Dare To Believe: Boyce Avenue in Sydney - Concert Review by Tommy Schroeter

Last Sunday, Daniel from Boyce Avenue was interviewed by Dave Hammond on the Australian Radio Show The Conversation. At the end of the interview Daniel personally invited Dave and the team at Fusion Western Sydney to come see the show at the Enmore Theater.

The Conversation's Entertainment Producer Tommy Schroeter offered to write a recap/review of the show for Get Boyced!! YAY!!

The Mood when I walked into Enmore had a great sense of energy. It was like a buzz I had not felt before as we were all assigned our seats or directed to the floor space to dance and sing the night away. It dawned on me very quickly we were in for a great night and to be prepared to be blessed.

Tommy & Friends outside The Enmore Theater

It was no sooner had that happened that the lights dimmed and on stage appeared former Australian Idol Winner Wes Carr. It’s been a while since us Aussie’s have heard from him, and his new tunes are amazing. He gave an amazing set including a touching and humorous tribute to his Nana who had only a few hours to live. Vocally Wes has never sounded better and I think he even recruited some new fans follow him on twitter on (@Wescarrmusic)

Set highlights: “Been A Long Time”, “Love Is an Animal”, “Blood and Bone”, “Gloria”.

But as the crowd sang along with Wes and clapped, it was only a mere murmur as we all eagerly awaited the arrival of the three boys we had truly rocked up to see....BOYCE AVENUE!!

The lights shone bright, and as the sound techs walked across the stage the crowd
went crazy....while the screams were reaching fever pitch, Fabian, Daniel and Ladies' Favorite Alejandro Manzano arrived on stage and the moment the first note was sung I knew we were in for a party bigger than that we had on New Years Eve 1999!

Photo by Boyce Avenue

We heard everything from Wonderwall (can I just add that was the best crowd sing-along I have ever been a part of?!?!) to Teenage Dream to Dynamite...the night was off to an amazing start!

A lot of love was in the room....but for many the stand out moments were when the boys showcased the gift of songwriting each of them has as tracks they had written were performed.

The tear-jerking moment came when Daniel [shared] the sad story behind “Briane.” The
song speaks volumes and sounded like we had been transported to that very moment in
time. For me I'm a very visual person and could just imagine what it must have felt like the moment [Briane's death] happened. I'm so encouraged that people like Boyce Avenue are being a voice for this generation, raising awareness for suicide and sending out a positive message for those who have the chance to hear it.

Another amazing moment was when “Every Breath” was performed, and to hear 2,000
rowdy Aussies singing along note by note with Alejandro.

One thing I discovered about the boys is that they are very humble and for me the most
inspiring moment came when Alejandro spoke about being happy being single and how he knows in the right place and time that “the one” will appear. As a single male of a
similar age it was so refreshing to hear that I'm not the only one having those thoughts and the moment the opening keys started playing “On My Way” I was taken on a journey. This particular song has been a bit of an anthem for me of late as I have been moving forward in my own life journey. I love the words, the tune...everything about this track is magical. [It] was definitely one of the highlights of the night for many.

“Find me” was the moment that the entire audience was hanging off every lyric. It was a very surreal and and moving version. “Broken Angel” for me was such a powerful message...as a youth worker in Western Sydney we are faced with a lot of people who are struggling so to hear the story behind this song was very encouraging to see that there can be hope at the end of the tunnel.

Photo by Tommy Schroeter

Another crowd favorite was “Rolling In The Deep.” There was foot stomping going on all over the Enmore and voices singing out those lyrics with the boys.... it was a rocking and amazing moment as this version is so unique yet true to Adele’s smash...I think that’s why people love it so much.

As the show was drawing to a close the {journey] that the boys had taken us on was still very real in the atmosphere. It was such a unique and spine tingling moment.

