Rooney

Rooney is a rock band from Los Angeles. My friends and I saw them last year as an opening act for a concert, and while I already adored them, my friends absolutely fell in love. Rooney has a pretty unique sound, and I can't really describe it. It's different from most music out there today. Their single, When Did Your Heart Go Missing, has become a constant reminder of summer 2008. Although I missed their headlining tour this time around, I hope to see them again soon. Visit their myspace here.

This American Life: Prom

Yesterday I listened to an audio documentary on This American Life about prom. There were four different stories about proms across the country. One of the stories was about author Francine Pascal, who has written over 700 books. She said at least 500 of these mention prom, about between 30 and 40 of them actually take place at prom. She talked about how prom is an important event for teenagers because it gives them a chance to dress up and mature for a night, like adults going out to an event. Another story was about basically your typical prom. They followed a group of seniors around the whole night, talking to them about dancing, dresses, and after parties. In a different story, the prom in Racine, Wisconsin was covered. In Racine, prom is televised like a movie premiere, and they even have a red carpet. The kids there said they felt like celebrities. Almost everyone in the town watches prom every year on TV. The most interesting story in the show was about a prom in Hoisington, Kansas. The students told the story about their senior prom, and how they had no idea a tornado was ripping through their town. The students were all joking and laughing, even when the teachers made them hide in the basement; they didn't think the tornado would actually appear. When it was safe, they found that half of their town was gone, along with a lot of their houses and hangouts. It was definitely a prom they will never forget.
Being a senior, I'm very much looking forward to my own prom. This show gave examples of many different things that can happen at prom, and showed how they aren't all exactly the same. I thought it was cool to see how different towns celebrate their proms. Although I hope a freak tornado doesn't come through Baltimore this April!

Esmée Denters

Esmée Denters is a singer from The Netherlands. She was recently discovered by Justin Timberlake, and is now touring with Honor Society. She started out as a singer on youtube, and Justin saw her videos. He was very impressed and decided to sign and mentor her. My friends and I saw her perform at an Honor Society concert a few weeks ago, and we were blown away. She has a phenomenal voice and great stage presence for someone just starting out. To the right is a photo of all of us after the show; she is in the middle. You can visit her myspace here and check out her music!

Theater in the Round

Theater in the Round is a popular layout for many different events. It involves the stage being in the center of the venue, with seats all the way around, rather then just on one side. This often frees up seats in many venues, and really gives more people a better look at the show. The Festival of the Lion King show in Disney World uses this layout for it's daily performances, which is great because there are often young kids and it's easier for them to see. Many artists also have a theater in the round setup for their concerts, including Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and the Jonas Brothers. I think it's a great idea, especially for more popular bands were concert tickets might be harder to get. This was an issue for the Jonas Brothers, and I can personally attest to that. With an end stage layout, anything past about the 100s in an arena, you couldn't see a thing. This summer, they switched to a huge theater in the round setup, and honestly, no seat was a bad seat. Everyone could see, and the production was great. I hope more artists take advantage of this in the future.

Glee

Glee is a new show on FOX about a group of high school students in show choir. It is a truly phenomenal show with broadway performers such as Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, and Jenna Ushkowitz. They cover popular songs of all kinds, like Don't Stop Believing, Sweet Caroline, and Single Ladies. Watch the show Wednesdays at 8 on FOX.

Bamboozle

Bamboozle is a music festival held each spring in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It's a two day long event, with multiple stages and tons of bands. I've been trying to go for the past few years, but haven't made it yet. I hope to go this year though. Some artists who have been featured in the past include My Chemical Romance, The All-American Rejects, Plain White T's, Relient K, Hellogoodbye, The Jonas Brothers, Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore, 3OH!3, Honor Society, and Family Force 5.

Keytars

I am absolutely fascinated by keytars. I know they're pretty 80s, but I still love them. Basically, a keytar is a keyboard or synthesizer supported by a strap so you can play it standing up and walking around. Not a lot of bands use them anymore, but I really don't see why. They're really cool.