Paul Van Dyk at Warehouse Live

I braved yet another Wednesday night to the club gods to see Paul Van Dyk, who has been one of my favorite DJs for a long time. I was not sure what to expect, since I had been disappointed before with both Paul Oakenfold and DJ AM, but this show was fantastic! He took the stage at 8:00 pm, and was still going strong by the time we left (he was not scheduled to leave the stage until 2:00 am!) Even though the crowd was sparse in the early hours, he was connecting with the audience, and playing really lovely sets. The show took place at Warehouse Live, a large concert venue close to downtown. We had VIP tickets, which probably would have been really useful later when Van Dyk left the stage, because we got word that he would be in the VIP area afterward. Also, the drinks are cheaper and the bathrooms are cleaner and less crowded in the VIP area - both plus factors in my book. By midnight the place had filled up with an interesting mix of people, but everyone there was having a genuinely good time, the music was upbeat, and there was a really nice vibe going on. All club-light paraphernalia was being confiscated at the door and on the dance floor in case it was snuck in, and there were no nutty ravers to be seen. There was also no smoking allowed inside, which gave the room a much fresher feel than a normal club atmosphere. All this combined with some really great music and crowd interaction with the DJ, and it was truly my favorite club DJ experience to date. I would see him again in a heartbeat!

Eastern Promises

Didn't have a very busy weekend considering I'm in the midst of exams, but I was able to catch a flick this weekend. Eastern Promises is the new Viggo Mortensen drama in theaters, but it hasn't been getting much press, probably because of its graphic content. His other movie of similar style, A History of Violence, was treated in the same way by both the theaters and most audiences. However, it won't be too much for anyone who can sit through an episode of The Sopranos. Yes, there is violence. Yes, there are bones breaking. Yes, there are nude/sex scenes. Yes, it is disturbing at times. This is not a pretty film, but it is very good. I listened to several women in the bathroom after the film griping about how graphic it was. However, none of them said it was a bad movie, and none of them complained about seeing Viggo in all his naked glory (its about time we get some gratuitous male nudity after all the unnecessary boob shots in filmdom). People were walking out with a look of shock, but none could say the movie didn't stick with them in more ways than one.

DJ AM at Rich's

We went out on a school night to Rich's last night to see DJ AM, better known as Nicole Richie's ex-boyfriend. We got there early in club time - 10:30, and the place was pretty empty. The opening DJ was still spinning, and doing a pretty decent job, even though there weren't enough people out to justify venturing onto the dance floor.

DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) came on without being announced, but you could tell the music selection had changed. Rather than stick to electronica/trance/normal club remixes, he incorporates a lot of different music genres into his playlist. I'm not necessarily saying that is a good thing. While it is interesting to hear "Sweet Home Alabama" transform into generic 80's pop music, and then into Justin Timberlake, it makes it difficult to dance to. By midnight the place was filling up fast, and by the time we left, shortly before 1:00 am, there was no elbow room. Unfortunately, the music seemed to be getting better as the night went on, and had it been a weekend, I would have gladly stayed to find out. As it was, I was not very impressed by his Hollywood credentials, and even though he has partied with Paris Hilton, I preferred the guy who opened for him. Perhaps he uses these types of venues to try out new things on the crowd. However, I watched him for a while, and while he was very involved in what he was doing, he never raised his head to see the reaction of the crowd when they paused puzzlingly at the strange mix of music. You have to play to your audience, even if you are a Hollywood big shot. Definitely not worth the $20 per person cover charge.

Today's Headlines

Wow, some of the headlines from CNN are making me go, "huh?"... I mean, who is writing this stuff, and I hope they are getting a good laugh out of it.


Latest News
YouTubers, comedians mock O.J. Simpson .... um, did you expect them not to?
Student Tasered at Kerry event .... freedom of speech, anyone?
Ticker: Rapper 50 Cent weighs in on W.H. race .... can someone tell me why this is news?
Dragster disintegrates in flames at 310 mph .... who was driving, Wile E. Coyote?
WSB: Armless man quizzed in neighbor's death .... do I need to comment?
Man puts rattlesnake in mouth, gets bitten .... call Darwin Awards, we have a runner-up
WDSU: Expert: Sirens irritate killer bees .... great, now we can piss them off even more!
No testimony from ex-Spears bodyguard .... when will this mad circus end?
Prostitution plan zaps buyers, not sellers .... could we get a great big helping of DUH this morning?

Everybody's Talking: Britney's a Hot Mess

I don't make it a point to watch the VMAs every year, mostly because MTV doesn't actually show videos any more (and I LOVE the fact that Timberlake made a point to say that twice!), so I have no idea which ones are worth winning. But I heard the hype, and watched while putting together some new bedroom furniture, and it delivered on the entertainment factor. I knew it would be interesting when the first thing we see is a close-up of Britney Spears' very bad hair extensions. Poor thing... her performance was, in a word, laughable. It amazes me that these girls can surround themselves with yes-people and ignore the blatant fact that everyone has stopped being a fan (not that I ever was). After the lip-synching, jiggling, tripping, and being helped around onstage by her dancers, the performance was followed up by a scathing bunch of jokes at her expense. So now all the gossip is about the fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, Kanye West's temper tantrum, Paris Hilton leaking the fact (that we already knew) that Christina Aguilera is pregnant, and the really good performances by Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, the Foo Fighters, and others. All the gossip blogs are a buzz...

Celebitchy

Pink is the New Blog

VH1 Blog

I Don't Like You In That Way

Pretty on the Outside

A Socialite's Life

Happy Birthday to Me!

After finally going to see The Bourne Ultimatum this week (pretty good flick, and nice way to round out the trilogy), we ultimately got to the long weekend, on which my birthday sometimes falls, as it did this year. I spent part of it in the great metropolis of Beaumont, and hung with family before going out on the town with some old friends on Saturday night. We started the night at Floyd's, an odd name for a seafood restaurant, but very tasty fare. The restaurant used to be Don's, but has since taken on a new name, a new feel, and better food. Floyd loves to walk around amongst his patrons and speak in his very unique Cajun-slash-street slang. He is quite a character, and the food is fabulous. Had we not stuffed ourselves on my own grandmother's amazing seafood gumbo, we probably would have eaten much more. Afterwards, we headed over to Comedy, Texas and saw three stand-up acts that were all very good. The group was not done yet, though. We headed over to the grand opening of Cadillac Slim's, a new pool hall/bar/club that before the end of the night was looking a lot like Coyote Ugly, complete with girls dancing on the bar. Although we lost some of our group after that, a few of us went over to Pacesetter to finish out the night. Apparently it is the after hours place to go, because it got more crowded after midnight and beyond. It was a late, late night, but a lot of fun. All in all, a good birthday, even if we missed the Goo Goo Dolls/Lifehouse concert because we were still hung over from the night before!