#Southern Concert venues

[afrologik]

Legends of the Chitterling Circuit: Birthplace of Icons

The Chitterling Circuit: The Birthplace of Legends The Chitterling Circuit was more than just a collection of venues—it was a cultural powerhouse that birthed legends, shaped genres, and provided a stage for African American artists to thrive despite the constraints of segregation. Icons like James Brown, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Little Richard, Quincy Jones, and Ray Charles emerged from this…

[kensfoodfind]

Momma's Back!

Momma's Bar, located just outside of Downtown Memphis on Kentucky Street and E.H. Crump Boulevard, reopened on August 16, 2023 after having been remodeled. Compared to what it was before, it doesn't seem that different, other than it getting a new coat of paint, figuratively speaking. Although not much has changed with the bar itself, Momma's menu is updated, featuring among other things the smoked pork chop. Smoked to perfection, the pork chop was the best thing that I've had at Momma's, which is saying a lot (please read the review at my main blog).

In addition to serving superb food, Momma's continues to be a great music venue for exciting local artists. In particular, I hope to catch the lady who did a great rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" during one of my previous visits. Regardless of whether that happens again, I'm looking forward to the "new" Momma's.

Website: MommasBar.com

NOTE: In an unrelated topic, on the main blog I updated my review of Cocozza, the new Italian restaurant in Harbor Town. Check it out!

[mariacallous]

The US Department of Justice has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, for abusing their alleged monopoly in the ticketing market to trample competitors.

Filed on Thursday in the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit focuses on Ticketmaster’s long-term exclusivity contracts with many of the largest music venues, making it the predominant ticketing service available to concertgoers. The firm secures these deals in part by “threatening and retaliating against venues that work with rivals,” the DOJ alleges.

In the complaint, the DOJ accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which acts as a promoter for hundreds of high-profile artists, of exploiting their relationship to establish a “self-reinforcing flywheel” that blocks competitors from gaining a foothold. Live Nation parlays its exclusive promotion deals into exclusive ticketing deals with venues, the DOJ claims, which are left with no practical choice but to go with Ticketmaster, for fear of losing access to sought-after acts represented by its parent company. The DOJ is seeking to break up the joint organization.

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” says attorney general Merrick Garland in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation–Ticketmaster.”

In a lengthy statement provided to WIRED, Live Nation disputes the DOJ's allegation that it and Ticketmaster wield monopoly power. “The DOJ's lawsuit won't solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,” the company says. “Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin.”

The charges brought by the DOJ mirror allegations made previously against Ticketmaster in two ongoing private lawsuits.

In December 2022, Ticketmaster was sued by hundreds of Taylor Swift fans, who brought a case in response to a high-profile ticketing debacle that reportedly left them queuing for hours to pay for tickets that they had been assigned under an early access program, with many ultimately unable to claim their allocations. The incident led to a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee on consolidation in the ticketing industry and, reportedly, helped catalyze the investigation into Ticketmaster by the DOJ.

In their lawsuit, the Swift fans accused Ticketmaster of abusing its dominant position to impose “higher prices in the presale, sale, and resale market for concert tickets.” The company has “effectuated this anticompetitive scheme by forcing fans of musicians to use Ticketmaster exclusively to buy concert tickets,” the lawsuit alleged.

In the second case, a class action brought in 2022 on behalf of Ticketmaster customers in the US, Live Nation and Ticketmaster were accused of abusing the complementary relationship between their services to overcharge consumers and sustain their monopoly. “Live Nation controls the vast majority of the big national touring acts and, either explicitly or implicitly, coerces concert venues into selecting Ticketmaster as their ticketing service provider on pain of losing high-value acts,” claims Adam Wolfson, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, the law firm representing the plaintiffs.

This type of conduct, known as tying, was explicitly forbidden under the consent decree imposed upon Live Nation and Ticketmaster by the DOJ as a condition of their 2010 merger. “Our allegation is that they did it anyway,” says Wolfson. “Ticketmaster’s behavior is an open secret—everyone talks about it.”

In a corporate blog post published in March, Dan Wall, executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Live Nation, rejected allegations that Ticketmaster is driving up the price of tickets. The face value of a ticket is decided by the artist, he wrote, while the service charge—from which Ticketmaster draws its cut—is set by the venue.

In a call with reporters, a senior DOJ official described this line of defense as a “red herring” in the context of the alleged antitrust violations. “Our position is that removing the chokehold that Live Nation has at all levels of the ecosystem will be beneficial with respect to the way prices are set.”

A problem common to antitrust disputes, says Bradley Justus, an antitrust attorney at law firm Axinn, is the difficulty in distinguishing easily between practices that amount to anticompetitive behavior and those that might be considered sensible business strategy. The DOJ will argue that the exclusive deals entered into by Ticketmaster are categorically anticompetitive. “The antitrust question is: How extensive is the scope of those agreements? Are they truly so broad that another competitor couldn’t enter and scale?” says Justus.

The DOJ claims that the terms of the contracts mean that “venues cannot consider or choose rival ticketers or switch to better or more cost-effective ticketing technology.” The effect, it claims, is both to stifle competitors and minimize the pressure for Ticketmaster to improve its own product, to the detriment of concertgoers.

Although the DOJ has petitioned for Live Nation to be broken up, it has not outlined the specific structural changes it will go after, nor any injunctions it may try to impose with respect to the company’s exclusive contracts. “A breakup is absolutely on the table, but it’s important not to put the cart before the horse. In antitrust cases, any remedy has to be specifically tailored to the violation found,” a senior DOJ official told the press. “Based on the allegation that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have exerted control at every level of the ecosystem, aspects of the company need to be broken apart in order for competition to flourish in the live music industry.”

[cityofmeliora]

Ghost and Southern California

i'm from California, so a lot of the locations in the Ghost lore are familiar to me! i wanna use this post to show / explain Ghost being set in the Los Angeles area.

though it hadn't been explicitly stated yet then, there are actually hints that Ghost is based in Southern California as early as Chapter 4: The Accident. when Sister Imperator is driving, you can see palm trees on the hills along the road. of course, lots of places have palm trees, but the specific combination of palm trees with the rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation feels distinctly Californian to me.

the Dance Macabre music video shows Nihil met Sister Imperator at a mansion in LA (as explained by the intro). don't know the exact location, but if i had to guess, i'd place it maybe somewhere in Beverly Hills, which has a lot of mansions like this.

the Kiss The Go-Goat music video again confirms that they're in Los Angeles. it features the Whisky a Go Go, a real music venue in West Hollywood. the Mary On A Cross animated music video accurately places it on a corner along the Sunset Strip.

the Mary On A Cross lyric video shows Sister Imperator walking through the Ministry building before leaving to see the show at the Whisky a Go Go. this is another indicator the Ministry building is in the LA area since it's within driving distance of the venue. scenes in the Ministry building are filmed at a real mausoleum northeast of LA, but i'm not going to name the location because the Ministry is supposed to be a fictional building. interestingly, the lyric video also gives us the exact time of the concert.

after the events of Kiss The Go-Goat, the Mary On A Cross animated music video starts with Sister Imperator driving to her house, which is in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood near the Hollywood Sign. you can see from the road that they're in the hills looking over the city.

then Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil run from their house to the Hollywood Sign. there are hiking trails that go from the surrounding neighborhoods up to the Hollywood Sign. you can go behind it just like they do in the video.

Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil cross a body of water that is most likely the Hollywood Reservoir, although the video places the Hollywood Sign west of the lake instead of east, as in real life.

Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil make out in a cemetery (which i did not attempt to locate) and then end up at a motel. this is not a real motel, though. it's the Bates Motel movie set at Universal Studios Hollywood. i laughed so hard because recognized it instantly in Rite Here Rite now. (i've been on the same tour that the Nameless Ghouls were on.) Universal Studios Hollywood is both a theme park and an actual film studio. there are people filming when Nihil calls Mr. Psaltarian to come pick him up in the The Future Is A Foreign Land music video.

so to summarize some of the locations in those videos: the Whisky a Go Go, Hollywood Sign, and Universal Studios are highlighted in yellow. the red outline on the map shows the boundary of the Hollywood Hills neighborhood. the Hollywood Reservoir is the body of water in the middle of it.

The Future Is A Foreign Land music video and Chapter 13: The Beach Life feature Mr. Psaltarian's beach house, which is on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. though there are beach houses all along the SoCal coast, Malibu is closest to LA, and is pretty much the only place where houses are that close to the water without some kind of barrier. it's a real house and i've driven past it. i know the exact location but i'm not sharing it, for obvious reasons.

here is Malibu on a map relative to Los Angeles:

as a side note, it appears Cardi now drives Mr. Psaltarian's old car, a 1968 Buick LeSabre convertible. it has California license plates, of course, but the plates must have been replaced at some point, since that California license plate design wasn't in use until 1988.

lastly, Rite Here Rite Now is set at The Forum (now called KIA Forum), which is in Inglewood near the LAX airport. Inglewood is technically its own city, but it's completely surrounded by LA.

when Rite Here Rite Now released, TF said in an interview that it's "common knowledge" that Ghost is based in LA. i found it a bit funny because i've read very few Ghost fanfics that are actually set in LA, so i don't know how 'common' that knowledge really is, LOL. but i hope this post helps!

WHAT WAS BEHIND THE DECISION TO SHOOT THE FILM AT THE FORUM IN L.A.? TOBIAS FORGE: [...] There’s this common knowledge that the HQ of the band seems to be in L.A. So the Forum is not only a classic venue, but it’s sort of their home turf. Had we placed the story someplace else, we would’ve had to justify: Why are they there? Why is this show special? Revolver (June 2024)

[adidastain]

bad decisions

1996 serj tankian x fem reader (y/n)

warnings: a little smutty (cockwarming)

notes: all lowercase, first person perspective (I, me, my, etc.)

word count: 2893

—

long-time best friends, adrenaline, and freezing temperatures create the perfect recipe for poor decision-making.

thank god his place was only 4 blocks away from the venue.

“i don’t believe in global warming anymore.” his trembling voice carried easily in the cold, breezeless air. serj cursed under his breath through gritted and chattering teeth.

i scoffed. “we’re almost there,” i said, equally as trembly. it wasn’t this fucking cold when we left, 4 hours ago. now everything was covered in a thin layer of frost, and if we hadn’t kept moving, we might’ve been too.

serj didn’t have his own car and i didn’t have my license, so we were forced to walk a measly 4 blocks to the local niche concert venue, which really doesn’t seem like much of a trek. now try walking 4 blocks home in below freezing temperatures. we’d met some friends at the concert and had a pretty good time, but failed to account for the fact that it was past 12 AM by the time it was over, nonetheless in the middle of january. and of course, like the geniuses we were, we’d left before we could catch a ride.

“why didn’t we get a taxi?” i asked rhetorically, letting go of a heavy sigh that i could see in the form of a thin cloud in front of me as it escaped my lips.

“we don’t have any cash,” he laughed. he paused his steps for a brief moment to dig in his pockets. “right?”

“right,” i shivered. “genius, aren’t we?”

serj smiled at my joke. “genius enough to decide to walk home instead of getting a ride. remarkable.”

i playfully punched his arm. “seriously though,” he continued. “global warming my ass.”

“it’s midnight in mid-january, serj. i don’t know what to tell you,” i smiled, now walking backwards in front of him.

“yeah, in southern california. you would think it never gets this cold. my dick is fucking shrinking, y/n.”

i snorted and scrunched up my nose. for some reason, that was always my reaction when he said my name like that. i wasn’t sure if it was his tone, his accent, or something else.

we finally landed on his doorstep and i waited patiently behind him as his trembling hands frantically fumbled with the keys while trying to unlock the front door. serj then dropped said keys and i laughed at him.

“you try unlocking your front door when you can’t feel your fingers,” he playfully hissed at me while i picked up his keyring for him.

eventually we made it inside. it was warmer but not very much. the air was calmer though, we were in our safe bubble.

i flopped onto his couch while serj set his keys on the kitchen counter and winced. “my dick is fucking frozen,” he whined while running his fingers through his long, curly hair. i sat up and smiled at him, watching him pull his hair back into a ponytail.

“why don’t you grow out a beard, keep your face warm,” i suggested, standing back up and stepping towards him. “you already have a little bit of pedo stubble.” i laughed as he swatted my hand away from scratching his chin.

“did you know that thinking about sex can make your facial hair grow faster?” he changed the subject.

“you must not think about sex very often,” i teased, trying to hide my smirk.

serj rolled his eyes, palming my face and pushing me away. i hated it when he did that and he knew it. “rude,” i scoffed, following him to his bedroom.

“er, excuse me, love. i’ll be changing in here now,” he said in a godawful attempt at a british accent, stopping me at the doorway. i flicked his forehead out of revenge and he snorted before closing the door in my face. “your british accent is proper rubbish.” i yelled, in a much better british accent. “won’t survive the islands with that lump o’ shite up yer sleeve, mate.” i then said in a scottish accent.

he cracked open his door, showing just his face and bare shoulder. serj glared at me as if he had something to say, but i spoke before him, saying, “you might want to try studying foreign films if you plan to travel around the world in that band of yours,” in a german accent.

he glared for another moment or two before rolling his eyes and chuckling slightly and muttering, “you’re such a showoff.” he once again slammed the door in my face.

a few minutes later, he came back out in pajamas. flannel pants and a big, grey pullover hoodie. oh, and the star of the show, his signature scooby doo socks.

i’d helped myself to some oreos and was sitting on his sofa before he sat next to me and grabbed the TV remote. i held in a laugh as he shivered again.

“jesus christ I’M STILL FUCKING COLD,” he groaned, throwing his head back.

“dick still frozen?” i asked.

