If you're a music fan, one of the greatest joys of summertime is the opportunity to enjoy your favorite bands outside, in the fresh summer air (or the not-so-fresh air, if you live in LA right now).
This weekend, I was fortunate enough to get a VIP pass (ok, so they were lawn seats. So I'm cheap. So what?) to one of the most talked-about concerts of the Rock Summer -the much touted Poison/ Def Leppard summer tour. This show was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine.
THE VENUE - THE GOOD
As a venue, the Verizon Ampitheatre holds its own with the best of them. The stage itself is a good size, although the seating is on a very steep hill - which is actually good if you want to see the show but you can't afford to shell out $150 for stageside seating. Even those right up on the lawn at the top get a fairly decent, unobstructed view of the stage, and the two Jumbotron screens provide close-ups of the action.
THE VENUE - THE BAD
If you're a fan of the traditional pre-show tailgate parties, be aware that the venue practices a zero-tolerance policy against Outside Alcohol - even in the parking lot. Be warned that dozens of uniformed officers on segways (licence plate: PRTYPOOPER) patrol every inch of the parking lot hours before the show. If you are caught with alcohol (even unopened bottles or jello-shots in a cooler) you will be asked to pour it all out or leave - and no, drinking it all in one go if caught is not an option. (We tried). Just a little heads up!
Drinks inside the venue are (typically) over-priced, starting at $8 for a Red Bull, $10 for a beer, $18 for a frozen margarita and $22 for a bottle of white wine.
THE SHOW
The show itself was a mixed bag. The two rock dinosaurs Leppard and Poison were supported by Cheap Trick, who gave a solid if short performance with 4 old songs and one new song. After 35 years together, their sound was tight and lead singer Robin Zander proved he's still got what it takes to get 16,000 people on their feet and cheering for more... despite the odd onstage temper tantrum.
POISON
For me, Poison was the highlight of this lineup. One might make fun of lead singer Brett Michaels for his high-publicity reality-show appearances, but as a frontman he's still got the looks and the moves that leave others in his genre far behind.
Although initially Michaels sounded very hoarse on a number of songs (payback perhaps for a summer schedule chock-full of gigs), he was able to guide the band with enviable energy through a scorching back-catalog of hits such as 'Nothing But A Good Time' and 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn.' Every song was greeted with a rousing chorus of cheers and a forest of flickering cigarette lighters. The fact that the vast majority of the audience was in its early 20's and dressed to the nines with eyeliner and Big Hair gives fans hope that glam rock is not yet dead!
Guitarist C.C. Deville stole the show as always with a blistering solo matched with a truly impressive light display synched to his playing. Bassist Bobby Dall was absent for this performance.
C.C Devillie up to his usual tricks!
DEF LEPPARD
Def Leppard headlined the set, but despite their far more elaborate set and infinitely superior sound mix, fans knew it was more of a co-headline. 'The Lep' may have some of the most loyal fans in rock today, but even though I count myself as one of them, I felt that they were outdone by Poison on this particular performance in terms of energy and performance.
Don't get me wrong. I've been a Def Leppard fan since I was a kid, but seeing them paired with Poison draws attention to some of their music shortcomings.
Yes, this summer's tour provides a stunning show. Yes, if this is your first show it will blow you away. You certainly get your money's worth. But for me, Def Leppard's set felt very over-produced compared to the rougher, rawer energy of Poison.
Whereas Poison had real pyro and lots of it, Leppard had banks and banks (and more banks) of 50-foot high video-screens showing - you've guessed it - videos of pyro. And therein lay the problem. I watched the pretty backdrop videos with rapt attention throughout the first two songs before I even noticed the band was on the stage too.
The theatrics should've been turned off after the first song, or at the very least used sparingly rather than run at full two-million megawattage blast through EVERY SINGLE SONG. The colors were bright, the images house-sized and ever-changing. The flames morphed into beautiful women and stormy cloudscapes and moody clocks swirling over purple alien landscapes, prompting the questions a) who made this beautiful monster, and b) why won't it let go of my eyes?
Where's Waldo? Spot the band on this stage!
Musically, Def Leppard matched their over-elaborate, attention-sucking backdrop with similar layers of backing tracks. It's no shame to play with a click-track, especially not in this day and age when two gee-tars and a drum don't cut it no more, but after the clean-cut live sound of Poison, I felt like I was drowning in Leppard's harmonies. I had to look very carefully to see who was actually doing the singing, and pause every few songs to pour about two pints of Reverb out of my left ear.
