lifestyle THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015

Music & Movies Imagine this: Imagine Dragonsonce opened for a mime rammy winners Imagine Dragons will launch their sec- believe it,” Reynolds said. “It’s funny, I went home from the are- ond headlining arena tour this week, but they remem- na tour and my mom sat down with me, her first question was Gber the days when they opened up for anyone - includ- like, ‘So do people really come fill out the arenas to watch your ing a mime. “It was an opportunity,” bassist Ben McKee said in band play?’” “To my mom, a year and half before that, she a recent interview. “This was early, early on and ... we had the would come to see me at some small club in California and it opportunity to play with a mime at a junior varsity cheerlead- would be 10 people there.” The band, which also includes gui- ing squad at a shopping mall in Henderson, Nevada. We tarist Wayne Sermon and drummer Daniel Platzman, released jumped on it.” Bandleader Dan Reynolds recalls “literally like its sophomore album, “Smoke + Mirrors,” in February. It five people in the mall that day.” “They set up tons of seats debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. which makes it even worse,” the 27-year-old singer said. “That The Las Vegas-based foursome says life hasn’t changed too was maybe the lowest - that was the lowest low.” much, though they have topped the charts and won multiple Imagine Dragons have moved far away from opening for awards. “We didn’t have crazy lives before. We’re all pretty other acts on the road as the band launches its North much giant music nerds and we do music and the fact that we American tour Wednesday in Portland, Oregon. They had a get to do music on a stage with four people makes us really, successful run with arenas last year after their debut, “Night really happy,” said Platzman. “It’s just the crowds have gotten Visions,” continued to reach new heights: It went on to sell bigger.” “It’s a cliche thing, but literally, really, none of us got more than 2 million units and launched back-to-back hits with into music thinking we’d have money or wanting to have “It’s Time,” “Demons” and the group’s signature smash, the money,” Reynolds said. “My friends come over to my house I Grammy-winning “Radioactive.” The young band, which bought and they’re like, ‘This is your house?’” “And I’m like, released its debut album in 2012 and its follow-up earlier this ‘What is that supposed to mean?’ It’s like they’re expecting the year, has quickly risen to arena status. The stops on the Smoke ‘Night Visions’ mansion.”— AP + Mirrors Tour include the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York; Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee; and the Forum in Inglewood, California. Dan Platzman, from left, Dan Crazy lives Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon Reynolds credits the band’s success with hours and hours and Ben McKee of Imagine of practice and the motto: “Say yes to every gig.” “I think it was Dragons pose for a portrait at pretty overwhelming at times for us to walk out and actually the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. — AP Stones seeking new fans with ‘Sticky Fingers’ re-release eith Richards doesn’t keep a list of the Top 10 London haunts. date. Frontman Mick Jagger had warned that the Rolling Stones albums. But he’s happy to Richards remembers that studio as “a magical album might contain too many ballads for a tradi- Kplace “Sticky Fingers,” being re-released in a room” with a distinctive sound that made recording tionally up-tempo Stones gig. deluxe edition next week, near the very top. “I put it a breeze. “It’s a natural, no wonder so many great Richards, 71, said in his 2010 autobiography that up there,” he said in a recent interview. “I don’t No. 1, records came out of there,” he said by phone. “All you he is content to rest on his considerable rock ‘n’ roll No. 2, No. 3 them, but it’s somewhere in that jumble, had to do was stick a microphone up and it was laurels. But he’s got several goals at the moment - top four or five albums.” With its provocative Andy there.” The guitarist said he had been “iffy” about the including a consuming desire to get the band in a Warhol designed album cover and strong sax work industry trend toward re-releasing expanded edi- studio again after a lengthy hiatus. The last full stu- on classics like “Brown Sugar” and “Can’t You Hear tions of old classic material until the redone 2010 dio CD, “A Bigger Bang,” was released a decade ago. Me Knocking,” the album has long been a favorite version of “Exile” did surprisingly well, even topping “There’s always talk of doing a blues album, but I’m with fans who first heard it way back on its release the British charts some 38 years after its initial not so sure about that,” Richards said. “I’d be happy date in 1971. release. to get them back in the studio and record anything,” It was released at the height of what many “I forgot that basically a couple of generations said Richards, who recently recorded a solo album Jason Alexander, from left, Rosie Perez and Larry David pose for a photo on the set of regards as the