The fascinating life of Nigerian musician and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti arrives in Washington, DC for a special four-engagement at the historic 1931 Art Deco Warner Theatre this weekend. Fela! captures your attention from its pulsating Afrobeat sound to the amazing choreography. If you didn’t attend the opening performance of its current tour last fall in DC, then stop what you are doing and secure your tickets so you don’t miss out on this dynamic musical.

Fela! focuses on Mr. Kuti (Sahr Ngaujah) as he addresses the audience at his home club, the African Shrine in Lagos. The night was special as this was his final performance at the nightclub. Mr. Kuti is a man who defies confinement at every turn as he tries to escape the Nigerian life for the taste of fame and fortune. Despite being arrested over 200 times and beaten repeatedly, Kuti never gives in to the tyrannical government.

He walked us through his humble beginnings during the first act. While studying “medicine” in London, he discovered the melodic and pulsating sounds of jazz, pop and soul music. He fused Yoruba rhythms with the percussions, the mighty brass and the funky guitars to create the Afrobeat sound that took the world by storm during the 1970’s.

During a trip to the U.S., he discovered the Black Power movement. Soon after, his musical direction changed from love themes to social issues. Fela’s songs hits close to home with his Nigerian roots as they spoke against the tyranny of the government. His music was the voice that the oppressed youth of Nigeria needed to rise up against political corruption and human rights abuses. Fela’s status was raised to local folk hero faster than you can say his famous “Yeah, yeah.” Fela attempts to seek permission from his late mother, Funmilayo, to escape Nigeria and become famous. Every now and then, we hear her voice or see her spirit.

Fela! is nothing short of pure brilliance on the stage. Sahr Ngaujah takes command of the stage with his strong presence, amazing storytelling and powerful vocals. He encouraged the audience to join him in the numbers of “Underground Spiritual Game (The Clock)” and “Water No Get Enemy.” Ngaujah displays versatility as a great actor, even when the microphone went out numerous times on opening night. Sahr kept in character and played it cool like Fela would do. Sahr has truly earned my respect as a superior performer.

Paulette Ivory, who played Sandra Izadore, gave some warmth and compassion to Fela during the “Black President” segment. I admire Ngaujah’s and Ivory’s chemistry on stage as they delve into the difference between the struggles of Africans versus African Americans through the use of song. Ivory’s range can be described as calm and smooth, yet it demands attention at every step.

During the second act, Funmilayo, Fela’s mother, played by Melanie Marshall, brought down the house with her mighty rendition of “Rain.” Her powerful, yet haunting vocals filled the room with such awe that the audience wanted more from this talented vocalist. Marshall started out the tune with a classic motherly tone wanting her son, Fela, to be the man he’s destined to be. During the climax, she displayed her vast range as she belted out those high notes that brought the audience to praise her performance.

Finally, the choreography of Bill T. Jones makes big waves in this three-hour musical. The fusion of African and jazz dance styles to the pulsating beats from the lively multicultural stage band and you get a show that you cannot keep your eyes off. The cast kept the energy going with such vigor and drive, their dancing was relentless in order to keep us entertained. They have succeeded! And for those of you who are fans of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance Season 7’s much revered contestant, AdeChike Torbert, you are in for a surprise as Torbert landed a role as a cast member of the Fela! cast. So don’t miss out on seeing him perform live!

Fela! is a must See for the weekend! Armed by brilliant performances by its cast and an untold story, Fela! Afrobeat goes on and on… until the next time it hits D.C.

Fela! is playing at the historic Warner Theatre through Sunday, January 29^th.

Tickets are available through Live Nation and the Warner Theatre box office. The prices range from $57.00 to $127.00

THEATRE REVUE by Dean Roge

Will you see the 30th Anniversary Grave Digger Monster Truck LIVE at the Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam at the Verizon Center – starting TOMORROW January 27-29th? Let’s find out who won our contest!

