Wednesday, May 11, 2016

We Are Part Of A "Rhythm Planet"

Angel City Chorale
Photo: Danny Moloshok
"People of the world today, Are we looking for a better way of life
We are a part of the rhythm nation" - Rhythm Nation, Janet Jackson

Angel City Chorale (ACC), the acclaimed Los Angeles choir led by Artistic Director Sue Fink, will present Rhythm Planet, the first weekend in June, featuring the music of two-time Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin and other world beats. A stunning musical journey that traverses the globe, Rhythm Planet celebrates both our diversity the humanity that unites us all. ACC’s 150+ voices, its orchestra, and a rhythm section playing percussion instruments from around the world will combine to create an exhilarating and joyous celebration of Earth's rich cultures and beauty. A concert highlight will include 

ACC’s version of Toto’s “Africa,” (almost 3 million YouTube views). Special guest Tin will also conduct a portion of the concert with Fi nk. The family-friendly Rhythm Planet world music concerts will take place at Wilshire United Methodist Church in Los Angeles over two very special nights on Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5, 2016. The performances start at 7:00pm and include a 15-minute intermission; a dessert reception follows each performance. For additional information on ACC, please visit http://angelcitychorale.org/concerts-events/rhythm-planet-concert.

Tickets for ACC’s annual spring concerts are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Children’s tickets (ages 5-12) are $22 and seniors are $27 (both in advance and at the door). Preferred front-of-house seating may be reserved online for $50 in advance and $55 at the door; children’s preferred tickets are $42/$47; and seniors’ preferred seats are $47/52. VIP tickets (all categories) are $75. Advance tickets are available via the ACC website or by calling 310-943-9231. Online ticket sales close at 10:00pm on the day prior to each show. Same day tickets may be purchased at the door. Wilshire United Methodist Church is located at 4350 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010 (between Highland Ave. and Wilton Pl.; map). Free parking is available in the venue’s small parking lot and on neighborhood streets. Early arrival is strongly encouraged.

“At our spring concerts this year, we will create a cinematic soundtrack that scales Earth's mountains, traverses her rivers, revels in her dawns and sunsets, and reaches to the stars,” says ACC’s Fink.

Rhythm Planet –

Rhythm Planet will take audiences on a stunning musical journey that traverses the globe. Featuring the music of Christopher Tin and other world beats, ACC’s 150-member choir and 34-piece orchestra will present a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity as well as the common ground that unites humanity. Selections from Tin’s world-bending masterpieces, Calling All Dawns and The Drop That Contained the Sea will be featured. The Drop That Contained the Sea depicts global visions of water, from the snows of Mongolia to the rains of Africa. Calling All Dawns celebrates the circle of life in 12 languages.

Pieces by Aaron CoplandMoses Hogan and Ēriks Ešenvalds will also be performed. In an unforgettable moment in store for audiences, a field of sonic stars will surround concert guests as percussion from crystal glasses unites with the majesty of human voices joined in harmony.  

Links –
• Angel City Chorale - http://www.angelcitychorale.org
• Angel City Chorale on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AngelCityChorale
• Rhythm Planet FB Event Page - https://www.facebook.com/events/796527613817032
• Angel City Chorale on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/AngelCityChorale
• Angel City Chorale on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AngelCityChoral
• Angel City Chorale on SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/angelcitychorale

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

A Sign Of The Apocalypse?

Jennifer Lawrence Slays
Jennifer Lawrence channeling Marilyn Monroe?! Is it a sign of the Apocalypse? Well sort of...

It's a sign of an X-Men: Apocalypse screening!

This is for all you fanboys out there who, love comic books and Jennifer Lawrence, and really who doesn't? I am sure there are some, but you are in the minority.

Me? I am a J-Law fan, comic book movies? Not my thing overall, but I have seen a few including the original X-Men, which I did enjoy.

Mostly I woke up today and felt rested and fun. This lead to a need to share that with others. Thus I thought I would score with something that would put a smile on many people's faces.

Yep, I'm a giver.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

X-Men on IMDB: 

Monday, May 9, 2016

So Long, Farewell..."The Good Wife"

Bye, Bye, Bye
The Good Wife
For those of you who are not fans of The Good Wife, well you missed out. For those of you who are, if you haven't seen the series finale that aired last night yet, stop reading now (spoilers!)

