Items filtered by date: November 2007

It is a chilly Irish seaside town, he loves her, and   she loves him but he drives her away with his chilly intellectual life view and marries a more compliant version of her, and she marries a more life loving but less intelligent version of him. Forty years later he is told he only has a few months to live and tries to mend and make sense of the life he chose.

The casting of “A life” is absolutely perfect with John Mahoney turning in another razor sharp portrayal of an Irish mind fraught with both pride and regret in the character Desmond Drumm.  Linda Kimbrough plays Mary, the woman he should have married and allowed to conquer his fears with a feisty, uncompromising intelligence.

The entire cast was wonderful. I was especially impressed with the “young Mary” and Desmond portrayed by Matt Schwader and Melanie Keller. They not only looked like a young Mahoney and Kimbrough, you really got the sense, as is crucial to the play that you were indeed actually watching a flashback from their lives forty years prior.

My only suggestion is to slow down the pace of the first act. The rapid fire pace is hard to keep up with and took away a little bit of the sense that one is eavesdropping on a small town rap session that I so enjoyed later on in the show.

As always, John Mahoney’s work is a pleasure to watch and anchors the show with a gritty realism that only he can deliver.

"A Life" is playing at Northlight Theatre through April 25th. For more information, visit www.northlight.org.

The Lifeline, who recently played an amazing show at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater, is a band that is an eclectic mix of inspiration and
creativity. They perform with no apologies and are able to produce
everything heard on their album in a live setting. Ryan Hope can sing
like an angel. And Rebecca Faber is able to play the violin
brilliantly, while wearing a pair of leopard print heels that could
make any female jealous. They’re extremely passionate about their
craft and want to open your ears to it.

The Lifeline creates a recipe of music that makes you wonder if you’ll
even like it. But they prove that all it takes is one small bite to
get hooked by their delicious melodies and appetizing emotion. I was
able to interview Ryan and Rebecca and ask how they perfected their
recipe of beautiful music.

Buzz: It’s good to meet you guys. I have to ask, just because of one
my old bands had a female singer: Rebecca, are there still gigs where
security thinks that you are a girlfriend of the band?

Rebecca: Oh, just earlier they didn’t want to let me in. It seriously
happens quite a bit. So, I just said I was in the band.

Buzz: Then they just let you go right through, right?

Rebecca: Yeah, you know they aren’t as nice in certain places. Because
they don’t respect the women that hang with the band guys. They think
I am a groupie or something like that.

Ryan: Tell you what though, as soon as they see her play, they change
their story.

Rebecca: Yeah, you learn to ignore it.

Buzz: That’s cool to hear. Who’s idea was it to have Rebecca play the
violin or to even have a violin player in the band?

Rebecca: It was my idea. [laughter from Rebecca and Ryan]

Buzz: Really? That is awesome! So was it like, “Hey guys I want to be
in a band. Hire me.”?

Rebecca: No, we were friends. After being friends for a while, I heard
a recording of him in his first band and it was so good, it was so
cute. He wanted to get in a different band and a different musical
situation. We just started playing and then I knew the talent that was
in front of me. So then I told myself, “I definitely want to play with
that.”

Buzz: So what made you decide on the violin rather than an instrument
like the electric cello?

Rebecca: This is my instrument since I was 9.

Buzz: So then is it a Stradivarius?

Rebecca: I wish, but no. I actually take around cheaper equipment on
tour because it gets damaged so easily, and that’s why I leave the
nice stuff at home.

Buzz: That would make sense. One thing that you guys do really well is
orchestration. Bands like Metallica are able to take one album and
incorporate parts of the orchestra with every song, but you guys
incorporate string orchestrations on every single song. How do you
guys orchestrate multi-layered stringed instruments with the premise
of a rock band? Does it ever get difficult?

Rebecca: Some songs are more challenging than others.

Ryan: It depends on how we write it.

Rebecca: Yes, especially if we write it with heavy guitars, which make
it harder to incorporate strings and do it tastefully. But most of the
time, I some how make it work. And we sometimes don’t write the songs
the same way either.

Ryan: Yeah and sometimes she’ll come to me with a pretty involved
violin concept. Then we are just able to take that concept and mold
the guitar and drum parts around that. It depends on how the song idea
was conceived.

Buzz: That explains how your song “Romeo and Juliet” was made. You
took a hook from Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and made it into a
rock song. Are there any other classical pieces that inspire you like
that one has?

