Thursday, April 30, 2015

Jonathan Gottschall.

I've always blamed it on being a Montanan. When the open fields and rolling hills turn your ambition into taking on the approaching storms. You learn to battle the mountain. Why at 53 am I still in the Martial Arts ring? Because men like to fight. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Jonathan Gottschall. Jonathan Gottschall, pushing forty, out of shape, and disenchanted with his job as an adjunct English professor, joins a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym when one opens across the street from his office. Part of him is terrified and part of him yearns to conquer the fear, to “be a man.” For three years he trains for a cage fight, not only as a personal test but also to answer questions that, as a scholar, have intrigued him for years: Why do men fight, and why do so many seemingly decent people like to watch? In THE PROFESSOR IN THE CAGE, Gottschall dives into the MMA world, enduring extremes of pain and occasional humiliation, to explore the more disturbing aspects of male behavior. What he discovers is not just what attracts us to violence but how we keep our violence in check. Mixed martial arts is a full-contact hybrid sport in which fighters punch, choke, and kick each other into submission. MMA requires intense strength, endurance, and skill; the fights are bloody, brutal, and dangerous. Yet throughout the last decade, cage fighting has evolved from a small-time fringe spectacle banned in many states to the fastest-growing spectator sport in America. But the surging popularity of MMA, far from being new, is just one example of our insatiable interest not just in violence but in the rituals that keep violence contained Humans, especially men, are masters of what Gottschall calls the monkey dance: a dizzying variety of rule-bound contests that establish hierarchies while minimizing risk and social disorder. Gottschall’s unsparing personal journey culminates in his epiphany, and ours, that taming male violence through ritualized combat has been a hidden key to the success of the human race. Without the restraining codes of the monkey dance, the world would be a much more chaotic and dangerous place. About the Author JONATHAN GOTTSCHALL is a Distinguished Research Fellow in the English Department at Washington & Jefferson College. His research has been covered in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, Scientific American, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and on NPR. His book, The Storytelling Animal, was a New York Times Editor’s Choice Selection and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

John Lydon Johnny Rotten from The Sex Pistols

Before I discovered the impact of Gene Simmons. Before I sat behind my first radio station control board. I told my mother, "One day I will talk with this guy named Johnny Rotten." We were scheduled twice last year to lay down the foundation of dj speak. But ended up going in separate ways. Until today. from the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols. Mr. John Lydon From the legendary frontman of the Sex Pistols, comes the complete, unvarnished story of his life in his own words. John Lydon is an icon—one of the most recognizable and influential cultural figures of the last forty years. As Johnny Rotten, he was the lead singer of the Sex Pistols-the world’s most notorious band. The Pistols shot to fame in the mid-1970s with songs such as “Anarchy in the UK” and “God Save the Queen.” So incendiary was their impact at the time that in their native England, the Houses of Parliament questioned whether they violated the Traitors and Treasons Act, a crime that carries the death penalty to this day. The Pistols would inspire the formation of numerous other groundbreaking groups and Lydon would become the unlikely champion of a generation clamoring for change. Following on the heels of the Pistols, Lydon formed Public Image Ltd (PiL), expressing an equally urgent impulse in his character: the constant need to reinvent himself, to keep moving. From their beginnings in 1978 PiL set the groundbreaking template for a band that continues to challenge and thrive to this day, while also recording one of the eighties most powerful anthems, “Rise.” Lydon also found time for making innovative dance records with the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield. By the nineties he’d broadened his reach into other media while always maintaining his trademark invective and wit, most memorably hosting Rotten TV on VH1. John Lydon remains a captivating and dynamic figure to this day—both as a musician, and, thanks to his outspoken, controversial, and from-the-hip opinions, as a cultural commentator. In Anger is an Energy, he looks back on a life full of incident, from his beginnings as a sickly child of immigrant Irish parents growing up in post-war London to his present status as a vibrant, alternative hero. The book includes 70 black-and-white and color photos, many which are rare or never-before-seen.

Tommy Wiseau

He wrote The Room to be a reflection. Each character being someone he knew. He directed and produced it. He also acted in it. Now Refftrax is going to Riff the flick. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Tommy Wiseau The guys from Mystery Science Theater 3000 are going back into The Room, and it’s going to be the funniest thing you’ll see all year. Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett are taking on Tommy Wiseau’s famous feature again for RiffTrax Live: The Room, which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, before being performed a second time for a live broadcast to movie theaters across the United States and Canada on May 6 and May 12. For those of you who don’t know what RiffTrax is, it’s just like MST3K—Mike, Kevin, and Bill take any movie (even the good ones!) and make it better by providing side-splitting commentary. You’re pretty much guaranteed to cry with laughter, and possibly do a spit-take or two. For those of you who don’t know what The Room is, the film’s star, writer, director, and producer, Tommy Wiseau, answered a few questions for the EW Community—and he’s totally okay with the skewering of his movie. “Long story short, they sent me a proposal and I approved the proposal,” Wiseau told us. “I’m pro-freedom, so I said why not, let people have fun.” The Room has been a popular title for discussion since its original release in 2003. The gist of it is that banker Johnny (Wiseau) wants a happy life with his fiancée Lisa (Juliette Danielle), but Lisa is cheating on him with his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). Meanwhile, other characters around the trio have their own problems. It’s a simple premise for what EW‘s own Clark Collis referred to as “the Citizen Kane of bad movies.” The Room has become one of the most cult-classic flicks ever made, continuing to sell out regular screenings, spawning an unofficial video game on Newgrounds, and having been parodied by Patton Oswalt and Jon Hamm on Oswalt’s 2009 DVD My Weakness Is Strong. Sestero’s memoir about the production, The Disaster Artist, is being adapted into its own movie, produced by Seth Rogen and starring James Franco. This is one of those films everyone has at least heard of. If you haven’t seen it, now is the perfect time. This marks the second occasion that the RiffTrax team has played off The Room, after having previously riffed it in 2009, and you can bet the second time around will be even better than the first. Previous RiffTrax Live shows have lampooned Starship Troopers, Anaconda, the Matthew Broderick version of Godzilla, and a 1959 Mexican holiday film called Santa Claus. They also once did a take on the unrelated classroom short “Setting Up a Room,” which is basically 27 minutes of teachers putting blocks on shelves. There’s nothing that these guys can’t make entertaining. The hysterical team tours the country performing RiffTrax Live in accompaniment to films like Sharknado and Birdemic. On May 6th, RiffTrax will present The Room live from Nashville and beamed to hundreds of movie theaters coast to coast (with an encore on May 12th)! For tickets and locations: http://www.fathomevents.com/event/return-of-rifftrax-live-the-room/buy Other live RiffTrax events coming this year include: SHARKNADO 2 - July 9th MIAMI CONNECTION - October 1st SANTA AND THE ICE CREAM BUNNY - December 3rd TOMMY WISEAU PIECE FROM DECIDER.COM Tommy Wiseau became a legend as the enigmatic writer, director, and star of what’s critically considered to be the worst movie of all time: The Room. Wiseau’s film, released twelve years ago this June, chronicles the melodrama surrounding Johnny (played by Wiseau) who believes his “future wife” (Wiseau prefers not to use “fiancée”) Lisa is cheating on him. Little does he know, she’s actually been seeing his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero) behind his back. Though The Room was written, acted, and marketed as a romance tragedy, Wiseau’s film went on to become one of the world’s most cherished comedies — still screening twelve years later in arthouse cinemas where fans come strapped with plastic spoons ready to throw at the screen (this tradition is in reference to the dozens of inexplicable spoon imagery in the film). To honor the film’s influence, the crew at RiffTrax (made up of alumni from Mystery Science Theater 3000), will be hosting a live commentary of The Room at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 17 at the School of Visual Arts Theater in Chelsea. The film will then be screened across 700 theaters in the United States and Canada on May 6, with an encore on May 12. Yes, Wiseau is just as excited as we are: “At first I was very skeptical,” he told me. “But I think it’s something different where people can enjoy themselves. I always say, you can laugh, you can cry, you can express yourself, but please don’t hurt each other. I don’t mind people making fun of the movie, as long as they are sincere.” Wiseau, whose mysterious persona has become just as legendary as his film, is the subject of Sestero’s best-selling account, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, which is currently being adapted to the big screen by James Franco and Seth Rogen. When asked how it feels to have a movie being made about his debut feature over a decade later, Wiseau set the record straight about Sestero’s book. “I don’t support Greg Sestero’s book one hundred percent,” he says, “but Greg did a good job and people really embraced it. Some media that says we’re not talking is complete nonsense.” Sestero, who stood in as Wiseau’s best friend on- and off-screen delivered a poignant retelling of the most bizarre production in history and whether Wiseau agrees or not, offered a sincere peak into the life of the one and only enigma: Tommy Wiseau, who not only made a huge impact on Sestero’s career, but also challenged the criteria of what a “good” movie entails. “I’m pretty excited. James Franco is a very good actor so we’ll see how it turns out,” Wiseau added, “I’m American and I’m proud of it. The past two or three years I’ve been very open about who I am and what I do. I love entertainment.” Yet Wiseau isn’t just sitting around waiting for his film to be honored (and teased) at TFF 2015. As highlighted in his recent Reddit AMA, Wiseau’s aptly named production company Wiseau Films has created a online-only series The Neighbors, now available to stream on Hulu. The series follows an apartment building manager, Charlie (played by Wiseau) and the daily shenanigans he gets into with his tenants, especially Ricky Rick (also played by Wiseau), who’s the “gangster” (sporting a blonde wig and an oversized varsity letterman jacket) of the group. When asked what the inspiration was behind playing both main characters, Wiseau was eager to discuss the art of acting. “It was my little ego,” he says. “I want to show people that I have range. Ricky Rick is full of gangster stuff — a happy-go-lucky guy — and Charlie is totally different. I want to show that I can act.” Wiseau assures four more episodes of The Neighbors are coming to the platform this summer, and there are plenty of surprises in store that he can’t yet reveal — so we’ll all have something to look forward to after Game of Thrones. As for what’s next for Wiseau: he has another film on the horizon called Foreclosure. Though it sounds a bit sinister, this time around Wiseau is welcoming the notion of comedy. Foreclosure will follow Richard (played by Wiseau), who has his home foreclosed on, but turns around and inexplicably takes over the bank. “So you have a little drama, you have a little comedy,” Wiseau says. “What inspired me is the people who have actually been foreclosed on… All these bureaucratic processes. I don’t think it’s right.” Wiseau didn’t disclose a date for his upcoming feature, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll be keeping it on our radar. The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCj8sPCWfUw

