Flu-rida

My shiny new flu has kicked it into high gear. And why not, cause we've just arrived in Florida. As you may remember, I was very sick last time we were in Florida, and this feels like the exact same flu. Muscle aches, terrible sore throat, etc. Not a good time. But Candice's barbecue for cast and crew is tonight, so I've gotta pull it together in a few hours.

Surrender

You guys asked for more video, and how could I deny you?

Occasionally during soundcheck, we like to change it up. Stacy pulls an American Hi Fi and becomes lead-singer guy, Jamie puts down his guitar and plays drums and we all join in playing some random tune.

Land of the Cajuns

Last night, at the Cajundome, we dressed inside a basketball.

This is also the dressing room for the Ragin' Cajuns, who are on a winning streak, I'm told. I like the little orange outlets in the bottom left corner.

Yesterday, we were working Everlife into the show, so we had a long soundcheck/rehearsal, in which there was much waiting. So we threw a Mini Cuddle Party.

L. to R. - Miley, Jaco and Candice

They're actually laying on the stage.

Also laying on the stage, this note:

And after a long day of rehearsal and playing and driving, this was waiting for me on the windowsill in my room at the Ritz Carlton.

Dead Bird

Ch-ch-ch-changes

So that was that. Aly and AJ are gone. Everlife has joined us. We were definitely saddened to say goodbye to A&A's band. They were very nice guys and we were just getting to know them. Notice I only mention the band. It's not that A&A were mean, they just barely said one word to any of us. Whatever.

Everlife all seem to be genuine, sweet and kind people. We're looking forward to our tiny sliver of time with them.

We played Austin last night and Lafayette tonight. Now we're in New Orleans. And it's Mardi Gras! But we've all gotten sick again, so we won't be going out.

Yes, it's true. Stacy is still getting better, but Kay came down with a nasty flu within the last day or so, and now Jaco and I are feeling extremely blecchy.

But it's actually kind of great. Poetic. We were sick at the beginning, we're sick at the end. Oh, how I DO like symmetry.

Is This Thing On?

This is the first time I'm writing a blog entry from my Treo. If you can read this, that means I won't have to wait for internet access to blog anymore. It also means I have to find a new excuse when I'm feeling lazy...

Miscellany

Samantha interviewed Jonathan Coulton for our TV show. I'm a huge fan, so of course I was completely flipping out. During the interview, she had him call me to ask which song he should play on the show. I missed the call (I was in Georgetown, trying to get some sleep), but Jonathan left a message. I'm still bummed about missing it.

Anyway, when I got to LA, she gave me the Best Gift Ever:


Here's a sign from a Wendy's bathroom near Cal Poly. The very definition of irony.


Miley's teacher, Linda, has accidentally become my movie buddy. I went to see "Charlie Wilson's War" in Cleveland, and she was there for the same movie at the same time. So we watched it together. Fun! Then again in Georgetown, when I went to see "There Will Be Blood," we ended up at the same showing. I look forward to accidentally seeing something with her again soon. Here she is with my Mom at the Vegas show:


Billy Ray played with us at Vegas show #1. We love working with him. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met.

L to R: Miley, Billy Ray and Brandi Cyrus

The band says I have the largest family in the world. Nearly every show I've had some family showing up. Pictured here is our big ol' Vegas reunion:

L to R: Mom, me, Aunt Elsie, Dad, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Ivy and Aunt Jessie

Sneaky Sneaky

Previously, my parents and all of my Mom's sisters joined the tour in Vegas. My Aunt Nancy actually lives in Phoenix. So the sisters all flew back with Nancy, and now that the tour has come here to Arizona, they decided to take me out to dinner.

My parents took me over to Nancy's penthouse, which happens to be in the same building as Senator John McCain. He lives a floor below her.

When we got there, the plans had changed. They prepared a lovely spread of healthy yummies.

L to R: Aunt Elsie and Aunt Nancy

They busted out some sparkling cider, which we drank out of the largest flutes ever created:

I was then told that this was all for me! For my birthday. Belated. They had been planning it all along. They brought out all my favorite foods, concluding with boston cream cake that said "Happy Birthday Mike!"

