LiggyzDreamz

Actors and the Cartoon Characters they play

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 01:22:00 +0000

I don't know about you but I enjoy the Hotel Transylvania movies. And like many other animations, a lot of characters tend to look like they were modeled after the voice actors that play them. No, seriously. Just look at Angelina Jolie and her character, Lola, from Shark Tale.

Then there's Ed Asner and his character, Carl, from UP.

So...I know that Hotel Transylvania's Dracula is voiced by Adam Sandler. And true, Adam's a brilliant actor but he doesn't really look like Dracula to me.

I always think of Alfred Molina when I watch the movies. See?

I wonder if Alfred Molina could've voiced the part just as well, or if they could've made Dracula look more like Adam Sandler. Hmmm...

Seeing Double? #2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 17:36:00 +0000

Scarlett Johansson and Naomi Watts may have 16 years between them but their resemblance is so close (and Naomi Watts looks so young!) that they could literally play siblings. And with their close heights (Scarlett is 5'3" while Naomi is 5'4½"), such roles would be very believable.

What do you think?

RIP Meatloaf

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 13:52:00 +0000

Woke up to sad news this morning...legendary musician & actor, Meatloaf passed away.

My TOP 5 Dirty Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 01:11:00 +0000

These are my picks for the Top 5 Songs with "Dirty" in the title. I wouldn't say this is in order of the best, but if I mention them in a specific order, then it's probably because I think they're more memorable in order.
Here they are:

Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is truly the King of Pop. Talented as he was, he was very versatile in his musical talents. This song, Dirty Diana, from his seventh studio album entitled "Bad", is a much edgier sound than his earlier music. Oddly enough, Diana (Princess of Wales) had told him that this was one of her personal favorite songs. In any case, this song revealed a more adult side of Michael Jackson that was never seen much in his younger adult days.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC

Did you know that this album was released in Australia and Europe in 1976 but was not released in the U.S. until 1981, more than a year after lead singer Bon Scott's death?

Talk Dirty to Me by Poison

Poison has always been one of my favorite hair bands - and really, my favorite genre of music. Those glam bands or hair bands were just so much fun to listen to, both LIVE and on the radio (because CDs cost so much back then). I really could never get enough listening to bands like Poison. And luckily for them, they made my list of Top 5 "Dirty" songs.

Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects

This popular band formed in 1999 in Oklahoma, where a lot of famous musicians originated. They're another fun band to listen to and party with (not like I have ever partied with them but you can play their music at parties and have a really good time).

If you made it this far on my blog post, I was hoping you weren't actually counting because I'm missing a 5th song. Haha! I know there are many other songs with "Dirty" in their titles, but if they don't come to my mind rightaway - what does that tell you? They're obviously NOT in my Top List.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my list and watched some of these videos I shared. It's been a rough year going on two for most of the world. Let's try to get back into having fun again.

What a bummer when shows get cancelled

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 13:30:00 +0000

It sure sucks when you start watching a new TV series, get addicted to it, and then the network cancels it before it even reaches a conclusion. Take this show I watched when it came out it 2013. I just loved it and watching the beautiful Jenna Dewan (who still married to Channing Tatum at the time).

So we never got to see who Freya Beauchamp (played by Jenna Dewan) ends up with in that titillating love triangle. Sigh!

This year, I learned that my favorite series Manifest has also been cancelled. And just when the pieces were finally starting to fall in place.

It's hard enough having to wait for the next episode between seasons. Then when a show gets cancelled before the next season, it's just frustrating. Hopefully this series gets a new home and we get answers to all our questions on what really happened with that fateful flight. Hmm...maybe they'll go back in time to before flight 828 ever took off? Ha! Wouldn't that be some twist?

Meanwhile, let's make #savemanifest go viral...

Alphabet Korn

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 20:15:00 +0000

Now THIS you gotta see!!! A teacher singing the Alphabet to the tune of Korn's "Coming Undone".

Now that rocks!

