Released this week in 1967, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is still a great listen, having spent 27 weeks at number one on the Record Retailer chart in the United Kingdom and 15 weeks at number one on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the United States.
3 Doors Down Announce “The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour”
3 Doors Down will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their debut album “The Better Life” this summer by hitting major markets in amphitheaters across the US for The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour. “Kryptonite,” which launched their career, has become a juggernaut hit across the globe that generations now sing. 2020 marked the 20th Anniversary of their debut, and for the first time ever, the band will play The Better Life in its entirety, front to back, along with the rest of their hits on The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour. Produced by Live Nation, tickets for the tour will be available HERE.
Special guests Seether, who currently have the #1 Record at Rock Radio, will join the tour as direct support on select dates throughout the summer.
“Especially after the last year everyone has had, I am really looking forward to rocking out and celebrating with our fans this summer. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since we released The Better Life.” 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold shares. “That album drastically changed our lives, and we are incredibly excited to celebrate the 20th Anniversary with our fans by playing The Better Life front to back this summer. It’s going to be a blast, and we can’t wait to get on the road and see everyone out there!”
Earlier this year, 3 DOORS DOWN released a re-mastered, 20th Anniversary Edition of The Better Life album along with the nine-song “Escatawpa Sessions” as a box set on high-quality 3LP vinyl. The “Escatawpa Sessions,” recorded in the band’s Mississippi hometown in 1996, features seven demo versions from The Better Life, as well as three previously unreleased tracks. The 3LP box set features a custom lithograph, a six-page booklet with never-before-seen photos and extensive liner notes, and interviews with the band and executives from their label and talent agency. A 2CD and an expanded digital album of The Better Life are also available now, and each feature four new bonus tracks including, “The Better Life (XX Mix),” a new mix by Grammy Award-winning Chris Lord-Alge, “Kryptonite (2000 Acoustic),” “Be Like That (2000 Acoustic),” and “Wasted Me (With Harp Version).” Order THE BETTER LIFE 20th Anniversary Edition now HERE.
Tickets for The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour dates go on sale Friday, June 4 at 10am local time. On select shows, 3 Doors Down will be offering special 20th anniversary VIP packages. All VIP packages will be available starting Wednesday, June 2, at 10am local time. Citi is the official presale credit card of The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Wednesday, June 2 at 10am local time until Thursday, June 3 at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment.
Confirmed appearances include:
*Not a Live Nation Date
06.26.21* Island Grove Regional Park Greeley, CO
07.17.21* The Rose Music Center Huber Heights, OH (special guest Seether)
07.18.21* Corbin Arena Corbin, KY (special guest Seether)
07.22.21 Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square New Orleans, LA (special guest Seether)
07.23.21 The Wharf Amphitheater Orange Beach, AL (special guest Seether)
07.24.21 Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Pelham, AL (special guest Seether)
07.29.21 Brookshire Grocery Arena Bossier City, LA (special guest Seether)
07.30.21 Smart Financial Centre at Sugarland Sugarland, TX (special guest Seether)
07.31.21 The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory Irving, TX (special guest Seether)
08.05.21 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Chicago, IL (special guest Seether)
08.06.21 TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park Indianapolis, IN (special guest Seether)
08.07.21 Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill Sterling Heights, MI (special guest Seether)
08.12.21* Stir Cove Casino Council Bluffs, IA (special guest Seether)
08.13.21* Mystic Lake Casino Prior Lake, MN (special guest Candlebox)
08.14.21* Sky Dancer Casino Belcourt, ND (special guest Seether)
08.19.21 Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre Wantagh, NY (special guest Seether)
08.20.21 MECU Pavilion Baltimore, MD (special guest Seether)
08.21.21 TD Pavilion at the Mann Philadelphia, PA (special guest Seether)
08.27.21* Harrah’s Resort SoCal Funner, CA (special guest Theory Of A Deadman)
08.28.21* The Event Center at Harrah’s AK Chin Casino Maricopa, AZ (special guest Theory Of A Deadman)
08.29.21* Vino Robles Amphitheatre Paso Robles, CA (special guest Theory Of A Deadman)
