emirock

OMG. F my life. I was like at the end of the line, waited 30 minutes or so and then left after the rain started up since I figured there was no chance he'd make his way that far down. GGGRRR. Oh well, I bought one of those signed prints.

Who is opening?

I found this official Midway State video on YouTube. Towards the beginning there are backstage scenes from Chicago.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=s0Sx9O41C00

The live scenes thoughout appear to be from the venue they show first though.

As much as I love Mika and kinda buy into the Billy Brown conspiracy, there is still the question of just where Mika fits into the current US music scene. He is like no other.

I'll bet if his label could have their way he'd be positioned into the teeny pop market with Hannah Montana and Ashlee Simpson. Even Mandy Moore opened for him in LA.

But I hope he just continues doing what he's been doing. The show I went to last month was a melting pot of music fans. It looked like a good mix of emo rockers, pop fans and a bunch of gays from a Cher concert.

Considering all the people I saw taking photos and video I'm surprised more can't be found online. Maybe they just aren't labeling them in a way we can search and find them.

I can't believe I missed this when it aired. Just ran into it on YouTube.

That CASH FROM CHAOS jacket.... a subtle anti-war reference? Obey has a "cash for chaos" anti-war shirt, but I don't think they'd make a jacket in this style. I wonder who made this one?

This performance also struck me as being so clean. Normally it's a fine mess of joy. Either way, it's good.

Does anyone know the what dance song that was they played right after Midway State got done?

The second one was Country House by Blur. They never got their fame in the US like they did the UK.

One of the best shows I've ever been to, and that's saying a lot coming from me. I am pretty harsh on live acts.

The weather sucked. For those of you in warmer climates, I hope you never have to experience walking in the rain in weather that is just above freezing. Not cold enough for it to turn into snow. Just really, really cold rain with the wind blowing.

The Midway State opened. I listened to their stuff on MySpace before I left and wasn't that into it (first listen anyway). However I thought the live performance was good. A lot of openers really stink it up, but these guys were alright. A toned down version of Jacks Mannequin you could say.

Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like the period between the end of Midway State and the start of Mika was a really long time.

House of Blues is a very cool place to see live music, and Mika thought so too and said it was their favorite venue they've ever played. This isn't your typical box or oval shaped concert place. It's like a mix between a bar, a nightclub and a small arena. First class all the way. Especially the bathrooms haha I don't know about in the girls bathroom, but in the mens they have a guy squirting the liquid soap into our hands for us and then handing us paper towels. Now they just need to wipe people's bu... eh, nevermind.

The crowd was awesome. I've been going to these things for a long time and this is actually the first time I think everyone I saw was really into the show. Any other concert and there are a lot of fans with that "yeah, whatever. nothing better to do." demeanor... but not for Mika. This is one dedicated bunch of fans.

I'll leave the description of Mika's performance to someone else. I'll just say he was great, and takes pride in being a great showman even when the TV cameras are not there. A lot of bands you take the TV cameras away, and their effort goes down the toilet. Mika is FULL ON. And the way they close the show is the best I've seen. Nobody has a fun climactic ending like that.

Oh, and if someone lost a scarf with a bunch of thin colored stripes... I have it and it came in really handy on my walk back to the train!!!! hahaha oops

I am going.... but I hope there is more than just teenage girls there as this board would suggest. lol I might feel a little funny.

Think he'll win?

It's a major category, so I'll be shocked if they give it to Mika the dark horse. D.A.N.C.E. by Justice is the biggest threat.

I do not listen to the radio anymore, but if he's not getting airplay then it's not because of some conspiracy against him personally or his message.

It most likely goes back to the fact that all of the major US radio stations are owned by just a few different companies. These days they issue national playlists that all stations must adhere to. There might be some slots for a local music showcase, but you get the point.

Getting onto the playlist involves a method of funneling money from the label into the radio station. They can't do it directly, I guess that is illegal. They use a middle man of sorts who then offers the station a bonus for playing a band. Something like money to give away to listeners or concert tickets or whatever.

So if you are wondering why Mika isn't on the radio, it's because his label isn't putting up the cash to influence the playlist. Yes Virginia, that's how it works.