CelebrityAccess

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) Oak View Group may be down but reportedly not out when it comes to running the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. OVG chief Tim Leiweke told Amplify magazine that, despite a recent decision by the Los Angeles Rec And Parks department to renew SMG’s  contract to run the iconic venue, OVG is still ready to fight for the venue. “We are focused on the council,” Leiweke told Amplify . “We always knew this was a long shot, but it’s not done.” OVG had put together an impressive RFP for the Greek, including endorsements from Magic Johnson, CAA music chief Rob Light, manager Scooter Braun and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, but the department recommended SMG with its proposal to commit more money to the building, according to Amplify. The city council makes its final decision as soon as Wednesday, where OVG claims it might present “shocking” pictures about the “current state of the venue.” The post Leiweke Says OVG The Fight’s Not Over For Greek Theatre appeared f...

HARTFORD, Conn. (CelebrityAccess) The aging XL Center in downtown Hartford, Conn., is up for grabs, sold “as is.” The Capital Region Development Authorities has issued a Request for Proposal for the venue, which was built in 1975 and got a new roof about five years ago, according to the Hartford Courant . The CRDA originally attempted to have the venue get a $250 million makeover but state government eventually suggested that the formerly known Veterans Memorial Coliseum get sold. One bidder, private equity firm Oak Street Real Estate Capital, has already made a bid, the paper reported. The venue hosts the UConn men’s and women’s basketball, UConn hockey and the AHL minor League’s Wolf Pack. Proposals are due June 29. The post Hartford’s XL Center For Sale appeared first on CelebrityAccess . from CelebrityAccess https://ift.tt/2vXIR3p via IFTTT

(Hypebot) While the holy grail of playlist placement for many artists may be the curated front page playlists, the ones which they should be going after are the personalized algorithmically generated playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly. The question above (about which Spotify playlist is MOST important) is a bit of a trick. The answer is: the personalized playlists that Spotify customizes and updates weekly for every individual user. These are “algorithmic playlists” such as: Release Radar Discover Weekly Artists are focusing on the wrong playlists. Last year, Bryan Johnson, director of artists and management at Spotify UK, said that Release Radar alone is driving more streams than any of Spotify’s in-house playlists, and certainly far more than any curated playlist that isn’t managed by Spotify’s editorial team. Yet musicians are spending all their time and energy seeking placements on bigger curated playlists. Yes, of course those are great. But the less sexy...

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, is an annual conference which features speakers who approach ideas from various disciplines. TEDx is a program created by TED so that communities and organizations all around the world can organize similar events which have the same mission: ideas worth spreading . What’s amazing about these TEDx speakers is that you can actually book them for your own event. Here are three speakers which will spark conversation, connect and share knowledge with your audience. Inspiring TEDx Speakers John Register   John is a four-time all-American collegiate track athlete, two-times Olympic Trials Qualifier and a United States Army Gulf War veteran. Unfortunately, due to an injury, he had his left leg amputated. Thanks to his determination and great ambition, only 27 months after his surgery, John was qualified to become a member of the Paralympic swim team. Four years after this achievement, he learned how to run on a pro...

(Hypebot) After expending a massive amount of time and energy assembling a music video you’re proud of, it can be tempting to kick back and relax, but promotion is when the rubber really hits the pavement, and having a solid strategy is essential to making your music video a success. So you just finished up your music video that you spent HOURS and HOURS putting together with your team and are ecstatic about the end result. Don’t sleep yet! Although a high-quality music video always has the chance of going viral, that chance is SLIM if there’s no promotional strategy to back it up. We’ve put together a list of ways to promote your next music video that will help give it maximum exposure. Build up the excitement: Don’t wait until the day your video drops to start promoting. Share the exciting news with your fans weeks ahead of time, and by doing so you’ll be essentially setting up a promotional army who are ready to hit the share button once it releases. Use every avenue available ...

LONDON (CelebrityAccess) SMG Europe has announced it is shifting its entire portfolio of European venues to Ticketmaster, if those venues are not already part of the TM system. The UK portfolio of arenas and theatres, including Manchester Arena, first direct Arena Leeds and the new Hull Venue, will be ticketed by TM by the end of this summer. The first venue to transfer over will be York Barbican in May. Ticketmaster provided 500 million tickets to fans across 29 countries in 2017. Through the partnership, SMG will get access to Ticketmaster’s technology solutions, marketing reach and distribution channel, according to a statement. John Sharkey, Senior Vice President for SMG Europe, said: “As the largest operator of sports and entertainment venues in the UK and Europe, SMG Europe requires the best in ticketing services. Ticketmaster’s world class, industry-leading technology solutions, unrivaled marketing reach and distribution channels, and customer insight are a true match for th...

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) Bonnie Raitt has announced that she is no longer able to join James Taylor & His All-Star Band for the first portion of their previously announced summer tour. Following, Raitt’s annual physical, it was determined she needs to schedule some surgery soon, according to a statement. The prognosis is “good” and “a full recover is expected.” Bonnie Raitt says “I’m deeply sorry to have to disappoint my fans, James and colleagues with these cancellations. I was so looking forward to our tour, but I’m very grateful that the doctors feel this can be taken care of with surgery. I’m feeling strong and am in great hands with my wonderful team. I fully expect to return for the second leg of the US tour in June followed by our European tour in July. Thank you all for your concern and understanding that the best gift you could give me is respecting my wish for privacy and giving me space to heal. Can’t wait to see you all back on the road again soon!” James Taylo...

The Music Modernization Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and while much of the bill’s content seems positive on the service, there are a number of ways in which it could be altered to favor all music creators. Today, the Music Modernization Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a unanimous 415 – 0 vote (16 reps abstained from voting at all). The mega bill — which consists of a bundle of Titles that were previously independently proposed bills — will change the way in which musical works are licensed by digital service providers and provide a safe harbor for infringement under a blanket licensing mechanism (Title One – Musical Works Modernization Act); it will bring recordings made before 1972 under federal copyright protection (Title Two – Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, and Important Contributions to Society Act or CLASSICS Act); and it will codify an allocation of digital radio royalties to music producers and sound engineers ...

(Hypebot) Apple Music is using a new weapon in its battle to overtake Spotify in the streaming music subscriber wars – extending the free trials of some new users beyond the traditional 90 days. For about 6 months, Apple Music has been offering some trial users an extra free month when their 90 day free trial subscription runs out. “Come see what you’ve been missing in the new Apple Music, like a simpler design that makes finding what you want, and discovering new music, easier than ever,” reads an Apple email, shared by  Mac Rumors , that contains a code to redeem the offer. Apple Music currently has more than 40 million paid subscribers, plus 8 million trial users. Spotify and other streamers have not shared how many trial users they have at any given time. The post Apple Music Extends Free Trial appeared first on CelebrityAccess . from CelebrityAccess https://ift.tt/2I2FXiw via IFTTT

INDIO, Calif. (CelebrityAccess) The first weekend of the Stagecoach Country Music festival in Indio, Calif., has wrapped and Amplify’s Dave Brooks was there to give his take on how it all went down. On Saturday, a strong wind “wreaked havoc” on the Maine Stage, bringing dust and some gusty winds to two main performances. Celebrities like husband/wife Ashton Kutcher/Mila Kunis, Nick Jonas and Nicole Kidman were on hand for Keith Urban’s set. Onstage were guests Brothers Osbourne and Dwight Yoakam, the latter taking the long journey from the Palamino Stage, where he just completed his own show. “This is exactly what I was hoping for tonight, Stagecoach,” Urban said, according to Amplify. “A full moon, beautiful night, dust everywhere and my wife in the wings.” The winds were worse for lead-in Kacey Musgraves. They were so strong that at some point it caused her ear monitors to malfunction, and the wind was blamed for her not being able to hit the high notes. “Oh well, I get paid eit...

NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) Trouble appears to be a-brewin’ over a concessions item at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville that appears to be conspicuously close to a dish that is held near and dear to the people of Rochester, N.Y. The arena, home to the NHL’s Predators and all of the arena events that cross paths with Music City, recently introduced the “Smash Plate” two grilled cheeseburgers on a base of diced potatoes and macaroni salad, smothered with onions, hot chili sauce and mustard. Intermission = the perfect time to try our “Smash Plate” It contains 2 grilled cheeseburgers on a base of diced potatoes & macaroni salad, topped off with onions, hot chili sauce, and mustard! #WPGvsNSH pic.twitter.com/XC1aZYYrLh — BridgestoneArena F&B (@SMASHVILLE_FnB) April 29, 2018 What could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing, really, unless you’re a proud citizen of Rochester, N.Y., home to a delicacy invented at the Nick Tahou Hots eatery. It has become to Rochester what ...

LINKÖPING, Sweden (CelebrityAccess) Swedish alt-metal band Ghost has announced its first-ever headlining tour in support of its fourth sacred psalm – er, album – Prequelle . The announcement broke today with a press conference by the band’s Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator at Irving Plaza in New York. Ghost kicks off its tour at Riverside, Calif.’s RMA May 5 and travels through facilities like the Fillmore in Detroit and Ranter Theatre in Washington, D.C., before wrapping at The Palace Theater in St. Paul, Minn., June 1. Ghost visits The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Nov. 16 and Barclays Center in Brooklyn Dec. 15. The vocals for the new album will not be handled by Papa Nihil but, rather, Cardinal Copia, according to a statement. The album – er, psalm – drops June 1. The first single, “Rats,” arrived earlier this month. Ghost US Tour Dates May 05, 2018 – Riverside, CA – RMA May 06, 2018 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Music Hall May 08, 2018 – Houston, TX – Revention May 10, 2018 – Chatta...

TENNESSEE (CelebrityAccess) Four weeks ago, nobody know who Mason Ramsey was. Now he has a record deal. Ramsey was originally known as “the yodeling kid” on YouTube, singing a version of Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues” at a Walmart. That was March 27. Now, after having his own concert produced by WalMart and appearances at Coachella, the Grand Ole Opry and the “Ellen” show, Ramsey has signed with Atlantic Records / Big Loud and has released his debut single, “Famous.” The song has four songwriters, one of them Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, according to the Tennessean . Ramsey is expected to sing it live during Florida Georgia Line’s headlining set at Stagecoach in Indio, Calf., this Friday. “I’d been to Nashville a few times before, but never thought something like this would happen,” Ramsey said in a statement. “It’s a dream to sign with Atlantic and Big Loud. I loved recording ‘Famous’ and can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” “He is a star, but most importantly he is a ...

(CelebrityAccess) – According to Music Week , Deezer has today announced a partnership with Jazz FM in honor of International Jazz Day (April 30). The streaming service has joined forces with the radio station on a new series called ‘Jazz Stories,’ which will focus on the history of five iconic jazz labels: Impulse!(Universal), Blue Note (Universal), Columbia (Sony), Atlantic (Warner), and ECM (Universal). Each week’s hour-long episode will feature commentary from a different presenter as well as accompanying playlists. “We’re delighted to partner with Jazz FM to take users on a journey of musical discovery,” said Chris Baughen, VP of content & formats at Deezer. “Every week, fans can learn about the labels behind some of the most renowned artists, while enjoying a hand-picked selection of huge jazz cuts.” “As the world’s leading Jazz broadcaster, Jazz FM is home to many of the world’s most knowledgeable presenters,” added Nick Pitts, content director at Jazz FM. “With a t...

