Adding a subscriptions tab to profile pages would make YouTube more social, greatly improve Chromecast viewing and empower both users and creators while bolstering views. If it were easier for YouTube users to see what their friends were watching, it would make it easier — and more fun — to discover new programming and subscribe to more channels on YouTube, while empowering the personal profile/channel as a social platform.

“Google doesn’t get social media.” This sentiment’s been bandied about since the dawn of social in the mid-aughts. Google executive chairman of the board Eric Schmidt even admitted recently that his biggest regret as CEO was “not anticipating the rise of social…”

Social media can be very loosely defined as a construct and in the ever-changing operating system of the web and its users, Google is still poised to thrive even as it continues to slowly, but surely ramp up its own platform, Google+. But things begin to get real when some key moves are made to create a more social environment within YouTube. While SoundCloud took cues to become the YouTube equivalent for audio, YouTube can learn from SoundCloud’s superior integration of social subscription discovery and how that improves the user experience.

YouTube is Google’s gateway to the living room and with the $35 Chromecast dongle now available in several countries, YouTube could become the primary source of both information and entertainment for both cable subscribers and cord-cutters alike. Chromecast makes it easier than ever to watch online video on a television. Sure, Roku and Apple TV have been around for years but Chromecast has the best YouTube integration and can be controlled via native mobile apps or a laptop.

What’s missing? A way to navigate and discover YouTube content based on your personal interest and those of your peers. A more social YouTube can empower not only users but also content creators while redefining the way we use Chromecast.

The fix begins with one [seemingly] simple feature: social subscriptions. The best and easiest way to begin watching YouTube via Chromecast is by browsing the new content from the channels one already subscribes to. But what channels to subscribe to? Users should be able to opt in to publicly share (at least some of) their subscriptions so others can discover new channels to subscribe to. Currently, there is no way to generate a dedicated link to one’s own page of YouTube subscriptions, you can only add a module with videos most recently watched to your own channel (see mine). Granted, not everyone wants to share their viewing preferences publicly – or even with friends – but for those accustomed to sharing and discovering new content and channels on platforms such as YouTube, this feature can be a game changer.

Now YouTube is only one “app” that plays over Chromecast — there’s an entire suite of them, including Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu Plus and others that are standard with the set-tops like Roku and Apple TV. But YouTube is free and has the greatest breadth of content, with more and more being made each day by fast-growing multi-channel networks such as Fullscreen, Machinima and Maker Studios, which will be acquired by Disney and will now be taking several hours of its YouTube content to cable TV, according to reports.

People are flocking to YouTube, no longer just to watch a song or search for a news clip but to watch regularly produced and even episodic content.

UPDATE 12/1/2014: You can now visit a users YouTube channel subscription list, example – youtube.com/user/revolute/channels (revolute is my YT username). There is some semblance of Google+ integration as well, when you go to a channel, you will see Google+ avatars at the top right of your contacts who have already subscribed to the channel. (Click here to make your channel subscriptions private.) With just a unique URL to shareable subscription lists that can be posted to Google+ I wouldn’t have to go through the tedious exercise of creating a web 1.0-style list of recommended YouTube channels for friends to subscribe to (as I recently did — copy/pasted below) and ideally the discoverer wouldn’t need to go through so many clicks to subscribe. Ideally, YouTube could create a profile tab similar to this one on Soundcloud (the YouTube equivalent for audio), which displays the accounts I’m following…

Below: A shortlist of some of the YouTube channels I’ve subscribed to over the years. I’d love recommendations of new channels to check out – there’s so much good stuff out there! Please leave your recos in the comments section.

Right-click (or command-click [Mac] ctrl-click [PC) on the links to open channels in new tabs then click “Subscribe.”

SXSW Interactive is one of the most attended conferences of the year for tech and media types, with 30,000 conference participants flooding Austin. But in recent years, the cost of an official interactive badge has gone up considerably and many are attending unofficial SXSW parties and related events that do not require badges. For people who have never attended SXSWi, it’s good to go with a badge at least one year — the depth and breadth of content discussed across hundreds of panels and sessions can be as valuable and high quality as the networking you’ll do. However, it gets redundant year after year. In past years I’ve attended the music portion of SXSW as well — this is incredibly fun and far fewer people spend time in the actual convention center. Why would you with all the amazing day parties and live music showcases across sunny Austin? Here’s a shortlist of unofficial events that I’ve RSVP’d for this year. For more info and discovery of unofficial SXSW parties I recommend Sched.org, do512, and Unofficial SXSW Guide.

Want to meet up in Austin? I’ll be there from March 6-12. Hit me up!

FRIDAY March 7
*ff Venture Capital’s ff MASSIVE 2014 is in Austin featuring their portfolio companies, a slew of panels, two full days of activities, plenty of food and drink, and of course, three evening bashes. Friday/Sat/Sun 1-5 and at night.

FRIDAY NIGHT – Robert DeLong, Octopus Project
Empire Control Room & Garage (606 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701)
RSVP @ http://ffmassive.com/

*NY Tech Meetup
Saturday 11-7 / afterpary 4-7 @
The North Door
502 Brushy Street
RSVP @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ny-tech-meetup-austin-2014-registration-10545268181

LA TECH CONNECT
Noon – 6pm at
508 Tequila/Pelons (8th & Red River, across from Stubbs – Grail on the patio)
RSVP: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-tech-connect-austin-tickets-7056577413

Wednesday

This year’s Coachella lineup was underwhelming from the start, so much so that I didn’t plan on going until a pass fell in my lap about a week before the festival. It wasn’t necessarily the bands in the lineup that I thought was weak, it was the lack of originality and dynamics that I’ve come to expect from a Coachella. No Rolling Stones or David Bowie. No Replacments. Hardly any hip-hop, punk or imaginative electronic music. Too many wimpy “punch-me-in-the-face” bands like Phoenix, The xx, Postal Service… Basically, i feared Coachella had lost its edge. As much as the environment and experience was always more than fulfilling to me, I wasn’t ready to shell out $500 in support of a lineup that seemed staged for taking a big nap on the Polo Grounds.

