Month: July 2022

The inaugural edition of the Palomino Festival went down this past weekend at Pasadena’s Brookside at the Rose Bowl venue. Headlined by Kacey Musgraves, we’ve touted the new music festival as one that’s “pushing wonderful boundaries of what can be considered country music.” And while Musgraves presented a pop and country crossover name at the top of the bill, acts like Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, Orville Peck, Valerie June, and a set from the great Willie Nelson & Family were also there for the one-day affair.

So as Musgraves took the stage for her headlining performance, she didn’t waste the opportunity to bring up the red-headed stranger midway through her set. Nelson emerged from the side of the stage with a cowboy hat on his head and clipped his acoustic to the most ornate guitar strap you’ve ever seen. As the drum beat to “On The Road Again” played, Musgraves said to the audience, “So my actual grandpa is here in the audience tonight from Texas. And my other Grandpa is here tonight from Texas!”

The crowd roared and Nelson opened up his classic tune before being joined by Musgraves for a delightful “On The Road Again” duet. As the song ended, Musgraves and Nelson blew each other a kiss, then Nelson took a bow as Musgraves seemed genuinely dumbstruck at what just happened. “That was it, show’s over,” she joked. Her set pressed on and included a “9 to 5” Dolly Parton cover, “Rainbow,” and the set closing “Slow Burn.”

Watch Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson perform “On The Road Again” at Palomino festival above.

Earlier today, it was reported that Meek Mill had parted ways with Roc Nation Management, which has handled his career since 2012. The report prompted speculation about Meek’s relationships with Roc Nation founder Jay-Z and his MMG label boss Rick Ross, moving Meek to address the rumors on Twitter.

“All I seen today was meek and roc part ways,” he wrote. “I’m personally handling my own business so I can take risk and grow ..we came to that agreement together.” He also noted that his other business dealings with Roc Nation remain intact. “I have a label deal with roc for my artist and I got reform super tied with them and many other investments wit jigga.”

Perhaps concerned about any future speculation getting out of hand, he also clarified that he’s in a good place with his business partners, who he credited with turning his life around. “roc nation is my family,” he buzzed. “Don’t mix my post aimed at Atlantic mixed up with roc or MMG …they ain’t stop nothing I’m doing. We made about a 100m together. Des, Mike, and Hov saved my life b4 And put a lot of energy into it. I’m not behind on my favors in life wit my people. I’m good.”

And when one fan tried to find an angle to turn Meek’s pro-Jay-Z posts into a wedge between Meek and Ross, the Philly rapper nipped the impending drama in the bud. “This wasn’t really a convo for MMG,’ he clarified. “I just wanted to add that in there because Ross put me in the game also! It was for the controlled media base vibes.”

So there you have it. Meek will manage his career in-house (at least for the time being) so he can grow as a businessman while keeping his other arrangements in place to benefit the artists he’s working with.

Johnny Depp‘s lawyers have responded to new allegations from Amber Heard that one of the jurors in their sensationalized court case may not have been the person who was summoned. Heard’s legal team, who is also appealing, wants the verdict thrown out entirely due to the wrong juror somehow making it onto the jury.

However, Depp’s attorneys are arguing that even if the wrong person made it onto the jury, it wouldn’t have affected the outcome. Depp’s team also argues that Heard “waived her right to object by not raising the issue sooner.” Via Variety:

“Unsurprisingly, Ms. Heard cites to no case law to support her argument that the service of Juror 15 if he is not the same individual that the Court assigned as Juror 15 somehow compromised her due process and would warrant the drastic remedy of ‘setting aside the verdict and ordering a new trial,’” Depp’s lawyers wrote. “Ms. Heard makes no showing of any prejudice, and accordingly her speculative arguments fail.”

As for how the juror mixup even happened, a summons was reportedly sent to an address where both the correct juror and the one who showed up to court reside. (The nature of their relationship has not made been public.) According to Variety, the situation could’ve prevented Heard’s lawyers from properly scrutinizing the juror. If the wrong person showed up, her legal team would have no idea about this erroneous juror’s potential biases because they’d be looking into the background and social media posts for someone else.

It’s a pretty wild twist for one of the biggest trials in recent history. We’re talking O.J. numbers, people.

(Via Variety)

Last month, amid Roe v. Wade getting overturned by the Supreme Court, Billie Eilish asked in regards to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, “Who f*cking gives a f*ck?” She later added, “Who gives a sh*t?” The answer to both of those questions is a significant portion of the online community, as many moments from the trial were vaulted to viral TikTok fame.

One such moment was when Heard emotionally told a story about her dog stepping on a bee, at one point offering a seemingly pained expression that many thought felt forced or out of place. Now, Doja Cat, ever the TikTok star, has gone and re-created the moment in a now-deleted video, offering her own kooky expression while repeatedly saying her dog stepped on a bee.

