A Wild, Whirlwind Weekend in NYC with DPAC

This weekend, I had the pleasure of being invited to New York City with other Triangle-area radio people to see Broadway shows and be treated like a queen by the folks at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

This was my second time heading to NYC with the crew, and it's always great because they put us up in an incredible hotel, show us previews of a few of the shows coming to DPAC this year when their Broadway Series starts.  We flew up on Saturday morning and were home at 11 last night.  Whirlwind is really the only way I can describe it. 

We stayed at the Westin just off of Times Square.  Last year, I ended up with a view of the air conditioner.  Not so, this year:

I think this is 42nd Street.  I say 'I think', because I'm too lazy to pay attention most of the time.

Pretty sweet view, right?  Never mind that it was basically a five-star hotel and there was an iMac with free internet in my room.  I sort of felt gypped because another guy in our group got a full-on massage chair.  A massage chair!   But, I digress.

My best friend had taken the train in from New Jersey and got to witness the action.  So, this whole thing was a win-win for me:  a weekend of being treated royally while hanging out with my best friend.  Also, no view of the air conditioner.  Already, this trip was better than last year's--and last year's was AWESOME.

My BFF comes to dinner.  I'm glad she is used to rowdy people, or we might have scared her off.

We had a great group dinner at a fancy pants restaurant.  I think everyone in our group, each of whom is on the air somewhere in this market, was shocked that DPAC would take us somewhere so nice.  Don't they know that radio people love to drink and can get rowdy?  At any rate, the food was great and it was just a pre-cursor to a really fun night. 

One of the big shows coming to DPAC this October, is Jersey Boys.  The show was fantastic, and it was cool to see the guy who originated the role of Frankie Valli on Broadway in that role again.  I spent the evening amazed at how high his falsetto is.  How do they do that?   It was just a fun show with great music that you know you know all the words to.  I think I had about every 45 of The Four Seasons when I was growing up (I never got new records, really, I just had my dad's badass record collection from the 60s and I wore it out.)    It did not escape my amusement, though, that the "curtain" for Jersey Boys was made of chain link fence.  If I had a dollar for EVERY yard in Jersey that had a chain link fence when I was growing up,  I would have been able to afford to stay in that state.  Instead, I moved to NC.

That's chain link, people.

After the show, I was super tired (day drinking will do that to you.)  So my friend and I hopped a rickshaw to take us the 11 blocks back to our hotel.  The guy was crazy, he was weaving in and out of traffic.  But that wasn't the best part about the ride. 

 

 

 

These girls are about to join a midget biker gang.

 At the next light after jumping into the rickshaw, we were suddenly surrounded by midget bikes and midget bikers.  Well, the bikers weren't midgets.  But these crotch-rocket style bikes were the smallest things I've ever seen.  We were stuck AND surrounded by a midget biker gang.  Oddly, this may have been the highlight of my trip and I haven't even gotten to Sunday yet, which was epic.

If it looks like these people are smaller than me, it's because it's a midget biker gang! Look at the ratio of the guy in the plaid to the car next to him.  That is how small the bikes are.

The next day, we were treated to one of the coolest things I've ever done.  Below the legendary nightclub Studio 54, is a little club.  It's a late-night place, where, according to the internet, it's been made over by people that do Broadway theaters, and people who are actually on Broadway are known to get up and sing.  They also do a Jazz Brunch on Sundays.  So, we all arrived at 54 Below, as it's called, and were seated.  Drinks started flowing, food came and suddenly there was an awesome band on stage.  They were led by a white French guy that you can't see in this picture, because the way I was sitting I couldn't capture him.  I have seen a lot of great musicians over my career.  These guys topped the list.  The incredible musicianship and chemistry of the band made this brunch the most fun I have ever had whilst eating. They wanted us to keep our phones off, so I had to sneak a picture, which was difficult since I was down front. If you are EVER in New York, do yourself a favor and make a reservation for the Jazz Brunch at 54 Below.  The talent changes out every few days and it's just super cool.

These people are 150 times cooler than I will ever be. 