But for me the greatest moment came when Alejandro sat a single piano to sing what has
become an anthem in all that I do of late: “Dare To Believe.” When the chorus kicked in I couldn't help but sing along. "Dare To Believe" flowed into the grand finale, "Hear Me Now.” The crowd got split [for a sing-along] and Alejandro got pulled into the crowd by girls (all vying for the title of Mrs. Manzano) but made it back on stage with an epic leap of faith...

“Iris” proved the surprise hit of the night with the 2000 strong crowd singing it word
for word and even chanting “One More , One More” in the song break to which Alejandro
responded “We’ll do one more when we finish this one!” Hahaha, it was a great end to a great show.

After the show we got to head backstage (or should I say under the stage) to meet the
brothers and it was such a special time for us all. They were all so friendly as we spoke about things from Wes Carr to The Australian People to Fabian's guitar-playing faces to the tour and how they will be back. It was so nice meeting them and having [some] great laughs as well.

The photo below shows the Conversation Host Dave Hammond his Wife Sallie and some
of his children: Jonah, Daisy and Rubie, along with a young person who does creative arts projects with us at Fusion Western Sydney named Aaron, fellow youth worker James and myself. I love this photo is shows a sense of community amongst us and the boys and we all hope that this relationship we are developing with the boys and their management can be ongoing.

Dave Hammond, Aaron, Alejandro, Daniel, James (in front), Fabian, Rubie, Jonah, Tommy and Sally

In closing, I went in with very high expectations of the show but left in a very different place....one that was filled with admiration and inspiration. One thing I learned is that if you have a dream, to chase it, no matter where you come from and what it is. For Boyce Avenue it started with a single video uploaded to YouTube that has turned into over 300,000 subscribers and has given them the chance to tour the world sharing stories of hope and inspiration.

I also think that Boyce Avenue have become another voice for this generation as they bring hope to youth and people the world over, [whether] it be through an original or a cover.

This quote sums up what I'm trying to say....“If you don't dream big, there's no use of dreaming. If you don't have faith, there's nothing worth believing.” ~Justin Bieber


I think it's safe to say, Tommy has been BOYCED!! Muahaha!! :)

Great recap, Tommy!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it, and for sharing it with Get Boyced!! Glad you enjoyed the show so much. :)

Another Enthusiastic Review From Melbourne!!

Well, it's obvious from Twitter and Facebook that Boyce Avenue have left a TON of very satisfied fans in their wake as they say goodbye to Australia and head back to the states.  It has been so much fun reading everyone's thoughts about the shows, and it's very clear that the guys had a blast in the "Land Down Under."

I received another review today from a VERY enthusiastic fan who saw Boyce Avenue's show at the Forum in Melbourne earlier this week.  Lauchie is a great BA fan and an aspiring guitarist, and he offered a very detailed and entertaining play-by-play of his entire experience.  :)

It was a cold winter night on the 8th of August when,  after weeks of disappointment,  I found out that Boyce Avenue’s Melbourne show was All Ages (via Boyce Avenue Street Team Australia’s Facebook Page.)  After some research and talks with my parents, we decided that I could go and we bought two tickets (for my Mum and me.)  The next day was my birthday! So I had to wait a couple of weeks but at least they put out more covers to keep me from going crazy! We got the tickets in the mail during the first week and that made it real...it was actually happening.

After school on the 25th of August we started on our way to Melbourne (about a 1½ hour trip.) We plugged my iPhone into the car and blasted Boyce Avenue covers and originals. We parked a couple of blocks away [from the Forum] and walked down. Once we got there, we had a quick chat to one of the bouncers and turned the corner to find we were the first ones there. This made me even more excited because [I] realized that we were going to be at the front of the line. It was about 5:30 in the afternoon and the doors were not opening until 7:45. So we sat down and waited.

After about 20 minutes, more people started to show up.  We started to hear faint music coming [from inside]....it was Boyce Avenue starting their sound-check. We [struck up a conversation with] the girl sitting next to us, and we actually talked right up to 7:45 and stayed together all night.

