Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Here come The Police!

OK, so not only are my GF and I counting down the days until we head south on vaca to Disney World (as of Wednesday, it'll just be 157 days and counting!), we're also waiting until Friday, Aug. 3, when we head down to Madison Square Garden to see Andy Sumner, Stewart Copeland and some guy named Sting ... you might know them as The Police.

(As if the Bo Bice show wasn't enough excitement!)

I also know them as my GF's fav band of all time — you don't even want to know mine! — so when tickets went on sale, she frantically logged on to Sting's Web site, typed in her membership code, and scored us three $107 tickets in the upper deck of MSG. (We got three 'cause one of her two best freinds, Val, is also going.)

Back then, when the tour was announced, I swear they said that the NYC stop in August was the second on the tour, with the guys first playing Boston's Fenway Park earlier in the week.

Then my fav Police fan e-mailed me today with this story from the USA Today. Am I bummed that we're not seeing one of their first shows on tour? No way! And here's my rationale:

If we wanted, we could've easily driven up to Boston and caught (what we thought was) the first show. But ... the whole reason we didn't want to see their first show together in 20 years is because we thought they might need a few nights to work out any kinks. (Smart thinking, right?) Hence, seeing the third show, we'd see them without any glitches. (Are you following all this?!)

So now ... since we're going to see them more than 2 months after their first show, they'll definitely be at their best, having all those shows before ours to tune up and sound great!

OK, so a lil' Police trivia: What is Sting's real name?
Who wants to be the first to post a comment, give the answer and impress all those other "Sean's Space" readers out there?

And of course, everyone knows of The Police's early "gig" in Po-town, right?

Saturday, May 26, 2007

I got my stamps! I got my stamps!

OK, so I was sooooo busy the past few days, blogging about Bo Bice and Taylor Hicks, that I didn't even have time to buy my "Star Wars" postage stamps, which just came out Friday ... until today!!!

I just picked them up, and let me tell ya ... they're beautiful!!!

(Seriously! Just look at them!)

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the greatest movie ever made (not to mention the two sequels ... the pre-quels are another matter; don't even get me started on Jar-Jar Binks!), I was more than happy to shell out the $6.15 for the 15-stamp sheet.

OK, I'm sharing way too much here: I actually bought two of those sheets — that's one to use, and one to put away and save, never to touch because of the destructive oils we all have on our hands — because I'm just that big of a geek.

(You think that's bad?! Wait til I write some day about my limited-edition, mail-in exclusive George Lucas stormtrooper action figure! That thing hasn't seen the light of day in a year.) (Oh, and for the record: They're not dolls; they're action figures!)

But I digress...

Anyway ... I've decided only the special people I know are going to receive letters and cards with one of these "Star Wars" beauties affixed. None of my bills are being paid with one of these. (Sorry, Verizon Wireless! Too bad, Time-Warner Cable!)

Instead, I wish the postal service would come out with stamps specifically meant to attach to bills you send out: skull-and-crossbones ... maybe that neon-green, frowning Mr. Yuk face ... something to really let the people taking my money just how bitter I am that they're billing me.

But until that day comes, head out to the post office, pick up your stamps, and may The Force be with you!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Another "American Idol" alum coming to town

Less than a week after Bo Bice, the runner-up of Season 4 of "American Idol," rocked The Chance in Poughkeepsie — you heard about that, right?! — I see that Taylor Hicks will play the Mid-Hudson Civic Center on Aug. 16 for a 7:30 p.m. show. (That's a Thursday, btw.)

Taylor actually WON the fifth season of the show!

Tickets go on sale next Saturday (June 2) at 10 a.m.

Admittedly not knowing much about Bo, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed last week when he put on a great, acoustic show. He exemplified every bit the rock star he portrayed on "American Idol."

Taylor Hicks, though? That "Soul Patrol" of his? I'd find it kinda hard to get up for a concert by a guy that looks more like your 10th-grade biology teacher than an American "idol." (Seriously ... look at that up there! Taylor looks like he's in pain.) That said, if I can again score free tix to the show, I'm sure my GF and I will go.

Don't get me wrong: He looked very entertaining on the show and obviously someone voted for him, but I find it hard to see him selling out the Civic Center. If nothing else, based on the crowd Bo drew last Saturday, I could see him playing the Civic Center and Taylor playing the smaller, more intimate Chance.

I'm just saying!

