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).

Happy Easter!

Today, my son has the honor of serving his first mass as an altar boy:



That's him in his garb during his installation mass a couple of weeks ago. I'm so proud of him, and he is SO excited!

It's such a perfect day for him to have his first mass...the day that my faith celebrates Jesus' resurrection.

It's also a bit of a sad day for me, though, because this is the first year that none of my children will be waiting for the Easter Bunny to show up. Natalie came to me not long ago and said she no longer believes. *sniff* (Santa still seems to be real for her though....I think it was the whole bunny-as-a-human deal that she is no longer buying into, lol).

But this day isn't about talking, magical bunnies anyway. It's about this:



(Wow...that last image makes me cry like a baby!)

A blessed day to all of you!

Thank You

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." - Matthew 27:50

I'M ON BRITNEYSPEARS.COM!!!!!!

This is one night I'm thankful I have (major) insomnia. Haven't been able to sleep and was watching t.v. online. I decided to pop on over to Britney Spear's site before logging off and LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *deep breaths*

As I'm writing this, it's the top post. I mean it was so surreal to pull up her site and see ME at the top!!! Was NOT expecting that, lol!

And now there's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight, hahaha...but I am not complaining!! So psyched!! OMGosh!!!!

Lady Gaga Rescheduled

Update #5- Click here to read my review for Lady Gaga's DC show at DAR Constitution Hall. Pics and vids included. Meet the man who sang to Gaga and the woman who "married" her, as well.

Update #4- The DC show reschedule has finally been announced! Lady Gaga will be performing at 8 p.m, September 29, at Dar Constitution Hall. Click here for details. No word yet on whether or not tickets to the previous show will be good at the new venue. I will update once again when I get word on this.

Update #3- Still no word on the DC show, but there is an announcement out regarding the show at The National in Richmond, VA:

"The Lady Gaga show originally scheduled for April 3rd, 2009 and then moved to The National has been rescheduled for the Landmark Theater on September 24th @ 8pm. All previously purchased tickets for both the Toad's show and The National show (Etix, Plan 9, BK Music, The National Box Office, and Ticketmaster) will be honored on the new date without exchange (all tickets are general admission). Additional general admission tickets will go on sale THIS Friday April 10th at 10am at the Landmark Theater Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Refunds for previously purchased tickets will be available at the point of purchase. "

Click here for more details.

Update #2- I've just learned that an official announcement regarding the rescheduled dates/venues, etc. will be out next week, so hold tight. I'll update this post as soon as the announcements are made.

UPDATED: Read Lady Gaga's apology to her fans here. She said the reason for cancelling her shows was because of illness, not American Idol.

Of particular importance to me though, is this statement:

"...the shows have now been moved to bigger venues. for more dancing, more sweating, and more of my props to fit on stage."

So what does that mean for those with tickets to the original venues? As soon as I find out more I will update.

Also, Chester French, who was going to be opening for Lady Gaga (and who I was going to interview post-show....see below), may not be at the rescheduled performance now, according to their comments on their site.

I will try to set something else up with them if that ends up being the case.
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I was hoping so badly that this was an April Fool's Day joke. But, unfortunately, it's not. Lady Gaga's DC show at the 9:30 Club has been rescheduled for an as-yet-unknown date. Rumor has it that the reason is due to her appearance on American Idol tonight.

The good news is that I will be interviewing Lady Gaga's opening act, Chester French, whenever the show is rescheduled. So in addition to the concert review, I'll be posting the interview as well.

Have any questions you want me to ask Chester French for you? Just let me know in comments.

And if you haven't heard their AWESOME song "She Loves Everybody" yet, check it out right here:



These guys are hilarious, too. I think I'm going to love chatting with them, especially after watching this interview they did with Young Hollywood.

LOVE them!

UPDATE: Check out my interview with Chester French here.

"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!