Month: July 2024

There was a major shake-up within Big Thief earlier this month, when the group announced the departure of founding member Max Oleartchik, citing “interpersonal reasons” as the cause of the lineup change but not getting more specific than that.

The big question this news left was what Big Thief would look like going forward. Well, the band just offered a glimpse of their future at Portland’s Project Pabst festival this past weekend.

As Stereogum reports, it was the band’s first show in almost a year, and it saw them playing a whopping ten new songs. Also notable is that the band had a five-person lineup: Post-Oleartchik, Big Thief is down to three official members: Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia. But, for Pabst, they added a second drummer and a bassist that Lenker introduced as “Justin.” It’s not clear if these performers are now permanent members of Big Thief.

Check out Big Thief’s Project Pabst setlist below (via setlist.fm).

Big Thief Setlist: Project Pabst 2024

1. “Los Angeles”
2. “All Night All Day”
3. “How Could I Have Known”
4. “Words”
5. “More Than Anything”
6. “Grandmother”
7. “No Fear”
8. “Terrifying”
9. “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You”
10. “Incomprehensible”
11. “Masterpiece”
12. “Muscle Memory”
13. “Not”
14. “Space And Time”

Let’s face it: There’s a lot going on during the Olympics. For those of us who love to spend all day watching sports, it’s great, but it can be really hard to keep tabs on everything throughout the day, as there always seems to be 10 different sports happening at one.

Someone at NBC, the American network that has the broadcast rights for the Games, had the brilliant idea to borrow the NFL Network’s RedZone idea. Gold Zone, as it is known, has been an invaluable resource during the Paris Olympics, as it bounces from event to event and keeps fans aware of what’s going on. And to really lean into the RedZone influence, Scott Hanson is on the roster of hosts for the channel.

Hanson is a pretty enthusiastic guy, and unfortunately, this got the better of him on Monday. At one point, Hanson got a little too fired up while rooting for the United States, to the point that he pounded on the desk so hard that he cut his hand and started bleeding.

It’s unclear which team or event got Hanson going like this — my guess would be men’s gymnastics, where the Americans picked up its first team medal in 16 years (a bronze) thanks to this:

It’s also possible that Hanson got cut during the men’s 200m freestyle, which, once again, rocked.

In fairness to Hanson (if this was what caused it, of course), I was pretty fired up watching both of these, too.

After a fan challenged Lil Yachty’s assertion that he’s “richer than your favorite rapper” on his new song “Hate Me,” Yachty made another bold claim, arguing that he’s not only among the richest rappers, but that he also made his supposed net worth according to Google (a notoriously iffy source for that sort of thing) in the first year of his career.

Posting a screenshot of the Genius.com lyrics from “Hate Me,” one fan asked, “What possessed him to put this on his mom?” Another noted, “he willingly jumped on that crack both feet,” sharing screenshots of searches of a few of their favorite rappers’ net worth. One for Playboi Carti says $20 million, while Kendrick Lamar’s reads $90 million (what a marvel, the duality of man), compared to Lil Yachty’s, which read $8 million.

However, as with previous incidents of fans looking up rappers’ net worth on Google (seriously, a fool’s errand, guys, unless it’s been publicized, it’s probably not accurate), the clap back came quickly. “i made 8 million in my first 8 months of rappin in 2016 on god,” Yachty sneered. “yall be letting this internet guide yall. in real life sh*t is different i’m tellin u.” Truer words were never spoken.

Clearly, Glen Powell has a packed schedule. Not only is the Anyone But You star and Twisters charmer/Brisket dad (allegedly) preparing for his date with Top Gun 3, several other projects sit on his more immediate horizon. Those include a Family Man guest appearance and a starring role in Edgar Wright’s remake of Stephen King’s The Running Man. He’s got even more titles in the works, and that includes, somehow, a comedy series for Hulu.

This won’t be Powell’s first TV comedy rodeo. He previously chewed scenery for Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, in which he made this face in a comedy-horror context. He will also soon star in Chad Powers, which sounds like a superhero parody about a male “Karen.” However, this is a project that found its inspiration in a Ted Lasso sort of way (with Jason Sudeikis previously inventing the character for NBC Olympics coverage before the Apple TV+ series), only not. What will Chad Powers bring the world?