And while we're talking "AI," could we please get some of the girls from the show to come here. I'm getting a lil' sick of posting all these pics of guys on the blog ... don't want people getting the wrong idea here!

I mean, I know Kelly Clarkson is a big star and Carrie Underwood is now an award-winning singer on her way up. But what about Katharine McPhee? She's had one good single so far ... bring her to Po-town to plug her latest project.

Until that happens, though, I'm sure local "AI" fans will enjoy Taylor's show in August.

Seacreast out!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

"Sean & The City"

So just in case all that excitement from Saturday night's concert wasn't enough, we boarded the 6:33 train out of Poughkeepsie Sunday morning headed to NYC for the "Sex And The City" bus tour.

Now, we'd won two free passes to this 3 1/2-hour bus tour back in January with two thoughts in mind:

1. My GF got her bachelor's degree in fashion (she's since earned her master's in communications) and I thought with all the fashion that Carrie and the girls always wore, this would be perfect for her.

2. Me? I'd become a fan of the show's writing since I first watched it ... not to mention that it's pretty cool watching four chicks sitting around and talking about "doing it."

So just before 10 o'clock, we waited on line to board the big charter bus right in front of the Plaza Hotel. Even though the show wrapped several years ago, I was amazed how many people were waiting with us, happy to pay the $37 for the 3 1/2-hour tour.

As we stood in line (we were the second ones there), I took a head-count: girl, girl, girl, girl, girl, girl, girl... Well, you see where I'm going with this! Of the 48 people on the bus, I was one of three guys on the whole bus! (All three us of, though, were there with our GFs or wives, so don't get any strange ideas.)

With that said, I had a great time! We sat on Carrie's stoop (seen here) and the tour guide (Lisa, originally from nearby Woodstock) snapped our pic on it. That was one of three times we got off the bus to see the sights up-close. In between, we watched like 30 video clips, each corresponding to the next sight we were about to drive slowly by.

The exclusive rooftop pool where Samantha pretended to a British socialite. Charlotte's art gallery (not to mention the inside story about why she stopped working there). The basketball court where Steve practiced for his halfcourt shot during the Knicks game. Aidan's furniture store. We saw 'em all!

But the BEST part of the tour came when we stopped at the Magnolia Bakery (it's right near Carrie's stoop). In one episode the girls are eating the bakery's famous cupcakes and, keeping with the reality aspect of the tour, we were each treated to a Magnolia Bakery-recipe cupcake.

(Though, they were from another bakery owned by one of the former Magnolia owners who's since split from her business partner. It's an ugly story, too long to recount here.)

All ya need to know is that these cupcakes were AWESOME — at two bucks a pop, they'd better be! — so much that I jumped at the chance to answer a "SATC" trivia question at the end of the tour to win another cupcake ... which I shared with my GF. (Speaking of which, notice I never name her? She likes it that way ... kinda like she's my "Ms. Big," keeping with the theme of the show!)

In all, it was a really fun 3 hours or so, an experience I'd totally recommend for any fan of the show. Click here for more information on the tour.

They dropped us off a block from Times Square, where we met my pal Abby (she's now a big-time lawyer) and ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.


Hours later, we returned home to Po-town, tired but excited about the fun weekend we'd had, thanks to Bo Bice and Carrie & Co.

Bo Bice: Unplugged

OK, now I never imagined I’d write one blog post about Bo Bice, let alone this one, which is my third!

But I’ve got to say: What a show!

A couple nights before Friday’s show at The Chance, I actually went to a Bo Bice message board (yes, I was that bored!) and read that he was doing some acoustic shows on his current tour. Seriously? I thought. No big rock show? Just Bo, a guitar and a mic?

Man, was I surprised!

Standing in the front row, my GF and I enjoyed almost 90 minutes of southern rock, culminating with Bo’s show-ending rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama” with his ol’ pal and opening act, Gary Nichols. (Check out his Web site here.)

I actually recorded that finale on my brand-spanking new digital camera, but the fine folks at YouTube only let you uploaded videos that are less than 100 MB, and the file was 124 MB. (I know … “Like we care, geek!”) Anyway … I was able to post this lil' jam session of him and Nichols:


Admittedly, the YouTube videos come out a lil blurry in the blog, so feel free to click here and watch it with better resolution.