During a live broadcast later, Doja explained that her dog did actually step on a bee, which is what prompted her video.

It’s not clear why the original video is no longer on Doja’s TikTok account, but she did face some backlash for it on Twitter. Some noted that Heard’s testimony was about allegedly being sexually assaulted by Depp and that Doja was making light of that. Others, though, didn’t think Doja’s video was a big deal and that it was being blown out of proportion. Either way, this isn’t Doja’s first time in recent days facing backlash after the whole Stranger Things saga.

Rolling Loud is returning to its hometown in just 11 days but even if you aren’t in Miami — or just couldn’t get tickets — you’ll be able to keep up with the hijinks on Twitch. Rolling Loud has announced that it will once again live stream the majority of the event and artists will even be able to see the chat so fans at home won’t feel left out. The Miami event is set to be headlined by Future, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar, taking over the Hard Rock Stadium on July 22-24.

Other performers on the lineup include ASAP Ferg, Baby Keem, City Girls, Don Toliver, Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, Moneybagg Yo, Playboi Carti, Saweetie, Three 6 Mafia, and more. In addition to streaming live, select performances will find their way onto the Rolling Loud YouTube channel, where you can watch past performances from the 2021 New York festival and the 2021 LA festival.

Of course, even with the Miami festival around the corner, Rolling Loud fans have plenty more to look forward to this year. In addition to expanding to Toronto for the first time with UK rapper Dave and Nigerian singer Wizkid, the roaming festival is also plotting its return to New York with locals ASAP Rocky and Nicki Minaj. Meanwhile, Future is billed as the third headliner at both festivals along with Miami, which really makes you wonder if he should do LA for consistency or give someone else a chance for variety.

This Thursday, Uproxx and White Claw are joining forces for a party celebrating the brand’s new REFRSHR line of beverages at New York City’s The Little Shop in the Seaport District. Local DJ Ella Hu$$le will be in attendance spinning beats while you and your friends pose at our photo opp installations, sip on the full REFRSHR line and visit one of the many customizers on site who will help you elevate your fit from fresh off the rack to fully bespoke.

Attendees hoping to join in on all the customizable fun will be able to choose from a limited selection of swag (while supplies last) or are free to bring in their own t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, or sneakers to be customized by one of our many creators. Artists in attendance will include @skinzcustoms, @panicsantics, and @thanksalotny who will be available all night long to turn your fit into a 1-of-1 piece.

The party will officially run from 7-10 pm on July 14th at The Little Shop, at 252 Front St. New York City, New York. RSVP here but move fast, space is rapidly filling up and you don’t want to miss this summertime art and drinks event.

Please drink responsibly. Hard Seltzer with Flavors. All Registered Trademarks used under license by White Claw Seltzer Works, Chicago, IL 60661. Nutritional Information available at whiteclaw.com

You can worry about Kim Wexler’s fate another day. Ahead of the Better Call Saul midseason premiere (tonight!), let’s focus on Bob Odenkirk, and how thankful we should be that he survived his heart attack on the set of the show.

“I would have been dead if someone hadn’t immediately screamed and gotten someone there to give me CPR,” he explained. That someone was actually someones: there was “Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery,” as well as Rhea Seehorn (Kim) and Patrick Fabian (Howard), who rushed to his side. “Rhea held my head and Patrick held my hand,” Odenkirk said. “I turned grey right away and stopped breathing, and they were just yelling… then everybody [else] kicked into gear.”

Odenkirk’s medical incident was the first thing I thought of when I saw Saul co-creator Peter Gould’s tweet about tonight’s episode. “Tonight #BetterCallSaul is back! This one’s a heart-stopper, #VinceGilligan directs @amorteamore writes (his last one!) and the best cast on planet Earth DELIVERS. My advice: watch it ASAP and avoid spoilers!” he tweeted. “This one’s a heart-stopper” was deliberate Groucho Marx-esque phrasing:

Odenkirk made a similar joke during the show’s PaleyFest celebration, so it’s Bob-approved. Also Bob-approved: Rhea getting nominated for a freaking Emmy tomorrow.

A few weeks ago, Kevin Morby took to Twitter to ask, “If enough people like this tweet will the [Kansas City Royals] please let me throw out the first pitch?” The team was on board, replying, “1,738 likes and it’s a deal.” That figure, by the way, is a nod to the team’s 2015 season, when players had fun by fining each other if they didn’t say “1738” (in reference to Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”) in post-game interviews.

Morby’s tweet quickly reached the required threshold (even if Morby didn’t originally get what the number meant) and a few days later, he shared a video of himself practicing for his pitch with a confident-looking throw. He also noted his pitch would take place on July 8.

On the day of the game this past Friday, before the throw, he took to Twitter to ask which of three paths he should take: “A) throw it in the dirt for potential Rock Bottom theyre-all-gonna-laugh-at-you meme fodder,” “B) give an earnest childhood dream attempt pitch down the middle (which could result in option A),” or “C) a safe lob over the plate.”