Riz Ahmed makes the Sound of Metal real

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:30:00 +0000

I had wanted to write about this movie after I first watched it on Amazon Prime a few months ago because quite honestly, it was better than I expected. I was looking for new movies about rock music or rock musicians and then I found this. I thought it was going to be a typical behind-the-scenes look at the life of a rockstar, a drummer to be exact. Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a drummer for a punk metal band.

I figured this role of a drummer ought to be an interesting role for him. He was easy to hate in Venom where he played very stubborn and sinister Carlton Drake / Riot. Then, I also remember feeling quite sorry for him as the successful tech giant Aaron Kalloor who gets blackmailed in Jason Bourne. (Sorry if that's a spoiler for you but that movie's been out for years!!!)

In the Sound of Metal, Riz Ahmed portrays the role so impressively that he's up for a Golden Globe Award for it this weekend. There's a great interview with him on Esquire magazine. Check it out if you can. Watch the movie, too. You'll follow his character's sudden onset of deafness and his unwillingness to accept it. You follow him as he enters a shelter for the deaf and get to experience (not just see) the emotions that go into living in a world with no sound. There's a struggle to feel "normal" again...and the reality of whether or not it can actually be achieved.

I think the director, Darius Marder, also did a great job with this movie. From writing the story to directing it, he captured the elements that really moves the viewer. His directing technique allows you to feel like you're there with Ruben (Riz). Of course, it's watching Riz Ahmed play the role so well, too, that makes the Sound of Metal real. Here's the trailer, if you haven't seen it yet.

Seeing Double?

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 20:11:00 +0000

I've posted something similar to this before but with different celebrities. I just think some celebrities look so much alike, it's like seeing double. They literally could play each other or play siblings in a movie together, don't you think?

This, for instance, is a younger Lindsay Lohan.

Emma Stone fans might not agree, but look at her here. Does she or does not look like Lindsay Lohan in this pic?

An artist who stayed true to himself

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 14:25:00 +0000

I remember being a teenager in Hawaii and standing in a long line at a local business where our famous local boy, Glenn Medeiros, was making a personal appearance and signing autographs. Here's that record single that I asked him to sign for me that day.

I was reminded of this because of a recent article I read about him talking about the "negative side" of the entertainment industry. Here's that article link - https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56029660

Glenn Medeiros was a very talented young artist and rising star. While it's somewhat sad that his star didn't get to shine long enough in the mainstream music industry, it's a great that he's become successful in private life. He stayed true to himself and his values - and that's what really matters.

Maybe It's Time

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 19:31:00 +0000

Have you seen this new video yet? It was just released yesterday and I thought I'd share it because it's one of my favorite tunes from the Sixx AM album, "Prayers for the Blessed" (released 2016).

For this music video, these talented musicians joined together for a fundraiser to raise awareness for opioid addictions. It's such a beautiful song and filled with such beautiful voices. Check it out!

Bohemian Rhapsody is a Must-See Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 01:16:00 +0000

My husband and I went out to watch "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the nearby Cinemark today and boy, was that movie amazing! Don't believe the critics that tell you otherwise. Rami Malek totally killed it in his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. If Sacha Baron Cohen had been the lead actor as originally planned, I would've never watched this. Sorry if you're a Borat fan and love Sacha but I just don't think he would've done justice to this role. Rami Malek was perfect.

The whole cast, in fact, did an amazing job in their roles. (Do I smell best actor and best supporting cast member awards coming?) The interaction between the actors playing the band and the recording studio execs were played to a level that you can really feel like you were there with them...experiencing the conflicts, the challenges, the joys, and the disappointments with them. And while watching the movie, you feel like you are getting to know Queen at a more personal level. You realize that they were more than just a group of musicians. They were family.

