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BY DAVE BROOKS

Ed Sheeran has a carrot and stick approach to the secondary market.

The carrot is Ticketmaster’s new Verified Fan program, requiring concert-goers to register in advance to purchase tickets for his upcoming Divide World Tour. The stick came in the form of 50,000 ticket cancelations aimed at scalpers, whose seats were revoked and then resold to fans who had already verified their identity with Ticketmaster.

“The Verified Fan program gives us some great tools to figure out who is a real fan, and who isn’t,” Ticketmaster’s President of North America Jared Smith tells Billboard. “It changes the equation and puts new assets at our disposal to identify fans.”

Smith explains that Verified Fan works because it slows transactions down and allows the company to scrub its list of bot and scalper purchases. Prior to Ed Sheeran’s fan presale, an email was sent to fans encouraging them to register to purchase tickets in advance. Fans were required to provide Ticketmaster with an email address and a phone number, and then that contact data was scrubbed against a database of

known resellers and accounts tied to scalpers.The coordinated effort between Ticketmaster and

the Messina Touring Group, which is promoting the Sheeran run, resulted in the sale of 350,000 tickets to verified fans.

The process takes about 48 hours and “gives us time to identify bots and be more thorough in how we identify fans,” Smith says. “It’s very difficult to do that during an onsale, which feels more like a race against the bots” as thousands of fans and scalpers try to log in at once to purchase tickets.

Once the list had been scrubbed, fans were sent a text message with a unique code to purchase tickets during the exclusive presale period. The presale tickets sold out immediately and, despite the scrubbed lists, thousands were immediately posted on secondary sites like StubHub.

“We had tons of inventory, but it couldn’t meet the demands of the number of verified fans we had,” MTG’s Senior Touring Manager Haley McCollister tells Billboard. “That’s when the postings on StubHub started happening. As soon as inventory is not available, the demand just goes up.”

INSIDE Ed Sheeran Launches Two-Pronged Assault on Ticket Scalpers, to Mixed Results

How the Battle Over Control of the U.S. Copyright Office Could Affect the Music Industry

Neil Jacobson: How to Go From Golf Caddy to Geffen Records President

Chuck Berry Aiming for Highest Charting Album on Billboard 200 in More Than 40 Years

Apple: Software Flaws in WikiLeaks Docs Are All Fixed

(continued)

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[In Brief]McCollister said she didn’t believe the

postings were coming from verified fans, but from “the same brokers who were speculating and realizing how hot the show was and increasing their pricing.”

The verified fan presale took place on Monday (March 13) and by Friday (March 17), the remainder of the tickets went on sale to the general public. Those tickets also quickly sold out and McCollister and the MTG team spent the weekend poring over ticket sales reports trying to figure out how many tickets ended up in the hands of brokers. Just as country singer Eric Church had done a month prior through his management firm Q Prime South (MTG also promoted that tour), Sheeran’s team examined sales reports for suspicious purchases and out of state buyers, looking for tickets they believed had been bought by scalpers.

“We ended up canceling over 50,000 tickets,” she says, “Which is very disheartening. It’s frustrating to see the real fans compete against so many bots and brokers, and that’s why we want to do what we can to make sure we’re giving them the opportunity to buy tickets.”

The 50,000 canceled tickets were then offered back to fans who had previously registered for the verification program, and McCollister said those tickets have also been resold.

StubHub spokesperson tells Billboard his company is “aware of the cancelations and have taken proactive steps to ensure that fans that buy Ed Sheeran tickets on StubHub have a seamless, frictionless experience seeing his show.”

While Sheeran’s proactive stance on the secondary will help some fans, it will ultimately drive up the price of tickets for those who were unable to purchase tickets early, explained Patrick Ryan with Eventellect, a ticket pricing and distribution company.

“In some cases letting the market do what the market is going to do is in the fan’s best interest,” he tells Billboard. By trying to control how much inventory flows onto the secondary market, Sheeran’s team is creating conditions where “the supply dries up, there’s no liquidity and prices rise to five times their original price. Sure, more fans got tickets at face value, but less were able to buy tickets on the secondary market at a reasonable price.”

How the Battle Over Control of the U.S. Copyright Office Could Affect the Music IndustryBY ROB LEVINE

Update (8:24 p.m.): This post has been updated following the official introduction of the Congressional bill discussed within the original article.

