Ahhh Cupcakes, they are all the rage. From birthday parties to weddings people are foregoing the traditional cake for these handheld treats.
When my friend told me about the Cupcake wars a.k.a. The Great Cupcake Championship put on by Rhode Island Food Fights (http://rifoodfights.com/) I said "I'm in". Hec, I even dragged along another friend and her daughter.
The cost for tickets was 10.00 (they were completely sold out), the place was Fete on Sunday, March 9th from 1p-4p. Fete apparently is a night club in a seedy little section of Providence. This was all the info we had going in.
As we arrived we saw the very long line that we would have to stand in to even get in the doors. We found a place to park and waited in line for about 30-40 minutes. Once we got to the doors we were given wristbands, gave our tickets and we received a voting ticket. This voting ticket was a little yellow raffle ticket that we were to drop in the bag at the table of the exhibitor that we thought had the best cupcakes...in we went....it was complete and total mayhem.
It was a great idea and we did sample many delicious cupcakes. Sampled some not so good cupcakes such as apple and passionfruit. But I could not tell you the names of the bakeries that provided these treats. This was one of the most disorganized events I have ever been too.
As a Marketing/Promotions Director and Event Manager for more years that I care to admit let me tell you how this event should have went down. . .
1. An event like this should be held at a larger venue ie the Convention Center
2. There should be 3 times as many exhibitors
3. You should be given a list of the names of the exhibitors
4. You should have a punch card, wait in an organized line at the exhibitors booth (you could have something called a stanchion, look it up) one would wait patiently in line, take a cupcake and get their card punched at that station, and move on to the next.
5. MORE TRASH CANS... preferably one at each exhibitors booth. We were walking around (if could could call it walking, it was more like being in a herd of cattle) with all these cupcake wrappers and no place to put them.
6. WATER, WATER WATER. Have a place that we can at least buy some water and cleanse the palette a bit
7. Have a voting booth in a separate location. After fighting the crowd and getting to the very last cupcake exhibitor we were not about to go back to drop our ticket off.
8. Exhibitors....have a memorable display, get creative, make a minion cupcake or something. Every cupcake looked the same, there were no fun, outstanding, creative, memorable cupcakes. Remember, if you make that impression and have the best tasting cupcake, you will get business for years to come, you will be the one that everybody must have at there next party.
9. Make plenty of cupcakes, there were one or two exhibitors that had run out within the first hour, not good for your business.
Make a few of these changes, and I'll go again.
Now that being said, the only cupcake vendor that I can talk about by name, and only because when I walked in they had a big pink banner hanging behind their table is Shayna's Gourmet Cupcakes, Seekonk. They had the most amazing cupcakes, and after being on the search for the best lemon cupcake in the area, I have to say I found it. Shayna's has the BEST lemon cupcake. Prior to this Cupcake Charlies was my favorite (cupcake Charlies located in Plymouth, Newport and Foxboro).
That's just my opinion
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Sunday, September 1, 2013
38 Special with the Adam Ezra Band at Indian Ranch (Webster, MA 9/1/13)
I love a day full of surprises and that's exactly what I got today.
A few months ago I was invited to see 38 Special. (Remember them?) I wasn't exactly jumping up and down at the idea but hey, I'm game for anything. When I asked where they were playing the reply was Indian Ranch. I've heard of Indian Ranch, only a few years ago when my cousin found them on the internet. For the past few years we would check the acts that came to Indian Ranch and they seemed to be some pretty good people, big names. We had an inside joke that to play at Indian Ranch you were either on your way up or your way out. We never made a real effort to go to a show, just didn't reach out and grab me. So to committ myself to going to see a group that maybe I remembered one or two songs from and to a new-for-me venue, well, I'm not sure what I was thinking.
Even on the way there this afternoon I was apprehensive. I'm usually a non-cash carrying member of society so I made sure I had some real money on me as I didn't know if there would be a charge for parking. We arrived. A relatively short drive, much easier and quicker to get to than seeing a show at the casinos. Parking: No charge! Yay! You can pay $20.00 if you want VIP parking but really not necessary. It was easy in and easy out. Before you go into the venue you will get a bracelet, either an over 21 bracelet if you are drinking or a white bracelet for those under 21 or adults who do not wish to partake. I walked into the ampitheatre and it was love at first sight. It was a small intimate setting in the middle of the forest. Every seat is a good seat. Indian Ranch is situated on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. No, that is not a typo that is the actual name of the lake, have fun trying to pronounce that. You can even go swimming while you are at Indian Ranch, at your own risk of course. They have a full service bar, and a concession stand that offers hamburgers, fries, chicken, meatball sandwiches and more for a very fair price. I only paid $2.00 for a bottle of water. I would pay double that at any other venue. Indian Ranch is my new favorite place for a concert. I can't wait til next season. Check out the link below for more info on Indian Ranch.
