9.9.11 Adam News and Info
Sept 8, 2011 21:58:20 GMT -5
Post by Q3 on Sept 8, 2011 21:58:20 GMT -5
Adam the Artist: Finding an Audience
9.9.11 by juniemoon
There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer. - Ansel Adams
The last week or so I have been exploring some ideas about Adam and his artistry. Today I wanted to try to put together some ideas about Adam and his audience.
More than any of the other creative arts, music is about communication and connection. Unlike painting or sculpture or writing or even drama, music bypasses our intellects and grabs us directly by the heart (and other things). Music can make us dance, cry, feel sexy, comfort us, and inspire us. Adam has inked this connection between musician and audience on his body in the form of his infinity tattoo.
When I think about how Adam set his sights a few years ago on becoming a rock star, I’m in awe of his chutzpah. A lot of musicians set out to gain small audiences in coffee shops or bars, but Adam wanted to rock out before a mass audience. The question was how to get one. Everyone knows the tremendous difficulties in making it in the music business. Just getting bookings and exposing your work to the public is a monumental task.
And for all the glimpses we get of Adam’s early efforts in grainy videos of Citizen Vein, the Zodiac Show, or the Upright Cabaret, we can only imagine the many times he was told, as he recounted in his memorable monologue at the Music Box at the end of the Glam Nation Tour, “no, no, no, no.” And I suspect his audience was usually comprised of friends or other artists, not potential fans. He was in essence an artist in search of an audience who would appreciate his work.
We all know the story of how Adam conquered American Idol, and I won’t belabor it here. The upshot is that he did a brilliant job of using the show as a springboard to get his artistry in front of a mass audience, and he’s had a tiger by the tail ever since. This fall may be a turning point for Adam in terms of establishing himself as a true star, and the task before him is two-fold: to get his work in front of more potential fans, and to convert them by making an emotional connection. One is a business challenge; the other goes to the heart of his artistry.
Everyone in the music business today is struggling with these same issues. The truth is, no one really <i>needs </i>new music anymore. There are not millions of potential fans out there just waiting desperately for Adam to show them what music is all about these days. Adam’s desire to be a rock star is of no consequence to anyone except Adam and his committed fans, for at the click of a button, people can download almost any song ever recorded. That means Adam is competing not only with current artists, but all of the artists of the past. We are all downright saturated with music, more than we could ever listen to in a lifetime.
iTunes has conned us into thinking that we can make a decision about a piece of music in 30 seconds and without any context at all. No story, no relationship, no sense of where to place it or what to expect next. How many times have you fallen in love with a song based on that method of selling? Even once?
But while no one might actually <i>need</i> new music, almost everyone these days needs connection. This is something Adam’s fans already know and that we hope many others are about to discover. How many of us forgot what it was like to make sense of the world through music, before Adam? How many of us missed the male voice in all its creative vocal ingenuity, and didn’t even know it until we heard it again?
We are all here for different reasons, but it strikes me that what Adam is really selling are some products that are in very short supply: inspiration, hope, and music that speaks of a changing world. There is a huge audience for these commodities, but they can't be delivered by clicking a button or by being bludgeoned by the Hollywood hype machine. They come from conversation with friends and from communities (either online or in real life). They come with context. They take time to develop. They are highly personal.
For me, I think Adam connects best in live performance, and that’s why I hope his new management can get him on TV and in front of people as much as possible. Adam has the most delightful, original stagecraft that I can ever remember seeing. What we experienced during Glam Nation was so much more than witnessing something as a spectator. It was about intensity, about being part of the moment with Adam, about the creative flow and emotion helping Adam <i>and</i> us make discoveries about ourselves – all of us together. That deeper level of feeling is the essence of “Infinity” and the reason the Glamberts have developed such a strong subculture to keep it going.
This feedback loop is one of the things I find so special about Adam and his artistic connection with his audience. I’m sure that Adam, RCA, and his new managers have spent a lot of time trying to understand who Adam’s audience is. What do they (we) want? How far should Adam go in offering new sounds and new ideas? What offerings will make magic in the intense communal setting of a concert? What will work on radio, that mindless sound bath that plays in the background of our lives? What pieces will engage the deep loyalty of fans listening alone on their Ipods?
