By Adam Graham

agraham@detroitnews.com

If they came through town, Ken Settle photographed them.

The Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, U2, Guns N’ Roses, David Bowie, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King, Kiss, Metallica, the list goes on. And that’s to say nothing of homegrown superstars like Alice Cooper, Madonna and Bob Seger.

For more than 40 years, Ken Settle was a fixture at local concert venues of every size, from small clubs to supersize stadiums. The acclaimed rock photographer died Monday, according to a post on his Facebook page. He was 66.

Settle, known for his poof of blond hair parted in the middle, was born in Trenton and grew up in Westland. He shot Bob Seger when he was just 11 years old, when the longhaired rocker was playing a softball game against the staffers from WRIF-FM (101.1). He asked Seger if he could take his picture and Seger agreed.

A few months later, Settle borrowed his father’s camera and popped off some shots of Creedence Clearwater Revival at Cobo Hall, and it was there that he was bitten by the rock photographer bug.

“I remember walking down the aisle on the main floor of Cobo to get a bit closer to the stage, and I took a handful of fairly blurry, not-so-good photos,” Settle told WCSX-FM (94.7) in 2023. “But the energy and excitement of live music at Cobo Arena was electric and it was such a thrill to try to capture that — even in my little kid’s way of doing so.”

From there, he shot a ton of early Seger shows, when Seger and his band were working their way up the local ladder, and Settle in turn became a staple in photo pits at local concerts from artists of all ranks. His work appeared in Rolling Stone, Creem, Playboy, People, Guitar Player and other publications across the globe, as well as locally in MediaNews Group’s Michigan publications, including The Oakland Press and the Macomb Daily.

“Ken was one of the best shooters ever,” says Scott Legato, a fellow rock photographer who shared photo pits with Settle over the last 20 years. “He was just a great guy. He had a big heart, and he loved his cats.”

In addition to his cats — he had several, and was known for taking in strays — Settle also had an extensive collection of guitars and amplifiers.

“Ken was awesome. Nice guy, always helpful, always great to be around,” says Chris Schwegler, a fellow photographer who shot concerts with Settle for years and considered him a good friend. He says he would talk to Settle two to three times a week and was just texting with him the other day, helping him out with a computer problem.

As a photographer, “Ken knew what looked good for a photo, no matter who the artist was,” says Schwegler. “He knew the shot he wanted to get, and he knew how to get it.”

Settle’s photo archives are vast, culled from thousands of shows, from Nirvana to Nicki Minaj, from Janet Jackson to John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen to Lil Wayne. His photos have been hung in Hard Rock Cafes around the world, and his shots were used in episodes of VH1’s “Behind the Music.”

He captured artists on stage from the 1970s through the 2010s, as photography went from film to digital, as artist rules went from shoot-the-whole-show to just the first three songs. His images are a history of live music in Detroit.

Settle came up shooting film and was a holdout on switching to digital for a long time, and that discipline made him a better photographer, says Legato.

“He had a good eye. He could anticipate the shot and get the shot,” he says. Legato helped convince him to go to digital, he says, but Settle “still had the mindset that he was shooting film.”

Friends say Settle had complained of experiencing shooting pain in recent weeks, but he was hesitant to go to the doctor.

He had slowed down from shooting rock concerts after COVID-19, but was still active on social media, and tributes poured into Settle’s Facebook page following news of his death.

Steve Galli, a fellow rock photographer who had known Settle since the late 1970s, said Settle was one of the best shooters in the business.

“He was known all over. When I started traveling out of state to cover music fests, other photographers would say to me, ‘You’re from Detroit, you must know Ken Settle,'” says Galli. “Photographers from all over the country associated Detroit with Ken Settle.”

When other photographers were gathered front and center in front of the stage at a concert, “he’d be way over on the side, getting an angle no other photographer was getting,” Galli says.

Galli says he remembers being in photo pits waiting for Settle to show up, wondering if he was going to miss the show, only to see him emerge from the backstage area, where he had been shooting portraits of the artists before the concert began.

“We were thinking he missed out, when it was us missing out,” he says.

Settle was always helpful to newcomers, Galli says, and would freely share information and tips of the trade with others.

“He was such a nice person, a really bighearted guy,” says Galli. “Ken was a legend.”

By Adam Graham, agraham@detroitnews.com

The Milford Independent Cinema is ceasing operations, joining a host of other area movie theaters that have run their final credits in recent years.

The one-screen theater, founded in 1972, will close its doors Jan. 31, operators announced in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“This difficult decision follows extensive efforts to sustain operations amid significant and ongoing changes within the film exhibition industry,” the statement said. “Shifts toward streaming platforms, evolving film distribution models, rising operational costs, and increasing box office fees required to show first-run films have made it increasingly difficult for independent theaters to remain viable.”

The theater’s closing follows the shuttering of other Metro Detroit movie theaters and multiplexes, including the AMC Star Southfield, AMC Fairlane 21, Main Art Theatre, Maple Theater and Cinema Detroit, all of which have closed their doors since 2020. The Regal Cinemas UA Commerce Township closed in September after more than 27 years in business.

The Milford theater requires $70,000 in annual support to cover operating costs, the statement said.

“This decision was not made lightly and is not due to a lack of effort or community support,” the Cinema’s Board of Directors said in a statement. “The Milford community showd up for us time and time again — with attendance, fundraising, and unwavering commitment. We truly tried to evolve with the industry and meet the needs of our community. Unfortunately, we simply did not have enough time or the level of corporate and major donor support required to get where we needed to be.”

Details of the theater’s closing events will be announced in the coming days.

The Milford, which was run by the Henn family from 1972 to 2020 and reopened with new ownership in 2021 after shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic, is currently showing “Song Sung Blue,” starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as a Midwestern couple who play in a Neil Diamond tribute band.

The theater had mapped out showings for its Film Appreciation Night for the rest of 2026, including free showings of “Fargo” (Jan. 26), “All the President’s Men,” “Trainspotting,” “The Searchers” and more.

Halsey hasn’t played a venue as small as the Fillmore Detroit since her first show in these parts — nine and a half years ago at Saint Andrew’s Hall.

But rest assured there was nothing small about the New Jersey-born modern pop singer’s show on Saturday, Jan. 17 — the first of two sold-out Back to Badlands dates at the Fillmore, continuing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her double-platinum 2015 debut album “Badlands.”

Besides offering a generous selection of material (32 songs) from across her catalog, the two-and-a-half-hour spectacle delivered an arena-sized visual punch. Halsey and her three instrumentalists played on a two-tiered stage in front of a floor-to-ceiling high-def video wall that displayed a series of images and animations — and even 3-D imagery (glasses provided as fans entered) during a late-set “Lonely is the Muse,” as fans followed a reclining Halsey floating in front of them.

Halsey herself was the strongest effect, however, prowling and dancing around the stage in a low-plunge black halter-top and low-slug pants and exercising her pipes with extended notes on songs such as “Nightmare” “Without Me.” Fifteen songs from “Badlands” — its original and deluxe editions — were scattered throughout the night, non-sequentially, and the crowd was vociferously happy to hear the likes of “Coming Down,” “Strange Love” and “Garden” for the first time live in many years.

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It was a special night, by any measure, for those used to seeing Halsey in bigger spaces such as Little Caesars Arena and Pine Knob — including a season-opener at the latter last year. And that made some of her attitude for much of Saturday night a bit odd and, truthfully, disingenuous.

Early on, after performing “The Lighthouse,” Halsey dubbed the Fillmore “a weird (expletive) building,” different from other places the tour had played. “There are two shows happening,” she explained, maintaining that it required her to make grand movements and gestures for those in the balcony (“I have to make some (stuff) up on the fly,” she said) that might be off-putting to those packed in front of her on the main floor.

Eh? The former were certainly considerably a far sight closer than those in the back and top of LCA, or on the lawn at Pine Knob. And it’s highly doubtful that anybody down front really minded any of Halsey’s energetic movements. And yet it became a theme for the good stretch of Saturday’s show. At one point Halsey complained about the muted reaction from some “dudes” after she sang into their faces during “Hold Me Close;” “You guys are hard to impress, man,” she groused afterwards. “What do you want me to do?” (She did make a guess, if course. IYKYK.)

And later on, before her Chainsmokers collaboration “Closer” shook the Fillmore, Halsey said that, “I’ve accepted that you guys are tired tonight. You don’t have it; I get that” — even though the evidence right in front of her was quite contrary.

Fortunately she got over it before the end of the main set — or, in her view, the audience raised its game. Halsey did declare her strong affinity to Detroit and Michigan, celebrated in several of her songs (“It’s not like it’s an easy rhyme, y’know,” she quipped). And she rewarded the crowd with “a very special, once-in-a-lifetime Detroit encore” that veered from the tour’s usual program for a half-hour of deeper favorites such as a rocking “3am” (one of two songs on which Halsey played guitar), “Killing Boys,” “Clementine,” “929” and “Bad at Love” before the usual closer “Is There Somewhere.”

