The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - Grand Final

If you've been following my reviews of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Semi-Final 1 and Semi-Final 2, and you're looking for my thoughts on The Grand Final, check out the article at Biff Bam Pop! right here. Enjoy!

The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - The Second Semi-Final

It's Eurovision week and we're in the midst of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest from Stockholm Sweden (last year's winner). The First Semi-Final was Tuesday, The Grand Final is on Saturday, and today was The Second Semi-Final.

By the way, this edition of the Contest had an introductory explanation song of what Eurovision was all about

Eighteen nations competed in The Second Semi-Final with only ten going through to The Grand Final. The links below are to the song's video, and not their Eurovision performance, and I'll give you my impressions as they performed…

Latvia - "Heartbeat" by Justs - Cute boy in a leather jacket always equals points in this contest. He's so earnest, and rules the stage as he sings. Tis one is a good opener and has good chances.



Poland - "Color of Your Life" by Michal Szpak - Johnny Depp as a Redcoat? Though, this might be weird enough to go through… just based on his jacket…

Switzerland - "The Last of Our Kind" by Rykka - She's smoking… on my, is she on fire? No, but let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time at Eurovision. Not a bad song, very hopeful, and anti-war songs always do well in the Contest, but the performance is a bit lacking.

Israel - "Made of Stars" by Hovi Star - I like the retro-hair, but not the song so much until it kicks in, but I do kinda dig the spinning acrobats in the big Hula-Hoop. This is definitely one where the performance is better than the song.

Belarus - "Help You Fly" by IVAN - Naked guys and wolves, always a winner. Wow, he got dressed quick. Great use of effects and illusions, Belarus is always good at that, even though it looks like they cribbed some of Russia's act, but that might be reversed, depending on the order of performance. Lots of charisma, I liked it.



Serbia - "Goodbye (Shelter)" by Sanja Vučić ZAA - There was a lot of buzz about this one, but really the song and Sanja don't do much for me. A lot of leather on that stage.

Ireland - "Sunlight" by Nicky Byrne - This was one of my early favorites before the Contest, very catchy and fun, but it’s Ireland, which doesn't usually get many votes, ever.



FYR Macedonia - "Dona" by Kaliopi - This was actually another early favorite, but after a while it began to grate on my nerves, much like her waving her arms has in this performance. If she keeps flapping her arms, she's going to take off… On a serious note, this is one of the few songs not in English, so I have no idea what it's really about. It could be quite important.

Lithuania - "I've Been Waiting for This Night" by Donny Montell - Another pretty boy trying to own the stage, but unlike Latvia's Justs, he has more energy, hotter dance moves, and better effects… he's just not as cute.

Just a word about the song intros, this year they are very simple, just the artist(s) chilling and posing in Sweden. Usually the intros are very arty, so much so that they leave you scratching your head more than the performances themselves. These are pretty basic, almost disappointing from what we've come to expect from Eurovision.

Australia - "Sound of Silence" by Dami Im - This is Australia's second year in Eurovision, but like Ireland and the UK, its chances of winning are slim. I like the sparkly dress, the levitation effect, and the holograms, and she's got quite a voice. She is very Eurovision.



Slovenia - "Blue and Red" by ManuElla - This has a interesting country music vibe underneath, and that's quite a dress. She's even yodeling, always welcome at Eurovision.

Bulgaria - "If Love Was a Crime" by Poli Genova - Oooh, is she from the future? Kidding aside, this is actually pretty good and catchy, and it ends with a choir, she might qualify for The Grand Final.

Denmark - "Soldiers of Love" by Lighthouse X - Is it just me or could these guys be David Tennant's kids? Just average Eurovision boy band garbage.

Ukraine - "1944" by Jamala - As I mentioned above, anti-war songs always do well, and seeing as Russia invaded Ukraine recently causing much Eurovision controversy, this tune definitely raises some eyebrows. She's not playing around, this one is definitely going through.



Norway - "Icebreaker" by Agnete - Is this Frozen? This one has its moments but it's a bit schizophrenic as a song with its stops and starts.

Georgia - "Midnight Gold" by Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz - This was another of my favorites, mostly because it's one of the rare rockers. Pearl Jam meets Bush with none of the balls, and a retro sound that doesn't quite fit their image or Eurovision. I like it, but I'd be surprised if it goes through.