I believe that one of Adam’s deepest strengths as an artist is his ability to connect with an audience, and he is twice the artist in that respect now than he was two years ago when he put together FYE. Creating music that is a success both commercially and creatively is in the end all about compromise, but I have no fear that Adam will sell out his artistry. The reason is that “infinity” is just another word for compromise … in the sense of engaging in an endless dialogue of mutual respect and understanding between the artist and his audience.
For those who fall under Adam’s spell this time around, they can expect to share in a mutual debt that makes us all stronger. Hundreds of artists come to the market with collections of tunes for sales, but learning to understand one another in a crazy world? That’s priceless.
Adam news references…..
Traipse the political terrene and anyone not living under a rock has seen the last couple of years spawn unprecedented progress in gay rights period, let alone in the Pop musical landscape. Lady Gaga, Jessie J, Ricky Martin, and Adam Lambert are just a few of the openly bi or gay stars who are pushing an envelope (arguably) signed and sealed by Melissa Etheridge, George Michael, and Boy George before them. But while Pop is busy pushing an envelope, hip hop maybe busy hiding it, sweeping it under the taboo throw rug.
Link: thatgrapejuice.net/2011/09/trapped-closet-hiding-hiphop-part-1-2/
The week-long celebration known as Burning Man draws huge crowds. What started out as a bonfire to mark the Summer Solstice has now become a massive party drawing as many as 50,000 people to it…including some very famous names. Adam Lambert spent the week there celebrating. It was not the first time he attended either.
Link: lezgetreal.com/2011/09/apparently-adam-lambert-needed-to-attend-burning-man/
“The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time”
Part 2 available for voting!!!
9.7.11 by Q3
There were 360 nominations! And the ballots are prepared. Since there were some many nominations, I have broken it up into two ballots.
The first ballot is here: qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1G04JqlxQxOdEd6
The second ballot is here: qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_agbiKnbBKYXj696
Here are the rules for “The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time”:
1. A Member can nominate up to 5 songs in any order, by posting them in the 9.3.11 News Thread before 11:59PM Pacific Time on 9.3.11.
2. Songs nominated must be composed since 1900.
3. Nominate only songs with English language lyrics.
4. Great songs are defined by their quality, not by sales and chart rankings, but a “Greatest Song” cannot be totally obscure.
5. Songs can be from almost any genre but the following are excluded: Classical Music, Religious (Sacred) Songs, Christmas Songs or Children’s Songs
The GREATEST SONG Nominees
| (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay, Ottis Redding | Epitaph, King Crimson | Lather, Jefferson Airplane | Song to the Siren, Tim Buckley |
| 100 Ways, James Ingram | Every Breath You Take, The Police | Lay Lady Lay, Bob Dylan | Space Oddity, David Bowie's |
| 5 Steps, Dru Hill | Every Time We Say Goodbye, Annie Lennox | Let It Be, Beatles | Spanish Caravan, The Doors |
| 59th Street Bridge Song, Simon and Garfunkel | Everybody Hurts, R.E.M. | Let the River Run, Carly Simon (theme from Working Girl) | Speechless, Lady Gaga |
| A change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke | Evolve, Ani DiFranco | Lets Get It On, Marvin Gaye | Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin |
| A Day in the Life, The Beatles | Faith, George Micheal | Life Without You, Stevie Ray Vaughan | Stand By Me, written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, sung by Ben E. King |
| A House is Not a Home, Luther Vandross | Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard | Light My Fire, The Doors | Stargazer, Rainbow |
| Across the Universe, The Beatles | Father Figure, George Michael | Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan | Strange Way, Firefall |
| Ain't too Proud to Beg, Temptations | Feeling Good, "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd" | Little Red Corvette, Prince | Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits |
| All Cried Out, Alison Moyet | Fever, Peggy Lee | Locomotive Breath Jethro Tull | Summertime, Ella Fitzgerald |
| All I want to do is make love to you, Heart | Fight the Power, Public Enemy | Long, Long Time, written by Gary B. White, sung by Linda Ronstadt | Sunshine of Your Love, Cream |
