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So Small.

Boston Red Sox trade for former all-world closer Eric Gagne from the Texas Rangers.

Papelbon, Okajima, Gagne. We're a long way from the days of Timlin, Embree, and Urbina.

Go Sox!

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Former U.S. soccer phenom Freddy Adu is out of the MLS and off to Portugal to play for Benfica.



No doubt a few sports networks are crying after putting together Adu vs. Beckham promos for this year in the MLS.

Didn't turn out to be the American Pele' like some hoped, but hopefully the time abroad makes Adu even more of a force for the national team.

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Due to the limited size of my camera's memory card, here's a video clip that I shot of Carrie Underwood's first ever performance of "So Small" in Dixon, California this past weekend.



Sound is good, clip is short.

Second graders partake in letter writing campaign to get green beans off the cafeteria menu.

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LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Even someone who believes you can fight city hall might think twice before taking on the lunch lady. But some second-graders who raised their voices over reheated frozen green beans are being rewarded with tastier vegetables.

Hated on.

Pupils are beginning to speak up about the quality of food at school cafeterias.

The menu at William V. Wright Elementary School is getting a makeover after Constantine Christopulos' class went on a poignantly polite letter-writing campaign aiming to see less of that particular vegetable in the cafeteria.

"A little boy said, `Anything, anything, I'll even eat broccoli,"' said Connie Duits, the lunch lady. "So that one touched my heart."

The children were careful to offer praise as they expressed their concerns.

"Dear Mrs. Duits, The food is so yummy and yummy. But there are one proplem. It is the green beans," wrote Zhong Lei.

"We love the rest but we hate the green beans," wrote Viviann Palacios.

The Las Vegas students undertook the exercise in mini-democracy after the class read a book called "Frindle," in which a boy contemplates organizing a boycott of the cafeteria.

"I asked the kids, 'Is that a respectful way of doing it?"' Christopulos said. "And they said, 'Oh, not at all."'

As a result of the students' campaign, the food service department of the Clark County School District sent staff to the school to see what alternatives they preferred.

With a handful of reporters watching, two dozen students sat down Monday to a veritable salad bar of cooked, frozen and canned vegetables, from baby corn to cherry tomatoes, and filled out a survey.

Because of cost restrictions, the children's only real choices were between canned and frozen green beans, corn, cooked or raw carrots and cooked or cold peas.

Corn and carrots were popular; cooked peas, not so much.

"The cooked peas, it's warm and all, but inside of it, it's all soft and stuff and I don't like it," said MacKenzie Rangel.

Brenden Lucas said he liked the raw carrots, "Because it's hard and crunchy."

Some children got downright prolific when asked to write what other foods they would like for lunch or breakfast. Viviann requested "stake" and lobster, while Logan Strong wanted "chocolate filled panda cookies" and "chicken cordon blue."

While not all the requests would be accepted -- and green beans would still occasionally be served -- district supervisor Sue Hoggan said the survey will help district dietitians "tweak" the menu.

"They were so excited to get a response back," Christopulos said. "I taught them the pen is mightier than the sword, and hopefully they remember that forever."

This story warmed my heart, but WTF are "chocolate filled panda cookies?"

I also feel like there had to be one or two kids who really liked green beans, which would turn this exercise into a dual lesson on not only making change, but succumbing to horrific peer pressure.

Welcome to Boston, Kevin Garnett.

KG, I know you didn't want to come to Boston initially, but I didn't either when I moved from Seattle during the summer before my first year in middle school. Eventually, it became home to me and it can be for you too!

Have the Celtics turned into the less flashy, more East Coast version of the Gary Payton-Karl Malone-Shaq-Kobe Lakers of a few years back?

We might as well eat a huge luxury tax, get Lebron, and call this a day.

Go C's! Not since the days of Marty Conlon and maybe Travis Knight has there been as celebrated of a big man in Beantown.

Pac-Man Jones set to "make it rain" in the TNA Wrestling Ring?

Defending passes, cutting crazy promos and hitting people with chairs, same thing.

Not so fast, looks like if this deal goes down, Pac-Man will be in more of a manager role than a wrestler role. However, I have no doubt that Pac-Man would end up hitting a person or two with a chair, which would inevitably culminate with Pac-Man being taken away in handcuffs and arrested yet again, despite not being convicted for anything.

However, at the end of the day, doesn't everyone just want to see Pac-Man in a lucralibre mask doing splashes onto people? I'd watch.

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Many thanks to everyone at CarrieFans.com for your support of my Carrie Underwood concert review for Billboard.com!

Thread here.

Gaby took a great video of Carrie's new single "So Small" at the concert I attended in Dixon this weekend. If you can't wait to hear it on the radio, here's a listen!



Thanks so much for commenting on my Billboard blog, Gaby!

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Please check out my Carrie Underwood concert review on Billboard.com!
It's just Carrie Underwood-mania here at DaveChung.com. Give me some time to get back to normalcy...

Even a stripping Lindsay Lohan couldn't stop RottenTomatoes.com from giving "I Know Who Killed Me" a whopping 7% rating (that is really bad). Considering I don't think there's any actual nudity in this film, it's going to be a stretch to break even on whatever was paid to make this movie. At least with nudity, you can guarantee DVD sales... (see Katie Holmes and The Gift).

Alas, the LiLo downward spiral continues...

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Probably the greatest celebrity picture that I have in my collection, me and Carrie Underwood.

I feel like this one is pretty sweet.

I'm about 6 hours from home and saw these pretty cool monitors in the gas station pump at Shell near Oakland. Are these everywhere? They even have pretty good sound!

Jamming to Carrie for another six lonely hours back to LA in the car.

Met Carrie tonight, I'll upload pics when I get back to LA.

Just got into San Francisco and I amazingly found parking on the street at my friend Erin's place. We're about to leave for the Carrie Underwood show in about 15 minutes. I'm all geared up and lookin forward to a great show!

It was definitely interesting driving in SF by myself for the first time. With my GPS screaming directions at me, I got called stupid by a middle aged woman in her SL class Benz, even though I wasn't even close to impeding her way in the intersection. Ah... road rage...

Tired...bloated...

I am realizing that I think I am progressively becoming more and more lactose intolerant, which is a little disgusting to write about. But it's almost one in the morning and I've driven over 400 miles today (nearly 20 percent of my car's total mileage) and I'm exhausted.

