Bonnaroo TV blasting broadcasts via youtube

Donald Glover, who plays Troy on Community, performs at Bonnaroo as his rap act, Childish Gambino, on the "little screen" of youtube, which is livecasting the festival.

Were you unable to make it to Manchester, TN to the Bonnaroo music and arts festival this year? No worries. It's being "live" cast online via youtube. Unlike other live feeds I've seen, this one is a huge improvement. I began watching Friday evening just to see how it was working out, and the picture, though high definition, stuttered annoyingly despite my high speed internet connection. The problems appear to have been fixed. Rebroadcasts, which have been airing each morning and during downtimes, are TV perfect.

In order to stagger performances and give the viewers at home a steady feed of entertainment, some shows seem to be captured in near real time with a safely padded, room-for-editing, 30 minute delay, while others are shown hours or days later, such as the heavily bearded acoustic Trampled by Turtles, who played Friday and Saturday, but are being broadcast live today at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Bonnaroo's trailer aptly advertised: "Sounds. Stages. Sights. Get down on the farm, without being on the farm."

Airings are pretty spectacular – definitely one of the best live music broadcasts I've ever seen, and youtube-upload-worthy for future watches. The sound is perfect. The camera angles are great. The picture is crystal clear. All that's missing are the smells, and I can do without that.

Broadcasting Bonnaroo acts live on youtube will most likely have the same effect on the festival that MTV’s Spring Break had on Daytona Beach in the late ’80s.

There is a legend here in Florida of epic Woodstock proportion of the day the film crews came to town beginning in March of 1986, with big stars in tow, drawing in mega crowds of sweaty coeds from all over the country. For four years, we kids would do anything to get our parents to let us go to the free beach concerts. I got to see the Beastie Boys live, something I'll never forget.

At Bonnaroo, performers are able to strut their stuff live, proving they are not just smoke and mirrors while crowds of festival goers vie for camera time from the front row waving hi to Mom back home. I get to sit in the comfort of my air-conditioned apartment and watch online on hi-def, blowing up the picture mega huge, with my Bose speakers blasting the beautifully crystal clear music. It's like I'm there, but without all the dusty dirt, long lines for the honey pots, greasy hair and stench. Win! Win!

Two channels broadcast each day, on the appropriately named Channel 1 and Channel 2.  I'm sure next year, they'll come up with much more creative names for these, but hopefully not as confusing as "This Tent," "That Tent," and "The Other Tent," just a few examples of real Bonnaroo stage names. Both channel feeds are found here:

Bonnaroo Music Fest on Youtube

Unlike television which is subject to panels of censors, youtube appears to be self-regulated, meaning that swear words can fly freely.

I caught Community TV star, Donald Glover, performing as Childish Gambino in an uncensored rebroadcast this morning. I have to give props to the guy -- he can energize a crowd, displaying sing-a-long lyrics on a big screen, exciting the crowd into clapping in time, then moving them with sad and heart broken lyrics.

Later today on Channel 2 at 6 p.m. EDT is Sing-Off TV show judge Ben Folds, reunited with his fabulous lineup from the late '90s: Ben Folds Five.  Dr. Folds promises to stand on his piano, whip out his wide lens and photograph people flipping him off.  Sounds like he’s a gluten for punishment.

Should be fun. Catch it if you can. Check out the uploaded videos on the Bonnaroo youtube channel as well.

South Park Roasts Kanye “Gay Fish” West

If you saw South Park last night on Comedy Central, you probably thought that four, yes 4, episodes of "You're a Gay Fish" was a mistake. I know I did and found myself repeatedly switching back and forth between Comedy Central (66 on Brighthouse in Orlando) and several other channels while I tried to figure out what was happening.

"Someone programmed it and it's stuck," said my friend.

"They probably went out for pizza and will get back to work, just in time to get fired," I replied.

"I doubt anyone at Comedy Central is paying attention. They must be watching baseball."

Not so, my dear friends!

It turns out that the whole "run four of the same South Park episode in a row" was a very cleverly devised strategy aimed at embarrassing our dear friend, Kanye West, in retaliation for his rude stage-crashing behavior at the MTV VMA awards on Sunday night (see Monday's blog below).

Touché! I say! Touché...

The Comedy Central website made note of the show's four-peat Kanye roast in a tiny little mention in the "Central Updates" section. Click on it and you'll be led to an ingenious, Kanye West Apology Generator, devised by fellow blogger, Andrew Ti at www.community.atom.com, which will help Kanye out next time he loses control and puts his foot in his mouth.

The South Park episode begins with Jimmy writing a new, "You like fishsticks?" joke for his comedy routine. The joke is passed around and eventually ends up on the air, where Kanye West takes it a bit too personally and makes a public statement that he is neither gay, nor a fish. The episode ends with Kanye finally admitting to being a gay fish, diving into a lake, and singing to a few colorfully gilled snappers, marlins, salmon, yellow fin, trout, and bass. "I wanted to be free, with other creatures like me, and now I got my wish, 'cause I know that I'm a gay fish." From the South Park website, you can hear the entire song (click on the speaker to listen) or see a snippet of the video. It's all in good taste (snicker, okay, not really), but quite funny.

Drama fills MTV’s Video Music Awards

Last night’s annual MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards) were filled with outrageous drama as star after star attempted to outdo each other in shocking the audience.

Best new artist, Lady Gaga, appeared to bleed all over her white gown as she performed, Paparazzi, which won best art direction. She later returned dressed in red lace from face to thigh to accept her moonman. Jack Black paid homage to the devil while wearing a muscle suit and carrying a plastic anvil. Pink did aerial acrobatics while suspended several feet above the stage.

But perhaps the most shocking event was when Kanye West jumped on stage and grabbed the microphone from best female video award winner, Taylor Swift, while she was giving her acceptance speech. West proclaimed, “Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

I’m shocked by the number of inappropriate public outbursts on live television this week: First, Republican Joe Wilson rudely shouted, “You lie!” during Barack Obama’s health care reform speech on Sept. 9; Tennis star Serena Williams viciously threatened a line judge with, "If I could, I would take this (blanking) ball and shove it down your (blanking) throat," during a semifinal match at the US Open on Saturday, Sept. 12; and West’s embarrassing outburst marks the third this week. Wilson’s outburst cost him the respect of American voters; Williams’ outburst cost her a win and a $10,000 fine; and West’s outburst cost him his front row seat as he was ejected from the theater.

I actually don’t like Beyonce’s Single Ladies video. Maybe it’s my sourness over current politics that makes me prefer the colorful, sweet, storyline in Taylor Swift’s You Belong with Me video. Maybe it’s Beyonce’s crudely sexual, odd dance movements that make me too uncomfortable to enjoy the video (Even Britney Spears' Womanizer video is more tasteful). Maybe it’s the way the producers stretched the film to make Beyonce look unnaturally thin.

On the other hand, I did find Beyonce’s own good-natured parody of her Single Ladies video on Saturday Night Live with Justin Timberlake completely hilarious. Now, that was bey-rilliant and I would give her every award in the book for that fabulously entertaining performance. (found here on youtube – the baby intro is very short.)

In the end, West’s efforts were a foolish waste of words. Beyonce’s Single Ladies video won three awards, including the highest prize, “Video of the Year.” After receiving the coveted award, Beyonce courteously invited Taylor Swift to take the stage and finish her “best female video award” acceptance speech.

A complete list of award winners are found on MTV’s website.