Remembering Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe
The Misfits

Sixty two years ago today...💋

"And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would've liked to known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did" - Candle In The Wind, Elton John

Marilyn on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/marilynmonroe/   

"Hold Me Closer"

Britney & Elton

T.G.I.F! Honestly I can't think of a better week to kick off this weekend than with the official audio to Hold Me Closer by Elton John and one Ms. Britney Spears.

FYI it's Britney's first new music since 2016 and her first since being free of her conservatorship.

Well it's good and kudos to Sir Elton for understanding the assignment -

Hit it at the video below Minions!!!

Monday Motivation

May The Force Be With You Rocketman
Taron Egerton & Mark Hamill

Monday always gets a bad rap. It's the day after Sunday which is often referred to as Fun Day, and it's stuck with the adjective Manic. Thus today's Monday Motivation is to put some Fun Day magic into your Manic Monday.

How? I really don't know, only you hold the key to how that would work for you, but I believe in your power to do so. 

Thus I have provided you visual inspiration in a moment I like to call "When Luke Sykywalker met Elton John." That's right minions, this happened this past weekend at Comi-Con in San Diego, Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker and Taron Egerton aka Elton John both co-star in the offering The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance and were strutting their stuff to support it. So what are co-stars to do when sashaying down a catwalk? Shoot a selfie naturally.

How is this Motivation to put some Fun Day into your Monday you may inquire? How does this pairs enthusiasm and infectious smiles not spread some mirth your way? If it doesn't perhaps you should check to see if you still have a pulse.

So it's time to go for it and bend Monday like nobody else can. You've got this!

The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance on Wikipedia -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Crystal:_Age_of_Resistance

You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog

Contenders to the Throne
l-r
Austin Butler, Ansel Egort, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harry Styles & Miles Teller

With the success of Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman the Elton John one. Well biopics based on music legends are all the rage now. "Yes" as per usual Hollywood sees something that works and is going to ride the wave until it crashes.

Next up is one based on the life of Elvis Presley directed by Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge fame. Apparently Tom Hanks is set to play Elvis' controlling manager Colonel Tom Parker. Yawn...I confess I have not seen the two mentioned above, nor do I have the inclination. This is one I especially will not see being Elvis' story as it has been done countless times already, unlike the other two.

What's that? Why won't I see the other two? Because Bohemian Rhapsody is badly reviewed and is  PG-13 film about an iconic musician who was gay and that happened to be a HUGE part of who he was. But wait, Rocketman tackles John's gayness quite openly with sexual scenes between two men you say. "Yes" and Elton John is still alive so why bother seeing it IMHO.

This being stated picture above are the five hopefuls who hope to portray Elvis who have tested for Baz. Personally I like my actors to resemble who they are playing which Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and Taron Egerton as Elton John do. Thus I say if you must do this film Austin Butler for the win.

Elvis on Biography.com -
https://www.biography.com/musician/elvis-presley

Michael's Musings

Analyze This
Michael Shinafelt

"Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility" - Sigmund Freud

This quote from the great Sigmund Freud is an astute one. It also accurately defines the current  State of The Union better than anything that was stated during that "speech." 

What? Did I watch you ask? No, I didn't subject myself to it, Michael ain't got time for that bullshit I keep moving...Here is my weekly invoking of my right to free speech.

Leave your ageism at the door

I have douchebumps!

Did you know I am an emergency butt hole technician???

Let's discuss the Grammy's, shall we?

Elton John & Miley Cyrus' collaboration on Tiny Dancer was amazing!

Kesha really nailed it with her performance of Praying, you go grrrrrrl...

Lady Gaga always does an award show good

But WTF with all the Grammy gold bestowed upon Bruno Mars? Seriously Grammy voters you considered his limp efforts to be the overall best of 2017?! 

Next year I am going to cut an album of me singing in the shower

No, I'm not going to behave myself 

Fact: one of my favorite songs is False Alarm by The Weeknd 

Shout out to Robert Krzeski for posting this gem - "If you can't be a good example, you'll have to be a terrible warning" 

Red wine is always fine

Be safe and always have fun with your bananas 

Follow me at:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt  

Imagination

Peacock
Lady Gaga

"It was just my imagination runnin' away with me" - The Temptations, Just My Imaginatiion

I woke this morning after dreaming of things that were fantastical, magical and imaginative. Then I found this image of Lady Gaga on the WWW and declared it my creative inspiration for the day.

