'Sup?

Good morning, kiddios.

As with most weekend mornings, I'm watching Premier League games (and having zero investment in the outcomes, other than enjoying the games). It's just the sport I enjoy- other than the ridiculous "flopping", of course. I'd love to be able to say the same about MLS games (though I actually would root for Atlanta United), unfortunately, the league thought it was a good idea to throw their lot in with Apple TV.

In retrospect (a couple of hours after initially typing the paragraph above), I've actually seen more Premier League matches in the past year than I have MLS games. That's just fucked up for a league that's still trying to build a brand in this country (or is it just me?).

Now, I'm not disparaging the service itself- there's just no way I'm subscribing to yet another service. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: some cable (or whatever) service, somewhere, needs to come up with a business model that actually lets people get the fucking channels they want. I have zero fucking interest in shopping channels, yet there's something like twelve of the motherfuckers in my home's channel line-up. Similarly, I don't need six different "god" channels, or the Motor Trend Channel (which used to- occasionally- show some neat off-road races, but now seems to exclusively show a loop of moronic "reality" shows), or any of the Lifetime, Hallmark, or Oprah networks.

I get it- there are people who watch these networks, I just ain't one of 'em! So, like I said- how about some provider come up with a workable a'la carte "cable" service where we get the channels we actually want, instead of a package of crap we absolutely don't?

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Backstreet Boy Nick Carter was named in a sexual assault and battery lawsuit last week. In the suit, Melissa Schuman- former member of the pop group Dream- accuses Carter of using "his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" in 2003, when she was 18.

Schuman initially came forward with the allegations in a 2017 blog post, saying Carter "refusing to take my no’s for an answer." She called his actions "relentless" and said he was "too heavy to get out from under him."

Schuman's attorneys say the case "describes how powerful, celebrated individuals can weaponize their fan base to intimidate and harass the survivors of their crimes. Finally, we have an opportunity now to prove that there are legal consequences to these crimes." After filing a complaint against Carter with Santa Monica Police in 2018, the LA County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the matter, saying the statute of limitations had expired in 2013.

Carter denied the allegations in 2017, saying Schuman had "never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual … It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm."

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Mark Sheehan, lead guitarist The Script, has died following a "brief illness."

"Much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend Mark Sheehan passed away today in hospital after a brief illness. The family and group ask fans to respect their privacy at this tragic time," the band's official Instagram page wrote alongside a photo of Sheehan.

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From the "Fuck, I'm old" file: David Bowie's Let's Dance is now 40 years old- having been released April 14, 1983. I was 14 (summer birthdays, and whatnot). It was a fantastic album then, and it's a fantastic album now. 

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The "big" news from Friday night's Coachella performances was the performance by Blink-182, featuring the reunion of original members Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker, and Mark Hoppus. 

Their set marked the first time the trio had played together since DeLonge's departure from the band in 2014.  

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Lionel Richie says his upcoming performance at King Charles' Coronation concert will be a "a once-in-a-lifetime event and it will be an honor and a celebration."

Richie, Take That, Andrea Bocelli, and Katy Perry were among the first confirmed for the event on May 7 at Windsor Castle. Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, singer-songwriter Freya Ridings, and classical-soul composer-producer Alexis Ffrench were also announced as performers. 

BBC Studios, producers of the show, says more performers will be confirmed ahead of the show. Unconfirmed reports have said the concert has struggled to secure "top" acts due to "busy touring schedules."

Richie was appointed as The Prince’s Trust’s first Global Ambassador and chairman of the Global Ambassador Group in 2019, while Perry was appointed as an ambassador of The British Asian Trust in 2020.

Perry said she was "excited to be performing at the Coronation Concert, and helping to shine a further light on the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund."

In a media statement, Take That said they were eager for the show while Bocelli called it a "great honour to be asked to perform (for) King Charles III."

