American Music Awards Pt.1

Hey Everyone!

So as a music nut, I often feel compelled to sit through three hour award shows that I cant stand. From the over the top performances to the favoritism in award presentations, its all just a snooze fest for me. And yet, I continue to subject myself to it... why? Maybe its just so I can say I saw it, so I can keep up with discussions about what was shocking, what went wrong, what celeb got caught lip-synching. Who knows? So naturally, last night I parked myself in front of the living room TV (as a party raved on around me none the less) to watch the 2009 AMAs. Here are my thoughts on the night. The first part will be awards, part 2 will be up shortly to discuss performances!

AWARDS:

POP/ROCK: OK... I know everyone is sad about MJ, I get it, really I do. He was an important figure in music for sure and the loss is difficult for the fans... but why did he win every award? Lets be honest, This Is It was not the best song of the year... I'm sorry. Its just honesty here, can you say that This Is It is anywhere near comparable to Man In The Mirror, Bad, or Thriller? NO! It just bothers me that artists who pass seem to be given awards whether or not they fit. Favorite pop album of the year... really? Lets again, be honest... one of the only reasons that won? He died so everyone was reminded of how much they loved MJ before all the bad press came out so they went out and bought the album and requested the song.

COUNTRY: I don't listen to much country to be honest. I just cant say I feel the emotion when I hear a guy singing about his love of the farm life since I've been a city girl as long as I've been alive. Yes, I know that is a gross generalization, but I'm just saying that country music has never really been my thing. That point aside, I think the awards were just. I have nothing further to say... Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts... I am familiar with your work and know you're popular artists so well done, congrats.

SOUL/R&B: Ok, so I just have one question... what happened to real soul/r&b music? What about the classics like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Tony Braxton? I get that they aren't really modern artists, and therefore its right that they aren't nominated for awards... HOWEVER, I just cant shake the feeling that this category has gone downhill and we're now just adopting pop artists under this header. What do you think?

RAP/HIP HOP: Have to say, I would have liked to see Eminem walk away with something to show for it, but I cant say that Jay-Z did not deserve the sweep. He had a good year, and he's a very talented artists so kudos to Jay-Z.

ADULT CONTEMPORARY: I know T.Swift has has some serious airwave domination, but I never thought I'd see the day where a country/pop princess takes this category at the age of 19... aka about half the age of the "adult contemp" audience. But again, it is kind of cool that she is able to transcend that barrier and be loved by all different ages. Parents are probably happy to take kids to these shows... I know my mom hated accompanying me to hardcore shows when I was younger haha.

ALTERNATIVE ROCK: I'm a little bias here, I'm sure you all know that by now. I love Green Day, so clearly I'm thrilled they won. But can I just say that I think its kind of sad that there is only ONE rock category and it only had three nominees? I mean, is it just me, or is this a rather popular genre? People listen to rock and there are a lot of different kinds... metal, punk, alternative... why not have more than one encompassing category and celebrate some of the different styles? I'm just saying... oh, and I dont really consider the pop/rock category as a good substitute, especially when there are only 3 nominees because that really does not leave much room for artists haha

SOUNDTRACK: Ok, as much as I am not a big fan of the Twilight phenomenon, I have to admit the album track list is pretty rocking. A good mix of indie and alt rock that you just cant help but enjoy. There's something for everyone. Not a bad choice, even though I just cant stand the movie or the books... have to say, the music choice has my approval! Even the Rob Pattinson song isn't awful, though I cant really understand many of the words :P Oh, and in all honesty? WAY BETTER than Hannah Montana, because the movie soundtrack and her 3D concert soundtrack were the other two nominees!

So that about sums up my personal opinions on the awards category! Stay tuned for part II which will feature my thoughts on performances of last night!

What did you think of the awards distribution? What changes would you make if any? Feel free to share! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Young Cardinals by Alexisonfire... just because I like the band and the song. No other reason today!

The AP Fall Ball Tour 2009

Hey Everyone!

Hope you all had a good weekend. I know I did, I went to Toronto friday morning to check out the AP Fall Ball Tour 2009. I have to say, overall I was very impressed and had a good time despite being one of the oldest audience members haha. I've gotten used to this... even Green Day and Blink shows make me feel old when I look around at all the kids. Now, if you're unfamiliar with the tour, let me give you a few details. It was put together with the help of reader polls in Alternative Press magazine. The goal of the tour was to hype some new or upcoming acts that people might be interested in because, as it was repeated throughout the night, "you cant listen to the same stuff over and over again". So heres a brief overview of the acts from the tour, a couple examples of their sound and my thoughts on their performances!

The first band to take the stage was a UK group by the name of You Me At Six. They played a fairly solid half hour set of catchy pop punk songs that kept the audience's attention. The big hit of the night was probably their performance of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. All in all, it was a good set but nothing phenomenal. If you're a fan of groups like Forever The Sickest Kids or Boys Like Girls, you might like these guys. They have some potential, and I'm sure that after this tour they will experience a higher level of success here over seas.

