#195

Shhhh 🤫

Issue #195 | March 19, 2024

Kanye West continues to surprise fans, this time with a silent “performance” at Rolling Loud California. In Austin, artists and panelists boycotted SXSW, and Texas’s Governor wasn’t the only one saying “Bye, Bye, Bye.”

Credit Scott Dudelson / Getty ImagesCoachella partners with Cárdenas Marketing Network for Latin boostAEG Presents expanded its latin presence by purchasing an undisclosed stake in Latin entertainment company Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN). The “full partnership” is the first large latin foray for AEG with CMN boasting clients such as Bad Bunny, Luis Miguel, and Marc Anthony and will put more global power behind CMN. Both companies fell on Pollstar’s 2023 Top 100 Promoters list, with AEG taking the number 3 spot and CMN at number 10.

Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign roll quietKanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Thursday night set at Rolling Loud - billed as ¥$ and “performed” on a stage built just for them - was definitely not what fans expected. The duo came out without microphones and instead “danced, vibed and waved their hands around” to pre-recorded music for an hour. Kanye and Ty insist it was “high art”, but it felt similar to a listening party - which they’ve been hosting and making millions on for the last two months - and many felt it was a scam.

🔔 Taco Bell feeds the beatTaco Bell expands its “Feed The Beat” music program to the UK. The program has supported over 2,000 artists in the US since 2006, gives touring musicians $500 Taco Bell gift cards and helps boost exposure for artists by giving them a stage at events, including their music in commercials, and sharing them on social media. As part of the UK launch, a High Vis song will be the soundtrack to the “Cravings Burrito” ad that will air in the UK over the next two months.

Lizzo's $5 million deposit judgement upheldThe California Second District Court of Appeals has finally ruled that Lizzo can keep the $5 million deposit she got from the canceled 2020 Virgin Fest in LA. The suit was originally ruled in her favor and the ruling was upheld following an appeal. Ellie Goulding and Kali Uchis also were able to keep the $600,000 and $400,000 deposits, respectively, that they received. All other artists scheduled to perform at the fest returned their deposits.

SXSW boycott over military sponsorsOver 100 artists and speakers pulled out of SXSW in protest of its military and defense industry sponsorships, including the US Army. A local group called Austin for Palestine Coalition, led the No Warmongers at SXSW 2024 initiative. Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded on X: “We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.” SXSW did not share his feelings and instead posted, “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy.

Extreme climates continue to affect Australian festivalsWe know that the cost-of-living crisis in Australia is causing festival cancellations throughout the country, but another, growing cause is believed to be climate change. Recently the Pitch Music and Arts Festival in Moyston, Victoria was canceled while guests were already on site due to extreme temperatures and fire danger that had fire authorities encouraging guests to stay home. At least 22 Australian festivals were canceled or disrupted due to extreme weather between 2022 and 2023. In the US, 21 were canceled during the same timeframe. There are signs that the industry is starting to take notice of its impact on climate change, but is it enough?

2024 Olympics Ceremony tickets slashedOrganizers of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony have been forced to cut the capacity for the event in half due to security concerns. The Opening Ceremony, scheduled to take place on July 26 along the River Siene will now be capped at 326,000 tickets, a stark decrease from the two million originally envisioned by the committee and the 600,000 they planned to put on sale in 2022. Even with the lower attendance, it is still expected to break records set by previous summer events in stadiums.

Grand Rising Curations to book Audi FieldD.C. Stadium, LLC has signed veteran concert promoter Dave Niedbalski of Grand Rising Curations to book concerts at Audi Field in Washington, DC, home to MLS’s D.C. United, NWSL’s Washington Spirits, and UFL’s Washington Defenders. Niedbalski’s first booking is Broccoli City Festival, July 27 - 28 (see lineup below). The 20,000 cap venue has been open since 2018.

Tearin' up my heartNSYNC made a surprise appearance during Justin Timberlake’s “One Night Only” show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles last week. This was the first performance for the group all together since 2013 and based on the teenage-like screams from the millennials in the audience, the boy band proved they can still melt hearts. But it’s unclear if Justin’s solo career still has it; the reunion was just one of the stunts Timberlake has added in an attempt to boost his new album.

Professional Catering Services is seeking Pastry professionals (travel stipend, lodging, hourly) + Las Vegas locals with kitchen/restaurant experience (travel stipend, no lodging, hourly). April 30 - May 26. Resumes and inquiries: [email protected]. ROC Nation is hiring a Senior Manager, Digital Marketing & Strategy in New York NY. Salary $64,000 - $80,000. Kickstand Productions is looking for applicants for a newly created Production Manager / Assistant Talent Buyer position in Detroit metro area, MI.

Did you work or attend SXSW?

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements

Eric Church announced a 19-date “To Beat The Devil” residency in his new Nashville bar, Chief’s, starting on opening day, Friday, April 5. The bar is “co-owned” by 40,000 members of the Church Choir fan club.
Goldenvoice announced the newly created Goldenvoice Surf Club featuring daytime performances by electronic artists at the Palm Springs Surf Club during Saturday and Sunday of both weekends of Coachella.
CMA Fest will feature Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, and Keith Urban June 6 - 9 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN.
Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and Shania Twain lead the Glastonbury lineup, June 26 - 30 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset. Seventeen will also be performing, making it the first KPOP band ever to play the UK fest.
Kid Cudi announced a 48-show “Insano World Tour” with AEG. The tour starts June 28 at The Moody Center in Austin, TX and wraps at London’s O2 on March 18, 2025.
Black Pumas, Carly Rae Jepsen and Alanis Morissette will headline Pitchfork Music Festival at Chicago’s Union Park, July 19 - 21.
Phish’s summer 2024 tour kicks off July 19 with three nights at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA and finishes with their traditional Labor Day Weekend run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO.
Megan Thee Stallion, Gunna, and PartyNextDoor will headline Broccoli City Festival, July 27 - 28 at its new location at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
Lollapalooza Berlin announces Sam Smith, Martin Garrix, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, September 7 - 8 at Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park.

Cancellations

Natanael Cano, Junior H were removed from last weekend’s Rolling Loud California lineup. The fest’s official statement was, “Natanael Cano did not obtain the necessary work permits or visas to enable him to perform at the festival. Junior H will not be performing due to several breaches of contract, including the festival’s radius terms.” However, Rancho Humilde, label for both artists, claimed Rolling Loud canceled because the fest was racist.
Tampa’s Sunset Music Festival announced that the fest will take a year off in 2024 while they work through the logistics of moving to a new venue. The event previously took place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL over Memorial Day Weekend.
Jennifer Lopez has canceled seven stops on her “This Is Me… Now” tour including Cleveland, Nashville, Raleigh, Atlanta, Tampa, New Orleans and Houston. While no official reason has been given, the sparse sales (or the abundant availability) of tickets for the stops that are still scheduled, lead to speculation that the cancellations were due to low sales.

Guest Spotlight: The Cost of Admission & the Next Era of Ticketing by Ravi Durga

If you missed SXSW, there were two ticketing panels, including "The Cost of Admission & the Next Era of Ticketing". This panel showcased experts like Christiane Kinney from Kinney Law P.C., Lawrence Peryer of 23 Media Ventures, and myself, Ravi Durga of See Tickets North America, with moderation by David De Cristofaro of Interactive Images.

Our discussion dove into the current state of the ticketing industry, uncovering key factors that define it. We had an open chat about the complexities of ticket sales, including the hidden aspects of financing and the details of exclusive deals. We also looked at recent laws and regulations, both nationwide and by state, to understand how they might affect the indust.

Furthermore, we compared ticketing practices from around the world, gaining insights that could lead to new and better ways of doing things in our sector. Our goal was to shed light on where we are today and think about where we might be going. By taking a close look at these issues, we aimed to move towards a clearer, fairer, and more lively ticketing world, thinking about how changes could shape the future of events and entertainment.

To keep the conversation going, feel free to follow the panelists and moderator at the following pages.

Lawrence Peryer - Website

Ravi Durga - The Tick Talk

Christiane Kinney - LinkedIn

David De Cristofaro - LinkedIn

The Sphere debuts XO Student Design Challenge for exosphere art. Instagram Reels is Privately Taking “Spins” for a Test Drive.