Concerts
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As Willie Nelson played “On the Road Again” toward the close of the first of two star-packed birthday concerts at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday (April 29), that song’s joyous declaration was more poignant than ever. “The life I love is making music with my friends,” he sang.
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More than 45 of those friends gathered over the two nights for what presenter Ethan Hawke called “a celebration of love — love of music, love of storytelling, and love of Willie Nelson… an American icon.”
Saturday’s spectacular show offered performances by: Beck with Daniel Lanois, Edie Brickell with Charlie Sexton, Leon Bridges with Gary Clark, Jr., Rosanne Cash with Kris Kristofferson, The Chicks, Charley Crockett, Snoop Dogg, Warren Haynes, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Norah Jones, Tom Jones, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett, The Lumineers, Ziggy Marley, Lukas Nelson, Particle Kid (Micah Nelson), Margo Price with Nathaniel Rateliff, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Stephen Stills with Neil Young, Billy Strings and Bobby Weir. Presenters introducing the artists Saturday included Hawke, Jennifer Garner, Helen Mirren and Owen Wilson.
On tap exclusively for Sunday: The Avett Brothers, Buddy Cannon, Randy Crowell, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Booker T. Jones, Dave Matthews, Lily Meola, Wayne Payne, Orville Peck and Allison Russell, along with additional presenters Chelsea Handler, Woody Harrelson and Gabriel Iglesas.
All came to celebrate the long, rich, triumphant life of Nelson, one of the most acclaimed songwriters and singers of his age, and an accomplished actor, author and activist.
Nelson’s friends came to mine a motherlode of remarkable songs. According to BMI, Nelson has registered nearly 450 works since becoming a member of the performing rights organization in the 1950s. Still a vital, creative force, he won the 2023 Grammy Award in February for best country album for A Beautiful Time and last month released a collection of the songs of Harlan Howard, I Don’t Know A Thing About Love. It is his 150th album, according to Texas Monthly.
Led by musical director Don Was on bass, the night’s stellar band included Nelson’s longtime sideman Mickey Raphael on harmonica, keyboardist Benmont Tench, guitarists Audley Freed and Tom Bukovac, Gabe Witcher on violin, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, and backup singers Alfreda McCrary, Ann McCrary and Regina McCrary. If one member of this band deserves a shout-out it is Raphael, whose harp was a constant, sweet sonic thread throughout the night.
Produced by Blackbird Presents, Live Nation and Hewitt Silva, the event’s executive producers are Nelson’s longtime manager Mark Rothbaum, Blackbird’s Keith Wortman, promoter Bill Silva, film director and producer Brian Smith and Nelson’s longtime representatives, Creative Artists Agency.
Rothman says plans for this event began a year ago and the decision to spread the celebration over two nights not only recognized the depth of talent involved but also Nelson’s long-celebrated double birthday in April.
“I was born before midnight on the 29th,” Nelson told listeners of his SiriusXM radio show in 2018, “but it didn’t get registered in the county courthouse [in his hometown of Abbott, Texas] until the next day. So it went out officially as the 30th. So I just do both days.”
On Saturday, Strings kicked off the birthday party with “Whiskey River,” which was written in 1972 by Johnny Bush but has been Nelson’s signature show-opener for years. Crockett followed with “The Party’s Over,” which Nelson recorded in 1967, and later became a staple for Monday Night Football host Don Meredith whenever a football match headed for a blowout. Nelson’s son Micah, who performs as Particle Kid, was joined by Lanois on pedal steel, for a dreamy and spooky version of “The Ghost” from a 1967 album produced by Chet Atkins. The song was a reminder of how rich Nelson’s repertoire was even in the Nashville years he was considered a failure as a recording artist.
“Willie is a spirit guide,” said Brickell as she took the stage with Sexton for beautiful harmonies on “Remember Me (When the Candle Lights Are Gleaming),” which Nelson recorded on his landmark 1975 album Red Headed Stranger. That spirit side of Nelson — call it zen — was evident in his writing early on, in songs like “Hello Walls,” a No. 1 Hot Country Songs hit for Faron Young. “I’ve always thought of it as the perfect song,” said Lovett as he sang that classic.
“Willie’s musical world is vaa-hst,” said presenter and famed British actress Helen Mirren. Echoing Brickell’s comment, Mirren said, “He simply follows the spirit, whenever the spirit leads.”
Nelson’s generous spirit in 1985 led him to create Farm Aid, the organization which has advocated on behalf of America’s family farmers with its annual benefit concert for nearly four decades. Price, now a member of the Farm Aid board, was joined by Farm Aid mainstay Rateliff, to duet on “I Can Get Off On You,” which Nelson co-wrote and recorded with Waylon Jennings in 1978.
Beck’s rendition of “Hands on the Wheel,” from Red Headed Stranger, was a measured, intense, fist-clenched performance. Jones played the piano romp “Down Yonder” in memory of Nelson’s younger sister and piano player Bobbie, who died in March 2022. She then sang “Funny How The Time Slips,” with the kind of off-the-beat vocals which Nelson has perfected. Former Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes played that band’s “Midnight Rider,” which Nelson contributed to the soundtrack of the 1979 film The Electric Horseman.
