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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of ampm. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s always interesting to see the new and different ways businesses try to grab the attention of the modern day, tech-savvy consumer. It’s a monumental task to say the least since we’re all inundated with ads on a daily basis and have become a bit jaded toward these types of attention grabbing campaigns. Take for example the secret menu feature on ampm‘s facebook page. For those that don’t have a local ampm, they’re a convenience store that offer late night dining for those that get the munchies at 2 in the morning. Their sandwich offerings are basically self-serve so you’re free to be creative with your creations.
Now back to the facebook page – I’m all for “Liking” your favorites places and such but I hate those extra applications that ask for authorization to access your personal info. And unfortunately, ampm‘s secret menu tab is one of those privacy invading applications. Not a smart way to build trust among your fanbase. It’s a big “fail” in my book. Plus the secret menu app is just a fancy recipe book that simply lists some tasty sandwich creations. Take the Chili Conquistador for instance, which I do admit, looks pretty good. The Chili Conquistador includes a burger, chili and Spicy Funyuns. I think the Spicy Funyuns would actually go great with a burger. I would love to try it the next time I’m at ampm.
But as for the secret menu app on facebook? I like the whole concept of a secret menu but ampm needs to rethink the way the want to collect info on their customers.
For those that are curious about the secret menu, just head on over to their facebook fan page to check it out. Also, they’re unveiling five more secret menu items on the following dates: 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/30. And then on August 2nd, fans of ampm will be able to create their own versions of their favorites right on their facebook page.
Anyway, let me know what you think of the new secret menu app. got a favorite menu item? post ‘em in the comment section of this blog post!

You know, I wasn’t aware of this but apparently Axl Rose and his updated version of Guns N’ Roses are STILL out on the road supporting their 2008 album Chinese Democracy. I guess since most of the tour dates have been outside the U.S., I personally haven’t seen much buzz about them. But now the folks over at Rock ‘N Rev Festival have announced that GNR are headlining their five day festival. This is a big deal since GNR haven’t performed in the U.S. in four years. And so far, this is the only U.S. date on their current tour.

Here’s the official press release:
Los Angeles July 20, 2010 – Making their first U.S. concert appearance in four years – and playing their only U.S. show in 2010 – Guns N’ Roses has been officially recruited with Daughtry to join the inaugural Rock ‘N Rev Festival and cement its assault on the legendary Sturgis Rally’s 70th Anniversary celebration in Sturgis, SD, at the newly constructed Rock N’ Rev Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA.
Guns N’ Roses will headline the fifth and final night of the festival, as it moves to the Brand New Rock ‘N Rev Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA in Sturgis, adjacent to its original location. L.A.’s notorious rock ‘n’ roll bad boys – one of Q magazine’s “50 Bands to See Before You Die” – have combined forces with HDlogix and DC3 Global for this rare and very special appearance on home soil to bring the “full-out rock ‘n’ roll spectacle” (Spin) of their 2010 “Chinese Democracy World Tour” to Sturgis and finish off the hijacking of the world’s biggest, baddest biker event, Monday, Aug. 9 through Friday, Aug. 13, 2010.
Guns N’ Roses’ final night performance, immediately following previously announced Aug. 13 headliner Alice in Chains, is the ultimate climax to five full nights of undeniable rock ‘n’ roll bedlam, and now gives the Rock ‘N Rev Festival six of the most explosive, multi-platinum AMERICAN Active Rock Bands of 2010. Daughtry, supporting its second consecutive #1 album, will join 3 Doors Down, Hinder and others on Aug. 12, the 4th night of the Rock N’ Rev Festival.
In order to welcome Guns N’ Roses and Daughtry to the Rock ‘N Rev Festival, new festival owners HDlogix and its producers, DC3 Global, are starting construction immediately on the Rock N’ Rev Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA, a new custom-built amphitheater on a 25-acre site at Monkey Rock designed to maximize logistical opportunities while enhancing the overall experience for everyone attending – from the bands to the fans.
“We are truly blessed to be able to announce the addition of Guns N’ Roses at this historic moment in the band’s history, along with Daughtry, just as we relocate the Rock ‘N Rev Festival to our own Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA,” said DC3′s co-founder, Daniel E. Catullo III. “Monkey Rock’s vision to create a nationally recognized brand among the world’s top motorcycle rallies is a perfect fit for us, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them as our partners.”
Raising the insanity level to previously unimaginable heights, Guns N’ Roses and Daughtry are just the latest high octane multi-platinum rockers to join the growing list of bands at the Rock ‘N Rev Festival. They unite with fellow headliners Stone Temple Pilots, Godsmack, Creed, Alice in Chains and 3 Doors Down to establish the Rock ‘N Rev Festival as “The Home of Rock’s Hardest New Chart Toppers” – a different one topping each night’s lineup.
Tickets for the Rock ‘N Rev Festival are $45 per day, general admission ($150 for a five-day pass), and On Sale Now through Ticketmaster.com and rocknrevfestival.com and at all Ticketmaster locations, or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available in person beginning August 5, 2010 on location at the Festival’s on-site box office. For more information on exclusive VIP packages ($150 for a single day, $300 for all five days or $1,000 5 day platinum packages), including backstage access to a VIP area to special, air-conditioned tents with private bars, motorcycle parking, luxury bathroom facilities and more, go to rocknrevfestival.com.

