Vamsi Tadepalli remembers jumping on his bed when he was 4 years old, listening to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Thirty years after the song was released, Tadepalli’s tribute band, Who’s Bad, will play at Hollywood Casino Toledo.

The free show will be the first time Who’s Bad plays in Toledo. Performances are at 8 and 10 p.m. Dec. 7.

The band formed eight years ago while Tadepalli was in college. It was then that he fell back in love with Jackson.

“The whole reason behind starting the group is to remind people how awesome [Jackson’s] music is,” Tadepalli said. “No

w that he’s gone, there’s that desire for people to want to hear [his music].”

The group’s first performance was January 2004. Tadepalli said the show went international after Jackson died in 2009.

“We were doing about 100 shows a year before he passed away,” Tadepalli said. “We definitely booked a lot more shows because everyone kind of wanted to fill that void he left behind. They wanted to hear his music, so we were there ready to go.”

Tadepalli said Jackson never got to see the show, but he thinks Jackson knew of the act.

“I’m pretty sure the Jackson estate was aware of us,” Tadepalli said. “They tend to only contact people if they don’t like what they’re doing. We’ve yet to hear anything.”

Tadepalli said the closest they’ve come was when Jackson’s former manager Frank Dileo attended the show. He said it was, “great; Michael would have been proud.”

Until recently, Tadepalli was the saxophone player. Now, he stays backstage as manager. He said he knew the band would be popular, but wouldn’t have guessed it’d last this long.

“It’s been pretty amazing to see how far his music reaches,” Tadepalli said.

The show is about 60 minutes and showcases 22 songs.

Tadepalli promises dancing numbers during “Beat It,” “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal.”

“Everyone in the band comes from different backgrounds,” Tadepalli said. “That’s a cool aspect because it kind of symbolizes what Michael did. He brought people together in his music.”

For more information, visit the website www.hollywoodcasinotoledo.com.

Tags: Hollywood Casino Toledo, Michael Jackson, Who's Bad

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Casinos, In Concert, Music.
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Give David Garibaldi a black canvas, a few cans of latex paint, some brushes and music and watch him dance and dazzle as he creates a portrait of someone famous — in about seven minutes.

His colorful portrayals include Michael Jackson, Bono, Rihanna, Jesus, John Lennon, Jay-Z, Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe.

“It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks learning a portrait,” Garibaldi said. “I start by finding a really, really distinctive image of the person and then trying to bring it to life. And then I put those together and sort of figure out if I can make it entertaining.”

Millions across the country have been entertained by his high energy and enthusiasm on “America’s Got Talent.” He’s a semifinalist with his act, David Garibaldi and His CMYK’s.

Garibaldi will bring his “Rhythm and Hue” show to the SeaGate Centre on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. for the Hollywood Casino Gala Dinner and Show, which will also feature comedian Tom Dreesen. Tickets to the charity fundraiser are $235 and available by calling the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic tournament office at (419) 531-3277.

“I have to credit Mr. [Shawn] Sullivan, my animation teacher at Sheldon High School [in Sacramento], for coming up with [‘Rhythm and Hue,’]” Garibaldi said. “It just described everything, like who I am and where I was, where I’m going with the show — it’s music and color.”

It was 2003 when the former graffiti artist saw a painting of Jimi Hendrix by Denny Dent, known for his “two-fisted art attack” while capturing rock stars on canvas.

“I was inspired because I could see what was possible, what I could do with all these life passions,” Garibaldi said of art, music and dance. “So literally the next day, I started trying to figure out, OK, how do I do this now?”

Since putting it all together, the 30-year-old has opened for Snoop Dogg and the Blue Man Group. While music plays by the subjects of his paintings, he also is accompanied by DJ Joseph ONE and drummer Walt Williams.

During a phone interview from Minneapolis, Garibaldi said he’s heard from some of the artists he’s painted, including Kanye West, Rihanna and Carlos Santana.

“Some of them have shared videos of me creating their portrait on Twitter, on Facebook or they’ve at least sent their acknowledgement over social media. It’s definitely been cool to get those responses,” he said.

