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My Information:
Blogger Name: BilLantaLocation: ATL Birthday: 07/31/1950 Sex: Male Last blog: 07/21/2006
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DEANNA JOHNSTON - LIVE VIDEO - NASHVILLE SHOWCASE
. . . . . . . . . THE EXCEPTION THAT PROVES THE RULE! I KNOW I said I wasn't going to BLOG anymore, but every promise deserves at least 1 exception. DEANNA JOHNSTON - NASHVILLE SHOWCASE Just CLICK on Deanna's name and it should take you to her MySpace site where you can see individual video clips of the 6 songs she performed in Nashville at 12th and Porter on Oct. 2nd. I can personally attest that the videos are an "accurate" portrayal of what it was like to be there. :-) As Always... Bill in Atlanta  DEANNA JOHNSTON - NASHVILLE SHOWCASE - MUSICAL MAGIC
BilLanta's FINAL BLOG . . BilLanta's FINAL BLOG . . BilLanta's FINAL BLOG . . BilLanta's FINAL BLOG . .
AS PROMISED... I just returned from making a trip to Nashville "Music City" Tennessee where I saw Season One ROCK STAR - INXS contestant DEANNA JOHNSTON perform and Industry Showcase and one of Nashville's "Premiere" venues for doing this sort of thing, "12th and Porter" which is also the address for said venue. Convenient huh? Before I tell you about her performance, since this is my LAST BLOG, please allow me to wax poetic for a moment. It should come as no surprise that I like Deanna. She had me with PIECE OF MY HEART on the very first episode of Rock Star - A Night At The Mayan and has nothing to disappoint me since. I have been fortunate enough to see her perform LIVE on several occasions prior to Minday's trip to Nashville and what she displayed on Rock Star was NOT done with Smoke and Mirrors. She is The Real Deal and what you see is what you hear! I love music and have had many "favorites" over the years but there has only been one other musical artist that my wife and I have gone "Ga-Ga" over and that was Mary Chapin Carpenter, in the early 90's we flew to Las Vegas specifically to see Chapin perform there (as we flew to Las Vegas to see Deanna perform last New Year's Eve at The Monte Carlo Casino. Mary Chapin Carpenter has a song on her Best Selling, GRAMMY AWARD WINNING, Multi-Platinum Album "COME ON COME ON". It's called... THE HARD WAY. I would like to quote one line from that song. We've got Two Lives This analogy goes out to ALL of the 30 people who were contestants on both seasons of Rock Star in cluding JD and Lukas as one day, they will move beyond INXS and SuperNova and need to "make" their own way. Anyone who choses to "draw on it" for relevance in your own life... Well, It is what it is. 30 people were GIVEN a chance to becaome a Rock Star, but they were given that chance because they MADE themselves ready for it and were prepared to answer the door when opportunity knocked. Now that there 15 minutes of fame is up, (and believe me, Lukas's and JD's will be up soon enough) all of the Rock Star's will need to "make" their own future. NO ONE is going to "give" them anything. Even recording contracts and not "Given" they are earned. What follows is just a "glimpse" of one of the people that you "know" if you watched Rock Star Season One or have heard about if you are a RockStar II "newbie". I imagine while everyone will be on their own path... There are more similarities than disimilarities in what they are ALL going through. Especially the ones that "truly" have talent. After driving 2,500 miles one weekend to see Deanna perform 4 songs along with 4 each from fellow Rock Stars Sweet Suzie McNeil, MiG Ayesa, Ty Taylor and Tara Slone with their mini-Rock Star Road Show "2 Nights Only" in Burlington, Ontario and Deanna's hometown of Kingston, ON Driving a mere 250 miles to hear her do 6 songs at an Industry Showcase, seemed positively "a gift". My wife and I had been to Nashville just 2 months before to hear Deanna and her song writing partner SHAWN RORIE do an "Acoustic Showcase" so we had heard many of these songs in their "infancy" and were excited to see them performed with a full "electric" professional band behind her. I knew in adavnce that her back-up band would consist of SHAWN (an excellent musician and guitarist in his own right)and a few members of Jason "(In a) HICKTOWN" Aldean's touring band. I was not familiar with Jason Aldean, so I went to iTunes to listen to some of his music and from the first few notes, it was clear that these guys are more Led Zepplin, Velvet Revolver, Big and Rich than they are Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn. EXACTLY the type of band that Deanna needs backing her. Part of what made Rock Star both 1 & 2 so GREAT... Everyone agrees is THE HOUSE BAND! Well, these guys and I would like to give them all credit by name here... Shawn Rorie - Acoustic Guitar This is The Nashville equivalent of THE HOUSE BAND and they did an EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, SUPER, SUPERB, UTTERLY STUPENDOUS, FANTASIC JOB! 12th and Porter is just about 2 red lights and 3 major intersections away from what is known as Music Row where the recording studios, publishing companies and management agencies all (mostly) are located. The Showcase began at 6:00 p.m. so that it is extremely convenient for "industry types" to leave their offices after 5:00, stop by and still be home in time to spend the evening with their family. I have been given a "gift" here in that ALL of the songs I am about to tell you about can be heard either at Deanna's own website, or HerSpace on MySpace and 1 of them at Shawn's Space and I will try and make them available to get to easily. 