A Canadian digital artist decided to change up some classic Disney characters.

Sakimi Chan put a gender-bending spin on some of the most familiar faces we grew up watching, and the marvelous results will make you rethink those Disney stories: What would "Beauty and the Beast" have been like if the beast were female? Or what if "101 Dalmatians" villain Cruella de Vil were a well-dressed man?

Check out the gender-bending images below, and see a full gallery on imgur:

Ariel ("The Little Mermaid")


Beau & Beast ("Beauty & The Beast")


Cruel ("101 Dalmatians")


Esmereld ("The Hunchback of Notre Dame")


Urs ("The Little Mermaid")


Maleficent ("Sleeping Beauty")


Pocahon ("Pocahontas")


Els ("Frozen")

Go ahead and reserve a space for Charli XCX's "Boom Clap" on your summer playlists. The track, which will appear on the soundtrack for "The Fault in Our Stars," is an instant smash. We'd write more here, but why bother when we can all listen to "Boom Clap" again and again?

Based on the novel by John Green, "The Fault in Our Stars" stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. It's out in theaters on June 6.

Eric Montamirez began taking "flying dog" photos by accident.

He'd set up a GoPro camera at the dog park to "get some slow motion pictures of the pups running around," he says. "Lola just happened to jump right over the camera a few times."


Photo credit: Eric Montamirez

Lola is a 2-and-a-half-year-old German shorthaired pointer and "an absolute maniac," says Montamirez, who lives in Arizona with his girlfriend Jen, Lola and their mellower Dalmatian named Oliver. (You can see videos of Lola and Oliver being their goofy selves on YouTube.)

"These pictures just show the pure enjoyment that dogs naturally have when playing with their owners," he says, "The look of determination and concentration in their eyes is also awesome when they are flying through the air."

Awesome -- but not so easy to recreate. "I tried to do it again and capture higher resolution shots," he says, "but it's really hard to time the shots!"

We think the 10 flying dog shots below are pretty perfectly timed. That's Oliver the Dalmatian in the last photo, in another of Montamirez's pics -- the previous nine were taken by other lucky photographers of other utterly airborne pups.





And, oh yes, coming up in May, there's a flying dog competition in Richmond, Va. "Ultimate air dogs" or "dock jumping" is what they call this canine sport, the object of which is for a dog to jump very high, and/or very far, into a body of water. The future may be generally unpredictable, but you'll know where to find us about a month from now.

Does your dog fly? Do you have an animal story to share? Get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com!

Walking through Spain's capital, you would expect to see historic buildings and cultural sites. But step into Madrid's Cuartel de la Montaña park and one monument stands out among the city's treasures.

The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian edifice that now resides in Madrid thanks to UNESCO. Threatened by the Aswan High Dam Project, the temple and other historical monuments escaped destruction and were rebuilt stone by stone in various sites around the world.








The Temple of Debod opened to the public in Madrid in 1972 on the 19th century military site, Cuartel de la Montaña, which had undergone its own transformation to become a park.








The Temple of Debod was first built by a sovereign of the kingdom of Meroe named Adijalamani. It was originally dedicated to 'Amon of Debod', an ancient Egyptian deity revered as the king of the gods, before being replaced by the cult of Isis.








According to legend, every June marked the start of a new year and coincided with dawn emergence of the star Sirius. Egyptian priests reportedly took this as a sign from Isis marking the impending flooding of the Nile. The priests would then process with a statue of the goddess to the chapel of Osiris to make offerings for the new year.





Now more than 3,000 miles from its birthplace, the Temple of Debod stands in full glory, casting its majestic reflection into the water below and around it. It is an anachronism that brings world together, across time and space.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sandwiched between the chest-thumping ambition of awards season and the swaggering spectacle of summer, spring movie-going is usually an afterthought, a limbo for films not bankable enough for July or highbrow enough for the Oscars. But it might actually be the best time of year for the movies. In springtime — particularly this year — the movies come alive.

It's not that the movies of March and April have been so tremendous. Many of them are flawed. But imperfection isn't something that should be papered over with big-budget engineering or test-screened away into sleeker products. Instead, these leftovers and oddities offer something that can be harder to find later in the year when so many films come pre-packaged, whether as awards bait or box-office juggernauts: a sense of surprise.

Who would have thought a movie based on a toy line ("The Lego Movie") would prove to be both inventive and slyly subversive? Who would have predicted a documentary made by a novice filmmaker about palling around with his brother's rock band ("Mistaken for Strangers") would turn out a comic but tender portrait of brotherhood? And how often do we see filmmakers with the talent and proclivity for darkness of Darren Aronofsky entrusted with a $130-million movie ("Noah")?

Opening Friday are two of the year's best films: Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive" and David Gordon Green's "Joe." Both are movies with their own distinct rhythm, made by filmmakers who have long charted their own path. Jarmusch and Green are shape-shifters who, in these films, feel like they're in their most natural shape.

"Only Lovers Left Alive" is about two long-living vampires (Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston) who have passed the centuries not sucking blood, but soaking up culture. Languorous and pensive but also dryly comedic, it's one of Jarmusch's best.

"Joe," based on the novel by Larry Brown, stars Nicolas Cage in a performance that will remind many of why they once put their faith in his talent. It's a kind of modern-day Western, uprooted from the Mississippi of the book and placed in the backwoods of Texas, where Cage's Joe is a former convict trying to stay out of trouble. The director David Gordon Green uses non-professional actors (including an exceptionally raw performance from an elderly Austin homeless man, Gary Poulter, who died after production) and real locations that give "Joe" a naturalism you can feel.

But that's far from all. Opening last week was Jonathan Glazer's beautiful sci-fi horror "Under the Skin," one of the most striking films to come along in some time. With Scarlett Johansson as a predator extraterrestrial, the movie looks at Earth (Scotland, specifically) through alien eyes. There is plenty to marvel at in the view, but also a lot to be disturbed by.

Like "Noah," (which some objected to for extrapolating an environmental subtext from the Biblical tale), not everyone will go for "Under the Skin," but few are likely to forget it. These are movies that provoke a response. Whether you're on their side or not, that's a good thing.

The same might be said for Lars von Trier's much talked-about "Nymphomaniac" (with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard) a far funnier film than you'd expect, given its reputation for graphic sex. Each of the two "volumes" of the film are on video-on-demand, a still relatively recent phenomenon where, with the click of the remote, you can immediately decide for yourself about the latest sensation from one of cinema's most interesting and infuriating directors. (The superb, mysterious French film "Stranger by the Lake" also uses explicit sex for an eerily placid murder thriller set at a lakeside cruising spot for gay men.)

But for a theatrical experience, the best thing going right now might be Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," a movie that has, in a slowly expanding release, become Anderson's highest-grossing worldwide. With an Oscar-worthy performance by Ralph Fiennes as a fastidious concierge, it's been called Anderson's most superficial movie (for its candied set design) and his deepest (for its melancholy nostalgia of a more refined, pre-World War II era). It's both.

Any Errol Morris documentary is an event, and that's no different for his latest, "The Unknown Known," in which he spars helplessly with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. But the movie isn't about Morris' failure to get Rumsfeld to open up; it's about Rumsfeld's smug refusal to re-examine the past. It's one of the most ironic films you'll ever see.

How about animated films? There's the hugely charming, hand-drawn, Oscar-nominated "Ernest and Celestine," produced by the maker of "The Triplets of Belleville" and also released in an English version with voices by Forest Whitaker, Paul Giamatti and others. It's a delightful picture book of a movie. The final movie from Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki, "The Wind Rises," is also not to be missed.