http://indianranch.com/
Falling in love with Indian Ranch was surprise number one. Surprise number two came with the opening act the Adam Ezra Group. It's not often that I attend a concert and actually become an instant fan of the opening act of whom I have never heard of. That is what happened today. The moment they walked on stage and started playing I was amazed, I immediately pulled out my phone and started following them on Twitter. As they were playing I was researching them and found that they the 2013 New England Music Awards "Band of the Year". Described as a "roots rock band" This local band from Boston is pure, raw talent with a sense of humour as you can see from the video below. A take on Charlie Daniels The Devil Went to Georgia. It's the Devil Went Up To Boston, clever and funny and a definate crowd pleaser. At the end of the performance Adam invited everyone in the audience to go to the merchandise tent to purchase a cd for $10.00. Ten dollars for a CD is a good price an even better price for a concert souvenier. But he then said if you don't have $10.00 put $5.00 in the box and "if you are down to your last dollar, keep it for yourself and take a cd anyway". That is a pure artist. Someone who believes in the power and love of music. I took $10.00 of my hard earned money and went to get a cd, instead I got three cd's and met the band. They are amazing, down to earth people. The percussionist, Turtle, is even more local, living in the next town over from me. To all my local readers you have a chance to check them out on September 13th at Linden Place in Bristol where they will be performing for the Care for Rare benefit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWVcIn7Q4Cc
Two surprises in one day. Can't get better than that can it? Yes it can. As I got ready for 38 Special to come on stage, I was thinking the next two hours are going to be long ones. I saw 38 Special back in the day, in the 80's. They opened for Eddie Money and I remember back then watching, knowing a few songs but just waiting for Eddie Money to come on, Eddie was the reason I was there. Well surprise, surprise, surprise. I knew a lot more songs than I thought and I really enjoyed these guys. With songs like Fantasy Girl, Rockin Into The Night, If I'd Been The One, Hold On Loosely, Caught up in you and more, I think I need to update my IPhone and add these to my playlist. I had forgotten about these great tunes. No frills, no thrills, no fancy laser light shows, just good old Southern Rock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2a7qQ3FHMc
It was a really good day. I couldn't help think about something though...yesterday I took my teenage daughter to see the 1D (One Direction) movie (which I will review later). These young girls are so crazy over this boy band and this latest boy band is riding the wave. They are hot right now. I think back to my early 20's and all the bands I saw then, I never thought that 20 something years later I would still be buying tickets to bands I saw back in the 80's. I have to wonder, in 20-30 years will my daughter call me up and say "Hey Mom, I just got tickets to see One Direction" and I'll say, I didn't know they were still around and she'll say "Yeah, they're playing at Indian Ranch". Just wondering.......
So my summer concerts ended on a high note and I'm so happy that for now I still get to see some fantastic performers. Some I've grown to love in the recent years and some I grew up with, yes I'm a loyal fan. Oh, and if you are one of those bands or performers that I may have forgotten about, thanks for reminding me and taking me back....I'm impressed that you are still rockin'.
That's just my opinion.
A few months ago I was invited to see 38 Special. (Remember them?) I wasn't exactly jumping up and down at the idea but hey, I'm game for anything. When I asked where they were playing the reply was Indian Ranch. I've heard of Indian Ranch, only a few years ago when my cousin found them on the internet. For the past few years we would check the acts that came to Indian Ranch and they seemed to be some pretty good people, big names. We had an inside joke that to play at Indian Ranch you were either on your way up or your way out. We never made a real effort to go to a show, just didn't reach out and grab me. So to committ myself to going to see a group that maybe I remembered one or two songs from and to a new-for-me venue, well, I'm not sure what I was thinking.
Even on the way there this afternoon I was apprehensive. I'm usually a non-cash carrying member of society so I made sure I had some real money on me as I didn't know if there would be a charge for parking. We arrived. A relatively short drive, much easier and quicker to get to than seeing a show at the casinos. Parking: No charge! Yay! You can pay $20.00 if you want VIP parking but really not necessary. It was easy in and easy out. Before you go into the venue you will get a bracelet, either an over 21 bracelet if you are drinking or a white bracelet for those under 21 or adults who do not wish to partake. I walked into the ampitheatre and it was love at first sight. It was a small intimate setting in the middle of the forest. Every seat is a good seat. Indian Ranch is situated on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. No, that is not a typo that is the actual name of the lake, have fun trying to pronounce that. You can even go swimming while you are at Indian Ranch, at your own risk of course. They have a full service bar, and a concession stand that offers hamburgers, fries, chicken, meatball sandwiches and more for a very fair price. I only paid $2.00 for a bottle of water. I would pay double that at any other venue. Indian Ranch is my new favorite place for a concert. I can't wait til next season. Check out the link below for more info on Indian Ranch.