Albania - "Fairytale" by Eneda Tarifa - Another song called "Fairytale"? I guess they want history to repeat itself. I didn't like it, and in a way, I was happy my streaming went out during the song.

Belgium - "What's the Pressure" by Laura Tesoro - This tune is a great closer, even with its derivative disco rifts. It has great dancing, energy, and performance. If there's anything that unifies Eurovision fans more than an anti-war song it's mindless fun. This one is a score.



Those going through to the Grand Final on Saturday are Latvia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Australia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Israel, Lithuania, and Belgium.

Ukraine versus Russia on stage will be fun… or interesting at least. See you on Saturday for The Grand Final, which will be broadcast live for the first time in the United States on Logo, details are here. And did I mention the guest appearance by Justin Timberlake? Yeah, be there!

The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - The First Semi-Final

The really big news this year is that the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest (the Grand Final at least) will be broadcast live on American television, on Logo, this coming Saturday at 3:00 PM EST. More details can be found here.

The event will be hosted, as it was today, by Mans Zelmerlow and Petra Mede from the Globe Arena in Stockholm. The voting is quite a bit different this year, but still more complicated than it needs to be. An explanation can be found here. Oh, that wacky Eurovision. Also new this year is the app that you can use anywhere.

There were eighteen nations participating in the first Semi-Final, ten will qualify for the Grand Final, the links below are to the song's video, and not their Eurovision performance, and I'll give you my impressions as they performed…

Finland - "Sing It Away" by Sandhja - Very old school disco, but entertaining.

Greece - "Utopian Land" by Argo - I'm surprised Greece could afford to enter this year, it's a very traditional tune with a bit of hip-hop rap, not a bad song, but the performers seemed more than a bit sedated.

Moldova - "Falling Stars" by Lidia Isac - Alone on stage, she had more energy than Greece… and hey, what’s up with that creepy astronaut?

Hungary - "Pioneer" by Freddie - Hot guys and a big drum, what more do you need?

Croatia - "Lighthouse" by Nina Kraljic - It's just not Eurovision without some yodeling and an insane dress, and backing vocals by druids…

The Netherlands - "Slow Down" by Douwe Bob - This is seventies American country music, really not bad, and it grows on me more each time I hear it. The tune sorta has a England Dan and John Ford Coley vibe, I like it.

Armenia - "LoveWave" by Iveta Mukuchyan - Is she a superhero? Nice cape. Sexy, the performance is better than the song, as so often happens at Eurovision.

San Marino - "I Didn't Know" by Serhat - I love this song, for all the wrong reasons. It's so bad, and yet it has everything it needs to win this.

Russia - "You Are the Only One" by Sergey Lazarev - Great song, great effects, wings and lightning, definitely a qualifier despite the country's recent actions. With these effects, the song could have been awful and it would have qualified.



Czech Republic - "I Stand" by Gabriela Gunčíková - Zzzzzzzz, she's just standing there… zzzzzzzzz…

Cyprus - "Alter Ego" by Minus One - Strong pop rocker, a rarity in this contest, will definitely be in the Grand Final, as good as Russia, its best contender even if it does remind me far too much of "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers.



Austria - "Loin d'ici" by ZOË - She has more energy than Greece (but most of the acts do), her smile and movements are contagious, the performance better than the song.

Estonia - "Play" by Jeri Pootsmann - Once again, a better performance and effects than song, I like it, but is he twelve? He definitely is giving off a serial killer vibe no matter how old he is… like someone on Twitter said, he's definitely a Slytherin.



Azerbaijan - "Miracle" by Samra - Okay song, nice effects, but 'it's gonna take a miracle' to beat the other effects-heavy entries this year.

Montenegro - "The Real Thing" by Highway - This one is harder than one might expect, somebody got guitars for their birthday… so not the real thing.

Iceland - "Hear Them Calling" by Greta Salóme - I like the outfit, definitely more superhero than Armenia.

Bosnia & Herzegovina - "Ljubav Je" by Dalal & Deen featuring Ana Rucner and Jala - Gold and silver foil outfits with fishnet accents? Anti-war, anti-Russia song? Great presentation …ummm, did he have to rap? Still, better rap than Greece.



Malta - "Walk on Water" by Ira Losco - Nice song, better performance than song, Ira kicks it, but that guy crawling around on the floor has got to go.



Those going through to the Grand Final on Saturday are Azerbaijan, Russia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Armenia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Malta. That should give you an idea as to how they vote, and how good I am at picking winners. See you in a couple days for the Second Semi-Final.

