"It's K Mart Smart"

Well first off, I thought K Mart was gone...history...finished. False. Recently I've been getting bombarded by their new TV commercials for the Holidays...Christmas specifically. Anyway, so I see that their new slogan encourages you to shop smart and "K Mart Smart"...or "K Smart". This is all fine and dandy, or at least was, until I saw a commercial for Halloween costumes. You can apparently get costumes for the whole family at way low prices. Great right? No...it's DECEMBER! They were so busy trying to make shoppers smart that they forgot to give the advertising department a calendar. Maybe this is why K Mart was having financial trouble (and still is I'd imagine). I'd be broke too if I kept advertising expired holidays. Or maybe this is the new trend. Maybe this year I'm supposed to invite everyone to my birthday last year.

Either way...it's not very K Smart to waste money (that they clearly don't have) on advertising a holiday that happened a month ago. How am I supposed to trust a company who can't even make a basic logical decision. How about taking the money you would spend on outdated holiday advertising and use it to improve your awful product line...there's a thought. Maybe that would stop bullies from ridiculing little Jimmy Thompson about his off-brand sneakers. I've said enough. I'm WalSmart.

iPhone Blogging

So after searching for a Blog app for the iPhone, I decided to not pay for one and to just use the browser on the iPhone and go to the blog site like a normal person. So far, so good. So suck it App Store. This was just as easy as opening an app and typing. Plus, most of the apps they offer don't support Blogger...which is Google...which is tied in with Apple and the iPhone. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it? In summary, when there's not "an app for that" just think a little harder and find your way around it. Or use wishes and imagination like the Pilgrims did.

The Elvis Cruise: In Short Summary

The Elvis Cruise came and went and seemed to be a success. Apparently the production company they hired last year put on a train-wreck instead of an event, so the bar was set pretty low for us. I think we delivered an amazing event and set the bar where it should have been in the first place. The artists were amazing to work with and I enjoyed every second of it. This was the first event where I wasn't dealing with artist management the whole way and I got to speak directly with the artists leading up to the event. By the time the event began I felt as if I had already known them for a while, so it made working with them all the more easy.

Basically I went from knowing nothing about Elvis and only having known a handful of songs, to knowing the people he played with and surrounded himself with, and getting to experience more of his vast catalogue. It was a great experience that I was fortunate to be a part of and I really hope we get to do this event next year.

Day 2: The Elvis Cruise

So yeah, day 1 went by very quickly. It was a long day though. We were up for a 6:30am lobby call and shuttled over to the Port. The crew unloaded all of the backline and audio gear and threw it in the cages to be loaded onto the ship. Once we got on the ship the crew set up the Main Lounge and the Lido Deck stages (and a couple of small stages). My role on the ship for this cruise is still Production, however I'm also the Hospitality Manager and Security for the ship. Security shouldn't be needed on here...ever. I don't think we will have any fights among the Elvis fans. They seem like a good bunch. But yeah the Main Lounge shows last night went well with very few hiccups. Tonight should be a good show though. The TCB band (Elvis' old backing band) is kicking the show off. I'll let ya know how that goes. For now I'm just finishing up some office work and eating as much as possible.