Frontman Joe Elliot's voice was also a little lacking, perhaps because of the heat or the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the over-energetic visuals. It was hard not to notice how his vocals were carefully turned down as he approached some of the higher notes, then turned back up afterwards. But he made up for it via sheer force of personality and his trademark charm. His between-song banter went down particularly well, and as a Brit myself it was very refreshing to hear some personality coming from a frontman instead of the usual 'Lemmie-hear-a-'Hell-Yeah!'' pseudo-cool banter so beloved of many lead singers.
The other attention-stealer in the Leppard set was (you've guessed it) guitarist's Phil 'Shirtless Wonder' Collen's ever-exposed washboard stomach. It shone. It gleamed. It made you stop dancing to 'Photograph' to ponder whether he used Olive-oil or turtle wax to keep it looking so shiny.
But like Def Leppard's backdrop (The flames! The women! The 3D bubbles!), it was a constant distraction. Whereas the others changed costume several times during the set to match the mood of the music, Colleen's jaw-dropping figure was proudly on display at all times. Don't get me wrong, if I was in such great shape myself, I would go around shirtless all the time. I would give my stomach its own Facebook page, and possibly shares in Wunder-Tan. But when every conversation you hear around you in the audience seems to center on what exercise/ diet routine the guitarist uses to look that tanned and toned, you can't help but wonder what happened to the music.
To sum up, if Def Leppard wants to keep winning the headlining slot over Poison, they'd do well to watch themselves play from the lawn seats at the back of the stadium, and perhaps tone down their show just a touch. They may have a fifty-foot high all-singing, all-dancing backing video, but for the majority of Leppard fans out there, just a photograph is (more than) enough.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Goodness, It's Hot!!!
I can't believe how hot it is this summer! I haven't seen any record breaking temperatures, but I'm guessing that the average temperature is higher than it has been the last couple of years. Anyways, I've been looking for some things to do over the summer, but It's so hot that all I've been doing is going swimming. It's fun, but I'm guessing everyone else had the same idea as me because it was packed. Beach balls and hoops would hit me left and right and I'd bump into someone every 10 minutes, but it was well worth it being in a large pool of water.
Besides swimming, there are many things that one can do, it's just up to you whether you can find it or not. One great idea is to go to the beach. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but the question is what are you going to do there? There is swimming in the sea, but there are many more places to explore when you go there. You can play beach volleyball, which is a fun game to play in the sun, although it might get hot, so wear plenty of sunscreen lotion. You can also visit the shops along the beach for some added fun. If you have no money, you can always window shop. If you do have a lot of cash on you, you can splurge a little bit and buy yourself something nice.
You can go on the pier to watch people fishing, or you can go fishing yourself. Despite what others think, fishing is actually pretty fun. Even though you might have to wait a while before catching some fish, it's a perfect chance to catch up with some friends and have some time where you guys can bond. Plus, once you catch that first fish, it's actually pretty exciting!
If you don't want to go to the beach, find something that will cool you down in your local area. I know for a fact that going ice skating will cool you down for sure. If you don't know how to skate, have fun learning. If you do, have some fun learning a couple of tricks and techniques to make you able to skate better.
If you don't want to go out anywhere, you can call over some friends. The problem with that is that all that body heat in that one room is going to make it extremely hot for you and your friends, so it's probably not the best idea. But whatever you can think of, as long as you're having fun, I'm sure it's going to help you forget about the summer heat.
Besides swimming, there are many things that one can do, it's just up to you whether you can find it or not. One great idea is to go to the beach. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but the question is what are you going to do there? There is swimming in the sea, but there are many more places to explore when you go there. You can play beach volleyball, which is a fun game to play in the sun, although it might get hot, so wear plenty of sunscreen lotion. You can also visit the shops along the beach for some added fun. If you have no money, you can always window shop. If you do have a lot of cash on you, you can splurge a little bit and buy yourself something nice.
You can go on the pier to watch people fishing, or you can go fishing yourself. Despite what others think, fishing is actually pretty fun. Even though you might have to wait a while before catching some fish, it's a perfect chance to catch up with some friends and have some time where you guys can bond. Plus, once you catch that first fish, it's actually pretty exciting!
If you don't want to go to the beach, find something that will cool you down in your local area. I know for a fact that going ice skating will cool you down for sure. If you don't know how to skate, have fun learning. If you do, have some fun learning a couple of tricks and techniques to make you able to skate better.
