US independent venues now facing ticketholder no-show rates of up to 50 per cent

WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian will commemorate Women's History Month in March by displaying 120 life-size neon orange statues depicting women who have excelled in the fields of science and technology.The 3D-printed statues will be displayed in the Smithsonian Gardens and in select museums in the Smithsonian network from March 5-27. A statement announcing the display called it “the largest collection of statues of women ever assembled together.”The statues will depict women who have excelled in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.

Sarah Palin completed her testimony in her libel case against The New York Times, as she told a New York federal court that the publication’s editorial linking her political action committee to a 2011 mass shooting “was mortifying.”

Morgan Wallen played to a packed crowd at New York City’s Madison Square Garden where the crowd routinely broke into anti-President Joe Biden chants. Videos from the event taken by Fox News Digital show the crowd enjoying the show and engaging in some political mockery while the artist was between songs during his set. One video shows everyone gleefully chanting "Let’s Go Brandon," a not-so-subtle code among President Biden’s critics that stands for "F--- Joe Biden." During Wallen’s opening act at the show for his "The Dangerous Tour" was special guest HARDY, who took a moment during his set to discuss what was going on in the country, prompting the crowd to launch into a "USA" chant as well.

UPDATE: The Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton (R), said Wednesday that the office will investigate GoFundMe after its decision to end a fundraising effort aimed at assisting the “Freedom Convoy” in Canada. Paxton said they will review possible breaches or violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Mónica Marie Zorrilla Cole Hauser has no idea why “Yellowstone” has finally become the sexy hot thing on TV. Along with most of heartland America, he has known that the grizzly and gamy cowboy show has been a good watch since its debut on Paramount Network in 2018.The pandemic may have something to do with it. With sprawling Montana (and Utah) landscapes, outlandish outlaw behavior, pretty ponies, and perpetually-handsome Kevin Costner as its lead, “Yellowstone” has all the ingredients of a hit escapist show.

New York University has officially launched a new course focused on Taylor Swift, just in time for spring semester.As part of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the course will run from January 26 to March 9, and students can expect to learn more about the singer’s career and her cultural influence.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAlamo Drafthouse, the specialty cinema chain that’s famous for in-theater dining and a strict no-cell phone policy, is expanding its North American footprint.The Texas-based exhibition company plans to open four additional venues in new regions, including Chicago and Birmingham, as well as markets with existing Alamo Drafthouse locations, such as Grand Prairie, Texas and Glendale, Colo. It intends to welcome those venues — and previously announced in-the-works multiplexes in Staten Island, N.Y.; Crystal City, Va.; and St. Louis, Mo.

Independent Venue Week 2022 and why it’s more important than ever to shine a spotlight on these live music spaces.Between lockdowns, last-minute cancellations, high rents, Brexit uncertainty, and the  battle for meaningful government support, the last two years have seen the UK’s grassroots music scene endure unprecedented levels of instability. As the most recent wave of coronavirus starts to recede, it’s tempting to view 2022’s Independent Venue Week as something of a victory lap for those that have endured.“Now more than ever, it’s more and more important for small venues to be shouted about,” Julian Ive of Newcastle venue The Cluny told NME.

Taylor Swift.The course began at the Davis Institute, which is part of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, on January 26 and will run through to March 9.Set to be taught by Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos, the course will cover “Swift’s evolution as a creative music entrepreneur, the legacy of pop and country songwriters, discourses of youth and girlhood, and the politics of race in contemporary popular music” (via Variety).“This course proposes to deconstruct both the appeal and aversions to Taylor Swift through close readings of her music and public discourse as it relates to her own growth as an artist and a celebrity,” a description adds.“Through readings, lectures and more, the class delves into analyses of the culture and politics of teen girlhood in pop music, fandom, media studies, whiteness and power as it relates to her image and the images of those who have both preceded and succeeded her. We’ll also consider topics like copyright and ownership, American nationalism and the ongoing impact of social media on the pop music industry.”The Swift course already has a long waiting list of students, a representative for the course told Variety.