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Ahead of her three night run of shows at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium this weekend, Taylor Swift made news there for a different reason: her philanthropy.

According to an Instagram post from Feeding Tampa Bay, Swift donated enough meals to put "over 125,000 meals on tables" in the area.

They also thanked her for "being a HERO" and supporting their "mission to end hunger by 2025". It's also reported Swift made similar donations in Nevada and Arizona ahead of shows in those states.

Well, I still think her music is mostly terrible, but she seems like a good person.

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced this week that Bruce Springsteen's September 23rd birthday will now be known as Bruce Springsteen Day in the Garden State. Murphy made the proclamation during the American Music Honors ceremony at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music in West Long Branch, New Jersey on yesterday.

Murphy said "Springsteen will forever be remembered as the voice of the Garden State, signaling to the world that New Jerseyans were born to run."

I've mentioned it before, but Springsteen's support of Ticketmaster's "surge pricing" model for events has really soured me on him. A performer who was really an "every day guy" wouldn't favor a model that prices his work out of the reach for blue collar fans.

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I guess rockers and I have a different view of what it means to be retired. I say that after seeing this headline this morning: "Nikki Sixx confirms Mötley Crüe are working on new music"

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I had a cold last week. After calling out from my day job Monday and Tuesday, I was damned happy that it was a scheduled week off from karaoke this week- because, since then, I've felt like my chest was that side of beef Rocky Balboa was using as a heavy bag from the amount of coughing I did. 
Being the genius that I am, I didn't reschedule my appointments for a tetanus booster or my first shingles vaccine shot. So I feel like "zee doo-doo" from that (the shingles part) this weekend, too. Also, pollen. 'Tis the season, huh?

Anyway, karaoke's back this coming weekend. Join us, won't you?

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Speaking of our Saturday Night shenanigans, a couple of questions:

• Do you like the digital sign in system? Aside from some whiny folks who don't want to use it (and get pissy that I won't "just let them tell me what they want to sing"), it seems to be a much smoother system than the old notebook and slips way of doing things- but what do you think? (I can tell you right now that I'm not abandoning the system- if I never have to lug around notebooks again, I'll be fine with it)
• Do you check out our messages during the show (I'm referring to the "video" that plays ahead of the show and between singers that includes reminders to tip the servers, how to sign up to sing, celebrity birthdays, and trivia)? Do you enjoy the odd bits I throw in, or are there things you'd like to see? Or should I just go back to the static placeholder screen and not waste my time putting the videos together?

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Birthdays coming up this week include:

April 16th: Bobby Vinton (88); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (76); Billy West (71); Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil (70); Ellen Barkin (69); Jimmy Osmond (60); Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum (59); Jon Cryer (58); Martin Lawrence (58); Akon (50); Chance the Rapper (30)

April 17th: Olivia Hussey (72); Michael Sembello (69); Afrika Bambaataa (66); Sean Bean (64); Maynard James Keenan of Tool (59); Liz Phair (56); Redman (53); Jennifer Garner (51); Victoria Beckham (49); Rooney Mara (38); Avi Kaplan of Pentatonix (34)

April 18th: Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann (83); Hayley Mills (77); Rick Moranis (70); Eric Roberts (66); Janes Leeves (62); David Tennant (52)

April 19th: Elinor Donahue (86); Alan Price of The Alan Price Set (81); Tim Curry (77); James Franco (45); Hayden Christiansen (42); Maria Sharapova (36)

April 20th: George Takei (86); Johnny Tillotson (84); Ryan O’Neal (82); Veronica Cartwright (74); Jessica Lange (74); Andy Serkis (59)

April 21st: Iggy Pop (76); Patti LuPone (74); Tony Danza (72); Andie MacDowell (65); Robert Smith of the Cure (64); James McAvoy (44)

April 22nd: Jack Nicholson (86); Mel Carter (84); John Waters (77); Peter Frampton (73); Daniel Johns of Silverchair (44)