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Remember we all thought we lost Cat Stevens? Well he was gloriously back last Friday night at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Yusuf Islam as he is now also known, invited the adoring crowd to his ‘living room’ for “A Cat’s Attic: Yusef/Cat Stevens 50 Year Anniversary Acoustic Tour.” The set was a homey wood paneled cabin with old posters of the man himself, a chair and a piano.
Sixty eight year old Yusuf, in pitch perfect voice, just wrapped up his 12 date North American Tour which also marked his 50th anniversary of his musical life. In the nearly three hour-long concert, he spoke in postcards of short little colorful stories that stitched across the years. Touted as “an acoustic evening,” with his two bandmates, Eric Appapoulay and Kwame Yeboah, Yusuf narrated the tale with all thrown in, his rock and roll excessive everything issues, his health scares and his subsequent spiritual journey.
He started the set with his early hits, “I Love My Dog,” “Matthew and Son”“Here Comes My Baby,” and his late 60’s hit that Rod Stewart made famous, “The First Cut Is The Deepest.” He then sang some of his well-known hits, “Father and Son,” “How Can I Tell You?” and more.
Yusuf recounted the fateful day of his Malibu swim, when he was visiting Jerry Moss, famed co founder of A&M (who was there in the audience), as the guest of noted longtime manager and now advisor Barry Krost. Yusuf thought he would drown and made a promise to God that if he let him live, he would devote the rest of his life to him. He then converted to Islam, which he didn’t say specifically, he said simply, “a change in my life.” He gave up music, married and retreated into his religious life. That’s when his fans thought he was lost forever. “I’ll skip the next 27 years until my son brought a guitar in the house.”
Yusuf realized then, that the world needed “peace, and I thought I could help with that.”He sang some of “An Other Cup,” which included the Beatless “All You Need Is Love,” weaved in with “Maybe There’s a World.” He asked the audience to meet a friend of his, bringing out the stuffed version of the Disney “Zootopia,” character Judy Hopps.He told how he was recently on the plane and was watching the film and saw her inspiring inclusive speech at the end, which resonated for him.He then recited the speech as only he can followed by “Wild World,” “Peace Train,” and “Morning Has Broken.” Yusuf, the socially conscious songwriter sharing his songs of peace, togetherness and happiness, revealing just enough bits and pieces that the adoring rapt audience gratefully leaned into.
Barry Krost summed it up perfectly. “ He’s the only artist that I know that sounds better, has even more appeal than he did at the height of his career.”
Clear Channel is lining up the stars for the annual Jingle Ball tour. This is the hotly anticipated December concert that Clear Channel — I Heart Radio– sends to big cities to promote their radio stations and the top pop stars of the year.
So far the Chainsmokers, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, and Fifth Harmony are among those who have signed up for the road show. Curiously absent from the list: Zayn Malik.
Me? I love the Jingle Ball. I never miss it. Really. If you want to know what’s going on with young people, this is the place to be. Plus, if Ariana will sing that Jason’s Song I’ll be really, really happy.
The 2016 Jingle Ball Schedule Includes:
Dallas, Texas – Tuesday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m. CST – 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at American Airlines Center
The star studded lineup features: Meghan Trainor, The Chainsmokers, Fifth Harmony, Backstreet Boys, Alessia Cara, Charlie Puth, Daya, Lukas Graham and Hailee Steinfeld.
Ticket information available via 1061kissfm.iheart.com
San Francisco/The Bay Area – Thursday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. PST – WiLD 94.9’s FM’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at SAP Center, San Jose
The star studded lineup features: Shawn Mendes, The Chainsmokers, Charlie Puth, Diplo, Tove Lo, Alessia Cara, Lukas Graham and Daya, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan.
Ticket information available via wild949.iheart.com
Los Angeles, Ca. – Friday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m. PST – KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at STAPLES Center
The star studded lineup features: Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Diplo, Alessia Cara, Lukas Graham and Daya, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan.
Ticket information available via kiisfm.iheart.com
Minneapolis, Minn. – Monday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. CST – KDWB’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul
The star studded lineup features: Fifth Harmony, G-Eazy, Diplo, Backstreet Boys, Lukas Graham, Alessia Cara, Tove Lo, Hailee Steinfeld and Gnash.
Ticket information available via kdwb.iheart.com
Philadelphia, Pa. – Wednesday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m. EST – Q102’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at Wells Fargo Center
The star studded lineup features: Shawn Mendes, Fifth Harmony, Diplo, Ellie Goulding, DNCE, Charlie Puth, Tove Lo, Alessia Cara and Lukas Graham.
Ticket information available via q102.iheart.com
New York, N.Y. – Friday, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. EST– Z100’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden
The star studded lineup features: Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Ellie Goulding, Diplo, Charlie Puth, Lukas Graham and Daya, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan.
