Touring
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Surrounded by newly designed Elton John tour merch mixed with luxury goods from Fendi and Balenciaga at a special Rocket Man-themed pop-up shop at The Webster in the Beverly Center, David Furnish — husband and business partner to the beloved pop star — joked that everyone thinks his house looks just like this Los Angeles shrine to Elton.
“We do have a Captain Fantastic pinball machine at our home in Windsor,” he conceded to Billboard, sitting in an alcove at The Webster with that very arcade game as “Philadelphia Freedom” played over the speakers. “But we don’t play Elton John music around the clock in our house.”
For the last near-decade, Furnish has been helping Elton plan his retirement from the road, after 50-plus years of touring the world, and this pop-up shop is one of many special flourishes to send him off. “Elton said he wanted to go out on a high,” Furnish says.
So that’s the plan: He’ll end his U.S. tour dates with a trio of concerts at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, including Sunday’s final show being livestreamed by Disney+ and including special guests Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee and Brandi Carlile. And all along, R.J. Cutler will continue to film the Disney+ documentary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, along with Furnish as producer under his and Elton’s Rocket Entertainment.
“L.A. has always had that professional resonance,” Furnish says of why Dodger Stadium is the last U.S. tour stop, 47 years after Elton was the first solo artist to play the ballpark. “You know, we have a home here. Our sons were born next-door [to The Webster] at Cedars-Sinai; they’re coming in next week to come and see the shows. We have our annual Oscar party here; we’ve raised $95 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation with that event for over 25 years. And so LA is a very, very special place for us.”
Below, find highlights from Billboard‘s chat with Furnish, including why Elton is retiring now, his continued relevance on our charts, and how the couple hoped music would be a “great healer” for Elton’s latest duet partner, Britney Spears.
Why is Elton John retiring from touring now?
I think the most important thing, and the most significant thing for us, is what this means to our family. Because as long as I’ve known Elton, he’s been on the road, doing 90 to 100 shows annually. It’s a big commitment. Time, travel, rest between shows. And now we have two beautiful sons; they’re going to be 12 and 10. And we were able to take them with us in the early days. And now they have their own lives. And that’s really important that they continue to have their own lives, their own identity, to not have their life defined by their father’s career.
On Elton John’s love affair with the Billboard charts, including two top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits this year: “Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa and “Hold Me Closer” with Britney Spears.
He gets your charts daily. He gets them printed out on hard copies. Because he goes through with highlighters. And he literally has different highlighters for different records he charts — ones from Britain, ones from America, the ones that are going up, ones that are his, ones that he has a connection to he. He watches it daily. It feeds a part of his soul. And he’s absolutely over the moon with the way these new records have performed. And you know, you’re gonna see more. Like, he’s not going to stop. And I’m excited for him and excited for what great music he can bring to the world. Our streaming numbers, to see that 58% of his music is now consumed by 18- to 35-year-olds — that is one of the things that I think of which he is most proud. That he’s written songs that survive, that stand the test of time, and that resonate with a whole new generation, that for him is is like, “Wow.”
Why Britney Spears was the perfect duet partner on “Hold Me Closer.”
During lockdown, we watched those documentaries that came out, and we weren’t aware of … we’d heard about the conservatorship, but we hadn’t understood the details and the practicality of it. It was really disturbing, like, “Oh my God, that poor girl, she’s just been in a prison for such a long time.” And as a recovering addict — both of us [David and Elton] are in recovery — we really understand the impact of trauma.
When I raised Britney [as a possible collaborator], [Elton] was like, “Oh, my God, she needs the hand to help take a step forward to get back onto the charts again.” And I think the outpouring that she got from her fans, you know, that it’s a great record, I know she’s genuinely chuffed to bits, as we say in England with the response that it’s had. And I hope and Elton hopes it gives her more courage and more of a sense to get back into the studio, because music is a great healer.
“Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium” will livestream Sunday at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT on Disney+.
Swifties across North America will forever remember Tuesday (Nov. 15) all too well. After an unprecedented number of fans visited Ticketmaster in the hopes of buying presale tickets for Taylor Swift‘s 2023 Eras Tour online, the company’s website experienced mass outages and extreme delays that caused some to wait for several hours in a virtual queue, just to walk away empty handed.
