Let’s face it — Janet hasn’t been the hitmaker she once was and now she’s all into this acting thing. Now she’s on the road with her Number Ones tour and the buzz is good about her scaled-back show in smaller venues. We know what to call her when we’re nasty, but maybe after this concert, we can call her “great” again.
DEETS: Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place. 8 p.m. $49–$125. Ticketmaster.com.
Last night we ventured out to the Clay Aiken show at Verizon Theatre. To be honest, I am not a big fan of his music, but I’m certainly a fan of him. We had a good interview for this piece in this week’s issue which started endearing me to him, but when he turned on the ‘tude last night and chatted up his elder audience, he had all the makings of a sassy queen. Several precious moments were to be had as he threw people under the bus, made fun of top 40 radio and took delight in the lack of men in the audience — or at least had fun with it when he cited only six men in the front rows.
“Did she drag you here?” he would ask. Pretty great.
My apologies to any people behind me as I tweeted the night away, but hey, I wasn’t holding my phone up videoing the guy. Here are my tweet-thoughts from the evening and current thoughts (in bold) the day after (after the jump) along with my colleague’s take on the evening.
It should come as no surprise that singer Clay Aiken would be a gentleman. With his Southern twang and clean-cut persona, he’s both personable and professional in an interview. But the kid is also pretty slick.
“Not many people can deal with the scrutiny of bullshit.”
Whoa — did Clay Aiken just drop the “S” word? The remark comes on the heels of a question about his much blogged-about new relationship with Jeff Walters, a local actor with recent parts in such shows as Uptown Players’ Closer to Heaven and Ohlook’s The Rocky Horror Show. Perez Hilton and many others (our own Instant Tea blog even got in on the action) were quick to highlight the guys’ night out on the town, complete with pics at Theatre Three and the Gaylord. What soon followed were pics of Walters from Grindr and his work as an underwear model.
“I’ll save you the trouble of asking and not answer,” Aiken laughs with that underlying tone that he’s tight-lipped about his personal life.
Read the entire article here.
Last week, I talked with Clay Aiken about his activist work and then his music. He’s kinda been all over the place singing pop, showtunes and now old school classics. He seems to have made a career out of being non-traditional in his approach to his musical catalog. We dig it.
His show comes to town tomorrow night at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie and we have tickets. Wanna go? Yes you do. If so, e-mail us here with “AIKEN” in the subject line and your name and number in the body. I should see you there, so you better say hi.
Ricky Martin is back out on the road and he comes back to North Texas later this spring. He’s touring in support of his new album, Musica Alma Sexo, which drops Tuesday. This is his first album release after coming out last year.
I was kind of worried because his lead single “The Best Thing About Me is You” isn’t the usual bombastic Latin dance music people are used to from him, but after listening to other tracks from MAS, it’s clear he hasn’t abandoned his signature sound completely (check out the feel-good vibe of “Best Thing”). MAS is a Spanish-language album, but he recorded “Best Thing” in English with Joss Stone. Check out the video below.
Martin is scheduled to play Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie on April 22.
I’m getting ready to convert my lame-o cell phone into an iPhone for Verizon, so it occurs to me I can use more apps than the few piling up on my limited-use 8-gig iPod Touch. I want stuff that’s useful, like those apps that perform instant price-checks or get your GPS quickly or get you laid while in the Alps. (OK, maybe that’s just wishful thinking.) And I’m thinkin’ about Calyp.
Considering how addicted most people already are to “liking” people and events on Facebook and retweeting the interests of their friends and followers, the new app Calyp has an intriguing premise. The idea is to sign up at Calyp.com or download the free app from the Apple store. If I understand it right, you then select your interests and hobbies (say, indie music or eating out). The site then pairs up its clients with your interests; if you like the item the client suggests — say, 20 percent off a dinner at your favorite restaurant — you simply share that will others in your social media network. You earn points for the number of hits and click-throughs you get as a result. Points accrue toward credit on a Visa debit card you can use anywhere.
Does it make you a bit of a shill? Mebbe. But if you really like the stuff, it’s a way to share your likes with others. It’s like Groupon, only you benefit from sharing it. (Just like Groupon does, come to think of it, only you don’t have to buy anything — others do.) And hey, if I can defer some of the cost of that new iPhone, all the better.
True fans of Katy Perry probably got this word first. The pop singer announced on Facebook that she’ll be on the road with her California Dreams 2011 world tour. The tour itself is sounding pretty interactive. The press release says the following:
Katy is planning on interacting with fans through social media networks throughout the California Dreams tour. Using Facebook Places/Deals, fans will be able to check into the venues each night to receive special treats. Fans will also be able to submit their own photos of the show via Twitter which will be incorporated into the live show and also live on her website.
That’ sounds like a whole lotta work. Can’t we just go see the show?
Whilst touring, the release says Perry is about to release “E.T.,” as the album’s fourth single and begin shooting the video.
She’s scheduled to play North Texas at the Verizon Theatre on July 28. Take a look at her here from her performance in Dallas as part of the 2008 Vans Warped Tour.
Well Verizon Theatre is kicking it up a notch this Spring. Just yesterday we posted Kylie Minogue will be hitting the Verizon stage in May and now “Miss Jackson If You’re Nasty” comes to town. LiveNation announced on their Twitter feed and Facebook than Janet Jackson Number Ones tour comes to the venue April 2. And she’s only performing the hits so this show should be just as exciting as this one.
But Verizon? JJ is an American Airlines lady at best. Well, LiveNation says she wants to get “up close and personal” on this tour:
This tour will differ from her previous concert schedules in that she will perform music exclusively from her chart topping CD NUMBER ONES. There will also be a focus on venues that will allow Janet to be up close and personal in a much more intimate setting. In each selected city JANET will offer something different to her performance so no show will be the same. This tour is JANET more revealed, more intimate, and more personal than ever before. Don’t look for special effects. Just listen to and look at Janet, as you have never seen her before.
OK, I’m kinda bummed about the no special effects cuz “Rhythm Nation” is da bomb when played out. But whatevs. Tickets are $49.50–$125 and go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Kylie Minogue has been plugging her non-North American tour mostly, but she’s finally announced the U.S. leg of her tour with one stop in Dallas. OK, Grand Prairie to be exact. Pre-sale tix for the U.S. leg go on sale to the public Jan. 22. Her North American dates will be presented by Logo TV, so this could be the gayest concert of the year — so far.
“The reaction to Aphrodite has been absolutely incredible and has inspired me and my creative team to develop a new show that will take all of us on a euphoric journey of joy, excitement and glamour. I can’t wait to get on the road and see all my fans in 2011,” said Minogue.
Euphoric? Whoa.
Your lunchtime quickie from Instant Tea:
• Log Cabin presses ahead with DADT lawsuit.
• Anti-gay State Rep. Warren Chisum drops out of speaker’s race, will vote for incumbent Joe Straus.
• What it would cost you to switch from AT&T to Verizon, which will begin selling the iPhone in February.
• Transgender vets push for military access.
• Watch live: Texas Legislature convenes.
