Delta Rae Featured In New True Blood Trailer, Confirmed For More Performances

Courtesy: Warner Brothers Records

Fans of HBO’s hit series, True Blood have been waiting anxiously for the show’s new season.  Now, a new trailer for Season Six has been released to the masses via YouTube.  And any fan of the show that lives in North Carolina will have even more reason to smile when they watch it.  That’s because Durham, North Carolina’s own Delta Rae is featured prominently in the trailer.  Or rather, the band’s music is featured.  The band’s debut single, ‘Bottom of The River’ from its Warner Brothers Records debut album, Carry The Fire is used as a music bed for the trailer.  The band was quite excited about having its music used in the trailer.  “We’ve been immense fans of True Blood since the pilot” vocalist Brittany Holljes explains.  “The show captures southern myth and the magic of American folklore — the same mysterious storytelling that inspires so much of our music. To go from dressing up like the whole cast (Yes, I was Sookie) for Halloween three years ago, to hearing our song on the trailer is utterly MIND BLOWING.”  The trailer for True Blood Season Six can be viewed on YouTube at

.  The official video for the single can be viewed at

.  And fans can even check out a very special performance of the song with a group of young fans with Staten Island, NY’s famed PS22 Chorus.  The PS22 Chorus has also performed with Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, and a number of other famous artists.   Along with its performance of ‘Bottom of the River’, the band also performed renditions of ‘If I Loved You’, ‘Dance in the Graveyards’ and ‘Fire’ with its young fans.  Links to the performances are available via YouTube below. 

‘Bottom of the River’: 

,

‘If I Loved You’: 

‘Dance in the Graveyards’: 

‘Fire’: 

Having its music used for the trailer for a hit TV show is just one of the many things going on for Delta Rae right now.  It has been scheduled to perform at this year’s annual Bonnaroo festival, Austin City Limits, Hangout Festival, Firefly, and Bumbershoot.   The dates are just part of a very busy Summer touring schedule, which is available below.

North American Summer Tour Dates:
05.18     Hangout Music Fest – Gulf Shores, AL
05.20     House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
05.21     Bronze Peacock/House of Blues – Houston, TX
05.23     The Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX
05.24     Levitt Pavilion – Arlington, TX (FREE)
05.25     The Parish Room – Austin, TX
05.28     The Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
05.30     Wakarusa Festival (Outpost Stage) – Ozark, AR
05.31     Wakarusa Festival (Main Stage) – Ozark, AR
06.01     Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival – Elmer, NJ
06.07     Smoky Hill River Festival (Eric Stein Stage) – Salina, KS
06.16     Bonnaroo Music Festival – Manchester, TN
06.20     Musikfest Cafe – Bethlehem, PA
06.22     Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
06.23     Firefly Music Festival – Dover, DE
06.27     Nashville Dancin’ – Nashville, TN (FREE)
06.28     The Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
06.29     KANROCKSAS (Kansas Speedway) – Kansas City, KS
07.12     Bunbury Music Festival (Sawyer Point) – Cincinnati, OH
07.20     Robert Mondavi Winery Summer Concert Series – Napa, CA
07.21     The Grand Del Mar – San Diego, CA
07.27     FLOYDFEST – Floyd, VA
07.31     First Canadian Place (Outdoor Stage) – Peterborough, ON
08.01     First Canadian Place (Outdoor Stage) – Toronto, ON
08.02     Illuminaqua Festival – Welland, ON
09.02     Bumbershoot – Seattle, WA
09.20     Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME
10.04-06     Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
10.11-13     Austin City Limits – Austin, TX

To keep up with the latest tour news and more from Delta Rae, fans can go online to
http://www.deltarae.com/tour/upcoming
or its official Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/deltarae
.  Fans can also stay up with all the latest from Delta Rae on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/deltarae
. 

