Monday, April 30, 2012
Superhero Superstar
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Trespass America
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
15 Fictional and Fabulous
1. Smaug Worth: $62 Billion
2. Flintheart Glomgold Worth: $51.9 Billion
3. Carlisle Cullen Worth: $36.3 Billion
4. Jed Clampett Worth: $9.8 Billion
5. Tony Stark Worth: $9.3 Billion
6. Richie Rich Worth: $8.9 Billion
7. Charles Foster Kane Worth: $8.3 Billion
8. Bruce Wayne Worth: $6.9 Billion
9. Forrest Gump Worth: $5.7 Billion
10. Mr. Monopoly Worth: $2.5 Billion
11. Lisbeth Salander Worth: $2.4 Billion
12. Tywin Lannister Worth: $2.1 Billion
13. C. Montgomery Burns Worth: $1.3 Billion
14. Robert CrawleyWorth: $1.1 Billion
15. Jo Bennett $1 Billion
FULL STORY
Dave's "Walk of Shame"
Tuesday night's installment of NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was broadcast from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where President Barack Obama made an appearance, as did Dave Matthews.
Matthews sang backup on a Fallon ditty called "Walk of Shame," about walking home in the morning after a night of hard partying. He later performed a new single entitled, "Mercy," from his upcoming new album -- his first new disc since 2009's Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Fallon's house band The Roots were also there to lend a hand.
Dave Matthews Band will soon be hitting the road on their first North American tour in two years. The outing kicks off May 18th in Woodlands, Texas, and is slated to wrap September 9 in Mountain View, California.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Wholesale Stores No Serving Cannibals?
CeeKay Aut-Correct Tuesday
Friday, April 20, 2012
Record Store Day 4/21/12
It's time to rejoice, audiophiles! Saturday, April 21, marks the fifth annual installment of Record Store Day, which is celebrated at independent music retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, the UK and a few other countries. In commemoration of the unofficial holiday, a vast number of artists issue limited-edition vinyl singles, EPs and LPs that are sold exclusively at participating indie record shops.
This year's Record Store Day is proving to be one of the most expansive yet, with more than 280 special releases headed for U.S. stores alone. While there are way too many discs to list, among the standouts are Arcade Fire's "Sprawl II" 12-inch remix disc; David Bowie's "Starman" 7-inch picture disc; The Flaming Lips' The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends collaborations album; Genesis' 12-inch blue vinyl Spot the Pigeon EP; The Black Keys' two-LP, 45-rpm version of the El Camino album; Paul McCartney's "Another Day"/"Oh Woman, Oh Why" single; fun.'s gold-vinyl The Ghost that You Are to Me album; Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia Demos Part 2 EP; The White Stripes' "Hand Springs"/"Red Death at 6:14" black-and-red-swirled-vinyl seven-inch; Metallica's silver-vinyl Beyond Magnetic EP, boasting four unreleased songs from their Death Magnetic sessions; Public Image Ltd.'s One Drop EP, the John Lydon-fronted band's first release in 20 years; and the "It's My Time"/"Go On and Cry" single from The Mynah Byrds, the short-lived group that featured Neil Young and late funk star Rick James. For a complete list of Record Store Day releases, visit RecordStoreDay.com.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
2012 TIME 100
On Wednesday, Time magiazine released their annual list of the top 100 most influential people in the world. Making the list are some names that can be found spilling forth from the lips of, well, just about everyone. And the usually host of Tycoons, Notable Business People and those who you've maybe not heard of, but probably have an effect somehow in your daily life. Notables:
Tim Tebow
Jeremy Lin
Louis CK
Kristen Wiig
Chelsea Handler
Anonymous
Warren Buffett
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Barack Obama
Complete List HERE
Orion Music + Horror Crypt?!
New details have surfaced about Metallica’s new annual music, arts and lifestyle festival called Orion Music + More. In a recent online video interview, guitarist Kirk Hammett revealed that the fest will also feature an exhibit celebrating classic horror films.
Titled Kirk’s Crypt, the showcase will feature Hammett’s personal collection of rare horror movie memorabilia, classic comics, monster toys, posters, props and much more. Hammett, who’s been collecting horror memorabilia since he was six years old, is looking forward to sharing his collection with fans at the festival.
“I would like to think that people would recognize the cultural significance of this stuff and I hope that it attracts people who are just like-minded and share similar passions,” says Hammett. “I hope they can come in to my little zone and…really have good time checking it out and seeing everything and interacting with all this stuff.” More details about the event will be released in the coming weeks.
The inaugural Orion Music + More festival will make its debut June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ. For more details, head over to OrionMusicAndMore.com.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The UnDead Gossling
If you read it on the internet, it's gotta be true... right?! The Global Associated News, which has been responsible for reporting a string of FAKE celebrity “deaths,” including Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson and Denzel Washington, published a story on Tuesday claiming that Drive star Ryan Gosling had died.
But E! has rushed in to clear up the misinformation. They say Gosling is alive and well and did not fall to his death from an Austrian cliff, as reported. The actor is currently filming in the Kitzbhel Alps but did not, as claimed, tumble 50 feet from a mountain called the Hahnenkamm.
Mayor Kardashian?!
Mayor Kim Kardashian has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? As hard as it may be to believe, the reality TV star wants to become mayor of Glendale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.
In a bonus clip of Sunday's episode of the E! series Khloe & Lamar posted online, Kim confides to her sister Khloe that she will run for mayor of Glendale in five years. She says she's enlisted a friend's help in launching a campaign, and that she has to "buy a house there, you have to have residency there."
Kim, who has an Armenian background, also notes that the city has a sizable Armenian-American population.