Naturally, people had some thoughts. Even before the whole debacle was said and done, droves of Swifties took to social media to air out their frustrations with Ticketmaster in hilarious posts, videos and homemade memes. Someone, for example, photoshopped the company’s logo over Tay’s face in the “Anti-Hero” music video, captioned with one of the song’s lyrics: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.”
“Taylor swift walking onto stage with no one in the audience, because that ticketmaster queue never did move,” quipped one fan, sharing a photo of a concert arena, completely empty except for one single person in the audience.
“Being stuck in the ticketmaster queue really has you wondering how different your life you be if you never listened to Our Song on the radio in 2006 that one time,” joked another.
Ticketmaster shared a statement shortly after 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, about three hours after the East Coast venue presales began. It said that the company wasn’t prepared for the “historically” large demand for tickets, and postponed presales for West Coast venues and Capitol One cardholders scheduled for later that same day.
Many frazzled Swifties felt confused as to why so many presale codes had been sent out if the site wasn’t ready for them all to be cashed in, and couldn’t resist cracking jokes at Ticketmaster’s expense. “Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by ticketmaster,” wrote one fan, quoting Mean Girls and sharing a screenshot from the film.
See more of the best reactions to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour Ticketmaster crisis below.
what is joe biden’s plan to unpause the ticketmaster queue for taylor swift’s eras tour— kay (@slutforfeelings) November 15, 2022
Being stuck in the ticketmaster queue really has you wondering how different your life you be if you never listened to Our Song on the radio in 2006 that one time— ava (@avesstwt) November 15, 2022
8 billion people in the world and every single one of them is ahead of me in the taylor swift ticketmaster queue apparently— shawty lynn 🧣 (@HereComesShawty) November 15, 2022
From a profane, punk-rock single to a modernized opera aria inspired by Marilyn Monroe — not to mention, a world tour in between — (G)I-DLE has made 2022 their year to show the ways they are shaking up norms in the K-pop scene with the perspective to refresh everything they previously knew.
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While more than a year without new music in the fast-moving K-pop scene is risky for a younger group like (G)I-DLE, the outfit spent most of 2021 focusing on their individual careers with solo albums, acting, TV work, overseas trips and more. When they returned in March this year, the group could have opted for something safe—this comeback made all the more complicated following member Soojin’s departure in August 2021—and rehashed an easy return to the top of the charts. Their electro-pop collab with Madison Beer “Pop/Stars” was (G)I-DLE’s first No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales, plus all five of their past EPs have charted on World Albums since their first appearance in 2018—they knew what worked.
Instead, (G)I-DLE looked in a new direction with bolder messages and sounds and, as they say, begin “starting from scratch” again.
Full-length album I Never Die from March was centered around songs meant to inspire confidence to break prejudices. (G)I-DLE leader Soyeon spoke to the heart of the LP’s message like the the hard-hitting rock-pop single “Tomboy” (with its “Yeah I’m f—ing tomboy” hook) alongside tracks like “Never Stop Me.” At the same time, members Yuqi and Minnie contributed in production and songwriting across other tracks. “Tomboy” resulted in the group’s biggest hit in Korea to date, helped them reconnect with fans across the world during their Just Me ( )I-dle World Tour that ran from June to October, and attempt to break records again with their next step.
For the newly released I Love EP, Soyeon, Minnie and Yuqi are once again all over the album credits that explore the concept of love by being, literally, stripped down to one’s most genuine self, and incorporating inspiration from Kurt Cobain’s famous quote, “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.”
Ahead of the release of I Love, (G)I-DLE opened up more the honesty that comes from such punk inspirations. “‘Nxde’ uses the word ‘nude’ metaphorically to explain the genuine and confident side,” Soyeon explained. “The word ‘nude’ can be perceived as a provocative word, and people may think, ‘Why is it ‘nude’? Isn’t it too explicit?’ But when I thought of the word ‘nude,’ I thought of my true self, not an undressed version of me…your true self isn’t you with makeup on but your bare face is. You don’t call it ‘makeup-less face.’ It’s just a face. I think that’s how I saw ‘nude,’ wearing the real version of yourself.”
Miyeon added, “Just like the name itself, this album is an album that only talks about love. And the one who receives love can be our family, friends, or one of the many kinds of love out there. So we left the object blank [in I Love] on purpose because we respect all those kinds of love.”
