NMM: R5

(L-R) Riker, Rocky, Ross, Rydel Lynch and Ratliff | Photo: Blogs.Disney.com

Put a letter and a number together and fans immediately recognize this rockin' band.

R5 is a pop/rock band consisting of the Lynch siblings: Riker, Rydel, Rocky and Ross as well as their good friend, (Ellington) Ratliff. Some of you may know Ross Lynch from the hit Disney Channel show Austin & Ally.

If you watch the show, you know Ross' character, Austin Moon, loves to rock out. It's no different for R5 as everyone in the band agrees there's only one way to play their music: loud.

That's no problem for R5's latest single, "Pass Me By." The single is a part of the band's upcoming album - appropriately called Louder - which is available for pre-order right now.

"Pass Me By" is a great song that's very addicting. The song lends itself to listeners rolling down their windows and blasting it as they cruise down the highway; which is exactly what R5 wants.

And don't think just because Ross is on a show geared toward teens that it's a teenybopper song. "Pass Me By" has relative lyrics that people of all ages can relate to.

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'AGT' Top 12 Recap

Photos: AGT / Google Images

The Top 12 on America's Got Talent took to the stage Tuesday night vying for a chance to compete in the grand finale next week. Here's a quick recap of what went down at Radio City Music Hall. This show did not disappoint.

Chicago Boyz

Known for their immense energy and ridiculous, acrobatic, gymnastic and jump rope(-tastic) tricks, the Chicago Boyz were amazing as always. A couple of the guys had some miscues but they were really small compared to the whole scope of the performance. I love the energy the Chicago Boyz bring each time they perform.

Branden James

I thought his performance was good. Definitely better than the last time he performed but I'm not sure if it will be enough. I personally didn't like the song choice of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" because it was too cliché. I think Branden is great but, with Forte powering through each week, it's an uphill battle for him.

Innovative Force

It's truly amazing what this group of young ladies can do. The group is not only a dance team but a team that can flip and somersault for days. The best part of the performance was a star formed by members of the group by holding other members, spinning and tossing them while doing so. It was pretty neat to watch.

KriStef Brothers

This comedic, strength and acrobatic duo has honestly just gotten on my nerves this entire competition. I don't know I just haven't been able to connect to them as I have with some of the other acts. That being said, tonight was the first night I actually liked their performance.

The theme to their act was a cross between a cheesy infomercial and a Richard Simmons video. Not sure if it'll be enough to make it through but it was pretty cool to watch.

D'Angelo and Amanda

You honestly wouldn't think this pair is as young as they are. D'Angelo and Amanda already dance like the pros. Their precision on each and every step is incredible to watch each time they perform. What more can I say?

Catapult Entertainment

Look, I think the group has a great act and I like watching one performance at a time. I still can't see myself paying a premium to sit for an hour or two and watch a bunch of shadows form shapes to tell stories. It just doesn't make sense as a headlining show in Las Vegas to me.

Forte

This group definitely gave Branden James a run for his money. The trio sung the (still) everso popular "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic...but completely in Spanish.

Forte should be careful, though, with singing songs in another language. Although beautiful, many people at home may not connect to the song if it's in a different language than his/her own. That being said, I still loved the group's performance.

Taylor Williamson

All this guy has to do is talk and he can put a smile on anyone's face. The comedian has awesome, well-prepared material along with a quirky and awkward stage presence that wins over the crowd every time. This guy is truly great.

Collins Key

If you've seen some of my other AGT-related posts, you know Collins has been my favorite since day one. He's just a nice, all around good person and it would be cool to see a magician win the competition - it would be the first time ever on the American version of the show. He did a trick involving host, Nick Cannon's, $250k watch.

At the beginning of the trick, Collins set Nick's watch to some unannounced time. He then told judge, Howie Mandel, to set his own personal watch to any time he wished. After smashing two cheap watches in brown paper bags and revealing Nick's watch was safe in the third bag, Collins revealed that - without knowing what time Howie was setting his watch for - he had set Nick's watch to the same exact time. It was exciting to see.

Kenichi Ebina

I honestly don't know what to call his act. It's a mix of dance, technology and a little bit of acrobatics. Like Catapult Entertainment, I like watching one of his performances at a time but can't imagine paying to see one or two hours of it. He's another act that I just haven't been able to connect to.

Jimmy Rose

The country crooner has a pretty big fan base. However, I'm not sure if it will carry him to the finals. To me, he picked a safe song with "God Gave Me You." It was good but something sounded a little off. Not to mention, it looked like he may have slipped up - albeit very slight - on the lyrics.

Cami Bradley

She closed the show with her rendition of "Livin' On A Prayer." Her version was amazing simply because it was something fresh and different. She decided to do a stripped down, slower version of the song with just her at a piano joined by a strings orchestra. It was, by far, one of the best performances of the night.

So who's in my TOP 6? In no particular order I have...

Cami Bradley - It would be a travesty if she didn't go through.

Taylor Williamson - Witty comedy and a lovable personality should propel this fan favorite to the finals.

Collins Key - Even though Howard called his act "rushed" his huge fan base of "Keypers" - the most of any AGT act with over 50k EACH on Twitter and Instagram plus being the No.1 WORLDWIDE trending topic on Twitter last night - should carry him through.

Forte - This group has consistently been one of the top acts in the competition. Don't see them leaving.

