..Finals time! I’m sure you’re all as eager as I am to dive into those textbooks and cram a semester’s worth of coursework into your brain in under a week (I’m really not that eager). Don’t worry, I understand. And to ease your stressful minds, here is an assortment of soothing and upbeat songs to help you de-stress and get pumped when studying or when you’re about to take an exam.
For the last four years, BU Central has been my second home. This Saturday night, I will celebrate my 200th(!) and very last BU Central event. Throughout all of these years and all of these events, some of my best BU memories have been made. To say goodbye to BU Central, I have made a top 10 list of the best moments.
10. Finding out that you cannot roast pumpkin seeds in the popcorn machine It seemed like such a great idea at the time. Turns out not only can you not roast pumpkin seeds in there, it also does not clean very easily. Who knew?
9. The Honorary Title, February 14, 2009 The very first concert I worked at BU Central. I remember sitting in the booth watching the show and realizing that I had the coolest job ever.
8. The first orientation dance party How do four hundred sweaty freshmen make this list? Well, I’m not sure, but I remember having the most fun that night. We decorated the whole space for our red carpet theme, including paparazzi for the event. I threw 15 more orientation parties after this one, but the first one was definitely the best one.
7. Decorating the booth with record covers This literally took hours and involved a lot of mod podge, but its the arts and crafts project I am the most proud of. Also, we may or may not have glued some newspaper to the floor. Shhh!
6. Drag Bingo with Princess Herb A little background: Princess Herb has been a friend of mine since middle school and is one of the few people I still talk to that attended my Bat Mitzvah (yikes!). We decided to hold an event called Drag Bingo and who else would I have called to host but a guy named Princess Herb. I just. I can’t even. It was too funny.
5. Don’t Stop Believing dance parties after BU for Show Originally, BU for Show was my child of an event that was held every other Tuesday night. After the show, a few of us would blast a little Journey and dance around singing, no screaming the song. I probably looked forward to the after party more than I did the actual event. Whoops.
4. After party with Blue Scholars After that show, the guys in Blue Scholars wanted nothing more than to watch an important boxing match. I didn’t know they still had those. In any case, we got the match up on the big screen, ordered some pizza, and spent a few hours hanging out with the band. This was probably one of the most interesting moments ever.
3. The Elmore Bar Mitzvah Yes, this is a BU Central memory. The Bar Mitzvah party for Dean Elmore’s son, Elijah, was held in BU Central. Picture this: 75 tweens playing Coke & Pepsi and eating ice cream/soda/smarties/all of the sugar ever. It was truly hilarious. Even better was the after math. BU Central smelled like pure sugar. Priceless.
2. The Young the Giant balloon drop This was a close call for the best BU Central moment. Of course, this took place up in Metcalf, but I got to drop hundreds of balloons on hundreds of students. Not to mention, we pulled the string just as the beat dropped in their biggest song. I don’t know how many things I will do in life that will top this.
Drum roll please…
1. Dancing on the stage at the Chiddy Bang after show Chiddy Bang was our first concert as managers and it turned out way more successful than we could ever imagined. Except, the show is not my number one. My best moment at BU Central happened at the after party during Xaphoon Jones’ DJ set. He played this song below and we danced on the stage. After all of the work that went into that event, this was just the best way to cap it off.
Well, there you have it. The top 10 best moments at BU Central over the past 4 years. Just because I am going to miss it so much, I figured I would also make a list of things I won’t miss, just to feel better. So, Top 5 worst moments slash things I won’t miss:
1. Not getting into Bo Burnham fall 2008 - yep. I got turned away. That sucked.
2. The smell of orientation parties - You don’t even know how bad it smells.
3. Any time a ceiling tile was punched in - Seriously, it happened more than once.
4. The inevitable sunburn after Splash – What can you do.. Oh sunscreen? Damn.
5. CNN / Fox News lady – Love that woman. Especially when she yells at me.
Ok, BU Central. It’s been real. It’s been fun. Okay, it’s been real fun. To Rose. To Reese & Jake. To all of the BUC Staff. To all of our grad interns (all of them). To SAO. And to the popcorn machine. Thanks & see ya later.
Lately my senioritis has really kicked in, and I’ve found myself watching a unhealthy amount of TV and movies. I’m super excited for this summer, because a ton of excellent movies are supposed to come out this year. So today, I bring you my TOP 6 MOVIES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2012 LIST OF EPICOSITY! So lets begin…
1) The Avengers (May 4th)
What it is: When supervillain Loki reemerges with a plan that threatens the fate of the Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury assembles a team of the world’s most powerful heroes to fight back.
