Vancouver 2010 unveils headline performers for nightly Vancouver Victory Ceremonies

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) unveiled an exciting lineup of top Canadian acts who will pay tribute to medal-winning Olympians at Canada’s Games in 2010 during nightly Victory Ceremonies held indoors in downtown Vancouver.

The 12 headliners, which include Nelly Furtado, Barenaked Ladies, Loverboy, and Hedley, are part of the Vancouver 2010 concert series, presented by Bell, and will perform for one night each from February 14 to 26 inside BC Place during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The full night of entertainment is a fabulous chance to gather together with Olympic fans from around the world to celebrate the world’s best winter athletes as they receive their medals in speed skating, snowboarding and freestyling skiing – including the first medals to ever be awarded in the newest Olympic event of ski cross. See below for the full list of headliners and dates they appear, as well as a breakdown of nightly medal presentations.

“The Victory Ceremonies will be the place to be in the evenings in Vancouver during the Games. For 12 nights only, spectators will get a chance to witness in person the top athletes of the day in their shining moments on the podium,” said David Guscott, VANOC’s executive vice president in charge of celebrations and partnerships. “At the same time, they will also be treated to an amazing night of top Canadian music and international acts, from punk rock to country to pop, thanks to our partners Bell and the Canadian provinces and territories.”

The first Victory Ceremony held in Vancouver opens on Valentine’s Day and has a British Columbia theme with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Nelly Furtado headlining. Medals will be presented on the podium to the world’s newest men’s and women’s speed skating and freestyle mogul stars as they watch their flags rise to the rafters at BC Place. The medal presentations and entertainment will take place against a backdrop featuring the dynamic blue and green palette of the Games within a specially built concert bowl in the stadium.

Pretty Awesome!

Mississippi River Project: A dog in the night-time

(Ed. Note: Artist (and good friend) Eve Beglarian is paddling, biking and hiking the length of the Mississippi River in search of musical inspiration. This is one in a series of journal entries.)

Monday we finally left Wabasha for real: I started out from Minnieska in some pretty gorgeous fog and before I could even get out of the main channel, the phone rang, and it was David Echelard, countertenor and hurdy-gurdy player, a good friend of my old friend Jeff, who invited us to stay at his house in town, OR out in a slough where he has a boathouse, OR to show us some cool hidden campsites. I put Mac and him in touch to figure it out and by the time I got going in earnest, I could actually see a little bit, definitely a good thing, ’cause this being Labor Day, there were really A LOT of powerboats and jet skis and all that, not to speak of the towboats and barges, who don’t seem to get a day off from their laboring.

I had a long wait at Lock 5A (it got put in after the Army Corps had designed and numbered all the other locks; they suddenly realized that without it, Winona would get flooded out. Oops! Glad you caught that little design error, guys…), so I didn’t arrive until about four, and we went out to David’s very excellent boathouse, which Mac had wisely chosen for us from all the riches David had laid before us. This boathouse deal is something new for me: a series of sheds, really, like garages out on the water, that people fix up and appoint to various levels of fabulousness and use sort of as retreats, hanging out there even when they aren’t boating at all. David told us he did most of the memorization work for Anthony Gatto’s opera out there, something I really like picturing. Gertrude Stein would definitely be pleased.

David paid us a visit as we were finishing up dinner, and we had a great time together. He and I had been on a concert together in Minneapolis in maybe 1991 or something, but haven’t seen each other since, so there was a lot to talk about! We had such a fine time that it was well after dark when he went back to town and Mac led us out to the slough where he and Mary Kay had set up camp in the afternoon. It was very cool to bed down in my hammock in the dark having no clue what my surroundings actually were.

Here’s the view of the slough that greeted me from my hammock in the morning:

Pretty great, no?

