Month: October 2021

According to a report from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, the NBA and NBPA have agreed to reduce a player’s salary by 1/91.6 for each game they miss as a result of being unvaccinated, a conclusion that projects to impact Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. This decision prices in preseason, regular season, and postseason games, though teams will not garner any relief from the luxury tax for reductions in player salaries.

Both New York and San Francisco have implemented city-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which threatens to affect members of the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks. These protocols stand to cost Irving roughly $380,000 for each home game he misses, which would run north of $15 million if he does not become vaccinated at any point throughout the year. Irving participated in Brooklyn’s media day last week via Zoom and conveyed a commitment to the Nets.

“I know that I’ll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team and be there for my growing tribe off the court,” Irving said. “I know the focus has to be at an all-time high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this. I’m doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart.”

Irving participated in the Nets’ training camp last week in San Diego, though he, James Harden, and Kevin Durant all sat out in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bontemps and Marks reported the Nets are scheduled to practice in Brooklyn on Tuesday ahead of preseason games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, all of which Irving cannot take part in. Last month, Nets general manager Sean Marks said he does not anticipate the vaccination requirements “being any sort of hindrance” to the team and that he believes the situation will be rectified before the start of the regular season.

Last month, it seemed quite possible that the film industry could be completely shut down as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (or IATSE, for short) called for its members to vote on a strike authorization. Now, however, a strike almost seems imminent.

According to The Wrap, IATSE members have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike authorization, “giving the union new leverage when it returns to the negotiating table with studios on a new bargaining agreement.” The report states that of the IATSE’s reported 60,000 eligible voters, 90% showed up to cast their ballot this weekend, with a staggering 98% of the votes in favor of the strike.

While this vote doesn’t immediately start the proposed strike, it does increase pressure on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to meet with the IATSE and accept the union’s terms in order to avoid the looming mass exodus of workers and, subsequently, the industry taking a fairly devastating blow. On an Action Network petition page, IATSE laid out the four issues they have with AMPTP and are hoping to find resolutions for, including: excessively unsafe and harmful working hours, unlivable wages for the lowest-paid crafts, consistent failure to provide reasonable rest during meal breaks, between workdays, and on weekends, and workers on certain “new media” streaming projects get paid less, even on productions with budgets that rival or exceed those of traditionally released blockbusters. Following the vote, IATSE president Matthew Loeb released a statement on matter:

“The members have spoken loud and clear. This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.”

However, following the vote the AMPTP released a statement claiming that they already are addressing the union’s demands, citing “a proposal that included increases of 10-19% in minimum wages for 871 members, an average of 18% increase in minimums for certain new media productions, and covering the $400 million deficit in the IATSE Health Plan without raising premiums and other healthcare costs like deductibles and co-pays for dependents,” according to The Wrap. The alliance then expressed they are still “committed to reaching an agreement that will keep the industry working,” though it will require “both parties working together in good faith” to resolve their issues:

“The AMPTP remains committed to reaching an agreement that will keep the industry working. We deeply value our IATSE crew members and are committed to working with them to avoid shutting down the industry at such a pivotal time, particularly since the industry is still recovering from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. A deal can be made at the bargaining table, but it will require both parties working together in good faith with a willingness to compromise and to explore new solutions to resolve the open issues.”

For the first time in four years, emo staples The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die are prepping a new record. Illusory Walls is as dense as anything the band has released to date, but with an even deeper layer of intense lyrics that revel in the dullness of life in a modern capitalistic hellscape. With two tracks clocking in at 15+ minutes, Illusory Walls is a sprawling, emo infused, post-rock masterpiece, one that will take some time to sink in.

