Nick and Joe from The Spill Canvas recently checked in from their first tour stop in Cleveland, Ohio, where they performed with the Goo Goo Dolls and Switchfoot. Check out the clip here, and to see where you can catch Spill in action visit the tour section of their website.
The band released a new full-length album “Formalities” on July 27th. The album features new material as well as some recent fan favorites, and can be purchased at all digital outlets. Grab it on iTunes, or as a limited edition bundle with a t-shirt at TheSpillCanvas.com.
So I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I recently published my first book.
Oh, who am I kidding?! I don’t know how you possibly couldn’t have heard – the promos are plastered all over this site six ways from Sunday, and that’s not even counting the sky writer or the singing gorillas that are scheduled to stop by later on this afternoon! I wanted to rent a blimp so that I could really show up in style for the book signings, too, but my people (basically being my wife) seemed to think that transportation via dirigible was something that we should probably hold off on until at least book two…
Somewhat disappointing, I know, but still, I can’t really complain too much because ultimately I’m really proud of the way that my first effort into the world of print actually turned out. It’s a good book, and I’m not just saying that because I’m the author and I’ve poured my heart and soul into its 210 pages of hilarious wordplay, sacrificing sleep, personal time, and more than the lion’s share of my sanity over the last several months to get the thing put together. Or because every copy sold puts me a little closer to that new boat that I’ve been eyeing.
Ok, so maybe I am just a little biased.
Regardless, though, as with any other big, important purchase that you might be considering, it never hurts to sit down and list out the pros and cons before making your decision. Oddly enough, I couldn’t really think of any cons to buying my book, but as for the pros, well, submitted for your just consideration, here’s the list of reasons that I managed to come up with…
• My Mom recommended it to you. • You’ve got a wobbly table that desperately needs propping up. • You feel guilty about laughing from all of my hilarious humor columns for free over the last ten years. • You feel guilty about not actually reading any of my hilarious humor columns over the last ten years. • Where else are you going to find insight about hanging your Christmas lights, cutting edge analysis of road rage across America, as well as charming, little anecdotes about bears, bugs, and mutant ducks all in the same book?! • Maybe you happen to owe me ten bucks from that one time when we did that thing back in college and honestly, this is the only way that I’m ever going to see even a fraction of that money ever again. • Two words: street cred. • You happen to be a grilled cheese sandwich aficionado and have been anxiously looking for a copy of the classic column that I wrote for Humor Columnist Survivor back in 2002 about the rise and fall of this favorite for all ages in modern society. • You’d like to see my future children go to college so that they can get real jobs that don’t involve writing jokes about militant cockroaches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and the toils of trying to repair one’s own toilet. • You love me, you care about me, and you want me to be a successful humor columnist who has his own boat, and maybe a nice time share in Hawaii, too, as long as it doesn’t have those ridiculous maintenance fees that they don’t tell you about until it’s too late. Any or all of the three might apply…
And if each and every one of those don’t serve as perfectly legit reasons enough, simply know that I do truly appreciate everyone who opts to purchase a copy (or three!) just as much as I appreciate you simply taking the time to read my funny, little ramblings here each week. Without all of my readers who enjoy The Humor Column every Friday, these columns would just be a few hundreds words of me talking to myself on the Internet about why I can’t seem to keep houseplants alive and whether or not the toads on my back porch are plotting against me … and admittedly that would be kind of weird.
I hope everyone who buys a copy enjoys the new book. Rest assured that if I’m able to get that whole blimp thing figured out for next time, you guys will definitely be first in line for free rides as long as Barnes & Noble doesn’t mind us landing in their parking lot…
BYLINE:
Scott Sevener is a humor columnist who enjoys writing funny narratives about the random things in life that amuse him. His first book, a collection of humor columns entitled “The First Seven Years Are Always the Hardest,” is available now at comedic-genius.com.
Last night Bob and I traveled to Chicago, IL for the Rockstar Mayhem Tour featuring Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch. Although I was not able to snap pictures of Lamb of God, Rob Zombie or Korn, due to technical difficulties and whiny photographers, I did manage to get the opening bands plus Five Finger Death Punch.
(Five Finger Death Punch)
Anyone who attended this concert and has pics that they would like to share, feel free to email them to me and I’ll add them to the folder.