To win one of TWO pair of tickets in our DC giveaway,  you had to answer one question to be entered into our drawing.

The question was: What other Monster Truck is considered “the original Monster truck?”

The Answer is BIGFOOT

The winners of the MONSTER JAM DC contest are Nancy A. of Rockville & Alan D. of Temple Hills

Congratulations to the winners! The winners will be contacted tomorrow to claim their prize. If you entered and didn’t win, DO NOT DESPAIR because we have Monster Jam Baltimore and Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic giveaway coming up in the next few days and weeks.

Keep your eye on The Rogers Revue for more details.

“Cut Ties” somewhat surprisingly heads into an entirely new direction following the events of “TheGunfighter”. No mention of Wyn Duffy or Quarles for that matter, though the fact that the location of the murder scene they were involved in recently got new carpeting and the cement underneath bleached was brought up in passing. Instead a couple of new characters are introduced into the fold, the first being that of former colleague Karen Goodall (played by Carla Gugino, recently promoted to assistant director for the U.S. Marshals Service). There’s been a lot of chatter regarding Goodall as a semi-resurrection of Gugino’s old Karen Sisco character (which aired on ABC, where she also played a U.S. Deputy Marshal). So if you remember that show (I never watched it) it serves as an amusing echo into television character history, with the actors seemingly brief musing about it during their introduction.

This episode was more Art-centric than usual, and he’s a character I enjoy spending longer stretches with. His ‘slow chase’ scene from season two was classic. Here Art takes on an assignment of a personal nature when his an old friend of his still involved in Marshal service ends up getting killed by a Boston mobster placed in witness protection, looking to get back to his old ways. I liked how Art handled the situation once he pieced everything together, discussing the Old Testament methods of extracting information by introducing suspects’ faces with phone books, but lamenting how such a practice can no longer be applied because phone books are obsolete. Great stuff, the way Nick Searcy plays Art with the sincerest gusto just reeks of the most authentic genuineness an actor can ever hope to exude.

Boyd eventually gets to Dickie in prison, at first it seems to avenge Ava, but he’s more interested in the money that the late Mags left behind. Dickie reveals its existence but that he’s no way to access it from prison, since he’d have to go through Ellstin Limehouse to get it. Now we only get to see a snippet of Limehouse at the tail end (played by Mykelti Williamson, who once played Forrest Gump’s equally dim friend Bubba), but what an impression he makes. Introduced during a confrontation with a subordinate who’s failed him, he launches into a monologue about what it takes to properly train a dog, settling on the importance of balancing punishment with fear of punishment. It’s a chilling speech in which he offers to square the situation if the subordinate in question agrees to undergo a painful burn involving lye and vinegar (if it sounds familiar, a similar technique was applied in Fight Club). The associate declines such an offer, electing the cowardly route of verbally agreeing that if another incident occurs in the future, no such choice will be offered. It will be interesting to see the racial tensions flare up during the inevitable confrontation between Boyd and Limehouse over the Bennett money.

Am I the only one hoping that ‘Icepick’ Nix returns at some point? He’d be great continuing foil for Raylan, even if he just creepily scowled as he is oh so prone to do.

Final Grade: A-

TRR TV Revue by Jacob Aquino

We are already nearing the end of the first month which means many of things. I turn a year older at the end of January and the awards season goes into overdrive. I still can’t believe I have the pleasure of interviewing a new member of the Oscars nominee club, Octavia Spencer. TRR is gearing up for our new year of coverage, so I want everyone to be ready as we make new waves in covering movies, DVDS, interviews, and more. For this week’s movies – we will beat cancer at all odds, beat the crap out of fellow robots, revisit the first movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and take a little stroll to the 1950s – for these are the

MOVIES OF THE WEEK 

50/50″ is  the story of a guy’s transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health  – drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser’s own experience with cancer and  reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take,  are the greatest healers.

Set in the near future where robot boxing is a top sport a struggling promoter feels hes found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.

