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Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 Captures Unknown Horrors of the Three-Day Disaster: Review
The Pitch: The world of documentary film seems to believe in one thing: Why have just one documentary covering a disastrous music festival when you can have two? Unlike the paired Netflix and Hulu documentaries which investigated the wildness of Fyre Fest, though, Netflix’s new docuseries Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 at least has a good year or so of distance from HBO’s Woodstock ’99, while rehashing much of the same material. It’s Not a Three-Hour Movie: Trainwreck (previously known as Clusterfuck, and streaming today on Netflix), does have a distinct advantage over the HBO doc — rather than compressing the full breadth of the three-day disaster into one 110-minute film, the series consists of three episodes, structured to mirror the three days of the actual festival. While the episodic stru...
SPIN DNA: James Greer
There was a time period, let’s call it 15th century Europe, where a select group of men made their bones in a variety of different occupations. Leonardo da Vinci, just to pull one name out of my hat, was not only a famous painter, but also a sculptor, scientist, philosopher, and mathematician. Apparently there’s some evidence that he was also a pretty good dancer. There were others, too. There are always others. Fast forward 400 years: Not content with just proving relativity, Albert Einstein was also a classically trained violinist. Sort of like how Axl Rose is some hayseed with chops like Chopin. We labeled these individuals Renaissance Men. Or, to use the parlance of our times, Idea Birthing Persons. I first met the writer, musician, and surprisingly nimble dancer himself, James Greer, ...
Anthony Joshua Reflects on Boxing and Growing Up in Watford
Anthony Joshua is a two-time world heavyweight champion – holding the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles for the last 3 years. As well as his exploits in the ring, the Watford-born boxer has worked with BOSS as an ambassador since 2019. For his latest project with the brand, AJ took part in BOSS’ “Behind the BOSS” podcast series, discussing topics including his courage and conviction in his own path. HYPEBEAST had a chat with Anthony Joshua to talk about his career, training for his upcoming fight in Saudi Arabia this August and what it means to grow up in Watford. From growing up in Watford to fighting internationally, how has your journey been from when you first started to where you are now? My experience through fighting has been a real journey. I came to boxing late, I was introduced to it ...
David Alaba Isn’t Here for Himself, He’s Here for the Community
Community is important for David Alaba. The Real Madrid defender and three-time Champions League winner has been in his hometown of Vienna, Austria, for a short stint to celebrate the grand opening of his first football cage. The space is designed to give players from across the city a place to enjoy the sport in a venue similar to where his talents were found and nurtured. Working in collaboration with adidas Football, Alaba opened his new cage earlier this week, showcasing a painted mural that tells the story of his career in quick succession. From left to right, the painting shows how the 30-year-old’s career started in Vienna before his transfer to Bayern Munich, and then to his current club Real Madrid. Imagery includes Alaba winning the Champions League – the most prized compet...
Dissecting Beyoncé’s ‘RENAISSANCE’ Samples
Last Friday, Beyoncé released her seventh studio album, RENAISSANCE. Since, it has broken the Spotify record for the most-streamed album in a single day by a female artist in 2022 and has caused a fair share of controversy thanks to a reported sample “theft” and for the use of an ableist word in “Heated.” Alas, RENAISSANCE’s innate passion for inspiring a groove comes with plenty of representation. It sings to the Black and queer communities, bringing people together through their shared love for, and histories with, house music via way of sampling. Now that we’ve all (hopefully) heard the album, Hypebeast has dissected each track’s core samples and dug deeper into their history – revealing how Chicago house, funk and soul, viral YouTube clips, gospel songs, New Orleans Bounce music and so...
What Is xG In Football? Everything You Need To Know About Expected Goals
Every season there is a new data metric or analytical tool being used by the best clubs to optimize performance. Over the past few seasons xG has risen to the top. Here we look at what it is and how it’s calculated. What is xG? xG stands for Expected Goals and it is the likelihood of a player scoring based on the situation they are in. xG can be implemented for a player or a whole team and it allows you to see how effective they are in front of goal. xG values range from 0 to 1 and the higher the value the more likely the shot will be a goal. A good example of this is a penalty which has a value of 0.76 meaning a higher chance of a goal. Each season xG is becoming more popular, with Sky now implementing the metric in their game analysis before, during and after the games. How is xG c...
