Monday, April 21, 2008
Fred Durst?!
Melee-less
Apparently Melee was supposed to tour with Eisley but they had to back out for some reason. I can't find any pertinent news about it. This is sad...Melee and Eisley together? Awesome. maybe next time?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
This week in live music...
Monday: First Monday without a CAT Exec Board meeting...weird
Tuesday: Probably my last CAT Music Committee meeting ever...weirder
Wednesday: Live Music Wednesday in Belle Air Terrace...2nd to last
Thursday: WXVU's BandAID show with Lucas Carpenter in the West Lounge of Dougherty Hall...classy
Friday: Student bands at the Oreo to kick off NovaFest weekend (building stage, sound, and lights in the afternoon...hopefully followed by a fieldtrip for me to go see Eisley at the First Unitarian Church)
Saturday: Cover bands on Sheehan Beach at the NovaFest field festival
SATURDAY NIGHT: all things NovaFest come to a head at the evening concert featuring Brand New and Sean Kingston!
Sunday: finish loading out band equipment, sound, stage, and lights until the wee hours of the morning...then CAT Banquet on Sunday morning...I will be so dead
I'm really excited to see Eisley on Friday night too! I hope my life isn't too out of control by then so I can enjoy it. I've seen them at the Church before...actually I've only seen them in Philly. Twice at the Troc and once at the Church. Good times. I just bought their latest album off of iTunes so I'll have to give a review once I get a good listen.
So with all of this craziness, I should probably get some of my homework done...whomp whomp
Abbey
Monday, April 7, 2008
My poor aunt is on YouTube...
My cousins are cruel and posted this video of my aunt singing along with Rock Band on Christmas morning. She didn't know it was up on YouTube until another parent came up to her at a basketball game at the local high school and said, "Oh! I saw you on YouTube!"
Poor thing...she's pretty cool though. Her nickname is YiYi...that's what they are saying in the video if you are confused.
But she's awesome...who else's mother would sing along with Rock Band and allow it to be videotaped? Good for you, Lori!
Abbey
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Panic at the Disco v2
I should be writing a paper right now, but I am a master procrastinator (see the post written by my guest blogger RE: senioritis)
So I got home from a party on Saturday night and caught the last few minutes of Panic at the Disco on Saturday Night Live. It was quite disappointing in my mind. I only got to see them perform "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," but the sound was off and Brendan Urie sounded off and nervous as hell. They always seem to be more worried about the show than the sound...they had strings in the of the stage in full costume (crazy costumes typical of PATD). Here's a video I found on YouTube, but NBC will probably take it down within a few hours because of copyright issues...
So I just watched a video on YouTube of "Nine in the Afternoon"...that performance was MUCH better. Not to mention I am kind of obsessed with how catchy the song is.
Okay panic...I'll even it out and give you 6 on your whole SNL performance, but try harder next time :) My sister made fun of me for liking their new album, but she likes Cobra Starship's new album...so what does she know?
"The city is at war, a place among the young and rich.
ignore me if you see me, cause i just don't give a shit.
the city is at war, plus the young and rich with designer drugs and designer friends.
bang bang, shoot 'em up, shoot 'em up, yeah"
~Lyrical genius, Gabe Saporta
(Please note the sarcasm above...although I still believe that "Snakes on a Plane" was insanely good...but probably mostly because William Beckett had a hand in the penning of that one)
Anyways...good job Panic...your new album is better than I thought it would be...now you just need to work on your live performance. Maybe if you had played a show or two before being signed to Pete Wentz's label, you would have worked out the kinks in your act by now...
Overly critical, grumpy, tired, (with extra sass apparently),
Abbey
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The History of Entertainment at Villanova University
Hey guys...this is an article that I wrote for the Villanovan a few years ago about the history of entertainment at nova. Don't make fun of how bad my writing is...it was only for the Villanovan.
Making History
By: Abbey Carr
Posted: 9/7/06
During my last three years here, Villanova has had some pretty big acts entertain its students including Dane Cook, The Starting Line, OAR, Third Eye Blind, Dashboard Confessional and the list goes on. Those are just some of the bigger names that have appeared. Hidden in Plain View, Hanson and Murder By Death have made smaller appearances in the Connelly Center, as well.
So doesn't this make you curious about who entertained Villanovans before our arrival? I bet you would be surprised.
Would you believe that Bruce Springsteen and Guster used to be frequent performers at Villanova? In fact, Brian Burkhard, a former CAT president, told me about one of his predecessors, "Guster's Tour Manager for many years, known as 'Pasty', was once CAT President. Guster was known to play at 'Nova quite a few times during his tenure on the Board." Guster returned last year to play with Philadelphia natives, The Roots, at one of Villanova's largest concerts to date, Concert for a Cure.
Billy Joel played here, as well. I have heard several conflicting and unconfirmed claims that either Billy Joel or Bruce Springsteen was once booed off of stage while opening for another act. How about performers that we could have hired, but missed on their road to fame? Villanova once passed on John Mayer who was going to play in Belle Air Terrance for a few hundred dollars. Who would have thought?
