If All the World’s a Stage, We Might Be Screwed
With rare exceptions, the concert biz had seemingly figured out how to safely and successfully stage music events during the past century. Advancements from security to taking concertgoers’ hard-earned cash efficiently (they’re definitely good at that) have been perfected over time, but it seems recently that the act of keeping a stage standing has become a lost art, with tragic consequences. After several stage collapses last summer (which you would think would make such safety concerns top priority), prior to Radiohead’s June 16 concert in Canada, part of the stage collapsed, killing drum tech Scott Johnson and injuring three others. Here’s hoping Johnson’s death wasn’t in vain and the planet experiences as incident-free of a summer concert season as possible from here on out.
Laidback Kicks
Wearing Kanye West’s rare, costly new Air Yeezy 2 sneakers might get you jumped in a back alley, but the worst that can come from wearing the new shoe from one of his collaborators — Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon — is probably an invite to an open mic poetry event/vegan potluck dinner. The new shoes from the Indie Folk superstar are simple and practical — the flashiest aspect is a fishbone illustration across the toes. Part of the proceeds from the cruelty-free “Ramos” kicks from the Keep shoe/clothing company will be donated to the Best Friends Animal Society org (the rest — ice, gold chains and champagne, of course). The shoes will set you back $75 (roughly the amount of the shoe strings from a pair Yeezy 2s). And, yes, the shoes are beige.
KISS Meets The Griffins
It appears that ’70s rockers KISS have finally run out of shit to sell with their logo on it, so the band is expanding its brand to include merchandise based on its appearances as animated characters on Family Guy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the band has entered a licensing agreement with the Fox cartoon that will include “bobble heads, apparel, plush, novelty, barware, social expressions and fine art.” We’re still holding out for a KISS deal with NPR, so we can finally recreate the notorious, volatile Terry Gross/Gene Simmons interview with their action figures. In our version, Gross rips Simmons’ head off and hangs it next to her mic in the studio as a warning to future asshole guests.