The struggle over who will be the next Register of Copyrights is about to begin with the expected introduction of a bill to make the position a presidential appointee.

In October, Maria Pallante was removed from her job as Register of Copyrights by Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, who has authority over the Copyright Office. (Pallante subsequently resigned.) Although the position has no lawmaking authority, it comes with significant power to shape policy — and it’s an especially important position for the music industry as Congress begins its

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long-awaited copyright reform process. As Librarian, Hayden, who took office in September, has the authority to appoint a new Register. But media business lobbyists worry that she will choose someone more skeptical of copyright than Pallante, whose sudden removal upset some members of Congress.

Now, as Hayden moves forward with her plan to choose a new Register, lawmakers are preparing to take away her authority to do so with a bill that is expected to be introduced within the next several days. At a March 1 meeting, several Senators and Representatives asked Hayden to wait before making the appointment, according to two sources, since they were planning to introduce a bill to make the position a presidential appointee.

But in a March 7 letter to Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) as well as Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and John Conyers (D-Mich.), Hayden said she planned to proceed anyway. “This office needs permanent leadership with the authority and responsibility to move forward on our shared objective of a modernized office,” Hayden wrote in the letter, which was shared with Billboard.

Since the Library operates under the authority of Congress, this is considered a bold move — and one with potentially significant repercussions for the music business.

“The position is incredibly important to the music community,” says a music-business lobbyist who favors making the position a presidential appointee. “Given all that went down between the Librarian of Congress and the former Register, this has understandably generated a significant amount of attention from key members of Congress — and for good reason.”

Ultimately, how the new Register is chosen matters less than who will fill the job. Pallante was generally seen as fair to creators and content companies. She weighed in against the Justice Department’s plan for “100 percent licensing,” the idea — disliked by music publishers — that ASCAP and BMI should license all rights to any song for which

they represent at least some of the rights. Hayden, who spoke about the importance of copyright during her confirmation hearings, is perceived to favor looser copyright laws, since she previously served as president of the American Library Association, an organization that lobbies for greater public access to creative works — sometimes at the expense of creators.

Questions about the future of the Copyright Office have already set creators and copyright holders against technology companies. After Pallante was removed, Public Knowledge, a nonprofit organization that receives some funding from technology companies, tweeted that this represents “a great opportunity to bring balance to the Office’s policy work.”

For years, policymakers have contemplated moving the Copyright Office out of the Library of Congress; the United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the Department of Commerce, and the respective missions of the Librarian and the Register — to disseminate works and to help determine the appropriate level of protection for them — naturally conflict. Before her removal, Pallante had advocated moving the Copyright Office out of the Library, which could have alienated Hayden, since overseeing the Office is one of her more important responsibilities.

Update (8:24 p.m.): The Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act was introduced following the publication of this article, and can be found in full here. Below is a statement released by the four aforementioned members of Congress and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in conjunction with the bill.

“We are pleased to join together in a bipartisan, bicameral effort to make important and necessary improvements to the selection process for the position of Register of Copyrights. We remain absolutely committed to working on modernizing the Copyright Office. Reforms being considered include public advisory committees, improvements to Copyright Office systems for data inputs and outputs, and copyright ownership transparency. However, time is of the essence when it

comes to the selection process for a new Register of Copyrights.

“America’s creativity is the envy of the world and the Copyright Office is at the center of it. With the current Register serving only on an acting basis, now is the time to make changes to ensure that future Registers are transparent and accountable to Congress. We must ensure that any new Register is a good manager and fully qualified to lead and make this office more operationally effective as he or she continues to directly advise Congress on copyrights. The next Register of Copyrights should be dedicated to serving all stakeholders in the copyright ecosystem.”

Neil Jacobson: How to Go From Golf Caddy to Geffen Records PresidentBY ANDY GENSLER

The 39-year-old exec cites being an “op-portunity-manifesting maniac.”

“Bar mitzvahs and weddings,” answers Neil Jacobson when asked how he knows that one of the records he helped to create is a smash. He rattles off several of the biggest hits of the 2010s, all of which he A&R’d or “had my fingerprints on”: “’Party Rock Anthem,’ ‘I Got a Feeling,’ ‘Blurred Lines,’ ‘Wake Me Up!’ — I always annoy my wife and say, ‘I worked on that record!’” he says with a laugh. “And she’s always like, ‘I know.’”