Ticket information available via Z100.iheart.com
Z100’s Jingle Ball 2016 will video stream exclusively live on CWTV.com and The CW App and will air as a 90-minute special on The CW Network on December 15, at 8 p.m. EST/PST
Boston, Mass. – Sunday, December 11, at 6 p.m. EST – KISS 108’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at TD Garden
The star-studded lineup features: Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Diplo, Ellie Goulding, DNCE, Tove Lo, Alessia Cara and Daya, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan.
Ticket information available via kiss108.iheart.com
Washington, D.C. – Monday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. EST – Hot 99.5’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at Verizon Center
The star-studded lineup features: Meghan Trainor, The Chainsmokers, G-Eazy, Fifth Harmony, Diplo, Ellie Goulding, DNCE, Alessia Cara, Tove Lo and Daya, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan.
Ticket information available via hot995.iheart.com
Chicago, Ill. – Wednesday, December 14, at 7:30 p.m. CST – 103.5 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2016 Presented by Capital One at Allstate Arena
The star-studded lineup features: Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding, Backstreet Boys, Tove Lo, Lukas Graham, Daya and Hailee Steinfeld, plusa Special Guest appearance from Niall Horan
Billy Bush: I actually feel bad for him. He’s a nice guy. To me, at least. He’s probably done at NBC. He’ll need a year off, do some charity things, etc, and then he’ll be back. He will be back. People have short memories.
In the meantime, my defense has provoked an email from the red carpet. It’s from someone whose name I am protecting. But you see, Billy doesn’t have a lot of support. This is the old story of stepping on hands as you climb the ladder:
Billy Bush,he was always a sleaze. I was often put next to him on the red carpet 12-15 years ago and he was rude and offensive. He used to shove me and push and have his cameraman do whatever he wanted even if it meant hitting me in the head.
Even though people could be aggressive on the red carpet he was different, more abrasive, ruder. Even hurtful. Even though he stood next to me for years he never said hello.
He always acted like the celebrities were his pals.
Lots of people who have had the same experiences with him as me feel he had this coming.
Do you remember Claudia Cohen? She was the opposite of Billy on the red carpet. She was polite, would interview a celebrity and then introduce them to the journalist standing next to her. Turn that behavior on its head and you have Billy Bush.
I couldn’t believe NBC hired him. He has no journalism experience, just a celebrity ass kisser.
It’s only October 11th, but the Best Actress category for the Oscars is already locking up. There are more than enough potential nominees, and plenty of names out there still to be heard from. Usually, Best Actress produces one or two contenders, and then there’s a rush to gather up the remaining few. Not so this year.
And who’s to say who the leader of the pack is? Everyone has a different idea.
But I’d rank them this way right now:
Annette Bening– 20th Century Women
Emma Stone– La La Land
Natalie Portman– Jackie
Meryl Streep– Florence Foster Jenkins
Viola Davis*– Fences (which no one has seen but she won the Tony on Broadway)
Amy Adams– either Arrival, or Nocturnal Animals
Ruth Negga–Loving
Jessica Chastain*– Miss Sloane (also largely unseen)
Kristen Stewart– Personal Shopper or Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime WalkI
Isabelle Huppert– Elle
What a great problem to have! And Best Supporting Actress is also getting might crowded:
Nicole Kidman—Lion
Michelle Williams–Manchester by the Sea
Elle Fanning–20th Century Women
Greta Gerwig– 20th Century Women
Margo Martindale– The Hollars
Aja Naomi King– Birth of a Nation
Octavia Spencer– Hidden Figures
Taraji P. Henson– Hidden Figures
And lurking out there– still, some surprises to come…What a great problem to have!
Think you’re hip? Know a lot of current and pertinent cultural allusions? Then “Oh Hello,” is for you, that is if you can keep up with the riffs served by John Mullaney and Nick Kroll in this 90 minute machine gun fire “play” that just took over Broadway.
Believe me, the pop references come faster than those chocolates on the “I Love Lucy” conveyor belt.
Plus, every night you get a surprise: a cameo from a celebrity who may or may not know what the hell is going on, onstage at the jewel box Lyceum Theater. Luckily, the great Alan Alda went along with it last night at the opening performance, coming on stage and participating in about a 15 minute segment that he managed to steal, with aplomb, from the two very silly, very smart players.
Since the show started off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater, then went on a tour and to Los Angeles, Mullaney and Kroll have always had references to Alan Alda. They idolize him. So the “MASH” vet was persuaded to appear on opening night. “We didn’t have to change much,” director Alex Timbers told me at the after party at Brasserie 8 1/2. “It was already there.”
Still, Alda rose to the occasion, especially when the guys discovered spontaneously that he’s Italian, not Jewish. Alda gave them his real Italian name– Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo- from which they have not yet recovered. (If only Alan Alda would do the show every night!)
Other celebs during previews have included Josh Groban and Katie Couric. Jon Hamm did it during the Cherry Lane run and now, for no reason, his photo and that of fellow “Mad Men” star John Slattery, is in the Playbill with Mullaney and Kroll as if they were in the cast. They are not. Their bios even appear in the Playbill as understudies. They are not. There is also a bio for an unseen character named Ruvi Nandan, who is spoken to and spoken of, but doesn’t speak during the show or exist.
