Month: June 2021

National Parks are all over the news lately — mostly with warnings of long lines, overcrowding, and confusion over hard to secure limited reservations. The truth is, many parks will be crowded this summer. And while I sometimes actually enjoy being surrounded by a throng of like-minded folks in the wilderness, there’s something especially magical about a park where you can get a little elbow room.

With 63 officially designated “National Parks” in the United States, there are many that — despite the wild spike in National Park interest — are still somewhat secluded and less visited. But don’t let the less visited or rarely instagrammed status stop you from going. The parks on this list are less visited mostly due to proximity. As in, they take some work to get to.

Trust us: Make the required effort for the seven gems below. Once you arrive, you’ll be glad you did.

New River Gorge — WEST VIRGINIA

New River Gorge was just designated a National Park in December (it was previously a National River) and despite having long been a bastion for whitewater rafting, it is still fairly unknown. I visited this week and found it to be charming and sparsely occupied. Part of the reason for this is its location, it lies deep in West Virginia. Part may be due to its size, it encompasses a large swath of land around the New River.

Whatever the case, this is a special place and perfect for getting wet this summer.

Know before you go:

The New River is known for epic rafting, but if that’s not your speed there are many other ways to get onto the water. You can take a float trip, kayak, even SUP in the calmer sections of New River. Plan ahead and reserve some guided trips.

Pro tip:

There are many small towns and access points that make up the park. I stayed in Hinton, the southern gateway to the park and loved the small town charm (and the cabin on a private island I was able to stay in). Fayetteville is another great option with an eclectic vibe and no shortage of outfitters for guided trips. The park and the surrounding area feed into each other — you’ll be in the park then out then back in — but this works in your favor as there are amazing state parks in the same area. Pipestem Resort State Park is amazing and full of activities (I went on a gorgeous guided horseback ride there) while Bluestone State Park is a water lover’s dream.

Isle Royale — MICHIGAN

Like many of the parks on this list, Isle Royale requires a bit of a trek and some determination to visit. It is an island in the middle of Lake Superior, so getting there is just part of the fun. You can take a boat from either Michigan or Minnesota (there are person-only ferries from Houghton, Copper Harbor, Grand Portage, or Grand Marais) or opt for a seaplane or private boat to travel to the island. Once you’re there you have miles of trails to hike or backpack, campgrounds to relax in, and wildlife to find.

Know before you go:

Isle Royale is only accessible during the warmer months, and even then weather can change your trip quickly. Plan far ahead, check the weather leading up to your trip, and bring bug spray!

Pro tip:

Look out for wolves! Isle Royale is famously home to a now estimated 14 wolves, some that were recently transported there to help control the moose population. There have been researchers studying them since 1958 — making it the longest predator-prey study in the world.

Voyageurs — MINNESOTA

Voyageurs is another park that is somewhat difficult to get to, due to being almost entirely on water. The “park” is really more about the waterways you’ll be exploring than anything on land. Plan your trip carefully, there are NPS boat tours, private boat rentals, or you can bring your own. But you have to get on the water. That’s where the magic is.

Know before you go:

The only lodging (outside of camping) within the park is Kettle Falls Hotel. It has a super interesting history, and feels like stepping back into another time. I recommend staying for a night or two and arranging a boat shuttle through the hotel. Then explore the island and borrow the hotel’s canoe to explore.

Pro tip:

Visit Voyageurs and Isle Royale on the same trip. The drive is just over four hours from Grand Portage to Voyageurs, and takes you in part along the gorgeous Scenic 61 highway.

Dry Tortugas — FLORIDA

Surprise, another island park. The beauty of an island with limited options to reach it is that there is also a limited amount of people who will be on it. You can’t just drive up to an overlook at this park, you’re going to have to work for it. You can take the ferry from Key West or hop on a seaplane out to the gulf. You’ll soon find yourself in what seems like another world.

Explore the fort, lounge on the beach, snorkel, or camp under the deep dark skies.

