Linkin Park- 2010 VMA's

Last night I finally got the chance to watch the 2010 VMA's. I thought it was a great night and congrajulate Lady Gaga on her wins!

I loved all of the performances by Eminem, Paramore, and Linkin Park. I have to say that Linkin Park was my favorite out of those three. They performed their song called "The Catalyst."

Lead singer, Chester Bennington, gave his all. As I was watching him, as the song progressed, he was singing his heart out. You could see the veins in his neck and face popping out.

He sounds the same as he does when he records songs. I like to see that in an artist. It means that their voices don't have to be fixed up very much. This is always a good thing.

If you haven't watched the 2010 VMA's yet, I suggest that you at least go onto youtube and watch a video of Linkin Park's performance, they were fantastic. <3

Forever The Sickest Kids

Forever The Sickest Kids is by far one of my favorite bands. You will hear me say that about a lot of bands, but FTSK is up there in the top five. The first song I ever heard by them is called Whoa Oh! (Me Vs. Everyone). I heard about this band on iTunes, it was a band that was recommended for me.

Forever The Sickesr Kids is classified as a pop band. There music, for the most part, is upbeat and a lot of their songs have catchy beats and lyrics. That is the main reason why I like them as much as I do.

This summer I was lucky enough to be able to see Forever The Sickest Kids perform at Bamboozle at Six Flags. They were better live than I expected them to be. It was definately one of the best performances I have ever seen live. I would do anything to be able to see them again because they were fantastic. They also have a somewhat new album out called The Weekend: Friday.

In total, FTSK has seven albums out. They are also a part of the Pop Goes Crunk album, Punk Goes Classic Rock, and the Bring It On: Fight To The Finish Soundtrack. On The Pop Goes Crunk CD they played Men In Black. In Punk Goes Classic Rock they played Crazy Train. On the Bring It On soundtrack they played Whoa Oh! (Me Vs. Everyone).

I recommend this band to anyone who enjoys listening to bands such as A Rocket To The Moon, Mayday Parade, Every Avenue, and The Maine. I hope you enjoy their music if you listen to it. If you have any bands you like that you want me to write about on my blog email me at stardancer528@comcast.net Thank you! :)

Prince Poppycock

This season of America's Got Talent has seen many different talents, each extremely unlike the other. There is the group of college guys who call themselves Defying Gravity, and there is no way to describe them other than gravity defying boys. There is Jackie Evancho, a ten year old girl from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania that has an exquisite voice. There are dancers, magicians, and singers. The one contestant that, to me, stands out the most is Prince Poppycock.

First off, let me give you a background on him. His name is John Andrew Quale. Before John got put on America's Got Talent, he worked as a store clerk and he is originally from Virginia.

John has been singing ever since he was little and ever since he has been becoming a major success. He has been in plays and he already has an album out under the name John Quale not Prince Poppycock. I am happy to say that this album is available on iTunes!

Prince Poppycock is a very original character and a fantastic artiste. John is able to keep this character alive by creating his own costumes and stage sets for America's Got Talent. Every time I have seen Prince Poppycock perform on this show he has given me chills. I must admit when I first saw him walk onto the stage for auditions, I didn't expect him to be very good. Though, he proved me very wrong and he is now my favorite contestant on the show.

Up until now he has performed songs such as Largo al factotum, La Donna è mobile, Vesti la giubba, Bohemian Rhapsody, and made his own mix of The Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle Boy, and Columbia, the Gem of The Ocean.

My favorite performances by Prince Poppycock were Large al Factotum and Bohemian Rhapsody. His audition for America's Got Talent was the first time I had ever seen or heard of him. I was BLOWN AWAY by it and I had to watch it twice. It was as if someone pulled him right out of an old opera house. Everything from his voice, to his character, to his costumes and makeup were unbelievable.

He was just yesterday voted into the top four of America's Got Talent. None of the other acts scream out Las Vegas as much as John Quale, Prince Poppycock. If you have not yet seen him perform, you have to go onto YouTube and see some of his acts. Those of you, who are fans, please vote for him on America's Got Talent. It is coming down to the finale and he will need your votes to make it to the very top. GOOD LUCK PRINCE POPPYCOCK!