“I’ve had a great time with you tonight. Nobody loves you more than I do,” she shouted as the latter finished. The feeling was certainly mutual from the Fillmore crowd, and, despite any reservations she might have expressed earlier, “Badlands” proved to be a nice place for everyone to visit once again.

Halsey performs again on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are sold out. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.

The state’s quarterly theme-park injury report for the final three months of 2025 includes a Nov. 25 death following a ride on Revenge of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida.

An unidentified 70-year-old woman was unresponsive and later died at the hospital, according to the report compiled by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The state’s major theme parks self-report about visitors injured on rides if they result in at least 24 hours of hospitalization.

The summary “reflects only the information reported at the time of the incident,” the report says. “Due to privacy-related concerns, the department does not receive updates to initial assessments of a patron’s condition.”

A Universal spokesperson said via e-mail that the company does not comment on pending claims. The Orlando Sentinel has requested records for the scene and date from the Orlando Police Department.

The Mummy ride, which opened in 2004, reaches 40 mph as it rolls through dark Egyptian-themed scenes and fiery effects amid appearances by animatronic Imhotep and scarab beetles plus a drop hill of 39 feet. It has appeared on the quarterly report about 20 times since opening, including the death of an Apopka man who fell from the loading platform onto the tracks in 2004. He died after a related surgery, and his death was ruled an accident by the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner’s office.

The latest injury report, posted Thursday, has a mix of spinning rides and high-intensity attractions and roller coasters, including Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers.

On Nov. 6, a 78-year-old man had chest pain after being on the Epic coaster, and on Nov. 14, a 61-year-old man had cardiac arrest on the ride. Stardust Racers is considered Epic’s most intense ride, with dueling trains going up to 62 mph and a top height of 133 feet. Both sides include one inversion, sudden launches and intertwined-rails moments. The coaster debuted with the Universal Orlando Resort park in May.

In September, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala of Kissimmee died after riding Stardust Racers. His family and Universal reached an “amicable resolution” in December, but no details were shared. Later, five people filed lawsuits against Universal Orlando, claiming severe and permanent injuries after their heads slammed against the seats in front of them while on Stardust Racers.

Of the nine fourth-quarter reports filed from the three Universal Orlando parks, five involved Epic rides. Other incidents included Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, where a 41-year-old woman had numbness and visual disturbance on Oct. 4; on Oct. 25, a 19-year-old woman had altered mental status during Mario Kart: Bower’s Challenge, a flat ride with virtual-reality elements; and on Nov. 14, a 47-year-old woman had nausea after Yoshi’s Adventure, a slow-paced flat ride.

At Islands of Adventure, a 45-year-old women had motion sickness and stroke symptoms after riding the Incredible Hulk Coaster on Oct. 13 and a 49-year-old woman had chest pain after being on Jurassic World: VelociCoaster on Nov. 30. Also at IOA, a 61-year-old woman had lower back spasms after Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, a drop-tower ride.

At Walt Disney World, three Epcot incidents are on the new report. On Nov. 12, a 72-year-old woman was disoriented after exiting Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, an indoor coaster; on Nov. 23, a 59-year-old woman had breathing difficulties while exiting Test Track; and on Dec. 28, a 35-year-old woman lost consciousness while on The Seas With Nemo and Friends, a low-speed dark ride that travels through an aquarium.

At Magic Kingdom theme park, a 65-year-old woman felt chest pain after Peter Pan’s Flight ride on Oct. 28, and a 42-year-old woman had a seizure while on Mad Tea Party, the spinning ride commonly called the teacups, on Nov. 22.

A 75-year-old woman had “stroke-like symptoms” aboard Slinky Dog Dash, a roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, on Nov. 28.

No reports were filed in the quarter from SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and their associated water parks.

By Mike Householder

The Associated Press

Researchers, documentary filmmakers and others will soon be able to get their hands on screenwriter and director Lawrence Kasdan’s papers at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Archivists are about a quarter of the way through cataloging the 150-plus boxes of material that document the 76-year-old filmmaker’s role in bringing to life iconic characters like Indiana Jones and Yoda, and directing actors ranging from Geena Davis and Glenn Close to Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner.

“All I wanted to ever do was be a movie director. And so, all the details meant something to me,” Kasdan said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I couldn’t be happier to have this mass of stuff available to anybody who is interested.”

The archive includes scripts, call sheets and still photos — including a few rarities.

Before Costner became an Oscar winner and Hollywood icon, he worked various studio jobs while taking nighttime drama lessons. His break — or so he thought — came when Kasdan cast him in 1983’s “The Big Chill.”

Costner played Alex, whose death brings his fellow Michigan alums together. Unfortunately, his big flashback scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.

What are believed to be among the only existing photographs of the famously deleted scene are part of the Kasdan collection, now housed in Ann Arbor.

“Different people will be interested in different things,” Kasdan said, pointing to his work writing the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” screenplay as one possible destination for researchers. The archive features audio cassette recordings of Kasdan discussing the film with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It also includes Polaroids taken of cast and crew members on the sets of his movies.

There are props, too, including a cowboy hat from the 1985 Western “Silverado,” worn by none other than Costner. Kasdan and the kid from California would work together again on “Wyatt Earp” in the ’90s. Costner also starred in “The Bodyguard,” which Kasdan wrote.

A number of unproduced scripts also are part of the collection.

“I’ve always considered myself a director and a writer. And if you are really interested in any particular movie, you can follow the evolution of that movie in the archive,” Kasdan said.

Library staff members are working chronologically through Kasdan’s material, meaning the papers for Kasdan’s earliest work — including “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” as well as the scripts for two “Star Wars” classics, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” — can be accessed first.

The remaining material should be completely processed by late 2026, said Phil Hallman, the curator of the collection. Hallman hopes to have Kasdan visit, perhaps next fall, to see the archive and take part in a symposium.

Kasdan’s papers are part of the University of Michigan Library’s Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection, which includes Orson Welles, Robert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Nancy Savoca and John Sayles.

Kasdan, who grew up in West Virginia and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and a master’s two years later, is the lone Michigan alum among the group.

“To be there, held in the same place as those wonderful directors, is really a great honor,” Kasdan said.

It will be a while before you can come and get those Motown memories this weekend.

After Monday, Jan. 19 — the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observance — the Motown Museum will be closed for tours to allow for intensive construction of its $75 million expansion, which is slated to grow the shrine from two houses on Detroit’s West Grand Boulevard into a 50,000-sqare-foot facility housing interactive exhibits, artifacts, a professional recording studio and more, as well as the Hitsville NEXT educational academy.

The expanded museum is slated to open in the spring of 2027.

This week and weekend also feature days themed to specific artists from Motown’s history. The Marvelettes, Teena Marie, Stevie Wonder and the Temptations were covered earlier in the week, while the weekend will focus on the Four Tops (Friday, Jan. 16), Diana Ross & the Supremes (Sat., Jan. 17) and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Sunday, Jan. 18, with discounted admission). All will feature immersive tours, curated playlists, video footage and special giveaways.

MLK Day will also feature special immersive tours.

The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Call 313-875-2264 or visit motownmuseum.org.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The revolutionary saga “One Battle After Another” won best picture, musical or comedy at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards.

“Hamnet” won best picture, drama at the ceremony Sunday night.

Entering the night, “One Battle After Another” topped the list of nominations with nine, followed by “Sentimental Value” with eight.

Comedian Nikki Glaser hosted the ceremony from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The night marked Glaser’s second consecutive year as host.

The first award of the night went to Teyana Taylor, who won female supporting actor, motion picture for “One Battle After Another.”

The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. The awards show was broadcast on CBS and is available to stream through Paramount+.

Here’s a list of winners at Sunday’s Golden Globes:

Motion picture, drama

“Hamnet”

Motion picture, musical or comedy

“One Battle After Another”

Male actor, motion picture, drama

Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”

Female actor, motion picture, drama

Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”

Female actor, motion picture, musical or comedy

Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You”

Male actor, motion picture, musical or comedy

Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”

Female supporting actor, motion picture

Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”

Male supporting actor, motion picture

Stellan Skarsgard, “Sentimental Value”

Motion picture, non-English language

“The Secret Agent,” Brazil

Motion picture, animated

“KPop Demon Hunters”

Director, motion picture

Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”

Screenplay, motion picture

Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”

Cinematic and box office achievement

“Sinners”

TV series, drama

“The Pitt”

TV series, musical or comedy

“The Studio”

Male actor, TV series, drama

Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”

Female actor, TV series, drama

Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus”

Female actor, TV series, musical or comedy

Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Male actor, TV series, musical or comedy

Seth Rogen, “The Studio”

Limited series, anthology series or made for TV movie

“Adolescence”

Male actor, limited series, anthology series or made for TV movie

Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”

Female actor, limited series, anthology series or made for TV movie

Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”

Male supporting actor, television

Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”

Female supporting actor, television

Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”

Original song, motion picture

“Golden” from “Kpop Demon Hunters”

Original score, motion picture

Ludwig Göransson, “Sinners”

Stand-up comedy performance

Ricky Gervais, “Mortality”

Podcast

“Good Hang With Amy Poehler”

The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night’s 83rd Golden Globes hosted by Nikki Glaser, a comic known for her roast appearances.

