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Joe Bonamassa Takes Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Into Its 12th Voyage With a Jimi Hendrix Celebration

Eric Alper
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Joe Bonamassa Takes Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Into Its 12th Voyage With a Jimi Hendrix Celebration

Writing now.

Joe Bonamassa Takes Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Into Its 12th Voyage With a Jimi Hendrix Celebration

TAGS: Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Orianthi, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Vivino, King King, Brandon Taz Niederauer, Robert Jon and The Wreck, Nikki Hill, DeWolff, Zac Schulze Gang, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Sixthman, Norwegian Jewel,

Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea is heading into its 12th voyage, and this edition comes with a centrepiece worth the trip on its own. Sailing March 15-19, 2027 from Miami to Grand Cayman aboard the Norwegian Jewel, the blues-rock festival cruise is built around an exclusive All-Star concert celebrating the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix, hosted by Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

The lineup joining them is stacked. Orianthi, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jimmy Vivino, King King, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Robert Jon and The Wreck, Nikki Hill, DeWolff, and Zac Schulze Gang are all confirmed, with more artists still to be announced. Beyond the headline concert, the voyage includes intimate acoustic morning sets, guitar clinics, guest jams, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, autograph sessions, craft tastings, and a full suite of activities aboard the Norwegian Jewel’s world-class facilities.

The cruise benefits the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa’s nonprofit dedicated to music education. Since its founding in 2011, the Foundation has impacted more than 136,000 students across all 50 states through school music program funding, merit-based scholarships, and its Fueling Musicians Program, which has provided immediate financial assistance to over 450 touring musicians. Nearly $2.9 million in donations has fuelled that mission to date.

Bookings are open now with just $100 down per person before July 15th. This event has a consistent history of selling out, and with a Hendrix tribute headlining the bill, the 12th voyage is going to move fast.

Sheffield Dance-Punk Quintet Life Aquatic Band Drop “Look At Ya” Ahead of New EP ‘Stuck In The Mud’

Eric Alper
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Sheffield Dance-Punk Quintet Life Aquatic Band Drop “Look At Ya” Ahead of New EP ‘Stuck In The Mud’

Life Aquatic Band have been building toward this one. “Look At Ya” is the third single from their forthcoming four-track EP ‘Stuck In The Mud,’ produced by three-time Mercury-nominated Shuta Shinoda, out now, and it’s the track that ties the whole project together. NME called them “the psychedelic curveball you need in your life.” Record of the Day heard “a shimmering slice of electro-punk that distils the band’s high-octane live energy into something lean, dark and instantly danceable.” Both descriptions land.

Singer Ben Allen is candid about where the song came from: “‘Look At Ya’ was the last song we wrote for the EP and it really helped tie everything together. I was inspired by Gorillaz on this one, so I ended up using a radio mic to get that Albarn-style effect on the vocals. It’s probably the most angsty track we’ve ever done, and it came from how stuck I was feeling at the time, working an office job.” He adds that the band spent considerable time recording takes of nothing but breathing, arriving at something that felt like their own version of the screaming therapy John Lennon practiced. “We were all laughing because I recorded the vocals on a ten-pound mic, then we switched to a £5k mic just to capture us all gasping.”

The EP was recorded without traditional guitars, a deliberate choice that pushed the Sheffield quintet into new territory. Drawing on the early 2000s electroclash movement and New York’s 1970s No Wave scene alongside touchstones like DEVO, The B-52’s, LCD Soundsystem, and Hot Chip, ‘Stuck In The Mud’ is their tightest and most dancefloor-focused work yet. Working with Shinoda for the first time, and recording to tape, gave the sessions a cohesion and sonic character that sets it apart from everything they’ve done before.

The EP’s title track earned widespread support from BBC Radio 6 Music, including Lauren Laverne, Amy Lamé, Craig Charles, and Steve Lamacq, with John Kennedy adding his endorsement on Radio X. ‘Stuck In The Mud’ arrives March 6th, and “Look At Ya” is the clearest signal yet that Life Aquatic Band have carved out something genuinely their own.