Silversun Pickups

Every band creates their own sound and their own style. One band that definately has their own sound is Silversun Pickups. They have a hint of a haunted sound to their music and they use distorted guitar sounds. They fall under alternative rock, Indie rock, Dream pop, and Shoegaze.

Silversun Pickups is a Los-Angeles band. They currently have two albums, four EP's, three singles, and six music videos. Their albums are called Carnavas and Swoon. Their most popular song on Carnavas is called Lazy Eye. On Swoon, their most popular song is called, Panic Switch. Personally, Panic Switch is my favorite song by Silversun Pickups. I love the vocals and the guitar, it creates an epic sound that you don't really hear in other artists' music.

Silversun Pickups has four members:
Brian Aubert - guitarist and lead vocals
Nikki Monninger - basssist and vocals
Chris Guanlao - drummer
Joe Lester - keyboard and sound manipulation

They are currently touring. Their tour will end on October 9, 2010 in Austin Texas. I was not fortunate enough to purchase tickets for this tour. Hopefully next time they go on tour I will be able to go see them.

I recommend Silversun Pickups to those who like music by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Broken Bells, or The Dead Weather.

Southern Voice Tour

Ever since I was very young, I listened to Tim McGraw. He is one of the artists who got me hooked on country music. He had upbeat songs and great lyrics that held true meaning. This summer I was lucky enough to be able to attend one of his performances of his Southern Voice Tour.

On July 15th, 2010, my parents, two aunts, and my cousinc, Christina, saw Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, and Love and Theft perform. This concert was held at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Before the concert started we sat in the parking lot and tailgated. We had chips, sodas, and sandwiches. I was wearing mt cowboy hat and boots and was ready to see some of my favorite artists live.

While we walked from the parking lot over to our seats, my aunt bought two cowboy hats, one for her and one for Christina. We finally found our seats which were not too far away but not too close. Though, We still had a great view of the stage!

The opening act of this concert was the up and coming band named Love and Theft. At the time, I wasn't too familiar with their music though i did know thei song called Runaway. They were great live and ever since I saw them in concert I have been listening to more of their music.

Next up was Lady Antebellum who has been taking the country music world by storm. This band has three members. Hillary Scott is a lead vocalist, Charles Kelley is a lead and backup vocalist, and Dave Haywood is a backup vocalist. Dave also plays the guitar, piano, and mandolin for the band. Their most popular song is Need You Now which is played very frequently on the radio. Some other great songs by Lady A are American Honey, I Run to You , Lookin' For a Good Time, and Love Don't Live Here Anymore.

Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley have voices that mesh perfectly together. This band has an amazing sound. They also have songs that many people can relate to. If you like country music i can garuntee that you will love Lady Antebellum. If you already know this band, you would LOVE seeing them in concert. They were beyond fantastic live. If you showed me a song that was performed live or recorded by them i wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Last but not least was the great, Tim McGraw! The crowd went absolutely crazy when he walked on stage. His first song, of course, was Southern Voice. The crowd was instantly on their feet singing along and flashing pictures of him. Tim McGraw has a fantastic stage presence and was very lively. You could tell that he was having a great time up on stage. He sang all of his classic songs and I am proud to say that i could sing along with all of his songs. He also sang my favorites which include Live Like You Were Dying, Something Like That, Indian OUtlaw, Please Remember Me, and Just to make you smile.

I would definately say that this is one of the best concerts I have ever seen. If I had the choce to see it all over again i would do it in a heartbeat. I know some people don't liek country, but if those people were to listen to one country artist it should be Tim McGraw.

Five Star Music Insider

This week school is starting again for me, so a couple of days ago i had to get my school supplies. (notebooks, pencils, pens...) When I got home i looked through everything i purchased. In all of my notebooks were pages that said Become a Five Star Music Insider... These pages said to go onto FiveStarMusicInsider.com and vote for new and upcoming bands and also get free songs by these bands.

As you know, I have a strong love and need for music. So, I immediately went onto this website. On one page gave pictures, previoews of their music, and information about each band and artist your could vote for. On the next page you can type in the codes found on the pages from you rnew notebooks and it would tell you how many songs you could get for free. There is a list of the artists and bands and s couple of their songs, and you could decide which ones you would like to get.

