The movie is based in the late 1950s when a new family moves into town and their son, Bryce Loski (Callan McAuliffe), catches the eye of the neighbor’s daughter, Juli Baker (Madeline Carroll).  This connection would stick with Bryce for years to come, well into junior high school.

Juli Baker is a strong-willed girl, whose mature vision of the world starts off at a young age, intimidating most of her school mates.  Falling for Bryce, she chases this immature boy for years, who wants nothing to do with her at all.  This changes, however, when Juli catches Bryce in a lie.

After seeing his lies, Juli realizes how shallow Bryce is, finally understanding how horrible he treated her all those years.  On the flipped side, Bryce’s eyes are opened to Juli’s inner and outer beauty, realizing how deep and special she really is.  Her strange habits throughout school now made sense to him, causing his heart to ache for this social outcast.  Do they ever get together?  That’s for you to watch and find out.

What I love about the movie is how they take a specific incident and give you both Bryce and Juli’s perception of what happened.  The movie points out the fact that girls mature faster than boys, as you see when each one tells of the incident and how opposite their perception is.

My favorite quote of the movie came when Juli’s dad realized his daughter had feelings for young Bryce, and she knew he really didn’t have the same feelings back.  He said “Juli, you got to see the whole picture sometimes.  For instance, a sunset is just a sunset, a field is just grass, and a cow in that field is just a cow.  However, when you blend them all together, you get a magnificent picture showing the depth of that moment; the true beauty.”

Flipped also personifies the hypocrisy of the ’50s way of life, and how everyone had to be same, or instantly become an outcast.  The same hypocrisy was brought to life in the Monkey’s smash hit, “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”

Warner Brother’s did an amazing job with this movie.  The script was well thought out and well written.  The musical scores were a blast from the past rocking some of the ’50s and ’60s greatest hits.  The acting was supurb, and photography was top notch in my opinion.  It was reminiscent to the blockbuster hit from the ’90s, Forrest Gump. Flipped wouldn’t surprise me if it wins numerous Academy Awards next year.

If you only see one movie this year, make Flipped the one to see.

The Springfield, Missouri writer has created a book that embarks on topics in the paranormal which are rarely touched.  I have read stacks of books on ghost lore and folklore in my 34 years, but none like The Paranormal Cookbook.  Before turning the first page, I thought that I would find a collection of recipes.  How to make ghost goulash?  Perhaps chupacabra casserole?  Well, maybe it was just wishful thinking as I was pretty hungry when I decided to read it.  I was pleasantly surprised though when I realized this cookbook had nothing to do with food at all.  Instead, this was a cookbook chock-full of cryptozoology, ghost lore and unexplainable legends.  The book mentions everything from Skinwalker sightings and UFOs to hellhounds and poltergeists.  There is something for every paranormal enthusiast in this publication.

Belkurov included many detailed accounts and examples of various cases which have taken place over the years in the paranormal field, such as the story of the Fox sisters, considered to be early day charlatans.  Also discussed in the book is the famous case of the Bell Witch of Tennessee, a tale that needs to be read by every paranormal enthusiast.  Belkurov talks about the mysterious Men in Black, explaining that it’s more than just a Will Smith movie.  Then there are the phantom clowns.  Now, I must admit, I don’t care for clowns.  No, let me rephrase that.  I detest them.  To me, those pasty white faces and big, floppy shoes represent evil in its purest form.  For those of you who share my feeling or have seen Stephen King’s IT, you will definitely be spooked when reading Belkurov’s section on this variety of carnival creep.  Black Eyed Kids, or BEKs, are also mentioned in Belkurov’s publication, and for those of you who are familiar with these menancing minors, you will want to read on.  If cryptids are more your thing, this author features some great ones such as the Mothman, Bigfoot and my all time personal favorite, the Jersey Devil.  Throughout the book, Belkurov cites the well-known and respected cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman, and supplies us with his thoughts on these strange and unusual cryptid curiosities which lurk amongst us.

In addition to his highly detailed accounts of cryptozoology and various legends, Belkurov includes the ever popular topic of ghosts.  I greatly enjoyed how he considers “ghost hunting to be the new black,” referring to the recent rise in the field of the paranormal.  The author goes on to speak of para-mania by saying that paranormal researchers “were once perceived like an odd, mentally challenged uncle that everyone puts up with, but no one takes seriously.  We are now the life of the party.” As far as I am concerned, no truer words have been spoken.  I have often uttered very similar words to my colleagues.  Belkurov continues to discuss the popularity of ghosts right now in the media, and even lists numerous para-reality television shows and para-films that are the current craze.  The author also includes accounts of old-fashioned seances, and certain controversial tools used in the field today such as Ouija boards and mirrors.

For the eternal pessimist and doomsday lover alike, Belkurov talks about the great prophecies of 2012.  Will the world really come to an end, or is it just hype?  And for the scientist, there is plenty on Quantum Physics, observer effects and synchronicity.  The Paranormal Cookbook presents the intertwinement of science and the paranormal, and whether or not skeptics can ever transition into becoming believers.

Spirituality and religion are not left behind in Belkurov’s book either, as he touches upon Christianity and more New Age beliefs such as hypnosis, yoga and mediation.  In addition, the writer embraces sensitive topics such as Satanism, the rituals involved and the associated stigmata.

I must say that one of my favorite stories, albeit short in length and perhaps overlooked by some readers, is about validity of the afterlife.  The story called “Roses in the Snow,” is one of Belkurov’s first tales in his book, and one which is most touching.  I will not give away the story, but what I can say is, it shows strong support for the continuation of life even after death.  I also took great pleasure in reading a blip on Belkurov’s ideas of paranormal exchange programs and how we, as field researchers, can learn from and collaborate with others instead of being competitive and petty.  This really hit home for me as I recently had a situation arise with a fellow investigator who felt the need to be territorial in her research, rather than working along with me.  It’s sad to see this happen so often in the field of paranormal investigation, so to hear that others share my world-peace view is very reassuring.  In addition to these great pieces, I found myself re-reading over and over the section on cursed movies.  I am a huge fan of horror, and this was a section that I found to be quite fascinating.  Most of us are familiar with the tragic deaths of the young female actresses in the movie Poltergiest, but there were also other films who had their share of unfortunate events during and after production.  You certainly won’t want to miss this chapter.

Belkurov provides much literature on the topic of parapsychology, its legitimacy and its pioneers we know so well, such as J.B. Rhine.  It is obvious that Belkurov is knowedgable and has done his research on the subject.  His accounts are thorough and nicely constructed.  He also speaks to his readers about psychic abilities, and strong intent or will, which may possibly influence the environment around us.  Are we too quick as a paranormal-loving society to accept the unexplained as just that, or are these unusual experiences power of the mind, coaxed mentally?  Can we attribute ghostly images to something more rational, and logically explained?  Belkurov asks the important question, “Can science explain everything?”  Are there mysteries in our universe that science simply cannot touch?  I’m with Blekurov on this one, “I want to believe.”

In conclusion, Belkurov expertly provides detailed text on belief systems, various theories and what they all mean.  We learn, as readers, about supernatural experiences and how we process them.  Belkurov’s ample listings throughout his book of psychological and scientific experiments are sure to grab the attention of those well-versed in the paranormal, as well as those who are just learning.  Paranormal phenomenon of all kinds is nicely represented in this book.  Belkurov gives us chapter after chapter of great insight to various hard-to-explain theories and phenomenon based on strong, valid research.  This book is highly detailed and smartly written, with a touch of humor and wit. Belkurov mixes magic and psychology with science and religion into one big crock pot.  He stirs them together and lets them simmer until the end result is nothing short of paranormally delicious.  With a sprinkle and dash of legend and lore, Belkurov got the ingredients just right.

S.M. Belkurov can be contacted through his website: SPOOKSFIELD.COM

Soon after the formation had come to a completion and thus the line-up was born, with drummer Terry Barajas, as well as singers Adriann Helton and Kryss Deetch. Now all that was left to do was to make music! This is of course what occurred and what lead the band to unleashing their smashing debut efforts “Sum of Influence”.

Comprising of 12 various tracks you’re divided up with your average rock blended in with some modern blues riffs with punk folk attitude driven in between. That showcases the real music being used here, like for instance, “The Great Divide”, “Sunny Days”, “Everything You Gave Away”, and “Stolen Air”, all consists of that same momentum the mellow pulsing rate of the drums with upbeat guitar riffs that tend to play against each other if not using an on and off type of method.

Lyrically the words are out spoken and overpower the music’s performance rating by drowning out the music the listener is hearing and replacing it rather than with a more aggressive affection. The listener hears what’s being said and can find themselves bobbing their head to each of the notes being played out its very catchy and makes the music bounce per each beat.

Backdrifter’s style is humble and calm breaking down the beat of the music in every which way possible never missing a beat let alone the mood you feel while listening in, makes these folk blues rockers rocking with absolute ease.

Title:

Songs On The Album:

1. Everytime
2. Concrete Angel
3. Teaching Angels How To Fly
4. Starry Starry Night
5. Think Of Me
6. Memory
7. To Where You Are
8. River Of Dreams
9. Dark Waltz
10. The Prayer
11. Amazing Grace
12. Ave Maria
13. O Mio Babino Caro
14. Con Te Partiro

Classical crossover is music that tells a story. It must be compelling and elegant in its delivery, and it must make the listener feel every emotion and become one with the song.  This genre takes a special kind of musician because you’re not only a singer, you’re a storyteller and an actor/actress in the same light.  Many musicians (singers) tend to shy away from the genre just because of its complexity, but those that stand the challenge and love it, know how to make it work.  When done right, this genre is an exquisite example of singing at its best.

Jackie Evancho’s debut album, Prelude To A Dream, is exactly what classical crossover should sound like.  This nine-year-old girl sings like a bird, with perfect harmony, passion, and heart. These very qualities allow Jackie to tell her story while providing the listener the feeling they are apart of the story she sings.  Jackie’s vocals on this CD are second to none; she has pitch perfect control and powerful vocals when needed, while delivering a sweet innocence in her voice that makes her singing oh so sweet.  What’s even more amazing is that her voice sounds mature in her songs, setting her up for a long career when her voice does change in the near future.

