The last month has been an incredible adventure. When I was originally contacted about doing the Sidekick Roadie thing I couldn’t believe that it was actually real. I kept waiting for the “Ha ha! Gotcha!” that never came. Come on, would you believe someone if they told you: “We’re going to fly you around to concerts with Grammy award winning artists in Chicago, New York, and Miami. Full access at the shows, and you’ll get to meet the performers.” I didn’t until I was actually on that first flight in Chicago. But once the ball started rolling, I had more and more fun with every trip.

I want to take a moment to thank all the people involved with this. The Grammy people who have put a lot of work into these shows. T-Mobile for not only picking up the bills for the shows/after parties/etc, but for also giving me this great opportunity (and of course the Sidekick)! It’s been a blast, hopefully we can do it again sometime! Glen, the bus driver that hauled us around to different clubs after the shows and drove the Sidekick Tour bus cross country. And finally, Colbie Caillat, Cat Power, John Legend, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Kat DeLuna, Pitbull, and Ozomatli for putting on great shows and being all around cool people.

It’s definitely been a journey that will not be forgotten.

Sidekick Roadie signing off…

-Ed

I don’t even know where to begin with the show Busta Rhymes put on. He was so incredibly good. And he performed songs from all over his entire 17 year career. At one point the crowd was asked who has been with Busta from day one? Who were the “true” fans? Then as a test to see who was telling the truth, he busted into “Woo Hah” and the crowd exploded. Oh, but he wasn’t done there. After that he took it super old school with one he did with A Tribe Called Quest and one of my favorites, “Scenario”. I could hardly believe my ears.

Busta Rhymes grew up in New York so you could tell this wasn’t just another show. He was having a good time and he had Spliff Starr alongside him who was having just as much fun. The joking around and interaction that they had on stage had the crowd cracking up in between dancing and singing along. They had everyone “put on their headphones” and then urged us all to jump. You could feel the balcony shaking from the number of Sidekick VIP upstairs jumping to the thumping bass. Oh, and the bass… I’m a sucker for some strong bass, and they definitely had the speakers hitting hard. The entire building was shaking with each percussive blast. Like Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes had a more relaxed and unrehearsed sort of show. He’d be doing a song and then when he got tired of the song, he’d just stop whenever he felt like it. His reasoning? “I’ve got hits.” You can’t argue with that.

The most memorable part of the show was him pulling out the bottle of Courvoisier and instead of passing it, he literally poured it into a lucky fan’s mouth. I guess this is one of the benefits of being in the front row!

After Busta Rhymes and Spliff Starr left the stage to a thundering applause and screaming, we snuck off to the after-party at the Marquee club. Private table, bottle service, and a long night of dancing with T-Mobile, the VIP winners, and fellow bloggers (Crunchgear’s Peter Ha and Eric from Phonescoop). It was getting close to 4am when the club finally started clearing out, so I was off to bed for a couple hours sleep before my flight home. Whew… what a trip. One more to go for me! Next stop Miami!

-Ed

Wow, what a show. My ears are still ringing from the bass but you can’t wipe the smile off my face. A recap of the night is in order…

I got to Webster Hall early, about 10 minutes before the doors opened, got my badge and wristbands and snuck in past the line that extended the entire block. I ran around taking pictures in the club swarming with people rushing to get last minute things done. Webster Hall is a really cool venue, with an old building aesthetic and a ton of different floors and rooms. I’m sure I didn’t even see all of it! The decor was similar to Chicago, with Sidekick LXs on display all over, and cushy couches and pillows for relaxing in the VIP area. Shortly after 8pm the doors opened and people started flowing in, one after another, eventually filling the place to the brim.

Before the show got kicked into high gear, I got a chance to meet Jafari, the VIP winner for New York. Like the last VIP winner in Chicago, he won by entering the contest after receiving a text message from T-Mobile. And just like everyone always thinks, he doubted he would win but figured “why not” since it only took a snippet of time. Jafari had kindly brought along his girlfriend, Rhaema. She was sporting the Sidekick iD and trying to convince Jafari to hand over his Sidekick 3 since he was getting a brand new Sidekick LX for winning. Both were excited for the show and dressed to impress!

