PEOPLE

Keith Urban, Little Big Town come to Toledo in November

3/26/2013
BY BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
Keith Urban performs at Huntington Center on July 29, 2011. He'll return there for a show on Nov. 24.
Keith Urban performs at Huntington Center on July 29, 2011. He'll return there for a show on Nov. 24.

It may be months away, but Toledo area country music fans received good news today when it was announced that Keith Urban is playing at the Huntington Center Nov. 24, and one of his opening bands is Little Big Town.

Tickets for the “Light The Fuse Tour 2013” show go on sale April 5 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Huntington Center box office, 500 Jefferson Ave., at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Urban, an American Idol judge, plans to release a new album this spring and engage in a lengthy tour, the first leg of which kicks off this summer. The Toledo appearance will be part of the second leg of the tour. Also opening will be Dustin Lynch.

Kids’ Choice winners

The self-described “messfest” of Nickelodeon’s annual Kids’ Choice Awards happened in Los Angeles on Saturday. Hosted by Josh Duhamel at the Galen Center at University of Southern California, the awards were decided by 387 million votes cast from 22 countries around the world.

The prize may be a bright orange trophy in the shape of a blimp, but the show’s real signature is the green slime regularly dumped on participants. After a musical number with singers Christina Aguilera and Pitbull, Aguilera triggered a dousing of Pitbull and their backup dancers. Duhamel was among those who got it good during the ceremony as well, along with Amanda Seyfried, Nick Cannon, Josh Hutcherson, and Dwight Howard.

Sandra Bullock and Neil Patrick Harris were likewise drenched in the green goo while presenting the award for favorite movie actress. Winner Kristen Stewart, recognized for her role in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2, joined in by hugging Bullock, getting messy in the process. Stewart also won the prize for favorite female buttkicker for her role in Snow White and the Huntsman.

Other film winners included Johnny Depp, who attended but was not slimed, as favorite movie actor for Dark Shadows. Favorite movie went to The Hunger Games, with Wreck-It Ralph winning favorite animated movie. Favorite voice from an animated movie went to Adam Sandler for Hotel Transylvania, and Dwayne Johnson won favorite male buttkicker for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

Selena Gomez won favorite TV actress for her role on Wizards of Waverly Place on the same weekend her buzz-heavy film Spring Breakers was opening nationwide. Other television winners were Victorious for favorite TV show, Wipeout for favorite reality show, SpongeBob SquarePants for favorite cartoon, and Ross Lynch from Austin & Ally for favorite TV actor.

Music awards went to One Direction for favorite music group, Justin Bieber for favorite male singer, and Katy Perry for favorite female singer. One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” won favorite song.

LeBron James was named favorite male athlete, and Danica Patrick was recognized as favorite female athlete. Simon Cowell of The X Factor was named favorite villain. The Hunger Games series won favorite book, Just Dance 4 won favorite video game and, Temple Run was named favorite app.

Meet the author

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of One Amazing Thing, the book selection for this year’s One Book, One Community of Monroe County, will host a “meet the author” session at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the La-Z-Boy Center, Meyer Theater on the campus of Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Rd. in Monroe

One Amazing Thing is the story of nine people struggling to survive after being trapped by an earthquake. Faced with the possibility of death, one of them suggests that they share “one amazing thing” about their lives. Divakaruni is an award-winning author, poet, and teacher of writing, whose work has been published in more than 50 magazines. Her books have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, and Japanese. A book signing will follow her presentation.

New Henry Ford show

An exhibition at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn April 27 to Sept. 2 will feature nearly 150 artifacts from six Depression-era fairs and expos.

“Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s,” developed by the National Building Museum in Washington D.C., explores how fairs were platforms for innovators such as Henry Ford to showcase their visions of the future.

The artifacts on display will include a full-scale model of Elektro the Moto-Man cast from the original robot created by Westinghouse engineers for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Admission is free for members. Tickets for nonmembers are $17 for adults.