Popular pop band Westlife and singer Natasha Bedingfield will perform at the upcoming Nobel Peace Prize Concert honouring this year’’s winner US President Barack Obama.
Chart-topper Bedingfield will share the stage with Wyclef Jean, Toby Keith and Chinese pianist Lang Lang at the event on December 11.
Donna Summer, American jazz singer Esperanza Spading, Puerto Rican singer [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Jean’
Westlife, Bedingfield among line-up for Obama peace prize gig
December 2nd, 2009 |
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Michael Jackson Moonwalk Glove Auction
November 18th, 2009 |
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The rhinestoned glove Michael Jackson wore during the world premiere of the Moonwalk will be auctioned in New York City this weekend. The King of Pop wore the bejeweled glove — made in Korea — for his 1983 performance of “Billie Jean” at the Motown 25 TV special.
The glove, which is encrusted with Swarovski crystals [...]
Gerard Butler Lindsay Lohan Dating?
November 2nd, 2009 |
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Lindsay Lohan has raised eyebrows after she was seen locking lips with Jennifer Aniston’s alleged former flame Gerard Butler at a recent star studded bash in Morocco. The actress, who was believed to be still yearning for former lover Samantha Ronson, was spotted snogging the Hollywood heartthrob at The Sanctuary Club, spywitnesses told London’s The [...]
Michael Jackson: “This Is It” Hear It Now
October 12th, 2009 |
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Michael Jackson: “This Is It”
At the stroke of 12 a.m. (midnight) EST on October 12, a never-before released song from Michael Jackson – a single entitled “This Is It” – was unveiled to the world on www.MichaelJackson.com. “This Is It,” a brand new song, marks yet another exciting moment in music history for one of the world’s most revered artists; featuring backing vocals by Michael’s brothers The Jacksons, the song plays during the closing sequence of Sony Pictures’ forthcoming film MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT and is on the 2-disc CD set Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which is the stand-alone companion to the motion picture. The single artwork – a new photo of Michael taken recently at his Staples Center rehearsals – was also disclosed.
Later this month, Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia/Epic Label Group will release the two-disc album Michael Jackson’s This Is It internationally on October 26 and North America on October 27 to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture, which arrives in theaters on October 28 and runs for a limited two-week engagement. You can pre-order the 2-disc CD and deluxe 4-disc vinyl set here.
Check out the trailer for the movie and the song “This Is It” now:
THIS IS IT – COMPLETE TRACKLISTING
Disc 01
1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
2. Jam
3. They Don’t Care About Us
4. Human Nature
5. Smooth Criminal
6. The Way You Make Me Feel
7. Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
8. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
9. Thriller
10. Beat It
11. Black Or White
12. Earth Song
13. Billie Jean
14. Man In The Mirror
15. This Is It
16. This Is It (Orchestra Version)
Disc 02
1. She’s Out Of My Life (Demo)
2. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Demo)
3. Beat It (Demo)
4. Planet Earth (Poem)
Will, Jada Pinkett Smith to host Nobel Peace Prize Concert
September 30th, 2009 |
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Hollywood actor Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett are set to host this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Concert.
The star couple said that they are both humbled and honored to take part in the 16th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert to be held on Dec. 11 in Oslo, Norway.
“The opportunity to recognize the laureate’’s contributions to [...]
Akon plans gig Down Under
September 27th, 2009 |
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Global hip-hop star Akon will perform in Australia next month with pal T-Pain.
Akon has made music with heavyweights including Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Eminem and most recently David Guetta., reports The Daily Telegraph.
And now, he’ll rock Australian grounds with T-Pain.
Akon will hit Acer Arena on October 27th.
Dating, Living, and Being Your Best Self
September 23rd, 2009 |
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In a comment on my post last week about living your life as if you were on a date, a reader named Jean posted this comment:
Thanks for this article! But regarding the ‘be yourself’ advice… I’ve always wondered, which self? I have a best self who is on time, considerate, well dressed, brave, follows my dreams, etc. I also have a worst self who is late, selfish, lazy, a slob, and a scaredy-cat. The rest of the time I spend climbing away from one and towards the other, but frankly I spend more of my time near the ‘worst self’ end. I used to have a long-distance boyfriend who only saw my ‘best’ self and therefore had an unrealistic view of me. I got tired out trying to keep up his good opinion of me, and the relationship crashed because I wasn’t comfortable.
Jean raises some really interesting questions, and I thought it would be instructive to consider them in a longer form than is really practical as a blog comment.
My immediate thought is that the goal is to be our best selves all the time. But that shouldn’t be exhausting; in fact, I think that when we are truly being our best selves, it’s invigorating. Think of that energy we get when we meet someone and fall in love – you find yourself suddenly “on the ball” throughout your life, not just the parts that you spend with this new person. Or consider the creative person’s “flow”, that state of mind and action where everything just seems to come naturally, where we lose track of time, where ideas and their execution seem to blend together into a seamless, effortless whole. What is that if not us being our best selves?
