Ye-Ye-Yeezy

 

It's Friday the 13th and I'm flashing back to spring break 2008, which is the last time I actually respected Kanye West. 

This was back when you would turn on the radio and hear Kanye on the radio with hits like "Heartless" and "Stronger." Although the number one song on this chilly trip to Amherst, MA was T.I. and Ri-Ri's "Live your Life,"  can you ever get this gem of a lyric out of your head?

Work it, make it, do it

Makes us (VOCORDER) harder, better, faster, stronger.

So, when I saw this headline today, I scratched my head... Kanye West Secret Wedding with Mystery Woman! 

We'll return to 2007's Stronger, I think that's where things began to go off course. In the song, Kanye says he's been on ya since "OJ had Isotoners," and we all know how poppa Robert Kardashian tried to defend OJ in the legendary 1994 case, The People vs. OJ Simpson If Kanye had never been Keeping Up with the Kardashians, where would be be now?

What would have happened to the Kanye timeline if he hadn't pursued Kim?

I honestly think the guy's mental health might have been better off.  I'm still not seeing how he and Kim were able to get along with each other so well in the first place. I think it has to be partly due to their egos; they did get married at the Palace of Versailles and name their first child after two cardinal directions. Maybe he wouldn't have run for president. Maybe someone in gen Z can also make sense of the Yeezy clothing line? I've never been so upset to look at a GAP ad. The $100+ price point for sweatshirts and ugly puffer coats just baffles me.

Maybe it's artistic genius.... or madness. Now the recently divorced rapper has married a woman (and Yeezy designer) who looks JUST like his ex-wife. Is it 2007 again? Are we ready for more weirdness? Only time will tell.

GRAMMYS 2021: A New Type of Awards Show?

 One major thing happened at the 2021 Grammy Awards. I know what you're thinking.  No, it's not just the first time Trevor Noah  dressed in more than a hoodie and left his house in months. No, it's not the random appearance by a very tired-looking and grammy-less Beyonce and Jay-Z. 

I'll tell you what happened: Music was actually celebrated on music's biggest night!

via GIPHY

 Yes, most music award shows these days are glorified over-the-top performances that look like they belong at halftime of the big game. With a small, intimate audience outside the STAPLES center in a still locked-down Los Angeles, artists could have been left scrambling. Some of them haven't performed in the last year and now they're relegated to a closed indoor set without the limited show audience to cheer them on. What's a musician to do? 

They had to perform for (brace yourself) each other.  Performances and interview videos of the most nominated artists of the year went in a  round-robin style, 2 to 3 in a row. Artists sat near their performance spaces after, often with drinks in their hands, making eye contact with their fellow nominees, making me believe that is is just an honor to be nominated. Gone are the days of Taylor sitting front row and dancing with her model BFF's like they're at the club.  Gone are the days of  people wiping tears from their eyes while they pretend to be moved by an Adele song. And I'd like to think that with this new feeling of inclusion, there will be less camera catching Chrissy Tiegan falling asleep during the Oscars.  Here was a night of actual human connection, and about 4-5 televised awards. We may still be in the middle of the pandemic, but this was more of a real celebration than any other awards show I've seen.  

My Gig Reviews in New Places: Dierks Bentley Concert

Pardi, Bentley, and a plane. (c)PipPepPop

Bentley (c)PipPepPop

If you're a live music fan like me, I have a great website for you to check out. GIGSoup is a music website devoted to live event reports, album reviews, artist interviews and music news. I recently wrote my first piece here about seeing Dierks Bentley's 'What the Hell' tour. Opening acts featured on the tour included Jon Pardi and Cole Swindell.  Enjoy!

During the song '5150' (c)PipPepPop

Bentley sitting on the 'Riser.' (c) PipPepPop

Sometimes You Must Shake It Off: The Taylor Swift Experience

Lyrics for Welcome to New York
(c) PipPepPop

Swift's guitar and MTV award
(c) PipPepPop

     Last November, I learned that a Taylor Swift-themed exhibit was Welcome to New York, and I freaked out like a tween. The Taylor Swift Experience came to Fulton Street and it was good, campy fun! I went with my 'squad' a few weeks ago to check out the multimedia travelling show, which began at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. After the New York turn, the exhibit is on the way to the Mississippi Grammy Museum. The price tag couldn't be beat, for 11 dollars we got more entertainment than a typical exhibit.

Red dress
(c) PipPepPop

     The first floor had a gift shop full of Swift swag and the singer's memorabilia. There were more recent stage costumes (see the RED dress below) and the very cute and sparkly ringmaster suit from the Red Tour. There were lyrics (see left) for the song Welcome to New York. Swift penned other tracks for the Red album with Ryan Tedder. Read more about Tedder's collaboration in my past post. Swift's famous glitter guitar was included in the exhibit. I have been coveting this beautiful 6-string since I saw it at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Swift has contributed a beautiful educational wing to the CMHOF. Childhood items were also on display for the singer.  There was a saddle from Swift's early horseback riding days, report cards, and a baby baby blanket. There were media pieces in the display area including early home movies from the Swift family.  The walls of the area were covered with listings of each tour and venue locations, with total number of fans attended.

