Did you know that for a high school project me and my friends made a short movie to prove our grasp of The Great Gatsby? We asked our English teacher to show our video last because we were pretty fucking confident that it would kick ass. And we were right: the class was left speechless.
Being film geeks, we were thoroughly inspired by Moulin Rouge, so it’s obvious that Baz Luhrmann broke into our high school, stole the VHS and replaced me with Leonardo DiCaprio. That bastard!
In our honesty, I’m excited about the new film. The poster art and trailer were released this week. Check ‘em out.
After the original teaser used Jay-Z to pump up Lurhmann’s signature anachronism, the newly released trailer above features songs by today’s most current artists.
Last weekend, Darren Criss sang at some gay wedding. And while Darren’s boyish good looks might entertain your Fire Island friends with short attention spans, he is definitely not the first artist to come to mind when planning my dream wedding.
So I’ve imagined a world where gay marriage is legal everywhere, and top entertainers are vying to serenate me down the isle.
When coming up with the list I took into account singing talent obviously (sorry, Nicki Minaj) but also the artist’s ability to convey a romantic side for the sake of all the lovebirds (sorry Alanis and Adele, you girls got dumped way too many times).
And while booking LGBT allies like Criss and Pink and Cyndi Lauper might help infuse my wedding with even more political panache, how about booking artists who have not been so open about supporting our community? They say the best way to show sanctioning of someone’s marriage is by showing up to the ceremony.
Wedding Song:“Peach Trees” (watch him dedicate the song to his husband-to-be Jorn Weisbrod in Vienna)
Even though he was once a self-proclaimed commitment phobe, the popera pianist is celebrating his own marriage nuptials this Thursday. His grandiose orchestral arrangements could certainly fill a cathedral and his sweet piano melodies can melt even the staunchest of hearts in the audience. Wainwright is also famous for his phenomenal renditions of “Across the Universe,” “Hallelujah” and Judy Garland’s catalogue.
Alicia Keys
Wedding Song: “If I Ain’t Got You” (watch her performing it live at the Grammy’s)
If the breakout “Fallin’” had Keys confused about how she felt for a guy, then her follow-up smash “If I Ain’t Got You” had absolutely zero reservations when it came to matters of the heart. The singer and world-class pianist rewrote the age old love over money song trope with the type of soulful performance you don’t see very often and would certainly make for a memorable wedding moment.
Mumford & Sons
Wedding Song: “I Will Wait” (watch the band perform their upcoming single for the first time in New Jersey)
The British folk-rockers play the type of music that makes you want to stomp around barefoot on the grass, clapping your hands along to the drum beats and shouting the lyrics full-heartedly above the relentless banjo. In other words, a very merry celebration. Their much-anticipated upcoming album, Babel, continues the group’s affinity for gut-wrenching lovelorn folk anthems.
Florence & the Machine
Wedding Song: “Cosmic Love” (watch the performance at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert)
Live, Florence Welch exudes a bewitching persona similar to Stevie Nicks. Her voice pierces the furthest reaches of an outside venue and indoors, she is equally powerful as an intimate performer. Fitting to her presence and voice, Florence’s songs typically tackle romance with an otherworldly force.
Stevie Wonder
Wedding Song: “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (watch him sing the song at the White House)
The living legend and Obama’s fervent endorser still puts on one of the best live shows in the world, one that all your extended family can sing along to. In his most recent performance at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco, Wonder gave flawless renditions of love classics “Signed, Sealed, Deliver” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” All throughout, he was outspoken with inspirational messages of brotherly love, equality and overall kindness.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Wedding Song: “MAPS” (watch them perform the song in a New York City club)
The band from New York may come off as too noisy, gritty and studded to play at a wedding, but their breakout hit “MAPS” continues to make hipsters shed a tear whenever it comes on NPR. Although the title could easily be a reference to distance and being separated from once’s lover, it’s actually an acronym for My Angus Please Stay — Angus being lead singer Karen O’s boyfriend at the time. “MAPS” was declared the best alternative love song of all time by NME the year it came out.
John Legend
Wedding Song: “Ordinary People” (watch him perform the song for AOL’s acoustic sessions)
There’s something about most male R&B singers that they tend to equate love with sex, and most of their “love ballads” revolve around mentions of all-night sex benders on the kitchen floor or making a woman’s inner thighs tingle or worrying that the moans are so loud they’re going to wake up the neighbors. Fortunately John Legend has the songwriting prowess to make R&B songs that tug at the heartstrings.
