When the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame class was announced in May, it was no shock that country music legend Willie Nelson was one of the inductees. Even at the tender age of 90, Nelson is still ripping and running on the road. Just as his birthday celebration concert brought out a star-studded bunch of guest performers and attendees, so did his induction ceremony.
On Friday, November 3, Dave Matthews opened the tribute to Nelson with a performance of his 1962 song “Funny How Time Slips Away.” He then delivered a tongue-in-cheek speech filled with jokes about Nelson’s refusal to retire and his well-documented love of marijuana.
For the remaining performance set, Nelson took the stage. He and Chris Stapleton covered Johnny Bush’s “Whiskey River.” Fellow inductee Sheryl Crow also made a cameo to perform “Crazy,” which Nelson wrote and whose most famous rendition was by Patsy Cline in 1961. Then Nelson, Stapleton, Crow, and Matthews closed with “On the Road Again.” At the end of the set, Nelson delivered his heartfelt thank-you speech to the crowd.
Thank all y’all for this great honor. I appreciate the acknowledgment of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, included with so many legends, and some I’m lucky enough to call a friend. It’s been a long ride from my first DJ job to being here with y’all. And as a DJ, I was playing those first songs by Elvis. I remember writers calling that rockabilly rather than rock and roll, and I never did pay much attention to categories, and I’m not sure the fans did either. Folks also like the music I made with my Highwaymen, my brothers. That was fun with [Johnny] Cash and Waylon and Kris Kristofferson. And now that Johnny [Cash] and I’ve been inducted, I want to give a plug for Waylon … and Kris, who sang so many hits, to be inducted too. [Thank you to my band and mife] for keeping me out here doing what I was put here to do. Thank you. Thanks again for including me tonight. And thanks for appreciating my music.
The ceremony was initially broadcast live on Disney+, where it can be replayed. Find more information here.
Nicolas Cage is a serious thespian. He’s even won an Academy Award. But people on social media have a habit of cherry-picking things they like and discarding the rest. Some of the first “supercuts” to become popular on YouTube way back when involved Cage, who’s known to go over-the-top. It’s one thing that’s kept him popular. Understandably he has mixed feelings on this.
In a new interview with The Guardian (in a bit teased out by Variety), Cage acknowledged the elephant in the room, claiming he “might have been the first actor who went through a kind of meme-ification.” According to him, “One person had cherrypicked from all these different movies where I was having meltdowns, but without any regard for how the character got to that place. I was frustrated because I didn’t know what people were taking from the movies other than that.”
Of course, the information superhighway wasn’t a thing when he got his start.
“I got into acting because I was moved by film performance more than any other art form. I didn’t get into movies to become a meme,” he said. “I thought maybe they would compel someone to go back and look at the movies. But I had no control over it.”
Cage found that his latest film, the surrealist comedy Dream Scenario, inadvertently commented on his struggle. In the film, people keep having dreams of his character, a nobody professor, turning him into a celebrity. As with him and memes, Cage says, his character “has no control over this inexplicable phenomenon.”
So when you’re watching a supercut of, let’s say, Cage’s bonkers work in 1989’s Vampire’s Kiss on YouTube, maybe think about watching the whole movie — especially since that one is basically a full-length YouTube supercut containing maybe his bravest performance.
Donald Trump Jr. testified in court this week for his dad’s current trial. Which criminal case is this, you might be wondering? It’s the one in New York involving his company’s alleged yen for fraud. His testimony was, of course, not without its moments of chaos. For one thing, the former president’s eldest son seemed to hit on the courtroom sketch artist, asking her to make him look “sexy.” Alas, it didn’t work.
As caught by Newsweek, after his courtroom appearance Don Jr. took to Instagram to bemoan the decidedly non-sexy sketch that resulted. “WTF Fat slob SBF gets to look like a superhero Zac Efron and I look Kermit the fricken [sic] frog in our courtroom drawings,” he railed, referencing another fraud case: the one involving FTX bro Sam Bankman-Fried, who was found guilty last week, He concluded, “It ain’t right.”
