Music

Kid Band Week at AUS Airport

AUS KIDS WEEKS 2016

Annie, from Annie & Kate, performing on piano for Kid Band Week, 2015.

Each week, the Augstin Bergstrom International Airport  presents 21 live music performances in 5 venues throughout the airport. But next week there’s something even more special:

Kid Band Week!

This is the 10th annual Kid Band week. It runs July 18 – 22, 2016 (Monday – Friday) and features performers ranging in age from 14 to 18.

These aren’t thrown-together kiddie bands; these are top notch performers (it’s Austin, after all) who just happen to be young.

Here’s the line up:

All performances run from  3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Asleep at the Wheel Stage, located near Gate 10.

Monday, July 18 – Grace London (Singer, songwriter, guitar player, foot stomper. Age 16): .
Tuesday, July 19 – Annie & Kate (Classic tunes, ages 17):
Wednesday, July 20 – Joe Camp All Stars (Jazz combo group, ages 16 – 18);
Thursday, July 21 – Tiarra Girls (All-sister girl band, ages 14 – 17):
Friday, July 22 – Dillon Havins Band (Americana, Alternative Rock band, ages 16 – 18).

If you’re heading to Austin, be sure to check these bands out. Next time through, you may have to pay a lot more than nothing to see them.

PHL airport ready for Democratic National Convention

PHL Political pins

Attendees at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia later this month will be welcomed at Philadelphia International Airport with a soundtrack featuring Philadelphia-made hits and an exhibition of political pins.

The soundtrack, playing now, features the “Sound of Philadelphia,” a series of songs from Philadelphia’s Grammy award-winning producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff that became hits for artists such as Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass, the O’Jays Patti LaBelle, the Stylistics and many others.

Gamble and Huff’s well-known songs being heard on the audio system throughout the terminals include I Love Music by the O’Jays, The Love I Lost and If You Don’t Know Me By Now by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now by McFadden and Whitehead, Rubberband Man by the Spinners, and Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston.

The exhibition of political pins – post-security in Terminal B – is from the collection of Philadelphian Alfio J. Brindisi, who has been collecting American political memorabilia for nearly 50 years.

Music for flying

music notes

Have a Spotify account?

You can get one for free. And if you do, you’ll be able to listen to the playlist global airline alliance SkyTeam has put together to mark its 15th anniversary.

According to the SkyTeamThe DJs, the songs chosen “reflect the diversity of the alliance and provide a relaxing musical background to customers’ global travels.”

Tracks on SkyTeam’s Spotify playlist include:

Asgeir, Going Home

Arthur Beatrice, Carter

Poom, Les Voiles

Tops, Way To Be Loved

Glass Animals, Black Mambo

Marie Flore, Empty Walls

We Were Evergreen, Daughters

Jose Gonzales, Heartbeats

Alela Diane, To Begin

St Vincent, Marry Me

Hindi Zahra, Imik Si Mik

ALB, Whispers Under the Moonlight

Fleet Foxes, White Winter Hymnal

Dan Croll, Home

Oh Wonder, Lose it

Pittsburgh & Cleveland Airports celebrate their cities

superman

This week the AIRMALL at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is celebrating the city with a series of activities and exhibits.

Here’s a rundown of events:

On Tuesday, July 21:  The Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen is highlighting entrepreneurs and products such as BBQ sauces, roasted almonds, cookies and more – all made in Cleveland.

On Wednesday, July 22:  As part of “A Christmas Story House” display, travelers will have photo opportunities with character cutouts, the Leg Lamp and other movie memorabilia from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

On Thursday, July 23:  The native Cleveland contemporary jazz band Forecast will perform from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Main Terminal Food Court.

And on Friday, July 24, Mitchell’s Ice Cream will treat passengers to a complimentary cone or cup from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Main Terminal Food Court.

PIT Trading card one

The AIRMALL at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is also celebrating its city this week.

On Tuesday, July 21, Peace Love and Little Donuts will give travelers a taste of its “far out” donuts from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. near the video wall in the airside terminal.

Wednesday, July 22, Ronald McDonald will be offering passengers free Big Macs from noon to 2 p.m. at the McDonald’s in the Center Core. The celebration honors the local inventor of the Big Mac, Jim Delligatti.

On Thursday, July 23, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s dinosaur exhibit includes hands-on activities and replicas from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. near the video wall and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the National Aviary will be on site with an African penguin to greet travelers.

And on Friday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be furs, pelts, skins, feathers and other touchable items from animals all over the world at the airport’s Pittsburgh Zoo’s exhibit near the video wall. Small reptiles from the zoo will be there as well.

Have fun!

Free music & e-books at Toronto Pearson Int’l Airport

American Express - Entertainment on Cloud 10

There are some fresh new perks for travelers who touch down at Toronto Pearson International Airport:

In addition to a “re-vesting” area (Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport calls theirs a ‘recombobulation area’) just past the security checkpoint for domestic departures in Terminal 1, passengers at Toronto Pearson Airport now have access to a selection of complimentary ebooks from HarperCollins Canada and music from Sony Music Canada.

The books and music will be refreshed monthly and are available on the Cloud 10 website, which is accessible via the airport’s free Wi-Fi network – all courtesy of American Express Canada.

The perks at Pearson get better if you have certain American Express cards (Platinum, Gold Rewards, etc.)

Everyone gets free Wi-Fi and access to that re-vesting area, but other benefits include access to priority security lanes, Plaza Premium Lounge access, access to a priority lane for taxis and limos, complimentary valet service and discounts on parking and car care services.

(This chart shows which cards get you which benefits.)

This airport also offers some other worthwhile services and amenities:

The Samsonite shop not only sells luggage and travel accessories, but will store luggage and other things, including coats – which you can leave behind for $2 a day (or $9 a week).

And this past year the airport replaced 3,600 pay-per-use baggage carts with 5,000 free ones.