Nelson in 1985 teamed up with three lifelong friends, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, and the four were later collectively billed as The Highwaymen. Introduced by Hawkes as “the first daughter of The Highwaymen,” Rosanne Cash came onstage with Kristofferson to sing his classic “Lovin’ Her Was Easier.” Cash caressed the neck of the 86-year-old Kristofferson, who embraced her in return, in one of the night’s most moving moments.
Lukas Nelson channeled his father’s love of the great jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt with his solo on “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.” Bridges sang “Nightlife,” accompanied by Clark, who then honored another great Texan by scorching through Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Flooding Down in Texas.” Jack Johnson credited two of Nelson’s favorite pastimes, smoking marijuana and playing poker, singing his lyric “Willie got me stoned and took all my money.”
Tom Jones, acknowledging Nelson’s milestone birthday, quipped, “I’m only 83 myself so I have a lot to look forward to,” then dug deep into the singer’s catalog for “Opportunity to Cry” from the early ’60s.
In a night filled with non-stop memorable moments, Jamey Johnson’s song choice stood out as he sang Billy Joe Shaver’s “Live Forever,” which Nelson recorded with Lucinda Williams last year for a Shaver tribute album. Johnson sang: “Nobody here will ever find me/ but I will always be around/ just like the songs I leave behind me / I’m going to live forever now.”
The Chicks turned “Bloody Mary Morning” into a double-tempo, fiddle-fired rave up. The Lumineers sang Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” — which Russell and Ray Charles sang with Nelson at his 70th birthday concert in New York in April 2003. Rateliff returned to the stage for Steve Goodman’s exuberant “City of New Orleans,” which Nelson covered back in 1984.
Bedecked in red-fringed sleeves on dark blue sparkling dress, Lambert elicited cheers as she declared she had come to honor Willie Nelson “the cowboy,” then raised the temperature of the chilly Los Angeles night with her version of “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
The back-to-back stars continued as Stapleton chose two songs from Nelson’s 1982 album Always on My Mind, the title track and “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning,” which Stapleton later covered on his own 2017 album From a Room: Volume 1.
For the second time in a week, following their April 22 concert at the Greek Theater to benefit Autism Speaks, Neil Young reunited with Stephen Stills and aptly offered “Long May You Run,” recorded by the Stills-Young Band in 1976, as their gift to Nelson. Stills took lead vocals on the Buffalo Springfield classic “For What It’s Worth.”
The placement of three stools at center stage — for Nelson and his sons — signaled the arrival of the guest of honor. Young and Nelson revived their 1985 collaboration “Are There Any More Real Cowboys.” Then, as if to answer that question, George Strait took the stage and the two country superstars parried on Strait’s 2019 song “Sing One With Willie.”
Norah Jones earlier in the evening had called Nelson “genre-less,” crediting his ability to create community and connections across the scope of American music. That was wonderfully clear as Snoop Dogg and Nelson sat alongside each other to sing “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
“Happy Birthday to me!” shouted a delighted Nelson as the show came to a close with “On The Road Again” and his traditional finale of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’ll Fly Away,” joined by the evening’s entire ensemble. Hawke stepped forth to give what must have been scripted show-closing remarks. But Nelson has never followed anyone’s script and instead closed the night with the self-deprecating humor of Mac Davis’ “It’s Hard to be Humble.”
Flanking the Hollywood Bowl stage was the logo designed for this event. It showed Nelson, in silhouette, guitar over his back, upon his horse and riding into the sunset. It’s hard to imagine that sunset will come any time soon.
Additional reporting by Melinda Newman
It was night two for Maná in Chicago at the United Center on Saturday (April 29), but it was the 12th show overall for the Mexican rock band who’s been on the road with their México Lindo Y Querido Tour in the United States since March.
“Tonight, we have to beat the excitement we’ve felt in other cities throughout our tour,” Fher Olvera, the band’s frontman, informed the crowd — which roared in response, obviously up for the challenge. “We’ve missed you all so much,” he continued. “It’s been more than three years since we were last here. Latinos have gained so much territory in Chicago. We feel like at home here, like if we were in Mexico.”
Rocking black nails, skintight black jeans and a blue jacket, Olvera was the ultimate rockero. And so were his bandmates — Alex González, Sergio Vallín and Juan Calleros — whose typical uniform includes dark jeans, T-shirts and/or black vests. “Age is just an attitude,” Olvera, 63, stated. “You see Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones who’s almost 80 and he’s still rocking out. I don’t know if I’ll get to that point.” After watching him work the stage, even after a suffering a knee injury earlier this year, Olvera is clearly in his prime. With his signature raspy vocals, he serenaded a crowd that hadn’t seen the band live since they last performed in this city in 2019 with their Rayando el Soul Tour.