Jackie demonstrates her talent most in the song, “O Mio Babino Caro.”  I am amazed at the power and range she is able to achieve on this song.  You can tell from the first word out of her mouth that she loves this song and is ready to do it justice; an instant hit for her.  Some other great songs to mention on this album are “Teaching Angels How To Fly” for its sweet, soothing and heart-warming story and vocals, and also “Amazing Grace.”  I, personally, love the music compilation of this track; it helps add strength and beauty to Jackie’s already amazing voice.

We would definitely recommend this CD to anyone, and if you don’t like classical crossover, Jackie will make you a fan.  

RATING:   5 out of 5

Since the earlier creations, AFI has indeed like most bands changed their style to blend in along with the rest of the crowd, just like today’s fads same routine goes for music – AFI went from the stick liking’s of punk down to hardcore punk to horror punk in a matter of just a few years. 1999′s “Black Sails in the Sunset,” and 2000′s “The Art of Drowning,” it wasn’t until 12 years later that the band had stuck major success when it came down to “Sing The Sorrow,” (2003) having the well known hits, “Girl’s Not Grey” and “The Leaving Song, Pt. II,” aside from the others found upon this album. Then the band had taken a brief hiatus and returned in 2006 with “Decemberunderground,” that featured break-through single “Miss Murder,” and second smash-up “Love Like Winter,” now their eighth achievement is on the floor, and “Crash Love,” isn’t all the hype that AFI has been known to establish.

“Crash love,” does play the band’s strongest points to date but goes back to blending into the modern rock n roll vibrations that they changed not so long ago, there are some “old school” influences found upon the album such as “Medicate,” that constantly builds up that classic punk style with galloping guitar riffs with fast racing drum tactics getting your blood pumped. Guitarist Jade Puget steps it up in a major way when “OK, I feel Better Now,” showcasing his standout performance to date, starting off with a trade marking chiming chord sequence, before working into the strummed octaves and some unexpected, game-changing chord effects found within the third verse.

The other songs, make a particular marking that vocalist Davey Havok stays true to his fascination with death and self-destruction, not going away from those themes one bit but encouraging them a lot more. While “Crash Love,” never seems to hit the lyrical highs that “Sing The Sorrow” had once struck – “Veronica Sawyer Smokes,” may just be the most out-standing tune offered, let alone written about Winona Ryder, having Davey’s vocal skills be at their best perfection level to date, allowing him to sing the following line is remarkable: “I saw you every time I closed my eyes, in the Hughes film I had scored, produced and starred in, in my mind.” Nevertheless, Davey’s vocal contribution makes this song work in every way possible – laying out the voices and chorus structure in the perfect combination, having the rest of the music fall simply into place.

“Crash Love,” doesn’t demand for the listener to pay attention to everything spoken yet alone played to the same chord as their previous accomplishments, but it reveals a more intricate and well-constructed album, rarely lacking any proportion of quality or anything else falling out of place.

Written By Natalie Perez

Skeletonwitch

Ever attended a mini block party? Well now is your chance at experiencing your first one, how about joining in on all the fun with the spiraling circle of black! Hence I mean the crowd of people dressed all in black proudly expressing their love and devotion to one of the three musical acts that were set to set the stage that forsaken night out at the Glass House in chilly Pomona, California.

First up was an act from Athens, Ohio one who dislikes the fact that not too many people are aware of what type of music they actually perform, so I guess it would just be your plain old heavy metal if I do say so myself but a very upgraded version. Any who, Ohio’s Anthener’s Skeletonwitch brought on the fiery blaze for a non-stop 30 minutes bringing on the skull crushing beer drinking sensation left and right, as the crowd interacted from all various angles – singing such songs off “Beyond the Permafrost,” and new comer, “Breathing the Fire,” due out on October 13th. Some of the head crushing tunes consisted of “Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery,” “Within My Blood,” the title track, along with a douse of double trouble off the newbie album, “Crushed Beyond Dust,” and “Strangled By Unseen Hands”. The front man declaring his statements throughout the set – wrapping it all up when it came to a closing point with “Smoke Weed, Drink Beer, and Eat Some F**king Pussy”.

Setlist

01. Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod
02. Fire From the Sky
03. Crushed Beyond Dust
04. Upon Wings of Black
05. Beyond the Permafrost
06. Submit To The Suffering
07. Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery
08. The Despoiler Of Human Life
09. Within My Blood

The Black Dahlia Murder

Next up was a band everybody was in “die-hopes” of seeing and of course they did, known simply as The Black Dahlia Murder who threw together a 45 minute set capacity that couldn’t hold it altogether when it came to this aggressive crowd of metal heads shouting and being thrown around like a rag dolls singing along to each and every song that came pulsing out of the vocalist along with his band mates to top it all off. Once they set had came to a closing point the final contender of the night that everyone was obviously here for, was up for their hour and a half glory.

Setlist

01. Everything Went Black
02. Black Valor
03. Closed Casket Requiem
04. Necropolis
05. A Vulgar Picture
06. What A Horrible Night to Have A Curse
07. Christ Deformed
08. Miasma
09. Funeral Thirst

Children Of Bodom

Finland’s finest musicians around being led by one of the most talented guitarists around, Alexi Laiho, Children of Bodom was the main attraction of tonight’s metal frenzy, starting the show off with “Living Dead Beat,” rolling right into “Hellhounds On My Trail,” finishing off the introduction with classic but true “Silent Night, Bodom Night.” But that’s not all, the band continued their classic chaos with “Hate Me,” going down the lines of other top notch tunes, “Bodom After Midnight,” “Are You Dead Yet?,” “Blooddrunk,” rounding it all off with “Hate Crew Deathroll,” dedicated to all the hardcore Children Of Bodom fans within the sea of black.

The night closed off to being as I foretold it would, a “sea of black,” and indeed that’s what it was and had becoming, its waves of triumph pushing over anyone/anything that came in its path of destruction.

Setlist

01. Living Dead Beat
02. Hellhounds On My Trail
03. Silent Night, Bodom Night
04. Hate Me!
05. Follow The Reaper
06. Lake Bodom
07. Bodom After Midnight
08. Are You Dead Yet?
09. Blooddrunk
10. Angels Don’t Kill
11. In Your Face
12. Children Of Decadence
13-.Bodom Beach Terror
14. Downfall
———–
15. Everytime I Die
16. Hate Crew Deathroll

By: Natalie Perez

That’s the theme for Degrassi Goes Hollywood, when Manny bombs her audition for Jason Mewe’s new film, she must face the drama when he casts a replacement. Paige fills in for her instead unleashing a spiraling circle of chaos as soon as making her way onto the set. Paiges old friends Marco and Ellie fly out to Hollywood in Paiges time of need and support her but soon realize she’s become a Hollywood diva overnight. While out in Los Angeles Ellie reunites with an old flame Craig and old emotions begin to flutter between the former pair. Meanwhile Manny and Jay along with the band mates of The Studz board a school bus for a cross-country road trip to help Manny reclaim the lead role in Jason’s film Mewsical High. After their arrival Manny goes off to become Hollywood’s next BIG thing whereas Paige is tossed in the backdrop helping her along the way. During all this fame and fortune for the Degrassi ladies, Ellie and Craig get in yet another fund because the feelings they have for one another. When it’s all said and done, Ellie and Craig realize they’re fate. As Ellie flies back out to be at her father’s side because of his illness and remaining in the hospital.

Degrassi Goes Hollywood isn’t your typical Degrassi episode but it still impacts the same high school drama deliverance that will always linger and remain a treasured loved

Written by: Natalie Perez

This time around it held its doors open allowing more than over 40,000+ Unique Attendees at the Nation¹s Largest Anime and Manga Event. Everyone and anyone were willing to come down from all over to bear witness the fun and excitement that is offered. From karaoke contests, to costume contests to merch booths selling items you cannot find anywhere else. The Anime Expo is hosted by a non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The SPJA has held a handful of other Anime Expo’s throughout the world i.e. New York, Tokyo that took place respectively in 2002 and 2004. Instantly growing as the time goes on. But that cannot maintain the mayhem and pure adrenaline rush that these crazed fans can’t get enough of. Hundreds roamed the many halls of the Los Angeles convention center dressed up as their favorite characters being admired by all who wanted to catch a glimpse or get a shot alongside their favorable characters. Ranging from Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Inuyasha, Naruto, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Series, Bleach the list goes on and on all sorts of anime was being tossed around. But aside from the main hole in the wall merchandise world throughout the convention several rooms were held up holding contests and movie airings, rock concerts, panel discussions, you name it. It was being showcased one way or another.

This year’s anime expo had brought in a ton of fun and pure happiness everywhere you looked. Everyone who was involved or just checking out the sights and many sounds offered throughout the convention was talking. It brought out the fun and kept it flowing throughout the entire event. Not missing a single person in attendance. Be sure to not miss out on your chance come next year’s fun and total excitement.

Written by Natalie Perez

I Love You, Beth Cooper

The movie takes place in a small town in Washington state, where a graduating high school class was about to be shaken up by someone they all least expected, the valedictorian, Dennis Cooverman.  This nerdy classmate has sat behind Beth Cooper all his life, and never had the chance to even talk to this popular head cheerleader.  With graduation commencement taking place and his speech being the last thing his class will hear, he’s faced with a now or never regret should he not profess his undying love for Beth Cooper.  Dennis Cooverman does so in the speech, in front of the entire school and also throws out some other matter of facts for some of his other classmates, causing extreme anger towards him.

After graduation, Beth Cooper confronts him and Dennis Cooverman asks her to come to his post graduation party.  Surprisingly they show up, Beth and her friends (a.k.a. The Beauty Trifecta), and what happens next is the ride of Dennis’ life.  Her angry boyfriend who is all coked up arrives at the house and attempts to kill Dennis and his friend, and Beth saves them from his rage.  She takes them on an amazing adventure with crazy driving, underage drinking, and parties across the city, each time dodging or barely leaving with their lives from her boyfriend who is tracking her every move.

The party ends up in a cabin outside of the city, where Beth and Dennis sit and discuss their plans, and Beth sadly confesses her high school life was the best ride she’ll have; her time is done from here on in.  Dennis tells her after the night they just had, that statement was a line of crap and she was in for the ride of her life.  He also sees this image he had of Beth Cooper through the years broken as she proved to be a bit more rambunctious than expected, but he fell in love with that girl, too.

