Jason Alexander‘s portrayal of George Costanza on the hit TV series, Seinfeld, is easily one of the top sitcom characters of all time. From the “Summer of George” to “It’s gold, Jerry!” the actor turned in an iconic performance full of countless memorable lines over nine seasons. However, as the legend goes, the role of George almost went to some very famous actors, and Alexander recently revealed how he managed to land the part despite some stiff competition.
While talking to Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Alexander opened up about the audition process, and how he somehow ended up in the room. Apparently, his work in Pretty Women put him on Rob Reiner’s radar, which scored him a reading for George as creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David were having trouble casting the role. According to Alexander, Danny DeVito and Chris Rock were two big names in the mix, and even more surprisingly, Seinfeld and David aggressively pursued The Late Show band leader Paul Shaffer, who turned down the role.
With those names out of the way, Alexander went into the audition with a full-on, all-New York attitude-laden Woody Allen impression that he openly admits was not great. A few weeks later, David called and said they wanted him to read for the network and do everything he did in the audition except the Woody Allen impression. However, when Alexander got to the network read, he noticed that Seinfeld’s best friend and fellow comedian Larry Miller was there. Figuring that there’s no way he’s getting the part, Alexander said he did the whole reading “loosey goosey” and just assumed he was out of the running. Obviously, not.
Seinfeld, David, and the network liked what they saw, and to this day, Alexander still can’t walk down the street without people calling him “George.”
Earlier this month, Waxahatchee announced some 2022 tour dates in support of her excellent 2020 album, Saint Cloud. Now, Katie Crutchfield has tacked some more shows onto that list and added some legendary venues to her docket in the process.
Two of the more notable additions are an April show at Nashville’s storied Ryman Auditorium and a pair of May performances with Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit at Denver’s breathtaking Red Rocks Ampitheatre.
01/17/2022-01/21/2022 — Riviera Maya, MX @ Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky
02/04/2022 — Birmingham, AL @ Saturn *
02/05/2022 — Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
02/06/2022 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *
02/07/2022 — Richmond, VA @ The National *
02/09/2022 — Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre *
02/10/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
02/11/2022 — Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall *
02/12/2022 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes *
02/14/2022 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre *
02/15/2022 — Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall *
02/17/2022 — Montréal, QC @ Théâtre Corona *
02/18/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
02/19/2022 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Fountain Street Church *
02/20/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
02/21/2022 — Chicago IL @ Thalia Hall *
04/10/2022 — Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer *
04/11/2022 — Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer *
04/12/2022 — Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street *
04/13/2022 — Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater *
04/15/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
04/16/2022 — Memphis, TN @ Growlers *
04/18/2022 — Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge *
04/19/2022 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Jones Assembly *
04/21/2022 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
04/23/2022 — Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen *
04/24/2022 — Boulder, CO @ Bluebird Music Festival
05/03/2022 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
05/04/2022 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
05/13/2022 — Huntsville, AL @ The Orion Amphitheater ^
06/21/2022 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
* with Madi Diaz
^ with Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
Billie Eilish has been making music ever since she was a preteen. But in recent years, the singer has gone from an underground alt-pop fave to one of the most popular musicians in the world. Her transition to bona fide pop star has been documented in her music and documentaries. But nothing shows her growth more than her yearly interview with Vanity Fair, where the singer answers the same exact questions. This year marks her fifth year doing the same annual interview, where she discusses a previous identity crisis and reflects on her career successes.
Now with platinum blonde hair, Eilish sat down to answer questions about her social media following (she now has upwards of 94 million Instagram followers) and things that are most important to her. After watching a clip of her talk about being recognized in public in 2020, Eilish says she was going through a major identity crisis at the time. “Gosh, that girl was going through an identity crisis, oh my gosh. You can see it in my eyes, I mean really. The low bun!? Please.”
Eilish then opened up about how she navigates her massive fame while going out in public:
“My attitude used to be, ‘Well I can’t go out. I can’t go here, I can’t go there.’ I used to just not even be able to go to a park or get food or get coffee. It freaked me out. In the last year, I have been opened up to it. I really feel grateful for that because being able to feel confident in stepping outside without a hat and a good and glasses and a mask and a jacket, it’s so much better. And you don’t have to live like that. […] If I’m being cautious and not trying to be in everybody’s faces, I can manage my way around people without them noticing. I didn’t used to be able to do that because my pride was too huge. I was like, I only want to be seen if I look like myself so I would never wear anything normal.”
