us his very grand finale: a tribute to Michael Jackson.
The DJ expertly performed one of Michael Jackson's famous dances. This guy was great. He danced like a pro, sang pretty decently before introducing an earlier band, successfully and consistently got the crowd pumped by reminding them they could be on TV, and didn't tell lame jokes! I wish I could remember his name because as he deftly performed Michael's old moves, it became clear that he was one talented guy - a bit overqualified for his DJ job.
Or maybe he was perfectly qualified. As I said, mtvU knows how to throw a party.
Boys Like Girls
Even before they came onstage, it was clear that Boys Like Girls' set was going to be a little different. They were the headliners, after all, the closers - and they got quite a bit of special treatment. The stage, which had been littered with drum kits and speakers and who knows what else, was completely cleared for their performance (hey, more room for the DJ to dance like Michael). The sun had set before Gym Class Heroes began, but they hadn't really used any fancy lights for any of the performances.
But for BLG, they brought out the big guns. The lights changed - orange! purple! - as they ran on stage and performed their insanely catchy new single, "Love Drunk." The crowd went wild. Each member of BLG got his own platform to perform on, and they looked pretty darn awesome.
No doubt about it, BLG's set rocked. After "Love Drunk," they stuck almost entirely to songs from their self-titled debut album. "Five Minutes to Midnight," "On Top of the World," "Dance Hall Drug," "Heels Over Head," "Hero/Heroine"... I expected a mix of songs from their old album and the soon-to-be-released album Love Drunk (September 16th, who's pumped??!) but they only treated us to one new song: "HeartHeartHeartbreak."
Martin even gave us the whole cheesy speech about all the good things he's heard about Baltimore - how we're such hard partiers, how we'd never "stare at a new song like it's a painting" - and I guess the speech worked. He taught us the words to the chorus: "Now we're heading for a heart heart heartbreak/And I don't ever ever want to hear you say" - No, he does not continue with "I want it that way." But I expected him to. Every. Time. - "Don't say you loved me, don't even/Don't say you loved me, you're leaving."
You can check out a pretty good-quality video of the song from another show on their tour here.
The crowd was pretty into the song, although based on my experience listening to it afterwards on YouTube, it's one of those songs that doesn't seem too catchy the first time around but gets much better after a couple listens.
But the show certainly ended on a good note: for the last song, BLG's quintessential summer hit "The Great Escape," they invited the audience to join them onstage. In the mad dash for the stage, I got separated from my three friends - one of whom even sprained her ankle in the chaos! - and swept forward to the stage. I wasn't one of the hundreds of lucky ladies who made it onstage (by the time I got there, the security guards had woken up and got into position to stop us), but I was about two feet away and five feet below Paul. Then I got swept sideways to where Martin was giving out high-fives. When he high-fived me, my ring fell off, so I stayed where I was to look for it as he made his way to greet the fans at stage left. I was still searching when he and the crowd came back to center stage, so I got another high five. And a bracelet I found on the ground. Eh, I'll take it.
**Note: I've got a bunch of pictures and a few more tidbits about Martin's tongue action and some technical difficulties, but I'll have to post them later (since I'm kind of leaving for Italy for 10 days, like, right now)! Ttfn! :)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Upcoming Concerts to "Fall" For
Hello world. Particularly the Washington DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas. It's that time of year again when so many bands announce their fall tours that I'm about to burst like an overinflated balloon if I don't let the world know all the awesome stuff going on in the next 3 months. Or at least my voice will sound all high-pitched and squeaky when I try to tell people about them. Excitement and overinflated balloon effect.
First up, those up-and-comers The Noisettes (or is it just Noisettes? There should be some standardizing of when to use The or the nothing at all...) will be coming to Rock N Roll Hotel with Phantogram next Wednesday, 8/12. Like most of America, I've only heard the British indie rockers' song "Don't Upset the Rhythm," but since they're fresh off tour supporting Lady Gaga, I figure they have to be worth a look.
That same night, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, and Chester French will all be performing at Hersheypark Stadium, which I suppose is kind of a bigger deal. There will be more amazing pop-punk/emo bands at that one show than there were on Warped Tour (no offense). I'd definitely make the two-hour drive for that show, especially since it's the closest Blink-182 will come to DC until Virgin FreeFest, and if you scored tickets to that, stop reading this. You're clearly on top of your concert schedule.
Concerts at Hersheypark are kind of the most amazing thing in the world, by the way. Better roller coasters, better gift shops, and better bands than Six Flags. Plus you can buy tickets to Hersheypark the day of or the day after the concert for about 40% off. It's awesome. Click for more info on shows and reduced price tickets. I saw the Jonas Brothers and Avril Lavigne play at Hersheypark Stadium last summer, and it was pretty much the greatest day-long concert experience imaginable. And if you're looking for something a bit lighter than Blink-182 to end your day at the park, may I suggest Demi Lovato and David Archuleta's show on Friday 8/21. David's sweet tunes should fit right in at a park full of people dressed up like Hershey Kisses and Reese's, and Demi's new album ranged from syrupy ballads to harder rock candy (with plenty of sugar throughout).