Know before you go:

Reserve your tickets in advance! There are limited tickets each day and you don’t want to get all the way to the Keys and be turned away.

Pro tip:

Snorkel! I spent an entire afternoon snorkeling and laying on the beach — a truly special experience.

Big Bend — TEXAS

Big Bend might not be the greatest park to visit in the middle of summer — unless you love extreme heat — but it is a park to add to your list if you’re looking for some solitude. There is no reason this park is less visited other than that it’s hard to get to. But the longer the road the greater the reward (in this case, anyway).

This section of the Rio Grande River is truly breathtaking. Take a multi-day float trip for a remote adventure that should be way more talked about.

Know before you go:

Like I said, it’s hard to get to Big Bend. And once you’re there services are extremely limited. So plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. Include a lot of water in your planning — it’s hot.

Pro tip:

Road-tripping to Big Bend is an adventure in itself. When I visited I stopped in Marfa on the way (the sort-of-home to the insta-famous Prada Marfa), and really enjoyed the laid back artsy vibe of the town. It’s also hard to reach, so a great add on to a Big Bend trip.

North Cascades — WASHINGTON

I’m constantly surprised that North Cascades still manages to make the list of least visited US National Parks. Only three hours from Seattle, and with views like the one above, that’s hard to believe. But I doubt the secret can be kept much longer, so I’d add this park to your summer road trip list. The park is home to rugged mountains, bright blue lakes, forested trails and beautiful waterfalls. Your jaw will drop at every turn.

Know before you go:

The main thoroughfare can become crowded, but don’t let that deter you — just get off the beaten path a bit.

Pro tip:

Go swimming in Diablo Lake! It is the definition of #nofilter beauty.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison — COLORADO

Colorado parks are known for being overcrowded — and they often are… in most places. But somehow, not at Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I’ve regularly visited without seeing more than 10 other people. This allows me to bask in the moment, just experiencing the solitude and the peace of the canyon.

Know before you go:

You can access Black Canyon at the South or North Rim. The south seems to be more crowded, but also easier to access.

Pro tip:

Watch the stars! Black Canyon is a certified dark sky park.

The Dallas Mavericks’ whirlwind of a week has taken its most dramatic turn yet. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, longtime head coach Rick Carlisle, who has been at the helm of the Mavericks since 2008 and led them to their only NBA title in franchise history, informed owner Mark Cuban that he’s resigning as head coach.

Shortly after Wojnarowski reported the news, he released a statement from Carlisle in which he said that the decision to step away from the team was his and his alone, while Tim MacMahon announced that there were some tensions between the coach and All-Star guard Luka Doncic that might have made Carlisle’s long-term job prospects tricky.

The Mavs would quickly confirm that Carlisle had indeed stepped down.

This is a bombshell in the NBA’s coaching carousel, as Carlisle has long been viewed in one of the best coaches in the league and had two years remaining on his contract. While some questions were asked of him in the aftermath of the team’s first round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Cuban was adamant that the team would not part ways with him.

Whether or not Carlisle takes a break or tries to find a new job remains to be seen, but should he decide to coach next season, he will almost certainly be one of the hottest names on the coaching market. He’s been at the helm of the Mavericks, Pacers, and Pistons in his career, accruing an 836-689 record in his career. In addition to Carlisle, longtime executive Donnie Nelson parted ways with the team earlier this week.

With a top-10 album and multiple singles that have topped the R&B charts, Queen Naija is a star. There was a point not too long ago, though, where she was a YouTuber facing struggles while trying to make music work as her primary vocation. She speaks about that part of her life in the newest Backstage episode.

Opening up about how public perception of her was an issue initially, Naija reveals she had doubters who didn’t think she was capable of doing more than YouTube.

“My name is Queen. I look at my name as royal, I look at myself as powerful,” she says in the clip. “But as soon as you start to get a name for yourself, people dig up dirt about you. Saying very cruel things: I’m not built for the industry life, I need to get media training, I need to talk better.” Thankfully, she has found herself more and more able to deal with critics, saying, “In this industry, you can’t care about what people think, and it’s hard for me. I literally want everybody in the whole world to like me, but the truth is they won’t, and that’s something I’ve had to overcome.”

