Latest news with #Graceland
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elvis Presley's Red Living Room Makes a Dramatic Return Ahead of Elvis Week 2025
Elvis Presley's Red Living Room Makes a Dramatic Return Ahead of Elvis Week 2025 originally appeared on Parade. In the early 1970s, Elvis Presley's Graceland home underwent a dramatic transformation. The interior shifted from a classic style with a more neutral palette to a deep red. Ahead of Elvis Week 2025, the king's red living room will make a dramatic return, along with some iconic accessories, in a new display. Graceland's official website offered a glimpse at what fans can expect, highlighting a return to an unforgettable design era within the home. A video clip showcased Graceland's living area, featuring the room's classic oil rain lamps. A voiceover explains, "In 1974, it was time for a decor upgrade inside Graceland. The foyer, living room, and dining room got a fresh look." Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "As part of the redecoration of Graceland's formal living room, Elvis added these distinctive oil rain lamps. After more than a decade without major upgrades, he chose a bold new look for the main floor rooms that included rich colors, plush textures, and statement pieces like these lamps that helped bring the space together." "Often called Goddess Rain Lamps, they were especially popular in the 1970s. Clear mineral oil created a shimmery rain effect around the statue," the voiceover concluded. Graceland's restoration team has carefully restored the original oil rain lamps to ensure they function just as Elvis intended. The lamps will be part of the upcoming Red Living Room display, set to debut in August ahead of Elvis Week 2025. The exhibit will be featured at Elvis Presley's Memphis, the complex located across the street from Graceland. Graceland's red decor was still intact when Elvis died in 1977 and remained unchanged until the mansion opened for tours in 1982. At that time, the decision was made to restore the living room, music room, and dining room to reflect how they were decorated during Elvis's early years at Graceland. Graceland will celebrate Elvis Week from August 8 through August 16. Elvis Presley's Red Living Room Makes a Dramatic Return Ahead of Elvis Week 2025 first appeared on Parade on Jul 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Concert review: Paul Simon brings A Quiet Celebration to the Orpheum Theatre
Paul Simon brought the A Quiet Celebration tour to the Orpheum for the first of three concerts last night and it wasn't that quiet. The first of many standing ovations came before a single note had been played when the singer strode on stage. Many more followed in the lengthy set, which packaged the whole of his new album Seven Psalms alongside hits and his selected deep cuts in the second half. The entire evening was a triumphant return to live performance after the combination of hearing loss and severe back pain looked likely to end the 83-year-old music legend's performing career. Instead, Simon released his new record, a critically-acclaimed orchestral song cycle exploring life, love and the eternally shifting nature of faith and took it on the road his way. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. That is with absolute class. While uneven, the show was a study in respect for musical craft and honesty in presentation. Backed by his truly exceptional 10-piece band with additional vocals from his wife Edie Brickell, Simon explored his latest record and lengthy back catalogue with a sense of adventure and a willingness to face up to the inevitable effects of passing years on his voice. He can still turn a tune with style, but the song choices reflected material that could be reimagined in a more forgiving manner to both his present projection and range. Frankly, it was a master class in how to do it right, with a lot the new arrangements bringing elements to past classics that weren't obvious before. A prime example of this was Graceland, which opened the second half of the night. Toning down the song's upbeat groove into a far more Austin City Limits shuffle let guitarists Gyan Riley and Mark Stewart have a blast twanging back and forth. The Late Great Johnny Ace turned into a blues groover that the flute, viola and cello could swing into with sax backing from the two keyboardists. Marimbas, gongs, harmonium, grand piano and glass bells that looked like someone snagged a bunch of clear hair dryers from a sixties beauty parlour packed the stage. Everything was played. The instrumentation was always surprising and perfectly suited to the material Having legendary drummer Steve Gadd behind the kit added that little bit extra on 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. While Miley Cyrus may have made that song her own on the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, having the tune's original drummer driving the beat was a treat. So was the presence of Bakithi