GroupieLove

Lauryn Hill entered my life in 7th grade, when I tried several times (unsuccessfully) to record “Killing Me Softly“ off the radio. I was never quick enough to get the opening line *sigh*… but you betta believe, I listened to that damn tape over and over. Then The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (one of my favorite albums of ALL-TIME) dropped which she won a few Grammys for. Shortly after, she  released an acoustic album, then disappeared to have a few babies, make some movie appearances (bet you didn’t know that), and cause some controversy (naturally). After 10+ years of losing hope that I’d ever see her live, she appeared at Rock the Bells earlier this year, lookin’ like a homeless grandma; rumors swirled… will she tour again?

YEZZUR!

Night of the show started out like most, libations elsewhere because venue prices are atrocious. Tonight, we hit Rock Bottom (literally) pulled pork sandy was mediocre, dirty martini – delightful. We had gotten wind that Lauryn was 2.5 hrs late for her show in Vermont the night before (Thanks, Meghan!); so for sure, we were going to take our sweet ass time.

“DJ Rampage” opened the show to ‘hype up’ the crowd (hyping was not necessary, sir), spinning for an hour. He was actually pretty good, spinning old school Biggie and Snoop but where Lauryn Hill at? Two hours after the printed start time, Lauryns’ EIGHT member band hit the stage. Finally.

Lauryn Hill | Wilbur Theater | 12.20.10

I couldn’t tell you the first three songs Lauryn did, the sound at the Wilbur Theater was turrible. Possibly due to a) me being way too close to the speakers and b) the speakers being way too loud – sound was getting distorted. First non-distorted song, a more uptempo version of Ex-Factor caused everyone, including myself, to blow a gasket (though I do love the original, slower version more). To Zion, some Fugees hits (of course): Fu-Gee-La (Ooh la la la), How Many Mics, Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly (still couldn’t capture the opening line, some things don’t change), Turn Your Lights Down Low, were also covered. I wanted more, I wanted The Sweetest Thing, Tell Him, Can’t Take My Eyes off of You, Nothing Even Matters, more please! But she closed out with Doo Wop at 12:30, no encore.

Lauryn Hill | Wilbur Theater | 12.20.10

The show and Lauryns’ presence on stage was as if she hadn’t been gone for 10+ years. Her energy was strong and powerful, going hard through the whole show, which I normally love; but a few soft, acoustic songs without the 8 piece band would have been a treat (are you reading this, Lauryn Hill?)

Final Thought: Despite the tardiness and terrible sound at the beginning of the show, Ms. Lauryn Hills’ voice and performance was still amazing and made up for it. Being in the presence of an artist who I’d been listening to and loved since CASSETTE TAPES made the overall experience somewhat surreal (dramatic, I know). So happy that I’m finally able to cross her off my concert bucket list!

Lauryn Hill | Wilbur Theater | 12.20.10

It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeear (no, not Summer), the Holidays!! Despite being a New Englander for the majority of life, I still DESPISE the winter/snow/cold more than the average human. However, nothing melts my frigid heart quicker around this time than some Holiday Hotness in my eardrummies. So without further ado, below are a few little diddies that I’ve pulled together for Holiday Hotness Vol. TWO: a Collection of Holiday Covers that will sure to make you wanna hug some body real tight.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Photo Cred: Laura R and her amazing elf decorating abilities. XO.

All songs are available on iTunes, just follow the links below.

And for Holiday Hotness Vol. 1: Collection of Holiday Covers (2009).

I like to kick start every weekend with this lovely island jam… and then pretend I’m on a warm Holiday by cranking up my space heater under my desk.

92.5 The River celebrated their 15th Anniversary at Club Royale earlier this month. Because I’m an outgoing, overachiever, I called the radio station to beg for tickets. No begging was needed because of “my persistence and devotion to the radio station.” Thanks, Hisham.

Driving through Chinatown on a Wednesday night didn’t sound like a big deal, but an hour and a half in the car steered us to the bar as soon as we arrived. Cosmo and Stoli please… Oh, $24? Sure. Thanks for the buzz kill.

Who cares though, right? I was about 30 ft from Guster’s stage and ready to roll in my red heels. We found a booth on the side of the stage and enjoyed our one drink of the evening (at the time). Dimly lit, comfortable and intimate – the best way to see your favorite band.

The Candles opened the show at 7:15. The Eddie Vedder look-alike lead singer actually sounded mellower than I expected. 92.5 has been playing their stuff this month and I’m enjoying it more and more. But – I wanted Guster.

