You want how much?

Got the following e-mail from HQ:

Hey HQ’ers!
We want to further share Taylor Hicks’ Broadway experience with you!

We are excited to announce new member exclusive Broadway Ticketing Packages that are available now!

There are two tiers of M&G Ticket Packages to see Taylor as Teen Angel in the Broadway production of Grease:

- $375 gets you two tickets and passes to meet Taylor on the stage after the show.
- $475 gets you two tickets and passes to meet Taylor in his dressing room after the show.

** Only 3 pairs of tickets will be sold for each performance

These exclusive ticketing packages will currently be available for the following shows:

• 7/18 @ 8pm
  
• 7/19 @ 2pm and 8pm
  
• 7/20 @ 2pm and 7pm
  
• 7/25 @ 8pm
  
• 7/26 @ 2pm and 8pm
  
• 7/27 @ 2pm and 7pm

** Additional Performances To Be Announced Shortly

-THHQ

I said on The Boogie Blog that this is not something I would go for. After some thinking and some chatting with friends, I have come up with some conditions that would actually make me want to do this.

IF … I was going to be in New York City anyway, I

MIGHT … go see Grease (love Taylor but hate that play) and

IF … money was no object

AND … I knew I would get my own couple of minutes to actually talk with Taylor and not have to yell over the other people in the room (after all there will be four other package purchasers plus his “handlers” in there at the same time as me and my guest)

THEN … I think I would do this.

After all, it’s really not that much different than other “meet the celeb” deals I have seen advertised. I read an article months ago about the perks that credit cards are now giving. Rather than sticking with mere sky miles, many cards are offering such things as Fantasy Sports Experiences (like getting to drive a real life NASCAR vehicle) and hanging out with a celebrity. There was a couple who cashed in their “miles” to spend the day with John Travolta. He took them on a tour of his plane and even flew them around. His personal chef made them all dinner and they had a party.

John Travolta. Entire day. With some random fans.

I don’t know about you, but to me that’s a heck of a lot weirder and over the top than $475 for a M&G in Taylor’s dressing room. And I know some are saying Taylor is “selling out” … but come on - if you’re gonna hurl that accusation shouldn’t it have been two and a half years ago when he went on Idol? Some say he is “desperate” … but would you call John Travolta desperate?

And what about the latest promo I’ve seen from Mastercard?

Mastercard’s ROOTS OF ROCK
SEEING YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST PERFORM UP CLOSE: $0
GETTING BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: PRICELESS

Use your Mastercard or enter online between July 1,2008 and August 31, 2008, and you win 1 of 5 trips for four to see a rock legend perform where they got their start — complete with a M&G and VIP tour.

The artists involved in this promo? Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, and Kenny Chesney. Would anybody call any of them “sellouts”? You could say, “Well, people aren’t paying for that.” You’d be right (sort of). However, do you think these stars aren’t getting well compensated for the use of their likenesses and music in the Mastercard ads? Think they aren’t pocketing major coin for advertising Mastercard at their shows? How much mucho dinero you think they are banking for having to deal with four random gushing fans for what is very likely a LOT longer than Taylor will have to spend with the purchasers of his M&Gs?

I guarandamntee you this is a very SOUND financial move for these three fellas. And I hope to God that Taylor’s M&Gs on Broadway turn out to work as well for him.

Anybody here a Star Trek fan? Have you priced M&Gs for those stars lately? Back when I was actually considering attending the BIG convention they hold every year in Vegas (I passed in favor of attending a Taylor concert closer to home), I found a pricing sheet on one of the ticket sites. I didn’t save the link, so I can’t give you hard numbers, but the gist of it was this: there were various price levels for various activities and take-homes.

