Mick Karn of the band Japan loses his battle with cancer
Posted by Life on the Scene in Music on January 4, 2011
Mick Karn (image courtesy of Mick Karn)
“It’s with profound sadness that we have to inform you that Mick finally lost his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully at 4.30pm today, 4th January 2011 at home in Chelsea, London. He was surrounded by his family and friends and will be deeply missed by all.”
Mick was an innovative and eclectic bass player who rose to fame in the late 70’s with the glam rock band Japan. Just last year Mick contributed to the David Bowie tribute album on his version of the Bowie classic, Ashes to Ashes.
A look back at the classic Japan track, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, that has stood the test of time. Thank you for your contributions to music Mick, you will be missed. Messages of condolence for his family can be left in the message section of Mick’s official site.
Duran Duran Shares New Single FREE on iTunes!
Posted by Life on the Scene in Music, Music Review on December 8, 2010
image courtesy of iTunes and Duran Duran
British band Duran Duran is offering up there latest single, All You Need Is Now for FREE via iTunes today! Hurry and download your copy now because it may be a limited time offer. The band will release their 13th studio album, All You Need Is Now via iTunes on December 21st, with a longer CD version available to fans early next year.
The Mark Ronson produced album has been generating a lot of buzz with talk that the super producer has taken the band back to the sounds of their Rio album.
Their last release, Red Carpet Massacre, seemed to be just that, a Timbaland massacre as he turned it into something he would put out rather than enhancing the sound of Duran Duran. To be fair though, the album did translate better as a live show.
Duran Duran has already begun some European promotion of the album with American promo slated to begin this week. They will be launching a full scale tour in 2011 to support All You Need Is Now. The 1st single has a catchy chorus and early previews of the album indicate it will be a strong album for Duran Duran definitely taking us back to the days of Rio and My Own Way.
The band is also running a contest via their Twitter. They recently tweeted these instructions “Tweet what you love about All You Need Is Now using #aynin. 5 tweeters will win the album FREE on Dec 21. Must follow this account to win.”
Simon le Bon
MCR launches Danger Days and World Contamination in Los Angeles
Posted by Life on the Scene in Concert on December 7, 2010
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance recently launched their 4th album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys during a sold out show at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. The die hard MCRmy donned their Killjoy finest and lined up as far as 24 hours in advance to get a prime spot for this high energy rock show. MCR set up a carnival complete with a tattoo parlor on site and stilt-walker to entertain the Killjoys waiting in line. MTV broadcast the concert live across the USA.
Singer Gerard Way and the band burst onto the stage with the first single from their new album Na Na Na and never let the energy wane for the hour and fifteen minute set. It was a solid, fist pumping, rib crushing, dancing mass of sweaty people as fainting girls & stage crashers were passed overhead while the band paraded through new songs such as Sing, Planetray (GO!) and The Only Hope For Me is You along with MCR classics such as Desolation Row, Mama and Teenagers which had the audience eating out of their hands.
The band clearly enjoyed the energetic reception and strong sing along from the audience who even knew the words to the new songs.
The set ended all too quickly with the new track The Kids From Yesterday which felt hauntingly familiar yet fresh and new.
Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is an instant hit and a great follow-up to the Black Parade – whether you’ve been naughty or nice, add it to your holiday list and hope Santa stuffs one in your stocking! My Chemical Romance – BEST live show of 2010 handsdown.
I see & review a lot of shows every year, My Chemical Romance is not one to miss. MCR launchs their World Contamination Tour 2011 with a show in Osaka, Japan on January 31st before heading to Europe in February and launching a US tour in April. Tickets are on sale now! As a note to fans in Arizona – MCR will NOT be playing Arizona during this tour so you’d better save up to head to the Hollywood, Bakersfield or Las Vegas shows.
The band are also playing a few Christmas radio shows like KROQ‘s Almost Acoustic Christmas across the USA in December. The tickets went fast, but if you’re lucky, you might still be able to score one.
Enter to Win Target and Right At Home Gift Cards
Posted by Life on the Scene in Contests, Coupons/Freebies on November 17, 2010
Target is giving away 100 $25 gift cards everyday through November 27, 2010. You can enter twice each day by visiting Target’s Facebook page and clicking on the Black Friday tab. Then click on the red enter today button, allow their application to access your data and complete the entry form.
Then go to Twitter and enter the Target Black Friday Sweepstakes for a 2nd daily entry. Follow the simple directions to Tweet your entry.
Right At Home is also offering a daily chance to win a $100 American Express Gift Card now through December 31, 2010. Enter daily for a chance to win. Once you land on the confirmation page, don’t forget to click on “view all offers” to check for current coupons being offered.