Rebecca: That is the most direct way I have taken a classical piece
and really inspired a song. All of my parts are inspired by classical
music, mainly because I love classical music. It’s only natural that I
will incorporate that with our style of a band.

Buzz: What is it about a piece of music that makes you go: “That’s the
song I want to put on our album.”?

Rebecca: For me, it’s two things: how my ears like it and how my heart
likes it. Because, emotionally, I have to connect to the song in order
to really, really love it. Whether I am listening to another band or
whether it’s our own music.

Ryan: I would have to agree with her on that. I mean, for me, I think
the moment where I can say, “That’s it!” is when the hairs on the back
of my neck stand up. You know, when we hit that high note or that peak
of the song, usually that’s what does it for me. I totally agree with
Rebecca. It’s how it touches me emotionally. My lyrics can be pretty
personal. It’s kind of a combination between how the music touches me
emotionally and how the words and everything just come together in the
end.

Buzz: What is the constant inspiration that enthuses your creativity
in writing such great music?

Ryan: Probably each other. We’ve been friends and we’ve played music
together for so long that when it comes down to it, we put our heads
together as a team. I think that’s when we get most inspired. I always
have different bands and movies that I can go back to and get inspired
from. Really, what it comes down to, is that it’s really the two of us
that make this band what it really is. I think that Rebecca is
definitely my inspiration.

Rebecca: That’s very sweet.

Ryan: I mean it.

Rebecca: I always go back to classical music whenever I need
inspiration. There’s such a large amount of it and so much of it so
emotionally charged, that it makes it difficult to write from the
standpoint of a classical piece. It’s easier to feel more emotion from
the classical piece, and use that emotion toward the writing in the
band.

Ryan: Movies really do it for me. Like, The Dark Knight.

Rebecca: I love Hans Zimmer.

Ryan: We even have a song called “Why So Serious” that was inspired
after the Joker theme. Everything about that movie; visually, the
sounds, everything was really inspiring to me. Some of my other
favorites are Good Will Hunting and The Pursuit of Happiness. Movies
are definitely an inspiration for me.

I enter the Congress Theater and the smell of marijuana hits my
nostrils like a right hook from Mike Tyson. My nose takes a few
moments to recover and I continue to walk closer to the stage. The
sea of people awaiting a performance from Slightly Stoopid remind me
of Dory from Finding Nemo, they are able to talk but can’t remember
what they were specifically talking about. The lights go down and
Del the Funky Homosapien comes on stage. Del, with his DJ and
hypeman, are able to hype a crowd better than people chasing a $300
laptop at Wal-mart. He performs hits like Mistadoblina and closes his
set with Clint Eastwood. The crowd is energized and ready for
anything. Slightly Stoopid come on stage and the energy drops like a
lead balloon. The audience is happy to see them, but aren’t waving
their hands in the air as if they don’t care. Granted, Slightly
Stoopid is a different style of music than Del.

The hardest part of Slightly Stoopid is they can’t determine if they
are a fast punk band or a southern California dub band. Between Miles
Doughty and Kyle McDonald switching instruments just about every song
and the band performance becoming sloppier as the show progressed, I
had a hard time distinguishing between just what their identity was.
With that being said, when they performed each song individually, they
perform them well. Drummer Rymo plays at a solid tempo that doesn’t
let go. Slightly Stoopid definitely has strong chemistry with each
other. They play well and they know how to follow each other’s lead.
Overall, Slightly Stoopid knows how to do their job. They provide
music and entertainment to the masses. They allow people to leave
their troubles at the door and don’t allow their negativity to enter
the room.

“Hello Chicago!” A bald Moby look-alike deejay from XRT yells into
the microphone and preps the audience for the first of two sold-out
performances at the Riviera. The crowd is excited and can’t wait to
start. The security guards prep for crowd surfing and place their
silverback gorilla-like force against the barricade. Preparing their
muscle-bound minds for an Armageddon, they are clearly not prepared
for what is about to happen.

The lights go out and a black curtain falls to reveal the cover of the
album Contra. Vampire Weekend arrives on stage within reach of their
instruments in the same way they execute their musicianship: in a shy
and genius way. They aren’t afraid to explore any options or
instrument. They’re quite possibly the only pop rock band from America
that can show elements of Massive Attack and Paul Simon’s Rhythm of
the Saints all in one song.

