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01 Mar 2023

Did Harry Styles Spit on Chris Pine? Actor Reveals What Really Happened at the Venice Film Festival

Many months ago, the internet was in an uproar with questions regarding a convincing video taken at the Venice Film Festival that appeared to show Harry Styles spitting into the lap of his Don’t Worry Darling costar Chris Pine. And finally, we have some answers.

In a Wednesday (March 1) video interview with Esquire, Pine finally revealed what actually happened in that viral moment from Darling‘s world premiere. “Harry did not spit on me,” he began. “Harry’s a very, very kind guy.”

“I had no idea what happened,” he continued, recalling how his publicist woke him up in the middle of his flight home, insisting they needed to release a statement regarding the spit-cident. “She showed me the thing, and it does look, indeed, like Harry spitting on me. He didn’t spit on me.”

Pine had previously denied that the “As It Was” pop star spat on him, with his reps releasing a statement almost immediately after the video started going viral in September that it was simply an “odd online illusion.” This is the first time, however, that either costar has provided an explanation for what Styles really did in the clip, if not hocking a loogie on the Star Trek actor’s lap.

“He leaned down, and I think he said, ‘It’s just words, isn’t it?’” Pine revealed in the new interview. “‘Cause we had this little joke. We’re all jet-lagged, we’re all trying to answer these questions. Sometimes when you’re doing these press things, your brain gets befuddled and you start speaking gibberish. And we had a joke: ‘It’s just words, man.’”

The “Watermelon Sugar” singer has also previously addressed SpitGate, as it’s referred to by some corners of the Twitterverse, in his own way. At his first concert back from the film festival, Styles joked with his audience that he’d “just popped very quickly to Venice to spit on Chris Pine.”

Watch Pine explain what really went down with the Grammy-winning singer at the Venice Film Festival below:

01 Mar 2023

Travis Scott Suspected Of 2-Piecing Someone In NYC Club

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Made In America Festival, Day 2, Philadelphia, USA - 01 Sep 2019

Source: Variety / Getty

Travis Scott may not be known as a “gangsta rapper,” but the Houston artist allegedly thugged it out in New York City as he is suspected of putting hands on someone in the wee hours of the morning.

TMZ is reporting that the “Highest In The Room” rapper is being sought for questioning in relation to an assault that took place at Nebula in Midtown Manhattan which led to a man being punched and having his property destroyed. The incident unfolded at 3am at the club located on 41st Street and police are looking to have a chat with Scott and his representatives about the altercation.

As for why he was in town, it appears Don Toliver had a show in NYC Tuesday night, bringing out Travis — much to the delight of fans.Travis is set to headline Rolling Loud California in Los Angeles Saturday night … unclear if that appearance will be impacted at all because of the investigation.We’ve reached out to Travis’ team … so far, no word back.Well, at least Travis is able to once again rock crowds without any conspiracy theories of human sacrifices and demonic rituals.

Whether or not Scott and his peoples actually cooperate with police is anyone’s guess, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the man is already back on a flight to Houston at this point. Chances are if Scott actually did assault someone at the club, that person’s going to sue Scott for a few stacks sooner or later because, hey, why not? If Travis Scott put hands on us we’d just sue for a few pairs of those Friends and Family Air Jordan 4’s that were never released along with monetary compensation. Just sayin.’

Check out Travis Scott rock the crowd in NYC below and let us know your thoughts on the situation in the comment section below.

01 Mar 2023

A Night With Key Glock, Rap’s Reclusive Star 

It’s a foggy night inside and outside of EMPIRE’s Times Square studios. After a tiring day of press running around the Big Apple and a multi-course dinner celebrating the forthcoming release of his Glockoma 2 album, a tipsy Key Glock already has his sights set on his next project. 

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“You’re going to hear something new every other month,” Glock said in his interview at the Billboard office hours earlier. “Just know you’re gonna hear more Glizzock.”

But don’t expect a third installment in the Glockoma series — as he shuts down the idea of a threequel there, and is also tight-lipped about the whereabouts of the completed Dum and Dummer 3 with his late mentor Young Dolph.

The 25-year-old nods along to what he feels like 100 beats from his frequent collaborator Bandplay and jokes about how he’s already rapped over every possibility in the producer’s beat extensive folder — two of which were laced with catchy, nostalgic samples like Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” and Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” (of UGK fame). 

Glock attributes his meticulous ear for production to his grandmother, who listened to a mix of blues and hip-hop while raising him in South Memphis. He recalls her playing an array of 2Pac, Three 6 Mafia and UGK, in addition to soul singers Johnny Taylor and Tyrone Davis. 

