Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Bon Jovi visiting Skid Row (the area in LA, NOT Sebastian Bach's home studio), to Jennifer Lopez finding herself a little closer to being back on the 6 than she'd like, to Michelle Trachtenberg's hip-hop inspired trip through the Holland Tunnel, and since it's Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* As if Jon Bon Jovi hadn't amassed enough cool points for ten lifetimes, during his current tour he's taking some time to visit some very unlikely places, such as LA's Skid Row and a shelter for hardcore alcoholics in Seattle. According to the AP, the very untraditional stops are a part of his plan to gather ideas and inspiration to shape his own Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The foundation fights homelessness by building affordable housing, establishing community kitchens, and cleaning up vacant lots in rundown neighborhoods. You just gotta love this guy. He's a rock star who married his high school sweetheart, can sell out 80,000 seat stadiums in mere minutes, and builds houses for the homeless. If I saw him in a bar tomorrow, I'd buy him a beer.
* In case you missed the memo, Sade is still awesome. Her latest album, Soldier Of Love, debuted at #1, going gold in its first week, and stuck around in the top spot during its second week. I won't know who'll be #1 when you're reading this because the polls won't be out until after the deadline for Pop Shots, but something tells me she'll still be going strong and least be in the top three. Who'da thunk the answer to the music industry's sales problem would be to make good music? Shocking!
* EMI, looking to sell the famed Abbey Road studios, was told "oh yeah, about that..." last Tuesday by the British government, which designated the building a historic site in order to protect it against any plans to radically alter it. According to Reuters, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge declared the iconic venue a Grade II listed building, which is the second highest category, on the advice of national preservation body English Heritage. I rarely say this, but GREAT move by the government! It's too bad no one in the US government had the notion to step up to save CBGBs or the Knitting Factory. C'mon America!
* Depending on who you talk to Jennifer Lopez was either dropped by Epic Records (the same label that has Sade), or left the label after fulfilling her contract. Being that her latest single flopped and they had no plans to release her album, going so far as saying she can buy it back from them and release it herself if she wants, something tells me she was dropped. This should come as a shock to no one being that Lopez's music was nothing more than the afterbirth of the Latin explosion of the 90's. But don't worry Jennifer, you can always make Anaconda 2!
* Neil Patrick Harris is set to direct his first musical - the premier of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, August 6th - 8th. The How I Met Your Mother star already has plenty of experience with the musical as he starred in an LA production of it in 1997 and even took home a Drama League Award for his performance. That is NOT to be confused with a Justice League Award, which is something he would get if donned a cape and fought crime... which I bet NPH could do.
* A very sad rest in peace to Andrew Koenig, aka Boner from Growing Pains. I still remember the hilarious line he had on the show when he and Mike Seaver found out someone they knew, I think it was a teacher of theirs, had a P.O. Box; "whoa, I'd be POed, too, if I lived in a box." As an aside, what happened to that cast? Boner died as a result of his depression, Tracey Gold had an eating disorder, and Kirk Cameron is now a Jesus freak. Wasn't Dr. Jason Seaver supposed to be a psychiatrist?
* I'm closing this week's Pop Shots with something unexpectedly great - Michelle Trachtenberg rapping, yes RAPPING, while riding shotgun going through the Holland Tunnel with James Van Der Beek in the back seat. I really don't feel like I need to say anything else except this girl just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Holler at me M-Tracht!
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
* As if Jon Bon Jovi hadn't amassed enough cool points for ten lifetimes, during his current tour he's taking some time to visit some very unlikely places, such as LA's Skid Row and a shelter for hardcore alcoholics in Seattle. According to the AP, the very untraditional stops are a part of his plan to gather ideas and inspiration to shape his own Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The foundation fights homelessness by building affordable housing, establishing community kitchens, and cleaning up vacant lots in rundown neighborhoods. You just gotta love this guy. He's a rock star who married his high school sweetheart, can sell out 80,000 seat stadiums in mere minutes, and builds houses for the homeless. If I saw him in a bar tomorrow, I'd buy him a beer.* In case you missed the memo, Sade is still awesome. Her latest album, Soldier Of Love, debuted at #1, going gold in its first week, and stuck around in the top spot during its second week. I won't know who'll be #1 when you're reading this because the polls won't be out until after the deadline for Pop Shots, but something tells me she'll still be going strong and least be in the top three. Who'da thunk the answer to the music industry's sales problem would be to make good music? Shocking!
* EMI, looking to sell the famed Abbey Road studios, was told "oh yeah, about that..." last Tuesday by the British government, which designated the building a historic site in order to protect it against any plans to radically alter it. According to Reuters, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge declared the iconic venue a Grade II listed building, which is the second highest category, on the advice of national preservation body English Heritage. I rarely say this, but GREAT move by the government! It's too bad no one in the US government had the notion to step up to save CBGBs or the Knitting Factory. C'mon America!
* Depending on who you talk to Jennifer Lopez was either dropped by Epic Records (the same label that has Sade), or left the label after fulfilling her contract. Being that her latest single flopped and they had no plans to release her album, going so far as saying she can buy it back from them and release it herself if she wants, something tells me she was dropped. This should come as a shock to no one being that Lopez's music was nothing more than the afterbirth of the Latin explosion of the 90's. But don't worry Jennifer, you can always make Anaconda 2!* Neil Patrick Harris is set to direct his first musical - the premier of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, August 6th - 8th. The How I Met Your Mother star already has plenty of experience with the musical as he starred in an LA production of it in 1997 and even took home a Drama League Award for his performance. That is NOT to be confused with a Justice League Award, which is something he would get if donned a cape and fought crime... which I bet NPH could do.
* A very sad rest in peace to Andrew Koenig, aka Boner from Growing Pains. I still remember the hilarious line he had on the show when he and Mike Seaver found out someone they knew, I think it was a teacher of theirs, had a P.O. Box; "whoa, I'd be POed, too, if I lived in a box." As an aside, what happened to that cast? Boner died as a result of his depression, Tracey Gold had an eating disorder, and Kirk Cameron is now a Jesus freak. Wasn't Dr. Jason Seaver supposed to be a psychiatrist?
* I'm closing this week's Pop Shots with something unexpectedly great - Michelle Trachtenberg rapping, yes RAPPING, while riding shotgun going through the Holland Tunnel with James Van Der Beek in the back seat. I really don't feel like I need to say anything else except this girl just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Holler at me M-Tracht!
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
[Tags] POP
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