Dan + Shay Reschedule Arena Headlining Tour, Add New Dates

Dan + Shay will resume their headlining arena tour Sept. 9 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.

The pair, who have won the Grammy Award for best country duo/group performance three years running, have rescheduled dates that were postponed due to COVID-19, as well as added in some new stops, including Oct. 15 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and Oct. 16 at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena. The 33-city outing concludes Dec. 7 at Boston’s TD Garden.

Openers are three-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress and The Band Camino. All previously purchased tickets for the AEG Presents outing will be honored for the rescheduled dates.

When it originally kicked off in 2020, the tour marked Dan + Shay’s first headlining arena tour, and included two sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena before shutting down because of the pandemic.

Dan + Shay are up for top duo/group and top country duo/group at the May 23 Billboard Music Awards.

Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour 2021
*newly announced date
Sept. 9 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Sept. 10 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
Sept. 11 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Sept. 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sept. 16 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sept. 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sept. 18, 2021 Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
Sept. 23 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
Sept. 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Sept. 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Oct. 1 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Oct. 2 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
Oct. 15* – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Oct. 16* – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
Oct. 17 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena
Oct. 20 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Oct. 21 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Oct. 23 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Oct. 24 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Oct. 28 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Oct. 29 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
Nov. 4 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Nov. 5 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Nov. 12 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Nov. 13 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Nov. 14 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Nov. 20 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Nov. 21 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Dec. 3 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Dec. 4 – Hershey, PA – Giant Center
Dec. 5 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Dec. 7 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

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Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Payments Will Start Arriving Next Week

Two weeks after the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) portal successfully reopened, officials at the Small Business Administration say that the first round of awards will be distributed next week.

There are three distinct 14-day periods during which SVOG funds will be awarded. Priority One applicants that lost 90% or more of their revenue from April to December of 2020 are scheduled to receive funds of up to $10 million in the first 14 days of disbursement. Following that, Priority Two establishments that lost 70% or more of their revenue in the same time period will receive funds over the next 14 days. And last in line are businesses that lost 25% or more of their revenue in 2020, which will receive funds in the 14 days after the second round of funding closes.

The amount of funding for the second and third tiers, along with any supplemental funding, will be based on what remains after the SBA awards grants to the first priority group.  

“This emergency relief can’t come soon enough for those on the precipice of going under. We’ll be very grateful when the money is distributed as Congress intended,” says National Independent Venue Association board member Audrey Fix Schaefer. “It’s been very hard to hold on, but even tougher to plan for reopening without the money to hire back staff, rent venues and secure acts with deposits. It will be incredible when the $16 billion Congress earmarked to save our stages becomes a reality.”

As of today, 11,500 SVOG applications have been submitted to the SBA. Of the 11,500 applications, nearly 4,750 of those are from independent live venue operators or promoters. Another 2,678 applications are from performing arts organizations, while 1,308 are from talent representatives.  

The fund disbursement will be welcome news for venue owners who have been desperately awaiting relief since the SVOG was passed in December. The grant provides a total of more than $16 billion in federal relief to independent music venues, promoters, talent agencies, museums and movie theaters that were forced to shutter during the global pandemic.  

According to federal grant award policies, the SBA will reach out to award recipients as soon as the final decisions are made. The SBA will then send a notice of award, which serves as a legally binding issuance of the grant. Once venues sign the agreement and accept the funds, they are obligated to carry out the full terms and conditions of the agreement. Venues will need to keep documentation regarding how they used the funds, retain employment records for four years following their receipt of a grant and retain all other records for three years. 

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What’s Your Favorite J. Cole Album? Vote!

With J. Cole’s sixth studio album The Off-Season on the way this Friday, Billboard wants to know: What’s your favorite Cole album yet?

The highly anticipated album comes three years after Cole’s last album, KOD – an acronym for Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons. KOD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it the artist’s fifth album to debut atop the chart.

He also supplemented his Grammy-nominated album 2014 Forest Hills Drive with his first-ever live album, Forest Hills Drive: Live From Fayetteville, NC, which he performed in his hometown that the title also pays homage to.

But which J. Cole album tops the list? Vote for your favorite below!

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Halsey Is Songwriter of the Year at 2021 BMI Pop Awards

Halsey was named songwriter of the year at the 2021 BMI Pop Awards. The singer/songwriter wrote four of the year’s most performed songs: “Nightmare,” “Graveyard,” “Be Kind” and “You Should Be Sad.” “Be Kind” is a collaboration with fellow BMI songwriter and hitmaker Marshmello. Halsey took song of the year at the 2020 BMI Pop Awards for “Without Me.”

Song of the Year was awarded to “The Bones,” co-written by BMI songwriters Maren Morris and Laura Veltz. This is the first BMI Pop Award for the pair, who have a combined total of 14 BMI Country Awards between them.

Sony Music Publishing took publisher of the year for the ninth time. Sony represented 24 of the top 50 award-winning BMI Pop songs including “3 Nights,” “Boyfriend,” “My Oh My,” “Roses” and “The Man.”