Jacobson’s success emanates from, as he puts it, “being an opportunity-manifesting maniac.” In his 15 years at Interscope, he has worked in international publicity and marketing, management and A&R, signing LMFAO and DJ Snake, managed Will.I.Am (and also ran his label), Robin Thicke and superstar songwriter/producers Jeff

[In Brief]

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Bhasker (Fun, Kanye West, Mark Ronson) and Emile Haynie (Lana del Rey, Father John Misty, Lady Gaga).

That track record, along with his knowledge of the company’s inner and outer workings — remember, its full name is Interscope Geffen A&M — made chairman John Janick’s decision to tap the 40-year-old to lead the relaunch of Geffen Records an easy one.

Why reactivate Geffen?I’ve been telling people for 15 years

that one day I wanted to run Geffen. I always thought it’s a special label and David Geffen is a special person. And with Nirvana and Guns N’ Roses you’re talking about my favorite artists of all time.

How did it happen?When John Janick took over Interscope —

he’s a good friend whom I know from when Jeff Bhasker produced the Fun. album — I would say, “Man, Geffen Records, that’s what it’s about.” Partially due to the success of DJ Snake, they said, “Alright, we’re gonna give you a shot.”

The pick axe is “to remind myself that what I do is work,” says Jacobson.

Who have you signed to Geffen so far?DJ Snake will come through Geffen

and so will AlunaGeorge, and a number of developing artists like a group called B00ty, who have a couple of records on Spotify. And also Avicii, which is really exciting. We’re working on his album now.

Why isn’t he on Island anymore?His option was up. It’s all within the

Universal family. I helped him A&R [his 2013 album [True] and helped put together the “Wake Me Up” sessions with Aloe Blacc.

What’s the structure of the new label?We have an eight-person staff: There’s

an A&R department and a department I describe as “promotional marketing.” This is a label within a label — radio, for example, is done by Interscope. We need to focus attention and make sure the larger Interscope is seeing the artists and projects the right way.

How did you make the pivot from marketing and publicly to A&R and management?

I’ve always had a service-minded

approach. I grew up as a golf caddie and was a carpet salesman [he worked for interior designer Kenny Alpert, one of his mentors and the father of Chainsmokers manager Adam Alpert]. When I was doing international publicity and marketing I served Will.I.Am and Robin Thicke. I enjoy serving artists and people felt like I was attentive. They told Jimmy [Iovine] and he was like, “Who the f— – is Neil Jacobson?”

What was it like meeting him for the first time?

It was 10 p.m. at his house in Holmby Hills [in Los Angeles]. He calls me up and says, “I want you to come over.” I said, “Great, I’ll email your assistant.” He was like “No, no, no, I want you to come over right now — here’s my address.” I drove over and hung out with him. He said, “I see what you’re doing, just make it happen, don’t worry about what your title is.” Jimmy hated titles. He wanted people to connect and create and serve their artists.

How did you go from caddying and carpet sales to the music business?

I was caddying at Deepdale, a golf course in Long Island, where I met [former Arista, 19 Entertainment and Red Light exec] Tom Ennis. I called him up and he was like “Look kid, I don’t really have anything for you.” So I built a website called HireMeTom.com: It was a really terrible website with drop-down resume menu and a picture of me with my thumbs up being like “Yeah!” He got a kick out of it and recommended me for an internship in Arista’s radio department.

What’s the takeaway from that?If everyone’s going right, you’ve gotta go

left. There’s a great book The Purple Cow by Seth Godin that I viscerally understood from when I was a kid. In the land of brown, white and black cows, the purple cow stands out.

This article originally appeared in the April 1 issue of Billboard.

Chuck Berry Aiming for Highest Charting Album on Billboard 200 in More Than 40 YearsBY KEITH CAULFIELD

The late Chuck Berry, who died on March 18, will likely notch his highest charting al-bum in more than 40 years on the Billboard 200 chart next week, according to industry forecasters.

In the wake of the rock ‘n’ roll legend’s death, his greatest hits album The Definitive Collection is on course to debut on the tally dated April 8, with perhaps around 10,000 to 15,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 23. That sum, up from a negligible amount, could enable the 30-song album (released in 2005) to debut somewhere inside the chart’s top 50.