(G)I-DLE also pointed to starlets like Marilyn Monroe as another point of inspiration. “When Marilyn Monroe was active as a star, she was the blonde beauty, being consumed as a sex symbol,” Soyeon says of the Hollywood icon. “I heard that she was actually very intelligent and into books, especially philosophical ones. The standards change with time. Nowadays, if you carry designer-brand bags, then people would judge you by your looks. Each era has a different stereotype.” While Miyeon added, “Regardless of positive or negative stereotypes, you can’t judge a book by the cover.”
The group’s messages are connecting more than ever: I Love became (G)I-DLE’s first album to enter the Billboard 200, debuting at No. 71, after nearly four-and-a-half years into their careers. The six-song also starts at No. 9 on Top Album Sales (dated Nov. 5) with 10,000 copies sold, according to Luminate.
Read on for more reflections from Soyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Miyeon and Shuhua on their rebuilding process, reuniting with worldwide fans, and continuously pushing each other to the next big step.
First, I want to congratulate you on how successful things have been since the I Never Die album. Have you had a moment to think about why you’re connecting so well with the audiences?
Soyeon: I think what we presented with this album was very bold and audacious for a K-pop group, which is why a lot of people loved it. It was very honest too.
Minnie: I Never Die was the first full album—many fans were waiting for this album for so long because we hadn’t made a comeback in a year and a few months.
Do you feel a sense of relief about the fact that it did well? You’ve shared that it was a tumultuous journey to get here. What’s your mindset these days?
Soyeon: I’d have to say “no” right away. Because now that we’ve brought ourselves back to this position, we want to make sure what we present next is also just as amazing, just as fresh and surprising to the audience.
Yuqi: No one knew how pressured we were at the time because (G)I-DLE always looks like we are strong and really stable in our team, but we were apart for about a year. We separated to our countries to do personal activities. So when we came back to Korea, we got together and just said, “Wow.” We didn’t realize how strained we were at the time. We came back thinking this was our last time together—that’s how strained we were at that time.
Minnie: We put everything into it.
Yuqi: No one knew it because we always look so strong and like nothing happened, but it actually wasn’t like that. And life is like that! [Laughs] Life is about challenges, life has ups and downs, but if you give up, everything will just end. Actually, our fans were our kind of energy at that time too because everyone was waiting for us and we couldn’t just give up. So, we just put everything into it and just didn’t want to let down the people loving and supporting us.
What does that look like when you say you put everything into it? Lots of rehearsing? Late nights in the studio?
Yuqi: It’s not only about the physical practicing, but a collective feeling. We were apart for a long time, but when we just gathered up again, I could feel the vibe and strength everyone gave. That’s teamwork. That’s just called teamwork because everyone has the same goal, they have the same dream they are trying to achieve, so I just feel “That’s (G)I-DLE.” It’s our teamwork, right? It’s mental, not physical. I think the mental had to be super different.
Minnie: But even the choreography, we’re always brainstorming, like, “Oh, should we do this or that?” We want to pick best version of everything.
Soyeon: And “Tomboy” has the censored beep, right? But there were many different versions of the beep. And also, aside from “Tomboy,” there were a lot of other candidates, many other candidates for the lead single. I had a lot of thoughts on how should we approach this single and what kind of song do we do for this type of track? I worked on the songs with the mindset, “Oh, maybe I should try this genre for the type of music. Maybe I should talk about this or try this kind of concept.” We also did additional recordings a thousand times; we were very careful when making a decision.
The sound of “Tomboy” was striking. This harder, punk sound wasn’t expected and I’m curious how you decided to go that way to make such a long-awaited comeback?
Soyeon: I grew up listening to a lot of punk rock, I liked Avril Lavigne a lot too. I had always thought that I want to try pop-punk, or like teen rock, kind of music at some point. With this group comeback, I wanted to do something that no one else has done so I thought this was the time to give that genre and that kind of sound a try.
Yuqi: I’m a super fan of rockers and in my solo album, I did a rock too so I was super excited about the track the first time.
Minnie: I think we all love “Tomboy” and its style. It’s very challenging for us to try a new style too, but we enjoyed preparing for it.
How was the U.S. leg of your Just Me ( )I-dle tour?
Soyeon: Since this is our first U.S. tour, we’re really happy and grateful to meet our Neverland, our fans, in the U.S. for the first time. Although this is our first time touring the U.S., we’re amazed by how the fans will sing along to everything and enjoy everything. It’s been just great for us to feel all our fans’ excitement and passion.
