Concerts
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Metallica‘s Helping Hands benefit concert will spread the good cheer farther and wider this year with a deal to air the show on Paramount+, Pluto TV and MTV’s YouTube channel. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the achievements of All Within My Hands at this year’s Helping Hands Concert & Auction and we’re psyched to tell you that it will be streamed live, thanks to our friends at @paramountplus!” the band wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday (Nov. 22).
The sold out Dec. 16 show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles will be hosted by late night’s Jimmy Kimmel and feature an opening set from Greta Van Fleet. The event will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET and stream live on Paramount+, with simulcasts on Pluto and YouTube. It will also feature an auction that kicks off on Dec. 5 to benefit the foundation, with 100% of the ticket and auction proceeds earmarked for those in need via a number of national and local charities.
Among the organizations that All Within My Hands has partnered with over the years are: the American Association of Community Colleges, Feeding America, Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen. This year alone the foundation has handed out $100,000 to Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen to help those hit hardest by Hurricanes Ian and Fiona in Florida and Puerto Rico in October, as well as $20,000 to the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh in August and $100,000 to World Central Kitchen’s efforts to feed Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s unprovoked war on their country.
Check out the announcement below.
SEVENTEEN will soon return to Los Angeles as one of the top-billed superstars performing at Penske Media Corporation’s first-ever culture and creativity festival LA3C, and Billboard has exclusive details on the K-pop superstar’s set.
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LA3C is excited to host SEVENTEEN for an hourlong performance at the forthcoming festival that includes Megan Thee Stallion and Maluma as headliners. The group describes the hour as a “mini concert” and that it will be perfect for anyone who couldn’t catch the guys this summer on their Be the Sun Tour, including a stop at LA’s Kia Forum.
While fans did get the chance to see performances from SEVENTEEN’s famous hip-hop, vocal and performance units during the Be the Sun Tour, SEVENTEEN also share that LA3C attendees will get another beloved unit from the band not seen on tour. The only hint they can share about the unit is that fans have been hoping to see the group back onstage all year, and next month’s LA3C will finally mark their return.
Overall, the “_WORLD” singers promise that their LA3C set will be a chance to see the diversity and collective concert experience that the noted K-pop powerhouses bring to the stage, both as their full 13 members and in units.
LA3C will take over Los Angeles State Historic Park on Dec. 10-11. Tickets for LA3C are available to purchase here. For up-to-date news on LA3C, follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Penske Media Corporation is the parent company of Billboard.
“I wish you health and love, prosperity. Be kind to each other, ok, and farewell.” With those words, Elton John concluded the final show of his last U.S. tour Sunday night (Nov. 20) at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, leaving behind the thousands of fans paying homage by wearing bejeweled eyeglasses, the hundreds wrapped in multi-colored feather boas, the dozens in sequined Dodgers outfits and one JoJo Siwa in John’s famous orange-plumed devil’s suit with horns, as the singer ascended to the top of the stage in an elevator — and disappeared for good.
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To say it’s the end of an era doesn’t begin to do justice to John and what his live shows have meant over the last six decades. Starting with his now-fabled run at Los Angeles Troubadour in 1970 to 52 years later, few solo artists have left as much of a mark on playing live.
Sunday’s show was his seventh at Dodger Stadium, dating back to his now iconic performances in October 1975 when the sparkly Dodger uniform made its first appearance, and his 103rd in the Los Angeles area. He also remarked it was the 271st show of the Farewell Yellow Brick Show outing, which began in 2018.
The sun may have gone down on the last U.S. show, but the tour will continue through July 2023 stopping in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. By October, the show had already grossed more than $660 million from over 250 U.S. shows. By the time the tour ends, it will undoubtedly surpass U2’s 360 Tour to be the second highest grossing tour in Billboard Boxscore history. The only question is if it can capture Ed Sheeran’s The Divide Tour, which earned $776.4 million.
Billboard Boxscore doesn’t span John’s entire touring life, but in the three decades it has been collecting data, John has grossed more than $1.7 billion to make him the highest grossing solo act in the chart’s history.