BMI also honored the songwriters, publishers and administrators of the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year. This year’s class of recipients included a record 59 first-time Pop Award winners such as BENEE, Edgar Barrera, Doja Cat, Trevor Daniel, Metro Boomin, Noah Cyrus, Roddy Ricch, SAINt JHN, JP Saxe and more.

“It is an honor and a privilege to represent some of the best pop music creators in the world,” said Barbara Cane, vice president, worldwide creative. “Their songs are groundbreaking, dynamic and inspiring, and we celebrate their dedication to craft, discipline and success.”

The winners of the 69th annual BMI Pop Awards were announced Monday (May 10) in an online celebration and on BMI’s social channels.

Fans can view the complete list of winners, listen to their music, and watch exclusive content including first-hand accounts of the songwriting process behind some of the award-winning songs by visiting BMI.com/pop2021.

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Old Dominion Singer Matthew Ramsey Hospitalized Ahead of Tour

Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey is in the hospital just before the country band is set to hit the road for their 2021 tour.

The band’s socials shared an update on Ramsey’s condition after he appears to have fallen from a ladder while trying to change a lightbulb.

“How many OD members does it take to change a lightbulb? Well, after a broken rib, collapsed lung, and various scraped & bruises, I found out the answer is ‘More than one,’” Ramsey wrote. “Back home and recovering now with all the fun pills. be careful out there & get someone to hold ur ladder.”

Old Dominion’s publicist tells Billboard that the band will not postpone any concert dates. The band previously had to postpone three concerts in February 2019 because of the frontman’s leg surgery to deal will an old injury.

Old Dominion announced earlier this month that they are scheduled to embark on their 2021 tour, dubbed An Evening With Old Dominion: The Band Behind the Curtain Tour, starting with a two-night run at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla., from May 27-28. Pre-sale starts Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET here, while tickets for the general public will be on sale starting Friday. Learn more about the tour on Old Dominion’s website.

See Old Dominion’s upcoming tour dates below.

An Evening With Old Dominion: The Band Behind The Curtain tour dates: 

May 27 — Durant, Okla. @ Choctaw Casino & Resort
May 28 — Durant, Okla. @ Choctaw Casino & Resort
June 5 — Rome, Ga. @ Rome Reunion
June 11 — Forest City, Iowa @ Country Thunder Iowa 2021
June 18 — North Lawrence, Ohio @ Country Jam USA 2021
June 19 — Mescalero, N.M. @ Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino
June 20 — Mescalero, N.M. @ Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino
July 2 — Endicott, N.Y. @ Dick’s Sporting Goods Open Concert
July 3 — Gilford, N.H. @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
July 4 — Gilford, N.H. @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
July 5 — Gilford, N.H. @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
July 13 — Hammond, Ind. @ The Pavilion at Wolf Lake Memorial Park
July 15 — Eau Claire, Wisc. @ Country Jam USA 2021
July 23 — Stateline, Nev. @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
July 24 — Stateline, Nev. @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
July 30 — Tooele, Utah @ Country Fan Fest 2021
Aug. 5 — Sioux Falls, S.D. @ Sioux Empire Fair
Aug. 6 — Davenport, Iowa @ Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds
Aug. 20 — Lynden, Wash. @ Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center
Aug. 26 — Mill Spring, N.C. @ Night in the Country Carolinas
Sept. 10 — Kissimmee, Fla. @ Country Thunder Florida 2021
Sept. 26 — Puyallup, Wash. @ Washington State Fair
Oct. 9 — Prior Lake, Minn. @ Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
Oct. 10 — Prior Lake, Minn. @ Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
Oct. 15 — Florence, Ariz. @ Country Thunder Arizona 2021
Oct. 29 — Glen Allen, Va. @ Innsbrook
Oct. 30 — Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 5 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Chelsea
Nov. 6 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Chelsea
Nov. 12 — Rancho Mirage, Calif. @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa
Nov. 13 — Rancho Mirage, Calif. @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa
Nov. 18 — Canyonville, Ore. @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort
Nov. 19 — Canyonville, Ore. @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort
Nov. 20 — Ridgefield, Wash. @ ilani
Nov. 21 — Ridgefield, Wash. @ ilani
Dec. 2 — St. Louis, Mo. @ The Factory
Dec. 3 — St. Louis, Mo. @ The Factory
Dec. 10 — Hollywood, Fla. @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Dec. 11 — St. Augustine, Fla. @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Dec. 12 — St. Augustine, Fla. @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre

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Visa lottery 2022 results: Here’s how 55,000 foreigners can get their green cards now

Millions of people around the globe every year enter a U.S. Department of State drawing to win an immigrant visa to legally immigrate to the United States with permanent resident … Click to Continue »
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Broward house party shooting injures 14-year-old living next door, cops say. Two others shot

A 14-year-old girl was shot while watching TV in her home late Saturday night when a Broward house party next door turned deadly, police say. Two others were also injured. … Click to Continue »
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Florida COVID update for Sunday: Over 7 million fully vaccinated, 3,231 new cases, 33 deaths

Sunday’s Florida Department of Health’s daily COVID-19 dashboard report showed 3,231 new cases and 33 total deaths, but only 660 cases in Miami-Dade and 339 in Broward County. Those are … Click to Continue »
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Clubhouse Now Available for Android Users

Clubhouse has been exclusively available on iOS since launch. Starting Sunday (May 9), Android users in the United States can join in on the audio-only socializing.

