May 26, 2008 - Hillsong UNITED Live in Manila

This was a wonderful night we have. It's my first time to saw a live worship in a live action, or simply to say I was there. We always used to watch their dvd, listen to their albums, cd and we also used to cover their songs. There's a story before this live experience happened.

It was February when we heard a news that UNITED band/worship team will be here on the Philippines, so we check the said website where they post blogs, and latest announcements about the event. It is scheduled May 26, at the Araneta Coloseum. One of the biggest dome here in the Philippines. They actually called it "The Big Dome" and then we found out the ticket price to expensive. But we tried our best just to experience it. So some of our youth, in our group talks a lot about this plan, I even make a loan to my friend, just to buy that ticket. We bought tickets from a reserved seating Upper Box A. I still remember the reserved seats. I'm at Section 314, Row E, Seat # 12! That's my exact location it's at the side of the stage with a closer look. We actually wait there, because we don't want to miss the opening. The night started at exactly 8pm. Joel Houston, stood behind the follow spot! And then read a verse from Isaiah 42:10-13. Then he shouted "Lift up a shout of Praise" and the crowds begun to shout their loudest praise, we are also a part of it. They prepare a 23 songs in their setlist and there's an encore. On their Encore they sung, One Way and Solution and It's their last song they have made. It was really an awesome evening and the way they minister through people was good. But all glory belongs to God!! They were just an instrument of God's presence through music.

The setup, before the event starts..

September 18, 2008 - Battle of the Bands:Featuring "Sugarfree"

Last week, I've watched battle of the bands, to support one of my classmate who joined. And then I thought I could never watched the guest band, because there are ten contestants. Luckily, they break the battle  into two parts, 5 bands and then mini concert of the known band here in the Philippines, the Sugarfree, and 5 again. To make it short, I've watched the band, well It's good, the way they communicate to people through their songs, nice P.R. on stage!! I've also seen a professional reference earphone, wow.!! A really good experience of mine.

Ebe of Sugarfree

Hope to see more live music experience next year and beyond! God Bless!! Enjoy Reading!

I always seem to just shrug off a random MySpace request, a flier outside a music store or someone handing me an unwanted piece of paper on the train. Unless I already am familiar with your band I have no interest in spending $10 to come see a band I have never heard of.

So how about something original? Maybe you could hand make a hundred fliers and put them on paper plates or a brown paper sack. How about giving away a t-shirt, a cd, a coffee gift card, free entry to a show, guitar picks anything that helps you stand out from the rest.

One of the best examples of unconventional marketing is a funny video promoting your myspace, webpage or an upcoming show.

Here is a prime example of originality. The band Pool of Frogs created a whole series of "bandisodes". A television sitcom like video that shows their music, their creative talents and upcoming shows.

This is one of them.

Good Luck!

(Left to right) Dan "Sorry Ladies" Cooper, Bobby "Givin' You the Lovin" Minelli, Eric "More Bass" Cherney and not pictured Jeff "Tasty Licks" Freling.

At first I didn't know what to expect from this lavishly popular group of lads. Only basing the upcoming experience from some of the shows I have witnessed that dancing, screaming, drunkenness, and the occasional sex act was bound to ensue.

The GCs first ep "The Crazy Legs Sessions" has been wildly popular amongst its fans and has been picked up by other fun loving music enthusiasts across the web. They first released " Disco Punk" one of their many songs that will take radio waves by storm also accompanied by their first rock video that is a cross between Reservoir Dogs and a quality 1970s porno.

With such great success of their first single and video they went to make another, "Rhythm and Soul" which pokes a bit of fun at a popular Los Angeles based clothing company. For this they once again team with the fellas at collective-pictures.com where they used over 3000 digital photos and put together one of the funniest and clever music videos I have ever seen.

Not to mention some other catchy tunes, "Something of Gentleman" and "You Want it From Me" to catch your ear at myspace.com/thegentelmensclubonline.

The new record, unofficially named "unzipped" is in its mastering stages and will be available to you online at the end of September 2008.

The Gentlemen's Club are currently located between Chicago, IL and London England so look out for some non stop parties in between.