“yes.” he sighed, looking at me with a pouting lip.

i held in a laugh and looked him up and down as his head fell back again. i don’t know if it was his clothes, his now exposed neck, his gorgeous hair, or the idea of cockwarming itself, but he looked good. really fucking good.

very few moments went by before i gently took the remote from him and asked, “want me to warm you up?”

his head snapped up and he stared at me. his eyes were wide and a disbelieving smirk crept up his cheek. “excuse me?” he laughed sheepishly.

i’d meant it. now i was embarrassed and i felt stupid.

“do you want me to help you with… that?” i asked again, quickly glancing at his crotch to reference his frozen dick.

“wh- i- how?” he stammered.

then i felt really fucking stupid. why did i ask him that? what the fuck was i thinking?

i moved barely an inch closer to him after setting the remote back onto the coffee table and stared him dead in the eyes. my voice shrunk and i said, “i could just sit on you.”

a quiet moment was shared before he broke into a laugh and broke our eye contact. he looked around at seemingly nothing and bit on the tip of his finger, before pinching the bridge of his nose and laughing some more.

“why not?” he sighed, opening up the space in his lap for me to sit like a fucking hen on a newly laid egg.

i slid carefully into his lap, every single muscle in my body locked in a tense state. he avoided eye contact as i adjusted my position and rested my hands on his shoulders to stabilize myself.

i then became fully aware of his scent as it flooded my nostrils when i got that close to him. a soft blend of cigarettes, fresh laundry, and whatever cologne-y scented shampoo or body wash he used. my body relaxed and i allowed my weight to settle on his hips.

his hands rested in the pockets of his hoodie and he sat with his head rested back and his eyes closed. his broad chest rose and fell softly but swiftly.

“where’d you get this hoodie?” i asked softly, desperately attempting to break the silence. i was ruining our friendship more and more with each passing second.

…but i kind of wanted to ruin it.

i always thought serj was really intelligent and had a great sense of humor, and i could never understand why more girls didn’t want him. in the past 7 years of knowing him he’d only been through two real relationships, and barely any smaller, less serious flings. i myself had been in and out of relationships and such, but serj and i worked so well together as friends that it was hard to imagine being anything else with him.

“goodwill,” he exhaled. “3 bucks.” serj smiled, keeping his eyes closed. i could feel him relax a bit underneath me. i smiled too and let out a soft laugh through my nose.

“do you feel any warmer?” i asked, even lower than before.

a short few moments passed by before he shook his head and answered “not really.”

in response, i adjusted my position again, earning an unexpected reaction from him. his breath hitched and he briefly opened his eyes as i seemingly hit a nerve or something. his body tensed up again and his breathing grew deeper.

i soon understood why. i squirmed slightly for the billionth time, but felt a little something poking up against me.

every single ounce of my confidence rushed back into me and a devilish smirk came upon my face.

“what’s got you so excited?” i teased.

finally he looked at me again. his cheeks were red and he swallowed hard. we both broke into a blushing laugh and he rubbed his face with his palms.

he threw his hands outward and let his arms fall defeatedly. “you’re sitting on my dick, y/n, what do you expect? it feels good,” he argued.

my heart leaped. why was i so fucking excited about this? i was making him feel good and that was more fucking empowering than any chic flick i’d ever seen.

“it feels good? want me to grind on ya a little bit? like this?” i teased him, biting my lip. i started gently rolling my hips back and forth against his and held his shoulders to stabilize myself.

“NO! no, no, oh my god, fuck, don’t do that,” he whined, covering his face with his hands as he threw his head back again. his breathing was almost rapid and he was forcing himself to inhale and exhale deeply.

i stopped moving, but left my hands on his shoulders. i watched with a contented smile as his breathing became steadier.

“serj~” i said softly, letting my hands fall to his chest so i could feel his heartbeat. it was racing.

he took a deep breath and mustered up enough strength to look at me again. he looked tired, but his eyes were doe-y and somewhat anxious. he was blushing hard and he felt really warm now.

i took a long look at his face, glancing between his eyes, his nose, his lips, his freckles. i bit my lip and leaned in slightly closer.

“i wanna make a bad decision…” i whispered, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie and staring at his lips and into his eyes.

“you already made a bad decision, y/n.” he stated, his voice deeper and softer than it previously had been.

butterflies exploded in my stomach and we stared at each other for another few, long moments. i planted my palm in his sternum and slowly leaned in, laying my lips between his.

both of our hearts were now racing respectively, and i grew lightheaded from holding my breath before we pulled away naturally, slowly.

we looked at each other for a moment, seeing how the other was reacting to what just happened. his eyes danced around my face and his lips slacked open, breathing deeply despite his racing heartrate.

i brought a hand up to softly caress his neck, and we kissed again. his lips were wet and soft and the kiss was a little on the slower side. i could feel each of his breaths cover my face as his nose brushed against my cheek. i could have sworn that i felt him grow harder each second.

every ounce of strength that was left in my body instantly vanished as i felt his hand slide gently up my thigh. i softly whimpered into our kiss and pulled away for a moment. “your hands are cold,” i giggled, out of breath.

serj smiled at me and looked down. “sorry,” he laughed.

“it’s okay.” i gently tilted his sweet head back up to face mine and kissed him again. my hand caressed his stubbly cheek and i felt his other cold hand gently graze my jaw.

he opened his mouth and licked my lips briefly. i gasped and pulled his head closer to me so i could slide my tongue into his mouth to meet his.

i adjusted my position again and he immediately let go of the kiss, letting out a low, quiet moan against my lips. “careful~” he warned with a smile as he resumed the kiss.

his hand inched closer to my hips and i let it. his hands were huge and fit perfectly on my bony hips. i felt his entire palm rest against my right hip before his thumb slid under my pants to gently stroke the outside of my underwear.

i whimpered his name and pressed myself harder against his hand and his crotch, deepening the kiss even further. my underwear was beyond soaked but i didn’t even care.

i decided to deliver some karma and let my hands sink below his chest and slip up under his shirt. i placed my hands on his warm skin of his abdomen, which immediately tensed up at my touch. his skin was smooth and i could feel a bit of hair in the center of his body moving lower. my thumb brushed over his belly button and my palms were soon met with the elastic waistband of his pants.

before i could get to work on those, he pulled away and stopped me. “wait,” he said.

i looked at him, worry building up inside me.

his hands moved to gently hold my waist and he softly asked, “what are we after this, y/n?”

i stared into his eyes, at a loss for words. i pulled my hands out from under his shirt and hoodie and rested them in our laps, fidgeting with my fingers. “i-” i started, not really knowing where i was going to go with it after the fact. “i don’t know…”

now i felt stupid again. i only got the idea as a joke, i didn’t expect it to turn into this. but i liked it, and it seems like he did too. but we couldn’t go back to what we were, our friendship was ruined.

“...pretend it never happened?” he suggested, sounding just as uncertain as me.

i shook my head, lowering it in shame. it was such a stupid idea.

serj noticed my defeated state and gently held my face. “hey,” he said softly. i looked at him with a shame-ridden face, but quickly moved my eyes away from his. his thumb stroked my cheek and he gave me a small smile. “y/n~” he sang. “look at me.”

i scoffed and looked at him. he grinned and nudged my nose with his.

“listen, no matter what we end up being, you’re still my best friend, okay? maybe we can talk about it tomorrow over- well, later today, i guess. over breakfast. i think we should sleep on it, does that sound good?” he said softly.

his little stutter was so fucking adorable, i could barely contain my grin. i nodded and pressed my forehead against his.

“good,” he whispered. a moment or two passed before he held my face with both hands and softly said, “i love you, y/n. in every way.”

i smiled wide and wrapped my arms around his neck. “i love you too, serj,” i whispered.

he grinned, dear god. his smile had never hit me so hard as it did in that moment. “one more kiss?” he offered, his voice risen in pitch with his eyebrows raised and a sheepish grin.

i nodded, and we leaned in again. it was soft, slow, but not too deep, and a little on the shorter side. it was perfect.

“get some sleep, y/n,” he told me as we pulled away and i stood up from his lap. i nodded again, completely out of words. the only thing i managed to come up with was a simple, but sweet, “good night, serj.”

he gently grabbed my hands, softly kissing each of my fingers while looking up at me. “good night, y/n,” he said, before pausing for a brief moment. he then continued and whispered;

“i don’t regret anything.”

[hooked-on-elvis]

"Men recall seeing Elvis at Lawton, Oklahoma in 1955"

The McMahon Memorial Auditorium is a staple for entertainment in the Lawton community and has been for almost 60 years. Those who call Lawton home can remember attending shows of famous singers, musicians, off-Broadway shows, and of course, performances by multiple community talents. During the 1960s and 70s, Lawton had famous headliners at the auditorium, a so called "heyday." Lawton's touring chapter of the national Community Concerts Inc. would bring in the big acts and sell the tickets. Some acclaimed names that graced Lawton's home stage include Elvis Presley, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Doc Severinsen, Judy Collins, Count Basie, Glen Campbell, Tony Bennett, John Fullbright, John Raitt and many, many more. Lawtonians, Jay Davis and Allen Johnson, recall seeing Presley perform at the auditorium on June 19, 1955, (EIN Note - Elvis was actually at Magnolia Gardens, Houston on this date! Elvis was at Lawton on June 23)  just months before the King of Rock and Roll became The King.

Most likely, June 23 1955 at the McMahon Memorial Auditorium in Lawton, Oklahoma (8:00 PM). Elvis stands in the middle, behind his guitarist, Scotty Moore. Bassist Bill Black in on the far left. Local, Allen Johnson, stands next to Scotty Moore.

It was the summer after Davis graduated from Lawton High School and Johnson had finished his freshman year at the University of Oklahoma. The best friends attended the concert with a group of 12 friends and, Johnson said, "We didn't know who we were seeing." The group sat five rows back from the stage and saw multiple country singers. Davis and Johnson said Presley was the last one to perform. Davis remembered there couldn't have been more than 100 to 150 people in the 1,500-seat auditorium watching the soon-to-be rock star. "I remember he walked out on stage dragging his guitar," Johnson said. "He didn't do much dancing though," Davis replied. "Not like he did later on." Johnson, Davis, their dates and the rest of the group attended an after party at the Southern Club  an old country and western dance hall in Lawton on Lee Boulevard. The group was able to snag a photo with Presley and his musicians. Johnson and Davis remembered Presley being more fascinated by their attending college than they were with him being an almost-famous musician. Source: LawtonConstitution via ElvisInfoNet.

FURTHER INFO: Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys performed on the Marty Robbins tour in 1955 at several venues, including at the Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, on June 27, 1955 at the Airman's Club (this is where he met June Juanico, who later wrote a book about their relationship) and, prior to that, at the City Auditorium, Beaumont, Texas on June 20, 1955 at 7 PM and 9 PM. Other entertainers at the show included Marty Robbins, The Maddox Brothers & Rose, and Sonny James.

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

Oh I wasn't disagreeing with you, but other person, who did send you an ask and disagreeing on part where they said that weather and logistics were not Swift's fault, when she clearly could have made different choices around these issues. The quote that I put in was from their ask, not your answer. And yes, you're right, Swift absolutely prioritizes USA way over anywhere else, especially over Southern Hemisphere, I mean so many Desi Swifties, but concerts only in Singapore, because they have paid more for basically blocking other Southeast Asian countries and she's completly fine with that?

Oh I see I see, I misunderstood, I thought you were talking about the weather.

I totally agree with the logistic being the fault of Taylor Swift- she is the face of her tour company. She is the one who calls the shots- She is the one with twenty years' worth of experience as a touring musician behind her. I don't believe for a second that she "just didn't know what could happen." Please. I don't believe for a second that she is under the control of some management or something. Certainly, she is also beholden to the rules of the venue itself- but that doesn't negate or dimmish her own responsibility to protecting the safety of those who buy tickets to her stupid concerts.

If it's 138 degrees outside- It's too damn hot to invite 60,000 people to listen to you sing for 3+ hours inside, what is essentially, a giant metal dome.

Also- yes! It's so weird that she mentions wanting "move to India forever" yet never would actually tour in India.

She only goes to Singapore for the money.

Also, the way Swift ignored Brazilian Swifties literally dying in front of her- yet is constantly checking in with the crowds in the UK is alarming me.

Suddenly she cares about the safety of her concertgoers? Not in Brazil- just in the UK

Something- real concerning about that.

Her US-centric attitude aside- for a moment- but why the fuck does she ask people if they need water only in Scotland where its SIGNIFICANTLY colder than in Brazil?

Just something fishy about that.

[beardedmrbean]

The Justice Department and 30 states filed a major antitrust lawsuit Thursday seeking the breakup of Ticketmaster owner Live Nation Entertainment over what they allege is the company's unlawful dominance over the concert ticket sales industry.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, accuses the company of creating a monopoly over the live entertainment market that has harmed music fans, artists and promoters around the United States through higher prices and frustrating consumer experiences.

"The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "It is time to break up Live Nation."

"For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have unfairly and illegally run the world of live events, abusing their dominance to overcharge fans, bully venues, and limit artists," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "When companies like Live Nation control every aspect of an event, it leads to bad blood -- concertgoers and sports fans suffer and are forced to pay more. Everybody agrees, Live Nation and Ticketmaster are the problem and it's time for a new era. Today, we are taking this important action to protect consumers and force big companies to stop abusing their influence and get in formation."

The sweeping lawsuit is a product of a more than two-year-long investigation into the company that has come under growing public scrutiny since late 2022, following a fiasco over presales for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

Ticketmaster, which controls more than 70% of the market for ticketing and live events, crashed during the first day of sales, leaving millions of fans out of luck or seeking higher-priced tickets on the secondary market.

