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Here's what it's like to see Kelly Clarkson's Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas
Here's what it's like to see Kelly Clarkson's Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas

Time Out

time5 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Time Out

Here's what it's like to see Kelly Clarkson's Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas

One set. Two outfits. And a whole lot of soul. Albeit a week later than originally planned, Kelly Clarkson recently kicked off her Studio Sessions residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with a stripped down show that focuses more on the charismatic singer's voice than the over-the-top frills Las Vegas residencies are known for. If Clarkson was battling voice issues or illness, there was no evidence of it on opening night. She brilliantly belted out song after song with force and engaged with the audience with stories throughout the over two-hour performance. The Studio Sessions stage replicates a recording studio. It's a simple set that remains in place for the duration of the show. Clarkson says it's inspired by what her 'party barn' in Montana looks like. Framed photos of artists she idolizes are tacked onto the studio walls: Bonnie Raitt, Reba McEntire, Steven Tyler, Lauryn Hill, Janis Joplin and, of course, Dolly Parton (who will perform six shows on the very same stage this December). 'All these people are big musical influences for me,' she told fans on opening night. 'This is literally my shit on these walls. That's my Dolly,' she said, pointing to the photo of Parton hanging on the wall. Clarkson dressed for comfort and arrived 'in studio' wearing bell bottom jeans and a sparkly sequined Stevie Nicks T-shirt, which she sported until her encore. After opening the show with stirring renditions of 'Me' and 'Walk Away,' Clarkson dug deep and sang 'Heat,' a single she said 'feels like a modern day Tina Turner song' before breaking into a Bowie-esque version of 'Dance with Me.' Not surprisingly, Clarkson is a bit of a gabber. The multiple Emmy Award-winning talk show host spoke often to praise her band—a large ensemble with a string and horn section, backup singers and other musicians—as well as to talk about the set (the furniture is available on Wayfair) and how this residency was all about giving fans a glimpse into the fun associated with recording. 'We gave you a sneak peek of what we do. There's nothing like getting into studios with a bunch of musicians and vibing with each other. It's electric,' Clarkson said. 'This is my favorite show I've ever put together, because I love being in the studio and that's where this whole idea came from.' I heard some folks criticize her opening night performance for singing a couple songs with her back turned to the audience seated stage left. It was a detail I didn't initially notice because she was facing me the whole time. She also remained center stage the entire show so those in the front rows didn't get the up-close experience they may have expected. Both are easily correctable, though. Clarkson's only costume change came at the very end of the show when she ditched the jeans and returned in a white gown to perform her final three songs of the evening, which concluded with her hit song 'Since U Been Gone.' 'Damn right I'm going to sing this song in this dress!' she told the audience. When and where is Clarkson performing Studio Sessions? When: July 25, 26; Aug 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16; Nov 7, 8, 14, 15 Where: The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas What's on the Studio Sessions setlist? The setlist for Clarkson's Studio Sessions Vegas residency includes 19 songs that span her career and a few bonuses during the encore. – 'Me' – 'Walk Away' – 'Heat' – 'Dance With Me' – 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' – 'Heartbeat Song' – 'Breakaway' – 'Didn't I' – 'Because of You' – 'Mine' – 'Catch My Breath' – 'Beautiful Disaster' – 'Piece by Piece' – 'Miss Independent' – 'Sober' – 'Favorite Kind of High' – 'My Life Would Suck Without You' – 'Tightrope' – 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' Encore Her encore includes one Kellyoke cover song that will rotate. On the first weekend she sang Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' opening night and on night two, she sang Måneskin's version of Frankie Vallie & the Four Seasons' 'Beggin.' – 'Where Have You Been' – Kellyoke cover – 'Since U Been Gone'

Gay MAGA power duo's friendship explodes into nasty online spat
Gay MAGA power duo's friendship explodes into nasty online spat

