djfrosty

Madonna & Live Nation Fire Back At Lawsuit Over Concert Delays, Say They Will ‘Defend This Case Vigorously’

Madonna’s management team and Live Nation responded Wednesday to a high-profile lawsuit claiming the music legend harmed her fans by starting New York City concerts later than scheduled, disputing some allegations and saying they plan to “defend this case vigorously.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The response statement came after days of silence regarding the proposed class action lawsuit, in which two fans claim the star and the concert giant breached their contract with concertgoers and violated New York state laws by starting three December shows in Brooklyn more than two hours later than the scheduled.

In their joint statement, Madonna’s reps and Live Nation said that the just-completed European leg of her Celebration Tour had “received rave reviews” and vowed the fight back against the lawsuit’s allegations.

“The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue December 13th during soundcheck,” Madonna’s reps and Live Nation said. “This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously.”

Ticket buyers Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden filed their case last week, claiming that the delays — starting at 10:30 pm rather than the scheduled 8:30 pm — caused real legal harm to ticket buyers who, among other things, “had to get up early to go to work” the next day.

“Defendants’ actions constitute not just a breach of their contracts … but also a wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices,” attorneys for the two men wrote in their complaint, filed in Brooklyn federal court.

The three concerts at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, stops on Madonna’s Celebration Tour, were originally scheduled for July but rescheduled to December due to the singer’s illness. Fellows and Hadden said they expected their show (Dec. 13) to start on time, and “would not have paid for their tickets had they known that the concerts would start after 10:30 p.m.”

“Defendants failed to provide any notice to the ticketholders that the concerts would start much later than the start time printed on the ticket and as advertised,” attorneys for the two men wrote.

Leaving Barclays Center after 1:00 a.m., the two men claimed ticket buyers were “left stranded in the middle of the night,” some “confronted with limited public transportation” options and others with increased prices for ride-share services. They also pointed out that the concert took place “on a weeknight,” meaning they “had to get up early to go to work and/or take care of their family responsibilities the next day.”

Can fans really sue over that? When they formally respond in court, Madonna and Live Nation will probably challenge many of the lawsuit’s claims by arguing that concert fans are on notice that live events sometimes start a little later than scheduled. They could also point to contractual provisions in ticket contracts that could give performers some leeway for unexpected delays.

In addition to Madonna herself, the lawsuit also named Live Nation and Barclays Center as defendants. In technical terms, the complaint alleged breach of contract; violation of New York’s business practices and false advertising laws; and several other forms of wrongdoing, including unjust enrichment.

The lawsuit also included a claim of so-called negligent misrepresentation, saying the concert organizers “knew or should have known” that the concerts would not start at 8:30 because of alleged past instances of Madonna taking the stage late — and should have warned fans.

“Madonna has a long history of arriving and starting her concerts late, sometimes several hours late,” attorneys for Fellows and Hadden wrote. “This history occurred throughout her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour, her 2019-2020 Madame X Tour, and prior tours, where Madonna continuously started her concerts over two hours late.”

Attorneys for Fellows and Hadden did not return a request for comment on Wednesday’s response statement.

Rock Hall of Fame Ceremony’s Debut on Broadcast TV a Hit for ABC

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s primetime airing on ABC was a hit on New Year’s Day, drawing 13 million total viewers and a 0.38 rating among people people aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen data.

The Jan. 1 airing, which was the ceremony’s first time on a broadcast network after decades on HBO, was the top choice among 18-49ers across primetime, topping NBC’s America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League (0.31), as well as Fox’s M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television special (0.20). The ABC special, which was edited down to three hours, followed the Nov. 3 live-streaming of the all-star event on Disney+, its new digital home following a deal struck last September. That four hour-plus version has been available to re-watch ever since for Disney+ subscribers.

“Moving to our new home at Disney has taken The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to a new level of awareness and engagement with music audiences around the world,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “They have a true understanding of music and the ability to deliver record viewership.”