But the numbers are only part of the story. He has been a consistently magnificent live performer, not ever slowed by drug addiction, health issues, and now, at 75, age. And his final show of his last American tour at Dodger Stadium, showed why we’re unlikely to ever see an artist like him again in our lifetime.
Here are the top highlights from the show:
The extended takes on classics: They’ve been doing it for years, but it’s still striking to hear John and his band stretch out with bold muscularity on such tunes as “Rocket Man,” “Levon” and “Take Me to the Pilot,” lifting them far beyond the radio versions. They’ve been playing together for decades and have retained a razor sharpness, led by John’s pounding piano playing, Nigel Olsson’s precision drumming and Davey Johnstone’s blazing guitar work that is still stunning to hear without ever appearing superfluous. Somehow, the expanded version of “Levon” turned the song from the pristine, delicate studio take into a bop that had the 50-something, sparkly sweater-wearing man in front of me devising a solo dance worthy of “So You Think You Can Dance” and John dramatically collapsing over his piano by the time it was done.
John’s voice: It’s deeper now and not as sweet and clear as it was during the ‘70s, but the crystal tone has been replaced with a richness that shows off John’s love for the blues. That affinity always informed his playing, but not necessarily his vocals in the early years.
His BFF Brandi Carlile: Carlile was one of three special guests for the show that aired live on Disney + and while it was easy to guess that Kiki Dee and Dua Lipa would be singing their hits with John, Carlile’s song was a surprise. She joined him for “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” so famously first turned into a duet by George Michael and John at 1985’s Live Aid. Walking out in a glittery suit of her own (with Rocket and 1 emblazoned on the back), Carlile’s lilting-yet-powerhouse vocals perfectly captured the song’s desperation. However, she couldn’t hide her joy in singing with one of her musical heroes, even giving an adorable fist pump when she left the stage. John came out from the piano to deliver a nostalgic rendition of his and Dee’s 1976 classic, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” that finished strong after a timid start, and Lipa and John’s first performance ever together of their 2021 global mashup, “Cold Heart.”
The material: John’s songs have held up beautifully. With a few exceptions (we’re looking at you, 1979’s disco album, Victim of Love), John’s songs have always had a timeless quality to them whether it’s the simple, elegant beauty of “Your Song” or the raucous, barreling “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” or the utter despair of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” They sound as good and relevant today as they did when they first came out decades ago. John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, who came out to a warm ovation, are simply one of the greatest partnerships in musical history. They’ve been creating together since 1967 and though John will no longer tour, he’s given no indication that he plans to stop making music.
John’s gratitude: He’s always made a point of making sure that audience knows how appreciative he is of their support that has enabled him to have such a remarkable career and life. He made sure to thank the fans one more time in a speech that was also a reminder of just how long he has been part of our lives (and through how many formats). “I became successful first in America, and you bought the singles and the albums and the 8 tracks and cassettes, the CDs, and more importantly you bought the tickets to the shows which I love more than anything, which is to play live,” he said. “So, I want to thank you because you made me. Without America, I wouldn’t be here. So, thank you for all the years of love and generosity and loyalty.” The feeling was clearly mutual. To be clichéd and obvious, how wonderful life has been while Elton John has been in the world.
Elton John Nov. 20 set list:
“Bennie and the Jets”
“Philadephia Freedom”
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”
“Border Song”
“Tiny Dancer”
“Have Mercy”
“Rocketman”
“Take Me To The Pilot”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“Levon”
“Candle In The Wind”
“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”
“Burn Down The Mission”
“Sad Songs Say So Much”
“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
“The Bitch Is Back”
“I’m Still Standing”
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
“Crocodile Rock”
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”
“Cold Heart”
“Your Song”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
Jisoo shared the stage with special guest Camila Cabello at BLACKPINK‘s concert in Los Angeles Saturday night (Nov. 19).
Jisoo and Camila sang “Liar,” a song off of Cabello’s Romance album that peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2019. Cabello wore a custom BLACKPINK outfit for the occasion at Banc of California Stadium.