Glendale city officials clarify that the mayor of the city is not elected, but rather is selected "by a nomination and subsequent majority vote of his/her colleagues during the annual reorganization meeting of the city council which takes place on an annual basis during the month of April."
If Kim is serious about becoming mayor of Glendale, she must establish residency and become a registered voter there. Glendale officials say the city clerk's office "has not received any inquiries from any potential candidates regarding the 2017 Glendale municipal elections."
Red Light King + Avengers Assemble
Breakout 979X artist Red Light King will join Soundgarden, Shinedown, Papa Rpach, Rise Against and more on the soundtrack to the much anticipated Avengers sequel "Avengers Aseemble". Pre-order the soundtrack and get an exclusive move clip! More info HERE
COMPLETE TRACK LISTING
1. "Live to Rise" Soundgarden
2. "I'm Alive" Shinedown
3. "Dirt and Roses" Rise Against
4. "Even If I Could" Papa Roach
5. "Unbroken" Black Veil Brides
6. "Breath" Scott Weiland
7. "Comeback" Redlight King
8. "Into the Blue" Bush
9. "A New Way to Bleed" Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo Evanescence
10. "Count Me Out" PUSHERJONES
11. "Shoot to Thrill" AC/DC FT. Theory of a Deadman
12. "Wherever I Go" Buckcherry
13. "From Out of Nowhere" Billy Gould, Roddy Bottum FT. Five Finger Death Punch
14. "Shake the Ground" Cherri Bomb
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
White + Oldman = UNSTAGED!
Jack White will be the next artist to participate in the American Express-sponsored concert series Unstaged on April 27. The performance will be live-streamed from Webster Hall in New York City at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT at YouTube.com/JackWhiteVEVO.
If you want to check it out, you can join the audience online, or via YouTube and VEVO apps for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android. The show takes place just three days after White's debut solo album, Blunderbuss, hits stores.
Directing the event will be award-winning actor Gary Oldman, known in particular to rock fans for his portrayal of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in 1986’s Sid and Nancy.
On Tuesday, a limited number of pre-sale tickets to the Webster Hall concert will be available to Third Man Records Vault members at 9 a.m. ET and to American Express cardmembers at 12 p.m. ET.
Cobain Solo?
According to Eric Erlandson, co-founder and guitarist of Hole, late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was working on a solo album before he died in 1994. In an interview with Fuse, Erlandson reveals that Cobain had recorded an album’s worth of solo demos, which have never been released.
"[Cobain] was headed in a direction that was really cool,” notes Erlandson. “It would have been his White Album. That's really what he was going towards: a solo album but working with different people."
The guitarist added that Cobain had shared with him some of the music he was working on. “I got to see him play it in front of me,” says Erlandson. “That's why I was really sad when he died. He was cut short. Who knows where this music would have gone?"
In addition to recording new material, Erlandson says that Cobain also recorded a special cover song. The guitarist adds, “I won’t say what it is. I don't own the stuff. I just hope that one day it will be released for fans. It’s just so heartbreaking. It’s not surprising. It’s a very sweet, just touching song."
CeeKay AutoCorrect Tuesday
Pick out the autocorrected word and you could win a $25 CeeKay Autoparts gift card at 2:40pm. 1-866-20-ROCKS
Monday, April 16, 2012
What the Hell Theater
A family from Oxfordshire, England are believers after their pet hamster rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. The Sun reports dad Dave Eyley broke out the shovel when he found the pet's "cold and lifeless" body in his cage. But the four-year old rodent named Rhino dug itself out of his two-foot grave and was found "scampering around the garden" by a neighbor the very next day -- which happened to be Easter Sunday. Eyley said of the seeming miracle: "He had rigor mortis when I buried him -- and now he’s running about. He’s a plucky little soul and seems unaffected by being dead and buried." The newspaper reports hamsters can hibernate if they get cold enough, and a hibernating hamster would appear dead until it's warmed up. With the pet reborn, the family re-named him: Jesus.
A 56-year-old Modesto, California man was hospitalized last Wednesday after managing to shoot himself without a gun. The Modesto Bee reports cops were called to a residence in response to a victim who said he'd been shot in the shoulder -- when he dropped a weight on a stray .22 caliber bullet. Cops searched the home and their investigation didn't turn up a weapon -- or any reports of a suspect fleeing the scene -- but they did find a crushed rimfire cartridge: the victim apparently dropped the weight on the shell, triggering the bullet's primer, sending the slug into the man's arm. Investigators closed the case, saying the man's story was improbable, but not impossible.
Who got inked?!
Kelsey Grammer has been married four times, but his current wife is the first one to get her name tattooed on his body.
The Chicago Sun Times reports Grammer and his wife of 14 months, Kayte Wash, showed up unannounced Saturday at Insight Studios, a Chicago tattoo parlor.
Owner Bob Jones says Grammer got the name "Kayte" inked in half-inch blue letters on his hip at the waistline, and he "was pretty cool about it.” The tattoo cost $60.
The newspaper says one employee was unaware Grammar was a famous celebrity. A 21-year-old woman at the front desk asked the former Cheers star for his ID. She then asked Jones, “Is this guy famous of something? He looked at me kind of funny when I asked for his ID.”
Grammer can currently be seen playing the mayor of Chicago in the Starz series, Boss.
Who's hanging out?
Butch Vig has participated in a partial Nirvana reunion of sorts. In a Twitter message posted on Thursday night, the Nevermind producer announced that he lent his talents to record something special with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic.
Vig tweeted, “The last 24 hours have been surreal! Had a great gig at the El Rey last night, and spent today recording with Dave, Krist and special guest!”
While no official details have been released about what the recording will be used for, Grohl has been working with members of Ratt, Slipknot, Queens of the Stone Age and many others over the last few months to write and record songs for his upcoming documentary about Sound City Studios.
