Alternative 90s band Semisonic said President Donald Trump’s White House “missed the point entirely” about their song “Closing Time” and that they “did not authorize” the use of it for a viral deportation video.
“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song in any way,” a statement from the band to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/semisonic-trump-cling-time-b9984c537f8aca5c68e80454aaa1cf22">Associated Press</a> read. “And no, they didn’t ask.”
“The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely,” the statement added about the song.
It came after a video posted by the White House on <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1901658649522503816">X</a> went viral, showing illegal immigrants in handcuffs being put on planes. The caption with the clip included a lyric from the song that read, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
During Monday’s press briefing, Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about the viral video with Semisonic’s song.
“I think the White House and our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president,” Leavitt explained, “and we are unafraid to double down and to take responsibility and ownership of the serious decisions that are being made.”
“The president was elected with an overwhelming mandate to launch the largest mass deportation campaign in American history, and that’s exactly what he is doing and to this very day, we are now, I think 56 or seven days into the administration, by my count, the president still receives an overwhelming public support for the policies that he is enacting, so we are unafraid to message effectively what the president is doing on a daily basis to make our communities safer.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎶You don&#8217;t have to go home but you can&#8217;t stay here🎶 <a href="https://twitter.com/CBP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBP</a> <a href="https://t.co/yWWhlvKQrb">pic.twitter.com/yWWhlvKQrb</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1901658649522503816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
“The specific video you referenced,” added Leavitt, “I think it sums up our immigration policy pretty well: ‘You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.’”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection also shared the White House post and captioned it, “It&#8217;s closing time. We are making America safe again.”
Semisonic’s “Closing Time” hit the charts in 1998 from their album “Feeling Strangely Fine.” It was a huge hit for the group, with it earning the band a Grammy nomination for best rock song after it hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart, the AP noted.
The band’s complaint against the White House joins a long list of other performers who have been upset about their songs being used by Trump in the past. That list includes the likes of Neil Young, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Adele, ABBA, and more.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/singer-defends-her-performance-at-one-of-the-trump-inauguration-balls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singer Defends Her Performance At One Of The Trump Inauguration Balls</a>

Semisonic

‘They Have Missed The Point’: Alt Band Upset White House Used Song In Viral Deportation Video

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Illegal Immigration

Music

Politics

White House

Ken Casey, lead singer of the Celtic punk rock band Dropkick Murphys, didn’t hold back his opinion of a fan who attended a show in Boston over the weekend with a MAGA hat in tow.
He began his rant by saying that Republicans “all wear” a “Chinese f***ing red” MAGA hat, which he claims is “dyeing their brains.” Casey continued, saying, “They&#8217;ve got the black-on-black Elon Musk, true Nazi edition. And then my man here, he&#8217;s getting ready for summer with a nice, f***in&#8217; white one.&#8221;
“Bro, listen, I admire your dedication,” the Dropkick Murphys singer continued while addressing the fan, “But I will ask everyone, if you’re in a room full of people and you want to know who’s in a cult, how do you know who’s in a cult?” He pointed at the fan. “They’ve been holding up a f***ing hat the whole night to represent a president.”
“This is America,” he yelled, “there’s no kings here!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: This just happened onstage in front of 6,000 Bostonians at the Dropkick Murphys concert. &quot;This is America, no kings here!&quot; Dropkick Murphys nails it again!! <a href="https://t.co/kLUd7IVDMV">pic.twitter.com/kLUd7IVDMV</a>
&mdash; MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1901151661529460851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As the audience cheered, Casey said, “Anyway, anyway, if you mind, sir, we’re gonna play a song about our grandparents and people who fought Nazis in the war and s***. So if you could just shut the f*** up for five minutes.”
The band has singled out Trump voters in the past. At a show in Clearwater, Florida, in March, Casey made headlines for singling out a fan wearing MAGA gear and betting that the items he was wearing were not made in the United States.
“The reason we speak out, we don’t care if we lose fans, because when history is said and done, we want it known that the Dropkick Murphys stood with the people, we stood with the workers,” Casey said at the time. “It’s all a f***ing scam, guys.”
He also <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/punk-singer-dropkick-murphys-bet-maga-shirt-made-usa-2042315">bragged</a> that Dropkick Murphys “always sells proudly made in America merchandise only.” Casey said to the concertgoer, “And here’s the bet I’d like to make: If you lose the bet, we switch shirts, OK? If you win the bet, I give you $100 and the shirt.”
“It’s made in Nicaragua!” Casey said from the stage. “He’s taking the shirt off. We’re taking crime off the streets.”
The band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1996 with Casey being the only remaining original member. Dropkick Murphys are known for taking influence from Irish heritage when creating their music.

