Canceled Tours, Spreadsheet Superstars
A couple weeks ago, I took my daughter and a few of her friends to see a country artist named Zach Bryan. I thought Bryan was playing the indoor Oakland Arena (which is an impressive venue to fill). It wasn’t until the drive to the concert that I realized Zach Bryan was playing what would be his first outdoor stadium show. It’s a testament to the new ways that music is marketed and shared that an artist you may not have even heard of can fill a Bay Area stadium with cowboy-hat wearing, teen-aged girls who know every word to every song. It’s especially impressive that Zach Bryan could pull it off this summer when many bands that you definitely have heard of are suffering lackluster concert sales or even having the cancel arena tours. What gives? It’s not totally clear, but as music exec (and notable SF Giants fan) Jordan Kurland explains, the post-pandemic drive to go out a lot may have cooled. “Today, ‘revenge spending is over. People [were] just spending money on experiences because we didn’t have that for two years. I think people are having to be more cautious with their money.” So, you wanna be a rock and roll star who’s on the road again, or a Jukebox Hero, or a Shooting Star playing in a Travelin’ Band, a cowboy on a steel horse, or stay just a little bit longer…well, it might be time to Turn the Page. Stereogum looks at the many factors contributing to the new reality rocking touring bands. The Curious Case Of The Underselling Arena Tours. Several times during the Oakland Coliseum show, Zach Bryan thanked the huge crowd and called the experience one of the best nights of his life. There are many bands who would advise him to enjoy the moment.
Getting Rolled
“Not so long ago, bike theft was a crime of opportunity—a snatch-and-grab, or someone applying a screwdriver to a flimsy lock. Those quaint days are over. Thieves now are more talented and brazen and prolific. They wield portable angle grinders and high-powered cordless screwdrivers. They scope neighborhoods in trucks equipped with ladders, to pluck fine bikes from second-story balconies. They’ll use your Strava feed to shadow you and your nice bike back to your home.” I’m not yanking your chain. The stealing, wheeling, and dealing of bikes has become a well oiled machine. In Wired, Christopher Solomon treads into the world of the thieves and those trying to break the cycle. Silicon Valley’s Fanciest Stolen Bikes Are Getting Trafficked by One Mastermind in Jalisco, Mexico.
The Logo
There may be no single person who had a greater career in a professional sport than Jerry West had in the NBA. He was an awesome player. He was a remarkably effective executive. And he was a driven competitor who won and won and won. It makes sense that a silhouette of him playing basketball is the league’s official logo. So long to Mr. Clutch, The Logo, and Zeke from Cabin Creek. NYT (Gift Article): Jerry West, One of Basketball’s Greatest Players, Dies at 86.
+ WaPo: How Jerry West became the NBA’s logo.
Three Spreadsheets to the Wind
“An elite handful of analysts, actuaries, and accountants have mastered Excel, arguably the most important software in the business world. So what do they do in Vegas? They open a spreadsheet.” Maybe AI will take over, but for now, the Excel nerds are still the masters of their domain. In The Verge, David Pierce heads to Vegas to see the Speadsheet Superstars in action. Sheeeeet.
Extra, Extra
The Graduates: “Like graduating seniors everywhere, members of Newtown High School’s class of 2024 expect bittersweet feelings at their commencement ceremony — excitement about heading off to college or careers and sadness about leaving their friends and community. But about 60 of the 330 kids graduating Wednesday will also be carrying the emotional burden that comes from having survived one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.” Sandy Hook shooting survivors to graduate with mixed emotions.
+ Badge of Dishonor: “They served in police departments big and small. They were new recruits and seasoned veterans, patrol officers and chiefs of police. They understood the power of their guns and badges. In many cases, they used that very power to find and silence their victims. A Washington Post investigation has found that over the past two decades, hundreds of law enforcement officers in the United States have sexually abused children while officials at every level of the criminal justice system have failed to protect kids, punish abusers and prevent additional crimes.” WaPo (Gift Article): Abused by the badge.
+ Product Plug: “A deal was on the table that was virtually identical to the proposal that Hamas made on May 6 — a deal that the entire world is behind, a deal Israel has accepted.” Blinken pans Hamas response to Israeli offer, saying some proposed changes ‘not workable.'” Hamas is refusing to agree to a ceasefire in part because, as we learned yesterday, Yahya Sinwar is not bothered by the deaths of the civilians he uses as human shields while hiding in a tunnel. To bad school is out for summer. This unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire seems like something worth a protest.
+ The Price is (closer to) Right: We’re not yet seeing any interest rate cuts by the Fed, but inflation slowed for second straight month.
+ Capturing the Moment: “Proponents hope it’s the start of a sort of oil boom in reverse, kick-starting a process through which the world will eventually bury more greenhouse gas than it adds to the atmosphere … But opponents insist these efforts will prolong the life of fossil-fuel plants, allow air and water pollution to continue, and create new health and environmental risks that could disproportionately harm disadvantaged communities.” James Temple in MIT Tech Review: The world’s on the verge of a carbon storage boom.
+ The Glass is Calf Full: “Lakota legend says about 2,000 years ago — when nothing was good, food was running out and bison were disappearing — White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared, presented a bowl pipe and a bundle to a tribal member, taught them how to pray and said that the pipe could be used to bring buffalo to the area for food. As she left, she turned into a white buffalo calf. ‘And some day when the times are hard again,’ Looking Horse said in relating the legend, ‘I shall return and stand upon the earth as a white buffalo calf, black nose, black eyes, black hooves.'” Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy.
Bottom of the News
“Chestnut, who has won the event 16 times and is the eight-time defending champion, recently signed a deal to represent Impossible Foods, a rival brand to Nathan’s.” Joey Chestnut out of 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest over deal with rival brand. (There’s zero chance that this stands. Joey Chestnut will be shoving buns and dogs down his gullet come July or this ain’t America.)
+ “Denmark’s food agency issued the recall and warning on Tuesday, urging consumers to abandon the product.” Denmark recalls Korean ramen for being too spicy.