They casually walked to their instruments at 8:15 as we swarmed the stage. Ok I ran to the stage. Opening with Satellite I couldn’t frigghan’ believe how close we were. We were close enough for Ryan to see me wave and wave back! I thought I was going to lose it, but that would come later in the evening.

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

The band mixed old favorites, such as Amsterdam, One Man Wrecking Machine, Careful and Center of Attention with new stuff from their latest album Easy Wonderful. I know they need to promote the new album, but was hoping they would’ve played some of their under-appreciated favorites, such as Ramona. So, I got the crowd yelling “Ramona.” Guster stuck with their set list but the effort was not in vain. Ryan finally said to the lighting guy, “Hey, you can shut that off because we’re all done with the stage.” The band jumped onto the floor and into a booth to close with Jesus on the Radio. They were standing on our booth. On our jackets. Next to our drinks. Can it get any better?

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

After applauding and yelling for a good ten minutes, I decided to jump the stanchions and check out the band’s lounge. With only a few people around and zero security, I was in the clear. Introducing myself to Adam as “the girl who kept yelling Ramona,” he casually said, “Sorry we didn’t play it on stage. Let’s play it now.” Picking up his guitar and strumming the first notes, I followed along. Teary eyed and buzzin’, I sang the frigghan’ song. Acoustic. With Adam. Behind the stage. The second verse came along and Brian chimed in. I lost it. I was singing with the band – my favorite song with the band! Really? Can life get any better than this? We closed our acoustic session with hugs and smiles from ear to ear. My sister was ready to go an hour before this, so it was time to leave. Still not believing it happened, I didn’t come down from my Guster high until days later. I still don’t think I’m over it.

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

Guster | Club Royale - Boston | 10.6.10

Thank you, Guster, for the best concert experience EVER. Thank you for your 20 years of music that puts me to sleep at night, motivates me to study, and makes me yell every lyric from beginning to end in my car. Thank you for the memories. Can’t wait to see you in Providence. I’ll be the girl in the back yelling “What You Wish For” because Ramona is already taken.

Collie Buddz; another perfect addition to my growing queue of island hotness (reggae/riddim/dancehall music). I thought I had struck gold when I found Collies’ Mamacita video a few months ago randomly on YouTube; I needed to spread the good word immediately. Come to find out, Collie’s been around since 2006 (I’m such a late bloomer). So after listening to ‘Mamacita’ on repeat for a full work day, I downloaded everything else I could find and then Google him (of course). Lucky for me, he had a scheduled tour stop in Boston a few weeks later. BOOM BAP.

The show was originally scheduled for the House of Blues but was moved to the Paradise Rock Club last minute (low ticket sales, perhaps?) No big deal, I prefer the recently renovated Paradise anyway, it’s a smaller and more “intimate” venue. [Renovations included knocking down the left wall at the end of the narrow hall which opens up to the venue; missing wall really reduced the bottle necking at the end of shows. The stage was also extended a couple feet (I guess? I couldn’t really tell). What they should have renovated was the damn girls bathroom!] There were a few openers, I caught Ila Mawana and New Kingston, who played a few jams before being joined by Collie. Both openers were OK, I think? I was too busy getting my Kettle/Tonic on to notice (Sorry!)

Collie took the stage around 930-10; signature white tie and Aviators on, of course. Two main topics across Collie Buddzs’ music: weed and sexy mamacitas (real deep). I gravitated towards the jams with maximum mamacita content (naturally). The hour and half set included Blind to You, Let Me Know, Sensimillia, What a Feeling, Mamacita, a cover of Bob Marleys’ No Woman, No Cry into Gimme Love and closing the show with his ganja anthem, Come Around. Collie covered a few others that I wasn’t familiar with since I had only been a fan for a few weeks before the show. However, in those weeks I had also fallen in love with Come Down, Movin’ On, Phone Call, My Everything, Private Show (quit the tease and play the whole song!) and Playback, none of which he covered. Are you reading this, Collie Buddz?

Collie Buddz | Paradise Rock Club | 9.9.10

Collie Buddz | Paradise Rock Club | 9.9.10

Collie Buddz was bomb and the show was what I had expected. The crowd at the Paradise fell into the two categories of Collie’s music; a mixture of weed smoking 18+ college kids and mamacitas dressed ready to wind & grind for the bill. Collie had great synergy with New Kingston on stage and played with the crowd well. At times, I was TO’ed that I had to capture media for the blog; I just wanted to enjoy the show. I need an intern.

