311 Brings Unity to PNC Bank Arts Center in Jersey

A young crowd begins to fill the lot at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, pulling out grills and coolers and starting friendly games of touch football. The scene is relaxed and serene this early July evening, even with the numerous undercover cop cars and police officers roaming the rows of parked vehicles, checking Ids and questioning individuals if things seem to be getting suspicious or troublesome. Since numerous accounts of injuries and deaths related to underage drinking during shows back in 2007, the security at PNC has pulled into overdrive, banning any tailgating or drinking in the parking lots before shows. However, over the past few years such rules have been given more leniency during specific shows, including The Unity Tour featuring 311, The Offspring, and Pepper. The unique crowd of laid-back individuals is not here to cause trouble or violence, but to enjoy a summer show headlined by one of the most popular, modern rock-infused reggae bands of today’s generation.

The entire show has a strong feel of beach and sun, starting with Pepper’s amazing set, which features a stage lined with surfboards and band mates clad in swimming trunks. Lead vocalist Kaleo Wassman has such strong, smooth vocals and a rather demanding stage presence that the crowd has no choice but to stand up and dance along to the dub-reggae beat led by a heavy bass-laden sound. Hailing from Kailua-Kina, Hawaii, Pepper brought their laid-back surfer vibes to the mainland and hit the crowd hard with their popular single, “Dirty Hot Sex.” Pepper is set to release a self-titled album sometime this year, and gave the audience a sneak-peak by playing one of their new singles, “Wake Up.”

Opening punk rock band The Offspring takes the stage just as the venue begins to fill. Formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1984, The Offspring has produced many hit singles over the years, including “Self Esteem,” “Why Don’t you get a Job?,” and the hilarious “Pretty Fly for a White Guy.” With their witty, catchy lyrics and pop punk sound, The Offspring is credited as being a major influence in the revival of mainstream punk rock in the 1990s. Lead vocalist and guitarist and founding member Dexter Holland led a strong set, greatly exhibiting his thorough experience and mastering of live performance. Although the set lacked rather popular songs that seemed to let the crowd down when the band promptly left the stage without playing them, The Offspring epitomized a band full of musicians that love what they do and who know how to win over an already wound-up crowd.

The five-member crew of 311, hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, produces sounds of pure rock and reggae that one would not expect from a typical Nebraskian. After financing many of their own first tours, 311 began to be recognized as a force to be reckoned with and as of today, all of their studio albums have hit the top 15 of the Billboard Top 200. Frontman Nick Hexum jumps on stage in his typical, simple white tank top fashion, and explodes into a fury of rhythm guitar. DJ Doug Martinez makes 311’s sound unique with his advanced turntable skills and backup vocals. 311’s hit single “Amber” seemed to be the favorite of the night, led with precision by bassist Aaron Wills.

The crowd was content with 311’s set of old favorites mixed with newer hits off of their 2009 album Uplifter. Hexum seemed to hit every note and not once appeared to be off key or to have missed a single beat. 311’s jazzy/rock fusion provided by the drum beats and guitar rhythm mixed with Hexum’s almost hip-hop, rap-like vocals makes for a unique sound that cannot be placed into any specific genre. 311 ended the night with a great instrumental culmination paired with an awesome light display.

The peaceful and positive vibes displayed by all three bands made for a night marked by great music and unity rather than unwanted hostility or dilemma. Like the laid-back atmosphere as displayed in the parking lot that did not call for an abundance of police interference, The Unity Tour provided a great summer night of live entertainment and safe partying that all concert-goers and 311 fans seemed to enjoy.

Pepper and The Offspring will continue to open for 311 throughout the summer 2010 Unity Tour.

The “Showmances” and Sabotages of Big Brother 12

Everyone get ready for another season of lies, deception, secrets, and of course everyone’s favorite meal – slop – with another rendition of the hit summer reality show Big Brother. Now in its 12th season, Big Brother is back with more twists and turns to keep both players and viewers on their feet, with a new “showmance” and strong team alliances already in the making.

Big Brother 12, which premiered on CBS on July 8, started off with host Julie Chen shocking everyone with the game’s new twist that a “saboteur” lurked among the players. This individual’s sole intent would be to ruin everyone else’s game and survive elimination until week six in order to come out of the house $50,000 richer. Every other player would still be fighting to make it through the entire 75-day competition for the chance to win $500,000.

