New Kids on the Block are a relic. This is not an insult. This is not a slight. This is simply reality… New Kids on the Block released their debut album in 1986… Since then, fourteen professional sports franchises have relocated…
From what sources told me, Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s pre-concert party was impressive… When I arrived for the post-concert party, the venue was vacant… There were scattered pockets, three groups at different tables and two women sitting alone, who had apparently been expelled from the concert (seriously, how does one get tossed from a New Kids on the Block concert?)… However, Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s was without energy… I assumed the energy would return when the concert concluded… I had no clue how correct and regretful I would be…
Approximately 10:30 (and if you were following our twitter, you know this), the concert concluded and a crush ensued… A line stretched from the security table, through the twin glass doors, and around the venue… This is the good news… The bad news? It was night of the living heifers… They arrived with their horrific hair and their bargain basement wardrobe… And their blubber (yes, I said that)… If the average size woman in this nation is a fourteen, there were a lot of average people who attended the concert…
Within twenty minutes after, Frog Bear and Wild Boar was full of more buns than a day old bakery… And they insisted on dancing… They puckered their lips, they grinded on each other, and they shook their ass as if they were prom queen material… Did no one remind them they had eaten them prom queen? I know how that sounds (actually, maybe I don’t, I’m laughing)… but honestly… Did they have to dance?
And while we are on the subject, did Shucking Bubba Deluxe have to perform? I know I’ve said this before, but random is intriguing. Ridiculous is simply stupid. Shucking Bubba Deluxe was obnoxious… Their set list, which commenced with “Somebody Told Me” and slipped into “This Is How We Do It” and “I Like the Way You Move” was not diverse, it was disgraceful… After five songs, I stopped listening… Something I had not yet done to a band in this city…
Something I had not done in three weeks was talk with or write about Duchess Abbi… Amidst a conversation with someone (whom I don’t remember), I spotted the Duchess and immediately I abandon my conversation for a conversation with her… We talked spring break and the website and her personality captivates one more with every word she says… I know I said this before in another context, but in Abbi’s case it’s absolutely correct… Beauty is an indication of personality…
Speaking of personality… Athena and Stephanie once again showcased theirs on this evening… As you watch them serve and strut, you cant avoid smiling… You cant avoid asking yourself why this is not the venue you and your friends choose every single evening… Other venues may have celebrities… They may have better bands (on this night, that was certainly true)… But, they don’t have the one factor, which Frog Bear has, which should always, always motivate males…
Girls… I know I speak for everyone… Girls… You need them all the time… Girls… I don’t your situation… Girls… But, I know they’re on your mind… (I love paraphrasing Britney Spears’ lyrics)…
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Bold, Brash Johnson Brothers Score
Flamboyance is strikingly bold and showy…. Conspicuously dashing and colorful… Elaborately styled, florid, and ornate… Flamboyance can be apparel, cerebral, philosophical, or verbal… And depending on the attraction, remarkable or remarkably annoying…
Now, I’ve discussed several bands’ unique sound… Each of those bands pails greatly when contrasted with the Fabulous Johnson Brothers. Featuring an ensemble of seven, which includes a vocalist, two guitarists, a drummer, two saxophonists, and a trumpeter (yes, they have three horns in the band), the Fabulous Johnson Brothers possess the ability to attempt renditions and rhythms that other bands wouldn’t dare…
From “9 to 5” to “Umbrella,” the set list runs the gambit… Every song a new creative and vocal opportunity… On “9 to 5,” one of the saxophonists steps out front and rips the song with a singular, funky solo…. On their closing number, “Purple Rain,” the guitarist and the lead singer rift, the vocals making everyone recall when the anthem owned their stereos…
While the entire group was excellent, Aaron merits a solo paragraph for his stage presence, which, akin to his group’s sound, is unmatched… Preening and strutting, in a manner which would have made Freddie Mercury blush, Aaron made his persona memorable enough to own the conversation, but not so memorable that it overshadowed his band…
As I mentioned previously, I receive calls, e-mails, facebook messages, text messages, and twitter messages everyday. This band is amazing. That band is incredible. For the Fabulous Johnson Brothers, I can state with certainty that the recommendation I received was inadequate. Their reality exceeded the hype.
