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In just two short seasons, Abbott Elementary has become an outright sensation. The show, which is kind of like The Office or Parks And Recreation set in a Philadelphia public elementary school, has garnered rave reviews for its heart and laugh-out-loud comedic touch. However, another aspect of its popularity that can’t be overlooked is its cameos and commitment to its Philadelphia setting.

While comedian/rapper Zack Fox played an integral role in the first season, the second season has upped the ante, with a hilarious appearance from Philly Flyers mascot Gritty, and in the show’s latest episode which aired last night, Vince Staples and 76ers legend Andre Iguodala. They join a cast that is already full of delightful comedic personalities including Tyler James Williams (from Everybody Hates Chris), Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Quinta Brunson, the show’s creator and main character, rookie educator Janine Teagues.

And since Staples is cast as a romantic rival to Williams’ Gregory for Janine’s affections, fans are rightfully freaking out, since Greg and Janine are the show’s “will they, won’t they” couple. Williams and Brunson’s smoldering chemistry doesn’t hurt either.

Iggy’s appearance is played more for straight laughs, as he appears as the boyfriend of the school’s irresponsible principal, Ava (portrayed by James). Fans were naturally excited to get yet another Philly reference on the show, which has nodded to Sixers basketball a couple of times this season, including with Janine’s Halloween costume of James Harden.

The show is going into its winter hiatus. Still, it will return in early 2023 — undoubtedly with more fun surprises and complications in the ongoing story of the interoffice romance between Janine and Greg (and hopefully, more Ava/Iggy shenanigans).

2023 is already looking great: It was announced today (December 8) that The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are uniting for a joint tour next year. A press release noted Ben Gibbard will be playing both The Postal Service’s 2003 album Give Up and DCFC’s also-2003 album Transatlanticism in full.

So, as far as what songs the bands will be performing and as a refresher about the albums, here’s the Give Up tracklist:

1. “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”
2. “Such Great Heights”
3. “Sleeping In”
4. “Nothing Better” Feat. Jen Wood
5. “Recycled Air”
6. “Clark Gable”
7. “We Will Become Silhouettes”
8. “This Place Is A Prison”
9. “Brand New Colony”
10. “Natural Anthem”

The 10th anniversary deluxe edition of the album also featured the bonus tracks “Turn Around,” “A Tattered Line Of String,” “Be Still My Heart,” and “There’s Never Enough Time,” along with covers, remixes, and live recordings.

Now, the Transatlanticism tracklist:

1. “The New Year”
2. “Lightness”
3. “Title And Registration”
4. “Expo ’86”
5. “The Sound Of Settling”
6. “Tiny Vessels”
7. “Transatlanticism”
8. “Passenger Seat”
9. “Death Of An Interior Decorator”
10. “We Looked Like Giants”
11. “A Lack Of Color”

Gibbard said in a statement, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Find more info about ticketing here and revisit both of those albums below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Postal Service’s 2003 album Give Up is one of the most beloved indie projects perhaps ever. Since the band disbanded, fans have been clamoring for a reunion. Every now and then, they’ve gotten one, like when they did an anniversary tour in 2013 or when Ben Gibbard and Jenny Lewis had a mini reunion in 2019. Now, it’s happening again.

Today (December 8), it was announced that The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are going on a joint tour in 2023, where both groups will be performing their respective 2003 albums (Give Up and Transatlanticism) in full. The tour starts in September and will run through to mid-October. Ticket pre-sale begins on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time and more info can be found here.

In terms of new music from the group, though, that may not be likely. In 2021, Gibbard said, “I love Jimmy [Tamborello] and Jenny so much, but the dream or idea of doing more music kind of died when we attempted to make the second record in 2004 and 2005. […] You want to never say never, but no one should be holding their breath waiting for Postal Service music coming any time soon. We haven’t worked on anything. We stay in touch as friends, but that’s kind of the extent of it.”

Check out the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Today brought some amazing news for fans of 2003-era Ben Gibbard: The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are going on a joint tour in 2023, in celebration of the albums Give Up and Transatlanticism, respectively. This is going to be one of indie music’s biggest events of the year and these concerts will be must-attend affairs.

If you’re looking to get tickets, here’s what you need to know: pre-sales begin on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time. Whatever tickets remain will be released to the general public on December 16. Find more info about ticketing here.

The tour starts on September 8, 2023 in Portland, Maine and will hit cities like Boston, Detroit, and New York before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on October 13.

