Latest news with #FridayNightLive
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Museums, and others, to celebrate the Wizard of Waukesha, Les Paul, on his 110th birthday
Like an unforgettable song, Les Paul has remained on the minds of local history and musical buffs, though other people are still tuned in as well. At least, Sue Baker, the program director for the Les Paul Foundation, has seen the lingering connection that the Wizard of Waukesha has with people in general and especially with those whose own lives revolve around music. Some seek music grants through the foundation. But there are others. As Baker sees it, Paul's life, sprinkled with troubles early on but later an inspiration to those facing their own challenges, builds even deeper connections. Their devotion probably would've surprised Paul himself. "In one of the last conversations I had with Les, he said to me, 'Oh, I don't know if anyone is going to remember me after I pass.' And I said, 'Well, you're wrong,'" Baker said in a May 27 phone interview. "He said, 'How can you be so sure?' So I said, 'Because I'm going to tell your story.'" For what would have been Paul's 110th birthday, on June 9, Baker is still telling his story now nearly 16 years after his death. She led an effort to put together a 12-day series of events — a mix of activities in Waukesha, Milwaukee and wholly online — for his milestone birthday. "I'm always delighted when more people can know the backstory of Les," she said. "He's more than a guitar." Three events in Waukesha are all tied to the Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum, 101 W. Main St., where a Les Paul exhibit remains a cultural centerpiece in the city where he has been remembered in so many ways. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. June 6, the museum will staff a booth during Friday Night Live in downtown Waukesha to promote Paul, including the exhibit. As part of a free day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7 at the museum, guests can tour the immersive Les Paul exhibit, which explores his innovations and details his steps along the way. Museum staff will also demonstrate the "Les Paulverizer" and Log re-creations made by Dr. VJ Manzo and his students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Free Les Paul Maker Kits will be available that allows people to explore for themselves how sound works. From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 10, Baker, who befriended Paul in his final decade as she helped put together an exhibit honoring him, will share stories about his life and career, which included his solid-body guitar, breakthrough recording techniques and dozens of gold records. It's a ticketed event. Though he hailed from Waukesha, Paul had a presence in Milwaukee County, too, and Discovery World, 500 Harbor Drive, reflects on other aspects of the man. The first includes hands-on activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 14. Civic Music MKE, Girls Rock MKE, Kaltron Synthesizers to follow Paul's story from his humble beginnings in Wisconsin to his travels around the world. The museum hosts the Les Paul House of Sound exhibit, where from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. visitors can join in an activity exploring sound, music and design, facilitated by Julie Palkowski, Les Paul Foundation education coordinator. Participants also create their own DIY Guitar project in the Kohl's Design It! Lab, included in price of admission. Educators get two specialized opportunities to celebrate Paul's birthday. From 6 to 7 p.m. June 5, they can join what planners are calling "a virtual birthday party." The online event, which requires pre-registration by May 29 to gain access to link for the virtual session, includes trivia and fun activities, and, of course, music. It's a nod toward Paul's role as an innovator, inventor and musical influencer. Palkowski is the contact for those with questions on the program. She can be reached via email at julie@ The second event, Morning at the Museum, is from 10 a.m. to noon June 17 at Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum. It features a tour of the Les Paul Experience, with a focus on reinforcing classroom studies, and includes free classroom resources. Those interested must register by June 10. Baker will also unveil a new book she penned on Paul. Titled "Les Paul celebrating 110 years," it's 72 pages offering insights into his life and inventions, including his years growing up in Waukesha, personal conversations between Paul and Baker and many photos not commonly seen to date. It's drawn from many sources, including her own work. She also writes for Paul's official website, which she said provides "the broadest reach," with individual tabs covering his history, his music and his foundation. Baker also gives live presentations about Paul. The $7 booklet will be available at the Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum, beginning June 6. (The gift shop can be accessed without museum admission.) Baker, whose interaction with Paul began in the late 1990s with long planning process for an exhibit the Waukesha museum, grew to be a "good friend" with the icon. She even assisted in helping him decide on his burial site, at Prairie Home Cemetery along with his mother, and the memorial there. After his death in 2009, she also began working for his estate and two years later with the Les Paul Foundation. Her connection with Paul gave her a deeper appreciation of his life and what people should likewise appreciate. She even discussed that topic with Paul, addressing how he overcame obstacles, including "a rough childhood," and how he could serve as an inspiration. "I said to Les that I worked with little kids when I held other positions, and I have seen so many kids who have felt insecure and lack self-confidence," Baker said. "They sometimes say it's because they have had a rough life. ... I think that his life is a wonderful inspiration not only for the kids who are going through tough times, but for that little kid that's inside all of us. "He persisted. He didn't give up. And that's a great message for all of us," she added. Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha and Milwaukee events celebrate Les Paul's 110th birthday