Daily Mail​

time10-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Daily Mail​

Gay MAGA power duo's friendship explodes into nasty online spat

Nearly a week after the dramatic breakup between President Donald Trump and his former 'first buddy' Elon Musk, another bitter spat has erupted in the MAGA world. Gay right-wing influencers Scott Presler and Brandon Straka were once comrades proud to take on the 'battlefield' alongside each other, but last month everything changed, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal. Straka, who previously went viral after he was arrested in connection with the January 6 riots, took to social media last month in a bombshell 14-minute video blasting Presler for allegedly faking his voter registration totals and running a 'massive propaganda campaign.' He was pardoned by Trump earlier this year. Presler, 37, is a GOP activist credited for winning Pennsylvania in the recent election through his Early Vote Action committee. He has also been praised for his work by the president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump and scored a $1 million donation from Musk to help win the battleground state. Meanwhile, Straka, who claims to have 'bent over backwards' for Presler, grew to stardom after launching the #WalkAway campaign - a group that encourages disgruntled Democrats to follow in his footsteps and join the MAGA world. The pair worked together to build the Republican party, but a sharp turn derailed their relationship and caused a rift in the MAGA community. 'I can honestly say I have no idea who or what the real Scott Presler is,' Straka said in the clip. 'But what I know for certain is the public persona he's created bears little resemblance to who he is in reality. He's not brave, he's not kind, he's not grateful and he's not honest,' Straka claimed. In the video, Straka showed a series of posts made by Presler and others praising his efforts before explaining why his supporters need to take a deeper look into his work. 'Some of you may even believe he registered hundreds of thousands of voters, and some of you believe Scott Presler registered and transported nearly 200,000 Amish people to vote in 2024 which is incredible as there aren't even 90,000 Amish people in Pennsylvania, including children' Straka said. He went on to say that he doesn't 'blame' people for believing what Presler has done, adding: 'As they were all part of a massive propaganda campaign leading up to the 2024 election. 'Because so many of you have been made to believe these falsehoods from seeing them repeated over and over again on social media, you might feel protective of Scott. 'And I can understand that too. I can understand all of it because I used to feel protective of Scott Presler too, so much so that I bent over backwards to help him in every way that I could because I believed he really was the person he portrayed himself to be. 'The greatest lie ever told is that we're all on the same side…I'm here to tell you, folks, that there are a lot of people who support Trump and support MAGA who are totally out for themselves,' the MAGA ally continued. He specifically attacked Presler for claiming that his political action committee registered 10,000 new voters in the Keystone State prior to the election, and just a little over a week later, made it to 50,000. Straka also hit out on Presler's ties to the Amish community as their turnout in Lancaster - a predominantly Amish county - only increased by three percent from 2020-2024, the outlet reported. After the video surged online, Straka told the Wall Street Journal: 'I'm not asking anything of Scott that I don't expect from myself.' In response, Presler said: 'I don't do drama' and provided proof that he claims shows he always told the truth about the number of voters he recruited in Pennsylvania. He told the outlet that the 50,000 voter figure was correct and that the original 10,000 was mistakenly reported by a staff member. In relation to his role in getting the Amish community to get out and vote in the 2024 election, Presler said he never claimed that 180,000 came out to do so. Presler pointed to the Amish population outside of Lancaster, adding: 'Brandon is claiming we haven't registered thousands of Amish to vote - we have.' Presler has also been praised for his work by the president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump (pictured together in March 2024) and scored a $1 million donation from Musk to help win the battleground state He noted that documenting the population's voting efforts was not easy to do because 'this is a community that isn't cool being filmed.' Presler told the outlet he believes the feud and attacks against him really has to do with those in the Republican party who are against mail-in and early voting that he has pushed for. Straka's online rant sparked a slew of online responses, as many appear to be divided on who they should root for. 'Scott Presler NOT the man you think he is! Great statement by Brandon Straka - learn who your friends are and the ones that abuse the friendship,' one user wrote. Another took Presler's side, writing: 'Wow! Brandon Straka Is Your Typical Jealous Gay Queen. Team Scott Presler All The Way.' Others appeared to be frustrated by the feud, with some urging them to put their differences aside for the sake of the Republican party. 'First Elon and Trump. Now Scott Presler and Brandon Straka...,' a user wrote. 'The clash between Scott Presler and Brandon Straka is bigger than personalities. It's about the fevered world of right-wing influencers seeking to position themselves as key to the party's future,' another suggested. 'Both Brandon Straka and Scott Presler are terrible. Let them fight,' said another.

Nepo baby son of former world champion shows off ripped physique as he turns 17 - but can you guess who his famous father is?
Nepo baby son of former world champion shows off ripped physique as he turns 17 - but can you guess who his famous father is?

Daily Mail​

time01-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mail​

Nepo baby son of former world champion shows off ripped physique as he turns 17 - but can you guess who his famous father is?

