Categories
Awards

PHEW!!

Oscars: Academy Avoids #OscarsSoWhite Reprise

This year’s directing nominations were especially diverse.
As it unveiled its nominations for the 90th Oscars today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences avoided a reprise of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag it earned when the noms were announced in 2015 and 2016, when all the actor and actresses nominated were white.

This year’s acting nominees aren’t quite as diverse as last year’s, when, thanks to movies like Moonlight, Fences and Hidden Figures, seven of the 20 acting nominees were people of color.

But four black actors were included in the acting categories — Daniel Kaluuya for Get Out and Denzel Washington for Roman J. Israel, Esq. for best actor, and Mary J. Blige for Mudbound and Octavia Spencer for The Shape of Water for best supporting actress.

While the Academy, which remains 87 percent white and 72 percent male, has made a concerted effort to diversify its membership in recent years, only a handful of movies focused on black characters became part of the awards conversation this year, including Jordan Peele’s racially charged horror story Get Out, which did earn a best picture nom as well as an original screenplay citation. And while Mudbound, the story of two families, one black, one white, in the Jim Crow South, did not make it into the best picture circle, it was recognized for adapted screenplay, song and cinematography. In a breakthrough for diversity, its cinematographer, Rachel Morrison, became the first woman ever nominated in that category.

The Academy’s progress toward diversity was particularly evident in the nominations for best director. Mexican-born Guillermo del Toro was nominated for his romantic fantasy The Shape of Water, which led the field with 13 nominations overall. Get Out’s Peele, who scored a directing nom, as well as an original screenplay nomination, became the fifth black director to be nominated. And Greta Gerwig became only the fifth woman nominated in the category for her coming-of-age tale Lady Bird, for which she also earned an original screenplay nom.

Categories
Business

I love all of these restaurants!!

Swiss Chalet Now Owns The Keg

The owner of Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s and Kelseys is buying The Keg — as in the entire restaurant chain — for an estimated $200 million in cash and stocks.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

Cara Operations Ltd. has been on an aggressive tear of acquisitions in recent years, scooping up The Bier Markt chain, Casey’s and East Side Mario’s in 2013, followed by New York Fries a few years later, and then Montreal’s St. Hubert chicken chain in 2016.

The company announced on Tuesday that it had signed an agreement to acquire the popular, B.C.-headquartered steakhouse chain Keg Restaurants Ltd., 51 per cent of which was already owned by Toronto’s Fairfax Financial holding company.

This purchase will bring the conglomerate’s portfolio of major Canadian restaurant brands up to 13 (in addition to its airport services division at Pearson and Vancouver International Airports.)

Keg CEO David Aisenstat will reportedly join Cara’s executive team and assume oversight of its “higher end brands,” such as the Landing Group, Bier Markt and Milestones restaurants.

Cara, which is headquartered in Vaughan, said that it intends to change its corporate name once the deal closes.

Categories
Awards

Congratulations one and all!!

Here Are Your 2018 Oscar Nominations

On Tuesday morning, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 90th Academy Awards with a live-streamed presentation hosted by two actors famous for playing animated characters: Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish.

As might have been expected, The Shape of Water led the field with 13 nominations, but there were plenty of surprises in store: Lady Bird’s Greta Gerwig and Get Out’s Jordan Peele both scored directing nods, Three Billboards doubled up in Best Supporting Actor, and Mudbound’s Rachel Morrison became the first woman ever nominated in Best Cinematography.

The Oscars ceremony will be held on March 4 and hosted, like last year, by Jimmy Kimmel. Hopefully everyone will open the right envelopes this time.

Best Picture
Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis, The Phantom Thread
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Animated Feature Film
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
The Breadwinner
The Boss Baby

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Bruno Delbonnel, Darkest Hour
Dan Laustsen, The Shape of Water
Rachel Morrison, Mudbound
Hoyte Van Hoytema, Dunkirk

Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran, Darkest Hour
Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Consolata Boyle, Victoria and Abdul
Jacqueline Durran, Beauty and the Beast
Luis Sequeira, The Shape of Water

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out

Best Documentary (Feature)
Faces Places
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island
Abacus
Icarus: Small Enough to Jail

Best Documentary (Short Subject)
Edith + Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop

Best Film Editing
Jonathan Amos, Paul Machlis, Baby Driver
Jon Gregory, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Tatiana S. Riegel, I, Tonya
Lee Smith, Dunkirk
Sidney Wolinsky, The Shape of Water