D'Angelo and Amanda - The precision they have for being so young has won the hearts of viewers. They deserve to go through to the finals.

Kenichi Ebina - Despite me not being able to connect with him personally, I think he'll be voted through to next week. 

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NMM: BΔSTILLE

Photo: BBC Radio / MixTapeLive.Wordpress.com

We're going across the pond to London where we find BΔSTILLE, a band that's making a mark here in the States.

It all began as a solo project for singer-songwriter Dan Smith but he decided to add members to form a band. Currently, the four-piece consists of Smith, Chris "Woody" Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons.

So what's with the awesome name BΔSTILLE? It derives from Bastille Day - or French National Day - which is celebrated on Smith's birthday, July 14.

It's a fitting name in that Bastille Day represents the beginning of the French Revolution and the march toward freedom from a constitutional monarchy. It was a break away from traditional practice and way of life in France. Similarly, BΔSTILLE breaks away from the ordinary with its music.

The music of BΔSTILLE is indescribable - in a good way of course. It's unconventional yet very addicting. That's very true for the first track - "Pompeii" - off the band's new album - Bad Blood - which takes a while to set in with listeners but is truly amazing. 

Smith said in an interview with Australian radio station, NovaFM, that the song is a conversation between two inhabitants of Pompeii as the city was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 

A commenter on SongMeanings.com had another interpretation that was genius, saying it talked about "the moment between something terrible happening and having to face the consequences. The moment at the top of an unpleasant roller coaster."

"Pompeii" leaves its listeners with the chance to interpret it however they see fit. And that's the sheer beauty of it.

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The Problem With Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel didn't learn anything this offseason which is putting himself, his family and his school in a negative light. | Photo: Eric Gay/Associated Press 

Texas A&M quarterback, Johnny Manziel, is often referred to as "Johnny Football" by fans and the media. But he is far from representing the game of football in a positive light.

In the wake of his scandal where he was paid to sign autographs, the NCAA slapped him with a half-game suspension - that's a story in itself - giving him a chance to do a little damage control in the second half of his team's game against Rice.

That didn't happen.

Manziel, obviously not learning a thing from this offseason, made gestures to Rice players referring to his autograph debacle. NCAA Football instituted rules regarding taunting but those gestures - although boneheaded and very annoying - didn't qualify for a penalty. 

Later on he decided to take it a step further and flat out taunt Rice players, resulting in a penalty and giving Sumlin no choice but to pull him from the game.

Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com wrote about this situation and noted some responses from well-respected coaches in NCAA Football whose names were not mentioned.

One in particular said that he would "kick [Manziel's] ass if he were Sumlin." Even former NFL star, Brian Urlacher, weighed in saying Manziel "acted like a punk" during the game.

Johnny Manziel doesn't care about the integrity of the game, his coaches, teammates or the fans. He's spiraling out of control. I mean, he blew off Coach Sumlin when he took him out of the game on Saturday like an annoying parent that wouldn't get out of his ear.

Wojciechowski wrote that his colleague, Mark Schlabach, said weeks ago that he found it interesting how Manziel's teammates didn't vote him into a leadership position on the team. Teams typically vote their quarterback into a leadership role, especially if the quarterback is the reigning Heisman winner. 

But that didn't happen at Texas A&M. And at a time when Sumlin needs leadership for this young team, he definitely won't find any in Manziel. 

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NMM: Dan + Shay

(L-R) Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney | Photos: Twitter

This duo from Nashville, TN is as new as it gets. Just joining Facebook in May 2013, creating a brand new website and releasing a debut single on iTunes through Warner Music Nashville a couple weeks ago.

Ginny McCabe wrote an article on the duo. She said the pair met in Nashville back in 2012 and began writing and performing together. Both have been involved with music since they were teens.

While performing together, they noticed they had a nice blend of country rock and pop which is what we get with their new single "19 You + Me" - a song co-written with Danny Orton - who has worked with the likes of Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Chicago and Reba McEntire just to name a few.

I happened to come across this song when I was sweeping through new music on iTunes. I didn't know what to expect but, let me tell you, I'm hooked! With more amazing songs like this, Dan + Shay are well on their way to doing big things!

P.S. Interesting tidbit about the lyric video below: McCabe also mentioned the video features Harmony Overstreet. If that last name sounds familiar she is the sister of Chord Overstreet from Glee as well as Nash Overstreet from the band Hot Chelle Rae. 

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'AGT' Semi-Final Week One Recap

This week's 12 semi-finalists | Photos: America's Got Talent

NBC's, arguably, most popular show is in its last month of competition.

America's Got Talent began its first of two semi-finals this week, pitting 12 of the best acts against each other with six moving on to the finals.

It was a - well - interesting night. There were many great performances and a few duds. Here's what I thought about each act.

Tone The Chiefrocca

I'm still shaking my head that judge, Mel B, brought these guys back as a wildcard. In case you haven't been keeping up, the duo sings one song - "B-DOUBLE O-TY" - which was hilarious the first time they auditioned but now it's just annoying. Have to give it to them, the guys are really funny and bring a lot of energy but this act is not good enough to move on.

Red Panda

One member of the acrobatic duo, The KriStef Brothers, experienced an injury that prevented him from performing so Howie brought in his wildcard pick, Red Panda. This is a balancing act of sorts where a woman is on a tall unicycle, balancing bowls on her foot and then flipping them up on her head. 

