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Dave Chappelle Hosting Intimate, Socially Distanced Comedy Shows in Ohio
Dave Chappelle is one of the first major entertainers to ease back into live performances since the pandemic, but he’s doing it cautiously. The renowned comedian has been hosting a series of impromptu intimate outdoor shows in Ohio called “Dave Chappelle & Friends: A Talk with Punchlines”. The sets are invite-only, limited to roughly 100 guests each, and subject to social distancing enforcement. The two shows that have taken place so far (on June 6th and June 8th) were held outdoors at the Wirrig Pavilion in his hometown of Yellow Springs. According to Dayton.com, attendees wore face masks the entire time — custom ones designed with a large “C” were also available — and were spaced out on the lawn in front of the makeshift stage. Those in the audience described the nature of the c...
A&E Cancels Live PD, One of the Highest Rated Shows on Cable TV
Just one day after Paramount Network cancelled Cops, A&E has turned off the sirens of another hit police show: Live PD. As Deadline reports, the decision to cut the feed on Live PD was made jointly by A&E and MGM-owned production company Big Fish Entertainment. In a statement, the network said, “This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.” Live PD aired for three hours on Friday and Saturday nights, bringing live feeds from police pa...
San Diego Comic-Con at Home Convention to Stream for Free
The annual San Diego Comic-Con was called off back in April due to the worldwide pandemic shutdowns. In May, Comic-Con International announced a virtual iteration dubbed Comic-Con@Home. Now, details of the online event have been revealed — and it will be completely free. Taking place July 22nd through 26th, Comic-Con@Home will allow an unlimited number of online guests attend the virtual panels on movies, TV series, comic books, video games, and more, without paying a fee. That’s huge news for fans of geek culture; SDCC’s ticketing process is notoriously stressful, involving pre-sign up, waiting periods, and limited accessibility. Then once you’re actually onsite, getting into the major panels could require waiting in line for hours. With no need to camp out to secure a spot, fans will hav...
André 3000 Selling Shirts Based on His Jumpsuits to Benefit Movement for Black Lives
André 3000 has reemerged. No, not with a new verse or track, but with new merch. The Outkast members is selling shirts specifically to benefit Movement for Black Lives. The long-sleeved black T-shirts are based on the jumpsuits 3 Stacks wore during OutKast’s 2014 reunion tour. Each one is emboldened with one of 13 phrases André 3000 wore across his chest during that anniversary trek, along with a “Not 4 Sale” tag printed on the left sleeve. (Why 13? André isn’t known for doing things haphazardly, so one has to wonder if it’s a reference to the 13th Amendment.) Designs include “across cultures, darker people suffer most. why?”, “can one rest in peace & violence?”, “narcissistic americans.”, “obviously oblivious.”, “which type of stereo are you?”, and the direct “breathe.” The collection...
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit Taps Lucinda Williams for Summer 2021 Tour
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit plan to hit the road with special guest Lucinda Williams next year for an unforgettable summer jaunt. The whole squad’s first pit stop in their North American journey is in Vancouver, B.C. on July 19, while wrapping around the West Coast and southwest states before reaching the last two shows in Austin, Texas from Aug. 7-8. Tickets are on sale and available for purchase here. Isbell and his band are touring in support of their latest studio album Reunions, which soared to the top of three Billboard charts (all tallies dated May 30) — making a 20-1 leap on the Top Rock Albums chart, jumping 17-1 on the Top Country Albums chart, and skipping one spot 2-1 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart. Check out Williams’ tour announce...
NMPA Annual Meeting Celebrates Continued Publishing Growth, Warns of Pre-Pandemic Threats
The National Music Publishers’ Association announced its fifth consecutive year of increased revenues, while noting the industry’s high-stakes legal cases still ahead. The National Music Publishers’ Association’s annual meeting was held virtually Wednesday (June 10) due to COVID-19, where president and CEO David Israelite reminded membership that music publishing is still facing pre-pandemic threats to its business. Namely digital streaming services’ Copyright Royalty Board appeal and the Department of Justice’s review of ASCAP and BMI consent decree — which could also be an opportunity, depending on how the DOJ rules. “We are now 2.5% years into the new [rating] periods but we still don’t have certainty on our rates because Spotify and...
