Entertainment

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Ahhh! …Spring is here and the local music scene is heating up!  First up, is the great news about the ‘One Hit Wonders’:  This Vegas style hit revue show sold out at the Creekside Theatre on May 11^th!  Rann Berry and his musical troop will perform an encore performance on Saturday July 13^th at the Creekside Theatre.  This concert performance will see Reserved Seating available to all you music lovers!  Tickets are on sale at the District of Lake Country Municipal Hall: (250-766-9309).  Don’t forget the One Year Anniversary Show which will be held at the Kelowna Community Theatre—Rann has some surprises for that show!  Tickets are available and can be had at selectyourtickets.com or by the old fashioned way—like in the 1960’s by phoning: 250-762-5050!!

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May 14^th marked a very special feat accompli:  Kelowna’s four infectious sons, the Flu have completed their debut album!!  The final songs were recorded locally at Big Audio Productions, and co-produced by Bob Gabelhouse.  Just the Producer’s roster creates excitement, the aforementioned Mr. Gabelhouse, plus other tracks produced by Jeff Dawson and mixed by the critical ear of Mike Fraser!  The debut of the Flu will see a street date in July of this year.  However, we don’t have to wait for July, to hear these hot tracks—the group will be performing at an exclusive VIP Listening Party put on by Big Audio and MKM Management.  Be ready to win some VIP Tickets—information being announced soon!  In the meantime, take these dates down—June 5^th in Kelowna with King Doom and Fields Of Green…plus July 26^th where the Flu will share the stage with Kelowna’s Fields Of Green!!-whom are celebrating the release of their second album…yeah!

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Perhaps, one of the most influential Melodic Rock groups of all time is set to release another album, but this time with a bonus—‘House Of Lords’ will release some new material in the next couple of months, and the bonus? —James Christian, the band’s Lead Vocalist is about to unleash some very powerful, yet beautiful pieces with his third solo effort!  “Lay It All On Me”, will see the light of day worldwide in the first week of July!  This third solo recording comes nine years after “Meet The Man”, his second solo record.  James recorded this new epic at his own studios in Florida.  This new set of songs will carry some heavy emotional rivers, as unfortunately, just lately, James found out that he has Cancer.  The album was recorded during 2012 and the early part of this year.  “Lay It On Me” will become a strong statement from an individual that is determined to carry on and not be deterred!  Good on you Mr. Christian!

Well, that’s it for me, this week.  Below is the first video from Bai Bang from their latest album, enjoy!...and I hope you will click here again next week, as we will explore how one man has broadened the Frontiers of Melodic Rock!

Upcoming Club/Concert Highlights:

97^th Street Social House:    Chuck Norris Band:    May 17^th & 18^th   The Zamboni Brothers:    May 24^th & 25^th     Wheelhouse:  May 31^st & June 1^st

The Blue Gator:   Crosstown Bus:   May 17^th & 18^th   Random Act:  May 24^th & 25^th   Orio:  May 30^th  Zamboni  Brothers:    May 31^st & June 1^st   Young ‘Uns:  June 7^th & 8^th  Sherman Doucette:   June 14^th & 15^th      (don’t forget: Wednesday Night Blues with Pappa Dawg—throughout May!!)

Creekside Pub & Grill:   Pappa Dawg:    May 17^th

The Grateful Fed:  Thomas Kjorven:   May 17^th   Whisky Dick:  May 31^st  

The Minstrel Café:    Daryl O’Neil:  May 17^th   Sean Burns:  May 22^nd   Bruce Spencer:  May 24^th                               The Blue Healers:  May 25^th

O’Flannigan’s Pub:    Poppa Wheely:   May 17^th    Radio Lifeline:  May 24^th  Stone Iris:  May 28^th

The Streaming Café:    Cam Penner:  May 25^th    

 The New Riley’s Pub:  Donovan Sweet: May 17^th                 

Whiski Jack’s Pub:    Jimmy LeGuilloux Band:   May 17^th 18^th 19^th (CD Release Party!)