She flew into New York the morning of the show so she had little time to prepare. Despite that, she amped up her act and fared pretty well. She did drop a bowl while flipping them up to her head which could cost her. I still applaud her, though, because I know I couldn't even balance on the unicycle much less flip bowls onto my head.

Angela Hoover

The celebrity impressionist got some criticism that her material wasn't all that great during her quarterfinal performance. She definitely worked on it and was spot on in my opinion, with her impressions of Arianna Huffington and Sharon Osbourne - among others - being spot on.

Duo Resonance

Heidi's pick for a wildcard last week was this acrobatic/strength group. The act is great and I know I couldn't do the things they do but each performance is too lovey dovey for me. The two performers are a couple and each performance shows the beauty of the male/female relationship. 

Heidi preaches about having acts that she can take her children to. While this may be an "appropriate" act to do that I bet young children wouldn't really get the point of it. I'm 21 and I wouldn't pay a high price per ticket for a Vegas show to watch this for an hour or more.

Collins Key

I'm a little biased because Collins is my favorite on the show. The guy is only 17 yet pulls off magic tricks like a pro. His act this go 'round had the judges playing match maker, matching Collins up with the "perfect date."

Long story short, a young lady who had a special red card under her seat was pulled from the audience. Each judge had to choose a ball from separate bags naming a characteristic of his "date" - hair color, what she was wearing, shoes and a "wildcard."

Right before his act, America chose via Twitter hashtag where the newly formed couple would go on a date. Every single item selected matched the characteristics of the woman and Collins had the hashtag selection written on his arm. I'm still in shock every time I see one of his magic tricks.

Innovative Force

This dance team is pretty awesome. But tonight was interesting for the young girls. It seemed like everything on stage was a little too busy, taking the focus off the dance team itself. The judges echoed my opinion. Overall, they are still pretty amazing to watch.

Dave Fenley

I really liked how Dave decided to just be himself and sing with his guitar instead of some big getup.

That being said, I didn't like the fact that he went with a Spice Girls song. I guess it was an effort to impress Mel B - who was "Scary Spice." I liked the fact he threw in bits of beat boxing which was different for him but it was just okay for me.

Taylor Williamson

#Taylords unite! Taylor is a person who can turn pretty much anything into something funny. The comedian brought the house down with his simple, witty and awkward comedy. He's just a likable guy overall.

Jonathan Allen

This young opera singer has an amazing story of overcoming adversity in his life.

His family disowned him after he revealed he was gay. But that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream. He decided to cut down his performance to just himself and a piano. It was beautiful and showed a different side than just all power notes. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me.

Cami Bradley

She is already a star but I'm really glad she's on the show. Cami kept with the theme for singers tonight and did a stripped down performance of the Elvis Presley classic "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" on a platform right in the middle of the Radio City Music Hall audience. 

There's really nothing more to say than wow! The only thing is I wish she would do a more upbeat song and not get content with doing these slower songs.

Catapult

This dance group brought something the show had never seen before: telling stories through shadows and dance. Although what the group does is amazing, I can't see myself paying a lot of money to sit at a show and watch the same thing over and over for an hour or more. Like me, the judges seemed to have also been confused as to what story the group was trying to tell. I think America will agree. 

Forte

Although it was harsh, judge, Howie Mandel, was right when he said that Forte booted Jonathan Allen out of the competition. The trio's rendition of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" received the only standing ovation of the night from the four judges.

So who will make it through? In no particular order, here are my top six:

Collins Key, Forte, Taylor Williamson, Cami Bradley, Angela Hoover and Dave Fenley

Watch to see who are the first six acts to move on TONIGHT at 9/8c on NBC. 

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NMM: 75 Years In The Making

Fred Stobaugh and his wife Lorraine | Photo: Alltop.com

Fred Stobaugh can't sing but that didn't stop him from penning a song that was in his heart. A tribute to the love of his life.

The 96-year-old from Illinois decided to write the song to put both his grief and memories on paper after his wife of over 70 years passed away.  He sent the song into Green Shoe Studio's singer-songwriter contest,catching the eye of producer, Jacob Colgan, as the only snail mail entry.

But it wasn't just that. Colgan was so moved by Stobaugh's song and story that he decided to put it to music. Now, "Oh Sweet Lorraine" is a viral hit on YouTube and is also available on iTunes.

When the song was finished, Stobaugh said in a MSN Now article that it was great but a sad kind of great.

"I really, really miss her," he said.

Watch this amazing video from Green Shoe Studios which includes the song...

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Review: Lee Daniels' The Butler

Eugene Allen (L) and Forest Whitaker (R) | Photo: Slate / Kevin Clark / The Weinstein Company

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey star in a film based on the amazingly true story of a butler who witnessed pinnacle moments in American history.

Whitaker plays Cecil Gaines - based on the real life butler, Eugene Allen. The opening scene shows a very young Cecil on a cotton plantation with his mother and father (played by Mariah Carey and David Banner, respectively).

Viewers get a taste of what life was like on the plantation when one of the white owners (Thomas Westfall, played by Alex Pettyfer) takes Cecil's mother into a barn where and rapes her. Cecil's father confronts him and is shot dead in cold blood right in front of Cecil and the other slaves. The matriarch of the home takes Cecil in to be a house servant, thus beginning his career as a butler.