08.31.21* San Jose Civic Theater San Jose, CA (special guest Seether)
09.02.21* Rolling Hills Casino Corning, CA (special guest Seether)
09.03.21* Grand Theater @ The Grand Sierra Resort Reno, NV (special guest Seether)
09.05.21* Fremont Street Experience Las Vegas, NV (special guest Seether)
09.07.21 USANA Amphitheatre Salt Lake City, UT (special guest Seether)
09.08.21 Bellco Theatre Denver, CO (special guest Seether)
09.10.21 The Rust Belt East Moline, IL (special guest Chayce Beckham)
09.11.21 Allegan County Fair Allegan, MI (special guest Chayce Beckham)
09.12.21 Saint Louis Music Park St. Louis, MO (special guest Chayce Beckham)
09.23.21 Brandon Amphitheater Brandon, MS (special guest Seether)
09.24.21 Walmart AMP Rogers, AR (special guest Seether)
09.25.21 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN (special guest Seether)
09.30.21 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion Gilford, NH (special guest Blackberry Smoke)
10.01.21 Bold Point Park Providence, RI (special guest Blackberry Smoke)
10.02.21 Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater Bridgeport, CT TBA
10.07.21 Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, NC (special guest Koe Wetzel)
10.08.21 CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park Simpsonville, SC (special guest Koe Wetzel)
10.09.21 Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Atlanta, GA (special guest Koe Wetzel)
10.14.21 Daily’s Place Jacksonville, FL (special guest Seether)
10.15.21* Hard Rock Live Orlando, FL (special guest Seether)
10.16.21 iThink Financial Amphitheatre West Palm Beach, FL (special guest Seether
Green Day, Fall Out Boy, And Weezer Announce Return Of 2021 U.S. Stadium Tour
Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer, three of the biggest acts in rock music, are gearing up to get back on the road this summer. THE HELLA MEGA TOUR, their U.S. headlining stadium run, kicks off with new 2021 dates beginning July 24 in Dallas, TX. Produced by Live Nation, the 21-city North American outing will bring the bands to some of the most renowned stadiums including Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, Citi Field, Fenway Park, and more, before wrapping September 6 in Seattle, WA. The Interrupters will appear as special guests on the tour.
Additionally, two new shows were announced today – August 17 in Columbus, OH at Historic Crew Stadium and September 1 in Milwaukee, WI at Summerfest. Pre-sales for those shows begin Thursday, May 20th at 10am local time with general on sale for all tickets beginning Friday, May 21st at 10am local time.
In celebration of this announcement, all three bands will participate in Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on July 17th. Weezer and Fall Out Boy will perform with Green Day joining them for an exclusive interview.
Additionally, today, Green Day releases their newest song ”Pollyanna” out now. This weekend, Fall Out Boy will perform on the season finale of American Idol, airing live coast-to-coast on May 23rd at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC. Last week, Weezer released their newest single “All My Favorite Songs” feat. AJR and performed their song “All The Good Ones” off of their latest metal influenced album Van Weezer on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
Five-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Green Day unleash their brand new song “Pollyanna” out today. Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, CA, Green Day is one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, with more than 70 million records sold worldwide and 10 billion cumulative audio/visual streams. Their 1994 breakout album Dookie, which sold over 10 million and achieved diamond status, is widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock, catapulting a career-long run of #1 hit singles. Entertainment Weekly calls Green Day, “The most influential band of their generation,” while Rolling Stone attests, “Green Day have inspired more young bands to start than any act this side of KISS, and that doesn’t seem to be changing.” In 2004, Green Day released the rock opera American Idiot which captured the nation’s attention, selling more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone and taking home the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. Mojo declared “It’s exhilarating stuff, the kind of record that sets new parameters as to what is possible from a punk rock’n’roll band in the 21st century.” In 2010, a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway to critical and commercial acclaim. Released last year, Green Day’s thirteenth studio album Father Of All… (Reprise/Warner Records) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart and #1 in both the U.K. and Australia. Pitchfork declared, “Green Day’s most fetching and youthful songs in ages. The trio sounds reinvigorated, more like hungry newcomers staking their claim.” Green Day will also be headlining Life is Beautiful festival in 2020- click here for all dates.
Multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated Fall Out Boy most recently released the single “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)” ft. Wyclef Jean from their November 2019 record Greatest Hits: Believers Never Die – Volume Two. The song marked the band’s first new music since the August 2018 release of the three-song Lake Effect Kid EP, a love letter to their hometown city of Chicago that featured the full version of the band’s previously unreleased title track demo along with two new songs “City in A Garden” and “Super Fade.” In January 2019, Fall Out Boy was featured on the gold-certified track “I’ve Been Waiting,” a collaboration from Lil Peep and iLoveMakonnen. Fall Out Boy’s seventh studio album M A N I A debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in January 2018 and garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Album. Their worldwide tour in support of the record included a hometown show at Wrigley Field. In January 2021, they performed at the We The People concert as part of the official 2021 Biden-Harris Inauguration.
Multi-platinum, GRAMMY award-winning band Weezer continues to be one of the most beloved and influential bands of the last twenty-five years. The band has already had an amazing 2021 with the release of not one but two incredible albums: an orchestral pop record meditating on technology and disconnectedness called OK Human, and an homage to the band’s shared metal roots growing up called Van Weezer. 2021 will also see the band celebrating the 20th anniversary of Weezer (The Green Album) and the 25th anniversary of Pinkerton. Weezer has sold 10 million albums in the U.S., and over 35 million records worldwide. Their catalogue has included such megahits as “Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” “Say It Ain’t So,” “El Scorcho,” “Hash Pipe,” “Island In The Sun,” “Beverly Hills,” “Pork and Beans,” and more. Following massively acclaimed album releases in 2016 and 2017 (Weezer [The White Album] and Pacific Daydream, respectively), and two sold out amphitheatre tours with Panic! At the Disco (in 2016) and Pixies (in 2018), Weezer released a fan-inspired cover of Toto’s “Africa.” The cover propelled the band back into the charts across the board, and has since gone Platinum. They then surprise dropped a covers album in 2019 — Weezer (The Teal Album) — which has been streamed over a hundred million times since its release.
THE HELLA MEGA TOUR North American Dates:
DATE CITY VENUE
Saturday, July 24 DALLAS, TX Globe Life Field
Tuesday, July 27 ATLANTA, GA Truist Park
Thursday, July 29 HOUSTON, TX Minute Maid Park
Saturday, July 31 JACKSONVILLE, FL TIAA Bank Field
Sunday, August 1 MIAMI, FL Hard Rock Stadium
Wednesday, August 4 FLUSHING, NY Citi Field
Thursday, August 5 BOSTON, MA Fenway Park
Sunday, August 8 WASHINGTON, DC Nationals Park
Tuesday, August 10 DETROIT, MI Comerica Park
Friday, August 13 HERSHEY, PA Hersheypark Stadium
Sunday, August 15 CHICAGO, IL Wrigley Field
Tuesday, August 17 COLUMBUS, OH Historic Crew Stadium
Thursday, August 19 PITTSBURGH, PA PNC Park
Friday, August 20 PHILADELPHIA, PA Citizen’s Bank Park
Monday, August 23 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Target Field
Wednesday, August 25 DENVER, CO Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Friday, August 27 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Oracle Park
Sunday, August 29 SAN DIEGO, CA PetCo Park
Wednesday, September 1 MILWAUKEE, WI Summerfest
Friday, September 3 LOS ANGELES, CA Dodger Stadium
Monday, September 6 SEATTLE, WA T Mobile Park
Kings Of Leon Announce 2021 Tour Dates For ‘When You See Yourself Tour’
On the heels of a groundbreaking new album, KINGS OF LEON announces the When You See Yourself Tour produced by Live Nation. The Grammy Award-winning group will kick off the tour on August 3rd in West Palm Beach, FL at the iThink Financial Amphitheater and travel through 20+ cities before concluding on October 3rd in Ridgefield, WA at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. The tour will make stops at outdoor venues across North America, including two hometown shows at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.
Known for their impressive live performances, which have consistently been praised by critics for their dynamic creative, Kings of Leon will take to the stage performing new material alongside fan favorite tracks in their highly anticipated return to live shows. The band expressed their excitement to get back on the road when speaking with SPIN for their April cover. “It has that fun first day of summer camp vibe to it, which we’ve missed so much. It’s going to be super cool to get out there and play these songs for the first time.” said Nathan Followill.