Kylie Minogue
Wedding Song: “I Believe in You” (watch the ballad version of her hit that appeared on the Kylie Show)
Out of all the female performers overcrowding today’s pop diva royal court, Kylie Minogue seems like the only one classy enough to invite to a wedding, let alone have her perform at ours. And despite the costumes, the overly theatrical live shows, the sculpted Greek gods she employs to carry her around the stage, Kylie still seems like the most earnest Maid of Honor we’ll never have. And unlike her breast-baring, hair-dying, sex tape-leaking contemporaries, some of Kylie’s best songs happen to be beautiful love ballads.
The xx
Wedding Song: “Islands” (watch them perform the song at Glastonbury music festival)
The male/female duo alternate singing in most of the songs, which may be a little too traditional a set-up for a gay wedding, but what better band to perform at a marriage ceremony than one who’s upcoming album is called Coexist? “Islands” off their freshman album is the story of no longer searching the world for what’s right here: love.
The Rolling Stones
Wedding Song: “Wild Horses” (watch the band performing the song on their 40th anniversary tour)
We bet not even Chris Hughes nor Peter Thiel could afford having Mick Jagger crooning the timeless classic at their nuptials, but hey! It’s called dream wedding for a reason, right?
BOY TOYS TALK BACK:Which artist would you have perform at your dream wedding?
Above is a short compilation of several live performances at Coachella 2012, weekend 2. The song is Calvin Harris’s “Feel So Close” remixed by Nero (both Coachella 2012 acts). I felt like making a video was the only way I could even being encapsulating a weekend full of overwhelming, mind-blowing shows.
The video includes footage from Martin Solveig spinning “Hello” with special guest Dragonette. Coachella was the first time the duo had played that song together in America. Miike Snow teased about bringing out “L.A. finest” and at first I thought it was going to be Britney Spears for a indie electronic reworking of “Toxic” or “Piece of Me.” Turns out Lykke Li was the scheduled guest for “Tin Black Box.”
I wished Calvin Harris had played more of his songs, but I guess he was booked for a DJ set. The Shins were nostalgic as always, and I was utterly impressed by what Florence Welch can do with her god gift of a voice. She is also incredibly fun to watch onstage. I got a little crazy dancing (spasming?) during Radiohead, but hey… if you can’t freak out during their set then when can you? Besides Thom Yorke’s got you automatically beat in the weirdo department.
Other highlights included performances by Grouplove, who played a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and The Rapture. But both those shows were on Friday, and I didn’t sneak my camera in that day out of fear of getting it taken away.
The only thing I regret is going to David Guetta instead of St. Vincent. The leathery-tanned women there seemed stuck in 1994 South Beach and their ethnic manfriends in blazers reeked of Acqua Di Gio. I’m worried that Calvin Harris will be affronted with a similar crowd as he gains in popularity.
Coachella’s best kept secret is H&M’s tent pictured right. Similar to their air-conditioned tent last year, the clothing company employed some good looking folks to generously pour us water. However this year, the H&M tent offered a more elaborate shelter with a plushy resting area, free wi-fi, vanity mirrors, photo booths, free sunscreen lotion and other desert-friendly grooming products. It was all in part of their Kiss for a Cure campaign to raise awareness against AIDS.
Saturday night, we accidentally got on the party shuttle back to our resort. Now, I don’t mean just wasted kids and loud music, I’m talking tinted windows, a guy in a Winnie the Pooh costume, club lights and a freaking stripper pole right in the middle. Attention ladies: stripping is only empowering when you are getting paid money for it…
On Sunday, we ran into Glee‘s Darren Criss as he sprinted his way to Gotye, of course. Denys stalked him for a good minute, shooting a video of him walking away from us. He was with some not-so-fabulous people so at first we had our doubts, but when he turned around briefly, even his colorful face paint couldn’t hide that dream boy mug. I could have also sworn we saw the hot werewolf from True Blood, but they were so many shirtless muscle bros there that it might have just been my delirious, overheated imagination.
BOY TOYS TALK BACK:Were you at Coachella this year? Were you wearing politically incorrect Native American wear? What were some of your favorite moments? Did you bump into any celebrities? Who would be your ideal Coachella headliner? And would you have sex with a muscle bros?