Canadian Arts/Media Job Posts For April 4, 2026

Eric Alper
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Canadian Arts/Media Job Posts For April 4, 2026

Global News – Business Reporter Network – Toronto, ON – Full-time – $60K–$80K a year – Apply Here

Various Employers – Journalist – Richmond Hill, ON – Full-time – $47.2K–$88.5K a year – Apply Here

CBC/Radio-Canada – Versatile News Reporter and Editor Local Coverage – Hamilton, ON – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Toronto Metropolitan University – Journalism W26 AA – Toronto, ON – Full-time – $39.57/hour – Apply Here

Torstar – Community Journalism Roles Reporter Editor and More – Toronto, ON – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Global News – News Producer Digital Broadcast Journalist – Winnipeg, MB – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Bell – Digital Journalist – Vancouver, BC – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Torstar – Reporter Delivering Quality Journalism – Hamilton, ON – Full-time – $30K–$60K a year – Apply Here

The Narwhal – BIPOC Community Reporter Fellowship – Milton, ON – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Various Employers – Journalist – Hamilton, ON – Full-time – $40K–$75K a year – Apply Here

Radio-Canada – Summer Scholarship Aspiring Journalists – Edmonton, AB – Full-time – $30K–$60K a year – Apply Here

Bayshore Broadcasting – Summer Cruiser Reporter – Shelburne, ON – Full-time – $37,752–$47,190 a month – Apply Here

The Canadian Press – Creative Reporter Editor News Coverage – Winnipeg, MB – Full-time – $60K–$80K a year – Apply Here

Mindrift – AI Trainer and Junior Journalist Project – Saskatoon, SK – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Various Employers – News Producer – Kitchener, ON – Full-time – $47,250–$84,000 a year – Apply Here

ATIA Ltd – Remote Journalism Social Media Admin Intern – Edmonton, AB – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

CBC/Radio-Canada – Reporter Editor English Services – Edmonton, AB – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Indigenous Lands and Resources Today – Assistant Editor – Saskatoon, SK – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Bell Canada – News Director Supervisor CFTK TV – Terrace, BC – Full-time – N/A – Apply Here

Don McLean Gets a Life-Size Bronze Statue at the Surf Ballroom, Where Rock History Was Made

Eric Alper
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0
Don McLean Gets a Life-Size Bronze Statue at the Surf Ballroom, Where Rock History Was Made

Writing now.

Don McLean Gets a Life-Size Bronze Statue at the Surf Ballroom, Where Rock History Was Made

TAGS: Don McLean, Zenos Frudakis, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson, Maria Elena Holly, Rick French, Peter Bradley Jr., Jeff Nichols, Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Surf Ballroom and Museum,

Don McLean’s “American Pie” turns 55 this year, and the song’s connection to one of rock history’s most sacred sites is about to become permanent. The Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa has announced that a life-size bronze statue honoring McLean will be erected on-site in 2027, standing as a lasting tribute to the songwriter whose eight-minute epic carried the story of February 2, 1959 into global cultural memory for generations.

The Surf Ballroom is the National Historic Landmark where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson played their final show as part of the Winter Dance Party Tour, the night before the plane crash that claimed all three lives. McLean immortalized that moment in “American Pie,” and the statue will permanently connect his legacy to the place where the story began.

The statue is the work of acclaimed Philadelphia sculptor Zenos Frudakis, a lifelong friend of McLean whose portrait work includes statues of Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. “The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation is thrilled that one of our most iconic ambassadors is being honored with a statue at The Surf Ballroom,” says Rick French, chairman of the Foundation and national trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “American Pie has stood for more than half a century as an anthem to the cultural shifts of our country and is as relevant today as it has ever been.”

Peter Bradley Jr., vice chairman of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, confirms he’s working closely with McLean’s team and Jeff Nichols at the Surf Ballroom to plan a major unveiling upon the statue’s completion. Maria Elena Holly, Buddy Holly’s widow and one of McLean’s closest friends, is said to be overjoyed by the honor. First opened in 1933, the Surf Ballroom continues to host concerts and events year-round while expanding its educational and immersive museum offerings.