Vampire Weekend opens their set with the crowd favorite “White Sky.”
The crowd sings along while security seems utterly confused, unsure
what to make of the situation. After that song I am reminded of a 60s
protest—visualizing the security as a strong MP force and the people
are placing flowers in their rifles. The crowd continues to sing along
with every note that escapes Ezra Koenig’s lips. His performance is a
reminder of why the band’s album debuted at number one in Billboard
magazine.

Vampire Weekend has a gentle-yet-confident appearance to the stage.
They remind me of the smart, quiet kids in high school; the type of
student who may not talk a lot, but are able to wow the class with
every word they say. This band is humble and smart with musicianship
similar to that of an orchestra. Even though each musician plays their
part, the song would sound horrific if you were to take out any of
their parts. Each note and sound is played at the perfect moment of
every piece; with drummer Chris Tomson acting as conductor, there
isn’t a note that is ever played out of time. When Vampire Weekend
announces their next tour, get your tickets. You will not be disappointed!

There have been musicians and artists who showcase their talent by surpassing the quality of their album with their live performances, but when a show creates so much excitement you feel like a child again it’s one of the most cherished gifts a musician can give to their audience. Wednesday March 24^th at the Metro, Australian band The Temper Trap created such an excitement and giddiness among its audience you would have thought you were at the coolest birthday party of the year.

The Temper Trap’s five-piece Danish openers, The Kissaway Trail, were a great way to start such a first-rate show. The two lead vocalists contribute a lot of the unique sound that the Kissaway Trail has become known for. They are not just another band with a keyboard or drum-kit. To pigeon-hole this band into a specific genre like indie rock would be a travesty because their sound is so out of the box and cannot be categorized as just one sound due to the many eclectic tunes they create. Not being entirely familiar with this band of course Wikipedia and iTunes came in handy when trying to learn more about them, but the more I kept looking the clearer it became that this band is not something you can simply write a wikipage about and be satisfied with what you know, this is a band you want to know more about and want to listen to even more.

In the theme of unique bands that rattle the musical soul, The Temper Trap has an effect on their fans that reminds you of Jimi Hendrix’s effect when a guitar is put in his hands and he begins to play- they all freak out. As the set changed ended, as the lights dimmed and as the band walked on stage the audience was moved beyond coherent words and moved more towards screams and what might be described as interpretive dance, all relating their obvious excitement for what was to come next. As they played all of the songs from their debut album, Conditions, like “Love Lost.” “Sweet Disposition,” “Down River” and all of the rest the audience somehow found a way to be even more enthusiastic about the performance. Lead vocalists Dougie Mandagi’s ability to move and channel a soft hybrid of Elvis and James Brown may have been a contributing factor to the excitement. I have seen a musician actually move on stage with such a quality of rhythm and sense of joy since I watched the Monterey Pop festival in my high school history class.

As the show sadly came to an end the band was not through with the audience quite yet, performing “Science of Fear” all members of the band (Dougie Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, Lorenzo Sillitto, and Toby Dundas) went wild. With Mandagi on a single drum, in the middle of him performing he suddenly grabbed an open water bottle, poured the water on the drum and went banging away like he was a part of the Blue Man Group, but much cooler, and somehow found away to rouse the audience even more. One might think that they would have ended on such a grand note as that one, but no they had just one more treat before they left everyone with the memories of the show. As a finale the Temper Trap debuted a new song that they have been working on for their next album, “Battle On.” Just as the title is so properly named the song made you feel like you were marching along in a desert not quite sure of the destination, it gave a slight similarity to Kate Bush’s “Army Dreamers” although not as eery.

All in all the show was a bit on the short side, but that was to be expected seeing as the band only has one album out. Either way, the Kissaway Trail and the Temper Trap gave a show that I am more than proud to have attended and next time either band is in town I will be there no matter what.

You can't always tell a book by its cover when it comes to the Chicago scene.

We've got it all, by the thousands! Same old same old constantly. Saturation beyond compare.

A city rich in metal and pop as well as blues. But after all the noise is gone, what's left?

An empty spirit? An angry soul yearning for more sweet more!!!

Yet there is a more "natural" listerning tier who favors incredible feel-good bands like Mr. Blotto, The Giving Tree Band, Stone Free, and Umphrey's McGee of course.

They appreciate great musicianship, the fun of a musical journey, and the trip of revolving colors only very strong songsters can provide. And after all the hype clears from the "scene", some bright stars well over the dropping horizon!