I have to give credit to the director Bryan Singer and to the writers for how they brought Queen's legacy to life on the big screen. They showed another side of Queen that you just didn't see when the media focused so much on the hard rocking lifestyle (sex, drugs, heavy partying, loud music)that characterize so many famous musicians of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Here they focused more on Queen, Freddie Mercury, and their music. So many times throughout the movie, it was hard to keep myself from wanting to get up from my seat and clap, scream, and sing along like I would at an actual show. This movie was more than a biopic of one of the best bands that ever created and performed music. It was an experience you want to relive again and again...

Same Title, Different Song

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 18:07:00 +0000

While I was driving to work this morning, I heard a remake of a song that I know I'd heard before. And it made me realize that many times, there are songs with the same title but are not the same songs at all. For instance, there's this song which I'm pretty sure you're familiar with.

The one I heard on the radio was a remake from Five Finger Death Punch, which I like, but delivers a much different impact than the Offspring's version. Listen for yourself.

What I did want to actually compare this song to is another song with the same title performed and recorded by a band known as Open Fire. They're not currently together but they did record some really good original hard rock/thrash metal tunes before the grunge era. (Search my blog for previous posts about them if you're curious).

I think I'll go find some more songs with the same title but are totally different and I'll share them here.

The Heroin Diaries 10th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 01:30:00 +0000

Wow! Can you believe it's been 10 years already since the release of The Heroin Diaries? If you check out PledgeMusic, you can pre-order a copy of the album, anniversary shirt, signed book, the graphic novel that was announced at Comicon, and more!

By the way, there is also an option to get signed copies of the CD plus a special Access Pass that gives you a digital download and access to Sixx:AM update. This sounds exciting!

Have you heard the 2017 version of "Life is Beautiful"? It's amazing...but don't take my word for it. Listen to it yourself here:

Extreme Metal Meltdown Live

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 01:05:00 +0000

So I just recently got my copy of Extreme Metal Meltdown Live! and it was amazing! This is perhaps one of the best live albums ever produced. I got to see and hear Extreme perform all their songs from their multi-platinum album "Pornograffitti" - bringing back memories from when I watched them perform these same songs live at the Blaisdell Arena in Hawaii back in 1991. Get your copy of this awesome album here - https://goo.gl/jqeWSw

By the way, here's me back in 1991 - yes, that night I went to see Extreme play live at the Blaisdell Arena. Man, I sure was skinny then!

The Heroin Diaries Graphic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 02:21:00 +0000

Yes, you heard it right. Nikki Sixx's The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star novel which was originally published in September 2007 is going to be published as a graphic novel. Nikki Sixx made this announcement today. The book was already a New York Times best-seller.

The graphic novel has become an increasingly popular reading format, combining a lot of visual imagery much like comic books (but not always printed in color) with reading text. Nikki Sixx has partnered with the iconic HEAVY METAL magazine to create this graphic novel adaptation of Nikki's very personal autobiography.

There's already a soundtrack for the book - remember the popular album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack released by his band, Sixx:AM? (That was an awesome soundtrack, by the way! I think everyone who has ever listened to that album can agree that the single hit "Life is Beautiful" is just one of the most inspirational rock songs ever recorded.)

Anyway, we will get to see a preview of the graphic novel at this year's San Diego Comic Con, booth #1529. Here are a few images that Nikki Sixx shared on Facebook:

This version will take on Nikki's life and death (and back to life) story from a different perspective. I may not be a huge fan of the graphic novel format, but I appreciate all forms of art and this looks like it's going to be quite interesting. We'll have to wait and see...

Palindromic Days?

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 01:12:00 +0000

This has been an interesting month so far...did you know that, since the 10th of July and until tomorrow, we have what are called palindromic days? What exactly are palindromic days? Well, a palindrome is a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward. Here are a couple of examples : nun, madam, Tim Smit, Dammit I'm Mad. Heard of any of those?

Well, did you know you can do the same with dates? If the numerical sequence of date is mo/day/year you can easily form a palindrome with the date. This kind of thing only happens but for a few days each year. This year, it only happens for ten days this month. Interesting, isn't it?