In the end I had a blast — Coachella is one of those great experiences that triggers dopamine bursts just at the thought. The first heat of late spring under the desert sun, 100,000 people all out for good times, good music and big smiles. 6 stages (with this year’s introduction of the Yuma Tent) and all kinds of inebriating distractions.

The photos and videos below are evidence of my highlights from this year’s festival. As always, it was amazing. For those attending Coachella weekend 2 this weekend I recommend the following:

Highlights & Recommendations

• The Make-Up: One of my all-time favorite bands, I never got to see them live before Coachella (they were active 1995-1999 and I just missed them when I lived in DC ’99-’00 and got all into the Dischord bands). Ian Svenonius is still a madman and one of the great frontmen of all time, evoking Jagger and Iggy Pop while standing on the crowd’s shoulders most of the set.

• Grinderman / Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: One of the great madmen songwriters of our time, Cave met and exceeded my expectations as a performer, especially the Grinderman set. The tent was virtually empty when the set began, which is how I ended up standing basically in Cave’s crotch when I caught this video. Know what else is awesome? The interactive Nick Cave Spotify app.

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs — I hadn’t seen them live since a show at the diminutive Fireside Bowl over 10 years ago so I was more than a little excited to catch the older and more evolved version on the big stage. Guitarist Nick Zinner is a sonic genius and I especially loved how he’d fill in the empty space between songs — it felt like the literal (aural) echo of the “yeah, yeah, yeah” words/vibe. Karen O rules the stage, they played at least one cut from the original EP which I still love. It was probably my top main stage set of the weekend
• Visit the Yuma Tent — Even if none of the DJs appeal to you, this tent (new this year) adds a very cool dynamic to Coachella. It’s a totally enclosed, air conditioned dome-like tent (so it feels like club night even in the middle of a hot afternoon) and has wood floors, bringing even more authenticity to the dance party.
• Janelle Monae — If you’ve never seen her live, do it. Or even if you have (personally, I can’t get enough). Even after a 15-minute technical delay, Monae came bounding onto the stage and totally owned the crowd, in mid-set form, within minutes. It’s amazing what some bands can do in a short set and Monae and her huge band are something that must be experienced live. I can’t wait to hear her long-awaited follow-up (Sept. 2013?) to 2010’s The ArchAndroid.
• Watch official Coachella footage and video via YouTube

What’s buzzing at Coachella?

• The Shouting Matches — it’s a Carolina blues band fronted by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. And it’s really good if you can get there early on Friday.
• Of Monsters and Men — Pleasant, afternoon Icelandic folk/pop, I was surprised to see a full field at the Outdoor Stage for their set.
• Major Lazer — Electro-dance, lights and jamz. The kind of good fun what you’re looking for while bringing on the night. The Mojave Tent was totally overflowing for this set.
• ∆ (Alt-J) — “An Awesome Wave” was last year’s Mercury Prize winners and righteously so, in my opinion. Their live show definitely stands up and an overflow crowd was enraptured in the Gobi Tent.
• Jessie Ware — This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with her work with SBTRKT and her solo album “Devotion.”

Second year of the second weekend

Last year Coachella expanded to 2 weekends with identical lineups and — one might think — identical experiences. But, outside of highly calculated gimmicks like last year’s Tupac hologram, any live music aficionado knows that no two experiences are ever exactly the same. And I think at least two bands (of the fraction of the bands that I saw) will benefit from a second weekend as well. Modest Mouse: Isaac Brock talked way too much about nothing as if he felt that his 50-minute set would somehow stretch into 90. It didn’t and the bands set ended up falling flat, with no real flow to the set beyond the second song. Tame Impala: Just a couple years ago this band was playing venues as small as Silverlake Lounge even though its sound is built for stadiums. Now on the Outdoor Stage at Coachella, it seemed they mis-timed the length of their set. Lead singer Kevin Parker seemed bummed that he couldn’t launch into one more song and the set felt as if it were cut short. The festival itself: Is weekend two even sold out? I was disappointed with the lack of diversity, depth and edginess to this year’s lineup and wonder if it has something to do with Coachella being too complacent about being able to sellout 2 straight weekends.

Already looking forward to Coachella 2014!

]]> https://andysternberg.com/coachella-2013-highlights-videos-and-photos/feed/ 1 90910 https://andysternberg.com/interview-calexicos-joey-burns/ https://andysternberg.com/interview-calexicos-joey-burns/#respond Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:00:36 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=84381 Continue reading "Interview: Calexico’s Joey Burns"
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The lights went out last time Calexico visited Los Angeles. Fans at the Fonda Theatre waited for hours in darkness, but a Hollywood Boulevard power outage literally stole the show. “My parents were there, my sister and the whole label and we’re all sitting in the dark,” said Joey Burns, singer and guitarist for the band. “I loved every moment and we probably could’ve played acoustically, but there were safety concerns.”

Calexico’s seventh long-player, Algiers, had recently dropped, marking the band’s first opportunity to play live for its new label, Anti. But after a short acoustic song, Burns bid the remaining crowd good night with a promise to return in January. And tonight, Calexico makes good on its promise at the El Rey.

This interview originally posted at LAist.

We caught up with Joey Burns, Calexico’s principal member, to talk about his L.A. upbringing, life in Tucson and more.

LAist: Everybody talks about Calexico being a Tucson band, but you actually started out here in Southern California?

Joey Burns: Yes. In high school I was in bands that played Gazzarri’s on the Sunset Strip, among other places like Madame Wong’s East and West, and my favorite band from back then was a band from San Pedro called The Minutemen. Great punk rock band, Mike Watt’s still touring and playing — really fun to watch.

Any favorite spots you like hitting when you return to L.A.?

