Thereās nothing all that bluesy or melancholy about āKingsburg Blues,ā the new single by 2024 ECMA Fusion Recording Of The Year for Anuri, Miākmaāki (Nova Scotia)-based Gina Burgess, although it is indeed haunting. Instead, the song, which blends psychedelic elements with Celtic and Inuit roots, takes us into a magical and mischievous fairy world shimmering with fireflies and secrets.
Thereās only one lyric to the song: āAnd how long does it take for a rose to bloom and die?ā But that lyric allows an entry point into that November day in Nova Scotia when Burgess was first inspired to write āKingsburg Blues.ā
āI was walking along the ocean coast in the village of Kingsburg, on the south shore of Nova Scotia,ā Burgess recalls. āThe path I walked was lined with rose bushes entering their hibernation state for the winter. The wind picked up and I heard this majikal music. It felt as though the rose hip spirits were singing this melody to me.ā
In fact, it was more as though Burgess was being led into the song rather than fully forming it herself. āQuieting my mind, I could hear the whispers of the fae folk as they taught me this song,ā she says. āI immediately went and got my violin and played the notes I had heard.ā
The trance-y, hypnotizing composition features Burgessās violin accompanied by Cynthia Pitsulakās contemporary Inuit throat singing. Also featured is the Angolan instrument, the berimbau, played by Ross Burns. Double bass is played by Jordan Stephens, along with Matthew Gallant on the drum kit.
āI met Cynthia Pitsiulak in Ottawa at a Silla and Rise (her band at that time) performance. I knew immediately that I wanted Cynthia to record the contemporary Inuit throat parts,ā Burgess recalls. āWe have since then created a wonderful friendship and collaborative spirit together.ā Burgessā collaborations with Jordan Stephens and Matt Gallant go back even further. āI have played with Jordan and Matt in many capacities over the last two decades,ā she says. āThey are both incredible musicians in their own right and I knew I wanted to work with them for my solo project.ā
The Brazilian percussion is played by Ross Burns, a capoeira practitioner and teacher. āRoss and I have a long history performing together in the swing manouche band Gypsophilia,ā Burgess explains. āWe composed, performed, and toured together in that band for 12 years. During that time, he would occasionally bring the capoeira instruments into the mix, and I absolutely love those sounds.ā
āKingsburg Bluesā is one of nine songs on Burgessā new album ISNOW. The genre-bending compositions were written for violin, contemporary Inuit throat singing, double bass, drum kit, and Brazilian percussion, and they fuse together the different musical elements that have influenced Burgess through her musical training and travels.
āI spend a lot of time in nature,ā says Burgess. āThatās where I hear music the most. When I am still and listening, the music comes to me. I have never actually sat down to write a composition yet. I feel more like a conduit where the spirit of music flows through me.ā
From Miākmaāki (Nova Scotia), internationally recognized artist Gina Burgess is a multi-genre violinist, composer, yoga instructor, educator, and musician wellness facilitator. A former member of the JUNO-nominated Iqaluit-based arctic rock band The Jerry Cans, a four- time East Coast Music Award winner with the Hot Swing group Gypsophilia, and collaborator with numerous ensembles, Burgess is a highly sought-after performer. Her latest project ISNOW reflects her diverse experience by mixing classical music with Celtic folk and incorporating contemporary Inuit throat singing with elements of jazz.
In the ongoing race to predict the next teen craze, give yourself 10 points if you had ā¦ Celtic/Latin/jazz fusion fiddle?
Hey, in a world where Lindsey Stirling has made the violin commercial again, anything can happen. And just one listen to First Light, the debut album from 18-year-old Ontario wunderkind Mary Frances Leahy, will convince you that sheās next in line. Its nine original instrumentals are ironclad proof that composer/multi-instrumentalist Leahy has carved out a wholly unique and captivating musical identity that rings as natural to the ear as it might look peculiar on paper.
The clarity and breadth of her vision are in full display on the albumās showcase singles. āCheerioā has a traditional Celtic jauntiness that veers into another realm entirely when Rosendo āChendyā LeĆ³nās Latin percussion comes in; thereās even an all-rhythm interlude thatās guaranteed to inspire euphoric pandemonium on the dance floor. Meanwhile, the bittersweet āSilhouette LeBertā shows off a completely different yet utterly complementary side to Leahyās repertoire. Itās a gorgeous and gentle waltz with an achingly romantic, āfinal dance of the eveningā feel. You can just see the last couple to leave the supper club staring adoringly into each otherās eyes as the janitor leans on his broom and checks his watch.
