What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 31
Micky & the Motorcars
Today’s featured event:
Hear the Eli Young Band and Micky & the Motorcars at 8 tonight at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan.
For more information, call 601-6276 or go to www.wormydog.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Dakota Fanning, “Twilight” stars talk “New Moon”
Dakota Fanning, right, and Chris Evans star in the new film “Push.” But the upcoming “Twilight” sequel “New Moon” was on everyone’s mind Thursday at the “Push” premiere.
Summit Entertainment brought out several actors from its 2008 blockbuster “Twilight” to walk the red carpet Thursday night at the premiere of the studio’s new film, “Push.”
The sci-fi thriller stars Dakota Fanning, the teen actress who is in talks to play vampire baddie Jane in the “Twilight” sequel “New Moon.” According to EW.com’s Hollywood Insider blog, “New Moon” was on everyone’s mind at the premiere.
“I think it is too soon to say for sure whether I will or won’t be in (’New Moon’),” Fanning, who turns 15 on Feb. 23, told EW.com. “But it would be really cool to do it. I am a very big fan of the books. I read them all and Jane is an interesting part. We haven’t really sat down and talked about it. So we will see. It was a good experience working with Summit. I guess I now have an in at the company.”
In Stephenie Meyer’s four-book series, Jane is one of the guards for the Volturi, an Italian coven who are sort of like a royal family and policing force for vampires. Jane has a special talent for causing pain. Though the role differs from most of Fanning’s work, at least one “Twilight” actor thinks she would be a good fit for Jane.
“Dakota Fanning would be great as Jane,” said Ashley Green, who plays good vampire Alice Cullen, adopted brother of hero Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). ”I really hope that rumor becomes reality.”
In addition, Greene said she just received her copy of the “New Moon” script and thinks it will please fans.
“I felt like a spy reading it,” she told EW.com. “It does come very close to the tone and the events that are in book 2. There are a couple of things that were changed which I think make it more interesting for the visual medium but nothing that will upset fans of the books. I think it is safe to say that it will make everyone happy.”
Kellan Lutz, who plays fellow good vampire Emmett Cullen, called the script “amazing.” Like Taylor Lautner, who will play werewolf Jacob Black in “New Moon,” Lutz told EW.com he has been bulking up to shoot the sequel, which starts filming in April with plans of a November release.
However, actors Rachelle Lefevre and Edi Gathegi , who play blood-thirsty vampires Victoria and Laurent, said they have yet to see the closely-guarded script, adapted by screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who also penned the “Twilight” screenplay. Lefevre told EW.com is is preparing to play her vengeful character.
“I have to figure out how to channel that much hatred and grief healthily because that is a pretty dark place to go,” she said.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Jai Ho,” A.R. Rahman, from the 2008 “Slumdog Millionaire” soundtrack.
As regular readers of my blog know, “Slumdog Millionaire” was my No. 1 movie of 2008 and has earned a spot on my all-time favorite films list. I’m also a huge fan of the soundtrack by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, who collaborated with hip-hop artist M.I.A.
Last week, “Slumdog” was nominated for 10 Oscars, including three for its soundtrack: best original score and best song for the film’s transportive opener “O…Saya” and uplifting closer, “Jai Ho.”
But “Jai Ho” makes the FFT this week not because of its Oscar recognition or my own love for the film and its music. It wins its place of honor here at BAM’s Blog because it has curried the favor of my 2-year-old son, Gabe the Babe. And believe me, there’s nothing cuter than a sandy-haired, apple-cheeked toddler asking you to play “Jai Ho” for him again.
Not only has heard the CD playing in my car, but he’s absorbed clips of the accompanying Bollywood-style dance number, which you can find online and embedded above. He and I dance along with it, which only heightens the appeal of the infectious music, the elaborate dancing and the trains featured in the film clips.
While I’ll admit it’s strange for a child to be so enamored with music and scenes from a harrowing, R-rated movie he’s not going to be permitted to see for at least a decade, I view that as more proof of Rahman’s musical genius.
And in case you were wondering, “Jai Ho” roughly means in English “It’s victory,” which is actually what I might have guessed based on the tone of the song. At least that’s what it says in this English-subtitled video of the song, which I found at DailyMotion.com. If you want to enable the English, click on the menu, and check “Enable Subtitles en.” You have to do it at the start of the song, though.
