"The Day The Light Went Out" The Strange Familiar, Returns

The Strange Familiar

The Pop/Rock Band The Strange Familiar are back! After the success of their album "Chasing Shadows" the group took some down time for various reasons. That down time went on to shape their new, and in my opinion best effort yet, "The Day The Light Went Out."

I caught up with the band front woman, Kira Leyden Andrea to get the 411 on their latest, and the things that life throws at you...

MS: Hi Kira, I was watching a "Pretty Little Liars" rerun before you called I remembered when songs  from TSF's "Chasing Shadows" were featured prominently on a previous season. What about songs from the new CD? Do you think they will be heard on the show?

KLA: I hope so, I believe the music supervisor for "Pretty Little Liars" has a copy of the album. I'm hoping they'll use it, I think they are kind of waiting for something super emotional and dramatic to happen, but hopefully they will. (laughs)

MS: "Pretty Little Liars" is always super emotional and dramatic so I am sure it will happen. (laughs) While listening to the album last night all I could think was: "Wow, this is really good."

KLA: Awwwwww, Thank You!

MS: Reading some of the comments you guys made about the album, like how much more personal and deeper it was than your previous efforts, "Well, yeah." Talk about that.

KLA: We did the songs on the album at two different times and somehow they ended up fitting together. The first couple of songs we wrote were "Surrender" & "Painkiller" we had those for a little while, we played them live, sort of "road tested" them you might say, we noticed they were getting a great reaction from fans. The songs were totally a different direction than what we had done on "Chasing Shadows" in the sense they were coming from darker places.

"Painkiller" is asking the question about going through life and living it numb and letting all of these things pass you by. It started with those two songs, then when we went to do the second half we had "Rain" which we didn't even think we were going to end up using. We were really short on songs, honestly (both laugh) we had a few that we liked and we thought were good, and solid, we knew we needed more and it needed to fit with the other stuff. But we didn't know if the producers would go for it, we showed all these songs to them including "Rain" and they said this is definitely going on the album, I thought: "Really?" We really thought of it as just this cute little song, this little lullaby - we kind of went with it. I like the song on the record because it does fit. It talks about being in the desert, and it talks about being in a dark, tough place in your life that someone is bringing you through. It's a cool thing.

We went through a lot of that too, like having the baby and when I was sick for a while...you  know I was in intensive care after I had the baby, and it was scary. I was really, really sick with an abscess and I think that plays into the rest of the record. That's "The Day The Light Went Out" so, yeah.

MS: I remember seeing that on your Facebook page, I believe your husband Jeff posted it, about how ill you were. One can definitely see how it influenced the album, sometimes the best stuff creatively comes out of the most challenging of times.

Kira And TSF's Latest CD

KLA: To me the message of the album is you can experience horrible things and tragedies in your life, but out of those, that's where you really become who you want to be. It's where you become stronger and you grow so much, while you're in it, it's like: "Whoa!" But when you look back at it, you think I wouldn't be who I am today without that, believe it or not it's a good thing actually.

MS: If you actually make it through you do become a different and better person.

KLA: Yeah, I think so.

MS: Me too. What was it like being in the hospital for you?

KLA: Well, you are really going in and out of morphine la la la feelings. (both laugh) In my situation I did not know how big my abscess really was. You can't see it and you feel horrible. One day I remember this one Doctor came in, one I had never seen before and said: "Where changing your antibiotic" and he did to this really super strong one, and I'm like, Okaaaaay. I was freaking out about all these antibiotics, and the Doctor says: "You have to you are in intensive care and you are really sick." That's when it started to sink in that "Dang this is serious." We were scared and it was a really dark time, I just wanted to go home and be with my baby, I feel like I can appreciate things so much more, there are people who are stuck in the Hospital who don't get to leave for months. You can relate and empathize more with them. That's part of what feeds into the album and it's title, "The Day The Light Went Out" a lot of it too does have to do with my faith.

Because I am a Catholic, a Christian, I just like to be honest the song does have to do with that. You don't have to believe anything I believe - to appreciate the message of the song that out of something horrible and dark can come something beautiful.

MS: One of the things I like about you guys is that I get the message you put out there is an inclusive one.

Hey Everyone, It's Us!

KLA: Yeah, it doesn't matter at the end of the day we are all human beings. We are all going to go through suffering, experience loss...we can all relate to each other and that is the message I want to bring to as many people as I can.

