This past weekend Clark, NJ was lucky enough to host the Union County Music Festival. Your blogger was only able to attend on Saturday, but there were some great acts on both days. Some of the ones I got to check out included Matt Koziol, Bern and the Brights, Jesse Malin, The Bravery, OK Go, and Train. Matt Koziol played a fun set to a handful of people. The crowd size increased slowly as the day progressed, reaching insane levels by the time OK Go and Train were ready to perform. The day was a lot of fun and provided me with 10+ hours of free live music. I’m looking forward to attending again next year.
Author: News on Shuffle
Two New Videos
Hey there, music lovers! A couple new music videos have come out recently that I felt like sharing. One is Jukebox the Ghost video for the first track off their new album.
The other is from Jesse Malin’s album “Love It To Life”
Jess Malin was just at Union County Music Fest, which I owe you a blog post on. As for Jukebox, they can be seen in Brooklyn, NY at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Thursday September 16th. This is their first show in the area since the new album came out, so you’re not going to want to miss this.
Jukebox the Ghost – Everything Under the Sun (A Review)
I have been a fan of Jukebox the Ghost for some time now (about 2 years actually), and have listened to their debut album a couple dozen times. I never thought I would hear a more complete and fun-loving album ever again – I should have anticipated them outdoing themselves in their next try. Their sophomore album Everything Under the Sun
The first track is Schizophrenic, which starts off racing and lets you know you’re listening to a band that likes to have fun with their music. I defy you to not dance around your room right along with this opening number. I could almost feel the energy fill the room as the song progressed.
After a few fun dance numbers, they slow it down a bit with Summer Sun. Even still, there is a quiet energy still present. It is like a breath of fresh air after you’ve been dancing in the rain. It picks right back up and rushes into the next track, Mistletoe. One of the things I have always loved about this band is how well their first album blended together. Each track seemed to have some connection to the ones surrounding it. Even some of my favorite artists have one or two songs in their albums I can usually skip, but that is not true with Jukebox. Every song adds something special and would be missed in the overall listening experience of the album as a whole. Some artists give you singles – this band gives you albums. You can tell a lot of care and attention has gone into choosing each song to make it fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. That level of attention is part of what makes their music special. It also makes it very hard for me to choose a favorite song. You know that feeling when your favorite song come on and you say, “Oh, I love that song!”? Well I should probably just say, “I love that band!” because I do. I love them a lot. Does that make me biased in writing this review? Possibly. So here’s the challenge for you – listen for yourself and tell me I’m wrong, that my excitement over this new album coming out is misplaced. If you make it through the whole album without smiling once, well then I will consider myself corrected.
Everything Under the Sun is currently available for pre-order & will be released Sept 7th. The band just announced this morning they will be on Dave Letterman tonight, so take advantage of this chance to get a free preview. Their next New York date will be Sept 16th at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Your humble blogger will be the one in the front taking a million pictures, dancing like there’s no tomorrow, and congratulating the band after on continuing to be awesome.
Without You – Anthony Rapp’s Memoir Hits Broadway
A quick post to share this event with you. Anthony Rapp (once the lead in the Broadway hit, Rent) wrote a memoir about his time in the show and some life changing events that occurred in that time. It’s a great book that I recently finished reading and loved every minute of it. There is a lot of power and emotion in the words (I’ll admit, even I cried in some places) and I highly recommend going and experiencing it for yourself. Rapp has now turned the book into a one-man play that will be on Broadway for the 2010 NY Musical Theatre Festival. List of dates follows:
Monday, Sep 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm SOLD OUT
Wednesday, Sep 29th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Wednesday, Sep 29th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Thursday, Sep 30th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Thursday, Sep 30th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, Oct 6th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Thursday, Oct 7th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Thursday, Oct 7th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 9th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Saturday, Oct 9th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Tickets went on sale to members August 1st. They go on sale to the general public September 1st. Make sure to grab your ticket ASAP, as they will likely go fast. The opening performance is already sold out, and that’s before the general public even had a chance at snagging a seat.
Happy Birthday, James Marsters
News on Shuffle would like to give a great big birthday shout-out to one of our favorite actors in the sci-fi/fantasy world: James Marsters. Marsters has been on a number of our favorite shows, and has also played some of our favorite characters on those shows. The list includes Spike on Buffy/Angel, Braniac on Smallville (a role he will be reprising for the 200th episode), and Captain John Hart on Torchwood. He was also on one of our favorite episodes of Lie To Me. Besides being a television star, he is also a stage actor (he has been in a number of plays) and a musician. He played at a performing arts center very close to my school, but I was unfortunately unable to make this. There are a few videos on YouTube though that tell me he is worth checking out if I ever get the chance again. There are also some really good Q&A videos that are pretty entertaining. Next chance to see him in person will be this weekend at Chicago Comic Con. A complete list of upcoming events can be found on his website. For those in the NY/NJ area, look for him at NY Comic Con in October.