I can’t vouch for the translation, since I don’t speak any Indian dialects, but it seems to fit the tone of the song and film.
And I can vouch for Gabe the Babe’s love of it, which is its own kind of victory, both for the filmmakers and a mom trying to raise a cultured, well-rounded child.
-BAM
U2, Kid Rock, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Rihanna added to Grammys lineup
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant (Associated Press photo)
U2, Kid Rock, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Rihanna are the latest performers announced for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
They join previously announced performers Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Paul McCartney (with special guest drummer Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters), Katy Perry, Radiohead, T.I. and Justin Timberlake (performing together), and a special collaboration with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye performing their hit single “Swagga Like Us.”
The Grammys will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 8 on CBS.
Actor Simon Baker (CBS’s “The Mentalist”), actor/musician Jack Black, current three-time Grammy nominee Duffy, current nominee Josh Groban, three-time Grammy-winning jazz musician and current nominee Charlie Haden, actor Samuel L. Jackson and Academy Award-winning actress and current Grammy nominee Gwyneth Paltrow will appear as presenters.
Two-time Grammy winner Robert Plant and 21-time Grammy winner Alison Krauss have five nominations: Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album for “Raising Sand,” Record Of The Year (”Please Read The Letter”), Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (”Rich Woman”) and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals (”Killing The Blues”).
Duffy and Grammy winner Rihanna each have three nods. Duffy is up for Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (”Mercy”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (”Rockferry”). Rihanna is nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (”If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5), Best Dance Recording (”Disturbia”) and Best Long Form Music Video (”Good Girl Gone Bad Live”).
Kid Rock is up for two awards: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (”All Summer Long”) and Best Rock Album (”Rock N Roll Jesus”).
Josh Groban, Charlie Haden and Gwyneth Paltrow each have one nomination. Groban has a nod for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (”Noël”). Haden is nominated for Best Country Instrumental Performance (”Is This America? (Katrina 2005)” with Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas and Bruce Hornsby) and Paltrow is nominated for Best Spoken Word Album For Children (”Brown Bear And Friends”).
As previously announced, Katy Perry will perform as part of the ”My Grammy Moment” segment on the telecast. This year, music fans can upload a 30- to 60-second video of themselves singing along to a portion of Perry’s current Grammy-nominated song, “I Kissed A Girl,” at www.CBS.com/grammys through Feb. 6. Submitted videos will be voted on by CBS.com users, and the most popular videos will be shown as part of Perry’s Grammy performance.
-BAM
Disturbed to launch Music as a Weapon IV Festival, bring it to Oklahoma City
Disturbed
Tickets went on sale today for Disturb’s Music as a Weapon IV Festival, coming March 23 at Ford Center.
Presented by Samsung Mobile and powered by Sprint, the tour will feature Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil and Chimaira, according to a news release.
The festival opens at 2 p.m. March 23; the concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $39.75.
Tickets are available at the U.S. Army Box Office at Ford Center; all Ticketmaster outlets including participating Macy’s, Suncoast Movie and FYE stores; by phone at (800) 745.3000; or online at www.okfordcenter.com.
Fresh off their headlining North American tour in support of their platinum album “Indestructible,” Grammy-nominated hard-rock band Disturbed will launch the Music As A Weapon IV Tour-a music, tattoo, and lifestyle festival-presented by Samsung Mobile and powered by Sprint.
Although the Chicago quartet conceived Music As A Weapon in 2001 and have headlined the previous three tours, this is the first time that it has been expanded into a complete lifestyle festival. In addition to presenting the best in rock music, Music As A Weapon IV also features a collection of the greatest tattoo artists from around the country offering their talents to attendees in each city, including the world-famous Oliver Peck (seen on “Miami Ink” and “Bam’s Unholy Union” on MTV), Las Vegas’ Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company (founded by freestyle motocross legend Carey Hart). Attendees will also be able to check out an extreme sports complex where freestyle motocross, BMX, and skate teams will perform, a technology and gaming zone, and a vendor village, all for a fan-friendly ticket price.
”We really wanted to make sure fans attending Music As a Weapon this year got the most bang for their buck,” says Disturbed frontman David Draiman, in the release. “So we decided to bring in the tattoo artists, the extreme sports complex, the gaming, and the vendor village to go beyond the usual live music experience and give the concerts the feel of a true event. Our feeling in expanding the festival was to give people maximum entertainment value. If they are going to part with their hard-earned money, we need to honor that and give them our all in return.”
