An altercation prior to Friday night’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants saw a player for each team get separated while the Reds were going through batting practice. Video of the incident showed that players from both teams were scattered around left field, and while details were scarce, it eventually came out that Tommy Pham and Joc Pederson got into it with one another.
According to C. Trent Rosecrans and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Pham slapped Pederson. While he was originally in the team’s starting lineup for the game, he was scratched prior to it beginning and was not with them in the dugout at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. ESPN reported that the pair were “quickly separated.”
The reason for the kerfuffle, per The Athletic, was something related to a fantasy football league involving both players.
“According to multiple sources, the beef stems from a disagreement the two had in a fantasy football league including players from several teams,” The Athletic reported.
“We’re investigating and learning as much as we can about the incident,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said prior to the game. “I don’t have much more for you than that right now. I sense that we’ll have a clearer understanding after the game.”
Pham and Pederson have never been teammates in the majors with one another.
My story of how I found Secular Sabbath seems pretty similar to a lot of people. “I was on Instagram, saw a picture posted by a friend of a friend, and it looked really __________ .” Fill in the blank according to your disposition. “Cool” “fun” “creative” — you get the idea.
For me, it was “weird-but-in-a-good-way.” Not the most elegant descriptor but also… sort of fitting? I mean, I think this was the first clip I saw:
Y’know, just the widely beloved musician Rhye singing in his trademark falsetto to a super fat bunny. Or maybe it was this picture of the artist Buckley (whose work is incredible, by the way) covered in bodypaint while communing with a stuffed moon.
Seems like the best type of weirdness, right? It reminded me of the video for Edward Sharpe’s “Home.” Or old stories of the Source Family — which started as a health food store, built a commune in the Hollywood Hills, spawned a band, used weed as a sacrament, and dressed in velvet and linen.
I mean, when you see these tintype photos of Secular Sabbath, that comparison’s not too crazy of a stretch:
The point is: I had a hunch that this movement would be my jam.
Of course, it was nothing more than an educated guess, made based off of Instagram — perhaps society’s most deceptive social media platform. But it was surely enough to make me want to see Secular Sabbath in person during their recent retreat in Joshua Tree. Over a two-day span, the crew hosted a long-awaited second retreat in the desert (their first was pre-pandemic and was considered to be sort of an anti-Coachella), featuring ambient music, ice baths, yoga, tattoos, and a collaboration with the fledgling psilocybin outlet/ merch brand Yawn.
Since these are all things I like unabashedly, attending was a no-brainer.
But what I found in Joshua Tree surprised me. Not with how weird it was (though I think our society needs a lot more weirdness and I will fight to the death for the non-harmful weirdos out there), but with how clear its objectives were. Above everything else, I witnessed a community — people relating authentically (mostly without phones), honest discussions, and no Burning Man-esque stratification between attendees.
This, I’d learn, was all very much by design.
“Secular Sabbath was born out of my upbringing, at Esalen Institute in Big Sur,” Genevieve Medow-Jenkins told me last week. “As Esalen has become more commercial, I felt sad to see it taken away from the people that I loved. So I’ve created a community that isn’t tied to a specific place but rather the people that make it up — so no one can take it away from us.”
Within that context, the role of music in Secular Sabbath can’t be understated. Rhye played multiple sets, along with other ambient music acts. In fact, most Secular Sabbath events have some ambient music tie in and they recently started their own record label. On Friday night, the music went literally through the night. Rather than dancing, or even swaying very much, people lounged on air mattresses and lawn chairs under the desert sky. This chillness is also intentional.
“All I wanted out of the event was to spend time with people in a genuine way,” Medow-Jenkins said. “From that place, people can realize that if I can create as unique and strange as Secular Sabbath, they can create whatever their dreamscape is as well. What I aimed for was simply to create an environment in which people can grow and expand together.”
Watching my son sit in rapt attention during the performances (not seeking any other sort of stimulus beyond the music, my hand on his back, and the stars above) certainly left me feeling like my own dreamscape is within reach. Maybe the slice of the event I witnessed wasn’t as weird as I’d expected but it was every bit as profound. And daring. Because in a world in which division is a constant and authenticity is scarce, true connection and community, like what I saw at Secular Sabbath, becomes the wildest risk of all.