They gave me the best birthday gifts EVER:

You really can't go wrong with that! They knew I wanted the Rock Band bundle, but of course the box is humongous and impossible to get back to LA, so this is much better.

I was really quite surprised and delighted and many many thanks to my family for the clandestine plotting and devious scheming. I loved it.

L to R: Aunt Jessie, Mom, Aunt Ivy, me, Aunt Elsie, Aunt Nancy

R.I.P. Candyland

It's been over a month since Candice's last entry at Candyland, so I'm going to go ahead and pronounce it.

Time of death - 11:37PM on January 21, 2008.

Rest In Peace, Candice's blog. You were worth an entire week of entertainment.

Jaco Enjoys a Little Vanity

Okay, the clip below requires a tiny bit of setup.

Jaco likes to look at himself. He loves to have his picture taken. He also loves to then make that picture his desktop wallpaper, his phone background, and probably he would tape some photos of himself to the walls in his bunk if he could. During the show, he spends quite a bit of time checking himself out on the JumboTron.

Also, he loves to hear himself. I think his guitar has been creeping up in volume throughout the months.

The other day at soundcheck, Jaco was given a present, which also included some helpful instructions...

Leaving the Lights Behind

We just finished a wonderful three-day run in Vegas. The longest run we've had on the tour. It was nice to stay in one place for awhile.

So what happened while we were in Vegas:

1. Stacy got a bronchial infection. Currently coughing up neon green.
2. Kay passed out and hit her head really hard on the floor. Freaked us all out.
   
3. Almost all my aunts were in town, as were my sweet parents. Family reunion!
   
4. All the Hollywood Records and Disney execs came to show #1. Scary. We were told to bring our "A" game. So we did.
   
5. John Mayer came to show #2. Cool.
   
6. Johnny Depp came to show #3. Very cool.
   
7. We spent a night clubhopping, as Cowboy the rigger got us an amazing VIP booth at Moon and VIP treatment at some other clubs as well, and Jamie complained (in an entertaining way) the entire night.
8. We had a big jam session in the desert, at drum tech Benoit's house, funking out with Aly and AJ's band. Dancers on drums, guitarists on bongos. A very fun mess.
   

And now we're on the bus, trekking to Phoenix for a day off. Sweet sleep, how I've missed you.

Hooray for Hollywood

The band and the dancers flew back to LA for the premiere of our 3D tour film. I took my parents. The three of us walked down the red carpet, and paparazzi were snapping pics of everyone but us. Which was, honestly, a relief. Everybody was out, from crazy screaming fans to big Disney stars (that I've never heard of).

When we arrived inside the El Capitan, we picked up our chunky 3D glasses and popcorn, in a big plastic Hannah Montana sand pail, with a handle.

I did think it strange that we all got super dressed up and spiffy, then proceeded to ruin the look with our big popcorn pails and glasses.

The movie itself was absolutely phenomenal. We were all very impressed. It was hilarious and fun and eye-popping, and really reflected Miley's personality perfectly. The filmmakers were very generous and gave copious and equal screen time to all the band members. I highly recommend everyone see it 18 times. Of course, I feel like I look like a total spaz in it, but I always hate to see myself in pictures and movies. Hopefully, you'll feel differently.

A Party In Your Mouth (That You Should Not Attend)

The new Chocolate Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper has officially too many flavors in one place.

Next week, Strawberry Licorice Castor Oil Pepsi!

Name your favorite new awful made-up flavor.

Breakfast

Coming To A Theater Near You!

You can see me and the entire Hannah Montana cast in the upcoming "Best of Both Worlds" tour movie, coming February 1st to Digital 3D and IMAX theaters across the country! With additional behind the scenes footage, and closeups of all your favorite band members, in 3D!

This movie is the first to use brand new state of the art digital 3D technology. I saw a tech demo of it, and let me tell you, it's gonna blow some minds and melt some faces. This is 3D that won't give you a cross-eyed headache. The colors, the definition, EVERYTHING about it knocked me senseless. You are gonna love it.