Other tracks like the appropriately named āCelticumbiaā effortlessly bridge the worlds of Celtic and Latin music, giving free rein to Leahyās skills as not just a fiddler and composer, but also a pianist. Oh, and did we mention sheās a dancer, too?
It helps that music is literally in her DNA. The oldest of seven children born to Canadian Celtic-music legends Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Mary Frances has been performing with them since age 5, playing an estimated 600 shows throughout Canada and the U.S. together. So itās not entirely surprising that her emergence as a solo artist came via a little parental encouragement.
āWhen I hit 14 or 15, I started listening to and writing a lot of music,ā she says. āI would sit at the piano and just play for an hour without stopping. It actually drove me nuts, because my mom would hide in the next room or at the top of the stairs with a recording device and tape everything I played. She always said āYou have to do something with all of this!āā
It was the 2020 pandemic, she says, that gave her the time and opportunity:
āMy parents purchased a recording studio, and all of a sudden I had a musical playground right down the hall from my bedroom! Recording an album seemed very natural given the circumstances, and so it began.ā
To bring her brainchild to life, she enlisted Elmer Ferrer as co-producer and -arranger. He also played guitar and tres and did digital programming, joining a core ensemble that was rounded out by LeĆ³n on percussion and Mark Kelso on drums. Remi Arsenault plays bass on Cheerio and four other tracks and guitar on yet another. No slouch herself, Leahy says she relished the opportunity to work with top-shelf talents, who āalways push you to be better than you thought you could be. Great musicians inspire the ear and direct your musicality in new ways.ā
And now sheās directing herself to the concert stage as a solo act. Having already undertaken a couple dozen full shows of her own, sheās fully discovered the high of writing, playing and performing your own music. So of course she has an extensive touring schedule already mapped out for 2024. Appearances announced so far are as follows:
JUNE 21TH, 2024 PEI Festival of Small Halls
JUNE 22TH, 2024 PEI Festival of Small Halls
JUNE 23TH, 2024 PEI Festival of Small Halls
SAT. JUNE 29TH, 2024 Portsmouth, NH
SAT JULY 6TH, 2024 Mahone Bay, NS TBC
SUN. JULY 14TH, 2024 Summerside, PEI Harbourfront Theatre
FRI. JULY 19TH, 2024 Huntsville, ON Algonquin Theater
THURS JULY 18, 2024 Howe Island, ON
FRI. JULY 26TH, 2024 Souris, PEI
SAT. JULY 27TH, 2024 Summerside, PEI
SUN. JULY 28TH, 2024 Broadcove, NS Broadcove Scottish Concert
FRI. AUGUST 9TH, 2024 York, PS Susquehanna Folk Festival
AUGUST 15TH, 2024 Bayfield, WI Big Top Chautauqua
AUGUST 16 2024 Milwaukee, WI Henry Maier
THUR.SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 Truro, NS Nova Scotia Stampede
FRI OCTOBER 18, 2024 Ithaca, NY IMG Show Day – Venue TBC
THUR.OCTOBER 24TH-31ST, 2024 AMA Waterways European Cruise
SUN NOV 24TH, 2024 Calgary, AB Jubilee Auditorium
MON NOV 25TH, 2024 Regina, SK Casino Regina
WED NOV 27, 2024 Saskatoon, SK TCU Place
FRI NOV 29, 2024 Edmonton, AB Jubilee Auditorium
WED DECEMBER 4TH, 2024 Pictour, NS DeCoste Centre for Arts & Creativity
THUR.DECEMBER 5TH, 2024 Moncton, NB Casino New Brunswick
FRI-SAT DECEMBER 6-7, 2024 Halifax, NS Light House Arts Centre
SUN DEC 15, 2024 Burlington, ON Burlington Performing Arts Centre
MON-TUES DECEMBER 16-17, 2024 St. Catharines, ON Partridge Concert Hall
WED. DECEMBER 18TH, 2024 Markham, ON Flato Markham Theatre
THUR.DECEMBER 19TH, 2024 Kitchener, ON Centre in the Square
FRI.DECEMBER 20TH, 2024 Peterborough, ON Peterborough Memorial Centre
SUN. DECEMBER 22ND, 2024 Ottawa, ON Southam Hall
SATURDAY MARCH 1st, 2025 Waterville, Maine Waterville Opera House
SUNDAY MARCH 2nd, 2025 Waterville, Maine Waterville Opera House
THURSDAY MARCH 13th, 2025 Brownfield, Maine The Stone Mountain Arts Center
FRIDAY MARCH 14th, 2025 Keene, NH The Colonial Performing Arts Center
SATURDAY MARCH 15th, 2025 New London, CT Garde Arts Center
SUNDAY MARCH 16th, 2025 Beverly, MA The Cabot
TUESDAY MARCH 25th, 2025 Nanaimo, BC The Port Theatre
WEDNESDAY MARCH 26th, 2025 Victoria, BC Royal Theatre
FRIDAY MARCH 28th, 2025 Campbell River, BC The Tidemark Theatre
SATURDAY MARCH 29th, 2025 Port Alberni, BC Alberni District Secondary School
