“Entourage”: The boys are back in town…eventually
Melissa Ruggieri
September 05, 2008 3:08 AM
Last we saw the “Entourage” boys, they were weathering the scathing reaction to Vincent Chase’s pet project, “Medellin,” at the Cannes Film Festival.
What could be worse than a booing audience?
An even more vicious dissection of the film by Richard Roeper, who eviscerates the movie on his TV show (which now no longer exists – but who knew that when this was filmed?) by saying it’s “overacted, under-directed…and a good bet for the top 10 worst of the year.”
Season five of “Entourage” (Sunday, 10 p.m. on HBO) begins with its usual caustic tone – this time, it’s the mean critics who know nothing…except when a movie that went straight to video is, indeed, a piece of garbage.
But Vince’s plummet from Aqua Man to Nowhere Man turns out to be exactly the kind of emotional curveball the show needed. So much of last season suffered from the gang’s complacent pomposity, and by humbling Vince and, by default, eager manager Eric, it stimulates a hunger in these guys that they had lost when success seemed so easy.
While E mopes and Johnny Drama ties himself to his laptop Web cam to stay in constant co-dependent contact with the French girl (Jacqueline) we think he hooked up with in Cannes (who can remember?), Vince is distracting himself from his first failure in the only way he knows how – by scoring chicks. Lots of them. On a remote Mexican island where he can look like Chewbacca in cutoffs and drink the days away with Turtle and the bevy of half-dressed women who probably couldn’t even spell “Medellin.”
Some things never change – and in the case of Ari Gold, that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing.
As usual, Ari, in his constant blur of spastic motion, is obnoxious, belligerent and hilariously abusive with his verbal torpedoes. Yeah, his eye is only on the final box office tallies, but, in his own oily way, he cares about Vince, and his first mission – with E – is to bring the boy back to land.
Vince, initially, is reluctant, choosing instead to tip back another bottle of tequila. But a tease from a major director for a major part in a major movie lures him back – and gets him to shave that awful face rug.
These spoiled guys aren’t used to living in, as Ari yells, “this post-‘Medellin’ world,’ and Vince quickly learns that having the football yanked away at the last second is something that will probably happen frequently.
By episode two, a chastened Vinny turns out to be quite an appealing one. When Ari bluntly tells him that he’s a great movie star, rather than a great actor, it’s a fine moment of, well, acting, from Adrian Grenier, whose wounded puppy reaction turns to I’ll-show-‘em’all defiance in a matter of seconds.
Now, Vince’s ambition is ignited, and even though he’s “in movie jail” – a Ralph Macchio whose career is on ice after one misstep – he’s at least realized that he has to make an effort to redeem himself.
So much of the fun of “Entourage” is its mimicking of Hollywood and in that regard, it’s as sharp as the first three seasons. Johnny’s dopey machismo is demonstrated with his usual bluster (his breakdown after not being able to reach Frenchie on the Web cam is especially amusing), and Turtle’s New-York-for-evuh loyalty to his crew reminds us of the steely bond among this quartet.
The show is also up to its usual standards on the cameo end, with show creator Mark Wahlberg making an appearance in the second episode, along with Tony Bennett playing himself, and Giovanni Ribisi and Lukas Haas as a couple of hick wannabe screenwriters whom E wants to represent.
With Fran Drescher, Kevin Pollack and Jeffrey Tambor scheduled to appear during this 12-episode run, this season is already superior to the last one.
Just keep giving us lots of Ari.
“Prison Break” returns—and it’s good!
Melissa Ruggieri
September 01, 2008 3:00 AM
Somewhere around the fourth ridiculous death match in that dirt yard of the Panamanian jail, I gave up on “Prison Break” last season.
Among the endless sweating, a convoluted plot line that made the first two seasons look sensible and Sara’s head in a box (ahem), it became too laborious to follow.
Besides, I had “The Big Bang Theory” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” tapped for TiVo on Monday nights.
But, having seen tonight’s two-hour season four premiere of Fox’s “Prison Break,” I’ve gotta say…they’ve hooked me,
The Sona prison is history (burned to the ground by the derelicts running the joint), so our tortured hero, Michael Scofield, is finally roaming around like a real person, first in L.A., then Chicago (which is still really L.A.).
