Sonic Temple to Return to Columbus Later This Month   

After a three year pause due to COVID, Sonic Temple Festival (formerly Rock on the Range) made a triumphant return to Columbus last spring. Not only did the festival pack MAPFRE stadium all weekend, but they did it for a ground-breaking 4 days, vs the standard 3, which is how the festival had run for years prior.

Once again, festival-goers are gearing up for an incredible weekend, highlighted by a combination of some of the biggest acts in rock and metal, as well as some of the most exciting up-and-coming bands. My personal highlights this year include The Original Misfits, Pantera, Evanescence and Limp Bizkit (none of whom I’ve personally seen at this festival, and I’ve been attending since 2014.

There are dozens of other really exciting bands to check out this year as well. Judas Priest are touring a juggernaut of a new album (‘Invincible Shield’). Sum 41 just released ‘Heaven :X: Hell,’ slated to be their last. Kerry King is back with an all-star band and the new tunes sound amazing so far! This year also sees Machine Head return to the festival circuit for the first time in ages.

As if this wasn’t enough, Sonic Temple has added a fourth stage this year! How’s that all going to flow? I’ll let you know in my review afterwards, but I’m confident the DWP team will continue to run the best festivals in the country, once again.

For anyone who attended last year, you were sure to notice the major changes in the layout of the festival. Rather than supporting the stadium with a stage on either side, one of the stages is now “in front of” the stadium, meaning that the festival grounds have now pushed into the parking lot. This looked a bit odd on the map, but once inside, it proved to be an excellent layout and a nice improvement over what was in place for years prior.

In prior years, I’ve always supplied the annual “survival guide,” which I’ve linked to HERE.

The most important take-a-ways from it are really the following:

Sunscreen and fluids are a must

Explore the grounds. Don’t just run up to the rail and camp all day.  You’ll burn and burn out, not to mention miss everything.

Pace yourself. Four days is a lot and I’m ten years older than I was when I started this. Sit down every once in a while. It does wonders for your feet in the morning. 

Enjoy the city of Columbus while you’re in town. There is so much to do in the city, but be sure to get in to the festival early every day. Those afternoon bands are future headliners and you’ll want to be able to say “I saw them when.”

It’s hard to imagine this festival (or any for that matter) getting much bigger than 4 days and 4 stages, but here we are. This is an adventure I look forward to every single year and this one looks like it just might be the best yet!
If you've had your tickets for months, then you've likely been counting down the days for some time. If you're still waiting though, head over HERE and grab your tickest today! 

American Music Tourism Act aims to help struggling venues and musiciansIf you get past the top 5%, dominated by Live Nation and AEG, live music tours and venues in the US are treading water and, in many cases, struggling to survive. The bi-partisan American Music Tourism Act hopes to harness music tourism to change that.....
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Musicians: Don’t Panic, TikTok will NOT be banned tomorrow!Bruce Houghton of Hypebot and Bandsintown joins Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on the Music Biz Weekly podcast to discuss some current events impacting musicians.....
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10 Quick (and powerful) Emails you can send to Fans right now!These ten email ideas will only take you minutes, but can do NUMBERS for your fan engagement. Let's get into it.....
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Classical Highlights for April 2024There are many excellent choices for sampling among April's new reviews. Start with Vaughan Williams: A Birthday Garland, a belated celebration of the composer's 150th birthday, put together by baritone Roderick Williams (pictured) and pianist Susie Allen. Discover this and more highlights on AllMusic.

The MLC Seeking Suggestions for Board of Directors and Advisory Committee CandidatesPictured: MLC CEO Kris Ahrend

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is accepting suggestions of Publisher candidates for its Board of Directors and Unclaimed Royalties Oversight, Dispute Resolution and Operations Advisory committees. Under the Music Modernization Act (MMA), certain governance positions at The MLC are reserved for representatives of Publishers. The terms of several Publisher seats on the Board and the organization’s advisory committees are slated to end later this year.  

Elections to determine who will fill the open Board seats will be held this summer. Board and committee members sit for three-year terms and may be re-elected. Seats are filled pursuant to The MLC’s Bylaws.