Tyler Braden Delivers Heartbreak Anthem “Dry County” With New Project on the Way

Eric Alper
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Tyler Braden Delivers Heartbreak Anthem “Dry County” With New Project on the Way

Tyler Braden has hit the ground running in 2026. “Dry County,” the first taste of his forthcoming project due within the first half of the year via Warner Records Nashville, is out now, and it lands with the kind of raw, heartbreak weight that made his 2025 debut ‘Devil and a Prayer’ turn heads. Co-written with Lalo Guzman, Laura Veltz, and Allison Veltz Cruz, the song is a love-lost gut punch that sits comfortably in Braden’s sweet spot of gritty storytelling and high-octane country-rock.

‘Devil and a Prayer’ announced Braden as a genuine force in the format, a 19-song debut that showcased his ability to move between raw vulnerability and full-tilt energy without losing momentum. “Dry County” suggests the follow-up is going to push things even further, arriving as a focused, emotionally direct first statement from a project that’s still building anticipation ahead of its full reveal.

The “Devil and a Prayer Tour” is underway now, with Braden taking his live show to rooms across the country. It’s a headlining run from an artist whose catalog is built for exactly this kind of stage, big choruses, lived-in lyrics, and a band that knows how to deliver both.

With new music out, a tour in motion, and a full project on the horizon, Braden’s 2026 is already shaping up to be a defining year for one of country-rock’s most compelling emerging voices.

Ratt Frontman Stephen Pearcy Hits the Road on “The Undercover Tour” With Warren DeMartini

Eric Alper
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Ratt Frontman Stephen Pearcy Hits the Road on “The Undercover Tour” With Warren DeMartini

Stephen Pearcy isn’t slowing down. The voice of Ratt has announced “The Undercover Tour,” an ongoing run of 2026 dates that includes special Pearcy/DeMartini performances alongside longtime Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini. Two of hard rock’s most recognizable names sharing a stage, and that’s reason enough to pay attention.

The momentum around Pearcy right now is real. His recent appearance on Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others Podcast has generated 600,000 views across four video clips since debuting in January, making it the fastest-rising and highest-performing podcast release on the platform to date. Corgan also delivered his own interpretation of Ratt’s 1983 single “You Think You’re Tough” at the Steven Tyler 7th Annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party at the Hollywood Palladium. That kind of cultural visibility doesn’t happen by accident.

Beyond the tour, Pearcy is deep in the studio recording his sixth solo album, due later this year and featuring a long list of guest stars. He’s also opened up his creative process on Patreon, giving subscribers real-time access to studio sessions and life on the road. “This is real life, Rock & Roll, and Raw access, moments that don’t make it on social media, and I’m opening the door wide,” he says. “It’s where the real story lives.”

Post-show VIP Meet N Greet experiences are available at upcoming dates, with limited tickets, offering fans direct access, signings, and exclusive memorabilia. For a hard rock icon still operating at full creative speed, “The Undercover Tour” is exactly that.

Stephen Pearcy 2026 Undercover Tour Dates:

May 9 – Tulare, CA @ Adventist Health Amphitheater

May 29 – Davenport, IA @ River City Casino

May 31 – Lake Charles, LA @ L’Auberge Casino Resort

June 13 – West Salem, WI @ Maple Grove Venue

Aug 21 – Gatlinburg, TN @ Gatlinburg

Aug 23 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Café

Heaven & Hell’s Final Chapter With Ronnie James Dio Gets a Stunning New Boxed Set

Eric Alper
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Heaven & Hell’s Final Chapter With Ronnie James Dio Gets a Stunning New Boxed Set

Ronnie James Dio’s final chapter with members of Black Sabbath was one of heavy metal’s great unexpected reunions, and Rhino Records is giving it the treatment it deserves. ‘Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009’ is out now as a 7 LP and 4 CD/Blu-ray boxed set, documenting the complete arc of Heaven & Hell from their triumphant 2007 return through the end of their run together.

The collection brings together the full story in one place. It starts with the 2007 Radio City Music Hall performance, follows through the Top 10 studio album ‘The Devil You Know’ in 2009, and closes with ‘Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell,’ the live album recorded at Wacken that same year. Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice operating at full force, with the chemistry of musicians who’d spent decades apart and came back sounding like no time had passed at all.