Eternally ‘Grateful’: Peter Shapiro Is Helping Keep Jam-Band Music Alive, One Trip at a Time
Peter Shapiro has worked both on and off the stage with the biggest names in music history and has overseen some of the most beloved venues in the United States. But after more than 25 years in the business, he’s still a super-fan at heart who loves nothing more than rocking out with and talking shop about the artists who’ve shaped his life. Shapiro, 49, chronicles his remarkable career in his new Hachette book, The Music Never Stops: What Putting on 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Magic, co-written with longtime collaborator Dean Budnick. Structured as 50 different chapters about specific shows and experiences, the book details a Eureka moment at a 1993 Grateful Dead concert in Chicago (when he was a film student at nearby Northwestern University) that s...
Better Call Saul Review: The Past Is Present
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Better Call Saul, Season 6 Episode 11, “Breaking Bad.”] On April 26th, 2009, a television show called Breaking Bad aired an episode called “Better Call Saul.” Thirteen years later, a television show called Better Call Saul aired an episode called “Breaking Bad.” Here we are at a full-circle moment for one of television’s great creative achievements, and yet the significance of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s long-promised return as the iconic Walter White and Jesse Pinkman manages not to overshadow the action just now revving up in Omaha, Nebraska. The elegance of this new episode’s name choice, which is split between two very different periods of time for one Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovic (Bob Odenkirk), cannot be overstated, es...
Fantasy Premier League Tips: The Top 5 Best Value Players For 22/23 Season
The wait is almost over with Premier League football returning on Friday. As we count down the days let’s look at the Top 5 best value players for Fantasy Premier League this season. 5. Kieran Trippier – Price £5m Club – Newcastle United Pricing at £5m Kieran Trippier comes in at a superb price for the upcoming FPL season. Eddie Howe’s Magpies looked a rejuvenated side in the back end of last season and will look to carry that form into the new season. Trippier is a solid defender who has the ability to put a wicked cross into the box and this alongside his fantastic set-piece taking gives him the chance to score highly this season. Trippier is another player looking to start strong with the World Cup looming and looking for a starting place in the England side. Trippier has been sel...
Lollapalooza 2022: What You Missed on the Livestream
A little less than a mile separates Lollapalooza’s main headlining stage at the south end of Grant Park from the secondary headlining stage on the far north end. It’s a 15-minute walk on day one and a 20-minute waddle on day four — but a majestic waddle nonetheless, taking place as it does with a lake breeze on your face, in the shadow of the world’s prettiest skyline. Along the way you pass a corporate carnival ground of branded games, selfie stations, and quarter-mile-long booths where you can pay $7 for a single piece of chicken and buy an alcoholic beverage with a down payment of one kidney. The livestream captured the biggest names to play Lollapalooza 2022 but left out all the little things that make festivals great: The wild fashions; the travelers hoisting flags; the hustlers in no...
Osheaga Festival 2022 Recap: After Two Years Off, Arcade Fire, Dua Lipa, and More Heat Up Montreal
Of all the times to be visiting Montreal, this past weekend (July 29th-31st) was the one: not only was the annual comedy festival Just For Laughs wrapping up at various venues throughout the city, Osheaga Festival was making its grand return at the Parc Jean Drapeu for the first time since 2019. These events, along with near-perfect weather and a summertime spirit, saw thousands flocking to the city, with musicians, comedians, and lovers of both enjoying all that Montreal has to offer. Osheaga is more than just a typical city festival — over the last several years, Osheaga has gotten all the more curated, with many festival exclusives, local favorites, and some undeniable stars gracing their many stages. This year, which marked the 15th anniversary of the festival, was no different, but th...
Fantasy Premier League Tips: How To Pick Your Squad
With the opening Premier League fixture quickly approaching, the time to make your FPL team is as well. Making a team comes with lots of struggles and can be a hard decision. So here are our tips for how to make the best squad and top your FPL league table. Goalkeeper With the budget for your FPL team set at £100m and 15 players to choose each choice has to be thought out meticulously. Goalkeeper prices are set quite low with the most expensive coming to £5.5m. Your keeper will be playing for you each week so you want to choose a regular starter with a strong record of clean sheets each season, for example Allison, Ederson and Mendy. Cash Cow’s Throughout your squad try and aim to have one of the most expensive players in each position. For example Kevin De Bruyne in midfield. If De Bruyne...