The film continues to follow Cecil through his young adult years where he later takes a job at a ritzy hotel in Washington, D.C. His excellent work is noticed and he is offered a job at the White House.

Cecil worked in the White House for eight presidential terms - from Truman to Reagan - witnessing many historical events in U.S. racial history and the struggles for equality that ensued.

The film chronicles many events including the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the sit-in at Woolworth's in Greensboro, N.C. and the March on Washington. Not to mention the violence and uproar that accompanied these trying times.

There are quite a few differences between the film and the story of the real butler, Eugene Allen. However, at its core, Lee Daniels' version of this remarkable story is filled with life lessons and opens viewers' eyes to the true volatility of this time in American history.

The Butler is arguably the best "mainstream" film this year and definitely deserves Oscars talk.

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NMM: Rising Stars

Photos: Google Images

For this week's edition of New Music Monday, I decided to feature a few up and coming artists. 

First up is Ebon Lurks. The 17-year-old is fresh on the music scene and has recorded many cover vids on his YouTube channel. He recently released a debut single called "One Day" on iTunes and it's awesome.

Have a listen!

Next is a person many of you may know. Zendaya is an über-talented actress, dancer and singer. She stars as Rocky Blue on the hit Disney Channel show Shake It Up! and placed second on this season of ABC's Dancing With The Stars.

Zendaya has already scored a couple award nominations and is currently recording her debut album with Hollywood Records. In July, she released a track off that album called "Replay" and it sounds amazing.

Check it out!

Last but not least is Nick Tangorra. The 15-year-old is quickly gaining popularity. Nick is frontman of a trio, joined by his brother, Rafe, and their friend, Will Ahrens. The band just released a brand new album a couple weeks ago called Teenage Love & Other Stories.

One of the tracks off that album is "Beautiful Thing," an upbeat song with a positive message that's sure to get stuck in your head.

Listen to it here!

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The Other 43 Pages

Photo: Takaaki Iwabu / Getty Images

N.C. Governor, Pat McCrory, signed sweeping election changes into law Monday even after admitting he had not read the entire bill. 

The bill is the strictest of its kind in the nation and has garnered much criticism, leading to the state being the butt of many jokes on political talk shows and late night television.

The 46-page bill was passed over concerns of integrity in the voting process; chiefly with regard to voter impersonation fraud. In all actuality, voter impersonation fraud is non-existent in North Carolina.

More than 300,000 eligible voters - mostly seniors, people with disabilities and minorities - have no valid government I.D. and these changes will add yet another hurdle they will have to clear just to be able to vote.

The bill offers a "free ID" that can be obtained from local DMV offices. Although the IDs are free to the people who need them, the funding will have to come from somewhere.

Try over $800,000 for 2013 and 2014 and then over $24,000 every two years after, according to WRAL. Money that should be spent elsewhere. Additionally, in-state, college-issued student IDs will not be accepted at the polls.

But the ID provisions are just three pages of this 46-page bill. The other 43 pages focuses on even more unnecessary tactics.

These include cutting the early voting period by one week, eliminating programs that pre-register 17-year-olds to vote, cutting same day registration and opening the flood gates for special interests to give secret funds to groups influencing elections.

The only "good" thing to come out of this bill is a hotly contested provision that would have affected North Carolina students who decide to vote at their college rather than at their parent's residence was not included. Unfortunately, the bads - and there are many of them - out-weigh the goods and these new laws will only hurt North Carolina and its people.

We know what McCrory had to say about voter ID but we don't know what he thinks about the other 43 pages. He decided to cower behind a YouTube video.

He said we need photo ID to "board a plane or cash a check" dismissing the fact that flying on a plane or cashing a check are not guaranteed rights laid out in the Constitution.

As director of N.C. Policy Watch, Chris Fitzsimon, put it the people in power in Raleigh are not concerned with voter integrity. They know full well that their policies are unpopular among voters so they are rigging the system to make sure those who disagree with them can't do a thing about it.

There goes democracy in North Carolina.

Breakdown of the Bill from WRAL

Additional Read: UNC and Duke Students Come Together to Fight Voter ID Bill 

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Fans Or Politics?

Photo: Billboard / David Bergman

What's up with state fairs lately?

First there was the Florida-Georgia Line ticket debacle at the North Carolina State Fair, now this.

Legendary band, Bon Jovi, had set up a headlining show at the New York State Fair in Syracuse but cancelled the appearance citing a "scheduling conflict." 

The conflict? Playing a private, $1,000+ a plate fundraiser for Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The band was scheduled to appear at the fair on Aug. 28 for an estimated 17,000 fans, projected to net $1.1 million in revenue. Instead, the concert was scrapped, leaving "a whole lotta fans a whole lotta pissed" as described by a report from Ultimate Classic Rock. 

A story on Billboard cited the Ultimate Classic Rock report, saying that "the decision to pull out of the State Fair appearance was in an effort to save political face as there would be a conflict 'playing a private show for the governor and three days later being paid $650,000 to perform at the fair.'"

So why is this a big deal?

Lee Ann Taylor, the morning show host on the Binghamton, New York, classic rock station, 99.1 The Whale, told Billboard the fair has been struggling as of late and this concert would have been huge for the area. 