Stones’ creative peak, a stretch that had gone by since the things first came out,” but has yet to announce its official release. ‘Fish in The Dark’ at the Cort Theatre in New York. — AP included “Beggars Banquet,” “Let It Bleed” and “Exile Richards said. “What I realized after ‘Exile’ was that “Sometimes we come up with our best stuff in the on Main Street.” The album catches the Stones in we picked up an enormous amount of new young studio. I’ll just be happy to get them in there.” — AP transition, with Mick Taylor stepping fully into his fans, because they thought it was a new record.” The prepares to role as the late Brian Jones’ replacement. The Stones band has toyed with the idea of playing the com- Jason Alexander also moved beyond their comfort zone, recording plete “Sticky Fingers” album on their current tour, several songs at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound offering a full version in a club date in Los Angeles sing ‘the music of Larry David’ Studio in rural Alabama rather than in their usual but then only a handful of cuts on their first arena hen Larry David was showing his old play, is about the rivalries and still-simmering “Seinfeld” pal Jason Alexander the angers that explode when a family gathers to Wquirks of his Broadway dressing bid farewell to their dying patriarch. The room, the discussion naturally went to the show has been a huge draw because of toilet. “You know what he said? ‘It’s a two or David, who co-created “Seinfeld” and went on three flusher,’” said Alexander. “He said, ‘Don’t to star and write “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” assume.’ I said, ‘Really? OK, I won’t assume.’” Theater-goers get to see him do a bit about But Alexander, who is about to take over from whether or not to tip doctors and be typically David in his hit play “Fish in the Dark,” fooled petty, vindictive and clueless. with the handle and discovered that he could The play co-stars Jayne Houdyshell and just hold it until the water cleared. “I went to Rosie Perez, but David has dominated the him and I said, ‘Listen, I don’t want to rock stage, with his usual exasperated, impolite your world but it’s actually less effort than routine. “I think the show with me will feel you’ve been making it,’” Alexander said. “Like more like an ensemble show than a star vehi- most things in life.” cle even though the character continues to Alexander is pretty much planning to do drive the piece,” said Alexander. “The upside is the same thing with David’s play that he did it’s not a deeply complex play. It’s a light com- with his toilet - mess around with the plumb- edy. So the trick is finding how you get the ing to find a more efficient way to tell the sto- laugh and finding the rhythms of the show ry. “It is possible that I will be better and he with the cast.” will be funnier,” said Alexander in David’s dressing room one recent morning. “If some- Drop the ball one saw both of us do it, if they laughed 100 Before David ever began the role, he times with Larry, they may only laugh 90 asked Alexander what he might expect in his Keith Richards performs at The Rolling Stones Zip Code (From left) The Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick times with me but the takeaway from the Broadway debut. For one, he had no idea Tour opening night at Petco Park in San Diego. Jagger pose for photographers as they arrive at a central London venue to mark the 50th show will be ‘Wow, I actually went on that how grueling the eight-a-week schedule anniversary of their first performance. — AP photos journey a little bit.’”If anyone can do it, it’s becomes. “As most people do, he had some Alexander, who before “Seinfeld” was a Tony- misconceptions,” Alexander said. “He said, ‘It winning stage performer who then played won’t be so bad. I’ll play golf during the day.’ I David’s alter-ego on the show’s nine-year run. said, ‘You’re not playing golf.’ He said, ‘Well, I’ll “We are making the small adjustments that go out for drinks after.’ I said, ‘Not if you want Filmmaker drawing attention to allow me to approach this as more of a to do a show the next day.’” Alexander knows Streep drama trained actor than Larry could,” he said. “I real- that playing George Costanza has built him 2011 Cosby rape comments ly understand Larry’s turf, his rhythms, his plenty of fondness in the crowd, but he isn’t ‘Suffragette’ to open melodies. I get the music of Larry David.” counting on that for long when he hits the ill Cosby’s comments calling rape a form ed by Gloria Allred, a prominent Los Angeles stage. “That buys you 5-10 minutes of extraor- of bullying and “annoying” have been attorney who has hosted several news confer- ‘Fish in the Dark’ dinary good will,” he said. “And then after that, London Film Fest Breleased by a filmmaker who interviewed ences with women who have accused Cosby of Director Anna D Shapiro has helped if you drop the ball, they’ll go, ‘You know, he’s the comedian in 2011. Documentary filmmaker drugging them and sexual misconduct. Allred Alexander and the cast manage the transition not so good.’”