Looking forward to getting some rest tonight because Saturday is going to be a big day! Thoughts of Carrie Underwood make the driving, bloating, and unbelievable shooting pains in my stomach (no joke, they're really that intense) a little more bearable, but at this point, I just want to sleep.

It is definitely an unusual affair to try and find a place to crash at 11 PM when you're in a city 400 miles from your home, but you feel pretty good about it once you find a place to stay. I could easily, really easily, pass out in this parking lot right now while I wait for Eli to get back, but I'm hoping to log some real sleep hours before seeing Carrie tomorrow. Besides, with how gassy I am, sleeping in a car is just begging for me to inadvertantly commit suicide in a subcompact car with little ventilation.

So sleepy...

-via Treo

In NorCal.

Made it to NorCal safe and sound in about six and a half hours tonight. One tank of gas and a little more later, I'm off to crash at my buddy Eli Lum's place for the night (thanks, Eli!) so I can get some rest for the night.

-via Treo

I'm heading up to Northern California this weekend to see the one and only Carrie Underwood in Dixon on Saturday. It's a pretty big deal when you sacrifice nearly three full days, over $100 on tickets, about 700 driving miles, two tanks of gas, and a lot of much needed sleep. but it's Carrie Underwood, so I'll deal.


If all goes as planned, I should be meeting Carrie before the concert. I don't really get starstruck, but this one has me shook (ain't no such thing as halfway crooks).

Most beautiful woman in the world? Probably.

I'll be blogging from the road all weekend when I get around to it, so I know my mobile posts generally aren't that tight, but I think this weekend has some potential to be great.

Ever wanted to be immortalized as a Simpsons character?

Simpsonizeme can make your dream a reality.

I tried to do this earlier today, but the resolution of the picture I submitted wasn't good enough. Another cool way that The Simpsons Movie is being promoted before its big opening weekend.

Please visit Billboard.com and leave a comment on my Mobile Beat page to support me in the Mobile Beat competition!

Brian Grosz, Hollywood, CA. July 24, 2007.

In preparation for Brian Grosz show on Tuesday night in West Hollywood, I checked out his website so that I could familiarize myself with his music and style. An excerpt from Grosz's bio read, "It's always darkest before dawn: the narcotic warmth is turning cold, the hangover is knocking on the front door and the miserable tendrils of reality begin gripping tightly beneath your skin...Reveling in the imperfections of passion, GROSZ brings us murder-suicide ballads, crippled lullabies and endlessly dark hallways filled with the lingering, metallic scent of ill-fated liasons [sic]." Apparently, that is Brian Grosz.

Then, there's me. A 23 year old male who wakes up to the sounds of "Teardrops on my Guitar" by Taylor Swift and finds "Never Again" by Kelly Clarkson to be one of the darker outfits in his iPod's closet. Some tracks on Evanescence albums are filled with a little too much doom and gloom for me. There are some nights when Gordon Ramsey on Hell's Kitchen is a little too angry for me and my version of visual and auditory masochism is me keeping it on my DVR (I do love that dreamy nanny Bonnie). Thinking back, probably the closest thing I have heard to a murder-suicide ballad is Tupac Shakur's "Me and My Girlfriend" (which was pretty terrifying for me in middle school). Was I ready for "endlessly dark hallways" on a Tuesday night? A night that I spend voting for my favorite American Idol during other parts of the year? In the Mobile Beat version of the "Odd Couple," I arrived at the Cat Club on Sunset with absolutely no idea what to expect. Miles away from any genre I was comfortable with, I found myself completely engaged with the night's brooding performances courtesy of Brian Grosz.

Upon arriving at the club, the man working the door looked surprised to see me stop at the entrance. After giving my name, Brian Grosz himself walked over to introduce himself to me as he was standing with his fellow bandmates to the side of the club entrance. Despite what society might say about the visible tattoos, piercings, shaved head, and horror movie promo-like biography online, Grosz was incredibly easy to talk to. As his reputation indicated, he definitely carried a bit of an edge even off stage, but meeting Grosz, who was performing in support of his newest CD "Bedlam Nights," eased my mind that this most unlikely of musical pairings might actually work out that night. I entered the venue and instantly realized that I was not properly dressed for the show. My Kenneth Cole watch, non-tattooed "sleeves," Ralph Lauren polo, and jeans without strategically placed holes made a fashion statement that was the polar opposite of many of club's attendees that night. I've covered a few shows this summer that were different than what I'm used to, but this one promised to really stretch my experiences with live music - made most obvious when I didn't recognize a single song being played on the club's audio system before Grosz took the stage.

On a random note, before Grosz took the stage, for the first time in my life, I saw someone in the club do the "call me" symbol to someone with his hand, only to magically turn his hand-phone into a hand-bottle to say "let's go for drinks" in one motion!

Am I going to start doing that? Yes I am... Ok, no I'm not.

Grosz, who could easily play the darker, sinister, half-brother of rocker Chris Daughtry in a made for TV movie, took the stage and opened with "Can't Let Me Go." The very haunting, near jazz-like sound paired with Brian's controlled use of his lower register, which would make most males feel like they missed out on the testosterone lottery compared to Grosz's growl, made it obvious that this show was going to be unlike any other that I had ever attended. I don't want to keep using the word "dark," but all of Grosz's performances solidified the reputation that is attached to him. Despite my initial feelings of apprehension, this first performance eased me into what would be a very strong and well received nine song set. And as the venue filled up with eager fans looking forward to Grosz's music and dark humor and joke punchlines between songs, likely a necessary element to balance out the ominous subject matter in each performance, it became progressively more clear to me why fans gravitate towards Grosz's dark brand of rock music.

Grosz's set list for the night was as follows

- Can't Let Me Go

- Lady on the Low

- Someone's Gonna Swing

- Sick of your Sh*t

- Ain't it a Shame

- King James Blues

- Stacked in a Pile

- Remember the Way

- Where'd You Sleep Last Night?

In both "Lady on the Low" and "Someone's Gonna Swing," which were two of my favorite performances on the night, Grosz's band utilized very heavy drum beats that went well with his throaty vocals, which are often compared to Tom Waits, but were slightly reminiscent in tone of those of James Hetfield in brief flashes to my less trained ears, despite being in a completely different style of music. Instead of this being a loud rock show, like a Metallica, or rock/alternative show like a Green Day or Red Hot Chili Peppers, I came to realize that this was a totally different genre, so it wasn't fair for me to make comparisons with bands that I was more familiar with hearing. This show wasn't filled with huge guitar solos, reaching vocals, nor bridges that make you feel like you're on the deck of the Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio ("I'm flying, Jack!! OMG!!")- this was a darker brand of music that I was being exposed to for the first time.