What’s exhausting is faking that. Pretending to be our best selves. Because usually we aren’t really being our best selves, we’re being someone else’s idea of what our best self should be – or what we imagine their idea of our best self is. Think about it: if you love doing something, if doing it feeds and fulfills you on a fundamental level, how hard is it to do that thing, to be that person? Usually, it takes a serious effort to keep us from doing it!
This is why I hate books like The Rules, a dating guide for women that essentially smothers the best self and replaces it with a facsimile self crafted to avoid offending anyone and to secure a mate at all costs. Look at some of their “Top Ten Rules”:
- 2. Show up to parties, dances and social events even if you do not feel like it.
- 5. If you are in a long-distance relationship, he must visit your three times before you visit him.
- 8. Close the deal. Rules women do not date men for more than two years.
Frankly, that sounds exhausting to me. The constant focus on marriage (that is, living towards the future instead of living in the now), the constant self-censoring to make sure you don’t put more into your relationship than your partner, the constant denial of your own feelings and state of mind – is that your best self, or the authors’?
I don’t know anything about Jean or about the situation with her long-distance ex, but I have to wonder: was she really being her best self or the idea she had of what her best self should be like. I know that when I first found myself in the dating pool in my early 30s, I found it exhausting all the time – wearing clothes that I wasn’t all that comfortable in because I felt they were the “right” clothes, acting a social role that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with (as a gender studies professor, traditional gender roles leave me flat), putting on an “all is well in the world” attitude when sometimes I was nervous, overworked, or even flat broke. It took me years to realize that I wasn’t doing myself, or my dates, any favors by trying to be someone other than I was – even if I somehow managed to impress them, it wasn’t really me they were impressed by but some other guy whose part was played by me.
My own dating life took off when I started being as honest as possible about who I am, what I want, and where I wanted things to go. I dress nice, but I don’t dress out of character. I do those “chivalrous” things because I feel like it, not because it’s expected – and I expect the same kind of small considerations from my date, or I let her know that I’m really not the right kind of guy for her. I share my goals and aspirations, my values and beliefs, even my feelings on religion and politics (oh no!) freely, and encourage the same openness from my date.
I’m not saying Jean or anyone else should be their “worst self”, on a date or anywhere else. I’m saying that there’s a good chance Jean’s strengths and the weaknesses she describes go hand in hand. For instance, she talks about being a “scaredy-cat” – but we’re all scared, to be honest. Not just in dating, but throughout our lives. What’s exhausting is to pretend we’re not, or to live our lives avoiding the things that scare us. Being our best selves doesn’t mean not being afraid, it means being honest about being scared, accepting that fear, and forging forward in spite of it. Jean talks about being lazy – but we’re often lazy out of fear, fear of failure, fear of being imperfect, fear of letting people (including ourselves) down. I’m not saying “be lazy”, I’m saying that laziness can easily arise out of a desire to do well by ourselves and by others and the worry that we can’t live up to that desire. When we open up to others in a real, honest way, those fears often dissipate – or at least become things we can deal with rather than things that control us.
Do you see what I’m saying? When I say “be yourself”, I don’t mean cave in to your worst impulses, I mean put your real strengths on display while being honest – with yourself, especially – about how those strengths and your weaknesses fit together. Or more to the point: let yourself be human.
Here’s the thing: in dating as in business, teaching, marketing, writing, and just about everything else, it’s good to offend people, if you come by it honestly. I don’t mean you should start swearing at strangers, of course, but that the goal is to draw to yourself the people who are actually compatible, whether as partners, business associates, audiences, or customers, and avoid the ones who simply are not. Take a lesson from Apple, whose “I’m a Mac” commercials work precisely because they offend – they offend people who would never buy a Mac, and create a sense of community among the ones who would and do.
To bring this down to the concrete, I would wager that Jean’s relationship – like so many others – failed not because it was simply too exhausting to be her best self, but because the person she was being when she tried to be that best self wasn’t really her. Maybe the relationship itself was on shaky ground, maybe she didn’t yet have the confidence in herself necessary for a strong relationship, maybe her partner wasn’t ready to accept her as her whole self. This is speculation, of course, but I think if the “best self” Jean put forward had really been her, she would have found it energizing, not tiring.
I don’t pretend any of this is easy. I struggle to live up to what I’m saying here every single day, and I fail about as often. But they’re instructive failures, interesting failures – and with each one I feel a little closer to my best self. Hope this helps!
Dustin M. Wax is a freelance writer and project manager at Stepcase Lifehack. He is also the creator of The Writer’s Technology Companion, a site devoted to the tools of the writing trade. When he’s not writing, he teaches anthropology and gender studies in Las Vegas, NV. He is the author of Don’t Be Stupid: A Guide to Learning, Studying, and Succeeding at College.
Follow him on Twitter: @dwax.
Michael Jackson Vienna Tribute Concert Lineup Revealed
September 8th, 2009 |
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An all-star cast, featuring Akon, Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, Sister Sledge, Natalie Cole, and controversial crooner Chris Brown, will perform at a tribute concert to Michael Jackson in Vienna later this month, organizers said Tuesday.
