Proof that I have friends outside of the digital realm...

Just found this photo of me and Case from Joauin Phoenix 'performed' at LIV, felt like sharing since we whooped it up again at the Florida Room for ANR on Thursday Night. I can't remember the last time I found myself on the beach, but have ended up there (and probably will again during WMC) with this cool cat, I haven't seen in almost a decade. I guess the Beach does bring people together.

A night to remember...

So I ended up going to see Joaquin Phoenix rap at LIV at Fontainebleau with my old friend, (& quite possibly one of the coolest kids I know) Case Watson. Mr. Watson & I hadn't seen each other in about a decade & somehow decided that the potential spectacle of seein an Academy Award nominated actor, delve into a music career was a monumental enough occassion to finally meet up, and it was absolutely fantastic.

You've probably heard or read by now that Joaquin got into an altercation during the show, but I have to say "the fight" was the highlight of this so-called show he put on. Up and coming Atlanta DJ Klever started spining some sick beats around midnight, and when Joaquin showed up around 1:30 am, he sat at his VIP table for a few minutes while people crowded around and tried to take pictures of him, like he was an endangered animal at the zoo. He finally took the stage around 2 am, "performed" one muffled and barely audicle song awkwardly, exchanged some choice words with a heckler from the audience, then jumped off the stage to pound the guy. The whole situation was over and done with in a few minutes, though most of the footage only covers the tussel. I was there and at the time it looked real enough, to be believable only in that moment since the guy was shit-talking Joaquin the moment he got on stage, but in my opinion, this whole thing has be to be a farce because it's one of the greatest acts I've ever seen in my life. Once security escorted Joaquin and the heckler out, one of the many people on stage, grabbed the mic and asked the audience to "makde some noize for my Mothafucka Joaquin," which basically meant the show was over, because immediately after DJ Craze, hit the decks and got the already riled up audience firing fake guns to M.I.A's Paper Planes. Both DJ's were really great and kept the crowd going all night, since they were the one's doing all the work.

If Joaquin is for real more power to him, but Casey Affleck (who also happens to be his brother-in-law) has been accompanying him & documenting his escapades which makes me suspicious of Joaquin's endeavor, but I'm obviously still being supportive of his art/work. Anyhoozie here are my blurry pics from the "show. "

local promoter extraordinaire, Sam Baum poses for photos as Joaquin

people poppin bottles

the stage where Klever and Craze killed it

The man in black Mr. Johnny...I mean Joaquin Phoenix

the new dyson hand dryers...i just think they're really cool & do the best job ever!

1 of the many lobbies at the hotel that just looks like a club and isn't. I took this pic on my way out because on my way in I thought that this was where I was supposed to be.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

What the fudge?

this is F-ing ridiculous and the only line I can use to explain the shenanigans of last night....

Oh my wow part 2

I've posted in the past about my fascination/perplexion [<--I don't know if that's a word but it is now] over Joaquin Phoenix's decision to retire from acting and pursue a career in music. Well now I'll be able to witness this trainwreck/method acting in person, since he'll be performing live at LIV at The Fontainebleau. I'm going to try my hardest to make see this debacle, but think it may just break my heart to do so.

trailer trash - Two Lovers

"Two Lovers" is Joaquin Phoenix's last forray into acting since he's retired to pursue a career in music, which I hope is just one huge Andy Kaufman like farce. Anyway this film is already out in limited release (& is available ON DEMAND) & has gotten fantastic reviews. If you've seen any of James Gray's work before you know what you're getting yourself into.

If not it's full on emtotional yet not over the top drama. His characters always seem to be walking a tight rope & this film certainly doesn't seem to look any different.

Lil Wayne Rocks...literally

So it turns out Weezy's next project is going to be a rock album. I'm starting to think he and Joaquin Phoenix got caught up in some Freaky Friday experiment and are swapping potential musical careers. I just hope it's not a total train wreck and at the same time I kind of hope it is. There's a sample of "Prom Queen" and what we cane expect from him as he jumps into the genre.

“Prom Queen”

Oh my wow

The first time Joaquin Phoenix came into my life was in 1996 when I came across Gus Van Sant's "To Die For," on cable. I was intrigued and tittilated since I was way too young to be watching that movie (by the by if you haven't seen this movie I highly recommend it, Nicole Kidman, Casey Affleck, Matt Dillon and Ileana Douglas round out this dark comic thriller.) I didn't know how to speak Spanish yet so I wasn't sure how to pronounce his name and was fascinated by this boy named "Jo-a-quin" with a bit of a cleft pallet, undeniable talent and was River Phoenix's brother.
By the time he was nominated for an Oscar in 2000 for "Gladiator" and again in 2006 for "Walk the Line," everyone knew who he was and how to pronounce his name. So when I heard a few weeks ago he was giving up acting completely to pursue a career in music I thought "This has got to be a joke.That's gobble-dee-gook Joaquin."

Sadly (for the time being) this is no joke and below is footage of him rapping at some club in Vegas

While watching all I could think was “Knick-nack paddywhack give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home.” And then he fell off the stage.

I feel bad for Robert Pattinson

As crazy as it may sound I honestly and truly do. As a huge fan of the Twilight Saga, I have obsessively consumed every piece of information available about the book to screen adaptataion of this pop culture phenomenon, but have always been aware it is not real. I haven't seen a frenzy and such utter and complete pandemonium like this since "Titanic" and that was crazy enough the first time around. After reading this Times of London interview with him I can't help but feel bad for him since in the eyes of so many of his underage"fans" (and their equally bonkers moms) he's nothing more than object and the embodiment of Edward Cullen a so called "perfect creature." Though obviously and in all honesty he's an attractive dude, he got really, really lucky fell into the role of a lifetime. The Hollywood machine can be a brutal beast that can chew one up and spit them out before the weekend their movie has been released is over. I wish the kid plenty of luck, but more importantly great work that legitmizes him as an actor rather than just a teen heart throb, because I think he's got the chops for it. And if the acting thing doesn't work out, he can always fall back on slowly, but surely developing music career like Joaquin Phoenix.

***I know I usually don't post about stuff like this, but I felt compelled to since, I legitimately and truly like the idea of him. I write "the idea" because I obvisously don't know him personally, but he reminds of a couple people I know so I want to root for him and wish him all the success in the world. Plus he's a musician at heart and as a Band-Aid I'm all about the music.