Video: Honda’s “Ferris Bueller”-theme Super Bowl trailer, starring Matthew Broderick

It just seems like there are more and more reasons to tune into this year’s Super Bowl.

Even if the unexpected matchup of the New York Giants and New England Patriots doesn’t especially appeal to you – personally, I’m kind of looking forward to it – there’s always the chance to watch Oklahoma native and the most likable man in football, Wes Welker, work his onfield magic.

Plus, Oklahoma country music stars Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will sing “America the Beautiful” during the televised pregame festivities Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. “American Idol” Kelly Clarkson will perform the National Anthem before kickoff, which is set for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC. For my part, I’m more excited about this collection of Okie and Texas talent performing than I am about Madonna playing the halftime hoopla, but I’m also hoping the “Material Girl” will put on a good show.

Then, the special Season 2 premiere of the hit reality TV show “The Voice,” which stars Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine as celebrity coaches, is set for approximately 9 to 10 p.m. Sunday, depending on how long it takes the Giants and Patriots to settle their score.

Finally, some of the commercials look really promising. Many advertisers have been previewing or unveiling early their Super Bowl commercials this week as they work at building buzz.

One of the best and buzziest so far is Honda’s “Ferris Bueller” CR-V ad featuring Matthew Broderick.

Advertisers are forking over a record $3.5 million for 30 seconds of air time during the country’s most watched television show, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and I would that in Honda’s case, that is money well spent.

-BAM


Carrie Underwood and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler sharing stage tonight in special “CMT Crossroads” from Indianapolis

In this April 3, 2011, photo, singers Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood perform at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. Tyler and Underwood are teaming up for a special CMT Crossroads the night before the Super Bowl. "CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood Live from The Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam" will air Saturday, Feb. 4. (AP file)

Checotah native and 2005 “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood and Aerosmith frontman and current “Idol” judge Steven Tyler and will share the stage in a “CMT Crossroads” special airing live from Indianapolis tonight, the night before Super Bowl XLVI.

“CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam” will take place at the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair Grounds, reports CMT.com.

The show will premiere live at 10 tonight on CMT. Their “CMT Crossroads” special will reair at 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday on CMT.

As Aerosmith’s frontman, Tyler established himself as one of rock music’s most popular vocalists with hits such as “Sweet Emotion,” “Dream On” and “Last Child.”

After winning “Idol” in 2005, Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums and won five Grammys, seven CMT Music Awards and six American Music Awards. She is a two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year award and a three-time winner of both the Country Music Association’s and ACM’s female vocalist of the year award. She announced last week that her fourth album will be out May 1.

Tyler and Underwood previously performed together in 2011 at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. The duo brought the arena crowd to its feet and wowed millions of viewers at home performing Underwood’s No. 1 song “Undo It” followed by Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”

“I just love to sing and I love her stuff. A good friend of mine writes songs with her. When I heard ‘Undo It,’ I said, ‘What is that?’ That is an Aerosmith song, right? I am going to finish recording that with you. He said, ‘No, I wrote that with Carrie, it is coming out in a week,’” Tyler told the Associated Press.

“I met her and it was all over after that, once I looked into her eyes. She opened her mouth and sang and she is that good. I loved singing with her.”

The two stars rehearsed Thursday evening in North Greenfield, just outside of Indianapolis, ahead of tonight’s show. The former “Idol” champ says she enjoys working with the lively Tyler because he “makes everybody all warm and fuzzy.”

While Tyler, closely connected to Boston for years, made clear he was rooting for the New England Patriots in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, Underwood demurred when asked to name her pick. In her house, she says hockey is the main focus, since husband Mike Fisher is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

“He is Canadian so I have had to switch his focus from so much hockey to a little football because we watch a lot of hockey,” she told the AP. “I love watching him and I love watching the Predators.”

-BAM


Video: “The Voice” Season 2 premiering Sunday after the Super Bowl

The special Season 2 premiere of “The Voice” is set for approximately 9 to 10 p.m. Sunday, depending on how long it takes the New York Giants and New England Patriots to settle their score in Super Bowl XLVI, and hit-starved NBC has the promotional blitz running full throttle.

Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton, one of the show’s four musician-coaches, and his wife Miranda Lambert, who will be one of his team’s celebrity advisers on this season of “The Voice,” will sing “America the Beautiful” during the televised pregame festivities Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. “American Idol” Kelly Clarkson, who will be the other adviser for Team Blake, will perform the National Anthem before kickoff, which is set for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC.

Shelton and fellow musician-coaches Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine will be guests today on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which airs at 4 p.m. weekdays on KOCO-5 in Oklahoma City. Also, Levine appeared Thursday night on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” while Shelton chatted and sang on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where the Tishomingo resident also showed a clip of “The Voice’s” action-packed Super Bowl commerical.

The musician-coaches – Shelton, Aguilera, Levine and Cee Lo Green – are expected to kick off Sunday night’s special premiere episode of “The Voice” by performing a medley of hits by Prince.

The hit reality TV show will settle into its regular time slot of 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays the following night, and it looks like we will see a talented singer taking on a Leon Russell classic in one of the early episodes:

-BAM


Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert to perform during Super Bowl pregame; “The Voice” premieres after the game

Oklahoma country music stars Blake Shelton, left, and Miranda Lambert arrive at the 2010 BMI Country Awards in Nashville, Tenn. Lambert will serve as an adviser on the second season of "The Voice," which premieres Sunday after the Super Bowl. Lambert is married to Blake Shelton, one of the show's musician-coaches. AP photo

From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert to perform during Super Bowl pregame
BAM: The eagerly awaited second season of NBC’s hit reality TV show “The Voice,” on which Shelton serves as a celebrity coach, will premiere Sunday night after the big game.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are going to the Super Bowl.

The country music power couple, who live in Tishomingo, will sing a duet of “America the Beautiful” during the televised pregame festivities Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the NFL and NBC confirmed earlier this week. “American Idol” Kelly Clarkson will belt the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XLVI, which will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC.

That means that before the New York Giants and New England Patriots get down to the business of determining the National Football League’s 2012 champions, Team Blake already will have a bit of an advantage when it comes to deciding the Season 2 winner of “The Voice.”

After the reality singing competition’s surprising breakout last year, the peacock network opted to devote its coveted post-Super Bowl slot to the second season debut of the “The Voice.”

The special premiere of “The Voice” is set for approximately 9 to 10 p.m. Sunday, depending on how long it takes the Giants and Patriots to settle their score. The hit reality TV show will settle into its regular time slot of 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays the following night.

Musician-coaches Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and Shelton, who emerged as the show’s breakout star last year, are all returning for the series’ hotly anticipated second season, along with host Carson Daily. The superstar quartet will kick off Sunday’s season premiere by performing a rocking medley of Prince’s hits.

Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton is shown during the first season of "The Voice." The second season of the reality TV show, which features Shelton as a musician-coach, will debut Sunday night after the Super Bowl on NBC. NBC photo

While the coaching panel remains the same, practically everything else about “The Voice” seems to be getting bigger and better. As Shelton predicted shortly after the show’s strong first season started, Season 2 will bring more of the series’ innovative blind auditions, and everyone involved with “The Voice” has promised that more talented contestants will be trying out before the coaches’ big, red, backward-facing chairs.

The four teams will be expanded from eight to 12 contenders, and each coach will get two celebrity advisers instead of one to ready their competitors for the dueling duets that are the battle rounds.

Team Blake will get its game on a bit earlier than the other coaches, since Shelton has tapped his fellow Super Bowl pregame performers Lambert and Clarkson as his Season 2 advisers. Since the Super Bowl is the biggest television event of the year — more than 162 million U.S. viewers watched last year’s big game, making it the most-watched TV program in history — a pregame singing slot offers an incredible showcase for the individual performers as well as for Team Blake.

Hey, considering how close Dia Frampton, Shelton’s Season 1 finalist and now tour opener, came to wresting “The Voice” title away from eventual winner Javier Colon, the finalist for Levine’s team, every advantage helps when it comes time for the fans at home to start casting their votes during the show’s third and final stage, the live performance phase.

Of course, since the series is called “The Voice,” Shelton and his fellow panelists emphasize that the talent of the performers, rather than the celebrity of the coaches, is what counts.

