My Interview with DAVID DRAIMAN (audio)

 

During my radio career, I have interviewed tons of people but few have been nicer or more intelligent than David Draiman.  The front man of Disturbed has unleashed a new project while the monster is on hiatus.  Device has him jumping into the electronic realm with co-conspirator Geno Lenardo (formally of Filter). David sees the industrial rock band as akin to NIN more than the other electronic musical movements of today. 

We got to spend close to a half hour on David's bus, before the second show of the Device tour, at The Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Our interview was slightly delayed due to David having to eat dinner and he could not stop apologizing for it. He really is a super-nice, laid-back dude!  (I had no problem with it, I got to spend more time with Gemini Syndrome and Falseta...look for their interviews shortly.)

Here is the unedited 16 minute conversation. You can stream it below or stream/download it HERE.

Enjoy! (-']

Joining David on the tour: Virus (Dope) & Will Hunt (Evanescence)

DEVICE & GEMINI SYNDROME tonight's plan (video)

After all my years in radio, the one constant you can count on is things not always going as planned.  Hopefully all bases are covered for tonight as I am headed to a very intimate evening with Device and Gemini Syndrome.  Not only am I interviewing the bands backstage but the show itself is in the tiny, but awesome, Culture Room in Ft Lauderdale.  Here is what we are in for:

Look for interviews to be posted tomorrow morning.

Rock On!

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NOW YOU SEE ME posts new trailer (video)

 Summit Entertainment has released a new trailer for director Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Common, Michael Kelly, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. The thriller is set to arrive in U.S. theaters on May 31st.

Louis Leterrier has a hit and miss record with me based on his directing:     

    The Transporter (2002) - fun action flick
    Unleashed (2005) - surprisingly great Jet Li movie
    Transporter 2 (2005) - ok action flick
    The Incredible Hulk (2008) - better than Ang Lee's take
    Clash of the Titans (2010) - popcorn entertainment at best
    

But, Now You See Me looks very interesting!!

Plot: "Now You See Me" pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen," a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

source: Now You See Me

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DREAM THEATER Live At Luna Park 360 interactive app (video)

Dream Theater have revealed details of their 360 Interactive app, which will be released alongside their upcoming Live At Luna Park Blu-Ray/DVD. The app promises a “unique immersive experience” and offers users the chance to scroll round the stage while the band play their track Six O’Clock – meaning an almost limitless number of ways to see the performance.

The desktop and laptop software, said to be the first of its kind, will be available to those who purchase the deluxe edition of Live At Luna Park.

The Blu-ray/DVD was filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last August. It’s due for release next month.

“Live At Luna Park, a live concert captured on 2DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Video, 2DVD/3CD, Blu-ray/3CD, and a deluxe edition (2DVD/Blu-ray/3CD), will drop in May 2013.

Live At Luna Park was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of Dream Theater’s most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

“This is without a doubt the closest a viewer at home will come to experiencing a live Dream Theater concert,” states guitarist and founding member John Petrucci. “Between the hi-def and 3D video, the huge audio mix and the documentary style behind the scenes footage, you are truly transported to the arena and completely immersed in the entire live experience.”

“We have the greatest fans on the planet and the people of Argentina are no exception!” adds Petrucci. “The energy and vibe at Luna Park was truly electric and contagious. The perfect synergy between band and audience. We are immensely proud of this DVD and incredibly excited to share it with everyone!”"

source: Dream Theater

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BIOSHOCK INFINITE so far (video)

The wait for the original Bioshock killed me.  Well, obviously not literally, but the game sounded perfect to me and took so long to come out.  A first-person shooter with steampunk art design, a weird yet well-told story, RPG-lite elements and beautiful graphics! I played the game on XBox, PS3 and finally the PC...loved it each and every time.

Bioshock 2 was fun.  I played through it quickly without much interest in returning.  But, I am replaying on PC for the achievements. (-']

Early word on Bioshock Infinite was mixed.  As much as everyone looked forward to big changes in location and design, after long delays, critics began to wonder if the game would ever see the light of day.  Irrational Games did the right thing by taking their time to craft the best game possible.  The result is a game that is even more fun to play than the original Bioshock but is also one of the best games I have ever played.

I read that one critic finished the single player storyline in 13 hours. I am almost that far along but nowhere near finished, as far as I can tell.

First and foremost this is a very beautiful game graphically.  On my modest, yet still fairly beefy gaming rig, it runs as smooth as glass.  Except for one minor bug I will talk about below...which now appears fixed.

I will not give anything away about the story but it touches on surprisingly mature matters including racism, fanaticism and much more.  The setting and art design only add to the uniqueness of the game. The whole package is as defining as the original Bioshock, this game will clean up at the year end awards.

Game play will make or break a game, no matter how good the story and this Bioshock improves on it's predecessors in every way.  You are still collecting better powers and weapons as you play but it all works so much more smoothly than in the past.

My only complaint is about your companion, Elizabeth.  Although she is a big help with locks, ammo and health, her animation is very choppy compared to the rest of the game.  As I mention, game play is very smooth but her animation stuttered as if her frame rate was separate from the rest of the game.  Either though a recent patch or by my turning off the v-sync, the problem has disappeared.

I am playing on PC but the game is also available for PS3 and XBox 360.  We are getting closer to bringing movies and games together in a new form of interactive entertainment and BIOSHOCK INFINITE is a great example of where we are headed. You should really play this game.

I will let you know how it goes.  All pictures are actual screenshots from my PC.

IGN's review:

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