Phoenix Says It Best Themselves: "This Is Show Time"

What a great way to start a Fall Tour! Phoenix sold out all 17,000 seats at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend, and I was lucky enough to have gotten one of them! They played all of their "sweet-tempered, a little nostalgic and always danceable" (LATimes) songs off their new Wolfgang Amadeus album, starting and ending with two of their biggest hits: Lisztomania and 1901. The Hollywood bowl was the perfect venue for this indie music sensation. Their resilient and colossal melodies filled the    

packed outdoor amphitheatre. The whole audience stayed on its feet dancing to the catchy tunes of these musical missionaries. The phenomenal lighting and the band’s flawless live vocals and instrumentals made for a complete sensory experience. Mars even pulled out one of their French tunes in the middle of the audience. With a neon microphone in hand, he serenaded the crowd no more than 7 feet away from my seat! (Pictured) 

From Mars’ boyish blushing face to the band’s nonchalant hair flips, I left the Bowl thinking, "what a 'precious weekend ending'.” 

News That Will Make You Hit the Pavement

Brace yourselves, take a sturdy stance, maybe even sit down; after 11 years Pavement has officially re-united for a Fall 2010 Tour! Run to the box office or hit up Ticketmaster, they will be in Los Angeles on September 30th! 

Politics and Pop Music- Where Do We Draw the Line?

Last night the 2010 Video Music Awards gave tribute to another year of Billboard music. And, predictably, music was not the only thing celebrated. The notoriously scandalous Lady Gaga had something else to preach to the 11.4 million viewers. Scantily clothed in a mini dress of the latest meat couture and with an entourage of homosexual veterans she protested the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" military policy. 

As a devoted Gaga fan (yes, gotta have me some Bad Romance), I was not shocked by the outlandish display of protest by the pop diva. However, it got me to thinking, how does a pop star, or any musician, actor, or comedian, acquire credentials to speak out politically? And, to what extent does the media control our country's political opinions? To claim that there is disconnect between entertainment, including the music industry, and politics would be mindless. 

This is no new phenomenon, however. Musicians have infamously used their power as public icons to display their political beliefs. In July, I saw Tool at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco (RIDICULOUS!). The former Dead Kennedys lead singer, Jello Biafra, opened with a quite bold political statement, "F*ck capitalism!" I quickly covered my gaping mouth but noticed that the other groundlings conformed without hesitation. Their fists stayed in the air, smiles continued on their faces, and their dancing long-lasted to the peculiar sounds (and mimes) of his political slurs. A shuffle through my ipod would reveal the political opinions from bands like Fugazi, Rage Against the Machine, and even Tool themselves. 

We can continue to enjoy these talented artists' political anthems, but we must remember to listen critically!