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Barry Fever

bankofkentuckycenter — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:15:55 +0000

He’s the Justin Bieber of decades before with a voice that makes people, yes I said people, of all ages swoon. He has a cult-like following that even the bed-ridden cannot resist. Barry Manilow has some type of star power that can’t be resisted, a charm that can’t be matched and a fan following that won’t be stopped.

Friday at the Bank, I witnessed the Manilow Madness first hand. At all of the shows I’ve seen here at the BOKC, I’ve never been a part of anything quite so magical. Crowds flocked in eagerly awaiting their chance to see Barry Manilow perform. Men and women, young and old alike came in waves to see this musical legend grace the stage within the arena. I’ll even proudly admit that I was even incredibly excited for the show.

As the masses found their seats, Manilow’s rich voice filled the walls of the arena. He took his fans on a nostalgic tour through each step of his career through the show, playing songs like “If I Should Love Again” and “Weekend in New England.” His songs echoed as a video played behind him, also recapping memories.

In classic super-star fashion, he saved the big stuff for last. Manilow closed the show with “I Made It Through the Rain,” “Mandy,” “Copacabana” and “I Write the Songs.” The curtains closed following the set closer “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right” as streamers shot into the audience.

When I first heard that the Barry Manilow would be coming to The Bank, I could hardly contain my excitement. It’s refreshing to be able to witness someone with such a raw, genuine talent. Barry had no auto tuning, no crazy electronics, just himself, his voice and his fans. I’m one lucky intern to have gotten the opportunity to witness Manilow Magic.

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, the intern.

Monkeys and Llamas and Zebras…oh my!

bankofkentuckycenter — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:23:45 +0000

Just when I thought it’d be another Tuesday in the life of the intern at The Bank’s office, I was greeted to several surprises at the security door. On show days, you never really know what you’re going to get anyways. As I walk into the BOKC, I was greeted by a wall full of miniature horses and goats. It’s pretty clear the Circus is in town, with all kinds of entertaining tricks up their sleeves.

As I began my day at the desk, boss man walked in to inform me of all the different kinds of animals that were hiding within The Bank of Kentucky Center. With child-like excitement, he took me on a tour to visit all of the different breeds. The arena had been transformed into a petty zoo, circus heaven! A huge stage filled the middle while a make-shift barn was front and center. The hay filled paradise contained all kinds of different animals from horses, to a crazy goat, llamas and even a little monkey! Through the show, patrons have an opportunity to come pet and ride the animals.

They say the circus only comes once year, so The Piccadilly Circus is an opportunity to take advantage of. There are dancing elephants, pony rides and endless clowns to enjoy. Kids get in free with a voucher and tickets are cheap for parents too! Come stop out at 4:30 and 7:30 tonight to check it out for yourself!

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, The intern.

Cirque made me flip!

bankofkentuckycenter — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:32:00 +0000

On Tuesdays and Thursday, I work as the intern at The Bank of Kentucky Center. Each morning, I leave my dorm, drive to The BOKC, park in the fairly empty parking lot and make my way into the office. I walk through the loading dock, down a dull hallway, past the dark arena and finally at the end of my journey, I get to my desk. Typical day, nothing too exciting; however last week was a different story.

Last week began the culmination of what seemed to be most of my semester as an intern; it was one of The Bank’s largest events of the year. Last week, the mystic world of Cirque Du Soleil: Dralion lit up The BOKC with a buzz of excitement I’d never seen before.

I knew it’d be different when I pulled up on Tuesday to see 19 semi-trucks consuming our usually less than full parking lot. Huge murals with images of Cirque faced the road from all sides of the building, acting as an omen of what was to come over the next five days. Once inside, the Arena was alive with excitement as the crew worked to put together the show. Bright costumes hung all around and the halls were filled with equipment. Cirque Du Soleil would be a great show.

As I watched the week progress and heard the rave reviews of the performance, I could not wait for when I’d get to watch on Sunday afternoon. When the day arrived, I could hardly contain myself. I’d seen videos of the acts, but I knew that I’d be in for something great seeing the show unfold live.

The arena erupted with laughter as the show opened with three men acting as circus conductors. There slap stick comedy and quirky demeanor set the tone for a relaxed afternoon of fun. As they finished their introduction, everyone knew what was coming next. For the next two hours, Cirque performers amazed the crowd with gravity defying stunts and amazing acrobatics.