I like to go to the water nowadays because I live in the desert. That’s the first destination. I like to go to places that I haven’t really been before, so I’ve been enjoying checking out East L.A., just checking out parts of town that I didn’t really hang out much in, and so that’s always been kind of fun. There’s a Levi’s Showroom on the Sunset Strip that I might check out — pretty excited about that. I hear they have some rare vintage shirts. All the used clothing stores — I used to go to Aardvark’s a lot. Record stores: Amoeba’s always a good one; Aaron’s was a good one, too.

I used to work at a record store in San Pedro, but I don’t think it’s around anymore. It was called Soundsations. There was a store, I think it was in Inglewood for a while, and then one opened up in San Pedro for a short while.

You grew up in San Pedro?

Well, I grew up in South Bay — various places in South Bay. I went to high school in Palos Verdes, so that’s even further remote. I went to college in Irvine — that’s pretty far away, I wouldn’t call that Los Angeles at all. But I used to drive up the Harbor Freeway a lot to get up to Hollywood.

We’re really excited to come back. L.A. is where John and I first met in 1990. I was working at SST Records after college, and we became friends through a studio. ’89 was the end of a lot of the big stuff at SST, a lot of them went to Geffen. A lot of people went to major labels. Firehose went to Columbia for a while; everyone had to kinda jump ship. It was kind of the end. It was Cruz Records that was being pushed at the time.

We met up through a mutual connection at Radio Tokyo, which was a recording studio in Venice Beach. We met up there in L.A., started playing together and now we’re going back!

What brought you out to Tucson originally?

We were playing in Giant Sand for a while and wanted to have more of our own time. I think in L.A. having to work several jobs… you can get away with working less out here and just focus more on music. So the overhead was lower, and there’s a lot more characters out here. We enjoyed the change of pace, and Tucson is a much more down to earth place. And downtown has always been an interesting part to Tucson: a lot of artists, a lot of warehouse spaces and interesting venues that have come down throughout the years. Places like Rialto Theatre and Hotel Congress, which has a club in it, have always been the mainstays for both national and local touring acts.

In some ways, coming to Tucson definitely nurtured that one foot in tradition, one foot in experimentation approach. Taking some of the ideas we were kicking around and developing them.

What kind of music were you playing prior to Calexico?

I played in a garage rock band, an experimental jazz group, some orchestral stuff in college, jazz band in high school — so a lot of variety for me growing up in music groups that I played in.

Mostly guitar?

No! Mostly bass. Upright bass and electric bass. And I think that’s what kind of connected John and I because he liked a wide variety of stuff. He loves listening to jazz and classical music, and I think it shows in his playing. He’s definitely one of those kinds of drummers that has a different sort of approach, much like Jim White of The Dirty Three who has also played with Cat Power.

Both John and I, when we moved to Tucson — I think he moved in ’92 and I moved in ’93 — we wound up to looking for old and unusual looking instruments. Things that people back then didn’t want. Accordions, mandolins, marimba, vibraphoone… nobody wanted those things. And there were a lot of musicians who had retired here who were interested in getting rid of stuff. It was readily available. Along with a lot of Western shirts, y’know, things people really just weren’t wearing back in those days. So it was an interesting time coming out here and tapping into something I think that is part nostalgic and part reinventing something, taking these pieces, whether they’re instruments or influences, and making your own statement. Giving these things its own voice by way of your own story and where we came from.

Algiers was recorded in New Orleans. Is it the first album you’ve recorded outside of Tucson?

We recorded in Nashville a little bit, the Convict Pool with the cover of Love’s “Alone Again Or.” But with there being a lot of family and kids around, it made sense to get out of town. We couldn’t think of a more eclectic place: philosophy, themes and music. And Craig Schumacher of Wavelab Studio had just gotten over cancer, and part of that recovery was going to New Orleans and surrounding him with all the things that he loves and bringing business to a city like New Orleans.

Is location and travel a big part of what inspires a Calexico record?

Yes. With our previous record, Carried From Dust, there are definitely influences from our travels to South America, which happened in 2007. Songs like “Victor Jara’s Hands” or “House of Valparaiso,” those songs were definitely influenced by going down there.

Travel has always been a big influence on our music. We’ve got band members from Europe and around the States — Paul Niehaus from Nashville, Tennessee; Martin Wenk from Berlin, Germany. Last couple years we had somebody from Spain joining us, who also sits in on the new record as well as the last album. So there’s always been this sort of multilingual, multicultural influence.

How does being such a cultural melting pot affect life on the road for the band?

We all hang out. I often get asked, “How do you guys rehearse?” and, well, we’re going to be rehearsing Sunday and Monday before we hit the road, and, of course, we toured a bunch, so we already have a very deep working relationship, and it doesn’t take very long before we fall back into a rhythm. But it makes it nice, especially when the Europeans come over and they see what’s happening with politics and just the general direction where things are going. Sometimes they’re really surprised. For example, the idea of a wall between U.S. and Mexico: You mention that to somebody from Berlin, and they can’t help but to do a double take. It’s like: “What? What are you talking about?”

Themes of immigration — there’s a different approach to things like that overseas. But it’s all really good. Even within the band the European crisis, you’ve got a Spaniard and you’ve got a German in the band and their viewpoints are quite different. For me it’s interesting to see how they interpret what’s going on both in their own countries and in Europe as a whole. And that’s really been the first time there’s been something that severe going on. Most of the time it’s focusing on the wars that have been happening in the past, going for years and years now.

Do you have an expanded touring band again on this tour?

Yes, seven musicians. Paul Niehaus is playing, Martin Wenk on trumpet and multi-instrumental stuff, Jacob Valenzuela on trumpet and doing a lot of different things. Sergio Mendoza on piano, who was born and raised in Nogales, Arizona, and lived in Sonora, northern Mexico for a while. And Ryan Alfred is playing bass. He and Sergio are the newer members. So seven musicians on a stage, and it’s incredible getting to see how things have evolved both on a personal level and in regards to audience and industry. The music industry has changed a lot. Of course, the European Union has formed.

