At the Braves Country Fest in Atlanta over the weekend, country music audiences got a treat when two of the genre’s biggest stars teamed up for a surprise collab.
Cody Johnson and Ella Langley surprised fans Saturday with a duet version of Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England” during Johnson’s set. Johnson has a history with the McEntire classic: He previously recorded an acoustic version of the song in 2020, while McEntire herself joined Johnson to sing the song during his set at CMA Fest in 2023.
“Whoever’s in New England” is the title track from McEntire’s 1986 album and reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. The song also earned McEntire a Grammy for female country vocal performance. “Whoever’s in New England” also earned CMA nominations for single of the year and music video of the year (Jon Small directed the clip).
Both Johnson and Langley are at the top of their games. Johnson was named entertainer of the year at the recent Academy of Country Music Awards (in addition to winning male artist of the year). His song “The Fall” recently rose to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, marking his third No. 1 on that chart. Johnson also previously collaborated with McEntire on the song “Dear Rodeo.”
Meanwhile, Langley’s hit “Choosin’ Texas” just keeps breaking chart records. The song logged 10 weeks atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and set a new Hot Country Songs chart record for longest-leading hit by a woman with no other credited recording artists since the survey became the genre’s main songs chart in 1958. At this year’s ACM Awards, Langley earned honors for female artist of the year, artist-songwriter of the year, song of the year and single of the year (both for “Choosin’ Texas”), as well as music event of the year (“Don’t Mind If I Do” with Riley Green).
In addition to Langley and Johnson, Braves Country Fest also featured sets from Ernest, Mackenzie Carpenter, Scoot Teasley, Zach John King and Colton Bowlin. The fest benefited the Atlanta Braves Foundation.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-16 03:01:062026-06-16 03:01:06Cody Johnson & Ella Langley Cover Reba McEntire Classic During Braves Country Fest
Bad Bunny officially kicked off his Madrid residency on May 30 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where he performed 10 concerts spread out until June 15 as part of his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour. With nearly 63,000 attendees per night, according to sources from Atlético de Madrid, the residency bacame one of the biggest musical events of the summer in Spain.
This series of shows came after his historic No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency, which included 30 concerts at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan between July and September 2025, and was part of a tour that began on Nov. 21 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Madrid residency proved to be one of the most ambitious undertakings in the European leg of the tour, which has already exceeded $200 million in revenue, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, and ranks among the most successful of the year.
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In addition to performing songs from Debí Tirar Más Fotos such as “La Mudanza,” “Turista,” “Baile Inolvidable,” “NuevaYol” and “DtMF,” Bad Bunny kept fans intrigued night after night with surprise guests. Both on the main stage and on “La Casita,” the show’s secondary stage, artists, actors, athletes and influencers made appearances, including Penélope Cruz, Los Javis, Chiara Ferragni and Trueno.
After completing his 10 dates in Madrid, the trek will continue across cities in Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., France, Sweden, Poland, Italy and Belgium.
Here’s a chronological recap of all the surprise guests who joined Bad Bunny during his stay in Madrid.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-16 03:01:052026-06-16 03:01:05All of Bad Bunny’s Surprise Guests at His Madrid Residency
“Come Over,” an ARIRANG bonus track from BTS that just made its streaming debut, tops this week’s new music poll.
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Listeners voted in a poll published Friday (June 12) on Billboard, choosing the K-pop superstars’ latest digital release as their favorite new music.
“Come Over” flew to the top spot in a landslide win against new releases from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Cultura Profética, Charles Wesley Godwin, KATSEYE, Jack White, Bebe Rexha and more. At the poll’s closing time on Sunday, BTS ARMY kept the group in the lead with more than 86% of the vote.
“Come Over” — which has members SUGA, RM and j-hope among its list of co-writers, and which was co-produced by Cirkut with SUGA and Ammo — had its streaming debut on Friday after previously only being available on the physical deluxe vinyl edition of ARIRANG.
Its streaming premiere was timed alongside BTS’ annual fan celebration, Festa, and a lyric video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on release day.
With some lyrics in Korean and some in English, the translated chorus of “Come Over” has the septet pleading to reconnect with the subject of the song: “Yeah, I’m lost, can I come over?/ Yeah, I’m lost, can I come over?/ I just wanna say I’m sorry.”