http://indianranch.com/
Falling in love with Indian Ranch was surprise number one. Surprise number two came with the opening act the Adam Ezra Group. It's not often that I attend a concert and actually become an instant fan of the opening act of whom I have never heard of. That is what happened today. The moment they walked on stage and started playing I was amazed, I immediately pulled out my phone and started following them on Twitter. As they were playing I was researching them and found that they the 2013 New England Music Awards "Band of the Year". Described as a "roots rock band" This local band from Boston is pure, raw talent with a sense of humour as you can see from the video below. A take on Charlie Daniels The Devil Went to Georgia. It's the Devil Went Up To Boston, clever and funny and a definate crowd pleaser. At the end of the performance Adam invited everyone in the audience to go to the merchandise tent to purchase a cd for $10.00. Ten dollars for a CD is a good price an even better price for a concert souvenier. But he then said if you don't have $10.00 put $5.00 in the box and "if you are down to your last dollar, keep it for yourself and take a cd anyway". That is a pure artist. Someone who believes in the power and love of music. I took $10.00 of my hard earned money and went to get a cd, instead I got three cd's and met the band. They are amazing, down to earth people. The percussionist, Turtle, is even more local, living in the next town over from me. To all my local readers you have a chance to check them out on September 13th at Linden Place in Bristol where they will be performing for the Care for Rare benefit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWVcIn7Q4Cc
Two surprises in one day. Can't get better than that can it? Yes it can. As I got ready for 38 Special to come on stage, I was thinking the next two hours are going to be long ones. I saw 38 Special back in the day, in the 80's. They opened for Eddie Money and I remember back then watching, knowing a few songs but just waiting for Eddie Money to come on, Eddie was the reason I was there. Well surprise, surprise, surprise. I knew a lot more songs than I thought and I really enjoyed these guys. With songs like Fantasy Girl, Rockin Into The Night, If I'd Been The One, Hold On Loosely, Caught up in you and more, I think I need to update my IPhone and add these to my playlist. I had forgotten about these great tunes. No frills, no thrills, no fancy laser light shows, just good old Southern Rock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2a7qQ3FHMc
It was a really good day. I couldn't help think about something though...yesterday I took my teenage daughter to see the 1D (One Direction) movie (which I will review later). These young girls are so crazy over this boy band and this latest boy band is riding the wave. They are hot right now. I think back to my early 20's and all the bands I saw then, I never thought that 20 something years later I would still be buying tickets to bands I saw back in the 80's. I have to wonder, in 20-30 years will my daughter call me up and say "Hey Mom, I just got tickets to see One Direction" and I'll say, I didn't know they were still around and she'll say "Yeah, they're playing at Indian Ranch". Just wondering.......
So my summer concerts ended on a high note and I'm so happy that for now I still get to see some fantastic performers. Some I've grown to love in the recent years and some I grew up with, yes I'm a loyal fan. Oh, and if you are one of those bands or performers that I may have forgotten about, thanks for reminding me and taking me back....I'm impressed that you are still rockin'.
That's just my opinion.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Myrtle Beach Vacation 2013
My teenage daughter loves the beach, both kids love going to Virginia Beach (in Virginia) for vacation, we've been there a couple times so wanting to add to places they've traveled I opted for somewhere new and different that we've never been. . . Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
With the car packed we left at 2am on a Saturday morning stopping in Doswell, Virginia for an overnighter so the kids could go to Kings Dominion Amusement Park. We stayed at the Best Western right on Kings Dominion property. The hotel was old but kept the kids busy with it's pool, tennis courts, ping pong, shuffle board, and game room. There was a Denny's on site but nothing else in the area for food, you had to get in your car and drive a bit.
A day at Kings Dominion was fun for all. Even made a hard to please teen happy, plenty of rollercoasters. Some good shows as well to keep Mom happy. They had a very nice waterpark. A great start to what seemed like a promising vacation.
We arrived after midnight at the Sea Mist Resort. Being one of the last to arrive we got the worst room, our ocean view turned out to be a view of a cement wall, now I know we have pollution problems but I didn't think it was that bad. We switched rooms the next day and the room situation was better, we could see the water, had a balcony, a fridge and microwave and yes a shower curtain. The only other nice thing I can say is that the rooms were clean. The compliments end there. This place had a lot of nerve calling itself a resort. It's more like a motel with amenities. Perhaps in 1950 it was a beautiful place but I would never stay there again. I've been traveling for over 24 years and I am an admitted hotel snob but even trying to make the best of it and putting my snobbery aside, well, I would never recommend this place. It had the feel of a crack hotel and I wasn't the only one who thought so. Me, who can sleep through anything, was up at 4am most mornings because the beds were so terrible.
