Have you ever been to a concert and been so far back from the stage on the floor or in the stands that the musicians looked like little pins on a huge map that you could barely make out?  Me too… and it can be really frustrating.

I must admit, I have had some pretty great opportunities to interview bands, or sit up close from time to time through my years as a reporter and former rock radio DJ, but there is NOTHING like being in the protected area in front of the stage called the “Photo Pit”.   You are actually closer than being in the front row, and protected from concertgoers who might push their way around you while trying to get a good spot to see the band.   Last night, I had the rockin’ opportunity to be in the Photo Pit for Metallica’s sold out show at Madison Square Garden, and I took some great shots to share with you.

Getting into the Photo Pit area is quite a process, but a really exciting one to be a part of.  First security checks you in, searches you, and has you in a holding pattern in the bowels of the arena where everything sounds muffled and has the charm of an abandoned hospital ward.  Then you are loaded into a service elevator and taken to the main floor where waiting fans are filling the arena with nervous and excited energy.   Because Metallica plays “in the round” which is a stage in the center of the arena, you are led out through the tunnel in the middle of MSG to the stage, and once fans see the photographers being led out in a row… they know that the band is very close to going on.  There are loud hoots and cheers, hands go in the air, the volume of the arena cranks up to 9  (11 is saved for Metallica of course).   Photographers get in position, roaming the area between the barricade and stage like cats pacing for milk.     Once the lights go down, and the band comes out, you have 3 songs only to get as many shots as you can before you are escorted back to the service elevator and led back outside.  That’s right, no free tickets come along with the Photo Pit pass, but once you see the slide show and video clip here, I think you’ll agree, it’s not a bad payoff!

The U.S.S. New York made its triumphant New York City debut today…. and what a sight to behold it was.  Many 9-11 first responders and 9-11 family members lined the banks of the Hudson River today to be a part of history — to watch the ship made with the salvaged remains of the World Trade Center return to the site where twin towers came down 8 years ago.

Watching the transformation of the twisted and charred steel turn into a massive hulking warship was powerful for shipbuilders, who have said  this ship is a bold reminder that America will “never forget”, which is also the ship’s motto.

The U.S.S. New York arrived with a large escort of firefighting, police and coast guard boats … like a protected public official — or rock star heading to a stage… a fitting entourage for a ship of this size.  She is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide and weighs 25-thousand tons — 7 1/2 tons of salvaged steel from the twin towers were melted down and molded into the ship’s bow.  As the ship made it’s way into New York Harbor … it passed under the Verrazano Bridge, then paused in the waters just outside the world trade center where Marines on board gave a 21 gun salute.     It then muscled it’s way up the Hudson River to Pier 88 on Manhattan’s west side, where it will stay parked for the next 10 days.

It took a billion dollars, and four years to complete –  there is what is considered a communications masterpiece tucked away under two cones of steel called the A-E-M’s — advanced enclosed masts that help reduce radar detection.  During the ships construction Navy Commanding Officer Curt Jones said, he knew this ship was going to be special.  “I walked underneath this ship, and put my hand on the hull and every hair in my body stood on edge”

The ship can carry 360 sailors, and 700 Marines.  800 for a surge mission.    The U.S.S. NEw York  LPD-21 is the 5th amphibious transport ship in the Navy’s San Antonio class and will be used to transport land marines, equipment, and supplies and can hold four helicopters or 2 Osprey’s at a time.  At today’s welcoming ceremony, New Yorkers said the ship shares the personality of the city..and embodies the strength and determination of the people who live here.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg continued … “so, every friend that sets foot on it, and every foe that dares challenge it, will feel it’s power, and know that it is literally made from the heart and soul of the city that has sacrificed so much”.
The U.S.S. New York will be open to the public starting this Wednesday after 9-11 first responders and family members have a chance to visit her… then it’s off to it’s new home port in Virginia where it will be used for crew training exercises – it is expected to be deployed for active duty within the year.

