Streaming red carpet arrivals live online from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
TV coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on C-SPAN. During breaks in the dinner and while dinner is served, they will show TV highlights from the red carpet arrivals.
Entire dinner program, from the president's entrance into the ballroom until the event concludes
I'll have whatever pictures/videos/etc, we can find once they're found.
Playbill has an article this morning about Dave and Joe writing their next musical: Chasing the Song.
Memphis writers Joe DiPietro and David Bryan are at work on their next musical project, which will be an original show exploring the changing sound of the music charts in the early 1960s. DiPietro is also working on an Old Testament-inspired musical.
The duo, who also penned The Toxic Avenger, are in the midst of writing the musical under the working title Chasing the Song, which is "about songwriters in the early 1960s at the time period prior to the Beatles emerging and changing everything," DiPietro told Playbill.com. Lyricist-librettist DiPietro said he and composer Bryan are crafting the piece as a Broadway musical that would accommodate 15-20 cast members.
Chasing the Song is set against the backdrop of the Brill Building, the iconic Manhattan building that has served as a headquarters for music publishers, labels and agencies since the big band era. The phrase "The Brill Building Sound" was coined in response to the number of hits that came out of the location, including songs by Lieber and Stoller, Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Connie Francis, Bobbie Darin and Neil Sedaka.
"In 1964, the Beatles had the top five singles in the country, which had never happened before. It changed the entire business," DiPietro said. "The people in the Brill Building were creating the pop music of the day, and suddenly, like anything in the entertainment business, they had to adapt or die. People wanted British and wanted bands to write their own songs."
Having seen (and loved) both The Toxic Avenger and Memphis, I'm very excited for this collaboration.
Halle Berry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Kylie Minogue were seen on the 4th annual DKMS Linked Against Leukemia red carpet. Held by DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, the event was to help raise funds and awareness about the center as well as bone marrow donations.
Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson MC'ed the black tie event which featured an emotional first time leukemia patient and donor meeting. The evening also included a very special performance by legendary music icon, Jon Bon Jovi. All proceeds raised will go directly to enrolling life-saving bone marrow donors.
The Empire State Building was lit red & white on Thursday, April 29th in honor of the Coty/DKMS Linked Against Leukemia Partnership.
I don't know what was performed, and haven't found a video clip yet. But if/when I do, I'll be sure to let you know!
Yah, I know, Slash is not in Bon Jovi, but he's among my favorite axemen of all times.
"By The Sword" is the first single from Slash's new debut album, Slash and features the vocals of Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother.
“I was so impressed by what Andrew delivered,” says Slash. “He has one of the purest rock voices out there and I can’t wait to rock it out with him in his own country.”
“I never imagined I would be performing alongside a rock idol,” added Andrew Stockdale. “The whole creative process behind this track has been one of the classic moments of my life.”
If you wanna buy Slash's new album (and let's face it, who wouldn't?) you can get it on iTunes.
MSG was definitely their “in their backyard”, Central Park was historic, but there’s just something about Giants’ Stadium. Giants’ Stadium, for the boys of Bon Jovi, has always been about “coming home”.
From the beginning, Giants’ held a special place in the guys’ hearts, and is the source of many a story from the “days of yore”. Some of my friends’ best Jovi memories are of shows from Giants’. And I get to become part of that history when I am there with one of my dearest friends Willow up in the rafters to celebrate the opening of the stadium.
Around the Fandom, people are talking about Big Things (capital-B, capital-T) happening the first night at Giants’. All sorts of speculation about the kinds of things the guys are going to pull out of their collective back pocket (though I think Dave is the only one wearing jeans baggy enough to get a hand into).
I have to say, I’m swept up in the hoopla myself, and am looking forward to having my socks blown clean off. I’m looking forward to saying, “Damn, I’m never going to see anything better than that.” I’m talking myself out of my vanilla-set list-cynicism, and jumping whole-heartedly onto this band’s wagon.
There are lots of songs I’d love to see live at Giants’ next month. A few off the top of my head – reprisals of past Giants’ performances I’d love to see for myself:
I Am (July 29, 2006) ~ In my opinion the BEST song to follow “Superman Tonight” in the lineup. Jon and Richie are storytellers at heart, and I Am, though written long before Superman, follows perfectly:
Who’s gonna save you when the stars fall from your sky?
Who’s gonna pull you in when the tide gets too high?
When you think that no one is there to hold your hand, I am…
One Wild Night (July 27, 2001) ~ This would be the perfect Second Song in the set list for the first night at Giants’. The first song? Has to be a FULL version (live, not on the soundsystem) of This Is Our House. What could be more appropriate for the band’s First Song on the First Night in their new home?
Dry County (July 19, 2006) ~ I think this one speaks for itself. And it was done last tour, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. I get all squinchy thinking about seeing Richie’s solos from this track live.
There are other songs I’d love to see as well.
Ride Cowboy, Ride: I totally want to know the danger of a kiss at midnight 99 In The Shade: This is a completely fun song, and I could see everyone having a great time with this. Tell the boys I’m on my way. I hit Jersey in 23 days! Damned: Gulp, this would be absolutely deadly This Ain’t A Love Song: How perfect would this be on the circle? JB and Rich sharing the mic? Bells of Freedom : A great next-song for We Weren’t Born To Follow
Really, far too many “wants” to name. But I think that the ones I’ve listed aren’t outrageous requests. The songs’ ranges are not too taxing for Jon’s voice. They’re not obscure buried tracks that would only appeal to the die-hard fans. They’re long-shots, but not off the table, right?
