Lady Gaga’s The Monster Ball Tour-January 24 2010 @ Radio City Music Hall

   Her concerts sold out in less than 10 seconds online, her records have sold over 4 million units and she goes by a name derived from Queen's Radio Gaga. Yes the ultimate and reigning queen of pop Lady Gaga had the "it" concert tour of the year and I was lucky enough to score a ticket. Yes it did cost me roughly $150.00 through a secondary ticket provider online, and yes I did sit so far up and away from the stage I clearly should have brought tissues to clean up my nosebleed but Oh, my Gaga was it worth it. 

   Starting at approximately 7:45 a few minutes earlier than the listed time her first opening band started to play. Semi Precious Weapons lead by the flamboyant and shall we say glamorous Justin Tranter started their set list with a few of their songs on their EP (currently available on US iTunes) and ended with their trademark and self titled single Semi-Precious Weapons. At the end Tranter known for his somewhat hair-raising antics explained why the front row of people seemed less than responsive to his performance. "This guy is just upset because I am about to fuck his 40 year old wife", he exclaimed, and with that statement the whole audience laughed as the mood was seamlessly set for an unforgettable night

    Obviously with a tough opening act to follow Jason Derülo did his very best to not compete with but rather offer another act of very contrasting sensuality. At approximately 5ft 7in this singer came out asking the audience who was single which to the delight of many the audience burst out into optimistic cheering. Unlike Tranter who previously sang about how fantastic he was, Derülo presented the already swooning female audience with plenty more material to dream about as he called an unassuming girl onto the stage in order to serenade her with one of his new songs "Perfect Girl". Finally as if he could sense the restless audience he launched into his final song and hit single after thanking the crowd for our endless support in the music business where he had tried so hard to break into for years. His performance of "Watcha Say" while smoldering as he ripped of his white and now sweaty wife beater was slightly underwhelming as he just seemed to sing along to his own song in short spurts and in the off beats as to provide a sort of backup for his own pre-recorded track. Regardless however we were about to see the Lady herself in moments so the audience seemed to forgive this performance, and focus on the performance that would be taking place shortly.

   It should be dually noted that the day when I attended the concert the 24th of January all the proceeds of the concert were going to the Haiti Relief Effort, and for that reason Merchandise was an absolute hassle to purchase, and it took at least 45 minutes to make my way to get 3 t-shirts. Other than that on the lower levels of the venue there was plenty to do to keep yourself occupied while waiting for the main performance. With photography and contest participation available there were plenty of stations to walk to and from to occupy some time. Virgin Mobile one of the sponsors of the tour made this experience even more memorable as the cast member offered attendees the opportunity to have their picture taken in the Orb, one of Lady Gaga's signature fixtures on stage and in a chair with a professional photographer completely free of charge. In addition they held a contest where during the contest one lucky winner would be called by Gaga herself and get an amazing prize as a result. Needless to say I signed myself up and was heavily distracted and amused while waiting for the actual concert to begin.

    Finally at 9:23 the main event and reason we had all gathered began her show. Emerging from a entire stage of smoke and wearing a light up outfit that pulsated with the beats of the music Lady Gaga arrived starting off the show singing "Dance in the Dark", and then smoothly transitioned into what some argue to be her first but hit "Just Dance". All while holding her composure and not breaking her character Gaga moved from the front of the stage where she was dancing with her backup dancers to the top of a clear and plastic looking box where she gripped her key-tar and belted the words the audience knew. After performing those numbers the stage went dark and a futuristic looking black and white video played on all sides of the screen portraying a mannequin spinning slowly while a trance-electro mix played in the background. In this moment the audience got quiet and all that could be heard was the music pumping louder and louder until she emerged once again in a totally different outfit so that she could continue on with her set list. This time bearing what looked like a rice paper skirt and a headpiece she started to sing her other songs and in no time stripped down to a matching underwear set and addressed the audience. To all that want to see this prolific pop star should obviously try to as soon as possible but should also try to do so in New York because it is a great show in addition to being the most personal of settings. While Radio City Music Hall despite its intimidating name and reputation only holds a few thousand people it really makes for quite a cozy setting that allows any artist to interact with their audience more directly and intimately. Then once her next two songs were over and all the people in the crowd had been satisfied with her pulsating and beat heavy pop creations she transitioned more slowly and personally into an acoustic version of "Poker Face".

   In addition to proving how talented she is in the fashion department with her feather shawl creation Gaga proved that she is an artist that will surely be around way longer than this album is in the news. With dead on piano chords and a simple voice that carried throughout this venue she took her once optimistic and ever electrically charged ode to her confused sexuality into a sweet and uncomplicated burst of musical genius all while changing and adding a few more choruses to accommodate the addition of a few New York specific lines that confessed how her dreams had come true and she was living in pure bliss. Then she powered through "Speechless" a song that she wrote for her father and usually dedicated to him on most dates, however instead she dedicated the song to us her fans and little monsters.

