HAY LAYYYYYDIES (and Ladyboys)…
Do you like music by women? Dos the idea of ladies making music together excite you? Well then–I’ve got a competition for you!
MuuMuse is proud to be giving away TWO PAIRS of tickets to see the Lillith Tour at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ.
Headlining acts include the Indigo Girls, Cat Power, Sara Bareilles, Carly Simon, Selena Gomez and many more!
To enter to win, send an e-mail to me with the subject line “LILLITH” or tweet me with the phrase “I want to see the Lillith Tour with @muumuse!” to enter to win.
Didn’t win the tickets? That’s okay–I’m also giving away FIVE COPIES of the accompanying 2010 Lillith Tour compilation CD to five runner-up entrants.
To see the full tracklisting of the compilation, click “Read More…” below.
SO STOP LOLLYGAGGING AND ENTER NOW–winners will be selected and notified on Tuesday, July 20.
If I were a sinner, why would Jesus let me play the Garden?
On Wednesday night, I became a full-fledged monster…again.
July 7 marked Lady Gaga‘s second performance at Madison Square Garden–her hometown show during the second American leg of her seemingly ceaseless tour, the Monster Ball Tour.
Gaga’s tour has improved dramatically since the last time I saw her last year in Boston. Dropping the forced perspective, minimal bluntness of the initial Monster Ball tour stage, the arena-armed Gaga has given us room to breathe, and the results are much more memorable.
Once a self-indulgent art installation, the Monster Ball Tour now operates as a cheeky, playful homage to The Wizard of Oz, as Gaga and her clan of gender ambiguous, S&M-clad buddies traversed the sketchy, unfamiliar streets of New York City to try and find the greatest party of all time–the Monster Ball! And just how would they do that? Why, by following the Glitter Way, of course!
The new-and-improved show includes the best musical bits of the first leg, including the greatest video interludes remixed and refreshed (including the one where she vomits blue glitter all over herself, which I affectionately refer to as “Vomi-Gaga,” now with a bloody good bit of cannibalism to boot.) The dancing is sharper, the energy has reached a new high, and everything about the night just felt good–even while watching Gaga eat her own bloody heart out.
Particular highlights included the performance of “LoveGame,” which incorporated both the opening subway sequence from Gaga’s performance at the Much Music Video Awards in 2009 and the throbbing, rave-inducing Chew Fu Ghettohouse remix breakdown at the song’s end. Just like last time, as the words “disco stick” stutter over and over on top of the remix’s punchy beat, the stadium burst into nothing short of pure, hysterical euphoria (which you can see here). Such bliss.
Then came a personal favorite: “So Happy I Could Die,” performed on high in one of the Haus of Gaga’s newest contraptions–the living dress. In short, it’s a gorgeous, bat-like gown with the ability to move on its own. As Gaga belted one of my favorite cuts from The Fame Monster from a platform center stage, the dress slowly expanded and constricted, as if she were wrapped inside of a living, breathing silver Komodo Dragon. Who needs fur when you can wear it alive?
There was also the obligatory piano bit with “Speechless” and the arena-rock, Elton John-friendly ballad from her upcoming album, “You & I.” Now with Gaga, the piano prowess shtick is kind of nothing we haven’t already seen before: The spins around the piano stool, the leg in the air, standing straight up on the stool while playing–yes, we’ve seen it all before, and yes, she’s very talented.
Yet she trumped expectations still again tonight. In the final few moments of “Speechless,” the singer suddenly hopped on top of the piano and, peering over the keys with an eager glimmer in her eye, began playing the final few chords of her power ballad backwards, delivering what was undeniably one of the best vocal performances I’d ever witnessed or heard from her. Just watch the six minute mark above…Unbelievable, to say the least.
Of course, there was also the Fame Monster himself, a kind of Anglerfish-meets-Cloverfield monster creation come to life that ends up making a cameo behind Gaga and her lady friends prior to her dramatic performance of “Paparazzi.” I won’t say exactly what happens, but it appeals to the live action, Disney World-loving part of me in a way that no pop star ever has before.
Like the last time around, Gaga continued to bark out commands ad nauseum: “Dance, you motherfuckers!” we demanded. “Clap for me!” “Show me your fucking teeth!” “Paws up!” “Get your dicks out, New York!” But make no mistake–it was all out of love.
