Chris Janson announces ‘Halfway To Crazy’ 2022 tour

Chris Janson announced his headlining ‘Halfway to Crazy’ tour, which finds Janson playing auditoriums, theaters and arenas across the nation. The “Halfway to Crazy” tour kicks off on Feb. 10, and will run through April, including a Nashville date at the Ryman Auditorium on March 10. Joining him as support on tour will be Ray Fulcher and Shane Profitt.

Said Janson: “I’m super excited to hit the road in early 2022. It’s been incredible to be back in front of an audience again this year, with crowds more hungry and grateful for live music than ever before. Whether you’re a fan or an artist, there’s nothing like a seeing a live show. I can’t wait to see everyone on the ‘Halfway to Crazy’ Tour and to maybe play y’all some new music that I’ve got coming real soon.”

Fan club members can purchase tickets now; general public on-sale will start on Friday, Nov. 19. More dates are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.  For more info, head to ChrisJanson.com.

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Willie Nelson releases his cover of Hank Williams’ “I Saw The Light” ahead of his upcoming album

Willie Nelson released his latest single from his upcoming album, The Willie Nelson Family, which is due out November 19. The single is a cover of Hank Williams’ classic 1948 tune “I Saw The Light.”

The 88-year-old singer/songwriter recruited a number of his family members for his new album. including sister Bobbie Nelson on piano, sons Lukas and Micah Nelson on drums, guitars, and vocals, and daughters Paula and Amy Nelson, also on drums, guitars, and vocals.  The album will be comprised of six Willie Nelson originals, along with six covers, including George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and the spiritual “In The Garden.”

The Willie Nelson Family is the third new Willie Nelson studio album to be released since July 2020.

Check out the cover of “I Saw The Light” – here.

Willie Nelson Family Releases ‘I Saw the Light’ Cover of Hank Williams’ Classic

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Take a look at the new trailer for Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

Spider-Man faces multiple villains who have arrived from different universes in the latest trailer for Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.  In the trailer (seen here), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) explains to Spider-Man (Tom Holland) that visitors from other universes are arriving due to him botching a spell that would have made Peter Parker’s secret identity secret once again.

Spider-Man battles Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina, reprising his role from 2004’s Spider-Man 2, which starred Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man).  Spider-Man is also confronted by Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin from 2002’s Spider-Man, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman from 2007’s Spider-Man 3, Rhys Ifans’ The Lizard from 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man and Jamie Foxx’s Electro from 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Andrew Garfield portrayed Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man movies. The inclusion of villains from past franchises has led many to believe that Maguire and Garfield will be returning in Spider-Man: Far From Home, though these rumors have not been confirmed.

Spider-Man: Far From Home, directed by Jon Watts, debuts in theaters on Dec. 17.

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Focus Features shares a teaser for the upcoming film ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’

Focus Features shared a teaser trailer for the upcoming new film Downton Abbey: A New Era, featuring Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham.

The preview shows Violet (Smith) share with her family that she once had a romance with a man before her son Robert (Hugh Bonneville) was born. Violet has now inherited a villa in the French Riviera. The Crawley family is seen visiting France, with Charlie Carson (Jim Carter) joking, “They better be warned the British are coming.” Also starring in the film is Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, with Michelle Dockery as Mary Crawley, Laura Carmichael as Edith Crawley, Sophie McShera as Daisy and Lesley Nichol as Mrs. Patmore.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is the sequel to the ITV series Downtown Abbey, which aired for six seasons from 2010 to 2015, and to the 2019 film Downton Abbey.   The film opens in theaters March 18.

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Mandatory evacuations prompted by non-contained wildfire in northern Colorado

Law enforcement officials in northern Colorado ordered evacuations Tuesday after a wildfire broke out in Estes Park.The Kruger Rock Fire, which broke out around 7 a.m. Tuesday, grew to about 100 acres with zero containment as of early after noon.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office ordered mandatory evacuations for areas east and south of Highway 36, which was closed between Estes Park and Lyons to the south. Officials set up an evacuation center at the Estes Park Fairgrounds and an overnight shelter at the YMCA on Tunnel Road. The city of Longmont also closed the Button Rock Preserve, located southeast of Estes Park.

The blaze has not burned any structures, but it is near homes and businesses in downtown Estes Park. Sources from the sheriff’s office say the wildfire may have been started by an electrical issue; the cause was under investigation.

