Month: November 2023

Former Rep. Liz Cheney has a new book coming out next week. Donald Trump won’t be reading Oath and Honor (unless it has his own name or “swimsuit” in the title, he’s not interested), but maybe he should: he comes up a lot.

In one excerpt, Cheney claims that Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted as Speaker of the House, flew to Mar-a-Lago a few weeks after the January 6th riots to check in on Trump. “What the hell, Kevin?” she questioned him when she found out. He responded, “They’re really worried. Trump’s not eating, so they asked me to come see him.” McCarthy added, “He’s really depressed.”

To be fair, Trump — who once claimed that he knew the McDonald’s menu more than the fast food chain’s employees — “not eating” could mean his lunch order was “only” a Big Mac and a Filet-o-Fish, hold the fries (gasp). But either way, Jimmy Kimmel doesn’t for one second trust McCarthy.

“That I don’t believe,” the Jimmy Kimmel Live host said during Wednesday’s episode. “I believe anything other than he’s not eating.” Kimmel pitched another reason why Trump might have been depressed: “January 6 is also the day Eric was born. Could be why he wasn’t eating, OK?”

You can watch the Jimmy Kimmel Live clip above.

Shane MacGowan, who became an Irish music icon as singer and songwriter for The Pogues, is dead at 65 years old.

MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Clarke, confirmed his death with a statement shared on social media today (November 30), writing:

“I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it. Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love [heart emoji] of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese. I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love [heart emoji] and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures. There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music. You will live in my heart forever. Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much [heart emojis] You meant the world to me.”

The cause of death has not been officially confirmed. As NME notes, though, MacGowan was released from the hospital last week, where had had been since June due to an unspecified health issue. He was also hospitalized in December 2022 and diagnosed with encephalitis. As NME noted at the time, “MacGowan has been in and out of medical care for the past few years, dating back to a 2015 pelvis injury that left him wheelchair-bound and with continued mobility issues as a result.”

MacGowen, whose full name is Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan, was born on December 25, 1957 in Kent, England to Irish parents. The Pogues were formed in 1982. The band’s commercial peak was their third album, 1988’s If I Should Fall From Grace With God. The album featured the band’s best-known and most successful single, “Fairytale Of New York,” which remains a popular Christmas song in the UK today and has over 300 million streams on Spotify. (The song recently made headlines due to Jason and Travis Kelce’s reinterpretation of it.)

Last week, it was reported that Daryl Hall is suing Hall & Oates bandmate John Oates, and it was later revealed the reason was that Hall protested to Oates’ attempt to sell his half of the Hall & Oates joint venture, Whole Oats Enterprises LLP. We’re gradually learning more about the case as it progresses, and now a new Associated Press report shows the two trading shots at each other in legal documents.

In a declaration filed yesterday (November 30), Hall accused Oates of committing the “ultimate partnership betrayal” with his plan to sell without Hall’s permission. Hall noted, “I am deeply troubled by the deterioration of my relationship with, and trust in, John Oates.” He also accused Oates of becoming “adversarial and aggressive instead of professional and courteous” toward him in recent years.

Hall aims to halt the transaction, writing, “While falsely contending over the last several months that the Oates Trust wanted to maintain ownership in WOE, John Oates and the Co-Trustees engaged in the ultimate partnership betrayal. They surreptitiously sought to sell half of the WOE assets without obtaining my written approval.”

In his own filing, Oates wrote, “Over the years, Daryl has consistently and publicly been adamant about being perceived as an individual rather than as part of a duo or group. Thus, he has insisted on our being known as ‘Daryl Hall and John Oates,’ rather than the more commonly known ‘Hall & Oates.’ On this point I agree. I now must act with truthfulness and make decisions that are right for myself, my family, and my artistic future.”

A court hearing in the case is scheduled for today.

In March, Lil Nas X joined James Corden for one of the last-ever installments of “Carpool Karaoke,” and he appears to have planted Easter eggs. At the beginning of the video, Corden complimented Lil Nas X’s shirt with a humongous bedazzled cross on it. “Oh, this?” Lil Nas X responded, coyly. “You know, I’m having my ‘woman of God’ moment. Like, mmm, Christian era.” While Lil Nas X is known for his witty sense of humor, this was not a joke.

On Wednesday night, November 29, Lil Nas X posted a 75-second video to X (formerly known as Twitter) featuring an unreleased song. “Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” he wrote. Two-ish hours later, he posted again: “Making Christian music does not mean I can’t suck d*ck no more. The two are not mutually exclusive. I am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” There’s the Lil Nas X we know and love!

