Latest news with #AJR
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Can Music Fans Save The Planet? Adam Met of Indie-Pop Band AJR Thinks So
Adam Met, one-third of indie-pop trio AJR, performs on stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2022. ... More The band kicks off a new tour on July 18. When musician Adam Met peers out at the audience from the stage of one of his shows, he doesn't just see many thousands of fans pulsing to the beat of his band's catchy indie-pop tunes. He sees an army of potential change makers who could help save the planet. Met — the bass player and background vocalist for the NYC-based multiplatinum band AJR — is also a climate advocate with a PhD in human rights and sustainable development who teaches about climate campaigning and policy at Columbia University and worked with Congress and the White House on a bipartisan energy bill recently introduced into the Senate. Fans tend to be passionate types, driven to share what they love both online and in person, and that devotion positions them as natural candidates to champion issues they care about, Met said over the phone from his home on New York's Upper West Side on Friday. 'If we can use this power for good, we can take those people who are hyperpassionate and have them share across their different platforms,' said the 34-year-old musician, the 'A' in AJR, which he co-founded with younger brothers Jack and Ryan. 'They become micro-influencers for the causes themselves.' Cultivating this fan-to-activist trajectory is a central theme of Met's new book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World. Drawing from his own experience growing a fan base — as he and his siblings progressed from performing in living rooms and busking on New York street corners to playing stadiums worldwide — he offers a blueprint for boosting awareness and igniting action, especially when it comes to saving the planet. Adam Met's new book "Amplify" takes its name from an initiative aimed at mobilizing fans at live ... More events to take action on causes like climate change. The book, out June 3, includes research into social movements and the power of live events and interviews with a range of artists, organizers and thinkers — among them, musician Ben Folds, comedian Jim Gaffigan, former U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang, scientist and entertainer Bill Nye, computer scientist and inventor Astro Teller and conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who attended an AJR show in Dallas and speaks with Met about the power of knowing your audience. 'We need fresh thinking to accelerate social change, particularly around climate, and the ideas in this book are creative and easy to implement,' political analyst, lawyer and author Van Jones said of Amplify. The book takes its name from the Amplify initiative created by Planet Reimagined — the nonprofit Met co-founded to train and catalyze future climate leaders. The project aims to mobilize and empower audiences at live events to push for systemic change. The Amplify push grew out of a Planet Reimagined study of the same name, conducted in collaboration with Ticketmaster, iHeartRadio, Green Nation and Reverb, an organization dedicated to creating a more sustainable music industry. The study polled thousands of live-music fans and found that three out of four care about climate change, support artists taking action on the issue and are ready to follow suit, especially when encouraged by their favorite musicians. Last summer, AJR turned concerts on their national 21-city tour into on-site civic and political activist hubs where fans could register to vote, sign petitions, call their representatives urging them to vote for climate-positive policies, make donations and learn about local volunteer opportunities. Fifteen percent of the people who walked through the doors of AJR shows joined the effort. 'I know 15 doesn't sound really big, but that is a huge percentage of people who are coming through the venue actually taking some sort of action,' Met said, adding that in the end, around 35,000 concertgoers made a climate-related move. Fans in Colorado wrote to the state legislature in support of phasing out fracking, for example, and in Wisconsin, they pledged to vote no on two state constitutional amendments that would have made it harder for the state to address climate change. Both amendments were later defeated. Performing in Clarkston, Michigan, are AJR members from left Ryan, Jack and Adam Met. On tours, the ... More band mobilizes its audience to join to fight for climate justice. Other artists are now adopting the Amplify model, including Grammy winner Billie Eilish, who will implement it on her U.K. tour this summer. Eilish did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the singer/songwriter has emerged as a vocal advocate for climate action who often addresses the topic in her music and on social media and has donated a portion of her tour ticket sales to climate justice initiatives. Among artists, Met believes musicians are uniquely positioned to tell the sort of impactful stories that can trigger emotion and action. That's because their work doesn't rely solely on the music itself, but weaves visual art, merchandise and live performance into a multi-sensory message. 