Special guests Cold War Kids will join them as support, with band frontman Nathan Willett adding, “We are so excited to open for Kings of Leon on tour all over the US! Like- thrilled beyond belief, losing our minds about it! Let’s go!”
Earlier this year, Kings of Leon released their innovative eighth studio album When You See Yourself, marking the first time ever that a new album was released as an NFT. In a first of it’s kind launch, the innovative album release made waves through the music industry, quickly becoming one of the most successful wide-scale use of NFTs within the music industry to date. In the history making drop, the band made available six GOLDEN TICKET experiences, offering fans four front row seats, each tour, to the show of their choosing, anywhere in the world, FOR LIFE. NFT YOURSELF album token holders were also able to redeem “Going Nowhere” (an acoustic version of the album track ‘Supermarket’). The previously unreleased version of the track is being given as a token of appreciation to everyone who was willing to invest in the future of music, during a year of uncertain futures. As Kings of Leon continue exploring ways to connect directly with their fans, NFT YOURSELF will be the gift that keeps on giving.
The drop has raked in 1k Ethereum, which at today’s valued exchange rate, is approximately 3.7 million dollars. $600,000 of that has gone to directly benefit Live Nation’s Crew Nation. Echoing this sentiment on tour, the band will continue to give back to their musical community with one dollar from every ticket going directly to their newly formed Inherit The Music foundation.
Inherit The Music is embarking on a campaign to inspire the next generation of musicians. Co-founded by Kings of Leon and philanthropist Alisha Ballard, Inherit The Music supports local organizations that pay forward the gifts that only music can provide. By providing resources and funding education programs at all age levels, this newly formed charitable organization aims to impact the aspiring musicians of today and the future.
Kings of Leon’s latest album, When You See Yourself, was recorded at Nashville’s famed Blackbird Studios and produced by Grammy Award-winning Markus Dravs. The album has received critical acclaim with Rolling Stone Magazine noting “…the band’s eighth album is an arena rock of the mind,” that “lunges and soars with rippling guitar leads cascading across some of the dirtiest riffs the band has put on a record since the New South-meets-neo-Strokes garage moves of its first two albums… this record might surprise you.”
KINGS OF LEON TOUR DATES 2021:
Date City Venue
August 3, 2021 West Palm Beach, FL iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
August 5, 2021 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 7, 2021 Atlanta, GA Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
August 8, 2021 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
August 10, 2021 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
August 12, 2021 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
August 13, 2021 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
August 15, 2021 August 17, 2021 August 19, 2021 Clarkston, MI Bridgeport, CT Cuyahoga Falls, OH DTE Energy Music Theatre Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater Blossom Music Center
August 20, 2021 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheater CHI
August 22, 2021 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
August 24, 2021 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 25, 2021 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
August 27, 2021 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
August 29, 2021 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion
August 31, 2021 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
September 03, 2021 Snowmass Village, CO Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience
September 15, 2021 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater
September 17, 2021 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavillion
September 18, 2021 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Presented by Huntsman
September 21, 2021 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
September 23, 2021 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 24, 2021 Dana Point, CA Ohana Festival
October 1, 2021 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
October 3, 2021 Ridgefield, WA Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
Ashley McBryde Announces 35+ Date ‘This Town Talks’ Theater Tour For 2021-2022
NPR celebrates Ashley McBryde as an artist that “has found an audience by relentlessly touring, being so relatable to country fans of all kinds…she sings these songs that are classic, but they’re also rock ‘n’ roll…and they touch the heart of the heartland,” while Pollstar declares the four-time GRAMMY nominee “did it the old-fashioned way: grinding out dates, writing songs about women being counted out for not fitting the mold.”
Now, the ACM and CMA Award winner readies her joyous return to the road and her self-made fanbase with the announcement of her This Town Talks Tour, kicking off June 12 in Roanoke, Va. before heading out to an additional 36 cities across the U.S. into 2022, wrapping on Jan.15, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio with the support of Morgan Wade, Priscilla Block, Adam Hambrick and Ray Fulcher.
“AAAAAND we’re back,” exclaims McBryde. “I’ve been waiting so long to be able to say that. We’ve missed you all so much, there aren’t even words to do it justice. These songs were written and recorded to be sang together. Now, let’s be together and make some damn music!”