What happened at the RRHoF this weekend?
Most of the surprises from the ceremony were not so surprising by the time the induction began. We already knew Rod Stewart had to skip the affair due to throat problems. Likewise for Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, for reasons not fully revealed but suspected to be due to his ongoing treatment for cancer. And then there's Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, who last week released a statement saying the ceremony "doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected," and requesting he not be inducted at all -- a request the Rock Hall refused.
Then came the induction that also came with the most drama: Guns N' Roses. Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong talked about each member of the band -- except for a particular lead singer that nobody mentioned by name, but who was booed when Armstrong asked the audience "who was missing." Even so, Armstrong praised Rose as "one of the best frontmen to ever touch a microphone," and noting, "Sometimes you have to look back at chapters of your life to move forward." Duff McKagan likely said it best, however, declaring, “I don’t know if it matters who here’s tonight because it’s about the music that band created.” With Alter Bridge lead singer Myles Kennedy singing lead, GN’R performed “Mr. Brownstone,” “Sweet Child o' Mine” and “Paradise City.”
Finally, after almost four-and-a-half-hours, comedian Chris Rock inducted the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His best line: “If Brian Wilson and George Clinton had a kid, he’d be as ugly as f**k, but he’d sound like the Red Hot Chili Peppers… He’d be funky!“ Bassist Flea shed tears when thanking his mom, while lead singer Anthony Kiedis discussed how his former drug addiction almost destroyed the band, and thanked his longtime friend Flea for sticking with him. He also acknowledged former guitarist John Frusciante, who elected not to attend the ceremony.
RHCP, currently touring, played “By the Way,” "Give It Away," and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” from their latest album, I'm With You. Kiedis invited everybody who has ever played with them to take the stage, then called up some people by name, including Smokey Robinson -- who declined -- Ronnie Wood, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Slash. Billy Joe Armstrong also joined them for a rousing rendition of “Higher Ground.”
Seventeen new members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio. The 27th annual ceremony was a five-hour, twenty-minute affair that'll be broadcast in edited form on HBO May 5.
Friday, April 13, 2012
What the Hell Theater
A woman in China got herself in a sticky situation when a massage machine she'd been using to relieve neck pain became hopelessly entangled in her hair. When the woman's family failed to free her, firemen were called to the scene, but they couldn't free her either. They eventually spent two hours dismantling the machine while it was still attached to the woman's head. Unfortunately for the woman, her ordeal was caught on video and is going viral. But overall, she got off lucky. In 2010, a female doctor was strangled to death when her necklace got tangled in a neck massager, which was subsequently recalled.
A 20-year-old Fort Wayne, Indiana man has a court date Thursday stemming from reportedly trying to pull over a pair of off-duty cops last week. WANE reports Chadwyck Voegeli allegedly activated flashing red and blue lights on a cellphone app and laughed as he motioned to the still-moving car, which, unfortunately for him, contained the two officers. When one of the cops displayed a badge, Voegeli reportedly drove off, but the lawmen followed him into a bar. After a short foot chase, uniformed officers who were called to the scene eventually arrested him for impersonating a cop and resisting arrest.
Fances Bean: "Twitter should ban my mother."
Frances Cobain -- the daughter of Hole frontwoman Courtney Love and late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain -- on Thursday waded into the war of words raging between her mother and Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl.
Two days after a Twitter rant in which Love accused Grohl of essentially groping her daughter -- an accusation Grohl denied -- Frances released a statement saying, "While I'm generally silent on the affairs of my biological mother, her recent tirade has taken a gross turn. I have never been approached by Dave Grohl in more than a platonic way. I'm in a monogamous relationship and very happy."
Frances went on to add, "Twitter should ban my mother."
As previously reported, Love posted a series of tweets on Tuesday night from her private Twitter account, @cbabymichelle, writing that Grohl is "sexually obsessed" with Kurt and noted that she received information from a driver who claimed that Grohl had "his hands all over" Frances while the two were in his car.
Despite a statement from Grohl saying that Love’s “accusations are upsetting, offensive and absolutely untrue,” Love told the New York Daily News on Wednesday that she was “not going to retract anything.” She added that Grohl “used to consistently hit on me back in the day” and “slept with three of my bass players,” hinting that Grohl had sexual relations with ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.
Love also says she’s still upset about last year's Muppets film, which she felt "raped" Kurt's memory, with its inclusion of a barbershop quartet performance of Nirvana's biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." “We got no money from The Muppets, we got nothing,” notes Love. “It made [Muppets writer/actor] Jason Segel feel special, but Dave knows Kurt wouldn’t have wanted to be a Muppet.”
R&RHOF to Induct GnR "Whether Axl Is Present or Not"
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has responded to the open letter Axl Rose issued Wednesday declaring that he was declining his "induction as a member of Guns N' Roses" and wouldn't be attending the ceremony. In his message, the volatile singer maintained that his dealings with Rock Hall officials and comments by some of his former band members made him feel unwanted and disrespected, and he also asked that he "not be inducted in absentia."
Well, the Rock Hall apparently has decided to disregard the GN'R frontman's wishes. Speaking with E! News, a spokeswoman for the institution said, "We are sorry Axl will not be able to accept his induction in person. We are looking forward to still inducting Guns N' Roses this weekend and will proceed forward with our original plan whether Axl is present or not."
It's not clear which other GN'R members chosen for induction -- Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed -- will attend the ceremony, but with Reed being in the band's current lineup, don't be surprised if he's a no-show.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
No Fame for Axl?!
