Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Springsteen cover band changes tune, won’t play at gala
TRENTON, N.J.
A Bruce Springsteen cover band has changed its tune about performing at a Washington gala the day before Republican Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The B Street Band decided to pull out of the Thursday-night performance at the New Jersey State Society’s gala.
Band leader Willie Forte said Monday the decision was based “solely on the respect and gratitude we have for Bruce and the E Street Band. That conquers everything else.”
Trump’s inauguration is Friday, followed that evening by inaugural balls.
Springsteen has called the Republican president-elect a “flagrant, toxic narcissist” and has questioned whether he’s competent for the job. Springsteen performed during Democratic President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural, and Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
The B Street Band had drawn jeers on social media from Springsteen fans, accusing the band of abandoning the soul of the musician its made a career of following. As the attention reached national proportions, the band decided it was best to cancel.
It’s ‘Fantastic’ for stars Mara and Bell, who are engaged
NEW YORK
The news is “Fantastic.”
A spokeswoman for Kate Mara confirmed Monday that the actress and her “Fantastic Four” co-star Jamie Bell are engaged.
The 33-year-old Mara has also appeared in such films as “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Martian” and in the Netflix series “House of Cards.” The 30-year-old Bell is known for such movies as “The Adventures of Tintin” and “Snowpiercer.” The actors have been dating since 2015, the year “Fantastic Four” came out.
Bell was previously married to actress Evan Rachel Wood.
Associated Press