Berry was last higher on the list way back in early 1973, when his album The London Chuck Berry Sessions wrapped a chart run after peaking at No. 8 the previous year. (The set sports his lone Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, 1972’s novelty track “My Ding-a-Ling.”)

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new April 8-dated Billboard 200 chart (where The Definitive Collection is slated to debut) is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard’s websites on Sunday, March 26.

[In Brief]

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Apple: Software Flaws in WikiLeaks Docs Are All FixedBY BILLBOARD STAFF

Apple said purported hacking vulnera-bilities disclosed by WikiLeaks this week have all been fixed in recent iPhones and Mac computers.

The documents released by the anti-secrecy site Thursday morning pointed to an apparent CIA program to hack Apple devices using techniques that users couldn’t disable by resetting their devices.

The iPhone hack was limited to the 3G model from 2008. In a statement late Thursday, Apple said the flaw was fixed with the release of the iPhone 3GS a year later. Apple also said the Mac vulnerabilities were all fixed in all Macs launched after 2013.

Apple’s statement was consistent with assessments from security experts, who say that many of the apparent vulnerabilities were in older technology. Apple is going further in saying those flaws have all been fixed, based on its preliminary analysis.

Security experts say the exploits described in the WikiLeaks documents are plausible, but suggest they pose little threat to typical users. Besides being likely out of date, the techniques also typically require physical access to devices, something the CIA would use only for targeted individuals, not a broader population.

The CIA has not commented on the authenticity of this and earlier WikiLeaks revelations, but has previously said it complies with a legal prohibition against electronic surveillance “targeting individuals here at home, including our fellow Americans.”

The leaks Thursday came about two weeks after WikiLeaks published thousands of alleged CIA documents describing hacking tools it said the government employed to break into computers, mobile phones and even smart TVs from companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung. WikiLeaks has

offered to share further details with tech companies to help them fix flaws, though accepting such information might subject companies to certain conditions and put government contracts at risk.

Apple addressed the offer for the first time in Thursday’s statement.

“We have not negotiated with WikiLeaks for any information,” the statement read. “We have given them instructions to submit any information they wish through our normal process under our standard terms. Thus far, we have not received any information from them that isn’t in the public domain.”

Apple said that while it takes users’ security and privacy seriously, “we do not condone theft or coordinate with those that threaten to harm our users.”

Earlier, Microsoft said WikiLeaks had made initial contact through its public reporting channel, “and we have followed up, treating them as we would any other finder.” Mozilla, the organization behind the Firefox web browser, also said it had been contacted through the email address it uses for security vulnerability reporting. Mozilla said it would take steps necessary to fix any vulnerabilities reported that way.

Journey’s True Believer: Manager John Baruck on How Synchs and Touring Helped the Band Reach the Rock HallBY MICHELE AMABILE ANGERMILLER

When Journey is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, it will mark a pinnacle moment for their man-ager of nearly 20 years, John Baruck. The

69-year-old, who cut his teeth as a local agent in Illinois alongside college room-mate Irving Azoff, was tasked with rerout-ing the group’s career following the 1998 exit of frontman Steve Perry. “Irving had just made a deal for the band with Walmart — for Journey’s Greatest Hits — and we had no lead singer,” recalls Baruck.

The fixer turned out to be guitarist and Internet sleuth Neal Schon, who found Filipino karaoke singer Arnel Pineda on YouTube. (Pineda joining the group in 2007 would be documented in the 2012 indie film Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.)

Baruck followed Azoff to Los Angeles and to Live Nation, where he helped guide clients like Christina Aguilera. In September 2016, he joined Azoff MSG Entertainment. Says Azoff: “There’s something to be said for not growing up in L.A. or New York and experiencing the business in the heartland. You learn in different ways what does and doesn’t work.”

When you took on management of Journey in 1998, was your first order of business finding a replacement for Steve Perry?

Irving had just made a deal with Walmart — for Journey’s Greatest Hits — and we had no lead singer. Neal Schon searched the Internet tirelessly trying to find someone that could sing the songs the way they were created. [Eventually], w e found a karaoke singer from the Philippines named Arnel Pineda on YouTube. We gave the green light to a documentary, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, which led to millions of people knowing Arnel’s story — and it was an important one to tell.

To what do you credit Journey getting past the gatekeepers and into the hall of fame on its first nomination?