Backstage Blog from Laura Ingle

For a fan of Rock N Roll … it just doesn’t get bigger than this!!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert was the kind of line up that you could only *dream* of making up, just for fun to see who you could think of pairing up on stage to jam.

Who better to tell the story of Rock and Roll (the show’s concept), than the people who have lived it best, along with a little help from their friends.

The shows, featured Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, U2, Paul Simon, Metallica, Jeff Beck Band, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Friends, Simon and Garfunkel, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger… Each band, had it’s own dream list of performers to bring up on the big stage.    Stevie Wonder, jammed with Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and Sting.   At one point, Stevie Wonder busted out a tribute to Michael Jackson and played “The Way You Make Me Feel”  … the place went nuts.  I was standing in the “stage right, house left” area and looked up and saw actor Michael Douglas, his actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, actor and concert co-producer Tom Hanks, and his actress wife Rita Wilson dancing in the aisles.  They were really going for it… laughing, singing and had their hands up in the air.  When I looked closer, I saw that Yoko Ono, Robbie Robertson, and Dennis Miller were in the same section (though Miller, Robertson and Ono were not partaking in the dancing in the aisle fun)

Another amazing musical moment; Crosby, Stills, and Nash with Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, B.B. King and Jackson Browne.  Hard rockers Metallica provided a heavy metal dream come true when they invited  Ozzy Osbourne on stage.  One of the more honest, and respectful moments came when lead singer James Hetfield admitted, “We’re not the most jammy kind of band, we’re kind of a tight little unit, we don’t usually let people in”.  Hetfield smirked, then smiled, then asked Ozzy to come on out.   One of my favorite things to see Ozzy do when he performs is that “frog jump” thing that he does – and he did it repeatedly while singing “Iron Man” and “Paranoid”.  What a Rock moment that was.  Look at the bottom of this post for Ozzy talking about his daughter’s upcoming wedding, he really sounds like a concerned dad!    Metallica also had  Ray Davies of The Kinks, and Lou Reed join them on stage.  I mean honestly, isn’t this all enough to make your head spin?

So who’s idea was this anyway?  Well, the team that put together the 2 day event is also quite impressive. Joel Peresman, the CEO of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame pulled in the creative might of actor Tom Hanks, his producing partner Gary Goetzman, singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson, and Academy Award winning-screenwriter Cameron Crowe to produce and film the event for HBO.

Tom Hanks having fun in the press room

When Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson came by the press room Thursday- Hanks talked about helping put this show together like a true music fan. He said he is just like the rest of us, “happy to be in the same venue as all these artists.”

As Tom Hanks was wrapping up his time in the press room, someone asked what his favorite song of 2009 is so far, and why… he cracked everyone up when he said “That Ring On It” song… Check out the video below … (he was referring to Beyonce’s hit song, “Single Ladies” (Put A Ring On It”)

The anniversary show will be presented Thanksgiving weekend on HBO — with lots of behind the scene interviews and unscripted moments.   As Bonnie Raitt said when asked what it was like to be a part of the show and backstage with so many artists… she said “all I can say is… there’s a LOT happening in the hallways around here”.   Indeed.   

Can you imagine what it was like to hang out backstage with U2, while Bono was chatting up Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and Fergie before they all went on stage? 

Check out the slide show at the bottom of this blog from the second night (photo credit Kenny Kramme), and these select shots from Thursday. I wish you could have been there with me, but with this backstage blog pass, doesn’t it feel a little like you were?    Rock on!

Sounds of Silence

James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt in Press Room

Backstage in the Press Room: Crosby Stills Nash

Stevie Wonder backstage at Rock Hall of Fame concert

Laura hangs with Little Stevie Van Zandt

Laura and John Legend after exclusive interview with Fox!

Check out the shots we got in the Press Room during the 2nd night

Here’s Ozzy on what it was like to be asked to play with Metallica – what he thinks of his daughter getting married, and why. 

done

It’s been happening everywhere – in every field.  Companies losing revenue, asking employees to take pay cuts, and then sending out the inevitable “envelope” to staff members who open up the bad news with a heavy heart.