Naija has certainly persevered through a lot and proven she is able to adapt to different situations: Shortly after signing a record deal, she toured in support of her self-titled 2018 EP while she was eight months pregnant. It’s her level of dedication that is helping Naija make her way to the top.

Naija tells her story best, so watch her do just that in the video above, in which she also talks about scrapping what was originally going to be her debut album.

The 2021 ESPYS will air on July 10 at 8 p.m. ET, and voting is now open for 11 women’s basketball team and player nominees. The link to vote is here. Breanna Stewart leads the list with two nominations, and others up for awards include Candace Parker, A’ja Wilson, Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers, and Tara VanDerveer.

Let’s get right to the list.

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports:
– Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
– Simone Biles, Gymnastics
– Amanda Nunes, UFC
– Naomi Osaka, Tennis

Best Breakthrough Athlete:
– Crystal Dangerfield, Minnesota Lynx
– LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
– Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
– Chase Young, The Washington Football Team

Best Game:
– NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Stanford defeats Arizona, 54-53
– NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four: Gonzaga beats UCLA 93-90 in overtime
– NFL Week 14: Ravens top Browns, 47-42
– NHL Playoffs First Round: Winnipeg Jets sweep Edmonton Oilers in triple OT

Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports
– Paige Bueckers, UConn basketball
– Odicci Alexander, James Madison softball
– Jaelin Howell, Florida State soccer
– Madison Lilley, Kentucky volleyball

Best Team:
– Stanford Cardinal, NCAA women’s basketball
– Seattle Storm, WNBA
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL
– Baylor Bears, NCAA men’s basketball
– Alabama Crimson Tide, NCAA football
– Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA softball
– Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB

Best Record-Breaking Performance:
– Tara VanDerveer, Stanford: Passes Pat Summitt for most wins in NCAA women’s basketball history.
– Devonta Smith, Alabama: Sets record for CFP title-game catches (12), adds 3 TD receptions, 215 yards
– Phil Mickelson, PGA Championship: At 50, becomes oldest winner of a major tournament
– Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards: Breaks Oscar Robertson’s 47-year-old triple-double record

Best WNBA Player:
– Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
– Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks/Chicago Sky
– Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
– A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Best Athlete With A Disability, Women’s Sports:
– Becca Murray, wheelchair basketball
– Sam Bosco, Cycling
– Oskana Masters, Nordic & Cycling
– Leanne Smith, Swimming

When a person gets to a point where they are actively considering taking their own life, helping them out of that state is a delicate endeavor. Sometimes a major intervention is necessary. Sometimes being reminded by an anonymous stranger that life is worth living is helpful. And sometimes, a non-human touch can be the catalyst that pulls someone away from the edge.

When first responders were called to a bridge near Exeter in southwestern England where a woman was standing over the guard rails, threatening to take her own life, the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) showed up to help. In a post on Twitter, DSFRS explained that multiple agencies had responded to the scene, and that police negotiations weren’t going particularly well.

“The situation was becoming increasingly worrying,” they wrote.

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This is Digby. Today he did something amazing and helped save a young woman who was thinking of taking her own life… https://t.co/9s0gb2VLz2

— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates)
1623787877.0

While humans struggled to reach the woman, a therapy dog showed up to save the day.

“One of the fire crews had the idea to bring along Digby, our ‘defusing’ dog,” they explained. “Digby helps crews who have been exposed to trauma during talking therapy ‘diffusing’ sessions.”

One of the fire crews had the idea to bring along Digby, our ‘defusing’ dog. Digby helps crews who have been expose… https://t.co/h95TRenfCu

— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates)
1623787878.0

Digby is a 3-year-old Australian Labradoodle who has been with the department since he was four months old.

“When Digby arrived, the young woman immediately swung her head round to look, and smiled. This got a conversation started about Digby and his role at the fire service,” they wrote.