Kumalo on bass. The sole surviving member of the original Graceland band held down the bottom end with fluid playing and some sweet vocal percussion along the way. Seven Psalms was clearly the work Simon was more interested in performing, which makes complete sense when you consider how many times he has performed Homeward Bound or America over the decades. The new songs are deeply introspective and so meticulously rendered that Simon was occasionally conducting the band along the way. That made sense. Songs such as Your Forgiveness contain passages where one bar of organ would quickly shift to a flute note, quick pizzicato run on the viola and a sudden percussion explosion. It was taut and beautiful and a million miles away from most contemporary digital auto-tuned, computerized live presentations. Doubtless, many were less pleased with the deeper cuts such as Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War and St. Judy's Comet taking up space where Cecilia or Kodachrome could have been. But it's worth considering that his selection of his more non-singalong songs was deliberate to avoid the crowd confusing his hearing. While Simon can obviously play what he wants, The Only Living Boy in New York or the Afterlife would have been better than the fairly weak Spirit Voices or Father and Daughter. To each their own. Either way, everyone got to belt it out for Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard and the Boxer. The closing solo take on the Sound of Silence was a beautiful finish. As previously noted, Paul Simon is a class act. Tickets for the two remaining Orpheum concerts are available at . The legendary singer has been performing the whole new album Seven Psalms as well as a career-spanning set of songs. Here is the set list from night one in Vancouver: Seven Psalms The Lord Love Is Like A Braid My Professional Opinion Your Forgiveness Trail of Volcanoes The Sacred Harp (with Edie Brickell) Wait (with Edie Brickell) Hits and Deep Cuts America (Simon & Garfunkel song) Graceland Slip Slidin' Away Train in the Distance Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song) (With teases of 'I am a Rock' and 'The Sound of Silence') The Late Great Johnny Ace St. Judy's Comet Under African Skies (with Edie Brickell) Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War Rewrite Spirit Voices Mother and Child Reunion Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (with Edie Brickell) 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel song) The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel song) (solo without band) sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Paul Simon's quiet power remains strong in San Francisco concert
Witnessing singer-songwriters mature over decades can often reveal the true substance of their work. For Paul Simon, his light, nuanced tenor — that first emerged as part of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel to help define the sound of the 1960s — has changed into something lower and softer at age 83. It commands that you lean in at times. His growl is like the grain of the wood barrels that age whiskey. It colors and underlines Simon's abilities as a songwriter, the stunning poetry that's been a part of American culture for seven decades. More Information Davies Symphony Hall Setlist Act 1: 'The Lord' 'Love Is Like A Braid' 'My Professional Opinion' 'Your Forgiveness' 'Trail of Volcanoes' 'The Sacred Harp' 'Wait' Act 2: 'Graceland' 'Slip Slidin' Away' 'Train in the Distance' 'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel song) 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' 'St. Judy's Comet' 'Under African Skies' 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' 'Rewrite' 'Spirit Voices' 'Mother and Child Reunion' 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' Encore One: 'Father and Daughter' '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' 'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel song) Encore Two: 'The Sound of Silence' (Simon & Garfunkel song) That lived-in voice, shaped by time and experience, met a fitting match in the intimate setting of Davies Symphony Hall where Simon — onstage just a few weeks after his emergency back surgery — performed the first of three shows on Saturday, July 19, as part of his A Quiet Celebration tour in support of his latest album, 'Seven Psalms.' One of the most affecting moments of the two hour-long concert came when he sang 'Homeward Bound.' About a young man who seeks his calling in the world but eventually feels the pull back to where he came from, the song has a different poignancy. You feels the miles he's traveled in his voice, and there's a new wisdom Simon now imbues into the 1966 Simon & Garfunkel classic. Tears welled in the eyes of many in the largely baby boomer audience. It was a moment that made clear that some great storytellers and their material can get better with age. A member of the Rock & Roll and Grammy Halls of Fame, Simon helped form the soundtrack of 1960s counterculture with folk-rock hits written with Art Garfunkel, including 'The Sound of Silence' and 'Mrs. Robinson' — the latter forever tied to the Bay Area thanks to its use in the 1967 film 'The Graduate,' where it plays as Dustin Hoffman drives across the Bay Bridge. Albums 'Graceland' (1986) with its Southern African influences and 'The Rhythm of the Saints' (1990) drawing from Brazilian folk traditions were best sellers and artistic successes. 