This stylish outfit is everything dreams are made of and our Lady of Gaga pulls it off magnificently!

Whoever her stylist is, whether it be her or someone she hired deserves high praise for this retro/modern hybrid. 

Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, isn't that Sir Elton John on her shirt? 

Whatever the case may be today I declare we should all bend it like Gaga. Because Lady Gaga's have more fun!

Lady Gaga on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ladygaga/?hl=en  

Just Because, Lady Gaga & Elton John

Ladies Who Lunch
Lady Gaga & Elton John

Today is one of those nebulous Post Holiday/Pre-Holiday days. Yes kids it's the first Tuesday after Christmas and the Tuesday that falls before New Year's Eve aka 2017.

So I thought I would run this image of Lady Gaga & Elton John out and about in Aspen, CO.

Why? Just because the two of them together represent so much talent and creativity it would make a pig in lipstick jealous, and look, it's two icons who are still alive, together!

Hey, it's great to be here! 

Have a TT! Terrific Tuesday, in case you didn't get the gist.

Go Gaga at:
https://www.instagram.com/ladygaga/?hl=en

Go to the John at: 
https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/?hl=en 

Memories: All Things Must Pass

My first job in Los Angeles was at the famed Tower Records on the Sunset Strip. I met so many celebrities there most notably the late great David Bowie. I also made a few friends along the way, hey Tammy Laub!

Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with 200 stores, in 30 countries, on five continents. From humble beginnings in a small-town drugstore, Tower Records eventually became the heart and soul of the music world, and a powerful force in the music industry. In 1999, Tower Records made an astounding $1 billion. In 2006, the company filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong? Everyone thinks they know what killed Tower Records: The Internet. But that's not the story.

Directed by Colin Hanks, and featuring music icons like Dave Grohl, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary film examining this iconic company's explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy forged by its rebellious founder Russ Solomon. For seven years, Hanks took on the documentary that lamented and celebrated the Sacramento-based record store that grew from his hometown into an American retail powerhouse.

"I remember buying 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was the informative record for me on my musical path, which I bought at Tower Records," he said.

Variety validated the efforts of Hanks saying the film was "soundly constructed, briskly paced and, in the end, affectingly wistful." 

The DVD can be ordered now at the MVD Shop 

So Big..."Tower Of Power" Turns 48!

That's One Huge Tower!
Tower of Power

Tower of Power Celebrates 48th Anniversary in 2016 Doing What They Do Best: Playing their Brand of Soul, Funk, Jazz and Rock to Sold-Out Crowds Around the World

Like Towers? This one is huge!
 

Since their formation in 1968, Tower of Power have been recording and touring, playing hundreds of shows annually and releasing 18 studio albums, seven live albums, six compilations and three DVDs. Additionally, Tower of Power has recorded with hundreds of artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart, and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with the band’s musical DNA. The legendary group, known for its unique blend of Soul, Funk, Jazz and Rock, plan to celebrate their 48th anniversary in 2016 doing what they love: performing for their fans. With new generations of fans discovering their timeless music, Tower of Power have never been busier or more in demand. "As we push the envelope globally, our audiences are getting bigger and bigger and younger and younger,” said Emilio Castillo, bandleader for Tower of Power. “What a blessing to see this younger generation seeking out this type of music and also to see so many up and coming Tower of Power ‘clone’ bands endeavoring to play our music." About Tower of Power: Since 1968, Tower of Power has been delivering its unique brand of “Oakland style” music and maintaining a class of its own. Leader and founding member Emilio Castillo labeled the group’s sound as “Urban Soul Music.” Over the years, Tower of Power has performed with some of music’s biggest names including Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, Dionne Warwick, David Sanborn, Paula Abdul, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Billy Preston, Rod Stewart, Toto, and more. Tower of Power’s rhythm section lays down a groove like no other band. The horn driven sound is unique from writing and arranging to mixing and performing. The group’s collection of hits includes “You’re Still A Young Man,” “So Very Hard To Go,” “Soul With a Capital S,” “Soul Vaccination,” “What Is Hip?” Each year, Tower of Power tours the United States, Japan and Europe, playing sold out shows all over the world. Tower of Power Tour Dates: Dec 19, 2015 Gent, Belgium Handelsbeurs Dec 20, 2015 The Hague, NL Paard van Troje Dec 30, 2015 New York, NY BB King's Dec 31, 2015 Hartford, CT Infinity Hall New Year's Eve Show Jan 8-13, 2016 Oakland, CA Yoshi's at Jack London Square Jan 15, 2016 Agora Hills, CA The Canyon Club Jan 21-24, 2016 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley Jan 26, 2016 Bremerton, WA The Admiral Theater Jan 30, 2016 Grand Ronde, OR Spirit Mountain Casino Feb 6, 2016 Stateline NV Harrah's Tahoe South Shore Room Feb 12-14, 2016 Las Vegas, NV South Point Hotel & Casino April 19, 2016 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere April 22, 2016 Collingswood, NJ Collingswood Scottish Rite Theater April 23, 2016 Glenside, PA The Keswick Theater April 26, 2016 Moscow, ID Kibbe Events Center - University of Idaho May 21, 2016 Cancun, Mexico Oasis Arena at the Grand Oasis Hotel & Resort