“She was asked if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings, which we are pleased to say she did.”

She was asked if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings, which we are pleased to… https://t.co/Y6y8QyUnkT

— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates)
1623787878.0

“We wish the woman involved all the best in her recovery,” they added.

How amazing that Digby not only helps first responders deal with their own trauma, but he also helped save this young woman in her darkest hour.

Hopefully, the woman gets the help she needs to live a satisfying life—and perhaps that help could include a therapy animal of her own.

According to UCLA Health, animal-assisted therapy provides many physical and mental health benefits to patients. “The simple act of petting animals releases an automatic relaxation response,” the university’s website states. “Human interacting with animals have found that petting the animal promoted the release of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin—all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods.”

UCLA says Animal therapy also:

• Lowers anxiety and helps people relax.
• Provides comfort.
• Reduces loneliness.
• Can provide an escape or happy distraction.
• Can act as a catalyst in the therapy process, breaking the ice or reducing initial resistance to therapy.

Maybe dogs really are a human’s best friend. We certainly are better off as a species with our animal companions by our side.

On January 6, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone was nearly murdered when he rushed to the Capitol building to defend it from insurrectionists.

In what he describes as a “Medieval battle scene” his helmet was stolen from his head, he was thrown to the ground and then dragged down a set of stairs on his stomach. Rioters beat him with metal pipes and a pole with an American flag attached.

During the melee, he was hit with a stun gun multiple times while people chanted “USA! USA! USA!” During the assault, he suffered a mild heart attack and traumatic brain injury.

Since the riot, the 40-year-old father of four, who joined the police force after 9/11, has been speaking out against Republicans who’ve attempted to “whitewash” what happened.

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On Tuesday, the House held a vote to honor all police officers who responded to the insurrection. Twenty-one Republicans voted against the measure, including Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia.

Clyde once characterized the deadly riot as “a normal tourist visit.” Fanone has a different opinion.

Clyde’s characterization of the day’s events quickly falls apart when one looks at photos taken from January 6 that show him in mortal terror in the House chamber.

Here’s Republican representative Andrew Clyde absolutely terrified on January 6th and being defended by people whos… https://t.co/C5OmeJU3ca

— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson)
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Fanone and Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn returned to the Capitol on Wednesday to meet up with the 21 Republicans who don’t believe that the police who put their lives on the line to fight back against a deadly insurrection should be honored.

The two men saw Clyde in an elevator and jumped in to have a word with him.

“I simply extended my hand and said, “How are you doing today, Congressman.’ I knew immediately he recognized me by the way he reacted. He completely froze. He just stared at me,” Fanone said in an interview.

Fanone says that Clyde refused to shake his hand in return and said, “I don’t know who you are.”

“‘I’m sorry, sir, my name is Michael Fanone,” he said. “I’m a D.C. police officer and I fought to defend the Capitol on January 6.” He then described the ordeal that he miraculously lived through.

“His response was nothing,” Fanone said. “He turned away from me, pulled out his cellphone, and started thumbing through the apps.” Fanone believes that Clyde was trying to record the interaction.

Then, as soon as the elevator door opened, Fanone says Clyde “ran as quickly as he could like a coward.”

Listen to how @Rep_Clyde treated Capitol Police officer Michael Fanone. https://t.co/B83chkBaFC

— Mark Elliott (@markmobility)
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Fanone’s cowardice goes to show what lengths some Republicans will go to perpetuate the “Big Lie” that Trump won the election and to downplay the Capitol riot. Interestingly, Fanone tweeted out a message of support for the police last month where he says he “knows the risks brave officers face.” But when it comes to honoring those who risked their lives during the January 6 riot, he’d rather please Donald Trump.

via RepClyde / Instagram

“Every now and again I think, we have to be at the bottom of how low we can get,” Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois told The Washington Post after the incident. “You don’t have to admit you should have voted for [the Gold Medal] by shaking a guy’s hand. The presence of these heroes can make some people uncomfortable.”

