Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Crosby, Stills and Nash Live in Concert-Central Park Summer Stage, July 29, 2008


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Rick Springfield, 80’s pop and soap star, signs copies of "Venus In Overdrive" and meeting fans at the Times Square Virgin Megastore-July 29, 2008




Rick Springfield is still gorgeous.
It's HARD to believe this guy is almost 60!
And he is personable as can be-looking at him as he interacts with fans both young and old, he struck me as a man of 30. He has this boyish charm and charisma and the fans at his CD signing all left very happy. 99% of the in store appearances I have covered have had the celebrity sitting behind a desk and the fans approach them. Rick Springfield sat on the edge of the desk and happily embraced everyone who approached him for a photograph. If a photo did not come out, he made sure it was re taken so everyone got the shot they were happy with.
This is a man who has achieved great success both as a singer and an actor and he really appreciates his fans. THIS is a true STAR.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Miley (Cyrus) Mania-"The Today Show's" Summer Concert Series-July 25














Another week with Miley Cyrus. Today, she performed on "The Today Show's" Summer Concert Series from Rockefeller Plaza and to say it was packed would be the biggest understatement of the year. Young fans (and their mothers, of course) started lining up on Tuesday night. Photographers started arriving at 3am. The photo pen was smaller than usual with video taking up a lot of space. Some "shooters" did not get in.
I never saw The Beatles but the hysteria that Miley Cyrus causes amongst her fans seems comparable to the images and footage I saw when The Beatles played Shea Stadium.
I have photographed Miley many times and she has a lot more talent than some of the big names out there. The girl has a ton of energy (even at 8:30 am!).
A MAJOR Thank-you to the very, very wonderful female police officer-Officer "T" who moved my niece and her friend Gabby to the front and then helped them meet, and have their photo taken with Miley's mother and sister (Miley had already left to go to another event she had in Central Park.) You made 2 young girls have a day they will never forget.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

George Michael Live in Concert at Madison Square Garden, July 23, 2008





George Michael's 2nd sold out show at Madison Square Garden

Ashanti at the Bon Voyage event for The Island Next Door campaign as the county launches its first ever tourism campaign, Top of the Rock, July 22



High atop Rockefeller Plaza, at Top of the Rock, Nassau County native Ashanti at the Bon Voyage event for The Island Next Door campaign as the county launches its first ever tourism campaign and later enjoys a pedi cab ride

Monday, July 21, 2008

George Michael Live in Concert at Madison Square Garden




His first USA concert in 17 years.
Tonight's show was sold out. His next show is Wednesday night. After 17 years of not performing in the USA, he still has that great voice...and those great moves.

NIck Lachey...oh so cute


spotted today on the Upper West Side
he is as nice as he seems. He posed for photos with fans, and hugged those that he recognized.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Natasha Bedingfield-The Today Show's Summer Concert Series, July 18, 2008



While 90% of the music photographers in NYC were over at "Good Morning America" shooting Miley Cryrus perform at Bryant Park, I went over to Rockefeller Plaza to cover Natasha Bedingfield's performance on "The Today Show's Summer Concert Series." This was the second time this summer where all I could say was...WOW! (the other time was Coldplay a few weeks ago, and Bruce Springsteen's performance last September was another one).
Natasha's song "Pocketful of Sunshine" is one of those songs I can listen to over and over and over and not get bored. She has the songs, the voice, the looks, and the stage presence to be HUGE. I shoot A LOT of music and it is not very often anymore that a singer, a performance, or a song gives me goose bumps. Most of the times when I shoot concerts, the photographers are only given up to 3 songs. Most of the time, that is more than enough for my low attention span and I am ready to leave. Natasha left me wanting to hear more. She has it all going.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Power of Paws Launch with Rumer Willis and Nicky HIlton






Rumer Willis and Nicky Hilton help launch Power of Pawsª, a new initiative that educates people about the mutual health benefits that both pets and pet parents enjoy, and motivates them to spend time together and connect. The evening included a demonstration by an assistance dog from the Bergin University of Canine Studies who has been trained to read, retrieve wallets, and untangle his own leash. In addition, guests viewed inspiring video testimonials from powerofpaws.com about pets who have helped their owners get healthier, recover/cope with an illness, deal with grief or live independently. The event also previewed an upcoming documentary called Pets and People: The Power of the Health Connection premiering Sunday, July 20 at 9 a.m. EST on Discovery Health. Hosted by Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin, the show explores the impact pets have on blood pressure, how assistance and therapy dogs can help wounded veterans and autistic children and the unwavering social support pets give their owners without asking for anything in return except love and affection

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Bon Jovi Live on The Great Lawn in Central Park-July 12, 2008


















Bon Jovi performed a free concert tonight on the Great Lawn in Central Park presented by the Bank of America during the MLB All-Star Summer. Over 50,000 fans got their free tickets at the local stadiums in the city and packed the Great Lawn for a night of great rock and roll.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton-July 10, 2008