And there's more still: Steve Coogan's surprisingly good big-screen version of his long-running comic creation "Alan Partridge"; the serene gentleness of the switch-at-birth Japanese film "Like Father, Like Son"; and "Veronica Mars," innovatively released, snappiness intact.

With such rich offerings, the movies are off to a very good start in 2014.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Nothing quite compares to the power of a photograph to communicate the goings on in the world. Ranging from the serious to the silly, these photos offer peeks into what happened around the globe this week.

1. An Indian woman shows her inked finger after voting outside a polling station in Dibrugarh, April 7, 2014.

(DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

2. A girl splashes water on an elephant ahead of the Songkran Festival for Thai New Year in Ayutthaya province, April 9, 2014.

(PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)

3. Children play in the mosque at PK12, the last checkpoint at the exit of the town, in the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, April 10, 2014.

(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

4. In Japan, a 'Mikoshi' is paraded through the streets during Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) in Kawasaki, April 6, 2014.

(Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

5. Visitors to the Holi Festival of Colors throw colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, April 6, 2014.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

6. A worker carries a ballot box at an election commission office in Herat, Afghanistan, April 6, 2014.

(Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)

7. Performers take part in a public ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, at Amahoro stadium in Kigali, April 7, 2014.

(AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

8. Supporters of pro-Russia demonstrators sit behind barbed wire in Donetsk, April 9, 2014.

(Viktoriya Isenko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

9. An iguana hangs from the uniform of a soldier at a military base in Monterrey, Mexico, April 8, 2014.

(Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP/Getty Images)

10.Taiwanese student protesters cheer after ending their occupation of parliament in Taipei, April 10, 2014.

(AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

If you celebrate Easter, that springtime holiday just around the corner, you may have participated in a certain beloved pastime known as an egg hunt. The festive game involves tiny, brightly colored eggs -- hardboiled, chocolate or plastic -- hidden in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations. Children, and some enthusiastic adults, are meant to search tirelessly for the gems, hoping to earn a prize or simply uncover as many attractive, but otherwise useless, trophies as they can.

This year, the city of New York has decided to get in on the egg hunt bonanza, hosting its own version of the festive competition. But instead of small treasures stored away in secretive locales, this game centers around over 260 large Faberge eggs designed by famous artists and architects like Zaha Hadid, Jeff Koons and Tracy Emin. And since these sizeable sculptures are hard to hide, the eggs have been carefully placed in plain sight throughout the NYC area, begging you to identify them in a massive, city-wide scavenger hunt. (And, yes, there are prizes.)



The Faberge Big Egg Hunt has its own map (downloadable as an app on your smartphone) to help you track down the masterpieces, and you can follow the project on social media with the hastag #thebigegghuntny. We suggest you get to tracking, as the eggs will only be scattered around town until April 18, 2014. From there, the artworks will go on display together at Rockefeller Centre through April 25, with a Grand Auction at Sotheby's on April 22 to raise money for the conservation organization, Elephant Family. The hunt will also gather funds for Studio in a School, a program that brings visual arts to New York City’s public schools.

We have a preview of 15 of our favorite Faberge imaginings here. Behold, some of the most creative egg designs we've seen yet:

When people think of Southern California, sun-drenched images of palm trees and epic ocean waves come to mind. But L.A. is more than just a scenic beach postcard. Take those ocean waves and mix in some baseball players and pinup girls, punk rock energy, D.I.Y. aesthetics and a Dada state of mind. Then add lightbulbs, Elvis Presley, railway trains and a bit of Charles Manson mythology. This dizzying SoCal energy, as frantically fast paced as it is repetitive, this is the stuff of a Raymond Pettibon painting.


No Title (Deeper above all)


In his current exhibition "Are Your Motives Pure?" Pettibon compiles surf-centric artworks from 1985 to 2013, ranging from India ink drawings to color-splashed waves in watercolor, gouache and acrylics. "On the surface of a giant blue wall of water, the tiny figure of the speeding surfer invites reflection on the life of an artist, on ego and fame, naiveté and bravery, loneliness and mortality," Venus Over Manhattan Gallery explains.

The disorienting paintings are a low-fi cultural remix, jumbling artistic influences including Francisco de Goya and Robert Crumb, Barbara Kruger and William Blake. His quivering comics feature text from writers including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, James Joyce and Pettibon himself, amounting to mesmerizing displays of warped quotations. For example, Pettibon tweaks Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Physics to read, "For every action there is an equal and opposite chain reaction in store." Acclimating to Pettibon's painted world is like regaining composure after wiping out while surfing and shaking off the salty remnants of furious waves.


No Title (That fact of), 2003


"With my kind of work, things mingle and associate, and something comes from it -- or not," Pettibon told The New York Times in 2005. Indeed, when two unlikely figures in Pettibon's scribbled universe come together, it seems like an animal magnetism is responsible. When the a-ha moment doesn't occur, the viewer is left feeling unsettled and exhilarated, perhaps emitting a nervous laugh to cover up the disappointment of not understanding.

But Pettibon's work is more dark poetry than philosophical doctrine, and trying too hard to figure out exactly who's speaking and why will be ignoring what makes his work so intoxicating. "The work is supposed to be finished by the reader," Pettibon has said. "I'm meeting them halfway but it's supposed to expand from the small scene on the paper. It's a starting point towards creating a world in the imagination."

Though Pettibon has expressed his wish to communicate information, not obscure it, his language, both visual and lingual, is a beast all its own. His Twitter account is full of wise nuggets including "I dn'y oftten driive and ddrriink,butt when I'm drunk, I pprefefer Dos Equisis." And The New York Times quoted this lengthy meditation on surfing: "When you bring shore life thoughts and theories/observations into the surf (when you attempt to shore up the line up) that is when (the moment) the nose of your longboard (shortboards, you're not ready for) breaks the surface of the wave, begins to 'pearl.'"

Swim in the painted chaos that is Pettibon's jumbled visual waves, full of all the erratic ups-and-downs of the surf life, or the Los Angeles life, or just life in general. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.



Pettibon's "Are Your Motives Pure?" runs until - May 17, 2014 at Venus Over Manhattan in New York.

Following Outkast's reunion at Coachella on Friday night after nearly 10 years away from performing, some fans criticized the group's on-stage energy and the set's bizarre ending. Outkast played 27 songs for the Coachella crowd, but a 28th track, "The Whole World" with Killer Mike, was nixed because of time.

"I'm sorry, but they actually cut us off," Andre 3000 said to the crowd. "I really appreciate you all coming out. I know it's kind of weird, 20 years later and shit. Thank you for coming out."

Below, some reactions from Outkast's Coachella performance. More on the set can be found here.

I really don't know what to make of what I just saw. Shit was fire for like an hour and then got really weird.

— Craig Jenkins (@CraigSJ) April 12, 2014

Carve out them solo sets, fix the tech issues, tighten up the setlist, and everybody can get theirs. But as is that shit was low key messy.

— Craig Jenkins (@CraigSJ) April 12, 2014

They should've snuck some shows in before this somewhere though. You don't shake off that many years of rust headlining Coachella.

— Craig Jenkins (@CraigSJ) April 12, 2014

The crowd was rocking out to the other DJ's and artists, it was madness. What makes them so low-energy with @Outkast? #Coachella2014

— REVOLT TV (@RevoltTV) April 12, 2014

You can’t play that big stage with no production and bad sound. That’s why the crowd wasn’t reacting - not about knowing the catalog.