   Following this she sang many of her other popular songs including "Alejandro" where she called out to all the "Spanish, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and New Yorkers" to remember with her all the lovers they had taken in their lives, "Boys, boys, boys" where she asked all of her gay men to sing along and then finally "The Fame" which she finally performed after recalling an oddly related story about how much she hates the truth, money and the fame. Before singing her last song in that set "Poker Face" she "confessed" to the audience how much she felt like a freak when she was younger and after evoking many emotions from the audience proclaimed that "even though the world may tell you NO and may not accept you for who you really are you can tell them; it doesn't matter what you think, Lady Gaga accepts me." Sitting in the seats even as far back as I was the whole crowd started to roar with cheering and applause, and in that moment it became impossible to think that anybody could not like this woman.

   Unfortunately this good time could not last forever and had to come to an end. This grand finish came when out of the same orb that was displayed earlier the sweet melody of "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" started and out popped Gaga wearing a white trouser and silver disco ball coat and bra set resembling a hunchback with extremely high shoulders and a dramatic feel to it. Thanking the audience for all of their purchases and contributing to the funds she would be sending over to the Haiti Relief Effort (approximately $.5 million) she bid adieu to New York wrapping up the evening with an explosive and energy filled rendition of "Bad Romance".

   All throughout the aisles of the venue people were dancing, some to the original choreography in the music video, some with the people next to them, and some simply in whatever manner they saw fit. At first the ushers working that night tried to get everybody to sit and be slightly more orderly but that attempt was quickly abandoned perhaps because of the large magnitude of people acting this way but probably because nobody was doing anything specifically wrong or damaging. As the song came to an end and she and her backup dancers took the stage in a humble fashion and bowed all together , the crowd went absolutely crazy and as she exited the stage the final clip of the night appeared on ever screen in the venue. On the screens dramatic music played while Gaga who wearing a mask and bone costume was tattooed with a heart that had "Dad" written in it. This simple gesture and reference to her father Joe Germanotta who this tour was dedicated to was touching as it had everybody "aww"-ing in their seats and provided the audience with a sense that she was as human as we were and after all everybody need their Daddy.

 

  As I mentioned earlier this was by far the best concert I have ever attended and an absolute must for any Lady Gaga fan because if you are even remotely impressed with her live performances on TV then you will have your pants absolutely blown away when you see her live. Unlike so many of her pop counterparts and contenders for the top spots on the Billboard charts like Brittany Spears or Ke$ha she can actually sing, and doesn't really on distracting backup dancers. Rather she proves to the world that an actual musicians and regular talented people have a chance.

Ellipse- Imogen Heap

   While not usually my style of music, Imogen Heap’s new album Ellipse has truly converted me to a full fledged new age lover. Every track on this musical adventure tells a short story and the whole entire album is able to take the listener on an amazingly sound rich journey.

   All the songs on this album while being synthetic in origins collaborate sounds in a harmonious and dare I say organic way. My personal favorite on the album Aha!, is the most dramatic on the album, because while it has some of the most intimate and tender melodies when the chords of the background cellos and basses collide the sound is simply intriguing in a waythat most artists only dream of sounding. In a seamless effort Imogen takes simple activities like brushing your teeth and going into the kitchen and transfers them into wonderful little tune that anybody would be crazy to not call catchy. Through listening to the album, the listener can truly insert themselves into a far more artistic world where everything has a soundtrack, and where while everything is not quite so complicated.

   If you are not so into this album for the lyrics and messages they convey, at Ms. Heap has a solution for you as well. Included in this CD is the instrumental version of every single track and within those musical adventures lies the true genius of her work. Every sound, while completely tampered with on a computer is entirely the product of a natural element, and the results just like nature itself can be described as nothing short of mystical and moving.

 

Apologies

I am super sorry for the long break, and the fact that i haven’t posted anything since last July…It wasn’t you it’s me

The Fray

On the first of hopefully many fun summer nights of 2009 my friends and I decided to go to a concert and The Fray just seemed like the perfect band to kick off the season.

Our venue was the Nokia Jones Beach Theatre literally seconds away from the sand and surf and the perfect setting to start up the 09 concert series. Once inside the venue the sounds of opening act Richard Swift, not to be confused with the much more talentedand younger Taylor seemed to provide an atmosphere for the eager crowd much the way elevator music would.

After his alloted time was up and the crowd was starting to pick up on density Jack's Mannequin the second opening band appeared on stage. I had seen them prior to this concert at the Van's Warped tour in 07 and I guess that made them seem far more subdued than nomal. With their piano ballads talking about the importance of staying afloat (metaphorically speaking) and loving a girl that doesn't quite love you back the band just seemed to wanted the audience to not boo them off the stage, and that wish came true there was no one audience member that could have honestly said they were in awe of their performance.

Finally when The Fray finally entered the stage with their simple looking set the stadium was brimming with excitement and after their first rendition of the Grammy nominated song "Over my head" the audience reached what seemed like pure bliss. After a couple of songs were performed the band addressed New York and proceeded to tell the story behind "How to Save a Life" followed by a chilling performance that's energy could not possibly have been captured by and single or record.

Throughout this whole show the settingbthat had once looked like a simple set of screens seemlessly transformed into a dramatic backdrop of fun lights, interesting camera angles as well as projectors, that were interesting to look at as well as asthetically pleasing even from all the way backnin the nosebleed section where I was sitting.

