#WhatsHappening for September 25, 2018

Hey, hi, howdy.

I'll spare you the details, but the infuriating saga of the malfunctioning washing machine continues.

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I was in music heaven last night- TCM ran The Last Waltz. The late, great Levon Helm may have hated it for the "long, loving close-ups" of Robbie Robertson, but damn... the music, man. And the guest performances. I mean... damn.

"Bluegrass or country music, if it comes down to that area and mixes with the rhythm, and if it dances, then you’ve got a combination of all those different kinds of music. ...Rock and roll."

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Bill Cosby was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison and fined $25,000 after being found guilty of sexual assault. Judge Steven T. O’Neill issued the sentence today, calling Cosby a "sexually violent predator."

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SiriusXM and Pandora announced yesterday that the satellite network will acquire the online streaming service in an all-stock transaction valued at nearly $3.5 billion.

The announcement says the deal will create "the world’s largest audio-entertainment company" with more than $7 billion in projected revenue for 2018 and more than 100 million monthly listeners. The deal gives SiriusXM's parent company, Liberty Media, instant- and successful- access to the streaming market.

The transaction is set to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to approval by Pandora stockholders and various governmental approvals.

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Surviving Beastie Boys Adam "Adrock" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond will be heading out on a six-night, four-city "event tour" to support the release of their Beastie Boys Book on October 30th.

According to the announcement, released yesterday, the stops will feature readings, Q&A sessions, and a live score from Mix Master Mike, who acted as the group's DJ.

Tickets to the event will include a physical copy of the book and go on sale Friday at noon for two stops each in New York and LA, and one stop in each in San Francisco and London.

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The so-called "White Album"- more accurately called by its eponymous moniker The Beatles- will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a November 9th release of a six-disc and BluRay DVD package featuring new mixes in stereo and 5.1 surround audio, 27 early acoustic demos, and 50 session takes, most of which are said to be previously unreleased. 

"We had left Sgt. Pepper’s band to play in his sunny Elysian Fields and were now striding out in new directions without a map," Paul McCartney says in his written introduction for the new release.

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Birthdays today include: Diana Ortiz of Dream (33); T.I. (38); Will Smith (50); and Zucchero (63). #MusicalBirthdays