Monday, October 16, 2006
- Posted 10:31am
"Starwood Preferred Guest/American Express Presents Ms. Lauryn Hill"

In celebration of the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express – an intimate evening with Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006
7-10 PM, EST



Tuesday, October 17, 2006
- Posted 12:11pm
"Ms. Lauryn Hill, the muscian."

A founding member of the pioneering multi-platinum hip-hop trio the Fugees, Lauryn Hill found overwhelming success as a solo artist with her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard the week of its release. Selling more than 12 million copies worldwide, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill achieved both popular and critical acclaim, earning her five Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year and Best New Artist), three American Music Awards, one Billboard Award, one Soul Train Award and one MTV Video Music Award.



Wednesday, October 18, 2006
- Posted 10:21am
"Sneaking in...."

When we heard that Starwood Preferred Guest and American Express were celebrating the re-launch of their highly popular partnership credit card with one of their trademark special events - this time a private concert for some of their members and credit cardholders - we couldn't wait to try and charm an invitation out of SPG so we could bring the event live to the rest of the free (hey, the credit card is free for the first year!) world. Okay, we groveled, but it worked, and we'll do our best this coming Wednesday evening to bring you the sights ... and the sounds of this musical event. What makes this very cool is the fact that this very groovy Ms. Hill will be entertaining just 200 people or so and it should provide just the type of scene that a stadium with 85,000 fans can't do. Our first thought was to fire up the iPod and share a tune with you - maybe the Bob Marley classic she did so well, "Never Forget (So Much Things To Say)." But then we did remember that maybe the file sharing thing isn't a good idea just yet. So, we clicked on over to iTunes and here are her most popular downloads.

source:
http://www.webflyer.com/liveflyer/hill.php?order=ASC

cool

Hey..i have a SPG AMEX card, and I didnt know anything about it. I'm calling American Express right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds very groovy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But they didn't specify where it's gonna take place. (which city).

that was me.

why?u want to go?

From Starwood Prefered Guest Platinum Hotline:
I called and asked about the card, and then the concert and was told that only 50 Special Invitations were sent out to guests. I threw a fit over the phone, and the lady promised to get me more information, and maybe an opportunity to buy a ticket, but she couldnt tell me where the event is going to be.

I have a funny feeling it might be in Chicago. Heres why. I have a friend and a cousin who used to work for American Express. AMEX has a lot of their exclusive "corporate" events in Chicago. I have been to a lot of these events with my friends. Something just tells me that it might be here. but who knows!

I wont quit until i find out where!

Right. :rolleyes:

LMFAO.
Good luck !
I wish u could go and take pictures ! :dances: and record something.
I hope she sings brand new songs.

I hope she sings any songs!
Well , hopefully that one page will show it live right?
At lest thats their intentions!
Maybe you can contact the webmaster Syb, and see what they know!
lol....

this sounds wicked! hope u get to go marcanthony!

is this a performance that can be seen

I hope its in Chicago...I'll sneek in if i have to...Just need to find out WHERE its going to be...

im just happy shes performing, even if im not going!

lucky american express starwood customers who get to go! I hope they are real fans at least! Really hope they tape and post clips from the show!

that was me~ :stupid:

Yeaah good news. I hope that you can go MA. when you go don't forget to record the whole show ;)

GREAT news! I hope that somebody will record this. We have to check YouTube after the show!

keeping my fingers crossed for you, marcanthony!!!

keep us updated!!!
record! take pics... whatever...
thanks!!!

havent heard anything from my sources.....its probably not here...but im still keeping an ear out....i have the digi cam charged and ready, just in case....

but yo, I thought they were gonna show the performance live on that website..did i read it wrong?

anyways...ill keep you guys posted on what i find out!!!!

paz.

LOL, Marcanthony, if u bring a camcorder, make sure you hide it well, cus one of the security guards kicked a dude out, from a lauryn show this summer cus he snuck in with a camera ( cameras weren't allowed in the venue).

todays the big day!!!..well, i guess i wont be attending this show since i never confirmed that it was actually here in chicago.
better luck next time.
cant wait to see some clips of this show though!!!!

That was me :stupid:

ok, so i just got off the phone with webflyer.com/liveflyer...whatever its called, and I was told that there is going to be a live blog about the concert on the webpage, and that clips of the show will be posted as it goes along. One of the employees there told me that she thinks the show is in California!
Blog starts at 8pm eastern time

I read it is in NYC and starts around 7 pm

So it is in New York, and well i posted 8eastern time as the start time, but i meant to say central time.....anyways..ive been going back and forth to the webflyer site...and i just found this:

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

- Posted 3:02pm

"Almost Showtime....."

Here at the W New York where tonight Starwood Preferred Guest and partner American Express kick off their official launch of the new "ruby red" SPG Credit Card by American Express. it's early and we've been sneaking in and out of the venue. Coming up, pictures of some of the surprise rewards and maybe even a sneak at Lauryn warming up the band.

The first video file has been upload of Lauryn warming up the band!!!!!!!!!!!
It wont open up on my computer...i dont know what kind of file it is...SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a .MOV file - you need Quicktime to open (/play) it.

i thought i had that on my pc...guess not...is there a way to convert it to a file to watch it on media player?

It wont open on my frkn computer !!!
God, this sucks !!!! :angry:
Is anyone able to view it ?

im so frustrated right now!
i hope the rest of the nite doesnt go this way
im attempting to put it on youtube to see if that works..ive never done it b4, so................
ill be back!!!