L.A. County Passes Sweeping Ban on Plastic Bags
Posted by Life on the Scene in Life, Press Releases, Recycling on November 16, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
Care2 and the L.A. Times report that Los Angeles County has banned plastic grocery bags! With a 3-1 vote in favor of the measure, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a sweeping ban on plastic grocery bags in unincorporated areas of the county.
The ban will affect nearly 1.1 million residents countywide and has been called one of the nation’s most aggressive environmental measures to date.
The official measure reads: “No store shall provide to any customer a plastic carryout bag.” Plastic bags that are used to hold fruit, vegetables or raw meat in order to prevent contamination with other grocery items will be exempt from the ban.
Grocers that continue to offer plastic bags will be required to charge customers 10 cents per bag, according to the ordinance. The revenue will be retained by the stores to purchase the paper bags and educate customers about the law.
Similar plastic bag bans passed in San Francisco and Malibu are less strict because they don’t involve a surcharge. Environmental advocates of banning plastic bags say these measures provide no incentive for consumers to switch to reusable cloth bags, the most eco-friendly option.
While it will be a challenge for those uneducated in the ways of recycling to get used to the plastic bag ban, L.A. County can draw on the recent experiences of the cities of San Francisco and Malibu who have already passed these ordinances. Consumers will become more aware of what they purchase and how they carry those items home.
For most consumers, I believe a small scavenger hunt around their homes and garages would easily reveal plenty of bags they can use for shopping, whether those are plastic bags from previous purchases, reusable cloth bags or even large gift bags. Those of us who already use reusable bags, often keep them in our cars, desks or somewhere handy in the home where they can easily be grabbed before one heads out the door to go shopping.
I hope consumers will learn to be more resourceful and use what they need instead of continuing to live in a society where everything is deemed disposable with little thought to the future of our planet and the creatures that inhabit it.
What was that noise? Did you hear it? Why yes, it was me shouting with joy from the rooftops! Please recycle, we’ve only got one Earth.
Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and Thirty Seconds To Mars Reveal 2011 Tour Dates
Posted by Life on the Scene in Concert, Press Releases on November 16, 2010
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park
2011 is shaping up to be a busy year in rock music. Seriously, who needs socks in their stockings this Christmas when tickets to these great rock shows are available? I can see that my new Iron Man 2 calendar that Santa is sure to bring is rapidly filling up for next year! Who’s on your must see list for 2011?
Linkin Park will hit the road in the USA to support their latest release, A Thousand Suns, out now. The Prodigy, Pendulum and Does It Offend You, Yeah? are slated to open select dates on the tour. Fan club pre-sale tickets are available now via Linkin Park’s site with public on sales scheduled for this weekend via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
Dates for Linkin Park’s 2011 tour:
Jan 20 Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
Jan 22 Tampa, FL @ St Pete Times Forum
Jan 23 Atlanta, GA @ Phillips Arena
Jan 25 Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
Jan 26 Chicago, IL @ United Center
Jan 28 Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Jan 29 Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Jan 31 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Feb 1 Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Feb 4 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Feb 7 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Feb 8 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Feb 10 Washington DC @ Verizon Center
Feb 11 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Feb 15 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Feb 17 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Feb 19 Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand – Garden Arena
Feb 20 San Diego @ Viejas Arena
Feb 23 Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
Feb 25 Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena
Feb 26 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
Gerard Way of MCR
My Chemical Romance will launch Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, on November 22nd with a record release party at the House of Blues on Sunset in Hollywood, CA. The sold out concert will be broadcast live on MTV. MCR will play a handful of Christmas shows across the USA, including the world famous KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas before launching into their World Contamination tour in 2011. Pre-sale tickets are currently available to fans via the bands website with public on sales scheduled for this weekend via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
Dates for My Chemical Romance’s The World Contamination Tour:
APRIL
1 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
2 Vancouver, BC @ Center for Performing Arts
3 Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
5 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Event Centre
6 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
8 Salt Lake City @ In the Venue
9 Denver, CO @ Fillmore
10 Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
12 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
13 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
15 Chicago, IL @ Aragon
17 Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
20 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
22 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
MAY
5 Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
6 Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theater
7 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11 Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
17 West Palm Bch, FL @ Revolution
18 Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues
20 Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
21 Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
Thirty Seconds To Mars also announced their 2011 U.S. tour, presented by HP and Live Nation which will kick off in San Diego at the House of Blues on January 11th. Tickets will be available via Live Nation/Ticketmaster on November 19th.