Often compared to artists like Leonard Cohen and Mark Lanegan, Grosz's music is cut from a similar mold in terms of its sombre subject matter and style. What makes Grosz unique is how his style ranges from a smooth, laid back, melodic, jazzy near whisper to an emotionally charged growl that comes out with a rough-textured passion that makes you have to believe that being on stage has to be as much about performing as it might be about having a much needed cathartic experience. Even in slower songs like "Stacked in a Pile" or "Remember the Way," Grosz manages to sing songs about topics that most people don't like to think about (suicide and... let's call them "failed relationships") in a way that is engaging to even the most unlikely of listeners.

Closing out the show with "Where'd You Sleep Last Night?" Grosz left the stage to what was easily the biggest applause of the night, as the venue had quickly filled up with genuine fans who had solely come for the sole purpose of catching Grosz live. This was a show unlike any other that I've attended in my life and I was actually happy (a word that I thought might never come to my mind again while I was entranced by Grosz's music) to have had this experience.

Grosz was an incredibly engaging personality, as much as he was a passionate performer who truly enjoyed interacting with his fans on a very personal level after the show. Beyond his look and image that live up to its billing, Grosz's stage presence and emotionally-charged, doom-filled vocals exceeded all of my fear-filled expectations for the night in a positive way, without utilizing any ridiculous gimmicks (spitting blood, urinating on Billboard Mobile Beat bloggers, biting off stuffed animals' heads, etc.) that would have otherwise taken away from what was an extremely engaging night for everyone in attendance. In other circumstances, I would definitely have said that his show was "sick," but in his own unique way, he definitely made it "Grosz."

Ok, and there may or may not have been an Burlesque show at the end of the night that I may or may not have stayed for...

So Kameron and Jaimie saw their last night on So You Think You Can Dance tonight (as expected, at least for me).

Clearly, Lacey Schwimmer, sister of Benji Schwimmer (last year's winner), is considered a front runner in the competition. Here's one of the cooler compilation videos I found on YouTube of the California hottie and my personal favorite contestant this season.



While I love Lacey, I'm not trying to sleep on Lauren, who somehow ended up in the bottom four tonight, despite the fact that her performance in the hip hop routine with Pasha far outshown her partner. Even if Lauren somehow goes down, she could definitely be a fitness model one day because that girl has the best abs I have ever seen.

The 911 tape by woman being chased by Lindsay Lohan's GMC Yukon has been released.

Let's forget about the craziness in the car and let's think about how much the guy on the 911 line absolutely does not give a crap about the call. My car got stolen a few months ago and I reported it to the LAPD, only to have Officer Brooks in the Culver City police department tell me that my car was likely chopped up into hundreds of pieces instead of pretending he was actually going to try and find it. Officer Brooks, who claimed to have a Ph.D. then proceeded to fill out the wrong form for my stolen vehicle report, filling out a stored vehicle report instead, which put 6 separate parking tickets on my record because my stolen car was not reported as stolen after it was found just blocks from where it had been stolen.

Wiggum would have at least filled out the right form.

There was a time in my life when I thought police were cool. That time in my life was known as the time before I ever interacted with the LAPD (who blatantly advertise starting salaries on billboards in lower income areas in Los Angeles).

Click here to listen to even more LAPD fun via Lindsay Lohan

"I can't get in trouble. I'm a celebrity. I can do whatever the f**k I want." - Lindsay Lohan, 2007. Words to live by when you're reading Machiavelli's "The Prince" in the slammer, I suppose.
I can't even get into summarizing this story that led to Lohan's arrest earlier this week, but it includes ripe quotations like, "I wasn't driving. The black kid was driving."

I'm over LiLo and her movie that's going to bomb now that she's likely going to spend some time in jail. Send this girl to jail so all of us can get a break from Paris and LiLo for the rest of 2007.

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The concert blogging for Billboard.com continues...

Please check out my blog on Brian Grosz's show in West Hollywood from earlier this week. I think it has some good laughs in it and it was a very cool show!

Stop in, leave a comment, let me know that you checked it out!

I'm off to see Carrie Underwood this weekend and if all goes as planned, I'll be meeting her on Saturday. Pics to come!

Matt Leinart is in a movie with Scary Movie's Anna Faris?

He don't even need CAA. Hollerrr.

Matt's making movies. I'm making coffee. I'm good with it.

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The top dance of So You Think You Can Dance Week 6 goes to...

Lauren and Pasha's Hip Hop Routine!

Lauren and Pasha Week 6
Uploaded by mickeymcc

Second best? Lacey and Danny's Samba

Lacey and Danny Week 6
Uploaded by mickeymcc

While Lacey is way too fly for network TV, Lauren has definitely been "doing work" to get up there in that Lacey stratosphere of popularity. I didn't think it was possible, but Lauren could steal some of my Lacey votes in upcoming weeks.

Yoshi and Donkey Kong are in love in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Nintendo Wii.

You know that you are in love when you pick someone else's dandruff.

I'm sorry, this was just the cutest picture of a dinosaur and a monkey that I've seen in a really long time. No point to this post, just cute animals.

Racist threats put a damper on Boise State Running Back Ian Johnson's upcoming wedding to Boise State Cheerleader Chrissy Popadics.
Since his Jan. 1 proposal, Johnson said, he has received phone calls, letters and some personal threats from people who object to their marriage plans.

"You take it for what it is - the less educated, the less willing to change," Johnson, 21, of San Dimas, Calif., told the Idaho Statesman for its Tuesday editions. "But we're not acting like we're naive to all the stuff that's going on. We know what's been said. We're going to make sure we're safe at all times. It's an amazing day for us, and we'd hate to have it ruined by someone."

This whole game was one of the most incredible games I have ever seen and the fairy tale proposal at the end made it even better (even though some think it was barf-worthy sweet). It was one of those rare moments in sports that people who saw it will never ever forget and it's really unfortunate that some losers are ruining not only this moment, but two people's wedding day!

The wedding is scheduled for Saturday and I think that's awesome. And Ian, your fiance'/wife to be is totally fly.

So happy.

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Beyonce' falls face first down the stairs at a concert in Orlando, Florida.