Throughout the afternoon, each act seemed to surpass the last as the crowd watched in amazement. A contortionist balanced one-handed on a spinning pole, folding her body in unrealistic ways, acrobats flipped on trampolines as they climbed walls and soared through the air and people dangled from the ceiling on loops and ropes, holding themselves with only their own strength.

All of the buzz about Cirque Du Soleil proved to be very well deserved. From seeing the set up to sitting in the crowd, this event definitely mystified and amazed this intern.

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, The intern.

Kentucky High School Athletic Association

bankofkentuckycenter — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:37:01 +0000

There’s just something about high school basketball. Maybe it’s the reminder of “the good old days” of high school. The games bring back such nostalgic memories of the time I spent as a high school cheerleader, the excitement of the student section, and the thrill of pep rallies. High School basketball just gets me thinking, there is just something about the sport that makes it such a reminiscent event to watch.

Since Monday, there have been plenty of good times and future memories at The Bank of Kentucky Center! The BOKC has been hosting the Kentucky High School Athletic Association 9^th region tournament. Starting on Monday, February 27 and continuing until Sunday March 4, different basketball teams from across the Northern Kentucky Region have met to play for the title of champion.

The events started on Monday night with the girl’s quarter finals. St. Henery started the tournament off by defeating Holmes High School, followed by Boone County High School’s win against Newport Central Catholic. On Tuesday evening, Ryle High School beat out Dixie Heights High School in another quarter final match-up while Notre Dame beat Highlands High School. Now that the quarter finals are over, the girl’s semi-finals will take place tomorrow night.

The boy’s quarter finals started on Wednesday as Cooper High School beat out Dixie and Newport Central Catholic won over Covington Catholic High School. The remaining quarter final boy’s games will take place tonight.

Although each team has played very impressive games, the most remarkable part of the week’s events has been the huge fan showing. Parents and students have filled the stands of The BOKC to cheer on their favorite teams. Student sections have been showing up to cheer on their home team all week at the KHSAA tournament.

The excitement will only continue into the weekend as the semifinals and championships will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, the intern.

There’s jus…

bankofkentuckycenter — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:36:43 +0000

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There’s just something about high school basketball. Maybe it’s the reminder of “the good old days” of high school. The games create such nostalgia of the time I spent as a high school cheerleader, the memories of the excitement of the student section, or the thrill of pep rallies. High School basketball just gets me thinking, there is just something about the sport that makes it such a reminiscent event to watch.

The excitement will only continue into the weekend as the semifinals and championships will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

country lovin’ at The Bank

bankofkentuckycenter — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:11:03 +0000

As most of you know, I’m not the biggest country fan. You’ll never see me root-toot-tootin my way around, but I must admit after being a part of the Blake Shelton experience this past week at The Bank of Kentucky Center, I’ll say my mind has been changed… at least a little bit.

The morning of the show was awesome. People buzzed with excitement about the upcoming events of the night. Everywhere I turned, in class, at work, here at The Bank of Kentucky Center, everyone was so excited about what was to come. As the day progressed, I’ll admit I even caught onto the Shelton fever and started to look forward to the night I once dreaded myself.

As 7:00 rolled around, after months and months of anticipation, the sold out show was here! People began to shuffle into The Bank of Kentucky Center, filling the arena with an unexplainable energy. Even though I’m not a country fan, these crazy super-fans made it nearly impossible not to be amped up for the night that was to come.

The show started with Dia Frampton, from NBC’s the voice. Her undeniably unique vocals got the crowd ready for the rest of the night, as this new artist seemed to win everyone in the crowd over. This adorable singer charmed her way through the performance singing pop covers of some American classics like Tom Petty.

Justin Moore, who performed next and opened for Blake, got the crowd ready for a good-old country time. This testosterone filled performance got everyone ready for a great night ahead.

Finally, as the show began, Shelton wooed the crowd with his good looks, incredible talent and unavoidable charm. He joked with the crowd and was so personable it seemed like every person in every seat was his best friend. He filled the arena with hit-after-hit that fans couldn’t get enough of.

The “Well Lit and Amplified” tour turned out to be a great night for everyone in attendance. The months of anticipation and excitement were well paid off and this intern even learned that a little bit of country never hurt anyone.

Hope to see you at The Bank,
Michelle, the intern.