'When you see someone like Billie Eilish posting about climate change on Instagram and having music about it and incorporating it into her show,' he said, 'it really screams authenticity.' Though Met's brothers Jack and Ryan write AJR's songs, they share his commitment to climate advocacy, and lines that reference it have made their way into at least one of the trio's tunes. 'I was gonna save the planet, but today I got plans,' bops a line from fan favorite song 'Inertia,' off of the band's fifth studio album The Maybe Man. The line has particular resonance for Met in 2025. 'As the administration changed in January, I saw more and more people start to become more and more apathetic,' he said. 'It's disappointing, but I think that every time a door closes, five others open. I'm an eternal optimist in terms of climate.' Fueling that optimism is the power of decision making at the local level. 'Community boards and local legislators decide on what zoning looks like, on what agriculture looks like, on where the next petrochemical plant gets placed, on what local transportation looks like and how that's electrified or not electrified, how the gas and utility companies are allowed to do what they're doing,' Met said. 'Those are decisions that you have so much power over.' One of the first things Met suggests to anyone who approaches him expressing an interest in tackling climate change, in fact, is to think locally, and to find the role where they can hold the most sway. 'So many people say, 'Oh, I want to start a campaign,' and I always say 'Look around to see what everyone else is doing first,' because your contribution might be so much more effective if you join something that's already gotten off the ground. He'll be reinforcing that message on AJR's upcoming tour, which starts July 18, and on his book tour, kicking off this week. The latter will include some of the very strategies he addresses in the volume — gamification, entertainment and creating the energetic sense of community prone to inspire collective action. Clearly this is not someone hindered by the kind of inertia his band playfully describes in song. So how does Met manage to juggle his many roles? On the morning we spoke, he'd been up since 4 a.m., but that was hardly evident from the energy or enthusiasm in his voice. 'I sleep very rarely,' he said. 'When you love all of these different things enough, you just make it work.' Adam Met accepts Time magazine's Time Earth Award in 2024. The award recognizes people whose work ... More influences the future of the planet.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UFPT Q1 Earnings Call: Medical Segment Growth and Strategic Expansion Drive Outperformance
Medical products company UFP Technologies (NASDAQ:UFPT) announced better-than-expected revenue in Q1 CY2025, with sales up 41.1% year on year to $148.1 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.47 per share was 22.9% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy UFPT? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $148.1 million vs analyst estimates of $139.9 million (41.1% year-on-year growth, 5.9% beat) Adjusted EPS: $2.47 vs analyst estimates of $2.01 (22.9% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $30.24 million vs analyst estimates of $28.26 million (20.4% margin, 7% beat) Operating Margin: 15.8%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $1.95 billion UFP Technologies' first quarter was shaped by outsized growth in its medical business segments, particularly in safe patient handling, interventional, and infection prevention, all of which benefited from a combination of new account wins and increased overall market demand. Management attributed much of this growth to successful integration of recent acquisitions, notably AJR, which delivered significant revenue gains and expanded UFP Technologies' exposure to high-growth medical categories. CEO Jeff Bailly stated, 'The scale and rapid growth of our safe patient handling business are strategically important as it adds a new high-growth market segment for our medical portfolio and further diversifies our company.' Looking ahead, management emphasized continued investment in expanding manufacturing capabilities, particularly in the Dominican Republic, as well as progress on new product launches within robotic surgery. While leadership expects robotic surgery growth to be modest following an inventory build in 2024, they highlighted the potential for new program launches later this year and ongoing discussions to support broader needs for key customers. CFO Ron Lataille noted that tariff-related risks remain limited, with most potential costs expected to be passed on, though some uncertainty may persist in customer demand and material sourcing. First quarter results were mainly driven by sharp growth in medical markets and effective integration of new acquisitions. Management discussed operational efficiency, competitive positioning, and expansion initiatives as drivers