The main draw for staying here was the beach, I was not impressed with the beach. It was no different than any other beach I'd been too and the resident teen hated it. She says the beach back home is "way better" no shells, no rocks and no seaweed. If a 15 year old hates the beach I'd say we are in big trouble.
We did some other things aside from the beach. We went into the five million gift shops that had all the same merchandise, we went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Aquarium, and were in and out in about 30 minutes. It was a bit of a disappointment. We went to the Ripley's Mirror Maze which took us about 15 minutes (at a slow pace) to find our way out, tried the Ripley's 5D Movie adventure and walked out after the first film. It was a very violent and agressive movie ride that even I didn't like being thrown all around while the seat belt jabbed into my thigh.
The trip wasn't a total disaster. We had some great meals and saw a great Legend's in Concert show. My 10 year old who doesn't like loudness loved that show. The "legends" were Justin Timberlake, Blues Brothers, Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson and Elvis. The teenagers with us loved Elvis and My son loved JT. He really got a thrill out of meeting the impersonators after the show. My daughter, the dancer, went right up to the dancer from the show and had a nice chat with her about how to break into the business.
The Crown Jewel and do not miss of Myrtle Beach was Broadway on The Beach. Here you will find shows, like Legends, and shops, boutiques, and plenty of restaurants. Fun activities such as ziplining and getting inside a bubble on the river.
We did have some great meals from Captain Georges Seafood buffet to my personal favorite Capriz which was an Italian restaurant where your meal was served Brazillian style, it was out of this world. Another really cool restaurant was Thorny's Steakhouse and Saloon. A TV at every booth and a delicious steak!
Always sad to see a vacation end (even one where things were not perfect) we are on our way home and have stopped in Virginia, this time staying at a Fairfield Inn....This is a great hotel; big room, comfy bed and pleasant staff (which I failed to mention earlier .... I had been looking for that famous southern hospitality all week and couldn't find it) Heading to dinner and to the Potomac Mills....will be home tomorrow night.
So in the end, if I ever came back to Myrtle Beach, I would not stay on the beach. I would stay at a much nicer hotel away from the beach and then drive over when I wanted a beach day. I think I'm all set...I think next time I get the bright idea to do a beach vacation I'll head back to Virginia Beach.
That's just my opinion.
With the car packed we left at 2am on a Saturday morning stopping in Doswell, Virginia for an overnighter so the kids could go to Kings Dominion Amusement Park. We stayed at the Best Western right on Kings Dominion property. The hotel was old but kept the kids busy with it's pool, tennis courts, ping pong, shuffle board, and game room. There was a Denny's on site but nothing else in the area for food, you had to get in your car and drive a bit.
A day at Kings Dominion was fun for all. Even made a hard to please teen happy, plenty of rollercoasters. Some good shows as well to keep Mom happy. They had a very nice waterpark. A great start to what seemed like a promising vacation.
We arrived after midnight at the Sea Mist Resort. Being one of the last to arrive we got the worst room, our ocean view turned out to be a view of a cement wall, now I know we have pollution problems but I didn't think it was that bad. We switched rooms the next day and the room situation was better, we could see the water, had a balcony, a fridge and microwave and yes a shower curtain. The only other nice thing I can say is that the rooms were clean. The compliments end there. This place had a lot of nerve calling itself a resort. It's more like a motel with amenities. Perhaps in 1950 it was a beautiful place but I would never stay there again. I've been traveling for over 24 years and I am an admitted hotel snob but even trying to make the best of it and putting my snobbery aside, well, I would never recommend this place. It had the feel of a crack hotel and I wasn't the only one who thought so. Me, who can sleep through anything, was up at 4am most mornings because the beds were so terrible.
The main draw for staying here was the beach, I was not impressed with the beach. It was no different than any other beach I'd been too and the resident teen hated it. She says the beach back home is "way better" no shells, no rocks and no seaweed. If a 15 year old hates the beach I'd say we are in big trouble.
We did some other things aside from the beach. We went into the five million gift shops that had all the same merchandise, we went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Aquarium, and were in and out in about 30 minutes. It was a bit of a disappointment. We went to the Ripley's Mirror Maze which took us about 15 minutes (at a slow pace) to find our way out, tried the Ripley's 5D Movie adventure and walked out after the first film. It was a very violent and agressive movie ride that even I didn't like being thrown all around while the seat belt jabbed into my thigh.
The trip wasn't a total disaster. We had some great meals and saw a great Legend's in Concert show. My 10 year old who doesn't like loudness loved that show. The "legends" were Justin Timberlake, Blues Brothers, Lady GaGa, Michael Jackson and Elvis. The teenagers with us loved Elvis and My son loved JT. He really got a thrill out of meeting the impersonators after the show. My daughter, the dancer, went right up to the dancer from the show and had a nice chat with her about how to break into the business.
