“We LMFAO, rock the beat and rock the show!” the Los Angeles based Electro Hip-Hop duo LMFAO belts out on the opening track of their July 2009 debut album “Party Rock”. Party Rock isn’t just the name of their album; it’s the name of the LMFAO clothing line, and the title of their headlining tour. “Party Rock” also represents the LMFAO overall lifestyle.
LMFAO combines the talents of DJ/rappers Redfoo and his nephew Sky Blu. Foo is actually the son of legendary founder of Motown, Berry Gordy. The duo made a name for themselves in Hollywood as DJ’s and producers, doing remixes for Kanye West, Katy Perry, Fergie, Black Eyed Peas, and many more. When Foo and Sky decided to put out a mix of their own, it started a movement that has captured the attention of old- and new-school music lovers alike. LMFAO is recognized most for their chart-topping single, “I’m in Miami Trick”.
Social The Magazine caught up with RedFoo and LMFAO publicist Elle Galerman while they were in Portland, OR at the beginning of their national tour.
SM: It’s great to see the LMFAO style and groove finally gain some mainstream awareness. Congrats on the tour. You were just in Hollywood, your hometown. What was that like?
Foo: It was amazing ‘cause it was in our hometown and our first 2 shows were practice for that show. But we were so excited, me and Sky, to be in our hometown with all our family there and selling it out. I think they had to ask for another 600 people permit for that show.
SM: Is this your first “bus” tour? What kind of entourage do you have?
Foo: We have the DJ, DJ Air. We got Paparazzi Pete who’s the cameraman but now he jumps on stage and plays keys, Elle, our in-house publicist. We have Q, the dancer, Nikole, the new Polka-dot bikinigirl, tech people, lighting, security…all in the same bus. It’s full, but we’re having a blast.
SM: Elle, how did you hook up with LMFAOand become a part of the Party Rock crew?
Elle: I moved to LA from New York prior to getting on the bus. As far as my role with LMFAO, I’m the PR girl. Foo named me the LMFAO in-house publicist, but I wear a lot of different hats. I’m their writer and write everything from material for our clothing line’s press kit to our tour blog. Foo’s mom says I’m like the Almost Famous journalist, but inside. I also help out with contests, stuff at shows, do some media relations, act as a sort of fan liaison, etc. I’m really living the dream–we all are. It’s like the song “Yes.” We are seeing our dream everyday on the road.
SM: Speaking of the song “Yes”, we posed a question to our Twitter followers and chose the following from Social the Magazine reader, Jessica Dunn. Jessica asks: Would you say you are living the dream as you describe in the song, Yes”?
Foo: That’s so funny because I just talked to Paparazzi Pete about this…I said I think we need to build our own house. We’re getting close, but we aren’t there 100%. We’re well in line…you know it’s like climbing a mountain. I feel like we’re halfway up the mountain and the top is getting near, but we have a ways to go to get to our dream, and will that dream ever be fulfilled? It will probably continue to grow.
SM: What can we expect in the future from LMFAO? More tours, new music?
Foo: We keep dreaming and updating and something I’ve been saying a lot is that the clothing represents a lifestyle. I really want a store in every major city around the world because everywhere we go, people are asking if we have a store. I’d like to model it after the Apple store, make it an interactive experience. Creatively we are going to start working on the next album….but we’re also slated to go on the Black Eyed Peas tour in the states in the middle of February, and that’s a 2 month tour, so we have a lot in the making. Everything we’re doing on this tour is for something else. For instance, when we sound check, that’s like our practice. We’re constantly building. We want LMFAO to be an experience. It’s a huge project, but it’s something we want to do. I see this as an act, like a circus.
SM: I know everyone in music hopes for the level of success you guys are enjoying right now, but did you really expect it?
Foo: We really wanted this. Our goal was to be the biggest band in the world. We want to do what we do to be the biggest. We want to wear our clothes and be us, and give 100%. So yeah, we did expect this.
SM: I know there’s an LMFAO social networking site, which is an interactive experience with your fans. Tell me about Party Rock People.
Foo: Yeah, we’ve got www.partyrockpeople.com that all our fans should join. We post our status which links to Twitter, party pics, tour info, we have contests, etc. It’s just like a party over there. Every night we take pictures of the show and we post those pretty much daily. Also, you can find the clothing line and Party Rock gear at www.partyrocklife.com.