Michael (Wentworth Miller) looks older, tired, beefier – and why wouldn’t he after living in that slum of a prison? No way anyone got any rest in that place. Plus, the evil Company, the mysterious group who kidnapped Linc’s son, LJ, has supposedly beheaded his beloved Sara Tandcredi, so Michael is now fueled solely by revenge.
Oh, let’s just get this out of the way, since it really isn’t a spoiler for anyone with a computer or access to a magazine or eyes to see the picture next to this review: The head in the box last season? Not Sara. Linc’s excuse for incorrectly informing his brother that the love of his life was a headless corpse (“Uhhhh….it was dark in the room and I didn’t want to get grossed out and touch the head,” is basically how it goes) is laughable and almost Bobby Ewing quality.
But, whatever. Sarah Wayne Callies, the actress who plays Sara, apparently made nice with the producers over her contract (the reason she was written out of the show last year) and Michael can make goo goo eyes at her again. Except, strangely, when the two are finally reunited, there isn’t much of an emotional payoff.
Perhaps you’ve also heard that some major/recurring characters get whacked in these return episodes. Tis true.
One is disposed of so quickly, it actually is briefly shocking, while the other two meet the kind of demise we’re better off not knowing details about. Let’s just say that Alex Mahone (William Fichtner) has new reasons to pop pills – and understandably so.
The source of the killings is The Company’s creepy/quiet henchman, Wyatt, who is determined to find Michael, Linc and Sara; the official “story” is that they’ve been sent to a Supermax prison, but c’mon, like these icy murderers are going to fall for that? Michael even endures the excruciating removal of his full body tattoo (and without a sedative—he’s such a man!) to make himself less conspicuous. Again, as if that makes hiding from People Who Know Everything any easier?
It appears that the thrust of this season will focus on Michael, Linc, Alex and, believe it or not, the ever-grubby Bellick, working with Homeland Security (the always welcome Michael Rappaport joins the cast as a government agent who is an ally for the gang) to bring down The Company.
Also in the mix, of course, is T-Bag, who is separated from the group, but in possession of an item that is crucial to Michael’s crew. A scene with one of TV’s oiliest, yet somehow likeable creeps, as he sits sucking on sunflower seeds is grotesque in so many ways. But the kicker of the night is when T-Bag is asked, “What? You eat some bad Mexican?”
You’ll never look at a taco the same way again.
Phelps and Lil Wayne do SNL…will it run late?
Melissa Ruggieri
August 27, 2008 7:48 PM
Will it start late or run late? That’s what I’m wondering with the news that this season’s “Saturday Night Live” premiere will star Olympic god Michael Phelps as host and the I-do-things-on-my-own-time Lil Wayne.
The pairing makes sense, as Phelps often spoke of his affinity for the frequently arrested, never on time, mega-selling rapper. Apparently, Wayne’s ‘I’m Me” fired up Phelps before his races.
The Sept. 13 show will be the first of four live “SNL”’s in a row, and the show will air seven new episodes prior to the presidential election. Given Fred Armisen’s tepid impersonation of Barack Obama, is anyone really excited about this?
Local Springsteen pic in the news
Melissa Ruggieri
August 27, 2008 2:46 PM
Seems someone in the area knew the right channels to send to at MSNBC.com’s entertainment site. Check out this great pic of Bruce Springsteen from his concert last week at the Richmond Coliseum:
("The Week in Celebrity Sightings”—number 20 in the slide show).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/?q=celebrity+sightings&submit=Search&id=11881780&FORM=AE&os=0&gs=1&p=1&adunitid=939&propertyid=3501
Bruce Springsteen: Thanks for the memories, part deux
Melissa Ruggieri
August 14, 2008 6:00 AM
A couple of weeks ago, we put out a call for readers to share with us their favorite Bruce Springsteen memories. Within hours, I had received close to a dozen, and emails were still trickling in as of Wednesday afternoon. So thank you, Bruce fans, for your passion and your willingness to reveal how the rocker and his music have affected your lives.
We only had room for a handful of responses in Thursday’s Weekend section, so if they didn’t make it to print, no worries - you can read them here, completely intact. Thanks again for your participation—and hopefully Monday’s show at the Richmond Coliseum will only add to your memory files.
Also, all photos used here are taken from the book “For You,” a collection of Springsteen photos and stories as provided by fans. You can read more about it in Thursday’s Weekend section.
Just a few memories to share with you regarding Mr. Springsteen who I have loved since 1980 when my sister’s boyfriend in high school popped in his tape in the car (“The River”)...and I was hooked!