Collie Buddz | Paradise Rock Club | 9.9.10

Final Thought: Collie danced and smiled a lot throughout his set, which I guess should be normal; but more often than not, I see artists perform their set and it seems like such a routine and it very well may be [to them]. But if you aren’t having a good time singing the songs your fans love, your fans won’t either. I greatly enjoyed the show and it was a reflection of the energy Collie and New Kingston gave off on stage. Please come back to Boston soon!

Collie Buddz | Paradise Rock Club | 9.9.10

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Check out all the videos from the Collie Buddz show at the GroupieL0ve YouTube Channel.
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I rarely travel out of state for a concert but Brian, for you, I would and I’m glad I did. The show was at the Twin River Casino (really?) in Lincoln, RI. I heard horrible things about this place but I’d never been and wanted to keep an open mind. Upon entering the casino floor, I almost fell over from the stench of cigarettes and filthiness. The smoke was overwhelming; my eyes immediately cried out for help.

Needless to say, we power walked through the casino floor to the ballroom which was located on the opposite end of the doors we entered (of course). The ballroom was big for the amount of people that were there but small for a concert venue (compared to other New England casino venues – Foxwoods/Mohegan Sun).  The stage was small; I felt like I was in a High School gym but with nice carpeting. Outside the ballroom, there were normal concessions for adult beverages and of course, a table set up for Taco Bell & KFC. Classy.

The show for the grown and sexy started promptly after we got to our seats at 8pm (no openers). Brian opened the show with his 2 sons – Brian Jr. & Niko; both are also musically talented, shocking. Despite the general slower pace of his music, Brian was high energy right out of the gates. Donned in a shiny, slick suit, Bri Bri looked sharp, youthful, and ready to party.

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

With nine baby making albums under his belt, Brian covered “You’re the Only One for Me,” “Another You,” “Find Myself in You,” “Still,” “Shoulda Been Lovin’ You” and of course his big hits “Anytime” and “Back at One” which caused the ballroom to erupt, campfire style. Some belted out louder than others, possibly trying to get discovered themselves (relax, guy behind me).

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

The show also included a tribute to the late Luther Vandross with a cover of “Never Too Much,” a sweet serenade of “Love of My Life” to a lucky fan on stage, and honoring the nation with the National Anthem with his sons. The show was a little over 2 hours in length, encoring with “One Last Cry” and “Sexual Healing.”

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

Final Thought: Its undeniable Brian’s voice and music can make panties drop, but who knew he was such a comedian. In between showering us with his music (and dance moves that could make his sons blush), Brian exchanged banter with the crowd and shelled advice on love and relationships. The show was sensual, romantic, and entertaining; perfect for the lovers in crowd and for those non-lovers who enjoy feeling loved and being adored. Bravo, I would definitely see him again!

Brian McKnight | Twin River Casino - Lincoln, RI | 8.27.10

It’s time to instill some much needed male groupie love to this blog. So here we go. Last Friday, my friends and I hit up the Boston leg of the Soundclash Tour featuring Juuuuust Blaze! and The Al-al-al-chemist. For those of you need an introduction, Just Blaze has produced for the likes of Jay-Z, The Diplomats, Joe Budden, The Game, and Fabolous.  The Alchemist, Eminem’s current DJ of choice, has Mobb Deep, Nas, Dilated Peoples, and Jadakiss to his production credits. In other words, they make the beats for some of the songs you LOVE.

The show started off with local Boston acts who I don’t really care to name (no shots!). After much anticipation, Justin and Alc took the stage. For a moment though, it looked like Just Blaze wasn’t trying to perform. Apparently, he was none too pleased with how his equipment was set up, so he took to his Twitter account to complain some.

LUCKILY, the show went off without a hitch. Just and Alc went back and forth spinning a medley of hits. The oldies and the goodies. The 2 had great chemistry. Alc stole this show with his stage presence. He took to the mic for his verse on the Nina Sky assisted track, “Hold You Down.” Very dope indeed. To cap the night off, Just Blaze dropped Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C.”!

All in all, the 2 producers KILLED IT. Boston needs more hip-hop shows like this! Check out a piece of the concert footage below for a taste of the dopeness. Raoooon will call me a groupie n00b for not including original photos and footage, but hopefully she’ll give me a pass on this one.

North Coast Music Festival | Lupe Fiasco | Kick Push

North Coast Music Festival | Nas | Hate Me Now

North Coast Music Festival | Nas | If I Ruled the World

North Coast Music Festival | Nas | Hip Hop is Dead

North Coast Music Festival | Nas & Damian Marley | Nah Mean