My Top Five BAD Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 01:33:00 +0000

There are some bad songs that became popular...and then there are some BAD songs that also became popular. I have a few favorite picks of BAD songs - songs that have "Bad" in their titles. Here are my Top Five Picks (in no particular order).

I'm from the generation whose teen years and early adult years enjoyed the hair bands at their peak, before grunge and alternative music took over the airwaves (more like took over the "hair" waves, if you think about it). Hair bands created and popularized many really catchy rock songs, some really hard and some really dreamy soft. That's probably why they appealed to such a broad range of audience.

One of my favorite rock bands that was big during that era was Bon Jovi. Although the New Jersey album wasn't as successful as its predecessor (Slippery When Wet), it did produce a few hits, including this one - Bad Medicine.

Premiering in March 1989, COPS ended up becoming one of the Fox network's top shows. It ran for 25 seasons before it was cancelled by Fox, then later restarted on Spike TV for another five seasons. Its 30th season premiered this past June. I listed the show's theme song, Bad Boys by Inner Circle because it is so recognizable and every time I hear it, I think of the popular show...and the movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Michael Jackson was one of the most creative and talented musician and performer that ever lived. He was definitely a legend. Of all his albums, I have to say that his 1987 album "Bad" was my favorite and that puts the single, Bad, in this top five list. This album also moved Michael Jackson into a hard rock, adult contemporary, and hard dance style - yes, my kind of music!

Making a second appearance in this list is Bon Jovi with the song You Give Love A Bad Name from the album Slippery When Wet. I guess you could say that Bon Jovi is one of my top favorite artists or that

Heavy metal musicians still produce some of the most amazing sounds I've ever heard and this band is one of them. Check out this video of Bad Company by Five Finger Death Punch. This was released from the 2009 album War is the Answer. While it is a cover of the song of the same name by the band Bad Company, Five Finger Death Punch's version combines the dramatic feel of metal music sounds, Ivan L. Moody's powerfully raging and yet deeply soulful voice, and a rhythm that draws you in like a chain pulling you.

Not in my Top Five favorites but making honorable mentions in my list of popular "bad" songs, are
Bad Girl by Madonna and Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. I think these songs and videos offer storylines that seem so realistic they keep you guessing about what these women are really like off-camera and off-mic. What do you think?

My Top Five WILD songs

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:00:00 +0000

On my way to work one morning, I was listening to the radio and heard Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" song. It got me thinking, I wonder how many hit songs I could think of that have "wild" in the title? Of course, there are lots of them...and I'll bet you can name some songs I probably have not even heard of (especially if they're not my type of music - haha!).

Now, this list is NOT in any particular order but these are the FIVE songs with "Wild" in the title that I like best. First, there's Motley Crue's "Wild Side" from the Dr. Feelgood album. I just LOVE that song and video. Of course, I've always liked hard rock and heavy metal music best and I really love Nikki Sixx. He's just a very talented guy!!

Cat Stevens originally made this next song a big hit in the 70s but I really like Mr. Big's acoustic version from the Bump Ahead album (1993). Incidentally, did you know that this supergroup is still making music? In fact, they are on tour and have a new album, "Defying Gravity" coming out soon. If you like Mr. Big, too, you can follow them on Twitter (@mrbigmusic).

Back in high school (and after), I used to listen to Duran Duran a lot with my other teen-aged friends. We'd pick a band member for each of us to have as our imaginary celebrity boyfriends. Lead singer, Simon Le Bon, of course had many picks...same with guitarist, John Taylor. Drummer Roger Taylor had his following, too, though he wasn't as popular as some of the other bandmembers. I liked Nick Rhodes, thought not too many of my close friends were into the makeup-wearing keyboardist/synthesizer.

Here's their "wild" hit "Wild Boys" which was originally released in 1984.

This list would not be complete without mentioning the classic rock song Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. One of my favorite bands, Hinder (whom I was fortunate enough to meet and greet at their NorVa concert a few years ago) remade this classic hit in 2007. I think both versions rock but I'm just going to share Hinder's version here since they're from my generation.