6:00... The lights dimmed and when they came back up Deanna was center stage at her microphone and began by saying... HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! (followed by an ear piercing blast of feedback) but then Deanna continued with... LET'S LIGHT THIS PLACE UP... LIGHT IT UP! LIGHT IT UP! She lit into a high powered opening song called TAKE OFF THEM BOOTS If any of you are familiar with the Joe Cocker/Tom Jones song featuired in the movie THE FULL MONTY... YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HAT ON and you mated that song with Shania Twain's WHOSE BED HAVE YOUR BOOTS BEEN UNDER and it had a offspring, it would be this song. From it's opening line... WELL I STOLE INTO THE ROOM LIKE A FRANTIC HURRICANE This song BLOWS YOU AWAY (Pun Intended) and is a GREAT Opening number. THIS OL' HEART OF MINE was a great follow-up. I would hate to classify it as a "B" Side, but it was a more traditional country style song and showed the "softer" side of Deanna's voice. TRAIN WRECK - is another high powered song that I GUARANTEE you IF... Big and Rich were to record and release it, it would be their next BIG HIT! Just like if Shania Twain were to record, TAKE OFF THEM BOOTS, It would immediately get air play. For an "unknown" to try and "break in" with the same songs is ye olde proverbial "Horse of a Different Color". Like it's "hook" line from the chorus... LIKE A TRAIN WRECK ROLLIN' DOWN THE TRACK... LIKE A TRAIN WRECK ROLLIN' DOWN THE TRACK This songs "literally" rolls over you and pins you against the back wall. I first heard this song at their acoustic showcase and it begins with a tasty little acoustic guitar riff that survives in the electric version as well. WHAT'S IT TO YOU - Is a nice peppy, up-tempo song with a slightly lascivious hook that is as good as anything that you hear on country radio today and Deanna's vocal DRIVES IT HOME! Y O U - was done acoustically. You are in luck, you can hear the full "studio" version of this song AND see the video that Deanna shot last December by clicking on the the song title. After Deanna left Rock Star and I followed her career on the internet I would hear about "acoustic" gigs that she would do and would include Janis Joplin's PIECE OF MY HEART and I just couldn't imagine doing that classic Big Brother and The Holding Company classic "acoustically". As she started YOU acoustically I hoped at first that the band would eventually join in, but they didn't and by the end, this song... in it's own way, may have been the MOST powerful song of the evening. To hear Deanna's voice with no bass, guitar, cympbals, drums etc. and just hear the pure, raw, power and emotion unencumbered, is a true and very real TREAT! After she finished this song... The words I knew I would have to hear but dreaded, came across the PA system... "AH... IS IT OVER ALREADY?" I knew there would be just one more song and although I had heard it on Deanna's MySpace Space, I had not heard this one LIVE before and knew what was coming. Before she proceeded she introduced the band (as all good professionals do) and I should add that up top I left out a backing vocalist named Van Preston. Deanna "almost" forgot to introduce one member of the back-up band as for just this last number, they "added" one... Fiddle Boy (they called him) Jimmy Herman and he kicked off the song as if he grew up learning to play The Devil Went Down To Georgia before he could walk. As Deanna introduced it... OK! NOW THIS SONG IS GOING TO "ROCK YOUR FACE OFF"! BIG CITY'S GOIN' COUNTRY - AND IT DID! RAWK My Face Off. This is the type of song that "could be" someone's BREAK THROUGH song. It would "Sure Sound Good" hearing it on the radio. Fiddle Boy added a manic excitement to the song and Deanna's interaction with band members is "exactly" the same type of inter-action and respect that she got from The House Band on Rock Star. You could tell, these guys truly played above themselves with Deanna on stage. IT WAS GREAT! I wish you ALL could have been there. After the concert was over, I was able to obtain the "Holy Grail" I would have had Deanna autograph it for you, but I am always afraid people will think it will be sold on e-Bay if you ask them to autograph it BUT... here it is... The Holy Grail for all true concert goers... The SET LIST.
