Raleigh Convention Center Records Song, Produces Video, Induces Widespread Nausea!

Well said gdaddy.
Ernest

I’m late to this party. Maybe the video/songs for other cities suck to the point that this one isn’t as bad as we think. (Trying to be positive.)
Kimgirl. You began by calling Raleigh “vanilla.” Actually, Chapel Hill is one of the most vanilla places around. The only things to eat are whitebread and crackers. Also, you may want to check your spelling/grammar before posting next time. I guess money doesn’t equal education.

I’m with the crowd that thinks this video isn’t toooo bad. I mean it is a promotional video, so a little cheesy is expected. I happen to really like the Convention Center slogan “You Shine Here” and the logo. The WRAL story did mention that someone actually chose Raleigh for their convention because of this video. We’ll see, I guess.

They should have used spell check like someone said on “entreprenuer” [sic] which is actually “entrepreneur”. If they are trying to sell the convention center why don’t they emphasize the building and amenities more? You don’t see any interior shots and exterior shots are very limited. They should tweak the video a bit, lose the song and this would be fine.

education rocks… innovation rolls

Everyone should have the chance to express an opinion and give others a chance to respond. Why are positive inputs being pulled? I just saw two disappear. Is someone trying to sway apparent overall opinion?
Ernest

Yeah… my post was deleted.
For the record I said the song is fine and this thread was a little negative. Apparently not everyone’s opinion is welcomed here.
Oh wait – maybe it was the comment about Dana’s little toothpick model for his convention center concept. What gives Dana? Dish it out but you can’t take it eh.
BTW: where did the “widespead nausea” occur that you refered to in the headline? Oh, I see… it was JUST YOUR SPIN.
Fair job with the blog site. LOL!

Ok, I owe Dana an apology. Sorry mate. It was Chris that start this trash the song thread.
So Chris, what type of song would you have seen written? Really. Just curious. I’m just trying to understand why your headline is so over the top against this music.
C’mon. Don’t be shy now.

Yeh, what gives? I posted on the 5th and my comments were deleted also. I thought the intro to this blog said all opinions were welcomed. Is there a caveat that says “as long as they agree with Dana’s.”
Just in case these comments remain for a while, I do want to restate the points I made earlier
.
1. Shine Raleigh Shine is a marketing tool, a promotional video, for the Convention Center.
2. Shine Raleigh Shine did not cost the city of Raleigh any money.
This is tobacco road country so get over thinking you are not in the south.
One question. What’s this about a toothpick model of the convention center? Sounds like a good topic to explore.

^ A couple of thoughts on this being “tobacco road country”. Tobacco is an ever shrinking part of this states economy. Many of us would not be reading this if it were not for high tech, medical or university positions dominating our areas economy. Not to mention the fact that it is the state’s capital.
It WAS tobacco country. Now it is a growing somewhat modern sunbelt city.
Take a look at the Independent if you want to get an idea of the local music that is going on in this area. I challenge you to put down the paper and think that country captures it. There may be some, along with folk, bluegrass, but indie rock predominates.
How many cowboy hats are to be found on the heads strolling around downtown.
I am very bothered by the vitriol being directed at our bloggers. They are doing us all a great FREE service. I definitely have not always agreed with them, but I am free to post. Their opinion is as valuable as the rest of ours!
As for positive posts being deleted. I would be shocked, but want to know what has happened if posts are disappearing.

^ A couple of thoughts on this being “tobacco road country”. Tobacco is an ever shrinking part of this states economy. Many of us would not be reading this if it were not for high tech, medical or university positions dominating our areas economy. Not to mention the fact that it is the state’s capital.
It WAS tobacco country. Now it is a growing somewhat modern sunbelt city.
Take a look at the Independent if you want to get an idea of the local music that is going on in this area. I challenge you to put down the paper and think that country captures it. There may be some, along with folk, bluegrass, but indie rock predominates.
How many cowboy hats are to be found on the heads strolling around downtown.
I am very bothered by the vitriol being directed at our bloggers. They are doing us all a great FREE service. I definitely have not always agreed with them, but I am free to post. Their opinion is as valuable as the rest of ours!
As for positive posts being deleted, I would be shocked, but want to know what has happened if posts are disappearing.

Ron T, I guess you need to be shocked. I posted a positive comment late afternoon on the 5th and it was missing the morning of the 6th. It is my impression based on other blogger’s comments that I am not the only one to have comments deleted. I too am shocked. I value and appreciate having a place to express my opinions.

I too am concerned about the message deletion. I will be very dissappointed to hear that this blog is censored for effect.
Bad language, inappropriate response placement or rudeness is understandable, but not for a counter-opinion.
Can Chris or Dana address this, please?

