Posts Tagged ‘crowd’

Worcester Telegram & Gazette – telegram.com – Jose Canseco not a ‘gimmick’ for Worcester Tornadoes

WORCESTER —  the Worcester Tornadoes made their biggest — and most controversial — move in franchise history yesterday with the signing of Jose Canseco. Canseco, the 1988 American League MVP, played 17 seasons in the major leagues, including a stint with the Boston Red Sox in 1995 and ’96, and hit 462 home runs. the 47-year-old Canseco last played in the majors in 2001 and may be more famous for his admission of anabolic steroid use in 2005. the six-time all-star has written two books about his controversial life in baseball and in his 2005 book “Juiced” he claimed 85 percent of major league players used banned substances. Canseco was in Boston yesterday taking part in the 100th anniversary celebration at Fenway Park. he was among the former Red Sox players honored during a pregame ceremony, and he played to the crowd by flexing his biceps during his entrance. “I can’t wait. It’s what I love to do,” Canseco said after yesterday’s celebration. “I’ll play anywhere, any time for any team that wants me. I’ll play until I can’t find a place to play. It’s my addiction.” the Tornadoes start their season on May 17 at Newark, with their home opener on Monday, May 21, at 7:05 p.m. against defending Can-Am League champion Quebec. the deal to bring in Canseco had been in the works for the last two months. It started when team officials heard on the “Toucher and Rich” radio show on 98.5 the Sports Hub that Canseco was looking to play baseball again and said he always enjoyed his time in Boston playing for the Red Sox. Tornadoes general manager Jorg Bassiacos said they got in contact with Canseco and eventually completed the deal on Tuesday. “We’re all very happy with how it played out,” Bassiacos said. “He’ll be in town in May for spring training and we’ll have a big debut then. hopefully, this attention continues.” Canseco, who has also appeared on reality shows like “Celebrity Apprentice” and “the Surreal Life,” has been making sporadic appearances in independent leagues since he left the majors. he was negotiating to play in the Mexican League last month before he allegedly refused to take a doping test. the Can-Am League does not have a drug-testing policy in place, instead leaving it up to the individual teams to make their own decisions. Tornadoes owner Todd Breighner said he did his homework on Canseco and is confident the slugger is serious about playing in Worcester and helping the Tornadoes at the gate and on the field. “I don’t really think it’s appropriate to have a gimmick, so we talked for a couple of weeks and I wanted to make sure he was committed and in shape and was serious about playing baseball,” Breighner said. “I wanted to feel that we wouldn’t have a situation (where he leaves a team abruptly). there are no guarantees, but I do have a reasonable comfort level that he wants to be here.” Breighner is not too concerned that Canseco’s controversial past will do anything to tarnish the Tornadoes family-friendly reputation. “I think he truly loves the game,” Breighner said. “We’ll see what happens when he gets here. I think he’ll be very friendly to the crowd and he’s going to participate in the community. “with everything that’s happened with major league baseball and all the people they found who had done steroids, I think people will agree that it took some courage for him to step up and call people out,” Breighner continued. “if you didn’t have people like him doing that, you’d wonder where we’d be today with that whole (steroid) issue.” Bassiacos said he and Breighner took into account how much of a polarizing figure Canseco can be, but he said in the end the arrangement should benefit both Canseco and the Tornadoes. “we kicked it around and really weighed the pros and cons,” Bassiacos said. “this is a great opportunity for him and it’s great for us because we can really tell our story from where we’ve been and where we are now. We’re in our seventh season and we sign Jose Canseco, I think it’s a great story.” Bassiacos said after the announcement that Canseco — who will play first base and designated hitter — was coming to Worcester, he saw an immediate increase in buzz around the team, pointing out a big jump in ticket sales yesterday. “this should be the launching pad to keep baseball sustainable in Worcester and show people we’re here to stay,” Bassiacos said. “We’re looking to have some fun. this is Jose Canseco, let’s have fun.” Canseco won’t be the first former major leaguer to sign with a Can-Am League team. former Red Sox players Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd and bill “Spaceman” Lee have pitched for Brockton, while former Red Sox closer Rich Garces pitched for Nashua. Canseco will be the third former major leaguer to suit up for the Tornadoes, joining former catcher Yohanny Valera and current infielder Abraham Nu