The Pretty Reckless front girl Taylor Momsen is now the face of Madonna and her daughter's new fashion line, Material Girl. Taylor was able to meet with Madonna and Lourdes for a hands-on styling session to get ready for the new ad campaign.
“For one, it’s Madonna so you know it’s gonna be cool and working with Madonna and Lola has been an unbelievable experience,” Momsen said.
Catch Momsen at the Material Girl launch with Madonna at Macy’s NYC on August 3rd. Also be sure to check out her band The Pretty Reckless on Warped Tour 2010. Visit ThePrettyReckless.com for a list of tour dates.
“Charlie St. Cloud” is baffling in the most unique way. A supernatural drama that combines soft focus goofiness of a Nicholas Sparks romance with the 'I see dead people' conceit of “The Sixth Sense,” “Charlie St. Cloud” in the end leaves one wondering just which characters were alive and which were dead. How many films can claim to be this strangely flabbergasting?
Zac Efron stars as Charlie St. Cloud, class valedictorian of a small northwestern town where sailing is the sport of choice. Charlie and his little brother Sammy (Charlie Tahan) are first glimpsed pulling off a dangerous move to win a local sailing contest and Charlie is said to be heading off to Stanford in the fall on a partial sailing scholarship.
Charlie's plans are destroyed one fateful night when, while he was supposed to watch his brother, he sneaks out to go to a party. Sammy catches him before he can leave and insists on coming with. On the drive they are hit from behind by a drunk driver and sideswiped by an oncoming truck. Sammy is killed almost instantly; Charlie is brought back miraculously thanks to the efforts of a paramedic played by Ray Liotta.
Flash ahead five years and Charlie hasn't left for Stanford. Instead he works as a caretaker at the cemetery where his brother is buried. A vision of Sammy after his funeral convinced Charlie that his little brother is still around and the two meet at sunset in the forest each day for a game of catch.
Enter Tess (Amanda Crew) a fellow sailor who attended high school with Charlie though he doesn't remember her. She is about to leave on an around the world sailing trek but not before the two bond a little over a mutual love of boats. The two spend more time together just before she leaves for her trip but the more time Charlie spends with Tess the more complacent he becomes about Sammy until he is forced to choose between the girl of his dreams and his dead little brother.
At least that is kind of what I think was happening in Charlie St. Cloud. I am honestly unsure what the hell was going with this film's bizarre supernatural plot and confusing screenplay. By the end I could not tell which characters were alive and which were dead. SPOILER:
Director Burr Steers throws a lot of bizarre complications into this story including a love scene in the cemetery that grows creepy even beyond the setting once the story adds some unique details about Tess that make Charlie look really bizarre and creepy unless Charlie is dead, which he may be. I would call that a spoiler maybe but I honestly don't know if any of the characters in this film were alive or dead, in limbo, in memory or a dream. “Charlie St. Cloud” makes “Inception” look like the picture of narrative clarity.
Adding to the troubled story is the soft focus cinematography of Enrique Chediak who paints everything like a Hallmark Hall of Fame low budget TV production. Long soft focus close-ups of Charlie brooding in a bar, Charlie brooding over coffee, Charlie brooding on the ledge of a lighthouse are dropped in repeatedly throughout the film lending a bland sameness to the look of the film.
Zac Efron does what he can with his goofy role, playing Charlie as a lonely, angst-ridden weirdo who happens to look like Zac Efron. Having to deal with multiple dead or seemingly dead characters that no one else can see, Efron not only must brood alone, he has numerous scenes played just talking aloud to himself and occasionally talking to ducks. As I said, the film is very confusing.
Bizarre to the point of utter bafflement, “Charlie St. Cloud” combines the worst elements of a Nicholas Sparks adaptation with M. Night Shyamalan at his most self involved and aloof. Burr Steers is a once promising director now floundering in his attempt to bring his indie film cred to mainstream features. In “Charlie St. Cloud” Steers attempts to subvert convention by sheer oddity and fails to deliver either quirky indie-ness or mainstream accessibility.
I could almost recommend “Charlie St. Cloud” for its sheer oddity. I’m not going to but I could. The film is so weird and confusing and just plain bad in such a unique way that I can almost appreciate it on an ironic, sort of camp level. If you like movies you can make fun of with your friends, ala “Mystery Science Theater,” you may be just the audience for “Charlie St. Cloud.”