It had been a while since we had been back to Europe, so when we went in the fall, I was excited to see where things are at for the band and if there’d be people coming to the shows. And of course there were a lot of people coming to the shows. There were a fair amount of sold out shows, which is really cool, and people were excited to see the band. Some even saying they were some of the best shows that they’ve seen to date, people who had seen us eight, nine, 10 times. So that meant a lot to me. And getting to reunite with people and venues we’ve played in the past — the Muffathalle in Munich, or the Forum in London, the Paradiso in Amsterdam, or in Belgium we played one of the first sold out shows at Ancienne Belgique.

For me it feels good to connect with Europe because we’ve drawn so much influence from the European aesthetic. I think it’s influenced the sensibility and the tone — it’s hard to put it into words without generalizing… but the attitude — it’s kind of a combination of North American and European. I noticed it when I first met John, the drummer. He’s really quite a unique person. He loves the things that are made with the intention of being around for a long time. He loves vintage drums, old cars… things that are built to last. And I really learned to appreciate that. I didn’t really think about these things before I met John, whether it was houses or architecture or homes or clothing, which comes full circle to the Levi’s showroom. He was the one who asked, hey is it possible to check out this “House of Strauss” because Paul [Niehaus] was on tour with Justin Townes Earle, who is connected to these clothing circles and was able to get in and have an appointment with the showroom.

I’d say that aesthetic extends to the music, too. That sort of timelessness. Algiers sounds immediately familiar, even though it’s more expansive and complex than previous Calexico records. Is it a challenge to keep writing new songs. Do you ever hit walls?

You’ve gotta keep it going. We love it. You need the songs in order to go on the road. And similarly you need the road in order to inspire experiences and songs and writing. Over the past couple years just about everyone in the band has settled down and had families. Both Jacob and Paul have kids. Jairo has three kids. John has three kids. I’ve got two kids. So the familial quality that happens at this point in most people’s lives really makes us appreciate having our jobs. It makes it special for us all to get together. We love hanging out, and it shows on stage. I kept on getting that comment in Europe last fall. People could really tell that we were enjoying each others company and that booking agents and promoters were having a great time backstage with us as well.

We love this job and we’re looking forward to coming to L.A. Man, it’s been a while.

It’s been a while since you’ve played with the lights on. Any other collaborations you’re looking forward to?

Our office hours are always open. We love doing collaborations. We recently did some recording with Neko Case for her upcoming record. Variety keeps it fun and interesting.

Is there any artist that you’d like to get a phone call from?

I’ve been hearing some new Bob Dylan on the radio here in Tucson and you know, that’s one of those things that, well, if you mention it, you’ll curse it. But getting the opportunity to work on soundtracks and especially the film I’m Not There was a great example of just that. We got the opportunity to collaborate with a whole slew of artists, some we even suggested, like “Hey, Charlotte Gainsbourg is in the movie, can we send her some tracks and see if she’d like to sing on them?” And the answer that we got back was yes, so that was one of those lessons where nowadays you can just about send tracks to everyone and hope for the best. I think certain artists are really open to trying new things. We got to work with Roger McGuinn in a similar way. Getting to meet Jim James [of My Morning Jacket] was a lot of fun, and Willie Nelson, and of course we knew Iron & Wine. It was great to get to do a lot of different collaborations all under the umbrella of one movie and one project. That was really thanks to Randall Poster, the music supervisor who connected us with soundtrack work previously.

I thought “Goin to Acapulco” was one of the most poignant moments in the movie, with Jim James singing and Calexico performing and actually appearing on set.

Being on set was a lot of fun. No one had really heard that song and there was a lot going on in that movie and in that scene in general. There were a lot of things happening. You’re on location. It was shot outside of Montreal, Canada. Everyone’s in character, and it’s pretty amazing.

When we got there they were working with Richard Gere; he was on horseback. Before we had gotten to the set, the horse had acted up, and they nearly had an accident. So people were a little bit on edge. And then this huge mess of a rainstorm came in, and everybody took a break for lunch. We came back and everyone is pretty relaxed and chill and we begin working on the scene that we’re in.

And they pump the music through the PA system, and it’s resonating through the area, basically out in the middle of nowhere. It really took people by surprise but got people in the mood so we could get in character and into the scene. There was a real person pretending to be a corpse right in front of you. It’s pretty creepy and wonderful at the same time.

I’m sure we will have some more acting opportunities. These things just kind of happen all by themselves. Hollywood’s a bizarre place I love it. You never what might happen from whatever project or collaboration you do. The music has continued to have a bridge to soundtracks and movies. Seems like every day I get an email or a request to watch something. Tonight I’m supposed to watch a documentary on Wild Horses in North America, so that would be the next collaboration, seeing what music would work with that. We also get a lot of requests for songs to be used in documentaries regarding immigration, and I’m really proud of that. In the future I’d love to get some calls from directors like Wes Anderson or Jim Jarmusch. Something that’s outside of the Southwest, something a little different. Who knows, I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to Sundance this month since we’ll be on tour, but someday I’d love to check out more film festivals, whether it’s Berlin or L.A. or Toronto or New York, meet people and get involved. Who knows, maybe I’ll just write a screenplay and a soundtrack and see if I can get someone to make the movie.

You mentioned documentaries on immigration. How is Calexico getting involved with these issues?

I would like to play more benefits for sure. Humane Borders is one of the groups that we’ve helped out consistently over the years. The only time we ever played Calexico, California, was a benefit for another border group called Border Angels. And interestingly enough, in Europe, immigration is becoming more of an issue, just like in the States. Hopefully we can come up with a better exchange program or better legislation for workers — people who are here and have been paying taxes. I guess for most people it’s just not simple enough to file the proper paperwork to come here and work. It should be simpler.

