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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon Batiste Backs Stephen Colbert Amid ‘Late Show' Cancellation: ‘His Voice Won't Be Silenced'
For seven years, Jon Batiste watched Stephen Colbert lead The Late Show night after night. The musician began serving as bandleader on the series with his house band Stay Human in 2015 and held the position through 2022. Now, Colbert is on his way out, too, following the cancellation of The Late Show. The musician is confident that his former colleague and collaborator will land on his feet 'I'm very grateful to him and I think where he goes next, his voice won't be silenced,' Batiste told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a recent interview. 'The voice of free speech is challenge, but the soul of an individual cannot be cancelled. He's gonna find another megaphone, another outlet, I'm sure of it. I'm rooting for him.' More from Rolling Stone Stephen Colbert Calls RFK Jr. 'Roid-Addled Nepo-Carnie' After Cutting Vaccine Funding Watch Reneé Rapp's Broadway-Ready Performance of 'Shy' on Colbert Kamala Harris Tells Colbert Why She's Not Running for California Governor When CBS announced in July that the late-night talk show would conclude in May 2026, it cited financial issues at the network as an explanation. 'It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' CBS wrote in its statement at the time, though many have speculated that the move was related to the recent merger between parent company Paramount and Skydance. The $8 billion merger, which closed last week after over a year of delays, required approval from the Trump administration. Donald Trump celebrated CBS' decision to axe the show, saying, 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired.' During a recent musical segment on The Late Show, Weird Al Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda parodied the CEO affair at a Coldplay concert with an animated rendering of Trump cuddling up with the Paramount logo. 'What happened to my friend Stephen is a symptom of big money,' Batiste said. 'We're in a time where the right price can silence the voice of free speech, which we should be very, very conscious of. As artists, we have to constantly fight for free speech and fight for the ability to be able to share the authentic truth of our being.' In a recent op-ed for Rolling Stone, Lizz Winstead, who worked with Colbert on a segment when she was co-creator and head writer of The Daily Show, wrote, 'Stephen isn't expensive. He's a threat. A wildly popular, truth-telling comic with moral clarity is dangerous in this moment. Especially when he's white, male, and too influential to be dismissed as fringe … Knowing Stephen and his values, I don't think we're at risk of losing his voice. I hope he takes his brilliance somewhere he has full creative control. We need him, and we need the brilliance of every political comic still brave enough to speak out.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dying Light: The Beast dev defends $60 price because "in every metric" the DLC-turned-game is "bigger, denser, and more advanced than we initially assumed"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Dying Light: The Beast may have started development as DLC for Dying Light 2: Stay Human, but it's worth the full $60 asking price anyway because it's apparently outgrown its expansion origins, according to franchise director Tymon Smektała. Dying Light: The Beast sees the original game's protag return to the zombie-infested spotlight in what was initially thought to have been a smaller, expansion-sized take on the parkour-focused formula. But at some point along the way, developer Techland thought there was enough (probably rotting) meat on The Beast's bones to take it further. Speaking to TheThumbWars, Smektała says the game's price is justified because "the game grew" from what was first promised, "especially over a period of six months at the end of last year and the beginning of this year." Techland apparently "kept adding, upgrading, tweaking, leveling up the tech behind the game, and one day we came to a realization that Dying Light: The Beast might as well be the best Dying Light game we ever created." "In every metric – mission count, minutes of cut-scene, unique characters, new enemy designs, additional content, collectibles, secrets, Easter eggs, you name it - Dying Light: The Beast started modestly, but right now it is bigger, denser, and more advanced than we initially assumed," he continues, before asking doubters to "wait until they see the final package" before judging its full price point. I'm not one to justify a game's cost by its length, but Smektała is sure to point out that people won't be paying full price for a condensed experience. "Dying Light: The Beast runs well around 20 hours if you follow the main story alone, and side quests and activities easily double that," he says. "My last full playthrough took me about 37 hours, and it wasn't even the completionist one." He previously said there were 20 to 30 hours of extra stuff to do, on top of the game's main 20-hour story. Dying Light: The Beast will have guns that feel "on par with melee combat," as Techland struggles to solve the series' "complicated" relationship with firearms
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
New Novatone single inspired by sunny days near popular Wicklow Blue Flag beach
Originally from Kilkenny, but now living just outside Arklow, McCorry and Walsh's latest offering was inspired by Mark's daily commute along the N11 and the pull he feels to 'escape the rat race' and take a detour to the beach every time he passes Brittas Bay. 'On my drive to work, I pass the exit for Brittas Bay on the N11, and some days all I want to do is put on my indicator and drive straight to the beach,' Mark explained. 'I began thinking about the film Falling Down and the scene where Michael Douglas' character just abandons his car. That scene resonates with me! I'm sure most commuters know that feeling of wanting to leave the rat race.' Written by Walsh, a radio presenter who began her career as a musician and music booker, and McCorry, a former member of acclaimed Kilkenny band Kaydee, Sunny Day features Dylan Bailey on bass and Áengus 'The Goose' Samuel-Maher on drums. The single is the follow-up to Novatone's debut, Spotlight, which was released in February and heralded by Hot Press Magazine as 'indie pop resplendence'. Having performed as an acoustic duo previously, they expanded into a full band and played their first electric Novatone gig in November 2024 to a packed room in Little Whelan's. In February, they headlined Whelan's Upstairs, and in April, they shared the main stage at Whelan's with Sack, Mundy, and Brian Branigan (A Lazarus Soul) at the Stay Human fundraiser, also playing an intimate acoustic concert at Fennelly's in Callan. You can catch Novatone supporting Tadhg Williams at a free gig in Geoff's Café Bar in Waterford on July 5, in Cleere's of Kilkenny on July 11 and The Star Bar on Baggot Street Lower in Dublin on July 26 for an acoustic launch of Sunny Day.
