If you weren’t at the Chris Brown Concert, you definitely missed out. His awesome dance moves and amazing voice brought the crowd to their feet making it impossible for anyone to stand still. Not only was the audience amused by his incredible performance but they also were entertained with numerous opening acts including Soulja Boy, Bow Wow, Lil Mama, and Sean Kingston. Each performer brought his or her style to the stage and they all put on a great show. Right as one performer finished, the next came on. If there were any delays DJ’s took the stage and gave credit to famous New Orleans rappers by playing their songs. Lil Mama opened up the concert performing her hit of the year “Lip Gloss.” She and her backup dancers were constantly moving and formed a great opening act. Sean Kingston then took the stage and despite former rumors that I had heard about him not being a good live performer, was not all that bad. His voice did not stand out as much as it does on his album, but because his songs are all so upbeat, it was almost impossible not to enjoy his performance. All you could do was sing along. Soulja Boy then performed “Crank That,” a song that has been a huge hit this year. He not only proved that he could dance but got everyone in the audience doing his signature “Crank That.” The last two performances were saved for Bow Wow and Chris Brown, the two whom this concert was centered upon. Bow Wow went on first performing hits such as “Girlfriend” and “Hey Baby.” Bow Wow has grown increasingly popular throughout the past few years and although it was kind of weird to see him grown up, after mainly remembering him from his performance in “Like Mike,” he definitely proved that he had talent. Then, Chris Brown stole the show as he engaged the audience with his many great talents. Girls of all ages screamed until they couldn’t scream anymore, while his intense yet appropriate dance moves shined on the stage.

The concert’s ability to bring so many up and coming singers all together allowed the audience to enjoy the variety of talent. Hopefully we will continue to see great things from each one of these performers and their music will continue to make people ‘bust-a-move.’

by Amy P.

NLT They once swooned you with cheesy lyrics and intense dance moves and made every girl wish the girls they sang about in their songs was her. Just when you thought the boy band age had ended it looks as if it is making a comeback. This particular group of boys is different from what we think of from the 90’s. Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were the hits of the 90’s but NLT, standing for Not Like Them, although influenced by the typical boy band artists, really are “not like them.”With new upbeat R&B ballads mixed with the occasional rough sound of rap, these boys bring a new sound to the teen pop age. Sure nothing can beat the classic songs “Bye Bye Bye” and “I Want It That Way,” but Texas boys: JJ, Kevin, Travis, and V bring about new songs like “That Girl” and “Do It Like I Love It,” which are sure to become new favorites of girls, and perhaps even boys, across America.Although they don’t produce great music, it’s hard to ignore these handsome guys and their new hip-hop dance moves. Their self-titled album, to be released in the summer of 2008, isn’t the best out there, but the songs are enjoyable, consisting of catchy tunes that will appeal to the ear of not only teenyboppers but also the unexpected ear of those who listen to music with a little more meaning behind it.I know from experience that these pretty boys are hard to veer your eyes and ears from. The Night B97 Stole Christmas, held at the House of Blues on December 4, 2007 featuring Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls, and NLT, gave me one of the most thrillingly cheesy experiences of my life. The boy band busted out unexpected kicks and pelvic thrusts that would make anyone in the crowd go crazy. I never thought I would find myself trying to jump over a barricade just to touch some dreamy boy band character’s hand; never did I think I would go wild over someone who wears aviators inside, a diamond in his ear, spiky beach blonde hair, and more makeup than some of the girls at this school wear. Unexpectedly these pretty boys are hard to veer your eyes and ears from and should definitely be given a chance; they are sure to sweep almost any female and perhaps even some males off of their feet.

by: Olivia J.

Fans yelled, and parents covered their ears when the teen pop-star known as “Hannah Montana” took the stage. After a somewhat upsetting opening act by the upcoming band, a trio of sisters known as “Everlife”, fans were overly ecstatic about finally catching a glimpse of their idol, Hannah Montana.

After a very entertaining entrance, in which she came down onto the stage in a lit-up box (after the box met the stage and starting rising again, Montana was right underneath it already dancing away), Montana immediately burst out into her first song, “Rock Star.” She then followed these by many of her other well known Hannah Montana songs, such as “Nobody’s Perfect,” “Old Blue Jeans,” and “Pumpin’ Up the Party.”

When the first part of the show was coming to an end, Montana called out “Everlife” again to sing their version of “Rock and Roll All Night”. Afterwards, Montana left the stage to become Miley while Everlife stayed and played their so called “love song to god”.

When the pop star hit the stage for the second time, she was anything but Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus was now wearing what looked like Harley Davidson gear: a leather jacket, a chain on her jeans, and metallic boots.