At 7:15 the bouncers put us into the line they had made and things started to fall into place. Right at 7:45, they opened the doors. I ran over to the Merchandise Stand and bought a t-shirt and the All We Have Left CD. Then we waited for the Auditorium Doors to open at 8:00.

As soon as the doors opened, I got three positions saved on the barrier for my Mum, our new friend and myself...which was right in front of where Alejandro would be standing!

We talked while waiting for the support act (Mark Wilkinson) to come on. While waiting I tried to take pictures of the setlist, and while I failed, the girls next to us did not.  The setlist was great and we all were beaming with excitement. I read out the excited Boyce Avenue tweets to everyone until 8:25, when Mark came out. He was actually pretty good but the only song that really stood out for me (and Mum also) was the song about Benny about being bullied (I may have forgotten the name.)

Mark finished at 9:05 and we had to wait fifteen minutes for Boyce Avenue to come out. Someone came out and hid behind the drum kit, sticking his head out to watch the crowd every so often. We also got our photos taken by one of them to put on Twitter. One of the roadies moved Alejandro’s microphone stand closer to us. This made us all go quiet for a few seconds, realizing he was going to be so close.

At 9:20 the guys came out and [opened with] Daylight, which then quickly turned into Tonight and the crowd was pumped and started to sing along.  Tonight [transitioned] into Not Enough and after some talking with the crowd Alejandro grabbed an acoustic guitar and played the best version of Wonderwall I had ever heard, with a guitar solo and everything. That was followed by More Things To Say, which had an awesome acoustic guitar solo played by Alejandro! He then swapped guitars and they all sat on stools to play Find Me, Teenage Dream, Grenade, and Briane. They all then stood up and played When The Lights Die.

Photo by Xenia Agrotis

Alejandro swapped his electric guitar for a keyboard and belted out Broken Angel and On My Way. The he was back on his acoustic guitar and played Change Your Mind and Rolling In The Deep.

Alejandro [went] back to an electric and played an awesome version of Every Breath. Then they went off stage and came back on for the encore, in which they played Dare To Believe [with Alejandro back on the keyboard], Iris on acoustic and Hear Me Now on electric. They got half the crowd singing the Ooh woah's and the other half doing the Can you hear me now's.  Right before leaving the stage Alejandro gave me his guitar pick and I nearly died.

We waited out the front for about ten minutes to try and meet them but as they didn’t come out we left for home. On the way back we listened to my video of the night and it was really great.  The next day I still couldn’t believe what had happened the night before. I can’t wait for them to come back.

All in all I thought it was a fantastic concert. And my Mum is now a big fan. Well done, Boyce Avenue! It was worth coming out to see you live. A brilliant night was had by all!

Australia, you have been BOYCED!

Lauchie, you are awesome!!  This recap/review was so much fun to read, and I'm so glad you shared your experience with all of us!!

NEW VIDEO: Taylor Swift - "Mean" (Acoustic Cover featuring Megan Nicole)

Another video was uploaded today from Boyce Avenue featuring Megan Nicole, who will be joining them on their US/Canada Fall Tour for the West Coast (September) shows.

I am not a Taylor Swift fan. AT ALL. So much so that on the rare occasion that I'm listening to the radio, and she comes on, I turn it off. I'm not really sure why....I've just never been a fan of country music. But I do think the lyrics to some of her songs are amazing, and this one has a great message to it.

I really like the way Alejandro and Megan Nicole sound together. I'd love to see them sing something together live.



And....hard as I try, I can't post about this without pointing out the smile at 2:55....

I caught Daniel smiling in the background a few times too. It makes me happy to see them enjoying themselves so much....it's so obvious these guys love what they do. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: "A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home." (Author Unknown)

Share your thoughts about the video in the comments below. Thanks for visiting! :)

Australia Loves Boyce Avenue!!

The guys are rocking their way through the Australian Leg of their 2011 World Tour, playing for a huge crowd of enthusiastic fans in Perth, and a sold out crowd in Melbourne.

