While Red Bull’s commercials tend to be cheeky with simple colour schemes, their interest in supporting aspiring musicians through innovative partnerships is very clear this summer. First on my radar was the Red Bull Soundstage Facebook contest, thanks to which my friends’ band Of Gentlemen and Cowards will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman in September.
Then today I learned about an interactive billboard Red Bull created in London, England to promote Jessie Ware, who recorded her latest album at Red Bull Studios. Red Bull invited locals to colour in dots on the billboard until the advertisement was completely visible. Below is the final product:
Once Canadian Club posts started taking over my Facebook news feed, I got in touch with my friend Eric, an idea machine, to investigate whether his team in Liberty Village was behind it. Verdict: guilty as charged. A few DMs later, he offered to send me a kit filled with some blue summer essentials, and then I responded “Awesome!” That’s my word of the summer.
Since then, I’ve worn the aqua blue shades everywhere from Yorkdale to the doctor’s office and I love my Canadian Club t-shirt too. I couldn’t help but notice the shirt’s resemblance to old Western t-shirts. I suspect a nostalgic former Londoner influenced the design.
Canadian Club is offering a huge opportunity for emerging bands to enter their Mixed and Ready Cover Challenge contest. To enter, bands must submit a cover of 1 of 5 songs by a Canadian musician, such as The Arkells. The deadline to enter is August 27, but upload a video to Facebook soon so your friends can vote for your video! The winning band will receive $3,000 for transit to Toronto or new gear, as well as studio time to record, mix and master 3 songs.
Even if performing isn’t your thing, you’re eligible to win Ticketmaster gift cards just by voting, so nag your friends and any neighbours with instruments in their basement to participate! I’m on a mission to discover the next Jesse Labelle.
I haven’t even tasted the drinks yet; Matchstick-inspired tasting parties require lots of planning! If I had a loonie for every conversation in which someone associated the agency with word of mouth marketing for alcoholic beverages, I could host a really fun pre-drink. Plus, the invited guests are out-of-town and it’s an exclusive club, so I’ll keep you posted.
When musicians offer concertgoers not just a phenomenal performance, but a souvenir too, it sure makes you feel like you’re in paradise.
Pun with Coldplay’s song lyrics intended, as that’s precisely how I felt last night at the Air Canada Centre, where I received a special Xyloband. With my cell phone stashed away in my purse, the stadium was brighter than usual each time the tech crew activated fans’ Xylobands; no one needed to wave lighters or waste cell phone batteries as they swayed their arms – the special bands imported from the UK did justice and then some.
If you missed the show, here are the highlights of my concert photos:
Hillside fans’ experiences with umbrellas aside, Dave Matthews Band’s sold-out show at Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday night was outstanding. In addition to the VIP experience I enjoyed thanks to American Express (seriously, follow them on Facebook), the band ensured no one left disappointed.
Rock bands as talented as Dave Matthews Band don’t need flashy costumes or fancy choreographed dances to convince the crowd of their greatness. Their undeniable raw talent led me to focus on their music and appreciate how well the onscreen season-appropriate imagery of roller coasters, flowers and birds fit the outdoor atmosphere.
Blind Pilot’s intimate encore performance above a patio inspired me to delve into their tracks online and reinforced how fortunate I am to live in Toronto, where such treats abound all summer long. Though I was disappointed that “Funny the Way It Is” was missing from Dave Matthews Band’s setlist, I had such a good time that I felt if I got a mosquito bite, it would be worth it.
On Thursday May 3, Canadian icon Bryan Adams performed for 2 1/2 hours, likely making it one of the longest performances I’ve ever attended – not that I nor any of his other twenty thousand or so fans minded. His stop at the Air Canada Centre last night was ultimately a fantastic way to kick-off my summer break.
Bryan Adams is one of those musicians whose work makes a great addition to a driving playlist, so as I watched and listened in awe, I thought back to trips to such places as London, Montreal, Sudbury and Buffalo. Download and then play “Open Road” on your next road trip and you’ll understand.
Since attending his acoustic performance at Massey Hall in August 2009, the middle aged demographic in the audience didn’t surprise me, but the Twitter stream projected onto a screen leading up to his set sure did. I don’t know whether it was the copious amounts of beer I spotted many ticketholders consuming, or if it’s just his fans’ regular diction, but the live Twitter stream illuminated how publicly featuring live tweets can be problematic because some fans’ tweets shown onscreen included profanity. In any case, given the size of touring musicians’ entourages, it couldn’t hurt to have a moderator if tour producers wish to incorporate social media like that.