Plot

College football fans will already know (and those of us who are simply fascinated with Powell’s movie star rise are catching up) that Eli Manning previously filmed an ESPN+ docuseries, in which he attempted to make the Penn State football team while going undercover as “Chad Powers,” complete with a wig and prosthetics.

The series adaptation of this oddball stunt will film in Atlanta from August to October of this year, according to Hulu. In doing so, Powell will “disguise himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.” Well, there are only a few certainties here, which is that Glen Powell excels while wearing disguises, and he’s not afraid to take on offbeat adaptations.

On a promising note, Loki and Rick and Morty producer Michael Waldron has co-created along with Powell, and they will both executive produce this series. Deadline has a statement of their joint enthusiasm:

“We’re both diehard college football fans. When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big, fun story about this world. We’re excited to be part of this team, and can’t wait to get Chad in the game. Think fast, run fast.”

Cast

Along with Powell, the series will star Steve Zahn as head football coach Jake Hudson, whose career might just be saved by “talented oddball Chad Powers.” This is going to be strange, so get ready.

Release Date

Hulu hasn’t revealed a release date yet, but Chad Powers will finish filming in October, so a 2025 rollout is probable.

Trailer

Since filming has yet to being, no trailer could possibly exist, but fortunately, Manning’s Chad Powers tour still lives on YouTube:

In the world of dramatic TV crossover events, Dick Wolf has it down to a science. But wouldn’t we like to go back to the good ol’ days of sitcom crossovers? You know, like when those Full House kids ran into the Family Matters bunch for an hour of mayhem. Those were the days. And Quinta Brunson is ready to take on that challenge.

While at San Diego Comic-Con, Brunson confirmed that the upcoming season of Abbott Elementary will have an “interesting” crossover event. They’ve already had Gritty, so this should be huge. “We will be doing an interesting crossover this season.” I’m not gonna tell you with who, or with what, or where, or when, but it’s really exciting and I think it’ll change television as we know it,” Brunson revealed, to which co-star Lisa Ann Walter joked that it would be House of the Dragon.

But why a crossover? Simply because they are fun as heck and allow different fans to see other shows they might not have watched. “Those things are what reinvigorate TV viewers, TV watchers, and I think it’s always fun to find ways to reinvigorate our audiences,” Brunson explained. “What’s important with Abbott is we protect the show. Because it’s a ‘mockumentary’ we have to protect what we’re doing, but to find a way for it to still be possible to do something cool like that. It makes me really, really happy. It’s just like an ode to the medium.”

Abbott airs on ABC, meaning that, in theory, anyone from an ABC series could pop by. This includes Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1, or maybe Mr. Johnson can try out for The Golden Bachelor.

We don’t know for certain, so, obviously, fans took to social media to guess what this crossover event would be like.

There’s also the possibility of some more cameos…

But eagle-eyed fans recall when It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Rob McElhenney expressed interest in a crossover earlier this year. This seems to be the most chaotic and plausible of them all.

Abbott Elementary season 4 returns to ABC on October 9.

“Scream queen” isn’t a title that’s given. It’s earned. Maika Monroe (It Follows, Longlegs, The Guest): scream queen. Lin Shaye (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Critters, Insidious): scream queen. Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night): she was literally in a show called Scream Queens.

Cuckoo star Hunter Schafer might be a scream queen someday, but she’s not ready to call herself one yet.

“Honestly, I mean, just from like a terminology perspective, I feel like a scream queen title is for people who have done multiple horror movies and this is my first horror movie,” she told IndieWire. “I don’t know if I feel very deserving of it yet. It’s very sweet, the intention, and obviously, it’s a fun word to say, but I would not call myself that cool.”

Here’s more on Cuckoo:

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.

Cuckoo is Schafer’s first horror movie, but it sounds like making season 3 of Euphoria happen is a different kind of horror.

Directed by Tilman Singer, Cuckoo opens in theaters on August 9.

(Via IndieWire)

I will be the first to admit that I called Kevin Costner‘s Horizon a “passion project.” To be fair, the man began working on this movie in 1988, so, yes, he is passionate about it! You don’t work on something for over 30 years just to be stubborn, even though Costner is known for being a little stubborn.

But apparently, he does not like to admit that he has passions, aside from banana milkshakes. After fans and critics called Horizon: An American Saga Part 1 a passion project, Costner wasn’t super happy.