“Last year set the bar incredibly high. When you have four people who walked away from this show last year that got major record deals, that’s an eye opener,” Shelton says in Season 2 previews.

“‘The Voice’ is unique because there is a one-on-one interaction (and) connection with an artist who has broken through the wall of this business with someone who is trying to breakthrough. There is no other show like that; in fact, there’s no other opportunity like that in this business.”

It will be interesting to see how “The Voice’s” unique twists on the TV singing contest format help it this year as it goes head-to-head against the granddaddy of the subgenre: “American Idol,” which started its 11th season about three weeks ago. After years of dominating the ratings, “Idol” has started to show its age, with the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” defeating the reality show in their overlapping 30-minute timeslot last week.

“My fan base has definitely grown since doing ‘The Voice,’ but I think the biggest surprise to me is how young the fan base has become. I think a lot of young people must watch ‘The Voice,’ and I love that. I love to walk out on stage and see kids holding up signs that say ‘Team Blake,’” Shelton says.

“It shows me that maybe those people hadn’t even heard of me until this television show aired, and I’m very proud of that because I’m proud of what this show does. It’s coming from a real place, an honest place. It’s a celebration of music.”

Whether this season’s Super Bowl launch helps “The Voice” beat out “Idol” in the ratings, it’s clear Shelton considers himself a winner for being part of the NBC series.

“When you work that closely with a bunch of people trying desperately to make it in this business, you can’t help but see yourself in ‘em a little bit. They reminded, you know, how lucky I am that I’m in this position, because that was me not long ago,” he says.

“They really recharged me and made me excited about what I do again.”

-BAM


Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert release their cover of “America the Beautiful” in advance of Super Bowl performance

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert (AP file)

Oklahoma country music power couple Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have released their cover of the patriotic anthem “America the Beautiful” on digital retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.

The Tishomingo residents will sing “America The Beautiful” as part of Super Bowl XLVI pregame festivities at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday, the NFL and NBC confirmed today.

“American Idol” Kelly Clarkson will sing the National Anthem before the big game.

In addition, Lenny Kravitz and The Fray will help kick off Super Bowl XLVI as part of the pregame festivities at Lucas Oil Stadium.

More than 162 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year’s Super Bowl, the most-watched television program in history. The pregame show, including the National Anthem and “America The Beautiful,” and Super Bowl XLVI will be broadcast worldwide.

Kickoff for the championship match-up between the New England Patriots and New York Giants is set for 5:30 p.m. on NBC.

Clarkson will make her Super Bowl debut. She is among many great performers who have been honored with singing the national anthem including Oklahomans Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Jewel, Cher, Faith Hill, the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Beyoncé Knowles, Christina Aguilera and many more.

Shelton and Lambert join Vicki Carr (Super Bowl XI), Ray Charles (Super Bowl XXXV), Mary J. Blige and Marc Anthony (Super Bowl XXXVI), Alicia Keys (Super Bowl XXXIX), Faith Hill (Super Bowl XLIII), Queen Latifah (Super Bowl XLIV) and Lea Michele (Super Bowl XLVI) as the only artists to perform “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl.

The NFL previously announced that Madonna will perform in the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show.

Shelton also will be prominently featured on NBC after the big game. He is currently one of the musician-coaches on NBC’s “The Voice” along with superstars Christian Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5′s Adam Levine. The hit reality TV series begins its second season at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday after the Super Bowl. Lambert and Clarkson will be celebrity advisers on Shelton’s singing team later on during the second season.

-BAM


Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” goes platinum

Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton has earned platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America for his chart-topping ballad “God Gave Me You.”

In addition, the Ada native’s “Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton” and “Red River Blue” albums have simultaneously earned gold certification by the RIAA, according to a news release.

“Red River Blue” includes the hit singles “Honey Bee,” certified platinum last year, and “God Gave Me You,” and earned Shelton a Grammy nomination for best country album.

John Esposito, President and CEO of Warner Music Nashville, surprised Shelton at his sold-out show in Duluth, Ga., last Friday, Jan. 27 with three plaques to commemorate the most successful year of the Tishomingo’s white-hot career. Shelton kicked off his sold-out headlining arena tour, “Well Lit & Amplified Tour 2012” Jan. 12 in Toledo, Ohio, with openers Justin Moore and Dia Frampton.