She went on to say that "choosing politics over the people is becoming a disturbing trend with music artists...Upstate New York is hurting and Bon Jovi would have lifted her spirits."

You know, this is really upsetting. Gov. Cuomo is a Democrat but that really doesn't matter. Regardless of the political party, this is wrong! Here you have thousands of excited fans - some having followed Bon Jovi for several years - and the band up and cancels on them. 

As governor of New York, Cuomo should have insisted the band play at the struggling fair instead of his snoody fundraiser where half the people probably won't even know who they are.

I've always been a fan and had thought about getting tickets if the band ever came to North Carolina. Now I'm not so sure about that. 

The guys of Bon Jovi need to remember who got them to their superstar status in the first place: the fans.

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Review: The Way Way Back

Photo: The Way Way Back

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash pull triple duty as actors, writers and directors for The Way Way Back, a film starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Alison Janney.

The film follows a very shy teenager named Duncan (Liam James) who goes on summer vacation with his mom Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and Trent's daughter Steph (Zoe Levin). Duncan finds it hard to fit in anywhere and normally just stays around the house. 

We see how Trent treats Duncan right in the opening scene, giving him a "3" on a scale of 1-10 when referring to how Duncan is as a person. Trent's constant pestering gets to Duncan, resulting in him finding refuge in the Water Wizz water park and its manager, Owen (Sam Rockwell).

Duncan gets a job at Water Wizz - unannounced to his mom and her boyfriend - and an unorthodox method of encouragement from Owen propels Duncan to come out of his shell. 

It's sad to sit there and watch Duncan get treated like he does. Throughout the film, viewers are found rooting for him and wanting to punch Trent - well at least I wanted to. Luckily in the end, Duncan fights back and Pam realizes how much Trent has changed her, wanting to go back to her old self.

With great bits of comedy and a touching, lesson-learning story line, The Way Way Back is one of the best movies of the year. Unfortunately, like The Kings of Summer, it'll get overlooked by other blockbuster films. 

A tagline for this film is "We've all been there." Although it's a fictional story, you can relate to it in some way. And that's what makes The Way Way Back a must see. 

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NMM: Alexandra Lee

Photo: Alexandra Lee / Facebook

With a gift of telling a story through her music, Alexandra Lee is well on her way to becoming a star.

The Wild Blue Records artist is quickly making a name for herself on the country music scene. She released a self-titled, debut EP just last week and is already featured in the "New and Noteworthy" section of iTunes.

One of the songs on that EP is a duet with my friend, Tyler Barham. The song, called "You've Got This Hold On Me," is just flat out beautiful. The pair was put together by each other's management teams and it was undoubtedly the right move. 

Have a listen for yourself!

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Experience Of A Lifetime

The Idol Finalists performing Phillip Phillips' "Gone, Gone, Gone" | Photo: Chris White

I had the opportunity to go to the American Idol Live! 2013 concert in Charlotte Thursday. Little did I know it would be the greatest experience of my life!

I purchased the VIP Meet and Greet Experience which included seats in the first five rows, a meet and greet with the Idol finalists, a pre-show soundcheck and some exclusive, VIP merch. 

The experience started about three hours before the concert where all the VIPs met at the arena box office for check-in and to receive instructions on how everything was going to play out. We were met by a tour rep - who was awesome I might add - and were led down to this lounge area where the Idol Finalists were. We met another tour rep, whom I remembered from the Idol Tour I went to a couple years ago, and he kept everything running smoothly during the meet and greet - while adding in a little humor as well. 

We first took a group photo and then we had about 30-45 minutes of "mingle time" with the Idol Finalists. I ended up getting to meet and get autographs from everyone. They were all so nice!

Group photo with the Idol Finalists | Photo: American Idol Live 2013 / Flickr

I loved meeting everyone but I have to say I was mostly excited to meet Paul Jolley and Devin Velez. They were my favorites on the show this year and were super nice. I wish I could have had more time to talk to them. I was so excited and nervous to meet them that I didn't tell them everything I wanted to; like how they were my favorites on the show and telling Devin I was one of the lucky fans he follows on Twitter.

It was a true honor to meet them!

Me with Paul Jolley (left) and Devin Velez (right) | Photo: Chris White

Like I said, everyone was so nice and I'm a fan of all of them. In past years, some of the Idol Finalists left the room after the group photo. Everyone in this year's group stayed to hang out and talk to us. I really loved that!

After the meet and greet, we were led into the seating bowl of the arena for the soundcheck. This was our breathtaking view walking in...

Photo: Chris White

The soundcheck lasted for about 20-30 minutes. I'd never been to a pre-show soundcheck before so this was an entirely new experience for me. It was awesome to get a little preview of what was to come during the concert.

The Idol ladies during soundcheck | Photo: Chris White

After that we were taken back up to where we started - right in front of the merch stand of course - where we could stock up on Idol Tour gear before anyone else. We were also allowed to stay inside the building until the doors opened about 45 minutes later. I ended up finding a great place to sit and got some dinner all before the doors opened. I thought that was an added benefit of the whole experience.

The concert itself was amazing! There was a mix of group numbers and individual performances with the winner of this year's show, Candice Glover, closing it out before a final group performance of Phillip Phillips' "Gone, Gone, Gone."

And speaking of Candice. I'm not positive on this but I believe her mom was sitting just a few seats down from me! There were these two women in purple "Candice Glover" shirts and one looked like her mom. Just an interesting tidbit!