Country Music Blues

bankofkentuckycenter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:39:26 +0000

I’ll admit it; I’ve never been a big fan of country music. As New Jersey native, country music has never been my first choice of tunes. Despite my lack of love for country, after my family moved to Kentucky it was all I ever heard. Most of my friends growing up couldn’t get enough of the stuff, but listening to twangy singers talk about their lost loves while swooning over a guitar’s wasn’t exactly my idea of a good song. As you can imagine, when I heard that The Bank of Kentucky Center would be hosting some country guy named Blake Shelton (that was apparently on The Voice), I didn’t exactly understand all of the hype. I just knew that I’d be forced to hear some of his music. Great.

I’m not going to lie, as you can probably tell, I was less than excited. Figures though, after I heard he’d be at the BOK I kept hearing about him everywhere. My friends buzzed with excitement, my mom constantly asked about the show and I saw signs everywhere. Totally inescapable.

So here I am at my house on Sunday, watching the Superbowl with my family and the next thing I knew, Blake Shelton was singing on TV! Then suddenly, a little light went off in my head. This country star didn’t have a bad voice. Not only that, he wasn’t toting a banjo, wearing a cowboy hat or even cowboy boots. Had I been proven wrong?

I’d watched him briefly on The Voice last year and I’ll admit, I didn’t know who he was or his musical credentials. To my surprise, as the Superbowl ended, I was intrigued by this man. Since I owed him the research, I decided to stay tuned for the season premiere of The Voice. As I watched this show, I’ll admit I began to fall a little bit more and more for Mr. Shelton. His wit and charm, not to mention his great looks, made it nearly impossible not to love this gentle giant. Since Sunday, I have been eagerly watching reruns of other seasons of The Voice and youtubing him, just to learn a little bit more about this guy.

Since Sunday, even though I’ll never say it out loud, you can now find a little bit of Blake on my iTunes account. Werid, I know. I wouldn’t say that I’m suddenly a country fan, but I don’t think that I will cover my ears and run out of a room if it plays anymore. I never gave this genre a chance, but I’m actually getting more and more excited to see Blake Shelton at The Bank of Kentucky Center next Thursday. His charming personality and superstar talent makes it nearly impossible not to enjoy his music. So, I guess I’ll give this guy the intern seal of approval.

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, the intern.

Manilow Magic

bankofkentuckycenter — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:08:59 +0000

Turning on the radio these days typically proves to be a disappointment, with popular music consisting mostly of, well, less music. It seems that most top 100 radio hits of my generation are reproduced, auto tuned robot beats produced in some basement computer lab somewhere. What happened to the true talents of the decades before Ke$ha and Lady Gaga? When artists like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Pressley, The Rolling Stones reigned supreme. What happened to artists with true talent? If there ever was an artist that transcends music, an artist with real talent, it’s the infamous Barry Manilow.

With hits like “Copacabana (At the Copa)” and “Mandy,” this musical superstar’s tunes touch boththe young and the old. I remember driving on long car trips with my dad, listening to Manilow’s music and watching him on TV with my mom. Hearing his enchanting voice brings back all sorts of memories from both my childhood and my parents. Maybe I’m just an old soul, but there must be a reason Manilow fans have been filling arenas to witness this musical mastermind for generations.

Now Northern Kentucky has chance to take part in the magic. The Bank of Kentucky Center will be hosting Barry Manilow on April 20^th! Presale tickets are on sale from February 1 until 11:59 pm on February 2^nd with tickets going on sale at 10:00 am on February 3^rd. (Click the link to check it out http://bit.ly/yzp7RT)

Manilow, who has no less than 25 consecutive top 40 billboard hot 100 hits, began his music career at the young age of seven, taking part in music classes. This passion continued into his adult life as he began his musical journey at New York College of Music and the Julliard School of Music. His career began working at CBS in the mail room, eventually moving up in the company which led him to writing jingles in the lucrative New York jingle circuit. In 1974, Manilow paired with a new label, Arista, along with Columbia Pictures and the rest is history. Manilow’s first hit “Mandy” skyrocketed to the top of the charts, launching his career to the top.

Over the past almost 40 years, Manilow has continued to produce smash hit after smash hit, being ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records). This fame and credibility has won him countless awards, including two Grammys, four Emmys, three American music awards and one Tony award all while producing 29 platinum and three certified triple platinum albums.

80 million Manilow records have been sold worldwide, making him a household name. His songs and charisma have fans, spanning across generations, flocking to take part in Manilow Magic. This magic will be at The Bank of Kentucky Center in just a few months, I know that I won’t be missing out on this once in a lifetime experience!

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, the intern.

