| 1. COACHELLA AND STAGECOACH WILL PROVIDE SAFE SPACES TO FIGHT SEXUAL HARASSMENT: After reports of rampant sexual harassment at festivals last year, festival producer Goldenvoice has partnered with Los Angeles-based consulting agency, Woman, to bring designated safe spaces to Coachella and Stagecoach this year. The initiative, which is called Soteria, will provide services aimed to establish the well-being of attendees that have experienced harassment or trauma triggers. Billboard: “The Soteria vision includes a unique and robust safety-training program for branded, first-responder ‘Safety Ambassadors,’ ongoing consent and harassment education for all staff and attendees, and direct and immediate access to licensed mental health and crisis de-escalation professionals. The initiative will be part of Coachella’s recently announced Every One program that has promised to deploy trained ‘ambassadors’ throughout the festival grounds, tents with trained counselors, all-gender restrooms and more. … The first two Soteria activations took place in 2018 at Arizona’s Form Festival and Summit LA. Woman intends to expand the program as a cross-industry initiative for all-encompassing safe spaces and installations at not only music, but also film festivals and other major cultural gatherings, university campuses, and large-scale corporate events and headquarters.” 2. BOB DYLAN TO OPEN WHISKEY DISTILLERY IN NASHVILLE: Music icon Bob Dylan is slated to open a whiskey distillery in Nashville in fall 2020. Named Heaven’s Door, the distillery is part of Dylan’s project in downtown Nashville to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his Nashville Skyline album. Associated Press: “A news release says Heaven’s Door Spirits will transform the 160-year-old Elm Street Church into the Heaven’s Door Distillery and Center for the Arts, featuring the distillery, a whiskey library, a restaurant, and a 360-seat live performance venue. It will also feature Dylan’s paintings and metalwork sculptures. The group unveiled the opening date and some facility details Tuesday to coincide with the anniversary of the release of Dylan’s ninth album.” 3. MADONNA WILL PERFORM AT EUROVISION IN TEL AVIV: Madonna will perform at the 2019 Eurovision song competition, which takes place May 18 in Tel Aviv. According to Live Nation Israel, the pop singer is slated to perform two songs at the event, which will be hosted by model Bar Refaeli and Israeli TV personality Erez Tal. The Hollywood Reporter: “Following reports of ongoing negotiations to secure the performance, the announcement went on to detail that ‘Madonna's show was made possible by the backing of Mr. Sylvan Adams, who saw the importance of bringing the iconic singer to Tel Aviv and creating a memorable historic performance.’ Adams is a Jewish-Canadian philanthropist who has financed large-scale events and concerts over the last few years as a way to support Israel and battle boycott movements. … Following singer Netta's win in Lisbon last May, this will be Israel's third time hosting the European song competition, now in its 64th year, an honor that did not come without difficulties. Organizers have weathered storms ranging from controversies surrounding local government involvement and international calls to boycotts.” | 