The Crown Jewel and do not miss of Myrtle Beach was Broadway on The Beach. Here you will find shows, like Legends, and shops, boutiques, and plenty of restaurants. Fun activities such as ziplining and getting inside a bubble on the river.
We did have some great meals from Captain Georges Seafood buffet to my personal favorite Capriz which was an Italian restaurant where your meal was served Brazillian style, it was out of this world. Another really cool restaurant was Thorny's Steakhouse and Saloon. A TV at every booth and a delicious steak!
Always sad to see a vacation end (even one where things were not perfect) we are on our way home and have stopped in Virginia, this time staying at a Fairfield Inn....This is a great hotel; big room, comfy bed and pleasant staff (which I failed to mention earlier .... I had been looking for that famous southern hospitality all week and couldn't find it) Heading to dinner and to the Potomac Mills....will be home tomorrow night.
So in the end, if I ever came back to Myrtle Beach, I would not stay on the beach. I would stay at a much nicer hotel away from the beach and then drive over when I wanted a beach day. I think I'm all set...I think next time I get the bright idea to do a beach vacation I'll head back to Virginia Beach.
That's just my opinion.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Shinedown at Mohegan Sun, May 3, 2013
It's not often that you can get full fledged rock and roll concert complete with three bands for $35.00 but that is what we got last night at the Shinedown show with Airbourne and Bush at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville CT.
We walked into the arena a few minutes late and opening act Airbourne had already started. I have one word for this band. . . LOUD. It was the loudest noise I've ever heard in my life, chest pounding, seat shaking, ear drum shattering loud. My ear still hurts today. Other concert goers I spoke with concurred....they were bad.
With a quick set change Bush was on stage. I can't honestly call myself a Bush fan, for me personally, they are one of those bands that I found myself saying, "oh, they sing this song". So not being there for Bush, I have to tell you I was pretty impressed. They put on a good show both musically and with a great light show reminicent of the light shows you'd find a great rock concert in the 80's. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale came right out into the audience singing a cover of the Beatles Come Together. That was probably my favorite part of their set. The crowd really enjoyed them.
Impressed that I didn't not have to wait very long for the next set change, it was time for the main event, they real reason I was there...SHINEDOWN. A little history between me and Shinedown: I'm a relatively new Shinedown fan. A year ago I was driving home around midnight from who knows where and had my local rock radio station on (94 HJY) and this song came on....I had never heard it before but instantly fell in love with it. For some strange reason it reminded me of something that could have been a theme song for a Sylvester Stallone movie. When I got home I Googled some of the lyrics that I could remember. "I'm on the front line don't worry I'll be fine the story is just beginning" That search resulted me finding my first favorite Shinedown song Diamond Eyes. Which in fact was from The Sly Stallone Expendables movie, so strange I would make that connection.
Always looking for new good music (and of course that is always subjective), I started looking for Shinedown songs on Youtube (gotta love the age of the internet). I became an instant fan. In fact Shinedown is the group I use the most to do my workouts to.
Back to the concert...Shinedown did not disappoint, they played all my favorites, it was like listening to my playlist on my Ipod. I'll follow you down, Someone Save Me, Diamond Eyes, Second Chance and there awesome cover of Simple Man among others. Lead Singer Brent Smith absolutely blew me away with his vocals. He has such a strong, genuine voice. It's really hard to find good Rock music these days. I expected him to come out looking like a plain old rocker, with jeans and a t-shirt. This Rock God was actually dressed up, nice, clean, unripped black pants, a shirt with vest and tie. Class act. Very interactive with the audience.
I think I actually walked away a bigger Shinedown fan than I was when I walked into the arena.
My question is this....how long am I going to have to wait to see them again? I can't wait!
Oh, and their set was pretty cool...colorful, not overpowering and fantastic lights, again, just like I used to expect back in the 80's.
That's just my opinion.
We walked into the arena a few minutes late and opening act Airbourne had already started. I have one word for this band. . . LOUD. It was the loudest noise I've ever heard in my life, chest pounding, seat shaking, ear drum shattering loud. My ear still hurts today. Other concert goers I spoke with concurred....they were bad.
With a quick set change Bush was on stage. I can't honestly call myself a Bush fan, for me personally, they are one of those bands that I found myself saying, "oh, they sing this song". So not being there for Bush, I have to tell you I was pretty impressed. They put on a good show both musically and with a great light show reminicent of the light shows you'd find a great rock concert in the 80's. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale came right out into the audience singing a cover of the Beatles Come Together. That was probably my favorite part of their set. The crowd really enjoyed them.