Here's a preview:



Thanks to my readers for the heads-up on this.

Milwaukee Must Be Native American for "Awful"

After being spoiled rotten by our day off at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan, yesterday's day off at the Hilton in Milwaukee left much to be desired. I opened the door to my room and my jaw dropped. Not much to the room. But I continued to discover brand new disappointments throughout the day. Here are the bullet points:

• The bathroom smelled like death
• The toilet was not a toilet, it was a commode (let your mind wander)
  
• The TV had only a couple channels - no Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, MTV, etc
• I couldn't plug in my PlayStation, cause they bolted off the connections
• The internet was $10
• The lights were all fluorescent and made a loud hum when turned on
• The walls were paper thin and I could hear my neighbors on both sides
• In addition, I was serenaded by Jaco, in the room below me, all day and all night, bellowing at the top of his lungs
  

There was one thing that impressed me though. This:

This however, turned out to be false, as I had a housekeeping woman knock on my door. Twice. Oh Hilton. Try harder.

So I thought, "well if the room is so terrible, I should probably go out." Yeah. Milwaukee's not so well known for their amazing shopping and culture. It was like a wasteland out there. And cold. So I asked about a theater. The concierge said, "we don't really have any around here." Isn't this supposed to be a city?

But now we're headed to Chicago to make up for it.

Top Ten Films of 2007

It was a year of greatness. It was also a year of surprisingly mainstream nihilism. While I liked some of it ("No Country for Old Men" and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" were both very well-crafted) and I hated some of it (PT Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" was a bleak disappointment), the films that ended up on this list seem to live at the other end of the spectrum. The happy end. These are the movies I enjoyed the most this year.

1. Juno
A sweet, funny movie full of warmth, with characters of increasing depth. Featuring sharp writing and winning performances by Ellen Page and the entire ensemble cast, Juno is life-affirming without being cloying. One of the best movies of this, or any other year.

2. Paris Je T'aime
A collection of 18 short films by some of the best directors in the world, including The Coen Brothers, Alexander Payne, Gus Van Sant and Tom Tykwer, and featuring an amazing cast, including Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood and Emily Mortimer. Sure, some of the shorts are better than others (several are brilliant and one is a complete disaster), but they only last six minutes each, and they add up to something magical. One of my favorite theatrical experiences in years. Just watching the trailer makes me cry now.

3. Knocked Up
Hilarious from start to finish, but with far more heart then these kind of movies usually have. Sharply says lots of uncomfortably true things about marriage and relationships. Judd Apatow has proven to be Hollywood's King Midas, and this year was particularly good to him. This movie works equally well as entertainment and character study, and holds up well to repeat viewing. Go Judd!

4. Grindhouse
Two great films from two of our greatest directors. Tarantino and Rodriguez put together an amazing theatrical experience. A joyous, blood-soaked excursion through 70's-era splatter films. I'm so upset to hear that they're only releasing the two films separately on DVD, and that the incredible experience I had in the theater will not be duplicated at home. Boo.

5. Superbad
Judd strikes again! Somehow, even funnier than Knocked Up, with hysterical performances from Jonah Hill and the dependable Michael Cera. And in true Judd fashion, there's a lot of heart underneath the constant barrage of jokes, making this teenage gross-out film fun for everyone.

6. Once
A reinvention of the movie musical. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova star as singer/songwriters and in reality, they wrote and performed all the songs for the film. Sure, some people may find it a bit slow, but for those with patience, this is a rewarding and emotional film with an unforgettable soundtrack.

7. The Host
South Korea's biggest hit of all time, The Host is a quirky little monster movie with something to say. Truly different than anything we could/would ever make in the US. Scary, funny, sad and clever, and filled with great special effects. Seek this one out.

8. Michael Clayton
A challenging, mature thriller featuring a riveting lead performance by George Clooney. Eschewing shots of adrenaline, the movie is fueled by tension and layered characters. Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson are both heartbreaking in juicy roles. I was sad when this one ended.