The Rock Hall was founded in 1983 and inducted its first honoree — Chuck Berry — three years later. This year’s induction ceremony was held Nov. 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners were all inducted, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray for musical influence; Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin for musical excellence; and Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Highlights of the ceremony included Crow’s fist-pumping duet with Olivia Rodrigo, a tribute to Michael featuring Carrie Underwood, Miguel and Adam Levine, Big Boi’s stumping for Bush, a surprise pop-in by Jimmy Page and Elliott’s raucous closing medley, among other choice moments.

Travis Kelce Says Taylor Swift ‘Absolutely Loved’ Meeting Jason Kelce at Chiefs-Bills Playoff Game

Jason Kelce has officially won over Taylor Swift. On the latest episode of their New Heights podcast, Travis Kelce told his older brother that his superstar girlfriend was absolutely enchanted to meet him at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills playoff game Sunday (Jan. 21), where both were in attendance to cheer on the tight end as he helped lead his team to victory. 

“Tay said she absolutely loved you,” Travis revealed to the Philadelphia Eagles center in their Wednesday (Jan. 24) episode. 

Jason, whose own football season wrapped up earlier this month when the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shared a box suite at Highmark Stadium in New York with the 34-year-old pop star. Also in the suite were his wife, retired field hockey player Kylie Kelce; Brittany Mahomes, who is married to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes; and model-actress Cara Delevingne, one of Swift’s longtime friends. 

And while he was neither on the field nor the most famous person in his box, Jason may have been the most memorable part of the game. The 36-year-old athlete went viral several times over for taking off his shirt, guzzling beer, passionately cheering on his brother and jumping out of the suite to join Bills Mafia in the stands. 

At one point, Jason picked up an 8-year-old Swiftie and held her up to the box so that the “Anti-Hero” singer could see the little girl’s “I <3 T>

“[Your] best first impression is the worst impression ever,” Travis ribbed the Philly Specials band member. 

“I’m not going to lie, I gave Kylie a heads-up,” Jason recalled. “The moment we get into the suite, I said, ‘I’m taking my shirt off and jumping out of that suite.’ And she said, ‘Jason don’t you dare.’” 

“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior ’cause we were meeting Taylor, so she’s like, ‘Do not. Be on your best behavior,’” he added, sending his 34-year-old brother into stitches of laughter. “I was like, ‘Kylie, the first day I met you I was blackout drunk and fell asleep at the bar. This is part of the charm. This is part of the Jason Kelce charm. I wanna make my best first impression.’” 

Travis also spoke about one of his most talked-about moments from the game, when, after scoring the first of his two touchdowns that night, he flashed a hand-heart at the unruly mob of Bills fans booing him near the end zone. “Had to spread the love, baby,” he said of the gesture, which happens to be one of Swift’s signature onstage moves. 

“Coming into a hostile environment, I respect it,” Travis continued. “But I just wanted to make sure they knew it wasn’t mutual. I don’t hate you guys like you hate us. It’s all love.” 

Watch the new episode of New Heights above.

Snoop Dogg Gives Update on Daughter Cori Broadus After Stroke: ‘Doing a Little Bit Better’

Snoop Dogg gave an update on his daughter Cori Broadus‘ health this week after the 24-year-old revealed that she’d suffered a “severe stroke” last week. The rapper, 52, spoke to People magazine about Cori’s recovery from her Jan. 18 stroke, telling the magazine that she is “doing a little bit better.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Asked if the health scare put his life in perspective, the hip-hop veteran said, “Yeah, yeah. Something like that.”

In an Instagram Story from her hospital bed posted on Tuesday (Jan. 23), Cori Broadus wrote, “they took me off heaprin tonight (blood thinner) & most likely can go home tomorrow,” followed by a second message in which she said, “thank you thank you [crying face emoji] when I get out I’m going to share everything more in depth.” She also swung her phone’s camera around to show off the many flower arrangements in her room.