I have seen him four times in concert, my favorite being the “Tunnel of Love” tour in D.C. He had a full brass band behind him that was amazing. This is also the tour he was very obviously flirting with Patti Scialfa and brought her to front center stage quite a bit during the show. (Of course his divorce from Julianne Phillips was announced shortly after) .¤.¤. .
My best memory has to be when he was performing in D.C. in the past 10 years (I apologize, I forgot the date), but I was in the nose-bleed section and a friend of mine was also there, but she was down by the stage working with a group who had stage side seats.
It turned out she had a few empty seats where she was and came and found me in the crowd and escorted me to one of these empty seats. I almost could have reached out and touched him.
I was sitting right next to the VIP section and could look over and see Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and some other famous faces enjoying the show. To see Bruce that close was a memory I’ll never forget.
— Jane Atkisson
I saw Springsteen and the E Street Band in Los Angeles in 1980. He had Flo and Eddie from The Turtles sing background vocals on “Hungry Heart.” Very cool.
At one point in the concert he sat down on the edge of the stage with his guitar and told about growing up in New Jersey. He said his father, who didn’t have much education, went from factory job to factory job, but he always made sure that the rent was paid, there was food on the table and clothes on their backs.
And then Bruce said, “When your parents go to work every day, and they hate it, they do it because they hope that you won’t have to.” It was a very poignant moment. Bruce’s version of the American Dream. And then he sang “The River.” Perfect.
— Dan Jobe
I loved the concerts by Bruce with his band Child and then Steel Mill playing at the Free University at Broad and Harrison in 1969 and 1970.
They were incredible, especially at $5 a ticket. But the real topper was his concert in ‘70 at the old VCU gym. The concert went on and on, no one would leave and the band kept on playing. Then the VCU police cut off the power and the lights.
Bruce pulled out his acoustic quitar and started playing Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”
The place went crazy. Thepower and lights came back on. What a concert.
— Rae Maupin
My brother, Scoobie Eastman, started a band when he got out of the Army. He was 24 and one of the best drummers to ever play in Richmond .¤.¤. He started a band called Natural Wildlife that really took off with local popularity from their very first gig at the Bearded Brothers, a club on West Broad (now Cabo’s).
The band was more or less the house band there and it was hard to get a seat whenever they performed. I was a proud younger brother and got there early every gig so I could get a seat.
I was 18 — we were able to drink beer at 18 then — and the band was really rocking.
I turned to watch the adoring crowd applaud after a song and saw Bruce toward the back of the room. He was by himself and, yes, he had the same old jeans on. Many in the crowd did not recognize him, but I did.
I walked up to him and asked if I could buy him a beer. Shyly he said, “thanks man.” It was break time for the band and there were two seats available in the back of the room.
We sat and chatted about his band, where he was playing next, his band members and a lot of other things; many that were relative to his relationship with Richmond.
I didn’t want to hog his time so I started to wrap the conversation. In retrospect, it’s nuts; I am talking with Bruce Springsteen and we are both 18 years old.
In parting, I felt I had to give him one big vote of confidence that he well deserved. I said, “Bruce, one day you are going to be a huge rock star.” He said “Gee, man, I hope so. Thanks a lot.” With that, I left him alone to enjoy the band he came in to check out: my brother’s band, Natural Wildlife.
— Glen Eastman
I am a lifelong fan and have seen too many shows (and highlights) to recount. Let me choose one night. You can’t beat the set list below and “Point Blank” was incredible. I was with an entire row of college buddies — all dedicated Bruce “tramps.” It doesn’t get sweeter. I still have the ticket stub-admission: $12.50.
04/08/81 - Capitol Centre, Largo, Md.: Thunder Road / Prove It All Night / Out In The Street / Darkness On The Edge Of Town / Johnny Bye Bye / Independence Day / Trapped / Two Hearts / The Promised Land / The River / This Land Is Your Land / Who’ll Stop The Rain / Badlands / Hungry Heart / You Can Look / Cadillac Ranch / Sherry Darling / Jole Blon / For You / Point Blank / Candy’s Room / Ramrod / Rosalita / Jungleland / Born To Run / Detroit Medley - You Can’t Sit Down - Sweet Soul Music - Shake
— Leslie Taylor
First, I’m a classical pianist with a love of jazz, and I always read your pieces because even though I’m totally out of touch with much of the music scene, you are a wonderful critic, and this is an opportunity to say thank you for crystal writing and insightful criticism.
