ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS! connected the old rotary telephone, a drum repeater rhythm machine, and a KORG synthesizer.
Alt.Rockers BLACKOUT ORCHESTRA Release New Dream-Like Smooching-Inducing “Tongues”
Alt-indie rock duo Blackout Orchestra release their hazy, dream-like, and make-out-inducing new drop, “Tongues” ahead of their forthcoming sophomore LP, Beauty Sleep.
The song sizzles as it moves along in a gritty, sexy, Garbage-esque offering, refusing to back down, repeating crashing crescendos as the song lurches forward — never bending in its ability to draw you in and hold you in a trance. It’s a lovesick, alt-rock banger Ben VanBuskirk (vocals, music) and Morgan Thompson-Reid (vocals) dare you to try on. But the real thrill is knowing you’ll be back for seconds, and thirds, of this extraordinarily thirsty track.
“In an album largely about dreams, this would be the erotic one,” VanBuskirk says. “I think of it as the other side of the coin from ‘Nowhere Near The Looking Glass’ from the first album. Where that song was about getting into a relationship or situation that you knew was going to end badly but you choose to do it anyway, this song is about having the feeling and faith that a relationship could turn out to be something amazing despite all the signs pointing to it being a bad idea.”
“Tongues” features serious electric guitar licks, amped-up bass, and Cranberries/Pixies lush harmonies provided by Thompson-Reid. For VanBuskirk, the desire became to use the very lowest of his register and his Leonard-Cohen meets Tom-Waits effort is applauded on the track. The entirety of “Tongues” rolls through like a slow-burning cigarette, threatening to vanquish in a porcelain ashtray. Mesmerized by the smoke, you can’t help but get close to the fire. And when you’re in the thick of the flames, “Tongues” makes no effort to apologize for drawing you in so close. In fact, it’s compelled to invite you in again.
“This album is about those ‘in-between’ days,” VanBuskirk says of Beauty Sleep, “starting with the first tentative steps of ‘Go Slowly’ through to reaching that next big moment, new love, on ‘The First Time’.” Their sophomore effort is an eight-track strong LP due out August of this year. “In the general sound as well as the lyrics, I used the idea of that state between sleep and awake – when you first wake up and it’s a brand new day but you still have the lingering emotions of the dream you had the night before – the little bit of confusion about what’s solid and real while you shake off those last impressions of the dream or nightmare,” VanBuskirk adds.
“Tongues” also comes with a tantalizing music video, shot primarily in a black & white vignette. With VanBuskirk and Thompson-Reid trading shots on the screen, there are plenty of intimate moments shared between them both, leveling up on the overall sexiness of both the song, its double entendre, and what’ll mean for the masses: It’ll be the song that lends itself to plenty of playlists that not only sets the mood but seduces it.
“Let’s touch tongues,” they coo over the melody. “Yes,” you’ll reply, “let’s.”
Chicago Electropop Artist David Poole Debuts Other-Worldly (literally!) “Getaway Driver” Single
Known for creating planetary soundscapes in a faraway digital realm all his own, electropop artist David Poole flexes his talent for emotional feel-good composing with his newest single, “Getaway Driver.”
The brainchild of Thomas Thurlow and Kate Nikles, David Poole marked his debut in 2018; he resides in a digital dreamland known affectionately as Readymade Utopia – a destination that sounds almost too good to be true.
Poole is considered the flagship musician of this dreamland. Known throughout the digital and real world for his electronic dancefloor rhythms, immersive soundscapes, and intense storytelling, Poole’s work embodies his struggles and triumphs as an up-and-coming musician in Three Cloud City – the creative hub of Readymade Utopia.
While typical “digital musicians” involve some sort of artificial intelligence, it seems that Thomas Thurlow and Kate Nikles do a lot of the heavy lifting for David Poole. It’s not super easy to find a lot of information on Thurlow and Nikles which adds to the enigma that surrounds Poole and amplifies the immersion in his fictional back story.
Or maybe it’s real.
David Poole’s music certainly is.
“Getaway Driver,” Poole’s most recent release, is an accidental heartbreak song shrouded in feel-good electronic production tropes. “I was in a relationship with someone I loved dearly; we had finally gotten back together after a year apart, and it was better than ever.”
What makes “Getaway Driver” an accidental heartbreak song is the story of its production. David Poole went into the production with high spirits and even higher hopes.
