Swing Vote
I went to see Swing Vote with my son while it was at the discount theater.
Kevin Costner was hilarious. I have not seen that entertaining of a movie
in a while. I laughed out loud several times. I just go for pure entertainment
value. It is gone from the theatres now but be sure to rent it. I think
most will enjoy the humor.
On another note, Get Smart is a waste of time. The dance scene is not funny
at all and I love Anne Hathaway in everything else she has done. At least
until Get Smart. No laughs there.
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http://www.myspace.com/dfwevents
http://wehadwords.blogspot.com
Joseph Vincelli/Grapefest Review
Joseph Vincelli/Grapefest Review
Thursday, Sept. 11
I attended Grapefest on Thursday night in Grapevine. Joseph Vincelli played from 9-10:30. He was incredible. He opened with a song called Sweet Persuasion and closed with Night Beat. Alot of good music to dance to in between. There was a little girl about 3 years old that started the dancing. She lasted about 3 songs and that is when I started. You can only tap your toes in your seat for just so long and then you feel out of sync. So I got up and right away I had a partner. I think she must have been feeling the same way. With Joseph you can’t sit still and he will come out and dance with you while he’s playing. Well he does play some slow songs but thankfully he played mostly fast ones. We danced to Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish Those Days” and a number of other songs. Then I had a swing dance partner from Ennis for another one.
So catch Joseph Vincelli whenever you can and bring your dancing shoes.
Grapefest continues through Sunday with 3 stages of live entertainment and all types of music.
www.josephvincelli.com
www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest
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Indoor Fireworks - Gaylord
Indoor Fireworks - Gaylord Texan
Friday, August 22
I took my sons and a couple of their friends
over to the Gaylord Texan on Friday night to
catch the free indoor fireworks dispay. It
is an impressive show. Although it is only
8 minutes long, they are larger than I would
have thought possible for an indoor venue.
They reach almost as high as the glass
ceiling in the atrium. The show is put on
by North Texas Pyrotechnics. The hotel also has
a fire twirler perform before the fireworks at
9:30. Friday, August 29 will be the last
week for the indoor fireworks. Something
different to take the kids to see. There is
a daily parking rate of $10.00 at the Gaylord.
www.NorthTexasPyro.com
www.gaylordtexan.com
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Shine a Light (Rolling Stones) movie
My son and I took in a late show at Plano Movies 10 tonight. We saw Shine a Light. Martin Scorcese directed this movie about the Rolling Stones concert at The Beacon in New York. I was a little concerned at the beginning when it started slowly with Mr. Scorcese checking out the stage and set and discussing pre-production with the set staff. But when we finally got to the concert it never slowed down. I have attended a number of concerts in my life but haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Rolling Stones live. I don’t think I have ever seen a performer move around the stage as much as Mic Jagger did. He moves so fast and dances so much you know what a good time he is having. Now Buddy Guy performing Champagne and Reefer was awesome and Christina Aguilera gave a nice performance as well. I have not heard Rolling Stones do Just My Imagination. For presentation and vocals Pleased to Meet you was the best song in the movie. I know the sound was not what one would enjoy at a live event but I did enjoy this movie. Seeing Bill & Hillary hobnobbing with the Stones before the concert was fun. I know this is an outdated post but rent or buy the video, you’ll be glad you did.
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Music | Comment (0)Black Crowes - Taste of Addison
Black Crowes
Saturday, May 10
Taste of Addison
Alright it is time to write about Saturday night at Taste of Addison. My son and I returned on Saturday night for Black Crowes. I was looking forward to hearing "She Talks to Angels" and "Hard to Handle" but did not remember any of their other songs. Most of their performance was instrumental rock not many vocals. Nothing noteworthy. They played "She Talks to Angels" about halfway through the concert and it did not even sound like the version you hear on the radio. The music and vocals sounded fuzzy and unclear. After waiting through a number of instrumental songs everyone was dissapointed that they skipped "Hard to Handle". There was no explanation from the band for the omission. The crowd was booing and only dispursed when they saw the festival crew cleaning up the stage area. I think everyone assumed the band would return to play their big hit as an encore.