How to watch and stream the Globes and red carpet

The Golden Globes kick off at 8 p.m. EST on CBS while streaming live for Paramount+ premium subscribers. E!’s red carpet coverage begins at 6 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press is hosting a livestream show with a mix of stars’ arrivals, fashion shots and celebrity interviews. It is available on YouTube and APNews.

By JAKE COYLE, Associated Press

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ragtag revolutionary saga “One Battle After Another” took top honors at Sunday’s 83rd Golden Globes in the comedy category, while Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare drama “Hamnet” pulled off an upset over “Sinners” to win best film, drama.

“One Battle After Another” won best film, comedy, supporting female actor for Teyana Taylor and best director and best screenplay for Anderson. He became just the second filmmaker to sweep director, screenplay and film, as a producer, at the Globes. Only Oliver Stone, for “Born on the Fourth of July,” managed the same feat.

In an awards ceremony that went almost entirely as expected, the night’s final award was the most surprising. While “One Battle After Another” has been the clear front-runner this awards season, most have pegged Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-era vampire thriller as its closest competition.

But “Hamnet,” a speculative drama about William and Agnes Shakespeare based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller, won in the dramatic category shortly after its star, Jessie Buckley, won best female actor in a drama.

It was a banner night for Warner Bros., the studio behind “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to be sold to Netflix in an $83 billion deal. Paramount Skydance has appealed to shareholders with its own rival offer.

In his speech after winning best director, Anderson praised Warner co-chief Michael DeLuca.

“He said he wanted to run a studio one day and let filmmakers make whatever they want,” said Anderson. “That’s how you get ‘Sinners.’ That’s how you get a ‘Weapons.’ That’s how you get ‘One Battle After Another.’”

The final awards brought to, or near, the stage a handful of the most talented filmmakers together in Anderson, Zhao and Coogler — plus Steven Spielberg, a producer of “Hamnet.” Regardless of who won what, it was a heartening moment of solidarity between them, with a shared sense of purpose. Zhao fondly recalled being at Sundance Labs with Coogler when they were each starting out.

“As students, let’s keep our hearts open and let’s keep seeing each other and allowing each other to be seen,” said Zhao, while Coogler smiled from the front row.

“Sinners” won for best score and cinematic and box-office achievement. The win for box office and cinematic achievement, over franchise films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” was notable for Coogler’s film, a movie that some reports labeled a qualified success on its release.

Yet “Sinners” ultimately grossed $278 million domestically and $368 million worldwide, making it highest grossing original film in 15 years.

“I just want to thank the audience for showing up,” said Coogler. “It means the world.”

Coming off years of scandal and subsequent rehabilitation, the Globes and host Nikki Glaser put on a star-studded ceremony that saw wins for the streaming sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” (best animated film, song), a meta triumph for Seth Rogen’s “The Studio” and an inaugural award for podcasting that went to Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang.”

Many of the Oscar favorites won. Timothee Chalamet won his first Golden Globe, for “Marty Supreme,” after four previous nominations. The 30-year-old is poised to win his first Oscar. Fellow nominees like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney stood to applaud his win.

“My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up: Always be grateful for what you have,” said Chalamet. “It’s allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. I’d be lying if I didn’t say those moments didn’t make this moment that much sweeter.”

Glaser comes out swinging

The Globes, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, got underway with a pointedly political opening from host Nikki Glaser and an early award for the night’s favorite, “One Battle After Another.” Emceeing the show for the second straight year, Glaser kicked off the show with self-aware satire.

“Yes, the Golden Globes, without a doubt the most important thing happening in the world right now,” she said.

In a winning, rapid-fire opening monologue that landed some punch lines on the usual subjects — the age of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dates, Kevin Hart’s height — Glaser also dove right into some of her most topical material.

For the on-the-block Warner Bros., Glaser started the bidding at $5. Referencing the Epstein files, she suggested best editing should go to the Justice Dept. The “most editing,” however, she suggested deserved to go to Bari Weiss’ new CBS News — a dig at the Paramount Skydance-owned network airing the Globes.

Globes mix glitz and gloom

Political tension and industrywide uncertainty were the prevailing moods heading into Sunday’s awards. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros. Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, several attendees wore pins reading “Be Good.”

The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards. After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.

But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can boost an Oscar campaign. Winners Sunday included Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”) for best female actor in a comedy or musical, and Wagner Moura, the Brazilian star of “The Secret Agent,” for best male actor in a drama. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s period political thriller also won best international film.

“I think if trauma can be passed along generations, values can,” Moura said. “So this to the ones who are sticking with their values in difficult moments.”

Other winners Sunday included the supporting actor front-runner, Stellan Skarsgård who won for the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value.” It was the first major Hollywood movie award for the 74-year-old, a respected veteran actor who drew a standing ovation.

“I was not prepared for this because I, of course, thought I was too old,” said Skarsgård.

‘The Studio’ and ‘Adolesence’ win

In the television awards, “The Pitt” took best drama series, while Noah Wyle won, too, brushing past his former “ER”-star Clooney on the way to the stage. Netflix’s “Adolescence” won four awards: best limited series, and acting awards for Erin Doherty, Stephen Graham and 16-year-old Owen Cooper.

Other winners included Rhea Seehorn for “Pluribus” and Jean Smart for “Hacks.”

But the most comically poignant award of the night went to “The Studio,” the best comedy series winner. Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire memorably included an episode devoted to drama around a night at the Globes. (Sample line: “I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something.”) Rogen also won best male actor in a comedy.

“This is so weird,” Rogen said, chuckling. “We just pretended to do this. And now it’s happening.”

The new year is only a few days old, but Sponge is looking at plowing its way through a busy year ahead.

The Detroit band — whose gold-certified 1994 debut album “Rotting Pinata” launched the hits “Plowed” and “Molly (16 Candles”) — has an abundant schedule of shows already on tap, including the ’90s Cruise later this month with Sugar Ray, Tonic, Smash Mouth and others. Come July, Sponge will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its second album, “Wax Ecstatic,” and sometime this year, it will be releasing a new set, “Enclosing,” that frontman and co-founder Vin Dombroski says will likely be the band’s last.

“We’ve done many records,” explains Dombroski, citing listening habits and marketplace trends as reasons for a re-think. “It’s nice to talk about ‘a record’ … but everybody goes to YouTube and listens online. We sell some records at the shows, but I scratch my head and go, ‘Why am I even putting the effort into making a full-length record?’

“I’ll release songs, sure,” adds Dombroski, who describes “Enclosing” as “really dark.” “Nowadays, if you want content, just release a song. Why wait? But as far as a full-length album, I really have no more motivation to do it.”

Dombroski says Sponge hasn’t started thinking about “Wax Ecstatic’s” anniversary, but anticipates doing something to commemorate the album. Sponge also has its annual Bus Tour in St. Clair Shores set for March 28, and while he did not anticipate the band’s longevity, Dombroski is certainly happy to still be at it all these years later.

“I remember playing ‘Plowed’ the first time at the Ritz in Roseville, before anything was going on, and we got a really good reaction and thought, ‘Right, this one’s a keeper,'” says Dombroski, who recently released a single, “Maggot Wind,” with the Lucid, an all-star band he’s also part of. “Radio still plays it, and ‘Molly’ and sometimes others. We’re fortunate to have songs in movies sometimes, all kinds of stuff.

“It’s really the willingness of the guys in the band to get in the van and keep doing it. A lot of bands won’t do it like that anymore. We pretty much have this all down. Everybody gets along really well. They’re talented guys and decent people. I’m willing to do it, of course, but without the guys being good people and feeling the same way, I couldn’t do it.

Sponge performs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com. Sponge also performs with Everclear on March 18 at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. Doors at 7 p.m. district142live.com.

Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …

FRIDAY, JAN. 9

• Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah lays down the law at 8 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble comes home to launch its latest tour with four shows — at 7 and 9 p.m. each night — through Saturday. Jan. 10 at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra plays along with a screening of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” at 7:30 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Eclectic New York singer and songwriter Nellie McKay performs for Friday Night Live! at 7 p.m. at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900 or dia.org.