“I began to write what would become’ Getaway Driver’ as a love song. It was coming quickly; the chords and the melodies appeared in front of me without thinking. About 20 minutes into writing, I got a call. We couldn’t be together anymore, not because we weren’t in love but because situations change.”
Heartbreak is all too common — the story of being in the right place at the wrong time is something that cuts so much deeper; longing for a love that never really died, Poole found himself more committed to the upcoming production than he initially thought.
“As a way to deal with the sadness, I picked up the song again right after the call. Everything came to me almost instantly. I still have a demo on my computer of the song, fully structured, the lyrics almost the same. But that demo is way too intimate to ever share.”
Despite feeling dejected from the happenstance of being human (or at least we think, we’re not super sure), the overall ethos that Poole pools into his music represent a message of hope; “Just because it’s sad doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.” Poole’s buoyant production style coupled with his heartfelt storytelling reflects his mindset when composing music perfectly.
“Getaway Driver is the first single off my full-length debut album Start 2, which will be out mid-spring 2022 via Readymade Utopia. Start 2 is almost entirely about loss. I tried not to focus on the pain of the loss, but instead be grateful for getting to be so close to so many people that I never wanted them to leave my life.”
Victa Harnesses Sultry Late-Night Vibes in Seductive R&B-Pop “Keeping Score” Single
Canadian singer/songwriter Victa harnesses late-night vibes to drop a seductive R&B bop recounting the trials and tribulations of a complicated lover on his blazing-hot new single, “Keeping Score.”
A story about a couple with a raw, tumultuous connection plagued with mixed messages and trust issues, the song touches on themes of relationship imbalance and the feeling that both parties aren’t on the same page; as Victa puts it, “at that point, people start questioning if it’s worth the emotional cost.”
Victa’s objective on “Keeping Score” was to fuse a relatable message with infectious musical energy “maybe they’ll hear a bit of themselves in my lyrics.” The lyrical composition is a multi-layered affair with Victa’s melodic crescendos and sophisticated yet catchy hooks.
“And for your love, I can’t afford
She hate playing games but she play to keep scores
I got some dough, so Imma need some more
And there’s Cali in the air and there’s money on the floor”
The song is the latest jam from the Ottawa-based artist that seamlessly melds an up-tempo trap swing with textured synths to construct a song with mass appeal. Channeling the most significant artists in R&B and pop with a side of Jack Harlow, Victa’s ear for hits continues to develop; a balance of distinct soundscapes and pristine production values demonstrate that “Keeping Score” can stand alongside the most prominent recordings today.
Accompanying the release of “Keeping Score” is the music video release captured by prominent videographer Francis Klan ‘Chleepy,’ who lines up the visuals to the sonics in a cohesive way. Beautifully shot and edited, the music video further illustrates the lyrical dynamic between both characters. Rinila Haridas plays the sultry provocateur opposite Victa in a video brimming with style and seductive tone.
Victa, who goes by the real name Victor Gabriel-Hanson, is as dedicated to his music career as his education. After initially being criticized by his peers, a seismic shift from his haters came with the release of his first track “Switching Sides.” Victa has since honed his music as a vehicle to express vulnerabilities and “inspire people around me to do the same and follow their passions.”
T.REX 1972 (Tony Visconti Signed Edition) Limited Edition Box Set Gets Released On April 22
The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines Glam Rock as “A musical movement that celebrated the spectacle of the rock star and concert. Male musicians took the stage in women’s makeup and clothing, and mounted glamorous musical productions frequently characterized by space-age futurism”. In 1972 Marc Bolan was all these things and so much more.
Having risen to superstardom with tracks such as Ride A White Swan (UK #2), Hot Love (UK #1), Get It On (UK #1) & Jeepster (UK #2), and the album Electric Warrior (1971- eight weeks at UK #1), 1972 saw Marc & T.Rex attain dizzy heights with two more #1’s and two #2’s with Telegram Sam, Metal Guru, Children of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action as well as the album The Slider. 1972 truly was the year of ‘T. Rextasy’, as the press dubbed the frenzy that took over the UK’s music fans.
T.REX 1972 celebrates that year over two box sets, 5CDs & 6LPs and a 2LP highlights package, that for the first time brings together the 1972 studio recordings, broadcasts and performances made by Bolan and his band, T. Rex. T.REX 1972 puts the listener into the shoes of a T. Rex fan that year with singles, albums, live concerts, radio broadcasts, a film soundtrack and more.
