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Lollapalooza 2021 Live Gallery: See Photos of Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, and More
Over the July 29th-August 1st weekend, Lollapalooza returned to Chicago’s Grant Park for its 2021 edition — while requiring proof of negative COVID-19 status for entry. Day 1 saw headliner Miley Cyrus bringing out a parade of collaborators (Billy Idol, G Herbo, Whiz Khalifa, Juicy J, and The Kid LAROI); Tyler, the Creator performed CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST tracks during a wildly fun set on Day 2; legacy rock acts like Journey shared airspace with pop headliners like Post Malone on Day 3; and the fourth and final day was simply Un-Foo-Gettable. If you weren’t able to make it in person for the action, rest easy — you can relive Lollapalooza vicariously through Consequence’s thorough recaps of all four days and set photos, the latter of which were taken by Jen Vesp. Plus, for a behind-the-scen...
My First Show Back: Mitch Blackman on Reopening Las Vegas With Blackbear
“To see people without masks inside — gambling, clubbing with the bottle service — it was like, ‘Alright. We’re back.'” For the first time in 15 months, live music is returning nationwide after the global coronavirus pandemic ravaged the industry. Billboard’s “My First Show Back” is a series dedicated to sharing stories from throughout the touring ecosystem about what’s happening now, what has been forever altered and what will never change. In this installment, ICM Partners’ Mitch Blackman talks about his client Blackbear performing at the grand opening of the new Money, Baby! club at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas on July 9, which fell on the first week of major events returning to Sin City. In addition, Blackman details his strategy for ...
On the Ground at Lollapalooza: How Are the Festival’s COVID-19 Protocols Holding Up?
When Lollapalooza announced its return to Chicago back in May, it felt like one more positive sign of a return to some kind of post-pandemic normal. Flash forward to this week, and the sentiment around Chicago has become far more ambivalent; stalling COVID-19 vaccination rates and the emergence of the dangerous Delta variant led prominent local music critics to label the festival a potential superspreader event. Jim DeRogatis of Sound Opinions went as far as to call for Lollapalooza’s cancellation. “They can’t control their own gates,” DeRogatis told Chicago’s WTTW. “Why are we supposed to believe that they are going to be diligent about checking for vaccination?” Lollapalooza’s COVID-19 mitigation plan is comprehensive on paper. The festival website’s Health and Safety section sets out a ...
Newport Folk Fest Marks the Glorious Return of Festivals in US
Most major music festivals coming back in 2021 chose to give perspective attendees a fair amount of time to decide to get vaccinated while still keeping the events “summer.” Hence September is jammed with nearly sold-out fests, from Bonnaroo to BottleRock. But many are looking towards August’s Lollapalooza as the first real test of what a post-pandemic festival looks like, which isn’t entirely accurate. Over the weekend (July 23rd-25th), Newport Folk Festival returned for part one of its slimmed-down Folk On 2021 double-event — and there really is no better way to bring music festivals back. Typically on the smaller side of capacity limits anyway, Newport cut back to just 5,000 daily attendees to help mitigate COVID risks. They also broke up the schedule over two back-to-back three-day chu...
Caroline Polachek Announces 2021 Tour Dates
Caroline Polachek is headed on the road for a 2021 tour across North America. The 22-date trek will take place from November through December. The “Heart is Unbreaking Tour” will feature emerging French producer and songwriter Oklou as an opening act. Kicking off November 16th at The Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona, the jaunt will make subsequent stops in Austin, Texas; New York City, New York; and Washington, DC. It will wrap up on December 18th at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California. This summer, Polachek will make appearances at Governors Ball and Outside Lands. Ahead of the tour, she will play previously announced dates in Los Angeles and London. Advertisement Related Video Tickets for the new shows are available to the general public on July 30th at 10:00 a.m. local ti...
Lollapalooza Set to Go Virtual with Hulu Livestream
Lollapalooza announced today that it has partnered with Hulu to livestream this year’s festival. It’s the first time the long-running Chicago event has teamed with the Disney-owned streaming service. According to a report from Billboard, subscribers to the streaming platform will have access to all four days of the 2021 festival, which is set to take place July 29th through August 1st at Chicago’s Grant Park. The livestream will be accessible each day from 11:00 a.m. PT to 8:00 p.m. PT. “We are thrilled to be partnering for the first time with Hulu for this year’s livestream and are excited that the Lollapalooza fans who cannot be with us in Chicago have such a great platform to experience the show,” read a statement from Courtney Trucksess, sponsorship director for the festival’s promotor...