Hayden Panettiere was amazing in the role.  Her character plays a typical Panettiere role; the popular cheerleader type that’s tough and is not easily pushed around.  She’s fun and lives life to the fullest, even to the point of a bully that is just a bit misunderstood.  In the end of the movie, she turns into something we are not used to seeing from her roles; a character who is unsure of herself, who has doubts and is vulnerable under that tough facade.  It was amazing watching that side of a character for her and she did it with ease.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, and if you are a parent and afraid there would be nudity or extreme vulgarity, think again.  The closest you’ll get to nudity is a topless back shot of Panettiere, and you couldn’t see anything.  Anyone of any age would like this, but still, it is R-rated so parents should be there with their kids.

This movie receives 5 out of 5 stars.  It will make you laugh, cry and realize you can enjoy life; it doesn’t stop after high school, it’s only how you make it.

Stomp is a performance with an urban feel to it, but resembles so many different aspects that it’s hard to put it all into a list.  It’s as intense as River Dance with a blue collar urban feel, but I also see Cirque De Soleil and West Side Story, all masterfully blended into its own unique play.  This show would amaze Fred Astaire for sure.

From start to finish, it was an hour and forty-five minutes of non-stop rhythm. The performers used their bodies, brooms, Zippos, trash cans, signs, newspaper, and anything else they could find to make incredible sounds with.  They combined karate, slapstick, juggling, tap dancing, comedy, intense lighting and the feeling of friendship that will send your emotions running all over the spectrum.  I was awestruck with the choreography of this show, and have a new found respect for the level of physical and mental endurance as well as the countless hours needed to learn this act.  They are true sportsmen and theatrical artists combined into one true package.

What I like the best about this show is the feeling of urban friends (ie. New York City) getting together on a hot summer day, behind one of their places of employment, down an alley chilling out.  They come up with some incredible sounds and dancing to pass the time away.  If you ever lived in a big city, you will know what I mean when you see Stomp.

Stomp is definitely one of the best shows I’ve ever seen; a must for anyone who loves dance and intense choreography. Stomp is a show perfect for any one of any age and race.  When they’re done, you’ll be out of breath and feel sore just from watching.  Oh yeah, they will get you involved in the show, too.

The Expressionist Magazine gives this intense show 5 out of 5 stars, and a big kudos to all the performers who made this look easy.  We also thank the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center for having this show for the people of Tampa to be amazed with.

They released Microsoft Vista a year or so ago, and since then the complaints have flown in. Despite the sleek look and cool features, most of the computers act like mine- constantly freezing up and crashing, programs not compatible, very slow and sluggish when it’s not crashing.  I think I wait more than get my tasks accomplished, so how is that being productive?

A few months ago I noticed across Yahoo’s homepage a link to download Internet Explorer 8.0 and immediately I was a bit hesitant towards the transition.  I put it off as long as I could, but the mandatory updates caught up with me and so I downloaded it.  Now I think I hate Microsoft; thank goodness for Firefox.

Just using this software today, the day after the install, my computer has crashed a record seven times and has been slower than usual.  Internet Explorer 8.0 will not load all of my info onto Facebook and other networking sites.  I cannot access my government log-in pages nor my bank anymore and now have to use another browser for this purpose.  I installed it on my brother’s computer a few weeks ago and his stopped working, as well. I am simply disgusted with the program, however, there are a few out there who may disagree.  Two out of two computers in my house that have this software no longer can use Internet Explorer to browse the Internet.

What’s even worse, Microsoft was known for the Internet browser and the World Wide Web, utilizing it inside their programs.  There is no excuse to the fallacies contained in something that they invented.

If you downloaded this program and now regret it, you’re not alone, but there are some simple and free options:

FireFox  - www.firefox.com or www.mozilla.com
Safari – www.safari.com   (Mac’s browser that works on Windows; just be sure to download the right platform)
Google Chrome – www.google.com/chrome  (Yes, they have a web browser now, too)

As far as a star rating, I would give this P.O.S. web browser, to say it nicely, a 0.5 out of 5 stars.  This signals the downfall of Microsoft.

Written by:  Natalie Perez

Set list

Night Life
Home Sweet Hell
Misery
Autopsy Turvy
Hitch Hiker
City of the Dead
Ghosts of Autumn
Headless
Dead to Ries
Street N’ Flesh
In The Graveyard
Satan Takes a Hoilday
Wake Not The Dead
Making Monsters

Written by: Natalie Perez

We showed up on day two to watch our hard rocking, hair thrashing Holes And Hearts perform on stage in front of 200 or more.  As usual, people were in awe over their amazing stage performance, and couldn’t believe their talent for such a young age.  By the sixth song, I saw they were exhausted and the heat was unbearable, but like true performers they fought their fatigue and gave the best possible show they could.  They have once again showed their awesome talent and maturity as true artists. Brilliant show for these guys as they send off on a two month tour starting in Los Angeles, and working their way back to the East Coast.

Following Holes and Hearts was the legendary 70s icon and disco mogul, KC and the Sunshine Band. This native Floridian knows how to move, knows how to sing and knows how to shake his groove thing.  He may not look like he did back in the 70s, but his sound is very similar, and his energy on stage is still strong.  It was so nice to listen to him sing my favorite song of his, “Please Don’t Go.”   KC must have played in front of 5000 or more; you couldn’t move when he came on stage.

The only real complaint I have about this event is the parking.  I had to park on 1st Ave and 2nd street, which was quite a haul.  City dwellers said all you have to do is take a tram, which wasn’t free and wasn’t cheap.  If you didn’t come prepared with parking and tram money, you were forced to walk a few miles to the show.  In the heat, then to stand all day, that wore me out.  I wish these events would allow for better parking. If they can’t get close parking, then allow transportation services to cater for free.

Concluding the night life in Hollywood was another Los Angeles based act from Long Beach known as I Am Ghost having front man Steven Juliano format the band in 2004 leading them from numerous magazine covers to top charting musicians. I Am Ghost have handled all the press and media that have been thrown at them. Leaving what else to do than play the music they’ve created. In doing so played an hour long set consisting of old to new back to the very oldest of tunes from all their current albums flying about. Halfway through their set Steven shouts “I don’t care what type of music you listen to whether it’d be punk, grunge, reggae, hip-hop, heavy metal, we play rock music and we don’t belong to a music scene.” The crowd shouted with agreement as the band continued to rock and roll the rest of their set. Consisting of “Civil War and Isolation Thirst,” “Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps,” “Saddest Story Never Told,” “Those We Leave Behind,” “Bone Garden,” to a much older tune off “We Are Always Searching,” (2005)EP entitled “Pretty People Never Lie, Vampires Really Never Die,” played as their final encore song of the night. Throughout the set the crowd interacted in every way possible from jumping in pace to pushing and shoving one another to screaming their hearts out.

I Am Ghost threw on an entertaining show you could only imagine in person. The energy is high and fun and brings out the inner being hidden inside of you, one that is saying “let me out and live my life.”

Written by Natalie Perez

Aiden the Seattle boys that thought they could did. Accomplishing four LP’s with constant touring from all over the world being on magazine covers and interviews galore; who would ever think that these goth rock and rollers would still be standing to this day? Many may not have heard of these rock and rollers but their aggression and intensity alone sets the scene for their musical performance that they captured the night they brought it all home on their latest but miniature tour known only as “Your Ticket To Hell!” taking place at Hollywood’s very own Knitting Factory, Aiden rocked the jammed packed crowd with crowd surfers, pit dancing, and stage diving mayhem from all angles possible. Why don’t you jump in on all the fun and excitement while everything is still fresh and burning in the fiery blaze of hell!

“Did somebody loose a book?” shouts  WiL front man of goth punk rock ‘n’ roll sensation Aiden, the audience replied “No” along with cheers and shouts then  WiL remarks “Oh well it’s about God, too bad there is no such thing.” as he tosses the book over his shoulder and the band breaks into the remainder of their set. Coming out of Seattle who knew that these intense and aggressive four young talents had what it takes to create such angry music. That is what Will has been asked repeatedly in his current interview mayhem but his response “I’m not angry, I’m afraid.”

Who wouldn’t be afraid especially how the current economy is affecting us both health wise and moneywise we will all fall straight to the depths of hell. Never having the chance to witness “The Last Sunrise,” was the introduction tune that got the entire Knitting Factory in Hollywood flowing with complete energy, sweat, and tears. As the band broke into a short but simple 45 minute set list that consists of the old, new, and newest mixture of tunes, “The Last Sunrise,” “Die Romantic,” “Teenage Queen,” We Sleep Forever,” newest single off their fourth accomplishment “Knives,” entitled “Scavenger of the Damned,” along with “Killing Machine,” that kept the energy impacted and flowing. When their set hit mid-way point the crowd chanted “Aiden, Aiden, Aiden,” as the band freshened up briefly and ran back onto the stage to conclude their set for the night with not one, but two tracks in store.

The audience accepted the band’s departure and continued to rant and rave through the first of the two songs remaining and then hell itself opened up from underneath us as WiL wraps up the night “We are Aiden and we will see you on this summer’s Van’s Warped Tour 2009!” “Now everyone knows what this is right?” as the entire floor split into two half’s everyone awaiting the fun and excitement that awaited the conclusion of the night. As the song broke into “I Set My Friends On Fire,” the two half’s came together smashing against one another some going up into the air while others scrambled to get up off the ground as the band continued to rock ‘n’ roll their way until the very end. WiL hopping onto the floor while others hopped into the stage singing, dancing and expressing themselves in every way possible Aiden in the end drawing in the intensity that will blaze on until their light is burnt out under the worse circumstances. 

Written by: Natalie Perez

Set List:

To Be Forgotten

New Breath

The Architect

Bred For Control

Out Of Nothing

Myth Of Progress

Robert Paulsen

(FATE)

Written by: Natalie Perez

This album first and foremost is masterfully produced; the tracks are laid out with precision in the mixing which helps to accent the true talent these boys have.  I give kudos to Mongrol Records for their work in this venture.