Senator Hillary Clinton and US Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama speak at the `Women for Obama` breakfast at the Hilton Hotel. The end of his speech almost sounded as if he was going to ask her to be his running mate.
We can only hope.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Paul Rudd...a nice phone call...1:30am


yesterday I went out with my photographer friend Luisa and Vincent in search for something to photograph on a quiet summer Sunday. I told them how I wish we would spot either Nick Lachey or Paul Rudd. For several minutes, I said "I need my Paul Rudd fix" since it's been forever since he was at an event (almost a year) and I would realy like to photograph him. Well, what are good friends for? Good friends call late at night to tell you they are at a bar and Paul is there. But...it gets even better. They hand the phone over to him and for 15 minutes, Paul and I are having a nice conversation and I tell him about what I said yesterday. He asks me why I said I needed my Paul fix so I told him the truth-"because I think you are a really great actor and really hot" to which he says "you are really sweet, come have a beer with me.". IF only I still lived in the village I would have been close enough to go.
Hopefully there will be a next time!
For anyone in Brooklyn or wanting to venture to Brooklyn, Paul's 2001 film "Wet Hot American Summer" will be playing outside at the McCarren Park Pool in Greenpoint on Tuesday July 8 at 8pm

Brendan Fraser at Planet Hollywood, July 7, 2008


'Journey to the Center of the Earth" star Brenden Fraser makes an appearance at Planet Hollywood and donated a Yo- Yo from the film to their memorabilia collection

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Boardwalk fortune teller Madam Marie dies



from the Asbury Park Press:
ASBURY PARK — It was one line from a Bruce Springsteen song that made the boardwalk fortune teller world famous. And now, "Madam Marie'' has passed away.
Marie Castello, who had told fortunes since the 1930s and became famous for her presence and predictions on the Asbury Park boardwalk, died Friday, her great-granddaughter, Sally Castello said today.
Family members were attending morning services today, Castello said.
The psychic reader and advisor was 93. She became known worldwide from Bruce Springsteen's homage to her in his music.
"Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie,'' Springsteen sang in his 1973 song, "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'' "for tellin' fortunes better than they do."
"That was just the Boss,'' said Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Jim Bruno. "She was never arrested. But Springsteen turned her into an icon.''
Bruno remembers his own run-in with the psychic.
"I was a 12-year-old kid,'' he said. "And I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember her chasing me away from her shack. Her death is a real loss.''
It was also somewhat unexpected.
''She really wasn't sick. She just wasn't feeling well,'' Castello said. ""She was very, very strong until the day she died.''
Madam Marie bragged that she had told the fortunes of everyone from Judy Garland to Springsteen himself. Legend has it that she told Springsteen he was going to be a success. Springsteen later joked that she told all the musicians that.
And Springsteen never forgot Madam Marie.
"He always comes by to say hello," she told Press columnist Bill Handleman in May. "He knows where he came from."
Word of Castello's death spread along the Asbury Park boardwalk over the weekend. The American flag flying over the Convention Hall-Paramount Theatre complex was lowered to half staff in her honor, and it remained that way today.
"Of course, Madam Marie is our longest running tenant here on the boardwalk. ... She's an Asbury Park tradition,'' said Gary Mottola, president of investments for developer Madison Marquette, the lead partner in a joint venture with Asbury Partners to restore or rebuild the boardwalk's entertainment buildings. "We felt that honoring her by lowering the Convention Hall flag to half staff is the right thing to do.''
Marie Castello closed down her regular operations on the boardwalk in the mid-1990s after a dropoff in business. She continued telling fortunes in Ocean Township.
But Sally Castello is one of the family members who still does readings at the Madam Marie booth not far from Convention Hall on the boardwalk.
"The booth will always be there," Marie Castello said in May. "The Temple of Knowledge, that's a landmark, that's nostalgia, they'll never tear it down."
Did you ever visit Madame Marie? "

I met Madam Marie several times, the first time in 1979 when I just got my drivers license and cut school and drove from Northern NJ to Asbury Park with my friend John. It was February, and it was cold but I didn't care. I was a HUGE Bruce Springsteen fan and seeing all the places he sang about up close and in person was...fantastic! Never did I think that on this cold day in February, that Madam Marie would have been on the boardwalk. I knew that day that I wanted to live down the shore. It took what seemed like an eternity to get there-college, then a few newspaper jobs out of state but in 1986, I got a newspaper job at the shore and called Monmouth County my home for 13 years. Asbury Park will always hold fond memories.
Years later I had to photograph her for a story. She was very quiet and polite.
In the late 1990's,before moving away from Monmouth County to NYC, I used Madam Marie's booth for one last photo-the cover of ""One Step up, Two Steps Back: The Music of Bruce Springsteen"
RIP Madam Marie

Chaka Khan live on "Good Morning America's "Summer Concert Series-Bryant Park, July 4, 2008,DREW LACHEY joins Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on their s







DREW LACHEY joins Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on their segment "Grilling With the Stars"











despite the rain and the holiday, Chaka Khan dazzled the crowd (and the photographers!) at Bryant Park with 4 songs, including "I'm Every Woman" which Whitney Houston covered many years ago.