The bands included in this are Eleventyseven, Visqueen, Morgan Mallory, The Steps, IJ Quinn, Caitlin Crosby, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Rabbit!, Veronica Ballestrini, and We the Living. Each different band and artist has their own distinct style and sound of music. My two favorite bands are We The Living and Eleventyseven. They, in my opinion, had the best lyrics and the best style.

Eleventyseven is a three man band. In this band Matt Langston is the lead vocalist and guitarist, Jonathan Stephens is the drummer and backup vocalist, and Davey Davenport is the bassist. This band falls under multiple genres of music including Power Pop, Electronic, and Pop Punk. They are from South Carolina and they have been together since 2002.

We The Living is from Wisconsin. The band consists of four members. John Paul Roney is the lead vocalist, Benjamin Schaefer is the drummer, Matthew Holmen is the guitarist, and Brian Holl is the bassist. We The Living fall under Acoustic Rock, Alternative, and Indie Rock. The were formerly known as The Profits on college, then they changed their name to We The Living. They have four albums and have performed in concerts with Dashboard Confessional, Katy Perry, We The Kings,, Jack's Mannequin, Relient K, and many more.

If you love music as much as i do, you should go out and find the notebooks that have Five Star Music Insider codes so you can vote for your favorite new and upcoming band and get the chance to win $25,000. If you are unable to get the codes, you can still go onto FiveStarMusicInsider.com and check out these bands. Enjoy!

The Ready Set

The Ready Set is a single man band. The one member, singer, is Jordan Witzigreuter. When playing live Andy Snyder is the bassist, Keegan Weckler is the guitarist, and Travis Rountree is the drummer.

The ready set currently has two EP's, two singles, and three full albums. Jordan's most recent album, I'm Aliva, I'm Dreaming, was released on June 14, 2010. The hit song, Love Like Woe, is included in this album. There are a total of eight songs on this album. The other songs are called More Than Alive, Limits, Stays Four The Same, There Are Days, Spinnin', Melody's Song, and Upsets and Downfalls. It is one of my favorite songs from the iTunes top Songs list. It is currently ranked number 65 on that list.

I believe that The Ready Set is at the beginning of their rise to greatness. They have released their first hit song and I have no doubt in my mind that they will come out with yet another in the future.

I would like to recommend their new album to anyone who like rock, pop, and electronic music. They have a little bit of each of these genres mixed in their music. They are a good band for people of any age to listen to. I encourage you to go out and either listen to or buy their music. I garuntee that you will enjoy it.

Every Avenue

Today, I am going to change my focus a little bit. Instead of telling you about the concerts I have attended, I would like to speak about the bands I listen to.

As I have said before, I am into various types of music. This means it will be just about impossible for me to tell you about all of my favorite bands in one post. So in each post, I will tell you about one or two.

The first band I would like to write about is a band I have recently started listening to. It is a band that I can listen to over and over without getting sick of. This band is called Every Avenue.

Every Avenue writes music that is a mix of pop, rock, and alternative. Many people refer to their music as emo pop. They formed in Michigan in 2003. So far this band has made an appearance in the 2008 Vans Warped Tour and toured with other bands such as, Hit the Lights, Farewell, Mayday Parade, All Time Low, and The Maine.

Their band has a total of five members. David Ryan Strauchman is the lead vocalist and plays piano, Joshua Randall plays guitar, Jimmie Deeghan also plays guitar and is the backup vocalist, Matt Black is the bassist and backup vocalist, and last but not least, Dennis Wilson plays the drums.

A couple of my favorite songs by Every Avenue are Tell Me I’m a Wreck, Happy the Hard Way, and I Forgive You. These three songs are from the bands album called Picture Perfect. This album was released, most recently, in 2009. This album speaks about broken hearts and relationships that the band members have had to endure.

If you listen to bands like All Time Low, The Maine, Mayday Parade, The Summer Set or The Friday Night Boys you would enjoy the music by Every Avenue. If you enjoy this band I would be happy to recommend other artists to you or you could simply go onto iTunes and look at the section that says “Listeners Also Bought.”

If Every Avenue makes an appearance at the mall near me I will be able to post a picture of them in action. :)

Brad Paisley H20 Tour

This year for my Birthday my parents gave me tickets to see Brad Paisley in concert. The concert took place in the Susquehanna Bank Center. I don’t think I have ever been as excited for a concert as I was for this one. Steel Magnolia, Josh Thompson, Easton Corbin, Justin Moore, Darius Rucker, and of course Brad Paisley performed at this concert.

