Pop Culture home

Categories

• Entertainment
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Television
• Lifestyle
  • Dining
  • Fashion
  • Life in Richmond
  • Pets

Syndicate

• RSS 2.0

Monthly Archives

• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008

I’ve been out of town for a week—a family emergency that turned out beautifully (as in, my father is back home and doing well, thank you!)—so of course my e-mail in-box was crammed and spammed to the max. I suppose the most unexpected piece of mail I received was an invitation.

An invitation, you say? How lovely!

Not so, this one.

Do NOT ask how I ended up on this mailing list. I have no clue. But it’s true. I—Miss Sweetness and Light of 2008, right?—have been cordially invited to attend the launch of Girls Gone Wild magazine in West Hollywood, Calif.

It wasn’t enough that jillions of DVDs are already available?

Apparently not. “The Popular Lifestyle Brand Moves into Publishing, bringing its Celebration of Fun, Freedom and Hot College Girls to the Newsstand,“ says my invitation. (Capital letters are courtesy of Girls Gone Wild.)

Furthermore, smilin’ Joe Francis, mighty proud founder and CEO of GGW (hang on a sec! Is he out on parole?) will be on hand, along with “beautiful girls and more than 100 of Joe’s closest celebrity friends (including the Kardashian clan).“
I still haven’t figured why members of the “Kardashian clan”—Kim, Kourtney and Khloe—are so big in the tabloids. I mean, I know there’s the E! reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”—and I just found out, to my horror, that Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner is their stepdad. But I still can’t figure out what the big deal is.

By the way, Jenner’s offspring with the Kardashian mom, Kris, includes Kylie and Kendall. Too cute, huh? The one brother—not Jenner’s biological child—is named Robert. Lucky for him because he could’ve ended up a Kidron, Krispin, Kalvin or Klark. At least now he has a chance for a normal life. Nah ... scratch that.

But back to the GGW magazine kickoff (ooh, Kickoff Kardashian has a ring to it!). I’m also invited to attend the red-carpet reception, the thought of which immediately brings to mind dozens of college-age women strutting down the carpet for their Joan Rivers interview. “Who are you wearing?“ she screams, as big banners (or small, depending ... ) flash across their chests: “REAL! RAW! UNCENSORED!“

Gosh, Joe, thanks, but I’m busy tomorrow night. I’m pretty sure I have to wash my hair. In fact, I might need a hot, hot shower. Suddenly I feel just a tad dirty.

Invest in some earplugs now if you plan to attend this summer’s inaugural Crue Fest.

The 40-date tour – headlined by Motley Crue—promises plenty of guitar shredding, leather and women who still think it’s 1987.

Joining the Crue will be Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx: A.M. (the side project of Crue bassist Nikki Sixx) and alt-rockers Trapt.

The metal circus pulls into Virginia Beach Amphitheater at 5 p.m. July 6 and then Nissan Pavilion at 5 p.m. July 13.

Tickets for both shows are $29.50 (lawn) and $45-$95 (reserved seating).

There are a series of pre-sales going on now (visit http://www.livenation.com for details); otherwise, tickets for the Va. Beach date are up at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the Nissan show going on sale at noon Saturday.

Rock on.

And here I thought that I’d be doing the happy Snoopy dance the night Kristy Lee Cook finally found her rightful place – off the “Idol” stage.

But maybe it was the double punch of Elliott’s sweet tribute to his mother (although I hope this message-on-hand thing doesn’t turn into a trend) followed by Mariah Carey’s heartfelt – if way, way, waaay too long – “Bye Bye,” a song she wrote about her late father, that left me too emotionally depleted to celebrate KLC home.

I did snap out of my daze long enough to shout an “Are you kidding me?!” at the TV when Ryan sent Syesha back to safety on the couch. Can’t wait to see how she drains the life out of an extravagant Andrew Lloyd Webber opus next week.

But let’s talk about Elliott for a second.

I’ve gotta say, it gives me chills to watch him on that “Idol” stage now. Just a couple of years ago, a young man with an unflattering haircut stood mannequin stiff up there, awkwardly patting his chest as he sang.

To see Elliott in his stylish duds (though not sure he needed that scarf flapping around), working the stage like a pop star and sounding incredibly confident on his song “Free,” really should be an inspiration to the remaining “Idol”-ettes.