The birthday treat for today involves the musical episode of Buffy – Once More With Feeling. One is from his Q&A at Phoenix Comic Con and the other is a scene from the episode that featured Marsters as Spike. Enjoy!
Posted to Multipleverses Channel 1 by supernatural66 on May 30, 2010
The whole episode is available for Instant View on Netflix, if you subscribe to the service. I also highly encourage you to watch the rest of the videos from Phoenix Comic Con. James is a very good public speaker, and his answers were both informative and entertaining.
Thinking Back: The Anniversary Post
The blog’s 1st birthday came and went with not much more than a mention on Twitter about it. I meant to do this whole post on the music world and things I love about it, but I think that’s something that will actually sound better when I’m fresh from rambling about it with someone else (although if I warm up now it might just happen later in this post). When this blog was first created, it was honestly something done out of boredom and a passing interest in writing. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to stick with it, but I figured it would probably be a summer thing. It’s now a year later and the blog is still alive and kickin’ – which I am absolutely thrilled about. A lot of my posts don’t get much notice, but the ones that do are about the things I care most about. It makes me really happy to see people respond to the same things that I get excited over. I try to keep track of the traffic to the site, and was very proud to see the number of views for the Alex Band CD review and some of the entries on Jukebox the Ghost. The CD review was both fun and scary to write at the same time. I was a little intimidated by that one, so it was great to get all the positive feedback after it was posted. The best part though was hearing Alex say he liked it. It’s great hearing from artists and getting to talk to them (both via the Internets and in person). It’s one of the things I wanted to talk about in the “reasons why I love the music world” post that looks like it’s starting to blend into this one. I love getting to meet artists and seeing how they interact with their fan base. My favorite examples right now are, again, Alex Band and Jukebox the Ghost. I’ve been to a lot of Jukebox shows and have been able to talk at least briefly with them every time. It’s gotten to the point where when we see each other we’re usually catching up on life since the last time we saw each other.
Another really cool example of interacting with artists is actually a comedian: Chris Hardwick. I already did a whole post on him so I won’t repeat too much, but Chris met up with everyone after his set finished, and I had a really good conversation with him. It was definitely one of those “my life is awesome” moments.
This has probably been the most personal blog post I have ever done, but I always get sentimental during anniversaries. It’s time to get back to work now, but I’ll leave you with a fun little thing as a birthday present to the blog and it’s readers. It’s something that was posted on w00tstock.net – it’s a spoof on a previous meme that was absolutely hysterical (once you realized it was a joke). And since I feel like adding a video to the end of this thing too, here’s one of the most featured artists on the blog doing a very fun cover of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever”
I’m working on a little project of my own that involves this song, but it’s just in the planning stages right now. Hopefully I’ll have something to show you guys soon. For now, enjoy and have a great day.
Chris Hardwick @ Caroline’s – A Review (Sorta)
Warning: This blog might start off semi-professional, but it will quickly turn into “Reasons I Think Chris Hardwick is Awesome”. If you don’t want to read my rambling about, well, anything, then you might want to skip this one. On the other hand, it might be fun to watch me ramble. Heck, I’m rambling right now. But since I’m talking about possibly one of the funniest guys I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, I’m gonna say I’m allowed to be a little silly. And with that I’m just gonna dive into this thing here.
Sorry about the super long intro, folks. I’m gonna rein this one in and finally call this meeting to order. First order of business – the 8pm show at Caroline’s last night. The MC for the evening was Nate Bargatze, and the “Oh God, why do I have to be the one to keep these guys from Chris Hardwick” slot went to Ryan Hamilton. To his credit, he was quite good. I don’t think there was ever more than two minutes throughout the night when I wasn’t laughing. Everyone was funny, and the audience definitely got their money’s worth.
Next I wanna be serious about something for a minute. I’m not usually one to go see live comedy, but I do enjoy watching clips of things online. It is through these means that I have seen a sample of Chris’s stand-up before last night. Even knowing some of the jokes that were coming, I still laughed. This wasn’t a little chuckle, “oh yeah, I remember that one” laugh either. I laughed a lot. I actually don’t remember the last time I laughed that much. So yeah, thanks for that, Chris. You are awesome.
*ding ding ding*
We’ve come to the part where I ramble about reasons Chris Hardwick is Awesome.
1) He’s really funny. See above for some examples why, as well as the sample clip I’ve been passing around to people.
2) He’s a really nice guy. After his set he invited everyone to hang in the lounge and chat with him for a bit. People lined up to get their few minutes, and he was friendly with each and every one of them. I stood back after my few minutes to talk further on what will be my next point, so I witnessed most of the meet-and-greet action. It made me smile.