Coming in second place behind BTS’ “Come Over” is Olivia Rodrigo’s You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love album, which dropped on Friday. Rodrigo also released a new music video for album track “Stupid Song.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-15 03:01:052026-06-15 03:01:05Fans Choose BTS’ ‘Come Over’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Fresh off her historic induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Taylor Swift was back in midtown Manhattan this weekend to see one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, Oh, Mary! with Maya Rudolph, with Travis Kelce by her side. They caught the play just in time to see Rudolph starring as Mary Todd Lincoln, as the SNL alum’s limited run in the show wraps July 5.
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The pair posed backstage for photos with the cast of Oh, Mary!, including Rudolph, while attending a matinee performance at the Lyceum Theater in New York City on Saturday (June 13). A clip taken at curtain call by a fellow audience member shows a glimpse of Swift just a few rows back from the stage, leading a standing ovation for Saturday’s performers.
Cheyenne Jackson, Martin Landry, director Sam Pinkleton, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, Maya Rudolph as “Mary Todd Lincoln,” Bianca Leigh and Phillip James Brannon pose backstage at the hit comedy ‘Oh, Mary!’ on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on June 13, 2026 in New York City.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Oh, Mary! is a Tony Award-winning, comedic “one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln, through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola),” the production’s official synopsis says. Rudolph currently portrays the “miserable, suffocated” first lady “in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this 80-minute one-act play.” The play’s plot centers on Mary Todd’s unhappiness with her marriage to the then-U.S. president — a reimagining of the couple’s story that has President Lincoln closeted (though it’s a fictional story, some historians do believe he was queer), and Mary Todd drunk and dreaming of being a showgirl.
“This play is about a woman with a dream that no one around her understands,” Escola told NPR. “A dream that the whole world is telling her is stupid and doesn’t make any sense.”
At the 2025 Tony Awards, Escola — who not only wrote the book, but originated the lead role of Mary as its first performer — was named best leading actor in a play, while Oh, Mary! director Sam Pinkleton took home best direction of a play.
Following Rudolph, Megan Stalter is slated to take over the role of Mary next, for a 10-week stint beginning July 6.
Swift received her Songwriters Hall of Fame honor Thursday night (June 11) at a ceremony held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Sombr performed two Swift classics in tribute — “Cardigan” and “Dear John” — with the honoree and her parents softly singing along, from heir table in front of him. Steven Spielberg saluted Swift, who’s the youngest woman ever inducted into the SHOF, by introducing her to the stage for her speech.
“If I look back at my entire 23-year career in music, the ups and downs and industry battles, the trials and tribulations, the cheers and tears and dogpiling of doubt, the criticisms — both fair and unfair — the complete loss of privacy, the world tours and ego wars, and the twists of fate, the absolute magical chaos of this path that I chose when I was too young to remember it even being a choice at all, songwriting was the easiest thing I ever did,” Swift said in her speech. “Not because it didn’t take effort. It definitely did. Not that it wasn’t frustrating at times, because it could be. And not that my songwriting didn’t haunt me relentlessly until I cracked the perfect internal rhyme scheme for the third line of the second verse before my teachers called me out in class for not paying attention, because that definitely happened.”
She continued, “But when I say that songwriting was the easiest part for me, I think what I mean is that it was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it. I had to be taught how to entertain a crowd. And learn choreography, and be less annoying and navigate the industry and fiercely protect my own sanity through difficult lessons and massive amounts of trial and error and chaos and calamity. But songwriting for me was pretty much the only thing I naturally did.”
Last week she unveiled an original song penned for Toy Story 5, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which she debuted live on piano on Tuesday at the film’s world premiere. Swift also performed the Toy Story mainstay “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” as a duet with Randy Newman at the premiere.
Madonna fans got a preview of one of her new Confessions II tracks this weekend courtesy of Martin Garrix. “Bizarre,” a song that will appear on Madonna’s imminent album release (street date: July 3), had a surprise debut during Garrix’s performance at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Saturday night (June 13).
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Garrix played “Bizarre” set to a pulsing dance beat and amplified with a light show in pink and purple, the apparent color scheme of the Confessions II era. His June 13 gig was the third of a trio of nights at Barclays on his Americas Tour.
On Sunday evening, Garrix shared a video featuring the song sneak peek from Saturday’s concert on Instagram.
“Who knew love could be so bizarre?” Madonna’s heard singing on the track’s hook. “Only love could be so bizarre.”