KC "Get's Down" With Elton John

Preach!
Harry Wayne "KC" Casey
Photo: Jeremy Westby

GRAMMY-Award Winning Band Delivers Electrifying Live Show As Event's Leading Entertainment; Inspires Hope to End AIDS Epidemic

Inspiration is a theme this week, let's continue it. Shall we?

KC and The Sunshine Band’s mission has always been to inspire happiness through music. With uplifting, upbeat dance hits like “Shake, Shake, Shake (Shake Your Booty), “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s The Way I Like It,” “Boogie Shoes,” and others, it is no wonder they’ve been able to succeed. But on Monday evening at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 14thAnnual An Enduring Vision New York Benefit Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the GRAMMY® Award-winning group shined their bright light on the crowd for a different reason – to help inspire hope in an end to the worldwide AIDS epidemic. The event was hosted by award-winning CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and featured Ford Foundation President Darren Walker as a special speaker. KC and The Sunshine Band took the stage as the evening’s lead entertainer, performing well-known hits "Shake Your Booty," "Boogie Shoes," I’m Your Boogie Man,” “Give It Up,” "That's The Way (I Like It)" and “Get Down Tonight,” leading celebrity guests and attendees to get out of their seats and dance. Harry Wayne “KC” Casey, the group’s lead singer, who lost a cousin to AIDS in the 90s, as well as many friends, said the disease has touched him deeply and personally. “I am passionate about awareness, prevention and am hopeful for a cure, because it is a disease which is preventable through education. I applaud the great work that Sir Elton John and his foundation has accomplished. The foundation has changed the global face of the disease by reaching out to patients, even at a time when fear and misunderstanding were commonplace. So much progress has been made on the fight against AIDS, but the research, patient-support and access to information must continue until a cure is found,” Casey said. Threesome David Furnish, KC & Elton John Photo: Jeremy Westby Recipients of the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Enduring Vision Awards included M. Michele Burns, Robert J. Coury and Tracey Emin. M. Michele Burns is an internationally recognized corporate and philanthropic leader who played an integral part in EJAF’s inception, serving as an Executive Board Member and Treasurer throughout the Foundation’s 23-year history. Robert J. Coury, Executive Chairman of Mylan, continues to be a visionary in leading the company into areas where it can make a difference, such as improving global health and helping to end the AIDS epidemic. Tracey Emin is a highly renowned and respected artist, who is also a fierce humanitarian and tireless advocate for human rights causes. For more information on KC and The Sunshine Band, please visit  www.heykcsb.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook! Upcoming KC and The Sunshine Band Tour Dates 11.13 Paragon Casino | Marksville, La. 11.20 Prairie Band Casino & Resort | Mayetta, Kansas 11.21 First Council Casino | Newkirk, Okla. 12.31 Thunder Valley Casino | Lincoln, Calif. 02.13 IP Resort and Casino | Biloxi, Miss. 03.19 Ocean Reef Cultural Center | Key Largo, Fla. 03.20 Seminole Hard Rock | Hollywood, Fla.

All That Jazz: The Lost Fingers

Lose A Finger?

Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Presents
2014/2015 Season Opening Night with The Lost Fingers
The Canadian Gypsy Jazz Evening Kicks Off
The 14th Season of the Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles
Friday, September 19, 2014

Fall is here, want to know what to do September 19th in Los Angeles?
Jazz Hands! That's what's happening!!!