Gibbard said in a statement, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Find the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

2023 is a significant year when it comes to Ben Gibbard-related anniversaries. In 2003, The Postal Service released Give Up, their debut and so-far-only album. Later that year, Death Cab For Cutie dropped one of their most beloved projects, Transatlanticism. Now, we have some exciting and unprecedented news: In 2023, Gibbard and company will celebrate both of these projects with a joint Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie tour.

The co-headlining tour will see Gibbard performing with both bands, alongside Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis in The Postal Service and with Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr in DCFC. For the bands’ sets, they will be performing their respective aforementioned albums in full.

The tour starts on September 8, 2023 in Portland, Maine (where Gibbard and Lewis previously staged a mini Postal Service reunion in 2019). From there, it will hit cities like Boston, Detroit, and New York before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on October 13. Ticket pre-sales begin on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time, while remaining tickets will be released to the general public on December 16. Find more info about ticketing here.

Gibbard offered a statement about all this, saying, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Watch the announcement video above and check out the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A film’s box office total isn’t necessarily indicative of whether it was a success or not… but it’s still cool as hell that Everything Everywhere All at Once made over 100 million bucks. The A24 mind-bender is a leading contender for a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, and its star, Michelle Yeoh, is all but guaranteed to be up for Best Actress. The actress spoke to another likely nominee, Tár‘s Cate Blanchett, as part of Variety‘s Actors on Actors series, and she revealed the reason that she nearly left the project.

“With [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert], I had to see if they were certifiably insane, in the best possible way. It’s very important that I feel the director is a visionary and I’m one of their tools,” Yeoh said. “The only thing I said to them was, ‘The character cannot be called Michelle Wang.’ They’re like, ‘But why? It’s so you.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m not an Asian immigrant mother who’s running a laundromat. She needs her own voice.’ That was the only thing.” She added, “If you don’t change the name, I’m not coming in.”

It’s a good thing they listened to Yeoh, which is a good rule for most things in life.

(Via Variety)

The NBA’s changing of the guard is becoming evident every night on the court, with young stars leading some of the league’s best teams to championship contention. The rise of this new generation is also increasingly materializing in boardrooms across the country.

Nike finalized its decision to end its partnership with Kyrie Irving this week, after a year of turmoil between the sneaker brand and the faces of one of its most popular lines. While Nike retains lucrative deals with legends like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, whose shoes are among the most popular among both current players and everyday hoopers around the world, parting ways with Irving created a chance for some of the league’s best young athletes to step up in the sneaker game.

It soon came out that the main beneficiaries would be two 2022 All-NBA guards from out West. Nick DePaula of ESPN and the Boardroom reported that Ja Morant and Devin Booker will both be getting signature shoe lines in time for the start of the 2023-24 season.

This move gives Nike several great options to collaborate with two of the most popular, marketable stars in the league, and will certainly help boost the two athletes’ impact on the basketball community to even greater heights. Morant has 8.5 million Instagram followers while Booker has 5.4 million. Both were in the top 13 among the NBA’s most popular jerseys last season. They were next in line and starting to hit their primes as players, so Nike’s choice makes sense.

Moving forward, new projects with Booker and Morant will help give Nike faces for its brand for the rest of this decade. Booker has already released multiple well-received sneakers in conjunction with Bryant’s Proto line, particularly the Protro 5 “Devin Booker” in orange and white, which Booker frequently wears on the court. Booker also put out a sleek-looking Air Force 1 colorway dedicated to his high school, Moss Point, in Mississippi.

Morant, meanwhile, is also fond of Kobes, though it’s expected Nike might prefer a wholly new model for Morant, including a potential “Air Ja” concept. A recent Nike ad campaign called “Says Who?” centered on Morant’s high-flying style and played off his roots in small towns across the South in high school, college, and the NBA.

Jordan Brand, a subsidiary of Nike, had been snatching up most of the other up-and-comers. Jayson Tatum, perhaps the front-runner for the 2023 MVP right now, will get a signature line with Jordan Brand next summer. Zion Williamson got a Jordan Brand deal worth a reported $2 million before playing a single NBA game. Luka Doncic released the Jordan Luka 1 last summer.

Nike is still in a good position as well. James has a lifetime deal and it’s unlikely his sneakers ever become irrelevant (though fewer current players are wearing them), while Bryant’s Protros remain among the most popular lines in the world. The brand recently gave Bulls star DeMar DeRozan a four-year deal to keep him as the “face” of Bryant’s line. Durant makes a reported $35 million annually through his Nike deal, which runs through 2024, and he’s still playing at an elite level in his mid-30s. And in 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Freak 1s gave Nike the biggest sneaker launch in the history of the company.

