bobice.com Interacts with Fans

I thought it a first when Tom Johnson entered his article into blogcritics.org about Taylor Hicks and the Ford commercial. I have decided to take it another notch further. I am reviewing a website. bobice.com has opened a new format that should work to drive more Bice fans to the site. Previously this website which charges a fee of $25.00 per year had a limited number of perks to draw folks to frequent. I just get bored with postings about how sweet Bo Bice is, how hawt he is, etc... along those lines.

Bonafide Bice has worked into The Accurate News Source regarding Bice and the folks running that site are dedicated and quite good at what they do for The Biceman. I am a member of bobice.com, became a BoPeep a long while back, and I occasionally stop by to see what's happening, but normally am not there longer than 15 minutes. I am not one to fill my days reading repetitive posts that don't really say anything. Forums sort of turn me off by the nature of the beast they are - which is why I prefer Bobafide Bice's main page which is filled with actual current news about Bo content.

Following Taylor Hicks this season on American Idol, I was one of the fans of the Great Gray Charles and his site graycharles.com. He and I were the first to blog about Taylor Hicks, and through that found mj's bigblog; MJ has covered American Idol and other entertainment shows for quite a while and runs a great site. It operates like graycharles.com and Bonafide Bice with articles, then a huge space for comments.

I digress, one of the reasons I don't like forums is the nature of the beast when it comes to commmenting and replies. Some forums can get very cliqueish in where, if you are not glued to the boards daily for hours, when you do post or comment you are largely ignored. I've had experiences too where I came under personal attack *cough* The Official Soul Patrol *cough* because of the picture of me I used as an icon for a while. One of the mods literally took a dislike to my face, kept at me about how it wasn't me, blahblahblah. It's not like I look like Demi Moore for friggin' sake; I'm not even wearing make-up in the stupid pic and I'm grinning like a fool. I like the pic, which I took myself, the day I came home from the hospital following the birth of Daphne. It was also a few days before the docs confirmed I had lupus. It was a good day.

My main point in this rambling blog is that it is a good thing that bobice.com is using the forum for something good; subject and fan interaction. They (the folks running the site) are also incorporating concert footage (soon) of the guys on tour. Seems to me I ranted about this very thing not long ago...used Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush as an example... You see, I met Frank in Dallas Once Upon a Time Ago, you can read my adventure here. I am a member of his free site originated by Wild Willie Parsons, a big fan of Frank's. Frank eventually found out about the site and contacted Wee Willie and became an active participant in the site. That's just the kind of guy Frank Marino is - he truly has such a great heart, it keeps in pace with his amazing talents. I received an e.mail from Frank recently requesting votes for Parsons who has been competing on "Last Comic Standing". Wee Willie promoted Frank for years, and now Frank is trying to help his friend. Quid Pro Quo. You don't find many celebrities or rock stars in the world who will step forward and tell fans personally - "hey thanks for what you've done for me". Normally stars will give the usual Kudos to "All my fans" etc... Frank contacts and thanks folks personally because he appreciates the fact they have and are using Their time to promote him - freely. You don't get much in life for free in this world, and it is rare anyone helps or does for others for absolutely free.

I think having the feature of Bo Bice coming into forums like Frank does on his boards will boost the morale of the fans, help grow the site and resurrect a lagging interest in following Bice's real life adventures in the world of music. I know there are about 25 hard-core posters that still sit on the boards daily out there; but overall the mass majority do start getting their attentions distracted - there's a big ol world out there. One thing besides the videos that would help bobice.com, is a music box/jukebox like on Frank's site and what Gray-Haired Dude (Taylor Hicks board that is now defunct) had on his site. I loved GHD's site and would tune in to it and let the music play while I worked. Since he dropped his site, the jukebox transferred (apparently there was some sort of buy out) to Taylor Hicks Fansite.

Bo Bice would benefit greatly from these features. Read also that new t-shirt designs are coming in as well as more and new journal updates. I know how time consuming it must be to put all this together, which is why I think Bo would benefit to have a copywriter who can put notes the band puts together onto the webpage in an interesting manner, and to have a designated person responsible for the video footage, not just the guys trying to do it all themselves. Maybe they have a vid handler, what do I know? What I do realize is novelty drives a site and creates interest in the fans. Bo coming into forums last night was a very good thing for him and made his fans very happy. I did not catch news of it until I got home from work; the e.mail from bobice.com hit my in box at 5:00 p.m. and I was out on a job site. I tuned it as it was over, but read the posts. He had a huge response. Better luck next time I guess; I did marvel at the lateness of the notification for such an event. If the site had word out even a day before, hit load could have more than doubled, possibly shaking the rafters of the site's capacity, but that would mean even more folks Today Talking about Bo. That's what its about afterall.

In closing, I'm pleased to hear of these changes in the Bo Bice website world, it is a move in a positive direction. Lest you say - what do you know about website promotions??? I just know what folks want to see and hear. My site stays like it is out of choice, not lack of my pushing it. This is mine and I love my Bo Bice Tribute just the way it is - but if I were Bo Bice I'd want more than what he's had -afterall, it's his life.

Much Love.

Idolling at the Crossroads

Bo Bice didn't recieve any real favors from Rick Massimo, billed as the Jouranl Pop Music writer with the on-line publication, Rhode Island News. Every sentence of praise was met with one of derision, as his article see-saws regarding Bice's appearance July 3rd at the Snapple Sunset Music Festival . (I've never cared for Snapple myself...)

Mr. Massimo apparently really hates Bice's American Idol CD, and every song it in save "Valley of Angels". He does have the ability to appreciate Bo and band's positive attributes, and enjoys Bice's songs like, "Cinnamon and Novocaine". Describing "The Real Thing" as a "yarling power ballad, with a heart of marshmallow Fluff" did make me smile as it is really a great piece of snark. I think probably what Bo and band - which by the way whatever happened to them being referred to as SugarMoney - should rearrange their sets. Putting a great rocker song followed by pop balled, then rocker song really makes for a bumpy set, eliminating a smooth groove. Maybe what the band should work, is start with the required pop, then carry into the real rock sound they so love, that way by the end of the show, all the pop 'yarl' is forgotten. I did take umbrage with the phraseology utilized to describe UMMB, as "fist-held-aloft knucklehead ballad". I happen to like this poppy-rock cut from the CD. (Of course I did not see how it was performed, nor how they sound in concert.) I also liked, for a short while, "You're Everything", but I got over that one. It started to leave a bad taste in my mouth like when you drink tea that's saccharine sweetened.

Mr. Massimo had a good point, in that while "Vehicle" was such a strong number during Idol 4 , and was released as side "B" on his single released after the contest was completed, why doesn't Bo and the band include it in their sets?

The world may never know the underpinnings associated with the real world of The Biceman. Carry on Bo and the band.

Much Love.

Link

Bo Bice to Honor New York on Fourth

Bo Bice has been selected to sing at the Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular. He is to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" a cappella. Reporters of this event have stated it will be either spectacular or a disaster, as the song seems to carry no middle ground when it comes to being performed. I know Bo will deliver spectacular. He has the pipes to carry this one off. The event is to be televised on NBC. LIza Minelli, Lionel Richie, Nick Lachey are also billed to perform. Seems almost everywhere Bo goes there's Nick.