#WhatsHappening for December 19, 2020

Hey, hi, howdy kids. How's by you? Got all your Christmas shopping done?

#WhatsHappening for December 6, 2020

There are, what? Twenty-five days left in the year? Anyone besides me clenched up, waiting for the next disaster?

#WhatsHappening for Friday, November 27, 2020

Yep, here were are on "Black Friday." Thrills.

#WhatsHappening for November 15, 2020

You kids might not buy this, but- despite my misanthropy- I miss hanging out with you guys.

Because we need it...

If you're anything like me, A) I pity you, and 2) we need something like this right now. 

 I know, I'm late to the party- but goddamn, Archer is hysterical.

#WhatsHappening for October 1, 2020

Halloween month! Whoo-hoo! I mean, I'm afraid to ask what scares are in store, but still. I will miss there not being a Costumes & Karaoke party. This would've been our 11th year at the Tavern (well, 11th for Southpaw Entertainment, and my ninth- since I've missed a couple). I will be doing music that night, just not a public show. And not karaoke.
This was one of our posters the first year we were on Facebook.

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Singer-songwriter Mac Davis, died yesterday after heart surgery. He was 78.

His manager, Jim Morey, confirmed the news, saying "Mac Davis has been my client for over 40 years, and more importantly, my best friend. He was a music legend, but his most important work was that as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. I will miss laughing about our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor."

In addition to his crossover hits Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me, I Believe in Music, and It's Hard To Be Humble, Davis penned A Little Less Conversation, Don't Cry Daddy, and In The Ghetto for Elvis Presley. He also shared writing credit on Weezer's Time Flies, Avicii's Addicted To You, and Bruno Mars' Young Girls. In a 2017 interview, he said at his age, he was "extremely grateful to be doing what I’m doing and still functioning in the music business," and added he got "excited every time I get involved with somebody and write a song. It’s still a fun thing to do."

Davis also had a modestly successful NBC variety show, The Mac Davis Show, from 1974 to 1976 and made his big screen debut in North Dallas Forty alongside Nick Nolte.

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Gorillaz will release their new album, Song Machine: Season 1 - Strange Timez on October 23rd. Guests on the album include Robert Smith of The Cure, 6LACK, ScHoolboy Q, slowthai, Slaves, and Peter Hook- with a deluxe edition adding tracks recorded with St. Vincent, Beck, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and others. Both versions will include this track, recorded with Sir Elton John.

John said he's "always been a Gorillaz fan so when Damon [Albarn] reached out and asked me to get involved it was a no-brainer. The way the song turned out is just great – I can’t wait for you to hear it..."

The band will do "live" digital shows on December 12th and 13th, with what the band says will be a "unique blend of visuals and live Gorillaz performances..."

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Talk about an "I can't even" moment, Mariah Carey revealed Sunday that she'd recorded what she says was an alternative album back in 1995 while working on her Daydream album. 

"I did an alternative album while I was making Daydream. Just for laughs, but it got me through some dark days."

"I’d bring my little alt-rock song to the band and hum a silly guitar riff. They would pick it up and we would record it immediately. It was irreverent, raw, and urgent, and the band got into it. I actually started to love some of the songs. I would fully commit to my character." She added that she was on "a quest to unearth the version of this album with my lead vocals and will not stop until we find it."

I am not a fan. But I think I'd like to give it a listen for just the car-wreck aspect of it.

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The Super Deluxe edition of Sign o' the Times is out. That is all.

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Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 71st birthday last week with the release of the second single from Letter From You- the first album he's recorded with the E-Street Band since 2014's High Hopes. You can check out Ghosts here.

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No, I didn't watch the debate. In the best of circumstances, those kinds of "events" my fucking head hurt. Considering it's been widely regarded as a complete shit-show, it seems like I made the right choice. But I swear Mark Hamill had the best description of the debacle.

That debate was the worst thing I've ever seen & I was in The Star Wars Holiday Special.

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) September 30, 2020

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Bonnaroo has been rescheduled for the third time after initially being postponed from June to September, the cancelled until June of next year. The announcement yesterday says the festival will now take place September 2-5, 2021. 

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Two new box sets are on the way featuring the late Amy Winehouse.

12x7: The Singles Collection will be released November 20, followed by the five CD Amy Winehouse: The Collection on November 27.

The box set will include both of Winehouse's Frank and Back to Black, as well as the posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures, a live album, a disc of remixes, a 20-page lyrics booklet, and a set of art cards.

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Birthdays today include: Herb Fame of Peaches & Herb (78); Jerry Martini and Sly & The Family Stone (77); Brian Greenway of April Wine (69); Youssou N'Dour (59); Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra (52); LaTocha Scott of Xscape (47); Keith Duffy of Boyzone (46); Richard Oakes of Suede (44); Keith Duffy (Boyzone) (1974). #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for September 29, 2020

 I mean, really. I told you I wasn't promising anything.

Really?

Has it really been two plus months since I last dropped by? I guess so.

#WhatsHappening for June 13, 2020

Hello there.

I'm afraid to ask what else the year holds in store for us, for fear things will get even worse.

Don't let their sacrifices have been in vain- use your freedoms wisely.

#WhatsHappening for May 8, 2020

Today is the the 75th anniversary of VE Day. 