Thirteen artists so far have been confirmed to perform at the concert, set in front of Vienna’s Schoenbrunn Castle [...]
Friday Playlist
September 4th, 2009 |
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GETTING WISTFUL ON A SUMMER’S DAY
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Our Friday mini-mix returns with some sweet ‘n’ low sounds to ease you into the long holiday weekend. Acoustic guitars and bittersweet overtones abound on these seven selections, which begin with Drug Rug gathered around the kitchen table for “Pick Up Your Pen Lucy.” Then, Marah‘s “If You Didn’t Laugh You’d Cry,” a title that speaks volumes before a note plays. Next, we have a trio of fab cover versions for you – American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel doing John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind,” Caetano Veloso doing a lovely medley built around Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and finally Beth Orton stripping down The Crystals’ “It’s Not The Spotlight.” Our selection concludes this week with a pair of countrypolitan swooners, one old, one new. Todd Snider gives us “Greencastle Blues,” a standout from his sensational new album, The Excitement Plan (JamBase review), and Bobbie Gentry, one of the all-time great pop stylists, plays us out with “I Saw An Angel Die.”
Playlist assembled by JamBase Associate Editor Dennis Cook, who truly lives to share all the cool, beautiful, moving sounds he comes across… |
Mentally Unstable Fans Create Media Circus During Michael Jackson Estate Hearing
August 10th, 2009 |
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Attorneys for Katherine Jackson and Michael Jackson’s estate were in court handling matters relating to the late singer’s fortune on Monday when two women with a variety of mental issues arrived to serve up a little comic relief.
First up, we have Billie Jean Jackson, a nutcase who has long claimed to be the long lost [...]
Harry Patch, Britain’s last surviving soldier of the Great War, dies at 111
July 25th, 2009 |
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It was only when he turned 100 that the veteran of Ypres began to speak about the horrors he had seen
It was just 11 years ago, when he turned 100, that Harry Patch first began to talk about his experiences fighting in the first world war.
It was a week ago that he became the last surviving soldier in the country who had seen at first hand the horror of the trenches.
Yesterday, Harry Patch died peacefully in his bed at his residential home in Wells, Somerset, a man who spent his last years urging his friends and many admirers never to forget the 9.7 million young men who perished during the 1914-18 war.
Last night, it was announced that a special commemoration service for the entire generation of British soldiers who died in the first world war will be held at Westminster Abbey, attended by the Queen and military and political dignitaries.
“War isn’t worth one life,” Patch, nicknamed “the last fighting Tommy”, would say. So traumatised was he by his experiences at the 1917 battle of Passchendaele – which claimed the lives of 70,000 men – that each year Patch locked himself away in a private vigil for his fallen friends.
It was seven days ago that Henry Allingham, 113, Britain’s oldest man and a fellow veteran of the trenches, died; with both men has gone Britain’s last living link to one of the most traumatic events in modern history. The prime minister said it was the passing of the “noblest of all the generations”.
“I had the honour of meeting Harry, and I share his family’s grief at the passing of a great man. The noblest of all the generations has left us, but they will never be forgotten,” said Gordon Brown. “We say today with still greater force, ‘We will remember them’.”
Harry Patch was born on 17 June 1898 in Combe Down, near Bath in Somerset. He left school at 15 to learn his trade as a plumber. He turned 18 just as conscription was brought in and, after six months’ training, he was on the frontline with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He was in the trenches at Ypres between June and September 1917, where he and his gang of five machine gunners made a pact not to kill an enemy soldier if they could help it: they would aim for the legs.
In September 1917, a shell exploded above Patch’s head, killing three of his comrades; he was hit by shrapnel in the lower abdomen, but survived. Every year since then Harry would remember that day.
“He would just lock himself away and remember his friends,” said author Max Arthur, whose 2005 book Last Post documented the words from the last 21 survivors of the war. “Last week, there was just one; now there is no one alive who has seen what Harry saw in the trenches. Harry said it was just the most depressing place on earth, hell with a lid on,” he said.
Arthur said the horrors of Passchendaele stayed with Patch throughout his life. Patch exhibited the signs of post-traumatic stress and even opening a fridge and being confronted by its interior light sometimes became a “traumatic experience, the light resembling an explosion”.
After the war, Patch returned to his trade as a plumber and married Ada, whom he had met while convalescing. They were married in 1919 and had two children, Dennis and Roy. His wife died in 1976 and his sons have also since died. Too old to fight in 1939, Patch became a maintenance manager at a US army camp and joined the Auxiliary Fire Service. He retired in 1963 and in 1980 married again, to Jean, only to be widowed a second time five years ago. His third partner, Doris, who lived in the same retirement home, died last year.
It was only on his 100th birthday that Patch came into the spotlight, when for the first time he allowed reporters to visit his care home. His autobiography, The Last Fighting Tommy, written with Richard van Emden, was published in 2007. “He was the last of that generation and the poignancy of that is almost overwhelming,” said van Emden yesterday. “He remembered all of those who died and suffered, and every time he was honoured he knew it was for all of those who fought.”