SUNDAY MARCH 30th, 2025 Duncan, BC Cowichan Performing Arts Centre
MONDAY MARCH 31st, 2025 Courtneay, BC Sid Williams Civic Theatre
FRIDAY APRIL 4th, 2025 Vernon, BC Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre
SATURDAY APRIL 5th, 2025 Vernon, BC Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre
MONDAY APRIL 7th, 2025 Trail, BC Charles Bailey Theatre
TUESDAY APRIL 8th, 2025 Cranbrook, BC Key City Theatre
Even before Leahyās solo career had left the launching pad, her family experience had enabled her to rack up an impressive list of accomplishmentsāincluding a piano performance alongside the great Yo-Yo Ma on her parentsā latest release, CANVAS, which also features two of her own compositions (āChoo Chooā and āColour Theoryā). Sheās performed on Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey, the Carmen Nebel TV show in Germany and the special A Celtic Family Christmas. The many performances sheās given in her motherās homeland of Cape Breton Island led to Mary Francesā coming out in top in a recent Cape Breton Tourism music contest; her winning entry ended up as the title track to her new album.
As a dancer specializing in the Ottawa Valley/Cape Breton styles, she was seen performing atop a white grand piano for a 2021 Canada Day special, and has also taught multiple workshops. And in the past year alone, sheās had the opportunity to perform with Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas, as well as arrange and record fiddle for the BBCās musician of the Year, Tim Edey.
With her eyes set squarely on the future, sheās determined to further her development as a musician and performing artist. She spends an average of 7 hours per day practicing on her various instruments, not counting her private jazz piano lessons with the University of Torontoās Adrean Farrugia. Sheās also enrolled in a Latin-style piano course through the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and is learning the fine arts of orchestration via private lessons from Becca Pellet at Humber College in Toronto.
Her main focus, though, is on the labor of love that is her new album, and the very real shot it represents at making her the next big thing among listeners who might be hearing a fiddle for the very first timeāor at least as theyāve never heard one before.
āIf I had to describe the album, I would say itās a salad,ā she muses. āItās a mixture of many odd things which, put together, create something delicious.ā
The Blues Music Awards brings together Blues performers, industry representatives, and fans from all over the world to celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year.
The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians and are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members.
The Renasant Convention Center was packed with blues musicians, fans, and music-world luminaries on May 9th, anxious to see who would be the winners at the 45th Annual Blues Music Awards. Besides awarding honors in 25 categories, the BMAs, as is its tradition, featured performances from many nominees, with the gala ending in a jubilant all-star jam.
Congratulations to Sue Foley, who won in the Traditional Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award) category and Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Way, who won in the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player category. Both these artists are on the Stony Plain Records label and continue to enthrall audiences with their exceptional talent and dedication to the blues genre. Their wins at the Blues Music Awards further solidify their status as esteemed figures within the blues community and serve as a testament to their ongoing contributions to the rich tapestry of blues music.
Acclaimed by critics, adored by fans and admired by fellow comedians as one of the best in the business, Brian Regan announces his fall 2024 theater tour dates visiting 20 cities nationwide. Since 2005, Brianās non-stop theater tour has visited the most beautiful venues.
Brian co-stars in three seasons of Peter Farrellyās TV series, Loudermilk, which moved to Netflix on January 1, 2024 ranking in the Top 10 TV shows on Netflix for over a month. Farrelly personally cast Brian in the series alongside Ron Livingston, Anja Savcic, Will Sasso and Mat Fraser. Brian received praise for his portrayal of āMugsy,ā a recovering addict who is estranged from his family.