The social media app announced the long-awaited availability for Android users during its weekly Town Hall this Sunday.

Android users in the U.S. will be able to download the app starting May 9. Users around the world will be able to pre-register via the Clubhouse page in the Google Play Store to be notified as soon as the app is available in their area.

Clubhouse will continue to apply its invitation-only system — which allows existing community members to invite a handful of contacts — for Android users “as part of the effort to keep the growth measured,” according to a statement on the Android launch.

The announcement comes a week after Clubhouse announced beta testing had begun for a “handful of friendly testers.”

“It has been a little over a year since we set out to build a new type of network — a more human place on the Internet based on voice, where people from all corners of the world could come together to talk, listen, hang out, share, debate, learn from each other, deepen friendships, meet new people, and experience unforgettable moments together,” Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, as well as the Clubhouse team, shared in a statement to welcome Android users.

“We’ve always taken a measured approach to growth, keeping the team small, building in public, and getting feedback from the community along the way. When you scale communities too quickly, things can break. So we started Clubhouse on a single platform and have expanded gradually through an invite model. Earlier this year, Clubhouse started growing very quickly, as people all over the world began inviting their friends faster than we had ever expected. This had its downsides, as the load stressed our systems—causing widespread server outages and notification failures, and surpassing the limits of our early discovery algorithms. It made us shift our focus to hiring, fixing, and company building, rather than the community meetups and product features that we normally like to focus on. It was an important time of investment, which we think will help us serve the community much better in the long run.”

“The good thing about this period is that it has shown us how universal voice is as a medium. The same types of rooms that we saw forming last year in the U.S. quickly started forming in Japan, Brazil, and Nigeria. Farmers in rural Georgia have been making friends with entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Film clubs have formed in India. We’ve seen German debate rooms, Italian singalongs, and Middle Eastern quiz shows. We’ve seen firsthand what we’ve always believed—that the need to gather with other humans is universal. Throughout this period, we have felt the need to be cross-platform more strongly than ever,” Davison and Seth continued in their statement. “Today, we are thrilled to share that Clubhouse for Android will start rolling out in beta immediately. We will begin gradually, with the U.S. today, followed by other English-speaking countries and then the rest of the world. Our plan over the next few weeks is to collect feedback from the community, fix any issues we see and work to add a few final features like payments and club creation before rolling it out more broadly.”

“As a part of the effort to keep the growth measured, we will be continuing the waitlist and invite system, ensuring that each new community member can bring along a few close friends. As we head into the summer and continue to scale out the backend, we plan to begin opening up even further, welcoming millions more people in from the iOS waitlist, expanding language support, and adding more accessibility features, so that people worldwide can experience Clubhouse in a way that feels native to them. With Android, we believe that Clubhouse will feel more complete. We are so grateful to all of the Android users out there for their patience. Whether you are a creator, a club organizer, or someone who just wants to explore, we are so excited to welcome you to the community.”

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

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Taylor Swift Set to Receive Global Icon Award at 2021 Brit Awards

Taylor Swift will receive the global icon award at the 2021 Brit Awards, which will be held on Tuesday, May 11. Swift will become the first female artist and the first non-English artist to receive the award, which the Brits characterize as their highest accolade. The only previous recipients are Elton John (2014), David Bowie (2016) and Robbie Williams (2017).

The award is given “in recognition of her immense impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date.”

Swift could leave the event with two awards. She is also nominated for international female solo artist, an award she won in 2015. She is competing in that category with four other American artists — Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Cardi B and Miley Cyrus.

That 2015 win for international female solo artist is Swift’s only Brit Award to date, from six nominations.

Swift has set many records on the U.K. charts, as she has in the U.S. and around the world. She is the only female artist in the 21st century to amass seven No. 1 studio albums on the Official U.K. Albums chart.

The Official Charts Company also reports that Swift is the U.K.’s top-selling artist of 2021 to date, which is remarkable for an artist 15 years into her career.

Swift has amassed 17 top 10 hits on the Official U.K. Singles chart, but, surprisingly, she has landed just one No. 1 single on that chart — “Look What You Made Me Do,” which spent two weeks on top in 2017.

Swift is not expected to perform on The Brit Awards with Mastercard 2021 — as the show is officially known. Coldplay is set to open the show for the fifth time in their career, performing their new single “Higher Power.” The show will also include performances by The Weeknd (performing remotely), Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Griff (this year’s Rising Star award winner), Headie One, and Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir.

Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall is set to host the Brits for the fourth consecutive year. The show will be held at The O2 arena, with a live audience of about 4,000 people, roughly one-fifth of the venue’s capacity.

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