— AP istorical drama “Suffragette,” starring Carey Cassidy McMillan said Cosby made unsolicited represented Judy Huth, a Riverside County and said Alexander knows instinctively how Mulligan and Meryl Streep as votes-for-women comments about rape during the interview, woman who sued Cosby last year, claiming the to spread the focus around the stage. “He Hcampaigners, will open this year’s London Film which was to discuss a project she was working comedian molested her when she was 15 years likes to throw the ball as much as hold the Festival. Organizers say the film’s European premiere will on about bullying and violence faced by some old at the Playboy Mansion. ball,” she says. “With Larry, what he’s doing, he kick off the 59th annual festival Oct 7. Helena Bonham young girls. “This rape thing is annoying, it is is the most expert at. What Jason’s doing is a Carter also appears in the drama about the campaigners sickening,” Cosby is heard on three minutes of shared mastery.” “Fish in the Dark,” David’s first who risked life and liberty to fight for women’s suffrage a audio posted on the website RadarOnline, century ago. It’s directed by Sarah Gavron (“Brick Lane”) which is owned by the National Enquirer. The and written by Abi Morgan (“The Iron Lady.”) magazine ran a story last week with a headline It is the first commercial feature which has been on its cover, “Cosby Confesses.” Depp becomes new allowed to film inside London’s Houses of Parliament. The comments were made during part of a Festival director Clare Stewart said yesterday “Suffragette” broader discussion about the bullying and was “an urgent and compelling film - made by British McMillan’s work chronicling the story of a 12- year-old Canadian girl who killed herself after women, about British women who changed the course of being bullied.The partial transcript was posted face of Dior men’s fragrance history.” The full program for the Oct 7-18 festival will be by a freelance journalist who was on the phone announced in September. — AP irates of the Caribbean” star Johnny of men’s scents. The French luxury fashion when McMillan and Cosby spoke. McMillan pro- Comedian Bill Cosby performs at the Depp is about to chart a new house confirmed to AFP yesterday that the 51- vided audio of the hour-long interview with Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing “Pcourse into fragrant waters by year-old American actor would soon be Cosby to the Enquirer, and RadarOnline posted a Arts, in Melbourne, Fla. — AP agreeing to be the face promoting Dior’s line fronting its new cologne. Dior declined to say three minute clip on Monday. how much the contract was worth, but it has Cosby’s attorney Marty Singer did not return McMillan did not return email messages pockets deep enough to afford him while also a phone message seeking comment Tuesday. requesting an interview. She told Allred she was paying Natalie Portman and Charlize Theron The comedian also discussed how his own surprised by Cosby’s casual mentions of rape in a to endorse its products. Depp, ranked among daughter had been bullied and how he and his discussion of bullying, but let him talk about it. the top-paid actors in Hollywood, has wife handled it. Cosby has been accused by She said the interview was arranged by Cosby’s amassed an estimated fortune of $250 million more than two dozen women of sexual miscon- publicist and he was aware he was being taped. (220 million euros), much of it thanks to the duct, including allegations by many that he “The whole thing was just disturbing,” McMillan “Pirates” movie franchise, the latest of which drugged and raped them in incidents dating told Allred, adding that Cosby was polite to her he is currently filming in Australia. back more than four decades. Cosby, 77, has on the call. “Why he kept going on this track of His star has been fading of late, though, never been criminally charged, and most of the rape and sexual assault, my own personal opin- with a string of box office bombs over the accusations are barred by statutes of limitations. ion - I was troubled by it and I thought it was past four years, including “The Lone Ranger”, obviously on his mind. The conversation was “Transcendence” and “Mortdecai”. He ran into Personal opinion troubling to me and seemed to be an indicator trouble last month in Australia after smug- The comedian also said at the time that the of something deeper on his mind.” In addition to gling his two pet terriers into the country on only real recourse for rape victims is through the the lawsuit by Huth, Cosby has been sued by court system. “Rape, there is no freedom unless four women including model Janice Dickinson his private jet, bypassing strict quarantine in a courtroom,” Cosby is heard telling McMillan for defamation. The lawsuit hinges on recent laws. After authorities threatened to put the Meryl Streep waves to photographers during the and another journalist in audio posted by denials of sex abuse allegations by Cosby’s rep- dogs down, prompting him to have them Japan premiere of ‘Into the Woods’ in Tokyo. — AP RadarOnline. After the Enquirer released its sto- resentatives. — AP flown back out, Australian media termed the ry, McMillan appeared on a radio talk show host- incident the “war on terrier”. — AFP