As ever, Maná’s concerts are the type where you know you’re going to get hit with the classics, which means you’ll be on your feet and singing at the top of your lungs over the course of two hours, the duration of the group’s set. This concert was no exception. The show featured a stacked setlist including hits from albums released over the span of three decades, such as ¿Dónde Jugarán Los Niños?, Cuando Los Ángeles Lloran, Sueños Líquidos and Revolución de Amor.
The songs that were part of the setlist included “Cómo Te Deseo,” “De Pies a Cabeza,” “Labios Compartidos,” “Vivir Sin Aire,” “Eres Mi Religión,” “Mariposa Traicionera,” “En El Muelle de San Blas,” “Me Vale” and “Clavado En Un Bar.”
They closed with the ’90s anthem “Rayando el Sol.” “Thank you for the love, Chicago. Thank you for the affection,” Olvera said, expressing gratitude for a city that has welcomed the band with open arms for more than 30 years. To return the love, they’ve announced a third show at the city’s United Center for later this year on Oct. 1.
A testament to their timeless rock-en-Español anthems and performance prowess, Maná kicked off their trek in March, just months after an unprecedented sold-out residency at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles last year. “The main thing is our shows are a big party and a celebration of life,” González previously told Billboard Español. “We are excited to continue that celebration and share it with more people across the United States.” Olvera added, “We don’t take this for granted. It’s amazing to feel the love from all our Latin fans across the world. It’s an honor to represent our heritage.”
As one of the most important Latin pop-rock bands, Maná’s career spans over three decades. Throughout the years, the band has scored 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart and eight No. 1s on Top Latin Albums.
Maná’s México Lindo Y Querido Tour continues with stops in cities such as Atlanta, Las Vegas, Greensboro and two back-to-back shows in Los Angeles, among other cities. Here’s more info on upcoming dates and tickets.
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You can add another notch to Kendrick Lamar’s already impressive belt. His most recent tour outing is now the highest grossing Rap tour ever.
As spotted on Hype Beast the Compton, California native has set another record within our genre. According to newly released report from the Touring Data website, The Big Steppers Tour is now the most highest earning concert series ever headlined by a rapper. This 73 show run sold 929,056 tickets and generated a whopping 110.9 million dollars. In addition the average price for a ticket throughout all the concert venues was just a bit over $100 dollars. Considering some of his peers are selling shows at $1,000 a seat; K-Dot might have just proved that keeping the price point affordable is the right way to go.
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These numbers now top Drake’s Aubrey & The Three Migos, Drake and Future’s Summer Sixteen and Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne. This outing was in support of Kendrick Lamar’s fifth solo album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers which was largely hailed as a brilliant effort and marked his last recording under his Top Dawg Entertainment record label contract.
Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday just got a little longer and a little more star-studded with the addition of a big-name presenters who will help Willie Nelson celebrate his milestone this weekend at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Woody Harrelson, Chelsea Handler, Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Owen Wilson and Gabriel Iglesias will be presenters at the two-night Los Angeles extravaganza, which boasts more than 45 acts on hand to celebrate the national treasure that is Nelson.
The presenters join a diverse artist lineup for Saturday and Sunday that includes George Strait, Snoop Dogg, Miranda Lambert, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Tom Jones, The Chicks, Chris Stapleton and more who will salute the “On the Road Again” singer, who is also slated to perform.
Also on the bill are Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Booker T. Jones, Buddy Cannon, Charley Crockett, Daniel Lanois, Dwight Yoakam, Edie Brickell, Emmylou Harris, Gary Clark Jr., Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Bridges, Lily Meola, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Neil Young, Orville Peck, Particle Kid, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Shooter Jennings, Stephen Stills, Sturgill Simpson, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes, Waylon Payne and Ziggy Marley. Kacey Musgraves, who had originally been scheduled to perform, can no longer appear.
Each evening is expected to last at least four hours with the two nights’ experiences varying from each other.
At 90, Nelson continues to be a musical force. He was nominated for four Grammys earlier this year and a multi-part documentary on Nelson, titled Willie Nelson & Family, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. On March 3, he released his latest album, I Don’t Know a Thing About Love, which highlighted songs written by Harlan Howard, on Sony’s Legacy Recordings.
Produced by Blackbird Presents, Live Nation and Hewitt Silva, the Hollywood Bowl event’s executive producers are Mark Rothbaum, Keith Wortman, Bill Silva, Brian Smith and Creative Artists Agency.
A May 28 concert by Roger Waters that was slated to take place in Frankfurt, Germany that was canceled after city council members called the former Pink Floyd singer/bassist “one of the world’s most well-known antisemites” is not slated to go on as scheduled.
German public broadcast outlet Deutsche Welle reported on Monday that an administrative court in Frankfurt ruled that neither the city nor the state of Hesse had the right to cancel the show at the Frankfurt Festhalle. As owners of the concert’s promoter, Messe Frankfurt, the court said the state and city were obligated to “make it possible for Waters to stage the concert” as contractually agreed, despite their concerns over Rogers’ previous public statements about Israel.