Another more important part of this admiration comes from luxurious harmonies that way too many bands never figure out. Life is all about harmony anyway, isn't it? This is why these bands stand tall over the human soul and spirit.

And the energy from bands like Phish, Rusted Root, and The Greatful Dead still beat honorably in the hearts of this dedicated quality music-driven populous. Throw in a little dash of Jason Falkner and you have a modern music approach that seamlessly ties all of the virtues of touching music and their origins together so fruitfully.

The great thing about bands like Umphrey's McGee and Mr. Blotto are that they incorporate very charming orchestrations that take the bouncing soul to warm and fuzzy places.

Coming this May 8th at the Lincoln Hall in Chicagoland,  Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band and Brendan Bayliss of Chicago-based Umphrey's McGee will be performing a very rich variety of songs from their cache of pleasantries.

Known to have performed back at Schuba's a while back, the duo 30 db. has spent some time putting together many songs. And they're bringing this reminiscent sound to Brendan's home town next month. Love great guitar? Mandolin? Then you're in for one heck of a treat.

And the distinguishable vocals by popular lyricist and singer Brendan Bayliss will sing to the hearts of its admirers on many familiar and forward levels. Accompanied by Jeff Austin's beautiful Mandolin expressions, you're mind will be glad you treated it to this show!

The album will be released on May 11th by Jeff and Brendan. The show on May 8th will be a very unique opportunity to get close to the magic that is a great album release by two very romantic and serious song creators.

Stay tuned for more from the Umphrey's family.

A Buzz Pick for Shows To See in May.

The lights turned low, Willie stepped up to the microphone, and started singing “Whiskey River” to open the show. A Texas flag unfolded as a back drop from the first strum of the guitar. Five musicians followed Willie’s lead and every chord or note that he played for the entire music presentation. The Genesee Theater in Waukegan, Illinois had one great song after another played and it was a time to remember.

Willie Nelson strummed, picked, and sang, entertaining a packed auditorium. This aging country music star lived up to his reputation packing a hell of a wallop into the ears of the audience. This guitbox player only used one guitar for the entire show and it was quite apparent he had used this one a lot before. There was a hole in the guitar from where he had picked and strummed so many times it had worn through the top of the body on his acoustic. The battle scares to his instrument is something he should be proud of.

The song “Still Is Still Moving To Me” was early on in the set and pure pleasure to hear. As the words and music were projected from the stage you knew you were seeing a country music legend. The fast paced ditty had everyone in the place dancing in their seats.

Plenty of songs were squeezed into the evening, but when in the presence of Willie Nelson, a hundred songs is never enough. Pieces like “Crazy” and “Me and Paul” were amongst the songs played for the true fans delight. “Angel Flying To Close To The Ground” was yet another one that impressed many within the theater.

“Georgia,” “All Of Me,” and “On The Road Again” all were done and over so fast leaving everyone wanting more. “Hey Good Looking” was a piece that just stole everyone’s musical soul and messaged it creating a perfect aura for the evening. Such a timeless classic written by Hank Williams and perfectly performed by Willie.

“Always On My Mind” has been recorded by so many musicians over the years including Elvis Presley, but no one has done it as well as Willie. Since the release in 1982 of this single most true fans can’t listen to anyone else sing it anymore. The opinions at the Genesee Theater were all the same for this show. Everyone was singing along with him and seemed to be in perfect harmony.

The wonderful Steve Goodman classic “City of New Orleans” was music perfection. Nothing seemed to bring in the cheers as much as the song “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Julio Iglesias was no where to be found, but there were plenty of singers in the room. Willie performed the hit song just as well without his original singing partner and nobody seemed to miss him. 

It didn’t really seem to matter what this country music icon was singing as long as he kept on doing it. He threw bandanas into the crowd and just before he left the stage he was slapping concert goers hands in the front of the theater and then signed as many autographs as he could before departing as his backing band played some traveling music for him. What a class act.

Willie had chosen a great group of musicians to back him up. He had a piano player, bass player, snare drum player, harmonica player, and a percussionist. The group of entertainers seemed to play within a synchronization and it is clear they had become one. Every accent provided by each player was such a pleasure to hear and he couldn’t have done it without them.

There have been some great musical acts in the last fifty years, but this man has his own unique playing style. The country music outlaw had no fancy stage show, lights, or any smoke and mirrors to make his show appear better. Just being able to see him play was show enough and he didn’t need anything flashy. Thank you Willie Nelson for becoming a musician. You will always be considered one of the best.