And the Winner Is...

...Austria! "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst!

For my full report on the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, check it out here at Biff Bam Pop!.

The 2014 Eurovision Finalists

After Tuesday's First Semi-Final and today's Second Semi-Final, we now have the official line-up for Saturday's Final. The competitors for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest are, in order of performance, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Norway, Romania, Armenia, Montenegro, Poland, Greece, Austria, Germany, Sweden, France, Russia, Italy, Slovenia, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Malta, Denmark, The Netherlands, San Marino, and the United Kingdom.

The Final will be held in Copenhagen Denmark Saturday afternoon US time. My favorites are Poland, Austria, and Ukraine, but I doubt any of those will be the winner this year. Of course, the voting is a little different this year with 50% of it going to a judges panel as opposed to being subject to the whims of the people of Europe. Who will you be rooting for?

The Eurovision 2014 Finalists

This is the week, Eurovision happens this week. The First Semi-Final is tomorrow, with the Second Semi-Final on Thursday and then the big event, the Final on Saturday.

And on Saturday, the winners of the First and Second Finals will compete with last year's winning country, Denmark, and the original five countries. Here are those entries:

Denmark - "Cliché Love Song" by Basim



Spain - "Dancing in the Rain" by Ruth Lorenzo



Italy - "La Mia Citta" by Emma Marrone



Germany - "Is It Right" by Elaiza



France - "Moustache" by TWIN TWIN



United Kingdom - "Children of the Universe" by Molly

The Rest of the Eurovision 2014 Semi-Finalists

Here are the rest of the Semi-Finalists for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. There has been a lot of Susan Boyle-ish hype about Belgium's entry, although it does nothing for me. Poland definitely has the spirit of Eurovision with their risqué video. Latvia gets it too, even though apparently Montenegro doesn't. I'm kinda fond of Ireland, as with most years, it's one of my favorites, but this is a year of very fierce competition. Time will tell…

Azerbaijan - "Start A Fire" by Dilara Kazimova



The Netherlands - "Calm After the Storm" by The Common Linnets



Belgium - "Mother" by Axel Hirsoux



Poland - "We Are Slavic" by Donatan & Cleo



Latvia - "Cake to Bake" by Aarzemnieki



Montenegro - "Moj Svijet" by Sergej Cetkovic



Hungary - "Running" by Kallay-Saunders



Ireland - "Heartbeat" by Can-Linn featuring Kasey Smith

Even More Eurovision 2014

As the clock ticks down to the first Semi-Final on May 5th with competitions every day through to the Grand Final on May 10th, the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark's Copenhagen is looming closer and the competition is fierce.

Here is a quick look at some more of the entries this year, featuring more than a few vastly different musical styles:

Belarus - "Cheesecake" by Teo



Georgia - "Three Minutes to Earth" by The Shin & Mariko



Greece - "Rise Up" by Freaky Fortune featuring Ricky Kidd



Iceland - "No Prejudice" by Pollaponk



San Marino - "Maybe" by Valentina Monetta



Armenia - "Not Alone" by Aram MP3



Malta - "Coming Home" by Firelight

More Eurovision 2014

Here are several more of the finalists for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Coperhagen in just a few weeks, including the controversial Austrian entry by Ms. Conchita Wurst. Definitely some very tough competition this year...

FYR Macedonia - "To the Sky" by Tijana



Slovenia - "Round and Round" by Tinkara Kovac



Russia - "Shine" by the Tolmachevy Sisters



Austria - "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst



Sweden - "Undo" by Sanna Neilsen



Portugal - "Quero Ser Tua" by Suzy



Finland - "Something Better" by Softengine



Norway - "Silent Storm" by Carl Espen



Switzerland - "Hunter of Stars" by Sebalter

Eurovision 2014: Moldova and Estonia

Moldova - "Wild Soul" by Cristina Scarlat



Estonia - "Amazing" by Tanja

Early Eurovision 2014 Finalists

The finalists are quickly being named for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. The main event will take place on May 10, 2014, with two semi-finals in the days before then.

While there's question as to whether Russia and the Ukraine will be participating this year, as with any year in which war looms among the competing nations, there have been several finalists announced (including Ukraine).