Along with his best country album nomination, Shelton also will compete for best country solo performance for “Honey Bee.” Plus, Shelton’s rendition of “God Gave Me You,” written by contemporary Christian singer Dave Barnes, earned a nod for best country song, an award presented to songwriters.

The Recording Academy announced last week that Shelton and The Band Perry will join country legend Glen Campbell for a special performance during the Grammy Awards, which will air Feb. 12 on CBS.

Also last week, Shelton earned entertainer of the year and male vocalist of the year nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards, which he and fellow Oklahoma native Reba McEntire will co-host April 1 in Las Vegas on CBS.

His latest single from “Red River Blue,” “Drink On It” recently hit country radio. “Red River Blue” debuted at No. 1 on the Soundscan Top Current Albums chart and Soundscan Top Country Albums chart, with the Associated Press calling the album “the best album of his career.”

Shelton has notched 10 No. 1 hits and has not had a single peak outside the top 10 since 2007.

He is currently one of the musician coaches on NBC’s “The Voice” along with superstars Christian Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. The hit reality TV series begins its second season at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday after the Super Bowl. Shelton and wife Miranda Lambert will perform “America the Beautiful” as part of the Super Bowl pregame festivities Sunday in Indianapolis.

-BAM


Photo gallery: Kevin Durant’s movie “Thunderstruck” films in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant works with actors Taylor Gray, left, and Timothy Fall on the set of his movie 'Thunderstruck' inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

OKC Thunder vs New Orleans Hornets Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City Sports & Outdoors on wimgo

Shooting took place Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena for Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant’s sports-fantasy movie “Thunderstruck.”

My fine colleagues The Oklahoman NBA beat writer Darnell Mayberry and photographer Chris Landsberger were among the media invited to go behind the scenes of the production.

About 300 extras, including some who drove hours to be a part of the film, attended Tuesday’s daylong session of filming. Also on hand were Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison, who plays a key part in the film; the entire roster of Thunder Girls; and five athletic stand-ins for Durant’s Thunder teammates.

In the movie, Durant plays himself and stars for the actual Thunder thanks to the NBA granting filmmakers license to use league property, reports Darnell. The plot has Durant mysteriously losing his basketball skills when his abilities are magically transferred to a teenager, causing Durant to fall into a prolonged slump that threatens to ruin the Thunder’s season.

On Tuesday, producers filmed a scene in which the kid (played by actor Taylor Gray) attempts a half-court shot and another scene where the kid transfers Durant’s skills back to him.

KD and the Thunder are back in the Chesapeake Energy Arena tonight, where they just started the second half of their matchup wiht the New Orleans Hornets. The game is airing on Fox Sports.

Check out these photos of Tuesday’s “Thunderstruck” filming, taken by Chris and AP photographer Sue Ogrocki:

Nikki Brown, right, of New Orleans, makeup department head, applies powder to Kevin Durant, left, in preparation for filming for the movie "Thunderstruck" in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Durant appears as himself in the movie. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

 

Kevin Durant gets line directions as he works on the set of his movie 'Thunderstruck' inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

 

Actor Taylor Gray rides through a group of the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls dance group during rehearsal for the movie "Thunderstruck" in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Thunder's Kevin Durant appears as himself in the movie. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant works with actors Taylor Gray, left, and Timothy Fall as a member of the crew marks spots on the set of his movie 'Thunderstruck' inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

 

Kevin Durant works on the set of his movie 'Thunderstruck' inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

-BAM


Wednesday Video Spotlight: Tim Tebow sings with Brad Paisley

“Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality World Tour 2012,” presented by Chevrolet, had another exciting weekend with three sold-out shows in Kansas City, Wichita, Kan., and Denver, Colo. Special guests on the tour are Country Music Association New Artist of the Year The Band Perry and 2011 “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery.

