Live Review: Blink 182, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday & Chester French at the Shoreline Amphitheatre

I'm going to apologize in advance, this is an incomplete review. Due to the lovely amount of traffic on 101 to Shoreline Blvd I arrived late into the show. I missed Chester French completely and half of Taking Back Sunday's yet, which I was quite bummed about because I really like that band. However, my friends who arrived before me told me that Chester French played a poor performance. The whole show I was in the lawn seats (which was just a long strip of elevated grass) where view of the stage was clear, just very tiny. I was pushed against the front so I could see and hear pretty well but anyone shorter than 5' 8" was out of luck.

Taking Back Sunday played a very good set (from what I saw of it). The singer had a very classy air about him, the way he strutted around the stage swinging the microphone over his head. There isn't too much more I can say as I only saw the last two songs they played, but boy did they play their hearts out. The guitarist had a broken foot (which the projection screen camera men had no problem zooming in on to give us all in the lawn seats a closer look) yet he still was moving around and having fun with it. A+ on showmanship Taking Back Sunday.

Weezer was up next. Admittedly I wasn't too excited for Weezer at first, I mean I liked them but not enough to go see them willingly if they came to my town. They really surprised me though and played one of the most enjoyable performances I've ever seen. The band came out wearing all white, matching jumpsuits. It was awesome. Weezer started off by playing a cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs, which they pulled off very well for an emo rock band. They then jumped right into their regular set list which was varied from their classic songs and newer ones very well. Rivers Cuomo definitely kept it interesting with stage banter, jumping on speakers, and even playing as a one man band for a while. Overall it was a fantastic set and I'd love to see Weezer play again.

Blink 182 finally started after what seemed like an eternity of set-up time. The crowd went absolutely crazy as the black curtain covering the stage fell after a short portion of Raining Men was played over the PA (It was pouring at the Shoreline). The whole time they kept it interesting with funny, between song jokes and banter. Tom and Mark's back and forth's were hilarious and at times, borderline homoerotic (okay, COMPLETELY homoerotic, Tom relayed a dream he had about Mark coming down as a knight and making love to him). They played all of the songs we wanted to hear and did not let me down. In the middle of their performance Travis Barker cracked a cymbal, so he gave it away to a member of the audience. Tom and Mark considered this a challenge and each gave away one of their guitars and bass' to two lucky members of the audience. When the show ended, everyone was screaming for an encore. They stayed off just long enough to make me believe they actually might not play one. Then out of nowhere the curtain fell again and Travis Barker was sitting at his set, solo on the stage. He started playing along to a hip hop beat playing over the sound system. Suddenly, the small stage he was seated on began lifting up, carrying him and his drum set. Barker continued playing without missing a beat, it was incredible. Then after swinging in the air for a minute or so, the stage turned at a Z-axis and you had an overhead view of Travis playing along. My mind was officially blown. After they set him back down, Mark and Tom came back out and they ended with the song 'Dammit'.

Overall the concert was absolutely incredible despite the crowds, traffic, and pouring rain. If any of these bands come to your town, don't pass up seeing them.

Did You Expect Anything More From Kanye?

Love Kanye but you know he has no social grace. Tick Tack To(bad)!
We love Taylor Swift @ Style: For Boys!

Sept 14, 09
From Perezhilton.com we got that Kanye came back and said.

"I'M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD'VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED! I LIKE THE LYRICS ABOUT BEING A CHEERLEADER AND SHE'S IN THE BLEACHERS! …………………… I'M IN THE WRONG FOR GOING ON STAGE AND TAKING AWAY FROM HER MOMENT!…………….. BEYONCE'S VIDEO WAS THE BEST OF THIS DECADE!!!! I'M SORRY TO MY FANS IF I LET YOU GUYS DOWN!!!! I'M SORRY TO MY FRIENDS AT MTV. I WILL APOLOGIZE TO TAYLOR 2MRW. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!! EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I'M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!! NO DISRESPECT BUT WE WATCHIN' THE SHOW AT THE CRIB RIGHT NOW CAUSE … WELL YOU KNOW!!!! I'M STILL HAPPY FOR TAYLOR!!!! BOOOYAAAWWWW!!!! YOU ARE VERY VERY TALENTED!!! I GAVE MY AWARDS TO OUTKAST WHEN THEY DESERVED IT OVER ME… THAT'S WHAT IT IS!!!!!!! I'M NOT CRAZY YALL, I'M JUST REAL. SORRY FOR THAT!!! I REALLY FEEL BAD FOR TAYLOR AND I'M SINCERELY SORRY!!! MUCH RESPECT!!!!!