Now, I’ve discussed several bands’ unique sound… Each of those bands pails greatly when contrasted with the Fabulous Johnson Brothers. Featuring an ensemble of seven, which includes a vocalist, two guitarists, a drummer, two saxophonists, and a trumpeter (yes, they have three horns in the band), the Fabulous Johnson Brothers possess the ability to attempt renditions and rhythms that other bands wouldn’t dare…
From “9 to 5” to “Umbrella,” the set list runs the gambit… Every song a new creative and vocal opportunity… On “9 to 5,” one of the saxophonists steps out front and rips the song with a singular, funky solo…. On their closing number, “Purple Rain,” the guitarist and the lead singer rift, the vocals making everyone recall when the anthem owned their stereos…
While the entire group was excellent, Aaron merits a solo paragraph for his stage presence, which, akin to his group’s sound, is unmatched… Preening and strutting, in a manner which would have made Freddie Mercury blush, Aaron made his persona memorable enough to own the conversation, but not so memorable that it overshadowed his band…
As I mentioned previously, I receive calls, e-mails, facebook messages, text messages, and twitter messages everyday. This band is amazing. That band is incredible. For the Fabulous Johnson Brothers, I can state with certainty that the recommendation I received was inadequate. Their reality exceeded the hype.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Frog Bear’s Bunnies Steal the Show
As you can imagine, I receive calls, e-mails, facebook messages, text messages, and twitter messages everyday. This band is amazing. That band is incredible. The vast majority of these I ignore. However, the Reganomics were a not as easily dismissed recommendation.
When the quartet took Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s stage for their initial set, the dance floor was empty (and by empty I mean, I had a completely unobstructed view of everything, although there was nothing to see)… Obviously, this was not the band’s fault, the crowd was simply huddled into their conversations, discussing the near epic collapse and remarkable recovery of the Blue Jackets (which we will discuss later)…
With that said, a band feeds off of energy and despite an outstanding set list, the lack of a crowd’s sizzle noticeably affected the group’s performance… Not even “Anyway You Want It,” which was exemplary, could save what I would characterize as a pedestrian effort… (I will view the band again… Hopefully, with a better crowd)…
The Reganomics’ evening was not completely void of highlights (although the band didn’t provide them)… Instead, the dancing of Duchess Abbi and Marchioness Stephanie (we’ll explain the title shortly, I promise), was the climax to the epic evening which the Blue Jackets had begun…
In a non-technical, completely enjoyable, and totally hysterical manner, Abbi and Stephanie’s preening and strutting to “I’m Gonna Be,” was one more reminder of the extraordinary amount of fun Frog Bear and Wild Boar employees have… It was also a reminder of how gorgeous two bunnies can be, when they are determined to be flat out silly…
When the quartet took Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s stage for their initial set, the dance floor was empty (and by empty I mean, I had a completely unobstructed view of everything, although there was nothing to see)… Obviously, this was not the band’s fault, the crowd was simply huddled into their conversations, discussing the near epic collapse and remarkable recovery of the Blue Jackets (which we will discuss later)…
With that said, a band feeds off of energy and despite an outstanding set list, the lack of a crowd’s sizzle noticeably affected the group’s performance… Not even “Anyway You Want It,” which was exemplary, could save what I would characterize as a pedestrian effort… (I will view the band again… Hopefully, with a better crowd)…
The Reganomics’ evening was not completely void of highlights (although the band didn’t provide them)… Instead, the dancing of Duchess Abbi and Marchioness Stephanie (we’ll explain the title shortly, I promise), was the climax to the epic evening which the Blue Jackets had begun…
In a non-technical, completely enjoyable, and totally hysterical manner, Abbi and Stephanie’s preening and strutting to “I’m Gonna Be,” was one more reminder of the extraordinary amount of fun Frog Bear and Wild Boar employees have… It was also a reminder of how gorgeous two bunnies can be, when they are determined to be flat out silly…
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tales of Twos
Our initial attempt at All Access… not an unqualified success. Technical difficulties delayed our start. An unpredictable phone, that posted seemingly when it wanted it to, delayed our updates… Updates which were ultimately concluded when the phone died… Hopefully, we will work out the kinks for our next All-Access attempt… (Who knows when that attempt will occur).
I still cannot appreciate or comprehend what a late city Columbus is… I understand in the spring and summer, as classes ease and weather warms, late is a relative term… However, prior to moving to this city, late in my experience was people who arrived at a venue in primetime and went to sleep with Carson Daly. In Columbus, they arrive during Jay Leno and they go to sleep with Joe Scarborough.
Amidst my frustrated arrival (thank you technical difficulties and cross town traffic), I was immediately impressed with Lodge Bar’s transformation… It’s not like Lodge Bar hasn’t thrown a theme party previously and they always craft the appropriate atmosphere… With that said, this experience was truly unique… Gorgeous white snow on the windows… Crushed ice blue and snow on the tables… You were in a crystal paradise… The reinvention was exquisite…
Equally exquisite (and I must admit my personal bias for my own company here), was the combination of cards, circulars, and signs, which touted Gossip CBUS… While I mentioned hanging and twittering were mutually exclusive and they were… I caught myself, when I was finished looking at various sections of the venue where I had placed signs… I don’t care how much prestige one acquires in their lifetime… There remains a certain burst of pride when you observe someone reading the material, about you, which you just distributed… (I don’t know if the evening pays off in traffic focus, but I know the pride felt at these moments made the evening worth every effort)…
As the crowd trickled into Lodge Bar (it still was around 7:30 at this time, hours before the rush would ensue), the morsels of absurdity, which make great stories were present. The intriguing conversations, which make great stories were present… Notably on both these fronts were an occurrence and conversation I had within a sixty-minute timeframe… The conversation, involving a bouncer, focused on why the city is so late arriving… It was a great discussion, which concluded with his opinion of the city likes to pregame at home, with beer, which wont cost them anything (although that logic escapes me, because the beer cost them something at some point, right?)
