A picture says a thousand words. And boy, this picture of Sean “Spicy” Spicer at today’s White House press conference is shouting some words– like SOS, Help, everything is upside down including the spokesman’s flag pin. Is it a false flag? Is it a desperate signal to get him out of there? Melissa McCarthy, get on the next flight to NY. We need you!
NY Mega Rock Show: Knockout Patty Smyth Comeback Marred by Announcer’s Mistake, Plus Bruce Willis, Bill Murray Rock Out
You don’t see the great Patty Smyth on stage every day. The rocking star of the group Scandal from the 80s married tennis great John McEnroe and took over a family of six kids. But she’s still got it, more than ever. Last night at the all star mega rock show at the Beacon for God’s Love We Deliver, Patty staged a performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” for the records books. It was blistering and she was better than ever.
Only one problem. The announcer introduced her as “Patti Smith.” Uh, that’s someone else, as we know.
Our Patty was not pleased. She joked about it to the audience. But I’m told backstage, among the 30 or so stars stacked up to sing, she told off the stage managers. It didn’t help that she was joined on stage by a guitar playing McEnroe, who has a notorious temper. The long married duo did not stay for the big end of the show jam session when the 4-and-half-hour proceedings were over.
Otherwise, Love Rocks 2017, went off pretty well considering how long it was and how many people were involved. “Letterman” and “SNL” band star Will Lee was the musical director, Paul Shaffer shined on keyboards (he was great), legendary Steve Gad was on drums. Think of this: they were required to play blues, rock and R&B, everything from Motown to Van Morrison to ZZ Top to the Stones, Dylan, Beatles, Curtis Mayfield, BB King, and Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good.” There wasn’t even a bathroom break!
Willis was the unofficial emcee. Murray showed up later for amusing pleas to donate money to the cause.
Some highlights: Warren Haynes on “Soulshine.” Michael McDonald with Catherine Russell on “AIn’t No Mountain High Enough.” Sam Moore singing Sam Cooke’s “Good News,” then having Walsh join him on Soul Man with Bruce Willis on harmonica. Later, Moore, Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks tore down the house on “Lovelight.” (See video)
That wasn’t all. Lisa Fischer maybe stole the whole show with “Gimme Shelter.” She peeled the gold leaf painting off the Beacon’s walls. Anthony Hamilton and Russell complemented each other nicely on “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
There was a lot of virtuoso guitar playing from Gary Clark, Jr, Billy Gibbons, and Trucks. Dr. John was astonishing on “Such a Night” given his permanent state of addled blues aristocracy.
There was no theme for the shoe particularly. Originally it was going to be a night of Sam Cooke songs, but the folks who control his music objected to that in the same week Aretha Franklin was saluted at Carnegie Hall. That made for a kind of blues-rock jukebox, but it worked in the end because the roster– including Mavis Staples, Cece Winans, William Bell, Keb Mo, Jackson Browne, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Aaron Neville, and Amy Helms (daughter of the late Levon Helms and songwriter Libby Titus) — were so exceptional.
Exclusive: Crosby, Stills, Nash AND Young Considering Reunion Tour Despite Public Differences
“Money,” Cyndi Lauper sings, “money changes everything.”
Indeed. So I hear that Crosby, Stills, Nash, AND Neil Young– all of whom hate each other and have publicly slagged one another off– are considering a mega reunion tour.
That’s right. It’s Deja Vu all over again. Why, why, why? Our House is not a very happy house. Nash and Young have been hobbled financially by massive divorce settlements. They each parted from 30 year- plus marriages in the last couple of years.
Plus Neil has that whole Pono disaster. He’s had to have lost a ton on manufacturing a portable music player no one wanted, and looks like a Toblerone candy bar. The PonoMusic site still says “Under Construction.” Meantime, Neil’s campaign for uncompressed streaming and downloading has already been realized by HDTracks.com, Tidal, and even Spotify is jumping in.
When would this tour take place? It could be early this summer, but my guess is beginning after Labor Day. Stills has dates booked with ex flame Judy Collins for August. Plus, if they get this right, CSNY could be part of the next Desert Trip at Coachella come October. (Remember, you read that here first.)
They will have to get over all the nasty things they’ve said about each other. But, you know, for the right price, they can have that magic wand from “Men in Black” erase all that. Plenty of acts have toured without speaking to each other off stage. (See: The Police, Simon & Garfunkel, and so on.)
And think of the ancillaries: live album, some kind of video special, pay-for-view, etc. This is the year to do it, too. No one’s getting any younger.
Pop Music: Pink, Sia Star in Super Single from Legendary Hit Producers Stargate (Listen)
Pop stars Pink and Sia star in a super single released today from legendary hit producers Stargate.