“Bizarre” is track 10 on Madonna’s 16-song collection Confessions II, and the fourth tune to be teased ahead of the July release of her 15th full-length studio album. She first released album opener “I Feel So Free,” followed by the Sabrina Carpenter collab “Bring Your Love,” in April. “Love Sensation” arrived in early June.
Confessions II, the sequel to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor, has her reuniting with producer Stuart Price and is the first album she’ll release since her return to Warner Records. It Madonna’s first new album in several years, following the 2019 Billboard 200 chart No. 1 Madame X.
Madonna recently unveiled CONFESSIONS II – The Film, which premiered at Tribeca Festival in New York City and is now available to watch on YouTube. In early June she also performed a surprise pop-up show in celebration of Pride Month in Times Square — marking the official launch of the new venue The Square on Broadway and 47th Street.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-15 03:01:042026-06-15 03:01:04New Madonna Song ‘Bizarre’ Debuts at Martin Garrix Show in Brooklyn
Day three of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival experienced severe weather Sunday afternoon (June 14), resulting in a temporary evacuation and delayed set times Sunday night.
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Organizers of the Manchester, Tenn., fest on ‘Roo Farm announced an updated timeline for the evening for concertgoers and those watching via livestream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Headlining set times are now as follows:
• Modest Mouse takes the This Stage from 9:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. CT • Kesha takes the Which Stage from 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. CT • Noah Kahan takes the What Stage from 10:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. CT
See all updated set times for Sunday night at Bonnaroo below:
Bonnaroo first issued an update that performances were paused due to storms in the area just before 2 pm. local time Sunday.
Soon after, organizers evacuated Centeroo, the main festival grounds. A statement was published online via the festival’s official social media pages: “Please calmly head to the nearest exit and shelter in a vehicle. Follow staff instructions and monitor festival communications including social media, Bonnaroo Radio on 101.5 FM, and app notifications for updates. If you do not have a vehicle, find a friend to take shelter with. We expect this storm to continue for the next 2-3 hours with moderate to heavy rain and lightning. We’ll keep you updated!”
Around 4 p.m. local time, Bonnaroo posted an update announcing the severe weather had passed, but Centeroo wasn’t ready to be reopened just yet. “Allow us some time to prepare to reopen, finalize the new performance schedule and then…get ready! It’s going to be a very muddy and LEGENDARY final night on The Farm!” they advised.
By 5:30 p.m., festival grounds were officially open again, and the night’s updated schedule was released.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-15 03:01:042026-06-15 03:01:04Bonnaroo Updates Sunday Schedule Following Delays Due to Severe Weather
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New York Knicks NBA championship merch has dropped online following the team’s dominant 4-1 series victory over the San Antonio Spurs to capture the 2026 NBA title.
In front of stars like Taylor Swift, A$AP Rocky, Fat Joe and Timothee Chalamet, the Knicks took home their first NBA championship since 1973, following a 94-90 win over the Spurs Saturday night.
The Knicks were led by guard Jalen Brunson, who dropped 45 points to lead the team to victory. The 29-year-old also took home the NBA Finals MVP trophy. But that isn’t the only memento Brunson will take home from his big championship win: the point guard also now has his own official bobblehead.
LIMITED EDITION RELEASE
Jalen Brunson New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions MVP Celebration Bobblehead
Available on the merch and collectibles site, FOCO, the Brunson bobblehead doll features a plastic figurine of the Knicks star posing with his trophy and perched on top of a base with Knicks and NBA branding.
Sporting his number 11 jersey, the player’s name and the words “2026 NBA Champions” is written on a plaque at the front of the display stand. FOCO says each bobblehead is hand-painted and hand-crafted, ensuring that no two units are exactly the same. What that means: you’re getting a true collector’s piece with each purchase.
This is an officially licensed release from the NBA and FOCO and it’s sure to sell out fast. Due to the demand, FOCO is limiting shoppers to just two units per purchase.
“BIGHEAD” BOBBLEHEAD
Jalen Brunson New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions Ring Base Bobblehead
You can also pick up this Brunson bobblehead, which features the Knicks player perched on top of a display stand inspired by the team’s NBA championship-winning ring.
This bobblehead figure measures approximately 6.5 inches in height and features an exaggerated “big head” design.