Watch her same interview with Vanity Fair for the fifth year above.
Greg Gutfeld (!) is not a doctor, nor does he play one on TV. But that doesn’t mean he won’t happily spout off random thoughts about the new, and very troubling, omicron variant as if they’re facts. Which is exactly what he did during Monday’s episode of The Five, when he compared COVID variants to an unwanted house guest who overstays their welcome… because that’s exactly what a virus that has killed more than 5.2 million people around the world is like, right?
“This new variant fear is wearing off on the American public,” Gutfeld declared. “It’s like a deadbeat relative that says it’s going to stay for a couple of days and it’s now going on months. We’re ready. We’re done.” As if we have a choice about what the virus will do next. And this is where Gutfeld’s diatribe took a particularly dangerous detour.
“This is actually good news. When you have a mild variant that’s contagious, basically what that is, it’s nature’s vaccine, right? You’re giving everybody antibodies. You might get mildly sick, you probably won’t get sick. Nature is providing the solution to its own problem. This is why we champion natural immunity. So I’m really sick of the word ‘bracing,’ right? We’re always bracing for something: We’re bracing for riots, we’re bracing for hurricanes, we’re bracing for a new variant. What if we, as the media, just stopped bracing for things and just explained it as factually as possible.”
The truth of the matter is that omicron is still new enough that even the experts don’t know much about it, including whether it is more easily transmissible than previous COVID variants, the severity of infection it might cause, or how it might impact those of us who have already been vaccinated. Which means that Gutfeld is talking about of his a**, perhaps even more than usual.
Greg Gutfeld on the Omicron variant:
“This is actually good news… It’s nature’s vaccine. You’re giving everybody antibodies. You might get mildly sick, you probably won’t get sick. Nature is providing the solution to its own problem. This is why we champion natural immunity.” pic.twitter.com/cfWxH46Dyi
It’s that time of year again, the holiday season is when we get the pleasure of spending way more time than we’re used to with our families. For those of us who’ve moved away from our immediate families, the holidays are a great time to reacquaint ourselves with old traditions and to realize that some of them may be a little strange.
Every family seems to have its own brand of weirdness. In fact, I wouldn’t trust anyone who says that their family is completely normal.
On November 18, “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon gave everyone a reason to celebrate their unique families by asking them to share their favorite stories under #MyFamilyIsWeird. The responses were everything from odd holiday traditions to family members that may have a screw (or two!) loose.
Here are 17 of the funniest responses.
It’s Hashtags time! Tweet out a funny, weird, or embarrassing thing a family member has done or said, and tag it with #MyFamilyIsWeird. Could be on the show!
Could this be because someone spilled the gravy boat years ago and no one wants to eat dry turkey or potatoes again?
2.
When I was just starting high school my older brother rode the bus with me, he bent over to pay and get off the bus when he split his shorts down the middle, no underwear on for everyone to see, he turned to me and said, I get to wear the underwear tomorrow…#MyFamilyIsWeird
Do they have to drink the entire six-pack of the “Champagne of Beers” that day, or can they take the leftover bottles home? Also, thinking about starting this tradition with my family. Who fronts the $20?
4.
My grandmother lost her dentures once and we spent 4 hours searching the house for them before she remembered that she had put them in her bra. #MyFamilyIsWeird
I see no problem with this as long as there is enough whipped cream to go around.
6.
My friend’s family has a massive group text, and then a bunch of smaller group texts to gossip about what happens in the big group text. #MyFamilyIsWeird
Nothing good ever came out of a family group text.
7.
My family had one of those silver aluminum Christmas trees when I was growing up. One year our TV antenna on the roof blew off in a storm so my dad rigged the tree up instead. We actually got better reception. So we had a Christmas tree on our roof all year long. #MyFamilyIsWeird
That works better than any coathanger or bunny ears that people used back in the day to improve their TV reception. Now, can the Christmas tree pick up HBO?
8.
My mom will always watch a new series by starting with the final episode, and then pretend like she knew the plot the whole time. #MyFamilyIsWeird
I wonder how long it took for the family to figure out that she was cheating? Does she also read the last chapter of a mystery novel first?