Alternatively, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker will be playing Hersheypark Stadium on Wednesday 8/29.
A bit closer to home, Baltimore has some great shows in August that haven't sold out yet. On Saturday 8/22, The Scene Aesthetic, The Color Fred, The Ready Set, Stephen Jerzak, and Tyler Williams (man, that's a mouthful) will all be playing at Sonar. Never heard of those last two guys, but since half of The Scene Aesthetic is Andrew from Danger Radio, I'd see them.
Why not just make it a weekend in Baltimore and stick around for Switchfoot and Blue October's show at Ram's Head Live on Sunday 8/23? (Or you could go home and come back. It's not that difficult.)
Although September is typically every teenager's nightmare, it will bring a few good indie bands to lighten your mood. I know I will be positively bouncing off the walls of my classrooms because I am super duper psyched to see OWL CITY at Rock N Roll Hotel on Saturday 9/12 WOOOOOO!!!!! Haha, I'm positively in love with that guy and his breath-taking electronic music experience. British electropopper Unicorn Kid will be opening, as will Norwegian indie darling Kate Havnevik. Kate's music seems a bit more subdued than Unicorn Kids' (Based on the tunes and pictures on his MySpace, I think he'll be bouncing off the walls as well, probably wearing a hat shaped like an animal's head). Performers from three different countries, coupled with Owl City's affinity to painting pictures of the sky, sea, and Seattle through his music, as well as Unicorn Kid's tendency to dress up like a lion, indicate that this should be a pretty exotic show. Being blindly in love with Owl City's songs, I may be a bit biased, but I think this is the must-see show for fall.
(Also, have I mentioned often enough that Owl City's fabulous new album is available now? And have I posted the spiffy banner yet? Sorry, I love this banner. Even if the single of the week dealio ended a while ago.)
After that little lovefest, I can't really make Yo La Tengo's show at the 9:30 Club on Thursday 9/17 look good. But it should be good.
Later in the month, a few good acts are coming to DAR Constitution Hall. Snow Patrol will storm in there on Friday 9/25. Lady Gaga will perform on Tuesday 9/29, and Regina Spektor will follow on Wednesday 9/30. I know quite a few people who are pretty pumped for Regina, so it looks like that might be a hot ticket as well.
Then October basically belongs to the 9:30 club and pop-punk. The first exciting show to hit there is Family Force 5, Breathe Carolina, Cash Cash, Queens Club, and I Rival on Wednesday 10/14. I personally have found that Breathe Carolina are impossible to listen to, live or on their recordings, because the bass is just so much louder than the music. But I'd gladly check out Cash Cash then try to snoop around and catch glimpses of the bands at their merch tables (or anywhere else) while waiting for Family Force 5.
But wait, there's more. October just keeps getting better, with All Time Low, We the Kings, Hey Monday, and Friday Night Boys (another one of those awkward band names that might or might not need to be preceded by "the") playing the 9:30 Club on Sunday 10/18. If you aren't drooling over that line-up, you need to listen to more Fueled by Ramen and similar bands.
Then comes the next-most drool-inducing tour of the fall: Hanson and Hellogoodbye co-headlining. (Steel Train and Sherwood supporting.) They're coming to Ram's Head Live on Monday 10/19 and 9:30 Club on Tuesday 10/20. I would post about how excited I am for this tour in gigantic, colorful letters, but I kind of want to keep it all to myself so it doesn't sell out before I convince my parents to let me go :) So I guess this subtle little blurb is your reward for reading (or skimming) through the August and September shows: Hanson, the forefathers of all boy bands, touring with Hellogoodbye, who are disappointingly far from boy-band territory, but still one of my favorite bands ever. Sure, Hanson may be pretty darn old at this point, but they are, like, classic. Compared to the Jonas Brothers, anyways.
Also, make sure you prep for the concert this week by checking out Hellogoodbye's new song "When We First Met" being streamed on Absolutepunk.com tomorrow.
Not too many November shows have been announced yet, but I'd start making plans now if you want to see Peter Bjorn & John with El Perro del Mar at the 9:30 Club on Saturday 11/7 or They Might Be Giants, also at the 9:30 Club, on 11/28. They Might Be Giants actually have two shows that day - a "special family show" at 3:00 and a show at 8:00 presumably geared toward audiences that are mostly of age. Spending Thanksgiving weekend with a bunch of small children at a They Might Be Giants Show? That sounds like a new holiday tradition I could get used to.