Here are a couple of reviews that fans in have shared with the Get Boyced! blog....

"The day arrived....23 August 2011....the weather was perfect, sun was setting and Boyce Avenue were on their way! The doors were [scheduled] to open at 7:30 pm, crowds were growing and GROWING from 6:30 pm. Anticipation and energy was growing as were the numbers of fans. The doors took a little longer than expected to open, BUT once we heard that "click" of the door, we know IT'S TIME! Heart starts racing....THIS IS IT! Once inside the bar we found the perfect position at the stage. Mark Wilkinson was the support act. He presented himself well to the cheering crowd. Great music, wonderful voice.

The lights started to dim and then appears Boyce Avenue. They looked even more amazing on stage than just following avidly on YouTube. These guys ROCKED IT! They played a lot of originals and a few of covers also. The energy was pumping in the room.

Then, as all good things must come to an end, they played their last song. Lights once again dimmed and leaving only shadows and memories of the most amazing band to hit Perth's shores ... We cheered, and clapped, and whooo-ed them to come out for another HIT! Once again they hit the stage for 2 more songs!!! Hearts skipping a beat, camera flashes, sing-alongs, and Fabian throwing his guitar picks in to the crowd causing a frenzy! THIS IS ONE SHOW NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN!! It was an absolute pleasure to have been able to experience this show first hand!

Fortunately for us, we won a Meet & Greet package, thanks to BAST and Boyce Avenue Street Team Australia (and the lovely Gwen) through a promotions competition. We were blessed with meeting the boys backstage for autographs and photos. They are truly the most pleasant, down-to-earth, and genuinely nice guys you will ever get to meet....and sooooo darn huggable, too!!" ~Michelle Harrison (Perth)

Left to Right: Sooz, Daniel, Alejandro, Michelle and Fabian

♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥

"It was just amazing!!! Truly amazing! I can't think of any other way to describe it all. It was such an experience to be able to go and hear Boyce Avenue live...I enjoyed every minute of it and just loved the atmosphere of the crowd!" ~Hayley Mah, Melbourne

HAYLEY'S VIDEO REVIEW



Thanks for sharing your recaps and reviews, Michelle and Hayley!! So glad you had such a great time at the shows!! It's so awesome to see Australia showing the Manzano Brothers so much love!! Good on ya, mates!! ;)

Stay tuned for fan reviews from Sydney and Brisbane!!

NEW VIDEO: Acoustic Cover of 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You"

Another new video on YouTube today!! This is one fans have been requesting for a while now: 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You"



I really like this one a lot. I've always loved this song, so hearing Alejandro sing it is....*sigh*..... :)

I was listening to it on headphones the other night, and I noticed this interesting "click click click" sound, and I figured it must be Alejandro's pick on the guitar strings. I'm always asking him about stuff like this on his Facebook Wall. So, naturally, I asked him about it.

Me: Okay, I swear when I listen to "Here Without You" on headphones, I can actually hear your pick on the guitar strings at the beginning and again in the 2nd verse....is that really what I'm hearing? 'Cuz if it is, I think it's SO cool. :)

Alejandro: MELENIE!! haha what a good ear! ;) that's EXACTLY what that is. Because I'm plucking the strings, you can't hear it when I'm strumming ;)
#HeadphonesFTW


So....I challenge all of you to listen to "Here Without You" on a pair of headphones and see if you can hear him plucking the strings. :)

Yeah, Boyce Avenue, acoustic, on a pair of headphones, is my happy place. I never get tired of it. How could I, when it sounds this amazing?!?!

Boyce Avenue Headed To Australia

Boyce Avenue are on their way to Australia, and it's obvious from their Facebook posts and their Twitter page that they are VERY excited.

This is the first time the guys have played "Down Under" and their shows there were selling out so quickly, they were moved to larger venues. Melbourne tickets are almost gone, and Sydney is on pace to be the band's biggest headlining show EVER. What an awesome way to say, "Welcome to Australia!!"

AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Tuesday, August 23rd - Perth, WA - Capitol

PLAYED

Thursday, August 25th - Melbourne, VIC - Forum Theater

PLAYED

Friday, August 26th - Sydney, NSW - Enmore Theater

PLAYED

Sunday, August 28th - Brisbane, QLD - The Hi Fi

PLAYED

NEW VIDEO: "Skyscraper" - Acoustic Cover Featuring Megan Nicole

I'll be honest. When people first started talking about Demi Levato's "Skyscraper" I went to YouTube to see what all the fuss was about, and I just wasn't feelin' it. I'm not a fan of her voice, and therefore I didn't even give the song a chance. I thought the lyrics were cheesy as hell. When Boyce Avenue hinted at a cover collaboration of the song with Megan Nicole, I thought, "Meh...." and when it became available for purchase on iTunes, I listened to the 60-second snippet and thought, "Well, there it is....the first Boyce Avenue cover I won't own."

When the video was posted on YouTube this morning, I watched it because, well, it's a Boyce Avenue video.

I absolutely fell in love with this song in spite of myself. I went to iTunes. I bought the cover. I've had it on repeat all day. And the more I listen to it, the more I love it.

A little over a year ago, I went through a divorce. It had been coming for a while, but even so, it left me feeling completely shattered. It was one of the loneliest, darkest times of my life. Rather than give in to the darkness, I fought through it. I endured it. I am a better, stronger person for having gone through it. And THAT is what this song is about.



Rihanna's "Only Girl" ....Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and "Firework" ....P Diddy's "Comin' Home" ....these are some of my favorite covers from Boyce Avenue. But this one trumps them all. I love everything about it.

Once again, Alejandro has taken a song and put his own spin on it, keeping it true to the original but making it his own at the same time. I'm continually impressed by his ability to do this. If I could spend a day just chilling with and talking to Alejandro, I would ask him to take me through this process in great detail. He's so creative in his use of instruments. I really love the Cajon and the tambourine in this one. They are used brilliantly.

Alejandro and Megan Nicole sound great together.

But my favorite part has got to be final chorus....Alejandro singing A capella, the Cajon coming in like a heartbeat, and then the two of them finishing the song together, is pure genius.

In retrospect, I'm not really sure what I was thinking. I should know better by now. Once a song has been Boyced, it doesn't matter how mediocre I think the original is. It doesn't matter how cheesy I think the lyrics are. Without fail, if Boyce Avenue covers it, my entire opinion of the song changes.

Okay....I think I'm done gushing about Boyce Avenue's latest masterpiece. So, what do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Conversation in Australia Chats with Daniel from Boyce Avenue

Boyce Avenue's Daniel Manzano recently chatted with Dave Hammond of The Conversation, a radio show in Australia. The interview aired in Australia at 9 PM, and Boyce Avenue fans worldwide set their alarms to be awake for the live stream. I was up at 4 AM, drinking cocoa and listening to the interview online with the BA Family.

The Conversation's Dave Hammond

I have to say, Dave Hammond and Entertainment Producer Tommy Schroeter were both incredibly gracious and helpful in making sure that the BA family was a part of this momentous event!! They made sure we had a working link to the live stream, and gave shout outs to many of us listening around the world. Kudos to Dave for pronouncing our names correctly!


If you missed it, you can listen to the interview here:



The podcast is available as a free download on iTunes. Click here to download it for free.

I listened to the show for awhile after the interview was over, and I really enjoyed it. Radio stations here in the U.S. could learn a thing or two from these guys!! I'll definitely be checking out their other podcasts.

The Conversation is a 3 hour talk radio program broadcast to around 60 community radio stations across Australia every Sunday night from 9pm to 12 midnight.

The program has been on air for over 13 years and has a strong following of listeners from all over Australia. It’s called The Conversation because they want to engage listeners and guests in discussion about the issues that effect us all daily.