After Selena Gomez had to cancel an appearance at the Delaware State Fair, Allstar Weekend stepped in to save the day with a special performance of her hit song "Naturally."
Allstar Weekend is busy touring the country for the next few months, including the Arthur Ashe Kid's Day concert with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato on August 28th and a visit to Good Morning America on August 30th. Check out AllstarWeekendRocks.com to see a full list of tour stops and details.
The band's debut album "Suddenly" is out now and features the hits "A Different Side of Me" and "Dance Forever" - the music video for that track just reached more than one million views on YouTube.
Pop-rock icons Tegan and Sara will release "The Official Vinyl Collection Box Set" on Warner Bros. Records on August 31st. This very special package is the definitive vinyl collection of the band's recordings, gathering five of their albums — 2000's "This Business of Art," 2002's "If It Was You," 2004's "So Jealous," 2007's "The Con," and 2009's "Sainthood" — on vinyl for the first time. The box set also includes an exclusive bonus record, entitled "Home Recordings," which features nine demo tracks dating back to the recording of "So Jealous."
The box set is now available for pre-order at www.teganandsara.com. Those who pre-order will also receive a very limited-edition signed poster.
Tegan and Sara's current album "Sainthood," was released by Sire/Vapor Records in October 2009. "Sainthood" was produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla (who also produced The Con) and Howard Redekopp (who produced 2004's So Jealous) and mixed by Grammy Award winner Dave Sardy (Oasis, Primal Scream, Marilyn Manson).
The band is currently on the road for The Honda Civic Tour with Paramore. Don't forget to check out the 2010 Summer Tour EP, featuring six tracks from the four bands touring together on The Honda Civic Tour, including two tracks — "Sheets" and "Back In Your Head" — from Tegan and Sara.
BYLINE:
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
“American Idol” is on its last leg. With the departure of Simon Cowell and now Ellen DeGeneres, the high powered karaoke contest may not see a successful tenth season. Rumors swirled about the death of the show after season 9’s ratings were less than spectacular. Talent seems to be coming from YouTube and other social sites like MySpace, leaving the producers to change the rules to now allow 15 year old’s to enter.
What “American Idol” should do is use the two empty seats (Randy Jackson still has one year left on his contract dawg) and rotate in guest judges every week. One week it could be Prince, then Justin Timberlake, and then Gene Simmons, etc. The other revolving seat could be for up and coming stars, like Girl in a Coma, The Dollyrots and Kopek. “American Idol” has an opportunity to not only showcase Idol contestants but essentially “no-names” in the industry.
If “American Idol” wants to continue past a tenth season, they’ll really have to put out a superstar like Adam Lambert or Kelly Clarkson, otherwise Idol will fizzle out, just like Clay Aiken and Fantasia did.
Of course, “American Idol” could just use its fail safe and announce that it is coming out of the closet. That is what everyone else with a fledging career seems to do. That’s a headline I’d love to see: “American Idol” announces that everyone involved with the show is gay… dawg.”
An unconventional family in an unconventional movie, “The Kids Are All Right” tells the story of a lesbian couple named Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) and their teenage son and daughter, Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and Joni (Mia Wasikowska). The picture of modern domestic bliss in their comfortable upper middle class niche; this family is in just the right moment to be upended.
Upended they are when the kids seek out the man who donated the sperm that impregnated their moms. The donor daddy was Paul (Mark Ruffalo), a bachelor restaurateur living the California ideal of wine, women and organic coop farming. He's shocked to hear from Joni and Laser but willing to meet and after meeting them he becomes apart of their lives.
Naturally, though they put on a brave face, Jules and Nic are a little hurt and a little threatened by Paul. With Joni leaving for college soon they are concerned of losing precious moments with her to Paul. To rectify the situation they attempt to connect with Paul and it goes well for Jules, but not so well for Nic.
You may be able to guess what happens next but not the way these characters react to these changing circumstances. Writer-director Lisa Cholodenko has gathered an expert cast into a modern and unique story of love, family, sex, heartache and self discovery. Surrounding these dramatic developments are comic moments that are painfully awkward yet somehow round the corner from embarrassing to shockingly funny.
