Month: March 2023

Categories
Rock Daypop

2023 Louder Than Life to feature Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold, Green Day and more

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The Louder Than Life festival announced its return in 2023, posting on social media: “Get ready for the LOUDEST weekend of the year with Foo Fighters, Green Day, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Pantera, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, Limp Bizkit, Megadeth, Rancid, Turnstile and so many more! GA and VIP Weekend, Single Day plus Angel’s Envy Top Shelf passes are ON SALE NOW, starting at $10 down. Hurry and lock them in now, they will go fast 🔥🔥🔥 🎟 louderthanlifefestival.com/passes”

The 2023 Louder Than Life festival is set to take place September 21, 22, 23 & 24, 2023 to Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY.  Aside from headlining acts Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold and Green Day, the four-day festival will feature sets from Weezer, Rancid, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, the Pantera celebration, Falling in Reverse, Queens of the Stone Age and Turnstile among the top billed acts of the weekend. In total, more than 100 acts will play the five stages set up and fans will be able to partake in some of Louisville’s finest spirits and cuisine during their downtime from watching performances.

Foo Fighters headlining opening night on Thursday, Sept. 21, Tool taking the top spot for Friday, Sept. 22, Avenged Sevenfold getting closing duties on Saturday, Sept. 23 and Green Day closing things out on Sunday, Sept. 24. Single-day, weekend general admission and VIP passes as well as Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP passes are Louder Than Life are on sale now.  To see prices and ticketing options and to pick up your passes for the 2023 edition of Louder Than Life, visit the festival website: www.louderthanlifefestival.com.

Foo Fighters, Pantera, Green Day among 2023 Louder Than Life performers

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Megan Thee Stallion returns to Houston for March Madness Music Festival

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Megan Thee Stallion announced she will be hitting the stage in Houston for the March Madness Music Festival, her first festival appearance of 2023. The three-day event, coinciding with the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, will take place at Discovery Green on March 31, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; April 1, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and close out on April 2, 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Megan shared in a statement: “There’s no place I’d rather be for my first performance of the year than my hometown of Houston. The AT&T Block Party Concert is gonna be such a vibe, and I can’t wait to get back on stage in the city where it all began. I’m looking forward to seeing my Hotties and putting on an unforgettable show for them.”

Tickets are free for the concerts, which will also feature Lil Nas X and Maggie Rogers on Day 2, and country stars Tim McGraw, Mickey Guyton and Keith Urban on Day 3.  For more information, head to www.ncaa.com/marchmadness/musicfest.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Netflix shares trailer for Lewis Capaldi documentary ‘How I’m Feeling Now’

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Netflix has released the trailer for the new documentary ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now’, set for release on April 5.

The documentary captures Capaldi’s ‘defining year, struggling to balance the familiarity of home, normality, and all he’s ever known with life as one of the biggest stars on the planet, gleaning an intimate portrait of his unique character, hopes, and fears in his own words .. digging beneath the popular clichés surrounding the most unlikely of popstars reveals a deeply thoughtful and self-reflective young man at a unique crossroads in his life as he carries the weight of trying to eclipse the success of his record-breaking debut album.’

The 26-year-old Capaldi will release his sophomore album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent on May 19, the follow-up to Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, Capaldi’s 2019 full-length debut from 2019 which featured the hit singles as “Before You Go” and “Someone You Loved.”

Watch the trailer for ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now’ – here.

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Categories
News Daypop

Former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti appointed U.S. ambassador to India

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On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate appointed former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti the latest U.S. ambassador to India. Former U.S. Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, stepped down from the post in 2021 following the 2020 presidential election.

The 52-year-old Garcetti had been facing pushback from from some Democrats after an investigation into his top adviser Rick Jacobs over sexual harassment allegations, stemming from Garcetti’s nine years as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles. The Senate voted 52 to 42 in favor of appointing Garcetti to the post, which has been vacant for two years. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., voted against Garcetti’s appointment, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, gave him their support.

The Foreign Relations Committee voted last week, 13 to 8 in favor of moving Garcetti’s nomination to Wednesday’s full Senate vote.  Pres. Biden initially nominated Garcetti in July 2021, then re-nominated him in January after the original nomination lapsed.  Following the vote, Garcetti said in a statement: “I’m thrilled with today’s outcome, which was a decisive and bipartisan decision to fill a critical post that has been vacant for far too long. Now the hard work begins … I’m deeply grateful to President Biden and the White House for the confidence and support throughout this process, and to all Senators on both sides of the aisle — whether they voted for me or not — for their thoughtful consideration. I’m ready and eager to begin my service representing our critical interests in India.”

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Categories
News Daypop

Stormy Daniels meets with Manhattan D.A. amid Trump probe

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Adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with former President Donald Trump, met Wednesday with the investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is probing an alleged “hush money” payment made to her on Trump’s behalf.

Clark Brewster, the attorney for Daniels, said that the meeting took place Wednesday and came at the request of prosecutors, writing on Twitter:  “Stormy responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed.” In her own tweet, Daniels (real name is Stephanie Clifford) thanked her attorney for “helping me in our continuing fight for truth and justice.”

Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s then-attorney, paid $130,000 to Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign, for her silence about the alleged affair. Cohen went to prison for campaign finance violations stemming from the payment to Daniels, and testified for a second time Wednesday before a grand jury investigating the matter. Cohen’s testimony came about a week after the Manhattan prosecutor invited Trump to appear before the grand jury; however, according to his attorney Joseph Tacopina, it is ‘an offer he will not accept … We, and most election law experts, believe [the case] is with absolutely no legal merit.’  An invitation to testify often precedes an indictment in New York.  Trump has denied having a sexual relationship with Daniels and said he has done nothing wrong.

