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Tuesday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA, R&B star HER absolutely showed out on the latest stop on the ongoing tour for her debut album, Back Of My Mind. You would think, given the multi-instrumentalist’s status as an awards show fixture, that this wouldn’t be a surprise. But somehow, even though I knew going in what kind of a performer she is, I was still unprepared for just how much I’d catch myself getting into the performance.

Maybe there’s something to not letting small glimpses feel like the big picture. Although we’ve all “seen” HER going for broke in at least a dozen televised broadcasts over the past three years, the constraints of a single song performance just don’t do her justice. Her vocal range will blow you away. Her mastery of the stage is truly astonishing. The way she oozes charisma and easygoing NorCal charm when she interacts with the audience is inspiring. Even her laid-back tour uniform — an oversized silk shirt and Nikes — seems aimed at putting the star in her element, like we’re all just hanging out in her living room (her 6,000-plus capacity living room) enjoying a jam session.

And jam she does. In addition to playing both her established hits like “Damage” and “Focus,” she displays a staggering wealth of musical appreciation. In the course of her 90-minute set, she reeled off a medley of rock hits including Joan Jett’s, “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” played portions of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On suite, and delivered thrilling renditions of Ed Sheeran’s “Make It Rain” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (the latter of which she performed with the man himself at the recent Grammys ceremony). “Virtuoso” doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. But in recalling that Grammy’s ceremony, HER’s performance highlighted something that feels like a growing problem within the music industry.

In the days since the 64th annual Grammy Awards last Sunday, there has been a lot of cynical derisive chatter online about so-called “Grammy-core.” You probably know that snobby music writer appellative used to deride a certain kind of prestigious and popular musician. It suggests that some artists — perhaps the ones favored by the “Grammys audience,” whatever that is — aren’t cool or edgy or gritty enough just because your mom likes them or something.

The thing about that line of thinking is that, aside from being completely juvenile in origin (seriously, most of you ARE the uncool parents, so pipe down), it is totally disrespectful of those artists who actually care about the art. Maybe they’re popular and respected by their peers because they care. Because they put in the work. Because they’re professional and polished and practiced (an underrated, too often overlooked quality) or because they had the dedication to toil quietly behind the scenes before taking the hard-won spotlight they worked so hard to deserve.

The thing about a career artist like HER is that she’s not some fly-by-night, devil-may-care newcomer — and that’s a good thing, not a bad one. Maybe that’s not rebellious enough for some folks but I would contend that this makes her more of a rebel than any number of viral success stories who affect a cavalier air of indifference toward their art and careers. Personally, I never trust an artist who works harder to convince their audience that they don’t care how they’re perceived… Usually, they care the most, but never enough to actually put in the work.

HER does. She loves music. And, for what it’s worth, people actually love her back. Throughout the show, the diverse audience didn’t just sing along, they straight-up belted just about every song. HER’s genuine appreciation for music was reflected in the crowd around her. It was reflected in the way she was happy to cede the spotlight to her 17-year-old backup singer during her Daniel Caesar duet “Best Part,” beaming like a proud auntie. It was reflected in how she acknowledged her Grammys success with a lighthearted flex but insisted — sincerely — that she loved performing for the people at the YouTube Theater more.

That sincerity, I think, isn’t just what makes her an awesome performer… It makes her cool, much cooler than the people who performatively slag off anything too popular or sincere. She’s comfortable in herself, in her talent, in her skill, and in the relationship between artists and their audience. She’s comfortable enough that she doesn’t feel compelled to do anything more than play for the love of playing, sing for the love of singing, and humbly accept the accolades and adoration that come her way as a result. HER isn’t just one of the best performers in music today, she’s one of the coolest, and she deserves to be acknowledged as such.

Sharon Van Etten‘s sixth album We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong is set for release next month. This morning, Van Etten revealed a 45-second trailer containing photos of her recording the album, spending time with family, and traveling.

