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09 Mar 2023

Rochester Venue Where 2 Died in Stampede Has License Revoked During Investigation

The license of a Rochester, New York, concert venue was revoked Wednesday (March 8) while authorities investigate the circumstances of a stampede after a rap concert that left two women dead and injured several other concertgoers.

“It is one step we can immediately take to ensure that the events of Sunday night are not repeated,” Police Chief David M. Smith said at a news conference. He said he denied the Main Street Armory’s application to renew its one-year entertainment license after the venue’s owner did not attend a scheduled meeting with police and other city officials.

Rhondesia Belton, 33, of Buffalo and Brandy Miller, 35, of Rochester were fatally injured when audience members surged dangerously toward the exits following a Sunday evening performance by Memphis, Tennessee, rap stars GloRilla and Finesse2tymes. Police on Monday said the stampede may have been triggered by unfounded fears of gunfire. But police found no immediate evidence of gunshots.

One woman remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday.

Smith said the city planned to meet with the venue’s owner Wednesday to ask him to choose between voluntarily halting events or having the pending renewal of the entertainment license denied. When the owner did not attend, the chief signed an order prohibiting the armory from hosting “any public entertainment, which includes concerts, amplified music, and athletic events or games, including volleyball or cheerleading.”

There was no response to an email requesting comment sent to the Main Street Armory.

“Your contracted event security guards were unable to control the crowd as they were running, which in turn caused a human stampede,” according to the city’s letter to Scott Donaldson, which said he had violated a licensing requirement to maintain order at the site.

The city’s deputy corporation counsel, Patrick Beath, said criminal and regulatory investigations are under way.

“In addition to the police investigation, the Rochester Fire Department and code enforcement teams are inspecting the building and reviewing photographic and video evidence of the concert to determine if there were any fire code or building code violations at the property,” Beath said at the news conference.

The fortress-like armory was built from 1905 to 1907 and was initially used by the U.S. Army. It hosted sporting events throughout the 20th century before being shut down for several years starting in the late 1990s, partly because it lacked a fire-suppression system at the time. It began hosting concerts and other events in 2005 after undergoing extensive renovations.

Smith said its main arena is meant to have a capacity of about 5,000 people.

“The bottom line is, lives were lost, and we need to take steps to make sure that no lives are lost in the future if this was indeed something that was preventable,” he said.

Fatal crowd surges at large events have turned deadly before, including one at a 2021 concert by rapper Travis Scott in which 10 people died.

09 Mar 2023

DJ Pee .Wee to Perform at SXSW Billboard House With ‘Doritos After Dark’ Late-Night Dining

Doritos and DJ Pee .Wee are the fun-loving combo we never knew we needed.

Doritos revealed on Thursday (Mar. 9) that it’s teaming up with Billboard to bring Doritos After Dark, its recently piloted ghost kitchen menu, to SXSW for one night only at an exclusive experience.

Set in a triangle-inspired space, Doritos After Dark at Billboard House will allow attendees to sample the brand’s previous menu, like Doritos Sweet Chili Chicken Bites, as well as two exclusive dishes inspired by the food scene in Austin, Texas, including Doritos BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos and Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limon Margarita Cheesecake.

Additionally DJ Pee .Wee (a.k.a Anderson .Paak) will spin one of his popular vinyl-only sets for attendees.

“Inspired by those exhilarating hours between sunset and sunrise, Doritos After Dark encourages fans to try another angle and embrace unexpected late-night eats,” said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of brand marketing of Frito-Lay North America, in a press statement. “As a brand that has its finger on the pulse of pop culture, this collaboration was designed to showcase the food, music and technology that SXSW and Doritos are all about.”

Doritos will take over the Billboard House on Thursday (March 16) at 800 Congress starting at 10:30 p.m. The experience will be available to SXSW badge holders on a first-come-first-served basis.

However, there are also two ways to score tickets and skip the line. Starting on Friday (March 10) head to www.billboard.com/doritos-after-dark to enter for a chance to win two tickets to the experience. Fans can also head over to 604 Driskill Street in Austin from March 13 to 14 to experience Doritos Taste the Night Tunnel, a kaleidoscopic journey complete with visuals, scents and sounds. There, participants can enter the sweepstakes by using the exclusive Doritos Triangle Tracker AR Lens developed by Snapchat and scanning the installation.

Doritos will also sponsor Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW, where fans can enjoy the Doritos Dip Snack Bar. See more information about Doritos at SXSW at www.DoritosAfterDark.com.

See the poster for the event below.