— DJ Anti-Tweeze (@atrak) April 12, 2014

After tonight, Dre canceling half of them. RT @itsthereal: Silver lining: they have 4000 more performances this summer to get it right.

— Dynamics • £ (@theDYNAMICS) April 12, 2014

Meh, the show was solid, the ending was terrible that’s all. Hopefully they clean it up because they were jamming.

— Dynamics • £ (@theDYNAMICS) April 12, 2014

lessons to be learned tonight (all said in love/constructive advice) 1. give each song a 5 min slot, i.e. if 90 mins? plan 18 songs

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

more lessons 2. plan show BACKWARDS---to avoid cutoff debacles plan what ABSOLUTE last song must be, work way to the top.

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

and more 3.plan a 4 suite attack system: a) opening grab you by neck 4 b) your old school nostalgia 4 c) deep cut/artistic portion 4 (cont)

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

oh last point!---last 4 joints= breathless race to finish (extra 2 for encore)--keep in mind its been 10 yrs for Kast and this is show 1

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

lot of mixed feelings about the show. its gonna take time for chemistry and rhythm and tech issues to gel. best part of the night tho?

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

best part? is Outkast has us up and 4:40 in the morning discussing hip hop. which is incredible. can't wait til show hits east coast.

— Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) April 12, 2014

English singer Ellie Goulding has toured all over the world with her hits "Lights," "Anything Could Happen" and "Burn." But the 27-year-old pop knockout touched down in familiar ground in Indio, Calif. this weekend to return to the stage at Coachella. Having recently been tapped to do the music for the hit film "Divergent," Goulding clearly knows her audience. Teens flood the fields at Coachella and she couldn't be in better company.

The Huffington Post spoke with the energetic artist leading up to Coachella to talk about her bestie Lorde, how little she's planning to wear at the festival and what band she's most excited to see.

You and Lorde are very tight and are both performing at Coachella this year. Have you guys ever talked about collaborating on a song together?
I’m sure we have talked about it jokingly. But of course, anyone who’s a good person and a good musician is perfect to make music with. There are a lot of people who are very talented, but then there are people who are very talented and very humble -- and those are the people you end up making good stuff with. She’s a good one. She’s a good egg. And she deserves everything she’s worked for.

Are you planning on seeing her show at Coachella?
I actually just found out that we will be at Lollapalooza together and we literally had no idea. A couple years ago, I got to watch Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella and it was awesome. It was the best. They always bring something really special back. It’s the place for reunions and special performances. Obviously I’d love to see Ella [Lorde] perform, hopefully I’ll be there for that.



You have toured all over the world -- what does it feel like to perform at a festival versus doing your own tour or show?
Festivals are so much more fun -- there’s just something about them. People are excited to be outside. They’re also just a bit more excitable. Where sometimes with shows, when it’s just your own show and people have bought a ticket and have been anticipating it, they watch me do a show and sometimes people are really crazy and dance a lot, and other times people are kind of standing there. But it’s nice that things aren’t predictable. You don’t know what a crowd will be like. It’s very different every city.

What was your experience like working on “Divergent”? A producer told us their template was Simon & Garfunkel in "The Graduate.” That’s a pretty high bar.
Really? God, wow. It was awesome. It was like nothing I’ve really done before. I had real free reign over what I could do with my voice. I love any situation where I’m able to really kind of go crazy with my voice because a lot of the time, I make pop songs. I love to make pop music. And even though I don’t really listen to pop music, it’s still my favorite thing to do [laughs]. This was cool because I got to do some crazy shit with my voice.

Did they tell you they needed a certain number of songs, or songs that evoked a certain emotion?
I watched the film and I saw where they needed music and what the key points were. Many parts of it are really touching. I wanted to make sure I did it justice. My experience of being young watching film was that the soundtrack was everything. The “Amelie” soundtrack is one for me. I have the soundtrack for “Man On Fire” with Hans Zimmer, you know the film with Denzel Washington? And I’ve never even seen it.



I’ve seen you in concert and you have great style. Coachella is known for inspiring some really incredible outfits. How do you decide what you’re going to wear and is there pressure to look ‘cool’?
For me the most important thing is to perform well. So I always want to wear something I’m very comfortable in and obviously it gets very hot so I’ll wear, well, not much -- depending on how hot it is! I am thinking of a few things I might wear, I have a few summery things. I just came from England and I have a suitcase full of sweaters and jeans. Touring is a lot of shifting things around and sorting things out. I’m constantly having to rearrange.

You have been traveling at ton. Do you adjust well to being on the road or are you looking forward to having some time at home?
I like being on tour when you have someone helping you out, and I have a very dear friend with me helping me out. When you have that person, it’s perfect. We do yoga and running and workouts together. You can get yourself into a stable routine of eating well. Whereas at home, I do that too, but on tour you can be even a bit more regimented about it.

To be honest, I am really ready to stop touring for a bit. I’m just tired. I feel like I’ve got so much to catch up on. I wasn’t there when so many of my friends are getting married, having babies. I know it seems crazy, but there’s just so much that I’m missing out on. I do have a really incredible job and I get to be on tour with my favorite people, but at the same time, I’m staring to think that I want to spend a substantial amount of time at home.

Is there one thing you do to help yourself get through these long grueling stretches? Do you meditate? Do you try to sleep more?
I suppose one thing I do on tour is sleep more. Not to the point where I’m constantly sleeping, but I definitely try to force myself to rest a bit more. Just so that my voice is really rested and I’m in a good mood. I go to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning when I’m on tour just because the show finishes late and then we all shower and stuff and get on the bus and by the time the bus leaves, it’s about 2 a.m. And because the bus is so noisy and constantly stopping, it means that you’re always getting up throughout the night. You don’t really have a full night sleep. You end up having to compensate by staying in bed until mid-day. Which sounds nuts. As soon as I’m up and awake, I go out running or I go workout.

Who are you most excited to see at Coachella?
I definitely would love to see Outkast. I know my band and my friends will want to.





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Not only does springtime signal the start of chirping birds and blossoming buds, but it marks the time that we can finally escape to the outdoors without getting slapped with a polar vortex. And, as these 11 gorgeous gardens from our friends at Porch.com prove, a backyard can be just the retreat you need from the daily grind. While we'd be content with a deck chair and a patch of green grass, these stunning spaces boast incredible landscaping, views and even a few water features. To see even more photos, click on the project name under each picture.

Which one would you like to call your warm weather retreat?



Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

The first trailer for "The Giver" left some questioning how faithful the movie will be to certain aspects of Lois Lowry's beloved 1993 novel. Fans especially raised eyebrows at the movie not being in black and white, seeing as the concept of color has been washed out in the book's supposed utopian society. Now, a new featurette clears up some of these concerns.

Frankly, the fresh footage looks a lot less like "Divergent" and therefore a lot more promising than the trailer. But it's confusing because some of the same clips that appeared in color in the trailer are now presented in black and white. Perhaps the Weinstein Company didn't want to disenchant unsuspecting young-adult moviegoers with stodgy black and white? Either way, we hope "The Giver" looks a lot more like this. (Come for the new footage, stay for an appearance by wise Mama Lowry herself.) "The Giver" opens Aug. 15.

And you thought Coachella was all about the music. Psh! Celebrity Spring Break (Coachella's other name) is only on the second day of the first weekend, and we've already gone blind from all the celebrity sightings. There are only so many jorts and heart-shaped sunglasses one can take.

