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Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes at BB King’s

Saturday night I went to see Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes at BB King’s in Times Square. It was my first time going to BB King’s, and my first time seeing (or hearing) Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes. My Uncle Butch emailed me and told me to check out his friend’s band (Gerry Hogan) since they were coming to NYC. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a recommendation from him, so I bought a ticket to the show without even giving them a listen. Plus, I’ve always wanted to go to BB King’s.

The club was awesome— a low stage in the front, surrounded by candle-lit tables, and a full bar opposite the stage. I had macaroni and cheese and pumpkin pie, along with white wine, a few fruity drinks, and a beer during the course of their set. What a mixture. It was expensive, but pretty tasty. The show was great though. I took a few photos and even a short video when they did a cover of Oh! Darling.

After the show we went to a friend’s bar that was in the same neighborhood, which oddly enough, was the same bar I had been at the night before, not knowing this was the bar he worked at. We stayed there for a few hours and quite a few beers, listening to some more live music before heading home around 1. All around, it was a great night full of awesome live music! If Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes is playing near you, I’d recommend that you check it out!

“Vince here; buy EmWow!”

Emwow! Retarded? Brilliant? Hilarious? I love it! Especially the part that says “you can put it on your hose (hoes).” Who cares if the parodies of Shamwow commercials are super cliche, and that we’ve all thought about making one for about 8 million products? After all of the rave reviews I’ve been hearing, I’m excited to hear Eminem’s new CD Recovery. The first time I heard I’m Not Afraid I didn’t like it, but it’s slightly grown on me since then. Not much though, so I hope the rest of the album is 10x better!

Sublime with Rome

Last night I saw Sublime with Rome at the Roseland Ballroom. It’s amazing to me that a band can endure the loss of their lead singer/guitarist, make it through a 13 year hiatus, return with a new singer that no one has ever heard of, and completely sell out multiple venues across the country. The place was packed with old and young fans alike- some were probably still in diapers when Bradley Nowell passed away in ‘96.

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Deftones Are Coming To NYC!

Deftones + Alice in Chains + Mastodon Friday September 24, Madison Square Garden. Tickets go on sale mid May. Check out blackdiamondskye.com for more info!

What Can Eminem Teach You?

I’m not a huge fan of rap, but I enjoy listening to Eminem. A lot actually. I grew up thinking the only reason I liked him was because he was from Detroit, and the only reason he got so much publicity was because of his extreme vulgarity. It wasn’t until recently that I realized the guy’s actually ridiculously talented.

I think the song Forever by Drake is a perfect example of the rap industry in general, that also really showcases Eminem’s skill. I’ve only heard the song like 3 times, but I’ve heard it enough to know that Lil Wayne and Kanye West are put to shame once Eminem closes with the last verse. His storytelling is so much better, and his speed so much faster than either of the other guys. Personally, I can’t stand Lil Wayne or Kanye West because I don’t care to hear about bitches, money, and drugs on song after song. But Eminem. The man is an extremely talented lyricist and storyteller. His songs are written with such precision as to pack in as much detail in as little time as possible. Each word must be chosen precisely so that the flow and the meaning are both maintained. Essentially, the dude’s actually a great writer.

I must not be the only person who thinks so, because I just ran across this article over on copyblogger.com. It’s a great little read entitled “The Eminem Guide to Becoming a Writing and Marketing Machine.” There’s some pretty solid advice for writers of all sorts, whether you’re in marketing or just a creative writer. Plus, it’s written by someone who actually knows a thing or two about copywriting, not some thugged out Eminem fan with horrible grammar.

Deftones Diamond Eyes- 1 Week Early

For the first time in a very long time, I am super pumped about the release of a new album! Deftones are releasing Diamond Eyes on May 4, 2010, and I highly recommend you go out and buy it that same day! A coworker of mine downloaded the album a couple of weeks ago before anyone had the chance to take it down (which they have since done), and he was kind enough to share it with me. But don’t worry, I love and support the Deftones completely, so I’ll be buying a hard copy of the CD once it comes out. Hell, I might even try to fly out to San Francisco in June just to see them play a festival with Sublime with Rome.

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Just Call Me Eddie. Eddie Van Halen.

Friday night I went out to Duet 48 for some karaoke and insane fun. I showed up pretty sober (despite having 3 beers, a glass of tequila, and a glass of whiskey beforehand? That was all spaced over 3 hours and I ate a TON to top it off). So I had to play catch up. I drank 3 vodka pineapples within about 10 minutes, then kept going with some beer. Finally, like clockwork, just as soon as I caught a decent buzz, my song came on that I requested. Van Halen: Hot For Teacher. I squealed like a little schoolgirl and ran up to the front of the room. I stood with my back facing the 7 people in the room, tapping my leg (complete with high heels) to the beginning beat. Then, as the guitar started I turned around and slid down on my knees, playing air guitar almost as good as Eddie Van Halen himself. I bent completely backwards so that I was pretty much laying down on my legs, still thrashing away. Then I jumped up; jumped around a bit like David Lee Roth, and really screwed up the intro. Five words in, I was out of breath!

Moral of the story; being a rockstar is a lot of work! I thought I was going to put on one hell of a show, but in reality I just showed how out of shape I am! But I continued the show, because you know, the show must go on. The entire night went on like this. The pop songs that had been playing all night were overtaken by rock and roll, and there were 4 of us seriously rocking out for the last hour or so. I think we need to start a cover band with these guys.

Oh yeah, I took pictures. And a video of us singing Bohemian Rhapsody before things got too silly. Check them out!

Ozzy does NYC

Tuesday night was a massive fail on my part. The older I get, the more likely I am to recognize those “I should have known better” moments beforehand. Well, Tuesday night I should’ve known better but I gave in to the hope of “what if.”
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Hardcore Cock

It must be silly humor week for me. Oh wait, no, I’ve just been working so hard I only have a few seconds here and there to post things that require zero use of brain cells.

Gentleman Gaga

I don’t know if this was meant as a joke or not, but it’s pretty hilarious.