“Holy Grail,” the opening salvo of Jay-Z’s 2013 album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, was always an ostentatious affair. Justin Timberlake sings what seems to be a sexual innuendo where a reproductive body part is compared to a “holy grail.” Jay-Z delivers part of Nirvana’s “Smell Like Teen Spirit” in a …
Read More »Butch Walker Previews New Rock Opera With Wry Ballad 'Pretty Crazy'
“I love you!” a girl giggles at the beginning of Butch Walker‘s new song “Pretty Crazy,” to which Walker deadpans, “Oh, cool.” It’s a lightning-flash exchange that nonetheless sums up the superficiality of today’s culture — are anyone’s words ever really sincere? Walker tackles all sorts of words and viewpoints …
Read More »Jewel Raises Over $550k for Homeless Youth With Livestream Concert
This past weekend, Jewel raised more than $550,000 for at-risk and homeless youth through her Live From San Quarantine: A Livestream Concert, in partnership with her Never Broken charity program. Never Broken, a part of the Inspiring Children Foundation, was originally scheduled to host a concert fundraiser this summer with …
Read More »Watch Orville Peck Honor Kenny Rogers With 'Islands in the Stream' Cover
Orville Peck saluted the late Kenny Rogers on Monday with a solo acoustic version of “Islands in the Stream,” the latter’s 1983 hit with Dolly Parton. The acoustic cover arrived midway through the masked country artist’s livestreamed, at-home concert, which marked the one-year anniversary of his debut LP, Pony. “This …
Read More »Hear Our Podcast on the Music Biz's Week From COV-19 Hell
Few industries are less suited for an era of social distancing than the concert business, built as it is around masses of people gathering shoulder-to-shoulder. So in mid-March, as the United States began to realize how widely the coronavirus was spreading domestically, scheduled concerts and festivals flew off the calendar, …
Read More »Flashback: Joni Mitchell Plays a Warm 'For Free' in 1970
On September 3rd, 1970, Joni Mitchell stopped by the BBC’s Television Centre in London to perform for the premiere of their In Concert series. She would play songs from previous albums, including “Cactus Tree” from her 1968 David Crosby–produced debut and “Chelsea Morning” from Clouds, but the majority of her …
Read More »Charli XCX Will Host Daily 'Self-Isolation' Livestream With Special Guests
With the live-music industry in shambles thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, more and more artists are turning to livestreaming and other virtual options for performing their music and connecting with fans in these trying times. On Wednesday, Charli XCX became the latest, announcing her own daily “Self-Isolation IG Livestream.” The …
Read More »Anxious About Coronavirus? Lizzo Has a Soothing Meditation Just for You
As anxiety around COVID-19 grows, Lizzo offered a digital balm: a 30-minute meditation via Instagram Live in lieu of her canceled appearance at the Houston Rodeo. Lizzo opened her meditation by playing the flute from behind a tray of crystals. She noted that the music was meant to be a …
Read More »Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Postponed Due to Coronavirus
UPDATE (3/24):The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been rescheduled to November 7th. Organizers announced that the show will still be broadcast live from Cleveland at 8 p.m. EST on HBO. **** The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremony, which was supposed to take place May …
Read More »Watch Morrissey Perform Smiths Obscurity 'Half a Person' for First Time in 20 Years
Morrissey played his first concert of 2020 on March 6th at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, where he treated fans to a reworked setlist. It featured not only the first performance of the Smiths classic “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side” since 2013 but also the …
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