Hard to Hate: Hanson Reenacts 'Blues Brothers'

You know Hanson, don't act like you don't. At bare minimum you remember them from their 1997 teenybopper pop single "Mmmmmbop" (Note: I'm not actually sure how many 'Mmm's are in the song's official title and I'm not willing to look it up). What you may not know is that they are still together recording, touring, and maintain a loyal fan base (they'll be at the Cleveland House of Blues Thursday August 19).

Now get this: they're good. I can admit it. They know how to write a good pop rock song and have stuck to their guns recording catchy 1970s-style blues pop rock tunes. While I don't actually own any Hanson music, I recognize they got a good thing going on and hope they keep it up.

Need more proof that it's OK to admit Hanson is alright, check out the music video for their latest single which not only features a pretty spot on reenactment of the "Shake a Tail Feather" scene in "The Blues Brothers," but also Weird Al Yankovic on tambourine. For reference, I also posted the original "The Blues Brothers" scene below.

Are there any other "guilty pleasures" that you can admit are OK to like? Leave a comment to let us all know.



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Live Music Week ENCORE: Pearl Jam on 'Austin City Limits'

Whether you wanted one more or not, Cleveland, you're getting one more!

Pearl Jam performed last weekend on the iconic PBS program 'Austin City Limits' this past weekend. Actually, the performance was filmed last August when Pearl Jam was in town headlining this year's Austin City Limits Festival (which is where the picture above is from), but the episode aired this weekend.

Pearl Jam played for a full hour at the historic venue recently designated a rock and roll landmark by the R&R Hall of Fame. Their setlist, which ranged from mellow acoustic tunes to explosive rock, included songs off of their new album Backspacer including Just Breathe and Fix It, oldies such as Porch and Lukin, and one of my personal favorites Red Mosquito (w/ Ben Harper).

Watch the full episode on the PBS website here.

Seriously, that's it for Live Music Week. You've been a great audience. Drive safe! (Lights come up, cue exit music)

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The Simpsons (Now with Higher Definition!)

Take a look at these two videos and tell me if you see any differences between the two of them:







That's right! Wow, you are really observant (and can read the title of this post)! Last night The Simpsons aired in high-definition for the first time. Welcome to the future. I seem to recall reading an interview with the show's producer's about two years back where they claimed that the show would NEVER convert to widescreen hi-def because that would be sacrilegious. The Simpsons, they claimed, was a television show, and that meant broadcasting in a 4:3 ratio forever!

Well, forever wasn't as long as they thought. Broadcasting in high-def didn't really add that much to The Simpsons visually, but the colors were brighter, the lines were more defined, the occasionally crude drawing stood out more, and there is more room for potential sight gags.

With this convergence, is there any program still airing in standard-def that you wish would catch up with the times? I can't think of any program in particular, but I wish Time Warner Cable of Cleveland would get their act together and offer more than a handful of HDTV channels. Every other cable provider in the area offers at least twice as many HD channels. What are you waiting for TWC? You are certainly charging us enough! If The Simpsons can do it, so can you. Read more!

Creating a Legacy

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a fun relaxing day that ended with a great dinner at Momocho and surprise tickets to tonight’s Cavs/Suns game. I hope it’s a good one. We have to cleanse ourselves of the 2 tough losses this week.

I turned 27. Yep, I’m getting old. In these twilight years I have thought a lot about my legacy: What will the name JD Drake mean generations from now? How will they speak of my grand achievements? What will those achievements mean to the world? I’m not getting any younger, I better get achieving. My problem is, I don’t have a lot of free time, and I don’t want to work too hard for a legacy.

My solution: create a sauce. I’m not sure what kind of sauce it will be yet: barbecue, salsa, cajun, marinara, or maybe teriyaki. All I need to do is create a classic recipe by the time my future offspring/business partner is old enough to learn it to perfection. He/She will then pass the recipe on to the grandchildren, who will then begin to sell and distribute it to grocery stores. By the time my great-grandchildren are in the Drake Sauce business it will be one of the best-selling specialty sauces in the country.

Now I don’t want to be too specific here, but the front of the sauce jar could have a cartoon rendering of my likeness giving the thumbs up (possibly with a chef’s hat or wooden spoon in my hand). On the back could be a blurb, something like:

“Four generations ago, in a modest Ohio kitchen, our great-grandfather Drake cooked up a dream of bringing friends and family together with a love of (insert type of sauce here). Today, his dream is a reality at kitchen tables across the country, thanks to Drake’s Sauces. This core belief has been at the core of our sauce making core for decades, and shall continue for decades to come.

So crack open a jar and enjoy! As great-granddad always said, ‘You can’t make sauce without a spoon and a smile!’ "

There, I have already done most of the leg work. All I have to do now is throw some stuff in a pot and let my progeny do the rest. LEGACY CREATED! Now to see what’s on TV. Read more!