Wyoming Republican Party leaders vote to no longer recognize Congresswoman Liz Cheney as a party member

The Republican party of Wyoming will no longer consider their sole U.S. House lawmaker, Rep. Liz Cheney, as a member of the GOP. Cheney, who is a consistent critic of former President Donald Trump, was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in January following the insurrection attempt on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a mob of his supporters who were attempting to halt the counting of electoral votes, which found Joe Biden to be the victor of the 2020 presidential election.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has repeatedly defended her vote to impeach Trump. Last week she called Trump a “dangerous and irrational man” who is at “war with the rule of law and the Constitution.” Cheney has also criticized Trump for his baseless claims that he won the 2020 presidential election before House Republicans removed her from her post as the third-highest ranking Republican, conference chair, in May.

In February, the Wyoming GOP also censured Cheney over her impeachment vote, arguing Cheney’s vote to impeach ran counter to the will of Wyoming voters, who supported Trump by a more than 40-point margin. The state party also made baseless claims that members of the anti-fascist movement Antifa and Black Lives Matter instigated the violence on Jan. 6. The congresswoman said she had put the Constitution above party in her impeachment of Trump and criticism of his attempts to undermine the 2020 election, but the state central committee voted to pass a resolution that questions her decision making.

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Fenway Sports Group in advanced talks to purchase Pittsburgh Penguins

Fenway Sports Group is in advanced talks to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux have been the Penguins’ majority owners since 1999. The agreement needs to be approved by the Fenway Sports Group board, and then would be subject to NHL approval. The NHL’s Board of Governors must approve any potential sale.

Billionaire John Henry is the principal owner of Fenway Sports Group, whose portfolio includes the Boston Red Sox of MLB, Liverpool of the EPL, and Roush Fenway Racing of NASCAR. Fenway Sports Group also owns real estate, including Fenway Park. NBA star LeBron James has stake in the company.

The Penguins were on the verge of bankruptcy in 1999 when Lemieux, a franchise legend, and Burkle, an investor, led a group that bought the team for a reported $107 million. Lemieux and Burkle were instrumental in securing a new arena in Pittsburgh. According to sources, Lemieux is expected to retain a minority stake in the team if a sale goes through. Burkle and Lemieux have explored selling the Penguins previously, including in 2015, when they hired Morgan Stanley to help them look at options.

Like many teams in the NHL, the Penguins have struggled financially during the pandemic. The team accepted a $4.8 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020, and its 14-year sellout streak ended earlier this season.

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NY Mets right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard agrees to one-year, $21 million deal with Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels and right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard of the Mets have agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract for 2022, pending a physical. Syndergaard previously received a qualifying offer from the Mets, which would’ve paid him $18.4 million for the 2022 season. The signing means that Angels will forfeit their second-highest draft pick in 2022. and the Mets in turn will receive a compensatory pick.

The 29-year-old Syndergaard pitched just two innings in 2021 as he completed his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He also missed the abbreviated 2020 season while recovering from the procedure, which he underwent in May of that year. In 2019, Syndergaard worked a career-high 197 2/3 innings for the Mets. Across parts of six major-league seasons, Syndergaard owns an ERA of 3.32 (119 ERA+) with a K/BB ratio of 4.68. In 2016, he made the All-Star team and finished eighth in the NL Cy Young balloting.

When fully healthy, Syndergaard owns one of the biggest fastballs in the majors. However in addition to his torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard has also dealt with lat, biceps, and finger issues.

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Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce to host 2021 CMA Country Christmas

The Country Music Association (CMA) has announced Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce will host this year’s annual CMA Country Christmas television special.  The event will serve as Pearce and Barrett’s first time hosting a network television special together.

Pearce, the newly crowned CMA Female Vocalist Of The Year award winner, shared “And the day just keeps getting better!! SO thrilled to be hosting #CMACountryChristmas with guys the beautiful @gabbybarrett”

Gabby added:  “So excited to be hosting CMA Country Christmas w/ ma girl Carly Pearce. It’s my FAVORITE time of the year.”

CMA Country Christmas will air on ABC and Hulu on Monday, November 29th. Performers include Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Pistol Annies, Lady A, Lainey Wilson, BRELAND, Brett Eldredge, The Shindellas, Louis York, and the two hosts themselves: Carly Pearce and Gabby Barrett.

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Morgan Wallen announces extensive ‘The Dangerous Tour 2022’

Morgan Wallen is returning to the road with the announcement of his headlining The Dangerous Tour for 2022. The tour news was posted on social media, and will kick-off February 3, 2022 in Evansville, Indiana. The Dangerous Tour will also feature his friends and label mates HARDY and Larry Fleet.

The tour marks Wallen’s first official headlining tour since 2020’s Whiskey Glasses Roadshow and will make stops throughout the U.S. through summer 2022, including venues such as Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Wallen is also confirmed to headline several major festivals in 2022, including Country Thunder in Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin and Bristol, as well as The Country Fest in Ohio and Tailgate N’ Tallboys in Illinois.

Ticket info can be found on Ticketmaster; for more information, head to MorganWallen.com.

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