In the interest of not wasting time tediously linking to tickets for every single show, you can find tickets, times, and more information for each venue here:
9:30 Club
Rock N Roll Hotel
DAR Constitution Hall
Ram's Head Live
Sonar
Hersheypark
First up, those up-and-comers The Noisettes (or is it just Noisettes? There should be some standardizing of when to use The or the nothing at all...) will be coming to Rock N Roll Hotel with Phantogram next Wednesday, 8/12. Like most of America, I've only heard the British indie rockers' song "Don't Upset the Rhythm," but since they're fresh off tour supporting Lady Gaga, I figure they have to be worth a look.
That same night, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, and Chester French will all be performing at Hersheypark Stadium, which I suppose is kind of a bigger deal. There will be more amazing pop-punk/emo bands at that one show than there were on Warped Tour (no offense). I'd definitely make the two-hour drive for that show, especially since it's the closest Blink-182 will come to DC until Virgin FreeFest, and if you scored tickets to that, stop reading this. You're clearly on top of your concert schedule.
Concerts at Hersheypark are kind of the most amazing thing in the world, by the way. Better roller coasters, better gift shops, and better bands than Six Flags. Plus you can buy tickets to Hersheypark the day of or the day after the concert for about 40% off. It's awesome. Click for more info on shows and reduced price tickets. I saw the Jonas Brothers and Avril Lavigne play at Hersheypark Stadium last summer, and it was pretty much the greatest day-long concert experience imaginable. And if you're looking for something a bit lighter than Blink-182 to end your day at the park, may I suggest Demi Lovato and David Archuleta's show on Friday 8/21. David's sweet tunes should fit right in at a park full of people dressed up like Hershey Kisses and Reese's, and Demi's new album ranged from syrupy ballads to harder rock candy (with plenty of sugar throughout).
Alternatively, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker will be playing Hersheypark Stadium on Wednesday 8/29.
A bit closer to home, Baltimore has some great shows in August that haven't sold out yet. On Saturday 8/22, The Scene Aesthetic, The Color Fred, The Ready Set, Stephen Jerzak, and Tyler Williams (man, that's a mouthful) will all be playing at Sonar. Never heard of those last two guys, but since half of The Scene Aesthetic is Andrew from Danger Radio, I'd see them.
Why not just make it a weekend in Baltimore and stick around for Switchfoot and Blue October's show at Ram's Head Live on Sunday 8/23? (Or you could go home and come back. It's not that difficult.)
Although September is typically every teenager's nightmare, it will bring a few good indie bands to lighten your mood. I know I will be positively bouncing off the walls of my classrooms because I am super duper psyched to see OWL CITY at Rock N Roll Hotel on Saturday 9/12 WOOOOOO!!!!! Haha, I'm positively in love with that guy and his breath-taking electronic music experience. British electropopper Unicorn Kid will be opening, as will Norwegian indie darling Kate Havnevik. Kate's music seems a bit more subdued than Unicorn Kids' (Based on the tunes and pictures on his MySpace, I think he'll be bouncing off the walls as well, probably wearing a hat shaped like an animal's head). Performers from three different countries, coupled with Owl City's affinity to painting pictures of the sky, sea, and Seattle through his music, as well as Unicorn Kid's tendency to dress up like a lion, indicate that this should be a pretty exotic show. Being blindly in love with Owl City's songs, I may be a bit biased, but I think this is the must-see show for fall.
(Also, have I mentioned often enough that Owl City's fabulous new album is available now? And have I posted the spiffy banner yet? Sorry, I love this banner. Even if the single of the week dealio ended a while ago.)
After that little lovefest, I can't really make Yo La Tengo's show at the 9:30 Club on Thursday 9/17 look good. But it should be good.
Later in the month, a few good acts are coming to DAR Constitution Hall. Snow Patrol will storm in there on Friday 9/25. Lady Gaga will perform on Tuesday 9/29, and Regina Spektor will follow on Wednesday 9/30. I know quite a few people who are pretty pumped for Regina, so it looks like that might be a hot ticket as well.
Then October basically belongs to the 9:30 club and pop-punk. The first exciting show to hit there is Family Force 5, Breathe Carolina, Cash Cash, Queens Club, and I Rival on Wednesday 10/14. I personally have found that Breathe Carolina are impossible to listen to, live or on their recordings, because the bass is just so much louder than the music. But I'd gladly check out Cash Cash then try to snoop around and catch glimpses of the bands at their merch tables (or anywhere else) while waiting for Family Force 5.
But wait, there's more. October just keeps getting better, with All Time Low, We the Kings, Hey Monday, and Friday Night Boys (another one of those awkward band names that might or might not need to be preceded by "the") playing the 9:30 Club on Sunday 10/18. If you aren't drooling over that line-up, you need to listen to more Fueled by Ramen and similar bands.