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Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz (TRK) presents the 2014/2015 Season Opening Night with The Lost Fingers on Friday, September 19, 2014. The evening, made complete with an opening reception, kicks off the 14th season of TRK’s public performing arts series at the innovative performance space at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles. The Quebec-based and award-winning headliner, The Lost Fingers, is known for transforming pop/rock classics into Django Reinhardt-style gypsy jazz, with a hint of blue grass, taking listeners on a musical journey through reinterpretations from AC/DC to Earth, Wind and Fire; from Deee-Lite to Dolly Parton and Daft Punk. This will be The Lost Fingers’ Los Angeles debut as a quartet, featuring vocalist Valérie Amyot (a finalist on La Voix, Quebec's version of the popular American TV show, The Voice). The band previously performed at TRK in 2010 as a trio, before Amyot joined the group. TRK’s 2014/2015 Season Opening Night with The Lost Fingers is made possible with the support of the Quebec Government Office in Los Angeles. 

Pre-show reception sponsored by The Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles and Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles.

The show will start at 7:30pm and will take place at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, 10361 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90064 (310.286.0553). Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for students and include an opening reception that starts at 7:00pm. For more information on this event, please visit TRK’s event page here and the Facebook Event Page here. Tickets are available online here. To learn more about Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, please visithttp://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com.

Th e Lost Fingers, Jazz/Swing/Django/Pop/Rock/Symphony – 
The Lost Fingers, a Canadian gypsy jazz music group formed in Quebec City, are composed of Alex Morissette(backing vocals, upright bass), François Rioux (guitar), Valérie Amyot (lead vocals), and Byron “Maiden” Mikaloff (backing vocals, guitar). The band’s name was inspired by gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who lost the use of two fingers following a fire.

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The band takes listeners on a entertaining musical journey, offering unique arrangements of Daft Punk, Anna Kendrick, Earth, Wind and Fire, Guns and Roses, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Technotronic. Their high-energy show attracts a wide range of music lovers, pop-culture aficionados, and even conservative jazz experts. They have sold over 400,000 albums across the world, including their Canadian double-platinum selling debut,Lost in the 80s (2008), and gold selling Rendez-vous Rose (2009). Also in 2009, the group was nominated for two Juno Awards (in the categories Fan Choice and Album of the Year), based on the success of their debut release. The band’s sixth album, Wonders of the World (2014), was released earlier this year.

The Lost Fingers have toured Canada, from coast to coast, and have performed in over 22 different countries including the US, Russia, France, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, United Emirates, New Caledonia, and Colombia. They’ve shared the stage with a long list of top-selling artists, most notably Celine Dion on TV’s Star Academie. They have also collaborated and performed with respected jazz/studio musicians, including the belated George Harrison's favorite guitarist, Robin Nolan; Elton John's band leader/guitarist, John Jorgenson; and the guitar virtuoso, Andreas Oberg.

“The Lost Fingers blew the roof off the tent. What a performance!!! They were absolutely outstanding.”   

– Jan Riley, PEI Jazz & Blues Artistic Director

Get the 411 at:

• Facebook Event Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/766837743357861
• The Lost Fingers Official Site – http://www.thelostfingers.com/en 

Running With "Scissor Sisters"

Scissor Sisters: Live in Victoria Park - London 2011 on DVD Feb 19   Brand new concert from London's Lovebox Festival,  released for the first time ever on DVD!   According to the Chinese New Year, 2013 is my year! Yes I am the year of the snake.....woot! So how fitting that this year would give birth to the release of a concert DVD from one of the best bands I have ever seen live, because like tits, you can not see the Scissor Sisters on the radio either! Here they come on DVD, are you ready?! Scissor Sisters: Live in Victoria Park! Yep, it's going to be a great 2013! The Scissor Sisters certainly need no introduction, having toured around the world, collaborated with the likes of Elton John and Kylie Minogue and sold millions of albums. Bono from U2 describes the band as "the best pop group in the world." Every one of their 4 albums reached the top 5 in the UK charts, with their first two albums making the #1 spot. Their most commercially successful single, I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (2006), charted at #1 in the UK and throughout Europe. They have released 18 singles to date. This brand new DVD contains the stunningly electrifying performance from the Scissor Sisters at Victoria Park in London, on 17 July 2011. Colourful and glitzy as ever, the New York outfit who brought garish costumes and twisted disco sounds to the capital, fully embraced the weekend's flamboyant spirit. Tracks: Night Work Any Which Way  Laura  Take Your Mama  Kiss You Off  Fire with Fire  Comfortably Numb  Paul McCartney  Filthy / Gorgeous  I Don't Feel Like Dancin'  Invisible Light Bonus Tracks: Harder You Get  Running Out Cut me gently with a "Scissor Sister" at: http://www.scissorsisters.com/