CHef Russell from Hard Rock Cafe

What goes great with Rock n Roll? Burgers. Who has the best Rock Burgers on the planet? The same people that have dedicated an entire world tour of flavor to the almighty meat and music. From the iHeart Radio Studio we are unplugged and totally uncut with Hard Rock Cafe's Chef Russell Celebrate National Burger Month (May) By Going on a World Burger Tour Chef Shares the Unique Burger Takes by Culinary Talent from Germany, China, the Middle East and Beyond With May being National Burger Month and variety being the spice of life, Chef Russell Booth, Executive Chef at Hard Rock International, is available to discuss how Hard Rock Cafe chefs at more than 150 locations around the world put their spin – from haggis to coffee - on the American dietary staple. (After all, Americans do eat 50 billion burgers each year. Yes, that’s an average of three per person a week!)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Rodney Perry Off The Chain Tour

The man comes to show to open up a can of laughs. He arrives with the attitude of turning every laugh into a celebration. No matter what. You can't be in a bad mood after you've been with Rodney Perry. Live tonight only at Charlotte's Comedy Zone. From the iHeart Radio Studio we are Unplugged and Totally Uncut Bounce TV Presents "Off The Chain" Comedy with Rodney Perry (Special Event) Wednesday Apr 29, 2015 8:00 PM Funnyman Rodney Perry headlines Bounce TV's Off The Chain Live! Comedy Tour based upon the network’s original comedy series! Featuring three of Charlotte's best... Will Jacobs, Spencer Taylor, & Chesney Goodson! Come be a part of the TV taping!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Mick Wall Publicist for Black Sabbath

They are the band that started Heavy Metal. But do you know the real story behind what made Black Sabbath? Who better to know than the bands publicist. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Rock Journalist Mick Wall. INFO COMMENTS “The real advantage that Wall enjoys over all the other Sabbath biographers is that he worked for the musicians as a PR and knew them all personally... as a result (he) is able to portray the Sabbath members as they really are. ...It's an epic tale, told the way it should be.” — Record Collector “Wall delivers the book he was born to write.” — Classic Rock Magazine “The band's uppers and downers are recounted here with amusing and sobering appraisal, making this an entertaining read for long-standing fans and newcomers alike.”— Guitarist ABOUT MICK WALL MICK WALL is the UK's best-known rock writer. He is also a TV and radio broadcaster. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Classic Rock, Mojo and the London Times. He has written a dozen rock biographies, including books on Led Zeppelin, Guns 'n' Roses and Metallica. He lives in England.

Michael Sweet from Sweet and Lynch

When the game is about performance. The stage becomes your every day. Nothing stands in the way of great Rock. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Michael Sweet from Stryper and Sweet and Sweet and Lynch. SWEET & LYNCH is a brand new band centered around the talents of guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet of Christian hard rockers STRYPER and iconic guitarist George Lynch (LYNCH MOB, ex DOKKEN) along with bassist James Lomenzo (ex MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Brian Tichy (ex WHITESNAKE). “SWEET & LYNCH was born as the brainchild of Serafino Perugino, President of Frontiers Music”, recalls Sweet. “He asked me to basically sing on this record and then I suggested producing it and co-wrote the songs with George”, continues the singer. Brian Tichy and James Lomenzo were then called in to complete the lineup. Now a complete a band, plans are being formulated to rehearse and book a tour to play the music included on this amazing debut album “Only to Rise” to the fans in a live setting. “It’s an incredible combination of classic 70’s and 80’s”, tells Michael Sweet. “You will hear some flavors of Journey, Bad Company, Dokken, Van Halen and Stryper. James and Brian are amazing musicians. They tore it up. The drums and bass are just as impressive as the guitars. Everybody really delivered... The musicianship level on this is top notch. It sounds as if we were all in the studio playing together and we were not. Basically, George wrote some riffs about a minute to a minute and a half long. I wrote lyrics and melodies then arranged them. Then Brian and James came out and tracked the drums and bass, as well as some rhythm stuff. We then sent it back to George to add the guitars." The combination of Sweet’s powerful, crystal clear vocals and Lynch’s unmatched guitar tone, provide the force and drive that the album needed. The result is truly a “state of the art” Hard Rock album, with fabulous melodies played to perfection. An absolute must for all fans of Sweet and Lynch's musical stylings! SWEET & LYNCH Michael Sweet – lead vocals, guitars George Lynch – lead guitars James Lomenzo – bass guitar Brian Tichy - drums

RiffTrax The Room

It's always a party on iHeart Radio when the guys of RiffTrax show up to talk about their live performances in movie theaters. They're back and we are Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the behind the scenes view of Riffing The Room Get to know the comedy stylings of RiffTrax before they take the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival by storm with their one-night-only live commentary for the cult classic, 'The Room.' It’s true—it is possible to love bad movies, thanks to our friends at RiffTrax. After the cult series Mystery Science Theater 3000 was prematurely (and unjustly) canceled, comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett started RiffTrax to continue to share hilarious quips and observations about bad cinema with comedy lovers and movie fans everywhere. On MST3K, the trio was restricted to low-budget B-movies due to budgetary constraints. As RiffTrax, the group is able to comment on any film they want—beloved franchises, supposed classics, summer blockbusters, science fiction favorites, and of course, many very, very bad movies. Because of copyright issues, viewers must use their own methods to obtain the films, but they are able to download commentary tracks right off the RiffTrax website. The hysterical team tours the country performing RiffTrax Live in accompaniment to films like Sharknado and Birdemic. And this Friday night at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, It’s the RiffTrax Live world premiere of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room! Then on May 6th, RiffTrax will present The Room live from Nashville and beamed to hundreds of movie theaters coast to coast (with an encore on May 12th)! For tickets and locations: http://www.fathomevents.com/event/return-of-rifftrax-live-the-room/buy Other live RiffTrax events coming this year include: SHARKNADO 2 - July 9th MIAMI CONNECTION - October 1st SANTA AND THE ICE CREAM BUNNY - December 3rd ABOUT MICHAEL J. NELSON Michael J. Nelson is the former host and writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams. In 2006 Nelson partnered with Legend Films to found RiffTrax, debuting with a solo commentary track which could be downloaded and played along with the film Road House. It proved a great success and Mike was soon joined by his former co-star/writers Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. Together they have produced more than 150 titles for blockbusters such as Twilight, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Star Trek. They also continue to tackle classic b-movie fare such as Plan 9 from Outer Space, Carnival of Souls, and House on Haunted Hill (which are available as video on demand as well as DVD), as well as many hilarious educational shorts from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Mike takes the stage several times a year to perform RiffTrax Live!, which is beamed via satellite to 500 theaters nationwide. @MichaelJNelson on Twitter ABOUT KEVIN MURPHY Kevin Murphy has cultivated the act of talking back to the movies into an art form and a career. For ten years Kevin co-wrote and directed the Peabody Award-winning series Mystery Science Theater 3000, and starred as the plucky red robot Tom Servo. Classic episodes of MST3K, as its legion of fans call it, continue to be huge sellers on Shout! Factory DVDs and streaming on Netflix. In 2002 Kevin created the ultimate movie-lover's marathon by going to movie theaters around the globe every single day for a year, chronicling the event in the bestselling book A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey. Covering Kevin's movie-watching adventures in over a hundred cities in ten countries on three continents, the book became a top 100 seller on Amazon and won national critical praise. Time's Richard Corliss called the book "brimful of intelligent passion about films and filmgoing" while The Onion AV Club described it as "Lively, entertaining, diverse, sometimes fascinating, and deeply telling." Publishers Weekly declared Kevin "a highbrow man of the people." With his RiffTrax partners Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett, Kevin continues the MST tradition by riffing on all manner of film, from old cheesy genre films to today's biggest blockbusters. Musically inspired by the movies they've skewered, Kevin also produced The RiffTones' first album, "Music for Riffing." Kevin's movie commentaries have been a regular feature on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday, and his eye for bad film earned him the "Bottom Shelf" column for Total Movie Magazine. Kevin lives and works in Minnesota but continues to travel the world, watching movies everywhere he goes. @KWMurphy on Twitter ABOUT BILL CORBETT Bill Corbett is a former writer for MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 and also a performer on the show, providing the voice of the robot Crow (v.2.0) and playing various other strange characters -- including the all-powerful but clueless alien The Observer (a.k.a. "Brain Guy"). Corbett is also a screenwriter and playwright. Corbett's screenplay STARSHIP DAVE, co-written with Rob Greenberg, was made into the movie MEET DAVE starring Eddie Murphy, released by 20th Century Fox. His plays have been produced internationally. Corbett's comedy THE BIG SLAM has been produced at numerous theaters across the U.S., including Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C.; ACT in Seattle; and actor Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan. Other plays include HATE MAIL, THE STUFF OF DREAMS, and his comic book holiday mashup SUPER-POWERED-REVENGE CHRISTMAS #1. He has been a contributing writer to National Public Radio's PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and is co-creator of the animated web series POKER NIGHT on Icebox.com. Corbett has also been an actor in the resident acting companies at the Guthrie Theater and the Berkshire Theater Festival, and has taught playwriting and screenwriting at Kenyon College in Ohio, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and many other universities and schools. He's a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, where he earned an MFA in playwriting and screenwriting. Before that, he received a BA from Yale College. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he now lives in Minneapolis with his wife Virginia, their two children, and a feisty Jack Russell Terrier. @BillCorbett on Twitter