Elvis: A New Adventure

So last night I met someone who is, quite possibly, the most interesting person I have ever met. That's your teaser...now you have to read. I've got you hooked. I'm tricky like that. Anyway, the company I work for charters cruise ships and produces music festivals on them.
At the moment, I am sitting in the Tampa International Airport making sure the artists flying in get on the correct shuttle to the artist hotel. These however are a different brand of artists from what I'm used to working with. Why??? Because this is The Elvis Cruise. Every person I have met so far has either known Elvis, played with Elvis, or is an Elvis tribute artist. In the past two days I have met one of Elvis' best friends, his old backing band (of which two members are in the Rock N' Roll Hall-Of-Fame), his old music director, and some of his female movie co-stars...just to name a few. Now I have to say I do not know a whole lot about the life and music of Elvis, but over the next four days I will get to experience it second-hand...because first-hand is not possible...obviously.
Anyway, like I said, last night I met the most interesting man in the world. No, not the Dos Equis guy...but a man by the name of (Anonymous). I would list his name, but I don't want this to pop up on Google everytime someone hits his name...much respect...so if you wanna know the name, do your homework. Keeping on...he was one of Elvis' best friends and even worked for him for a few years. He was telling us stories last night about when he used to tour manage The Beach Boys and Billy Joel. He even once hung out with The Beatles. He has a book out that I plan on reading but his stories alone just blew my mind. He has worked with so many legends (even Diana Ross) and knowing The Beatles is enough to make you want to wet yourself on purpose. If this man is any indication of who I will meet during this trip then I'm in for a treat. A tasty, low-fat (gotta watch the figure), musical treat.

More to come...unless the ship sinks...if that happens...then Bye.

Aftermath of the 'Tonic' Opening Experience

Last Saturday (8.15.09) one of the bands I play in called 'Sunset Love Affair' was fortunate enough to open up for the band 'Tonic'. This was a pretty cool experience because I have been a huge fan of 'Tonic' for quite a few years. I would put them in my top 10 favorite bands of all-time. I'm sure some of the other guys in the band felt the same way as I did about the show.

Overall the show went very well. We had a full band consisting of the core members of SLA (Chris, Matt Graff, and myself), as well as Jeremy on bass, and Gabe on drums. Technically it was The Red Tide Saga but billed as Sunset Love Affair. We played a pretty diverse mix of music ranging from Alternative Rock to Ska to even a Pop-ish Ballad. We video taped the whole entire show and it is available on YouTube and if you feel like collecting all of the videos in the order that we played them in, here is the setlist:
1) Of Stars & Stone
2) 4 Shots
3) Bring Me A Reason
4) My Later Tonight
5) Path
6) Selling Out For You
7) Only Heaven Knows Her Name
8) So Much To Me
9) Paranoia
10) Buffet Line
11) Untitled
12) Touch The Sky
13) Stroking 5th
I think it was quite an amazing set list and quite possibly the best one we have ever played. "Bring Me A Reason" was added at the last minute (about 1 hour before the show). We were going to play "Obvious Mistake" but we tossed that out of the setlist and replaced it with "Paranoia". We weren't quite sure how the crowd would respond to "Paranoia" but after playing it we received a ton of comments about the song and it proved to be a positive decision.

Right now we are getting ready for a show in Macon, GA on 8.29.09, which is usually a good time for us. A few of our best friends/fans are from the area and they always come back home to show support. We are continuing to try to book shows and we are all excited to see what the future will hold and hope another opportunity like the 'Tonic' experience comes our way.

I will leave you with a few videos from our performance the other night...enjoy!

Also check out the other videos from the performance as well as any other videos I have uploaded...go here: http://www.youtube.com/mbannis1

The Mighty Boosh Invades America

The Mighty Boosh is no doubt one of my favorite shows of all time and it is finally making its way to America. The British comedy duo, The Mighty Boosh, is comprised of Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. The show itself has a few more characters than just the handful that the duo play and completely off-the-wall writing that keeps me watching. They don't just go for the easy laugh or the obvious way out of situations...they take you "on a journey through time and space".

The Mighty Boosh recently began to air, for the first time in the US, on Adult Swim. I began watching them online because that was the only way you could find the episodes. They had DVD's released in the UK but they are a different format and will not work on US DVD players...that all changed this past week. The Mighty Boosh DVD's have been released in the US, and to help promote they appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night. The interview definitely showed off what the "Boosh" is all about. They even gave hints toward possibly creating a movie or continuing with the TV series. So, in case you missed it...here's the interview...enjoy!