Ok Kanye.

What do you think about Jennifer's Body?

In Theaters 9.18.09

Comments

Readers we know you are checking us out, but comment on our stuff. We want to know what you think. You don't have to be a member to comment so just make it happen. We will keep writing, but just shoot us something back. Thank You
- Style: For Boys

GF & BF Of The Week 9.13.09

GF
Lily Collins
Age: 20
Heritage: Caucasian-American
Passions: Work
About Lily: Lily Collins is the daughter of the legendary entertainer Phil Collins. Lily is not really famous but she is a socialite and appears in fancy clothes at many industry parties and events. Lily is a girl about her business though, attending USC and making TV appearances on Nickelodeon and The CW’s 90210. She looks like a hot girlfriend! “ I can’t wait for her to milk her dad’s fame and release a CD. I’ll buy it.”




BF
Mark Sanchez
Age: 22
Heritage: Mexican – American
Sign: Scorpio
Passions: Sports
About Mark: Mark is the new Quarterback for the New York Jets. Mark was born in Long Beach, California and went to school at USC in Los Angeles. Weighing 227 pounds and being 6,2 he is a solid mass of muscles and he used them to win the MVP award at the 2009 Rose Bowl. He actually left USC before finishing school to be drafted into the NFL @ the first round level. He is really dateable and I think everyone thinks so, which means you better hurry up. “ No words, Thank you for being amazing Mr. Sanchez!”

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TV

Fox’s new series GLEE is the new underdog darling of Hollywood. GLEE has become an over the summer craze with its Pilot Episode strategically airing in the spring after an episode of American Idol. Queens from Brooklyn to Bangkok, and Hags from the West End to West Hollywood have gone “Gaga” over GLEE and don’t lie because The “Bros” from the locker rooms of Trenton, New Jersey to those of Odessa, Texas are also tuning in Wednesday nights @ 8/7 central.

What makes us love a show like GLEE? Do we relate to the characters? Does it strike up memories from High School? Or, is the music just bomb? I think it’s a combination of all three and simply we (the American Public) just freakin’ love it. The acting camp I work at (Young Actor’s Theater Camp- Loma Mar, CA) even has a GLEE theme for our winter session. My only question for the producers is, “ Can I make song requests?”

Side Note:
The Vampire Diaries is so unoriginal I can’t stand it, Oprah’s 24th Season Kick Off was “Boom Boom Pow”, and “ I got A Feeling” Melrose Place is getting cancelled.
Question
Is GLEE a (guilty) pleasure for now? Or, Will GLEE be here to stay?

Advice for All

“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” Oscar Wilde was right. We all have our own advice, yet, paradoxically, our own advice is rarely applicable to ourselves. Hence, an advice column.

I have seventeen years of successful living. I’ve had ups and downs, wrongs and rights. Yet all of us do. I cannot promise to solve all of your problems, but I merely can offer my opinions regarding certain situations.

If you have a quandary that is in need of advice, anonymously or not, you can post it in the comment section below. With your help, we can turn my “useless” into your “useful.”

