One of the most iconic voices in history sadly passed away yesterday. James Earl Jones, who could be heard voicing Darth Vader and Mufasa from The Lion King, among other characters, left us at age 93 yesterday. Jones leaves behind an iconic portfolio of work with his voice and on the screen, as he had featured roles in films such as Coming to America and Field of Dreams.
James Earl Jones, we will miss you.
Photos/ Alexandra Geshel
Something I have been noticing recently is bands doing reunions or making a comeback or as one band may call it, doing an encore performance. What I mean by this is that Pulp is currently on tour and it’s called “This is What We Do for an Encore” which I think is a genius way of saying a reunion tour or ending a hiatus. In case you didn’t know, Pulp has not played in the United States since 2012 Coachella! It’s been nearly a decade if not longer since they have even played Chicago so this is a huge deal! To say this show wasn’t magical is an understatement!
Pulp started their set/on the first night of their tour with a beautiful moon graphic on the stage. It began with Good Evening and then started with a few facts, like how this is Pulp 552nd show they have ever played! Then it went on to the tour name and getting fans to cheer and scream as loud as they can because it’s an Encore performance! Pulp did play 19 songs during this opening night with a few songs that have never been played live and did not one but two encores to make this night more memorable! Something that did get the crowd a little in their feelings was when Pulp played “Something’s Changed” where they dedicated the song to Steve Albini and of course their late bassist Steve Mackey who passed away in 2023. It was a very touching moment for everyone in the sold-out audience. A fun surprise however was when Pulp played “Spike Island” which had never ever been played live before so it had people so excited that they were dancing and singing along with the band!
Overall, without giving too much away on the setlist but with other fun surprises, Pulp was phenomenal live and a band you should see if you can since they’re doing super limited dates here in the United States! Truly this felt like to me at least, one of those once-in-a-lifetime feelings. Especially being able to see and hear this band live for the first time! The band has 8 more dates, and 3 cities to try and catch them in if you can! The cities include Toronto, New York, and California. Hands down though, it was a phenomenal show and I hope I have the chance to see them again if they decide to tour the states again or even do a music festival in the states again!
Photos/ Alexandra Geshel
While the conversation for the greatest show of all-time rolls on, Rolling Stone has unveiled a new list that is bound to stir up some controversy. A collection of TV critics put together a list of the best TV episodes of all-time, which included The Office’s “Dundees” at #40, The Bear’s “Forks” at #38, and at #1, Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias”.
What is the greatest TV episode you’ve ever seen? The conversation lives on Facebook.
A leaked memo on the Spongebob Reddit revealed that coming in October in collaboration with the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob, Wendy’s is set to produce a Krabby Patty.
The sandwich will be part of a Krabby Patty meal, with the concoction being detailed as “a premium cheeseburger with Wendy’s fresh, never frozen beef, topped with fresh produce and a secret Krabby Patty sauce, capturing the magic of the iconic fictional sandwich for SpongeBob fans,” according to the report.
The burger will be available until November 11.
Leonard Riggio, the founder of Barnes & Noble, has passed away at the age of 83. Under the leadership of Riggio, Barnes & Noble became a bookstore giant, one that expanded across the country and outlasted competitors like Borders. While initially criticized for putting mom & pop retailers out of business, in recent years, Barnes & Noble has been looked at as a savior of brick-and-mortar retailers in the fight against Amazon and e-commerce.
Pour one out for a legend. You will be missed.
The 2023 interview with Josh:
After a long and tumultuous journey that ended with Riot Fest ending up back at Douglass Park, Riot Fest has secured venues across the city for a series of Aftershows that were announced yesterday. Notable shows include Sum 41’s final club gig in Chicago, The Lemonheads (who are not on the Riot Fest lineup) playing a late-night show at House of Blues, and Manchester Orchestra at House of Blues on Sunday night.
Another great shows include Spiritual Cramp at Cobra Lounge, St. Vincent at Metro, and New Found Glory and Chicago’s own Sincere Engineer at The Salt Shed.
Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue passed away yesterday at the age of 88.
Donahue, once a king of the daytime talk show format, was remembered by peers and press alike for his groundbreaking interview format and topics that were covered.
Donahue’s best work came while investigating Vince McMahon’s drug and sex-ring scandal in the early 90’s.
He passed away after long illness in his home in Manhattan.
