Eddie Vedder seemingly shot back at Mötley Crüe during a recent live show after Nikki Sixx called Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history.”
As captured by fan-shot footage posted to YouTube, Vedder appeared to be making fun of Crüe drummer Tommy Lee while introducing the drummer in his solo band, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“That drum kit, that silver, beautiful machine…does not need to elevate or rotate to do its job,” Vedder said to a cheering crowd.
Lee, of course, played on an elaborate drum roller coaster during the Crüe’s later tours, including their 2014-2015 “farewell” run.
As previously reported, this whole thing started when Vedder told The New York Times Magazinethat he “despised” Mötley Crüe and bands of their ilk.
“I hated it,” Vedder said. “I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous.”
Sixx then fired back at Vedder with a tweet reading, “Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue. Now considering that they’re one of the most boring bands in history it’s kind of a compliment isn’t it?”
The Pearl Jam Twitter account then responded with a video of a crowd going crazy during one of the grunge band’s shows along with the caption, “We [heart emoji] our bored fans.”
(WASHINGTON) — Republican lawmakers are divided on what could become a defining issue for the GOP after the Republican National Committee passed a censure resolution last week including language critics said suggested the Jan. 6 attack was “legitimate political discourse” — with the top Republican in Congress teasing he’s prepared to answer a question on the issue Tuesday.
The resolution, censuring GOP Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack — said the incumbent lawmakers were “participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse” — a phrase that has since come under fire and Cheney juxtaposed on social media with images of violence at the Capitol.
ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has struggled to maintain GOP infighting on his quest to become House speaker, whether he thought there was was “legitimate political discourse” on Jan. 6 after he dodged reporters questions on the topic last week.
“Everybody knows there was — anyone who broke inside,” McCarthy replied Tuesday.
McCarthy’s office called later to clarify that he meant that “anybody who broke inside was not” engaged in legitimate political discourse.
Asked also if he was supportive of the censure of Cheney and Kinzinger, McCarthy said, “I think I’ve already answered that question — there’s a reason why Adam is not running for reelection,” in an apparent reference to an earlier interview with OAN.
The No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. — who replaced Cheney as a member of leadership after an internal revolt last year — told reporters Tuesday, “The RNC has every right to take any action and the position that I have is you’re ultimately held accountable to voters.”
Asked also if she believes the violence on Jan. 6 was “legitimate political discourse,” Stefanik condemned the violence but proceeded to equate the violence of Jan. 6 to the “violence of 2020” — seemingly a reference to the national protests that took place following George Floyd’s murder.
But while House Republicans and close allies of Trump have defended the resolution, several members of Senate Republican leadership sought to distance themselves from it, with a number refuting the “legitimate political discourse” description.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas — a key ally of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said that he will address the topic at his own Tuesday press conference — told reporters Monday that the language wasn’t appropriate.
“I just I think being accurate is really important, particularly when you are talking about something that sensitive, and I just think it was not an accurate description,” Cornyn said.
It’s unclear how much McConnell will say, but in an interview with Spectrum News in December, the Republican leader signaled his personal interest in the House committee’s work, despite blocking the formation of an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the attack last year.
“I think it’s fact-finding, it’s interesting, we’re all going to be watching it,” McConnell said. “I think that what they’re seeking to find out is something the public needs to know,” he added.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also on the Hill Monday for an evening leadership meeting with McConnell, reacted as if the RNC’s action is wholly apart from him and the Senate GOP.
“I mean it’s what they want to say. I’m clear what I believe has been,” said Scott, who has condemned rioters on Jan. 6 as “disgraceful and un-American.”
But Florida’s other senator, Sen. Marco Rubio, fell in line with messaging of the RNC and former President Donald Trump, condemning the Jan. 6 committee, instead, on CBS’ Face the Nation Sunday as “a partisan scam.”
Other senators have wiggled around taking a clear stance.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who announced last month he is not running for reelection to the Senate, told reporters Monday, “Everybody has the right to peacefully protest, but they don’t have the right to be violent. Of course, there was protest that day that was not violent, but there was also a terrible violent and criminal part of it.”
Pressed on whether the RNC resolution and specific language was appropriate, he said, “I haven’t read what they said, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to call violent and criminal activity.”
Senate GOP Whip John Thune, R-S.D., up for reelection this year and often a target of former President Donald Trump — was pressed repeatedly on whether he supports the censure resolution, but demurred, saying the focus, instead, should “be forward, not backward.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., echoed the sentiment but in a more critical tone, saying, “We’ve got a lot of issues that we should be focusing on besides censuring two members of Congress because they have a different opinion.”