Elvis Costello & The Imposters Announce 2021 Fall Tour
Elvis Costello & The Imposters are headed back on the road for a 2021 fall US tour. Entitled “Hello Again,” the trek takes place in October and November. The 20-date tour kicks off in Memphis, Tennessee at Graceland on October 10th. It will make stops in cities like New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles before wrapping up at Fox Theater in Oakland, California on November 14th. Tickets will go on sale at Ticketmaster on Friday, July 23rd at 10:00 a.m. local time, and look on the secondary market here for deals once they sell out. Check out the full tour schedule below. Advertisement Related Video Costello released his most recent album, the excellent Hey Clockface, in November before closing out last year with “Farewell, OK 2020.” On September 10th, Costello will release Spanish Mo...
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to Reunite for Pair of Radio City Music Hall Concerts
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are reuniting for two nights only at Radio City Music Hall, which will apparently serve as Bennett’s final concerts in New York City. “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” will open on August 3rd, Bennett’s 95th (!) birthday, with a second performance scheduled for August 5th. The shows are meant to be Bennett’s final concerts in the Big Apple, according to a press release. To attend, fans must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof upon entry of having received their final dose no later than 14 days before their event date. The only exception is for children under the age of 16, who can provide proof of a negative antigen or PCR COVID-19 test if they are accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult. Find complete informatio...
Caroline Polachek Returns with New Song “Bunny Is a Rider”: Stream
Caroline Polachek is back with “Bunny Is a Rider,” her first new material since 2019. Stream the track below. The former Chairlift singer co-produced “Bunny Is a Rider” with her frequent collaborator Danny L Harle, who played the slinky bassline. The breezy summer jam is about being unavailable, with lyrics like “Bunny is a rider/ Satellite can’t find her/ No sympathy, mm/ Ain’t nothing for free.” In a statement, Polachek described the concept of the song. “Bunny is slippery, impossible to get ahold of,” she explained. “Maybe it’s a fantasy, maybe it’s a bad attitude. But anyone can be bunny, at least for three minutes and seventeen seconds.” Advertisement Related Video After releasing her debut solo album, Pang, in October 2019, Polachek shared a handful of remixes including an extended v...
Eels Announce Spring 2022 Tour Dates
Eels have detailed a 2022 spring tour in support of their latest album, Earth to Dora, which dropped in October 2020. The European and US trek will take place from March through May. After kicking off the tour on March 11th in Belfast, the veteran indie rockers will travail across Europe while making stops in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and more. The US leg starts on May 8th in San Diego and includes cities like Chicago, New York City, and Boston. “We’ve got a lot of pent-up energy from all the time spent cooped-up and unable to rock,” said Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett about the tour. “It’s going to be an extra-special treat this time. We always have the greatest time playing live, but this is gonna get crazy. Attendees will want to keep their cameras rolling, becau...
Stadium Concerts Are Back: Inside Garth Brooks’ Huge Show at Las Vegas’ ‘Death Star’
Brooks took great pride in being a post-pandemic trailblazer, embracing the challenge of delivering a pivotal show for both fans and the industry. “To every musician out there, all I can say is get back in the game because it’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Brooks said during the concert, at one point getting on his hands and knees to thank the audience. The 28-song set, which is a continuation of what fans saw on his derailed 2020 tour, had Brooks and the crowd in a perpetual two-hour state of elation. He banged through all his hits and a few monumental covers including Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Mom” and George Strait...
Margo Price Announces New EP Live From the Other Side, Performs “Hey Child” on Colbert: Watch
Margo Price has announced Live From the Other Side, a new audiovisual EP due out July 16th via Loma Vista Recordings. To preview the project, the country singer filmed a Late Show with Stephen Colbert performance featuring a new version of “Hey Child” with Adia Victoria, Allison Russell, Kam Franklin, and Kyshona Armstrong. Live From the Other Side will contain a cover of The Beatles’ “Help” (also featuring Victoria, Russell, Franklin, and Armstrong), a solo arrangement of “That’s How Rumors Get Started,” and “Hey Child.” In a statement, Price reflected on the year since she released the excellent That’s How Rumors Get Started and shared how Tina Turner influenced her new project. “I hope it kept you warm during those cold, lonely nights,” she said about Rumors. “Some things changed f...
