Mike's Bloggity Blog

On tonight’s episode of MTV’s The City, you’ll see none other than Canadian pop-star Lights and her equally famous manager Jian Ghomeshi.  Now before all you hipsters start thinking that Ghomeshi sold out to the fake-reality show, let me explain why, whether you know it or not, Jian Ghomeshi is smarter than you.

#1.  He uses his well documented friendship with Kelly Cutrone to get Lights on the City. This is amazing exposure for the the Canadian singer, who will benefit greatly from her increased profile.  And since her music is targeted for the same demos, she is a perfect fit.

#2 During his scene on the show, Jian keeps his credibility in tact by saying cool this like: “Its gotta feel more rock and roll.”  And if you can say that while wearing a scarf, then you  have to be really cool.

#3 Then, even though Lights is on Whitney’s show, she doesn’t even wear any of her clothes.  If she had, she probably would have been accused of selling out for the exposure.  But because she didn’t, she and Jian actually  just got off the free exposure train.  Next stop?  The Itunes singles chart.

Well done Jian.  Feel like taking on a blogger?

I don’t really talk about her a lot, but have a niece who is seriously awesome. She’s only six years old, but she is the most street smart kid I’ve ever met.  Seriously, she’s so freaking cool.

That’s why when the MuchMusic SodaPop ended up in Fredericton, NB this week, I sent her to check it out for me.  I gave her strict instructions to write me back with a review and to be brutally honest.

Here’s what she thought of the tour that features Emily Osment from Hanna Montana fame:

“I loved it! I love the hip hop dudes (W.O.W) because the guy could do cartwheels and flips. I love Emily Osmont because I like her songs and I love her shirt and the hand writing on the shirt.
Everybody sang a few songs. Bubbles came out of the ceiling. I got to stand in the front by the stage and I got jumped on. This hurt my belly.”

Now that’s a review! We got to hear about the concert, the pyrotechnics and she rounded it up with a little health update!  (What’s not to love?!  Don’t worry, I have it on good authority that her belly has recovered nicely.)

My sister Natasha wanted me to add that Brianna made it to the front of the mosh pit. She ran up like she was an expert! Somebody even tried to push her she gave a little push back and a stare that could hurt!!!

Seriously, I love this girl.  Can a six year old have a blog?  Who can make this happen!?

Is it too late to talk about the G20?

Look, I honestly have no idea what the hell the G20 even was, but it seemed scary as hell. That’s why I didn’t really talk about it.

But my roommate just showed me a video from the….seriously, what the hell was the G20?  A convention?  An exhibition?  Anyway, my roommate showed me a video that I just had to make you saw it too.  I think it accurately shows the real victims of the weekend and it will really make you think twice about the billion dollar price tag.

Simply heartbreaking.

Dear Gap Canada,

Fire your Marketing department.
That is all,

Mike

ps. Happy early CANADA-day!

If you a know someone that is an amazing volunteer, why not make sure they win soemthing for it? I mean isn’t that what volunteering is really about?!

CBC News and Outpost magazine is looking for Canada’s top volunteers. This initiative, hosted by Mark Kelley, host of Connect with Mark Kelley, will culminate in two Canadian volunteers being named Canada’s Champions of Change.

It is like Volunteer Idol.

Nominations for Canada’s Champions of Change opened on Monday. Volunteers will be recognized in the following categories: education, community and culture; environment; health and wellness; housing and infrastructure; and social justice. Sadly, sarcastic blogging didn’t make the cut.

Once the nomination period closes, in late September, a panel will select 10 finalists from nominations received—five working in Canada, and five working internationally. Then it’s up to Canadians to vote and decide the top two. All the finalists and winners will be celebrated in a national broadcast on CBC Television and CBC News Network, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, and all will receive prize money, which they will give to their favourite charities.

So if you know someone, make sure you nominate them!  They maybe selfless, but it doesn’t mean you have to be!

Click here to nominate your favourite volunteer today.

Today is the day that RockBand fans have been waiting for!  Nickelback’s library is finally available to Xbox, Wii and PS3!  That is exciting for someone right….right?!

Now I know it isn’t fair to make fun of Nickelback,  nor is it funny.  It is like kicking someone when they are already down and kicking themselves.

But none the less, you can now play along with the extremely popular and critic-defying band.  Who knows, you might actually make them better!  I kid because I love, I kid because I love.

“Nickelback Pack 01″ is available today on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $9.99. Individual tracks are $1.99 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and $2.00 on Wii.

But I do have to say, I do really love the band’s new song, This Afternoon.  No, I’m serious.  It is exactly the kinda song Nickelback should be singing.  It is about drinking and hanging out with your friends.  There isn’t even anything close to a lyric about crying on a love poem or living in a small town. I’ll never admit this in public, but I’ve even been known to turn the song up every once and a while.

EMI is super lame and won’t me post it on the blog, but have a listen on Youtube.  You’ll see, I’m not crazy.

