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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Rising costs, slow ticket sales put JP Saxe's North American tour in jeopardy
TORONTO - JP Saxe was ready to roll across North America this fall on his latest concert tour, but those plans are now hanging by a thread as the Grammy-nominated musician confronts sluggish ticket sales and the soaring cost of life on the road. The Toronto singer-songwriter took to his social media earlier this week with a plea to his fans, saying that if he didn't sell about 20,000 tickets to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it would likely be cancelled. 'I thought we could maybe do it,' he said in a video interview with The Canadian Press. 'It's looking like maybe we can't. And that's sad, but also just part of what it means to be an artist.' While a definitive call hadn't been made on his tour's fate by Wednesday evening, he said the prospects weren't looking good. Saxe is scheduled to play more than 25 dates across North America, including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, where most venues hold a couple thousand people. Tickets start at around $50, which is on the low end of prices for musicians of his calibre. Live music is under massive pressure compounded by a shaky economy, years of inflation and concert ticket prices that in many cases skyrocketed by hundreds of dollars this year. 'We tried to keep the prices as low as we possibly could,' Saxe said. '(It's) more than a movie ticket but a hell of a lot less than going to the Rogers Centre to see the Weeknd.' Saxe is best known for his 2019 smash pop single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels and since then, he's released a consistent flow of popular tracks, including 'Hey Stupid, I Love You' and 'I Don't Miss You.' But he says activity on streaming platforms doesn't necessarily translate into a profitable touring model. 'My last tour was mostly sold out in every city and we lost about $200,000,' he said. 'Touring is really expensive unless you do it in the most bare bones way, you know, if you want to be in a van with two people, play solo and have no lights. (This time,) we didn't do anything crazy expensive. It was basic stuff, like a bass player.' 'The basics are expensive,' he added. 'A bus is expensive.' Saxe's experience offered rare insight into a corner of the music business for artists who are popular but not among the elite superstars who fill arenas and stadiums. Typically, when tours aren't selling well, musicians bow out by blaming illness or scheduling conflicts. 'Artists don't want to look like they're falling off,' he said. Saxe said that while others advised him against sharing that ticket sales have fallen short, he felt there was no other option but to tell the truth. 'As a general rule, I'm always trying to practice sincerity in failure rather than the facade of success,' he said. 'I think it's really tempting as an artist, or as anyone, to always be projecting that everything is great at all times. And I find that uninteresting and disingenuous.' Like many musicians, Saxe reaped the financial benefits of his deal with a major record label. Often, labels sign new artists with an agreement to cover the costs of their first tours in exchange for a larger share of other facets of their career, such as streaming revenues. Saxe said he is at the end of a three-album deal with his label. As part of it, the label wasn't going to cover this tour, which meant he 'couldn't lose that much money,' as in the past. He said that meant he needed to book larger venues to offset the costs. 'We put so much time and effort ... to get it to a place where it would break even,' he said. 'Even if we can do this tour, it won't make money, but we won't lose money. That was kind of the goal.' Saxe said this experience has been 'a reminder of how powerful it can be when you're just transparent about what it looks like to be an artist.' His initial video has racked up 1.5 million views on TikTok and more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. A second one posted on Tuesday showed a crowd singing along to his song 'A Little Bit Yours' with the message: 'I thought it was impossible, but there's a chance you're saving this tour.' Whether his tour goes forward or not, Saxe said it won't much change his approach to his music. 'My goal in the broader sense is to continue to make art in the most transparent way possible,' he said. 'At the end of the day, I didn't get into making music to hide from anyone. It was quite the opposite.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
JP Saxe highlights tough economics of concert tours, saying his shows are in jeopardy