While this trailer offers fans a taste of what to expect from Van Etten’s new chapter, they shouldn’t expect much else between now and the time of the album’s release: Van Etten also revealed that she will not release any of the album’s songs as singles. Her recently released singles, “Porta” and “Used To It,” don’t exist as part of the album’s universe.

“I wanted to approach this release differently, to engage my fans in an intentional way, in an effort to present the album as a whole body of work,” said Van Etten in a statement. “These ten songs are designed to be listened to in order, at once, so that a much larger story of hope, loss, longing, and resilience can be told. I wanted to convey that in an image with me walking away from it all, not necessarily brave, not necessarily sad, not necessarily happy.”

Later this year, Van Etten will embark on The Wild Hearts Tour with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, and Spencer, but before then, she will play select dates in North America and Europe, the latter of which will be for her Darkness Fades tour. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Check out the We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong trailer above and the tracklist and cover art below, along with Van Etten’s upcoming tour dates.

1. “Darkness Fades”
2. “Home to Me”
3. “I’ll Try”
4. “Anything”
5. “Born”
6. “Headspace”
7. “Come Back”
8. “Darkish”
9. “Mistakes”
10. “Far Away”

04/21 — Charlottesville, VA @ The Jefferson Theatre ~
04/22 — Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom ~
04/23 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse ~
04/24 — Charleston, SC @ High Water Music Festival
05/31 — Lisbon, PT @ Aula Magna ^#
06/02 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/05 — München, DE @ Muffathalle ^%
06/06 — Antwerp, BE @ Openluchttheater Rivierenhof ^%
06/07 — Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle ^%
06/09 — Oslo, NE @ Loaded &
06/10 — Stockholm, SE @ Rosendal, Djurgarden &
06/11 — Copenhagen, DK @ Syd For Solen &
06/13 — Berlin, DE @ Metropol ^%
06/14 — Utrecht, NE @ TivoliVredenberg Grote Zaal ^%
06/15 — Paris, FR @ La Cigale ^%
06/17 — London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy ^%
06/18 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute ^%
06/19 — Leeds, UK @ 02 Academy Leeds ^%
06/21 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland ^%
06/22 — Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street ^%

~ with Mia Joy
^ Darkness Fades Tour
# with The Weather Station
% with L’Rain

We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong is out 5/6 via Jagjaguwar. Pre-save it here.

While craft brewers are still cranking out West Coast IPAs, fruited sours, hazy IPAs, and all manner of barrel-aged stouts and porters, there seems to be a slight shift in the last few years, towards beer that, to paraphrase an old Denis Leary-ism, tastes like beer. We’re speaking specifically here about the classic, iconic, fresh, crisp pilsner.

This light, easy-drinking beer was named for the Bohemian city of Pilsen, where the style originated way back in 1842. While trendier beer styles and unique, over-the-top flavors grab the headlines, for many drinkers it’s still hard to pass up a tasty, thirst-quenching pilsner.

Chris Collier, brewer at Biggerstaff Brewing in Atlanta, believes the best pilsners are those made by traditional brewers in Europe who have been brewing the pale lager since its creation. “I’m specifically a fan of clean, crisp, and refreshing German pilsners, which showcase noble hop flavors and med/high bitterness.”

Yet when it comes to the pilsner marketplace in 2022, there’s a nice mix of classic and contemporary. When we asked our panel of brewers to name their favorites, we heard about traditional pilsners from the Czech Republic and Germany and American craft versions in almost equal measure. It seems that these days, no region has a monopoly on crispy boys.

Notch Session Pils

Eddie Leal, head brewer at Ellis Island Casino, Hotel & Brewery in Las Vegas

ABV: 4%
Average Price: $10.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

One of my favorite pilsner styles is Czech Pils. They are a bit more complex than your German Pilsner. They are slightly sweet with a spicy hop character to them. I enjoy these because they are a clean lager with more flavor than your typical pilsner. The perfect end-of-shift beer. One of the best examples of an American-made Czech-style pilsner is Notch Session Pils. It’s crisp, refreshing, and the closest thing you can get to an actual Czech lager in the states.

