#WhatsHappening for April 23, 2018

Whoo-hoo, Monday Tuesday! Sorry, I got sidetracked.

I don't really see it.

Paramount has picked up the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman, starring Kingsman actor Taron Egerton. The film will track John's career from his days at the Royal Academy of Music through his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and his rise to international superstardom.

Egerton will go the Sissy Spacek/Coal Miner's Daughter route and sing John's tunes himself- and has already recorded songs at Abbey Road Studios. (Is anyone besides me really hoping one of the songs isn't Candle in the Wind? At least, not the "English Rose" version.)

Have you seen the Denny's commercial with the Solo tie-in? It's like even a good-if-it's-the-middle-of-the-night-you're-ripped-and-nothing-else-is-open restaurant realizes that Chewbacca is going to be better in this movie than the poor guy who's playing the titular character.

The estate of the late mastermind Prince has finally brought the Purple one back to the internet. Here it is, in all its glory. I especially love that all the videos are there, plus the discography of his incredibly prolific career, his output as a producer, and- still to come, according to the estate's reps- selections from his vault of unreleased material.

Deep Purple and Judas Priest are hitting the road this fall on a 25-city co-headlining tour that kicks off August 21st in Cincinnati. The tour will span slightly over a month, wrapping up September 30th at the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland, California. 

Deep Purple is touring to promote their 2017 album inFinite, while Judas Priest released their latest, Firepower,  just last month.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday at 10 AM, while Citibank cardholders can snag tickets until Thursday morning. The tour hits the Atlanta area on September 14th with a show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

Janet Jackson's camp announced yesterday that her State of the World Tour will be adding some summer dates across the United States. The 11 city extension includes dates in Austin, Texas, and Syracuse, New York as well as appearances at the Panorama, FYF Fest, and Outside Lands festivals.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

If you regularly peruse our ramblings, you know that the words Kanye and West rarely appear here unless I'm insulting him, but I had to mention the Billboard headline from today: Is Kanye West Eying a Political Run in 2024?

As I said when it was rumored Oprah Winfrey would run- or when any other fucking "celebrity" asshat (including the one currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) makes the announcement, let me offer this: How about a big-old FUCK NO?

Are old-guard, career politicians a problem? Ab-so-fucking-lute-ly. Is a person who's completely bereft of knowledge of how government actually works, and has never held a job that involved actual work the answer? Ab-so-fucking-lute-ly not. 

Don't forget to join us for Saturday Night Karaoke, live and loud at the Iron Horse Tavern this weekend from 10pm-1am. 

Birthdays today include: Kelly Clarkson (36); Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors (50); Patty Schemel of Hole (51); Billy Gould of Faith No More (55); Boris Williams of The Cure (60); David J of Love & Rockets (61); Glen Cornick of Jethro Tull (71); and Barbra Streisand (76). Today would also be Roy Orbison's 82nd birthday. #MusicalBirthdays