Promo card (c) PipPepPop

   The second floor of the exhibit was interactive and our favorite part. The feature attraction was a multi-colored tile dance floor. The tiles changed color in time to the pulsing music. As swift hits played on the screen, the lit-up dance floor changed as you stepped on each tile. We waited each time times until  Shake it Off cycled through, then busted out our best moves while singing along. It was very therapeutic and it may become part of my new stress-reduction routine. The media floor also had a recording studio where we recorded We Are Never Getting Back Together and played it back with the music video. Outside the studio, there were screens with headphones that let you playback Swift's country-tinged Mean, with individual voice and audio tracks that you could control. The Grammy winner has taken a 21st century take on a museum, making the most of audio and video to engage fans. The second floor auditorium was playing past Swift's past performances performances and concerts. I recommend this to anyone who is a dreamer or who is looking to inspire the next generation of dreamers!

Shake it Off on the video dance floor
(c) PipPepPop

Grammy Performances- Grading the 'Wow' Factor?

     People will always differ in their opinion of what makes a great award show performance. Is it something that brings them to tears, or does it encompass a surprise guest star? Is it a tearjerker, or a breakaway pop hit with tons of dancers? Sometimes there is a drum line marching down the aisle, and sometimes there are multiple Eminems storming the stage. At last night's 69th Annual Grammy Awards, all is fair in love and award show performances. I've ranked all of the performances by grade.

Adele- Hello: B; Fast Love: A
     This song has been played so many times, it no longer resonates with me.  I apologize to people that still are on the Adele train, but it was a slow opener. Yes, I recognize that she won multiple awards for her album, but it's full of heavy songs, and Hello is the heaviest. It's just not a crowd opener.
     With all else being said, I strongly love Adele's personality. She is my kind of performer and she says what she thinks. Things more interesting during Adele's late in the show tribute to George Michael. In the middle of the song, she cursed, cut off the music, and asked the conductor of the orchestra to start the song again. It was reported she felt the song had gone off-key. She began the whole thing again, which takes a lot of guts.

(c)PipPepPop- Keith Urban Live

Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood- The Fighter: A
     I'm a big fan of duets. After Urban's amazing duet with Miranda Lambert a couple of years ago (We Were Us), I thought nothing could top it. I was wrong. The legendary pairing of Urban and Underwood will be one for the country books. The song has a disco-influenced pulsing beat and an uplifting and effortless message about being there for your 'Bae. The paid effortlessly passed lines of devotion back and forth as Urban wailed away on his guitar. The simple set was full of lights and geometric designs.


Beyonce- Love Drought and Sandcastles: A+
     I'm not 100% sure I understood Beyonce's performance, but it was an immersing experience. It was the Lemonade album of award shows. There was confetti, epic dinner tables, rocking chairs, tons of dancers, and the set of her recent pregnancy photo shoot. Queen B literally dressed like a Queen complete with a gold halo, speaking about mothers and children, life and rebirth, and glory. She ended with a simple voice-over: "Let it be Glorious." Just watch the video here because I can't do it justice.

The Weeknd (Featuring Daft Punk)- Starboy/ I Feel It Coming: C
     I was not impressed with the performance. All I can contribute to the conversation is that I kept hoping Daft Punk would finally pull off their helmets so I could prove they are genius robot producers and not real humans.

(c) PipPepPop - Ed Sheeran Live

Ed Sheeran- Shape of You: A+
     Sheeran is a no-fills type of performer. I saw him in early 2013 for his first album, +. He came onstage at Radio City with a guitar and  a loop pedal. He made all of his own background music with his voice and guitar. He orchestrated each piece as needed, looping it in on his sound system, and it was breathtaking. His new song is a bit more clubby than his earlier stuff, but every bit as raw and real in this guitar and voice-only version. This performance showed Sheeran's true musicianship.

Kelsea Ballerini and Lukas Graham- Peter Pan/7 Years: B+
     I am the first person who will admit, I thought Lukas Graham was a person and not a band until quite recently. I'm not a big fan of their song 7 Years, because it's very repetitive, and for my taste its too whiny, or maybe just too European.  I'm a county music fan, and I like Ballerini's Peter Pan, although it's not her most ear-wormy hit. Both songs are slow and wistful, but when they were mixed together, both became much stronger and had a poppier driving force.

Bruno Mars- That's What I Like: B / Let's Go Crazy: A+
     At first, I was underwhelmed and unimpressed by this Bruno Mars performance. Some of his recent hits have included full brass lines and choreographed dance moves. But I know that not every song can be Uptown Funk. This slow, sensual song led Mars and two of his background singers sweet-talk the ladies in a Motown-style "sway and sing."  They took to a stage in the audience toward the end of the song to break it down. I thought he  would pull Jennifer Lopez up on stage at the end, because she was standing front and center swaying along. I'm seeing some chemistry here and that's why  this performance will be memorable.
     I read that Bruno Mars used to impersonate Elvis as a child, singing with his dad's band. I imagine seeing that would be similar to seeing him knock the closing Prince tribute out of the Staples Center. Mars came on stage for Let's Go Crazy, which has become one of the most posthumously-played Prince songs played since the artist's death. Here, we found what was missing from his earlier performance, the "Mars Effect", as I'm calling it. This time, he was singing and dancing in a purple suit, ruffly shirt and swinging a white guitar. It brought back the spirit of the great purple artist.

