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It’s hard to imagine how this could happen, but you know…
The Tony Awards already had a tough time with this year’s show. They didn’t need any more trouble.
And yet, two months after the awards were handed out, Tonys have made a ridiculous error. They sent out the engraved statues to the winners. In the case of playwright David Adjmi, they misspelled his name.
Adjmi wrote “Stereophonic,” the hit show inspired by the making of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” album. The show is terrific, and a big hit.
You’d think that the Tonys could at least get his name right, but they left out the ‘d’ in Adjmi.
You see, you can’t get respect anywhere these days. Adjmi posted a photo of his award to Instagram. I guess it’s a collector’s item. The awards people had better learn that name. Adjmi will definitely be back.
You thought he was gone, right? But no, here’s a surprise drop overnight of “Vultures 2” with Ty Dolla $ign.
West is an avowed self proclaimed antisemite who admires Hitler. He burned his whole career down to the ground sticking to those proclamatons. He lost all his business deals including the most profitable one, at Adidas.
So it’s only appropriate that he ends the album with these words: Fuck Adidas.
Otherwise, “Vultures 2” is a pretty timid album. It’s mostly about sex — one song is “Slide” (Slide in, would you ride?) and money, and West’s relationships. There’s a lot of material mixed in from his gospel adventures a few years ago. Two of his kids with Kim Kardashian are one innocuous track.
Gone, as far as I can tell, is his old producer, Mike Dean. West has a new group of consorts. A lot of the album is left over from the Vultures 1 project. Todd Rundgren’s vocal, recorded in 2021, is buried in the song, “My Soul.”
West — I will not call him Ye — even gets philosophical on the song “Husband”: “The only thing you really need is a husband
The only thought you ever need is “I trust him” (“I trust him”)
All your dreams, all your goals
It’s promised with this ring I have in my hands (My hands)”
This is not the abrasive Kanye we’ve known in the past:
“Got a plan for us, got a plan to grow
Got a plan for homes, got a plan for bad times
Got a plan for good times, got a plan for hood times
Got a plan for hood crimes, got a plan for trust
Got a plan for lust, got a plan for Beverly Hills (Hills)”
The production value is high. The sampling is low. The rhetoric, aside from the Adidas mention, is kept in control.
Does this change everything that’s gone on for the last several years? No. But West’s fans will be buying this thing up quickly. It’s already number 1 on iTunes.
The whole is here on YouTube, as provided by Kanye:
The live action version of the beloved children’s book is a total write off, apparently.
The crayon broke in half with a $2.425 mil opening that includes $750,000 in previews. Despite the book’s long history — it was published in 1955 — a live version wasn’t really needed. Also, star Zachary Levi has lost a lot of his luster.
But: “Deadpool and Wolverine” is now up to $326 million. It’s slowing down a bit, but not much. Look for another $58 million today and Sunday.
M. Night Shayamalan’s “Trap” grabbed a $6.7 mil opening including $2.2 million in previews. Maybe they’ll scratch up another $9 million today and tomorrow. But at that point, with middling reviews, “Trap” should shut.
Donald Trump continually attacks Fox News on his social media.
But he doesn’t dislike it that much. Trump says he will only debate Kamala Harris on Fox News, on September 4th, with a raucous audience.
A proper debate was already set for September 10th on ABC News with President Biden. Trump doesn’t want to do that with Harris. He’s terrified of Harris, and figures he needs the comfort of Fox to allow a bullying situation.
The first debate, in June, with Biden, was not in front of an audience. This time, Trump wants his people in a large crowd, so they can boo and chuckle, and make inappropriate comments. He wants a circus.
The Harris campaign is unlikely to give in. They said in a statement: “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out. He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10th. We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to. Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th.”
Trump is so nervous about Harris that his posts on Truth Social reek of fear. The litigation with ABC News and George Stephanopolous, by the way, long predates Harris becoming the Democratic candidate.
He wrote:
“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest. The FoxNews Debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!….”
No more touring or live performances because leader Steven Tyler’s voice has given out.
