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Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Stevie Wonder called London to say he loves us last night – and it is mutual
It was a very, very warm night in July, and music legend Stevie Wonder dropped by BST Hyde Park last night to tell 65,000 people he loved them. Well we certainly loved him back. At 75 years old, the music icon has not lost a single bit of his vocal power. He can still nail the high notes, still deliver his most famous lyrics with charm and charisma, but all the while even after six-decades of singing his voice sounds amazing. But then again he has sold over 100,000,000 records, so why do I sound surprised. On what would turn out to be the final gig of British Summer Time – after Jeff Lynne pulled out tonight – Stevie put on a show that had us boogying long into the night and at times felt like it could quite easily have been a headline set on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. Somewhere he was rumoured to be this year – but it never quite came through. Speaking of surprise guests, Stevie wasn't the only music legend in Hyde Park last night as I spotted Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood watching on from a music tower. As they say, game recognises game, just as much as icons recognise icons. Stevie actually contributed to the Stones last album in 2023, but it just shows how irresistible the charm to see Stevie live in person really is. Making his return to Hyde Park for the first time since 2019, Stevie was brought on stage in the blistering sun by his daughter and son, who would both join him again throughout the night, completing the family affair feel of the evening. The crowd of mums, dads, grandmas, and grandads, dads and their daughters, boyfriends and girlfriends, all just showed how eclectic Stevie's music is, and how we all can't get enough of it. Wearing a white jacket with the faces of John Lennon and Marvin Gaye, he welcomed Hyde Park with his very own funny, fake English-accented 'hello'. He told the crowd just how much he loved playing in London and made what felt like a poignant message to everyone there, thanking the forefathers of technology for creating what allows blind people to see. He said 'every single person who is blind should be able to see in their own way' and told anyone who didn't agree with him, 'if you don't believe me, let's meet in the dark and let's see what happens.' With the sun still beaming down and the third heatwave of the summer coming to an end, Stevie started the last night of his Love, Light and Song UK tour with Love's In Need of Love Today, followed by an emotional tribute to John Lennon's Imagine – maybe the one cover we didn't see coming. After soloing on the harmonica, Wonder launched into Master Blaster (Jammin') and Higher Ground, before You Are My Sunshine got the crowd swooning. Another of his big-hitters got the crowd jigging and jiving in the park, as he got the men to sing one half, and the women in the audience the other half, of the chorus to Signed, Sealed, Delivered. The crowd (myself included) allowed themselves to get wrapped up in the emotion of the evening, with some of us worried that these might be some of Stevie's final shows. There was a family in front of me, and the dad (who looked like he was in his 70s) was recording almost every blink of the show on his phone. He was a sweet-looking man, but it was the point where his son started to poke fun at him about recording too much, his wife then stepped in and basically told him to enjoy it and not on his phone. I think that was the feeling, that again these are the nights that we should enjoy, London in the sun, singing to Stevie Wonder. I'm not sure it gets any better than that, and we don't know how many more times we will get to share these Stevie moments together. His soul-filled setlist lit up the baking Hyde Park, and everyone sang along to 'Isn't She Lovely' and swayed in the heat. While a picturesque sunset lit up the sky, Stevie brought his daughter, Sophia, on stage, telling everyone it was her birthday today (July 13) and dedicated Happy Birthday to her. Surely, having Stevie sing Happy Birthday to you must never get old, and even after all these years, having thousands of people sing it back to you must also still be the best thing in the world. The real hip-swingers Stevie saved till last, as he closed the night, telling the crowd, 'I know we've got to go, but we're gonna keep this party going' and so he did. The mammoth three-hour set was closed with the funky riff that everyone knows, as he kicked off Superstition with whoops when the instantly recognisable doop, doop, doop hit the air. This was truly the highlight of the evening for me, a song that I have sung and danced at wedding after wedding to, and now to hear it front and centre and watch a true musical genius blast it out loud felt like a privilege. Before signing off himself, the living legend's last comment before leaving the stage was: 'I love you with my deepest heart and there's nothing you can do about it.' I think this was the point where we all had a little tear in our eyes Stevie has an incredible back catalogue spanning generation after generation, but he's not getting any younger, just like the rest of us, so how many more times will we get to see him perform like this? More Trending I think I counted at least eight times Stevie shouted back to cries of 'I love you', and 'I love you Stevie'. Each of these cries he clearly loved, and you could see he took them all in his stride. He said before the show started how much he loved London, and attempt after attempt, he just couldn't resist giving his British accent a whirl, which gave the crowd a giggle every time he did. But more than anything, it just showed how much he truly loves playing in the capital and that it was the signed, sealed, delivered love letter to us all that he called in to let us know. Got a story? Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Over 70 arrests at UK protests after Israel kills 59 Palestinians MORE: 'I watched my classmate tear down my Pride poster – so I made an LGBTQ+ club' MORE: Huge fire rips through warehouse with smoke seen for miles across south London
