November 5, 2018: Rihanna Blasts Trump For Using Her Music at Political Events, Miami's Ultra Music Festival Faces Hurdles in Seeking Multiple Venues, Lelisa Desisa and Mary Keitany Win New York City Marathon


1. RIHANNA BLASTS TRUMP FOR USING HER MUSIC AT POLITICAL EVENTS: After a reporter for the Washington Post tweeted about President Trump's Sunday rally in Tennessee playing one of Rihanna's songs, the pop star responded by tweeting she'd make sure the president's political events won't use her music for much longer. Washington Post: "'Not for much longer,' she tweeted, in response to Trump using her song at the Sunday rally. '...me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies.' The Barbadian singer can’t vote in the United States, but has made no secret of her political leanings: She has been a vocal critic of the president. Last year, she called him an 'immoral pig' after he signed an executive order banning citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States in January 2017, and criticized his response to Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico. Weeks before the 2016 election, Rihanna was spotted wearing a T-shirt with a photograph of Hillary Clinton’s face screenprinted on it. After Trump’s inauguration, she showed up at the Women’s March in New York in a pink sweatshirt and matching pink tutu and dabbed in front of Trump Tower. But can she actually stop Trump from playing her music at his campaign events? The answer is complicated. When a politician wants to use a song as background music at a rally, their campaign needs a public performance license from the copyright holder of the musical composition, rather than one from the recording artist, intellectual property lawyer Danwill Schwender explained in a 2017 article in 'American Music,' a scholarly journal published by the University of Illinois Press. Radio and TV ads are another story—the owner of the sound recording, typically the artist’s label, will need to license the song to the campaign." https://wapo.st/2Pbh7kT

2. MIAMI'S ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL FACES HURDLES IN SEEKING MULTIPLE VENUES: The City of Miami recently denied the annual Ultra Music Festival a permit to return to its longtime venue of Bayfront Park in 2019. Festival organizers have considered moving the electronic dance music event to multiple venues including Virginia Key Beach Park and Miami Marine Stadium. Miami New Times: "Yes, it would occupy several venues on the island between Key Biscayne and the mainland in what the fest is touting as a 'new production concept which would be a natural progression into the next chapter of Ultra’s story [and] would be truly transformative.' Ultra co-founder Russell Faibisch said in a news release: 'While we are, of course, excited about the current proposal, this potential partnership represents so much more than Ultra’s impact on either South Florida or on the development of an innovative production element.' The site has many advantages for the festival, including a location far from residential buildings. This would free Ultra from the criticism it's received from downtown residents who have complained about noise. Ultra also hopes to prove to Commissioner Keon Hardemon—who has criticized festival management for ignoring his predominantly black district—that it's an asset to the city. Ultra plans to assist in constructing an African-American museum in Virginia Key Beach Park. ... The environmental impact will surely be Ultra's biggest hurdle. The festival will have to convince local activists that trash won't end up in the water and affect protected habitats nearby. There's also the issue of traffic congestion, which Key Biscayne residents have often decried during major events on the islands. (The Rickenbacker Causeway is the only road connecting Virginia Key and Key Biscayne to the mainland.) Another obstacle in Ultra's plans is the Rapture Music Festival, scheduled to take place March 29 and 30, 2019. According to founder Youssef Khamis, Rapture has already inked a deal with the venue. 'We have a signed contract with Historic Virginia Key Beach Park dating back to March 2018 for March 29 and March 30, 2019. We're very much looking forward to returning to this beautiful beachside setting for our third edition.' The Miami Commission is set to hear Ultra's proposal November 15." https://bit.ly/2yNATss

3. LELISA DESISA AND MARY KEITANY WIN NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and Mary Keitany of Kenya won the men's and women's races, respectively, at the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Desisa won his first New York City Marathon title, while Keitany, one of the fastest female marathon runners ever, won her fourth. The New York Times: "The race, with more than 50,000 participants winding 26.2 miles through all five boroughs, unfolded in buttery fall sunshine on a cool, breezy morning that brought out hundreds of thousands of spectators. Keitany, 36, of Kenya, made her sixth appearance in the New York City Marathon. She became only the third person to win the race four times. She came in second last year but won in 2014, 2015, and 2016. She beat Vivian Cheruiyot, 35, of Kenya, who ran 2:26:02, and Shalane Flanagan, 37, of the United States, who came in third with a time of 2:26:22, faster than the time she ran to win last year’s race. ... The top women’s finishers from Kenya were chased by an all-star roster of American distance runners, who worked together to challenge Keitany but could not match the pace she set, as it dropped by nearly a minute per mile in the second half of the race. Keitany finished second to Flanagan in the marathon last year. In her last victory, in 2016, she pulled away at the half-marathon mark and beat her next challenger by three and a half minutes." https://nyti.ms/2F4WUbY

* LOCAL NEWS *

CHICAGO:  This year’s Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer will take place November 16-17 at U.I.C. Forum. 

LAS VEGAS:  The 19th annual Latin Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the M.G.M. Grand Garden Arena on November 15 on Univision. Event sponsors include Pepsi, Walmart, Mastercard, and McDonald’s. 

LOS ANGELES:  Rolling Loud music festival will take place December 14-15 at Exposition Park’s Banc of California Stadium. The event will be headlined by Post Malone, Cardi B, and Lil Wayne. 

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens 62nd annual Vizcaya Ball will take place November 17. 

NEW YORK:  Athleisure brand Terez will launch its first interactive pop-up shop, Terez: Explore. Shop. Create., November 13-December 2 at 158 Mercer Street in SoHo. The two-level store will have a New York-inspired atmosphere and feature programming with partners such as Dana’s Bakery, Olfactory N.Y.C., and Florabrook.  

The International Rescue Committee raised $16.8 million at its annual Rescue Dinner Benefit on November 1. 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

SAN FRANCISCO:  WhistlePig's master distiller, Dave Pickerell, passed away on November 1. Widely known as one of the nation's top distillers, Pickerell has been credited with bringing attention back to rye whiskey in America. A previously planned WhistlePig event, scheduled for tonight in Los Angeles, will serve as a celebration of his life.

TORONTO:  Jewish food festival NoshFest will host Toronto’s Chanukah Market on November 25 at the Warehouse at Downsview Park. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

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