The Lakers have been in the coaching market ever since their season came to an end. After a season in which Los Angeles missed the play-in tournament, the team opted to fire head coach Frank Vogel, opening up a search for a coach who will help them return to the postseason.
The list of candidates got whittled down to a trio of finalists — Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, and former Blazers coach Terry Stotts — and right before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks tipped off on Friday evening, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Ham will be the one to get the job.
The Lakers have hired Darvin Ham as coach, sources tell ESPN.
Lakers had formal interview with the Bucks assistant on Thursday and offered job today, sources said. Ham takes over the Lakers as a first-time head coach. https://t.co/8hCVatbraw
Ham made a strong impression on Lakers in several areas, including his championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness. Ham will start assembling a staff expected to include head coaching experience. https://t.co/8hCVatbraw
As Wojnarowski noted, Ham is taking the job as a first-time head coach. After spending more than a decade playing in the NBA, Ham became an assistant with a trio of teams: the Lakers, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Bucks. One of Mike Budenholzer’s most trusted assistants and a member of the staff that helped guide Milwaukee to a championship last season, Ham inherits a Los Angeles team that went 33-49 this past season.
Apparently, it doesn’t matter how many “Super Dad” moments Kanye West is making sure get caught on camera because his divorce attorney just severed ties with the rapper. West’s lawyer Samantha Spector cited, “an irreconcilable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship,” in her withdrawal filings obtained by The Blast, which is some incredibly ironic language for a divorce attorney to take.
This marks the fourth lawyer that will now be representing West in the divorce proceedings against his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. In March, Ye switched up his legal counsel the day before the couple’s divorce hearing, firing Chris Melcher and replacing him with Spector, who previously served as the attorney for Dr. Dre’s ex-wife Michelle Young in their divorce. Now, the person listed in Spector’s documents as the new current representative for Mr. West is an out-of-state attorney from Pennsylvania, who isn’t even a divorce attorney.
While Kim and Kanye have worked hard to bring a sense of harmony to their relationship as parents moving forward, the divorce proceedings have been anything but harmonious. Kanye initially lobbied to have his social media posts kept out of the hearings (now why would he want that??) and has looked to employ loopholes to stall the proceedings altogether. And while Kim has said that she wants them to be the figure for “co-parenting goals,” in the latest episode of The Kardashians, she formally apologized to her family for her ex-husband’s antics.
The live music, bold fashion choices, and endless good vibes are what make music festivals memorable and downright fun. Camping at a music festival, on the other hand… isn’t always so glamorous. Communal bathrooms and showers (if you’re lucky), dusty supplies, chilly temperatures, and tent sleeping can make catching some much-needed Z’s after a day of raging rather difficult.
Fortunately, there are some simple measures you can take to ensure your festival camping survival.
If you’re heading up to Buena Vista Lake for the anticipated return of Lightning in a Bottle, chances are you’ll be camping out for the Memorial Day Weekend event. The Lightning in a Bottle lineup includes Glass Animals, Kaytranada, GRiZ, Chet Faker, Black Coffee, Four Tet, SG Lewis, Big Wild, Purity Ring, Little Simz, Seth Troxler, Maya Jane Coles, CloZee, Ekali, Jon Hopkins, GoldLink, G Jones b2b EPROM, Koffee, Monolink, LSDREAM, Big Freedia, Mr. Carmack, Opiuo, and tons more.
One up-and-coming performer of the weekend is Austin Millz, who just released his first single of 2022, entitled “What’s Next?” As a long-time music artist and festival-goer, he knows a thing or two about conquering a festival weekend, including what it takes to make it through a successful festival camping experience. If you’re making your festival camping debut this weekend at Lightning in a Bottle, check out Millz’s guide below. He’s sharing his top five tips for festival camping, so you can keep the good times rolling even after the show is over each night.
Whether you’re a fan, an artist, or a performer at the festival, having a USB of your music or music you love is KEY. You NEVER know when the opportunity to DJ will strike. Maybe someone needs someone to DJ a set or DJ an afterparty, or maybe a performing artist forgot their USB.