Impressed that I didn't not have to wait very long for the next set change, it was time for the main event, they real reason I was there...SHINEDOWN. A little history between me and Shinedown: I'm a relatively new Shinedown fan. A year ago I was driving home around midnight from who knows where and had my local rock radio station on (94 HJY) and this song came on....I had never heard it before but instantly fell in love with it. For some strange reason it reminded me of something that could have been a theme song for a Sylvester Stallone movie. When I got home I Googled some of the lyrics that I could remember. "I'm on the front line don't worry I'll be fine the story is just beginning" That search resulted me finding my first favorite Shinedown song Diamond Eyes. Which in fact was from The Sly Stallone Expendables movie, so strange I would make that connection.
Always looking for new good music (and of course that is always subjective), I started looking for Shinedown songs on Youtube (gotta love the age of the internet). I became an instant fan. In fact Shinedown is the group I use the most to do my workouts to.
Back to the concert...Shinedown did not disappoint, they played all my favorites, it was like listening to my playlist on my Ipod. I'll follow you down, Someone Save Me, Diamond Eyes, Second Chance and there awesome cover of Simple Man among others. Lead Singer Brent Smith absolutely blew me away with his vocals. He has such a strong, genuine voice. It's really hard to find good Rock music these days. I expected him to come out looking like a plain old rocker, with jeans and a t-shirt. This Rock God was actually dressed up, nice, clean, unripped black pants, a shirt with vest and tie. Class act. Very interactive with the audience.
I think I actually walked away a bigger Shinedown fan than I was when I walked into the arena.
My question is this....how long am I going to have to wait to see them again? I can't wait!
Oh, and their set was pretty cool...colorful, not overpowering and fantastic lights, again, just like I used to expect back in the 80's.
That's just my opinion.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Red Dawn (Reboot 2012)
The highly anticipated (well at least for me) remake of Red Dawn opened this weekend. The best way to describe it was the same but different.
I must be honest and admit that the handsome good looks of actor Chris Hemsworth was the driving force behind me wanting to see the rebooted version of this 80's cult classic. That along with I'm a sucker for the story. Chris Hemsworth would have made Patrick Swayze proud. Oh and wait til you see Josh Peck (the former Josh from Nick's Drake and Josh) he's all grown up, thinned out and did a great job.
Though I find it highly unlikely, that in the event of a foreign takeover, a group of teens could actually gather guns and bombs and take on the enemy, it is fun though, to let my mind wander and imagine the group of teens that I know and have grown to love through the years, actually trying to make a difference the way the Wolverines did. Though this particular group of teens are smart enough and have access to enough electronics that perhaps they would be able to go to war in more advanced technological way and would have to call themselves the Huskies.
So you want to know, should you see this movie or what? Well, I personally think they did a very good job remaking it and I think it's good for the new generation, those who have never seen the original. I'll answer your question with a question of my own. Did you see the new Karate Kid? If you did and you liked it then go see Red Dawn. If you did not see it because you just couldn't bring yourself to or you saw it and didn't like it then stay home.
That's just my opinion.
oh, and PS. Make sure you are clear when you say Red Dawn. The guy at the theatre had to make sure I didn't want to see Breaking Dawn.
I must be honest and admit that the handsome good looks of actor Chris Hemsworth was the driving force behind me wanting to see the rebooted version of this 80's cult classic. That along with I'm a sucker for the story. Chris Hemsworth would have made Patrick Swayze proud. Oh and wait til you see Josh Peck (the former Josh from Nick's Drake and Josh) he's all grown up, thinned out and did a great job.
Though I find it highly unlikely, that in the event of a foreign takeover, a group of teens could actually gather guns and bombs and take on the enemy, it is fun though, to let my mind wander and imagine the group of teens that I know and have grown to love through the years, actually trying to make a difference the way the Wolverines did. Though this particular group of teens are smart enough and have access to enough electronics that perhaps they would be able to go to war in more advanced technological way and would have to call themselves the Huskies.
So you want to know, should you see this movie or what? Well, I personally think they did a very good job remaking it and I think it's good for the new generation, those who have never seen the original. I'll answer your question with a question of my own. Did you see the new Karate Kid? If you did and you liked it then go see Red Dawn. If you did not see it because you just couldn't bring yourself to or you saw it and didn't like it then stay home.
That's just my opinion.
oh, and PS. Make sure you are clear when you say Red Dawn. The guy at the theatre had to make sure I didn't want to see Breaking Dawn.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Twilight Movie Marathon)
Once upon a time, what seems like a long time ago I received a phone call from my friend asking me if I would like to go to the movies. Being a lover of all kinds of movies I said sure what are you seeing, the reply was Twilight. Twi-what? Twilight, it's about vampires. I said thanks but no thanks, not into vampires. The next thing I know Twilight is all the rage among the teens. I avoided it like I avoided the Pokemon plague.