Minnie: We went to cities like Dallas, Houston, Chicago and, except for New York and San Francisco, it was the first time we visited these cities so it was all very new.
Miyeon: I like to capture my own moments in each of the cities because all the cities are so different and I want to enjoy all the different vibes. That’s why fans saw so many of my updates through social media every day.
You describe the “Tomboy” single as taking on a new persona. Do you embrace different personas on tour?
Yuqi: Before, we just attended KCON or joined another concert with the other artists, but this is the first time for us to have a full concert. So, we can show the title track [singles], b-side tracks, and other genres. We’re doing rock, ballads or hip-hop for the first time and I think our fans will feel, “Oh, it’s so fresh for seeing idols in this kind of music genre.” We all do the raps in “My Bag,” you know? It’s the first time we’re doing something like that and it’s very fresh. But we can also have an emotional mood like when we sing a lot of ballads whenever we hold a concert in Seoul. I think it’s a good to show a lot of different sides to our fans.
Soyeon: I think rather than seeing it as a new persona of us, I think that the lyric “just me I-DLE” [from “Tomboy”] is real. We had never shown people this side of (G)I-DLE before, but it’s our true selves, and we’re just being honest with what we’re doing.
I also liked how you spoke about how you want to be “I-DLE,” with not as much focus on the “G.” There’s your lyric, too: “It’s neither man nor woman, just me I-DLE.” I’d like to hear more about the inspiration behind that.
Soyeon: As you know, the “G” represents yeoja, or “girl” [in Korean], right? We came from a mindset that we do not want to conform to any kind of social boundary or prejudice. It doesn’t just have to do with gender but that was one of the easiest ways of showing that mindset, especially since we have the “G” in our names. That’s just one of our ways of showing that we don’t want to be stuck in any boundaries, regardless of gender—and not just gender but prejudices in general.
Artists are opening up when they’re more comfortable using gender-neutral pronouns for themselves and in their lyrics. When there can be certain expectations of girl groups, is this a related idea?
Soyeon: We’re very aware of gender-neutral terminology, but what we’re doing now isn’t primarily because we want to find a gender-neutral term but it’s more of trying to make a genre of our own. We want (G)I-DLE to be a genre of our own, regardless of gender, age, anything.
Minnie: And we respect everything.
Does being on tour help you find more of the (G)I-DLE genre?
Soyeon: We are fascinated by how we can still interact and communicate with their audience when we’re singing in Korean so we’ve felt that music does not have any language boundaries.
Yuqi: When I do the concerts, I receive a lot of different responses from our fans. Different countries have different cultures, as we know, so maybe when I do it in Korea, the Korean fans have certain kinds of responses for us. But when we do this in America, I can get to a part like, “Oh, they are more excited about this part.” So I can get inspiration actually to make my music more fun and have more of those “killing” parts.
Miyeon: The hotel that we were staying in New York is right in front of where we did our flash mob a few years ago. So, we looked back at that moment and thought a lot. That was a big motivation for us to come back to New York, see that spot, and think back to our rookie days.
Minnie: Because at that time, we were a very new group with only one single and one mini album. But now we are having a world tour, which is like, “This is crazy.” It’s a big dream come true.
We met for Billboard then. Can you think back to that time and remember your mindset?
Minnie: We were such rookies and so young.
Yuqi: Yeah, we were such rookies but super excited to be here for the first time in New York City. We had our very first flash mob, I think we did a cover “Fake Love”? We had the BTS cover and we didn’t perform “Hann,” right? Because we were preparing for our “Hann” comeback.
Minnie: But we’re happy to be back.
This tour is about old material, new material, everything, including “Hann.” How was it been preparing specifically all these songs as five now?
Soyeon: We had to practice our blocking—all the movements, transitions, and everything—from scratch. So our mindset was, “Okay, we’re starting from scratch…again.” That’s how hard we worked for it and we wanted to show a new side of (G)I-DLE by preparing this way.
Shuhua, I’ve seen you taking up many more lines now too, specifically. How has your experience been?
Shuhua: Aside from all the group practices, I also dedicated a lot of my time doing individual practice. I would have private lessons with our teachers and share ideas to think, like, “How can I put my style into this? What kind of gesture should I do to make this my style?” I practiced a lot with that mindset for this tour.