Coachella, Stagecoach Music Festivals Pushed to 2021
The events were already rescheduled from April to October, as plans for a return next year still remain unclear. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and country music festival Stagecoach will not take place this year due to county and state restrictions. Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday (June 10), the festivals would not be held in Indio, California, this October — as had been planned when promoter Goldenvoice was forced to reschedule from their original April dates last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Kaiser cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s four-step outline for re-opening the state as the reasoning behind the decision, noting music festivals are not permitted to reopen until a...
Watch HARU NEMURI’s Raw New Video Shot in Russia, ‘Trust Nothing but Love’
J-pop artist HARU NEMURI shared the new music video accompanying “Trust Nothing but Love,” a track on her latest album, LOVETHEISM. To capture the 25-year-old singer-songwriter’s true character, the video was shot in a studio apartment in Russia using a single camera to shoot the continuous take with no editing. The “Trust Nothing but Love” visuals follow the ones for “Fanfare” and “Riot” from her new set, which dropped digitally in March. A domestic CD of the album will be released Friday (June 12), while a 12-inch vinyl will be released in the U.S. and Europe on the same day. HARU NEMURI has rescheduled her North American and European tours originally slated for March this year. The North American trek kicks off at the Knitting Factor...
Damian Lillard Comes For Racists & Donald Trump On New Cut “Blacklist”
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Dame D.O.L.L.A. returns and no he ain’t dissing Shaquille O’Neal again (though that was entertaining). This time around the All-Star point guard is taking aim at the biggest enemy the Black community has been facing since the inception of America: racism. In his new cut “Blacklist” Dame D.O.L.L.A. gives listeners an uncut and raw lesson on Black history breaking down the plight of the Black man in America and the struggles they’ve had to overcome to get to this point. Kicking off the track by simply stating “As a brother with a good heart, f*ck you if you racist,” the Portland Trailblazers star player gets his Illmatic on (yeah we said it) and drops bars you’d expect to hear from a 90’s rapper putting the system on blast. “Used to call us monkeys and...
Russell Westbrook To Produce Docuseries About The Destruction Black Wall Street aka Tulsa Massacre
Source: Jay L. Clendenin / Getty NBA star Russell Westbrook has stepped into the arena of films by announcing that he is producing a series centered around the 1921 Tulsa race riots. On Tuesday (Jun 9), the Houston Rockets’ guard announced via Variety that he was executive producing the series, titled “Terror In Tulsa: The Rise And Fall Of Black Wall Street” in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and the production company Blackfin. “I am so very honored to partner with Russell Westbrook and Blackfin to direct ‘Terror In Tulsa.’ There is no story more poignant or relevant to the racially charged events unfolding before us today, the frustration, the outrage, the outcry for justice in the wake of the George Floyd killing,” Nelson said in a statement. “The story...
AMC Plans To Open Theaters In July, Moviegoers Still Uneasy
Source: Noam Galai / Getty When COVID-19 effectively shutdown Hollywood, the movie theater chain giant, AMC also saw its locations shutter. As the world begins to slowly open up, AMC hopes its theaters will be back in business as well. July, that’s the target for AMC if things go as plan. During a recent earnings call, the company’s CEO Adam Aron boldly revealed that he expects that 97 percent of the company’s locations to be opened by next month The Wall Street Journal reports. AMC had to close all of its theaters back in March due to the COVID-19 global pandemic being that going to the movies falls under the mass gathering’s category. That sounds good, and all but surveys suggest that people are saying aht aht aht when it comes to heading back to the theater to watch a flick. A recent st...
George Floyd Laid To Rest: Here Are The Most Powerful Moments From His Funeral
Source: The Washington Post / Getty After hosting memorials in Minnesota and North Carolina, the family and friends gathered of George Floyd gathered for one more final time in Houston, Texas, earlier this week for the funeral laying Floyd’s remains to rest. Following a public viewing on Monday with over 6,000 mourners paying their respects, George Floyd was finally laid to rest at the Fountain of Praise church in his home town of Houston on Tuesday (Jun 9). The nearly three-hour event was filled with moments of encouragement, consolation, and shared memories as speakers came to share their condolences with the Floyd family as hundreds of mourners filled the pews for early afternoon service. Family, friends, and prominent guests, including Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, and Al. B. Sure gather...