On BLACKPINK’s Born Pink World Tour, Jisoo has been performing “Liar” for her part of the solo act of the show.
Jisoo shared a snapshot of the two together on Saturday in an Instagram Story, tagging Cabello and writing, “Love youuuuuu.”
Watch a fan-filmed clip of the pair singing “Liar” below.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a $1 million donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation during one of the star’s weekend performances at Dodger Stadium, the last North American stop on his final tour.
The team’s principal owner, Mark Walter, and Dodgers co-owner Billie Jean King presented a symbolic giant check at Saturday night’s (Nov. 19) show.
John thanked the team for its generosity and called Dodger Stadium “an iconic venue which has meant so much to me and my career.”
John made his 1970 U.S. debut at a local nightclub, the Troubadour, and surged to stardom, famously appearing at Dodger Stadium in sequined Dodgers uniforms in 1975.
His foundation is an independent organization dedicated to ending AIDS.
One person has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault on a couple in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after an Elton John concert last week, a police spokesperson said Sunday (Nov. 20).
Video showing portions of an altercation was posted on the TMZ celebrity news website on Saturday.
Officer Rosario Cervantes said the Los Angeles Police Department was aware of the “battery and vandalism” that occurred on Nov. 17, but she did not have many details.
One victim was treated at a hospital and released on the night of the incident and another victim was released at a later date.
“We have one arrest that has been made. However that’s all we have at the moment,” Rosario said.
There was no additional information, including the identity of the arrestee, she said.
“The incident is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for us to comment at this time,” Dodgers spokesperson Nicole Singer said in an email to The Associated Press.
At around 11:30 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 19), a handful of fans were bundled up in beach chairs and tents along the Fonda Theatre’s parking lot fence in L.A. “BROCKHAMPTON ENDS AT THE FONDA,” the venue’s marquee sign read. The kids were camping out in hopes of getting tickets to Brockhampton’s final show, and on the night of the event, naturally, the line was wrapped around the block.
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Brockhampton declared it “BH Weekend” two days prior when they announced the show and released their final two albums, The Family and TM. Live-streamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel, the concert was free, and starting at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, fans were able to get wristbands from the venue on a first come, first served basis, guaranteeing them a ticket to the show the following day.
The concert came as a surprise to fans since the group said their last two shows would be at Coachella earlier this year. Inside the Fonda, the floor slowly began to fill up in the hour preceding the show, which was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. The balcony was reserved for Brockhampton’s guests, including their family and their label, RCA. Dua Lipa was also attendance and fans spotted Tyler, the Creator as he slipped out at the end.
By 8:05 p.m., Kevin Abstract slowly walked on stage to Celine Dion‘s “All By Myself” before erupting into “Big P—y.” The band’s six other vocalists — Matt Champion, Joba, Bearface, Jabari Manwa, Merlyn and Dom McLennon — joined him shortly after and the boys played songs from each of their albums dating back to their debut studio album 2017’s Saturation.
Unlike their previous performances, the set design this time around was minimal. Only a wide, black staircase sat towards the back of the stage, and was used as a resting spot for the band in between songs. The boys also didn’t wear matching outfits this time, like their varsity jackets at Coachella earlier this year or their orange jumpsuits from their 2017 Camp Flog Gnaw Festival set, but looked as if they arrived separately to the show in clothes they had been wearing all the day. Yet, the crowd didn’t seem to notice or care, as they sang every word to every song with their favorite boy band for the last time.
“Brockhampton’s just like, acceptance and so many things that are important to me, and just changed everything. Thank you so much,” a front-row fan named Brendan said when asked why he likes Brockhampton. Brendan, who was also celebrating his birthday, was then invited on-stage for “Bleach.”
As the show went on, fans were lost in the moment, but there was an undeniable bittersweet feeling amongst the crowd. Like the fans, it seemed as though Brockhampton was excited to release some pent-up energy. The guys were running around the stage and jumping up and down, but it also felt like they were trying to get the show over with the way they transitioned between songs. There was little chatter in-between tracks too, except for the fan interaction and Merlyn introducing his former bandmates at the end. At one point, Abstract got a fan so hype, he almost jumped across the rail and climb on-stage.
