As many of you have heard, Obama has officially declared that the Defense of Marriage Act will not have federal support from now on. This is the policy that essentially labels same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. Although it has been a long road for Obama to take a significant stance on this issue, I think his "NObama" moniker is slowly starting to shed. If I hear one more Republican claim that he is tearing away at this country's social fabric, I will literally scream. Well, now that I say that, I might as well start warming up my vocal chords. As a wise person once said, "I don't understand why people are against gay marriage. Their main argument is that it's tearing away at our social fabric. You really think gays would do anything to harm fabric?" Although a humorous take on the situation, if you logically take the matter into consideration, who is gay marriage hurting? That question is much easier asked than answered, I know. It's been such a constant argument for far too long. Just because two men or two women cannot reproduce doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to legally bind their relationship. It is proven that same-sex parents are just as effective, and there are enough children in the world in foster care and orphanages. I'm not even going to start the whole "religion" thing. I could go on about this for a long time...but I will keep this short. Anyways, I just went for a run, and I smell pretty stank.
I'm remaining optimistic that Obama knows what he is doing as the 2012 presidential race quickly approaches. Although many have lost faith in our president, I haven't. I may not be 100% satisfied with the way our country has progressed (well, maybe I'm more unhappy with the fact that Rick Perry is still our governor in Texas), but I have a good feeling about the future.
To read the full New York Times article about the Defense of Marriage Act click here.
Can I express to you how long I have been patiently waiting for this night to arrive? Several months too long. The moment I found out she was performing in Houston (well, Texas in general), my heart was all aflutter. Robyn has made quite the comeback over the past year with her triple-installation album Body Talk. It has received many accolades and praises for its showcase of what true, quality pop music should sound like. After somewhat of a hiatus during the 2000s, Robyn took the music scene by storm with the promise of new music, and loads of it. I think most fans can agree that she did not disappoint. Most look back on her 1997 hit-song "Show Me Love", and some remember her self-titled album featuring tracks such as "Konichiwa Bitches" and "With Every Heartbeat", but if you aren't a fan now, you need to get your ears checked. Even though she is competing with pop divas such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Kylie Minogue, she stands her own ground with a unique image and sound.
Over the past couple weeks, Robyn had cancelled a handful of shows due to illness. Of course, I wanted her to get healthy, but I would be so disappointed if the Houston date was cancelled. Miraculously, the music gods were watching over us, and we were graced with her presence.
Warehouse Live was in full gay force that night. The venue staff should have hung a rainbow flag in the front entrance. Everyone was dressed to impress being that 75% or more of the audience was of the homosexual persuasion (so obviously, I felt right at home). Robyn wholeheartedly respects and appreciates her gay American following. Although straight, Robyn feels very connected to gay culture. Like I've said before, if you have the gays on your side, you will always have success.
There were two openers for the show: Natalia Kills and Diamond Rings. The show either started earlier than schedule, or Natalia Kills' set was just extremely short. We caught a couple of her tunes, including one of her more popular ones, "Mirrors". She was decent, but nothing to necessarily write home about....just filler. Next was Diamond Rings, who I was actually looking forward to seeing. First off, he is adorable with his David Bowie-esque appearance Secondly, he put on a great show, especially for being a solo-act. His music is very Soft Cell/Depeche Mode sounding. He is performing this coming Monday at Fitzgerald's in Houston with PS I Love you, so you have another chance to check him out. Also, his "Stay Fierce" t-shirts are fucking awesome.
Now, on to the queen herself. I know she was ill in previous weeks, but she showed no signs of sickness during her impressive 1.5 hour+ set at Warehouse. Her energy level never seemed to take a break. She constantly danced around the entire stage, exclaiming her love for the Houston crowd. I wish I had a dollar for every time she actually said "Houston". The amount of vitality and genuine love she showcased was nothing by infectious. When you caught a glimpse of her smiling at the end of a song, you knew she meant it. Can I also add in that I loved her outfit? I give her props for pulling off her dance moves in those platform shoes. The audience was in an uproar as her set shot off with "Time Machine" and didn't slow down from there. She sung almost every track from Body Talk, which led to quite a number of sing-a-longs. I will admit that I am quite guilty of wailing with the rest of them. I was disappointed that "The Girl and the Robot" did not receive the attention that it deserved. I was very much looking forward to it, and I might have gone a tad crazy when I heard the opening beats. The crowd went wild during "Dancing On My Own", "Indestructible", and "Stars 4-Ever". How could you not? My attempts at filming during the show failed at certain points because I, myself, became too enveloped in the music. Naturally, she ended her third and final encore with "Show Me Love" which turned into a venue-wide sing-along.
