The Internet has proven once again that with a little social awkwardness and determination, anyone can be a rock star -- or at the very least, marginally famous.
But this time, it seems the Web surfers were destined for stardom far beyond a brief appearance on Best Week Ever, where a panel made up of washed up entertainment icons, failed standup comedians and people who apparently just walked in off the street could lambaste them for their 15 minutes of fame.
These Internet heroes have entered a world of which few can speak, a phenomenon even more sacred than emoting rodents or illiterate, anthropomorphic felines -- American 1970s rock bands.
Boston - In a move sure to make Tay Zonday move away from the microphone to vent his anger, Boston tapped Charlotte, N.C., native Tommy DeCarlo after checking out his MySpace page.
DeCarlo loaded several of the band's songs on his page with his own vocal track as a tribute to former lead singer Brad Delp, who committed suicide in 2007. Instead of suing the shirt off his back, the band decided to recruit him, prompting every e-tard with a microphone and a dream to rush home and butcher versions of their own rock idols' greatest hits (By the way, if representatives from Asia are reading this, I'm currently unemployed and have GREAT stage presence).
The great thing about DeCarlo's story is the sheer randomness of it. He used talent and technology to get to a place he never expected, and he'll take his place at the head of a legendary rock group. He'll be remembered longer than David Cook ever will, and he never even had to meet Ryan Seacrest -- or combine an emo hair swoop with a power patch for the ultimate in douchebag chic.
Journey -- What cover band doesn't love Journey?
None. It's science.
Filipino cover band The Zoo was no different. Except they had a lead singer who sounded as if he had extracted the trachea from lead singer Steve Perry himself.
It seems that the band responsible for getting moms of so many of today's 30-somethings knocked up in the backseat of the Trans Am saw something they liked in Arnel Pineda, who is now touring with the group. His membership with the band is a blessing in disguise to unexpected teen moms everywhere, because let's face it, it's better to be accidentally conceived to "Don't Stop Believin'" than any of the crap by Nickelback.
The fact that legendary bands from the 70s can embrace both new technology and their fans should give us hope in this era of horrible, horrible music.
After all, with so many different music-making video game peripherals out now, if artists like Scarlett Johansson and Jesse McCartney don't sit the hell down and shut up, I'll just make my own music.
6.04.2008
Rock bands prove Internet will make you famous - TechHumorist
6.02.2008
Annapolis is the "New" Hamptons
After weeks of working and working and working, I needed a weekend of intense relaxation outside of the great New York City. Thus, I hopped a Vamoose bus Friday morning at 7:30 am to leave my cares and financial agony behind. I slept. I listened to my ipod. I exchanged eager text messages with Angie over the philosophy of being.
Finally, the bus hit dry land, exploding with the anticipation everything the New Hamptons have to offer: booze, nature, boats, seafood and sunshine.
Thus beginith the greatest (and classiest) weekend ever begotten. I hit the dock with full enthusiasm, Angie picking me up in her G6 sailwagon and whisking me off to an Annapolis shopping center to eat amongst the locals at a darling little pizza joint. California Pizza Kitchen – perhaps you’ve heard of it, it’s famous around the country for the random stars who often appear to enjoy a slice and free themselves in the fresh Annapolis air.
A few hours later a picturesque couple, friends of Angie’s fiancé Ja, joined us for a delicious seafood fest on the dock across from our concert night cruiser. While enjoying our plates and plates of $3 happy hour cuisine and glasses and glasses of tequila based drinks, the gentleman tried to steal some food from a nature organization, got caught, and then miraculously made friends with them. They arrived back at our table with a few more plates of food and a handful of raffle tickets. We won a blow up palm tree and a blue laser light.
Just in time for our sunset cruise around the Chesapeake, Bryan and Bryan’s mom arrived, and the seven of us clzsaamored aboard the boat already three sheets to the wind. As the ever-faithful seventh wheel, I carried the palm tree around as my date and the Radio station sponsoring the festivity took some pictures of my awesome.
We also took a lot of photos. Bryan asked the musician for him to take a picture with his mom because, as Bryan put it, “Who can say no to a guy who brought his mom on a booze cruise.” And since you can’t stop the bum-rush, Angie and I took an “act like you’re a rapper” picture with him. He played along, bless his little heart.
After the boat docked around 11 pm,, we were in high spirits and needed another place to sip cocktails and have deep conversations. So the seven of us went from bar to bar in downtown New Hamptons to find somewhere with enough class. We ended up at a quaint bar, sitting at a table with Bryan’s mom sipping a Long Island Iced Tea and one of us giving chair dancing lessons to the ladies gracefully enjoying the dance floor. It was a lovely party.
But then Angie then decided it was time to go as the crowds around us were getting feisty and the boys had too much booze and thought dancing was a good idea. So we walked to the parking space at the Naval Academy and headed back to Angie’s apartment where we banged our head against guitar hero for a bit and Ja and Bryan split the most massive bag of baked French fries ever. I mean, that thing was big.
Day 2
Saturday was the day of the annual New Hamptons Crawfish boil, so after waking Bryan and Angie had to stroll down to the local grocery mart for fresh vegetables and garlic while the rest of us sipped tea and ate crumpets and bons bons at Grumpsias.
But then it started the infamous New Hamptons storming. Storming and storming and storming. With thunder and lightening and raindrops the size of baseballs. It looked like a tropical storm. But the Crawfish boil had to go on. Ja’s friends had left, leaving only Angie, Ja and I to battle our way to the boil in the ferocious weather.
The three of us arrived at the plantation neighboring Bryan’s to find groups of people huddled under the brightly colored tents. Bryan was in charge of boiling the crawfish and had just finished a batch as we walked up to the extravagant buffet table. Bryan flung the batch of crawfish, potatoes, garlic and tomatoes onto the table with all his might as the lines formed for the cuisine.
This routine went on for hours and hours until the sky finally cleared and people could wander out from under the tents, hands shielding their eyes from the hot New Hamptons sun. This is when I realized I am allergic to nature, as my entire body started to itch in crazy spasms. It had only taken a day for the layer of smog protecting my body dissipated and the nature could attack. All weekend I continued this battle, but I got through it with wine and good cheer.
Around 8 pm the games began. Game began. Female and male lines formed on opposite sides of the table and the plastic cups filled with quality beer, such as Yingling. And Miller Light. Or diet coke for the under 21. And under 15. And under 10. New Hamptons rigorously fights the prejudice of not allowing small children to play drinking games with intoxicated adults, being that they are usually much better and team VIPs.
Once the games had defeated the valiant New Hamptoniers most retired to study great works of literature.
Day 3
Angela likes to wake up while it is still dark to tend to her crops, and oft forgets that on the weekends normal humans enjoy sleeping in past 8 am. Especially after a long day of crawfish, organized games and literature studying.
Once Angela has texted us all awake and gathered our terse group of four, the debate for the day began. So many options await young people in the New Hamptons.
Sex in the City movie? Adamantly supported by the female group. Adamantly rejected by males. When suddenly Bryan chimed in from the left couch, sailing?!?
When in doubt, the perfect New Hamptons weekend always ends in a lazy day of sailing. And that is how we did it. With a bang. And being stranded on the Chesapeake with five people on a sailboat with an engine that wouldn’t work. I had to take the 8 pm bus instead of the 4 pm.
But all worth it. All so very worth it.
