The family of Cliff Burton has announced a livestream celebrating what would’ve been the late Metallica bassist’s 60th birthday.
The virtual event will premiere on this Thursday, February 10, at 7 p.m. PT on host Nicholas Gomez‘s YouTube channel. Among the guests taking part are Anthrax‘s Charlie Benante, Faith No More‘s Mike Bordin and Slayer‘s Gary Holt.
Benante has also designed two t-shirts celebrating the occasion, which are available for pre-order now.
Burton was born February 10, 1962. He played on Metallica’s first three albums — 1983’s Kill ‘Em All, 1984’s Ride the Lightning and 1986’s Master of Puppets — before he was tragically killed in a bus accident at age 24.
Spoon has released a new song called “My Babe,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, Lucifer on the Sofa.
The tune, which is available now for digital download, is accompanied by a live performance video filmed during Spoon’s concert in Los Angeles last fall. You can watch that streaming now on YouTube.
“My Babe” is the third song to be released from Lucifer on the Sofa, following lead single “The Hardest Cut” and “Wild.” The whole album arrives this Friday, February 11.
Spoon will launch a U.S. tour in support of Lucifer on the Sofa in April. Tonight, they’re playing a one-off show in Santa Ana, California.
Carlos Santana‘s reunion single with “Smooth” collaborator Rob Thomas, “Move,” was released back in August of 2021, but now the song has made it into the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart. The Matchbox Twenty frontman says he’s happy about the success of the single — which also features American Authors — simply because he would’ve hated to see something he likes so much get ignored.
“At some point you get old enough where…you don’t live and die by things doing well,” he tells ABC Audio. “But obviously, when you write music, you want to know that people are getting to hear it.”
He adds, “That’s the worst thing ever…when you put out something and them for some reason or another, signals get crossed, it just doesn’t quite land and you realize that it just means that a lot of people don’t get to hear something you worked really hard on.”
Thomas goes on to say that in that respect, the success of “Move” is “kind of amazing.”
He explains, “It’s great that something that Carlos and I really love and care about and…all the American Authors guys, we did something that meant a lot to us, and it can mean something to somebody else.”
“Move” is on Santana‘s album Blessings and Miracles. Rob plans to put out new music with Matchbox Twenty ahead of their upcoming tour, and he also has a solo album ready to go at some future date.
Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Lil Baby have been added to the star-studded pre-Super Bowl entertainment this week in Los Angeles.
They all will perform at Michael Rubin‘s Fanatics party on Saturday, Page Six reports. Kevin Hart, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Alex Rodriguez are among the stars expected to attend.
Meanwhile, after the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he always listens to Kid Cudi‘s music to get him pumped before each game. Cudi asked for his jersey from the game, and Burrow happily sent it to the “Erase Me” rapper, who will attend the Super Bowl as the Bengals play the Los Angeles Rams.
“Rockin’ this b**** to the game and then framing it. I am so geeked right now,” Cudi tweeted, along with a photo of the jersey.
As previously reported, many more stars will be featured in Super Bowl events:
–Bounce TV will present the 23rd annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. CeCe Winans, Chloe, Regina Belle, CeeLo Green and LeCrae will be among the performers. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks will also appear.
–The Poppy nightclub in Hollywood will be jammin’ all weekend with appearance by Wiz Khalifa, Swae Lee, Roddy Ricch, French Montana and T-Pain.
—Usher will sing at the Chairman’s Party on Saturday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, site of the Super Bowl.
—Gunna will hit the stage at the DirecTV/Maxim party on Friday at City Market LA.
–The same night, Lil Wayne headlines Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaq’s Fun House” party at the Shrine Auditorium.
—Drake will perform at the “Homecoming” party on Saturday at the Pacific Design Center.
Hulu has dropped release dates for several high-profile limited series, including the anticipated The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried, Amy Schumer‘s Life After Beth, and Elle Fanning in The Girl from Plainville.
The Dropouttracks the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of Elizabeth Holmes, disgraced founder of the medical technology company Theranos. Holmes took Silicon Valley and Wall Street by storm with her promised revolutionary blood scanner, only to be exposed as a fraud when it was discovered she knew the machines never worked.
The trailer shows Seyfried playing Holmes both as an ambitious student, and later reinventing herself in the model of Apple legend Steve Jobs. Holmes is shown lapping up the limelight — and even in a mirror practicing the odd voice she affected in public — and then as a cornered figure, covering up the failure of her technology as her employees seek to expose her. William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, Naveen Andrews, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Stephen Fry and Sam Waterston also star in the eight-episode series launching March 3.
Life After Beth, which was written, directed, executive-produced and stars Amy Schumer, has the comedian and actress playing a wine distributor with a successful personal and professional life. Hulu teases of the 10-episode series, “When a sudden incident forces Beth to engage with her past, her life changes forever.” Michael Cera, Susannah Flood, Violet Young, and Kevin Kane also star. The show debuts March 18.