BRAG-WORTHY PIECE
Jalen Brunson New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions MVP Celebration 18-Inch Bobblehead
While most bobbleheads on the FOCO site measure between 6-8 inches in height, the collectibles brand is teasing a pre-order release for an 18-inch Jalen Brunson bobblehead online.
The final version of the figurine has yet to be unveiled but FOCO says it will portray the NBA finals MVP posing in his gameday uniform while perched on a marble-inspired display stand. Only 50 of these 18-inch bobbleheads will be released so you’ll want to snag one before they’re sold out.
ALSO AVAILABLE
Josh Hart New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions Celebration Bobblehead
A number of other Knicks players also have their own bobbleheads available online. This one showcases Knicks guard Josh Hart holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy while surrounded by Knicks colors and branding.
Like the Brunson bobbleheads, this one is also released in extremely limited edition. Each unit is numbered and shoppers are limited to two figurines per purchase, ensuring their collectibility.
OFFICIAL JERSEY DISPLAY
OG Anunoby New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions Jersey Bust
FOCO also has a number of “jersey busts” featuring the Knicks players and their official jerseys. This one celebrates Knicks forward OG Anunoby with his number eight jersey and championship belt set on a gilded, wooden-style base.
Each Knicks jersey bust measures approximately six inches in height. This one is limited to an edition of 526.
LIMITED QUANTITIES
Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions Embroidered Player Bear
FOCO also sells these eight-inch plush bears celebrating the Knicks NBA title win. The stuffed toys feature the team’s blue and orange colorway, with Knicks branding and motifs throughout.
Choose your favorite player and get their name and jersey number embroidered on the bear, like the Karl-Anthony Towns example seen above. These stuffed animals are limited to just 225 pieces and each one is individually numbered.
FAN FAVORITE
New York Knicks 2026 NBA Champions Hello Kitty Bobblehead
It’s not just the Knicks basketball players who got their own bobblehead after the team’s NBA championship win — FOCO also has an official Hello Kitty bobblehead, with the Sanrio star wearing a Knicks-inspired uniform with an orange and blue bow on her head. The name “Hello Kitty” is printed on the back of the jersey.
This Hello Kitty figurine stands about five inches tall and comes on a circular base inspired by the hardwood court.
See more Knicks merch, including toys, bags and bobbleheads for other players online at FOCO.com. Everything is officially licensed for sale on the site, by the National Basketball Association and the New York Knicks team.
OFFICIAL T-SHIRT
New York Knicks 2026 NBA Finals Champions Roster Trophy T-Shirt
If you’re looking for an official Knicks championship win T-shirt, Fanatics has this unisex tee with big CHAMPS branding on the front and the signatures of all the players on the back.
And you can find official Knicks merch, including this vintage-inspired hat, online at Amazon.
This hat features a blue and ivory colorway with an embroidered logo on the front and a slightly curved brim. An adjustable snapback closure helps this fit most head sizes.
The Knicks win set off a host of celebrations across the city that are sure to last through the weekend. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that a ticker-tape parade for the team will take place in Manhattan this Thursday, June 18.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-15 03:01:032026-06-15 03:01:03From Jalen Brunson to Hello Kitty, Score These Official New York Knicks Championship Bobbleheads Online
Wearing a Spurs jersey, Texas native Mickey Guyton sang the U.S. national anthem at game five of the 2026 NBA Finals Saturday night (June 13). The game had the San Antonio Spurs in their hometown, playing the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center.
The country singer — a four-time Grammy nominee who’s no stranger to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” having notably performed it at the Super Bowl a few years ago — put her natural twang into a powerful vocal delivery that had her hitting a triumphant high note on “free” in the last line of the national anthem.
Born in Arlington, Texas, Guyton’s personal connection to the national anthem runs deep — it was a mesmerizing performance by a very young LeAnn Rimes at a Texas Rangers game, when both Guyton and Rimes were just kids, that inspired her to pursue a music career. “Our church had drove from Waco to Arlington to see a Texas Rangers game,” she recalled to Billboard in an interview back in 2015. “I’ll never forget it. We were all the way in the nosebleed section, and I wasn’t more than 8 or 9 years old. The announcer came on the PA and said, ‘Here is 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes performing the national anthem.’ I thought, ’10? She’s 10?’ Then, she starts singing, and she sounds like a grown woman. It was so bittersweet because I wanted to do that. I was so envious of her.”