(P.S. Dear EMI, welcome to 2010, let blogs post your music videos.  Youtube counts them as views.  sigh.)

If I was ever going to interview someone and expect them to be absolutely dreadful, it’d probably have been Kristin Cavallari. The star of MTV Canada’s The Hills (and previously of Laguna Beach) prides herself on her reputation for being a bitch–and quite frankly, I was terrified to chat with her.

But then the strangest thing happened: she ended up being one of the nicest, coolest interviews I’ve ever done. No, she’s never going to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and yes, she’s one of those Hollywood stars who’s famous just for being famous–but she’s also honest about it. And that’s the thing about Cavallari: she’s honest about pretty much everything. She could have been affected, rude, and snotty, yet she was the complete opposite. While this might come as a disappointed to some of Kristin’s biggest fans, it was a pleasant surprise for me.

With only a few episodes of The Hills left to air, I had the chance to chat with Kristin while she was in Toronto.  We met at The Fifth Social Club where it seemed that no topic was off-limits. She openly talked about the show’s storylines, who was to blame for the rumors of her drug use, and why she has her eye on Justin Bieber.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the reasons you came back to reality t.v. was to help your acting career, right?
KC: Yeah, that is one of them. I have done five movies and a few more on the way and it was a way of getting my fans excited about me again. It has been very nice having a steady job: half the time in the entertainment business you never know when you are going to have another job. That was a really big thing for me. I just thought it would be a cool experience.

So with only a few episodes left, do you think you’ve done what you came back to do?
KC: I think so, yeah. I wanted to make a statement by coming back. I didn’t want to just slip in and no one talk about it. The whole point about coming back was to make it a big deal. So I think I succeeded in that. I also think that my first season on The Hills, they didn’t necessarily film me in a great light, but I think this season they are really showing more sides of my personality and I think we are going to end on a high note!

Are you happy with the bitch label that MTV uses in the promos for The Hills?
KC: They asked me if I was okay with it and I said absolutely. I mean it is a TV show, let’s go for it. Let’s have fun with it. It is more fun to be the villain.

You’ve been honest about the fact that The Hills isn’t necessarily real and it has created story lines; how do you contribute to that?
KC: I look at it like my job. Laguna Beach was different because that was my life. Stephen was boyfriend and when emotions get involved it gets tricky. So when I decided to do The Hills, I look at it like my job, so I didn’t get emotional about things. I go to work and do my thing and leave that there and I have my private life and my real friends.

Are you happy with how you’ve been portrayed?
KC: Yes, I think that my personality does come through. It is interesting because if there were no cameras, I wouldn’t be friends with half of these people and I wouldn’t be doing the things I’m doing. There are certain things that you know are going to be on. When the whole Allie thing started, I knew that was going to be on TV.

At the beginning of the season there were rumors of you doing drugs. On the show it was implied that those rumors were started by Stephanie and Lo, but on Twitter it seemed otherwise.
KC: Stephanie did not start those rumors, Lo did not start those rumors. I think MTV started those rumors. 110%. I would never accuse someone else of doing drugs on camera. I just would never do that. You can have a producer asking you to do something, but there is a fine line of where you draw the line for yourself or not. I think of myself on the show as Kristin the character and if If I can’t justify it as my character, then I won’t do it. I wouldn’t do something just because a producers tells me to….well, that’s not true.

How was the reaction to that story with your family?
KC: Yeah, that was the hardest part. I mean my friends and family know that it is a show. But having to deal with that publicly really sucked. And MTV didn’t have my back whatsoever, of course, because it is better ratings for them. It was definitely really difficult time for me.

How do you find people really just want to be your friends?
KC: It is always a huge red flag when a guy or girl wants to be on the show.

If The Hills is about your life, how do you separate what is real and what isn’t?
KC: I have a very private life. It would be extremely difficult for me to put a real relationship on the show. I think it ruined my relationship with Stephen. I don’t have any of my real friends on the show. Justin and Audrina are a perfect example of how the show can ruin a relationship. Even Brody and Mikaela. He started dating this girl and they brought her on to the show and then she got crazy.

But not as crazy as Allie Lutz!
KC: I’ve known Alli for almost ten years now. We’ve never liked each other. And six years ago when I was dating Brody, she broke into his house in the middle of the night. But I don’t have an issue with Mikala.

Was Allie coming on the show a surprise to you?
KC: Absolutely.

Is it weird that Mikaela and Allie Lutz have been filming their own scenes?
KC: I think it has been great for the show, I think it is very interesting. I think Brody would be more upset than anyone else, because he was dating her and she came on the show and now she has her own story lines.

Do you ever think about what would have happened in MTV had never come to Laguna Beach?
KC:Yeah…I mean, I was going to go to Emerson in Boston and study Broadcast Journalism. I really wanted to get into the whole hosting thing. My life would be definitely different though.