While he only did two songs from his debut CD, "The Real Thing" — that was the CD that I was trying to memorize for two weeks — he also did some new songs he's been working on for his upcoming release, a cover of the Eagles' "Take It Easy" and even a lil' "Wheels On The Bus" while expounding the virtues of the Doodlebops. (Ya had to be there.) In between, he conversed back and forth with the crowd and really seemed to enjoy his night in Po-town!


All in all, it was a great show and he came off as a really down-to-earth guy.

What a weekend!

Only now recovering from my weekend of fun (both here in Poughkeepsie and down in NYC), I'm just starting on the first of two posts documenting all the excitement.

Keep coming back to read up on all the fun...

Friday, May 18, 2007

It's not "American Idol"...

...it's "Pet Idol!"

Instead of voting for the best singer in the whole country, the Poughkeepsie Journal is giving you the chance to vote for your fav pet right here in the Hudson Valley! (Cute idea, right?)

For all the information, just click here and sign up your cute puppy or kitty or whatever animal you've got roaming around your house!

Just because the race between Jordin and Blake is winding down doesn't mean you have to give up your ability to vote repeatedly for a winner: Journal readers like you will submit photos of their pets and then the readers can vote for which pet they think is the cutest in all the land!

Instead of hearing Randy Jackson keep calling people “Dawg, dawg” … you can actually vote for the cutest dog!

Sure, “Kat” (that’s Katharine McPhee from last season of "AI") might not be in the running for this contest, but you can still put your support behind an actual cat! (Just like that cutie to the left)

And here's the best part: All the money raised by the contest goes to support Newspapers In Education, a program that supplies newspapers to local classrooms every day at no cost to the schools! Just as good, part of the proceeds collected go to the Dutchess County SPCA, so everyone comes out a winner!

The winning pets and their owners will receive a trophy and prizes!

Oh! OH! And did I mention??? There's no Simon in this contest! What could be better?!

Voting will begin later this month. For now, the Journal is looking for your pet pics, so send 'em in! Don't have a pet? No prob: Tell a friend who does!

Can't get enough of pets? Be sure to check out Michael Woyton's blog, "Dogs, Cats, Etc." and learn even more! Check the Journal's Web site for more information on when voting begins, and let the whole Hudson Valley know you've got the cutest pet.

Seacrest out!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Gecko or caveman? You decide!

So working more-or-less a second-shift job, I watch a lot of daytime television. And in between all the TV judges and "Little House on the Prairie" re-runs (hey, don't laugh ... that show rocks!), I watch just as many commercials, plugging everything from diabetes medication refills to whole-term life insurance, from electric scooters designed to "give you back your mobility" to Life-Alert. (Kinda tells you who advertisers think are watching daytime TV, huh?)

And then there's Geico.

Now in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a Geico customer; have been for several years. I've never had a problem with them — their insurance is priced right, you can do everything online — but I can only invest my time and energy into one corporate mascot. Geico, though, gives us two, and herein lies my dilemma: They've got two different ad campaigns — one I love, one I hate!

Their gecko here kinda annoys me. He's got a British accent — yes, I've gotten past that he's a talking gecko, it's the accent with which he speaks that drives me nuts! — and he's kinda condescending, telling us just how simple Geico really is. Plus, some of the analogies he uses, trying to convince us to switch to Geico, are really stupid. "If you ask them for an English muffin ... and they'll hand you a buttered muffin." Just drives me up the wall!

As annoying as I find the gecko, I can't get enough of the cavemen. Not since Phil Hartman's "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" skits on "Saturday Night Live" have I derived so much enjoyment from a Neanderthal!

It all began with Geico telling us that they were so easy to use, "a caveman can do it," and took off. Now, we see cavemen getting mad at TV hosts belittling their inability to adapt to the modern world, pleading to their therapists about how they feel when Geico and others question their intelligence, and even getting together at a party — one caveman questions the other about his dedication to the species 'cause he signed up with Geico, while another celebrates hooking up with his cavewoman. "Tina's here. We're getting back together!"



Great stuff! Pure genius, those cavemen! So much, that ABC is developing a sit-com based on the Geico cavemen. The working title, you ask? "Cavemen." (Swear to God!)

They used to also have these annoying commercials with the real customers and the "celebrity" spokespeople. In short, they'd have alleged real customers tell their story of how great Geico is and then have someone like Little Richard, Burt Bacharach and Peter Graves (I know, sounds like the next season of "Surreal Life") recount their stories, so as to give them star-power. Don't even get me started on how much I hated those! Those commercials, though, have mercilessly seemed to stop running.