(c) PipPepPop - Katy Perry Live

Katy Perry- Chained to the Rhythm: B
     From a house in the sky to a mirrored broken fence, Katy Perry's sets fell away faster than a house traveling to the land of Oz. At one point, I thought the spinning stage was forming a disco ball, so I'll go with that.  The new song is pretty simple where the lyrics are concerned: "Turn it up, it's my favorite song. Dance dance dance to the distortion."* Perry also looked unusually plain: a white suit, blonde hair, and rose-colored glasses, which were flung off during a song lyric. Truthfully, I thought this was not as impressive as some of the performances on her Prism Tour (there was an animatronic camel). Nonetheless, it was a solid and understated effort (except the out of place reggae feature) and not how Perry typically does things. Then came the dramatic end: the words of the constitution projected on Perry and the set. This was Perry's moment. As Nick Jonas said, "I try to break the chains, but the chains are gonna break me."

*I swear this lyric sounds like:
 "dance to the discotron."

Maren Morris and Alicia Keys - Once: A-
     Duets involving Alicia Keys is always a crowd pleaser. I will never forget the first time it happened. I was at a John Mayer concert in 2007 and Keys strode onstage and began harmonizing on "Gravity."  I still get chills thinking about it. Keys has also sung the Rolling Stones classic with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and it's a tearjerker. This is the first time I remember Keys singing with another equally talented female artist, and the result was epic. This was Morris's first appearance at the Grammys and she took home a trophy! She began alone on the sweet, blusey tune, and Keys walked on, taking a verse and bringing the house down with their harmony.

Lady Gaga and Metallica - Moth Into Flame: D
     This was a true rock star moment. Gaga, dressed like she came out of a strip club in 1994 (denim and flannel) carried much of the song since Metallica front-man James Hetfield's mic was not working. The performance was the weakest of the night. It was loud, firey, and encompassed everything I hate about grunge and metal- loud chaos and noise. Hetfield went across the stage to share the mic with Gaga, going all "Axel Rose," knocking over his mic and  tossing his guitar offstage at the end. I'll give Gaga a slight pass on this, considering her epic performance the week earlier at the big game, but there is no excuse for Metallica.

Sturgill Simpson and The Dap Kings brass line - All Around You: A
     Simpson has the voice and presence of a seasoned country star, even though not many people know who he is. You have to learn more about him! His electrifying voice and guitar playing remind me of a younger Vince Gill. It was a perfect all-around performance.

(c)PipPepPop- Demi Lovato and Little Big Town live. 

Demi Lovato, Little Big Town, Tori Kelly, Andra Day -The Bee Gees Tribute: A

     Let me get this off my chest, this was not The Barry Gibb Talk Show, a SNL/Tonight Show skit that I absolutely adore. Secondly, I think it is a complete shame that they waited 40 years to honor the brothers Gibb at the Grammys, as only one brother is still alive. Where was the 20th or 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever tribute? Enough about tragedy, I'll focus on the flawless tributes and the excitement on Gibb's face. In true Grammy glory, each artist brought their A-game like the Bee Gees did in their epic "One Night Only" concert (in 1998).
     Demi Lovato has been called many things and has been subjected to a lot of criticism since her Disney Channel days. Despite that, I saw her live his summer with the Boston Pops, and I was impressed. She was also nominated this year for best pop vocal album. Lovato led the tribute with You Should Be Dancing and it was a solid entry! As one of last year's new Grammy performers, Tori Kelly shined in the disco classic Tragedy.  No Bee Gees tribute would be complete without a sweet 70's love ballad. That honor went to the delightful vocal styling of country mega band Little Big Town. I also got to see this 2-time best country duo/group performance winners with the Boston Pops this summer and their harmonies were the sweetest lullaby of Bean Town. Andra Day, famous for singing with Stevie Wonder in a holiday commercial, wowed with Night Fever. The whole group came together for what has been called a "killer" rendition of  Staying Alive, and I loved every minute of it. 

A Tribe Called Quest w/ Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak
     "Movin' Forward/We the People : B
     I was getting a little sleepy by the time this came about (in the later 10:30-11:00 P.M. block), so I was losing focus on the whole show. The show started slowly and innocently enough with the tribe dedicating the song to their deceased member, Phife Dawg. Suddenly  "A Tribe" woke me up with with a politically-charged rant against President Trump, referring to him as to as "Agent Orange." They led up people representing many groups that have been persecuted and spoken against by the president, filling the stage with women in Hijabs and Latinos etc.. By the end of the show, Tribesman Q-Tip chanted "Resist" over and over again and WE GOT THE MESSAGE.

Pentatonix- ABC: B
     This gang has been everywhere lately- parades, award shows and  everything in between. Their short a capella tribute to the Jackson 5 was oddly placed, but well performed. I had a lot of flashbacks to high school a capella choir during this time and was still trying to process how Pentatonix won an award for best country duo or group performance.

The Time (B) followed by Bruno Mars (see above, A+), - Prince Tribute
"Jungle Love/The Bird"      "Let's Go Crazy"      
     I didn't know the first two songs from the tribute too well. I love and respect The Time and their intense years of collaborating and performing with Prince, but I felt totally lost during their set. I was yelling at the TV: "Don't Appleonia me like that!" Then the performance abruptly ended and I felt empty. When I thought it was over, I was delighted  by the appearance of  Bruno Mars. See full report above.