Savannah Guthrie has shared a rare behind-the-scenes moment with fans as she prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics on NBC.MORE: Savannah Guthrie shares throwback baby bump photo during touching on-air tributeThe Today Show star will host the NBC coverage of the Opening Ceremony from New York after it was confirmed that the anchors would not be sent to China over continuing COVID-19 concerns, and she took to social media to share a video taken from behind the cameras.WATCH: Today Show's Savannah Guthrie shares rare behind-the-scenes moment with fans ahead of new projectSavannah was joined by former Olympian Lindsey Vonn for studio rehearsals, with Lindsey sharing a video and Savannah later resharing it.The mom-of-two also posted several pictures from the green room, captioning the post: "Getting ready!MORE: Savannah Guthrie shares incredible family photo featuring her rarely-seen siblingsSavannah was sent to Tokyo in 2021 for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics but the team will mostly report from the studio's Stamford facility and 30 Rock in Manhattan.Today anchor Craig Melvin will represent the morning show in Beijing across the two weeks, while Mike Tirico will also be in the Chinese city for the Opening Ceremony and the first few days of the game.A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)On Wednesday Team USA announced that John Shuster and Brittany Bowe will carry the American flag at Friday's Winter Olympics opening ceremony.John, 39, will make history as the first curler to carry the flag during the opening ceremony.

Blanket Jackson, who prefers to go by “Bigi”, joined his older siblings, Prince Jackson and Paris Jackson, in New York City on Feb. 1. The trio attended opening night of MJ: The Musical, which is a show dedicated to their dad, Michael Jackson, who died in 2009. Prince and Paris showed up in official capacity, walking the red carpet along with other celebrities before the show. Bigi was also there, but kept a lower profile. He was photographed outside the theater with his siblings after the play, though.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are enjoying date night in New York City!

Rex Orange County has unveiled details of a huge show in London this summer.The musician will play Gunnersbury Park on August 13 as part of his new ‘The Who Cares? Tour’.Tickets for the outdoor, 20,000 capacity show go on sale at 9am on February 4 and can be purchased here.Earlier this week (January 26), Rex Orange County announced details of his new album ‘Who Cares?’ and shared the first track from it in ‘Keep It Up’, which you can listen to below.The artist last released a record with his 2020 ‘Live At Radio City Music Hall’ EP, which was recorded at his pair of sold-out shows at the New York venue that same year.Rex’s fourth album, ‘Who Cares?’ will be released on March 11 via Sony. It was made in Amsterdam in collaboration with Benny Sings, whom the musician previously worked with on his 2017 platinum-selling breakout single ‘Loving Is Easy’.The record will also feature a new collaboration with Tyler, The Creator in ‘Open A Window’ – the first time the British artist and US rapper have worked together since the latter’s 2017 album ‘Flower Boy’.The tracklist for ‘Who Cares?’ is as follows:‘Keep It Up’‘Open A Window’ (feat. Tyler, The Creator)‘Worth It’‘Amazing’‘One In A Million’‘If You Want It’‘7 AM’ ‘The Shade’‘Making Time’‘Shoot Me Down’‘Who Cares?’ The musician’s last album ‘Pony’ was released in 2019.

The Smile, the side project of Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner, have released their new single ‘The Smoke’ – you can hear the track below.The song is the follow-up to the trio’s debut single ‘You Will Never Work In Television Again’, which arrived earlier this month.A lyric video for ‘The Smoke’ has been released today (January 27) to accompany the new track, with the clip being created by the BAFTA-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin.You can listen to The Smile’s ‘The Smoke’ below.The Smile’s three sold-out live shows in London this weekend (January 29-30) will be livestreamed online to a global audience.The livestreams, which will be directed by the award-winning Paul Dugdale and produced by Driift, will be available to watch at home and in select independent venues and cinemas across the UK, US and Europe.The Smoke (more on that later) at production rehearsals for this weekend… pic.twitter.com/WXJNhkLbsq— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) January 27, 2022You can find further information about the livestreams and screenings by heading here, and see this weekend’s broadcast schedule below.BROADCAST #1: London – 8pm Sat. / New York – 3pm Sat. / Los Angeles – 12pm Sat. / Sydney – 7am Sun. / Tokyo – 5am Sun.BROADCAST #2: London – 1am Sun. / New York – 8pm Sat. / Los Angeles – 5pm Sat. / Sydney – 12pm Sun. / Tokyo – 10am Sun.BROADCAST #3: London – 11am Sun. / New York – 6am Sun. / Los Angeles – 3am Sun. / Sydney – 10pm Sun. / Tokyo – 8pm Sun. Yorke performed The Smile’s ‘Free In The Knowledge’ at the Royal Albert Hall back in October as part of the Letters Live event, footage of which was released last month.