I was born in Montreal, so I had to become a citizen at some point. I’m sure there was a lot of paperwork back then. I know my dad was trying to make sure my brothers and I wouldn’t act out and say something silly and stupid when we went for the interview. It’s given me the perspective of not taking things for granted over here and also being sympathetic to those who don’t have a lot and are coming here because they need to. It’s survival, especially from Mexico. How do we as a country make sure that our neighbors are doing alright? You want to make sure everyone in the hemisphere — and world — is doing alright, not just in your own backyard. But that’s a much bigger topic.

And SB 1070…

Yeah. Now Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County — the same guy who was doing raids on businesses suspected of having immigrants working there — is in the news saying he wants to have armed citizens patrolling around schools. Not professional police offers, citizens, y’know, 500 of his gang to go patrol around schools, and that’s going to be intimidating and send the wrong message. It’s just kind of confrontational. And of course it’s the same guy causing the negativity with SB1070. It’s one of the things that on one hand, I don’t like about Arizona, that there are a lot of conservative people throughout the state, whereas little islands like Bisbee, or Flagstaff or Tucson are more balanced.

I’m also really happy to be here because I feel like I can do something. Our involvement with immigration or I’m helping out with raising awareness around the shooting that involved our Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. We got involved with the Fund for Civility Respect and Community. It meant a lot to me because I felt I was doing something directly for my community. And it’s hard to feel that important in a bigger city or bigger state. And I’m hoping that our music can be an influence at least on a very small level. We do a benefit for our local community-sponsored radio station. We can raise money for a cool radio station, KXCI, and they play a lot of local music. It’s pretty cool. It’s nice because I like being in some of those smaller towns because you really get a sense of who people really are and what the spirit is of a place, but when you’re in a big city you can be anywhere. That’s my little rant about being in Tucson.

Calexico plays tonight, January 16, at The El Rey Theatre. Bahamas opens. Tickets ($20 + fees) are available at Ticketmaster.

]]> https://andysternberg.com/interview-calexicos-joey-burns/feed/ 0 84381 https://andysternberg.com/yes-thats-me-in-that-cisco-commercial/ https://andysternberg.com/yes-thats-me-in-that-cisco-commercial/#comments Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:07:45 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=81000



I got a text from Brent yesterday: “Are you in a Cisco commercial?!” And I knew my fraction-of-a-second of fame had gone live, on nationwide basic cable (namely, CNN). It all came about the Sunday after I moved from Echo Park to Venice (in October). I was walking around Abbot Kinney Festival when a young woman with a Flip camera stopped me. It was election season and I was initially skeptical as dozens of people were roaming about with clipboards and Roseanne/Cindy Sheehan 2012 stickers. Then she explained that she was sent out to cast a specific role for a commercial and the director really liked working with regular, man-on-the-street types found at farmers markets and street festivals. I spoke to her casually on camera about how I had just moved to Venice from Echo Park that week and was looking forward to a nice change of pace on the west side.

A couple days later I got a call.

Of all the “auditions,” the director, Mike Mills, chose me for the role of 40-something “CXO.” OK, so I’m only 37, but I’ve got the gray hair to pull off 40 and coincidentally, I do have a C-blahblahblah-O position (CIO at Adler). I showed up to a residence in Long Beach for my shoot. Mills was friendly and cool – I could tell everyone on the set enjoyed working with him. We rapped about east side / west side differences (he lives in Silver Lake) and after about 45 minute of sitting, looking at the camera and smiling / not smiling / smiling on the inside I was done. I learned from other people in the production crew that Mills had recently done a very successful ad for a beer company featuring fast-paced video stills and that a similar concept was at play for this Cisco ad (working title “The Next Big Thing”). I also learned that Mills had a reputation for bringing in musicians and others to entertain the crew during lunches on set.

As a “principal performer” in the commercial, I was compensated at the Screen Actors Guild day rate and will also receive residuals. I also have the opportunity to become a SAG member which I’d almost consider depending on the likelihood that I’d ever have such an opportunity again. After all, I do live in L.A.

Check me out at 0:54 in the clip below (don’t blink!). I’m there and gone within a fraction of a second:


Clip via ispot.
]]> https://andysternberg.com/yes-thats-me-in-that-cisco-commercial/feed/ 3 81000 https://andysternberg.com/two-weeks-in-belize-photos/ https://andysternberg.com/two-weeks-in-belize-photos/#comments Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:50:33 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=76467 Continue reading "Two Weeks in Belize (Photos)"
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Late last year I found a two solid weeks to travel in a country that I’ve never visited and I’m very happy to have chosen Belize. I LOVE traveling and I feel unfulfilled if I go a certain period of time without extensive travel, preferably internationally. This was my first such solo adventure since 2007-2008 when I used up my vacation days (thanks Warner/Chappell) to go to Argentina and Chile. I wanted to explore, and get in some adventure along with some quality relaxation and recharging after an exciting but jam-packed quarter running social for The X Factor (among other things).

Belize was an amazing country to visit and I had an incredible experience first near near San Pedro on Ambergris Caye and then in the jungle and at Tikal in Guatemala before rounding out my visit on the paradisical Placencia peninsula.

Read about my travels in the following photo essay (Click on a photo to view captions and scroll through as slideshow). Special thanks to Milio and Kirsten at Ak’Bol on Ambergris Caye and to Paradise Resort in Placencia.

Part One: San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Ak’Bol
[See image gallery at andysternberg.com]

View this gallery on a single page.

Part Two: San Isidro, Cha’a Creek, Tikal
[See image gallery at andysternberg.com]

View this gallery on a single page.

Part Three: Placencia
[See image gallery at andysternberg.com]

View this gallery on a single page.

]]> https://andysternberg.com/two-weeks-in-belize-photos/feed/ 1 76467 https://andysternberg.com/living-without-a-gallbladder/ https://andysternberg.com/living-without-a-gallbladder/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:09:57 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=79707 Continue reading "Living Without a Gallbladder"
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I feel healthier than ever as I type this. But two weeks ago I was in the worst discomfort of my life and couldn’t figure out why until I eventually drove myself to the nearest urgent care and ultimately had a cholecystectomy — my gallbladder was removed.

