An Interview With Chester French

On April 21, Chester French's album "Love the Future drops.

I had the privilege of speaking to both DA Wallach and Maxwell Drummey (Max) by phone today and it was a blast! I already loved their sense of humor in previous interviews I've seen them do. Just as I expected, they had me LMAOing the whole time.

If you have not yet heard of Chester French, you don't know what you're missing! This band is ON FIRE, let me tell you! And they are rising quickly with stars like Diddy and Paris Hilton taking notice among many others.

In fact, they've been touring around the country with Lady Gaga and crowds have responded well, snatching up their CDs after the show like candy. Diddy gave them a shout-out on Twitter, causing their followers to rise by 3,000 (DA said that it means a lot to them to have the support of such a legend). They recently performed for Paris Hilton at her birthday party in Vegas. And MTV has made them a featured artist.

If I could lay money on it, I would bet that they will be a household name by the end of the year.

In keeping with their fantastic sense of humor, Max answered "medium-loud" when I asked him what kind of sound fans can expect from "Love the Future." Seriously though, the CD will have lots of diverse tracks, and DA hopes everyone can just "listen straight through, close their eyes, and get into our minds" when they hear the music.



What sets Chester French apart from most other bands is their DIY-style. DA said that they write their own music, and do their own engineering and producing so that everything is "self-contained."

"We've been doing this for six years now," he added. "We're not entitled to anything more than anyone else is, but we've worked really hard to get where we are. We've played to empty rooms, we've sold CD's in the streets and after shows. We've put all of our energy into making music."

And it shows. The band is currently offering a free mix tape called "Jacques Jams," the brainchild of Clinton Sparks ("Get familiar!") Max said that Clinton "made them do it" and that he and DA are Clinton's "mix tape children."

"Jacques Jams" is more than just music. It's an entire story, complete with skits. In addition to CF and Sparks, it features other amazing talent such as Diddy, Solange Knowles, Pharrell, Lady Gaga and more.

Click here to check it out and sign up for your free copy. (My favorites are "What a World," "Ciroc Star" and CF's exclusive remix of Lady Gaga's "Love Game." I can't get enough of those three tracks!) With 60-80 thousand copies already downloaded, you'll definitely want to be in on this one!



Another thing that sets CF apart from other artists is their love and dedication to their fans. DA and Max will sit in their tour bus until 5 am just responding to emails from their fans.

And just as a side note....when I asked them what a typical day is like on their tour bus, they jokingly told me, "Usually a combination of binge drinking and gang banging." Max wanted me to emphasize the latter part and to mention that it's "every day." I assured him that I had underlined it in my notes.

Not only does CF try to write back to every email they receive, especially ones from their biggest supporters, but they also reach out to fans...and even haters....through Twitter.

Check out this recent exchange:

AgentSkitzer: @brooklyn3383 chester french does not rock!

DAChesterFrench: @AgentSkitzer Hope to win you over. We think you rock, at least! xoxo

CF has even been known to surprise their haters with free copies of their album and other goodies to win them over. "I try to keep an eye out for what's being said about us," DA said. "Some of our strongest supporters started out as haters."

He said he understands when others judge them because "we can be judgemental" at times too. With the band being so new, he said there are a lot of misconceptions about them.

"If someone is talking shit about us, I ask them what can we do to get them on the same page as us," DA added. They've found that most people are open-minded and receptive once they've reached out to them.

As for how the band got its name, it's actually derived from Daniel Chester French, who sculpted the Lincoln Memorial in my hometown of Washington DC. When I asked if they'd been to the Lincoln Memorial yet, Max chided that he makes a point of going there once-a-month.

I told them that even though I've lived here my whole life, I've never been to the memorial myself, and that I was going to visit it just for them. "You'll have to write our name on the wall," DA said.

"Oh good idea," I laughed. "I'm gonna graffiti up the whole memorial just for you!"



When I got more serious and said I had some ideas in my head for what I could legally do, maybe something with a photo, they assured me not to worry if I went to jail because they would bail me out. ;)

So who knows...maybe my next blog can be "So a Blonde Walks Into a Jail?" All for my love of Chester French! I'll be sure to sing their hit "She Loves Everybody" at the top of my lungs in my cell while I'm there too:





Click here to check out more on this fabulous band so you too can fall in love with them, find out their tour information, watch their hilarious videos, and more.

