Latest news with #LennyKravitz
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Tropical north Victoria' or tourism try-hard? Why Mildura is demanding its moment in the sun
The banks of the Murray are sandy and broad as they wind around the city of Mildura in Victoria's far north-west. They are beloved by locals and visitors – and were also the feature of a recent, much maligned tourism campaign, fronted by actor Shane Jacobson and surf lifesavers, likening the inland river city to the far north Queensland coast. The $390,000 campaign, which bills Mildura as 'tropical north Victoria', has been widely panned by locals since it launched a year ago. But it's not the first time the city has taken the loud and brash approach to putting itself on the cultural map in the last few years. American rock band Kings of Leon played there in 2022, then earlier this year Lenny Kravitz announced he would take in the Murray on his national tour. So what's going on in Mildura? Why is it trying so hard to grab the nation's attention – and is it working? Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads There's no getting around the issue of distance, for locals or for tourists. It's a four-hour drive to Mildura from Adelaide, and six from Melbourne. There has been no direct train from Melbourne for 30 years. Public transport users either need to fly there – the cost of which has skyrocketed since the collapse of low-cost airline Bonza – or make at least part of the journey in a roundabout way by coach. It's a significant barrier, given tourist data shows two-thirds of visitors to the Murray region are other Victorians. Tourism is worth about $308m a year to Mildura, but agriculture dwarfs it. Citrus fruits, table grapes, almonds and vegetables are all produced there, and the sector contributes about $1.13bn a year to the economy when combined with forestry and fishing. Horticulture and migrant workers have long defined the town: first in the postwar influx of Italian migrants, who set up the market gardens, and in more recent years waves of backpackers and fruit pickers from the Pacific Islands. Yet healthcare and services in the region employ more people than agriculture. For Mallee-based anthropologist and ex-university academic Melinda Hinkson, the contradictions of the region can be seen in the decline of small-scale farming, leaving what locals call a 'Swiss-cheese' landscape of abandoned lots, alongside the explosion in large-scale agricultural conglomerates. 'You've got this hugely successful but precarious large-ag economy, side by side the dramatic shrinkage of small farms,' Hinkson says. Her forthcoming documentary, Flip the Food Bowl, depicts the absurdity of a system that puts locally grown produce on supermarket shelves in Mildura, only it's many days old by the time it gets there, having been exported down to Melbourne and back again first. Farm-gate fresh produce is readily available at markets, but it's not the norm for the major chains. Population growth and diversifying the economy have been key parts of the region's development strategy for more than a decade. But the population has not been growing as fast as projected, and those who are coming to live in the city are often moving in from surrounding hamlets or farmland, and were already relying on Mildura for services. Cooperatives and smaller-scale farming ventures began to fail after the federal government dismantled support for them in the 80s and 90s, leaving them fully exposed to market forces and the domination of huge corporations, Hinkson explains. Mum-and-dad farms were bought up or went bust. 'We've just been watching the entrenchment of those effects over time … And you end up with the urbanisation of rural communities.' As with all regional communities, access to healthcare is an issue for locals. Drought is an ever-present threat, while the climate crisis couples long dry spells with heavy downpours – such as the rains that caused the 2022 floods – that challenge public infrastructure. In the long term, the environment is expected to shift to be more like Menindee, a desert oasis 250km to the north. There are opportunities for the region in the diversification of agriculture to accommodate these challenges, Hinkson says, if state and federal governments were willing to support them. 'There's always been this super committed creative community, all the way back to the creation of the irrigated colony, and in much more recent times around creative industry and the arts in particular,' Hinkson says. Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning after newsletter promotion 'I think arts and culture is a huge opportunity for us from a tourism perspective,' says Mildura mayor Helen Healy. She offers the Mildura writers festival, which opened on Thursday, as a case in point: it marks its 30th year this month, and most of the events were sold out in advance. It pairs perhaps naturally with a food and wine culture, with chef Stefano di Pieri's restaurant only the most widely known of the region's offerings for gourmands. But the city has also been supporting other arts, and sculpture in particular. There are light installations by Bruce Munro along the river, and Healy says she has been in negotiations to move 'a major sculpture work' into the region. The sculpture triennials that ran in Mildura in the 1960s and 70s were crucial to the development of a market for modern sculpture in Australia, and Healy has been lobbying to have Mildura declared a city of public art. Powerhouse Place, an events and exhibition space on the banks of the Murray, won two Australian architecture awards last year. Visitor numbers have been moderately healthy, if fluctuating, since Covid lockdowns lifted in Victoria at the end of 2021, but have not so far exceeded their pre-Covid peak. Healy admits the 'tropical north Victoria' tourism campaign was 'cheeky' – 'some people took it a bit seriously; I mean, it was Shane Jacobson for goodness sake' – but claims the tongue-in-cheek approach, or perhaps the resulting snark, has started paying off. She says visitor spending over the Easter period was up 10% from last year, and July school holiday bookings up 257%. 'We've had the kind of exposure we could never have afforded to pay for from that campaign,' Healy says. 'For many reasons, we're considered remote and regional and isolated, so we've got to make a lot of things happen for ourselves. We've got to be bold and out there.' The distance also has a political impact, with a longstanding sense that Mildura is often out of sight, out of mind for many, especially politicians. 'Often we bemoan the fact that state governments can think that the state ends about an hour out of Melbourne,' Healy says. 'We're quite disadvantaged when it comes to access to public transport. It would be great to have our train back, [and] we need a bigger hospital. The state government did have plans for a new hospital to be built, so that's been on the back-burner for a while. We'd like to see that back on the table.' Despite that, Healy says the region has had 'some really good wins' with the state government recently. The aforementioned sporting precinct redevelopment is one of those, as is the Kravitz tour, and the Kings of Leon show before that. 'We're not completely neglected at all, but we're very aware that we're in a safe seat and sometimes when elections come, we don't have politicians bearing gifts.'
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I'm in the best shape I've ever been': At 61, Lenny Kravitz keeps on rocking
Lenny Kravitz knows the video you're thinking of. Tank top, sunglasses, leather pants. Lifting weights at the gym. It went viral last year, not just because it lived up to the mental image most of us have of the rock star – perennially leather-pantsed, even while working out. But also because he looked 31 when he's actually 61. 'In order for me to give all of myself at my highest frequency, I have to be in a great place mentally, spiritually and physically,' Kravitz says. 'Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work on myself, and I've grown as a person. I have learnt to improve myself, and it makes the whole experience of living all that much better.' At 61, Kravitz's discipline is unwavering. Away from the spotlight, he busily ticks all his wellbeing boxes, from meditation to yoga and breath work, and the odd 2am gym session. 'Discipline turns into a pleasure. It doesn't feel like a chore,' he says. 'I like vibrating at an optimal level, and the things you thought were annoying when you were younger, you start to do automatically and with pleasure when it comes to self-care.' Kravitz is speaking over Zoom from New York, where he's been preparing for a coming residency in Las Vegas. More than 35 years since releasing his debut album Let Love Rule, he's one of the '90s' most stylish rock'n'roll survivors, and he still tours the world. He's the fittest and happiest he's ever been, closer to God, and has found his ultimate purpose in life – though it took a lifetime to get there. In November, after several cancellations due to COVID, Kravitz will tour Australia for the first time since 2012 to promote Blue Electric Light, an album he recorded last year. 'I am in the best shape I have ever been,' he says. 'I am now enjoying all these experiences in life more than I ever have, and to be on the road playing shows is truly a gift. I am savouring every moment.' Kravitz first toured Australia in 1994, a year after releasing Are You Gonna Go My Way, his first album to climb to No.1 on the Australian music charts. By then, the four-time Grammy winner had found his musical sweet spot traversing rock, soul and R&B, a melding that made him a household name. A motorcycle ride to the Blue Mountains with a group of bikers in 1994 remains a nostalgic highlight of his time in Australia. Then came a campervan road trip to the outback, with some of that footage to be re-released as part of his music documentary Alive from Planet Earth. 'The '90s were all about being free and in the moment,' Kravitz says. With 12 albums under his belt, Kravitz continues to make music at his state-of-the-art home studios in the Bahamas and Paris, where he splits his time. He's already working on two new albums; a dedicated multi-instrumentalist, playing drums, guitars and occasional horns allows him to tap into different sides of his personality. 'It always starts with the music for me,' he says. 