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“The last thing that I would ever want is for summer camp to be looked back on in history — or in the fall — as part of the reason that we have a second outbreak.”
It’s not every day you get to write about Pete Davidson, Nick Kroll, and Princess Diana in the same article, but when the opportunity presents itself, you have to take it.
Kroll was a guest on Monday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where he discussed, among other topics, his Oh, Hello podcast with fellow funny-person John Mulaney. It’s very good, with an impressive collection of guests, including Sarah Koening, John “Horny for Adam Driver” Oliver, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Davidson. What is Pete Davidson, a 26-year-old from Long Island who “truly had no idea how Princess Diana died, or that she died at all,” doing on a podcast about the People’s Princess, you might be wondering? Gil Faizon (charmed, I’m sure) has an answer for that.
“What Pete did bring to the table was what it was like to be hounded by the paparazzi,” a bathrobe-wearing Kroll told Meyers, referring to Davidson’s relationship with Ariana Grande. “In a weird way, Pete was, in fact, the most useful guest on the podcast to give a sense of what it was like for Princess Diana, because I would say that SNL… I know that you’re a former cast member and writer, but they’re kind of our royalty.”
Diana was the princess of Wales, but Davidson? He’s the KING of freaking Staten Island. Easily one of the top-five boroughs in New York.
Billie Eilish has not been secretive about her love of The Office. The singer once said that the show is “like therapy” for her. Eilish even sampled an episode of the series in her debut album’s track “My Strange Addiction.” Last year, Eilish linked up with Dwight Schrute actor Rainn Wilson to get quizzed on some trivia about the show, and she nailed it. Now, the two have united once again, this time virtually, for another trivia session.
Wilson invited Eilish to join him on Soul Pancake’s Instagram Live as part of his series Hey There, Human. Wilson had previously hosted Eilish’s brother Finneas, but Eilish now had a chance to speak about music, how she’s coping with quarantine, and, of course, The Office.
Before getting into trivia questions, Eilish detailed how she’s been treating anxieties about the pandemic. The singer said that she was at first grateful for the time off, which she has echoed in other interviews, but has ultimately gotten back to making music: “It’s been really uninspiring to create, for me at least. I’ve talked to people who agree with me on that. At least in the beginning, I did not want to make a thing. I was not creative, I didn’t want to do anything, I didn’t want to make music, I didn’t want to write anything. Luckily, that kind of switched and I got to making some stuff.”
Eilish also offered her best advice for those struggling, which she said was practicing patience: “I think patience is really important right now. […] Especially right now, the only thing we can do is wait. The only thing that’s going on right now is time. It’s also not that hard to stay home.”
Wilson then posed a series of questions about his character in The Office after the singer admitted she’s seen the show 15 times. While Eilish aced her last trivia session with him, Wilson stumped her on a few questions this time around. Eilish correctly answered which book Jim had given Dwight to help him host a garden party, but couldn’t recall what 1,000 “truth bucks” could be redeemed for in the show.
Watch Eilish and Wilson’s chat above.
All while making her new album How I’m Feeling Now, Charli XCX has kept her fans fully involved, from constantly updating them on the record’s progress to using their creative input in songs. Now that the record is finished and out there, she has spoken about it with Music Week, revealing what the new album means for the one she was working on before it.
Charli said that she’s not sure she will continue working her pre-quarantine music because it feels old now:
“With most pop major label artists, there’s a level of extreme planning, a lot of pre-thought, pre-consideration, and set-up. That helps in so many ways for the pitch of the album, the longevity of the album and the relationship with the people you’re pitching the album to and I understand why it happens. But that doesn’t excite me that much. I’m really into the sporadic-ness of what I’m doing right now. One thing I will struggle with is, I was making a different album before quarantine and I do love a lot of those songs, but they’re going to feel so old to me if they do eventually come out. It just doesn’t inspire me to talk about songs I made a year-and-a-half ago.”
She also discussed her hopes for How I’m Feeling Now, saying, “Sales or streams or chart positions just aren’t my priority. It’s not the reason I make music. Thinking about that doesn’t make for good music. Success for this project would be to be able to look back on it as something representative of this situation we’re all in and something that felt like an audiovisual documentation of where I’m at as an artist, but also where my fan base, my LGBTQ fan base, my fellow producers and collaborators in our left-pop scene are at this point, what we were feeling and creating. I want it to feel like a time stamp, but also to still sound relevant when this is all over.”