Around Cleveland: 2 Fun Charity Events this Week

I want to make you all aware:

Cleveland Twestival – Thursday Feb. 12, Harry Buffalo on E. 4th St., 6p.m. – 9p.m. $15. Proceeds support Charity:Water

This Thursday, in 175 cities around the world, people are using Twitter to organize and promote events to benefit Charity:Water, an organization working to provide clean drinking water to those who need it.

Cleveland’s contribution will take place at Harry Buffalo on E. 4th St. downtown. $15 at the door gets you free wings, pizza, good conversation, a cornhole tournament, and excellent raffle prizes. Cleveland has an active social media community (check out the Cleveland Social Media Club by clicking on the badge on the right) that has worked hard in the past few weeks to organize this event. It should be fun.

For more information or to purchase tickets online, check out the Cleveland Twestival website.

Cleveland Free Clinic Benefit Concert & Art Auction– Friday Feb. 13, Beachland Ballroom, 9p.m.-12a.m. $7.

On Friday night a mere $7 will get you access to four bands at a legendary venue. All proceeds benefit the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland. An art auction will also be taking place at the nearby Waterloo 7 gallery (an after party will also be held at the gallery after the shows). Bands performing include Oldboy, Sparrows & Arrows, Tastycakes, & Beardo Bandini.

For more info check out the Beachland Ballroom website Read more!

AMC Best Picture Showcase: 1 day, 5 movies, loads of scenery chewing

The Grammys have come and gone. Just two more weeks and the airwaves will be award show free for a little while. The Oscars will be held on Feb. 22. Are you prepared? Do you have your brackets filled out? Can you argue for your favorite film among the 5 Best Picture nominees? Well, it's kind of hard to do that if you haven't seen them all, you better get your act together and run out to the theatre.

OR as we all do with most things, you can conduct a last minute cram session. AMC theatres can help you through your procrastination. On Feb. 21, the Saturday before the Oscars, AMC theatres around the country will hold their annual Best Picture Showcase: $30 gets you all 5 Best Pictures and unlimited popcorn & soda.

From 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. you can relax in a theatre and watch Milk, The Reader, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, and Frost/Nixon (in that order). You also receive a special pass that lets you come and go as you please in case you would rather run errands than watch the boring parts of Benny Button again (a.k.a ALL OF IT!).

If you like movies, it really is a fun time. My wife and I did this 2 years ago, had a blast, and hung out with some fun people.

Only 1 theatre in the Cleveland area is participating: AMC Ridge Park Square 8 in Brooklyn (Ridge Rd at I-480). For other locations or more information check out the AMC website.

Now get to work ! What movie do you think is the true BEST picture? Read more!

Super Bowl Ads 2009: Do the big brands really gain the most?

It's inevitable, I cannot have a blog that focuses on marketing, advertising, and television without mentioning the Super Bowl ads. There's not much to say about them though. From a creative standpoint it seems like Doritos' ad was the winner. This is according to USA Today's popular Ad Meter as well as an online poll taken by Hulu (whose own Super Bowl ad returned decent poll numbers):

This proves one thing: Americans LOVE watching people getting hit in the crotch. Next Super Bowl I better see 30 seconds of random crotch hits followed by the State Farm Insurance logo. Tagline: State Farm is there through the good times ... and the bad. INSTANT HIT!

An annual tournament-style competition by Cleveland advertising agency Liggett-Stashower returned different results (video courtesy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com):

Super Bowl ads go head to head

I tend to agree with these results more. Those E-trade babies have not gotten old yet, and Miller High Life had a clever (and cheap) idea.

But will any of these ads cause you to take action? Did anyone run out to the store and buy some Doritos, or at least THINK about buying Doritos? Did anyone stand in line at Denny's this morning to earn your free breakfast?

There is always a lot of talk and hype about Super Bowl ads, but in the end it is usually the well established brands that earn the most buzz: Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Budweiser, etc. But what about the smaller up-and-coming brands? They have the most to gain (or lose) from a Super Bowl ad. Were there any ads for a company or product that you had never heard of, that you may now consider using?

I think Hulu will see a huge spike in traffic after their ad with Alec Baldwin. Online buzz for the Jack Black/Michael Cera movie "Year One" will probably increase after their funny trailer. That is a movie that has largely been kept under wraps until now (Unlike "Transformers", "GI Joe", etc.).

Who do you think are the winners and losers of this year's batch? Read more!

Album Review: Bruce Springsteen - Working on A Dream

Today brings the release of Working on a Dream, the second album by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band in a little over a year. This comes days before their appearance playing the halftime show at next Sunday's Super Bowl, and a week after Bruce spent several days in Washington D.C playing various inauguration parties and winning a Golden Globe for his musical contribution to the movie The Wrestler (that song is on the album as a final bonus track). It's been a busy month for these guys. Is the album worth the effort?