This was also the last stop on Robyn's Body Talk Tour....Houston got lucky :)
Robyn is a true artist in every sense of the word. Her music, charisma, style, and personality are all absolutely amazing. She literally melted my heart. I woke up the next morning with "Stars 4-Ever" buzzing in my head, in addition to the alcohol I consumed the night before.
Check out "Indestructible" below:
It's impossible for me to pinpoint my "favorite" performed tracks, so here is the full setlist:
The 2011 Bonnaroo lineup has been released today! Although they will continue to add more artists over the next couple months, I'm impressed by who it consists of so far:
Eminem, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Lil Wayne, Mumford and Sons, Ray Lamontagne, Girl Talk, My Morning Jacket, Explosions in the Sky, Scissor Sisters, Beirut, Big Boi, Robyn, Floren and the Machine, !!, The Walkmen, Man Man, Twin Shadow, Gogol Bordello, Matt & Kim, and so many more. Check out the full initial lineup here.
For those of you who haven't attended this festival, it's quite the experience. Although not for the faint of heart, I fucking loved every minute of it.
New Orleans bounce is becoming a way of life for the indie music scene. Who would have expected that to happen? I've always had an affinity towards all things related to southern rap. It is a music scene that is very unique within the hip hop community, and that's saying something. In general, African American community is not known for being very hospitable to the gay community, but artists such as Big Freedia and Sissy Nobby have been helping to alter this perception for the past decade. As Big Freedia will attest to, it has been an uphill battle, but it's refreshing to see that she is finally getting the respect she deserves. I mean, every Queen Diva is owed a certain amount of reverence, right? Yes.
Last week, despite constant tweeting that the Big Freedia's concert at Fitzgerald's was cancelled, to my surprise, the promoter officially announced that the show must go on. Thank. God. I missed Big Freedia last time she made her way to Houston and was elated to hear she decided to go for round two.
The audience consisted of a mixture of hipsters, gays, and black people...not necessarily your typical congregation of concert-goers. Nonetheless, everyone was there to have a " boucin'" good time. Ok, that was cheesy as shit. I know. Anyways, the evening started off with DJ Good Grief spinning an array of classics. DJ Jubilee - Get Ready, Ready was definitely crowd favorite (It got me sweating. That's for sure.). The stage quickly flooded with gyrating bodies as the beats began to speed up and the bass was shaking the entire venue. My white v-neck was thoroughly soaked with perspiration, and Big Freedia hadn't even made an appearance yet.
Finally, the production crew began to clear the horde of amateurs in anticipation of Big Freedia and his Divas taking to the stage. I can't lie to you...my "giddy school girl" side made a quick appearance. As soon as she began her set, you could feel the energy immediately. The Queen Diva truly knows how to get the crowd going. Her constant interaction with everyone made the night even more memorable. If you have seen any videos of these concerts, you know that it is tradition for audience members to go on stage and "shake what they got in them jeans". One of Big Freedia's more well known tracks is "Azz Everywhere" (clever title, I know). The crowd went frantic as soon it began, and the stage started filling up. I had just enough vodka in my veins to be on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to go on stage. Well, Big Freedia made the decision for me and physically pulled me on stage herself. This was one of my proudest concert stage moments. Excuse my French, but I shook my ass SO f*cking hard. I'm pretty sure I received applause and outdid the girl next to me. Oh, and don't worry...it's all on video. I can prove that this actually happened. My adrenaline level reached sky-high levels, and I was on cloud nine despite my bruised shins and knees. On a sidenote, my dad recently joined the world of Facebook. Since my siblings confirmed his friendship, I felt obligated to do the same. Because he currently has a whopping four friends, my profile is plastered all over his news feed. What status did he have the pleasure of reading Saturday morning? "I shook my ass more than ever before tonight. Thank you Big Freedia for personally pulling me on stage and letting my show my stuff. My shins hurt from getting on my knees on stage. Azz everywhere." Oh yes, he made a comment about it. Can you say, "awkward"? That should be an example in the dictionary. I might need to institute a few privacy settings.