Will Zalatoris’ meteoric rise has been well documented, as he’s climbed from having a four-figure world golf ranking a couple years ago — needing to Monday qualify for Korn Ferry Tour events — to a legitimate contender for the 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup team who posted three-straight top-10s in majors, including a second-place finish at this spring’s Masters.

Zalatoris is now 29th in the Official World Golf Rankings and enters the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on Thursday looking to continue his strong performances at majors. The 24-year-old out of Wake Forest may be finding himself near the top of leaderboards at the PGA Tour’s biggest tournaments now, but he hasn’t forgotten where he was just a year ago and is making sure to not get ahead of himself as he plays in the sport’s most iconic events.

Heading into the U.S. Open, Zalatoris is partnering with Gillette deodorant alongside fellow young star Max Homa for their new 72 Club, which will sponsor NextGenGolf’s City Tour. We got to speak with Zalatoris on behalf of Gillette as he prepped for the U.S. Open about what this last year has been like, how he’s trying to stay grounded in working on his game and not getting ahead of himself, enjoying the ride and the experiences he’s been able to have, and more.

What has the last year been like for you professionally? From from the U.S. Open last year to now coming up on this year’s, how would you describe what this has been like in this this ride you’ve been on?

Yeah, I mean, bizarre I think would still be a mild term. But yeah, I mean going from the Korn Ferry Tour to thinking I’m gonna have two years out there to being on the PGA Tour, doing it a different way — I thought I was gonna have to win three times on the Korn Ferry Tour and then turning getting a start in the US Open and parlaying that into special temporary status. It’s just been a whirlwind. I mean, obviously peaking with Augusta, being the biggest part of the whirlwind, and you know hopefully even more of it coming in the future.

So yeah, it’s … you know, I get asked all the time, “what are your goals coming up,” and I’m like, dude, seven months ago I didn’t even think I was gonna remotely be on Tour. I thought I was gonna have to go win two more times on the Korn Ferry, which I knew I could do in two weeks, but it still is just not on my radar. Now all of a sudden I’m playing practice rounds with Phil, Steve Stricker, and Zach Johnson at a major, kind of doing a little bit of a Ryder Cup intro just to kind of get to know ’em a little bit. So yeah, there’s lots of kind of pinch yourself moments but at the same time, this is what I worked for, right? Let’s enjoy this. Let’s appreciate it, but I’ve got a lot of great opportunities to do some damage coming up.

Yeah you were Monday qualifying for Korn Ferry Tour events not too long ago and there’s such a grind. I think people don’t recognize the talent level through the Korn Ferry Tour is ridiculous. I mean, those guys can walk out and shoot mid-to-low 60s at a course and it’s really about being able to take that to tournament golf, finding that consistency, and mentally being able to approach tournament golf. What did you learn over the last couple years about the mental side of the game and what it takes to you know, ride that wave and not get too high but also not get too low when things are going tough?

Yeah I think the thing — I think that’s the beauty of having the attitude of every week, it’s just a chance to get better. It doesn’t matter if it’s just doing a Monday qualifier, because I played in 30 plus of those, and you could say I was successful and I still was getting at a 20 percent clip, I think I got into maybe six and played in 30. I think it’s even going into just regular Tour events, it’s just another chance to get better. I mean, the US Open, that I played in at Winged Foot, you know, basically it’s like, hey you’re given a spot here, get to play against the best players in the world, you’re on a brutal golf course, I mean, go play. You got nothing to lose. I mean, my God, you’re kind of playing with house money and so you that’s the attitude that I’ve carried over the last really couple years.

But that’s why I don’t change that attitude now I’m trying to make a Ryder Cup team. It’s like, the last couple weeks I’ve been a little off my putter, let’s get this putter back going. You’ve been hitting it great, I worked really hard over the last couple of months to get my ball striking back and now I feel like I’ve got to go work on my putting again — so welcome to golf, right? I’m more invested in that than I am on, “oh you’ve been close to winning majors, you got to win a major soon, you got to take advantage of this.” Like, my job is to get better as a golfer, and the good golf will come from that.