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Categories
Sports Daypop

NBA suspends Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant eight games for gun incident

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The NBA announced on Wednesday they have suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant without pay for eight games, in response to a video he released that showed him holding a gun inside a nightclub. The 23-year-old Morant (who has since apologized) posted the video March 4 on Instagram; he last played March 3, missing the Grizzlies’ last five games as a result of the incident. The Glendale, Colorado Police Department announced March 8 that Morant would not be charged with a crime in relation to the social media video.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a news release: “Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous. It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior. Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court.”

The league, who conducted an investigation, met on Wednesday in NY with Morant, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars and NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio and others. The league said its investigation “did not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant, was brought by him into the nightclub or was displayed by him beyond a brief period,” and said its probe also did not find that Morant possessed the gun when traveling with he team or while he was inside any NBA facility, which would be a violation of league policy.

Morant will be eligible to return from his retroactive suspension when the Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday in Memphis.

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Categories
Sports Daypop

Dallas Cowboys release RB Ezekiel Elliott after seven seasons

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The Dallas Cowboys have released veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys signed Elliott to a six-year, $90 million contract in 2019, and will save more than $11 million on their 2023 salary cap from his release.

Owner Jerry Jones announced in a statement Wednesday afternoon: “We have mutually agreed with Zeke that the best decision for everyone is that he will be able to experience free agency, and we can increase our flexibility and options as well. This is one of the toughest parts of operating a team .. Moments like this come, and extremely difficult decisions and choices are made, for the franchise, for me personally and for players too. We will always have a special place and love for Zeke and what he means to our Cowboys family, both as a person and a player. That will never change.”

The 27-year-old Elliott is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro, who entered the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He led the NFL with 1,631 rushing yards as a rookie and with 1,434 rushing yards in 2018. Elliott totaled 8,262 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns on 1,881 carries in 103 games for the Cowboys. He also caught 305 passes for 2,336 yards and 12 scores for the NFC East franchise.

However last season, Elliott totaled a career-low 876 rushing yards and failed to eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time in 2022. He also scored 12 touchdowns as the team’s red zone option. Second-string running back Tony Pollard led the Cowboys with 1,378 yards from scrimmage last season, scoring 12 touchdowns in 16 games.

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Categories
Country Daypop

Keith Urban shares new dates for extended Las Vegas Residency

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Keith Urban announced new dates for his Las Vegas residency, extending his shows at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino spanning from November 1 through November 18. Urban posted the news on social media: “we’re gonna keep this party going, Vegas !!!! new dates just added for November 1 – 18 ⚡ Ville presale begins tomorrow, March 15 @ 10am PT. ⚡ Tickets on sale Saturday, March 18. http://ticketmaster.com/KeithUrbanVegas”

The new performance dates for Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency are: 1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, 17 and 18. There are also upcoming shows this month (March 15, 17 and 18), in June (16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28 and 30), and on July 1.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale Saturday, March 18th at 10 am PT.  Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets until Friday, March 17th at 10 pm PT through the Citi Entertainment program. Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment’s loyalty program, and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will have access to a presale from Thursday, March 16th at 10 am PT until Friday, March 17th at 10 pm PT.

All tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

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Categories
Country Daypop

Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson added to 2023 CMT Music Awards performance lineup

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CMT has announced the first round of performers for the 2023 CMT Music Awards, co-hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini and broadcasting live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 2. Fan voting for the 2023 CMT Music Awards is open through March 27.

Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, and Ballerini are all set to perform, joining Carrie Underwood, the TV debut of “Thank God,” by Kane Brown and his wife, Katelyn Brown.

Wilson is the most-nominated artist this year, receiving nominations in four categories (Video of the Year, Female Video of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year and CMT Performance of the Year). Other standout nominees include Johnson, Brown, Underwood, Jelly Roll, 21 first-time nominees (including Wynonna Judd, Jackson Dean, Bailey Zimmerman and Megan Moroney) and more.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air live on CBS April 2 at 8 p.m. ET/11 p.m. PT, and will be available to watch live and on demand on Paramount+. The Award’s Extended Cut airs on CMT April 6 at 8 p.m. ET/11:30 p.m. PT.

First round of 2023 CMT Music Awards performers announced

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Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Bella Twins retire from WWE, reveal name change to Nikki and Brie Garcia

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The Bella Twins — Brie and Nikki — announced their retirement from the WWE, and revealed they are no longer going by their stage names. The newly-named ‘Garcia Twins’ posted a video on Instagram of themselves walking through a door and captioned it, “Welcome to our next chapter!”

On an episode of their podcast “The Nikki and Brie Show,” the twins shared that going forward they are officially going to use their birth names, Nikki and Brie Garcia. Nikki Garcia said on the show “Today, we are officially from here on out the Garcia twins … We’re mothers, we’re entrepreneurs. We’re executive producers. We’re starring now, we’re hosting shows. And when our contracts came up with WWE, mutually we all knew we just needed to head into this new chapter.”

The Garcia twins (whose full birth surname is Garcia-Colace), signed with the WWE in 2007, and said they wanted to thank the characters they played in the ring because the characters helped them get to where they are going in life. Brie Garcia said: “I just want to thank Brie Bella. Brie Bella, the character that — the name, all of it. That I have been the last, you know, pretty much almost, I don’t know, 16, 17 years. I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella. Put that book to the side and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia’s going to do next.” Nikki Garcia added, “And I am so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella — Nikki Bella, whoa. She empowered me. She inspired me. She truly made me become fearless and the road that she has paved and what she’s done for women and the youth and will continue to do just as Nikki Garcia.”

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