To celebrate the new album, producer/guitarist Chris Teti sat down to talk Paramore, layered production, and an epic chest tattoo in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Dense, Atmospheric, Ridiculous, Eclectic

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

A unique band that carved it’s own sound and drew influence from a wide range of artists. Just friends collaborating on music together however we see fit for the given album or song.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Basically anywhere in Brazil or Germany.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

For me personally it would be Ken Andrews from Failure. I loved that he produced his band’s album Fantastic Planet and that was a huge influence on me wanting to do the same with our albums. I love all the weird layers and production on that record and it really changed how I viewed music.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Sesame Vegan Chicken at China Pan in CT. RIP China Pan

What album do you know every word to?

Carry On – A Life Less Plagued. A close second would be The Red Chord – Clients (Deluxe Edition). Specifically the Deluxe Edition where they cover “We Did It Again” by Metallica, Ja Rule, and Swizz Beatz.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Ok I have a few: Genghis Tron, Baroness, The Red Chord, Converge at the Palladium Upstairs in Worcester, MA 2008. Bear Hands at a Wesleyan College frat house in 2008. Merauder, Snapcase, Sick of It All in NYC 2011

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

A black Comfort Colors bootleg shirt from Paradise of Flowers with black jeans and black vans. My favorite colors are black and camo.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Ice-T.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

For me it would be a mix of No Doubt and Paramore until my phone runs out of data by day 2 and then David had endless awesome playlists.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“Minuments band” because I mis spelled the word “Monuments.” I was curious about their lineup after seeing an Olly Steele playthrough.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Destroy The Machines by Earth Crisis.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Punk squat in France. Actually I don’t know if I would say “punk” it was just a squat. 100% the most terrifying and shocking place I’ve ever been in my life. It seemed like an abandoned laboratory. The wifi password was actually around 100 characters long and all the doors slide open automatically. I felt like I was in a movie.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

My chest piece is a combination of Failure’s Fantastic Planet, Cave In, and Mars Attacks. It is basically an outer space war with the Cave In satellite, astronauts + spaceship from the Fantastic Planet cover, and Mars Attack aliens.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Honestly I don’t listen to the radio, but if we’re talking radio via streaming it would maybe be…. Paramore, Ceschi, Rage Against The Machine, Body Count, Neurosis, anything Mike Patton or Walter Schriefels, Tera Melos, L7, Fugazi, Gouge Away, Deftones, These Arms Are Snakes, Karnivool, Mewithoutyou…

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Greg Thomas of END took me on as a studio intern in 2010, and definitely didn’t need to haha.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

I guess it would be my 19-year-old self, but I would tell myself- Paper + Plastik will flake on pressing your band’s (My Heart To Joy) 7 inch, so don’t count on them. Even though it feels like the end of the world you’ll do way cooler things.

What’s the last show you went to?

Knocked Loose in Harford, CT. Shout out to their new guitarist Nicko Calderon. His band Church Tongue is awesome and their recent EP (The Hubris of Gods Departed) is one of my favorites. It was produced by my studi Partner Greg Thomas.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Total Recall.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

I would start off with wine glasses filled with Monster “Ultra Paradise.” and an appetizer of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Meal would be vegan pizza from Nice Slice in Providence, RI. Fake chicken pizza with bbq and buffalo sauce swirled together on it. I would then talk to him at length about the self-titled Paramore LP for dessert.

Illusory Walls is out October 8. Pre-order it here.

A Quiet Place Part II made $48.3 million during its opening weekend at the domestic box office, a pandemic-era record. It was soon topped by F9 with $70 million… then Black Widow with $80.4 million… then Venom: Let There Be Carnage this past weekend with $90.1 million (it deserved every last cent). No film released during the pandemic has topped $100 million in its first three days of release, but that may soon change.

The new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, is expected to top $100 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend in the United States following a $119.1 million opening in 54 international markets, including $34.8 million in the United Kingdom. The last film with a $100 million-plus debut: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in December 2019.

The 25th installment in the storied spy franchise is the first Hollywood title of the pandemic era to cross $100 million in its overseas launch without China… It smashed IMAX records, including setting the best opening weekend for a Bond film in 24 countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Italy. And it was the best pandemic-era opening in 21 markets, including the U.K., Hong Kong, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway.