The Morant and Booker deals will allow Nike to carry on the legacy of its Protro brand and begin to reinvent itself post-Irving, Durant, and Paul George. Nike can use these new deals to further establish their dominance over the NBA, particularly as adidas struggles with its business strategy after cutting ties on its Yeezy brand. For Morant and Booker individually, it solidifies their place in the NBA even further, on top of their massive contracts, consistent on-court brilliance, and standing atop the Western Conference.

The role of companies like Nike is only strengthening in the NBA over time, and Booker and Morant will be the latest to cash in during this period of transition atop the sneaker pecking order.

One of the best baseball players in the world isn’t leaving the Big Apple. Early on Wednesday morning, it was reported that reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge will stick with the New York Yankees after a tense couple of days that made it sound like he was strongly considering leaving town, with the San Francisco Giants mentioned as a potential destination.

It’s not uncommon for a star athlete in a city to do something big that gets the media looking for reactions from other star athletes in the same city that play different sports. As such, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant — who is never shy to share his thoughts on things that happen outside of the world of basketball — was asked his thoughts on Judge sticking around after the team picked up a 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. In response, Durant gave an objectively hilarious answer.

“I’m a Nationals fan, I really don’t care about Aaron Judge at all,” Durant said.

While this is, again, an extremely funny response, Durant took to Twitter and walked things back a bit, expressing that it was a joke that “came out colder than I intended.”

A quick hop onto Instagram shows that Durant and Judge follow one another, so we’ll take KD at his word on this one.

To say that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are a study in contrasts would be an understatement. If we want a simple example, we can look at how Zelensky refused an offer (from President Biden) for a ride out of Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Whereas reports indicate that Putin has been hatching a plan to flee from Russia if he loses the war and gets booted from power.

As one would expect, Putin’s also not thrilled about his army’s shortcomings as Ukraine has made a series of stunning advances against the odds. Putin did try to downplay the sophisticated bombing of a key Russian asset, but Putin couldn’t deny (as USA Today now reports) that this was is turning into a longer affair than he previously imagined it would be.

Meanwhile, Putin continues to be the butt of shirtless horseback jokes while trying to look big, bad, scary, and strong, so TIME naming “Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine” as Person of the Year was bound to ruffle Kremlin feathers, too.

As TIME notes, “Zelensky’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious.” The publication pointed toward how presidents (and there are many examples of this) tend to leave the building when similar invasions happen. Here’s how the Kremlin has officially responded, via USA Today

“The magazine’s editorial directives remain within the boundaries of the pan-European mainstream, which is totally short-sighted, anti-Russian and vehemently Russophobic,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin has yet to directly comment on the TIME move, but he did resurrect his talk of using nuclear weapons. As CNN reports, Putin didn’t deny the possibility of being the first to whip out nukes. He stayed very vague, too, by mentioning that “we have a strategy… namely, as a defense, we consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons – it is all based around the so-called retaliatory strike.” What does this mean? “That is, when we are struck, we strike in response.” He doesn’t define “struck,” of course, but again, the differences between himself and Zelensky are looking pretty stark these days.

(Via Time, USA Today & CNN)

Here’s a little treat for your Thursday: a practical penis stunt.

In the third season of The Boys, which aired this past summer, we witnessed something unlike anything ever seen on television before: Herogasm. Heroagasm is, essentially, exactly what it sounds like: a big Supe get-together/orgy where they have sex and do weird Supe sex stuff. The Boys never hesitates to push the limit, and thusly, Herogasm included a penis that was on fire. According to The Boys series creator and showrunner Eric Kripke, that penis was a practical effect meaning that, yes, The Boys set a penis on fire, literally. The things we do for art!

During a For Your Consideration conversation moderated by Metacritic, Kripke described the special effect used in the sixth episode of season three, titled, if you can believe it, “Herogasm.”

“That’s practical; that guy did that for real,” Kripke said. “The gel is so good in terms of how it doesn’t burn you that it was a stuntman, and I was like, ‘Really? Are you sure that he’s going to do that?’ And our stunt coordinator John Koyama, who’s also amazing, said, ‘Oh yeah, no, it’s going to be fine.’ So he got one of his stunt guys to rub all of that fire gel all over his junk and lit it — take after take after take. I couldn’t get over it.”

But the fiery penis was not the only crazy thing at Herogasm. Kripke explained that they wanted every frame to contain something, and the writers took inspiration from existing superheroes: for example, in the episode, a woman is using a lasso like Wonder Woman, but for bondage, since this is an orgy. “We had to pack the frame so that everywhere you looked, you could freeze frame and see 10 insane things,” Kripke said. Call Kripke Ethan Hunt because the seemingly impossible mission of Herogasm was accomplished, and no penises were burnt in the process.

(Via Metacritic)