You’ve obviously you’ve played well in majors and you’ve had top 10s of the U.S. Open, the Masters, and the PGA now. You mentioned that mentality of I’m just trying to get better, but when you’re in the moment, the majors are just a mental grind — especially the U.S. Open when you’re in a round, and you find yourself in six inch rough over and over and you’re just battling for pars. How do you take that step back and say, “look we’re gonna enjoy the experience and we’re also just working, and I can only control what I can control,” and learning to be able to do that, when the USGA is just trying to break you?

I think you just trying to have fun. I know that’s a super weird way of saying it, but it’s like the final day at Winged Foot I made like three 20 footers for par, made like one 40 footer from off the green for birdie, you know, had to make a bunch of crazy side winding putts just to shoot even par. And it’s like, in a weird, sick way I think it’s fun. And I don’t wish that on any zero handicap, let alone a 10 handicap, but I find it — I think it’s just the fact that it’s that hard and I know that if I’m out there and I’m one of the best ball strikers in the world, and I’m having to grind. What are the other guys going to be doing? So, yeah.

You mentioned just kind of enjoying the ride. and look, you’ve played some of the most iconic courses in the world over the last year — Winged Foot, playing at Augusta, Kiawah is a newer one but still has tons of history since ’91. Now you go to Torrey Pines. Do you just kind of do you take a step back and go, wow like look at these courses that I’m able to go play and get these experiences?

Yeah, I think Augusta obviously tops everything, where it’s your first tee shot of a practice round is like, “wow, there’s a lot of people around here.” Like, this is Tuesday at like 11 o’clock, like kind of bizarre. But yeah, I think especially places like Torrey that we got coming up here where, basically, when you’re on the south side of the property and you’re looking south on the shoreline, it doesn’t get any prettier than that, and especially if you’d want to talk about history. Winged Foot being one of the toughest U.S. Open venues out there, obviously, a lot of history there.

Obviously this week, you know, I’ll be thinking of Tiger and the 47 times that he won golf tournaments at Torrey Pines. So, that was one thing I think I did a really good job at Augusta was every single hole, I can think back to what somebody did. There’s some story about every hole. And I went through it, and it was like I literally could name for all 18 holes at least one story, which I thought was kind of wild.

But I think it’s just enjoy the ride. I think the fact that a year ago I was hadn’t even won on the Korn Ferry Tour, and now, basically I was upset that I didn’t win the Masters a year later is, it’s a pretty cool spot to be in.

How did this partnership with with Gillette come about and what do you have going on with them — it’s a fitting week to be be partnering with the deodorant brand because the USGA is going to try and make you sweat for for 72 holes right?

Exactly, exactly. So it was a perfect partnership. When I first turned pro, I put a list of companies that I thought would be a great partner, or companies that I want to partner with and Gillette was one of them. So I was super excited when I got the call that we were going to do this but the 72 Club, obviously with their new 72 hour deodorant/antiperspirant. We’re going to, Max [Homa] and I, have a fun announcement on Thursday on Instagram. So be on the lookout for that, but turn in your scores and might have a chance to go play Whistling Straits in September for the little championship we got running, so it’ll be fun.

Finally, Masters week was kind of the introduction for a lot of casual golf fans to you because everybody watches the Masters. What was that like suddenly having people know who you are and learning a little bit about you and Adam Sandler’s tweeting at you and stuff like that?

Yeah, it was different. That month was a lot of fun. I got engaged, my life had kind of changed in reality after the Masters and then it changed again two weeks later when I got engaged. Needless to say this year has been the best year of my life, without question, but it’s been different. It’s been a lot of fun, you know, the opportunities that have come from my play have been super fun and I’ve tried to enjoy every minute of it. I know that if I keep playing good golf more and more will come.