I had a blast at this concert! I didn't want any of it to end. This whole experience was well worth my time and money for sure. I'll never forget this for the rest of my life!

Thanks to the Idol Finalists - Aubrey, Kree, Curtis, Devin, Paul, Candice, Angie, Burnell, Amber, Lazaro and Janelle - for all the memories and for being so awesome at the meet and greet! I'm looking forward to watching you guys accomplish great things in the future! 

Also, thanks to Time Warner Cable Arena, American Idol and everyone who works on the tour. It really does take a lot and I respect each of you for your tireless work to put on something like this concert.

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You're Out

From left: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis | 

Please pardon the baseball reference as this Oops Award has nothing to do with baseball.

Sylvester Stallone and other execs for the new film The Expendables 3, currently filming, ousted one of their stars over a money dispute.

Bruce Willis was reportedly offered $3 million for four days of filming but didn't like the offer and countered with $4 million. That's right. He wanted $1 million per day to shoot the film.

Co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger took to social media, calling Willis "greedy and lazy" and saying his actions were a "sure formula for career failure."

It didn't take long - 72 hours to be exact - for Willis to be replaced by Harrison Ford. 

An insider told The Hollywood Reporter "I think [Willis] was pretty surprised he was replaced in 72 hours by Harrison Ford - a better actor, a much nicer person and a more interesting direction for the film."

Full Story

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Concert Sellout Angers Fans

The Florida-Georgia Line concert sold out within five minutes. | Photo: Facebook/N.C. State Fair

The North Carolina State Fair hit a sour note with thousands of fairgoers trying to buy tickets for its headlining concert this year.

Fans were looking forward to buying tickets for country superstar band, Florida-Georgia Line's, concert on October 20 at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh but were surprised to find the show had already sold out within five minutes of going on sale.

Tickets for all concerts at this year's fair went on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. There was a presale for those in the band's fan club on Wednesday. The presale had a limited number of tickets available for purchase with more than 4,000 being saved for the public sale.

With measures in place to curb scalping and tips given on the fair's Deep Fried blog, it seemed as if things would go smoothly. That didn't happen.

The problems began during the Wednesday presale. Ticket website, Etix, reported that it had issues with its Google Captcha system. Fans reported other issues through Facebook and many fan club members were left without tickets. This was only the beginning.

Tickets were released promptly at 10 a.m. for the public sale on Thursday but, once again, hundreds of fans reported issues they were having with the Etix site on Facebook.

Some fans reported having tickets in shopping carts and the system timing out well before the 15-minute time clock expired. Others said they logged on at 10 a.m. and were left waiting for a long period of time, being told tickets were unavailable by the time they were able to get through.

Meanwhile, tickets appeared on Stubhub and other sites for multiples of the face value - $10 - before the show had even sold out. Some even selling for a whopping $900 each, a 9,000 percent markup.

Here's the story from WRAL.

Unfortunately, selling tickets online for a ridiculous markup is legal in North Carolina and other states.

According to NCGS § 14‑344, Internet sites can sell tickets above face value without a cap unless specifically prohibited by the venue. The reseller must also provide a guarantee that the buyer will receive a refund if anything goes wrong with the ticket purchase or if he/she is denied admission into the venue - which most secondary ticket sites offer.

I contacted the N.C. State Fair and Etix and received conflicting reports.

When pressed about problems of this magnitude not really occurring at venues smaller than Dorton, an Etix rep said via Twitter that shows at those venues didn't "draw in the same numbers" of people as the fair.

On the contrary, The Durham Performing Arts Center drew in around 10,000 interested buyers for its Jon Stewart show alone while, according to Etix data reported by fair officials on Facebook, 10,000 buyers logged on for all 11 concerts combined.

But then, a rep for the North Carolina State Fair said in an email that 10,000 people logged on just to get tickets to the Florida-Georgia Line concert. Very confusing indeed.

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My Thoughts: Unfortunately, my grandma and I were among the disgruntled fans who couldn't buy tickets. We go to at least one of the Dorton Arena shows each year. We were both ecstatic that Florida-Georgia Line was coming and even my dad, who's never interested in the concerts at Dorton Arena, wanted to go. The other concerts the group scheduled in North Carolina were not headlining shows and tickets for the fair concert were dirt cheap compared to the others.

On Thursday I, like many others, logged online to the fair's website and waited patiently for the clock to strike 10. As per the guidelines on the fair's website and blog, I refreshed the concerts page which took a full two minutes to load again (10:02).

It took another minute (10:03) for the page to load where I could select the number of tickets. I was then placed "in line" where it was another five or six minutes before the system took me to the tickets review page (around 10:10). By that time it was apparently too late as I received multiple messages saying there were no tickets available.

There have been grumblings on social media asking why WRAL even treated this as a viable story. Most of those came from people who had already scored tickets or who had a free pass into the show to begin with.

WRAL found it to be newsworthy as it affected people not only in the Triangle-area but in North Carolina as a whole. I applaud reporter, Julia Sims, and WRAL for being the only local news team to cover this.

I'm not stupid. I know that tickets were not solely purchased by scalpers and people who wanted to resell them but something has got to be done to fix this problem. Here are four suggestions.

Lower the Limit: The ticket "limit" placed on this show was way too high. Fair officials placed a limit of 10 tickets per order while most venues put a limit of four or five, at most, especially for high demand shows.

