Maybe...but she is getting national exposure (the cost is probably picked up by RadioShack)... Anyway, I am sure AEG with AEG Live/ Concerts West might know one or two things about musical artists.
Her music, in my opinion, sucks, but at least she actually plays and - I believe - writes her own music. That's a lot better than getting Haguilera in my eyes. It's not like it really matters anyways. Getting Jesus himself to come down and play the most bitching song ever at halftime wouldn't get people who hate soccer to watch the game, and if you're the type of fan who would not go to the game because you think the halftime show sucks, well, then, good riddance.
she does write her own music, she's also danm good witha guitar. And more than likely won't lyp synch her music. There's not much to dislike with her. The only thing you could dislike about her the genre of music that she creates. But MLS made a good choice this time.
Not to be a complete a-hole, but can you really guarantee this? I realize I don't have a complete understanding about corporate synergy and the like, but I don't think Michelle Branch gets a dime from MLS for singing 2-3 songs during half-time and probably the National Anthem. Do performers get appearance fees for doing Letterman or Leno? The answer is almost always, no. The opportunity to sing in front of 30K spectators and a television audience is usually considered EXPOSURE--something most agents would kill for. The fact that in the past the talent has been less than stellar is probably more of an indictment as to the kind of exposure it was perceived to be. Michelle Branch, legions of teenybopper fans notwithstanding, is largely considered A-list talent (or at least A minus).
At MLS Cup 2002, Puddle of Mud was supposed to play. I was looking forward to hearing them do that song "Blurry". I didn't even realize they hadn't played until after the game. I must have been mesmerized by the $7.00 Bass beers or the hula hoops at half-time. My point: I doubt it matters much either way.
If she sells one incremental ticket outside the hard core soccer fan its worth it. Typically, artists record labels help promote the appearance and do deals with local radio stations that may help create hype in the market. I see no downside to this.
I only listen to REAL music, like eminem, 50, obie, dre, snoop dizzle, etc...so i know nothing about this chic... but the only thing I'm worried about is will they cut the 2nd half down to 30 minutes so they can get her whole performance in at half time????
if you are going to be a snob, then at least try to impress us with your higher pedigree of musical taste. that isn't music. thats rap. which is one letter away from crap. just kidding... i don't hate rap. but i do know that none of those artists sing and they don't play instruments either. outkast, pearl jam, the strokes, coldplay, and u2 is music. rap is something else... and can be very entertaining and powerful (when preformed seriously), but its poetry or spoken word, not music.
ya, well all i know is that the past couple years i wake up around 1230 on saturdays usually i don't know where the hell im at or whats going on, but something always clicks and i'm like i gotta get home for MLS, so i always wake someone up and get a ride or i just take off if i drove myself...my friends (ages 17-22) always say *#*#*#*#*# to me about, gay, blah blah, MLS...since the league started i've tried to get my friends to watch games with me, early years all they saw were crap games, horrible team names, horrible jerseys, and players just shanking the ball all over the field, around 2000 i got them to follow the first few weeks of the season, had a fantasy MLS league going with all of them, but from what we know in this area soccer is for geeks (not the word they use)...The guys on my high school soccer team (i didn't play, football coach wouldn't let me as i was our starting quarterback) were nerds, i didn't have one friend who played soccer, they were the kids that I and my friends had been making fun of since we were 7...so thats the view they got of soccer...but I've followed MLS since 95 when rumors on players, team names, sponsors, cities, etc started and I will be a fan for life, I guess the cool, parties every weekend type of person isn't the type of fan MLS wants...I guess thats why me and 3 of my friends shelled out about all our money for Seahawks 3rd row back 50 yard line season tickets and I've never got them to go to a sounders game... what does this have to do with music, mostly the marketing of the league... The only clothes i ever wear are sports jerseys, in the last 3 or so months (i make a lot of money and have no bills except 2001 ranger truck payment) i've bought a rasheed wallace jersey, paul pierce jersey, allen iverson throwback, iverson eagles football jersey, mcgahee jersey, bonds pirates jersey, Ricky Davis jersey, Ron Artest Jersey and a Dante Hall jersey... those are the clothes i wear, well just on friday and saturday nights, thats how i roll, NBA, NFL, it goes after fans like us, thats why their merchandise sells, I don't like him but Nelly performed at the SuperBowl, thats who they get... so why can't we can Obie Trice performing at MLS Cup? (ultimately it doesn't matter, i could care less, I'm thinking of ways to get my friends to watch, which I know about 200 people ages 17-22, they are like brothers, imagine if i could get them to watch MLS, red bandana with a damarcus beasley jersey, i think so...but won't happen until MLS is "cool"...) anyways, Obie, i guarantee i could get a huge party (we'll party for any reason, WE had a 100 person party with many kegs, apparently it was a baby shower for some pregnant chic, hah, we just took it over though) huge party though for MLS Cup, one its a sport, i could sell that, two if Obie was at half i can be like Obie is at halftime, we'd be trashed, having fun watching a great sport, they'd realise it and start following MLS themselves, etc... But the people that run MLS are a bunch of haters, well at least towards my type of people...
Anything is better than the fat kids running around in circles from last year. That was pathetic. It sure was funny though . Every single halftime show at MLS Cup has been awful. I have sat through them all. Maybe we will have another Giant Inflatable Ball issue like at the first Cup in DC?
How about some rock n roll music by guy bands. Whats with all these broads playing at half time. They're o.k. Plus that airhead Daisy Fuentes is hosting the halftime show. Puh leez.
So you're saying you listen to "artists" who rip off other people's art. Where's Biz Markie when you need him? Sachin
You two have issues, then. This girl couldn't even sell out the small arena here at Loyola...not many are going to come see this tramp pretend to have talent..
Welcome to BigSoccer, where you can find more music stylings then even what is offered through Time Life. Otherwise, some of you need to chill.
Re: Re: Michelle Branch at MLS Cup Halftime We should be so lucky! I saw Winger last year - those guys are phenomenal musicians. In case anyone cares.
      Wrong! Whatever you may or may not think of her music (and personally, I think her music is okay), this is a f****** brilliant marketing move!       As far as I can recall, this is the first time MLS has gotten a really popular haftime act at the height of his/her popularity (Christina Aguilera eventually became a big sensation too, but her career was just beginning to take off at the time of her MLS Cup '99 halftime performance).       Nabbing Daisy Fuentes to host the show was also marketing genius. She may not be as soccer-savvy as we may like, but she is popular even to the non-soccer TV audience which, sadly, far outnumbers us. And with one of the very few MLS games shown on a Broadcast Network at a very prime time for ABC Sports (12:30pm PT / 3:30pm ET on a Sunday), I'll bet that those two additions will draw more viewers than would've otherwise watched the game! -G
Not to call you out or anything, but Michelle Branch is probably the least talented person on guitar that has ever become a decent B-list star. The majority of her songs use 3 or 4 major chords, and that's it, no soloing, layering, or any creativity in her songs of any kind. A decent performer? Yes. A "good" guitar player? Hell no. And last time I checked with a booking agency, her fee was somewhere between 15-30k per performance.