After the band left the stage for what appeared to be a quick rest before the encore the stage crew cleared off some of the bands props and the guitarist entered the stage and performed a song all by himself that was in a word cute. Followed then by his fellow bandmates The Fray began to sing a classy version of Kanye West's "Heartless" that will surely go down as one if the best songs of the night. Finally to conclude that nights festivities the band finished with "You Found Me" and made the night well worth $39.99 spent.

In general The Fray delivered a wonderful live performance that reminds everybody of how wonderful live music can be without the aide of editting and prosessing.

The Fame

Starting with the melodic and universally respected single that swept through virtually every music industry from San Francisco to Switzerland on the top of the charts “Just Dance” seems to be as infectious as the first time we all heard it. With each songs’ electronic tones provided by Space Cowboy and the quirky lyrics and written by Lady Gaga herself the listener is submerged into the glittery world that is Gaga-land in which everything from irksome photographers (Paparazzi) to having simply a summer time fling (Summerboy) is discussed in perfectly rhyming manner that makes the listener wish he or she could fit into the stilettos she struts on the pictures within The Fame’s jewel Case. Certainly this is not an album expected to be the next Les Miserables however for the moment its ethereal charm and razor sharp lyrics is enough to keep this album in the limelight. In the meantime songs like Lovegame and The Fame prove to the audience that Gaga is not only a performer most noted for her outlandish and sometimes ridiculous outfits but also for her eye opening vocal range.

Cinema Bizarre April 24th 2009 Concert Review

If you had walked past the Highline Ballroom on April 24th 2009 you would have been shocked to see around 250 teenage girls all waiting in a queue. No the Jonas brothers were not giving away free goodies Cinema Bizarre a Berlin based glam pop band performed in what was one of their first American shows.

Starting around 7:15 the doors to the ballroom opened and the staff was really friendly and the crowd was pumped. As the temperature in the room went up so did the excitement, and as the temperature hit around 85 and the clock hit 8:15 the first opening band started their set. From Amsterdam the band EveNI first played Feel It and finished up 4 songs later with Wake Up. Completing their performance announcing they would be giving away free CD's made the audience very happy and excited for the last opening band before Cinema Bizarre, The After Midnight Project.

When the final opening band entered the stage after 15 minutes of setting up their equipment the audience was way more pumped, and shortly after they started their set the audience forgot they were there for another band. With their strong rock infused sound they were able to get the entire room full of people jumping in unison to a song they had never even heard. As they announced their last song Take Me Home the audience reaction was amazing. The applause nearly doubled as we all realized that Cinema Bizarre's was closer than ever.

So finally after all was said and done at 9:13 the show really started, and after almost 3 hours of waiting the excitement and anticipation was truly palpable as the D.J. started the intro music that lead to the entering of the band. Walking out on stage Strify launched into the most charismatic version of She Waits for Me that cannot be compared to any other recording. Once the audience was settled and the first set of songs was finished he talked to the audience about his love of New York like we were his friends backstage rather than their fans. Once his first "speech" was over the band performed their signature Forever or Never which brought the volume of the crowd to a deafening uniform scream as Strify grabbed and grinded both Kiro and Yu.

All was running smoothly as the band smoothly transitioned from Dysfunctional Family to their unpublished song Crashing and Burning. Once their set seemed complete the other members of the band all disappeared from the stage as Strify wanted to play a game with the audience. Slowly one by one Strify described the members of the band and as their names were called they all reappeared wearing slightly less clothing than prior. Much to the delight of the audience Yu finally entered the stage wearing no shirt and the band quickly started up their last set of songs that included Lovesongs they Kill Me.

 Making the audience more than happy Strify once again proclaimed his love for New York City and thanked the audience for their awesome cheering etc. With their totally different sound and look they were able to transform a group of screaming people into one unison group of fans that will surely be purchasing the next time they come to town. With their charismatic front man Strify leading the show with witty transitions and the rest of the band following as professionally as veteran musicians would the concert was enjoyable from beginning to end.  The entire concert truly was a show that will certainly not be forgotten amongst every Cinema Bizarre fan that was in attendance.

 

EvenI's official MySpace Page http://www.myspace.com/evenimusic

After Midnight Project's ofcl. MySpace http://www.myspace.com/aftermidnightproject

Cinema Bizarre’s ofcl MySpace http://www.myspace.com/cinemabizarre

Euphorie

-Alex C. & Yass. While I am not entirely proficient in the German language I was more than slightly off put by the 2nd song on the CD Du hast den schoensten Arsh der Welt. Although I find the songs on this CD full of interesting scenarios I guess we could say *see Sex an der Bar the beats to this good old club/dance CD is nothing but pure adrenaline from the first track to the last. This dance project was started by German producer Alex C. and the singer supplying the computer altered tones is Yasmine according to Google has no last name. With tracks like Erdbeden and Setz die Segel! This CD provides 45 minutes of absolute electronic mindless melodies. Perfect for a kickboxing or spinning workout this CD is worth the $9.99 on iTunes.