DJ Pee Wee

Courtesy Photo

09 Mar 2023

Tyga Appears to Make Avril Lavigne Relationship Instagram Official With Matching Leather in Paris Pics

Inquiring minds want to know what exactly is up with Tyga and Avril Lavigne? Just days after the “Girlfriend” pop-punk singer and the rapper were spotted kissing at the Mugler X Hunter Schafer Party during Paris Fashion Week, it looks like Tyga has made their Paris match Instagram official.

In a pair of pics posted on Wednesday (March 8), Tyga is seen posing in an all-black leather outfit in an ornate ballroom, as well as walking down a hallway with Lavigne by his side, also rocking head-to-toe black leather and dark shades. The first snap depicts the couple side-by-side walking towards the camera, while a second shot captures them from the back, with Lavigne’s platinum blonde hair cascading down past her waist.

Tyga’s caption for the post from paris read “Shout out to Dallas…,” while Lavigne appeared to confirm that love was in the air by posting up three black heart emoji. The two also held hands on their way into the Mugler party, according to photos shared by TMZ. The publication previously reported about the duo eating dinner together at Nobu restaurant in Malibu, California.

The snogging comes in the wake of Lavigne’s split from producer/singer and fianceé Mod Sun, who addressed the issue on Instagram on Feb. 28. “In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all. I’ll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken,” he wrote alongside a carousel of photos and videos posted to his Instagram feed. His caption did not specifically mention Lavigne or the break-up, but Billboard confirmed it was about their relationship ending.

Lavigne, 38, announced her engagement to Mod Sun in an April 2022 Instagram post, revealing that he popped the big question in Paris just outside the Eiffel Tower. The “Sk8er Boi” singer was previously married to Sum 41 singer/guitarist Deryck Whibley for three years and Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger for two years. Tyga, 33, has a 10-year-old child (King Cairo) with his ex, Blac Chyna, and has been linked to Kylie Jenner, Iggy Azalea, Bella Poarch and Amina Blue, among others.

Check out Tyga’s post below.

09 Mar 2023

Oscars Creative Team on Acknowledging ‘The Slap,’ Putting Up QR Codes and Finding the Right Tone

The Oscars, which held their first awards ceremony at the stately Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929 and their first TV broadcast in 1953, are meeting the digital age head-on: Producers of the 2023 Oscars telecast, which airs on Sunday, March 12, will put up QR codes at the end of most “acts” of the show, heading into commercial breaks, inviting viewers to learn more about a particular craft.

And they plan to address the incident that dominated, and in many ways derailed, last year’s show – the stunning moment when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock told a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Those were two of the news breaks that came out of a Zoom call held on Wednesday, March 8 in which eight key members of the creative team met with entertainment journalists. The biggest news that came out the session is that Lady Gaga will not be performing her Oscar-nominated “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick on the telecast because she’s busy making a movie, Joker: Folie a Deux, in which she’s playing Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.

The Oscar team understood her decision. “She is in the middle of shooting a movie right now, and here we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie,” Glenn Weiss, one of the show’s executive producers and showrunners, said on the call. “After a bunch of back and forth, it didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her, that she’s used to. So she is not going to perform on the show. However, this is all from our point of view of somebody making a movie and us completely understanding that that’s what’s a priority in this business, especially when we’re honoring movies.”

Oscar show production talent who participated in the Zoom call were Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers and showrunners; Molly McNearney, executive producer; Sarah Levine Hall, producer; Rickey Minor, musical director; and Dave Boone, Agathe Panaretos and Nefetari Spencer, writers. The session was moderated by Jacqueline Coley, awards editor for Rotten Tomatoes.

McNearney is not only executive producer of the 2023 Oscars, she is also executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and, since 2012, the wife of the host of both shows, Jimmy Kimmel.

Here are eight selected highlights of the conversation:

09 Mar 2023

Chaim Topol, Tevye the Milkman in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ Dies at 87

Chaim Topol, the spirited Israeli actor and singer who, one season following another, portrayed Tevye the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof on stages all around the world and in an Oscar-nominated turn in Norman Jewison’s 1971 film adaptation, has died. He was 87.

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The Associated Press, citing Israeli leaders, reported that Topol died Thursday in Tel Aviv.

Israel’s first international movie star, Topol also played famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in Galileo (1975); an American scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov, in the cult sci-fi classic Flash Gordon (1980); and Milos Columbo, a Greek smuggler and ally of Roger Moore’s James Bond, in For Your Eyes Only (1981).

As Polish family man Berel Jastrow, he was central to the plot of two acclaimed 1980s ABC miniseries, The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, both based on Herman Wouk novels.