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311: Independence Day

Last weekend, Graff and I went to the 311 show in Atlanta at Lakewood Amphitheater. I got to spend my 4th of July with my favorite band while listening to my favorite music. They played a lot of songs off of their new album, which I normally hate when bands do that. I didn't mind at all this time. Their new album "Uplifter" is incredible. 311 has always been my absolute favorite band, and always will be. They have been around for almost 20 years now making great music with messages of positivity.

I was really surprised about the merchandise at the show...it was sooo cheap! The shirt designs were awesome this year and were only $25 each...which is great for concert shirts. Wristbands and sticker packs were $5 each...can't beat it. Overall it was an amazing show. The setlist was as follows:

1. Never Ending Summer (New Song)

2. Beautiful Disaster

3. All Mixed Up

4. Mix It Up (New Song)

5. Come Original

6. It's Alright (New Song)

7. Freeze Time

8. Daisy Cutter (New Song)

9. Amber

10. Applied Science

11. Something Out Of Nothing (New Song)

12. Beyond The Gray Sky

13. I Like The Way (New Song)

14. Homebrew

15. Hey You (New Song)

16. India Ink (New Song)

17. What Was I Thinking

18. Jackpot (New Song)

19. Creatures (For A While)

e:

20. Omaha Stylee

21. Do You Right/Don't Stay Home/Hive (Mash-Up)

22. Down

So in all they played 9 songs off the new album...awesome. And of course they ended the evening with fireworks, being that it was the 4th and all. Anyway I'll leave you with a video interview at the show with SA Martinez and P-Nut...Enjoy.

Celebrity Death Conspiracy

I think there's a Celebrity death conspiracy. Losing way too many in recent weeks. I didn't think conspiracy until we lost Billy Mays. That was the last straw. I'm thinking of forming a coalition of some sort to help prevent celebrity deaths because this is getting ridiculous. Michael Jackson was probably the hardest loss for me to take because he was a huge part of my childhood and now he's gone. Until I was about 9 years old I don't think I knew that other music existed. All I listened to was Michael Jackson and Weird Al Yankovic (only because he parodied Michael Jackson songs). I just hated how the news stations immediately went to broadcasting all of his eccentricities instead of covering his amazing career first. Poor taste too early on. You still gotta respect the guy for his music achievements. I really could care less about the other stuff because it would have been a miracle anyway for him to turn out as a normal adult after the childhood he had. Music is good...all that matters. RIP MJ, BM, FF, & EMc. Now here's something for you to enjoy...watch til the end. It's not the best video ever, but it's solid and full of fiber.

Sunset Love Affair: Opening for 'Tonic'

A bit of cool news to start off with...one of the bands I play in, Sunset Love Affair, will be opening up for Tonic on August 15th in Suwaee, GA. Tonic is one of my favorite bands of all time so this is pretty exciting. I got a chance to spend some time with the guys on The Rock Boat last year and they couldn't have been nicer people...so this should definitely be an awesome experience. Since this is a pretty big deal for us, we decided to bring in the big guns and are playing this show with a full 5-piece band, instead of our standard 3-piece. Jeremy Bostwick will of course be on bass guitar, and as usual, Gabriel Pline will be on drums. Less than two months to go until the show, so we gotta get the set as tight as possible. We haven't played a Sunset Love Affair show with Jeremy and Gabe yet so we will have to get them familiar with the songs. We will also be playing a few songs from our other band The Red Tide Saga, as this is a rock concert, and we are planning on doing just that. More information to come later...but for now I leave you with my favorite Brüno clip from the Ali G Show.

I'm A Gummy Bear

This video got me thinking...if my leg were ever trapped and nobody was around to help me...would I cut it off? My initial reaction is no...but I have a yessy aftertaste. With that being said, here is a nice little video for you to enjoy.