Holes and Hearts is full of head thrashing hits, with hard guitar riffs from Casey whose talent surpasses his age.  After listening to this album I swore he had been playing for 20 years, but since he’s only 13, that is truly impossible.  I can feel his passion for his rock and I know he truly believes in his music, which is something I think artists have lost over the years.  I praise Casey for bringing it back.  The album contains the wicked voice of Riley, who like his brother, puts his heart and soul into each track and his love for music and rock truly ring out with each word he sings. Again, he sounds far older than he actually is at only eleven years old. Riley’s charismatic charm and energetic performances will capture you from the moment you listen to him sing, be it live or on this CD.

There isn’t one track on this album I don’t like; it’s refreshing to get a CD that I actually love listening to all the songs on and I don’t want to change to another track. When all is said and done, these boys just rock, and I think America and the world will fall in love with these pint-sized rockers. Watch out world, Holes and Hearts are here to stay!  I can’t see this album not going platinum if it’s properly marketed.  I give this CD five out of five stars and can’t wait to see a track hit #1 in the Billboard charts soon.

This festival is known only as The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and is taken place at the UCLA campus and admission is absolutely free just bring along your friends and family members and you get two full days of access! Meet thousands of authors and take the time of chilling out on some great foods and listening in on some of the coolest music around. But that’s not all you get thrown with, when attending this type of festival there are prize giveaways and panel discussions with the authors and various vendors willing to help you find your way. Six different stages (Target Children’s Stage, Culinary Stage, Los Angeles Times Stage, Etc. Stage, Poetry Stage, and the Hoy Cultural Stage) were set up that started showcasing various authors and conducting interviews since the beginning of the event at 10 A..M. Lasting long into the nightfall of 4 and 5 P.M. The exhibitor’s list contained some of the following sponsors that were dishing out the goodness throughout the day such as Target, TicketMaster, Time Warner Cable, AmazonKindle, ktla5CE, and various radio stations dishing out the smooth jazz mix-ups to the mellowness of the rock and roll beatings. Some authors that plan to outbreak and spread the worth knowledge of the free words found only in books, includes Robert Crais, Michael J. Fox, Tori Spelling, and Larry Wilmore, among the other 450 authors planning on hanging out.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books should be one event this spring time you should gather everyone for because it indeed does have something for everyone no matter how old they may be. You’ll have a great time hanging around thousands of book lovers, wonderful food, and music atmosphere for the entire UCLA campus surroundings. There is never a dull moment when you attend The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books!

Listening to this CD gives you the feeling you’re on a tropical island, sipping a margarita and taking in the sights of the Caribbean; all you have to do is close your eyes.  Even the Beach Boys couldn’t deliver the feeling of the tropics like Los Hijos De Ismael can.  The CD is in Spanish, but even someone who doesn’t speak or understand the language will love this music.  

The new CD has twelve soothing sounds, led by the soft, calming voice of Alejandro that will easily remove every ounce of stress your body may contain.  Gabe, Alejandro’s brother, adds bass to this monster instrumental collaboration. The rest is complimented by the professional bongos of Roberto Leon, saxophones by Matt Gawlick, and Patrick Hernly on percussion.  The combination of these instruments make this CD a beautiful, harmonic compilation that’s set to run straight to the top of the charts, and your hearts.

If you never listened to Spanish/Caribbean music, then here is your chance to spoil your ears on something great.  I give this CD 5 out of 5 stars. 

CD on sale now at CD Baby and iTunes or at www.sonsofismael.com 

Ever so often something unique and fresh comes showing it’s bright new face and that new something is Sophie Dunér.  Her album is “The City Of My Dreams;” it was produced in Madrid Spain by Javisound Studio.

This Swedish born vocalist’s CD brings a lot to the table.  First thing on the table is Sophie, with her wide octave range and sultry voice that can be loved by anyone who loves jazz or blues.  The music composition is fantastic; it’s been a long time since I heard a vocalist use a string quartet laid out with vocals.  The CD is something anyone can enjoy, from the young to the elderly; it doesn’t limit itself to one age group which will allow her great success with the album.

When I listen to The City of My Dreams, it reminds me of an era with strong vocal artists, now legends, and powerful bands in the back. That’s right, it reminds me of 30s and 40s big band with the legendary sounds of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Johnnie Mathis, but with a modern tone.  It’s a great combination to say the least.  The vocals are clean and fun which is refreshing to hear; something other than the violence and hate that looms over today’s music.

I love the album; it’s different and enjoyable. Sophie breaks out of the same old, same old and dares to be great in her album which I feel she pulled off successfully.  It puts her apart from the crowd with the chance to shine.  I give the CD 5 out of 6 stars.

To Purchase: http://cdbaby.com/cd/sdsq

Photo Credits:  Ingvar Loco Nordin

It’s been an age-old question… an argument of who’s better, Macintosh or the PC.  It’s a fight that’s loomed since the late 70s when Microsoft announced Windows was going to be standard on all IBM computers, and Apple was going into all schools.  The war was on, the fire lit and the explosion took place. 

I’ve truly been fascinated by this feud for years, a feud almost like the Hatfields and McCoys. It has gotten to the point that we have forgotten what we are even fighting about.  Honestly, after using a Mac and a PC, I realized that there really is no answer to the question; we are fighting for no good reason.

Last summer I purchased a MacBook Pro.  I’ve been an avid P.C. user since 1995, so it took some adjusting on my part since it’s different than a Windows platform.  What I found was honestly amazing between the two and this fight.

First of all, the fight is between a Mac and a PC.  You’ve seen the commercials where a nerdy executive is representing the PC and on the other side is a cool guy representing the Mac.  The Mac says it can do everything the PC can do, only better, and the PC runs for cover.  Well, that argument is really null.  What I mean is, a PC is a computer and so is a Mac and they use the exact same hard drives, memory, etc. as each other even down to the processor.  The only difference is style.  We forget the argument isn’t about Macs and PCs; it’s about OS (operating system) Windows vs. MacOS.  The real argument should be between Microsoft and Apple.  Microsoft does not create any computers, just software, while Apple creates both.  It’s funny that the companies can’t even get the argument straight anymore.

After I received my Mac and started to learn it, I found that there is no definitive winner.  It simply comes down to choice.  There will always be some that prefer Macs to PCs and vice versa;  you will never be able to convince that the other is better, even if it’s in black and white.  Both PCs and Macs have their benefits and hindrances, but in the end it comes down to taste and what you feel most comfortable with.

Apple’s operating system is by far more secure, and it does load faster than Windows Vista.  In the eight months I’ve owned it, there was only one time I had to “force quit” on an application.  Apple is the caviar of the computer world; its components are the same as a PC, but is like the designer clothing line to knockoffs.  You will expect to pay a minimum of $1000.00 for a bare bones computer with MacOSX today.  Some models range from $3,000 to $4,000.  Apples have been known for two decades as the artist’s choice for a computer.  They have excellent pro software and Macs are the industry standard.

If you try to network an Apple computer on your Microsoft network, good luck.  Files are not compatible with Microsoft, and if a computer has Microsoft Windows, it won’t talk.  However, you can install Microsoft on your Mac, and network.  But seriously, do you need two operating systems?  Personally, this is one downfall to the Macs that I’ve found.  I like to network my computers at home; instead, I’ve had to do the poor man’s network.   I also found that I can’t view videos on my Mac that are done in .WMV formats.  I can only view .mov, MP4 and some MP3s.  Until the web sites utilize a uniform movie format for both the PC and Mac, this will cause a slight problem.  Macs are just not very compatible with Windows and Microsoft programs at all, so if you need programs, you either have to get them from Apple direct or you have to make sure the box says it can be installed in an Apple. 

Microsoft has produced some of their major signature programs for a Mac such as Word, Outlook and others.  Keep in mind, you have to buy the Apple version of it.

As for Windows, people say that Vista stinks and is a complete waste of your money.  On the other hand, I also hear people raving about it.  In my experience it’s been slower and crashes more often than any of the previous versions of Windows.  The look and ease is good, unlike Mac which does take some learning to use their operating system.  Also, it is not as hard as DOS on either computers.  In Windows Vista’s defense, I have seen some amazingly fast and stable systems.

Windows has a broader selection of software titles, unlike Mac.  It’s far more in budget for a student or low to middle income family.  Some laptops are as inexpensive as $400.00, and a full desktop can run you as little as $300.00.  Again, the PC is like the department store brand of computer and not as “elite” as the Mac; however, the PC will get the job done.

Here is the bottom line… the computer is only as good as the person using it.  Your computer, if you operate it right ( do not download a bunch of junk tool bars and empty your cache files, temp files and other Internet junk), will work for you.  Heck, I do that with my Mac.  When buying the computer of your dreams, look into the price and see if it’s going to do what you want it to. 

If you’re going to do movies, you don’t want a 120 gig hard drive with 512 megs of memory and a AMD processor.  It will crash your system.  You need to invest the right amount of money to get the proper requirements.  We, as Americans, try to cram stuff in and make things work that just won’t. Instead of bellying up to the bar and admitting we were cheap, we blame it on the computer manufacturer and Windows.

My advice is to buy what you like, and buy according to what you need the computer to do.  If all you’re doing is e-mailing and web surfing, then a smaller more cost efficient machine could easily do the job; however, you won’t have much success running HD video off it.

Most of the ads left me with a blank stare as I sat on the couch pondering, “so,was that it?”  Those commercials included the “One Second” ad which belonged to the Miller Brewing Company.  The GoDaddy.com commercials are another fine example especially where they showed Danica Patrick in a shower, then at court in a separate video in a cleavage war.  Don’t get me wrong, sex is great, but to sell a domain name, I just don’t get it.

Some of the ads I couldn’t wait to get off the screen, like the ones from Career Builder.com.  These were awful, especially that mounted moose in the CEO’s room and across the wall, the guy had to work with the rest of the moose on his desk just inches from a brown mud facial.  Then, there was the one where everyone was screaming, and that koala got punched in the face, over and over again. I wanted to find the fast forward button.

On the moderately amusing side, the flowers from FTD put a smile on my face, yet it was still a little boring.  This lady in an office opens a box of flowers, that to her dismay, are wilted and brown with a nasty temper.  They start insulting her looks, her intelligence, and then ends the commercial with “no one wants to see you naked.”  I was hoping they would have something else because that was horrible, and to my surprise, they did.  The commercial comes back with an office nerd standing next to the insulted woman and he says, ”I’d like to see you naked” and she shows him the hand. This part saved the commercial for me.