She narrated the video, saying, “I just want to thank everyone single person that has sent me flowers… I mean, like, thank you so, so much. I really, really appreciate all the love and support, it’s been keeping me going in here, like for real.” The Story also included a slide of Broadus passing the time playing Uno and rolling through the hospital on a gurney on her way to get a CT scan of her chest to determine the cause of her stroke.

Last Thursday, Cori posted a Story from her hospital bed in which she wrote, “I had a severe stroke this am. I started breaking down crying when they told me,” later adding, “I’m only 24. What did I do in my past to deserve all of this?”

Broadus was diagnosed with lupus when she was six-years-old, and, according to Lupus Corner, “the risk of stroke is 4-times to 8-times higher in lupus patients, due to inflammation influencing the tendency of blood to clot and vasculitis stiffening the blood vessels; at press time it was still not what caused Broadus’ stroke.

Lollapalooza Teams with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild Environmental Organization For Global Greening Initiative

Lollapalooza increased its commitment to supporting environmental causes on Wednesday (Jan. 24) with the announcement of a new partnership with the conservation organization Re:wild. Beginning with the Jan. 27-28 Lollapalooza India in Mumbai this weekend, the global festival with outposts in Chicago, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France and Sweden will team with the group co-founded in 1987 by leading conservation scientists and actor Leonardo DiCaprio to support Re:wild’s efforts by sharing environmental education through Lolla’s messaging channels, as well as on festival grounds.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“In a moment when we need the world to come together to protect and restore nature as the most effective solution to the related climate and biodiversity crises, there are fewer greater convening forces than music,” said Wes Sechrest, Re:wild chief scientist/CEO in a statement. “We are excited for this partnership with Lollapalooza to bring visibility and support to the vital and urgent work of the communities and local organizations on the front lines working to ensure that nature thrives for the benefit of all.”

In addition to amplifying Re:wild’s messages on its social feeds, Lolla festivals will carve out spaces on their grounds for partners to speak directly to attendees, as well as supporting the organization’s projects with an as-yet-unspecified financial commitment. Lollapalooza has partnered with a number of environmental organizations to green the massive festival over the past three decades via the purchase of carbon offsets, free refillable water stations that have diverted millions of plastic water bottles from landfills, composting, recycling and food waste distribution and reusable cup programs among other efforts.

In a message to fans, festival co-founder and Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell and wife Etty Lau Farrell said, “Solutionists, join us! We are thrilled to partner with our new friends at Re:wild, as we too love the land, the water, and all living creatures. Their commitment to healing the world is directly in line with the environmental awareness roots that were planted in the infancy of Lollapalooza decades ago.  And of course, we still respond to the call of the wild!” 

The festival’s flagship American show, Lollapalooza Chicago, received the Illinois Sustainability Award in 2017 and in 2023 Lollapalooza Berlin was the nation’s first festival to be certified as sustainable according to international standards.

Among the efforts undertaken by Re:wild over the past three decades are protecting and restoring mangroves, tropical forests, oceans and other ecosystems, as well as helping indigenous peoples attain rights to their lands and reintroducing endangered species. Click here to find some helpful suggestions for ways you can Re:wild your fridge, campus and your life and here to read more about the Re:wild Lollapalooza partnership.

Jordan Brand Dropping Air Jordan 1 Chancletas?

HipHopWired Featured Video

Air Jordan 1 mules

Source: Jordan Brand / Jordan Brand

Just when it seemed like Jordan Brand remixed the Air Jordan 1 silhouette every which way they possibly could over the past few years (and decreased its popularity in the process), the team over at the Jumpman conglomerate done conjured up a little something for the lazier man.