Thirty Seconds To Mars Tour Dates
Jan 11 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Jan 12 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Jan 14 Pomona, CA The Fox
Jan 15 San Jose, CA San Jose Events Center
Jan 16 Davis, CA Freeborn Hall
Jan 18 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater
Jan 21 Denver, CO Fillmore
Jan 23 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Jan 24 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Jan 25 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
Jan 26 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Jan 28 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Jan 30 Louisville, KY Expo Five
Jan 31 Richmond, VA The National
Feb 2 Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theater
Feb 3 Rochester, NY Armory
Feb 4 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
Feb 5 Wallingford, CT Oakdale
Win A Trip To The Island of Cyprus
Posted by Life on the Scene in Contests, Coupons/Freebies on November 16, 2010
Image by The Messy Chef via Flickr
Pom Wonderful is currently running a contest to win a 6 day/5 night trip for two to the island of Cyprus. The contest is free to enter on their website, no purchase necessary and runs until December 31, 2010. Entrants are also eligible to gain one additional entry by sharing the contest on their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
The grand prize includes: One (1) Grand Prize Winner will be randomly drawn from among all eligible entries received and awarded a Grand Prize trip to Cyprus consisting of: Round-trip coach air transportation for two (2) from the airport nearest the winner’s residence to the destination; five-star hotel accommodations for six (6) days, five (5) nights; spa and dinner for two (2); transportation to/from airport; and one (1) $1,000.00 USD AMEX gift card for travel expenses.
Robert Downey Jr. Drives Me Nuts – Peanuts That Is!
Posted by Life on the Scene in Food, Life, Press Releases, TV Shows on November 9, 2010
Robert Downey Jr. drives me nuts! OK, ok, so most Life On The Scene readers already know that, but literally, he’s gone nutty this time. Mr. Peanut will speak in a new ad campaign as Kraft Foods and Planters launch an image makeover with the Golden Globe® winning actor of Sherlock Holmes and the Iron Man movies gives him a voice.
Robert Downey Jr
Kris Wixom, a creative director at Being, the advertising company behind the campaign, tells the New York Times that Downey, Jr. was chosen because of his “everyman suaveness” and because he has “a voice that could wear the top hat, monocle and cane and still feel contemporary and cool.”
“At Planters, we know how to throw a remarkable holiday party,” Mr. Peanut says in the ad. “Just serve classy snacks and be a gracious host — no matter who shows up.”
Mr. Peanut must fend off party guest Richard the Nutcracker. Fortunately, judging by his bandaged noggin, Mr. Peanut just a week earlier proved a tough nut to crack.
“Well, forgive and forget,” Mr. Peanut says before wielding his cane like a weapon — lodging it into Richard’s lethal mouth — and cracking wise as he escapes a social jam.
The animated commercials will begin airing on Tuesday and can be viewed on Mr. Peanuts Facebook page now.
I actually keep an antique glass Mr. Peanut jar in my bathroom at home to hold Q-Tips! Another chance to hear Robert Downey Jr.’s voice on a regular basis advertising a product I’ve always enjoyed is indeed a win-win scenario for me. He looks so cute as a peanut, I could just nibble him right up!
There is also a Seasons Greetings ad featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Peanut singing Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire.
Sunday Morning – Waffles and Maroon 5
Posted by Life on the Scene in Coupons/Freebies, Food, Life on November 7, 2010
waffle
by Cindy Robinson
Sunday morning is always a time we take to sleep in and relax, one of the few days of the week we have time to cook a big breakfast and enjoy it. This time I went with a Sunday Brunch feel, using just the supplies I had on hand. I whipped up some homemade waffles with a little help from my ever faithful Bisquick (their site is now offering a coupon for 50 cents off). I followed their basic waffle recipe, adding a touch of vanilla & a few sprinkles of cinnamon as I normally do with most baked goods.
When the waffles were ready, I added a generous scoop of Dreyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream, a handful of blueberries (I always keep a bag in the freezer from Costco) and drizzled Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup over the top. I served it with sides of breakfast meat – bacon & sausage (apologies to my vegetarian friends) are favorites in our household and tall glasses of Simply Orange orange juice. We added syrup to the mix as we dug in and devoured the tasty creation! It was a quick simple meal that was hearty & warm on a day that promises rain.
The critic, my 9-year-old daughter, said “I can imagine you making this every morning for breakfast”. Imagine being the key word! I think this meal was a winner. Do you have a favorite recipe to share? A weekend tradition? Send them in and we’ll share with Life On The Scene readers!
On a side note, we had the Dreyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream on hand to use with our Halloween candy. Vanilla isn’t typically the flavor of choice in our household but we’ve found it to be a fun & creative way to use up the Halloween candy – by mixing in chopped up Reese’s peanut butter cups or Snickers bars, just like the Blizzards you get at Dairy Queen!
Another bit of Sunday enjoyment is turning on some relaxing music and just letting it flow through the house. A favorite is Maroon 5 who have their latest release, Hands All Over, available now via iTunes. Maroon 5 is currently finishing up a tour of the United States before they head to Europe next year. I’ll leave you with their classic, Sunday Morning. Enjoy!
Cindy Robinson
Flickr Photos
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