Month: November 2020

Over the course of ten years, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker transitioned from playing local shows in his Perth, Australia hometown to selling out stadiums and performing headlining sets at major festivals across the world. But because the pandemic threw off tour plans behind his recently released album The Slow Rush, Parker is possibly looking to return to his DIY roots.

Parker spoke about what he has in store for next year in a recent interview with Australia paper The Sydney Morning Herald. “I miss those smaller shows, those sweaty, intimate shows – it’s a vibe that can’t be replaced,” he said. “It’s not the same in an arena or a stadium. This year has been all about having a good excuse to do something you wouldn’t normally do so if it’s an excuse to do some smaller shows, I would love that.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Parker also clarified whether Tame Impala is considered a band or a solo project. “The music sounds like a band, which I guess has always been the source of confusion for people,” Parker said. “For all intents and purposes, I am a solo artist – I make music in my studio by myself and I bring it to the world. […] I am extremely fortunate that I have found my confidence and I can stand behind my music myself and say I made this.”

Ahead of his interview, Parker found out he was nominated for two Grammy Awards this year. The musicians is up for Best Rock Song for his The Slow Rush track “Lost In Yesterday,” as well as Best Alternative Music Album.

The Slow Rush is out now via Modular. Get it here.

Former Silver Spoons child star Ricky Schroder catapulted into the headlines last week after he proudly helped bail out Kyle Rittenhouse. The Kenosha shooter was awaiting trial on murder charges in Wisconsin after he was caught on tape while opening fire (with a semi-automatic rifle) into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters, killing two people (and wounding a third) in the process. The 17-year-old was defended by Tucker Carlson (which led to people calling for his Fox News firing) in the immediate aftermath, and three months later, Schroder is now defending himself for the bail-out move.

Schroder sounds pretty angry. Online backlash already upset him enough that he called police and posed with a gun, but now, he’s spoken more openly with the New York Post. As the actor explained, he felt “infuriated” because Kyle “was there to defend property.” Schroder’s words probably won’t help him win over any new online supporters for his cause, but nonetheless, he feels that Rittenhouse is “innocent”:

“It made me mad. This boy is innocent and he will be proven innocent. I did what any father should’ve done, and that’s get a kid out of jail that doesn’t deserve to be there… This was Kyle’s life being destroyed… This is his freedom at risk. It infuriated me to see an innocent 17-year-old young man being tried and found guilty before trial.”

Schroder also likened the charges against the teenager with allegations that were made against him in May 2019. At the time, Schroder was arrested after his girlfriend accused him of punching her, but prosecutors did not charge him over the alleged incident. “It sucked because everybody thought I was a woman beater, and I’m not a woman beater,” Schroder told the New York Post. “I was tried and convicted in the court of the media. But you have to understand, that’s only my reputation that was being destroyed.”

Again, Rittenhouse was caught on film while firing his gun at protesters who took to the streets after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, yet Schroder bailed the teenager out of jail because he’s convinced that Rittenhouse is not guilty of the charges against him. The teen’s bail had been set at $2 million due to being considered a flight risk, and he could face, at minimum, decades in prison if convicted.

(Via New York Post, AP, New York Times & CNN)

Back in April, Eminem woke in the middle of the night to a man breaking into his Detroit home and threatening his life. The rapper was thankfully unharmed and the intruder was detained by police. While the incident took place several months ago, the man will appear in court to face his charges in 2021.

The intruder, revealed to be 27-year-old Matthew David Hughes, will stand trial for his crime over a year after it took. As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Hughes’ trial has been set for April 19, 2021. Along with being charged for first-degree home invasion and malicious destruction of property, Hughes also faces charges of assaulting a prison employee — an incident that took place after he was arrested at Eminem’s house.

Much of the reason for Hughes’ delayed trial is due to the pandemic. When Hughes’ trial was being set, Judge Edward Servitto said it’s not possible to have a jury until it can be done safely. “I don’t believe we’re going to have trials with jurors until the vaccine is produced, and that’s a ways down the road, I think,” Servitto said.

A police officer who arrived on the scene during the original crime detailed what went down that night when he testified in September. According to the officer, Hughes told Eminem that he was there to kill him. Hughes did not have a weapon on hand, despite his threat, though he broke into the house by throwing a brick into the window.

Netflix’s streaming library is giving us options this week. You could try Ron Howard’s heavy-handed family drama, Hillbilly Elegy. It comes with an A-list cast, even if the story is a bit of a slog. Or you could get in the holiday spirit by watching Kurt Russell stir up trouble as “thirst-trap Santa” in The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two. Of course, there’s also a Bruce Willis action flick and a military drama set in the Middle East to binge as well. Like we said, options.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix this week of November 27.

Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix film streaming 11/24)

Ron Howard’s heavy-hitting drama based on a bestseller lands on Netflix this week and it brings with an impressively stacked cast. Glenn Close and Amy Adams are the main leads, a mother-daughter duo struggling to lift themselves out of poverty and overcome their respective demons. It’s weighty material, definitely not a feel-good watch, but hey — it’s Glenn Close and Amy Adams, you know it’ll be good.

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (Netflix film streaming 11/25)

Kurt Russell returns to save Christmas in this sequel to last year’s surprise holiday hit. Chris Columbus is back directing as Russell plays a dare-we-say-it, even sexier version of Santa this time around. He’s still rocking out in jails and playing the blues, but Old Saint Nick now has to team up with teenage Kate Pierce to stop a certain magical troublemaker from ruining the holidays this year.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 11/22
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Machete Kills

Avail. 11/23
Hard Kill
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder

Avail. 11/24
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Huttsgalor Holiday
El Cuaderno de Tomy / Notes for My Son
Hillbilly Elegy
Wonderoos

Avail. 11/25
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
Great Pretender: Season 2

Avail. 11/26
Larry the Cable Guy: Remain Seated
Mosul

Avail. 11/27
A Go! Go! Cory Carson Christmas
The Call
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker
Don’t Listen
Sugar Rush Christmas: Season 2
Überweihnachten / Over Christmas
Virgin River: Season 2
La Belva / The Beast

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Leaving 11/30
Anaconda
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
The Bachelor: Season 13
Bad News Bears
Diana: In Her Own Words
Gridiron Gang
Hostage
National Security
Lakeview Terrace
Moneyball
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Twelve
Ocean’s Thirteen
Priest
Stand and Deliver
The Tribes of Palos Verdes
West Side Story
Y Tu Mamá También
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
Zodiac

Leaving 12/1
Heartbreakers
The Lobster

Leaving 12/4
Cabin Fever
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

I’ve seen a lot of complaints online about The Mandalorian being too procedural this season, that it sets up arcs only to abandon them for Monster of the Week-style one-offs. I personally like the one-offs, but there’s a lot for everyone to like in this week’s mythology-building episode, “Chapter 13: The Jedi.” Not only does Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s former-apprentice played by Rosario Dawson, make her live-action debut, we also hear two more names that sent shivers down the spines of Star Wars fans across the galaxy: Ezra Bridger, a Jedi freedom fighter seen in Star Wars Rebels, and the villainous blue-skinned Grand Admiral Thrawn, a character introduced in author Timothy Zahn’s essential Star Wars novels.

“Chapter 13: The Jedi” had one more important name: Grogu. That’s Baby Yoda / The Child’s real name, as Ahsoka informs Mando. “Grogu and I can feel each other’s thoughts,” she said. “He was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant,” an entire planet that’s one big city (it’s where Anakin met long-necked king Yarael Poof, Mace Windu, and Yoda in The Phantom Menace; it also means Regular Yoda and Baby Yoda likely crossed paths). She continued, “Many masters trained him over the years. At the end of the Clone Wars, when the Empire rose to power, he was hidden. Someone took him from the Temple. Then his memory becomes… dark.” How could anyone hide this cutie?

Grogu — who I will probably still call Baby Yoda, for the same reason that I still refer to Din Djarin as Mando; I am stubborn, much like Grogu — has concealed his powers from the world out of fear. And we all know what fear leads to… There’s nothing Ahsoka can do for Baby Yoda, who sees Mando as a father figure, but there might be another who can. Ahsoka suggests that the pair travel to Tython, where there’s a Jedi temple. More will be revealed when Baby Yoda is placed on the seeing stone at the top of the mountain. That should happen next week, unless there’s another one-off adventure.

For many, the holidays are a time to get together with family and share a meal. But this time of the year also serves as a reminder that many others in this country don’t have reliable access to food. That’s why ASAP Rocky took time this week to give back. The rapper showed up to the homeless shelter where he and his mother once lived in New York City to donate Thanksgiving meals to families in need.

Rocky personally delivered over 120 meals to Regent Family Residence, a homeless shelter on the upper west side of NYC. As reported by TMZ, the shelter holds a special place in Rocky’s heart as it is where the rapper and his mother, Renee Black, stayed at back in the early 2000s.

Per the report, Rocky really benefited from the shelter’s services at the time. So in order to give back to the organization that provided him with support, as well as help the 83 families that currently rely on their services, Rocky decided to pick up food from his favorite spot. The rapper arrived to the shelter this week with arms full of take-out from Amy Ruth’s Restaurant, a Harlem spot famous for their chicken and waffles.

