ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Television

Show fi nds new home Armchair Expert enters new phase on Spotify

NEW YORK, July 5, (AP): When and Monica Padman recently welcomed Harry, the Duke of Sussex, on their “Armchair Expert” pod- cast, the chat with the prince settled a debate be- tween the two of them. “We’ve been arguing about royalty for a year and a half because (Padman) loves ‘The Crown’ and I’m always poo-pooing it,” said Shepard. “That just felt very simulation theory like, what are the odds now that we have a representative of this debate who is going to join us in person? And, then, what are the odds I’m going to just fall in love with the dude because he’s so normal and was in the army and stuff?” “I remained in love,” quipped Padman during a recent interview ahead of the podcast making Spotify its exclusive home on Thursday. “Armchair Expert” isn’t the fi rst or only podcast to feature long-form conversations, but Shepard’s no-airs approach to his guests often gets them to let their guard down. Shepard In the interview with Har- ry, Shepard broke the ice by showing him a calendar Padman had made for him as a joke featuring various male body parts that he aspires to emulate. (Shepard has long pontifi cated about his appreciation of a fi t, strong, male physique and even dedicated an “Armchair” episode to the topic.) With Harry, the fact that Shepard dared to This photo provided by Salvo Alibrío shows Norwegian indie duo , Eirik Glambek Bøe, (right), and Erlend Øye at the medieval castle of Palaz- broach this conversation with a member of the Brit- zolo Acreide in Sicily, , in September 2020. (AP) ish royal family was not only bold, but perhaps al- lowed the duke to go off script. “Why am I not September,” joked Harry, whose birthday falls in that month. He then suggested his Music contribution to a future calendar could be a photo of the top of his head. “It’s bald and it’s ginger.” It’s moments like these that tickle Shepard. An- other example: a conversation with . He went in with talking points but the conversation Kings of Convenience on key to longevity steered into the former politician’s house-cleaning process. Struggles Duo breaks silence with ‘Peace Or Love’ “Now you’re on minute 10 of learning about her cleaning from the basement up to the attic. That’s SEOUL, South Korea, July 5, (AP): a year together, so to speak, and that’s enjoy very much while dance music is the order. And Bill’s got too many DVD’s he’s sav- “What happened to Kings of Conveni- something that comes very natural in very diffi cult for me to enjoy. So, for ence” was, until recently, a prominent order to keep the band going because that reason, The Whitest Boy Alive ing, like those moments are just so spectacular for search result that would appear when if we would have to be in a band 12 is a band that has become a smaller us.” looking up info on the Norwegian in- months of the year, we probably would and smaller part of my life because it Shepard willingly opens up about his own strug- die-pop folk duo. start arguing a lot more. And then doesn’t represent my life anymore. I gles which he believes helps others to do the same. Largely quiet since the release of maybe we would be we will be in a big mean, I still love that music we made, He’s spoken about his drug and alcohol addiction, their last , the band recently fi ght and maybe the band will be over. and I still love to play with those guys. a recent relapse using prescription drugs, his inse- broke their silence with “Peace Or We fi gured out that if we do about But with again, with Kings of Con- curity about money and being sexually abused as Love,” Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek three months every year of the band, venience, we have more longevity a child. Bøe’s fi rst album together in 12 years. then we can keep on going for a very because the project is more friendly to “I will share something fi rst to get the ball rolling Actress Senta Berger holds her award The duo picked up exactly where long time. the body. almost as an act of good faith,” said Shepard. “Like, during the CineMerit Award ceremony they left off, returning with a bundle AP: Why did you pick “Rocky AP: You guys have been really suc- ‘I’m willing to talk about this. And if you feel in- at the Filmfest München in the Carl- of warm melodies familiar in their ear- Trail” from the album as a pre-released cessful ever since your debut. Do you clined to, you can see this is a place where at least I Orff-Saal of the Gasteig in Munich, lier , their offi cial debut “Quiet single? ever feel pressure about that? feel safe to do that.’” Germany, Sunday, July 4. Filmfest is the New Loud” in 2001, “Riot on Bøe: It sounds like a very repre- Øye: If we want to release some- Shepard and Padman hope a new Spotify part- München honored the actress Berger an Empty Street” in 2004, and 2009’s sentative song. That’s a very familiar thing, we don’t want it to be a disap- nership expands their listenership globally. Begin- with the CineMerit Award for her life’s “Declaration of Independence.” sound, I think, to people who know our pointment. So then you have to make ning Thursday, the “Armchair Expert” library of work. (AP) Hailing from , a city in Nor- old songs. So when you choose songs sure that it’s as good or better than 341 episodes plus new