Here are some of them:

Israel - "Same Heart" by Mei Finegold



Romania - "Miracle" by Paula Seling and Ovi



Lithuania - "Attention" by Vilija Matačiūnaitė



Some strong competitors here, looks like it's going to be a good contest this year...

Eurovision 2014 Is Coming

It's that time of year again. Eurovision season is here and the contestants are beginning to be chosen.

Here are the entries for Albania and the Ukraine, who will all be participating in the First Semi-Final on May 6, 2014:



"Zemërimi I Një Nate (One Night’s Anger)" by Hersi Matmuja



"Tick-Tock" by Maria Yaremchuk

The Dumpstas Tonight - OctoberFist VIII!

The Dumpsta Players Present "OctoberFist VIII!"

The Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Time: Doors open at 10 PM, show time is 11 PM sharp! $1.99 cover!
The Place: Bob and Barbara's, 1509 South Street, Philadelphia PA


BULGARIAN PEASANTS REBEL! ALBANIAN EMPATHS EMOTE! NINA HAGEN-DAAZ VS. PUNKS DELTA 5

Come journey with The Dumpstas to distant lands and experience a Greek Diva and her calls for lust! Queer party boyz from Ibiza shake their pompas! Fur Trappers from Iceland reveal the hunt is really for each other! A French Madame longs for her younger days and muchachas from Espana call the telefono to gossip!

But there is trouble in the Balkans… when an Albanian empath senses death in the air, the rebellion begins and anyone may die…

Let the ancient celebration commence. In spirited rhythms and many tongues, let's fill the air with music and make merry!

Behold the songs of the people! Behold the melody of the language! Behold, the symphony of the season! Raise your fist in solidarity - "OctoberFist VIII"!

A portion of proceeds benefit Juntos, a Latino immigrant, community-led organization in Philadelphia fighting for our human rights as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants. Find out more here!



Check out The Dumpsta Players on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and on their own website.

The Final Entries of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest

Sweden - "You" by Robin Stjernberg


It's a nice pop tune, but I guess Sweden doesn't really want to win two years in a row.

Spain - "Contigo Hasta El Final (With You All The Way)" by ESDM


At first it seems like Spain has gone traditional. I just wonder if the audience will still be with them by the time the song really kicks in.

Italy - "L'Essenziale" by Marco Mengoni


Wow, that's some hair.

Germany - "Glorious" by Cascada


Germany is usually a strong competitor, despite most of Europe still hating them for that World War II business, and this year is no exception. It's a great dance tune that would have won if it were from the Ukraine, but not Germany.

France - "L'enfer Et Moi (Hell and Me)" by Amandine Bourgeois


This is a great song, and per usual, it's in French, but it's much better than most years' entries. It seems the French are in it to win it this year. I can't wait to see what this looks like on stage. That will make or break it.

Along with the UK entry, "Believe in Me" by 1980s songstress Bonnie Tyler, the above finalists join Semi-Final winners Lithuania, Moldova, Finland, Belgium, Estonia, Belarus, Malta, Russia, Armenia, The Netherlands, Romania, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Greece, Ukraine, Norway, Georgia, and Ireland in the Grand Final tomorrow afternoon. Those of you in the States can watch it live here.

The Dumpsta Players Present: Eurotastic!

Tonight! Wednesday, May 15th, doors open at 10 PM, show time is 11 PM sharp!

...at Bob and Barbara's, 1509 South Street, Philadelphia PA. 215-545-4511
$1.99 to get in, must be age 21 and up!

www.dumpstaplayers.org

What's so gay about May? Eurovision, that's what!!

Come camp it up complete with heinous costumes, flamboyantly flaming backup dancers, and a pan-European spectacle so ridiculous no American broadcaster would ever dare air it!

It's the Eurovision Song Contest and we have an evening of unparalleled Euro Pop sure to stop up your orifices for weeks to come!!

More than fantastic, almost orgasmic, it's - "EUROTASTIC"!!!!

You can also check out The Dumpsta Players on YouTube and Facebook, as well as on PhillyCAM television.

More Eurovision 2013

The First Semi-Final was held tonight in Malmo, Sweden, and yielded the following Finalists: Moldova, Lithuania, Ireland, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, The Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, and Belgium.

Now, here are the last of the Second Semi-Finalists:

Israel - "Rak Bishvilo" by Moran Mazor


Another ballad? Really?

Latvia - "Here We Go" by PeR


Kind of a happy 1990s vibe here. I like when it finally kicks in.

