BOYCE AVENUE BACK FOR VALENTINE’s DAY CONCERT IN 2015

Concert press release

Boyce Avenue, one of today’s hottest singing sensations which gained worldwide popularity for its strong acoustic roots and melodic rock sound, is returning to perform at a special Valentine’s Day concert on Feb. 14, 2015 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Billed as “Boyce Avenue Live in Manila 2015!,” the treat from Ovation Productions will bring back the American band more than a year after its last local performance in response to the popular demand of Pinoy fans. The overwhelming support of Filipino Boycers made the band the no. 1 most streamed international artist on Spotify in the country.

The one-night-only show will mark Boyce Avenue’s fourth local appearance in six years following its sold-out concert at Resorts World Manila last Dec. 30, 2013, also produced by Ovation Productions, and its headlining tour with American Idol winner Kris Allen and the dance troupe Jabbawockeez on Feb. 5-6, 2010, one year after its local debut on Feb. 16, 2009.

As its first-ever arena show in the Philippines, the Big Dome gig is expected to attract a huge attendance from a cross-section of music lovers who have passionately followed, along with millions in other parts of the globe, Boyce Avenue and their music online through their YouTube channel.

Formed in October, 2004 in Sarasota, Florida, Boyce Avenue is composed of three Puerto Rican-American brothers who first came together as a band when Alejandro Manzano (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Fabian Manzano (guitar, vocals) reconnected with their elder brother Daniel Manzano (bass, percussion, vocals), who moved back to Florida from Massachusetts after graduating from Harvard University Law School.

The group, named after a combination of two streets where the brothers grew up, took its most formative steps toward becoming a band by continuing to write original music and performing local shows.

In 2007,  Boyce Avenue showcased their emotive, radio-friendly alt rock on YouTube with a series of videos of them performing acoustic versions of their songs as well as covers of their favorite songs by other artists, such as Justin Timberlake’s “Love Stoned,” Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” among many others.

The result was fantastic.

The videos instantly shot to sky-high popularity on YouTube and, to-date, Boyce Avenue has over 1,000,000,000 viewers on YouTube and over 5,500,500 subscribers– making it one of the top artists of all time on YouTube.  It has likewise gained 500,000 Twitter followers and 2,500,000 Facebook subscribers that account for a strong and solid digital fan base.

Other unforgettable Boyce Avenue covers include “Use Somebody” (featuring Hannah Trigwell) by Kings of Leon, Rihanna’s “We Found Love”, “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, David Guetta ft. Usher’s “Without You”, and Katy Perry’s “Roar” (featuring Bea Miller).

While producing the videos for YouTube, Boyce Avenue remained committed to create original material for its debut album, completing the recording of its last three songs in October 2007 – “Dare To Believe,” “On My Way” and “Hear Me Now” (piano acoustic).

The album, titled “All You Meant To Be,” was released on March 25, 2008 and was well received in the market and got positive reviews in industry publications, while its songs were featured in various MTV programs.

In their desire to connect with their online fan base, Boyce Avenue shifted their focus on touring, starting in early 2009 when the group performed for an estimated 25,000 over four headline shows in the Philippines, followed by a series of headline tours in the United States, Canada and Europe.

They returned to the Philippines in 2010 to play festivals with Kris Allen and The Jabbawockeez during the MusicFest 2010 concert  at the McKinley Hills concert grounds in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

As of May 2012, the band has headlined, since its initial 2009 headline tour,  6 tours in Great Britain and Ireland, 6 tours in continental Europe, 4 tours in the United States, 3 tours in Canada, 1 tour in Australia and has played several shows in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines

.

Over the past three years, Boyce Avenue has played for over 350,000 people in 20 countries and 5 continents, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, Brazil, Europe and the United Kingdom.

On June 15, 2010, the trio released “All We Have Left” under Universal Republic which contains reworked songs from “All You Meant To Be” as well as new songs, such as “Every Breath,” “On My Way” and “Broken Angel.”

On Aug. 9, 2011, the band left Universal Republic and began producing its CDs through its own label, 3 Peace Records.