The biggest blunder came from the much awaited 3D commercial.  It was probably one of the most expensive commercials made that night.  It was funny with Matt Light of the New England Patriots dancing in a white onesie on a color free stage.  The graphics and animation were fabulous. So, where’s the blunder?  It came outside the box, no pun intended.  The commercial was fine; it’s the marketing department that made the faux pas.  After the client spent millions on the making of this commercial for a great 3D experience for the viewers, do you remember receiving any 3D glasses?  I looked in Sunday’s paper and there were no glasses there.  I went to the super market a few times this week, but never once did I see a display for glasses. The marketing department for the commercial forgot one small detail.  They forgot to give out the glasses after they finished the commercial.  I don’t know about you, but usually when something like this is coming, there are usually glasses for free in the newspaper or at a store.  I would say that would be especially true in Tampa, where the Super Bowl was.  Alas, no glasses were found and a potentially great commercial was reduced to just ordinary.  After all, I always have a pair of 3D glasses sitting in my drawer for just such an occasion (that was sarcastic, by the way). If I were the company who paid for the commercial, there would be a lawsuit pending and I would be at my lawyer’s at 8:00 A.M on Monday morning.

The best commercials to me were from Pepsi, eTrade, Budweiser and Doritos.  They were light and funny, but these veterans have been doing this for years.  Pepsi had the “I’m Good” commercial where people were getting brutally hurt yet they stood up and took it like men, smoking from the electric shock and all.  Great commercial.

Budweiser had good commercials as they always do. They really weren’t funny but had some great twists, such as the horse fetching the tree.  It was a great ad.  Budweiser has always been known to have memorable commercials that are clean and breathtaking, with some bits of fun in them to keep you on your toes.  

Doritos was by far the best of the night.  The commercial featured the magic snow globe that the man says is real.  “Will the office have free Doritos today?” He then throws the globe through the machine.  “I’d say that’s a yes!”  His co-worker grabs the globe and asks a question. “Will I be getting a promotion today?” He then throws the globe at the door as his boss comes walking through, nailing him below the belt.  This was hilarious.

In all, I give the commercials a B-.  Most of them were terrible, but some of them came through.  I have seen far better commercials in Super Bowl nights past, therefore, I was somewhat disappointed with last night’s line up.  Thank you to Pepsi, Budweiser and Doritos for saving the night.

Plot: 

Review:  Personally, I absolutely loved this movie, which Nickelodeon produced. It’s an inspiring movie to watch about children without much hope in life, yet they find a reason to go on.  They show us that someone or some animal needs us and really, we are all alike in so many ways.  It made me realize what you can accomplish if you put your heart and mind to it, irregardless of one’s age.  We can all make a difference.  This movie truly makes you feel all kinds of emotions, from sadness to laughter. Emma Roberts (Andi) did a fabulous job with her role, which tied the whole movie together.  The dogs were cute and hilarious, bringing a smile to your face every time you see them. 

I give this movie 5 stars.  The movie is rated G, and is very suitable for all audiences.  The best part is if you see this movie, Pedigree donates money to help abandoned animals in our country.  You can even adopt an animal or donate to the cause right from the movie’s official web site www.hotelfordogs.com .  Don’t miss this one at the theatre, but if you do, it’s a definite buy on DVD.

The Contemporary Urban Art Scene is largely reminiscent of a crowded elevator. The number of voices can be deafening, and still, no one it seems, is speaking to you. However, amongst the chattering hum of the convoluted, desperately emotive, and overall lackluster art landscape that is the Non-Miami based South Florida Underground, one voice is quietly singing- and making beautiful music.

“You must take the A train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the A train
You’ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now it’s coming
Listen to those rails a-humming
All aboard, get on the A train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem”

The swinging jazz of Duke Ellington’s famous tune, ‘Take the A Train’ seems to fill the air as soon as one sets their eyes upon the work of artist, Cheryl Jarosz. Far from the non-descript, over worked canvases of conceptual art pain that litter the walls of most of the small and/or independent art shows from Broward to Palm Beach County, Jarosz simply paints train cars. They are austerely designed, often with clean lines and large slabs of color. However, Jarosz manipulates the space and perspective of each scene in a manner that lends an unmistakable sense of motion to her subjects, and of course, a joyful musicality.

Now, the music of a moving train and the jazz sound have been synonymous since the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance. The rhythm of the car’s wheels along the track create a smooth thumping beat just waiting to be layered with any mix of horns, piano, or conga. What’s more, the train car itself remains an eternal symbol of the Great Migration, which brought some of the most remarkable African-American minds and talents upward and outward from the Deep South to spread music, literature, and art across the nation.

The qualities prized in the painting of the Harlem Renaissance also shine in the work of Ms. Jarosz. The trains come to life with bright, bold colors that spark the electric energy of each piece. The trains often appear animated and alive. More than simply moving down a track, they dance, swing, and sway their freight to the trumpeting sound of Duke Ellington. One can’t help but want to be in one the joke they all seem to be rolling and laughing about

So, if exhausted from sifting through the angst driven waste land of another underground art show, make an effort to visit the work of Cheryl Jarosz at “theexplodingawesome” at etsy.com, or at any of the Palm Beach/ Broward County, By the Way, art exhibitions. You will likely find yourself transported back to a time when art was about life, exploration, and celebration.
Written by: Heather Pioro
fuddspunk@yahoo.com

Best friends Liv and Emma saw their first wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City when they were very young. From that day on, they were both determined to have a June wedding at the Plaza Hotel and there would be absolutely no exception.

As best friends they did everything together growing up, and as adults they got proposed to within a few days of each other. Once Liv got proposed to, the friends both went to see the world’s best wedding planner, who managed to get them both their weddings in June at the Plaza Hotel. Unfortunately, the wedding planner’s dull witted secretary messed up the dates and cost the girls to have their dream weddings scheduled for the same day. The problem is, both Liv and Emma wanted to be the other one’s Maid Of Honor. So the fight was on.

Neither of the girls budged from their place on the day, so they started to fight. Liv stole Emma’s band, Emma turned Liv’s hair blue and gave her lots of food to make her fat, so she couldn’t fit into her dress. Liv turned Emma’s skin orange, in a tanning both sabotage. The madness only gets worse from there turning these two best friends into bitter enemies.

I won’t spoil the end, but they do both have their weddings on the same day and one gets humiliated in front of all her family and friends, which leads to an all out fist fight and reconciliation. The ending is completely unexpected and leads into what could be a great sequel.

I personally loved this movie. It had slapstick comedy, a few tender moments and you can relate to each bride. It is fun to watch how far the girls will go for their big day, even to their own friend. The funny part is, it’s not a fantasy or something made up because this stuff really does happen. I’m sure there is some bride out there watching this that can say, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” Some may even say, “Did I really look like that?”   Yes ladies, you know whom you are. Anne Hathaway (Emma)  and Kate Hudson (Liv) were perfect for the roles they portrayed.

A real comedy without a lot of cursing, makes for clean,wholesome fun for the entire family. Definitely worth seeing and if you miss it in the theater, pick it up on DVD. Easily a chick flick, but even men will love it because they get to watch two women fight due to temporary wedding insanity.

The Expressionist gives it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Grove 16 boasts stadium style seating and offers ample places to sit in any of its 16 large theaters. There is also a  huge standing concession area.  

The second floor of this theater is a fancy bistro called Cinebistro, which guests can access by escalator or stairs. Customers can dine in the café or sit at their seats in a VIP section filled with super wide leather seats while a waiter caters to them prior to the show starting.  Each theater looks like a stadium with private boxes in them.  You can get wine, beer, or first class food while waiting for your movie to start.  The Expressionist gives it 5 stars for date-ability.

Grove 16′s prices are a bit more than other theaters, but for some it may be well worth it.  Right now because the theater is all the way in the back of this new complex and there are no other buildings near it, there are plenty of places to park.  As we all know this is Pasco County and they won’t let that empty land stay empty, so who knows how long a surplus of parking will last.  Once new stores come in, people will use that parking lot for overflow, I’m sure.

We must forewarn you, State Road 54 through Wesley Chapel at the I-75 overpass is extremely crowed with the businesses that are there, so no matter the time of day, it’s hard to travel.  If you want to see a movie here, leave early, especially on Friday night.  One accident can cause this entire intersection on the highway and SR 54 to be completely shut down.  This would be the only downfall to the movie theater, which isn’t the fault of the theater at all. Instead, it’s the fault of extremely poor planning by the developers and the City Council of Pasco County.

So if you are looking for a great place to take a date or you just want to experience a new way to watch a movie, we highly recommend this beautiful new theater, nestled in Wesley Chapel.  

Rocktober Fest ’08 was designed to be a concert with mixed genres so that everyone in attendance would have something to enjoy.  We had hip-hop thanks to Judge Dredd, we had country in the house with Sharon Hewett, and the Legendary Billy Rose, who performed with 16 Second Stare.  In addition, we had alternative sounds thanks to Still Life, rock and southern rock music from groups such as  Her Revenge, PineHill, Ghost Sound and  16 Second Stare.  We also offered our fans some heavy rock with the hard hitting kids, Holes and Hearts.  Amber Nicol, who is the bass player with the group 16 Second Stare, did a solo with an acoustic guitar.  Her performance got  the crowd excited for her group, who also were the concert’s headliners.

The event turned out to be a great success.  We raised a few thousand dollars, and  $345.00 for a family in need who was struggling with cancer.  The sponsors for the night helped make the event possible.  They included Dade City Auto, J. Joseph Salon, Postnet (Collier Parkway), Dr. Scott Paton, Don’s Dogs, Custom Embroidery, and Kettlepot’s Kettle Korn.  We couldn’t have done this without these prominent businesses who care about their community and want to stop cancer from destroying us.  We also thank 16 Second Stare for allowing us to use their “awesome” stage and property!

The Expressionist Magazine gives a big thank you to Party 95.5 Internet radio and Make-EM Dance Entertainment for broadcasting the event live via the Internet to the world and helping us to get the vendors.  Thanks to them we were broadcasted in 12 states and 5 countries that we know tuned in!  If you want to hear some of the featured artists at Rocktober Fest, they have them all in rotation!