For X number of dollars you could get a day pass to the Con. For a bit more you could get a weekend pass. These passes were ONLY for the Convention. That usually includes costume contests, trivia contests, lectures, Q&As with writers/technical crew/actors/costumers/etc., and the ever important merchandise room. If you wanted any autographs, those had to be purchased separately. There was a sliding scale for those, too (Shatner’s, Nimoy’s, and Kelley’s approached astronomical numbers). If you wanted to stand in line and get the autograph yourself, you had to buy their official photo and pay extra for the privilege of standing for three hours staring at the back of a Klingon’s head and then getting three seconds in front of your hero. And you had to pay for each star’s picture and autograph separately - there were no group packages (”Gimme a stack of the Bridge Crew”). They were all individualized.

But the most expensive and thrilling item was the Cocktail Party. For XXXX number of dollars you could attend a fancy dress cocktail party that would also be attended by various Star Trek actors. This party had levels as well! The cheapest included only champagne and a table far from the front of the room (where the celebs would be hanging); the pricier tickets included finger foods. It was not even guaranteed that you would meet or even SEE your favorite Captain since they had a VIP room they could use to escape the adoring throng. For an unbelievable amount of cash (I believe I probably could have bought a car for that amount), you could enter the VIP room. Yet, you were still not guaranteed any face time with your heroes.

Star Trek has become somewhat of a racket. It’s been on a slippery slope ever since Roddenberry died. I don’t believe Taylor is there yet (hope he never gets to that point). Yes, I have some questions/concerns over the Early Works, but that’s neither here nor there. This M&G thing is a brilliant move on his part. It’s an easy way to connect with some fans, make those fans happy, and make a little extra dough. ‘Cause let’s face it - we don’t know Taylor’s Output (we only vaguely have an idea of his Income). For all we know he may have to foot the bill for all the production and promotion of his upcoming new album (PLEASE release in the fall, Taylor!) That ain’t cheap!!

For my money (and in the context of the Star Trek convention), $375 or $475 is not that bad a price (if you can afford it) to pay for a few minutes of face/talk time with Taylor. At least you know he will show up and talk to you, unlike certain actors from a certain show.

And now, from the “Let’s see if you read this whole thing before commenting” book - please do not comment on this blog entry about my previous blog entry. I left those comments closed for a reason. If you have something to say about that other entry, please either keep it to yourself or e-mail me (but I can’t guarantee I will respond). Thank you.

Taylor Hicks’ Early Works?

So, Taylor came out with the news that he is re-releasing his previous two albums as a single CD (well sort of - two songs are missing).

I gotta be honest: I’m feeling rather conflicted over this. I mean, I have to question whether or not he had intended to do this for a long time and either hadn’t been able to fund it or just hadn’t gotten around to it. The fact that you could buy UTR during his run on Idol (which appears to have been due to some loophole in his AI contract, but I have no details on that) clearly shows that he wanted the material “out there.” I suppose that’s a “duh” though. What artist doesn’t want their material in the hands of music lovers? And IYT was available via Gray Charles as digital downloads. So it’s not surprising that he would want to release this music now.

Which brings me to my “issue”: why sell IYT for the exorbitant amount of $30 (sometimes $25) at your concerts if you are going to turn around and sell it and UTR on a single disc for a third of the price? And yes, I do feel that price is exorbitant. IYT has only seven tunes on it and three of those are covers. Not worth 30 bucks, Mr. Hicks. And for Pete’s sake - we can’t even get a real live Jewell case for our 30 bucks? A cardboard sleeve? Really??

And yes, I bought one (before anyone asks). Perhaps that is why I am wrestling with this right now. It’s not as if those IYTs sold at the shows are numbered. They don’t have an imprint from the particular venue where it was purchased. The majority weren’t signed (the ones that were cost more - don’t know how much ’cause I ain’t in the market for autographs).

I wrestled with my decision to purchase an IYT. It was debated and discussed on The Boogie and in e-mails. In the end, I bought it because as Thackeray said, “I’ve been listening to these songs free for at least a year now. I suppose I should go ahead and pay for that right.” I still thought it was overpriced, but I went ahead and bought it because my conscience demanded it.

I would not have bought it had I known that this Early Works was going to come out. And I think Taylor knew that. And that bothers me. Obviously I don’t know what goes through the mind of Mr. Hicks, but I can’t help but wonder if he had this planned out all along. Right or wrong, that’s where my mind is going. And I hate that I am thinking like this.

