Tuesday 9 April 2013
Thursday 4 April 2013
The Cure Mumford And Sons To Play Lollapalooza
CHICAGO The Cure will make their first Lollapalooza appearance in the festival's more than 20 year history this summer joining fellow headliners Mumford and Sons The Killers and Nine Inch Nails Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell announced Monday.
It is so exciting to have The Cure at Lollapaloooza for the first time because I love The Cure and we've never had them Farrell also the lead singer of Jane's Addiction said. It's always frustrated me and made me feel incomplete and now I can feel complete and die.
Other acts among the lineup of some 130 bands include Phoenix Thievery Corporation Tegan and Sara Cat Power New Order and Lana Del Rey. Vampire Weekend will play the Aug. 2 4 festival in Chicago just months after their upcoming album Modern Vampires of the City is released in May. The Lumineers coming off last year's hit Hey Ho will also perform.
Nine Inch Nails played the original Lollapalooza in 1991 and last played the festival in 2008.
Mumford and Sons rises to a headlining spot this year. In 2010 they played in the middle of the day. Their latest album Babel has sold more than 1 million copies.
They are going to make their victory lap at Lollapalooza this year Farrell said.
The lineup includes Lollapalooza's well known mix of indie bands singer songwriters and country hip hop rock and electronic acts. Musicians come from across the U.S. and the world including countries like Australia Brazil Chile Greece and Sweden.
We don't look to stylize our lineup so much as we just stay away from pop garbage said Farrell who in the past has said he sees himself as a music curator when arranging each festival lineup.
Sometimes it's not what I'm going to do. It's what I'm not going to do that sets your trend he said.
In recent years headliners have included Lady Gaga Green Day Eminem and Coldplay. The full lineup is available on Lollapalooza's website.
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival the other major summer music festival in the U.S. has slotted Paul McCartney Wilco and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as their headliners this year. Mumford and Sons are also playing Bonnaroo to be held June 13 16 in Manchester Tenn.
This year marks Lollapalooza's ninth anniversary in Chicago's lakefront Grant Park. Last year's festival sold out at 100 000 visitors a day or 300 000 over the three day event. Three day passes priced at between $75 and $235 for this year are sold out. One day passes are still available.
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Loading Slideshow Queens of the Stone AgeThe LumineersKendrick LamarNew OrderThe CurePhoenixEllie GouldingKnife PartyThe KillersThievery CorporationSteve AokiLana Del ReyNine Inch NailsThe Postal ServiceThe NationalGrizzly BearMajor LazerVampire WeekendMumford SonsCat PowerTegan SaraJessie Ware2 ChainzSteve AngelloFlux PavilionIcona PopAzealia BanksBeach HouseEric ChurchBand of HorsesHot ChipLocal NativesTwo Door Cinema ClubCrystal CastlesFrightened RabbitMatt KimBaauerFoalsCharles BradleyDeath GripsSmith WesternsHaimDisclosureDada LifeDIIVLianne La HavasWild BelleWild NothingEmeli SandeTheophilus LondonHeartless BastardsYankees Patchwork Lineup Is No Match for Red Sox
Opening day is supposed to be a time of hope and renewal for a promising new season but the Yankees carried the heavy burden of low expectations north from spring training and nothing that happened Monday contradicted those projections.
For one day at least all the early predictions of doom came true for the Yankees who were soundly beaten 8 2 by their old rivals the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in their 111th opening day.
As early as the seventh inning with the Yankees being thrashed and a cold wind spitting rain in the faces of shivering fans there was no hesitation to bolt for the exits.
The fans had seen enough and by the thousands they streamed out convinced that their team could not weather this particular storm well. Yankees Manager Joe Girardi cited the raw conditions and the prospect of school the next morning but a new Yankee Vernon Wells cited a more apt reason for the mass evacuation.
At the end it was ugly out on the field and off he said. I don t blame them for heading home a little early.
The day actually began in brilliant sunshine and 62 degrees in front of a capacity crowd announced at 49 514 the largest attendance at a home opener in the five years of the new Yankee Stadium.
But in the later innings when it became clear that the Yankees patchwork offense would not make much of a dent against Red Sox pitching and the storm front hovered overhead the stands emptied leaving behind a swirl of trash on the field.
If I m a fan and it starts to rain I go away too said Francisco Cervelli who knocked in the Yankees only two runs with a single in the fourth.