shows going forward and way’s southwestern coast, Øye and for a single, they have to be songs that what you put out before. And maybe its companion series “Experts on Experts” will be Bøe fi rst bonded with each other in both appeal to people who already that is the main reason why it’s taken exclusive to Spotify at no cost to listeners. To mark school. Their fi rst musical collabo- love your music, but they should also such a long time to put out this al- the occasion, will be their fi rst guest. ration was a comedic song about a appeal to people who’ve never heard bum because we don’t know, and we The fi ve other shows under the “Armchair Um- gym teacher who reminded them of your music before and “Rocky Trail” feel very often unsure in the moment brella” production company - including the new a “failed colonel” attempting to drill seemed to be a song of that kind. when we are recording, because when soldier-like disciplines into kids. AP: Apart from Kings of Conveni- you listen to a song fi fty times, maybe “Shattered Glass” podcast co-hosted by Padman “” was ence, you were in the band The Whit- you don’t hear the essence anymore of and Shepard’s wife, , are available on praised for its clean and intimate lyrics est Boy Alive. The tunes and vibes of it. You hear a lot of details that could Spotify and other podcast platforms. and evocative acoustic sounds and the the two groups are very different. How annoy you or frustrate you. But if you Both Shepard and Padman agree they’ve experi- pair became sought-after acts on the would you defi ne yourself between take a long break, you can have more enced personal growth thanks to “Armchair.” festival circuit before disappearing. those two personas? of a perspective. For Shepard, a self-professed “blowhard,” he’s In an interview, the duo discussed Øye: The Whitest Boy Alive was I mean, nobody wants to listen to also learned to be quiet sometimes. In the early days Smith Sudo the long gap in recordings and how created in Berlin. And it was a period music that sounds complicated and of the show, it wasn’t edited down, so pauses or their music and friendship withstand of my life when I was going out a lot frustrating to play. You want to listen dead space terrifi ed him. Now, he doesn’t feel the the test of time. to nightclubs. So a lot of the songs to someone who is just, you know, very need to talk and talk. Remarks have been edited for clar- from The Whitest Boy Alive was cre- in tune with their own fi ngers and voice “I think through 800 hours of doing this, I have Variety ity and brevity. ated while sitting in a club, hearing a and is just very comfortable singing. gotten more disinterested in myself, which I think AP: “Peace Or Love” is your fi rst loud boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, AP: What you just said about being is very healthy. I don’t need to hear my opinion as album in 12 years! What have you and singing on top of it while Kings comfortable is interesting because eve- much as I used to,” he laughed. NEW ORLEANS: Fireworks are return- been up to? What took so long? of Convenience music was mainly ry cafe here plays “Cayman Islands” Padman has found fame in a way she didn’t im- ing to New Orleans on Independence Day Bøe: Many, many different reasons. made a lot in Bergen basically playing from your previous album. agine for herself. thanks to actor Will Smith. We both have busy lives. I have three acoustic guitar, so it came from a very, Bøe: It’s funny how we actually Smith is picking up the roughly kids. We’ve toured a lot. So we have very different atmosphere. thought about this in the very begin- “I moved to Los Angeles for acting so I had an $100,000 tab for the pyrotechnics over idea of what it would look like if I became well- been active. We spent a lot of time AP: Which atmosphere are you ning. We thought ‘let’s make music the Mississippi River after learning New making the album, that’s for sure. We more comfortable with? that can be played in cafes.’ So we’ll known. This is not that. If somebody runs into me Orleans didn’t plan a 2021 show, city of- on the street and they know me from the podcast, fi cials told news outlets. spent almost fi ve years recording this. Øye: Well, I mean, now I have an make it without drums and percussion they really know a lot about me. It’s not a character. New Orleans canceled last year’s fi re- Øye: It’s a bit like, you know, when incredible problem with my ears. I because that’s usually what gets loud So that’s been interesting,” said Padman, who origi- works because of the coronavirus pandemic. you talk about dog years and cat years, have this thing called tinnitus, so for and annoying when you’re in a cafe or Smith is in New Orleans working on his like one Kings of Convenience year is me, now, I sit every day in my house a restaurant. So we made music with- nally was hired by Shepard and Bell as their chil- four years. Because me and Eirik, we here in Italy and I play acoustic guitar out drums and percussion so it could dren’s nanny. That morphed into becoming Bell’s latest fi lm “Emancipation,” which will tell the story of a slave, Peter, who escaped never spend more than three months of and it’s something that my ears still be played in cafes. And here we are. assistant, and then she became a producing partner a Louisiana plantation and whose photo with each