And Don Jr. had such high hopes, too. Before the sketch, by artist Jane Rosenberg, was made public, he confirmed reports that he’d asked to be made to look hot, calling it “100% a true story.” He added, “If you can’t have some fun, even in the midst of an insane persecution from a radical sociopath attorney general, when can you have fun?”
Meanwhile, Don Jr.’s oldest brother Eric had the temerity to claim he was just a normal, blue collar everyman. So the trial — one of their dad’s many — seems to be going nice and normal.
LL Cool J gave DJ Kool Herc an incredible tribute for his 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction at the Brooklyn ceremony tonight. The speech started with LL Cool J looking back on how Kool Herc kicked off the origins of hip-hop by DJ’ing a party for his sister, Cindy Campbell. She was doing it to earn money for back-to-school clothes in 1973.
“We don’t know how much money Cindy managed to raise that day or what clothes she managed to buy but we know she changed the course of history, of music history,” LL Cool J said. “That party has come to be known as the birthplace of hip-hop.”
“It’s a culture that changed my life obviously,” he added, according to Rolling Stone. “It changed the lives of millions and millions of people.”
DJ Kool Herc then went up on stage, bringing Cindy along too.
“I got tears in my eyes,” Herc shared, giving some heartfelt acknowledgments. He then gave his sister a moment to speak.
“LL, you gave a heartfelt introduction, thank you, we love you,” Cindy said. “We always did, and I want to congratulate my brother DJ Kool Herc for staying on that path and getting where he is today. Congratulations to my brother.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of DJ Kool Herc playing that first party.
The hope behind the In-Season Tournament is that it would add some excitement to the early season games that can often fly under the radar. During the first night of competition, there were a few matchups that served as a pretty good proof of concept, with the best of the bunch being the matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Group C play.
It was a close, tense affair with neither team really being able to pull away from the other. Ultimately, the veteran Warriors were able to knock off the upstart Thunder, 141-139, thanks to some last-second heroics by Steph Curry. With things tied up at 139, Curry had the ball on the perimeter against the stout Lu Dort, but was able to get by him and make his way to the rim, where he had to throw a layup high enough to get over the outstretched arms of Chet Holmgren. He managed to do just that and banked it in with 0.2 seconds remaining.
The referees originally determined that there was basket interference by Draymond Green, but after a review, it was determined that it counted as a Curry layup. On the night, Golden State’s MVP scored 32 points on 10-for-16 shooting with eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Tonight’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony has honored a truly stacked list of musical legends for 2023. During the show, Chaka Khan received a heartfelt tribute as one of the inductees. Other musicians like HER, Sia, Common, and Jazmine Sullivan welcomed her with the award.
Sullivan led Chaka Khan’s induction speech — giving kind words to one of her biggest inspirations. “That voice, as raw as it is sweet, as sensual as it is soulful, has guided us through good times and bad, through meet-ups and breakups, through desire and despair, through hard times and higher love,” Sullivan said, according to Rolling Stone. “Chaka’s voice will never get lost among her peers or fade in the background, her tone stands alone. Everything about Chaka is fire.”
She also shared a story about how Khan was there for Sullivan’s mother when she went into remission for cancer.
From there, HER, Sia, and Common all appeared at different times to perform a blend of Khan’s songs. Common did “I Feel For You,” and HER played stuff from Khan’s time in Rufus with “Ain’t Nobody” and “Sweet Thing.” Sia closed out the medley with “I’m Every Woman,” according to the publication.
Check out a video from Chaka Khan’s induction tribute here.
It’s a little hard to determine whether there is a trend in Americans relocating to other countries. Still, approximate figures show that the number of U.S. citizens living abroad has just about doubled since 1999, with the number jumping from 4.1 million to 8 million.
In a recent article for Business Insider, Brooke Black shared that she and her family relocated to Denmark in 2020 and one of the biggest reasons they have decided to stay is that it feels much safer. Black has a husband and two young daughters.