Holy Mountain Three Fates

Zach Fowle, advanced Cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix

ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

A great pilsner has to have great malt character, and Three Fates from Seattle’s Holy Mountain Brewing delivers on that front better than pretty much any pilsner I’ve tasted. The flavor is round, full, and classic, with hints of oyster crackers and a fresh sourdough bread note that becomes toastier as the beer warms in the mouth. The hops are bright and herbal, but that smooth malt is the star—as it should be.

Trumer Pils

Mike Kelly, senior brewer at Harpoon Brewery in Boston

ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $8.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Trumer Pils – Trumer Pils is everything you look for in a pilsner with a crisp bitterness, light body, and great noble hop character. Trumer Pils is a beer that is easy to appreciate and hard to pass up. While unfortunately not distributed to the Boston market, it’s a must-buy whenever I can get my hands on it.

Firestone Walker Pivo Pils

Matthew Osterman, president of Sleeping Giant Brewing in Denver

ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Firestone Walker Pivo Pils. Hoppy pilsners are amongst my favorite styles and this is one of the best of them around. Formative in my craft beer education, it’s a perfect blend of floral, citrus, and spice. It’s my desert-island beer.

The Tank Brewery Playita Pils

Marshall Hendrickson, co-founder and head of brewing operations at Veza Sur Brewing in Miami

ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

The Tank Brewery Playita Pils is my pick. Playita Pils is a perfect example of the style – it’s got a clean malt flavor with some subtle noble hop flavor and aroma. While most beers taste better the fresher they are, I find this particularly true for pilsners (and lagers in general). So, if I’m in Miami drinking Playita, I can guarantee it’s always going to be fresh.

Austin Beer Garden Industry Pils

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak and Yeti Brewpub & Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Austin Beer Garden Brewery’s Industry Pils is delicious. It has a bold hop flavor that really pushes the boundaries, yet works so well with this crisp, clean beer. It’s a refreshing, delicious, easy-drinking beer for any time of year.

Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils

Charles McManus, head brewer at Phantom Canyon Brewing Company in Colorado Springs, Colorado

ABV: 5.1%
Average Price: $11.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus is one of the best pilsners made in the US and possibly the world. The beer is a perfect display of brewing acumen with a glistening straw-colored body and a rocky, white head, bursting with the finest hop aromatics. This beer is genuinely and authentically Pils.

Pilsner Urquell

Todd Bellmyer, head brewer at Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver

ABV: 4.4%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

This one is easy because it is a world-class example of a pilsner – Pilsner Urquell. The world’s first pilsner, it gets a lot of its unique flavor from the soft water profile in the underground wells that feed the city of Pilsen (Plzeň). I visited in 2019 and it was an amazing city full of great beer, good food, and nice people that spoke a language I can never begin to understand.

Writer’s Pick:

Heater Allen Pils

ABV: 4.9%
Average Price: $16.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

This Bohemian-style pilsner is a classic malt-forward, crisp, refreshing beer that hits the spot any time of year, but especially when the weather starts to warm up. The traditional, bright flavors make this one of the best interpretations of the Czech-style lager. It’s a beer you’ll go back to again and again.

Writer’s Pick:

Bitburger Premium Pils

ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: $6.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer:

While Pilsner Urquell gets a lot of acclaim in the pilsner world, we believe you shouldn’t sleep on Bitburger. This German pilsner is known for its crispy, refreshing flavor with a nice, grainy malt backbone and floral, slightly bitter Noble hops. It’s hard to beat its crushability on a hot day too.

A retired merchant navy engineer in England has found a treasure that would have made his country’s most popular folk hero proud. Graham Harrison, a 64-year-old metal detector enthusiast, discovered a gold signet ring that once belonged to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The discovery was made on a farm in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, 26.9 miles from Sherwood Forest. The forest is known worldwide for being the mythological home of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. A central road that traversed the forest was notorious in Medieval times for being an easy place for bandits to rob travelers going to and from London.