A year goes by and I'm up late channel surfing, the clock is approaching midnight and I see Twilight just beginning, I said to myself..."Let me check this out and see what the big to do is" "I'll give it 10 minutes, if I like it I'll record it and go to bed, if I don't like it nothing lost."
Let's just say I didn't get to bed that evening until 2am. I fell in love with the movie like everyone else.
I started with Team Edward and ended up on Team Jacob. Though I have to admit I did not read the books (perhaps someday I will), I was a big fan of the movies.
When I heard that there would be a Twilight Movie Marathon at my local cinema, I told my daughter that she could get out of school early and I would be taking a vacation day. I have never done one of these movie marathons before. I always thought the people who did attend them were a bit nuts. Well I've joined them. Hey, you couldn't beat the deal, $15.00 for 5 movies as well as all you can eat popcorn and free soda refills all day for only $5.00.
Our marathon started at 11:25 with Twilight then New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part I and finally at 10:00pm the final installment....Breaking Dawn Part II.
It's hard for me to review a movie without giving away all the secrets and surprises so let me tell you this. If you've never seen a Twilight movie, don't see this one without seeing the first four. If you've seen them all, don't miss this movie. It didn't miss a beat, though when comparing the Part I to Part II my daughter and I agreed that Part I was much more intense as the big focus was on Bella having the baby, and will Bella survive the birth of the baby. Part II had a bit more comic relief as Taylor Lautner who played Jacob delivered his sarcastic lines perfectly and always made us laugh.
All I can say is this people who have read the books tell me that there is something in this movie that wasn't in the book. I'd love to go in detail about it but it will give away too much, all I can say is that when you see the fight seen you will literally gasp in disbelief.
I'm very sad to see this saga come to an end, I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters. I've often said that when my daughter comes home and tells me she's getting married, all I want to know is this Does he love her as much as Jacob loves Bella? Why this question, afterall Edward's love for Bella is as deep as love can get. The answer is simple. Even though Bella chose Edward, Jacob was still there for her as much as he despised his nemisis, he would do anything for Bella and to me that is the deepest kind of love that you can have.
So out of a 10 I will give this movie a nine and only because they gave me a heart attack during the fight scene.
That's just my opinion
A year goes by and I'm up late channel surfing, the clock is approaching midnight and I see Twilight just beginning, I said to myself..."Let me check this out and see what the big to do is" "I'll give it 10 minutes, if I like it I'll record it and go to bed, if I don't like it nothing lost."
Let's just say I didn't get to bed that evening until 2am. I fell in love with the movie like everyone else.
I started with Team Edward and ended up on Team Jacob. Though I have to admit I did not read the books (perhaps someday I will), I was a big fan of the movies.
When I heard that there would be a Twilight Movie Marathon at my local cinema, I told my daughter that she could get out of school early and I would be taking a vacation day. I have never done one of these movie marathons before. I always thought the people who did attend them were a bit nuts. Well I've joined them. Hey, you couldn't beat the deal, $15.00 for 5 movies as well as all you can eat popcorn and free soda refills all day for only $5.00.
Our marathon started at 11:25 with Twilight then New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part I and finally at 10:00pm the final installment....Breaking Dawn Part II.
It's hard for me to review a movie without giving away all the secrets and surprises so let me tell you this. If you've never seen a Twilight movie, don't see this one without seeing the first four. If you've seen them all, don't miss this movie. It didn't miss a beat, though when comparing the Part I to Part II my daughter and I agreed that Part I was much more intense as the big focus was on Bella having the baby, and will Bella survive the birth of the baby. Part II had a bit more comic relief as Taylor Lautner who played Jacob delivered his sarcastic lines perfectly and always made us laugh.
All I can say is this people who have read the books tell me that there is something in this movie that wasn't in the book. I'd love to go in detail about it but it will give away too much, all I can say is that when you see the fight seen you will literally gasp in disbelief.
I'm very sad to see this saga come to an end, I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters. I've often said that when my daughter comes home and tells me she's getting married, all I want to know is this Does he love her as much as Jacob loves Bella? Why this question, afterall Edward's love for Bella is as deep as love can get. The answer is simple. Even though Bella chose Edward, Jacob was still there for her as much as he despised his nemisis, he would do anything for Bella and to me that is the deepest kind of love that you can have.
So out of a 10 I will give this movie a nine and only because they gave me a heart attack during the fight scene.
That's just my opinion
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Loverboy, Pat Benetar, Journey in Providence, RI
Three for the price of one, that's what 80's music fans got last night at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI.
The first surprise of the night was that the concert actually started on time. I'm not sure that I've ever been to a concert that started right on the minute it was scheduled for. The other thing I loved was that the set changes were very quick. I have been to many concerts that had 3 or 4 big acts and it took forever to change their set so this was great, it was a fast and smoth transition between bands.