I have to show my utter amazement and admiration for Big Freedia's Diva dancers. I cannot even fathom dancing like that for an entire set. I am absolutely exhausted after a mere ten minutes. I also can't imagine poppin' it on a handstand and going into the splits. I definitely have some practicing to do to even approach that level of awesome/stripper.
This concert was a much needed change of pace. I don't attend enough rap/hip hop shows. Not only does Big Freedia do her shit right, she also has an amazing back story. Nothing but love and respect for her.
This year's Super Bowl has come and gone, and there were more unwanted commotions revolving around this enormous sports event than anyone could have ever expected. Number one issue: the outrageous winter weather that has smothered the south for the past few weeks (and just won't seem to f*ck off). Texans are prepared for the possible annual snow fall or ice storm, but 2011 brought it to a new level. Watching the news, I half expected to see Jake Gyllenhaal sledding in the background like a scene from Day After Tomorrow. Ok, maybe the weather wasn't that extreme compared to the north's winter norm, but local meteorologists made it appear that way. Aerial views of the Cowboys Stadium showcased a town blanketed in snow, ice, and frigid winter gusts. Texans cannot be reamed too harshly though, purely for the fact that we aren't physically prepared these sort of storms. We don't have snow plows running up and down are streets everyday. I don't think snow plows even exist in Texas. After a few injured stadium employees, cancelled celebrity parties, pissed off local businesses, and annoyed DFW residents dealing with rolling blackouts, Super Bowl Sunday finally made it's way to the nation's television screen. Despite all the hubbub, Super Bowl XLV became the most watched television program history. I think some were just watching to see if anything worse could happen.
I'm not a huge fan of the NFL, or any professional sports for that matter. Well, that does not include soccer. Mmm....most attractive athletes. period. ANYway...I'm all about college football, but I decided to crack open a few beers and watch the Super Bowl. I was more interested in the commercials and musical numbers, which brings me to my main purpose for writing this. First, we'll talk about the clusterfuck that is Christina Aguilera and the national anthem.
Yes, she kind of fucked up the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner. Is this utterly embarrassing? Yes. Should those words be permanently ingrained in her bleach-blond head? Yes. Over a hundred million viewers watched Aguilera fumble. After an interesting year in the tabloids and celebrity news, this is definitely not what she needed for her career. Nonetheless, I will momentarily come to her defense. This just shows that she isn't a robot. Just like the saying "everyone poops", everyone screws up. Sometimes it happens in an empty room, and sometimes it happens in front of hundreds of millions of people. I'm not going to hold her at TOO much fault for the blunder. Shit happens; accept it and move on. Aguilera will be opening The Grammy's this coming Sunday in a tribute to the one and only, Aretha Franklin. Hopefully she will make up for what happened the previous Sunday.
Now, on to the half-time shit show performance. The moment I found out the Black Eyed Peas were the official Super Bowl performers, I was intrigued. Although I'm not really a fan of theirs, it was refreshing not to see a band whose glory days were in the 1960s or 1970s. The moment Fergie opened her mouth, I could feel my skin crawl with nausea. All I can say to her is: vocal coach. Her pitch was more spread out than a constellation in the night sky. Plus, her outfit was horrendous. I still ask myself this question, "What do the other two guys, outside of Will.i.am and Fergie, do for the group?": nothing. They exist solely to visually fill up the stage to compensate for the group's lack of musical talent. Luckily, Usher was able to lip-sync the half-time show into more of a success with his fine self.
The one commercial I was looking forward to hopefully seeing on national television did not even make it to air:
I was a bit shocked when I saw the new Groupon commercial. We had to rewind the DVR to make sure we weren't confused by what just happened. Nope, we weren't. Good job, Groupon. Next advertising campaign theme: despite the AIDS crisis in Africa, I just saved 50% on my meal at this Ethiopian restaurant.
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