Disturbed will be joined on the 38-city, nine-week trek, which kicks off March 20 in Madison, Wis., by Killswitch Engage on the main-stage, as well as Lacuna Coil, Chimaira, and other acts to be announced on the second stage.
Go to www.musicasaweapon4.com for more information.
For more information on Disturbed, go to www.disturbed1.com or www.myspace.com/disturbed.
For more information on Killswitch Engage, go to www.killswitchengage.com or www.myspace.com/killswitchengage.
For more information on Lacuna Coil, go to http://www.lacunacoil.it or www.myspace.com/lacunacoil.
For more information on Chimaira, go to www.chimaira.com or www.myspace.com/chimaira.
-BAM
AC/DC, BOK Center refunding iced out fans
AC/DC and the BOK Center will refund tickets to concert-goers who were unable to attend Monday night’s show due to the icy weather conditions, according to a news release from the venue.
Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties in Oklahoma Monday because of the inclement weather, but the AC/DC show went on in Tulsa, reportedly to a mostly full house. That’s show biz.
I say the venue was reportedly mostly full because though I had review passes and plans to see the show, I wasn’t willing to risk the icy roads all the way from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and back again. (My brother-in-law, who planned to go with me, and my editors weren’t willing for me to take that chance, either.)
For patrons who weren’t able to attend the show, to receive a refund, you must return the ticket to the point of purchase. If your ticket was purchased online, please call (866) 7BOKCTR for your refund.
Only tickets that were not used will receive a full refund, minus the shipping and handling fee, according to the news release. The release notes that refunds will only be given if the ticket was purchased through the BOK Center’s official ticketing provider, Tickets.com.
Refunds started this morning. The deadline for all refunds is 4 p.m. March 16.
Hopefully, the next time AC/DC rocks Oklahoma, the weather will be a little more cooperative.
-BAM
Weekend Warmup
From left, Jeannette Bayardelle (Celie) and LaToya London (Nettie) in “The Color Purple.” (Photo by Paul Kolnik)
A look at the events happening in Oklahoma Jan. 30-Feb. 1:
Arts
- “The Color Purple”: See “The Color Purple” at 8 p.m. today, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Information: 297-2264 or www.celebrityattractions.com.
- Cafe City Arts: The 16th annual fundraising art celebration and sale will begin at 7:30 tonight at City Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd. at State Fair Park. The event will include a catwalk with Nicole Moan’s ceramic corset models, Perpetual Motion dancers and food and drink from the metro’s finest restaurants. Information: 951-0000 or www.cityartscenter.org.
Harlem Globetrotters
Family
- Harlem Globetrotters: The Harlem Globetrotters will perform at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford Center, 100 W Reno. Information: www.okfordcenter.com.
- “The Revolve Tour: All Access”: This conference is a ministry for teen girls, featuring special musical guests Krystal Meyers, Hawk Nelson, Natalie Grant and Group 1 Crew. Hours are 7 to 9:30 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Ford Center, 100 W Reno. Information: (877) 973-8658 or www.revolvetour.com.
Jewel
Music
- Jewel: The singer-songwriter will perform in support of her 2008 country album “Perfectly Clear” at 8 tonight at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9 in Norman. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com. She also will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at WinStar Casino, 777 Casino Ave. in Thackerville. Information: (800) 622-6317.
- Sugar Free Allstars: Get funky with the Sugar Free Allstars at 10 tonight at the 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51. Information: 463-0470.
- The Dirt Drifters: Listen to country band The Dirt Drifters at 10:45 tonight at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.
Eli Young Band
- The Eli Young Band and Micky & the Motorcars: The Eli Young Band and Micky & the Motorcars will play at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Wormy Dog. Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.
- Red Dirt Music Fest: Catch No Justice, Jackson Taylor Band, Bart Crow Band and more at the Red Dirt Music Fest from 4 p.m. Saturday-2 p.m. Sunday at the Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie. Information: 282-7433 or www.myspace.com/reddirtmusicfest.
- Tapes ‘n Tapes: Hear indie rock band Tapes ‘n Tapes with Wild Light at 9 p.m. Saturday at The Opolis, 113 N Crawford Ave. in Norman. Information: www.starlightmints.com/opolis.html.