Pre-order "Love the Future" here. (Exclusive tracks will be available on Amazon and iTunes - different tracks depending on where you purchase)

And don't forget your free copy of Jacques Jams!

Finally, watch for Chester French on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on April 21. They assured me they are in touch with the most reputable designers (couture fashion is SO them) so be prepared for them to be dressed to the nines for the show.

Update: Below is video from Chester French's performance of "She Loves Everybody" on Jimmy Fallon...



She Loves Everybody Jimmy Fallon Live by yardie4lifever2


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Note: Many thanks to my assistant Heather who helped me with preparing questions for the interview and who will most likely be joining me when Chester French plays in DC. I need to confirm this, but I believe they will be opening for Lady Sovereign at the 9:30 Club in May. I'll be sure to post the exact details once I confirm them.

UPDATE: Chester French will indeed be opening for Lady Sovereign at the 9:30 Club on May 9 at 11 pm. Click here to purchase tickets to the show (CF is not listed as an opening act as of yet, but I have been assured that they will be there).

"Merry Christmas!" Britney Spears Circus Tour Review Part II

Note #1- If you missed part one of my Britney Spears Circus Tour review, be sure to click here.

Note #2- Let me just say right off that this is going to be long and I probably should've broken the review into three parts, but hopefully I've kept it interesting enough that you won't notice the length. :) (that's what she said, ha!) Also, be sure to click "read more" for the full review...it's a new feature I'm using.

And if you read nothing else, READ THE END, because it's all about me. *grin*

So where we? Oh, yes....watching the most amazing performer ever descend onto the stage at the Verizon Center in DC! Yes, she lip synced but I really didn't care. Britney dazzles you so much with her dance moves, props, costumes, lights, etc. that you don't even notice.

Besides, there was plenty of "real" singing from everyone in the crowd. I am proud to say I knew and sang every word to every song and danced right along to it all too.

Which is how I ended up with videos like these:





Singing and dancing while filming "If U Seek Amy"



Britney performing "Piece of Me" while I danced and filmed...not a good combo.

This one's a little bit better, but my camera chopped up the sound when I zoomed in and out (which you'll notice in other videos as well):



One of the most absolute coolest effects EVER, IMO, had to be the indoor thunderstorm just before "Radar." Here's the video, but you really had to be there to see just how amazing it was:



Indoor thunderstorm segue....watch as Britney pops up in the center of the stage.

Then there were the incredible magic tricks. Here's a close-up of one:



Britney being "cut in half" while performing "Ooh Ooh Baby."

And the props were so unique and simply gorgeous:



Britney performing "Freakshow" and "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)" amid my favorite stage design

Even the segues were mind-blowing. Britney changes costumes several times throughout the show (which I LOVE), and she made sure no one would be bored while she did so. I'm going to share a couple of the segues from VideosbyJT since he got really good shots of them.

This segue is set to Marilyn Manson's cover of the Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams are Made of These" (his is titled "Everybody's Looking for Something") and it is HOT, HOT, HOT!! You have to watch this one, I am telling you!



And then there was this one set to "Break the Ice:"



Did you catch the infamous Madonna/Britney kiss in there?

Another segue I loved was the "Dancer Solo Segue" where dancers came out and performed to songs by Michael Jackson, Estelle, Rihanna and more. This one was actually performed live on stage, but this video (from jomademoiselle) shows them on the jumbotron:



As for the costumes, Britney wore a completely different one for "I'm a Slave 4 U" after her wardrobe malfunction in Tampa:



Photo courtesy of JustJared.com

Nothing "hanging out" in DC!

It's hard for me to pick a favorite costume, but if I had to pick just one, it would probably be the Bollywood one:



Britney performing "Me Against the Music" Bollywood style

It was during the Bollywood theme that Britney surprised the audience with "Everytime," a song that was not on her official set list. I think that's significant and let me explain why.

It's rumored that "Everytime" was written about Justin Timberlake. And it's rumored that Justin's "Cry Me a River" was written about Britney. In the video for "Cry Me a River," Justin is standing in the rain, upset over the break-up. In "Everytime," Britney sings, "I may have made it rain. Please forgive me."