Guyton’s latest album release is her sophomore full-length studio set, 2024’s House on Fire, which was led by the single “Nothing Compares to You” featuring Kane Brown.
She recently performed at the 51st annual Gracies Awards Gala, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF). The May event, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., honored actress Andie MacDowell and was hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown.
Watch Guyton’s performance of the national anthem at Saturday’s Spurs vs. Knicks game below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-14 03:01:042026-06-14 03:01:04Mickey Guyton Performs National Anthem at NBA Finals Game 5
On the final day (June 13) of an eventful Tribeca Festival, Bono, Patti Smith and Tribeca co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal gathered in lower Manhattan to honor Bruce Springsteen with the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award.
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“I’m a little embarrassed to get this award,” Springsteen, who dedicated the award to the people of Minneapolis, Portland and Los Angeles for standing “against the federal invasion of their cities this year,” admitted during a lengthy sit-down conversation with Bono. “I’m just a concerned citizen.”
Much like Springsteen’s recent Land of Hopes & Dreams Tour, the main topic of concern at this Tribeca Storytellers event was the erosion of democracy in America and President Trump’s federal overreach. Prior to the conversation, De Niro and Rosenthal introduced the Boss and explained why he was receiving the award.
“This is a man who knows how to use his voice,” explained the Oscar-winning actor. “He uses it to give voice to the powerless and he uses it to lead the resistance. He is fearless and direct. He knows what the problem is and he names it: Donald Trump. Donald J. Trump and his feckless enablers. That’s so important because this isn’t about reasonable disputes on policy: this is about the corruption and megalomania of one person. Bruce Springsteen puts a face on it, and he does it with the words of a poet.”
Though a peer and a self-professed “fan masquerading as a friend,” Bono asked thoughtful and even tough questions of Springsteen during their chat.
Speaking about a rock star’s ability (or inability) to connect with the working class, which both Bono and Springsteen came from, the U2 frontman said, “I fear sometimes we on the left lost a little bit of it and that the accusations of elitism that are out there for people like me are not inaccurate.”
“Has it cost you?” Bono asked Springsteen. “Do you feel torn at all thinking there’s people in this town that used to come see my shows who don’t now? Or have you made peace with that?”
“I’m not sure,” Springsteen candidly answered. “You have to do two things. There’s the classic folk song, “Which Side Are You On?”: you have to make your stand and follow your beliefs and you have to have the faith in them that they will be explicable and understandable by your fellow citizens. And you have to believe that America is a sacred argument and a compromise.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Springsteen pointed out that no one should have shown up to his recent tour – the most explicitly political one he’s done in a career marked by socio-political concerns – expecting anything different from what they got. “I warned everybody what the tour was gonna be like so they didn’t waste their money before they came,” Springsteen said with a chuckle. “I figured I did my job and it was every man for himself after that.”
Despite his consistent activism, Springsteen chooses his battles carefully. Bono shared that in the past he’s asked the Boss to sign various petitions and has been politely but firmly turned down. Bono recalled asking Springsteen to license his 2007 song “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” for a Gap commercial when Bono joined up with the clothing brand for the (PRODUCT) RED campaign, which raised money to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Springsteen’s response? No.
“That was a big mistake, too,” Springsteen cut in, seemingly to Bono’s surprise. “I should have said yes.” Explaining it was one of his favorite songs even if it wasn’t a hit, Springsteen admitted, “I should have f–king done it. I have to apologize.”
After standing up and hugging it out, the two welcomed a third Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Patti Smith, to the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center stage. With Tony Shanahan on keys, she performed a soft plea for peace, “Peaceable Kingdom,” which was inspired by Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer in 2003 while protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza Strip.
Smith then performed a live favorite of hers, “People Have the Power,” a rousing call-to-activism. Springsteen and Shanahan backed her on acoustic guitar, and though Bono left the stage, Bruce called him back out to contribute backup vocals (which he also did).
Nothing on the advance program promised a live performance from Springsteen, but everyone in the crowd was quietly hoping for a little something (key word: quietly, unlike the extremely vocal fans at Miley Cyrus’ Tribeca Q&A last year who heckled until she sang something, though her event never promised music). Springsteen did, in fact, perform, offering up an utterly mesmerizing solo version of “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
Before leaving the stage amid a standing ovation, Springsteen offered up one more important thought to the New York City audience: “Go Knicks.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-14 03:01:032026-06-14 03:01:03Bruce Springsteen Sings With Patti Smith & Apologizes to Bono at Tribeca Event: ‘I Should Have Said Yes’
The curtain may have come down for President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center, but the tarp stays up for now.