Despite Beyonce' requesting that the fans not post videos of the fall on YouTube, here we are, reposting videos of posted videos from YouTube.

Sometimes, it's nice to know that our celebrities are human and make regular people mistakes... in front of thousands of screaming fans.

Lindsay Lohan says she's innocent in a statement to Access Hollywood.

"Yes. I am innocent... did not do drugs they're not mine. I was almost hit by my assistant Tarin's mom. I appreciate everyone giving me my privacy."

She better be, because you know the LA County Sheriff's office already got enough crap for how they handled Paris' stay in the big house, there's no way they'd go easy on LiLo... ok they probably would. She's much too hot/famous/rich for regular jail, which is sad, but true.

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Arizona Cardinal quarterback and former USC signal caller Matt Leinart being asked to pay $30,000 a month to USC basketball player and his baby's mama Brynn Cameron?

Brynn with baby Cole Cameron Leinart.

I do my best not to write on anything related to USC football, but this is an interesting story. TMZ is reporting that despite Matt allegedly buying Brynn a car and paying about $6,000/month to support their child, it might not be enough for the Cameron family.

Despite the fact that Leinart has been painted by the media as an excellent father to his son, Cameron had different comments, saying,

"It's kind of hard for me as the mom — I'm with Cole probably 99.9 percent of the time — to open a magazine or read a newspaper article with Matt saying, Oh, I love being a dad. I love changing diapers. I love doing this. I'm like, Wait, what?' " said Cameron, who added, "I don't know how to word how he is about this, but it's been hard when I'm doing all the work, but he gets all the credit for it."

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former USC star "comes and goes whenever he wants," Cameron said." Source

More on the pending potential courtroom drama here.

Cameron's comments paint a very different picture than those presented by the media and even in how drama-loving TMZ.com chooses to write about the quarterback.

"Sources tell TMZ that the former USC star already "comes back to L.A. once a week, every week, to see the baby," but he wants a schedule where he can see the kid in Arizona as well. Unlike most pro athlete dads who have kids out of wedlock, we're told Matt is an engaged father who wants to be in his son's life."

I know Matt and know him to be a great guy. I hope that this situation finds a way to sort itself out amicably for the baby and for their joint parenthood relationship. Clearly, the story has already made its way to the media and now it'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Not taking sides on this one, but I just hope that a peaceful resolution can be made for all parties involved.

Teen Vogue to get shut down? It could happen...

What will happen to Lauren's and Whitney's jobs?? That would be an interesting twist on The Hills: Season 3.

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Up to six years in prison for Lindsay Lohan? TMZ says it could be so.

I guess the whole rehab, becoming a serious actress and wanting to win Oscars turned into LiLo wanting to get two DUI's, do nose candy, and some jail time.

This is actually a really sad story because I do love that Lindsay Lohan. It's unfortunate that her addiction is taking her places that I'm positive she never expected to be. Hopefully, she can get it together soon, whether that's in jail or out of jail, no one can say for now.

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Lindsay Lohan gets arrested for a DUI... again...

LiLo's mugshot. Why? LiLo, why? Everyone loved new hot rehab LiLo.

Apparently, the Mean Girls star (Cady...pronounced Katie) was arrested earlier this morning after chasing her assistant's Escalade with her GMC Denali (officially now known as the LiLomobile) after her assistant allegedly just quit her job supporting the well-endowded actress.

And you thought working for Diddy would be rough.

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Damon Castillo Band, Hollywood, CA, July 21, 2007
In front of a very lively standing room audience at Hotel Cafe' in Hollywood late Saturday night, Damon Castillo Band took their place on stage. The band was about to embark on a high energy, eclectic nine song set to coincide with the release of the band's live CD that night. I finagled my way into one of the venue's front row seats so that I could focus on the band and not be so concerned with how I fit in with "hipster" crowd in attendance. With all the side conversations, pervasive schmoozing, and one loser walking carrying a notebook (me) surrounding the stage area, I wondered how any band was going to capture everyone's much divided attention that night.

Thankfully, Damon Castillo Band had the formula to turn a crowd full of random conversation into a captive audience that couldn't take their eyes and ears away from the stage. In all, Saturday night was a funk and rock inspired return to very real music. All of us in attendance were given an intimate look at a band putting on an unreal on-stage jam session. After the show, I told the band that this might have felt like the fastest hour of my life, and without exaggeration, it probably was.

The band opened up with "Surrender," which featured Larry Kim on the saxophone. It was an interesting choice to open up the set with a non-conformist, jazz-influenced song that had lead vocalist Damon Castillo singing in a near spoken word-like style for the first half of the song. When Damon opened it up with his great singing vocals, the audience was instantly brought to life. Following up with "All I Know ," the band switched gears and performed a more contemporary rock track that could be compared to a really good Rob Thomas song melded with the style of an upbeat John Mayer track. Whatever marriage of sounds this song represented, the percussion-like piano accompaniment by Kristian Ducharme had the voluntarily captive audience doing their best bobblehead impressions to the beat. I kept finding myself rocking back and forth in my non-rocking chair to the band's infectious sound, a dangerous situation for not only me, but those around me as well.

Through the first two performances, instead of feeling like I was at one of the cooler, more intimate venues in Hollywood, I loved the fact that the Damon Castillo Band made the audience feel like we had the opportunity of sitting in(in a non-voyeuristic, Disturbia, and/or "peeping Tom" way) on a really high quality jam session, where none of the musicians had to hold anything back . It was an absolute joy to watch the band interact with each other on stage and give each other a nod that said, "Damn, that was good" after any of the numerous improvisations that band members had the opportunity to perform throughout the night. All of the band's talented musicians seemed to really vibe off each other and their mastery over their instruments made it look like they were having the time of their lives on stage, a feeling that was infectious for the night's audience.

Next, the band performed "Your Fool," a mellow song with a simple guitar melody that really spotlighted the emotion that Damon puts into every note. The band followed up with "Weird World," a song that is a quintessential example of much of their funk/rock sound and my personal favorite Damon Castillo Band track. When you listen to "Weird World," you can't help but think that it would translate incredibly well to a television or movie promo (really, give it a listen at the band's website and you'll think the same). Afterwards, Damon informed the audience that it was saxophonist Larry Kim's "birthday eve." While we wished Larry a happy birthday, little did we know that Larry would saxophone the crowd into a frenzy with one of the sickest solos I have ever heard in my whole life just a few songs later (more on this).