There were two stages on which these artists performed. There was one stage outside the venue. Steel Magnolia, Josh Thompson, and Easton Corbin performed on this stage. My family and I were able to get really close to the stage for these performances. I felt like each artist could really connect with each person with this stage.

When each artist finished their performance they would run off the side of the stage. Over here there was a roped off section. The artists would stand inside and signed cowboy hats, pictures, and shirts. I wasn’t fortunate enough to get a signature but I did get a high five from each of the three artists.

Next, my family and I walked into the stadium for the main performances. We decided to buy drinks before we went to find our seats. When we were finished with our drinks we went to find our seats. When my Dad looked at our tickets a spark went off in his eyes. He informed us that we were in the sixth row from the stage!! When we got to our seats I could not believe how close we were to the stage.

The first person to perform on this stage was Justin Moore. I did not know many off his songs but I still enjoyed his performance. He was full of life and his songs were all different. When he played Backwoods I was finally able to sing along with him.

Darius Rucker was the next up, I knew a bunch of his songs. He sang his more popular songs such as, History in the Making, Don’t Think I Don’t Think About it, and Alright. Then the last song he played was Purple Rain, originally performed by Prince.

Finally, Brad Paisley was up. His entrance was very cool and very original. On a big screen it showed a pool and people’s legs, Brad’s guitar coming up out of the water, then Brad himself swimming. The Jaws song played and finally you see Brad climbing out of the pool. At the same time Brad Paisley climbs onto the stage.

Everybody was screaming and cheering. The first song he played was one of my favorites, Water. I was able to sing along to most of Brad Paisley’s songs. I had listened to him since I was little. The first song I ever heard by him was called Whiskey Lullaby. I had forgotten that it was sung by him and then he performed it at the concert.

He also connected with the audience very well, especially with the people in the front rows. My Dad was able to get wonderful pictures of him. Though, at one point during his performance he ran to the back of the venue and performed for the people with the lawn seats.

Towards the end of the concert I ran up to the edge of the stage. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could relive it. Then, Brad threw a pick in to the crowd right by where I was standing. It fell onto the floor and everyone around me was searching frantically to find it. I looked down and I saw it! I bent down to grab it right as the person next to me saw it. I grabbed it and she stepped on my hand. It hurt but I didn’t really care because I had gotten the pick!

Then, at the very end of the concert all of the people that had performed that day came onto the stage. It was like a big party because they brought a bar onto the stage and gave the artists beer. They looked like a huge family and it was great to see this. Then, all of the performers ran along the edge of the stage and high fived everyone. I got to high five all of them except for Darius Rucker. It was one of the most amazing nights of my life. If I got the chance to see Brad Paisley in concert again, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Bamboozle

Whenever one of my friends asks me what I am up to, my most frequent answers are listening to my iPod and searching for concerts to attend. This, among other things, has added to my wide variety of music interests. After searching the web for so long, I finally found the perfect concert…Bamboozle.

This year was my first year ever attending the Bamboozle Roadshow Tour. I went to Six Flags in New Jersey for this event. It is an event where multiple bands attend and perform.

At Bamboozle I saw Boys like Girls, Forever the Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO. Before I went to see the bands, my friends and I walked around the park. We went on roller coasters, water rides, and of course picked up some food to eat. This added more excitement to the event.

When we finally got into the stadium we were able to make our way down to the floor right up by the stage. When the first band, Forever the Sickest Kids, stepped onto the stage and started playing their music, I could feel my heart skip a beat. After listening to their music on my iPod and computer so many times, it was incredible to be standing less than thirty feet away from them.

Each band got the crowd to wave their hands in the air, jump up and down, and sing along to their music. No matter where you looked there were always smiles on the people around you. At some points of the day mosh pits formed, though, no damage was done. A big circle would form and kids would run in and out of it. I thought it was pretty funny when the security guards started pushing kids into the mosh pits.

Out of all the bands that performed that night, I would say my favorite performance was by Boys like Girls. I was able to sing along to every single song and they just kept a huge smile on my face. They also let their emotions show and showed everyone there that they are only human. I believe that this makes fans love them even more because it shows them how much this music means to them.

If you love music as much as I do and you like alternative and rock music, I would definitely recommend Bamboozle to you.