The exodus had as much to do with the score as the cold rain.
The Red Sox pounced on Yankees starter C. C. Sabathia for four runs in the second inning and never trailed. To see Sabathia get knocked about in that one inning was sobering as even he could not save the day. His fastball velocity was only about 91 miles per hour but he said that his surgically repaired elbow felt fine and that he expected to build arm strength and raise the speed of his pitches over the next few starts.
A year ago Sabathia might have won anyway in front of the Yankees potent offense. Instead they lost an opening day home game for the first time since 1982 a span of 11 games. Not surprisingly given the lineup they failed to hit a home run on opening day for the first time in 14 years ending a major league record streak.
With only two players from last year s opening day lineup and six players making their Yankees debuts the Yankees managed six hits five of them singles.
It was a disappointing outcome for a day that began with a mixture of dread resulting from all the Yankees injuries and the hope that a solid pitching staff could see the Yankees through the lean times.
Derek Jeter Mark Teixeira Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez four of the team s biggest stars are all out with injuries.
Anytime you re missing those guys you re talking about some of the best players in the game it s going to be a little bit different Sabathia said. But we know what we have to do and who s not here. That s not an excuse. We ve had injuries last year and the year before.
At the theater when a star actor is absent from a day s performance an insert announcing the changes to the cast is included in Playbill magazine. Baseball does not do that but playing the role of Jeter on Monday was the backup shortstop Eduardo Nunez and the understudy for Granderson was Wells.
Jayson Nix started at third base in place of Kevin Youkilis who began the day at first base because the lefty Lyle Overbay signed only last week was not going to be in the starting lineup against Jon Lester. Youkilis who had the Yankees only extra base hit a fourth inning double was signed to a one year $12 million contract in the off season to replace Rodriguez.
A hip injury has Rodriguez on the disabled list. He did not spend one day at spring training but he showed up Monday and watched parts of the game from the bench though he chose not to be introduced before the game.
The game itself was rather unremarkable except for a smattering of fans rooting for the Red Sox. Sabathia fell into trouble early and the Yankees had very few opportunities to tie it.
Trailing 5 2 in the bottom of the seventh the Yankees had their best chance with runners at first and second and no one out. But Nunez Robinson Cano and Youkilis all struck out against Boston s bullpen. The stadium immediately fell into an eerie silence reminiscent of the one in the next to last game at the Stadium last October when Jeter broke his ankle.
That was in the 12th inning of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series more than five months ago. The Yankees have yet to win a true game since.
Wednesday 3 April 2013
Pierzynski disappointed after history eludes Darvish
HOUSTON A.J. Pierzynski made his way slowly over to Yu Darvish's locker wearing a sheepish half grin and looking up at the ceiling as if to say Seriously
The catcher patted his pitcher on the shoulder the two exchanged a word or two and a smile and that was the end of it. Pierzynski made his way to the lunchroom for a postgame meal and Darvish was ushered to the Minute Maid Park interview room where a few dozen reporters were waiting to talk about the perfect game that wasn't.
Just 'Sorry ' Pierzynski recalled saying to Darvish during their brief exchange. You get so close and not have it happen ... it's disappointing not only for me but for him for everybody. I'm sure for all the Japanese people too. That was a big deal. He's their guy and it stinks.
Ultimately the outcome for the Rangers didn't stink. It was actually by baseball standards the very opposite of stink. The Rangers handily beat the Astros 7 0 on a two hitter during which Darvish struck out a career high 14 batters. Elvis Andrus tripled twice Lance Berkman logged three hits and the Rangers recorded their first win of the season.
In that respect the scene in the Rangers' clubhouse was typical of a regular season win. The music was at a healthy decibel. Players chatted among themselves. The mood was light.
But ... man.
You get to that point you think it's going to happen Pierzynski said. It's disappointing.
The point the catcher was referring to was a two out situation in the ninth inning with most of the 22 673 fans still there riveted by possible history in the making. Darvish threw Marwin Gonzalez a cutter and the Astros shortstop sent the ball right back to the mound between Darvish's legs and into center field.
Base hit. Perfect game over.
Until then the Astros looked overmatched against the Rangers' most heralded pitcher. Darvish fanned nine of the first 12 batters he faced.