It looks like Axl Rose has put an emphatic kibosh on any possibility for a reunion of Guns N' Roses classic lineup at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday in Cleveland. In a lengthy and detailed open letter sent via his publicist Wednesday morning to the Los Angles Times, the singer declared that not only would he not be attending the event, but that he also was declining his "induction as a member of Guns N' Roses."
In the letter, addressed to "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guns N' Roses Fans and Whom It May Concern," Rose explains that when the induction was first announced, "I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing," while realizing that the circumstances surrounding the band likely would result in "somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation."
He goes on to point out that several factors, including his observations of the Rock Hall induction committee's actions and the negative comments made by some of his former GN'R band mates, led him to the conclusion that "the ceremony doesn't appear to be somewhere I'm actually wanted or respected."
Axl also addresses the possibility of reuniting at any time with his former GN'R members, noting that he would only consider playing live occasionally -- as he has done in the past -- with guitarist Izzy Stradlin and bassist Duff McKagan.
In addition, he praises the talents and relationships he has with Guns' current lineup, saying, "I love our band now. We're there for each other when the going gets rough. We love our fans and work to give them every ounce of energy and heart we can."
Continuing, he thanks the Rock Hall for nominating and inducting GN'R, as well as the band's fans "for being there over the years, making any success we've had possible and for enjoying and supporting Guns N' Roses music."
He finishes by extending his "congratulations to all the other artists being inducted." Visit LATimes.com to read Axl's entire rant.
Chevy Leaked VM
Although it appeared that Chevy Chase and Community creator Dan Harmon had patched things up, there may be more trouble brewing behind the scenes of the NBC sitcom.
In another leaked voicemail message posted on EW.com, Chase says he feels there's a "disconnect" with the storyline and character development decisions on Community. “Obviously you don’t get my humor at all,” Chase tells Harmon. "This is not my kind of comedy."
Growing increasingly angry, Chase says, "You're not there when we shoot and you're not there when they edit." Before threatening to quit, he added, "It’s just a f***ing mediocre sitcom. I want people to laugh and this isn’t funny.”
Previously, the 67-year-old actor, who plays middle-aged college student Pierce in Community, walked off the set during shooting of the upcoming season finale, according to Deadline.com.
Harmon reportedly countered at the show's end-of-season wrap party by giving what Deadline refers to as a "F*** you, Chevy" speech in front of the actor and his wife and daughter. Harmon also encouraged the crew to say "F*** you" to Chase.
Chase then departed the party and left a profane voicemail message for Harmon in which he aired his grievances. According to Deadline, Chase has walked off the set of Community multiple times in the past.
Community has not yet been renewed for next season
REVOLVEr Golden Gods Awards this weekend
The fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, honoring all things hard rock, are set to take place Wednesday at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The event, which will be emceed by pro wrestler and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho, will be viewable live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on Xbox and at Revolver magazine's official Facebook page.
Kiss singer/bassist Gene Simmons will be presented with the night's highest honor, the Golden God Award, while prog-rock legends Rush will receive the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award. Others prizes that will be handed out throughout the evening include Best Guitarist, Best Drummer, Best Vocalist, Album of the Year, Best Live Band and Comeback of the Year.
The festivities will get under way at 6 p.m. PT with a Black Carpet pre-show hosted by Twister Sister's Dee Snider, and the ceremony will begin two hours later.
New Zombie "dark, heavy, weird"
As previously reported, Rob Zombie has announced he'll begin recording his fifth studio album on June 1. In an interview with ARTISTDirect.com, the singer reveals that he has a definite plan for how the record will sound.
“We just want to make a dark, heavy, weird record and stick to that idea,” says Zombie. “If something comes up that isn't, we won't finish it. We'll stick to the plan. You may say that when you start recording. Then other songs start happening that don't really fit that and you go with it. This time, we're really going to stay on task.”
The singer added that he’s excited to have ex-Marilyn Manson drummer Ginger Fish behind the drum kit as they prepare to hit the road with Megadeth. “He's a phenomenal drummer,” notes Zombie. “His strong point is his groove playing, which is great. There are certain songs we've played for years that have never quite sounded right. A song like "More Human than Human" has a repetitive groove. If you don't really get the groove down, the song can be really monotonous to listen to and he nailed it.”
Zombie will kick off his co-headlining tour with Megadeth on May 11 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Homdel, NJ.
What the Hell Theater
A 35-year-old Kansas man was arrested on drug possession charges late Monday evening after accidentally including a bag full of meth with the wad of cash he gave a Pizza Hut delivery driver. The Wichita Eagle reports the 22-year-old driver called the cops after she found the baggie, and directed officers to the hotel room to which she delivered the food. Cops arrested the unidentified man, and also reportedly found more methamphetamine and also cocaine in the room.
A would-be passenger at Denver International Airport gave fellow flyers an eyeful Tuesday morning when she decided to strip naked. According to airport spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone, the unidentified woman was admonished for having a cigarette in a no-smoking section near an airline gate. Shortly thereafter, and apparently for no reason, the woman took off all of her clothing and approached a security desk to ask for a new boarding pass KDVR-TV reports. She was instead taken by Denver Police to a hospital for evaluation.
History Lesson
25 Joss Stone /singer
51 Nigel Pulsford /guitarist, Bush
80 Joel Grey /actor, Cabaret, father of actress Jennifer Grey
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as emperor of France and was banished to the island of Elba.
1981 - Eddie Van Halen married actress Valerie Bertinelli.
2000 - Metallica filed suit against Napster, Yale University, USC and Indiana University for copyright infringement.
2002 - Ozzy Osbourne received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2002 - Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson got engaged.