MS: It's a good message. All the songs do fit together well, "Surrender" was a particular favorite of mine.

KLA: Very cool, that's actually my favorite. We are going to shoot a video for that one, that is our next big thing, to try and get that video done. (laughs)

MS: "Surrender" is the perfect choice for a video! So let's talk about something a little lighter, (both laugh) how is your daughter Rayne?

KLA: She is great! She is so full of life and so fun, the happiest little child. She is starting to talk and walk now.

MS: My goodness, that went quick!

KLA: She's a total person walking around, she says Mama, Dada, door...(laughs) Also she has to say "Hi" to every person she sees.

MS: It so much fun to be around kids because they see the world so differently.

KLA: Everything is exciting, everything is an adventure and everything you do is fun when you are a kid. (laughs)

Turn and face "The Strange Familiar" on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestrangefamiliar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tsfmusic
Own The Strange Familiar Here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B00199RF86?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=digital-music&field-keywords=The%20Strange%20Familiar

Tie One On, With "Fifty Shades" Star Jamie Dornan

Nothing Except For A Slip Knot Comes Between Jamie Dornan And His Calvin's

Pardon the beefcake shot, but given the tone of this post, I could not resist an image showing all of you the star of the upcoming adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Gray" Jamie Dornan in his Calvin's...

Much like Brooke Shields it looks like nothing comes between Jamie and his Calvin's either.

Mr. Dornan has earned himself an interesting set of skills after some of his latest jobs. Like tying rope, for example.

He plays a serial killer who ties up his victims in "The Fall" to a billionaire S&M hunk who enjoys to do some rope work in "Fifty Shades of Grey," Dornan has had his fair share in the knot workshop, but even he admits that he'd like to do slide into something different.

 The actor admits "There are a couple of classic knots I know now,"  tell us more Jamie -  "and I've put them to good use far too many times recently. In fact I'd like to do a job where I don't have to tie women to beds."

Or perhaps you could hold seminars for the rabid fan base of the E.L. James novel, it would be a great publicity stunt, just putting it out there...!

Learn to tie a knot at: http://www.fiftyshadesmovie.com/

Neil Patrick Harris Has An "Angry Inch"

Watch Out Bitches, Neil Patrick Harris Is On The Loose!

Apparently Neil Patrick Harris, the immensely likable performer is a bit of a 
Devo (Male term for Diva for those not in the loop) - Oh and by the way, kidding!

Neil Patrick Harris' recent Broadway performance of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is causing a bit of a stir.

After a female admirer yelled out "I love you Neil!," during the show Saturday, Harris shot back, "I'm doing something up here, motherf—cker!"  

The former "How I Met Your Mother" star isn't denying that this happened, but he is saying the supposed curse out was taken out of context. 

The musical—about a transgender German rocker—is highly improvisational, embracing audience interaction."

It's great that an enthusiastic fan was there in the audience for Mr. Harris to take her comment and make it a part of the show. I bet she loved it!

NPH made the following statement to Out Magazine:

"Hedwig is bringing up a lot of super insecure things within me. I never thought drag was intoxicating, I've never had a fun drunken Halloween in drag, never been in heels, really. I've lived my whole life being attracted by masculinity—it's why I like guys. I'm not a super effete person, and I have to turn into that, and in doing so it brings up a lot of homophobic insecurities within myself."

Neil you are preaching to this choir I hear ya!

Currently in previews "Hedwig" opens April 22nd!

Buy your tickets here: http://www.broadway.com/shows/hedwig-and-angry-inch/

Film Buff Friday: Lose Something? "The Lost Empire"

"The Lost Empire"   You all know how I love "B" movies, right?! Well here comes another from the master and fan of the genre himself Jim Wynorski. Extra! Extra! Available April 22nd (That's Tuesday, got it?!)