He had everything going obviously Pierzynski said. I guess that's kind of a dumb statement. He threw all seven of his pitches he threw them all for strikes. He threw them all in different counts he threw them up down in out ... anyway you can throw a ball he did it.
Darvish and Pierzynski appeared to be in perfect sync with the pitcher rarely shaking off his catcher throughout the 111 pitch outing.
He's got so many pitches that you can pick any one you want to throw at any time Pierzynski said. It's not like he has two pitches this one or that one. I mean you might want a 94 mile an hour split finger instead of a 97 mile an hour fastball or a 60 mile an hour curveball. That's when it's difficult to get on the same page because he's got so many weapons.
The high strikeout total resulted in a high pitch count higher than any manager cares to see his ace push himself to this early in the season. For that reason it wasn't surprising when Ron Washington popped out of the dugout immediately to remove Darvish following the base hit.
From behind the plate Pierzynski could only shake his head and marvel about how this one could have possible gotten away. For much of the night this was a close game. The Rangers led only 1 0 through six but when they scored two in each of the final three frames Pierzynski relaxed a little and let himself think briefly about history possibly being made.
You get to the ninth you get some quick outs he said. You're kind of thinking 'Hey this is going to happen.'
You're supposed to be happy after a two hit shutout winning 7 0 driving some guys home. You have a good feeling. But it's bittersweet to say the least.
This wasn't Pierzynski's first brush with history. He's been behind the plate for two no hitters current Astro Phillip Humber's perfect game with the White Sox last year and Mark Buehrle's no no in 2007.
So if there was any tension from behind the mask it wasn't as if he didn't have experience properly channeling it. But as the catcher said there's no magic formula to get through it.
That's what's so great about no hitters and perfect games he said. You don't see them coming. They just happen. It's not like winning a World Series where there's kind of a build up. It's just one night and it just happens. Unfortunately you get so close and you don't get it ... it just happens. It's sad but at the same time we got our first win of the year.
Despite some Flyers hopes Jaromir Jagr traded to Bruins
In 34 games with the Stars Jaromir Jagr scored 14 goals and assisted 12. (USA Today Images)
Lets All Pretend Emma Watson Is Her Slutty Role
In the excitement surrounding Emma Watson's first sexy film role in The Bling Ring British GQ has decided to imagine Watson is her Bling Ring character. Photographer Mark Seliger presents Watson In Character Out of Control as you've never seen her before styled as a thieving Valley vixen in a midriff baring freakum dress and with a constellation of tattoos. A savvy choice for the magazine given the level of excitement over Watson's turn as a bad bad girl. For the public Watson's role will be like the moment when you finally have sex with someone after imagining it a hundred times. But in this case it's the milder but more titillating thrill of turning a wholesome starlet into a slut even temporarily.
Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo leads domination of Galatasaray
There is another match to come but Real Madrid would be entitled to feel that their work here is done. After six successive seasons without winning a single knockout tie in the tournament they consider their own a third successive Champions League semi final beckons for Jos Mourinho's team thanks to an ultimately comfortable victory over Galatasaray.
Fatih Terim the visitors' coach was left complaining of two possible penalties that were not given one for a handball by Sami Khedira in the first half the other for a foul on Burak Yilmaz by Sergio Ramos at 2 0. Maybe Madrid's name affected the referee he said. He lacked courage.
Terim's side started boldly but that may also have been part of their undoing when the final whistle arrived the game had long since ended as a contest. So too in all likelihood had the tie. Cristiano Ronaldo Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higua n scored to put Madrid in a position so strong that Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos could seek out the yellow cards that see them sit out the second leg and arrive clear of cards in the semi final.
They need a miracle but there are miracles in football Mourinho said. The history of football is full of miracles so why can't they dream of a miracle. I have enough experience to understand that we have a very good result but it is not over and I will try everything in my hands to persuade my players that it is not over.
After the game Terim admitted that the difference in quality between the two sides was too big . Before it he had insisted that his side would be true to their attacking philosophy promising We'll play in a way that will make our supporters proud. Didier Drogba started up front alongside Yilmaz the Champions League's joint top scorer with Wesley Sneijder behind. Felipe Melo sat at the heart of midfield with Hamit Altintop narrow to one side and Inan Selcuk to the other. At left back the winger Albert Riera. On the right Emmanuel Ebou was more winger than full back.