During the show at the Pepsi Center in Denver Paisley invited Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow to the stage to help him out with the hilarious hit “Still A Guy.” The crowd went wild when their local hero stepped on stage and joined in with a few words of the song. Later that evening Paisley tweeted: “me and @TimTebow, probably not gonna be nominated for musical Duo of the year, but you never know”

It wasn’t Tebow’s first time to perform “Still A Guy” onstage with Paisley. The football star also sang along with the music star during a 2008 concert back when Tebow was a University of Florida Gator. Since my husband attended the U of F before graduating from Oklahoma State University, we’ve been Tebow fans since back in the day.

Read about how Tebow plays into my review of Tim McGraw’s long-awaited new album “Emotional Traffic” in the coming days.

After Saturday’s concert, Paisley, band and crew then headed to San Francisco to perform during the halftime of the NFC Championship game between the 49ers and New York Giants. Military personnel were treated to on-field access for the performance and the 49ers cheerleaders performed a dance routine during Paisley’s current single “Camouflage.”

The Virtual Reality Tour continues this week with shows in Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Las Vegas. So far, no Oklahoma dates have been announced on the tour.

Check out this photo of Tebow and Paisley, courtesy Ben Enos:

-BAM


Extras needed for Kevin Durant movie “Thunderstruck”

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant (35) celebrates during the NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs Jan. 8 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma. (Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman Archives)

Freihofer Casting has officially announced a call for extras for the Warner Brothers feature film “Thunderstruck,” starring Oklahoma City Thunder basketball star Kevin Durant.

The film will shoot Monday-Wednesday in Oklahoma City, according to an announcement from the Oklahoma Film & Music Office.

Extras will portray passersby and neighbors in some street scenes on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, the casting office will hire 500 paid extras to portray Oklahoma City Thunder fans at a home game.

The casting office is looking for males and females ages 11 to 70 and is willing to consider entire families. All ethnicities are encouraged to submit and all children must be accompanied by their parent or guardian the entire time.

Extras must be available all day. Tuesday extras will begin in the early afternoon and will shoot into the night. In addition to the pay, Tuesday extras will also have the opportunity to win signed basketballs, posters, banners and other Thunder gear, as well as other prizes. Giveaways will occur throughout the day.

Pay for the extras is scheduled to be $7.50 per hour with a four-hour guarantee, but more than likely, extras will be needed for more than the four-hour minimum.

To submit to be an extra, please email a recent photo and all contact information to the casting office at Submissions@FreihoferCasting.com. The photo must be attached to the email; links to Websites will not be accepted. In the body of the e-mail, please include your name, city of residence, all phone numbers, and e-mail address.

Additionally, the subject heading of the email should be THUNDERSTRUCK EXTRAS – (day(s) of availability). It is requested that all information be sent in one email.

Submissions must be received as soon as possible, with the final deadline being noon Sunday. Those selected will be notified by phone or email. The talent agency requests that no phone calls are made to the office regarding this casting call.

Here is the “Thunderstruck” synopsis:

A fun and energetic family basketball movie starring Kevin Durant AS HIMSELF, a basketball star who switches talent with a klutzy 14 year old fan. When Brian, a hopelessly uncoordinated young fan magically switches talents with his hero, Kevin Durant, he becomes the star of his high school team…while Kevin Durant suddenly can’t make a shot to save his life. But with the playoffs approaching, Brian learns that being a true winner involves working hard at your own game, and he tries to make things right in time to prevent a catastrophic end to his hero’s season.

-BAM


Video: Greyson Chance to perform on Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular airing Sunday

Greyson Chance Cancer Benefit Show Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City Community & Non-Profit on wimgo

Edmond teen music sensation Greyson Chance will perform on the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular airing from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday on NBC (KFOR-4 in Oklahoma City). Check out a clip of his performance in this video.

Hosted by Norman Olympic medalists Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, along with Peggy Fleming, the show also will feature musical performances from Cody Simpson, Ariana Grande and Shane Harper.

The skating lineup includes Joannie Rochette, Elvis Stojko and Todd Eldredge. Gymnasts performing on the show include Nastia Liukin, Courtney McCool and Danell Leyva.

The show was filmed in October in Moline, Ill.

Greyson will return to his home state to play a cancer benefit show at Jan. 28 at the Coca Cola Bricktown Events Center. For information and tickets, go to www.stubwire.com.

-BAM