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Pop: Rob Thomas Wooed Over to Hot Republic Records, Drops a New Solo Single, “Hard to Be Happy” On Friday

Roger Friedman
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Pop: Rob Thomas Wooed Over to Hot Republic Records, Drops a New Solo Single, “Hard to Be Happy” On Friday

Rob Thomas, leader of matchbox twenty, is one of our best singer songwriters. (He also doesn’t seem to age, but that’s another story!)

Thomas’s solo records are good as the group’s, too. Have you heard his song, “Someday”? You’ll never get it out of your head.

On Thursday night, Rob drops a new solo single called “Hard to be Happy.” From his Instagram post today, it sounds like another hit to go with all his others.

Rob has been with Atlantic Records for a long, long time. But he was wooed away this spring to Republic Records by their chief, Monte Lipman, the same guy behind Taylor Swift and most of the top 20 acts in the biz. Rob certainly likes people named Lippman — and they like him. His longtime managers are the legendary Michael Lippman, and son, Nick.

“Hard to be Happy” is the lead single off of Rob’s new album, “All Night Days,” which drops soon. He’s also on tour beginning any minute.

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A post shared by Rob T (@robthomas)

Legendary Marilyn Maye, 97, Wows the Hamptons With One Woman Show: She Was Johnny Carson’s Most Frequent Guest

Roger Friedman
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Legendary Marilyn Maye, 97, Wows the Hamptons With One Woman Show: She Was Johnny Carson’s Most Frequent Guest

Marilyn Maye — she’s 97, she looks fantastic and sounds even better. What’s the story here?

She’s been a cabaret star since the 1950s. She recorded the song “Cabaret” five years before Liza Minnelli, in 1966, when the Broadway musical first opened. And it was a hit!

“Discovered” by talk show host Jack Paar when she was almost 40, Johnny Carson booked her a record 79 times on his “Tonight Show.” She survived Elvis, the Beatles, disco, and, to paraphrase Stephen Sondheim, she’s still here! (One of the many theatrical triumphs was Sondheim’s “Follies.”)

In the Hamptons on Saturday night, Maye had a sold out audience at the Hamptons Summer Songbook Kickoff at LTV Studios in East Hampton. No less than Joy Behar was there to do a Q&A. Retired movie studio exec (and widower of Dina Merrill) Ted Hartley showed up, as did New York’s perennial man about town and broadcaster, Bill Boggs.

Titled “Meet Marvelous Marilyn Maye,” the show ushered in the new season with fireworks of talent and timeless American music where the star paid tribute to Carson, who would have turned 100 years old this year.

After the performance (see below), Maye was presented with a tribute and citation from New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright.

Produced by Donna Rubin and Josh Gladstone, the series’ Creative Director at LTV, Hamptons Summer Songbook transforms a working television studio into an atmospheric cabaret venue, complete with café-style seating, impeccable acoustics, and a gleaming Baby Grand piano.

The season continues post Maye with some big Broadway and cabaret stars through August 30th with a dazzling lineup of performers including Lee Roy Reams, Liz Callaway, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, and international sensations Moipei, among others. Full season details are listed online at www.ltveh.org.

Steven Tyler Turns in a Stunning Performance Over the Weekend at Black Sabbath Farewell Show in London

Roger Friedman
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Steven Tyler Turns in a Stunning Performance Over the Weekend at Black Sabbath Farewell Show in London

Steven Tyler is back! The world is healing!

The Aerosmith front man put on quite a show over the weekend in London. He performed several songs including “Walk this Way” and Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” at the Ozzy Osbourne Black Sabbath concert, and was spectacular according to the videos.

Tyler suffered some serious health setbacks over the last few years. Last year, he announced Aerosmith had retired from touring. This winter I saw him in Los Angeles where he started his comeback with usual flare.

Will we see a tour, after all? Or just aa residency in Las Vegas, which would make more sense?

Either way, it’s a relief to see Steven Tyler do his thing. And we don’t want to miss a thing!

Fashion Kills: House of Dior Celebrates 1959 Murders of the Clutter Family with $3,600 Line of “In Cold Blood” Tote Bags

Roger Friedman
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Fashion Kills: House of Dior Celebrates 1959 Murders of the Clutter Family with $3,600 Line of “In Cold Blood” Tote Bags

I love fashion. Most of it, you can’t make up.

Dior is celebrating its new line with a group of book tote bags. One of them is for Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

In 1959, two men — Richard Hickock and Perry Smith — viciously murdered four members of the Clutter family. The killers were eventually executed. This happened in real life, it was not a work of fiction. The book made Capote famous.

Now the Clutters — as well as Perry and Hickock have been reduced to being a tote bag from Dior. The other books saluted with totes include “Dracula,” “Bonjour Tristesse,” “Ulysses,” “Madame Bovary,” “Les Fleurs du Mal.”