It’s ridiculous really. When I think about all the money I spent to go to the shows - the tickets themselves (outrageous prices on those), travel expenses, accommodations, time off from work, etc. - 30 bucks for a CD is a drop in the bucket. Right? Reminds me of when I would travel to see the Headstones. Trent would often put my sister and me on the guest list. I told him he didn’t have to do that (that it seemed silly we couldn’t pay for a $40 ticket after spending so much just to get there), but he insisted.

I guess it all comes down to our own personal ideas of value and worth for particular items. Is an hour and a half of LIVE TAYLOR worth roughly twice as much as a CD that I can listen to again and again and again …? Is that CD more valuable to me than a tank of gas?

I went to Target a few weeks ago wanting to buy I Am Legend. The Director’s Cut was nearly the same price as IYT. It has WAY more content than IYT and includes an alternate ending. I really really really want this DVD, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. It’s too pricey. When I think of all the other things I have to pay for, it just seemed indulgent to buy a $30 DVD. So, is that CD worth more than this DVD?

Bottom line (I guess) is that I don’t know why I am having difficulty with this. I just am. Kinda like the whole Grease thing. I don’t know why my reaction was so GAH! but it was. Glad I worked through that one because the Teen Angel seems to be doing wonders for Taylor’s rep.

I hope the Early Works launch goes smoothly and he sells a ton of copies and makes a couple million new fans. He needs to get those people in line and salivating for his NEW album (still releasing in the Fall, Taylor?)

I won’t be one of the people buying Early Works, but I doubt Taylor’ll cry over that. If he does, send him my way - I’d be glad to wipe his tears. (What? I may be annoyed with him but my crush is still intact, okay?)

Boogie Board downtime

The following message appeared this morning on Excoboard:

All Excoboard forums will be unavailable while we perform database maintenance this Saturday, 5 AM to 6.30 AM EST. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Being a Saturday morning, it likely won’t affect many of us on the East Coast, but that’s only 2am in California (and I think mid-day in Europe) and we often have at least a handful or so online at that time so I wanted to give a heads-up.

The power of the Gossip Mill

This could quite possibly be one of the Top Ten Dilberts of all time:

Hehehe.

As a fellow “baby eater,” this cartoon has me laughing so hard I may have to take a sick day.

Covert Hope

Wednesdays I work the “late” shift - I go in at a quarter to one and work until 7:30. This week, a horrible storm came flying up on us around 5 and whipped the tar out of Knoxville and the surrounding areas for a good half hour or more. By the time I left work, the sky had that partially cloudy post-storm look with broken cloud formations and a visible front having the appearance of a large squeegee pushing the darkness aside (yes, I know - terrible metaphor, but in my defense I am tired). The sun was shining on one side, the rain and mist were on the other, so consequently there was a rainbow.

It wasn’t like any rainbow I had seen before, though. See, I have these sunglasses that my sister gave me. They are polarized to cut glare and they give everything this dulled (almost yellow) appearance. I have noticed that I can see things with these glasses on that I can’t without them (like the wires in my back windshield that are my antenna). So anyway, I’m driving along Pellissippi Parkway when I notice an odd streak through the sky (almost like a faint sunbeam, but not quite). I put on those sunglasses and I could see very plainly - It was a Rainbow!

It got brighter as I drove along, but I still couldn’t see it when I took off my glasses. I was amazed! And it was a HUGE one, too - one of those with the very broad stripes of color and a wide footprint. I could see both ends.

How could I not see this thing with the glasses off? So. Weird.

It was like my own private rainbow. Now who couldn’t smile at a thought like that?

And, well, who doesn’t love Kermit the Frog?

With Debbie Harry?

To clarify - Re: yesterday’s blog entry

There seems to have been some confusion regarding yesterday’s post. A few people have asked me if they are one of the people with whom I am having issues.