When it came time for Morby to take the mound, he appeared to go B with perhaps a touch of C, delivering a composed throw with a bit of heat behind it that ended up taking a nice line right over the plate. It’s a bit of a bummer that celebrity first pitches are usually only memorable if they’re laughably miserable (as Morby referenced), because in terms of the quality of his throw, Morby’s ceremonial first pitch has to be up there among the best ever.

Honestly, Morby’s throw was better than some pitches that have taken place in actual MLB games. This season, a lot of position players (aka non-pitchers) have taken the mound and offered pedestrian-looking pitches. Morby’s throw certainly looks stronger than the 35-mile-per-hour lob that Chicago Cubs first-baseman Frank Schwindel floated over the plate last month, which resulted in a home run.

On his Instagram post of the pitch, Morby got some back-pats from his indie-rock cohorts: Caroline Rose commented, “this is so wholesome i love it so much;” Allison Crutchfield (sister of Morby’s partner Waxahatchee, aka Katie Crutchfield) dropped some single tear emojis; and Faye Webster (who last year shared a video for her song “A Dream With A Baseball Player“) wrote, “10/10.”

Check it the pitch below.

There was a time in the mid-2000s when Shark Week was not just a week, but a lifestyle (it was a weird moment). Once Discovery started really playing into the phenomenon and adding in hosts, it became a week-long fest of shark memes and specials, with some Jaws moments sprinkled throughout. As the series returns for its 34th year, they have decided to shake things up a bit.

In a brilliant move on Discovery’s part, Dwayne Johnson, AKA The Rock, has become the first Shark Week Master Of Ceremonies, which is probably the same thing as a host, but it just sounds a lot cooler.

Johnson announced on Twitter: “Honored to be your 1st ever MASTER OF CEREMONIES as @SevenBucksProd partners w/ @Discovery for a VERY SPECIAL SHARK WEEK. Shot in HAWAII, these beautiful AUMAKUA (gods) are deeply respected in our culture. (and within my tattoo)” Johnson is historically really good around water-based tattoo activities.

Shark Week takes place from July 24th – 30th and will feature over a dozen new shark-themed specials and movies, such as Pigs Vs. Sharks, which sounds really unfair to one of those animals. Here are some highlights from the very… eclectic programming:

While his Master Of Ceremonies duties are unclear, let’s hope that we get just one Moana reference in there, right?

The Bear has very quickly become the surprise TV hit of the summer, and for good reason. Even if you don’t know quite how to pronounce “stage” like a restaurant industry vet, there’s a lot to love about the frenetic story of a fine dining chef trying to rescue his Chicagoland family sandwich shop.

But those hoping Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy is playing a slightly different version of his Shameless character were probably disappointed, at least initially. As White laid out in a very good GQ profile this week, Lip and Carmy do have some similarities. But they mostly start and end with Great Lakes geography. Which is why, after some hesitation upon reading the script, he took the gig in the first place.

If only so he wouldn’t hate whoever got it instead of him.

It’s for the best, then, that White talked himself out of any initial doubts about the role. He was winding down a 10-year gig playing Phillip “Lip” Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless when the script for The Bear first came his way. There were some parallels: he’d be going from playing a gifted kid in a dysfunctional working class Chicago family to … a gifted kid in a dysfunctional working class Chicago family. “I think I was too concerned with what other people might think,” he says. Ultimately, the writing won him over. “I also knew that if I said no to this, that whoever ended up doing it, I would hate them forever,” he says. “So there was some spiteful stuff going on, too.”

With the show garnering rave reviews, White’s Carmy has become a meme of sorts for a certain kind of restaurant worker people are attracted to. But that also highlights another big difference between Carmy and Lip. Mainly just how romantically involved his Gallagher role was on Shameless, and the extreme absence of lust in the chef’s life. And Allen White makes it clear: Carmy does not f*ck.”

For the record, there is zero romance, let alone sex, onscreen. Zilch. “Carmy’s, like, the least sexual person. In playing him, I was aware that he had no room for love,” White says, bringing up one particular article that points out there might be some projection going on. “So I appreciated that she was aware that Carmy does not f*ck.”

Perhaps most interestingly, though, White said leaving a decade of playing Lip on television got him prepared for Carmy’s uneasiness and the tension he brought to the kitchen. White said he left Shameless with a lot of doubt, something Carmy could certainly relate to.

“I think that was something Carmy was really struggling with, too,” he continues. “We kind of found each other at a similar place. He knew he’s really gifted at this thing, but he could be painfully insecure about his abilities as well. I was feeling a little insecure at the end, too.”

The full profile is a must-read if you loved The Bear, as it also detailed how he prepared for the role and learned to cook like a pro. And there’s also plenty of optimism for another season of The Bear. After just eight episodes, it certainly left fans hungry for more.

[via GQ]