The T.REX 1972 boxsets include The Slider album, Live At Wembley The Matinee Show – plus two previously unreleased 1972 mixes from The Evening Show, Born To Boogie The Soundtrack Album, issued in full for the first time, Marc Bolan’s US Radio Sessions, T. Rex on the BBC in 1972, featuring a rare version of Telegram Sam from the Christmas Top Of The Pops, which is being released 50 years to the day that the original single appeared, the 1972 B-sides and the T. Rex Fan Club 1972 Christmas flexi disc.
The accompanying booklet contains a specially written 1600-word introduction by legendary producer Tony Visconti, and a brand new 12,000-word essay by acknowledged Bolan authority Mark Paytress, the author of the definitive Bolan biography. Also featured are many previously unpublished photos taken by Keith Morris during 1972.
Bolan started 1972 with a brand-new single on his own brand-new record label; The T. Rex Wax Co. Telegram Sam swiftly reached the number 1 spot, which was his third chart-topper in under a year. In March, T. Rex played two sell-out concerts at Wembley’s Empire Pool which later featured in “Born To Boogie”, a feature film directed by Ringo Starr that included guest performances from Elton John and Ringo. May saw the release of another number 1, Metal Guru, followed in July by the classic album, The Slider.
The band toured the US twice in 1972, and Bolan took the opportunity to perform solo acoustic sessions for local radio stations. The band featured regularly on the BBC throughout the year, recording special sessions for Radio 1 and Top Of The Pops. T. Rex ended the year with the singles Children Of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action and the T. Rex Fan Club 1972 Christmas Record Flexi Disc, which is included in the boxsets in its entirety.
T.REX 1972 charts Bolan’s manic year as he toured the world. He was a ubiquitous figure in concert halls, at press conferences, on radio stations, television and throughout the press. Now, for the 50th anniversary of his peak, the full breadth of his artistry is revealed via classic hits, contemplative ballads, and rare recordings.
T.REX 1972 50th ANNIVERSARY TRACKLISTING
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
Deluxe 5 CD Box Set
5 x CDs in wallets in lift-off lid box, with 44-page book
CD 1:
THE SLIDER
1. Metal Guru
2. Mystic Lady
3. Rock On
4. The Slider
5. Baby Boomerang
6. Spaceball Ricochet
7. Buick Mackane
8. Telegram Sam
9. Rabbit Fighter
10. Baby Strange
11. Ballrooms Of Mars
12. Chariot Choogle
13. Main Man
CD 2:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW
1. Rosko’s Intro [Emperor Rosko]
2. Cadilac
3. Jeepster
4. Baby Strange
5. Spaceball Ricochet
6. Girl
7. Cosmic Dancer
8. Telegram Sam
9. Hot Love
10. Get It On
11. ‘One More Time?’ [Emperor Rosko]
12. Summertime Blues
Bonus tracks:
Alternate mixes with 1972 overdubs, from The Evening Show*
13. Baby Strange [alternate mix]
14. Hot Love [alternate mix]
CD 3:
BORN TO BOOGIE THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
1. Marc Bolan – Marc’s Intro
2. T. Rex Jeepster
3. T. Rex Baby Strange
4. Marc Bolan Electric Wind’ [poem]
5. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Tutti Frutti
6. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Children Of The Revolution
7. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Look To The Left’
8. Marc Bolan – Spaceball Ricochet
9. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Rock’
10. T. Rex Telegram Sam
11. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Roll’
12. Marc Bolan & Mickey Finn Cosmic Dancer
13. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘They’ve Come, Tis Said’
14. Marc Bolan & String Quartet Tea Party Medley:
Jeepster / Hot Love / Get It On / The Slider
15. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘Union Hall’
16. T. Rex Hot Love
17. T. Rex Get It On
18. T. Rex Chariot Choogle [soundtrack mix of studio recording]
19. Marc Bolan Marc’s Outro
20. Children Of The Revolution [strings reprise]
CD 4:
MARC BOLAN’S 1972 US RADIO SESSIONS
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Jeepster
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Main Man
5. Ballrooms Of Mars
6. Mystic Lady
7. Girl
8. Baby Strange
9. Left Hand Luke
10. The Slider
11. Spaceball Ricochet
CD 5:
T. REX ON THE BBC IN 1972
1. Metal Guru
2. The Slider
3. Mystic Lady
4. Rock On
5. Main Man
6. Children Of The Revolution
7. Solid Gold Easy Action
8. Telegram Sam [Christmas Top Of The Pops]*
1972 A and B-SIDES
9. Cadilac
10. Thunderwing
11. Lady
12. Children Of The Revolution
13. Jitterbug Love
14. Sunken Rags
15. Solid Gold Easy Action
16. Xmas Riff – Born To Boogie
17. T. Rex Fan Club 1972 “Christmas Record” Flexi Disc
Previously unreleased.