Then comes the next-most drool-inducing tour of the fall: Hanson and Hellogoodbye co-headlining. (Steel Train and Sherwood supporting.) They're coming to Ram's Head Live on Monday 10/19 and 9:30 Club on Tuesday 10/20. I would post about how excited I am for this tour in gigantic, colorful letters, but I kind of want to keep it all to myself so it doesn't sell out before I convince my parents to let me go :) So I guess this subtle little blurb is your reward for reading (or skimming) through the August and September shows: Hanson, the forefathers of all boy bands, touring with Hellogoodbye, who are disappointingly far from boy-band territory, but still one of my favorite bands ever. Sure, Hanson may be pretty darn old at this point, but they are, like, classic. Compared to the Jonas Brothers, anyways.
Also, make sure you prep for the concert this week by checking out Hellogoodbye's new song "When We First Met" being streamed on Absolutepunk.com tomorrow.
Not too many November shows have been announced yet, but I'd start making plans now if you want to see Peter Bjorn & John with El Perro del Mar at the 9:30 Club on Saturday 11/7 or They Might Be Giants, also at the 9:30 Club, on 11/28. They Might Be Giants actually have two shows that day - a "special family show" at 3:00 and a show at 8:00 presumably geared toward audiences that are mostly of age. Spending Thanksgiving weekend with a bunch of small children at a They Might Be Giants Show? That sounds like a new holiday tradition I could get used to.
In the interest of not wasting time tediously linking to tickets for every single show, you can find tickets, times, and more information for each venue here:
9:30 Club
Rock N Roll Hotel
DAR Constitution Hall
Ram's Head Live
Sonar
Hersheypark
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Ocean Eyes - Cover your eyes?
So Owl City is having this contest, right? And to win an autographed poster, album, and $50 iTunes gift card, all you have to do is upload a review of his new album Ocean Eyes onto YouTube, right? And I figured, hey, how about I make a super cute video where my Beanie Babies and duck-shaped soap review the album? Wouldn't that be cute?
It ended up looking totally stupid. Mostly cuz I made it in under 4 hours with my arch nemesis, Windows Movie Maker. But also cuz it's stupid.
So I don't really want anyone to watch it... But since it's a music review that I made and posted online, I feel obligated to post it here... There's a legit review of the album in the last 20 seconds or so. I'll find it for you...
2:11. There's the review. So it's a review of Ocean Eyes, plus two minutes and 11 seconds of my Beanie Babies sitting in front of my mom's calendar. What great work.
But for reals, the album is a million trillion zillion times better than my lame little video. Check it out on iTunes or buy it in stores and other places this Tuesday!
It ended up looking totally stupid. Mostly cuz I made it in under 4 hours with my arch nemesis, Windows Movie Maker. But also cuz it's stupid.
So I don't really want anyone to watch it... But since it's a music review that I made and posted online, I feel obligated to post it here... There's a legit review of the album in the last 20 seconds or so. I'll find it for you...
2:11. There's the review. So it's a review of Ocean Eyes, plus two minutes and 11 seconds of my Beanie Babies sitting in front of my mom's calendar. What great work.
But for reals, the album is a million trillion zillion times better than my lame little video. Check it out on iTunes or buy it in stores and other places this Tuesday!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Such a Perfect Video
Coldplay's new video for "Strawberry Swing" premiered today, and I can't say a whole lot about it because it's too breath-taking. Maybe I'm just a sucker for music videos mixing live action with animation, but I'd say it's one of the most beautiful, artful videos I've ever seen.
Watch it. Please.
Watch it. Please.
Super Psyched about Rosy Likes Red's Win!
Just wanted to say congrats to Rosy Likes Red for making Syke Band of the Month. I love Syke, and I love Rosy Likes Red, so I would say that I was totally psyched to see that they won... but that pun would just be too cheesy. I'll go with "stoked" instead.
Also, I am going to stop telling people I love Rosy Likes Red and switch to I absolutely adore Rosy Likes Red because they are just so sweet. They even linked to my review in their MySpace blog. I really wish I was going to be in the country for their shows at the Recher Theater and Jammin Java in August. But I definitely recommend that everyone else in the area goes and checks them out!
In other Rosy Likes Red-related news, the band has posted a bunch of pictures from Warped Tour on their MySpace (I'm still looking for the back of my head so I can brag even more about how good my spot was ^^)
And in case you haven't read my review of their set and are wondering who these guys are that I keep blabbering about, it is your duty as a Maryland citizen (or foreign reader cool enough to be from Maryland) to read my review of this amazing lil local band then check out their songs.