Next up, the techno/pop punk brainchild of Luis Dubuc: The Secret Handshake. An interesting performance for sure. An auto-tune equipped mic, a Mac computer, and a couple instruments is all it takes to get a crowd of teenagers moving. Again, as for the point of this tour really, very few people seemed familiar with the act and it was perhaps only memorable due to yet another cover. This time it was the Cascada classic "Everytime We Touch". Not bad, but I cant say I was enthralled by the stage performance. If you like A Rocket To The Moon or Playradioplay, you might like this band.

The third band on the opening round of performances you may know... they go by the name Set Your Goals. This diverse six piece group hails from the San Francisco Bay area. I say "diverse" because although they also play that brand of radio friendly pop punk, they dabble in the hardcore genre as well. It makes for an interesting album. Anyways, I think they played a great set, but were not a prefect fit for the tour itself. The audience appeared more than a little confused for their 35 minute set. 

Up next was the co-headliner, Mayday Parade. Following theme, they are a pop punk rock from Florida. The power pop five piece released their debut album "Tales Told By Dead Friends" back in 2006 and recieved some fair reviews. They have played slots on the Vans Warped Tour as well as a few small tours. They have had an interesting time lately with the departure of their former vocalist/lyricist/guitarist Jason Lancaster. However, they never let that slow them down, having Derek Sanders take over full vocalist duties in the lineup (he used to share the job with Lancaster). He's a great vocalist. All in all, I was impressed by their ability to connect with their audience. It sounds cheesy, but it really is an important art form that is often lost. If you like The Maine or Every Avenue, give them a listen.

Finally, the other co-headlining act and the reason for my attendance- The Academy Is. Stunning performance as always. Personally, I was really happy with the set as it was a lot of material from their album Almost Here, which is what drew me to them in the first place. They also played Sputter off their recent release, the Lost In Pacific Time EP. This song plays live beautifully. William Beckett's voice was flawless as always, accompanied by the trained musicianship of the band. No one was left sitting through this set. It was well worth the wait. I have recommended this band time and time again, so I wont bore you with the details... just give them a chance because you might love them as much as I do. If you want to know more about them, check out my earlier blog: The Academy Is...?

So props to Alternative Press for coming out with this tour to help these up and coming bands to find some fans. This was a good set of bands to take out, a lot of potential in the group for sure. I'll leave you with a couple pictures from the show.

All of these live (6) photos above taken by me....

top row=Mayday Parade

2nd row Mayday Parade and Set Your Goals

3rd row=Academy Is

Rock on!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Ocean and Atlantic by Mayday Parade... I like this song (maybe because it involves my name? :P) Its also guaranteed to get stuck in your head.

American Idiot... The Musical?

Hey everyone!

So, I'm sure most of you are aware that Green Day's album, American Idiot has experienced some praise in a Berkley broadway production. We all knew it would happen, the talks of movies and musicals ran wild with the rock opera's release and major success. The story worked perfectly, who could blame the producers for clawing at the band's door? It was only a matter of time! Well after a profitable run at the San Francisco theatre with critical praise, Rolling Stone is reporting that a NYC run of the show may be in the works.

“American Idiot is that rare creature, a true rock opera…directed with polish and precision by Michael Mayer, on a spectacular set by Christine Jones…Green Day’s potent gift for irresistible tunes delivers the emotional contours of the story…their lushly melodic music is played with impressive raw power…American Idiot possesses a stimulating energy and a vision of wasted youth that holds us in its grip.”—New York Times

Not dates or times have been announced just yet, but there are definitely talks in the works. Personally, I'm kind of excited about this. San Francisco is a bit far, and I definitely want to see this for myself. The band collaborated with director Michael Mayer and the AI producers to bring the stage show to life. Critics are loving the adaptation, and it has only just begun. The show will close the Berkely Rep run on November 15th and who knows what the future holds?

The show follows the story of Johnny and his friends living in modern day America. They face war, unplanned parenthood, battles at home, love, drugs and a variety of other teen struggles. Surprisingly, politics play a rather small role in the heavily political album's stage show. There is also no dialogue, the show uses only music and recordings to convey its story line, and apparently does a fair job of it. The musical features tracks off the American Idiot album, as well as a selection of tracks from the more recent "21st Century Breakdown". If you would like to know more about the plot line (as it can be a little difficult to explain- its rather complex) then check out this article/review by the fan site Green Day Authority. Also, I'll leave you with this trailer made by the theatre where the show is currently closing its first string of shows. 

So what do you think? Would you go see this play if it found its way to a city near you? Do you think the album works as a musical or is it just overkill? What other rock operas would you like to see hit the broadway stage? 

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: St.Jimmy by Green Day... An anthem about youth's decent into the grips of madness. Awesome song. High energy, intense emotion, I just love this song.