You’ve all worked on your own in 2021. How does that contribute to your group work as (G)I-DLE this year?
Minnie: I went to Thailand where I had some time promoting solo and I started to realize again how important and how precious that I have my members by my side. When I have to do everything on my own, it’s hard and tiring. I think it was a good experience to try things on my own, but when I came back to Korea and I met them, I was like, “Oh yeah. I feel like I’m home.”
Soyeon: There is no time where we are not working on new music so we’re always thinking about the next album and the new music. We want to present a new kind of fun and new message with I Love and “Nxde.”
Anything else to add right now?
Yuqi: (G)I-DLE never die.
Minnie: We’re back! We’re all back. We were so happy to have a world tour finally and very touched and happy to meet our fans in the States in person. Thank you for always waiting and supporting us. We will never let you down, and we’re back again with a new album, so please continue to stay tuned.
The crypto world was rocked last week by the stunning implosion of FTX — the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange. Though the ripple effect across the industry is still playing out, Coachella appears to be caught up in the collateral damage.
The festival partnered with FTX.US to sell $1.5 million worth of NFTs back in February, a couple of months before the Southern California event’s first staging since the pandemic. The collection included 10 NFT “Coachella Keys,” which granted lifetime access to the festival and VIP perks such as luxury experiences and exclusive merchandise. Many of those NFTs now appear to be stuck and inaccessible on the defunct exchange.
“Like many of you, we have been watching this news unfold online over the past few days and are shocked by the outcome,” said a Coachella staff member on the festival’s Discord server. “We do not currently have any lines of communication with the FTX team. We have assembled an internal team to come up with solutions based on the tools we have access to. Our priority is getting Coachella NFTs off of FTX, which appears to be disabled at the moment.”
Coachella did not immediately respond to requests for further information.
FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday citing a “severe liquidity crisis,” after depositors rushed to withdraw more than $6 billion in 72 hours. It is alleged that FTX and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried commingled customer deposits with its sister trading firm Alameda Research, resulting in a multi-billion dollar hole in the exchange’s balance sheet. When customers rushed to withdraw their funds, it became clear that FTX was insolvent.
The knock-on effects have been disastrous, with billions of dollars locked up and little prospect of recovery. Among those assets are several NFTs released through the FTX platform, including NFTs from Coachella and Tomorrowland.
One collector told Billboard he was able to withdraw his Coachella Key to his own wallet just days before FTX went bankrupt, but many others have not been so lucky. Anyone who kept their NFT on the FTX platform currently has no access to them.
Although few in the Web3 industry predicted a crisis on this scale, many crypto advocates have long argued that NFTs and cryptocurrencies should not be stored or held by centralized platforms such as FTX. The last update from the Coachella team — issued on Saturday (November 12) — advised users against interacting with any FTX product and recommended they sign out of all FTX accounts.
On the same day that Taylor Swift casually picked up four Grammy nominations, Swifties fought tooth and nail to pick up tickets for her Eras Tour next year. In fact, so many millions (that’s right, millions) of them flooded Ticketmaster’s site trying to purchase tickets during the tour’s initial presale Tuesday (Nov. 15), the company was forced to postpone a couple of its onsales following high reports of site crashes and technical difficulties.
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“A few updates on the Taylor Swift Eras Tour onsale,” read a statement posted to Ticketmaster’s official Twitter account. “There has been historically unprecedented demand with millions showing up to buy tickets for the TaylorSwiftTix Presale.”
“Hundreds of tickets have been sold,” it continued. “If you have already secured tickets, you are all set. If you are currently in a queue, please hang tight — queues are moving and we are working to get fans through as quickly as possible.”
The company went on to announce that onsales scheduled for West Coast shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Santa Clara and Seattle would be postponed to 3 p.m. PT Tuesday instead of its original time of 10 a.m. PT. The Capital One cardholders presale was also moved to 2 p.m. local time Wednesday (Nov. 16), delayed from its originally scheduled starting time of 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
“All presale codes and links sent via text will still work at that time,” Ticketmaster reassured Swifties in its statement. “Thank you for your patience as we continue managing this huge demand.”
The presale initially started at 10 a.m. local venue time on Tuesday and was soon followed by outages on Ticketmaster’s website. The technical difficulties were reported and posted about by anxious fans trying to secure seats at one of Swift’s 52 North American shows kicking off in March next year.