In a cast filled with standouts Annette Bening is the star. Though some may find her control freak character shrill, Ms. Bening turns this around with one touching and brilliant scene that is arguably the finest bit of acting in any movie this year. An uncomfortable dinner at Paul's house finds Paul and Jules finally sharing a common interest, singer Joni Mitchell, and Ms. Bening heartachingly warbles a piece of her favorite song.
In the film's timeline this scene arrives at a turning point and as the scene plays out we become lost in this moment of pleasure tinged with sadness. It's a moment that sets the pace for everything to come after it and the moment bonds you not just to Ms. Bening's Nic but to the film and the emotional journey of all of these characters.
While Ms. Bening is the star, Mia Wasikowska is the film's MVP quietly holding the emotional center while all around her grow chaotic and emotional. She too will have her moment of emotional breakdown but her center is strong and her recovery quick. Best known for her role as Alice in Tim Burton's unctuous “Alice in Wonderland,” this is the first time Ms. Wasikowska has been allowed to stand apart from the background and she really proves her dramatic chops.
“The Kids Are All Right” is not flawless. The story grows restless and the awkward comedy is, at times, wearying but for the most part this is a wonderfully adult dramatic comedy with a good head and a better heart. Lisa Cholodenko has a strong sense of character and place and with this cast there was simply no going wrong.
Brooklyn-based soul singer Eli "Paperboy" Reed will make his major label debut with the August 10 release of "Come And Get It" on Capitol Records. The album, an irrepressible, largely self-penned, 12-song set produced by Mike Elizondo, will feature the lead single, "Come And Get It," which has just received an official music video. The video clip channels Reed's signature sound of the 50's while putting a modern twist on it.
"It's been a wild ride, that's for sure," Reed said, looking back at the incredible journey that took the soul belter from a Boston high school band room to a Mississippi Delta juke joint, from Sunday morning gigs behind the organ at a tiny South Side Chicago church to headlining the coolest clubs in Brooklyn with his red-hot band, and now, signed to Capitol Records, a historic label with a rich R&B legacy.
On "Come and Get It," Reed proves to be the life of a soulful, sweaty party in which everyone eventually gets dragged onto the dance floor. As a performer, Reed approaches each song with nothing less than utter conviction. Admirers have likened him to such luminaries as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett; the Boston Herald called him "Boston's answer to Sam Cooke." But he's not merely trying to recreate a sound; Reed is channeling his influences and inspirations into making something all his own.
Everyone's favorite band of outlaw's, Texas Hippie Coalition, has just released a clip with renowned disc jockey and host of “That Metal Show” Eddie Trunk. Together they have a roundhouse chat about the band’s new album and touring plans.
Texas Hippie Coalition's sophomore album, “Rollin',” is in-stores now.
Saving Abel and Zoiks! Online are giving away a chance to win two tickets to the NASCAR Nationwide race and VIP tickets to a Saving Abel concert after the race on Saturday August 14th. Then on the following day Sunday, August 15th, the winner will get VIP access and tickets for NASCAR Sprint Cup race and hang with the band all day.
Included as well is a flight to Michigan, hotel accommodations and transportation from hotel to the track.
We will select 1 grand prize winner. Special event brought to you by Saving Abel, Michigan International Speedway and Virgin Records.
Official Hot Mess is duo made up of two very good looking sisters, but don’t think that’s all they have to offer. They have a music video out entitled “Welcome 2 LA” featuring Adrianne Curry and Flava Flav. They’ve played the Playboy Mansion on more than one occasion and they already have a reality television deal. Recently I got a chance to talk with Official Hot Mess.
Q – How would you describe your music?
A - You could describe our music as Blondie meets Cindy Lauper – it’s fun, quirky music that's sure to get a party started; perfect for a girl's night out!
Q – How long have you been playing music, and what was the moment that made you decide this is what you wanted to do?
A - We wrote our first song when we were really little kids on a PBS children's television show and haven't stopped writing and creating music since. We were born in Hollywood, but our parents moved us away from the LA scene to a sleepy little beach town in Florida where we went to a public school for the academically and musically gifted. Despite their attempts to keep us out of the entertainment industry, music was always our passion and we were creating music for fun since we were little kids. We were sort of rebels in our high school (that consisted of a student body of certified geniuses) in the sense that we weren’t focused on our academics, and we solely wanted to pursue our music. We play piano and guitar by ear and pick out our melodies that way.