Big Brother – based on a similar Dutch reality television show – first premiered in the United States in 1997. Although there have been many rule alterations throughout the years, the main concept remains the same. A group of players (season 12 has 13 guests) compete in an isolated house, which is video-surveillanced 24/7, for approximately three months with weekly competitions and elimination. Each week there is a new Head of Household, a player who decides which two individuals will be put up on the block for elimination that week. These two players then get a chance to save themselves from elimination by winning the Power of Veto. If won, the person in question may take him or herself off the block in order for another person to take their place. A new player is voted off each week. The player to make it to the end wins $500,000. Secret alliances and deceit rule the game, given that greed and money supersede any sense of true friendship or morality. Although a harsh reality, such corrupt humor and backstabbing keep viewers coming back for more each season.

Unfortunately, Big Brother’s attempt at making the game more exciting this season has come to a standstill, given that the first player to be voted out of the house was 27-year-old Annie Whittington, the individual who viewers recently found out was playing the saboteur. The twelve remaining houseguests still have no idea that the saboteur no longer lies in wait to ruin their game, so the big question remains whether Big Brother will slash the concept altogether, or go with the flow and keep the players on their feet with more lies and tricks.

Heading only into its second week, Big Brother 12 has already had its first dose of bickering, alliance-making, and not so subtle snuggling among the houseguests. Rachel Reilly, a well-endowed VIP cocktail waitress with fiery red hair, is already cuddling up and sharing bed with 30-year-old Brendon Villegas, a high school swim coach from California. Although these two players were first put up for elimination in order to break their already strong alliance, Villegas won the Power of Veto and took himself off the block, with Whittington taking his place. Another four-man strong alliance called “The Brigade” – headed by 32-year-old Jersey boy Enzo Palumbo – seems to be running the game as of late.

Although Enzo’s leadership and Jersey attitude may lead him far in this game, it is the neutral, quiet players – including 40-year-old Deputy Sheriff Kathy Hillis and 24-year-old Kristen Bitting from Philadelphia – that the others need to watch out for later in the game.

Big Brother airs on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8 p.m.(ET/PT). Big Brother: After Dark, a spin-off show on Showtime 2, airs three live hours of footage from the house every night.


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The God and Guns Tour Units Classic Southern Rock

There were not as many Alabama license plates or Confederate flags scattered among the tailgaters at the PNC Bank Arts Center parking lot as one would expect at a Lynyrd Skynyrd show on a clear Friday evening in Holmdel, NJ. Even so, the feeling of unity, love and the need to have a good time at the expense of some classic, live, southern rock ‘n’ roll music was evident among all the audience and performers in preparation of the fourth of July weekend. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bret Michaels, and 38 Special didn’t disappoint with their crisp, guitar-infused sets and harmonized shouts to support the troops and come together as one peaceful nation, all while drinking and rallying along onstage to give the audience a show to remember.

The God and Guns Tour opened just as the sun was setting with 38 Special, a band from Jacksonville, Florida who have a true, strong southern rock sound. Their many hits include their 80’s released “Back Where you Belong” and “Second Chance.” Lead vocalist Donnie Van Zant, brother of former Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant, had a very strong set and did a superior job keeping up with the fast and loud tempos of the background guitar and drum beats. When the band ripped into the song “Fantasy Girl,” the crowd got out of their seats and began to set the upbeat mood that would permeate the rest of the night, and it turned out to be one of their most successful songs of the night.

The anticipation for the next act kept people on their feet, as Bret Michaels, former lead singer of Poison, and his band took the stage. During his stint on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice, Michaels had many trips in and out of the hospital after he experienced a brain hemorrhage that put his life at high risk. Although his vocals and stance were a bit shaky, he put on a spectacular performance given his current physical condition. He kept the crowd going by playing many new tracks set to be released on his album Custom Built on July 6. Although it was odd to keep seeing photos of the girls from Michael’s past VH1 reality show Rock of Love pop up on the jumbo screen, Michaels kept his performance so down-to-earth and sincere that no negative judgments could be made. He closed his set with the much beloved Poison song “Every Rose has its Thorn,” and left the stage leaving the women in the audience crooning.

“I just really looked forward to Bret’s performance after everything he’s been through. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t the best performance, but I still loved it,” said 45-year-old concertgoer Patricia Gartland from Clinton, NJ.