In 1983, a young director stepped behind the camera for the first time and began to shoot a film which he thought might be both his first and his last. An ardent fan of "B" cinema, Jim Wynorski decided to cram this film with everything he loved. "I got my first break doing The Lost Empire for Plitt Theatres," says Jim Wynorski. "The late owner, Henry Plitt (a decorated war hero), wanted to make a low budget sci-fi action picture as a tax loss. I never knew that when I made the show, so I put my heart and soul into the project. When it finally got completed, Plitt actually liked it enough to give it a wide theatrical release - where it actually made some money," comments Wynorski.  The film had a limited theatrical release followed by an initial release on VHS. As a result of a series of corporate changes at Plitt, "The Lost Empire" was set aside and lost to generations of genre movie fans. Wynorski's career took off and resulted in an immense body of work. "It was always a deep regret of mine that my first film was caught in this limbo," says Wynorski "For years I did all kinds of detective work trying to get my film seen."  In 2007, Wynorski began working with Indiana based producer, Bill Dever. Dever was more than familiar with Wynorski's work and was by his own admission "a big fan". Off and on they began searching for The Lost Empire. " We had a lucky break when we discovered who purchased the assets of Plitt," says Dever. "From there the pieces fell into place; for me it was an honor to be involved in the resurrection of The Lost Empire."  They re-acquired the rights and Wynorski went to work readying his first born to the  world for the second time. Dever engaged the sponsorship of Doremi Labs, a leader in digital cinema technology. Doremi has been in the forefront of leading the digital cinema revolution. "Doremi not only is a company deeply involved financially in digital cinema," says Michael Archer VP Of Digital Cinema for Doremi, "We also care deeply for the legacy and tradition of cinema and for us this was a natural fit."  In the fall of 2013 projection lamps throughout North America illuminated screens with Wynorski's vision with the help of some friends and the dedication of a company very much aware of the history of the industry it serves.     Find Your "Empire" Here: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=PMG1002

"Scandal" The Covering Of Kerry Washington's Baby Bump

Is that your knee Mr. President? Or are you just happy to see me?

Tonight as all of us Gladiator's know is the season finale of one of the best shows on TV "Scandal."

I've really got to hand it to the whole creative team that works on this, a show with story lines that escalate usually falters mighty, but "Scandal" like the Energizer Bunny just keeps going and going...and getting better.

"Scandal" is like riding the fiercest roller coaster at Magic Mountain! I can't wait to see what happens in tonight's wrap of the current season.

Now that I have clarified that I am a true fan of the show and it's awesome ability to entertain, let me say one of the more entertaining aspects of this season for us Gladiators was seeing all of the creative ways they covered series star Kerry Washington's baby bump.

C'mon you know you were amused by it as much as I was. Some of them were typical, while others were downright genius!

My personal favorite President Grant's (Tony Goldwyn) knee obscuring Olivia Pope's bump so the prying camera could not film it. Totally awesome and amusing at the same time.

Confess did anyone out there have a drinking game based around this? I bet some of you Gladiators did...!

The best thing though is the brilliant team behind "Scandal" did manage to keep their female lead and show anchor front and center where she belongs. That is the one mistake most shows with a female lead make, when their leading lady gets pregnant - they move her out of the center of the action and whip up other story lines for the supporting characters and they lose the shows focus and it goes downhill from there.

Excited to see how they end the season tonight and "yes" I will be checking out Operation Camouflage Kerry's Baby Bump as well.

Happy viewing Gladiators!

It's always scandalous on your TV! http://abc.go.com/shows/scandal

Dolly Parton Is Having A Hoedown On "The Today Show"

DOLLY PARTON TO PERFORM AS PART OF THE TODAY SHOW OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES ON MAY 13TH

In less than a month the awesome Ms. Parton will take to "The Today Show" stage and wow everyone with her effortless flair and charisma. I know I will be watching...Yes, I think Dolly is amazing!

Dolly Parton, the most honored female country performer of all time, recently topped the New Zealand all-genre album chart and the Australian country album chart with the release of her latest album Blue Smoke.  Now, in preparation of Blue Smoke’s release in the United States, Dolly has announced her performance as part of the "The Today Show" Outdoor Concert Series,  the very same day her album hits stores – May 13th.

Additional television and media appearances will be announced in the coming weeks.

Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, Dolly has had 25 songs reach number 1 on the Billboard Country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 41 career top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 career charted singles over the past 40 years. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during her Hall of Fame career have reportedly topped a staggering 100 million records worldwide. She has garnered 7 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 5 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. Dolly was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.  And the litany goes on.