Madrid had conceded more goals than any other team left in the competition on 11. But the question was whether Galatasaray's formation devised since the arrival of Sneijder and Drogba in the winter and Terim's bold philosophy which has deeper roots would leave Galatasaray exposed to Madrid's deadliest weapon the counterattack. When granted space there are few sides like Mourinho's. They like to attack said Ronaldo and that suits us. So it proved Madrid had the lead after just nine minutes.
Alonso slotted the ball to Mesut Ozil who played off Benzema and then rolled a neatly weighted pass into the area between the centre back and right back positions. Ronaldo territory in other words. The Portuguese dashed in took one touch with his right foot and lifted a lovely delicate shot over Fernando Muslera and into the corner with his left. It was his 32nd goal in just 37 Champions League appearances for Madrid his 191st in 189 games overall.
Galatasaray swiftly had the chance to equalise when Yilmaz let Ebou 's pass run between his legs to Drogba who turned Rapha l Varane sharply on the edge of the area only to strike well over the bar and just after that Ozil was wriggling away from challenges and finding Ronaldo in the area once more. This time Semih Kaya made the challenge but with Sneijder then sending a shot spearing wide at the other end this was looking like the open game that Terim had promised but few in Spain truly expected.
Only quarter of an hour had gone and speaking of unexpected Michael Essien had already nutmegged Sneijder and Altintop had turned Ronaldo. The chances kept coming too. Ozil's shot was saved by Muslera. Drogba's long range effort was half saved by Diego L pez. Ebou tried to pull one back for his fellow Ivorian. And Sneijder's header came back off Khedira. Yet the momentum was Madrid's and they had a second just before the half hour when Essien's cross from the right swung into the area and Ronaldo leapt for the ball.
Although he failed to reach it the jump turned into the decoy of a volleyball player at the net. Rising with him both Ebou and Kaya missed it and it dropped for Benzema lurking just behind. There had been a doubt about whether he or Higua n would start but he controlled and scored his 30th goal in 50 Champions League games from close range.
The semi final beckoned already Madrid were finding space and control although there was a warning on the stroke of half time when L pez stopped Ebou 's shot the full back looking more useful in Madrid's area than his own.
A new half suggested a new approach Terim replaced the largely ineffective Sneijder with Gokhan Zan and went to three at the back. If that theoretically freed up Riera and Ebou to advance up their wings with greater freedom they largely had anyway and it looked more like an attempt to limit the damage and return to Istanbul intact 2 0 would be recoverable three might not. To start with it appeared it could work. Ronaldo's shot easily saved by Muslera was the first moment of note in the first 15 minutes of the second period.
The sensation was a fleeting one.
Soon after Alonso scooped a clever pass into the area for Angel Di Mar a whose finish spinning to face goal and taking the shot on the bounce was weak. What progress Galatasaray made was tentative and although Madrid kept possession and kept looking for their opportunity they partly settled into a new slower and more patient routine. There was little sense in exposing themselves to an away goal and another home one arrived anyway. Galatasaray's plan if that is what it had been lay in tatters.
Higua n had not even been on the pitch 10 minutes when Alonso's free kick found him to the right of the penalty spot and twisting his neck he turned his header into the net.
Pregnant Lindsay Lohan Internet scoffs
About This Blog
This Just In is CNN's news blog. We'll bring you the latest news from CNN s correspondents and sources around the world. We ll cover stories that are breaking causing ripples or otherwise driving the collective daily conversation along with some items we find interesting and worth sharing.
Mistrial declared in BBT wrongful death civil trial
GREENSBORO A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in a wrongful death civil trial involving BBT.
The ruling came after jurors in Guilford County Superior Court announced they were deadlocked at 7 5 and had no hope of reaching a verdict.
Attorneys for Leslie Page Gill who filed suit against BBT Insurance Services and the estate of her ex husband a BBT executive did not say if they planned on a retrial.
At issue was whether Gill s ex husband Stuart Thomas was to blame for an August 2011 car accident that killed him and their 16 year old daughter Emma Thomas.
Gill s attorneys allege that Stuart Thomas was talking business on his cellphone at the time of the accident and that BBT wiped his phone to avoid liability.
Lawyers for BBT deny that Thomas was talking on his cellphone when he crashed into the back of a tractor trailer on Interstate 40 near Mocksville.
They said Thomas phone was wiped eight days after the accident but said the practice is customary at BBT for employees who leave the company.