Q – Do you think being the daughters of two celebrities has been a crutch you’ve had to overcome or has it helped in terms of getting your music out there?
A - We totally respect our parents’ and their respective careers, but music is our passion and we are pursuing this on our own. We’re really lucky that they raised us with such good heads on our shoulders, so we are confident in making our own decisions, and following our own paths. They really have no connections to help us in the music industry… and that’s fine, because we’re smart and independent young women pursuing our own goals.
Q – There seems to be a level of humor in your music and video. How important is the comedic element to you?
A - I think a lot of people are surprised by the fact that we're more than just typical blonde bimbos. We actually have a sense of musical ability and we incorporate our personalities and sarcastic sense of humor into that. The sarcasm and a little bit of humor intrinsically comes with Official Hot Mess. Look at our name, lol!
Q – How did you manage to get Flava Flav and Adrianne Curry for your video “Welcome 2 LA?”
A -The first time our band played at The Playboy Mansion, we met Adrienne Curry. She heard us play the song, and she was really into it. She loved the sarcastic flavor to it, and she wanted to be in the video so she smoked weed and played Guitar Hero in the video! We met Flavor Flav at another event our band was playing at, and we clicked, so the video for “Welcome 2 LA” is set at Flav’s house party.
Q – Tell us about performing at the Playboy Mansion. How did that come about and what is that experience like?
A - Performing at the Playboy Mansion for the first time could be described in 2 words - culture shock, lol! With us and the 4 guys in our band coming from this quaint little town in Florida, it was an amazing experience to perform there. They say when you’re nervous, you should picture the audience naked, well you can’t do that at The Playboy Mansion, cause most of them already are, lol. We have a great friendship with Hef, and he’s really supportive of our music.
Q – You begin shooting a reality show for VH1 later on this summer. Can you tell us what it’s going to be about?
A - It’s gonna be a really fun, honest show that goes behind the scenes and documents the outrageous antics and chaos that ensues when we and the 4 wild and crazy guys in our band hit the road. Our contrasting lifestyles - life in our sleepy little beach town in FL (where the average age is death vs. the crazy “rock star lifestyle” we lead when we’re back in Hollywood.
Q – Do you have any reservations about letting the camera invade your private lives?
A - I don’t think so… at this point, lol, because we really don’t have anything to hide, you might as well go out there and be yourself because there's no point in trying to be someone you're not.
Q – Who are some of your early influences?
A - Most of our songs are pop with an underlying rock feel which comes from being influenced by artists like Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles, Pat Benatar, and The GoGo's. We're influenced by rock, alternative, hip hop, etc and bring aspects of each genre into our personal style.
Q – Thanks for taking the time and good luck with everything. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Bob Zerull is the Managing Editor of Zoiks! Online. He writes pop culture commentary, does interviews with bands, and reviews music and stand-up concerts. He also administers Zoiks! Online's Facebook page. Follow Bob on twitter at bzerull. Email Bob at bob@zoiksonline.com.
Rocker and winner of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice," Bret Michaels, will perform his signature song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" on Wednesday, August 4 on NBC's "America's Got Talent." Michaels' "Rock of Love" television series is one of the most successful in VH1's history. With three record breaking seasons under his belt, Michaels is currently embarking on several other television projects, including the upcoming VH1 show "Bret Michaels: Life as You Know It" this fall.
As front man for the legendary rock band Poison, Michaels has sold 25 million records and scored an amazing 15 chartbusting Top 40 singles, including "Talk Dirty to Me," "Something to Believe In," "Nothing But a Good Time" and the timeless #1 smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." In the new millennium Poison's music has been featured in such big screen flicks as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Grandma's Boy" and "Deuce Bigelow-European Gigolo." The band continues to be one of the industry's top-grossing concert attractions and the "20 Years of Rock" CD was a bona fide Top 20 smash. Michaels' new CD "Custom Built" is in stores now and is the #1 independent and hard rock album on Billboard.
In its fifth season, "America's Got Talent," features Nick Cannon as the host and Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel and Piers Morgan star as the celebrity panel of judges. Check your local listings for airtimes and be sure to catch Bret Michaels live performance on August 4th.