The next time someone plays in the Belle Air Terrace or the Villanova Room, you might want to check it out, even if you have never heard of them. You might discover your new favorite band or comedian.
Some acts to pass through Connelly include Dave Chapelle, Naughty By Nature, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and Q and not U. Class of 2000 grad Kristina Kopach remembers seeing Dave Chapelle when no one had heard of him. A good sized crowd gathered, but nothing like the attention he gets today.
Novafest has always been known to bring in great performers including The Ataris, Bowling for Soup, The Calling and Lifehouse. The 2005 Novafest lineup was no different with The Starting Line and Dane Cook. Some of the backstage footage even made it to Dane's Tourgasm DVD.
That wasn't the only backstage drama that year - MAE was supposed to open for The Starting Line, but a last minute cancellation due to an illness caused lots of confusion and a few angry fans.
The 2005-2006 school year left many memories as well, Hanson's documentary screening being one of my favorites. Hanson came face-to-face with Mendel Doug when he somehow snuck through the kitchen just in time to harass the band before they took the stage. The band came out, the Q and A session began, but then was interrupted with a challenge. Doug informed the band that their only hope for success would be found in constantly remixing MMM Bop. Needless to say, that did not go over so well.
It is always interesting to see what a band asks for on their rider, but sometimes the requests made on the day of the show can be even more entertaining. During Novafest with Third Eye Blind, I was sent out as a production runner to get a few last minute essentials: a black belt for the drummer to replace his broken one, fingernail clippers, black nail polish, a specific brand of energy bars, a hot pot to make tea, and a fan among other things.
Jeremy Osinski recalled that during Concert for a Cure, one of the Guster band members hijacked a walkie-talkie and requested that more food be brought to the Guster dressing room. Sometimes the artist will not perform until all of their demands are met. Dane Cook would not start his show until every seat in the first few rows was filled. I gladly did my part as a seat filler!
When Villanova books a band, one can never know what to expect. Sometimes bands bring their famous friends along, like the year that Blues Traveller played Jake Nevin Fieldhouse. In the middle of their set, their close, personal friend Bruce Willis joined them on stage to play harmonica!
During another year, Tom Mogan, Director of Student Life, told me about one Parents' Weekend that went awry. Villanova hired a comedian (who we all know now) to entertain parents one evening. The comedian did not alter his stand up routine for a Catholic university and the older, unsuspecting crowd. Many parents left during the show, outraged and demanding their money back. Would you have guessed it was Robin Williams?
Never heard of the band that is playing in the Belle Air Terrace? Maybe you should check them out anyway. Many bands have passed through Villanova on their road to bigger and better things. You could be seeing the next Dave Chapelle or John Mayer. Next time Villanova hosts a performer, check it out and bring a camera. Maybe one day you'll be able to say, "I saw them back when…"
NOVAFEST
so...
The real story of NovaFest...
Brand New is the headliner with Sean Kingston opening. I am very happy to say that I have only heard ONE negative comment about the lineup and that person will go unnamed. Every response that I have heard so far has shown very strong feelings about at least one of the artists. NOW THAT'S A GOOD NOVAFEST...at least in my opinion.
I know that it's impossible to please everyone. We obviously can't find ONE artist that appeals to everyone's musical tastes...even if we could, I'd bet exactly $50,000 that we wouldn't be able to afford them. And besides, I don't like Dave Matthews Band...so that excludes him...now who are we left with?
...more on NovaFest later...
Abbey
NovaFest
Brand New to headline NovaFest
Popular band Brand New, along with opening act Sean Kingston, will highlight this year's NovaFest concert on April 26. Sean Kingston to open concert during Hollywood-themed weekend.