Brian stars in two Netflix stand-up specials, Brian Regan: On The Rocks, and Brian Regan: Nunchucks And Flamethrowers, and he stars in his own Netflix series, Stand Up And Away! With Brian Regan. Brian and Jerry Seinfeld Executive Produce the four-episode original half-hour series that combines sketch comedy and stand-up.
Brian made history with his stand-up special, Brian Regan: Live From Radio City Music Hall, as the first live broadcast of a stand-up special in Comedy Centralās history. Brian has performed at The Leicester Square Theatre in London and he is a regular at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He performed at Carnegie Hall following years of performances in New York Cityās finest theaters including Lincoln Centerās Avery Fisher Hall, The Beacon Theater and Radio City Music Hall. Brianās tour has included visits to Denverās legendary 8600-seat Red Rocks Amphitheater and the 15,000-seat Huntsman Center Arena in Salt Lake City.
A regular on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Brian is the stand-up comedian guest who the show invites on for two segments: a performance segment and a segment on the couch to chat with Jimmy. Previously, Brian was a regular guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, making 28 appearances on the CBS show.
Brian made a scene-stealing cameo in Chris Rockās film, Top Five, and he is a guest on two episodes of Seinfeldās Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on Netflix.
Brianās comedy releases include: Brian Regan: On The Rocks Netflix special; Stand Up And Away! With Brian Regan Netflix series; Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers on Netflix and on vinyl; Brian Regan: Live From Radio City Music Hall aired on Comedy Central and is available on CD & DVD and as a video or audio download; All By Myself is available on CD and download only through his website; his two separate one-hour Comedy Central specials, The Epitome of Hyperbole and Brian Regan Standing Up are available on DVD or as a video or audio download; I Walked on the Moon is available on DVD or as an audio or video download only through his website and Brian Regan Live is available on CD.
BRIAN REGAN FALL 2024 TOUR DATES:
Friday, August 2, 2024Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Las Vegas, NVĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The Summit Showroom at The Venetian Resort
Saturday, August 3, 2024Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Las Vegas, NVĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The Summit Showroom at The Venetian Resort
Thursday, September 12, 2024 Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Eugene, ORĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Hult Center for the Performing Arts
Four-time Grammy-nominated country performer Mickey Guyton will headline the latest installment of āCMT On Tour.ā āCMT On Tour Presents Mickey Guytonā kicks off Sept. 18 at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, GA with a 22-city tour across major cities in North America including New York, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C. and more, wrapping up in Lexington, KY at Manchester Music Hall on November 9.
Earlier this month, Mickey also shined at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on CBS, where she earned nominations for āCollaborative Video Of The Yearā and āVideo Of The Yearā for her collaboration with Kane Brown on āNothing Compares To You.ā
Capitol Nashvilleās Mickey Guyton āraises the rafters and distills emotion with impeccable clarity. Her high notes thrill, her nuance in storytelling captivates. A star for our times claims her placeā (NPR).āÆThe four-time GRAMMY nominee and 2022 TIME Breakthrough Artist of the Year Guyton released songs āI Still Pray,ā āHow You Love Someoneā and āSomethinā Bout Youā following her critically acclaimed 2021 debut album,āÆRemember Her Name. Most recently, she unveiled her latest singles āScary Loveā and āWomanā to maintain her momentum in 2024.
WithāÆRemember Her Name,āÆMickey made history asāÆthe first Black artist to earn aāÆGRAMMYāÆnomination for Best Country Album.āÆTitle track āRemember Her Nameā also landed Mickey with GRAMMY nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. This follows Mickeyās groundbreaking GRAMMY nomination asāÆthe first-everāÆBlack female solo artist to earn aāÆnodāÆin a country category (Best Country Solo Performance) for āBlack Like Meā which she performed as part of the 2021 awards ceremony.āÆāBlack Like Meā was named one of the Top 10 all-genre songs of 2020 byāÆNPR,āÆBillboard,āÆandāÆAssociated Press.āÆShe also co-hosted the 56thAcademy of Country Music Awards on CBS along with Keith Urban and she was namedāÆCMTāsāÆ2021 Breakout Artist of the Year.āÆAudiences around the world watched Mickey deliver a powerful message of inclusivity and togetherness with her āawe-inspiring,ā āsoulful and soaringā national anthem at Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles.
