Before streaming, before records, before radio and player-piano rolls—even before sheet music—live performance was the O.G. music-delivery system. And to this day it remains the most intense and immediate musical experience as fans, energized by the proximity of their favorite acts, send that energy back to the stage in a roaring mass. The live experience, enhanced by evolving technology, has kept pace with the times, delivering increasingly dazzling sound and visuals while preserving that irreplaceable, primal connection between performer and audience. The live sector, meanwhile, after being shut down by the pandemic, has returned with a vengeance, notching some of its biggest numbers yet and unveiling state-of-the-art new venues. Despite a few speed bumps, its overall growth continues apace. The task of planning, routing and mounting a tour to bring the live experience to fans—regionally, nationally or globally—requires a unique set of skills. In our newly published Live issue, we look at a group of agents who stare down the challenges of the road every day. We also delve into some of the biggest recent treks and more. Now let’s get this show on the road.

GloRilla is lighting up TikTok For You feeds with her latest hits, "I LUV HER" f/T-Pain and "WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME" with Sexyy Red. The former has quickly gained traction, generating nearly 76k videos to date and climbing to #18 on TikTok’s Viral 50 chart. The CMG/Interscope rapper's post promoting the track has garnered more than 1.3m views and nearly 70k likes. Meanwhile, "WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME" has inspired nearly 34k creator clips and is sitting at #6 on the Viral 50. Taylor Swift shared a TikTok video featuring the song, which amassed over 28.6m views and 5m likes in four days. Big Glo released her debut album, Glorious, on 10/11. The Wasserman-repped breakout kick-started its rollout in September with lead single "Hollon," and it's been nothing but bangers ever since. Check out the childless cat lady's post below while we crank up the volume.

DEVO frontman Mark Mothersbaugh and conceptual artist Beatie Wolfe have resurrected their non-partisan Postcards for Democracy initiative just in time for the 2024 election. Launched in 2020, the project demonstrates the power of art and community to convey the importance of democracy and voting rights. People are encouraged to illustrate their own postcards and send them in to be used in a future installation and book assembled by Mothersbaugh and Wolfe. “I understand people’s frustration,” Mothersbaugh tells HITS. “Democracy has been having a dysfunctional moment the last 15 or 20 years, and it's at odds with capitalism. Mostly, they both support each other, but there are also certain people with the capitalistic mindset who seem to think less democracy is a good idea.” Wolfe adds, “I think a lot of people just feel so powerless, almost like they really don’t have a voice and whatever they do won’t do anything. The thing that is lovely about Postcards for Democracy is all the different voices and expressions. It really is quite beautiful and uniting.” Mothersbaugh, who's been making postcard art since the 1970s, marveled at the success of the first run of the project, which netted more than 40,000 submissions. “We've just been asking people to be active,” Mothersbaugh continues. “Think about what's going on. Think about what's out there and what the choices mean. Think of what freedom of choice is. You don’t want to lose that.” Postcards for Democracy held two pop-events in L.A. Tuesday (10/22), one at CalState and another at ASU California Center Broadway. On Friday (10/25), they’ll take over dublab studios for a special radio broadcast 9-10am PT and head to Pasadena next Tuesday (10/29) for another pop-up (details forthcoming). For the latest information, head here. Send your postcards to the address below while we try to combat the further de-evolution of society. Postcards for Democracy8760 Sunset Blvd.West Hollywood, CA 90069

Latin-music titan Ricardo Arjona has teamed with Interscope Capitol Labels Group, bringing with him a catalog of nearly 300 songs and a promise of future releases on his Metamorfosis label. Arjona will also issue his own upcoming music through the partnership, beginning with the album SECO in early 2025. Having been relegated to a wheelchair following a back injury, the artist feared he may have to retire from music but instead wrote the song "Todo Termina," which will be released as a single next month. "Despacio Que Hay Prisa" and "Nirvana" will also presage SECO, with two additional singles due in December. “I speak on behalf of the entire Metamorfosis team when I say we are deeply motivated and profoundly appreciative to collaborate with Interscope Capitol Labels Group," said Arjona's son Ricardo Arjona Torres, who runs the label. "This resilient team not only showcases a curated and dynamic array of artists but also truly understands their vision." Added ICLG EVP Nir Seroussi (pictured far right with, from left, Arjona Torres, ICLG SVP Jose Cedeño and Arjona), "As one of the most iconic artists in the Spanish-speaking world, Ricardo has shaped the musical landscape in ways that transcend generations. We are committed to promoting his emblematic catalog while partnering with him on new projects he has in the works."

