Bathing In The Bread

Happy Long Mid-Year 4th of July holiday week. Around most of the U.S., it's hotter than a hoochie-choochie (credit Alan Jackson)...

2018 has seen a big boost in the U.S. economy and if the concert box scores mean anything, times are good out on the concert stages.

Kenny Chesney's Trip Around the Sun tour could be called Trip to the Bank tour! $53 million in box office and he is nine weeks into his 18-week summer run.

Baseball, football, soccer stadiums, amphitheaters all bringing in the cash. Add his concession sales and nothing short of wow business for KC. Parking her plane near Kenny's at BNA is another cash machine, Taylor Swift. She's making more money in 2018 than anyone in all the genres. TS just scored huge grosses in the U..K at stadiums like London's Wembley. And to think that skinny teenager was knocking doors on 16th Ave. not that long ago!

The million-dollar-a-night club just for June included The Eagles, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Roger Waters ... Tim and Faith and Shania are taking in a little less, but not far off that million-dollar pace.

In one of the more creative mash-ups of the Summer in concert ... Brad Paisley and Kane Brown. Night #1 near Detroit looked like a huge success. Find those crowd shots! Kane Brown is in that Paisley opening spot that has worked out real well for Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Chris Young and Dierks, just to name a few.

The 4th will see a few artists involved in special events. Chris Young in Houston, Lady A in Nashville, Luke Combs at that wonderful PBS TV event in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Yes, a heat wave bearing down on the U.S. and the U.K., by the way. Hot in those stadiums this weekend with special attention to Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. The forecast high was 92, but that's in the shade and not taking in the heat index. Paisley in Syracuse where they have only reached 100 degrees 10 times since 1902!

Do a little digging and find the fake follower stories out this week. Twitter and fake names hijacking real artists following people on Twitter. I've blocked more than a few. Check and see who is following you and block the bad ones. Not sure what trouble those folks can get you in. Click on wrong thing and boom! Artists are angry ... we all are angry. I do not understand why the authorities can't stop those nuisance phone calls from long-distance locations, the fake Twitter crooks. They are committing fraud. I don't get it. Some of those phone scammers are actually leaving voicemails. One that I saved said an arrest warrant was going to be issued. Call a certain number to learn more. Why can't that be stopped?