“Calling it that actually minimizes it,” Costner told AARP. He went on to say that he is passionate about all of his work. Does that include Yellowstone? Who knows.

He added, “I’ve been passionate about a lot of things that I’ve done. This is a good idea about America. People came west. It’s part of our legacy. I just believed in it so much that I put my money into it, but I’ve had that belief about everything in my life.”

So why did it take so long? Maybe his passion died down after nobody wanted to fund the expensive franchise. “I commissioned a script in 1988, and we kept fiddling with it and finally tried to make it in 2003. But I wanted more money than the studio was willing to pay. I was disappointed. After that I sat down with a new writer, and I became a cowriter. And we began to expand and reengineer everything,” he explained. That’s passion!

Horizon: An American Saga Part 1 hit theaters earlier this summer, but due to poor reviews and a bad box office debut, Part 2 will not get a theatrical release. Good thing Costner doesn’t care! He said, “Movies aren’t just about opening weekend. Ten years later, a good movie will still be shared. Success is: Will you revisit it and show your daughter, show your son? Will you revisit it because you wonder about it, because you find new details? Those are the measures.”

It’s unclear if anyone will share Horizon a decade from now but hey, cult classics are born every day. You never know what will work 10 years down the line. All we can really do is assume that there will be at least three more Minions movies by then.

(Via AARP)

As of this post, the United States is crushing it at the 2024 Olympics, as the US is tied with host country France for the most total medals, with 14. Perhaps the most visible American at the games, though, has been Snoop Dogg, as an official torch bearer and member of NBC’s Olympics broadcast team.

That came back to (playfully) bite him in the (figurative) butt, though, as Snoop found himself (literally) face-to-face with a (low-stakes) demon from his past.

As part of NBC’s coverage, Snoop and Hoda Kotb had a chat with some members of star gymnast Simone Biles’ family. At one point during the segment, Kotb mentioned in reference to Biles’ mother, “Snoop, I don’t know if you know this, but Simone and you have known each other for a long time, right, Nellie?”

Nellie then told her story: “I remember, I will never forget that we met you in Times Square [in] 2010, and you said, ‘cause we asked for a picture, and you said, ‘Two minutes.’ One, two, and you were gone.”

There was nothing bitter about the good-natured call-out, as everybody had a good laugh over the anecdote. Check out the clip, which took place during the opening ceremony, below.

Last month, MJ Lenderman announced Manning Fireworks by releasing “She’s Leaving You,” which made Uproxx’s “Best New Indie” roundup. On Monday, July 29, Lenderman revealed another track from his forthcoming album in “Joker Lips,” a pleasant-sounding song with brutally honest lyrics.

“Coward cutting Joker lips / Into a rubber mask / Please don’t ask / How I’m doing,” the North Carolina-based artist sings alongside The Wind, surrounded by plants in a field. The press released described the accompanying Ben Turok-directed video as showcasing “an overgrown field clung to the side of a mountain in Western North Carolina as plants seemingly envelop the band.”

“Joker Lips” might prove to be the Manning Fireworks thesis statement, given that the album was previously billed as Lenderman at “the intersection of wit and sadness.” The nine-track LP will arrive on September 6 as Lenderman’s fourth full-length studio album and first album under ANTI-.

Lenderman also announced his MJ Lenderman & The Wind 2024 Fall US Tour, beginning in September.

Watch the “Joker Lips” video above, and find more about Manning Fireworks below.

MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks Album Cover Artwork

MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks Tracklist

1. “Manning Fireworks”
2. “Joker Lips”
3. “Rudolph”
4. “Wristwatch”
5. “She’s Leaving You” Feat. Karly Hartzman
6. “Rip Torn”
7. “You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In”
8. “On My Knees”
9. “Bark At The Moon”

