Can you believe Michael Jackson died two years ago today? His death has always been a sore subject for me because I learned to separate the man from the music when he was still living. The same cannot be said of the masses who continued to talk shit about him to the point that it drove him to drugs, which ultimately killed him. His death, which ended up being the best career move he could have ever hoped for, cemented his rightful place in music history. It’s amazing to me that once he died, the collective everyone seems to have forgotten all the smack they talked about him (from child molestation charges to the excessive plastic surgery he had) when he was alive and suddenly everyone is a huge MJ fan. Why didn’t people show that kind of love when he was alive? Perhaps he’d still be around today if people would have appreciated his gift while he still walked amongst us. RIP, Michael!
One of my favorite new bands of 2010, Penguin Prison, have announced a tour that will take them halfway across the US in January and February. Hot on the heels of a successful UK tour, Penguin Prison will be playing the following cities with Girl Talk:
1/5/11 – House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
1/6/11 – The LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH
1/7/11 – The Madison Theater, Covington, KY
1/8/11 – Expo Five, Louisville, KY
1/10/11 – House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
1/11/11 – House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
1/13/11 – Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX
1/14/11 – Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
1/15/11 – Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX
1/17/11 – Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
1/18/11 – The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
1/20/11 – Workplay, Birmingham, AL
1/21/11 – Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
1/22/11 – Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC
1/24/11 – Valarium, Knoxville, TN
1/25/11 – The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
1/27/11 – Disco Rodeo, Raleigh, NC
1/28/11 – The NorVa, Norfolk, VA
1/29/11 – The National, Richmond, VA
1/31/11 – Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD
2/1/11 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
2/2/11 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
2/4/11 – Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
2/5/11 – Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
I’ve also seen Girl Talk live and I can tell you, these shows are going to be awesome! While supplies last, you can download a free mashup of Penguin Prison’s hot new single “Golden Train” mashed up with Michael Jackson’s “Working Day and Night” on Penguin Prison’s official site. Can’t wait for Penguin Prison to be huge!
Mr. Brainwash’s massively successful show “Icons – Remixed” in New York is finally coming to a close. My sources tell me it will close in the middle of November. The show began in a 15,000 square foot space in February and by overwhelming demand was extended… and extended…. and extended. In May, Mr. Brainwash remixed the exhibit and that got extended… and extended… and extended. If you haven’t seen this exhibit, you are missing out on some really great pop art.
MBW - Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Mouse
“Icons – Remixed” by Mr. Brainwash is located at 415 West 13th Street in New York. Don’t miss it!
Do not adjust your eyes! Tears for Fears covered Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” at the Hammerstein Ballroom on August 19, 2010 in New York. You might not be able to tell from the following video, but I think it worked pretty well. The band is no stranger to playing covers as they have interpreted Radiohead’s “Creep,” “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles and even played the orchestral cover version of “Mad World,” their own song as performed by Gary Jules. As much as I love this cover, I’d just cream to hear Roland Orzabal sing “Wanna be Startin’ Something.”
The Soapstone Gallery in New York has an amazing exhibition currently showing called “Graffolution – The Evolution of Graffiti and Street Art.” The exhibit boasts 44 works from artists such as Billi Kid, Matt Siren, The Me Nobody Knows (TMNK), Royce Bannon, Fumero, and more. It’s really fantastic. The pieces in the exhibit are extremely affordable too (ranging from $350 – $8,000). The pictures above and below are just a tasty little sample of the coolness you’ll see at the Soapstone Gallery, so head on down before August 15, 2010 when “Graffolution” closes. The Soapstone Gallery is located at 11 West 36th Street, 5th Floor in New York. Special thanks to Frankie Velez who gave me so many insights into these wonderful works!
Juan Carlos Pinto - Michael Jackson
Juan Carlos Pinto made a young Michael Jackson out of NYC Subway Metrocards! Wow!!!
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