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

  

Time To "Celebrate" With James Durbin

James Playing The Viper Room - January 3rd 2014

Season 8 "American Idol" finalist James Durbin has come a looooooong way baby! With the success and critical acclaim for his debut album "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" to touring around the world & getting married to the love of his life, Heidi.

Mr. Durbin is living his dreams. Well it's time to "Celebrate" Durbinators as James sophomore CD "Celebrate" drops April 8th, yep that's one week from today! "Celebrate" has already spawned the hit single "Parachute"- here he is the man of the hour, the guy you have all been waiting for, Mr. James Durbin!

MS: How cool was it to be on Conan O'Brien for you? You seemed to really enjoy doing it.

JD: Yeah dude, it was really awesome. I had done the show before with a song from my first album "Love Me Bad" I didn't have the same connection with the song that I did when I performed "Parachute" this time because I didn't write it. It was a lot fun going back, and I got to have a lot more fun with "Parachute" it was a little goofier than "Love Me Bad" was.

MS: Well you were the "Rocker Dude" when you were on "American Idol" and with your first album. With your current album you seem to have taken a turn to pop, why the switch?

JD: I don't really see it as a "Pop Turn" it's just sprinkling a little more mainstream on top of it all. Yeah I am toning it down a little bit, it's kind of hard to play with my son wearing a lot of rings & earrings. (laughs)

MS: Last time I saw you was in Los Angeles, CA at The Viper Room to kick off your acoustic tour. How did the rest of it go?

JD: The last date of the tour was in my hometown, Santa Cruz, CA and it was sold out!

MS: Awesome! You were talking about writing songs on your album this time out of the gate, did you write all of the songs on "Celebrate?"

JD: Most of them. Ten of the eleven songs were co-writes, I have much more of a connection with this record. I still love my first record, but with "Celebrate" it's more my story, more my experiences, so I have more attachment to them.

MS: For the track "Children Under The Sun" I heard you posted an image of the roller coaster from the boardwalk in Santa Cruz to inspire your writing of it.

JD: All the songs that I wrote on the album with a guy named Ted Bruner - every time we would write we would put up a visual that we could base the song around. So for "Children Under The Sun" it was a picture of the biggest drop on the roller coaster itself, it's where my mind exploded and it's pretty much what that song is about. I really wanted to go into "Celebrate" with more involvement in songwriting than my last album, I had already written thirty songs in Nashville.

MS: Wow! Every artist I know gets sent to Nashville, it's like songwriting boot camp, I hear it's very creative, collaborative and supportive.

JD: It is, I wrote a different song every single day. Pretty catchy songs and for the most part they were all pretty rock. Some were punk rock, pop rock - some were very Green Day, some were very Fall Out Boy... (laughs)

MS: I love Green Day!

JD: The songs were all over the place. When I went to Nashville, I was told: "Go Write Songs" but I was not given any kind of direction or ideas that were interested in me writing. It was kind of lame that no one told anything like that, they waited until my two and a half months in Nashville was up - and they did not like any of the thirty songs I had written. I was afraid I was going to get dropped from my label. They asked me to try to go a little bit more radio, mainstream...I was like "You Know What?" I'm open to anything. Hey bring me good songwriters and if we get along and we find magic, you can't fight it.

MS: Everyone who has worked in Nashville tells me how productive the atmosphere is.

JD: Me and my wife want to move there. We want to have a summer house there. Most tours are based out of the East Coast. People usually tour the most in the Midwest and the East Coast. The Nashville house would be the main base for touring and when I'm home and not busy I can go write songs a couple days a week.

MS: It's the "it" place to create.

JD: And you can drink and drive. I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying it's another thing you can do in Nashville. (laughs)

MS: You've got to be kidding me.

JD: No, there has to be one less container of alcohol in the car than the number of people in it to make it legal.

MS: I felt the title track of your current album "Celebrate" was written to your wife, Heidi on some level.

JD: Yeah. There are definitely a lot of levels to that song, layers like a parfait. (laughs)

MS: Well the first thing I thought of when I heard it was Heidi.

JD: Good. (laughs)

MS: Are you going to tour nationally to support your latest?

JD: My booking agent is looking at some tours right now, it's going to depend on what's the right timing and what's the best market that allows me to share as much music as possible.

MS: What would you like people to take away from "Celebrate?"

JD: That it's another piece of the puzzle, another step in the journey. It's not a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn for me. For example, The Beatles, I'm no comparing myself to them, I'm using them as an example. They are country, rock, blues and punk and everything in between. When I last toured all I had to perform from was "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" and all of those songs were at level ten and they really didn't take you anyplace.

"Celebrate" has more levels to it, it takes you places it has quieter moments. I'm thinking the bigger picture here. My next record could be something completely different than "Memories" or "Celebrate." Who knows where I'll be at by then, I'm going to just go with the flow.

"Durbin Rocks" at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DurbinRock
Online: https://shop.durbinrock.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DurbinRock

"Celebrate" on the 8th at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebrate/id825143445

Film Buff Friday: "Boardwalk"

Stephen Verona's "Boardwalk" Finally Released  1979 drama starring Ruth Gordon and Lee Strasberg,  from the director of "Lords of Flatbush"  For all of you Film Buffs out there this is great news as it is the first time this movie has been released on video at all. It is also great news for all of you fans, of which there are many, of the late great Ruth Gordon...Cheers!