Inspired by actual events, Kathy (Rachel Weisz) is an  American police officer who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war  Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed  when she uncovers a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue amid  a world of private contractors and multinational diplomatic doubletalk.

• Wings: Grandeur in the Sky
• Restoring the Power and Beauty of Wings 
• Dogfight!

BROADWAY

MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 1950s, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball, Tony nominee for Best Male Lead in a musical) fell in love with everything he shouldn t: rock n roll and an electrifying black singer (Montego Glover, Tony nominee for Best Female Lead in a musical). MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever. Bursting off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love, this incredible journey is filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll. Also starring Derrick Baskin, J. Bernard Calloway, James Monroe Iglehart, Michael McGrath and Cass Morgan.

TV SHOWS OF THE WEEK

Blast off to the 25th century with Buck Rogers, one of the most popular sci-fi heroes of all time! When 20th century astronaut William “Buck” Rogers (Gil Gerard) is awakened – 500 years after a deep space disaster – to an Earth in recovery from nuclear war, he must join Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray) to lead the crew of the starship Searcher against a galaxy of evil from the past, present and faraway future. Now with all 21 action-packed Season One episodes of the epic series the Associated Press called “razzle-dazzle good fun,” and featuring phenomenal guest stars including Jamie Lee Curtis and Julie Newmar, you can join these legendary intergalactic crime fighters for an adventure you won’t forget! Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray

You never expect the guy in the loud, mismatched leisure suit to have sage advice. But Mr. Brown has a knack for stirring up controversy and then stumbling upon the higher road. Must be those neon patent-leather shoes that light the way!

You can pick up these DVDS wherever they are sold. Until next month, HAPPY TV & MOVIE VUEING!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Announce 2012 Wrecking Ball World Tour Date Set for April 1 at Verizon Center

Tickets go on sale SATURDAY January 28 at 10:00 a.m.

Washington, D.C. – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced the first U.S. leg of their 2012 Wrecking Ball World Tour, which will kick-off on March 18 in Atlanta. Springsteen’s 17th studio album Wrecking Ball will be released on Columbia Records on March 6. The tour will stop at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Sun., April 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The E Street Band’s members are: Roy Bittan – piano, synthesizer; Nils Lofgren – guitar, vocals; Patti Scialfa – guitar, vocals; Garry Tallent – bass guitar; Stevie Van Zandt – guitar, vocals; Max Weinberg – drums; Soozie Tyrell – violin, guitar, vocals and Charlie Giordano – keyboards.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2012 U.S. Tour Dates:

• March 18 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena (on sale Feb. 4)
• March 19 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum (on sale Feb. 3)
• March 23 – Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Times Forum (on sale Jan. 28)
• March 26 – Boston, MA – TD Garden (on sale Jan. 28)
• March 28-29 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 1 – Washington, D.C. – Verizon Center (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 3 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center (on sale Jan. 27)
• April 4 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center (on sale Jan. 27)
• April 6 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan. 27)
• April 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan. 27)
• April 12 – Detroit, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 13 – Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 16 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 17 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena (on sale Jan. 28)
• April 24 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion (on sale Feb. 3)
• April 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (on sale Feb. 3)
• April 29 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (on sale now)
• May 2 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center (on sale Jan. 27)

TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on Sun., April 1 at 7:30 p.m. are $101.00 and $71.00 (plus applicable service charges) and go on sale Sat., January 28 at 10:00 a.m. The floor is general admission, meaning no seats. The ticket limit varies between four and six tickets depending on the location of the seats. A ticket lottery will take place at 8:00 a.m. at the Verizon Center box office only. Fans must be in line by 8:00 a.m. to participate. Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Verizon Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 202-661-5065. Please visit www.brucespringsteen.net or www.verizoncenter.com for updates.

Be part of the festivities when Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic arrives at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, February 8-12! A century of classic and new Disney starsare taking to the ice to share memories, laughs and excitement with you and your family.