SM: Thanks so much, guys. We look forward to seeing you in the Carolinas next month. I’ll be there, in my Party Rock gear, of course!
LMFAO is currently on their first nationwide US tour supporting their debut release “Party Rock”, along with Schwayze & special guests Far East Movement, Paradiso Girls, Space Cowboy (Lady Gaga’s DJ) and DJ sets by Million $ Mano. You can catch them live at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC on December 10, 2009 and at The House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC on Friday, December 11, 2009. You can be sure I’ll be at both!
Update: 4th Annual Reader's Choice Awards Scheduled for September 12, 2010. Local band EFFIGY scheduled to perform.
More information coming soon!
The 4th annual Social Magazine gala red carpet event promises to be an even bigger and better show than ever.
Without a doubt, the crowning jewel of all our events is the Social Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards, which recognizes Triangle area winners of the “Best” in their category with a Hollywood-style star-studded red carpet gala event that rivals the Academy Awards Show. The Reader's Choice Awards Show debuted in 2006 and boasted over 2000 attendees. The event instantly established itself as THE see-and-be-seen event of the year and still is!
"The decision to hold the Reader's Choice Awards in September was made so we can take advantage of more moderate weather and avoid conflicts with the busy holiday season. We want everyone to truly enjoy the red carpet experience! "
Chris London
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief, Social The Magazine
The 4th Annual Social Magazine Reader's Choice Awards show is slated to take place in September, 2010 so we can take advantage of more moderate weather and avoid conflicts with the busy holiday season. We want everyone to truly enjoy the red carpet experience! Announcements coming soon about this year’s hosts, special performers, celebrity guests, nominations, voting and ticket sales.
Subscribe to the Social newsletter to get up to the minute information about the 4th Annual Social Magazine Awards Show.
For sponsorship information, videos, photo galleries, updated information and celebrity presenters, voting, ticket purchase, & more, visit our Reader's Choice Awards Show section.
Contact us to learn more about available Awards Show sponsorship packages.
Hollywood to Rallywood
Tuesday Night Live in Downtown Raleigh – an evening with Dan Aykroyd and Crystal Head Vodka
There wasn’t an actual red carpet, but it felt like a Hollywood kind of evening as we rolled up to our first stop in the Social limo at downtown Raleigh’s The Ugly Monkey bar to kick off the Crystal Head Vodka tour and welcome legendary entertainer Dan Aykroyd to our city. The crowds had gathered, the bar was packed, the “Ghostbusters” and “Blues Brothers” tracks blared through the open doors, cameras flashed, and the air of fun, excitement and giddy anticipation was palpable. “Oh yea,” I thought, “tonight’s going to be a good night!” We had just left a superb dinner hosted for us by the fine folks at 8311 North Italian Chophouse, which is the place where publisher Chris London had first discovered Crystal Head Vodka, inquired, and made the phone call to Southern Wine & Spirits that led us all to this, our own “Tuesday Night Live” evening with Dan Aykroyd in downtown Raleigh.
"That Tuesday night on September 15th 2009 had the aura of a Saturday night for all of us who came out with Social The Magazine to get some hang time with one of the most well-liked entertainers of our lifetime."
Throughout the 80’s and 90’s Dan starred in countless hit movies including Trading Places, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ghost Busters, Dragnet, Driving Miss Daisy, and My Girl. If that weren't enough, Dan is also co-founder of the House of Blues (one of my all time favorite live music venues), part owner of Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd (which distributes Patron in Canada), and has his own winery, Dan Aykroyd Wines.
The list of Dan Aykroyd’s successes is far too long for me to write here, but as I waited for his arrival along with the group gathered by the back door of the club, I smiled as I remembered sneaking downstairs in 1977 when I was 13 to watch him and his cohorts on SNL, laughing at the eccentric style of offbeat humor and not-so-subtle satire that set the bar for every season of SNL to air ever since.
And here I was now, about to meet a living legend and help him promote his latest passion, Crystal Head Vodka. Quite a heady feeling, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Read the rest of the story on the new Social The Magazine blog.
See all the photos from the Dan Aykroyd/Crystal Head Vodka event on Socialized!
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Party Rockin’ with LMFAO