NEW YORK, NY (CelebrityAccess) – Bob Dylan has announced the launch of a brand new line of Whiskeys he’s calling ‘Heaven’s Door.’ Based out of a deconstructed church in Tennessee, Heaven’s Door, which is a collaboration with liquor entrepreneur Marc Bushala (the man behind bourbon Angel’s Envy which sold for $150 million to Bacardi in 2015), will be released in May and feature a straight rye finished in French Vosges oak casks, a seven-year-old bourbon, and a “double-barrelled” whiskey. Though the line will initially only be available in Tennessee, Florida, California, Illinois, New York, and Texas, a wider rollout is planned for the future. While Bushala, who reportedly raised $35 million for the new project, is the company’s money man, Dylan will serve as a full partner in the business and as the face of the whiskey for all promotional campaigns. The bottle label designs will also be based on Dylan’s ironwork sculptures. Heaven’s Door bourbon and double-barrelled are set to ret...

LOS ANGELES, CA (CelebrityAccess) – A memorial to celebrate the life of APA managing partner and head of music Troy Blakely has been set for May 9 at the Forum in Los Angeles. Blakely passed away February 10 after a brief bout with pneumonia. He was 68. Over the course of his impressive 50-year career, Blakely became one of the most respected and sought-after music agents in the world. Credited with helping to shape the rock music industry as we know it, his clients included everyone from Robert Plant, Fleetwood Mac, Judas Priest, Boston, Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, Poison, and Heart to Lenny Kravitz, Iron Maiden, Sebastian Bach, The Scorpions, Ratt, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, The Black Crowes, Rush, White Snake, and countless others. The memorial is open to all those who knew Blakely and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The post Memorial For Music Agent Troy Blakely Set For May 9 in Los Angeles appeared first on CelebrityAccess . from CelebrityAccess ...

LAS VEGAS, NV (CelebrityAccess) – Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and musician, Barry Manilow has announced that he will be returning to Las Vegas later this year. The residency, which will once again see Manilow step into the role of exclusive headliner at Westgate International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino,  will feature a brand new 85-minute stage show built around more than 50 of the singer’s greatest hits. “ Barry Manilow is an icon and one of the world’s greatest performers,” said David Siegel , Founder & CEO of Westgate Resorts. “We are thrilled to be welcoming him back to our historic stage so that he can once again make it home.” “I have nothing but great memories of my seven years performing in Las Vegas ,” added Manilow. “I’m very excited to be returning. Get ready, Las Vegas ! Here I come!” Tickets for Manilow’s Vegas residency go on sale Wednesday, May 2, 2018 , at 8 a.m. PT . For more informa...

PHILADELPHIA, PA (CelebrityAccess) – Temple University in Philadelphia announced Friday that it will be revoking the honorary doctorate it awarded to Bill Cosby in 1991 following the comedian’s sexual assault conviction. The university’s board of trustees made the decision following Thursday’s jury verdict, which found Cosby guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand who formerly managed the school’s women’s basketball team back in 2004. 20 other colleges and universities across the U.S. had already rescinded honorary degrees from Cosby prior to the conviction. Others set to join Temple in revoking his honors include Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, Boston College and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.   The post Bill Cosby Stripped of Honorary Doctorate From Temple University appeared first on CelebrityAccess . from CelebrityAccess https://ift.tt/2jfy8bf via IFTTT

(CelebrityAccess) – Country star Michael Ray recently announced his forthcoming sophomore album, Amos, named after his late-grandfather. Ray grew up watching his grandfather play in the family band and attributes his passion for music to him sharing that he wouldn’t be the man or musician he is today without Amos’ influence. From the new album, Ray brings fans the emotional music video for his current Top-20 single, “Get To You.” Taste of Country calls it a “uniquely tender and honest” ballad while Rolling Stone applauds its “impassioned chorus” and praises Ray for his impressive vocal range. “‘Get To You’ is such a special song not only because it’s the first single off of Amos, but also because I feel that it’s something everyone can relate to on some level. I feel like we’ve all been on at least one side of this storyline (‘Why do you run away from love, what the hell are you so scared of/I’m trying, I’m trying to get to you’). In my case, I’ve been on both sides,” Ray reflects. ...