“The court on Monday said that although Waters’ show obviously borrows symbolism linked to National Socialism, it could not see that he was glorifying or qualifying Nazi deeds or identifying with Nazi racial ideology,” Welle reported. “Nor was there any indication that he would be using any type of Nazi propaganda during the concert.” It is against the law in Germany to display Nazi symbols or memorabilia.
The court said that to deny Waters access to the site — on the spot of what was a Jewish detention camp during WWII, where 3,000 Jewish men were held on Kristallnacht (“Night of the Broken Glass”) in Nov. 1938 before being sent to their deaths — would infringe on his free speech rights.
At press time a spokesperson for Waters had not returned a request for additional comment.
“The background to the cancellation is the persistent anti-Israel behavior of the former Pink Floyd frontman, who is considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world,” the city council said at the time of the cancelation in a statement. “He repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.” Waters has denied that he is an antisemite.
The JTA reported that the city of Frankfurt made reference to the historic significance of the concert hall — which it partly owns — and said it was cancelling the show over Waters’ support of the controversial BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions). BDS is a Palestinian-led movement that calls for a boycott of Israel to force the nation’s government to change its policies toward Palestinians.
The JFA additionally noted at the time that Waters concerts have featured a flying pig balloon featuring a Star of David (as well as a number of other corporate logos and symbols) and that he’s compared the actions of the Israeli government to that of South Africa under apartheid and Nazi Germany as well as questioning Israel’s right to exist.
The court conceded that it might be in “especially poor taste” to allow Waters, 79, to perform on the sacred site, but concluded that such a show would “not be injurious to the human dignity of those people.”
In Sept., Waters canceled planned shows in Krakow, Poland amid similar outrage over his stance on Russia’s unprovoked, yearlong war in Ukraine, which he has said was the fault of Ukraine and NATO.
Just a few weeks ago, the Jonas Brothers announced an upcoming performance at a very special venue: Yankee Stadium. Dubbed “One Night Only,” the demand soon forced a second show, both scheduled for August.
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But tonight, the band is keeping its promise: one and only one incredible night in Los Angeles. At least, for now. Nick teased at the end of the show the band would return in September, which was met with sky-high shrieks.
For the trio’s second show on this unofficial trek, which started in London earlier this month, the brothers came out swinging — perhaps practice for playing at a baseball stadium soon, with hits old and new receiving home-fun worthy roars.
After opening with current The Album single “Waffle House,” Joe addressed the crowd through deafening screams. “We’ve only done this one other time,” he cautioned before teasing, “We’re playing a good amount of songs from the new album.” Another promise kept.
The band performed several unreleased songs off its forthcoming 12-track project, including “Summer Baby,” “Montana Sky,” “Sail Away,” “Vacation Eyes,” “Celebrate” “Little Bird” and “Walls” (the lattermost earned a live debut during the band’s recent gig on Saturday Night Live.) And while that material made up the entire first act, following a brief intermission the Jonas Brothers returned for a hits-filled second set, treating the intimate 1,600-capacity room just the same as it would – and will – a 46,000-plus person stadium.
Check out the seven best moments from the show below.
Nick’s Early (and Epic) Tease
“It’s so good to be back,” Nick told the crowd while taking in the space. “We’re playing tonight at a venue we’ve never played in. This whole mini tour is just trying to check off bucket list items.”
“It brings me back to how this whole journey for this album started about a year-and-a-half ago,” he continued. “We were home, at our respective homes [in L.A.], and Jon Bellion walked us through a few songs,” all of which, he says, centered on what matters most to the brothers right now: family, fatherhood and love.
And finally, he delivered one final message before diving into the music. “We have a very special audience here tonight,” Nick said before delivering the best tease of the night. “We’re going to play some more songs from the album and then we’re going to step offstage and let you guys have a few drinks – looks like some of you already have – then we’re going to come back and play all the f—ing hits.”
The Brothers’ “Real Sexy” Moment
“This next song is a very special one to me,” said Kevin, introducing the sultry “Vacation Eyes.” “I know what it feels like to be in love, and it feels like you’re on vacation every single day – so this one is all about that.”
“It’s about to get real sexy in here, c’mon now,” added Nick before opening the track in his forceful falsetto over a groovy bass guitar lick. And later, fans are treated to a guttural growl from Joe, making the song even more unforgettable – and securing its status as a potential fan favorite off The Album.
Addressing Uncharted Territory
Three stools are placed on stage as Nick and Kevin took their seats on either end of Joe with their guitars in tow. “Now this is the moment in the show where we talk about something we’ve never talked about in our music before,” started Nick, which was met with whispered gasps. “Fatherhood.” He then dedicated “Little Bird,” the second-to-last song on The Album to “every parent in the room… and every child in the room.”
The Mind-Blowing Harmonies
It’s no secret Kevin, Nick and Joe can sing – and sound their best when harmonizing with one another. There was no stronger proof of this than on the set’s first-half closer, “Walls.” After live-debuting the song on SNL, it sounded even stronger now. Backed by a six-person chorus, the song’s powerful ending seemed to electrify the room, feeling much like a long-loved classic – thus serving as a perfect connector between the new album and the upcoming second hits-filled half.