So the fact that this song was set apart from the others by not being on the set list, and that Britney performs it while sitting on the handle of a giant umbrella, to me, is VERY symbolic. Come on, Justin! Forgive her already!



Britney talks to the crowd before performing "Everytime."

Now for the biggest buzz to come out of the DC show....."Merry Christmas!" Yes, Britney did indeed yell "Merry Christmas" to the audience while performing "Do Something." My video doesn't even have that part, but it still has over 1,000 views....crazy!

You can click here to see my video if you'd like, but here's one from MissBritneySpearsTV that shows her shouting out the greeting (around 50 seconds in):



Some people *cough* Perez Hilton *cough* have tried to use the "Merry Christmas" greeting against Britney, saying it's a sign of her being crazy. In her defense, let me set the record straight.

First of all, this is supposed to be a "freakshow" circus. There were friggin deer heads on the big screen for crying out loud. Saying something that made no sense made perfect sense in that kind of setting. Especially since she was singing, "I see you looking at me like I'm some kind of freak."

Secondly, someone pointed out in the comments on my video that Britney had not been to that side of the stage very much. So she was greeting the crowd as in, "Hey there! I'm finally here!"

Crazy? No. "You say I'm crazy? I got your crazy!" Perfect lyrics to the likes of those who are attacking her for this.

Moving on....the biggest crowd reactions came at three different points. The opening, the finale, and here:



The crowd went crazy when they realized Britney was about to perform her classic hit, "Baby One More Time."

About that finale. Just wow:



More crowd craze as Britney performs "Womanizer" during the finale. Listen as everyone sings along too...and watch as I ruin another video with my dancing.

And then...the crowning touch. An amazing curtain of fire surrounds the stage as the show ends:



Along with insane amounts of confetti:



I never wanted the show to end. If I could, I would fly to every show she does just to relive it again and again. It was truly the best concert I've ever been to in my life!



As if that weren't enough, though, what happened to me after we left ended up making this one of the best nights in my entire life, too. The picture requests continued non-stop. I posed with so many awesome people, including a really cool guy in a top hat.

Heads turned everywhere we walked. Non-stop compliments. One girl just stared at me with her jaw dropped and watched me as I walked, while her friend yelled, "You are the sh*t!" (have you read my cockiness disclaimer by the way? lol)

I seriously didn't know how to act or what to do with myself. I felt like a friggin superstar with all eyes on me. It was so surreal, I just can't even begin to explain.

And then? And then? Are you ready for the best part? People started calling me...ME...Britney! *faint*

At one point, I heard a girl - who had to be drunk or delusional because....really? Me?! - yell hystericaly far behind me, "OH MY GOSH, IT'S BRITNEY!!!!" And then silence ensued as someone probably said, "Umm..stupid...it's just a blonde in a circus costume." (She was the only one who actually thought I really was Britney and she was FAR behind me...my jacket was also almost an exact replica of the one worn by Britney in the opening. That was not planned, btw.)

But left and right from non-delusional people I got, "Hey, hey, Britney!" (one guy said with a wink), "Check you out, Britney!" and on and on. I was in Britney Heaven!!!

You already know about the group of girls we ran into who labeled me "the circus b*tch." Another group of people said I should wear the costume at Halloween and announce, "It's Britney, b*tch!"

I think I may just do that!

Check This Hand 'Cause I'm Marvelous

I've always wanted to say that since falling in love with Lady Gaga. ;)

Before I put up part two of my Britney Spears Circus Tour review, I thought I'd let you all in on my next review. Yes, the "Lady" I referred to before is LADY GAGA and I'll be covering "The Fame Ball" tour!!!



I got my press pass approval for her show on Thursday at the 9:30 Club in DC and will bring you all along virtually for this one too. You can follow live, up-to-the minute tweets by clicking here (live tweets will start Thursday after 10:30 p.m. EST....I'm covering the late show).

You probably already know her hits "Just Dance" and "Pokerface", but you just have to check out my other faves: "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich," "Starstruck" and "LoveGame:"



Chester French, The White Tie Affair and Cinema Bizarre are all opening for her.



Check back after Thursday for the review!

Guess Who's Going to Britney Spears' Circus Tour?