LUCERO: First Avenue April 4, 2012

“Well, if we’re gonna fuck up someone else’s song,” drawled Lucero’s front-man, Ben Nichols, about an hour into their set Wednesday night, “it might as well be The Replacements.” And then in a moment that would have made the late Bob Stinson proud, Nichols wandered off stage and returned with a liter bottle of Jamesons, before launching into a honky-tonk version of “If only You were Lonely.” The crowd around me up-front and center who had been singing along with nearly every word, starting with opener, Iowan William Elliot Whitmore (or, “Willie!!” as the guy behind me had been screaming since before the screen rose) seemed not to recognize the local legend’s song, but it was a great tribute.

Lucero, headlining for the first time at First Avenue, seemed very enthused to be playing this stage and delivered a great set from open to close. The set – and they don’t work from a list – was heavy on the last two, major label releases, 2009’s 1372 Overton Park and Women and Work, which came out a few weeks ago and the way the band is set up now with 2 guys on horns supplementing the 2 guitars, keyboards, the pedal steel and your standard rhythm section, these songs play great live and fill a bigger venue such as First Avenue.

Personally, I miss their days of small bars and the stripped down, punk rock alt-country sound, but I can’t fault Lucero for finding a bigger sound and a bigger audience. And I suppose I miss the days when they were seriously drinking, but again: who wants to see Ben Nichols go the way of Shane MacGowan (The Pogues) or Bob Forrest (Thelonious Monster) other than the aforementioned Stinson? And when Lucero send some of the extra musicians off-stage for a breather and, hopefully, a drink, the old sound and feel is still there. And how can I complain when they do play the four songs I was hoping for: “Drink ‘til We’re Gone,” “Tears Don’t Matter Much,” “Night Like these,” and my yelled request of, “My best Girl.” Yeah, no complaints. Great band, great show.

My only complaint about opener Whitmore, who only needs his own gravelly voice, a banjo (that had its battery go out early on him), the guitar that replaced it for the rest of his set, a bass drum and his soul on his sleeve was that I wished I’d been seeing him at Palmer’s. Well, and the guy yelling behind me. Yeah, he could have been somewhere else, too.

******************************************************************

And while I have your attention, I have a book coming out very soon — my first. Watch this bottom line for information as to where you can get it (and keep me in this life style that lets me go to these gigs for you) and maybe even see me read from here in the Twin Cities. Cheers, Brian

Planning Your Disney Vacation

Planning a Disney Dream Vacation is a lot like doing homework. there are many components and it takes time to put all the pieces together. I have been traveling to Disney for 27 years and one thing has always been ingrained in me, schedule, schedule, schedule. ok, those of you that are cringing at me right now, please stop, I will explain. the right planning will give you a ‘schedule’ that will flow from one exciting adventure to the next. and yes, relaxation is built in to a good plan, if you want it.

The first things you should consider are when are you going to go, how you are going to get there and determine your budget for the trip. Disney does not have to be expensive (although it can be) but if you plan correctly, your vacation dollars will go a long way.

When are you traveling?
Choosing a time to travel to Disney is very important. It will determine pricing on resorts and airfare in addition to determining approximate crowd levels. these all vary from month to month. the levels during the summer months, around the holidays and during school vacations are definitely in the higher numbers.

Cost of accommodations - Cost of accommodations is determined by ‘seasons’. these seasons include: value, regular, summer, peak and holiday.

How are you going to travel?
Airfare – traveling near the holidays and in the summer is generally more costly. School breaks also can increase the price dramatically.

Car - Depending on where you live in the country, your passengers and general preferences, you may be able to drive and save a substantial amount of money on transportation. most Disney Resorts charge a daily fee for vehicles on site. Check out the fuel cost calculator in my tools. however, this calculator does not take in to account wear on vehicle.

