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You might have forgotten this thanks to the annual cultural ubiquity of her signature hit (and you’d be forgiven for doing so), but Mariah Carey actually has multiple Christmas albums on her career resume. However, thanks again to that aforementioned hit, the veteran singer — who has more classic albums under her belt than most artists of her generation have Billboard-charting singles — has become the unquestioned queen of the holiday season.

So it’s a no-brainer that her latest tour takes advantage of this fact to put the full range of her talent (and her Christmas catalog) on display. With a set that hit seemingly every standard and contemporary classic and enough sparkles to put Swarovski out of business after running out of stock, Carey’s Merry Christmas One And All Tour kicked off in style at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, just an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

The cozy 3,000-cap theater at the Native-owned resort made for the perfect venue, as it’s big enough for a dry run of the theaters she’ll be playing for the next month and a half, but small enough to allow her and her team to make any tweaks they need to or mitigate any of the borderline technical glitches that arise at just about any tour openers.

Fortuitously — or perhaps due to 30-plus years of practice — “nothing went wrong,” as MC put it during her show’s snow-sprinkled finale. Even if it had, though, Carey has the unflappable unshakable professionalism of a 35-year veteran. A pro’s pro, even in the first few awkward moments where she worried aloud that her shoes might make her slip and take a tumble, she stayed upright by sheer force of will, absolutely too cool to let any possible viral moments poke holes in the immaculate production.

Opening the show with a few nods to the host venue — her dancers performed the show’s intro on and around a luggage cart dressed as bellhops before Mariah herself popped out of a massive gift box — the singer gave early acknowledgments to her band, backup singers, and musical director as she sang updated editions of well-known holiday fixtures. Her infamous Glam Team also made a couple of appearances for mid-show touch-ups, and she sought the crowd’s approval as she debuted a new ensemble (that’s how she put it, “ensemble”) after a few more costume changes.

Her crowd interactions and gospel-washed renditions of the seasonal classics were the main focus, but Mariah’s too much of a pro to let a whole hour go by without touching on her storied catalog, which she did with what she called her “2023 MC Hitlist Medley.” Not many stars could do a literal hour of No. 1 hits and still choose to do a show based on Christmas songs, but MC also knows how to give a crowd exactly what they came for, eliciting literal SHRIEKS of delight and anticipation with every intro to one of her many, many ’90s and 2000s hits. (The only downside for me personally is being 6’2 and not wanting to block anyone’s view behind me.)

Meanwhile, the concert is helping to raise Yaamava’s profile as a venue, along with many more recent A-list bookings. Landing Mariah is a result of the hard work of the casino’s Vice President of Entertainment, Drew Dixon, who started with the resort in 2021 when it first rebranded and revamped its image. His partnership with Live Nation, from which he departed for Yaamava’, has brought an impressive cachet to the new theater in its early days, which bodes well for its future — snagging coveted bookings from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Janet Jackson, Maluma, Missy Elliott, and more. The diversity is highlighted and exemplified by bookings of both regional Mexican superstars and obscure Filipino favorites alike, along with Top 40 stars and legacy acts like Carey and Jackson, appealing to concertgoers looking for a more curated experience. There’s just something cooler about being able to look an artist in the eye and interact with them the way Mariah did with fans at her show.

As Vegas residencies become more commonplace and hot artists opt for out-of-the-way but modern and intimate venues like Yaamava’, these venues also become more viable for fans to see their faves without paying arena prices for tickets. Plus, there’s the benefit of simply being able to crash in your room after the show — or, if you’re too amped up, hit the casino and try your luck. In our case, it was the former, but the Yaamava Resort also offers restaurants like the Pines Steakhouse for late-night meals, as do other venues of its ilk. I’d recommend catching just about any artist at a similar venue if possible.

But even if you can’t enjoy a smaller venue like this on Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas One And All Tour, taking it in at an arena (or the Hollywood Bowl, where it stops next) is worth the price of admission. If the past few years have given you the mistaken impression that the veteran singer is “just” a novelty act, her collection of both holiday mainstays and hits will certainly prove you wrong. If you’re a music lover, that’s the best gift you could give yourself this holiday season.

Uproxx was hosted by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino for this story. However, they did not review or approve this story. You can read our press trip/hosting policy here.

In a new lawsuit filed by singer Cassie, she not only accused music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of nearly of decade of abuse and manipulation, but she also alleges that he might have been responsible for rapper Kid Cudi‘s car exploding after she dated him.