Alanis Morissette

One of the top concerts to be held in Chicago, is a concert featuring Alanis Morissette. She will be performing live at the Chicago Theatre on October 2nd and the ticket prices range from $44-64.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Another must-see concert in Chicago is the Pitchfork Music Festival, which took place form July 18-19 of this year, at Union Park and featured groups, like Public Enemy? and Mission of Burma, who gave a good performance and kept the crowd entertained throughout the performances.

Lollaplooza 2008 Concert

This concert held every year in Chicago and does in 3 days which scheduled on 1st to 3rd of August this year. There are more than 15 band involved in this concert like Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West (so much for no repeats), Wilco, The Raconteurs and many more. For Lollaplooza Concert "s fan don"t forget to be there this August.

Taste of Chicago

Another top concert of 2008 was the Taste of Chicago? festival, which took place from June 27th to July 6th and featured performers, like Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone, who preformed wonderfully for the crowd and kept the crowd in an upbeat manner.

Summer Jazz Concert Series

Another hot concert of 2008 will be the Summer Jazz Concert Series, which will be held at Room 21, from August 6th to September 3rd, from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M CST. each night (you do not want to miss that one!)

Tribute to Neil Diamond

Lets enjoy with must-see concert of 2008 called Tribute to Neil Diamond? concert, which will be held at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center on August 8th and will last from 8-10 P.M. and you definitely do not want to miss that one.

12th Annual Celtic Festival

For more must-see concerts of this year in the Windy City?, you might want to kick up your shoes to the 12th Annual Celtic Festival? Which will be held at Grant Park on the 13th and 14th of September, form 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. CST and will feature some of the best Celtic music and dance that you can hear and see, so do not miss it!

Ravinia Festival: Beaux Arts Trio Farewell

Another must-see concert in Chicago, this year, is the Ravinia Festival: Beaux Arts Trio Farewell? which will be held at the Ravinia Festival Grounds on August 18th and the show times are from 8-10 P.M. CST and the program will include performances of Franz Schubert's Trio No.1 in B-Flat Major and âTrio in E-Flat Major? so get your classical music on and come see this concert!

Annual Country Music Festival

For country music lovers out there, there is the 18th Annual Country Music Festival, which will be held at Solder Field II, on the 18th of August and the shows begin at midnight on the 18th, where the biggest names and faces in country music will perform for your amusement.

Tina Turner concert

The last top concert in Chicago, this year, is the Tina Turner concert? which will be held at the United Center, in downtown Chicago, on the 3rd and 4th of October, and the performances begin at 8 P.M. CST, on each date. Come see Tina Turner perform some of her most famous classic and new songs. The ticket prices start at $87 and are selling fast, so do not miss out on one of the hottest concerts in Chicago this year.

After 3.5 hours they were given the hook, as the crowd sat expecting yet another encore as the lights stayed dark for five or six minutes, indicating a debate on the issue. But economics of casinos revenue must have won out, as they finally didn't come back. Just prior to that they kicked-up a light and young Take It Easy, just prior to Don Henley stepping to the edge of the stage to close it out with a sad-ballad warning to everyone in Desperado. Personally, I go back all the way with these guys. They were Linda Ronstadt's Band, prior after her Stone Pony's hit, Different Drum, and played a couple of nights a week, down the street from where I lived on Canon Drive, at a club called Troubadour. Henley and Frey went on a two-month tour with Linda and then quit to form the Eagles. Back then, this band, as all the bands did, would hang out in the grassy center strip that divided Santa Monica Boulevard between sets.

We'd hang out with them, as they were like the coolest older people we knew. Linda would come out too and they passed the joints of Acapulco Gold and Panama Red, and we'd end up with many a roach - which we never inhaled!By the time I moved East in the early 1970s, I was losing interest in my harmonic hometown bands, like the Eagles (Troubadour), Doors (Cheetah), Byrds (Gazarris), Buffalo Springfield (Pandora's Box), et al. By now, I had been exposed to Bruce Springsteen and the stench that emanated from Max's Kansas City, which included Blondie, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, The Ramones and hundreds of others. The Cars took me up and Marshall Crenshaw was a sound and tempo that represented my tastes a lot more than the Eagles. Then it was on to Europe, Alphaville; Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson. Long before I became a journalist, my tiny, but diverse, firm actually had a couple of top name national touring acts under contract. So it was culture shock ending up with this invitation to the Eagles. I insisted it should be a fun night, but honestly had no interest in their music whatsoever. I have a trove of their albums, but haven't pulled them out in decades. Was I wrong?Wrong couldn't be further from reality.