If I did have to pick a number one from this Top Five list, I would probably pick this Skid Row hit, "Youth Gone Wild". It's not just the music that I love but check out Sebastian Bach (one of my all-time favorite rock singers) and the rest of the band banging their heads. When I see music videos like this, I really miss those glamor-rock/headbanger days. Kinda makes a thinning-hair Generation X-er like me feel a little envious (until I realize that these guys are likely also experiencing the same thing with their own hair).

Michael Jackson Heavy Metal Music?

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:21:00 +0000

Holy cow! This mash-up of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" and Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is really insane - I love it!

I had not heard it before but I saw a post about it on the Facebook news feed for Sixx Sense (Nikki Sixx's radio show). When I saw it, I was very curious. What do you think?

Vikings

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 13:33:00 +0000

Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel)

I am anxiously awaiting Season 5 of Vikings to start airing. Although I had seen commercials for the series air many times before, I just never thought it would be interesting enough to watch. After all, we're talking about a series on The History Channel, of all places. So I never watched it (I was never much into history).

Well I was doing a Fitbit Challenge one day last month and wanted something to watch while I exercised on my treadmill. I didn't feel like watching music videos (again) or fitness videos with other people working out. So I turned on Amazon Prime on my Fire device and found Vikings (all the aired episodes and more). What the heck, I thought, let me check it out! I was so surprised by how captivating the show was that I decided to binge-watch.

I must say, the fact that this series aired on the History Channel doesn't make it suitable for teaching a young child history lessons. This series is filled with mature themes of violence and sex. The storyline, while based on real-life people from the Age of Scandinavian history, is not entirely factual either. Many scenes were created for the purpose of entertainment and adding spice to the stories.

Ragnar and Rollo

In fact, I've read that the main character of Seasons 1 - 4, Ragnar Lothbrok may not have actually existed. He may have been a composite of several different men of the time. The brothers, Ragnar and Rollo, might not have even been real brothers either because the supposed timeline that they had lived did not coincide. There is no way to verify actual dates either because there was no written history of these people created at the time. Viking stories were just verbally passed along from one generation to the next.

What really hooked me on watching this series, however, is the depth of all the characters. Other than Ragnar and his family being central in the stories, you get to see what makes the other characters tick. You get to understand what might've caused an earl to be so cruel, why a brother would want revenge on another, or why some characters are feared by others and why not. You also get to watch characters "grow" and transition into new "roles" in life, changing faiths, concealing true faiths, and more.

I was even quite surprised to see Alexander Ludwig playing a central character in the series, too. Did you ever watch The Hunger Games? He played Cato, the Career Tribute from District 1. In Vikings, Ludwig plays Bjorn Lothbrok, oldest son of Ragnar.

Ragnar's sons (Vikings, Season 4)

If you haven't seen Vikings yet and enjoy the likes of Game of Thrones or similar dramas, you will like Vikings. Get Amazon Prime and start watching...you'll be hooked, too!

Have you heard of Fozzy?

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 22:00:00 +0000

Is anyone here a fan of wrestling? Do you watch WWE shows like RAW or SmackDown? I've been to a few live events with my family in the past couple years and we've been enjoying them quite a bit.

If you're a big wrestling fan, you probably already know that a lot of wrestlers do things outside of sports when they're not doing promotions for the WWE company. But did you know that world-known champion (with over 32 titles) Chris Jericho is currently on tour with a rock band named "Fozzy"? Believe it or not, Chris Jericho (whose real name is Christopher Keith Irvine) is the lead vocalist for the band! I don't know why I never knew that after all this time seeing him on SmackDown.

After hearing Fozzy on SiriusXM this morning on my way to work, I decided to check them out on YouTube. This song really kicks serious butt! And look at the video - it has over 5 million views after being published a month ago. Here it is - see for yourself!

Liggy's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 19:40:00 +0000

Yes, that really is Johnny Depp...and yes, that's really me! But ha-ha, we really weren't together in that pic. I Photoshopped my face over Amber Heard's face in that photo after their much-publicized divorce and just kept it around for fun. You know, that just goes to show that not every thing you see on the Internet is real.

