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Not sure which will have a bigger impact on our industry: Las Vegas’s MSG Sphere or Meta’s Threads. Either way, both had impressive debuts last week and we’ve got our eyes on them.

Hello WorldThe Las Vegas MSG Sphere, the world’s largest LED screen, was lit up for the first time as part of a 4th of July celebration and we can’t stop looking at videos and images of it. Officially called “the Exosphere”, the 580,000-square foot fully-programmable LED screen is made up of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. According to David Hopkinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports, “Sphere’s Exosphere is a 360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth.”

Legends buying ASM Global?Legends, a hospitality and global planning company, is reportedly in discussions to acquire ASM Global, a leading venue management company. Details are still murky, but ASM Global has been looking to sell for a while now and the deal seems to make sense for Legends, adding facility management to their 360-degree business model. 

Mindful NationLive Nation launched Mindful Nation, an app that incorporates music and meditation last week. The app was originally developed for LN employees, but now it has expanded its reach to include music industry professionals and fans, “delivering on demand mindfulness practices for the broader entertainment industry and music lovers everywhere.” Mindful Nation includes over 1,000 classes and is available on the Apple App Store.”  

6LACK reimaginedAlong the same vein, 6LACK has partnered with “AI-powered functional sound” company Endel to release two new versions of his album “Since I Have A Lover” that focus on medication, sleep, and focus. The move is controversial: 6LACK sees this as a new way for people to experience his music, but others feel that soundscape companies like Endel are lower quality and take away from legitimate music. The first version dropped last week, and the second will be released on July 24th.

Essence festival sues SpotifyEssence Festival of Culture has sued Spotify after Spotify hosted an unauthorized event around the festival using the festival's branding in 2022. In 2019, Spotify hosted “House of Are and Be” as part of its festival sponsorship, but due to Covid and other factors, the deal was not renewed, yet Spotify continued to host the event as if they were part of the festival in 2022 and now the festival is suing on the basis of, “brand dilution, brand confusion, damage to business reputation and loss of business opportunity.”

AudienceView lawsuitAudienceView also finds itself in legal trouble as it is facing a class-action lawsuit over a data breach on ticketing platform UTIX by University Tickets earlier this year. Approximately 13,000 students from Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, American University and Eastern Illinois University were affected by the breach and weren’t notified until more than a month after it was discovered.

10-hour wait at WimbledonWimbledon fans suffered through crazy queues following a security crackdown last week, with some waiting over 10 hours to get into the venue. The increased security measures were due to protests by Just Stop Oil at several earlier, non-related sporting events. Fans complained of “100 percent bag search” and “selective body search” at all gates.

SPAC bomb threatNoel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds show at SPAC in Saratoga, NY on Saturday night was canceled just before the headliners were set to hit the stage. At 9:40 PM, following performances by openers Metric and Garbage, guests were instructed to evacuate the venue and were told that “due to circumstances beyond our control, the show will not continue.” Later reports indicate the evacuation and cancellation were due to a bomb threat. 

Cancellations in FranceSeveral Festivals in France have been forced to cancel due to the ongoing riots following the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M in Nanterre, Paris. The Madame Loyal, Nostromo Festival and The Beat and Beer Festival were among the cancellations, with more anticipated. In separate French cancelation news, BLUR was forced to cancel their headlining appearance at Festival Beauregard due to injury.

What the Thread[s]?If you’re still recovering from an extended holiday week or spent the last week either on-site or under a rock (which sometimes feels the same, amirite?), you may be the one of the few who haven’t downloaded Meta’s new Threads app. The purported “Twitter killer” has had over 100 million users join in just 5 days since its launch last week, making it the fastest-growing online platform in history. We’re still figuring it, but we’re there, so give us a follow @backofhouse.live. 

 Live Nation is looking for a part-time Merchandise Manager for its destination festivals between August 2023 and May 2024.   Momentum Worldwide is hiring an Account Executive, Business Leadership - Ticketing & Entertainment Access in New York, NY (hybrid). Salary range $50,000 - $60,000.    Insomniac is hiring a full-time Back of House Operations Manager on-site in Calabasas, CA. Salary range $70,000 - $90,000.

Are you on Threads?

Last Week's Results:

79% of BOH readers are interested in learning more about drones at concerts and festivals.

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements

• LENUSA has announced MicheFest, a new, 10-date, traveling music festival honoring Mexican culture and featuring Los Tigres del Norte and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. The first event is scheduled for August 19 in Fresno, CA.

• Chicago’s Latin alt-music festival, Ruido Fest, scheduled for August 19 - 20 has been canceled for 2023. No reason was given for the cancellation. 

• The Eagles have announced the first 13 dates of their farewell tour, “The Long Goodbye.” It will kick off September 7 at Madison Square Garden in NYC and the band will “perform as many shows in each market as their audience demands. The tour is expected to continue into 2025.” 

• The inaugural Cave Mountain Catskills Music Festival at Windham Mountain in New York has been canceled due to “unavoidable circumstances owing to construction and improvement projects at the venue site.” The festival was originally set for September 15 and 16.

• Ozzy Osborne has canceled his performance at Power Trip Festival; a replacement to be announced soon. The festival is scheduled for October 6 - 8 in Indio, CA.

• Randy Rogers Band, Morgan Wade, Shane Smith & the Saints, and Wade Bowen will perform at Mile 0 Key Fest Key West, scheduled for January 23 - 27, 2024 in Key West, FL.

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