To answer -

* The entry was prompted by very recent events. This has nothing to do with anything that happened two months, six months, a year, two years … ago. Well, that’s not entirely true. It does have something to do with the events surrounding the beginning of 2008. (please see January if you want to get into that)

* If you haven’t absorbed the gossip you have heard and stabbed me in the back, then we’re cool. Otherwise, you should know whether you are one of the people to whom i was referring.

* I’m fine! I’m great, in fact. I should probably be more upset due to the fact I now know that at least one (and possibly a handful of) bitch(es) is talking smack behind my back, but I just can’t seem to get there - I’m happy to be a part of a wonderful group of fans of a wonderful performer; I’m excited about Taylor’s current project as well as the future; There has been a glut of new media and pictures and I am just loving that Teen Angel persona a hell of a lot more than I expected; I visited my aunt & uncle last weekend and helped make jam (strawberry!) for the first time; I have a fuel efficient Honda Civic; There is a romantic prospect I am hoping will blossom into something great; and, fuckit, I’m having a good hair day.

You can’t whomp me down, dammit!

Psst … whispers in the dark …

People are talking about me.

Should I be flattered that I garner so much attention? Am I that important that smearing my good name is worth the time and effort? It’s not like this is new - in the Taylor Hicks online world, my personal exposure to The Ugly Side was in August of 2006. Didn’t take long and that was entirely out of left field since I never even met the people who decided to say hurtful, disgusting things about me.

I never understood it then and I don’t understand it now. I’m just me. Never claimed to be anything different. Other than being more outgoing online than in person, I try to keep my “real” persona and my “virtual” persona as close to same as possible.

In the past two weeks, I’ve had five people I thought were friends (in the case of two, we were friendly rather than friends) pretty much attack me unprovoked. It’s disturbing to say the least. The first time, I thought maybe she was hormonal or something. When it happened again, some of the things that were said (and I won’t go into specifics here) led me to believe that I am indeed the target of a smear campaign. With each subsequent incident, it became even clearer.

Here’s the thing - If we are friends, or have been friends, or have never had any cross words with each other … and you decide to take somebody else’s word about my character/behavior/ideas/attitude/etc. rather than go with what you have experienced personally with me by spending time with me or chatting with me or working with me or just plain hanging out … then, quite frankly, I don’t have room for you in my life.

Life is too short to deal with all this petty, childish behavior.

I honestly don’t care what the haters think of me or have to say about me - they are spiteful, vindictive weasels who don’t deserve a moment of my time, thought, or energy - but it hurts that people I would have called friend a week ago could turn on me like that.

Whatever. Fuck you, ’cause I don’t need the aggravation.

I dub thee, Sir Loin of Beef

YouTube surfing the other night yielded some blasts from the past in the form of Looney Tunes. Did you know these were on YouTube?? I didn’t!! I lost some sleep because I couldn’t stop watching them, but it was worth it - I needed some guffaws and belly laughs.

I wish some regular network would start airing Looney Tunes again. I mean, seriously, does anybody get Boomerang? I don’t know a single person who does and that includes my uncle with the satellite TV who receives somewhere near a thousand channels! Frickin’ Boomerang took my Flintstones, too.

Feh.

Anyway, here are some of my favorites and I hope you enjoy them too:

Taylor Hicks on the Today Show

ETA: Do me a favor? Read the whole thing (all the way to the very bottom) before commenting. I know it’s long and difficult, but it’s necessary to get the whole of what I am saying here. Thanks, I appreciate it.

To be perfectly honest, I have been having difficulty with this Grease thing. I know it’s entirely up to Taylor what career moves to make, but I can’t help questioning this one. My reaction is irrational and odd, but it’s mine and I’ll own it even if I don’t understand it.

Taylor’s announcement Friday has kinda forced me into introspective mode. This stint off-Broadway is NOT the kind of thing I expected to hear Taylor say he was even interested in let alone that he was actually going to do it, and yet there he is. He’s going to be the Teen Angel. My head’s a-spinnin’.

