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Concerts

Here’s hoping he wins!!!

Man sues Madonna, saying her 10:30 p.m. concert start is too late

“There’s something that you all need to understand,” Madonna said during her Las Vegas concert, while perched atop a piano, legs swinging. “And that is, that a queen is never late.”

The mega star spoke those words to fans during the show this week, posting the video to Twitter on Saturday.

And despite the cheers that came from the crowd, not everyone agrees. One Florida fan is betting the law won’t agree either.

Nate Hollander is taking the singer to court over her late start times.

Hollander filed a lawsuit Monday in Miami-Dade County court against both Live Nation and Madonna. He alleges that the change in start times for her Madame X Tour is a breach of contract made between the singer and the ticket buyer.

In August, when Hollander bought the tickets to Madonna’s December 17 show at the Fillmore Miami Beach, the concert was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m., the lawsuit alleges. But on October 23, Madonna and Live Nation changed the start time for that show and several others to 10:30 p.m., the suit alleges.

For those like Hollander, who bought tickets and now don’t want to attend a concert that late, a refund has not been offered, he alleges.

And attempts to resell won’t make up for the money lost, as tickets have now “suffered an extreme loss of value” because of the time change, he alleges. That makes reselling “impossible,” he said.

Hollander originally bought three tickets to Madonna’s Miami Beach show, spending $1,024.95, he says in the filing. But, since the show is now starting later than originally planned, he claims that he and other ticket holders “suffered actual and consequential damages including, but not limited to, loss of consideration paid and the devaluation of the ticket.”

CNN has reached out to Madonna and Live Nation via email and voicemail, but requests for comment have not been returned.

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Concerts

The age old phrase is “The Show MUST Go On”. No matter what, The Show MUST Go On!!! I absolutely despise it when this happens, whether I have tickets or not.

Rolling Stones postpone tour so Mick Jagger can get medical treatment

The Rolling Stones are postponing their latest tour, which included one stop in Canada, so lead vocalist Mick Jagger can get “medical treatment.”

The legendary rock band, known for classics such as Satisfaction and You Can’t Always Get What You Want, announced Saturday that Jagger, 75, was informed by doctors “he cannot go on tour at this time, as he needs medical treatment,” but that his prognosis is good.

“The doctors have advised Mick that he is expected to make a complete recovery so that he can get back on stage as soon as possible,” the statement said.

The source of Jagger’s illness remains a mystery, with no other details given.

The group was supposed to kick off its No Filter Tour in Miami, Fla. on April 20 and was slated to perform at one Canadian location along the way: Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ont., on June 29.

Jagger told Canadian and American fans he’s “so sorry.”

“I’m devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can,” he tweeted.”

Ticketholders are being advised to keep their existing tickets, which will still be valid for rescheduled dates.

The Stones says those dates “will be announced shortly.”

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Concerts

It would be fun to go to them all!!

Billy Joel Sets Summer Tour of Baseball Stadiums

In addition to Billy Joel‘s monthly gig at Madison Square Garden, the singer will embark on a summer tour of concerts at the stadiums of seven Major League Baseball teams.

The one-show-a-month stadium tour kicks off March 9th at Phoenix’s Chase Field (home of the Diamondbacks) and continues April 26th (the Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park), May 24th (the Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park), July 26th (Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards), August 8th (Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field in Denver), September 14th (Boston Red Sox’ Fenway Park) and October 12th (Arlington, Texas’ Globe Life Park, home of the Rangers).

As Billboard reports, Joel’s show at Camden Yards in Baltimore marks the end of a 20-year-ban on concerts at that baseball stadium. (Orioles owner Peter Angelos once lamented that he was “not going to have [the stadium] become some kind of honky tonk for various and sundry rock ‘n’ roll bands,” the Baltimore Sun reports.)

Joel has also mapped out the next seven shows of his monthly Madison Square Garden residency, with the January though May concerts already sold out. Check out Joel’s site for ticket information for the stadium tour.

Billy Joel Tour Dates

March 9 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field
April 26 – Milwaukee, WI @ Miller Park
May 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park
July 26 – Baltimore, MD @ Camden Yards
August 8 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field
September 14 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
October 12 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Park

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Concerts

Did you know that average ticket prices are at a record high of $96.31? I sure didn’t. WOW!!

Why Your Favorite Concerts Are Bigger – and More Expensive – Than Ever

U2 had its 400-ton, 360-degree “Claw” stage that cost $30 million. Lady Gaga’s 2013 concert circuit involved a looming five-story Gothic castle. Taylor Swift’s ongoing Reputation stadium tour needs 52 semis and 30 flatbed trucks just to haul all the gear.