Why you should care: Iron Man , The Incredible Hulk,Thor, Captain America… it’s all been leading to this. Marvel has spent the past few years individually building up each of its franchises for this superhero smorgasbord, and based on the film’s impressive trailer – which showcases great-looking action and convincing chemistry between the many leads – the effort was worth it. Some Marvel films (Iron Man) have been better than others (Iron Man 2), but it’s hard to imagine how director Joss Whedon could drop the ball this close to the end zone.
What it is: A team of explorers fights a battle at the edge of the universe in order to save the human race.
Why you should care: With both Alien and Blade Runner under his belt, Ridley Scott is one of the undisputed kings of Hollywood sci-fi, and lingering rumors that Prometheus will somehow cross paths with the Alien franchise have fans champing at the bit. The screenwriting presence of Damon Lindelof—one of the minds behind TV’s Lost—doesn’t hurt either.
What it is: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.
Why you should care: It’s freaking Abraham Lincoln, murdering the crap out of freaking vampires! What could possibly be better than watching the greatest president of all time killing the sparkles out of Edward Cullen? Nothing – that’s what.
What it is: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Gotham City is threatened by the menacing terrorist Bane, forcing Bruce Wayne to put on the cape and cowl once again.
Why you should care: Christopher Nolan’s third and final entry in the Batman franchise, which started with Batman Begins and set the gold standard for superhero films with The Dark Knight, has already amassed a deafening level of hype, and rightly so. Though The Dark Knight’s terrifyingly amoral Joker will be impossible to replace,The Dark Knight Rises comes loaded with potential, including villain Bane (Tom Hardy) and antihero Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Though much of its storyline remains shrouded in mystery, the film’s “prologue,” which is currently airing before select IMAX screenings ofMission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, features a tense, gripping airplane stunt that’s as thrilling as anything we’ve seen in the series. Trust Nolan to bring his franchise to the definitive ending it so richly deserves.
5) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14th)
What it is:Hobbit Bilbo Baggins joins a group of dwarves to reclaim treasure stolen by a fearsome dragon.
Why you should care:Peter Jackson set the template for the modern blockbuster franchise, pleasing Lord of the Ringsvirgins and superfans alike with his stunningly well-realized adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved trilogy. Though The Hobbit is a lesser book than any of the Lord of the Rings novels, it’s hard to resist another invitation to Middle-Earth. And with Jackson at the helm once again, and the promise of returning cast members like Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, and Sir Ian McKellan, this adaptation (and its sequel, coming next year) should flow perfectly into theLord of the Rings trilogy.
What it is: A former slave attempts to rescue his wife from a Mississippi plantation.
Why you should care: Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-nominated Inglorius Basterds was a thrilling, audacious revenge flick cleverly disguised as a World War II film. Django Unchained applies the same methodology to the Civil War era, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing against type as a barbaric villain. Like most of Tarantino’s films, many of Django Unchained’s details are still being kept quiet, but we can expect the usual: great acting, sharp dialogue, and a killer soundtrack.
My past few posts have highlighted some of my favorite guitarists, but I think its important to listen to performers on all instruments. One of my favorite musicians is Bruce Hornsby, a singer/ pianist who has played with the likes of the Grateful Dead, Ricky Skaggs, Pat Metheny , Bela Fleck, and many more. He also produced several hits throughout the late 80s with his own band, The Range. You may well have heard his biggest hit, “The Way It Is”, in its original form, or as sampled by the recently “hologramed” Tupac in his song “Changes“. Every time I find a new Hornsby performance, I’m blown away. He is an artist who never plays a song the same way twice, every performance is a unique piece of music.
This is the first live recording I saw of him and, despite its lackluster audio quality, instantly made me a fan. While I included this video in a post of mine a while back, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it here. While the whole thing is amazing, the part from ~2:40-3:35 is one of my absolute favorite musical moments:
Also check out a few more awesome performances of his:
Finally, I recently came across this video on a guitar forum I frequent, and while I am not as into heavy music as I was in my high school days, one cannot deny the pure intensity that is this performance
When I’m being boring and not actively looking up new, up-and-coming music I feel like it is my civil duty to share with you all some of my favorite music (new or old).
Today I choose Mumford and Sons!
I will admit, I have not known about this glorious band for too long. I am guilty of being a “bandwagon” fan but whether it is trendy or not, there is no denying that this group creates incredible music.
Like most of the music I write about and enjoy, Mumford and Sons’ songs can be calming and relaxing at times while also being great music to do homework to. All in all, I am in love.
The Band consists of four British men:Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Country Winston Marshall, and Ted Duane. The originally formed in 2007 but were not recognized until 2009 when their debut album Sigh No More came out. From then on out the band has captured the ears and hearts of listeners worldwide.
I am more familiar with their most recent album, Deluxe Companion, which earned them 6 Grammy nominations and many more music awards and nominations worldwide.
Here are a few of my favorite songs for you to listen and watch the videos for your own viewing pleasure!