Two dinosaurs face off last week during the Oklahoma City production of “Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular.” The show is in Tulsa this weekend. (Photo by Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman)
Statewide
- “Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular,” TULSA: See the lifesize animatronic dinosaurs at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. today; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Information: www.bokcenter.com.
- Jason Boland & The Stragglers, TECUMSEH: Hear Jason Boland, who hails from Harrah, and his band at 8 p.m. Saturday at JT’s Cowtown USA, 40501 Benson Park Rd. Information: www.thestragglers.com.
- Rock Out, CLINTON: Get a blast of ’80s hair metal with Rock Out, featuring Ratt, Warrant and Dokken, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lucky Star Casino, 101 N. Indian Hospital Rd. Information: www.luckystarcasino.org.
-BAM
“Watchmen” headlines the movie slate for winter, spring
“Watchmen”
My colleague George Lang and I compiled this story on the movies coming up at Oklahoma City theaters during winter and spring. It covers today through the last weekend in April; look for our wrap of the summer blockbuster season in spring. All trailers are embedded here courtesy YouTube. A version of this story also appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Winter/spring film wrap
Quality movies tend to be a little slow out of the gate in January, but a rush of first-rate “awards season” films such as “Frost/Nixon” and “The Wrestler” kept Oklahoma City moviegoers warm during these icy days.
And now that “Watchmen” is confirmed for release after intra-studio legal maneuvering, the upcoming movie season is looking positively super-powered.
The following is a list of major films set for release through early May. All dates are subject to change as the season moves forward and studios jockey for prime opening-weekend positions.
“Taken” trailer:
Today
A young woman (Emily Browning) is warned by her mother’s ghost about the murderous motives of her stepmother-to-be (Elizabeth Banks) in “The Uninvited.”
Kristin Scott Thomas plays a former convict reunited with her sister in the French import “I’ve Loved You So Long.”
Liam Neeson plays an ex-government agent hunting in Paris’ underworld for his kidnapped daughter in “Taken.”
“New in Town” stars Renee Zellweger as a tough, Miami, Fla.-based business consultant who meets with a frosty reception when she’s sent to a small Minnesota town to supervise the restructuring of a local manufacturing plant.
“Coraline” trailer:
Feb. 6
Young psychics (Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans) try to end the government program that gave them their powers in “Push.”
Greg Behrendt’s best-selling, comedic self-help book becomes a star-studded romantic comedy featuring Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Connelly in “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
Steve Martin searches again for the elusive titular pink diamond in his role as Inspector Clouseau in “Pink Panther 2.”
Director Henry Selick (”The Nightmare Before Christmas”) returns with “Coraline,” Neil Gaiman’s story about a young girl (voiced by Fanning) who discovers an alternate-reality family living in the walls of her rambling house.
“The International” trailer:
Feb. 13
An Interpol agent (Clive Owen) and a New York district attorney (Naomi Watts) take on a global banking power in “The International.”
Hockey-masked killer Jason gets a new lease on life – and death – in “Friday the 13th.”
A pathological purchaser (Isla Fisher) tries to get a job at her favorite fashion magazine in “Confessions of a Shopaholic.”
Director Ari Folman reconstructs his memories of an Israeli army mission during the first Lebanon War through animation in “Waltz With Bashir.”
“Fired Up” trailer:
Feb. 20
Two popular high school football players ditch the pigskin to become cheerleaders in “Fired Up.”
Tyler Perry’s petulant granny dishes out some caged heat in “Madea Goes to Jail.”
“Jonas Brothers” trailer:
Feb. 27
Kristin Kreuk of “Smallville” leaps into action in the video-game adaptation “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li.”
The brotherly boy band of the moment delivers its first live performance film in “Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Movie.”
“Watchmen” trailer:
March 6
While creator Alan Moore disowns all film versions of his work, the buzz is huge for “Watchmen,” “300″ director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of `Moore’s dystopian graphic novel about masked avengers solving the murder of one of their own in 1985, during Richard Nixon’s fifth term in office.
“Miss March” trailer:
March 13
A young man awakens from a four-year coma to discover that his high school angel is a centerfold in “Miss March.”
Dwayne Johnson helps re-launch a classic Disney live-action series in “Race to Witch Mountain,” in which two teens with supernatural powers lead a Las Vegas cabbie through a bizarre adventure.