Loverboy kicked off the night opening with Queen of Broken Hearts. They put on a great show singing all their hits from the 80's and ending with Working for the Weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect from lead singer Mike Reno as it's been a long time since he could fit into those tight red leather pants, I had seen him on tv a few years ago and he did not leave the best impression, I was afraid his vocals wouldn't be the same live. Make no mistake he can still sing like he did back in the day, a few pounds heavier, (but aren't we all). They put on a great show.
Pat Benatar and husband of 30 years, Neil Giraldo, came out next and they rocked the house. Her vocals were so strong. She is completely amazing. You could tell that they absolutely love what they do and they make a great team. Though Neil hasn't aged quite as gracefully as Pat he has not lost a thing when it comes to playing guitar, he is as amazing as ever. Pat performed a fun mashup during the encore of Hearbreaker and Ring of Fire. The only disappointment for me was that one of my personal favorites, Shadows of the Night, was left off the set list. If you have never seen Pat Benatar perform I say next time she comes to your town, GO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66aqcOsnP2E
Finally the Headliner, JOURNEY...let's just say this and get it out of the way...there is only one Steve Perry. Now, I know it's probably not right to compare newcomer Arnel Pineda to Steve, afterall those are some pretty big shoes to fill. That being said, Arnel was inconsistent at best. There were some songs where he was right on the money, some that he oversang, tried too hard and some that he just plain forgot the words or perhaps missed his cue. Maybe it was an off night for him but inconsistent is the best way to put it. I will give him this, he has a lot of energy, I don't think you would see Steve Perry today running and jumping all over the stage the way Arnel did.
Neil Schon, the driving force behind Journey, showcased his brilliant guitar playing and made you remember that he is definately one of the guitar greats of his time.
Johnathan Cain also had a chance to showcase his amazing talent from keyboards to guitar and singing.
Also impressive was drummer, Dean Castronovo. He can play a mean drum and was impressive when he sang Wheel in the Sky.
As much as I love each one of these bands and I have some major fan loyalty to them all, if this was American Idol or the XFactor and I had to pick a winner, my vote would go to Pat Benatar.
If this show comes to your area, go, spend the money and buy the tickets you won't be disappointed. It really is a good value for your money to see these three bands together.
That's just my opinion!
The first surprise of the night was that the concert actually started on time. I'm not sure that I've ever been to a concert that started right on the minute it was scheduled for. The other thing I loved was that the set changes were very quick. I have been to many concerts that had 3 or 4 big acts and it took forever to change their set so this was great, it was a fast and smoth transition between bands.
Loverboy kicked off the night opening with Queen of Broken Hearts. They put on a great show singing all their hits from the 80's and ending with Working for the Weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect from lead singer Mike Reno as it's been a long time since he could fit into those tight red leather pants, I had seen him on tv a few years ago and he did not leave the best impression, I was afraid his vocals wouldn't be the same live. Make no mistake he can still sing like he did back in the day, a few pounds heavier, (but aren't we all). They put on a great show.
Pat Benatar and husband of 30 years, Neil Giraldo, came out next and they rocked the house. Her vocals were so strong. She is completely amazing. You could tell that they absolutely love what they do and they make a great team. Though Neil hasn't aged quite as gracefully as Pat he has not lost a thing when it comes to playing guitar, he is as amazing as ever. Pat performed a fun mashup during the encore of Hearbreaker and Ring of Fire. The only disappointment for me was that one of my personal favorites, Shadows of the Night, was left off the set list. If you have never seen Pat Benatar perform I say next time she comes to your town, GO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66aqcOsnP2E
Finally the Headliner, JOURNEY...let's just say this and get it out of the way...there is only one Steve Perry. Now, I know it's probably not right to compare newcomer Arnel Pineda to Steve, afterall those are some pretty big shoes to fill. That being said, Arnel was inconsistent at best. There were some songs where he was right on the money, some that he oversang, tried too hard and some that he just plain forgot the words or perhaps missed his cue. Maybe it was an off night for him but inconsistent is the best way to put it. I will give him this, he has a lot of energy, I don't think you would see Steve Perry today running and jumping all over the stage the way Arnel did.
Neil Schon, the driving force behind Journey, showcased his brilliant guitar playing and made you remember that he is definately one of the guitar greats of his time.
Johnathan Cain also had a chance to showcase his amazing talent from keyboards to guitar and singing.
Also impressive was drummer, Dean Castronovo. He can play a mean drum and was impressive when he sang Wheel in the Sky.
As much as I love each one of these bands and I have some major fan loyalty to them all, if this was American Idol or the XFactor and I had to pick a winner, my vote would go to Pat Benatar.
If this show comes to your area, go, spend the money and buy the tickets you won't be disappointed. It really is a good value for your money to see these three bands together.
That's just my opinion!
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