The group has had a remarkable career, full of hits and live performance triumphs. But Tyler has literally sung his guts out around the world hundreds of times. He can take solace in being one of the greatest rock stars in history fronting one of the best bands of all time.
Can they try and make a final record? Bon Jovi, in a similar situation, just did exactly that — although they may make another. It’s hard to release albums if you can’t tour behind them.
Tyler and Joe Perry could still write songs, and produce records for new bands. Perry would be in much demand as a star featured player, like Slash. Let’s just hope Tyler stays in the spotlight no matter what he does. We need him!
Here’s the band’s message on social media:
It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history.
It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives.
We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.
We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible. A final thank you to you – the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.
The music business should be thriving during the summer. Kids are out of school. Beaches are very busy.
But no: we are in the dog days. And that’s insulting dogs.
With no new major releases, the album chart has fallen apart. Sales are frozen and melting. The number 1 album this week is back to being Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets.” The album sold just 72,751 copies to be number 1.
This is sad.
Eminem’s “Death of Slim Shady” dropped to number 7. Last week’s number one album, by Stray Kids, fell 78% to number 8. The other big K Pop album, by Jimin, fell 68%. The KPop releases always do this. Their sales are contrived, and have no legs.
Ice Spice, who’s supposed to be popular, debuted at number 34 with less than 20,000 copies sold. After all the PR she’s received, there was no response from the general public.
A raft of new releases from people like Kacey Musgraves and Khalid might liven things up for next Friday. But I won’t bet on it. The new release number 1 on iTunes is by Jack White, of the White Stripes. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Sony, meantime, got a $700 million investment this week from Apollo Management. The company has 1 album on the top 50, at number 32, by a country artist no one’s heard of.
Lorne Michaels is cleaning house at “Saturday Night Live” in advance of the 50th season.
Molly Kearney has announced their exit, following Punkie Johnson. Both Molly and Punkie are talented but never quite caught on.
Is that the end or will Michaels continue revising? Part of this may be budgetary, too, as Maya Rudolph is joining the show as Kamala Harris. He’s already got his Trump with the amazing James Austin Johnson. But will “SNL” need more guest players to get through the election?
Stay tuned…
PS Lots of nice notes on the Insta from the other “SNL” players. Very cool!
All Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is sold out shows!
It isn’t easy these days for legacy artists. Records don’t sell anymore, so all the stars are on the road.
Now Mariah Carey is revving up again for a holiday tour this November and December. She has to: Christmas is the only time Carey makes any money.
So far in 2024, she’s sold 329,000 streaming equivalent units of songs. They were almost all of her song, “All I Want for Christmas” is You.” Only 10,000 were not. If it weren’t for the Christmas song, Mariah would be out of business.
Hence, the tour to promote the song sales. It starts November 6th in Highland, California and ends December 17th in Brooklyn. Then Carey can zoom off to Aspen for Christmas, cash in hand. It costs a lot to be a diva whose hit days are way in the back mirror. Ask Diana Ross. She’s still out there doing shows at age 80.
It was only yesterday that a NY Appeals court ruled that the gag order against Donald Trump remains in place.
Yet today an account on Truth Social attacked Loren Merchan, daughter of Judge Juan Merchan. Isn’t that a violation of the gag order? The order prohibits Trump from attacking anyone from the court, extending to the families of the judge, witnesses, etc.
The account, @akaproBOSS, is already a racist, hatemongering sewer. But for Trump to allow this post may cause problems that could be celebrated in court. And while Trump’s name isn’t on the account, it reads like something he okayed.
Justin Timberlake will have to use Uber now. Or hire a driver.
Timberlake just had his drivers license suspended by a judge in the Hamptons. That’s because when Timberlake was arrested last month for DUI he refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Timberlake Zoomed in for the hearing because he’s on tour. He pleaded not guilty. His next hearing is next Friday.
It does seem like the judge, Justice Carl Irace of Sag Harbor Court, is going to make an example of Timberlake, who was driving on an empty street at midnight and didn’t get very far.
If the judge really doubles down here to make a point, he may ban Timberlake from having latte’s at the Golden Pear. Stay tuned.