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
Deluxe 6 LP Box Set
6 LPs on 180g coloured vinyl in inner sleeves
In lift-off lid box, with 24-page 12×12 booklet
LP 1:
THE SLIDER
Side A
1. Metal Guru
2. Mystic Lady
3. Rock On
4. The Slider
5. Baby Boomerang
6. Spaceball Ricochet
7. Buick Mackane
Side B
1. Telegram Sam
2. Rabbit Fighter
3. Baby Strange
4. Ballrooms Of Mars
5. Chariot Choogle
6. Main Man
LP 2:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW
Side A
1. Rosko’s Intro [Emperor Rosko]
2. Cadilac
3. Jeepster
4. Baby Strange
Side B
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Girl
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Telegram Sam
LP 3:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW [continued]
Side A
1. Hot Love
2. Get It On
Side B
1. ‘One More Time?’ [Emperor Rosko]
2. Summertime Blues
Bonus tracks: Alternate mixes with 1972 overdubs, from The Evening Show*
3. Baby Strange [alternate mix]
4. Hot Love [alternate mix]
LP 4:
‘BORN TO BOOGIE’ THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
Side A
1. Marc Bolan – Marc’s Intro
2. T. Rex Jeepster
3. T. Rex Baby Strange
4. Marc Bolan ‘Electric Wind’ [poem]
5. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Tutti Frutti
6. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex – Children Of The Revolution
7. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Look To The Left’
8. Marc Bolan Spaceball Ricochet
9. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Rock’
10. T. Rex Telegram Sam
11. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Roll’
Side B
1. Marc Bolan & Mickey Finn Cosmic Dancer
2. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘They’ve Come, Tis Said’
3. Marc Bolan & String Quartet Tea Party Medley: Jeepster / Hot Love / Get It On / The Slider
4. Geoffrey Bayldon – ‘Union Hall’
5. T. Rex Hot Love
6. T. Rex Get It On
7. T. Rex Chariot Choogle [soundtrack mix of studio recording]
8. Marc Bolan Marc’s Outro
9. Children Of The Revolution [strings reprise]
LP 5:
MARC BOLAN’S 1972 US RADIO SESSIONS
Side A
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Jeepster
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Main Man
Side B
1. Ballrooms Of Mars
2. Mystic Lady
3. Girl
4. Baby Strange
5. Left Hand Luke
6. The Slider
7. Spaceball Ricochet
LP 6:
T. REX ON THE BBC IN 1972
Side A
1. Metal Guru
2. The Slider
3. Mystic Lady
4. Rock On
5. Main Man
6. Children Of The Revolution
7. Solid Gold Easy Action
8. Telegram Sam [Christmas Top Of The Pops]*
T. REXTRAS
Side B
1. Cadilac
2. Thunderwing
3. Lady
4. Jitterbug Love
5. Sunken Rags
6. Xmas Riff – Born To Boogie
7. T. Rex Fan Club 1972 “Christmas Record” Flexi Disc
Previously unreleased.