The occurrence, involving the same bouncer, focused on two random heifers, one of which forgot her identification, one of which may have been underage, both claiming to be with the band that was set to perform within the hour… It turns out; they were with the band, although not in the we make music sense… They were groupies… I don’t know how they managed to score entrance, but several times, during the performance, I noticed them sitting, drinking nothing, not even water, watching the band… And let’s just say the band’s performance was as ugly as they were…
Despite a band best suited for a set of earplugs, instead of the stage at Lodge Bar, the crowd continued to be consistent… They were not imposing… They were not impressive… The crowd ebbed and flowed… At times, they looked on the precipice of providing the energy I expect at Lodge Bar… At other times, they made me wondering why I couldn’t just go home (and then I would remember, we were the co-sponsors of the event)…
As the trivia (which you could have won, if you were following our twitter) commenced, the crowd remained middling… When Mad River started hanging out (more like tossing out) prizes, the crowd didn’t intensify, but their energy increased exponentially… I couldn’t understand it… Miller Lite’s prize was a sick snowboard… There were Mad River passes, Pocono ski passes… These were amazing prizes… As I looked at the dozen people cramming themselves into a half-dozen foot space, I couldn’t fathom how this event, which I had promoted and Lodge had promoted, could feel (maybe not actually be, but just feel) under whelming… Then, another hour passed and I remembered a lesson I should never forget…
I was standing to the left of the stage, on the stairs leading to the upper bar, when the “Cupid Shuffle” began to play… Suddenly, I had an appreciation for reality… In less than sixty minutes, Columbus’ late arriving nature, had transformed the crowd from middling to monstrous… The dance floor was crammed with four dozen people, all stepping in unified rhythm to the overplayed anthem… Speaking of overplayed anthems… “Single Ladies” followed and the obviously single for a reason ladies ate it up…
And while we are on the subject of things the ladies ate up, I must mention the Brian Collins Band (not so much a band as a duet between a drummer and solo guitarist)… I could gush about their diverse and impressive set list… I could gush about their musical skill… But neither, as spectacular as they were, made this band… What made this duo is, in a word, showmanship… The trait that separates every band worth watching a second time, from those other bands, who you wish you hadn’t seen the first time…
The Atlanta tandem (yes, that’s Atlanta, Georgia, a state which knows a lot about Big Ten football) interacted beautifully with the crowd, notably two drunken bunnies, who took turns scoring their fifteen minutes of intoxicated stardom… Collins didn’t allow the show to become a complete farce… He managed the inebriated bunny… He worked her like a marionette… The height of the comedy was an exchange between the two, which was laced with sexual innuendo (and only half of it facetious)…
Overall, Snowed Inn, this company’s first endeavor in the event world, was successful… Was it perfect… Not even close… Did the crowd rival what we will see next weekend… Not even close… Still, it was a success, in the sense that two entities, both of which are competitive, but never combative… Forged an alliance, which, while not exclusive will hopefully last for years to come…
I still cannot appreciate or comprehend what a late city Columbus is… I understand in the spring and summer, as classes ease and weather warms, late is a relative term… However, prior to moving to this city, late in my experience was people who arrived at a venue in primetime and went to sleep with Carson Daly. In Columbus, they arrive during Jay Leno and they go to sleep with Joe Scarborough.
Amidst my frustrated arrival (thank you technical difficulties and cross town traffic), I was immediately impressed with Lodge Bar’s transformation… It’s not like Lodge Bar hasn’t thrown a theme party previously and they always craft the appropriate atmosphere… With that said, this experience was truly unique… Gorgeous white snow on the windows… Crushed ice blue and snow on the tables… You were in a crystal paradise… The reinvention was exquisite…
Equally exquisite (and I must admit my personal bias for my own company here), was the combination of cards, circulars, and signs, which touted Gossip CBUS… While I mentioned hanging and twittering were mutually exclusive and they were… I caught myself, when I was finished looking at various sections of the venue where I had placed signs… I don’t care how much prestige one acquires in their lifetime… There remains a certain burst of pride when you observe someone reading the material, about you, which you just distributed… (I don’t know if the evening pays off in traffic focus, but I know the pride felt at these moments made the evening worth every effort)…
As the crowd trickled into Lodge Bar (it still was around 7:30 at this time, hours before the rush would ensue), the morsels of absurdity, which make great stories were present. The intriguing conversations, which make great stories were present… Notably on both these fronts were an occurrence and conversation I had within a sixty-minute timeframe… The conversation, involving a bouncer, focused on why the city is so late arriving… It was a great discussion, which concluded with his opinion of the city likes to pregame at home, with beer, which wont cost them anything (although that logic escapes me, because the beer cost them something at some point, right?)