I'd say so. NPR is still streaming the entire album at their music site. So go hear for yourself. Rolling Stone magazine gave the CD a coveted 5 star review. According to them it can't get any better. While I wouldn't go that far (RS would give 5 stars to Alvin and the Chipmunks if it reminded them of the "good ol days" of Rock N Roll), I agree that Working is Springsteen's most radio-friendly music since Born in the USA, and superior to last year's release Magic.

Following the recording of Magic Bruce and producer Brendan O' Brien had a few leftover songs that didn't quite make the final track list. Feeling inspired, Bruce immediately went back to the drawing board and continued songwriting. Demo tracks and a full recording session quickly followed.

The result is an album from a group of experienced musicians who sound as if they have found a re-energized passion for playing together. The album is full of fun, rocking, optimistic tracks; a direct contrast to Magic's dark look at war, failure, and decaying towns. Working has more in common with Magic's one positive track "Girls in their Summer Clothes." Actually, I am surprised this album was not released in the summer with its constant use of Beach Boys-like keyboards, horns, and backing vocals. In the meantime it can be used to fight the seasonal affective disorder that is sure to come once another 8 inches of snow comes to Cleveland tonight (Ugh!)

Yes, the band is planning a summer-long tour to accompany the album. Presently they have no Ohio dates scheduled. The closest Cleveland is getting right now is a Pittsburgh stop on May 19. I wouldn't be surprised if a Cleveland date is announced later given that they can easily sell out the Q, and their current tour dates end on May 23, leaving the whole summer wide open.

Since we now purchase music by the song and not the album, after the jump I will break down the album track by track, letting you know which one(s) I think you may want to skip. Then give it a listen and let me know what you think (or let me know what I SHOULD be listening to instead)

Outlaw Pete – An 8 minute opening song. A western-themed opus for fans of the bands old-school operatic tunes like "Jungleland." The guitar part during the chorus is reminiscent of that go-to movie trailer score from the 90s, which I found slightly distracting (I wanna say its Forrest Gump, but I think that's wrong. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Or am I the only crazy one?). A strong start

Lucky Day – One of the strongest songs on the album. Strong guitar-heavy pop song. Will make for a great hit single.

Working on a Dream – The title track that Bruce debuted at the Cleveland Obama rally last November. Jingly-jangly pop song. Lyrics are a little corny. A slight problem I have with this album: the music is great but the lyrics sometimes border on too cheesy. Seems like Springsteen doing his best Springsteen impression (A job I believe is already filled, thank you John Couger Mellencamp). Catchy whistles, horns, backup vocals.

Queen of the Supermarket – A Song about the Sun-Maid raisin girl (will someone write her a song, please!!). Really about a guy falling in love with the checkout lady. For fans of ‘Girls in their Summer Clothes’. More 60s style pop w/ backup singers. Good use of checkout beeping noise at the end.

What Love Can Do – Another guitar heavy song. Possibly one of my favorites on the album. Pounding drums. Guitars chugging along like a locomotive. Hard not to like.

This Life – Starts out like a Beach Boys song. Maybe a little too close to "Girls in Summer Clothes?" Second happy love song on album. Almost shocking how optimistic this album is at fist listen. One of the few major Clarence sax solos of album. Again, slightly cheesy lyrics, but grows on me by the end. Maybe cheesy lyrics aren't that bad.

Good Eye – A dirty blues break from all the pop. Gruff voice, harmonica. Seems a little out of place with the rest of the pop feel of the album. Seems like an improvised jam session in the middle of recording. I like it.

Tomorrow Never Knows – Acoustic love song. Finger pickin' and Slide guitar. Another winner.

Life Itself – The one song on the album I suggest you avoid. Sounds like it should have been on Magic instead. Fail. Not very catchy or interesting.

Kingdom of Days – Another string, heavy pop love song. Similar to "Supermarket’", maybe a little too similar musically. Another possible skip unless you like your Springsteen like this.

Surprise, Surprise – Another catchy, yet borderline too cheesy song about a surprise birthday party. I'm not saying its bad, it just seems strange sometimes coming from Springsteen. It might be more suited as a Barenaked Ladies song. “Let your love shine down?!!”

Last Carnival – A sequel to "Wild Billy’s Circus Story" from 1973's The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle. Acoustic solo song. Written as a tribute to E Street keyboard player Danny Federici who died last year. This was the last album he worked on. A low-key, touching tribute.

The Wrestler – The previously mentioned Golden Globe winning song and theme to movie with the same name. Tagged on as an extra track. Maybe the strongest song lyrically. I can't believe the song got snubbed by the Oscars when they had 2 nomination slots to fill!! They decided to fill only 3 of the 5 nomination slots instead of nominating this?!



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Erik Estrada Knows Nothing About Cleveland

Yes, that is a true fact. Anyone who took Ohio History should know that.

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