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I had a chance to watch the new Doors’ DVD When You’re Strange: A Film About the Doors over the weekend and I have to say that I really enjoyed the Tom DiCillo-directed documentary. Like most music fans, I’m so accustomed to “VH1: Behind the Music”-style music documentaries that DiCillo’s choice of using only archival footage was a refreshing change of pace. “When You’re Strange” is essentially an overview of the band’s short time together with Johnny Depp doing the narrating. DiCillo assembled a great variety of riveting footage from Jim Morrison’s onstage antics to the surreal clips from the unreleased film “HWY”. The vintage clips have been cleaned up and restored for this release and the quality of the footage definitely adds to the enjoyment of this documentary. One of the more memorable scenes is when Morrison is simply hanging out in the crowd before “The Who” gig and fans are just in awe of his presence, some just wanting to touch his hair. Another great clip is of the band recording “Wild Child” in the studio with Morrison being a bit self-conscious with his vocals.

As expected, Morrison gets the bulk of the screentime here but the other band members (Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore) make their mark by their notable instrumental performances.

I’m sure longtime fans will gripe about DiCillo not going into more detail about certain events or songs but my guess is that it would take a multi-volume set to get into the real “nitty-gritty” which simply can’t be accomplished in 86 minutes.

The bonus material on the DVD features an interview with Morrison’s dad, Admiral George Stephen Morrison, before he passed away in 2008. From what I heard, it’s the only interview he has done on camera concerning his famous son.

Title: When You’re Strange: A Film About the Doors
DVD released by: Eagle Rock Entertainment/Rhino
Directed by: Tom DiCillo
runtime: 86 minutes
released in the U.S.: July 2010

OK, as for the DVD giveaway, here’s the scoop. One lucky retroblog reader will be receiving a new DVD of “When You’re Strange: A Film About the Doors”. To enter in the drawing all you have to do is post your favorite Doors’ album in the comment section of this blog post. This will count as ONE ENTRY in the drawing. Please be sure to leave a legitimate email address or else I won’t have a way of contacting you if you’re selected as the winner.

For those that want a better chance of winning, you can also join the retroblog facebook page (which is essentially hitting the LIKE button on that page). And by “LIKING” us on facebook, you’ll get the equivalent of TWO ENTRIES in the DVD drawing. I hope that makes sense. Let me know if I’m confusing you.
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so, it seems that I wasted the whole evening last night thanks to Walmart. yup, good ol’ wally world. Apparently you can’t trust their “in-store availability” info on their website. I know, I know, what do I expect from a place like walmart where customer service is virtually nil. But against my better judgement I believed what the site was telling me. And it was telling me that a store way out in the boonies (approximately 40 minutes away from my house) had an item that I’ve been searching for the last couple days. yeah, I know, why am I even purchasing anything of value at wally world anyway. groceries and mundane stuff, yes. more expensive stuff, no. anyway, the website indicated that one store out of a dozen in my area had this one item in stock and it was in a place I’ve never driven to before.

so, after dinner I dragged my wife and kids in the van and searched for the holy grail, somewhere out in the great beyond. first problem was google maps. OK, scratch that. the first problem was of course trusting walmart. enough said. second problem was google maps. it gave me misleading directions to this place. apparently google isn’t that familiar with the boonies either. So, I overshot my destination by ten miles or so and by that time, I was extremely low on gas. so there we were in the middle of nowhere at night searching for a gas station. I was literally riding on fumes by the time I found a station in a small no-name town. I swear I heard dueling banjos ala “Deliverance” playing in the background as I tried to fill up the tank as quickly and as unobtrusively as possible so that I wouldn’t disturb the natives. and just my luck the automatic trigger to stop the pump when full was busted so I spewed gas over the van and my shoes. great!!

anyway, after cussing at myself for getting all of us into this mess, I got back on the road and restarted the search for this godforsaken walmart. after a few turns here and there on dark, lonely roads and with a little help from “The Force”, we eventually stumbled onto the damn place. It was getting pretty late in the evening at this point and I just wanted to grab what I was there for and get the hell home.

And you guessed it!! after all that driving and me smelling of gas, Walmart did not even have the damn thing even though the website says it does. nice!

Thank you for a lovely evening Walmart. never again, my friend. never again.