Notable Concerts:    

the Flu:  Hometown Dates:   June 5^th:  Rotary Centre with King Doom and Callum Hughes

Prospera Place:  Sting:    May 30^th   Kiss & Shinedown:    July 8^th 

Vernon:  Funtastic---Honeymoon Suite:  June 28^th  Sweet:  June 29^th  Julian Austin  Aaron Pritchett:    June 30^th   

Summer Stomp ’13 (Sicamous)---Headpins  July 20^th 

Dancin’ Barefoot Music Festival- Peachland :  Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd: July 20^th                 

South Okanagan Events Centre (Penticton):   Alan Jackson: August 3^rd

Peach Festival  Penticton:  Honeymoon Suite:   August 8^th                 

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Notes & News:   Locally, the news is that the Sturgis North Motorcycle Jamboree and Music Festival will be held in Merritt: August 22^nd to 25^th…this year’s event will occupy the original Merritt Mountain festival site!  We should look forward to more music, more Artists and more fun!   Something new this year will be the 1^st Annual Supernova’s ‘Battle Of The Bands’, although not all the entertainment line-up has been announced…there will be an expansion to include some Country Artists on the Sunday!  Watch this space for complete Artist Line-ups  for the up-coming Festival!

…if you have a musical story or news and would like me to write something… drop me a line at:  fbainternational@telus.net  and let’s celebrate Kelowna’s rich and varied music community together!!.....

Overcoming some problems with the green screen, Nikki Minaj and Tom Hanks take center stage on The Entertainment Week in Review.

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Beyonce Knowles is reportedly pregnant.

The 'Grown Woman' singer - who welcomed her first child, daughter Blue Ivy Carter, into the world in January 2012 - is said to be expecting again with her rapper husband Jay-Z.

E! News claims "multiple sources" close to the star told them Beyonce, 31, is pregnant with the couple's second child.

Speculation about Beyonce's pregnancy first started following her attendance at the star-studded Met Ball earlier this month.

The pop superstar is said to have "carefully" hidden her baby bump in a high-waisted Givenchy gown.

She was then forced to cancel world tour performance in Antwerp, Belgium, after doctors advised her to rest "as a result of dehydration and exhaustion".

Beyonce recently admitted she would love to give her 16-month-old daughter a sibling, because she enjoyed such a close relationship with her younger sister Solange Knowles, 26, when they were growing up.

She said: "I would like more children. I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister."

When pressed on when she may have another child, she added: "At some point, when it's supposed to happen."

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Miranda Kerr's underwear was stolen by The Bling Ring.

The former Victoria's Secret model's enviable lingerie collection was specifically targeted by the notorious gang of celebrity-obsessed teen burglars, it has been revealed.

Nancy Jo Sales, who first exposed the fame-crazed teens in an article, told Vanity Fair: "They wanted to look sexy. Looking sexy in a celebrity's clothes, well that's even sexier.

"Especially Miranda Kerr, who [was] a Victoria's Secret model. The fact that they stole the underwear just seems so weird, but it's not weird when you think about it, because they're growing up at a time when their culture is constantly telling them to be sexy.

"Everything from toys to video games to music to fashion is hypersexualized for girls. Stealing their underwear was part of a whole trend to emulate these celebrities. They don't just want expensive underwear; they want Paris Hilton's underwear."

The events have been made into a film by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson called 'The Bling Ring' about the materialistic thieves, who also targeted Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Megan Fox as well as Miranda - who famously modeled the brand's iconic $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure diamond-encrusted bra.

Paris has a cameo in the film but admits she is still traumatized by what happened.

She said: "They came to my house five times, stole millions of dollars of my things: Birkin bags, family heirlooms, jewelry that was in my family for years, and then they sold it on Venice Beach like a yard sale.

"I didn't get a cent back in insurance money, and I will never be able to replace those things."

 

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2012 file photo, Randy Travis, far right exits the Grayson County jail with two unknown persons, in Sherman, Texas, after being arraigned on charges of driving while intoxicated and retaliation. Travis has filed a lawsuit to prevent two state agencies from releasing a patrol car video of his 2012 DWI arrest in North Texas. (AP Photo/The Herald Democrat, Chris Jennings, File) 

AUSTIN, Texas - Country star Randy Travis has filed a lawsuit to prevent two state agencies from releasing a patrol car video of his 2012 DWI arrest in North Texas.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Thursday that the lawsuit filed in Austin names the Texas Department of Public Safety and the state attorney general's office.

Travis pleaded guilty in January to driving while intoxicated. A judge sentenced him to two years' probation and ordered a 180-day suspended jail term.

The judge also granted a defence motion asking that the arrest video not be made public.

Media groups have requested the video from DPS. The AG's office ruled May 3 that the judge doesn't have discretion to bar the video's release.

DPS and the AG's office didn't respond to requests for comment early Friday.

___

Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com

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George Michael has been injured in a car crash.

The 49-year-old singer was a passenger in a vehicle travelling on the M1 motorway in England last night (05.16.13) and was left with minor injuries in the collision which occurred at approximately 5:50pm.

East of England Ambulance Service crews from Garston, St Albans and Watford and the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance were called to the scene near the junction for the M25.