More than many of the other contestants over the years – the Daughtrys and Taylors and Carlys who had significant experience before coming on the show – Elliott represents what “Idol” should be about; taking a kid from the pharmacy counter to the international stage.

It really did wrench my heart when he acknowledged that this was his first performance on that stage without Claudette in the audience. But how respectable of the “Idol” folks to bring him back for some massive exposure and a chance to publicly eulogize his mother.

So…on to next week. Personally, I’d love to see David Cook rock up “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” from “Evita.” But the big question is, who’s going to tackle a song from “Cats”?

I never expected, in 2008, to be writing about George Michael every five minutes.

I almost feel as if I should dig through those boxes in the storage cubby and try to unearth my giant Choose Life T-shirt , proudly purchased in 1984.

But who wants to go through that much effort when you can turn on the season finale of “Eli Stone” tonight at 10 on ABC, where George will make another extended appearance?

He’s also going to sing “Feeling Good,” the 1965 song popularized by Nina Simone, which is on his new hits collection, “TwentyFive.”

I got my copy last week and after repeatedly listening to his haunting “Praying for Time,” partially to erase the memory of Carrie Underwood’s droning version during “Idol Gives Back” and partially because it’s my favorite George Michael song (well, next to “Last Christmas” ), I skipped around to check out the previously unreleased tracks.

You want to hear a perfectly constructed ballad? Take a listen to this version of “Heal the Pain,” re-recorded with Paul McCartney. Their voices harmonize so beautifully, it’s hard to discern who is singing most of the time. Just a tender, lovely song worth checking out.

The whole collection is great reminder of how many George Michael songs went unheralded in recent years. “Flawless (Go to the City),” anyone?

Let’s see how Richmond handles its newfound status as a busy music town.

Tonight at Toad’s Place: New Pornographers (with Neko Case!) and Okkervil River.

Tonight at Innsbrook: Gov’t Mule with Tea Leaf Green.

Tonight at The National: Iron & Wine with Califone.

Which one did you go to?

*** This just in: If you need your Elliott Yamin fix, make sure to tune in to “Idol” tonight. He’s performing live on the results show at 9 p.m. on Fox.

I’d tell you what he was performing if I could, but Elliott’s people want to keep his song choice a surprise.

Last night, as Pat Benatar was tearing through her sturdy catalog of attitudinal rock songs and charming ballads at The National, my mind kept wandering as I wondered how many train wrecks were being recorded on my TiVo at that very moment.

Mariah Carey songs and Kristy Lee Cook. Not an ideal combo.

But before I start to over-analyze “American Idol,” let me toss this suggestion out there: Pat Benatar as an “Idol” mentor next season.

Why not?

She’s got a varied repertoire and a gazillion memorable hits – not that having smash songs at their disposal seemed to matter to the “Idol” gang this week – her voice is in terrific shape and she’s a recognizable name with the perfect amount of kitsch.

Anyway, Nigel Lythgoe, if you can sic Andrew Lloyd Webber on us, surely millions of viewers would be thrilled to hear some yokel from Wisconsin belt out “Love is a Battlefield.”

Just a thought.

Moving on….

So Mariah Carey just surpassed Elvis Presley for the most number one hits when “Touch My Body” became her 18th chart-topper.

Eighteen number ones and only three of the remaining seven contestants chose songs from that list. What is wrong with these people?

Of course David Archuleta picked some inspirational glop from a soundtrack (“The Prince of Egypt” ) because theme park balladry is his specialty.

I.Just.Don’t.Get.This.Kid.

Solid voice? Yes. Cloying to the point of phoniness? Bigger yes.

If he wins “Idol” – and I’ve resigned myself to the very real possibility that he might – what does Simon think he’s going to do with him? He’s too young and blinky to have any sex appeal and the Jonas Brothers already have the market cornered on good boys singing innocuous pop. The little Ewok wouldn’t even reach Clay Aiken-level cult appeal because, unlike the snarkier-by-the-hour Aiken, David A. has zero personality.

Speaking of blank slates, Syesha Mercado turned in another stunning vocal performance that was about exciting as the email I received today about MTV’s “Making the Band 4” touring this summer.
When Syesha met with Mariah for their bonding/mentoring session, Mariah astutely commended Syesha for her composure. And that might very well be her problem. She’s TOO composed. TOO stiff. TOO robotic.