In a pairing that a matchmaker would surely appreciate, Topol by his own estimation connected with Tevye more than 3,500 times over more than four decades, starting with a Hebrew-language production in his home country when he was 30.

He also starred as the Jewish dairyman and father of five daughters — and performed such signature songs as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Tradition” and “If I Were a Rich Man” — on the West End in the mid-1960s and on Broadway in 1990-91, receiving a Tony nomination in the process.

“How many people are known for one part? How many people in my profession are known worldwide? So, I am not complaining,” he said in a 2015 interview. “Sometimes I am surprised when I come to China or when I come to Tokyo or when I come to France or when I come wherever and the clerk at the immigration says, ‘Topol, Topol, are you Topol?’ So yes, many people saw it [Fiddler], and it is not a bad thing.”

The oldest of three kids, Chaim Topol was born in Tel Aviv on Sept. 9, 1935. His father, Jacob, was a plasterer, and his mother, Imrela, a seamstress. He worked as a printer for a newspaper while taking high school classes at night, then lived on a kibbutz for a year.

He gained experience as an entertainer in the Israeli army, where he acted and sang in a traveling theatrical troupe. After the service, he honed his skills performing around the country for three years in a kibbutz theater group that he and his friends had founded in 1957.

Topol had a major breakthrough when he was cast as a Middle Eastern immigrant struggling to fend for his family in Israel in Sallah Shabati (1964). A huge hit at home, the social satire was nominated for the Oscar for best foreign-language film, and Topol, then 29, received a Golden Globe for most promising male newcomer for playing a character in his 50s. (Topol had performed the title role in a play while in the army.)

Two years later, he made his English-language film debut alongside Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), playing a Bedouin leader in the drama set amid the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

At the urging of friends, Topol came to New York to see Zero Mostel star as Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye in the original 1964-72 Broadway production of Hal Prince’s Fiddler on the Roof, featuring music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. He then played the milkman for 10 weeks in Israel, stepping in for Shmuel Rodensky, who had taken ill.

Prince had seen Topol in Sallah Shabati and invited him to test for the lead in the London production of Fiddler as it moved from Broadway in 1966.

“They could not believe it was me when I went to the audition because I was too young! They expected Sallah, who was old. Not me!” he said. “I knew no English. I studied the songs. I sang ‘If I Were a Rich Man’ and then another song from Fiddler. It was the first audition in my life.

“They asked how many times I had seen the show. I said maybe four times. They couldn’t understand how I knew all the movements, all the songs from the show. I said, ‘No, you don’t understand … I’m currently performing in Fiddler, in Tel Aviv!”

After he was hired, he began to go by Topol after the British producers had trouble pronouncing his first name.

He landed the lead in Jewison’s film version at United Artists despite lobbying by Mostel, Rod Steiger, Danny Kaye and Frank Sinatra to play the part. He was hired “probably because I was cheaper,” he told The Jerusalem Post in 2013.

In its review, THR noted that Topol imbued his performance “with all the compassion, intensity and rough humor it requires. His speaking voice is magnificent, and if his singing voice is imperfect, this only seems appropriate to the characterization.”

Fiddler on the Roof was nominated for best picture and Topol for best actor, but The French Connection and its star Gene Hackman prevailed on Oscar night. Topol, however, did receive a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical.

His big-screen résumé also included Before Winter Comes (1968) and a turn opposite Mia Farrow in The Public Eye (1972), directed by Carol Reed.

Topol last portrayed Tevye on a Boston stage in 2009 but was forced to exit the musical after suffering a shoulder injury.

A year later, he founded the Jordan River Village, where children with serious illnesses come to have fun. (His inspiration was Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall camps.) He was also a member of the board of directors of Variety Israel, a nonprofit organization that assists kids with special needs, regardless of religion, race and gender.

He received the prestigious Israel Prize for lifetime achievement from his government in 2015.

Survivors include his wife, Galia, whom he married in October 1956. They had three children, Omer, Adi and Anat.

This article originally appeared in THR.com.

08 Mar 2023

Two-Time Billboard Hot 100 Champion Is Revealed on ‘The Masked Singer’

The latest contestant to lift the helmet on season nine of The Masked Singer now has extra time for sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide do its stuff.

Wednesday night’s (March 8) episode was a flex for the DC comic universe, with the judges all playing their part in costume, and the show appropriately opening by way of Nicole Scherzinger (in a Catwoman suit) tackling Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.”

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Three new contestants showed their best, with Gargoyle striking the first blow with a performance of Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away”.