Needless to say, Saturday night was a big let down after Fridays’ performances were so good and such a crowd pleaser. The only reassuring thought is that if they had played their hit, it would not have sounded anything like the originally recorded version. A big thumbs down to Black Crowes. They have proven that they are Hard To Handle.
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Music | Comment (0)EDS Jazz Band
EDS Jazz Band
Monday, May 19
Allen Parks & Rec
Well I just returned from a concert at Allen’s Joe Farmer Rec Center. I had never heard theEDS Jazz Band. They can really swing. There are 23 members of the band. 4 of them are vocalists. The rest heavy on brass. They performed alot of old big band/jazz selections. Blue Moon, Day by Day, At Last, even a Beatles hit I can’t remember the name of. They played "It Might As Well Be Spring" but a different more uptempo version. All in all a great concert.
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Music | Comment (0)Joy to the Red White & Blue
Allen USA
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Three Dog Night
After an afternoon of rained out activities Allen USA resumed the day long festival with a live concert by Three Dog Night. They were excellent and played all their hits they are famous for - Shambala, Easy to Be Hard, Black & White, Out In The Country, Never Been To Spain, and many more. The final song they played was "Joy To The World" and while most of the song was performed in its original fashion the lead singer donned a chain and baseball cap and rapped part of the song. It was great.
The evening concluded with one of the best fireworks displays I have seen. Light showers came and went during the concert and during the fireworks. The best part - the showers brought cooler temperatures and it was about 75 degrees. I am glad I didn’t let the rain keep me at home.
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Music | Comment (0)A Little Night Music
Symphonic Saturdays
Addison’s Esplanade Park
Saturday, August 2
A friend and I decided to try the Saxophone Quartet playing at the Symphonic Saturdays series. They were wonderful. They played show tunes - Somewhere Over theRainbow, the Pink Panther theme, some jazz - a Glenn Miller medley, Java Jive, Georgia on My Mind, and a few classical songs. A nice way to spend a Saturday evening. The saxophone quartet was part of the Dallas Wind Symphony. For the August schedule of concerts visit http://www.addisontexas.net
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Music | Comment (0)Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Taste of Dallas
Friday, July 11, 2008
I heard Edwin McCain sing at Taste of Dallas tonight in West End. He has a wonderful singing voice. I enjoyed all of the songs he played, most of which were new to me. He performed familiar "I Could Not Ask For More" early in the show, about halfway through. Two songs I particularly liked were called "I’ve seen a Love" and "Lost in America". When I thought we had come to the final number and he did "I’ll Be" he did not stop there. He closed with 2 cover hits - "Your Eyes" and "Never Gonna Survive Unless We Get a Little Crazy". All in all a great concert. Since McCain performed from 10:30-12 the weather was perfect. A nice breeze.
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Music | Comment (1)Lover’s Lane Jazz Band Review
Lover’s Lane Jazz Band
Sunday, June 1
I attended a concert fit for jazz lovers at Lover’s Lane UMC on Sunday evening. The Lover’s Lane Jazz Band, now celebrating their 16th year, just keeps getting better every time I hear them. They opened with "All Of Me", one of my all time favorites. Also the name of a funny movie with Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. They played pieces like "Take The A Train" by Duke Ellington, "A Foggy Day" by Gershwin, and "Laura" by Stan Kenton. "Caravan" originally performed by Duke Ellington and later covered by Chicago was fun and upbeat. Now "Soul Vaccination" by Tower of Power was introduced as a song to lift all sin from your soul and I don’t know about that but I did feel my chest lighten during that number so maybe it worked. I love any concert where you feel uplifted and happier when you leave than you did going in. I left with a spring in my step - just right for a spring concert. If you missed this concert the Jazz Band will be performing again on Sunday, June 29th at Lover’s Lane UMC 5pm for God & Country an old fashioned patriotic concert and pie auction. http://www.llumc.org I will definitely be looking for the cd of Chicago covering big band favorites that they played "Caravan" from.
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Music | Comment (0)