Miami Herald
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Montreux Miami Jazz Festival returns for part deux
Emily Estefan is following in the footsteps of her Miami music royalty parents Emilio and Gloria Estefan, who are longtime ambassadors of the city's live music experience. Estefan performs at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Miami for its second year as part of Sunday night's Afro-Cuban event, 'La Descarga.' The festival, at the Hangar in Coconut Grove, begins Friday, Feb. 28 and continues through Sunday, March 2, culminating with the all-star jam session. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was part of the inaugural Montreux Miami in 2024. A new chapter in the legendary Switzerland-based jazz festival, which started in 1967 on the shores of Lake Geneva, and spread across the ocean, most recently to Latin America with the Rio Montreux Jazz Festival in Rio de Janiero in 2019 and then Miami last year. 'Even though jazz is firmly in the festival's DNA, we are committed to breaking musical siloes and getting audiences to discover artists and music that they may not have realized they would love. The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland has been doing this for nearly 60 years. Miami's artistic diversity and advantages as a destination make it an incredible fit,' says co-producer and Miami native Jeremy Arditi who was instrumental in bringing Montreux to his hometown in 2024. 'I thought someone should do for music in Miami what Basel had done for art. Fortunately, the Montreux brand and reputation spoke for itself; officials and partners understood the opportunity for the city within about 60 seconds,' says Arditi. Estefan will join an all-star lineup hosted by Jon Batiste and Cimafunk at Sunday night's 'La Descarga.' This year, Emilio Estefan became an investor and co-owner of Montreux Jazz Miami. 'Bringing artists to the city and having artists from Miami involved, it's very important to have this kind of event in Miami for the music scene, music lovers and for local businesses,' says Emilio Estefan, adding 'I'm very honored to be involved in the festival and am looking forward to this weekend.' On the three-day bill are Jon Batiste, who is co-owner and, who this year curated the festival lineup, WILLOW and Justin Lee-Schultz on Friday, Feb. 28; Chaka Khan, Janelle Monáe and Griff on Saturday, March 1, and then the Afro-Cuban 'La Descarga' on Sunday, March 2, featuring Emily Estefan, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D'Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ibrahim Maalouf, Cimafunk & La Tribu, Alfredo Rodriguez, Pedrito Martinez, Hamilton de Holanda, Sammy Figueroa, Yilian Cañizares, Yissy Garcia, Brenda Navarette, Robe L Ninho, Victor Campbell, Yussa, Wampi and Aymée Nuviola. Each night will conclude with an after-hours jam session led by Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human. Emily Estefan says that Montreux has injected an energy back into Miami. 'Live music in Miami used to be something back in the day when I was still a seed somewhere floating in the multiverse. [Jazz trumpeter and vocalist] Chet Baker used to play on Calle Ocho and Nat King Cole (performing in Miami in the 1960s. There are so many places that are historic when it comes to live music and specifically jazz. We have places like Lagniappe that continue to keep the tradition alive. You'll see Corey Henry jamming there at 3 a.m. but we've kind of lost the connection to that.' She says that's where Montreux is bringing a new vibe to the city. 'It is so great for Miami music lovers to have these kinds of moments. There is so much variation of talent here and I feel sometimes the world doesn't' realize that because of all the other amazing things that make us Miami. We are the party and this and that but the jazz party definitely happens at Montreux.' Estefan predicts that 'this side of Miami is going to continue to be rediscovered – maybe some new jazz clubs opening up, maybe jazz residences of artists residencies for Latin jazz. We have a lot of potential to continue on this trail.' She's giddy with excitement about performing in the jam session and especially the DNA that's built into jazz. 'There is improvisation that is the excitement of the music – that you're only going to experience this moment at this time. And The Hangar is such an intimate venue – an open space – that it breathes those kinds of moments. And what an amazing collection of human beings. Also in the mix for 'La Descarga' is another 'Woman of Montreux Miami,' Aymée Nuviola. 'It's an important invitation for me,' says the Cuban native. 'Many important musicians from my country – friends like Sammy Figueroa, Paquito D'Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and so many musicians I admire,' says Nuviola. In fact, Nuviola was featured along with Rubalcaba on Figueroa's 2024 Latin Grammy-nominated album 'Searching For A Memory (Busco Tu Recuerdo).' She reveals that one of the songs she'll be performing in the jam is Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music, Cheo Feliciano's 1964 classic 'El Raton.' 