#239

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Back of House
February 04, 2025

Issue #239

FireAid has raised $90 million for LA wildfire relief so far, with Steve and Connie Ballmer donating the venues and matching donations made during the event. Leap and Sensible Weather offer rain refunds, can AI predict an event’s success, and Louisiana is ironically worried about "lewd" Super Bowl performances.

Credit: @jakewestphoto / FireAid

FireAid donations roll in, matched by Ballmers

As of Sunday, the star-studded, six-hour, two-venue FireAid benefit has raised $90 million for LA Fire Relief. Steve and Connie Ballmer, owners of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, not only donated the venues for the epic shows and made an initial pledge of $15 million, but they also agreed to match, dollar-for-dollar, all pledges made during the shows’ live broadcasts.

Live music contributes billions to Canadian GDP 🇨🇦

The Canadian Live Music Association conducted its first-ever economic impact assessment of live music in Canada and found that the industry contributed $10.92 billion to the GDP in 2023. The study, Hear and Now: Understanding the economic power and potential of Canada's live music industry, also indicated that live music added $3.73 billion in tax dollars and generated more than 101,640 jobs.

Leap Event Technology has partnered with Sensible Weather to offer weather guarantees for event attendees. The guarantee gives guests an out if it rains, refunding 100% of their ticket price if rain is forecast above a certain amount, and is available with Leap’s TicketLeap ticketing solution. 

Breakevent, an AI concert analytics startup has raised over $900,000. The “ultimate AI tool to make decisions in the music industry” has a vast database of events and venues in Spain and uses that along with genre information to make “ticket price and capacity suggestions,” “artist recommendations” by location, and “success projection” for events. They plan to use the funding to continue expansion across Spain.

AEG has launched biometric authentication for its AXS ticketing app, allowing users to login to their account with facial recognition or their fingerprint. According to Chief Product Officer Justin Burleigh, “This feature not only enhances security for our users but also streamlines the ticketing process, allowing fans to focus on enjoying their live event journey.”

The Save the Music Foundation is going solo after 27 years - breaking off from Paramount to be an independent non-profit. The foundation supports music programs in nearly 300 school districts in the United States, providing teachers and students with instruments, technology, and funds. STM has launched a $10 million endowment fund, with $4 million already raised, including a sizable donation from Paramount.

Ticketmaster has settled a class-action lawsuit over drip pricing in Canada. The lawsuit alleges that Ticketmaster hid the price of ticket fees and that unnecessary fees were added at checkout. The company has to pay $6 million CAD in the settlement, which will be split amongst those in the class action. Customers who purchased tickets from Ticketmaster in Canada between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018 are eligible for $45 in TM credit and will be contacted via email. 

A group of 13 ticket scalpers were arrested in Hong Kong after reportedly scamming would-be buyers out of HK $800,000 ($102,000 USD). One such buyer claims that he attempted to buy 544 Andy Lau tickets and lost HK $640,000 in the “deal.” The group is also suspected of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining property by deception, and money laundering and was found to have HK $22 million in a bank account used for money laundering.

Louisiana Legislators have sent a letter to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the Louisiana Stadium and Expo District saying that they should have a say in the Super Bowl performances since their tax dollars help fund them. These legislators called past performances “lewd” and not “family-friendly.” “We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held, but in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate … and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents.” 

  • Neste Live!: Andrew Fortin promoted to President; Founder Gil Cunningham becomes Chairman.

  • Peachtree Entertainment: Dustin Labbe becomes Senior Vice President of Talent Booking for the Northeast region.

  • Showpass: Bryan Arnone named Chief Strategy Officer. 

  • Activated Events: Amy Bryan Fosgate joins as Senior Talent Buyer and Lexia Thomas joins as Director of Artist Relations.

  • AEG: In a realignment of its international business operations, Adam Wilkes has been named President and CEO of AEG Presents, Europe and Asia-Pacific and Alex Hill becomes President and CEO, AEG International.

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Last Poll’s Results:
66% of BOH readers have not had a gig canceled due to the LA Fires

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements 

  • More artists have announced benefit shows for LA Fire Relief:

    • G*VE A F*CK LA Benefit Concert will feature Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Reggie Watts, and The Linda Lindas, tomorrow, February 5 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA and streaming on Veeps.

    • blink-182 and Alkaline Trio will host a LA Fire Relief Benefit on February 13 also at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA. 

  • Saturday Night Live is hosting SNL50: The Homecoming Concert in honor of the show’s 50th Anniversary on February 14 at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. The concert will include performances from Lady Gaga, David Byrne, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Post Malone and more.

  • Lainey Wilson announced her “Whirlwind World Tour” starting in Zurich on March 4, winding through Europe before hitting North American festivals and venues in the summer and fall. The whirlwind wraps up November 8 in Orlando, FL.

  • Cowboy Carter is riding high after her Grammy wins on Sunday and she’ll keep riding onto a 22-date tour starting April 28 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, through the US, UK, and Paris, France before wrapping on July 11 in Atlanta, GA. 

  • The Weeknd is heading out on the “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour with 26 shows starting May 9 at Phoenix, AZ’s State Farm Stadium  and ending September 3 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.

  • The 10th Anniversary of Willie Nelson’s traveling Outlaw Music Festival will feature Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. The first fest takes place May 13 in Phoenix, AZ and the last on September 19 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI.

  • Vans Warped Tour has begun to unveil the lineups for the 2025 iteration via “30 days of Warped” on its website. Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan, Dance Hall Crashers, and The Maine have been announced with more rolling out daily. Warped Tour makes stops at The Fields At RFK Campus in Washington, DC, June 14 - 15; The Shoreline Waterfront in Long Beach, CA, July 26 - 27; and Orlando, FL’s Camping World Stadium, November 15 - 16.

  • Minnesota Yacht Club announced Hozier, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, and Green Day as headliners for the July 18 - 20 fest in St. Paul, MN.

Cancellations, Changes

  • The City of Virginia Beach, VA has officially terminated its agreement with Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival as “organizers did not meet the cure notice requirements.” The festival will not happen in 2025.

  • Michigan’s Faster Horses Festival is taking a pause in 2025 “to make plans for a bigger and better Faster Horses for our fans who deserve the absolute best.”

  • Organizers at Sol Fest have announced an “indefinite hiatus” for the Ponce De Leon, FL EDM fest.

  • The Grammy Awards recap and most unforgettable looks.

  • This Super Bowl feast generator is surprisingly accurate at predicting your top six snack picks.

  • Just in it for the commercials? Check out these teasers for Sunday’s Big Game ads.

  • A look at the contracts (and the $$) Meta is offering TikTok influencers to switch to Instagram Reels.

  • Introducing DollyU, “a transformative and immersive educational experience for students” at Belmont University, in collaboration with Dolly Parton.

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