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
2 LP in widespine sleeve with inner sleeves, pressed on 140-gram white vinyl
SIDE A
LIVE AT WEMBLEY MARCH 1972
1. Jeepster
2. Telegram Sam
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Hot Love
5. Summertime Blues
SIDE B
1972 US & UK RADIO SESSIONS
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Main Man
3. Baby Strange
4. Metal Guru
5. Mystic Lady
6. Solid Gold Easy Action
SIDE C
WATCH ME NOW
1. Tutti Frutti [Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex]
2. Children Of The Revolution [Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex]
3. Tea Party Medley: Jeepster/Hot Love/Get It On/The Slider
4. Baby Boomerang
5. Ballrooms Of Mars
6. Chariot Choogle
SIDE D
T. REXTRAS
1. Cadilac
2. Thunderwing
3. Jitterbug Love
4. Sunken Rags
5. Born To Boogie
6. Telegram Sam [TOTP Xmas ’72]
Harry Styles Announces Rescheduled 2022 Tour + New Dates Including First Ever Stadiums
Multi-platinum recording artist Harry Styles announces the rescheduled dates for his world tour, in addition to new shows added across the globe. Styles will kick off his colossal 32-city outing with three brand new stadium dates in the U.K. in June, and a further four stadiums in Europe including a brand new show at Glasgow Ibrox Stadium, Manchester Emirates Old Trafford and London Wembley Stadium through June. The tour will continue in July with rescheduled arena dates in Europe, as well as a new show at Accor Arena in Paris, before concluding in Latin America later this year.
Special guests include Mitski on the UK dates, Arlo Parks in Dublin, Wolf Alice on select European dates and Koffee across all Latin American dates.
Ticket holders for the 2020 UK Arena tour dates will be refunded and receive an exclusive access presale to ensure priority access to the new performance at Glasgow Ibrox Stadium, Manchester Emirates Old Trafford and London Wembley Stadium. Ticket holders will be contacted by their ticket agent with details.
Harry Styles has established himself as one of the biggest and most influential artists in music. His self-titled debut solo album became one of the world’s top-ten best selling albums of the year and had the biggest first week of sales by a male artist in history. His second album, Fine Line, topped the Billboard 200 when it was released, making it Harry’s second US Number One album and made chart history providing the biggest sales week for a solo UK male artist since Nielsen Music began electronically trading sales data in 1991. Since launching his solo career, he has gained prestigious accolades including, two BRIT awards, a Grammy award, an Ivor Novello Award an American Music Award and many others across the world, in addition to being the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue Magazine.
Harry is equally renowned as an incredible live performer. His Love On Tour shows were postponed due to the pandemic and finally started in September 2021 in Las Vegas. Harry performed over 40 shows throughout the US at the end of last year winning praise from fans and critics alike. His shows are packed with his global hit singles including Sign of the Times, Lights Up, Adore You, Watermelon Sugar and Kiwi.
Harry Styles 2022 Love On Tour
EXISTING TICKETS REMAIN VALID FOR ALL RESCHEDULED DATES
Tour dates:
Date City Venue
Sat, 11th Jun 2022 Glasgow, U.K. Ibrox Stadium (New Show)*
Wed, 15th Jun 2022 Manchester, U.K. Emirates Old Trafford (New Show)*
Sat, 18th Jun 2022 London, U.K. Wembley Stadium Connected by EE (New Show)*
Wed, 22nd Jun 2022 Dublin, Ireland Aviva Stadium (New Show) #
Sun, 26th Jun 2022 Hamburg, Germany Volksparkstadion (New Show) ^
Wed, 29th Jun 2022 Stockholm, Sweden Tele2 Arena (New Show) ^
Fri, 1st Jul 2022 Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena (New Show) ^
Sun, 3rd Jul 2022 Copenhagen, Denmark Royal Arena (Rescheduled Date)
Tue, 5th Jul 2022 Paris, France Accor Arena ^
Thu, 7th Jul 2022 Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis (Rescheduled Date) ^
Sat, 9th Jul 2022 Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome (Rescheduled Date) ^
Mon, 11th Jul 2022 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle (Rescheduled Date) ^
Wed, 13th Jul 2022 Budapest, Hungary Budapest Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Fri, 15th Jul 2022 Prague, Czech Republic O2 Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Sat, 16th Jul 2022 Vienna, Austria Stadthalle (Rescheduled Date) ^
Mon, 18th Jul 2022 Krakow, Poland Tauron Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Wed, 20th Jul 2022 Berlin, Germany Mercedes-Benz Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Fri, 22nd Jul 2022 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Wed, 27th Jul 2022 Bologna, Italy Unipol Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Tue, 26th Jul 2022 Turin, Italy Pala Alpitour (Rescheduled Date) ^
Fri, 29th Jul 2022 Madrid, Spain WiZink Center (Rescheduled Date) ^
Sun, 31st Jul 2022 Lisbon, Portugal Altice Arena (Rescheduled Date) ^
Sun, 20th Nov 2022 Guadalajara, México Arena FVG (Rescheduled Date) ^^
Tue, 22nd Nov 2022 Monterrey, México Arena Monterrey (Rescheduled Date) ^^
Fri, 25th Nov 2022 Mexico City, México Foro Sol (Rescheduled Date) ^^
Sun, 27th Nov 2022 Bogotá, Colombia Parque Salitre Mágico (Rescheduled Date-New Venue)^^
Tue, 29th Nov 2022 Lima, Peru Jockey Club (Rescheduled Date) ^^
Thu, 1st Dec 2022 Santiago, Chile Estadio Bicentenario La Florida (Rescheduled Date-New Venue)^^
Sat, 3rd Dec 2022 Buenos Aires, Argentina Estadio River Plate(Rescheduled Date-New Venue)^^
Tue, 6th Dec 2022 São Paulo, Brazil Allianz Parque (Rescheduled Date) ^^