Also, I am going to stop telling people I love Rosy Likes Red and switch to I absolutely adore Rosy Likes Red because they are just so sweet. They even linked to my review in their MySpace blog. I really wish I was going to be in the country for their shows at the Recher Theater and Jammin Java in August. But I definitely recommend that everyone else in the area goes and checks them out!
In other Rosy Likes Red-related news, the band has posted a bunch of pictures from Warped Tour on their MySpace (I'm still looking for the back of my head so I can brag even more about how good my spot was ^^)
And in case you haven't read my review of their set and are wondering who these guys are that I keep blabbering about, it is your duty as a Maryland citizen (or foreign reader cool enough to be from Maryland) to read my review of this amazing lil local band then check out their songs.
Might Be the Nicest, Sweetest Pimp Ever
It would be easy to call Stephen Barnes another little Internet novelty singer because a lot of his songs are pretty novel. Take his acoustic cover of "Swing" by Savage. I never thought that song could be heartwarming, but he sings "knees bent, ass out, come on push your ass out" in such a tender way.
But is that really so surprising from the man behind "Might Be a Pimp," the sweetest little song you've ever heard about prostitutes.
"I might be a pimp
And you might be a ho
But baby I will love you until I grow old"
Awww. It's fun, catchy, and - to make a good deal better - free! All Stephen's songs are available for free download on his PureVolume, and yes, all of them are just as sweet and heartwarming as his songs about prostitution.
If you're in the mood for something a bit more wholesome (but no less novel), I'd recommend my personal favorite Stephen Barnes song, "Handstands for Kelsey." It's an acoustic cover of a mash-up of "Bruises" by Chairlift and "Kelsey" by Metro Station, and no, it does not sound as bad as you think it should. It actually sounds pretty amazing. Check it out. On his MySpace player because this song isn't on YouTube. I trust that even all you Facebookies can find the song :)
Stephen's MySpace looks like a clone of NeverShoutNever's, or at least a younger brother trying his best to imitate NSN. And that's probably no coincidence - when Stephen sent me a friend request, I saw NSN listed as one of our 8 mutual friends. Of course, Stephen is nowhere near as successful as NSN - NSN has over 136 times as many MySpace friends as Stephen (yeah, I did the math). But Stephen's songs trade the simplicity and childlike joy of many of NSN's songs for more sophisticated songwriting. Although I must admit, NeverShoutNever's songs keep getting more and more elaborate, as anyone who's heard The Summer EP knows.
...Well, I don't really have anything newsworthy to say about Stephen Barnes; I just heard his music for the first time about an hour ago, actually. So I don't really know what he's up to, so I guess I'll just leave this here... But wasn't that cover of "Swing" newsworthy enough, even if the original Savage/Soulja Boy song was released almost a year ago and Stephen's cover was released months ago? I thought the whole world needed to know about it ASAP.
Edit: Jaykay, apparently any similarities between Stephen's profile and NeverShoutNever's are purely coincidental. Stephen told me he's not a big fan of NSN and is "trying to be nothing like nsn."
I guess even musicians don't have to like all their MySpace friends...
But is that really so surprising from the man behind "Might Be a Pimp," the sweetest little song you've ever heard about prostitutes.
"I might be a pimp
And you might be a ho
But baby I will love you until I grow old"
Awww. It's fun, catchy, and - to make a good deal better - free! All Stephen's songs are available for free download on his PureVolume, and yes, all of them are just as sweet and heartwarming as his songs about prostitution.
If you're in the mood for something a bit more wholesome (but no less novel), I'd recommend my personal favorite Stephen Barnes song, "Handstands for Kelsey." It's an acoustic cover of a mash-up of "Bruises" by Chairlift and "Kelsey" by Metro Station, and no, it does not sound as bad as you think it should. It actually sounds pretty amazing. Check it out. On his MySpace player because this song isn't on YouTube. I trust that even all you Facebookies can find the song :)
Stephen's MySpace looks like a clone of NeverShoutNever's, or at least a younger brother trying his best to imitate NSN. And that's probably no coincidence - when Stephen sent me a friend request, I saw NSN listed as one of our 8 mutual friends. Of course, Stephen is nowhere near as successful as NSN - NSN has over 136 times as many MySpace friends as Stephen (yeah, I did the math). But Stephen's songs trade the simplicity and childlike joy of many of NSN's songs for more sophisticated songwriting. Although I must admit, NeverShoutNever's songs keep getting more and more elaborate, as anyone who's heard The Summer EP knows.
...Well, I don't really have anything newsworthy to say about Stephen Barnes; I just heard his music for the first time about an hour ago, actually. So I don't really know what he's up to, so I guess I'll just leave this here... But wasn't that cover of "Swing" newsworthy enough, even if the original Savage/Soulja Boy song was released almost a year ago and Stephen's cover was released months ago? I thought the whole world needed to know about it ASAP.
