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FROM SCREEN TO (VERY SMALL) sTAGE

9/20/2018

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As a self-proclaimed fangirl one of my favorite things in the world is getting to see the objects of my affection in the flesh. Since there aren't a whole lot of celebs just walking around my little corner of the world, this means I spend a lot of time at concerts and small shows.

Below are five TV stars (of various popularity) who have shifted their focus to music, and who I've had the unique experience of seeing live. (Stay tuned til the end -- the last one's a doozy!)


Drake bell

Just two days ago at Portland House of Music I had the extremely confusing and time-warping experience of seeing Drake Bell in "concert." A few friends of mine grabbed tickets and I wasn't about to miss a chance to travel back in time to my childhood Nikelodeon days. I had no idea what I was getting into.
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Having previously had no freaking idea that Drake Bell even made music I had no inclination as to what kind of show he was going to put on. THEN my friend shared his most recent release with me, a song called Rewind... and the music video which was basically porn. Coupled with the conspiracies I've heard floating around about Mr. DB possibly leaking his own nudes... I was expecting something a little graphic/R&B/intense, if a little laughable.

Well. That is not what happened.

The kid (I say kid because that's what he is in my head despite the fact that he's 32) came out on stage in a red and blue striped polo looking every bit like the Drake we know and love from Drake & Josh. Not only did he look like strange man child with his greasy hair side-parted, but he also stood on stage with nothing and no one else besides his trusty acoustic guitar. Yes, an acoustic guitar.

He proceeded to play 45 minutes of strange sappy folk-y acoustic songs, ended with an encore of the Drake & Josh theme song, and never played nor mentioned Rewind or the fact that he's apparently making two very drastically different types of music.

I don't want to be so harsh as to call him a washed-up child star, but... it wasn't a pretty sight. 10/10 for entertainment value, but that's more due to the disbelief of what we were seeing than the quality of the show.
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Honorary Mention: The opener for Drake Bell was Kira Kosarin who apparently also got her start on Nikelodeon much more recently on a show called The Thundermans (never seen it). She's obviously very, very fresh to the scene but low key was a better time. She's young but gives off heavy wannabe-Jojo vibes. I don't hate it.

Jojo

Speaking of Jojo -- I saw last year at Port City Music Hall, and although she's clearly been recognized far more for being a musician than an actress, I still think she counts. I mean -- Aquamarine and RV are some pretty stellar films, no? Just being in the presence of someone who's been in the presence of Robin Williams is pretty amazing in my book.

She's a complete badass and supremely talented artist and it was one hell of a show she put on. I can't say that I remember every detail because girlfriend is short as hell and so am I, so my view from the back of the venue was not stellar. (Not to mention the few beverages I had...)

Nevertheless I had a fantastic time and I love Jojo's music and all the positive feminine energy she puts out into the world. Queen. QUEEN.
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RICK SPRINGFIELD

I know, I know. Rick Springfield was a musician way, way before he ever stepped foot in front of a camera. He probably came out of the womb strumming a guitar. HOWEVER, our 80s heartthrob did spend a little bit of time on the small screen -- playing Dr. Drake Sr. on the soap opera General Hospital.
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Let me tell you something, I grew up on GH. My mom watched it, my aunts watched it, my sisters watched it. I would come home every day from elementary school and my favorite mobsters and doctors were always on the TV. (How healthy this was is debatable - thanks mom!) So when the opportunity arose to see Rick at a local club Aura I almost shat my pants at seeing this dude in the flesh. He's an icon. I mean -- Jesse's Girl? That is a BANGER that I still listen to all the time.
The concert was a time, let me tell you. It was an acoustic set. The audience was compiled of housewives and stay-at-home-moms with an average age of 54, and the set was peppered with long winded stories of yesteryear. There was a slideshow of old photos playing in the background. When he came down into the audience, we were almost trampled by some hot and bothered older ladies. It was a time. It was awesome.
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Aaron Carter

Okay - some might say that Aaron Carter does not count as an actor in any way shape or form. You'd say he's a musician. I'd agree. But he did appear on one very specific television episode that's extremely important to me: the "I Want Candy" episode of Lizzie McGuire
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​Look, as a kid Aaron Carter was MY DUDE. I was obsessed with him. In love with him. He was just the perfect amount older than me and so cute. Also, Lizzie McGuire was my favorite show of all time and the only thing I watched completely obsessively. I wanted to be her best friend. I wanted to BE her. So when I saw my boy crush on the show with my girl crush I lost my shit. Especially since it was all about his song "I Want Candy" which I danced to as a small child cheerleader (I still have the routine memorized.) And then.... Aaron and Lizzie... kissed! How scandalous! It was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen at that age and it made me love them even more.
This is all to say, that when I landed at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston in 2016 not only was I excited to see the grown up hot man version of Aaron take his clothes off (youtube videos of his sets prepared me for this inevitability), but I also wanted to see the real life version of the boy I once loved. I was not disappointed.
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His shirt did come off. There were two female backup dancers. There was a lot of autotune and some long sad stories. There was a photo taken of the crowd in which I absolutely hid behind my friend so as not to be visible among the 30 other people in the room. I saw Aaron-freaking-Carter.

Macaulay culkin

OKAY SO. THIS IS THE GEM. 

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is my favorite Christmas movie. I love baby Macaulay Culkin. I could go on and on and on. Here's the fun part --

A lot of people don't know that Macaulay has a band called The Pizza Underground. Yes. The Pizza Underground. They're a cover band of sorts that only play songs by the band The Velvet Underground where the lyrics are changed to be about pizza.
​I. Am. Not. Kidding.
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I went to a Pizza Underground show and to this day it was one of the most unique experience I've ever had. (Also MC walked by me and literally brushed up against my arm and I actually died.) The songs were about pizza. They were giving out actual slices of pizza. The band had some actual instruments made out of trash. The drummer was dressed as Anchovy Warhol. There was a slideshow of cats in the background.

Macaulay Culkin is one of the most peculiar and fascinating people ever seen and I will not ever forget the bizzare and weird and strange and awesome night of the PIzza Underground show. And I will continue to watch Home Alone 2 every winter of my life and will love both versions of this boy/man/child/human. 
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There you have it - five stars who've hit the stage in my little corner of the universe!
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    Hi, I'm Kassie!

    SCREENFEELS is the place where I often rant about the things I'm watching and occasionally write something coherent and thoughtful.

    Some posts are re-published pieces from my Medium account, which you can find here.

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