He said that his conversations with Patch were “a real education”. “He had a sparkle about him, a dry sense of humour. He was one of the most rewarding people to be with.”
As well as launching poppy appeals for the British Legion, Patch became an agony uncle columnist for men’s magazine FHM and he even had a cider named after him.
In 1999, he received the Légion d’honneur medal awarded by the French to 350 surviving veterans of the Western Front, dedicating it to his three fallen friends. He revisited the Ypres battlefield and British and German war cemeteries, placing a wreath on a German grave. Patch fervently believed war was “organised murder”. “It was not worth it,” he said. “It was not worth one, let alone all the millions.”
Prince Charles was among those to pay tribute yesterday. “Harry always cherished the extraordinary camaraderie that the appalling conditions engendered in the battalion and remained loyal to the end.”
Yesterday, the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said he spoke on behalf of all ranks of the army in expressing sadness at the news.
“He was the last of a generation that in youth was steadfast in its duty in the face of cruel sacrifice and we give thanks for his life – as well as those of his comrades – for upholding the same values and freedom that we continue to cherish and fight for today.”
The funeral is in Wells Cathedral.
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Journey’s end
July 25th, 2009 |
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He was a plumber from Somerset, in many ways an unremarkable man, but Harry Patch became the last British survivor of the carnage of the Western Front.
He was the final physical link to a conflict that saw two armies bogged down in the mud of Flanders and northern France for more than four years.
Henry John Patch was born at Combe Down, a small village near Bath, on 17 June, 1898 in the twilight of the Victorian age.
He left school at 15 and became an apprentice plumber but within a year came the outbreak of the Great War.
His brother had been wounded at Mons so Harry had an idea what to expect when he was finally conscripted into the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at the age of 18.
He trained as a machine gunner before embarking from Folkestone in May 1917 en route to Reims. On his 19th birthday he found himself in the trenches.
Passchendaele
He arrived on the eve of what was to become the last, and one of the bloodiest, British offensives of the war, the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.
The brainchild of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, it was designed to push the army north east and liberate German occupied ports on the Belgian coast.
The offensive soon became bogged down in a quagmire caused by torrential rain and the effects of the massive British artillery barrage which had preceded the move forward.
The battle lasted three months, gaining just five miles of ruined ground at the cost of more than 300,000 British lives.
Harry Patch’s war came to an end on 22 September, 1917 when a German shell burst over the heads of his five man Lewis gun team. Three of them were blown to pieces while Patch was wounded in the groin by a piece of shrapnel.
He was in hospital for 12 months and was convalescing on the Isle of Wight when the Armistice was signed.
In 1919 he married Ada Billington, a girl he met while recovering from his wound and returned to work as a plumber. They had two sons, Dennis and Roy, but he outlived both of them.
Silence
Too old to fight in World War II he became a firefighter in Bath, tackling the aftermath of German air raids.
In 1980 he remarried, but his wife Jean passed away in 1984. From 2003 he had a third partner, Doris, who lived in the same retirement home and died two years ago.
For more than 80 years he would not talk about his war time experiences, refusing to attend regimental reunions and avoiding any war films which appeared on the television.
In 1998, he agreed to be interviewed for the BBC One documentary Veterans and the realisation that he was part of a fast dwindling group of veterans of "the war to end all wars" persuaded him to step into the limelight.
He accepted an honorary degree from Bristol University in 2004 in recognition of his war service and for his work on the construction of the centrepiece of the campus, the Wills Memorial building, which opened in 1925.
He returned to Passchendaele in 2007 for the 90th anniversary of the battle, laying a wreath, not only on a memorial for the British dead, but also at a cemetery for the German victims of the offensive.
On his 101st birthday he travelled to France where he was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, and subsequently made an officer of the Legion d’Honneur.
In 2008, he was also honoured by the Belgian king, Albert II, who appointed him Knight of the Order of Leopold.
One of his favourite awards however was that of the Freedom of the City of Wells, where he had lived for many years.
In 2007 he became the UK’s oldest author when he collaborated with Richard van Emden to write The Last Fighting Tommy, a detailed account of his life. He also became a celebrity agony uncle for men’s magazine FHM and would often speak at festivals.
But Patch had no time for the Act of Remembrance on 11 November, an event he described as "just show business".
He always maintained that his Remembrance Day was 22 September, the day he lost his three best mates and his war ended.
Harry Patch was essentially an ordinary man who led an ordinary life. Even his experiences on the Western Front were no worse than those shared by many other soldiers.
What was extraordinary was that he lived so long, bringing first hand memories into the 21st century of a battle that has passed into history.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
E. Jean Carroll: The Ersatz Orgasm
July 23rd, 2009 |
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Faking has little to do with wanting to please the dude/get his approval/boost his ego, and everything to do with your anatomy
Coldplay | 07.13 | Mountain View
July 17th, 2009 |
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Words & Images by: Tracy Nunnery
Coldplay :: 07.13.09 :: Shoreline Amphitheatre :: Mountain View, CA
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Chris Martin – Coldplay :: 07.13 :: Shoreline AmphitheatreSo, someone mentioned something about a recession the other day. “Things are going to get worse before they get better,” they said. “People are going out less, choosing their entertainment options more carefully and have decided to forgo vacations this year.” At least that’s what the talking heads are saying on TV. Far-removed from the somber media reports of the soft economy, the sell-out crowd in attendance to see Brit rock superstars Coldplay found themselves worlds away from any crisis with their hard-earned dough well spent. The evening was filled with incredibly tight arrangements, elegantly uncomplicated visual effects, an endearing frontman and even a few surprises for their economy-conscious fans. Having never been a huge follower of the band, I now understand why they are one of the biggest bands on the planet.
