The Man Behind the Music
Hip-Hop made its mark on the history of Super Bowl halftime shows. The highly-anticipated performance came to reality on Sunday night (Feb.13) at Inglewood, Calif.’s SoFi Stadium as the L.A. Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals played for the NFL championship title. You can watch the halftime show with Musical Director Adam Blackstone and executive produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, on the NFL’s official YouTube channel.
Check out Producer Adam Blackstone and Singer/Songwriter Aaron Camper as a part of the new theme for the Queen LaTifah Show!
“On Monday, Latifah’s new syndicated talk show premieres (check local listings for times). It’s the reason for her whirlwind media tour, which includes appearances on David Letterman and morning shows. She retains an upbeat demeanor about it all, but you sense a bit of prevailing frustration. She’s ready to wrap up talking, and get to, well, talking. Her first guest on Monday is John Travolta, followed by Will Smith, Sharon Stone, Jamie Foxx and Jake Gyllenhaal. She’d love to have the president on, as well as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Coldplay and Kings of Leon.” -USA Today
4:35 PM PDT 7/23/2013 by Kimberly Nordyke
Music industry veterans Matt Alonzo and Adam Blackstone have joined the creative and production team of AXS TV’s upcoming SKEE Live as director and live music director, respectively.
SKEE Live, an hourlong weekly music and culture series hosted and curated by DJ Skee, premieres at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on July 30 on AXS TV, which was developed by Mark Cuban to feature live entertainment.
The Hollywood Reporter has the first look at the show’s trailer, above.
Alonzo will set the tone and creative vision for SKEE Live segments including “Up Close,” “Off The Top” and “Spotlight” featuring top athletes and musicians. In addition, Alonzo is leading the overall show creative team to guide the look of the show including set production, graphics and lighting.
Alonzo has directed music videos for the likes of Pitbull, Odd Future, The Game, Far East Movement, Chris Cornell, Ice Cube, New Boyz, Xzibit and Tyrese. His video “Fly Like a G6” for Far East Movement gained international attention when it was nominated for best video at the Japanese MTV Video Music Awards.
Alonzo’s big break came in 2008 when he filmed and edited a Lil Wayne concert that amassed more than 10 million YouTube views.
While SKEE Live promises to bring the latest in music and culture to viewers, it’s also a great opportunity to discover new artists and expand your musical horizons. If you’re inspired by the performances on the show and want to learn how to play music yourself, there are plenty of resources available online. Websites like https://staytunedguitar.com/ offer guitar lessons for beginners and more advanced players alike, as well as tips on music theory, guitar tuning, and more. Whether you’re an aspiring musician or just a fan of great music, SKEE Live is sure to deliver some unforgettable performances and experiences.
Also as live music director, Blackstone will oversee the weekly live performances from the Conga Room in addition to his role as band leader for the SKEE Live house band, Skeetox.
Blackstone most recently served as music director for two of the year’s big tours — Rihanna and Maroon 5 — and is currently in Maryland for the “Legends of the Summer Tour” featuring Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. He has crafted live shows with artists across all genres, including Demi Lovato, Kanye West, Eminem, Chris Brown and Janet Jackson.
Additionally, Blackstone has toured with John Legend and Pharrell and served as Jay-Z’s musical director and collaborator on various albums and DVDs.
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Philly 4th of July Jam 2013
Philly’s music scene took over Hollywood during GRAMMY Week, and Philly 360° was there to capture every moment. Check out this recap featuring Adam Blackstone!
As musical director for Justin Timberlake’s first nationally televised “comeback” performance, Adam Blackstone had a lot on his plate. Not only did the “Suit & Tie” performance rise to the occasion with a huge standing ovation, but he managed to throw two other amazing performances into the mix of the night as well. As musical director for Maroon 5, he orchestrated a mash-up performance with Alicia Keys and performed with the new single “Stay” with Rihanna. Quite a night indeed!