Don't fret my friends, it's only a 13 second file - really shabby quality (and blatantly edited with Windows Movie Maker) - with 8 of those seconds being a crappy title screen.

<_< and when it does get to Ms. Hill and the band, it's fuzzy and really far away - and you only get to hear them playing for a few seconds (it's too short to recognise what song - but the band sounds pretty much the same as the one in West Palm Beach).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLlHpfSm7w

yeah...lost ones right..i got my hopes up for nuffin'
lol...well i hope the rest of the clips are longer, and better...

patience is a virtue!!!

I can't find any file... what's the url where they upload the files?

The BLOG FROM LAST NITES SHOW...no more videos for now..but they say some more are going to come, including a pic of ms. hill.
<read it from bottom up>


Posted 11:35pm

"Waiting for Ms. Hill ..."

OK, the crowd leaves one way and we sneak back stage - well side stage in this case - hoping to sneak in an up-close-and-personal pic for the LiveFlyer archives. We're sure she's not avoiding us as the "roadies" move back and forth in front of us. Here she comes ... and, and, and ... goes. Darn it, by the time we fired up the camera, she posed, said thank you and was gone. We'll post up what we have later in the day/evening and so long from the W New York.




- Posted 11:24pm

"11:24 Shows Over ..."

Lights up, the band salutes and Ms. Hill disappears - stage right, leaving those holding the SPG Credit Card from American Express just a bit more loyal to a card that has a preferred place in their wallet.




- Posted 10:51pm

"OK, the music critic ..."

We confess, we've never bought an iTunes song from Lauryn Hill, but among her music choices this evening - about 10 songs into the set - it does appear she handles the move from hip-hop to other styles quite well with her rendition of Bob Marley's "Zimbabwe" like she owned it, and the crowd agreed. Right now she is belting out "Heat Wave" a song that the older members of the audience at least know.

Now, among the music critics, her voice might have been smoother and the band a bit more polished, but no one left too early and it's past eleven o"clock.

Wearing her hair in a giant Afro, the one thing we noticed from the start is she repeated phrases and used improvised and snaked words around the rhythms. It made her sound mystical with sound, lots of it.

Her music blended afro-pop and jazz with a hint of hip-hop.

The worst thing about it was that she started an hour late with no apology, but for most of us that see a concert - any concert - from the nose bleed section, this was a treat.

More music, more photos as soon as we break the bandwidth.




- Posted 10:13pm

"Hear That?"

Hello Ms. Hill ...
With a full complement of a band - two of a kind: two guitars, two sets of drums, two backup singers, two keyboards and two brass, she opens with H-E-L-L-O and is greeted by the crowd... music is here.




- Posted 9:03pm

"Where's Lauryn Hill?"

It appears that in true (so we hear) performance fashion, Ms. Hill is unaccounted for. Scheduled the begin at 8:30 for 30-45 minutes, she's now New York "fashionably late."

When we hear it, you'll hear it.




- Posted 8:55pm

"Private Room?"

If we're going to do this right, we need to find our everything - yes, everything. We discovered quite by accident the "side" private party going on. Yes, leaning against a vacant door lead us into the inner bowels of the W New York and we happened upon a slew of people here for the event. This was a SPG/Conde Nast private party and no sooned in the door than we spy Adam Aron, who has had a huge impact on this industry. First of those who actually "invented" the indistry, he championed frequent flyers at Western Airlines before AAdvantage and went on to fame by making Mileage Plus - a standard and even did his time making the early days of Hyatt Gold Passport a player in the industry. Well, hanging out with the insiders (pics to come) is cool, but we're here for the music and the points and the plastic. More later.

Now, which secret door did i come in?




- Posted 8:30pm

"It's 8:30 The Special Guest Performance is about to Begin"

OK, I squeezed around the ballroom for another lap and I can tell it must be about time - plenty of activity on the stage and those attending are starting to edge themselves forward for a better view - but really, with Lauryn Hill just 8 fert away, what better view does one need?

Next report - live from in front.




- Posted 8:01pm

"A Tour de Points"

OK, just back from doing laps around this ballroom. There are about 250 people in the audience with about half of them members, both of the devout SPG kind and of the plastic fantastic kind. We just chatted with a few of the plastic fantastic members and the first guy we chatted with spends over $500,000 a year earning points. No doubt he is one of the happiest members here tonight.

As with any army of "a-Pointees," this group travels, uh, spends on its stomach and there is no lack of finger food being easily consumed and offered. We'd tell you your choices as if you were here but it might spoil your dinner.

(Note to self: "find the satay waiter ... again"




- Posted 7:48pm

"Music."

Starwood just seems to mean music and tonight is no different. It's like a nightclub where most people seem to know each other. While it may be that they don't, those members attending tonight definitely feel as if they know SPG.

P.S. Word is that some of tonight's special guests are members who have worn out their SPG credit cards. That means many points and many miles!




- Posted 7:46pm

"Reward Four"

As we've told you, rewards is the name of the game and Reward Four ia a copy of the Golf Digest Best Places to Play: America's Best Golf Courses








- Posted 7:22pm

"Hello and welcome...."

OK, once you wind your way up the magic spiral staricase, you will be greeted by all the signs of a buzzing party.

First you'll be greeted at the door and handed a real size, "ruby red" replica of the new re-launched Starwood SPG Credit Card from Amnerican Express. What to do with it? Simple, after thinking of how many points you can earn with the real thing, you wind your way around the ballroom weaving your way among the waiting waiters willing to serve you a "Preferred Pomegranatini" in the right color.

Here is a clip of the show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSdOzsLmYQ8