Florida Man Sues Madonna: Should Concerts Start on Time?
"Ticketholders [have] to work and go to school the next day."
A Florida man is suing Madonna because she changed the start time of her show at the Fillmore Miami Beach from 8:30 to 10:30.
"Ticketholders [have] to work and go to school the next day, which prevent[s] them from attending a concert that would end at around 1:00 a.m.," the suit stated.
Nate Hollander's ticket did cost $1,024.95, so maybe he can't be blamed for expecting some special treatment. He also claims that he's unable to sell the tickets because the time change has caused the tickets to "[suffer] an extreme loss of value," making reselling "impossible."
For her part, Madonna is famous for being late. At a recent Las Vegas show, fans were told to arrive at 9:30, but she didn't show up until midnight. Because of the delay and the audience's subsequent outrage, over 500 refunds were issued.
Madonna - Material Girl (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
Apparently, Madonna doesn't see a problem with her lateness. During a recent show in Las Vegas, she announced, "There's something that you all need to understand. And that is that a queen is never late."
Who's in the right here? How many Nate Hollanders have arrived at work tired the next morning because some pop star they paid $1,024.95 to see decided not to honor the not-so-sacred tradition of concert timeliness? Should stars like Madonna be expected to be on time? Is their time somehow fundamentally more important than the audience's? Is that part of the power imbalance that makes a star a star?
Of course, the phenomenon of concerts that start extremely late isn't a new one, nor is it reserved for queens like Madonna. Concerts start late for a lot of reasons—and unsurprisingly, one of the main ones has to do with revenue. The longer people wait around for a show to start, the more likely they are to buy drinks and food, and the more they drink, the more likely they are to shell out cash at the merch table.
Naturally, technical and logistical issues can also play a role. Musicians typically have an extremely short amount of time to go from one show to the next, and innumerable things can go wrong with the setup.
According to Lauryn Hill, another famously late performer, her delayed start times are purposeful. "Me being late to shows isn't because I don't respect my fans or their time, but the contrary, It can be argued that I care too much, and insist on things being right," she said. "I like to switch my show up regularly, change arrangements, add new songs, etc. This often leads to long sound checks, which leads to doors opening late, which leads to the show getting a late start. This element of perfectionism is about wanting the audience to experience the very best and most authentic musical experience they can from what I do."
While stars with cult followings like Lauryn Hill and Madonna are often forgiven easily for their lateness, do-it-yourself shows that start late often get a bad rep when they take hours to get the ball rolling. On the other hand, indie artists and venues are the ones who face the worst fallout from technical and transportational mishaps, and don't always have the cash to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Sound engineering is one of the most underappreciated and difficult jobs in the music industry—anyone who's ever run a sound table knows that sound equipment can be unbelievably temperamental—and so maybe we shouldn't be so quick to get angry when the sound check takes a while.
On the other hand, nobody wants to have to loiter around at their friend's EP release show for six hours, especially when there's no reason for such extreme lateness. But in some ways, when you've been waiting that long, finally seeing an artist come out and smash their set is just that much more rewarding.
Regardless, it seems that Madonna has met her diva match in one Nate Hollander, who's certainly rocking back and forth in some dark room right now, whispering, "See you in court."
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Artist, Author, and Comedian Anna Akana Is Now a Bonafide Musician
The internet star talks debut album, new single, and her transition into the music scene.
Anna Akana is no stranger to fame.
Her comedy vlogs have made her an internet sensation with 2.6 million subscribers to her channel and many of her videos raking in millions of views. She crafts relatable, personable comedy, and now she hopes her music will have the same accessibility. As Akana gears up to release her debut album, Casualty, the 30-year-old creative sat down with Popdust to talk more about her transition to music and her new single "Let Me Go."
From comedy to music. how has that transition been for you, both personally and professionally? Any lessons you've had to learn along the way?
It's been an incredibly fun transition. I've been doing comedy music for over a decade, so most of my focus has been lyrical (no one cares if you're off pitch when you're delivering a punch line). So the confidence and presence that stand up has given me, plus having been an actor for so long, I feel very comfortable on stage in the emotion of a song. I've definitely had to learn about the business side of music more—the inner workings of what this industry's structure is and how it differentiates from the fields I've been in for so long. But I've found the whole journey to be incredibly creative and fun.
Anna Akana - Let Me Go (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
What can we expect from your debut record? What was the creative process like?
There are 13 tracks and accompanying music videos that hone in on the message of overcoming. This album was experimental and cathartic and touches on various aspects of myself in new ways. It's dark indie pop with a very intimate feel. The creative process was suspiciously easy, but I feel like when an artist approaches a new platform you have so much energy ready to go.
What made you decide to combine spoken word and singing? What appeals to you about spoken word?
I'm an avid fan and writer of poetry. I haven't shared a ton of it online, just two animated versions ("toothbrush" and "palindrome"). But I feel like spoken word is just the right delivery for some songs, and it decides where it belongs. Most of the ones that turn out that way are written in a stream of consciousness flurry that come tumbling out, and I feel they're the most raw that way. Spoken word is an amazing avenue for story, for emotion, and to communicate powerful pain.
Anna Akana - Not My Proudest Moment (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
What do you want fans to take away from your music?
I hope that fans feel less alone in some aspect of their struggles.
Any tour plans? Do you ever plan to return to comedy?
I'm currently headlining Mercury Lounge on Dec 6 in NYC. Would love to do a national tour but the plan is to hit spot dates for now to hone in the show. No plans to return to comedy but ask me in ten years!