Her version of “Vanishing” – an obscure album cut from Carey’s first album – was a great choice for her gospel-primed voice, but, as happens every week, about 30 seconds into the song, I had to physically restrain myself from hitting the fast forward button.

Now Carly Smithson, I thought, got a raw deal from the judges this week. She made a great pick with Mariah’s version of the Harry Nilsson tearjerker “Without You” (another rule I’d like to implement – when the guest mentor has about 50 of her own songs as possible choices, contestants shouldn’t be allowed to unearth a song that the mentor covered herself).

Carly always manages to give me chills when her voice hits certain notes, and I agreed with Paula (I hate when that happens) when she said that Carly’s decision to not go all Mariah and squeal up and down the vocal scale during the song was the right move. Simon disagreed, and after Carly’s brush with the bottom three last week, his tepid assessment could send her back there again.

And yet, Kristy Lee Cook lives on.

But I have deep, deep hope that pony girl will be back in her rightful place this week – automatically heading for the George Jetson chairs – after her wonky performance of “Forever,” a top 10 Carey hit from 1996 that no one remembers.

Say this for the secretly slick KLC, though – not only does she wear Faith Hill’s hair extremely well, but she can veer into a dozen different keys during a song, yet still knows how to bring it home. Smart, KLC, very smart. It’s the last thing people remember and thus, are fooled into thinking the entire performance was as robust.

Sam Rogal is obviously a pretty funny guy.

The Richmonder, who is currently a playwriting major at Marymount Manhattan College, just placed second in RooftopComedy’s First National College Comedy Competition’s Search for the Country’s Funniest College Student.

Saying the title out loud should be worth a prize in itself.

Rogal lost bragging rights to Gordon Baker-Bone from Maplewood, N.J., but he isn’t done yet.

Rogal now has the chance to win the Fan Favorite slot in the online voting round, which will take place April 15-20. Performances from these rounds will be posted on http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/college.

Incidentally, this is a big welcome back week for a handful of former Richmonders.

Pat Benatar, a frequent presence in Shockoe Slip restaurants and nightclubs when she lived here in the ‘70s, returns tonight for a show at The National.

Then on Wednesday, Sam Beam, who basically IS Iron & Wine, also performs at The National. Beam is a VCU alum who studied fine arts, hoping to one day become a painter.

Check out this fine interview last fall with the Austin American-Statesman for some insight into the Southern-influenced folk rocker:
http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/xl/2007/09/0927xlcover.html

And, on Friday, Jason Mraz, he of Mechanicsville descent, pops by The National as well. I’m supposed to talk to Jason today to get the rundown on what he’s been up to the past few years and maybe tell him how irritating his new Web site is once the novelty of him talking to you every time you click on something wears off.

His new album, “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things,” will be out May 20, though an EP called “We Sing” – with stripped versions of a few of the album’s songs—has been available on iTunes for several weeks.

It’s a great album, by the way, with a lot of ‘70s funk-soul influences (think Earth, Wind & Fire horns) and a ‘70s soft rocker vibe on several songs (the guy has got to dig Seals & Crofts and Gilbert O’Sullivan). One tune, “Butterfly,” showcases a rather randy Jason, but as with all of his work, even his double entendres are delivered with a wink and a smile.

Look for that interview in Friday’s Flair section.

So last night at dinner, my husband announced that he really didn’t care that “Desperate Housewives” was returning with new episodes.

“It’s been off for so long, I’m kinda over it,” he said.

I maintained that at the first shot of Eva Longoria in her underwear, he would suddenly be very happy that “DH” was back.

But I also knew what he meant.

The last we saw the Housewives was Jan. 6.

A lot of my TV loyalties have shifted since then.

Our Sundays quickly replaced the loony dysfunction of Wisteria Lane with the hilarious melodrama on VH1’s “Rock of Love” with Bret Michaels. Thankfully, “ROL” ended last night, so we won’t have that conflict (especially now that Verizon FiOS has totally screwed up the functionality of our dual-tuner TiVo by making all of its programming digital, but that’s a rant for another day). And may I quickly just say yay, Ambre. Who knew that Bret Michaels had a modicum of integrity and would pick the girl with the brains rather than the one with the…uh…not brains?