Today, the forest is a designated National Nature Reserve. It contains ancient oaks that date back thousands of years, making it an important conservation area.

“It was the first big dig after lockdown on a glorious day. We were searching two fields. Other detectorists kept finding hammered coins but I’d found nothing,” Harrison said according to the Daily Mail. “Then I suddenly got a signal. I dug up a clod of earth but couldn’t see anything. I kept breaking up the clod and, on the last break, a gold ring was shining at me. I broke out into a gold dance.”

Gold Ring that Belonged to Real Sheriff of Nottingham.nnRead more: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/sheriff-nottingham-0016568u00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/K7rhf2E62O

— Ancient Origins (@Ancient Origins)
1648812786

Harrison sent the ring to the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme to have it authenticated. After doing some research they found that it was once owned by Sir Matthew Jenison, who was the Sheriff of Nottingham between 1683 and 1684.

The first accounts of Robin Hood, then known as Robyn Hode, first appear in the 12th century, a few hundred years before Sir Matthew served as sheriff.

But there’s no doubt that the archer and leader of Merry Men would have been delighted to know that an everyday guy came into possession of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s ring.

Sir Matthew was knighted in 1683 and acted as a commissioner to examine decaying trees in Sherwood Forest. He was later elected to Parliament in 1701. However, a series of lawsuits over shady land dealings would eventually be his ruin and he’d die in prison in 1734.

The gold signet ring bears the coat of arms of the Jenison family, who were known for getting rich off a treasure trove of valuables left for safekeeping during the English Civil War. The valuables were never claimed, so the Jenisons took them for themselves.

Harrison decided that he would sell the ring to someone who appreciates its importance.

“There can’t be many people who’ve found anything like that. I’m only selling it because it’s been stuck in a drawer,” Harrison said. “I hope it will go to someone who will appreciate its historical value.” It was sold at auction by Hansons Auctions for £8,500 ($11,115).

March Historica & Coin Auction. 24 March u2014 25 March. The Sheriff of Nottinghamu2019s gold signet ring #Historica #Auction @HansonHistoricannCheck out HansonsAuctions’s video! #TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLmGN476/u00a0pic.twitter.com/cbdwbWrqdH

— Hansons (@Hansons)
1648055052

WOW! The final moments as the Sheriff of#Nottingham ring goes under the hammer… @HansonHistorica @HansonsAuctionsn@[email protected]/NLssFdaksL

— Hansons (@Hansons)
1648124323

Let’s hope that the man who sold the ring does what Robin Hood would have done with a piece of jewelry that adorned the hand of a nobleman whose family came into money by taking other people’s loot. Surely, he’d take the proceeds from the auction and give them to the poor.

The pandemic has been on our minds much longer than anyone could have anticipated, and usually when you hear COVID-19, the news isn’t the best, but this news is. A group of dads in Australia were able to mitigate the spread of the very contagious omicron variant in their children’s school. The dads, whose children attend Brisbane Independent School in Pullenvale, Queensland, got together with the principal to figure out how they could prevent outbreaks of the omicron variant. They used their knowledge in science and engineering to come up with a plan to stay ahead of the contagious virus that they all knew could spread through the school like wildfire. Dads in the group included a scientist that specializes in marine ecology, an engineer and a medical specialist.

In December, the dads began discussing how they could keep the small school’s 71 children safe after the border was recently reopened. They decided to do something that Bill Nye would be proud of, and turned to science and what they knew about how the virus spreads. Ventilation was key in keeping the spread as low as possible, and these dads did not disappoint when they put their heads together to figure things out. The group used a smoke machine to study airflow patterns in the classrooms and administration areas, and carbon dioxide meters were used to identify “dead spots” where ventilation was low.

They purchased air purifiers that included high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters to lower the risk of SARS-CoV-2 particles circulating throughout the classrooms and other areas of the school. The school also invested in CO2 monitors for every classroom to monitor and track trends in data and identify how the ventilation was working. The dads used fans to adjust the airflow in the classrooms to help account for the “dead zones,” and the experiment worked! The dead zones were eliminated and the classes were able to keep track of the flow, or lack thereof, with the CO2 monitors.