“Duplicity” trailer:
March 20
Julia Roberts and Clive Owen (”Closer”) reunite for “Duplicity,” writer-director Tony Gilroy’s (”Michael Clayton”) caper about corporate spies with a sexy past hooking up to con their companies.
In “Sunshine Cleaning,” a cash-strapped single mom (Amy Adams) and her slacker sister (Emily Blunt) start a crime-scene cleanup service.
After alarming predictions encased in the time capsule at his son’s school prove true, a professor (Nicolas Cage) tries to stop the other forecasts from happening in “Knowing.”
And in “I Love You, Man,” a friendless groom (Paul Rudd) goes on a series of man-dates to find a best man for his wedding, which gains him a best friend (Jason Segel) but threatens his bond with his fiancee (Rashida Jones).
“Monsters vs. Aliens” trailer:
March 27
In “Monsters vs. Aliens,” monsters locked away in a secret government compound must save the Earth when space aliens attack. The 3-D animated movie features the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Colbert and more.
Writer-director Greg Mottola (”Superbad”) flashes back to summer 1987, when a recent college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) takes a dead-end job at an amusement park that prepares him for life in “Adventureland.” The film also stars Kristen Stewart and Ryan Reynolds.
In “12 Rounds,” a detective (John Cena) must complete 12 challenges to save his kidnapped girl-friend (Ashley Scott).
And Ice Cube and Mike Epps star as shady concert promoters who find trouble when their plan to book a star rapper (Young Jeezy) goes wrong in “Janky Promoters.”
“Fast & Furious” trailer:
April 3
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker (2001’s “The Fast and the Furious”) reprise their respective roles as an ex-con and federal agent with a shared love of fast cars in “Fast & Furious,” the latest flick in the franchise.
“Dragonball: Evolution” trailer:
April 8
Based on Akira Toriyama’s popular manga series, “Dragonball: Evolution” follows a warrior (Justin Chatwin) and his master (Chow Yun-Fat) trying to save the Earth from evil alien forces.
“Hannah Montana” trailer:
April 10
The smash-hit Disney Channel show gets the film treatment with “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” starring Miley Ray Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus and Emily Osment.
And look out “Paul Blart,” Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta and Patton Oswalt star in “Observe and Report,” a comedy about a bipolar mall security guard (Rogen) and a cranky cop (Liotta) who team up to catch a flasher.
“State of Play” trailer:
April 17
The political thriller “State of Play,” based on the BBC series of the same name, stars Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Viola Davis, Robin Wright Penn, Jeff Daniels and Jason Bateman.
Matthew Perry and Zac Efron play the same guy at two different ages in “17 Again,” a comedy about a disappointed man who reverts to his teenage self.
And in “Crank 2: High Voltage,” assassin Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) again races for his life, this time in pursuit of the mobster who has stolen his high-tech heart.
“Earth” trailer:
April 22
The Disney documentary “Earth,” based on the TV series “Planet Earth,” follows the migratory paths of four animal families.
“The Soloist” trailer:
April 24
Based on a true story, “The Soloist” centers on a musically gifted homeless man (Jamie Foxx) and the reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends the man and discovers his talents.
In “Obsessed,” a stalker (Ali Larter) targets a well-heeled businessman (Idris Elba) and his lovely spouse (Beyonce Knowles).
And in “Fighting,” an experienced con artist (Terrence Howard) introduces a young crook (Channing Tatum) to New York City’s underground street fighting scene.
“The Hurt Locker” trailer:
Spring
The Iraq War thriller “The Hurt Locker” follows an elite U.S. military bomb-detonating unit. (No release date set.)
-BAM
Paula Nelson playing supporting role at Kevin Costner’s Oklahoma City show
Paula Nelson
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Costner, Paula Nelson to play
Willie Nelson’s daughter to open actor/singer’s show
Paula Nelson isn’t sure how she was cast to open three dates for Kevin Costner & Modern West, but she’s grateful for the exposure the high-profile supporting role will generate for her band.
“I don’t know how we got that gig, but it’s pretty cool to open for Kevin Costner,” said Nelson, who will open the first of three shows for Costner and Co. Tuesday at the Wormy Dog Saloon. “I’m a fan. He’s awesome. It’s a nice little addition to the tour.”