After releasing her critically acclaimed sophomore album Never Will in April of last year, to say McBryde and Deadhorse (her band) are eager is an understatement. “There’s a hunger, an angst and a real calling that we’ve all been feeling.”
It will be the first time Never Will, the only album to be nominated by the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and The Recording Academy (same cycle) has been performed live since its release. Fans can expect McBryde’s set-list to include the RIAA Gold-Certified “One Night Standards,” current single “Martha Divine,” which NPR shares is her “rowdiest jam to date” and that “when she plays it live, this thing will shake ceilings,” and title track “Never Will” among the hard-hitting “American Scandal” and seminal track “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” from her groundbreaking debut album.
Pre-sale tickets for McBryde’s fan-club The Trybe begins tomorrow, Tuesday May 18, at 10 a.m. local time, while the Spotify pre-sale will begin Wednesday, May 19 at 12 p.m. local time. General on sale will begin Friday, May 21 at 10 a.m. local time. For tickets and additional information, visit AshleyMcBryde.com.
The Arkansas-native is also prepping for her first headlining shows at the historic Ryman Auditorium, with back-to-back nights at the Mother Church of Country Music supported by Lainey Wilson on Thursday, Aug. 26 and Caylee Hammack on Friday, Aug. 27.
“There’s so much ground to cover musically, a little rust to kick-off and a whole lot of love ahead,” McBryde concludes.
Voted by a consortium of leading national music critics, Never Will received the title of Best Album from Nashville Scene’s 21st Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll, and also earned a spot in the top 20 of Rolling Stone’s all-genre “Best Albums of 2020” dubbing, the record as “this year’s most adventurous mainstream country album” while landing at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s “Best Country and Americana Albums of 2020,” proclaiming it “re-creates the trick McBryde pulled off on her stellar debut: proving that honest-to-goodness country songs can have commercial appeal.”
Earlier this year, McBryde announced the Never Will: Live From A Distance EP, with live versions of “First Thing I Reach For,” “Martha Divine,” “Shut Up Sheila” and “Voodoo Doll” available now, and the full release to be delivered on May 28.
Ashley McBryde cut her teeth playing country songs in rural biker bars – and it shows. Her 2018 major label debut Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Music Nashville) charmed the New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post, and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist of the Year, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” Her follow-up Never Will, released April 3, was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her lead Top 10 RIAA Gold-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. Produced once again by Jay Joyce, Never Will reveals the witty, confessional, detail-driven songwriting addressing a wide spectrum of blue-collar Southern women’s experience introduced on Girl Going Nowhere is still here, but perhaps even sharper, earning McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making Never Will the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. The music itself is stadium-ready rock-and-roll with a bluegrass wink or two and country music’s storytelling heart––and McBryde, no longer new, is the music’s ordained and highly capable standard bearer. McBryde’s This Town Talks Tour kicks off June 12, 2021, followed by an additional 36 dates before wrapping on Jan. 15, 2022. For more information, visit AshleyMcBryde.com or follow her at Facebook.com/AshleyMcBryde, Instagram @AshleyMcBryde and Twitter at @AshleyMcBryde.
This Town Talks Tour
*Morgan Wade as support | ^Adam Hambrick as support | +Priscilla Block as support |
~Ray Fulcher as support | #Support to be announced
June 12, 2021 Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridges Roanoke, Va.*
July 16, 2021 Gold Nugget Grand Event Center Lake Charles, La.
July 17, 2021 Floore’s Country Store Helotes, Texas#
July 18, 2021 Nutty Brown Café & Amphitheatre Austin, Texas#
July 28, 2021 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, Neb.^
Aug. 5, 2021 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, Okla.*
Aug. 6, 2021 Orpheum Theatre Memphis, Tenn.*
Aug. 7, 2021 Robinson Performance Hall Little Rock, Ark.*
Aug. 17, 2021 Irving Plaza New York, N.Y.+
Aug. 19, 2021 Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia, Pa.+
Aug. 20, 2021 House of Blues Boston, Mass.+
Aug. 21, 2021 The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, Md.+
Aug. 26, 2021 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, Tenn.