A Tweet A Day Keeps Depression Away

     I may be on to something…and then again, maybe not.  Twitter launched in March of 2006 (I know, I didn’t hear about it until much later either), so let’s just say 3 years ago.  Now, it took a while for it to gain popularity…let’s just say 1.5 – 2 years.  Here’s my thought…I noticed a lot of talk about the economy struggling and talk of bailouts around the same time that Twitter was gaining popularity.  There are many CEO’s and other high ranking company officials on Twitter.  Twitter’s peak hours are around Noon, which everyone should be at work by then (using US time zones).   The average age of everyone on Twitter is 37...which is working class age.  What does this all mean to me?  It means that quite possibly the downfall of the economy is due to the creation and popularity of Twitter and people Tweeting all day at work.

     Is it possible that all of a company’s employees and officials are Tweeting all day long and avoiding real work.  Is the reason the economy is failing at the moment due to companies not being as productive as they once were.  I know of many people who do nothing at work all day and Tweet…I am not one of those people…but I do know plenty of them.  I tracked an individual last week for a day using twitteranalyzer.com and they sent over 60 tweets during work hours.  That may not seem like a lot, but if you take a minute to perfectly type each Tweet, and add on the time it takes to think of something creative to say, you have easily committed between 1-2 hours of time theft each work day…at least. 

     I guess it can also be said that an employee who wastes that much time all day on Twitter would find a way to waste just as much if Twitter did not exist, but that is a whole new topic in itself.  All I’m saying is, this could all be possible.  The downfall of society could all be caused by the spark that ignited the first Tweet.  The connection just seems too coincidental to me…either way you can follow me on Twitter @FriskyOneill.  

www.twitter.com/FriskyOneill

Movin' On Up: My Deluxe Apartment in the Sky

So, I just recently moved to Atlanta.  I was living out in Carrollton, Georgia.  I was out there for college and stuck around a little too long.  Atlanta is nothing new to me though.  I work in here and I've lived in metro Atlanta my whole life, minus the last 6 years.  It's great being back in the mix of things and being no more than 15 minutes away from EVERYTHING you could ever want.  The only beef I had with the whole thing was the moving process itself.  You can keep that.  I now understand the importance of hiring professional movers.

I used to think the job of being a professional mover was ridiculous.  I would wonder why anyone would pay someone for something they can do perfectly well themselves with a few friends.  I sit here 3+ weeks since moving in and I say this, ALWAYS hire professional movers.  It was the greatest idea ever not to hire movers until I moved the second or third box up three flights of stairs to my 3rd floor apartment.  Then we get into awkward furniture moving...and the best thing in the world...washer and dryer. 

I don't regret moving to the 3rd floor because it definitely has its advantages.  I just don't plan on moving again for a few years now because of how much of a pain that whole process was.  Making 140 mile round-trip runs to Carrollton and back got old really quick too.  

In short...hire a moving company.  I don't care if you're moving next door...hire a moving company.  You can't put a price on people doing all of your work for you.

Zack Morris: Return of the Zack Attack

Last night, Jimmy Fallon had Mark Paul Gosselaar on his show...only Mark Paul Gosselaar appeared on the show as someone else. He showed up as Zack Morris, the character that made him popular on the early 90s TV series Saved By The Bell. Oh, and of course the earlier series, Good Morning Miss Bliss, which originally aired on the Disney Channel in the late 80s but was later syndicated with the Saved By The Bell reruns.

Anyway, apparently Jimmy Fallon is trying to get the entire cast to do a Saved By The Bell reunion on his show...and this was bringing the dream one step closer.  It's a long clip, but it's totally worth it.

Just to make sure you watch the whole thing...near the end, Zack Morris plays the Zack Attack song "Friends Forever" with The Roots backing him up.  If that doesn't make you wanna watch this, I don't know what will.  Enjoy yourself.

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My Shoes Yelled At Me

So when Sunset Love Affair went down to Panama City Beach, FL and Destin, FL about a month ago, we stopped in a surf shop.  I was pulled toward the shoe section of the store because it was about that time to get a new pair.  I saw some pretty cool looking shoes that I have never seen anywhere before, and a brand I had never heard of before.  They were called Sanük.  I tried them on and was pretty impressed from the start.  They had all of the things you like about sandals/flip-flops but everything you like about shoes as well.  They stressed one thing..."These are not Shoes.  They're sandals!"  The company was pretty much started by surfers who wanted a shoe more like a sandal, and I think they achieved just that.