In attendance for the night were some profound people in the community such as John Tovar, band manager and Kim Bogart, Pasco County Sheriff Democratic Nominee.  It was an honor to have them come to our event.

The event is still being talked about through The Expressionist’s MySpace page  and throughout the community.  “It’s what we are here to do,” says Jason Dowd of The Expressionist Magazine.  “This event was designed to promote the bands and show the community a lot of great talent exists in our own backyard.  It also gives families a chance to be together in a fun, safe environment while raising money for a wonderful cause.  It’s a ‘win-win’ situation.”  People on the chat room of Party 95. 5 were demanding another show, and they will get it.  Rocktober Fest ’09 is a sure thing and we’re working on an event in April.

The show features artists in The Expressionist Magazine. Curious about who will be on stage at the next shows? Check out the featured bands and artists (past and present) at www.theexpressionist.com because they will be the ones on stage in April and next October.

To see photos of the event, click the link provided ROCKTOBER FEST PICS

That night was special for me too, as they gave me a personal invite to see the show as it was being taped.  The band opened my eyes to a wonderful island sound, native to their homes in Cuba and Costa Rica, that I truly fell in love with.  Being American and not leaving the homeland, it’s not always easy to hear music from other countries.  These guys showed me what I was missing all these years and exposed me to a whole new world of music.

Throughout the night, I was serenaded by wonderful vocals and melodies.  Their band includes instruments such as percussion (Bongos & Chimes), bass and acoustic guitars, drums and a saxophone.  The blend of instruments gives a soothing sound that is fresh and enjoyable, mixed with the great vocals of Alejandro and you have a complete package of great music.

Los Hijos De Ismael, translated into “The Sons of Ismael” are brothers who have an alter ego music personality.  The boys love rock, typical of what you and I are more accustomed to, but they take their rock and still throw in their beloved home music sound to it.  That band is called Triptico, their “ROCK” alter ego.  Then they have Los Hijos De Ismael which is their true personality and is what they focus more on because it is the music they grew up loving. When I see these guys, I truly get the feeling that if music was not a part of their lives, they would be lost without an identity.  Their music keeps them close to home, it defines who they are, and you can see how much their music affects their soul.  They are doing something right because it also captured my soul, opened my eyes to something new; not only a music genre but a new culture.

In December they are expected to have their first ever CD released, with their complete band.  We are featuring this band in December which covers the band in more detail.  I am very honored to have been a part of this momentous night, a night of firsts and got to watch this fantastic band be taped for the radio.  I made a podcast of the show which can be downloaded via our iTunes link in the multimedia link and it is also available on WMNF’s radio station www.wmnf.org.  Regardless of where you pick up the Podcast, it’s the full show… the complete interview and about 5 of their hits.  You’ll even hear me give a testimonial to the band.  Don’t miss downloading this piece of history in the Tampa Bay area.

Dr. Scott Paton of Paton Chiropractic and Sports Medicine in Lutz, FL has recently released a book called “Health Beyond Medicine.”  In this book, Dr. Paton explains the importance of a perfect flowing body for health, which starts with the spine.  The spine is the highway to the brain, should something become jammed up if you wish, the brain can not function properly to fix the problem, thus health problems arise.  Having a good inlined and healthy spine may be the key to a productive healthy life.  Best of all, chiropractic means are safe and recommended for infants to the seasoned adults.

Health Beyond Medicine describes for example, that if you simply make an adjustment at the C2 vertebra, it can reduce and eliminate sinus problems over time.  The book tells you about certain shoes and how they can affect the body if they are not properly fitting, or the right shoe for you.  It goes into great detail about our everyday lives and how it can adversely hurt our body,  but through alternative solutions without costly drugs a change of life habits, chiropractic medicine can vastly improve our lives.

The book is full of  success stories and interviews from his actual cases.  On case happened to be my wife and Dr. Patton discovered that she had a serious case of Osteoporosis  through an X-Ray he performed to help her ACL tear.  At 30 this was unheard of, and most doctors would not take her seriously.  Dr. Patton informed her not to take a no for an answer and she convinced her primary care physician to do the bone density test.  To their surprise, she was off the charts, in dangerous waters so to speak with the condition that shocked the doctors.  Had it not been for Dr. Paton she never would have known her bones were like paper, and now she is getting proper treatment.

Dr. Paton is not just your ordinary chiropractic doctor.  Most people don’t take them seriously but this guy you should.  He worked with the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA team and was on the sports medicine team of the 2000 Olympics in Greece.  Dr. Paton teaches other chiropractors in conventions around the USA, sharing his vast knowledge.

This book is a must for anyone that wants to have a better life and not pay high pharmaceutical prices.  There is never a guarantee, and its not suggested by this magazine to give up what you are doing or stop what your doctors are telling you, but in combination with Chiropractic medicines and alternative solutions you may achieve a better result faster.  The goal of every American is to be drug free and living a healthy lifestyle, so why not try something that can help get to that goal.

We highly suggest reading this book, and talking with Dr. Paton himself as he will guide you in the right path.  There is no medication, no pain and is quick and easy.  I been using him for years and I never felt better, when I was told only surgery would fix my problem. 

His book is $19.99 and can be purchased at his web site http://www.patonchiropractic.com/index.php?p=24657

Angel Blue And The Prophets’s album “Bottom Of The Bottle Blues” is a great album. I love it.  The album is filled with Angels smooth, powerful yet sultry voice that is so enticing.  Its filled with those great blues sounds similar to the ones that started right out of the deep southern state of Louisana years ago; while bringing an upbeat get on the floor and dance tone to many of her songs.  Throughout the CD I heard many sounds from Country, Jazz, Blues, Pop and even the good ole Rock N Roll.  For me the album covers every aspect of music I like, and its something I feel everyone can listen to and enjoy.  I would certainly recommend this album to anyone.

Angel makes this album special with her many ranges and sounds of her vocals.  She can incorporate a female version of a Jerry Lee Lewis, to a Stevie Ray Vaughn style.  Then she can even go to the very hard voice of Janis Joplin that is legendary throughout the country which truly shows her vocal talents.  I am not saying she sounds exactly like them, she has her own unique sound and style similar to these outstanding greats, which gives the album a great mixture of sounds.

I don’t normally do this with reviews, I usually do the entire album or just a song;  but on this CD they have a song that I just absolutely fell in love with and want to explain why.  That song is called “Shimmy Shaken Low Down Blues.” 

This song has a piano player that can give Jerry Lee Lewis a run for his money.  It almost reminds of the great rock song he made famous in the 1950s like: “Great Balls of Fire.”  If you love Jerry Lee Lewis and the fast pace, great voice, great guitar with piano mix you are sure to love this song. Angel blasts the vocals like a master with great confidence and you can tell she is totally into the song from start to finish! ”Shimmy Shaken Low Down Blues” will make you dance while sending you back in time to the innocent music that we can all love.  Extremely well done!!!! My favorite song of theirs by far. I am a Jerry Lee Lewis fan and it was great to hear someone bring his style of music back to life again!

To buy her CD, see her upcoming shows or just meet the band, check out http://WWW.ANGELBLUEBAND.COM

I looked at his entire collection, carefully studying each piece. I find his work stunning, and found some of the strong points of his talent shown throughout each piece.  Those traits are:

Yoush’s style is one of the things I admire most.   It’s similar to the ancient Japanese style of art found usually on bamboo or rice paper. Closer to home, his work is very consistent to the early Americana style of art.  Coming from New England, I grew up admiring that style of work which is a huge part of my heritage. If you don’t know what I am talking about, think of a painting of a town all lined up, nothing 3D just very simple. Sometimes you find a 3D picture from an early American type painting, but the 2D is just so much more beautiful and profound.

When Yoush paints, he not only creates a beautiful picture but each one tells a story.  In many ways the story overtakes the painting, making it seem life like, you can almost hear it speak.  You may be able to relate to the story it tells or you may get a totally different understanding from someone else.  Telling a story through art is not an easy thing to do, yet Youshm does it so boldly.

I also admire Yoush’s  ability to make the art look aged.  This is something painters and artists struggle to do, they usually don’t want to make it look brand new.  His ability to successfully accomplish this, shows he has a talent that is very valuable in the art field.

Check out his collection online at www.artwanted.com/yosuh.  Also keep an eye out for him in local art galleries around the Tampa Bay area.

This was more than just a performance for the band, they were also auditioning to be a regular band at the club, so the performance was extra important. Their dad said before the show to his boys “It’s a Wednesday night show, it will probably be rough, not many people… but you go out there and perform your best like there was 20,000 people watching you and do your best.” They took that advice and did exactly that, and put on a performance that I am still blown away over.

I can sum up their entire performance with just 4 words: brilliant, exciting, amazing, and intense. If Bourbon Street Nightclub does not bring them in as a regular performing band, then they don’t know talent if it was at the end of their nose.

They start out the show with a mix of some 70s rock songs, and on the stage was a box with Holes and Hearts written on the front. Then, blaring out of the speakers comes the song, “Take Another Piece Of My Heart.” by the legendary Janis Joplin. Within a few seconds, the lights drop, the stage lights turn on and young Casey comes on the stage jamming on his guitar. Alone on the stage for about a minuet, his brother Riley busts through the box and starts singing their first song. That caught everyones interest and from that moment they had the crowd.

I stood at the front railing next to the stage and saw the other bands start to come closer to watch these two marvels, following them was the intrigued audience. I tend to observe my surroundings to get a feeling of what’s going on around me, and what I saw was jaws dropping, smiles that went from ear to ear and a crowd that was in awe over the talent and intensity of their show.

I can’t stress intensity enough, I could write it a million times and it won’t convey to you the effect I am trying to imply. Casey and Riley are so intense they make you feel every emotion. They dance, they jam, they jump, their faces will capture the moment and make you live the emotion of the story they are telling. What’s even more amazing about these two boys is their age. At 12 and 13, they perform on stage as if they were seasoned rock veterans, they write songs like they are adults, and they believe in themselves and their songs so much their confidence wins the audience over.