While I was pondering this post, I came up with a few things that are on my wish list that I’m pretty sure I’m never going to see. Not being fatalistic, just realistic. It doesn't stop me from coveting, though.
Drift Away
June 11, 1989 - Giants Stadium, NJ
This is far and away one of my top-three favorite covers the band has done.
It’s time to bring it back. As the last song in the last Encore.
Like Hallelujah, the song is timeless, though it is one we should be singing to them – and if they gave us a shot at the final chorus, I know we could do them proud.
Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock’n’roll
And drift away...
I for one, get lost in their rock’n’roll on nearly a daily basis. There’s a song for every mood – either to put me in one or tease me out of one.
To see this live, with them doing the last bit a capella would be just beautiful. I can see them huddled on the stage, clustered together to sing. When it comes to the end of the song, they take their microphones, all of them, and venture out onto the circle, getting the crowd to sing along with them. They space themselves out so that among them, they’ve got command of the entire audience, directing us as we sing to them. Then the slowly come together again to the middle of the circle, as they sing a final chorus, and the lights go out.
The Return Of The Triple Neck
Sweet hell, this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen (heard).
Richie used to do these long, elaborate intros to Wanted “back in the day”.
In last year’s podcast with MusicRadar, someone asked why he doesn’t do those anymore.
His answer was something like “Do you KNOW how many notes I play a night? I don't need to play any more, man,” which totally cracked me up.
Does he not get it? That we don’t care how many notes he plays; it isn’t enough? Seeing him "jam" as it were on his own, playing from the heart without a script -- how beautiful would that be?
Midnight Rider as a lead in to Wanted
I know; the Triple-Neck and Midnight Rider can’t go together at the same show. I’m fully able to accept an either/or on this one.
As far as lead-ins go, it’s a really good one, in my opinion.
I’ve got to run to keep from hiding
And the road goes on forever
And I’ve got one more silver dollar
But I’m not gonna let them catch me, no;
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider…
Richie’s done it throughout his “solo tours” and damned if it doesn’t work for me. Check this video, from 1998 – Japan.
That works for you, doesn’t it? See if the Jovi version works for you – the two of them sharing the mic, harmonizing as only they can do…
Yep, this is one that I’d love to see.
Now, note that I’m not making any speculation about what I think we’ll get that first night at Giants’. If I think about it too much, I start slipping off the wagon and back into my cynicism again. I’m just so freaking excited for this show, I can hardly stand it.
So, there's a rumor going around that at MSNBC's post-White House Correspondent's Dinner-party there will be "a big musical performance". It's unclear whether it will be our JonBon or someone else, but we're thinking that since the band was NBC's Artist in Residence last year (by the way, what ever happened with that? Was it really nothing more than just a huge marketing ploy for The Circle?) that JB will be attending the party.
We'll see.
I'm sure the YouTubes will be telling the tale come May 2 :)
The creators of Broadway's Memphis, the high-energy musical about a white radio DJ who falls in love with a black singer in the 1950s, are in talks to develop the property as a feature film.
Lyricist and book writer Joe DiPietro told Playbill.com, "We actually have three very serious film offers right now. ...Real serious offers from big Oscar winners. It makes us all very happy."
DiPietro expects an official announcement of the film deal in the next couple of months. Memphis, set in the segregated South, is an original musical by DiPietro (book and lyrics) and lyricist-composer David Bryan (of Bon Jovi fame).
According to DiPietro, the film would follow the mold of Bob Fosse's film of Cabaret, in which all of the musical numbers are actual presentational songs that also comment on the action. "So many of those songs are performance songs," he said. "They're either sung in Delray's club, or in the recording studio, or on the radio. There's only four or five almost traditional theatre songs [in the score], but we would figure out how to make any of the songs we used sort of 'performance' songs. That would be the idea. Of course that depends on the director, but that's the way we'd approach it."
Came across this in my Google Alerts. It was a fun read.
What was it like meeting Bon Jovi?
The first time we saw Bon Jovi was when we were invited to watch their sound check. No one was allowed to watch except us and our manager. That in itself, was an honor to witness the talent of these rock legends in our own private setting. They played four or five songs. Jon Bon Jovi spoke to us from the stage during their sound check and was joking with Brent about the notes he had made on our set list. After the show, Bon Jovi was kind enough to shake our hands, compliment us on our performance, and offer to take photos with us. The first thing that blew us away was how humble the band members were. It was obvious to us Bon Jovi has never forgotten their humble beginnings, or what it was like out there trying to make it. They are the real deal...a class act!!!
Give it a gander. These guys sound fun!
~ Hath
PS: I know, no Davey in the photo. Maybe he's on the other side of the camera! :)
DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, will further its fight against leukemia with the organization's 4th Annual DKMS Gala on Thursday, April 29th at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
Oscar winning actress and Coty partner, Halle Berry and Coty CEO and the Gala's Honorary Chair, Bernd Beetz will present Island Def Jam Chairman, Antonio 'LA' Reid with the "DKMS Linked Against Leukemia Award," in recognition of his tireless work in fighting cancer and supporting organizations and charities which do the same. Reid will follow in the footsteps of past DKMS honorees', Joe Uva, CEO of Univision Communications Inc., Cindy Crawford, who lost her brother to leukemia, and Manny Chirico, CEO of Phillips-Van Heusen, a lymphoma survivor himself.
The gala features a special performance by Jon Bon Jovi
