Live Entertainment Blog

   Rapper Kanye West setars on the cover of April/May Complex magazine. Lately the only publicity that West has been receiving is negative. Kanye has been known for his bad behavior of shoving the paparazzi and smashing their cameras on the ground as they take pictures of him. The magazine allows the rappers critics to see another side of him, the calmer, humble, level-headed side. Kanye also says that he is sorry for the way he acted out on last years Grammys. When he demanded for more time to talk about how he is the best rapper and no one respects him. All in all this apology from West will go along way to reconstruct his reputation.   

By now you have certainly heard of Susan Boyle, Britain’s big sensation from Scotland, who became a world famous star. For those who have somehow missed this story, a woman appeared on the casting call for Britain’s Got Talent a few weeks ago. She’s in her late 40s, looks somewhat older, is no small lady. Basically, she looks like a regular motherly person that you would meet somewhere in town. Everyone was laughing at her in the audience but then she started singing and blew everyone away with her rendition of a popular song from a musical. People are excited about her and hoping she wins. She got a makeover as well, as all the talk radio stations have been discussing lately. It’s kind of an odd little celebrity craziness going on. But if you’re in Britain, make sure not to miss her on the show.

Amy Winehouse couldn’t make it to California for the Coachella music festival this last weekend. So the organizers asked the rapper M.I.A. to come in her place. It seemed like a win-win situation for them and for her. She’d performed successfully in the previous Coachellas, at the smaller tents. This time, however, she was on the main stage and was unable to do the show quite the way she wanted. She usually has people dancing right up near or on the stage. The security guards stopped most people from coming up on the stage at the main stage. She was just not as exciting as usual and exclaimed that she wanted to be “in the sweat” next time she’s in the tent like that. She clearly doesn’t do well with a lot of structure and people telling her what to do in her concerts. At least not when it messes up her vision of what it’s supposed to be.

Aerosmith made history last year when Activision released Guitar hero. With this release it marks the bands first music based game that is built around the celebrated music of the one and only Aerosmith. This “revolutionary” partnership with both Aerosmith and Activision has allowed sales to explode to point where records are being broke. This just adds to another acclaim accomplishment for the band. This year Aerosmith is celebrating their 40^th anniversary when the go out and hit the road to tour. To help them celebrate the band has asked ZZ Top to go out and tour with them. Be sure you don’t miss out on this concert and get your Aerosmith tickets before the show is sold out.  

Billy Bob Thornton got himself into a kerfluffle this week when he referred to Canadians as “mashed potatoes without gravy”. The outcry was apparently so fierce (his band was booed during a Toronto performance). Suddenly, they caught “the flu” and cancelled the rest of their Canadian tour. They will resume next week in Connecticut where they are apparently completely healthy. His band is opening for Willie Nelson, whose tour was also deleted from the lineups for the next while. It’s too bad for them and for the rest of the performances. You can see them on Jimmy Kimmel Live, according to the newspaper. I’m not sure if that refers to Nelson or Thornton’s “Boxmasters”.

     On Monday June 1^st, talk show host Conan O’Brien will be talking over the “Tonight” Show who is now hosted by Jay Leno. Both Jay Leno and NBC decided that the 55^th anniversary of the “Tonight” show would be the date that Leno will step down as host and let Conan O’Brian to take over and become only the fifth host over to host the “Tonight” show.  Jay Leno last show is scheduled for Friday May 29. NBC has been rumored to mention that they want to keep Leno with the network, but roomer has it that the late-night king is looking towards moving to another one of NBC competitors.  Jimmy Fallon is scheduled to take over O’Brien “Late Night” show which now airs on NBC and has had strong fallowing with steady ratings.   

Kal Penn is headed to Pennsylvania Avenue this year. His character suddenly killed himself on the most recent episode of “House”, and the actor left the show. He gave an interview in which he says that he will be working in the Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs office for the White House. He said that he wanted to be either in the arts or in public service. He’s already done the arts, with his long stint on the FOX show, so he’s off to public life. He’ll be good at it, but todays Chicago Red Eye was wondering exactly what qualifies him for such a job. Is he particularly well-versed in such issues? Anyway, he’s an actor and probably a quick study on all kinds of things. And maybe he’ll be some kind of spokesman along the way.

Madonna is currently the recipient of quite a bit of jeering. She has been in an adoption legal battle because she wanted to get a child from Malawi. She had met a child that she wanted to adopt and take into her home. She has one or two already, I can’t remember. But there were some hurdles. First off, in Malawi, to adopt, you must be married, but she was recently separated from her husband. Second, the family needs to agree to it. The child’s parents passed away years ago, but the grandparents apparently didn’t want to give up the child. So a judge decided today that she couldn’t bring in this child. It’s too bad for her and people shouldn’t be mean-spirited in the way that we talk about this, but clearly there was something that the judge objected to about this exchange.