The Cave
Little Lion Man
White Blank Page
Enjoy, and I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday!
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre headlined the Coachella music festival this weekend, and it was everything you would expect from a Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre performance. Billowing white smoke clouds wafted through the air as numerous homies joined the rap legends on stage whilst the performed all sorts of west coast diddys. It was all pretty ordinary… until this guy showed up:
[WARNING: NAUGHTY WORDS AHEAD!]
Did you see that? That was the glorious and triumphant return of THE Tupac Shakur!
Ok, so it wasn’t really the return of Tupac so much as it was the introduction of hologram Tupac, but it was still very impressive. If you look closely, you can even see the “thug life” tattoo on his stomach! I bet a whole bunch of middle class white kids like me thought it was real the second he started yelling out “Coachella”.
As impressive as it was, its fabrication seemed glaringly clear when Snoop Dogg joined the stage. Visually, it was one step above Rodger Rabbit – a hardcore, ghetto Rodger Rabbit… It doesn’t matter though, because I’m sure it was an unforgettable experience. HoloPac played a few songs before disappearing in a puff of smoke (or possibly feathers?), then real life 50 cent, eminem, and Wiz Khalifa joined the stage.
The company behind this awesome idea is called Digital Domain Media Group Inc. They are the ones responsible for last year’s hologram Mariah Carey Tour in Europe. There is talk of a holoPac tour to come, but nothing is certain at the moment.
So if this technology takes off, does it mean that one day I might be able to see Nirvana rock out at TD Garden? Or maybe I’ll be able to see Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire right in front of me! If I had my pick, I’d want to see the Sublime with Bradley, Led Zeppelin with John Bonham or The Beatles reunited.
What dead musician or celebrity would you like to see digitally resurrected?
Over the past couple weeks, NYC-based indie-folk trio Town Hall has quickly become one of my favorite bands of the moment and it’s about time I expose all y’all to their brilliance. Town Hall puts their own twist on the male-female vocalist formula and consistently produces some of the best music I’ve heard in months. No lie.
The band first captured my attention when their folksy take on the Ja Rule/Ashanti classic, “Always on Time,” hit the web a couple months back. Aside from me being a sucker for a good cover, I was instantly hooked on their immaculate harmonies and immediately sought out every track they’d ever released online.
After obsessing over every track on their EP, Sticky Notes & Paper Scraps, for several weeks, I watched the band’s newly-released music video for “Good Boy” and fell deeper in love. While lacking in the harmonies that initially drew me to the band, the track still tells a great narrative about a neighborhood hellion.
Just yesterday the band celebrated the official release of debut album Roots & Bells with a show at NYC’s Webster Hall. As tempted as I was to make the trek down, I resisted and now I’m patiently waiting for the band to make their return to Boston some time this summer. Apparently I missed out on them playing Great Scott in Allston just a couple weeks back, an error on my part that I’ve since grieved.
Be sure to like the band on their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, or purchase their album on Bandcamp. They deserve all your love. They really do.
Recommended Tracks: The soaring “Mary A. Longden” and decidedly more somber “Charlie”
Have a great week everybody! The semester is actually almost over. Like, forrealz.
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are back in full force, and its a great time to be a hockey fan. It seems like nearly every other game is going to overtime, and nearly every series looks likes its going to be tight (with the exception of Pens/Flyers, which is kind of a shame, but I’m rooting for the Flyers in that one anyway). And you can trust the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to come up with some awesome pregame intro videos, this is one of my all-time favorites:
I’m also on a bit of a Dire Straits kick lately. Mark Knopfler has a sound that’s as unique as they come, and few can hold their own alongside Eric Clapton and Chet Atkins
Check out this video for a little background on “Money for Nothing” and how Knopfler achieves his trademark sound:
Notably deemed one of Hip-Hop’s most controversial rappers, Kanye West recently released a track featuring the “King of Hype Men” DJ Khaled that’ll have you clenching a fist to your mouth while yelling “Oh!” for several verses at time because you couldn’t believe he would say such a thing. But, then again, this is Kanye West we’re talking about (please refer to the Kanye West Interrupts Taylor Swift at VMAs youtube video if you need a refresher of how arrogant he can be).
In the track titled Theraflu, Kanye talks about well-discussed “barbershop topics” regarding his feelings toward Wiz Khalifa proposing to his former lady love Amber Rose and his rumored relationship with Kim Kardashian. Personally, I had a good chuckle when I heard his verse where he practically threatened Kris Humphries by saying he’s lucky he “didn’t have Jay kick him off the team.” Yet another priceless Kanye verse to add to the list.
Check out the track below:
And if that wasn’t enough for you, watch this guy’s review of Theraflu. Trust me, you’ll thank me later for the laugh you will have:
