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Portugal. The Man Lend New Single ‘Dummy’ to Taco Bell Late Night Menu Campaign

Portugal. The Man know the importance of a good value on the road. Which might explain why the band has teamed up with Taco Bell again by lending their new psychedelic single, “Dummy,” to the ad campaign for the fast food chain’s $5 Cravings Trio. The dreamy song — the first taste of the band’s upcoming album, Chris Black Changed My Life (June 23) — appears in a new spot advertising the meals.

In addition to the music placement, PTM singer John Gourley and drummer Jason Sechrist appear in a separate 3-minute clip in which they reminisce about finding variety eating on the road, how Taco Bell helped feed them during the lean years and writing “Dummy.”

In it, Gourley calls the song “that goth kid dance… ‘yah the world is ending, everything sucks, but I kinda want to go dance to ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’” he explains. “And then I’m gonna be up at 4 in the morning staring at the ceiling thinking about the end of the world.”

The band has a yearslong relationship with the Bell, dating back to 2010 when they were part of the “Feed the Beat” campaign, and then again when their song “Evil Friends” was used in the ad for the chain’s grilled stuffed nachos. “When the Feed The Beat program came along they started giving us these five dollar gift cards and each member would be walking in, for once not thinking about money, but rather, ‘I can get some food and I finally feel like a PERSON!,’” Gourley recalls in the video.

“Taco Bell really fed all these young bands coming up,” he continues in the chat with Sechrist. “When you think about how many vegan, straight edge bands we toured with, and vegetarian, and diet restrictions. You couldn’t do that anywhere else. Taco Bell was really that place that fed us all.  Feed The Beat is a really really great program and I’m really thankful for it.”

Taco Bell’s 16-year-old Feed the Beat program has included spots with music from Doja Cat, Dolly Parton, Turnstile, whiterosemoxie, Priya Ragu and Meet Me @ the Altar.

Listen to “Dummy” in Taco Bell’s “The Hang” ad below.

Halle Bailey, Jessica Chastain & More to Present on 2023 Oscars

Halle Bailey, who stars as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, will present on the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12.

The Little Mermaid, which was directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, is due May 26. Melissa McCarthy, who appears in the film as the treacherous sea witch Ursula, was already announced as an Oscars presenter.

Jessica Chastain, who won an Oscar for best actress last year for her lead role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, will also present. Ariana DeBose and Troy Kotsur, last year’s Oscar winners in supporting roles, were already announced as presenters. Last year’s best actor winner, Will Smith, was barred from attending any Academy events for 10 years after slapping Chris Rock on last year’s show.

Andrew Garfield, a two-time best actor nominee who presented the life achievement award to Sally Field on the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 26, will also present, along with fellow former Oscar nominees Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Nicole Kidman, Florence Pugh and Sigourney Weaver.

Elizabeth Banks, John Cho, Hugh Grant and Danai Gurira are also set to present.

They join previously announced presenters Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Questlove, Zoe Saldaña and Donnie Yen.

The latest announcement was made on Tuesday (March 7) by executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner and executive producer Molly McNearney. The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show in the run-up to the ceremony.

The producers have announced performances from four of the five nominees for best original song. The only one they haven’t yet announced is Lady Gaga performing “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 95th Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The show will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer & Alanis Morissette to Headline Sound on Sound 2023

Sound on Sound unveiled its 2023 lineup on Tuesday (March 7) with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer and Alanis Morissette.

The Bridgeport, Conn.-based festival will take place Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 in Seaside Park, and its announcement on social media promises “a brand new festival experience, one massive stage + no overlapping sets!” for prospective attendees.

Other acts on the lineup include the Trey Anastasio Band, Hozier, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Dispatch, Lord Huron, Mt. Joy, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Steel Pulse, Joy Oladokun, Margo Price and more.

Tickets for Sound on Sound will go on sale Thursday (March 9) at noon ET, with a presale for Citibank customers happening now. Additionally, the festival is holding a special giveaway for a pair of two-day VIP tickets on its official Instagram account.

The 2023 iteration of Sound on Sound will serve as something of a reset for organizers after last year’s inaugural event — which featured headliners such as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Stevie Nicks and The Lumineers — was bogged down by long lines, sold-out food vendors and other organizational mishaps that left fans complaining in the comments section. Organizers vowed to improve the guest experience — even from the first to second day.

Ahead of the fest, Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on its 2023 world tour, kicking off later this month at BC Plaza in Vancouver, while Mayer’s solo acoustic tour begins this Friday (March 11) at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Check out the complete Sound on Sound 2023 lineup below.

Miley Cyrus Drops Moody Teaser for ‘River’ Video

Just three more sleeps until Miley Cyrus drops her anticipated eighth studio album, Endless Summer Vacation. She also revealed on Tuesday morning (March 7) that we will get the video for her song “River” on Friday (March 10) as well, previewing the visual in a 13-second teaser that begged more questions than it answered.

The moody black and white with the first images fro the video for “River” opens with Cyrus in fuzzy focus, her hair windblown, as stabbing guitars and triumphant keyboards swell to introduce the song’s title in a screen-filling, blocky, font.

Miley didn’t offer up much more information on the track other than to confirm that the visual is due out on Friday. But on Monday she explained the logic behind the formatting of the collection, which she said is divided into “AM and PM” moods that represent two distinct acts.

“The AM to me is representing the morning time, where there’s a buzz and energy and there’s a potential of new possibilities. It’s a new day,” Cyrus explained in a short clip. “At nighttime, it feels like there’s a slinky, seediness and kind of a grime but a glamour at the same time. In the evening, it’s a great time for rest, it’s a time to recover. Or it’s a time to go out and experience the wild side. In LA, there’s a certain energy to the night and you can feel trouble boil up to the surface and it’s very inspiring to me.”

The follow-up to Cyrus’ 2020 LP Plastic Hearts was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson. The “Midnight Sky” singer describes Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to L.A. that showcases the confidence she’s found since focusing on her mental and physical well-being. The LP is led by Cyrus’ empowering lead single and Billboard Hot 100 chart topper, “Flowers.”

Along with the album, Cyrus will also be releasing her Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) special on Disney+ on March 10, which will feature performances of songs from her new album, plus will see her revisiting her 2009 classic “The Climb” more than a decade after its release.

Check out the “River” teaser clip below.

Watch Niall Horan Convince ‘The Voice’ Contestant Ross Clayton to Join His Team in a Very Unusual Way

The Voice is officially back for season 23. With the show’s Monday (March 6) premiere, the competitive blind auditions have commenced, which saw new coach Niall Horan use a few unusual tactics to get contestant Ross Clayton to join his team.

Clayton took to The Voice stage to perform Keith Urban’s 2016 track “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

“Blue looks good on the sky/ Looks good on that neon buzzin’ on the wall/ But darling, it don’t match your eyes/ I’m tellin’ you/ You don’t need that guy/ It’s so black and white/ He’s stealin’ your thunder/ Baby, blue ain’t your color,” the Oklahoma native passionately sang, which prompted a four-chair turn from all the coaches.

While Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper had already had luck securing contestants, Horan was the only coach left out, so he resorted to a series of interesting measures to secure Clayton as a team member.

After Clarkson and Chance briefly pleaded their cases to Clatyon, Horan switched things up a bit. “Ross, these two have spoken. I need a little privacy,” the former One Direction member said before pressing the button to turn the chair of each of the coaches to face away from the stage.

“Your voice is absolutely incredible. You gave that country tone to your voice, but to me, I was hearing so much soul. I came up onto a show like this when I was 16 years old and I get to point at fans of mine in this room. It’s fans of mine that would really love to take you under their wing,” Horan said, then got down on his knees to beg. “I’m telling you, please. Please … forget about whatever any of them said. I don’t wanna hear any more crap. [Shelton] was about to go, ‘This is my last season on this show, it’ll be an honor and a privilege.’ So Ross, please join me!”

Shelton, naturally, had a tough act to follow. “If I was pitching myself, I would have to talk about the fact that Ross would like to get out and do gigs and I happen to have venues he can do that in, and one of them in Oklahoma.”

But after a tough sell — and thundering cheers from the crowd — Clayton went with his gut feeling and joined Horan’s team. “Niall, let’s go,” Clayton said, launching the beginning of their coach-mentor relationship.

Watch the moment unfold in a clip from The Voice in the video above.

Metro Boomin Sells Portion of Publishing Catalog to Shamrock for Close to $70M

Producer, songwriter and artist Metro Boomin – a.k.a. Leland Tyler Wayne – has sold a portion of his entire existing publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for close to $70 million, sources close to the deal tell Billboard.

News of the sale arrives on the heels of his second album HEROES & VILLAINS, which was released on Dec. 2, 2022. The record was peppered with some of the biggest names in music, including features from Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Don Toliver, Chris Brown, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and late Migos member Takeoff. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it his second album in a row to hit No. 1 as an artist.

As one of rap and R&B’s most defining creatives, Metro Boomin has helped craft hits like “Bad and Boujee” by Migos, “Mask Off” by Future, “Congratulations” by Post Malone, “Bank Account” by 21 Savage, “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” by Kanye West, “Jumpman” by Drake and Future, “Heartless” by The Weeknd, “Waves” by Kanye West, “Child’s Play” by Drake, “Tuesday” by iLoveMakonnen, and many more.

The multi-hyphenate musician has had 99 total entries on the Hot 100 chart as a producer, including two No. 1s and 10 top 10s. As an artist, Metro Boomin has 46 total entries on the Hot 100. He has spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Rap Producers chart and three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Producers and Hot 100 Songwriters charts.

Representatives for Shamrock did not return Billboard’s requests for comment. A representative for Metro Boomin declined to comment.

Shamrock was founded in 1978 as Roy E. Disney’s family office and has since become an active, powerful buyer in the music catalog investment space. It’s most notable investment being that of Taylor Swift’s Big Machine catalog which the firm bought from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2020. In 2021, Shamrock expanded into the lending space with a $196 million debt fund to loan money to IP owners in entertainment.

Last month, on Feb. 2, 2023, Shamrock Capital announced that it raised $600 million in a new fund (Shamrock Capital Content Fund III) aimed at acquiring film, TV, music video games, and sports rights.

Metro Boomin’s deal, along with other recent hip-hop acquisitions — like Juice WRLD’s sale to Opus Music Group for a nine figure sum, Dr. Dre’s Shamrock and UMG deal for an estimated over $200 million, and Future’s publishing catalog sale to Influence Media Partners between $65-75 million — have proved that the genre is fueling new investor interest.

Those who have been skeptical of rap catalog sales often point to the genre’s short history, which may indicate sharper — or still unknown — decay curves from other genres like rock and pop. Decay curves, which are based on past performance of other songs in the genre, refer to when the song levels out into a predictable state of income generation.

But the 50th anniversary of hip-hop special at the 2023 Grammy awards and its continued dominance on streaming platforms may reveal that rap is ready to become another sought-after genre for buyers.

“There are certain names that have been around for a long enough period that they are now of an evergreen standard,” City National entertainment banking leader Denise Colletta recently told Billboard. “Those household names in hip-hop will continue to resonate with audiences.”

Lizzo ‘Showed My Whole A–‘ at Paris Show: Watch

Fans in Paris were treated to a whole lot of Lizzo Sunday night (March 5). At a recent concert in the City of Love, the 34-year-old hitmaker pulled down her pants to show off her rear end while twerking onstage — all of which was captured in an Instagram video posted the day after the show.

In the video, Lizzo’s crowd goes wild as she bends over and pulls down her sparkly gold trousers to reveal a leggy leotard underneath, exposing almost all of her behind. Then, she shows off her multitasking skills by shaking her booty while simultaneously performing a fiery solo on her flute.

“SHOWED MY WHOLE A– IN PARIS LAST NIGHT!” she captioned the video. “I LOVE U PARIS.”

“I must be there immediately,” commented her longtime friend and 2023’s Billboard Woman of the Year, SZA, who Lizzo honored in a special virtual appearance at Billboard‘s March 1 Women in Music ceremony.

The “About Damn Time” singer, who’s currently in the middle of the European leg of her Special world tour, has been chronicling her time in France across several different Instagram posts. In one, she poses with the Mona Lisa at the Louvre art museum, and in another, she smooches her boyfriend, multimedia personality Myke Wright, underneath a lit-up Eiffel Tower.

In another video, Lizzo recreates a TikTok trend with one of her Parisian fans at the Sunday concert, quoting a 2009 press interaction between Beyoncé that was later sampled in Queen Bey’s “Partition.” “Are you happy to be in Paris?” the fan asks Lizzo, who replies, “Oui!”

Watch Lizzo shake her booty and other moments from her time in Paris below:

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl Gets In the (BBQ) Pit Again to Help Feed L.A. Homeless

If this whole rock and roll thing doesn’t work out Dave Grohl can definitely pivot to pit boss. The Foo Fighters singer/guitarist was at it again this week, putting in nearly a full day of meat smoking and grilling to help feed the homeless in Los Angeles.

A week after feeding more than 500 people at a homeless shelter in L.A., Grohl got back in the pit this week to volunteer with the non-profit Feed the Streets, with the organization posting a short video chronicling the marathon meat sesh. Cued to Clarence Murray’s “Dancing to the Beat,” the clip depicted Grohl and his crew firing up the grill in the early morning, applying their special rub mix, stoking the flames and tending to the ribs well into the night.

By the following morning a long line snaked through MacArthur Park as Grohl and the team delivered and served the delicious meals to those in need. “On one of those wet and cold rainy days we received a text from none other than Dave Grohl (code name: Dolce & Gabana) — he said he heard about what we were doing and wanted to help out,” the organization wrote alongside the video of the much-needed help from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who came down to pitch in during a year that has provided new challenges in doling out 3,500 meals a month to communities facing food insecurity who depend on Feed the Streets for five decent meals a week.

“We threw him into an upcoming activation. He spent 18 hours straight smoking brisket, ribs and pork — with a cooking crew. They stayed up all night and into the sunrise,” the message continued. “The next day Dolce and his team, exhausted and sleep deprived — packed up the food and drove it to MacArthur Park. All they had to do was drop it off and leave, however they decided to stay and work the line — serve the BBQ with our crew until everyone at the park was fed. If that ain’t a hero we don’t know wtf is. Stay tuned, D & G will be back on the blocks to serve Yucca and Skid Row soon!”

Last month Grohl pitched in to help Los Angeles’ Hope Mission during a driving storm to cook ribs, pork butt, brisket and sides for 16 hours to help serve around 500 guests in need and fellow volunteers.

The Foo Fighters are gearing up to hit the road for their first run of gigs since the shock death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March in Colombia while on tour; at press time the group had not yet announced who will play drums on their 2023 dates.

In addition to a number of festival gigs at Bonnaroo, Boston Calling, Sonic Temple, Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Harley-Davidson Homecoming, Fuji Rock, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, The Town and Sea.Hear.Now, the Foos recently announced gigs in Gilford, NH on May 24 (at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion), Rogers, AR on June 14 (at Walmart AMP) and Pelham, AL on June 16 (at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre).

Check out the video of Grohl’s grilling below.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Malaysia Babydoll Foxx Will ‘Forever Troll’ Fans Who Critique Her Silhouette

RuPaul’s Drag Race may not be dedicated to presenting the news of the day, but the latest episode of the series served up Diane Sawyer realness with ease.

Last week’s episode (aired Friday, Mar. 3) saw the queens getting to ask the tough questions in “50/50,” the show’s spoof of classic interview shows like 20/20. Splitting off into three groups, the remaining contestants got to partake in a series of interviews with a trio of celebrity guests, before offering up their best Sasha Fierce interpretations on the Night of 1000 Beyoncés runway.

Sasha Colby once again wowed the judges with her spot-on Bey look as well as her hilarious cooking segment with flamenco icon Charo, earning her third challenge win of the season. Meanwhile, Salina EsTitties and Malaysia Babydoll Foxx found themselves on the chopping block after failing to impress in their interviews of Love Connie and Frankie Grande, respectively.

Tasked with lip-syncing to Beyoncé’s forever iconic “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Salina managed to pull out just enough moves to win her fourth lip-sync of the season, meaning Malaysia was asked to sashay away.

Billboard caught up with Malaysia following her elimination to talk about fans critiquing her runway silhouettes, making good television with some on-camera drama, and why she feels Sasha Colby’s theory about Beyoncé’s alter ego might be a “delusion.”

I want to say thank you for not being afraid to bring some drama this season — what was the experience like on set of going through the little tiffs you had with folks?

I mean … I didn’t plan on being the drama, but when you feel some type of way, it’s kinda hard to hold those emotions in. Honestly, after the first day there, you just get very comfortable, and you don’t even really care about the cameras being there — you’re just kind of being yourself. I’m a very expressive person when it comes down to it. 

Just because I’m checking you or letting you know how I feel doesn’t mean I hate you or dislike you — I’m just letting you know. We can move on from it, which, in every situation on the show, I clearly moved on from it, I just needed my moment. Unless you did something extremely disrespectful, we’re good. 

Right, arguing over who got to be in the fake metal group on national television is not a friendship-ending fight. 

Completely. Also, I could’ve done anything in that challenge, but I’m not gonna back down from a good fight!

I have to tell you, I love that you have been trolling fans of the show right back when they comment on your silhouette. What has it been like dealing with that running commentary since joining Drag Race?

I mean, honestly, I thought there were many other things about me that would be talked about after being on the show. I never knew that wearing a dress would be the hot topic. I was shocked and appalled — but also, for me, I’m strong-minded in everything that I want to wear. So even when I work with designers, they can tell me that I should do this or that, but the final decision is mine. I treat the people out there who critique it the same exact way; there’s nothing you can say or do that will change my mind from what my vision is at the end of the day. It may be the same silhouette, but the idea and concepts are totally different. If you don’t have the imagination to go past the silhouette, then that just goes to show that you are a very close-minded person. I owe them nothing, I owe them no explanation, and I will forever troll people. I do drag for me, and that’s all that matters. If you love it, then thank you

Also. wearing a similar silhouette each time worked great for Bianca Del Rio, why shouldn’t it work for you?

Right? We’re in a new era of Drag Race, where every little detail has to be commented on by the fans, I swear. If you let it get to you, it will bring you down to the lowest. If you love what you do, then you’ll be fine.

Let’s talk about the challenge this week — as someone who interviews people for a living, I understand the difficulty of what you were being asked to do in this episode. What was going through your head when you were on the cooking show set with Frankie Grande?

So, here’s the thing, it was forever ago, so I barely remember [laughs]. I was probably nervous! No, I was trying to focus on making sure I was doing everything right — we had cue cards, we had questions, we had all of these things — while also wanting to be as natural as possible. You don’t want to come across as a robot! All that is easier said than done. So that’s what was going through my head, just me saying, “Be natural! Be fun! Make a pizza! Ask a question!” 

We get to the runway — your Night of 1000 Beyoncés look was one of my favorites! This 2018 Global Citizen look was spot-on, and it looked fabulous on you! What was it about that look that made you want to do it?