More than a year into their tour in support of their best-selling, Grammy-winning 2008 Best Rock Album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, vocalist Chris Martin along with guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion appeared fresh and energetic. Aside from their obvious talent as musicians, the band seemed to truly relish the opportunity to play their music and interact with the crowd. How many bands could actually turn the anachronistic “Good evening, San Francisco [roar of the crowd]/ I can’t hear you” call-and-response into something a little more creative? And they had fun doing it, too.
 Coldplay :: 07.13 :: Shoreline Amphitheatre |
Beginning the show from behind a sheer mesh, the familiar sounds of “Life In Technicolor” brought the already frenzied fans to their feet. When the drape was raised, Martin appeared in a multi-colored military cadet-style jacket and began to lead the crowd through nearly two hours of energetic sing-along moments and anthemic choruses. The now-familiar 1830 painting “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix served as the backdrop for the show, while vintage style televisions onstage displayed video feeds and provided a warm glow behind the band.
A sprinkling of tiny-stickered acronyms adorning road cases backstage was the only hint of Coldplay’s deeply rooted interests in activism, such as their support of Amnesty International, Paul McCartney’s Meat Free Monday and Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign. Other simple but effective visuals were integrated into the atmosphere including giant yellow balloons resurrected from 2005′s “Twisted Logic” tour, which were released for the audience to bat around, creating what resembled a human-powered lava-lamp. Other touches included spherical screens displaying imagery or simple color patterns above the stage, pulsating bands of laser lights as well as millions of confetti butterflies set free to flutter throughout the venue.
 Chris Martin – Coldplay :: 07.13 :: Shoreline Amphitheatre |
Moving fluidly between the main stage and two mini-stages jutting into the crowd on either side, Coldplay showcased early hits from three previous albums including “Clocks,” “In My Place,” “Yellow,” “Speed of Sound,” “Trouble” as well as songs from 2008′s Viva including the bluesy “Violet Hill,” “Lost!” and the underrated “42,” infused by Champion’s surgically precise percussion. A highlight was an acoustic jam session where the band gathered on a tiny side stage to perform a brilliantly funky version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” The show ended with a particularly expressive performance of “The Scientist” and then back where it began with “Life in Technicolor II” to draw the evening to a close. Most of the orchestral tracks were performed with a stripped-down treatment, which came across as both bright and unrehearsed. Champion, pulling duty on guitar, drums and vocals, was a potent force as the familiar songs became much more dynamic than their more unassuming recorded counterparts.
Throughout the show, Chris Martin’s playful interaction with the crowd, raucous piano pounding and uncoordinated flailing about added to the spectacle and sense that the band was enjoying themselves at least as much as their audience. The sheer joy and giddy energy bubbling over from the stage was contagious. It was as if everyone in attendance was sharing in the joy of having just discovered the most perfect radio station. The lively atmosphere never seemed to have a down moment and, as fans headed out into the night holding their recession-friendly live CD LeftRightLeftRighLeft (which you can download for FREE at coldplay.com), it seemed as though fans felt like they had gotten their money’s worth. This was a big-time band performing huge songs in a way that few bands can match.
Coldplay :: 07.13.09 :: Shoreline Amphitheatre :: Mountain View, CA
Life In Technicolor, Violet Hill, Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, Glass Of Water, Cemeteries Of London, 42, Fix You, Strawberry Swing, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Talk, The Hardest Part, Postcards From Far Away, Viva La Vida, Lost!, Green Eyes, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay / Death Will Never Conquer, Billie Jean, Viva La Vida, Politik, Lovers In Japan, Death And All His Friends
Encore: The Scientist, Life in Technicolor II, The Escapist (outro)
Continue reading for a more pics of Coldplay in California…
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Coldplay is on tour now, dates available here.
JamBase | All Yellow
Go See Live Music!
“30 Rock†earned 22 Emmy nominations
July 17th, 2009 |
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NEW YORK (AP) — Television comedy is Tina Fey’s world these days. Is there room for anybody else?
Fey and “30 Rock,” her series about the backstage world at a late-night network show, swept both the Emmys and Golden Globes in the past year, and she’s set up to do it again at this year’s [...]
Martha St Jean: Women, Work, Jobs and Advice: A Talk with Janet Hanson
July 14th, 2009 |
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In conversation number two with 10 women who are changing the world and rocking their fields, I bring you Janet Hanson.
Electric Daisy Carnival | 06.26 – 06.27 | L.A.