1/ A thread on COVID safety in Queensland schools, clean air interventions, and independent schools…nn #covidschools #brisbanepic.twitter.com/0PU5eBd2mJ

— Jez Roff (@Jez Roff)
1644202922

This didn’t completely stop people from contracting COVID-19, as a teacher and one or two students in several of the classes did test positive, but the transmission was not traced back to the school building. All in all, this was a huge success. The group of dedicated dads was able to prevent community spread throughout the school by utilizing their skills in science and engineering. Dr. George Roff, a scientist and one of the dads that helped make this possible, told ABC News Australia, “Our goal in creating clean-air classrooms at the school was to minimize this risk of transmission within the community.”

It’s clear that these dads were on a mission to limit the risks for their kids, and used their smarts to stop the virus it in its tracks. Brisbane Independent School principal Lachlyn Bowie said she was grateful for the expertise of the parents. “At the end of the day, this is about health and safety. We’re trying to protect our students and staff,” she said. These parents prove that love has no bounds and using a little ingenuity can go a long way to protect not only their kids, but others as well.

Michael Bay’s Ambulance, which our own Mike Ryan reviews as quite a ride, sounds like a throwback to 1980s and ’90s action films. It’s also a heist movie and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza Gonzalez, and Yahya Abdul-Matteen II, all likely dodging Bay’s customary booms and explosions. That last name’s exploded in the past handful of years, from Yahya’s turn as the naked blue god in HBO’s Watchmen to his turns in Candyman, Aquaman, and The Matrix: Resurrections. In short, the man’s a star and likely a legend in the making, but when it came time for Bay to cast Ambulance, he had no idea who Yahya was.

To Bay’s credit, however, he didn’t even try to cover this flub up while speaking at the Los Angeles premiere. There’s something for that unfiltered approach, and here’s how The Hollywood Reporter describes what went down when Bay had catch up on “his stuff” to realize that Yahya was his guy:

When it came to casting, Bay revealed to the crowd that he wasn’t previously familiar with Abdul-Mateen II. “[Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer] suggested I look at Yahya, and I’m like, ‘What’s a Yahya?’ He goes, ‘[He’s] an actor.’ I said, ‘I’ve never heard [of him],’” Bay recalled. “So, I see his stuff, and I’m like, ‘That guy is gonna be a movie star. I want to work with him.’”

And the rest, as they say, is history. For the record, Bay has also warned everyone that most of the film’s action includes genuine stunt work with minimal CGI. However, the CGI that does materialize ” is sh*t in this movie,” according to Bay. And “[t]here’s a couple shots that I wasn’t happy with, okay?” However, he’s got Yahya, so it’s entirely possible that no one will notice the funky bluescreen effects at all.

Ambulance arrives in theaters on April 8.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

Middle-aged women of England: Get a hold of yourselves!

Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the upcoming third installment in the strippertastic Magic Mike series, has begun rehearsals in London. But when a gaggle of lusty ladies got word of exactly where Channing Tatum, who plays the eponymous floor-humper, and his chiseled co-stars were busy dusting off their hip thrusts and other pelvic gyrations, all hell broke loose.

According to The Sun, the bosses at Warner Bros. have been forced to enlist the services of additional security personnel after confidential details about the film’s production schedule and studio location were leaked to a bunch of horny housewives with time on their hands and lust in their hearts. The paper reports that “details of the production schedule were leaked on a WhatsApp group of obsessed women, who immediately descended on the location and made it clear they would go to ANY lengths to see the actors in a state of oiled-up undress.”

While it was initially seen as being all in good fun, the fans reportedly progressed from amusing to disruptive pretty quickly, which led to some security concerns.

“It starts as a bit of fun and it’s great that the fans are so engaged. They’re just passionate—and plainly sex-starved!,” a source close to the production told The Sun. “But after a while it has become problematic and there are now a lot of fans trying to get hold of the guys pretty much everywhere they go.”

