Celebrity

Springsteen Has Mortality On His Mind But Celebration In His Songs AT London Show

Published

10 months ago

2023-07-08

LONDON, England – Bruce Springsteen was not going to let event promoters cancel his performance at Hyde Park 11 years ago.

“F— ’em is right,” Springsteen exclaimed, feigning fear that an impending curfew might stop his sold-out event Thursday in front of 65,000 fans.

Springsteen, still going strong at 73, had an earlier start and raced through a three-hour set Thursday in rapid succession. He took a few steps to think about the passage of time and the loss of friends.

The 28-song set included anthemic classics such as “Born in the USA,” “Prove it All Night,” and “Born to Run,” as well as several newer songs and one cover in a show that leaned heavily on a message of mortality but felt more like a celebration of life as an enthusiastic audience sang along on a beautiful summer evening.

“London, is anyone alive out there tonight?” he yelled in an entrance to “Mary’s Place,” one of the numerous songs that featured the E Street Band’s crisp horn section, dueling keyboards, and excellent collection of backup singers, all backed up by tens of thousands of amateurs. “If you’re still alive, I’m still alive.” And that is why we came here.”

The tour, Springsteen’s first in seven years, began in February in Tampa and has included nearly the same set list every night, which is rare for a performer who has frequently played requests fans leave on handwritten placards.

Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage shortly after 7 p.m. to a shout of “Bruuuuuuce,” which can be misinterpreted as booing by the uninformed. Springsteen donned a black button-snap shirt with short sleeves folded to show off his still-taut pipes, dark pants cuffed at the ankle, and oxblood Doc Martens boots with short-cropped silvery hair slicked back.

Following the obligatory ‘Hello London’, he quickly counted out ‘one, two, three, four’ for the chest-thumping drum opening to ‘No Surrender’, which had fans howling and the band rushing forward as a hard-rocking goods train.

Bruce Springsteen would not let event promoters cancel his performance at Hyde Park 11 years ago.

Even the opening monologue about camaraderie and the power of music, with its memorable statement about learning “more from a three-minute record… than we ever learned in school,” caught the evening’s subject.

“Young faces grow sad and old,” he sings in a line that leads to “I’m ready to grow young again” before the chorus pledge of “no retreat… no surrender.”

He then sang “Ghosts,” a soaring ode to his bandmates, ending with “I’m alive and I’m out here on my own/I’m alive and I’m comin’ home.”

Springsteen, though, was not alone. He was joined by 17 members of the E Street Band, which has been rocking for 50 years, including some of the band’s longest-serving members: guitarists Little Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, drummer Max Weinberg, bassist Garry Tallent, and keyboardist Roy Bittan.

At the climax of the song, saxophonist Jake Clemons, the nephew of Springsteen’s longtime sax player and friend Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011, placed his arm around Springsteen’s shoulder as they sang a seemingly endless string of la-la-la’s. Then, as he had done throughout the night, Clemons stepped center stage and screamed on his gleaming sax.

Despite a few tour cancellations due to undisclosed sickness, Springsteen remains a powerful performer, moving slightly stiffly as he rushed along the stage or descended several steps to slap hands and pose for photographs with the exuberant front-row audience.

Bruce Springsteen would not let event promoters cancel his performance at Hyde Park 11 years ago.

During a rousing rendition of “Out in the Street,” in which he sings, “I walk the way I want to walk,” he staggered back to the stage. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as a tumble on stage during a May engagement in Amsterdam. Clemons sat next to him on the steps as he finished the song.

He led the E Street Band like a symphony, flailing his arms, swinging his right hand to signify a downbeat, or counting out time with his right hand. He joked about doing the motions in the mirror at night.

After a more than ten-minute jazz jam on “Kitty’s Back,” in which Springsteen opened the song by running his fingers along the fretboard of his Fender electric guitar, producing a screeching wail of feedback and growling like Tom Waits, the band eased into “Night Shift,” a Commodores tribute to R&B singers Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The song on his last album of soul covers, “Only the Strong Survive,” included wonderful backup vocals by Curtis King, whose astonishing ability to nail high notes made Springsteen smile.

The band took a break halfway through the show, and Springsteen approached the mic alone with an acoustic guitar. The crowd remained motionless as he described how, in 1965, he “embarked on the greatest adventure of my young life” by joining his first band, The Castiles. A half-century later, he found himself on the deathbed of the band’s founder, George Theiss, and realized he’d soon be the only survivor of that bunch of guys.