Best Foreign Language Film
A Fantastic Woman
Loveless
On Body and Soul
The Insult
The Square

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Beverly Binda, Victoria and Abdul
J.D. Bowers, Megan Harkness, Ailsa Macmillan, Robert A. Pandini, Wonder
David Malinkowski, Lucy Sibbick, Anita Burger, Darkest Hour

Best Music (Original Score)
Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water
Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread
Carter Burwell, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk

Best Music (Original Song)
“Mighty River” from Mudbound by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq, and Taura Stinson
“Remember Me” from Coco by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from Marshall by Common, Andra Day, and Diane Warren
“The Mystery of Love” from Call Me by Your Name by Sufjan Stevens
“This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Production Design
Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis, Dunkirk
Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, and Jeff Melvin, The Shape of Water
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Darkest Hour
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Beauty and the Beast
Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola, Bladerunner 2049

Best Short Film (Animated)
Dear Basketball
Garden Party
Negative Space
Lou
Revolting Rhymes

Best Short Film (Live Action)
DeKalb Elementary
My Nephew Emmett
The Silent Child
Watu Wote/All of Us
The Eleven o’clock

Best Sound Editing
Richard King, Alex Gibson, Dunkirk
Mark A. Mangini, Theo Green, Blade Runner 2049
Nathan Robitaille, The Shape of Water
Julian Slater, Baby Driver
Matthew Wood, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Sound Mixing
Ron Bartlett, Dough Hemphill, Mac Ruth, Blade Runner 2049
Tim Cavagin, Julian Slater, Baby Driver
Christian T. Cooke, Filip Hosek, Brad Zoern, The Shape of Water
Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten, Dunkirk
David Parker, Michael Semanchick, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Visual Effects
Richard Bain, Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joe Letteri, Joel Whist, War for the Planet of the Apes
Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus, Kong: Skull Island
John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer, Blade Runner 2049
Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game
James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name
Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green, Logan
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist
Dee Rees, Virgil Williams, Mudbound

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Categories
People

Hope they come back one day!!

Spice Girls: 20 years later, many things have changed — except the need for girl power

A lot happened in the 1990s.

The Berlin Wall came down, Nelson Mandela got out of jail while OJ Simpson and Bill Clinton avoided jail, Princess Diana died, a cloned sheep was born and five young women from London told us that girl power was what they wanted. Really, really wanted.

Yes, I’m talking about Mel C, Posh Spice, Baby Spice, Scary Spice and Ginger Spice, a.k.a. the Spice Girls.

Now, don’t go scrambling to the back of your closet looking for your Union Jack mini-dresses. I’m not writing about the fabulous five because they are attempting another reunion. No, I am writing because this month marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie Spice World. Yes, you read that right, I am pointing out the 20th anniversary of the Spice Girls’ movie.

Why am I doing that? Well, it is a big anniversary for a big group that meant a lot more than catchy pop tunes to a lot of people. And a lot of those people now have their own daughters.

Also in this current culture of sexual harassment, gender pay-equity issues and women walking red carpets in pairs as a show of strength and co-operation (plenty of nitwits think women can’t work together) this couple of hours of pure female fun is a new year tonic healthier than any juice cleanse.

To celebrate the milestone as part of its One Nighters VIP events Cineplex Theatres is showing Spice World across the country on Jan. 22. For $10 you get into a VIP theatre and have access to specialty Spice Girls-themed drinks and food.

“It’s more of an event. It’s a chance to revisit something you loved with a friend or family member,” said Sarah Van Lange from Cineplex. “We’ve seen with our other VIP night movies that people are coming in groups and just having a good time. It’s fun nostalgia.”

For the record I was not a direct fan of the Spice Girls as they were dominating the world in the mid-1990s. I had no CDs, no DVDs, no T-shirts and honestly I thought the idea of a Baby Spice was a tad creepy.

But what I was a fan of was how these women made a couple of tween girls and a handful of their friends in my life feel. They inspired them, empowered them and drove them to put on Spice Girls shows in our living room. To be honest, at the time, I maybe didn’t appreciate the Friday-night tribute band gigs as much as I should have, but now, looking back it makes me smile and cringe. Perfect.

I’m sure we were not alone spicing up our lives. Girls everywhere were lining up in front of parents and siblings and becoming pretend pop princesses. You just have to look at the Spice Girls’ bottom line for proof of that.