Thu, 8th Dec 2022 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Área Externa da Jeunesse Arena (Rescheduled Date-New Venue)^^
Sat, 10th Dec 2022 Curitiba, Brazil Pedreira Paulo Leminski (New Show) ^^
Zac Brown Band Announces 2022 “Out In The Middle Tour”
Multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning Zac Brown Band announced their upcoming 2022 international tour, “Out in the Middle Tour.”
The new set of dates, produced by Live Nation, follows 2021’s incredibly successful “The Comeback Tour,” where the band staged their comeback to live performances following a COVID-19 hiatus. The “Out in the Middle Tour” will see the band return to some of the nation’s most iconic venues, including Boston’s Fenway Park, where Zac Brown Band currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows. Kicking off in Greenville, SC on April 22nd, the multi-city trek will include performances in lead singer Zac Brown’s native Atlanta at Truist Park, the famed Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
“Performing in front of millions of fans around the world is one of the most electrifying and humbling feelings,” said Brown. “We’re so excited to go back out on the road and keep the unbelievable momentum going from ‘The Comeback Tour.’ It’s been such an incredible year for the band, debuting some of the best music we’ve ever made, and we are thrilled to continue playing live for our amazing fans.”
The “Out in the Middle Tour” will showcase the band’s old-school country roots and southern-rock style, serving as an ode to their country pride and life’s simple pleasures. Joining the band once again will be Caroline Jones, who performed as a special guest during “The Comeback Tour.” Zac Brown Band also welcomes Robert Randolph Band as the opening act on select dates throughout the tour.
Zac Brown Band is one of the most successful and consistent touring acts of the last decade and regularly claims a top spot in Pollstar’s Top 10 Global Concert Tour list. The Boston Globe praised the band’s live show saying, “[Zac Brown Band’s] blend of chops, spirit, and knowing exactly how to please a crowd has made them one of the summer concert season’s most reliable draws, always ready for a good time but also keenly aware of how to keep an audience on its toes.”
Zac Brown Band is a multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning, Southern rock group led by front man, Zac Brown. Throughout their career spanning more than a decade, Zac Brown Band has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three GRAMMY Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, 9 million albums, amassed over 10 billion catalog streams to date, achieved 16 #1 radio singles, and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats. Zac Brown Band has headlined 8 North American Tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Since their debut, Zac Brown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.
ZAC BROWN BAND “OUT IN THE MIDDLE TOUR” 2022 DATES:
Friday, April 22 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena+
Saturday, April 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium+
Friday, May 20 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center+
Sunday, May 22 – San Antonio, TX – Real Life Amphitheater
Thursday, June 2 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center+
Friday, June 3 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage+
Friday, June 17 – Atlanta, GA – Truist Park+
Friday, July 8 – Akron, OH – Dowed Field
Saturday, July 9 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field+
Friday, July 15 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park+
Thursday, July 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Friday, July 29 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Saturday, July 30 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Friday, August 12 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre+
Saturday, August 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center+
Sunday, August 14 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium+
Thursday, August 18 – New York, NY – Citi Field+
Friday, August 19 – Endicott, NY – En-Joie Golf Course
Friday, August 26 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion+
Saturday, August 27 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live+
Friday, September 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater+
Saturday, September 24 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion+
Sunday, September 25 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre+
Friday, October 7 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place+
Saturday, October 8 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre+
Sunday, October 9 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre+
Thursday, October 20 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena+
Friday, October 21 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena+
Saturday, October 22 – Portland, OR – Moda Center+
Friday, November 4 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl+
Sunday, November 6 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena+
Saturday, November 19 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field
ADDITIONAL 2022 PERFORMANCE DATES:
May 21 – Frisco, TX – Soccer Hall of Fame Weekend
Aug 25 – Put-in-Bay, OH – Bash on the Bay
+Special Guest Robert Randolph Band
Louie Anderson Heard An Alarm Go Off During A Set. This Is Why He’s One Of The Greats
Louie Anderson’s reaction to a phone alarm going off might be one of his greatest moments ever.