There are openings on the Board of Directors for two (2) Publisher representatives. Under The MLC’s Bylaws, a “Publisher” means a music publisher to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works with respect to Covered Activities. “Covered Activities” means the making of digital phonorecord deliveries of musical works, including in the form of permanent downloads, limited downloads, or interactive streams, where such activity qualifies for a compulsory license under Section 115 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

The openings on The MLC’s advisory committees are as follows:

Two (2) Publisher seats on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to The MLC’s Board related to the distribution of unclaimed accrued royalties; 

Two (2) Publisher seats on the Dispute Resolution Committee, which recommends policies and procedures to the Board for the processing of royalties related to works that are subject to disputes over ownership; and 

Two (2) Publisher seats on the Operations Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board concerning the operations of The MLC, including the efficient investment in and deployment of information technology and data resources. 

The MLC’s Board of Directors and committees meet regularly, and all meetings allow for virtual participation such that travel is not generally required. Members are expected to devote sufficient time to prepare for and participate fully in all meetings. More information on The MLC’s Board of Directors and advisory committees can be found here.

Suggestions should be made no later than May 31, 2024. To suggest a candidate for a Publisher representative seat to The MLC’s Board or committees, please complete the suggestion form available here. 

Warner Music Group boss Robert Kyncl backs US Senate bill to crack down on AI deepfakesKyncl to give testimony to a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30)
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‘There are so many people who make beats but don’t know how to produce.’T-Minus talks about his work with J Cole, Drake, Lil Wayne and more, as well as what makes a great producer in 2024 and what he would change about the modern music industry
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Instagram updates algorithm to favor small creators, original contentMeta-owned Instagram is making changes in the coming weeks designed to give creators of all popularities more equal reach.....
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Swifties drive 1M streams with Sationhead listening party as more Artists take noteLast week, Taylor Nation, the official Taylor Swift fan account, hosted a listening party for her new album "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" on Sationhead, which drove over 1 million streams on Apple Music and Spotify in under 24 hours.....
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Berklee College of Music’s Online Class of 2024: A Testament to TenacityHere are six different 2024 Berklee College Of Music's Online graduates that have had notable and inspirational journeys leading them to commencement day.....
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Swans at the Lodge RoomThe Swans live experience is unlike most other concerts you might ever attend. Swans create something almost indescribable, but it is our job so we'll give it a go.

When Michael Gira and his band first arrive on stage, and after making a few final adjustments, Gira says "Good evening" to the Lodge Room crowd and then they launch into the set. That subtle greeting is really the only nod to a conventional performance that we get. From there, we're launched into a world of aural insanity.

Gira waves his arms around from his seated position like a madcap orchestral conductor, which is somewhat appropriate because the soundscape that Swans creates is like a hellish, teeth-gratingly experimental version of classical music. It's heavy and intense; it's clear why fans of industrial music, post-punk and yes, metal, like Swans. But the songs aren't structured in the standard "rock" manner. There are no choruses. Attempt to sing along at your peril.

It's always been that way, from the debut Filth album introduced Swans to the world in '83. The band has split and come back, members have come and gone, but Swans have never compromised.

The set at the Lodge Room on Sunday evening featured just six songs, all fairly lengthy. Opener "The Beggar" is the title track from the most recent album, while second song "The Hanging Man" is from 2019's Leaving Meaning. The rest are newly recorded and evolving pieces.

Not that it matters; when Swans perform live, it all blends together into an oddly hypnotic, exhausting, beautiful, dynamic-yet-singular experience. It's like being caught in the tornado of somebody else's nightmare. Trauma smashes you in the senses, and really never lets up.

It's relentless, and you'll feel drained at the conclusion. Like all great art, a Swans show will make you ask questions, of yourself and of the artist. But ultimately, it's fantastically rewarding.

Earlier, Swans' lap steel man Kristof Hahn played a solo opening set that was as gorgeous as it was devastating. His voice is rich, somewhere between Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, and his take on "Heartbreak Hotel," which he credits as the John Cale version, was stunning.

All told, it was a night that won't leave us for a long time.

Photos by Nicole Oike Berlin

A shaman, a management coup, a tearful press conference and a $770m market cap dip: What the heck is going on at HYBE?Disputes between record companies and their executives have happened before, but this one takes the cake for weirdness
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Deezer’s revenues grew 14.2% YoY to $144m in Q1; subscriber base reached 10.5mParis-headquartered music streaming service Deezer has published its financial results and subscriber numbers for Q1 2024
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How Top Artists are marketing music in 2024This guide teaches how to nurture and build a loyal fanbase using the same techniques and tools as rising stars Donald Glover, Sara Evans, and Conan Gray.....
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