According to Hypebeast Jordan brand will be introducing a new iteration of the classic Air Jordan 1 which will basically be slippers and dubbed them the Air Jordan 1 “Golf Mule.” The chopped down version of the classic silhouette will feature the OG black-red-and-white colorway that helped propel the Air Jordan 1 to Olympian heights, so don’t be surprised if you begin to see these pop up at places where heads wouldn’t dare wear their “Bred” Air Jordan 1’s such as the pool or the beach.

Per Hypebeast:

Dressed in iconic “Bred” colorways, the new slip-on silhouette makes its debut, coming to life as a lace-less and heel-less Air Jordan 1. While they’re branded “Golf” we presume players would likely wear these as transitional shoes rather than on the course.

Notable design elements of the shoe include the complete removal of shoe strings and eyelets, leaving a sleek black leather upper, complemented by a red Jumpman logo and “GOLF” branding — the same branding is found at the heel of the insole as well. Aside from its new construction and removal of laces, the remainder of the shoe stays true to traditional elements of the Jordan 1, sitting on a white rubber midsole and red outsole.

Yeah, we don’t know about these. If they drop a Travis Scott version of these with the reverse swoosh though, watch out!

No word on when they’ll be released but best believe they will be purchased and worn by heads trying to style while living their best laid back life.

What do y’all think of the Air Jordan 1 “Golf Mule”? Would y’all copp a pair or nah? Let us know in the comments section below.

Spirit Music Group Moves Administration Services to Downtown

Spirit Music Group has entered an administrative services agreement with Downtown Music Publishing. Previously, Spirit handled its U.S. administration in-house. A representative for the company confirmed there were no layoffs made in relation to this deal.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Through this new partnership, Spirit will benefit from Downtown’s global administration, registration and technology platform, and it will continue to honor its sub-publishing arrangements overseas.

“This move allows us to pair Spirit’s expertise at A&R, marketing, branding, digital and synchronization with Downtown’s extensive administration, technology, and registration capabilities to provide the best infrastructure available for our songwriters and partners. By uniting these strengths for Spirit clients, the sum is even greater than its parts,” says Jon Singer, chairman, Spirit Music Group. “As Spirit continues to grow, invest in new talent, and acquire repertoire, we want to continue to focus on what we do best—ensuring that our songwriters and artists are seen, heard and prioritized and driving growth for them through proactive, innovative song management. Linking arms with Downtown ensures that we stay ahead of the curve and in so doing allows us to maintain a laser focus on creating value for our copyrights as we continue to aggressively scale our business in the coming years.”

“We are pleased to be working with the amazing team at Spirit and to administer a catalog so filled with musical gems,” says Andrew Bergman, CEO of Downtown Music Holdings. “We designed Downtown and our suite of service offerings specifically with these types of deals in mind so it is immensely gratifying for Spirit to have chosen to work with us.

“Working with Spirit Music Group reinforces our dedication to fostering the success of legendary musical catalogs as well as supporting new talent, both abundantly represented in Spirit’s catalog,” says Emily Stephenson, president of Downtown Music Publishing. “Downtown is committed to providing the best services to our clients via investments in administration, rights management, data and technology and we are thrilled to be working with the Spirit team.”

Recording Academy’s Grammy House Returns With Halle Bailey Masterclass & More

The Recording Academy’s Grammy House is returning for a second year with three days of programming targeted to “music makers, culture creators and rising industry leaders.” Grammy House is presented by Mastercard and runs from Thursday, Feb. 1, to Saturday, Feb. 3, in Los Angeles.

“I am so excited for this second installment of Grammy House,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “The response last year from younger fans and artists just starting their relationship with the Recording Academy was overwhelming, and we’re a better organization because of the increased engagement with them. I’m grateful for the amazing artists and partners who are helping make this year’s Grammy House an even bigger success.” 

Programming kicks off with a celebration of Women in the Mix and continues with an independent music panel, an emerging artist showcase, a Grammy U Masterclass presented by Mastercard (featuring Grammy-nominated artist Halle Bailey), and the third annual #GrammysNextGen party. Grammy House concludes with the debut of Academy Proud – the Recording Academy’s new initiative dedicated to uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community.