Monday, April 27, 2015

Like A Storm

It truly is the greatest time in music. Every shape of sound from Blues to Metal to Hip Hop is blending into a solid piece of anthem sized success. You can try to judge a book by its cover but you can't set aside the impact that music has on our lives. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Matt from Like A Storm Known as one of the hardest working bands out there, Like A Storm fought hard to be heard. The New Zealand brothers came to the United States knowing no one, and built a diehard and devoted fan-base by tirelessly touring to promote their debut album, The End of The Beginning with top acts such as Alter Bridge, Shinedown & Creed. In the midst of that whirlwind, the road served as the foundation for their forthcoming sophomore set, and first album for Another Century Records, Awaken The Fire. While supporting Creed on a summer 2012 run, the band— Chris Brooks [lead vocals, guitar, didgeridoo, keys/programming], Matt Brooks [vocals, lead guitar, keys/programming], and Kent Brooks [bass, vocals, keys/programming]—would immediately retreat to either their dressing room or hotel after each show and begin recording new music until daybreak. This intense work ethic fostered a fertile creative spell for the boys. "We were growing as a band and getting inspired by life on the road," Chris explains. "We never stopped writing as we were touring. Our fans were hungry for new music, and we were hungry to put something out. We didn't want to sit around and wait to see which label came knocking at our door. So, we decided to make the album ourselves, produce it, tour it, and preserve this awesome connection we’re lucky to have with our fans. We made a mobile studio rig and brought it everywhere." Cut on the road, their new hit single "Love The Way You Hate Me" began to make waves on its own. Midwest radio station "The Banana" in Flint, MI started spinning it, and it eventually spent four consecutive weeks at #1, owning the station’s “cage match". Organically, other stations picked up the track, such as KIBZ in Lincoln, adding it to regular rotation. Soon, Sirius XM’s rock station, Octane caught wind of it as well, and it seized #1 on their nationwide Big 'Uns countdown for five weeks. The single eventually went Top 30 on the US active rock charts, a major achievement for a completely independent band, and making them the first New Zealand group to ever do so. It's no surprise though. "Love The Way You Hate Me" slides from a gnashing guitar and entrancing electronic flourishes into a genuinely unshakable refrain. As the musical madness subsides, it breaks into a warped and wild didgeridoo breakdown, heralding the band's proper arrival. "The lyrics are important," Chris goes on. "It's funny when we walk through a truck stop or pull over at a diner for some food because everybody turns their heads and looks at us. We were in some tiny town, and someone muttered, 'Freaks', as we were walking past them. It really stuck with us. It's such a great thing to be different and have the freedom to live the life you want to live, rather than conforming to everyone's idea of who you should be. The song's about being true to yourself." As "Love The Way You Hate Me" exploded at airwaves, Century Media reached out and signed the group in 2014. They immediately jumped back into recording, converting a remote lake house in Michigan into a recording studio and self-producing Awaken The Fire. As a result of this approach, Like A Storm fully realized their sound. "We're making the music we want to make," the singer exclaims. "There are no rules when we're writing except the three of us have to love whatever we're doing. We push it creatively. We love to see how far we can take things. That's the sound of Like A Storm." Songs like "Six Feet Under" deliver the requisite hard-hitting hooks and kinetic rhythms. Chris adds, "That's about the ups and downs of life in the music industry. We had come up against wall after wall. But we never gave up. It doesn't matter what's in our way. We'll break through it." At the same time, they experimented with "Gangster's Paradise". Like A Storm added a torrent of rock 'n' roll bombast to the Coolio classic, updating it for a new generation. "We heard the intro to the song somewhere," recalls Chris. "We all agreed it's one of the coolest intros ever. There's just this dark vibe. We joked like, 'A band could do a really awesome cover of that song!' Then, I said, 'Well, you know we do play in a band. Let's give it a crack'. The result was awesome. Lyrically, it's about as far away from our lifestyle as you could possibly get, but it was really fulfilling and freeing creatively. We saw our own musical identity by reinterpreting this song." Like A Storm also continue to deliver on the road. They've toured with everybody from Alter Bridge and Shinedown to Puddle of Mudd and Drowning Pool, and played high-profile festivals alongside Korn and Five Finger Death Punch. However, they begin their biggest and boldest chapter now. "Musically, we want to inspire and empower people," Chris leaves off. "We write songs about the things we feel strongly about, things that really matter to us. It's amazing that we've made an impact. We came from the other side of the world, and we're living our dream. If that inspires someone, that's incredible."

Maria Bello Love Is Love

We all have questions. The problem is... we stop asking them. Only to point the finger at who what where and why life has made us miserable.. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with actress Maria Bello whose new book Love Is Love is now available. Maria Bello has played many characters in her 25-year acting career—from Anna on ER, to Lil in Coyote Ugly, to Edie in A History of Violence—but it took a life threatening illness for her to ask herself: who is the main character in my life? In WHATEVER…LOVE IS LOVE Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves (Dey Street Books; April 28, 2015; $25.99 Hardcover), Maria answers that question, and more, in a powerful, intimate meditation on identity filled with wisdom and insights relevant to us all. On bed rest, recovering from a parasite she’d picked up in Haiti, poring over hundreds of journals she’d kept since she was a girl, Maria wondered: what moments and experiences defined her most, and who was she now? What was her story? She wanted to tell it before it was too late. But as she sought answers, more questions presented themselves. She considered the people at her bedside each day—her 12-year-old son, Jackson; his father who no longer lived with them; her best female friend with whom she’d fallen in love; her brother Chris and her mom—and wondered: what is our story? What do we call ourselves? Who is my partner? Who is my family? And she realized, the traditional labels just didn’t fit. A few months later, after she’d recovered, she understood: those labels didn’t matter. And she also knew, if she was going to tell her story, she would have to tell it completely. In WHATEVER…LOVE IS LOVE, Maria does just that, and in the process sheds new light on old notions of partnership, family, and love. Sparked by a watershed article she wrote for the New York Times entitled “Coming Out as a Modern Family”—in which she recalls how Jackson asked about her romantic life, then encouraged her to “shout it to the world,” WHATEVER…LOVE IS LOVE is a clarion call, written with honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom. In chapters with titles that range from Am I a Catholic?, Am I a Feminist?, and Am I a Good Mom? to even deeper reflections such as Am I Damaged?, Am I Perfect?, and Am I Enough?, Maria bares all, recollecting formative moments, relationships, and influences in her life, including: • Her complicated relationship with her father, an alcoholic diagnosed later in life as bipolar; his excesses and rages when she was growing up, his eventual recovery, and the kindness, acceptance, and wisdom he showed her later in life. • Marias’ own lifelong struggles with her “shadow”—depression, rages, manias, and suicidal intentions—and her eventual bipolar diagnosis at the age of 27, when she ended up stranded at a truck stop in Arizona, ready to end her life. • Her profound admiration for her mother, who battled cancer most of her adult life—given months, she lived for years, time and again—whose motto has been an eternal source of inspiration to Maria: You have to laugh! • Her lifelong friendship with a priest named Father Ray, whom she met during her freshman year at Villanova (she was 19; he was 62), and who showed her unconditional acceptance and love, even when she couldn’t show them to herself. • Her spiritual journey to find “god”—from her upbringing in Catholicism to her eventual blending of ideas for form a belief system that feels right for her. • Her travels around the world and her love for the country of Haiti, where she eventually devoted years of her life to the recovery effort after the earthquake of 2010. • The relationships and secret affairs she had with men over the years, in and outside Hollywood—the attractions, love, sex, and break-ups—all ending in disappointment or devastation. • Her lasting, ever-evolving partnership with producer Dan McDermott, the father of her son Jackson—how they met and fell in love, and how their friendship endures today. • Her romantic partnership with Clare Munn—how their friendship evolved, how she came to realize she’d fallen in love, the struggle to come to terms with what that meant, and the decision to make their relationship public. Like the New York Times essay that engendered it, WHATEVER…LOVE IS LOVE is both personal and revelatory. In celebrating and broadening how Bello defines “partner” and “family” in her own life, she offers affirmation to others for whom traditional definitions also don’t fit. As Maria writes—about herself and the thousands upon thousands who responded empathetically to her article—we are “whatevers,” and that’s perfect. In challenging old labels and constructions, WHATEVER…LOVE IS LOVE amplifies an important conversation that has gathered a league of voices. Maria hears them, and in speaking her own truth, helps them to be heard. ABOUT MARIA BELLO Maria Bello is a mother, actor, activist and author. Her essay in the New York Times Modern Love column, “Coming Out as a Modern Family” is one of the ten most popular articles in a decade. Maria’s Whatever campaign (www.whateverloveislove.com) supports human and equal rights causes. A portion of proceeds from the sale of products on the site will go toward supporting the organizations: HRC (hrc.org), Equality Now (equalitynow.org), and We Advance (weadvance.org).She lives in Los Angeles, California. She accepts no other labels at this time.

Friday, April 24, 2015

John Roberts Linda from Bobs Burgers

It's not everyday that you get to talk and the TV set talks back. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Linda from Bobs Burgers. It's actor comedian John Roberts. John Roberts continuously wows audiences with his live performance skills and original character work in shows across the country and on television. He currently provides the voice of Linda in the Emmy-nominated FOX primetime animated hit Bob's Burgers and has appeared on Good Day NY, MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In April 2009, John performed Jersey Days, a one-man show co-written with Bob Odenkirk and produced by Jim Biederman, at Ars Nova in New York. In 2010, he was part of a national tour with Margaret Cho. John also hosted a monthly show at Comix in New York, which featured guests like David Cross, Kristen Schaal and Eugene Mirman. Recently, John performed to sold out houses at Caroline’s Comedy Club and Joe’s Pub. As a musician, John formed the band Opti-Grab, which went on to play with such acts as Blondie, Gogol Bordello, Scissor Sisters, and Tom Tom Club. He has worked with Debbie Harry, Jack Pierson, and The Ones in several musical collaborations. John first gained attention as a standout performer and writer on YouTube. His first viral video "The Christmas Tree" was hailed as an instant comedy classic. It was nominated for a broadband Emmy award and was featured on VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central Insider and countless other blogs and websites. The follow up "Jackie & Debra" won The Comedy Smalls award in London, was featured on YouTube, and formed a huge cult following with audiences both young and old. John currently has over 21 million hits on Youtube and counting. Website: http://thejohnroberts.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRobertsFun Reel: https://vimeo.com/74306982