of them on different projects. of scars on his back from being whipped Padman accepts she’s now an important part of exposed the brutality of slavery. He would restrictions, and the event was held in a year,” he told ESPN in an interview before being shot from fi ve barges in a televised, the show’s identity. In its early days, she only did also fi ght for the Union in the Civil War. nearby minor league baseball stadium, this year’s competition. (AP) choreographed spectacle. a fact-check segment at the end to correct Shepard Smith moved production of the fi lm Maimonides Park, with 5,000 spectators. ❑ ❑ ❑ This year, crowds will be welcome to if needed. Over time, Padman began to join in the from Georgia to Louisiana in early April gather. Last year, it was held indoors and NEW YORK: After a year lost to the coro- conversation and ask questions of the guests. after Georgia passed a new voting law without an in-person audience because of Last year, because of pandemic restric- that prompted a federal lawsuit saying the navirus, New York City’s most well-known tions, there were a series of shorter fi re- “A lot of people who are on the show now know the pandemic. Fourth of July traditions are back. the dynamic and they know I’m there and I co-host overhaul was intended to deny Black voters works shows in the days leading up to the equal access to the ballot. (AP) Chestnut said he’d missed the fans last The traditional Macy’s Fourth of July holiday, with the locations kept secret in and produce it. But sometimes they don’t. We had ❑ ❑ ❑ year. fi reworks show is back in full form with advance to keep people from congregating. Luke Wilson on recently and he came in we were “I’ve been looking forward to this all a display over the East River, with shells Landmarks around the state, from the just chatting and he’s like. ‘So, what do you do?’ I NEW YORK: Chowdown champ Joey World Trade Center’s centerpiece tower was like, ‘Oh, I produce and co-host the show.’ And “Jaws” Chestnut broke his own record to to Niagara Falls, were to be lighted in red, he’s like ’Oh, I didn’t know that.’ At the beginning gulp to a 14th win in the men’s Nathan’s white and blue to mark Independence Day. if that had happened I probably would have gotten Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on “If the last 16 months has reaffi rmed Sunday, while Michelle Lesco took the anything, it’s how precious life is and how very triggered by that. Now, that part is gone and I women’s title. think it’s because there’s some security within what vital liberty is to our identity as New York- Chestnut downed 76 franks and buns in ers and Americans,” Gov Andrew Cuomo we built.” 10 minutes. That’s one more than he did in said in a statement. (AP) “Armchair” will continue to record their show setting the men’s record last year, when the ❑ ❑ ❑ from an attic in Shepard’s home that he often jokes contest unfolded without fans because of is continually under construction. the coronavirus pandemic. SOUTH BEND, Ind: A northern Indiana Padman won’t be far away. She’s purchased a “It just felt good,” Chestnut, of West- police offi cer turned cat-whisperer to help home across the street. fi eld, Indiana, said in an ESPN interview rescue a kitten after the frisky feline darted after his win Sunday. “Even if I was in front of his cruiser during rush-hour Also: uncomfortable, having everybody cheer me traffi c. and push me, it made me feel good.” South Bend Police Offi cer Chris Voros LOS ANGELES: Wolfgang Puck, his restaurants and Lesco, of Tucson, Arizona, downed 30 was driving about 5 pm when the gray brand are omnipresent, but that success required de- ¾ dogs in 10 minutes and called her win kitten ran in front of his cruiser. Voros termination and exacted a toll, according to the Dis- “an amazing feeling.” stopped, got out and tried to help the cat ney+ documentary “Wolfgang” (now streaming). Reigning women’s champ and record- but it darted under his vehicle. The Austrian-born Puck says in the fi lm that he was holder Miki Sudo skipped this year After trying unsuccessfully to coax belittled by a stepfather who told him he’d never be because she’s expecting a baby in a few the cat out by calling “Here, kitty, kitty,” a success or a “real man” unless he stayed out of the weeks with fellow competitive eater Nick he then tried to lure it into the open with kitchen — the only place he felt comfortable. Un- Wehry. He vied for the men’s title but a stick. But that didn’t work and the cat came up short. hopped into a wheel well beneath Voros’ bowed, he went on to dazzle celebrities and fellow The annual Fourth of July frankfurter cruiser at one point before hopping back chefs with his inventive fare. While Puck says he’s fest normally happens outside Nathan’s Winners Joey Chestnut and Michelle Lesco pose with their championship belts down, the South Bend Tribune reported. at a time in life to take things easy — he’ll be 72 on fl agship shop in Brooklyn’s Coney Island and trophies at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eat- A photographer with the newspaper who July 8 — he intends the opposite. neighborhood. But this year’s planning ing Contest in Coney Island’s Maimonides Park on Sunday, July 4, in Brooklyn, was driving by stopped and photographed took place amid shifting coronavirus New York. (AP) Voros’ rescue efforts. (AP)