And last night, after Mary Kay’s long day of paddling, we all gathered at David and Suzanne’s for a great meal, and David played us some of his multitracked countertenoring (really beautiful) and I had the first shower since I can’t even remember when, and we got to meet their very fine son, Hudson, who turns 14 in a couple of days, and then we headed back out to the slough, where this gorgeous hunk of a dog came out of the dark and greeted us as we parked the car, and accompanied us out to the camp, and ended up staying the night. He decided to sleep directly under my hammock, which I really loved, except that every hour or so he would rouse himself and go dive off into the slough (hunting? a moonlight dip?) with a serious splash, so my sleep last night was just a series of dognaps, and I’m definitely ready for another one right about now…

Eve Beglarian’s River Blog

Mississippi River Project: Point No Point

(Ed. Note: Artist (and good friend) Eve Beglarian is paddling, biking and hiking the length of the Mississippi River in search of musical inspiration. This is one in a series of journal entries.)

Today’s paddling was one of the harder days I’ve had. Most of it was in Lake Pepin, which swallows any current the river might have at this point, and the wind is not your friend: it comes from the south, and I was paddling mostly east, which makes for a choppy journey. And it got really sunny and hot as the day went on: I thought I was about as tan as I get, but I got some more color today. I was expecting lots of drunken powerboaters and waterskiers (waterskiing was invented on Lake Pepin, who knew?), but thankfully there were hardly any until right before Lake City, where I finished up. There was one guy who had moored his boat in a bit of a cove and was draped asleep, buck naked, across the stern. I definitely had a twinge of jealousy at the sight. I can’t drape myself (naked or clothed) over the back of my kayak, a definite drawback on a beautiful late summer day like today.

The bluff at Frontenac State Park is called Point No Point, and it really is well-named: you see it from a distance as a well-developed point that seems about a mile off, and you paddle for probably more than three miles, and suddenly you’re at the town of Frontenac, and the point never actually materializes as a point. It’s a very curious optical illusion, and it pleases me to be tricked by it just as it has tricked riverboat pilots and fur traders (and pleasure boaters, too, no doubt) for generations.

Eve Beglarian’s River Blog

Mississippi River Project: 10,000 lakes; 1000 pictures

(Ed. Note: Composer  – and good friend – Eve Beglarian  is on a year long odyssey kayaking the length of the Mississippi River  from its source at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. This is one in a series of journal entries about her River Project).

I’m sitting in a snack bar overlooking Lake Calhoun in the city of Minneapolis, and of course it has free wi-fi and power outlets wherever you might need them: the Twin Cities being one of those places that seems to regard wi-fi as a public good, very handy. It’s been a delightful and very full few days in the Twin Cities: but totally out of the rhythm Mac and I had developed over the last ten days or so, so I’m WAY behind on blogging. Suffice it to say that Mac paddled from Anoka to NE Minneapolis, a neighborhood I had never spent time in before now, which has a very cool new library in an old brewery; I paddled through the entire city of Minneapolis and to the border of St. Paul on Friday, which required me to go through THREE locks (I was very scared beforehand, but it was actually very cool and manageable, and the lock wardens or tenders or whatever they are called were very kind and friendly and didn’t seem to mind using all this huge technology just for me and my tiny kayak.)

Phillip and Preston, our incredibly generous and unflappable hosts for all these days at their very cool place, which has its own blog, took us on an amazing walk after my kayaking day to a new park in St. Paul that has been reclaimed from being a railway yard. It had previously been an encampment for the Ojibwe and there’s a magic cave there. And the walk continued up into a place called Swede Hollow, a sort of camp where immigrant workers in the nearby brewery lived up until the 50’s or something.

Friday night we all had dinner at Maura and Jeff’s, Saturday we said goodbye to Richard and welcomed Heather and Mary Kay as new fellow-travelers, and celebrated by going to the State Fair, oh my oh my oh my!!! this totally fascinating conflation of rural agricultural stuff right in the MIDDLE of the city of St. Paul, very very cool.

anyway, I could write for days about all these excellent adventures, but I think I’m just going to post some pictures and leave it at that for the moment. I’m pretty fried and today is a day of rest, right?!?

here are a few photos from friday, the day I paddled from NE Minneapolis to St. Paul

Gymnast Carly Patterson going for gold (again)

2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Carly Patterson is going for the gold again, only this time in music. Carly’s debut album “Back to the Beginning” was released on 8/25 and includes the singles “Temporary Life” and “Time to Wake Up”. The former gymnast’s new music video for “Time to Wake Up” is currently featured on MTV.com and VH1.com.