| Always on My Mind, Willie Nelson | Fire and Water, Free | Lose Yourself, Eminem | Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley |
| Am I Losing My Mind, Stephen Sondheim | First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack | Losing My Religion, R.E.M. | Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses |
| American Pie, Don McLean | Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra | Love is a Losing Game, Amy Winehouse | Sweet Dreams (are made of this), Eurythmics |
| Anarchy in the UK, Sex Pistols | Folson Prision, Johnny Cash | Love Me Tender, Elvis Presley | Sweet Home Alabama, Lynard Skynard |
| And So It Goes, Billy Joel | For No One, The Beatles | Love of My Life, Queen | Sweet Sir Galahad, Joan Baez |
| And When I Die, Blood, Sweat and Tears | For What it's Worth, Buffalo Springfield | Love Song to a Stranger, Joan Baez | Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver |
| Angel, Sarah McLachlan | Freedom 90, George Michael | Low, Flo Rida featuring T-Pain | The Boxer, written by Paul Simon, sung by Simon and Garfunkel |
| Another Brick in the Wall, Pink Floyd | From Her To Eternity, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Lucky Man, Emerson Lake and Palmer | The Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson |
| Another One Bites The Dust, Queen - | Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio Featuring L.V. | Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, The Beatles | The Door Into Summer, The Door |
| Aqualung, Jethro Tull | Get off of My Cloud, The Rolling Stones | Mad World, Tears for Fears | The Joker, Steve Miller Band |
| At This Moment, Billy Vera & the Beaters | Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar | Maggie May, Rod Stewart | The Logical Song, Supertramp |
| Baba O'Riley, The Who | Gin and Juice, Snoop Dogg | Mamma Mia, Abba | The Music of the Night, The Phantom of the Opera |
| Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-a-Lot | Girl in the War, Josh Ritter | Man I feel like a Woman, Shania Twain | The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Band |
| Baby I Want You, Bread | Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon, Urge Overkill | Many Rivers to Cross, Jimmy Cliff | The Riddle, Five for Fighting |
| Back in Black, AC/DC | Give Me Love, George Harrison | Me and Bobby McGee, Kris Kristofferson | The Rose, Bette Midler |
| Back to Black, Amy Winehouse | God Only Knows, The Beach Boys | Memory, from the musical Cats | The Sound of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel |
| Bad Moon Rising, CCR | Goodbye to Romance, Ozzy Osborne | Missing You, John Waite | The Twelve of Never, Johnny Mathis |
| Bad Romance, Lady Gaga | Graceland, Paul Simon | Money, Pink Floyd | The Unforgiven, Metallica |
| Barbie Girl, Aqua | Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen | My Girl, Temptations | The Walk, Imogen Heap |
| Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf | Harvest Moon, Neil Young | My Sweet Prince, Placebo | The Way I Feel, Gordon Lightfoot |
| Beat It, Michael Jackson | Have you ever really loved a woman, Bryan Adams | My Way, Frank Sinatra/Sex Pistols' bassist Sid Vicious | The Weight, The Band |
| Beautiful Day, U2 | Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye | Need You Now, Lady Antebellum | Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull |
| Because of You, Kelly Clarkson | Heart of Gold, Neil Young | Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley | This Is How We Do It, Montell Jordan |
| Because The Night, Patti Smith | Heartless, Kanye West | New York, New York, Frank Sinatra | Three Times a Lady, The Commodores with Lionel Ritchie |
| Beth, Kiss | Heart-Shaped Box, Nirvana | Night and Day, Cole Porter | Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper |
| Billy Jean, Michael Jackson | Heaven on their Minds from Jesus Christ Superstar | Nights in White Satin, Moody Blues | Time Is On My Side, The Rolling Stones |
| Birdland, The Manhattan Transfer | Here, There & Everywhere, The Beatles | No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley | Time to Say Goodbye, Chris Botti |
| Black Dog, Led Zeppelin | Hey Ya, Outcast | Not A Day Goes By, Bernadette Peters | Time, Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon) |
| Black or White, Michael Jackson | Hey You, Pink Floyd | Not Afraid, Eminem | Times They are a Changin', Bob Dylan |
| Black, Pearl Jam | High and Dry by Radiohead | Not Fade Away, Buddy Holly and the Crickets | Tiny Dancer, Elton John |
| Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Willie Nelson | Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar | Not While I'm Around, Stephen Sondheim | Tiptoe Through The Tulips, Tiny Tim |
| Blue, Joni Mitchell | Honesty, Billy Joel | Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor | Too Much Love Will Kill You, Queen |
| Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen | Honky Tonk Woman, Rolling Stones | Old Time Rock 'n Roll, Bob Seeger | Tower of Song, Leonard Cohen |
| Boom Boom Pow, The Black Eyed Peas | Horse With No Name, America | Oldest Living Son, written and sung by John Stewart | Tracks Of My Tears, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles |
| Boom! Boom!, John Lee Hooker | Hotel California, Eagles | Ol' Man River, Paul Robeson | Travelin Soldier, Dixie Chicks |
| Boy in the Bubble, Paul Simon | House of the Rising Sun, The Animals | Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads | True Colors, Cyndi Lauper |
| Boys of Summer, Don Henley | I Am Woman, Helen Reddy | One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, George Thorogood | Try a Little Tenderness, Otis Redding |
| Break on Through (to the other side), The Doors | I Apologize, Anita Baker | Ordinary Day, Duran Duran | Tweeter And The Monkey Man, Traveling Wilburys |
| Break Up to Make Up, Stylistics | I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt | Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers | U and Ur Hand, Pink |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkle | I Concentrate on You, Cole Porter | Outlaws of Love, Adam Lambert | Unchained Melody, The Righteous Brothers |
| Bring Him Home, Les Miserables | I Feel Good, James Brown | P.Y.T., Michael Jackson | Under Pressure, Queen & David Bowie |
| Broken Open, Adam Lambert | I Feel Love, Donna Summer | Papa Don't Preach, Madonna | Viva La Vida, Coldplay |
| Business As Usual, Little Feat | I Fooled Around and Fell in Love, Elvin Bishop | Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Meat Loaf | Voodoo Child, Jimi Hendrix |
| But Not For Me, George and Ira Gershwin | I Gotta Feeling, The Black Eyed Peas | Peaches and Cream, 112 | Waiting for a Superman, Five for Fighting |
| Can I have this Dance?, Anne Murray | I Hope I Don't Fall in Love with You, Tom Waits | People Are Strange, The Doors | Wanted Dead or Alive, Bon Jovi |
| Candyman (Lollipop), Aqua | I Kissed a Girl, Katy Perry | Perfect Journey, Lou Reed | Water Runs Dry, Boyz to Men |
| Can't Help Falling In Love, Elvis Presley | I Put A Spell On You, Screamin' Jay Hawkins | Photograph's and Memories, Jim Croce | We Are The World, multiple artists |
| Cat's in the Cradle, Harry Chapin | I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2 | Piece of My Heart, Janis Joplin | We Will Rock You, Queen |
| Chances Are, Johnny Mathis | I Want to Break Free, Queen | Positively 4th Street, Bob Dylan | Welcome to the Jungle, Guns 'n Roses |
| Child in Time, Deep Purple | I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston | Proud Mary, Ike and Tina Turner | We're in This Love Together, Al Jarreau |
| Chimes of Freedom, Bob Dylan | I'd Die Without You, PM Dawn | Psycho Killer, Talking Heads | What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong |
| Christina Aguilera, Beautiful | I'd Do Anything for Love, Meat Loaf | Radio Ga Ga, Queen | Whataya Want From Me, Adam Lambert |
| Circle Game, Joni Mitchell | If I Can Dream, Elvis | Raiders on the Storm, The Doors | Whatcha Say, Jason Derulo |
| City of New Orleans, Arlo Guthrie | If, Bread | Rainbow Connection, Muppets | What's Goin' On, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson and Al Cleveland |
| Cold, Annie Lennox | I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song, Jim Croce | Rainy Night in Georgia, Ray Charles/Brook Benton | When a man loves a woman, Percy Sledge |
| Come Here Boy, Imogen Heap | I'm So Excited, The Pointer Sisters | Raise Me Up, Josh Groban | When Doves Cry, Prince |
| Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd | I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams | Rebel Yell, Billy Idol | When I Get Where I'm Going, Brad Paisley |
| Crazy, Gnarls Barkley | Imagine, John Lennon | Rehab, Amy Winehouse | When You Wish upon a Star, written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's Pinocchio |
| Crazy, Patsy Cline | In My Life, The Beatles/John Lennon | RESPECT, Aretha Franklin | Where the Streets Have No Name, U2 |
| Cream, Prince | In the Ghetto, written by Mac Davis, sung by Elvis Presley | Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash | While My Guitar Gently Weeps, George Harrison |