Anyway, after watching “DH,” I was left with the same feeling I had after sitting though what felt like a very long “30 Rock” on Thursday and last Monday’s return of “Samantha Who.”

Eh. Maybe I didn’t miss this so much, after all.

The appeal of Ben Folds has always been that nerdy-cool thing. He’s the guy who might have been ignored in high school, yet turned into the guy whom everyone wanted to know.

Aside from the late-‘90s ballad, “Brick,” Folds – then part of the Ben Folds Five trio—never attained much mainstream, commercial success. Yet his clever story-songs and admirable pop piano skills turned him into the Billy Joel for the college set.

At The National Friday night, Folds drew a mix of about 1,000 current college-aged fans and just as many followers who flocked to his music during their own college years and were ready for some reminiscing. Those also tended to be the people sitting upstairs in the packed balcony.

But Folds, a youthful 41, rarely rested during an invigorating two-hour show.

It was a charmingly lo-fi affair, with Folds and his black Baldwin baby grand augmented by drummer Sam Smith and bassist Jared Reynolds. Still, the simple trio projected a rich sound that started off slightly muddy (“Still Fighting It” was particularly muffled), but cleared up about 30 minutes into the set.

Folds’ ear for melody is impeccable and was illustrated perfectly during the three-part harmonies of “Jesusland.” He also demonstrated his knack for storytelling while introducing the new song, “Hiroshima,” with the darkly humorous true tale of how he fell off the stage during a show in Japan, got a concussion and continued with the concert while still bleeding through makeshift bandages.

The song, expected to be on an album Folds hopes to release in September, is a “Bennie and the Jets”-styled pop-rocker, which he performed standing at the piano, pounding the keys in a staccato rhythm.

Folds is an accomplished pianist, able to effortlessly swoop from the dizzying key poking during “Philosophy” to the tight, whisper-to-a-scream “Narcolepsy,” which also segued into a jazz interlude before crashing into a passionate musical showcase that left drummer Smith panting.

No doubt, when Folds and his band plowed through fan favorites “Kate” and “Losing Lisa,” a Folds specialty in its ability to mask heartbreaking lyrics (“Black tears are falling and she won’t say what I’ve done/She’s sitting here beside me, then she is gone” ) under a Beatles-esque bounce, the show’s highlight came with its quietest moment.

Playing alone onstage, Folds softly unfurled “The Luckiest,” a tender song of devotion that is also achingly melodic. As he reached the final verse, the lights closed around him until only a single spotlight remained – and the nerdy-cool guy had his shining moment.

Laura Linney is one smart cookie. If she’s NOT smart—I mean, seriously intelligent—then she’s an even better actress than those three Oscar noms would lead you to believe.

Unlike some celebs in interview mode, she listened closely to the questions during a recent conference call about her role as Abigail Adams on HBO’s “John Adams” miniseries (now showing daily and nightly, with Part 6 premiering Sunday night and Part 7 premiering next Sunday night. That Sunday—April 27—HBO will also run a “John Adams” marathon 1-10 p.m.).

You’ll find a story in the upcoming Sunday Flair section of the Times-Dispatch about Linney. In the meantime, here are a few select bits from the Laura Linney interview that there wasn’t room to include in the story:

Could you be anything other than an actress?
I could be.  I don’t think I’d be as happy.

Do you select certain roles because they are similar in terms of the characters having inner strength? 
I would love to be able to tell you that I’m in complete control of what I choose to do. You know, I’m just not.  Sometimes I am.  But a lot of the time, the roles pick me more than I have the power to choose them. . . . I believe that there are a lot of parts that, even though they may be strong women, they’re very weak in other areas.  You know, they might be strong in some ways as far as personality or endurance or whatever, but they have emotional weaknesses throughout.

I’m a big believer that no one is one thing.  That’s what makes people interesting and three-dimensional and human.  . . . There’s certainly no agenda on my part.  Parts come to me, thankfully, as they do, and then I do my best to flesh them out.

Do you find Hollywood a difficult environment for women, especially older women? (Linney is 44.)
It’s a complex topic.  And a lot of it is just what you will participate in.  I can only speak for myself . . . You just have to surround yourself with the right people and keep yourself concentrated on the things that you think are important and do the best you can. 