The RNC has come under intense questioning since Friday about the inclusion of the “legitimate political discourse” phrase in its censure resolution to Cheney and Kinzinger.
Asked Friday to elaborate on the description, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the party is talking about “legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol.”
“Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol. That’s why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution.”
McDaniel’s statement notably attempted to clarify the resolution’s “legitimate political discourse” language, adding the words, “that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol,” though that additional phrasing did not appear in the resolution that was passed Friday.
Senate and House Democrats have come out swinging against the RNC’s decision.
“Ronna McDaniel should be ashamed of herself,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. “What makes it worse is that our Republican colleagues here in the Capitol refuse to denounce it because they are a part of the cult, as well.”
Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, meanwhile, sought to pivot away from the issue on ABC “This Week” when pressed by co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday, condemning the violence of Jan. 6 but unwilling to denounce the resolution.
“My understanding is [the statement] pertains to the legitimate protesters that I saw that day,” McCaul said.
Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who voted against both of Trump’s impeachments, weighed in over the weekend to say that what transpired on Jan. 6 “was criminal, un-American, and cannot be considered legitimate protest.”
A handful of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” last year were among the first to condemn the RNC language over the weekend.
“What happened on January 6, 2021 was an effort to overturn a lawful election resulting in violence and destruction at the Capitol. We must not legitimize those actions which resulted in loss of life and we must learn from that horrible event so history does not repeat itself,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, tweeted.
Hers followed Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, writing Friday morning that “shame” falls on the party, that his niece, McDaniel, currently presides over.
“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost,” Romney tweeted.
And Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., also reacted with apparent shock, tweeting, “The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th — HUH?”
The move to censure Cheney and Kinzinger marks the first time the national RNC has had a formal censure for an incumbent member of Congress backed by its members.
The day before the RNC vote, Kinzinger tweeted has “no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution.
Kinzinger, who is not running for reelection but has said his political career is not over, said in a statement that GOP leadership had allowed “conspiracies and toxic tribalism” to cloud “their ability to see clear-eyed.”
“I’ve been a member of the Republican Party long before Donald Trump entered the field,” Kinzinger said in a statement Thursday night. “Rather than focus their efforts on how to help the American people, my fellow Republicans have chosen to censure two lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office.”
Cheney also spoke to her identity as a “constitutional conservative” in a statement and said, “I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump.”
The 11-track collection was recorded at various sessions in Nashville, Seattle, Connecticut and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album features mostly new originals co-written by Wilson, while also including covers of Queen‘s “Love of My Life” and Robin Trower‘s “Bridge of Sighs.” “Love of My Life” features guest vocals by country star and current Eagles touring member Vince Gill, while acclaimed blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd plays guitar on “Bridge of Sighs” and an original song called “Missionary Man.”
Wilson recorded two tracks — “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” — with Gov’t Mule, the group led by former Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist Warren Haynes, who also co-wrote the tunes with Ann.
Wilson was accompanied on most tracks by a group of session musicians who now serve as her solo touring band, The Amazing Dawgs.
Fierce Bliss also includes Ann’s 2021 single “Black Wing,” which she recorded with some Seattle-based musicians, including recent Heart touring bassist Andy Stoller and keyboardist Dan Walker.
Ann has released the album’s first track, “Greed,” as an advance digital single, while a music video for the tune has debuted at her official YouTube channel.
“‘Greed’ is that thing in our animal nature that makes us want MORE,” Wilson explains about the song’s theme. “Whether it be money, sex, power or ecstasy, it fires our craving! It happens with all of us. When you turn around and catch yourself making decisions because you want the money, or because you’re caught in the headlights of glory, well, those are greedy moments.”
Wilson is lining up 2022 tour dates with The Amazing Dawgs. Visit AnnWilson.com for her current schedule.
You can pre-order Fierce Bliss now. Here’s the full track list:
“Greed”
“Black Wing”
“Bridge of Sighs”
“Fighten for Life”
“Love of My Life” — featuring Vince Gill
“Missionary Man”
“Gladiator”
“Forget Her”
“A Moment in Heaven”
“Angel’s Blues”*
“As the World Turns”
(NEW YORK) — Peloton announced Tuesday a major leadership shakeup and a plan to cut costs that includes laying off some 2,800 employees.