The occurrence, involving the same bouncer, focused on two random heifers, one of which forgot her identification, one of which may have been underage, both claiming to be with the band that was set to perform within the hour… It turns out; they were with the band, although not in the we make music sense… They were groupies… I don’t know how they managed to score entrance, but several times, during the performance, I noticed them sitting, drinking nothing, not even water, watching the band… And let’s just say the band’s performance was as ugly as they were…
Despite a band best suited for a set of earplugs, instead of the stage at Lodge Bar, the crowd continued to be consistent… They were not imposing… They were not impressive… The crowd ebbed and flowed… At times, they looked on the precipice of providing the energy I expect at Lodge Bar… At other times, they made me wondering why I couldn’t just go home (and then I would remember, we were the co-sponsors of the event)…
As the trivia (which you could have won, if you were following our twitter) commenced, the crowd remained middling… When Mad River started hanging out (more like tossing out) prizes, the crowd didn’t intensify, but their energy increased exponentially… I couldn’t understand it… Miller Lite’s prize was a sick snowboard… There were Mad River passes, Pocono ski passes… These were amazing prizes… As I looked at the dozen people cramming themselves into a half-dozen foot space, I couldn’t fathom how this event, which I had promoted and Lodge had promoted, could feel (maybe not actually be, but just feel) under whelming… Then, another hour passed and I remembered a lesson I should never forget…
I was standing to the left of the stage, on the stairs leading to the upper bar, when the “Cupid Shuffle” began to play… Suddenly, I had an appreciation for reality… In less than sixty minutes, Columbus’ late arriving nature, had transformed the crowd from middling to monstrous… The dance floor was crammed with four dozen people, all stepping in unified rhythm to the overplayed anthem… Speaking of overplayed anthems… “Single Ladies” followed and the obviously single for a reason ladies ate it up…
And while we are on the subject of things the ladies ate up, I must mention the Brian Collins Band (not so much a band as a duet between a drummer and solo guitarist)… I could gush about their diverse and impressive set list… I could gush about their musical skill… But neither, as spectacular as they were, made this band… What made this duo is, in a word, showmanship… The trait that separates every band worth watching a second time, from those other bands, who you wish you hadn’t seen the first time…
The Atlanta tandem (yes, that’s Atlanta, Georgia, a state which knows a lot about Big Ten football) interacted beautifully with the crowd, notably two drunken bunnies, who took turns scoring their fifteen minutes of intoxicated stardom… Collins didn’t allow the show to become a complete farce… He managed the inebriated bunny… He worked her like a marionette… The height of the comedy was an exchange between the two, which was laced with sexual innuendo (and only half of it facetious)…
Overall, Snowed Inn, this company’s first endeavor in the event world, was successful… Was it perfect… Not even close… Did the crowd rival what we will see next weekend… Not even close… Still, it was a success, in the sense that two entities, both of which are competitive, but never combative… Forged an alliance, which, while not exclusive will hopefully last for years to come…
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Access Columbus
For a century or so, philosophers, physicians, and poets have, in their own way, pondered one question… What is life about? I don’t know their answer, but I know mine and I believe (in my unbiased opinion), mine should be acceptable as universal… If life is about anything, it’s about access… Access to conversations with the right people, access to the right events, access to opportunities… Access, access, and access….
After spending the first hour of my evening at the Frog Bear and Wild Boar (see above), I arrived at Lodge Bar. Whereas the crowd at Frog Bear and Wild Boar was subdued and social, groups of between two and six; the crowd at Lodge Bar was scorching… The groups were eight or ten, the energy was palpable, and the bunnies (Miller Lite and otherwise) were everywhere…
Fifteen minutes after my entrance, Lodge Bar commenced their Date Auction, which benefited the very worthy Make A Wish Foundation… If only the crowd had realized how worthy the cause was… The ten employees (five men and five women) were charming… They even had little biographical spreads which accompanied their appearance (some of the material on those, obviously altered for effect)… The “Auctioneer,” while not perfect was certainly better than the calamity that voiced the Columbus Crewzers Auction… And the packages that went with the dates, great restaurant gift cards, Blue Jackets tickets, without question exceeded the dinner you received with the Crewzers…
Still, the bidding was sparse (and that’s the kindest word I can use)… The auctioneer honestly appeared to be begging at times… Mark and his Blue Jackets tickets received only one bid, Lindsay and Brittany, as gorgeous as they were, scored only slightly higher than him… Only Amanda, rocking her curves in a black dress, that I believe was spray-painted onto her, caused a bidding frenzy…
Now, money is money and obviously Make A Wish (any charity actually), will accept donations with thanks and thankful hearts… And it certainly isn’t a reflection on Lodge Bar that their patrons were lazy… Still, Lodge Bar is such a great venue and their employees are amazing people… Both deserved so much more…
With the auction concluded, I walked the sidewalk, bridge, and brick ground from Vine Street back to the Arena District for the third period of the Blue Jackets and Red Wings (once again, see above)… As the game ended, I happened into (yes, that’s a random term, but the conversation was random also) with Frog Bear and Wild Boar Co-Owner David Allsbrooks… As we spoke, I could clearly understand why his establishment is one that I enjoy… It’s a complete reflection of its exemplary owner…
As much as I enjoyed conversations with Allsbrooks and Frog Bear and Wild Boar Promoter Jeff (who I will mention again momentarily), those discussions fell miles short of the satisfaction I enjoyed speaking with Abbi… For those of you who don’t remember, Abbi was (my words paraphrased), “the present every male was hoping to receive for Christmas.”
