Touring
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Don’t expect Live Nation’s Joe Berchtold to be quoting Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on ticketing Tuesday. Unlike the pop star’s “I’m the problem it’s me” chorus-turned-meme, the company’s president and CFO plans to take aim at who he says are the real culprits behind Swift’s disastrous Nov. 15 presale — scalpers.
While the Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster was villianized for weeks following the presale for Swift’s upcoming The Eras tour that both broke single-day sales records and threw fans into a fury over service issues, according to a prepared opening statement reviewed by Billboard, Berchtold plans to lay much of the blame on scalpers who used illegal bots to attack the online sale. The statement, to be delivered Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to the committee led by ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ilinois), details Ticketmaster’s ongoing “arms race” against scalpers illegally using autonomous software to disrupt and attack high profile ticket sales. Country music legend Garth Brooks is lending his support to Berchtold’s testimony as well, with a letter defending Ticketmaster and attacking ticket scalpers who use illegal methods to buy up tickets.
“We knew bots would attack [Swift’s] onsale, and planned accordingly,” reads Berchtold’s planned statement. “We were then hit with three times the amount of bot traffic than we had ever experienced, and for the first time in 400 Verified Fan onsales they came after our Verified Fan access code servers. While the bots failed to penetrate our systems or acquire any tickets, the attack required us to slow down and even pause our sales. This is what led to a terrible consumer experience that we deeply regret.”
Following the Nov. 15 presale, Ticketmaster eventually canceled its general onsale for the remaining 170,000 tickets to Swift’s tour. In December, the company announced a new strategy to sell the passes over the course of four weeks and recently concluded that effort. At the time, the company said “historically unprecedented demand” caused the failure, but blamed bots then, too — saying, 14 million fans and more than 3 billion bots hit the site. That excuse did little to satisfy the more than 100,000 fans who kicked out of line during the bot attack, and even the singer spoke out blaming the company. With many fans calling for Ticketmaster’s punishment, Berchtold also plans to apologize directly to Swift and her followers.
“As we said after the onsale, and I reiterate today, we apologize to the many disappointed fans as well as to Ms. Swift,” his statement reads.
While Berchtold notes Ticketmaster “accepts its responsibility to be the first line of defense against bots in this ever- escalating arms race,” he intends to shift the hearing’s focus to policy changes that could tamp down on scalpers.
“In this forum where we are here to discuss public policy, we also need to recognize how industrial scalpers breaking the law using bots and cyberattacks to try to unfairly gain tickets contributes to an awful consumer experience,” his statement reads. “We are doing everything we can to fight the people who attack our onsales and steal tickets meant for real fans, but we need help passing real reforms to stop this arms race.”
Brooks, in his statement, supports this notion.
“The crush of bots during an on-sale is a huge reason for program failure NO MATTER WHO THE TICKET SELLING COMPANY is,” writes the country icon in his letter addressed to Congress. “And the one who ALWAYS pays for this atrocity is the customer, the LAST one on whom that burden should fall.”
Brooks notes in his letter that he forced Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to allow him to use Ticketmaster to sell tickets to his April concert at AT&T Stadium, instead of SeatGeek which held the exclusive contract to ticket the stadium.
“I had grown to love and trust the people at Ticketmaster so much,” he explained in his letter, noting, “this was not because of Ticketmaster, but a choice I made.”
Berchtold will be joined on the witness stand by SeatGeek chief executive Jack Groetzinger and longtime Chicago promoter Jerry Mickelson with JAM Productions, along with recording artist Clyde Lawrence and representatives from the James Madison Institute and American Antitrust Institute.