Chance the Rapper -How Great/ All We Got: B+
     I only know Chance the Rapper from his Kit Kat commerical, but I was happy to see his humbling Grammy speech. He won a little (3 awards) Grammy bling and seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Over a sweeping choir, he rapped with little effort and full heart. I read after the fact that Chance's album was released only though streaming and he was offered a lot of money this week to sign a real record deal, which he turned down. Bonus points to Chance for using a choir!


James Corden and Friends Carpool Karaoke- Sweet Caroline: B+

(c) PipPepPop - Tim McGraw Live

     This was very cheesy, but I still found it adorable. Corden adapted his late night skit for prime time with a car cutout and some very musical friend. Guests roped into the scene included the originator Neil Diamond, J-Lo, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Ryan Tedder, John Legend, Chrissy Tegan, Keith Urban and a guy with a coat perched on the edge of his shoulders that reminded me of a young Puff Daddy (or whatever he will answer to today). By the end, the entire audience was supplementing the BUM BUM BUMs in the background and Blu Ivy Carter was dancing in front of the camera.This is truly one of those moments that only happens in Hollywood.

She's A Dominatrix Supermodel Beauty Queen

     Just over 16 years ago, boy band O-Town brought out one of their most remembered hits, Liquid Dreams. This song was a bouncing ditty about the "perfect woman," made up of the best physical characteristics (and Halle Berry's personality). At a teenager's listening, it's a catchy pop song. At an adult woman's listening the song is kinda offensive, reducing us down to our physical appearances. The song lyrics follow below. I assembled images from magazines to create this woman, and I am revealing it to the world now. I think all of these parts would make one very odd looking woman. Ideal maybe, but not real. Let's all take 2017 to appreciate our own unique beauty. Let me know what you think of her look...

Posters of (Jennifer) Love surrounding me, lost in the world of fantasy.
Every night she comes to me and gives me all the love I need.
Now this hot girl, she's not your average girl
She's a morpharotic dream from a magazine.
And she's so fine, designed to blow your mind.
She's a dominatrix supermodel beauty queen!

I dream about a girl who's a mix of Destiny's Child,
Just a little touch Madonna's wild style,
With Janet Jackson's smile. Throw in a body like Jennifer's,
You've got the star of my liquid dreams.

Angelina Jolie's lips to kiss in the dark,
Underneath Cindy C's beauty mark.
When it comes to the test, well Tyra's the best.
And Salma Hayek brings the rest.

Now this hot girl, she's not your average girl.
She's a morpharotic dream from a magazine.
And she's so fine, designed to blow your mind.
She's a dominatrix supermodel beauty queen!

I dream about a girl who's a mix of Destiny's Child,
Just a little touch Madonna's wild style,
With Janet Jackson's smile. Throw in a body like Jennifer's,
You've got the star of my liquid dreams.

Looks ain't everything, she's got the sweetest personality,
Like Halle B.
My mama thinks I'm lazy, my friend all think I'm crazy,
But in my mind, I leave the world behind... every night I dream.

Liquid Dreams, my Liquid Dreams
Waterfall and streams, these liquid dreams...

I dream about a girl who's a mix of Destiny's Child,
Just a little touch Madonna's wild style,
With Janet Jackson's smile. Throw in a body like Jennifer's,
You've got the star of my liquid dreams, my liquid dreams.

Holiday Road.... Top RT Audio for the Holiday Season

     I have been spending so much time in the car lately. It's easy for me to get tired of the radio. I've tried everything (but cassette tapes) to keep me sane behind the wheel. I've put together my top three songs and top 5 podcasts that have been helping me deal with holiday traffic.

SONGS:
     It's that cold time of year again. My current local temperature is about 22 degrees, which makes car travel less fun toff the bat. I need music to get me in the car. A good holiday song will make you forget you're in traffic. A great song will turn your boring commute into a party-like atmosphere , which is great when there is a bottleneck to view an accident on the other side of the highway.

3. Florida Georgia Line: Cruise
"I've got my windows down, and my radio up..."
This 2013 radio staple get me to roll down my windows and relax (if it is above 40 degrees out). I caught FGL in the summer of 2013 touring with Luke Bryan as this song was burning up the country, pop and hip hop charts. It was a near religious experience on a sweltering Labor Day weekend in Pennsylvania  as Tyler Hubbard (Georgia of the aforementioned Line) yelled out "Yeah Girl" to my "Let's cruise" sign. Something about the song on the radio takes me back to that concert and the memories of that weekend. Cruise and other songs about sipping beers, falling in love, dancing in fields, and other summer fun can be found on Here's to the Good Times.

2. Maren Morris: 80's Mercedes
"...Feel like a hard to get starlet when I'm driving...." 
I love listening to this song in the car. It reminds me of summertime, no traffic, and it's very catchy. Maren Morris has blown up the country scene this year, winning Bes New Artist at November's CMA Awards. Her mix of pop, soul and country make her Summer 2016 album Hero on repeat.

1. Tim McGraw: Shotgun Rider
"...No I don't ever want to know... no  other shotgun rider beside you, singing along to the radio."