Dolly’s career has spanned nearly five decades and is showing no signs of slowing down.  An internationally-renowned superstar, the iconic and irrepressible Parton has contributed countless treasures to the worlds of music, film and television.  Some of her hit films have included "Nine to Five," "Steel Magnolias," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Rhinestone," "Straight Talk," and "Joyful Noise."  Parton received two Oscar® nominations – one for writing the title tune to "Nine to Five" and the other for "Travelin’ Thru" from the film "Transamerica."


Have your own Ho Down with Dolly at:

www.dollypartonentertainment.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/DollyParton

Stand In Solitude With Suzanne Vega In Rome

Suzanne Vega "Solitude Standing"   Available on DVD on May 6th An intimate performance in Rome from 2003 I, like many first remember Suzanne Vega when she had her breakthrough hit "Luka." It was an amazing work that brought a palatable sound and mainstream access to a subject matter that was anything but... Ms. Vega is currently on tour all over the world and the U.S. - click on the link below to find out where in the meantime you can pre-order the DVD of her intimate performance in Rome. Keep calm and carry on... Filmed at the Rome Auditorium in July 2003, Suzanne Vega performs some of her greatest hits at this intimate concert, including Tom's Diner, Luka and Marlene On The Wall. The songs are interspersed with moving poetry readings. The DVD includes a candid interview with singer/songwriter Valerio Piccolo about Vega's life and career. This DVD is released shortly following her world tour and new album. "Widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation," (Biography Magazine) Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk-music revival of the early 1980s when, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, she sang what has been labelled contemporary folk or neo-folk songs of her own creation in Greenwich Village clubs. Since the release of her self-titled, critically acclaimed 1985 debut album, she has performed at sell-out concerts in many of the world's best-known venues. She'll be touring the UK, Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia throughout March, April and May 2014 - a full list of dates can be found HERE. Songs / Poems: 1. Marlene On The Wall  2. How To Make A Poem (poem)  3. Small Blue Thing  4. Caramel  5. Italy In Spring (poem)  6. Some Journey  7. Penitent  8. When Heroes Go Down  9. Anti-hero (poem)  10. Gypsy  11. Left Of Center  12. Solitaire  13. The Queen And The Soldier  14. In Liverpool (poem)  15. In Liverpool  16. Luka  17. Tom's Diner Buy yourself a piece of solitude at:  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=WNRD2582

Carrie Borzillo Was There, Kurt Cobain's Death Remembered

Carlton Books has announced the re-issue of author/journalist Carrie Borzillo's first book, 2000's Eyewitness "Nirvana: The Day-by-Day Chronicle," with a new cover, title, and design as "Nirvana: In The Words of the People Who Were There" on April 1, 2014 to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the tragic death of Kurt Cobain.

The book is on sale everywhere. Mr. Borzillo is selling a limited number of signed copies direct to the fans via her official website with a percentage of each autographed copy purchased being donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

Being a Nirvana fan I had to satiate my curiosity and chat with another fellow fan - one that actually authored a book on the subject, here is what transpired...

MS: So I just recently learned, with the re-issue of your book that you are a Nirvana fan.

CB: Yes, but I would never put myself up there with the real hard core Nirvana fans. I was a music journalist so I knew them professionally, and of course being a music journalist I was passionate about music and I loved them, but those real hard core Nirvana fans who are not journalists and do not work in the industry - the just love Kurt Cobain so much! Of course I'm a fan but those real ones can recite every lyric, I sometimes forget what I wrote in my own book, OK? (laughs)

MS: I'm a fan like you are a fan too, I completely love their music and what they stood for but, I can barely remember some of the things I write either. (laughs) Yeah my over the top fan days are long gone.

CB: It's great to feel passionate about music and all of that, but it's not like when you were a teenager or in your twenties.

MS: When I first listened to Nirvana their music used to hit so many deep emotional triggers for me as I have grown older I still love the music, and it still hits certain things for me, but now I look at it more as great music, it's not as emotional now.

CB: It's hard for me to listen to Nirvana still without feeling, at least for me, that huge sense of sadness. When he sings you can really hear that struggle and inner turmoil, it comes out in every word he says, every lyric, every guitar strum is so full of pain, it's hard to listen to.

MS: I'm from the Seattle area by the way.

CB: Oh Wow! Were you around when Kurt's suicide happened?

MS: I was in Los Angeles actually.

CB: I lived in Los Angeles but was flown to a party in Seattle, and was there the day it happened, what a fluke, huh? The biggest news story of my career probably. What timing, weird you know?

