Bryant Park never does anything small, so why would they just light a tree at their tree lighting ceremony tonight? (The tree is a 50-foot Norway Spruce decorated in over 30,000 white and red LED lights and 3,500 starbursts, balls, snowflakes, and icicle ornaments, by the way).
Starting at 6pm, check out the festivities including performances and appearances by AINY favorite Ingrid Michaelson, indie Singer-Songwriter Catey Shaw, and 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek. You can also watch professional synchronized skating routines from The Haydenettes on the rink. All of it will be hosted by New York Live and LX TV’s Open House front woman, Sara Gore.
The entire event is supporting the humanitarian aid charity, (RED), and raising awareness and support for the fight towards an AIDS-free generation.
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park’s Tree Lighting Ceremony is open to the public, free of admission. Skate rental fees are $19 for children and adults during public skate windows during the event. Locker usage is free with locks available to purchase for $9.
Ciao! Hola! Ola! I'm back from my 2-week jaunt through Europe and boy am I refreshed. You know what else is refreshing? The thought of summer concerts! Our friends at Caesar's Entertainment recently sent me over a list of their exciting events happening down in Atlantic City and I've highlighted my favorites for you:
This is going to be an unforgettable concert! With a handful of Grammy's and dozens of other awards, Mary J. Blige is sure to entertain. Tickets start at $100.
If you missed it on Broadway, or just want to have a rockin' good time all over again, head down to Caesar's AC to catch Rock of Ages!
These are just a few suggestions of how you can keep yourself entertained this summer. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be more to come! Also, don't forget to keep playing Total Rewards!
This post is a recap of the Total Rewards by Caesar's Entertainment concert I attended in NYC on 3/1/12. For information on Total Rewards or to play the Total Rewards game please visit this website. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a code for extra game play entries.
It's nights like last night when I truly feel cool. As we stood in the VIP line outside Gotham Hall, I had flashbacks to my epic experience in Vegas for New Years 2011. Making our way into the gorgeous space (they don't make banks like they used to!), we were ushered upstairs to the plush VIP room where we were instantly handed Ciroc Lemonades and started scoping the scene. We had spotted NY Knicks player Tyson Chandler on the red carpet outside (at 7 feet tall, he's hard to miss) and he looked comfy with his wife in a reserved section. A few minutes later, Katharine McPhee, star of the new show Smash, walked by in a gorgeous emerald dress. I wanted to ask for a picture without being super awkward, but after that first glimpse I didn't see her for the rest of the night. The rest of the VIP crowd was a combination of high rollers, big dudes that looked like they could play football/basketball (I'm terrible at recognizing sports stars) and models (at least that's what they looked like).
View from the VIP lounge
Check out that VIP wristband!
Reserved Table for the High Rollers
VIP Lounge
Tyson Chandler (sorry it's so dark!)
The awesome thing about this concert was that it was part of a national event. Simultaneous concerts were happening in LA, New Orleans and Chicago, and different performances were shown on the big screen throughout the night. To get things started, Jimmy Kimmel welcomed everyone with a little skit that I unfortunately couldn't hear any of but I'm sure it was funny. Then NYC MC Mel B (yes, Scary Spice!) took the stage to announce Celine Dion. For a very quick second I thought she was going to step out from backstage, but instead she appeared on screen from her show at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. After kicking off some 1997 nostalgia by singing "My Heart Will Go On," Celine (who doesn't look a day over 30) handed it off to Cat Deeley in Los Angeles who began to fill everyone in on Caesar's Total Rewards program. Then Bill and Giuliana Rancic took the stage in Chicago to get everyone excited about all the fabulous acts playing throughout the night. Finally, Maria Menounos gave some more information about Total Rewards and got the crowd pumped up for a fabulous night.
Jimmy Kimmel welcoming everyone
Lots of spotlights
Mel B
Celine Dion in Las Vegas
Cat Deeley in LA
Bill and Giuliana Rancic in Chicago
Maria Menounos in New Orleans
Finally, after much anticipation, Diddy himself took to the stage in a medley of songs that weren't exactly his ("We Found Love (In A Hopeless Place)," "Sexy and I Know It," "Good Feeling"), however it got the crowd energized. I'll admit that I have never been a huge fan of Mr. Combs. I think it stems from the fact that I never know what to call him. Is there an initial? Is there part of his given name? Is there a puff anywhere in the mix? Even so, the guy knows how to put on a show. His presence filled the stage and I found myself singing a long to the majority of the songs he performed (you'll excuse my voice in the background of the videos below). Even though he only performed for half hour, his set was very dynamic and definitely entertaining.
