Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
What in the name of bombastic pricks everywhere do people see in Donald Trump? Is humorless self-aggrandizement really that amusing? Are we to admire asshole businessmen for being asshole businessmen?
Usually when non-performers host Saturday Night Live, they set aside their egos – Rudy Giulliani, John McCain and Al Sharpton positively reveled in playing against type and lampooning their public selves. But Trump was just Trump hosting the show last night: smug, brittle with self-regard, humorlessly pimping for The Apprentice and his new book, Trump: How to Win Friends and Influence People By Being a Dick, or something like that.
Trump just couldn’t get away from being Trump, even for an hour-and-a-half, and that just shows how small he really is. That pinched face, that ugly accent, that fur coat on his forehead: you’re fired, buttplug.
It sure was great to see Toots and the Maytals cooking with gas, though – I am deeply gratified to see Toots finally get some star treatment here in the states at the age of 58. His new album, True Love, features re-recordings of some of his greatest hits with a constellation of guest stars: Ryan Adams, Trey Anastasio, Jeff Beck, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths, Eric Clapton, Bootsy Collins, The Roots, Ben Harper, Terry Hall, The Skatalites, Willie Nelson, No Doubt, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Shaggy, Rahzel, U-Roy, Bunny Wailer and Rachael Yamagata.
Toots is on tour right now:
4/4 Tuxedo Junction Danbury, CT
4/5 State Theatre Portland, ME
4/7 “Volvo For Life” Awards Times Square, NY
4/10 Enmore Theatre Syndey, NSW Australia
4/11 Palace Entertainment Complex Melbourne, VIC Australia
4/12 East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
4/14 Starlight Ballroom Wellington, New Zealand
4/15 Logan Campbell Centre Auckland, New Zealand
4/17 Reggae Festival Kuende Beach, Noumea, New Caledonia
4/20 Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff, AZ
4/21 City Limits (formerly Backstage) Tucson, AZ
4/22 Sunshine Theater Albuquerque, NM
4/23 Fox Theatre & Cafe Boulder, CO
4/24 Colorado College – Armstrong Hall Colorado Springs, CO
4/25 Aggie Theater Ft.Collins – CO
4/27 Suede Park City, UT
4/28 The Big Easy Boise, ID
4/29 The Big Easy Concert House Spokane, WA
4/30 University Center Ballroom Missoula, MT
5/1 Experience Music Project Sky Church Seattle, WA
5/3 Showbox Seattle, OR
5/4 Roseland Theatre Portland, OR
5/5 The Jungle Eugene, OR
5/6 Mateel Community Center Eureka (Redway), CA
5/7 The Independant San Francisco, CA
5/8 The Independant San Francisco, CA
My review of Toots’s extraordinary career is here.
