Forward of Tremendous Bowl LVI, Joey Fatone – who rocked the Halftime present alongside Britney Spears, Aerosmith, and extra – tells HL who he desires to see as a ‘shock performer’ this yr. Trace: it’s not ‘Bizarre’ Al.
There's somebody who is aware of what makes Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present, it’s Joey Fatone. Together with the remainder of NSYNC, Joey helped kick off the trendy period of the Halftime Present at Tremendous Bowl XXXV in 2001 by sharing the stage with rockers Aerosmith and a bevy of visitor performers. “I believe it was the primary time they actually had a collaboration the place it was two fully separate totally different sorts of [artists],” Joey tells HollywoodLife in an EXCLUSIVE interview concerning the launch of the “Fatone Calzone at Schlotzsky’s. When reflecting on his 2001 Tremendous Bowl efficiency, Joey famous that the present noticed two teams “that don’t even actually belong collectively, and make it work collectively.”
“And you then added Nelly, you added Brittany Spears, you added Mary J. Blige,” Joey tells HollywoodLife. “So I believe the truth that [with the] Tremendous Bowl, it’s cool once they do the one artist, nevertheless it’s so cool to do totally different teams or totally different acts collectively. As a result of, identical to the sport, you’re having two totally different groups come collectively for this recreation. Why not have totally different teams and artists come collectively for this halftime present?”
With that stated, who does Joey need to be part of Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg on the Tremendous Bowl LVI Halftime present? “You’d should go for a twist, do one thing extra rock, you realize?” Joey tells HollywoodLife. “Put in a Bon Jovi, put in any person fully totally different that doesn’t belong in that group. That’s what that’s all about. And Snoop’s all about that sort of stuff, I imply, you’ve seen Snoop with Martha Stewart. Bringing in these issues at all times increase eyebrows and ears, so once you see that, it’s like … It really is a little bit little bit of East Coast, West Coast, and also you’re sort of like, ‘Properly, that’s attention-grabbing. Properly, that’s cool.'”
Bringing folks collectively is what the Tremendous Bowl is admittedly about. Whereas there is a sports activities recreation on the coronary heart of the extravaganza, the day has change into rather more than that: it’s about reconnecting with buddies, watching the commercials, and having fun with good food and drink. Joey can be serving to out in that regard together with his new partnership with Schlotzsky’s.
The restaurant has simply launched calzones as a part of the menu, created from Schlotzky’s trademark bread (“Each time I’ve instructed any person, anyone that's from Midwest, from Texas, Atlanta, Oklahoma, any of these locations, they actually say to me, ‘You need to have the bread. Did you might have the bread?’ says Joey) and bursting on the seams with substances. Followers can benefit from the French Dip Calzone, the BBQ Rooster Calzone, and the Italian – uh, the Fatone Calzone.
“I’m a pepperoni lover, you realize? So additionally we did various kinds of salamis in right here as properly, so it’s various kinds of like normal salami, but in addition pepperoni,” he says when describing a calzone that can make your abdomen growl. “And your basic cheese, it’s their cool take, twist, on a calzone as a result of it's nearly sort of an open face, if you'll. In case you’re an Italian sort of individual like I'm, or love the Italian meals, once more, pepperoni, salami, cheese, you may’t go incorrect.”
The calzone may not be the very first thing that involves thoughts once you consider “Tremendous Bowl Get together Unfold,” however Joey – underneath his Joey Calzone persona – and Schlotzky’s is seeking to change issues up. In any case, who would have thought Aerosmith, Britney, and NSYNC would have labored? And but, it’s now considered among the best Halftime exhibits in historical past.
Joey might be a part of Tremendous Bowl Historical past once more if the NFL lastly listens to the followers and books “Bizarre” Al Yankovic for the Halftime Present. In 2014, followers started circulating a Change.org petition that demanded that Al get the gig. Regardless of over 120,000 folks signing the petition, the NFL has but to conform. “Bizarre” Al’s identify at all times will get handed round social media each time the NFL publicizes a brand new Halftime Present performer, and followers proceed to attend till the day comes.
The factor is, if “Bizarre” Al have been to get the gig and decide Joey to hitch him onstage, Fatone can be greater than right down to do it. “I'm an enormous ‘Bizarre’ Al fan,” he tells HollywoodLife when requested about what songs Joey would need to do with “Bizarre” Al (and that 2003 MTV Information interview the place Joey’s bandmate, JC Chasez, says that Joey was a grasp of parody himself.)
“I do know his precise songs,” says Joey, “and even a few of the originals. However you realize, for me, it could both possibly be ‘The Saga,’ or ‘Lasagna,’ which is ‘La Bomba.’ I may give you, ‘Nature Path to Hell is one other music.’ You understand what I’m speaking about. In case you’re a Bizarre Al fan, you realize what I’m speaking about.”
“So these sorts of songs, however what can be cool is that if he did the halftime present after which he would carry these artists out of the songs that he parodied, they usually sing it with him,” says Joey with a smile. “Come on now, Tremendous Bowl. After which all of us have a Fatone Calzone on the finish of it.”