By 9:39 p.m., the group walked off after performing “New Shoes” from TM. Naturally, fans began chanting “One more song!” and two minutes later, Bearface came back out to sing his solo ballad, “Summer.” They all then closed out the show for real with “Boogie.”
And while they didn’t take a group bow at the end, Brockhampton still made sure to provide a tad bit of closure. “Thank you very much, thanks for everything,” said Abstract. “See you guys, when we see you.”
In light of fans — and Taylor Swift herself — taking issue with Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s highly publicized Verified Fan Presale failure, Jack Antonoff has a few choice words to share about the touring industry’s treatment of artists.
The Bleachers frontman and producer hit Twitter on Friday (Nov. 18) to blast music venues for taking away the revenue that newer artists have the potential to make from merchandise sales during concerts.
“While we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? This is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring,” he started. “The more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get. Touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. Some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. So why must [they] f— artist[s] so hard?”
The Grammy winning producer continued, “[Simple] solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. The stories I could tell from my years of touring are bananas. Young artists on tour are the last to see any money.”
Antonoff’s thread comes at what feels like a watershed moment for the music industry. Ticketmaster and Live Nation have come under fire from Antonoff’s frequent collaborator Taylor Swift, her fans and lawmakers after the disastrous sale of tickets for her 2023 The Eras tour.
The failure has led to the U.S. Department of Justice launching an investigation to see if the companies have abused its market shares in the music industry after 14 million fans attempted to access the presale, experienced major technical difficulties and failed to secure tickets, despite gaining entry into Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan Presale for the event. “It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them,” Swift said in a note to fans.
Another one of Antonoff’s collaborators, Lorde, spoke about the harsh realities of touring in a newsletter post to fans, stating, “for pretty much every artist selling less tickets than I am, touring has become a demented struggle to break even or face debt.” According to the “Solar Power” singer, an increase in ticket prices could cover the heightened cost of touring, but “no one wants to charge their harried and extremely-compassionate-and-flexible audience any more f—ing money.”
Antonoff, with the rest of Bleachers, will complete the final dates of the band’s How Dare You Want Tour on Dec. 3-4 at the Zona Festival in Phoenix. The band are confirmed for two festival dates in 2023; the High Water Fest in North Charleston, S.C., on April 15 and the Adjacent Music Fest in Atlantic City, N.J. on May 27.
See Antonoff’s tweets below.
while we are having the discussion can venues simply stop taxing merch of artists? this is literally the only way you make money when you start out touring— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022
the more we make it tenable for young and small artists to make a living on the road the more great music we will get— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022
touring is one of the most honest ways to make a living. some of the hardest and most heartfelt work you can do. so why must fuck artist so hard?— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022
simpel solutions, stop taxing merch, stop lying to artists about costs of putting on shows, include artists in more areas of revenue. the stories i could tell from my years touring are bananas. young artists on tour are the last to see any money.— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 18, 2022
It’s 4 in the afternoon at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, two-and-a-half hours before doors open for Harry Styles‘ Monday night show, one of the final 15 residency-style concerts the Grammy-winner is hosting at the iconic venue. But the atmosphere outside is hardly the calm before the storm. In fact, it’s a glittery, brightly colored, feather boa-filled party filled with hundreds of young fans, lined up through the parking lot and down the street to ensure a spot standing as close to the stage as possible.
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“We got out here at 3 a.m.,” 26-year-old Jalyssa Brown tells Billboard, as she’s sitting on the pavement with her friend, Kaitlynn Beeler, 22, so close to the front of the line that they’ve seemingly guaranteed a great spot. “We didn’t sleep because it was so cold, but we wish we could have slept.” Ahead of her are dozens of fans who have been waiting even longer.
Beeler then explains that they waited in line with other fans from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m., and then after seven hours, they receive an “early general admission” wristband, which allows them to be one of the first to enter the venue. The fans are then encouraged to go home, rest and get ready, before returning at 3 p.m. to get back in line until doors open at 6:30 p.m. To pass the time, the groups keep it fun with card games, making TikToks or simply just talking to each other.