Ken Casey

Dropkick Murphys Singer Berates Fan In MAGA Hat At Boston Show: ‘Shut The F*** Up’

Dropkick Murphys Singer Berates Fan In MAGA Hat At Boston Show: 'Shut The F*** Up'

Boston

MAGA

MAGA Hat

U.S.

Singer Billy Joel has postponed several tour dates after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed &#8220;medical condition.&#8221;
The 75-year-old recording artist will not be putting on eight scheduled shows between now and July. The next time Joel takes the stage will be at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5, as Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/news/billy-joel-postpones-tour-dates-surgery-medical-condition-1236334413/">reported</a>.
The “Piano Man” singer did not disclose details of the medical concern other than to say his “health must come first.”
&#8220;Billy Joel&#8217;s upcoming concert dates will be rescheduled due to a medical condition,&#8221; the statement began. &#8220;The current tour will be postponed for four months to allow him to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors.&#8221;
&#8220;Joel is expected to make a full recovery,” it continued before ending with a message from the singer himself. 
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&#8220;While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.&#8221;
The postponed shows include scheduled stops in Detroit, Toronto, Syracuse, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, and Milwaukee, along with previously planned shows in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Liverpool, England. All concerts have been pushed to 2026 except for the Detroit show with Stevie Nicks, which will take place in November.
Current ticket holders will be able to attend the new dates with their current tickets.
Joel’s last show was on February 22, where fan footage captured the musician taking a tumble onstage at the Mohegan Sun resort in Montville, Connecticut. The star was singing “It&#8217;s Still Rock and Roll To Me” when he began spinning his microphone stand. He flung the stand across the stage, but the action caused him to stumble and fall.
It&#8217;s unclear if the falling incident had anything to do with the surgery.

Billy Joel

Billy Joel Postpones Concert Tour For Medical Reason: ‘My Health Comes First’

Billy Joel Postpones Concert Tour For Medical Reason: 'My Health Comes First'

singer

World

A podcaster has publicly apologized to rap artist Megan Thee Stallion after facing backlash for what’s been described as a &#8220;racist&#8221; comment.
Hannah Berner and her “Giggly Squad” podcast co-host, Paige DeSorbo, conducted celebrity interviews on the red carpet for Vanity Fair on Sunday during the outlet’s Oscars after-party event. The pair got to speak with Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, and one portion of that interview has since gone viral.
During the interview, both podcasters were praising the “Hot Girl Summer” singer. DeSorbo told Pete that she always starts her day with the artist’s songs, prompting Berner to say, “Your music has literally like, made me &#8230; when I want to fight someone, I listen to your music.”
“You want to throw that fighting sh** out the window,” Pete replied. “You want to get cute and be a bad b*tch.”
“When people are talking sh**, I go, ‘Turn on Megan Thee Stallion!’” Berner added, getting so excited that she started jumping up and down.
“Body-ody-ody, I look beautiful, I look so great,” Pete responded, referencing the chorus of her hit song “Body.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Vanity Fair Oscar Party Live" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wjgOwBtY4-o?start=3628&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TikTok commenters came after the interviewers, saying the interaction had “racist” undertones.
“This felt so racist. And they didn’t let her finish most her sentences,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Very micro aggressive. Megs music isn’t about fighting and the fangirling is a spectacle. Please hire real interviewers that know how to talk to black women as PEOPLE and not characters,” another person agreed.
“The racism is LOUD!” a third echoed.
“Lowkey ‘angry Black woman’ references in 2025? Please,” TyLisa Johnson <a href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/vanity-fair-megan-thee-stallion-hannah-berner-oscars-2025/">wrote</a> in an opinion column for Poynter.
“I’ve been a fan of Megan Thee Stallion since around 2016, when she was a young college student freestyling in cars. She has never made me want to fight. She makes me want to dance, be more liberated, stand up for myself and own my womanhood.”
The backlash became so extreme that Berner issued an apology via Instagram Stories on Thursday. &#8220;Interviewing Megan Thee Stallion was a dream of mine. I love her music and it&#8217;s my go to whenever I need to boost my confidence before a show. Looking back at the interview, I wish I used any other word except &#8216;fight&#8217; to describe how her songs impact me,&#8221; Berner wrote.
&#8220;It was a careless choice of words and though there was no ill intent, I recognize and acknowledge that what I said has a deeper meaning and I am so sorry to Megan,” she continued. “I appreciate everyone who brought this to my attention.&#8221;