None of the other books are works of non fiction. Is it possible Dior designer Jonathan Anderson didn’t know that?

Dior tote bags typically cost around $3,600. I’m surprised the Clutters’ descendents haven’t sued for a piece of the pie.

Maybe Dior flack Charles Finch can stage one of his famous celebrity dinner where they re-enact the murders!

Here’s a picture of the Clutter coffins:

Broadway: Scott Rudin is Coming Back After 4 Years Away, Like it or Not, to Produce New Play Starring Laurie Metcalf

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Scott Rudin is Coming Back After 4 Years Away, Like it or Not, to Produce New Play Starring Laurie Metcalf

Nothing good lasts forever.

After four years of being cancelled, Broadway producer Scott Rudin is coming back.

Rudin and Barry Diller are producing a new play called “Little Bear Ridge Road,” starring Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock. Joe Mantello is directing.

Rudin was sent away from Broadway in 2021 after enraging just about everyone he worked with, for decades. He was cruel, belittling, dismissive, capricious, nasty, and terrorizing. He threw objects at his staff. The brother of one former employee blamed his sibling’s suicide on Rudin.

But hey, Trump is president, he’s setting up concentration camps and taking away Medicare, so…whatever.

No one has ever said, “I wish Scott Rudin would come back to Broadway.” Dealing with him was a nightmare. The last four years, Broadway has thrived, and it was delightful not to have Rudin around.

Has he changed? I guess we’ll see, but his return will no doubt bring back fake opening nights and a complete disdain for the press. Luckily, none of that matters anymore. Four years and a pandemic have changed perspectives. There are plenty of plays. If you want to see Laurie Metcalf, who will always be a great actress, watch “Roseanne” or “Ladybird.”

PS One of my favorite Rudin memories: he didn’t like to give charity performances for the Actors Fund, now known as the Entertainment Community Fund. He’d put on the performances at midnight, or only charge $40 a ticket so the Fund wouldn’t reap any rewards.

Can’t wait for this round!

Hollywood-Broadway Producer Scott Rudin Once Threatened to Strangle Publicist: “The only thing separating my hands from your neck is the fact that there are three thousand miles between us”

Trump Says He’ll Reveal Tariff Deals at Noon Monday: Is This The End of the World as We Know It? UPDATING

Roger Friedman
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Trump Says He’ll Reveal Tariff Deals at Noon Monday: Is This The End of the World as We Know It? UPDATING

Is this the end of the world as we know it?

Trump says he’s revealing his tariff deals at noon today. Is he doing this to spite Ringo Starr’s 85th birthday peace and love celebration? Probably.

How many companies will he put out of business? Will the reaction from his base be positive? Or will this be an ice cold plunge that wakes them up?

Glassy Eyed Justin Bieber Posts Stoned Selfies While Former Manager Scooter Braun Hangs on David Geffen’s Yacht

Roger Friedman
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Glassy Eyed Justin Bieber Posts Stoned Selfies While Former Manager Scooter Braun Hangs on David Geffen’s Yacht

The Justin Bieber story is not going to end well.

The former pop star spends most of his getting stoned out of his gourd. He posted new pictures today of doing exactly that — blissing out.

The 32 year old father of a baby is glassy eyed and out of it. He dresses like a 17 year old skate kid who has no clue his life is crumbling around him.

Next to his current stoned selfies, Bieber wrote: “Detoxxxxx.” It sure doesn’t look like it.

Meantime, former manager Scooter Braun just posted a picture hanging with billionaire and former music manager David Geffen on the latter’s yacht. Braun has also posted a variety of pics from his vacation, jet skiing and climbing around on rocks.

Braun made his whole career on Bieber’s unsuspecting back. Bieber was mentally unwell and cancelled a concert tour. There are reports that he went into debt, and he sold his music catalog for a measly $200 million. There are reports that he still owes Braun a ton of money, which is laughable given these pictures.

If the Bieber story ends badly, Braun is clearly to blame. He leveraged his management of Bieber, Ariana Grande, and others to merge with the K Pop behemoth HYBE. He made hundreds of millions of dollars. Only HYBE must have become aware that Braun’s artists left either voluntarily or not. Either way, HYBE has demoted Braun, who is now very wealthy.

What a shitshow. Recording artists have traditionally been hung out to dry by their managers. Think Elvis and Colonel Parker. The managers and record company execs live in mansions, the artists have been left high and dry. In Bieber’s case, just high.

“Jurassic Park: Rebirth” Stomps All Over Box Office, Takes in $147 Mil for July 4th Holiday, 2nd Biggest in Franchise

Roger Friedman
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“Jurassic Park: Rebirth” Stomps All Over Box Office, Takes in $147 Mil for July 4th Holiday, 2nd Biggest in Franchise

The dinosaurs will all be looking for raises tomorrow.

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” was just the blockbuster Hollywood needed.