As quoted from above with my comments below:
“OK all you armchair critics. The city of Raleigh, NC needs a song to promote the new convention center. Are you up to it?”
1. Come up with the lyrics.
2. Compose the music.
3. Arange it.
4. Find a vocalist to sing it.
5. Find a band to play it.
6. Find a group for backup.
7. Record it.
8. Present it to the City of Raleigh.
9. Perform all the above at no cost to the city of Raleigh.
10. Put up or shut up!
OK, surely if a few MORE millions can be whipped out every few months when it is realized the CC is running “over budget” some piece of the pie can be carved out to take care of the above. Come ON… don’t tell me that a facility now costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars needs their PROMO materials done AT NO COST??? Excuse me, are writers, composers, arrangers, singers, musicians and recording studios expected to do this for the city of Raleigh AT NO COST? ~ For the City of Raleigh to reap financial benefits from while these professionals get nothing for their participation? What a slap in the face! Are the Convention Center, Chamber, and CVB staffs working at NO COST to the city of Raleigh for this place? I think NOT. How about the construction workers? That is the most asinine thing I have read on this post! If ever “you get what you pay for applies…”
I’m just speechless reading that one of THE most important pieces of marketing this new facility needs to be done for FREE for the city of Raleigh!
As for the video, there’s just too MUCH crammed into this thing. It almost set off my vertigo just watching. As someone said, it’s more appropriate to getting folks to MOVE here, but not plan a convention here. If I’m going to spend money on a convention, I want some f.u.n. stuff… and there was little in this video that would lure me here if it were an optional trip, which is often the case for convention attendees.
The music makes me want to dig out my decades old boots and try to scoot around… it sounds like TEXAS, not NC. What about some of the great musicians from NC… Here’s a thought… get a hold of KC (of “the Sunshine Band”)… doesn’t he live in Chapel Hill? I think “Boogie Shoes” with the right rewritten words would be more appealing to folks than some Texas Western “yee haw” tune! Or “That’s the Way…”Give me something with some life in it!
Like: That’s the Place (Raleigh), uh-huh, uh-huh…I like it I like it…
Or Nantucket… a “jingle” to their “Hey Hey Blondie” but “Hey Hey Raleigh!”
(Just some “food for thought” outside the box of the usual cheesy promo tunes)
Puh-leze rethink this!

That is 3 min and 59 seconds of my life I WILL NEVER GET BACK.
1. I thought it was the opening for Young Guns at first.
2. Um.. who let them loose with the Fisher Price My First Video Editing Software. The “special effect” on clay rings from the NCAM almost made me crap myself. WOW. Some of it was good however there is such a thing as over kill and they just killed the hell out of it.
3. Maybe I didn’t see it because my head was in the trash can through a large portion of the “video” however where was the indy restaurants and bars that makes Raleigh so great? Everyone can have Starbucks, but Cup a Joe now there is a reason to move to a city. Maybe a little more city focused and less label focus would have been nice.
4. The word TECHNOLOGY should never be used in a song unless it is sung by William Shatner and a large amount of bourbon is involved.
5. While this is written from a personal perspective I am leaving will not leave out my professional perspective. Yes on a professional level it lays out your goal, achievements and it builds a future in a potential employer/ citizen’s mind. However keep in mind that generally speaking when employers are faced with two equally paired candidates they will hire the one they LIKE the most. After watching this video I see nothing that would make me like Raleigh anymore than any other city. Unless they made their video on napkins and made a flip book. And honestly I would probably like them better.

So by the logic of some, no one should criticize anything if they can’t do a better job themselves.
Well, heck, I know when a wine is bad, even if I don’t have the foggiest notion how to make a better one.
And while an amateur wine can get an A for effort, that doesn’t necessarily make it worth drinking.

This video and the post on Raleighing say a lot about Raleigh.
THAT PEOPLE FROM RALEIGH WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING !!!!!!
My goodness, I have never seen a bigger bunch of whiners than here in Raleigh. And I am from here !!!
People here complain about everything…when they have it so good…
It a promotional video for a conventions, not a Grammy Grab !!!

Too true, Betsy. And let us not forget the common sentiment expressed directly below yours, namely, anyone that tries to offer criticism is a “whiner” who “will complain about anything.”
Almost everyone offered legitimate opinions about what did and did not work in the video. It’s just that the latter greatly outweighed the former. Pointing that out does not make us whiny, ill-tempered, or unappreciative of the benefits of living here. Quite the contrary – the point most made was that this video does nothing to celebrate the wonderful things that we all love about our city and that make it special.
Making a post that denounces anyone who offers feedback or critiques (which, I will once again remind everyone, were solicited – on YouTube of all places, one of the most brutal testing grounds of the intarweb!) is hardly constructive or helpful. That detracts more from the conversation than realistic criticism.
Anyone who is involved at all in creative endeavors – of which this is considered – has to learn early on to take criticism and develop a thick skin. Not everyone is going to like your work, but if you are wise, you will learn to sift through the criticism to find the legitimate points that can help make your work better. That is all part of the design process, as any graphic artist, architect, or songwriter worthy of the title should understand.

If a wine is bad to you, don’t drink it. Others might love it. If you don’t like the video, use the on/off control.
I’m a native of North Carolina and I like it.
Ernest

dreadful

Everyone knows Raleigh sucks.
What this video presupposes is…maybe it doesn’t?

i have to say that this is one of the best comment threads ever at raleighing.com. personally, i far preferred the ASU video over the raleigh video (especially because the song is ultra-super “white” thruout, but you suddnely hear a souful voice when they show a clip of a graduating black student – you just can’t plan magic like that!) the raleigh song isn’t great, isn’t terrible, it frankly is sort of representative of the raleigh music scene of 2006, though i would have preferred the connells too (and i wouldn’t have picked their tune “dull brown and grey”). the video clips are very random; most of it looks like about 5 people live in Raleigh.

I disagree Owen. Raleigh does NOT suck. If it did, it would not have the highest rate of newcomers of any east coast city.
The reason that you see so much controversy over this video is because the great people of Raleigh (who are sophisticated) don’t think that it’s cheesy nature trully represents the class that Raleigh has.

One of the great things about living in Raleigh is — it’s so easy to be cool!

(speaking as a not-cool person, of course … my lands-end-and-target wardrobe alone would disqualify me)