Archive for the ‘Fun Entertainment Life’ Category
March 1st, 2011
Oscars? What Oscars?
For anyone at Jones Hall Sunday, it’s unlikely Hollywood’s big night could surpass the electrifying performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 by Jonathan Biss and the Houston Symphony, under the inspired leadership of guest conductor James Gaffigan.
The program not only showcased the orchestra in top form, but demonstrated why Gaffigan and Biss are two of the most exciting young artists of a new generation carrying the grand tradition of classical music into the 21st century ablaze with their passion, rigorous musicianship and inspired interpretive flair.
Biss played Beethoven with flawless technique and a rare blend of feeling and fresh invention that made this classic, first heard in 1803, sound newborn.
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February 26th, 2011
Even though it’s only February, we’ve already been treated to a couple of music awards. Within the space of forty eight hours, we’d seen our American chums dish out awards at The Grammys and back in more homely surrounds, London’s O2 arena was used to host The Brit Awards.
Asides from different hosts and performances, both ceremonies were roughly the same. E.g. winners, performers and happy cocaine dealers.
Nobody these days dares promote experimental sounds and the trophies picked up are usually by the same acts that’ll only use them as doorsteps. What we n
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February 23rd, 2011
As James Gaffigan tells it, his parents were the sort of folks who had a critical question when he said he wanted to be a professional conductor: Which train line?
It’s not that they didn’t approve of their son’s musical aspirations. They helped him purchase an expensive instrument when he was a young bassoon player on a scholarship at the prestigious Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division.
They were just not familiar with classical music.
“They knew I had some kind of talent,” Gaffigan said. “And they supported me from a very early age.”
At 31, still a very early age in a conductor’s career, Gaffigan is displaying the talent his parents, a salesman and school secretary, recognized in their child.
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February 19th, 2011
Awesome or Off-Putting is a weekly delve into cryptozoology, ufology, aliens, medical marvels, scientific wonders, secret societies, government conspiracies, cults, ghosts, EVPs, ancient artifacts, strange facts, odd sightings or just the plain unexplainable.
When traveling through India, there are a few things we think we’d be afraid of. Tripping over the headset wires we’re pretty sure the locals all drag behind them being the chiefest. After that we’d be afraid of tigers that hunt during peak hours in various town squares. Fear
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February 19th, 2011
Beyonce Knowles’ first claim to fame in the media came at age 7 with a mention in the Houston Chronicle as a nominee for the Sammy, a local performing-arts award. The entertainer has come a long way since then, having sold 75 million records since starting her career in the chart-topping R&B group Destiny’s Child and eventually becoming one of the best-selling singers of all time.
Knowles says her No. 1 challenge is finding “time to be a wife, to be a singer, to be a songwriter, to be an actor and still have time for my clothing line and now for my perfume (line)” — not to mention endorsement deals with L’Oréal and various fashion designers. Sh
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February 14th, 2011
Lady Gaga has decided that wearing obnoxious fashion is no longer the key to the number of records sold. It’s better to stick horn-shaped prosthetics to one’s face and shoulders and copy and paste late 80′s pop music.
The singer displayed the monster make-over at the Grammy Awards; something that appeared to go largely unnoticed as the 24-year-old arrived to Sunday’s ceremony being carried in a giant egg. Next, it was of the utmost importance that she prove right detractors who’d accused her of ripping Born This Way’s melody from Madonna’s 1989 track, Express Yourself.
Well, not just Express Yourself. It had been n
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