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Oak Park and River Forest High School board eyes remake of arts facilities
While the nearly $102 million Project 2 demolition and reconstruction of the southeast portion of Oak Park and River Forest High School is only about halfway done, thoughts are already turning to the next major project at the school. The OPRF District 200 Board of Education members recently heard a programming report about the goals of what is known as Project 3, which if approved would include the demolition and reconstruction of the southwest portion of the building. It's the next of five phases in OPRF's Imagine plan, named after a work group of community members that met to imagine the future of the school building. Project 3 will focus on the arts, especially music and theater. The two co-chairs of the Imagine work group, Lynn Kamenitsa, who is also a director of the Imagine Foundation, and Mike Poirier, presented the programming report to the School Board June 12. Alyson Sternquist, a project manager for the district's architectural firm, FGMA, who led the Project 2 design also spoke to the board. They all said the current facilities for arts and music in the southwest portion of the building need to be improved. 'Many are outdated, some of them are physically failing,' Kamenitsa said. 'Most of them are not accessible in the sense of ADA accessibility and many of them present health and safety concerns.' Kamenitsa said the physical shortcomings of the current spaces impair instruction. 'The programs that use those spaces, their needs aren't met,' Kamenista said. 'The result is that there is lost instructional time, it compromises faculty's ability to deliver their curriculum and, in the case of music, to conduct state mandated student assessments.' Kamenitsa said the space in the southwest portion of the building cannot be configured to meet current needs and standards. The report recommended new construction include new music classrooms and facilities, a Black Box theater that would mostly be used for student directed plays, some new physical education spaces including an adventure gym space, a cardio room, a trainer space, a new wrestling room and a green roof to manage stormwater runoff and designed to accommodate any future solar panels. The current 2,180 square foot band room is much too small and was not designed for the 125 or so students that are now in the band. Sternquist said current standards call for music spaces to have 30 square feet per student which would suggest a band room of 3,750 square feet. The programming report states the current band room is undersized, has hazardous noise levels, lacks recording and digital capability and the tiered floor is not ADA compliant. The recommendation is to have a double height ceiling, to get rid of risers and to accommodate recording and digital teaching needs. The report also envisions 18 ensemble practice rooms of various sizes. The next step in the process will be for the architectural firm FGMA to develop a conceptual design which should be ready by September. The school board voted to pay FGMA $182,500 for the conceptual design. After the board receives the conceptual design it will weigh in on what it desires and then by next spring, a detailed schematic design will be developed. School officials said the scope and cost of Project 3 cannot be determined until a schematic design is approved. Once the cost is determined the School Board will have to decide how to pay for Project 3. Work would not start until after Project 2 is completed next summer. Project 1, which was completed in 2023, included, among other things, a new two story student commons area, 15 new classrooms, including two new science labs, eight all gender bathrooms, a new cafeteria and a renovated main entrance. Project 1 cost $42.2 million and was paid for by using cash reserves. Project 2 is being paid for by a combination of cash reserves and borrowing along with some charitable donations raised by the Imagine Foundation. Next fall a community meeting will be held to solicit community input. Board member Tim Brandhorst said that input will be vital and suggested that at least one more community meeting be held next year. 'I hope that won't be the only opportunity for the community to tell us what they think about this project,' said Brandhorst about the one scheduled community meeting. Brandhorst also suggested trips to other area high schools could be scheduled to show taxpayers the facilities at other schools. Board member Josh Gertz, concerned about costs, wondered if the band and orchestra could perhaps share the same room but was told that was not realistic. 'All of these spaces are currently used all day long,' Sternquist said, noting that OPRF has robust band, orchestra and chorus programs. 'It's not realistic for band and orchestra to use the same space based on just the current curriculum.'