“Death is like standing on the railway tracks with a train bearing down on you,” he explained. “It brings a certain clarity of thought, purpose, and meaning.” Death’s final and lasting gift to all of us is a broader perspective on life. “How vital it is to seize the day whenever possible.”

“At 15, it’s all hellos, and later on, there’s a lot more hard goodbyes,” he explained. “So take care of yourself and those you care about.”

Bruce Springsteen would not let event promoters cancel his performance at Hyde Park 11 years ago.

He then sang “Last Man Standing,” inspired by Theiss’ death, from his most recent album of original material, “Letter to You,” released in 2020.

Springsteen classics such as “Because the Night,” “Badlands,” “Thunder Road,” “Glory Days,” and “Dancing in the Dark” were then ripped through by the band. Even with everyone singing loudly, they couldn’t drown out Bruce’s tremendous voice or the sound system that was amplifying it.

During a rollicking “Tenth Avenue Freezeout,” a video montage featuring the larger-than-life figure called “The Big Man,” and former organist and accordionist Danny Federici, who died in 2008, played behind the band.

Springsteen appeared alone with an acoustic guitar and harmonica for an encore, joking that he was only getting warmed up.

He then sang, “I’ll see you in my Dreams,” a lullaby-like ode to mortality inspired by the death of yet another buddy.

“For death is not the end,” he sang, “’cause I’ll see you in my dreams.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Scottie Scheffler Arrested Outside PGA Championship, Then Returns And Climbs Leaderboard

Published

9 hours ago

2024-05-17

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

Darlington said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.

“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’” Darlington said. “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Scheffler was released by police and returned to the course at 9:12 a.m. Around 9:30 a.m., he arrived at the practice area to the cheers of fans; one yelled “Free Scottie!” and more followed later wearing “Free Scottie” T-shirts.

Scheffler seemed normal, relaxed, sharing a few laughs on the driving range.

“I was never angry. I was just in shock,” Scheffler said. “I was shaking the whole time. I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me.”

AP – VOR News Image

Scottie Scheffler Arrested Outside PGA Championship, Then Returns And Climbs Leaderboard

He could see from a TV in the jail that tee times were pushed back 1 hour, 20 minutes because of the traffic situation, and realized when an officer knocked on the door and said, “Let’s go,” that he had a chance to play.

He made birdie on his first hole of the day after sticking his approach shot to 3 feet.

Darlington, the ESPN reporter, said police were initially unsure who Scheffler was. He said an officer asked him to leave, and when he identified himself as being with the media, he was told, “There’s nothing you can do. He’s going to jail.”

Darlington said another police officer later approached with a notepad and asked if he knew the name of the person they put in handcuffs.

Scheffler said he never told police who he was except to say, “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to get to my tee time.”

AP – VOR News Image

Scottie Scheffler Arrested Outside PGA Championship, Then Returns And Climbs Leaderboard

Louisville police have attracted negative national attention in recent years after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020 and a federal investigation into its policing practices.

A Department of Justice report released last year said Louisville officers use excessive force and conduct searches based on invalid warrants. The report said Black motorists in Louisville were more likely to be searched during traffic stops, and officers used neck restraints, police dogs and Tasers against people who posed no imminent threat.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot by officers who had come to her apartment with a warrant that federal officials later said was falsified.

PGA of America, which runs the PGA Championship, offered sympathies for Mills’ family and said, “As it relates to the incident involving Scottie Scheffler, we are fully cooperating as local authorities review what took place.”

AP – VOR News Image

Scottie Scheffler Arrested Outside PGA Championship, Then Returns And Climbs Leaderboard

Scheffler has won four of his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. He has been home in Dallas the last three weeks, waiting for the birth of his first child, a son born May 8.

Scheffler is trying to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

2024 Cannes Kicks Off With Greta Gerwig’s Jury And A Palme D’Or For Meryl Streep

Published

4 days ago

2024-05-14

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

CANNES, France — The Cannes Film Festival began Tuesday with the announcement of Greta Gerwig’s jury and the giving of an honorary Palme d’Or to Meryl Streep, as the French Riviera spectacle started its possibly tumultuous 77th edition.

The opening night picture, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel, and Raphaël Quenard, will usher in a 10-day parade of stars down Cannes’ iconic red carpet. During the opening ceremony, Streep will get her honorary Palme.