The Justice Department's lawsuit accuses LiveNation of seeking to lock out competitors to protect what the company dubs its "flywheel," described in court documents as "a self-reinforcing business model that captures fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorship, uses that revenue to lock up artists to exclusive promotion deals, and then uses its powerful cache of live content to sign venues into long-term exclusive ticketing deals, thereby starting the cycle all over again."

Live Nation did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on the lawsuit, though its president, Joe Berchtold, has otherwise defended the company's business practices -- including during a contentious appearance before Congress early last year.

Live Nation released a statement Thursday following the lawsuit, saying, in part, that it's "absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are wielding monopoly power."

The lawsuit "blames concert promoters and ticketing companies -- neither of which control ticket prices -- for high ticket prices," Live Nation said. "It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public’s willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost. It blames Live Nation and Ticketmaster for high service charges, but ignores that Ticketmaster retains only a modest portion of those fees. In fact, primary ticketing is one of the least expensive digital distributions in the economy."

"The defining feature of a monopolist is monopoly profits derived from monopoly pricing. Live Nation in no way fits the profile. Service charges on Ticketmaster are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower. And even accounting for sponsorship, an advertising business that helps keep ticket prices down, the company’s overall net profit margin is at the low end of profitable S&P 500 companies," Live Nation said.

"It is also clear that we are another casualty of this administration’s decision to turn over antitrust enforcement to a populist urge that simply rejects how antitrust law works," Live Nation later wrote, in part. "Some call this 'anti-monopoly,' but in reality it is just anti-business."

MORE: Justice Department to announce lawsuit against Live Nation over ticket prices: Sources

Among the practices singled out by the DOJ are allegations Live Nation exploited its relationship with the company Oak View Group that the lawsuit says describes itself as a "hammer" for Live Nation and has avoided bidding against the company for exclusive agreements with artists and major venues.

The company, according to the Justice Department, also allegedly carried out a pattern of threatening potential competitors seeking to enter the concert promotions market and creating a climate where venue owners would fear entering into contracts with Live Nation-Ticketmaster's rivals.

Live Nation-Ticketmaster is also accused of using lengthy exclusive contracts with venues that the lawsuit claims prevent them from switching to better or cheaper ticketing systems, and, in certain instances, allegedly blocked venues from even being able to use multiple ticketers for events.

Live Nation was already under a consent decree with the Justice Department after it approved its merger with Ticketmaster during the Obama administration in 2010 -- under conditions that included prohibiting the company from threatening concert venues that opted to use competing ticket firms. That decree was extended in 2019 after the department found the company violated its conditions.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of aggressive antitrust efforts by the Biden administration, which has brought similar enforcement efforts challenging companies like Apple, Google and Amazon over what it alleges are clear anti-competitive practices that have served to harm American consumers.

[southeastasianists]

BookXcess stores can be found all across the southern Malay Peninsula, from Penang to Singapore, but it’s no cookie-cutter chain all of whose branches look the same. On the contrary, it aims to make each of the locations feel different and unique—a fantastic destination for all book lovers.

The RexKL location that opened in late November 2021 particularly stands out among these. More of a creative art center than a shopping mall, RexKL is housed in a repurposed movie theater originally built in 1947. Once an icon of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, the single-screen cinema with a capacity of 1000 went through numerous fires, first in 1972 and then in 2002, after which the theater went defunct.

A few years later, the former Rex Cinema building was used as a backpackers’ hostel and a karaoke joint until another fire broke out in 2007. It stood all but abandoned for a while, but it was not long before a new project was formed to bring the old Rex Cinema back to life. Reincarnated as a cultural hub, RexKL is home to numerous stores, restaurants, a music venue, and the BookXcess on the second floor, right where the old cinema's seating area once was.

Shelf after shelf of books cover the concrete walls. Graffiti murals decorate what walls aren't stacked with books. As you delve deeper into this bibliophilic labyrinth, you will find a staircase leading to the upper level, which used to be the first-class seating area. From there, you can take a peek at the concert stage below, often delivering vibrant live music through rehearsals, an unusual but stimulating bonus to the book haven.

[lululawrence]

As a non American can you explain why are there 3 concerts in Ohio? Is it a really big and populated state? Or else Louis could've done 1 bigger venue.

Djebdishdisvjdvsh

Sorry. I had to scream a little in the car because listen 😂😂😂 when the dates were announced I wanted a single show in Ohio. We get passed over all. The. Time. So often. So I first saw cuyahoga hills and was like…. Why there??? Nothing is there??? 😂 but OHIO! And then I saw Cincinnati and I was like… Cincinnati too???? Okay! Hitting the northeast corner and southwest corner of the state! Cool! And then Columbus too??? Like I legit texted @londonfoginacup asking like HOW MUCH DOES LOUIS LOVE US THAT HE IS GIVING US THREE OHIO SHOWS? Like we have to go to all three to show him Ohio loves him and this wasn’t a mistake right??? 😂

Which we obviously did. But we were just as surprised as you, I PROMISE YOU.

That said, there’s a lot of reasons why he could have chosen three shows here.

One: Ohio has three major metropolitan areas in the one state, which is pretty rare outside the super large and populous states. He’s hitting the three major markets and since he seems to be trying to hit even the smaller areas that don’t get much attention with this tour, it makes sense for that alone really.

Two: Location. Ohio is a state in an area of the country called the Midwest, but we are located in a pretty central area. This could explain it as well, because he’s not going to Kentucky (the state south of us) and I don’t think he’s going to Pittsburgh? (The closest large city east of us, he played there last year on Valentine’s Day hehe) which means they’ll be looking for shows to attend closeby, and Ohio can offer that. So while he’s also hitting Indianapolis (closest large city west of us) and already hit Detroit (another large city in the state north of us), he’s also not playing West Virginia (another state that borders us) and… yeah. Lots of people in that space who will be needing a place closeby to see him.

Which brings us to three: Population. We aren’t the MOST populous state or anything, there’s a reason people get us confused with Iowa and Idaho lol but, that said, we are the tenth (or seventh??) most populous according to the google search I just did lol different sites disagree, but when you consider there are fifty states, that’s still a good showing lol considering we have so many other populous areas surrounding us that the concerts would also draw from, that could have also been a contributing factor.

And lastly four: SCENERY. Listen. Ohio gets shit on a lot for being a “boring” state or a “flyover” state (aka no one comes here as a destination) and it pisses me off lol every single person I’ve ever brought to Ohio has been surprised when they got here because there was so much more here than they thought and parts of the state are GORGEOUS. I mean did you see the flyover view that John Delf did on Instagram of the cuyahoga falls venue??? That’s actually in a national park and it is just stunning there with gorgeous hiking and waterfalls and shit in the near vicinity. It’s amazing. And the venue he played tonight in Cincinnati was literally right on the Ohio river that creates the southern border for our state, and it had a view of one of my favorite bridges I’ve ever seen! PLUS!!! Tonight there was a full moon, and it was right above the bridge and Louis got to look at us AND THE BRIDGE AND MOON THE ENTIRE TIME. How gorgeous is that??? Like look at this shitty photo I took. Incredibly beautiful.

That’s from the railing that was only a short distance behind me and the sound guys for the concert so. Not shabby, right?? Now the venue in Columbus is right downtown in what we call the arena district because the arena where our hockey team plays is right across the street and the baseball stadium is next door and the new soccer stadium is in the area now too, so it’s got loads of venues and restaurants and shit right there and Kemba is one of the best indoor/outdoor venues in town now. I’ve seen several shows there over the years, and it’s great every time. It’s got good sound, a good setup, and the staff is always fantastic so while it’s maybe not the coolest venue, I do love when artists I enjoy come there. Not sure of the appeal on Louis’ end, but ¯\__(ツ)__/¯

So, taking all of these points into consideration, it does make a bit more sense… but three does still seem like he just felt like being overindulgent to us and show us extra love 😂😂 as emmu said, I guess Louis loves us best hahaha

We are just kidding, please don’t send me hate lol

I honestly also do not know why he chose to do this for us, but it makes travel plans a lot easier for us and I’m really fucjing thankful haha I’ve mostly been worried we wouldn’t be able to fill the venues sufficiently but so far so good so here’s hoping Columbus shows up too haha Heaven only knows parking and driving in Columbus is a fuck ton easier than doing so in Cincinnati 😂

[harlowtales]

Jack x Mom go to the Beyonce Concert and narrowly escape crazy fans. ***18+ language ***

Please DM to be on or off tag list 🙏🏾 I write all kinds of Jack Harlow fics clean and unclean ✨

“Come on mom we’re going to be late! Can’t keep the Queen B waiting!” Jack called out to his mom.

“Have my wife home by a decent time son.” Jack’s dad said in that smooth southern accent that was stronger than his wife’s. He rested a hand on his son’s shoulder to reinforce that his wife was to be taken care of with the utmost concern.

“I will dad, but talk to your wife cuz you know how she gets talking to everyone.” Jack said sharing a knowing look with his father. His mother was a popular figure in Louisville herself and knew virtually everyone there was to know in town.

Jack’s mom bounded down the stairs a full head of curls bouncing like her son’s. “Hunny I am so sorry! Let’s go!!” She said excitedly throwing an extra lipstick into her purse. It’s not every day you’re introduced to musical royalty and she was bursting with anticipation.

Jack’s dad made his wife pause. He was in awe of how beautiful she looked with her glamorous sequinned black sleeveless top, sleek leggings, and sexy wedge heels showing off her athletic figure. “Hold up now little lady, before you run off to meet Queen B I gotta tell you, what do the kids say there Jack? Oh yeah, you look like a whole snack hunny.” He said making her turn around so he could take her in from all sides and planted a kiss on her just lipsticked lips.

“Hunny my lipstick!” Jack’s mom said a bit annoyed but always loving her husband’s attention.

“Ok dad don’t ever say that again, and I have security tonight so don’t worry.” Jack reassured his father.

“Son, this here beauty better not have a scratch on her you here? You know how crazy the fans get.” His dad said sternly, speaking from experience being out with his son.

“Ah geez do you guys always have to do that?” Jack said turning away as they kissed goodbye again.

“When you get a real one you won’t say nothing.” His dad ribbed. “Y’all have fun.” He said as he closed the door

“You guys are still in love, I get it, but gets a bit much.” Jack said cringing.”

“How do you think you got here hunny?” His mom said

“Ok eww.” Jack said chuckling “You do look gorgeous mom.” He said kissing her on the cheek. “After you” He said holding the car door open for her. Jack lived for these times when he could spoil particularly his mom. It made him emotional sometimes and he felt his eyes welling up but pushed it down. His mom was a crier and he didn’t want her to ruin her makeup but this was a very special moment.

As they got around the venue traffic was bumper to bumper. “Oh no hunny! What does all this traffic mean for us?” Jack’s mom said concerned

“Driver, what’s going on? I thought we had priority entry.” Jack said not liking his mom was getting worried

“Mr. Harlow I will try to get around this don’t worry.” The driver said confidently as he looked for a way out. Finally he spotted a gap turning the Black SUV around and they were on their way. They pulled up a distance from the actual entrance, but that was far as cars were allowed to go.

“Ok Jack, mom, wait for the cart it’s coming to pick us up.” His security guard said

“Cart?” Jack’s mom said confused

They waited and waited to get picked up and shuttled to the entrance much to Jack’s dismay. Everything had to be perfect tonight for his mom. “Neelam make a call cuz this shit ain’t happening.” Jack said to his manager who was already inside making sure the way was cleared for Jack to enter. As they waited a bit more some fans spotted them and started running over and screaming.

“Jack!!! OMG!!!!!! Jack!!!!” They yelled getting closer and closer screaming and crying. People in Louisville gave Jack his space but there were lots of people from out of town to see Beyonce and seeing Jack made them crazy. More people saw Jack as they heard the girls that initially spotted him screaming and joined in heading towards them.

Venue security saw them approaching and prepared to hold them back but that would only work for so long. There were only 2 guards to hold off a crowd. Just then the golf cart finally showed up.

“Mom get in!” Jack said hurriedly. Fans rushing him was one thing but not his mom. Just as the fans reached security Jack and his mom took off in the cart. “Everyone’s so hyped tonight” Jack said looking back and waving at the fans “That was close!” He said laughing to his mom.

The cart took off fast to escape the crowd and Jack’s mom wasn’t firmly in her seat. “Hunny!!” She exclaimed as she tried holding onto to something to not fall off.

“Mom!!” Jack said scared and immediately put out his arm across his mom to protect her as her human seat belt. “Yo! Slow your roll man!” He said angrily to the driver “Mom you good?” Jack said catching his breath. He promised his dad nothing would happen to his wife.

“I’m…I’m ok hunny.” His mom said just a bit shaken up from the whole experience. Whenever she did accompany Jack to events he made sure she was shielded from the worst of it. They pulled up to the back entrance and Neelam greeted them along with other friends and family. Jack helped his mom down from the cart and gave her a huge hug.

“Hunny I’m fine. Really.” Jack’s mom said warmly to calm him down. “You deal with this kind of thing all the time?” His mom said concerned

“Not when I’m in Louisville. Which is why I like being home. They’re from out of town.” He said keeping a hand on her back and guiding her into the venue.

They settled into their exclusive box section overlooking the stage next to his god-daughters, and other friends. “Uncle Jackkkk!!!” They squealed wanting to be lifted up for hugs. They used to see him more often but lately Jack had been too busy.

Beyonce and her dancers came out in true dramatic fashion as the lights dimmed and the crowd went insane. As always she put on an incredible show. His goddaughter’s danced away with Urban ribbing Jack that they danced way better than him.

“Suck it fam” Jack shot back chuckling in a whisper into Urban’s ear so his god-daughters wouldn’t hear his language.

“His Crip walk is coming along.” His friend Ace Pro defended to be supportive “Not a backflip but not bad.”

“It’s ok Uncle Jack not everyone can dance but you rap ok” His little god-daughter said patting him on the back as if to console him as they walked out after the show and he was holding her.

“Um thanks I think?!” Jack said amused with her

They got up to Beyonce’s green room and patiently waited for the star to greet them. It was a known thing that Louisville was Jack’s town and most artists requested to meet him or he them when they passed through. It was becoming tradition to pay homage to the young legend in his city. Before Jack’s team could even reach out, Jay Z called Jack and asked for a moment of his time after the show because his wife was a fan. “A moment of my time?” Jack said in disbelief “I guess I can pencil her in dog like WTF of course!” Jack told his idol. Now the moment had come.

Beyonce emerged and gratefully bent down to take a large bouquet of flowers from Jack’s god-daughter and his mom handed her a gift. “Mom….Mrs. Carter. Mrs. Carter, my mom.” Jack said respectfully

“It’s Beyonce please y’all! I’m just a Huston girl.” She said humbly giggling at Jacks formality “I see why all the girls be hollering.” She said to Jack and he looked down shyly.

“Wow I never need to have nobody say nothing about me again.” He said in awe of her majesty and beauty. In person it was almost overwhelming.

“I love your music.” Was all Jack’s mom could get up to say. She was usually very talkative but this was a moment for her.

“And I hear you one of the best mom’s in the business on your own girl boss shit.” Beyonce complimented Jack’s mom

“How did you know I own a business?” Jack’s mom said surprised Beyonce knew anything about her.

“I do my homework.” Beyonce said with a wink. “Ok King Jack I have to go but one thing I have to say is keep going. We see you and love what you’re doing. I’m a big fan. Lovely meeting you.” Beyonce said as she was getting a sign from her team to wrap it up. Jack reached out to shake her hand but she pulled him and his mom in for hugs.

“Tell your husband don’t be a stranger.” Jack said as they parted

“Oh you got a verse for him or what?” Beyonce challenged with a smile

“I always got one for him.” Jack said unable to take the smile off his face. “Mom you ok? You didn’t say much.” Jack said rubbing his mom’s back

“She was magical hunny. Thank you so much.” Jack’s mom said wiping tears away.

“That’s King Jack to you.” He said jokingly to his mom but noticed she was really tearing up. “Ah don’t start” Jack said as it was triggering his own emotions.

“I love you” His mom said “And not just because I get to do things like this but you protect me and I’m grateful.”

“Are you kidding mom? Did you hear your husband basically threaten me before we left the house?” Jack teased. “Naw but for real nothing will ever happen to you with me ok?” He said with his arm around her.

“Ok hunny because those girls are scary! You really need to be careful sweetheart.” His mom said

“That’s why I became a rapper remember?” He joked

@spicypiscesthings @itsyagirljaz @angelbae05 @jackmans-poison @jackslilsecrett @jacks-daycare

[ausetkmt]

AL.com: Legendary R&B singer retiring after 54 years: ‘It’s been a great ride through the decades’

Frankie Beverly, the charismatic frontman of Maze, has announced that he’ll retire this year, after a farewell tour with the R&B band that made him famous.

Six shows were announced this week for Beverly’s “I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour,” including an April 6 concert at the Mobile Fairgrounds, also known as The Grounds. The dates start on March 22 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and end on May 12 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. More tour stops will be announced in the weeks and months to come, according to a press release.

Beverly, 77, is a favorite in Alabama, playing to cheering crowds at concert venues and festivals throughout the state. His signature tunes with Maze range from electric funk to romantic jams to classic R&B, and include “Southern Girl,” “Back in Stride,” “We Are One,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Can’t Get Over You,” “The Morning After,” “Joy and Pain” and “Happy Feelin’s.”

Fans needn’t worry, however, that the band will be defunct when Beverly makes his exit. He plans to hand the microphone to Tony Lindsay, best known as the lead singer for Santana. The band name will change when Beverly leaves, transitioning from Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly to Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly.

“I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I’ll be going out on the road one last time, then retire,” Beverly said in a statement to Billboard magazine. “Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It’s been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue.”

Beverly founded Maze in 1970 in his hometown of Philadelphia, initially calling the group Raw Soul. The band changed its name in the mid-’70s, released several albums, 1977-1993, and developed a loyal following throughout the country. Beverly’s all-white attire on stage is one of his trademarks, along with his smooth baritone voice and ability to connect with the crowd.

Frankie Beverly performed with Maze on the Coca-Cola Classic Stage at the 2008 City Stages festival in Birmingham.(AL.com file photo/Frank Couch)

Beverly and Maze have performed many times in Birmingham over the years, at venues that range from Boutwell Auditorium to the Alabama Theatre to the former City Stages festival. A concert typically becomes a big ol’ dance party when Beverly and Maze take the stage; in fact, some ticketholders have been known to bring maracas and use them for appreciative percussion.

Beverly’s farewell tour is produced by the Black Promoters Collective. “Beverly is embarking in this farewell tour before slowing down to enjoy life in his California Bay Area home,” a press release says. The artist plans to “complete the tour with several major city stops. He’ll then make his way to Philadelphia for a street renaming ceremony in the city where he and his group launched their phenomenal musical legacy.”

Here are the shows announced thus far for the tour:

March 22, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia.

April 6. Mobile County Fairgrounds, Mobile, Alabama.

April 13, Toyota Arena, Houston, Texas.

April 27, United Center, Chicago, Illinois.

May 12, KIA Forum, Los Angeles, California.

July 6, Dell Music Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ENJOY THE MEMORIES -

[neverbesokind]

The Justice Department on Thursday sued Live Nation Entertainment, the concert giant that owns Ticketmaster, asking a court to break up the company over claims it illegally maintained a monopoly in the live entertainment industry.

In the lawsuit, which is joined by 29 states and the District of Columbia, the government accuses Live Nation of dominating the industry by locking venues into exclusive ticketing contracts, pressuring artists to use its services and threatening its rivals with financial retribution.

Those tactics, the government argues, have resulted in higher ticket prices for consumers and have stifled innovation and competition throughout the industry.

“It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster,” Merrick Garland, the attorney general, said in a statement announcing the suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit asks the court to order “the divestiture of, at minimum, Ticketmaster,” and to prevent Live Nation from engaging in anticompetitive practices.

The lawsuit is a direct challenge to the business of Live Nation, a colossus of the entertainment industry and a force in the lives of musicians and fans alike. The case, filed 14 years after the government approved Live Nation’s merger with Ticketmaster, has the potential to transform the multibillion-dollar concert industry.

Live Nation’s scale and reach far exceed those of any competitor, encompassing concert promotion, ticketing, artist management and the operation of hundreds of venues and festivals around the world.

According to the Justice Department, Live Nation controls around 60 percent of concert promotions at major venues around the United States and roughly 80 percent of primary ticketing at major concert venues.

Lawmakers, fans and competitors have accused the company of engaging in practices that harm rivals and drive up ticket prices and fees. At a congressional hearing early last year, prompted by a Taylor Swift tour presale on Ticketmaster that left millions of people unable to buy tickets, senators from both parties called Live Nation a monopoly.

