Last night, one of the biggest tours of 2008 landed at Austin's Frank Erwin Center. Kanye West brought his "Glow in the Dark" show to town, and some early tour reviews of his own performance have not been flattering: like when the Seattle Post-Intelligencer proclaimed "Kanye was feeling the love -- for himself", or when he gave a shout-out to the city of Seattle only to remember too late that he was playing a show in Sacramento. Maybe the guy pays attention to his own press, because he did a fine job in Austin this week. The show is bordering on overkill in the bells-and-whistles department, and it lacks much of an authentic musical feel with a house band relegated to the orchestra pit below, but Kanye's show is both entertaining and kind of important.

In a recent Spin article, Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell bemoans the lack of credible headliners in today's live-music landscape. In short: there are no new rock stars these days. Which can help explain why this year's annual Voodoo Music Experience will be headlined by the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails. Good bands, but exciting news? Maybe in 1994. Kanye West, however, has proven himself to be one of the only current kings of the mainstream. Just about every song during the show was met with thunderous approval. Who cares if the show was tacky at times and self-indulgent? West has united fans, critics, and cynics unlike any other pop act today. With thousands of cheering fans from widespread demographics, it was easily one of the most invested crowds I've been a part of in recent years. It was a stadium show, in every sense of the word. And, in today's age of pop music, that is a rare thing to see and even more rare to enjoy.

Hello Matt...my name is Jay Schwartz and I am the Founder and President of IndieShares™, a new independent film company based in Seattle, WA. IndieShares is on the verge of igniting an independent film revolution by giving the audience a say in what movies are made and, for the first time in history, an opportunity to own a piece of the action. Given the other film related comments on your blog, I thought your readers would be interested in our launch.

IndieShares receives thousands of scripts online, which then move through its rigorous and proprietary review process. Scripts with the highest IndieScores™ are optioned and then voted on by the public.

Right now, at www.indieshares.com, movie fans can watch three video pitches and cast their vote for free. When voting concludes, the winning script will be made into a securities offering. The general public will then have the opportunity to invest as little as $10 per share in the winning screenplay. In the future, IndieShares plans to have multiple voting events and investment opportunities available simultaneously.

Please take a look at our website and if you find IndieShares interesting, we would appreciate you linking to our website or blog at indieshares.com or indieshares.com/blog. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at jay@indieshares.com.

Thank you,

Jay Schwartz

President|IndieShares ™
2311 N 45th Street, Suite 310
Seattle, WA 98103
jay@indieshares.com

Your Money. Your Movie. ™