Boardwalk is a 1979 American drama written by Stephen Verona (Lords of Flatbush, 1974) and Leigh Chapman and directed by Verona. It stars Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg, and Janet Leigh. The film has not been available on home video, until now. Boardwalk is a film about love, violence, and survival. It was filmed on location at numerous spots in New York city, including the famous but now defunct Dubrow's Cafeteria.  Married for 50 loving years, David (Lee Strasberg) and Becky (Ruth Gordon) have lived in the same Coney Island neighborhood for most of  their life together. But the area is not what it used to be, and their children ask them to move. A powerful and determined man, David states, "I left one country, I'm not about to leave another. This is where I choose to live and nobody, but nobody, is going to make me leave." But Becky becomes ill and David's cafeteria and synagogue are vandalized by thugs. David must make his final stance.  Boardwalk is Verona's 4th film. He's credited with creating the first music videos, starting with The Beatles... He produced over a hundred before retiring from the art in 1972, eleven years before MTV. By the time he was 27, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his live action short film "The Rehearsal" which he created, produced & directed. Not satisfied with commercials or videos, he moved on to write, produce and co-direct his first feature film, The Lords of Flatbush. This is the film that launched the careers of Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, and Richard Gere, who were all discovered by Verona who says, "Stallone said that I created the character of Rocky, and Henry said that he took his Fonzie character from Sly." Stephen Verona's Complete Bio:  http://bit.ly/1deZvZ4 Order Links - DVD  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD5925D     - Blu-ray  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD6145BR

Portrait Of Margaret Cho - In Blood

Margaret  Cho: Portrait, Bloody Portrait

"I think it's very primal, very ritualistic.” - Margaret Cho

That's Margaret Cho talking about the Dorian Gray like portrait she has hired artist Vincent Castiglia to do of her with 18 millimeters of her own blood. That's right Margaret is going to have a portrait of herself in blood, how truly wonderful!

And I did not make that comment in jest, referring to the quote from Cho above I am completely on the same page as her...I once had a primal piercing done because I wanted to experience something that raw. It was a huge rush!

It was in my ear, they put a sharpie mark on my lobe where they wanted the hole to be, numbed it with ice and then took a double headed hollow needle aimed and jammed it through my ear, the adrenaline rush not to mention the shooting blood was a pretty amazing and an experience I will never forget!

Margaret has known Vincent for a couple of years, but was a fan of his macabre collection of work, painted exclusively with the artist's own blood — long before the pair even met.

"I loved what he was doing, his art is so finely detailed. This is exciting to go through this process of collecting my blood and getting a portrait painted.”

Ms. Cho expects to use her bloody portrait for album covers and tour art once completed.

As a footnote this is the first time Mr. Castiglia has used anyone else's blood other than his own in his work, the piece should prove historical.

Hey, Vincent I am up for it if you ever want to use my blood sometime!

Go Cho!: http://margaretcho.com/

Enjoy Vincent's Work at: http://vincentcastigliaart.com/

It's The "End Of The Line" & Ponyboy Could Give A "Dick, Dick, Dick"

I am not a baby bird, I am a Ponyboy, Damn It!

Without a whinny or a neigh for a chunk of time, Ponyboy has finally put out! OK, Yes, I know I am stating the obvious since I am speaking of boys, I know, I know, Daddy knows they're Man Whores and he is quite pleased about that!

The Boys have just released an evocative video for their song "End Of The Line" from their awesomely titled CD: "Dick, Dick, Dick."

Well Charles and David, My Little Ponyboys, Daddy is quite proud,,,

PS please remember to take out the garbage this week

                                                                "End of the Line"

Why get a horse, when you can get a Ponyboy: https://www.facebook.com/GodHatesPonyboy

Celebrate! "Better Than Dancing" With Matthew Duffy

• 

  Singer/Songwriter/Performer and "Entertain Me" fave Matthew Duffy is back with a groovy new single and video "Better Than Dancing."
• Being the inquisitive one that I am I had to ask Matthew to give me some insight into his latest musical foray, and here is what the always interesting Mr. Duffy had to say:
• "I started my career in NYC as a ballet and modern dancer and I wanted to celebrate my dance history. I wanted to celebrate the way dancing sets you free and transports you to a place outside of yourself. For me, true freedom is "raising your hands up to the sky and letting the music take you high, the dancer featured in the video represents that.

• I also wanted to highlight he NYC club scene - balls, femme, butch, voguing, and the dance featured represents all dance forms and the underground spirit of dancing.
• The opening quote of the video - YOU LIVE AS LONG AS YOU DANCE is from the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev who was a bad ass and an virtuoso who I have always admired since I was young."
  

Time to take a trip Matthew Duffy style...!

Join Matthew for the ride at: https://www.facebook.com/matthewduffymusic

• 
  

Faster Than A Speeding Musical Note It's: Superfruit!

Superfruit: Mitch Grassi & Scott Hoying

In case you haven't heard there's a new musical hero in town...Superfruit!

Superfruit are Scott Hoying & Mitch Grassi from Pentatonix and their most prolific collaboration thus far is their covering the entire Beyonce album in six minutes. Can I get an Ooooooooh, Ahhhhhhh in Da House?!

Queen B responded by posting the video on her Facebook page calling it: "Flawless!" Beyonce sure knows how to make boys blush.

These fruits are ripe for the picking! Check out Beyonce in 6 at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....! Blast it!

Also be sure to check out the latest Pentatonix video "Happy" below...

                                                                         Happy

Get "Fruity" at: http://www.youtube.com/user/sup3rfruit

Get "Happy" at: http://ptxofficial.com/