To commemorate what they are calling their 25th anniversary, the Latin Recording Academy will exhibit a time capsule that showcases memorable moments in Latin Grammy history. It will be available for guests to visit throughout the duration of Grammy House. (The Latin Recording Academy was founded in 1997. The first Latin Grammys were presented in September 2000.)

Here’s a preview of the 2024 Grammy House programming. All events are by invitation only.

Bob Dylan Announces Run of Spring 2024 U.S. Dates

Bob Dylan‘s Never Ending tour will keep on keepin’ on this spring with the latest round of dates in support of his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend announced a new round of shows this week for a spring U.S. tour that will kick off with a pair of dates at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL on March 1 and 2.

The mostly Southern gigs will then hang in the state for gigs in Clearwater, Fort Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville, before moving on to Athens (GA), Charlotte, Fayetteville and Asheville (N.C.), Louisville (KY), Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis (TN) before winding down with gigs in Springfield (MO), Wichita (KS) and a final gig at the Music Hall of Fair Park in Dallas on April 4.

Tickets for the tour will be available in a Live Nation presale beginning on Thursday (Jan. 25) at 10 a.m. local time using the access code “Spotlight,” with the general public sale kicking off on Friday (Jan. 26) at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster.

Dylan released the comprehensive box set The Complete Budokan 1978 in November, a newly remixed and remastered recording of the original 24-channel analog tapes in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Dylan’s first shows in Japan. The set includes two complete shows from Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall from Feb. 28 and March 1, 1978, with 58 tracks, including 36 previously unreleased recordings.

Check out the dates for Dylan’s U.S. spring 2024 tour below.

March 1 — Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
March 2 — Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
March 5 — Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 6 — Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 7 — Fort Myers, FL @ Suncoast Credit Union Arena
March 9 — Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater
March 10 — Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater
March 12 — Jacksonville, FL @ Moran Theater
March 14 — Athens, GA @ The Classic Center
March 15 — Athens, GA @ The Classic Center
March 17 — Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theater
March 18 — Fayetteville, NC @ Crown Theatre
March 20 — Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
March 21 — Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
March 23 — Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace
March 24 — Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace
March 26 — Knoxville, TN @ Knoxville Civic Auditorium
March 27 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
March 29 — Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
March 30 — Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
April 1 — Springfield, MO @ Juanita K. Hammons Hall
April 2 — Wichita, KS @ Century II Performing Arts Center
April 4 — Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park

Seventeen Debut Sentimental New Ballad ‘The Meaning of Meeting’ During Macao Show

K-pop boy band Seventeen surprised fans during the second night of a two-night stand at Macao’s Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Sunday (Jan. 21) when they busted out a brand-new song, “The Meaning of Meeting.” The sentimental, swooning ballad was released a short time later on Chinese music streaming platforms as a standalone digital single, marking the first time the group has released an original song in Mandarin only; previously, the 13-man group had released Chinese versions of Korean singles including “Home” and “Highlight.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

According to a lyric translation on Genius, the track finds Wonwoo mooning over an object of affection in the first verse as he sings, “How many times have we walked in the morning sun/ We listen to each others’ longing for one another/ I see one person, you, in a crowd of people/ Will you empty out a drawer and keep our memories safe.”

The chorus has Woozi and Dino singing, “You were with me through thick and thin/ I’ve gotten more courage than I could ever need/ Walking in lockstep, a beautiful spectacle, it all makes my heart pound/ You’ve always believed, I’ve always believed, that the sky would clear up again.”

Seventeen also posted a video of the performance from the Macao show, in which the band’s members sit atop a large rectangular video display as the enormous screen behind them displays a pastel moon and clouds bisected by shooting stars.

The South Korean group released their 10th EP, FML, last April and then followed it up with another EP, October’s Seventeenth Heaven.

Watch “The Meaning of Meeting” live video below.