Director Craig Engel’s latest production to come to Bolingbrook’s Theatre on the Hill (TOTH) is a story many are familiar with, and, since presented with such a timeless magic about it, is a performance that can certainly be enjoyed by everyone once again. “The Elephant Man” a story of a severely deformed man, John Merrick, who suffers from the genetic disease neurofibromatosis is often sad as it delves into the cruelty dealt by those who judge and condemn by appearance, often treating him as an animal. However, Merrick’s spirit throughout is uplifting as well as that of those who care for him like a fellow human being.

Engel’s direction captures the heartache experienced by Merrick caused by the torment of others from severe beatings to the subtlest glares or comments by those who pass by. Encompassed also so well is Merrick’s desire to be a normal man and his true appreciation for those that showed him the common courteousness of a fellow human being. TOTH veteran Gus Gustafson again shows his versatility as an actor as John Merrick thanks to a compelling demonstration of pain, ignorance, hope and even humor. Dr. Frederick Treves is nicely played by Kevin Folliard and David Lichty (a force on stage) is professional as ever as Dr. Car Gomm. Kate Schultz is charming as Ms. Kendall, the woman who opened up to Merrick and presented to him new experiences that he had never dreamed.  

The story of the Elephant Man takes place in the late 1800’s and a joint effort by the cast, Michael A. Fudala and Scott Boland does a great job in taking the audience to the particular era with a keen eye for props and their detail to set construction. Julie Kinsey also boosts the believability to the time period with fantastic design and selection of costumes. Though the set and costumes made the play visually stimulating, one of the most important facets in making such a production so credible was in the make-up creation of John Merrick superbly handled by Craig Engel.

“The Elephant Man” will be performed each weekend through March 28^th. For more information visit www.tothbolingbrook.com.          

March 6^th was another inspiring night when Americans got together to raise money for Haiti relief.  100% of all money received went straight to Oxfam America (Haiti first-responder). The night started out with a band called “Aktar Aktar” (my favorite band of the night by the way).   They got the party started with original rock songs where I found myself ‘head bobbing’ and even dancing a little after a few beers.   The band was young but had a tight sound and just great alternative rock sound. They threw in a cover song or two, which kept the interest of anyone not into their music, but I think everyone was diggin’ their sound anyway.  

Between each set, there were raffles and prizes and it seemed like everyone was winning something.   I even won a $50.00 gift card to Shaw’s Crab house.   As you can see from the list below, over 30 businesses donated gift cards, cash and various prizes, which allowed for lots of raffles between each set.   The support from local Chicago businesses was outstanding.  The night continued with a band called “Bad With Names” who had a less heavy feel, but was still fun and full of energy.  They had a bongo player who took front stage and played the bongos like he was the star of the show. (and I think maybe he was).  After that, “The Glide” took the stage.   They shook the floors with their extremely loud and hard sound.  Last to donate his talent to the cause was “Professor Kliq” who turned the party into a nightclub.   The Professor hit the crowd with his cool range of digital sounds and DJ pumping equipment which got everyone on their feet.   Over all the night was a great success and everything was done for Haiti.  In between one of the acts a gentleman from Haiti named Raul gave a touching speech to thank everyone for their donations and hard work.  He has family back in Haiti.

Everyone involved wanted to thank Gerry Haptas who was the backbone behind this entire event.  They also wanted to thank Aurelio's pizza who stepped up to provide & run everything to do with pizza - and then donated all proceeds. GW Promotions would also like to thank Chris Aeilo - Villa Park attorney who did all legal work, Tom K – who did printing and Ryan Flores who designed flyer/t-shirt logos.  In addition, the following people also volunteered their time and effort: Carrie, Scott, Amy, Brad, Debbie, Dave, Karla, Betty, Sally, Jake, Bob, Frank & Dan, Rachael, Mike and Vanessa. 

The Buzz staff was more than happy to attend this event and continues to send our best wishes and prayers to the people of Haiti.

Sponsors: Lunar Brewing, Schweppe's, Village Manager, Village of Villa Park, New Glarus Brewery, Punky's Pub, Sooper Lube, Caps, Effigy / Flight 112, Chicago White Sox, Anyways, Outback Steakhouse, Aurelio's Pizza, Fox Bowl, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Hilton Hotel, 8 to 8 Cigars, Ed Debevics, Gino's East, Eduardo's, Wildfire, Maggiano's, Shaw's Crab House, Mack's Golden Pheasant, Emmett's, Plain White T's, O'Neil's Pub, ACE Hardware, Champp's, Villa Park Police Dept, Standard Bank & ALDIs and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 tour hit Chicago..

