Music’s Blue Dot Epidemic

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TGIF, Future Party. Pour one out for millennials’ favorite childhood search engine: Ask Jeeves. After 30 years, the site founded by David Warthen and Garrett Gruener — which later became Ask.com — stopped answering questions and quietly shut down earlier this week. While the company retired Jeeves during a 2006 rebrand, the digital butler — known for delivering answers that often made you squint with suspicion — remains an icon of the early internet. You could say Jeeves walked so Gemini could run.

Many major acts are canceling tours when it becomes clear they won’t sell out the venues they booked.

Why It Hurts: The growing trend of tour cancellations is the definition of something “not living up to the hype.” It’s an issue impacting every aspect of the music business — artists miss out on the revenue they would make from playing live, venues lose valuable bookings, and fans are left disappointed (and needing refunds).

Behind The Curtain: This year, several artists have come down with what’s being called “blue dot fever” — getting spooked by all the available seats for their shows.

No Encore: Most of the artists canceling tours are seen as “millennial nostalgia” acts, which could spell trouble for festivals like Vans Warped Tour and When We Were Young (which is taking a break this year).

It also shows the dark side of hype: when an act is oversold to an audience and ticket sales don’t match, it doesn’t do anyone any favors. It just goes to show that properly gauging venue sizes and what fans are actually willing to spend can make or break a tour.

Next Tour: Audiences want to feel like they’re part of a cultural moment, so it’s no surprise some artists are booking venues that intentionally can’t meet demand. With several major acts now feeling undervalued, small and mid-sized venues could end up being the biggest winners.

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Wonder, the food-focused startup founded by Marc Lore, is rolling out a new AI-powered feature called “Wonder Create,” which would allegedly allow anyone to design and launch their own restaurant brand.

The Big Picture: Wonder’s new feature is essentially an AI-powered version of the ghost kitchen — a concept that really hit its peak a few years ago. While ghost kitchens democratized access to kitchens, ingredients, and staff, they were also criticized for uneven quality (just look at MrBeast Burger). Could AI be the thing that finally smooths out the kinks?

Between The Dishes: Here’s how Wonder Create works, according to TechCrunch.

Last Bite: Lore noted that the entire premise behind Wonder Create is scale. He said the company plans to grow from 120 kitchens to 400 by next year, while increasing the number of robots working alongside humans to supercharge output — whether that’s launching a brand for an aspiring restaurateur, testing menu items from established chefs, or helping influencers expand their brands.

But don’t get too ambitious — apparently, robots still struggle with more complicated tasks like tossing pizza dough or rolling sushi.

The Future: Expect every food influencer to start vibe-coding restaurants. Hopefully, we won’t be served too much slop — literally or figuratively.

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78% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Did you follow the Met Gala this year?

“Self-important, and who cares?”

“I never really ‘follow’ the Met Gala beyond seeing the headlines and highlights on social media the next day.”

“I catch the brief shots on TV. It’s Halloween for the filthy rich — ‘if you got it, flaunt it,’ as they say.”

“I recorded the three-hour show, which became a 34-minute watch once I fast-forwarded through each outfit.”

“I follow the Met every year — I live to see what the stars show up to the red carpet in, who understood the assignment, and who definitely didn’t...”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🎥 Paramount has struck a first-look deal with Warner Music Group to develop movies inspired by its artists and songwriters, whose catalog includes acts like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Madonna.

📺 Gen Z regularly signs up for — and cancels — streaming services just to watch a single movie or show.

🎮 Nintendo’s new installment of Star Fox lets players use virtual avatars of characters that mimic their facial movements and speech.

📈 Google parent Alphabet is on track to surpass Nvidia as the world’s most valuable company, potentially reaching a valuation in the $5 trillion range.

💔 Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said Bumble will be swiping left on swiping later this year.

👀 OpenAI is rolling out an optional feature that allows users to designate a “Trusted Contact” for mental health and safety concerns.

📦 Amazon is moving Prime Day from July to June this year, though it hasn’t finalized an exact date yet.

📱 Robinhood announced that the IPO of its new Venture Fund — which allows people to invest in blue-chip private companies — attracted over 150,000 retail investors.

🫠 After GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen made an unsolicited $56 billion offer for eBay, the platform seemingly suspended his account. Hilarious.