It isn’t fans’ imagination that music tours, particularly ones put on by the biggest artists, are getting more lavish by the year. For evidence in hard numbers, look no further than the mid-year report Pollstar released this week: The concert company found that the live market’s 2018 mid-year gross is a record-setting $2.21 billion, up $240 million (12 percent) from the previous year, and that average ticket prices are at a record high of $96.31. Fans are hungry for live shows, and they’re willing to splurge on them. “The precipitous rise speaks to the industry’s aggressive pricing strategy to better meet demand and exclude the secondary market,” Pollstar noted, as well.

But the soaring costs are also due to the fact that A-list concerts – which have been exploding in popularity as fans in the streaming era seek more interactive connections with their favorite musicians – are now regularly expected to be full-blown, Instagram-ready spectacles. For a closer look at the future of major music tours, we spoke to Ray Winker, CEO and design director of Stufish Entertainment Architects, the firm that crafted the visual dreamscape for Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s current On the Run II tour. (The studio has also designed stages and sets for the likes of U2, Madonna, Pink Floyd, the London and Beijing Olympics and Cirque du Soleil.)

Q – Now that live events are such a key, lucrative industry for music – how have artists changed their approach to concert tours? Do they give them more thought than before?
A – By the industry’s own admission, the way to make money in the day and age of streaming and downloads is for artists to go on tour. The demand is for artists to do something spectacular. The crowds are expecting something pretty big. So that pushes the artist to think about touring in a more challenging way. In the late Eighties and early Nineties, touring was a promotional tour that bands used for new albums. It wasn’t the profit center that it is now, where bands don’t make money on CD sales – they do so in touring and merchandising. Their core mission is to grow the fan base and get them to come to an event that basically allows bands to make a business out of their music.

Q – So what kinds of “spectacular” things are we seeing on stage? And what will we see more of?
A – Everybody likes pyrotechnics. People will always revert back to that technology because it’s just a wonderful way of celebrating something; it’s grand and exciting. I don’t think you can really advance on that too much, [other than] things like making the timecode with the music absolutely precise. But what’s happening much more on top of that is audience participation – like giving wristbands that are controlled by the show and change colors and patterns with the show. I think that trend is going to increase with augmented reality, as well. Fans downloading an app and holding it against the screen to get an AR experience with the band. But how loyal fans are going to be to AR, only time will tell.

Q – Why is that?
A – Because people are no longer content with an experience that creates a barrier between them and the experience. They want to be much more immersed in the event. People go to these shows to experience something, and if there’s a certain distance between them and the artist, the link between the two can be severed quite easily. So we’re always looking for ways to bring the show closer.

Q – What kinds of features accomplish that?
A – Bigger and wider stages, for example. Catwalks deeper into the house. In On the Run II, there’s a bridge that spans over the audience’s heads – and Taylor Swift did that too, and in 1997 when the Rolling Stones did their [Bridges to Babylon] tour, there was a bridge hidden under the stage. Those are things that go down very well. Other big changes are ones you can see in the technology of engineering: bigger, brighter and cheaper.

Q – Why are shows getting grander in the first place?
A – The desire for humans to be entertained – it’s a very important part of how we express ourselves. And entertainment architects apply understandings from one industry to another. For example, lightweight façades, LED technology: U2 went on tour a few years ago with the largest screen ever that created the backdrop to the band’s performance. That was revolutionary. You wouldn’t have found that scale of screen anywhere. And now, it’s pretty much present in any city center around the world. There’s direct tie-ins, [which is] how entertainment architecture works.

Q – What’s most different about the set design for tours today?
A – In the day and age of Instagram and Snapchat and all other social media, far more people know about the show than the people actually sitting in the stadium. The “Instagram moment” is a very important aspect of how we design things. At the start of the On the Run II show, before it’s even started, there will be thousands of photos circulating on the internet about how it looks like. So a show no longer starts when the curtain rises. The show starts the moment the first person takes a picture of it. Getting that moment right – making sure the show looks impressive and enticing before it starts – is a challenge you wouldn’t have thought about, 10 years ago.

Q – The show has to live up to expectations – but also to images.
A – Yes, nowadays, you’re very minded to make the experience mobile-friendly. As soon as the doors are open for the very first show, the excitement mounts. People talk. A lot of people don’t even watch the show anymore – they film the show and watch it on their phones. That changes the way one thinks about design, quite considerably. You can’t underestimate the power of making sure a show looks good the moment people walk into a stadium – it’s now as important as the show itself.

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Concerts

Woo hoo!!! I’m going to live forever!!!