Whether these stripper movie super fans are actually unhinged or just really exciting about seeing Tatum’s rippling abs up close, the studio would clearly rather not find out whether they’ve got a lotta lawbreakers in the crowd the hard way. “Obviously the previous films have had a huge impact, but also left this legion of horny middle-aged women, who are making it their business to know the guys’ every move and follow them all over the place,” said the source, who, if there was a Pulitzer Prize for background quotes, would definitely be a top contender.

In the meantime, the filmmakers have brought in extra security to make sure every ounce of Mike’s Magic is saved for the screen.

(Via The Sun)

Travis Barker took the stage at the Grammys last weekend, joining HER, Lenny Kravitz, and others for a performance of Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” After the show, though, reports started circulating that the Grammys wasn’t even the biggest part of his night, as he and fiancée Kourtney Kardashian apparently got married in Vegas. Other reports indicated, though, that the two didn’t have a marriage license, so the marriage wasn’t actually legitimate.

Now, Kardashian has gone ahead and confirmed that while the wedding did happen, there was no marriage license involved. So, right now, she and the Blink-182 drummer are not legally married, at least not as a result of that ceremony.

Kardashian took to Instagram today to share a gallery of photos from the ceremony and wrote, “Found these in my camera roll. Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no license). Practice makes perfect.”

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

Kevin Smith’s long-awaited passion project KillRoy Was Here is finally getting released, though only to a select few NFT buyers.

Smith released the trailer for the campy horror film at Comic-Con in 2020, which gave off major “direct-to-DVD” vibes (children chanting, creepy priests, Jason Mewes, etc.) and Smith confirmed last year that he was looking into NFTs. Now, the movie will only be available for NFT holders, and Smith has no plans to release it to streaming at this time.

The film, along with commentary and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, will be launched as a 5,555-piece art NFT collection on Secret Network’s NFT mining platform Legendao, with the help of Curio, the NFT platform for brands.

That is a lot to take in, so here is an easier explanation: you probably won’t see this movie! As Smith tries to explain:

When you buy the KillRoy NFT, you get exclusive access to the movie. But more importantly, the specific version of KillRoy you get is YOUR KillRoy to do with whatever you want: Make your own movie, turn it into a cartoon, license him for lunchboxes! We started the story, now YOU get to continue it with your very own version of our titular character! And along with a brand new chapter I’ll shoot next year, the shorts and animation that the KillRoy NFT owners create with their own KillRoy’s will make up the bulk of our sequel anthology. The KillRoy NFT offers an exciting and unique opportunity to go from art collector to collaborating artist!

So, buyers of KillRoy Was Here NFT will have exclusive ownership over the film and other special features using their “crypto key” and Smith will even enlist NFT holders to help with the sequel. Does that make sense? Not really, honestly.

Smith is just the latest celebrity to dive into the controversial NFT market, which just seems to be confusing fans around the world. Just put the movie on Shudder, Kevin!

It took Bryan Cranston seven years before he agreed to star in another TV show (Showtime’s Your Honor) after Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk isn’t waiting that long. The multi-time Emmy nominee is attached to lead the AMC series Straight Man, based on Richard Russo’s novel of the same name. “It is described a mid-life crisis tale set at Railton College, told in the first person by William Henry Devereaux, Jr. (Odenkirk), the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt,” according to Variety.

“I loved [co-showrunners Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein’s] take on Richard’s excellent, entertaining novel,” Odenkirk said in a statement. “Once again a project with AMC with a focus on character depth and sensitivity. This milieu (academia) seems very pertinent to the conversations we’re all having.  I am drawn to the tone of humanity and humor in the novel and I look forward to playing this role, something lighter than my recent projects but still closely observed and smart.”

I will now spend the next 15 minutes wondering how Odenkirk said the word “milieu.”

Straight Man — which is Odenkirk’s third show on AMC, because triples is best — does not have a premiere date, but it is “being fast-tracked in development” ahead of the final season of Better Call Saul, which premieres on April 18.

(Via Variety)