“Overall, Denmark is a safe place, and Danes value trust,” she wrote. “Crime is rare — I rarely see police cars — and gun control is strict. We feel very safe here, which was a major factor in choosing to stay in Denmark.” When you crunch the numbers, Denmark is much safer than the United States. According to Nationmaster, America has 7 times more guns, 6 times more homicides and 4 times more rapes.
Back in 2020, shortly after Black had her second child during the pandemic. Her family decided to leave Los Angeles for two weeks because it was a COVID-19 hotspot and spend two weeks in Denmark with her husband’s family. What started as a 2-week trip became permanent.
Black finds it is much easier to take care of young children in Denmark because of its shorter work weeks. “Because the Danish workweek is 37 hours, most parents pick up their kids by 4 pm at the latest on most weekdays and even earlier on Fridays,” she wrote for Business Insider. “I work for a Danish company and can easily leave in time for pickup. In LA, I would rush across town to get my kid at 5:30 pm, leaving just enough time for a bath and bedtime. I cherish the time I get with my kids now.”
“I’m very grateful for that because that time isn’t coming back,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
Black works for Podimo, an app that publishes over 1,000 exclusive podcasts and 70,000 audiobook titles.
Black isn’t the only American who has found a safer home living in Europe. Earlier this year, Upworthy shared the story of Luna Ashley Santel, her husband and young daughter, who left St. Louis, Missouri for Spain.
Here’s what shifted for him. I’m sure this’ll piss the right people off. No pun intended. #movingabroad #spaindigitalnomadvisa #movingabroadwithpets #movingtospainwithkids
After relocating to Spain, they realized that they had been carrying an invisible mental load while living in America. One day, while sitting in a busy cafè, which would have made them nervous in St. Louis, the couple realized that none of the people milling about had guns.
At this moment, Santel’s husband realized that living in America caused him to be on alert whenever he was out in public. A feeling he never got in Spain. “And I realized this weight that I had been carrying around my whole life wasn’t necessary. Like what we think is normal is not normal,” he said.
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2023 induction ceremony is being held in Brooklyn tonight, November 3. However, hours before, Kate Bush revealed that she would not be attending through a statement on her website, despite her inclusion on this year’s inductee class.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend the ceremony tonight, but for me the real honour is knowing that you felt I deserved it,” Bush wrote. “The RRHOF has welcomed me into the most extraordinary rostrum of overwhelming talent.”
Later in the statement, she expressed her love for Elton John as a musical inspiration. Bush also went on to congratulate John’s songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, for being recognized tonight.
“I poured over his music, longed to be able to play piano like him and longed to write songs that could move people in the way his work moved me,” she shared. “That little girl in South East London could never have dreamed she’d be sharing the event tonight with Bernie Taupin, Elton’s writing partner, an incredible lyricist who inspired me to keep writing songs – to keep trying. Congratulations Bernie! Congratulations to everyone who is being inducted tonight!”
Tonight (November 3), Olivia Rodrigo took the stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to perform at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s induction ceremony for 2023. Rodrigo appeared alongside Sheryl Crow, as the two covered “If It Makes You Happy.” (Crow is one of the inductees for this year.)
Rodrigo and Crow both have guitars, as they are backed by a full band. “You know, I still get stoned,” Crow sings, jokingly putting a bit more emphasis on the last word, as the audience cheers. Rodrigo also tackled some of the lines by herself — showing off her vocal talent on a different type of song.
By the chorus, both of them are jamming out together, giving off pure carefree energy.
Earlier this week, it had been hinted that Rodrigo would be performing at the ceremony alongside “one of her heroes,” before a chairman, John Sykes, confirmed to The New York Times that it would be Crow. (Last year, Rodrigo got to perform “You’re So Vain” with Carly Simon.)
As hard as I try, I may never be the #1 best travel writer on the planet. I may not evoke entire worlds with my precise selection of verbs like Paul Theroux. I’m certainly not completing complex ethnographies like Bruce Chatwin. Or walking a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail as a means of learning life lessons like Cheryl Strayed.