In their six years as a group (I’m not counting that brief reunion thing in the late 2000s or even the widely popular 2012 Olympic Closing ceremonies appearance) they sold 75 million records. Those are the kind numbers make today’s record company executives weep. And as for merchandise sales, well, the Spice Girls branding machine was a far-reaching juggernaut that surely made even KISS’s Gene Simmons jealous. And that’s a guy who branded coffins and condoms.

When the movie came out, the kids came out. It was their Hard Days Night, their Grease. It did about $100 million in box office sales, four times more than it cost to make the movie.

The plot, like a good pop song, was simple but fun. Essentially a road trip movie that saw the group of besties facing all sorts of trouble and high jinx on their way to the big show. The movie was packed with guest stars including Sir Roger Moore, Elvis Costello and Meatloaf, who famously drove the double-decker Spice Bus and when asked about fixing clogged toilets said: “Hey, I love these girls. I’ll do anything for them, but I won’t do that.”

The movie made a busload of money despite being trashed by critics. Leaving one to wonder: what was it critics expected from a Spice Girls movie, another Little Women?

So, here we are now 20 years later and many things have changed — for goodness sake, Posh Spice is now Billionaire Spice — but one thing that truly hasn’t changed, is the need for girl power.

Categories
Awards

For one night only, the Barenaked Ladies will (finally) reunite!!

Barenaked Ladies Headed For Juno Hall of Fame

Barenaked Ladies will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2018 Juno Awards, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced.

On hand to receive the honour will be the current lineup of the pop-rock favourites – Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn and Tyler Stewart –plus original member, co-founder and singer-songwriter Steven Page, who left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career.

The reunion will include Page rejoining his former mates in what is described as a “one-time special appearance” set for live broadcast by the CBC on Sunday, March 25.

The group celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Over those three decades, BNL has been one of Canada’s most celebrated collectives, with career accolades that include eight Juno Awards, two Billboard Music Awards and multiple Grammy nominations.

Other Canadian Music Hall of Famers include Alanis Morissette, Anne Murray, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Oscar Peterson, Rush, The Guess Who, The Tragically Hip, Shania Twain and 2017 inductee Sarah McLachlan.

Formed in 1988 in Scarborough, ON, BNL has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. The band’s style has evolved significantly over the course of their career, favouring acoustic in the early days and growing to encompass a mixture of genres. The 1991 release of The Yellow Tape, initially meant as a demo cassette, would go on to become the first independent tape to ever achieve platinum status, with over 100,000 copies sold in Canada thanks to the inclusion of the still-popular musical whimsy “If I Had A Million Dollars” and the unrepentant energy their manager of the time, Nigel Best, put into promoting the ensemble and making hay with their name.

Following multiple indie cassette releases, the band signed to Sire Records, with whom they released their first full album entitled Gordon. It was a cultural phenomenon in Canada and was certified Diamond (selling over 1 million records). Stunt, released in 1998, would become the band’s most commercially successful record, climbing all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, anchored by the smash hit “One Week,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The band has toured internationally over the years, performing at Madison Square Garden, The Royal Albert Hall and Wembley. Known for such hits as “Pinch Me,” “It’s All Been Done,” “Brian Wilson,” “If I Had $1,000,000,” “Jane,” and “Odds Are,” the band also penned the theme song for the hit CBS series, The Big Bang Theory.

In 2013 Barenaked Ladies collaborated with Commander Chris Hadfield on the song “I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing),” recorded while the Canadian astronaut was in orbit in the International Space Station. Later that year their 10th studio release, Grinning Streak, debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200 followed by 2015’s Silverball and most recently Fake Nudes.

Tickets for The 2018 Juno Awards are currently on sale through the Rogers Arena Box Office, by phone at 1-855-985-5000 and online at ticketmaster.ca

For more information on the 2018 Juno Awards, visit junoawards.ca

The 47th annual Juno Awards and Juno Week 2018 will be hosted in Vancouver from March 19 through March 25, culminating in The Juno Awards Broadcast on CBC on Sunday, March 25, taking place at the Rogers Arena.

Categories
People

Very sad news. May she rest in peace.

CRANBERRIES SINGER DOLORES O’RIORDAN HAS DIED

Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries, has died.

She was 46 and is survived by three children.

O’Riordan passed away at a hotel in Westminster this morning. Police were called to the Park Lane address around 9am, where O’Riordan was pronounced dead.

They are treating the death as unexplained.

A statement from her PR agency said:

“Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today. The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries, was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time.

“Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

O’Riordan became the lead singer in The Cranberries before the Limerick band would go on to gain huge success in the early to mid 90s.

The band went on to have four US Top 20 albums, with single Linger landing at number 8 in the US. Zombie, which rose to number three in the Irish charts, remains among the band’s best-known songs.

The band would release Wake Up and Smell the Coffee in 2001 before going on hiatus in 2003. They reformed in 2012 to release Roses and again last year for Something Else. The band was forced to cancel all of its dates on that tour due to O’Riordan’s back problems. The band sold around 40 million records worldwide.

Before Christmas, she posted to the band’s Facebook page saying:

“Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band. Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo”

O’Riordan had also released two solo albums; 2007′s Are You Listening? and 2009′s No Baggage.

Tributes have begun pouring in to O’Riordan, with one calling her the “Queen of Limerick”.

Irish President Michael D Higgins said:

“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Dolores O’Riordan, musician, singer and song writer.

Dolores O’Riordan and The Cranberries had an immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally.

I recall with fondness the late Limerick TD Jim Kemmy’s introduction of her and The Cranberries to me, and the pride he and so many others took in their successes.

To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts her death will be a big loss.”

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone called her “an icon”, while singer Frank Turner wrote: “Oh lord. Not Dolores O’Riordan. Grew up singing Cranberries songs. Tragic news.”

Local TD Jan O’Sullivan added:

“Dolores was an iconic figure of 90s Irish music. The music Dolores made has touched many people. Her talent and that of her bandmates put Limerick on the map musically.”

Arts Minister Josepha Madigan said:

“She was an inspiration to many across the world and had a truly unique voice. Her haunting vocals on classics such as Linger and Zombie will live on forever.”

Categories
Movies

I still want to see it.

Fogerty Irked ‘Proud Mary’ Film Borrows From His Song’s Name

John Fogerty says he’s annoyed that Taraji P. Henson’s new film, “Proud Mary,” borrows from his popular song’s name without his involvement.

Fogerty does not own the rights to his classic song. In a statement released Thursday, he says “it irks me when people seek to capitalize on the popularity of my music” for their own financial gain.

Henson plays a hit woman in “Proud Mary,” to be released on Friday. Its trailer uses Tina Turner’s version of Fogerty’s 1969 song.

Fogerty says the movie “has nothing to do with me, or my song.” The 72-year-old adds that no one ever asked him about using his song that way.

Sony Pictures declined to comment. A representative for Henson didn’t return an email seeking comment.

Categories
Movies

There are so many newish releases that I still need to see!!

Jumanji holds off The Post, Commuter, Paddington 2 at box office

The box office might of Meryl Streep’s steadfast newspaper publisher, Liam Neeson’s train-riding hero, Taraji P. Henson’s hitwoman with a heart, and a marmalade-loving bear from “darkest Peru” won’t be enough to take down Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

In its fourth weekend of release, Sony’s adventure movie is on track to earn an estimated $27 million at 3,849 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, topping the box office for a second time while holding off newcomers such as The Post (expanding to wide release), The Commuter, Proud Mary, and Paddington 2.

That number would bring Jumanji’s domestic total to $283.2 million after 26 days in theaters. The film, which reportedly cost $90 million to make, has also added about $383 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $666.2 million.

Released 22 years after the original Jumanji movie, Welcome to the Jungle has received generally positive reviews and an A-minus CinemaScore. The Jake Kasdan-directed film updates the story of a magical board game come to life and stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart.

In second place is The Post, director Steven Spielberg’s political thriller about the journalists from the Washington Post and New York Times who published the Pentagon Papers. The film, which stars Streep as Post publisher Katharine Graham and Tom Hanks as executive editor Ben Bradlee, is set to take in about $18.6 million from 2,819 theaters (up from 36 locations last week).

Since it started rolling out last month, the Fox release has garnered excellent reviews and an A CinemaScore. Its domestic tally through Sunday is an estimated $23.1 million.

Taking the No. 3 spot is Lionsgate’s thriller The Commuter, starring Liam Neeson as an ex-cop who gets mixed up in a conspiracy during his daily train ride. The film is on track to earn $13.5 million this weekend, after receiving mixed reviews and a tepid B CinemaScore.

The Commuter marks the third collaboration between Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra, following Non-Stop and Run All Night.

Further down the list, Warner Bros’. family-friendly sequel Paddington 2 is set to take in about $10.6 million from 3,702 theaters, good for seventh place, while Screen Gems’ shoot-’em-up Proud Mary is set to earn about $10 million from 2,125 theaters, putting it in eighth place.