After wrapping up a sold-out stadium tour of Europe, multi-platinum rock band Green Day will hit the road next week for a series of North American tour dates, including an August 7th stopover at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. This is the second leg of the band’s U.S. tour in support of their Grammy Award winning album “21st Century Breakdown.”
Critics raved about the first leg of the “21st Century Breakdown” tour, which launched in North America in July of 2009, before continuing on to Europe in the fall. “As if releasing a wave of energy that had been building up during their four-year hiatus from touring, Green Day poured all their heart and soul into a powerhouse two-hour set,” said Rolling Stone, while Spin noted that “the band's relationship with its audience is disarmingly real, a cross-generational give-and-take that's as punk as any Gilman Street scroungers today.”
Released by Reprise Records on May 15th, 2009, “21st Century Breakdown” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock, and Alternative charts. The album has spawned two hit singles, “Know Your Enemy,” which has been certified gold, and the platinum-selling “21 Guns,” whose video won three 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, including “Best Rock Video.” The band took home their second American Music Award for “Favorite Alternative Music Artist” in November. Green Day Rock Band has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Best Video Game.
Additionally, Green Day's smash hit Broadway show American Idiot won two 2010 Tony Awards and continues to thrill audiences eight times a week at The St. James Theater in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit: www.AmericanIdiotonBroadway.com.
Look out for Green Day, which is singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool, performing their new single, “Last of the American Girls,” on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on Friday, July 30th.
Sum 41 has released another video to give fans an idea of what has been going on at this year's Warped Tour. Follow the band to Pittsburgh and Montreal and watch Stevo show off his card writing skills as he sends their tour manager a get well card. The group also unveils live footage as they tour across the country.
Sum 41 will continue to tour as they prepare to release their fifth studio album next year. Visit Sum41.com for more information and a list of remaining Warped Tour 2010 tour dates.
Now you can have Robert Pattinson on your junk. That's because, the "Twilight" actor has inspired a new line of men's underwear – the R-Pant. Will it help you get girls? Probably not. Don't know how many chicks are interested in R-Pant undies with major poop stains.
Wouldn't this be more marketable if the R-Pant was actually an R-Panty? Think of it. Women's underwear with Robert Pattinson's image. The crotch area could have two fangs, almost like an edgier camel toe. Men then would think twice about getting into your pants because Pattinson would be staring at them while they lose their boner. It's a win/win for fathers everywhere.
BYLINE:
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
Deuce, former front man of Hollywood Undead, has announced that he will be joining the line-up for this year's Epicenter Twenty Ten for his first solo performance ever. Deuce will perform alongside hip hop superstar Eminem (only 1 of 3 performances in the US this year), Blink-182 (their only 2010 concert in North America), KISS (their only 2010 California appearance), the reunited Bush (their first show in 9 years), Rise Against (their only concert in California this year) and many more acclaimed artists. The two-day event will be held on Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26 at Auto Speedway in Fontana, CA.
Epicenter Twenty Ten is a multi-stage event that will be held on Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26 at Auto Speedway in Fontana, CA. The annual festival is located just 35 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, right off the 10 freeway. Tickets start as low as $79.50 for a single day ticket and can be purchased now at www.ticketmaster.com/epicenter. For more information about weekend VIP passes, two-day value passes and single day tickets, stop by www.epicenterfestival.com.
BYLINE:
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
Buckcherry is set to bring the party to late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with a raucous performance on Thursday, August 12th on ABC at 12:05AM, ET/PT. The performance will come on the heels of the release of Buckcherry's new album, "All Night Long," due out on August 3rd via original independent label, Eleven Seven Music.
In the August issue on stands now, Spin declared the album the "ultimate all-night rager soundtrack." The very same issue also features an in-depth Q&A feature with Buckcherry front man Josh Todd. The title track of "All Night Long" has been called "The top down anthem" by Billboard and is currently heating up the airwaves, coming in at #14 on the Active Rock and #15 on the Mainstream Rock charts, respectively.
In other Buckcherry news, the band is currently on the road playing select tour dates and will gear up for an extensive North American tour supporting Nickelback beginning September 14th in Nashville, TN at the Bridgestone Arena.