I have personally witnessed these situations happen at this past Coachella, actually. It’s always good to be prepared.
Canopy Tent, Pillow, and String Lights
Jessica Bernstein
If you are camping at a festival in a hot destination, you NEED a canopy tree otherwise you’ll be waking up at 7 a.m. — and not because of the music from the ongoing after party either lol! A canopy is just the start, though. Having the right pillow ensures your place is comfy — nothing worse than using a balled-up sweatshirt because you forgot your pillow. Finally, ITS GOTTA BE VIBEY — throwing some string lights up shows you’re a veteran, not a rook. They’ll also make it way easier for you to find your campsite in the middle of the night after a long day of partying.
Water and Your Own Bottle
Get Tiny
I don’t think this even needs explanation, but you have to stay hydrated. Or if you’re like my manager, he LOVES Electrolit — it’s the Mexican version of Pedialyte, made specifically for hangovers. Thank him in the morning when your hangover is minimal. I recommend drinking a whole bottle when you start your day. Definitely carry water with you everywhere, and try to get a reusable water bottle so you’re reducing waste.
Lightning in a Bottle has a lot of cool green initiatives, so it’s important to pull your weight and keep the community clean. I think there are some pretty cool hydro packs around now, so you can rock it with your best fest-fit.
Ice Cooler
Austin Millz
Even if you have to go to the festival to get ice, you gotta keep your drinks cold. A lot of festivals have concession areas on the campsite, so that’s a good place to start. Gotta have a few Modelos, a bottle of tequila, and if you’re a real one, get dry ice! Just promise me to be careful when you put your hands into the cooler, the fog may look cool but it’s no joke!
Earplugs
Don Idio
You’re going to need your ears to be able to listen to all the amazing music this weekend! Especially at my set on Saturday, I better see y’all raging…safely with earplugs. It doesn’t matter if this is your first festival or if you’re a true vet, you only get one set of ears! I also better see y’all at my brother’s set, SG Lewis on Sunday. Excited to see you all this weekend!
The 2022 Ascot Award wrapped up earlier this week and we were lucky enough to get an advance look at the list of “Best in Class” spirits from the competition. And look at that, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. What doesn’t “best in class” mean though? These are the bottles that not only got unanimous top scores from judges but were also deemed the best of among the best in a second double-blind taste test.
Look at it this way, while winning a medal always carries a certain panache from these competitions, the “Best in Class” is what you’re going to want to reach for.
For this list, I’ve added our own tasting notes where I can and dropped in tasting notes from the awards or distiller where needed. You can also click on the prices on each entry to order your own bottle for a little long-weekend sipping. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This tequila from the Southern Highlands of Jalisco is fairly modern. The pinas are cooked in brick ovens but autoclave (high-pressure cooking) and diffuser are used as well. The twice-distilled juice then goes into oak for 60 days before it’s proofed down with deep well water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sweetness that attaches to the lightly roasted agave on the nose with a hint of vanilla and caramel lurking in the background. The palate leans into the roasted agave with freshly cracked black pepper and clove berries mingling with a touch of vanilla tobacco and a mildly sweet butterscotch mid-palate. The finish leans away from the agave toward the vanilla and butterscotch for a sweet and slightly peppery finish.
Bottom Line:
For me, this was always just fine. I’ve used it as a mixing tequila in the past. But maybe I’ll give it another shot as a sipper.
Foro is always a great alternative to the bigger names in vermouth — Martini, Noilly Prat, and Carpano. This vermouth is from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. The winery takes Moscato and Inzolia wines and then infuses them with wormwood twice before building a botanical bouquet of balsam, saffron, bitter and sweet orange peels, myrrh, mace, rhubarb, sandalwood, and cinnamon.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a beautiful balance of sweet and botanical with this vermouth. The nose has a mix of cinchona barks and orange oils with lush vanilla, a touch of pine, and a whisper of dried flowers. The taste leans into the florals with a savory edge as sage and summer wildflowers dance with vanilla candy and soft, sweet mulled wine. The finish is short, sweet, and full of dark woody spice and bitter barks.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty nice on its own with a few cubes of ice, an orange slice, and a green olive. Add a little soda water on top and you’ve got a killer summer refresher.