A $100 million opening wasn’t a frequent occurrence in the Before Times — it’s only happened 61 times ever — but it’s happened enough that the expectation of success is there. (The closest a Bond film has come to hitting nine digits is Skyfall with $88.3 million.) There’s optimism that Daniel Craig’s final Bond movie, also with Ana de Armas, the voice of Paddington, and Rami Malek hamming it up, can be the 62nd.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Causation is not correlation, but Facebook and Facebook-owned Instagram went down worldwide just hours after a bombshell report about the company’s alleged negligence aired on national television Sunday night. The social media platforms, along with the messaging service WhatsApp, all saw massive failures on Monday that left users frustrated and sent the massive company even further into chaos.

According to reports, this was just more than a DoS attack or a routine error. Something big went wrong, though according to the New York Times some inside the company doubted it was a cyber attack of some kind.

Two Facebook security team members, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it was unlikely that a cyberattack caused the issues. That’s because the technology behind the apps was still different enough that one hack was not likely to affect all of them at once.

In a series of tweets, John Graham-Cumming, the chief technology officer of Cloudflare, a web infrastructure company, said the problem was likely with Facebook’s servers, which were not letting people connect to its sites like Instagram and WhatsApp.

There were a lot of reports of something very strange going on, though.

Apparently, the outage has been so bad employees were struggling to actually get in the building to work.

In a perhaps-unrelated story, Facebook’s stock tanked on Monday.

And plenty of people had some fun reacting to the news.

Hopefully, everyone managed to get through the day as best they can without the algorithm.

Following a five-season run on the hit Showtime series Billions, Damian Lewis has officially exited the show, which saw his cutthroat capitalist character, Bobby Axelrod, square off against Paul Giamatti‘s dogged attorney general, Chuck Rhoades. Without giving away too much of the season finale, Lewis confirmed to The New York Times that His time with Billions is over, marking the longest amount of time that he’s spent playing one character. However, he did leave the door open for perhaps one more cameo down the road.

“There’s an opportunity maybe for me to return,” Lewis said. “But for now, broadly speaking, Axe has been vanquished.”

Following the death of his wife, Helen McCrory, Lewis plans to stay in London for the foreseeable future and hinted that he may have “closed the chapter” on starring in American television. However, the actor was reluctant to speak about McCrory’s death, except to make it clear that it wasn’t his reason for leaving Billions. The plan was always for Axe to leave after five season. Via The New York Times:

Lewis said McCrory’s death did not explain his departure from “Billions.” He initially signed on for five seasons and “always just assumed that would be enough,” he said. Koppelman said the show, which premiered in 2016, had been building toward Axe’s departure for several years.

When the show returns in January sans Lewis, Giamatti will be facing off against Corey Stoll’s recently introduced character in the quest for more billions.

(Via New York Times)

Louisville’s Jack Harlow announced plans to donate to several hometown charities in a recent interview with Billboard, calling it “important to keep some positive energy flowing through the city.” The 23-year-old rapper’s career has been booming since releasing his 2020 single “What’s Poppin,” and it appears that rather than keep all that good energy to himself, he’d rather share the wealth and give back to Derby City.

He’ll do so by contributing to five local organizations: AMPED, Center for Women and Families, Grace M. James Academy of Excellence, Louisville Urban League, and Metro United Way. As he explained to Billboard:

I spent all my life fantasizing about being someone that could put Louisville on a pedestal. There’s a spirit and pride that runs deep, and it becomes more obvious to me when I travel to other cities and realize that that doesn’t exist everywhere. The city has always been special to me and I think we breed very unique, often laid-back people. It’s important to me to keep some positive energy flowing through the city. Everyone is living different lives and may be from different areas, but there’s still always a universal energy that everyone is aware of, and it’s important to me that there’s plenty of love in the mix. Things are not easy right now, I feel so privileged to be in the position I’m in and I feel a responsibility to give back and help pave a way for others. People need hope, they need love.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If there’s one thing Harry Styles fans know how to do, it’s make his live shows into a pure celebration. He doesn’t disappoint them either, often waxing poetic about plenty of other subjects than just music. We’ve already learned about the bonds these fans are making with each other, and how they know how to make the ground quake shake when he’s on tour. Well, after a lengthy eighteen-month hiatus, these fans are more than ready to make up for lost time, and dispatches from his tour so far are showing an endless amount of enthusiasm from these attendees.