“The soul music, that’s more of the real life stuff, where hip-hop is more of the entertainment and street-life stuff,” he adds. “They both just had a toll on me coming up.”

Draped in Air Jordan “Mocha” 3’s, a plaid Amiri sweater and a matching beige Seattle Mariners cap to complete his fit, Key Glock finds a thumping trap beat from Bandplay’s folder to his liking and hits the booth with now less than 24 hours until Glockoma 2’s arrival. 

It’s after midnight on the East Coast, and members of Glock’s team have left. Paper Route CEO Daddy-O dozes in and out of sleepy consciousness behind his Cartier shades, while the Cutthroat rapper’s entourage keeps the party going, after three bottles of Don Julio 1942 Tequila arrive via DoorDash and Backwoods are being rolled up like an assembly line. 

Glizzock’s girlfriend, beauty influencer Karin Jinsui, is also present, but keeping to herself for most of the night — scrolling on her phone and comforting Glock when he steps out of the booth. 

It’s been over four years since the original Glockoma landed, but the second installment is finally here. Bandplay reveals that most of the album was recorded on the European leg of Glock’s tour last summer.

“We match our sound perfectly,” he says. “A lot of this project we recorded in Europe. Pretty much 75 percent of the project got recorded overseas while we were on tour. The whole ambiance of being overseas is all over the project. Their speakers [just] ain’t hitting like ours.”

Glizzock notched his first solo top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 with 2021’s Yellow Tape 2, and he’s in contention to earn another top 10 with Glockoma 2 next week – and that’s all without any features, which he boasts about on album closer “F–k a Feature.” 

“I tried to stay in the same lane and same style,” he states. “It’s just present Glock, is the only difference. Some songs are on there from two years ago and some are from two weeks ago.”

A testament to his consistency while building up his fan base, Key Glock refuses to engage in a lot of the social media antics his peers might lean into all of while remaining independent (He’s signed to EMPIRE for distribution). “You can’t worry about the next person and look at their success and their growth and wonder why you not doing the same,” Glock says. “Everybody get their time to shine, but it just depends on what you do when your time comes. Take advantage of that.”

He continues to do the heavy lifting for Paper Route Empire, with the Memphis label’s legacy now on his back following the loss of PRE patriarch Young Dolph. “Rest in peace Dolph, yeah he gave me the torch,” Glock raps on Glockoma 2 standout “Randy Orton.” 

Dolph’s chilling Nov. 2021 murder in his hometown sent shockwaves throughout hip-hop, and Glock didn’t take much time away from the grind. He last spoke to Billboard in his first interview following the tragedy (March 2022) where he referred to his Dum and Dummer collaborator as his “motivation,” and seemed to be zapped of any creative inspiration. 

“We the same person, we just different ages,” he says now, reflecting on Dolph. “We got the same mindset and we think alike and move the same way. Even way before we clicked and bonded together, we was already like twins. [He inspires me to] keep standing on business with the music, because I know he wouldn’t want me to stop.”

Glock is animated, bopping around the booth with his hands moving, while punching in bar after bar. Bandplay explains that it’s a rare occasion for the “Russian Cream” rapper to be recording following a few cocktails, but it’s been a special celebratory affair. 

Paper Route Empire hosted about 50 music industry professionals for dinner at the swanky Midtown Japanese restaurant Zuma earlier in the night, where the label surprised Glizzock with another platinum plaque to add to his growing collection, for the flute-tinged “Ambition for Cash.” 

Employees wheel in a rare bottle of Louis XIII – one of the most expensive cognac’s made sporting a four-figure price tag – and shots are extracted and poured using an oversized syringe, for a toast to Glock’s recent success. 

Momma Glock receives a FaceTime call shortly after, showing her she’d have another plaque on the way to add to her trophy room — where she proudly displays all of her son’s accolades. Key Glock has previously compared his tight-knit bond with his mother to that of Kanye West and the late Donda West. 

The clock strikes 2:00 a.m. ET and Glizzock emerges from the booth, ready for his team to hear the raw finished version of his latest work. With a more blunted yet steady flow, Glock glides over the menacing trap production, utilizing shrewd wordplay incorporating Drake and Migos in the midst of his braggadocious rhymes. 

“Song’s hard as f–k,” says one of Glock’s friends, who goes by “Drip,” lending his stamp of approval. KG agrees and has the record sent to his flooded email.