Courtney Barnett is gearing up to hit the road and return to the stage for the first time since the pandemic. While she’ll be staying around Australia and New Zealand for concerts this summer, the singer has unveiled a handful of dates to her 2021 and 2022 North American tour.

Barnett’s tour officially kicks off in Las Vegas in November and comes to a close next February in Toronto. She’s invited some cutting-edge indie acts to join her on stage like Bartees Strange, Julia Jacklin, and Shamir.

Despite not being able to play live shows in a while, Barnett made sure her fans had access to previous live gigs last year. The singer launched a massive online archive that houses footage, tour posters, and behind-the-scenes images of the singer spanning her entire 14-year career.

Check out Barnett’s upcoming North American tour dates below.

11/29/2021 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
12/01/2021 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
12/02/2021 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Depot
12/04/2021 — Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren *
12/05/2021 — San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park *
12/10/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Ace *
12/12/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ The Fox *
12/14/2021 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount *
12/15/2021 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
01/22/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ Palace Theatre ^
01/23/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre ^
01/25/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre ^
01/26/2022 — Columbus, OH @ Express Live ^
01/28/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman ^
01/29/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern ^
01/31/2022 — Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel+
02/03/2022 — Washington DC @ 9:30 Club+
02/04/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met ^
02/05/2022 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^
02/08/2022 — Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre +
02/10/2022 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground +
02/11/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Mtelus +
02/12/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall +

* with Bartees Strange
+ with Shamir
^ with Julia Jacklin

Tickets to Courtney Barnett’s North American tour go on sale 6/25 at 10 a.m. Pre-order them here.

Following the events of Loki Episode 2, “The Variant,” things are obviously about to get messy for Tom Hiddleston’s Trickster God after coming face-to-face with the series’ main villain, who may or may not be who they seem, but they definitely just upped their game by wreaking havoc on the Sacred Timeline. But while that spells trouble for Loki and Owen Wilson‘s Agent Mobius, director Cate Herron has teased that another character is about to go through some things: Miss Minutes.

Voiced by veteran animation actor Tara Strong, the cartoon clock was first revealed as a sort of a cutesy mascot guide to the Time Variance Authority. However, Episode 2 revealed that Miss Minutes is more than just that. She’s seen standing on Loki’s desk and directly interacting with the God of Mischief turned TVA agent who seems intent on swatting her like a fly.

During a recent interview on the making of the episode, Herron opened up about Miss Minutes’ cartoon inspirations and how they came up with a makeshift solution to film her scenes with the other actors because, apparently, her story is just getting started. Via Los Angeles Times:

“It was basically like a lamp that we stuck little cardboard eyes on,” said Herron. “She was this little lamp on suitcase wheels that we’d spin around … She’s a light because she lights the scene because the character is illuminated. Then you replace the terrifying lamp with a lovely cartoon.”

Herron also teased that Miss Minutes is in for an “interesting” character journey.

Considering the cataclysmic events of Episode 2’s final moments, the TVA may have just lost all control of the MCU timeline, and if there’s no TVA, is there still a Miss Minutes? Looks like we’re about to find out.

(Via Los Angeles Times)

Last summer, The Killers released Imploding The Mirage, but the band has been teasing its follow-up since pretty much the day the album came out. At the top of this year, they shared video of themselves in the studio. Now, the band’s Ronnie Vannucci has declared that the band’s next album is set to drop in August and that it’s a concept album that’s “very different” from their previous material. On top of that, they seem to have a bunch of material ready for the album after that one, too.

During an interview on the Sarah Hagan Backstage podcast, at 42:50 into the video below, Hagan mentioned how the band had a new album out in 2020, at which point Vannucci jumped in, “Last August. We have another one coming out this August.” He then continued:

“Well, weirdly enough, we had this stockpile of songs that were sort of orphans off of the last record, but we’re saving that for the next record. We instead made another record, which is… a bit of a concept record and very different from the normal Killers stuff. So we still have that stockpile left and we’re still writing more. It’s always good to have a few songs — or an album, even — lying around, just in case.”

Watch the full interview below.