'I think that as long as you're hearing the music, and you have the desire to do it, it doesn't feel like work to me.' Kravitz has worked with many famous artists in his time, too. He co-wrote Justify My Love with Madonna in 1990, recorded a version of Give Peace a Chance with Sean Lennon in 1991, while co-writing with him on the track All I Ever from his 1991 Mama Said album. He also worked with Mick Jagger for his 2001 solo album on the track God Gave Me Everything. But for all the perks of the job, he says it's his fans he does it for. 'My music wouldn't exist without my fans. The fact that for all these years people have enjoyed my music and made it part of their personal lives and given it life, they in turn give me life … I have more perspective, more gratitude. It's a blessing to still be doing this at my age.' Away from music, Kravitz has dabbled in painting and art. Two months ago, he took us through his 16th arrondissement Paris home – Hotel de Roxie, named in honour of his late mother – in a video for Architectural Digest. His lavish Parisian home is filled with designer furniture, from his own namesake Kravitz Design chairs to pieces by his favourite furniture maker Paul Evans, who crafts brutalist elegance that feels H.R. Giger-esque in his pad. There's an iconic Karl Springer table and some Paris flea-market cane chairs he's thrown in for the high-and-lowbrow juxtaposition. Art fills the walls, too: an original Muhammad Ali Warhol print is there, as well as photographs of his mother, Roxie, and maternal grandfather, Albert Roker. The library bookshelves are filled with literature and African art books, while music memorabilia is all around. From James Brown's boot on display to garments worn by Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Bob Marley and Miles Davis, it's his shrine of worship. Yoko Ono presented him with a John Lennon shirt for his birthday once; it hangs protected behind glass here. Kravitz's luxe interior world highlights the fruits of his labour. He's an artist who found worldwide fame and broke boundaries to become a mainstream biracial American success story. In 2020, Kravitz released his autobiography Let Love Rule, a deep dive into the first 25 years of his life. His fraught relationship with his father, Sy Kravitz, an American-Jew, came to the fore. His bond with his showbiz mother, Roxie, who appeared in 11 seasons of the TV show The Jeffersons, was tighter by comparison, instilling him with African-American stoicism and Christian values. Kravitz was living on Broome Street in New York in 1989 when he began writing his debut Let Love Rule; he noticed the words scrawled near an elevator in his building and thought it would be perfect for the album title. His then wife, actress Lisa Bonet, helped him write the lyrics for Rosemary and co-wrote Fear. The couple were together from 1987 until they divorced in 1993. They have one daughter together, award-winning actress Zoe Kravitz, who appeared in Big Little Lies with her father's ex-fiancée Nicole Kidman. Kravitz lost his mother when she was 66 years old, the decade he finds himself navigating now. While on a phone call with his cousin a few days before we speak, Kravitz recited a quote his mother would often share with him. 'My mum always said, 'Don't worry about what everybody else is doing, do what you're supposed to do' – meaning, no matter how hard you're being treated or how wrong somebody could be treating you, don't worry about that, continue your life with love and integrity and respect,' Kravitz says. 'I love this because it requires a lot of self-control and non-judgmental thinking to apply it to your life.' Roxie Roker was an actress on Broadway, while Sy Kravitz worked for NBC, producing radio and television shows, and promoted jazz on the side. Kravitz recalls a childhood spent meeting his dad's friends, from Miles Davis to Sarah Vaughan and American poet, activist and writer Maya Angelou. Loading 'I grew up in the middle of different religions and found my place within it all,' Kravitz says. 'For me, it's always about God and Christ consciousness, the real meaning of all of that – that's where I am.' While he won't weigh into the politics of the world, he remains firm on his position for peace and love. 'As you know, people can take any good faith and twist it to justify something that is not what it is,' he says. 'I can take a knife and butter your toast, or I can take a knife and cut you with it. I'm all about God, which is love. That is how I have always lived it.' Faith has never been about religion for Kravitz, but his moral code and self-love has helped him find nirvana. 'It starts with God for me,' he says. 'I lean on faith and gratitude no matter what the situation. Whether that is prayer, meditation, rest, exercise, therapy, diet – all of these techniques make you the person you are.' He has no plans to slow down as he ages, either. 'I am still young, but I am not 20, of course,' he says. 'But I want to get the most out of each day in life as I can. We spend so much time looking back and looking forward and forget to be in the moment – yet the moment is all we have, and I am trying to be in it as much as possible.'