By: Thomas Celona
Posted: 4/3/08
Brand New will be the main act for this year's NovaFest concert on April 26, with Sean Kingston scheduled as the night's opening act. "Hollywood" will serve as the theme for this year's NovaFest.CAT officials announced the lineup for the concert, along with a listing of all events for the weekend, at the NovaFest 2008 Kickoff Event at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the President's Lounge in Connelly Center. The event was also shown over the Web."For 2008, we have set the bar high," said Jeremy Osinski, director of public relations for CAT.A Villanova tradition celebrating the last weekend before final exams, NovaFest will officially kick off on April 25. However, this year, programming is scheduled for April 24, starting the weekend's festivities on a Thursday. At 7 p.m., WXVU, Face AIDS Villanova and Late Night will sponsor "Band-AIDS." The event will be a concert benefiting Catholic Relief Services' South African HIV and AIDS Programs. The concert will feature performances from Lucas Carpenter, Rusty Santos and additional artists to be named later. Admission to the event is free, but donations for Catholic Relief Services will be collected. While "Band-AIDS" is technically not a NovaFest event, it was included in the list of programming CAT announced at its press conference."An important part of NovaFest 2008 is music for a cause," said Siobhan D'Angelo, co-director of CAT's Ideas and Issues Committee.NovaFest events will begin on the afternoon of April 25 with a celebration at the Oreo from 2-4 p.m. The event will feature food provided by Taste of Philly, a live broadcast by WXVU and performances by student bands to be named later.Later that night, Wayne Hoffman will perform a mentalist and illusionist show. According to his MySpace site, Hoffman is a professional mentalist and illusionist who recently appeared on the NBC TV show "Phenomenon." His act, co-sponsored by CAT and Late Night, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Belle Air Terrace.Following Hoffman's performance, an outdoor movie will be shown on Sheehan Beach from 9-11 p.m. The movie has yet to be announced. In the case of inclement weather, the film will be shown in the Connelly Cinema.NovaFest will continue on April 26 with the traditional field festival on Sheehan Beach. The event occurred behind Connelly Center last year, but in response to student feedback, CAT officials decided to return the festival to Sheehan Beach.The theme for this year's festival is "The Hollywood Walk of Stars." The outdoor celebration, which will run from 1-5 p.m., will feature live music and food provided by Dining Services and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Additionally, there will be a red carpet area, and students will have the opportunity to purchase walk of fame stars, with proceeds going to Relay for Life.The weekend will culminate with the evening concert featuring Brand New and Kingston in the Pavilion. "For the first time, we bring together two styles of hit music," CAT's Music Events Co-Coordinator Lauren Christman said. Doors will open at 8 p.m., with the concert starting at 9 p.m. Tickets to the event will cost $17 for Villanova students and $20 for all others.Tickets will be on sale beginning on Monday in 108 Dougherty. This year, students will be able to use their WildCards to gain admission to the concert.Long Island pop-punk band Brand New will highlight the evening's concert. Made up of band members singer/guitarist Jesse Lacey, drummer Brian Lane, guitarist Vin Accardi and bassist Garret Tierney, Brand New has been together since 2000 and have produced three studio albums. The most recent, "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me," was released on Nov. 21, 2006.Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, 18-year-old singer/rapper Kingston will undoubtedly bring his dancehall- and reggae-influenced hip hop to the Pavilion. Kingston burst onto the music scene this past summer with his hit single "Beautiful Girls." The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 11, 2007, making him the first artist born in the '90s to have a No. 1 song, according to Billboard.com. "Beautiful Girls" held onto the top spot for four consecutive weeks. His debut self-titled album was released on July 31, 2007, and reach No. 6 on the Billboard 200.Kingston followed up the success of "Beautiful Girls" with the Top 20 hit "Me Love" and the Top 10 hit "Take Me There." Additionally, Kingston provided vocals for Natasha Beddingfield's hit single "Love Like This" and for the remix of Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry." The fourth single from Kingston's album, "There's Nothin'" featuring Juelz Santana and The DEY, was released in February, according to his official Web site.
Manbearpig aka guest blogger
Know what grinds my gears? Sticks in my craw? Bleeping pisses me off? The fact that I'm a second semester senior, with a job, and yet teacher's keep giving me work. Don't they know I'm not going to do it? And if I do bestow them with the honor of doing homework, it's going to be a minimal effort at best? Shouldn't Villanova offer a "senior" track for the spring? Classes where the teacher and students mutually give up and everyone goes home happy, and possibly intoxicated.
Because, I've gotten this far, 7 1/2 semesters should show that I'm mildly competent that I really shouldn't have to make any further displays of my academic prowess. And for all you teachers, I know you hate teaching second semester seniors, and it's not like we like it any better. We'd much rather be sitting around all day and not expanding our cultural and academic horizons. However, some of us still need health insurance, and the only way to do that is to incur 12 credits. At this point, I'm regretting my choice to stay a full time student and mooch off my parents - I should have called Blue Cross.
But so it goes. While I'm not intentionally trying to be outright rude and a pain in your tuchas, I simply do not have enough room in my social calendar for your homework. If I had any association with you other than 10:30 in the morning (I don't care what everyone says about the real world, 10:30 is still too early on a friday morning), and you being the person that makes me feel guilty for opting to have fun instead of staying at home to do the work that I have become so accustomed to putting first in my life for the past 18 years. Maybe if you had bought me a beer, or had been cool about handing in that project late, I'd feel obliged to put you ahead of quizzo.
However, you have done none of these. So I will not do anything you ask of me. So I will continue to show up to class, but really just day dreaming and writing down whatever's on the board, but pulling up my lap top to surf facebook or talk on aim to the person in the row behind me. And you will continue to teach to the juniors in the class, and we'll all go home mildly disgruntled and try to avoid eye contact if we ever see each other outside of that stupid classroom.
slainte!
it's been awhile
I know it's been awhile, but with Spring Break, Easter Break, and 8 (EIGHT!) job interviews...it's been a little crazy.
So I got the new Panic album, Pretty. Odd., from my friend Kerri--yes, another shout-out to the great Kerri! She is pretty. awesome.
I think I'll write a review of that album, and I also went to a weird little show in Philly this past Sunday...weird isn't a good word to describe it.
anyhoo...coming soon