Megan Thee Stallion

Podcast Host Apologizes For ‘Racist’ Comment While Interviewing Megan Thee Stallion

Podcast Host Apologizes For 'Racist' Comment While Interviewing Megan Thee Stallion

Racism

Rap Music

Roberta Flack, Grammy award-winning soul and R&amp;B singer/musician of “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” among many more ballads, died peacefully at her home surrounded by family. She was 88.
&#8220;We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning February 24, 2025,&#8221; a statement read on Monday to <a href="https://people.com/roberta-flack-dead-88-killing-me-softly-singer-7502305?utm_campaign=people&amp;utm_content=likeshop&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=instagram">People</a> magazine.
&#8220;She died peacefully surrounded by her family,” it added. “Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.&#8221;
A cause of death has not yet been released. However, it comes after a representative for Flack shared in 2022 that the star&#8217;s singing career was over after she had been diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/roberta-flack-dies-61ad9755cc7b4f37b29884adc49c9340">Associated Press</a> noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Legendary pop/R&amp;B vocalist Roberta Flack, who was launched to stardom in the early ’70s by the Grammy-winning hits “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” has died. She was 88. <a href="https://t.co/WfpVHIjz6y">https://t.co/WfpVHIjz6y</a> <a href="https://t.co/Q6dmM6z8Xg">pic.twitter.com/Q6dmM6z8Xg</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1894045103368425767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
Born in 1937 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and raised in Virginia, Flack was a trained pianist whose talent for singing was discovered after graduating from Howard University. Her career exploded in the 1970s with the release of her song, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
And it was thanks to actor Clint Eastwood who pushed to have her song with her tempo included in the soundtrack to his 1971 movie “Play Misty for Me” with Donna Mills.
“The record label wanted to have it re-recorded with a faster tempo, but he said he wanted it exactly as it was,” Flack told the AP in 2018. “With the song as a theme song for his movie, it gained a lot of popularity and then took off.”
The song soared to the top of the Billboard chart in 1972 and she ended up winning a Grammy for record of the year, the AP noted.
The following year, she hit another gold with the release of her version of “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and won another Grammy for best record &#8212; a first for any artist.
Flack went on to find success with duet hits such as “Where is the Love,” &#8220;The Closer I Get to You,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” which she performed with her close late-friend Donny Hathaway.
“We were deeply connected creatively,” Flack told Vibe in 2022, AP noted. “He could play anything, sing anything. Our musical synergy was unlike (anything) I’d had before or since.”
Following news of the singer’s death, musicians and artists took to social media to pay tribute to the singer.
Queen Latifah wrote on X, “Rest in peace to Howard graduate, classically trained pianist, songwriter, singer, &amp; the first artist to ever win a Grammy for Record of the Year in two consecutive years, Miss Roberta Flack. Her &amp; her fellow songwriter Donny Hathaway are now reunited.”
Jennifer Hudson wrote, “So sad to hear of Roberta Flack’s passing. One of the great soul singers of all time. Rest well, Ms. Flack. Your legacy lives on!!!”
Clint Eastwood added, “Rest in Peace Roberta Flack…”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/all-by-myself-singer-dead-at-74" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘All By Myself’ Singer Dead At 74</a>