Slipknot Announce The Knotfest Roadshow 2022
Slipknot, one of the most thrilling and visceral musical collectives on the planet, are excited to announce the 2022 iteration of their infamous Knotfest Roadshow tour. The tour will take place over two legs, both headlined by Slipknot. The first leg will feature special guests In This Moment and Jinjer. The second leg will feature special guests Cypress Hill and Ho99o9.
The first leg of the 38 date tour, produced by Live Nation, kicks off in Fargo, ND on Wednesday, March 16th, 2022 and hits a further 17 cities before wrapping up in Vancouver, BC on Sunday, April 17, 2022. The second leg kicks off on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022 in University Park, PA and hits a further 17 cites before culminating on Sunday, June 18, 2022 in Chula Vista, CA. Full routing below.
2021 marked a banner year for Slipknot. Making a triumphant return to the road, their Knotfest Roadshow 2021 tour sold out amphitheaters across the country, bookended with the record-breaking Knotfest Iowa and the biggest headline show of their career, Knotfest Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium where they debut their first new music in two years – the furious ‘The Chapeltown Rag’ taken from the highly anticipated new Slipknot album, expected to release this year. In addition, they topped the bills of multiple, internationally renowned festivals including Riot Fest, Rocklahoma, Inkcarceration, Welcome To Rockville, and more.
The tour will be part of Live Nation’s Live Stubs initiative which provides digital collectible NFT ticket stubs to ticket holders, which are free with ticket purchase (These are collector items and will not replace the digital tickets needed to physically enter the show).
Slipknot sit alongside musical institutions like Metallica and Iron Maiden, as one of a select few bands whose legacy is secured within heavy music’s elite. The band emerged at the end of the 20th Century from the American mid-western town of Des Moines, IA and quickly established themselves as the most enigmatic, provocative and aggressive music collective of the modern era. 1999’s eponymous debut is widely viewed as a modern day classic and was honoured by Metal Hammer magazine as the ‘Best Debut of the Last 25 Years.’ The release racked up double RIAA platinum certification in the US, with many of Slipknot’s subsequent releases achieving platinum status both in the US and around the globe. To date, the band have been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards (winning in 2006 for ‘Before I Forget’), as well as scoring 12 Platinum and 41 Gold album certifications around the world and over 3.2 billion YouTube views and counting. Slipknot’s fanbase is as unwavering as it is ubiquitous – the band’s most recent studio album, 2019’s ‘We Are Not Your Kind’ debuted at #1 in the Official Album Charts of 12 countries around the world, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Mexico and in the Top 5 of an additional 12 countries including Germany, France and Sweden.
Knotfest is Slipknot’s own self-curated, destination festival brand, currently held in four international locations; the US, Japan, Mexico and Colombia, with the inaugural Brazilian event set to happen in December 2021. Plans for the first UK event are still underway, having been postponed in 2019 by Covid-19 restrictions. Designed as an immersive, unforgettable, ‘dark carnival experience’, the event invites you into Slipknot’s apocalyptic underworld where stunning visuals, fire breathers and nightmarish creatures on stilts set the stage for an intoxicating and memorable weekend of live music.