Stevie Wonder is encouraging members of Gen Z and millennials to get to the polls as part of the #SpeakYourVote initiative. The icon is inviting artists (of all generations) to engage in an #OpenVerseChallenge on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts; using TikTok’s “Duet” feature or the “Remix” function on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, participants can record their own verse about what voting means to them, inspired by Wonder’s call to action. Civic Wisdom Foundation founder Dr. Shannon Arvizu launched #SpeakYourVote in partnership with creative agency David&Goliath. "A lot of young people today are turned off by divisiveness," she said. "They want to work towards common ground. Stevie Wonder helps us do that by inviting us into his heartfelt track.” There are 113 million voters in Gen Z and the millennial cohort, nearly half the voting population. The #SpeakYourVote campaign's goal is to inspire young people to vote, with a long-term goal of harnessing the collective voice of these generations to enact positive change. Join Stevie and add your verse here.

When AEG Presents Chairman and CEO Jay Marciano was asked by the cancer treatment and research organization City of Hope to be this year’s Spirit of Life honoree, his first reaction was that they’d made a huge mistake. “I thought, you don’t really want me.” His second was that he needed to talk it over with his wife, Lisa. “We tend to keep a low profile. We’re careful about putting ourselves out there.” Still, there was a greater good at stake, not to mention an opportunity for the music industry to put its best foot forward. “We’re often rightfully maligned for our excesses,” he says. “We’re loud and we’re showy. But we’re also very generous. And for 51 years, the music business has been very generous with City of Hope.” And so, on 10/22, Marciano will accept the 2024 Spirit of Life Award at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The event will be hosted by comedian and actor Fred Armisen and will feature a special performance from Elton John, whose AEG-produced Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was one of the most successful in music history, second only to another AEG-promoted venture, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. “Jay is more than a colleague, he’s a dear friend,” said Sir Elton in a statement. “It is my pleasure to lend my support to him as he receives the Spirit of Life honor, especially given City of Hope’s dignity-giving supportive care for people who face cancer, along with its unmatched research for other life-threatening illnesses.” How was your summer? Busy. We were at a lot of shows this spring and summer, all of our major festivals: Coachella, Stagecoach, Jazz Fest, BST Hyde Park. And we’re all jumping on a flight on Monday to go to Columbus to see the start of the Sabrina Carpenter tour, which sold out the day we put it on sale. Forty arenas in North America. Did you get a chance to relax? Personally, when I need a respite from the business part of the music business, I’ll go to the Baked Potato on Ventura Boulevard in the Valley and see some great jazz. They have a Hammond B3 organist playing tomorrow night, and I thought, “Maybe somebody wants to come with me.” But I have to drag people to go with me. I assume you saw The Rolling Stones this time around? Oh yeah. We had them at Jazz Fest. It was a big deal. When you’re standing on the stage and Keith Richards kicks the band into gear and that rhythm section locks in and Mick Jagger is doing his thing, it’s a beautiful sight. Mick’s 81 years old, God bless him, and he still takes every show seriously. He’s involved with everything, the ticket prices, the markets, the venues. Do you ever make a request? “Mick, there’s a song from side three of Exile you haven’t played in 30 years” kind of thing? No, no. I learned a long time ago to stay out of that. We’re just lowly concert promoters; we know our place. Beyond the fact that Taylor Swift is a one of one, what have you learned from the success of the Eras Tour? There are a number of things Taylor did that other artists wouldn’t contemplate doing. One is, she had an opportunity to dynamically price her tickets, and she didn’t want to do that to her fans. She specifically said, “No dynamic pricing.” She was willing to make decisions that potentially cut into her income because she was taking a long-term view of her career. That long-term view applied to every decision she made throughout the tour: over-deliver on the show, over-deliver on the production, don’t overcharge on the merchandise. Every part of the tour was set up to position her for the next tour and the tour after that. The other thing is that she busted through globally and defined herself as a global superstar. She’s every bit as big everywhere around the world as she is in North America. In the decades that I’ve been doing this, I’ve never seen anything like it. I may never see anything like it again. I wasn’t around for The Beatles, but it’s a phenomenon in that category. It feels like she’s earned some time off. She has, but she didn’t miss a show. Think about that—150 stadium shows. First of all, who does that? The only shows she wasn’t able to play had nothing to do with an illness or “I’m tired.” It was the three shows in Vienna where there was a security risk. She just felt, “I’m going to do the right and safe thing for fans.” Have you made your arrangements to go to the final Eras show in December? It’s funny you should ask that. I was actually thinking that if we go to Vancouver, we’ve got to bring end-of-tour gifts. What in the world does one get Taylor Swift? Exactly. What do you get someone whose tour is going to break every single record in our business? But I have a few ideas. Such as? Well, you want to personalize it. Sometimes it’s not about the amount of money you spend. I’ll give you an example. We went to Rolex at the end of the Elton John tour and asked them to make these special watches, with engraving on the back—we actually brought them to see the show in Zurich. And we gave them out to the band members and to Bernie Taupin, David Furnish and Elton. We were able to get Rolex to engrave “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” in the same font that was used for the tour, and personal engraving with a specific logo is something they rarely do. If you’re going to get them to engrave something, they only do it the way that they do it, and it’s like, you have a choice of three fonts. Plus, there is currently a five-year wait for a Rolex. But