Next up, Wolf with a rendition of the Doors’ “Break on Through,” followed by Squirrel’s take on Pink’s “Try”.

The canine, however, got canned.

When the helmet came off, the celebrity inside was none other than late ’80s/early ‘90s crooner Michael Bolton, who, during his career, has bagged a brace of Grammy Awards and Billboard Hot 100 leaders, with “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and “When A Man Loves A Woman.”

“I could get used to being the Wolf,” he told host Nick Cannon on his exit. “It’s great, the audience is great, the show’s great,” said the clearly-disappointed singer.

And what next for the blue-eyed soul man? “I’ve got some things going on, an album coming out in the spring. It’s about making this a beautiful world, despite what’s going on, whatever the climb we’ve got to do our best to make it a beautiful world.”

With Bolton unmasked, Squirrel and Gargoyle entered a Battle Royale, squaring off to 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite.”

Squirrel won, but Gargoyle was handed a reprieve by the judging panel.

Earlier, during the premiere of season nine, the Gnome was unmasked to reveal the Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony and Grammy-winning entertainer and comedian Dick Van Dyke. Also unmasked on episode one was the Mustang, who turned out to be “A Little Bit Stronger” singer Sara Evans.

Fox’s unusual hit returns next week with a Sesame Street-themed episode.

Watch Bolton’s performance of “Break On Through,” his unmasking, the Battle Royale and Gargoyle’s save.

08 Mar 2023

Reign Man: Shawn Kemp Arrested For Alleged Drive-By Shooting Incident

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Shawn Kemp, one of the NBA’s original high-flying power players, was arrested Wednesday (March 8) according to reports from police in Tacoma, Wash. The former Seattle Supersonics star was booked today on charges in connection to an alleged drive-by shooting and details are still developing.

Shawn Kemp, 53, was arrested in Pierce County according to a report from The Seattle Times at around 6 p.m. local time. According to the publication’s report, there was an altercation between individuals in a pair of cars that resulted erupted into gunfire near Tacoma Mall according to the Tacoma Police Department.

One of the cars vacated the scene and a firearm was found near the site of the shooting then police proceeded to arrest Kemp. In a report from local outlet Fox 13, it was shared that no individuals were harmed in the shooting. The outlet also added that Kemp is the owner of two cannabis shops in the region.

As details develop, we’ll return to add more to this report. For now, check out the reactions from Twitter to Shawn Kemp getting arrested for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting.

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Photo: Getty

08 Mar 2023

Here Are 5 Venue-Approved Bags to Take to Your Next Concert

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Concerts are back! The return of live shows means that music lovers can prepare to see their favorite artists onstage after years of canceled and delayed shows.

While every venue has different regulations for bags that you’re allowed to bring inside, the general rule of thumb seems to be a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that does not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″.

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To help you get your gear in order for SXSW, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball,  and other music festivals and concerts, we’ve compiled some great options on Amazon for venue-approved bags to carry your belongings in at your next concert, all under $20.

While you only need an Amazon account to purchase from Amazon, having a Prime account comes with so many more benefits — including discounts, fast and free delivery, and access to movies and TV shows via Prime Video. Check out the 30-day free trial here.

See more below.

Amazon

Clear Fanny Pack for Women, Bycobecy Clear Waist Bag with Adjustable Strap, Transparent Clear Stadium Bag for Concerts, Sports and Traveling (Black)

$12.97

Can’t go wrong with a classic fanny pack! The waist bag allows you to enjoy the show hands free, and comes in four different linings with a venue-approved clear body. The zippered compartment comes with two pockets with space to carry your phone, wallet, hand sanitizer and more essentials. You can get this fanny pack in several colors including black, pink, yellow, silver and holographic blue.

Amazon

USPECLARE Clear Small Backpack Stadium Approved, Water proof Transparent Backpack

$15.99 $25.99 38% OFF

Looking for a backpack to bring with you to shows and festivals? Look no further. This mini backpack fits under size regulations and boasts “extra durable cold-resistant PVC plastic with no harmful chemicals.” The black straps are adjustable and have padding for comfortable, all-day wear.

Amazon

Clear Crossbody Purse Bag, Stadium Approved for Concerts, Festivals

$11.99 $18.99 37% OFF

This clear purse is meant to be worn over the shoulder or across the body. The length of the black strap can be adjusted from 29.5 inches to 56 inches.

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Y&R Direct Rivets Clear Bag Clear Purse Clutch Removable Chain Strap Concert Venues Stadium Approved PVC

$17.99

For those looking to still rock a stylish accessory without the risk of having to leave it in the car, try this clear purse made of waterproof material and outlined with gold studs. It also comes with a detachable chain so you can choose to wear it as a crossbody or as a clutch.