Best wishes,
Ask Adam

The Blueprint 3

This is Jay- Z's most accessible album, he's not just thinking about the hood or hip-hop, with the minimalist electronic beats and subtle samples this is definitely an album that proves he still has it, but doesn't need to make a classic Hip-Hop album. It's not his best work for hip-hop fans, but probably his best for music fans. I myself am torn, but I find myself enjoying it a lot. Kanye and No I.D. are such amazing producers that make other producers look like beat makers and not proper musicians, while Timberland is becoming a more well rounded musician that we know is capable of making great club friendly music for Jay-Z, Drake, as well as Madonna. I can't wait for Jay-Z's Project, but til then Blueprint 3 will keep my head moving.
by Lionel Ramazzini

Pasta Basics

If there is one ingredient that almost everyone has had and that almost everyone can come back to, it’s pasta. I remember my puerile youth when spaghetti was about the only thing I would eat and the only thing my mother could feed me. In that sense, I grew up on pasta. But it wasn’t until I began cooking pasta myself that I realized the world of dishes you can create off of this one ingredient. With that said, there are, I believe, some pasta guidelines that create perfect pasta dishes. These rules are for the noodles themselves. Americans often forget that the main star of any pasta dish should be the pasta, not the sauce. So don’t go slathering your noodles in gallons of marinara. The sauce is of course important but that’s a whole other article.

Here are a few rules for pasta I believe you should follow with every pasta dish. Of course there are exceptions, but in general these rules will create quality pasta dishes.

1)Always salt the water you’re boiling your pasta in before you add the noodles.

In all the dishes you make it is extremely important so season every layer. If you’re sautéing vegetables, for example, always add more salt and pepper with each of addition of a vegetable. Pasta is no exception. The Italians knew what they were saying when they said the water you cook pasta in should taste like the sea.

2)Don’t rinse your pasta once it’s done straining.

Pasta, when cooked, contains wonderful starches. These starches can thicken a dish and ensure that every noodle is coated in sauce. Therefore you never want to rinse pasta; the water will strip the noodles of it starches. The water you cook your pasta in also contains a good amount of this starch, so save a cup of it when cooking because you can always add it to a weak or thin looking sauce.

3)Cook your pasta with your sauce.

A mistake my father makes every time he cooks spaghetti (the one dish he knows how to cook) is that he never adds the spaghetti noodles to his marinara sauce. This last step in the cooking process allows for the pasta to really absorb the sauces flavor. It ultimately creates one dish instead of just pasta and sauce.

4)Your pasta should be appropriate for your sauce

When buying pasta at the store, always take into consideration the sauce you are going to cook the pasta in. Longer noodles like spaghetti and linguine, generally, take better to marinara and red sauces, while shorter pasta like penne and shells favor white sauces, and pesto. Of course this isn’t law. Any pasta can be mixed with any sauce, but the better home cooks will choose the pasta that will enhance their dish.

Follow these guidelines and your pasta dishes will always be better in the end. Below is a link to a pasta dish that is simple and that everyone should be able to enjoy.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farfalle-with-Peas-and-Pancetta-101771

Quick Grooming Tip #2

Baking Soda Does Everything: We know that baking soda is used in the kitchen for everything from baking to cleaning your tiles, but we heard that you could also use it on you. #1 If you sprinkle a little baking soda on top of your toothpaste before brush your tooth the product will exfoliate your teeth and it acts as an instant whitening agent. #2 Before you wash your face sprinkle a little baking soda into your facial wash and then use it to gently exfoliate your face. When used every 2 – 3 days you will have clean & smooth skin. We would also recommend moisturizer after to prevent any dry skin.

Style Post v. Fashion Article

I would just like to clarify the difference between what I write and a Fashion Article. In my mind A Fashion Article is something discussing collection development, trend forecasts, Fashion Articles offer a critical review of the season, and a personal perspective on a particular collection given by the columnist. I am not writing any of those things. I am writing a Style Post, which is the trends in action and a discussion about the clothing provided to the public and how these trends work best in your closet. So expect me to drop designer names and talk about fit and texture and fabric but don't expect me to review the world of fashion. You don't want that anyway.

Why Some Boys Don’t Think About Style?