Stargate is really two Norwegian writer-producers named Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen. Usually you see the Stargate name in the credits of acts like Beyonce, Rihanna and Katy Perry. They don’t just work with female singers. Stargate claims production credit on all of Coldplay’s “albumn ” A Head Full of Dreams” in 2015.
But now it’s time for them to go out on their own. “Waterfall” is a little repetitive, but it’s catchy. And Pink and Sia are no slouches.
An album is likely.
China Syndrome: Hollywood’s Plan for Asian Bailout Falling Apart as Paramount, Dick Clark Group Deals Have Trouble
Hollywood’s quick fix is not working out. The plan was to lure Chinese money in for new investments, but it turns out the Chinese have other ideas.
Seems like the $1 billion deal between the Wanda Group and Dick Clark Productions is coming to an end. Wanda was supposed to pony up the amazing amount of money so they could own the Golden Globes and the American Music Awards.
Dick Clark’s parent, Eldridge, really needs the money as they try to sell the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, as well. But Deadline is reporting that DCP was priced too high, and maybe the Chinese are figuring out that second-tier awards shows aren’t worth all that much.
Eldridge has a similar problem with those magazines. I’m told their natural buyer, Penske Media, which owns Variety and Deadline, thinks the price there is too high, too. Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter loses $20 million or more a year.
At the same time, Kim Masters reports in THR that the Paramount deal with Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media– also for a billion dollars– is coming apart. So far the Chinese are worried that no one is in charge of the movie studio and they want a meeting with parent Viacom. Former Fox chief Jim Gianopolous and “Fifty Shades” producer Mike DeLuca may be coming in to run the studio. But the Chinese want to know what the plan is besides making a new “Mission: Impossible” movie. They’re probably not fans of “Florence Foster Jenkins.”
So there is trouble on the horizon and getting closer all the time–especially if the Trump Administration continues to antagonize China over imports, exports, and everything else (except human rights violations, which the TA is ok with presumably). Donald Trump would like nothing better than to see Hollywood suffer financially because of him, despite his new Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin being tied in closely to Tinsel Town success.
Stay tuned…
Review: Fans Will Flock to “Kong: Skull Island” With Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson “Cheeky and Scary Perfection”
“Kong: Skull Island” opens tonight and expect Warner Brothers to add to their financial coffers in a massive way. Bottom line, Kong comes through like the chest beating and at times endearing icon he is. The human actors, including Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Corey Hawkings, John Ortiz and the always funny John T Reilly, all play their predictable parts with dimension and personality. “Kong,” directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts, is most definitely a gloried B-movie, and it smartly knows exactly what lane it’s supposed to be in, which shows from the first scene.
The story, written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly, borrows from the 1933 “King Kong” original but revamps it a bit to take place in the turbulent 70’s (the soundtrack is first rate from the beginning, starting with Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”). Starting with the crusading scientist, (John Goodman) convincing the reluctant US government to allow him and the US military to trek out to an uncharted island to get to the truth of the massive monste, (a multitude of monsters as it turns out.)
Hunky Hiddleston is the professional tracker, Jackson is the macho officer in charge, Larson is the feminist anti-war photographer who hitched a ride on the helicopter in order to document the journey and always reliable Reilly is quippy as the stranded WW2 Veteran. The spectacular effects, by Industrial Light and Magic, are first rate, engaging, frightening and fun. The photography and the direction of this story are too, because every piece checks off its box with cheeky and at times way scary perfection.
So you have an old school monstrous B-movie being relevant once again (the last one was Peter Jackson’s in 2005) which by judging the rapturous reception it got last night at the premiere in LA where I saw it, fans in 2017 will most certainly flock to.
Has Linkin Park Sold Out? New Video Features First Ever Female Singer and Mercedes Product Placement
Has Linkin Park sold out? Their new video is called “Heavy,” and it’s a big shmaltzy rock anthem featuring 22 year old singer Kiiara and Mercedes product placement. The new video has a big tie in to Mercedes, which may irk long time alt-rock fans for whom the car shown represents two or three years’ income.
So far radio has had a tepid response to it. But the video should give it a push.
Kiiara, who gets to belt it out on the single, is signed to Atlantic Records. But her first two songs weren’t very good. Now her career will get a huge boost as “Heavy” is radio-ready and the video couldn’t be more directed to the teen audience.
Linkin Park’s new album is called “One More Light” and it hits on May 19th.
Warner Bros. Records needs a hit: The group is one of their few ties to chart success other than Lukas Graham.
But look: there’s life there yet. WBR is releasing the new Sheryl Crow album. And they do have a lot of potential with a great band called The Head and the Heart.
