kib

Cat knows how to play a guitar

Went to Kenny Rogers guy...

Among other things I suspect...

This show is always chockablock with drinking game opportunites... Lip lick count: 12

Highway to Hell... at least The Recording Academy is offering truth in advertising. Lip link count:4

The over/under for LL Cool J lip licks is 27. Wagers must be placed prior to 8:00

In baseball terms, I'd say Mayer hit a solid double. The cold open was fun, nice touch with the retro CBS color bumper. Thankfully no dancers or children doing 'a big opening number'. Monologue was solid enough, perhaps a little higher frequency than what an audience hoping the attend "The Price Is Right" and being diverted to LLS might be attuned to, but it seemed generally well received (Ferguson had the same problem for years). If I were a network suit, my two notes would be first, John needed to pay more attention to his guests than his producer. Very distracted looking for hints, clues, winks and nods from the floor producer. As soon as he got engaged with the guest things started cooking. Along the same lines, second note would be don't let the tech crew determine your pacing. There were a couple of times , particularly when he made a break for the 'croon cam' that he'd hold up launching into something because he presumably wanted to make sure the cameras caught it. They will John, they will. The obvious highlight of the show was the Buckley song with John Legend, Mayer on the hollow-body, and a standup bass. Sublime. I could listen to that all damn day long. Oh, and poppers...

I'm kind of looking forward to John Mayer hosting. Years ago (before he got crazy-famous, banging every starlet in sight and turning into kind of a tool) he did a short lived show on VH1 called "John Mayer Has A TV Show" which was actually pretty entertaining as I recall. He's got a wicked sense of humor (which can easily be perceived as being a garden-variety douchebag), a very good sense of comic timing and wasn't afraid of letting a little air out of the inflation of being a music star. That was then and this is now, but the man does have something of a foundation to build a hour of acceptable Tee Vee. It couldn't be any worse than Cummings and her ghastly sidekick, Gaffigan's Von Trapp family schtick, Apatow being creepy about Goldbulm's contortionist wife and poor Regis clinging on to maintain some bit of dignity of a 50 year career.

No more coincidental than commercials appearing right after the guest segment for the film the guest is promoting. In other words...

James Corden is no Terry Forster...

OK, now we're back on track. I like the 'themed' vignettes in so much that, let's face it, as brilliant as the show is they don't knock it out of the park every time. The short pieces allow some relief if a segment just isn't working. I think it also leaves room to explore a little bit of silliness without having to flesh out an entire story arc. I enjoyed this one!

Damn straight.

I would also add Nico & Vinz from a couple of weeks ago. The bands appearing lately have been really top notch and we're all going to be less better off when this showcase goes away. I don't think a lot of these folks will ever get a chance with Fallon's show if for no other reason than they'll be overlooked by NBC/Universal/Comcast because they won't be able to monetize the appearance on The Today Show, The Weather Channel, Sunday Night Football or whatever... I understood the night of the "Enjoy every sandwich" appearance Zevon gave Dave his favorite guitar backstage in the dressing room. Understandably something like that is going to hit you pretty hard. I can't even imagine. So... how uncomfortable was it to watch Amanda Peet? I kind of wish they had just banged the crap out of each other years ago and gotten it out of their system so we wouldn't have to get creeped out with a 'coulda-woulda-shoulda' session like that. That must have been some fun to come home to their families for each of them as well. Peet is a lovely guest but when it starts getting a high-school reunion 'regrets' vibe, it's time to bring on Stupid Pet Tricks instead. Jesus Dave, why not just go full nuclear annihilation and ask Merrill Markoe and Stephanie Birkitt to come on the show too? "Parade of lasts" indeed.

I believe you're right, it sure didn't sound like him. Maybe he doesn't do voice work???? :) EDIT: Mr. Keillor most certainly does voice work besides my obvious attempt to be funny about his Prairie Home Companion gig. Exhibit A: Those wonderful Honda commercials, of which, this might be the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yylNWKoifgk

That is an excellent question. (Although as much trouble as they seem have making a coherent tribute to someone appearing in films, heads would explode ginning something up for an honoree in radio )

I was always partial to Annie Lennox's spin on it. I guess that's the thing about an iconic song, huh?