Chicago-based MusicMind Records plans to promote Carly’s debut album with a full scale promotional tour and guest appearances.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the 20-year-old Carly Patterson has come a long way in a short period. The gymnast made her debut at the senior international elite level, winning back-to-back American Cup titles in 2003 and 2004, as well as the title of 2004 U.S. Co-National Champion.

Patterson was also a member of the 2003 World Championship Team where she won a Silver Medal in the all-around and helped lead the U.S. to their first ever World Championship team Gold Medal. It was also at this competition that Carly’s signature beam dismount (an Arabian double front) was officially named “The Patterson”. At the 2004 Olympic Games, Carly and her teammates earned the silver medal in the team competition. It was also at this competition that Carly became the first American woman in 20 years to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the all-around title category since Mary Lou Retton.

In 2006, Patterson decided to retire from Gymnastics after having lower back issues and to pursue a life long passion of becoming a recording artist. Since the games, Patterson has stayed occupied with event appearances (gymnastics related and otherwise), landed a number of high profile corporate sponsorships, appeared in a Mobile ESPN commercial aired during Super Bowl XL, appeared on Celebrity Duets (produced by Simon Cowell of American Idol fame) and finished her authorized biography, which is currently in bookstores.

Sounds like….girl power

Oxygen is breaking into song this summer, launching a new music initiative designed to introduce the network’s girl-power demo to a roster of emerging artists.

On Wednesday, July 15, the net flipped the switch on “Sounds Like Oxygen,” a multiplatform campaign featuring on-air vignettes and a standalone microsite. Among the first group of musicians profiled are: Atlantic Records recording artist Laura Izibor, Danish alternative duo The Asteroids Galaxy Tour and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Caitlin Crosby.

“Music is integral to our audiences’ life,” said Jason Klarman, Oxygen’s general manager, by way of announcing the initiative. “Delivering a curated music experience that allows them to discover new artists fits perfectly with our strategy to reimagine Oxygen as a multiplatform lifestyle brand.”

The 30-second on-air plugs offer a glimpse at each artist’s current videos––Izibor sings snippets of her single “From My Heart to Yours,” while Crosby bops along to her song “Still Have My Heart”––before directing Oxygen viewers to the microsite.

The Sounds Like Oxygen site features full-length music videos, as well as photo galleries, biographical material and interactive quizzes. Each month, a new batch of artists will be added to the mix.

“Oxygen has developed a really creative and unique place to hear about other new artists,” said Crosby. “As a musician, it’s so cool to be a part of this project and have exposure to the network’s audience.”

Crosby is a particularly apt pick for the Sounds Like Oxygen roster, as her work confronts many of the body-image/self-esteem issues that plague young women. (Among the tracks on her debut record Flawz are “Imperfect is the New Perfect” and “Don’t Play Me Hollow.”)

Let us know what you think!

Ashley Tisdale launches “Get A Clue” contest

One of our fave Pretty Tough artists, Ashley Tisdale, is getting ready to release her latest album Guilty Pleasure on July 28th.

Leading up to the release, Ashley announced the “Get a Clue” video clue contest  that will take fans across the Internet to find the answers.  If you’re not already a social media maven,  you’ll want to get up to speed fast.  Fans need to be following Ashley on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, friend her on Myspace and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Here’s how it works: Ashley will be releasing clues on AshleyTisdale.com/getaclue.  You’ll need to write down all of the answers, and on July 28th, submit the collected responses to win the ultimate prize pack – a trip to fly out to meet Ashley at one of her concerts, an Ashley Tisdale flip cam, or an autographed poster and Guilty Pleasure CD.

For more information visit the contest site.