Comedian Steve Rannazzisi

Performing this weekend at Charlotte's Comedy Zone at NC Music Factory. cltcomedyzone.com It's Kevin on the League. It's the chicken wing man. Whoa...a real wing man. I see a cartoon coming from this. Because he's a total character that has fine tuned the art of turning thoughts into unending laughter.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Matt Birkbeck A Deadly Secret

There's a Charlotte connection. Now that there's been a confession. Will answers finally be delivered. There's more to Robert Durst than what you might assume. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the author and journalist that's been investigating this serial killer for 15 years. Matt Birkbeck Originally published in 2002, with two chapters added in 2012, and a new author’s note highlighting recent developments just added in 2015, A DEADLY SECRET details the search for Durst’s first wife, medical student Kathie Durst, who went missing in 1982. Eighteen years later, a New York State police investigator re-opened the probe into Kathie’s disappearance. Birkbeck, who covered the investigation for People magazine and Reader’s Digest, is the only reporter to access Durst’s NYPD files and also broke the news about other potential Durst victims. In February 2015, HBO premiered The Jinx, an exhaustive examination of the many investigations into Robert Durst. On the eve of the final episode’s broadcast—and spurred by new evidence in the docu-series—the FBI arrested Durst in New Orleans on a warrant for first-degree murder in connection with his friend Susan Berman’s 2000 killing in Los Angeles. When police searched Durst’s Texas home the week of his arrest, they found among his belongings two copies of the original edition of A DEADLY SECRET. Based on interviews with family, friends, and acquaintances of Durst, law enforcement, and others involved in the case, A DEADLY SECRET is a cross-country odyssey of stolen IDs and multiple identities that raises baffling questions about one of the country’s most prominent families—and one of its most elusive suspected killers. Since the arrest and amid the deepening mystery surrounding Durst, A DEADLY SECRET has been credited worldwide as the most comprehensive book on the Robert Durst story. Birkbeck has been featured in several media outlets, including The New York Times, The New York Daily News, The Guardian, People, ABC’s 20/20, CNN, CBS, NBC, and HLN, among others. About the Author: Matt Birkbeck is an award-winning investigative journalist and the author of The Quiet Don, Deconstructing Sammy, and A Beautiful Child. His feature work has appeared in a host of publications including Reader’s Digest, Playboy, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and People magazine. He has appeared on a variety of network and cable news programs, including CNN, ABC’s 20/20, NBC, CBS, and Investigation Discovery, among others

Antonette Coulton from People Magazine

This has to be the biggest variety ever featured in People Magazine. The 2015 Most Beautiful Women has been announced. You know I have to People Magazine about this. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Antonette Coulton (NEW YORK) – PEOPLE has named Sandra Bullock “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” 2015 in its 26th annual “World’s Most Beautiful” special double issue. Yet it’s her role as mom to her 5-year-old son Louis that makes the Oscar-winning actress feel most beautiful every day. “When I first held him, I realized what my purpose in life was,” Bullock, 50, tells PEOPLE. “I’m the lucky one.” Her definition of real beauty, she says, “is quiet. Especially in this town [Hollywood], it’s just so hard not to say, ‘Oh, I need to look like that.’ No, be a good person, be a good mom, do a good job with the lunch, let someone cut in front of you who looks like they’re in a bigger hurry. The people I find most beautiful are the ones who aren’t trying.” She says, “I have never been a great beauty. I’ve never been the bombshell that was coveted. In an odd way, that made growing older a lot easier in this business.” The role she feels most beautiful in is “the role of mother,” she says. “I don’t feel beautiful in anything I’ve acted in. I don’t watch myself, but I’ve gotten better about looking at the work. I don’t mind aging on film, I just don’t feel beautiful.” Regarding talk that she might be adding to her brood, she responds, “I’ve always said that I could have a house full of kids. But at this time the only kids in my house, other than Louis, are the ones whose parents want them back at the end of the playdate.” Visit people.com/mostbeautiful for more on Sandra Bullock, plus exclusive video from PEOPLE’s “World’s Most Beautiful” photo shoots. The 5.4.15 special double issue hits newsstands (and tablets) on Friday, April 24. (Cover story, page 82) Also in PEOPLE’s “World’s Most Beautiful” Issue: “BEAUTY CONFESSIONS”: Bleached eyebrows! Mayonnaise hair conditioner! Visible lip liner! Hollywood stunners including Julia Roberts (“eyebrows viciously over-plucked”); Drew Barrymore (“going too blonde and it didn’t work”); Viola Davis (“microdermabrasion. It dried out my skin”); Jennifer Aniston (“bleach on my eyebrows, which then left me with white eyebrows”); Julianna Margulies (“getting mayo out of your hair isn’t so easy. I smelled like egg salad for days”); Carrie Underwood (“when I was 13 I got a perm, and it was a big mistake”); Julianne Moore (“I ruined my eyebrows”); Katie Holmes (“I did try a juice cleanse…and I was at Chipotle by noon”); Nicole Kidman (“a botched attempt at being a platinum blonde once”); Gwyneth Paltrow (“my eyebrows were a bit over-plucked in the ‘90s”); Blake Lively (“I matched my metallic eye shadow to my T-shirts in middle school”); Halle Berry (“I once tried an egg white facial – for two weeks I looked like a lizard molting!”); Reese Witherspoon (“I had really plucked-thin eyebrows. I basically looked like an emoji”); and Kerry Washington (“I wore acrylics for a long time, but they made my nails very weak”) share their beauty mishaps. (page 92) Kicking off PEOPLE’s 9th annual “NOT a DROP of MAKEUP” section featuring eight fresh faces – Gina Rodriguez, Padma Lakshmi, Sophia Bush, Aubrey Plaza, Mariska Hargitay, Frieda Pinto, and Tracee Ellis Ross – photographed in nothing but moisturizer and lip balm – is country singer Miranda Lambert, 31. She says that her husband, Blake Shelton, is “one of those dudes that’s like, ‘You look prettier without it.’ He sees me the same, whether I have a whole glam squad or I’m just hanging out at home.” (page 146) -more- “HOT RIGHT NOW”: Whether on the screen, the stage or the runway, it’s been an ovation-worthy year for these knockout performers including Taraji P. Henson (“the Powerhouse”); Gigi Hadid (the “It Girl”); Amber Heard (“the Chameleon”); Meghan Trainor (“the Breakout”); Jenna Dewan-Tatum (“the Hot Mama”); Helen Mirren (“the Queen”); Margot Robbie (“the Knock Out”); Shay Mitchell (“the TV Sweetheart”); Amy Schumer (“the Funny Girl”); Ariana Grande (“the Pop Star”); Ellen Page (“the Indie Star”); Vanessa Hudgens (“the Broadway Babe”); Caitriona Balfe (“the Fan Favorite”); Gabrielle Union (“The Age Defier”); and Laverne Cox (“the Trailerblazer”) – the first transgender actress to appear in the pages of PEOPLE’s “World’s Most Beautiful” issue. (page 111) “HALF THEIR AGE”: PEOPLE honors eleven radiant stars who share their no-fail beauty philosophies -- Elle Macpherson, 51 (“I actually love getting older”); Marisa Tomei, 50 (“I get a solid eight hours of sleep”; Robin Wright, 49 (“It’s my grownup haircut!”); Vanessa Williams, 52 (“feeling grounded and hopeful has always made me feel radiant”); Courteney Cox, 50 (“I really don’t feel my age”); Salma Hayek, 48 (“we need to stop the crazy expectations, give ourselves a break”); Elizabeth Hurley, 49 (“if you’ve got time to think about aging, then you’re not busy enough”); Andie MacDowell, 57 (“I do yoga”); Demi Moore, 52 (“regardless of your age, you should never turn away from your sexuality”); Lisa Bonet, 47; and the oldest woman to grace the pages of PEOPLE’s “World’s Most Beautiful” issue – Cicely Tyson, 91! (page 141) In “MAKING OVER THE DUGGARS,” six Duggar women – Jana, 25; Jill Duggar Dillard, 23; Jessa Duggar Seewald, 22; Jinger, 21; Joy-Ana, 17; and mother Michelle, 48 – agreed to be subjected to a glam squad, with the only rules being no haircuts and stay covered up. Michelle tells PEOPLE, “It was fun to do those false eyelash things – I’ve never done that before. I hope I can take them off!” (page 175) In “BEAUTIES & THEIR BEASTS,” five stars – Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting (with horse Thor); Eva Longoria (with Maltese Jinxy); Lea Michele (with rescue cat Sheila); Sandra Lee (with cockatoos Halo and Phoenix); and Elisha Cuthbert (with miniature schnauzer Pearl) – show off the furry (and feathered!) friends who warm their hearts. (page 122) 26 YEARS of PEOPLE’s “WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL” 2015 Sandra Bullock 2014 Lupita Nyong’o 2013 Gwyneth Paltrow 2012 Beyoncé 2011 Jennifer Lopez 2010 Julia Roberts 2009 Christina Applegate 2008 Kate Hudson 2007 Drew Barrymore 2006 Angelina Jolie 2005 Julia Roberts 2004 Jennifer Aniston 2003 Halle Berry 2002 Nicole Kidman 2001 Catherine Zeta-Jones 2000 Julia Roberts 1999 Michelle Pfeiffer 1998 Leonardo DiCaprio 1997 Tom Cruise 1996 Mel Gibson 1995 Courteney Cox 1994 Meg Ryan 1993 Cindy Crawford 1992 Jodie Foster 1991 Julia Roberts 1990 Michelle Pfeiffer