Diddy
Diddy
Diddy
Diddy performs "I Need A Girl"
Diddy performs "All I Do Is Win"
Diddy performs "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
Diddy performs "Coming Home"
In the interim before Mariah came on, they streamed performances of Sarah Bareillis from Chicago, Gavin DeGraw (swoon!) from New Orleans and Lil Wayne from Los Angeles. I could not make out one word that came out of Lil' Wayne's mouth but that guy definitely has a way with the stage (and with making it look like he doesn't have any of his original teeth).
Sarah Bareillis
Gavin DeGraw
Lil Wayne
I'll take this time to describe more of what the VIP lounge was like since I have neglected to do so thus far. At this point, Mr. Chandler and Ms. McPhee had packed up and left so those remaining upstairs had a little more space to spread out and enjoy the experience. The food passed around was all delicious. My favorite was the little lobster mac n' cheese bites, although the crabcakes, plantain empanadas and olive polenta cakes were great as well. They were all teeny tiny, which was nice because I couldn't make a mess if I tried and I didn't get too full trying everything. They also had mini Italian meatballs and sliders, though I didn't get any. For drinks, I already mentioned that Ciroc was the alcohol sponsor, but I didn't mention the delicious raspberry martini I had complete with a gigantic real raspberry in a fancy martini glass. Yum! Unfortunately I didn't get any food pics, but I trust you can use your imagination.
Then came the moment we were all waiting for. To complete the 1990's nostalgia concert, Mariah Carey took the stage and fulfilled the majority of the room's pre-teenage dreams. She looked stunning in a floor-length mermaid black gown and her signature flowing locks. As her first performance after giving birth to twins last April, Mariah said she didn't know what the "big deal" was. Haha, oh Mariah. Her eight-song set, included “It’s Like That,” “Shake It Off,” “Touch My Body,” “Obsessed,” “Always Be My Baby,” “We Belong Together” and “Hero,” with a quick make-up touch up mid-performance (still not sure what that was about).
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah getting touched up
Fluff the hair, fix the shoes
Mariah performs "Touch My Body"
Mariah performs "Always Be My Baby"
I'll definitely applaud the event organizers for putting on a fantastic show. It wasn't oversold or too crowded. The drinks kept coming, and the performances were top notch. Heck, I even got a gift bag with sparkly earrings for me and a reusable coffee mug for the boyfriend. And I can't forget to mention the desserts! They all seemed to come at once -- mini chocolate cupcakes, lemon/raspberry tarts and cheesecake lollipops, oh the cheesecake lollipops! If this event is any teller as to how awesome Total Rewards is, I'm definitely going to have to join.
Me with the gift bag
Raspberry Lemon Tarts
VIP gift bag at home
If you've made it this far, I applaud you! Because you stuck around this long, you get a special awesome code for extra entries into the Total Rewards online game. Use code DFNJWGhere and you have a shot at winning more than 900,000 amazing prizes. Looking at the list of winners already, I see someone won a trip for 2 to Vegas. Who knows? It could be you!
So what do you guys think? Were you at the concert? Did you watch the livestream online? Who was your favorite performer? What do you think of my gift bag? Are you going to sign up for Total Rewards and play the game? Be sure to comment with anything you win below!
I am honored to be an influencer for the Total Rewards brand. Material and/or financial incentives may be received as a result of my involvement.
Carnegie Hall is just one of those places you have to check out a concert or two in while you're living in or visiting New York City. You may say that you aren't a fan of classical music or that the sound of the violin puts you to sleep, but there's something about the acoustics/atmosphere of Carnegie Hall that just brings the music to life and gives you a whole new appreciation.