In the decade-long career, multi-platinum artist Buckcherry has been established as a definitive hard rock band with a massive presence at radio. Hits such as "Lit Up," "Crazy Bitch," and "Sorry" have propelled the band's sales to more than 3 million albums worldwide and have garnered Buckcherry two Grammy nominations. The most recent album, 2008's "Black Butterfly," earned the band the first-ever Top Ten Billboard album debut, with the album coming in at #8. "Black Butterfly" was deemed the "Album Of The Year" by Entertainment Weekly and "Best Rock Album" by iTunes.
Stay up to date on what the band is doing at the official site, www.buckcherry.com. Look out for "All Night Long" in stores everywhere August 3rd.
BYLINE:
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
Internationally acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Seal will release his sixth studio album, "Seal 6: Commitment," in the U.S. on September 28th on Reprise Records. The first single is "Secret," a deeply moving, string-laden ballad that ranks among Seal's finest love songs. "Commitment" finds the London-born, three-time Grammy Award winner re-teaming with renowned music maestro David Foster, who also produced 2008's "Soul," Seal's stunning covers collection of soul classics.
"I asked David to produce 'Commitment' because quite simply, he's the most incredible person I've worked with in the studio for a very long time," Seal said. "He's one of a kind. I don't think there's an arranger and producer anywhere on the planet who can do what he does."
Foster is equally complimentary of Seal. "His voice is so unique and he has such command of it — his tone and musicality are unequaled," Foster said, adding that Seal was on a mission while in the studio making "Commitment." "He was in fearless, relentless pursuit of greatness — no one was going to obscure his path. The album is full of beautiful musical surprises and his songwriting has never been better. He says it may be his best work yet and I think he may be right."
While showcasing Seal's one-of-a-kind husky baritone, ear for unforgettable melodies, and unique lyrical point of view, songs such as "Secret," "The Weight of My Mistakes," "Best of Me," and "If I'm Any Closer," delve into the emotions surrounding love, family, and commitment, hence the title. "Everything about my life is fully committed," he said. "I've never felt more focused on the matter at hand: My wife, my children, the family in general, my own well-being, and of course music and my career. Each one of these songs has personal meaning for me. I dug very deep and all I can hope for is that the music strikes a chord with people."
Over the course of a remarkable career that spans more than two decades, Seal has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide and enjoyed success across numerous genres of music. His emotional, romantic love songs such as "Prayer For the Dying," the Grammy Award-winning "Kiss From A Rose," and "Don't Cry," (all from 1994's Seal II), and "Love's Divine" (from 2003's Seal IV), delighted fans and earned him critical acclaim. He has also seen great success in the dance/pop music world beginning with his roots in Britain's house music/rave scene with his debut 1991 album and returning to those roots with 2007's dance floor-friendly System. In 2008, Seal released "Soul," a stunning compilation of classic soul songs delivered with Seal's unique, signature touch. A No. 1 album in France, "Soul" remained atop the album chart for 13 consecutive weeks.
For more on Seal, including his personal blog, photos, and videos, please visit www.seal.com. Stay tuned for more news about "Seal 6: Commitment" in the coming weeks.
BYLINE:
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
With another failing grade for diversity for the CBS network, executives did what any normal person would do in this situation – they called in their gay friends.
The new season will now have gay characters on the shows "$#*! My Dad Says," "Rules of Engagement" and "The Good Wife."
I can see it now, a gay character in the eyes of CBS coming into the house, making that sliding into the house, in tap dance shoes and leg warmers. “Hi guyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys, let’s be saucy today and get a tay-yan!” For the show "$#*! My Dad Says," one of those things would be, “Where did the gay guy come from?”
If CBS fails for yet another year, they’ll have to adopt handicapped people to go with their gay and minorities. When that doesn’t work, then the network could create another reality show and call it, “Now, who would you REALLY have on your team?” and put all the handicapped, gays and minorities and vote them off based on usefulness for a cause.
Exciting news for 17-year-old Shane Harper - his song "Dance With Me" was chosen this week for Radio Disney's Music Mailbag. The program features one new song every week, and from Wednesday through Saturday morning fans can vote on the Radio Disney website to "Pick It" or "Kick It." On Saturday morning at 11 am PST, the station will play "Dance With Me" on air and fans can vote one last time to keep the song in rotation. The results will be announced immediately after.