According to the New York Times, which broke the story, Diddy threatened to blow up the rapper’s car in 2012, when he and Cassie were briefly linked. The lawsuit reads, “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.” Kid Cudi apparently confirmed through a publicist, “This is all true.”

Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Cassie accuses Diddy of taking other extremely manipulative measures to control her during their tumultuous relationship, including threatening to withhold her music, pushing her to consume drugs like ecstasy and ketamine, and beating her, including giving her black eyes and paying off hotels to keep the abuse secret.

The lawsuit also alleges that he coerced her into having sex with male prostitutes, asserting that as this happened across state lines, this could qualify as sex trafficking.

Diddy denies the allegations, with one of his lawyers essentially calling the accusations a shakedown and saying Cassie tried to extort him with threats of a tell-all book, while Cassie’s attorneys maintain that it was the other way around and she refused a payoff from him to keep quiet.

You’re not alone if you’ve ever lost someone and found yourself talking to them, whether at a grave site while lying in bed at night or looking up to the sky on a walk. Many people speak to loved ones who’ve passed because it’s a healthy way of processing grief.

“Speaking out loud to a loved one who has passed — whether at a grave site or out loud at home — is helpful for many people processing grief,” Dr. Alison Forti, an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University, told Teen Vogue. “Many people will experience a sense of disbelief after they lose a loved one. By encouraging people to speak out loud to their loved one it helps them resolve that disbelief.”

Two sisters who recently lost their 63-year-old mother to pancreatic cancer in Albany, New York, showed that not only is it healing to talk to the deceased, but it can be hilarious, too. In honor of November’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Sara Wollner and Katie Riggins made a fun video where they confessed everything they’ve done wrong since their mom left them a little over a year ago.

The video struck a nerve with many people, earning over 20 million views on TikTok.

Confessions to our dead mom 

@sarawollner

Confessions to our dead mom #funny #siblinghumor #dayinmylife #viral #trending #sisters #funnytiktok #parentloss #parentlossawareness #fyp #fypage #fypシ #confessions #siblingcomedy

“So, our mom died a little over a year ago, and these are some of the things that we’d like to confess to her that have happened since she died,” Wollner said in the TikTok video. “Number one, we didn’t know that we had to file your taxes.”

“Nope,” chimed Riggins as the girls laughed so hard they began wheezing. “I didn’t know that I needed to get my own (car) insurance … (I drove) an uninsured car for 7 months and then suspended your license plates — and mine. So I couldn’t drive either car.”

Wollner confessed she wasn’t of much help at their other sister Megan Dixon’s baby shower because she had a stomach virus, leaving hosting responsibilities to Riggins. “I had to do it alone!” she said.

“Megan was a good sport, though,” Wollner added. “Sorry about that.”

Perhaps the hardest thing to confess was that Wollner didn’t cry at her mother’s funeral, but she had a good reason. “It’s because I was so pregnant that if I cried, I would have thrown up,” she said.

“Lots more to come,” Riggins concluded the touching tribute. “We’ll continue to disappoint you as time goes on.”

After the video’s success, the sisters posted a follow-up with more confessions.

Part 2: Konfessions to Kare 

@sarawollner

Part 2: Konfessions to Kare #griefjourney #parentloss #trending #viral #deadmomconfessions #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #sibling #siblinghumor #sisters #confessions

​The videos are entertaining to watch, but they also provide much comfort for people dealing with grief and loss.

“I lost my mom over a year and a half ago, and I’ve been very depressed BUT seeing this video and your perspective is so refreshing and heartwarming,” Nobody’s Family Law Attorney wrote in the comments. “This is morbidly awesome! I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year. I’m trying to prep my kids for reality. I’m sharing this with them,” Carmensence added.

“My Mom passed 3 months ago and today is my 45th Birthday (first without her). Thank you for making me finally smile,” BethAnn Backus said.

Wherever the mother has seen the video or not, she would have thoroughly enjoyed her daughters’ sense of humor, especially in the face of grief. “When something bad happened, [mom] would say, ‘Let’s laugh about it and keep it moving,’” Riffins told TODAY. “Our family motto was, ‘We are women, hear us roar.'”

What do you get when you combine comedian Trevor Noah, tennis legend Roger Federer and the world famous clock-making, chocolate-brewing, Alpine-skiing symbol of neutrality, Switzerland?

Apparently, a delightfully charming train ride through the Swiss countryside and perhaps the greatest tourism ad ever made.

Both Noah and Federer shared a tourism ad they collaborated on for the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, and people are loving it. It’s one of those ads that people don’t care is an ad because it doesn’t really feel like an ad and it’s so enjoyable to watch. (It’s also incredibly effective—like, give us alllll the train rides through Switzerland, please.)