Lucky for you, I'm announcing my 3rd giveaway of the week - I believe it's a new record! Distinguished Concerts International is sponsoring three concerts over the next month at Carnegie Hall and has given me 4 pairs of tickets to give away for each concert. That's 12 pairs of tickets people! The concerts available are on Friday 3/2 at 8pm featuring Soprani Compagni, Friday 3/16 at 8pm featuring Trio Lorca, and Saturday 3/24 at 2pm featuring The Werner Chamber Quartet. All concerts will be held in the Weill Recital Hall and tickets are valued at $50 each.
Since one concert is much sooner than the others, I've switched up how I'm asking you to enter these giveaways. You have until tomorrow 2/29 at 5pm to enter for the 3/2 concert and until Friday 3/6 at 5pm to enter for the 3/16 and 3/24 concerts. You have to fill out a form for each concert you would like to go to, so technically you could win tickets for all three concerts. Follow the directions on the forms and good luck!
So this awesome concert I piqued your interest about on Friday...you've probably spent all weekend wondering what it's all about (or you haven't, that's cool too). I can now officially release some of the details!
First, the concert will be this Thursday night 3/1 beginning at 9pm with the doors opening at 8pm at a location near midtown Manhattan. You will need a ticket to get in, and although they are free, tickets are extremely limited. Tickets officially go "on sale" today 2/27 tomorrow 2/28 at 9:00 am EST by going to this website. I'm also giving away 3 general admission tickets (see below).
As for the headliners, this is going to take you back to the 90s, although these 2 artists have sustained their careers well into the present and future. One recently gave birth to twins nicknamed Rock n' Ro and the other has gone by so many variations of his name in the last several years that I don't always know what to call him other than something that rhymes with "me giddy." The MC is also someone who many of you will recognize from the music/reality TV world - Pussycat Dolls anyone?
While I can't confirm or deny any other rumors swirling about the concert, I'm pretty positive there will be other celebrities present as well because the sponsor of this event is a big name in the entertainment world.
Here's how the giveaway is going to work. I'm giving away a total of 3 general admission tickets to 3 lucky readers. Winners' names will be on a list at will-call at the concert. There are 4 easy ways to win and each comment counts as an entry. Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.
1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment below letting me know who you think the 2 headlining artists are as well as the MC. Also, any guesses as to who the sponsor of this event is?
3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.
4) Tweet or blog about this event and let me know with a link to your tweet or blog in a comment below.
Three winners will be chosen and notified on Wednesday morning 2/29. You have until Tuesday 2/28 at 8 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!
Winners have been chosen! Congrats to Laura, David and Lud/Scoopstweet! You have each won yourself a ticket to tomorrow's concert featuring Mariah Carey, P. Diddy and Nicole Scherzinger! Please check your emails for details. Thanks to everyone who entered and if you weren't one of the lucky winners, make sure to enter the 2 other giveaways I have running right now for Broadway tickets and Carnegie Hall concert tickets.
Attention readers! You may have seen me allude to the fact that big things were going to happen on the blog this month on Twitter. Well, now's the time you need to pay attention.
I can't give away too many details, but if I were you I'd clear your calendars on Thursday evening March 1 for the most epic concert of the year, happening right here in NYC. There will be some big names you will all recognize, and best of all, you can get in for free!
Stay tuned next week and I'll reveal more details. I will say this, while tickets are free, you still have to snag one. In addition to the 3 I'll be giving away next week, tickets will go "on sale" here on Monday morning 2/27 Tuesday morning 2/28 at 9:00 am EST (The link won't work until then but I thought I'd give you the heads up). Who's excited?
So you all know I get my fair share of free in life, and why shouldn't that share include great concerts? I recently came across the blog My Free Concert, and it's my new best friend. After discovering the site a mere three days ago, I've already secured tickets to see Sister Hazel (yeah, that band from the 90s that goes right along with Matchbox 20, Goo Goo Dolls, Eve 6 and your Power Rangers lunch box) next week, and got to attend a "secret show" featuring Iron & Wine at Mercury Lounge tonight.
In addition to announcing every single free show in the city and opportunities to win tickets to just about every show in the city, the blog is currently running specials with the newsletter Music Geeks. All you do is sign up for their newsletter and you are entered to win two tickets to any show at either Irving Plaza or Gramercy Theater. More deets here. And of course I would appreciate you going the extra step telling them I sent you :)
You can also follow My Free Concert on Twitter, and I would highly recommend that you do. Enjoy your free shows and let me know if you ever need a +1.
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