Roberta Flack

Famous Singer Roberta Flack Dead At 88

Clint Eastwood

Death

Hollywood

Protesters have apparently determined that the most effective way to protest President Donald Trump’s changes at The Kennedy Center is by doing an interpretive dance around the building. Yes, really.
In a <a href="https://x.com/NicholasBallas/status/1892275231063933279">video</a> that surfaced on Wednesday on X, some 30-plus people all walked in a single-file line outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, moving in sync as they waved their arms up and down in the air like birds to music playing in the background.
At one point in the clip, the group stopped walking and began waving their arms in a circular motion. They then waved like a person would wave to a crowd, played an invisible violin, and then took a stance apparently like they would to defend themselves from being punched. 
Videos of the protest were all very strange and many people on social media caught wind of it and mocked the silliness of the performance protest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Video of Democrats protesting the Trump administration at the Kennedy Center via interpretive dance. <a href="https://t.co/meT5Aj6bG3">pic.twitter.com/meT5Aj6bG3</a>
— Nick Ballas (@NicholasBallas) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicholasBallas/status/1892275231063933279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
“BREAKING: Liberals are dancing and singing in protest to ‘save’ the Kennedy Center. Do these people have jobs?” one person wrote.
Another added, “HAHAHAHAHA libs are dancing at the Kennedy Center to protest the Trump takeover.”
While a third wrote, “LMAO. Liberals are protesting to ‘save’ The Kennedy Center.”
A fourth added, “NEW: Anti-Trump interpretative dance. Yes, seriously.”
One person even pointed out the line of buses that could be seen in the video and wrote, “Protestors at Kennedy Center are so CRINGE! BTW…..Who paid for those buses?&#8221;
One of the organizers of the protest, dancer and educator Kelly King, called The Nelken Line performance, “symbolic in that we&#8217;re moving in unison. And there&#8217;s something just compelling to see a straight line of movers dancing this way in a march,” <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5300155/trump-dance-performance-protest-kennedy-center-nelken-line">NPR</a> noted.
&#8220;They were unsure of what they were going to encounter with us,&#8221; she added about the security at the center. &#8220;And as I spoke to them individually and they saw what we were doing, they realized that we were certainly not a threat. And I think perhaps by the end they were entertained.&#8221;
King told the outlet that the group decided to protest due to concerns that after Trump’s takeover as chairman of the board, diversity like what was represented in their dance might not continue.
However, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said, &#8220;There have not been changes made to the Center&#8217;s dance programming nor are there any changes planned.&#8221; 
The protest comes after Trump’s announcement that he had terminated most members of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center — including Chairman David Rubenstein — and had taken over the role himself, as previously reported.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/actress-issa-rae-backs-out-of-performing-at-kennedy-center-after-trump-becomes-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Actress Issa Rae Backs Out Of Performing At Kennedy Center After Trump Becomes Chair</a>

Donald Trump Hosts Hispanic Roundtable In Nevada

WATCH: Protesters Plan To ‘Save’ Kennedy Center With Interpretive Dance. Yes, Really.

WATCH: Protesters Plan To 'Save' Kennedy Center With Interpretive Dance. Yes, Really.

Democrats

Protest

The Kennedy Center

Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/super-bowl">Super Bowl LIX</a> is still getting mixed reviews, with many viewers calling it confusing and others deeming it brilliant. But in either case, it has gone down in history as the most-watched halftime show ever, with a total of 133.5 million viewers.
The previous record-holder since 1993 was pop superstar Michael Jackson, who received 133.4 million views when he performed at Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Lamar is the first solo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rap-music">rapper</a> to perform at the Super Bowl, per <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/kendrick-lamar-performance-super-bowl-lix-most-watched-halftime-show">Sports Illustrated</a>. The recording artist performed a total of 12 songs, including his popular “diss track” against the Canadian rapper Drake, called “Not Like Us.”
Many viewers were pleased to see outwardly patriotic themes during the performance including dancers wearing red, white, and blue and positioning themselves to depict an American Flag. Samuel L. Jackson appeared as Uncle Sam, and there were no scantily clad dancers or sexualized moves, which is normally a big complaint for Super Bowl shows.
However, many football fans complained that Lamar’s songs were mostly unknown to the general public and that it was hard to understand the lyrics. Others noted that the rapper, who often uses his music to advocate progressive social themes, was actually criticizing the nation with the performance.
Tennis pro Serena Williams also made a guest appearance, doing the same “crip walk” dance that she was criticized for performing at Wimbledon 13 years ago. Her inclusion was meant to further antagonize Drake, who is rumored to have dated Williams decades ago.
Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL announced that the viewership record was broken on Tuesday, writing on social media, “We’ve broken the record again! The most watched Apple Music Halftime show EVER, with 133.5 Million viewers.”
This number is surprising considering that Lamar’s performance had more viewers than the football game itself, which had an average viewership of 126 million, per <a href="https://x.com/FOXSportsPR/status/1889107300985512289">Fox Sports</a>.
Lamar, 37, is a Compton-born rapper was signed as an artist in 2005. He’s the recipient of multiple accolades, including 22 Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a Brit Award, and several others.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar’s Controversial Halftime Show Was Most-Watched In Super Bowl History