Ticketmaster officials are expecting a pile on, both from Congress and the other testifying witnesses. SeatGeek has filed a number of complaints against Ticketmaster with the Department of Justice for alleged anti-trust violations, and Mickelson testified before Congress in 2010, condemning the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. While company officials aren’t expecting any standing ovations, Berchtold’s testimony will be an important preview of the company’s framing of the challenges facing the business over the next couple of years and promises to be the most detailed defense of Live Nation by an executive in its 18-year history.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) originally called for this hearing in response to public anger over the technical failures of the Taylor Swift Eras ticket sale. But the witness list and the name of the hearing, “That’s the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment,” released Monday (Jan. 23) suggest that the hearing is more likely to focus on long-simmering dissatisfaction over the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. That consent decree has had mixed success creating a level playing field for competition in the ticketing business, and critics consider it a failure because it didn’t prevent Ticketmaster from becoming the dominant ticketing company it is today.
“We hear people say that ticketing markets are less competitive today than they were at the time of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger. That is simply not true,” reads Berchtold’s statements, claiming Ticketmaster’s market share has decreased since the DOJ estimated it held 80% of the market in 2009.
At the time, Ticketmaster “did not face the level of competition we face today from new competitors including SeatGeek, AEG’s AXS, and Eventbrite, along with established competitors including Tickets.com and Paciolan,” Berchtold continues. “Today, there is intense competition for every ticketing contract that goes out to bid — far more than there was in 2010. Ticketmaster has lost, not gained, market share, and every year competitive bidding results in ticketing companies getting less of the economic value in a ticketing contract while venues and teams get more. The bottom line is that U.S. ticketing markets have never been more competitive than they are today, and we read about new potential entrants all the time.”
Berchtold plans to present the threat posed by bad actors and malicious software as an issue both the government and the private sector must address together. The strategy shifts part of the criticism for the Taylor Swift ticket debacle onto the Senate — which unanimously voted to pass the BOTS act in 2016, effectively outlawing automated ticket-buying technology. Since its passage, the law has only been enforced twice by the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, despite pleas from Ticketmaster officials that bot attacks on high profile ticket sales are increasing in frequency and complexity, sources tell Billboard. Berchtold also plans to detail how the company has spent more than $1 billion developing technology to prevent bot attacks on the company’s ticket sales using software like Verified Fan and digital ticketing.
A ‘blame the bots’ strategy is not likely to satisfy the members of the Senate Judiciary committee, which include such conservative and liberal firebrands such as Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Diane Fienstein (D-California), Corey Booker (D-New Jersey) and Richard Blumenthal (D-New Jersey). Anti-Ticketmaster sentiment and criticism of the 2010 merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation is one of the few issues of bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill.
Berchtold will end his testimony laying out calls to action he believes Congress can take to combat bad actors in the ticketing industry: First, is empowering private parties like Ticketmaster to bring civil actions against ticket sellers who knowingly sell tickets obtained by bots. Second, Berchtold believes Congress should act to outlaw deceptive sales practices like speculative ticket sales “offering for sale tickets you don’t own or have an existing right to obtain,” or deceptive sites that mislabel themselves as “the official” ticket seller for shows they aren’t contracted to work with.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s “That’s the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment” begins at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday. Click here to watch the hearing live.
Coldplay has added another series of dates to its Music of the Spheres world tour, but this time, the rock band is head headed to North America. On Monday (Jan. 23), the quartet announced that a series of West Coat dates have been added, and includes support from two very special guests.
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Coldplay will start its West Coast trek in Seattle on Sept. 20 at Lumen Field stadium. On Sept. 22, the band heads up to Canada for a stop in Vancouver, and will play BC Place stadium. The following week, the quartet will return to the United States for a pair of dates in California — a stop at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 27 and a stop at Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl on Sept. 30. H.E.R. and 070 Shake will open for the band on all dates in the North American West Coast Leg.
Tickets for the new dates will go on sale starting on Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. PT. Fans who originally purchased tickets to the band’s previously scheduled 2022 date in Los Angeles are being offered an exclusive first-come, first-served presale. Information for the presale will be delivered by email; the presale will take place one day before the general sale on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT.
In the meantime, Coldplay continues to take its Music of the Sphere tour across the world in 2023. The band will hit the road again starting in March, with several stops in Brazil. In May, the band will travel to Europe for dates in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom; June will see the band perform more U.K. dates and stops in Italy, while July will take the band to Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands.
See the tour announcement below.