The announcement comes as the pandemic wanes in the U.S. and gyms are reopening, lessening demand for the company’s at-home workout equipment and famous stationary bike.
The New York-based company said co-founder John Foley will be stepping down as CEO but will stay with the company as executive chair of the board. Barry McCarthy, a former senior leader at Spotify and Netflix, has been appointed the new CEO and president of Peloton.
“Since founding Peloton a decade ago, we’ve grown this brand to engage and motivate a loyal community of more than 6.6 million members. I’m incredibly proud to have worked with such talented teammates over the years who have helped me build Peloton into what it is today, and I’m confident that Barry is the right leader to take the company into its next phase of growth,” Foley said in a statement Tuesday.
McCarthy added, “As a passionate Peloton member, I have experienced firsthand this fantastic company’s mission and believe there is enormous potential for the platform.”
“I’m honored to join Peloton at such an important moment in the company’s history and look forward to working closely with John, the Board and Peloton’s team members at all levels of the organization to execute against Peloton’s strategy and take the business to the next level,” he said in a statement.
The company simultaneously announced a “workforce reduction” that will result in the cutting of some 2,800 jobs globally, or approximately 20% of its corporate staff. Peloton said that its “roster of instructors and breadth and depth of its content” will not be impacted by Tuesday’s announcements.
“These decisions, particularly those related to our impacted Peloton team members, were not taken lightly,” Foley said. “We greatly value the contributions of our talented colleagues and are committed to supporting impacted team members in their transitions.”
Once revered as a hot stock early on in the pandemic, Peloton shares have slumped some 75% since its highs seen a little over a year ago. The company has endured a tumultuous start to 2022 marked by investor turmoil, and it reported a net loss of some $439 million in its most recent quarterly report.
The New Zealand-born filmmaker is the first woman to be nominated in the best director category twice. She was first nominated in 1994 for The Piano, and again Tuesday for The Power of the Dog at this year’s Oscars.
Competing alongside Campion, 67, for the best director trophy at the 94th Academy Awards are Kenneth Branagh for Belfast, Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi for Drive My Car, and Steven Spielberg for West Side Story.
Only six other women have been nominated for best director: Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties in 1977, Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2004, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010, Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird in 2018, Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman in 2021, and Chloé Zhao for Nomadland in 2021. Of those, only two women — Bigelow and Zhao — have won the Oscar for best director. Zhao’s win last year made her the first woman of color to win best director.
Campion also snagged nominations for best picture and best adapted screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards for The Power of the Dog. The film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee, is based on Thomas Savage‘s 1967 novel of the same name. Cumberbatch was nominated for best actor, Dunst was nominated for best supporting actress and both Plemons and Smit-McPhee were nominated for best supporting actor.
The Power of the Dog leads the pack of nominees this year, with a grand total of 12 nods. In addition to the three nominations for Campion and the four cast members, the movie was also nominated for best cinematography, best original score, best sound, best production design and best film editing.
The Super Bowl is just days away and The Chainsmokers are making the big day even more exciting by kicking off an exclusive pre-game concert on TikTok.
The EDM duo announced their next gig on Tuesday, writing, “Bringing together the worlds two favorite things TikTok and Tailgating!” The concert starts at 2:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 13, and will be streamed on the NFL’s official TikTok page. The Grammy nominees will be playing in the parking lot outside of SoFi Stadium, where the Los Angeles Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chainsmokers also shared a short TikTok video confirming their upcoming performance and sarcastically told football fans “and we’re not sorry” they are officially attached to the biggest night in the NFL season.
This upcoming performance arrives shortly after The Chainsmokers released “High,” their first song in nearly two years. Prior to that, the duo had taken an extensive break on social media to work on their upcoming fourth studio album, which they’ve dubbed TCS4 until an official title is revealed.
They have been most active on TikTok and, most famously, had two doppelgängers pretending to be them a week before their inevitable return, which sparked wild fan theories that Drew Taggart and Alex Pall mocked once they reclaimed their account;
It is unknown what songs or stunts The Chainsmokers will pull in their upcoming performance on Sunday, but considering the outrageous shenanigans the two have been pulling on social media — fans are already speculating about what plans the duo have up their sleeves.
Nearly 13 years following the passing of Michael Jackson, a biopic about the King of Pop is coming to the big screen.
Lionsgate announced it will distribute the film now being developed by Oscar-winning producer Graham King, according to Deadline.