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Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer of the performing arts venue, told a federal court Saturday (June 13) that the institution had complied with an order to remove Trump’s name from the facade. In a filing, Floca said the board of trustees and the center had removed “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.”
But for onlookers who have gathered on the plaza in front of the center over the past day hoping to witness a dramatic moment symbolizing the limits of Trump’s power, it was virtually impossible to see whether the signage was gone. A tarp hung over the scaffolding constructed for workers to perform that task. It was unclear when the tarp might be removed to reveal the original lettering that had endured for decades: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
A reporter was able to peer through a slight opening in the tarp, which was pulled tightly against the wall, and saw that the letters for Trump’s name were no longer affixed to the building.
By the end, the Kennedy Center’s leadership had dug in against a federal judge’s order to erase Trump’s name from the building. Two courts rejected the institution’s last-minute request to keep retain Trump’s name pending an appeal. After severe thunderstorms raked Washington on Friday evening, the Kennedy Center sought one more extension before complying with a noon Saturday deadline.
Those who pushed for the scrubbing of Trump’s name were in a celebratory mood. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board who sued to remove references to the president from the building and the center’s operations, was spotted in the plaza late Friday and Saturday morning. She posted a video to social media that purported to show her performing the “Trump dance” in one of the Kennedy Center’s great halls.
“Today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people,” Beatty said in a statement. “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating.”
Leo Bartholomaus, a recent graduate of Syracuse University who lives in Virginia, said he was walking by the Kennedy Center on Friday afternoon after visiting the National Mall to see events related to this weekend’s UFC match at the White House. He said he was not happy that Trump added his name to the building.
“My grandmother had a big love of the arts,” he said. “I’ve been here to see The Lion King. I wasn’t a fan of Donald Trump putting his name on it. I thought it was better as the Kennedy Center.”
The removal of Trump’s name closes one of the more unusual chapters in the history of the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1964 and was dedicated to the memory of the slain president, Democrat John F. Kennedy. At what is typically one of the few relatively nonpartisan spaces in Washington, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his second term.
Though he rarely discussed the Kennedy Center during his 2024 campaign, Trump moved quickly to oust the institution’s leadership when he returned to office in January 2025 and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. His name was quickly added to the building.
While the removal of his name marks a setback for Trump, he is moving forward with plans to reshape the physical landscape of the nation’s capital in ways that have few modern parallels.
He demolished the East Wing of the White House and is building a controversial ballroom in its place. He remodeled the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans extensive renovations of a golf course in East Potomac Park, moves that could significantly reduce the public’s access to running and biking paths. He is also moving forward with a triumphal arch that will sit near Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River in Virginia.
Indeed as Trump’s name was being removed from the Kennedy Center, the South Lawn of the White House has been transformed into a venue for a UFC match intended to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence but also coinciding with Trump’s birthday on Sunday.
Back at the Kennedy Center, there are many questions about the institution’s future. The same May court decision that ordered Trump’s name to be removed from the building also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations that was set to begin next month.
The Kennedy Center’s calendar for the weeks ahead include performances of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Bluey’s Big Play. Comedian Bill Maher is to be awarded the Mark Twain Award for American Humor during a ceremony on June 28.
But little is scheduled for the stages beyond that and, after substantially reducing staff, it is unclear how quickly the Kennedy Center could build out a robust performance list. Trump, angered by the court’s order to remove his name, has said he would turn the Kennedy Center over to Congress and has suggested it might simply shutter because of public safety concerns.
In its unsuccessful appeal on Friday seeking a pause on the order removing Trump’s name, the Kennedy Center’s leadership argued, in terms that seemed similar to the president’s speech patterns, that the lower court was interfering with needed renovations.
“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”
The institution also suggested that the president’s name could return to the building if the Kennedy Center later wins its appeal.
If the court denied the venue’s request for a pause, the Kennedy Center argued it would “be forced to squander time and money — by both removing the signage and then potentially returning it after appeal.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-06-14 03:01:032026-06-14 03:01:03Trump’s Name Is Gone From Kennedy Center’s Facade, According to Top Official at the Arts Venue