As the club continued to fill up I went and staked out what seems to be my usual spot, up on the balcony on the right hand side. I eagerly waited for Missy to take the stage while the house DJ spins some good tunes that keeps the crowd bobbing their heads. Finally the house music is turned off, then the lights go down and the smoke starts on stage.

The show began and ended with 4 dancers dressed as classic horror movie characters shuffle across the stage and was filled with an incredible amount of fancy footwork. Missy opened with one of my favorites, Pass That Dutch. But my favorites definitely didn’t end there. Her performance was filled with great tracks I (tried) to rap along with and could not help dancing to. What was great about her performance was that it was more relaxed than I thought. Don’t get me wrong, the dancers were off the hook with their choreography, but Missy was all about having fun with the crowd. She made comments about how she had just had McDonald’s and even stopped a song when the music wasn’t making people lose control enough. All in all an excellent show that I wish could have gone on all night.

Once Missy Elliott left the stage we headed downstairs for a meet and greet with Busta Rhymes. He came out and I was surprised at how much bigger he was in person! I was introduced, shook his hand, chatted for a minute, and then took a photo with him. He was really cool and friendly. He hung out for a bit, taking pictures and chatting with everyone, including the staff from Webster Hall who happened to be hanging out. Unfortunately the picture of me with him is on the photographer’s camera so I’ll have to wait to see it. Then he was either whisked away to get ready while we weren’t looking, or turned into the black cat that was wandering the ballroom we were hanging out in.

Then we were off to wind our way through the maze of stairways and rooms in the Webster to go meet Missy Elliott. We found ourselves in some weird hallway/room when Missy came out. She apologized for not being all dressed up since she was walking around in a pair of stuffed animal slippers. We all had a chance to meet her and then posed for a couple photos. She is such a cool person, with none of the stuck-up “rockstar” attitude! While we were chatting with Missy, Busta took the stage. After thanking Missy and saying our goodbyes, we headed back out to the main stage.

Stay tuned.. Busta Rhymes is up next...

-Ed

 

Once again I’m on a plane! This time I’m flying 2500+ miles literally across the country to see Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot in New York at the second concert in the Grammys Tour. I’m incredibly excited for this one. I’ve been a longtime fan of both Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott, and the chance to see them live is truly a privilege. When they were announced for the New York show I could hardly believe it.

Before I see anyone live I usually throw on their albums the day before and the day of the show. It’s nice to listen and remind yourself of how great they are. Listening to Busta Rhymes, I was reminded of his great use of sampling and his lyrical skills. I can’t wait to see what songs he does. And I hope I can stay conscious during Missy Elliott’s set and not pass out from disbelief. This should be an incredible show and I hope everyone has their tickets. I wonder who won the VIP contest for New York? Oh, and keep the messages coming, it’s great to hear from everyone and I’m collecting questions for a Q&A post later. If you’ve got a question or just a comment, drop me a line at the “Message the Sidekick Roadie” link below.

Catch everyone later at Webster Hall!

-Ed

Listen up gang, I’m going to dish out some tips on how to make the best of your experience with the Grammy Tour.

#1: Go click on the VIP Link on the right hand side of the page right now. No seriously, right now. I’ll wait… Done? Good. I’ve heard that not a whole lot of people are actually entering the contest, probably thinking “oh I never win anything”. Because all these people are slackers, this means you have a great chance of actually winning it! Look at Val, she had a great night in Chicago and is rocking a brand new LX because she entered.

#2: Go to the T-Mobile stores that are listed for your city in order to get tickets. You can’t buy these tickets anywhere. Do it quickly too! The Vic Theatre was packed, and there’s only so many people that can get in before the fire marshal comes knocking at the door.

#3: Make sure you flash your Sidekick to the right people once you’re in the show. This will score you a wristband that’s good for free drinks and food, as well as access to a private area where you and your Sidekick friends can hang out.

#4: Make sure you get there early enough to catch everyone performing and you get a good spot up front.

#5: If you get there early you can also hang out on the T-Mobile Sidekick bus that’s probably parked out front. There’s a wheel to spin to win free stuff like Sidekick gear and Grammy CDs. It’s also a cool place to just chill. Say hi to Glen (the guy that drives the bus) for me!