The Art of SK8 Contest

The folks at Ollie Pop have created a way for shops to get involved with their “Art of Sk8″ contest, a charity art exhibit in conjunction with the Skate Shop Showcase in LA.

The Showcase is dedicated to uniting the skate community through music, art and culture. Each participating Skate Shop is given a designated amount of wall space within the show to which they are free to design however they see fit. Add on top of that bands, dj’s and good times…

The event is focused on putting the spotlight on the Skate Retailer since skate shops are at the forefront everyday serving as the bridge between the consumer and the gear

Organizers are looking for Skate Shops to submit skateboarding inspired pieces from innovative artists to create an exciting and unique experience. Art work can be on any type of skate related material (skate shoe, wax, deck, etc). Top prize earns $500 worth of Ollie Pop Bubble Gum and the grand prize winner, chosen by the editors of Skateboarder Magazine, will be featured at the Showcase and in an upcoming issue of the mag.

Shops enlisted to be part of this years event include Liberty Board Shop, Urban Era (Daly City), Val Surf, Maintain, Transport, Non-Factory, 2^nd Nature (New York), Good Times (San Antonio, TX), ZJ’s Boarding House, 9 Star, Shelter, One Way Board Shop, Sunken City, IG board shop and many more.

The first Skate Shop Showcase event was produced in 2006 and saw everything from a full-blown build-out to hanging branded merchandise and painting on the walls (acrylic and aerosol).

Submissions will be used to raise money and awareness for charities that support the arts, skateboarding and/or children’s causes.

This year’s Skate Shop Showcase will take place on June 20th in Downtown L.A. at the Gallery 1018, 1018 Santa Fe. 8:30 pm – 1:30 am.

Deadline for submissions is June 18, 2008. Download the Entry Form/Flyer: Art_of_Sk8.pdf

For rules and submission information, please visit www.SkateShopShowcase.com

Let’s make sure some girls are represented!!

Williams’ sisters, WNBA players nominated for BET Female Athlete of the Year

The 2009 BET Awards will be hosted by Jamie Foxx and aired live from Los Angeles, California on June 28th.

So who will walk away with the “Best Female Athlete”? Will your pick for “Best Actress” make her way to the podium? Find out when artists and trailblazers all gather under one roof to celebrate the achievements of the most influential African Americans in music, acting, sports and entertainment.

Beyonce, always a showstopper, is back this year for her sixth BET Awards performance.

We’re closely watching the Female Athlete of the Year contest. Nominees are an All-Star list including the tennis-playing Williams sisters along with WNBA players Tamika Catchings, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. These fierce competitors are all at the top of their games, but only one can win.

In entertainment categories, Best Actress of the Year nominees include Angela Basset, Rosario Dawson,Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Hudson and and BET performer Beyonce Knowles.

The Best Female Hip Hop Artist list includes Lil Mama, M.I.A. and Trina. The A-List group of divas duking it out for Best Female R&B Artist include Beyonce, Keyshia Cole, Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson and Jazmin Sullivan.

Keri Hilson, M.I.A. and Jazmin Sullivan are also up for Best New Artist.

Will your faves win? They’re all fierce divas and competitors worthy of a statue so tune in to the BET on June 28. Recognize excellence!

Sabrina Bryan wants your workout video!

Think you’ve got the latest and greatest moves to get fit? Show them off in a new contest to promote physical activity!

Sabrina Bryan, of the Cheetah Girls and Dancing with the Stars ” has teamed up with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation to launch empowerME, a campaign challenging kids to make their own workout videos.

How to enter:

Record an original 3-5 minute workout or dance video starring you*

Include at least two of Sabrina’s top tips (found on the EmpowerME site)

Submit your video

For more information on The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the empowerME campaign and Sabrina Bryan’s video contest please visit www.empowerME2B.org.

So get up, grab a camera and get moving!

The top five finalists will receive autographed copies of Sabrina’s newest “Byou” DVD — and the winner will also receive a personalized video message from Sabrina!

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