This crafty vodka from Austin, Texas, is a corn-based spirit. This expression takes that corn juice is distilled ten times. The team then layers in real lemon juice and pure cane sugar juice.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all about that lemon with a pretty sweet edge that’s more sweet corn than refined sugar. The taste is exactly what you’d expect — sweet lemon-y vodka with a hint of neutral alcohol that’s almost mineral-y. The finish is short, slightly acidic, and not too overly sweet.
Bottom Line:
This is perfect for mixing up easy summer highballs. Two ounces of this over ice and topped with soda water is all you need.
This crafty gin from California is about the wilds of that land. The distillate is infused with wild-foraged botanicals from hills near the distillery between Ventura and Ojai. Sagebrush, purple sage, bay, yerba santa, pixie mandarin peel, and chuchupate all make appearances and give the gin a very local vibe.
This bespoke rum hails from the colder shores of New England. The rum is a 100 percent molasses spirit that spends an undisclosed amount of time mellowing in new American oak barrels before it’s vatted and bottled as-is to show off that cold New England weather in the bottle.
“Through seasonal temperature shifts, New England’s maritime climate softened and balanced these flavors, while extended aging created new and complex layers of flavor and depth. A deep color with a pronounced nose and concentration of flavor, Intrepid includes notes of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, caramel, and toasted almond.”
Bottom Line:
Winter spices, almonds, and caramel sound delightful in a rum. I’m definitely going to track one of these down and give it a shot.
This mezcal — from Durango, Mexico — uses wild Maguey Cenizo agave. Those agave pinas as roasted in volcanic rock pit ovens before going through open fermentation with the wild yeasts in the air inoculating the juice. Woodfired stills then distill the liquid into a spirit.
Tasting Notes:
This has a bold nose with hints of smoked cheese, red pepper spice, burnt lemon peels, and a line of smoke that’s kind of like burnt grilled cheese. The palate has a touch of barnyard funk under more smoked cheese as the sweetness of the roasted agave balances everything out. The finish is sharply peppery yet softly sweet with a hint more of that smoked cheese peaking in.
Bottom Line:
This is a funky mezcal. I’d say more funky than smoky even. Though it is clearly smoky, it’s deeper and more interesting in unique ways that help it stand out.
Best Whiskey Club Pick: 5280 Whiskey Society Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel “Thunder Chicken”
Russell’s Reserve is Wild Turkey dialed up a notch or two. The juice is classic Turkey bourbon with a low-rye mash bill. That whiskey spends several years mellowing in heavily charred oak before a group comes in and selects a single barrel for their bar, retail shop, or club.
“A great balance of sweetness, oak, and citrus on the nose becomes a vanilla bomb on the palate supported by juicy fruit and spice all the way through.”
Bottom Line:
The 5280 Whiskey Society is a private Denver whiskey club. They do a lot of barrel picks every year and sell them via their website. And since this one is forthcoming, you might be able to grab a bottle if you keep an eye on the club’s website.
This is the standard Bulleit but with a little more dialed-in flavor profile that allows the juice to shine on its own. The sourced bourbon is small-batched from hand-selected barrels and bottled at Diageo’s new Bulleit facility without any filtration or cutting down to proof.
Tasting Notes:
Expect sweet woody notes next to oily vanilla and a big note of black pepper. The taste delivers ripe peaches next to more peppery spice and a hint of Christmas spices, with the vanilla taking a backseat and the oak really stepping in to shine. The end is spicy, hot, oaky, and peachy, with a hint of caramel corn.
Bottom Line:
This is hard-core (modern) classic bourbon. It’s bold enough to be the perfect base for a killer old fashioned or Manhattan. Or you can just enjoy it low and slow in a rocks glass on its own.