The 'Outside' hitmaker received treatment for cuts and bruises following the incident.

George's spokesperson said: "George Michael was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic accident yesterday evening, no third party was involved. He is being treated for superficial cuts and bruises but is fine. We have no further comment at this time."

Another man was flown by air ambulance to a trauma centre in London to receive medical attention.

Ambulance spokesman Gary Sanderson is quoted by the Haringey Independent newspaper as saying: "A man who we believe to be in his 40s sustained a head injury and following treatment, stabilization and immobilization by land and air ambulance crews, he was flown to hospital for further care."

At the time of writing no further details were available.

 

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Kanye West: I'm not a celebrity

Kanye West thinks he is "the worst celebrity".

The 'Stronger' hitmaker - who is expecting his first child with girlfriend Kim Kardashian - launched into a bizarre rap-rant during his performance at the Adult Swim Upfront party in New York on Wednesday (05.15.13), in which he insisted he is too "real" to be thought of as a fame seeker.

He said: "One thing about me, I'm the worst kinda ... celebrity because all I do is make real music. All I do is sit in the studio and make real, real s***. And that's it.

"That's motherf***ing it. That's motherf***ing it. So I don't want nobody trying to run up on me with no cameras, trying to sell pictures and s**t to magazines, asking me no dumbass questions, throwing me off of my focus and s**t.

"Harassing you all motherf***ing day. I ain't no motherf***ing celebrity

"I ain't running for office. I ain't kissing nobody's motherf***ing babies. I drop your baby and you sue me and s**t.

"I'm trying to make some music that inspires people to be the best they can be. I don't want nobody to ask nothing else of me. Don't ask nothing else of me.

"Motherf***ers chasing you down, 'bout to make you crash and s***t and all they want is one n****r to laugh and s**t."

Kanye - whose girlfriend tweeted from the audience to say he was "killin' it" on stage - will appear on topical comedy show 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend but went on to insist he won't be appearing in any of the program's famous sketches.

He added: ""Hell nah, I ain't doing no motherf***ing 'SNL' skits; this my goddamn life. This ain't no motherf***ing joke. That's it. Stop that s**t right there."

 

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel confirmed

The Weinstein Company has officially announced a 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' sequel.

The movie studio has confirmed its long-rumoured sequel - titled 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny' - to the hit martial arts film, with star Michelle Yeoh set to reprise her role as Yu Shi Lien.

The film will co-star top Chinese actor Donnie Yen, best known for the films 'Ip Man' and its sequel 'Ip Man II', and production is set to begin in Asia in March 2014.

Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, who helmed the original 2000 film, will not be part of the new production. The sequel will be directed by Yuen Wo Ping, the legendary fight choreographer who orchestrated the breathtaking action scenes in the first film.

'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II' was written by John Fusco and adapted from Wang Du Lu's novel, 'Iron Knight, Silver Vase', the fifth book in the 'Crane-Iron Pentalogy' series on which the original movie was based.

The Weinstein Company co-chair Harvey Weinstein said in a statement: ''I loved Ang Lee's film. I thought it was a master class in directing, but I know we are in fantastic hands with Yuen Wo Ping directing the second installment of 'Crouching Tiger'. Master Yuen worked with me on 'Iron Monkey', 'Kill Bill' and now 'Grandmaster'. He is a first-class director and choreographer, and I am thrilled to be teaming up with him once more. With John Fusco's incredible script and the dream team of Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh we are in great shape.''

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

FILE - In this April 2, 2013 file picture Capuchin monkey 'Mally" sits on the head of an employee in an animal shelter in Munich, Germany. German officials say Justin Bieber will have to pay the bill for his monkey's two month stay at a Munich animal shelter.(AP Photo/Matthias Schrader,File)

Justin Bieber has just hours to reclaim his pet monkey from the animal shelter where it has been since it was seized by German customs, officials said Friday, but he will have to pay thousands for the two-month stay even if he doesn't take the animal back.

A spokesman for Munich's customs office said the teenage singer has until midnight to contact them, otherwise capuchin monkey Mally will be transferred to a permanent home at a zoo or animal park elsewhere in Germany.

"If no further documents arrive then the seizure order comes into effect and the animal becomes the property of the German state," customs spokesman Thomas Meister told The Associated Press.

Mally was seized by German customs March 28 when Bieber failed to produce required vaccination and import papers after landing in Munich while on tour.

The now 20-week-old animal was quarantined and cared for at Munich's animal shelter, where manager Karl Heinz Joachim said Mally had fared well and gained weight.