Kendrick Lamar's Controversial Halftime Show Was Most-Watched In Super Bowl History

New Orleans

Super Bowl

This year’s nominees for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame</a> were announced on Wednesday and included a mix of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music-industry">genres</a>, from country to rock, pop, punk, and others. 
To become eligible, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">performers</a> must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years ago. About half of the nominees will be inducted based on who gets the most votes. Ballots are sent to more than 1,000 &#8220;rock experts&#8221; who evaluate the candidates and decide which names on the list deserve to be added.
&#8220;These remarkable nominees have each created their own musical style and attitude impacting generations of music lovers and contributing to the ever-evolving sounds and continued growth of rock &amp; roll,&#8221; said John Sykes, the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame Foundation&#8217;s chairman, in a statement shared with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/12/nx-s1-5293515/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2025-nominees">NPR</a>. 
Voting begins now and the finalists will be revealed in April, with a ceremony to follow in the fall. The full list of nominees is as follows: 
<ul>
<li>Bad Company</li>
<li>The Black Crowes</li>
<li>Mariah Carey</li>
<li>Chubby Checker</li>
<li>Joe Cocker</li>
<li>Billy Idol</li>
<li>Joy Division/New Order</li>
<li>Cyndi Lauper</li>
<li>Maná</li>
<li>Oasis</li>
<li>OutKast</li>
<li>Phish</li>
<li>Soundgarden</li>
<li>The White Stripes</li>
</ul>
BBC News noted that the British pop band Oasis was also nominated last year but ultimately didn’t get inducted. The band’s lead singer Liam Gallagher spoke harshly about the Hall of Fame at the time, telling potential voters, &#8220;Don’t waste your time&#8230; as much as it’s appreciated it’s all a load of bollox.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t need some w**k award by some geriatric in a cowboy hat,&#8221; Gallagher <a href="https://www.musicradar.com/news/liam-gallagher-oasis-rock-hall-of-fame">added</a>.
Mariah Carey was also nominated and not inducted last year and is on the ballot once again. “My thoughts are: I didn’t get in,&#8221; she said at the time. &#8220;My lawyer got into the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame before I did,” the pop star quipped, referring to entertainment lawyer Alan Grubman, who was inducted in 2022.
Last year’s inductees included Cher, Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick, A Tribe Called Quest, and Kool and the Gang.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Announced: See The List

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Announced: See The List

Music Industry

Rock and Roll

Sir Paul McCartney stunned and delighted fans when he announced he would take the stage at a pop-up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">concert</a> at the Bowery Ballroom in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a> on Tuesday night.
The 82-year-old former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-beatles">Beatles</a> band member debuted a show called &#8220;Paul McCartney Rocks the Bowery,&#8221; which was announced on his official website and social media platforms at noon on Tuesday, per <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/paul-mccartney-bowery-ballroom-surprise-show/">CBS News</a>. Fans scrambled to get tickets for the intimate performance at the 575-seat venue as they were only available in person at the Bowery Ballroom&#8217;s box office and cost just $50. Purchasers were limited to one ticket each.
Lines quickly wrapped around the block, and the show sold out within an hour.
&#8220;There was people running from all directions &#8212; subway, bikes, getting out of cars and taxis. Everybody was running,&#8221; a fan named Adrienne Dee-Olsen told CBS.
Another fan told the news outlet that he considered McCartney’s concert an “emergency” worth running out of work for. &#8220;I literally left work, told my boss it&#8217;s a big emergency. He&#8217;s like, &#8216;What&#8217;s the emergency?&#8217; I go, &#8216;It&#8217;s Paul McCartney.&#8217; I mean, like, what&#8217;s more important than that?&#8221; Stephen Esposito said.
Video recording and photography were not permitted in the venue, but a <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/concert-reviews/paul-mccartney-electrifies-new-york-bowery-ballroom-concert-review-1236304663/">Variety</a> reporter noted that McCartney began his set with “Hard Day’s Night” and followed up with other Beatles classics, along with hits from his other band, Wings. The British rocker was joined onstage by his tour partners, including guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist-bassist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens, and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.
He did a solo to “Blackbird” on an acoustic guitar, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/12/entertainment/paul-mccartney-plays-surprise-show-at-bowery-ballroom-in-nyc/">The New York Post</a>, and recalled how he wrote the song for the Beatles during the civil rights movement. “We were just kids. I’ve got grandchildren older than that now,” McCartney told the crowd.
Other songs played included “Letting Go,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Let Me Roll It,” “My Valentine,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Come on to Me,” “Now and Then,” “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “Jet,” and many others.
The crowd sang along to all the hits and shrieked with delight at times, which McCartney addressed from the stage. 
“Hey, that was a Beatles scream,” he said at one point before inviting the audience members to get it out of their system. “Okay girls, let’s get it over with,” he said with a sigh, as Variety noted. “Let’s hear your Beatles screams.”
The crowd erupted for a few minutes until the rock performer stopped them, saying, “Okay, that’s enough.”
McCartney played for 90 minutes before thanking the crowd and departing.