This was major surgery, the first (and hopefully last) of my life. What I thought was severe heartburn that would pass was in fact pain from gallstones and a nasty infection surrounding my gallbladder. It never dawned on me that I could have a serious medical issue but in hindsight I had experienced similar abdominal discomfort on 4 or 5 occasions over the course of 18 months or so. It typically lasted less than two hours and I would simply lay down and breathe through it. I was naïve and assumed I had a much lower tolerance for pain than I actually do.

I thought I was taking ace care of myself — I was (and am) in the best shape of my life. I hadn’t even had a cold or flu in years and apparently didn’t even remember what it felt like to have a fever. But I did have a fever and an extremely high white blood cell count as my body fought to contain a nasty infection.

I learned a lot over the past two weeks. Here’s how it all played out…

Precursory Attack –> Normality –> Bedridden

I woke up with a start Wednesday morning. It was 4:30 on Halloween and I felt a sharp pain in my gut. A housemate had just recovered from a stomach virus that was highly contagious and I thought… uh oh. I rolled over repeatedly but couldn’t sleep until the pain subsided a couple hours later. I worked from home fearing the symptoms would return, not wanting to get my colleagues sick and laughing at myself for suddenly being all hypochondriatic. It passed.

I went on with my life and returned to the office after a good night’s sleep followed by some networking event, more sleep, Friday work, yoga and drinking with friends. On Saturday we moved our office and then I went to the USC vs. Oregon game (thanks Clint). I got home around 9:30 and watched a movie. But by 11, the pain returned with a vengeance. I couldn’t watch the end of the movie and tossed and turned until I found a position that wasn’t too uncomfortable. I drank a ton of water.

I barely slept Saturday night and Sunday I felt sick and tired enough to not be able pay attention to football on the TV. I just wanted to sleep until the discomfort — whatever it was — passed. I found that I could lay with minimal discomfort on my left side and snoozed in 15-minute increments. I’d rotate from my bed to a couch to the hardwood floor in an effort to stave off the discomfort. My stomach was distended. By Sunday night I couldn’t stand up straight and my housemates asked if I should go the emergency room. “If this continues in the morning I’ll go to urgent care,” I snapped, imagining that nothing could be a worse idea than the ER on a Sunday night. I drank more water. I ate Tums, Pepto Bismol and Pepcid AC. I took a warm bath and washed my face — it would be Wednesday afternoon before I’d bathe again.

I woke Monday at 7 to move my car so it wouldn’t get towed (street cleaning) and found that I could barely walk without pain. My path was laid out before me — it was time to seek help but urgent care didn’t open until 9 so I lay back down and dozed off, searching for the nearest urgent care facilities on my phone. I could lay on my back and feel virtually no discomfort.

Urgent Care

I drove to the nearest walk-in urgent care. Access Medical Group, adjacent to Marina Del Rey Hospital about two miles away, was covered by my “catastrophic” PPO plan and several doctors were listed. I didn’t realize it at the time but in retrospect I was quite feverish. I breathed carefully and slowly, awkwardly and uncomfortably walked from the parking lot to the first door labeled “urgent care.” The doctor, Jonathan Rand, wouldn’t see anyone until 10. I asked the receptionist if any other doctors were available sooner but not feeling up to walking door-to-door I resolved to await my fate w/ Dr. Rand — after all, waiting is to be expected with urgent care. I could slouch in the chair in the waiting room and semi-doze off without feeling much discomfort. Finally, the doctor saw me. I told him my symptoms and suggested that maybe I had some sort of intestinal blockage. After an old-school x-ray revealed “stuff” — what appeared as a light cloudiness — in my intestine he agreed. He’d need to admit me to the hospital and insert a tube down my throat to try to “loosen things up.”

It seemed a most vague and presumptuous diagnosis but at that point I was just happy to begin the process of treatment and healing, whatever that entailed. I felt ready to “enter the system” so to speak. Rand let me lay on the examining table while I waited for a room to open up for me at the hospital. Perfect — just in time to take a 10:30 conference call. I consider myself a lucky motherfucker and this call also came with impeccable timing — a secret project I was working on was postponed and just like that an impending deadline was wiped out. Perfect timing. I asked Rand if I’d have better luck getting admitted to Cedars Sinai or elsewhere and he said that anywhere else I’d need to be admitted via the ER. I asked if I’d be in for a while and he ensured me that I’d be locked up for at least a few days. I started getting skeptical about Rand and his seemingly fatalistic presumptions. I was moved back to the waiting room and finally around noon was told to walk across to Marina Del Rey Hospital and admit myself.

Diagnosis

At this point I still had no idea that I had a fever, not to mention a serious infection attacking my innards. By the time I was leaning on the receptionist desk at Marina Del Rey Hospital I half-expected them to slip a wheelchair under me. But it doesn’t work like that. At least not until you hand over your insurance card and fill out a bunch of paperwork.

It was 12:30 p.m. I sat back down and waited. I called my dear friend Krupali, a radiation oncologist (and occasional hero, for feedback and advice. Cedars was said to be much better with billing and she knew many surgeons there. I said I’d consider relocating if it came to major surgery. A wheelchair came and took me to my room (incidentally, this seemed to be the only wheelchair at MDR Hospital with footrests). I changed into a hospital robe and laid down in the surprisingly comfortable bed. I felt no discomfort or pain laying on my back with my head slightly elevated. A nurse (finally) took my temperature and I was surprised to learn that I had a low-grade fever.

I texted my roommate and coworkers to let them know I had been admitted. My roommate was kind enough to rush over with the my necessities — tablet, charging devices and the New Yorker (thanks Free)! I called my parents and told them I was in the hospital. I gave them a quick recap and promised I’d keep them apprised.

