music
09/17/2007
Fall Out Boy Patrick Stump Talks Sniffing Panties for NGTV
Actually, Fall Out Boy lead vocalist Patrick Stump only speaks rather briefly about sniffing panties in this segment of NGTV.com's Tour Bus Diaries. And he's only doing it to make a point about women who throw their panties onstage at concerts. He's not writing a song about it or anything. But he does do a bit of demonstrative sniffing, which is fun.
Other topics include the new album, pranks on other bands, free gifts, and why Stump's astonishingly tight jeans aren't as health-threateningly "nut hugging" as you might fear. Well, that's a load off my mind.
No Good TV has carved itself a niche as the online home of uncensored celebrity interviews and videos. Mostly, it's a place for celebs to talk about their upcoming projects while making dirty jokes and saying "fuck" a lot. Which, when you cover everyone from Akon to Andy Dick to the cast of "Hairspray," is pretty fun.
Plus, I think we all learned a little something about throwing our panties onstage.
09/11/2007
Kanye West VMA Music Awards Backstage Meltdown
A video was posted today of Kanye West’s backstage temper tantrum at the VMAs after he was snubbed for the second year in a row. It’s hard to make much of the footage, presumably because the cameraman was trying to be secretive about it, but the audio is thankfully as clear as day.
What is hard to understand, though, is why Kanye even cares about this kind of stuff. The critics love him, he’s well-respected by nearly everyone, he sells millions of albums (in today's Kanye vs. 50 Cent feud, he is the clear winner). And yet he gets all emotional over a meaningless VMA? Very strange.
But hey, crazy egotistical Kanye rants are like half the reason we love him. Plus, he’s making some of his “Stronger” lyrics look awfully prophetic:
Bow in the presence of greatness
Cause right now thou has forsaken us
You should be honored by my lateness
That I would even show up to this fake shit
So go ahead go nuts, go ape shit.
09/06/2007
Luciano Pavarotti, R.I.P.
On September 6th, legendary operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti passed away in his home in Modena, Italy, after a lengthy illness. Though he was, perhaps, most famous for his performances with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo (as the Three Tenors), Pavarotti leaves a legacy that stretches far beyond.
He was the first opera singer to perform on Saturday Night Live, was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2001, and holds a Guinness World Record for the highest number of curtain calls -- 165. His 1993 concert in New York's Central Park drew more than 500,000 people.
Pavarotti was also tirelessly committed to helping refugees and other victims of war, raising money for the causes via his annual "Pavarotti and Friends" concerts, as well as specific concerts for victims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Guatemala and Iraq. He also worked with the UN as a Messenger of Peace, raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, child rights, and many other issues.
But in the end, Pavarotti will be remembered as a great man who moved millions with the power of his astounding voice. Choosing a clip for this piece was an exquisite chore; how do you find one performance that defines a man who was not only one of the greatest opera singers of our time, but who peformed with everyone -- from James Brown to Lou Reed to Liza Minelli?
Well, you can't. But hopefully, this performance of Schubert's Ave Maria will be a start, at least.
Rest in peace, Luciano.
08/10/2007
Ethan: 6-Year-Old Piano Prodigy
In the last year, piano player Ethan Bortnick has taken the world by storm, dazzling audiences with his prowess on the old ivories: abilities that would be impressive for an eighty-eighter of any age, but when found in the hands of a 6-year-old are nothing short of miraculous. In this clip from Ethan’s May 10th 2007 appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno we learn a little bit about Ethan’s past and are treated to a performance of several song clips, including an original composition by the boy wonder himself.
I urge music lovers everywhere to get in on the ground floor of the Ethan Bortnick phenomenon now, before the pressures of being an internationally famous child prodigy lead to his inevitable nervous breakdown. 25 years from now, when he reluctantly comes out of seclusion and embarks on a small, but critically successful, tour, you can stand tall and tell folks that you’re no Johnny-Come-Lately Ethan Bortnick fan. You were there at the beginning, man. Watching this video now is like FedExing your lame, middle-aged Future Self a cache of fully redeemable cool points.