If you don't want to go out anywhere, you can call over some friends. The problem with that is that all that body heat in that one room is going to make it extremely hot for you and your friends, so it's probably not the best idea. But whatever you can think of, as long as you're having fun, I'm sure it's going to help you forget about the summer heat.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Been Laid Off? Top 10 Resume Tips from a Hiring Manager
So, it's that wonderful, carefree time of the year again. Summer's coming, the sky is blue, the birds are singing, and... what's that, boss? The firm is downsizing? You appreciate all my years of hard work but... yes, I understand. Cuts have to be made. Change is A Good Thing. And yes, I do realize the cost of outsourcing my entire department's work to Thailand
Being made redundant can happen to the best of us, usually at the worst of times, but this doesn't have to be the end for you. Not knowing where your next rent check will come from is scary, but rest assured that you are not alone in your situation, and that you do have the power to make losing your job into an opportunity for personal and financial advancement rather than the end-of-the-world disaster it probably feels like right now.
The first thing to do is to blow the dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Your resume should be your best friend, your ambassador, something you feel proud to send out into the world to represent you. There are hundreds of good books out there telling you how to craft the perfect resume, but all your hard work will go to waste if you don’t get past the first hurdle: the person who will read your resume. In other words, the Hiring Manger.
THE RESUME
Tip #5: Keep it short. Resumes these days need to be kept short, one or two pages at most. If you’re applying to be a PHD instructor then by all means, give us pages of references. If you’re applying to work in a Kwick-E-Mart, just let us know that a) You can work a till, b) you have no finger injuries that will prevent you from pushing the Copier button, and c) you have up-to-date health insurance and you recently won a Marksman of the Year award at your local shooting academy.
Tip #6: Put your best strawberries on top. Even if your resume is short, put the most tantalizing and tasty information about yourself on the top. If you used to run a company just like theirs, live two blocks from their offices or raised 4 million dollars of corporate funding, tell them so. Give them one good reason why you alone should get the job out of all the similarly qualified people who also applied.
Being made redundant can happen to the best of us, usually at the worst of times, but this doesn't have to be the end for you. Not knowing where your next rent check will come from is scary, but rest assured that you are not alone in your situation, and that you do have the power to make losing your job into an opportunity for personal and financial advancement rather than the end-of-the-world disaster it probably feels like right now.
The first thing to do is to blow the dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Your resume should be your best friend, your ambassador, something you feel proud to send out into the world to represent you. There are hundreds of good books out there telling you how to craft the perfect resume, but all your hard work will go to waste if you don’t get past the first hurdle: the person who will read your resume. In other words, the Hiring Manger.
Here are some real-life tips gathered from my own experience acting as a Hiring Manager for many different companies, to help your application stand apart from the pack.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Tip #1: Make a good first impression. First up, if you're applying by email, be aware that your email will be the company's first (and possibly only) impression of you. If your email subject-line reads 'Expereenced Proofreader Job Application,' …. then they’re probably not going to open your email and read the ‘perfect’ cover letter and resume you spent five hours crafting the previous night.
Tip #2: Treat your email like a mini-version of your cover letter. This will be your potential employer’s next impression of you. Yes, your cover letter and resume are outstanding, but if the email they are attached to reads 'hey you guyz i saw yer ad on craigslist and i'm your guy, check out my resume and youll see why!'..... do you really think they'll bother downloading, printing and reading your resume?
THE COVER LETTER
Tip #3: Address your cover letter correctly. Spend an extra thirty seconds on Google to find out your potential new boss's name, or simply address it: 'To the Hiring Manager,' or 'Dear Sir/Madam,' rather than the overused and annoyingly vague 'To Whom It May Concern.'
Tip #4: Say ‘Thank you’. Similarly, start or end your cover letter by thanking the Hiring Manager for taking the time to read your resume. These days, an advert on Craigslist can attract over 300 responses for one position, so its possible that the Hiring Manager or Employer will have read several hundred resumes before yours. It's a thankless task, and a comment like that will make us feel all warm and glowy inside…. a good frame of mind to hire you in.
THE RESUME
Tip #5: Keep it short. Resumes these days need to be kept short, one or two pages at most. If you’re applying to be a PHD instructor then by all means, give us pages of references. If you’re applying to work in a Kwick-E-Mart, just let us know that a) You can work a till, b) you have no finger injuries that will prevent you from pushing the Copier button, and c) you have up-to-date health insurance and you recently won a Marksman of the Year award at your local shooting academy.