Update: Click here to see the brand new video of "Circus" which is AMAZING. It just premiered on "Entertainment Tonight" this past week and embedding is disabled or I'd put it on here for you to see. It's worth the click over (at least to me, but then I am biased, lol).
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Yes, uh huh. ME, ME, ME! And my daughter. I read an announcement that Brit was making her comeback with a tour, so I went to her website and found a special offer to get tickets before they go "public." (Click here if you want to get in on the offer)

Ticketmaster tried their best to keep me from scoring tickets, but I would not give up and spent the better part of an hour trying to get tickets. And kept watching the good seats go to someone else each time. So our seats are crappy, but I'd watch from the roof if I had to! This tour is going to be HOT!

And as if it couldn't get any better THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS will be performing with her!!! Perfection!

If you haven't caught Brit performing her two latest songs off of the Circus CD, here's the YouTube videos for them. I already loved, "Womanizer," and I love "Circus" even more. If the tour is anything like these videos it is going to be amazing!!

Womanizer on X-Factor:



Circus on Good Morning America:



I could not be more excited!!

The 30 Rock Skit - I Love Kenneth the Page

Kapgar and I have been scheming on a 30 Rock skit that, if the producers at NBC had any smarts, would become a real story line (with us in the starring roles of course.)

I'm titling it "I Love Kenneth the Page." Or alternately, "Obsession."

Let's cue the music before we go any further:



Okay, on to the story. It goes something like this:

Kevin and I are new pages under Kenneth's "tutelage" as Kevin put it. (that word makes me giggle). I immediately fall in love with Kenneth the Page. I mean what's not to love about this guy:



At first, Kenneth is really happy to see me each day:



He even takes me out to a party after work on the set of TGS (work with me on the photo editing here, lol):



But my crush on him turns into a crazy, stalker-type obsession and he begins to get a little worried:



Suddenly, wherever he goes, I follow. He tries to keep that beautiful smile of his on even though he's totally creeped out. Elevator rides are the worst, as I'm almost always on there with him:



The crazier I get, the more Kenneth is turned off. But there's someone who actually loves my craziness. My new fellow page-in-training Kevin:



The crazier I get, the more Kevin wants me. But my heart is set on winning over Kenneth, so I resort to all sorts of tricks to get his attention. Like leaving a present for him in his office:



The final straw for Kenneth comes when I pop up on the stage from the audience of Late Night With Conan O'Brian in the middle of his interview:



It's also the final straw for Kevin, who realizes the only way to win my heart is to plot Kenneth's demise. Unfortunately for Kevin, the authorities get wind of his plot and promptly arrest him before he can carry it out:



But then Kenneth reports me and I too am arrested:




And Kenneth is finally free of the both of us. He demands that he gets the final approval of all new pages from then on out.

As for me and Kevin...well, not even jail could stop our obsessions. We were content to live them out through our cells.

My cell:



Kevin's cell:



The end! *bow* *bow* *bow*

Be prepared to see both me and Kevin on 30 Rock with our brilliant skit any day now. :)

Reality Roundup

First of all, so far so good on the stomach virus. No one else has come down with it. But, Amanda came down with a cold/flu virus Monday night and had trouble breathing with a fever of 103. *sigh* Now that one Natalie can definitely not get because it will be a guaranteed hospital trip. Fingers crossed. Prayers upward.



Anyone watching "The Mole?" I have a theory. I keep seeing references to the number 10 in most of the shows. And Clay is the tenth person they show in the intro. So while I feel like Mark is the mole, if my theory is correct, it will actually be Clay. He's my favorite player too so I hope I'm right about it.

What I can't stand about that show, though, is the host's voice. Way. Too. Much. It's been so bad I've wanted to mute the t.v.



I am DYING for "Big Brother 10" to start! I can't get enough of all the pre-show hoopla. My favorite site being this one.

I've been spending way too much time watching the videos and getting the inside scoop on all the house guests, but I am working while I do it, which may or may not be a good thing. And I'm *this close* to purchasing the 24/7 feeds (I know, I know...but I REALLY love this show).



I'm sad "The Bachelorette" is over, but I must say I did not particularly like Deanna. I think she seemed a little too snooty and full of herself, just like she did when she was on "The Bachelor."