3) If you follow Chris on Twitter (@nerdist) you might have noticed an invite he did for his street team that wasn’t going to be called a street team. Nope, that didn’t sound cool enough, so instead we are called the Node Warriors. Node is on Twitter as well. The invite lets you create a profile on a site made just for us Warriors. When I talk about this with my friends I usually describe it as a social networking site for nerds. Another way I’ve been looking at it is like a playground that is safe for us nerds to play in. It’s been a lot of fun so far, and if you are looking for fellow nerds to connect with then you should snatch one of those invites the next chance you get. Not only is it a lot of fun, it is pure genius and seriously has made my life just a little better. A big highlight from last night was getting to tell Chris how great I thought this thing was.
That about concludes my ramblings for the day. To recap – Chris Hardwick is awesome and hysterical and you should go see him if at all possible. He’s got two more shows tonight (one at 8, one at 10:30) and a final show on Sunday. Details on Caroline’s website. Also, Node Warriors rule the internet! That is all. Class dismissed, meeting adjourned.
Chris Hardwick @ Caroline’s
Do you like comedy? No? Well then there’s something wrong with you. (I mean, who doesn’t like to laugh?)
For those of you who do like a good laugh, well then have I got the show for you.
OFFICIAL FLYER TIME *dramatic music plays in the background*
Sorry, I’m being silly. But a comedy show should be presented in a fun-loving way. And a series of comedy shows is a whole lot of fun. With six different shows to choose from over the course of four days, it’s hard to find an excuse why you’re not going to this thing. Unless you’re one of those ones from before who doesn’t like to laugh. You should probably go work on that.
Chris Hardwick can be found on the internets at one of these locations: Twitter, Facebook, and at nerdist.com (which is the title link for today). Tickets for his show can be purchased online or by calling the box office (number on the flyer).
April Smith – Songs for a Sinking Ship (A Review)
Looking for something upbeat that will get you moving? Right from the start you can tell April Smith’s album is exactly what you’re looking for. Her first message: “I just want to mean something to you”. Well she can rest easy on that front, because she definitely makes herself relevant with her unique style. The title of the album is appropriate, for each new song makes me visualize choppy seas and that sinking ship. For that matter, the band’s full name “April Smith & The Great Picture Show is also very appropriate. From the five players who make the sound of a full band come music so rich with imagery that it’s hard to not have a picture show running through your head. The pace slows down a bit with “Dixie Boy,” but even this slower song has a certain drive behind it. The album never gets boring or feels dragged out (although the drastic change from the first few tracks to “Beloved” is a bit of an adjustment. There is a final upswing with the last two tracks though, going back to more of what we were first introduced to. Overall the record is thoroughly enjoyable (and if you buy the physical album actually looks like a miniature record. It is obvious that while April Smith might look young, she has an old school vibe about her. This makes her even more fascinating to me. I have heard the band is very good live, so my recommendation is to buy the album and see how you like it, then go take in a live show. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
April Smith & The Great Picture Show’s next live performance will be Aug 11th at le Poison Rouge.
Alex Band @ Highline – June 6, 2010
If you were at Highline Ballroom last night, then you know that there were a lot of things that made the night special. First of all, there was a good mix of the new solo material and some of his hits with The Calling (including Adrienne, Stigmatized, and the #1 song of the decade – Wherever You Will Go). I’ll admit, Stigmatized was never one of my favorite songs off that record (I never hated it, simply liked others a lot more). Having said that, I also have to admit the song sounded very good live. He even did a special extended live edition with some good guitar riffs in the opening. Since I have always respected an artist more for their ability to play live over their recordings, I have to give kudos where they are due. This kind of connects to my next point – the most important factor to what amounted to a successful night.
The biggest thing that made the evening special was Alex himself. He is is a special guy, pure and simply (and I mean that in the best connotation of that word). This was shown from little things like an attempt to make eye contact with his audience (well, as best as he could with all the lights), to the sheer amount of energy he put into his performance. He has a good personality both onstage and off. He doesn’t talk too much during the performance – that is a time reserved for the music and pleasing the fans. He even asks how he’s doing about midway through the set, showing he cares how his fans are enjoying themselves so far. He saves most of the talking for after the set is over, which brings me to my favorite part of the evening.
After every show on his tour, Alex has enjoyed going to the merch table and talking to any of the fans who want to meet with him. A willingness to mingle with the fans is a common factor in all of my favorite musicians, but I especially loved the way Alex managed this. After the set was over and he made his announcement, everyone who was interested lined up at the merch table to buy things (more money for Alex = more music for us later on). Alex signed our CDs and posters without us even having to ask, talking to each person as he did so (and even taking pictures with whomever wanted them). This level of fan interaction is what will place him on my list of favorite artists. Alex has shown his dedication to his music and his fans trumps whatever money he could potentially make from this career path, which makes him an example of what more musicians should be like. Too often an artist will get a taste of success and let it take over for them. I hope Alex continues down his chosen path for years to come and is rewarded for it in the end.
