While over on Dragon Blogger, I noticed that Justin was using LiveFyre as his commenting platform. I liked what I saw in terms of what it can do especially the inclusion of Facebook and Twitter conversations.
Plus, the folks behind livefyre has made it pretty dead simple to add it onto an existing blog so I thought I’d give it a-go.
Hell, I’ll try anything to help spark some conversations here on this ol’ blog. anyway, let me know your thoughts about the new way of commenting. Hopefully it’s a positive.
NO, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. I’m hosting another DVD giveaway! As a followup to my BONES: The Complete Sixth Season DVD giveaway that I posted last night, I’ve got the new Paul McCartney documentary titled The Love We Make to give out to one lucky retroblog reader.
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES PAUL McCARTNEY DOCUMENTARY THE LOVE WE MAKE
Out on DVD and Blu-ray December 6, 2011 It was one of the most emotional documentaries ever aired on the Showtime Cable Network. Now, for the first time, on December 6, fans will have a chance to own The Love We Make, a look back at Sir Paul McCartney and his efforts to plan and perform a benefit concert in the aftermath of the worst day in the history of New York City.
Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the film, directed by Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) and Bradley Kaplan, on DVD and Blu Ray. Shot in stark 16 mm black and white, complete with color concert clips, The Love We Make juxtaposes dramatic images of “The Concert For New York City,” held mere months after 9/11, with that of scenes of McCartney himself as he walks the streets of the town that his former songwriting partner, John Lennon, loved so much.
“It was an honor to be able to help New York and America at that time in its history,” said McCartney of the concert. “There was a feeling of shock and fear in the air that I thought we could help alleviate with music and the fact that so many people stepped up to join us made for a very uplifting evening for us all.”
Recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo, the 90-minute film features cameo appearances by President Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Jay Z, Billy Joel, Elton John and many more in onstage and backstage moments.
It is a film that no music fan can afford to miss.
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Here’s how to enter to win the Paul McCartney DVD!
- Leave me a comment on this page – please share a little tidbit about your favorite Paul McCartney tune. It can be anything… something personal about yourself or some trivia about the song. be creative! (be sure to log the entry in using the rafflecopter widget to get counted!)
you can earn bonus points by doing the following:
- LIKE my facebook page and follow me on twitter.
- you also have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- and finally, you can also tweet about it. (you can do this once per day, just be sure to log them into the rafflecopter widget!)
Currently in the middle of its 7th season, Fox TV series Bones continues to bring in solid ratings. Normally a typical TV series is on its last legs by the 7th season but this particular show seems to be chugging along nicely. With solid writing and well developed characters, Bones keeps viewers coming back for more.
And you can win the 6-DVD set of the 6th season of Bones by entering in the latest Retroblog giveaway. You’ll notice that I’ve jumped on the rafflecopter bandwagon. There are a ton of blogs utilizing the rafflecopter app for contests/giveaways so I thought I’d give it a try. It should streamline the whole process which might ultimately allow me to host even more giveaways on this site.
But first things first. Here’s what you need to do to enter.
- Leave me a comment on this page – let me know what you like about the TV series Bones!
- earn bonus points by liking my facebook page and following me on twitter.
- you have the option of liking this post on FB to spread the word about the contest.
- you can also earn points by tweeting about it. (once per day)
The companion piece to Peter Gabriel’s recently released studio album New Blood is out in stores now. It’s a new concert DVD titled New Blood Live in London. I’ve enjoyed listening to the studio album over the last month so getting the new DVD was a natural progression for me. And I’m happy to report that the live orchestral performance captured at the Hammersmith Apollo last March is even better than the studio album. Yes, the album probably has better clarity and sonics but the excitement and vibe from the live show takes the material to a whole ‘nother level.
There’s a lot happening on stage during Gabriel’s show and the director, Blue Leach, does a great job in capturing all of that without overwhelming the viewer with fast edits. The live show features huge movable video screens displaying custom animation/visual effects for each song. On stage, along with Gabriel and his female backup singers is the massive 46 piece orchestra. The new arrangements are breathtaking and breathe new life into old familiar tunes like “Red Rain”, “In Your Eyes” and “Intruder”.