After a very strong performance of the upbeat funk track "Encore," which is going to be on the band's upcoming studio release this fall and features a memorable guitar solo by Damon, the band's next song, "One Life Stand," did the impossible - it completely silenced Hotel Cafe' for the first time all night. Opening up the song with just Damon's voice accompanied by his guitar, only to be progressively joined by other members of the band, the moving ballad had the audience snapping to the beat and aggressively "SHHHHH!!!"-ing anyone's voice who threatened to take any of the attention away from the non-traditional rock ballad.

By far, this was one of the moments that really stuck out in a set that already had so many incredible performances, even within each individual song. It would be hard to find anyone in the audience who didn't get a little "emo" from watching that performance. Even a guy like me, generally an stoic who merely blinks when Mufasa dies in The Lion King (I apologize if you have never seen the movie and I just ruined it), managed to be incredibly moved by the performance and overall arrangement of the song.

After performing "Close Call," a song written after three of the band members survived a horrible car accident on their last tour, the band busted out of the gates with "Secret," a hard strumming funk track (courtesy of bassist Brian Lanzone) that got everyone in the Hotel Cafe' moving. Both the trumpet and saxophone complimented the guitars and Castillo's lead vocals extremely well. While Damon let loose a guitar solo that was worthy of the studio, the performance of the night goes to band saxophonist Larry Kim, whose family was seated right next to me (most Korean people ever at a funk-rock show? Probably).

Kim absolutely let loose on a saxophone solo that got everyone cheering, even before he was finished, proving that saxophones are more thancapable of working a crowd into a frenzy. With reckless abandon, Kim attacked every note and went off on some incredible runs that no doubt made his family happy that they came and paid for those saxophone lessons, rather than Kumon math lessons, when he was wee lad. Seated next to his family, I almost wanted to scream out, "THAT'S MY BROTHER!!!!" thinking those words might compel a throng of groupies to instantly "make it rain" women's panties and perhaps one or two pairs of sweaty, soiled XXL boxers that would inevitably engulf my face like a poorly fitting luchalibre wrestling mask. I looked back in my notebook after the show and my notes for the song read, "un-freakin'-believable." So let's stick with that, it was unfreakinbelievable.

The band closed out the set with "Claim to Fame," a mellow track that featured Damon's vocals on some very big verses. Again, the band, who shared the small stage well all night, just really brought Hollywood back to some very real music tonight. This was an unbelievably talented group of musicians who knew exactly who they were in terms of their identity and nothing about the band was not genuine. From their music, to the fact that they even unloaded and set up their own instruments, to how they joked around with one another on stage, it was truly a privilege to catch the Damon Castillo Band's show on Saturday night. As the band embarks on its nationwide summer tour, I look forward to more people getting the opportunity to sit in on the band's jam sessions turned concerts that will not only find a way to silence even the busiest of venues, but manage to gather the biggest cheers of any night.

I had the opportunity to sit down with lead vocalist and guitarist Damon Castillo and drummer Jennings Jacobson before the show on Saturday to do a brief Q&A. In an industry where you expect to run into a lot of egos, it was refreshing to be able to just sit down and have a conversation with a couple guys who make great music that you'd just enjoy hanging out with beyond everything else. The band was incredibly gracious and for me, as a fan, it was a real thrill to meet with them.

DC: Thank you guys so much for taking the time to sit down with me tonight. The band is about to kick off a nationwide tour and is unofficially getting things rolling with this show tonight at Hotel Cafe' in Hollywood. Could you guys tell us a little bit about how the band came together initially?
Damon: We all live in a small town in the central coast of California called San Luis Obispo and we met from around town - different jazz jams and jam sessions. It's a small enough town that you get to know all the musicians around town.
Jennings: Initially, we wanted to make a band to make money, but ten years later, here we are *laughs*.

DC: It's working out a little bit though, isn't it?
Damon: Well, we're making a lot of good music *laughs*.

DC: In terms of your music style, you guys describe yourselves as a bit of a rock-funk-soul mix, with a California feel, who would people best be able to compare your sound to?
Damon: I think that's the question that every band has trouble answering. For us, we just try to mix up all the stuff we grew up listening to - whether it's rock, jazz, funk, soul, or R&B. We just try and meld that with good song writing and I think what comes out are solid songs. For us, all the guys in the band can stretch and improvise as well, so it gives us the opportunity to mix it up.

DC: I got a bit of a funky Jack Johnson or John Mayer feel from your music, but in terms of the artists that are your band's influences, where are they going to come from?
Damon: All over the place. It's just all over the map. I was huge into Tower of Power when I was in high school. The rest of the band has a really broad spectrum of music that they listen to as well. I think that's what really makes the band interesting. It helps our band become something that I hope is just every uniquely us. I grew up with a lot of Beatles and my older brother gave me all his punk rock hand me downs, so I had a lot of that too. I listened to a lot of jazz. I grew up wanting to be that next Pat Martino or Joe Pass, but things kind of took another turn when I got into songwriting.
Jennings: I used to rock Kool and The Gang all the time when I was a little kid *laughs*.

DC: You guys had a pretty unfortunate van accident a few years back that seemed like it was a bit of a turning point for the band. Tell us a little bit about that.
Damon: *Laughs* I feel a little uncomfortable talking about it seeing as we are heading out on the road this summer. We were doing a few shows in California and we were going up I-5 and we had a tire blow out in our tour van, and it just got us rolling. It totaled the van, but luckily, me, J(ennings) and Larry, we all got out ok and walked away.
Jennings: There was a lucky instance of the whole thing because there were only three of us in the van and the others were driving separately. We got very lucky.

DC: You guys have a live album coming out today and then a new studio album coming out in the fall?
Damon: Exactly. We're really excited about it. We're working on the album with Ross Hogarth, who is a Grammy winning producer. He's done so many great albums. We're heading out on the road for a quick tour, throughout August, come back in September and release the album.

DC: Compared to your first studio album, what should fans expect from this next CD?
Jennings: In my opinion, it feels like a return to what we've done in the past in a lot of ways. We did have a bit of a departure from what we did in the second and third albums compared to what we did in the first album. This one comes from the heart and I think people who like our original album will identify with this album a lot.
Damon: Compared with the last CD [Revolving Door], which was driven a lot more by acoustic guitar, this one is definitely electric guitar with a ton of horns on it.

DC: I like when you guys throw the horns into the mix.
Damon: Us too. Even on stage right now, you can hear everyone stretch and everyone's been growing. The whole process of the album has been a real growing experience for us all. I'm really excited about it.