Tip #6: Put your best strawberries on top. Even if your resume is short, put the most tantalizing and tasty information about yourself on the top. If you used to run a company just like theirs, live two blocks from their offices or raised 4 million dollars of corporate funding, tell them so. Give them one good reason why you alone should get the job out of all the similarly qualified people who also applied.
Tip #7: Give them your phone number! It may sound obvious, but remember to put your phone number on your resume. Most interested employers will contact you via phone to schedule an interview, and so if you don’t have a phone number on your resume and they have a pile of 200 resumes to pick from, rest assured they won’t bother emailing you to try and find out your phone number.
THE FOLLOW-UP
Tip #8: If you didn’t get the job, don’t expect a call to tell you so. A job advert on Craigslist can generate 200+ responses; on Monster etc the figure can be higher. Unless you personally know the boss/ Hiring Manger, it's general policy these days to simply not write back to you if you don't have the job. Sadly, it's the way of the world these days.
Tip #9: Don’t be too needy. If a manager likes your resume, you WILL get a phone call within a couple of days of your application. If a week goes past with still no reply, a follow-up email is acceptable to inquire if the position has been filled. A phone call is not. Think of your job application like a first date. If they like you and want to hire you, they WILL call you back. If not, bugging them for a response will come across as somewhat needy, or even desperate - not an impression you want to give a potential employer.
Tip #10: Thank them for their time. If you have attended an interview, write a short 'thank you' note to the person who interviewed you and email it to them afterwards. To do so shows that you have manners, and will also conveniently put your name and email address right at the top of their inbox.
Good luck with your job search! :-)
- Natasha
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Those Who Will Be Missed
Very strangely and unfortunately, many stars have passed away the past month within very short periods of each other. The most notable is Michael Jackson, the king of pop, who at the age of fifty supposedly passed away due to cardiac arrest. This man dazzled everyone with intensity and out-of-this-world dancing for many years, and when he passed away, the whole of the U.S. shook in grief. However, it wasn't just Michael that passed away, but there were a couple of everyday celebrities that passed away as well.
Do you remember the Oxyclean man? Billy Mays, a man who is well known for the myriad of infomercials that he does, had also passed away at the age of 50. Before his autopsy showed that he passed away from heart disease, it was suspected that his death was related to the accident on a plane when something fell on top of his head.
Farrah Fawcett, an iconic symbol to women everywhere, passed away at 62 while she was battling cancer. Once an angel for Charlie, she outgrew her role and rose to fame when Pro Arts Inc. asked to do a photo shoot with her, and 45 years later it has become "the most influential piece of men’s art of the last 50 years”.
They call him "The man of 1000 faces". Fred Travalena, comedian extraordinaire, passed away this sunday from cancer. TVLesson had an interview with him not too long ago as he told us how to become a great comedian. He had an incredible presence with his many impressions and his constant appearances on the Tonight Show.
For all those who are connected to or have been influenced by these great people and many more that have passed away, the people from TvLesson.com hope that you keep strong and keep their spirits alive.
Do you remember the Oxyclean man? Billy Mays, a man who is well known for the myriad of infomercials that he does, had also passed away at the age of 50. Before his autopsy showed that he passed away from heart disease, it was suspected that his death was related to the accident on a plane when something fell on top of his head.
Farrah Fawcett, an iconic symbol to women everywhere, passed away at 62 while she was battling cancer. Once an angel for Charlie, she outgrew her role and rose to fame when Pro Arts Inc. asked to do a photo shoot with her, and 45 years later it has become "the most influential piece of men’s art of the last 50 years”.
They call him "The man of 1000 faces". Fred Travalena, comedian extraordinaire, passed away this sunday from cancer. TVLesson had an interview with him not too long ago as he told us how to become a great comedian. He had an incredible presence with his many impressions and his constant appearances on the Tonight Show.
For all those who are connected to or have been influenced by these great people and many more that have passed away, the people from TvLesson.com hope that you keep strong and keep their spirits alive.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Summer's Here
Finally! School's over and now it's time to play in the hot summer heat. But what makes summer summer? Is it the unlimited free time we can spend just laying on the soft sandy beach? I think not. In my opinion, it's only summer when we can have all the chilled desserts that we want without adults saying that it's too much because they'll be busy cooling themselves down with a treat as well.