Mickey and her music have been featured on theāÆcoverāÆofāÆBillboardāÆand profiled ināÆThe New Yorker,āÆThe New York Times andāÆRolling Stone. Over the last year she has been featured ināÆAmerican Songwriter,āÆBBC News,āÆCBS Mornings,āÆEbony,āÆElle,āÆEllen,āÆEntertainment Weekly,āÆEssence,āÆHITS,āÆSesame Street, SHERRI, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show,āÆThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert,āÆLos Angeles Times,āÆNew York Magazineās Vulture,āÆPEOPLE,āÆPollstar,āÆSesame Street, TODAY Show,āÆThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,āÆUSA Today,āÆVariety,āÆVIBE,āÆThe View,āÆVogue,āÆThe Washington PostāÆand many more.
Grammy-nominated artist Porter Robinson announces a 5-continent world tour including stops in 30+ North American cities, Europe, and Asia in support of his highly anticipated third studio album SMILE! š, releasing July 26th via MOM+POP.
Robinson will debut a completely new live production including a full live band during his SMILE! š World Tour, after first experimenting with the band format at his own sold-out Second Sky festival and again in 2023 at Coachellaās main stage. Fans can expect opening acts ericdoa in North America, underscores in Europe and Galileo Galilei in Japan.
The SMILE! š World Tour will kick off on August 29 in Boston and hit notable stops along the way including Forrest Hills in New York on August 31 and Hollywood Bowl on October 11, before heading onto an Asian run which spans 9 cities beginning November 2024. Porter concludes the tour by traversing across 8 countries in Europe throughout February and March 2025, including a stop at Londonās prestigious Brixton Academy. Dates in Australia and Latin America will also be announced soon. Full routing is available below.
SMILE! š World Tour Dates:
August 29, 2024 ā Boston, MA ā MGM Music Hall at Fenway
August 30, 2024 ā Boston, MA ā MGM Music Hall at Fenway
August 31, 2024 ā New York, NY ā Forest Hills Stadium
September 5, 2024 ā Atlanta, GA ā Coca-Cola Roxy
September 6, 2024 ā Orlando, FL ā Addition Financial Arena
September 7, 2024 ā Miami, FL ā FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park
September 10, 2024 ā Nashville, TN ā Municipal Auditorium
September 11, 2024 ā Charlotte, NC ā Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
September 13, 2024 ā Philadelphia, PA ā TD Pavilion at the Mann
September 14, 2024 ā Washington, DC ā Merriweather Post Pavilion
September 15, 2024 ā Pittsburgh, PA ā UPMC Events Center
September 17, 2024 ā Montreal, BC ā MTELUS
September 19, 2024 ā Toronto, BC ā HISTORY
September 21, 2024 ā Toronto, BC ā HISTORY
September 22, 2024 ā Detroit, MI ā The Fillmore
September 23, 2024 ā Indianapolis, IN ā Everwise Amphitheater
September 26, 2024 ā Madison, WI ā The Sylvee
September 27, 2024 ā Chicago, IL ā Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
September 28, 2024 ā Minneapolis, MN ā The Armory
September 30, 2024 ā St. Louis, MO ā Saint Louis Music Park
October 1, 2024 ā Oklahoma City, OK ā The Criterion
October 8, 2024 ā El Paso, TX ā El Paso County Coliseum
October 11, 2024 ā Los Angeles, CA ā Hollywood Bowl
October 12, 2024 ā Phoenix, AZ ā Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
October 13, 2024 ā San Diego, CA ā The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
October 15, 2024 ā Albuquerque, NM ā Revel
October 17, 2024 ā Denver, CO ā Ball Arena
October 18, 2024 ā Salt Lake City, UT ā Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
October 19, 2024 ā Las Vegas, NV ā BleauLive Theater
October 24, 2024 ā Sacramento, CA ā Wheatland Toyota Amphitheatre
October 25, 2024 ā San Francisco, CA ā Shoreline Amphitheatre
October 29, 2024 ā Boise, ID ā Revolution Concert House
October 31, 2024 ā Portland, OR ā Alaska Airlinesā Theater of the Clouds
November 1, 2024 ā Vancouver, BC ā Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
November 2, 2024 ā Seattle, WA ā Climate Pledge Arena
November 25, 2024 ā Bangkok ā Samyan Mitrtown Hall
November 27, 2024 ā Singapore ā The Star Performing Arts Centre
December 8, 2024 ā Manila ā The Podium
December 10, 2024 ā Taipei ā Zepp New Taipei
December 12, 2024 ā Seoul ā Myunghwa Live Hall
February 10, 2025 ā Tokyo ā Tokyo Garden Theater
February 11, 2025 ā Osaka ā Namba Hatch
February 12, 2025 ā Nagoya ā Diamond Hall
February 14, 2025 ā Fukuoka ā UNITEDLAB
February 21, 2025 ā Berlin ā Huxleys Neue Welt
February 22, 2025 ā Hamburg ā Fabrik
February 24, 2025 ā Oslo ā Rockefeller Music Hall
February 25, 2025 ā Stockholm ā Berns
February 26. 2025 ā Copenhagen ā Vega
February 28, 2025 ā Amsterdam ā Melkweg
March 3, 2025 ā Cologne ā Live Music Hall
March 4, 2025 ā Paris ā Salle Pleyel
March 6, 2025 ā London ā O2 Academy Brixton
March 7, 2025 ā Manchester ā Albert Hall
March 8, 2025 ā Glasgow ā SWG3 Galvanizers
March 10, 2025 ā Dublin ā 3Olympia Theatre
Today, Judah & the Lion announced their 2024 āThe Process Tourā. The 17-city tour kicks off on October 4 at The Tulsa Theater in Tulsa making stops across the U.S. in Denver, Boston, Philadelphia and more before wrapping up in Nashville at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on October 26.