Brooks & Dunn are extending their Reboot tour with the addition of 17 tour dates in 2023. The new slate of shows will launch on May 4 in Kansas City, Mo.
“Last year, you all reminded us just how much fun it is to walk out on that stage and share the night with ya! We love what we do, but we’re just surfing your wave …can’t wait!!” said Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks via a statement.
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“The Brooks and Dunn posse rides again,” added Ronnie Dunn. “More excited to hit the big stage as we ever have been! Unbelievable band of friends.…annnnnd YOU! Together, let’s rock the house!!”
Heading out on the road with B&D is Scotty McCreery, known for his chart toppers including “This Is It” and “Five More Minutes.”
“Having been a huge fan of their music all my life, going out on the road with Kix and Ronnie is a dream come true for me,” said McCreery. “I can’t wait for this tour to begin!”
The tour takes its name from Brooks & Dunn’s 2019 album Reboot, which found the duo collaborating with younger country artists including Kacey Musgraves, Midland and Luke Combs on several of Brooks & Dunn’s biggest hits. Though McCreery did not appear on that project, he did recently earn another Billboard Country Airplay chart topper with “Damn Strait,” a sly nod to another ’90s country artist, George Strait.
“My first country music concert was George Strait, and along with my love for Elvis [Presley], he inspired me to become a country music singer myself,” McCreery previously told Billboard. “When I did American Idol, George called me and requested I sing his [1995] hit ‘Check Yes or No,’ and I still sing it from time to time in concert. Now, having my fifth straight No. 1 on a song that pays tribute to George, while at the same time being a classic country heartbreaker such as he might have sung, is such a full-circle moment that means the world to me. Trent Tomlinson and Jim Collins wrote a clever song that reaches beyond name-dropping Strait hits to tell a meaningful story.”
Last year, Brooks & Dunn revived the CMT franchise CMT Storytellers, and rang in 2023 as part of Nashville’s New Year’s Eve Bash.
Tickets for the new tour dates go on sale Friday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. local time at brooks-dunn.com and livenation.com.
See the full list of Reboot 2023 tour dates below:
Thu May 04 – Kansas City, MO – T- Mobile Center
Fri May 05 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Sat May 06 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
Thu May 11 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
Fri May 12 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sat May 13 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Thu May 18 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Fri May 19 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sat May 20 – Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
Thu Jun 01 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Fri Jun 02 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Sat Jun 03 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Thu Jun 08 – Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena+
Sat Jun 10 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Thu June 15 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort*
Fri Jun 16 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Sat Jun 17 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
*Not a Live Nation Date
+On Sale Friday, Feb. 3
When Madonna hits the road later this year for her career-spanning Celebration Tour, she’ll be taking a global victory lap, further cementing her legacy as the Queen of Pop. She’ll also be taking home big money — upwards of $100 million, by Billboard‘s estimate.
The parade of concerts will feature Madonna’s greatest hits from across her 40-year career, a rare straightforward ambition for one of the world’s most enigmatic artists. With 38 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 23 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, the tour stands to continue her streak as the highest-grossing solo female artist in Billboard Boxscore history (provided she can fend off Taylor Swift‘s upcoming Eras tour). How high will it go?
Madonna’s touring career began in earnest with 1985’s The Virgin Tour, averaging more than 10,000 tickets and $100,000 per night, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. (The average ticket price on that tour was $14.74, a distant whiff of what her — and all artists’ — arena concert tickets cost in the 2020s. In today’s dollars, adjusted for inflation, that skimpy price would translate to $29.56.)
Already a sell-out force, Madonna’s next trek, 1987’s Who’s That Girl World Tour, tripled her draw and nearly quintupled her selling power in just two years, pacing 35,000 tickets and $756,000 per show in a mix of arenas and stadiums that year.
Both of those figures were just the beginning. They were followed by 1990’s Blond Ambition Tour, 1993’s The Girlie Show and seven tours in the 21st century that have grossed at least $50 million each.