I'm going to go against popular flow and state I actually loved the finale. Although I think there was too much time wasted on Peter's trial that could have been used to give Cary and Diane a little more closure, to me it was the perfect way to close one of the best shows to ever  air on Network TV.

Alicia Florrick is committed, if nothing else to being "The Good Wife." so committed that she burned everything and everyone around her to achieve the goal of helping her husband Peter, while actually becoming him. 

A change for the better? Perhaps not, but Alicia has always been an island unto herself and at the end of the show that's the way she ends up transformed and alone. No Peter as she walks away from him while making it clear she wants Jason by calling out his name while doing so.

No Jason he ghosted her in the crowd when Peter resigned and accepted a years probation for his recklessness. Like a ghost he vanished too.

Diane is gone too as Alicia went behind her back and betrayed her by getting fellow lawyer and partner in crime Lucca Quinn to put Diane's husband Kurt through the ringer on the stand in Peter's corruption case to help out her husband.

Will Gardner came back as a ghostly guide of sorts. More like the only shred of conscience Alicia had left. It worked and was fun to see the two of them together again. 

Alicia ending up alone was quite fitting. For those of you who thought she should end up with Jason, I felt her having her fun with him was enough as the story was hers. Hey, Alicia Florrick definitely  is one woman who above all else never needed a man.

While I will miss the show, what a great ride! 

The Good Wife on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442462/

Sunday, May 8, 2016

It's Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!
l-r My Sister, Mom & Me
Hello peeps, and Happy Mother's Day! Today is the day specifically set aside to honor that special someone who you call Mom, I personally never use the word Mother because I use that word for other things.

Today I am honoring two women, my Mom and my Sister. While my Sister obviously isn't my Mom but she is an amazing Step Mom to my three awesome nieces. Also it is my wonderful siblings Birthday today as well. 

Sue is the best Sister in the world. She is always there for me with her love and support and most importantly if I need to confide in someone she can keep a secret. 

My Mom is always there for me as well. Her belief in me and the path I am on never falters. Of course we aren't always on the same page, but the love is unconditional. 

The photo above was taken outside the Tides Tavern (in case you couldn't tell) in Gig Harbor, WA when I was visiting for Christmas after we all had lunch there. I remember it well. I had my first steak and brie sandwich, YUM! 

Good Times! Miss you two, love you and I will see you again soon. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom & Sue

Happy Birthday Sis, no I won't say how old you are <wink>

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Celluloid Saturday: Subterranea


Hey all you film buffs & science fiction nerds, check this film out. It looks soooooo juicy!

MVD Entertainment Group has acquired all North American distribution rights to science fiction thriller SUBTERRANEA, the award-winning festival favorite from the producer of Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth. The auspicious debut from director and screenwriter Mathew Miller, Subterranea was inspired by British progressive rock band recording artist "IQ" and their successful 1997 concept album of the same name and stars Bug Hall (The Little Rascals (1994), American Pie: The Book of Love), two-time Emmy Award Nominee Nicholas Turturro (The Longest Yard, "NYPD Blue", "Blue Bloods") and William Katt (Carrie (1976), The Man From Earth, "The Greatest American Hero").


Subterranea stars Bug Hall as "The Captive", who was locked in a dark cell as a small child and was raised in complete isolation, never seeing daylight or even another human being. Over twenty years later, without warning, he is released into society with nothing but the clothes on his back. Determined to find out who he is, The Captive discovers that he's the centerpiece of a dangerous orchestrated sociological experiment and sets off to find the truth about his shadowed existence, ultimately leading to a thrilling confrontation with his maker, "The Provider" (William Katt).

Following the release of IQ's double album "Subterranea", writer / director Mathew Miller was inspired. "As a huge fan of IQ, I was honored and thrilled to be collaborating with Peter Nicholls (IQ lyricist, writer and lead vocalist) and the band. My goal was to respect the original material and bring to life the already stimulating and poignant images the music has created in all of our minds and hearts as fans."

As the film was in development, Mat struck a professional friendship with one of the producers fromThe Man From EarthEric D. Wilkinson. Wilkinson's debut film has achieved "cult status" (The Man From Earth now resides among the Top 50 Science Fiction Films of all time on the IMDb) and was confident that he could help bring this film to a wider audience. 
                                                          Subterranea Trailer

"When I first read Mat's script, I fell in love with the story and characters," said Wilkinson. "In some ways, the film reminded me of The Man From Earth. It had that 'intellectual sci-fi feel' to it, and at the same time, really played well as a conventional thriller. Mathew is a super talented young director and I was committed to helping him realize his vision for the material. MVD is a great company that is exceptionally supportive of filmmakers and producers and I look forward to our film's release later this year."