And I think I have the perfect treat to satisfy our tastes for something deliciously cold in our mouths: homemade icicle pops!! Whooo!!
The great thing about these icicle pops are:
1)They're low in calories (depending on which one you eat. You can't expect a fudge pop to be less than 50 calories, although strawberry pops are o.O)
2) they're all incredibly delicious, and
3) they cost a fraction of the money we use to buy Popsicles in stores.
Why waste time making pops when you can easily drive to the store to buy some? Well, if you're a parent, it's a great way to get your lazy child's butt off the couch and have some bonding time, because we all know how much a teenager and a parent need time to talk and have fun. On the other hand, if you're a teenager, it's the perfect excuse to not go on a random fishing trip or go mow the lawn (yawn...how boring would a fishing trip be?)
With three different varieties of ice pops you can make, what's not to love?
Come on... I know you want to try it... =]
And I think I have the perfect treat to satisfy our tastes for something deliciously cold in our mouths: homemade icicle pops!! Whooo!!
The great thing about these icicle pops are:
1)They're low in calories (depending on which one you eat. You can't expect a fudge pop to be less than 50 calories, although strawberry pops are o.O)
2) they're all incredibly delicious, and
3) they cost a fraction of the money we use to buy Popsicles in stores.
Why waste time making pops when you can easily drive to the store to buy some? Well, if you're a parent, it's a great way to get your lazy child's butt off the couch and have some bonding time, because we all know how much a teenager and a parent need time to talk and have fun. On the other hand, if you're a teenager, it's the perfect excuse to not go on a random fishing trip or go mow the lawn (yawn...how boring would a fishing trip be?)
With three different varieties of ice pops you can make, what's not to love?
Come on... I know you want to try it... =]
The Blues
One of the most versatile instruments on this planet is the guitar. The guitar has an ancient history that maybe goes back even to the beginnings of time. According to an Arabic folklore, the oud which was a primitive form of the guitar, was invented by the grandson of Adam. Amazing.
To think that an instrument has evolved throughout time to create genres of music such as blues, pop, classical, flemenco and etc is absolutely amazing.
Another popular genre of music is the blues. The blues is a type of song that has a very sad tone to it which makes it ideal for playing when you are in that depressed mood.
If you are curious on what the blues are, watch Walk Hard. Its a parody of the blues era featuring John C. Reilly. It's hilarious.
The guitar is so versatile because you can strum it, you can pick it and you can even tap it!
How does one tap a guitar? Like this:
Pretty amazing stuff huh?
To think that an instrument has evolved throughout time to create genres of music such as blues, pop, classical, flemenco and etc is absolutely amazing.
Another popular genre of music is the blues. The blues is a type of song that has a very sad tone to it which makes it ideal for playing when you are in that depressed mood.
If you are curious on what the blues are, watch Walk Hard. Its a parody of the blues era featuring John C. Reilly. It's hilarious.
The guitar is so versatile because you can strum it, you can pick it and you can even tap it!
How does one tap a guitar? Like this:
Pretty amazing stuff huh?
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Anti Stabbing Knife Developed.
You hear it all the time in the news of someone being fatally stabbed. What if I were to tell you that England has developed a knife that cannot stab anything? This new knife has a redesigned blade that prohibits any stabbing action but still retains the ability to cut things.
The knife has a blunt "upper protrusion" with a rounded edge which acts as a protection barrier for the sharp blade. Also, it has a small undercut that snags on to clothes, skin or tissue.
The sharp point below is used as a standard knife point but with limited penetration. An ergonomic handle also reduces the aggressiveness of the sharp knife.
The common kitchen knife has not been changed for centuries so it's good to see that civilization is introducing a safer alternative for modern times.
Knives obviously can never be totally safe, but the fact that it can never cause a fatal wound will allow many people to sleep well at night. This knife would prevent people from just grabbing a kitchen knife and killing someone.
The knife has a blunt "upper protrusion" with a rounded edge which acts as a protection barrier for the sharp blade. Also, it has a small undercut that snags on to clothes, skin or tissue.
The sharp point below is used as a standard knife point but with limited penetration. An ergonomic handle also reduces the aggressiveness of the sharp knife.
The common kitchen knife has not been changed for centuries so it's good to see that civilization is introducing a safer alternative for modern times.
Knives obviously can never be totally safe, but the fact that it can never cause a fatal wound will allow many people to sleep well at night. This knife would prevent people from just grabbing a kitchen knife and killing someone.
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