So here's my question: Why can't Geico just pick one gimmick and stick with it?! Instead of splitting their marketing money on two campaigns, why not sink all the dough into just one and fully develop the characters?

Anyone got a fav???

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Do NOT make Kelly Clarkson mad!

Wow! Have ya heard Kelly's new single, "Never Again?"

What happened to that cute lil' Kelly Clarkson, the one I voted for like a million times on the first season of "American Idol?"

(Here's Kelly in happier days. I actually had a friend who's a girl who said that she thought Kelly had a "pig face" back then! I totally disagree.)


So here's the Cliffs Notes version of Kelly's new song: Some guy dumps Kelly and breaks her heart. (How could he?! Look how cute she is!) So she sings about it, and she is not happy about it!

Just look at some of the lyrics from "Never Again..."

Does it hurt to know I'll never be there?/Be it sucks to see my face everywhere
It was you who chose to end it like you did/I was the last to know you knew
exactly what you would do
Don't say you simply lost your way/She may believe you, but I never will

I know, right??? Ouch!
Bitter ... table for one!

It's kinda like Alanis' "You Oughta Know," but a little bit tamer. (And can you believe that song was supposed to be about Dave Coulier?! Yes, Joey Gladstone from TV's "Full House." How did he ever get someone like her??? But I digress...)

Not that Kelly is the only "AI" alum to take a walk on the bitter side.

Have ya listened to "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood (she's the cutie on the left) or "Over It" by last year's runner-up, Katherine McPhee (the hottie below)? They're all about the break-up.

What's the deal with all the "AI" girls getting all dumped on? I mean, want to hear them singing the happy songs — remember "A Moment Like This" and "Inside Your Heaven?" — and not crooning all about the bitterness. I like to think of my "AI" singers as happy, girl-next-doors, not actual people with real feelings and emotions.

Yeah, I know they're just singing. But still, it kinda ruins that cheery image in my head.

Maybe it's just me!

Monday, May 14, 2007

Bo knows singing

OK, OK, OK. I feel better.

If you read my earlier post about Bo Bice, you know that I'd gotten my GF and myself on the guest for Friday night's show at the Chance ... even though I'd never heard him sing.

Well, "the wife" of Daddy Diary blog author Pete Colaizzo lent me her copy of his debut CD, "The Real Thing."

Let me tell ya: He can sang. That's right: Not sing, but sang! (You have to imagine a funky twang in your head when you read that ... sang!)

Readers Diane and Looper were kind enough to pass along their comments and tell me of Bo's talent. Taking a break from Daddy Diary, Pete told me several times that Bo did a great cover of "Vehicle," though I didn't know what song he was talking about. (As it turns out, I did know the song, just not the title.)

I've been listening to the CD nonstop (on the way to cover stories for work, on the way to the bank, on the way to Mother's Day brunch) and I'm trying my best to learn every word to every song. With four days left, I'm about halfway there.

Having gone to Alanis Morissette on her first tour 11 years ago when her first single, "You Oughta Know" was still climbing the charts, I had the horrible experience of going to a concert and only knowing the words for that one song! The rest of the night, my friends and I just bobbed our heads and tried to stay in rhythm.

Intent on not repeating that story, I had a plan when "the wife" let me borrow her CD: Instead of listening to the disc in its entirety, I instead devised the plan to break the track listing into thirds, listening to the first four songs ad nauseum until I learned every lyric, and then the second third and then the final third.

I've still got about five or six more songs to learn in four days, so wish me luck!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Paris WHITNEY Hilton???

Yup, Paris' middle name is Whitney!

Did you know that? Me, neither!

That's just one of the tidbits I learned by reading the online petition her friends and fans have begun to try to sway California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep Paris (seen here in an AP file shot during better days) out of jail after she was sentenced to 45 days in the slammer for several violations, including DUI.

You have to read this thing!

Among the rest of the drivel contained in the petition (and I'm quoting here): "Hilton is notable for her leading roles on the FOX reality series The Simple Life and in the remake of the Vincent Price horror classic 'House of Wax'. In addition to her work as an actress, she has achieved some recognition as a model, celebrity spokesperson, singer, and writer."

Are you serious??? They're using "House of Wax" as one of the reasons for keeping her out of prison?! I paid $1 on a Tuesday at the South Hills Mall theater to watch that 80-minutes piece of drek and I wanted to put her in jail! (I also wanted to sue her and get my buck back! I'm sure she's got the cash.)

