Netflix put together an 11-day festival with some of the biggest names in comedy. It’s called Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival and it will go down from April 28th to May 8th. The shows will take place at different venues around the L.A. area. Presale tickets go on sale today, and the general public can get in on it Friday. Here’s just a small sample of the MAJOR names on the bill: Ali Wong . . . Amy Schumer . . . Chelsea Handler . . . Chris Rock . . . Conan O’Brien . . . David Letterman . . . Dax Shepard . . . Ellen DeGeneres . . . Jerry Seinfeld . . . Joel McHale. . . Jonathan Van Ness . . . Ken Jeong . . . Kevin Smith . . . Larry David . . . Mike Myers . . . Patton Oswalt . . . Pete Davidson . . . Ray Romano . . . Seth Rogen . . . and Tig Notaro. Gabriel Iglesias will be performing at Dodger Stadium . . . making him the FIRST stand-up comedian to ever do so. Kevin Hart is headlining at the Crypto.com Arena . . . you know, the Staples Center. Dave Chappelle will be at the Hollywood Bowl . . . Bill Burr and John Mulaney will be at the Forum . . . then Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are hosting a “freewheeling conversation” at the YouTube Theater.
TRAVIS SCOTT filed a legal response to 11 Astroworld lawsuits, saying he’s not responsible, and should be removed as a defendant. Almost 300 lawsuits have been filed so far, and he’ll probably do the same thing with all of them.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT took the stand in his own defense yesterday and once again denied he staged an attack against himself in 2019. If convicted he could get up to three years in prison, but would more likely be sentenced to probation and community service.
The U.S. is staging a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. We’re still sending all our athletes, but we’re not sending, quote, “diplomatic or official representation.” China isn’t happy about it. The games kick off February 4th.
If you’re still buying Christmas gifts, here’s a thought. Don’t get your kids anything they can play inside the house that is loud, and in your face. BRETT YOUNG still remembers the gift he’s pretty sure his parents regretted getting him. Quote, “I probably drove them crazy, but one year I got a mini little plastic indoor basketball hoop . . . and the living room was just big enough that I could justify playing all the time. “I was probably four or five years old, which is big enough to wreak havoc in the living room and jump off sofas to try to slam dunk.” Brett says it was the one thing that would get him to put the Nintendo controller down and actually run around and play. So there’s that.
LAUREN ALAINA announced the details of her Top of the World Tour. It picks up February 24th in Silver Spring, Maryland . . . and runs through April 15th in Charleston, South Carolina. March 4 – Bethlehem
Midlander singer MARK WYSTRACH and his wife Ty welcomed their second child, a boy, on Sunday. Mark posted a photo of himself holding the little fella, and he kinda explained his name. He wrote, “I present to you, our lil hombre . . . ‘Champie’ born happy and healthy. Thanks for all of your prayers and positive thoughts for Ty and our son.” The couple’s daughter Sunny is two.
JIMMIE ALLEN is very excited about his first-ever headlining tour. The Down Home Tour will launch February 3rd at the historic Troubadour in West Hollywood, California . . . and wrap May 13th in Norfolk, Virginia. NEON UNION will open the shows.
It took 37 weeks for KENNY CHESNEY’s “Knowing You” to reach #1. He probably wasn’t sweating it, though. It’s his 34th Number One hit
COLE SWINDELL’s Down To The Bar Tour will kick-off on February 17 in Peoria, Illinois . . . and wrap April 3rd in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. TRAVIS DENNING and ASHLEY COOKE are the openers. April 2 Wilkes Barre
Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Jessie James Decker, Craig Morgan, The War & Treaty, and Josh Turner will be performing at the first-ever “Opry Live: USO Holiday Special”. It’s happening December 18th and KELLIE PICKLER is the host. It’ll be live streamed on the USO and Circle All Access’ Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel.
7. One of KELSEA BALLERINI’s all-time favorite Christmas albums is from . . . JESSICA SIMPSON? Kelsea told CMT she starts the holiday season listening to old school stuff like Bing Crosby. Quote, “Then I branch out. You’ll laugh [but] to this day, one of my favorite Christmas albums is Jessica Simpson. She killed it.”
In case you didn’t see it. DANIELLE BRADBERY posted a couple of videos last month of herself skeet shooting . . . and the lady has skills. She captioned it, “Today was fun. 15 stations of skeet shooting. My shoulder hurts ha-hah.”
ALEC BALDWIN deleted one of his two verified Twitter accounts . . . but he’s supposedly hosting an award show in New York City on Thursday night.
BROOKE SHIELDS says it was “practically criminal” the way BARBARA WALTERS interviewed her when she was a teenager.
The Kentucky Derby-winning horse MEDINA SPIRIT collapsed and died of a heart attack during a workout yesterday
This is the kind of season the Philadelphia Flyers are having: A police K-9 unit pooped on their logo yesterday.
SYLVESTER STALLONE is doing his first TV series. He’ll star in a mob drama from the creator of “Yellowstone”
Sunny Sweeney is 45.
Larry Bird is 65. Basketball legend.
Priscilla Barnes is 67. Terri on “Three’s Company”, one of Jack and Janet’s blonde roommates who joined the show after Suzanne Somers left.