The shelter has criticized Bieber for keeping such a young monkey as a pet, saying it shouldn't have been taken away from its mother until it was a year old. Experts say capuchin monkeys also need to be kept in groups as they are very sociable animals.

"The best thing would be not to buy one at all, but if you do, buy five," said Joachim.

He said emails from Bieber's management to the animal shelter indicated the singer doesn't want the monkey anymore, but that the final decision would have to be made by German authorities.

"Our contact is the person that the monkey belongs to," said Meister, the customs office spokesman. "We've had contact with lots of people, but none of them was an authorized representative."

Meister said the cost of care, food and vet visits at the Munich shelter amounted to several thousand euros (dollars).

"You can bet we are going to ask for that money back," he said.

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Denise Richards has retained custody of Charlie Sheen's sons.

Lawyers met in court yesterday (05.15.13) after the actor's ex-wife Brooke Mueller - who is currently being treated for drug problems at the Betty Ford clinic - requested her four-year-old twins Bob and Max be placed in the care of her brother, but the judge "flatly denied" her request.

A source said: "The judge flatly denied Brooke' request to to have Denise stripped of temporary custody, and placed in the care of her brother in Orange County. There was absolutely no reason that could justify the move, which would only uproot the twins yet again."

Brooke - who would have retained the $55,000-a-month child support she receives from ex-husband Charlie if her brother was caring for the boys - had alleged Denise had only agreed to take on the children for her own financial benefit, but the actress insisted she isn't interested in money.

The source added to RadarOnline.com: "Brooke's claims that Denise was only taking care of the boys for financial gain fell flat because the actress signed a sworn declaration that she had refused money from Charlie. Denise's declaration also went on to say that she didn't want any money ever for her care of the boys."

Brooke was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold amid allegations her drug use had resulted in an "unsafe environment" being created for the kids.

As well as caring for the twins, Denise, 42, also has daughters Sam, nine, and Lola, seven, from her marriage to Charlie, and adopted little girl Eloise, 23 months.



 

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Ke$ha is concerned One Direction fans want to beat her up after she was rumored to be dating Harry Styles.

The 'Die Young' hitmaker is worried the group's supporters - who are known as Directioners - will give her abuse on the street after she recently revealed she has been texting the 19-year-old hunk and admitted to having a crush on him.

She told LOOK magazine: "I hope they don't want to beat me up, I'm just a fan too."

Despite the speculation, the 26-year-old singer insists the pair are just good friends and their messages don't have any sexual connotations.

She explained: "He and I area just friends. Actually we started texting a long time ago and we're just friendly, it's not sexy."

As well as her crush on Harry, Ke$ha thinks Beyonce has a "perfect" look.

She added: "I think she might actually be perfect. I show my flaws - they're real. I don't have a perfect body. It's important for girls to see that you don't have to be perfect."

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One Direction have announced a world tour for 2014 - and the boys can't wait to see beauties in thongs in Brazil.

The band - Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson - are going to play a series of mammoth stadium shows across the globe but they are most excited about going to the South America country because it has beaches packed with bikini-clad babes.

Announcing their 'Where We Are' tour at London's Wembley Stadium today (16.05.13), Liam said: "There's a fact here, thongs are common place (in Brazil). So I think that's something to look forward to. We can't wait, Brazil's an amazing place."

Niall added: "And they're big into carnivals out there so we'll be partying with the Brazilians."

The 'Live While We're Young' hitmakers are also keen to check out the sights of Peru when they play there.

Louis said: "We'll try the food and appreciate the women - and the culture."

The tour kicks off on April 25 in Bogota, Columbia, before heading across South America. The shows then reach the UK and Ireland in May and June with the boys playing huge gigs at Croke Park, Dublin, Manchester's Etihad Stadium and Wembley Stadium. More dates are to be announced in the coming weeks

The band have promised fans to expect a show as big as the venues they're playing in and have promised something different to their current 'Take Me Home Tour'.

Harry said: "It's important the fans know it's not the same tour going around again in stadiums. We want to make the stage bigger, with new songs. It's going to be a completely different tour and a lot of fun."

Tickets for the UK and Ireland dates go on sale on Saturday May 25, 2013 at 10am from www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.ticketmaster.ie.

Tickets for the South American shows are available from local online outlets.

 

Time is like food, when you have too much of it you're going to have to waste some.

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Emma Watson doesn't try to be sexy.

The 23-year-old actress - who became a star at the age of just 11 playing Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' movies - attracts a lot of attention for her looks and is a regular in lists of the world's sexiest women but she insists it holds no interest to her.

