Music Review: Spencer Ludwig – LIVE At Mercury Lounge!

Spencer Ludwig
Mercury Lounge, NYC
February 13, 2020

On a chilly Thursday night in February, PopCultureReview had the opportunity to sit down with Spencer Ludwig, the red hot singer, songwriter and trumpeter that is poised to blow the doors off the room.

The Los Angeles-born, half-Filipino vocalist and instrumentalist puts on a high energy show, overflowing with funk and pop vibes that, as one fan told us, “makes you want to shake your ass.” She was 100 percent correct.  A Spencer Ludwig show is a great time and if you can catch him on tour, do yourself the favor and check him out!

Read on for our interview with Spencer Ludwig and our review of his show …

Photo Credit: Sheila McGann

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Music Review: Pub Choir at Mercury Lounge

Pub Choir
Mercury Lounge, NYC
July 7, 2019

Think about all the times you’ve been in a bar, listening to a band play covers of your favorite songs and you want to sing all the words aloud. Or better yet, all the times you’ve wanted to jump up on the karaoke stage and belt out your own version of a pop rock classic. And now think about all the times you never did any of those things out fear of sounding bad and making a fool of yourself. Well, Pub Choir is here to cure all of your closeted singing fears.

Formed in Brisbane, Australia in early 2017, Pub Choir has embarked on its first tour of the United States and PCR was there for the kick-off show at Mercury Lounge. Keep reading to learn more about this unique musical experience, our impressions on the show, where you can see Pub Choir in person (which, you absolutely should), and our interview with Astrid Jorgensen, the group’s conductor and musical director.

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Music News: Christie’s Auctions The David Gilmour Guitar Collection

The David Gilmour Guitar Collection
Christie’s New York
June 14, 2019

When you hear “David Gilmour,” the phrase “rock god” should spring to mind. As guitarist and vocalist for the classic rock group, Pink Floyd, mere mention of his name should evoke in your mind clear, clean, lyrical and technically perfect guitar playing. Now, imagine being able to peruse Gilmour’s collection of guitars, one of the most extensive guitar collections in history, in person? Better yet, own one of David Gilmour’s guitars? This unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is yours this week as Christie’s unveils The David Gilmour Collection. 

The David Gilmour Collection is on display now at Christie’s in NYC.  The exhibition runs from June 14-19 and is open to the public every day from 11am-4pm. Entry to the exhibition is free, however reservations are required and can be secured here. The Auction is scheduled for June 20, 2019 at 10:00am.  Christie’s NYC is located at 20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020. Questions about the sale should be directed to Michelle Rusinek at (212) 636-2000.

David Gilmour playing ‘The Black Strat’ for the ‘Live At Abbey Road’ series, 29th August 2006. (Photo: Polly Samson)

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Music Review: Tony Bennett – The Radio City Music Hall Concert

Tony Bennett In Concert
Radio City Music Hall
April 13, 2019

When Ticketmaster sends you an alert that THE Tony Bennett is performing in your town, you run right out to catch that performance, no questions asked. Mr. Bennett was coming home to New York and we were going to be there for it! Our reward was that we got to spend an evening with an American icon and were treated to the most charming of evenings.

Spoilers, this evening was a pure delight from start to finish. If nothing else, Mr. Bennett is so genuine in his passion for his music and his desire to make sure the audience is enjoying themselves. And enjoy ourselves, we did.   

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The Night Is Still Young: A Billy Joel Podcast (Episode 0)

The Night Is Still Young:
A Billy Joel Podcast
Episode 0
March 30, 2019

The Night Is Still Young: A Billy Joel Podcast, the newest PopCultureReview podcast project, is a deep dive look into Billy Joel and all of his music.  Each episode will examine an album of one, William Martin Joel, as well his life and the times surrounding the making of that album.

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Music Review: The Brussels Philharmonic – New York Debut, Live at Carnegie Hall

The Brussels Philharmonic
New York Debut – Live From Carnegie Hall
March 16,2019

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, I had the great opportunity to spend an evening with the Brussels Philharmonic, making their New York Debut at Carnegie Hall. It was a spectacular evening of high energy music performed flawlessly and with contagious enthusiasm and joy.

The conductor and music director, Stéphane Denève,  introduced the orchestra, explaining that it’s members comprise of 19 nationalities, based in the capital of Europe. This very cosmopolitan makeup reflects them being housed in the global hub that is Brussels (the capital of Belgium).

Founded in 1935, the Brussels Philharmonic “enjoys an excellent reputation for performing premieres of new works and has collaborated with world-renowned composers such as Bart6k, Stravinsky, Messiaen, and Francesconi. The orchestra’s historic home port is the Flagey building, where it rehearses and performs in Studio 4, in acoustic terms one of the top concert 7 halls in the world.” The orchestra has recorded music for popular films, including The Aviator and The Artist.

The Brussels Philharmonic. Photo: Carnegie Hall

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TV Opinion Piece: RENT, Live on Fox – Why God, Why?

RENT: Live!
January 26, 2019

Tomorrow night, Fox is going to air a Live production of the seminal Broadway classic, RENT. This follows a now annual trend between NBC and Fox where the networks alternate taking classic musicals and air them Live on a Sunday night for the masses to ingest.  After years of taking on “edgy” picks like Sound of Music, The Wiz, Peter Pan, and Grease, the powers that be have now decided to do … RENT. I have some strong feelings about it.

RENT logo – © FOX 2019

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Fats Domino, Pioneer of Rock & Roll, Dies at 89

On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, Fats Domino passed away at his home in Louisiana following a long illness.  He was 89.  Born February 26, 1928, in New Orleans, Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock and roll artists to ever live. With more than 30 top 40 hits in the 1950’s and early 60’s and more than 65 million records sold in the same period, only Elvis was a bigger act in that time period. Those numbers are no small feat for anyone, but even more impressive for an African American musician growing up in the Jim Crow south who had the equivalent of a 4th grade education.

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