MS: Personally I think Kurt Cobain was the last iconic figure we will ever have in rock music.

CB: Absolutely! He was the last true tortured artist who actually had something important to say, that changed pop culture and the music industry, and flipped everything upside down. He made the un-cool people, cool, the misfits became the popular kids. He made it OK to be different and brought alternative music to mainstream. That wasn't really his intention and he honestly struggled with his being indie, cool and underground and all of the sudden that becoming the biggest commercial thing.

MS: I'm sure it was a surprise.

CB: There will never be that again, and if someone does come out again who is like a Kurt Cobain figure, we've got to start counting his days. Those true artists who are coming from a deep lace of pain and suffering are not long for this world. Kurt was never going to live past twenty-seven I think.

MS: What did you think about those who were trying to pin Kurt's murder on Courtney Love?

CB: This happens with anyone who is as big of an icon as Kurt Cobain. It happened with Jim Morrison, it happened with Elvis Presley, the only person it didn't happen with was John Lennon because that was a real clear cut incident with witnesses and everything.

MS: No debating that one.

CB: Because Kurt was such an icon and Courtney was around we he committed suicide. Of course there is going to be all these theories and mysteries, it was clear cut suicide. Listening to all of the conspiracy theories was fun, that Courtney hired somebody to kill Kurt. You know it wouldn't surprise me if Courtney ever said, or had a conversation with someone saying: "I want to kill my husband." But in this case he did this alone.

MS: Why do you think there was some doubt in people's mind?

CB: One of the facts is that the level of heroin he had in his system would not have allowed him to pull the trigger on the gun. The thing is, that is true unless you are a super junkie, Kurt was a super junkie. His tolerance level was higher than the average junkie. I mean if did that much heroin I'd be dead in a second. People always say: "Well Doctors say it's impossible" - Yes, Doctors do say that, but there is a but there, if your tolerance level is as high as Kurt's then it is possible.

MS: Exactly!

CB: With the reissue I didn't want to just capitalize on this horrible tragedy that happened, I wanted to give back and am donating some money to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, if you buy singed copies through me on my site. It's great to celebrate his life right now, we are remembering someone who contributed so much to the music industry. But let's bring it back to what really happened: drug addiction, suicide, depression...that's what was really going on with him. Anything I can do to shine a little light on that is what I want to do.

Buy an autographed copy of "Nirvana: In The Words Of The People Who Were There" via Carrie's website and give back at: http://www.carrieborzillo.com/

It Cuts Like A "Shonen Knife"

Shonen Knife Is Awesome! Legendary Japanese rockers SHONEN KNIFE go into “OVERDRIVE” with new album Out 4/15; US Tour Dates Announced Ever since I heard their cover of The Carpenters "Top of the World" on The Carpenter cover CD: "If I Were A Carpenter" - the punk pop trio of women known as Shonen Knife has been one of my favorite groups...the legends have a new CD dropping and are hitting the road in the United States, it's time, get knifed!

Shonen Knife, Osaka Japan’s legendary queens of indie sunshine, are back with a brand new album for 2014. Their 19th studio release, “Overdrive”, is a tip of the hat to 70’s Hard Rock, and a continuation of Shonen Knife’s journey into the musings of food, fantasy and daily life in the Far Eastern metropolis of Osaka. “Overdrive” features 10 new songs penned by founding member and principal songwriter Naoko who continues to grow the 30 plus year legacy of Japan’s most recognizable name in indie rock. The band is rounded out with 2 songs sung by bassist Ritsuko and drummer Emi, a lineup consistently rocking since 2010. Channeling the musical traditions of 70’s Metal Icons like Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Kiss and Black Sabbath, Naoko’s passion for the hard rock genre is translated through her constant pop culture filter known as Shonen Knife. “Overdrive” will be available in N. America on Good Charamel Records on April 15th 2014 and is now available for Pre-Sale in the Good Charamel Online Store.Shonen Knife will play Japan and Europe this spring and summer. The initial dates on their fall North American tour have just been announced (see below). "Overdrive" Track Listing 1) Bad Luck Song 2) Black Crow 3) Dance to the Rock 4) Ramen Rock 5) Shopping 6) Fortune Cookie 7) Like a Cat 8) Green Tea 9) Robots from Hell 10) Jet Shot Tour Dates: Fri 09-12 Brooklyn NY @ The Wick Sat 09-13 Buffalo, NY @ The Music is Art Festival Tue. 09-16 St. Paul, MN- Turf Club Thur. 09-18 Chicago, IL- Bottom Lounge Tues 10-07 San Diego - The Casbah Wed 10-08 Los Angeles, CA – The Church on York Fri. 10-10 San Francisco, CA- Bottom of the Hill Sat. 10-11 Portland, OR- Dante's Sun 10-12 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern Tue. 10-14 Boise, ID- Neurolux Wed. 10-15 Salt Lake City, UT- Urban Lounge Thurs 10-16 Denver, CO- Oriental Theater Sat 10-18 St Louis, MO- Firebird (More US dates to be announced soon ....) The album is now available for pre-order in the Good Charamel webstore. www.GoodCharamel.com www.ShonenKnife.net

