From Around the Web | July Edition
(Originally posted July 31, 2015)
From Around the Web is a blog post series that is a collection of music and audio related findings from ..Around the Web <--- get it? :) Anyway, hope you like it.
6/28/15
BET Awards:
"Diddy go down the hole" Yes, this was June but I could not let this one get by without talking about it. P. Diddy fell on stage at the 2015 BET awards.
Video link below.
I must say his recovery was phenomenal. He just popped right back up after taking an awkward fall, with one leg up and one down. I'm sure he felt that in his groin the next day! I skip a step going up the stairs and I pull a groin muscle (aging sucks!) Anyway, from a production stand point that floor pocket was open way early I think. It looked like he was on cue to get back up-stage with plenty of time for the crew to open the floor pocket for Lil Kim to come up for her reveal. So, I don't fault Diddy for filing a lawsuit a few days later. He could have really been hurt on something that looks like to me was an error in timing. But I must say the Bad Boy reunion performance was actually pretty cool. Anyone who listened to R&B and Rap in the 90s would have been geeked to see all the acts from the Bad Boy era on stage again. I reminisced of high school dances and those late night drives in my 1987 Buick Skylark (I loved that car).
One thing that happened at the BET awards that I also have to mention is the tribute to Smokey Robinson. The performance featured Tori Kelly, Neyo and Robin Thicke. Who is Torri Kelly?!! After I saw this I googled Torri and found her original music. Good stuff! She has a great voice.
Diddy fall video clip via The Guardian
Torri Kelly BET awards performance
Torri Kelly acoustic performance via Live with Kelly & Michael
7/1/15 Documentaries:
I love Netflix, and now I have a reason to love it even more - The documentary What Happened, Miss Simone. OMG! This documentary about the life of Nina Simone is amazing. I did not grow up listening to Nina Simone and only heard of her maybe 10 years ago. The songs I heard were good but I definitely was not introduced to her greatness until I saw this documentary. She was so influential and very much involved with the civil rights movement. Then she just disappeared from the music scene in the 70s. This documentary shows what happened to her. Go watch it right now.
Another documentary is The Wrecking Crew which is about a group of studio musicians in the 60's that played on everyone's album. If it was recorded in the 60's there is a good chance the Wrecking Crew played on it. There are screenings of the movie in some cities around the country and you can buy on blu-ray via the website.
What Happened, Miss Simone trailer
7/15/15 Dennis Moody Drops Live Sound Knowledge
I listen to podcast literally all day long. The latest episode of the AudioNowcast featured sound engineer Dennis Moody. Dennis is a recording and live sound engineer and does most of the talking in this podcast episode and I recommend everyone take a listen to it. Good Stuff!
7/26/15 Kanye May or May Not sell Wireless Mics
I know everyone is talking about Kanye throwing his microphone in the air and doing his weird walk off stage after a technical issue at the Pan Am games. The bigger issue than his walking off stage is -DID THE MIC SURVIVE?!!
I cant tell what brand microphone that is he was using on Sunday, but if it survived the fall - I want one! He threw that mic at least 30-40 feet in the air.
Alright microphone manufacturer, if that mic survived you need to capitalize on this
ASAP and give Kanye (and me for giving you the idea) a check because your sales will go up if it still works. I can see the ads now, "The mic that survived the Kanye toss" or "The mic that even Kanye can't break" Watch the video below.
That's all I got! See you in August :)
- Cheers