I ordered tickets for the Hunter Hayes concert in Greensboro during a presale and there was a strict limit of four tickets per order. Once the public sale went on the limit was increased to six. Ticketmaster clearly stated it would cancel any order that exceeded these limits and/or cancel multiple orders associated with the same name, e-mail address, billing address, credit card number, etc.

Go Old School: Revert back to the old school way of distributing tickets. That's right, have fans line up outside the arena the day of the show - don't allow camping out - and distribute tickets based on the number in one's party. One ticket for one person, etc. This may limit online scalping and could leave just "street scalpers" who are subject to stricter laws than online resellers.

My mom and grandma both remember a time when it was free to get into the Dorton Arena concerts at the fair. The catch was you had to line up early if you wanted a good seat. Just because the Dorton concerts were free back then didn't mean the entertainment lacked. In fact, the entertainment was just as good - perhaps even better - than now.

Looking at past fairs, Dorton has played host to Garth Brooks, Patty Loveless, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Chubby Checker, Alan Jackson, KISS and Emmylou Harris, just to name a few.

Use a Different Ticketing System: Many people have had good experiences - up until this - with the Etix ticketing system. Quite honestly, it's not all that great in my opinion. I've always had little issues here and there when ordering fair tickets and I think this debacle shows that a sale of this magnitude cannot be handled by the Etix system. I'm not saying other ticketing systems are perfect either but this should definitely be looked in to.

Stay Local: Many venues have also implemented a policy that limits online sales to just residents of the state in which the event is being held. This policy is already in place for most shows at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

The whole situation is unfortunate. Judging by social media - especially Facebook - there were many other fans who experienced the same problems and made their voices clear to the N.C. State Fair, Etix and Florida-Georgia Line.

Unless you experienced this situation first hand you really don't know what happened.

My grandma, dad and I are still contemplating whether we're going to the fair at all this year. If we do, we've decided that we will not be attending any Dorton Arena concert, opting for the free entertainment instead.

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NMM: A Little Country, A Little Alternative

Rachel Holder and Jackson Guthy | Photos: Google Images

Today's New Music Monday features two rising stars in very different genres of music.

First up is Rachel Holder. The 18-year-old is well on her way to super stardom.

At just the age of 15, she attended an intimate Vince Gill concert in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In between songs, Rachel raised her hand and boldly asked the country star if she could sing a duet with him. Gill agreed and the pair brought down the house with a performance of "Oklahoma Swing." Since then, Rachel has proven that she is a fearless artist. 

Last week, Rachel released her latest single, "Lord Help Me," which is actually an old demo written by Carrie Underwood that received new life. Rachel picked it up, put her own spin on it and recorded it in what should be a solid hit for her. 

The song is so new that there is not a video out yet but it is on SoundCloud. Have a listen!

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Next is Jackson Guthy. If this name sounds familiar, he's the son of Bill Guthy, who runs the direct-marketing company Guthy-Renker, and businesswoman Victoria Jackson, CEO of Victoria Jackson Cosmetics. 

At just 17-years-old, Guthy has already made a name for himself. He recently released two songs off an EP called Launch, due out later this year. In April, Jackson performed those songs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to rave reviews. He's been out on the road this summer as the opening act for Big Time Rush and Victoria Justice's 38-city "Summer Break Tour."

One of his latest songs is "Roll" a tune with a different flavor than mainstream pop. With amazingly-written songs and a silky-smooth voice, Jackson is well on his way.

Have a listen here!

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Cut, Evade, Repeat

A crowd of nearly 5,000 taking part in this week's Moral Monday protests. | Photo: Google Images

The title of this post is a play on the title of a radio commentary I heard Monday from Chris Fitzsimon, director of N.C. Policy Watch. Listen to it below...

Fitzsimon hit the nail on the head. The N.C. Republican Party has waited years upon years to take control of government. When it finally got its way, its leaders are making sure that people who disagree with them can't do anything about it.

MSNBC's The Last Word did a segment Monday on the ghastly voter suppression law that could soon become law if signed by Gov. McCrory. Now, I know MSNBC is notorious for leaning left but the show cited an editorial written by the Winston-Salem Journal, which supported Gov. McCrory, that bashed the new law calling it a "cynical effort to take from certain groups of Americans their most cherished right."

As I alluded to in my post last week, McCrory and his pals in the General Assembly are doing everything they can to suppress the voting rights of minorities, the poor, the elderly and students - among many other things.

I know the people of North Carolina will not stand for it. Many have been voicing their concerns since this unruly regime has taken office through numerous platforms including Moral Monday protests - this week's being the largest ever - with thousands coming together at Halifax Mall in Raleigh.

I've already said a lot about this barbaric Republican regime but I won't stop until every last behind is voted out. It's mind boggling to me how these "legislators" truly think they're making this state better. HA! What a joke. If anything they're making it much worse.

Is this North Carolina? I don't know what state I'm living in anymore. This barbaric regime has come in and wreaked havoc on the state I used to love. Now I don't know how much longer I'm going to stand living here.

Until then, I will continue to fight this regime and I hope you'll join me. If you support all of these changes I sincerely hope you're satisfied.

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NMM: The TeenHoot Edition

TeenHoot concluded Saturday night so I thought about dedicating this week's New Music Monday to some of the artists who performed there.