DC: You guys are all talented musicians, how does the writing process work when you have this much talent together in one place?
Damon: It can happen in different ways. Most of the time, I'll come in with a song at varying degrees of completion. Some of them will be kind of fleshed out and I'll have a good idea on what we're going to do. Others, all the band guys get in there and we hash it out and fight about it, but hopefully what comes out of that is something that's very unique for us.

DC: Does it ever stray really far from your original vision?
Damon: You know, sometimes, it does. There's a song on the new album called "Claim to Fame" and I actually wrote that maybe more than three years ago. I remember bringing it to the band, but it was a song that never really happened with the band. This last time, I brought it back and it just popped. The song just needed us in a different stage and in a different place.

DC: You guys just finished up a pretty big show in Pasadena, any unusual stories from the road already?
Jennings: Yeah, we just played there last night. There was a guy last night that really wanted us to look at the man on the moon. He was very interesting. He told us that we should bring a broom so that we could sweep the stage afterwards.

DC: Oh, that's kind of sweet. That's useful advice, right?
Damon: *laughs* Unfortunately, they don't make [travelling] cases for brooms.
Jennings: This band attracts some interesting people, not in a bad way, but we love them all.
Damon: It was a really cool show though because it was a real listening audience, so we could bring a song down pretty low and knew that they were there with us. It was a lot of fun for us.

DC: Do you guys like playing in the LA area? Or do you guys prefer doing shows back in the hometown?
Damon: We just did a big show last week that we do every year in San Luis Obispo called Concerts in the Plaza. A couple thousand people come to this outdoor concert and it's a lot of fun. Playing in our hometown is always great. We love playing here at Hotel Cafe' because it's a listening crowd too. It's a fun night tonight because we're actually playing with some good friends and we get to hang out with our bros tonight, not lugging it across town.

DC: If people want to check out your music, where can get check out you and your band's music?
Damon: MySpace is going to be a good place to check out the music. Our website is a good place as well. You can hear our last studio album, Revolving Door, on iTunes and there will be more info on the website for the new CD as well.

DC: Well we're really looking forward to the show and thanks so much for taking the time out to speak with me today.
Damon: Thanks for having us.

Model cannot stop falling down on runway at Paris' Fashion Week. News anchor cannot stop laughing about it.



The second fall is unbelievable. You can see her fighting to stay up and her ankles are just begging for mercy at that point.

Welcome to the U.S. and the LA Galaxy, David Beckham.



Really looking forward to the small chance that soccer is going to get big in the U.S. now that David Beckham has joined the LA Galaxy and has made his first appearance against Chelsea. I love watching soccer games, hopefully I can find someone people to join me at the games!

Spent the day out in Laguna today catching up with my long lost friend Ben. Always good to reconnect with people with whom you have a lot of stories to tell. Somehow, it ended up raining a little today in Laguna, which shocked the both of us. Good food, good company, and a random conversation with some parents seated next to us at lunch today.

Just wiped out from this week, but looking forward to seeing Carrie Underwood this weekend.

Aside from good company, definitely one of the highlights of the day was getting to see the views from the top of Laguna (which are seriously some of the best views of the ocean in Southern California). However, I have to say that passing by Lauren Conrad's house during our Laguna tour and seeing her Benz was pretty exciting as well. There is no better Laguna tour guide than my boy Ben. Thanks for making some time this weekend, Ben!

Random, yet cool.

My favorite celebrity on the planet and Laguna Beach native, LC!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Might be a little slow today on the blogging front. I'm heading down to Laguna Beach for the afternoon to catch up with my homey Ben.

*Cue Hilary Duff's "Come Clean*

Today, I finished the first book that I started reading for fun this calendar year.

Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, you have been conquered.

I am proud of myself.

Trailer for The Hills: Season 3.



I finally got The Hills: Season 1 on DVD for graduation and just started watching them today (how could Heidi crash Lauren's first party with Teen Vogue?). In this Season 3 trailer, I'm just wondering what the hell Jason Wahler is doing in one of the clips with my beloved Lauren Conrad, isn't that guy in jail?

Apparently, he's out.

Source

Gross.

The only thing that could make that preview better is LC screaming, "HE IS A SUCKY PERSON!!!" Nothing is better than that. Her hair looks great in all those clips. What a dreamboat.

Almost went to see David Beckham today, but I will wait for him to be 100% healthy so I can watch him in a full game as I hop on the bandwagon.

It almost makes you want to play soccer...almost... what a handsome guy he is.

Forbes.com release its Top 15 list of "Hollywood's Sexiest Celebrities," proving why Forbes Magazine is not a men's magazine because this list is awful.

I could live Maxim naming Lindsay Lohan its hottest woman of 2006, despite the fact that I don't think she's nearly all that hot, but I could at least understand that because people like Scarlett Johansson and Megan Fox at least made the list.

Let's look at the Forbes list for a minute:
1) Salma Hayek: I know a lot of guys like her, but #1?
2) Jessica Alba: I can live with this one, even though I got off the Alba bandwagon years ago
2) Carmen Electra: Does any guy still search for pictures of Carmen Electra online after that MTV show with Dave Navarro and her? I was never a huge fan to begin with...
4) Shakira: I know some people who would agree, but I wouldn't put her this high
5) Halle Barry: Really? I remember when people would say she was hot... on episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air nearly ten years ago
5) Beyonce': That's Jay-Z's girl and she is really good looking, so I can't really argue with this one
7) Eva Longoria: Used to be a big fan, I could see this one too
8) Catherine Zeta-Jones: This would have been a cool pick five years ago, now she's the T-Mobile lady
9) Elizabeth Hurley: I'd even go with an Elizabeth Shue over an Elizabeth Hurley at this point, just don't see this one
9) Raquel Welch: She's 66 years old... Elizabeth Hurley's self esteem just dropped about 50 points
9) Jessica Biel: You're really going to say that Jessica Biel and Raquel Welch and Elizabeth Hurley are of the same sexiness? Biel was recently named the sexiest woman alive by Esquire magazine and now she's being compared to a 66 year old? How the mighty have fallen..This is so absurd that we have to do a quick comparison)

The tie at Forbes' #9, I see no tie here...