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney Plays Surprise Concert In NYC, Fans Scramble For Tickets

Beatles

concert

New York

New York City

Insane video from the runway at Scottsdale Airport in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> shows the moment Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil’s private jet collided with another airplane that was parked, killing one of the pilots and injuring others.
The clip shows Neil’s Learjet coming in for a landing on Monday and crashing into the side of a Gulfstream 200 that had been parked on the runway, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/11/us-news/video-shows-vince-neils-jet-crashes-into-parked-plane-killing-a-pilot-and-injuring-rockers-girlfriend/">New York Post</a> reported. Authorities have reported that the singer’s plane had some kind of trouble with its landing gear, causing it to speed down the runway and right into the side of the much larger plane, <a href="https://people.com/video-shows-deadly-crash-of-motley-crue-vince-neil-plane-in-scottsdale-8877121">People magazine</a> reported.
One of the pilots was killed in the crash, and three other people were taken to the hospital for treatment, including the rocker’s girlfriend, who was traveling without Neil.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DEVELOPING: Plane owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil crashes into parked jet at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
Officials confirm at least 1 person was killed, 4 injured. It&#8217;s unknown if Neil was on board the plane. <a href="https://t.co/t1etMwP75A">pic.twitter.com/t1etMwP75A</a>
— BNO News (@BNONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1889127659491283432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
In a statement from the lead singer’s representative, Neil said that “there were four people on his jet&#8221; when it crashed.
“For reasons unknown at this time, the plane veered from the runway causing it to collide with another parked plane,” the representative added. “On board Mr. Neil’s plane were two pilots and two passengers.”
“More specific details regarding the collision are not available as this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is an ongoing investigation,” the representative continued. “Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today.”
The company that owned the Gulfstream, Jet Pros, released a statement that the plane was in fact one of theirs and that there were no injuries sustained on their craft.
“There were no injuries on board the Gulfstream, but external damages were sustained to the aircraft,” Jet Pros Director of Operations Gus Toulatos <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/scottsdale-airports-runway-closed-fire-department-responding/75-7b019845-1beb-49ed-bf29-357b7002b5fd">told 12 News</a>.
They also said one crew member on board the plane at the time of the crash was taken to the hospital, “treated and released,” People noted.
“We are saddened to hear about the lives lost and injured. … Our condolences go out to the family members of those affected by this terrible accident,” the company added.
A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration said in its statement that the collision occurred on Monday afternoon when the private jet owned by Neil “veered off the runway after landing,” the Post noted.
In recent weeks, there have been a series of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/airplane-crash">crashes involving aircrafts</a>, with the largest one happening near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, involving an Army helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342, killing the 64 people on board.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/plane-crashes-into-philadelphia-neighborhood-multiple-homes-on-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plane Crashes Into Philadelphia Neighborhood, Multiple Homes On Fire</a>