This show was the shit. You want rock? Can you stand rock and roll? Then welcome home The James Gang. Joe Walsh, never second-fiddle to Henley and Glen Frey, stole the show. But “stole” isn't the fair word as Henley and Frey often just turned the entire thing over to him and cameras caught them smiling and just enjoying Walsh as much as the audience, as he jammed with myriad guitars from 1950s Fenders to custom-made jobs, changing boards as often as most change ass-position on folding seats. It was one punch after the next, with tempo changes, drops to ballad and accelerations to “arena rock,” with stops in between using false endings and 4/4 alternatives intermingled with 3/4 and fading keyboards and quiet drum accompaniment from Henley. This must be said: Joe Walsh has a signature as honest and easy to recognize as George Harrison's. And, Walsh, 60-years-old, is the greatest guitar picker in the USA. He's alone.

Doing all his hits - accept Rocky Mountain Way - Walsh put on a helmet cam and goofed with the enthused audience, putting them O.C. on the two giant screens that flanked the stage. During Life's Been Good the backdrop behind the stage showed old photos of the band for about five minutes, and when he sang, “ . . . they write me letters and tell me I'm great,” Glen Frey was rolling his eyes. Haha! Walsh did Walk Away and Guilty of the Crime as if in a confessional. His guitar work on Heartache Tonight, Life In The Fast Lane, and Dirty Laundry were beyond description. One can only say, men like Clapton or even the youngest guns had better not get into a Battle of the Bands with this fella. The set was complete: Take It Easy Witchy Woman Peaceful Easy Feeling Desperado Tequila Sunrise Already Gone The Best of My Love I Don't Want To Hear ItLove Will Keep Us AliveLyin' Eyes One of These Nights Take It to the Limit Hotel California Guilty of the CrimeWalk AwayLife in the Fast Lane Victim of Love Boys of SummerDirty LaundryThe Last Resort New Kid in Town Heartache Tonight The Sad Café I Can't Tell You Why The Long Run In the City Hole in the WorldAlso an acoustic set where Henley, Frey, Timmy Schmit and Walsh were down front on barstools ala CSNY. Nice.

They did a number of songs off the new album and these tunes were actually some of their best work ever. Schmit has always been a real singer. Henley and Frey were on edge and exciting. The hired hands included a guitarist (Stuart Smith from Arlington, VA) almost as good as good is.

Schmit did three songs: "I Don"t Want to Hear Anymore', "I Can"t Tell You Why' and "Love Will Keep us Alive". His voice a tad shaky on the first song. Glenn Frey announced the band: Smith (guitars, mandolin, keyboards, backing vocals), Michael Thompson (keyboards, trombone), Will Hollis (keyboards, backing vocals), Richard Davy (keyboards), Scott Crago (drums, percussion), Al Garth (Manassas), Bill Armstrong (Horns), Christian Mostert (sax), Greg Smith (sax, percussion). These guys were from all over the globe, one used to be with Loggins and Messina. I don't recall a tour where tickets have began at one set of prices and have gone up 10 fold on the face as the tour progressed. Tickets are hard to find, but if you can find one, buy one. You'll never forget this show. They killed.

And then, from the silence comes a thunderous rumble.
Electricity released!
Charging. Powering. Tuning.
Tiny circuits, microchips and processors,
Compacted, firmly - held in hand.

Connecting to the world on a global scale.
Seeking the journey into the mysterious unexplored.
Unearthing a trove of treasures that are unlike anything known before.

1. The Sixtyone

   This website offers music lovers great music to listen to, but not to download. The unique twist is that listeners can earn points by bumping up songs that you like that catches on with other listeners and they too can bump the song up, too. Listeners are the ultimate judges of the song's success or failure. It's kind of like American Idol on steroids.