Her personality exceeds her perfect appearance (if that’s even possible)… Her personality is delightful and sparkling, she is an engaging person, and fifteen seconds with her easily confirmed everything I had written… I have to say as someone who types adjectives about amazing people, you never know if meeting those people will live up to what you have written… Trust me I say that five minutes with Abbi was a like a country music fan scoring five minutes with Taylor Swift… Exquisite…
I said I would return to my conversation with Jeff and here is the reason… Prior to the Menus (yes, that’s actually the bands name) taking the stage, Jeff had described the lead singer to me as “heterosexually flamboyant…” I know I said this on twitter, but I must repeat it, Jeff could not have coined a better description if he had sat down and spent four hours attempting it… From the moment he took the stage, the Menus lead singer was worth the price of admission…
With the personality of Boy George and the preening of Freddie Mercury, I half expected to hear “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” or “Radio Gaga…” Instead, I heard one of the most impressive set lists from any band I have seen… The perfect trio of “Sweet Caroline,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “Little Pink Houses” fell over the crowd like milk chocolate raining from heaven… And the crowd slurped every available drop (myself included)… As I left to return to Lodge Bar to conclude the night, I was beyond impressed with the Menus…
Wish that I could say the same for Jeremy Hoyle… Lodge Bar’s Friday night choice was, in a word, mediocre… He wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t terrific… Even the crowd (which had increased by dozens when I returned) was unimpressed, as they threw up only a somber reaction to his version of “Hang On Sloopy…”
Hoyle played “Hey Jealousy,” which I loved and overall his set list was acceptable… But I have been in Lodge Bar when the crowd was so energetic that they could rip the boards from the floor… He didn’t inspire that… Thankfully, I had several great conversations to drown him out and this returns to me where I began…
As I walked out of Lodge Bar, my singular thought was what was in my opening… More specifically, how lucky I am to be able to afford everyone who cant get five minutes with a club owner or the promotions person or the best bartender… I always viewed this website and my words as a privilege and a responsibility, but never more so than this typing… Until the next time you have access vicariously, you know I love you Columbus…
After spending the first hour of my evening at the Frog Bear and Wild Boar (see above), I arrived at Lodge Bar. Whereas the crowd at Frog Bear and Wild Boar was subdued and social, groups of between two and six; the crowd at Lodge Bar was scorching… The groups were eight or ten, the energy was palpable, and the bunnies (Miller Lite and otherwise) were everywhere…
Fifteen minutes after my entrance, Lodge Bar commenced their Date Auction, which benefited the very worthy Make A Wish Foundation… If only the crowd had realized how worthy the cause was… The ten employees (five men and five women) were charming… They even had little biographical spreads which accompanied their appearance (some of the material on those, obviously altered for effect)… The “Auctioneer,” while not perfect was certainly better than the calamity that voiced the Columbus Crewzers Auction… And the packages that went with the dates, great restaurant gift cards, Blue Jackets tickets, without question exceeded the dinner you received with the Crewzers…
Still, the bidding was sparse (and that’s the kindest word I can use)… The auctioneer honestly appeared to be begging at times… Mark and his Blue Jackets tickets received only one bid, Lindsay and Brittany, as gorgeous as they were, scored only slightly higher than him… Only Amanda, rocking her curves in a black dress, that I believe was spray-painted onto her, caused a bidding frenzy…
Now, money is money and obviously Make A Wish (any charity actually), will accept donations with thanks and thankful hearts… And it certainly isn’t a reflection on Lodge Bar that their patrons were lazy… Still, Lodge Bar is such a great venue and their employees are amazing people… Both deserved so much more…
With the auction concluded, I walked the sidewalk, bridge, and brick ground from Vine Street back to the Arena District for the third period of the Blue Jackets and Red Wings (once again, see above)… As the game ended, I happened into (yes, that’s a random term, but the conversation was random also) with Frog Bear and Wild Boar Co-Owner David Allsbrooks… As we spoke, I could clearly understand why his establishment is one that I enjoy… It’s a complete reflection of its exemplary owner…
As much as I enjoyed conversations with Allsbrooks and Frog Bear and Wild Boar Promoter Jeff (who I will mention again momentarily), those discussions fell miles short of the satisfaction I enjoyed speaking with Abbi… For those of you who don’t remember, Abbi was (my words paraphrased), “the present every male was hoping to receive for Christmas.”