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Simon Majumdar

Being in the south. We have a vivid array of flavor filled dishes that grace the backyard dining plate. How does it compare to the rest of the nation? From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Simon Majumdar Host of Cutthroat Kitchen and author of Good Eats, Simon Majumdar is not exactly who you might envision when you think of a typical immigrant to the United States. But immigrate he did when he met his future wife, and he was content with a green card until he came across a burly TSA agent who asked him if he ever planned on making it official. As someone who is very proud of his heritage, he wanted becoming an American to mean something, and so he turned to the thing he knows best: food. Simon dives headfirst into the food cultures that make up America—brewing beer, picking vegetables, working at a food bank, and even finding himself, very reluctantly, at a tailgate. FED, WHITE, AND BLUE is a warm, funny, and inspiring portrait of becoming American. “If I really wanted to go and find out more about America and Americans, food was the best – in fact the only- way I should do it. I knew from all my previous travels that the moment you talk to people about the food they eat or, better still, ask them to eat with them, they not only open up their kitchens, but also their lives, allowing you to experience a side of them you might never normally be allowed to see. I was certain that if I asked people to show me what it means to become one of them by allowing me to share their food experiences, the invitations would come flooding in.” ─Excerpt from Fed, White, and Blue SIMON MAJUMDAR is a food writer, broadcaster, and author of Eat My Globe and Eating for Britain. He is a recurring judge on Iron Chef, The Next Iron Chef, and Cutthroat Kitchen. The fine living correspondent for AskMen.com, he writes regular features for the Food Network website and was one of the voices behind the Dos Hermanos blog, which GQ called “Michelin starred food blogging.” He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Ed and Christopher Lucas

He didn't let being blind stop him from being one of the voices the New York Yankees needed to help share their game with the world. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Broadcaster Ed Lucas and his son Christopher Soon to be a major motion picture, Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story is the incredible true tale of a beloved Emmy-winning blind broadcaster who refused to let his disability prevent him from overcoming many challenging obstacles and achieving his dreams. In 1951, when he was only twelve years old, Ed Lucas was hit between the eyes by a baseball during a sandlot game in Jersey City. He lost his sight forever. To cheer him up, his mother wrote letters to baseball superstars of the day, explaining her son’s condition. Soon Ed was invited into their clubhouses and dugouts, as the players and coaches personally made him feel at home. Despite the warm reception he got from his heroes, Ed was told repeatedly by others that he would never be able to accomplish anything worthwhile because of his limitations. But Hall-of-Famer Phil Rizzuto became Ed’s mentor and encouraged him to pursue his passion—broadcasting. Ed then overcame hundreds of barriers, big and small, to become a pioneer—the first blind person covering baseball on a regular basis, a career he has successfully continued for six decades . Ed may have lost his sight, but he never lost his faith, which got him through many pitfalls and dark days. When Ed’s two sons were very young, his wife walked out and left him to raise them all by himself, which he did. Six years later, Ed’s ex-wife returned and sued him for full custody, saying that a blind man shouldn’t have her kids. The judge agreed, tearing Ed's sons away from their father's loving home. Ed fought the heartbreaking decision with appeals all the way up to the highest level of the court system. Eventually, he prevailed, marking the very first time in US history that a disabled person was awarded custody over a non-disabled spouse. Even in his later years, Ed is still enjoying a remarkably blessed life. In 2006, he married his second wife, Allison, at home plate in old Yankee Stadium, the only time that such a thing ever happened on that iconic spot. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner himself catered the whole affair, which was shown live on national television. Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story is truly a magical read and a universally uplifting and inspirational tale for everyone, whether or not you happen to be a sports fan. Over his long and amazing life, Ed has collected hundreds of anecdotes from his personal relationships and encounters with everyone, from kings and presidents to movie stars and sports Hall-of-Famers, many of which he shares in this memoir, using his trademark humorous and engaging style, cowritten with his youngest son, Christopher. ARTICLE ON ED AND CHRISTOPHER LUCAS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES When Ed Lucas and his son Christopher were still working on their memoir of Ed’s life as a blind man who reported on Major League Baseball, their agent let them know that “there’s a fellow who’s just getting into publishing, and he wants your book to be one of the first books he publishes,” Mr. Lucas recalled. It turned out to be Derek Jeter. “There’s no better person to publish it,” Christopher Lucas said. “Derek Jeter is a shortstop like Phil Rizzuto, who’s so much a part of the story,” he said. “And his family is from Jersey City, from the same neighborhood as my father.” And Mr. Jeter is not the only person interested in telling Mr. Lucas’s story. There is also a film version of his life in the works. “They did a nice job with the screenplay,” Mr. Lucas, 76, said recently from his home in Union, where he lives with his wife, Allison. He is also happy with the names attached to the film — Elliot Abbott, producer of “A League of Their Own,” is producing, and actors like Stanley Tucci and Bradley Cooper have expressed interest in playing him. Followers of the New York Yankees might be familiar with Mr. Lucas, a longtime insurance salesman and sports journalist. Starting in the 1960s, he was a regular fixture in clubhouses and dugouts, where he could be seen schmoozing with the likes of Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner. And he still rubs elbows with celebrities like Mr. Jeter and Mariano Rivera. His baseball dispatches have been running in The Jersey Journal since 1977. And for years, Mr. Rizzuto, the shortstop who later became a Yankees announcer, often threw out trivia questions and baseball prognostications posed by Mr. Lucas during broadcasts of games. “Guys like Phil Rizzuto were good at pushing me, saying, ‘You can’t give up’ when anybody started giving me the business” (about being a blind man who hoped to report on the big leagues), said Mr. Lucas, who was blinded at age 12 in 1951 after being hit between the eyes by a baseball during a neighborhood game in Jersey City. But baseball isn’t the only reason Mr. Lucas appeals to storytellers like the “Fever Pitch” writers Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz, who started the screenplay in 2006, just after Mr. Lucas married Allison at home plate in old Yankee Stadium. (Mr. Steinbrenner granted permission for that first and only wedding at home plate; he also paid to have the event catered.) When Mr. Lucas’s two sons, Edward and Christopher, were 6 and 4, he and his first wife split up, and the boys lived with him. Six years later, in 1980, she sued him for full custody. She won. Mr. Lucas fought the decision and prevailed; according to Mr. Lucas, it was the first time in American history that a disabled person was awarded custody over a non-disabled spouse. “My dad has had so many trials and gone through so much, he makes you feel like nothing is impossible,” Christopher Lucas, 46, said during the interview at his father’s house. “That’s why we wanted his story to reach a wider audience.” But it’s also why, instead of waiting for Mr. Abbott’s production company, Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right, to bring the film to theaters, Christopher Lucas spent a fevered three months in 2014 writing a memoir with his father. “Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story” will be published April 21 by Jeter Publishing, a new Simon & Schuster imprint in partnership with Mr. Jeter. “I’ve always enjoyed talking to him,” Mr. Jeter said of Mr. Lucas in an email. “He’s one of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans of the game, and he has a knack for going beyond the everyday questions to connect with people.” The custody battle chapter of Mr. Lucas’s story features more heavily in the screenplay than in the book. “It’s sort of like ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ meets ‘Forrest Gump,’ “ Christopher said of the movie project. The “Forrest Gump” sensibility — the intertwining of uplift with an underdog’s tale — also permeates the book. In it are anecdotes about Mr. Lucas’s determined rise through Seton Hall University, where he graduated with a degree in broadcasting in 1972, and his encounters with figures like Willie Mays, Bob Hope, Billy Joel and President George W. Bush. Among Mr. Lucas’s favorite chapters in the book is one in which a favorite nun from his Jersey City middle school, Holy Family, appears. Mr. Lucas recalled that he was leaving school and it was snowing. “My father came and he told me to stand up against the wall so he could help me put my galoshes on,” he said. “Sister Rose Magdalene came off the elevator and saw us. She said, ‘Mr. Lucas, what are you doing?’ “ He said that she elbowed his father in the chest. “She said: ‘Look, he’s only blind; he’s not handicapped. You can leave when he can get his galoshes on by himself.’ “ An hour and a half later they left, he said. That kind of grit in the face of adversity is what defines Mr. Lucas, said Christopher. “I’ve never, ever seen him despair,” he said. Mr. Lucas said he hoped his positive outlook would rub off on others who come across his story. “The people in baseball always went out of their way to make sure they talked to me as someone who knew the game, not as a blind person,” he said. “I’d like to help other people out, to let them know no matter what the obstacle, they should never give up.”

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

J.D. Schreib

The world of music is a vast array of inner circles colliding with outside interpretations. For an artist to achieve their greatest high. Sometimes the drug can be a voice of reason. But what happens when the ticks on the clock not longer represent the rhythm of the drums? What becomes the sacrifice inside a world seen but still unheard? Backstage. Hotel rooms. Record company parties to the tour bus. Having an all access pass guarantee nothing within the true tales of the lyricist. Getting to that story means living next to the shadow. You know it by a first name... then one day... the harmony changes. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with J.D Shreib The Path to the Velvet Rope By JD Schreib Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 56,880. Language: English. Published: October 8, 2013. Category: Fiction » Erotica » Contemporary The Path to the Velvet Rope is the first volume of a fictionalized memoir series from former "It Girl" of the 80’s rock and roll scene, Jessie Jagger. This tell-all book delves into the sex, drugs, and other scandals associated with some of the biggest rock stars who rose from Hollywood’s Sunset Strip scene, some of whom are still big in today's world of music.

Weird Al And John From MAD Magazine

The weirdest man in American Music finally lands a 30 day job with the world's funniest comedy magazine. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Weird Al and John from MAD Magazine “Weird Al” Yankovic MAD’s First-Ever Guest Editor “The Usual Gang of Idiots” are getting a new Idiot-in-Chief! Celebrated musical satirist and comedian “Weird Al” Yankovic, the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history, will helm the next issue of MAD as the legendary humor magazine’s first-ever guest editor. Winner of the 2015 Grammy® for Best Comedy Album, Weird Al is the writer of some of the biggest song parodies in history. Speaking from the MAD offices in New York, current “Idiot-in-Chief” John Ficarra said, “Al will surely ruin his nearly four decades of popularity by associating with MAD. I still can’t believe we talked him into it!” Among Weird Al’s many duties will be writing an introduction to the issue, contributing (along with some of his celebrity friends) to the Fund”AL”ini Pages, and picking his favorite MAD article for the Vault section. Other ridiculous responsibilities are yet to be determined but will certainly do nothing to advance his career. “It was my childhood dream to one day be a contributor to MAD Magazine,” said Weird Al. “This is an excellent example of why children are never allowed to make important decisions.” Readers are invited to make Weird Al’s life even harder by sending letters for MAD’s Letters and Tomatoes section at letters@madmagazine.com. Weird Al will provide dumb answers to the dumbest questions. Start saving your dollars because MAD #533 will hit newsstands on April 21 at an absurd price!