Muscles and a ripped physique would appear to run in the family of one starlet who showed off his chiselled frame as he celebrates turning 17. Though, that does the teenager a disservice, given the hours he puts in at the gym to achieve the impressive look. The youngster is the son of one of the UK's most infamous loud mouths, who more than backed up his chatter during a career that saw him win world titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. Celebrating his offspring's big day, he wrote: My eldest son had just turned 17... and I honestly can't believe how fast the years have flown. 'From a fearless little boy to a focused young man, he's now living on his own and competing full-time on the Spanish tennis circuit since last August. 'I'm incredibly proud of the way he's chasing his sporting dreams with discipline and maturity beyond his years. He's grown into a beautiful young man — inside and out… and at 6'4, he's now officially taller than me (not that I'm bitter about it). 'Big things ahead. Watch this space.' Cassius Haye may have taken the sensible approach not to follow his dad David into the sport of boxing. The teenager is a tennis pro, working his way through the incredibly difficult rigorous tour. Fans were shocked to see how much Cassius has grown and remarked on the comparison to the throwback photo uploaded by Haye. Haye first attracted headlines for his stellar boxing career that spanned 16 years from 2002 to 2018. Following his retirement, his love life saw him grab the headlines once more. The boxer, 44, and his girlfriend Sian Osbourne, 33, have generated huge interest in their 'open' relationship over the years. The couple have been dating since 2020 but in a break with the societal norm of monogamy, the couple have often opened up their relationship to include a third person. The public interest in throuple reached a peak in 2023, when it was reported that David was in a three-way relationship with both Sian and Una Healy, claims roundly denied by the pop star. The rumours were fuelled by the group posting cosy snaps of the trio on holiday in Morroco, both on the beach and while out for an intimate dinner. However, Una later insisted that she was never part of a 'throuple', revealing the only person she was dating was David - although he was simultaneously dating Sian. The Saturdays singer put an end to the unconventional relationship after 'growing tired of the negative attention' it generated. While she then released the song Walk Away in June 2023, about her situation with the long-term couple, and claimed she had been 'hoodwinked.' While later that year, David and Sian were said to be dating actress Helen Flanagan, after she was pictured chatting to to the couple at a Heineken after-party following a boxing event. The mother-of-three confirmed the romance in September last year on Celebs Go Dating, becoming emotional as she admitted she was in love with David. Breaking into tears on the show, Helen explained to Anna Williamson and Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn that the relationship got difficult after she struggled with not being the only woman.

MAGA makes its pitch to L.A.'s deep-blue Westside
MAGA makes its pitch to L.A.'s deep-blue Westside

Los Angeles Times

time29-04-2025

  • Politics
  • Los Angeles Times

MAGA makes its pitch to L.A.'s deep-blue Westside

Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day. After Donald Trump's reelection last year, the Democratic Party has been criticized as out of touch, fragmented and rudderless. MAGA Republicans looked to capitalize on that over the weekend with a rally aimed at courting disaffected Democrats in liberal Los Angeles County, meeting in West Hollywood and then marching into Beverly Hills. The Sunday rally, dubbed the 'American Restoration Tour,' was organized by members of the #WalkAway movement, which is encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party. Although Democrat Kamala Harris won California's electoral votes in last year's presidential election, her margin declined from Joe Biden's 2020 victory. And down ballot, voters challenged the Golden State's deep blue reputation by rejecting some progressive efforts aimed at affordable housing, income inequality and criminal justice reform. Given Democrats' current identity crisis, it's not surprising that conservatives, many still riding the high of Trump's victory, are making their pitch and making it here. The rally was held in Beverly Gardens Park, which 'has been the site of frequent demonstrations in support of Trump,' Times reporters Lila Seidman and Seema Mehta wrote this week. 'Although much of the affluent Westside skews liberal, Beverly Hills is home to neighborhoods that repeatedly voted for Trump,' they noted. The rally drew a few hundred attendees and began as a march in the city of West Hollywood. Diners in the LGBTQ+ enclave who gathered for brunch and drag queen performances got a different show as Trump supporters marched along Santa Monica Boulevard. The MAGA march was met with a slightly larger number of counterprotesters, who gathered nearby, yelling, 'No KKK! No fascist USA! No Trump!' The event stayed mostly peaceful, my colleagues reported, other than a small fight and an arrest at the rally in Beverly Hills. There was a common thread linking many of the speakers, Seema and Lila reported: 'former liberals who felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party and became full-throated Trump supporters.' That included actress Natalie Beisner, who said she voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but rethought her political views in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Beisner told the crowd that she was called racist and selfish for raising concerns that protesters against the murder of George Floyd were allowed to gather en masse but she was not allowed to be with her grandmother as she died. 'These people refused to acknowledge that I might have an honest reason for disagreeing with them. There was no conversation,' Beisner said. 'So I walked away from the Democrat Party because for the first time in my life, I connected my suffering directly to Democrat policies.' Also among the rally's speakers was former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, now based in San Diego, where he hosts a political show. 'They are the movement that allowed this great state to burn,' Gaetz told the crowd, referring to Democrats. 'They are the movement that turned what was paradise over to the homeless and illegal aliens.' Democratic defectors to the MAGAverse would be welcomed 'with a patriotic embrace,' Gaetz added. One thing that didn't come up during the rally: the Department of Justice's investigation into Gaetz for allegations of child sex trafficking, which did not lead to charges. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November and withdrew himself from consideration to be U.S. attorney general after his nomination by then-President-elect Trump. The House Ethics Committee reported late last year that it had found evidence that Gaetz abused drugs and paid for sex with a minor during his tenure in Congress. 'Disrupt, break, defund': Trump's imperial first 100 days LAFD's DEI bureau drew the right's ire. It's now on the chopping block Trump's support is dropping nationwide and across demographics, polls show What else is going on Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Can $1,000 a month help more students land nursing careers? An L.A. pilot effort says yes. L.A. Community College District is giving more than 200 low-income students $1,000 a month in unrestricted income in hopes of keeping them enrolled and helping deliver a more diverse and multilingual healthcare workforce. Other must reads How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Going out Staying in Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you. Today's great photo is from Times photographer Myung J. Chun at the 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Have a great day, from the Essential California team Ryan Fonseca, reporterAndrew Campa, Sunday reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorChristian Orozco, assistant editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on