I suppose the knee-jerk reaction to Sting‘s latest endeavor is to simply dismiss the whole thing and say he’s scraping the bottom of the creative barrel. And yes, it’s true Sting hasn’t released an album’s worth of original material since 2003′s Sacred Love which might indicate some sort of writer’s block. But whatever the case may be, Symphonicities is surprisingly an enjoyable listen. It’s far from being a perfect record, mind you, but even with the flaws, there’s just something about hearing a full orchestra reinterpret these ol’ tunes that make you wanna hit the repeat button again. and again. Maybe I’m just like the rest of Sting’s ever-aging fanbase who are all inclined to nostalgia but there’s just no denying the power of well-written melodies featured in songs like “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Roxanne”.

The new arrangements vary in quality though. Some are very inventive including the new versions of “I Burn For You” and “We Work the Black Seam” but others are unimaginative and basically play it safe like “Englishman in New York” (almost a carbon copy of the original down to the hip-hop drum break in the middle which is a bit lazy in my opinion), “I Hung My Head”, “When We Dance”.

But in the end, let’s just say the album is some damn fine ear candy for the middle-aged. and there’s nothing wrong with that.

retroGrade: B-

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Eagle Rock Entertainment has recently announced the next installment of their Classic Albums series for DVD and blu-ray. This time around, the focus will be on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1979 Damn the Torpedoes album.

I personally love the format of the Classic Albums series. The original album producer along with band members usually sit at the mixing desk and go through the multi-tracks and explain the process of how the songs were recorded. You can’t get that level of detail anywhere else. Kudos to the director and producers of the series for not incorporating MTV-style hyper-editing or dumbing down the info. The show is a straight-forward documentary that will please the fans that prefer content over style.

I’m looking forward to this release. “Damn the Torpedoes” was a significant album in Petty’s career which featured the hits “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That”. Can’t wait to see it. Look for it in stores starting August 3rd 2010.
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Here’s an interesting lil’ video clip I recently came across featuring an interview with Paul McCartney’s long time guitar tech Keith Smith (or as Smith says in the interview, “Paul’s Technical Manager”), backstage at the Israel gig in 2008. It’s a guitar fanatic’s dream to get to see some of the rare & valuable instruments Sir Macca uses on tour. And this is as good as it gets for most of us since we’ll never see these guitars up close and in person. Smith shares some neat tidbits about the various vintage guitars including the 1963 signature Hofner bass, the Epiphone acoustic and the extremely rare left handed Gibson Les Paul goldtop.

thanks again to all those that participated in the Rolling Stones – Stones in Exile DVD giveaway.

all the entries (including tweets) were compiled into a spreadsheet and numbered sequentially. I then used random.org to produce a random number.

and without further ado – the winner of the Stones in Exile DVD is:

Jacob Boss from Minnesota

Congratulations! I’ve forwarded your info to the PR rep at Universal Music who will be sending the DVD directly to you.

Be on the look out for our next DVD drawing which should be posted real soon. and please join our new facebook page to keep up to date on the latest happenings on retroblog as well as to qualify for future drawings & contests.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s interesting to note how the tables have turned in terms of the way we view television. Back in the day, viewers had to schedule their evening plans around their favorite television shows. Programs like The Ed Sullivan show and Texaco Star Theater featuring Milton Berle used to hold people hostage over their TV screens. Thankfully we’re no longer chained to the whims of network executives and their strategic programming schedules. We all have busy lives especially those of us having to chauffeur our kids to their many extracurricular activities day in and day out. So, the technological breakthrough of On-Demand TV is truly a godsend. No longer do we have to worry about missing a sporting event or fuss over a VCR. Digital cable providers like Charter make it simple and easy to access over thousands of movies and TV shows at any time. Charter On Demand has something for everyone in the family. I won’t have to worry about staying up past 11pm to watch FX’s latest comedy hit series, Louie. The Louie C.K. show is available whenever I want to watch it. The on demand feature is also great for kids. We no longer have to endure the kids’ whining about not having anything to watch on TV. SpongeBob, iCarly and Dora the Explorer are now just a click away. And I love the easy to browse through menu. Just sort by category and you’re bound to encounter something interesting. To learn more about Charter On Demand as well as what shows are available, be sure to check out their On Demand home page. And if you’re on Facebook, I’m pretty sure You will ‘Like’ their Facebook page as well. Oh, and if you’re worried about extra fees, Charter On Demand features a huge library of free programming available. It’s definitely worth a try and I’m pretty certain you’ll be hooked in no time. heh.

Like most facebook users, I’ve been utilizing the FB news feed to keep up with my favorite websites and blogs. It’s just a convenient online tool to stay connected with all your favorites sites similar to how RSS feeds are used. So I figured I’d create a facebook page for RetroBlog to give readers another option to help keep up with the latest goings-on here on my site. Yes, I know I will never have the readership of popular pop-culture blogs like StereoGum or PopDose but you know me, I’ll try just about anything to help the cause.

So if you’re on facebook, why not support this lil’ ol’ blog and “Like” the Retroblog facebook page. It’ll definitely make this ol’ blogger real happy!

Oh and by the way, I’m planning on incorporating the facebook page in future CD/DVD giveaways so you might as well join the page now so you’ll automatically be eligible for the drawings.