The Seamless Transitions
The show’s second half, of course, operated like a well-oiled machine as the brothers churned out hit after hit, oftentimes without the music ever really ending or the stage lights fully dimming. Yet one of the best transitions occurred between the band’s 2020 single “What a Man Gotta Do” and its 2007-released “That’s Just the Way We Roll.” A pivot so seamless it managed to jump entire decades.
Nick and Joe’s Sing-Off
Much to the surprise of many, Nick suddenly appeared alone on stage. He then took it by storm to deliver his stirring solo single “Close,” making a strong claim for it to be a set closer. But not if Joe has anything to say about it.
As Nick took a seat to the side of the stage, Joe came out to perform the DNCE hit “Toothbrush” (backed by DNCE bandmates and Jonas Brothers touring musicians Jack Lawless on drums and JinJoo Lee on guitar). All the while, Nick howls along to the “awhooo” filled chorus as Lee later shreds during a solo of her own.
But wait – there’s more. Nick then stands to perform “Jealous” as Joe took a seat and Kevin returned to play and sing harmonies alongside Nick. Soon enough, Joe was back on his feet so the three can close out the song together before ending the sing-off with DNCE’s defining song, “Cake By the Ocean.”
The Time-Traveling Ending
“We’re gonna take it back a few years for ya,” Joe told the crowd before the brothers dig into “Lovebug” off its 2008 album A Little Bit Longer. With a quick head nod from Joe, they then go right into “Year 3000” (from the year 2006) and “Burnin’ Up” before closing the night with “Sucker” off Happiness Begins, the band’s last studio album that marked the end of an unofficial 10-years-long hiatus.
Thankfully, with The Album around the corner, fans went home certain of more on the way – and soon.
Despite the reliably sunny Las Vegas weather, a dark cloud loomed over Mandalay Bay as organizers prepared for its inaugural We Bridge Music Festival and Expo. Slated as a K-pop concert-meets-celebration of all things spotlighting Asian creatives, the three-day event from April 21-23 took a day to respond to the April 19 news that beloved Korean singer Moon Bin of ASTRO had died in Seoul the night prior.
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While some parts of the K-pop industry continued as usual (like live TV broadcasts, including the April 20 finale of popular boy-band survival competition Boys Planet on Mnet, or the April 21 episode of KBS’ Music Bank), some plans did shift (a single by K-pop veteran Kangta was postponed from its original April 20 release day to the 22nd with SM Entertainment citing wanting to pay respects to the recently deceased). As some fans called to cancel the event, particularly worried that artists wouldn’t be able to pay their respects in Korea properly, We Bridge shared how they would honor the fallen star.
“On behalf of the We Bridge team, it is with a heavy heart that I am addressing the tragic and sudden loss of K-Pop icon Moon Bin of ASTRO, who recently passed away,” wrote Alex Kang, the event producer for We Bridge under Infinite Prospects Entertainment. “Our heart goes out to his family and loved ones, and the fans and community worldwide who are mourning his loss. It’s our united goal to honor his memory and legacy with a special “Light up Tribute” and moment of silence for the fans to all come together as one and shine a light in his memory. This light up tribute will take place on Friday evening, inside the theatre ahead of our first concert performance.”
Day 1 of the festival opened with business-oriented panels, on-site activities like choreography lessons and art galleries, and Grammy Museum interviews performers. Despite the anticipation for the first night of concerts that included headliner Monsta X, the evening opened on a meditative note with the tribute to Moon Bin opening the show.
As MC for the two nights of We Bridge concerts, actor Yuri Park told audiences, “I want you all to raise up your phones with the lights on, and can we please have a moment of silence.” A soft piano track played throughout a quiet Michelob Ultra Arena as a montage of Moon Bin photos, most featuring his unforgettable smile, played on the stage’s massive LED screens—all quickly put together by a team with the festival’s publicity reps, Miller PR, Billboard learned.
While most support was for the night’s performers, there were a few posters in remembrance of Moon Bin spotted in the crowd too. Boy bands CIX and ONEUS, girl group Dreamcatcher, and solo star Kang Daniel all delivered the on-point, intense choreography. Rapper Jessi was the highlight with her un-K-pop candor as she made jokes about back aches and nip slips while roaring through viral hits like “Zoom” and “Nuna Nana.” Multiple times throughout her set, Jessi would pop into the crowd to hug a fan or sign a T-shirt as a refreshing display of intimacy between K-pop artists and fans not typically seen.
Even as Monsta X wore all black when departing the Seoul airport in honor of Moon Bin, members Kihyun, Joohoney, Hyungwon and I.M also brought a more relaxed performance, focusing less on their athletic dance moves and more on connecting through their recent English crossover releases like “You Problem” and the R3HAB-assisted “Burning Up.”