Some of the gargantuan demand for Eras Tour tickets had been apparent even leading up to the ticket sale, leading the “All Too Well” pop star to add 25 additional shows to her 27 original dates in the past couple weeks.
Read Ticketmaster’s full statement below.
Miko Marks and Rissi Palmer will hit the road next year on a co-headlining tour that launches in Washington, D.C. on May 3, 2023.
The concerts will feature acoustic performances from Marks and Palmer in addition to duets and the two pairing up on their upcoming song “I’m Still Here,” which they played together onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in August.
“Working with Rissi on tour is definitely one of the highlights of my journey in music,” Marks said in a statement. “I have always loved her music and now I get to be on tour with her. We have grown to be close friends over the years and this moment has been a long time coming.”
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“Miko has been an inspiration and a friend for a long time. Her talent is second to none and it’s an honor to be sharing a stage with her,” Palmer added. “The audience can expect a lot of laughter, a lot of good, new music, stories, and a great show.”
Marks released her debut album, Freeway Bound, in 2005, while Palmer issued her self-titled debut two years later. In 2019, Palmer released the album Revival, and a year later, launched her Apple Music radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer, which provides a platform to give a voice to artists of color. In 2021, Marks released her first album of music in 13 years, Our Country. She followed with the EP Race Records and the album Feel Like Going Home.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale beginning Nov. 18 at both Marks’ and Palmer’s websites.
See the full list of tour dates below:
May 3 – Washington, D.C. @ Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Series
May 4 – Old Saybrook, CT @ The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Center
May 5 – Brownfield, ME @ Stone Mountain Arts Center
May 6 – Boston, MA @ City Winery Haymarket
May 7 – New York, NY @ City Winery – The Loft
May 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
May 11 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
May 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
A tourism minister for the Bahamas is throwing cold water on Billy McFarland‘s comeback plans. In a statement Monday (Nov. 14), Chester Cooper, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister for Tourism, said that the creator of the disastrous Fyre Festival is still considered a “fugitive” in the country and that anyone knowing his whereabouts should contact the Royal Bahamian Police Force. In response, McFarland issued a letter to the Bahamian government later that day apologizing for Fyre Fest and promising, “I will spend the rest of my life working to right my wrongs.”
The news — first reported by local newspaper The Tribune — comes after McFarland was earlier this year released from prison and later home confinement for crimes he committed while raising money for the 2017 festival. Last month, McFarland released a video on TikTok teasing out a new Bahamas-based project that would be promoted through a treasure hunt set to begin this week on the Caribbean island nation.
“The public is advised that no application has been made to the Government for consideration of any event promoted by Billy McFarland or any entity or parties known to be associated with him,” said Cooper in a statement. “McFarland was the organizer of the Fyre Festival several years ago, a notorious charade for which McFarland was convicted and sent to prison in the USA. “The Government of The Bahamas will not endorse or approve any event in The Bahamas associated with him. “He is considered to be a fugitive, with several pending complaints made against him with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).”
McFarland first announced his plans for PYRT on Oct. 24 after serving four years in prison, noting he’s “working on something new” that’s “a little crazier but a whole lot bigger than anything I’ve ever tried before.” In the video announcement, he then flipped a whiteboard to reveal a treasure map taped to the other side and a phone number to call for more information.
In addition to his prison sentence, McFarland was ordered to pay roughly $26 million in restitution for his crimes. In May, his attorney Jason Russo told Billboard that McFarland was focused on finding “the best way to generate income to pay this restitution back and make amends,” adding, “Any new projects that he does become involved in will be done solely for the purpose of generating the restitution for paying back his victims.”
Later Monday, a representative for McFarland provided Billboard with a copy of a letter McFarland says was sent to the Bahamian government in response to Cooper’s statement. In it, he says he has been working to “make amends” with the Bahamian people and pledges to “make these families whole as soon I am allowed.” He goes on to “ask for guidance on whom to speak with to begin my journey to do right by the incredible people of the Bahamas and Family Islands.”
Read it in full here:
Dear Government of The Bahamas,
I am writing to you to profusely apologize for my actions 5 years ago. I was completely wrong and I wholly regret my actions.
