DENVER POST — Eric “ESAM” Lew never goes to a video game tournament without his custom Wii U controller. But there was that time when he set his bag down before a competition in Austin, Texas, and inadvertently left without it. Preparing for a big e-sports competition isn’t unlike practicing for a baseball game or hockey tournament. Lew, who joins dozens of competitive gamers this weekend at Denver’s first DreamHack Festival, has his own tools. He practices five to eight hours a day before a big game. The reward? He is paid and gets to fly around the globe for competitions.

CBS, "ATLANTA PLUGGED IN" — We've all seen him be surprised by Jennifer Hudson on the American Family Insurance commercial but today he's here to perform live! Alex Guthrie will also be performing at The Peach and the Porkchop Restaurant tonight 9/29, and Eddie's Attic on 12/1!

Alex Guthrie Sits Down With Star 94.1 Atlanta's Marino!

WXIA-11ALIVE, "ATLANTA & COMPANY" — On Monday’s ATL & CO actor Hal Sparks (“Queer as Folk,” “Lab Rats”) spoke with host Christine Pullara about the Concerts For America show taking place at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts.  Proceeds from Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out! will benefit five national organizations working to protect human rights: Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, The Sierra Club Foundation, NAACP and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Created and hosted by Seth Rudetsky (SiriusXM Broadway Host) and James Wesley(Broadway/Record producer) — who also organized the “Broadway For Orlando/What the World Needs Now is Love” benefit recording with Gloria Estefan, Idina Menzel, Carole King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarah Jessica Parker.  Concert for America has been hailed by The New York Times as “striking for its emphasis on the importance of faith in the United States and optimism about its future.” Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out! debuted as a monthly series at The Town Hall in New York City on Inauguration Day, 2017, to universal acclaim.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — Charitable enterprises are a way of life for Broadway mainstays Seth Rudetsky and his husband, James Wesley. In 2015, the pair, who for years worked with myriad nonprofit organizations, formed their own — Your Kids, Our Kids — dedicated to helping children. But by the end of 2016, Rudetsky, a noted host on SiriusXM’s Broadway channel, and Broadway/record producer Wesley decided that the number of people “at risk” in the U.S. stretched beyond children.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION —Alex Guthrie is a street musician from Marietta, and although it may appear he’s on the road to becoming an overnight sensation, his singer/songwriter path goes back a few years, especially for someone so young. He’s just had a birthday that’s taken him near his mid-twenties.

ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE — Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka (born Juaquin James Malphurs) will perform on the main stage at DreamHack Atlanta July 21 at 10:30 p.m.  DreamHack, the world’s largest digital festival, is scheduled to run July 21-23 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

SAN FRANCISCO, KDFC, "STATE OF THE ARTS" — Michael and Jessica Shinn have returned to the Green Music Center’s Schroeder Hall with their festival, pianoSonoma, bringing together artists-in-residence and adult musicians who want solo and chamber music performance experience. There are two back-to-back weeklong sessions, with Tuesday and Thursday early evening concerts, and Wednesday afternoon masterclasses that the public can attend.

WXIA 11 ALIVE — Gamers from all over the world will convene at the Georgia World Congress Center this weekend for the world's largest gaming festival. From July 21 to 23, DreamHack will host a three-day event featuring eSports tournaments, gaming exhibitions, and a cosplay competition. Gamers can participate or watch professionals compete in tournaments offering a prize pool of more than $800,000.

CHARLOTTE AGENDA — Last month Marriott was up to the challenge of forcing a night of zen into a pretty hectic week in my life.They’d recently rolled out their new Stay Well room concept, a Deepak Chopra-endorsed upgrade that promises to nurture your emotional and physical needs with aromatherapy, circadian lighting, air purification and more. Fancy. We at the Agenda had just decided to pull the trigger on our Raleigh expansion which would include heavy hotel travel for me for the foreseeable future. Intense.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law Monday a measure that deepens the state’s vested interest in supporting and benefiting Georgia’s entertainment industry. House Bill 155, dubbed the the Georgia Music Investment Act, is the the third leg of the state’s efforts to retain and grow creative talent and the first tax incentive targeted for musicians and music production. It offers a 15 percent refundable tax incentive to music projects or tours in Georgia. 

BILLBOARD — A seven-year campaign to establish a tax incentive for Georgia's music industry is coming closer to reality. The House of Representatives (157-11) and state Senate (46-7) voted last night (March 30) in favor of the Georgia Music Investment Act (House Bill 155), which is aimed at creating more than 10,000 new job opportunities and boosting the state’s overall economy. The pending legislation -- the first targeted tax incentive for music in Georgia -- now awaits Gov. Nathan Deal's review and signature.

"Simply put, it's a job creator," says Phil Tan. The Atlanta-based, Grammy Award-winning music/audio engineer’s credits includes projects by Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Coldplay and Ludacris. "Local industry folks have worked very hard for this," he continues, "knowing how important it was to get this done. This is a very important step."