Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Kate Voegele


I discovered Kate Voegele when she first appeared on the show, One Tree Hill. She played a musician in a band that was lead by Kevin Federline, and he played a jerk who ended up walking out of the studio and quitting the band. Well long story short, two of the characters on the show (who owned a record label) realized that Kate's character was the one with the talent. Since that first episode she appeared in, Kate has become a regular on the show and has performed quite a few songs on many episodes. I immediately loved the sound of her voice and I loved the lyrics in her songs. Her music was discovered by MySpace Records when she debuted her first CD, "Don't Look Away." She released her second CD, "A Fine Mess" in May 2009. Soon after becoming a fan of hers, I found out that my Uncle Ed actually helped Kate get her first big gig when she played at the IC Light Amphitheater opening for some big act (I can't remember who). I went to see her a few years ago when she played at the TLA in Philly and actually got a chance to meet her briefly and she actually remembered my uncle, which was pretty cool. As many of the artists I'm into these days, she sounds exactly the same live as she does on her CD's. I really enjoy the lyrics to her music, because I feel like I can relate to almost every song. I've actually gotten through some hard times with a past relationship thanks to many of her songs. If you look on my iTunes, you'll see that some of her songs have been played more than most. Unlike many popular artists out there, she also plays her own instruments. As always, I've included a link to her official website and a few videos of her performing live.

Kate Voegele's Official Website
Kate Voegele performing "Hallelujah"
Kate Voegele performing "Angel"
Kate Voegele Official Music Video for 99 Times

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Rad Bromance




When I went to World Cafe Live with my friend, Amy, in the beginning of December (for the Bryan Greenberg show) we noticed a flyer that displayed future shows and one show caught our eye. RAD BROMANCE - AN ALL MALE LADY GAGA TRIBUTE BAND. We simultaneously agreed that we had to buy tickets for the show. I mean, come on, what female in today's day and age wouldn't want to see an all male band rock out to Lady Gaga covers? So, on December 22nd, Amy, our friend, Tiff, and I traveled down to World Cafe Live for this event. The show took place on the upstairs stage at WCL, which I was surprised because I imagined a band like this to play on the downstairs stage (plus there is a lot more room to stand and dance downstairs). Unfortunately, we weren't able to reserve a table so we had to do the whole standing room only thing, which the upstairs venue is not really well equipped for that. It was packed in there, so that was probably the only compliant I had because we couldn't really see the stage very well. Other than that, it was an amazing show. Rad Bromance basically gave all of Lady Gaga's hit songs a rock twist, which was refreshing. As much as I love Lady Gaga, her songs get overplayed on the mainstream radio, so it was nice to hear a new version of her songs. I just wish they sold their version of her songs, but I'm pretty sure they'd have to deal with all the copyright issues if they were to do so. Apparently, Rad Bromance is originally from the Philadelphia area. Since Gaga only has so many hits (I mean, she's only been around a couple of years) the band only performed for about an hour, but they basically covered every one of her popular songs. I'm not quite sure how often they play in the area, but if you're a Gaga fan (aka "Little Monster") then I suggest you check them out. They have a page on facebook (I've included a link below) that displays their upcoming shows. I also included some YouTube videos of Rad Bromance performing live (some of the sound isn't the greatest, but it gives you an idea).

Rad Bromance's Facebook Page
Rad Bromance performing "Bad Romance"
Rad Bromance performing "Love Game"
Rad Bromance performing "Dance in the Dark"