Spectator
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Why Oasis is like Reform
Almost 16 years after they last performed live, Oasis kick off their reunion tour tonight and for every 'mad for it' fan, there's someone else who thinks they're a musical atrocity. The critics say they rip off other artists. There's not much to debate about this. The intro of 'Don't Look Back In Anger' is John Lennon's 'Imagine', the opening riff on 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' is T Rex's 'Bang a Gong (Get It On)', while 'Step Out's' chorus is Stevie Wonder's 'Uptight', to name just a few examples. There are countless more and Noel Gallagher makes no secret of how he writes songs. He told Q magazine in 1997 that he 'absolutely' rips off other artists and admitted on Desert Islands Discs that he'd 'ripped off' Pink Floyd alone 'at least three times'. His crowing tone brings us to another criticism: that Noel and his brother Liam are hopeless show-offs. Again, who can really dispute this? From the early days, they crowned themselves the 'best band in the world' and went on and on about how rich they were. After Noel said he hoped two members of Blur would 'catch Aids and die', and Liam called Russian football hooligans 'batty boys', Simon Price wrote in the Guardian that the brothers have 'prehistoric views'. The younger Gallagher apologised for the 'batty boys' remark but Price still thinks Oasis are 'the band of choice for flag-shaggers and Reform voters'. He said it's 'remarkable' how often their fans have the 'butcher's apron' – i.e. the Union Jack – on their Twitter profiles. After the band played at Earls Court, a longstanding local resident told the tabloids she'd never known a fanbase to behave with such debauchery. When I saw Oasis live at Wembley Stadium and Finsbury Park, fans were hurling around plastic cups full of their urine throughout the shows. Oasis lyrics are meaningless, say the haters, and it's true that even committed fans struggle to explain what most of the band's songs are about. I suspect that Gallagher senior would often just toss up a word salad that fit whichever melody or riff he'd borrowed that day. His songs remind me of the drug that he used to indulge in so enthusiastically – like cocaine, they make you feel invincible and full of yourself for a bit, and then suddenly it's all over and you feel soulless and empty. Also like cocaine, they're good business: Noel once bragged that he had £87 million in the bank and the reunion tour has added to the sense that the brothers are only in it for the money. When the tickets went on sale, many fans were asked to pay as much as £350 per ticket, around £200 more than advertised, due to demand. In response to the resulting backlash, Oasis said that they had left decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management. Experts at Birmingham City University estimate that the UK dates alone could bring in roughly £400 million in ticket sales and other add-ons. So maybe Oasis are a bit like Reform. They've got lots of front and swagger, they pump out slogans that make you feel hopeful but actually mean very little, their gatherings are peppered with union flags but sceptics think it's all about making rich people even richer. In the 1990s, Tony Blair invited Noel to Downing Street because he was a useful way to tap into the Cool Britannia vibe, and now Oasis are back as the cocky Reform alternative to the Blur of Keir Starmer. But although I think pretty much everything the haters say about Oasis is true, I also think that none of it matters. I've seen them live many times and walking into their concerts was like being whipped into a magical tornado that combined the atmosphere of the best football match you've ever been to, the best gig you've ever seen plus the communal ecstasy of a rave. Everything that makes Oasis terrible also makes them terrific. The ripped-off tunes are instantly familiar and the meaningless lyrics make them simple to sing along to. Yes, the Gallaghers are full of themselves but they also want us to feel that way: their songs are meant to make the listener believe, however briefly, that they, too, could conquer the world. So yes, the audiences at their reunion tour will be paying over the odds to see a derivative, boorish band that's hit the road to make a quick buck – and, quite rightly, they won't care very much.