Check out photos of ASAP donating Thanksgiving meals above.

The NFL’s Thanksgiving slate did not feature an evening kick-off in 2020, with the news breaking earlier this week that the scheduled clash between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers was moving to Sunday. Baltimore’s organization featured multiple positive COVID-19 tests, including to players like Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, and though players from the Steelers were publicly upset, the league chose to push the proceedings back a few days, citing health and safety concerns. On Thursday, however, the news got even worse for Baltimore, with Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reporting that star quarterback Lamar Jackson also tested positive.

Though Jackson hasn’t fully replicated his MVP performance in 2019, he is still the centerpiece of Baltimore’s offense. In fact, Jackson accounts for more than 2,500 total yards and 18 touchdowns so far in 2020 and, with him out of the lineup, the Ravens have very few options at the quarterback position.

It remains to be seen as to how the Ravens and the NFL will respond to this latest news, though it is crucial to note that football isn’t the most important thing here. Hopefully, Jackson will be healthy and without symptoms but, for now, the reporting indicates that he tested positive and will presumably be out of action for at least this week if not longer as a result.

The NFC East has been the laughingstock of the NFL in 2020 and with good reason. After all, the Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 12 with a 3-6-1 record and, somehow, that is good enough to lead the division with six weeks to play. Still, the mess was on full display on Thanksgiving afternoon and, for most of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Football team, the football was entertaining enough. Then, early in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys made quite a flub that caused everyone to (rightly) poke fun at them for both decision-making and execution.

Trailing 20-16 with approximately 13 minutes left in the game, the Cowboys faced a 4th and 10 from their own 24-yard line. This would be an obvious spot for a punt but, well, you can see what transpired.

Not only is a fake punt an incredibly low percentage play in this situation when accounting for down, distance and location on the field, attempting this exact call makes it worse. Having to cover ten yards in a situation in which Washington should be on high alert is not exactly conducive to trickeration that involves a weird reverse that goes a full 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the Cowboys paid dearly for this mistake.

Fittingly, Washington took over and scored on the very next play, with a 23-yard touchdown scamper from Antonio Gibson. That gave the Football Team an 11-point lead and, while it didn’t end the game, it is fair to say that the Cowboys’ win expectancy dropped significantly and it happened in a hurry. Dallas may not have stopped Washington if they punted the ball away, but everyone can agree this wasn’t an optimal approach from Mike McCarthy and company, and it also could have cost the Cowboys the game in a spot where they are still alive in the division race.

Two of the best big men in the NBA will join the FIFA universe. Milwaukee Bucks standout Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, both of whom are known for their love of the beautiful game, will make their way into FIFA 21‘s VOLTA Football game mode in the coming weeks.

Both Antetokounmpo and Embiid will join the game as VOLTA Groundbreakers. This means that they’ll become characters in the game mode on specific dates, and if you are able to beat their teams, you could potentially add them to your VOLTA squad. The news of their additions was announced in a trailer, which also announced that some names from the world of football (Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, France icon Zinedine Zidane) and elsewhere (Dua Lipa, Lewis Hamilton, Patrick Mahomes).

“I’m the best football player and fan in the NBA, so to be able to say that I’m actually in FIFA just proves that,” Embiid said in a statement. “Football has such a huge and loyal following across the globe and to see different elements of major sports leagues come together is something I’m thrilled to be a part of.”

It’ll take a minute for both to enter the FIFA universe — Antetokounmpo, who also had a cameo in the most recent Madden, will be available on Dec. 5, while Embiid won’t come until Dec. 26.

Thanksgiving is obviously occurring under tragically unique circumstances this year. In addition to the ongoing pandemic, economic conditions in the United States mean that 26 million Americans do not have enough to eat, according to the Washington Post. For people in the Carolinas and Chicago, Michael Jordan wants to do something to lend a hand.

In a statement posted via the official Twitter account of Feeding America, Jordan announced that he will donate $2 million in proceeds that came from The Last Dance — ESPN’s acclaimed 10-part docuseries about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — to the organization. Cash will also go to affiliate food banks in the Windy City and in his home state.

“In these challenging times and in a year of unimaginable difficulty due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to pause and give thanks,” Jordan said in the statement. “I am proud to be donating additional proceeds from The Last Dance to Feeding America and its member food banks in the Carolinas and Chicago to help feed America’s hungry.”

Jordan, of course, spent nearly all of his playing career in Chicago, where he won six championships, while he’s currently the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. This is the Hall of Fame inductee’s latest charitable contribution this year — Jordan pledged to donate $100 million over a decade to social justice charities.