(c) PipPepPop

PODCASTS:

     Everyone has a podcast these days. All you need are some good microphones, the gift of gab, and an iTunes account. All you need to listen are ears. I have been devouring the following podcasts in no particular order :

5. Shondaland Revealed
     TGIT fans can rejoice! ABC super EP Betsy Beers is back bi-weekly this season and  interviewing her beloved Shonda Thursdays actors. Stars of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal (premieres next month), The Catch (premieres March) and How to Get Away with Murder come to chat about their shows. I also believe this started as a Scandal podcast and expanded out to the other shows. In the news, I have to know who is under the sheet (dead) on HTGAM! I know Betsy will have that interview (and the actor's fashion report) soon. The podcast is on iTunes alternate Fridays with first looks on EW.com Thursday nights.

4.  Buffering the Vampire Slayer
     Real-life couple Kristin Russo and Jenny Owens Young have just completed a watch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season 1. January is the perfect time to jump in on the emotionally crippling season 2. There's some important conversations to be had here about the dialog (mostly from Xander) and situations from the 90's (just yell "The Patriarchy") that are no longer politically correct.  There's also much amazing fashion to discuss (t-shirts under camis and dresses, velour everything, anyone?) Buffy fans new and old will enjoy this podcast. I loved the interview with Armin Shimerman (aka Principal Synder) and hope to hear more behind the scenes tidbits as Buffy turns 20 this spring. Each episode ends with an original composition the ladies have written  about the theme of the episode. I know the upcoming School Hard already lends itself to an easy chorus. The podcast drops on iTunes Wednesday nights/Thursday mornings. Visit the podcast website here.

3. Bitch Sesh- A Real Housewives Breakdown Show
     Hosts Casey Warner and Danielle Schneider are celebrating year on the airwaves with special guest, Bravo's King Andy Cohen. Both women come from comedy writing and acting backgrounds, and they launched the Hulu original mockumentaries "The Real Housewives of Orlando" and "The Real Housewives of Las Vegas." This podcast is all bravo, all the time. The episodes recap all of the Real Housewives franchises (mainstays Orange County, Beverly Hills, NY, NJ, Atlanta, and the less successful Dallas, DC, and Potomac forays.) The podcast is usually found Wednesdays! Catch the crew on iTunes here.

2. Gossip Guys
     Andy Greene and Aaron Davitian have steered the ship USS Gossip Girl for nearly three seasons, and only spoiled one major plotline. If you listed to the "Never Have I Ever" episode, you and Andy will find out who is Gossip Girl.  The L.A.-based pair always have something to say as two guys watching a post-Internet boom teen drama. They push through the party and scheme of the  week, coining phrases such as 'manipiate': a manipulation, usually involving Nate. I've found myself yelling "It's not enough," when they honor Blair's stepdad Cyrus, or "It's a small island," whenever a character unfathomably appears in the next scene after going from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Join the guys as we head into the (personal opinion) turbulent and off-putting season 4. Let's hope next season will end with a "Summer of Serena" movie binge of Blake Lively classics. Episodes usually release Mondays. Spot the guys on iTunes here.

1. The Shipping Room
     If you've ever rooted for a TV couple, this podcast is for you! From The Wonder Years to Chicago P.D. and everything in between (usually 902010 or One Tree Hill), Christine and Tamar fearlessly plunge into important TV relationship topics. Past episodes have been about affairs, pregnancies and engagements. The ladies share weekly listener "Tip 10 Ships" lists and talk with top T.V. writers. Episodes drop on Fridays. Check them out on iTunes.

Don't Get Your Tickets Here

Jason Aldean from the last row
at MetLife Stadium (c) PipPepPop

     Back in March, I lamented on the blog about how hard it is to get good concert tickets these days. Don't worry, getting tickets has not gotten any easier. You still probably don't have your pick of seats during pre-sales, let along the actual ticket on-sale. But, due to the recent Curt Schlesinger et al. v. Ticketmaster settlement, they may be a little cheaper to loyal concertgoers. Essentially, Ticketmaster was sued for their outrageous and "excessive" fees (finally). I cannot justify paying $75.00 for tickets in the very last row of MetLife stadium, but I paid it last summer to see Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.  Tickets on the floor were at least $300.00 and standing room only. Where is the benefit in that? But I digress...

     Ticket "processing" fees (which average from $15-$20 dollars on top of the seat price) were the brunt of the spoils in this case. There is also a second reward/class for the ridiculously  high fees for USPS delivery. As a whole, Ticketmaster has charged as high as $8.00 to ship regularly ordered tickets (not overnight or a week before the show kind of deals) via US mail, a service which used to be available for free. This led to the ride of free PDF print-at-home tickets, which are their own fun pain in the butt. I have also been to a concert where my friend left the tickets at home and we had to download an app for our phones to get into the concert, and keep the tickets up on our phones every time we left the area to get drinks or go to the bathroom. As much as the technology was supposed to make out lives better they're not making concerts easier, yet. Maybe in the future, we can get retinal scan tickets!