Let's look at the rest of her "credentials," as laid out in the petition...

Model? OK, I'll give you that. She even looks hot in this recent court sketch, compliments of the AP. And you know when she comes out of lock-up, girls everywhere are going to start wearing orange jumpsuits!

Celebrity spokesperson? Sure. Remember those Carl's Jr. commercials where she was washing a car and eating a quarter-pounder at the same time? Wowsers!

Singer? Admittedly, her debut single, "Stars Are Blind," was a guilty pleasure for me ... much the same way watching the first season of "Silver Spoons" on DVD will be, come June. (See the May 2 post)

But writer??? That's where I've got to draw the line! Yeah, I know she "wrote" an autobiography, but (call me a cynic) I find it hard to believe she can read a book, let alone write one.

On the off chance that the online petition doesn't work — though how could it not?! — you get the feeling Paris will have plenty of time to learn.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Three decades of "Star Wars"

GEEK ALERT!
GEEK ALERT!

Has it really been 30 years since we all first met Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and, of course, the most amazing villain of all-time ... Darth Vader??? Indeed, May 25 marks the 30th anniversary of "Star Wars," the movie that changed our lives and the way we watch movies!

I can't tell you how much money I've sunk into George Lucas' pockets since I was a little kid — starting with the old-school action figures back in the day and the Millenium Falcon I bought a couple of years ago, to the DVD release, the $100 lightsaber I bought and the officially licensed, certified-autographed picture of Carrie Fisher in the "Return of the Jedi" outfit she wore in Jabba's lair ... you know the one! ;)

When my mom was all caught up in the Luke & Laura drama, I was all about Luke & Leia!

(And yeah, as you can see, while I am a BIG "Star Wars" geek, I'm not to the point where I call each of the movies by just one word, like "Empire" or "Jedi." I hate that.)
In between, I've ridden the "Star Tours" ride here at the Disney-MGM Studios at Disney World and even met Darth Vader and an undescript Stormtrooper. (They were actually signing autographs outside "Star Tours" this past December. I mean, I can see getting Darth Vader's autograph ... but what does the stormtrooper sign his name as?! He's one of like a million stormtroopers!)

I just like some of the names in the movies: places like Tatooine and Dagobah, and characters like Boba Fett and Lando Calrissian. They're just fun to say!)

In an earlier blog entry on April 26, I wrote about the new "Star Wars" postage stamps coming out and the R2-D2 mailbox at the Poughkeepsie Galleria.

Adding to the 30th anniversary hoopla, Seth Green and the folks at "Robot Chicken" will unveil a "Star Wars" episode on the Cartoon Network on June 17. Mark Hamill — yes, Luke Sywalker himself! — will be one of the voices on the show.

Until then, may The Force be with you!

Friday, May 4, 2007

Need a lil' NYC help here...

So I've secured a couple of tickets to see an upcoming performance of the Broadway show "Talk Radio," and doing some research on the Internet, the first few reviews I've seen have been pretty bad.

Here's where you come in: Has anyone seen this play? Is it worth my GF and I taking the train down and schlubbing through the city to see on a weeknight? I saw it got nominated for some Drama Desk award — though I don't know what those are) — so it can't be that bad, right?

Admittedly, I'm not a theater veteran. Before seeing "Mary Poppins" back in March (and wait 'til I tell you about how awesome that was!), I'd only seen one other play, taking in a matinee of "Phantom of the Opera" a few years ago. (See? If I was an avid theater-goer, I'd have just called it "Phantom.")

Anyway...if there's anyone out there who's seen this show, please write a comment and let me know if it's any good or if a Thursday night in Poughkeepsie be just as fulfilling. Thanks in advance!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

"Cowboy" comes through

Now, this is exactly what the intent I had behind starting "Sean's Space" was: Combining the fun worlds of sports and entertainment into one blog! (Call it "convergence.")

Who knew Kid Rock (seen here in an AP file pic) was a golf fan?

After hearing that a girls' golf team from Milan (Mich.) High School had six sets of golf clubs stolen from its team van earlier this week, the Detroit-area rap/rocker arranged to get the teens complete new sets of clubs.

Kid got together with John Daly, the PGA Tour's "every man," and they got TaylorMade to donate the clubs. Nice, right?

------

On a totally unrelated note...