I wasn’t convinced that this bowel obstruction intubation thing was necessary — if it doesn’t do the trick, surgery would be necessary. Why not rule out other diagnoses first? Fortunately, after a couple hours, I was visited by a surgeon. After I told him my symptoms — especially that I had a 1-2 year history of gallstone symptoms, he ordered more tests. Blood was drawn. A nurse unsuccessfully tried to insert an intravenous prick into my left arm and gave up.

As soon as the surgeon explained his rationale I was completely at ease. Whether I had appendicitis or a gallbladder issue, he performed these procedures multiple times weekly and specialized in laparoscopic surgery. Huge relief.

He gave me his card, I texted the details to my parents knowing they’d run it by my uncle, an endocrinologist for due diligence (more or less a Google search). Dr. Daniel R. Marcus was well-qualified. Most importantly I trusted him.

I was sent for a CT scan. The tech administered a sort of enema of dyes meant to illuminate my appendix and intestines for the scan. By this point, nothing really bothered me more than the discomfort and pain I felt from being turned on my side. I was wheeled back to my room and it wasn’t long before I could sense things being expedited. My white blood cell count came in at 27,000 per mcL (normal is between 5-10,000). An ultrasound confirmed the presence of gallstones as well as inflammation and necrosis of the gallbladder. I had a gallbladder infection and required emergency surgery. I returned to the room and a different nurse successfully found a vein for the IV through which fluids, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication entered my bloodstream.

Surgery

It was 3 p.m. I had a major health issue but the best treatment for a gallbladder infection is removal. As we learned in seventh grade science class, the gallbladder creates bile to help process fat as food travels from the liver to the intestine. But it’s not a vital organ and in fact, in my case, it seems to be completely unnecessary. Moreover, thanks to the magic of modern technology, laparoscopic surgery, which while common has only been typical since the early 90’s, requires just four micro-incisions, allowing for a quick recovery (recovery for open stomach surgery can last 4-6 weeks). I told my parents I’d be going into surgery. They said they wanted to fly out to be with me. I did not push back. “You need to have an advocate at your side,” my mom said and I knew she was right. I gave Dr. Marcus my mom’s mobile number and asked him to call when I was out of surgery.

I was wheeled into the pre-operating room and signed off on a cholecystectomy. It was 3:30. I was in a total zen state, knowing I had done everything I could and that — should the procedure go as planned — I’d immediately be better. An assistant asked whether I was supposed to get an NG tube as apparently was still indicated on my chart. “No. I believe that’s been updated,” I responded. I joked with the anesthesiologist about liking my cocktails strong. “Then you’ll enjoy,” he said as he administered some anti-nausea drug to the mix.

Warning: infected guts are gross but if you want to see two photos of my gallbladder and its surrounds during surgery click here.

It was 7 o’clock. The first thing I remember asking when I came to was whether or not the laparoscopic technique was successful. I knew enough from witnessing others’ recovers to know how dramatic a difference minimally-invasive surgery made on recovery time. I was relieved. Then, back in my room, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder — I’d imagine it was a result of my positioning during surgery. They administered a small dose of dilaudid via IV and gave me a pillow to elevate my arm. That was the only pain I felt after surgery (I declined all subsequent intravenous painkillers as I had not gone to the bathroom since Saturday and did not want to further constipate the newly revamped plumbing).

It was a long but overall successful Monday.

Recovery

The nurses on duty checked on me every half hour or so. I slept pretty well between regular status checks (heart rate, temperature). My parents showed up at 10:30 p.m. I was still out of it from the anesthesia but I felt fine. The took the keys to my car and went to a nearby hotel.

At around 5 a.m. the nurse took me for my first walk since surgery. I walked like an old man for the first day or so… with my hands supporting my still distended gut (it had been pumped full of air for the surgery). It was a little uncomfortable using my abdominal muscles to pull myself up but otherwise it felt great to be on my feet, even if it was still difficult to stand up straight.

It was Election Day and for the first time in as long as I can remember I wouldn’t be voting. I ate some of what they called breakfast — it resembled small pancakes and eggs. It felt good to remember what hunger felt like. I was still receiving antibiotics and fluids via IV. I took a few more walks around the hospital wing throughout the day, each longer than the other. My walking was a little labored but not necessarily slowed, My gut felt a little tender and it felt as if my innards were jiggling. I eventually found a way to “sneak outside” and get fresh air via the cafeteria. The patio was meshed in as if it were a penitentiary but I am definitely one to break rules in the name of fresh air.

Another man was moved into my room. I was initially annoyed by this but was fascinated by his story. A commercial airline pilot, he was pulled from his flight from LAX to Mexico City to get his stomachache checked out and next thing he knew he was in my room recovering from an appendectomy. Dr. Marcus loved bragging about his most impactful appendectomy of the year — The L.A. Kings’ Brad Richardson had an emergency appendectomy before Round 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs only to recover and return 6 days later and score a crucial goal in the decisive game against the Canucks.

My mind was blown by how incrementally fast my recovery was going. The incisions were so small that there was never any pain and while I was lacking for energy, I found that the walking was really helping me get my strength back.

I didn’t want to spend another night in the hospital but I couldn’t be released until it was certain that I was no longer infected. On Tuesday my white blood cell count had dropped by more than half to 13,000, it seemed I was healing and that the surgery had eradicated the gallbladder and the surrounding infected areas. My dear friend and business partner Kyra visited and it made my day. My parents stuck around as well, helping me get the nurses’ attention since the call button was broken and most of them seemed relatively uninterested to begin with. Dr. Marcus said I’d be discharged by noon the next day.

We watched the election results come in. I took one last walk around the ward with my parents (three laps this time!) and immediately after they left Ohio was called for Obama and another four years was sealed. I stayed up for a while catching up with email and some work but soon drifted off into sleep. It was much harder sleeping with someone else in the room — more nurse interruptions and occasional snoring. I woke up early and watched Obama’s acceptance speech on my Nexus 7 tablet. I texted my parents to enjoy themselves and take their time as the morning rolled on and I awaited a visit from the doctor. Nathan dropped by and visited with us, a definite high point of the week. Blood was drawn early but the doctor didn’t come around until 11 or so with the results and order to get me the hell outta there. My white blood cell count was at 6,000. My temperature was below normal. I felt great and looked forward to going home.