     Tickets purchased from October 1999 through February 2013 make you eligible to be part of the lawsuit's class and should guarantee you something back. On bright side in this whole deal,  Ticketmaster has done all of the work for us. I logged into my account the other day to check out my cut of the $45+ million dollar settlement. I have 11 pairs of general admission ticket vouchers (good through June 2020) and 11 sets of $2.25 credits to use toward ticket purchases. Before you plan to take 20 of your closest friends to the lawn seats, keep in mind there are restrictions, as suggested by Yahoo! News earlier this week. General admission vouchers are only allowed to be used for events at Live Nation venues. The tickets are redeemable for floor general admission or lawn GA tickets to these events, and up to two vouchers at a time (totaling 4 tickets). USPS shipping codes ($5.00 each, I had none of these because I wasn't  going to pay to ship tickets) can be used two at a time for USPS shipping, and these deals cannot be used with other tickets.

Live Nation site screenshot, 6/23 (c) PipPepPop

     The ticket site for Live Nation began posting events early Wednesday and as of Thursday night, all available vouchers through November are sold out (at venues across the country). I am curious to see how the next few months go, when the novelty wears off and people forget about the ticket vouchers they have sitting in their account. Maybe I can get some tickets then! In the meantime, I'm going to see how we can convince them to put pre-sale e-mailed codes directly into out accounts too. I have scrambling at the last minute to find phrases like SUNSHINE or DEEJAY and plugging them in to try to get tickets. I also hate clicking on the images of Trucks or waterfalls to prove I'm not a robot. Hmm.. maybe ticketing robots is the way to solve all of this frustration....
 For more information, visit the settlement website: http://www.ticketfeelitigation.com/

2016: The "In Memoriam Section" is Going to Be Long

"A legend has died," is a phrase that has been uttered way too many times for only being 4 months through 2016. At an alarming rate, music greats have been dying, leading to what many have called "the end of a generation of music." They come from different walks of life and died for a variety of reasons, but we all remember where we were the first time we heard them... and the last. I attribute today's blog title to my friend Teresa. She eloquently summed up the fan response to the growing number of music legends dying this year. 

Merle Haggard (I looked, but there are no GIFS for him)
Haggard eerily died on his 79th birthday (April 6th) this year. I didn't know too much about him because his era of country was well before my time. Most of my knowledge comes from seeing an exhibit about him at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville a few years ago titled, "The Bakersfield Sound." Haggard was a man of the people, taking on the persona of the "Okie from Muskogee."

GIF from Gfycat.com

 Prince
 For Prince (or The Artist Formerly Known As) as he was called when I was kid, the 57 year old man seemed to die gradually. I was scrolling through some music to listen to at work the morning of his death, hearing he was found unresponsive in his elevator by lunchtime, and pronounced dead by the evening. It was a bone chilling moment when I heard the news. While I enjoyed "Kiss" and "Little Red Corvette", police were responding to a 911 call at his Minneapolis compound, where Prince would later be pronounced dead. Stadiums were lit up purple and people held all night dance parties to celebrate his passing. Prince was not just a fashion icon, but an ambassador of a way of life. My favorite moment of the artist is not one of his well known ones. It's a clip from Muppets Tonight (the 1997 show on the Disney Channel) and "the artist formerly known as" Prince is writing songs about cafeteria food. Rizzo the Rat keeps addressing "the artist" by turning around and showing the symbol on the back of his jacket. 

GIF from Tumblr. 

David Bowie
In January, another 80's legend, David Bowie, passed away quietly. Unbeknownst to fans and the public, the singer succumbed to liver cancer days two days after his new album Blackstar was released. My most memorable Bowie moment is from the 1980's (also Muppets) movie, Labriynth. I thank my parents every day that I never saw this movie as a child, because I had enough things to be creeped out about (mostly the song "Season of the Witch" by the band Donovan). While there was talk of  the movie being re-booted after Bowie's death, that got shut down quickly.
     This movie would have also made me afraid of baby napping, David Bowie, mazes, and cats. Just look at the guy, he's a spandex-wearing man cat! I first saw the movie at the beginning of college, where I was able to laugh at the 80's graphics and strange songs, like Bowie's "You remind me of the babe" song and dance with the kidnapped baby Toby. 

The Eagles (Frey on left) from GIPHY

Glenn Frey
The legendary Eagles guitarist passed away in January from multiple issues, including pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. He was 67 at the time and had retired from touring with the band about a year before being hospitalized for the above issues. My favorite Frey moment has got to be his music video for "You Belong to the City." There is some beautiful acting going on and some "Baker Street" style saxophone solos. The song was written for the show Miami Vice, but oddly the promotional music video features Frey clearly in New York.  

Natalie Cole
This charming jazz singer passed away at age 65 on new year's eve. If that wasn't bad enough, she suffered from heart failure as a result of lung disease. While I'm torn to choose a favorite Natalie Cole moment, I have to go with her 1992 Grammy Awards duet with her dead father (jazz singer Nat King Cole) in 1992. With the magic of video screens and good audio quality, both Coles were able to sing "Unforgettable."