Aug. 27, 2021 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, Tenn.
Sept. 2, 2021 The Pageant St. Louis, Mo.+
Sept. 3, 2021 Bogart’s Cincinnati, Ohio+
Sept. 16, 2021 The Sylvee Madison, Wis.^
Sept. 22, 2021 The Wilma Missoula, Mont.~
Sept. 23, 2021 Martin Woldson Theatre at the Fox Spokane, Wash.~
Sept. 25, 2021 Showbox Seattle, Wash.~
Sept. 26, 2021 Roseland Theater Portland, Ore.~
Sept. 29, 2021 Ace of Spades Sacramento, Calif.~
Oct. 3, 2021 House of Blues San Diego, Calif.+
Oct. 5, 2021 The Wiltern Los Angeles, Calif.+
Oct. 13, 2021 Ogden Theatre Denver, Colo.~
Nov. 12, 2021 The Eastern Atlanta, Ga.+
Nov. 13, 2021 Tivoli Theatre Chattanooga, Tenn.+
Nov. 14, 2021 The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, N.C.+
Dec. 8, 2021 Riviera Theater Chicago, Ill.+
Dec. 11, 2021 ` Mississippi Moon Bar Dubuque, Iowa+
Dec. 12, 2021 Egyptian Room at Old National Centre Indianapolis, Ind.+
Jan. 6, 2022 Brown Theatre Louisville, Ky.+
Jan. 7, 2022 Roxian Theatre Pittsburgh, Pa.+
Jan. 8, 2022 The National Richmond, Va.+
Jan. 13, 2022 20 Monroe Live Grand Rapids, Mich.*
Jan. 14, 2022 The Fillmore Detroit, Mich.*
Jan. 15, 2022 Agora Theater Cleveland, Ohio#
Sonic Reducers: Morrissey is selling his latest album to the highest bidder
Sonic Reducers: 5 minutes. 2 music geeks. 1 big story.
Join us as we discuss Morrissey’s new album, and if artists should sell their music to the highest bidder.
New CBC Podcast, hosted by Kaniehti:io Horn – “Telling Our Twisted Histories” Launches May 31
CBC today announced the launch of TELLING OUR TWISTED HISTORIES, an 11-episode podcast series that reclaims Indigenous history by exploring 11 words whose meanings have been twisted by centuries of colonization.
Host Kaniehti:io Horn (Letterkenny, The Man in the High Castle) guides listeners through conversations with more than 70 people from 15 Indigenous communities whose lands now make up Quebec, New Brunswick and Labrador.
“Savage. Reserve. Indian Time. Words connect us, but also have the power to wound, erase and replace us,” says Kaniehti:io Horn, host of TELLING OUR TWISTED HISTORIES. “As Indigenous people, we are used to our stories getting a little twisted. This podcast is all about exploring some of these words, with humour and truth, so that we all better understand how they impact us to this day.”
The first two episodes of TELLING OUR TWISTED HISTORIES – “Discovery” and “Reserve”- are available now on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly on Mondays until August 2, 2021. Listen for free on CBC Listen, available as a free app for iOS and Android devices and online at cbc.ca/listen.
TELLING OUR TWISTED HISTORIES is a CBC co-production in association with Terre Innue, based on an original concept by Karine Lanoie-Brien and produced by Francine Allaire and Élodie Pollet. An award-winning French-version of this podcast, Laissez-nous raconter : L’histoire crochie, was released by Radio-Canada in June 2020.
Veteran Canadian Classic Rocker HOWARD LEE NAYLOR Reflects on Easier Times with “Those Summer Days”
It’s been a mere half a year since Penticton, BC-based singer/songwriter Howard Lee Naylor released his sophomore album x COVID-19 passion project, Songs from Isolation, and he’s already back in the recording studio with his newly reimagined release of “Those Summer Days.”
Calling back to a simpler, more enjoyable time, the summer, when family, friends, and lovers are able to congregate under the sun together — whether by the pool, beach, or over a nice dinner with a few beverages in hand.
The Penticton-based classic rock musician remastered the long-time fan-favourite to brilliant results; it’s seasonal sonic ecstasy is set to soothe the soul, and ears, of music-lovers nationwide during these continued trying times.