100 Years of Magic combines Disney’s most unforgettable storiesand enthralling characters. The production features the largest cast ever assembled of lovable Disney stars on ice – from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket to Stitch, Nemo and the Incredibles –plus exciting moments from Disney’s Mulan and The Lion King.

Audiences will not want to miss beautifully choreographed figure skating to Academy Award-winning songs When You Wish Upon a Star, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, Beauty and the Beast, Under the Sea, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight.

1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD

Wednesday,February 8 – Sunday, February 12, 2012

Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets via charge, by phone at 800-551-SEAT, via www.ticketmaster.com, and at the 1st Mariner Arena box office.

Show Times:

• Wednesday, February 8th @ 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, February 9th @ 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, February 10th @ 10:30 a.m. and 7:30p.m.
• Saturday, February 11th @ 11:00 a.m., 2:30p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, February 12th @ 12:00 p.m. and 4:00p.m.

Hey Charm City Families, would you like to win tickets to Disney on Ice? Check out this spot next week for our Contest – STAY TUNED!

It’s nice to see an action film that doesn’t complicate things just for the sake of looking smart. As much as I enjoyed most of the spy films from 2011, we saw almost every variation and mind-boggling complexity that the genre had to offer. In Haywire, which was initially slated for release early last year, we are treated to 90 minutes of undiluted action that stays within the boundaries of physics (and our attention spans) and out of the confusing details.

With so many Angelina Jolie and Milla Jovovich films inadvertently mocking female action leads (which is usually a result of the script), it’s fun to see non-Hollywood female talent like mixed martial arts star Gina Carano, who is as physically powerful as she is appealing, in a starring role. Director Steven Soderbergh takes the same approach with Haywire as he did when he cast The Girlfriend Experience(2009), two diametrically opposed films with women pre-programmed for their roles. In Haywire, her first feature, Carano fits nicely into the skin of Mallory Kane, an ex-marine who does contract work for the government and is betrayed by her superiors. Written by Lem Dobbs, this film takes a similar tack to that of the Bourne series, as Kane works her way through the network to exact revenge.

Contrasting Soderbergh’s usual penchant for multi-tiered stories like Traffic and Contagion, Haywire is designed for a single protagonist confronting her enemies one at a time, and the pace is set quickly. The film opens with the best close quarters hand-to-hand combat scene since the hallway skirmish in Grosse Pointe Blank; in this case, it’s Carano and Channing Tatum  duking it out in an upstate New York diner. But this is no Mr. And Mrs. Smith, and it gets brutal quickly – though it becomes apparent that she reserves killing only for the ones who really deserve it.

It all boils down to an extraction job that Mallory was contracted to do in Barcelona weeks prior. Soderbergh keeps the film short and sweet, and doesn’t linger on too many frames, condensing Mallory’s flashbacks into small, artistic clips with brief black-and-white segments, fades and David Holmes’ trippy, off-key score. Haywire is otherwise a straight shot to retribution, coming to life after her boss Kenneth(Ewan McGregor) sends her to Dublin to rendezvous with a British Intelligence agent (Michael Fassbender). After she is double-crossed, the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ are initially a mystery, though the ‘whos’ are easy enough to figure out even before they are dished their due punishment.

The action sequences are caught with a steady Red Digital camera (Soderbergh is also the cinematographer)in well-lit settings, so it’s easy to tell what’s going on. One scene in particular is a fight in the restricted space of a hotel suite, another is a car chase in a wintery New England forest. There isn’t much trickery with the camera during these moments, save the stuntmen (and perhaps a deer) who function as nothing more than rag dolls in Carano’s hands. “Don’t think of her as a woman,”  McGregor’s character cautions his conspirator. “That would be a mistake”.