Vince Neil

WATCH: Insane Moment Motley Crue Lead Singer’s Private Jet Collides With Another

Air and Space

Airplane crash

Arizona

Heavy metal recording artist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ozzy-osbourne">Ozzy Osbourne</a> says he will perform one last time this summer at a charity concert in the United Kingdom.
The British <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">rocker</a> is set to reunite with his former band, Black Sabbath, for the first time in two decades for this show, per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/02/06/ozzy-osbourne-last-show-black-sabbath/78281571007/">USA Today</a>. Osbourne, 76, has been dealing with health issues for years following a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
&#8220;Ozzy didn&#8217;t have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there&#8217;s been no full stop,&#8221; Ozzy’s wife Sharon told BBC on Wednesday. &#8220;This is his full stop.&#8221;
The charity concert on July 5 will include other popular heavy metal bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and dozens of others. Organizers said that profits will be donated to charities, including Cure Parkinson&#8217;s, the outlet noted.
&#8220;It&#8217;s &#8230; time for me to give back to the place where I was born,&#8221; Osbourne said in a statement about the upcoming show. &#8220;How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal.&#8221;
Osbourne previously said he believed he only had “10 years left” and wanted to play a farewell show for fans.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will,” he said in 2023, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ozzy-osbourne-gives-health-update-at-best-ive-got-10-years-left">reported</a>. “But it’s been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world. But as time has gone on, I’ve just gone, ‘Well, maybe I’ve just got to accept that fact.&#8217;”
“I’m not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy,” Osbourne added. &#8220;What’s the f***ing point in that? I’m not going up there in a f***ing wheelchair. I’ve seen Phil Collins perform recently, and he’s got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn’t do that.”
He also said not being able to say goodbye to his fans was “one of the things I’ve been the most f***ing pissed off at.”
“If I can’t continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, ‘Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.’ That’s what I’m working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I’ll die a happy man,” Osbourne said at the time.

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne Announces His Final ‘Full Stop’ Performance

Ozzy Osbourne Announces His Final 'Full Stop' Performance

United Kingdom

Despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beyonce">Beyoncé</a>’s fans being overjoyed about her winning her first ever <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/grammy-awards">Grammy Award</a> for Album of the Year, plenty of other award show winners were confused. They failed to recognize how the 43-year-old pop singer nabbed the night’s biggest prize for “Cowboy Carter,” a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">country album</a>, especially against such stiff competition.
Country artist John Rich weighed in with his thoughts on awards shows and how they picked winners. The former Big &amp; Rich member said the whole thing is rigged and has nothing to do with actual talent.
“Folks are asking me ‘how do music award shows work?’” Rich posted on X.
He continued, “Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other &#8216;you vote for mine, we&#8217;ll vote for yours&#8217; type thing. It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with &#8216;Country album of the year.&#8217; Nice, right? The same thing is true with the CMA&#8217;s, ACM&#8217;s, Billboard, etc&#8230;all work exactly the same. Last night, the Grammy&#8217;s outed themselves in a big way.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Folks are asking me &quot;how do music award shows work?&quot; Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other &quot;you vote for mine, we&#39;ll vote for yours&quot; type thing. It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with &quot;Country album of the year.&quot;…
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1886402683055014144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The replies were full of people saying they weren’t even slightly surprised.
“The Grammys just proved what we already knew—it&#8217;s all about backroom deals, not real talent. Meanwhile, actual country artists are out here making real music and getting ignored. Absolute joke,” one person <a href="https://x.com/basterecords/status/1886413467269107987">wrote</a>.
“Yes, sadly, it&#8217;s not about the music anymore. Also performance spots are paid. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s the same people performing over and over again. Like a vanity show of the richest,” another comment <a href="https://x.com/CariCole/status/1886414842963062790">said</a>. “&#8230;For lifelong musicians, who really care about the music—it is soul-crushing. Unbearable to watch.”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly also weighed in on Beyoncé’s big win in a clip that was then <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@megynkellyshow/video/7467316522902506783?lang=en">posted</a> to TikTok.
“Beyoncé, she’s won 33 Grammys, including for Best Country album last night. Frank Sinatra got 11 Grammys. The Beatles won 7. Judy Garland, 2. Beyoncé: 33. The most overrated artist of all time.”
“We’re not buying it,” Kelly added after reading Rich’s tweet out loud. “We know what happened and how she got this award.”
Other nominees for the highly coveted Album of the Year Award included Andre 3000, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Jacob Collier, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé is the most nominated person in Grammys history, with 99 total nominations.

John Rich and Beyonce

John Rich Explains How Beyoncé Nabbed Album Of The Year, Says It’s ‘ZERO’ To Do With ‘Best Music’

John Rich Explains How Beyoncé Nabbed Album Of The Year, Says It's 'ZERO' To Do With 'Best Music'

Beyonce

Country Music

Grammy Awards

John Rich