Madonna’s highest-grossing tour thus far is the 85-date Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008-09, playing stadiums around the world to the tune of $407.7 million and 3.5 million tickets. Fifteen years later, it remains the highest-grossing tour by a woman ever. (Her next trek, 2012’s MDNA Tour – her lengthiest tour by number of shows at 88 – played a mix of stadiums and arenas, and became her second-highest grossing run, with $305.2 million.)
The Celebration Tour was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 17) with 26 shows in North America and 12 in Europe. Throughout this week, that routing expanded to 41 and 20, respectively. Madonna begins the trek on July 15 in Vancouver and is scheduled to wrap Dec. 2 in Amsterdam. Thus far, no dates outside the U.S., Canada and western Europe have been announced.
To gauge the tour’s financial prospects, it would be unfair to simply reflect on Madonna’s most recent tour. That was the 2019-20 Madame X Tour, an experiment that placed the Queen of Pop in intimate theater-based mini-residencies in major markets on both sides of the Atlantic. The 75-show run sold itself out at 179,000 tickets and $51.5 million, but it’s an outlier in a career comprised of (much) larger venues.
A more apt comparison would be the Rebel Heart Tour of 2015-16, a string of 82 arena shows after the stadium madness of her previous two treks. That tour grossed $169.8 million and sold 1.05 million tickets worldwide, including quick stints in Asia and Oceania. On the Rebel Heart Tour, more relevant to the Celebration routing, Madonna averaged $1.8 million and 12,500 tickets in the U.S. and Canada, and $1.7 million and 14,600 tickets in Europe. Given her current 61-show routing for The Celebration Tour, maintaining those averages would put the entire run on track to gross $106.9 million and sell 802,000 tickets.
But ticket prices have risen since Madonna was charging $15-and-under in the ‘80s, including a significant spike in the last five years. Platinum ticketing and dynamic pricing have blown out arena and stadium grosses in the post-pandemic era, with Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, The Rolling Stones and more approaching $200 averages on tour last year.
For example, on Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, his average arena ticket in North America jumped from $139 in 2018 to $181 in 2022. That’s a 30% increase, which would bolster Madonna’s projected gross to $140.6 million. But the surge in prices hasn’t been as great in Europe, which could soften our prediction back toward the $130 million mark.
Further, Madonna has long been a global icon. So far, The Celebration Tour spans two continents, while she has frequently hit South America, Asia and Oceania throughout her career. An expansion of the tour — which seems like a natural idea based on the marketability of an all-hits show — would drastically change what is realistic for the 2023 trek. And as noted above, Madonna already increased the number of North American shows for the tour by more than 50% before The Celebration Tour’s general on-sale began on Jan. 20. Demand could dictate further additions.
Today’s on-sale generated over 600,000 tickets sold, with 35 sold-out shows and more to become available next week.
Over nearly 40 years, Madonna has grossed a reported $1.376 billion and sold 11.7 million tickets across 575 shows. That makes her the most successful female act in Boxscore history. The Celebration Tour will nudge her closer to the $1.5 billion mark. Among all acts, only four have grossed more in Boxscore history.
The Queen of Pop’s return to touring was a thunderous success this morning, with more than 23 concerts added to the 37 dates already announced for Madonna‘s The Celebration Tour thanks to massive fan demand.
Only a handful of tickets are still available — the tour is 98% sold out — after fans bought up 600,000 tickets in a matter of hours to see Madonna’s retrospective run in North America and Europe. Additional shows were added today in Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston and beyond to meet the demand.
“It was a huge day for Madonna and a massive success thanks to her fans,” says Arthur Fogel, Madonna’s long-time promoter with Live Nation.
In total, 51 shows went on sale today, with 35 of the shows completely sold out by 5 p.m. EST. Fogel and Madonna’s team added a fourth New York show after the first three sold out in 15 minutes and two additional London shows after the first two concerts at the 02 Arena sold out in 20 minutes. Tickets to see Madonna’s Paris shows sold out in under seven minutes, while her Amsterdam date sold out in 10 minutes.