He’s always said, “It’s all about the music” and well I’m sorry, but Grease does not fit that phrase. The quote I have in my sideboard:

I’m worried about my fans and the people who like me as opposed to what’s mainstream. I’m going to be a musician and a soul singer for the rest of my life. In this business, I’ve been denied many times. Mainstream music is a very interesting beast, and if I play a part in that in the next year or so, then fine. But if I don’t, somebody will be seeing me being funky somewhere.

Grease doesn’t fit that statement either!

And then we get the People.com article wherein he mentions “country-influence” on his next album. I can hear the squeal of my own tires as I screech to a halt and think “Say what, now?”

So, is Taylor Hicks the guy I always thought he was - a raw, gritty, Bluesman who digs smoky bars and whiskey and jamming ’till all hours with a bunch of his buddies? Or is he a slick, polished entertainer who is just trying to become as famous as possible, regardless of what direction that may take him?

Well, after a few days of thought, digging into my heart and my mind and getting to how I truly feel about Taylor and his music … I’d have to say he is both.

I’ve been thinking back on the last two years and some of the little things Taylor has done and said. When he was on Idol, he talked about the “visual component” of the show and how very important it was. That it’s NOT (as Simon likes to say it IS) a singing competition - it’s a glorified talent show. That means not only does the voice have to be just right, but the look, the moves, and the all-around showmanship. Taylor had all those in spades. And he was never afraid to embrace the Cheese that is American Idol. In fact, at times in the tour it was almost as if he reveled in it. Remember the cop car in Indianapolis? The feather boa in Minneapolis? The “airplane” as he ran down the Giant Ramp of Doom night after night? These are not the actions of a frightened man.

I remember reading an article about the Idol tour moving through Cleveland and the “kids” all got to go to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. The reporter said that Taylor and Kellie and (I believe Paris) were in a park and Taylor jumped up on the fountain and did an homage of sorts to Gene Kelly, Singin’ in the Rain style. So he likes musicals.

Speaking of Gene Kelly - Nobody could deny his talent, charm, and masculinity. Even as he twirled, light as a feather, in a move that could make another man look like he “swung the other way,” nobody doubted that Kelly was All Man. He could have been wearing a pink tutu and the girls still would have swooned. (and just as a formal disclaimer to all those who are so sensitive that my comment about swinging the other way will offend you - it’s not a judgement call, okay? I don’t give half a crap which way you dangle your dangle. It doesn’t matter to me who you do. It’s your actions outside the bedroom that matter more.)

Back on topic - Is it because it is this particular musical that I am taking issue? I think some of it is that, yes. Grease is cheesy and stupid, but as I have noted, Taylor seems to really like cheese. I am in the minority in my opinion on Grease. Pretty much everybody I have ever met loves the movie and/or the play. To people my age it is an icon of the theater. My friend cali50 pointed this out to me and she is so right. When Taylor says it’s one of his favorites and that he is thrilled to be a part of the play, I believe him. He’s likely recalling childhood memories of watching the film over and over and over (just like my sister and I did). A lot of my friends even had the soundtrack (I wonder if Taylor had it at some point?)

I think a big part of why this hit me so hard (and so oddly) is the juxtaposition of Taylor’s off-Broadway announcement with his appearances last weekend in Birmingham. The Governor’s BBQ was a low-key, acoustic affair under the stars (okay, impending thunder clouds, but you get the idea). He played some beautiful tunes with just a guitar and his harp w/minimal accompaniment from Brian Less and Jeff Lopez. We got Moondance and New York State of Mind and Where I’m From …

And later that night, many of us got to experience Taylor with Spoonful James at Ona’s, a legendary music room in downtown Birmingham. A place where you can still smoke inside and the drinks are reasonably priced and good ‘n’ strong (try the Long Island Iced Tea - talk about bang for your buck!)

And now he is embracing the cheesiest role in perhaps the cheesiest musical of all time.

It’s a lot to take in. And a lot to reconcile within myself. And then I saw this: Taylor on the Today Show.

sigh

He’s clearly happy and beaming and thrilled with this role/opportunity. He is looking forward to living in New York and working on his album while he plays the Teen Angel. In his words, “It’s not as demanding a role as a lead” - absolutely true. He can get his feet wet in acting and stagework with this brief and fun part. If he likes it, he likes it and if not, at least he tried it.