Everyone gets back to cracking jokes — a theme of the night — before Glock wins one more battle with his publicist, pushing his first obligations for the next day back a couple hours until after noon, putting the star at ease to enjoy what’s left of another late night.

01 Mar 2023

Simon Cowell Calls Weezer’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Performance with Detroit Youth Choir ‘Magic’

Weezer has toured the globe, sold millions of albums and written some of the greatest pop-rock anthems of the modern rock era. But the one thing the Rivers Cuomo-led band has never done is get a thumbs-up from Simon Cowell. But on Tuesday night (Feb. 28) the band popped in for a guest slot on America’s Got Talent, where they ripped through two songs and got high praise from the notoriously cranky reality TV judge.

The mini-set kicked off with a run through the SZN: Autumn track “What Happens After You?,” with the group performing the charging track in front of a giant wall of TV monitors as the judges politely clapped along. Then, in a surprise shift, the iconic drumroll kick-off to the band’s 2005 hit “Beverly Hills” swelled up and the Detroit Youth Choir charged to the stage, clapping their hands and chanting, “gimme gimme, cuz we the next big thing!/ Can you feel me, I know you hear me/ DYC the next big thing.”

While Cuomo strummed and sang the song’s first verse the choir busted out some high-energy choreo and made the chorus swell with their gospel-y backing vocals as judge Howie Mandel said, “I love this song.” After the stage exploded in confetti streamers, Mandel, Cowell and Heidi Klum gave the combined group a standing ovation.

Cuomo told host Terry Crews that performing withe choir was “super fun,” calling their background vocals “beautiful.” Cowell could not have agreed more, dubbing the performance “absolutely brilliant,” while thanking the band for the “magic” they brought to the stage.

Watch Weezer on AGT below.

01 Mar 2023

John Esposito Named Chairman of T.J. Martell Foundation as Organization Rebuilds From Financial Scandal: Exclusive

The T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer Research, which is in the midst of rebuilding after the organization’s former executive vp/GM Melissa Goodwin was found to have embezzled $4 million from the music industry-supported charity, has named Warner Music Group chairman emeritus John “Espo” Esposito the new chairman of the board of trustees.

“We got the double whammy of the COVID pandemic and somebody being a bad actor,” says Esposito, who stepped down as chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville on Dec. 31 and wanted to devote some of his newfound time to good works. “I felt qualified with my knowledge of the organization and passion for them to do what I could to help get us back on track.”

Esposito’s initial term is for two years. He succeeds Universal Music Group general counsel and executive vp Jeffrey Harleston, who will now serve as executive chairman.

Esposito, who has served as a T.J. Martell Foundation trustee since 2006 but has supported the organization since 1997, adds, “Obviously, I’m not going to do that single-handedly, but I felt like I could use my leadership skills to help us in so many ways.”

Former consultant Lynn-Anne Huck, who took over as acting CEO in 2020 after initially conducting the review that unearthed Goodwin’s improprieties, is now the permanent CEO of the Nashville-based organization.

T.J. Martell Foundation

      

Courtesy of T.J. Martell Foundation

Formed by record executive Tony Martell in 1975 following the death of his son, T.J., from leukemia, T.J. Martell holds multiple annual charitable events, auctions and campaigns in tandem with the music community in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Miami and other cities. It has raised more than $280 million in support of medical research grants at leading U.S. institutions and helped secure more than $1 billion in additional research funding.

T.J. Martell is additionally preparing for its 45th annual New York Honors Gala, the organization’s first since 2019. Held at Cipriani 42nd  Street, the June 13 event will honor Warner Records co-chairman and CEO Tom Corson with the Lifetime Music Industry award, Def Jam Recordings chief creative officer and executive vp Archie Davis with the Rising Music Superstar Award and songwriter Shane McAnally with the Spirit of Music Award.

Esposito takes over a charity that was roiled by Goodwin’s actions. According to federal charging documents, from July 2018 to April 2020, she used a company credit card to purchase approximately $3.96 million in concert and sporting event tickets, including for Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and the Super Bowl. She also bought plane tickets, alcohol and hotel stays. Goodwin turned some of the items over to the owner of a charity auction business to resell but kept the money instead of turning it over to the charity.

Prosecutors also say she falsified credit card statements, created fake expense reports and replaced the ticket expenses with other vendor names to make the charges appear to be legitimate foundation expenses. Goodwin, who cooperated with federal prosecutors, pled guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to four years in prison in August. The Foundation is the plaintiff in four other suits relating to Goodwin’s malfeasance — including one against its former accounting firm — that are all in the discovery stage.