Despite We Bridge’s successful launch, there was extra concern around Day 2 as female trio VIVIZ had members SinB and Umji who counted Moon Bin as a close friend—all three were the same age and SinB counted Moon Bin as her best friend for more than a decade. Fans were calling on We Bridge and VIVIZ label Big Planet Made Entertainment to entirely excuse them from the event while mourning.
Early in the morning hours before the Saturday programming began, VIVIZ’s social media accounts shared that the group would be pulling out of their Grammy Museum interview and the festival’s red-carpet “due to the artists’ conditions” but would still perform at the concert “out of love and respect to the fans.” Hours later, Big Planet Made Entertainment added that SinB and Umji would not participate in the trio’s “hi-touch” fan-meeting event that day “due to poor condition.” Still, the remaining member Eunha met VIVIZ supporters with a bright smile and connected with each individual in line for the hi-touch (i.e., a high five).
That same accommodating atmosphere extended into the concert when SinB shuffled off stage after the group’s opening number “Pull Up.” Eunha took the lead in speaking to the audience as Umji appeared visibly concerned, checking behind the stage for SinB, amid waving and smiling at fans. When SinB wasn’t back after a minute of stage remarks, Umji spoke up and said, “Would it be okay if you guys just gave us a little of time before our next song?” with the audience screaming in encouraging recognition of the group balancing performing and mourning.
Rising singer-rapper BE’O joined VIVIZ for Day 2 concert, as did Thailand-born GOT7 member BamBam, ONEUS, plus headliners ENHYPEN. As the cheers grew throughout the evening until ENHYPEN performed the final chorus of their encore song “Polaroid Love,” one could easily catch host Yuri Park saying the goodbyes on behalf of the festival before adding that he’d see fans next year.
Even as We Bridge Day 3 was less elaborate when it came to programming with a panel that included Crazy Rich Asians actor Chris Pang and former Marvel designer Anthony Francisco, plus fan meetings with Jessi and BE’O, attendees were still out in droves for the final day of Vegas festivities even without a concert that night.
We Bridge Music Festival and Expo faced a significant, unexpected difficulty hours before its official kickoff. Still, its ability to be flexible and rise to the moment instead of shying away or pushing ruthlessly forward gave a noted human element among all the K-pop superstars. Ideally, 2024 will be kinder to We Bridge, with the festival-expo able to prove itself even further in the increasingly competitive K-pop event space after such a test run.
U2 announced the dates for their upcoming residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere at the Venetian venue on Monday morning (April 24). The veteran UK Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will kick off the U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere run on Sept. 29, marking their first live run of gigs in four years.
The band first revealed that they would be performing at the cutting-edge building during a Super Bowl commercial in February, with singer Bono and guitarist The Edge peeling back the creative process behind the run in a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. The Sphere gigs will take place on Sept. 29, Sept. 30, Oct. 6, 7 and 8.
In the interview, the pair roll up to the enormous rounded building, the largest free-standing structure on the Las Vegas Strip as Lowe describes the venue as a new Wonder of the World. “There’s nothing like it, it’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there,” Edge says as he shakes hands with the team finishing work on the arena, the only place where the group will perform songs from 1991’s Achtung Baby.
The allure, according to Bono, is that unlike most arenas and stadiums major bands play, the Sphere is built for music and art, not rowdy sports contests, complete with a photo-real highest-possible resolution series of screens that will envelop attendees. “So this building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance,” he says, with Edge noting that the sound has been designed as a priority from day one. In fact, unlike most arena shows, when you go see a gig at the Sphere there are no speakers, Bono says, because the entire building is a speaker that Edge notes envelops you in a “completely immersive” sound.
“Depending on where you are in the venue you’ll get your own very unique show,” the Edge promises, describing how the venue will allow the band to deliver Atmos-level sound in a live setting.
Fans can register now for the Verified Fan presale here; fans who previously signed up for Verified Fan for UW are automatically registered for the chance to join the presale. Registration for Verified Fan will close on Wednesday (April 26) at 10 a.m. ET. Fans selected to get an access code will be able to participate in Verified Fan presale starting on Thursday (April 27). Ticket prices begin at $140 and will reflect all-in pricing, which means the listed price is the full out-of-pocket cost including taxes and feeds. According to a release, the large capacity of the Sphere will allow for 60% of tickets to be priced under $300.
In a statement, Bono, Edge and bassist Adam Clayton – drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is sitting out the dates, with Bram van den Berg filling in — said, “U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again. And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert… We’re the right band, ACHTUNG BABY the right album, and Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level… That’s what U2’s been trying to do all along with our satellite stages and video installations, most memorably on the ZOO TV Tour, which ended in Tokyo 30 years ago this fall.”
Guitarist The Edge added that the Sphere — which includes such futuristic technology as a 16K x 16K LED display inside the main venue bowl that wraps up, over and around the audience to create a fully immersive experience — is more than just a new venue, but also a “gallery,” with U2’s music slated to be projected all over the walls.
