Blog Archives
Happy Labor Day!
Is it possible to blur the line between working and having fun?
On this Labor Day, a holiday that celebrates workers, Americans across the country will fire up the grill and eat some delicious fare without the cloud of work hanging over their heads. Today is intended to be spent with family and friends as the summer season begins to wind down. Summer vacations are in the rear-view mirror. However, what if work didn’t have to necessarily feel like work?
Time for a stroll down memory lane, specifically around the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area…
Here’s to making your dreams come true…your way.
Have a Great Labor Day!
Coldplay’s Night-Light
Coldplay isn’t just good at warm tributes, they’re also pretty good at this whole “performing” thing.
Zero score and four years ago, I was in Los Angeles, California and saw Coldplay at the picturesque Hollywood Bowl. My dad and I were halfway up in the center, which made for an awesome view. Setting wise, few (if any) outdoor venues compare. The serene SoCal evening was electrified by the pulsating sound of the pop music quartet from across the pond, bringing a random collection of fans together in a way only a concert can do. A few songs in and strangers in the rows in front of and behind us transformed into fast friends.
The power of music strikes again.
To celebrate Throwback Thursday, here’s a unique look back at that night in the Hollywood Hills.
The visual artistry from that night was unforgettable. In nearly every concert, the highlight is the musical act. Except, as the 2012 show in the Hollywood Bowl revealed, there were clearly two headliners: Coldplay and the projection designers. The end result was a concert that hypnotized every person in attendance into singing and dancing.
Even Charlie Brown had a smile on his face.
P.S. Coldplay’s “Charlie Brown” circa 2012 Hollywood Bowl.
(FYI: It should be mentioned that there’s a solitary four-letter word dropped at the 2:46 mark)
P.P.S. The wristbands lit up during specific songs and moments, adding to the magical feel of the Coldplay experience.
RIP Gene Wilder
One of cinema’s favorite sons, Gene Wilder, died yesterday at the age of 83.
To list a few of Mr. Wilder’s most popular film credits:
- The Producers (1967)
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- Blazing Saddles (1974)
- Stir Crazy (1980)
To illustrate the impact of an actor, whose acting portrayals far precede my birth, is a challenging task. How did Gene Wilder forever bring joy and fuel an imaginative engine inside the hearts and minds of children (now adults), especially those of us who did not even experience his cinematic works of comedy until a decade or more after the initial release?
The only explanation I can muster is revealed in bright colors, accompanied by a beautiful song in a scene from the 1971 masterpiece Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. This film not only defined a decade, but flipped the switch on who an adult could be in the eyes of a kid: a childlike dreamer.
If that nostalgic trip down Wonka’s way doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, get your tissues ready.
“There were times we would go out to dinner as a family and children would light up at the sight of him and smile. And because he never lost his instinct or sense or sensibility, it occurred to him that if that disease were made public … that then after that smile, some parent may then say something about disease or sadness. And he was such that he could not bear to be responsible for one less smile in the world.”
–Gene Wilder’s nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman on his uncle’s choice not to reveal he had Alzheimer’s disease.
I’ve said on a few occasions that when I finally have a house with a family, on Halloween, I will dress up like Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka and decorate my house like the Wonka factory, ready to hand out world-altering chocolate and candy.
That was Gene Wilder’s everlasting gift: Pure imagination.
RIP Gene Wilder.
Back When Romeo & Juliet Were Kids
Is there such a thing as an end of summer song?
Music man Ryan Tedder is back with another hit single, this time with his band OneRepublic. The group from Colorado Springs, Colorado filmed and produced a music video that is set in what appears to be Mexico City’s best impression of Verona, Italy. The romantic thrill of Romeo & Juliet is an interesting choice for the song “Kids.” On the one hand, this storytelling choice fits and on the other hand, the decision to highlight young love seems a bit off for the lyrics.
And yet, the brand new music video and song are great in equal measure.
What do you think of the music video?
What I know is that I want to visit that movie-like alleyway for a late night dinner with a special girl, followed by a rocking concert.
Well played, OneRepublic, well played.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 