Her personality exceeds her perfect appearance (if that’s even possible)… Her personality is delightful and sparkling, she is an engaging person, and fifteen seconds with her easily confirmed everything I had written… I have to say as someone who types adjectives about amazing people, you never know if meeting those people will live up to what you have written… Trust me I say that five minutes with Abbi was a like a country music fan scoring five minutes with Taylor Swift… Exquisite…
I said I would return to my conversation with Jeff and here is the reason… Prior to the Menus (yes, that’s actually the bands name) taking the stage, Jeff had described the lead singer to me as “heterosexually flamboyant…” I know I said this on twitter, but I must repeat it, Jeff could not have coined a better description if he had sat down and spent four hours attempting it… From the moment he took the stage, the Menus lead singer was worth the price of admission…
With the personality of Boy George and the preening of Freddie Mercury, I half expected to hear “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” or “Radio Gaga…” Instead, I heard one of the most impressive set lists from any band I have seen… The perfect trio of “Sweet Caroline,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “Little Pink Houses” fell over the crowd like milk chocolate raining from heaven… And the crowd slurped every available drop (myself included)… As I left to return to Lodge Bar to conclude the night, I was beyond impressed with the Menus…
Wish that I could say the same for Jeremy Hoyle… Lodge Bar’s Friday night choice was, in a word, mediocre… He wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t terrific… Even the crowd (which had increased by dozens when I returned) was unimpressed, as they threw up only a somber reaction to his version of “Hang On Sloopy…”
Hoyle played “Hey Jealousy,” which I loved and overall his set list was acceptable… But I have been in Lodge Bar when the crowd was so energetic that they could rip the boards from the floor… He didn’t inspire that… Thankfully, I had several great conversations to drown him out and this returns to me where I began…
As I walked out of Lodge Bar, my singular thought was what was in my opening… More specifically, how lucky I am to be able to afford everyone who cant get five minutes with a club owner or the promotions person or the best bartender… I always viewed this website and my words as a privilege and a responsibility, but never more so than this typing… Until the next time you have access vicariously, you know I love you Columbus…
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Mirrors & Musicians
Walking Lodge Bar’s center aisle is like walking a Hall of Mirrors. Every customer’s intent, like every mirror’s intent, is the same. Every customer consumes alcohol. Every mirror reflects images. The attraction and intrigue of both is the various manners through which their intent is accomplished.
As previewed, Friday’s premise was basketball. From megaphones and streamers to NBA trivia (which you could have won, if you were following us on twitter) to the marquee event of the evening, the NBA Jam tournament, hoops was omnipresent… Given this (and the act that the prize was Cavs tickets), I made myself a contestant in the tournament… We’ll return to that mistake in a moment…
The tournament itself was well played… Like the annual right of spring, March Madness, there were several games that would have hurt small children if they watched…. However, there were also several classics, one of which involved a twelve point fourth quarter comeback and an eventual double overtime loss… Full results of every game were available and remain available on our twitter…
Ultimately, the final was an engaging contest…. Neither team ever enjoyed more than a six-point lead and the deciding margin was one… Do I sound to into a video game? Allow me the following opinion… Watching a well played video game is like watching a well-played sporting event (see the fourth of quarter last Sunday)… Drama, emotion, intensity, they are ever present in both… And just as Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald had me out my seat five days ago, the final shot with less than three seconds ago, had me out of my seat tonight…
I know what you’re wondering… I obviously, the way I am talking, was not in the final, so where did I finish? I was eliminated in the first round… Actually, I was crushed in the first round… I had a three point fourth quarter lead, but the other guy, an eventual semi-finalist as it would turn out, was better… (And I look at it this way, alcohol or sitting around waiting for the next game… You decide…)
Amidst the NBA Jam tournament, which consumed almost seven hours and had to be relocated because it took longer than anyone imagined, the menagerie of patrons was immaculate… From the several Steelers jerseys I saw (including one Iron City heifer, who had a Steelers themed purse) to the multiple clusters enjoying Molson towers to the bunnies and the boys hoping to score a bunny… The evening’s ensemble underscored what I typed two weeks ago… Lodge Bar is this city’s most unique venue…
That uniqueness was epitomized perfectly in the evening’s entertainment, Ryan and Joe, a pair of guitarists, who billed themselves as “Mission 19.” Their set list was nothing unexpected… It was laced with familiar opening rifts, which included “Ants Marching” and “Hey Jealousy…” The set presentation was completely unexpected… Whether inserting “Crazy Bitch” into one song or pairing Dave Matthews and Jay-Z… The duo induced enough double takes to require glasses….