My interpretation of this role is the Entertainer’s Summer Job. And it promises to be a lot of fun for him as well. A heck of a lot more fun than my summer jobs ever were, that’s for sure (Hardee’s anyone?)

I guess the conclusion I have come to is this: I may not be a huge Grease fan, and I am holding my breath a little in anticipation (apprehension) of Taylor’s next album. However, who am I to argue with this face:

(thanks to RightHicksSave for the screencapture)

I’m just going to relax and trust that Taylor is making the choices that are right for him professionally, artistically, and even personally. He hasn’t failed us yet, so why am I freaking out now?

He’s an old-fashioned performer with old-fashioned core values about working hard and branching out and having some fun wherever he can squeeze it in. Taylor is music’s answer to “Old Hollywood” - the classic performer who can do just about anything. I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

I hope he’s having a fantastic time in Italy.

And now, just because I like it:

The Power of Self-Delusion

WARNING - Heavy doses of sarcasm ahead and multiple case and P.O.V. changes. You have been notified.

Isn’t self-delusion a wonderful thing? It allows us to live our day to day lives secure in the knowledge that we are good, decent, hardworking people who don’t bring harm to anyone. We are able to go to work each day and know that our coworkers don’t cringe at the sight of us. We can come home at night and be placated by our families who do indeed love us regardless of anything (or anyone) else. We can go online and make broad, sweeping statements that malign a singer, his fan group, and anyone who would be fool enough to buy his next “country-influenced” CD and go see him in Grease (because as we all know that gig is all about selling out your artistic integrity) - and still claim that we didn’t actually insult or demean anybody.

It’s quite fun to watch people squirm and become unsure of themselves in our presence as we kick the very foundations from beneath their feet. After all, our discussion was passionless and emotion-free, so why should they have a problem with what we said? We merely said that they were musically stupid and lack the understanding to truly “get” what we meant when we were talking about The Singer and his hopes for the future (even if what we meant was a 100% contradiction of what we said). How dare they question our problems with a particular singer’s choices for his career path? We know what he needs to do and when he needs to do it. He may be a complete stranger to everyone else, but not us. We know what’s good for him and his musical direction. He can’t possibly make career decisions by himself because he is not making the correct ones.

And don’t dare say that our argument was inflammatory or rude, because it wasn’t. These people are just whiners who simply lack the mental acuity and education to understand a good argument. Didn’t you take debate in high school?

So, why do any self-reflection or deep searches for our true selves? It’s an awful lot of work to see ourselves the way others see us. It’s a long, drawn out process to try to see ourselves the way we are and to try to become better people. Why do all that when it’s ever so much more fun to piss on people’s heads and tell them it’s raining? It’s so much simpler to bury my head in the sand (or my ass) and pretend I’m Miss Fairplay and am beloved by all. Isn’t that more fun?

Oh, Taylor! Noooooooo!!!!

According to the New York Times, Taylor will be playing the Teen Angel in Grease from June 6th to September 7th at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. It’s not even on Broadway as some people are saying, it’s on 47th Street.

Oy.

Off to see The Wizard!

Heading out to Birmingham! See ya tomorrow night (I hope).

Excoboard issues?

Anybody else having trouble? It appears to be on Server Number 1 (The Boogie and the Support Forums are both on that server and I can’t access either of them).

ETA: Well crap. I’d kinda thought it would have cleared up by now. Poooo.

Oh well - I got my Boots, Blues, & BBQ tix in the mail today (woo-hoo!) and I had a very nice phone conversation with a good friend who is supposed to be there, too. I’m looking forward to seeing her again and other friends I haven’t seen in a long while, as well as meeting some people IRL who I have gotten to know online. Fun fun!

Booked a hotel - got a room at the Doubletree in Birmingham. I usually like to stay at the Redmont, but the price was too steep for this coming weekend.

Anybody else bored?

