MTV Video Music Awards — will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Aug. 30, marking the first major awards show since the pandemic that will occur in a physical venue. The VMA show will follow safety guidelines and feature “limited capacity or no audience.” Some performances are planned to take place at “unspecified New York landmarks”.
Diplo — will play a virtual fundraising event for Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on July 9. The dance party, called “Get Up, Stand Up!” will also feature D-Nice, Jermaine Dupri, model and founder of the “Black Girls Rock!” organization Beverly Bond, and entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman.
The Weeknd – has donated $1 million to COVID relief efforts after announcing the sale of his popular XO face masks and promising to match every dollar raised. $500,000 go to MusiCares and $500,000 goes directly to front-line hospital workers in his hometown of Toronto.
Lenny Kravitz – will release a memoir covering the first 25 years of his life this fall. “Let Love Rule” drops on Oct. 6. A press release says the “cast of characters” will include his father, Sy, a news producer; mother, TV actress Roxie Roker, and Lisa Bonet, whom he married in 1987. (I’ve got a feeling there’s going to be a sequel…)
The Cult – Guitarist Billy Duffy says that they are “in the process” of making a new album. According to him, while in quarantine, he came “up with a few riffs”, but maybe not as many as he would have liked.
Pearl Jam — honored the nine lives that were lost on the 20th anniversary of the Roskilde Festival tragedy by posting in part: “nothing has been the same since”. On June 30, 2000 at the Danish music festival, nine men between the ages 17-26 were suffocated or crushed by the surging crowd.
Brett Eldredge — will appear at a virtual Grammy Museum event on July 11, the day after the release of his new album, “Sunday Best”. The museum’s public programs digital series features new interviews with artists and musicians recorded via Zoom.
Johnny Cash — A 1973 live performance will drop on July 31. Jack Black’s “Third Man Records” has announced plans to release the newly unearthed record which was recorded at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles.
