2014 is always going to be a magical year for me. It was the year my second child was born. In terms of pop culture, it was a mixed bag. On a positive tip (I want to try using that phrase to see if I can bring it back), Michael Keaton made a comeback, U2 released one of their best albums in decades (don't hate), and Chris Pratt became a movie star. On a downside, we lost way too many talented people this year from Robin Williams to Joan Rivers to Philip Seymour Hoffman. In a word, it sucks. It will always suck. Williams' death in particular will always hurt because of all the good he brought to us all. Anyway, as we close another year, here are my personal favorite moments in pop - music, TV, and film. Arts aside, let's all appreciate what we have more in the new year, love each other more, and hurt each other less. Live love. Love life. Now for something totally less important than the words I just uttered...
Shameless plug for a personal favorite pop moment.
All That Was Good in 2014 (Pop Culture Edition) (In semi-order)
1. Everything about True Detective
2. Michael Keaton takes flight and so does everything in Birdman
3. The Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer
4. The Tonight Show writing staff
5. Bad-ass Carol on The Walking Dead
6. Beck's Morning Phase
7. Coldplay's "O"
8. Leslie Jones on Weekend Update
9. Hedwig and the Angry Inch "revival" on Broadway and the killer performances by Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall
10. Miles Teller and JK Simmons in Whiplash
11. Everything about The Grand Budapest Hotel
12. U2's new album, which is one of their best, and incredibly underrated because of the way they released it.
13. Baymax in Big Hero 6
14."Adele Dazeem"
15. Eddie Redmayne in Theory of Everything
16. Sia's "Chandelier" - the song, the lyrics, the music video
17. The Good Wife performances and writing
18. The Leftovers on HBO
19. Nirvana's Hall of Fame induction performances
20. Jude Law in Dom Hemingway
21. The Williams' kids throwing out a first pitch in San Francisco
22. Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
23. The action sequences in Captain American - The Winter Soldier
24. "I Am Groot"
25. Richard Linklater's ambitious Boyhood
26. Winston (Lamorne Morris) on New Girl, and the series getting its mojo back in Season Four
27. Julianne Moore being unforgettable in Still Alice
28. "Seasons (Waiting on You)" - Future Islands on Late Show with David Letterman
29. Jack White: new haircut, new album, and sad face
30. Cloud Nothings
31. The rise of Charli XCX
32. Tilda Swinton's teeth in Snowpiercer
33. Everything about Steve Carrell
34. The cast and the writing of Parks and Recreation. I'll be missing you terribly.
35. Going "Wild" for Reese Witherspoon
36. St. Vincent as in Annie Clark - not the movie
37. The script for The Lego Movie
38. Beck Bennett's "man baby" on Saturday Night Live
39. The Breaking Bad Emmys sweep
40. "Tainted Meat," The Walking Dead
41. "Billy on the Street" at The Emmy Award
42. Brad Pitt on Between Two Ferns
43. Jaeden Libererher in St. Vincent
44. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting The Golden Globes
45. Chris Rock's comeback
46. Emma Stone lip-sync battle
47. Draven Rodriguez's Laser Cat Photo
48. Bill Hader lip-syncs "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" in The Skeleton Twins
49. This.
50. Keenan Thompson's Al Sharpton > Real Al Sharpton
51. The real return of Weezer
52. Everything about Orange is the New Black
53. The continual quality of Mad Men
54. Stephen Colbert's last episode
55. The Strokes classic set at The Capitol Theatre in NY
56. Eminem's cameo in The Interview
57. The infectious humbleness of Pharrell Williams on The Voice
58. Ellen DeGeneris' Oscar job - it was thoroughly enjoyable.
59. Selma > Salma Hayek
60. This.
61. Milky Chance's "Stolen Dance"
62. Jimmy Kimmell's Friends reunion
63. Any of these
64. This.
About A-Sides with Jon Chattman:
Jon Chattman's music series features celebrities and artists (established or not) from all genres of music performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometime humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, Jon strives for a refreshing change. Artists have included fun., Charli XCX, Imagine Dragons, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Gary Clark Jr., Lissie, Echosmith,and many, many more!
A-Sides 3rd Anniversary Show
On Jan. 23, A-Sides will celebrate its third anniversary (about six months too late), at Garcia's within The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. The show will feature a mix of music and comedy including buzz band Dreamers and buzz comic Nore Davis. Get tickets now and support the brand and the man behind it (who has two kids under 3 and is very, very broke.)