‘I feel as though I've been in chains': the bittersweet life of lovers rock legend Mari' Pierre
‘I feel as though I've been in chains': the bittersweet life of lovers rock legend Mari' Pierre

The Guardian

time01-04-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Guardian

‘I feel as though I've been in chains': the bittersweet life of lovers rock legend Mari' Pierre

In December 1978, Marie Pierre was at No 1 in the UK reggae chart with the lovers rock classic Walk Away, a beautiful tearstained lament on a troubled relationship. Her 1979 debut album Love Affair, powered by another enduring scene song in Choose Me, remained one of Trojan's best-selling albums well into the 1980s; Pierre, with her crystalline multi-octave voice, seemed destined to follow her contemporary, Silly Games singer Janet Kay, into mainstream pop-reggae success. But in the 46 years since, Pierre has never released another album. A career that promised so much has – despite TV work and successful backing singing gigs with Robert Plant, Donna Summer and Chaka Khan – been one of frustration and thwarted ambition. Misfortune, mistrust and mistreatment, personal and professional, have sidelined her. 'I feel as though I've been in chains,' she says on a video call. 'I've been anchored for no good reason.' Pierre (born Marilyn, and now spelling her name Mari') grew up in Clapham in south London, one of six siblings. Her parents had moved from Guyana in the 1950s, where her 'quite strict but lovingly strict' father had been a well-known musician and tap dancer under the stage name Little George. Pierre's career started without his knowledge: 'He felt I was still of a tender age and knew what the music industry might expose me to.' When she was 14, her boyfriend Syd – her soon-to-be husband, whom she had met on the bus in a game of truth or dare – came to pick her up for a date. He was impressed when he heard her singing in the bath. 'I didn't realise he was in the house,' Pierre laughs. 'Once we went out, he said: 'I've got to introduce you to my sister's boyfriend, because he has a band, and they rehearse in a basement.' The sister's boyfriend was Dennis Bovell, still at school himself but starting the road to his illustrious career as a reggae and dub pioneer with his first band, Matumbi. Bovell became an important figure in Pierre's life: a musical teacher who 'was like a big brother'. 'She was like family – very close and very dear to me,' says Bovell. 'And she's always been a very powerful singer.' Pierre would sneak into Bovell's all-boys school in disguise to lay down tracks in the school studio, including her first key song Cry, released under the name Angelique. 'He got me a hat and a jacket and some trousers,' she says. 'Nobody knew that I was a girl. He did say to me: 'Don't open your mouth!' We had a good rapport. He got me and I got him. He stretched me: I couldn't sing like that before him. He protected me, and I felt secure around him.' Pierre was gaining confidence. After a spell rehearsing with Billy Ocean above a bingo hall in Dalston, east London ('Billy used to see me home and stay for dinner – he loved my mum's cooking') she joined three-piece vocal group Super Pack, who played American army bases in the UK with the Stylistics and Fontella Bass and spent two years performing in Switzerland. By the time she returned home, she had married Syd: 'We were best friends, young sweethearts.' But all wasn't well. Pierre wrote Walk Away after a fight: Syd had stormed out, leaving her at home with their baby, and she was watching a Bette Davis film. 'And she said something that just resonated with me: 'You were the cause of all of my tears but you never wiped one of them away.'' She scribbled down the lyric, came up with a melody and took it to Bovell, who in turn took Pierre to Trojan Records. 'I envisioned it as a soul song. But Dennis converted it to lovers rock.' Bovell was helping pioneer the lovers rock sound, a gentler, more romantic take on British reggae. Love Affair, now enjoying a new reissue for the first time in 30 years, is still considered one of the genre's high points; Pierre co-wrote several songs to go with Bovell's tracks and lush production. 'A great record', says Bovell. As the title suggests, many songs are not about romance but infidelity: Syd had had an affair. 