There is no formula. We worked for a long time with the people that make those decisions: the voting membership and the fans. But it was also, like, how can you not have a band as popular or as successful as Journey in the hall of fame? The band is truly thrilled. I’ve got two tables of people coming and it’s going to be a blast.

How important has film and TV usage of original Journey tracks been to its career longevity?

[In Brief]

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Steve Perry is very particular on how we use these songs, but with the movie Monster [in 2003], the Sopranos series finale in 2007 and, in 2009, Glee, it has brought a whole new age group into our fan base. We were no longer an old band playing for old fans. We had three generations at our shows.

When did you know Azoff had a future in music?

In high school in Danville, Ill. He would sit at one of those folding card tables and break up $100 [among a few bands], then collect $2 at the door. That’s how he paid for college.

This article originally appeared in the April 1 issue of Billboard.

Hola! London: The O2 Announces First Latin Music FestivalBY JUDY CANTOR-NAVAS

Latin music stars Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes and David Bisbal and Colombian new-comer Sebastián Yatra are scheduled to perform at London arena The O2’s first Latin-focused festival.

Hola! London, set for July 22, will feature free music stages and a Latin and Spanish food stands outside of the arena. The O2 has partnered with London Latin concert promoter Como No to produce the festival.

“London has a huge and growing Latin American community,” the Hola! London organizers said in a press release. “With the increasing impact of Latin artists on the musical world and the desire for more Latin music experiences, The O2, in association with Como No, launch this new event that celebrates the river of Latin music that runs through the heart of London.”

The O2, where upcoming events also include concerts from Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Metallica, has posted a notice on its website advising concertgoers that

enhanced security procedures are in place at the venue. Police evacuated the tube station next to the arena on Wednesday (March 22), when a suspicious package was reported following the attack in Westminster. The station was closed for a short time before getting the all-clear from police, according to London’s Daily Express.

Rick Ross & Depeche Mode Bound for Top 10 on Billboard 200 Albums ChartBY KEITH CAULFIELD

Rick Ross and Depeche Mode are heading for debuts in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, according to industry forecasters. Ross’ Rather You Than Me and Depeche Mode’s Spirit (both released March 17) could each start in the top 5 of the chart dated April 8.

Prognosticators suggest Ross’ album might launch with around 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 23, while Depeche Mode’s set may bow with 60,000 or so. If the albums bow in the top 10, they will mark the ninth and eighth top 10 efforts, respectively, for Ross and Depeche Mode.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new April 8-dated Billboard 200 chart is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard’s websites on Sunday, March 26.

Ross’ last album, 2015’s Black Market, debuted and peaked at No. 6 with 65,000 units earned in its first week, according to Nielsen Music. Depeche Mode’s last studio set, 2013’s Delta Machine, also launched at No. 6 (its peak), but with 52,000 units.

As for the No. 1 album next week, Drake’s More Life is still on track to open atop the tally. It will likely launch with around 525,000 to 550,000 units earned.

Jay Z Teams With Weinstein Co. for Trayvon Martin Film & DocuseriesBY REBECCA FORD

Jay Z and the Weinstein Co. are teaming to tell the story of Trayvon Martin in both a feature film and a series.

The indie company has acquired the rights to two books — Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin — about the African-American teen who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. The 2012 incident made national headlines when Zimmerman, a member of his community’s neighborhood watch, claimed he shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense. He was acquitted on murder chargers, sparking protests around the nation.

Jay Z and The Weinstein Co. plan to create both a docuseries and a narrative feature film about Martin’s story and the events surrounding his death.

Suspicion Nation, which came out in February 2014, examines Zimmerman’s murder trial and how it resulted in his acquittal. Rest in Power was written by Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. The book, which gives readers an intimate look at Martin’s life and his parents’ experience after his death, hit shelves in January via Spiegel & Grau.

Rapper and music mogul Jay Z signed a first-look deal with The Weinstein Co. in September.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

[In Brief]

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Charlie Wilson Leads Latest Hot Tours RoundupBY BOB ALLEN

Charlie Wilson has hit the road behind the February release of his new RCA album In It To Win It, with concerts booked stateside through mid-May. The veteran R&B singer heads up the latest list of the week’s top 10 Hot Tours based on box office counts re-ported from the first 16 arenas on the trek.

Produced by AEG Presents, the North American jaunt launched on Feb. 8 at the Constant Center in Norfolk, Va., with Fantasia and Johnny Gill onboard as special guests. Ticket sales from the first 16 markets totaled more than $8.1 million based on an overall sold ticket count of 121,155.