9.
My parents come from a country where it was the culture to not smile in photos, and thought the same applied here. So I have many childhood photos from happy occasions like birthdays, where we are all staring blankly into the camera like the Village of the Damned #MyFamilyisWeirdpic.twitter.com/2egtQCMJWl
That has to be freaky, especially if they are taking photos with members of the family that were born in the U.S. and some are smiling and others are not.
10.
My mom once hung AND filled an extra stocking from the fireplace… for my boyfriend. I was single at the time. She said it was for if I happened to get one in the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. Way to rub it in, mom. #myfamilyisweird
Wow. Imagine how annoying her mother gets after she gets a boyfriend and then immediately starts asking for kids and hanging little stockings up by the fireplace.
That’s freaky, he looks like the Headless Horseman or Jack Pumpkinhead from “Return to Oz.”
12.
When I was younger my mom would always try to set me up with my college professor dad’s physics students. I finally said no, they wear plaid pants! Then my grandmother said “it’s not what they look like in their pants, it’s how they look without them” 😳😖 #myfamilyisweird
Eww. Grandma, that’s gross. Get your mind out of the gutter.
13.
My Dad, when I was little, found a wild pine tree to use as a Christmas tree, but when he brought it in, it was too big. So to fix it he cut off the TOP. 😳 Wish I could find the picture of it. We laugh about it every Christmas. 😂 #MyFamilyIsWeird
That had to be a seriously stumpy-looking tree. How in the world did he put a star on top?
14.
My brother decided to come out during family thanksgiving dinner. Right after the blessing – literally after the “amens” – he screamed “I’M GAY!” My mother calmly said “we know” and started cutting her turkey. #myfamilyisweird
Sometimes, the entire family knows. They’re just waiting for you to say it.
15.
I had to teach my dad how to use an iPhone when they first came out. I explained to him that he had to slide to unlock the screen. Rather than sliding his finger across the screen, he stood up from the couch and started sliding his feet in the living room. #MyFamilyIsWeird
my great aunt collects vintage dolls.. each year she strips them & repaints them to resemble each of her siblings. She then burns them in a bonfire and sends us Christmas cards with the before and after photos of the burnt dolls.. #myfamilyisweirdpic.twitter.com/DW9ksbtlcu
Although Long Beach-bred R&B singer Giveon was well on his way to a healthy recording career before connecting with Drake, there’s little doubt that the superstar’s cosign on their Dark Lane Demo Tapes collaboration “Chicago Freestyle” helped launch Giveon to a new level of stardom himself. So it’s fitting that during Giveon’s Toronto tour stop, Drake — the city’s unofficial ambassador since 2009 — made a surprise appearance, popping out from backstage to greet his hometown crowd and bless the show during a performance of their collaboration.
Funnily enough, no one seemed as surprised as Giveon when Drake appeared from the smoke on stage to wrap him up in a bear hug as he played the piano. Although Drake quickly returned backstage, Giveon was left grinning bashfully as the crowd continued to cheer for his surprise guest.
Giveon himself later posted an Instagram Story expressing his disbelief at the sneak attack, writing, “Can’t believe my brother surprised me tonight! Toronto! I love you guys. So much love every time!”
Instagram
Drake has had a habit of surprising collaborators and artists he enjoys, although it hasn’t always gone to plan. In 2019, he bestowed his blessing on YSL rapper Lil Keed in Los Angeles and at DaBaby’s Toronto tour stop, and in 2020, he popped out at Post Malone’s show in Toronto. However, fans at Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival booed him after waiting at the main stage all day in hopes of catching Frank Ocean. He took the moment of humility in stride, joking that he’d put in a 10-year residency at the festival if Tyler let him. Fortunately, this time around, he didn’t have to.
If you’re already thinking about putting together your Best TV Shows of 2021 list, it’s best to wait until December 17. That’s when The Witcher returns to Netflix after a two-year break. If season two is even half as good as season one (which you should absolutely rewatch), it’ll deserve year-end consideration.