Study claims that attending a concert once every two weeks can add nine years to your life

Concerts can be daunting as you get older, what with late start times, a slew of opening acts, and the prospect of standing next to tall, sweaty people for several hours. A new study, however, claims that the effort’s worth it.

Conducted by O2 and behavioral science expert Patrick Fagan and reported by NME, the study finds that regular concert attendance can increase one’s lifespan by up to nine years. The logic here is that live music increases feelings of self-worth, closeness to others, and, especially, mental stimulation, all of which contribute to one’s sense of well-being. According to the study, there’s a “positive correlation between regularity of gig attendance and well-being,” and “additional scholarly research directly links high levels of wellbeing with a lifespan increase of nine years.”

These sensations of well-being were measured using psychometric testing and heart-rate tests, and the study says experiencing a gig for just 20 minutes can result in a 21% increase in feelings of well-being. The study’s recommendation is that one concert every two weeks will score one’s “happiness, contentment, productivity and self-esteem at the highest level.”

Does that sound like a load of hooey to you? Especially once you consider that O2 is a concert venue that plugs its “Priority Tickets” program in the text of the study? Yeah, maybe, but who are we to argue? Some of the most fun we’ve ever had has been at concerts, and who’s going to disagree that happy people are likely to live longer?

Also, this isn’t the first time scientists have come to such a conclusion.

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Concerts

This is great, great, great news!!!

Mel B now says Spice Girls reunion is ‘finally’ happening: ‘We are touring!’

What we want (what we really, really want) is a Spice Girls reunion, but it’s been difficult keeping track of it all. There was some speculation and reports back in February, but then Victoria Beckham shot down that chatter. Now, Melanie Brown (a.k.a. Mel B) has lifted our spirits once more when she appeared on the Today show’s Kathie Lee & Hoda segment to definitively declare, “We are touring!”

“I still do [love performing]. I’m the only one that keeps on saying, ‘We’re gonna be performing,’ which we are gonna be performing,” Brown told Hoda Kotb. “Finally they got it together.”

But wait a minute! What about Beckham’s comments? Kotb brought up how Posh Spice told Vogue, “I’m not going on tour. The girls aren’t going on tour.”

“She’s always bloody saying that,” Brown said. “Stop it! We are touring!” In case that wasn’t clear, she added, “Yes, we are going to be doing performances together, for sure.”

TMZ had initially reported in February that the Spice Girls would embark on an international tour beginning in the U.K. and migrating to the U.S. It was around this time that Brown got together with Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell for “a fun lunch.” The photo they took from that day and posted online sparked further speculation.

Brown admitted to Kotb on Wednesday that she has been talking about a reunion for a long time. While appearing on talk-show The Real, she had confirmed the ladies are indeed back with Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller.

“We have enjoyed a wonderful afternoon catching up and reminiscing about the amazing times we have spent together,” the group said in a previous statement to EW through Beckham’s publicist, Jo Milloy. “We are always overwhelmed at how much interest there is across the whole world for the Spice Girls. The time now feels right to explore some incredible new opportunities together.”

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Concerts

I’d go for free, but I wouldn’t pay.

Drake Performing Intimate Dinner Concert In Toronto

Drake’s transition into a 1960s crooner has begun as he’s set to partake in a VIP dinner theatre-style concert series in Toronto later this spring.

Chateau Le Jardin in Vaughan will serve as the venue for the ultra-exclusive concert series where Drake will be performing some of his more family-friendly songs for dinner goers.

Only about 1,000 people will get the chance to see Drake belt out soulful, dinner-appropriate renditions of “Hold On, We’re Going Home”, all part of the Après Noir series going down at Le Jardin.

Getting tickets for this event won’t be easy, though, as priority is being given to Le Jardin members.

Prices haven’t been announced yet but you can bet tickets to see Drake wearing a tux and singing “Find Your Love” won’t come cheap.

It’s worth noting that fellow Torontonian Jessie Reyez will be on hand to help Drake out with “Take Care” for the concert on June 7.

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Concerts

I hope he brings back Janet, that would be a great surprise!!

Justin Timberlake Confirms Neither *NSYNC Nor Janet Jackson Will Make Appearance at Super Bowl LII Halftime Show

Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show is quickly approaching, and fans are getting more and more eager to find out who he’ll be bringing out as special guests. But if his press conference Thursday (Jan. 1) was any indication, fans hoping for an epic surprise may not get their wish — especially those anticipating an appearance from *NSYNC or Janet Jackson.

When Timberlake was asked if there might be an *NSYNC reunion on the Super Bowl stage, the “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer shut rumors down point-blank. “Uhh, well, no,” he said with a quick laugh, but an expression that suggested he was not playing any games.