Hilary Duff showed up with Mike Comrie, despite announcing a split in January. Aaron Paul partied with Kellan Lutz and a walkie-talkie. Jared Leto basically runs Coachella, and Paris and Nicky Hilton were there, too.

See more photos of celebrities at Coachella:

This is the twenty-fourth installment in an ongoing series that explores drag culture and the nightlife scene in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past several years, following the large-scale exodus of artists across the East River and into northern Brooklyn, those engaged in drag culture in this outer borough have created a new, queer world entirely their own. Accompanied by a larger movement to understand drag culture outside of the pageant circuit, many individuals engaged in the drag community in this borough approach drag culture through a nontraditional lens of "alternative" drag or performance art, enabled largely by the malleable and queer nature of this part of New York. Visit HuffPost Gay Voices regularly to learn not only about the individuals involved in Brooklyn's drag community, but more about the culture of the community itself.

The Huffington Post: How did you get your start in the drag world?
Well, like most adventurous crazy costume kids, I've been dressing up since I was little but my first performance-based outing was "Rocky Horror" as Frank N. Furter. Then I entered a drag competition in upstate New York and won doing Big Mama Thorton's "Aint Nothing But A Hound Dog." I was welcomed to the stage for Psycho Beach party as Marvel Ann and did a few other theater shows as drag characters. When I moved to New York I started at Sugarland Nightclub (may she rest in peace) performing every Wednesday night with my Brooklyn sisters. From there I worked the door at "FWORD," which was voted the best NYC nightlife event for a few years. I won some Glammy awards for the next few years hosting at "FWORD," and of course for "SALIVA Tuesdays" at The Ritz, which is now called "YOU'RE WELCOME."

I was always self-built. Never had a drag mom to teach me, so everything I do is self-taught. But I think it's important to pay attention to artists around you, ask questions and never be afraid to ask for help in areas that you do not excel at. I'm still learning every day.

You've been doing drag for 11 years -- how would you characterize the development of your craft and the evolution of Thorgy Thor?
Well, Facebook allows us to see old photos of sad Thorgy, so just click through my photos to see the evolution! [Laughs] I've gone through a bunch of stages and changes over the years. I can see photos where I didn't wear eyebrows for four months, then all I wore were hats, then pictures where I was ALWAYS a straight-up clown for a year. But I've always considered myself a drag artist and stage-performer first and foremost. My numbers are what define me. It's funny, I STILL do numbers that I put together 10 years ago... for real. Of course, I've learned new tricks along the way, but I've really always had a clear vision as to what I want Thorgy to look like as a performer and I've stayed true to that -- always -- while growing and changing at the same time.

How have you seen drag and nightlife culture in Brooklyn develop and change over the years?
I get asked that question literally all of the time -- mostly by queens and folks in Manhattan, honestly. I performed in Brooklyn for years before splitting my time between Brooklyn and Manhattan to work. I know Mocha Lite and myself have had conversations about being "pre-race queens," meaning pre-"RuPaul's Drag Race." I love that show. However, it's tough for every single queen who is not on the show because every single day there is a new drag queen who shows up in Brooklyn called "poopy diapers" who wants to work. I welcome each and every artist and kid who wants to put on a fancy sack and strut around. Hell, that's how I got started! There is room for everyone, but Brooklyn has really harvested and featured a lot of BRAND NEW talent over the last year alone. When I first got started, you could count the queens on one hand that had jobs in Brooklyn. Now you need a rolodex. If you can sit through the 100 performers during a show to find a performer that you live for, it's worth it. One thing is for sure, there is never a dull night in Brooklyn -- you can ALWAYS find a party to go to and a flock of freaks to stare at.



How would you say the Queer New World of northern Brooklyn builds on a rich and important legacy of queer performers, artists, genderfuckers, nightlife personas, etc?
After we bowed out of our Wednesday night show at Sugarland a few years ago, it was given to a fresh set of queens -- I still made sure to show up and support each and every party in Brooklyn as much as I could. In nightlife, if folks do not show up and support in person, the party dies. I try to go out as much as I can, regardless of if I am working in Manhattan or Brooklyn. It's important to support the artists around you and venues that host our talents and energy. That's a legacy I'd like people to follow.

You won the LEGEND award at the 2014 Brooklyn Nightlife Awards -- what do you feel like this represents for yourself as an artist and your experiences that have brought you to this juncture?
It was quite an honor to receive that award, especially up against the other artists in that category who I admire so much. Merrie Cherry asked me to perform on cello as a closing number, so I was excited about that. I only decided to dedicate my performance to Philip Seymour Hoffman that same week -- and completely redid my whole performance. I thought it was cheeky and went over well. Being a LEGEND in my mind suggests you are old and done. [Laughs] But I have only just begun with my ideas! It put a big smile on my face to win the first ever LEGEND award in Brooklyn, and made all of my years of performing come together in the form of a giant brick with my name on it.



How have the events you've been involved with over the years developed and changed? What is unique and important about the regular events you're a part of now?
Well, I do a variety of different events. Some I put together all on my own and some I collaborate with others to create. Let me talk about two events which show a stark difference. "Alotta Stuff" is the first ever LIVE auction nightlife event, hosted by myself and Alotta McGriddles. We've been doing it for a little over a year and a half. The event is once a month and features about 50 hand-picked ridiculous vintage unisex items on three models throughout the evening. The audience can bid on each item and take it home that night. Folks of all sexes, ages and financial brackets come out to bid and celebrate this event each month. It is ridiculous fun! Across the pond in Manhattan I am one of the cast members of "QUEEN" at Industry Bar, which is a non-stop production show -- kind of off-off-off-off Broadway style drag show. Each week is a different theme and the show is fast paced and non-stop. The queens are gorgeous and the talent is undeniable. It's a pleasure to be a part of such different events in either borough -- it keeps my mind active!

Where do you ultimately hope drag takes you?
Carnegie Hall. And a touring cabaret-style show. I will conduct a full orchestra. Out of nightclubs, into theater.



Where can you be found throughout the week?
Every Single Tuesday for over three years you can catch me at The Ritz on 46th in Manhattan. Now called "YOU'RE WELCOME," it's a variety show suitable for every individual who walks the globe. The second and fourth Thursday of every month you can see me performing in "QUEEN" at Industry Bar in Manhattan, which features some great talent in a non-stop production show at midnight. The third Thursday of every month, please come celebrate the art of the auction while I co-host "Alotta Stuff Live Auction" at Metropolitan Bar in Brooklyn with an 8:30 p.m. start time. Every Saturday and Sunday you can see me having a blast running around Lucky Chengs in Times Square -- NYC's longest-running Drag Cabaret Dinner Theater, going strong for 20 years. Every Saturday night I host a late night party with Dougie Meyer Called "Electro POP" at BPM, formerly known as XL, in Manhattan. Every Sunday I am excited to host a brand-new party with Frankie Sharp and Sloan Morgan at Maison O. Last but not least, I am the permanent judge for Brooklyn's Mr(s) Williamsburg Competition, with the semi-finals coming up on Friday, April 25.

Any parting words?
Lately I've been stuck on this idea, so I'll end with this: As an artist, I think it's important to understand that good work comes in waves. Every time you are on top of the world, know that the wave will subside, then come back again. Keep going. Keep creating. And be ready for that wave. Don't lose yourself during a low tide, but rather throw your energy into preparing for the opportunity around the corner. Treat everyone you meet with respect on your way to the top, because you may need their help on the way down... and please wear deodorant and have good breath while working in nightlife.