The best box office results were logged at Atlanta’s Philips Arena with a sold-out performance on March 4 and 12,236 fans in attendance, the highest on the tour so far. A gross of $791,321 at the 20,000-seat arena is also tops among the venues included in this tally. Other than Atlanta, sellouts were also reported at arena dates in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Detroit, St. Louis, Newark, N.J. and Greensboro, N.C. The final performance of the winter/spring run is set for May 14 at Charlotte’s Bojangles’ Coliseum.

Wilson’s last AEG-promoted tour came just two years ago following the release of his Grammy Award-nominated album Forever Charlie that bowed in January of 2015. He kicked off a four-month stretch of shows in February of that year, grossing $20 million from over a quarter-million sold tickets. With R&B singers Kem and Joe providing support, his Forever Charlie tour played 38 shows in 37 U.S. cities.

HOT TOURS – March 21, 2017Ranked by Gross. Compiled from

Boxscores reported March 14-20 Rank ACT Total Gross Show Date Range Venue/City (Shows/Sellouts)

Total Attendance (Capacity) 1 CHARLIE WILSON $8,150,633 Feb. 10-March 5 Constant Center, Norfolk, Va.

(1/0) Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

(1/1) KeyBank Center, Buffalo, N.Y.

(1/0) Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

(1/1) Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland

(1/0) Joe Louis Arena, Detroit (1/1) Nationwide Arena, Columbus,

Ohio (1/0) Bridgestone Arena, Nashville

(1/0) Verizon Arena, North Little Rock,

Ark. (1/0) Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis (1/1) United Center, Chicago (1/1) U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati (1/0) Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore

(1/0) Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum (1/1) Philips Arena, Atlanta (1/1) FedExForum, Memphis (1/1) 121,155 (126,133) 2 ERIC CHURCH $5,963,504 March 7-18 MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

(1/1) SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan (1/1) Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton,

Alberta (1/1) Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary,

Alberta (1/1) Rogers Arena, Vancouver (1/1) Moda Center, Portland (1/1) Spokane (Wash.) Arena (1/1) Tacoma (Wash.) Dome (1/1) 106,435 (106,435) 3 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS $4,649,305 Jan. 5-March 15 AT&T Center, San Antonio (1/0) American Airlines Center, Dallas

(1/0) Oracle Arena, Oakland (1/1)

Moda Center, Portland (1/1) 54,930 (56,089) 4 TWENTY ONE PILOTS $4,313,180 Jan. 18-31 Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport,

Conn. (1/0) Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

(1/0) Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

(1/0) PPL Center, Allentown, Pa. (1/0) PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh

(1/0) United Center, Chicago (1/0) i wireless Center, Moline, Ill. (1/0) Alliant Energy Center, Madison,

Wis. (1/0) 85,951 (87,838) 5 KINGS OF LEON $2,801,508 Jan. 13-28 TD Garden, Boston (1/0) Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

(1/0) Madison Square Garden, New

York (1/1) The Forum, Inglewood, Calif.

(1/0) 48,998 (57,136) 6 MALUMA $2,763,099 March 2-19 State Farm Arena, Hidalgo, Texas

(1/1) Revention Music Center, Houston

(1/1) El Paso (Texas) County Coliseum

(1/0) Majestic Theatre, Dallas (1/1) House of Blues, Orlando (1/1) The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason

Theater, Miami Beach, Fla. (2/2) Fox Theatre, Atlanta (1/0) Rosemont (Ill.) Theatre (1/1) Hammerstein Ballroom, New

York (1/1) EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Va.

(1/0) House of Blues, Boston (1/1) 37,554 (41,422) 7 BLAKE SHELTON $2,214,656

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March 9-11 Golden 1 Center, Sacramento

(1/1) SAP Center, San Jose (1/1) Valley View Casino Center, San

Diego (1/0) 36,429 (41,053) 8 TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA $2,195,871 Dec. 31 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland

(2/0) KeyArena, Seattle, Wash. (2/0) 41,517 (51,824) 9 DON HENLEY $2,102,858 Jan. 20-March 10 Robinson Center Music Hall,

Little Rock, Ark. (1/0) Fox Theatre, Atlanta (1/0) Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla.