| Cry My a River, Ella Fitzgerald | In The Name Of The Father, U2 | Rollin' In The Deep, Adele | White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane3 |
| Crying, Roy Orbison | In the Still of the Night, Five Satins | Sacrifice, Elton John | White Wedding, Billy Idol |
| Dancing in the Dark, Bruce Springsteen | Irreplaceable, Beyoncé | Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy, Big and Rich | Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin |
| Darkness, Darkness, The Youngbloods | Is that all there is, Peggy Lee | Send In The Clowns, Judy Collins | Why, Annie Lennox |
| Dear Mama, Tupac | It's A Beautiful Day, White Bird | Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye | Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones |
| Desperado, Eagles | It's My Life, Bon Jovi | SexyBack, Justin Timberlake | With Or Without You, U2 |
| Diamond Girl, Seals and Croft | It's Still Rock & Roll to Me, Billy Joel | Shine a Light, Rolling Stone | Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who |
| Different Drum, Linda Ronstadt | It's Too Late, Carole King | Should I Stay or Should I Go, Clash | Working My Way Back To You (Babe), Jerry Valle and the 4 Seasons |
| Doctor Jones, Aqua | Janie's Got a Gun, Aerosmith | Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Beyoncé | Yesterday, The Beatles |
| Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, Elton John | Jesus Christ Superstar, from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar | Sinnerman, Nina Simone | You Are Everything, Stylistics |
| Don't Stop Believing, Journey | Johnny Be Good, Chuck Berry | Skyline Pidgeon, Elton John | You Look Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton |
| Dreams, Fleetwood Mac | Just in Case, Jaheim | Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel | You Lost Me, Christina Aguilera |
| Dynamite, Taio Cruz | Just Like a Pill, Pink | Smells like Teen Spirit, Nirvana | You Make Me Feel Brank New, Stylistics |
| Echoes, Pink Floyd | Just Remember I Love You, Firefall | Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas | You Really Got Me, Kinks |
| Eleanor Rigby, Beatles | Killing in the Name of, Rage against the Machine | So What, Pink | You shook me all night long, AC/DC |
| Emmie, Laura Nero | Knocking On Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan | Sober, Pink | You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), Dead or Alive |
| Empire State of Mind, Alicia Keys & Jay-Z | Lacrymosa, Evanescence | Somebody to Love, Queen | Your Song, Elton John |
| Empty Pages, Traffic | Ladies First, Queen Latifah | Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland/Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole | You're No Good, Linda Ronstadt |
| Enter Sandman, Metallica | Land of Confusion, Genesis | Somewhere, West Side Story | You've lost that loving feeling, The Righteous Brothers |
I think we put together a damn fine list. So what did we miss?
Next Thursday (9.16.11), watch for the new poll GREATEST SONG IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!
Upcoming Events
Check the Adamtopia calendar for more events and links to more info.
??: Behind the scenes video of Adam #2 recording sessions to be released.
September 2011 Date TBD, unconfirmed Adam will be a guest judge on Project Runway. His episode was taped on 7.14.11.
Probable per Adam mid-October: New single released
9.16.11 Last day to order PEACE Penny Royal Adam Lambert Signature Design to benefit Trevor Project.
9.23.2011 Premiere of Majors & Minors on the Hub Network.
Adam Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Colbie Caillat and Claude Kelly are joining The Hub's latest reality series Majors & Minors. They will serve as mentors (the "majors") to young talent on the upcoming fall series, premiering Friday, Sept. 23.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adam-lambert-avril-lavigne-colbie-217026
October or November 2011 (Date and Time TBA) MTV Talk@Playground with Adam and SKINGRAFT'S Johnny Cota. Will be broadcast internationally.
November 2011 Adam's second album released NOT CONFIRMED, may be early December.
8.26.11 per Adam Lambert Twitter - no release date set.
Every Saturday from New Zealand -- Adam Lambert Hour -- Live 7:00PM EDT US.
Link: www.adamlamberthour.co.nr/
Check out the ALH page for podcast of previous shows.
This is the only weekly Adam Lambert show in the world.
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Special song for Texas....
I plan to leave to leave this on our site until it rains in Austin, TX!!
Native American Music (Rain dance)
;D About camping/glamping (yesterday's thread):