Garibaldi is also known for giving. In the past 10 years, he has raised more than $1 million for several organizations, including the Special Olympics, Echoes of Hope and World Vision.

“Art and music are powerful because as artists, we can take materials that are only a few hundred dollars in value and we can create something on them or with them and turn them into something with thousands of dollars of value, and that money can go and help a lot of different people that can use it, that really need it,” he said.

“My passion is painting, and I think you can change painting in that phrase with anything, whether it’s teaching, writing, whether it’s working at the local grocery store — whatever you do, you can do with passion. And when you apply a purpose behind it, I think that’s when it becomes something more than, to me, just painting — I’m helping change lives.”

For more information, visit the website garibaldiarts.com.

Tags: "America's Got Talent", Albert Einstein, Blue Man Group, Bono, Carlos Santana, David Garibaldi, Hollywood Casino Toledo, Jay-Z, Jesus, John Lennon, Kanye West, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, SeaGate Centre, Snoop Dogg

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 9:56 am and is filed under Jamie Farr Classic, Star.
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“Everyone wants to be on a postage stamp, but nobody wants to die.” — Pat MacDonald

Thanks to the U.S. Postal Service, 22 years after MacDonald sang that lyric on the Timbuk3 song “Standard White Jesus,” you no longer have to.

Of all the honors American society and culture can bestow — hosting “Saturday Night Live,” being parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic, providing a voice for a “Simpsons” character, being mentioned in a David Letterman Top 10 list, marrying a Kardashian — having one’s image on a postage stamp is the greatest; but until now, it could only happen after one assumed room temperature and could not enjoy it.

The policy does make sense. Imagine if there had been an early 2011 unveiling of “The Coaches of Penn State” stamp series, featuring Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky and Mike McQueary. Those stamps would not have graced many Christmas cards by year’s end. The Big Ten Football Conference, which encompasses 12 teams, learned that lesson this year when it had to strip Paterno’s name from its inaugural championship trophy.

By waiting until people are long dead before placing them on a stamp or money, you have a reasonable shot at making sure you know enough about them to avoid such an embarrassing scenario. That doesn’t mean the occasional revelation won’t surface, but we tend to forgive the dead when we discover they endorsed documents espousing equality while owning slaves and fathering children with those slaves.

William Porter recently wrote in The Denver Post that, “When Arapahoe County’s former sheriff was recently arrested and charged with dealing methamphetamine, much was made of the fact that he was jailed, orange prisoner jumpsuit and all, in a building named in his honor. This was not only humiliating for a man once named national Sheriff of the Year. It also posed a serious public-relations problem for the county he once served: What do you do when the Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility houses Patrick J. Sullivan Jr.?”

Ouch.

Death and time also provide context for notoriety and achievement. Fame can rise, burn bright and disappear faster than you can say “Yahoo Serious.” Or “Crocodile Dundee.” Or “Mark Fidrych.” Or “Snooki.” Or “Carty Finkbeiner.”

Still, imagine the fun to be had if you could be on a stamp while still alive! You could carry a postage stamp in your wallet as ID to impress snooty maitre d’s, and being on a stamp would be one of the greatest pickup lines ever.

There must be a thousand variations on “signed, sealed, delivered,” “return to sender,” “you send me” and “I bet you’ve licked me before” a person could smoothly invoke while brandishing a stamp with his or her face on it.

Someone on high must agree, because starting this year, the U.S. Postal Service is not only opening its stamps to living people, it is, in a decision that illustrates the wisdom guiding the organization, asking the public to help choose who could be honored.

Get your portrait ready, Larry the Cable Guy!

According to a news release, “The Postal Service is dropping a rule that currently requires an individual to have been deceased at least five years before being honored on a stamp. Under the new guidelines, living or recently deceased individuals will be eligible for commemoration on postage stamps.”

Can’t wait to see the many costumes of Lady Gaga immortalized!

“This change will enable us to pay tribute to individuals for their achievements while they are still alive to enjoy the honor,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a news release. “These remarkable individuals — through their transformative achievements in their respective fields — have made enduring contributions to America. Honoring living individuals expands the interest in stamp topics and keeps our program timely, relevant and contemporary.”