Edit: Jaykay, apparently any similarities between Stephen's profile and NeverShoutNever's are purely coincidental. Stephen told me he's not a big fan of NSN and is "trying to be nothing like nsn."
I guess even musicians don't have to like all their MySpace friends...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A Brilliant Array of "Fireflies" Light the Sky
I blame the lazy, lightning bug-filled nights of summer for making me forget to tell the entire world that Owl City's new single "Fireflies" has been available for free download on iTunes all this week. But you still have two days to zap over to iTunes and grab a copy.
Or you could always pay $.99 for this beautiful little ode to fireflies, insomnia, and other wondrous dreams. A song as magical as this is kind of worth the money.
But wait, there's more - the music video for "Fireflies" premiered yesterday on Owl City's MySpace! Normally I hate videos that all take place in one room and videos where the singer is just sitting at a piano the whole time - yawn! But this video takes place in no ordinary bedroom. Yet again, Owl City takes a mundane situation and turns it into a gorgeous work of art (for more examples of this, see "Early Birdie," a song about going on vacation, complete with highways and shuttle buses, but described in the breath-taking way only Owl City can describe them).
Cute, child-like, wondrous, beautiful.
Owl City "Fireflies"
And where can I get that adorable little dancing wind-up crab at 1:58???
Also, congrats to Owl City for having the #2 album on iTunes. Yup, Ocean Eyes is second only to Daughtry, beating out the Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson, and every other band in the world that is not Daughtry.
It's taken me all week to wrap my head around "Fireflies"' beauty, so I'm not quite ready to extensively review Ocean Eyes, but I can tell you I definitely recommend it. (Also, may I note that it only costs $7.99 right now - pretty good.) As always, Owl City's songs shine a thousand little lights on the beauty in everything from the sea to the sky to the city of Seattle to dancing lightning bugs.
Or you could always pay $.99 for this beautiful little ode to fireflies, insomnia, and other wondrous dreams. A song as magical as this is kind of worth the money.
But wait, there's more - the music video for "Fireflies" premiered yesterday on Owl City's MySpace! Normally I hate videos that all take place in one room and videos where the singer is just sitting at a piano the whole time - yawn! But this video takes place in no ordinary bedroom. Yet again, Owl City takes a mundane situation and turns it into a gorgeous work of art (for more examples of this, see "Early Birdie," a song about going on vacation, complete with highways and shuttle buses, but described in the breath-taking way only Owl City can describe them).
Cute, child-like, wondrous, beautiful.
Owl City "Fireflies"
And where can I get that adorable little dancing wind-up crab at 1:58???
Also, congrats to Owl City for having the #2 album on iTunes. Yup, Ocean Eyes is second only to Daughtry, beating out the Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson, and every other band in the world that is not Daughtry.
It's taken me all week to wrap my head around "Fireflies"' beauty, so I'm not quite ready to extensively review Ocean Eyes, but I can tell you I definitely recommend it. (Also, may I note that it only costs $7.99 right now - pretty good.) As always, Owl City's songs shine a thousand little lights on the beauty in everything from the sea to the sky to the city of Seattle to dancing lightning bugs.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Warped Tour Diary Part 1: The Canned Food Conundrum, Sing It Loud, and the Next Jonas Brothers?!!?
Warped Tour. Alternative Press can (and will) spend hours talking about how it's the only summer tour that matters (What, AP's not into the JoBros World Tour? Or Demi Lovato and David Archuleta??), so you can pick up a copy of their magazine if you want a long-winded explanation of why Warped Tour is awesome. For my introduction, all I can say is, it is. It's big and long and hot and sweaty and weird and scary and hilarious and it would probably smell like gym socks if not for the overwhelming stench of tobacco. But we love it anyways.
2009's tour was an extremely momentous occasion: it marked the first time in history that my parents actually let me go. So this Tuesday, my friend and I got up at the crack of 7:00 (soooo earrrlyyyyy...) to make sure we got to the Merriweather Post Pavilion before the crowds did (I hear they start arriving around 9:00).
Tiffany, my friend laughed at your blog about being in the middle of the woods since Columbia Mall is literally across the street from Merriweather Post, but I totally feel you. I was sure I would get attacked by a bear while trying to find the main entrance in that forest. First, I got to the North Gate, which appears to be the chill entrance. Everyone was just sitting in circles on the ground. I'd like to chill there next year. But I was meeting up with a friend of a friend who had been standing in line at the main entrance since 7:30 (now that's dedication), so I had to rush past Barely Blind and their $5 EPs (all the way from Texas - wow!) and hug the fence of the pavilion, leaving a trail of Chewy bar crumbs so I wouldn't get lost.
(Okay, so maybe hugging the fence was enough to keep me from getting lost. Plus there was no way I was dropping any of my well-hid snacks on the ground. But didn't that make a cute story?)