Got that?
So yes, “Oh Hello” has a story and a bit of a plot, a set, lighting, and a director. It also has costumes, especially wigs. Mullaney and Kroll play Upper West Side losers George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon. They are totally unsuccessful actors who have lived together like Felix and Oscar in a huge rent stabilized apartment for 40 years. Gil’s closest brush with success was auditioning to a voice over for CBS. George has written a lot of unproduced plays. But now they are going to perform a new play for us, playing characters with similar names.
Got that?
And so they do, or try to. There isn’t much of a play, and it’s constantly interrupted by the two actors. There is some music, all of it by Steely Dan, whom the guys adore. I do, too, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Kid Charlemagne” playing as we got to our seats. Gil and George go to see Steely Dan when they play at the Beacon, same as John Mullaney in real life. By coincidence, Steely Dan is at the Beacon now (in real life). But Mullaney told me: “This was the only Monday night I could have seen them, but we were opening the show.”
The real Jon Hamm was there in the audience, as were Jimmy Fallon, and Mario Cantone, and what seemed like a lot of people who know Kroll and Mullaney from Comedy Central. Most of the show I can’t explain, starting with a bizarre interest in tuna that gave the guys a theme for their cable access TV show. “Oh Hello” is party Wayne’s World, part “SNL” “Wild and Crazy Guys,” heavily birthed by Lily Tomlin’s “Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.”
This show is a limited run, so run right over there. This video resembles the show, but isn’t party of it– just to give you an idea. The live show is 100 times better.
LOL. Prince’s “Purple Rain” album won a bunch of American Music Awards back in 1985. Thirty one years later, it’s nominated again for Best Movie Soundtrack. This is one of the pleasures of the daffy, meaningless AMAs, which also nominated everyone on the current top 40 for Artist of the Year. My guess is Justin Bieber and The Weeknd will pick up a lot of these statues. Adele wants Grammy Awards, so she’ll stay far away. Ditto Drake. I don’t know why they stuck “Purple Rain” in again except to encourage some kind of bogus all star tribute.
2016 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS® NOMINEES:
TOP SOUNDTRACK
Purple Rain
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Suicide Squad: The Album
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adele
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
Drake
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
Carrie Underwood
The Weeknd
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR UN-LEASHED BY T-MOBILE
Alessia Cara
The Chainsmokers
DNCE
Shawn Mendes
ZAYN
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring Wizkid & Kyla “One Dance”
Fifth Harmony Featuring Ty Dolla $ign “Work From Home”
Rihanna Featuring Drake “Work”
Meghan Trainor Featuring John Legend “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
TOUR OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé
Madonna
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
Last year, after making “Spectre,” Daniel Craig told an interviewer he’d rather “slash his wrists” than play James Bond again.
Well, now he says “I’ve got the best job in the world.”
Daniel Craig is back as James Bond, 007. He obviously made his deal with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson. It’s probably for two movies.
This is always Craig’s way of negotiating. (Well, it’s a lot of people’s.)
Such carrying on! He also told Time Out London that “I don’t care who plays James Bond next.”
There was a rumor earlier this year that Craig would get $75 million per film, or $150 million. Well, that’s ridiculous. But he could get $25 million or more based on total gross including box office and ancillary rights.
“Spectre” did a lot less well than “Skyfall,” its predecessor– like $200 million less internationally and $100 million less US domestic. So if they have a windfall with another “Skyfall,” Craig could reap the benefits. But if a “Spectre” hangs over these movies, he would make less.
Anyway, so much fun to see the press take the bait, splash the headlines, then follow up with “Never mind.” I like Daniel Craig, but let’s be real– this is his income. Other movies, plays etc do not provide this kind of remuneration.
So now what for Billy Bush? Suspended by NBC pending review, will he return to the Today, be fired, or sent to MSNBC to cover bowling tournaments?
NBC, a broadcast expert pointed out tonight, has a poor record for dealing with anchor management. They’ve had more than their share of scandals and always seem to get it wrong.
To wit: Brian Williams, now on MSNBC, demoted from the network after being uncovered as a fantasist. Or fabulist. Or liar.
Ann Curry, forced off the Today show and then out of NBC despite her popularity because Matt Lauer was perceived as wanting her gone.
Deborah Norville, canned for Katie Couric. Norville herself was hired to replace Jane Pauley, who was forced out of the Today show. Pauley has recently scored a huge comeback triumph being named new host of “CBS Sunday Morning.”
And it’s not just in news where NBC has made huge errors. The whole Jay Leno-Conan O’Brian debacle is cited as even bigger, with Leno demoted to 10pn and then restored to the Tonight show after Conan was named to the Tonight show and then just dumped from the network. He now hosts a nightly talk show on TNT.
With all this history– and no doubt more that I’ve missed- does Billy Bush have a chance here? You tell me.