Fogel says additional dates will be announced for Europe next week before presales begin for ten North American shows that were not part of today’s sale. Presales for The Celebration Tour dates in Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta and more begin Jan. 23, with the general public onsale scheduled for Jan. 27.
Madonna’s last major arena run, the 2015-2016 Rebel Heart Tour, grossed $169.8 million and sold 1 million tickets across 82 shows.
The Celebration Tour begins July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and will include performances of music from Madonna’s entire catalog, spanning her 40-year career as the best-selling female touring artist of all time.
For more information, and to buy tickets, visit www.madonna.com/tour.
Texas promoter Edwin Cabaniss with Kessler Presents has announced plans to restore Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom. The notorious nightclub was once owned by Chicago mob associate Jack Ruby, who famously shot and killed John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald as he left Dallas Police headquarters on Nov. 23, 1963.
The Longhorn opened in the 1950s as singer Bob Wills’ Ranch House. It was later operated by recording artist and record label boss Dewey Groom through the ’60s and ’70s, hosting concerts by Nat King Cole, Patsy Cline, T- Bone Walker and many more.
Cabaniss plans to incorporate the venue’s long history when it reopens this spring, in part with the original museum-style display cases built into the walls. The venue has traded hands a number of times in recent years and closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These cases include everything from Tex Ritter’s suit to James Brown’s robe; an extraordinary collection of guitars from artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, and BB King,” according to a press release announcing the reopening plans.
“As a 5th generation Texan, I know how important the return of the Longhorn Ballroom is to Texas in general and to Dallas specifically,” says Cabanis. “The lore is real. The floors have secrets and the walls have memories. And we’re excited to tell these stories with each show we present.”
Cabannis previously restored The Kessler Theater in Dallas and The Heights Theater in Houston.
In a statement, Dallas mayor Eric Johnson added that the venue is “a monument to our city’s rich music history,” calling the project “a wonderful opportunity to help preserve a piece of our past.”
For grand opening details and lineup announcements, visit longhornballroomdallas.com.
Josephine Vaccarello, a 25-year veteran of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., has been promoted to the role of executive vp, live.
In the new role, Vaccarello will lead MSG’s live entertainment bookings business at all the company’s venues, which include New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre. Vaccarelllo takes on the new role after serving as senior vp, MSG Live, in which she booked concerts, comedy, special events and residencies including Billy Joel, Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden and Jerry Seinfeld’s Beacon Theatre residency.
She will also be responsible for booking residencies at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, which is set to open in the second half of 2023. Vaccarello started at the company in 1998 as an administrative assistant.
“Throughout my 25 years at this Company, I’ve had unique opportunities to grow and evolve my career within the organization, and I’m honored to take on this elevated leadership role, particularly as MSG Entertainment expands its live entertainment business. We have a lot of big ideas for the future that will make an indelible mark on live entertainment and I’m looking forward to continuing to create iconic moments with artists for our fans in New York, Chicago and soon, Las Vegas,” Vaccarello said.
She will report to James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, in addition to his position as executive chairman of AMC Networks.
“Over her tenure at MSG Entertainment, Josephine has been instrumental in growing our live event business by pursuing innovative opportunities including multi-night bookings and unique residencies, and bringing unforgettable events featuring the world’s biggest artists to our venues,” Dolan said. “In this new leadership role, I am confident she will continue to raise the bar within the live entertainment industry by leveraging her unparalleled relationships and expertise across our portfolio and in booking our newest venue – the state-of-the-art MSG Sphere.”
This story was originally published on THR.com.
Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club has a new naming rights partner for its 22,000-seat stadium. As of today, the Downtown L.A. venue will be renamed BMO Stadium. It has been known as Banc of California Stadium since opening in 2018.
BMO is a financial services provider in North America with more than 500 branches and digital banking services in all 50 U.S. states. The newly formed partnership supports the U.S. expansion pillar of BMO’s North American growth strategy.