This new release from Smooth Ambler mixes some very interesting whiskeys together. The blend is two Tennessee ryes (one 70 percent rye, one 51 percent rye), MGP’s 95 percent rye, and Smooth Ambler’s own rye which has a mash bill of 88 percent rye. Those whiskeys are then blended, proofed, and bottled in the hills of West Virginia.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a stewed cherry that’s heavy on woody cinnamon sticks next to hints of vanilla pods and maybe some dried florals. The palate leans into the woodiness of the cinnamon stick to the point of feeling like a cedar box full of spicy cinnamon tobacco as creamy vanilla leads to a toasted coconut vibe. The finish lets the creaminess of the vanilla drive a sweet edge as the spicy cinnamon tobacco is just kissed with cherry syrup and dark chocolate on the very back end.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty big co-sign from me. Smooth Ambler is making some serious magic happen out in West Virginia and this expression is only the tip of the delicious whiskey iceberg.
Best Scotch Whiskey: Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Batch #3
This is Ardbeg’s yearly release of special batches of 19-year-old peaty malt. The whisky is Ardbeg’s signature peated whisky that’s bottled during a “haar.” That’s a thick and briny foggy morning on Islay, which imparts that x-factor into the whisky as it goes into the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in with a super subtle waft of soft smoke with hints of sour cream, fennel, and cold-smoked salmon on a pine cutting board that’s been washed in the sea. The palate holds onto that briny seaside vibe as it veers towards sea salt-laden dark bricks of fudge bespeckled with dried orange zest and lavender. The end circles back around to a sooty smoke that feels like a warm granite rock that’s been dipped in the sea and then rolled around in the dying embers of a fire.
Bottom Line:
This is a world-class whisky that’s so well (and deeply) layered, that you’re sure to find something that speaks to you in that pour. That said, this is unabashedly bold and funky too.
Best American Single Malt Whiskey: Old Line Spirits American Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish
This Baltimore distillery is catching a lot of attention lately. This release is and 100 percent malted barley whiskey that spends a spell in a new American white oak before it’s re-filled into old Oloroso sherry casks for a final maturation. That final whiskey is cut down to 100 proof before bottling as-is.
Old Carter might be the ultimate whiskey nerd label. The blends are hand-selected by the husband and wife team, Mark and Sherri Carter, from the best barrels they can find. Beyond that, they keep their blends and details pretty close to their chest to add a little mystery to the endeavor.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a nose full of rich and creamy vanilla ice cream scoop over a pecan waffle with hints of dark cherries, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a touch of old cedar all sneaking in. The palate leans into that waffle with a good pour over maple syrup over cinnamon brown butter, a fresh batch of glazed doughnuts, and a few braids of spicy orange-infused tobacco. The end leans back into the vanilla with a sheet cake vibe as the dark berries attach to the tobacco and wintry spice with a final note of creamy toffee and nougat.
Bottom Line:
These always wow. That said, they’re hard to find outside of Kentucky, and even then you kind of need to be “in the know” to get one. All of that aside, it’s worth the effort to track down something this delicious and decadent.
Best Light Whiskey: Penelope American Light Whiskey
This unique release from Penelope is a “light” in the sense of a light beer. This is all about the barrel having no char. So the “light” in this sense is the aging process. Anyway, this expression is a blend of MGP whiskeys (pretty much the only distillery making light whiskey) that’s left at a very high proof before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This is a wild card with familiar notes of pancake batter with plenty of vanilla, caramel corn balls, sweet apple tarts, and a mild dose of very soft yet resinous pine. The palate moves from creamy vanilla pie toward apple crumble with plenty of butter and brown sugar, cinnamon, and tartness before a layer of soft floral citrus arrives. The finish feels like vanilla cupcakes frosted with an eggnog frosting with plenty of powdered sugar everywhere next to a woody yet subtle spice mix.
Bottom Line:
This is a great way to start your “light” whiskey journey. This is subtle, sweet, and long-lasting. Moreover, those killer ABVs are almost non-existent thanks to the team at Penelope’s masterful blending.
This new age statement released from Jack Daniel’s feels like a throwback to a bygone era in Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is aged for at least ten years. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a thin line of wet and sweet wood. The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and married it to a sticky and spicy tobacco leaf while toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel vibes with dry corn husks that are just singed. The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with a mild savory fruit edge.