The Age
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘I'm in the best shape I've ever been': At 61, Lenny Kravitz keeps on rocking
Lenny Kravitz knows the video you're thinking of. Tank top, sunglasses, leather pants. Lifting weights at the gym. It went viral last year, not just because it lived up to the mental image most of us have of the rock star – perennially leather-pantsed, even while working out. But also because he looked 31 when he's actually 61. 'In order for me to give all of myself at my highest frequency, I have to be in a great place mentally, spiritually and physically,' Kravitz says. 'Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work on myself, and I've grown as a person. I have learnt to improve myself, and it makes the whole experience of living all that much better.' At 61, Kravitz's discipline is unwavering. Away from the spotlight, he busily ticks all his wellbeing boxes, from meditation to yoga and breath work, and the odd 2am gym session. 'Discipline turns into a pleasure. It doesn't feel like a chore,' he says. 'I like vibrating at an optimal level, and the things you thought were annoying when you were younger, you start to do automatically and with pleasure when it comes to self-care.' Kravitz is speaking over Zoom from New York, where he's been preparing for a coming residency in Las Vegas. More than 35 years since releasing his debut album Let Love Rule, he's one of the '90s' most stylish rock'n'roll survivors, and he still tours the world. He's the fittest and happiest he's ever been, closer to God, and has found his ultimate purpose in life – though it took a lifetime to get there. In November, after several cancellations due to COVID, Kravitz will tour Australia for the first time since 2012 to promote Blue Electric Light, an album he recorded last year. 'I am in the best shape I have ever been,' he says. 'I am now enjoying all these experiences in life more than I ever have, and to be on the road playing shows is truly a gift. I am savouring every moment.' Kravitz first toured Australia in 1994, a year after releasing Are You Gonna Go My Way, his first album to climb to No.1 on the Australian music charts. By then, the four-time Grammy winner had found his musical sweet spot traversing rock, soul and R&B, a melding that made him a household name. A motorcycle ride to the Blue Mountains with a group of bikers in 1994 remains a nostalgic highlight of his time in Australia. Then came a campervan road trip to the outback, with some of that footage to be re-released as part of his music documentary Alive from Planet Earth. 'The '90s were all about being free and in the moment,' Kravitz says. With 12 albums under his belt, Kravitz continues to make music at his state-of-the-art home studios in the Bahamas and Paris, where he splits his time. He's already working on two new albums; a dedicated multi-instrumentalist, playing drums, guitars and occasional horns allows him to tap into different sides of his personality. 'It always starts with the music for me,' he says. 'I think that as long as you're hearing the music, and you have the desire to do it, it doesn't feel like work to me.' Kravitz has worked with many famous artists in his time, too. He co-wrote Justify My Love with Madonna in 1990, recorded a version of Give Peace a Chance with Sean Lennon in 1991, while co-writing with him on the track All I Ever from his 1991 Mama Said album. He also worked with Mick Jagger for his 2001 solo album on the track God Gave Me Everything. But for all the perks of the job, he says it's his fans he does it for. 