Just as the stars were coming out and the beer cans were flying, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s seven-man band greeted the crowd with a drum and guitar solo introduction. Johnny Van Zant, the son of the deceased Ronnie Van Zant, carried such a deep, southern voice and attitude that was so reminiscent of his father’s that the differences between the two performers are minimal. After a devastating 1977 plane crash that killed a majority of the band, pre-crash member and guitarist Gary Rossington is the last of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd who still tours with the band. Although the actual Lynyrd Skynyrd no longer exists, the new bandmates do a great job of keeping their southern rock sound unique yet still reminiscent of the talent that has allowed Lynyrd Skynyrd to gain the recognition it deserves. Johnny Van Zant did great in covering hits such as “Simple Man” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” With his Confederate flag-draped microphone, Van Zant captured a deep connection with his audience and kept the high spirits up the entire set. After a loud encore, Lynyrd Skynyrd returned to the stage with a great rendition of “Free Bird,” which proved to be the best performance of the night.

Check out 38 Special, Bret Michaels, and Lynyrd Skynyrd as they continue their God and Guns summer tour into July, and then continue their touring with separate performances throughout 2010.

Jaws still Shocks Summer Viewers after over 40 Years

Who can forget that suspenseful theme song that has come to personify the horror movie industry – that simple E and F pattern that puts one on edge as soon as the melody starts. Who can forget that scene that left viewers scared to step even a foot in the ocean – when a young boy on a small yellow raft gets ripped to part by some colossal creature while his mother looks on in horror. Jaws, first released in 1975, is considered to be one of the first “high concept” suspense films and among many to be the father of summer blockbuster films. Even with the film’s rather outdated special effects, it remains a very popular and influential movie that continues to frighten beach goers every summer, making everyone think twice before splashing into the great blue abyss that may just hold a monster similar to the horrors of Jaws.

Starring Roy Scheider and directed by Steven Spielburg, Jaws is about a small, New England beach town that gets turned upside down after brutal shark attacks hit the coast during the town’s pivotal vacationing season. After positive feedback during advanced screenings, Jaws became the first movie to open nationwide, with a very successful outcome. Unlike other horror films, Jaws hit viewers with a situation that produced true fear and slapped them in the face with a scary reality, given that a shark attack could indeed happen to anyone willing to go for a simple swim in the ocean. Spielburg was ahead of his times by providing an exciting story that spoke to and deeply affected his audiences, both with physical and emotional fear. Because of the influences of this film, sharks were given a very negative and scary stereotype among mankind – a fear that still permeates among many beach travelers today.

Jaws paved the way for what today is known as the summer blockbuster movie, with followers including Star Wars and Transformers, and its influence on viewers over the past 40 years remains the same – one of fear, suspense, and horror. Once the weather starts to get warmer and the days get longer, many TV stations begin to air this film, knowing that summer viewers still enjoy the thrills and terror of such a great suspense movie.

The Sublime Sounds of Summer

You know it is summer when people begin to trade in jeans and sweaters for bath suits and flip-flops and weekend trips to the beach become more frequent than putting in overtime at work. The coming of summer also brings with it the need to rummage through old CDs in hopes of finding some good, classic summer tunes to make it through those long road trips to the coast – “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama, “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley, maybe even Will Smith’s “Summertime”. But nothing marks summer more than the smooth, laidback sounds of reggae and ska. Bob Marley and UB40 top the list, but Dub Reggae band Sublime, especially with their single “Doin’ Time,” epitomize the true, lazy days of summer with their lyrics reminiscent of late-night gatherings with friends and the hardships of love, youth, and life.

footed by: paulh09

Although Sublime’s original front man Bradley Nowell passed away in 1996, “Doin’ Time” was released in 1997 as a loose cover of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” The original “doin’ time” lyric was later changed and rerecorded by the band’s producer Michael Happoldt to “summertime” in order to keep with Gershwin’s version. The lyrics depict a man’s hurt after being cheated on by his girlfriend, and the song – like many other of Sublime’s music – is considered to be lounge with a strong reggae and punk-ska feel. Although such somber lyrics, the song’s laidback vibe with its hip-hop-infused beats – especially with the main chorus line “summertime and the livin’s easy” – makes for a great summer tune that never grows old.

“Doin’ Time” – along with many other Sublime tunes including “What I Got,” “Santeria,” and “Badfish” – are great tracks to have playing in the background at beach or pool parties on those hot, lazy days that make up most of July and August. With such a strong, bass-driven sound with some rather psychedelic guitar solos and sporadic drum transitions, Sublime seems to be the perfect band to listen to while laying out in the hot summer sun. Once played, such reggae-infused beats always brings back memories of the beach, sizzling sidewalks, and fun, crazy nights spent with friends.

Check out for Sublime this summer while they tour with their new front man Rome.

Summertime