Next week will be the final installment in "Queer New World" and revisit each artist and performer involved in this series. Missed the previously featured drag performers and installments? Check out the slideshow below.

It probably doesn't come as a huge surprise that tourists are amongst the most reviled subgroups of human beings. Butchering languages, crowding up local spots, snapping photos without permission and dropping a few offensive comments along the way, few tourists manage to explore a new locale without vexing many a local in the process.

Photographer Nicolas Demeersman makes the universal aversion to tourism very, very clear in his photography series "Fucking Tourist." Demeersman captures portraits of citizens of Peru, Jordan, Cuba, Lebanon and beyond, dressed in local garb that many tourists might deem worthy of a snapshot. The one thing all Demeersman's subjects have in common? A proudly wielded middle finger, saying to tourists what so many wish they could -- a big fat "f*ck you."




Demeersman explained how the concept was born in an email to The Huffington Post: "I was motivated by a man who refused me asking to take his portrait, which he answered: 'Fuck off, I don't want to end up in a postcard.'" Thus the phrase "fucking tourist came to mind.

"Every time I take a picture I spend some time in discussion with locals to understand the culture and the way they perceive tourists," Demeersman added. He then uploads the photos onto a blog, accompanied by a brief snippet of the conversation leading up to the image. One such conversation with a farmer in Bali reads:

The farmer: "The problem here is water."
Photographer: "But you have running water..."
The farmer: "In your hotel, yes."

Demeersman's series combines humor and gravity to shine light on a cultural practice that, while everyday and nearly ubiquitous, is a pretty ridiculous tradition when you think about it. The next time you're abroad and ask to snap a picture of a local, imagine their intense desire to flip you off. You probably won't be too off target.



"Fucking Tourists" is currently on view at Galerie Geraldine Banier in Paris.

By Jordan G. Teicher

The Albany Bulb, a former landfill situated on a fist-shaped peninsula that juts into the San Francisco Bay, is a lot of things to a lot of people. Though managed by the city of Albany, Calif., the Bulb has long existed in a sort of gray area where anything goes. For graffiti artists and sculptors, it’s an open studio. For dog walkers and teenagers, it’s a space for unregulated recreation. For several dozen homeless people, it’s home.





Mark Andrew Boyer, a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, went to the Bulb looking for a story this fall. When he met Bob Anderson, he knew he’d found one. “I was walking on the shore and heard some hammering in the distance,” Boyer said. “I followed the sound, and there was this guy building this huge structure.”

Even on a peninsula populated by handmade, ramshackle structures, Anderson’s place, half home and half art piece, stood out. Intrigued, Boyer spent a week with Anderson photographing him and his three-story domain, which upon closer inspection was even more amazing than it looked from the outside. “There could be a shipping pallet next to a mirror next to a piece of plywood next to a mandolin that he's shoved in between the cracks. It's a really interesting mix of objects,” Boyer said. “It's ever changing. Every time I went back it looked completely different. I went out for a walk once and he had stuck a wind surfing sail on the top of it.”

Anderson told Boyer he had been living with his mother in Berkeley, Calif., until 2011. When she died, he became homeless. Before that, he said, he had been a professional boxer living and fighting in Las Vegas. “He still trained every day. He said it keeps him level-headed,” Boyer said.

Last year, the Albany City Council voted to remove the encampments on the Bulb in order to incorporate the area into the Sylvia McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. With help from the city, some residents have found homes outside of the Bulb. Others, including Anderson, sued to block the eviction.

Last month, a city inspector found Anderson’s mansion to be unsafe, and it was demolished on March 19. “The illegal structure was in violation of numerous state and local code provisions and posed an immediate threat to public health and safety,” city clerk Nicole Almaguer wrote in an email to the West County Times. “The violations were so extensive that there was no possibility they could be corrected by repairs, nor would such construction be legally permitted on public property at the Albany Bulb waterfront park.”

Boyer said Anderson is now living with his girlfriend in a tent near where his house once stood. Though his fate is uncertain, Boyer said Anderson has no plans to leave the Bulb. “Even though they're technically homeless, they don't feel homeless living as part of this encampment. It's a really unique place. I think it's especially interesting in the context of the housing shortage, the rising housing prices, and growing income inequality in the Bay Area. It's one of the last places where homeless people can go and feel somewhat self-reliant and safe,” Boyer said.

See more photos on Slate.

In this incredible video, a group of highly talented dancers demonstrates every dance style from A to Z on the rooftops of Los Angeles buildings. The performers show off any and every kind of move you could think of -- from an arabesque to krumping to twerking to just x-pressing themselves.

Directed by Jacob Sutton, the project was created by i-D Magazine for Diesel, and aims to inspire viewers to bust a move of their own. It features dancers like Lil Buck, Nicole the Pole and the Soul Step team.

Just watch and behold every dance move from A to Z showcased in one ridiculously insane video (above).

I'm a Nile Rodgers fan. And due to the fact that I am employed by The Huffington Post, I'm able to gain access to events that I wouldn't have access to otherwise. Normally, these facts would have nothing to do with each other. But thanks to a convergence of universal forces, I found myself invited to attend an event at Paul Colby's The Bitter End in Manhattan, which bills itself as "New York City's Oldest Rock Club." I received this invitation eagerly, a night of music and entertainment that would include an interview with Nile Rodgers himself.

What transpired was a fascinating 25-minute conversation with a musician whom I deeply admire, followed by a show put on by Nile's We Are Family Foundation. The organization seems to do a lot of great work bringing people together in peace and love, so rather than me botching a description of what they do, I'll show you the press release I received before attending this event:

WE ARE FAMILY FOUNDATION® ANNOUNCES THREE DOT DASH® “JUST PEACE SUMMIT”
IN NEW YORK CITY APRIL 7 - APRIL 13, 2014

New York, NY (March 24, 2014) - We Are Family Foundation® (WAFF), a not-for-profit organization founded by musician/songwriter/producer Nile Rodgers, has announced its 2014 Three Dot Dash® “Just Peace Summit” to take place in New York City April 7th through April 13, 2014.

Opening ceremonies will take place on Monday, April 7th from 6:30pm-9:00pm at Studio 450 (450 West 31st Street, NYC) and will feature an appearance by Emmanuel Jal. Jal was born into the life of a child soldier in the war torn region of Southern Sudan. As a survivor of the war, Jal emerged as an activist, and a recording artist, achieving worldwide acclaim for his music with its message of peace and reconciliation.

Three Dot Dash® is a global initiative of WAFF that supports Global Teen Leaders (GTLs) around the world who are actively working on projects that promote a more peaceful society by addressing one or more basic human needs – food, water, health, shelter, safety, education and the environment. The name Three Dot Dash® is a mash-up of Morse code, used by telegraphs, and the two fingered “V” gesture that has come to be known as the peace sign. In Morse code “V” is …------.

Inspired by the late 13-year-old poet and peacemaker Mattie J.T. Stepanek, Three Dot Dash® is a yearlong leadership and mentoring program that teaches teen leaders how to effectively “tell their stories” during the Just Peace Summit using various forms of media, current technology and distribution methods to gain media attention and public support. Additionally, over the course of the week in New York, each GTL will partner with A Three Dot Dash® mentor, who for the next year will help them strategize and fulfill their action plans to further their projects. The Three Dot Dash® Just Peace Summits have brought together GTLs from 40 countries and have already positively affected more than 15 million people on all 7 continents.