Boots, Blues, & BBQ

Once again, I did something rather rash:

From Liz at NESP:

This event is going on the same weekend as the SP Convention, so hopefully many of the SP will be able to attend. It’s for charity, and sounds like a lot of fun!

As it is an “invitation only” event, the charity cannot actively promote it through the media, but they have approved this post to be used on the fan sites. They are thanking the SP for our help in spreading the word.

A “Don’t Want To Miss” Event! What a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day and also help mothers who are abused and homeless.

Governor and Mrs. Bob Riley Present a Benefit for Hannah Home Shelby
Saturday, May 10th 7:00 p.m. at a private horse farm in the Hwy 119/280 area - Taylor Hicks will be in concert

BBQ Buffet by award-winning Chef Clayton Sherrod,
Delicious Dessert Bar by Jefferson State
Culinary and Hospitality Institute,
Live Auction of diamond earrings, rounds of golf, beach trip, dinner with Governor and Mrs. Riley at the mansion, and more….
Dancing and Entertainment By Chris Porter & The Back Row Baptists.

Tickets are $100 per person-A limited number of tickets are available.
Tickets are available by calling 205-975-ARTS (205-975-2787)

Taylor will be going on around 8:30 and will do a “soulful acoustic set”. They will make “will call” arrangements to pick up tickets. The exact location of event is private, and will be on the tickets. If you are picking tickets up there, they will give you more info when you purchase the ticket. Dress code is “decent casual” (nice jeans okay,nothing ripped or cut off shirts,etc.). Cameras will be allowed. The will call window will be open for later arrivals. Sloss is about 45 minutes away from the location. There should be plenty of parking,and I’m sure people wil be arranging SP carpools.

Harmony has extended their ticket sales until May 5th, due to many requests, and increased interest in the weekend with this latest opportunity.

So what did I do? I bought tickets for Mom and me. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, so there’s no denying it’s a great present, but to be truthful my Mom would be just as happy if I take her to Red Lobster (well, maybe not just as happy, but you get my point).

WTH is this power that Taylor Hicks has over my head and my wallet? I have only felt this pull once before and that was with The Headstones. I went into some big-time debt over them, but much of that was plane fare rather than concert tickets and accommodations (darned Canada - so far away!)

Earlier this year I balked at grass seats at an outdoor venue to see Steve Winwood for $120 a ticket and yet I couldn’t get on the phone fast enough to pay $100 to hang out on a farm and hear Taylor sing for an unspecified amount of time.

What is wrong with me??

*sigh* Don’t answer that!

“It’s a mad house!! A mad house!!”

Charlton Heston, 1924-2008

Wow. I guess, in the back of my head I knew he couldn’t be with us much longer, but he’s one of those larger than life guys who you just expect to be around forever (as crazy as that seems).

Just a couple of weeks ago I watched The Ten Commandments for the umpteenth time (probably many of you did as well). Can you imagine that movie with anyone else in the role of Moses? Hard to believe he was MY age when he filmed this.

Saw Wayne’s World II again last weekend. It’s been so long I had forgotten about Heston’s cameo as the gas station attendant. Hilarious!!

I finally got around to seeing I Am Legend. Anyone see Omega Man? It was (loosely) based on the same novella (and is very very bizarre).

And Planet of the Apes - an enduring classic and all-time favorite. He was fabulous as the cocky, arrogant yet vulnerable astronaut. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you read the book. It’s tough to imagine anyone else in the role of Taylor.

Oh Lord - Soylent Green, Ben-Hur, El Cid … the list is impressive to say the least. I just checked out his profile on Internet Movie Database - wow. How many of your favorite movies are on it?

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna miss Charlton Heston. He was one of the last old school Hollywood Movie Stars. I don’t care about his politics. I don’t care about his personal life or how much of a jackass he might have been - there’s a soft spot in my heart for that guy.

Cornelius: Taylor, you are not in command here. Put down that gun!
George Taylor: Shut up!

Profile on IMDB
Obituary on Yahoo
Obituary on Google
Profile on TV-now

“Kyle’s Mom”?