'My music wouldn't exist without my fans. The fact that for all these years people have enjoyed my music and made it part of their personal lives and given it life, they in turn give me life … I have more perspective, more gratitude. It's a blessing to still be doing this at my age.' Away from music, Kravitz has dabbled in painting and art. Two months ago, he took us through his 16th arrondissement Paris home – Hotel de Roxie, named in honour of his late mother – in a video for Architectural Digest. His lavish Parisian home is filled with designer furniture, from his own namesake Kravitz Design chairs to pieces by his favourite furniture maker Paul Evans, who crafts brutalist elegance that feels H.R. Giger-esque in his pad. There's an iconic Karl Springer table and some Paris flea-market cane chairs he's thrown in for the high-and-lowbrow juxtaposition. Art fills the walls, too: an original Muhammad Ali Warhol print is there, as well as photographs of his mother, Roxie, and maternal grandfather, Albert Roker. The library bookshelves are filled with literature and African art books, while music memorabilia is all around. From James Brown's boot on display to garments worn by Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Bob Marley and Miles Davis, it's his shrine of worship. Yoko Ono presented him with a John Lennon shirt for his birthday once; it hangs protected behind glass here. Kravitz's luxe interior world highlights the fruits of his labour. He's an artist who found worldwide fame and broke boundaries to become a mainstream biracial American success story. In 2020, Kravitz released his autobiography Let Love Rule, a deep dive into the first 25 years of his life. His fraught relationship with his father, Sy Kravitz, an American-Jew, came to the fore. His bond with his showbiz mother, Roxie, who appeared in 11 seasons of the TV show The Jeffersons, was tighter by comparison, instilling him with African-American stoicism and Christian values. Kravitz was living on Broome Street in New York in 1989 when he began writing his debut Let Love Rule; he noticed the words scrawled near an elevator in his building and thought it would be perfect for the album title. His then wife, actress Lisa Bonet, helped him write the lyrics for Rosemary and co-wrote Fear. The couple were together from 1987 until they divorced in 1993. They have one daughter together, award-winning actress Zoe Kravitz, who appeared in Big Little Lies with her father's ex-fiancée Nicole Kidman. Kravitz lost his mother when she was 66 years old, the decade he finds himself navigating now. While on a phone call with his cousin a few days before we speak, Kravitz recited a quote his mother would often share with him. 'My mum always said, 'Don't worry about what everybody else is doing, do what you're supposed to do' – meaning, no matter how hard you're being treated or how wrong somebody could be treating you, don't worry about that, continue your life with love and integrity and respect,' Kravitz says. 'I love this because it requires a lot of self-control and non-judgmental thinking to apply it to your life.' Roxie Roker was an actress on Broadway, while Sy Kravitz worked for NBC, producing radio and television shows, and promoted jazz on the side. Kravitz recalls a childhood spent meeting his dad's friends, from Miles Davis to Sarah Vaughan and American poet, activist and writer Maya Angelou. Loading 'I grew up in the middle of different religions and found my place within it all,' Kravitz says. 'For me, it's always about God and Christ consciousness, the real meaning of all of that – that's where I am.' While he won't weigh into the politics of the world, he remains firm on his position for peace and love. 'As you know, people can take any good faith and twist it to justify something that is not what it is,' he says. 'I can take a knife and butter your toast, or I can take a knife and cut you with it. I'm all about God, which is love. That is how I have always lived it.' Faith has never been about religion for Kravitz, but his moral code and self-love has helped him find nirvana. 'It starts with God for me,' he says. 'I lean on faith and gratitude no matter what the situation. Whether that is prayer, meditation, rest, exercise, therapy, diet – all of these techniques make you the person you are.' He has no plans to slow down as he ages, either. 'I am still young, but I am not 20, of course,' he says. 'But I want to get the most out of each day in life as I can. We spend so much time looking back and looking forward and forget to be in the moment – yet the moment is all we have, and I am trying to be in it as much as possible.'