The other option is Auto Train. It is a full-service train with accommodations and room for your vehicle. the majority of vehicles on the Auto Train going south are from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. Vehicles from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Maine, and all the New England States and several Canadian Provinces also use this mode of transportation. It is a nice option if you are living in these states to give yourself a break.

What is your budget?
Determining the above factors (time of year, transportation, accommodations) will help you come up with a budget. If the cost is too high you can go back and change your time of travel to a less expensive season or change your accommodations for your party (maybe moving from a deluxe resort to a moderate or value). there are many ways to work your budget so you get the most for your money.

After failing at X Factor bootcamp Chelsea Redfern returns to wow Britain’s Got Talent 2012 judges with Purple Rain

Chelsea Redfern may have been rejected by The X Factor judges last year, but that didn’t stop her taking another shot at fame on Britain’s Got Talent this year.

The stunning singer competed against Jade Richards and Amelia Lily at the final bootcamp stage of The X Factor last year and wowed the audience with a fabulous rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘true Colours.’

At her initial audition Gary Barlow and Kelly Rowland both said they ‘had found a Star’ in Redfern and at Wembley Stadium she again received a standing ovation from the crowd, after her bootcamp performance.

However, her vocals weren’t quite good enough and the judges didn’t choose her for the live shows.

Disappointed though she was, Chelsea Redfern decided to give talent shows another chance and showed up at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in February this year, to sing for Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Carmen Electra.

This time she performed a gutsy rendition of Prince’s Purple Rain, telling the panel that although she works in admin for her father, she wants to be a singer who ‘famous worldwide.’

After performing the popular rock track, Simon Cowell admitted that he had been wary when he heard her song choice, but was impressed by her interpretation.

David Walliams seemed more taken with Chelsea’s nan, who had joined her on stage and after complimenting the pensioners new hairdo, told Redfern that she had the potential to be a ‘superstar.’

Tune into the new series, which begins this Saturday, to find out what Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon thought of Chelsea and whether or not she went on to win a spot in the live shows.

Check out the video of Redfern singing and tell us, do you think she deserves another shot? Leave your comments below….

Could new UAB basketball coach Jerod Haase be Roy Williams Jr.?

New UAB basketball coach Jerod Haase addresses the crowd at Bartow Arena on Tuesday March 27, 2012. (Birmingham News/Beverly Taylor)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Do you remember when Roy Williams didn’t have white hair?

Me, neither, but at that early point in his Hall of Fame career, he must’ve looked and sounded a lot like Jerod Haase.

With a different accent.

Williams is from North Carolina. Haase is a Califor­nian.

Inflection aside, the new UAB coach looked and sounded a lot like his men­tor during his introductory press conference Tuesday at Bartow Arena.

Did he talk about spitting in the Mississippi River twice last week in St. Louis, for luck, both in the Mid­west Regional and at his new job at UAB? Check.

Did he get so emotional that he choked up and al­most broke down twice, when talking about his wife, Mindy, and again when talk­ing about Williams? Check.

Ol’ Roy would’ve been proud. if he’d been here, he’d no doubt have been in tears.

UAB AD Brian Mackin spent a lot of time in the last two weeks talking to Wil­liams about Haase, who was one of six candidates inter­viewed, assistants and head coaches among them. Mackin said he wanted more than the usual plati­tudes and told Williams that. in response, Mackin said, Williams told him, “You’ll spend more time worrying about what to have for lunch tomorrow than you will worrying about the answers to your questions.”

In short, don’t worry. You’ve got the right man.

I knew from the start of the search that Mackin wanted to hire the basketball equivalent of Garrick McGee. The AD wanted a quality assistant from a quality program.

Mission accomplished. again.

UAB interviewed Haase in Tallahassee, where Mackin was working as a member of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, that first weekend after Mike Davis was fired.

“We started with him,” Mackin said, “and he was the standard we measured everyone against.”

The more Mackin talked Tuesday, during and after the press conference, the more it hit me. Forget finding the roundball version of UAB’s new football coach. Mackin must feel like he just hired Roy Williams Jr. right?