Peter Gabriel looks pretty relaxed on stage and his vocals sound amazing as does the orchestra. I’m sure the live shows were a huge undertaking but Gabriel seemed to be enjoying himself during the show especially on “Solsbury Hill” where he’s all smiles.
Notably absent from the setlist are Gabriel’s biggest hits “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time” but that’s understandable since they both relied heavily on drum machines. It’s an intriguing setlist though with lesser known songs like “Darkness”, “San Jacinto” and covers like “The Boy in the Bubble” and “The Book of Love”.
Since the orchestral tour had a limited run, the DVD/blu-ray is a must for any Peter Gabriel fan. I haven’t heard if Gabriel will continue to do any more of these types of shows so this might be the only way we’re going to be able to see these orchestra versions live.
RetroGrade: A
New Blood Live in London DVD Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
DVD Release Date: October 24, 2011
Run Time: 162 minutes
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Who doesn't want a Regal Cinemas gift card for the holidays? With all the great movies out in theatres this month, one of those gift cards would definitely come in handy. That's why you need to check out the Gift Card Weekend facebook page. They're giving away 100 Regal Cinemas gift cards this week. And that's not all- they're giving away gift cards every week for the rest of the month. That's a total of $10,000 in gift cards!! All you have to do is like their facebook page in order to register for the giveaway. Also, getting your friends to join in on the fun can earn you extra entries.
So, what's this all about? Well, Gift Card Weekend is an annual event that takes place January 6th through the 8th. With all the gift cards received over the holidays, retailers want to give out extra incentives to get you back into their stores and spend those gift cards.
Participating retailers include: Applebee's, Bass Pro Shops, Adidas, Buca di Beppo, Lowe's, Spa Finder, Marriot, Giant Eagle, JCPenny, Regal Cinema, Subway, and Sephora.
The bonus offers vary from store to store but ultimately it's pretty cool that these gift cards are essentially worth more on this one particular weekend.
Initial U.S. dates just got posted today. Obviously there’s more to come but I suppose some more details had to be ironed out before the rest of the dates could be revealed. Anyway, here are the dates so far.
Wed 01/25/12 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Fri 01/27/12 Raleigh, NC - RBC Center
Sat 01/28/12 Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena
Mon 01/30/12 Duluth, GA - The Arena At Gwinnett Center
Tue 01/31/12 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Fri 02/03/12 Memphis, TN - FedExForum
The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be touring to support their latest studio album, I’m With You.
Tickets for these dates will go on sale December 3rd. Also note that these live shows will be recorded and will be made available for download through their website.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TravelPro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Can you just imagine having 500,000 Delta SkyMiles at your disposal? Where would you go and what would you do? I know I'd take the wife along and travel across Europe. I spent a couple weeks over in the Czech Republic back in my college days and I remember marveling at the historic architecture all around Prague. I'm sure my wife would be bowled over by all the historic sites in a city like Prague. It's definitely something that has to be seen and experienced in person. And that's why I entered the TravelPro sweepstakes. And so can you! There's no catch and it's absolutely free to enter. The grand prize winner receives 500,000 miles from the Delta SkyMiles program as well as two Travelpro® Rollaboard® bags.
Those TravelPro rollaboard bags are a must for the modern day traveler. They come in a variety of styles and sizes and are built to last. Come on, we've all seen what a piece of luggage goes through while at the airport. It's got to withstand a lot of scrapping, tossing and getting stacked on. And these TravelPro bags are specifically made for these rough conditions.
So, be sure to enter the sweepstakes before time runs out. The contest ends December 2, 2011. good luck and safe travels!
This is a great week to be a Rolling Stones fan. Not only is the highly-anticipated deluxe reissue of Some Girls out this week but the live concert DVD/Blu-ray from that era is out as well. The live concert release is titled Some Girls Live in Texas 1978. Those that have seen the advanced screenings have raved about the carefully restored footage as well as the enhanced audio quality. The legendary rock band was at the top of their game at the time and it’s a great treat that we finally get to see an official release of this show.
Here’s more info on the new release:
THE ROLLING STONES CAUGHT LIVE AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME SOME GIRLS LIVE IN TEXAS 1978
LIVE CONCERT OUT ON DVD AND BLU-RAY OUT NOW!