because it was Elton, they did it for him. And by the way, we acquired an extra one for the City of Hope event, and we’re auctioning it off. We’re going to have Bernie wear the watch, and then we’re going to auction it off. What has your involvement with City of Hope been over the years, and how did this honor come about? In terms of buying tables and supporting this endeavor, I’ve been involved since the mid ’80s. In fact, when I was a talent buyer in my late 20s working at Universal Concerts, Zach Horowitz was my boss. His dad was one of the doctors at City of Hope. He asked me to figure out how to help raise money. So we’d add 25 cents a ticket to every ticket we sold, and that money went to City of Hope. We’d raise $100,000, which was a lot of money in the ’80s and ’90s. Now, over the years, I’ve seen many people honored, from Irving Azoff to Fred Rosen to Joel Katz to Coran Capshaw. I’ve been to most of the dinners and heard most of the speeches, and they were always great events. And I always felt, after attending and seeing the speeches given by the doctors and some of the patients and the videos, that this was really good work, that the music industry was coming together to do something that was helpful. But I never thought I would be an honoree. The only other concert promoter to ever have been honored is Bill Graham. And I thought, well, Bill Graham is Bill Graham; he’s a legend. Then one day I was having a meeting at CAA with Rob Light, and after the meeting he said, “You know, there are a couple other people who would like to see you. Do you have a minute.” And then he went out and came back, and goes, “You’re going to hate me.” And in walk Zach Horowitz and Bruce Resnikoff. At first I thought, What is this, some kind of intervention? And they said, “Tag, you’re it.” And I thought it was a bad idea. But they’re pretty persuasive: “It’s your turn… You can really be helpful… Look at the great work you’ve done at AEG.” None of that was resonating with me. And then Bruce said, “You’re gonna help save lives.” I said to Bruce, “Well, that’s your best argument.” How much time elapsed between you being asked and you asking Elton? I knew that I had to do that in person. It wasn’t something I was going to do on a phone call. His L.A. house is under a mile from my house, and I was going to be over there anyway for a meeting with him and David. To be completely candid, I’m never comfortable asking. Asking for others is one thing, but asking on behalf of yourself is always difficult. But I’ll tell you what happened. We were going through a list of things that we needed to deal with. And he wanted to show me this video of Brandi Carlile and Joni Mitchell at the Newport Jazz Festival. We were in Elton’s kitchen, and he had it on his iPad, and he played me Joni singing “Both Sides Now.” And I had this out-of-body moment where I’m sitting in Elton John’s kitchen watching Joni Mitchell sing “I’ve looked at life from both sides now,” and honestly, I started to tear up. And Elton and David were looking at me tearing up. I said, “I apologize. This is so beautiful and so emotional.” And they said, “Well, we felt the same way, and that’s why we wanted you to see this.” So that finished, and I took a sip of my water and said, “Well, I have one other thing I want to ask you about. I’m being honored. And I’d be honored if you would consider playing the event for me.” And Elton said, “Of course I’ll do this for you.” And I was a little bit shocked, because you never know if it’s a business relationship you have with artists or a friendship. I never want to assume that I’ve crossed over to friends. But there was never a hesitation in his voice. I drove home and said to my wife, “Well, Elton said yes, so I guess we’re doing this.” If you go too long on your speech, is Elton going to play you off the stage? I hope so. I told everybody, five minutes, I’m out. I know not to overstay my welcome. What else is planned besides Elton? We have Fred Armisen emceeing, David Blaine’s going to do magic and Evan Funke’s doing the food. And we’ve got some great auction items. We’re auctioning off a beautiful six-foot-tall Wes Lang painting that he did specifically for this event. He designed the invitation as well. Has the event been at the Shrine before? I don’t think so. I was somewhat reticent to do it there even though it’s one of our venues, but since the live-music business is being honored, it made sense. There was a little bit of concern that psychologically, for Westside people, the Shrine might be a bit of a leap. But as it turns out, we’re basically sold out, which never happens in advance. They didn’t pay to see me, of course. It’s Elton. You’re Bernie Taupin to Elton’s Elton. Nobody can be Bernie to Elton’s Elton. In all seriousness, as part of being an honoree, you get the sort of VIP tour behind the scenes of City of Hope and the campus that they built there and the wonderful work that they’re doing to try to figure out a cure for cancer. I left feeling very hopeful that they’re getting close. There’s some really great work being done there. And it’s great to be able to support that work. Let’s talk about your business for a minute, and about your flagship festivals. Is it fair to say that Coachella had a down year last year? Not in the end, but in the beginning it came out a little bit slower than years past. It’s difficult to understand why one year maybe we were down. Maybe people took a year off. I fully expect that Coachella will be back stronger and will sell out in advance in 2025 again. But Jazz Fest had its biggest year, Buckeye Country Superfest had a big year, Hyde Park had a big year. And Stagecoach was stronger than ever. And next year’s Stagecoach will beat 2024’s. Earlier this year, after the DOJ filed to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster, you were quoted in a memo saying that Live Nation was indeed a monopoly, and that you “strongly believed” that the lawsuit will succeed, among other things. Anything you care to add to that today? You know what, we’re going to want to talk about this at some point again. Today’s not the day. But we have thoughts about this that need to be amplified, about what’s really at stake. And I think some of it’s getting lost in the spin. We need to explain why this is important, why we think there’s a correction necessary in the music business. It’s not necessarily an attack against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, but I think there are things we can all do to open up the marketplaces that will benefit fans and artists alike.