Home

My gut was still so sensitive on the ride home that it felt uncomfortable riding over speed bumps. I knew that this discomfort too would subside almost immediately as my innards settled in a newly aligned formation. It was 2 p.m. Wednesday, we picked up sandwiches and smoothies at Windward Farms and ate in my backyard.

My parents, heroes that they are, picked up groceries and bottled water for me before I got them a cab to the airport. Back in my bed, it almost felt as if I could *feel* my breath reach newly exposed parts of my gut as it would deepen. I napped hard for an hour and woke to take a walk around the neighborhood. I got some work done and went to bed early — I was ecstatic that not only was I feeling better but the issue — the organ! — was eradicated completely. I would never have that painful discomfort again.

Thursday I felt great. Worked from home without a nap and squeezed in a 2-mile walk around the canals. I’m a machine, I thought — it was hard to believe I felt 95 percent as good as new just 3 days after major surgery. Friday I returned to the office and broke up the day by participating on a panel at Silicon Beach Fest. That evening I had my first post-op beers and later saw The Afghan Whigs (thanks Mark)!

I’ve been extremely fired up and grateful since my surgery two weeks ago. I now consider myself back to 110% and can run and everything as I normally could. I’m looking forward to sharing Thanksgiving with my family in Chicago and stuffing my face just like every other year. As for you my friends and, really anyone crazy/bored enough to have read this far, let’s do lunch or drinks soon — on me!

]]> https://andysternberg.com/living-without-a-gallbladder/feed/ 73 79707 https://andysternberg.com/aspen-integrated-ai-to-curate-a-day-at-aspen-live-music-conference/ https://andysternberg.com/aspen-integrated-ai-to-curate-a-day-at-aspen-live-music-conference/#respond Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:48:31 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=78983 Continue reading "Aspen Integrated: AI to Curate a Day at Aspen Live Music Conference"
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Colorado here we come! Originally posted to the AI blog by n8thesk8.

AI is very excited to be participating in Aspen Live this year! Host Jim Lewi has graciously invited us to take over the Saturday programming for what we have dubbed “Aspen Integrated“, where we will be curating conversation around the state of social media as it relates to opportunities/challenges in live entertainment, various sides of the music biz, venues, and more. We shall also enjoy shredding some mountain for three days with friends new and old.

If any winter sports equipment and apparel companies would like a beta test and evangelism of their killer new ski gear, please contact @n8thesk8 ME.

]]> https://andysternberg.com/aspen-integrated-ai-to-curate-a-day-at-aspen-live-music-conference/feed/ 0 78983 https://andysternberg.com/live-streaming-into-the-future-a-social-media-week-panel/ https://andysternberg.com/live-streaming-into-the-future-a-social-media-week-panel/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:47:00 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=78189 Continue reading "Live Streaming into the Future, A Social Media Week Panel"
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The revolution will be live streamed. But as live streaming platforms and technology are break into the mainstream, how is the relationship between viewers and content producers evolving. What new revenue can live streaming bring to television and how can it benefit venues, artists and labels? Who is doing it right and what are the best practices going forward?

Adler Integrated hosted a panel addressing these questions and looking into the current and future state of live streaming at Social Media Week Los Angeles last week.

Watch the discussion (in two parts) below:

The panel, moderated by AI’s Andy Sternberg, included an engaging audience Q & A and featured great insight from IROCKE‘s Karl Rogers, Livestream‘s Jeff Varnell, dick clark productions‘ Assaf Blecher and The Roxy Theatre And AI’s Nic Adler.

“If you don’t talk the viewers language there is a disconnect. So they need to feel that you represent them… they’re watching on their computer but you represent their voice,” said dick clark productions‘ Assaf Blecher.

“We’re trying to expand the consciousness of live streaming in the consumer’s mind… some of the most magical things that I’ve seen occur in live streaming is an impromptu appearance by an artist in a comfortable place and it becomes like a brainstorming session with the fans, said IROCKE‘s Karl Rogers.” “We’ve put the live streaming experience in a virtual place that’s like the physical event.”

“The difference here is access,” said Nic Adler, “now we can add to the live experience by socializing and adding value to it.” “Access to the artist if very compelling and can be done in the live department,” said Livestream‘s Jeff Varnell.

]]> https://andysternberg.com/live-streaming-into-the-future-a-social-media-week-panel/feed/ 2 78189 https://andysternberg.com/summertime-get-up-get-down/ https://andysternberg.com/summertime-get-up-get-down/#respond Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:04:17 +0000 http://andysternberg.com/?p=68782 Continue reading "Summertime Get Up, Get Down"
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Griffith Park Observatory during the annular solar eclipse.

It’s summertime in Los Angeles (and everywhere else in the northern hemisphere for that matter). Time to hit the beach and The Bowl and spend quality outdoor time with great friends across L.A. County’s 4,000 square miles, from Lancaster to Long Beach. I’ve covered lots of ground already as 2012 is already well on its way to being, yet again, the best summer ever.

But this is the first summer of Adler Integrated. Yes, myself and a dream team consisting of some of my best friends came together and started a company in January. More on that in my next post (or, uh, we do have a blog). I’m basically doing the same type of work I’ve been doing for some years now, only bigger, better and with more support and collaboration. It’s awesome.

I promised to share monthly playlists of what’s playing on our office Sonos speaker system and to date I’ve been way more consistent than I have with keeping up on blogging. Below, find my July 2012 playlist, a mix of old and new summertime jams to kick up to 11 (find the other playlists here).


Someone’s pool, barnsdall park and downtown los angeles from griffith park, June 24, 2012.

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