Haywire reminds me a little of the ’70s and ’80s when the martial arts world was ripe with Hollywood talent. Conversely, it’s in an action film for the modern era, though it doesn’t concern itself much with technology or political mumbo-jumbo. I don’t know if the film is deep enough to send an empowering message, but the fact that Carano is actually able to inflict such damage upon her male adversaries will make a good counterpoint to Sam Mendes’s Bond installment Skyfall later this year. Though her range of emotion is kept reasonably limited, her acting isn’t half bad, especially in the presence of seasoned veterans like Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton, who plays her father. In any case, Carano is, pardon the pun, striking.

Grade: A-

TRR Movie Revue by Michael Parsons

In the year of 1944, a special elite group of young men were hoping to fight for their country during World War II.  The 332d Fighter Group consisted of the best fighter pilots to come out the famous Tuskegee Institute. These brave young aviators had to overcome racial discrimination from both inside and outside the Army in order to be treated as equals. Through it all, they proved to their country and the world that not only they were successful in their mission but successful in their lives. Red Tails has the combination of a good action flick and a gripping story. It has flying sequences that bring out the Top Gun pilot in all of us and it tells the tale of the Tuskegee Airmen – men who lived the dream of flying and made history doing so.

During the Second World War, the 332d Fighter Group is ready to fight for their country. For now, they are performing mop-up operations behind enemy lines. Among the men are leader Capt. Martin “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker), the skirt-chaser Lt. Joe “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo) and Ray “Ray Gun” Gannon” (Tristan Wilds). Keeping up their spirits on the ground is the father figure Maj. Emanuelle Stance (Cuba Gooding Jr.).

While the aviators were waiting for a chance to fight, another battle was brewing back in the states. An Army inquiry is led by Col. Mortamus (Bryan Cranston), who strongly feels that the “experiment” was a complete failure. Col A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) and Col. Jack Tomilson (Lee Tergesen) has hope for the pilots and convinces the Army that they need to give the boys their chance to get in on the action. The 332d finally receives their shot when they were assigned as bomber escorts in Europe. For these young pilots, it is their first true taste of the war. For the Army, it is the first time their faith in the squadron to succeed is tested.

Red Tails is a compelling story about the Tuskegee Airmen, brought to the big screen for the first time. Directed by TV Director Veteran Anthony Hemingway, Tails picks up where the 1995 made-for-TV movie left off with a little more action thanks to the aerial combat sequences. The dog fight scenes in the air are spectacular.  If you cross Top Gun and Star Wars combat sequences and set them back to the era, this would be the result. It has been so long since I seen some good flying in the movies, so thank you for bringing flying back and making me smile.

I really enjoyed the performance from actors Nate Parker and David Oyelowo. As the two partners in flying, you get to see the caring and concern they have for one another. Martin is the by-the-book leader who always loos out for his men through thick and thin to get them home alive. Lt. Little is the “maverick” of World War II, showing off at every chance he gets.  Although his cockiness has proven some success in the air, he eventually learns that he is part of a team. I like the side story of Little chasing and eventually falling in love with an Italian woman named Sofia (Daniela Ruah). Despite the language barrier, Little proves that love knows no barrier.

Sadly, some of the dialogue of the Red Tails fell below high standards. Writers John Ridley and Aaron McGruder wrote a lackluster script that made some of the characters two-dimensional. You feel that some characters are just there as filler for the movie and other characters make you wonder why are they saying what they said.  The dialogue does not need to be dumbed down, its needs to fit the movie like a hand in a glove. The movie felt way too long, clocking in at over two hours, and incomplete in some scenes. Despite these downfalls, it’s a good movie to enjoy this weekend.

Red Tails exhibits the Tuskegee Airmen’s true courage and dedication these young pilots had to face both on and off the aerial battlefield. For that, we truly thank them for their service and sacrifice.

FINAL GRADE: B

TRR Movie Revue by Dean Rogers

Etta James, Powerful Voice Behind At Last, Dies at 73

Etta James, whose powerful, versatile and emotionally direct voice could enliven the raunchiest blues as well as the subtlest love songs, most indelibly in her signature hit, “At Last,” died Friday morning in Riverside, Calif. She was 73.