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The ad plays like a mini-documentary of Noah and Federer filming a Swiss tourism ad gone wrong. The two men—both of whom are half-Swiss in real life—appear to hop on the wrong train while arguing about whether or not the ad they are filming is funny (or whether it even should be).

What follows is a tale involving Swiss punctuality, hospitality and stunning natural beauty, all wrapped up in wholesome hilarity.

Check it out:

Thousands of commenters have chimed in with how enjoyable and effective they found the ad:

“This clip is brilliant and I am definitely going to travel on that train in Switzerland in the near future. Excellent work,” wrote one commenter.

“Usually, I hate tourism ads because they’re always so clichéd and unoriginal, but this one hooked me from the beginning,” shared another. “Switzerland is such a beautiful country, and this ad singlehandedly convinced me so. Looking forward to this train ride sometime in the future! :)”

“This is criminally short!” wrote another. “I wish for a full hour! I can’t seem to get enough of them.”

Noah and Federer shared their experience making the video with Financial Times, and their “behind the scenes” stories are as delightful as the ad itself.

Federer, who is an official Switzerland Tourism Ambassador, shared how much he has enjoyed making Swiss tourism ads with Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway, and of course, Trevor Noah. He said the shoot with Noah brought him back to his own childhood.

“I was always on trains, leaving home, looking out of the window, seeing the trees and the fields go by and thinking, ‘Will I be a good tennis player? Will I not? Will I win, will I not?'” he said.

Several parts of the ad point to how strict the Swiss are about being on time, and Noah shared that there were a few instances while filming when a train really did almost take off with them inside.

“They weren’t even going to hold it for us,” he said. “We were like, ‘Oh, we’re making an ad,’ and then they were like, ‘Yeah, and the train has a schedule.'”

“We were laughing,” Noah said, imagining what would have happened if a train really had left with them on it. “Like, would that become the meta joke? Does that become the joke in the joke?”

If you enjoyed the train tour ad, take a few minutes to see Noah and Federer share how it came to be and how much fun they had making it.

This article originally appeared on 4.5.23

In preparation for an upcoming neo-Nazi march in the small Bavarian town of Wunsiedel, local residents decided to fight back in a hilariously perfect way: by sponsoring each of the 250 fascist participants.

According to Heeb Magazine, “For every metre they walked, €10 went to a programme called EXIT Deutschland, which helps people escape extremist groups.”

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The anti-semitic walkers didn’t figure out the town’s scheme until they had already started their march, and by that time, it was too late to turn back. The end result? The neo-Nazis raised more than $12,000 to fund programs to put an end to neo-Nazis.

Watch the YouTube video below:

This article originally appeared on 11.25.17

André 3000 announced that his new album New Blue Sun wouldn’t be a rap album, but it sounds like Lupe Fiasco might be planning on turning it into one. Shortly after André announced the album, Lupe hit Twitter to declare his intentions. “Gonna rap all over that 3stacks album and put it in the time capsule for future generations,” he wrote, leaving fans unsure if he was joking or deadly serious.

Here’s the thing: This is one of those things Lupe absolutely would do. The hyper-intellectual Chicago rapper has previously employed any number of unusual concepts for albums and mixtapes, from rapping over mainstream hits on Enemy of the State: A Love Story to rapping ABOUT dinosaurs on a track titled, fittingly, “Dinosaurs” from his 2020 House EP with producer Kaelin Ellis.

He’s been every bit as unpredictable and inscrutable as André has been over the past decade or so (albeit much more productive), and if anyone could pull off making a rap album over a bunch of flute instrumentals, it’s probably Lupe — if not André himself (they also share a proclivity for extravagant song titles). In his announcement, André said, “I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, this André 3000 album is coming!’ And you play it and like, ‘Oh man, no verses.’ So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, ‘Warning: no bars.’”

As far as why he didn’t rap on New Blue Sun, the elusive musician told Zane Lowe, “I try to write all the time… I ain’t got no raps like that… Sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way.”

Well, that may not be the case once Lupe’s done. Let’s hope he’s being sincere, if only because we need to know what that’ll sound like.

Birria is starting to take over the fast food landscape and we’re 100% here for it! If you don’t know what birria is, you need to remedy that sh*t ASAP (if it’s your first time, don’t opt for the fast food version, ask your friends to point you to the nearest place that serves the real thing). For the uninitiated, we’re talking about a dish that is so visually appetizing you can taste it with your eyes. And it tastes even better than it looks.