Initially written for his 2017 album, Possibilities, Naylor intended “Those Summer Days” to serve as an homage to the comforting and reminiscent sounds of The Beach Boys — which he did a remarkable job in achieving. The tireless entertainer even references them in the bridge of the song: “Take me back to a Beach Boys song / Wendy, nothing went that wrong,” he sings.
So why remaster it, some might ask? Well, as a perfectionist, Naylor believed the foot-tapper needed a new and enhanced mix — one that had a little more “depth” and carried a “rich” bass tone, to vividly convey his inspiration. What remains steadfast in both versions are Naylor’s smooth vocal harmonies and clean, yet rapid-fire guitar melodies that’ll take you right back to the sunshiney glory of the 1960s.
Though he himself hasn’t been able to enjoy the sun as much as he had hoped to in the last year and a half, Howard Lee Naylor has spent the better portion of the global pandemic in the studio, working on not just this crisp remaster of “Those Summer Days,” but his second album too.
It wasn’t long after the social distancing restrictions were first put in place that Naylor reached out to his producer, Ian Lopez, in hopes to record the new tracks. “The stay at home order got really boring, but thank God I make music,” he smiles.
Rather than record just one single, Lopez suggested Naylor do an entirely new album — which eventually became Songs from Isolation. Happy with the result of the ten-track project, Naylor admitted he was proud of the results, describing his new originals — which includes ‘Sweet Jeanine’ — as “songs from the heart and isolation.”
“Those Summer Days” and Songs from Isolation are available now.
Producer TAABU & Singer/Songwriter OMEGA MIGHTY Serve a Bubblegum-Sweet Treat in “Ooey Gooey”
Just in time for sizzling summer vibes, Toronto producer Taabu and singer/songwriter Omega Mighty serve up a bubblegum-sweet EDM-pop treat in the form of new single, “Ooey Gooey” — available now.
The infectiously feel-good track boasts enough layers of audio goodness to adhere to nearly every sweet tooth’s musical desires; from the Drake-reminiscent drum and bass beats, to the magically ethereal synth melodies oscillating throughout, this soon-to-be smasher is nothing short of a dreamy delicacy.
Their third collaboration — including “Wishy Washy,” and featured on Haviah Mighty’s 2019 Polaris Music Prize winning release, 13th Floor — Taabu (Spencer Heaslip) created the track’s firm-footed foundation first, before sending it over to Omega Mighty for lyrics.
“The inspiration for the lyrics came to me when thinking about my relationship with my hubby,” Omega Mighty muses of her inspiration. “He always reminds me just how special I am.
“The lyrics reference a reciprocal love,” she adds, likening love to being “delicious” — like melted ice cream on a hot fudge brownie, the very definition of “Ooey Gooey.”
This metaphor blended well with Taabu’s own, most notably considering his mantra of approaching music production like he’s “in the kitchen, cooking,” he says.
“The lyrics spoke to me immediately,” he continues. “It’s also an analogy for the polar ebbs and flows of perfecting one’s craft… When the recipe’s just right, especially after hours of hard work and dedication, that gratification tastes so good.”
“Ooey Gooey” comes from Taabu’s forthcoming debut album, Bellows — set for release this year — and also serves as the release’s premiere single. The track is of special significance to Taabu because “it solidifies the constant magic and synergy Omega and I have in a creative environment,” he shares. “We are both versatile, adaptable, diverse, and open minded when it comes to genre blending — and this approach has worked time and time again.”
While Bellows may be Taabu’s official debut release, the multi-talented producer holds credits working with some of the biggest names in the game, including work on tracks with JUNO and Polaris Prize-nominated Snotty Nose Rez Kids, The Sorority, TWNRVA, Yviona, Valdii, Lex Leosis, Marcio Novelli, Raz, and more.
“Ooey Gooey (feat. Omega Mighty)” is available now.
The Weeknd Keeps Winning, Hitting a SOCAN Awards Record
Global superstar and SOCAN member The Weeknd has achieved yet another milestone by gaining five SOCAN Awards for his accomplishments in 2020, matching fellow SOCAN member Shawn Mendes as the most-awarded SOCAN member in a single year.