By David Michael

There is a perception that there are some boys that don’t care about style or the way they look, and that would be correct. Some boys don’t care or think about the way they look for a lot of reasons but I think it comes from men never having to dress themselves as little boys and never knowing that clothes could be fun. Guys didn’t have dolls to dress up and play with as kids so a lot of boys don’t find fun in dressing well. More than thinking of what you look like in an outfit I think we need to think about what we feel like in an outfit and remember the power of clothes and the effect they have on people. Do we have to be in button downs and bow ties everyday? No, (although I like to) but if we are going to wear a t - shirt then pick out one that isn’t white unless it is under another shirt and have fun with it. Making choices in your closet is like making choices for everything else and don’t just through clothes on. Boys have a reputation of throwing clothes on an slapping on some stuff that makes us smell good, let’s show the opposite sex that we are bigger and smarter than that. We don’t need a female to tell us what to wear and when to wear it, and any girl who says she doesn’t like a boy with style is lying (I will tell you why in the next article).
Try On: #1 This look by Y-3, This is only a long TS or thermal with a bomber inspired jacket, some loose fitting slacks, and some converse like shoes. What works here is the color and fit, but what sells it most is the attitude. #2 This look by Paul Smith, The tartan vest underneath is bold and colorful, the dark relaxed fit jeans play that down, and the blazer brings this up a little bit in style but still looks chill enough to wear all day. I am not crazy about the shoes. Look At: Dark Denim Jeans, Vests, and Blazers can make anything in your closet stand out. Pick up a button down or even a T and through a vest over it and you are instantly stylish, your thinking. Remember: When it comes to looking comfortable and confident wear clothes that fit you, don’t wear clothes 2x below or above your size, you’ll look silly. Whether you are trying to show something off or cover something up only go 1 size up or 1 size down

Recommended Stores: 1.Urban Outfitters, 2.American Apparel, 3. AE Outfitters

The Top Five Movies That We Didn't Or Will Not See

While I do spend an awful lot of time and money at the cinema, I do not see every film that is shown. Not because I can't, but because I do not want to. I have very good reasons as to why. Don't judge me on judging movies I haven't seen.

5. Sorority Row: After seeing the trailer for this film, I realized I had already seen it. And if you were even remotely alive in the nineties, you have too. I Know What You Did Last Summer Sorority Row has an all star cast made of the best in reality TV; such as Jamie Chung, best known for her role as Jamie Chung on the Real World: San Diego, and Audrina Patridge, best known for her role as Audrina Patridge on the hit MTV reality show The Hills. Was I right in choosing not to see this film? Yes. It bombed in the box office.

4. The Proposal: Ok, some people have seen it and have wonderful things to say about it. But let me just say, Sandra Bullock is in the same movie every time. 2009 in film for Sandra Bullock means four movies: all the same. The age of the rom-com is coming to an end. America does need any more Miss Congenialities. Pass the baton onto Katharine Heigl, Sandra, and I'm sure that in ten years time we will be telling her to pass the baton onto someone else. Don't take it personally.

3. The Orphan: I opted out for seeing this film, but I didn't have to with everyone on Facebook making their statuses "THE ORPHAN IS A RUSSIAN DWARF PROSTITUTE!"

2. Halloween 2: This seems more like Halloween 507. This remake is a sequel to another remake. Just How many remakes will there be? Not only that, but Halloween came two months too early this year. I've heard of Christmas in July, but can't we wait two months for an awful remake? Jamie Lee Curtis must be turning on her toilet.

1. The Burning Plain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx1KtXTbWnA Wach the trailer and tell me what it's about, cause I sure can't.

Our Contributors

"The Contributors to Style: For Boys are all male. For now the blog has 6 contributors, which is great but it will grow and I am looking forward to it. I am very happy about our staff of intelligent and interesting young men writing for young men and I just wanted to quickly introduce them."

Kelly Flynn: Food
Steven: Film Reviews
Nick: Music
Adam: Advice
Lionel R.: Urban Culture & Hip-Hop
&
David Michael: Style/Editor