The band began releasing songs from The Process last year. The new material has racked up over 10 million combined global streams to date and earned spots on numerous playlists across all DSPs, including Spotifyās New Music Friday, Apple Musicās New Music Daily and Amazon Musicās Alternative Hits, with additional support from SiriusXM Alt Nationās āAdvanced Placement,ā Pandora, YouTube, SoundCloud, Tidal, Audiomack and Deezer. The bandās single, āFloating in the Night,ā is at #36 at Alternative radio. Listen to āFloating in the Nightā HERE
Since their 2012 debut EP, Judah & the Lion have garnered wide-spread acclaim for their genre-bending music, received platinum/gold certifications and have accumulated over 910 million career streams. Six of their hit singles have gone Top 15 on Alternative radio and the band won an iHeart Music Award for Best New Alt Rock Band of 2018.
Their forthcoming album, āThe Process,ā (coming Spring 2024) was inspired by singer Judah Akers personal life and struggles. In looking towards going into the studio, Akers realized that he needed to be honest to be able to write music again. Inspired by KĆ¼bler-Rossā five stages of grief, the album became a song-cycle through the stages of grief through the lens of eventual forgiveness and hope. Having navigated āThe Process,ā both Akers and partner in crime, mandolinist, Brian Macdonald have emerged with a record that is buoyant, impassioned and emotionally connective. The band has a reinvigorated sense of purpose with its aim to create music that resonates deeply, believing in musicās power to connect people and make them feel less alone in lifeās journey.
THE PROCESS 2024 TOUR DATES:
Fri Oct 04 ā Tulsa, OK ā The Tulsa Theater
Sat Oct 05 ā Kansas City, MO ā Uptown Theater
Sun Oct 06 ā Omaha, NE ā Steelhouse Omaha
Tue Oct 08 ā Salt Lake City, UT ā The Union Event Center
Wed Oct 09 ā Denver, CO ā Fillmore Auditorium
Sat Oct 12 ā Milwaukee, WI ā The Rave
Sun Oct 13 ā Grand Rapids, MI ā GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Tue Oct 15 ā Columbus, OH ā KEMBA Live!
Thu Oct 17 ā Boston, MA ā Citizens House of Blues
Fri Oct 18 ā Silver Spring, MD ā The Fillmore Silver Spring
Sat Oct 19 ā Philadelphia, PA ā The Fillmore Philadelphia
Sun Oct 20 ā Raleigh, NC ā The Red Hat Amphitheater
Weds Oct 23 ā Charleston, NC ā The Refinery
Thu Oct 24 ā Birmingham, AL ā Avondale Brewing Company
Fri Oct 25 ā Atlanta, GA ā Coca-Cola Roxy
Sat Oct 26 ā Nashville, TN ā Nashville Municipal Auditorium
Megadeth is bringing its iconic live show to North America with a 33-city, nationwide tour, Destroy All Enemies this fall including stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, St. Louis and many more.