The Steven Spielberg spin off took in $147 million over the holiday, from Wednesday through today.

This makes it the second biggest “Jurassic” opening, beating “Dominion,” the last iteration, by $2 million.

The biggest opening was for the 2015 entry, “Jurassic World,” which was a monster with over a $200 mil start.

“Rebirth” is the hit of the summer so far. But “Superman” is lurking, and I predict he will fly high. The James Gunn is still a day away from the critical embargo lifting on social media. But I’ll tell you now, it’s extremely entertaining. (Just an observation, not a review yet.)

Elsewhere at the box office: “The Materialists” is dematerializing as it lost over 900 screens this weekend. Heading to a $34 million take. The movie cost at least $25 million.

“F!” is still cranking along, having finally crossed the $100 mil mark this weekend. “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” is aiming to make $200 million by mid week.

Me? I’m finishing up “The Bear” today. It’s a drama, not a comedy. Someone tell the awards groups. It’s a great drama. But there is very little funny about it, just a chuckle here and there.

Alligator Alcatraz Merch All Over Amazon, ebay: MAGA Thinks A Dangerous US Concentration Camp Is Hilarious

Roger Friedman
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Alligator Alcatraz Merch All Over Amazon, ebay: MAGA Thinks A Dangerous US Concentration Camp Is Hilarious

MAGA thinks a dangerous concentration camp for detained immigrants is hilarious.

There are currently dozens, maybe hundreds, of listings for merchandise celebrating “Alligator Alcatraz.”

Alligator Alcatraz is an immigration detention facility erected at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport inside Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida.

According to reports, the hastily constructed detention camp in the Everglades that began processing immigrant detainees late this week has already flooded once, may not meet hurricane codes, and is not officially approved or funded by the federal government.

Donald Trump, the King of Cruelty, has already joked about detainees being eaten by alligators in the waters surrounding the prison.

“The risk of mosquito-borne disease at this site is significant,” said Durland Fish, a professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Yale University School of Public Health, told the Washington Post. The paper observes that  the viruses detected during a mosquitos study he conducted in the Everglades — including at Big Cypress Swamp, where the detention center is located — can cause neurological damage, including encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. 

MAGA thinks it’s all very funny. They are such racists all they can think about is brown people being tortured or devoured.

This shameful move by Trump will be recorded in history as a horror. But in the present, Trump has created an affront to humanity.

On amazon and ebay, there are a multitude of postcards (48 sold so far) and caps and T shirts that go for up to 30 bucks apiece. There’s also a minted coin made by an ICE agent. Many shirt are emblazoned with a logo that reads: Nature’s Own Border Patrol. Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, must be so proud, having just held a $50 million wedding in Venice, Italy. His guests — all celebrities from Oprah and Gayle to Kardashians — must feel pretty good. 

Six Degrees of Bruce: The Connection Between Emmylou Harris’s Version of a Springsteen and “The Bear”

Roger Friedman
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Season 4, Episode of “The Bear” runs 69 minutes long and will win an Emmy one day.

Will it be this fall or next fall? Who knows? “The Bear,” like most streaming shows, runs counter to the Emmy Awards schedule. You can never tell what season the Emmys are judging.

Like all “The Bear” episodes, number is full of music. Actually, this episode — about a family wedding that doesn’t explode — has an incredible 15 songs. Fifteen! “The Bear” has some music budget. None of it comes cheap.

Episode 7 includes songs by Taylor Swift, Lou Reed, Darlene Love, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Them (Van Morrison), and Everything But the Girl. But the highlight is the final song: Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher than the Rest.”

The hitch is that Bruce is not singing it. “The Bear” uses a lost 1990 cover version by Emmylou Harris that is so good someone should release it to iTunes as a single. Harris’s voice is just magic, and the arrangement is reminiscent of the E Street Band.

Is it pure luck that a Springsteen song is included in a TV series? Bruce never used to let his songs into movie soundtracks. Remember the whole dust up when Peter Bogdanovich wanted Bruce’s songs for “Mask”? He was turned down, and Bob Seger’s music was used instead. It was only years later that Bruce’s songs were added to the director’s cut.

But as luck would have it, “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White plays Springsteen in the new Scott Cooper movie, “Deliver Me From Nowhere.” We’ll be seeing this movie in the fall. So it couldn’t have been too hard to clear “Tougher” for “The Bear.” It should be noted that this is the first time a Springsteen song made it into “The Bear.”

As for “The Bear”: it’s a drama, not a comedy. It has few laughs, although episode 7 has the most in some time. It’s also extraordinarily well written, acted, and directed. Christopher Storer has a way of giving every actor a defining scene. This episode guest stars Brie Larson and Josh Hartnett. But my favorite line goes to John Mulaney, whose observation about Bob Odenkirk’s character is best of all. “I’ve met him 9 times,” Mulaney says, “and I still don’t know who he is.”
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