Live Nation Weathers Rough Quarter as Concert Business Slowly Rumbles Back to Life

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHe didn’t give the devil a lapdance like he does in the video for his “Montero” single, but Lil Nas X gave one of the most provocative musical performances in recent “Saturday Night Live” history this weekend — and that was before he split his pants while working a stripper pole.The malfunction occurred during a steamy performance of “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” which found him working a hell-themed set reminiscent of the boundary-breaking video.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s safe to assume that the mouths of wizening hipsters across the country dropped open with astonishment when they heard “Mind Your Own Business,” a 40-year-old song by short-lived British post-punk quintet Delta 5, blasting from their TVs when a new Apple ad aired during the NBA play-ins.The song was the first single by Delta 5, which grew out of the late ‘70s Leeds University art-school scene that spawned post-punk luminaries like Gang of Four and the Mekons.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDemi Lovato, Lil Nas X, Ricky Martin, Pink and more will perform at “Can’t Cancel Pride,” a virtual relief benefit for the LGBTQ+ community from P&G and iHeartMedia.

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell are going strong! The Bachelor couple, who confirmed that they had rekindled their romance in April, were spotted enjoying a day together at the beach in Miami. Matt and Rachael both looked amazing in their swimsuits during their May 17 jaunt to the shore. See the pics of their vacation HERE!

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFoo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator, Miley Cyrus, DaBaby, Marshmello, Illenium, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch and Journey — yes, Journey — are the top-billed headliners for the Lollapalooza 2021 festival, taking place July 29-Aug.

Chris Rock had some useful advice for John Mulaney after he announced his divorce.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRising British songstress Jorja Smith seemed to arrive fully formed with her Grammy-nominated, BRIT Award-winning 2018 debut album “Lost & Found,” a sultry R&B collection with flashes of Amy Winehouse and Sade.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor the past 15 months, many of us have felt starved by the absence of live music from our lives — as if our bodies have been deprived of an essential nutrient and we’re suffering from some existential scurvy.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDominican Bachata superstar Romeo Santos, along with Sony Music Latin, Endeavor Streaming and iNDemand, will premier two films — the concert film “Romeo Santos: Utopia Live From MetLife Stadium” and documentary “Romeo Santos: King of Bachata” — on pay-per-view June 25, 2021.Guests appearing in the films include Aventura, Cardi B, Daddy Yankee, El Chaval De La Bachata, Elvis Martínez, Emilio Estefan, Frank Reyes, Joe Veras, Kiko Rodríguez, Luis Vargas, Marc

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs the concert business continues its gradual return to health after being flattened by the pandemic, it’s inspiring to see new venues being announced — and one in Boston named after a classic song by Jonathan Richman is the icing on the cake.AEG-affiliated Bowery Presents, the Northeast-based concert promotion and venue management company, has announced that the 3,500-capacity venue Roadrunner, named after Richman’s classic song first released in 1975, is scheduled

Tina Turner, JAY-Z and Carole King are among its 2021 class.Other inductees in the performer category, which honors bands and solo artists who have created music whose originality, impact and influence has changed the course of rock & roll, include The Go-Go's, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren.This marks Turner's second spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as she was inducted in 1991 as part of Ike & Tina Turner.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhether they realize it or not, most rock fans of the past 20-odd years — especially indie rock fans — already know the work of artist Steve Keene.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn one of the more surreal developments the music world has seen in a year filled with them, Rough Trade NYC, the sprawling record store that closed down its location in trendy Williamsburg shortly after the pandemic hit last year, will be opening in a new location on June 1 — in the iconic 30 Rock building in Midtown Manhattan, the longtime home of NBC, just steps from Radio City Music Hall.“Following the impact of COVID-19, Rough Trade’s decision to relocate

Tracee Ellis Ross made fans swoon when she shared the most beautiful photos of herself posing with her superstar mom, Diana Ross, in honor of Mother’s Day. RELATED: Tracee Ellis Ross wore THE dress of the summer and we found the best lookalike for $12The duo looked ethereal in the throwback snaps that Tracee shared in a post on Instagram Sunday, which showed them cozying up together in a black and white photo, looking ethereal on the cover of Essence, and stunning in split photos too. A post

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLongtime Live Nation CFO Kathy Willard is retiring effective June 30, CEO Michael Rapino announced during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. The company is planning for Joe Berchtold, who currently serves as Live Nation’s president, to assume the role of president and CFO.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLive-entertainment giant AEG Presents has announced the formation of Climate Positive Touring, a team of music industry professionals dedicated to moving the live business towards a greener future.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe struggle that independent music venues have been undergoing for the past 14 months has gone on for so long that even supporters have begun to grow numb to it — but the reality is that the independent concert venues that up-and-coming musicians depend on keep seeing federal relief move farther and farther away.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA picture paints a thousand words, the old cliché goes, but it’s truly amazing how much publicity photos of musicians can say about a certain year: The clothes, the shoes, the hats, the belt buckles, the scarves — and most of all, the hairstyles (and lack of styles). G.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRobert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” — which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 35 years ago today — is best known for its brilliantly idiotic video, which features the singer performing in front of five stunning mannequin-like models bearing vapid facial expressions and holding musical instruments that they’re not even pretending to mime convincingly.