'They're all based on true stories,' Pierre says. '[The affair] was damaging, because she was my best friend. I'm no longer sorry. It's all wisdom. If you don't live it, you'll never know it.' Did Syd ever hear the songs? 'Oh, he knew, yeah. There was the big guilt trip. But once bitten, twice shy.' Even before the album's release, issues mounted. Pierre says she was not properly credited by Bovell for some tracks on Love Affair; Bovell says that isn't true. Pierre says she was also refused permission to release material she had recorded at about the same time: 'Everyone was earning theirs, but I was sitting on the sideline faithfully waiting.' Bovell counters: 'If they weren't released, it was because they weren't ready.' What is clear is that parts of the lovers rock scene itself didn't treat Pierre well: lacking support and taken advantage of, she has been ripped off by promotors over the years. 'At one point she said: why am I doing this?' says Bovell. And with Bovell's eclectic career taking off as he worked with a host of artists such as the Pop Group and the Slits, it left Pierre somewhat lost without her mentor. 'I just felt that I couldn't work with anybody else but him,' she says. 'Because I trusted him implicitly.' 'We kind of grew apart,' Bovell says, admitting that even though he took Pierre to play shows in the US and Japan, he became too busy to record with her. 'She didn't particularly want to work with other producers. And I couldn't just work with her alone – I had to go and get my career.' The situation knocked not so much Pierre's confidence, but her trust in the industry. 'I haven't really had any faith in anybody else since,' she says. That goes for romantic relationships, too. She calls Syd: 'My first love, and my last. I've been out and dated. But wisdom has taught me I don't want the extra baggage.' After some failed collaborations, Pierre took to backing singing and TV work in the 1980s, including singing the theme tune to Channel 4's popular sitcom Desmond's. She also performed gigs as Damaged Daughters, a three-piece that included the 80s soul singer Princess. There were frequent gigs as in-house singer on The Terry Wogan Show and Channel 4's Club X, where she sang with Donna Summer, Chaka Khan and Randy Crawford. Most notably, she sang on Robert Plant's 1988 album Now and Zen. She didn't know who Plant was when she got the call, but did such a good job that Plant sent her a platinum disc as a thank you. 'It's proudly hanging on my wall. And I felt more humbled and well received getting that from Robert Plant because all the years I've been in the business, I haven't received that recognition from my own.' By the time she finished a 12-year run fronting Supremes tribute act the SOS Band, she was disillusioned again, and her only shows over the last decade have been lovers rock reunion nights. 'But it's not what I really want to do. I could be doing that and earning, but why? Unless I've got new material?' Pierre has a positive disposition – 'I don't get consumed with bad feelings or malice' – but everything has clearly taken a toll. 'I felt those knocks,' she says. 'I feel that happiness or joy is only for a moment, because you don't know who's waiting around the corner to steal that from you.' She also suffers from arthritis, and is going through an emotionally painful, costly, lengthy probate dispute with some family members. 'It's affecting my creativity. I'm not finding the joy in life.' But it might not be too late. Days later, Pierre rings me to say our interview 'just made me think, well, let's do this'. She contacted Bovell; not only did they 'have a heart to heart', he sent her some tracks, old and new, to work on with a view to releasing an EP. 'Because we're like a family, we can start as we desire,' Bovell says. 'I've invited her to do her lyrical magic, because she does come with some really good lyrics.' Pierre also got in touch with some old connections: they are planning to go into the studio in the spring. 'All I had to do was contact certain people, and, boy, were they ready to go.' She sounds so happy. 'So, it's not the end of Mari' Pierre,' she says. 'I'm back on the horse and willing to ride!' The reissue of Love Affair is out now on Cherry Red

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