Ahead of the full season drop, Netflix has released a new teaser that focuses on Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). Those crazy kids went through a lot over the course of eight episodes, including Geralt making a wish to save her life and everyone’s favorite traveling bard, Jaskier, calling her a “very sexy but insane witch.” The season ended with Yennefer unleashing fiery hell at the Battle of Sodden Hill and Geralt finally meeting Ciri. Geralt’s “focus” is on Ciri in season two, as Cavill explained at WitcherCon, but he called “the loss of Yennefer [a] great blow for Geralt, and it’s something which he buries deep.” I’m sure he’ll handle it with emotional maturity. Or by killing some dudes with a sword. One of the two.
You can watch the teaser above. From the official synopsis for season two:
Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
Cheery holiday music step aside — Phoebe Bridgers is here to replace the joys of the season with melancholy after releasing a cover of a Tom Waits classic. To usher in the holiday season, Bridgers delivers a solemn and leisurely cover of Waits’ 2004 song “Day After Tomorrow.”
Waits’ original version of the track features his husky vocals over a delicately plucked acoustic guitar. But Bridgers’ version transforms the track into a piano ballad with the help of a few string instruments and a backup chorus. Though the song isn’t exactly merry and bright, Bridgers is still maintaining the giving spirit of the season by making the song benefit a charity. All proceeds from the sale of the track will go to The International Institute of Los Angeles, specifically The Local Integration And Family Empowerment Division, which provides refugees, immigrants, and survivors of human trafficking with the skills, abilities, and resources they need to become self-sufficient and start their new lives in Southern California.
This isn’t the first time Bridgers has recorded a cover of a song to ring in the holiday season. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a yearly tradition for the singer. Previously, Bridgers has given renditions of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December,” Simon & Garfunkel “‘7 O’Clock News/ Silent Night” with Fiona Apple and The National‘s Matt Berninger,” and McCarthy Trenching’s “Christmas Song” with Jackson Browne.
Listen to Bridgers’ cover of Waits’ “Day After Tomorrow” above.
After spending the early part of the year getting being blasted as an “insult to Alex Trebek” during his guest host stint on Jeopardy!, daytime TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz is expected to enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race. Rumors of Oz throwing his hat in the ring for Senator Pat Toomey’s seat have been circulating for a while, but following Monday night’s episode of Hannity, it’s starting to look like the TV doctor is actually going to do this thing. Via The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Fox News host Sean Hannity all but said the formal announcement will come Tuesday. At the end of his show Monday, hours after this report initially published, Hannity teased Oz’s appearance on his show Tuesday night saying he had a “huge announcement.”
“Hint: think midterm election,” Hannity added.
Oz would be running to become the Republican nominee for Toomey’s soon-to-be-vacated seat, and he’s reportedly reached out to top GOP officials in the seat after front runner Sean Parnell’s campaign imploded following domestic abuse allegations. Should Oz secure the nomination, there is a chance he could be facing off against PA’s hulking Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running to be the Democratic nominee.
While watching a TV quack versus a no-bullsh*t, mountain of a man would be one heck of an entertaining match-up, Fetterman is not a lock to be the state’s Democratic nominee. He first has to defeat primary challengers Congressmen Conor Lamb and Malcolm Kenyatta, who both have strong name recognition in the state.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of November below.
The Black Keys — El Camino (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Nonesuch
The Black Keys were at the height of their power with 2011’s El Camino, and in just a few days, the album celebrates its tenth anniversary. To mark the occasion, the band has re-released it in various expanded editions. Aside from the remastered album, bonuses include a photo book, a limited-edition poster, and a previously unreleased concert recording from a 2012 show in Portland, Maine. Coincidentally, I was actually at that concert, and if my memory serves me correctly, it was a good one.
Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series is an iconic hip-hop institution, and now he’s collected the highlights all in one place. On Tha Carter Singles Collection, you get 19 of the finest songs from the series pressed on ten 7-inch records, as well as a booklet full of rare photos, two lithos, and brand new art.
After the all-time classic album The Joshua Tree and the not-as-beloved Rattle & Hum, U2 made a drastic change to their sound with the alternative- and electronic-inspired album Achtung Baby. That album dropped 30 years ago, so now the band is celebrating its three decades with a new anniversary edition. This version of the album has been remastered and also includes remixes of songs from both Achtung Baby and its follow-up Zooropa.