I heard Springsteen in Budapest, Hungary, when he was on the Human Rights Tour in 1988, held in the Nepstadion, the soccer stadium that holds 80,000 people. It was the only rock concert of my life, but it was a great one, beginning around 8:30 and not ending until around 3:00 a.m.
The Boss wouldn’t stop. They turned on the lights. He brought everyone else, Sting, Peter Gabriel among others, back onto the stage and just kept cranking.
I went partly because our best Hungarian friend, doing his last bit of military duty, was a nut about American pop music, particularly Springsteen.
Two unforgettable moments. Having been in the middle of the field for hours, and hearing at least six languages within earshot that I had no idea what they were, Bruce as the headliner, finally came on around midnight and opened with “Born in the U.S.A.” and EVERYBODY sang along in English. Hungary was still under the Russians. It was a proud-to-be-an-American moment that I cherish.
At some point, he came to the mic like a relectant 3rd-grader giving a book report for the first time. Said a few things in halting Hungarian (with a New Jersey accent) and the place exploded. He could have been President of the country at that moment.
Along with Keith Jarrett, my hero, Springsteen is the most exciting and visceral performer I’ve ever experienced anywhere. Sorry that this is too long, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all your good work, and all the best.
-- James Kidd
My biggest memory of Bruce Springsteen was reading about him in Time & Newsweek on October 20, 1975 on a bus on my way to Coast Guard boot camp in Cape May NJ.
On Aug. 5, 2002, my last day in the guard, he was on the cover of Time. I have always been a fan and saw him on the “Tunnel of Love Express Tour” in 1988.
-- Brad Robinson
5/23/70. VCU Gym. Mercy Flight opened for Steel Mill and the audience were jacked when Bruce appeared on stage but trouble began halfway through the set when the VCU officials complained that the sound was too loud. At precisely 11 PM, the same officials notified the band because of a VCU event ordinance, that they were pulling the power after the current song was over.
All of the power went off, but the drummer, Vini Lopez continued the beat as the stage crew rantically began to look for another power source. Heavy extension cords were placed across the crowed gym floor and women with skirts and dresses began to sit and cover the direction of cords which led out of a side door to the alley.
The legend has it that a Vepco linesman was in the audience and assisted the crew in finding a power source up an adjacent power pole in the alley.
Meanwhile, Vini continues to play a drum solo and is threatened by the VCU police to cease playing or be arrested for disorderly conduct( he was later on). After a 25-minute interlude, the power comes back on, Bruce picks up his guitar and continues where the band left off with “Twenty More Miles.” After about three or four more songs and long after midnight, the officials located the power source and once [again] cut the power.
Tickets were $2.50.
Sometime in ‘71-‘72, Carlos Santana had finished his concert at the [Richmond] Coliseum and showed up alone at the front door of the Backdoor on Grace where Steel Mill was playing. The doorman was insisting that he pay the $2 cover when the owner, John “Big Daddy” Richardson ran over and told the doorman to let him for free. Carlos stood at the bar for awhile until was invited to the stage to sit in.
-- Bill Beville
Bruce has a lot of ties to Richmond. I met him at the String Factory, an upstairs dance room where the Allman Brothers and several other upcoming bands would perform, and played several band jobs with Steel Mill in the Richmond area. My band was called The Barracudas (we’re still playing around Richmond) and another group I played in at the same time was Natural Wildlife. Both bands played concerts with nationally known groups, from Herman’s Hermits to GrandFunk Railroad and Chicago. I can give you more information later, if you need it.
While Bruce was still with Steel Mill, Natural Wildlife played with them at Randolph Macon College ,in Ashland, at their gymnasium for a Saturday concert. While the musicians and roadies set up the light show (slide projectors, 16 mm movie projector, overhead projectors) to be shown on a white cloth screen behind the bands, the scaffolding which held the equipment up above thecrowd had to be moved farther back from theband because the pictures were too small on the screen.
The basketball stadium floor was covered with sheets of plywood to protect the wooden surface. The scaffolding snagged the edge of the plywood and sent the scaffolding
platform over on it’s side. All of the light show equipment fell to the floor. Only one slide projector was still working that night. I was one of the scaffolding movers and had to jump out of the way when it collapsed.