Subterranea has been receiving accolades on the festival circuit including Grand Prize Winner: Vortex Sci-fi & Fantasy Award- 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival, Winner - Jury Prize - Best Film - 2015 Reel East Film Festival, Official Selection - 2015 Reno Tahoe International Film Festival, Official Selection - 2015 Queen City Film Festival and Official Selection - 2015 Montana Film Festival. The film made its European premiere in London on May 1st, 2016.

Subterranea will debut on Digital, VOD, DVD and Blu-ray on September 13, 2016 from MVD Entertainment Group. Special Features included on the disc include two behind the scenes featurettes "The Making of Subterranea" and "On the Set of Subterranea - Timelapses, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer."

SUBTERRANEA

official website: http://subterranea-movie.com/ 


Friday, May 6, 2016

Cyndi Lauper Is A Little Bit Country


Yeah, I was more than a little blind sided when Cyndi Lauper announced that her latest effort would be a "Detour" into country music of all things. That being said, on the flip side of the so unusual announcement, as a fan who has seen her live and owns her previous output I went: "Yeah, she is going to nail it!"

Guess what?! She does! If you are a Cyndi or country fan, get yourself "Detour" and get it now!

Being a person who loves Patsy Cline I am particularly partial to Lauper's covers of Walkin' After Midnight & I Fall To Pieces.

Below is the track listing for "Detour" and Cyndi's tour dates.

Yep, she's a girl still having fun with a capital "F!"

Check out the video for Funnel Of Love after the jump!


                                                              Funnel Of Love



DETOUR Track Listing:
1.“Funnel Of Love”
2.“Detour” - Featuring Emmylou Harris
3.“Misty Blue”
4.“Walkin’ After Midnight”
5.“Heartaches By The Number”
6.“The End Of The World”
7.“Night Life” - Featuring Willie Nelson
8.“Begging To You”
9.“You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” - Featuring Vince Gill
10.“I Fall To Pieces”
11.“I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart” - Featuring Jewel
12.“Hard Candy Christmas” - Featuring Alison Krauss
 
DETOUR Tour:
*denotes dates with Boy George
 
May 9 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, Tenn.
May 11 Palace Theatre - Louisville, Ky.
May 13 Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall - Pittsburgh, Pa.
May 14 Michigan Theater - Ann Arbor, Mich.
May 16 Chicago Theater - Chicago, Ill.
May 17 Hard Rock Live - Cleveland, Ohio
May 20 Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, Conn.*
May 21 Wang Theater - Boston, Mass.*
May 25 Beacon Theater - New York, Ny.*
May 28 Sands Bethlehem Event Center - Bethlehem, Pa.*
May 29 Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Atlantic City, N.J.*
June 1 Wolf Trap - Vienna, Va.*
June 2 Charleston Music Hall Charleston, S.C.
June 4 Duke Energy Center Raleigh, N.C.
June 5 Symphony Hall - Atlanta, Ga.
June 8 Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, Fla.
June 9 Dr. Phillips Center - Orlando, Fla.
June 11 Mizner Park Amphitheatre - Boca Raton, Fla.
June 12 St. Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Augustine, Fla.
Sept. 10 ACL Live at Moody Theater - Austin, Texas
Sept. 11 Revention Music Center - Houston, Texas
Sept. 13 Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City, Okla.
Sept. 15 Uptown Theatre - Kansas City, Mo.
Sept. 18 Paramount Theatre - Denver, Colo.
Sept. 20 The Depot - Salt Lake City, Utah
Sept. 21 Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical - Boise, Idaho
Sept. 23 Thunder Valley Casino Resort - Lincoln, Calif.
Sept. 24 Agua Caliente Casino - Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Sept. 27 Vina Robles Amphitheatre - Paso Robles, Calif.
Sept. 28 Arlington Theatre - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Sept. 30 The Mountain Winery - Saratoga, Calif.
Oct. 3 Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay - San Diego, Calif.
Oct. 5 Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, Calif.
Oct. 7 Talking Stick Resort Ballroom - Scottsdale, Ariz.
Oct. 8 The Joint - Las Vegas, Nev.


"Detour" With Cyndi at:
cyndilauper.com/