12) Jennifer Lopez: I feel like most guys have had their stint of love for J.Lo, so I can't really argue. The media made us love her and her butt.
12) Alyssa Milano: Love it! Great choice and good ranking, Forbes.
14) Pamela Anderson: Ah she was once the hottest thing any guy had ever seen. For nostalgia, let's not argue with this one.
15) Angelina Jolie: Personally, not a fan, but that's ok.

Since this is a "sexiest" list, I'll leave off personal favorites like Lauren Conrad, Lacey Chabert, and even Anne Hathaway, but man, that list sucks overall.

Blatant snubs:
- Carrie Underwood: Who I believe to be the prettiest woman in the whole world, which affords you at least a place in the top 15 sexiest.



- Katharine McPhee: She is so ridiculously attractive that it is ridiculous (word). - Rachel McAdams: Might not be that sexy, but she's much better looking than half the people on that list.

- Megan Fox: Ask any guy who saw Transformers and try and see if they wouldn't replace at least 3 people on that list with Fox.
- Katie Cassidy: I know that no one saw Black Christmas, but she made this movie watchable.
- Scarlett Johansson: This woman has pretty much defined beautiful for the past 3-4 years and she didn't even get a mention!
- Lindsay Lohan: Especially now that she's out of rehab, LiLo deserves at least a mention as well after all her time spent on top of many a sexy time list.
- Autumn Reeser: Made the last season of The OC completely worth watching and she's totally hot.
I suppose there is a reason why Forbes is a money magazine and not a Men's magazine, but I couldn't help but express my disapproval at one of the worst lists of this kind that I have ever seen published because of some of the inclusions and omissions.

The controversial source

The Fray at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, July 19, 2007.

I woke up to find an email from Billboard this Thursday asking if I would be able to cover The Fray’s concert that same night. Even better, this would be my first assignment where I would get to hang out in “the pit,” putting me nearly within arm’s reach of the bands playing that night. In my groggy morning state, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to start my day. I managed to arrange for one of my favorite singers, Alissa Moreno, whose show I had covered just a week ago, to be my concert wingwoman for a night where The Fray’s music could not have been a better fit for the concert’s setting. Needless to say, this would end up being a night that I would not soon forget.

Opening up the show was Eisley, if you’re unfamiliar with the group, they’re composed of talented performers from the Eisley family (a la Hanson, just with five people – three girls and two guys – but the girls have similar hair to that of early Hanson). Eisley mixed the three female voices, which were reminiscent of those of The Cranberries, with some very rock-influenced styles and melodies on guitar and keyboard. Like Gomez and The Fray would do later that night, Eisley frequently switched up who took on the lead vocals for different songs. Despite the fact that this was not really my style of music, the group performed well in front of an audience that was likely about a quarter full by this point. They plugged their upcoming album (August 14^th), which contains the very catchy track, “Go Away,” which was my favorite performance of theirs for the night.

After Eisley finished their set, I walked around and really get a feel for The Greek theatre, which is a great venue for a concert! Already, while I was in “the pit,” taking pictures and notes (in what I now realize is much too big of a notebook to take into a public place), I was asked by a pretty attractive group of girls if I wanted to interview them for Billboard, so this was shaping up to be an interesting night. Really, I should have just busted out my voice recorder (I come well equipped…ok, awkward phrasing) and pretended that I was recording so that I could continue chatting it up with them, but there was work to be done! However, first and foremost, I was really hungry.

In what was one of the more surreal moments of my life, I walked over to the hospitality suite area, reserved for members of the press and people with “in’s” with various people, because Vanessa (the lovely lady who helped guide me throughout the night) said I would be able to use it. I was disappointed to see that the poster that represented the valid passes for the hospitality area had a huge black “X” through a picture of my diamond-shaped photo pass, indicating that maybe this room of milk and honey (or as it were, fruit, chips and salsa, and cheese cubes, along with good-looking, designer label draped teens) was not for me tonight. However, I thought I might as well give it a shot because I took the time to walk over. Expecting to get turned away, I showed the woman at the door my photo pass, for which the woman shook her head “no.” I started to turn around, completely ok with the idea that whatever I would eat for dinner would likely have me blogging from the toilet later that night.

“Wait, what’s your name?”

“Dave.”

“Chung? Oh yeah! Come on in!” The woman replied with a smile and a gentle “my bad” tap on my back.

What the hell was going on? Did I somehow just score a ticket on the Hot Tamale Train? I scarfed down some of the room’s snacks and checked out the very mellow scene on the outdoor patio area before heading back out to check out the night’s next act, Gomez, feeling like my manhood had increased in size threefold from my brief visit to the hospitality room (unfortunately, much to my disappointment after checking later that night, this feeling did not translate to reality).

The British band Gomez was also a new group for me that night, but was well-known to many of the now 80%-filled audience. Unlike the very hospitable and agreeable group in the pit for Eisley, girls (mostly girls, really, other than guys who were there with girls) were jockeying for position to try and get in a good position for Gomez’s set and be in a prime spot for The Fray. Gomez was a pleasant surprise for me because the music was just so different – a mix of rock, alternative, country, some folk, and nearly every song had some pretty incredible guitar solos (some of which I felt like were a little overdone, but that could be just me)

Since the majority of the music I listen to is more along the lines of mainstream pop, hip-hop, or country that your little sister listens to, it was fun to go hear a new band that was unafraid of and equally capable of performing near-emo tracks, fast rock songs with varying beats, and songs that resembled classic rock songs as well (for them to get me to enjoy these songs, which is one genre I just have never been very big on, shows how fun the performances were). Gomez closed out a very well received set (a girl standing behind me literally looked like she was “dancing for her life” on “So You Think You Can Dance” for the full hour set) with “How We Operate,” which they started out a capella, only to go into the song’s full band melody that left plenty of open bars (not that kind of open bar, kids) for the set’s now-trademark long instrumentals and guitar solos. Gomez left the stage to an appreciative, very packed audience that now couldn’t wait for The Fray to take the stage.

As the rest of the night’s stragglers made their way to the seats, the pit area started to get incredibly crowded. While not in terms of dress, but rather atmosphere, it started to feel like I was at a pre-prom party for an All Girl’s school. The pit was filled with frantic girls who said “like” a lot (we’re in LA, so this is normal), similarly aged guys who kept saying “Bro, I can’t believe we’re here, dude! You think we’re close enough?? Aaha!” (only to finish off these conversations with a hand slap into a “man hug”), and a few scattered parents who actually shared an appreciation for the same band as their children, which was really nice to see. It’s weird to feel like you’re pretty old at 23, but I felt pretty old in there. As the pit filled up with all this commotion, I knew it was going to be a challenge to get a clear shot of the stage.