The Girl From Plainville is another ripped-from-the-headlines offering from Hulu, debuting on March 29. The eight-episode series, starring Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, and Colton Ryan, centers on Michelle Carter‘s relationship with Conrad Roy III, who killed himself after repeated texts from Carter urging him to do so. Carter was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
(“Life After Beth” trailer contains strong language.)
Lil Uzi Vert has reportedly accepted a plea bargain with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office after being charged with assault in an incident involving his ex-girlfriend and rapper SAINt JHN.
TMZ reports that the Philly MC was sentenced to three years of probation, one year in treatment for mental health and substance abuse, 52 weeks in domestic violence counseling, restitution, and 10 years under a criminal protective order. In July 2021, Uzi was charged with three felonies — assault with a firearm, criminal threats and domestic violence — in addition to a misdemeanor charge for carrying a loaded weapon.
His former girlfriend, Brittany Byrd, filed a police report alleging that the “Futsal Shuffle 2020” rapper struck her and threatened her with a gun while she was at the Dialog Cafe in West Hollywood for a business meeting with SAINt JHN. She claims that Uzi jumped out of his Escalade and threw a punch that missed JHN, as his gun fell on the ground. Byrd added that Vert allegedly pushed the gun against her stomach and hit her.
(WASHINGTON) — More than 13 months after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department has readied an extensive group of witnesses and a mountain of evidence that it’s preparing to present against the first alleged rioter to take their case to trial, according to a new court filing Tuesday.
Guy Reffitt, a Texas man who faces several felony charges in connection with the riot, is set to sit before a jury of his peers beginning Feb. 28 in D.C. District Court in Washington. He is also facing charges of allegedly threatening his son and daughter over his involvement in the attack.
Of the more than 730 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the Justice Department had secured guilty pleas from more than 200 as of Tuesday, according to ABC News’ latest tally.
Tuesday’s filing shows federal prosecutors are preparing testimony for Reffitt’s trial that they say will tell not just the story of Reffitt’s own actions leading up to, during, and following the attack, but also the broader danger that the pro-Trump mob posed to democracy as they stormed the building, sending lawmakers, congressional staffers, and former Vice President Mike Pence into hiding.
Reffitt has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Among the 13 witnesses the Justice Department hopes to call is Capitol Police inspector Monique Moore, who the DOJ says will introduce surveillance videos showing Reffitt and other rioters on the restricted grounds outside the Capitol, as well as video showing Pence’s motorcade leaving the east plaza of the Capitol as Pence was still inside the building.
Three other members of the Capitol Police who interacted with Reffitt outside the Capitol building are expected to testify about launching pepper balls, pepper spray and projectiles at Reffitt after they had instructed him and other rioters to leave the west side of the Capitol grounds. One of the officers is expected to introduce audio clips from their radio communications during the riot as they called for backup and described the breach as it was happening.
Four FBI agents who participated in the investigation of Reffitt after his alleged participation in the riot are expected to testify about Reffitt’s alleged possession of a firearm while at the Capitol and the evidence accumulated from a search of his home and personal devices. The evidence, according to the filing, includes several videos Reffitt took while on Capitol grounds, including one with a Kodak Orbit 360 camera that can be panned and rotated 360 degrees.
A Secret Service special agent who acts as the agency’s supervisor at the Capitol is expected to introduce videos showing Pence’s evacuation from the Capitol during the attack, and the emergency actions the Secret Service took in response to the storming of the building.
Daniel Schwager, general counsel to the Secretary of the Senate, is expected to explain the constitutional process of certifying the Electoral College vote, during which prosecutors are expected to introduce videos and still images showing the dangers the mob posed after entering the Capitol.
A fellow member of the Three Percenter militia group who traveled with Reffitt to Washington and has been granted immunity by the government for his testimony, is expected to testify about discussions he allegedly had with Reffitt, and also about their travel arrangements, Reffitt’s firearms and tactical gear, and his movements and actions surrounding Jan. 6.
Reffitt’s son, Jackson Reffitt, and his daughter, Peyton Reffitt, are also expected to testify about their interactions with their father both before and after the riot. According to the filing, Jackson Reffitt will play out and authenticate five audio recordings he made of his father speaking to the family in the days after he returned to their home in Texas.
If convicted on all charges, Reffitt could face years in prison.
Camila Cabello announced her third studio album, Familia, is arriving sometime this year and, for the first time, confirmed that she will be heading out on tour.
Taking to TikTok on Tuesday, the “Don’t Go Yet” singer shared a brief video clip, titled “The US during the Familia tour.” The snippet shows the Grammy nominee pretending to be on stage and holding out the microphone to hear the imaginary audience sing along while the first notes of Daddy Yankee‘s “Gasolina” blare in the background.
The audio then cuts to a woman horribly flubbing the lyrics and Camila jokingly looks around in confusion.
This is the first time Camila has mentioned the Familia tour. She has yet to confirm when it starts and where it’ll take her.
When announcing her third studio album over the summer, Camila explained it was “inspired by two things: family and food. Your family by blood, but also your chosen family.” Familia, she added, celebrates her Cuban heritage.
She began teasing the next single off the album last week but has yet to reveal when we’ll get to hear it.
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.”