We got in line easily enough, applied some sunscreen, and settled in for the long wait. The guys from The Promise Hero came by hocking their $5 EP, but they didn't seem too impressed when I started squealing about how I'm friends with them on MySpace and think they're really cool. Honestly, they seemed a bit more interested in my friend's friend's tank top and short shorts. Guys.
A few other people came by touting $5 EPs, and one guy even had an EP he was willing to sell for $2-5, whatever we were comfortable paying. That was cool. But he still focused his attention on the girls in tank tops and lost a sale because of it. We also got accosted by the friendly folks from Peta2, which has now decided to give away DVDs and stickers at every musical event in the world. I signed a petition against animal testing by cosmetics companies, despite my burning hatred for organizations that spend their money giving out free DVDs and stickers when they could use the money to, oh, I don't know, help animals, or something like that. But whatever.
My friends and I all brought canned foods because we wanted free cut-the-line passes. And we like helping those less fortunate. We kept looking for places to drop it off (because I really don't want to carry my condensed milk and canned peaches around all day, thank you), but the Peta2 girls were clueless about it, and the Merriweather employees actually refused to talk about it. Weird. But around 10:00, all us line-jumping do-gooders got to stand under a tree, then move to a secret entrance next to some trailers, across the street from the dumpsters. Apparently this was the VIP entrance, too.
At first, we were all smushed together into one big line. I was standing near a guy wearing an Owl City t-shirt and was about to profess my love for Owl City to him and ask him if he was a member of the street team too and ask him to be my best friend, but just then, they divided our big mass of people trying to pass itself off as a line into two big masses of people trying to pass themselves off as the VIP line and the other line. Owl City Fan was a VIP, and I was a mere canned food-carrying commoner. Sigh. I never got to talk to him. I did manage to holler "I like you NeverShoutNever shirt" at a rather bewildered boy in a NeverShoutNever shirt, though.
They said they'd let our line in 10-15 minutes early, but by the time we got in, the pavilion was already flooded by folks from the main entrance. So maybe we would've gotten in earlier if we hadn't helped the needy. Oh well. Time to spend $2 on a sheet of paper with the schedule and move on!
The First Band: Sing It Loud
After our first lap around the pavilion, I bought a $6 smoothie (Sorry hon, I ain't paying $2 extra to carry around a sticky souvenir cup all day. Though the 3-foot tall $9 cups did look pretty darn cool...) and settled in to watch Sing It Loud's set.
Pat Brown has prettier hair than any other non-transvestite on Warped Tour. (But he's got nothing on Jeffree Star.)
My overpriced strawberry smoothie and I rocked out to a couple songs, including "Bite Your Lip." I truly admire Sing It Loud for noticing that a girl is biting her lower lip. Any other Warped Tour band would probably have called the song "Flash Your Tits" or "Shake Your Ass." Props to Sing It Loud for looking above chest-level.
My New Favorite Band: Rosy Likes Red
During Sing It Loud's last song, my friend and I made our way over the Kevin Says stage to get a good spot for the Baltimore band Rosy Likes Red. We got there pretty early, so there were plenty of spaces available to stand near the stage... including front row, center. Right in front of two giant speakers, of course, but you can't pass up a Great Spot like that. Sacrifice your hearing for the love of music.
While the band was setting up, two girls approached us and asked if we were there to see Vamps or if we'd be leaving after this band played (yeah, you know you want our Great Spot). We told them we were just here for Rosy Likes Red, then we'd probably go to another stage, so they could have our Great Spot. I checked out the schedule, seeing that Rosy Likes Red was scheduled to begin at 11:50, and Vamps was playing... at 3:55.
"You're seeing Vamps at 4:00?" I asked the girls, confused.
"Yeah," she said, and explained that they're a Japanese band who doesn't come to the US very often. She's gone to New York to see them before, so I guess standing outside in front of some speakers for 4 hours was no big... That's dedication. The Vamps fans were really cool. I tried to bond with them over our love of Asian Music No Other Non-Asians Listen To, but my mangled pronunciation of Aof Pongsak meant nothing to them. They also kind of liked Girls Generation, though, so that was cool. I'm definitely going to check out Vamps sometime, see if they're really worth the hot, sweaty wait.
But our conversation was cut short when Rosy Likes Red worked out their technical difficulties (for the moment...) and began their set.
I'd never heard of Rosy Likes Red before Warped Tour, so I can't tell you exactly which songs they played, but I can tell you they sounded good. On their MySpace, they describe themselves as new wave/emo/post punk with a retro sound. I don't know much about new wave post punk (for one thing, I thought that was an oxymoron...), but I would classify them as pop-punk. Their music reminded me of Blink-182's lighter stuff. I picked up a copy of their EP after the show (and got them all to sign it - yay!). I can definitely recommend the songs "Girl, You Take My Breath Away" and "Give Up." "Down" sounds a bit shakier on the EP, not quite as melodious, but still pretty rockin'.