• Vocalist Lexie Blue sings at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• Trumpeter Trunino Lowe blows his horn through Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.

• The Detroit Jazz Project takes over at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Eastside Elvis & the Motor City Mafia shake it up at 8:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Penarth, the Walk Talkers and the Mansion triple-bill at 7 p.m. at the New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Jos Campau, Hamtramck. 313-638-1508 or thenewdodgelounge.com.

• Adjust the Sails, Dear Cincinnati, Hummus Vacuum and Loudfoxcult pile up at 8 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Reverend Robert Jones and Todd Albright team up at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• That Arena Rock Show does just that at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. And Rush Experience will create its own kind of arena rock experience there on Saturday, Jan. 10. Doors at 7 p.m. both nights. district142live.com.

• Blues guitarist Duke Tumatoe squeezes into The Ark for an 8 p.m. show. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.

• Virtual: Depeche Mode’s concert film “M,” which debuted at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and had a limited run in theaters in October, premieres on Netflix.

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra Pops plays “Total Eclipse of the Charts: ’80s Chart Toppers” at 8 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. A “Total Eclipse of the Chart: Afterdark” dance party takes place at 10 p.m. Saturday in The Cube. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Performance artist Satori Circus presents Lads Insane: A Musical Celebration of David Bowie to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the British music icon’s death at 8 p.m. at the Tangent Gallery/Hastings Street Ballroom, 715 E. Milwaukee St., Detroit. tangentgallery.com.

• Albany punk rockers State Champs visit the Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 6 p.m. Real Friends, Driveways and Summerbruise are also on the bill. 313-833-9700 or majesticdetroit.com.

• Michigan music mainstay Joe Hertler performs a solo acoustic show at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• Singer-songwriter and comedian Kristin Key takes the stage at 8 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-309-6445 or flagstarstrand.com.

• Never The Crash, The Lion Within, Allen Pond and other bands perform as part of the Rise from the Ashes Benefit concert for those affected by the Sto-Away Self Storage fire in November in Rochester Hills. The show starts at 2 p.m. at the Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township. 586-933-3503 or dieselconcerts.com.

• Detroit’s Lager House hosts Darkness on the Edge of Corktown 3, with more than 30 local artists playing tribute to Bruce Springsteen, at 8 p.m. Proceeds go to the Motor City Mitten Mission. 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Problems, Deadbeatdad, Origami Phase and Seanni B rock hard at 7 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.

• Bassist Gwenyth Hayes leads her band at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Singer-songwriters Tom Alter, Bob Sky Young and Mary Hartman get together at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• Popular local cover bands the Mega 80’s and the Square Pegz square off in an 80’s vs. 90’s show at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.

• Hotel California — The Original Eagles Tribute takes it to the limit at the Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens. Doors at 7 p.m. 586-630-0120 or theemeraldtheatre.com.

• The Loving Touch hosts a Broadway Rave. 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• Popular local singer-songwriter Jill Jack holds her annual Birthday Bash at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.

• Virtual: The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series presents “The Stars of I Puritani” in theaters worldwide. metopera.org for theaters and showtimes.

SUNDAY, JAN. 11

• R&B singer Carl Thomas croons at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• Dan Devins and the Blues Delegation play at a 3 p.m. matinee at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Trumpeter Mason Bays closes the weekend at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• Ember & Ash, the duo of the Ragbirds’ Erin Zindle and Native Howl’s Alex Holycross, burns at 7:30 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.

• Ann Arbor trio the Triumvirate starts at 6 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.

In Meadow Brook Theatre’s upcoming production of “All Shook Up,” Chad (Nick Cortazzo) shakes things up among some uptight small-town residents when he arrives with his guitar, playing Elvis tunes.

“Chad is a roustabout who has music inside of his heart,” said Cortazzo, a Pittsburgh native who lives in New York City. “He travels to little towns and communities and spreads joy, love and music.“

The people in this unnamed town are “stuck in their ways” until Chad shows up, Cortazzo said. The musical follows the plot of (Shakespeare’s) “Twelfth Night,” he noted. “It’s a big love web triangle. Everyone’s in love with everyone.

“Natalie (Mirabella Ziegler) is a mechanic in her dad’s garage. Her dad, Jim (Danny Gurwin), is getting over the death of his wife. He eventually falls in love with Sandra (Kassandra Aguilar-Haddock).

“Sylvia (Milika Cherée) runs the bar in town, and she has a daughter, Lorraine (Lauren M. Smith), who falls in love with Dean (Chase Williams), son of the mayor Matilda (Amy Hillner Larsen). She is strict, and everything needs to be her way. She doesn’t allow dancing, hip gyrating.”

Natalie falls in love with Chad. But Chad is in love with Sandra, who owns the town museum. Sandra is in love with Ed (Natalie in disguise). “She puts on a hat, draws with grease a fake beard and becomes Ed. She disguises herself so she can get close to Chad because he doesn’t give her the time of day,” Cortazzo said.

Audiences must wait till the end of the show to see who winds up with whom, Cortazzo said.

There are 24 Elvis songs throughout the show. Cortazzo sings most of them, “but we spread the wealth,” he said. “Everyone gets their chance to shine.”

The show starts with “Jailhouse Rock,” the first act ends with “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and the second act starts with “All Shook Up.” The last song is “Burning Love.”

“The show was on Broadway in early to mid-2000s, and after that, they did a little reworking before launching the national tour,” Cortazzo said.

During his freshman year in high school, he played Dennis, who is portrayed by Jackson Cole Cook in this production.

“It’s fun to revisit the show in a different role 12 years later,” Cortazzo said. As the lead, he’s in almost every scene. “It’s a heavy lift, but it’s a fun challenge.”

Cortazzo graduated in musical theater in 2021 from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. He moved to New York and toured with “Hairspray” as Link Larkin from 2022-23. After that, he performed in regional theater productions. From 2023-24, he was part of the first national tour of “Hadestown.”

This is his first time at Meadow Brook.

“I didn’t know anyone in the cast before coming here,” he said. “It’s been great getting to know new people. Most of the leads (except actors playing Natalie and Dean, who are OU students) are from New York. The ensemble is primarily OU students.

“I hope everyone dances the night away with us!”

The show opens Wednesday, Jan. 7 and runs through Feb. 1 at the theatre on the campus of Oakland University, 378 Meadow Brook Road, Rochester.

“All Shook Up” is directed by Travis W. Walter with choreography by Jacob ben Widmar and music direction by Eric Shorey. Scenic design is by Jen Price Fick, assistant scenic design by Annie Eloise Findlay, lighting design by Matt Fick, assistant lighting design by Ash Ritter, costume design by Whitney Locher, wig design by Chad Harlow, assistant costume design by Trish Brown, sound design by Kyle Jensen and assistant sound design by Lorelei Preiss. The dance captain is Emily Ann Stys, and the assistant dance captain is Naomi Jarvis. Brittanie Nichole Sicker is the stage manager and Ellen Marie Peck is the assistant stage manager.

Tickets range from $40 to $48 and are available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300 or going online to ticketmaster.com. Student discounts are available at the box office. Groups of eight or more should call 248-370-3316 for group pricing.

The overriding theme defining television in recent years has been a fear of the new. Which is why reboots and spinoffs continue apace, with old titles brought back from the dead (“Scrubs”) or from the not-so-distant past (“The Night Manager”) and intellectual property milked within an inch of its life (somehow HBO has yet another “Game of Thrones” series coming our way).

It’s as if everyone in Hollywood ran out of new ideas all at once. Don’t blame writers, but executives who are rapidly shepherding their industry towards irrelevance with an over-reliance on reworked IP, while original ideas are left unproduced. In better news, the winter Olympic Games are this year, with the opening ceremony taking place Feb. 6 on NBC. (The Super Bowl is that Sunday as well.)

“The Pitt”

The Pittsburgh-set medical drama from “ER” showrunner John Wells is back for a second season, premiering almost exactly a year after it first debuted. Imagine, a streaming series returning on a reliable schedule! Dr. Robby (“ER” veteran Noah Wyle) is back once again, overseeing the managed chaos, student doctors and medical residents of his emergency department. One of the best examples of competency as comfort, something we could all use more of at the moment in real life. From Jan. 8 on HBO Max.

“The Night Manager”

Stylish and prestige-y as hell, Season 1 of this Tom Hiddleston spy drama premiered (squints) eight years ago. Welp, this is how TV works today. Season 2 follows Hiddleston’s character across the UK, Spain, Colombia and France as he “races to expose a conspiracy designed to destabilize a nation.” From Jan. 11 on Amazon. 

“Hijack”

The first season of this “Die Hard” ripoff starring Idris Elba took place on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. For the entirely unnecessary second season, the setting is now a subway in Berlin that’s been taken hostage. If Elba’s character doesn’t say “Why does this keep happening to me?!” at any point, then what are we even doing here? From Jan. 14 on Apple TV.  

“Ponies”

“Game of Thrones” alum Emilia Clarke stars in this 1977-set Cold War thriller about two women (the other is played by Haley Lu Richardson) who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in Moscow. The pair become “ponies” in the parlance — persons of no interest — in order to uncover the truth of what really happened. From Jan. 15 on Peacock. 

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

Another “Game of Thrones” spinoff. A prequel, this one takes place a hundred years before the events of “GoT,” as two unlikely heroes wander through Westeros: “A young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.” From Jan. 18 on HBO. 

“Steal”

Here I am typing “Game of Thrones” again because the show’s alum Sophie Turner returns to TV in this thriller about a heist at a British pension fund investment company: “But who would steal billions of pounds of ordinary people’s pensions and why? DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is determined to find out, but as a recently relapsed gambling addict, Rhys must keep his own money problems at bay while dealing with the secret agendas and competing interests at the center of this far-reaching crime.” From Jan. 21 on Amazon.  

“Drops of God”

I really liked the first season of this emotionally engrossing drama about two young wine experts who battle for a massive inheritance. The series was also criminally underseen, likely because: 1) Apple’s approach to promotion leaves much to be desired; 2) there are no recognizable (American) stars; and 3) that title, which makes sense once you’ve seen the show, but otherwise … nope. It’s back for a second season and if you’ve been missing that frisson of discovery in your TV viewing, this one is worth seeking out. From Jan. 21 on Apple TV.  

“Bridgerton”

Not a fan of this show, but plenty are, so mark your calendars. The Shonda Rhimes historical romance returns for Season 4, with a focus on the family’s second-eldest son, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), who falls for a servant who sneaks into a masquerade ball. Netflix is chopping the season into two parts. From Jan. 29 on Netflix; the second half premieres Feb. 26.  

“Dark Winds”

This adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, with their stories of the Navajo Tribal Police in the 1970s, continues with a fourth season about a missing Navajo girl, which takes our investigators out of their usual setting and sends them to the underbelly of organized crime in Los Angeles. A tick or two better than your typical cop show, star Zahn McClarnon is reason enough to watch. From Feb. 15 on AMC.  

“Scrubs”

The medical comedy from the early aughts is back, reuniting the old gang: J.D. (Zach Braff), Turk (Donald Faison), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes) and John C. McGinley’s memorably tangy Dr. Cox. New cast members include Vanessa Bayer and Joel Kim Booster. The premise appears to be the same as it was, picking up where the show left off. From Feb. 25 on ABC.

“Scarpetta”

A crime thriller based on Patricia Cornwell’s book series about the forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta, played by Nicole Kidman. According to the marketing blurb: “With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn’t also her undoing. Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.” From March 11 on Amazon.  

Albums don’t sell like they used to, but rest assured, they’re still being released.

And they still matter.

The long-player is, in fact, still the most potent and important musical expression, a chance to go on an aural journey that keeps you engaged from start to finish. That flies in the face of conventional wisdom about limited attention spans in the streaming world, but the significant number of albums that continue to come out shows that’s how artists prefer to pursue their craft.

That was certainly the case during the past 12 months, and 2025 welcomed so many good and, yes, great, albums that the annual ritual of picking the best is never easy. But after careful consideration and some (pleasurable) relistening, these were unquestionably our dozen favorites for the year, all works that are rewarding every time you listen to them.

Clipse, “Let God Sort Em Out” (self-released): The rap duo’s long road back — 16 years between albums — reaches a triumphant destination with this 13-track set. The chemistry between Pusha T and Malice is as tight as ever, and reuniting with Pharrell Williams to produce had us partying like it was the 2000s once again — with Kendrick Lamar, Nas, John Legend, Tyler, the Creator and others on the guest list.

Alice Cooper, “The Revenge of Alice Cooper” (earMUSIC): The event tends to be greater than the quality in these kinds of reunions — in this case, the original Cooper band’s first full album since 1973. But periodic recording since 2011 has honed the surviving quartet to this point. The songs and playing stand up to those classic 1970s records, and the magic of technology even allows the late Glen Buxton to be part of a couple of tracks.

De La Soul, “Cabin in the Sky” (AOI/Mass Appeal): Another welcome hip-hop return. Nine years and one death (Trugoy the Dove) later, this is still a special and forward-looking troupe that fills its ninth studio album with high conscience and advanced intent. Sporting sharp production, tough rhymes and a who’s-who list of collaborators, the 20-track set more than lives up to the designation of Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It … series.

Dropkick Murphys, “For the People” (Dummy Luck): After two previous albums of songs set to unused Woody Guthrie lyrics, Boston’s Celtic punk lords stay on target and deliver the right album for the times — ferocious anthems of resistance (and some personal reflections) that feature guest appearances by Billy Bragg, the Mary Wallopers and the scratch. Vocalist Al Barr is back for one track, too.

Florence + the Machine, “Everybody Scream” (Polydor): Florence Welch is no stranger to turning personal turmoil into anthems of resilience and joy, and we get more of the same on album number six. With songs inspired by an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, Welch and her crew — including collaborators Aaron Dessner of the National and Mark Bowen of Ides — stir a wealth of emotions and mystical perspectives into life-affirming catharsis that brings everybody out better on the other end.

Lord Huron, “The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1” (Mercury): The Michigan-formed, now Los Angeles-based indie rock group hits a new peak on this semi-conceptual 12-track work, with some of Ben Schneider’s most evocative songwriting (and vocals) and collaborations with actor (and fellow Michigander) Kristen Stewart and Blonde Redhead’s Kauz Makino.

Pulp, “More” (Rough Trade): It’s been 24 years since the British group’s last studio album (sensing a theme for the year here?), but it really sounds like no time has passed. While Oasis was ruling on the road, Jarvis Cocker and company brought another wing of Britpop back with these 11 songs (as well as the group’s on tour), all of which stand alongside the best of Pulp’s previous work.

Addison Rae, “Addison” (As Long As I’m Dancing/Columbia): The actress and TikToker has been dropping musical bon mots since 2021, but her first full album shows a fully developed talent that’s maybe a little bit smarter than her pop peers, but still just as much fun when it needs to be. “Fame Is a Gun,” as she sings, and Rae’s aim is absolutely true.

Ketch Secor, “Story the Crow Told Me” (Equal Housing/Firebird Music): The Old Crow Medicine Show leader goes out on his own for the first time and delivers a winning 12-song effort rooted in tradition, but made modern in its delivery. Secor plays more than a dozen instruments himself, as is his wont, and welcomes contributions from Marty Stuart, Jaren Johnston of the Cadillac Three, Old Crow mates Critter Fuqua and Willie Watson, and Molly Tuttle, returning the favor for her latest album.

Sparks, “Mad!” (Transgressive): The Mael brothers follow “Annette — An Opera by Sparks” with their 26th studio album and 12 songs that, per usual, deftly balance quirk with pathos and melodic sensibilities that are at once classic and idiosyncratic. Fifty-four years in Ron and Russell have their own lane, and they haven’t run out of road yet.

Turnstile, “Never Enough” (Roadrunner): The hardcore quintet from Baltimore takes the format in bold new directions on its fourth studio album, and first with guitarist Meg Mills. It’s daring stuff — flute solos, anybody? — that never ceases to work and yields fresh flavors on every listen.

Molly Tuttle, “So Long Little Miss Sunshine” (Nonesuch): The California-born singer, guitarist, banjoist and songwriter is among those taking bluegrass and Americana in new directions, with abundant songwriting, instrumental and vocal assistance from Ketch Secor throughout her fifth studio album. And be assured, you never heard the Icona Pop/Charli XCX hit “I Love It” quite like this.

12 others that we liked a lot

Bad Bunny, “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” (Rimas Entertainment); Jon Batiste, “Big Money” (Naht Jona/Verve); The Black Keys, “No Rain, No Flowers” (Easy Eye Sound); David Byrne, “Who Is the Sky?” (Matador); Ethan Daniel Davidson, “Cordelia” (Blue Arrow); Olivia Dean, “The Art of Loving” (Capitol); Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, “Groove in the Face of Adversity” (Mack Avenue); Geese, “Getting Killed” (Partisan/Play It Again Sam); Kendall Jane Meade, “Space” (Mother West); Mavis Staples, “Sad and Beautiful World” (Anti-); Jeff Tweedy, “Twilight Override” (dBpm); Wolf Alice, “The Clearing” (RCA/Columbia)

Our 25 favorite concerts of 2025

Guster, Jan. 29, Majestic Theatre

Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve, March 8, Michigan Theatre

Chiodos, March 20, Royal Oak Music Theatre

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, March 25, Masonic Temple Cathedral Theatre

Kraftwerk, March 28, Masonic Cathedral Theatre

The War and Treaty, March 29, Saint Andrew’s Hall

Jack White, April 12-13, Masonic Temple Theatre

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, April 19, Masonic Temple Theatre

Gang Of Four, May 7, The Magic Bag

Devo, June 28, Fillmore Detroit

Weird Al Yankovic, July 2, Pine Knob Music Theatre

Wu-Tang Clan, July 8, Little Caesars Arena

Vince Gill, July 24, Fox Theatre

Katy Perry, Aug. 3, Little Caesars Arena

Rufus Du Sol, Aug. 5, Pine Knob Music Theatre

Lord Huron, Aug. 9, Meadow Brook Music Festival

Nine Inch Nails, Aug. 22, Little Caesars Arena

Jason Moran, Jeff Mills and Jessica Care Moore, Aug. 29, Detroit Jazz Festival

Pulp, Sept. 17, Masonic Temple Theatre

Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gov’t Mule, Sept. 20, Pine Knob Music Theatre

Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Oct. 11, Majestic Theatre

Jon Batiste, Oct. 24, Fox Theatre

David Byrne, Oct. 25, Fox Theatre

Chris Isaak, Dec.16, Fox Theatre

By KRYSTA FAURIA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At the movies this fall, Josh O’Connor plays a hot priest with a complicated past, Keanu Reeves is an angel who lost his wings and Elizabeth Olsen has a romantic dilemma in the afterlife.

Hollywood, it seems, has found God.

But it’s not just starry big-budget Netflix films or A24 indies that are grappling with religion and its place in entertainment. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of films and television made from a confessional perspective that evangelize or portray a particular faith, often Christianity, that have performed particularly well with audiences.

There are animated biblical films from Angel, like the upcoming musical “David,” which the company said has already exceeded $14 million in theatrical pre-sale tickets ahead of its release this Friday, to docudramas like Martin Scorsese’s “The Saints.” While episodes from Season 2 are still being released, the first season of the Fox Nation series, which premiered last year, was the most watched on the platform.

“There has been a revival, a revolution of sorts, of spirituality and faith content,” proclaimed Traci Blackwell, head of targeted content for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, at a recent Variety event in Beverly Hills for faith and spirituality in entertainment. Earlier this year, Amazon premiered the first season of its own biblical drama, “House of David,” and gained exclusive U.S. streaming rights to “The Chosen,” a massively popular drama series about the life of Jesus.

‘The Chosen’ effect

Historically some faith-based entertainment has performed well at the box office — Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic “The Passion of the Christ” was notoriously the highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. and Canada for two decades. But faith-based hits have been few and far between for most of this century.

“Hollywood has taken a lot of criticism by those in the faith community for not providing films that speak to them, that reflect their values,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst, emphasizing the box-office potential of faith-based films.

Studios are realizing faith-based film and television is a worthwhile investment at least in part due to the success of “The Chosen,” which Angel helped launch in 2017, even if it initially took time to see those results.

“It was like pulling teeth to get people to watch it,” recalled Angel CEO and co-founder Neal Harmon. “People have this idea that faith means cheesy or preachy. And we had to break through that barrier.”

Once they did, it paid off. Since Fathom Entertainment began distributing “The Chosen” theatrically in 2023, the series has grossed more than $116 million domestically.

Though not a Christian company, Angel aims to distribute and market “values-based entertainment” that includes but is not limited to stories of faith. They’ve released a host of religious films, with “Zero A.D.,” a biblical epic about the Massacre of the Innocents recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, on the docket for 2026.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate is set to premiere “I Can Only Imagine 2” in theaters February, a sequel to the 2018 biopic starring Dennis Quaid, which was one of the highest-grossing Christian films of all-time in the United States.

Co-director Andrew Erwin said he noticed a “massive shift” take place about five years ago, after years of disconnect between the demand for these kinds of films and Hollywood’s willingness to make them.

“For the first time, movie studios are really giving us a fair shake,” he said, though he thinks the quality of the content was also a factor. “We didn’t have the knowledge of how to do the filmmaking side of things. And so, I think the storytelling has gotten a lot better.”

Lionsgate is also set to distribute the first of Gibson’s two-part sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” in 2027.

Defining ‘faith-based’

Trying to define what counts as faith-based programming is a bit like trying to define what counts as pornography.

Themes of belief, guilt and “foolish grace” abound in O’Connor’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” — the third of filmmaker Rian Johnson’s hit Netflix franchise. But few would call it a religious film.

Amanda Seyfried preaches celibacy and endures persecution in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” the musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers sect, in theaters Christmas. But in all the acclaim and Oscar buzz surrounding the film, there’s little talk of its engagement with faith.

Even Scorsese’s 1988 “The Last Temptation of Christ” or filmmaker Paul Schrader’s Oscar-nominated “First Reformed,” which also stars Seyfried, are hardly thought of broadly as Christian films, despite the fact that both men have been outspoken about their respective traditions.

“This film was his way of exploring his faith and exploring who his God is,” Scorsese’s daughter Francesca, who directed one of the episodes of “The Saints,” said of “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Conversely, the people behind some of these recent projects resist them being called explicitly religious, even when audiences perceive them as such.

“I wouldn’t characterize it so much as overtly Christian,” Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in “The Chosen,” told The Associated Press last year. “It’s a historical drama that centers on Jesus.”

For studios and filmmakers, acknowledging that a project is told from a religious perspective can be a double-edged sword.

“If you’re buying in on going to the movie theater for a faith-based movie, you know you’re gonna have people around you who are really into the experience,” Dergarabedian said. “The minute you say faith-based though, it kind of puts a movie in a box.”

A fad or here to stay

Many Christians celebrate the trend beyond its monetary potential. Phil Wickham, a Grammy-nominated Christian recording artist who voices the character of David in the upcoming Angel film, said it’s been gratifying to see the success of shows like “The Chosen” and “House of David.”

“Growing up, anything that was Christian media felt so preachy,” Wickham said. “Even as a pastor’s kid, it was a turn off. But now I think there’s just more opportunity to tell bigger stories over the course of a series and more people willing to really dig in and tell something with excellence and beauty.”

While it’s too soon to tell whether there’s been a sea change in Hollywood or if it’s a short-term fad, the success of some of these projects has stood out amid an otherwise perilous time in the business.

“Hollywood usually follows money,” Jason Klarman, Fox News Media’s chief digital and marketing officer, said as he touted Fox Nation’s packed slate of upcoming faith-based content, including Zachary Levi’s “David: King of Israel” docudrama. “Even when the trend ends, we’ll still be doing it.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Wrestling great Mick Foley has called it quits with the WWE over its cozy relationship with President Donald Trump, he said Tuesday, citing “incredibly cruel comments” Trump made about film director Rob Reiner’s murder.

Long concerned with the WWE’s cozy relationship with Trump amid the administration’s “ongoing cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants,” Foley wrote in his announcement on social media, “reading the President’s incredibly cruel comments in the wake of Rob Reiner’s death is the final straw for me.”

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, known in the wrestling world as Triple H, is a fixture at many White House events. Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon helmed the U.S. Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and currently serves as U.S. Secretary of Education.

“I no longer wish to represent a company that coddles a man so seemingly void of compassion as he marches our country towards autocracy,” Foley wrote. “Last night, I informed WWE talent relations that I would not be making any appearances for the company as long as this man remains in office.”

Both Foley and Trump were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, Trump as a celebrity honoree.

Hours after Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered Sunday in their Los Angeles home with their throats slit, Trump posted a social media diatribe blaming Rob’s death on anger he incited with his liberal views. Blowback has come from all sides of the political spectrum. Their younger son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested for their murders.

Foley’s breakup with WWE was thorough.

“Additionally, I will not be signing a new Legends deal when my current one expires in June,” Foley wrote. “I love WWE, will always treasure my time with them, and I am deeply appreciative for all the opportunities they afforded me. But, in the words of Popeye the sailor, ’I stands all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more.’ ”

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As President Trump takes fire from all sides of the political spectrum for mocking slain director Rob Reiner, it’s the Hollywood icon who may have the last word.

Clips of Reiner’s compassionate response to the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk when he discussed the horrifying incident with Piers Morgan in September are flooding the internet.

“When you first heard about the murder of Charlie Kirk, what was your immediate gut reaction to it?” Morgan asked Reiner on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” as shown in a clip posted by show staffers and then reposted by its eponymous host.

“Well, horror. Absolute horror,” Reiner said. “And I unfortunately saw the video of it, and it’s beyond belief what happened to him. And that should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”

On Sunday — just three months later — Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home. Their son Nick Reiner has been charged with their slayings.

Reiner was especially struck, as were many observers, when Kirk’s widow, Erica Kirk, forgave her husband’s attacker during a national memorial service held in Kirk’s honor.

