[6/29/18. Photo by one of the few tent goers.]
As seen in Talk to me baby. Staff takes the Lip Sync Challenge to support AutismUp (BELOW), in year’s past the Xerox InfoCenter tent at the Jazz Festival was a big deal. You could get cool high resolution posters, such as yourself as a boxer. You could get a Sweet Shot 3D motion panorama, “A Star is Born,” on stage cheered on by an adoring crowd. In one demo, you could experience virtual reality. At the adjacent Democrat and Chronicle kiosk, you could get a picture performing in front of the whole festival. And you could take the Lip Synch Challenge.
Last year, the Lip Synch Challenge disappeared. This year the tent is not even called the Xerox InfoCenter tent. It’s only the merchandise tent.
6/28/18
Despite the claims on the door, the tent barely offers any technological wonders. The one Xerox display is gamely manned by a programmer recruited to be the MC. He does his best to get the occasional tent goer interested in a lame interactive poster thing. The adjacent Democrat and Chronicle gamely tries to sell print subscriptions to its paper that has shamefully cut back on its print offering.
6/28/18
Alas — as we know — Xerox is on hard times. The end of any compelling InfoCenter seems to be an ominous sign of the continuing decline. And, in year’s past, next to the Info Center used to be the Xerox Hospitality Center. Now gone.
Nonetheless, Xerox, thanks for the memories. As such, we are revisiting our 2016 story (BELOW). As for the D & C, good luck selling those print subscriptions.
Talk to me baby. Staff takes the Lip Sync Challenge to support AutismUp
6/25/16 at the Jazz Festival
June 28th, 2016
Xerox’s Kevin McPherson, General Manager in Communication and Marketing Services 6/25/16
Does ever improving technology make our lives better?
Not if it means for eternity the world can see my 2015 and 2016 Lip Sync “performances” at the Xerox InfoCenter tent at the Jazz Festival.
For the good cause of AutismUp, people are asked to “challenge family and friends by sharing your post using #Jazz4AutismUp.”
And the Talker staff has responded in full force — sort of.
Shadi claims she has to move by July 1st. Dean — himself a Xerox employee! — is sheepishly laying low after leaving me for dead at Rico’s Cave. Our foreign correspondent Bruce is abroad. Nighan is playing the curmudgeon. Anna is stuck in Buffalo covering the story of why the name of Buffalo’s baseball team, the Bisons, is ungrammatical. George is excused as his newborn son is only a week old.
Allison, Julia and Heather working the Lip Sync Challenge for AutismUp 6/25/16
So dear readers redeem the staff and contribute to the magazine your own Lip Sync for AutismUp. I deliberately botched my performance to set the bar low for you to shine.
At the D & C kiosk, you experience virtual reality. Spinning around in the chair, I went to Havana. Lots of vintage cars and maybe spotted Fidel on the boulevard. [Photo: D & C intern Jeremy Caulkins from Quinippiac University]
technology at the Festival. The offerings — 3D stuff, cool high resolution posters, the Lip Sync Challenge — are a mixture of cutting edge technology, social media, and good old fashioned vaudevillian entertainment. Kevin says Xerox is happy to promote and raise donations for AutismUp.
Last year, you could get a Sweet Shot 3D motion panorama, “A Star is Born,” of yourself on stage cheered on by an adoring crowd. My 3D file is happily lost, but I did get a Rockyesque poster.
6/25/16
(l-r) Bachand, Quinn and Brzishen 6/25/16
This year dress up posters were again all the rage.
As for those, ahem, Lip Sync performances. Last year, Dean in his review of “I Got One Less Problem Without You” charitably wrote: You get an A for getting up there 6/21/15. Another friend said: Yikes. Burn thT evidence. 6/22/15
A just slightly better performance 6/25/16
2015 at the Jazz Festival (below)
2016 at the Jazz Festival. Too late to burn the evidence.
Sheila Rayam (left) with Gypsy Jazz 6/25/16
But at least I saw my good friend Sheila Rayam of the D & C interview Duane Andrews and his Toronto-base group Gypsy Jazz.
from On match.com and niche dating sites
And last year I got this neat picture from the D & C performing in front of the whole festival. The picture once used in my match.com profile, even eliciting this response: I noticed your Jazz Festival photo ! One of my yearly pleasures is the marathon of that festival. What’s the story of your stage appearance!? But now that the world can see my Lip Syncs, I will never again have to consider match.com.