NORSE STORY

bankofkentuckycenter — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:41:26 +0000

The Bank of Kentucky center came alive this past weekend as Northern Kentucky University celebrated its “Norse Story.” With nearly 2,400 fans in attendance, the crowds roared as students, alums, parents and faculty cheered the men’s and women’s basketball teams to victory during the weekend’s homecoming games.The games weren’t all they were cheering for though, because throughout the week NKU celebrated homecoming with all different events at The Bank.

The event’s started Thursday, as students flocked to The Bank to show their NKU pride. Different organizations decorated NKU Viking helmets that incorporated the “Norse Story” theme. Buzzlightyear and Woody danced across the court as the students modeled the hats to the judges and the fans at half time of the women’s basketball game. Student organizations also performed chants they created to cheer on the basketball players as the teams battled Wisconsin-Parkside.The students also anxiously awaited the announcement at half time of the men’s game to hear who won Homecoming Prince and Princess. Molly Doody and Jacob Priddy won the title of homecoming princess and prince.

Homecoming festivities continued to Saturday morning as students and fans tailgated just outside The Bank of Kentucky Center to prepare for the games against Lewis University Flyers. While some fans braved the cold outside, others sought refuge inside as they participated in the alumni chili cook-off, an NKU Homecoming tradition. Around 25 different alumni groups used their best chili recipes to woo the fans and compel them into voting for them to win the taste-test contest.

As the chili contest wound down, the buzz of excitement filled the arena as masses of fans poured in to cheer the teams to victory against the Flyers. The women played an impressive game, winning59-44. This win ranked them 13-4 overall. The winning continued as the men played a suspenseful game against Lewis. After coming back from a rough start, they won 77-66 at the end of the game ranking them at 15-2 overall.

The game wasn’t the only thing making Saturday afternoon anxious. At half time of the men’s game the Homecoming King and Queen were announced. President and Mrs. Vortruba crowned the winners, Jeffrey Weckbach and Brittany Jo Hall.

Homecoming is a spirited tradition each year at NKU where norse fans everywhere eagerly come together at The Bank of Kentucky Center to support NKU athletics and many other aspects of the university.

Hope to see you at The Bank,

Michelle, the intern.

Live, Laugh, Love

bankofkentuckycenter — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:07:35 +0000

LOVE

In case you missed the Paul Simon concert last Tuesday night please allow me to fill you in on how it went. All I can say is… it was one heck of a show! It had intimate moments where everyone could sit down and just listen to the music within the show, but also there were some standing up and sing along moments that really got the crowd going.

Paul’s voice still resonated as beautifully as it did 50 years ago. Some songs that were on the list included hits such as, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Mother & Child, The Boxer, and Graceland. He also Featured songs from his latest album ‘So Beautiful or So What’, like Dazzling Blue, Love is Eternal, Rewrite, and The Afterlife, just to name a few. The show included a total of 24 songs with two encores, (Paul giving the LOVE back to his fans). The screaming and cheers from the near sell out crowd were enough to get Paul back on stage for not just one encore, but two! The crowd wanted more from him, and as an artist that has accomplished a lot in his life time he came back to please his fans! Performing Cecelia and The Boxer in the first encore, and in the second encore he preformed Graceland/ Pretty Thing and Still Crazy going out on a peaceful note.

One song that was thrown in the mix on the set list was ‘Here Comes the Sun’. He performed this with his good friend George Harrison some years ago on television and again performed it for us! It was such a beautiful voice singing another beautiful song. In closing, Paul Simon was great show, and I believe that everyone who came to it had an overall great night! This was definitely a concert that I would go to again.

LAUGH

“You can’t deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants.”

This is a quote by Stephen King, and this is what we invite you to do this Friday! At 7:00 pm Dec. 2, The Bank will be opening its doors to invite you to enjoy a night filled with laughter. If you know anything about these guys you know that they are hilarious to watch and listen.

Many television shows, nightly specials, and even movies have been done with this crew. Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy are sure to ‘Git-R-Done’! I have seen these guys before, performing their Blue Collar Comedy Tour stuff, if you have never watched them – GO BUY THE DVD!, and take it from me they are a hoot! I wish I knew where they got the material; they say that it comes from life, if so- wow, because if it really does, there would never be a dull moment living with them!

So I want to stress how much of a good show that they are sure to put on! I hope that you all are as excited as me to watch these guys perform. Check out their websites for additional material. You can see what kind of a treat you will be in. Larry even gives a shout out to Cincinnati in one of his jokes that he says on his website. www.larrythecableguy.com

LIVE

Combine these two, ease up and come out to enjoy the show Friday night! Hope to see you there, and remember- LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE.