Tom Petty

In theory, the Outside Lands Festival here in my little city by the Bay seemed like a lot of fun — especially since I didn't have to pay the exorbitant ticket prices ($250 for a three-day pass!). As such a gigantic concert in Golden Gate Park, it seemed like an experiment I should witness firsthand, like I might be a part of history or something.

The lineup for the weekend was impressive: Radiohead, Beck, Wilco, Regina Spektor, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson, Cake, The Walkmen, The Black Keys, and a bunch more. Then again, you'd have to have those cartoon speedy legs that turn into blurry wheels as they propel you forward at warp speed in order to actually see all the bands you'd like to see. The stages were pretty far apart, and there was a noticeable lack of helpful signs. On Friday I walked in the wrong direction for a while before doubling back toward the box office, and by the time I got my pass the only act I could catch was Radiohead. They were excellent — no complaints about the actual performances, really — but it was a lot of running around (literally), not to mention a royal pain in the neck dealing with the public transportation system, which was clearly overwhelmed by the multitudes of concertgoers.

Anyway, for the most part, I liked the concerts once I got to them. To check out some of my impressions, read more

Sigh, the Super Bowl happened yesterday. My own pouting aside, the festivities were fun — and most of you all were rooting for the Giants anyway, so I'm (begrudgingly) happy for all you fans. Heh. Keeping it in the Fox family, there was a big Idol presence at the show between Paula and Randy's pre-show music video/performance and Ryan Seacrest's red carpet. Yes, there was a red carpet at the Super Bowl. Among the celebrities in the house were Kate Hudson sitting alongside Patriots owner Bob Kraft, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy wearing no gear to indicate which side they were rooting for, Nick Lachey and, of course, Gisele Bundchen, who has a battered quarterback to console. Alicia Keys and Jordin Sparks both lent their vocal cords to the big came — Alicia during the pre-show and Jordin for the national anthem — but what did you think of the big Tom Petty halftime show?

To see more of the stars at the big game including Hugh Laurie, Joey Fatone, Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta, Kate Hudson, Maria Menounos, Tom Petty and others just read more

The Super Bowl is playing it relatively safe with its halftime entertainment this year, lining up a show by Tom Petty, who is — how shall I put this? — not exactly known for doing suggestive things with his guitar. If you're bored by the idea of "Free Fallin'," cable networks are dialing up their own halftime programming. As the head of the dude-focused Spike TV told the Hollywood Reporter:

"We see an opportunity at halftime because young viewers may not be into watching a musical performance suited to older guys. To get the competitive juices flowing, we have a better idea."

That idea? A competitive eating contest in two stages: an appetizer of scarfing hard-boiled eggs, followed by a headliner of devouring ham.

Some others:

• Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl will air its own halftime show, the Kitten Bowl.
• Oxygen is putting the premiere of Deion and Pilar: Prime Time Love, a reality show starring former NFL player Deion Sanders, online for two hours, starting roughly around halftime. It will also cut away from programming to show it on TV during the halftime show itself.

So, what'll it be? Kitties? Eggs? Or is Tom Petty sounding better and better?

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• TV Guide reports that Tom Petty has been picked for the Super Bowl halftime show.
• Christian Bale is in talks to play John Connor in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, reports Variety.
• Amy Sedaris, Chris Kattan, and Tom Everett Scott will star in Tanner Hall, an indie film set at a boarding school that started its life as a failed UPN pilot, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
• Rosie Thomas, Califone, and Mark Kozelek are among the musicians pitching in on a new compilation with songs about every U.S. president, Pitchfork reports.
• Ratatouille leads the field with 13 nominations for the Annie Awards, which recognize achievements in animation, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
• NBC is buying blocks of reality and "adventure" programming from the producers of Ice Road Truckers, reports The New York Times.
• Michelle Trachtenberg and Melora Hardin (Jan from The Office) will join Zac Efron and Matthew Perry in the movie 17, writes Zap2It.

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