El Pollo Loco was the first big chain to take on birria and while our expectations were perhaps too high the first time around, after making a few changes the chain redeemed itself this spring when the birria menu returned and leveled up. Then Taco Bell followed suit and while, again, it didn’t capture the magic of real authentic birra, it was still a pretty good fast food version of the dish.

Now Del Taco is joining the fold with a new birra menu that includes shredded beef tacos, a shredded beef birra quesadilla, and perhaps most interesting of all… birra ramen.

So did Del Taco nail birria? We found out by trying each dish. Here is how they rank from our least favorite to favorite.

3. Birria Ramen

Tasting Notes & Thoughts:

When I first saw this dish I was a bit horrified. “Why?” I asked myself, but it took just a few seconds of thinking about it to realize this was actually a great idea. Birria consomé is a great thing to steep noodles in and with some cilantro, onion, and shredded beef, you have an elevated version of classic Cup Noodles.

The consomé tastes great, it has a chili-forward flavor that is savory and luxurious with a hint of sweetness. The shredded beef is also a winner, it’s tender and beefy and melts in your mouth. Unfortunately, the weak aspect of this dish is the noodles.

I think the issue is that Del Taco’s birra consomé isn’t hot enough to properly cook noodles. The noodles weren’t as soft and luxurious as they needed to be to properly soak up the flavors. I think this is an easy fix though, all Del Taco needs to do is steep these noodles in boiling water, strain them, and then add the birria consomé.

The Bottom Line:

A great idea that isn’t executed as well as it needs to be, but still tasty regardless. Also, how could a Mexican fast food restaurant miss on adding cheese a la David Chang.

Birria Shredded Beef Tacos

Tasting Notes & Thoughts:

The way this dish works puts into perspective just how superior Del Taco is to Taco Bell. The double tortillas have a great corn flavor and texture, the fresh cheddar is nutty with a hint of salt — everything works together to highlight the flavor of the beef, which is generously portioned in these tacos.

Even without the birra consomé, this is a great taco — dipping it just elevates it that much more.

The Bottom Line:

Del Taco’s shredded beef dunks on every protein option at Taco Bell. This is a great taco and that’s before you dip it into the birria.

Shredded Beef Birria Quesadilla

Tasting Notes & Thoughts:

This was the winner for me. Considering the best part of the new birria menu is this shredded beef, this dish puts the focus on that savory meaty flavor. Inside the quesadilla is a thick portion of shredded beef with tangy and very mild green sauce, and a whole lot of cheddar cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla and flat top grilled (compare this to Taco Bell, which doesn’t have a grill at all).

The consomé shines here as well, absorbing perfectly into the flour tortilla and the crevices of the quesadilla, leading to an explosion of savory, beefy, chili-backed flavor with every bite. I can’t emphasize this enough, the fact that Del Taco shreds its cheese in-house makes a difference. It’s significantly better than every other Mexican-inspired fast food chain’s cheese, even Chipotle, whose cheese never gets hot enough to melt (except for in the quesadilla).

In a perfect world, Del Taco would dip the entire quesadilla in birria consomé before grilling it, but that would probably result in a mess that just doesn’t work in the drive-thru.

The Bottom Line:

You need to order Del Taco’s Shredded Beef Birria Quesadilla immediately! It’s one of the best dishes in fast food.

Find your nearest Del Taco here.

Thanksgiving is almost here. One more weekend and then — BAM! — Turkey Day. Since I’m the cook for my family that means about three solid days of prep and cooking. What can I say? I do it right! So if I want to make a cocktail to numb the pain of being on my feet for hours on end, I want a cocktail that’s easy to mix and delicious.

Speed is the name of the game as much as ease when you’re making cocktails around Thanksgiving. And while seasonal-this or spiced-that cocktails are fun, they’re not necessarily easy to make (or source ingredients for). So let’s make this super easy. Let’s make this a two-ingredient killer.

I’m making Rusty Nails this Thanksgiving. And I think you should too.

First and foremost, the Rusty Nail is a stone-cold classic dating back about 100 years. The cocktail gained traction in the late 1950s leading into the Rat Pack peak era of the early 1960s. It was huge in New Orleans and New York’s cocktail scene in that era. Then it almost disappeared entirely. Well, now it’s back and still freaking delicious thanks to a lush and texturally elevating addition of honey liqueur scotch (Drambuie).

The best part of this cocktail is that it is very easy to mix. You just need to stir two quality scotchy ingredients together and add a little lemon oil and you’re all set. Sound good? Let’s get stirring!