The movie is being co-produced by John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, and has the blessing of the Jackson family. Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, said in a statement, “Ever since Michael was little, as a member of The Jackson 5, he loved the magic of cinema. As a family, we are honored to have our life story come alive on the big screen.”
Simply titled Michael, the biopic is described as “an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”
“I first met the Jackson family in 1981 and I’m humbled to bring their legacy to the big screen,” says King, who won the Best Picture Oscar in 2009 for The Departed. “Sitting at Dodger Stadium watching the Victory Tour, I could never have imagined that nearly 38 years later I would get the privilege to be a part of this film.”
The Michael Jackson Broadway production MJ: The Musical opened February 1 in New York City. Michael’s children — Paris, Prince and Bigi, aka Blanket, attended the opening night performance, as well as TJ Jackson, son of Michael’s brother, Tito Jackson.
(ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich.) — The parents of Ethan Crumbley, the teenager accused of fatally shooting four students at a Michigan school, appeared in court on Tuesday for a hearing that will determine whether the two will face trial.
James and Jennifer Crumbley are accused of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly neglecting or failing to recognize warning signs about their son in the months before the shooting.
The prosecution asked District Court Judge Julie Nicholson to restrict communication between James and Jennifer Crumbley. The request came after the two were seen communicating in a court proceeding over Zoom, which the court granted.
Attorneys for the Crumbley parents asked the judge to postpone the hearing so they can further prepare, but the judge denied their motion.
James Crumbley had purchased the gun used in the rampage days before the shooting, according to prosecutors.
Deputies refused to remove the belly-chains from Crumbleys during Tuesday’s hearing due to their “national security status,” one of the deputies told the judge. This came when attorneys for the Crumbleys requested their hands be uncuffed so they could communicate with their attorneys by writing notes.
Kira Pennocki, the owner of a barn where the Crumbleys keep their horses, testified that Jennifer Crumbley had called her son “weird” and said he was “not out doing things like normal kids.”
Pennocki said Jennifer Crumbley told her that her son only had one friend and that he spent a lot of time online or playing games.
The prosecution showed text exchanges between Pennocki and Jennifer Crumbley in the days leading up to the shooting and after the shooting.
“My son ruined so many lives today,” Jennifer Crumbley said in a text to Pennocki on the day of the shooting.
Another witness, Andrew Smith, who worked with Jennifer Crumbley detailed his interactions with her on the day of the shooting.
Their son, Ethan Crumbley, will appear next in court on Feb. 22. Ethan Crumbley was charged with multiple felony charges, including terrorism, in connection with the rampage that killed four students and injured several others on Nov. 30. The 15-year-old was charged as an adult.
Disney/Pixar has released the first trailer to Lightyear, the animated action movie origin story behind the action figure Buzz Lightyear, who was voiced by Tim Allen in the Toy Story films.
Chris Evans voices “the real” Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger on a dangerous intergalactic mission. The trailer shows the character launched into deep space, where he runs afoul of a “massive robot” that Toy Story fans will recognize as the inspiration for Evil Emperor Zurg, as well as his robotic minions.
In a statement, director Angus MacLane noted, “In Toy Story, there seemed to be this incredible backstory to [Buzz] being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my Lighytear pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?'”
He added, “I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
The movie, which also features the voices of Oscar-winner Taiki Waititi, Emmy-winner Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer, James Brolin, and Efram Ramirez, as well as Ratatouille vet Peter Sohn as Buzz’s robot cat companion, Sox, opens in theaters June 17.
If you could use some serious extra cash, better fire up that Snapchat account. Mariah Carey has teamed with the video-sharing app for an all-new Spotlight challenge — the #AlwaysBeMyBaby Challenge — where the grand prize is $50,000.
Entering is simple . First and foremost, you need a Snapchat account. From there, all you need to do is show Mariah how you’re cozying up with the one you love on Valentine’s Day, but you have to use her 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby” to get yourself entered.
“Today’s all about love,” Mariah said in the official announcement. “Show me how you’re spending your special day!” She even provided an example, where her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, brings her a tray with two champagne glasses and some chocolates. He then pours her some Black Irish liqueur, which is Mimi’s own Irish cream brand, and the two toast. This all happens as her hit song plays in the background.
The #AlwaysBeMyBaby Challenge is now open and video submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, February 15. The grand prize winner will be hooked up with that $50,000 jackpot, while the second- and third-place winners will respectively win $30,000 and $20,000.