“I hired a great coach,” Mackin said. “I think he will establish his own name, his own way, but he’s been tutored and mentored by one of the best.”

Kevin Scarbinsky is a columnist for The Birmingham News. his column is published on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

There’s no question that Haase has the bloodlines, but as with any assistant moving up, there are questions about his ability to take what he’s learned from one of the best bosses in the business and apply it at anywhere close to that level.

Haase himself uttered one of the most honest statements you’ll ever hear at a feel-good function like Tuesday’s press conference. As he thanked UAB President Carol Garrison for the opportunity, he said, “It’s a tremendous leap of faith.”

It is, in part, because Haase has landed on a different planet in the basketball solar system.

He doesn’t have ties to this football state. Haase said his game experience here starts with the 1997 Sweet 16 loss to Arizona at the BJCC in his final college game at Kansas and ends with North Carolina’s third-round NIT win at Bartow Arena two years ago.

Great atmosphere that night, Haase remembered. It’s now his job to re-create it when the Tar Heels aren’t in town.

Mackin didn’t blink at the implication that it’ll be tougher for an outsider to succeed here.

“Coach Gene Bartow had no idea who anybody in this state was when he was hired at UAB,” Mackin said. “I think it can be done.”

Wait. What? Did Mackin just compare Jerod Haase to Gene Bartow?

“I’m comparing him to someone coming in from the outside not knowing the community,” Mackin said. “I view it very different. a person that has all the qualities I was looking for can be placed into any situation, if they hold true to those values, and be successful. We’ve got someone that has those qualities.”

If you were going to draw up a blueprint for a first-time head coach, the final picture would look a lot like Jerod Haase.

He knows what a winning program looks like from the inside. So does UAB.

No wonder Williams predicted “a great marriage.”

Drop a civil comment below. Write Kevin at . Follow him at Twitter.com/KevinScarbinsky. Listen to him weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 97.3 The Zone. 

Stan Van Gundy Couldn’t Believe Raptors Fans Were That Excited For One Slice Of Free Pizza

NBAVideo

The Raptors lost at home last night to the Magic, 117-101. not a lot for the Toronto crowd to celebrate with a score like that, right? WRONG. Check out how wild the crowd went after Ed Davis made the score 117-100 with seconds left to play:

The reason, of course: pizza. The Raptors have a promotional deal – not unlike many others around the league – in which fans in attendance receive a free food item if the home team cracks 100 points. So in that context, the crowd’s excitement makes at least some level of sense. not enough sense, though, for Magic coach Stan Van Gundy:

Harsh, Stan. “18-point play”? Saying that’s the loudest the crowd was all game and that the Raptors ought to put the basket on their team highlight reel? Ouch. and yet – we kind of agree that the fans really went nuts there. sure, free pizza’s good and everything, but Stan has a point when he brings up that it was only one slice. Don’t get us wrong, we’d take a free slice any time, but we can’t imagine ourselves going that crazy for it. Then again, it’s like the Raptors give their fans many basketball reasons to get excited recently, so maybe we should’t blame them for taking whatever they can get.

Laidback Luke Brings Out The Heroes At LIV For ‘Super You And Me’ Party

By Sam Hendrick

Kicking off Winter Music Conference 2012 in unique style, EDM enthusiasts ventured to LIV last night for Laidback Luke’s superhero-themed “Super You and Me” party. You may be familiar with Luke’s long-running franchise that’s based on the idea of “saving civilization from mediocrity through music.” at the parties, club patrons are encouraged to dress as their favorite super hero, although last night some seemed to have dug deep into the Halloween archives for any random costume they could conjure up. even bunnies, angels and demons bounced around to some highly energetic sets from Oliver Twizt, Zedd, Madeon and Luke, who headlined the show.

Zedd, sporting a superman costume, roused the crowd early in his set with his recent remix of Skrillex’s banger “Breaking a Sweat.” the young German talent kept true to his signature style of filthy bass riffs throughout, including his originals “Shave It” and “Shotgun.” he also worked in a new mix of “Slam the Door” alongside Skrillex’s “Cinema,” appropriately titled “Don’t Slam the Cinema.”