RHCP Headlines 2012 Lollapalooza
Red Hot Chili Peppers will headline the 2012 Lollapalooza festival in August, organizers announced this morning. They'll be joined by Black Sabbath, Jack White, The Black Keys, Florence + the Machine and more. For the full lineup, head to Lollapalooza.com.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
History Lesson
Mandy Moore 28/singer-actress
Mike Mushok 43/guitarist, Staind
Steven Seagal 61/actor, Marked For Death, Hard to Kill
John Madden 76/football announcer
Omar Sharif 80/actor-bridge expert, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago
2006 - Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow announced they’d named their second child, a boy, Moses Martin. They also have a daughter named Apple.
2000 - Sony Music announced plans to offer their first digital downloads to consumers. Fifty songs were offered in the first wave, included tracks by Pearl Jam, Michael Jackson and others.
1912 - The RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage.
1866 - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was incorporated.
What the Hell Theater
An Australian pilot radioed a mayday and was forced to make an emergency landing last Thursday when a snake popped out of his dashboard and slithered down his leg. Braden Blennerhassett safely brought his twin-engine Beechcraft Baron G58 down at an airport in Darwin after telling an air traffic controller, "We've got a snake on board," reports the UK Guardian. "As the plane was landing, the snake was crawling down my leg, which was frightening," a shaken Blennerhassett admitted. Ground crews were unable to find the snake after he landed, even trying to coax the reptile out into the open with a mouse to no avail. Based on the pilot's description, the snake was thought to be a non-venomous golden tree snake.
A British chef who was nearly stabbed to death when his fellow gourmand girlfriend stuck a knife into his back while he slept has not fully recovered from the attack last December, but he's still in love. The UK Daily Mail reports Gregory Todd, 48, brought a diamond ring to the court Monday to propose to Tiffany Baillie, 32, who is facing 12 years in prison for attempted murder. He claims the attack occurred following a drunken argument, and Baillie was distraught after suffering a miscarriage a year after their 10-week-old son died. Said Todd, "If somebody I didn't know stabbed me in the street, I would want them hung, drawn and quartered. But I don't hold this against her at all. Seeing her in prison is my worst nightmare." The chef must wait until Wednesday to find out if she will say yes -- when she has another court date.
60x60x60
How you would like to win a free pair of tickets to one of Bush’s upcoming concerts? The band has just launched a new contest, titled 60 Shows, 60 Days, 60 Pairs of Tickets, where frontman Gavin Rossdale will be personally giving away a pair of tickets to nearly every date on the band’s upcoming spring and summer tour. The contest also includes tickets to their arena tour dates with Nickelback, Seether and My Darkest Days. Starting on Monday, Rossdale will post a message on his Twitter account every day at 9 a.m. PT naming the date, city and show that he will be giving away tickets for. To enter the contest, you’ll need to re-tweet Rossdale’s message using the hash tag #Bush60tix. The lead singer will then make his choice and tweet the name of each day’s winner at 3 p.m. PT. For complete details, visit Bush’s website.
Nickelack "Stickin to the hits"
Nickelback's Here and Now tour opens Tuesday night in Moline, Illinois, and the band has one goal in mind: to send their fans home happy.
Frontman Chad Kroeger tells ABC News Radio that one way they please their fans is to make sure they play plenty of their hits. "They want to come see the single, I get that," says Chad. "Real fans that are deep album track fans want to hear more, but [we] stick to the hits. It's kinda nice to do that and you get their attention [and] you hold their attention."
Unfortunately, Nickelback are at the point where they have so many hits that something's gotta give -- they can't perform all of them, so they'll have to leave a few out. "We can't play for four hours!" laughs Chad. "It’s a wonderful problem to have."
Chad says that it's "tricky" to put together a set list that includes "the songs that everybody wants to hear," as well as their new material. But it's still an easier job than having to fill out an entire show with just one album. Brother and bass player Mike Kroeger points out, "I remember back in the day when we only had seven songs and we had to, like, throw covers in just to round out the set!" "Or play them twice!" recalls guitarist Ryan Peake.
As Nickelback tours North America, they're proud that their shows will attract fans of every age and every demographic, from toddlers to senior citizens. "You can't peg a Nickelback fan. It's impossible to do and that's great," says Chad. "I love, that because we don't make music for one group of people."
However, Mike jokes that he is a bit worried about little kids who are brought to Nickelback concerts by their parents, and exposed to songs about drinking, sex and strippers. "I just wonder what...the long-term effect [is]?" he wonders. "It's terrifying! Damage to the child!" laughs Chad. "I don't wanna bring my toddler to a show," admits Ryan.
CK Auto-Correct Tuesday
Pick out the autocorrected word and you could win a $25 CK Autoparts gift card at 2:40pm. 1-866-20-ROCKS
Monday, April 9, 2012
History Lesson
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14 Elle Fanning /actress, Because of Winn-Dixie
22 Kristen Stewart /actress, Twilight, New Moon
33 Keshia Knight Pulliam /actress, TV's The Cosby Show
35 Gerard Way /singer, My Chemical Romance
43 Kevin Martin /singer, Candlebox
46 Cynthia Nixon /actress, Sex and the City
47 Mark Pellegrino /actor, TV's Dexter
58 Dennis Quaid /actor, Traffic, Any Given Sunday, The Rookie
86 Hugh Hefner /founder-publisher, Playboy magazine
1912 - The first exhibition baseball game was held at Fenway Park in Boston. The game was between the Red Sox and Harvard.
1970 – Paul McCartney quit The Beatles.
1973 - Queen gave its first public performance at the Marquee Theater in London.
2003 - Linkin Park were at the top of the album chart with Meteora for the second week in a row. The White Stripes had the highest new entry at number six with Elephant.
2005 - Britain’s Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles.
2009 - The U.S. Postal Service revealed new stamps featuring The Simpsons.