Bruce, meanwhile, was sitting on the bleachers beside my wife, playing his acoustic guitar. I went over to him and talked with him about what could be done for the show that night. By the way, his acoustic guitar had a stick on plastic label that said “A GUITAR”, where the brand name would usually be.
Another place where we played music together was the Bearded Brothers Club on Broad Street, near the Science Museum. He would come down from New Jersey on Thursday
nights and jam with Natural Wildlife until the early morning. He sat beside my dad and told him how his dad didn’t like him playing loud music in their house and he was surprised to see my dad watching us play.
I invited him to come to my house for dinner, and had to pick him up around VCU and take him to my apartment (3100 Stuart Ave, Apt.5) for a steak dinner. He does not like green peas, so he left them on his plate. We played albums from my collection and he told me about a great musician that I was sure to like (Neil Young) since I already has some Buffalo Springfield albums. He liked my stereo cabinet, an old oak wardrobe with shelves and orange burlap lining.
The Barracudas were playing at the Hullabaloo Club in Richmond one night and our bass player was outside with a friend, who aked him who “that rough looking bunch of
guys” were that were coming in the door. He told him that it was Bruce and several of the E Street band members who were forming their group and looking for places to play.
They had Miami Steve play his first job with them at the Hullabaloo Club soon after that night.
I talked to Bruce several times when they played at the Back Door Club on Grace Street and asked him if he knew any singers that were looking for a job, possibly singing with another group I started playing with, called Studio B, because we were recording a lot at Eastern Recording Studio, just off Rt.360 in the Southside of Richmond. He gave me Southside Johnny from his band and Johnny and I wrote a lot of songs together and recoded several of them at Eastern. I still have those tapes and still perform a couple of the songs I wrote.
I try to keep in touch with some of the musicians from back then who played with Bruce’s bands or my bands. Some of them are in the River City Blues Society, of which I am a member, Robbin Thompson, Velpo Robertson, and a bunch of others are still playing around town. I currently play with the Backstage Pass Band and The Barracudas. Check out their Web sites,backstagepassband.us and barracudasband.com for our photos and information. I’m Mike Parker and I’m still looking forward to asking him to play “Sweet,Sweet Melinda” one more time for me like he always did back then.
Mike Parker
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Virgin Fest: Shocker! Lil Wayne is late…and no one cares
Melissa Ruggieri
August 10, 2008 5:35 PM
Well, to answer my musing of the last post…why no, as a matter of fact, Lil Wayne is apparently incapable of doing anything on anyone’s time but his own.
In the three-year history of this festival, no act has ever been late – not even by a few minutes. It always impressed me that the artists maintained enough professionalism to be on time and the organizers insisted on a tight schedule.
So who does Lil Wayne think he is?
His scheduled start time was 3:50 p.m. Around that time, a roadie came out to test a guitar. Not a good sign.
At 4:10 p.m., Wayne’s DJ casually strolled out and set up his turntable.
At 4:20 p.m., Wayne’s crew of assorted hangers-on appeared to deafening cheers, then did nothing but saunter around the stage while the DJ played Wu-Tang Clan songs.
Photo credit: Timothy S. Griffin
Five minutes later, they left…and THEN the crowd started booing. What? These people weren’t bothered by any of the nonsense unfolding BEFORE this point?
I, on the other hand, was quietly seething and already calculating how this would mess up the schedule for the rest of the day. Sorry, Mr. Dylan, your set will now be late because Lil Wayne couldn’t be bothered to get off the tour bus on time (which, as one of the photographers planted at the front of the stage verified for me as the reason for Wayne’s tardiness: there WAS no reason).
So, finally, just past 4:30, His Highness appeared, walking onto the stage in a tight white T-shirt, black jeans, shades and a University of Texas baseball cap as if he had all the time in the world.
Without anything resembling an apology, Wayne started rapping along to the pre-recorded version of “Full Clip,” his jeans already halfway down his thighs.
When he then pronounced, “I’ve got three things I’ve gotta tell you,” one might have expected “Sorry I made you wait” to be one of them. But nope.
“One: I believe in God. Two: I ain’t [bleep] without you, so make noise for what you created. And three: I ain’t [bleep] without you, so make noise for what you created.”
Repetition is so...clever.
So Wayne stalked the stage, grabbing his crotch and telling the 90 percent suburban-type crowd to “get your [bleeper bleeping] hands in the air” about every 20 seconds.