Read more excerpts from the feature here, and read our review of How I’m Feeling Now here.
Charli XCX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Former WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard went missing yesterday when he was caught in a riptide at Venice Beach. Reports circulated later that the search was called off, and this morning, TMZ provided an update from the Coast Guard confirming that is the case. In TMZ’s words:
The search to find Shad Gaspard has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard tells us.
We know there was at least one boat still searching for Gaspard on Tuesday morning … but it’s become clear the chances of finding the ex-WWE star are fading fast.
We’re told the case will not be closed until officials find the missing person — but for now, the efforts have been drastically scaled back.
Gaspard, who had worked as a stuntman, actor, and writer post-WWE and sometimes performed on the independent wrestling scene, was last seen as part of a group of swimmers at the recently-reopened Venice Beach who were caught in a riptide. Gaspard reportedly directed lifeguards to save his son first, then was submerged under a wave later in the rescue effort.
Gaspard’s family hasn’t spoken to the media about his disappearance, but has released a statement through the social media accounts of several wrestlers who knew him, saying, “@Shadbeast‘s family appreciates all the love, support, and concern through this horrible ordeal. At this time they are not ready to make any public or official statements to any media outlet and ask all to respect their wishes.”
The weather is turning. The outdoors are slowly opening up. But that doesn’t mean that we’re putting down our whiskey and opting for lighter spirits like vodka, tequila, or rum instead (though we’re drinking those, too!). The fact is, we drink whiskey all year long around these parts. In hot weather, there are few simple cocktails we enjoy more than a highball with soda water, whiskey, and a lime wedge.
When it comes to picking whiskeys, we definitely try not to leave anyone out. We’ll mix (and sip) bourbons, ryes, Japanese whiskies, and pretty much every other variety of the spirit from all over the world. But the fact is, we get especially amped when we get our hands on a bottle of small batch whiskey.
You may have seen this term written on a bottle of whiskey before, maybe you even know have a sense for it denotes. While there’s technically no specific guidelines, “small batch” generally means the juice inside was made by using the contents of only a specific number of selected barrels. Which also means it typically costs a little more.
Since you’re likely to spend a little more cash to grab one of these bottles, we decided to ask the pros what they prefer when it comes to these much-loved expressions. A handful of our favorite bartenders told us their go-to small batch whiskeys for spring (and summer) drinking.
Barrell American Vatted Malt Whiskey
Pete Stanton, head bartender at Ai Fiori at The Langham in New York City
American Vatted Malt from Barrell Bourbon, I love the rich nutty Tennessee whiskey barrels with a bit of age. It’s perfect for sipping or a bold stirred cocktail. They can hit that sweet spot of rich ranch flavors without being too over-extracted with wood.
Angel’s Envy Bourbon
Jim Richard, chef at Stinky’s Fish Camp in South Walton, Florida
I don’t know anyone that that can deny the flavor and character of Rip Van Winkle, however, that is usually reserved for very special occasions so my more accessible go-to is Angel’s Envy because it’s smooth layered character yields complex flavor profiles.
Glenfiddich Winter Storm
Gord Hannah, head bartender at The Drake Hotel in Toronto
Small batch always translates to a sippin’ whiskey for me. When I sit down to a sip on a whisky, it is usually from Scotland. My favorite scotch whisky of late is the Winter Storm from the Glenfiddich Experimental Series. It is a small batch of 21-year-old scotch that is finished in Canadian ice wine barrels. This is a rare bottle and has gained notoriety among collectors. I was lucky enough to try it a few times and I have been on the hunt for this elusive bottle ever since.
Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon
Ian Clark, bar supervisor at Topside in Baltimore
Widow Jane 10-Year Bourbon out of New York City is my favorite small batch bourbon that is readily available. It’s extremely rich in flavor while being quite well-balanced; very complex flavors while retaining a solid smoothness.
Old Bardstown Estate Bourbon
Tim Wiggins, co-owner and beverage director of Yellowbelly in St. Louis
Right now, I am super into the small batch Old Bardstown Estate bourbon. It’s not the most flashy or sexy, but it’s damn good. It is 10 years old and a little over 100 proof and in my opinion has an amazing balance of sweetness and heat. It’s versatile in stirred cocktails and also tastes great neat.