Monday, April 20, 2015

Jon Ronson

Been there done that right? Wrote that and now you are paying for it. What happens when you innocently let something slip and the world won't let you forget it? From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Jon Ronson From psychopaths to suicide cults, military psychics to human superheroes, Jon Ronson has immersed himself in bizarre and terrifying worlds and become master of what Jon Stewart has coined "Investigative Satire." In SO YOU’VE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED, Ronson investigates the world of public shaming, where social media has made everyone a vigilante and where a poorly phrased tweet or comment can catapult a person to Public Enemy No. 1 overnight. Shaming moves with lighting speed and has a terrifyingly powerful effect, sometimes destroying a person’s entire life. Ronson follows up with those whose lives have been left in tatters, and questions those being most cruel in the anonymous internet playground, resulting in a powerful and very humane dispatch from the front line of the escalating war on human nature and its flaws. As Ronson says of his meeting with the recipient of one shaming, "Over the years I’ve sat across tables from a lot of people whose lives have been destroyed. Usually the people who did the destroying were the government, or the military, or big business. This felt like the first person I had ever interviewed who had been destroyed by us." Ronson’s "hilarious and unsettling" (Boston Globe) storytelling has made him a favorite of readers & critics alike. He is a regular on This American Life and critics have deemed his work “beguiling” (New York Times), “both terrifying and hilarious” (O, The Oprah Magazine) and “entertaining and alarming in equal parts” (Kirkus). And Salon praised: “Ronson’s touch is light and he’s not afraid to play the feckless neurotic for laughs, but that doesn't obscure the serious questions raise by his investigations.” It is this deft mix of comedy and rigorous reporting that make Ronson’s work equal parts entertainment and essential reading and he is at the height of his powers in this new book. About The Author: Jon Ronson’s books include the New York Times bestsellers The Psychopath Test and Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries; the e-originals Frank: The True Story That Inspired the Movie and The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones; and international bestsellers Them: Adventures with Extremists and The Men Who Stare at Goats as well as the screenplay for Frank, which debuted at Sundance 2014. Ronson lives in London and New York City.

Drake White

There's nothing like a true storyteller walking into the iHeart Radio Studio. Every sentence leads to an incredible paragraph. Eventually the conversation gets so deep that time turns into a moment. And isn't that what life's all about? Collecting the drops from an unexpected cloud only to realize you're holding sunshine. I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Drake White...

Director Frederic Tcheng

Premiering in Charlotte May 8th at Regal Ballantyne Dior and I... From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the movies Director Frederic Tcheng Dior and I brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director—a true labor of love created by a dedicated group of collaborators. Melding the everyday, pressure-filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the iconic brand’s past, the film is also a colorful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUIvJQUhB5I

Sal Was At The RnR Hall Of Fame Induction

When you've stood with The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Who and countless others. You need to be the reporter at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with my favorite Behind the Music front man Sal!!! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held its 30th annual induction ceremony Saturday night at Public Hall in Cleveland. The class of 2015 consisted of Ringo Starr, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The "5" Royales, Bill Withers, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Green Day. Even though so many of the year's honorees are no longer with us, it was a long night. Bill Withers had people laughing when he detoured from his script, but ended up speaking for 13 minutes. The members of Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and the survivors of the Butterfield Blues Band spoke for a total of 45 minutes. Lou Reed's widow, Laurie Anderson, spent 12 minutes at the podium. Jett's longtime manager, Kenny Laguna, also felt the need to speak. Near the end of the night, as Ringo Starr was speaking, Paul McCartney pointed to his watch, which prompted the drummer to say, "After the things I've sat through tonight, blah, blah, blah. I've got some stories!" While the speeches were long, there were some funny -- and puzzling -- moments: Miley Cyrus, who inducted Joan Jett, said she wanted to have sex with her. Blackhearts guitarist Ricky Byrd echoed that, saying how much he and his bandmates wanted to get between the sheets with her. Ringo Starr's induction was for his solo career, but neither he nor Paul McCartney, in his introduction, mentioned that. Instead they focused on Ringo joining The Beatles. Ringo also had a tip for bands, saying that musicians who fart while traveling together should admit it in order to keep the peace. Laurie Anderson had the audience chanting "Louuuu," but when she joined in she sounded like a dying animal. There were technical delays during Ringo's time on stage. He wrapped up his speech and then had to stretch while they got things ready for his performance. At that point, he realized he had forgotten to thank his wife, actress Barbara Bach. He also hugged two members of the audience before putting down the microphone because he ran out of things to say. Then, after performing "Boys" with Green Day, he had to wait again while the house band and his brother-in-law Joe Walsh got ready to back him on "It Don't Come Easy." Paul McCartney and many of the night's performers and presenters then took part in renditions of "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "I Wanna Be Your Man." We asked Ringo how he felt about being inducted. He told us, "You're recognized when you're recognized. You can't live in that world. And I'm only actually doing it so Paul can have a day out." But he did say it was quite an honor. John Mayer, who inducted Stevie Ray Vaughan, calling him "the ultimate guitarist," did a few songs along with Jimmie Vaughan and Gary Clark Junior. Beck did Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love." In her induction speech, Patti Smith said Reed "was not only my friend, he was the friend of New York City." She thanked him "for brutally and benevolently injecting your poetry into music." Joan Jett opened the show with "Bad Reputation," then was joined by Dave Grohl for The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" and "Crimson and Clover," for which they were joined by the song's originator, Tommy James, and Miley Cyrus. In her acceptance speech, Jett said, "I come from a place where rock and roll means something. It means more than music, more than fashion, more than a good pose. It's a language of a subculture that makes eternal teenagers out of all who follow it. It's a subculture of rebellion, integrity, frustration, alienation and the glue that set several generations free of unnatural societal and self-suppression." Green Day did a three-song set of "American Idiot," "When I Come Around" and "Basket Case." The trio was inducted by Fall Out Boy. In accepting, Billie Joe Armstrong looked out at the crowd and said, "It's like my record collection is actually sitting in this room." He cited a bunch of albums and bands as influences: "Horses by Patti Smith, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe and Cheap Trick, Pyromania by Def Leppard, and a few others that hopefully will be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon." Stevie Wonder and John Legend performed a trio of Bill Withers' hits, including "Lean on Me." Wonder also inducted Withers. After an induction speech by Peter Wolf, country star Zac Brown and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine honored The Butterfield Blues Band with a performance of "Born in Chicago." Surviving members of the band, including Elvin Bishop and Sam Lay, did "Got My Mojo Working." Two of the late bandleader's sons accepted on his behalf. Steve Cropper spoke on behalf of The "5" Royales, none of whom survive. Highlights of the ceremony will air on HBO beginning May 30th.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Tommy Interview Tommy

Tommy Jr asks if he can stop into the radio station studio this summer to learn about the production side of the industry. I didn't want to wait until the southern sun heated up the streets of Carolina. It was showtime now. Tommy Jr interviewing his father Tommy DeCarlo the lead vocalist of the group Boston. From the iHeart Radio Studio we are Unplugged and Totally Uncut... Boston 2015 Tour 4/30 – Tuscaloosa, AL 5/1 – Orange Beach, AL 5/2 – Clearwater, FL 5/6 – Melbourne, FL 5/7 – Orlando, FL 5/15 – Simpsonville, SC 5/16 – Charleston, SC 5/22 – Cherokee, NC 5/23 – Panama City, FL 5/24 – Saint Augustine, FL 6/3-4 – Niagara Falls, Canada 6/6 – Atlantic City, NJ 6/25 – Fargo, ND 6/26 – Fort Dodge, IA 6/27 – Brainerd, MN 6/28 – Grand Island, NE 7/2 – Kettering, OH 7/3 – Elgin, IL 7/18 – Battle Creek, MI 7/26 – Inglewood, CA 7/27-28 – San Diego, CA 7/30 – Saratoga, CA 7/31 – Paso Robles, CA 8/6 – West Allis, WI 8/8 – Washington, MO 8/9 – Wichita, KS 8/19-22 – Nassau, Bahamas Read More: Boston Announce 2015 Tour Dates | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/boston-2015-tour/?trackback=tsmclip

Philip Kerr

From the iHeart Radio Studio. I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with New York Times–bestselling author Philip Kerr, the much-anticipated return of Bernie Gunther in a series hailed by Malcolm Forbes as “the best crime novels around today.” THE LADY FROM ZAGREB may be the sharpest and most memorable Bernie Gunther novel to date. Philip Kerr takes the reader into worlds that often ran below the radar even after WWII ended. What he reveals here will surprise and even shock, and is must-reading for those who can handle their history straight-up and unfiltered. A beautiful young actress, the rising star of the giant German film company UFA—now under the control of the Propaganda Ministry. The very clever, very dangerous Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels—close confidant of Hitler, an ambitious schemer, and a flagrant libertine. And Bernie Gunther, former Berlin homicide bull—now forced to run errands for Goebbels at the Propaganda Minister’s command. Goebbel’s errand takes Bernie from Berlin to Zurich to Zagreb and beyond…. In the brutal killing fields of Croatia, where the Ustashe government is a beast running wild, he witnesses the horrifying sadism of out-of-control madmen whose actions even hardened Wehrmacht observers find revolting. And in the seeming peace of Switzerland Bernie runs up against Allen Dulles’s murderous operatives as well as highly suspect Swiss-German dealings. Even his earlier experiences on the Eastern Front have not prepared Bernie for the snake pit he has fallen into.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