of the results. Safe Patient Handling Expansion: The safe patient handling segment became UFP Technologies' second largest business, growing rapidly due to both new market share wins and increased demand. This was enabled by the AJR acquisition and exclusive manufacturing agreements with key customers. Diversified Medtech Growth: Significant gains were seen in interventional, surgical infection prevention, orthopedics, and advanced wound care, each growing over 25% year over year, as pandemic-related inventory destocking at customers subsided. Acquisition Integration: Management credited recent acquisitions, especially AJR, for accelerating growth. Acquisitions have outperformed prior run rates, with cross-selling and expanded capabilities allowing acquired companies to grow faster than they would have independently. Robotic Surgery Transition: The robotic surgery segment experienced a year-over-year decline following an inventory build, with management guiding for only modest growth in 2025. However, two new programs are set to launch later this year, expected to provide incremental revenue in 2026. Dominican Republic Facility Investment: Major investments in manufacturing and R&D capacity in the Dominican Republic position the company to support exclusive customer contracts and improve cost efficiency. These moves are considered a key competitive advantage for future growth. Management's outlook for the remainder of the year centers on sustained momentum in medical end markets, continued integration of recent acquisitions, and strategic manufacturing expansion, while monitoring tariff implications and customer demand patterns. Manufacturing Expansion: Ongoing buildout in the Dominican Republic is expected to support capacity for new and existing contracts, enabling cost efficiencies and increasing the scope for future business. New Product Launches: The ramp of new robotic surgery programs in the second half of the year could shift growth drivers, with meaningful contributions anticipated in 2026. Tariff and Supply Chain Risk: While management expects to pass most tariff costs to customers, they acknowledge potential uncertainties in demand and inflationary effects from global sourcing. Jaeson Schmidt (Lake Street): Asked whether anticipated 'modest' growth in robotic surgery applies to both the largest customer and the overall segment. Management confirmed low single-digit growth is expected for both, supported by new programs that will add incremental gains. Brett Fishbin (KeyBanc): Inquired about growth acceleration in medical segments outside of robotics, particularly infection prevention and acquisitions. Management cited destocking headwinds easing and cross-selling from acquisitions as drivers. Justin Ages (CJS): Questioned whether tariffs might impact UFP Technologies differently compared to competitors. Management noted competitors with Chinese manufacturing face greater headwinds, while the company's U.S. and Dominican Republic base offers a relative advantage. Andrew Cooper (Raymond James): Queried about the impact of price reductions in new safe patient handling contracts and whether operating profit margins would be maintained. Management expects margin expansion despite lower revenue per unit, driven by improved efficiency and market growth. Andrew Cooper (Raymond James): Asked about long-term manufacturing footprint strategy and potential expansion into Europe or Asia. Management indicated continued focus on the Dominican Republic, with the possibility of expanding to Asia-Pacific through joint ventures to support client needs. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will focus on (1) the pace and success of manufacturing expansion in the Dominican Republic and the associated operational efficiencies, (2) the performance and integration of recent acquisitions, especially in safe patient handling, and (3) progress on new product launches in the robotic surgery segment. We will also monitor tariff developments and any impact on customer demand and raw material costs. UFP Technologies currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 27.8×. In the wake of earnings, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our free research report. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Axios
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Ranking the 2025 Ohio State Fair concerts
We're back again to rank the concerts at this year's Ohio State Fair, slated for July 23-Aug. 3. State of play: All concerts take place in the WCOL Celeste Center. 13. Kidz Bop Live. Mercy. Take your kids to Natural Resources Park instead. 6:30pm July 23. $32. 12. Warren Zeiders. A rising star in the country scene. 7:30pm July 25. $53-63. 11. Tauren Wells. There will be much rejoicing. 7pm July 28. $30. 10. Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler. Ain't my jam. 7pm July 31. $40-50, tickets go on sale 10am Friday. 9. Trace Adkins. Should be fun for older-school country fans. 7pm Aug. 2. $40-50. 8. AJR. Promises to be an energetic show. 7:30pm Aug. 1. $78-88. 7. Leanne Morgan. One of the most popular women in comedy. 7:30pm July 29. $48-58. 6. Sixteen Candles. Bills itself as "The Nation's 80s Pop Experience." 1pm July 29. Free! 5. Let's Sing Taylor. An affordable way to hear Taylor Swift songs in concert. 7pm July 27. Free! 4. All-Ohio State Fair Band/Youth Choir. Go support the kids! 1pm July 27. Free! 3. T-Pain. The auto-tuner makes his State Fair debut. 7pm July 30. $55-65. 2. Morris Day and the Time. The funkiest show at the fair. 1. Foreigner. The legendary band was inducted into the Rock Hall last year.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift shows added to Ohio State Fair entertainment lineup