For Paddington 2 — which Warner Bros. picked up from the Weinstein Co. in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal — its opening number is well short of the $19 million bow managed by its predecessor in 2015. But the sequel, once again starring Ben Whishaw as the voice of the mischievous bear, has garnered glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth potential. Paddington 2 has also earned about $125.2 million overseas in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Proud Mary is coming in below industry projections that pegged it at least $15 million. Starring Henson as a hired gun for a Boston crime family, the film did not screen in advance for critics, which rarely bodes well. On the other hand, moviegoers gave it a decent B-plus CinemaScore, and some observers have questioned whether Screen Gems (a Sony genre division) botched the marketing and release.

According to ComScore, overall box office is up 6.1 percent year-to-date. Check out the Jan. 8-14 figures below.

1. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle — $27 million
2. The Post — $18.6 million
3. The Commuter — $13.5 million
4. Insidious: The Last Key — $12.1 million
5. The Greatest Showman — $11.8 million
6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi — $11.3 million
7. Paddington 2 — $10.6 million
8. Proud Mary — $10 million
9. Pitch Perfect 3 — $5.7 million
10. Darkest Hour — $4.5 million

Categories
People

Good luck, Eric!!

Eric Clapton is going deaf, struggling with nerve damage

Eric Clapton is worried about his Hyde Park show in London this summer because he’s battling crippling hearing issues.

The 72-year-old guitar great will headline the British Summer Time festival in July, and he admits he has never been more nervous about a concert.

As well as battling tinnitus, he’s struggling with painful nerve issues in his hands, which have forced him to play the guitar differently.

“I am still going to work…,” her tells BBC radio host Steve Wright. “The only thing I am concerned with now is I am going deaf. I’ve got tinnitus, my hands just about work. I mean, I am hoping people will come along and see me, me more than I am a curiosity. I know that is part of it, because it’s amazing to myself that I am still here.”

Clapton has been battling the pain of nerve damage for the past year, and admits performing has become a challenge.

“It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy,” the Layla hitmaker explains. “(It’s) hard work to play the guitar and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve.”

He now picks and chooses his concerts carefully, adding, “What I’ll allow myself to do, within reason, is carry on recording in the studio. I don’t want to go off the boil to the point where I’m embarrassing myself.”

Categories
Concerts

Not a bad lineup, but it’s not good enough to make me go back. Have fun everyone!!

Eminem, The Killers, Muse to headline Bonnaroo 2018

Eminem, The Killers and Muse are the headliners for the 17th annual Bonnaroo Festival, taking place June 7-10 as always in Manchester, Tennessee, Superfly and A.C. Entertainment announced today. More than 150 artists will perform during the festival on “The Farm” at Great Stage Park, the 700-acre event space located 60 miles southeast of Nashville. Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. ET, exclusively via www.bonnaroo.com.

Other performers include Future, Bassnectar, Sturgill Simpson, Bon Iver “performing two unique sets,” Khalid, Kaskade, Paramore, Alt-J, Dua Lipa, Sheryl Crow, Anderson.Paak, Sylvan Esso, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Playboi Carti, Broken Social Scene, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Thundercat, Mavis Staples, Amadou & Miriam, T-Pain and many more — the full lineup appears below.

The three headliners are making the rounds this festival season, with Eminem performing at Coachella, New York’s Governors Ball and Boston Calling; The Killers at Boston Calling, Alabama’s Hangout Festival, California’s Bottlerock and several European festivals; and Muse at Bottlerock and other European festivals.

Upgrades to the Bonnaroo fest include improved communal areas (formerly known as pods, now called Plazas) with shade, free public WiFi, showers, activities and art, charging stations, misting stations, medical, safety stations, information and portable restrooms.

According to a press release, further upgrades that will presumably be clear to previous festival attendees include “several permanent ‘Barns’ being installed in various locations onsite including VIP that are being designed to create more vibrant scenes in the campgrounds similar to the legendary ones at The Grind and The Garage. A pristine wooded hangout similar to The Grove is also being installed.”

Other highlights include “Droolworthy Food with celebrity chef Tim Love, set to be a special community-focused area based on all things culinary, as well as House of Yes, Little Cinema, The Well, Tonalism by DUBLAB and The B-Hive Under the Tower.” As in past years, “Groop Camping” in the general-admission campground is available to ensure that all fans get to camp with their friends no matter when they arrive onsite.