Three notes before I share this interview with you:

1. Many talented people performed in the show, which was filled with a lot of enjoyment and positivity. The focus was on the Global Teen Leaders (GTLs), not Nile himself, although he did perform "We Are Family." Check out the websites for both the We Are Family Foundation and three dot dash for more information on these organizations.

2. Speaking of "We Are Family," it's an excellent piece of music and one of Nile's most recognizable compositions. It's also, as you saw, the namesake of his charitable foundation.

3. Another outstanding song to keep in mind for this interview is "Get Lucky." This, of course, is the Daft Punk/Nile Rodgers/Pharrell Williams collaboration that rocketed to popularity in 2013.

Okay. Now the interview. Rather than give you an abridged version, I've provided the full recording as well as a transcript of the entire discussion.

Enjoy.



Adam: We actually met very briefly when you were on HuffPost Live.

Nile: Oh, cool.

Adam: I came backstage.

Nile: Okay.

Adam: So, um, ah, I don’t really wanna guide the conversation, but I just wanna begin by telling you that, ah, the art that you’ve created is really magical and has had an impact on my life. So, I love your music. I think it’s amazing. It’s, ah, “Get Lucky” I think is one of the better songs of the past decade.

Nile: Wow. Cool, thank you.

Adam: Yeah, um. And I’ve listened to it many, many times. And there’s stuff I haven’t heard. You know, each time. It’s really complex music. So I guess I’d just, uh, start it by saying, um, maybe even use that as a kickoff point. Like, what has “Get Lucky” meant to you and how has that, you know, uh, connected to your career as a whole, your life as a whole, the kind of art you create.

Nile: Um, well, “Get Lucky” is one of those really unique records for me because it, uh, almost embodies everything that’s happened in my career. Complete convergence where all these forces come together in a unique, magical way. We recorded it in the exact same studio that I recorded my very first hit record in, Electric Lady, just a couple blocks away from here.

Adam: Which song would that be?

Nile: That was a Chic song called “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)”.

Adam: Yeah, love that song, of course.

Nile: So at Electric Lady. Electric Lady was a studio Hendrix built. It’s a place that I used to play at. It was a club like this called Generation, before Electric Lady, so it was a place where as a teenager I played, you know, as like a local rock and roll guy trying to make it.

Adam: Yeah.

Nile: Um, but the fact that I met Daft Punk, um, you know, 17 years ago, and it took us all this time before we finally got together to make a record. We tried to get together on two other subsequent occasions and it didn’t work out. They were stuck in Paris, I was stuck in San Tropez. Um, then the next time, I was stuck in San Tropez and they were in Paris. So just all this completely wacky stuff.

Adam: Like, complete, like, uh, there’s like a balance to it.

Nile: Yeah, it’s, and it’s so perfect, like uh, like almost, like some sort of, um, design. Like, just a perfect design.

Adam: Yeah.

Nile: And we meet, they talk about how much they love Chic, and blah blah blah and this and that, and how much our record influenced them, as a matter of fact, and samples and all that stuff, and their first album, and then uh…

Adam: Did you, um, what kind of familiarity or affection or whatever did you have for their work?

Nile: Oh, it was huge, I mean they had a record when they first came out called “Da Funk”, which was the bomb. And it was like, so that record I knew before I actually knew them. So I met them at their listening party here in New York City, um, I would imagine not quite a year after I heard “Da Funk”, but around that time, cause it took a while before the album came out.

Adam: Okay.

Nile: Ah, so I met them at their first album listening party. We got along great, of course, and um, and then we didn’t get together again until 16 years later.

Adam: Uh huh.

Nile: So amazing.

Adam: And I’ve heard you tell that story of, you know, sort of, how the song and the actual trip up to the point where you’re in the studio happened.

Nile: Mmm Hmm.

Adam: But what I don’t feel like I’ve heard a lot of and what interests me is what that experience was like to actually put that down and what was going through your guys, you know, what was going through your head, what that felt like, you know?

Nile: I was just, I was just making music. It wasn’t, it wasn’t like some big heavy thing. I mean, when I go into the studio…

Adam: You’re sort of there doing what you do.

Nile: Yeah, just, you know, the thing that was great about it was that it was as casual as I always like making records to be.

Adam: Uh uh.

Nile: Because my philosophy is most records, forget about going number one, but most records never even recoup let alone become hits or go to number one, so I always look at it like, my biggest reward that’s a guarantee is to make sure we have fun while we’re doing it.

Adam: Right, right.

Nile: So we always try and have a blast. So I was…

Adam: Yeah it seems like you just have been cruising your entire career on just enjoying music.

Nile: Making records. Yeah, just doing it.

Adam: Which, I think, I can’t speak for anybody, but it seems like, you know, you can just tell by the nature of the business that there’s a lot of people in it because it’s an opportunity to, and not that this is anything to judge necessarily, but uh, acquire love in some way, and maybe that’s fame or, but not necessarily because there’s a profound love of music. And I guess what I’m saying is, it seems like you have that. Um…

Nile: You know, uh…

Adam: And I’m being maybe overly judgmental, but…

Nile: Yeah, I think you may be, because I don’t know too many people that can be successful at it…

Adam: Mmm Hmm.

Nile: First of all, getting hit records is really hard, so it’s not easy.

Adam: Right.

Nile: So, a person can, you can luck up and get one, you can, you can do something really incredible, you can have a moment of inspiration. You can have all this, all of these great forces that make hit records converge at one time.

Adam: Right.

Nile: You can do that once. Maybe you can even do it twice.

Adam: Uh huh.

Nile: I don’t know, I’ve done it like 25, I don’t know how many times. So it’s…

Adam: But I think what you’re saying is right, is the having fun, which it seems like you consistently do, that, it’s one of those things where it just sort of converges, like you say, and you get a number one record when you’re really having that pure fun.

Nile: Well, it’s like, it’s like this, so, let me just show you, here’s a perfect example in my life.

Adam: Mmm Hmm.

Nile: So I just, on my way over here…

[KATHY SLEDGE OF SISTER SLEDGE UNEXPECTEDLY ARRIVES, NILE BRIEFLY CHATS WITH HER]

Nile: Kathy Sledge. “We Are Family”. Ta-da. So, perfect example. [NILE SHOWS ADAM A LIST OF TEXT MESSAGES ON HIS IPHONE INCLUDING ONE FROM PHARRELL WILLIAMS] So, Pharrell, I just hit him on my way over here. And I said, “Okay, I’m working on a song with Disclosure, are you down?” He says, “What the hell. Send it, I’m in for whatever you need, you’re the master.”

Adam: That’s great.

Nile: It’s like, we just, we have fun, so it’s like, we may do it or we may not. It’s not even a, it’s like, that’s the kind of thing, people, people, I get along with, you can see it, Kathy Sledge, I mean these are people that I love and they know that my feeling for them is so totally genuine that my first responsibility and duty is to serve the project. And I wanna make it as much fun for them as possible. And, I mean you can ask, you can ask them, Kathy Sledge, she was 16-years-old when we made “We Are Family”, 16-years-old…

Adam: Wait, is Kathy in Sister Sledge?

Nile: Yeah, that’s Kathy, that’s [INAUDIBLE]…Yeah, and ask her what she thought. They never heard, they never heard the song until they walked into the studio, and we, I was still working on the lyrics.