“The beauty of Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system, integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experience in real and imaginary landscapes,” Edge said of the 17,500-capacity building with multi-sensory 4D video technology. “In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
For now, the band has only announced the initial run of shows. But in speaking to Lowe, Bono suggested that depending on the audience’s reaction and their experience on stage, “I think it’s going to be hard to get us out of here.”
The U2.com presale is open now through Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, while the general onsale (if any tickets remain) will begin on Friday (April 28) at 10 a.m. ET on Ticketmaster.
Watch the trailer for the Sphere shows and the Lowe interview below.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d walk along [that runway.] I saw Ariana Grande walk along there, and now it’s going to be me. We have to do that.”
So declared Four Tet in a video posted to Fred again..’s Instagram Sunday afternoon (April 23), hours before the pair — along with their frequent companion Skrillex – closed out Coachella 2023 with a mainstage performance as thrilling as it was both improbable and historic.
The trio secured the Sunday night slot only after weekend one’s Sunday night headliner, Frank Ocean, dropped out of weekend two following a leg injury and a controversial weekend one performance that, for many in the audience, fell flat. Ocean left behind not only an open set time, but an absurdly unlikely remnant – an ice-skating rink/satellite stage built for his weekend one performance that was never used, but connected to the main stage via the aforementioned runway.
It was there that Four Tet got his pop star moment, as he Skrillex and Fred again.. walked down it to the satellite stage in a side-by-side formation similar to Destiny’s Child’s segment from Beyoncé’s 2018 headlining show. The level of frenzy in the crowd as the guys made their way to the stage (which was circular, and sans ice) had a very frantic pop hysteria vibe, with people screaming for the trio of electronic music producers as if they were Kelly, Michelle and Bey, or the Backstreet Boys, or Grande herself.
It was the culmination of not only a wild week for the trio – whose addition to the Coachella lineup was first reported this past Thursday night — but also a pretty remarkable four months. The three producers representing different sounds and generations of electronic music are widely recognized to be among the best artists of their respective realm of dance music and are now also frequent collaborators and seemingly BFFS. They played their first show together at a club in London this past January, sold out Madison Square Garden in February and have now closed out Coachella, marking a landmark moment not only for them personally, but for dance music at the festival.
Upon their arrival to the satellite stage — where they played the entirety of their set — a beam of white light composed of roughly 20 lasers organized around the circle stretched far into the sky, as a siren sound blasted through the speakers, leading to peak anticipation. The hour and 15-minute set then launched with Skrillex’s “Leave Me Like This” from his February LP, Quest For Fire, which was blended with “Baby Again,” the latest in a list of cross-collaborations from the trio, and punctuated with the iconic “OH MY GOD” from Skrillex’s 2010 “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.”
Coachella’s hierarchical structure is one the festival’s most pronounced elements, with those in possession of VIP and artist wristbands typically getting the best real estate in front of the mainstage. Not so with this show! Instead, the guys played to the GA section surrounding their circular stage, while their faces were projected on the main stage big screens behind them. The main stage itself was populated by a bank of bright white lights, giving the whole scene a cinematic glow.
The set list took equally from each of the producer’s catalogs – including Four Tet’s “Baby,” Fred and Skrillex’s collaborative “Rumble,” Fred’s “Strong,” “Billie (Loving Arms),” Four Tet’s simply undeniable remix of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” the intro riff of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” melded with dubstep and long stretches of straightforward drum & bass, riddim and garage. It altogether formed what was arguably the weirdest, hardest, purest and most EDM-antithetical dance music played on the Coachella main stage since the festival’s early days, when acts like Chemical Brothers and Underworld topped the bill.
As it was with their MSG show in New York, the guys were clearly having a ball, also intermittently appearing sort of gobsmacked by the size of the audience before them – with this show certainly being among the largest any of them have ever played. Skrillex and Fred, dressed in black and white t-shirts, respectively, expressed their excitement about it all with a sort of boyish delight while dancing around on the decks. Meanwhile, Four Tet gave more satisfied dad energy while just walking around the stage in his green t-shirt and cargo shorts with a stunned look on his face.
And who could blame him? If you had said last year — or even last weekend — that Four Tet would close the Coachella mainstage, many people, maybe even Four Tet himself (born Kieran Hebden) — would have said it was impossible. The IDM pioneer, or “the grandmaster Four Tet” as Fred called him during the show, is one of the most well-respected electronic music producers of the last two-plus decades. But he has long been contained to Coachella’s smaller stages.
Last year it also would have been hard to predict a headlining set for Skrillex, who’s played Coachella Outdoor and Sahara Stages multiple times, but who up until this past February hadn’t released a new solo album in nine years. And while Fred’s breakout moment at Coachella 2022 basically functioned as a rocket launcher for his star-making last 12 months, few would have pinned him as a 2023 headliner.
But there they were, playing for the tens of thousands of people in the flesh and countless more watching around the world via livestream. The show felt like an exclamation point on this current moment of dance music, which feels ripe and rich with fresh energy, artists, sounds and fans.