#WhatsHappening for April 19, 2020

Good Sunday morning, friends.

#WhatsHappening for April 13, 2020

Does anyone else get home from work and fix themselves an adult beverage along with a cup of coffee, or is that just me?

#WhatsHappening for April 8, 2020

Ya know, even though my day job's production schedule is crawling, I sure am tired.

#WhatsHappening for April 6, 2020

'Sup?

Yep. Me, too.

#WhatsHappening for April 4, 2020

Normally, I'd have played a joke on at least one person for April Fool's Day. The way this year is going, though- well- I'm pretty sure I'd have gotten throat punched. 

#WhatsHappening for March 29, 2020

Well, a pandemic- that's what's happening. I mean, that's really the big news. Hell, you'd think it's the only news.

#WhatsHappening for March 5, 2020

Sup?

#WhatsHappening for February 18, 2020

Tuesday. Am I right? At least it's almost over.

#WhatsHappening for February 13, 2020

'Sup?

Once upon a time, I was a pretty devoted baseball fan. More specifically, I was a fan of the Braves.

#WhatsHappening for February 11, 2020

Yo. Sup?

Slow on the uptake...

Yep, that's me.

Anyway...
Just in case you were wondering, I have no opinion on the halftime show. Because I didn't watch it.
I've seen a few pictures, and have no opinion about the costumes, either. They just look like costumes. For everyone saying the costumes/performance/whatever was not fit for children, just shut up. You're lucky they don't mic up the linemen during the game.

Verbal diarrhea and cretinism in 3, 2, 1...

Anyway, I didn't watch the game for one reason: Joe Buck is terrible, and makes any game he calls an exercise in the absolute worst in broadcasting.That's kind of a shame, really- because it seemed like it would have been a good game.
Oh yeah- there was only one reason I didn't watch the halftime show- I don't like Lopez's or Shakira's music (and I also recognize I'm not their target audience).
As far as the commercials go... don't care. My SOP is to mute commercials or channel surf when they start. The fact that they're "new" or whatever means fuck-all. Particularly when you realize the advertisers will be running the hell out of them to make there money back.

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Lively up yourself. Robert Nesta Marley would have been 75 today. 

Other folks celebrating birthdays today include: Dave Berry (79); Fabian (77); Simon Phillips of Toto (63); Axl Rose (58); Rick Astley (54); Anita Cochran (53); and Tinashe (27). #MusicalBirthdays  

#WhatsHappening for January 29, 2020

Can you believe we're about to start the second month of the year already? Ridiculous.

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I didn't watch 'em, but all I heard about Monday was how terrible Aerosmith sounded during their Grammy performance.

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Hot off winning the "big four" at the Grammys Sunday, Billie Eilish has been tapped to give a "special performance" at this year's Academy Awards show.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed would be doing the theme song for the upcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die, becoming the youngest performer in the franchise's history to write and record a theme song.

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I continue to be underwhelmed by the Super Bowl, but I haven't really been much of a football fan in years- though I did watch a few of the playoff games this years (though not any of them that the bloviating asshat known Joe Buck was involved in). Anyway, you can catch Pitbull, Dan + Shay, DJ Khaled, and Yolanda Adams during the pregame show Sunday.

For those of you who plan on watching the game, Demi Lovato will sing the national anthem, while Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will headline the halftime show.

Personally, I can tell you the TV at the karaoke compound will be tuned to How It's Made during the day and the Adult Swim lineup on Cartoon Network that night.

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This cracked me up.

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I was somewhat tempted to at least watch the Grammy tribute to Prince, but there was no way I was going to sit through the rest of the show just to only care about five minutes of it. I'll wait for the special they taped Tuesday night (that will include the Revolution) to air in April.

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It's evidently a big deal that My Chemical Romance is going on tour. Apparently, they'd broken up or something and this is a reunion tour.

I am so unhip.

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The Simpsons may have been around for 30 years now, but Days of Our Lives was just renewed for season 56.

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Did you know there's a musical version of Mrs. Doubtfire debuting on Broadway in March? Now you do.

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Mick Fleetwood says Lindsey Buckingham won't be reuniting with Fleetwood Mac. Ever.

"Fleetwood Mac is a strange creature," he told NME. "We’re very, very committed to Neil and Mike, and that passed away a time ago, when Lindsey left. And it’s not a point of conversation, so I have to say no."

Still, it seemed Fleetwood wanted to smooth over some of the hard feelings that may have been left after the Buckingham's firing, saying "(Lindsey's) legacy is alive and well, and as it should be. A major, major part that will never be taken away, and never be down-spoken by any of us. Neil and Mike have tremendous respect for Lindsey. The situation was no secret. We were not happy. It was not working, and we parted company. And that really is the all of it."

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Birthdays today include: Adam Lambert (38); Jonny Lang (39); Marcus Verre of Living In A Box (56); Eddie Jackson of Queensrÿche (59); Rob Manzoli of Right Said Fred (66); Louie Perez of Los Lobos (67); Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream (67); Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band (67); and Betty LaVette (74). #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for January 21, 2020

Happy Tuesday, friends. Hope you're all keeping bundled up (or live somewhere you don't need to). 

#WhatsHappening for January 19, 2019

Yeah, whatever.