James + Heidi Durbin = Hunter, & Baby #2...!

This Threesome Is About To Become Four!

James & Heidi Durbin Are Ready To CELEBRATE with Announcement of Second Child Due This Fall

Congratulations to my buddy James Durbin, he and wife Heidi are expecting baby number two! 

American Idol alum & pop rock star James Durbin and wife Heidi Durbin are celebrating the announcement of their second child due this Fall.  Heidi is about 8 weeks along and is expected to deliver the new bundle of joy in November.  This will be the second child for James & Heidi.  Their son Hunter Durbin will turn 5 years old next month. 

Says James & Heidi, "We are looking forward to more laughter in the house with this new addition.  We love those silly baby expressions and big brother Hunter will probably be a big help too."                    

James is also celebrating the release of his brand new CD this week.  CELEBRATE will be released April 8 and features his single "Parachute"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmrlqh3Pt8o&list=UU6NjAP__bgiv99frESvWIRA&feature=c4-overview   CELEBRATE is available on iTunes, etc here  http://bit.ly/1ckwR6x   

Toni Braxton, Stops In The Name Of Darlene Love

Toni Braxton

This just in "Unbreak My Heart" singer, Toni Braxton has been cast as Rock-N-Roll hall of fame inductee and all around wonderful performer and person, Ms. Darlene Love in a made for TV Movie on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network:

"My Name is Love: The Darlene Love Story” is slated for a December premiere. Pic revolves around Love’s long career in the music biz, starting out as the key voice behind Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound hits from the 1960s. OWN’s first scripted telepic is shepherded by the docu filmmaker Morgan Neville, who was behind last year’s “Twenty Feet from Stardom” feature about Love and other well-known backup singers."

"Twenty Feet From Stardom" was an awesome documentary, I have no doubt Morgan Neville is going to nail this, along with the multi-talented Ms. Braxton. 

I for one can't wait to see my friend Darlene get a fitting tribute on OWN. Darlene was one of my very favorite interview subjects - she is terrific!

Check out our interview here: http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20101110A

Keep up with "My Name Is Love" on OWN at: http://www.oprah.com/app/own-tv.html

Get some "Love" on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/darleneloveworld

I Love My "Hole" Vintage

Vintage "Hole"

"And the sky was all violet. 
I wanna give my violet more violence. 
And I'm the one with no soul 
One above and one below"
- "Violet" Hole 

A  Hole reunion is underway. Courtney  Love has confirmed that she, Eric Erlandson, Melissa Auf Der Maur, and Patty Schemel have been practicing together, reuniting a lineup that broke up in 2002.

Damn, I knew it had been long, but that long?! It's about time they are getting it together and making new music!

God this takes me back to an era of my life that I loved in Los Angeles, the one where one of the best albums ever made came out "Live Through This" and seeing Hole perform live for the first time ever at The Palladium.

I still remember how electrifying Ms. Love and company were when they took to the stage, and her crowd surfing, who could forget that! It was an amazing show! After I got to go back stage and meet Courtney who was gracious and sweet until...let's just say a random woman came up to her and whispered something in her ear and the next thing I know Courtney starts hitting and smacking her and a security guard had to pull Courtney off the woman, and for the rest of that story you will have to read my memoir...but I will add this Ms. Love did give my friend Britney, who went with me and myself a catch phrase we still utter to this day: "Get a Fucking Sharpie!"