After dominating the Billboard Music Awards, The Weeknd adds the coveted SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award, the SOCAN International Song Award for the smash hit “Blinding Lights,” two SOCAN Pop Music Awards and a SOCAN R&B Music Award.
Honouring Canada’s most successful songwriters, composers and music publishers, the 32nd annual SOCAN Awards are being held online for the second year.
Follow @socanmusic on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (#SOCANawards) and go to socanawards.com to join in the celebration of more than 50 award winners announced today and special performance by JJ Wilde of Eddie Schwartz’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” Special virtual presentations will include SOCAN members Drake, Lido Pimienta, Shawn Mendes, OZ, Tenille Arts and many more music creators and publishers who exemplify the incredible domestic and international success of Canadian music creation.
SOCAN Special Achievement Awards:
- The Weeknd. The Weeknd is honoured for the second time with the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – Performer Award. In addition to this most prestigious prize, he also takes home the SOCAN International Song Award, two SOCAN Pop Music Awards for the international hits “Blinding Lights” and “Heartless,” and a SOCAN R&B Award for “In Your Eyes.”
- Eddie Schwartz. His impact as a songwriter on the international music scene is undeniable, and his truly iconic song, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” holds a special place in music history. An anthem of empowerment and resilience, not only was the song Schwartz’s earliest hit as a songwriter for another artist, but it would see singer Pat Benatar achieve her first Billboard top 10 single. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Eddie Schwartz will be honoured with the SOCAN Cultural Impact Award.
- SOCAN Guardian Award. The most significant act of government prioritizing Canadian music, the Broadcasting Act, made sure that the work of Canadian music creators was properly promoted for the prosperity of Canadian culture. The SOCAN Guardian Award honours the 24 industry and government leaders who championed Canadian content legislation, ensuring Canadian art and storytelling could be discovered and thrive. Their contributions of a half-century ago inspire us as we look to the future and how we will continue to nurture Canada’s music creators in the digital era.
- Keith Power. For his incredible music contributions to such television productions as Heartland, and Hawaii Five-0, Keith Power is celebrated for a fourth time with the SOCAN Screen Composer of the Year Award, the SOCAN Domestic Television Music Award – Fiction Programming and the SOCAN International Television Series Music Award.
- Frank Dukes. Dukes continues to dominate the world of production, receiving his fourth consecutive SOCAN Songwriter of The Year – Producer Award. Producing for many of the biggest names in music, including the global chart-toppers “My Oh My” by Camila Cabello feat. DaBaby, and “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber.
- Tate McRae. In 2020 Tate McRae’s single “You Broke Me First” became one of the biggest international hits of the year. This followed amassing tens of millions of streams on her debut single “Tear Myself Apart,” co-penned with Billie Eilish and Finneas, and being added as the youngest musician to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Tate McRae is being honoured with the SOCAN Breakout Songwriter Award and a SOCAN Pop Music Award.
- peermusic Canada Inc. For their investment in music creation and commitment to the long-term success of music creators in 2020, peermusic receives the SOCAN Publisher of the Year Award.
- The SOCAN Licensed To Play Award goes to Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s preeminent classical music organization, for providing much-needed online concerts while continuing to recognize the value of music and importance of music rights by adhering to legal and ethical music licensing.
“In a difficult year, the incredible work of Canada’s music creators and publishers has never been more important and meaningful,” said SOCAN interim CEO Jennifer Brown. “2020 reminded us of the deep connection we have with music and the huge role it plays in our mental and emotional health. We will continue to advocate for a country in which music creation is fairly valued and rewarded.”
Music fans can support music creators by donating to the official charitable partners of the SOCAN Awards, the Unison Benevolent Fund and the SOCAN Foundation, organizations that work to assist deserving musicians, music creators and music publishers in their lives and careers.
SOCAN Achievement Award winners are determined collaboratively between the SOCAN Board of Directors’ Membership Committee and the leaders of SOCAN’s Membership department. They receive “The SOCAN” – the world’s first and only music industry trophy that is also a musical instrument, incorporating five custom bronze crotales created by world-class percussion instrument maker SABIAN of New Brunswick.
The annual Gala de la SOCAN, which celebrates and honours the work of SOCAN’s Francophone members, will be held in a similar event later this year.
A complete list of winners can be found at 2021 SOCAN Awards.