If you haven’t seen the Grand Rapids “American Pie” video, three point something million viewers have seen something you haven’t, and I’m guessing you probably don’t live in Grand Rapids.
Produced/Directed by Rob Bliss and Scott Erickson, and sponsored by Jeff Barret with many others, the video is definitely Bliss’ most successful and popular community contribution. Many of his previous events are referenced in the video: chalking drawing, pillow fight, etc., and many well-known Grand Rapidians are featured.
All this was in response to Newsweek Magazine who included Grand Rapids in its list of top-ten dying cities. Mayor Heartwell responded with a well-worded letter refuting Newsweek’s claim, and people on the whole took umbrage. Rob Bliss did also.
Roger Ebert called it the greatest music video ever made, and although he first credited it to a city in Iowa, he very kindly ate his humble pie. Here’s the video from May, 2011:
Produced/Directed by Rob Bliss and Scott Erickson, and sponsored by Jeff Barret with many others, the video is definitely Bliss’ most successful and popular community contribution. Many of his previous events are referenced in the video: chalking drawing, pillow fight, etc., and many well-known Grand Rapidians are featured.
All this was in response to Newsweek Magazine who included Grand Rapids in its list of top-ten dying cities. Mayor Heartwell responded with a well-worded letter refuting Newsweek’s claim, and people on the whole took umbrage. Rob Bliss did also.
Roger Ebert called it the greatest music video ever made, and although he first credited it to a city in Iowa, he very kindly ate his humble pie. Here’s the video from May, 2011:
Now move forward to July, 2011, where with the help of students and graduates from Grand Valley State University, Clark Retirement Community released what is probably the first senior citizen lip dub ever produced. Set to Michael Buble’s “I Feel Good,” it’s fun and funny. It includes Busby Berkeley-worthy swimming synchronization, and watch for the depends snatch :)
GVSU President Tom Haas and his wife, Marcia have a funny cameo at the end of the video, and they also appeared in the GVSU lip dub back in October 2010, set to "Sail Away" by Styx.
Listen through to the credits on "Sail Away", and you’ll hear “we hit Louie the Laker.” “Louie is down.”
Louie is the university mascot and when the camera car mowed him down, that was,
of course, retained on film, and you can see it here.
I can’t wait to see what comes next!