MONTREAL (CelebrityAccess) Stay22, the hotel/Airbnb accommodation app based out of Montreal, is grabbing attention, forming partnerships with Canada’s largest event producer and promoter, Evenko, and Pearl Jam. The product embeds code into a registration site, and offers visitors hotels and Airbnb accommodations in the area of the event. Stay22 splits the commissions with the organizer. The company works with everyone from high school events to convention centers. Basically, say, if a festival promoter is building a website for its event, a Stay22 widget can be added that will allow fans to see what accommodations are available in the surrounding area – and the promoter gets a cut from the bookings. An example for Coachella is provided below. Although it was formed in 2016, Stay22 has gained an exponential amount of traction recently, and CelebrityAccess reported on the recent attention in a February article. Since then Stay22 has raised $750,000 in seed money, and provided mor...

SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess) For anyone who says the concert industry is a male-dominated business, that’s not necessarily the case inside the operations of Another Planet Entertainment. Nearly 10 women hold high positions in the company, and Forbes recently featured them, and the overall significance, in a recent piece. The company itself, based out of San Francisco, is an offshoot of Bill Graham Presents when two of Graham’s most powerful soldiers, Sherry Wasserman and Gregg Perloff, exited what was then Clear Channel Entertainment to form their own company (APE is an inside joke because many would say that Perloff was from “another planet”). Since then, it has developed into the third largest-promoter in North America after Live Nation and AEG with the help of Danielle Madeira, VP of strategic alliances and Mary Conde, senior VP, among others. Forbes focused Wasserman, Madeira and Conde in its feature, noting their work on Another Planet’s contributions to entities like Oak...

SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess) Burning Man founder Larry Harvey, 70, died this morning, April 28, in San Francisco. Harvey suffered a massive stroke at his home on the morning of April 4, and died peacefully surrounded by family, according to Marian Goodell, current CEO of the Burning Man Project. Harvey grew up on a small farm outside Portland, an adopted son of Nebraskans. He moved to San Francsico in 1968 in the Haight-Ashbury district, living many hears with “kindred spirit” Jan Lohr, according to friend Stuart Mangrum. Harvey, influenced by heroes like William James, Sigmund Freud and American Scholar Lewis Hyde, whose book “The Gift” was influential in creating the Burning Man philosophy. “Much has been written about this seminal Burn, and what it may or may not have represented,” Mangrum wrote. “Was it to burn away the pain of a failed relationship? An act of pure spontaneous creation undertaken on a whim? Larry’s final position on the question was that it did not matter. H...

LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) The City of Los Angeles’ Rec and Parks Department has recommended that SMG get a 10-year renewal on its contract to manage the Greek Theatre rather than awarding a new contract to Oak View Group. The Friday decision, first reported by Amplify , will likely end a battle for the Greek although the renewal still reportedly needs to be approved by the department’s board of directors. The decision, which Amplify portrayed as a trouncing, was based on a scoring of city staff that gave SMG 92.3 points versus OVG’s 78.3. The renewal would be for five years with the option of a five-year extension. SMG originally received rights to manage the Greek after a bitter battle between its longtime promoter/operator, Nederlander, and spoiler Live Nation, with the latter originally receiving the new contract. However, a public uproar ultimately gave the contract to SMG, which would run the Greek as an open building. Oak View Group, a facility management company run by ...

