#WhatsHappening for March 5, 2020

Sup?

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Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus. Coronavirus.

There. That's all I got.

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Well, maybe not.

A number of small concert events- including the LA Korea Times Music Festival- have been canceled or postponed indefinitely due to safety concerns. 

Aaron Goldstein, an entertainment lawyer, said the industry is "in this gray area right now where events are getting canceled preemptively- before we know how widespread the problem is. Events like major music festivals  usually carry some kind of insurance. But I can definitely see insurance companies pushing back if a festival canceled, then the situation got less severe the next week, or it turned out the illness wasn’t as dangerous as people thought. Yet there’s also a phenomenon with decision-makers where no one wants to be the one person who underestimated the risk. No one wants to be the person blamed for spreading coronavirus to thousands." 

South by Southwest (SXSW), which kicks off in two weeks, is "proceeding as planned" according to organizers- but more than 20,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the event's cancellation and Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok have pulled their employees from the event. Organizers said they are "working closely" with local, state, and federal agencies to "plan a safe event," and that Austin Public Health agency has given them the okay to proceed.

Many promoters and organizers say that until there’s a concrete update, such as the U.S. Surgeon General issuing a warning against concert attendance, they are hesitant to comment or decide on any course of action. 

One company that provides emergency medical services at many festivals says they're implementing "fever screening" for several of their clients. The screening involves technicians checking out attendees via thermal imaging cameras at the door- and turning away any concertgoers that show a high temperature and other "exposure risks." (Anyone besides me smell a lawsuit coming over that one?) A spokesperson for the company said they are recommending "festivals to have signage at the door telling people they’ll be going through the screening. It’s been very well received by attendees, and people are thankful to have it there."

So far, Ozzy Osbourne is the only artist to cancel his festival appearance- backing out of his scheduled SXSW appearance in support of the world premiere of the documentary chronicling his life. Several artists, including Green Day, Slipknot, and Avril Lavigne have scrapped their upcoming Asian tours in light of the virus' spread.

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Taylor Swift has chipped in for relief efforts for her Nashville neighbors impacted by the tornadoes that swept through Tennessee earlier this week.

"Nashville is my home and the fact that so many people have lost their homes and so much more in Middle Tennessee is devastating to me," she wrote in an Instagram Story. "I've made a donation to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund."

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R. Kelly appeared in a Chicago courtroom this morning and plead not guilty to an updated federal indictment that includes child pornography charges and allegations involving a new accuser. Prosecutors said more charges alleging yet another victim are upcoming with prosecutor Angel Krull adding that agents had recently seized more than 100 electronic devices, including hard drives, in the case.

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I see Katy Perry is pregnant. 

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That's gonna be one well-fed child.

Neal Schon and Jon Cain of Journey are accusing former bandmates Steven Smith and Ross Valory of attempting to gain control of the band's trademark.

The complaint, filed in California Superior Court earlier this week, seeks damages in excess of $10 million. They've also expelled Smith and Valory from the band.

Schon and Cain claim they own the exclusive rights per a 1998 agreement with former frontman Steve Perry when he left the group. That agreement followed a previous one the three had signed provided the trio an "exclusive, irrevocable license" over the Journey trademark.

The suit goes on to claim Valory and Smith held "improper" shareholder and board of directors meetings with Nightmare Productions, who'd previously held the rights, seeking allies to give themselves control of the of the band.

"With control of Nightmare Productions, per the Complaint, Smith and Valory incorrectly believe they can seize control of the Journey name and force Schon, Cain and Nightmare Productions to provide them with wind-fall payments after their retirement; they want to be paid a share of Journey touring revenue in perpetuity under the guise of a licensing fee while they perform absolutely no work for the band,” said attorney Miller Barondess, in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

Smith and Valory have been members of the band on and off since the band formed in 1973, but the complaint says the two "have very few song credits on Journey’s albums." Schon is the only founding member, while Cain joined the band 1980.

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Birthdays today include: Paul Evans (82); Murray Head (74); Tom Russell (72); and John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers (50). #MusicalBirthdays