Lady Gaga now holds the record for the highest-attended concert by a female artist after drawing over 2 million people to a free show at Rio De Janiero’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday (May 3). Promoting her new album Mayhem, she beat the record previously held by Madonna’s Celebration Tour stop at the same location exactly one year ago today, which had a crowd of 1,600,000. (Rod Stewart’s 1994 New Year’s Eve show, also held at Copacabana Beach, remains the highest-attended concert in history. That must be a big beach.)

Last month Julien Baker and Torres shared their collaborative country album Send A Prayer My Way, and they announced a full headlining tour to go along with it. But that tour has had a bit of a rocky start: Baker and Torres had to cancel March performances at Ohio University and Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival due to a member of the band getting a concussion. And now, after playing a handful of shows last week, they’ve canceled the rest of the tour through May 18.

Quinta Brunson hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time last night with musical guest Benson Boone. The Abbott Elementary creator/star gave an inspiring pep talk during her monologue about how you shouldn’t let people look down on you, and she knows how it feels to be looked down upon, because she’s only 4’11”. She sang a showtune listing examples of some successful shorties: Simone Biles, Kendrick Lamar, Tom Holland, and five-foot Sabrina Carpenter, who made a returning visit to SNL for a surprise appearance onstage.

Last year, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood sparked controversy when he defended his ongoing collaboration with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. The pair had two concerts scheduled in the UK for next month, and both have been canceled amidst the BDS Movement.

On Friday (May 9), I’m With Her will share Wild And Clear And Blue, their first album since their 2018 debut See You Around. The folk trio has previewed the album with “Ancient Light,” “Find My Way To You,” and “Standing On The Fault Line,” and today they performed some songs on CBS’ Saturday Sessions.

Last year, Thurston Moore released his latest album Flow Critical Lucidity. Today, the Sonic Youth co-leader is back with a sprawling, broody new tune called “The Serpentine.”

In 2023, rumors spread about a potential Beyoncé residency at the Sphere. That obviously didn’t happen, and reports claimed negotiations ended after MSG refused her request for the Sphere to close for two weeks so she could rehearse. The singer embarked on her Cowboy Carter Tour earlier this week, and she’s been hit with a cease-and-desist from the Sphere for jokey stage visuals involving the Las Vegas venue.

Last month marked five years of Fiona Apple’s critically acclaimed album Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Since then, the beloved, enigmatic musician has shared new covers of Neil Young, the Waterboys, and Don Heffington, and she appeared on tracks by Iron & Wine, Amy Aileen, and Flesh Eater. But next week she’s set to release her first original new song since “Where The Shadows Lie” from The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power soundtrack in 2022.

After bringing his Fighting Oligarchy Tour to Philadelphia on May Day, Bernie Sanders continued through Pennsylvania today with a stop at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg with Congressman Chris Deluzio. As has often been the case where Sanders is concerned, the rally was opened up by some punk and indie rock favorites. This time Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females kicked things off, followed by Pennsylvania legend Alex G.

This week in NYC music venues…