July 11th, 2009 |
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Words by: Chris Clark | Images by: Ceasar Sebastian & Rukes
Electric Daisy Carnival :: 06.26.09 & 06.27.09 :: L.A. Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Park :: Los Angeles, CA
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It’s tough to place a finger on where to begin to explain exactly what transpired at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. For two nights, the 13th Annual Electric Daisy Carnival proved to be not only a colossal collection of some of electronic music’s biggest and brightest, but 2009′s EDC also secured itself as one of the premier festivals around, period.
Boasting a boisterous and kinetically charged bill that included headliners Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Thievery Corporation and Groove Armada, along with an eclectic array of electro wizards and bass bumpers (STS9, Pretty Lights, Diplo, Boys Noize, Major Lazer, Mark Farina, LTJ Bukem and several dozen others), EDC provided an astonishingly polished product for 100,000-plus revelers to party well into the early morning. Unlike festivals such as Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Lollapalooza, EDC focuses solely on one section of the melange of music out there today: electronic. From drum ‘n’ bass at the Bass Pod stage to trance powerhouses at the Kinetic Field to thick, chest-thumping dubstep at the Neon Garden, if you’re into pulsating speaker stacks, big bass and sample enriched sonic soundscapes you didn’t leave without all your fancies tickled.
And this is just the music.
Both nights’ festivities were spread out over the sprawling urban landscape that surrounds the University of Southern California. It’s here, adjacent to the storied history of the USC campus that the mega-stadium Memorial Coliseum sits. Once home to the Los Angeles Summer Games of 1932 and 1984, the Coliseum currently houses the famed USC Trojans football team, and quite honestly, it was rather enjoyable to be seeing tens of thousands of scantily clad trance worshippers congregate on the very field O.J. Simpson and Reggie Bush, amongst many others, once dominated.
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After getting out of the cab, the sheer enormity of the surroundings was immediately apparent. Scores of teenagers, some I’d guess as young as 13, were decked out in their ultra colorful garb and candy bracelets. Florescent colors dominated the area, as did an onslaught of teenage girls wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie and knee-highs. Without even the slightest hint of embellishment, I have never seen anything like it. I’m sure it was a teenage boy’s dream. Other than these aforementioned jailbaits, scores of chemically altered, enthusiastic pacifier-suckers, dress-all-in-blacks, ravers and even some folks with beards and normal clothing filled the massive complex by the time we arrived around 8 p.m. Once at the colorful gateway, it was time to enter the Bass and not look back.
After I actually made it through security (which was maybe 10 minutes compared to the hours reviewers spoke of last year), a true “Party Like It’s 1999″ atmosphere arose. I’ve been to several Phish festivals, I’ve been to a couple Bonnaroos and I’ve witnessed countless other music festivals from coast to coast, and not one came close to comparing to the production experienced at EDC 2009. Not even close. Music aside, four out of five stages at the festival were as large or larger than any main stage I’d been to, but it’s not just the size of the stages, or even the festival itself, that made it so unequally impressive. Festival organizers Insomniac put extreme emphasis on appealing and stimulating all five senses of the concert going experience (their slogan is “Wide awake since 1993″). The sound at each stage, even the 90,000-seat Kinetic Field stadium, was amazing. Visually, the immense lighting rigs coupled with the giant laser fields proved to be a hallucination-inducing experience without the LSD. There were several points throughout the weekend where I had to close my eyes, reopen them and realize, shit, I didn’t take any extracurriculars.
Other than the walk in through the main entrance, the festival was kept rather clean (for that many people), with bathrooms readily available and the vending and alcohol was everywhere. Additionally, Ferris wheels and carnival rides could be found everywhere, including on the lawn of the Coliseum! So, for the thousands and thousands of paying festival goers, EDC made everything top-notch, safe, accessible and clean, exactly what all festivals should take into account when planning and executing a vision.
Friday, 06.26
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Diving into the music, there certainly is plenty to talk about. Friday night, much like Saturday, focused each sub-genre of electronic music at a given stage. For the most part, the Bass Pod, which housed all the drum ‘n’ bass and a not-so healthy barrage of craziness, I stayed away from. Other than that, our crew split time between the other stages. After showing up just as Nick Catchdubs was firing on all cylinders and Daedelus was just ending his set, we made it over to the Neon Garden for Computer Club, an act I’d never heard of before. After running into him alongside a few Goth kids at our hotel in the early morning, his sound seemed properly fitting to his sheer size. Loud and intense, but super-funky, CC warmed up the early arrivals perfectly for Fake Blood, the man who says of himself, “I make music, and I take your music and do what I want with it. If swallowed seek medical assistance, will stain clothes, will sound spectacular.” I mean come on, how do you go wrong with that? Opening with Rusko’s Kid Sister’s “Pro Nails,” segueing into a perfectly placed “Big Pimpin’” into M.I.A.’s “Bamboo Banga” into Santigold’s “Creator” immediately immersed Fake Blood, aka Touche’ aka Theo Keating’s, into a frenzy at the Neon Garden.