While there is inherently some risk of danger when young women are camping out overnight in a major city like Los Angeles or New York City, where there were similar scenes outside Styles’ shows at Madison Square Garden in August and September. But there’s strength in numbers when it comes to Styles fans, affectionately called Harries. “I fully slept on the street by myself, two feet away from a random car,” 19-year-old Julianna Malek, who was standing with a group of friends she just met, shares. “Harry is the only artist that I would feel safe camping by myself for. I knew this morning that I could come and make friends and be OK.”
“If we meet someone and they’re a die-hard Harrie, we know they’re going to be a good person,” one of Malek’s new pals, Darcy Callaway, 28, adds, before 24-year-old Olivia Nicholas agrees. “I would trust anyone here,” she says.
Julianna Malek, Cressie Rynne, Olivia Nicholas and Darcy Callaway.
Rania Aniftos
And, yes, they have a specially planned bathroom schedule. “I’m queen of pee,” Brown jokes. “You pee before you leave, and then again when you get here because there are Porta Potties. You get through the line and they let you pee again. Hopefully, by then, you’re fully drained but, if not, our number is lower so we’ll get inside then have five minutes to pee. But we haven’t been drinking water. It’s planned all day long.”
For the average music fan, waiting more than 15 hours outside in the cold just to see a concert might sound strange or even absurd. But talking to these fans for just a few minutes, it quickly becomes clear that all the time, effort and money spent is for more than their love of the 28-year-old star. There’s a sweet sense of community among the Harries, something that Styles himself often encourages throughout his shows and in songs like Fine Line‘s “Treat People With Kindness.”
“I think it speaks for itself when we can be like, ‘Oh we can name everyone in the line around us.’ Everyone is so open and kind and wanting to connect,” 24-year-old Cressie Rynne explains, before Malek chimes in, “Most people here have followed Harry since his 2011 One Direction days, so we have such a huge piece of our lives growing up with this man. It’s surprisingly a very connecting factor.”
“I mean, we just met her 10 minutes ago,” Rynne says, pointing at Malek, who begins to gush over the noticeable variety in races, ethnicities and sexual orientations among the fans in line. “His message is so positive and he provides such a safe space for so many different identities of people. That’s one of his biggest attractors,” she says.
And, of course, his looks don’t hurt. “Have you seen him?” Nicholas says with a laugh.
Harry Styles can’t seem to catch a break during his live shows. Continuing what seems to be an unfortunate fan tradition, Styles — while performing “Kiwi” from his self-titled debut LP at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Monday night (Nov. 14) — got an eyeful’s worth of Skittles thrown at his face, and as a result covered his eyes.
A disgruntled fan who caught the moment on camera took to Twitter and wrote, “whoever the f–k threw a solid object at his eye, u literally ruined kiwi bc he wouldn’t open his eye for the whole song.” Another worried fan, who shared video of the moment slowed down, wrote, “like are you joking?? look how hard he recoils hope your eye is okay @Harry_Styles.”
Thankfully, Styles appears to be okay — not only did he continue with the rest of his concert, Styles’ backing bandmate Pauli the PSM shared an update about his condition during an Instagram Live DJ set later in the evening. “H came through, confirming his eye is okay,” Pauli said, adding, “But do me a favor, don’t throw no more Skittles on stage.”
Styles appeared to also have a good sense of humor about his injury. Tuning into Pauli’s Live, he commented, “See you tomorrow AVEC eye patch.”
This is far from the first time the “Watermelon Sugar” singer has had objects thrown at him while performing. During an August show of Styles’ Madison Square Garden residency, a fan threw multiple chicken nuggets on stage, and in October, a fan threw an unidentified object that hit him in the groin area.
See the tweets regarding Styles’ Skittles-induced eye injury below.
whoever the fuck threw a solid object at his eye, u literally ruined kiwi bc he wouldn’t open his eye for the whole song pic.twitter.com/CRBWzsYqcc— mandi🏠HARRY TALKED TO ME?? (@ibringthep0p) November 15, 2022