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Bruce Stopped the Rain
3 Aug
Early on during his show Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, Bruce Springsteen played a special request for “the coach,” who apparently was in the crowd: Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”
Well, for a while on Saturday, I was wondering the same thing.
And silly me, because it became a non-issue.
Like the Boss himself sang later in the show, “Don’t worry Darlin’, now baby don’t you fret.” Although it rained pretty hard at times during the afternoon and there was a heavy downpour again around 8:15, by the time Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage around 9:30, the sky was clear and there were stars out.
It was perfect.
So Bill Belichick, I think you have your answer: Bruce stopped the rain. Continue reading
Don’t Take a Chance on This
14 Jul
So … this is what it looks like when Meryl Streep is slumming, eh?
In the film adaptation of Mamma Mia!, the musical about a girl (Amanda Seyfried) who invites three men to her wedding in the hopes of finding out which one is her father (a show I’ve never seen, by the way, and have consciously avoided), Streep plays the girl’s mother, who now runs a hotel on a remote Greek island.
Oh, and the whole thing is set to the music of ABBA.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations. That’s farther than I got seeing the movie. Continue reading
Ain’t That America
4 Jul
I sure hope I’m not the only one who still gets chills every year when the Boston Pops hits the final verse of “Stars and Stripes Forever” and the flag unfurls from the top of the Hatch Shell and the confetti shoots out from the machines on the sides of the Esplanade.
It’s a fantastic, only-in-Boston moment, five of my favorite minutes of the year, and it never ceases to excite me year after year after year.
My only real regret about the Pops show this year (and every year) is that the national audience doesn’t get to see and hear more of it. Continue reading
Rock On, David Cook. Rock On.
21 May
Woo hoo! There he is, ladies and gentlemen, your new American Idol. I have to admit, I was really excited when this was announced (all things considered, of course).
I was never a fan of David Archuleta and I said as early as February 19 that he would never win. David Cook may not have given the better performance last night, but for most of the season it was pretty clear he was the best contestant. Continue reading
A Grand Time
19 May
Diddy was there. So were Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Mayer (minus Jennifer Aniston), Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Quincy Jones, Jon Secada, actor Jeffrey Wright, Village Voice columnist Michael Musto, and DJ AM.
Apparently, Nick Cannon (aka the new Mr. Mariah Carey), Kim Kardashian, Whoopi Goldberg, CariDee English from America’s Next Top Model, Pepa from the hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, and Jenny McCarthy were there, too.
And you know who else was at the exclusive, black-tie, invite-only Grand Opening of the new MGM Grand at Foxwoods? That’s right: me. I snagged a V.I.P. pass to the hottest party in Connecticut this weekend, and the event certainly lived up to the hype. Here are some highlights. Continue reading
The Wrong Stuff
16 MayHoly crap, I feel awkward just watching this. Imagine being up there performing!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/24664786#24664786
Listen Up
15 May
You know your iPod is playing too loudly when …
I am on the T listening to Freddie Mercury and Queen rocking out to “Radio Ga Ga” on my iPod and you’re listening to some hip hop crap on your iPod, and I can hear your iPod better than I can hear my own.
So yeah, thanks for that this morning, whoever you were standing next to me on the B line.
Make It Yours
12 May
How much do I love Jason Mraz‘s new album? Well, for starters, I like it more than I like Gavin DeGraw’s new disc. Mraz got his sophomore slump album out and behind him in 2005 with the release of Mr. A-Z, and now he’s back with We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, an album that displays growth and maturity, and more importantly, impressive songwriting and singing skill. Most folks who know Mraz already love his first single, “I’m Yours,” but as good as that song is, it’s not as full of life as the album’s jazzy, funky opener “Make It Mine.” Better still is my favorite track, the jangly, easy-going “Live High.” Duets with Colbie Caillat (“Lucky“) and James Morrison (“Details in the Fabric“) also impress. And that aforementioned maturity is on display in “Love for a Child,” which recounts Mraz’s parents’ separation, and shows that Mraz has come a long way from the youthful novelty of his debut disc, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, or songs like “Geek in the Pink” from Mr. A-Z. Really, there’s not a bad track on the album (though “Coyotes” is kind of lame). We Sing, etc. is completely enjoyable; I’m sure it’ll get plenty of playtime on my MP3 player this summer.
Tasty Tunes
11 May
I bought Abby her first CD last week: Snacktime by Barenaked Ladies. It’s the band’s first full-length CD for children, but I bought a copy of my own as well, and I have to say, listening to it while driving down to NY on Saturday made the trip so much more enjoyable. If you’re a longtime fan of the band like I am, you likely miss the novelty and fun that marked their earlier albums, particularly Gordon. Well, that sense of whimsy is all over Snacktime. There’s a song called “Popcorn” that’s basically a solid minute of the word “pop” over and over. The song “Crazy ABCs” is a typical alphabet song, except the lyrics start out like this: “A is for Aisle, B is for Bdellium, C is for Czar” and continue in similar fashion, with none of the words cited sounding like they begin with their first letter. Many of the 24 songs are two minutes in length or shorter, and nearly all are about things kids can get into, like “Vegetable Town,” “Bad Day,” and “Allergies,” which lists all the things a child can possibly be allergic to (bees, dust, wheat, etc.). Most songs work on multiple levels, like the best of the Disney movies do. For example, one of my favorite tracks is simply called “Eraser,” and it celebrates what that thing can do. Toward the middle of the song, there’s a break in the upbeat tune, and Steven Page sings, in his most deadpan serious style, the following lyric: “If I wrote you a letter, but I made an error, I could fix it … and make it better.” It’s humor that may go over most kids’ heads, but if you’re a parent (or a childless adult), you’ll appreciate it. As children’s music goes, this is the kind that doesn’t grate or annoy. Snacktime is fun, tuneful, and, um, tasty. It’s also one of my favorite BNL albums. I can’t wait till Abby hears Snacktime and enjoys it on her own. Until then, I know her parents will love it. And so will I.
Martin's Musings 