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Sarah Brightman mounts all-out assault on ears and eyes at The Q
by
John Soeder/Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Wednesday December 03, 2008, 2:00 AM
Sarah Brightman, Cleveland, 12.02.08 from John Soeder on Vimeo.
REVIEW
Sarah Brightman
The Q
Dec. 2, 2008
There's over-the-top, then there's Sarah Brightman.
The British soprano went all out when she performed Tuesday night at The Q in Cleveland. The only thing modest about the occasion was the turnout. The arena was three-quarters empty, with the uppermost level curtained off completely.
If this was a blow to Brightman's ego, she didn't show it.
Continue reading "Sarah Brightman mounts all-out assault on ears and eyes at The Q" »
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Rock Hall Annex takes visitors on a magical history tour and makes a pitch for Cleveland
by
John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Sunday November 30, 2008, 12:30 AM
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens New York site |
NEW YORK -- One of the first things you see at the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC is a 10-minute film of iconic performers in action, ranging from Muddy Waters to U2. It does a good job of re-creating the adrenaline rush of a concert. And the presentation closes with a priceless quote from Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones:
"Rock and roll is music for the neck downwards."
At the Rock Hall Annex, the fun doesn't stop at your collar. The $10 million, 25,000-square-foot spinoff of Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum stimulates your eyes, ears and noggin, too.
The grand opening is Tuesday, Dec. 2. Reporters got a sneak peek during a soft launch last week.
Continue reading "Rock Hall Annex takes visitors on a magical history tour and makes a pitch for Cleveland" »Rebounding Britney Spears unleashes 'Circus' CD, plus reviews of the latest albums by Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Kanye West
by John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Saturday November 29, 2008, 12:30 AM
Circus
Britney Spears
Jive
"I'm a put-on-a-show kind of girl," Spears declares on this comeback bid. Tell us something we don't know, right? OK, how about this: The pop superstar retakes control of her destiny on "Circus," in cahoots with a team of A-list collaborators that includes Max Martin and Timbaland protege Danja. "Lace and Leather," the paparazzi-baiting "Kill the Lights" and "Womanizer" -- a steamroller of a single -- serve notice: Spears is back in the driver's seat. Let's just hope she has a valid license. In stores Tuesday, Dec. 2. Grade: A-
Sarah Brightman trips the holography fantastic on 'Symphony' tour
by John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Wednesday November 26, 2008, 9:00 PM
MS. BRIGHTSIDE: "I feel very lucky that I'm doing things that I love doing, that I'm continually able to be creative," says Sarah Brightman.
PREVIEW:
Sarah Brightman
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Where: The Q, East Sixth Street and Huron Road, Cleveland.
Tickets: $49.50-$127.50 at the box office and Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone, 216-241-5555 (Cleveland) or 330-945-9400 (Akron).
ONLINE AUDIO: SARAH BRIGHTMAN
New York gets ready for a taste of the Rock Hall; Annex a spinoff of Cleveland museum
by John Soeder/Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Monday November 24, 2008, 11:57 AM
The Big Apple gets its rock 'n' roll propers in this area of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in New York City. The exhibit features memorabilia from the old CBGB, the legendary punk club that closed a couple of years ago.
New York --Behind the scenes in SoHo, it resembled your typical moving day, except in this case, there were no dishes to unpack. One large cardboard box was marked: "GUITARS -- CLASH, ETC." Another container bore the label: "PRINCE GUITAR (SMASHED)." There was a guitar case tagged "JOHN LENNON," too.
In the hectic final hours leading up to Tuesday's unveiling of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC, the site was still a construction zone. The smell of fresh paint and the din of power tools filled the air as workers scrambled to put the finishing touches on the $10 million facility. It's the first of its kind spun off from Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. It likely won't be the last, either.
The Annex offers "a small taste of what the museum is all about," said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock Hall. "It allows us to extend the mission of the museum, beyond Cleveland."
Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' finally arrives, while in other news, hell freezes over
by John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Sunday November 23, 2008, 12:01 AM
TO: Laura DeMarco, Pop Music Editor
FROM: John Soeder, Pop Music Critic
RE: Review of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy"
'CHINESE' TAKEOUT:
What's your take on the new Guns N' Roses album? Post your review (250 words max, please) below in the comments section, or e-mail it here. Deadline is Sunday, Nov. 30. We'll print the best submissions.
I realize I owe you a review of the new Guns N' Roses album. I'm sorry I missed the deadline on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday. Etc.
Then again, if Axl Rose and his band of hard-rocking procrastinators can take 15 years to make "Chinese Democracy" (Black Frog/Geffen), why should I rush to pass judgment on it?
The oft-delayed album finally comes out today, on sale exclusively at Best Buy stores and here.
As you know, we're talking about the most anticipated release in the history of anticipation. Empires have risen and fallen, entire civilizations have come and gone and Pamela Anderson has gotten married and divorced several times, all while GN'R labored over its masterpiece.
So was it worth the wait?
Continue reading "Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' finally arrives, while in other news, hell freezes over" »Harry Connick Jr. gets caught up in the Christmas spirit on his swinging new album, 'What a Night!'
by John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Thursday November 20, 2008, 4:00 PM
HAPPY HEPCAT: "I love performing so much and I'm so grateful to be able to do it," says Harry Connick Jr.
PREVIEW
Harry Connick Jr.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22.
Where: PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre, Cleveland.
Tickets: $39.50-$72.50 at the box office and here, or charge by phone, 1-866-546-1353 or 216-241-6000.
ONLINE AUDIO:
HARRY CONNICK JR.
Crooner Harry Connick Jr. has just released his third Christmas album. "What a Night!" is a swinging collection of holiday standards and original tunes. Connick,41, gave us a ring from Louisville, Ky., where he kicked off a holiday tour this week.
Q: What compelled you to do another Christmas album?
A: This time it was my record label. They came to me and said, "What do you think about doing another Christmas CD?"
At first, I was a little taken aback because I had done two and I hadn't even considered doing a third one.
As I started getting into it and looking around for songs -- there are just so many Christmas songs out there that I really like and I hadn't done -- it became a real passion.
Q: When I was growing up, my favorite Christmas album was a bargain-bin compilation from a drugstore. It had Nat "King" Cole's "The Christmas Song" AND Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride."
A: Yeah -- it doesn't get any better than that.
Cheetah Girls take 'One World' on the road with their most elaborate tour yet
by John Soeder / Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Wednesday November 19, 2008, 8:00 PM
HELLO, KITTIES: "We'll continue to have the same message in everything that we do, which is girl empowerment," says Adrienne Bailon of the Cheetah Girls. From left are Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams.
PREVIEW
Cheetah Girls
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.
Where: Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Ave., Cleveland.
Tickets: $35-$45 at the box office and Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone, 216-241-5555 (Cleveland) or 330-945-9400 (Akron).
ONLINE AUDIO: ADRIENNE BAILON OF THE CHEETAH GIRLS
Disney's Cheetah Girls -- Adreienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams -- take their pop stylings to India in their latest made-for-television movie, "One World." Bailon, 25, gave us a call recently from a tour stop in Baltimore.
Q: What does "Dance Me If You Can" mean?
A: In the movie, it's actually about us just throwing ourselves into the whole Indian culture and battling it out with the Indian dancers.
We combine two different styles of dance and we end up mixing the Indian style of dance -- the Bollywood style of dance -- with the Cheetah Girls hip-hop dance.
"Dance Me If You Can" is a dance-off kind of thing.
Q: How does "One World" stack up against previous Cheetah Girls projects?
A: This probably is the most beautiful movie we've ever shot. It's so colorful, so vibrant. It's definitely the biggest production numbers we've ever done. In any of our other movies, all of the musical sections, they're usually just us . . . breaking out in song.
This time, we have over 300 dancers for the grand finale. We come out on the elephant. There's confetti. I mean, the production of this one really, really, really was just stepped up.
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