#WhatsHappening for March 10, 2017

Good Friday morning, kiddios- hope your week went swimmingly. Try to stay dry today if you're in the area, at 5AM it's storming like a sumbitch here in Norcross.

U2's The Joshua Tree was released 30 years ago yesterday. I was working at Z102 in Savannah when the first single With or Without you shipped, and- even though I had a pretty good track record in recognizing what songs were going to be popular (especially considering I was just 18 and hadn't been "in the business" very long)- I can honestly say I didn't think the song had a chance a charting any higher than maybe #25 on the charts, even though I thought the song- and album- were fantastic. 

Oops.

And while I still listen to U2, and give their new albums a try, I honestly haven't felt like any of them have been worth shelling out money for since Achtung Baby in 1991.The Joshua Tree remains the pinnacle of the band's work, fulfilling the promises of War, Boy, October, and The Unforgettable Fire- but proving to be a work that was impossible to surpass creatively.

In honor of the album's 30th anniversary, Interscope Records is planning to release a commemorative edition of the set on June 2. The special edition will feature B-Sides, remixes, and a live show recorded at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1987, and a hardback book of unseen personal photos shot by guitarist The Edge during the original Mojave Desert cover photo sessions in 1986.

I know this may astound you, but Jesus wasn't white.

With Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast hitting screens today, production is already underway on the Mouse House's efforts to turn another of their 90s animated hits into a modern money maker- as producers are holding open casting calls for Aladdin.

The Guy Ritchie (former Mr. Madonna) directed production is seeking "Middle Eastern actors in the 18 to 25 age range to audition" for the lead roles- Aladdin and Jasmine. The call also includes a notice that prospective actors "must be able to sing" and says dancing experience is "a plus." 

Shooting starts in July. 

It's cool that they're casting ethnically appropriate. I wonder when they'll get around to doing a Jesus movie the same way?

The National Music Publishers’ Association has gathered 4,000 signatures and counting from songwriters in an attempt to make sure their voices are heard by the Copyright Royalty Board judges, who are in the process of determining royalty rates for artists' work. 

The NMPA wrote, in seeking artist support, that "the most important trial most people have never heard of will begin in Washington, D.C. ... On one side, giant technology companies Google, Apple, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora will argue to reduce the already low mechanical royalty rates they pay to play your songs. On the other side will be your music publisher, through the National Music Publishers’ Association, fighting alongside the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) for a much needed increase in the royalties you are paid... If Amazon is using your music to sell Echos or Amazon Prime subscriptions, it should be required to share with you the benefits received.

Bruce Hornsby, John Densmore, Herb Alpert, Greg Kurstin, Craig Wiseman, Paula Cole, and Desmond Child are just some of the writers who've signed the petition.

Birthdays today include: Carrie Underwood; Robin Thicke; Timbaland; Douglas Ardito of Puddle Of Mudd; Dylan Keefe of Marcy Playground; Edie Brickell; Neneh Cherry; Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam; Tom Scholz of Boston; and Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean. #MusicalBirthdays