As has come to define the Gaga, the show was colored with positive self-affirmations and long monologues of praise directed toward her fans. “I was right where you are,” she said suddenly, pointing to some unsuspecting little monster at one point during the night, “looking right up here at some bitch on the stage. This is proof that you can be anything in the world that you want to be!” she bellowed. The crowd roared in approval.
As the show went on, Gaga would occasionally double-take while looking out into the crowd, briefly distracted. “Get that camera on her!” she yelled to a cameraman at one point, earnestly pointing at a little monster in the front row, decked out in her Gagaloo greatest.
Later, while wielding a disco stick, La Gaga took a minute to shine her light across the stadium to see the faces of all her fans, quietly murmuring to herself in approval and occasionally chuckling aloud. “Oh my God, you’re all so beautiful.” If the singer’s obsession with her own fans is a lie, it’s a convincing one.
Having already gone once, It was wonderful to witness what has been essentially the evolution of the Monster Ball From wheeling out a single, sad looking tree for the performance of “Monster” a year ago, to the now full-blown twisted forest set that the song came to be performed in during the second leg, it’s beyond clear that Gaga’s artistic vision (or at least, her budget for set design) has expanded tenfold in less than a year’s time.
Above all, the most glaring difference between the Monster Ball‘s new emphasis on fun. Far from the overly pretentious amateur-avant garde approach of the first leg (yes I know it’s Lady Gaga we’re talking about, but still), the second leg of the Monster Ball Tour was surrounded by an air of camp celebration and genuine mega-wattage entertainment that had the entire arena dancing and thrashing with their paws the entire night.
Last year, I concluded that the Monster Ball Tour was “the next step in the natural evolution of Gaga’s artistry; yet another rung in her blood-laden ladder to icon status.” If only I knew how quickly she’d climb in less than a year’s time.
Well done, Gaga–you’ve staged a show worthy of rivaling that of your fellow pop legends.
All photos and videos courtesy of MuuserMonster, Parker. (Thanks for accompanying me to the Monster Ball, bb! I had a killer time.) Click here to see more videos.
Last night, I had the absolute pleasure and privilege of being invited to Kelis‘ album launch party for Flesh Tone, hosted at RDV in the Meatpacking District in NYC.
By the time I arrived around 11:30, the bar was all but packed to the limit. It was overwhelming at first, given that the room was filled with an excitable energy and a host of unfamiliar faces–from business-looking types dressed in sleek suits to aspiring fashionistas with feathers glued to their faces to hipster gays with fashionably short shorts to a few drag queens (I think?) to awkward professional bloggers and their attractive boy-toy entourages.
However, it wasn’t too hard to get acclimated. RDV is gorgeous and glamorous inside (and out, really) complete with comfy couches, dark mahogany trim, and dozens of candles and chandeliers that provide for sexy mood lighting. Then again, I’m a sucker for any place that incorporates a color scheme of purple and black. Or couldn’t you already tell?
The lights are shining…I’m already home!
After a bit of light schmoozing, I made my way to the bar (shocking), did a bit of dancing here and there (i.e. broke it the fuck down), and was told that it was time to meet Kelis. Solid.
No more than ten minutes after arrival, my friends and I were being whisked over toward the back of the room, where Kelis was sitting and laughing along with a big circle of ridiculously trendy, ridiculously attractive people. She looked almost exactly as she appeared in the glorious performance of “4th of July (Fireworks)” on The Today Show: Red hair, flashy jewelery, bright eye make-up, and an even brighter, colorful ensemble. And, as I’ve come to notice as the trend with my favorite singers, she was ten times more gorgeous in person.
And so I was introduced to Kelis who, upon being told who I was, immediately thanked me for my review. According to her PR manager, my Flesh Tone review was one of the first to be bouncing about the net, and Camp Kelis loved it up. Cue me getting all giggly and awkward from this point forth.
Anyway, after shaking her hand and telling her how much I love the album (well, duh), I decided to go in directly for the kill: I plopped down right next to her and said “Okay, so I have a request. Can you please make ‘Brave’ the next single?”
She smiled and agreed that it was one of her favorites from the album (“it’s an incredibly personal record for me”) and that she was actually just listening to the song and thinking the same thing. With any luck, my brave-heartedness (made it up, deal with it) and seductive glances sealed the deal within her, and “Brave” shall soon receive the treatment it so deeply deserves. Here’s hoping.