Adam: And you and Bernard [Edwards] wrote it.

Nile: Yeah.

Adam: Uh huh.

Nile: I was still working on the lyrics. And she sits in, I’m working on the lyrics, and she’s listening to the track. And they’re thinking that they’re gonna get demos, and I said, no no no no, in 5 minutes I’m gonna have this done and you’re gonna sing.

Adam: Yeah.

Nile: And, she’s like singing the song and…

Adam: So it just came out of you guys.

Nile: Yeah yeah. And she asked me, I mean you can ask for her stories…

Adam: And you’ve said I think before, uh, you, I mean you have obviously a fondness for that song in particular.

Nile: Oh, it was, it was huge because, we knew that…

Adam: I’m sorry I interrupted your story, I ruined your flow.

Nile: No no no. I was just saying that, we, no no no. No no. It’s fine. It’s all connected.

Adam: Yeah.

Nile: Uh, it’s, there’s no difference between “Get Lucky” and “We Are Family” and whatever this may be that I might do with Pharrell or Disclosure. My, my job is, I live, it’s like the movie “Ben Hur”. I live to serve the ship. Row well and live. You know, it’s like, so I’m not a slave, but I am. I’m, I’m, I don’t have any choice in the matter. I love doing this. I would do it if I were not getting paid. I used to play here. I played here free when I was a kid. I sat right on the stage, played free, freezing one night. Snow was so high, the subways stopped running. We had to walk in the snow and crashed at somebody’s house around the corner.

Adam: Mmm Hmm.

Nile: I mean, it’s, you do it because you love it. Um, you know, my relationship with a woman like Kathy Sledge, 16-years-old, I treat her with the same respect and dignity that I would treat Sister Sl…I mean, with uh Diana Ross or Duran Duran or David Bowie. And I always let them know that it’s their record.

Adam: Uh huh.

Nile: And that I have their best interests at heart. Sometimes even if they don’t believe I do.

Adam: Right.

Nile: So in her case, she didn’t believe it. But then she saw my level of positivity. And she says, you know, “Nile, do you really think this record is gonna be, do you think this song is gonna get on the radio?” And I think I, and maybe, like I said, ask her, it’d be great. She said, and I don’t even remember saying this, but she said that I looked at her and said, “Oh, please. Not even, absolutely, not only is it gonna be on the radio, it’s like, it’s gonna be number one, it’s like gonna be huge, like…”

Adam: They used to play that, it’s just, it’s interesting to me how, um, I don’t wanna lump the music you make in any particular category, I know disco would be what you would call it, but the evolution…

[OFF MIC DISCUSSION ABOUT KATHY DOING REHEARSAL]

Adam: So um, uh, what I was saying I guess is, when I first heard your music and Chic, and “Le Freak”, and, instantly, like, it’s an instant hook.

Nile: Right. That’s cause we put the hook at the beginning of the song.

Adam: Yeah.

Nile: That’s what I always do.

Adam: So, um, to me it’s just been interesting to watch the evolution. Because when I first heard that stuff, that was when I was, you know, 12, 11-years-old…

Nile: Right, right.

Adam: And hearing it at Bar Mitzvahs, and stuff like that.

Nile: Right.

Adam: And there’s a certain kitsch inherent in events like Bar Mitzvahs.

Nile: Right.

Adam: But the music is super cool. And that’s why it’s been able to come back, and it’s still, you know, depending on the observer, it’s always gonna be cool. But I’m saying as a culture at whole, and the way that disco was rejected…

Nile: Mmm hmm.

Adam: It goes in waves culturally, and, uh, there’s always gonna be the people that appreciate it, but it’s just interesting to see how like it’s totally shifted, and now it’s…

Nile: Isn’t it amazing to me that all of the people that were sort of the big anti-disco and the disco sucks people, um, like, it, you know I’m working with a lot of guys who now are primarily I guess would be considered rock or alternative. And I always laugh and I say, is there any really, is there any real rock right now, do we have real rock stars? Like…

Adam: So what does that mean to you? What’s a real rock star?

Nile: I mean, like, when I was a kid, there were rock stars. I mean, we had, you know, Robert Plant, and…

[INTERVIEW BREAKS WHILE KATHY SLEDGE DOES A REHEARSAL OF “WE ARE FAMILY”]

Nile: I didn’t know she was gonna be here.

Adam: Oh yeah?

Nile: No.

[SONG CONCLUDES]

Adam: Um, well that’s funny, just talking about that song and there it is, and, Kathy Sledge. That’s the convergence you were talking about.

Nile: Yeah, it’s funny…

Adam: So…

Nile: And that’s…

Adam: Go ahead.

Nile: No, that’s, you just said it, that’s exactly how it works. And it’s been that way my entire life. Um, you know, the studios that I work at, the people that I work with. Like I said, just coming over here, I hit Pharrell, and I, “Hey I have this idea. I’m working with Disclosure, what do you think?” “Dude, you got it, you’re the master.”

Adam: I’ve had, uh, discussions with people about, to bring it back to “Get Lucky”, and, uh, what to me that song is about, and why I think it’s fascinating, I love that album…

Nile: Mmm Hmm. Great album.

Adam: And, it seems like the thesis of the album is about, uh, an evolutionary shift in recorded music.

Nile: Mmm Hmm.

Adam: Through what, I don’t know, since the beginning til now. And there’s something analog, about now too, but it was pure analog back then.

Nile: Mmm Hmm.

Adam: And then digital happened, and the 80s to me is very like, it’s a full digital era.

Nile: Right.

Adam: A lot of taking advantage of that technology. And then in the 90s there was sort of a pushback, and now it’s sort of converging. And that album is about that convergence, and it starts off analog.

Nile: Right.

Adam: You’re playing guitar.

Nile: Right.

Adam: There’s real drums.

Nile: Right.

Adam: And I don’t know his name but I believe, uh, he played on “Rock With You”. Am I correct?

Nile: Wait a minute, Omar Hakim. Well, it depends on which song you’re talking about.

Adam: “Get Lucky”.

Nile: Oh “Get Lucky” was, um, uh, um… Michael Jackson’s drummer.

Adam: Right right right right.

Nile: Yeah. J.R.

Adam: J.R., okay.

Nile: J.R. Robinson.

Adam: So, you have that kind of stuff at the beginning of the song, and then the robot voices come in.

Nile: Right.

Adam: And suddenly it’s this full digital, uh, like, “Discovery” Daft Punk-esque, Daft Punk song.

Nile: Right.

Adam: Where they’re in the middle, and then at the end, it converges and you have both, uh, Pharrell and you…

Nile: Right.

Adam: And the digital percussion. And then the digital percussion falls out and it’s drums again.

Nile: Right.

Adam: And it’s like the beginning of the song, like taking you back, and it sort of smoothly eases your way out of the song. So it’s like the centerpiece of the whole album. It’s like the thesis of the whole album.

Nile: Well the whole concept to them was that they wanted to do the music that inspired them when they were younger, so when we were working on “Get Lucky”, um, they didn’t know that, uh, “Dance, Dance, Dance” was recorded at Electric Lady. So when I got to the studio and I said, “you guys won’t believe it, but this is where we cut our very first hit single.” And they couldn’t, they just, they were overwhelmed and they said, “so how exactly did you make Chic records?” I said, “well you really wanna know? Here we go.” And that’s what we did. I said, “this is what we do.” And I started doing that. And it worked so great. They said, “well, here’s another song, do that.” And then we did another song. They said, “well here’s another song.” And I was like, “Guys. I got a job to do.” And so we did…

Adam: So you did “Give Life Back To Music”. You did, uh, “Lose Yourself To Dance”.