Hosted by Dave Hammond, their theme is Ethics, Faith and Social Change and each week they work to bring you informative, interesting and challenging guests and segments to lead us in discussion on these issues.

The Conversation has a Facebook Page and they're on Twitter, so be sure to check them out!

Words From The Heart Of A True Artist

While most bands struggle and fight to get signed by a major label, Boyce Avenue has been struggling and fighting for the past year to do just the opposite. And now they can celebrate!! Boyce Avenue is once again an independent artist, producing their music videos, albums, and tours via their Independent Label, 3 Peace Records.

THIS is why I love Boyce Avenue....they have not allowed themselves to be shaped and changed to fit into the industry. They have stayed 100% true to who they are and what they want to represent, and they have kept their fans at the forefront of everything they do. Tonight, Alejandro had this to say to the fans:

The music industry is a CRAZY thing. I won't ever have time to explain to you all what you deserve to know because you support us almost blindly and have questions like we did and still do, but let me just say that we make the best of everything we can ever get our hands on. We started from zero and have clawed our way to be the small band that we are today. We have a LOT more clawing to do but my goodness, if you all knew some of the things that go down in this industry you would be astonished. That's not even a proper word to describe how gross it is haha.

All I can say is we are blessed and you all are amazing! Maybe someday we will write a book for everyone to know what TRULY went down with our story. Someday it will ALL make sense and you and so many others will be like "WOW! So THAT'S why they did what they did for the first 10 years of their career!" Just be patient with us. It has always been a 10-year plan, not a 2-year plan. We are only 4 years in, we have 6 more to go before it all makes PERFECT sense. Stick around to find out. :)

Love you all!

FEATURED FAN FOR AUGUST: SARA DI MARE

WOOP!! WOOP!! Cue the Cyber Cheerleaders!! This month's Featured Fan is our first International Featured Fan!!

*\O/* *\O/* *\O/* *\O/*

SARA DI MARE
22 YEARS OLD
BERLIN, GERMANY

How and when did you discover Boyce Avenue?

I first discovered Boyce Avenue about 3 or 4 years ago. My friend and I were looking for an acoustic version of “Lovestoned” by Justin Timberlake. We found their cover and loved it! We were watching more of their videos and found out that they are brothers. I remember saying that they’re incredible talented and I subscribed to their channel. But at that time I wasn’t really spending much time on YouTube. I checked on my subscriptions every few months and I remember falling in love with their cover of “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay. I put some more covers on my phone (I didn’t have an ipod at that time) and then I kind of forgot about them. Hard to believe, I know, I can’t even believe it myself.

Then, in October 2010, I was going through a tough time and stumbled upon the acoustic version of their original song “Change Your Mind”. I was overwhelmed. That guy was exactly speaking my mind. I checked in the description box who wrote the song. I looked for him on facebook, wrote him a message and he added me as a friend. Every since that time I was hooked!

What are your favorite BA cover and your favorite BA original song?

Wow this is a tough question. It’s really hard to choose, because I love almost all of them. I think [my favorite cover] is "Will You Be There" because I used to be huge Michael Jackson fan when I was a kid and that one brought a lot of great memories back (same with "Back For Good".) I think it’s not easy to make a MJ cover so good and so unique in its own way. And I’m a big fan of the piano.

My favorite Original is probably "Change Your Mind" because that was the first one I really listened to. I could relate to this one completely and it made me the fan I am today. "Broken Angel" also means a lot to me and I absolutely love "On My Way" and "Find Me." You see? It’s hard for me to pick one. ;)

How many times have you seen Boyce Avenue live, and where?

Just one time, in April this year, in Hamburg. It was the first time I went to a concert all by myself....I drove from Berlin to Hamburg with a complete stranger to see them perform. I also had no place to stay overnight.

After the concert I waited for the guys to come out but I ended up waiting at the wrong spot and missed them. Two hours later I found out they were gone. So unfortunately I didn’t meet them. But I will next time for sure! I also spent the night at a complete stranger’s, so it was quite an adventure for me. And it was so worth it! I will never forget that night!