Timberlake also briefly mentioned Jackson, who will of course forever be associated with Justin and the Super Bowl after the infamous Nipplegate incident of 2004, and who some have suggested the pop star should bring out as a special guest at Super Bowl LII. From the sounds of it, that’s not happening either.

“To be honest, I had a ton of grand ideas about special guests,” he continued. “We talked about it a lot. There’s a whole list — I think Vegas has a lot of odds on it, I heard. From *NSYNC to Jay [Z] to Chris Stapleton to Janet, but this year I’m just excited — my band, the Tennessee Kids, I feel like they’re my special guests and I’m excited this year to rock the stage. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

While it seems Timberlake will be handling the world’s biggest stage without any guest stars — which isn’t totally unheard of, as Lady Gaga went at it alone just last year — he assured fans that it will be a halftime show to remember.

“Without giving too much away, we’re doing a few things with this halftime show that they’ve never quite done before,” Timberlake told press. “I’m excited to do that, I always like to push to be able to do something like that. But also, too, I think on a more serious note, it’s a moment where you have the opportunity to bring so many people together through what I think is the greatest art form. That has been the ethos of the inspiration behind putting the set list together and managing the visuals and how it all sort of comes together.”

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Concerts

Rock and roll!!!

Pearl Jam Detail Short Summer Stadium Tour

Pearl Jam will embark on a short tour this summer, pairing their “Home Shows” in Seattle with “Away Shows” in Missoula, Montana, Chicago and Boston.

Pearl Jam will play Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula August 13th, after which they’ll hit Wrigley Field in Chicago for two concerts, August 18th and 20th. The band will close their quick trek with another two-night stand at Fenway Park in Boston, September 2nd and 4th.

Fans can register for access to tickets through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program starting today, January 24th, through February 6th at 4 p.m. PT. The verified fan pre-sale begins February 16th at 10 a.m. local time. Members of Pearl Jam’s Ten Club will also have special access to pre-sale tickets starting February 7th at 10 a.m. PT, with full details available on the band’s website. A limited number of remaining tickets will be sold via a general sale that starts February 21st at 10 a.m. local time.

Pearl Jam previously announced their “Home Shows” will take place at Seattle’s Safeco Field on August 8th and 10th. The band has pledged to donate at least $1 million from the concerts to fight homelessness in Seattle. They also hope to raise $10 million over the next year in collaboration with local businesses, government agencies and non-profits to further alleviate the problem.

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Concerts

Go, retire and live your life Sir Elton!!

Elton John announces lengthy farewell tour, with Canadian stops

Elton John is retiring from the road after his upcoming three-year global tour, capping nearly 50 years on stages around the world, and says he’s hoping to go out “with a bang.”

“I’ve had a good run, I think you’d admit that,” John said Wednesday. He added that he wanted to “leave people thinking, ‘I saw the last tour and it was fantastic.”‘

The 70-year-old singer, pianist and composer announced the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at an event in New York, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.

John is married to Toronto native David Furnish, and the couple have two young children.

“My priorities now are my children and my husband and my family,” he said. “This is the end.”

The charismatic performer’s website lists two concerts in Toronto (Sept. 25-26), as well as shows in Ottawa (Sept. 28), Quebec City (Sept. 29) and Montreal (Oct. 4). Tickets go on sale Feb. 2.

He was recently in Canada for a pair of November shows in Ontario cities Kingston and St. Catharines.

John, whose hits include Your Song and Candle in the Wind, has won five Grammys, an Oscar and a Golden Globe for The Lion King, a Tony Award for Aida and received a Kennedy Center Honor.

John several weeks ago announced he’d be winding up his Las Vegas residency in May. The Million Dollar Piano show in Vegas will close after some 200 performances in six years.

At the Grammy Awards on Sunday in New York City, John is to perform alongside Miley Cyrus and will collect the President’s Merit Award.

It’s not his first honour from the Grammys. He also received the Legend Award for lifetime achievement in 2000 and that same year was named its MusiCares Person of the Year for his philanthropic efforts, which include raising hundreds of millions through his Elton John AIDS Foundation.

On Jan. 30, the I’m Still Standing: Elton John tribute concert is taking place at Madison Square Garden featuring guest Cyrus, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Kesha and Sam Smith, to be broadcast on CBS in the U.S. later in the year.

John launched his first tour in 1970 and boasts having performed over 4,000 times in more than 80 countries. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

He has suffered several medical setbacks of late, including a bacterial infection last year that he contracted during a South American tour and an E. coli bacterial infection in 2009. He’s also suffered appendicitis and has been fitted with a pacemaker.

From 1970-76, John released 10 original studio albums and seven consecutive chart toppers.

He has sold more than 300 million albums.