Tag: entertainment
Tony Smiley – Baby Steps
An evening pause: He calls himself “The Loop-Ninja”. Watch. It is amazing what one person can do with today’s technology to produce music.
Hat tip tdub.
Moving Hearts – Finore
Henry Mancini – The Baby Elephant Walk
An evening pause: From the 1962 Howard Hawks film Hatari!, this scene, and the music that goes with it, shows off the film’s light-hearted adventurous tone. And yes, that’s John Wayne following the girl. Since then this music has been reused innumerable times in youtube pet videos.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
Boogie Woogie by Dona Oxford
Nanci Griffith & The Chieftains – Red Is The Rose
An evening pause: The melody is the same as Loch Lomond, which illustrates how much in common there is between the Scots and the Irish, no matter what they tell you. (And I would include the English too!)
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
Edie Brickell & Steve Martin – When You Get To Asheville
An evening pause: They usually give Martin first billing, but Brickell is really the star here. Martin is good on banjo, but it is her song. Though it is amazing to see how Steve Martin has reinvented himself again.
Aerosmith – Livin’ On The Edge
An evening pause: Good music, but this video reveals a great deal about the future in how it portrays an adolescent view of the present. Even more important, the view is very typical of modern culture.
The Refreshments – Let It Rock
An evening pause: Who says the world doesn’t love American culture? Watch a Swedish band and an English guitarist play classic rock.
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
Katie Melua – If you were a sailboat
A new song for space
At a press conference Sarah Brightman yesterday revealed that she is working with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create a new song to sing when she visits the International Space Station later this year.
She also said that she will sing it from the station near the end of her visit. While the reason she gave for this schedule was because she needed time to adjust to weightlessness, I also see this as good marketing, allowing time for a pr build-up to get the largest audience possible.
At a press conference Sarah Brightman yesterday revealed that she is working with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create a new song to sing when she visits the International Space Station later this year.
She also said that she will sing it from the station near the end of her visit. While the reason she gave for this schedule was because she needed time to adjust to weightlessness, I also see this as good marketing, allowing time for a pr build-up to get the largest audience possible.
Diana Krall – I Get Along
????? – John Wilson Orchestra
An evening pause: This pause is going to be a challenge. I am curious who can most quickly identify the film that this suite comes from, performed here live in 2013. I am sure that anyone that knows anything about movies will figure it out by around 2:30, but can you do it sooner? One hint: this is one of the greatest and most popular films ever made.
Hat tip to Phil Berardelli, author of Phil’s Favorite 500: Loves of a Moviegoing Lifetime.
Blackmore’s Night – Minstrel Hall
Cass Elliot, Mary Travers, & Joni Mitchell – I shall be released
Fred Astaire & Leslie Caron – Something’s Gotta Give
Roy Clark & Buck Trent – Dueling Banjos
An evening pause: While the version of this song for the movie Deliverance (1972) was quite good, I really dislike how that film made all country folk look like they were mentally and physically crippled. The portrayal seemed quite bigoted.
This performance, however, just shows us some great banjo playing, the way it should be done.
Star Trek – Amok Time
A Saturday pause: In memory of Leonard Nimoy.
T’pau: “Live long and prosper, Spock.”
Spock: “I shall do neither. I have killed my captain — and my friend.”
The Honey Trees – Moon River
An evening pause:
Moon river, wider than a mile
I’m crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see
We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waiting, round the bend
My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, and me
Hat tip Edward Thelen.
Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015
“I am what I am, Leila,” Mr. Spock declares after the spores’ effect has worn off and his emotions are again in check. “And if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else’s.”
“I am what I am, Leila,” Mr. Spock declares after the spores’ effect has worn off and his emotions are again in check. “And if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else’s.”
World Order – Mind Shift
An evening pause: I posted this group previously as an evening pause, but the hypnotic and original nature of their dance choreography calls for a revist.
Hat tip Edward Thelen.
Louisville Leopard Percussionists – Zeppellin
An evening pause: To quote the youtube webpage, “The Louisville Leopard Percussionists began in 1993. They are a performing ensemble of approximately 55 student musicians, ages 7-12, living in and around Louisville, Kentucky. Each student learns and acquires proficiency on several instruments, such as marimbas, xylophone, vibraphone, drum set, timbales, congas, bongos and piano.”
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman
Highlights from Dream Lines IV
An evening pause: I haven’t posted a wingsuit video since 2012, so this clip is overdue, especially since the scenery is quite beautiful. My only complaint is that they cut just as one flyer releases his chute for landing. I would have preferred to see the whole flight, including its gentle end.
Hat tip tdub.
Dave Mason – Sad And Deep As You
Will Rogers – The Ropin’ Fool
An evening pause: Most people, when asked to describe Will Rogers, usually focus on his witty political commentary. What we have forgotten however is that he initially made his fame as a cowboy with an amazing ability to do rope tricks. The film excerpt below, narrated by Rogers’ son Will Rogers Jr., was made in 1922 to highlight these tricks.
Hat tip Edward Thelen.
JJ Cale & Eric Clapton – After Midnight & Call me the Breeze
Rupert Holmes – Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
An evening pause: I love songs that tell great stories. This is a classic.
Note: As always, I am always looking for evening pauses and am very open to suggestions. If you want to suggest something, comment here, though please don’t post the actual suggestion. I will email you direct so you can forward it to me.
Sierra Hull – Someone Like You
Movies before the code
An evening pause: I had doubts about posting this initially, not because I’m a prude but because, as I wrote to Phil when he sent me this suggestion, “What is the point? Watching three minutes of 1930s girls taking off their robes to reveal their underwear? I’m not sure that is my goal with my evening pauses.”
But then I thought, why not? The compilation definitely illustrates the differences and similarities between then and now. What was risque then is almost innocent today. And at the same time, what is interesting in terms of sex then is not much different than what is interesting today. Sex still sells. Humans remain human. And Valentine’s Day is tomorrow.
Hat tip to Phil Berardelli, author of Phil’s Favorite 500: Loves of a Moviegoing Lifetime.
The endless and all-compassing terrors of global warming
Want to know what scientists have predicted climate change will do to the Earth? Go to ClimateChangePredictions.org, where they keep a full list of every prediction they can find.
I especially like the category “Having it both ways,” where they list different predictions that insisted on opposite consequences. For example did you know that global warning is going to bring both “less rain” and “more rain”, Other predictions are equally amusing.
Want to know what scientists have predicted climate change will do to the Earth? Go to ClimateChangePredictions.org, where they keep a full list of every prediction they can find.
I especially like the category “Having it both ways,” where they list different predictions that insisted on opposite consequences. For example did you know that global warning is going to bring both “less rain” and “more rain”, Other predictions are equally amusing.