Bottom Line:
This was one of the best overall whiskeys of all of 2021, so it’s no surprise to see it picking up awards this year. If you can find one, grab it. It’ll change how you see Jack Daniel’s.
Best World Whiskey: Archie Rose Distilling Co. Single Malt Whiskey
This Australian single malt is a unique expression thanks to its blend of barrels. The whisky is aged in 100, 200, and 300-litre Australian Apera sherry casks. Those whiskies are blended with malts aged in ex-bourbon casks and, finally, Archie Rose’s own 36-month air-dried ex-rye casks. That final whisky is then touched with local water before going into the bottle.
“The natural sweetness of these casks complements the savory charisma of the spirit, revealing fresh herbs, shortbread biscuits, raisins, toffee, and dark chocolate on the nose. Meanwhile, the palate is luscious with well-integrated flavors of sticky date pudding and amaretto with a final note of espresso.”
Bottom Line:
This sounds both unique and delicious. Hopefully, we’ll see more of it stateside before too long.
Best Wheat Whiskey: Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey
This Michigan whiskey is 100 percent wheat whiskey. The grains are 100 percent organic and grown locally around Michigan. The whiskey then ages for an undisclosed about of time before it’s blended into a final product that looks to Irish whiskey for inspiration.
“The heat is perfect. Loving the initial sweetness, then the proof takes over in a great way. Smoldering char and rich vanilla bean. Great balance of spices and the finish is silky for such a high proof.”
Bottom Line:
“Smoldering char and rich vanilla bean”?! You have my attention, little Michigan whiskey. This is another one that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on. You can’t beat a great wheat whiskey and this sounds like one.
On the heel of a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals, reports are already swirling about how the Dallas Mavericks may look to take the next step in their title hopes. With changes potentially coming for the Utah Jazz after another early playoff exit, there’s speculation about Rudy Gobert’s future. Dallas, given its limited big man depth, appears a logical suitor.
However, according to Marc Stein, the Mavericks could have their sights set on a different type of All-Star in Zach LaVine, who will be a free agent this summer.
“Sources nonetheless maintain that one option already being weighed by team brass is the prospect of joining the sign-and-trade bidding for the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine,” Stein wrote in his latest newsletter. He went onto address another rumor we often hear regarding Dallas this offseason, saying that “Despite long-running speculation that the Mavericks hope to trade for Rudy Gobert, I’m told that an all-out pursuit of Utah’s All-Star center and defensive anchor is unlikely.
“As much as (Mavericks owner Mark) Cuban and GM Nico Harrison have openly acknowledged a pressing need to bolster their rim protection and rebounding, Dallas sees LaVine as the sort of player who could fill other crucial needs with his ability to both play off Dončić as a long-range shooter and likewise collapse defenses by slashing to the basket to score.”
Either option would greatly enhance this Dallas team. LaVine’s on- and off-ball duality offensively would fit exceptionally well alongside Doncic. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie thrived as secondary creators this season, but LaVine, a two-time All-Star, is a substantial upgrade.
Gobert, meanwhile, would provide valuable rim protection defensively and his lob threat is a welcomed pick-and-roll complement for Doncic. How, if at all, the Mavericks maneuver landing one of these All-Stars will be fascinating in what surely seems like a busy offseason ahead for them.
“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,” a statement from the band read. “We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
The difficult, but very understandable decision left a lot of gaps atop the slew of music festivals that the Foo Fighters were set to headline. Nine Inch Nails stepped in their place for both Boston Calling and Daytona Beach’s Welcome To Rockville fests. Now, Muse has been announced as the replacement for Sacramento’s Aftershock Festival. “It’s been too long and we can’t wait to come back to Northern California and headline AFTERSHOCK on Sunday, October 9th in Sacramento,” Muse singer Matt Bellamy said in a tweet.
“It’s been too long and we can’t wait to come back to Northern California and headline AFTERSHOCK on Sunday, October 9th in Sacramento. “ – @MattBellamy, @muse
— AFTERSHOCK FESTIVAL (@AFTERSHOCKSAC) May 26, 2022
The British arena rock band will take over Aftershock’s closing slot as Sunday’s headliner. The hard rock-focused festival will also include sets from Slipknot, Rob Zombie, My Chemical Romance, Kiss, Lamb of God and others.