Tell us why you love Boyce Avenue.

Wow, there are so many reasons to love these guys, I don’t see any reason not to.

First of all, I love their music. All of them are so talented and so passionate about what they do and you can see and feel how they love it and how they put their heart and soul into their songs. Their music is like medicine to me and like a drug, I can’t get enough of it. Also the lyrics are so brilliant and I love how people can relate to at least one of their songs, cause they have the talent to write a song from another perspective.

Second thing is, I love how they keep in touch with their fans and how they do everything to make us happy. They care so much about us and are working hard to fulfill our expectations. They always try to take everything to another level and to get better in everything they do. I have so much respect for them for doing (almost) everything on their own.

And last but least, I love the people they attract. I love the Boyce Avenue family. Because of this band I got to know so many wonderful people all over the world and I wouldn’t wanna miss that for anything. My life changed completely and I’ve never been so happy before. Without all these people and the amazing Manzano brothers, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. So thank you! I love you all!

We love you too, Sara!! Thanks for being such a great Boyce Avenue Fan!! Hopefully you'll get to meet them when they return to Berlin in November!! :)

NEW VIDEO: Boyce Avenue & Tiffany Alvord cover Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts"

Boyce Avenue recently got together with Tiffany Alvord and recorded a couple of covers: Maroon 5's She will Be Loved and Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts.

Today, they released the video for Jar of Hearts. Check it out:



I really like Tiffany's voice very much. She was one of two artists that opened for Boyce Avenue in February, and I thought she was really good. She and Alejandro sing well together; their voices compliment each other nicely.

Having said that, I gotta be honest....this is one that I don't love more than the original. I really love Christina Perri's voice, and the lyrics, in my opinion, are meant to be sung by one person, not a duet. So, this isn't a song choice I'm super excited about for a collaboration.

It's always awesome to have new stuff from Boyce Avenue to listen to, and I'm a complete junkie....so, even though it won't ever make it onto my Favorites Playlist, I bought the cover on iTunes. :)

Here's the original version from Christina Perri:



What do you think of the new cover? Do you like it more than the original? Share your thoughts in the comments.

NEW VIDEO: Foo Fighters' "Best Of You" Acoustic Cover

You know how every once in a while, you see a movie that has a powerful message, and at then end of the movie, you just kinda sit there, silent, contemplating what you have just seen, and you just know that it's gonna stay with you for awhile?

This video had that effect on me.



I've said this before, but I'll say it again now, and I'm sure I'll say it at again some point in the future.

I. LOVE. WATCHING. THIS. MAN.

This video.....man, I don't even know how to put into words the effect it has on me. Everything about it is artistic perfection. The lighting, the quiet vulnerability of it, the passion in the music and Alejandro's voice.....he puts his heart and soul into every song he sings. It's such an amazing thing to watch.

Foo Fighters' front man, Dave Grohl, had this to say about the song:

"Best of You is a song of resistance. It's about the refusal to be taken advantage of by something that's bigger than you, or someone you're in love with. It's the fight in the face of adversity."

That's pretty much exactly how I interpreted the lyrics, and honestly, this one doesn't even feel like a cover to me. It's like a different song altogether. I definitely prefer the "Boyced" version over the original, because I like Boyce Avenue's style of music better. But even so, you have to admit Alejandro's interpretation of it is pretty genius. It changes the entire feel of the song. The Foo Fighters' version is loud and angry, and the Boyce Avenue version is vulnerable and soft.

A fan posted a quote on Alejandro's Facebook Wall today, and it really sums it up better than anything I could think to say:

"He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, and his head, and his heart is an artist." ~St. Francis of Assisi

Alejandro Manzano is an artist in every way, to the very core.

Just for fun, here's the Foo fighters' version.



What do you think of the video? Share your thoughts in the comments below.