'It is very jammy and with very funny lyrics but there's a special way for the harmonies and the treatment. I think it will be wonderful to perform this with the boys.' But with all the light-heartedness aside, she says to play at Montreux Miami has a deeper meaning at this time. An advocate for the Afro-LatinX and Afro-Cuban community, the Latin Grammy winner who has earned the nickname 'La Sonera del Mundo,' says that it is significant for 'a woman like me' to be in the festival. 'In America, it is very important to not lose culture and jazz. It is a genre that came from the very heart of the United States. So, the reason that we do this festival is so that we can bring all the Cuban flavor, Latino flavor, all together in Miami and United States. And with all those prominent musicians that are going to be there, it is very important . . .' What she says she hopes to bring to Montreux Miami this year is a unifying message. 'Music is like an island without borders. It is the universal language.' If you go: WHAT: Montreux Jazz Festival Miami WHEN: Gates open at 5 p.m., hangar doors at 6:30 p.m., music at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1. Friday lineup: Jon Batiste & Friends, WILLOW, Justin Lee Schultz. Saturday, March 1: Chaka Khan, Janelle Monáe, Griff; Hangar doors at 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., music: Sunday, March 2: Afro Cuban 'La Descarga' with opening sets by Monsieur Periné and Alfredo Rodriguez. Friday and Saturday will conclude with an after-hours jam session led by Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human. WHERE: The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, 3385 Pan American Drive, Coconut Grove COST: $299 per day, general admission, no seating; $499, 2 day general admission, $599 for one day VIP, includes seating, jam session entry, and extras; $1,199 Legend pass (Saturday); $999 Legend pass (Sunday), includes front row seating. INFORMATION: Tickets at info at is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is singing at the Super Bowl 2025 pregame show? National anthem performer and more
Sunday's main event, unless you're really into football, is Kendrick Lamar as the star of the Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will battle it out before and after the Pulitzer-Prize-winning hip-hop legend takes the field. But just before the game gets underway, music's biggest stage will also feature award-winning artists performing the national anthem, 'America the Beautiful' and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' the Black national anthem. More than 100 million people likely will be tuning in on Sunday, Feb. 9. Here's what they can expect to see before kickoff. Jon Batiste will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl 2025. Batiste was born in Metairie, Louisiana, which is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. Batiste appeared nightly with his band, Stay Human, as musical director on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" from 2015 to 2022. Meet Jon Batiste: Who's singing the Super Bowl National Anthem In 2020, he co-composed the score for the Pixar animated film "Soul," for which he won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA Film Award (all shared with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). In 2022, Batiste won Album of the Year at the Grammys for "We Are." A week before the Super Bowl, he added two more Grammys to his total, winning Best Music Film for 'American Symphony' and Best Song Written for Visual Media for 'It Never Went Away' (from 'American Symphony'). Trombone Shorty and Christian singer Lauren Daigle will collaborate for "America the Beautiful." Trombone Shorty picked up his first Grammy in 2022 for featured contributions to Batiste's "We Are." Daigle has topped Billboard's Christian album chart with all four albums she's released. The two-time Grammy winner also won Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational four years in a row at the American Music Awards. Ledisi will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Ledisi has portrayed Mahalia Jackson in two films — "Selma (2014) and "Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story" (2022). In 2021, she picked up her first Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Trump interview: Bret Baier lands Trump Super Bowl interview. Is that a good thing? | Opinion Super Bowl 2025 will feature American Sign Language performances by Stephanie Nogueras, Matt Maxey and Otis Jones IV. Nogueras will interpret the "Star-Spangled Banner" as performed by Jon Batiste and "America the Beautiful" as performed by Lauren Daigle with Trombone Shorty. Jones will sign "Lift Every Voice and Sing" with Ledisi. Maxey will deliver the ASL rendition of Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. Super Bowl halftime show 2025: What does Kendrick Lamar have planned? Everything to know The Super Bowl will be broadcast live on Fox. It will also stream on Fubo TV and other streaming services that carry FOX. Kickoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. MST (6:30 p.m. ET) on Sunday, Feb. 9. Programming should start 30 minutes prior to kickoff, so you'll need to tune in early if you want to hear those pregame entertainers. Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Super Bowl 2025 pregame show: Who's singing national anthem, more