For all those people who thought EDC was simply a massive rave, all you would need to do to capably discredit that very notion was go see Fake Blood and then make it over to the Coliseum Kinetic Filed for Thievery Corporation. I’d seen Thievery a few times before and knew what to expect, but still, something about seeing them on that grand stage made this show stand out. Gradually building up from just Rob Garza and Eric Hilton on the decks, Thievery seamlessly transitioned into full band format, adding a new member or two as each song developed. Maybe they didn’t notice or maybe they were just enjoying the smooth break, but the so-called “candy kids” were a meandering mass of sweaty souls; a continually enlarging group of glow stick-donning 14-22 year olds, twirling and swirling with each passing rhythm. Honestly, it was quite the sight. Unfortunately, the Thievery set was short lived, as it became time to trek back to the Circuit Grounds for the man of the hour, Pretty Lights.
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Now, unless you’re either not paying attention whatsoever or have been hiding from what’s “in,” you’ll surely recognize that name. Having just seen him, along with Kap10 Harris, Morale and Shane King in San Francisco a few weeks prior, I had extremely high expectations for the former bass player of Fort Collins, CO’s Listen. Needless to say, myself and a crowd of several thousand gathered for the commencement and the sweat-soaked dancing never stopped. For an hour and a half, PL escalated then exploded EDC with a barrage of mash-ups like Rage Against the Machine’s “Bullet in the Head” with Rick Ross’ “The Boss” and M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” with “Rump Shaker.” Sans the drummer, Derek Smith was a one-man head-banger crew, providing some of the freshest mixes and most crowd pleasing beats EDC saw on Friday. From the front to back, the area was packed and moving; something I figured would translate into a fiery performance from STS9.
Sadly, that never culminated. STS9′s Live PA set was the definitive letdown of the weekend. Being one of the last additions to EDC, a DJ intensive mega festival, the band had an impressive opportunity to be just that, impressive, and gain a whole new allegiance of fans in the electronic world. Without question, a full band set would’ve automatically deterred the masses from stepping foot near STS9 (unless they dropped a Velmer-fueled “Orbital” to open or something along those lines), but the PA set wasn’t much better. Opening with the new “Lion” the midnight to 2 a.m. set began in rather average fashion, certainly not the way to hype a late night crowd at an event called the Electric Daisy Carnival. After a fairly slow start, the crowd eventually began to trickle out and head over to the 60,000 person strong attendance at the Coliseum for headliner Paul Oakenfold or over to the Neon Garden for Boys Noize. While there was a nice “Glogli” fit into the setlist, it still lacked the normal punch the band characteristically plays with. Much to be expected, a Michael Jackson appearance arose with a short “Billie Jean” beat, but the anticipation quickly subsided as the vast majority of STS9′s crowd started heading for the exit.
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After a little more than an hour and a half of their set, we too left and headed over to the end of Boys Noize. Earlier in the night we’d heard him open with “Thriller” and seemingly, he’d never looked back. His crowd was packed likes pigs in a blanket, as the an onslaught of big-eyed, gaping-grinned attendees bobbed and banged away at the closing minutes of the German electro mind-blower, who made the speakers sing, giving those not at Oakenfold plenty to look forward to on Day 2. While there were a few acts I would’ve liked to see, most notably Shiny Toy Guns, Day 1 was a complete success, even by the highest of standards.
Undoubtedly, Day 1 of EDC was, at the most basic of levels, a phenomenal social experiment, the likes of which I’d never been a part of before. While so many of the other concert and festival experiences I’ve encountered felt like social experiments, this first day of EDC proved to be a much grander, more colorful, better planned and supremely executed endeavor, where I never saw a sliver of violence, people that were too far gone or even the slightest inkling of life going wrong. For myself, and the friends that accompanied me, EDC Day 1 was quite the musical, cultural and artistic journey.
Continue reading for Saturday’s coverage…
Saturday, 06.27
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After one of the premier hotel nights and ensuing pool days I can remember, not to mention 80 degrees and sunshine all day, we headed back to the Coliseum and Exposition Center for Round 2 of EDC. While I anticipated a more raucous crowd than the previous night, I truly had no idea what would be waiting in store for Day 2. What I did know was the Kinetic Field would be full of huge trance/techno/house DJs from start to finish, highlighted by Groove Armada, Kaskade and headliner Paul Van Dyk. For those of you reading this that are into electronic music, surely quite a few of you will have had some of your first electronic experiences with the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Crystal Method, Mark Farina and Roger Sanchez (all who also played Saturday night). For others who caught onto electronic sonic hues a little later, Day 2 also boasted Infected Mushroom live, DJ AM, Major Lazer (like whoa!), Diplo (with a special lady friend to be mentioned later) and Simian Mobile Disco, amongst many other performers. If you’d made it through Friday and the controlled chaos that it was, Saturday was taking the leap to the big leagues.
You had better come prepared.