Radio peeps and DPAC peeps outside of 54 below.

After brunch, we trekked to Lincoln Center to see War Horse.  There could not be two polar opposite shows for us to see in a weekend.  This was no Jersey Boys, in that it was not a sing-a-long musical.  However, the acting was great and there are some astonishing puppets that are used to make you think that a real horse is on stage.  The movements, the way the horse would eat, you even think the horse is breathing for real at one point.  You develop empathy for a puppet.  A puppet.  War Horse will be at DPAC in October as well.  The horse puppets alone are, in my opinion, worth the price of admission. 

After War Horse, it was back to the hotel, and then back to reality.  I am constantly amazed on these trips how DPAC does you right--they bring you great entertainment, and make Broadway close to YOU so that you don't have to go to New York to see really cool things like a puppet horse, or singing Italian degenerates from New Jersey. It was a great time, and I'm so appreciative to have been part of it with other Triangle radio people, who I always enjoy but never get to see.  I made new friends, saw old ones, ate great food, heard great music, and I'm excited for you to see the shows when they come to DPAC this fall.  DPAC brings quality entertainment, and when they take you on a trip, they bring their A-game.  Thanks to Rachel, Emily and Jennie for a great weekend.  I threw in some bonus extra pics of Central Park and whatever else I didn't include here.  They're at the bottom of this blog.  Enjoy them, and in the meantime, I'll see you at DPAC for the Broadway Series.



 I will say, though, they will not be bringing you a midget biker gang.  You're on your own for that.


Alli

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Big Time Blur

I hadn't seen a boy band since New Kids on the Block in 1989.  (Go ahead, laugh - I got them free from a radio station.)  My kids wanted to see Big Time Rush at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, so being the top notch dad that I am :), I got them tickets.

As I told Alli this morning, it was what it was.  Cheesy, glossy, girls screaming...just what you would expect. When the band asked the crowd, "What's your favorite Beatles song?  Scream it out in 3, 2, 1...", I could hear the crickets.  No, wait - that was the sound of little girls googling to see who The Beatles were on their smartphones.

My kids enjoyed it, but what really got them up and dancing was their new single, "Windows Down" which has the whole crowd screaming, "Woo Hoo!!!"

Does this sound familiar?

It should - it's the same music as Blur's "Song 2".

I found out that Blur is, in fact, on the songwriting credits - so Blur gets paid when screaming girls in 2012 think they are listening to a brand new song.  Which is a good thing...I guess.

Foster
Radio 96.1

Duran Duran Review

I was 11 years old in 1983, so seeing Duran Duran in 2012 means more to me than it would to see another Led Zeppelin reunion.

I know to some those words will sound like blasphemy, and - believe me - I love me some Zep.  But contextually, in 1983, Led Zeppelin had already disbanded 3 years prior.  Duran Duran was the one of the hottest bands on the planet, launching the year by playing "Hungry Like The Wolf" on MTV's New Years Eve Ball.   So for me, a Duran Duran concert takes me back to playing Pac-Man at the arcade, Friday Night Videos, and a pretty darn happy and innocent time.

Durham Performing Arts Center has done an outstanding job of bringing in artists that generally play larger venues to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  Duran Duran, for example, played an amphitheater in Atlanta in the show before DPAC, and is playing an amphitheater in the show after - both venues double the size of Durham's gem.

The show began with a bizarre 10 minute video of Aztec statues and water features set to a symphonic soundtrack.  It wasn't the unusual nature of the video that bothered me so much as the images of falling water made me want to go to the restroom.

The band appeared and launched "Before The Rain", a slow to mid-tempo tune from their latest album, 2010's "All You Need Is Now" (the band has been touring in support of this album for 20 months).  Any designs on the band playing too much new material were put to rest in songs 2 and 3 of the set, the excellent minor hit "Planet Earth" and "A View To A Kill".

The newer songs sounded superb, woven expertly throughout the night with every hit you'd want to hear.  A fan was brought on stage to sing the "dah-dah-dah-dah" intro to "The Reflex".  One of my favorites, "Union of the Snake", was a pleasant surprise, as was their impeccable cover of Grandmaster Melle Mel's "White Lines".