John Lodge from The Moody Blues

His music and song lyrics have lasted four decades. Today John Lodge expands his horizon by not only recording a new set of songs but combing the pleasure of listening to lyrics with sipping on an incredible wine from his vineyard. Which you can buy. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the bass guitarist from The Moody Blues John Lodge “Everything in the future is in reach, but the past was once our future” – John Lodge Los Angeles, CA (February 25, 2015)--Esoteric Antenna, a label of the Cherry Red Records Group, is proud to announce the release of 10,000 LIGHT YEARS AGO, the new studio album by legendary MOODY BLUES member JOHN LODGE on May 5 in the U.S. and in Canada (with distribution via MVD Entertainment); and on May 4 in the UK. The title track, “10,000 Light Years Ago,” will be released digitally on April 14. As vocalist and bass player of THE MOODY BLUES, 10,000 LIGHT YEARS AGO is Lodge’s second solo album. His first solo album, NATURAL AVENUE, was released in 1977, and was recently reissued on CD and Vinyl LP by Esoteric Recordings. A member of THE MOODY BLUES since 1966, Lodge has written such hit songs for the band such as “Peak Hour”, “Ride My See Saw”, “The Eyes of a Child”, “Isn’t Life Strange”, “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock & Roll Band)”, “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”, “Gemini Dream” (with Justin Hayward) and many more. 10,000 LIGHT YEARS AGO also reunites Lodge with special guest contributions from former MOODY BLUES members - flutist RAY THOMAS and keyboardist/mellotron player MIKE PINDER on the song “Simply Magic.” Legendary guitarist CHRIS SPEDDING also appears on the album, among others. The new collection was recorded at various locations and completed at The Mix Factory studios in Florida. From the opening song “In My Mind”, to the biographical “Those Days in Birmingham”, the more reflective “Simply Magic” and “Lose Your Love”; to the rock influenced “Crazy”, the jazz–tinged “Love Passed Me By” and the powerful “Get Me Out of Here,” Lodge paints a variety of moods on a fine musical canvas. Lodge comments; “Back in the 60s, when the dreams of a ‘new generation’ were being born, The Moody Blues wrote a stage show which became the album DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED. The theme encompassed the past, present and future experiences of our lives. When DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED was successful, I knew that our decision to stick to our principles by writing and recording music we felt driven to create, was the right one. Upon reflection, I suppose that in my work with The Moody Blues, and in my solo work, I have continued to stick to that principle.” Lodge adds, “I think that this theme has continued in the music of The Moody Blues and in my music, and it’s a musical record of our generation travelling through life. With 10,000 LIGHTS YEARS AGO, I have continued this theme of constant evolution, as everything in the future remains in reach, and although the past is behind us, it once was our future.” For more than 40 years, THE MOODY BLUES have been one of the most enduring and consistent groups in the world. Their remarkable music has enthralled generations of fans since the 1960’s, and their recorded legacy contains some of the most important and ground breaking work in the history of popular music, having generated more than 70 million sales throughout the world. During the course of their illustrious career the band has earned 18 platinum discs and has won numerous awards, including the NARM Number One World Group Award of 1972, the Playboy Vocal Group of the Year Award, the Golden Ticket Award (for the sale of 100,000 tickets at Madison Square Gardens), as well as ASCAP and Performance Awards, the Ivor Novello Statue (in 1984 for an Outstanding Contribution to British Music), and an enviable place in rock history. John reflects; “With a guitar, a blank piece of paper and a pen, the musical horizon has always been there. I go wherever the songs take me.” Lodge will be on the “Timeless Flight – Polydor Years” tour as a member of THE MOODY BLUES in April and May in the U.S.; and in June in the UK. JOHN LODGE: “10,000 Light Years Ago” track listing is as follows: In My Mind Those Days in Birmingham Simply Magic Get Me Out of Here Love Passed Me By Crazy Lose Your Love 10,000 Light Years Ago

The Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway Grant Lynch

The world of racing just keeps getting better and better, And I'm not just talking about this past weekend. Talladega Superspeedway is ready to throw down a serious three day celebration in May. On iHeart Radio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the Chairman of Talladega Grant Lynch GEICO Weekend :: May 1-3 2015 EVENT SCHEDULE (CENTRAL TIME) Friday, May 1: o Practice throughout the day for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series & ARCA Series o International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 Qualifying 2:30 pm (Racing ARCA @ TSS since 1969) o International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 ARCA race 5:00 pm (Defending race winner – Tom Hessert lll) o Big One On The Blvd (evening) Mardi Gras-style parade and party in infield Saturday, May 2: o Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying 10:00 am o GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying 12:00 pm o Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race 2:00 pm (Defending race winner – Elliott Sadler) o Saturday Night Infield Concert (evening) Sunday, May 3: o GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Noon (Defending race winner – Denny Hamlin) TALLADEGA INFORMATION • Winner of the GEICO 500 is almost guaranteed a spot in NASCAR’s 10-race season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup • Denny Hamlin’s win in last year’s GEICO 500 assured his spot in the Chase, then finished third in title battle • Brad Keselowski won last year’s fall Cup race at TSS in one of the most exciting races ever at TSS. By virtue of the win, he was able to punch his ticket to the Eliminator Round of the Chase (round of eight). • NASCAR’s biggest and baddest track features 3- and 4-wide, 200-mph racing on the mammoth 2.66-mile venue • NASCAR’s most competitive track with an astounding record of 88 lead changes (twice) in a 188-lap race • Talladega is NASCAR’s party capital where fans of all ages can have a great time • Talladega’s “Big One On The BLVD” Parade in 2014 featured appearances by Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon, and Kyle Larson during the ultimate party atmosphere on Friday night of race weekend. Driver lineup for May 1 is being finalized! • Infamous Saturday Night Infield Concert is back (Artist to be named later) • Large Video Boards now line the frontstretch for fan convenience SAVE AT TALLADEGA • CHASE RICE WILL PERFORM A FREE SATURDAY NIGHT INFIELD FOR ALL SUNDAY GEICO 500 TICKET HOLDERS, ALLOWING FREE ACCESS TO INFIELD ON SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER TRACK ACTIVITIES HAVE CONCLUDED FOR THE DAY • $19 College Ticket gives college students access to GEICO 500 race and Saturday Night Infield Concert • Kids 12 and under receive $50 off all regular adult ticket pricing throughout the lower grandstands and towers for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race • Kids 12 and under sit for FREE in GADSDEN Grandstand and TALLADEGA Grandstand 2-day sections. • TSS offers special ticket offers to military members • Talladega Superspeedway continues to offer over 15,000 FREE campsites in three conveniently located parks (overnight). • All day parking on Talladega Superspeedway property remains free.

Booker T

Take away the fame. The glamour. And rip into the journey. 35 time champion Booker T. Professional wrestling's royalty is Unplugged and Totally Uncut on iHeart Radio. Booker T. Huffman, 2013 WWE Hall of Famer and winner of 35 championship titles within WWE, WCW, and TNA, has once again paired up with best-selling writer Andrew William Wright to uncover Booker T’s story from his humble pro wrestling beginnings to becoming a global superstar and icon. Booker T: My Rise to Wrestling Royalty chronicles two turbulent and hard-hitting decades with Booker T as he journeyed through World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). During this time Booker T blazed a trail of pro wrestling success on a road that took him from his tag team days in Harlem Heat, to his unparalleled singles career that drew millions around the world to WCW’s Monday Nitro, and onward through his unforgettable matches that led to him taking the throne as King Booker and becoming the FIVE-TIME (and eventually six-time) . . . World Heavyweight Champion.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

John Szwed Billie Holiday

Her music has outlasted the short life she shared. There was something about Billie Holiday that electrified the audience. Some call it improv. Others might identify it as Jazz. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with author John Szwed ohn Szwed is a former professor of music and director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University. As a jazz musician, he played professionally for over a decade. He is the author of eighteen books, including So What: The Life of Miles Davis and Alan Lomax: The Man who Recorded the World.

Phillip Bailey From Earth Wind and Fire

If only those who write the music could be in the radio station studio when their songs begin to play. Its a part of music history that goes silently into a chapter to never be read. Until the on air talent takes the time to share what it was like when listeners began to respond. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Phillip Bailey from Earth Wind and Fire. With more than 90 million records sold and eight Grammy awards throughout its 40-year history, Earth, Wind & Fire has staked its claim as one of the most successful, influential, and beloved acts in music history. EWF’s lead singer, Philip Bailey joined the group’s second lineup in 1972, three years after the band’s communal inception in Chicago by revered musical mastermind Maurice White. As Maurice guided Philip and the band into a wild musical ride of mysticism, magic and high spirituality, it was Philip’s vocal prowess that helped push the band from experimental obscurity to mainstream explosion. Now, Philip Bailey offers his story of triumph and challenges—chronicling the band’s iconic rise to the top, in his memoir Shining Star, out in paperback.

Chef Adam Livow from Hells Kitchen

ADAM LIVOW Age: 31 Hometown: Freehold, NJ Occupation: Amusement Park Chef Signature Dish: New Zealand Lamb Chops with a Balsamic Fig Reduction

Monday, April 13, 2015

Mookie Wilson

It was the hit that lifted the Mets to world fame. But its the man that went on to be loved by millions around the world. Baseball was huge but Mookie has a mission now destine to make him more famous. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with NY Met Mookie Wilson Mookie Wilson already had a successful baseball career before Game Six of the 1986 Mets-Red Sox World Series made him one of the most iconic figures in baseball. The ball that went between Bill Buckner’s legs at first base was the play that turned the series – and team morale – around for the Mets. The ’86 Mets have forever been loved and loathed for their swagger, their attitude, and their aptitude on the field; they won a record 108 games that year, in addition to taking home the trophy. In a team of larger-than-life characters like Keith Hernandez, Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Lenny Dykstra, Mookie is one of the most beloved and revered Mets to this day. In MOOKIE: Life, Baseball, and the ’86 Mets (Berkley Trade Paperback; March 31, 2015; $17.00), with Erik Sherman, Mookie shares stories of that triumphant year from the dugout, as well as his early life as a sharecropper’s son in the rural south, his time in the minor leagues, being called up to play as a Met, and his bittersweet feelings about finishing his professional career in Toronto as a Blue Jay. When Mookie landed in Shea Stadium in 1980, the Mets were a perennial cellar-dweller, overshadowed by the crosstown Yankees. But in 1986 they inspired the city of New York with a record-winning season and a grueling 16-inning game against the Houston Astros that won them the National League Championship Pennant. In the World Series against the Red Sox (where the curse of the Bambino would be Boston’s for another two decades), an epic at-bat led to the Buckner error at First, and Mookie’s speed, heart, and love of the game would ignite a fire under the Mets that forced a game Seven at Shea where they went on to become World Champions, and legendary heroes. For Mookie, Game Six was a defining moment in his career as well as for the Mets franchise, and will forever be the moment fans remember with elation, that they show to their kids on video, and the play that inspired subsequent generations of fans who continue to believe in the Amazin’ Mets. But should it have been? Mookie explains what led to that moment, and what might have happened if the events had unfolded differently. And what happened next for the Mets and Mookie? MOOKIE is the inside story behind the man, the franchise, and a golden age of a sport; a story that can only be told by Mookie Wilson himself. In this stunningly honest memoir, Mookie provides insight into the minds of other players both on his team and elsewhere that season; his feeling about the decisions of the franchise regarding his career and the careers of Mets veterans over the past few decades; his time in Toronto and with the Mets as a coach and Ambassador; and the current state of Major League Baseball. In the brand-new afterword, Mookie reflects on the writing process and the response from media, fans, and the Mets surrounding the hardcover release. In an era when role models in sports were hard to come by, some tarnished by their own hubris and greed, Mookie Wilson remained the exception: a man of humility and honor, who knew hustle, teamwork, and loved the game of baseball.