But the thing that really struck me about Rosy Likes Red was their image and stage presence. Lead singer Connor looked very striking in a black tee, red skinny jeans, and mismatched red and black Chucks. Was it just coincidence that he was wearing fire engine pants, which were the trademark of Joe Jonas before they became the trademark of every lite emo hipster? Or that bassist Byron had a fauxhawk, which was the trademark of Joe Jonas before the band got involved with Disney and Disney reportedly cut off the Joehawk because it was too immature? Rosy Likes Red's stage presence reminded me of the Jonas Brothers before every elementary schooler in the world had a Camp Rock pillowcase, back when they were just a little pop-punk band from Jersey that was heavier on the pop. Disney probably won't be banging down Rosy Likes Red's door because RLR is certainly heavier on the punk half of the genre than the JoBros ever were, but RLR's on-stage antics were certainly reminiscent of the free Jonas Brothers concert I saw in Six Flags two years ago, before they released their first album on a Disney-owned record label. Connor jumped and danced around, just as Kevin Jonas always did. He also walked right up to the edge of the stage, on top of the speakers, looking too cool in his wayfarer shades. He didn't quite have the Joe Jonas Rockstar Strut down, but he was getting there.
Cute moment: Rosy Likes Red's motto is "Get naked and dance!" Near the beginning of the set, Connor said that. A girl behind me started lifting up her tank top.
"Oh my God!" Connor screamed. "She's actually doing it!"
Sure, I don't honestly believe she was going to take it all off, and I don't if Connor really believed that either, but it was the cutest thing ever. Any other band would've cheered and egged her on, but Rosy Likes Red seemed genuinely shocked, bless their skinny-jeans-loving little hearts.
But seriously folks, Rosy Likes Red were awesome. And Jonas haters, please don't write them off because I just spent the last 250 words saying their set was like a "Year 3000"-era Jonas Brothers nostalgia tour. They aren't little JoBros wannabes or anything like that. They're a super cool local band everyone should check out.
Also, their drummer looked amazing. I don't know much about drumming, but I do know that the way he went from the snare and toms to the cymbals looked really cool. Their songs didn't have very funky beats, but he played them in a pretty funky-looking way. I never saw him do the traditional one-hand-on-snare-other-on-tom setup most drummers use. I think... Uggh, I know nothing about drumming, but I think their drummer was really cool. Drummers, please comment and either explain what I'm trying to say or just tell me I'm crazy.
Rosy Likes Red had a bunch of technical difficulties during their set, but they handled them with charm and charisma. Connor spilled his drink on the wires connecting his mic and guitar, but he turned the whole thing into a joke about how he's such a crazy, destructive rock star. Lots of things kept going wrong with their equipment, but RLR never missed a beat. Very good for a little local band on the Kevin Says stage.
Did I mention how close to the stage we were? We were so close to the stage. I think I could have touched Connor if I had reached my hand out. But no one else was trying to touch him, and RLR isn't super famous (yet), so I was afraid I would come off as weird and creepy instead of cute and fangirly. So I kept my hands to myself.
I still want to be able to reach out and touch someone on some stage at some point in my life, though.
Also, at the end of their set, some guy in short shorts and nothing else came running out on stage. It reminded me of how Hellogoodbye concerts usually end with guys dressed up in colorful Mexican garb or beer bottle costumes dancing around the stage. It was random, but it was a cool touch.
After the set, my friend and I went over to RLR's tent to hang out with them and get autographs and the like. We both bought their EP and got everyone to sign it. At first, the guys started signing the front of the plastic case instead of the disc itself. Then they realized it was better to sign the actual disc. Cuties. Guess they aren't too used to giving autographs.
Other cool fact: my friend went bowling with their bassist, Byron, and he recognized her! Yeah, I'm friends with friends of famous people. Be jealous.
I also got my picture taken with all the members of RLR except Connor, who was busy talking to some friends and kind of oblivious to the fact that me and my friend were standig right next to him for, oh, I don't know, five minutes. Hmmm. It was worth it to get his autograph, though. Plus it gave me some time to check out Alana Grace, who played on the Kevin Says stage after RLR. She sounded all right. One of the few female-fronted rock bands at Warped Tour this year (or was she a solo artist with a back-up band?). The few minutes I heard of her set weren't very remarkable, though I liked her black tee with gold writing on it. Couldn't read it, but it looked cool.
And thus ends Part 1 of my diary of my day at Warped Tour. Stay tuned for the dish on Lights, the scariest mosh pit I've ever seen (not Lights'), and a very pissy British band that is not afraid to kick you in the vagina.
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