“Duffle Bag Boy,” “Birdman” and “My Daddy” – during which he looked at the sky, made the sign of the cross and then gave another order to, “Get your [bleeper bleeping] hands in the air” – had the audience of about 9,000 bumping body parts and hooting appreciatively.
As his scheduled end time crept up 20 minutes later, it would have been expected that Wayne get booted off stage, so the next act, The Black Keys, could get their equipment organized and perform at 5:15 as planned.
Again, nope.
Wayne rolled through “Fireman” (and, for the record, every one of these songs is essentially the same song – clip-clop beat, plinking synthesizer, nonsensical lyrics) and a particularly vulgar “poem” about his affinity for a female body part (and really, it is incredibly difficult to offend me) before someone apparently told him to shut up and get off the stage.
With that, he announced he was going to “blow ya alls minds,” the radio friendly hook of “Lollipop” began and Kanye West – on deck for tonight’s closing slot – raced out to rap a few verses.
Why the fashionable rapper was wearing a designer backpack is anyone’s guess. But hey, at least we know he’s here.
I did make it down to the other stage in time to see Iggy Pop, plastered in sweat from head to toe and, as usual, displaying his unbelievably ripped torso (dude is 61!!).
Pop had just bounded into the audience, cheerfully singing the refrain of “My Idea of Fun” (“My idea of fun, is killing everyone) and grinning like the punk maniac that he is.
After climbing back onstage, Pop looked at the crowd and yelled, “I don’t know what to do!”, presumably because his set was over, but the fans wanted more. So, in true Iggy form, he slammed his mic stand into the stage a few times, scampered off, and returned moments later for “Electric Chair.”
Virgin Fest: Paramore rocks, She & Him lull - both in a good way
Melissa Ruggieri
August 10, 2008 2:35 PM
If you have teenagers, you’ve probably heard of Paramore, the young emo/rock band with a few traces of punk.
If you don’t have kids, maybe you’ve stumbled upon recent stories about the band in Blender and Spin.
In any case, know this: They’re a tight enough rock outfit that they might even still be around by the time frontwoman (girl? chick?) Hayley Williams turns 20 in December.
Williams is a feisty little thing, banging her orange and blonde-haired head relentlessly, pogoing around the stage and never losing her breath (again, she’s 19) while shouting the words to “Born For This.”
Upon her arrival on stage, she immediately had the adoration of thousands of lovesick bys and the adulation of the girls who always wanted to be rock stars.
The band’s Virgin Fest set attracted a solid, mostly teens and twentysomething crowd of at least 8 or 9,000.
Their tight, punchy rock – coated with a lot of melody – positioned them, especially Williams, as much more than a petulant Avril wannabe.
One of their recent radio hits, “That’s What You Get,” was sung as much by the audience as by Williams, while during “Fences,” she engaged the crowd to hold their arms overhead and snap for several seconds to lead into the song.
The only problem with Paramore’s songs are their tendency to sound similar. Most tunes carry a shifting rhythm – but the same shifting rhythm – and guitar riffs, while sharp, often follow the same pattern.
As if their fans care?
While Paramore was rocking one end of Pimlico Race Course, She & Him, the duo of Zooey Deschenal and M. Ward, was lulling the other side.
At first, their set was more She and Them, as the pair was joined by a three-piece band for “Keep it to Yourself,” including a female bassist and backup singer wearing identical sundresses as Deschenal’s. Theirs, though, were red, while her electric blue one seemed tailored to match her huge, beautiful eyes.
You could tell that many people sprawled on blankets near the stage were only there out of curiosity, to see if this movie actress can sing. And, she can. Most of the time.
Deschenal did sound shrill and slightly off key as she played electric piano to “Sentimental Heart.” But when the rest of the band departed and it was left to her and Ward, on electric guitar, you could hear the confidence lift in her voice.
Their lilting country pop is sweetly simple, and their harmonies effortlessly lovely. At times, Deschenal sounded like Reese Witherspoon’s version of June Carter Cash in “I Walk the Line” – and Witherspoon won an Oscar for that.
Coming up soon – supposedly – is Lil Wayne. Forget about his performance; I’m interested to see if the notoriously late rapper even shows.
Virgin Fest: Welcome to day two with Dylan, Kanye, STP and more
Melissa Ruggieri
August 10, 2008 12:54 PM
Yesterday was sunny and balmy. Today, the heat has rolled in, along with some storm clouds that suggest by the time Lil Wayne hits the stage at 3:50 p.m., it could be a soggy, muddy mess.