Simon LeBon introduced "Ordinary World" as a song they never tire of playing, because it reaffirmed the band's relevance at a time Duran Duran was hanging by a string and could have disappeared forever.  "Hungry Like The Wolf" played well into "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise", a terrific 2004 track that charted much better overseas than in the U.S. but is one of their best moments of their live show.

Ever notice that "Wild Boys" kinda sounds like Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax"?  They did a wicked version of "Wild Boys" that veered into "Relax" in the middle.

Finishing their 2-hour set with "Rio", Duran Duran proved to a jam-packed house that you can go forward and back and the band sounds as good as ever. A terrific night.

Foster
Radio 96.1

Get Out and See a Great Band!

The Triangle has been brimming with great acts this summer.  Whether you've hit up the Amphitheater, the Creek, Pour House, Cat's Cradle, Motorco, there are a ton of really cool spots to hear some great bands.  In the next two weeks, you will be able to get out and see at least two of the live bands I've blogged on before, plus a few others I really, really like.  Go have yourself a music experience!

This weekend, Matisyahu is live on the outdoor stage at the Lincoln Theatre.  Matisyahu broke through about 7 or 8 years ago, and became known as the Hasidic Reggae Superstar.  I saw him back in 2005 and wasn't sure what to expect.  He was nothing short of amazing--and I'll let you in on a little secret:  I don't even like reggae.  Tickets still on sale, via the Lincoln Theatre website.

Sunday, Meatloaf comes to DPAC.  In the mood for a theatric show?  This is it.  We flew a listener to see him in Boston last month and he said it was amazing.  Go.  Tickets at DPAC Website.


Next weekend, there are three bands I'm dying to see and I'm going to miss all of them.  (I will be in NYC--more on that next week.)

First of all, The Dirty Names, who I recently blogged here about, will be live at the Pour House in Raleigh with another band that's made this space before, The Design.  It will be straight up rock and roll, and I'm telling you, people, The Dirty Names are a sound to behold.  Coupled with The Design and the raunchy, raw vocals of lead singer Kat Robichaud, and you will have an awesome time.  Show starts at 9 on Sunday the 26th, and it's only $8.

Across town on the same night, Band of Horses is playing with My Morning Jacket at Raleigh Amphitheater.  I am not an MMJ fan, but I love me some BOH.  I've been dying to see them live ever since a good friend introduced me to them last year.  Guess what?  I won't get to see them because I'll be in NY--but you can!  Tickets are available via Live Nation.

These are shows I can personally give my stamp of approval to.  Now, get out there and go fill your ears with good sounds!


Alli


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Meatloaf Preview

Here's the thing about Meatloaf -

You have to see him.

You may not be the biggest Meatloaf fan in the world.  Maybe your one connection to Meatloaf is memories of drunkenly singing along to "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" at a dive bar when you were in college.

That was my only connection when I saw him in concert for the first time in the mid-90s...but I went because I heard about the live show.

Some artists translate much better in concert than on the album, and Meatloaf is simply one of those guys.  Why?

Because he leaves everything on stage.

If your idea of a good concert is seeing the artist stand there and play the songs exactly like they sound on the album, then Loaf is not your man.

If, on the other hand, your idea of getting your money's worth is seeing the artist tear through the setlist with reckless abandon and fury, drenched in sweat, pumped up and involving the audience like he's doing it for the first time...well, then Meatloaf is your show.

Meatloaf, like many artists of his era, turns 65 this year.  While that doesn't mean he'll stop touring any day now, there is a point where you have to say, "I need to see one of rock's great artists tear up the stage when he comes to my town".

This Sunday night at Durham Performing Arts Center should be one of those times.

Foster
Radio 96.1


**photo courtesy of austinist.com**

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

Thanks to RaleighSkyline.com for the pic!

I went away last weekend to see my family in NJ, but truth be told:  I am glad to be home.

I don't just feel that way because I like to have my things around me, or I missed my pets.  I feel that way because I noticed while I was gone, I spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of the Oak City to people.