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jordan Gray: Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Here to Kill Me? review
To say that Jordan Gray made an eye-catching entrance into comedy would be quite the understatement. Her debut Is It a Bird? wowed the Edinburgh fringe, and made her the first transgender performer to headline the London Palladium. Then she stripped naked on Channel 4's Friday Night Live, and unleashed a transphobic storm. That's the context (she's a huge success; she's received death threats) for an hour she admits may be subject to 'difficult second show syndrome'. Acknowledging that is very on-brand: Gray is self-aware bordering on self-completely-fascinated. And she's got plenty to be fascinated by: Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket … showcases a performer with lashings of panache and no filter. In song and standup, the show opens on the attack, with joke after joke about her status as a woman with talent, a ravening ego – and with a penis too. One song, from an act oft-likened in flamboyance to her Essex compatriot Russell Brand, tells us she wants to 'fuck myself with my own dismembered shlong'. Several gags recycle old-school sexism into edgy gender-bending humour. Another routine itemises the four categories of death threat she's received. Just as Gray feared, it's not as big-hitting a show as her first. There's some filler: a weak skit about her Czech wife's malapropisms; another about Martin Luther King. There's an emotive finale addressing the difficulties of being trans in 2025 – but it's hard to take at face value, because nothing hitherto invites us to take Gray remotely seriously. She's a brilliant entertainer, and a wind-up merchant, but she's also a bundle of contradictions, her standpoint shifting according to whatever's likely to be funniest or most outrageous at any given moment. Here, that includes a defence of Donald Trump's 'grab 'em by the pussy' remarks, lots of very funny gags tilting at straw men (and some not-so-straw men) in the gender wars, and an explosive denouement with a fantastic callback spring-loaded inside it. It adds up to a strong sophomore offering, which – if it doesn't soar quite as high as Is It a Bird? – will easily keep Gray's career airborne. At Soho theatre, London, until 31 May; then at Piccolo Tent at Assembly George Square Gardens, Edinburgh, 30 July to 24 August.
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Jordan Gray review — trans gags and death threats
Jordan Gray got noticed in 2022 with a first show, Is It a Bird?, that offered a wildly charismatic, self-mocking, musical and impassioned account of life as a transgender woman. It got an Edinburgh Comedy Awards nomination, and led to a big tour and to an appearance on Channel 4's Friday Night Live that ended with a strip that revealed both her breasts and her penis. • Read more comedy reviews, guides and interviews That strip earned its place closing a full show but felt too much too soon in a brief TV turn. It led to notoriety, and it led to death threats, Gray tells us as her second show, Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Here to
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Downtown Champaign plaza opens; city announces live music plans
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Downtown Champaign has officially opened its plaza. 'Construction crews have been on a roll downtown: pouring and sandblasting concrete, planting trees, installing new bike racks, and finishing the stage decking,' city officials posted on Facebook. 'There are still a few final touches but…the plaza is open!' Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend offering free entries through donation Final touches that still need to be completed include bench swings, which should be installed at the end of April, and completing the stage in May. Nearby businesses are also setting up outdoor dining. 'From unique bike racks to wood-capped seating with accessibility cutouts, every detail in the plaza contributes to this space being one for everyone to relax, gather, and celebrate,' officials added. 'Come out and explore the space!' In addition, the city has also announced there will be three weekly concert series performing in the plaza this summer. These include: Rhythm & Roots – Live music during the Tuesday Farmers Market from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sound Bites – A lunchtime series on Thursdays, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. And the return of Friday Night Live – on Fridays from 6 p.m. to – 9 p.m. Phase 2 for the plaza, which will include a public lawn, pop jet fountain and small business kiosks, will break ground next year. Construction for the plaza is funded by state grants. More pictures of the new plaza can be found by visiting Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Downtown Champaign plaza to open in May
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A plaza in downtown Champaign will open later in the Spring. City of Champaign officials announced the Downtown Plaza near the intersection of Neil and Main Streets will open in early May, with bench swings, planters, and open space available for all to enjoy. 'Spring is in the air, and so is excitement for Downtown Champaign's newest gathering space!' city officials said on Facebook. Savoy senior facility celebrates two 100th birthdays Some more events coming to the space include Friday Night Live, the Farmers Market and a lunchtime music series. More trees will arrive in the Spring. The stage will be ready by July and additional landscaping will be added in the fall. The latest updates on the plaza can be found on this website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