Under Harleston and Huck, the organization put safeguards in place to assure supporters and donors that what happened under Goodwin won’t happen again. “Lynn-Anne created a 28-page policies and procedures manual for financial transactions,” Esposito says. “We’re probably going above and beyond on a consistent basis.”

“If you go to our website,” Huck says, “you’re going to find more information than almost any other non-profit. We are absolutely transparent with everything.” The website includes IRS 990 Forms going back to 2017, as well as independent audit reports. 

According to its latest 990 form, T.J. Martell, a registered 501 (c) corporation, ended 2021 with net assets of $1.045 million. Like many organizations, it took a hit during the pandemic; its net assets on its 2019 990 form were listed as $3.35 million. Despite that drop as well as Goodwin’s actions, Huck says the organization was able to fulfill all of its 2019 promised grants going into 2020 before the pandemic hit. It will resume grant-giving this year.

Esposito, Huck and the trustees have also done outreach to rebuild trust brick by brick. “To get people back in the boat, every quarter I had a list of about 250 donors and friends, and either myself or [other key T.J. Martell board members] would just get on the phone and answer questions,” Huck says. “’What are we doing?’ ‘How are we going to make sure this never happens again?’ So by the time [Goodwin] was charged last year, everybody knew. We kept them in the light all along.” 

T.J. Martell’s first event in 2023 occurred during Grammy Week in Los Angeles when it held its Best Cellars dinner. Similar events to be held in Nashville, Napa, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Cleveland this year will pair a four-course gourmet meal with wines provided by some of the country’s most distinguished wine collectors. The Los Angeles event, which was held Feb. 2, netted $600,000 for the organization, far beyond its original budget of a “few hundred thousand,” Esposito says.  

“The love in that room and the enthusiasm in that room, it was like we were back in 1999. It was a great feeling,” Esposito says. “So, I’m feeling very confident that as long as we take all the right steps, we’re going to build this thing to a really good place.”

The organization is also looking at ways to broaden its outreach by spreading into other areas — part of a strategy to cut down on the number of events it holds each year. In 2018, T.J. Martell held 32 events that raised over $4 million. With this year’s seven Best Cellars dinners, it hopes to raise $3 million. Ideas include creating marathon teams that raise money for T.J. Martell, as well as increasing planned giving by individuals and estates and increasing branding and sponsorship possibilities. “It’s tapping into cash that makes the events far more productive and our not being so dependent on 30 events in a year,” Esposito says. 

By relying less on staff-intensive events, Esposito and Huck hope to keep their personnel numbers down. In 2019, T.J. Martell had 25 full-time employees but now has only three. As the organization revs back up, they say they will judiciously hire more staffers based on need.

As Esposito delves into his role, he says the two words he uses to sum up T.J. Martell 2.0 are “transparency and enthusiasm… I yearn for us to be transparent on a profound level. And every philanthropic organization relies on enthusiasm, and 2023 is the year we’re building enthusiasm back and I’m thrilled that I’m already feeling it,” he says. “I can only imagine as we start getting events like the gala under our belt that people will be saying, ‘They’re back and better than ever.’”

01 Mar 2023

Kelly Rowland & Sara Bareilles to Judge Audible’s ‘Breakthrough,’ The First Audio-Only Singing Contest

Audible is taking music contests and audio storytelling to a whole new level with Breakthrough, the first audio-only singing competition series developed and launched exclusively as a podcast.

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The company revealed exclusively to Billboard on Wednesday (March 1) that Grammy-winning superstars Kelly Rowland and Sara Bareilles have joined Breakthrough as judges. On the show, the duo will guide the contestants’ performances, as well as mentor the artistic development of five artists through a season of musical challenges. As expected with the “audio only” format, the physical appearance of the performers is concealed, so their music is the only thing to connect them to listeners (and the judges too).

Over the course of nine episodes, the artists will be challenged with covering tracks that mean the most to them, stretching to genres outside their comfort zones, and writing and recording hooks and full original songs — with one artist ultimately crowned the winner. Throughout the series, Daveed Diggs will guide listeners through the contestants’ journeys as the host.

“I am so thrilled to be joining this group of wildly talented people for Breakthrough,” Bareilles said in a press statement. “I love that the creative team are on the same journey as our audience – getting to know these artists without seeing them – developing a sense of their artistry through only their music and storytelling. These five incredible souls showed up to each challenge with courage and vulnerability that invited us all into a remarkably intimate space, and I learned so much from them. No matter where you are in your career it is always inspiring to witness someone reach for the deepest parts of themselves and be willing to share that tender space.”