The “Meet Miley Cyrus” portion of the show was a bit too adult and scandalous for the dominant age group at the show (ranging from about 5-11 years old). Nevertheless, the 6 year-olds sitting behind me were still jumping around and doing what I suppose was their form of dancing, while their parents remarked that Miley Cyrus “is truly amazing.”

About halfway through this, Cyrus explained that she wasn’t feeling well and needed a break. During this 5 minute pause, the back-up dancers tried their best to keep the crowd pumped up and on their feet. When Cyrus returned, she said that she was feeling a lot better, but she needed to sit this one down. Even though she claims she was ill, she definitely did not let it show in her performance.

When Cyrus left the stage for the last time, most fans stayed in their seats because the lights did not turn on, so there had to be more to the show. A few minutes later Miley and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, took the stage to sing their duet “Ready, Set, Don’t Go”. Since about half of the audience was parents, there were undoubtedly a few tears during the final moments of the concert.

By Megan M.

A small band, perhaps never heard of before, a short blonde guy with large teeth and a high pitched voice, a group of dark emo boys, and the tall, lanky William Beckett seems to be the best combination to produce one of the most fabulous concerts you will ever see. The Sleeping with Giants tour, held at the House of Blues on October 4^th was beyond having anything to do with sleeping. Upbeat songs, lovely piano melodies, and interesting dance moves really liven up a crowd and cause them to do anything but settle down.Sherwood was overall bland and had boring music but there was one exception to their performance. The keyboardist dressed in tight jeans and a v-neck t-shirt, glasses resting upon his nose with a mop of curly hair covering his head. He bounced everywhere as he twisted and turned to the music, sometimes seeming to be collapsing from the lovely melodies of the music he was creating. But he couldn’t make up for lack of movement in the crowd; overall the band was just boring.  The Rocket Summer’s set sparkled. The upbeat dance ballads would have the audience jumping around with happiness. Little Bryce, the lead singer, does not seem like he could produce such a big sound, but random bursts of confetti at the most intense moments of his songs made his voice strong and powerful making him seem larger than life, even if he is shorter than the average man. Singing songs from his albums Hello Good Friend and his recent album titled Do You Feel, recently released, his squeaky voice pierced the air and left the crowd cheerful and excited. Although halfway through the concert, the show had only just begun; there was much more excitement in store for the audience.Being a band I and many others enjoy, it is sad to say that Armor for Sleep was a bit boring. Lack of movement on the stage doesn’t engage the audience but interesting guitar riffs made up for lack of movement of the band. Their famous songs like Car Underwater and Remember to Feel Real were no disappointment. However, meeting them and realizing that they weren’t the nicest people took away from their good performance.Excitement buzzed through the crowd when it was time for the headlining band to take the stage; the crowd roared with excitement and could not be settled down even if the effort was made as Mike Carden, Michael Guy Chislet, The Butcher, and Adam T. Siska (Sisky) took the stage. They held their guitars and the Butcher beat on his drums, getting the crowd pumped while waiting for the empty space where the 6’3 lead singer would take his place. The wait seemed forever. He was the one everyone wanted to see, the voice everyone longed to hear, and without warning, there he was, William Beckett. Arms reached out for him and others leaned over balconies. In awe, no one could tear their eyes away from the band. They were in for a treat. Starting with Same Blood from their second album Santi the concert had truly begun. William Beckett’s voice was the sweetest thing one would ever hear that night and the best dancer anyone would ever see as he jumped around the stage, resembling Elvis. I didn’t really notice the rest of the band. I barely laid my eyes on them. They seemed to barely move. William Beckett stole the show; his presence was so interesting and breathtaking. It was a performance I never wanted to end. Playing all of their album Almost Here and more than half of Santi was a big treat and surprise—a big change from the first time they played in New Orleans and had fewer songs to perform. It brought tears to my eyes and left me lightheaded once officially over.   If ever around this is a concert to definitely attend. Even if you do not get the opportunity to see this wonderful performance you should definitely give these bands a listen, for listening to their music through headphones can be just as exciting as seeing them live.  