'This tour is the first opportunity I've had performing with my band since before COVID,' he told the audience referring to his excellent ensemble that included Caleb Burhans (viola), Jamey Haddad (percussion), Gyan Riley (guitar), Mick Rossi (piano, keys), Andy Snitzer (saxophone), Nancy Stagnitta (flute), Mark Stewart (guitar), Eugene Friesen (cello), Steve Gadd (drums) and Bakithi Kumalo (bass) Then he went on to explaining the first act of the evening would be his 'Seven Psalms' showcase; he promised 'the greatest hits' would come later. The 'Seven Psalms' acoustic set was performed on a mostly dark stage, the lighting suggesting a campfire. The material, inspired by the Book of Psalms, is nuanced and reflective, with a quiet intensity. The opening track, 'The Lord,' set the mood with lyrics like 'Tribal voices old and young. Celebrations a history of families sung. The endlеss river flows.' It conjured a sense of looking back, tinged with melancholy but also with a sense of eternity. The night came alive in a new way when singer Edie Brickell, Simon's wife, took to the stage for a transcendent 'The Sacred Harp.' The bends and curves of Brickell's voice gently wounds its way around Simon's lyrics, her sweetness giving lovely contrast to Simon's rougher sounds. The couple finished the first act with 'Wait,' whose lyrics — 'I'm not ready. I'm just packing my gear. Wait. My hand's steady. My mind is still clear' — remind you that 'Seven Psalms' is a powerful late-career album by Simon that contemplates bigger mortal themes. Act two began with a spirited 'Graceland,' the title track from Simon's seventh solo studio album released in 1986. 'Slip Slidin' Away' (1977) and 'Train in the Distance'(1983) are among the songs that feel very different in Simon's mature vocals. The lightness on these and others are gone, but a new character colors them. The ayahuasca-inspired 'Spirit Voices' (Simon joked about the song's source in one of his sparse addresses to the audience) was another smooth, joyful highlight of the second act. So was the concluding 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' from his 1972 self-titled album, which has become such a shorthand for a certain kind of cool in pop culture (especially after its use by Wes Anderson in his 2001 film 'The Royal Tenenbaums') that it got a roar from the crowd. For his encores, Simon was joined by his band to sing 'Father and Daughter,' from the soundtrack to 2002 animated film 'The Wild Thornberries,' followed by '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' (1975) and the Simon & Garfunkel hit 'The Boxer'(1970). Then, on stage by himself, he performed 'The Sound of Silence,' a fittingly gentle way to bid us goodnight.
Sydney Morning Herald
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Thirty books we'll be talking about for the rest of 2025
The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner (July 17) From the War on Terror to Russian interference, disinformation, cyber ops and moral quagmires, The Mission promises a deep dive into how the CIA has (and hasn't) adapted to a world far messier than the Cold War chessboard. Drawing on interviews with former CIA directors, station chiefs, and scores of top spies it asks: What does intelligence look like when truth itself is contested? Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (August 19) Ron Chernow, the biographer whose Alexander Hamilton launched a Broadway juggernaut, turns to America's original literary celebrity: Mark Twain. Expect the same sweeping research that defined Chernow's work on Grant and Washington, and fresh insight into Twain as the first modern superstar – a man who shaped how writers could court fame while skewering it. Loading Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs (August 19) Scholar Nicholas Boggs gives readers an intimate new portrait of James Baldwin – not just as an icon of American letters, but as a man who loved, grieved and changed the lives of those around him. This hybrid work braids biography, memoir and cultural history into a tender reckoning with Baldwin's enduring power. All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (September 9) In her first non-fiction book in a decade, Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert charts the messy aftermath of grief, transformation and desire. All the Way to the River is billed as an unflinching reckoning with heartbreak, spiritual seeking and the deep currents that carry us where we least expect. Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss (September 16) Journalist Jeff Weiss dives headlong into the fever dream of 2000s celebrity culture with this bracing cultural study of Britney Spears and the paparazzi machine that consumed her and of which she was a part. Part tabloid archaeology, part drug-fuelled noir, Weiss lays bare how complicity, obsession and profit worked in concert to devour a pop star in real time. Fly, Wild Swans by Jung Chang (September 16) Jung Chang, whose Wild Swans remains a landmark of twentieth-century memoir, returns with a sweeping new personal history that traces the echoes of her family's story across the changing face of modern China. Fly, Wild Swans is set to be a searching look at what it means to witness – and survive – generational upheaval. Softly, as I Leave You by Priscilla Presley (September 23) Decades after Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley returns with a memoir that promises new insights about her life alongside – and beyond – the King of Rock and Roll. Expect reflections on her role as guardian of Elvis's legacy, but also her path to independence and the woman she became after Graceland's gates closed behind her. Good Things by Samin Nosrat (September 23) Nearly a decade after Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat became an instant classic, Samin Nosrat returns with Good Things, a joyful collection of more than 125 new recipes and kitchen rituals she cooks for herself and the people she loves. Expect simple, delicious dishes, gorgeously photographed and brought to life with playful infographics. Generous, precise and warm-hearted, this book feels like an invitation to savour the everyday moments that make good food truly good. Elizabeth Harrower: The Woman in the Watch Tower by Susan Wyndham (October 1) This much-awaited biography peels back the layers on Australian literary legend Elizabeth Harrower, who died in 2020 after decades as an enigmatic figure. The former Sydney Morning Herald literary editor explores Harrower's fiercely private life, complicated friendships and searingly sharp fiction. It's one of two biographies set to hit shelves this year, with Helen Trinca's Looking for Elizabeth out now. Surviving Climate Anxiety by Thomas Doherty (October 7) A leading voice in environmental psychology, Dr Thomas Doherty addresses the escalating mental health crisis fuelled by climate change. In Surviving Climate Anxiety, he presents a timely psychological framework for confronting eco-anxiety, offering readers practical strategies to process environmental distress, cultivate resilience, and engage constructively with our climate-altered world. Paper Girl by Beth Macy (October 7) Beth Macy, acclaimed for Dopesick and Raising Lazarus, turns her trademark blend of deep reporting and narrative compassion on her own past. Paper Girl chronicles the changes in Urbana, Ohio, where Macy grew up as a paper girl, delivering the local newspaper. Expect vivid storytelling from one of America's fiercest chroniclers of inequality, addiction and resilience. Unapologetically Ita by Ita Buttrose (October 28) Pioneering editor and former ABC chair Ita Buttrose reflects on her time in Australia's media from battling sexism in boardrooms, fronting the ABC through controversies and refusing, in her 80s, to fade quietly from Australia's cultural conversation. Publishers are promising the memoir is frank, intimate and razor-sharp. Cue the next Asher Keddie miniseries. The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein (November 4) Loading Three of Australia's sharpest non-fiction writers collaborate to tackle the murder case that has gripped the nation. The Mushroom Tapes sees Helen Garner (This House of Grief), Chloe Hooper (The Tall Man) and Sarah Krasnostein (The Trauma Cleaner) join forces in the Latrobe Valley courtroom – and in conversation. Fungi fever doesn't end there – Greg Haddrick's Mushroom Murders and Duncan McNab's Recipe for Murder will also sprout on shelves this spring. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood (November 4) The literary legend's mind roams free in Book of Lives, a playful, elliptical memoir that refuses the conventional timeline. Instead, the grand dame of speculative fiction is set to offer fragments – dreams, diaries, mini-essays – that explore mortality, mischief and the many selves she's inhabited as poet, novelist, critic and constant observer of our species. Joy Ride by Susan Orlean (November 4) Beloved New Yorker writer and author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book, Susan Orlean is often called a national treasure for good reason. In Joy Ride, her most personal work yet, Orlean turns her sharp eye and boundless curiosity inward, charting a life spent chasing stories — from tiger owners to ten-year-olds, Saturday nights to Mt. Fuji. Part memoir, part masterclass in living a creative life, it promises to be a warm, witty reminder to find wonder in the everyday.