Continuing their partnership with the greatest rock ‘n roll band in the world, Eagle Rock Entertainment have announced the DVD and Blu-Ray release of The Rolling Stones Some Girls Live in Texas 1978. Available for the first time ever on November 21, Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 features Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman live in concert during the 1978 US tour which followed the release of their groundbreaking album Some Girls.
Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 comes hot on the heels of the huge success of 2010′s Stones in Exile and Ladies & Gentlemen and marks the next stage in the Eagle Vision / Rolling Stones enterprise. Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 will be available on four different formats: DVD, Blu-Ray, plus special edition DVD + CD and Blu-Ray + CD digipack presentations including a reproduction tour program. Bonus features on all formats will include a new interview with Mick Jagger.
Capturing The Rolling Stones at their live best, and fully restored to the highest level of picture and sound quality, Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 was filmed at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Forth Worth, Texas on July 18, 1978 on what many fans consider to be one of the band’s greatest tours. This was due to the band’s ‘back to basics’ approach both musically and visually, as the shows were stripped back compared to previous tours, harnessing the new punk rock attitude of the late 70s.
Showcasing many songs from the Some Girls album, celebrated for being the Rolling Stones’ most direct and diverse collection of music, and which by the time the band arrived in Texas, had gone to the top of the US charts, this concert demonstrates the sheer force and raw energy of The Rolling Stones live on stage.
Some Girls songs like “Miss You,” “Respectable,” “Beast Of Burden,” “When The Whip Comes Down,” and “Shattered,” weave into a set list which also includes “All Down The Line,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Happy,” and “Brown Sugar.”
Originally shot on 16mm film, the concert footage has been carefully restored with the sound remixed and remastered by Bob Clearmountain from the original multi track tapes.
I very much enjoyed seeing Lindsey Buckingham live at the Carolina Theatre back in October. The man’s got charisma, amazingly fast fingers and a dynamic singing voice to boot. I’m definitely going to catch him again when he comes back around here but in the mean time, I’ve got the newly released DVD of his latest tour titled Songs from the Small Machine: Live in LA to keep on-hand whenever I’m jonesin’ for some Lindsey.
The concert was filmed in April at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills which was well before the release of the new album Seeds We Sow. So the audience at the show got the special treat of hearing the new tunes before they were even released.
Even though this particular show was put on months before the full-fledged tour, it’s essentially the same exact show – the same setlist and even the same stories shared by Lindsey on stage. Yes, we all knew Lindsey was a perfectionist in the studio but he’s obviously the same way with his live shows at least in terms of mapping out all the details.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous concert review, Buckingham starts out the show alone on stage with just his acoustic guitar. The rest of the band comes in after the initial five songs. It’s always a treat to see him do his thing alone on guitar. His performances are mesmerizing. When he’s joined with the band, they get to tackle the new stuff. And I like the new album and all but honestly, the live versions are so much better than the studio versions. Lindsey just belts out the vocals with so much more passion than on the studio recordings. The album simply sound like “demos” in comparison to how they are performed live. I’d definitely recommend getting the DVD/CD combo so that you can have the live versions on CD.
One of things you’ll notice about this concert DVD is that the director included many close-up shots of Lindsey’s guitar solos. Obviously the director understood the need for us fans to see Lindsey’s fingerpickin’ up close so kudos to the editor and director for including those shots.
The audio on the DVD stays true to the live dynamics from the show. Lindsey typically likes to contrast the quiet and loud sections of his songs so thankfully the audio engineers didn’t choose the squash the dynamic range which would have lessened the impact when Lindsey goes for the jugular on songs like “Big Love” and “Go Insane”.
Lindsey Buckingham is simply a marvel on stage. He truly puts his heart and soul into his music while performing live. I mean, just watch toward the end of “I’m So Afraid” to see Lindsey dripping with sweat!!
This DVD does a nice job in capturing all the great moments of Buckingham’s live show. And as a fan, it’s great to view the concert from different angles that we weren’t able to see while actually in attendance of one of Lindsey’s shows.
retroGrade: A
Lindsey Buckingham – Songs from the Small Machine: Live in LA Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Region: Region 1
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
DVD Release Date: November 1, 2011
Run Time: 125 minutes (more…)
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES PAUL McCARTNEY DOCUMENTARY THE LOVE WE MAKE