What is real, though, is that I'm going to try to blog more on this page from now on. If you notice, I also changed my blog title from LiggyzDreamz™ to The Liggybee Zone. I thought the new name is more fitting since my webpage address uses "liggybee" in it.

I've also set up a Facebook Fan Page for this blog (just because it seems almost everyone I know has a Facebook profile these days). I haven't done much on it yet, but if you've already been a reader here and would like to follow me on Facebook, please feel free to "Like" The Liggybee Zone on Facebook.

That's it for now...I will be back again shortly!

Cheers to St. Paddy's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 02:42:00 +0000

I normally like to plan ahead but nowadays, it seems I'm too busy to do that. While spontaneity is really fun, I sometimes feel like I end up greeting people for birthdays late (not on purpose!). And now, it's St. Patrick's Day and everyone is either already out celebrating or already home and in bed. But I wanted to wish everyone that still reads my blog a happy celebration...so here's my late greeting post!

And since I'm also a health afficionado (as I profess to be in my Twitter profile and in another blog I work with), I wanted to remind my readers to drink any alcoholic beverages in moderation and try keep your bodies alkaline with mineral rich alkaline water. During the past 12 years, I've learned that many degenerative diseases and ailments can actually be improved (if not reversed) by alkalizing your body and by balancing it with trace minerals which are lacking in most diets. You can read more about it here - CLICK TO READ.

But I'm going to get back to my music app (I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sirius XM!) and listen to the Ozzy Channel. If you ever get a chance to subscribe to Sirius XM, I recommend my three favorite channels - The Ozzy Channel, Octane, and Hair Nation. They rock!

Till then, enjoy your St. Patrick's Day (or your Green Day Celebration) and rock on...

Sixx:AM's Prayers for the Damned Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Fri, 13 May 2016 00:34:00 +0000

James Michael of Sixx:AM

Last night, I had the most amazing concert experience watching Sixx:AM perform live at the Norva in Norfolk, Virginia, just one stop in their Prayers for the Damned tour. I kid you not, they make you feel like you are part of one huge party and the band is doing one hell of an awesome job making everyone feel welcomed, appreciated, and entertained.

Opening for this show was one of Virginia's finest and popular heavy metal bands, 710 Oil who tore the house down with their high energy and hard rocking music. While Chris Johnson (lead vocalist), Gary Hammond (electric guitarist) and Les Moseley (bassist) made heavy metal madness head banging and swinging their long hair back and forth, drummer Vinnie Mastropasqua pounded his drum skins with the fury of gods. It's no wonder these guys have often been hand-picked to open up for major label bands that tour the Virginia concert scene.

710 Oil doing a soundcheck prior to opening the show

After 710 Oil's set came the band from New York, Cilver, who happens to be part of the Prayers For The Damned tour. I had never heard this band before this show so all their songs were new to me. My thoughts? I was quite surprised at how well this band performed and how great they were with interacting with the audience. Don't underestimate this band! I hope I don't sound sexist, but in a normally male-dominated rock music industry, Cilver, with a female fronting the band, is surprisingly refreshing and impressive! There's another female in the band that surprises - Christina, the drummer -who can give Alex Van Halen a run for his money. I don't know if she's permanently with the band or not, though, because I don't see her name listed among the band members on their Facebook page. Even if she may just be touring with them, she's phenomenal to listen to.

Cilver performing onstage at the NorVA

Cilver kept the crowd hungry for more with their music, Uliana's Facebook Live video recording of the audience cheering, and that crowd dive she did. Fans passed her above our heads across the area where I happened to be. I'm glad people were nice and didn't drop her like I've heard some people have done elsewhere.