The song is an acoustic ballad. In the video, he lip-syncs to himself while seated in a car and dancing in an empty intersection. He sings, “Father, stretch my hands / The lonely road seems to last the longest / Help me with my plans / Everything seems to go to nowhere / Oh, free me from worry and wanting pity / Free me from all this envy in me / I, I don’t want these feelings / I, I don’t want these feelings / I call on angels.”

If and when Lil Nas X officially releases this song, it seems likely that it will kickstart an album rollout, which would be his first since his debut studio album, Montero, in September 2021. In related news, the devil-adjacent elements of the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video caused quite the stir.

In March, Lil Nas X joined James Corden for one of the last-ever installments of “Carpool Karaoke,” and he appears to have planted Easter eggs. At the beginning of the video, Corden complimented Lil Nas X’s shirt with a humongous bedazzled cross on it. “Oh, this?” Lil Nas X responded, coyly. “You know, I’m having my ‘woman of God’ moment. Like, mmm, Christian era.” While Lil Nas X is known for his witty sense of humor, this was not a joke.

On Wednesday night, November 29, Lil Nas X posted a 75-second video to X (formerly known as Twitter) featuring an unreleased song. “Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” he wrote. Two-ish hours later, he posted again: “Making Christian music does not mean I can’t suck d*ck no more. The two are not mutually exclusive. I am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” There’s the Lil Nas X we know and love!

The song is an acoustic ballad. In the video, he lip-syncs to himself while seated in a car and dancing in an empty intersection. He sings, “Father, stretch my hands / The lonely road seems to last the longest / Help me with my plans / Everything seems to go to nowhere / Oh, free me from worry and wanting pity / Free me from all this envy in me / I, I don’t want these feelings / I, I don’t want these feelings / I call on angels.”

If and when Lil Nas X officially releases this song, it seems likely that it will kickstart an album rollout, which would be his first since his debut studio album, Montero, in September 2021. In related news, the devil-adjacent elements of the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video caused quite the stir.

Lil Nas X has never bitten his tongue, so why start now? He did (seemingly) dress as a used tampon for Halloween, after all. But while Lil Nas X has kept us fed with his entertaining stream of consciousness, he has been relatively quiet musically since the release of his debut studio album, Montero, in September 2021. That might be changing soon, as we got the best of both worlds — hilarious online posting and musical teasing — on Wednesday night, November 29.

“Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” Lil Nas X posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) alongside a 75-second video of an unreleased song. In the video, Lil Nas X is sitting in a stopped car and dancing around a deserted intersection, lip-syncing to himself.

“Father, stretch my hands,” he sings in the acoustic ballad. “The lonely road seems to last the longest / Help me with my plans / Everything seems to go to nowhere / Oh, free me from worry and wanting pity / Free me from all this envy in me / I don’t want these feelings / I don’t want these feelings / I call on angels / I’m trying hard to face my pain, yeah / Give me hope when I feel / Give me hope when I feel less.”

The song is beautiful, but the biggest development was Lil Nas X’s next post roughly two hours later. “Making Christian music does not mean I can’t suck d*ck no more,” he wrote. “The two are not mutually exclusive. I am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.”

See both posts below.

Lil Nas X has never bitten his tongue, so why start now? He did (seemingly) dress as a used tampon for Halloween, after all. But while Lil Nas X has kept us fed with his entertaining stream of consciousness, he has been relatively quiet musically since the release of his debut studio album, Montero, in September 2021. That might be changing soon, as we got the best of both worlds — hilarious online posting and musical teasing — on Wednesday night, November 29.

“Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” Lil Nas X posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) alongside a 75-second video of an unreleased song. In the video, Lil Nas X is sitting in a stopped car and dancing around a deserted intersection, lip-syncing to himself.

“Father, stretch my hands,” he sings in the acoustic ballad. “The lonely road seems to last the longest / Help me with my plans / Everything seems to go to nowhere / Oh, free me from worry and wanting pity / Free me from all this envy in me / I don’t want these feelings / I don’t want these feelings / I call on angels / I’m trying hard to face my pain, yeah / Give me hope when I feel / Give me hope when I feel less.”

The song is beautiful, but the biggest development was Lil Nas X’s next post roughly two hours later. “Making Christian music does not mean I can’t suck d*ck no more,” he wrote. “The two are not mutually exclusive. I am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.”

See both posts below.

Elon Musk is going to get the biopic treatment, but maybe that’s a touch premature? Walter Isaacson’s big, newish bio of the Tesla/Space X/X (née Twitter) guy came out shortly before his life got even weirder still. Musk is in the midst of another advertiser exodus, this one more severe. After all, they’re splitting because he amplified an anti-Semitic post, and so soon after getting into a fight with the Anti-Defamation League. But he has an idea on how to lure them back.