(1/0) Hard Rock Live at Seminole

Casino, Hollywood, Fla. (1/0) ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney (1/0) 20,102 (21,305) 10 GREEN DAY $2,005,875 Feb. 2-March 19 Vorst Nationaal, Brussels (1/0) Infinite Energy Center, Duluth,

Ga. (1/1) Constant Center, Norfolk, Va.

(1/0) Budweiser Gardens, London,

Ontario (1/1) 35,333 (35,531)

Vans Warped Tour 2017 Lineup: Hatebreed, Gwar, Hawthorne Heights and MoreBY BILLBOARD STAFF

Hatebreed, Gwar, Hawthorne Heights, Anti-Flag and the Ataris are among the 90 acts announced to the lineup for this sum-mer’s Vans Warped Tour.

The traveling hard rock and metal festival — now in its 23rd year — kicks off June 12 in Seattle and comes to a halt Aug. 5 in San Diego. Additional details on performers for each show, as well as ticket and venue information, are available at the Warped Tour website.

Warped founder/festival producer Kevin Lyman gave some insights into the dilemmas facing his team each year. “A festival producers best & worst day is announcement day. 1/2 will love 1/2 will hate. If U try to please everyone U end up pleasing none!,” tweeted Lyman on the day of the big reveal.

See the full Warped Tour dates here:

June 16 — CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA

June 17 — Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, OR

June 21 — Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquer-que, NM

June 22 — Fear Farm in Phoenix, AZ

June 23 — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV

June 24 — Utah State Fair Park in Salt Lake City, UT

June 25 — Pepsi Center in Denver, CO

June 27 — Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN

June 28 — Zephyr Field in Metairie, LA

June 29 — Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA

June 30 — Tinker Field in Orlando, FL

July 1 — Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, FL

July 2 — Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL

July 4 — American Legion Memorial Stadi-um in Charlotte, NC

July 6 — PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, NC

July 7 — BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ

July 8 — Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY

July 9 — XFINITY Theatre in Hartford, CT

July 10 — The Pavilion at Montage Moun-tain in Scranton, PA

July 13 — Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien Center, NY

July 14 — KeyBank Pavilion in Burgetts-town, PA Tickets & Info

July 16 — Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD

July 18 — Blossom Music Center in Cuy-ahoga Falls, OH

July 19 — Riverbend Music Center in Cin-cinnati, OH

July 20 — Klipsch Music Center in Nobles-ville, IN

July 21 — The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI

July 22 — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

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in Tinley Park, IL

July 23 — Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN

July 24 — Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, WI

July 26 — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, MO

July 27 — Providence Medical Center Am-phitheater in Bonner Springs, KS

July 28 — Starplex Pavilion in Dallas, TX

July 29 — AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX

July 30 — NRG Park Main St Yellow Lot in Houston, TX

Aug. 1 — NMSU Intramural Field in Las Cruces, NM

Aug. 4 — Shoreline Amphitheatre in Moun-tain View, CA

Aug. 5 — Qualcomm Stadium Parking Lot in San Diego, CA

Aug. 6 — Fairplex At Pomona in Pomona, CA

Elton John Curates Amazon Music Unlimited’s Song of the Day With Lana Del Rey, Big Sean TracksBY DAN RYS

Sir Elton John turns the ripe old age of 70 tomorrow (March 25), and today Amazon Music Unlimited — the company’s new-ly-launched premium on-demand stream-

ing service — announced that the legend-ary singer and songwriter will be taking over its song of the day feature beginning today.

Each day through March 30, Sir Elton will choose a new song by a different artist to be highlighted through song of the day; his first pick, which was announced this morning, is Lana Del Rey’s “Love,” the singer’s latest single which was released just last month.

“I’m excited to share some of my favorite songs and some new artists I’m really excited about with you over the course of the week,” Sir Elton said via introduction to the playlist. “Let’s start it off with the new, gorgeous track from the one and only Lana Del Rey. I’ve been anxiously awaiting her new music and I wasn’t disappointed when I heard the beauty and cinematic quality of this song.”

In addition to Lana Del Rey, Elton will also be choosing songs by Father John Misty — who Elton interviewed on his own Beats 1 Radio Show this month about Misty’s new album — Sigrid and Big Sean, for whom he’s expressed fandom in the past.

Elton John joins Lady Gaga and John Mayer as some of the high-profile artists who have curated Amazon Music Unlimited’s song of the day feature.

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