I didn't buy the shoes...sorry, Sandals, that day...however I did buy a pair of them 4 days ago.  I love them!  I haven't really taken them off the entire time I have had them.  I'm just not a fan of open shoes, and these solve that problem.  The reason behind my distaste for open shoes is just that being a guy, and having to use a urinal, is not the best idea for a sandal wearer.  If you get my drift.

But yeah I love these things and I want to grab a few more pairs just because they aren't all that expensive.  Check them out at www.Sanuk.com.  

"The Phone Company": An Unknown Villain

I have been watching television for years, not constantly, but usually a few hours of each day.  This would imply that I have seen quite a few commercials in my time.  I have noticed a recent trend among telecommunications companies and their bashing of "the phone company".  Who is this mysterious bandit stealing our hard earned money by charging too much for local and long distance calls?  That's the problem...the commercials never say.  

Start to pay attention to these commercials.  Comcast just had a commercial on saying how their services were cheaper and more reliable than "the phone company".  Vonage has basically the same commercial, and so do AT&T and BellSouth.  These are all phone companies, and if they are not the culprits, then who is "the phone company" they are all speaking of.  This is now the new reason I am boycotting the use of landline phones in my home, other than the fact that it is pointless now that everyone has cellular phones with plans that are reasonable for everyday use.  So, just start to notice commercials that advertise home phone service.  And for god's sake...give "the phone company" a break.  

Dave Matthews GPS (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)

Here is the Dave Matthews GPS bit from last night's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon episode. Pretty good...especially when Dave comes out. Makes me think of when Jimmy used to be on Saturday Night Live. I always loved when he would do the parodies. This is a pretty great one. Enjoy.

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Calvin Klein: Obsession (Note: This has NOTHING to do with cologne)

I've been thinking alot lately about where I really want to be and where I want to go in my life.  I love music, that is no secret.  I really would love to be able to make a living playing and recording music.  That would ultimately make me the happiest person I could possibly be.  Whether or not that ever gets to happen, I will not know until it does, or doesn't.  That is where I want to be in my life though.  I don't see me ever giving up on that goal.  

In the past 6 months, music has taken me to more places than I ever thought I'd go in my entire life.  Out of all of the places I have been in the past 6 months, California tops all of them.  Since returning from there, for some reason I have become so enamored with the thought of living the California lifestyle.  I was out in the LA area for 2 days before the Mayercraft Carrier cruise and 1 day after the cruise.  I spent time in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Burbank, and other cities.  I loved the whole experience.  I remember passing by a high school right outside of Long Beach where some kids were having baseball practice after school.  At that moment I was picturing what it would have been like to grow up in this place...and thinking what kind of person I would have become compared to what I am now.  There's no way of telling, but it was still cool to imagine.  

I can't wait to go back to California.  I'm trying to get the band I'm in, Sunset Love Affair, out there soon.  I'm looking into getting us a gig at the Whiskey A Go Go.  That place is legendary...and would definitely be a highlight of my life as well as the other guys in the band.  I think our music would do well out in California.  It's just a shame we all live 3000 miles away.  I guess that's what touring is for.  I really hope we can make it out to play in LA/Hollywood though because I know the other band members would love it there just as much, if not more, than I do.

I think I would enjoy living out there someday.  It has everything nearby that is important to me: a beach, a city, sports teams, music, diversity, and it's only a 5-6 hour plane ride from Atlanta if I ever needed to come back.  Maybe one day it will happen.  Or maybe I'll go back to LA so many times that I grow to hate it...then I'll have to find another city to become obsessed with...so be on the lookout Cheyenne, Wyoming!!!