After two amazing performances, we were just geared up for more...and once the lights in the venue dimmed, you knew that Sixx:AM was gonna finally take the stage. They opened up with 'This is Gonna Hurt' (from their second album of the same name). I was already hitting my hands up in the air and swaying along with the rhythm before they got to playing their second song, 'Rise' (from their newest album 'Prayers for the Damned'). I - and nearly everyone around me - were just as excited!

I must admit, because I was having so much fun listening to Sixx:AM live (and at my favorite rock concert venue even!), I didn't care what time it was or that I still had to go to work in the morning.

Man, aside from the awesome music, I was ecstatic just to see Nikki, James, and DJ in person. Kind of wish I had Meet and Greet passes. Anyway even at 15 feet away, I was at a close enough distance to see how amazingly good Nikki looks in person. You know, when you think about his heroin diaries stories, most people who survive that kind of addiction start to look horribly aged. Yes, I know Nikki is 57 but I just didn't see it. He looked great that night!

DJ Ashba - I just loved his face makeup for the show. Super-cool!!! And you know, he is a really talented guitarist. The way he makes his electric guitar belt out those tunes like he does is sweet! And yes, he moves around like he never gets tired.

I could say the same about James Michael never getting tired. I wonder...did he even take a break? I've gone to shows where you'd see the singer disappear for like 15 minutes while you listen to a drum or guitar solo. If he did take a brief break, whoever arranged the set (songs) planned everything so well that the whole set flowed very smoothly and you wouldn't notice if one of them took a break.

Speaking about James Michael, I wonder if he realizes how great he is onstage as he is in the studio producing music (for Sixx:AM and others)? He takes on stage with him an extraordinary ability to engage the audience and bring more power and more feeling to their songs. He takes Sixx:AM music to a new dimension. That's not a talent every performer has...and James definitely has it.

I must say that I was also very impressed with the talents of Amber and Melissa who were doing more than provide additional vocals. They sang, they danced, they rocked like divas! I loved them! I won't forget Dustin Steinke who is drumming for the tour. He is magnificent, too!

I could go on forever about the concert because I enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd died and gone to heaven...hehe! You want to feel just as good? Go see Sixx:AM when they come to your town, too!!!

RISE with Sixx:AM

noreply@blogger.com (Liggybee) — Sun, 01 May 2016 15:01:00 +0000

The album I've been waiting for since 2014 (after 'Modern Vintage' was released) is finally out and I got my CD of it yesterday. I would've blogged about it sooner but I've obviously been busy listening to the album over and over like I do whenever I get a new Sixx:AM album in my hands. When Nikki and James Michael talked about 'Rise' on Sixx Sense the day it was being premiered, I knew this album was going to be the best from Sixx:AM so far!

These are the titles of the tracks you'll find inside this amazing album:

1. Rise
2. You Have Come to the Right Place
3. I’m Sick
4. Prayers for the Damned
5. Better Man
6. Can’t Stop
7. When We Were Gods
8. Belly of the Beast
9. Everything Went to Hell
10. The Last Time (My Heart Will Hit The Ground)
11. Rise of the Melancholy Empire

Honestly, all the tracks rock! This album takes you back to the heavier sounds of Sixx:AM as in the 'This is Gonna Hurt' album, but yet feels a lot like The Heroin Diaries. I'm not a technical person so I can't critique the album like album reviewers often do. I am just a fan of rock music and a big fan of this group.

What I can definitely say is you have to listen to the song lyrics, too. With Sixx:AM's music, you can find inspiration and strength in many of their lyrics. If you've ever been hurt, abused, disappointed, or just hit hard in life, there's no need to feel down. Listen to Sixx:AM music. Stream it iHeart radio, go to your favorite retailer and buy their CDs, or call your local radio station and ask them to play Sixx:AM. As always, Sixx:AM music finds a way to bring the positive out of the negative that I think every one can relate to. That's one of the special things that make Sixx:AM so unique and inspiring.

By the way, Sixx:AM is headlining a tour this year. If you get the chance to catch them, you should do it! Check out their tour schedule here - http://sixxammusic.com/tour/ I am going to see them and let you know what I think! ;)