She said: "I've never wanted to grow up too fast. I wanted to wear a sports bra until I was 22! The allure of being sexy never really held any excitement for me. I've never been in a terrible rush to be seen as a woman."

With straight-A student Hermione now behind her, the star was keen to tackle a less angelic role and landed the part of Nicki, a celebrity burgling teenager in new movie 'The Bling Ring'.

However, Emma admits it was a bit of a culture shock to go from the family friendly wardrobe department on the set of 'Harry Potter' to the risque styling choices on her new film.

She added to W magazine: "At one point I told the costume designer, 'You can see my bra strap in this top. Shouldn't we pin it?' And she said, 'No, sweetie - Nicki is all about her bra strap showing.' I was like, 'Right, OK, different mind-set.' "

 

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Demi Lovato reveals Warrior tattoo meaning

Demi Lovato's new tattoo is a reminder of her overcoming "difficult things" in her life.

The 'Heart Attack' singer - who entered rehab in 2010 to be treated for an eating disorder, self-harming and bipolar disorder - inked the phrase "now I'm a warrior" on her back earlier this week and she has revealed the new body art, which was inspired by the lyrics of a song on her new album, is an expression of the strides she has made in her life.

Appearing on talk show 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon', she explained: "It was kinda like a tribute to releasing an album, as well as overcoming some really, really difficult things in my life.

"I have a song on my album called 'Warrior,' and it's very, very meaningful to me. It's really heavy, the lyrics, but it's an inspirational song as well ... It's a negative thing turned positive. This is a song that was really difficult for me to write, record and now release."

On the track, Demi sings about feeling "shame", having "scars" and developing "thicker skin".

Now in a better place, the 20-year-old star has also opened up about her relationship with fellow actress-and-singer Selena Gomez, 20, saying the former pals have repaired their friendship.

She told MTV News: "We've been through a lot together. We've had periods of times when we grew apart and we just didn't really talk.

"But now we're in a place where we realize that life is so short, and that when you have people in your life that love you so much, then you should just always be around them."

 

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Actress Andrea Vergara poses for photographers during a photo call for the film Heli at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The Cannes Film Festival has had its first shock to the system, Mexican director Amat Escalante's unsparingly violent drug war drama "Heli."

The movie paints a bleak picture of the devastation wreaked by narco-violence on an ordinary Mexican family.

Some audience members and critics balked at its explicit bloodshed, which includes a long scene of torture. Variety described it as "accomplished but singularly unpleasant."

But the director said Thursday that he had a duty to depict the violence that has killed thousands of Mexicans.

He says that "the responsibility is to show violence how it should be — sad and unpleasant and very dirty and a nightmare."

The 34-year-old Escalante is the youngest of 20 directors competing for Cannes' coveted Palme d'Or, which will be awarded May 26.

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

In this Saturday, May 11, 2013 photo made available by NASA, astronaut Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn, not pictured, perform a space walk to inspect and replace a pump controller box on the International Space Station after an ammonia coolant leak was discovered. (AP Photo/NASA)

The crew of the International Space Station is boldly going where no one has gone before, to see the new "Star Trek" film.

The three astronauts were offered a sneak peak of "Star Trek Into Darkness" days before it opens Thursday on Earth, seeing it not in 3-D, but Zero-G.

NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries said the movie was beamed up to the outpost Monday and the two Russians and American on board had a day off Tuesday. That gave them a chance to view it on their laptops. It's unclear if they watched it.

U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy is taking part Thursday in a Google+ hangout that's bringing together two Earth-bound astronauts, the stars of the film Chris Pine, Alice Eve and John Cho, and its director and screenwriter.

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Charlie Sheen believes Brooke Mueller wants to use their children to get money from him.

The 47-year-old actor's lawyers have been summoned to court today (05.15.13) to hear what is expected to be a request by Brooke for her brother to be granted temporary guardianship over the former couple's four-year-old twins Bob and Max, TMZ has claimed.

Brooke is currently being treated for drug problems at the Betty Ford Clinic and the boys are being cared for by Charlie's second wife Denise Richards who has been given temporary custody.

Brooke receives $55,000-a-month from Charlie in child support payments and she would continue to receive them in rehab if her sibling was caring for the boys.

Denise - who has daughters Sam, nine, and seven-year-old Lola with Charlie - has reportedly shown the Department of Child and Family Services numerous text messages from Brooke, claiming she needs the money to keep coming, but it is thought the troubled star's legal representatives will insist it is in fact Denise who is demanding money.

Brooke was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold amid allegations her drug use had resulted in an "unsafe environment" being created for the kids.