#6: Keep an eye out for the T-Mobile Sidekick bus the day of the concert. It will be driving around the city, parking in areas where there are a lot of people and opening up the doors. If you spot it, hop on board and hang out with some models and chat about the Sidekick, check out the devices if you don’t already have one, and more. There’s also a chance you might score some tickets to the concert if you don’t have them already.

#7: And the last thing I’ve learned so far…. T-Mobile knows how to throw a party. Don’t miss your chance when the tour bus comes to your town.

I just rolled out of bed and jumped online to check and see if more info had been posted for the other shows. My jaw dropped when I saw Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes pop up for New York. I’ve been a longtime fan of Missy Elliot. Her style and music are just incredible. I can’t wait to actually see her live! And Busta Rhymes?! At the same show? Pretty much just plain rad. They could make me sit through 2 hours of people dropping drawers of silverware and calling it music as an opener and I’d still wait to see these two.

There’s less than a week left until the Chicago show at The Vic Theatre. I’ll be honest, when I first heard that John Legend was playing I realized that I really hadn’t listened to much of his stuff. So I jumped on his official website and checked out several of his videos. Then I downloaded his album and started listening on my morning bus rides and around the house. I must say he has an incredibly great voice and is amazingly talented. I’m pretty excited to see him perform in Chitown. I also found out that Cat Power and Colbie Caillat will be performing in Chicago. A pretty sweet lineup for a concert. These are definitely going to be shows not to miss! If you haven’t checked into tickets, go hit up your T-Mobile store. If you’ve already got tickets, drop me a line and let me know which shows you’ll be at!

I’ve always wanted to feel like a rockstar. Traveling the country on tour, new towns, new shows, new faces, and all. There’s just a slight setback to that dream, I can’t really play any instruments. And as for my singing, let’s just say that I won’t be winning a Grammy any time soon. That’s why I’m stoked to be going ‘on tour’ as a Sidekick Roadie to check out some great artists all over the country! I was really surprised that T-Mobile picked me, but I’m totally taking them up on the offer and packing my bags for a whirlwind of an April.

The first stop is in Chicago, where I lived for almost 3 years before moving out to the San Francisco Bay Area. Hopefully I’ll be missing any remainders of the cold winter as I check out John Legend at the Vic Theatre. Then a week later it’s time to hit up New York for an as of yet unnamed performer. (Geez TMobile, you really like to keep me in suspense, eh?) And then after that I’m packing my swimsuit to head down to Miami.

But you’re probably wondering who the heck I am and why I’m so excited to be traveling to these Sidekick events. I’m a long time Sidekick user, hearkening back to the “bar of soap” black and white Sidekick days when I got hooked. I’ve owned just about all the devices (except the SKiD and Slide) and am currently loving the LX with it’s gorgeous screen. But I’m not just your ordinary Sidekick addict, I also run a well-known unofficial Sidekick blog you’ve probably heard about, as well as some theme sites. I have been engrossed in the Sidekick community for 6 years now. Perhaps not surprisingly, this won’t be the first time I’ve traveled around the country for the Sidekick. I’ve got friends all over the US that I’ve met and still keep in touch with via the Sidekick. It’s such a great community and I look forward to the chance to meeting even more Sidekick fans at these concerts. If you see me, don’t be shy, come up and introduce yourself!

Yo!

Welcome to my 50th GRAMMY Celebration Concert Tour presented by T-Mobile Sidekick weblog—my name’s Dave. I make movies in gorgeous Hollywood, U.S.A.

Back a couple months ago, I won the grand prize in the T-Mobile Sidekick Video Contest with a video I put together. (Shout out to LG & Laura!) I was totally hooked up and got to be on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Super cool, but the dude totally mispronounced my last name!! (LA-HAIR?? haha)

Check out my Jimmy Kimmel appearance here : youtube.com/watch?v=4bLjgieLeWA

Anyways, the people at T-Mobile Sidekick asked if I wanted to be a part of their upcoming concert tour, post weblogs, take photos, meet some cool people, etc.—I said, awesome, Let’s do it! I’m totally excited to be a part of it, and I hope you guys enjoy checking out my posts, exclusive photos and all the action from the road!

Feel free to message me and I hope to see everyone at the concerts coming up!

stay cool,
-Dave