1792 Small Batch Bourbon
Brandi Carter, beverage manager at Elvie’s in Jackson, Mississippi
When I go for small batch whiskey, I always go for bourbon. Specifically, I like 1792 Small Batch because its fruity notes lend itself to a nice, creamy duck fat washed whiskey.
Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Bourbon
Brooke Baker, general manager at Underdog in New York City
When I think of small batch whiskey, one immediately comes to mind. I love Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old. It has a lovely spice with subtle banana notes. It works beautifully in a boulevardier.
Blanton’s Bourbon
Catalina Borer, bartender at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia
So many to choose from. I’ll compromise and give you my top three and point out my favorite. Angel’s Envy, Blanton’s, and Whistle Pig. They are all outstanding. If I had to take my pick with all three bottles in front of me I (think) would have to go with Blanton’s. Only because I would be crazy not to have a go at it when it’s available. It has an unmistakable toasted chocolate-butterscotch overnote that is so powerful both in nose and palate with the perfect touch of smooth cherry and peppercorn hints.
Four Roses Small Batch Select
Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles
Four Roses Small Batch Select. It’s aged a minimum of 6-7 years and very well balanced. It’s very smooth and easy to drink with a wonderful long-lasting aftertaste. Drink it with some dark chocolate and watch it come roaring back with even more flavor. It does not overpower you with spice and pepper typical of so many bourbons, yet instead has wonderful hints of sweet caramel and oak. It has won many accolades for a small batch whiskey and is one of the faster-moving bourbons at our hotel.
Wright & Brown Distilling Rye
H. Joseph Erhmann, proprietor of ELIXIR in San Francisco
Oakland’s Wright & Brown Distilling is making some great whiskey. Their rye whiskey is a go-to for me and my staff. It’s an excellent representation of where California whiskey distillers are today in the rye world in particular. Sonoma County Distilling, Spirit Works, Old World Spirits, and Corbin Cash round out a great list of small batch California rye distillers that continue to grow.
Noah’s Mill Bourbon
Kyle Harlan, beverage director of Mission Taco Joint in Kansas City
Noah’s Mill or the Rowan’s Creek. I like to make things like Manhattans, old fashioneds, and lion’s tails with the Rowan’s Creek. The Noah’s Mill is my celebration bottle. It is hands down my favorite all-around whiskey that I have ever tried. (I have tried a LOT of whiskey). Smooth, rich, and well worth the price.
Sports leagues across the world are still trying to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, like Germany’s Bundesliga and Korea’s KBO, have managed to return, while others are mapping out roads back, many of which involve playing games in empty stadiums for the foreseeable future. That’s particularly true in the United States, where professional sports continue to be on pause.
One sports league has decided that playing in front of fanless arenas is not a tenable path forward, and as such, it will not operate during 2020. The BIG3, Ice Cube’s halfcourt 3-on-3 basketball league composed of former NBA players, announced that it will not be able to take the floor this season, but thanks to its TV deal with CBS going through 2021, there will be a season next year.
“Ultimately, we need the fan experience and the games themselves to be great,” the league said in the release. “While other leagues have more immediate financial considerations, as a rising league, we need to put the fan experience above all and ensure each season is better than the one before. While we investigated many alternative scenarios, such as playing at a single location like a Los Angeles studio sound stage, the extension of the California stay at home order, California’s constant confusion and changing of the rules when combined with the multiple other issues listed above led to us to determining these scenarios were not feasible.”
“We tried everything in our power to give our fans a nice 2020 season but with a long list of obstacles, we decided to shift our focus to having a great 2021 season with our fans in the stands. Our goal from day one has always been to provide a remarkable experience full of top-level competition and entertainment,” Ice Cube said. “With the creation of BIG3: Not in My House and more time to prepare for the season, we will definitely come back with the fire.”
It’s surely a tough pill for the league to swallow, as it is still working to get off the ground in the U.S., but this is a sensible decision, especially because the league is confident this is just a one-year bump in the road. As Ice Cube mentioned, the league still plans on having some kind of activities this year via its Big Brother-style television show.