Still, their set was outstanding… They were not perfect and some of their choices made me wince… However, their personalities and stage manners, buying shots for the crowd, discussing Guitar Hero, and their willingness to take a risk, made them an act worthy of applause and a second appraisal…
Mission 19 also produced the evening’s greatest energy…. Throughout the evening and the tournament, there were rushes…. Yet, as Ryan and Joe played the final song of their first set, one could observe a packed and pulsating dance floor… Again, Lodge Bar was consistently busy the entire night… The level of energy was consistent… Yet, as Mission 19 finished their first set, the energy finally was contagious…
The energy finally screamed (as it did two weeks ago)… Crack a bottle… Let your body waddle… It’s on till the break of dawn and we’re starting this party from dusk… (Yes, those are song lyrics and a free drink at the Snowed Inn\Snowed Bunny event to the first person to e-mail me with the artist who sings them)…
As previewed, Friday’s premise was basketball. From megaphones and streamers to NBA trivia (which you could have won, if you were following us on twitter) to the marquee event of the evening, the NBA Jam tournament, hoops was omnipresent… Given this (and the act that the prize was Cavs tickets), I made myself a contestant in the tournament… We’ll return to that mistake in a moment…
The tournament itself was well played… Like the annual right of spring, March Madness, there were several games that would have hurt small children if they watched…. However, there were also several classics, one of which involved a twelve point fourth quarter comeback and an eventual double overtime loss… Full results of every game were available and remain available on our twitter…
Ultimately, the final was an engaging contest…. Neither team ever enjoyed more than a six-point lead and the deciding margin was one… Do I sound to into a video game? Allow me the following opinion… Watching a well played video game is like watching a well-played sporting event (see the fourth of quarter last Sunday)… Drama, emotion, intensity, they are ever present in both… And just as Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald had me out my seat five days ago, the final shot with less than three seconds ago, had me out of my seat tonight…
I know what you’re wondering… I obviously, the way I am talking, was not in the final, so where did I finish? I was eliminated in the first round… Actually, I was crushed in the first round… I had a three point fourth quarter lead, but the other guy, an eventual semi-finalist as it would turn out, was better… (And I look at it this way, alcohol or sitting around waiting for the next game… You decide…)
Amidst the NBA Jam tournament, which consumed almost seven hours and had to be relocated because it took longer than anyone imagined, the menagerie of patrons was immaculate… From the several Steelers jerseys I saw (including one Iron City heifer, who had a Steelers themed purse) to the multiple clusters enjoying Molson towers to the bunnies and the boys hoping to score a bunny… The evening’s ensemble underscored what I typed two weeks ago… Lodge Bar is this city’s most unique venue…
That uniqueness was epitomized perfectly in the evening’s entertainment, Ryan and Joe, a pair of guitarists, who billed themselves as “Mission 19.” Their set list was nothing unexpected… It was laced with familiar opening rifts, which included “Ants Marching” and “Hey Jealousy…” The set presentation was completely unexpected… Whether inserting “Crazy Bitch” into one song or pairing Dave Matthews and Jay-Z… The duo induced enough double takes to require glasses….
Still, their set was outstanding… They were not perfect and some of their choices made me wince… However, their personalities and stage manners, buying shots for the crowd, discussing Guitar Hero, and their willingness to take a risk, made them an act worthy of applause and a second appraisal…
Mission 19 also produced the evening’s greatest energy…. Throughout the evening and the tournament, there were rushes…. Yet, as Ryan and Joe played the final song of their first set, one could observe a packed and pulsating dance floor… Again, Lodge Bar was consistently busy the entire night… The level of energy was consistent… Yet, as Mission 19 finished their first set, the energy finally was contagious…
The energy finally screamed (as it did two weeks ago)… Crack a bottle… Let your body waddle… It’s on till the break of dawn and we’re starting this party from dusk… (Yes, those are song lyrics and a free drink at the Snowed Inn\Snowed Bunny event to the first person to e-mail me with the artist who sings them)…
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Nephews Mantra: Have Fun
The garage band is a staple. In the mid-nineties, California Dreams, an entire series based around a band, ran for four seasons. Walk into any bar in Columbus and you will see their flyers. Spend any time on My Space and you will learn everything about them. They aren’t original… But unoriginality shouldn’t be mistaken for staleness.