Immediately after Madeon took the stage, the mood shifted slightly in the room, but certainly not for the worse. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but young Maddy has a certain vibe that not only captures your attention but also makes you just want him to win. Watching his set is kind of like rooting for your little brother, only he has the ability to command the attention of everyone in the room and throw a damn fine party at that. the better half of his set was very true to many other electro-pop French producers, saving the heavier tracks to pass the torch to Luke. as perhaps a literal statement of goodbye, he closed with his rendition of “Take me Out” by Franz Ferdinand.

After only a few seconds and a few words from his hype man, Laidback Luke took to the tables dressed in an orange soccer uniform and a green masquerade mask (what?!). no stranger to the scene, Luke rounded out the night strong with remixes of Sato Goldschlag’s “Mr. Mister” and Swedish House Mafia’s “Miami 2 Ibiza” as well as his hit single “Speak Up” feat. Wynter Gordon.

Whether dressed in costume or not, attendees will surely remember this high energy showcase as one of the best in the archives of “Super You and Me” history.

Did you show up in costume last night? Tell us about it and be sure to follow all of the action in Miami at MTV News.

Alter The Press!: Live Review: All Time Low – Guildhall Southampton, UK (2/2/12)

Tonight’s affair is thoroughly new school pop-punk. with we Are The in Crowd and The Maine rounding out the line up for Maryland sensations all Time low. Both we Are The in Crowd and main support, Arizona’s The Maine were met with open arms from the young audience this evening.however, opening the set with their recent single “Time Bomb” and dazzling the crowd with a flashy light show, it was headliners all Time low that really had the teenage crowd eating from the palm of their hands. The band’s stage presence is very much reminiscent of early Blink-182 complete smutty jokes and proclamations of “I’m gonna get laid tonight”, and the gig also saw the band taking advantage of their light backdrop by spelling out various humorous three letter words.after a searing rendition of “Remembering Sunday” got the crown singing, followed an awkward interlude in which it was obviously decided that frontman Alex Gaskarth was too unwell to continue. A total of twelve songs were unfortunately all the band could muster tonight with “Weightless,” “Lost in Stereo” and “Dear Maria, Count me In” concludes the brief set.Before the furor of all Time low came a pitch from Invisible Children and Skate 4 Cancer, a solid reminder that genre isn’t all just about juvenile jokes and quips, highlighting the fact that music can save lives.Chantelle ‘Kiki’ Goodchild

‘Project X’ an extra-disturbing comedy

Project X is a teen partying movie on steroids.

Fun? sometimes. funny? Not that often. Troubling? Consistently.

It’s Thomas’ birthday. he is 17. Mom and dad are leaving for his birthday weekend. His best buddy Costa wants to get laid.

— Local show times, theaters, trailer.

What better way than at your best friend’s birthday bash. Oh. Wait. There’s a catch. very few people on the planet — or in his narrow high school world — have a clue who Thomas is or even care. So if the birthday bash has any attendance at all, it will be limited. and the caliber of hot young women Costa lusts after? Forget it.

Unless — he — does — something — radical.

Unknown to everyone — and even Costa himself — he’s a marketing genius. Using a combination of email, text messages, an online ad and God knows what else, Costa manages to get a crowd. a very big crowd. No. It’s beyond a big crowd and moves into territory with the title, staggering. World record staggering.

So he demands that the house be off-limits. and it is off-limits until about half the crowd is there. by mid-party, all the rooms are filled. but Costa promises Thomas that he can handle the crowd and he’s positive the mess is an easy, peasy fix. the reluctant Thomas continues to go along. besides, by now naked girls are in the pool.

Lots of naked girls.

And on it goes until the predictable disaster gets even more disastrous. the neighbors are pissed. Cops are called. Near riot conditions exist. and Thomas — poor Thomas — he’s a hero to the crowd, but the house is trashed.

If you’re a teen or even a 20-something, this is definitely a party you’d love to take in. Older, more “mature” folk will be reminded of parties attended in the radical 1960s, 70s and the disco-laden 80s. of course, those are memories and experiences do get exaggerated as we get older.