They ended to a standing ovation, and some one in the crowd screamed, “The Jonas Brothers have nothing on you guys, YOU ROCK.” I even over heard the crowd talking as they were breaking the stage down, and one comment I thought was interesting was this, “Those boys are decades beyond their age, their stage presence gave me chills – simply amazing.” I concur, a very entertaining and intense show, a true talent if I ever saw one. I can’t wait for when they get older to see what their music and performance will evolve into. I know it can only get better.

Holes and Hearts are on the verge of becoming a house hold name, give them just a few months or maybe a year or two.

To me, they outshined the other bands that night and gave a stellar performance. If you have the chance to see them live, do so, it will be a performance you never forget. ROCK ON LITTLE DUDES! I think Janis Joplin would be proud to know her song is what you take the stage to.

Their stage performance is amazing, adding to their great songs. When they played at Bourbon Street Nightclub, the bassist played on the same guitar as the guitarist creating a jaw dropping spectacle the crowd.

Triptico can really jam out. They are very capable musicians with crystal clear vocals, who are at the start of something big. If you like the magic of Santana, this band is for you. Check them out on their MySpace page for upcoming shows and to hear some of their work,
www.myspace.com/tripticoband

Still Life delivers a psychedelic alternative rock sound, their music is something you can drift away with.  It’s hard to put into words what they sound like unless you hear it for yourself. They are that unique, which is a welcome addition to our local music scene. I would attempt to sum it up as a mix between Enya and the Cranberries mixed with their native Spanish tongue.  When thrown all together it’s an “En-berry Margarita” that compliments anyones appetite of those alternative rock dishes!

The vocals are strong and beautifully executed, a charismic chant that will rock and soothe you at the same time, while capturing your soul.  I can say they have a very unique sound that captivated me the instant I heard it.  Their music is something I could listen to for hours and get lost in my own little world.  I love it!

Still Life will be performing at the Bourbon Street Nightclub again September 11, 2008.  If you missed them Sunday night, don’t miss them when they come back.  Until then, you can hear their music and check out their photos at www.myspace.com/stillliferockmusic

Her Revenge will appeal to those into everything from grunge to metal to pop.  I love their sound, they don’t incorporate that “breathy” sound many grunge singers like American Idol winner, David Cook brings.  Instead Her Revenge has more of a Bo Bice sound that is energetic, poetic and raw. They will persuade you to stomp your feet rocking out with them, chill with their poetic ballads that will take you back to the 80′s, and get you up and dancing with their song Super Star.  Her Revenge successfully combines these very different genres into one album without loosing their own identity for one second.

Their singer has a great voice; powerful, soothing and crisp all at the same time. Most importantly he demonstrates excellent vocal control, which is key to leading a good rock band.  The songs have upbeat guitar riffs that will send engergy staight through your spine.

I would definately add this CD to my collection, or if you are “hip” you will get the album on MP3.   Check Her Revenge out on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/herrevengeband

The act started with Criss outside handcuffed to the balcony railing on the second floor of the hotel. The clock started at 10:50 P.M. and Criss easily escaped from the Smith-Wesson police-issued handcuffs.  He then had to pick the door lock to enter the hotel room.  He failed, and shattered the hotel room window to avoid wasting too much time.

Its here my doubts about the act started, because within 2 to 4 seconds he managed to run through the hotel room, out the room door, run down the hall, open the first door to the stairway, and run up to the first flight of stairs to the second lock to pick?  Come on even the “Flash” would’ve had trouble pulling that off.

At the second door, he picked it without any complications, and ran up the next flight of stairs till he hit the roof.  At this point he is at about 1:30 seconds before implosion.  Criss then attempts to pick the final lock that will lead him to the roof and safety.  Unfortunately, he had the hardest time picking this lock, a lock he must pick to get out of the building alive.  The clock ticked down to 30 seconds, and the helicopter by law had to leave, so even if Criss managed to pick the lock he was stranded on the roof top.  Technically the act failed, and he was about to meet his demise.

The clock struck 0:00 and Criss still had not picked the lock.  The cameras go dead before you hear any blasting, which seemed a bit funny to me, and in seconds a magnificent display of pyrotechnics took down the Clearwater hotel, with Criss Angel inside. Certainly the most awesome part of the whole act.

At 10:58 P.M. Criss emerged from the scene, shocking the audience, but you didn’t see him fight his way out of the rubble, instead you see him crossing the street to get to the beach, this part to me, destroyed the act proving it was rigged. They could have made it look more believable. First of all, it’s impossible to survive 4500 tons of concrete falling down on ones body.  If Criss went down with the hotel and survived, he would have been buried in the ruble like the World Trade Center victims. None of them came walking out, they were dug out by rescue workers. The same would be true in this case as well. Even if Criss was on the roof when it imploded he still would have been buried alive. Upon walking across the street, Criss not only had no cuts or blood, odd for someone who just experienced sharp shards of concrete and steel falling all around him. His acting was terrible. He tried to look dazed and confused while walking a straight line with vigor. The concrete dust on him looked like one of those old Rice Crispy Treat commercials, where the mother throws flour in her face, to give the effect that she slaved over these treats all day, when really she was in the kitchen reading; it looked like someone threw concrete dust on him right in his face, because the rest of his body from the waste down was clean. Nobody would act or look as clean as he did if they went down with a building.  They should have brought him out with glory, clean as a whistle, like he magically “poofed” himself out at the last minute.  That would have been more amazing.

Overall, the master escape artist could not pick 2 of the 3 locks; not like Criss at all.  The act totally failed and it was so rigged at the end, that for me, this act was a complete disappointment. I’ll say it again, what a lame way to end your escape career. They said if he pulls this off he would earn his spot with the masters like Houdini and Copperfield, now we all know that it’s an illusion, but at least Copperfield and Houdini made it look real at the end.  Criss did not earn his place with those guys off this act.

—–

Back to yesterday: I’m at my desk staring down the clock with an hour until I leave straight to the concert. The Weather Channel indicates that there is a 90% chance of rain. Did I mention that we had lawn tickets, which have nothing covering you overhead? Even if it didn’t pour the whole night, I’d never sat in the lawn section and was not looking forward to being so far from the stage and speakers. I have to admit I was doubtful at best that I would have a good time at this show. To make matters worse, I had just found out that Steve Perry, Journey’s original singer and songwriter, is no longer touring and that a new guy had replaced him.

My wife and I met up with two of our friends to drive together (although the parking ended up being free), and picked up our tickets pretty quickly. We all met up with the other couple joining us and found the closest open patch of grass to the stage we could. Luckily we all got there early enough to get a spot that wasn’t right in front of a giant pillar. We laid down our blankets and chairs, sat for a while, then I decided to buy a $13 cup of rum and Coke-I was ready for some 80′s pop/rock.

Natives to the Tampa area, Cheap Trick, opened the show as we were walking in. It sounded like they were a cheap opening act. I have to say I was really looking forward to hearing them almost as much as Journey, and that they have written a few of my favorite songs, but Cheap Trick was the biggest disaster I have ever heard. Granted part of it was that their sound guy had such a noisy, unclear mix you could only hear half of what was going on. The half that I could hear was sloppy and lackluster, almost like they had been playing the same songs for the last 25 years. At this point I was becoming very concerned that our lawn seats simply weren’t close enough to the speakers, and the whole show would be ruined by not being able to hear. I was amused with how they “finished” their set, received no encore, then proceeded to play more songs anyway. Big let down.

Next to take the stage was Heart. I had no expectations for them and could only have named two of their songs. I figured as long as they were better than Cheap Trick I would be happy. The moment they played their first riff I could tell that the sound was going to be pristine and clear. It was also starting to get dark, so the stage lights got cranked up which made it much easier to see the band. Things were starting to look up. Heart was excellent, almost as entertaining as the inebriated 40-year-old women who were attempting to dance to them. One of my favorite parts of their set was when they masterfully performed a Led Zeppelin song. I would say that I am now a fan. It wasn’t until Heart had finished their set that I noticed we had not had a single raindrop fall on us yet, amazingly. The weather was almost like a misty haze that kept the temperature comfortable. Everything was falling in place.

After a short wait, the stage went pitch black and crazy noises started blaring through the speakers. Everyone new that it was Journey, and when the lights came up the whole crowd went nuts. They came roaring out of the gate playing four consecutive songs without stopping. The first thing I noticed was that the new singer was about twenty years younger than the rest of the band, but actually looked similar to Steve Perry. It was clear that he sounded astonishingly like the voice of Journey we’ve always known and loved. The guitar solos were top notch, the synthesizer was full and huge, the drums were thunderous. Did I mention that the singer was blow-you-away-incredible? The whole show was awesome. The weather stayed favorable. I have to admit, unlike Cheap Trick, Journey sounds fresh as ever. They could have easily kept up with any group of 25 year olds. I can’t say that I had the privilege of seeing them in the 80′s, but Journey put on an incredible show that made for a late, but special night.

The Dark Knight was one of the most anticipated films of the summer, made obvious by the overwhelming box-office records of the opening weekend. The publicity of the film has been tremendous from teaser trailers to a special edition DVD release of the original, Batman Begins. With previous Batman series sequels having been progressively more and more disappointing, we had to hope that maybe this time around, somebody might get it right… and somebody did. The Dark Knight was the single most satisfying film of the summer and will continue to reel in the crowds, including those who have already seen it.

The plot is seamlessly continued from the first film without dwelling too much into the past. A brief cameo by the Scarecrow brings us up to date and ready to demand payment for the clever cliffhanger left to us in the first: Lieutenant Gordon’s delivery of the Joker card to Batman. Fans of the first film, the comic books, and the Batman legend were squirming in their seats with anticipation. Frank Miller’s newer generation of graphic novels is brought to the screen with as much depth and psychologically twisted chaos as one would expect out of director Christopher Nolan (of Memento fame) in 27 shades of black.

Every cast member holds his own to the monumental storyline presented to us by Nolan and his co-writer and brother Jonathon Nolan. Christian Bale returns as the Dark Knight staying true to his original portrayal, with only a slight lapse in the climax to a certain character’s unfortunate end. We would have expected more from Bruce Wayne, at least. Overall, Bale has come back fierce, stronger and more confident in this role attempted by so many, with a few more impressive stunts.