Despite her love for the movie “Dances with Wolves,” it’s doubtful the bluesy-voiced Southern rock singer-songwriter will be star-struck in the presence of Costner, who is best known as an Oscar-winning actor/director but lately has been focusing on fronting his country-rock band.
“I think that movie was awesome. Yeah, it’s cool, but I think I pretty much try to respect celebrities ‘cause I know they get bugged all the time, so I’m like I’ll just try to thank him … other than that, I’ll probably just let him be,” Nelson said in a smoky voice reminiscent of her father’s, living country legend Willie Nelson.
Nelson, 39, spent much of her childhood riding her famous father’s tour bus, learning piano, guitar and songwriting along the way.
And while she hasn’t heard Costner’s music – “I just found out that he had a band,” she admitted – their music careers share a few similarities.
For instance, Costner’s country-rock crooner aspirations have been backburnered for the past two decades in favor of his wide-ranging film career. Although he and bandmate John Coinman have been making music together since the ‘80s, Modern West just released its debut album, “Untold Truths,” last year.
Nelson has been making music under the mainstream radar for about 13 years, but her life has taken many different paths, from drug-addict-turned-drug counselor to massage therapist. The lure of her musical heritage proved undeniable: For the past three and a half years, the Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter has been making music steadily with her “third or fourth band,” releasing the album “Lucky 13″ in 2008. Her father and brother Luke appear on her album on the ballad “Day to Day Love.”
Having a famous father has made her music path both smoother and rockier. Nelson knows that curiosity about Willie’s daughter draws many people to her shows, which she and her band travel to in one of her dad’s old tour buses.
“In the beginning, when I was a little nervous about going out and doing it, it made it harder. But the older I get the wiser I am, and it’s gotten a little bit easier,” said Nelson in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where she was enjoying a rare night off before a pair of shows. “And of course, he’s helped us out a lot, so it has opened a lot of doors. But I think once they see the show, they’ll walk away knowing the Paula Nelson Band rather than just the Willie connection.”
The band’s music mixes rock, blues and old-school country, and Nelson’s influences, along with her dad, include the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Charley Pride and Ray Charles. Her band will play an acoustic set at Tuesday’s Modern West show.
Another parallel with Costner: Nelson will appear this year in a film, the thriller “Conflict of Interest.”
But after years of making music an off-and-on endeavor, she is now comfortable as a singer-songwriter, just like her dad. Nelson already has written 10 songs for a new album, though the band has been too busy touring them to record them.
“I’m a terrible waitress,” she said with a laugh. “And this is my life. I love doing this.”
In concert
Kevin Costner & Modern West with the Paula Nelson Band
When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. (Feb. 3) Doors open at 6.
Where: Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan in Bricktown.
Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.
-BAM
DVD review: “Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Edition”
A version of this review appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary Edition”
One of Disney’s most charming and beloved live-action musicals, “Mary Poppins” celebrates another anniversary with yet another two-disc special edition.
Set in 1910, the film introduces a magical nanny into the unhappy Banks family. The Banks children, Jane and Michael (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber), run wild because their banker father (David Tomlinson) and suffragette mother (Glynis Johns) are too busy with their own pursuits to pay their offspring any mind.
When the family’s nanny quits, Mr. Banks searches for a strict replacement, but the children wish for a kindly caregiver. A changing wind blows away all the candidates lined up outside the Banks home and brings Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) flying in with her magic umbrella and carpet bag.
At once fun-loving and no-nonsense, Mary and her jack-of-all-trades pal Bert (Dick Van Dyke) take the children on enchanted adventures, introduce them to colorful characters and gently teach them to be caring.
Based on the books by P.L. Travers, with whom Walt Disney negotiated for years to get the film rights, the movie features indelible song-and-dance numbers such as “Step in Time,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” “Jolly Holiday” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” merge the actors with a delightful animated landscape.
“Mary Poppins” was nominated for 13 Oscars, won five and launched Andrews film career. The 45th anniversary edition includes many bonus features, including a 50-minute making-of documentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a deleted song, a bonus short and more. Viewers can watch the film with an audio commentary, with the lyrics of the songs or with pop-up facts.
Unfortunately, most of the bonus features are recycled from the 40th anniversary edition.
Families and fans of musicals certainly should add “Mary Poppins” to their DVD library, but those who already own the last edition don’t need the 45th anniversary set.
- BAM