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ESPN2, ESPN Deportes Re-Airing Pacquiao/Marquez Fight

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN Deportes and ESPN2 are going to re-air one of the biggest matches ever in the career of boxers Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez IV.  The six-round fight originally aired on HBO on December    8^th.  It ended with Marquez defeating Pacquiao by KO in the bout’s sixth round.  Audiences that have ESPN Deportes will get a bonus with the match’s re-airing as Marquez will discuss the fight round by round with Jorge Eduardo Sanchez.  The discussions will take place between each round.  The fight, which was the third of three showdowns between the pair, was recently nominated by the Boxing Writers Association of America among its contenders for “Fight of the Year.”  The duo’s first match in 2008 was a split decision.  The second meeting ended with Pacquiao winning in 2011 by majority decision.

The third of the matches will be re-aired on ESPN Deportes tonight at 9pm and then again next Saturday night at 10pm.  The third re-airing will run on ESPN2 Friday, February 8^th at 8pm.

To keep up with the latest news from ESPN Deportes and ESPN, go online to
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com
,
http://www.facebook.com/ESPNDeportes
,
http://espn.go.com
, and
http://www.facebook.com/ESPN
.

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ESPN, Grantland Premiere New 30 For 30 Short

Courtesy: ESPN

 

ESPN and Grantland have premiered the latest in the network’s 30 for 30 shorts series.  Ali: The Mission can be viewed online now at grantland.com.  The short, which is narrated by music star John Legend, follows boxer Muhammad Ali’s 1990 mission to free hostages being held in Iraq.  Ali’s mission in question took him to Iraq and a face to face meeting with then dictator Saddam Hussein.  Ali met with Hussein to try and negotiate the release of Americans who had been taken hostage after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.  The hostages in question were being used as “human shields” to try and prevent American forces from striking the region.  Ali’s mission was a success, bringing home a total of fifteen hostages.  And six weeks afterwards, the U.S. embarked on Operation Desert Storm on January 16^th, 1991. 

When asked about Ali and narrating this latest short, Legend said, “There are so many stories and myths out there about The Greatest, but this one struck a personal chord with me as I don’t know that people today are even aware of Ali’s immense philanthropic work or this specific mission to Iraq before Desert Storm began.”  He went on to share his thoughts on being part of ESPN’s latest project saying, “Entertainers and athletes are often blessed with a platform from which to improve the world, and it was an honor for me to be the voice of this film showcasing the incredible journey Ali made that changed the lives of these hostages forever.”

The new short was directed by Amani Martin (Benji, HBO’s Brooklyn Dodgers, The Ghosts of Flatbush).  It features interviews with and stories from the hostages themselves.  The individuals in question will share their stories and reactions to everything that unfolded through Ali’s negotiations with Hussein.  It can be viewed at grantland.com now at
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8849155/the-latest-offering-new-30-30-documentary-series
or at ESPN online at
http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=ali-the-mission
.

To keep up with all the latest news on ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, fans can go online to
http://www.facebook.com/espn30for30
and
http://www.espn.com/30for30
. 

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The Three Stooges Update Is Surprisingly Funny

Courtesy: 20th Century Fox

The Farrelly Brothers’ take on everyone’s favorite comic trio is surprisingly entertaining.  On the surface, it would seem that it’s little more than the same style movie as Hollywood’s big screen reboot of Dennis The Menace or The Little Rascals.  But the reality is that those re-imaginings pale in comparison.  Sure the Farrelly Brothers have done much the same thing as what those flicks did.  But at the same time, it’s obvious that they really did attempt to pay homage to the original Stooges.

At first glance, the very thought of modernizing the Stooges makes no sense.  After the utter failures that were Dennis the Menace (and its equally awful sequels) and The Little Rascals, the natural reaction here is to shake one’s head that much the same has been done here.  And while the pop culture references abound (E.g. Jersey Shore, Geico Auto Insurance, etc.), somehow, the Farrelly Brothers managed to balance out the modernization without losing the heart that make the original Stooges so beloved to this day.  Yes, it would have been nice to see the Stooges in their original 1930s and 1940s element.  But at least in this case, the trio’s modernization doesn’t overpower the physical comedy for which Larry, Curly, and Moe became famous.