Nile: “Lose Yourself To Dance”. And “Get Lucky”. All in one day. It was one session.

Adam: Wow.

Nile: But that’s how we used to do it in the old days.

Adam: Were those songs…how much of that stuff was written beforehand?

Nile: Well they had been working on the record since 2008.

Adam: Okay.

Nile: But when I came in, I think, so once again we talk about convergence, we talk about all of those right elements coming together at the right time. Don’t you find it pretty amazing that from the moment I walked into that studio until the time they wound up finishing wound up being like almost instantaneously because what had happened is, from my point of view, and maybe they’ll say the same thing, but what it seemed like, once I came in and gave them this other perspective on how record-making is actually really quite easy, and it’s relaxed, and it should be, um, they just sort of sped up, and everybody, like the 3 tracks that I did, everybody then re-recorded to me, and they said, “Look, this is what Nile did. Check this out. Do this.” Um, and it actually, they flew through the process at that point, and I think that, you know, we all learn from each other, when we’re in the studio together, I don’t work with people that I don’t learn from. There’s always something that I take away from every session and I think the exact same thing happened to, you know, Guy and Thomas. That, um, the, the ease at which I recorded and I approached the songs, the fact that we were in the same place like, a house that I’m so familiar with. I mean, remember, this is the studio I cut INXS, um, uh, Hall & Oates, Chic, um, uh…

Adam: What did you do with Hall & Oates?

Nile: I did a song called “Adult Education” in there. And I actually even went up on 8th Street and got girls who were just walking down the street that day and they’re the ones that go, “Oh yeah, oh yeah.” And they, they had no idea what they were doing. I said, “Hey, come on in here and do this for Hall & Oates.” They were like, “We can’t sing.” I said, “Right. Cause I don’t want you to sing. Because you’re supposed to be in a classroom. So if you’re in a classroom and everybody goes ‘Oh yeah, oh yeah’, it’s not supposed to be good.” Um, so uh, but I’ve done a lot of records there. But I don’t think that they had known, they certainly didn’t know that I did the first Chic record there. And that’s really what inspired them, when they heard that they were like, wow, we’re done.

Adam: Did you see, um, I guess I would ask, sort of how you perceived disco, um, sort of pre-Chic. What that was, what you thought of the music, and maybe how that influenced you or the culture.

Nile: I thought, well, I had a super super hot girlfriend at the time. And she was the one who sort of opened my eyes to the whole disco scene.

Adam: Mmm Hmm.

Nile: And I was, uh, a real sort of radical revolutionary. I used to be a sub-section leader in the Lower Manhattan Black Panther Party. Uh, and when I saw her and her girlfriends, and the way that they bonded together, you know, me being an ex-hippie or a real hippie at heart, so my parents were beatniks, I was a hippie. My girlfriend, she was part of the disco generation. They seemed much more revolutionary than we did. And I’ll explain why I saw it that way. Our movement, if you will, you could tell the sort of radicals. You could, we could, you know, we tried to talk about how we were such individuals. Believe me, when Black Panthers walked down the street, you knew we were Black Panthers. When I was a hippie, you knew I was a hippie. When people were into disco, you didn’t know, it was everybody. I mean, “Saturday Night Fever” points it out very very well. This is a guy who is just a working class dude in a paint store, in a, in just like a hardware shop. My girlfriend at the time was a Playboy bunny. I mean, you know, it was all different people. But when they got into the club, they were one unified force.

Adam: Mmm Hmm.

Nile: And I kept looking at that and I thought to myself, these people have done what we, what we used to talk about. We used to read Mao Zedong’s Red Book and talk about the masses and this and that, and I was like, well, they’re the masses! They are all different people from all different walks of life and they’re all getting together and they’re bonding over this music and no one is sitting around going, “Oh man, I’m richer than he is”, you know, none of that was going on. And it was incredible. And then I went to neighborhoods that in the old days, I’d get chased out of those neighborhoods. Next thing you know I’m in those neighborhoods playing on stage and people are loving me. And I’m like, this is, this, it was, it felt magical to me. When you talk about, when people use words like transformative, this was truly a transformative movement. It was the only time in the history of pop music that you were really judged by the quality of your music, it was no longer cult of personality. In rock and roll and in other forms of, you know, even Elvis and all, it was not just good music but it was all about the star. When disco came up, you could have a person that was completely unknown one week, and they were knocking The Rolling Stones off the charts, or they were knocking Chic off the charts. It didn’t make any difference. You just, whoever had the best record was the person who was at the top of the charts. And, and it, and you can see it. Look, go back and look at the stars. You could have somebody that was gay like Sylvester, you could have somebody that was big and fat like The Weather Girls, and it, I mean you know, it was like, or you could have somebody that was not terribly attractive. You could have someone who was a porno star, you could, you know, Andrea True Connection, “More, More, More”, “how do you like it”, just everybody, it was, it was thumbs up or thumbs down and it all just had to with the music. Now if somehow you had a cool image too, like The Village People, well, that became another thing, but the truth of the matter is that you could just have a great record. Who knows what Foxy looks like? Not many people know. Who knows what the T-Connection looks like? Not many people. They just, you just know the record, you hear the record and you hit the dance floor. That’s just how it was. Uh, every now and then somebody would become a superstar like Donna Summer, so you knew what she looked like. But all of those other records that weren’t Donna Summer, that were chomping at her heels, were big serious solid records and you had no idea what those people looked like. And those records would knock off Donna Summer like they would knock off anybody else.

Adam: Right. That’s great. Um, well, I appreciate your time.

Nile: No problem.

Adam: I really do. Wonderful conversation. Um, and uh, I’m looking forward to seeing you play tonight. I am.

Nile: Oh, well it’s just, what we just did in rehearsal, it’s not gonna be a big deal. It’s not, like…

Adam: Yeah, but I mean, I’ve never seen you play guitar.

Nile: It’s just, it’s just that. It’s just “We Are Family”. [INAUDIBLE] But I’ll probably jam with the beatboxers.

FINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: I got a chance to meet Kathy Sledge during the event, and that was a pleasure. I later followed her on Twitter. Then she followed me back! (which was exciting). Here's a link to her Twitter account in case you want to follow her too.

Jennifer Lawrence and "East of Eden" sound like a match made in Oscar heaven, and now that may be doubled.

Writer-director Gary Ross ("Pleasantville," "The Hunger Games") told The Hollywood Reporter that he'll likely split the movie into two parts -- a fitting move given that John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a hefty 602 pages.

“We may break it in half, into one generation and the next," Ross said. "And that’s what we're talking about now.”

Lawrence is on board to play Cathy Ames, who became one of the defining female antagonists of the 20th century. Cathy is the wife of the novel's protagonist, Adam Trask. As a teenager, she murders her parents by setting fire to the family's home while they sleep. Steinbeck refers to her as a "psychic monster" with a "malformed soul."

"East of Eden" is in development at Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, but there's no production plan in place yet. Ross said it may or may not be his and Lawrence's next project, as they both have crowded filming schedules ahead.

[via THR]

Harrison Ford is most readily associated with the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchise, but it turns out neither is the movie that fans frequently ask him to quote. Ford revealed as much during an April 13 Reddit AMA that was a lighthearted moment for the notoriously austere actor. Here are some highlights.