There was not just my family, but my friends, and I spent a good hour in the bar of a hotel in Washington, DC chatting with a woman from Raleigh about Raleigh.  How the city has grown, where it will go.  The woman used to work for the Fire Dept. on Poole Road, so we chatted about the city and how much fun you can have there, all the while trying to convince her companion at the bar that the Triangle is awesome.

There's a reason why we have been voted the best place in America to live so many times by so many publications.  It's because people don't realize what a sleeping gem we have.  Great restaurants, bars, people, weather, you name it.  And I just couldn't shut up about it this past weekend, to anyone who would listen.

That's why coming home is so great.

I'm lucky to live in a place I really like.  As much as I often miss my family and friends up North, Raleigh is definitely home.  I won't be going anywhere for a long while.

Alli


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"The Bourne Legacy" Review

When I arrived home from the Radio 96.1 screening of The Bourne Legacy last night, my wife wanted to know how the writers handled the fact that Matt Damon - you know, Jason Bourne, who the movie is named after - is not in the film.

I explained the basic premise - that, because Jason Bourne has escaped the trail of the CIA and leaked information about Operation Blackbriar to a reporter, the agency has decided to dismantle another one of it's secret programs and must kill everyone associated with it.

Stop right there, she told me.  "Really???", she says indignantly.  "That's the plot?  And it was good??"

I understood what she was getting at.  On the surface, it sounds like every movie ever made about the CIA or (insert spy agency here).  In fact, it sounds like every other Bourne installment.  In many ways it is, but in others it is, in fact, better.

The Bourne Legacy offers up perhaps the slowest (read: deliberate) first 20 minutes and fastest final 20 minutes of any film this summer.  We are quickly introduced to Aaron Cross, played by the excellent Jeremy Renner, who was awesome in The Hurt Locker and, more recently, as Hawkeye in The Avengers.  Although reference is made numerous times to Jason Bourne (through name and pictures), Renner is a completely worthy successor to Damon in this series.

It turns out that Cross is one of the operatives in the program the CIA needs to dismantle...only he's slightly more difficult to kill than the others.  While he's on the run, he meets up with one of the doctors involved with the program (Marta Shearing, played by Rachel Weisz) and wouldn't you know it - the CIA wants her dead, too.  And thus the chase of both our heroes begins.

What elevates The Bourne Legacy isn't the plot - it's the attention to detail director Tony Gilroy takes in each scene to build suspense.  What drew me in was each real-time move by the CIA during the chase.  From the operation of heat-seeking drones to reviewing cameras for facial recognition to combing flight manifests up and down the east coast, I found the tracking down process to be fascinating.

The final 20 minutes of the movie features a chase scene that gets us as close to the action as possible.  While some chase scenes are viewed by the audience from afar or via an arial view, the pursuit that takes place in the Phillipines sets you right on the motorcycle - inside the alley - smashing into the side of a bus - wiping out into a pylon...and so on.  

It seems many of the initial reviews are mixed - the reviewer sitting next to me, at the conclusion of the film, grumbled "Underwhelming" and too many reviews I'm reading are comparing this Bourne movie to the original trilogy.

I recommend that, when you watch this film, you let it stand on it's own....but even if you decide to compare it with the others, you'll find it holds up marvelously.

Grade: A

Foster

Radio 96.1

What you can buy tax free this weekend

It always amazes me what people will do to save around 7%.  Stores beg customers to visit with lures of 30, 40, 50 percent off sales but when the state brings a tax free weekend, BATTON DOWN THE HATCHES!!!!

As a public service, I thought you might like to know some of the things you'll be able to purchase tax free this weekend, Friday-Sunday, August 3-5.

Bandanas. Because you never know when you'll find yourself at the OK Corral.

Shoulder pads.  What is this, 1986?

Or do they mean these:

Suspenders.  Uh-oh, might see Larry King at Dillard's....

Mouth guards.  Can we use them to keep politicians from running their mouths?

Happy shopping!

Foster
Radio 96.1