Knotfest Roadshow 2022
LEG 1
Slipknot w/ In This Moment & Jinjer
Wed Mar 23 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Fri Mar 25 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
Sat Mar 26 Durant, OK Choctaw Grand Theatre
Tue Mar 29 Birmingham, AL Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Wed Mar 30 N. Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum
Fri Apr 01 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Sat Apr 02 Reading, PA Santander Arena
Mon Apr 04 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Wed Apr 06 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
Thu Apr 07 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center
Sat Apr 09 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Mon Apr 11 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre
Tue Apr 12 Regina, SK Brandt Centre
Thu Apr 14 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
Fri Apr 15 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
Sun Apr 17 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
LEG 2
Slipknot w/ Cypress Hill and Ho99o9
Wed May 18 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
Fri May 20 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
Sat May 21 Providence, RI Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Sun May 22 Manchester, NH SNHU Arena
Tue May 24 Albany, NY MVP Arena
Thu May 26 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Sat May 28 Quebec, QC Videotron Centre
Sun May 29 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Mon May 30 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
Wed Jun 01 Cincinnati, OH Heritage Bank Center
Thu Jun 02 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Sat Jun 04 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Sun Jun 05 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
Tue Jun 07 Bonner Springs, KS Azura Amphitheater
Thu Jun 09 Colorado Springs, CO The Broadmoor World Arena
Sat Jun 11 Nampa, ID Ford Idaho Center
Mon Jun 13 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
Tue Jun 14 Ridgefield, WA RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Fri Jun 17 Las Vegas, NV MGM Garden Arena
Sat Jun 18 Chula Vista, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Victoria, BC’s Folk Artist Kele Fleming Gives Social Media a Dressing Down in “Echo Chamber”
We live in a time when finding ‘proof’ to support our ideas and beliefs is merely a scroll and a click away, and our social media news feeds provide a precision-tailored buffet hot and ready to serve our appetites for confirmation bias. With that, Canadian folk rock artist Kele Fleming is spotlighting social media’s divisiveness through the ‘thoughts’ of a futuristic AI character with her timely new single, “Echo Chamber.”
‘So long in an echo chamber, I’m getting into danger’
“Some say that social media is the ultimate echo chamber,” notes Fleming. “It can give us the ability to connect with like-minded people while shielding ourselves from divergent viewpoints.”
Fleming has witnessed, as many of us have, the dangerous outcomes that can result from being able to surround ourselves with only beliefs or opinions that agree with our own. We can see this scenario play out in daily life now.
“When all we hear are our own voices and ideas reflected back, this does tricky things to our sense of reality and truth, not to mention self-image,” she adds.
An examination of this troublesome societal issue isn’t how this song started out for Fleming and her co-writer Ron Yamauchi. It began as a song about a key character in a new sci-fi musical that the two long-time collaborators started working on in 2018, prior to Fleming writing, recording, and releasing her latest full album in 2020, The Song I’ll Write for the Rest of My Life.
“We weren’t initially thinking of the idea of the world of social media creating an echo chamber,” explains the Ontario-born, Victoria-based artist. “We were envisioning an AI character who has been entrusted with the care of a spaceship crew while they are in hyper sleep. The AI is alone with their thoughts for too long and becomes a little unhinged.”
My voice has been my only true friend
I’ll listen to me until the end
My role is to serve
But there’s much more I deserve
Both the AI’s thoughts and the musical environment they’re carried in in the song evoke that focused singularity of being in an echo chamber where no external influences are allowed in.
“The song opens with the hammering of a single note like a Morse code signal,” describes Fleming. “Musically, it’s a melodic plaint driven by a syncopated piano rhythm. The drums, bass and keys fall in step to create a mesmerizing tiktok or robot-like vibe that gives the lead voice lots of space to play with.”
After Yamauchi dug a half-finished sketch of the song out of his songbook, the two finished it and earmarked it as one of the character vehicle songs in the production. Fleming and Yamauchi plan to finish the musical, which centers around a small crew on a deep space mission to find a suitable new home for humanity, this year and hopefully to stage it in 2023, pandemic-willing.
As with Fleming’s last album, “Echo Chamber ” was recorded at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio with JUNO award-winning engineer Sheldon Zaharko. Fleming and Yamauchi premiered the new single with a live performance and discussion on – where else – Fleming’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on Friday, Feb. 18th and a self-produced video premiered on YouTube the same day.
In “Echo Chamber” the disquieting experience of a single AI being losing its perspective and purpose while traveling at warp speed through the universe eerily parallels the route many humans are currently taking down the pitfall-laden, social media highway.
“Social media has been a connector during the pandemic, but we’ve also seen it can be divisive,” observes Fleming. “It’s not a pretty picture of our present and future if we’re all hurtling through space isolated in our own little echo chambers, with no opportunity to consider viewpoints or beliefs or identities different from our own.”