Bringing along Mudvayne and All That Remains, the tour begins in Rogers, Arkansas on August 2 and runs throughout the month before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28. Performing classic hits from Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction and more, the tour also brings Dave Mustaine and bandmates back to North America to perform their latest studio album The Sick, the Dyingā¦ and the Dead! Featuring some of Mustaineās strongest-ever songwriting, the tour offers an equally ambitious live performance that delivers on all fronts.
āOur āCrush The Worldā tour has been a tremendous experience for the four of us,ā shared Dave Mustaine. āWe are all playing tight, and that has made it possible for me to really focus on solos and singing, we are playing more songs than ever before, and we are closer to each other, onstage AND off. Iām excited to see Mudvayne, and All That Remains. Join us as we DESTROY ALL ENEMIES.ā
Megadeth, alongside founder and frontman Dave Mustaine, are renowned for their unparalleled energy and mastery on stage. In 2023, the GRAMMY-Award winning band dominated arenas and festivals, reaffirming its status as one of heavy metalās most formidable live acts. Dubbed āas ferocious and hard-hitting as everā by AllMusic, Megadeth enjoyed sold-out shows and critical acclaim on the latest run of the Crush The World Tour captivating audiences and showcasing the latest and greatest hits.
With a musical legacy spanning four decades, Megadeth has sold in excess of 50 million albums worldwide earning numerous accolades including 1 Grammy award with 13 nominations and five consecutive platinum albums. Megadethās debut album, Killing Is My Businessā¦ And Business Is Good! was named by VH1 as the āGreatest Thrash Metal Debut Album of All Time.ā The bandās latest album The Sick, The Dyingā¦ And The Dead! was released in September 2022 via Tradecraft/UMG. It debuted at No. 1 across Billboardās Top Rock, Hard Rock, and Alternative Albums charts, and No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and the lead single āWeāll Be Backā was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Metal Performance.
Destroy All Enemies U.S. Tour 2024
8/2 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
8/3 Houston, TX 713 Music Hall
8/5 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheatre
8/6 Denver, CO Ball Arena
8/8 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
8/9 Los Angeles, CA YouTube Theater
8/10 Concord, CA Toyota Pavilion at Concord
8/12 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
8/13 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/16 Las Vegas, NV Bakkt Theatre at Planet Hollywood
8/17 Salt Lake City, UT Maverick Arena
8/20 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/21 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater
8/23 Macon, GA Atrium Health Macon Amphitheater
8/24 West Palm Beach, FL IThink Financial Amphitheatre
9/3 Tinley Park, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9/5 Huntington, WV Marshall Health Network Arena
9/6 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/7 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/9 Reading, PA Santander Arena
9/10 Albany, NY MVP Arena
9/11 Boston, MA Leader Bank
9/13 Bethel, MY Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
9/14 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
9/15 Richmond, VA Virginia Credit Union Live!
9/17 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
9/18 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
9/20 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
9/21 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
9/24 Minneapolis, MN The Armory
9/26 St Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
9/27 Southaven, MS Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
9/28 Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium
The two authors met at the 2000 competition, held in Stockholm. The American-born Junk accompanied the first Russian artist signed to Universal Music Russia, the teenaged singer Alsou. Bronson was covering the pan-European song contest for Billboard. They quickly became friends and stayed in touch long after Eurovision.
Some 22 years later, Junk told Bronson he wanted to write a book about his time in Russia, dealing with oligarchs, record piracy, stolen diamonds and murder, as well as signing a number of Russian artists to the label and welcoming visiting Universal acts to Russia like Mariah Carey, Elton John, Sting, and Bon Jovi.
Then Junk asked Bronson if he would co-write the book, and the answer was a resounding āYes!ā
There are multiple chapters in the book about Alsou and t.A.T.U., about how Junk discovered them and signed them, and their adventures at Eurovision and beyond, up to their ultimate implosions.
Other artists who have performed at Eurovision are also mentioned in the book, including a wild, unbelievable chapter all about Russian superstar Alla Pugacheva and her then-husband, Philipp Kirkorov. Junk also signed the boy-band duo Smash!!, and writes extensively about founding member Sergey Lazarev, who went on to have his own solo career and compete in Eurovision. Other Eurovision performers referenced in Rockinā The Kremlin are ABBA, Tvorchi, Mumiy Troll, Tina Karol and Verka Serduchka.