“Our partnership with BMO unites two organizations that share a vision and commitment to be leaders and forces for good in our community,” LAFC co-president and CBO Larry Freedman said in a release. “BMO Stadium is the premier outdoor arena in the Heart of Los Angeles, having established itself as a world class sports and entertainment venue that hosts iconic concerts, events and top-level soccer. We are excited to begin our partnership with BMO, and to welcome our fans, supporters and the people of the city of Los Angeles to BMO Stadium.”
The first open-air stadium built in the city of Los Angeles since 1962, BMO Stadium has hosted major events such as the 2022 MLS All-Star Game, the 2023 MLS Cup and numerous concerts and festivals featuring artists such as The Killers, Imagine Dragons, BLACKPINK, Twice, Santana, Guns N’ Roses, Armin Van Buuren, Rufus Du Sol, Kygo, Maroon 5, Iron Maiden and System of a Down.
BMO Stadium is home to the 2022 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield Champions LAFC team, as well as the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Angel City Football Club (ACFC). ACFC made its NWSL debut last season and led the NWSL in attendance in 2022, averaging more than 19,000 fans per game for its inaugural season. ACFC is also led by one of the largest women-led ownership groups in professional sports, aligning with BMO’s long-standing commitment to equity in sports, according to the financial provider.
“BMO is thrilled to forge this partnership with LAFC,” said BMO chief strategy and operations officer Cameron Fowler. “Through BMO Stadium, we will share our passion for soccer and commitment to the Los Angeles community while bringing to life our Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. We look forward to supporting LAFC and its fans this season and beyond.”
Through a raunchy video that pays homage to her 1991 Truth or Dare documentary, Madonna announced that she’ll be hitting the road with her global Celebration Tour, honoring her 40-year career.
The 35-city trek, produced by Live Nation, is set to kick off in North America on July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., and will hit Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and San Francisco before wrapping up in Las Vegas on Oct. 7. Madonna will then visit fans in Europe with confirmed dates in London and Amsterdam, to name a few.
The Queen of Pop will be joined by Bob the Drag Queen as a special guest on all the dates.
However, wouldn’t it be an extra treat for her loyal fandom to have some of her past collaborators as surprise guests as well, such as Maluma and Tokischa? Neither have been announced, but with the former, Madonna dropped “Medellín” in 2019, which hit No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart and No. 18 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. With the latter, she dropped a new remix to her 2005 hit “Hung Up” called “Hung Up on Tokischa.” The original track peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005.
With the Celebration Tour happening this year, we’re hoping for yet another bonafide collab between Madonna and a Latin act. From Rosalia to Bad Bunny to Shakira, and more, who should she hit the studio with next? Vote below!
Zach Bryan is getting ready to head out on the road staring this spring, and it’s shaping up to be his biggest tour yet. The country star announced his Burn Burn Burn North American tour on Thursday (Jan. 19), and he’s keeping a big promise: Tickets won’t be available via Ticketmaster.
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Named after his song of the same name, the Burn Burn Burn North American tour is slated to kick off on May 10 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., and includes stops in New York City, Denver, Chicago, New Orleans, and Minneapolis before concluding on Aug. 30 at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center.
Fans looking to secure tickets can sign up for the Fair AXS registration at www.axs.com/zachbryan. Those who want to attend have until Jan. 29 at 10 p.m. ET to register for tickets, and will be notified via email beginning Feb. 13 if they have been selected; tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. An invitation email for the chance to purchase tickets does not guarantee tickets will be available.
Bryan circumventing Ticketmaster and going with AXS for his tour comes after the surprise release of All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live at Red Rocks) in December. In announcing the live album, the country star — who has been outspoken about his dislike for Ticketmaster — took a stand against high ticket prices.
“Seems like there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately. I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four hundred bucks to be there and I’m done with it,” he wrote via Instagram on Christmas Eve without naming the ticketing giant. “I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show… I believe working class people should still be able to afford tickets to shows… I am so so tired of people saying things can’t be done about this massive issue while huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working class people.”
He concluded his message at the time, “Just did everything I possibly could to make tickets more affordable.”
See the full list of tour dates for Bryan’s Burn Burn Burn tour below.