Culture Brats

Showing posts with label B-52s. Show all posts

Song Of The Day: Kate Pierson, "Mister Sister"

LINK | Posted by Chris on Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Have a listen/look at "Mister Sister," the debut single from Guitars And Microphones, Kate Pierson's upcoming debut solo album.

Enjoy!

DVD Review: The B-52s' With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA

LINK | Posted by the weirdgirl on Wednesday, April 04, 2012

I saw the B-52s in concert in 1991 or 1992 and the first thing I thought when I watched their most recent DVD, With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA, was that this was exactly like seeing them in concert, amazingly enough, twenty years later. The concert, which celebrated the 34th anniversary of the B-52s' first gig and saw them return to Athens, GA for a 2011 Valentine's Day show was released on DVD this March.

The concert was a good, strong performance of exactly what has kept them popular throughout their career: quirky, infectious songs that celebrate the party in all of us. But I must admit, when I first started watching the DVD, I didn't think it was great; the missing element was the crowd. There is just nothing like being part of the crowd at a B-52s concert, and you can see them in the video, with crazy hair and ecstatic grins and the wild costumes that are part of the B-52s experience. I watched this show and wished I had been there because then it would have been fantastic! But my initial assessment was that With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA was solid.

However I made that judgement prematurely. I had faith enough in their fans' energy that I wished I had attended that particular concert, but I didn't have enough faith in the B-52s. (Forgive me!) Unlike so many others, the longer this band performed, the higher their energy rose until it was veritably leaking out of the screen. While there was very little back and forth interaction between the crowd and front people, Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson, and Kate Pierson, they clearly didn't need extra chitchat to help communicate with the crowd, or with the at-home viewer for that matter. By the end of the concert, ending spectacularly with "Strobe Light," "Planet Claire," and the famous "Rock Lobster," I was bopping around the room, singing along, and fighting the impulse to put on my go-go boots.

The DVD also includes a nice lengthy interview of Schneider, Wilson, Pierson, and Keith Strickland discussing how they all met and how beginning was almost more of an art piece than any intention to start a band. With some really fun stories and a look into their personalities, it was nice to reminisce along with the band. Featuring 20 of some of their most popular songs, overall, I would say this concert DVD is a very nice must-have for the B-52s fan, or for anyone who wants to put on something fun for a party.

Win The B-52s' With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA DVD

LINK | Posted by Culture Brats on Thursday, March 15, 2012

Regular readers might remember that we spoke with Fred Schneider back in October about the release of The B-52s' live CD, With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA. Next week, you'll be able to watch that same 34th anniversary concert when Eagle Rock Entertainment brings the show to DVD and Blu-ray.

And guess what? We're giving away a Blu-ray copy of the concert! But first, check out the setlist:

"Pump"
"Private Idaho"
"Mesopotamia"
"Ultraviolet"
"Dancing Now"
"Give Me Back My Man"
"Funplex"
"Whammy Kiss"
"Deadbeat Club"
"Roam"
"52 Girls"
"Party Out Of Bounds"
"Love In The Year 3000"
"Cosmic Thing"
"Hot Corner"
"Love Shack"
"Wig"
"Strobe Light"
"Planet Claire"
"Rock Lobster"

Psyched? If you'd like a chance to win a Blu-ray copy of With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA, drop us a line. We'll draw a winner on Wednesday, March 21st at 10:54 PM ET. Good luck!

Hanging With The Wild Crowd: Our Interview With Fred Schneider

LINK | Posted by Chris on Friday, October 28, 2011

On October 11, 2011, The B-52's released With The Wild Crowd: Live In Athens Ga, the band's first live album. Recorded in February of 2011, the performance marked the 34th anniversary of the band's first concert. We were lucky enough to sit down with Fred Schneider today and he spoke with us about the live album, the band's plans, the key to their longevity, the new song and video for "Batbaby" that he recorded with The Superions, and what he's planning to be on Halloween.

How are you doing today?
I'm doing excellent.

Good. You just released With The Wild Crowd, the first B-52's live album. What took so long?
We've done live albums before, but one was stolen and two were... the tapes were totally flawed for some reason that they didn't check. But you know, we've got a kickass band that sounds good.

Cool. The concert was recorded back in February. Looking back, are there any songs you wish you had included in the set list that night?
There's always tons of them. I mean, we have so many. We just tried to pick something representational of every album. Except... yeah, we've got even Bouncing Off The Satellites.

The concert marks the 34th anniversary of you guys' first concert. What's been the secret to your longevity?
We're vampires.