Metaphorical narrative description. My heartfelt apologies to Yalies, past, present and future. Point still holds, they had no business being there doing a song from a film that in some ways was the antithesis of that style of music performance. If one recalls in the film, The Wonders were just another sappy sockhop band until Tom Everett Scott screwed up the drum beat, did the song in double time and thus a hit was born.

In recent years I've drifted away from 'awards' shows. I don't use premium cable so the "Emmys" are useless to try and keep up with. In some ways it's similar with the "Grammys", if you're not dialed into whatever is commercially hot at the time, you won't be seeing an act you like, alternative or not. The Oscars confirm what the Sony hack revealed, the film business is basically high school with money. The "Tonys" might be interesting if I lived in NYC and could attend the shows featured. I mention all this to praise the Kennedy Center Honors. Yes, the honorees qualify for AARP cards, but the joy of it is seeing younger gifted performers picking right up where the honoree left off. A few randoms about last nights show: The Al Green segment was wonderful, nice old school R&B. Green was on Letterman the other night (more about Letterman later) and can still get it done. Too bad the producers couldn't have broke with tradition and let Al do a number. As an Alpha male, ballet isn't often on my radar but Misty Copeland's performance couldn't have been more pleasant, as was the entire segment. By the way, my wife offered me a short course of 'Ballet Boobs' (???) The Tom Hanks segment was a trainwreck starting with the sad realization that my TV friend of 30 years, David Letterman is in fact a really old guy. His voice sounded so thready and weak during the clip narration. Bummer. Bringing me down further was that MGM-esqe musical tribute. Did the producers ever see "That Thing You Do"? It was about rock and roll, not the God damn Whiffenpoofs, so why were they there???? Just down hill from there, even Marty Short couldn't save the wreckage. OTOH the Lily Tomlin segment was pitch perfect, even Garrison Keillor strangely enough seemed right being there. So glad they found room for Kate McKinnon, who like Tomlin is perfectly comfortable going all in playing the oddest of characters. Props. Sting. My wife said "Look, he claps his hands like a toddler" Whatdayaknow... she's right. Lady Gaga was this year's Ann Wilson, just an electric performance. Mars and Springsteen were top notch as usual. Bonus points as always for the Honors show, see old white politicians attempting to keep rhythm with the likes of Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Led Zep etc. etc. Get back to work you weasels, you're not allowed to go the the theater until you've fixed things!!!

Nice, thoughtful piece: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/238800/david-letterman-still-making-midnight-special-but.html So happy for the mention of Jessye Norman's appearance.

BTW - I hope y'all don't construe that I believe the Late Show staff should bury facts if there's some sort of illegal activity going on backstage 'for the team'. It's just that running to the press (if the Daily News even qualifies) to report what or what may not appear to be aberrant behavior by a guest doesn't do the company any favors. I have to believe over the 30-some year run there's been a fair amount of weird shit that's gone on behind the scenes with guests. This simply seems like bandwagoning by someone not very close to the company. I really don't remember this kind of idol gossip being spread by the staff even when the boss had his issues. Just thought I needed to say that...

It gets more tawdry: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/cbs-women-curry-favor-article-1.2020179 If it's someone on the staff that went to (tympani drums please..)"Confidential" with this story I can't imagine Dave being too happy with them given his ethic about 'team'. I suspect "a source close to the show" ain't. In any event, at the end of the day I'm guessin' Dave is more than ready to pack it up and go fly fishing at his place in Montana.

No need to feel alone being "brag-y": http://www.660news.com/2014/11/19/calgary-rescue-dog-shows-off-skills-with-david-letterman/ http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/1216542/agile-calgary-pooch-stars-on-the-late-show-with-david-letterman/ Lexi appears to have a pretty good press agent! To paraphrase E.B. White, "Some Dog"

No Dingos biting the host? Obviously the screening process has gotten better.

The "Presidential Second Acts" bit is knocking it out of the park for me. Moral of the story: Never wipe your glasses on a staffer's clothing, there will be retribution.

Translation: "notes" from the network. Suits... gotta love 'em