She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, her longtime friend and manager Lupe De Leon said.

She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday.

The powerhouse singer, known as “Miss Peaches,” first hit the charts as a teenager, taking The Wallflower (Roll With Me, Henry) to No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1955. She joined Chess Records in 1960 and had a string of R&B and pop hits, many with lush string arrangements. After a mid-decade fade, she re-emerged in 1967 with a more hard-edged, soulful sound.

James’ crowning achievement was winning six Grammys and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I’m more sure that readers of TRR are aware of the PROTECT IP (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), two bills that are making their way through the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, respectively. TRR is not in the business of commenting on these bills (hint: they will be bad for TRR, by the way).

Instead, I want to talk about the Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it is called in the industry. E3 is run by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). I hope you are still with me, I realize the logic pattern is (legislation)>(law)>(effect)>(ESA)>(E3)>(TRR).

The ESA says that they support the video games industry. I would not be surprised if there are people who think that the ESA is the mouthpiece of the games industry. Here is the fact: ESA is the government lobbying arm for the games industry. Part of ESA’s claim to fame was opposing the California legislation that barred the sales of certain games to minors when that law went to the Supreme Court last year (see Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association). ESA was at the front of the opposition line when that case was at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. To their credit, ESA has also legally opposed similar legislation in other courts along with EMA, and the Video Software Dealers Association.

I will not deny, therefore, that the ESA wants to have gaming’s best interests in mind when they conduct their business. ESA is in part a membership-driven company. Major game publishers and developers have memberships with ESA. There are of course exceptions – Activision/Blizzard, the makers of World of Warcraft - are not members but benefit from ESA’s lobbying/policy/government efforts.

However, ESA pulled a very bold move recently. While Electronic Arts, Sony, Nintendo, and a host of other publishers and developers have been vocal against SOPA, the ESA support it. In a press release that ESA has not posted on their web page, but partially published by the Games Industry journal openly states their support for the legislation. While I have not personally seen any statement from ESA supporting the Senate-version PIPA, I would wager most of my earthly possessions that they do.

I do not need to go into detail about why SOPA is bad. Rather, I would like to shortly discuss how SOPA is bad for gaming. After many decades, there are mini-communities that have sprouted up withing gaming culture. There is an entire website devoted to remixes of favorite gaming tunes, Overclocked Remix. There are GIGAbites worth of such music, all of it inspired off of the enjoyment of the source material. The site only makes money to afford staying online.

There is a segment of the gaming community devoted to finding the fastest ways to play through a game. I have seen the NES Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beaten in under a half-hour this way. There are bands that have music inspired off of only the story of certain video game characters, I’m specifically thinking of The Protomen.

There are conventions devoted to fans of video games, and there is even Major League Gaming, and while I personally pay little attention to them, I know MLG has a massive following.

In a world where SOPA is law? All of that is gone. Overnight. There will be a silence of awe and order as perceived threats to intellectual property are seen as full-blown infringement.

So remember earlier when I mentioned ESA’s revenue? Membership is only part of how ESA makes its money. The ESA makes most of its money from the money it brings in via the Electronic Entertainment Expo. I covered this event in part last year. It is a daunting event to cover. Most major teams that cover the event send at minimum 2 to 3 people.

TRR is a growing team. 18 months ago, one could not find video game entries on this site. As a growing division, I have a pivotal role in deciding where TRR will want to go with that.

Because the ESA is not acting in the interest of their dues-paying members, because ESA is going in a different direction than their issue-constituents – you know, the only reason they exist in the first place…TRR will hope that ESA turns course and revokes their support. We will go through the motions of requesting Press Access to E3, but if ESA does not change their minds on SOPA/PIPA, then TRR will follow suit with a growing trend of other game news organizations and will not attend E3, nor will it not cover anything that happens there.