And I feel SO sorry for Jason who was my pick for her. She dragged that poor man along to the very end, which means he spent the most time away from his son as possible. Ugh!

I do like Jesse though. I just wonder how long someone as sweet and carefree as he is will last with someone like her. Any bets?



Update: Check out the website Deanna and Jesse set up. Pretty cool! They do look really cute together.

I Love Emily Leatherman

Thank you Emily Leatherman, for being a famous crazy stalker and for doing this to my blog stats:

• Total 43,583
  
• Average Per Day 105
  
• Average Visit Length 1:37
  
• Last Hour 360
  
• Today 1,003
  
• This Week 736

And it's only 1 in the afternoon my time.

Emily decided to jump in the spotlight again, and since I'm the #1 Google result for Ms. Crazy, beating out TMZ, CBS, The Washington Post, etc., my stats are skyrocketing. Booo yeah!!!! Think I'll make it to 2,000 by tonight?

Okay, so speaking of crazy, here are all of the delirious fantasies running through my head, especially after seeing this blogger comment that was left for me:

"How much can I pay The Blonde Blogger to stalk me?"

*blush* Thank you anonymous, whoever you are. I think I love you!

So after my head swelled from the hits, then swelled some more from the comment, I started daydreaming. What if? What if some celebrity person stumbles on my site? What if it's a movie producer, modeling agent (I'm a former model by the way, ahem), talent scout, TMZ person (I'm a writer and celebrity-lover, ahem), or some other fantastic, never-really-going-to-come-by-here person comes by here?

They see my post, think I'm gorgeous and funny, and they offer me a role on a show? Or invite me to a Hollywood party? Or...or...or....I don't know.....some other never-really-going-to-happen-in-a-million-years scenario?



Maybe Brad Pitt will see this and decide that Angie just wasn't the right one for him and he'll start stalking me. I'll have to let him down gently because I am in love with my husband, and I'll forever be known as the "girl who stole Brad from Angie," (and I'll do it all for Team Jen!)

I bet Emily's looking a little less crazy with each word I write, huh? *grin*

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Pee Ess: My daughter wants to be noticed to, so I promised to add this for her. She's getting a new site design today, so forgive her if her site is a little wonky. Let it be known that she is also open to all offers for fame. :)

Dean McDermott's Ex-Wife Speaks Out on His Marriage to Tori Spelling

This post has been edited on 10/21/08. The original post has been taken down and this new one has been put in its place.

If you're reading this, you most likely came here by doing a search on Tori Spelling or Dean McDermott. Little did I know when I wrote my original post that it would become the #1 result in Google for various searches on this couple. I never thought my little rant would go any farther than my small world.

Unfortunately it has and others have used it as fodder to try to smear Tori and Dean. I recently came across a site that Tori was interviewed on, where someone copied my post in the comment section and left their name as "The Blonde" (as if I'd left the comment myself).

I never would've written what I did if I knew it was possible to be read by either of them, or that it would garner so much attention. It was an angry rant that had more to do with the issue of cheating spouses than it did with them personally.

I still do feel the way I do about that general subject. But after reading my words again...having to face them after some time had passed...I have to admit I cringed. I was ashamed to know that I had been the one behind such venomous words.

My heart still hurts for their former spouses and the pain they endured. And most especially for McDermott's son and the baby that he almost adopted with his ex.

But I realize that all involved are human beings. That no one is perfect. And none of us have a right to sit in judgement of others.

As a Christian, that was very wrong of me and it was shameful to both myself and my faith. Quite frankly, it is none of my business. Their celebrity status does not give myself or anyone else the right to judge them or ridicule their choices, right or wrong.

I have no idea if they themselves have seen this post, or if they even care if they did. But I want it to be known that I am sorry for my words. I would like a clear conscience. I would like to be proud of my words here, not ashamed of them.

Thus, I have deleted the original post and have put this one up in its place.

I apologize to Tori and Dean and to others out there in their situation that I indirectly insulted.

I will not be deleting your comments here as I feel that would not be right (even though they too make me cringe reading them, especially knowing that my post incited them). I hope, though, that future visitors might think on this a little more deeply and will agree with me that we should not judge.

Peace to all of you.