Just a quick post to remind everyone that CMJ starts today. The only thing I will be going to is Jukebox the Ghost/Stand at Bowery Ballroom. Opening for them are Zach Williams and Care Bears on Fire. The rest of the week for me has yet to be decided. You can follow CMJ through their website or on Twitter. Hope everyone has a great week.
Month: October 2009
Joss Whedon to direct episode of Glee
Joss Whedon, the guy who gave us Buffy: the Musical (one of the most popular episodes of the series) and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, is going to dip his toes in the musical pool again. This time he will be directing an episode of the musical comedy, Glee. The show has always given me the same musical campy feeling that Whedon’s work has for me, so this seems like a good move in my book. In fact, I hope he directs more future episodes as well. This isn’t to say that the show isn’t good as is, far from it actually. I just think that once in awhile Whedon could add a little something to the mix that would be quite welcome by viewers. This will also attract new viewers who may not be paying attention to the show yet, but would be hooked after following this one directed by their god of television (yes, I do believe there are people who worship him enough to watch just for this alone). It will be interesting to watch the ratings before and after this episode airs (whenever that might be). Presumably he won’t start working on this until he has a break from Dollhouse, which is his latest attempt at making fantasy television viewers squee with delight. The fact that it is currently in its second season means it is already doing better than Firefly, which has a cult following but never did well enough in the ratings to stay alive very long. Personally, I am behind in my Dollhouse viewing (just about to finish DVD of first season), but what I have seen so far I have thoroughly enjoyed. I hope it has staying power equal to his previous hits of Buffy or Angel. As with most things, only time will tell.
Big Picture Media CMJ Showcase
CMJ SHOWCASE SCHEDULE
8pm – 8:20pm: Chevonne
8:30pm – 8:50pm: A Clear Blurr
9:10pm – 9:40pm: The New Collisions
10:00pm – 10:30pm: Nightmare of You
10:50 – 11:20pm: Lights Resolve
11:40pm – 12:05pm: Grudgeholder
12:25am – 12:55am: Super 400
1:15am – 1:45am: Love Grenades
Upcoming Dates
TM Promotions has apparently been busy, as they have announced three news shows for the month of October. Here’s all the info (or follow the link to their Facebook page):
Sunday October 18th @ 7:10pm
folk/punk show @ Lake Johnson
258 Johnson Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Tuesday October 20th @ 6:30pm (w/Whitesmith Entertainment
8 bands @ Crash Mansion, including:
Invade Rome
Fearsom Sparrow
Demander
Sydney Wayser
Family Of The Year
Denice Barbarita and The Morning Papers
YYula Beeri and The Extended family
Horray For Earth
Thursday October 22nd @ 10pm
acoustic showcase @ Crash Mansion
includes Nick Howard, Alyson Greenfield + more
All three look to be good shows. I will be attending at least one (possibly two) of them. Hope to see you there.
Thursday, October 15 Shows
Tonight there are three great shows you could be going to.
1) Titus Andronicus and So So Glows at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. If it weren’t for the weather wearing me down I would be going to this.
2) Gaslight Anthem at Terminal 5. Also playing are Murder By Death, Jesse Malin, and Broadway Calls. Anyone who had a ticket to see Gaslight play All Points West can use it to get a free drink tonight.
3) Airborne Toxic Event at Webster Hall. This show is sold out so if you don’t already have tickets you’re out of luck.
Hope the bad weather doesn’t ruin your day and you are able to go out and enjoy one of these shows. They all look like they should be memorable events.
Glee Gives Something For Everyone
Some may have been skeptical when Glee presented itself as a “musical comedy” that it would be able to survive in network television. Even science fiction shows usually have higher hopes than the whimsical fare shows like Glee give viewers. I consider myself one of the many that are Gleeful over how well the show has done in the ratings so far though. Not only that but there have been some hits on iTunes as well. There is even talk of the first of hopefully many Glee soundtracks, which would give the public an opportunity to own all the snappy numbers that have been featured on the show so far (which range from country to hip hop and everything in between). With something to attract a whole host of people, Glee should have no trouble snagging enough viewers for a continuation of the show. Musicians everywhere, rejoice, for music has been brought amongst the masses… and it was good.
Fun Theory
Through the powers of social media I have stumbled upon this intriguing idea brought to us by Volkswagen. The idea basically says that people are more likely to do things that are better for them (and the environment) when they are presented in a more enjoyable way. For example, the first video shows that more people took the stairs vs. the escalator when the stairs were transformed into a giant piano, thus making them more entertaining and preferable to the ease of the escalator. A slightly more detailed article on the experiment can be found here . A second video shows more people refraining from littering and actually using trash bins when it is shown to be more fun, while a third video reports that coming soon will be an experiment on making recycling more enjoyable. Can’t wait to see how that one turns out.
Nobel Prize Goes to Pres Obama
President Obama was chosen as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize this year. Some question whether or not he has done anything deserving enough of this high honor quite yet. True he shows promise, but the award shouldn’t be anticipatory of the future success he hopes to have while in office. What are your thoughts on this matter? I’d love to get differing opinions.
Google Doodles: The Barcode
Anyone who has visited Google today may have noticed a giant barcode on the top of their screen. No, Google is not selling itself to the highest bidder. It is recognizing the invention of the barcode, which is celebrating its 57th anniversary. The story (which I have linked to) is actually somewhat interesting if you like reading about random things such as this that no one seems to care about. Something to think about when you purchase that stick of gum or diet soda today.
Memphis (and the music) Lives in Me
Memphis is in New York now, on Broadway to be exact. This is the next great musical to hit the stage this season. It stars an outstanding cast of both old pros and rising stars. These talented performers sing and dance in a magical way, and take you to a time and place where life wasn’t easy but the music sure was smooth. It is fascinating to see how one person uses the power of music to break down barriers in a way no one thought possible. All he wants to do is make the music he loves accessible to everyone, but it becomes much more than that. It’s something you should see for yourself. The show is currently in previews with opening night scheduled for Monday, October 19th. So grab a friend and take them down to Memphis for a night of music and thrills they won’t soon forget.