Visit the Music Mailbag site now to hear the song and cast your vote for Shane (and don't forget to show him the love in the comments box). RSVP on Facebook and invite friends.
"Dance With Me," from his upcoming EP, is available now on iTunes, while fans can download the track "Just Friends" for free here. For more information about Shane and his music go to ShaneHarperOnline.com. Shane can also be seen in the Disney Channel series "Good Luck Charlie" and in the Rob Reiner film "Flipped, " in theaters August 6th.
The Power of Veto competition was tonight and it seemed like the Big Brother producer fix was in. The competition was about guesstimating how many items were in big bins. For example, you get to see 5 tooth brushes then you have to guess how many tooth brushes are in a giant bin. Obviously this is a great challenge for a logical and analytical thinker like Brendon. Does anyone else think the producers try to give other players advantages? Matt’s plan was to have someone else win the POV and then backdoor Brendon, but obviously that plan blew up.
On to the Power of Veto ceremony where each nominated house guest makes their plea to the Power of Veto holder (Brendon) to use the power on them. This is where the show gets very interesting. Andrew decides to give a crazy speech calling out Brendon and Rachel on how they didn’t do more to evict Matt and now Andrew is coming after them. Of course, this is just for show, but apparently Rachel wasn’t let in on the plan because she genuinely thinks Andrew is mad at her. Brendon lets the camera know that Andrew did a great job selling it. Too bad, the brigade lets America know they saw right through Andrews acting and now his fate is sealed.
Big Brother fans have heard this all before though and usually the evicted house guest can be a same day decision. Andrew still has a fighting chance and it seems he is taking his gloves off. I am actually rooting for this goofy Podiatrist, but he has himself in a pretty tough spot. He is funny and seems like a genuinely good guy that is just an easy target because he doesn’t fit in. Fight Andrew fight!
Other than that the show was a little slow. Rachel is still annoying, Enzo is still more than annoying, and Kristen is only on camera when they want to show her making out with Hayden or in a bikini.
Be sure to check back at www.zoiksonline.com after next episode for the recap and opinion on this crazy show.
BYLINE:
Scott Harris was in the army. He played poker for a living for about seven months. He likes golf and always wanted to write but never thought he was very good. Now, he’s writing about reality shows. It’s still determined if he’s any good. Email Scott at scott@zoiksonline.com.
OneRepublic took the stage for I Heart Radio and performed a cover of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Ryan Tedder and the rest of the guys threw in a twist when launching into Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" for the crowd full of fans.
Catch the band on tour this fall with Maroon 5 and visit OneRepublic.net for more info.
According to Great Britain’s “Grazia” magazine, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are planning to appear in a reality television show. A source close to the couple told the magazine, “They want to portray themselves as a normal family who do normal things. They are aware that Katie is being perceived as 'brainwashed' and they want to change that.”
Well, it looks like TomKat has quite the uphill battle ahead of them.
I must admit, I am slightly curious. Will the show feature Suri entering toddler pageants like the extremely well-adjusted children (insert eye-roll here) on “Toddlers & Tiaras”? If she’s not already doing them, she should get cooking because, at four years old, she’s almost past her prime. Or perhaps the Cruise-Holmeses can switch places with another celeb couple a la “Wife Swap.”
To up the drama, I, for one, think Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman (Cruise’s ex-wife) would make excellent exchange partners. Maybe the show will be a how-to guide for showing the world how weird you can be by marrying a much younger woman, knocking her up and then jumping on a couch like a mad man to proclaim your happiness on national television. I just hope TomKat’s show won’t be like Britney Spears and Kevin Federline’s “Chaotic” (a show that was more moronic than chaotic), which could not have been more boring.
Apparently, Tom and Katie are being quite selective when it comes to shopping their show around, and Tom is insisting on having complete control over the footage that will be aired. According to another source, “Tom places a premium on control, so he's reluctant to commit to doing a reality TV show unless he's 100% it will reflect him and Katie in the best possible light.”
So let me get this straight. Tom Cruise needs to be 100% in control in order to show the world he’s not controlling?
Hmm…looks like this battle might be more like a war – a very well, planned out, controlled with the right amount of temper and emotions – war.
BYLINE:
Kate Brindle is a stand-up comedian from Ann Arbor, MI. For more information and for tour dates, visit her at www.katebrindle.com.
Chinese
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
