VIA Times – August 2014 Issue Vital News, Vibrant Views for Asian Americans in Chicago & Midwest
By: Jovie Calma
If there’s one thing Chicago knows how to do, it’s to throw a great festival! Whether you like to get mushy with it, fist pump, or you’d rather close your eyes and dreamily dance the night away, there’s always a Chicago party in store for you! Budweiser’s Made In America Chicago Party was a huge hit to Chicagoans on July 10th held at the Aragon Ballroom. It was trending with Chicagoans checking-in with their social media apps with hashtag #MadeInAmerica #MadeInChicago. It was one of the concert series to kick-off Budweiser’s Made In America. When American rapper, record producer and business mogul, Jay-Z embarked on his Budweiser Made in America project, the philosophy he wanted to represent was simple: bringing together bands and artists of all genres to celebrate the rich variation that has become the US musical community. Made in America is an annual massive musical celebration that takes over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Labor Day Weekend. This year, Made In America will be bi-coastal marking the first simultaneous music festival of its kind in the country. For the East coast, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Steve Aoki, Pharrell Williams, Tiesto and The National will be the major names headlining the festival at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on August 30 and 31. They are all set to bring Philadelphia on its knees with their respective genre of rock, rap and EDM. The West Coast will be headlined by Imagined Dragons, Kanye West, and Afrojack. Kendrick Lamar, John Mayer and Juanes on the same dates in Grand Park, Los Angeles. This is the first Made in America in LA! Past headliners have included Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Drake, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, TJR and more. The inaugural event was held in 2012 in Philly that attracted nearly 80,000 people and grossed $5 million in ticket sales. The 2014 festival will reportedly deliver “twice the amount of music” than the previous years of the festival, and will also be benefiting the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, United Way of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and United Way of Lancaster County. At the Chicago concert series, Illinois native, Hey Champ opened the show. Band members Saam Hagshenas (Vocals, Guitar) and Jonathan Marks (Drums) hailed from nearby Rockford discovered their love of music at a young age. Their sound blends indie-pop and electronic rock. They were discovered by Lupe Fiasco in the fall of 2008, who took them on a nationwide tour. Their music incorporates influences from disco, house and indie rock to the power-pop of Rockford’s hometown heroes, Cheap Trick and the synth-heavy productions of Giorgio Moroder and Trevor Horn. Their infectious sound has garnered and made them blog and radio darlings from Portland to Paris to Porto Alegre. It was amazing to note that Chicago welcomed them back onstage with an open arms. Wassup?! Jovie Calma LIVE! had an interesting conversation with Hey Champ! When I checked-in at the event and tweeted about getting ready to rock for the Chicago Party for Budweiser’s Made In America, Mashup Maestro Girl Talk favorited my “tweet” and I admit, I was thrilled. Girl Talk is the stage name of Greg Gillis, an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. He has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles. Greg worked as an engineer but he quit to focus solely on music. He produces mash-up style remixes, in which he uses often a dozen or more unauthorized samples from different songs to create a mashup. At the show, Girl Talk shared his wonderful music with a few thousand fans jammed together beneath a blinding light show, waving their arms as rolls of toilet paper and explosions of confetti fall around them. It’s all about freedom to party and express oneself. With his songs as mash-ups, Girl Talk has truly created a unique kind of hook that encompasses 50 years of the revolving trends of pop music. Girl Talk is one of the featured artists for Made In America in Philly. For more information for the Budweiser’s Made in America, please check: www.madeinamericafest.com. Stay tuned for Wassup?! Jovie Calma LIVE’s media coverage of this event! Are you excited? I’m stoked! On a personal note, allow me to extend my special birthday wishes to Tita Patti Angeles (Aug. 2), Lou Cantada (Aug. 3), Dan Gawat (Aug. 6), Tita Nida San Pedro (Aug. 8), Filjelaine Velez (Aug, 11), Ate Jo Ann Alzol (Aug. 11), Tita Gay Angeles (Aug, 23) and to my Nongni, Tito Joe Mauricio (Aug 19). Congratulations and Best Wishes to Charles “Artie” and Cherie Topacio who tied the knot in Dominican Republic. We’re honored to be part of your beautiful union. I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone as we salute and recognize our distinguished awardees for the 20th Annual Chicago Filipino American Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 4th to be held at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL. 60018. For information, please call: 773-866- 0811. To all VIA Times Readers and CPRTV viewers, thank you for your continued support. Please continue to share your blessed Sunday with us at your favorite TV Show, The Chicago Philippine Reports TV (CPRTV), can now be viewed on Chicago Cable 25, every Sunday from 3:00- 4:00 PM on Comcast, RCN and Wow Cable Channels with repeat broadcasts everyday except Monday. Until the next issue of Wassup?! Jovie Calma LIVE! God Bless Us All!
Happy Belated Birthday to my theater BFF sister, Mae Vidal who celebrated her post-birthday with me at Budweiser’s Made In America Chicago Party! Budweiser #MadeInAmerica.
Jovie Calma expressed her BIG thanks to Girl Talk for giving her a shout out via Twitter! Looking forward to jam with him again at Budweiser’s Made In America Festival in Philadelphia! #Budweiser #MadeInAmerica.
VT/CPRTV’s Jovie Calma’s post-show interview with Hey Champ while promoting Budweiser at the step and repeat. #Budweiser #MadeInAmerica #MadeInChicago Photo credits: Darren Bui
Post-Wassup?! Jovie Calma LIVE/CPRTV’s official interview “selfie” with the Kapuso GMA 7’s Primetime King of Philippine Television, Mr. Dingdong Dantes. He headlined the successful Piyesta Pinoy in Bolingbrook last June! Interview was aired on June 22nd at CPRTV 25! Our outfits were matched, too! Thank you AKIRA Chicago!
Congratulations and Best Wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Cherie Topacio who tied the knot in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (L-R: Dion, Jovie, Cherie and Charles)