You know, it’s almost a shame that Cardi Tries, the show in which rapper Cardi B takes on a variety of alternative occupations for a day, is only available on Facebook Watch and Messenger. It’s an absolute delight, quite possibly the funniest show in production these days, and more people need to see it. It’s the perfect vehicle for Cardi’s outsized yet humble personality, and she’s quite a hoot as she attempts tasks such as cooking at a restaurant, officiating a wedding, and giving her husband Offset a tattoo.
The show’s latest episode brings in a special guest, as well: Cardi’s “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion, who’s become a charming all-around entertainer in her own right. The dynamic duo teams up to face their next challenge: Learning to play football with the help of the Los Angeles Chargers. Watching Cardi B tackle a blocking dummy twice her size in what look like youth size pads that are still too large is probably more entertaining than anything we’ll see come this preseason, while of course, Megan shows off her iron knees with a signature touchdown dance that won’t likely be replicated on the field anytime soon.
You can see the full episode below.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
School should feel like a safe space. But after the tragic news of yet another mass shooting, many children are scared to death. As a parent or a teacher, it can be an arduous task helping young minds to unpack such unthinkable monstrosities. Especially when, in all honesty, the adults are also terrified.
Katelyn Campbell, a clinical psychologist in South Carolina, worked with elementary school children in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting. She recently shared a simple idea that helped then, in hopes that it might help now.
The psychologist tweeted, “We had our kids draw pictures of scenery that made them feel calm—we then hung them up around the school—to make the ‘other kids who were scared’ have something calm to look at.”
For Teachers/Therapists: I worked in a CT elementary school when Sandy Hook happened.
What helped: We had our kids draw pictures of scenery that made them feel calm—we then hung them up around the school—to make the “other kids who were scared” have something calm to look at. — Dr. K8 PsyD (@psych_k8) May 25, 2022
“Kids, like adults, want to feel helpful when they feel helpless,” she continued, saying that drawing gave them something useful to do.
It also took some pressure off to focus on making “other kids” feel better. Campbell noted that even if they are scared, it’s “easier to talk about the ‘other kids.’”
Rather than use the word “safe,” which can “be a loaded concept for kids who never feel safe,” Campbell used “calm,” and “peaceful,” which really resonated with the students.
But really, it gave the kids something to “do” that felt useful. Kids, like adults, want to feel helpful when they feel helpless. And they loved the idea that they could help “other kids” feel better (they were the scared ones, but it’s easier to talk about the “other kids”)
Pretty soon, the school was filled with “rainbows, beaches, pretty flowers, playgrounds, and happy scenery,” which stayed up for weeks.
“I’m pretty sure it helped the adults too,” she quipped.
Art therapy can be a valuable tool for any age, but it can be particularly beneficial for children who (hopefully) have not had the complex, hard-to-articulate emotions that come as a result of trauma. As psychologist Cathy Malchiodi explains in her book “The Art Therapy Sourcebook,” “the language of visual art—colors, shapes, lines, and images—speak to us in ways that words cannot.”
Incorporating a sense of helping others and focusing on “calm” images was another brilliant layer Campbell added onto her exercise, and she soon received a flood of support for her suggestion. Overall, people were relieved and inspired.
“Beautiful use of a simple mindfulness practice to foster peace, calm, and altruism-all important in times of crisis. Thanks for sharing,” one person wrote.
“Honestly the idea made me feel like a breath of fresh air. Such a sweet and positive thing, so simple but effective,” wrote another.
The massacre at Robb Elementary in Ulvade, Texas, is the second-deadliest elementary school shooting in the United States, following Sandy Hook in 2012. There’s no way around these statistics. It’s nauseating and horrific. I feel for the parents and teachers trying to fight for change, protect their children and keep up morale all at the same time. Happy doodles might seem trivial during such a dark period for humanity, but as Campbell can attest, they do make a difference.
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