Malta - "Tomorrow" by Gianluca


This could be a dark horse. It's happy, catchy, and memorable, and most importantly in a contest that includes so many different cultures - inoffensive. I think we'll see this one in the Finals.

Romania - "It's My Life" by Cezar


This guy's voice, wow. A novelty, and a possible Finalist.

San Marino - "Crisalide (Vola)" by Valentina Monetta


One wonders two things, how will it translate to the stage, and will the audience still be awake when it finally kicks in?

Switzerland - "You and Me" by Takasa


This is another favorite, I hope it's a Finalist as well.

The second Semi-Final will take place on Thursday, the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013: Norway

Norway - "I Feed You My Love" by Margaret Berger



That's some dress, huh? This is my absolute favorite this year. I love this song, and there's no justice if it doesn't win.

The second Semi-Final will take place on the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013: Five More from the Second Semi-Final

FYR Macedonia - "Pred Da Se Razdeni" by Esma & Lozano



Translated, it's a song of hope ("If I Could Change the World") and those kinds of things always do well in Eurovision. Plus it's got a beat you can dance to, and seriously this one grows on me each time I hear it.

Georgia - "Waterfall" by Nodi Tatishvili & Sophie Gelovani


I usually like Georgia's entries, but this slow motion love ballad barely kept my attention for three minutes. Zzzzzzzz…

Greece - "Alcohol Is Free" by Koza Mostra, featuring Agathon Iakovidis



Greece usually hits the contest with an upbeat dance club number, but this year they went with something a bit different. What at first seems like a very traditional old country song turns fun and madcap very quickly. The title is "Alcohol Is Free," you get the picture. I like this one a lot. It won't win, but I hope it gets to the finals.

Hungary - "Kedvesem (Zoohacker Remix)" by ByeAlex


More catchy pop fun that grows on me with each listen, slowly becoming a favorite, but again, I don't think it will win.

Iceland - "Eg A Lif" by Eythor Ingi


Yet another European lesson in just because you look metal, it doesn't mean you are metal.

The second Semi-Final will take place on the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013: The First Five of the Second Semi-Final

Albania - "Identitet" by Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko


I love the drums, and the music video, which I don't know if they will be able to reproduce its energy and creativity on stage. Luckily it's a catchy well done song. No idea what they're saying, but I think this one will definitely get through to the finals.

Armenia - "Lonely Planet" by Dorians


Pretty song, and being pretty always gets you far in this contest. We'll see.

Azerbaijan - "Hold Me" by Farid Mammadov


Azerbaijan is always a strong competitor, and this pretty boy power ballad is no exception. Not my favorite, but it has good odds.

Bulgaria - "Samo Shampioni (Only Champions)" by Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov


These Eurovision veterans are back. Their previous "Water" remains one of my all time favorite songs from the ESC. Always great percussion, but I don't think this is their best sadly.

Finland - "Marry Me" by Krista Siegfrids


Finland is another nation who always has a strong submission. This year they enter a more pop and dancey tune. The music video shows off Krista's range and humor, but I wonder if that will come off on the stage. I'm kinda rooting for this one, but then again, I'm partial to Finland.

The second Semi-Final will take place on the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013 - The Last Five of the First Semi-Final

Montenegro - "Igranka" by Who See


If I'm being honest, I love the video but only like the song. It does have more happening both musically and visually than many of the other contenders. However I think it might be like one of my previous favorites, Svetlana Loboda, just way too much going on at once. Either way, I dig this one.

Russia - "What If" by Dina Garipova


One of the better entries, but not one of my favorites, this one has an excellent chance of finishing high, if not winning. Ballads that are songs of hope are always favorites in this competition.

Serbia - "Ljubav Je Svuda" by Moje 3


Another one of my favorites, and not just because of the beautiful women singing. Dance numbers that are a little off, and outlandish outfits are Eurovision tradition. Also, the tune is catchy and gets in your head.

Slovenia - "Straight Into Love" by Hannah Mancini


I'm not fond of her voice, or the way the music starts and stops, but the dance track could easily be a 1990s Cher club hit.

Ulkraine - "Gravity" by Zlata Ognevich


LIke Montenegro, I like the video more than the song. It's kind of quirky, and grows on me each time I hear it, but I doubt it will get to the finals. Time will tell.

The first Semi-Final for Eurovision 2013 will be held in Malmo, Sweden on the 14th of May.