Sean Hayes (Larry), Chris Diamantopolous (Moe), and Will Sasso (Curly) weren’t the only stars of this big screen remake.  The trio’s interactions with co-stars Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Brian Doyle-Murray (Groundhog Day, SpongeBob Squarepants, etc.) harkens back to the original Stooges’ bits with its constant supporting cast.  It’s obvious through these interactions and the physical comedy together that despite being modernized, the Farrelly Brothers really were making a valid attempt to do more than just toss something up on screen for the sake of throwing it up on screen.  Unlike the people behind the reimaginings of The Little Rascals and Dennis the Menace, the intent behind this update was obviously to entertain and pay the deserved honor to the original Stooges and their fans, too.

The Farrellys succeeded in entertaining audiences nonstop with the combination of classic slapstick comedy.  It took center stage, rather than the updated surroundings.  The pair should also be commended for taking time immediately after the movie to warn all potentially young audiences that the gags used in the movie were not real.  They point out that the hammers, crowbars and other tools were all rubber.  And the sounds used in coordination with said tools were just that.  They were sound effects and nothing more.  They took the time to say to audiences please don’t try what they saw on screen themselves.  It’s all movie magic.  This might have been a minute factor in the grand scheme of things.  But taking such responsibility is deserving of great respect.  So thank you to the Farrellys for that.  And thank you to the Farrellys for this surprisingly entertaining update on a legendary comic act.

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New Steve Martin Box Set Is One Wild And Crazy Retrospective

Courtesy: Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory has proven time and again throughout 2012 why it is one of the leaders in home entertainment.  With releases of so many classic Nicktoons and even the entire original G.I. Joe series alongside the release of the horror classic, They Live, and so many great music releases, one can only wonder what Shout! Factory will do next to top itself.  What to do?  What to do?  How about a triple disc DVD box set profiling the early career of entertainment legend Steve Martin?  Bingo!

“Steve Martin:  The TV Stuff” is the latest release from Shout! Factory’s stable of top notch releases.  Anyone who is a fan of this veteran comedian/actor/musician/author (heck, just call him a jack of all trades), will find this to be an invaluable addition to their own home library.  The triple-disc set follows Martin’s career from 1978 – 2005.  While audiences won’t find much in the way of his work on Saturday Night Live, they will love seeing his 1978 stand-up act taken from HBO archives.  This nearly hour-long performance is funny.  There’s no arguing that.  But audiences should also know that it isn’t meant for younger audiences due to language and other content.  That aside, it’s still a great piece of nostalgia for any comedy fan or fan of Martin himself.  Some of the best moments in this performance include his banjo playing and his magic (yes, magic) act.  On a similar note, audiences will really enjoy the commentary included on each disc. 

The commentary included on this first disc of the set includes some history from Martin himself.  He explains how he eventually came to work in front of the camera versus behind it.  He explains that he originally wanted to be a magician when he was growing up.  That would account for the addition of the little magic act in his original 1978 stand up set.  He also adds some interesting other tidbits such as how he started his early television career writing for very famous television shows including:  The Smothers Brothers, Sonny & Cher, and The Cher Show.  There’s even mention of where is now famed bit with the fake arrow through the head came from.  Each disc contains its own commentary from Martin.  This is just a tiny sample of what audiences can expect.  And as this reviewer has pointed out so many times before, factors such as this are more proof of the importance of bonus features on DVD’s and blu-rays.  This is one of those cases where the bonus commentary adds so much more to the entire viewing experience.  So kudos once more to Shout! Factory for this inclusion.

His 1978 HBO stand-up act and the commentary are just a couple elements that make this box set enjoyable for any Steve Martin fan.  Also included in the set are his NBC television specials.  Those specials include many of the skits from throughout the years that he’s done.  Fans will love the likes of “Turtle Boy.”  And hearing country legend Johnny cash discussing astrophysics with Steve in his Steve Martin Variety Show skit is hilarious.  There are even appearances by Martin’s SNL cast mates in one of his later TV specials. 

“Steve Martin:  The TV Stuff” may only be comprised of three discs.  But in those three discs, Shout! Factory has managed to compile so much footage from Martin’s career.  Whether it be the skits, the interviews, the standup material, or even the bonus commentary by Martin, this triple-disc set is a wonderful retrospective on his career on the small screen.  The new set will be available in stores and online tomorrow.  It can be ordered direct via Shout! Factory’s website at
http://www.shoutfactorystore.com
.

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