Three new music events have been added to the Ohio State Fair entertainment lineup this summer. Two of the events are free, and one is paid. "Let's Sing Taylor," an unofficial live tribute show, will play hits from pop icon Taylor Swift on Sunday, July 27 at 7 p.m. The event is free. The nation's premiere '80s pop experience, Sixteen Candles will be another free concert on Tuesday, July 29 at 1 p.m. Entertaining audiences since 2003, the band brings '80s music to life in full force. Admission to the fair is still needed to attend the free concerts. Country-music star Trace Adkins will perform the last Saturday concert at the WCOL Celeste Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., as part of his "What Color's Your Wild" tour on Aug. 2, with country musician Alex Miller. Tickets range from $40 to $50 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. on Presale begins Thursday at 10 a.m. The Ohio State Fair will also welcome Warren Zeiders and Leanne Morgan, AJR, KIDZ BOP and Foreigner to the stage. Trending features reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift tribute shows added to Ohio State Fair lineup
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tributes to Gordonstoun founder who fled Nazis
Tributes have been paid to the founder of an independent boarding school who fled his home country of Germany to escape the Holocaust. The Princess Royal and first minister sent their best wishes as a plaque was unveiled during a special service at Gordonstoun School to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Kurt Hahn, a German Jew, fled his homeland to Moray in 1933 after speaking out about the Nazis' rise to power. After he settled in the area he founded the school in 1934. The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was one of the first students. Three of his children later the school, including the King. On Sunday, the plaque by the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) was unveiled by Michael Flesch, who was a student at Gordonstoun. His father was a pupil at Salem School in Southern Germany, where Mr Hahn was headmaster before fleeing to Scotland. In a letter, the Princess Royal said: "This plaque will be a permanent monument, informing students, teachers and visitors of Kurt Hahn's bravery and accomplishments. "It will serve as a reminder of how it came to be that Hahn came here to Gordonstoun, and also serves as a warning of what happens when a society succumbs to the dangers of indifference in the face of extremism and racial hatred. "My late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, thrived during his time here and counted Kurt Hahn as a personal friend, having already benefited from his wisdom in the formative years in Germany. "I am sure that he would have deeply approved of this unveiling." This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex. Gordonstoun principal Peter Green said: "Our founder Kurt Hahn showed immense courage in publicly standing up to the Nazi party in the face of extreme adversity. "Without his selfless determination, Gordonstoun would not exist today. We owe Hahn an eternal debt of gratitude for his vision in setting up a school with an educational philosophy focused on service and compassion. "Hahn was ahead of his time in his thinking and today his memory lives on through the achievements of our wonderful students with their passion and instinct to help others, whether it's in the local community or further afield. "Today's plaque unveiling will serve as an everlasting tribute to Hahn and his impact on education around the globe. This was a fitting initiative by the AJR which Gordonstoun is proud to support." First Minister John Swinney said in a letter to the AJR: "The atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish people during the Holocaust remain one of darkest periods of human history, but it is the bravery of individuals such as Mr Hahn that can inspire the rest of us to stand in solidarity against forces which seek to target the most vulnerable members of our society." AJR trustee Frank Harding MBE came up with the idea for the plaque. He said when Mr Hahn fled to the UK, having been briefly imprisoned as both a Jew and a notable and prominent outspoken critic of the Nazi regime, he brought with him the "ethos and values" which made the school "a leading and inspiring institution of learning". The Scottish school that educated a king King's school: Gordonstoun abuse flourished for decades King's former school ends deal with spy row firm King Charles becomes patron of Gordonstoun School