Boyce Avenue’s EP (Extended Play), “No Limits,” released on April 24, 2014, contains more upbeat           pop tracks than their previous work, including seven original tracks produced by the band, with “I’ll Be The One” co-produced with Milkman and “Scars” with Ryan Ogren.

A special tribute came from Louis Tomlinson of One Direction, a vocal fan of Boyce Avenue, when he arranged for the band to open for One Direction during its debut “Up All Night Tour” in Great Britain and Ireland in January, 2012.

In 2014, Boyce Avenue was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Music.

Catch Boyce Avenue LIVE in Manila at The Big Dome on February 14, 2015 and make Valentine’s Day a memorable experience!

(“Boyce Avenue Live In Manila 2015!” is presented by Ovation Productions. Ticket prices are P4,852, P4,224, P3,168, P2,112 and P782.  Tickets are available at all TicketNet outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.  For ticket inquiries, call TicketNet at 911-5555.)

Yeng Constantino's All About Love album launch. Blogcon exclusive

A couple of years ago, I was able to cover the Metamorphosis album launched of Ms. Yeng Constantino. Now that she's tying the knot, it is just timing for her new album which tracks includes love songs, a duet with her fiance, and his compositions.

For Yeng, the inspiration of these songs are from her relationship with Yan. She admit she was crying when she wrote the songs but she is not sad. So don't expect any heart-breaking song in the album. She also cried during the recording. You can observe that she poured her soul in this album.

http://instagram.com/marktemplar/

Besides that, songwriters like Ebe Dancel also wrote a song for Yeng. Her single, Ikaw, was the most viewed video in 2014. It gathered 2-M viewers per month. She also infused fashion to her music. You may noticed she looked like she got her influences from K-Pop/J-Pop artists. Besides this album, she will start her Christmas album in June. Currently, she is not teaching at the Academy of Rock which is located in Powerplant Mall and SM Megamall.

For more updates about album launches, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

LENNY KRAVITZ ROCKS MANILA IN MARCH 2015!

Lenny Kravitz, the four-time GRAMMY Winner who gave us the hits “Again”, “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, “Fly Away and “American Woman” is set to rock the Philippines this coming March. He is regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, and has successfully transcended genre, style, race and class into a 20-year musical career, one which revels in the rich influences of '60s and '70s soul, rock and funk.

MIDAS Promotions, the company responsible for sold-out concerts in the Philippines and the rest of Asia, is proud to present Lenny Kravitz LIVE in Manila this 24 March 2015 at the Globe Circuit Events Ground in Makati.  Tickets will be on sale starting 9am, December 15th, 2014 atwww.ticketworld.com.ph or at any Ticket World Outlets.  For inquiries, call 891-9999. Ticket prices are as follows:

Platinum (seated) – 13,000 | Diamond (seated) – 11,000 |Gold (seated) – 9,000 | Silver (standing) – 3,500 | Bronze (standing) 2,000

Kravitz’s talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist have resonated through nine studio albums into a timeless catalog. Winning four consecutive GRAMMY Awards, he set a record for the most wins in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category. His appeal has also been recognized by his peers; his collaborative efforts are as varied as his own influences, having worked with Slash, Aerosmith, Jay-Z, N.E.R.D., Mick Jagger, P. Diddy and Alicia Keys. He also produced the song "Justify My Love" for Madonna, which he co-wrote with Ingrid Chavez. 

Having sold over 38 million albums worldwide, LennyKravitz’s musical success has afforded him many opportunities to fulfill his creative vision beyond the recording industry. The artist appeared in a supporting role in the critically-acclaimed film Precious, and the box office smash film The Hunger Games, as Cinna. He reprised this role in the second film which was released in Fall 2013. Lenny was also seen in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (The Weinstein Company) alongside Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

In 2014, Lenny Kravitz debuted his 10th studio album, Strut. Kravitz is currently on an extensive world tour, and has chosen Manila as one of its stops. He will beperforming songs from Strut as well as from a distinguished career that has made him one of the most distinctive and successful recording artists of today.