During the EDM heyday, a headlining spot at Coachella was basically the gold standard of crossover success. Over the last few years dance music on the festival’s main stage has relied on stars of the EDM era, with Swedish House Mafia headlining last year and Calvin Harris closing the main stage on Saturday night (April 22). While Skrillex is certainly a peer of the latter two acts, what he’s doing with Fred and Four Tet feels more like the future of the genre than any sort of homage to past eras or hits as the lines between underground and commercial become blurrier and popular dance music becomes increasingly less reliant on pop structures. (And to be clear, we love those past hits, too.)
The last 20 minutes of the set were its best, with Skrilex winding up the crowd by starting, then stopping, then restarting, his recent Missy Elliot collaboration “RATATA” four or five times before letting it just play out as everyone danced — like really, truly raved. The guys then played Fisher’s new classic “Losin’ It,” subbing its tech house drop for bass music so heavy it could be felt rippling through the nervous system.
“We have three more” Fred said as the clock got closer to Coachella’s 12 a.m. sound curfew, and – incredibly, blissully unpretentiously – one of the songs they decided to close the show with was Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” Fred then got on the mic to say the next song would be one he learned to play on the drums as a kid, then playing an edit of “Miss You,” by Blink-182, an homage to the band who’d played the main stage before the three producers took it over. The whole thing ended with a mix of Skrillex’s 2011 “Cinema” remix and Four Tet’s “Teenage Birdsong,” – which got the full Coachella climactic fireworks treatment.
Then it was over. Onstage the guys hugged each other a few times, Four Tet grabbed his tote bag, Fred put his backpack on, and they trio walked back down the runway — a bit like actual pop stars, but more like three dance music stars who deserved to be there as much as anyone else.
Post-pandemic album cycles for A-list pop acts have often been accompanied by major, career-high concert announcements. Bad Bunny’s all-stadium World’s Hottest Tour preceded the release of Un Verano Sin Ti, Taylor Swift’s Midnights was followed by The Eras Tour, and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is being supported by his first run in stadiums. For the Jonas Brothers, similar announcements would trickle out. But before going big, they went intimate.
In March, Joe, Kevin & Nick Jonas put on five shows at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, recently the home to stage musicals Beetlejuice, Tootsie and Evita. Located on 46th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan, the Jonas Brothers took on Broadway with a series of (relatively) small shows that set the stage for the year ahead.
Titled Jonas Brothers on Broadway = 5 Albums 5 Nights, the band played its entire discography dating back to 2007, one album at a time: Jonas Brothers on the 14th, A Little Bit Longer on the 15th, Lines, Vines and Trying Times on the 16th, Happiness Begins on the 17th, and this year’s as-yet-unreleased The Album on the 18th.
Speaking to Billboard, Brad Wavra (SVP Global Touring, Live Nation) commented, “The Jonas Brothers’ Broadway shows were all about doing something unique and special for their fans. The intimate setting combined with the format of celebrating five albums over five nights was meant to bring fans along on the band’s personal journey from day one all the way into their new upcoming album.”
According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the Jonas Brothers grossed $1.6 million and sold 7,291 tickets over these five consecutive shows.
Scaling for the week of shows was relatively consistent, ranging from 1,387 tickets on the final night to 1,500 on the 16th. Accordingly, grosses barely budged, from $298,000 to $322,000. Tickets were priced between $299 and $89, averaging out at $213.
Having toured arenas and amphitheaters for the last 15 years, the Marquis Theatre is the smallest venue the Jonas Brothers have played since 2008, dating back to a sold-out underplay at London’s Carling Academy Islington (591 tickets, now known as the O2 Academy). To further illustrate the Broadway run’s rare intimacy, it’s the first reported engagement at the venue in Boxscore history.
Since the Jonas Brothers’ 2019 reunion, the band’s New York presence has been spread between Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, the Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) and Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (Wantagh, N.Y.). Those five shows (there were two at MSG) averaged $2.2 million and close to 15,000 tickets.
But the Marquis Theatre shows don’t represent a step down from historical business. Since their Broadway concerts, the JoBros announced a two-night stay at Yankee Stadium, marking the biggest area play of the band’s career. “The momentum is only going to build from here with their stadium shows coming in August, and with what more lies ahead for 2023,” says Wavra.
Throughout their history in arenas and amphitheaters, the Jonas Brothers have dipped their toes in the stadium circuit. Most recently, they played one show at Boston’s Fenway Park (Oct. 1, 2021) and two at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Penn. (Aug. 31, 2019 and Sept. 24, 2021). Those shows peaked at 31,000 in attendance and $2.6 million, leaving room to grow for Yankee Stadium’s 45,000 capacity.
Since the group’s earliest Boxscore reports in 2006, the Jonas Brothers have grossed $326.8 million and sold 4.5 million tickets across 359 shows. With three secret-location shows later this month in Los Angeles (April 25), Dallas-Fort Worth (April 26) and Baltimore (April 28), plus the Aug. 12-13 New York dates, those numbers will continue to grow in 2023.