I’ve now served my punishment in prison and now that I am out, my main focus is how I can right my wrongs and how I can make the Bahamas and Family Islands, a region I care so deeply about, whole again.
Over the years, and particularly since my release on August 30, I have been in constant touch with the people throughout the Islands. Their generosity and kind hearts have been a constant guide and motivation for me. I have been re-engaging with the families of the islands to see what I can do to begin making amends.
I don’t have much right now, but I am committed to make these families whole as soon I am allowed. I ask for guidance on whom to speak with to begin my journey to do right by the incredible people of the Bahamas and Family Islands.
I truly acknowledge the hurt I caused to the people, and region, and I will spend the rest of my life working to right my wrongs.
Sincerely,Billy McFarland
UTA has signed country singer-songwriter Dalton Dover to its roster for global representation in all areas, the agency tells Billboard.
Last month, it was announced that Dover signed with UMG Nashville’s Mercury Nashville imprint. He’s aligned with Sony Music Publishing Nashville as well as Droptine Music Publishing, which was launched by Nashville music industry veteran Jim Catino. Dover continues to be represented by Charly Salvatore at Underscore Works.
(L-R): Jeffrey Hasson (Co-Head of UTA Nashville), Matthew Morgan (Partner & Co-Head of UTA Nashville), Scott Clayton (Partner & Co-Head of Global Music, UTA), Charly Salvatore (Founder & Manager, Underscore Works), Dalton Dover, Josh Garrett (Music Agent, UTA), Brett Saliba (Music Agent, UTA).
Courtesy Photo
Dover’s most recent song, “Damn Good Life,” which dropped in September, followed previous releases including “You Got a Small Town” and “Baby I Am.” He was Billboard‘s Country Rookie of the Month in February.
“I’ve had the Hot Country playlist from Spotify on my phone for a while. My friends have it, everybody has it,” Dover told Billboard at the time. “The coolest thing is you can hear Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs — and then you can hear my songs. Coming from where I’m from, this kind of thing just doesn’t happen.”
Dover first came to attention when he appeared on Season 16 of The Voice in 2019, earning a chair turnaround from coach Blake Shelton. From there, he developed his fanbase via his #CatchMeOffGuard series on TikTok, which drew praise from artists including Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs and more. This summer, he graduated to opening for Combs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and performed a seven-date run of concerts at various Shelton’s Ole Red locations around the country.
Dover is currently opening shows on Priscilla Block‘s Welcome to the Block Party tour and will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Dec. 3.
Touring can be a tough way to make a living these days, but for Arlo Guthrie, playing live comes with certain medical benefits that aren’t available in retirement.
“There’s nothing like playing before a live audience,” says the prolific songwriter, activist and storyteller who suffered a series of strokes in 2019 and decided to retire in 2020 as the pandemic shuttered the live music industry. Now, after three years resting at his home in Berkshire County, Mass. with wife Marti Ladd, the couple decided that “I could recuperate better in front of a live audience, rather than just sit at home, and both agreed I should get back out there as part of my rehabilitation.”
Today, Guthrie is sharing the details of his recovery plan, embarking on a four-city storytelling theater tour titled “Arlo Guthrie – What’s Left Of Me – A Conversation With Bob Santelli,” featuring the executive director of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The tour is spread out so that each show is at least one week apart, making travel an easy back and forth trip from his home in western Massachusetts.
“I didn’t really retire from the gigs. I retired from getting to them. I’m retired from seven-hour rides in a tour bus,” Guthrie tells Billboard. The first show in the series will take place at Boston’s Schubert Theater on April 1, followed by The Egg in Albany, NY on April 21; The Pollock Theater at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey on April 28; and The Spruce Peak PAC in Stowe, Vermont on May 27.
“What’s Left Of Me” was booked by Guthrie and Ladd’s new production company Gut3 Productions. Ladd is the director of set design for the series and has created an intimate setting with a backdrop of Arlo’s heroes and mentors hanging within a living room environment. The couple met 20 years ago in Woodstock and married in December 2021. For “What’s Left of Me,” Guthrie will talk about his life as a touring artist, his memories of his famous father Woody Guthrie and his wildly entertaining tales from the road. Guthrie has performed at Carnegie Hall, the 1967 Newport Folk Festival and the original Woodstock festival in 1969 and has released 32 acclaimed albums over his six-decade career. “What’s Left of Me” also includes rarely seen video footage along with an audience Q&A and snippets of his past performances.