Rowland added, “I am so happy to be a part of this series that highlights and gives a voice to emerging artists. Audible is an ideal space for this and Breakthrough is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to up-and-coming musicians. I’m rooting for them all!”

Breakthrough premieres June 1 on Audible. Before then, check out an exclusive audio teaser below.

01 Mar 2023

Spotify Launches ‘R&B First Nights’ Campaign, Featuring Live Shows by Victoria Monét & FLO

Spotify is launching a R&B First Nights program to support and amplify the genre’s rising stars and connect them to their fans, Billboard can exclusively announce Wednesday (March 1).

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As part of R&B First Nights, Spotify will support four R&B up-and-comers’ live shows in U.S. cities, and invite their superfans to attend. The streaming service’s latest initiative is supported by Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund, which also recently supported the company’s GLOW program for LGBTQ artists.

Singer-songwriter Victoria Monét will kick off Spotify’s R&B First Nights in Los Angeles on March 31, while U.K. trio FLO will perform in Atlanta on April 13.

“To this day I’ve still never headlined my own show and it’s been a huge dream of mine, which is why this upcoming show with Spotify is so special and important to me!” says Monét in a statement to Billboard. “It’s more than a concert: It’s a celebration and kickoff to a new era of my music. Thank you so much to Spotify for what will be an unforgettable night in L.A.! My first headline show of many.”

Tickets for Monét’s L.A. show at the El Rey Theatre go on sale Friday, March 3, at 10 a.m. PT here.

“As Spotify continues its support of R&B globally by providing resources, visibility, and vehicles for storytelling, this series kicking off with Victoria Monét is just the beginning,” says Alaysia Sierra, head of R&B at Spotify, in a statement to Billboard. “R&B First Nights is a quarterly series in partnership with artists on their first-ever headlining show in select markets. A special moment for the artists (as a first can only happen once), but also one of the most memorable moments for a fan — we’re so excited to be giving this opportunity to R&B artists and fans. Since this is likely the first time many will be seeing their favorite artist live, we’ve been so intentional about who and where.”

01 Mar 2023

Wendy Williams Says She Is Formerly Retired And Wants To Be A Guest On ‘The View’

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Wendy Williams apololgy

Source: The Wendy Williams Show / Youtube

It looks like the Queen Of All Media is mounting a comeback. Wendy Williams says she is formerly retired and wants to be a guest on The View.

As spotted on Deadline the Ocean Township native was spotted out and about in New York City while on trip to Petco. Paparazzi bumped into her and she was willing to have some small talk. “I’m shopping for kitty litter because I have a wax museum in Paris and one in California,” Williams said. “I’m going for a week in Paris and then three weeks in California and then immediately fly back”.

It seems she has her sights set all on business upon returning from her travels. “And then I want to be on TV, stuff like Seth Meyers, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, The View, stuff like that. I am formerly retired” she revealed. This is not the first time she has hinted at living her best life. Last year as a guest at the Circle Of Sisters expo she made it clear that she wants to see the world. “I’m going to take a year of my life to fly and do and see things I’ve never done before, while I’m young enough” she said.

It’s been a couple of tough years for the legendary talk show host. Back in September 2021 she tested for COVID-19. While she correctly quarantined her health challenges only got worse. Her issues forced her to postpone the season 13 of The Wendy Williams Show several times causing the production staff to schedule other celebrities to sub in for her. Fast forward six months and Sherri Sheperd was offered her own show. It is unclear if Wendy Williams will take her talents to another television network or go to a streaming platform.

Photo: The Wendy Williams Show

01 Mar 2023

Feel-Good Vibes: Chance The Rapper Tweets About Random Act Of Kindness By “THE Martin Short!!”

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Life Is Beautiful festival, Day 1, Las Vegas, USA - 20 Sep 2019

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Even the simplest act of random kindness can go a long way and mean more to its recipient than the good samaritan could ever know—especially if the act is done by a famous person whom the recipient greatly admires. And, apparently, that’s still the case when the recipient is also a famous person.

Recently, Chance The Rapper shared a feel-good experience on Twitter he had with legendary actor Martin Short, or as Chance called him, THE Martin Short!!”