MTV Canada is currently looking to make its own reality show: any suggestions for people who want to enter?
KC: Is that why everybody is Tweeting me??! I heard that MTV is trying to do another Hills, but a little bit younger. Maybe I’d watch like a camp reality show. Like the high school kids go to camp for the summer.

What are your fans reactions when you come to Canada
KC:When I do The After Show they are just so excited. They love it.

You were here to present an award at the MMVAs. Was there anyone you were excited to see?
KC: Justin Bieber was great. But I spelt his name wrong on Twitter and his fans went crazy. But I get it now. He’s teeny tiny and has the most beautiful eyes. He’s a total stud.

So what is next for you now?
KC: I’m going to start producing reality shows. Similar to The Hills–I have three different ideas I’m working. I think I’ve learned a lot being on The Hills and I want to apply it and make new shows. And I want to get back to acting, take some classes and start auditioning again.

The Hills airs Tuesday nights on MTV Canada

Sled Island, one of Calgary’s coolest music festivals, starts today! And it’s not just me saying it’s one of Calgary’s coolest music festivals: three years ago CBC Radio 3 listeners actually named it one of the best music festivals in all of Canada. “One of Calgary’s coolest music festivals” is actually putting it mildly.

I like Sled Island because it showcases the best of both independent and established artists, Canadian and otherwise. I’m open to lots of different types of music; I just have a hard time finding it. And while I’m sure the venues for Sled Island will be packed with sweaty, obsessive fans, I simply haven’t heard of any of this year’s artists. Any. Of. Them. So how do I choose who to see? I’ve decided to attend shows based solely on the performer’s name. The more unique, the better the chance I’ll be there.

Here are the three best band names at this year’s festival.

The Envelopes Filled With Cash (Calgary, AB)
02-Jul-2010 @ Verns — 9pm — 18+

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
01-Jul-2010 @ Dickens Pub — 11:30pm — 18+
02-Jul-2010 @ Olympic Plaza — 6:15pm — All Ages

Lesbians on Ecstacy
30-Jun-2010 @ The Marquee Room — 12:30am — 18+

Other contenders include Crippled Children, !!!!, and Holy Yetti.

Sled Island starts today and runs until July 3rd!

Living green doesn’t have to be that hard. I know, I know: you recycle. But you aren’t giving up your car. I get that. But there are some super easy things you can do instead.

One of them is cancelling your annual copy of the Yellow Pages. Seriously: when’s the last time you actually said, “I really want some pizza–let’s haul out this giant directory and take twenty minutes to find a tiny number!” No, you don’t use it. It might be hard to believe that you don’t use the Yellow Pages anymore, but Google has fit quite nicely into our lives, don’t you think?

So if you want to save a TON of paper, it’s very easy to cancel your copy of the Yellow Pages:

1) Go to the Yellow Pages opt-out website:
http://www.ypg.com/delivery/

2) Choose to “Customize your Yellow Pages Delivery”

3) Fill out the Form

4) Click on the link in the confirmation email.

There’s also a Facebook group in support of getting rid of the Yellow Pages altogether. Click here to join and tell all your friends!

(photo via 100,000 Canadians who’ve opted out of yellow pages!)

For months now people have been talking about Lilith Fair. Okay, I lied. For months now people have been talking about how much people are not talking about Lilith Fair.

As hard as they tried, organizers simply could not get people excited about the show the same way they were thirteen years ago.

Perhaps it was the ticket prices ($250), maybe it was the random artists (Ke$ha) or maybe it was simply that the idea of an all female concert lineup had lost its appeal. Backstage Sheryl Crow said that thirteen years ago, you would never see a female double bill and now 50% of the most successful artists are female. So maybe in a way, Lilith Fair has put itself out of a job.

Either way, the summer festival made a graceful return to Calgary, where it officially kicked the new tour. Despite all the news of ticket prices selling poorly, over 9,000 people showed up on a sunny afternoon to enjoy the festival.

The artists at each of the venues will change depending on people’s scheduling.  McLachlin will be the only one to play EVERY show.  The Calgary mainstage featured Colby Caillat, Erykah Badu, Sheryl Crow and Sugarland.  It is too bad that only one Canadian was featured on the big stage, it seems like it would have been a great opportunity to showcase some homegrown talent.

The crowds seemed to be enthralled by the performances but less than thrilled with pretty much everything else.  There were no food vendors besides the stadium staples.  Plus, long lines for food, the bank and the washrooms grew more and more aggravating as the day went on.  If you think lines for the women’s washroom is usually long, try going to “Breast Fest.”

Lilith Fair will continue to tour across North America all summer long.  If I were you, I’d wait to buy my tickets last minute.  The night before the concert, Ticketmaster slashed the prices by 50%!

Welcome back Lilith, we missed you.

(You can also read my story about Lilith in Monday’s Metro. Click here to read it!)