With Maggie Gyllenhall introduced in the character of Rachel Dawes and the new face of Aaron Eckhart as the District Attorney Harvey Dent and later Harvey Two-Face, we see that adding new talents has not hurt the chemistry at all. Gyllenhaal enters the series fresh, picking up where Katie Holmes left off and leaves what is surprisingly, a good impression. She makes the character her own without reminding us that she is a replacement, despite her starkly different look. Eckhart both charms and disgusts us in his well-played transition from town hero to villain.

Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon all return in their roles, each bringing something familiar and something new to the screen. Each role seems to pick up right where it left and builds as the movie develops. It is a pleasing to go to a movie that keeps us interested in each character’s individual presence and story. Caine provides witty relief and a father-figure presence and with excellent comic delivery. Freeman’s Fox character evolves and challenges Wayne on an ethical level, bringing the story once again into a deeper reality than other comic-book protégés do. Oldman allows us into the character of Gordon and his personal life, affecting that of Batman’s and continuing on with the classic Batman story. We expect greatness out of such experienced actors, and are happy that they do not let us down.

The performance most anticipated however, and for good reason, was that of the late Heath Ledger in the role of the Joker. His portrayal of the Iconic villain has taken a tremendous leap from the goofy prankster of Caesar Romero and creepy funny man Jack Nicholson, and turned it into something far more sinister and far more raw. Ledger steals the screen away from any sense of safety and brings us to the brink of darkness, dangles us over it with a manic laugh, and then plunges us in. What is perhaps the scariest part of this twisted clown and psychopathic criminal mastermind is how real Ledger makes him in both his speech and his mannerisms. Gone are the days of the high pitched madman and here he is now, in all of his chaotic glory ready to take on the Bat. Bale’s and Ledger’s play off of each other is brilliant. They go through stirring stretches to make the villain and hero not just face off, but “complete” each other as the psychotic yin and yang of comic book epics.

Despite the ominous and pleasing shadows cast by the suspense of the movie, it is not without its brief moments of humor and reasons to smile. The theme of humanity is stressed, even in the darkest of times. The more you watch the more you see the two faces of humanity, the dark and the light, and as you watch them both appear in every character you greater appreciate the depth of it all.

On a technical note, Nolan mirrors the emotions of the story wonderfully once again. We were especially struck by the smooth and dark color scheme as well as the master sound mixing that effortlessly pulls the audience in and then takes us on an audio thrill ride of sorts. The simple roar of the Batmobile or crisp effects under Batman’s glider transport us even further into Gotham City and Batman’s legend and leave us with a taste of modern effect capabilities.

What really makes The Dark Knight a great sequel is that it does not overdo it. It is simple and crisp, from lighting and sound to the graphics and the costumes. It is anchored in a gritty reality and underlined with such depth that The Dark Knight makes other comic book movies seem like just Sunday Morning Cartoons rather than modern masterpieces. Nolan takes what we liked about the first movie and elaborates upon it almost nonchalantly. It just fits. There are things for the old fans and for the new fans, from the bat cycle and a whole new arsenal of technology and gadgets to a new villain and a new Commissioner.

This movie is fast paced despite its length, romantic, tragic, and sometimes sadistic and twisted. The only truly disappointing part is that it left us desperately wanting more and not knowing when we will get it or in fact what we will get. As long as the next movie is as fulfilling as this one, we are prepared to wait.

* this review was writen by C. Eversoll and J. Duggan*

Thankfully, Carolyn Swaggerty, through the love of her family, positive thinking, early detection, and modern medicine defeated the number one killer among women today: breast cancer. Despite her troubles and chronic weakness from her fight, she selflessly was more concerned about helping others with the same ailment. She decided to help and inspire others through her poems.

Carolyn has written a book of poems called “Faith, Hope and Cancer.” This collection of poems are written by Carolyn, inspired by the situation she was going through. Her will and determination to defeat her cancer brings fourth power in her words as she tells of her struggles through her poems. Her words will make you laugh, cry, and send your heart soaring with compassion. It will make you have a profound, new outlook and respect for anyone who has or has battled cancer.

Carolyn in 2006 copyrighted her poems and made them into a book found on Lulu.com. It sells for $11.46 or you can download it for $6.25. Profits from the sale of this book will be used for a non profit charity of her choice.

Today, she has made herself available to anyone that has cancer and needs some positive reinforcement. She truly believes nobody should go through this alone. If you would like to contact her and see if she can help you, visit her MySpace profile dedicated to the cure of cancer.

www.myspace.com/nellieoo

Myers, the Love Guru, wants to be the #1 guru and needs to get on Oprah, who said she would give him the spot on her show if she got the Maple Leafs star back with his wife, so the Guru takes the job by Jane Bullard “Jessica Alba” the owner of the Maple Leafs to destroy the “Bullard Curse.”

The Love Guru pulls out all the comic relief as he gets Darren Roanoke, back on track. It’s a laugh from scene to scene, then add a hot-tempered, pissed-off midget, you might recognize as “Minnie Me” from Austin Powers, you get probably one of the best comedies this summer. It has a lot of sexual innuendos (Guru Tugginmypudha) finalized by two elephants having sex on the ice of the Toronto Maples Leaf’s end zone. Language is mild, but it doesn’t need a lot of swears, the movie is just plain funny; a comedy I am sure you will enjoy, especially if you are a Mike Myers fan.

I give it 5 of 5 stars.

The album features the deep raspy voice of “Angry Tim” or as I know him best as “The Judge.” His unique voice imitates the great rock band AC/DC who helped put Heavy Metal on the charts.  Combined with the background singers his lead vocal songs like Take Me Back, and Better Man will send chills down your spine.  His voice captures the ladies heart in his ballad song “Goodbye.”  Tim’s electric voice will wake you the hell up, and make you bang your head rockin’ to his songs!  He makes his hometown of Detroit, known for great music, proud!

The album also features vocals by Todd Pettus, a ”Swamper” from the deep southern state of Alabama.  Todd is a master of the guitar, a true “Southern Rock Artist.” His vocals and his guitar playing will send you to the heavens above.  His intense songs like Ballad of Billy Rose will take the blues and Rock’em happy again.  His vocals were masterful in Stuck In The Moment, which gives you a nostalgic flashback to the Beatles, but this flashback is not caused by acid, it’s caused by the psychadellic vocals and sound put together by the band. He comes from a city that produced great bands like Lyndard Skynard, Muscle Shoals, something must be in the water down there.

This album breeds success because it fits to so many likenesses. It has a blues feel combined with rock.  You never know what you’re going to get with the next song. It fits audiences old and young; with that kind of diversity what could go wrong? 16 Second Stare will be captivating audiences for years to come.

This album is available through iTunes and Amazon, you can purchase each song for $0.99 each or the entire album for $9.99. The print album will be released shortly. Check out the band’s web site for more details and direct links to purchase   www.16secondstare.com

Today, June 15th, Tampa Theatre kicked off their Classic Summer Movie Fest with 8 shorts from these wonderful slap stick comedians.  It was a memorable afternoon as they graced the original screen their shorts first started out on. The shorts shown were Yes, We Have No Bonanza, Women Haters, Punch Drunks, Who Done It, Movie Maniacs, and Mummy’s Dummies. Almost all of the shorts shown were not common ones you see on TV. Women Haters is a classic Vaudeville type short that is true to the Stooges roots. The entire short is done in rhyme and, of course, included the slap-stick comedy only the Stooges can pull off for a fantastic short.

This show gets a 5 out of 5!

This event is truly spectacular, and I recommend everyone going to at least one of the Summer Movie Classics at Tampa Theatre. Stay tuned to The Expressionist for a current list of movies from the Tampa Theatre or go to their web site, www.tampatheatre.org

Check out the video below of an all time favorite Stooge scene. Beware, it’s contageous!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Personally, I had my mouth agape watching Sandler walk the narrow line of acceptable and gone too far, just waiting for him to accidentally cross it.  This movie picked fun at the violence in the Middle East which is currently dividing the world.  It made a joke out of the Palestinian Terrorists and the Israeli Counter Terrorists who are currently at war with each other. It doesn’t stop there, it has a rich real estate tycoon, who happens to be white, trying to cause a fight between his Palestinian and Israeli business owner tenants; using the KKK to try to accomplish his goal so he can put them out of business, clearing the way for his downtown mall.

Overall, the movie was a bit slow, mainly due to a bad plot.  Sandler tries to make a joke throughout the movie by putting Hummus on everything he ate; which must have gone over my head because I didn’t find that funny at all.  It gets worse, after each hair style the Zohan completed, he made love to his seasoned aged client, which is something I found to be completely unnecessary.

Sandler brought it all together for the last scene of the movie; the Zohan and his Palestinian terrorist counterpart, “The Ghost” join forces to defeat the KKK, and save their businesses.  The moral of the story, the fighting between these two groups is wasteful and accomplishes nothing in the end, together they could be strong, divided they fall.  Had Sandler not finished the movie this way, the movie would have been a complete catastrophe.

The movie is funny, and if you don’t take things to heart you will mildly enjoy this comedy.  I would rank “The Zohan” as alright for a Sandler movie.  Thank goodness it’s not “Punch Drunk Love, but it’s not Happy Gilmore either.”

It is opening weekend of The Lion King and they will be in Tampa until May 22. Our seats were fantastic: right on the isle of the center section in the 10th row. That placed us spot-on level with the stage so that we couldn’t see the stage surface, but we weren’t missing the performers’ ankles, either.

The show brings a new appreciation for the talent that the performers have to sing, dance, and act in all of the crazy costumes they had. The ensemble had about 25 costume changes by my estimate, and some of them were quite elaborate. It was not your typical Broadway musical where the ensemble remains relatively human and does a quick change. We are talking about changing from a hyena to a lioness to a piece of savannah grassland, complete with makeup changes. Truly, though, words cannot describe the coolness of Mufasa’s and Scar’s lion faces and the way they could drop down in front of their face to create a very effective lion appearance.

If you have seen the movie as many times as most, the lines are right from the movie, with the exception of some live audience flair, such as the stage curtain looking “like a shower curtain from Target,” as Zazu so comically pointed out. As long as children can sit through the animated movie, they will have no problem being enthralled with Broadway’s interpretation, and this is an excellent opportunity to expose them to the arts in an attractive and entertaining activity. The running time is about 2 1/2 hours with a 20-minute intermission.

Don’t let this gem leave town without experiencing the Best of Broadway!