Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Top 10 Wedding Reception songs of 2008

10. Dancin' In The Street - Martha & The Vandellas
9. Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
8. Let's Get It Started - Blackeyed Peas
7. In The Mood - Glenn Miller Orchestra
6. The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
5. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
4. Crazy In Love - Beyonce Knowles/ Jay Z
3. September - Earth, Wind, and Fire
2. I Will Survive - Donna Summer
1. At Last - Etta James



This list is comprised from a cross-section of songs requested by brides/grooms, songs band leaders favor to get the crowd on the dancefloor, and songs actually performed consistently by 3 of the busiest wedding agencies in New York City.

Monday, December 8, 2008

'At Last', Cadillac Records

Today I went to see Cadillac Records with a friend. I'm not sure how much I should say, but this friend is fighting cancer, and I just found out. We went to Dallas BBQ in Times Square and then went to the AMC for a 4 o'clock show. We'd both had a cocktail with lunch (I had a strawberry margarita, Texas size); it was delicious, and I thought I might fall asleep during the movie.

Well, that wasn't happening. I was riveted to the screen the whole time. Such a great story and the cast didn't overplay anything. They told the story instead of being stars in the story. I thought it was very well done.

Now I'm home and have been singing 'At Last', from the movie, all day. rofl. I literally hear this song every single week at my wedding gigs and never get tired of it. I'd say it's THE most popular wedding song and is done at about 99% of receptions. Listen to a little; I hope I did it justice.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Josiah Leming is back with a Vengeance

I just read a little story on yahoo news about Josiah Leming. Remember him? The spoiled little kid who got kicked off American Idol during one of the Hollywood challenges? Well, he's at it again.

It seems that he got lucky and signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records (one of only 4 contestants to get a deal this year). The problem is that he signed a contract with American Idol (19E) that says he can't sign with anyone else until he gives Sony/BMG first refusal.

What is first refusal? It means that Sony/BMG had to be told about the Warner Bros. interest to sign Josiah and that Sony/BMG had the right to sign Josiah first or turn him down.

Why does it matter? Well, now AI is seeking to block the release of Josiah's debut CD, because he didn't go through the proper channels. Didn't Warner Bros. know of the contract with AI and 19E entertainment? Didn't they have the sense and foresight to seek compromise?

Now Josiah's lawyers are saying that Josiah Leming has 'personal reasons' for wanting to get out his CD soon: his mom is dying of cancer and he wants it on the shelves before she goes, so she can be proud of him. Great story. Maybe it's true. BUT this is business...nothing personal.

19E has every right to block the CD and is probably seeking monetary damages (money, payoff) for making Josiah a household name. Yes, they suck for blocking the boy after all he's gone through. Yes, He should be allowed to go forward. BUT he signed a contract and without that exposure no one might have ever know his name. 19E wants to be paid for their marketing and so they should be paid.

We wish you the best Josiah, but the victim act gets old pretty quickly.

What do you think? Should Josiah be allowed to release his album without paying AI?
Are they jerks for keeping him down? Do you think the CD will be any good? Could it challenge David Archuleta on the charts?

Monday, September 22, 2008

You've Got To Give Back

Hey Fam, Well here I am vegging out from a weekend of work (on a Monday, of course) and starting to get together my things and post information about the upcoming weekend. Why? I'm doing a gig on Saturday night and a worthy fundraising event on Sunday.

Here's the info:
"Come out and enjoy the welcoming party for the riders of 'Braking The Cycle'. This is the yearly fundraising event for the GLBT Center's HIV/AIDS outreach programs.

Robert Anton, Jason Walker, Ari Gold, Michael Lynch, and many other performers will be showing their support by donating their talents. You don't wanna miss this one.
And make sure to bring your cameras."

From what I understand, this event is the main fundraiser for the GLBT Center's HIV/AIDS outreach programs and dozens (maybe even hundreds) of riders have had money pledged for their ride from Gettysburg to Manhattan. You can cull more information from the website: http://www.brakingthecycle.org

COME OUT AND SUPPORT. The show starts at 5 p.m.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

911 I Can't Breathe

I heard that Deepa Soul a.k.a. Diedre Meredith was releasing a video on 9-11 called "911 I Can't Breath". It was supposed to launch on Logo, and I looked on the website and couldn't find it.

Now there are many ways to go about finding something on the internet, so my next stop was to Google the video. It came up but the link didn't work. So now I went to the website where the video was supposed to be listed and found another link there on the front page. Whew!!! You have to be persistent sometimes to find what you want on the net.

The video is great! and a break from the usual House music releases of this wonderful artist who hails from New Orleans and is now the Director of OutMusic.

I just wish that people would remember how lazy the 'click through' generation can be. The post I first read about the video should have had the link right there so I'd only have to click on it and...voila. Instant gratification.

Sometimes you have to think of your audience, especially on the internet, as wanting to be fed things directly. If I were just passing by the post and did not know Deepa personally, I probably would not have bothered to take the 5 minutes it took for me to go on a full-out search mission to find it.

Oh! In case you wanted to check it out, here's the link.

http://www.afterellen.com/blog/trishbendix/deepa-soul-video-911-i-cant-breathe

Monday, September 8, 2008

Learn Some Cover Tunes



Everyone should learn a few covers, even as an original artist. Find out why in this video. On my shows, I tend to open with a cover if I'm doing more than 3 songs. It really breaks the ice.

http://www.robertanton.com

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Baby, I Love You



I hope you enjoy this video and song. Just put together some footage from a trip to Hawaii to get it up on the net. The song is good but the production needs a little work. what do you think? Make sure to leave a comment.

Be Blessed. I Love You.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Watching the Click list on Logo

Hey Fam, If you don't know me and you're new to my style; just sit back and relax cause we're gonna have some fun.

I'm just watching some videos on the Click List from Logo. A friend, Cheryl Hill, sent me a link because her new video for 'Let Love In' is in competition there. I got to clicking around and watched videos by Colton Ford (former gay porn star), Jay Brannan (youtube singer and internet celebrity), Sandra Grace (a myspace friend and wonderful singer), and even The Pussycat Dolls. It's a nice mix of videos.

There's so much talent out there. How are you going to compete? You need some help in learning the ins and outs and finding your TRUE voice before some all-knowing record exec or even A&R person tries to 'give' you a voice.

That's where I come in. Can I get you signed? No. Can I make you famous? Probably not. So what can I do? I can give you the tools to improve your craft and the outlook to succeed as a performer. It's called, LIVING THE DREAM.

Make sure to subscribe. There's a lot more to come.

Many Blessings.