Per Mediaite, Musk was interviewed at The New York Times Dealbook Summit, which also saw fellow villainous media honcho David Zaslav defend his cancelling completed films. When asked about fleeing advertisers, Musk claimed not to care.

“I hope they stop,” Musk said. “Don’t advertise.”

When asked what he meant, “If someone’s going to try and blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f*ck yourself.” Awkward silence followed, so Musk made it more awkward, repeating, slowly this time, “Go. F*ck. Yourself. Is that clear?”

Musk even taunted Bob Iger, who he speculated was in attendance, saying, “Hi, Bob.” (Also sitting in the audience: Twitter/X’s newish CEO Linda Yaccarino, who was hired in part to lure advertisers back.)

Tough talk aside, Musk made clear that losing advertisers is not good and he probably needs them. “What this advertising boycott is going to do is, it is going to kill the company,” Musk declaimed. “And the whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company.”

Musk did admit that responding positively to an anti-Semitic tweet was “one of the most foolish, if not the most foolish, thing I’ve done.”

He added, “I should in retrospect not have replied to that one person and should have written in greater length what I meant. But those clarifications were ignored by the media and essentially I handed a loaded gun to those who hate me and arguably to those who are anti-Semitic. And for that I’m quite sorry, that was not my intention.”

So to recap: Musk apologized for what he did, admits losing advertisers is detrimental to the company he bought a year-and-change ago, and also those advertisers should eat sh*t.

(Via Mediaite)

Festivals tend to announce dates for the following year in the thick of holiday season, which is a bummer because bank accounts are already crying from holiday shopping. On Wednesday, November 29, Sol Blume confirmed it will stage its 2024 edition from May 3 to May 5, 2024 at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California. The hip-hop and R&B festival also kindly relayed information about tickets. Below is what we know so far.

How Much Are Tickets For Sol Blume 2024?

Relatively speaking, Sol Blume tickets won’t put you out too much. According to the official website, general admission tickets are available in three tiers: Tier 1 ($249 plus fees), Tier 2 ($279 plus fees), and Tier 3 ($299 plus fees). General admission will grant access to performances all three days at Discovery Park as well as concessions, free water stations, merch, and various food options. Three-day general admission+ tickets start at $349 before fees, and three-day VIP starts at $449 before fees.

When Will Tickets For Sol Blume 2024 Come Out?

“A limited number of discount-priced blind presale festival passes will go on sale to the general public next Friday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. PST via SolBlume.com, which includes three-day GA and VIP wristbands as well as with the introduction of the GA+ ticket type,” a press release reported. “Fans are encouraged to act fast as pricing will increase as the festival date approaches.”

On Instagram, Sol Blume emphasized that “these will be the lowest prices before the general on sale.” Payment plans will be made available.

What Is The Lineup For Sol Blume 2024?

The 2024 lineup has not been announced as of this writing. For reference, the 2023 lineup was announced in January, so keep an eye out at the beginning of the new year. You can sign up for real-time updates here.

Festivals tend to announce dates for the following year in the thick of holiday season, which is a bummer because bank accounts are already crying from holiday shopping. On Wednesday, November 29, Sol Blume confirmed it will stage its 2024 edition from May 3 to May 5, 2024 at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California. The hip-hop and R&B festival also kindly relayed information about tickets. Below is what we know so far.

How Much Are Tickets For Sol Blume 2024?

Relatively speaking, Sol Blume tickets won’t put you out too much. According to the official website, general admission tickets are available in three tiers: Tier 1 ($249 plus fees), Tier 2 ($279 plus fees), and Tier 3 ($299 plus fees). General admission will grant access to performances all three days at Discovery Park as well as concessions, free water stations, merch, and various food options. Three-day general admission+ tickets start at $349 before fees, and three-day VIP starts at $449 before fees.

When Will Tickets For Sol Blume 2024 Come Out?

“A limited number of discount-priced blind presale festival passes will go on sale to the general public next Friday, December 8 at 10:00 a.m. PST via SolBlume.com, which includes three-day GA and VIP wristbands as well as with the introduction of the GA+ ticket type,” a press release reported. “Fans are encouraged to act fast as pricing will increase as the festival date approaches.”

On Instagram, Sol Blume emphasized that “these will be the lowest prices before the general on sale.” Payment plans will be made available.

What Is The Lineup For Sol Blume 2024?

The 2024 lineup has not been announced as of this writing. For reference, the 2023 lineup was announced in January, so keep an eye out at the beginning of the new year. You can sign up for real-time updates here.