This woman just kept begging and begging me to take a photo with her, so I finally allowed for it.
Then we talked for a bit about how tough it is to get radio play these days (“Radio sucks,” I concluded intelligently–I swear to God I’m better in written format), and then she told me how pleased she was that the album was being received so well in certain circles.
“That’s because the important people ‘get’ it,” I announced before we took a quick snapshot together. “That’s exactly right!” she smiled back.
It is also worth noting at this time that Kelis is the only human being on Earth who has a septum piercing that I find to be both (A) attractive and (B) quite flattering. I kind of kept looking at it while we spoke. Full disclosure. Did I mention she’s gorgeous in person?
After a few more photos, my ‘crew’ and I returned to the bar (shocking), where we danced to the beats at hand–mostly Euro-tinged club tracks, some Missy Elliot, and then a Flesh Tone track sprinkled in between the set roughly every twenty minutes.
I was all about this man’s outfit. Also, I wish I could put my face in that cake.
Later on in the night, the doors of the backroom flung open as Kelis was presented with a massive cake to celebrate the album’s release, complete with dozens of sparklers and flowing champagne being brought out time and time again. It was quite a fete (and possibly a minor fire code violation). No matter!
And so, that was that. My body is now lightly vibrating and I keep giggling and spacing out. Either that’s two hours of sleep and a Tequila Sunrise not agreeing with me, or I’m experiencing the true meaning of Flesh Tone at this very moment. I’d like to believe it’s the latter.
Last month, MuuMuse hosted the Photographs: Rihanna’s Last Girl On Earth Tour Photo Contest to celebrate the European leg of Rihanna’s latest tour.
Now, Riri’s back in the States.
For a complete list of tour dates for the American leg of the Last Girl on Earth Tour, click here.
For one lucky Muuser and a friend however, the wait is already over.
MuuMuse is proud to be giving away ONE PAIR of tickets to attend Rihanna’s concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 21st, courtesy of LiveNation.
This time, I don’t want to see photos–I want to hear directly from YOU!
To enter to win, send me an e-mail with the subject line “RIRI” telling me why you deserve these tickets.
Do you have a physical copy of every one of her singles in chronological format framed on your wall? Do you make your mother listen to Rated R everyday? Have you made your own homemade “Rude Boy” tee? (Oh, wait…)
Convince me and these tickets are yours.
One lucky winner will be selected and notified at 12 p.m. EST on July 15.
That’s only one week, so enter now!
My best blog buddies–from Hard Candy Music to Sheena Beaston to The Chemistry is Dead have already spouted on about the singer for months. I just happen to be coming to the party fashionably late. What else is new?
This is Florrie. You may not recognize her, but if you’re a MuuMuse reader, you’ve no doubt already heard her in action.
As the 21-year-old house drummer for production team Xenomania, Florrie’s had the honor of performing in tracks for likes of the Pet Shop Boys, Girls Aloud, and Kylie Minogue. Need proof of her skillz? Here’s a clip of her being generally amazing at the drums.
Currently, the singer/songwriter/drumming sensation has been busy carving out her own niche as a solo entertainer. In collaboration with italo-pop production superstar Fred Falke (a MuuMuse approved mega-favorite), Florrie has churned out a number of high quality solo tracks, including “Call 911,” “Panic Attack,” and most recently, “Fascinate Me.”
As with what we’ve come to expect from Xenomania, Florrie’s songs are characterized by hooky pop melodies, crunchy riffs, and complex lyricism.
With a frantic, breathy delivery similar to Norwegian electro superstar Annie, the singer tackles skittish electronic beats and rapid-fire riffed verses that simply beg to be replayed time and time again. There’s a lot being offered in each one of her songs, making Florrie one of the more intriguing pop acts lobbying for the public’s attention this year.
As the singer does not yet have a proper label deal (WHY?!), Florrie’s been releasing these brilliant Xeno-disco numbers for free on her official website, which you can snag right here.
Additionally, Florrie’s first CD release can now be found on Kitsuné x Ponystep, the latest compilation CD by uber-trendy French record label, Kitsuné, which includes “Call 911 (Beataucue Remix – JBAG Edit).”
With any luck, this is but the tip of an iceberg of chilly Italo-disco cuts simply begging to be released from this promising newcomer.
I cant wait to hear what comes next!
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