“I felt like what his wife said at the service, at the memorial they had, was exactly right,” Reiner continued. “And totally. I believe, you know, I’m Jewish, but I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I believe in ‘do unto others,’ and I believe in forgiveness. And what she said, to me, was beautiful and absolutely, you know, she forgave his assassin, and I think that that is admirable.”

Reiner’s remarks resonated in a soft-spoken rebuke to Trump’s widely denounced vitriol, in which he blamed the director’s killing on anger supposedly generated by his liberal views, described him as “tortured and struggling” and said he suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

“Rob Reiner responded with grace and compassion to Charlie’s assassination,” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet wrote on X, echoing the public support for the 78-year-old director. “This video makes it all the more painful to hear of he and his wife’s tragic end. May God be close to the broken hearted in this terrible story.”

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This was supposed to be a year that “was kind of quiet” for Trisha Yearwood.

Instead, the country star released two albums — “The Mirror,” her first album in six years, in July and then “Christmastime” in November. Both put her on the road, too, including a concert Friday, Dec. 19, with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall.

“So it turned out to be one of the busiest years so far. I wasn’t expecting that to happen,” Yearwood says. “Somebody called me not too long ago and said, ‘When are you gonna start your next cookbook?’ (laughs) I said: “You’ve got to give me a minute. I’ve got to get through 2025 first!'”

“Christmastime” — produced by Oak Park native Don Was — is Yearwood’s first holiday release since “The Sweetest Gift” in 1994. She and husband Garth Brooks teamed up for “Christmas Together” in 2016, and Brooks appears on the “Christmastime” track “Merry Christmas, Valentine,” which the couple also co-wrote.

“I just love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday,” says the Georgia-born Yearwood, 61, who began her recording career with the 1991 single “She’s in Love With the Boy” and has since released 17 albums and scored 18 Top 10 country hits, with three Grammy Awards. “And since it’s been so long since I’ve made a (holiday) record, I had a list of songs I knew I wanted to record someday.

“When I made my first Christmas album, I’d only been making records for a couple of years … so I’ve had a long time to think about this.”

Also among the songs is “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” which she walked down to aisle to when she and Brooks married in 2005. And “Merry Christmas, Valentine” was a personal highlight on a number of levels.

“I used to be really hard to write with,” Yearwood says, “because in my head, I didn’t believe in myself. It was like pulling teeth to work with me. But I got this newfound confidence a couple of years ago (she co-wrote all 15 tracks on ‘The Mirror’), so I said to him: ‘You need to write with me again, ’cause I’m really fun now. The switch has flipped. I’m not afraid anymore.’

“Then, I had to strong-arm my husband into singing harmony on it. But because it’s a love story for two people, he had to be the guy to sing on it … and I’m really happy with the way it came out.”

Brooks joined her for the song on their wedding anniversary, Dec. 10, in Atlanta.

Yearwood’s holiday tour features Christmas fare as well as other hits, and she plans on touring more extensively to support “The Mirror” in 2026. She also plans to explore some new food-related endeavors, perhaps even another cooking show.

“If you would’ve asked me at 5 years old what I wanted to do when I grew up, I know I wanted to be a singer. That’s all I ever wanted to do,” said Yearwood, who was a studio singer before releasing her 1991 debut studio album. “I don’t take it for granted that I can say I have been getting to do this for 35 years. To be able to live the dream. … It’s not a job, this is really a vocation, and it’s a calling, and I can’t believe I actually get to do the thing I love the most.

“And as long as I can sing, as long as my voice will do the things it needs to do, I’ll do it.”

Trisha Yearwood performs at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …

FRIDAY, DEC. 19

• Global EDM star GRiZ — Southfield native Grant Kwiecinski — concludes his charitable GRiZMas event, supporting the youth nonprofit Seven Mile, with a pair of concerts through Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Masonic Temple Theatre, 500 Temple St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m., with different supporting acts each night. 313-548-1320 or themasonic.com and 12daysofgrizmas.com.

• Carl Craig hosts a Detroit Love — Holiday Edition with two stages of DJs at 9 p.m. at Lincoln Factory, 1331 Holden St., Detroit. paxahau.com.

• The eclectic Rob Schwimmer partners with Ethan Iverson for “A Science Fiction Holiday” at 7 p.m. for the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Friday Night Live series. 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900 or dia.org.

• Polka parody troupe the Polish Muslims holds its annual holiday/anniversary show at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. The Redones open. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• Green Bay’s TAE & the Neighborly hope to pack(er) ’em in at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• Charles and Gwen Scales are home through Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.

• The James Carter Organ Trio presents “Yule Log of Soul & Swing” through Sunday, Dec. 21 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.

• The Orbitsuns and the Carolyn Striho group team up again at 8:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• The Shamrock Jazz Orchestra brings its Christmas Show back at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Mild Pup and the Ethan Marc Band pair up at 8 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.

• Finvarra’s Wren gets Celtic for a Solstice Show at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.

• A Magical Motown Christmas happens at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Hall Center, 350 Madison St., Detroit. 313-887-8500 or musichall.org.

• The Nine Inch Nails tribute This Broken Machine plays two sets at Small’s, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. Access to Concrete and DJ Pinknoise also perform. 313-873-1117 or smallsbardetroit.com.

• The Ark in Ann Arbor hosts a couple of nights of Celtic music, starting with Tartan Terrors at 8 p.m. and then, at the same time Saturday, Dec. 20, the acoustic quartet Blackthorn. 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.

• Saxophonist Marcus Elliot opens the weekend at 7 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.

• Virtual: Boston horror rock outfit Ice Nine Kills premieres its concert special “I Heard They Kill You” live at 3 p.m., via veeps.com.

• Virtual: Dogs In a Pile rocks at 8 p.m. From Ardmore, Pennsylvania, with shows through Sunday. Nov. 21, via nugs.net.

• Virtual: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Port Chester, New York, at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Dec. 20, streaming both shows via nugs.net.

• Virtual: The Disco Biscuits play three different venues in Chicago this weekend, streaming each night at 9 p.m. via nugs.net.

• Virtual: Queens of the Stone Age’s new concert film “Alive in the Catacombs” and the companion documentary “Alive in Paris” are streaming now, for free, via YouTube.

SATURDAY, DEC. 20

• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra plays the live soundtrack for “Home Alone” at 7:30 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.

• Dutch DJ Sam Feldt mans the decks at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.

• DJ Minx headlines a Holiday Your Life celebration with Jon Dixon, KRW and more at 9 p.m. at Spot Lite, 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit. paxahau.com.

• The Steve Taylor Three, Stephen Clark and J.T. Harding repeat their annual Home For the Holidays Songwriter’s Round at 6 and 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. The late show is sold out. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.

• Detroit rapper Tay B celebrates his birthday with a 6 p.m. performance at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.

• The Motortown All Stars, the Shades of Blue and Leisa Parham are part of A Motown Merry Christmas at 7 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. 313-943-2354 or dearborntheater.com.

• Warhorses, Haf Life and the Seatbelts perform as part of Detroit Santarchy, a party and pub crawl at three Corktown venues. Get details via thelagerhouse.com.

• Local punk favorite PT’s Revenge starts a two-night stand at Small’s, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. and also on Sunday, Dec. 21. Middle Out, Frank White and Newburgh are on the bill both nights. 313-873-1117 or smallsbardetroit.com.

• Boys of Fall is at home on a bill with Stories Untold, Young Pioneer and Cloud Season at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.

• FinalBossFight! tops a hard-rocking five-band bill at 6 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.

• Aaron Caruso croons a special Christmas Show at 8 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• Helen Welch channels the late Karen Carpenter in the Carpenter’s Christmas tribute show at 7:30 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-309-6445 or flagstarstrand.com.

• Android Paranoid pays tribute to Radiohead at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.

• The Nick Collins Sextet sets up at 6:30 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. The Karim Gideon Quartet follows with a 10:15 p.m. show. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.

• Virtual: Improvement Movement livestreams at 8 p.. from Atlanta, via nugs.net.

• Virtual: The Terrapin Family Band jams at 11 p.m. and again on Sunday, Dec. 21 from Menlo Park, California, via nugs.net.

• Virtual: Ariana Grande hosts, but it’ll be Cher who sings on the holiday episode of “Saturday Night Live” at 11:30 p.m. on NBC (WDIV, Channel 4 in Detroit).

SUNDAY, DEC. 21

• R&B singer Eric Roberson souls it up at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com.

• A corps of all-star musicians band together for an All-Star Detroit Organ Jazz Party at 7 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. The venue also hosts A Tribute to Vince Guaraldi at 3 p.m. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.

• Ann Arbor guitar hero Laith Al-Saadi struts his stuff at 8 p.m. at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.