LAS VEGAS (CelebrityAccess) The Nevada Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the Metropolitan Police Department must begin releasing body camera footage and 911 call audio of the Route 91 Harvest country music festival shooting massacre. The ruling was requested by the Las Vegas Review-Journal , which was contested by the Metro because it would allegedly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take much longer to produce the footage and audio, according to the newspaper . “The speed with which the Supreme Court made this decision reflects the complete absence of merit in the Metropolitan Police Department’s arguments,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said. The request has been wending through the court system since March, when district Judge Richard Scotti gave Metro six month to fulfill the order on a “rolling basis.” Metro appealed the decision, first to District Court then to Nevada Supreme Court, causing District Judge Stefany Miley to accuse the department of intent...

LAS VEGAS (CelebrityAccess) Risk manager for the MGM Grand Hotel Mark Habersack recently testified in the trial against David Copperfield, who is being sued by a British tourist who claims he was injured during one of Copperfield’s tricks, that he does not know why an incident report on the accident did not include accounts from witnesses. Gavin Cox claims that, during a November 2013 Copperfield performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he fell backstage and was rushed to the hospital, eventually costing him $400,000 in medical bills. Cox was one of 13 audience members who performed in a trick called “13” where he and 12 others disappear from the stage and reappear in the back of the audience. The volunteers were hurried through indoor hallways and an outdoor alleyway to make the reappearance. Cox claimed he slipped in an area that was under construction and suffered brain and body injuries. Habersack testified during the civil trial that, although he did not work at the casino at...

BOSTON (CelebrityAccess) The new, $2.5 billion Wynn Resorts casino being constructed outside Boston has had a name change in lieu of sexual misconduct allegations against founder Steve Wynn. Banners that around the Everett waterfront site that announced the arrival of the Wynn Boston Harbor resort have been removed. The new name is Encore Boston Harbor. Matthew Maddox, the new CEO of Wynn Resorts, informed state gambling regulators of the change on April 27, according to the Associated Press. The regulators are considering the company’s request to remove Wynn’s name from its Massachusetts gaming license. “This company is not about a man. Steve Wynn is not Wynn Resorts,” Maddox said. “Wynn Resorts is about the 25,0900 employees that grow this company every day.” The commission, a five-member panel, is investigating whether the company’s board knew about the allegations, including a $7.5 million settlement with one accuser, the AP said. Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn res...

TOKYO, Japan (CelebrityAccess) — When Sony announced their earnings report for the 2017-18 fiscal year, it revealed that the company’s recorded music business had seen revenue soar on updrafts created largely by music streaming. Sony Music reported revenue of about $4 billion, an increase of 12% over the same period in 2016. Streaming played a major role in those results, with revenue from the segment up by 37% to $1.8 billion and comprising 44% of Sony Music’s total. Surprisingly, revenue for physical was up as well, with Sony posting an increase of $10 million with revenue of $1.2 billion. The gains in physical were helped by strong product sales in Japan and renewed interest in premium vinyl. At the same time, downloaded music suffered, falling by a precipitous 18% to just under $450 million for the fiscal year. Highlights of Sony Music’s catalog this year included P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma, DJ Khaled’s Grateful and Camila Cabello’s Camila. The success of Sony’s music divisi...

Joshua Hedley has added headlining tour dates in support of his debut album, Mr. Jukebox . Hedley, who conjures the country music of the 1950s, has garnered heaps of praise: “Joshua Hedley’s flawless vibrato and encyclopedic knowledge of country music make for a startling introduction on his debut album,” NPR Music said. “With a voice as clear as a mountain stream and nine originals that could have been written yesterday or 50 years ago, this music will light up any room. This sound is so authentic and he owns it with such offhanded charm and confidence that it seems like he went to sleep in 1963 and just woke up,” the Tennessean said. Dates are now as follows: JOSHUA HEDLEY CONFIRMED TOUR DATES April 27 — Indio, CA — Stagecoach Festival April 28 — Pioneertown, CA—Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace* April 30 — West Hollywood, CA — The Roxy May 1 — Los Angeles, CA — Hi Hat May 3 — Evanston, IL — SPACE May 4 — Minneapolis, MN — 7th St Entry May 5 — Davenport, IA — R...