Review of Radio Disney: Party Jams

Introduction

Disney must be delighted with the way that their early teen targeting is working - particularly for girls aged 10 to fourteen. `High School Musical` has been the surprise DVD success of the year, created for broadcast on the Disney TV Channel and yet getting the sort of following and fan base that movies with 100 times the budget can only dream of.

Radio Disney is a radio network based in Dallas, Texas, and is now a bona-fide subsidiary of the Disney Corporation, and a might profitable one at that. The concert featured on this DVD was in celebration of the station`s tenth successful year on air. It was recorded at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, and features live performances by Miley Cyrus (AKA Hannah Montana), Everlife, Aly and AJ, Bowling for Soup, The Cheetah Girls and cute-boy Jesse McCartney. Apparently thousands of youngsters logged on to see the concert as a live web-cast on radio Disney.com.

It`s interesting that the majority of the acts here are girl acts - pretty girls in tutu style dresses, replete with grungy Converse boots and guitars. These are supposed to be girls with attitude and, in common with Hilary Duff, they seem to be girls who have it all. Pretty, street-wise and cool as hell.

Then there`s the Cheetah Girls - who are a slightly earthier collective featured in their own show, and all packing a few extra pounds, probably in common with the majority of the audience here.

So there`s something for everyone (in the target group). All the acts play at least two songs, with the exception of `Bowling for Soup` who are the only male band here, - an ugly bunch of almost cartoon-like grunge-rockers.

There are some brief cameos from Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, both of High School Musical fame, and regulars on the Disney Channel.

Here`s the complete tracklist for the 60 minute concert:

MILEY CYRUS AS HANNAH MONTANAH
I Got Nerve
Who Said
Pumpin` Up the Party
Best of Both Worlds

EVERLIFE
Find Yourself in You
Look Through My Eyes
Real Wild Child

ALY AND AJ
Rush
No One

BOWLING FOR SOUP
BFS Birthday Song

THE CHEETAH GIRLS
The Party`s Just Begun
Shake a Tail Feather
Cinderella

JESSE MCARTNEY
Good Life
We Can Go Anywhere
Get Your Shine On
Right Where You Want Me
What`s Your Name?

Video

Standard 1.33:1 Colour. A nice digital TV recording.

Audio

Either Dolby 2.1 Stereo or Dolby 5.1 which adds a little more separation, particularly by putting the crowd screams to the rears which helps.

Features

None

Conclusion

There`s no point in me telling you what I personally thought of this live concert DVD. It`s not meant for me - it`s targeted squarely at 10-14 year old girls. With two of this target group within my own household to `test` it on I can say that it went down pretty well.

Simply but professionally staged and nicely captured using at least four camera rigs, this certainly delivers the goods for those with an appetite for such things. The concert, according to this cut, seems to have gone extremely well.

With beefy audio and a flawless transfer, this NTSC broadcast is recommended for fans of any or all of the acts included here. Cranked up loudly, all the performances are lively enough and will be sure to please any mini-teen-rockers in your house.

Intrigued by the commercial phenomenon that is `Radio Disney` I attempted to tune in on the web but just got what sounded like Stephen Hawkins older sister repeatedly saying: `We`re sorry - you must be in the United States to listen…`. Charming. Still, this one will keep you going till they sort that out.