TORONTO - JP Saxe is telling fans his upcoming concert tour may be cancelled due to slow ticket sales. The Toronto singer-songwriter took to his social media platforms this week with a direct plea to listeners, offering rare insight into the touring economics for some musicians who aren't at the superstar heights of fame. Saxe is best known for his 2019 smash pop single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels and he's released a consistent flow of popular tracks since, including 'Hey Stupid, I Love You' and 'I Don't Miss You.' But he said earlier this week that if he didn't sell '20 or so thousand tickets' to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it'll likely be scrapped. His post has racked up 1.5 million views on TikTok and more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. Saxe is currently scheduled to play more than 25 dates across North America, including stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The ticket prices start at around $50. He posted a second video on Tuesday showing a crowd singing along to 'A Little Bit Yours' with the message: 'I thought it was impossible, but there's a chance you're saving this tour.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
JP Saxe highlights tough economics of concert tours, saying his shows are in jeopardy
TORONTO – JP Saxe is telling fans his upcoming concert tour may be cancelled due to slow ticket sales. The Toronto singer-songwriter took to his social media platforms this week with a direct plea to listeners, offering rare insight into the touring economics for some musicians who aren't at the superstar heights of fame. Saxe is best known for his 2019 smash pop single 'If the World Was Ending' with Julia Michaels and he's released a consistent flow of popular tracks since, including 'Hey Stupid, I Love You' and 'I Don't Miss You.' But he said earlier this week that if he didn't sell '20 or so thousand tickets' to his upcoming Make Yourself at Home tour within 48 hours, it'll likely be scrapped. His post has racked up 1.5 million views on TikTok and more than 10,000 likes on Instagram. Saxe is currently scheduled to play more than 25 dates across North America, including stops in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The ticket prices start at around $50. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. He posted a second video on Tuesday showing a crowd singing along to 'A Little Bit Yours' with the message: 'I thought it was impossible, but there's a chance you're saving this tour.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Southern Actress Chooses Motherhood Without Marriage, Pregnant With Twins At 40
Kannada actress Bhavana Ramanna, whose real name is Nandini Ramanna, made her debut in the Kannada film industry in 1996 and has been active ever since. She rose to fame with the 1997 film Chandramukhi Pranakshi and went on to star opposite South superstar Mohan in the Tamil film Anbulla Kadhalukku. She also appeared in popular films like I Love You, Adhuveera Nacha Kadhalu, and Aha Ithanai Azhugu. (News18 Hindi) 3/8 Apart from being an actress, Ramanna is also a trained and award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer. She is currently active in Karnataka politics and continues to remain in the public eye. (News18 Hindi) At the age of 40, Ramanna made the life-changing decision to become a mother. What makes this journey stand out is that she chose to do it without getting married. In a society that often stigmatises single motherhood, Ramanna broke the norm by opting for IVF treatment and is now seven months pregnant with twins. (News18 Hindi) Her decision didn't come easy. In the beginning, many hospitals refused to take her case because she was unmarried. After multiple rejections, a compassionate doctor, Dr Sushma, understood her desire to become a mother. (News18 Hindi) Ramanna conceived on the very first attempt at IVF and has since been sharing her pregnancy journey on social media with grace and pride. (News18 Hindi) 'This is a new chapter,' Ramanna said. 'In my 20s and 30s, the thought of becoming a mother never crossed my mind. But when I turned 40, the desire grew. Many hospitals turned me away. Dr Sushma was the one who truly understood me, and with her help, I conceived twins on the first attempt.' (News18 Hindi) She also spoke about the support she received from her family. Her father, siblings, and extended family stood by her wholeheartedly. 'No one questioned my decision,' she added. 'Even though my children won't have a father, they will grow up in a home full of art, music, culture, and unconditional love.' (News18 Hindi)
UPI
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Ariana Grande to star with Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller in 'Fockers' sequel
1 of 5 | Ariana Grande is confirmed to star in the 2026 comedy "Focker-in-Law." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo July 28 (UPI) -- Universal announced Monday that Focker-in-Law, a new film in its Meet the Parents family franchise, is set for release in theaters on Nov. 25, 2026. Returning cast members Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson and Teri Polo will star alongside Ariana Grande and Beanie Feldstein in Focker-in-Law. John Hamburg -- whose credits include Along Came Polly, I Love You, Man and Why Him? -- is directing. The Focker family is expanding. See #FockerInLaw only in theaters Thanksgiving 2026. Focker In-Law (@fockerinlaw) July 28, 2025 Meet the Parents was released in 2000 and was followed by 2004's Meet the Fockers and 2010's Little Fockers. Ariana Grande turns 32: a look back Ariana Grande arrives for the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on March 31, 2012. Grande starred in multiple Nickelodeon shows , including "Victorious" and "Sam & Cat." Photo by Jonathan Alcorn/UPI | License Photo