What the Hell Theater
No thank you, Easter bunny! Some British children searching for sweets during a recent Easter egg hunt in Holford, Somerset, found a hand grenade instead, reports the UK tabloid The Sun. Local police notified the bomb squad after kids located the live explosive in a grassy field. A local preschool group had organized the event for about 25 children, and one of them was spotted literally standing on the object. Stuart Moffatt, whose daughters were participating in the event, explained, "We were beginning to count the eggs up at the end of the hunt and I saw a young boy, around three years old, standing on an object. On closer inspection we realized it looked like a hand grenade. It was brown and about three or four inches high." The children were quickly moved away from the area and a bomb disposal team safely destroyed the grenade.
A Florida woman was arrested Tuesday after police say she pulled down her "hot pink" pants and exposed her buttocks to children on a public school bus in Fellsmere, reports TCPalm.com. Tammy Ann Roseman, who is 39 years old, now faces a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. According to the affidavit, the bus driver "observed her begin to unbutton her pants. Passengers began screaming, while some began covering their eyes with their hands." Roseman is no stranger to local police in Brevard County. In addition to mooning a bus, her rap sheet includes cocaine possession, grand theft auto, loitering and prowling, disorderly intoxication, obstructing a highway, trespassing, burglary, and prostitution lewdness.
Jack White misses "White Stripes"
Back in February of last year, The White Stripes called it quits after 14 years of performing together. In an interview with The New York Times, ex-frontman Jack White says that if he had the opportunity, he'd "make a White Stripes record right now."
“I'd be in The White Stripes for the rest of my life,” notes White. “That band is the most challenging, important, fulfilling thing ever to happen to me. I wish it was still here. It's something I really, really miss.”
The singer added that former drummer Meg White “completely controlled the White Stripes” and that she was the one who wanted to end the band. "There came a point where I said, 'If we’re not doing this, we need to put an end to it right now.’ And that's what she wanted to do. I don't know what her reasons are. " The singer continued, “Having a conversation with Meg, you don't really get any answers. She's the most stubborn person I've ever met, and you don't even get to know the reasons. I'm lucky that girl ever got onstage, so I’ll take what I can get."
Brent smith Says: "BULLY Condones Survival, Not Violence
For the last few weeks, Shinedown has ruled the #1 spot on the Active Rock charts with their single “Bully,” from the band's recently-released album, Amaryllis. In an interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Brent Smith says that he wants to be sure that people understand that “the song is not condoning violence. What it is condoning is survival. I don't think that anyone should ever have their self-respect or their dignity taken from them."
Smith explains that "Bully" is “about not feeling like you can't stand up for yourself and take back your self-respect if you feel as if someone is belittling you or trying to push you around.”
The singer recalled a time in his own life when he fought against bullies. "When I was 10 years old, my dad took me to the garage and put a pair of boxing gloves on me and said, 'I don't ever want it to come to this, but you need to learn how to fight,'" reveals Smith. "And I got my butt kicked sometimes, but I always stood up for myself. By nature I've just never backed down from what I believed in, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone push me around. It's the same thing with my family, too. I wouldn't let someone come into my house and mess with my girlfriend or my son."
Black Keys: Method to the madness
Four months ago, The Black Keys released their seventh studio album, El Camino. In an interview with The Huffington Post, frontman Dan Auerbach says that when it comes to recording new material, the guitarist and his band mate Pat Carney don’t believe in writing anything in advance before hitting the studio.
“We just put our heads down and we plow through it,” says Auerbach about the band’s recording process. “We don’t really know what we have until we're done. We don’t talk about it ahead of time, we don't do rehearsals or demos or anything. We get into the studio and we start…making it up....We let it go that way naturally and we don’t have a feel for a record ahead of time.”
The guitarist added that the duo would love to spend more time in the studio, churning out new albums and experimenting with their sound. “Making albums is really fun,” he explains. “Getting into the studio and just making up songs is fun, I don’t know. We could make a different kind of record every week. This week I may be listening to one thing or get inspired by something else. So week to week, our tastes can change.”
In other Black Keys news, the band will be headlining this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The Keys will perform on two consecutive Fridays: April 13 and 20. They'll be joined on the bill by the Arctic Monkeys, Madness, Jimmy Cliff and others.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Dying For It
In an extreme case of gotta-have-it, a Chinese teen sold his kidney to get money to buy an iPhone and an iPad, Reuters reports. A group of five people who arranged the organ transfer, including a surgeon, have been charged with "illegal organ trading" and "intentional injury." They received roughly $31,500 for the kidney, while the teen got $3,500. The teen apparently admitted to his mom that he had sold the organ when she asked how he had gotten his shiny new Apple paraphernalia. He is now suffering from renal deficiency, and, sadly, his condition is reportedly deteriorating.
What the Hell Theater
One man's gun became another man's pain in the butt this week in Margate, Florida. The Miami Herald reports when an employee of a pawn shop stepped out of the store Tuesday evening, he left his semiautomatic Glock .40 caliber handgun on top of a counter. A co-worker saw the gun, thought it was an item for sale and tried to place it in a showcase. Unfortunately, that's when the gun accidentally fired and struck a third employee. The bullet entered the employee's right buttock and exited his front pelvic area, but he's expected to recover. Police are investigating the incident.
