Kane Brown Seeks Restraining Order for Mann Concert

Country musician Kane Brown, who is seeking a restraining order against bootleggers who would sell merch outside of his show at the Mann Center this weekend (Getty Images)

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Kane Brown Seeks Restraining Order Against Bootleggers Ahead of Mann Concert

If you’ve ever been to a concert at a major venue, you’ve no doubt encountered them: those people in the parking lot selling merchandise featuring whatever artist is playing that night, without the artist’s permission. Well, country music star Kane Brown is going after those bootleggers in federal court ahead of his close-to-sold-out concert at the Mann Center this Saturday.

Brown has held a trademark on his name since 2017, just months after his eponymous debut album shot up the charts.

According to documents filed in Philadelphia’s federal court on Friday, Kane has sold more than $20 million in merchandise bearing his name, and he’s become a target for bootleggers. The unnamed bootleggers “are conspiring to travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on and before July 8, 2023, when Kane Brown will perform at the TD Pavilion at the Mann,” reads the motion for a restraining order against any entities attempting to sell merchandise with his name or likeness on it. “Defendants will attempt to sell imitation and inferior bootleg merchandise.”

If the judge approves the motion, any unlicensed Kane Brown merchandise could be seized on sight. Artists like the Who, Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses have taken similar measures in the past to combat bootlegging.

About Bart’s Big Waterpark…

Mega-developer Bart Blatstein has been talking about his huge Atlantic City waterpark for a long, long time. Two weeks ago, we finally got to see it thanks to a VIP preview party, at which Blatstein said the waterpark would open June 30th, just in time for Fourth of July weekend. Alas, that didn’t happen, as the waterpark is awaiting essential state permits. According to a spokesperson for Blatstein, the waterpark should open this Friday. Fingers crossed.

Yet Another Reason We Love Jason Kelce

He just raised $380,000 for charity by chugging a beer.

What Are You Doing This Week?

Whether you want fireworks, outdoor movies, or a Broadway musical, we have plenty of ideas for you here.

Where Are You Eating This Week?

If you’re out and about visiting some of Philadelphia’s more popular tourist destinations, this guide will tell you where to eat near them. Otherwise, you could do a lot worse than bulgogi beef birria.

By the Numbers

2: Tornadoes that touched down in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

$100,000: Approximate value of jewelry stolen by a man who climbed through the window of the owner’s Society Hill home.

7: Anti-Moms for Liberty protesters arrested on Sunday outside the convention.

$1 million: Approximate campaign contributions Comcast has made to politicians supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation since 2022.

And from the Feast-or-Famine Sports Desk …

It was the Nationals back at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night, and for a change, the Phils didn’t get off to a bang-bang start; Washington did, with a two-run homer by Stone Garrett (definitely a contender on the Great Baseball Names list) in the second off starter Cristopher Sánchez. But we got one back in the bottom of the inning off starter Josiah Gray on a Bryson Stott single, his steal, and an Alec Bohm single. Garrett doubled in the fourth off the glove of Kyle Schwarber, but no damage done.

In came Jeff Hoffman for Sánchez in the seventh and Mason Thompson for Gray the same inning. The latter gave up a double to Bohm, then nailed three straight outs. Matt Strahm came in for the eighth and mowed down three in return. Now, Phils? Now? Kyle Finnegan was on the mound. A two-out Harper single … and a third out by Realmuto. Sigh. Andrew Vasquez time. He did his job. Unfortunately, so did Hunter Harvey in the bottom of the ninth: three up, three down. Goddamn Nats.

On Saturday, it was Zack Wheeler vs. MacKenzie Gore on the mound, and Dominic Smith took Zack long in the second to put the Nats up 1-0. Harper answered with a double in our half, then slid into third on a fly by J.T. Gore whacked Harrison with a pitch to the back, and Bohm tied the game with a single. In the third, things broke wide open with back-to-back walks by Schwarber and Turner, singles by Big Nick and J.T., a Harrison sac fly and a Bohm-er homer: 6-1 Phils! But don’t stop now; Sosa walked, and Cristian Pache laced a double down the line for one more.

In the fourth, Turner doubled and Nick homered for yet two more. Then Harrison doubled, and Bohm homered yet again! Boy, offense like that will really stretch a game out. The Nats did their part by getting three more in the fifth, then brought in Joe LaSorsa to pitch. It did not go well. Schwarber and Turner singled, Castellanos singled, Thaddeus Ward replaced LaSorsa, Harrison walked, Bohm singled, Pache walked — and Schwarber hit a grand slam: 19-4 Phils. And that’s right where the score stayed. Impressive!

much fun was had pic.twitter.com/9XekQ97qeT

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 1, 2023

And Sunday’s game? I’d love to recap that for you, along with the rest of yesterday’s busy sports slate, but I had 10,000 relatives in the backyard for a barbecue ALL DAY LONG. I mean, these people do not know how to go home. We had a marvelous time, but it wasn’t until everybody departed and I finished vacuuming up potato chips, etc. (take it from me — it’s a TERRIBLE idea to serve make-your-own ice-cream sandwiches with sprinkles to small children), that I got to check the scores. The Phils lost, 5-4, in their final matchup with the Nats, despite getting homers from Castellanos (solo, of course) and Realmuto (a two-runner!), due mostly to a grand slam by Stone Garrett in the third off starter Ranger Suárez.

The Phillies have grounded into rally-killing double plays in each of the last three innings. The last two ended the 7th and 8th innings.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 2, 2023

Bummer. Anybody need some spare hot-dog buns?

The Union also had a game, in Atlanta, and less than four minutes in, it was up to backup goalie Joe Bendik to stop a PK after Nathan Harriel picked up a foul in the box. Oh no, wait, the refs reviewed it and changed their minds — simple foul outside the box! Whew. Uh — not so fast; they scored anyway. And they got another in the 79th minute. Another bummer. Why do our guys always seem to play worse against lesser teams? Final: 2-0.

The U.S. Men’s National Team had a match, too, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and, not entirely surprisingly, annihilated Trinidad and Tobago (pop. 1.5 million, nearly the same as Philly), 6-0. Woo-hoo us, wow. On to the quarterfinals.

A whole lotta stuff was going on in Sixersville over the weekend. It’s bye-bye, not bang-bang, for Georges Niang, who, somehow fittingly, is gonna be a Cavalier. And Shake Milton’s a goner. Well, a Timberwolf. Josh Richardson? Back to the Heat. And Jalen McDaniels? Off to the Raptors. Fans wait and watch and wonder what the team will look like post-Harden, when this all shakes out. Stay tuned!

All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.