Particularly, when it comes to “Kiwi,” of course, a beloved fan favorite from his very first album that has become a rallying cry for fans and a frequent set closer for Harry. Just take a look below at the pit that opens up when this song comes on at shows:

I’m sure there’s even more that goes on, but the fans are too busy being in the moment to take more video. Still, this looks like one of the most joyful floor moments I’ve ever seen at a live show — and I attend shows for a living. Shout out to the Harry fans who make his concerts so special. Full tour dates here.

About a month ago, Texas passed new laws that place a bunch of restrictions on abortions in the state. The music world has largely not been thrilled with the development. Lucy Dacus, for example, donated proceeds from her recent Texas concerts to abortion funds. Now, Billie Eilish has used her on-stage voice to stand up for abortion rights.

Eilish took time during her Austin City Limits Music Festival set this weekend (on October 2) to passionately speak out against the new laws. As “Bans Off Our Bodies” was displayed on the screens behind Eilish, she said, “When they made that sh*t a law, I almost didn’t want to do this show because I wanted to punish this f*cking place for allowing that to happen here. But then I remembered that it’s you guys that are the f*cking victims, and you deserve everything in the world. We need to tell them to shut the f*ck up.”

Then, after calling for her fans to raise their middle fingers, she shouted, “My body, my f*cking choice!”

Speaking of Eilish at festivals, it was announced this morning that she will be headlining Glastonbury in 2022, making her the youngest solo headliner in the history of the esteemed festival.

For 17-year-old Evan Bialosuknia, winning the crown of homecoming queen was more than a simple award. It meant being accepted, even celebrated, for who she truly is.

Sharing her journey in an interview with WESH2, Evan revealed she had only begun her transition a few months ago. But for her, it was the obvious choice. “Looking back it doesn’t even feel like that’s me,” she said. “I played football for like six to eight years and I remember during practices I would stare at the cheerleaders because I wanted to be with them.”

Orlando school elects its first transgender homecoming queen. https://t.co/FXNjpYUsJH

— NBC News (@NBCNews)
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Evan didn’t quite know what to expect when she decided to run for homecoming queen. Despite having the love and support from her family, the teenager was afraid to be seen as a joke. And yet, she still desired to have “a moment of glory.”

And indeed her glorious moment arrived, as she received not only the coveted crown, but an outpouring of encouragement from her fellow students. Including the school’s nominated homecoming king, who, according to Evan, “made me feel like any other girl.” More so than the thrill of a win and excitement of applause, the real gift, according to Bialosuknia, was the welcome embrace from her community. As she put it, “It just made me realize I was not alone and don’t have to go through this alone.”

Evan proudly posted pictures of her win on Instagram. And it’s a collective victory for LGBTQ teens everywhere.

For transgender teens that are still suffering against discrimination, stories like Evan’s help provide comfort against the struggle.

And hers is not the only story like this. There is an increasing number of students challenging the status quo of homecoming tradition, including the election of gay prom kings and queens, as well as some schools doing away with gendered homecoming titles altogether. And most reassuring of all, nearly half of the entire Gen Z population openly support gay marriage, with one in six Gen Z‘ers publicly identifying as something other than heterosexual. Though there is still much progress to be made in the name of inclusion, this data does tell us one thing: no one is alone.

The crowning achievement marked a brighter outlook for Evan’s future. Though she noted that “more change is coming,” she will always have this memory to look back on, to remind her that she belongs. Exactly as she is.