I.C.Y.M.I.: Watch Marvel Studios' Tribute To Chadwick Boseman

Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week 30 of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series. While we work toward our long-awaited public reopening on Friday, September 18, we pause to recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week(s) in popular culture, in case you missed them.

Last week, we heard from a prominent local act who has an exciting opportunity for some lucky fans. This week, we start by remembering an iconic pop culture figure. Read on!

Marvel Studios' Tribute To Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman, the actor who had memorable roles as Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and, perhaps most notably, as King T'Challa of Wakanda in Black Panther, passed away at the far-too-young age of 43 following a four-year battle with colon cancer. You've likely come across several reactions and tributes on your social media feeds this past week, but we wanted to share one moving piece in particular from Marvel Studios. The nearly five minute video, embedded above, highlights Boseman's heroic Black Panther performance, compiling candid moments from his time with Marvel as T'Challa alongside interviews from some of Boseman's fellow Marvel cast members and directors. 

"It's fun to watch just what it means to people," Boseman recalls of his role in Black Panther. "At times, like in my head, I'll be like, 'Well, what does this do for the world?' Like, is it actually valuable in this climate? And I have to say yes, it actually is, not because it makes people escape. I think when done right, it gives people hope. I found that it means a lot."

Dave Grohl Accepts Nandi Bushell's Drum Battle

Former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl answered a challenge from 10-year-old drum phenom Nandi Bushell last weekend. We're pretty sure you're familiar with Grohl, but maybe less so with Bushell, who we highlighted on this blog last November after she crushed a drum cover of Nirvana's "In Bloom." Since then, Bushell's skills have earned a lot of attention—and rightfully so, as she's appeared on television shows and amassed quite the social media following for her musicianship. 

"Look, I've seen all your videos, I've seen you on T.V. You're an incredible drummer," Grohl says in his video response to Bushell's challenge. "And I'm really flattered that you've picked some of my songs to do for your videos, and you've done them all perfectly."

Grohl opens his reply to Bushell with Foo Fighters' "Everlong," which he says he hasn't played on drums since originally recording it. He goes on to drum "Dead End Friends" by his band Them Crooked Vultures and concludes by playfully challenging Bushell to respond. Which, of course, she did. 

Celebrate Star Trek Day September 8

Tuesday, September 8 marks the 54th anniversary of Star Trek, which since its television premiere on that date in 1966 has gone on to see several series, films, books, comics, and conventions. Star Trek Day, as it's come to be known, is going virtual this year with a free 24-hour event celebrating the science-fiction franchise. Featuring exclusive programming, including panel discussions, curated marathons, and unique merchandise, Star Trek Day promises to reunite iconic cast members from across its history. Head over to StarTrek.com for all the latest news, an up-to-date schedule, and list of activities.

What Else To Catch Up On This Weekend

• As we mentioned at the top of the post, we're extremely thrilled to announce our public reopening date of Friday, September 18, with exclusive Member Days set for September 12-15. Tickets will be available right here on MoPOP.org beginning Tuesday, September 8, but in the meantime be sure to check out all the new things to expect when we do reopen.
• Our next virtual film series, "Grow Up!" was announced earlier this week, as we explore coming-of-age movies from all over the genre map. It all begins at 4 p.m. PT this Sunday with an online watchalong + discussion of Bend it Like Beckham featuring special guests writer/critic Roxana Hadadi and multi-disciplinary performing artist Krystal Kiran. You can find all the films in our "Grow Up!" series plus registration info for each event over on our Movies at MoPOP page.
• Speaking of online watchalongs, we recently caught up with new MoPOP member Meghan Storms, who despite having never set foot inside our nonprofit museum was moved to buy a MoPOP membership thanks to the community she found through our online programming offered during the temporary closure.
• Registration for Pop Conference, our annual event that mixes together music discourse of every kind, is now open. Pop Con 2020 has shifted to an entirely virtual format running over three weeks this month. You can check out the full schedule of free online panels and discussions over at MoPOP.org/PopCon—this year's opening keynote will be with Alanis Morissette on Thursday, September 10.
• The next installment in our MoPOP milestone series took a look back at our Yes Yes Y'all museum content that spotlights the early days of hip-hop as told by its founders and stars. 
• And August's POP+ Punk virtual programming wrapped up this past Monday, but you can still check out some of the content on demand.

What'd We Miss?

Now that we've filled you in on a few things, what do you feel we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up with a suggestion on social media. We'll look to include your ideas in our next edition of I.C.Y.M.I.

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