Guthrie says the stroke has affected his ability to perform music and says the series is not a music show with some conversation sprinkled in between songs.
“It’s a conversation between two people with maybe some music included,” he notes. “I would rather have it that way. There may be some young people who have no idea who I am, but who got dragged to these events by overenthusiastic friends or parents, or even grandparents and you’ve got to reeducate people and tell them where you’ve been and who you’ve been and make it as much fun as possible.
That includes telling the story of “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre,” a 18-minute monologue that’s both a celebration of Thanksgiving and a not-so-subtle protest piece against the Vietnam War. The talking, satirical format was unusual when it was released in 1967 and still occasionally befuddles folk music fans.
“In 1967, I was beginning to tell my stories on stage and somebody yelled out, ‘shut up and sing,” he jokes “After ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ came out, I was back in Chicago and I was singing songs and somebody yelled ‘shut up and talk.’”
While Guthrie is still affable and gregarious six decades into his career, he’s also become an outspoken advocate and proponent for folk music and the genre’s legacy. His father Woody is one of the most significant and recognized American folk artists of the last century and Arlo has received multiple awards and accolades for his work in folk music, which he insists is more of a musical movement than a genre.
“The great folk musicians all learned how to play music the same way — on acoustic instruments in their houses. That’s the kind of music that I was brought up with. That’s the kind of music my father played. That’s the kind of music I taught my kids to play. It’s music you can take to any country in the world and sing or play with anyone – even those you may not be able to talkto. You may not even be able to say hello, but you can sit down and play something together. That to me, is really always been at the heart of what folk music is,” Guthrie explains.
“That to me is what folk music is,” he continues. “It’s how you learn music. It’s not the sound of it. It’s not the look of it. You don’t need a fancy hat for it. You don’t need lights or amplification. You don’t need anything besides experience and the will to learn how to play.”
For more on “What’s Left Of Me” and to purchase tickets, visit: www.gut3.me
Later this month, Chris Cobb, longtime independent operator of revered Nashville music venue Exit/In for nearly two decades, will conclude his work at the 51-year-old music venue due to the lease ending at the conclusion of 2022, as Nashville-based development firm AJ Capital Partners (which purchased the Exit/In property in 2021) are set to begin overseeing operation of Exit/In.
“It looks like 51 years of local, independent ownership and operation have come to an end,” said a statement from Chris and Telisha Cobb. “We are humbled to host this last run of concerts with friends from many eras gracing our stage again. There have been too many incredible moments to count over the 18 years we’ve stewarded Exit/In. It’s an incredibly special place that we are so fortunate to have been a part of.”
The final 2022 concert at Exit/In is slated for Nov. 23, with the second of a pair of shows from Diarrhea Planet.
A statement from AJ Capital Partners, which recently moved its headquarters from Chicago to Nashville, provided to Billboard says, “The Exit/In will remain open, as it has under the stewardship of dozens of operators over the past 51 years, as its irreplaceable self: an iconic Nashville venue and gathering place for music lovers from all over. We spent the last year securing historic protections for this special and sacred space, which we’re committed to preserving while providing some long overdue physical improvements. We look forward to the next half-century of moments and memories, and to announcing 2023 show dates very soon.”
In 2021, AJ Capital filed a request to designate the Exit/In as a historical landmark, and historic overlays were approved for a section of the property this year.
Last year, the Cobbs launched a GoFundMe campaign with the aim of purchasing Exit/In, shortly after the venue went under contract. The fundraiser received over 4,000 donations and accumulated over $270,000 from supporters. In his statement, Cobb said that the money will be donated to National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and to Music Venue Alliance (MVAN).
Exit/In, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, opened in 1971 and is located at 2208 Elliston Place, as the anchor of “The Rock Block,” which over the years has been home to businesses including The End, Elliston Place Soda Shop and The Gold Rush. Exit/In quickly became known for the diverse slate of artists who have performed there — with many of their names scrawled on its Wall of Fame at the front of the building. Those artists have included Billy Joel, Etta James, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, Paramore, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chuck Berry, The Allman Brothers Band, Jason and the Scorchers, Cage the Elephant and R.E.M., among many others.
Jimmy Buffett was the first performer at the venue when it opened in 1971.
The Rock Block was commemorated with a historical marker in 2020.