• The Motor City Brass Band plays “Sounds of the Season” at 3 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. 313-943-2354 or dearborntheater.com.

• The Prolifics offer a third Motown Tribute Show at 7:30 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.

• DRAW presents the Christmas of Hope concert, featuring more than 60 musicians to raise money for disaster victims, at 6:30 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-309-6445 or flagstarstrand.com.

• John Prine tribute specialist Mark Laavengood headlines a John Prine Tribute Show that also includes a lineup of Michigan artists at 7:30 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.

• Trumpeter Maurice Mobetta Brown blows his own horn at 6 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.

• Virtual: Brandi Carlile settles down at her log cabin for a “Merry & Gay Holiday Special” at 3 p.m., streaming via veeps.com.

• Virtual: Michigan alt-rock favorite Chiodos streams the final performance of its All’s Well That Ends Well 20th Anniversary Tour at 11:45 p.m. from Anaheim, California, via veeps.com.

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Lifestyles Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — In her early 20s, Kaci LaFon lived in Branson, Missouri, a tourist town known for its older population. She wanted to date but found it a challenge, so — like many her age — she headed to the apps.

Over five years, she’d get a date here and there, but they always petered out. “I tried and I failed,” she said. “There wasn’t really much I could do about it.”

The issue, in her eyes? LaFon, now 28, is chronically ill. She has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, as well as a range of other health issues. Her matches had no idea how to navigate her challenges, or they had a god complex and wanted to treat her as an invalid. That, she said, was a hard no.

That all changed when LaFon went on Dateability, an app designed for both disabled and chronically ill people. LaFon’s mom spotted a news story about it and urged her to try it. Soon after joining, she found her forever person, Collin LaFon, who has cerebral palsy and endured a similar dating experience.

They married in September.

“We all have the fairy tale of falling in love and meeting our person in our head,” said Collin LaFon from their home near Birmingham, Alabama. “But at the end of the day, I don’t have full function in all four of my limbs. There’s an extra piece that goes along with everything.”

Dating while disabled made easier

What the LaFons describe is exactly why two sisters in Denver, Colorado, launched Dateability three years ago. One, 31-year-old Jacqueline Child, had become disabled due to Ehlers-Danlos, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and a plethora of other conditions that impact her health from head to toe. She must use a feeding tube to stay alive.

Child recalls months of being ghosted or rejected on mainstream dating apps.

“Any mention of disability was completely negative,” she said. “They wouldn’t even give it a chance, had no idea what my life looked like, but they just assumed it would be miserable.”

She and her older sibling, Alexa Child, now have about 40,000 registered users and recently updated Dateability to improve the look and functionality. They’ve expanded their user base to include Canada, Mexico and the U.K.

“I just wanted an equal playing field of people that I would be interested in, and that other young people would be interested in, too,” Jacqueline said.

Millions of people report disabilities

More than 70 million U.S. adults, or one in four, reported having a disability in 2022, according to the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s the year the Child sisters founded Dateability.

They had 1,000 people sign up in the first month. Their user base has increased 10-fold in the last year, the founders said.

The service has both free and paid options. Among the differences in tiers: Users who don’t pay must like or pass on a profile before seeing another. Paid users can see all profiles that have sent them a “like” at once.

Dateability also welcomes nondisabled users, screening as best it can to avoid those who fetishize chronically ill or disabled people. The sisters have found that most nondisabled people using it have some connection to the disability or chronically ill communities through a loved one or their own advocacy work.

“We wanted to make it truly inclusive,” Alexa said.

Finding long-term partners online

In Pikesville, Maryland, 23-year-old Sophie Brisker found her boyfriend on Dateability. She joined the app in 2022 after developing debilitating symptoms just before her 18th birthday from chronic fatigue syndrome and other long-term conditions. She has been housebound for months at a time, attending college online, and uses a wheelchair for long distances.

“It’s really exhausting trying to explain to someone all of your limitations and the illnesses you have,” Brisker said. At the time, she was looking for companionship, unsure whether a romantic relationship was doable.

“Knowing that someone would be OK with not necessarily doing many of the things that most normal couples do was important to me,” she said.

Her partner suffers from long COVID-19 and other chronic illnesses. Now, the two plan to move together to Louisville, Kentucky. “We hit it off on everything,” Brisker said. “We understood each other in ways that other people just couldn’t.”

Matthew Shapiro, 34, is a disability advocate in Richmond, Virginia. He works with businesses, organizations, state lawmakers and others who want to learn how to be more inclusive. He was born with cerebral palsy and uses a power chair to get around.

Shapiro has dabbled in online dating on the mainstream apps and another service for the disabled.

“People’s intentions on those apps weren’t always pure,” Shapiro said. “I was looking for a space where it felt like community.”

He’s had relationships over the years with people he’s met online and in person, including a relationship with a nondisabled woman who questioned her ability to cope with Shapiro’s personal care needs.

It was a woman he met on Dateability that changed his life. The older mom of two was born without fingers on her left hand and didn’t flinch at his challenges. The two have shifted to be close friends after several months of dating.

“It was the first time I ever felt fully seen and accepted and sort of loved in a relationship,” Shapiro said. “With traditional apps, you sort of have to hope that people are cool with who you are, but with Dateability, it’s all right there.”

App leads to friendlier dates for disabled

In addition to stigma and misconceptions about their abilities and challenges, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities face other obstacles in dating.

Not all social venues like bars and restaurants are fully accessible. That could mean no ramps, poor lighting or a noisy environment. Online, some dating apps have limited assistive technology, such as sign language support or screen reader compliance with common software for the visually impaired.

Opening up about their personal needs can also be daunting, Shapiro said. Some have given up on dating altogether, or never tried.

“People with disabilities deserve love and deserve relationships, just like anyone else,” he said. “Love without worry. Love without hesitation and question. There are a lot of people with disabilities who don’t know what that feels like.”

The year 2025, like many in this decade, can’t easily be summed up by a single word or phrase, but the top Google searches of the year certainly offer a reminder of the most memorable pop culture moments of the past 12 months.

From singer D4vd and “KPop Demon Hunters” to Labubus and “6-7,” little in 2025 has escaped the lens of polarity — but the annual rundown from the world’s preeminent search engine suggests that some names, trends and “ugly-cute” keychains might benefit from further explanation.

Below, a breakdown of some of the year’s most disturbing, intriguing and baffling trends…

D4vd

The 20-year-old, Queens-born singer, real name David Anthony Burke, is the world’s most-searched person of the year, and America’s most-searched musician — but not because of his craft.

D4vd was at the beginning of a world tour in early September when the dismembered and decomposing remains of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in the trunk of his impounded Tesla, sparking a search frenzy and devastating investigation.

As of mid-November, D4vd is considered a suspect in Rivas Hernandez’s apparent homicide, while a second person is believed to have assisted in the dismemberment of her body.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’

The Sony animated musical, released by Netflix this summer and newly crowned TIME’s Breakthrough of the Year, is U.S. Google’s top-searched movie of the year, while Oscar Best Picture winner “Anora” is the most-searched movie worldwide.

“KPop Demon Hunters” centers on a K-pop girl group that moonlights as titular demon hunters, voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo.

The film — whose cast was also the top-searched of 2025 — was such a streaming hit that it was granted a singalong event in late October, which accounts for its surprise Golden Globe nomination on Monday for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

It also scored far less shocking nominations for Best Motion Picture-Animated and Best Original Song for “Golden,” which has been streamed more than 1.1 billion times on Spotify. “Golden” also topped the list of the world’s “hum to search” songs.

Labubu

You’ve probably seen them hanging off a handbag, as the star of an influencer’s unboxing or on PopMart’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float. Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, a Labubu — the No. 3 search of the year — looks like a plush, compact Furby meets a “Where the Wild Things Are” creature.

The dolls’ prominence comes a decade after their debut in Lung’s children’s books, “The Monsters,” in which they’re “zestful, curious elves about the size of your average house cat, who love a bit of harmless mischief.”

That mischief extends to the “blind boxes” in which Labubus are now sold, as proud owners don’t know which of the 300 options they’ll receive.

‘6-7’

If you’re old enough to read this, you may have been among those asking, “What does [insert chosen slang term] mean?” when it comes to, well, a lot, especially “6-7.”

New York’s top-trending slang search comes with a so-so hand motion, when the numbers are said or shown next to each other, according to some youngins who tried explaining it to Kelly Ripa and Mark Conseulos.

“But to be clear, it has no meaning at all?” Ripa asked, which was affirmed by adolescent “Live” audience members. “Basically it has no meaning at all.”

Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year, “6-7” — pronounced like six-seven, rather than sixty-seven — is Gen Alpha’s “viral, ambiguous” and “largely nonsensical” term, though it can sometimes connote “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that.”