music

The big game is in our rearview mirror, but some final figures and results are in now:

Mercifully losing the British accent (for good?), Madonna spoke with–of all people–Ryan Seacrest in what is actually a very fun, informative conversation on L.A. station KIIS-FM about her Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, Indianapolis, and more.

If we’re going to pillory hip-hop sensation M.I.A.—and plenty of folks have done so since she flipped the bird while performing with Madonna Sunday night—we had better consider what that reaction implies. In a word: sexism. Plain and simple. Hear me out before bringing on the bromides.

Nineties R&B fans swooned at the sights and sounds of En Vogue’s performance in Super Bowl Village on Friday afternoon. The ladies donned smart black bedazzled outfits and winning smiles while performing their biggest hits to an adoring crowd.

The Queen of Pop is now vying for another title: the Queen of Pigskin.

Name: Ben Snyder

When it comes to making cash during the biggest event this city’s seen, Sensu is stocked and ready to serve loaded East Coast visitors. The deliveries have been rolling in, including cases of Grey Goose in an array of flavors, Patron, and Jack Daniel’s. You know, the usual. 

How serious is Rolling Stone about making its first Super Bowl party a hit? The magazine’s publisher, Matt Mastrangelo, has been keeping us up to speed on all the details, and this week he flew in from New York to share some more.

I took a job at Playboy for the articles. No, I mean it. I remember first learning about Playboy’s groundbreaking writing in journalism classes at IU. Jack Kerouac, Roald Dahl, Norman Mailer, Shel Silverstein, and Indy’s own Kurt Vonnegut contributed pieces in the magazine’s heyday of the 1950s.

Name: Lora Popov

Awhile back we wondered aloud about who would sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLVI. (Oh, those pesky Roman numberals.) Many weighed in on Facebook and in the comments on that post as to whom they wanted to see perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Matt Mastrangelo is a gregarious guy, and certainly when his magazine’s upcoming parties are the topic. Here, the Rolling Stone publisher dishes to Super City about the RS-sponsored (deep breath now) Volkswagen Rock & Roll Super Bowl Fan Tailgate Party.

Last week, the Super Bowl Stage Crew hosted an orientation for those who signed up to volunteer for the Halftime Show, which involves assembling and tearing down Madonna’s stage in about eight minutes. Run by Cap Spence, the staging supervisor for the Halftime Show for the past 11 years, the meeting served as a reality check for some volunteers who expected some nice perks. Here’s the real deal:

Music lovers won’t have any shortage of big concerts to pick from during Super Bowl weekend, and a few more performers recently came to light: Katy Perry (emotional state pending) will rock the DirecTV party hosted by Mark Cuban at Victory Field, Drake will get the ESPN “Next “Party started in a downtown warehouse, and Wyclef Jean will be on the mic at the Playboy party.

The shows noted below are free of charge in the Super Bowl Village downtown at Penn and Georgia streets and Meridian and Georgia streets, on two stages. The Super Bowl Host Committee’s announcement adds that “Additional bands [are] to be announced and can be found on www.IndianapolisSuperBowl.com.”