9. Hairspray/Enchanted/Sweeney Todd - tie
2007 was a good year for the movie musical, and these three films were all great examples of why I love this genre. "Hairspray" cast its optimistic glow on the 50's and was a sugary sweet re-imagining of John Waters' classic. "Enchanted" was far more fun than it ever should have been, due in great part to Amy Adams charismatic performance in the lead role. And "Sweeney Todd" proved that musicals can be dark, gory thrill rides, too.

10. Waitress
Let's get this straight: I'm not a fan of Keri Russell. In fact, I usually can't stand her. But she was lovely in this sweet little slice of arthouse film. It was written by Adrienne Shelly, who was actually murdered in her apartment in NY only six months before the film's release. It's a shame she isn't around to enjoy the acclaim she's deservedly receiving. Waitress is beautifully photographed, fun and a gentle romantic-comedy for these hard times we're living in. And it will make you hungry for pie.

"Get Off My Lawn!"

Today feels weird. The Jonas Brothers played their last show with us two days ago in Albany. They're just about to embark on their own giant tour. We said our sad goodbyes and Ashlee cried and hugs were given and received. And now they're gone. And now there are a bunch of people we don't know (Aly and AJ + band), sharing the stage with us. They all seem really nice, but it just feels weird and different. I've always been averse to change, and terrible at goodbyes.

I'm sure we'll all become tight buds in the next two weeks that they're here. Right now though, I feel like an old man who's been living in the same house for decades, and somebody moved the salt.

Day Camp

On the final day of the DC/Baltimore odyssey, my friends Sarah and Joe Camp stole me away from the bus, and I rode with them to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, where we walked around and wasted time, in the fun way.

We found the coolest Barnes and Noble on the planet, which looked like something out of Bioshock:

And the contender for Worst-Titled Book goes to:

The show that night was crazy because our venue in Baltimore was not very accommodating. They gave us a tiny dressing room, which we could all barely fit into, so we thought we would just do what we always do with a crappy dressing room: spend our before-the-show time on the bus.

But not in Baltimore! They didn't want our buses on, for some strange reason, so they made us cut the power to all the buses. No TV, no lights, we even had to shut off our refrigerator, which made us concerned that our food would go bad. Not cool, Baltimore. And not pro.

Sarah and Joe and I just hung out on the bus anyway. In the dark. And talked. That was nice, for a change, anyway.

Because this show was so close to home, a lot of my friends and fans showed up. They were screaming, "Mike! Miiiiike!" And at first, I didn't notice because I'm so used to hearing, "Miley! Miiiiiley!"

It's weird to have fans. And honestly, it's even weirder that I have friends.

Look At Samantha Go!

My dear friend and business partner, Samantha Murphy, has just done a spot for DigitalFreedom.org.

Hennebergers and Fries

The day of our DC show, I met up with my cousin Mark Henneberger, and his daughter, Danielle, at a local tavern.

Much catching up and much tour chat. While in this Georgetown tavern, Jamie and Stacy came in for lunch, and a few minutes later, tour manager Charlie and dancer Christina showed up. Within a certain radius of our hotels, we're pretty much guaranteed to see other show folks when we go out for meals.

But I digress. Mark is ridiculously smart, and designs submarines for a living. He employs about 1000 people. And Danielle works at a splendid towering Cathedral, of which she was happy to give us a tour.

Absolutely gorgeous. They held a contest to Design A Gargoyle, so we saw some really strange ones, like the Darth Vader gargoyle, and the gas mask gargoyle.

She walked us through the grand and overwhelming main hall, and then took us to the contrasingly dumpy basement area.

Dani works in the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation. They're currently working on eradicating Malaria, which seems like a pretty good idea.

Also, we saw the very spot in the cathedral where Hellen Keller and her companion are buried.

The stainglass windows were some of the most beautiful I've seen:

Strangely enough, in this traditional old-world cathedral, there were brand new flatscreen TVs on every column.

Dani and Mark were joined by their family at the show later that evening, and afterwards we stopped at the Tombs for the juiciest burgers in existence. I still dream about them.