That’s when Vanessa tapped me on the shoulder and informed me that I would be standing not in the pit, but in front of the pit, in the two feet that stood between the fence and the stage! In the words of my fellow pit-mates, “Like, no freakin’ way, bro! OMG, dude!” In the photo pit was me, three guys with intimidating “STAFF” jackets, and a lot of empty nacho containers from fans that were standing in the pit. I have been never been so excited to stand in a trench of intimidating security and clear plastic covered in gooey cheese. Minutes after I made my way into the “promised land,” a green line that moved and beeped like an oversized hospital monitor on the enormous color changing screen behind the stage got the crowd on their feet for what would be the opening for The Fray’s 10^th concert in the LA area.

The Fray ran on stage and opened up the show with “All At Once” and “She Is,” both of which were great performances that made the venue come alive as people could not stop screaming for the first two songs (undoubtedly, my position made this seem a lot more apparent than it likely was). With lights flashing all over and fans’ hands inadvertently crushing my “concert cone” hairstyle as I pretended they were trying to grope me (they weren’t), The Fray was putting on the quality of show that we were all hoping for all night. I ran back and forth in the photo pit snapping pictures with my phone, just feet away from Isaac Slade on piano, trying to catch my breath and not lay a nugget in my pants from what was one of the coolest moments of my life. Not since being on the field for three college national championship football games during my time with the USC Football team, or since hearing that one of my best friends Ramiro Avila saw Jennifer Love Hewitt in real life, have I had my breath taken away like it was for this once in a lifetime experience.

The night’s full set list included:

- "All at Once"

- "She Is"

- "Dead Wrong"

- "Absolute"

- "Heaven Forbid"

- "Vienna"

- "Fail"

- "Dixie"

- "Fall Away"

- "How to Save a Life"

- "A Long December" (Counting Crows)

- "Hundred"

- "Happiness"

- "Hips Don’t Lie" (Shakira, more on this later)

- "Trust Me"

- "Little House"

- "Over My Head"

- "Together"

- "Look After You"

Slade and guitarist Joe King switched off on lead vocals and harmonies all night and were supported by a band that went all out, yet overdid nothing, to lay down some incredibly fun and energetic performances that left no one in the crowd feeling unsatisfied. Both Slade and King take on the balancing act of having a rock-style voice, and a more sensitive Coldplay-like sound at the same time, but they manage to pull it off everytime. One of my favorite performances of the night was “Heaven Forbid,” which had the band performing under a very cool hanging lantern-illuminated stage set up, a little reminiscent of some portions of the Broadway musical Wicked.

The band’s dramatic performance of “Fall Away” had the whole audience’s eyes transfixed on the stage. All night, the female reaction that Isaac Slade received as he transformed the piano into the perfect rock instrument made every guy in the audience wish that they had practiced piano a little harder and longer when we were kids. I was only into the piano lessons for the free candy, but could have been more motivated if I knew how much those ivory keys could get large groups of women into a frenzy…but it probably would have helped if I didn’t think girls were “icky,” back then. But I digress…

Beyond the performances, the band did an excellent job interacting with the crowd between songs. From Joe talking about how he enjoyed peeing in the ocean (which ultimately deterred my weekend plans… I’m with you on that, bro, and I am honored to have peed in that same water… it’s like we shared a urinal… the world’s urinal…), to Isaac confessing how he used to be a figure skater, tap dancer, and roller blader, not an aggressive cool skater, but a fanny pack wearing one – the band’s two lead singers kept the night’s mood very light and had the whole audience laughing throughout the night.

Of course, the highlight of the night was the band’s performance of “How to Save a Life,” which immediately conjures up images in Grey’s Anatomy fans’ minds of Meredith, George, and Dr. McDreamy (no Addison after that horrible two hour episode that tricked us into watching a painful pseudo premiere of new show “Private Practice.” Blech). As soon as Isaac began playing the familiar piano introduction, the whole audience jumped on its collective feet and The Greek Theatre was suddenly transformed into a huge karaoke bar.

The band switched up the beat on some portions, but no one cared as the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Despite sitting next to Alissa Moreno, who I consider to be one of my favorite vocalists, I lost all inhibitions about my singing abilities and joined in with the rest of the audience in singing the band’s most well-known song, complete with my Mariah Carey-like violent hand motions. I felt like I had somehow received a prize from the Make a Wish foundation or that Ashton Kutcher was going to come out behind me, pants me, and tell the world that I just got “Punk’d!”

Unreal.

With the crowd all hyped up, Isaac brought back the night’s laid back atmosphere by performing “A Long December,” made famous by the Counting Crows, a favorite song of mine. The stage was lit by just one of the stage lanterns, which made the venue feel a lot more intimate than its 5,000 person audience size would indicate. A few songs later, Ben Wysocki, the band’s drummer, became a featured vocalist on The Fray’s acoustic version of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.” With Isaac singing the part of Shakira and Joe taking the Wyclef singing portions, Ben handled all the speaking and Wyclef rapping portions of the song with the most hilarious, “white bread,” plain voice that you could ever envision. Picture Ben Stein instructing an audience, “Let me see you move like you come from Colombia” – That would be an accurate depiction of how awkwardly hilarious this remake was.

After the obligatory “Thank you, LA!!” The Fray left the stage, only to return for the always expected encore, with “Together,” which welcomed pretty much any girl (no dudes allowed) who was standing in the pit between the ages of six (really) and 21 up on stage to come dance on stage while the band performed. While girls hugged each other and put on their best moves for everyone in attendance, I couldn’t help but wonder why guys never get to go on stage in huge packs like that. However, I was at peace with the fact that stage dancing is a girl-only event. Since I’m used to hip hop concerts, it was nice to have the girls be on stage and have the band still perform, instead of grinding or “freaking,” with the hottest of the hot. The band closed out the show with “Look After You,” which had the whole audience swaying together and singing along to what would be the end of a set that could not have been more fitting for the atmosphere in The Greek Theatre that night.

It was the perfect ending to an unbelievable night in more dimensions than I could possibly even begin to write down. Now that The Fray is going on a one-year break before they come out with a new CD, I have no doubt that many of the fans who were in attendance with me on Thursday night will be the same fans who will welcome the band with open arms on their next tour for their 11^th LA-area performance.