I was watching a rerun of "Deal or No Deal" on CNBC last night at 2 a.m., and saw that World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars John Cena (he's the champ), Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and Edge were part of the contestant's cheering section.

For everything else that's happening in the world of sports entertainment, feel free to click on Phil Strum's "Under the Ring" blog ... and tell him Sean sent you!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

It's finally coming out on DVD!!!

Start the line outside Best Buy. Set up your tent. Get ready to camp out...

Lo these many years of waiting — exactly two decades after it last aired — "Silver Spoons" is finally coming out on DVD on June 19!!! Seriously, you have NO IDEA how big a deal this is! There's been an Internet groundswell to bring this classic NBC sit-com, which ran from 1982-1987, to DVD for years. I'm not naming any names, but I even know at least one person who's signed an online petition to try to urge the studios to release this gem onto disc.

Admittedly, I several personal connections to the show:

√ First, I have an aunt from Queens who thought I looked just like Ricky Schroder at the time. (I mean, seriously, look at the photo in the Sean's Space icon ... you can see it, right?) Of course, she also used to say we lived in "the country" here in Poughkeepsie, so take it for what it's worth.

√ Second, my parents and I actually saw Ricky Schroder in person at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade one year when we went down there. (BTW, you've got to go to the parade at least once in your life. It's a total thrill ... as long as it doesn't rain!)

√ Third, my family and I even waited, like, six hours at the grand opening of Macy's at the Jefferson Valley Mall when I was a little kid during the height of the show's popularity. Finally reaching (near) the head of the line, Macy's officials announced Ricky was leaving. Alas, all that waiting was for naught. I was crestfallen.

But it's OK now, 'cause 20 years later, I'll be able to watch Mr. Stratton ride that cool train through the living room, right past such hip, new (at the time) video games as "Asteroids" and "Defender."

Now, there's just 47 days til the first season (22 episodes in all) comes out on DVD. See ya at the mall!

She's baaaaack!

Admittedly, my adoration for Britney has wained in recent months — although she did name her firstborn after me, even spelling Sean the right way — but it's just good to know the pop princess is working on a comeback!

(Here she is in an Associated Press file shot. It's one of the tamest ones I could find. Remember when she had hair? Good times!)

Britney "performed" a five-song set in San Diego last night in an impromptu return to the stage ... wig and all! I say "performed" 'cause I've seen her twice in concert (first at the Nassau Coliseum in '02 and then at the Meadowlands in '04) and I've only seen her SING three or four songs.

Don't get me wrong: Her concerts are "visually stunning," if ya know what I mean (wink, wink), and I get to see it all — literally being the only one in the crowd over the age of 14, I'm usually the tallest one there and don't have to peek over anyone taller in front of me!

Seriously, though, don't ya want Brit to make a comeback? Don't ya want the trainwreck to end, to see her get back on the right track?? Don't ya just LOVE that smile???

Bueller?
Bueller?
Anyone?
Bueller?

No? Just me? C'mon ... someone's got to have SOME comment about our fav pop tart! Let's hear it...

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Who is Bo Bice???

OK, so back last month, I got the guest list to see Bo Bice in concert on May 19th at The Chance. I thought, if nothing else, it would be a free night out for me and my GF. We both like music and concerts — we were in the first row at the Civic Center for the Goo Goo Dolls in December, and we're going to see The Police at MSG in August — so I thought it would be a fun night.

Admittedly, I didn't know who exactly he was, other than that he was a former cast-off on "American Idol" long after I'd given up on the show. (In my prime, though, I did vote for Kelly Clarkson ... she was so cute!)

So, I wasn't sure exactly which former "AI" contestant this Bo Bice guy was.

I kinda got him confused with this guy:


This is some Constantine Maroulis. He also lost on "AI," but he's not who we're seeing.

Pray as I did — and I did, hoping against hope — I knew it wasn't this girl:

That's Carrie Underwood, who actually WON on "AI" a couple seasons ago!

So, after A LOT of research on my part, it turns out THIS is the guy we're going to see in a few weeks:


So here's where I need some help from some true "AI" fans out there ...
What songs does this guy sing?
Is he any good? I mean, the guy's on tour, and he made it to the final two on the show, so he's gotta be able to sing, right?
I need a little help here...

If nothing else, I know he's GOTTA BE better than this guy, right?


(That's William Hung, btw, for anyone who didn't know. At least I know we're NOT going to see him in Poughkeepsie!)

See you at Mountain Jam!