Now, you may be asking: what the heck is TeenHoot? Great question!

TeenHoot is an annual festival in Nashville, TN featuring some of the best up and coming artists, giving them a chance to showcase their talents and interact with fans from around the world. The two day festival includes performances and a chance to meet the artists as well.

I try to watch it every year and hope I can be there in person to see it someday!

So without further ado here are some of the featured artists - who are all amazing by the way!

First up is Tristan Blaine. At just 14, Tristan is well on his way. He's put some great cover vids on his YouTube including one of Chris Brown's "Fine China" which is below. He released an EP on iTunes called Up, Up and Away back in April which includes some of his original work as well.

Next up is someone who's not only an amazing artist but an amazing person as well: April Lockhart. She's the middle child in a musical family. She was born with UBS, uterine band syndrome, and lost her left hand but that didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams.

She released an EP called Different back in 2011 and has since been doing some cover vids on her YouTube. Check out the title track from her EP below. It's a beautifully-written song.

Next up is Tyler Matl. The 19-year-old has a huge following, with fans in over 30 countries and over 200,000 views on YouTube. After the successful release of his debut album, Wonderstruck, Matl released an EP called Searching For Juliet back in April. Here's one of the songs off that EP.

Next is Macy Kate. She's an amazing, soulful singer who has already burst onto the music scene. She decided to go full time with her music after the boot camp round on this past season of The X-Factor and has since gained a lot of popularity. Macy also has a band - along with Cade Larson, Nick Lopez and Austin Anderson - that has become very popular and has opened for Aaron Carter, The OMG Girlz and Seven Nations.

Recently, Macy and her band recorded a cover vid of the Imagine Dragons' hit "Radioactive" along with YouTube sensation, Kurt Schneider, which is also available on iTunes. Macy and her band has released many more cover vids on YouTube.

Last but definitely not least is Alabama Capital. The band is made up of two brothers from Ohio, Nathan and Caleb Montgomery. These guys are the real deal, combining powerful vocals, amazing guitar riffs as well as a message family to their fans. You can go to the band's website and download an acoustic EP for free, which includes this song, "Self Made Millionaire."

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Speechless

Photos: OpenDurham.org / WNCN

I apologize I haven't blogged much this week. A lot has happened both good and bad.

You may recall a post I wrote a few weeks ago regarding an issue facing my church, Grey Stone Baptist's, name. Leaders were contemplating whether to ax "Baptist" from the name.

After little real discussion - only one open forum - the measure was barely passed Wednesday night in a church conference. 

All I can do is shake my head. I'm all for "modernization" and whatever but not this. Grey Stone Baptist is all I've known since diapers. It's unbelievable that the church I've grown up in is masking its true identity - at least in the public eye.

Is it really going to make that much of a difference? I mean, church visitors aren't stupid. They'll eventually find out Grey Stone is a Baptist church one way or another; especially since nothing else at the church is changing...yet.

I'll say it again: what's next? Are we changing the names "Christian" or "Christianity" all because people have negative opinions about those names? Absolutely not.

In my opinion, I believe the whole thing is a silly waste of time. I have much more to say about this but, since it's in writing, I'll refrain from doing so.

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In other news, I can't believe what the "lovely" state legislature is doing. The Republican-controlled General Assembly has turned the clock back 50 years all in just a few months. Passing pointless tax reform, cutting education - again - which will make our teachers 46th in the nation in salary and passing redonkulous - yes redonkulous - restrictions on voting.

I could probably write a novel about the inhumane laws and regulations passed but let's look at the voting one which has royally pissed me off.

The bill, named HB-589, would not only implement new voter identification laws but would restrict so much more.

According to WNCN, the bill also ends same-day voter registration, cuts early voting by one week and eliminates a high school civics program that encourages students to register ahead of their 18th birthday. In addition, it weakens disclosure requirements for campaign ads and allows political parties to rake in unlimited corporate donations.

Another thing missing? Students at state colleges and universities being able to use their college identification card at the polls. If I'm not mistaken, this was supposed to be included in the list of acceptable forms of identification but was obviously taken out - no surprise there.

Let me sum it up for you: if you don't have a driver's license, non-operator I.D. card, tribal/military I.D., or passport you're screwed.

I'm really getting sick and tired of Republicans putting down young men and women as well as minorities and the elderly. It's our civic duty to vote and this General Assembly is quickly taking that away, piece by piece. 

Supporters in the General Assembly say this addresses the state's voter fraud problem but, funny thing is, voter fraud is virtually non-existent in North Carolina. 

In 2012, for instance, nearly 7 million ballots were cast in both general and primary elections. Of those 7 million, the State Board of Elections reported a minuscule 121 were found to be suspicious of voter fraud - a whopping 0.00174 percent of the ballots. GASP! - and only one of those was found to be actual voter fraud. The State BOE also found no history of such lawbreaking in the past.

If you voted Republican, I hope you're satisfied. I hope you also know that multiple policies put forth by your people have altered my livelihood. Yea how does that feel? 

If you want this state to go to Hell in a hand basket then be my guest. I'm not going to sit around and watch it happen. The next election can't come fast enough - if I'll even be able to vote in it.  

I don't know what to say. With both the church thing and the ever so increasing suppression by this GOP regime happening, I honestly don't know where I live anymore.

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