Rapper Ralan Styles, best known for his 2022 viral hit "Baby Shark," died on Saturday (10/19) following an early-morning shooting in the Victorian Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. He was 22. Styles' label, Big Money Records/Republic, confirmed his death via Instagram. "It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news that our beloved artist Michael Robinson, known to many as Ralan Styles, was taken from us early this morning," the post reads. "Michael was not just an incredible talent but a kind-hearted soul who poured his heart into every song he made for his fans. He touched many lives through his music, and his legacy will live on through the beats and lyrics he created." Styles, who was from Tallahassee, Florida, was shot multiple times. A 24-year-old suspect, Mahamood Hassan, was arrested and charged with murder after being identified by witnesses. Hassan is currently being held on $2m bond.

Veteran executive Peter Rudge—who's worked with The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Marc Bolan, among others—is stepping aside from management to pursue other music-centric projects. They will include co-producing a documentary about the beginnings of the touring business centered around Premier Talent Agency founder Frank Barsalona, the only agent inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “After 55 years in the artist-management trenches, I’ve decided to call time and devote my time to family, travel and other projects, as well as Wolves and the New York Giants, who both need my help far more than any artist does right now," Rudge said. Rudge began his career as a £20-per-week temp at Track Records in 1968 after graduating from Cambridge University “to fill time” while waiting to take the Civil Service exam the following January. He never took the test or even got a "real" job and calls the subsequent odyssey “one of peaks and valleys, highs and lows, but never dull.” At Track, Rudge worked with Jimi Hendrix and Marc Bolan before going on to manage The Who with Bill Curbishley. Other acts with whom he worked closely include Lynyrd Skynyrd, Duran Duran, Roger Waters, Madness, Il Divo and Ball & Boe. The act Rudge has worked with the longest and is perhaps most closely associated with is the band James, which he's repped since 1989. The Tim Booth-led band scored its first U.K. Official Albums #1 in June with Yummy and will now be managed by Neil Hughes (who's been co-managing for the past two years) and Charlotte Malecki at Tileyard. Rudge, pictured getting a buss from Booth, thanked his “many partners over the years,” in particular accountant Colin Young, SJM founder Simon Moran and Solo Music Agency’s John Giddings, “whose friendship and expertise I have been able to lean on throughout my stewardship.”