 By Megan K

In the past year the local band, Mute Math has grown to be recognized nation wide. They gained much popularity through their song and their video for “Typical” and slowly but surely built up a large hype around their live shows. They are great, but any attendee at the 2007 Voodoo Music Festival who had the opportunity to see Mute Math was probably upset and bored with their performance.
When compared to their set last year, this one was extremely boring and a huge letdown. Last year their set was different, something that stood out, but this year it just seemed to blend in with everything else going on. There wasn’t a lot of movement on stage or anything different or exciting going on. Previous Mute Math performances include their singer moving, rolling around and jumping all over the stage; their drummer duck-taping headphones to his head, falling off the drum riser and breaking part of his drum set; their bassist goes all around the stage with and without his bass and playing some drums; their guitarist, being a major component to their live shows, bringing energy and a lot more sound to the performances.
This year they seemed like an amateur band playing one of their very first shows. Their singer moved a bit from the microphone, center stage, to the piano, a few feet behind the microphone. There was no jumping, rolling around or breaking things this year. They seemed uncomfortable, tired and like they didn’t even want to be there. Mute Math just seemed to have been put right on the stage and told to perform, unprepared. One upside was that they played many good songs and they sounded great but overall it was just boring.
Mute Math is one of my favorite live bands and I found myself walking away from their performance about halfway through the set. A performance as big as Voodoo Fest would motivate most bands to try harder and try to make more of an impression on the diverse crowd. Hopefully their future performances in their hometown will be much more impressive and exciting.

y Megan K.
When people go to shows they should look for the energy coming from the stage. Occasionally there is a show that is just so boring it makes you want to fall asleep. When the Yo! tour rolled through New Orleans the concertgoers became part of the biggest dance party that room has ever seen.
Since there weren’t that many people there, the bands had to make the best of it, and they did. Farewell, a pop-punk/powerpop band form North Carolina, opened up the night with a explosive set with songs off of their recently released album Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?. Everyone seemed to have a really good stage presence and moved around with the exception of their singer who remained in one general area. The sound was a little off making it difficult for the crowd to hear his voice
Next up was The Secret Handshake, a indie/electronica band from Texas. The actual band consists of one person, but his live band consists of 2, the singer and a drummer. It seemed that the crowd was most excited to see this band. Because the genre of this band was electronica, everyone in the venue was dancing. When he sang a new song off of his brand new album, One Full Year, which no one had heard before he managed to get the crowd right into it. When he wasn’t sitting at his keyboard he was up at the front of the stage singing straight to the crowd.
Headlining was Powerspace, a powerpop/dance band from Chicago. By the time they had come on at least 5 or 6 people had left. There are only 4 people in this band so there was more room on the stage for them to move. Their singer, Alec, used this space to his advantage by dancing all around the stage, sometimes with moves that were too risqué. Halfway into their set he came down into the crowd and danced for a little while during an extremely long guitar solo. Their set was fun to watch however it seemed short, and the show ended early.
After the show everyone came out and all the fans got a chance to meet the bands, which is always fun. Overall the show was energetic and the people (the rest of the crowd and the bands) were fun to meet and hang around with. If any of these bands roll through town again anytime soon, I would suggest checking them out.

 By Amy P.
Over the past few years, high school and college students all over Louisiana and scattered locations along the Gulf Coast have become attached to Baton Rouge’s very own Benjy Davis Project. Their exceptional sounds and creative lyrics make them a big attraction towards the younger crowds in these areas. Benjy Davis’ local music style and originality form great live performances and CD’s that almost anyone can enjoy.
Benjy Davis’ career started several years ago when a group of twenty year old guys formed a band that they hoped would someday become nationally recognized. When Benjy Davis started this band in 2001, it was no more than six guys playing for the love of music. Through the years their music has carried them across the United States, and no one ever imagined how famous they would become.
I’m sure most of you who have been a fan for several years remember first hearing about them. Everyone in the city had become “obsessed” with this new band from Baton Rouge and although no one had ever heard of them, everyone agreed that their music was amazing. Everyone loved the fact that people from other places had no idea who they were and that they were local to our home of Louisiana. Considering the fact that they were all so young, kids our age were inspired by them. Music had always been a huge part of our home town, but this was one of the first bands that still portrayed our local music yet was able to attract a vast variety of both young adults and adults.
Performing at Jazz Fest for the first time in 2003 created a lot of recognition for the band. It seemed like everyone was talking about them after that performance and no longer were those of us in Louisiana the only ones to have heard about them. Their recognition began to spread all over the U.S., and the fame that they had longed for had finally come.
Their most recent CD, Dust, was released on September 18th. It combines a great collaboration of new sounds mixed with the “southern style” that they are known for. This CD is definitely different from all the others, but you can still expect great things from it. In my opinion, they have not had one bad CD, but for some reason this one just seems to top them all. It’s filled with great songs that have both amazing lyrics and is of course fun to listen to. If you love driving around listening to the previous Benjy Davis CD’s, this is for you. Its upbeat tempo and fun lyrics make it better than ever to listen to Benjy while you’re out and about.