Amazon

COROMAY Clear Purse for Women, Clear Bag Stadium Approved, Clear Purse Handbag

$16.99

Another cute style is this purse from Coromay. Designed with a top handle and a shoulder strap that adjusts from 26 inches to 52 inches, the bag can be worn as a handbag, tote bag, shoulder bag, clutch or crossbody bag. It also comes in four colors.

08 Mar 2023

Warner Music CEO Urges Holdouts in Streaming Price Hikes to Raise Subscription Fees

If the price of an individual streaming subscription plan were adjusted for inflation in 2023, it would cost $13.25 instead of roughly $10 a month, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl said on Wednesday (March 8) — a statistic that doubled as a plea for streaming companies that have yet to raise fees to get in line.

While several of the big music streaming companies — including Apple, Amazon and Deezer — have raised their baseline prices recently, the biggest one of all, Spotify, has so far held off on raising the $9.99 pricetag on its U.S. premium subscription plan. Though Kyncl didn’t specifically address Spotify on Wednesday, when he spoke at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, he said companies that haven’t raised their prices are playing a role in the undervaluing of music.

“We are the lowest (cost) form of entertainment,” he said. “We have the highest …engagement, highest form of affinity and lowest per hour price. That doesn’t seem right. It should change in an orderly fashion.”

While Kyncl is far from an unbiased commenter on price hikes — music labels stand to gain significant revenues from DSPs raising their subscription prices — Kyncl says the 12 years he spent at YouTube has shown him companies can raise prices if they have a product consumers cherish.

“YouTube TV has grown its subscription from $35 to $70 while growing … because they have a superior product,” Kyncl said.

During the wide-ranging presentation, Kyncl also expressed empathy for executives at TikTok who are at “a company that’s kind of embattled today with lots of different institutions around the world.”

“As someone who’s kind of gone through that, it is much better to have friends and not fight a war on every flank,” he added, recalling the contentious relationship YouTube once had with the music industry.

TikTok is engaged in ongoing negotiations over remuneration to rights holders, a group that includes Warner Music Group (WMG). On Wednesday, Kyncl noted WMG is open to a friendlier dynamic with the popular music discovery tool so long as it works for “both sides.”

“That’s all I look for, fair setup on both sides and to grow a business together,” Kyncl added.

08 Mar 2023

Anghami Revenues Jumped 36% in 2022 On Solid Paid Subscriber Growth

Abu Dhabi-based music streaming company Anghami says its revenues grew by more than 35% to $48 million in 2022, driven by strong growth in paid subscribers, according to a statement the company released sharing its preliminary unaudited results for last year.

The company says its total number of paying subscribers grew 21% year-over-year to 1.52 million, while the overall number of music streams rose by 20% amid growing demand for Anghami’s music content, roughly 60% of which was Arabic-language in 2022.

“Our ability to provide an exceptional user experience and to deliver the best music and entertainment content in the (Middle East and North Africa) region and beyond is reflected in our strong financial performance in 2022,” Anghami CEO Eddy Maroun said in a statement.

As the most popular streaming platform in one of the fastest-growing streaming markets in the world, Anghami says it will achieve profitability later this year. But the company has faced its first public growing pains in recent months in the form of a lawsuit and regulatory reprimand.

In December, U.S.-based publishing company Reservoir Media and its Middle East partner PopArabia sued Anghami for alleged copyright infringement related to a dozen Western and Arabic songs by artists including Lil Jon and 50 Cent. Anghami has defended its payments to rights holders and called the lawsuit baseless and defamatory.

In January, the Nasdaq market exchange, where Anghami is publicly traded, notified the company that it was in violation of a filing rule requiring Anghami to submit a balance sheet and income statement to support its interim results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2022. The company had only submitted a press release with financial results for the period.

The regulatory flag did not affect Anghami’s listing or ability to trade on the exchange, and Anghami apparently remedied the issue this month by filing unaudited condensed financial statements for the first half of 2022 and 2021.

However, in a Feb. 27 filing, Anghami noted that its independent auditor, Ernst & Young Middle East, resigned this year and has been replaced by Grant Thornton. Ernst & Young audited Anghami’s financials for 2021 and 2022 without issue, but did include paragraphs in each of the year’s reports “regarding substantial doubt about Anghami’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Anghami said in the filing.

Grant Thornton is expected to release an audited version of the company’s full-year 2022 results by mid-April.