Conan O'Brien: Twitter Tracker

Here it is folks...the Twitter Tracker segment from Episode 2 of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.  I watched this last night with Peachy McMurphy...this is just good stuff.  Incidentally, hit me up on Twitter @FriskyOneill and @SunsetLovin.

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Social Experiment: Ridin' Dirty

So yeah…I have made it almost through the whole day.  Been around plenty of people, all of which I was around yesterday.  I must be a very “blendy” person because they haven’t noticed my lil’ fashion faux pas.  I am wearing the exact same thing as yesterday. 

No this isn’t like the “oh, I have two pairs of those jeans” kind of things.  I’m wearing exactly the same thing I was wearing yesterday.  I didn’t even realize this until I was 5 minutes from work.  I keep waiting for someone to say something…but nothing.

This makes me wonder if I’ve done this before.  If I didn’t notice what I was putting on this morning, could that have happened more than once?  This wouldn’t bother me so much if I wasn’t wearing everything today that I was wearing yesterday.  I can remember times where I had worn the same jeans for 2 weeks straight…no big deal.  They fit better that way anyway. 

I’m thinking a social experiment is in order.  I might just go home, wash my clothes, and wear the same thing again for the third day in a row.   That way it won’t be nasty, but maybe I can finally get a reaction.  If I don’t get a reaction…take it to day 4.  I may just keep this going until people sit me down for an intervention.  That could be fun.  Although, anyone who knows me will know that I wouldn’t ever do that.  It would be a wasted load of laundry and would cost money.  I’m too cheap for that.  So I’ve decided…if I do it…I’m gonna ride dirty.

This has been a message from Frisky O’Neill

www.twitter.com/FriskyOneill

www.myspace.com/MattBannister

www.myspace.com/SunsetLoveAffair

www.myspace.com/TheRedTideSaga

Daily Dilemma: What's For Lunch?

Every day I am faced with an extremely difficult decision.  I sit and think, sometimes for half an hour, about how to solve my problem.  I don’t want to choose the easy path, because it’s often the least satisfying way.  I also don’t want to choose the hard path, because it often takes too long and costs too much.  I don’t want to make a bad decision because it affects the outcome of the rest of my day.  If I make a bad decision I will regret it for the rest of the day and I will be left wondering…what might have been. 

Of course, I’m talking about lunch. 

You can’t sit there and tell me that you do not have the same problem.  We’ve all been there and had the unsatisfying lunch that just leaves you feeling depressed and longing for something more.  I know I have.  It happens all the time.  I’m trying to put an end to it, but it’s slow going. 

Below are a list of Restaurants and Eateries of various sorts that I frequent for lunch.  These are the places that have NEVER let me down:

-       Five Guys Burgers and Fries

-       Willie’s Mexicana Grill

-       Moe’s Southwest Grill

-       RuSan’s (Sushi)

-       In-N-Out Burger (West Coast…You need to come EAST!!!)

-       Taco John’s (Midwest…Needs to come here as well.)

That’s the list right there…the places that have never let me down.  In-N-Out burger only makes the list because out of the 3 times that I have ever had it…it was memorable, consistent, and amazing. 

I am trying to come up with some sort of lunch pitching rotation so that I can take my lunch break every day of the week and never be let down.  Since there are no In-N-Out Burger or Taco John’s locations in Atlanta, GA…I need a replacement.  I would prefer a 6 “Man” rotation so that I can mix my days of the week up. 

Here is the current rotation:

1)   Willie’s Mexicana Grill

2)   Five Guys Burgers and Fries

3)   -----INSERT HERE-----

4)   Moe’s Southwest Grill

5)   RuSan’s (Sushi)

6)   -----INSERT HERE-----

It’s up to you to select #3 and #6.  Good luck and I will keep you updated on the results!

- Matty B.

www.myspace.com/mattbannister

www.myspace.com/SunsetLoveAffair

www.myspace.com/TheRedTideSaga