The Age
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Thirty books we'll be talking about for the rest of 2025
The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner (July 17) From the War on Terror to Russian interference, disinformation, cyber ops and moral quagmires, The Mission promises a deep dive into how the CIA has (and hasn't) adapted to a world far messier than the Cold War chessboard. Drawing on interviews with former CIA directors, station chiefs, and scores of top spies it asks: What does intelligence look like when truth itself is contested? Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (August 19) Ron Chernow, the biographer whose Alexander Hamilton launched a Broadway juggernaut, turns to America's original literary celebrity: Mark Twain. Expect the same sweeping research that defined Chernow's work on Grant and Washington, and fresh insight into Twain as the first modern superstar – a man who shaped how writers could court fame while skewering it. Loading Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs (August 19) Scholar Nicholas Boggs gives readers an intimate new portrait of James Baldwin – not just as an icon of American letters, but as a man who loved, grieved and changed the lives of those around him. This hybrid work braids biography, memoir and cultural history into a tender reckoning with Baldwin's enduring power. All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (September 9) In her first non-fiction book in a decade, Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert charts the messy aftermath of grief, transformation and desire. All the Way to the River is billed as an unflinching reckoning with heartbreak, spiritual seeking and the deep currents that carry us where we least expect. Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss (September 16) Journalist Jeff Weiss dives headlong into the fever dream of 2000s celebrity culture with this bracing cultural study of Britney Spears and the paparazzi machine that consumed her and of which she was a part. Part tabloid archaeology, part drug-fuelled noir, Weiss lays bare how complicity, obsession and profit worked in concert to devour a pop star in real time. Fly, Wild Swans by Jung Chang (September 16) Jung Chang, whose Wild Swans remains a landmark of twentieth-century memoir, returns with a sweeping new personal history that traces the echoes of her family's story across the changing face of modern China. Fly, Wild Swans is set to be a searching look at what it means to witness – and survive – generational upheaval. Softly, as I Leave You by Priscilla Presley (September 23) Decades after Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley returns with a memoir that promises new insights about her life alongside – and beyond – the King of Rock and Roll. Expect reflections on her role as guardian of Elvis's legacy, but also her path to independence and the woman she became after Graceland's gates closed behind her. Good Things by Samin Nosrat (September 23) Nearly a decade after Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat became an instant classic, Samin Nosrat returns with Good Things, a joyful collection of more than 125 new recipes and kitchen rituals she cooks for herself and the people she loves. Expect simple, delicious dishes, gorgeously photographed and brought to life with playful infographics. Generous, precise and warm-hearted, this book feels like an invitation to savour the everyday moments that make good food truly good. Elizabeth Harrower: The Woman in the Watch Tower by Susan Wyndham (October 1) This much-awaited biography peels back the layers on Australian literary legend Elizabeth Harrower, who died in 2020 after decades as an enigmatic figure. The former Sydney Morning Herald literary editor explores Harrower's fiercely private life, complicated friendships and searingly sharp fiction. It's one of two biographies set to hit shelves this year, with Helen Trinca's Looking for Elizabeth out now. Surviving Climate Anxiety by Thomas Doherty (October 7) A leading voice in environmental psychology, Dr Thomas Doherty addresses the escalating mental health crisis fuelled by climate change. In Surviving Climate Anxiety, he presents a timely psychological framework for confronting eco-anxiety, offering readers practical strategies to process environmental distress, cultivate resilience, and engage constructively with our climate-altered world. Paper Girl by Beth Macy (October 7) Beth Macy, acclaimed for Dopesick and Raising Lazarus, turns her trademark blend of deep reporting and narrative compassion on her own past. Paper Girl chronicles the changes in Urbana, Ohio, where Macy grew up as a paper girl, delivering the local newspaper. Expect vivid storytelling from one of America's fiercest chroniclers of inequality, addiction and resilience. Unapologetically Ita by Ita Buttrose (October 28) Pioneering editor and former ABC chair Ita Buttrose reflects on her time in Australia's media from battling sexism in boardrooms, fronting the ABC through controversies and refusing, in her 80s, to fade quietly from Australia's cultural conversation. Publishers are promising the memoir is frank, intimate and razor-sharp. Cue the next Asher Keddie miniseries. The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein (November 4) Loading Three of Australia's sharpest non-fiction writers collaborate to tackle the murder case that has gripped the nation. The Mushroom Tapes sees Helen Garner (This House of Grief), Chloe Hooper (The Tall Man) and Sarah Krasnostein (The Trauma Cleaner) join forces in the Latrobe Valley courtroom – and in conversation. Fungi fever doesn't end there – Greg Haddrick's Mushroom Murders and Duncan McNab's Recipe for Murder will also sprout on shelves this spring. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood (November 4) The literary legend's mind roams free in Book of Lives, a playful, elliptical memoir that refuses the conventional timeline. Instead, the grand dame of speculative fiction is set to offer fragments – dreams, diaries, mini-essays – that explore mortality, mischief and the many selves she's inhabited as poet, novelist, critic and constant observer of our species. Joy Ride by Susan Orlean (November 4) Beloved New Yorker writer and author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book, Susan Orlean is often called a national treasure for good reason. In Joy Ride, her most personal work yet, Orlean turns her sharp eye and boundless curiosity inward, charting a life spent chasing stories — from tiger owners to ten-year-olds, Saturday nights to Mt. Fuji. Part memoir, part masterclass in living a creative life, it promises to be a warm, witty reminder to find wonder in the everyday.