Newsweek
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
How to Watch 2025 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Special: Live Stream, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Macy's annual Independence Day fireworks show is back and just as exciting as ever in 2025, and you can catch all the action on Friday night with FuboTV. Macy's 4th of July fireworks light up the sky next to the Empire State Building in New York City on July 4, 2023, as seen from Union City, New Jersey. Macy's 4th of July fireworks light up the sky next to the Empire State Building in New York City on July 4, 2023, as seen from Union City, New to Watch 2025 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Date: Friday, July 4, 2025 Time: 8:00 p.m. ET Channel: NBC Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) The 49th edition of the show is set to be even bigger and better than last year, with a 25% increase in the number of fireworks to be set off in 2025 compared to 2024. The show, hosted by Ariana DeBose, features musical performances from Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer, Ava Max, Eric Church, and the Jonas Brothers. While being there in person is the best way to experience this event, if you are not in the area, you do not have to miss out. Non-New York City residents can still live stream the fireworks show on their television or mobile devices. The fantastic display over the Brooklyn Bridge and East River of New York is expected to start around 9:45 p.m. ET, but coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m., so make sure to tune in then in case of an early start. The fireworks show itself typically lasts about 30 minutes, so make sure to sit down and grab a drink before the first one is sent soaring through the sky. This is a great Fourth of July tradition that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. Live stream Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Special for free on NBC with FuboTV: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Live Stream: Start time, where to watch live on TV or stream online, launch points, viewing locations, tickets, musical performances and hosts
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Launch Points Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Start Time and Where to Watch Live on TV or Stream Online Live Events Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Viewing Locations and Tickets Broad Street at Water Street Robert F. Wagner Sr. Place and Brooklyn Bridge on-off ramps Montgomery Street at Madison Street Murry Bergtraum Softball Field (ADA access via Pike Slip and Cherry Street) Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Musical Performances and Hosts Jonas Brothers Lenny Kravitz Keke Palmer Eric Church Ava Max Trisha Yearwood Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 Celebrates NYC's 400 Years FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Macy's 4th of July Fireworks 2025 can be watched on live on TV or stream online at 8 p.m. ET. After one year on the Hudson, Macy's 4th of July Fireworks are back on the East River for 2025. The 49th annual celebration brings large crowds, colorful displays and a televised broadcast with live music. The event takes place on Friday, July 4 and will be visible across the city and Macy's 4th of July Fireworks will light up the East River this year. Launch points include four barges and the Brooklyn Bridge. More than 80,000 shells in 30 different colors will be used. Organizers also confirmed projection mapping on the Brooklyn Bridge for added visual fireworks show starts around 9:25 p.m. ET. The full special kicks off at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock and ends by 10 p.m. An encore will be shown immediately those not in NYC, the entire show can be watched live on NBC or streamed on Peacock. Spanish-language viewers can watch a one-hour broadcast on Telemundo at 9 p.m. ET. Free trials on fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and DirecTV Stream also allow viewers to watch the public viewing spots include Brooklyn Bridge Park and Pier 16 and 17 at The Seaport. Additional locations include:The city issued 100,000 free tickets for some areas. All other locations are open on a first-come, first-served actor and Broadway star Ariana DeBose hosts the two-hour NBC special. She will also perform live during the fireworks. The artist lineup includes:The musical score will be produced by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson and James Poyser. It will run for 25 minutes and include never-seen-before effects like 'atomic rings,' 'crackling crown jellyfish,' and 'strobing lemon cascades.'This year's fireworks also honor the 400th anniversary of New York City. Macy's confirmed that the theme for 2025 reflects unity, resilience and community 4th of July Fireworks will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year in 2026. Plans for that event have not yet been show starts at 8 p.m. ET on July 4, and fireworks begin around 9:25 p.m., followed by an encore presentation at 10 can stream it live on Peacock, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, or Hulu + Live TV using available free trials or subscriptions.
