Space: Within our Reach… or, Redefining iCloud

A while back, I saw this news item about Lenovo & YouTube’s Space Lab project, and was reminded of an equally, if not more-so awesome father-son team who sent an iPhone into space by themselves. Best of all, they have video of it from start to end. It’s truly inspiring, gives iCloud a new meaning, and is worth a few minutes if you don’t mind being totally blown away.

My Best Concert Ever: Bauhaus

The best concert I’ve ever seen was Bauhaus at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. [setlist] [discussion] I’ve always been a big fan of their music, yet they broke up long before I was old enough to go to concerts. So I only had references from others’ experiences, and the occasional glimpse of a video to experience anything resembling a performance.

Note: although embedding has been disabled by request on all these videos, they still play at YouTube and are definitely worth checking out. Just click that “Watch on YouTube” link.

Going to see the band after they’d reunited was not just a personal thrill, but the show itself was absolutely phenomenal. Their performance was right on, and Peter Murphy‘s remarkable voice only seemed to have gotten better with time. The lighting and set design were breathtaking, yet intimate and appropriate for this band and their dramatic aesthetic.

Bauhaus In Concert = Chills

It gives me chills just to think about it now, and I still have frozen in my brain, and probably will forever, images of every song as they came to life before my eyes – these pieces of music which we’re so compelling-yet-mysterious now happening in front of me and a room full of 1000 people. The experience was an electric, hair-raising religious one.

I was never a totally goth kid growing up, although I did appreciate the music and style. I was more into metal and punk than new wave or alternative when my musical tastes were forming, but I’ve always appreciated many types of music. The unifying factors I do appreciate most, however, are creativity, skill at craft, and overall dedication, all of which Bauhaus and myother favorite bands have in abundance.

What is your best concert ever? Is there a band you would like to see but haven’t yet, or may never get to see? What would be your fantasy best concert? Let us hear from you in the comments.

Related articles

• The Postelles’ Daniel Balk Riffs on Concerts, Tours and His Favorite Venues(seatgeek.com)
• “Gangnam Style” played at Maroon 5 Concert in Korea (allkpop.com)
• Day 14: Wild Nothing Concert @ The Great Hall (findingtrudy.com)
• Official Bauhaus Website (bauhausmusik.com)
• Peter Murphy Official website (petermurphy.info)

Virgin America Gets PR Right

Unauthorized Bedtime Nonsense – Click for full size at Pinterest

Safety can be fun, even for big businesses like airlines.

I’ve written in the past about how refreshing it is to see a big company get public relations and customer communications right. In that case it was  Delta Airlines endorsing their mile runner superfans. I’m pleased to report another discovery of a similar company offering up some positivity and humor with their own messaging: Virgin America.

During a recent #PinChat on Twitter, the featured guest was Jill Okawa Fletcher, Virgin America’s Director of Social Media. Ms. Fletcher was sharing insights about Virgin’s use of Pinterest and I immediately referred her to my pin of Virgin Atlantic’s wacky insert card campaign (at right). We then had the following exchange:

Richard Smith@rsmithing11 Jul 12

@JillOinSF I'd just like to say: love those faux safety insert cards. #pinchatpinterest.com/pin/1907697341…

Jill Okawa Fletcher@JillOinSF

@rsmithing Wish I could take credit. Those belong to our friends at @VirginAtlantic (diff airline). But you may have seen our safety vid?

11 Jul 12

And Ms. Fletcher then referred me to Virgin America’s easygoing in-flight safety video:

Corporate Wackiness Can be Entertaining

As you may know, I’m a big geeky fan of this type of thing, and true to its brand spirit, Virgin makes the most of an opportunity here with its captive audience. Yes, safety is important, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it.

Coincidentally, back to Delta…. I first noticed this in Delta’s in-flight safety video, where an attendant’s shiny tooth actually goes “ding!” after demonstrating proper use of a seat as a floatation device. That’s so funny to me just because it’s very subtle and wacky in an otherwise fairly standard video. I’m such a fan that once on a Delta flight, I was ready with my phone to get a picture of the exact moment… voila:

My favorite part of Delta’s in-flight safety video. The guy’s smile literally sparkles. And makes a “ding” sound. Brilliant.

What do you think? Can you name any examples of companies having fun with their otherwise serious messaging? Does this influence your perception of the company or a brand? Let us hear from you in the comments!

Related articles

• An Airline Gets It… Right? (rsmithing.com)
• High-tech Virgin America again rated top airline (slashgear.com)
• Secrets of Social Media Buzz Marketing from CMO of Virgin America(hubspot.com)
• How Delta’s Tweet Saved The Day (unmarketing.com)

Soul Asylum – Cartoon

Check out this new band, Soul Asylum!

They do this song, “Cartoon” where you can really hear the influence of the Goo Goo Dolls, Gin Blossoms, and even a little Nirvana/Foo Fighters in there.

Oh, wait. It’s the other way around. This is from 1988. Yep.

I used to watch this over and over after having videotaped it from MTV’s 120 Minutes on VHS back in the day. Thank goodness for YouTube. Enjoy.

Cartoon, from Hang Time:

Now everybody’s looking after me
If I’m dragging by some coat-tail, I can’t see, it’s too dark
But I’ve got to know what’s got the best of me

When the circus that you left goes on parade
In those bleacher seats of fire in your charades, it’s too far
But I’m feeling like I don’t dare look away

Don’t look away

Did it almost make you feel that something’s gotta happen soon?
When you wake up feeling lost in your own room

If you’re crying in your beer you’re gonna drown
If you think we’ll rise above, you better look around, you’ll see
It’s a mountain made of sand crumbling under me

Maybe I’m chasing shadows on your wall
They loom so large but make me feel so small somehow
When you’re chasing your own tail, spinning your own wheels

[Simultaneously]
Dan: On a night when the wolves were all silent, and the moon howled
Dave: And I tried to leave, and I tried to stay, tried everything, tried looking away (×2)

Did it almost make you feel that something’s gotta happen soon?
You’re in the movies now and I’m in your cartoon

There’s a ringing in my ear that’s heaven-sent
There’s a beast out on the ruins
Some broken down lover’s lament
It goes on and on but it won’t go away

Related articles

• Soul Asylum Rediscover Their Punk Roots (rollingstone.com)
• Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ Studio Set to Reopen (rollingstone.com)
• Music & Writing (deberelene.wordpress.com)

What do you think? Are there any acts from a quarter century ago that made a lasting impression on you? Who from today do you think they’ll be blogging about 25 years from now? Or will microchips in our head do the blogging for us? Let us hear from you in the comments!