MJ Lenderman 2024 Tour Dates

09/05-07 — Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
09/18 — Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man %
09/19 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East (ANTI- Showcase at Americanafest)
10/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West &
10/04 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West &
10/05 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East &
10/06 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater &
10/07 – Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger &
10/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway &
10/10 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room &
10/11 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s &
10/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue &
10/13 – Eau Claire, WI @ Stones Throw &
10/14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall &
10/16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall &
10/17 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall &
10/18 – Detroit, MI @ El Club &
10/19 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace &
10/21 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount &
10/22 – Boston, MA @ The Royale &
10/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer &
10/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg &
10/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg &
10/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg &
10/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall &
10/30 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club &
11/01 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel &
11/11 – Berlin, DE @ Privatclub ~
11/12 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang ~
11/14 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet
11/15 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloof Bar
11/16 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere ~
11/18 – London, UK @ The Garage ~
11/19 – London, UK @ The Garage ~
11/21 – Manchester, UK @ YES Pink Room ~
11/22 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ~
11/23 – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club ~
11/24 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s ~

% solo with Karly Hartzman
& with Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band
~ with Hollow Hand

All the bartender influencers and Tiktok drinks experts have called it — summer 2024 is all about the Charro Negro. This simple tequila-based cocktail is not only easy to make (we’re talking no skill required) but also refreshing, indulgent, and downright delicious. So… what is it?

The Charro Negro is a simple combination of blanco tequila, lime juice, and Mexican Coke. It’s essentially a Cuba Libre but not as sweet with a more pronounced focus on citrus. Alternately, I like to think of it less like a Cuba Libre and more like a richer version of the Paloma. The drink gets its name from the Mexican legend of El Charro Negro, a demonic horserider (“charro” translates to horseman or cowboy) who stalks the outskirts of various small Mexican towns looking to collect debts owed to the devil or punish people for their moral transgressions, depending on who is telling you the story.

Like much of Mexican folklore, it’s dark and creepy (I’ve heard plenty growing up from family members trying to terrify me) but the drink is anything but. Charro Negro is a real people pleaser and its simplicity makes it a perfect party drink. Since it’s not as commonly known as the Cuba Libre or Paloma, you have a real opportunity here to introduce your friends to something new to them, and that’s always something you want in your drink crafting arsenal.

Let’s dive in, we promise you that you’ll knock this out on your first try!

Charro Negro

Ingredients:

• 1.5-3 oz. blanco tequila
• Juice of half a lime
• Ice
• Mexican Coca-Cola

Simple right? You’re going to go with one to two jiggers of a quality additive-free blanco tequila, we went with LALO but any of the 20 bottles from this list will do (or this list if you want a high-end spin), fresh lime juice, and a Mexican Coke. You might be asking yourself: “Can I just use regular Coke?” and sure, in a pinch, you can. But here is why Mexican Coke is the better option:

Aside from it being more authentic (this is a Mexican cantina drink after all) Mexican Coke has a different flavor from the US stuff. It is made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup which gives it a darker, more earthy, ~almost chocolatey~ richness. That helps the drink have more dimension and nuance, and considering this is such a simple drink, you’re going to want that nuance.

Mexican Coke is everywhere in Southern California, if that’s not the case for you, then I’d look for a bottle at alcohol specialty stores like BevMo or Total Wine, or just hit up a local taqueria or Chipotle in a pinch.

What You’ll Need:

• Highball Glass
• Pairing knife
• Juicer
• Jigger

Method:

• Add the rum, juices, and coconut to a cocktail shaker with a large handful of ice. Affix the lid and shake vigorously for about 20 to 30 seconds until the shaker is ice cold and the drink is nice and frothy. There’s a lot of liquid in the shaker with this one, so start slowly and build up speed.
• Fill the glass with fresh ice — about 3/4 full. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Dash nutmeg over the top of the drink and garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry. Serve.

• Fill a highball glass with ice, cut a lime in half and add the juice and one to two jiggers of the blanco tequila of your choice.
• Top with Mexican Coca-Cola until the glass is full, give it a good mix with a spoon (or the knife you used to cut the lime), and garnish with a lime wheel on the rim. Serve

You could salt the rim, and while I’ll admit this looks better, I think the salty flavor distracts from the richness of the drink.

Bottom Line:

You can’t go wrong with a Charro Negro. It’s a rich, and well-balanced between bright citrus notes and deep chocolate tones, and it’s addictively sweet — the perfect cocktail for summer.

Tequila cocktails are often associated with tart citrus-dominated flavors, and while the vegetal qualities of tequila play well with those flavors, the Charro Negro will open up your mind to just how versatile tequila can be.

I’ve yet to find a person who doesn’t thoroughly enjoy this drink and the way their eyes light up on the first taste is priceless.