Remember when the public voted on which image of Elvis Presley should be on a stamp? There was young, healthy, sexy, skinny Elvis, and older, unskinny Elvis. Could a similar choice soon face Oprah fans?

Stephen Kearney, executive director of stamp services for the postal service, was quoted as saying, “Engaging the public to offer their ideas is an innovative way to expand interest in stamps and the popular hobby of collecting them. We are inviting our customers to submit the top five living individuals they would like to see on stamps through Facebook.”

Some of the suggestions people have posted include Michael Jackson, who would qualify in a few years anyway (ditto Steve Jobs and Elizabeth Taylor); peace-loving Billy Graham (who was nominated by the same person who nominated violence-loving Clint Eastwood); Dolly Parton, who would require two stamps to illustrate the bounty of her wigs; Ellen DeGeneres, who would have a field day with tongue and licking jokes; Bill Clinton, who would have a field day with tongue and licking jokes; Harrison Ford, who has technically been on a stamp with the Han Solo portrait in the “Star Wars” stamps; Bill Cosby; Madonna; Barack Obama; Bob Dylan; Stephen Hawking; and Jesus Christ (the nominating person wrote on Facebook, “I really want to be able to send letters with Jesus Christ stamps. He even fits both profiles of being deceased, yet is still alive!”)

As no human being is perfect, no human being is beyond making a legacy-shattering mistake. Changing the USPS policy to allow living human beings on stamps is risky, but the conundrum of human nature in all its fallibility is an issue that will most likely never be licked.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Billy Graham, Bob Dylan, Carty Finkbeiner, Clint Eastwood, Crocodile Dundee, David Letterman, Dolly Parton, Elizabeth Taylor, Ellen DeGeneres, Elvis Presley, Harrison Ford, Jerry Sandusky, Jesus Christ, Joe Paterno, Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Larry the Cable Guy, Lighting The Fuse, Madonna, Mark Fidrych, Michael Jackson, Michael S. Miller, Oprah, Pat MacDonald, Penn State, Saturday Night Live, Simpsons, Snooki, Star Wars, Stephen Hawking, Steve Jobs, Timbuk3, US Postal Service, Weird Al Yankovic, Yahoo Serious

This entry was posted on Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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“Thriller” played in the lobby of the Franklin Park Cinema as a crowd began to gather. Toledo School for the Arts students dressed as zombies wandered the theater and movie-goers young and old lined up more than an hour before the scheduled premiere of “This Is It,” the Michael Jackson movie released for a sneak peak Oct. 27 and in theaters across America at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 28.

Fans wore shirts with the movie logo or Jackson concert T-shirts, they chattered with friends as they took their seats. With a half hour to go, the theater filled quickly.

But the movie started with silence. There was no fanfare, no soundtrack, as yellow script scrolled up the screen. There was no need; the audience was still in anticipation.

The two hours of the movie chronicle the final rehearsals of Jackson, his crew, dancers and musicians. There are laughter and tears among the cast members as they worked to give the world what Jackson called “talent [it] had never seen before.”

There are also laughter and tears among audience members as the King of Pop performs some of his most memorable hits.

But most of all, there is applause. And singing. Some people even mimic the motions of the performers to the hit “Billie Jean” and other songs.

Jackson’s energy is amazing as he seemingly effortlessly sings and dances his way through song after song, even though some backup dancers half his age look forced.

And song after song, the audience applauds. Some even yell, “You get ‘em Michael.”

The tribute utilizes footage from interviews, videos and practices leading up to the planned final Michael Jackson tour, “This Is It.”

In one of the final scenes in the movie, Jackson’s voice is heard narrating his performance of “Earth Song” lamenting the destruction of the earth by humans. He calls each person to take responsibility and not rely on others to fix problems.

The movie closes with Jackson rehearsing “Man in the Mirror.” “No message could be clearer,: he said, “take a look at yourself and then make the change.”

His message lives on in the heart of every person who has played one of his records, turned on the radio, seen him live or in this movie.

“You gotta get it right, while you got the time, ‘cause when you close your heart, then you close your mind.”

Tags: Michael Jackson, This Is It

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 9:13 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Film.
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