For further enquiries and information, please contact Grace Foronda 

(gracelomboyforonda@gmail.com), Mel Tyler (mel@midaspromotions.com), or log on to the following social media pages:

http://www.midaspromotions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/midaspromotionph

https://twitter.com/midasphofficial

http://instagram.com/midasphofficial

Rak Of Aegis

RAK OF AEGIS is a rock comedy musical using the songs of Aegis and it tackles Filipino resilience, or how the country faces and resolves compromising situations, whether this be a natural disaster or a broken heart.

Set in a subdivision that has been flooded for two months, “Rak of Aegis” will revolve around the love interests of the main characters, whose names are derived from those of Aegis band members as a tribute to the Filipino novelty rock group that made waves 90’s.

Rak Of Aegis reruns Dec. 5 to 14 at PETA Theater Center. For more updates about the music industry, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

We Are All God's Children Album Launched

After spreading the word of choral pieces of the song online in preparation of the Papal visit, the album is finally available to the public. I was able to ask Ms. Jamie Rivera during an exclusive blogcon.

Jamie Rivera wrote the song and given arrangement by Noel Espenida. Jamie Rivera was given the title as inspirational diva when she sang Lord, Heal Our Land during EDSA Dos. During the launch, Ms. Jamie shared that when the song was broadcast, she had online bashers telling her to change the lyrics especially the first stanza:

Do you see these children on the streets

Have you walked the pavements where they sleep

Do you feel their hands, when you give them alms

Did you ever give them bread to eat.

In my opinion, some Christians are not concerned to the marginalized like the street children because they do not practiced what was preached. They just concerned with their own salvation. No one can do anything about the lyrics because that is the reflection of the writer and is approved by the Vatican.

I am not a Catholic but I have a huge respect for Pope Francis because he is a head of state and the only Pope from a third-world country.Just like any preacher from the third-world, he is a liberal theologian.

There are also interesting stories behind the song and it is not only from Jamie. On the video, which was used only for demo for the interpretative sign language by Ligaya Ng Panginoon. One of them had a mother who died because of cancer while doing the video. It is her mother's dying wish to finish the video no matter what even though she almost quit participating.

For more album launches, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook. The launch was held at Villa Immaculada, Intramuros, Manila.

Sam Concepcion scores three record awards in a day

Release material

Singer-actor Sam Concepcion proved that indeed he is a young hitmaker when he was awarded three record awards during his Birthday production number in ASAP last Sunday, Nov.30. He was awarded by Universal Records General Manager Kathleen Dy-Go three record awards - Gold for his album Infinite, a Platinum for his single Mahal Na Mahal, and a Double Platinum for Dati, a collaboration with Tippy Dos Santos and Quest.

Overwhelmed by these recorgnitions, Sam, via his Instagram account (samconcepcion) expressed his gratitude to his fans, record label and management groups,  “This ones for the SAMSTERS! You never fail to surprise me. The Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum don't mean anything without you. To the people who believed in me first, @universalrecordsphilippines @kat_dygo Stages and Star Magic, I will always be grateful. Giving back all the glory and honor to my God, My Savior Jesus. More music to come!”

Sam is set to release multiple singles in the coming weeks, and will soon star in teleserye, slated to premiere early next year.

“PITCH PERFECT 2” TEASER TRAILER TAKES A BOW

Universal Pictures has unveiled the teaser trailer of its highly awaited comedy “Pitch Perfect 2”.

The Barden Bellas are back in “Pitch Perfect 2,” the follow-up to the original smash hit. The comedy is helmed by Elizabeth Banks, co-star and producer of “Pitch Perfect,” and produced by Paul Brooks, Max Handelman and Banks. Writer Kay Cannon returns to the team to pen the next chapter.

The film stars Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee, Hailee Steinfeld with John Michael Higgins, Katey Sagal and Elizabeth Banks.

Opening across the Philippines on May 13, 2015, “Pitch Perfect 2” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.