Union and non-union members in the New York Times newsroom have been told “the envelope” will be mailed out to everyone this Thursday that will detail the buy out deal. If employees take it, they will have the chance to exit the building with at least a little something to look forward to, however, there is no word on what laid off employees will get when the axe falls. Union employees will reportedly get 3 weeks salary for each year of service – non-union workers will get 2 weeks pay per year served. The bad news came way of a memo Monday from Times executive editor Bill Keller who informed staffers that they have 45 days to decide if they want to take part in the buy out – if they don’t get 100 takers, the higher ups will then be forced to cut jobs. The newspaper industry has been getting pummeled for the last several years with declining circulation numbers for most every newspaper chain. Gannett, the nation’s largest, which churns out 84 newspapers in the United States reported yesterday that it’s third-quarter profit fell 53% from a year before. The reason? Readers say they are abandoning their print subscriptions and going online to get virtually the same product for free. The New York Times execs have said that they are seeing sharp declines in advertising revenue from their printed additions, and Web advertising hasn’t caught up.

So, what will happen to all these well paid and out of work journalists and editors? Media analysts say many will have to wait out the storm, and wait for other newspapers to start to re-staff once the revenue returns, if it does at all.

You’ve probably heard about the 2^nd grade class at B. Bernice Young Elementary School that was videotaped singing a song about President Obama earlier this year that has caused quite a bit of controversy.    After it was blasted across the internet via You Tube with the slug “School Kids Taught to Praise Obama” – conservatives have been calling into talk shows, and making noise about how they say the song shows how schoolchildren are being indoctrinated to idolize Obama.  The students first performed the song during a Black History Month assembly in February, and then once again when the author of a book about Obama came to visit the school.

Today, members of several anti-tax Tea Party, and 9-12 Project groups held a protest across the street from the elementary school to denounce the children’s participation in the song, demand that the school’s principal be reassigned for allowing the children to sing it, and to register their dismay at the song that was written for what they say is “a President who hasn’t accomplished anything yet”.    Our team drove to Burlington Township New Jersey this morning to catch the action, but we missed the protest.  We did however; catch up with concerned parents and neighbors of the school who were still lingering outside when we arrived.  I talked with one parent whose child was videotaped, without her consent back in March, performing the song.    Andrea Ciemnolonski told me that she felt that her child’s image had been “hijacked” and spread through the internet without her consent, and wanted an apology from the person who shot the tape.  I called the author whose associate made the tape, and posted it originally, but she had no comment for us.    This concerned parent also agreed with school officials who released a statement today saying that the demonstration of the protestors was inappropriate.  The Burlington Township School District contends that the protest could have been intimidating for children who were coming to class today, and many outside the school voiced their concern about that.

I was able to get the organizer of the protest on the phone to ask him why he would call for adults to stand outside a school where 4-7 year olds would be walking into school with their lunch boxes, and backpacks to yell and chant and holler across the street.  Bill Haney, who runs the 9-12 Burlington County Project told me that they originally scheduled the event when they thought kids would not be in school, because it was Columbus Day.  He said it was too late to call the event off after they realized that school would be in session (the school apparently switched Yom Kippur for Columbus Day days off) because the event was all over the internet.  The school district also posted a letter they sent to Haney online, which asked him to reconsider holding the event on a day when children would be coming to school, and offered to meet with him and his group to talk about their concerns, but they apparently declined and went forward with their rally.

I asked Andrea Ciemnolionski how she prepared her 7-year old daughter for today’s event… how she would navigate past the bullhorns, and screaming adults across the street.  She said she told her daughter it would be over fast, and that there were some people who would be loud near school today and that everything would be alright.

There is a planned school board meeting this Wednesday that will be open to the public, parents and teachers to discuss the situation. Check out the school’s response and explanation to the events leading up to today’s protest at: http://www.burltwpsch.org/?pageID=00013&docset=pr&docid=200910002.