The Nephews underscore that point. After listening to only three songs in their opening set (which I arrived an hour late for at CBR… bleep you Map Quest), I was impressed. As I exited during their final set, I was thoroughly impressed. The quintet is bold, unique, and they clearly enjoy what they are doing. Most importantly, they understand what the majority of those people on the flyers and My Space forget…
The trick with a cover band is self-actualization… They are not singing or playing original material… Everyone already knows the drumbeats, the guitar chords, and the words by heart… Their challenge is to not spin sacred material… It’s what ninety percent of the contestants on American Idol do and Simon always applauds them for their interpretation of the song… Screw their interpretation… I don’t care their take on a classic… A classic is a classic… Just relate the classic… Don’t try and reinterpret it…
Despite a diverse set list (one of the most diverse and impressive I have ever heard), the Nephews don’t try to reinterpret… They let the song carry the moment… Greg, the lead singer is masterful at this… From Better Than Ezra to Weezer to Sister Hazel, he doesn’t try to make the song something its not and in the same token, the band doesn’t become something its not… Greg makes you remember the first time you sang those songs with the radio, the first night you heard them, the first experience you had with them…
His energy is also remarkable… That’s the other trick with cover bands is they can sound amazing… But since everyone has heard the product, the salesmen must be more spectacular… Greg is… As I have said before with venues in this city, energy can’t be faked or manufactured… It is either there or its not… The crowd must feed off of something… Tonight, they fed off Greg…
They also fed off his remarkable instrumentalists, led by lead guitarist Dominic… Nicky has impressive range… From the renowned baseline on “Under Pressure” to the more intricate but fiercer rhythm of “Hash Pipe,” Nicky does not relax… From the moment I walked in to the moment I left, he was the same aggressive, entertaining presence… Every bit Greg’s equal in presence and skill…
The most entertaining member of the band (from my vantage point, their most outgoing member) was Tony… The senior member of the band easily fluttered from guitar to keyboard and back… All the while, laughing, joking, playing to the crowd… While Greg and Nicky were the lead musically, Tony may have been the one who most stood for what this band and this experience was about…
I’ve often seen division three scores flash across the bottom of the screen while watching the Buckeyes and thought, “what’s the point?” They wont make millions. They wont be watched by hundreds of thousands… They’re just playing for pride and family… Why do it? Tonight, the Nephews reminded me of why… They reminded me that no matter the stage or standing in life, you must have fun. You should have fun… Otherwise, what’s the freaking point?
The Nephews underscore that point. After listening to only three songs in their opening set (which I arrived an hour late for at CBR… bleep you Map Quest), I was impressed. As I exited during their final set, I was thoroughly impressed. The quintet is bold, unique, and they clearly enjoy what they are doing. Most importantly, they understand what the majority of those people on the flyers and My Space forget…
The trick with a cover band is self-actualization… They are not singing or playing original material… Everyone already knows the drumbeats, the guitar chords, and the words by heart… Their challenge is to not spin sacred material… It’s what ninety percent of the contestants on American Idol do and Simon always applauds them for their interpretation of the song… Screw their interpretation… I don’t care their take on a classic… A classic is a classic… Just relate the classic… Don’t try and reinterpret it…
Despite a diverse set list (one of the most diverse and impressive I have ever heard), the Nephews don’t try to reinterpret… They let the song carry the moment… Greg, the lead singer is masterful at this… From Better Than Ezra to Weezer to Sister Hazel, he doesn’t try to make the song something its not and in the same token, the band doesn’t become something its not… Greg makes you remember the first time you sang those songs with the radio, the first night you heard them, the first experience you had with them…
His energy is also remarkable… That’s the other trick with cover bands is they can sound amazing… But since everyone has heard the product, the salesmen must be more spectacular… Greg is… As I have said before with venues in this city, energy can’t be faked or manufactured… It is either there or its not… The crowd must feed off of something… Tonight, they fed off Greg…
They also fed off his remarkable instrumentalists, led by lead guitarist Dominic… Nicky has impressive range… From the renowned baseline on “Under Pressure” to the more intricate but fiercer rhythm of “Hash Pipe,” Nicky does not relax… From the moment I walked in to the moment I left, he was the same aggressive, entertaining presence… Every bit Greg’s equal in presence and skill…
The most entertaining member of the band (from my vantage point, their most outgoing member) was Tony… The senior member of the band easily fluttered from guitar to keyboard and back… All the while, laughing, joking, playing to the crowd… While Greg and Nicky were the lead musically, Tony may have been the one who most stood for what this band and this experience was about…
I’ve often seen division three scores flash across the bottom of the screen while watching the Buckeyes and thought, “what’s the point?” They wont make millions. They wont be watched by hundreds of thousands… They’re just playing for pride and family… Why do it? Tonight, the Nephews reminded me of why… They reminded me that no matter the stage or standing in life, you must have fun. You should have fun… Otherwise, what’s the freaking point?
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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