I think that I could relate to that one the most — being a queen of color, I knew it would be great to bring this look she wore in South Africa to the runway. And I knew there were a lot of looks from Beyoncé that … wouldn’t be appropriate on some of the girls, let’s say. So I was like, “Let me be the one to take this route and not take something that a typical person could do.” Plus, I like drag! I love all of the feathers and the patterns on this outfit. Also, it was a change of silhouette!

You changed your silhouette, and look what happened. 

Exactly! As soon as I changed the silhouette they were like, “Nope, you’re out.” I knew I should’ve worn that damn gown.

I don’t know if you were listening in the work room, but I need to know your thoughts on Sasha Colby’s theory abut being the inspiration for the persona of Sasha Fierce.

Oh my god. Listen, I think queer people have inspired a lot of people when it comes to fashion, hair, makeup and art. We are very inspiring people. That being said, I think that was delusion [laughs]. No, no, no, I love Sasha! And maybe it is true — after all, Sasha’s old! [laughs] `

Not to bring the mood down, but I know this has been a hard week for queens around the country after everything that’s been going on in Tennessee — how have you been dealing with the news?

I … don’t indulge in the news if I can help it. I know what’s going on, but when you indulge in things like that, you’re making yourself a part of that. They [Tennessee lawmakers] are saying this is a problem, and what I love to do is not a problem. I love to spread love, and it sucks that we are being targeted as a community and as people. But we have to continue to do what we love to do, and I hope we can stand up to this and make a change where it counts. 

Well said. What can we expect to see next from you, Malaysia?

Well, a lot of the same silhouette, of course. No, but listen, I don’t think I took a loss, I think I took a win. Like I said in that talent show, “I’m a queen, I’m a queen, I’m a queen/ I’m the fattest and the baddest on the scene.” This is just the beginning.

The thing about Drag Race is that it’s only a glimpse that the audience gets to see. But now that they’ve gotten the glimpse, they’re gonna want to know more. I’m excited to show folks everything that they didn’t get to see.

UK Rapper Jeshi Gave Away Free Pairs Of Unreleased Nike Air Max Pulse In London

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The AIM Independent Music Awards 2022 - VIP Arrivals

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One definite way to win over fans and make some new ones in 2023 is to bless them with a free pair of sneakers. And if those kicks happen to be Nikes, even better (sorry, adidas, Reebok and Puma).

London rapper Jeshi seems to know this is a true yet not often-tried method. And with the help of Nike, the UK-based artist was able to run through the streets of London and give unsuspecting countrymen brand-new pairs of the Nike Air Max Pulse. We lowkey hating right now. Hypebeast is reporting that over the weekend the “Chrome Benzo” rapper took over a Soho shop in London and actually gave away pairs of the unreleased Nike silhouette that’s sure to be a hit once it becomes publicly available.

From Hypebeast:

Presenting the all-new Air Max Pulse, the sneaker arrives in a clean white and red colour scheme. As a whole, the shoe is the natural successor to the Air Max 270 — a style that saw its most popular era arrive in 2018. Designed with a breathable mesh upper, the sneaker is also complemented with leather overlays that wrap around the lateral sides and toe box.

Additionally, the Pulse features a slew of Swoosh placements, while a new Air Max branding motif hits the rear heel counter. Rounding things off, the forefoot includes a textile-wrapped, Air-assisted, point-loaded midsole that sits alongside a sturdy rubber outsole.

No, they’re not Retro Jordans or Travis Scott collaborations, but these Air Max Pulse’s go hard and seem hella comfortable.

Getting a fresh pair of Nikes for free is a dub any day of the week. So props to Jeshi and Nike for making random people’s days better last weekend.

The Nike Air Max Pulse is set to drop on Air Max Day March 26. Will you be looking to cop a pair, or will you wait for Jeshi to fly to the states and give them away here? (Not gonna happen.) Let us know in the comments section below.