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“So I just got on this plane with my daughter, and found out our seats weren’t next to each other. I really ain’t wanna inconvenience anyone by asking them to swap seats, but before I could say anything this kind older gentleman offered his seat to Kensli so we could sit together,” Chance tweeted Sunday along with a photo of Short playing Jack Frost in the 2006 Holiday film The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause. “We both said thank you and as he stands up, I realize it’s THE Martin Short!! So cool and Kensli freaked out cause she’s obsessed with The Santa Clause 3. What an awesome person! SHOUTOUT TO JACK FROST”

Parents being separated from their children on flights is something that happens often these days, and switching seats in these instances can be tricky. A lot of people choose and pay for specific seats, usually for convenience reasons, and are not willing to switch with anyone, even if it means a parent and child, or siblings, or a kind couple can sit together. So, it might seem like nothing Short did was any kind of big deal, but, again, sometimes even the smallest act can mean a lot.

Chance also mentioned that Short likely didn’t also recognize him during the exchange. (I mean, he’s a 72-year-old white man, but let me find out he’s out here bumping “Acid Rap” in the Limo.)

“Definitely not, which made it way cooler,” he replied to someone who asked if Short knew “it was thee Chance thee Rapper.”

Anyway, the moral of the story is it doesn’t cost much to be kind, but it may be worth more to others than you think.

01 Mar 2023

Brooklyn Venue Elsewhere Launches ‘Unlimited Entry’ Memberships

Independent Brooklyn venue Elsewhere is taking a new approach to ticket buying for loyal patrons. Starting today, the multi-room venue is widely launching its membership program, which ranges from $2 to $30 a month and provides tiered benefits including free entry to shows, access to the venue’s Discord and new music discovery.

Freaks With Benefits, the cheapest tier at $2 a month, provides free coat check, the ability to skip the line and access to the venue’s member-exclusive Discord channels, along with other perks. Sonic Explorer — which costs $6 a month — provides half off an unlimited number of tickets for the member and a guest, plus the perks from Freaks With Benefits. For $30 a month, the Patron Saint membership provides free entry to shows and parties, half-off tickets for a guest, reserved tickets for sold-out shows, free merch and all other previously mentioned tier benefits.

The “unlimited” free or discounted entry included in the two higher-priced tiers does come with an asterisk: Members must make a reservation in advance to reserve those tickets and are subject to “space permitting.” The reservation option is built into the backend of Elsewhere’s website and allows members to reserve up to eight events at a time. The venue has been beta testing the membership program since November — 600 people applied for the first 50 slots in just 48 hours — says Elsewhere co-founder Jake Rosenthal. “A big part of testing it was really about figuring out what is this special math where enough people feel like they’re getting enough access or that it feels very valuable,” he says. The limited reservations help members prioritize shows and keep them from “parking” on any and every show, which Rosenthal says wouldn’t be sustainable.

“There’s no limit to the number of events you can go to discounted or free,” Rosenthal explains, “There’s only the fact that like, if there’s an event several months out that you want to unequivocally park a reservation on, then you have to spend one of your reservations. But if you want to go to Elsewhere every night [without a reservation], you could do that unlimitedly for forever.”

The new program helps drive more customers to the venue, which means more artist discovery, more bar and merch sales and better-attended shows, says Rosenthal. While the price reduction on tickets for members means less money for the artists if shows sell out (roughly 15% of shows meet this criterion, according to Rosenthal), the venue only holds a small percentage of the room for membership reservations and artists are made aware of the program in their contracts.

“For 85% of our events, the incentive of the artist and Elsewhere is quite aligned,” says Rosenthal. The idea is, “How can we incentivize people to show up to those events that they otherwise probably would not have come to because they’re unfamiliar with the artist, for example. Another reason could be that $30 was too much to check something out that they’re on the fence about.”

As Rosenthal puts it, the membership program is less a money-making venture — or about providing velvet-rope treatment to VIPs — than it is about building community. That’s a longstanding goal for he and Elsewhere co-founders Dhruv Chopra and Rami Haykal-Manning, who have been tied to the DIY underground music scene in Brooklyn for years; the three ran the venue Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg before it closed in 2015 and opened Elsewhere, which hosts upwards of 600 shows per year, in 2017. The memberships are also a way to acknowledge the price pressure that many are facing in New York and around the world.

“If you’re someone who is coming to Elsewhere once a month, twice a month or up, you’re already doing your part supporting the music scene in our community and you shouldn’t have to spend $30 five or six times a month to be at Elsewhere,” says Rosenthal. “It’s built with that ethos first, which is connecting our community more tightly and making it cheaper to come more often.”