While being older and more mellow I do not expect the same insanity to ensue that did in the days of yore mentioned above, but I can't wait for more kick ass music from one of the best bands in my mind ever!

"Pretty On The Inside," "Live Through This" and "Celebrity Skin" music that has stuck with me and never left my psyche...

So hold your breath people it's going to be an amazing bumpy ride!

Keep up with the "Hole" story on Courtney Love's Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/courtneylove

Hit The Road With: O.A.R. & Phillip Phillips

Phillip Phillips

O.A.R. AND PHILLIP PHILLIPS 

ANNOUNCE EXTENSIVE SUMMER TOUR
BEGINNING JUNE 12th IN ST. LOUIS, MO

To all you fans of Phillip Phillips and O.A.R. it's time to get off your butt and get your tour on...!

Rock band O.A.R. and Platinum-selling recording artist and AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips announced today a 25-city co-headlining tour which kicks off on June 12^th at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, and culminates on July 26^th at Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets for the national tour, which includes such iconic summertime venues as Red Rocks outside of Denver, Colorado, and Jones Beach in Long Island, New York.

Fan presales for the tour go on sale beginning April 8^th with the public onsales beginning on April 11^th.  For tickets and more information, fans are encouraged to go to www.ofarevolution.com or www.phillipphillips.com. 

O.A.R. is renowned for their incredible live shows and sell-out performances at massive venues such as Red Rocks and Madison Square Garden.  The band has just wrapped up production on a brand new album – The Rockville LP – which is set for release June 10^th on Vanguard Records.  The anthemic song “Peace,” the debut single from The Rockville LP, is climbing the charts and has already become a mainstay on radio station playlists across the country.
 

O.A.R.

Since their formation in 1996, O.A.R. (singer Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershmanand saxophonist Jerry DePizzo) has logged millions of miles on the road and released seven studio albums, spawning such hit singles as “Shattered” “Heaven” and “Love and Memories.” 

Phillip Phillips is also in the midst of a hit single with “Raging Fire,” the first track from his highly anticipated Behind The Light album, set for release on May 19^th on 19 Recordings/Interscope.  

Behind The Light is Phillips’ follow-up to his hugely successful debut album, which spawned the single “Home,” one of the biggest tracks of 2012, selling more than 4 million copies.  That debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon, sold well over a million copies and debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and #1 on the Billboard Rock Album chart.  Successful tours both as a headliner and with such artists as Matchbox 20 and John Mayer followed.  Phillips just wrapped his first headlining tour of Canada.

O.A.R. and PHILLIP PHILLIPS 2014 SUMMER TOUR

DATE                          CITY                           VENUE
 

6/12/14	Thu	St. Louis, MO	Fox Theatre
6/13/14	Fri	Kansas City, MO	Crossroads
6/14/14	Sat	Morrison, CO	Red Rocks Amphitheatre
6/15/14	Sun	Council Bluffs, IA	Harrah’s Stir Cove
6/17/14	Tue	Columbus, OH	LC Pavilion
6/18/14	Wed	Pittsburgh, PA	Stage AE
6/20/14	Fri	Cleveland, OH	Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
6/21/14	Sat	Chicago, IL	FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
6/22/14	Sun	Sterling Heights, MI	Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
6/27/14	Fri	Indianapolis, IN	Farm Bureau Ins. Lawn at White River (O.A.R. only)
6/28/14	Sat	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center
6/29/14	Sun	Milwaukee, WI	Summerfest (O.A.R. only)
7/2/14	Wed	Lewiston, NY	Art Park
7/5/14	Sat	Gilford, NH	Meadowbrook
7/6/14	Sun	Mashantucket, CT	Foxwoods Resort Casino
7/10/14	Thu	Boston, MA	Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
7/11/14	Fri	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
7/12/14	Sat	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
7/13/14	Sun	Raleigh, NC	Red Hat Amphitheater
7/16/14	Wed	Charlotte, NC	Uptown Amphitheatre at the NC Music Factory
7/18/14	Fri	Philadelphia, PA	Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
7/19/14	Sat	Columbia, MD	Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/20/14	Sun	Portsmouth, VA	nTelos Wireless Pavilion
7/24/14	Thu	Glen Allen, VA	Innsbrook After Hours
7/25/14	Fri	Charleston, SC	Family Circle Magazine Stadium
7/26/14	Sat	Atlanta, GA	Chastain Park Amphitheatre