2. Spinjay

   If you are planning a party or preparing to travel and need some great music to download on your iPod, so your party will rock the house down or your travels is enjoyable, then Spinjay.com is the place to visit. Put together your own playlist and submit it to the Spinjay.com community to challenge your playlist against theirs in a voting type election system. You ultimately receive the winning playlist and the playlist submitter earns points for winning the vote.

3. Songza

   Songza offers music fans the opportunity to search for and listen to the artist or song that they want to on the web. Users are not required to subscribe or pay for the services unlike Last.fm or Rhapsody does. An added bonus Songza pays for licenses from all of the major performing-rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) and these companies pay the publishers and writers in proportion to the number of plays they get on Songza, so the artists are getting paid and the listener are getting to listen to free music on the web.

4. Grooveshark

   Use this music sharing website to discover new artists and songs through its community of music loving listeners. Share your favorite music with others in the community and earn credit, so that you can use to get free songs of your own. Listeners can also review and recommend the music that they listen to and download music without restrictions.

5. It Breaks

   Discover new recording artists and bands through listening to music that is being broadcast by the artist on ItBreaks. Listeners can comment on, share and evaluate the songs that they listen to and if a song receives enough favorable feedback, then that song moves to the frontpage in real time. ItBreaks' members can customize their account with numerous features including groups, albums, playlists, ranking, etc.

6. MP3 4U

   This music website offers free and legal MP3s that are submitted by its member community. MP3 4U members can comment on and review the songs that they have listened to, so that the rest of the community can also discover the best free music in the Universe. What type of music do you like? This website offers every music genre under-the-sun, and then some.

7. New Grounds

   Visit this website if you are in the mood to discover new music options from aspiring musicians and Flash artists from around the world. Listeners can vote for their favorites or listen to other member's favorite songs, bands and musicians.

8. Ruckus

   This website came highly recommended by a few of my readers that had left comments in my other two Top 10 Music Lists, so it earned its nomination. Ruckus is a music network that allows students the ability to download and listen to, free music that have been archived in its network. Students can download unlimited free and legal music with the option to choose from more than 3 million songs. Additionally, students can also legally download hundreds of popular movies and television shows through the Ruckus service.

9. Musicovery

   This website offers its listeners the ability to listen to or build their own playlist via its own radio channels. Discover new music from different music eras and/or by selecting your favorite music genre.

10. Live Music Archive

    Live Music Archive provides the highest quality concert downloads on the Internet. There are more than 49 thousand items and 2,912 bands to choose from, so this is an excellent tool to use when enlarging your free music collection.

11. My Bloop

    MyBloop allows anybody the ability to store files for free and share them with anyone else for free. Works with both Windows and Mac, so anyone can listen to their favorite music, create playlists, back up files or simply share your personal music tastes with the world in minutes. With over 1.5 million files already stored on MyBloopthere isa fantastic selection to choose from when you are ready to get started.

12. Deezer

    Discover new music and artists on Deezer by listening to a variety of web radio channels that Deezer offers to its members of listeners. Join the Deezer community and participate in the forums, so to stay in the loop of all your favorite music. Search for the music that you want to listen to either by selecting the artist or the title from the built-in site search bar.

13. Tagoo

    Tagoo offers its music listeners free music to listen to on the Internet. Build your own playlist featuring the biggest names in the business or from the least known garage bands that are just starting out in the music industry. Tagoo is still in Beta, so expect a few bugs here or there.

14. Jamwave

    This website offers its listeners the opportunity to listen to free music on the Internet and discover new artists, musicians and bands that you probably haven't ever heard of, until now. Listeners can join a Jamwave group, keep tabs of the charts or browse through the upcoming events when not tuning in the Jamwave radio.

15. Last.FM

    Last.fm offers more music than you can shake a stick at. Join the community and make new friends who share the same interests as you do. Last.fm members can play full tracks and customize your playlist according to your own unique tastes.

According to their website, the band will start their residency at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago on May 7th and they will be playing a different album every night, with one night dedicated to B-Sides and rarities, through the 13th. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, March 8th.