Well... There you have it. My FINAL BLOG Thanks to you all. I am not disappearing, I will comment on comments left, but this is my FINAL BLOG. No more Thoughts From BilLanta... until next year and YES... I do hope there IS a Next Year as far as Rock Star is concerned. Take Care and Best To You All... Always! Bill in Atlanta 2nd TO LAST BLOG
Well... Now that the party is finally over, I thought I would make it official and STOP BLOGGING NOW. This should be BLOG number 99 and 100 sounds like a good even number to leave for posterities sake. I just got back from Nashville, where I saw Deanna Johnston to an industry showcase of 6 of her Post Rock Star songs for a very enthusiastic audience. Give me a day or so to collect my thoughts and my "FINAL" BLOG, will be what it was like to be at 12th and Porter and hear Deanna do 6 original songs with a "professional" back-up band that would be The Nashville equivalent of The House Band. YES... They were THAT GOOD! So tune in tomorrow... To read about Deanna. And then you'll be done with me forever. Until next year's Rock Star anyway. I'LL BE BACK! Sincerely, BilLanta KELLY MULLIS and LUKAS... GREAT PICTURE... MANY MANY MORE
. . . . . . . WOW! KELLY MULLIS IS A "TRUE" STAR... I DON'T MIND I LOST TO HER. (For the 3rd time) KELLY has some great pictures of Her and Lukas and The House Band taken at a release party for James McGorman (The Guitarist for The House Band) and his new "Solo" CD entitled (appropriately enough) JAMESTOWN. There are also pictures of DILANA and STORM and individual members of The House Band. This is really Really REALLY worth the trip! Go visit Kelly's MySpace and be as envious, jealous and blantly desirous to be in her shoes. (All except where her tongue is almost touching Lukas's... Then I'd rather be in Lukas's shoes.) THANK-YOU KELLY!... THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU! THANK-YOU!
T H A N K S !
. . . . . . . I HAD SEVERAL REQUESTS TO "SHARE" MY FINISHED PRODUCT. HERE IT IS! 1. THIS IS HOW A HEART BREAKS - ROB THOMAS If you made a suggestion and don't see it here, don't let your feelings get hurt. There is probably 1 0f 5 possibilities. 1.) I decided to make this an ALL MALE Album... The LADIES OF ROCK will get their own seperate collection. 2.) If the song has been covered by either Suzie, Deanna, Ty, MiG, Jordis, Jessica or Tara, we al ready have it. 3.) We are not TOTAL Neandrathals... We have several "contemproary" CD's GREEN DAY 4. We already have "some" individual tracks on other playlists... TRAIN - CALLING ALL ANGELS 5.) You suggestion sucked! OK... If you suggestion falls into Catagorey 5 you "can" get your feelings hurt. Just kidding. NOBODIES suggestion sucked and thank you all for your help. She's going to want another just like this one, in about a week, so if you have any more suggestions, keep 'em coming. You can NEVER get enough GOOD Music! H E L P !
. . . . . . . MY WIFE'S BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP AND I NEED A FEW MUSICAL SUGGESTIONS. I had a brief version of this discussion with someone recently but I'll try and be brief and just ask for a few suggestions... It seems that when GRUNGE came in... What we used to call Top 40 radio went out and between Hip Hop, Rap, Grunge and Heavy Metal... Many of us stopped listening to the radio all together. As I "now" understand it... In about 1995 there was a post grunge movement and groups like Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind, The Goo Goo Dolls, Sister Hazel, Blues Traveler etc. started putting out what I guess is called "AOR" Adult Oriented Rock. Here is my question... While I recognize the "names" of most of these groups, I couldn't tell you what their 1 or 2 Greatest HIT was or "Signature Song" if you will. I have gotten a few... Matchbox 20 = Real World If anybody is in a "obliging mood" I am trying to put together a "compilation CD" for my wife for her birthday and would like to have essentially the greatest hits of the mid-to late 90's (possibly early '00's) IF there are a few songs from the early 90's that I may have missed that are in the same catagorey, don't hesitate to include those too but.. Songs like Creep, and I Alone and stuff by The Killers and CREED are probably "too" heavy" if you know what I mean. I am looking essentially for a "Top 20" or since groups like Matchbox 20 and Sister Hazel probably have at least "2" songs that I have probably heard and would recognize as having some extensive air play in their day, I would appreciate knowing what songs they are too. Thanks in Advance :: Next Page >> |
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