Pop Music: Ed Sheeran’s “Divide” Will Surpass 400K, Drake Coming with New Music Maybe This Week
Pop, pop muzik:
Ed Sheeran’s third and best album is called “Divide.” But it hasn’t divided fans or critics. “Divide” is looking to surpass 400,000 in sales by Friday in the US, and 500K in the UK. Sheeran took a year off to make “Divide,” and you can hear the freshness. He’s got two hit singles at the top of the charts here, too, as well.
What makes “Divide” unique is that the songs are solid, and there are no guest stars. It’s just Ed Sheeran, who looks like Van Morrison’s unknown son but is heading more and more into James Taylor territory. One track on there, called “Perfect,” is pretty perfect. Sheeran’s songs do recall older ones– his “Thinking Out Loud” really referenced Marvin Gaye. On “Divide” it doesn’t sound so obvious.
Meanwhile, Drake is apparently coming to crush Ed’s second week on the charts. Hitsdailydouble reported that Drake is about to drop a surprise album. I’ve confirmed that it’s coming, and may be called “More Life.” Drake is very prolific, with a new album (sometimes two) every year. His last, “Views,” came out in April 2016. That album was propelled by “Hotline Bling,” which Drake sampled from a 1973 soul hit called “Why Don’t We Live Together.” Will lightning strike again? We’ll see…
Two Time Oscar Winner, Emmy Winner Sally Field Goes for the “T” in EGOT with “Glass Menagerie”
Just as Cate Blanchett is getting ready to leave Broadway and her outstanding performance in “The Present,” Sally Field arrives tonight.
I saw “The Glass Menagerie” last night with Field, Joe Mantello, Finn Wittrock and amazing newcomer Madison Ferris, and I can tell you that Sally — winner of two Oscars, an Emmy or two– is going for the T in EGOT. This cast and director Sam Gold have reinvented, or rather stripped down and rethought Tennessee Williams’ classic to the point where its almost inside out. The reviews are going to be gushing on Friday morning (I hope, you never know) for this unique, memorable production.
Laura Wingfield is described in “Glass Menagerie” as shy, but also “crippled.” And so Gold has cast Madison Ferris, who is wheelchair bound and has muscular dystrophy. Well, not exactly wheelchair bound, because Ferris et al have transcended that situation, and Ferris is an actress first and foremost. Once you realize that she has a physical disability you also acknowledge that her appearance is a leap of magnitudes for the disabled. Ferris, it seems, can do anything she physically needs to do. And then that drops away. She’s a great young actress.
What’s so interesting is that not a word of Tennessee Williams’ play has been changed and yet, rethinking Amanda this way is a smooth move. It never feels out of place. Because Ferris must hold her own with three really great actors. Sally Field– listen, she has those Oscars for a reason. She’s sublime as Amanda Wingfield. You really think she’s ten feet tall on stage. Backstage, I realized she’s just tiny. Sally Field’s Broadway debut is awesome.
And then there are the guys. Joe Mantello is Amanda’s son, who’s got a lot of secrets and anger. Mantello is almost better known as a director these days, but he’s so at ease as Tom Wingfield, he’s a natural. Finn Wittrock just lights up the stage in the second part (no intermission) as the Gentleman Caller who woos and ultimately leaves Laura.
When I say Wittrock lights up the stage, I mean it. This production is way stripped down. There is barely a set. But kudos have to go to Adam Silverman– the lighting is its own character in this “Menagerie,” and you will be spellbound during Wittrock and Ferris’s candle lit seduction.
What a thrill to see an old play reinvigorated. And Sally Field– my oh my– we really really like her.
Whacked: “The Godfather” 45th Anniversary Gala at Radio City Set for Same Night as White House Correspondents Dinner
There are already so many reasons to avoid this year’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner on Saturday, April 29th.
But now comes the piece de resistance: a 45th anniversary gala screening of “The Godfather” Parts 1 &2 at Radio City Music Hall to close the Tribeca Film Festival. And everyone’s coming: director Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert Duvall– everyone except Marlon Brando and Mario Puzo. And they’d be there if they could.
Expect former Paramount honchos Robert “The Kid Stays in the Picture” Evans and Peter (I Always Mention Paramount” Bart to be on hand if possible. Evans should come even if they bring him on a sedan chair. He’s a rock star in the movie business.
There will be a once in a lifetime Q&A after the two movies are shown. It’s an offer no one can refuse. And it should put a dent into the other big event that night down in DC, the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Because really, even Donald Trump may try to score tickets to “The Godfather” event since he’s already announced he won’t attend the WHCD.
PS Not uncoincidentally, Tribeca is also showing Eleanor Coppola’s feature film, “Paris Can Wait,” with Alec Baldwin and Diane Lane, which got nice notices from Toronto. Looking forward to seeing this film. This means everyone in the Coppola family has made a film except for the dog and the vintner!