Los Angeles played a major role in the story of jazz legend Charlie Parker, and now some formative recordings from the Kansas City native’s time in the City Of Angels are all together on this new collection. The release features the only known recordings from Billy Berg’s on December 17, 1945; three previously unknown JATP recordings from the Shrine Auditorium on November 22, 1948; and the complete recordings of the July 1952 party at Jirayr Zorthian’s Altadena ranch. For those wanting more context on the meaning of these recordings, the project’s producer, John Burton, offers just that in his liner notes.
Kiss — Destroyer (45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
UMe
1976’s Destroyer was a formative and landmark release for Kiss, and now, 45 years later, they’re expanding upon it with a new reissue. Aside from the remastered album, the amount of goodies that is included with the Super Deluxe box is extravagant but not surprising coming from perhaps the most merchandised band ever: There are iron-ons, stickers, posters, trading cards, stage blueprints, a newspaper, a hardcover book, and much more.
Much has been made about the 30th-anniversary edition of Nirvana’s Nevermind, and truly, this is a must-have for Nirvana fans. There are a variety of editions, the beefiest of which comes with 8 LPs that feature the original album (newly remastered, of course), four full concerts, a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, and other goodies. If physical music isn’t your thing, the band also has a bunch of new merch to coincide with the album’s anniversary.
Speaking of anniversary releases, Radiohead had a big one this year, although it’s pretty different from the Nirvana one. Kid A Mnesia actually celebrates two albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, by collecting both albums as well as B-sides and unreleased tracks from the era. Again, if you’re not looking to buy a record/CD/tape, the gift-able merch offerings here are diverse, including everything from a paint-by-numbers set to holographic stickers.
Who’s that girl? It’s Zooey Deschanel! And also that guy, M. Ward, who is known collectively alongside Deschanel as She & Him. The duo dropped a delightful Christmas album a decade ago and now they’re celebrating the project with a rerelease. It’s super holiday-ready, too, as it’s pressed on tinsel silver vinyl and comes with a new 7-inch, which features covers of Madonna’s “Holiday” and Wham!’s “Last Christmas.”
Yusuf / Cat Stevens — Teaser And The Firecat (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition Box Set)
A&M/UMe
Teaser And The Firecat helped establish Stevens as a premier singer-songwriter of his era 50 years ago. Now he’s celebrating the anniversary with a deluxe edition of the album that is described as “the most in-depth and definitive version of the album possible.” This version includes a remastering of the original artwork, 41 previously unreleased tracks including studio demos and alternate mixes, and a 108-page essay book.
Billy Joel is still going strong today, but on The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1, he looking back on the ’70s. The massive 9-LP collection features his first six solo albums (Cold Spring Harbor, Piano Man, Streetlife Serenade, Turnstiles, The Stranger, and 52nd Street), his first live album (Songs In The Attic), and a previously unreleased concert recording (Live At The Great American Music Hall — 1975). All of the aforementioned come right from the original album tapes, and there’s also a 50-page booklet to offer more context on these classic projects.
RZA — Bobby Digital In Stereo (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Gee Street/V2/BMG Records
RZA went out on his own outside of Wu-Tang with his debut solo album, 1999’s Bobby Digital In Stereo, a project that helped him establish his own unique identity outside of the iconic hip-hop collective. Vinyl Me, Please always nails it with the vinyl color and they did so again here with their reissue of the album, which is pressed on “Mantis” Green vinyl that’s a perfect visual complement to the cover art.
Sigur Rós’ 2008 album was a defining release for post-rock fans and buttcheek lovers everywhere, and while it’s not celebrating a round-numbered benchmark anniversary this year, the group is still going ahead and giving it a vinyl reissue. It was a good call, though, as the album was previously out of print worldwide, and now it’s available in both heavyweight black vinyl and a limited run of sky blue vinyl.
Rihanna — Rih-Issue (Music Of The Sun, A Girl Like Me, Good Girl Gone Bad, Rated R, Loud, Talk That Talk, Unapologetic, Anti)
Rihanna
No, Rihanna hasn’t announced a new album though. However, for those looking back on her old projects in the meantime, she is now offering a tremendous way to do so. She recently announced a cleverly titled new series of “Rih-Issue” releases, which features fancy rereleases of her entire eight-album discography. Each one comes with an exclusive shirt, making this the best way to fill any Rihanna-shaped hole in your vinyl library.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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