But when it comes to evaluating a hotel based on sexiness? Well, I have this industry on lock. I mean, who else starts a hotel review series and makes it mandatory to rate the “Sexiness Factor”?
But what actually makes a hotel sexy? What delivers the perfect balance of raw allure and titillating, “anything might happen”-type energy? Not surprisingly, I have some thoughts on this, which I’ve detailed below:
It’s got to be so clean that you can’t even faintly conceive of the distant possibility that a non-flosser or someone with fungus-ridden toenails ever trod the same halls or slept in the same bed as you.
I mean, it’s gotta beso clean.
Like it was made yesterday.
And yet… it has to feel a tad chaotic. Reminding you of the most fun person at the party who also veers dangerously close to going off the rails — in hotel form.
The design should be modern and stylish and simple. Same with the amenities. Antiques are rarely sexy.
It should have a bar that cool people like to visit, even if they aren’t staying.
Plus it’s got to have a great restaurant.
And an even better pool.
Boom. 10 rules for the sexiest hotel on earth. And in my role as Uproxx’s travel editor, I already knew Mondrian Los Angeles was nailing all of those ten aspects. I mean the rooms are clean and modern and crisp:
Mondrian Los Angeles
This is a property that knows what it’s doing. You don’t hang a ring light over every bed by accident — that’s a very precise choice. Do they also have one of those coy showers where you can treat the shower like a performance art space or draw a gauzy curtain closed to keep a bit of mystery?
You’d better believe it.
Mondrian Los Angeles
Plus it’s got an in-house restaurant, Casa Madera, that has a superb cocktail program, an adjoining bar, and a menu full of oysters and raw fish (crudo is the sexiest food, period). It’s a see-and-be-seen spot, which is sort of fun, on special occasions. And the beautiful people are surrounded by austere vases filled with pampas grass, which is the sexiest of all grasses.
It’s got its own hotel drinks space, Skybar, where they create a fun indoor-outdoor tropical vibe.
Mondrian Los Angeles
And an amazing pool that has 0.00 children in it.
Steve Bramucci
Okay, so the table is set. Pretty sexy hotel, agreed?
Now here’s the crazy, spike-the-football-in-the-endzone coup de grâce:
Between now and December 3oth the property is running a collaboration with a literal lingerie brand (Savage X Fenty), owned by a woman who is almost unarguably one of the most beautiful/ most talented humans alive (Rihanna) and is partnered with a man whose features look like what would happen if you had a Genie in a bottle and said “Genie, do me a favor real quick and make me look the most handsome. Just like… more handsome than anyone else. Ever. Thanks!” (A$AP Rocky).
Here are the details of the package:
Suite at Mondrian Los Angeles – Deluxe Studio Suite and above.
A bottle of champagne.
Two (2) Savage X Fenty CLF Satin Robes with Lightning Bolt (for women) or Savage X Smoking Jacket (for men), one for each guest.
Two (2) Mondrian sleep masks per room.
Reader, I have stayed in the room. I have worn the robe (yes, I got the robe not the smoking jacket — yes, I wear the hell out of that silky thing). I have eaten at the restaurant. I have spent a day drinking and lounging and swimming in the pool. I have smirked wickedly at the fact that the eyemasks are called “sleep masks.” I have held the property to a very high standard while looking through the prism of what is sexy. I have even taken a few photos you won’t see with my lady in the ring light mirrors.
And I’m here to tell you… Right now, in November of 2023, Mondrian Los Angeles’s Savage X Fenty Fall Package is the sexiest hotel in Hollywood. Which is one of the most sexy places on earth. Meaning it’s little more than a bathtub, hot tub, and sauna away from the sexiest hotel room on the planet.
And all for roughly $400 all in, plus a few drinks. That’s not cheap but it’s absolutely a great value — which may not be the sexiest point to finish on, but it’s nice all the same.
The Mondrian Los Angeles x Savage X Fenty Fall Hotel Package is available until December 30, 2023. Rates start at $319 per night.
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