But I’ll hang on to some optimism for now.
Shudder to Think and <<< Andrew Bird are on the stages now and have each culled a couple thousand people, but I’m waiting for the engaging power-pop-punk of Paramore in 30 minutes and the blissful harmonies from She & Him, coming onstage about 2:30 p.m..
Yesterday, Virgin Fest organizers estimated the crowd at about 25,000. That’s down about 10,000 from last year’s first night showing – but that one boasted The Police on the first area stop of its reunion tour.
My guess is tonight’s crowd will be slightly larger than Saturday’s showing. Lil Wayne’s inexplicable popularity will surely draw his die-hards, and the closing trio of Bob Dylan, Nine Inch Nails and Kanye West, who will all perform between 6:30 and 10 p.m., scream diversity. And that’s not even counting Moby, who plays DJ in the dance tent for a couple of hours tonight, too.
Oh, BTW, yesterday I neglected to mention the efforts of Virgin Fest to teach concertgoers about the environment (look, if I had the choice between talking about choices of food or talking about disposing of the food, I’m going with the choices angle).
But really, it isn’t easy getting people to throw their trash in the proper receptacles, so VF organizers have people staked out at every garbage area to tell idiots such as myself whether my garbage belongs in the “landfill,” “compost” or “recycle” can.
That said…off to lunch and Paramore.
Virgin Fest: Duffy disappoints, Swell Season quietly powerful
Melissa Ruggieri
August 09, 2008 2:32 PM
The most unexpected part of my day so far is how quickly I tired of Duffy and her Melanie-Griffith-via-Wales routine.
She’s a proficient singer, but her pinched, nasally tone got very irritating, very quickly.
She’s also a bit of a sassy minx, baby-stepping around the stage in heels and a short red sundress, her blond mane swept into a glamorous ponytail with a red ribbon.
Songs such as “Breaking My Own Heart” and “I’m Leaving You for the Last Time,” shimmered with a lush, layered sound produced by her six-piece band, and her music often evokes the best of ‘60s-era girl groups.
But, compared to the similarly styled Amy Winehouse, Duffy comes across as the vapid cheerleader sister to Winehouse’s angst-ridden soul, even when she’s swinging through the sultry “Mercy.”
Following Duffy was The Swell Season, whom I wanted to catch despite seeing them a few months ago at Toad’s Place.
Armed only with their traditional piano and acoustic guitar, the charmingly low-key duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová had the unenviable task of competing with the pulsing bass from the dance tent, about 300 feet away.
But Hansard grabbed the attention of the few thousand fans clamoring near the stage, many of them taking cell phone photos and whispering about “those people from that ‘Once’ movie,” with his bracing opener, “Say it to Me Now.”
Irglová bopped onstage and smiled adoringly at Hansard before sliding behind her piano for “Lies.” The duo’s harmonizing was heartbreakingly beautiful, and Hansard, who earlier snapped at a camera man hovering around Irglová to “[blank] off a bit,” turned softer when introducing their most known song.
Using the familiar metaphor of songs being like children to the songwriter, Hansard said with a smile, “…and this one we sent off and said, go and make your parents a lot of money,” before dipping into the familiar piano plinking of “Falling Slowly.”
Hansard asked the crowd to sing the chorus with him, and watching a motley assembly of shirtless dudes, longhairs with trucker caps and girls in tank tops singing, “Take this sinking boat and point it home, we’ve still got time,” was, actually, quite moving.
Meanwhile, at the south end, Lupe Fiasco skittered through “Dumb it Down,” and took the award for the first act to feel the need for stage lights at 2:30 in the afternoon. In the bright sun.
Virgin Fest: Not your average concession stands
Melissa Ruggieri
August 09, 2008 2:10 PM
You’ve got to love a festival that keeps its patrons sated not only with the standard hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza, but also a more sophisticated array of food: crab melt pita (had it last year – delectable, but messy, and not a hot-weather food), quesadillas (steak fajita, Fiesta Fish, etc.), steamed crabs and a pretty solid crab cake sandwich from Sherri’s Crab Cakes, which bills itself as “The World’s Greatest Concession Crab Cakes.”
Compared to what usually passes for a crab cake outside of the Maryland area, that just might be true.
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