‘Thank You Very Much' brings Andy Kaufman back from the dead (maybe)
Andy Kaufman died 41 years ago. Milos Forman's 'Man in the Moon,' in which Jim Carrey played Kaufman, came out 26 years ago. R.E.M., whose title song to the Kaufman biopic was a hit, has retired. So it makes sense that Alex Braverman's documentary 'Thank You Very Much' has come around to instill the proper discombobulated awe in a new generation that may have never heard of the man.
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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
UGA athletics wants another concert in Sanford Stadium. Here are 8 acts that should play
The University of Georgia athletic department wants to bring another concert to Sanford Stadium like it did in 2013 when Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan headlined a country fling with 66,000 in attendance. At the time, Michael Adams was UGA president, Mark Richt was leading the football team and school administrators thought that would be the first of many concerts in the stadium for years to come. But it hasn't happened. Times have changed. There are now two national championship banners hanging in the stadium, and new musical acts are now options for the venue. But wouldn't it be cool if there was an older act coming back together for an historic reunion? Yes, yes it would. That's where we'll start for the eight acts that would be the best fits, should UGA and Sanford Stadium host a concert in 2026. Athens would lose its collective mind. The world might lose its collective mind. This is R.E.M.s town. Where it got its start. UGA athletic director Josh Brooks has long said his top choice would be the Athens legends. "Look, I'm going to keep saying it until they get sick of hearing it, I still want R.E.M.,' Brooks told the Banner-Herald's Marc Weiszer. 'I know Bertis (Downs, the band's lawyer) and Mike Mills are going to keep telling me no, but I will keep pestering Mike and Bertis and the crew over and over again.' The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band has shown signs of inspiration of late, the first real hope since calling it quits 14 years ago. R.E.M. reunited last June at the Songwriter's Hall of Fame to perform 'Losing My Religion,' one of the band's greatest hits. The four original members (Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry) hopped up on stage at the 40 Watt in February to play 'Pretty Persuasion' with Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy, who were performing R.E.M.'s 'Fables Of The Reconstruction." Fingers crossed. Widespread Panic packed downtown Athens in 1998 for the 'Panic in the Streets' concert in front of an estimated 100,000 people. The jam band has long had a huge following, and the Athens-based rockers would certainly put butts in the seats (at least until the music begins). It has been more than a decade since the Atlanta duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000 played their last show in 2014, but they'll be inducted into the Rock & Roll HOF this year, leading many to believe they'll perform together when inducted in Cleveland. Maybe they'll carry that momentum into Sanford Stadium for a home show in front of Georgians. Why not put together some of the biggest Georgia fans there are? The three Georgia natives always show support for the Bulldogs, wearing UGA gear or posting a 'Go Dawgs' on social media. Rhett's wife, Lauren Akins, is a huge Tennessee fan, so this would be a little bit of bragging rights for Rhett to say he played on Georgia's football field. The Atlanta band known for 'Chicken Fried' has sold out arenas for years, bringing its flair of "Margaritaville Country" to the table. Brown did a game trailer for Georgia Football in 2021 and he's made two appearances as a guest picker on College Gameday. He knows his football, and is a Bulldogs fan. The Truckers are another piece of Athens' incredible music history and, from 2001 to 2006, the band had Jason Isbell. Now, Isbell has gone on to his own successful career with a large following. Reuniting the two would be a tip-of-the-cap to Athens (although Isbell is from Alabama) while also letting them each play their own sets with a little crossover along the way. UGA's biggest hype machine of recent years has been Quavo, a founder of the former group Migos. The Athens native enrolled at UGA in 2023 and even performed a free show in downtown Athens' Urban Outfitters' store last fall. He'd probably have a few friends (hopefully from rap-rich Atlanta) join him to make a huge hip hop party in the middle of Sanford Stadium. Does Georgia athletics dare let a Tennessee Vol take over Sanford Stadium? Well, it would almost certainly sell out. And the guy who recently made "Get me back to God's Country" famous after his abrupt SNL exit would consider Athens as part of God's country. It would make sense for UGA athletics to pursue the hottest act in country music, even if he is one of UT's biggest fans. Ryne Dennis is the Deep South Connect Team Editor for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X @RyneDennis and email at rdennis@ This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Sanford Stadium, home of Georgia football, should host 1 of these acts
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Georgia eyeing first Sanford Stadium concert in more than a decade. Here's when it could be