A server at a Minnesota has filed suit in district court to try to get back a nearly 12 thousand dollar tip she says a customer wanted her to keep. The woman recently waited on a female customer who left a "to-go" box behind when she left her table at the Fryn' Pan restaurant in Moorhead. When the waitress followed the customer out to tell her she'd left the box behind, the customer reportedly said to her, "No, I am good; you keep it," according to the Duluth News Tribune. When the waitress opened the box she found the fortune in mixed bills. Although the waitress, a mother of five, desperately needed the money, she called the cops -- who said the money smelled of pot, and confiscated it, telling her she'd need to wait 90 days to get it back if nobody claimed it. Nobody did, but Moorhead Police officials are saying the money is part of a drug investigation, and aren't giving the money back. The waitress' lawyer says cops had no right to keep the dough.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Pearl Jam on their Backs
Bad news for fans of Eddie Vedder -- the Pearl Jam frontman has to postpone the start of his U.S. solo tour. The reason? Vedder is suffering from temporary nerve damage in his right arm as a result of a back injury sustained earlier this year. He's expected to make a full recovery.
"After having worked aggressively with doctors and physical therapists for the last eight weeks to repair the damage, the intensity of the injury and time needed to heal has made it impossible to play the shows as scheduled,” Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis explained in a statement on the band's website. “There was hope up until the last minute that the treatments would be successful. Sincerest apologies go out to those who have made plans and bought tickets. Eddie is frustrated beyond measure, but remains positive that come this summer all will be back in good form."
The tour, which was supposed to start on April 10, now won't play its first date until October 31, in Las Vegas, NV. Tickets will be honored for rescheduled dates and refunds will be available upon request through the point-of-purchase. Pearl Jam fan club members who bought pre-sale tickets through the band’s website will receive an email regarding proper refund procedures.
WHAT FLAVOR NOW?
With flavored vodka becoming all the rage in the beverage industry -- tipplers can taste everything from marshmallow to bacon flavored vodka nowadays -- a leading distiller of flavor-infused spirits has gone old-school. Grade school, in fact: Van Gogh Vodka has created PB&J vodka, a liquor that tastes like the cafeteria classic. Master distiller Tim Vos chose a raspberry flavored "jelly" to go with the "oily structure" of the peanut butter taste. "It is challenging to transform a famous food flavor into a drink flavor," Vos said, "however I think this transition is beautiful and the flavor is intriguing -- I am certain that everyone will want to enjoy more than one glass!"
I See right Through YOU!
A cutting edge designer has completed a prototype garment that will answer finally answer one of mankind's biggest mysteries: "Is she really into you?" The dress, called Intimacy 2.0, was created by Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, and is made of an opaque fabric that turns see-though in response to the wearer's elevated heartbeat, a key biological indicator of arousal. Roosegaarde tells the UK Sun the garment, "explores the relationship between intimacy and technology."
What the Hell Theater
The driver of a street sweeper who was called by cops to clean an Albuquerque, New Mexico accident scene Friday left quite a mess behind, after he rammed a police car in an apparent alcohol-induced crash. The Albuquerque Journal reports 59-year-old Herbert Morgan's sweeper struck a Bernalillo County deputy's patrol car at the scene of the earlier accident, and when cops asked him to step out of the vehicle, he appeared to be intoxicated. Cops say Morgan admitted he had "four cans" when asked if he'd had any alcohol. He allegedly flunked a breathalyzer test. Morgan was arrested on suspicion of DWI. He already has two prior DWI convictions, the paper reports.
A co-pastor of a church in Varina, Virginia is in hot water after allegedly causing not one but two car accidents on Tuesday. According to WWBT-TV, 47-year-old pastor Jay Bertrand struck a painter on a ladder before slamming into a Richmond Krispy Kreme store. The painter suffered minor injuries. Cops say just hours after he was released from the hospital, Bertrand got behind the wheel of his wife's car, and reportedly rear-ended a woman's vehicle. She reportedly wasn't injured. Bertrand's family says he suffers from back issues, and a spasm caused the first accident. The family says side-effects of his medication caused the second crash. Bertrand is facing reckless driving charges for the first wreck and DUI charges for the second accident. He allegedly has no memory of the second crash.
A co-pastor of a church in Varina, Virginia is in hot water after allegedly causing not one but two car accidents on Tuesday. According to WWBT-TV, 47-year-old pastor Jay Bertrand struck a painter on a ladder before slamming into a Richmond Krispy Kreme store. The painter suffered minor injuries. Cops say just hours after he was released from the hospital, Bertrand got behind the wheel of his wife's car, and reportedly rear-ended a woman's vehicle. She reportedly wasn't injured. Bertrand's family says he suffers from back issues, and a spasm caused the first accident. The family says side-effects of his medication caused the second crash. Bertrand is facing reckless driving charges for the first wreck and DUI charges for the second accident. He allegedly has no memory of the second crash.
History Lesson
75 Colin Powell /ex-secretary of state
46 Mike McCready /guitar, Pearl Jam
1614 - American Indian princess Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia.
1621 - The Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, Massachusetts, on a return trip to England.
1984 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers became the all-time NBA regular season scoring leader when he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 career points.
1987 - Fox Broadcasting Company launched Married....With Children and The Tracey Ullman Show.
2008 - Apple’s iTunes became the largest music retailer in the U.S., surpassing Wal-Mart in January.
1994 - Kurt Cobain of Nirvana committed suicide by apparently shooting himself in the head at his home in Seattle.
1993 - Construction began on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
History Lesson
21 Jamie Lynn Spears /actress, TV's Zoey 101, sister of Britney, teen mommy
33 Natasha Lyonne /actress, Slums of Beverly Hills, American Pie
39 David Blaine /magician-illusionist
41 Josh Todd /singer, Buckcherry
46 Mike Starr /ex-bassist, Alice in Chains
47 Robert Downey Jr. /actor, Chaplin, Iron Man, The Avengers
48 David Cross /comedian, TV's Mr. Show, Arrested Development
84 Maya Angelou /author, poet, buddy of Oprah
1960 - The epic film Ben-Hur won 11 of the 12 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director, setting an Oscar record. Charlton Heston received the award for Best Actor.