Luckily for us, there were only four in my crew, and we maintained a group philosophy throughout the duration of EDC’s festivities; a logistical and rational means to a greater end of not getting lost and no one losing their shit. Well thankfully, upon arriving on the Coliseum grounds at about 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, we stayed true to sticking together. Put simply, the place was a mad house on Saturday – exponentially crazier, more intense, more people and more nuttiness that Friday seemed to hold in check. Whereas Friday was making it to first base, Saturday was hitting a Grand Slam. But still, EDC and its inhabitants remained in a controlled frenzy. There weren’t cops running around (other than choking out one of about a dozen or so kids we saw sneak in), there weren’t teenage kids falling out everywhere and there certainly weren’t any problems that any of us saw. For all the negative press “raves” get, this event certainly wasn’t on par with any of those expectations. Authority and control were there just enough to keep everyone in check and with ample places to rest your legs, hit the bathrooms and get some alcohol, food and water, and any major fall out was avoided.
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Upon entering Day 2 of EDC, we first attempted to wander over to LTJ Bukem – not by my choice. Drum ‘n’ bass was never my thing and if you throw a MC into the mix, my opinion continues to deteriorate. But alas, we decided to head straight to the Neon Garden for Philly bred DJ AM. I love DJ AM. I loved him before he miraculously survived a small plane crash with Travis Barker of Blink 182 and I love him even more after the set he played at EDC. Whether it was his scorching electro remix of Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City,” his remix of Caspa’s “Where’s My Money” or the endless energy throughout his hour set, DJ AM came with his game face on and left the stage with way more people around then when he started. As the crowd rushed towards the front of the stage, AM’s production coupled with the startlingly crisp sound and out-of-this-world visuals were one of the defining moments of the festival. If you don’t know DJ AM, well, you probably should.
After DJ AM finished making all the young ladies shed whatever clothing they still had on, we headed over to the Kinetic Field for a rather back-in-the-day performance. I had first heard Groove Armada back with “4 Tune Cookie” when I first started seeing Phish in the mid-’90s and it was quite odd but enjoyable to see them perform in front of 50,000 people. Just to sit on the third level of the bleachers towards the back of the stadium and watch as the heaping mass of colors swayed to and fro to some drums-driven electronic was an absolutely amazing sight. It was then that all four of us got the timely opportunity to relax, sit on the bleachers and watch as tens of thousands of people lost their shit to “Get Down.” There was something so eerily soothing about that moment, a serene picture with 50,000 people at a heavy electronic show in a massive stadium.
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After a short stint at the main stage, we navigated our way through the ever-exploding crowd to what was possibly the most anticipated set of the festival – Major Lazer. Arriving a little early, we had the chance to catch what was the worst DJ name of the weekend, Bass Weazal. Thankfully, a name doesn’t necessarily translate into a person or sound. Bass Weazel was actually mastering the increasingly swelling crowd, enticing the audience with a healthy dose of big bass with a slice of grime. Now, I’m not fully convinced I’d go see him in San Francisco, but hey, he was there, so was I, and we worked it out.
Major Lazer just may have stolen the show. The combination of Switch and Diplo together raging a 90-minute set of all sorts of electronic tones, from dubstep to electro to heart-pounding, was a complete mind-wobbling killing. This was one of those festival sets where you don’t even care or think about all the other acts that are playing – you tune in and you get down. With a new album out to support, the duo made their way through choice original cuts like “Pon De Dancefloor” and “Hold the Line” while also sifting through their massive catalogues for a delectable taste of Rusko and even threw a little Michael Jackson in there just for fun. Looking around, it was apparent my face wasn’t the only one that was blown by Major Lazer. Everywhere you looked there were sweaty faces, ruffled hair, dirty shins and even a little bit of drool. That’s how you can tell it was a good festival set. Before leaving for Crystal Method at the Circuit Grounds, we stuck around for Le Castle Vania, another sleeper set of the festival. I didn’t know who this guy was but their Daft Punk suite of “Around the World,” “Robot Rock” and “Technologic” had everyone freaking out. Or maybe that was all the consumption.
Regardless, the festival was almost over, but not before a quick stop over at the massively loud, color-filled stage of Crystal Method, where everyone seemed to be dancing and partying even harder (I have no idea how that’s possible). A quick glance over at Mark Farina was all that was needed before heading over to the man of the night, the Mad Decent man, Diplo. All I will say about his set is this: It was about as heavy, bass-driven and wild as anything I’ve seen in a while. Even seeing him on New Year’s in San Francisco didn’t quite compare. Oh yeah, this recently minted mother that goes by the name of M.I.A. made not one but two appearances alongside a guy who’s already impressive production credits are just beginning. Dropping “Paper Planes” as M.I.A. made her night-capping appearance, the crowd roared about as loud as it got all weekend, then, as Justice’s “Phantom” hit the speakers, Diplo left and other than a few weird minutes of Simian Mobile Disco, our time at the Electric Daisy Carnival was over.
EDC was not only successful at throwing the biggest party I’ve seen in this country, but also the most well thought-out, put together and executed gathering I’ve ever experienced. Even if you aren’t that into electronic music you would’ve had quite the time.
Continue reading for more pics of Electric Daisy Carnival 2009…
Images by: Ceasar Sebastian
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Diplo
JamBase | Hands In Da’ Air
Go See Live Music!
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