Jay-Z first hit the music scene in 1996. Now you must understand the average lifespan of the average hot rap star is about 3 years, give or take a few months (remember how you had to hear "Hot in Herre"by Nelly every 3 minutes?). Then there's the rare rap star who maintains their relevance in the music world (Snoop, Eminem), and even then you shouldnt expect anything much from their stage show. Rappers aren't great entertainers, unfortunately. Yet since 1996 Jay-Z has taken all that he's seen and experienced and sorted the good and the bad from his own career and ran with it.

I've seen Jay-Z in concert a handfull of times and each time he's gotten better with each perfromance. He's gone from a jersey-wearing stand stilll rhyme sayer who's needed other characters on stage with charisma to help his performanceto the headlining one mans how he is now.

On to the show...first up was the curtain opened Trey Songz. If you've never heard of Songz, its ok...he's just the latest r&b heartthrob, a 25 year-old crooner who appears on alot of remixes and looks great taking his shirt off. A very intense performer, Songz performs more like a rapper than anything, yet most of his act is based in baby-making music.The ladies ate up his act, singing hits songs "Say Ahh", "Neighbors knowmy name" and his "Panty Droppa", which had the crowd on their feet. I must say that I wasn't a fan of Songz before this performance, but after listening to him sing a few of his hits and the intensity of his show and the fun he seemed to be having with his band he definitely won me over.

Intermission came next, and while the stage crew set up, the crowd headed to the concourse for drinks and breaks while preparing for what they expected to be a set by Young Jeezy. A countdown with on the screen from 10:00 and as the lights got set and the band prepared to go, as the clock hit 0:00 a majority of the crowd was still on the concourse as the lights went off and the sounds of "Run this town"  hit the speakers and Jay-Z emerged from a lift underneath the stage completely taking the entire crowd by surprise.

Jay-Z supplied hit after hit after hit, showing once again how his stage performance has grown with age. No longer needing the sideman (we barely saw a glimpse of co-hort Memphis Bleek) or any other label mates to take the stage with him, Jay-Z rocked out with just his backing band for most of the show. Clearly enthused by the size of the crowd (almost every seat in the United Center was filled except the section behind the stage) or his special guests (NBA baller LeBron James) Jay was all hits and no misses, unlike previous shows. Performing hits from almost every album, he concentrated mostly on tracks from his latest release, Blueprint 3, including the crowd-pleaser "Empire state ofmind".  Around the 1 hour mark we were treated to the 3rd act on the tour, Young Jeezy.

Jeezy made his way to the stage collaborating on a song from the Blueprint 3 album before Jay stepped away to give Jeezy his stage time. The crowd was really into Jeezy, who's street lyrics and street mentality may be just too "real" for mainstream America. He is however, huge in mixtape and street scene, and his status continues to grow with each release. Yet again, its his street mentality that truly may keep him away from superstardom, with the latest example of this being his shoutouts to "the vicelords and folks gangstas" in the audience...which garnered the most unique responce of the evening from the crowd.
Jeezy ran through a medly of hits and verses that kept the crowd on their feet and singing along before Jay-Z returned.

If you haven't figured out that Jay-Z is a business yet then figure who he's on tour with: touring with two of the hottest urban artists out right now, there's even plans for a joint album being made. Add that to the fact you couldnt walk 10 feet without someone trying to get you sign up or sell you anything featuring Jay-Z (I love you Jay, but I will not spend $40 for anyone's t-shirt that doesn't come with a jetpack).

Jay returned to the stage piggy-backing on Jeezy's "My president is black", and from there we were treated to a video from the President Obama giving a speech and wiping dirt off his shoulder, referening another Jay-Z hit. Jay went into that song before performing about 45 minutes more, focusing on early material. Throughout the show, Jay was continuously gracious to the crowd, even going so far as to accept one fan's demotape, and sign another's baseball hat before bringing her on stage for a hug and giving her the mic to rhyme a few of her own lyrics. Throughout 'overtime" Jay kept thanking the crowd and even took a song request ("Song Cry") before heading out to his usual show ender "Encore".

Again, I've seen Jay-Z in concert many times before but never has he been as good as this last show....for someone who doesn't want to just be the best rapper but the best act in music, a show like this one will definitely help his cause.

going for pizza...not done.