This party is not only an exaggeration, but it’s also predictable.

First-time film director Nima Nourizadeh’s film has all of the originality of counting from one to 10. No-name actors make the project cheap. His theory and that of writers Matt Drake (Spin City) and Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) is that nothing can be more fun than watching kids getting drunk, stoned, terrorize a neighborhood and destroy personal property. and what’s not to love about all those naked ladies?

I don’t even like it. and it’s not the nudity or even good-natured partying. I’m not some sort of boring prude.

Films making heroes out of hedonistic teenagers bother me. They are disturbing. It’s all about me. me, me, me. Sex, drugs and rock and roll. No conscience. No responsibility. Someone else can pay the bill. who cares? I drink. I smoke. I text. therefore, I am important. to me.

That’s what’s not to like. and what example does a movie like this to more impressionable youth?

The audience I saw the movie with was packed with teens and adults and the oohs and ahas said mayhem and destruction of someone’s property, out of control high school sex, drugs and drinking is perfectly all right. after all, it’s just a movie. Right?

And it’s “based” on a true story, the real deal, the party of all parties. or — was — it — really? some facts we dug up say the party happened in Australia. other sources say Germany.

Urban legend sites have nothing about it. Neither does Snopes.com. That leads us to think this is myth and the rumor of it being the real deal is designed purely to sell tickets. Lots of them.

And this one — unfortunately — might.

Mr. Movie rating: 1 star

Rated R for mature themes, language, nudity, drug use. It opens Friday, March 2 at the Carmike 12, the Fairchild Cinemas 12 and Walla Walla Grand Cinemas.

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: must see on the big screen4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it’s your type of movie.3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video. 2 stars to 1 star: Don’t bother.0 stars: Speaks for itself.

Project X: movie review

Throw The Hangover and Superbad in the blender and what do you get? Project X.

Time is running out for three high school seniors to put their names on the map, so they decide to throw a party and invite a few cool people. Word of the party spreads though, and mayhem descends.

The film opens with Costa (Oliver Cooper) promising the parents of his best pal, Thomas (Thomas Mann), that they’ll just be having a small get together while they’re away celebrating their anniversary. Costa is the troublemaker of the group, while Thomas is a bit more of an underdog. Of course, a nerd posse isn’t complete without a chubby friend, JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown), who they meet at school later that day.

As night draws near, everyone and their grandmother has heard of this party. Guests from all parts of the city begin to arrive, and anything bad that can possibly happen, does.

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Rotten Tomatoes is not praising this movie at all. But who can blame them? Project X is simply not going to please the old crowd, it is definitely not a film for a walks of life. Speaking of which, please do not take young children to see this movie. There were several kids at the advance screening here in Dallas accompanied with their parents. Everything that 6-year-olds are not ready to see is included in this film.

Project X contains all of the elements needed for a teen party movie: one-liners, a pet, the stereotypical jock, best friend, fat friend, the goal to get the “hottest” girl in school, drugs, alcohol, nudity, and, well, everything else that this film is rated R for. So why does this particular flick take home the trophy for ‘Party Film of the Year’? Because the party in this movie is so wild, it becomes its own character. Project X has the most overused word all over it: epic. even the family dog gets in on the action, sometimes willingly, sometimes not.

This crazy comedy has no big names attached to it. the most recognizable actor involved is probably Miles Teller (Footloose), who plays a minor character. however, this has been no problem in the past as small budget films, like Chronicle and the Paranormal Activity series, have had no issue bringing in some major profit without the help of name stars.

See ComingSoon.net’s predictions for Project X

Dallas Showtimes

You’re invited to the most epic party of the year this Friday, March 2 at a Dallas theater near you.

It is rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, drugs, drinking, pervasive, language, reckless behavior and mayhem.

Running time is approximately 1 hour and 27 minutes.

Also in Dallas theaters this weekend: Dr. Seuss’ the LoraxDallas Showtimes

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© 2012 Sandra Perez, all rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any way without prior permissions from the author or Clarity Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com