I'm Going to Graceland.... Memphis Tennessee

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

"I'm going to Graceland, Graceland... Memphis, Tennessee." -- Paul Simon (Graceland)

"I followed him up to the gates of Graceland, and I watched him walk right through." -- Marc Cohn (Walking in Memphis) 

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

     Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. This place has been long-revered in the public consciousness through pop songs (mentioned above) and legendary photos. When my friend and I pulled up at the Graceland tourism center, we were completely confused as to what we were seeing. A series of Elvis-themed shops and the Heartbreak Hotel greeted us on one side of the road. We didn't see the house, but there is a hotel for "lonely people to dwell" right across the street. We came to the ticket center, and I thought this must be it. Wrong again! We bought tickets and were given headphones and iPads for the guided tour. Then we queued in line for a bus. We did a double take when we saw there were buses involved. Just how big was this property? I had already heard there was room for horses to run around, but this seemed extreme.

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

     The bus took us across the street to what a modern day person would recognize as an average -sized colonial in the suburbs. But in the 1950's this house would be on a grand scale to other houses in the area, and it was majestic. Who runs the place now? Despite their divorce many years ago, Elvis's ex-wife Priscilla actively is involved in the property and keeping her former husband's legacy available to the public. The building opened to the common folks back in 1992.

      The tour included the first floor and basement of the house, excluding the 2nd floor due to privacy of the Presley family. Per the tour, "The King" died in a second floor bathroom. We were told by our wonderful iPad tour guide John Stamos (Haaave Merrrcy!) that daughter Lisa Marie and her family visit from time to time. During these occasions, the property is closed so the family can enjoy dinner in the house. The first floor held Mr. (Vernon) and Mrs. Presley's bedroom, the grand living room and music room, dining room, kitchen, and the infamous jungle room. A tour of the basement included a media room (with three T.V'.s on one wall) and a pool room covered from ceiling to floor in upholstered fabric.

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

 "Priscilla, Priscilla, how'd you keep him to yourself?"
 -- Miranda Lambert (Priscilla)

        The garage, former home to the pink Cadillac, also held  Vernon's office. Hold on Kris Jenner, but Vernon Presley  could give you a run for your money as the original dad-ager.  We caught news footage there of a just-returned from service  (circa 1957) Elvis shaking off the notion that he found love  while her was serving overseas. He casually mentioned an  American girl he met there and it was "nothing serious." Her  name was Priscilla Beaulieu, and she would become  Presley's wife in 1967.

     The pool house was turned into a hall of records. Literally  there was a wall of gold and platinum records, Grammys, and  other awards. There was a ton of memorabilia (Elvis lipstick)  and displays and clips from Elvis's movie days. The former  fitness center housed a tribute in Elvis's later years, mostly the Las Vegas time. In the same racquetball court where Elvis stood hours before his death, I took in videos of his T.V, special from Hawaii, Las Vegas shows, and about a dozen different jumpsuits. There was also a tribute and display to the Elvis commemorative postage stamp, first introduced in 1993 and reintroduced in 2015.

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

  It was unreal to walk in the same space where legends of music had also walked. While some reports have called the design of the house ostentatious and gaudy, I found it very true to the style of Elvis. It was regal, like a king, but still pretty homey. The kitchen (sorry photos didn't come out) was nearly untouched since Elvis passed away in August of 1977. A simple television sit on the counter and stools sat next to a refrigerator, with a shopping list that noted peanut butter and bananas, an Elvis special sandwich.

(c) 2016 SeeHearReadPop

   
    The final stop on the tour before heading back to the visitor's center was the memorial garden. There were graves for the King, his parent,s his grandmother Minnie Presley, who outlived almost the entire family, and Elvis' twin brother Jesse  (like Uncle Jesse from Full House), who was stillborn. It's a very beautiful place on the property. On August 16th, there is a candlelight vigil held in honor of Elvis's death. My birthday falls on the anniversary of Elvis' death, and I enjoy a movie marathon each year. My favorite movie is Clambake, but I still have many to see. 

TV Theme Songs Revisited- Whatever Happened to Full House

     Since I'm sure you haven't been living under a rock, I'm sure you know Full House is back on Netflix as a new iteration called Fuller House. It's still the same D.J. (Candace Cameron-Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and neighbor Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), raising up some kiddos in the old Tanner family home in San Francisco. Eldest daughter Donna Jo is very straight-laced like her father, Danny, and she is recently widowed with three boys, which is the exact opposite of how the Tanner girls grew up. Her sister Stephanie (Uncle Jesse much?) and best friend Kimmy (definitely the essence of weird Joey) are moving in to help. Now Kimmy is a mom, and her teenage daughter adds the Disney-channel style sass. I have yet to delve into the hew show, but I will blog the moment it happens. I'm really here to express my interest in the rebooted theme song. Some of you younger folks might not know what a theme song is. Once upon a time (or at least a good ten years ago), all shows (drama and sitcoms) had an opening song that described the sentiment of the show and showed memorable scenes of the characters, introducing the actors by name. Fuller House took the opportunity to re-do it's theme song, Everywhere You Look.

     The theme song was performed by ABC's TV theme hit-maker of the late 80's and early 90's, Jesse Frederick. Jesse also song and penned themes for Family Matters, Perfect Strangers and Step By Step so he was the king of this stuff in the 90's. Most recently, Jesse debuted his version of The Tonight Show theme song. Back in Fuller House land, he worked with Carly Rae Jepsen (Call Me  Maybe*). This song is getting a lot of buzz, appearing in the show teaser and even being sung by CRJ and Danny Tanner himself,  Bob Saget last week. The tune uses the same words and melody of the original song with more of a poppy, twangy take on the song that asks "Whatever happened to predictability?" Please check out the amazing podcast from the Tuner crew that delves deep into the musicality of the two different versions of the theme song. There's also a bonus mash up of the songs together that sounds really weird and pretty cool. Tuner has some amazing podcasts and I have become a total fan girl after discovering them last week, thanks to my trusty Google App!