AP – VOR News Image

Cannes Kicks Off With Greta Gerwig’s Jury And A Palme D’Or For Meryl Streep

In the coming days, Cannes will debut George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis,” and anticipated new films from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold, and Kevin Costner.

However, much of this year’s Cannes controversy has occurred off-screen.

French actor Judith Godrèche accused two film directors of rape and sexual assault when she was a teenager earlier this year, and the French film industry has been grappling with probably its defining #MeToo moment since. Godrèche’s short film “Moi Aussi” will premiere on Wednesday.

When asked about #MeToo’s expansion in France, Gerwig told reporters in Cannes on Tuesday that it is progressing.

“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig stated. “I’ve witnessed significant shift in the American cinema scene, and I believe it’s critical that we continue to broaden that conversation. So I believe it’s only advancing things in the right direction. Keep the lines of communication open.”

Gerwig, fresh off the success of “Barbie,” is president of the jury that will decide Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or. Thierry Fremaux commended her on Monday as “the ideal director” for Cannes, citing her ability to work in both arthouse and studio films and her passion for movie history. And, “We very much liked ‘Barbie.'”

Gerwig is joined on the jury by Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.

AP – VOR News Image

Cannes Kicks Off With Greta Gerwig’s Jury And A Palme D’Or For Meryl Streep

“I thought I just got over my imposter syndrome last year,” admitted the Oscar-nominated Gladstone. “But I’ll start all over again.”

The jurors were asked how the numerous real-world concerns outside the festival would influence their decision-making. One film in competition, Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” portrays Sebastian Stan as a youthful Donald Trump. And Labaki was asked if she was thinking about the war in Gaza.

“I truly believe that one of the tools to really change something in the situation we all live in right now, which is a situation I think is not that great, is really through art and through cinema,” Labaki stated. “It may propose a more tolerant way of seeing things and seeing each other as human beings.”

According to Favino, filmmakers have a vital role in reminding the world of where beauty can be found.

“This is why I decided that I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being,” stated Favino. “Because if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace.”

Other fears are circulating this year’s Cannes. Festival workers, frustrated with short-term contracts that make them ineligible for unemployment benefits between events, have threatened to strike.

On Monday, Iranian filmmaker Mohammed Rasoulof, whose film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” will be shown in competition at Cannes next week, said that he had escaped Iran after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging. The film is described as a scathing depiction of the Iranian regime.

AP – VOR News Image

Cannes Kicks Off With Greta Gerwig’s Jury And A Palme D’Or For Meryl Streep

As Cannes continues, many will be fixated on the celebs who walk the festival’s iconic red carpet. Emma Stone, Anya Taylor-Joy, Demi Moore, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage, and Barry Keoghan will be among the cast. George Lucas will be presented with an honorary Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony on May 25.

Regardless, the 77th Cannes Film Festival will have many expectations to meet. Last year’s festival, which was universally praised for its impressive roster, yielded three Oscar best picture nominees: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” To help reignite last year’s spirit, Messi, the canine hero of “Anatomy of a Fall,” has returned to Cannes for a series of quick French TV advertisements.

A successful Cannes will help France maintain the global spotlight throughout the summer. The French Open, Tour de France, and Summer Olympics in Paris will all take place after the festival. On May 21, the Olympic flame will be carried to the Palais des Festivals, the festival’s focal point.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched In The Face In New York City

Published

5 days ago

2024-05-13

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

NEW YORK — Actor Steve Buscemi is well after being hit in the face by a man on a New York City street, his publicist confirmed Sunday.

The 66-year-old star of “Fargo” and “Boardwalk Empire” was beaten late Wednesday morning in Manhattan and transported to a local hospital for bruises, swelling, and bleeding in his left eye.

Deadline – VOR News Image

Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched In The Face In New York City

“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” according to a statement from his publicist on Sunday. “He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes.”

The New York Post was first to report the assault.

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Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched In The Face In New York City

The New York Police Department issued a nameless statement regarding the assault on Wednesday. Steve’s representative confirmed Sunday that the anonymous assault victim in the police report was the actor.

According to the police department, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

The Guardian – VOR News Image

Actor Steve Buscemi Is OK After Being Punched In The Face In New York City

Michael Stuhlbarg, Buscemi’s “Boardwalk Empire” co-star, was hit in the back of the neck by a rock while walking in Manhattan’s Central Park on March 31. Stuhlbarg chased his attacker, who was apprehended outside the park.

SOURCE – (AP)