Elle Luna The Crossroads of Should and Must

We are born to be creative, But how do you learn to listen to the energy? By stepping onto the path of those who live it everyday. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Elle Luna The Crossroads of Should and Must (Workman; April 2015, $16.95) is a deeply personal yet universally inspiring book that combines the author’s uniquely compelling artwork and story with a heartfelt call to action, parts of which have already motivated thousands of readers. The Crossroads of Should and Must guides us from the small moment -- discovering our MUST – the action that we feel most called to perform, to the big moment—actually doing something about it and sharing it with the world. Elle give practical advice for finding your calling while supporting yourself, as she guides the reader through soul-searching, self-discovery, brainstorming, and ultimately action. Elle’s voice and message are beacons for anyone who has decided they must live a life in which they grow and thrive. After years as a designer working with teams at Uber, Ideo, and Mailbox, Elle faced her own crossroads. In a powerful Medium post that went viral, Elle detailed the realization that despite her professional success, all she really wanted to do was paint. Elle continued to work full-time as a designer as she began to pursue art. Step by step, she walked her path toward becoming an artist until she could leave the corporate world behind in pursuit of her MUST. Elle is one of those rising stars we encounter only rarely. As a designer, she has played a key role in shaping some of the defining products and applications of our time. As an artist, she has an enormous, devoted following (with more than 125,000 followers on Instagram). As a writer, she has proven her ability to move readers to tears, to cheers, and to action.

Fredrik Ecklund The Sell

Everything we do is a stage to sell something. No matter who you are. No matter how long you've been doing it. Success is based on how well you sell. Which is way I had hang with the top dog in New York. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Bravo's Fredrik Ecklund Ten years ago, Fredrik Eklund moved to New York City from his native Sweden with nothing but a pair of worn-out sneakers and a dream: to make it big in the city that never sleeps. Since then, he’s become the top seller in the most competitive real estate market on the planet, brokering multimillion-dollar deals for celebrities, selling out properties all over the city, and charming audiences around the world as one of the stars of the hit Bravo series Million Dollar Listing New York. Now, Fredrik shares his secrets in his new book, The Sell: The Secret to Selling Anything to Anyone. According to Fredrik, even if you don’t consider yourself a salesperson, you’ve been in sales your whole life because every day you are selling your most important asset: yourself. Whenever you influence, persuade or convince someone to give you something in exchange for what you’ve got—whether it’s a luxury home, a great idea at work, or your profile on Match.com—you are selling. And if you know how to sell the right way, you can live your dream. The Sell is Fredrik’s fun and practical guide to helping readers be more effective in coming into their own, building relationships, establishing trust, and mastering the art of persuasion. He knows that success takes hard work, research, knowledge, and commitment. If you want to have more personal and professional success, and lead a rich and fulfilling life, The Sell is the answer to all of your questions. Now #highkick yourself into action!

Ben McKenzie from Gotham

Tonight on FOX Gotham returns and I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the man that's trying to make the streets right. From the iHeart Radio Studio its actor Ben McKenzie GOTHAM”—(8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) CC-AD-HDTV 720p-Dolby Digital 5.1 A COLD CASE IS RE-OPENED ON AN ALL-NEW “GOTHAM” MONDAY, APRIL 13, ON FOX Gordon and Bullock investigate a cold case involving the Ogre, a serial killer who targets young women in Gotham City. Meanwhile, Fish plots her escape from the Dollmaker, and Bruce and Selina confront Reggie in the all-new “Beasts of Prey” episode of GOTHAM airing Monday, April 13 (8:00-9:00 ET/PT) on FOX. (GTH-119) (TV-14 L, S, V) Cast: Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman, Zabryna Guevara as Captain Sarah Essen, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma/the future Riddler, Victoria Cartagena as Renee Montoya, Andrew Stewart Jones as Crispus Allen, John Doman as Carmine Falcone Guest Cast: Peter Scolari as Commissioner Loeb, Morena Baccarin as Dr. Leslie Thompkins, Colm Feore as Dr. Francis Dulmacher, David O’Hara as Reggie, Dashiell Eaves as Kelly, Milo Ventimiglia as Jason Lennon, Willa Fitzgerald as Grace Fairchild, PJ Griffith as The Catcher, Brendan Griffin as Officer Len Moore, Barbara Rosenblat as Lidia Bicchieri

Friday, April 10, 2015

Hero Vincent, John Latu and Mathew Probin Carolina Fight Night

Being a 2nd Degree Black Belt is nothing compared to those who've taken their passion to the level of a sport. Tuesday Night Kick Boxing rocks Label at NC Music Factory. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Hero Vincent, John Latu and Mathew Probin Sink or Swim Tattoo of Charlotte presents a Carolina Fight Nights Kickboxing Event on Tuesday April 14th at Label Charlotte. Doors open at 6 and fight starts at 7. For the first time Kickboxing is being brought to Charlotte. There will be an exhibition by the Charlotte Boxing Academy and their aspiring boxers prior to the main event. Tickets Carolinafightnights. com

Dennis Hof Bunny Research

Everything we do has been researched. Nothing is made. No company is run. If its for sale. It's been researched. But what happens when the world famous Bunny Ranch wants to do a little research? Where do they go to find people to do the research? From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the owner Dennis Hof. Bunny Ranch Legal Brothel Hiring Official “Testers” To Ensure "Quality" Control Dennis Hof, owner of the world-famous Bunny Ranch legal brothel, star of HBO’s hit series “Cathouse,” and best-selling author of Judith Regan's “The Art Of The Pimp: A Love Story” is adding the title of “job creator” to his resume with the announcement that he is now hiring a team of “brothel testers” to oversee "quality" control at each of his seven Nevada legal brothels. “The job is exactly what it sounds like”, says Hof. “You get paid a full-time salary to have sex with beautiful girls--and then evaluate their performance.” For Radio Interviews, please call: * 775 742 7300 * pr@bunnyranch.com The job interviewing process has already begun, and interested applicants should send their resumes directly to Dennis Hof at dennis@bunnyranch.com. “I come from a background in sales, and delivering a quality product should always be the top priority of any salesman," Hof says. "In the age of digital media and online customer-generated product reviews, business owners should be more aware than ever of the feedback from their client base." According to Hof, "Hiring someone to oversee customer satisfaction is the key ingredient to ensuring the Bunny Ranch brand’s continued success, and I want that quality control to originate from the hands-on experience of the testers that I am hiring.” In addition to the Bunny Ranch, Hof has purchased an additional six other brothels (comprising approximately 40% of the legal brothel business in North America) located throughout Nevada. That market dominance has made his brand the gold standard in legal prostitution. With the recent publication of Hof’s autobiography “The Art Of The Pimp: A Love Story”, he believes that increased attention to his life story will inspire future entrepreneurs-- and those are exactly the type of applicants he is looking to hire for his new quality control division. “I started out with nothing, but what I did always have, was a strong work ethic and a belief in the integrity of my product. There’s a future 'me' out there, and they’re going to read ‘The Art Of The Pimp,’ and be inspired by my story. This will be the opportunity of a lifetime to take those printed pages and replicate them along a path that I have paved, for the sale of safe and legal sex.” For Radio Interviews, please call: * 775 742 7300 * pr@bunnyranch.com

Giuliana Rancic

You know her. But do you know her? She's been all over every talk show and entertainment update program. But for what reason? I can't just sit here and accept the easy way out. There's always a story behind the story. And I'm not looking for dirt. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with E Networks Giuliana Rancic Giuliana Rancic is best known for interviewing A-listers on the red carpet and E! News, skewering their questionable style choices on Fashion Police, and giving viewers a front-row seat to her marriage and family life on her popular reality show, Giuliana & Bill. What fans may not know is that she learned English from Eddie Murphy, got her American citizenship so she could be a beauty queen, and used to have a bad habit of stealing cars for fun. Giuliana bares this and so much more in her hilarious and uplifting memoir, GOING OFF SCRIPT: How I Survived a Crazy Childhood, Cancer, and Clooney’s 32 On-Screen Rejections (Crown Archetype; April 7, 2015; Hardcover). From a young age she dreamed of being a TV anchorwoman but, because of her inclination toward mischief and away from schoolwork, her path to her dream job was far from straight. After a fateful (and mortifying) encounter with the late Senator Ted Kennedy, she learned that Hollywood news was where she belonged. Thankfully for readers, this epiphany led her to a bounty of LA misadventures (featuring notables such as Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe) and an entertaining behind-the-scenes perspective on what our favorite celebrities are really like. In spite of her glamorous Hollywood life, however, Giuliana could not escape some rockier times, including her battles with infertility and breast cancer. Here, for the first time ever, she reveals the whole truth behind her well-publicized struggles and the highly controversial decisions she had to make. And, of course, at the heart of it all are the two loves of her life who keep her strong through everything, her husband, Bill, and her son, Duke. Candid, funny, and poignant, GOING OFF SCRIPT is an autobiography that proves you don’t always have to follow the rules to get the life you’ve always dreamed of.