I don’t know how to completely tackle this because I don’t spend all of my time there.  I do work in the theater, and I work in television, and I . . . am not completely, 100 percent, focused on just film.  . . .  I’m certainly very lucky and grateful that I’ve somehow been able to keep working.  I think you have to . . . not let people tell you what to think about yourself, quite frankly.

How do you make a woman of the 18th century authentic and also accessible?
Well, you do the research that you can.  The areas that I will first tackle are lifestyle, how people lived,  meaning how they dressed, what they do for entertainment, how they learn, what they eat, how they lived.  All that stuff and then the world view, which is how they think.  So you start there.

Then you try and do the research that you can about the specific things.  For example, Abigail Adams was pigeon-toed.  I didn’t know that.  That will throw your body off.  That will tell you how someone moved. 

And then you sort of go to the heart of what all human beings have in common regardless of what period of time they are living in—love, ambition, happiness, anger.  You know, those basic qualities of being a human being and the emotional life of a human being.  . . . Anger is anger, no matter what century you’re in.  Love is love, no matter what century you’re in. 

Did you find anything out about Abigail Adams that perhaps didn’t show up on screen but went toward your forming the character?
Her father was a minister, which definitely made a difference in her character. And her religious foundation was very, very strong.  That was a big part of their life.  I think it gave her a tremendous sense of safety, and it allowed her will to remain very strong.  Because she felt that, you know, that there was a protective God.  And she also believed—the thing that I found fascinating was that she really believed—that the Revolutionary War was punishment from God for the sin of slavery. 

(The Adamses) were very unusual in that they never, ever, ever owned slaves.  They only had hired hands and they did a lot of the work themselves. They had a real firm sense of what they felt was right and wrong and what was right and wrong for them.  . . . I love it when they go to Europe and then they come back because—you know that phrase, “How do you keep them down on the farm once they’ve seen Paris”—that applies to them as well.

They came back and they bought a bigger house.  And all of a sudden, they had furniture and lace. ... Their trip to Europe certainly influenced her.

What can we learn from John and Abigail Adams’ marriage? They’ve been called America’s first power couple. 
Communication is important.  . . .  You know, all those letters that went back and forth.  They were forced to communicate, even when they were very, very far apart.  And so they had tremendous self-respect and for each other.  They opened every letter with “Dearest Friend,” and they really meant it.

Did Abigail Adams see people—such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington—differently than her husband?
I think she was just a very astute judge of character, and I think she was really fascinated by people. . . . She could be very empathetic; I think her friendship with Jefferson is an example of that.  I mean, she met him when he was grieving and when he first got to Paris.  Although this isn’t in the series, he wasn’t well, and she really helped restore him to health and they became very, very good friends.
 
She and Jefferson spent a lot of time together (in France), and she also advised him on his parenting skills.  She’s the one who insisted that he bring his daughter over.  So she became very involved with the people who she connected with.  And she was a very, very loyal friend.  Once she was crossed, however, that was that.

Have you spent much time with Sarah Polley, who plays your daughter, “Nabby,“ in the miniseries?
She’s an amazing, amazing person.  . . .  I was thrilled to meet her, and it was amazing to watch her.  She has tremendous grace, Sarah.  . . . We really had a good time.  I love all those kids.  I mean, all those people who played the adult children and the little kids as well.

But Sarah is really having a remarkable life.  And as the years go by, it’s really interesting to see what she chooses to do next.  She has a lot to give.  There’s a lot for her to do.  And, you know, I’m happy that I think she’s going to have the opportunity to do it.

Was Abigail Adams an empowered woman?
I think the healthiest power comes from self-esteem and sort of liking yourself and liking where you are and liking other people.  So that’s one kind.  . . . I think Abigail Adams certainly was empowered by her imagination and her character and her instincts and her family and her beliefs and the context in which, and how, she lived her life.  She had wonderful survival instincts, and she rose to every challenge.  She had tremendous courage.

Is Laura Linney an empowered woman?
Am I empowered?  Of course, you know, I’m an American.  I’m able to do what I want to.  I live in a free society.  It’s 2008, and so for me to say anything else would be silly.