From his humble beginnings growing up on a farm in Ohio to his recent return to Ukraine to observe first-hand the long-running war, Junkās story is a compelling narrative, with danger lurking around every corner. He describes his good times working in Russia, and the not-so-good times in this fast-paced read, which Publishers Weekly calls, āan exciting and colorful look at a dynamic period in Russiaās cultural history.ā
The book has also earned praise from Ruslana, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for
Ukraine in 2004. She writes: āāI led an American pop music invasionā¦ to Russia. It was too loud and brash, like rock ānā rollāāthese words from David Junk impressed and inspired me. He tries to find meaning behind the cause to which he devoted over three decades of his lifeā bringing America and Russia closer together after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Visiting my homeland, Ukraine, David questions if dedicating these thirty years was in vain. His story is captivating.ā
Rockinā the Kremlin: My Incredible True Story of Gangsters, Oligarchs, and Pop Stars in Putin’s Russia is published by Rowman & Littlefield and will be available in stores and from online booksellers on July 2.
David Junk was the first CEO of Universal Music in Moscow, and for a decade he promoted international artists in Russia, including stars like Mariah Carey, Elton John, U2, Sting, and Bon Jovi. He also signed many Russian artists to Universal, including t.A.T.u. and Alsou. David was Vice-President Eastern Europe at Universal Music in 2003, opened the first Universal Music office in Kyiv, Ukraine, and developed music reality shows for Ukrainian TV. David was also the North American Entertainment Relations Director of Gibson Brands, Inc., where he started company operations in Russia and opened the first Gibson Guitar showroom in Moscow. David is also the host of Art During Wartime, a podcast dedicated to the vibrant and diverse culture of Ukraine.
Fred Bronson is the author of six books, including The Jacksons: Legacy, The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and three Billboard charts books. For over three decades, he has been reporting on the music industry for Billboard Magazine, covering many topics including American Idol, the Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA, and Motown. Bronson has been called āAmericaās foremost chart journalistā by the editor of Billboard Magazine and as an expert on music has guest-starred on American Idol four times. He was a guest judge, with Kristin Chenoweth, on the premiere episode of the TV series, CMTās Next Superstar. His articles have also appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and the Los Angeles Times.
After Aline Garzaās successful kickstart in music with her heartfelt breakout single āDay Oneā while going viral on Instagram with over 2.4 million views, the Texan artist now captures a tremendously powerful and utterly necessary message in her new single āSuperheroā.
On top of an upbeat, hopeful and catchy melody, Aline Garza evokes nostalgia with a 2010ās Pop/R&B sound and spreads a heartwarming message to all bullying and harassment victims:
They only talkin’ cause they’re jealous
They so unhappy with themselves
They insecure so they’re projectin’
So don’t be tough on yourself
And, much like a warm ray of sun on a freezing day, Aline Garza shows her unconditional support for all going through a tough time in the chorus:
I wish I was a superhero
Who could save the day
A superhero
to make everything OK
A superhero
To stand by your side and take
All the pain away put a smile on ya’ face
Sadly, like millions of kids across the globe, Aline Garza experienced an isolating feeling at the age of 10, which sparked her to write and sing about it: āWriting Superhero at 10 years old was a feeling of being left outā and addresses how bullying has evolved in many other dangerous ways: āNow as the years have come, I see bullying happening more frequently in different ways including rumors, cyberbullying, physical contact, teasing, emotional, social, and verbal.ā
The artist also shares that people who bully are actually reflecting their own internal fights in others: āPeople can be insecure so theyāre negatively projectingā, and sheds light on the importance of self-confidence: āFirst believe in yourself, then others will tooā, as well as addressing our own mental health: āBullying causes people to not socialize and stay to themselves which can later cause mental issuesā.
Alineās musical journey began almost before she can remember, at the age of 5, and sheās won awards such as āBest New Artistā in her age group at the Vocal Star New Year’s Gala Competition and emerged as a finalist in prestigious competitions like Dream Night in 2021.
Now, following the guidance of her label XOXO Entertainment Corp. and relying on the endless support from her family, sheās ready to make a difference in the music industry! From pop to R&B, to even Gospel music, be ready for versatile and timeless hits from the young Texan artist.
Apart from her label and family, Aline expresses her gratitude to producer and co-writer Adam H. and mixer Orlando Calzada, 5x Grammy Award Winner with credits including Lady Gaga, One Direction, Beyonce and Destinyās Child.
Ultimately, it is vital to have artists who bring attention to unjust situations, share a message of hope and, above all, who have the charisma and sensitivity that Aline has. In her own words: āI like to make music that people can relate to and has a positive messageā. Aline is the true meaning of a Superhero!