Jurors deliberated for about an hour Monday and two hours Tuesday morning before sending Judge Ronald E. Spivey a note saying they were deadlocked. They asked to see a transcript of the deposition or testimony of truck driver Daniel Billings whose tractor trailer Thomas crashed into hoping it might help them break the deadlock.
Billings testified last week the crash occurred after he merged into the left lane of Interstate 40 as he was approaching a construction zone. He said he did not see Thomas SUV in his mirrors.
Defense attorneys in their closing statements Monday called his account into question and showed pictures of the rear of the tractor trailer sticking into the right lane. Gill s attorney Robert J. King III said the force of the impact caused the trailer to shift.
Spivey declined the jury s request to see the deposition since it was not introduced into evidence. He also said they could not view the transcript as the court reporter who took down Billings testimony last week was out of town tending to her sick grandmother. Spivey gave the jurors additional instructions and told them to continue their deliberation.
About 3 20 p.m. jurors sent another note saying they were deadlocked. The foreman said the jury was split 7 5 but did not say which way it was leaning.
Spivey asked attorneys if they wanted to try to reach a deal. They spoke for about a half hour but did not come to an agreement.
King mentioned that the attorneys had spoken during the lunch recess but that they were not anywhere close together.
Spivey called the jury back in.
Do you consider this deadlock to be a hopeless deadlock that will never end the judge asked the jury foreman.
The foreman said yes and Spivey declared a mistrial.
I just hate it for the families on both sides of the aisle on this Spivey said. But I appreciated the way you (the attorneys) conducted yourselves. And obviously you did a good job because it almost came to a straight up tie.
Lawyers after Tuesday s proceedings declined to comment on the case or its future.
Alan Ashby apologizes (kind of) for Yu Darvish remark on Astros broadcast
(AP)
No matter what Houston Astros broadcaster Alan Ashby meant to say he should have known better.
Ashby issued a conditional apology Wednesday a day after he jokingly suggested that Yu Darvish losing a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning should force a guy to learn some of the language here in America. Probably as in $ % I just lost a perfect game
Watch the broadcast here to get a better idea of the context.
Darvish was raised in Japan and while teammates say his English is conversationally excellent (he tries to speak Spanish too) he prefers to do interviews in Japanese with a translator. His understandable choice also can give an unfortunate impression to some that he doesn't care to learn English. And misconceptions like that can set off all sorts of ugly populist alarms.
Even if Ashby is ignorant of Darvish's linguistic agility what he said was silly and colleague Geoff Blum even said as much in the booth at the time. Here's a transcript of the relevant part of the broadcast via the Four DVRs blog in the Houston Chronicle
Blum Man. Gosh that has got to be a tough pill to swallow.
Ashby That ll force a guy to learn some of the language here in America.
Blum Some of the more inappropriate language. I m loving it. They probably learn that instantly coming over here. But that was a fantastic performance.
Of course Japanese ballplayers playing in North America know how to swear in English. Profanity (can be) one of the first thing anyone learning a new language picks up. Ichiro's famous (NSFW) Two rats in a sock quote is a good example of this.
The Astros must have heard people complaining about Ashby's joke because they made him apologize. Here's his official statement which reads like a monologue that hostages are encouraged to announce at gunpoint
I'd like to apologize if my comments last night were misinterpreted or construed as insensitive. I have the highest respect for Yu Darvish he's a great player and his performance last night was outstanding. He showed a great deal of poise in the face of a difficult moment last night which speaks to the strength of his character.
That's a new low for the I apologize if I offended anyone brand of apology and it probably won't help Ashby with the crowd that will be mad at him no matter what. Regardless Ashby is one of the more popular players in Astros history and this is going to be no more than a dubious anecdote in his TV career. And there should be little doubt he means those platitudes about Darvish's character.
Doing live TV is tough and coming up with entertaining and pertinent remarks off the cuff is tough. As anyone who hangs out on Twitter knows it's easy to be offensive on the spot. Ashby should have said something like Is Yu swearing to himself in Japanese right now That would have been OK politically funny enough and wouldn't have painted Darvish as the ignorant foreigner.
And it should be mentioned There have been far more offensive things said about foreign ballplayers than this. Heck you should see the scroll of ignorant tweets that Public Shaming on Tumblr compiled about Darvish just from Tuesday night. That'll really give people something to complain about.
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