1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis. James Earl Ray left behind a single fingerprint, a rifle and his clothes. He had escaped from prison 11 months before, but had the money to flee to Canada, fly to London and make a trip to Lisbon. He was arrested at Heathrow airport in London and extradited. There had already been two attempts on King's life and just the day before, he had said, "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life, but I'm not concerned about that now."
1969 - The TV show Star Trek was canceled, after four seasons. The highest it ever ranked in the Nielsens was number 52 -– it was consistently beaten by such shows as Iron Horse and Mr. Terrific.
1974 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves tied Babe Ruth's home-run record by hitting his 714th homer in Cincinnati.
1975 - Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800
What the Hell Theater
Mayonnaise isn't the healthiest condiment, but Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials say an airline passenger wanted to make it even more harmful. On Tuesday, TSA agents confiscated a jar of mayo into which a passenger had allegedly hidden a knife and attempted to smuggle it onto his flight at New York's Kennedy Airport, Fox News reports. Apparently unbeknownst to the would-be smuggler, mayo falls into the liquid/gel category. Only three ounce portions of such substances are allowed in carry-on bags, so his jar of mayonnaise wouldn't have cut the mustard with the TSA even if there was no knife hidden in it. The passenger was apparently allowed to catch his flight.
A Tennessee woman was arrested after making a pair of calls to 911 because she wasn't happy with her Hardee's burger. According to the criminal complaint posted by The Smoking Gun, 50-year-old Donna Marie Nichols was arrested and jailed for misusing the emergency number last Thursday. In her calls to the dispatcher, she asked for a police officer to come to her location and help rectify her "nasty" tasting burger. "[T]he food is no good," Nichols is heard on the 911 call. "I only took a small bite out of the burger and it’s nasty." When a cop arrived and she reiterated her complaint, and her desire to get a refund, she was arrested. Nichols posted bail Tuesday and was released.
Puddle of Mudd frontman in trouble
Wes Scantlin, the frontman for Puddle of Mudd, is in more trouble in connection with a felony drug arrest in California back in January. According to TMZ, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has confirmed that the powder cops allegedly found with Scantlin during a traffic stop was cocaine.
As previously reported, police stated on January 12th that they found a "controlled substance" to be in Scantlin's possession, along with pills, during a traffic stop in which he was determined to be under the influence.
The DA's office made no mention of the pills in the new official complaint, TMZ reports, but the singer was slapped with a pair of misdemeanors -- driving without a license and being under the influence of a controlled substance -- in addition to the cocaine charge. If convicted on all charges, Scantlin could get four-and-a-half years in prison.
Scantlin has pleaded not guilty and is expected to appear in court this week, according to the gossip site.
Green Day Induct GnR
The final presenter for this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been revealed.
RollingStone.com reports that Green Day will have the honor of inducting Guns N’ Roses into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While former GN’R members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum have all previously stated that they'll be attending the ceremony, it is unclear whether Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin and Dizzy Reed will be at the event.
Other presenters for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony include Chris Rock, who will induct the Red Hot Chili Peppers; rapper Chuck D, who will induct the Beastie Boys; the E Street Band's Stevie Van Zandt, who will induct the Small Faces/The Faces. In addition, John Mellencamp will induct Donovan and Bette Midler will induct the late Laura Nyro.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held April 14 in Cleveland, OH.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Cee Kay Auto-Correct Tuesday
What's the autocorrect word? Win a $25 Cee Kay Auto Parts gift card at 2:45pm.
What the Hell Theater
Police in Nottinghamshire, England were red-faced last week after effecting a rescue of a dog trapped in a hot car -- only to find the animal was really a stuffed animal. The UK Sun reports the car's 80-year-old owner, Gordon Williams, found the back window of his parked vehicle smashed, and a handwritten note from the cops saying, "Smashed your window re concern for animal on rear seat." It seems a concerned passerby called the cops, fearing for the dog's welfare, and when officers couldn't "wake" the apparently unconscious King Charles Spaniel, they resorted to more extreme measures. The newspaper says the police force has since promised to compensate the car owner for their mistake. "I guess they felt like idiots," Mr. Williams said.
The Honda Civic has earned high marks from auto publications for years for its roominess for its size; something three men arrested in Carlsbad, New Mexico early Friday morning apparently knew well. The trio was stopped by cops for speeding, but when a police officer got closer to their vehicle, he noticed they had a passenger: a 220-pound calf sharing the backseat, reports the Carlsbad Current-Argus. Jose Coronado, 26, Gerardo Gonzalez-Balderas, 20 and Salvador Balderas-Gonzalez, 23, were arrested for larceny of livestock, conspiracy, lack of a bill of sale and exporting livestock, the paper reports. Two of the charges are felonies.
Will They/Won't They?!?!
With the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony less than two weeks away, each member of Guns N’ Roses has been voicing different opinions on whether the band will put aside their differences and perform at the event. Former GN’R guitarist Slash, however, is tired of discussing the issue.
"This is a subject I'm dead sick of talking about," Slash tells Rolling Stone. "Everyone has been asking me what's going to happen, and they know as much as I do. I feel you're totally obligated to be present and I would love to f**king play, but it's just something that's not gonna happen for whatever reason."
Slash added that while he does have good relations with some of his former band mates, his relationship with frontman Axl Rose is still unstable. "[Axl] hates my guts," reveals Slash. “It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to [former bassist] Duff [McKagan] and [former drummer] Steven [Adler], but when it comes to old Guns N' Roses, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions."
We’ll see if the band takes the stage when the Rock Hall induction ceremony takes place on April 14 in Cleveland.
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