Friday, January 30, 2009

Pepsi Smash Concert - Super Bowl XLIII



Jerry O'Connell hosted this 1/2 taped, 1/2 live on VH1 concert last night at the Florida Fairgrounds, just outside of Tampa.  Performances by Lifehouse, Fall Out Boy and Rhianna went pretty well.  Its amazing that when there's a live TV event, such as a concert, its all so staged, timing is everything.  Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy (pictured here) and Rhianna (also pictured here) were the two shining stars of the night...

Bruce + Super Bowl = Way too much fun!!




Here in Tampa (yes, it is sunny & warm) for Super Bowl XLIII, and I think there is more excitement surrounding the halftime entertainment, than the game...Well at least through my eyes, or should I say ears...Had the opportunity to shoot Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's press conference at the Media Center, which was standing room only.  As soon as Bruce was introduced, he thanked everyone for coming, and then immediately said that if anyone had a Football related question, ask the Big Man, as he pointed to Clarence...
I managed to get as close as possible (can you imagine that?), front row, just off to the right, and was able to make some fun images.  The entire band was very relaxed, and seemed to be totally enjoying the experience.  To say I can't wait for 1/2 time is an understatement...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

'Good Night, and Good Luck' at the Newseum in DC


Actor George Clooney joined his dad, former journalist Nick Clooney at a screening of "Good Night, and Good Luck", at the Newseum in DC Monday night....
Next Stop...Tampa....Super Bowl XLIII...Stay tuned

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Inaugural Events - Tuesday January 20 2009

Wyclef Jean and Gen. Colin Powell
Wyclef Jean rockin the house
Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO BET Networks and Mary J. Blige

Inauguration Day.. An amazing time in all of our lives, serious change is happening in front our eyes, change for the better, change for all of us.  Early Tuesday, I was speaking with customers of mine across the country from New York City to Indiana to Nevada, and it was evident that the excitement of what was happening in our backyard, downtown Washington, DC was enormous as it is/was.  Maybe I take it for granted, growing up and still living in the DC area, having the White House, US Capitol, Smithsonian Institution, and all of the Memorials so close by, but when I was on the phone, the question  I got was, "So, whats up with you today?"...Well have ya turned on the TV? Have ya read a paper?  Get with the program, 2 million people expected in DC. I was glued to the TV all day, till we had to adventure out into the masses for tonight's event, the BET Inaugural Ball.
The ball didn't begin till 9pm, and we decided to head out at 4 (5 hours should be OK, right?), just to make sure we got there.  Every report had horror stories of traffic jams, Metro closures and warned you to leave early.  We hit the Metro at 4:15, arrived at L'EnFant Plaza around 4:45, found out that L'Enfant Plaza was an ENTRANCE only station today, and not an EXIT.  No way we were dragging the gear back down the non-working escalators, and going to the next station...so, we exited through an entrance, and walked to the top, and then 6 blocks to the Mandarin Oriental for the party.
The Hawaiian Ball was in the ballroom next to the BET Inaugural Ball, and rumor was that President Obama was coming...never happened.  BET knows how to throw a party, great food and lots of Grey Goose...Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Larry David, Soledad O'Brien, and Ashanti were some of the guests..General Colin Powell was REALLY enjoying the tunes of Wyclef Jean, who was fantastic and rocked the house...Party ended well after 2am, Metro closed at 2, so we had to cab it back to the car...Justa $100+ cab ride, pulled in around 3:30am...Great week, lots of long late hours, lots of fun, and some cool images.  Enjoy.

Inaugural Events - Monday January 19 2009

Jay-Z
Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore
Judith Light, Sharon Stone
Shakira
Larry David

First stop on Monday was the pre-show reception for the Jay-Z show at the Warner Theater.  David & I left in plenty of time and got to the Warner with hours to spare.  My contact wasn't there yet, so we walked aroung the back to the "Stage Door", and got waved right in, NO credentials, NO questions.  Guess we looked liked we belonged.  The second we got to the door, David heard Jay-Z doing sound checks and rehearsing the show....We walked in, via backstage, sat in seats in the theater, and just to our right was Beyonce, just hanging out alone, watching.  Pretty cool.  Beyonce was soon escorted out by two guys that made me look tiny. Couple hours later Jay-Z hit the red carpet at the reception, so I was out the door.  Beyonce performed during the Jay-Z show, as well as Mary J. Blige...nice line-up
Second stop - I then headed down PA Ave to the Newseum for the Huffington Post/My Space Pre-Inaugural party.  The celebs and guests poured into the building, and I mean poured in.  I had no idea where they were putting this many people, tho they were piling in to see Sting, Will.I.Am and Sheryl Crow perform.
At the end of the arrivals at about 12:30am, I walked down Pa Ave from 6th back to the Warner at 13th.  The streets were deserted, the barricades were up at every intersection, they lined the street from the Capitol to the White House.  It wasn't an eery feeling, it was was an exciting feeling,  change was in the air... knowing that in less than 6 hours more than a million people would be covering every inch of real estate along the route of the parade to the White house from the Capitol.  

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Inaugural Week Events - Saturday January 17 2009

Mary J. Blige accepting her BET Honor from Sean "Diddy" Combs

(L-R) Joss Stone, Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Yolanda Adams, Stevie Wonder, M onica, Anita Baker, and Wycleaf Jean

Whitney Houston

Queen Latifa performs

On Saturday night the 2nd Annual BET Honors were held at the infamous Warner Theatre. The Warner is block off Pennsylvania Ave at 13th St, where in just a couple of days will be filled with 2 Million+ people to see history in the making, and watch the parade from the US Capitol to the White House for the swearing in ceremony of Barak Obama.
The BET Honors was being taped for broadcast on Monday, and from where I was, it went off with a hitch, although Stevie Wonder did have to repeat "Superstitious" twice. The performances were great, Stevie, Queen Latifah, Anita Baker, Ne-Yo, Monica, Anthony Hamilton (Go get this guy's CD, what a voice!), Puffy P Diddy Combs, Terrence Howard, Joss "Barefoot" Stone, and surprise guest presenter Whitney Houston...More to follow....Stay tuned

Inaugural Week Events - Friday January 16 2009

Magic Johnson & Samuel L. Jackson

Gabrielle Union, B. Smith, Samuel L. Jackson

I'll be updating the blog over the next week, as I stumble in late at night after shooting Inaugural events here in the Nation's Capitol. I began on Friday at the home of Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO of BET Networks, who hosted a party for this year's BET Honrees, who include Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, B. Smith, Judith Jamison and Congressman James E. Clyburn. Actress Gabriell Union, Singers Anthony Hamilton, Anita Baker and actor Samuel L. "Pork Chopes taste Goooood" Jackson were also in attendance. Needless to say Washington DC is in lockdown mode, so for those of you reading this from afar, stay inside, stay warm, and sit back in front of your big screen TV.