Or someone else? Is this a riddle? Or just a video I like?

I’m not tellin’.

Battlestar Galactica Top Ten

Too frickin’ funny!!

I Am Legend - SPOILERS!!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the spoilers.

I Am Legend is releasing today on DVD and I have got to buy it.

I went to the cheap theater (Movies 7) on Sunday. They show first-run movies that are at the end of their theater lifespan and often overlap the video/DVD release by a week or so. I finally got to see I Am Legend and it was amazing.

Based on the novel by Richard Matheson, this is the third movie rendition. I saw the first one, The Last Man on Earth, in October during AMC’s Halloween movie marathon. It stars Vincent Price and is in Italian with bad dubbing. Other than Price, I would say the acting is sub-par, as well, but it reminded me of an episode of the original Star Trek - very low budget, but with an amazing plotline. They did the best with what they had (IMO) and it was pretty scary despite the cheesiness.

The latest version varies some from the original (and from the novel) in that the devastation of mankind was brought about by a radical cure for cancer (by genetically modifying the measles virus) rather than an unknown disease wafting on the wind. What is really scary about it is that scientists are experimenting with using viruses as cures right now, so this movie is crazy frightening well before they even show any of the “monsters.”

The noises the infected make will give you chills.

Since I’d seen the Vincent Price version, I knew the dog was gonna bite it at some point. However, that scene in the lab where Dr. Neville is holding her and singing to her as she turns (showing signs of the infection) and then dies made me tear up. As did the scene on the pier when he puts his family in the helicopter and his daughter hands him the puppy and says, “Protect Daddy, Sam.” Dr. Neville takes the puppy and backs away from the helicopter, turning up his head as they liftoff, tears on his face - which brings me to …

Will Smith. He is simply amazing. His performance was astoundingly real. When did Will Smith get to be so GOOD? There are very few actors who can carry a movie pretty much in its entirety - there aren’t too many who are real enough or likable enough to pull it off, but Smith does it effortlessly.

If anyone had told me that Mr. “parents-just-don’t-understand” Fresh Prince would become of the finest actors of my generation, I would have called the men in the white coats. I fully expect Will Smith to receive Oscars in the future (that’s right - plural Oscars).

And on a negative note - I Am Legend is a fantastic movie … right up until the last five minutes. What a load! Terrible, terrible ending. Gah! They ruined it, quite frankly.

Feh.

Random questions:

1) How long did the disease take to spread across the planet? It seemed to me that it wiped out civilization pretty darned fast - the evacuation was just before Christmas and there were still decorations on the walls of the apartment Neville raided looking for supplies. (How heartbreaking was that scene?)

2) What was the significance of Sam being a girl? Through the whole movie she was Sam, then as Dr. Neville picks her up after she was attacked by the infected dogs, he calls her Samantha. Up to that point, I had no idea. Is it to further emphasize how she has become a substitute of sorts for his lost daughter? He talks to the dog like she is a child (”Eat your vegetables, Sam”) and bathtime is clearly like a man and his child rather than man and dog.

3) Why didn’t that infected man come after Neville? He released the dogs on him, but then didn’t pursue after the dogs had him down. Was it because he wanted to punish him by taking his one and only companion (Sam)? Was it because he wanted to find his home and rescue the infected woman and wreck the place?

4) What did Neville inject into Sam? It was the failed cure, right? The one that saved the rat but killed the woman? He was hoping it would save Sam, right?

5) Where the heck have Anna and Ethan been hiding? Did they have their own fortress somewhere like Neville’s?

6) What was with that movie poster on Times Square? It was just after Neville let the lion family have the deer. There was a long shot that panned out and around. A large movie poster was in the upper left of the screen. It was the Batman symbol (the spread wings of a bat) with the Superman logo superimposed on top of it. WTF?

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“Wow”

I really do forget sometimes that most of Taylor’s online fans are in fact adults, many of whom are older than me.

The immaturity that abounds within the online contingent of The Soul Patrol is jaw-dropping.