Hitmaker Music Group/Hitmaker Distribution has teamed up with Ice Cube for his latest single, “It’s My Ego." The accompanying video dropped on Friday (10/18) and has already racked up more than 2.1m YouTube views. To commemorate its release, the gangsta-rap pioneer held a private listening party at West Hollywood's Landmark Theatres Sunset that included a Q&A with veteran radio host Big Boy. "Younger Tony would have NEVER believed this day was real," Hitmaker founder/CEO Tony Bucher said. "To be working with one of my personal heroes like this is truly a dream come true.” "It's My Ego" is Cube's first solo single since 2018's "Arrest the President," from the album Everythang's Corrupt (Lench Mob/Interscope). In the interval between "President" and "Ego," he collaborated with fellow West Coast hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg, Too $hort and E-40 in Mount Westmore and is now busy prepping his next solo record, Man Down, for a 11/22 release. Ice Cube pulled out all the stops for the "It's My Ego" video, which taps into his acting prowess. Watch it below while we check ourselves before we wreck ourselves.

Jeff Jones will step down from his role as chief exec of The Beatles’ Apple Corps Ltd. after 17 years. Jones, who most recently oversaw the 2023 release of the final Beatles song, “Now and Then,” has spearheaded countless significant initiatives since joining the company in 2007. They include launching TheBeatles.com and making the lads' music available digitally for the first time, via iTunes. Jones introduced them to a new generation with their own Rock Band game, oversaw Apple Corps’ 18-year partnership with Cirque du Soleil on The Beatles LOVE and has helped conceive multiple Grammy-winning catalog reissues. Jones also served as executive producer of the critically acclaimed documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week–The Touring Years and the Emmy-winning three-part Disney+ series The Beatles: Get Back. He's an EP on the Beatles ’64 doc, produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedesch, due 11/29. “The whole Apple Corps family wishes Jeff Jones all the very best and would like to express our sincere gratitude for his invaluable contributions to the company and the legacy of The Beatles," the company said in a statement. Prior to joining Apple Corps, Jones worked at Sony/BMG, MCA Records and Columbia. His successor has yet to be announced.

Kylie Minogue will see her 10th U.K. Official Albums #1 on Friday (10/25) with Tension II (BMG), while One Direction fans have sent the band’s singles and albums back into the Top 40 following the death of member Liam Payne. Tension II is outselling its closest competition by more than two to one at the halfway point, tallying 28k in sales so far. At #2 is Rag’n’Bone Man’s third LP, What Do You Believe In? (Columbia). Australian dance group Confidence Man starts at #4 with its third set, 3AM (LA LA LA) (Polydor). Following National Album Day on 10/19—the theme of which was great British bands—Oasis’ Definitely, Maybe (Big Brother) is back in the Top 10, at #6. Bronski Beat could see its debut, The Age of Consent (London Records), celebrating its 40th anniversary, return to the Top 10 for the first time in 39 years, at #9. Further down, all five of One Direction’s albums will re-enter the chart as fans pay tribute to Payne. Take Me Home (Simco) is at #12, Midnight Memories at #13, Made in the A.M. at #15 and FOUR at #20. The group’s debut, Up All Night, is #33. On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, three 1D tracks are set to re-enter the Top 40; “Night Changes” is at #16, “Story of My Life” at #21 and “What Makes You Beautiful” at #47. Three solo tracks by Payne could rise higher up the chart by Friday; “Teardrops” is currently at #65, “For You” with Rita Ora at #67 and “Strip That Down” with Quavo at #75. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” (Island) is still at #1 on the singles tally, but “Die With a Smile” (Interscope) by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars is a close contender for the top spot; it's just over 2k chart units behind, at #2. “Somedays” (Solotoko) by Sonny Fodera, Jazzy and D.O.D is up two to #3. ROSÉ and Bruno Mars could have the week’s highest new entry with “APT.” (Atlantic), starting at #7. “The Door” (Atlantic) by Teddy Swims is up three to #9, and “Diet Pepsi” by Addison Rae percolates three to #11.