In its complaint, the Justice Department refers to the many add-on fees as “essentially a ‘Ticketmaster Tax’ that ultimately raise the price fans pay.”

[theemporium]

my roommates are also all southerners and sometimes they look at me like i’ve got two heads when i say things 😭 like wdym you’ve never heard of saying ta instead of thank you or having chips cheese and gravy????

southerners are a whole new breed😭we ended up having a whole argument because I mentioned the nosebleeds of a concert venue and they were like wtf??? I don’t even think that’s a scottish thing but they were so unaware

my only saving grace is that one of their mum’s is scottish so she backs me up on everything🥲

[krispyweiss]

Sound Remembrance: Dickey Betts: An Allman by Another Name

When the Allman Brothers Band released the Dreams boxset and headed back out on the forever road in 1989, two things happened.

First, their music was suddenly everywhere, sounding fresh and new even though it’d still be awhile before ABB released actual new music.

The second - more-important - thing was that young-at-the-time, nascent blogs like Sound Bites finally got to experience the glory of the Allman Brothers Band on stage.

That mostly meant Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, who along with Butch Trucks were the only members of the band to appear in every iteration of the ABB up to that point. And Betts, with a new foil in some dude called Warren Haynes, tore that shit up, playin’ his parts, occasionally playin’ Duane Allman’s parts and reactin’ like a guy made hungry again by the still-hungry Haynes.

ABB were playing theaters at this point and seeing the group in these intimate settings was even more of a treat than we realized at the time. As the years went by, the venues got bigger and soon the group’s annual Beacon run was the only opportunity to see the Allmans in such a cozy state. Of the many shows S.B. saw during this period, the most outrageous must’ve been a double bill with the Craig Fuller-fronted edition of Little Feat in Ohio; as soon as this concert let out, he was was on the road to see a couple of Jerry Garcia Band shows in Illinois and Wisconsin in what turned out to be an incredible week of live music.

Ah, to be young.

And alive.

With Betts’ April 18 death at age 80, only Jaimoe survives from the original Allman Brothers Band. But the music - and Betts’ outsized role in it - survives.

Obituaries unfailingly eulogized Betts as a foundational figure in Southern rock. And while he was that, Betts was also a sanctified country singer (“Ramblin’ Man”), a jazz composer extraordinaire capable of drawing inspiration from something as mundane as a tombstone (“In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”) and a top-shelf bluegrass and Americana (which didn’t even exist in ’74) picker as demonstrated by Richard Betts’ stellar solo debut, Highway Call.

And yet, “Blue Sky,” and its latter-day rewrite, “Back Where it All Begins,” are stone Southern-rock classics.

Betts parted ways with his band in 2000 - whether he quit or was fired depends on whom you ask - and my interest waned. When I finally saw the band again at the 2008 Penn State event for then-candidate Barack Obama, I learned why; the group just wasn’t the same.

Even Haynes, the prodigal Brother who returned to the band after Betts’ inglorious departure, knew it.

“As I’ve also said many times, when I think of the Allman Brothers Band, I automatically think of the original band with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley, who unfortunately passed way too soon, and although I’m extremely proud of my work with the band, that will always be the case,” Haynes said in eulogizing Betts.

4/25/24

[keanuquotes]

What do a grocery store, a diner, and The Matrix Resurrections have in common? We can thank all of them for Dogstar's origin story and comeback.

Keanu Reeves, Robert Mailhouse, and Bret Domrose's rock band formed in 1991 after a chance encounter in Southern California's supermarket Gelson's, when Reeves saw Mailhouse wearing a Detroit Red Wings top and struck up a conversation with him. The two bonded over their shared love of hockey and became fast friends.

"It turned out that we lived in the same neighborhood," Reeves tells EW, "and then we started to jam together, and then we started to write songs, and then we played the first shows as Dogstar not that long after."

Doghouse members Robert Mailhouse, Bret Domrose, and Keanu Reeves

| CREDIT: BRIAN BOWEN SMITH

In their early days, bassist Reeves, drummer Mailhouse, and original singer and guitarist Gregg Miller (who left the group in 1995) would play in Reeves' garage. "It was fun," Reeves recalls. Until Miller's amplifier broke.

So he reached out to Domrose for help. "I was bartending with [Miller] when I first moved to Los Angeles, and I happened to have a similar amplifier to his," Domrose says. "So I went over to the house to help him fix it, and that's where I met these two guys. I just thought I was going to help some guy fix a piece of equipment. I didn't know I was about to change the rest of my life."

Reeves and Mailhouse were instantly impressed by Domrose's guitar skills — "Bret's a shredder, man," Reeves says — so a few days after watching him play, they invited him to join them at the iconic Los Angeles venue Troubadour. "I just wanted to go and drink beers and watch you guys," Domrose recalls. "I didn't realize I was going to be on stage."

"That set the tone for us from then on," Reeves says, rubbing his hands together. "Jump into the deep end. Man, that's us. We are not afraid."

Much like with that first serendipitous meeting in a Gelson's, food, at least in a roundabout way, helped lead them to a musical collaboration — this time, their return, which includes a tour and their upcoming third album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees.

"There was a premiere for Matrix 4 in San Francisco, and the next morning we had breakfast," Reeves says. "That was the initial spark." While the band never officially went on hiatus, they hadn't recorded or released new music in more than two decades, playing together only every few years in basements or at smaller gigs nowhere near the size of their old concert venues. But what started as a post-Matrix Resurrections chat about equipment turned into a full-fledged plan for them to reunite in L.A. to start working on fresh material.

"We got excited, one thing leads to another, and then we all took it extremely seriously," Mailhouse says. "It wasn't going to be another one of those casual get-togethers. You could just tell. It was like we were on a mission."

Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees is full of anthemic, sweeping, beautiful, and rousing songs that embody what the band is today. "The inspiration was three guys wanting to have fun and reconnect and be honest with our emotions, and so that's what you get," Domrose says.

If the music is different from their earlier, post-grunge records, it's all by design. "There's a maturity," Reeves says of their sound today. "The most challenging day [recording this album] was when I played 'Dillon Street'" — a track on the new album — "really basic when we were writing the song. When we get into the studio with the guys, I'm just playing it very simple and holding it down, and they were like, 'I think you need to do something more.' I tried to come up with the bass line in the moment, and it moves around a little more than I usually do, and so it was pushing me."

Reeves continues, "It was scary making stuff up in the moment with all ears and eyes on me, but everyone was cheering me on — just like, 'Dude, you got it. Let's go, Reeves.' So it was challenging, but also a fun moment."

The trio have never felt prouder of an album, and they can't wait to finally release it to the world. "We should have the record release party at a Gelson's, the one in Beachwood Canyon [where we met]," Mailhouse jokes to Reeves.

Adds Domrose with a laugh, "They do have a bar now!"

Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees is out Oct. 6.