* Stay Tuned for a post next week where we really dissect the meaning of Carly Rae Jepsen's hit. I have so much more to say about this song.

The (Ticket) Struggle is Real

     I love going to live events! I enjoy taking in theater, hockey games, and live music. Much to my dismay, I am finding this more and more difficult to do. I was recently looking for tickets for not one but two concerts and I found out that clearly humans have little to no chance of getting seats (not even decent seats) for a show.

John Mayer 2007 @ MSG

     If one does want to get tickets, be prepared to shell out big bucks (upwards of $75.00 a ticket in most cases for a terrible seat). To compare, I went to see John Mayer at Madison Square Garden in the Winter of 2007, nine years ago. My friends and I (three ladies waiting for Your Body is a Wonderland)  paid about $40.00 per seat in the 400's section (which does not exist since the MSG remodel), but it was a second or third row in the upper upper most spot of the stadium. The seats were OK, but with a camera zoom lens we could see John pretty great! The crowd was in good spirits and the music was flowing, so we had a blast. 

      In the Winter of 2010, I attended John Mayer at the Garden again. This event was legendary!

John Mayer @ MSG in 2010.

        I still have a photo of it up at my desk to remind me of the amazing night. I also happened to be the night a major snowstorm hit NYC and almost shut down the city. But I digress, back to the story of how I scored these amazing seats. I sat on my computer refreshing the page over and over again at 10 am on the day-before pre-sale. I got the pre-sale code simply for buying the album, not join any silly fan club or having a special credit card or any other nonsense that's available now. My friend was in disbelief because I called her with the news: we were sitting on the floor, in row E (read this, 5th row on the floor). She thought there must be some kind of catch. Maybe there were double letter seats before the single letters? She was wrong and we did have amazing 5th row seats. The catch? We paid a flat $90.00 to sit about 12 feet from the stage. The concert was like a dream, the kind you do not want to wake up from.  First of all, I felt like I was at some kind of exclusive party. Second of all, we got a private floor-only bathroom and our own concessions and merchandise stands! We will never, and have never had seats close to this good since then.

    In the summer of 2013, my friend and I saw John Mayer again in a large, open-air venue in Hartford, CT. The seats were in the second section back and while still closer than the first show, still so far away. We paid $70.00 for these seats and were disappointed because it was not as good as the 2010 experience. But we barely managed to snag these seats due to increasingly difficult measures from Ticketmaster.

Luke Bryan Ticket 1st Day Pre-Sale

    First of all, Ticketmaster is the only major ticketing site to buy first chance tickets. Sites like STUBHUB sometimes grant a last-minute deal, but it's rare to see seats for anything there for the actual face value. After successfully battling each layer of Ticketmaster's elaborate process, (logging into your account, selecting the correct date, choosing only images of hot dogs, clicking "I'm not a robot" etc..) , you begin your queue in line while someone is nabbing all of the tickets, leaving something like the photo below. This (LEFT) is a screenshot for last week's pre-sale of a Luke Bryan concert in Atlantic City. On the first day of pre-sale, only single tickets were left in sections. How could all of the seats in a row be selected except single seats on the ends? Even stranger than that, why are single seats left in the middle of sections? or even stranger, in the middle of sections?

Luke Bryan Seats Left 3 Days After Sale

     Are there any seats left for the actual sale date? My assumption at this point would be no if you're planning to go to the concert with another person. So, why are all the tickets disappearing in pre-sales? Clearly internet geniuses and spambots are taking them for scalpers. Plus, the ridiculous number of pre-sales give some people special privileges over the average Joe. It's very disheartening also that to go to a show, you have to shell out $100 bucks per seat. This is not a casual night out with friends, it's a commitment that can cause lots of issues and friendship fights.  What do the good people get left with, higher prices (the 200's section seats here costs $79.00 plus $16.00 in fees, totaling about $95.00) Plus, if you have a carload of people who want to go to the show, you might as well plan to get different seats spread out all over the venue, because you will not be sitting together. If you're lucky you might be able to secure two seats together. This stress, this lack of availability, and this high price makes every concert a long shot dream instead of a fun night out. Let's find a way to make the concerts about the music again! #ConcertsForAll

Cheesy Wedding Songs

     Every once in a while, I go into a cleaning binge. I was fortunate enough on this pass to find a CD of wedding reception songs. I recently posted about my picks for wedding reception songs after dutifully attending many weddings last summer. Since it was recently valentine's day, I found a free CD that came with some romantic comedies (The Wedding Planner and  My Best Friend's Wedding) and thought I would share this playlist.  Please enjoy:

1. I Like it Like That (Conga Line?)

2. Brown Eyed Girl

3. Hot Hot Hot (Serious Conga Line???)

4. When I See You Smile

5. Mambo #5 (When has this last been played in public?)

6. Gonna Make You Sweat

7. Here Comes the Hotstepper (really??)

8. Keep on Loving You (Slow dance?)