So April turned out to be a pretty great month. It was kind of slow on the celebrity news side, but still loads of fun with great music and YouTube videos!
Listen to my April 2019 favorites in pop culture and entertainment on Soundcloud:
Here are some highlights:
Favorite News Articles
Kid calls 911 to order McDonald’s
Favorite Music
“Slow Dances” by Winnetka Bowling League
“Just Like You” by Satin Jackets
Favorite Celeb Instagrams
Yesterday I went out to Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum with my friend Kristell to watch The X Factor taping.
I’ve never been part of a live audience before, so this was pretty exciting for me.
However, my excitement disappeared when the clock struck 1pm and they weren’t letting us in. The ticket told us to arrive by then, so we got there around 12:25pm. We didn’t actually go inside until about 2:25.
The sun was unbearably hot. The soles of my feet were killing me and there’s a tan line from my flats on both of my feet.
When we got inside I was starving, so I bought cotton candy. It cost me $6.75. Since when does cotton candy cost six freaking dollars and seventy-five cents?!
Once Kristell and I sat down and I put the cotton candy in my mouth, I got excited again.
Jay Flats pumped the crowd up while we waited for the judges to arrive. We “got rowdy” to Martin Solveig and Dragonette’s “Hello” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”
Then they did a sound check. Amy, a member of the crew, sang “Rollin’ on the River.” She was really good.
Amy performing “Rollin’ on the River” for the sound check
Photo Credit: Kristell Taylor
After the sound check came the camera check. Audience members either got really shy, excited, or did nothing when they saw their faces on the big screen. The elderly were most likely to do nothing when the camera focused in on them.
At around three, judges Demi Lovato, Paulina Rubio, and Kelly Rowland showed up. They began auditions without Simon Cowell.
Simon didn’t arrive until three auditions later. When he walked in, the Franco Sisters were on stage and they thought the screams and cheers were for them. Unfortunately, as soon as he opened his mouth I wished he had gone back to wherever he came from.
He blamed Demi for his lateness, saying that she texted him to be there at 3:30 instead of 3. How dare he!
Then he told the older Franco sister off. I won’t spoil that part for you, but I think that what he said to her was unnecessary.
The youngsters were definitely blowing us all away. The three to look out for are 13 year olds Hannah Johnson and Ashley, and 15 year old Isaiah Austin.
Another interesting performer was Steven, a 40 year old blueberry farmer from South Korea who moved to the US when he was 18. I wasn’t expecting him to be any good, but gosh did he shock us all with his audition! He sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” starting at the final chorus. Wow is all I can say to that.
Then of course there were the trolls, Vincent and Tara. The sad part about the trolls is that they let them sing for longer than the people that can actually carry a tune.
During the breaks in between auditions, there was a girl in my section with a Demi poster that had lights on it who kept screaming Demi’s name at the top of her lungs. By 4:30 she hardly had a voice. But she just kept on screaming. And Demi just kept on ignoring her.
Judges getting powdered up during the break
Photo Credit: Kristell Taylor
Overall my first experience as an audience member was okay. The waiting and the food prices were annoying, but otherwise I had a good time.
On Saturday, May 4th, 2013 students from Hofstra University treated themselves to the Spring Music Fest.
It was a blast!
There were rides, games, and music, all out on the Intramural Fields. And some crowd surfing. Check out some of the photos on the official Facebook page taken by Jared Cohen!
The lineup included Tune$, Persona, host Erin Willett, Twenty One Pilots, Joey Badass, and Third Eye Blind.
Erin Willett
During the intermissions, students were encouraged to check out the bands at side stage. One of those bands happened to be my buddy Colin Scanlan’s band The Feel Good. The band also includes members Ian Terry, Trever Crist, and Paul Legerme. They did great job. I especially loved their song “LIFE FIGHT.” Check out their music on bandcamp!
My personal favorites were Erin Willett and Twenty One Pilots.
Erin Willett is a 2011 graduate of Hofstra University and semifinalist on season 2 of The Voice. She not only hosted the Music Fest, but she also sang for us. Her vocals are amazing. She literally blew me away with her cover of “Rolling on the River.” She looked stunning in her Festival Style tee.
Before the festival I did not know a thing about Twenty One Pilots.
I’m quite pleased that I now do know of them because they are so good!
Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun.
At first I was alarmed by their masks, but then they started to play. Their beats are so catchy, and band members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are the cutest (once they take off the masks that is)!
These guys performed some seriously catchy beats including, “Holding On To You”, “Migrane”, “Screen” and “Car Radio.” They even came down from the stage with their drums, assembled in the middle of the crowd, and then played for us! At one point, Tyler Joseph said to the audience, “We’re from Ohio, but today we’re from Hofstra.”
You can be a Hofstran any day, Tyler.
Twenty One Pilots won us all over with their mashup of covers, including Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and Akon’s “Don’t Matter.”
In the days leading up to the concert, my fellow Hofstrans would not shut up about Third Eye Blind!
And they had reason to, because when they played their famous song “Jumper”, I began to realize something: music brings us together. Although everyone had their different motives for going to the festival, at the end of the day, we were all feeling that same bass guitar coursing through our bodies. We were all standing there, huddled up close at lead singer Stephan Jenkins’ command due to the chilly breeze, swaying to the same beat. Somehow in that moment, we were all connected.
Enjoy some footage from the festival!