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Rusty Nail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. unpeated single malt Scotch whisky
• 0.75 oz. Drambuie
• Ice
• Large ice cube
• Lemon peel

The one crucial ingredient you’ll need is Drambuie. Honey liqueur and Scotch whisky have been together for hundreds of years because, well, it tastes great. The modern version uses herbs, spices, and heather honey infused with Scotch whisky. On its own, it’s a nice sipper with a very creamy honey edge. In this cocktail, it’s essential.

When it comes to the Scotch whisky to use, I like to lean toward unpeated single malt. The Balvenie Double Wood 12-Year has this hint of heather honey and barrel spice that just works with this cocktail. If you want a hint of peated smoke, I’d stick with the Isle of Skye (where Drambuie is made) and mix this with a Talisker 10.

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass (prechilled)
• Cocktail mixing glass
• Cocktail strainer
• Jigger
• Barspoon
• Paring knife

Method:

• Prechill the rocks glass in the freezer.
• Add the scotch and Drambuie to the cocktail mixing glass. Add a handful of ice and then mix the cocktail until it’s very well-chilled (about 20-30 seconds of stirring).
• Add a large ice cube to the prechilled glass and then strain the cocktail into the glass.
• Express the oils from the lemon peel over the cocktail and drop it in the glass. Serve.

Bottom Line on the Rusty Nail:

This is one of those cocktails where you walk into a bar on a cold rainy day and say, “You know what? I’m in the mood for a Rusty Nail…” and then you drink too many of them. This is a really tasty cocktail, folks. The honey gives the single malt this creamy and ultra-silky mouthfeel that’s full and soft.

The spices of the Drambuie and the Double Wood The Balvenie marry wonderfully on the palate with a deep layer of winter spice barks and a hint of mint over vanilla with a malty winter spice cake vibe.

This is just really good. Better still, it takes all of 30 seconds to make. You cannot beat that on a busy and tiring Thanksgiving week. Sláinte!

C’mon, everyone knows that the most effective (and fun) way to watch horror movies (if at all humanly possible) is in theaters. As such, that’s where Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, a movie that was over 15 years in the making after first reaching the public consciousness as a fake Grindhouse trailer, will be on November 17. The movie will be waiting when you finish your own holiday dinner and decide that cabin fever (pun intended) has set in all too quickly.

Yet in 2023 and beyond, there’s also that oft-asked-about-movies “when can I stream this joint?” question. So, if you must know, the clues lie with a recent deal made by Sony and Netflix for exclusive streaming rights on most of Sony’s theatrical releases, and there’s probably a 90-ish day marker on those dates. For example, No Hard Feelings released on June 23 and landed on Netflix on October 22. In other words, that means that we probably won’t see Thanksgiving on Netflix until after Valentine’s Day.

That’s a long time to wait. Several holidays away, in fact. You know what to do, but put the film (and PEOPLE‘s Sexiest Man Alive) in the Netflix queue, too.

Roth has been checking off all kinds of boxes in recent years while confronting his former biggest fear and finally seeing a reality when people won’t ask him when Thanksgiving will be an actual movie. Here’s the film’s synopsis:

After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts — the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a larger, sinister holiday plan. Will the town uncover the killer and survive the holidays… or become guests at his twisted holiday dinner table?

Thanksgiving has almost arrived in theaters.

With the SAG-AFTRA strike now over, Yellowstone can finally resume production on the back half of Season 5, which will bring the flagship series to a close. Taylor Sheridan probably didn’t plan to bring this Western series to a close this early, but a dispute with Kevin Costner led to the prolific TV creator to pull the plug early and move on to a new Yellowstone series starring Matthew McConaughey.

According to Variety, Yellowstone Season 5 will start filming the Part 2 episodes in late Spring 2024. That should give the show enough time to still hit its previously announced November 2024 release date. As for Kevin Costner’s involvement in the final episodes, as of this writing, the actor is reportedly not returning to the show.

Esquire reports that Puck writer Matthew Belloni recently said the following on his The Town podcast. “My understanding is that, as of now, he is not gonna be in those episodes.” Belloni also reported back in September that a phone call between Sheridan and Costner most likely doomed the actor’s return. Costner reportedly wanted “the right to review, approve, and potentially veto every Sheridan script,” which did not sit well with the Yellowstone creator who has refused to work with a writer’s room and scripts each episode himself.

As for how Sheridan will address Costner’s absence will be tricky. The actor reportedly has a clause in his contract that limits the way Sheridan can kill off his character John Dutton. The Yellowstone patriarch can’t die in a way that “would cause shame or embarrassment to John Dutton — and, implicitly, to Costner and his family.”

(Via Variety)