On Wednesday June 23rd, the LA Internship program students attended a taping of Lopez Tonight. It was the 100th episode and George Lopez had a ton in store for his audience. We watched “best moments” and “blooper” reels. Celebrities sent their congratulations to George via video. Unfortunately, guest Kobe Bryant was not at our taping due to scheduling conflicts, but we watched his segment taped earlier as he shared his Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy with George. Then, guest Louis C.K. did a stand-up bit and interview.
The crowd waiting for "Lopez Tonight"
We all showed up early to the Warner Bros’ lot in Burbank. It was crowded with stand-by audience members. Luckily, Berklee’s LA students were granted VIP passes for the taping.
VIP Passes, "Lopez Tonight" LA Interns
After the show, a Q&A was planned, but with the excitement of the 100th episode, students were unsure who exactly they’d get to speak with. Amazingly, the entire Ese Vatos house band came over to introduce themselves and chat with the students.
This is no low-key house band. Band leader, Michael Bearden, was the musical director for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour. That gig came to an abrupt close after the untimely death of the pop icon (LA Times). Bearden brought on MJ’s bassist Alex Al and guitarist Tommy Organ to join the Lopez Tonight band.
After a long wait, 2 hours of taping and mingling with the band, the students were ready to head home. You can watch some clips from the episode here: 100th Episode.
It’s so great that interns are able to explore the city and experience the entertainment industry from many angles while in LA. The LA Program is always trying to find new ways to connect Berklee with Los Angeles. This workshop was definitely a hit!
Band Members:
Michael Bearden – Band leader, keyboards
Lenny Castro – Percussion
Robin DiMaggio – Drums
Bill Churchville – Trumpet
Sean Holt – Saxophone, vocals
Alex Al – Bass
Tommy Organ – Guitar
LA Interns with the GLo Sign
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- The Trivium in Music – Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric - November 24, 2015
Natalie Rodriguez
What are the qualifications to apply for internships?
Justine Taormino
@Natalie – check out http://www.berklee.edu/internships/ for more info. We have tons of options.