GREENSBORO, Ga.—Sanford Stadium is the home of the one of the top college football programs, but you have to go back a few years before Kirby Smart coached the Bulldogs since the stadium that seats more than 93,000 hosted a concert. Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks, who was responsible for overseeing the transformation of the football stadium to a concert venue the only time it previously hosted a concert in April of 2013, said the athletic department is aiming to bring its next concert there in the spring of 2026. 'We have to continue to be creative in looking at different ways to drive revenue in more ways than ever before,' Brooks said after Georgia's spring athletic board meeting Thursday May 22 held at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge. The athletic board will be asked to approve a budget Friday approaching $223 million, a nearly 16 percent increase from the previous year that Georgia has said is directly related to the start of institutional NIL payments expected for the coming school year. Country music stars Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan were the headliners in the 2013 concert at Sanford Stadium. UGA president Jere Morehead joked to Brooks about the 2026 concert: 'Are you going to be the opening act to the concert? 'I don't think they can afford me,' Brooks cracked. 'We've got to be efficient with the cost.' Associate athletic director of facilities and capital projects Tanner Stines is heading up the drive to bring in a concert. 'There's a lot that goes into it obviously, but that's something we're working on,' Brooks said. 'That's a great event for the city, for the campus, but it's also an opportunity for us to find another way to drive some revenue.' Ideally, the concert would be held after Georgia's spring game in April and before commencement in May. 'We hope the city will partner with us because it will bring a lot of revenue, a lot of guests into Athens,' Morehead said. Asked about a wish list for an artist, Brooks dreamed big of Athens own R.E.M. which called it quits as an active recording and touring artist in 2011. 'Look, I'm going to keep saying it until they get sick of hearing it, I still want R.E.M.,' Brooks said. 'I know Bertis (Downs, the band's lawyer) and Mike Mills are going to keep telling me no, but I will keep pestering Mike and Bertis and the crew over and over again.' This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia's Sanford Stadium could host concert again in spring of 2026
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo & More Sign Letter of Support for Planned Parenthood
As attacks on reproductive freedom continue to rise in the United States, more than 250 public figures — including Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo — have banded together to throw their support behind Planned Parenthood. In a letter published as a full-page ad in The New York Times Wednesday (May 21), the British pop star, Houston rapper and 'Vampire' singer were just three of the hundreds of musicians, actors, designers, athletes and influencers who signed their names next to the statement 'I'm for Planned Parenthood.' Addison Rae, Chelsea Cutler, Clairo, Cyndi Lauper, Del Water Gap, Gracie Abrams, Jack Antonoff, Jason Isbell, King Princess, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Maggie Rogers were also among the musicians who endorsed the message, as were Meghan Trainor, Phoebe Bridgers, Rebecca Black, R.E.M., Remi Wolf, Sara Bareilles, Sharon Van Etten, Sheryl Crow, Soccer Mommy, St. Vincent, Stevie Nicks and Tegan and Sara. More from Billboard Olivia Rodrigo Accepts Planned Parenthood Award & Urges 'We Just Have to Fight' Even in 'Hopeless' Political Climate Lady Gaga Wins 2025 Sports Emmy for 'Hold My Hand' Pre-Super Bowl Tribute to Disaster Victims A$AP Rocky Teases New Song at Cannes During 'Highest 2 Lowest' Premiere In addition to aligning themselves with the nonprofit by adding their names, signatories also acknowledged that 'Americans are losing more of our freedom to decide how we live our own lives' with their signatures. '1 in 4 people in the U.S. have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for care: birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, abortion, gender affirming care and more,' continues a message accompanying the letter on Planned Parenthood's website. 'I'm for you and me — not the government — deciding what care we need and where we can go to get it.' Other stars who signed include actors Pedro Pascal, Mikey Madison, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Ricci, Ellen Pompeo, Laura Dern, Melissa McCarthy, Laverne Cox and Natasha Lyonne, as well as Jimmy Kimmel, Karlie Kloss, Shonda Rhimes, Gloria Steinem, Trixie Mattel, Sofia Coppola and Cara Delevigne. Visitors have the option of adding their name to the list of supporters online. 'Every day, Planned Parenthood health center staff open the doors of health centers to ensure patients — no matter who they are — can get access to the essential health care they need,' said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. 'Planned Parenthood health centers play an irreplaceable role in our health system. I applaud these cultural changemakers and everyone across the country who have said, loud and clear: I'm for Planned Parenthood.' The letter comes as reproductive rights are more at risk now than they've been in decades. Since re-entering the White House in January for his second term — two and a half years after Roe v. Wade was overturned — President Donald Trump's administration has enacted a number of policies restricting access to reproductive healthcare, cutting public health programs centered around reproductive healthcare and removing legal protections for reproductive healthcare clinics and providers, all within his first 100 days in office, according to a report by the Center for Reproductive Rights. It also comes about a month after Planned Parenthood rallied support while honoring Rodrigo at its 2025 Spring Into Action Gala in New York City on April 24. After accepting the Catalyst of Change Award presented by Lily Allen — who also signed Monday's letter — the 'Drivers License' musician delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of the organization's work. 'When I play shows, I look out at crowds filled with young girls, and the bond I feel with them is profound,' she said at the event. 'We live in a world that politicizes our bodies and uses harmful ideologies to deny us safety and healthcare, and it breaks my heart to think that, because of oppressive laws and outdated policies, some of those girls may not get to follow their dreams the way I was able to follow mine.' She added at the time, 'My greatest wish is that through organizations like Planned Parenthood and the action of everyday citizens, no woman will need to sacrifice her dreams, her health or humanity because of restrictive laws or lack of resources.' See the list of people who signed the letter supporting Planned Parenthood below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