Pink Villa
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
EXCLUSIVE: Aamir Khan's 15-minute cameo in Coolie will have a fiery confrontation scene with Rajinikanth
Imagine—a film dominated by Rajinikanth's larger-than-life presence, and featuring a brief yet explosive cameo by Taare Zameen Par's Aamir Khan in the final 15-minute scene. I bet it would be a high-voltage jolt of energy fans won't forget anytime soon. Pinkvilla has exclusively learned that last 15 minutes of Coolie will be filled with massy, action-packed moments between Aamir and Rajinikanth. Aamir will enter the narrative with a bang, leading to one of the most intense face-offs in recent times. Sources close to the production revealed, ' Coolie will feature a power-packed action and confrontation sequence Rajinikanth and Aamir Khan. Known for his perfectionism, Bollywood actor had 10-day shoot schedule for Coolie for the scene that is beyond a mere cameo. The two icons will share screen space in a mass-loaded face-off, filled with intense dialogues, and gripping action.' The murmurs on the sets were that a high-voltage 15-minute scene would be described as one of the film's biggest highlights. The entire climax of the film has been shot in Rajasthan. When these two titans will collide onscreen, it won't be just a scene but a celebration! Rajinikanth teams up for the first time with director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Coolie is one of 2025's most anticipated films. Slated for release on August 14, Coolie is made on a massive Rs 350 crore budget and has locked record-breaking pre-release deals. The Tamil film is positioned to dominate box offices this year, on Independence Day weekend. Is Coolie connected to LCU? Lokesh Kanagaraj previously confirmed that Coolie is a standalone film and will not be part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). Coolie gets a new title for Hindi version Rajinikanth's Coolie is reportedly title, Majdoor in Hindi. The makers had to change the name of the film for Hindi version as 3 Bollywood films already have Coolie as their title- Amitabh Bachchan's Coolie (1983), Varun Dhawan's Coolie No. 1 (2020) and Govinda's Coolie No. 1 (1995). Chikitu Song Composed by Anirudh Ravichander and lyrics by Arivu, Chikitu is high on beats and a tribute to Rajinikanth fans. The catchy phrase 'Chikitu Chikitu Chikitu Vibe' quickly became really popular and stuck in people's heads now.
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Boehringer Ingelheim's 'Sailboat for Health' Brings Healthcare to Remote Greek Islands
We've all seen those idyllic scenes of picturesque Greek islands: fantastic fun in the sun on a hot summer's day. But what does it mean to live there in the cold and grey of winter? What happens when temporary healthcare facilities return to the mainland for the offseason? Particularly for those with a health condition that needs regular attention? For patients with diabetes, access to healthcare can be a daunting challenge. Boehringer Ingelheim Greece, alongside its partners, is addressing this issue with the 'Sailboat for Health' initiative. This floating medical facility embarks on annual voyages to deliver essential healthcare services to isolated islands. By providing screenings, treatments, and education, the Sailboat for Health aims to help enable islanders to manage their health without needing to leave the island. Since its inception, the initiative has supported about 50 islands, offering over 700 medical appointments in 2023 alone. With ongoing support from local NGOs and medical associations, Boehringer aims to help make a positive impact on the lives of those living on remote islands, ensuring they receive the care they need and deserve. Find out more and explore other stories on Imagine: our sustainability story hub, where we share our commitment to sustainability and what we are doing to create a positive impact for humans, animals and our planet.