The set includes eight tracks making their vinyl debut, among them studio recordings from ‘The Dio Years’ and select live performances. Most significantly, the complete ‘Live From Radio City Music Hall’ performance appears on vinyl for the very first time. Both editions come with an illustrated book featuring new liner notes by Hugh Gilmour, a replica tour book, and a poster. The Blu-ray adds video from Radio City Music Hall and Wacken, plus band interviews.

For anyone who witnessed this reunion or discovered it afterward, ‘Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009’ is a definitive document of one of heavy metal’s most emotionally charged final acts. Dio passed away in 2010, making this period all the more precious.

‘Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009’ Tracklisting:

CD 1: The Devil You Know

  1. Atom and Evil
  2. Fear
  3. Bible Black
  4. Double The Pain
  5. Rock And Roll Angel
  6. The Turn Of The Screw
  7. Eating The Cannibals
  8. Follow The Tears
  9. Neverwhere
  10. Breaking Into Heaven
  11. The Devil Cried
  12. Shadow Of The Wind
  13. Ear In The Wall

CD 2: Live from Radio City Music Hall

  1. E5150 / After All (The Dead)
  2. The Mob Rules
  3. Children Of The Sea
  4. Lady Evil
  5. I
  6. The Sign Of The Southern Cross
  7. Voodoo
  8. The Devil Cried

CD 3: Live from Radio City Music Hall

  1. Computer God
  2. Falling Off the Edge Of The World
  3. Shadow Of The Wind
  4. Die Young
  5. Heaven And Hell
  6. Lonely Is the Word
  7. Neon Knights

CD 4: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell

  1. Mob Rules
  2. Children Of The Sea
  3. I
  4. Bible Black
  5. Time Machine
  6. Fear
  7. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
  8. Follow The Tears
  9. Die Young
  10. Heaven And Hell
  11. Neon Knights

Irish Alt-Pop Singer-Songwriter FYA FOX Makes a Powerful Return With “Sweet Goodbye”

Eric Alper
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Irish Alt-Pop Singer-Songwriter FYA FOX Makes a Powerful Return With “Sweet Goodbye”

FYA FOX has been away for a while, and the reasons are deeply personal. The birth of her daughter and a motor accident kept the Irish singer-songwriter from releasing music since 2023’s “Duvet Day,” named Hot Press Track of the Day. Her return, “Sweet Goodbye,” is out now, and it arrives with the kind of emotional weight that only comes from songs written close to the bone.

The single is a tribute to lost loved ones, sitting in the complicated space between grief, remembrance, and the slow process of moving forward. “Sweet Goodbye explores not being able to share big moments in my life with loved ones who have passed,” FYA FOX says. “It came together really naturally because it’s so close to my heart. I wrote the bones of the song at home on guitar and then went into the studio with some really strong sonic references.” She adds, “I feel really excited but nervous about this release as it’s been a minute. But it’s authentic and honest and I hope listeners feel that when they hear it.”

Produced by longtime collaborator Matthew Weir, the track merges FYA FOX’s electronic roots with a new pop-folk direction, minimal and refined in a way that lets the emotion breathe. It’s a deliberate sonic shift that suits the material perfectly, the kind of production choice that serves the song rather than decorating it.

A Whelan’s Ones To Watch alumna and VIP Magazine Rising Star, FYA FOX has been building a reputation as one of Irish pop’s most earnest and gifted songwriters. “Sweet Goodbye” is the first step in a fresh creative chapter, and it’s a deeply compelling one.

Brand New Pop Provocateur MEEK Arrives Fully Formed With Debut EP and Instant Anthem “Fabulous”

Eric Alper
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0
Brand New Pop Provocateur MEEK Arrives Fully Formed With Debut EP and Instant Anthem “Fabulous”

Writing now.

Brand New Pop Provocateur MEEK Arrives Fully Formed With Debut EP and Instant Anthem “Fabulous”

TAGS: MEEK, Sophie Muller, Sade, Annie Lennox, Beyoncé, Kylie, Blur, BMG, Ku Bar,

MEEK doesn’t ease you in. Her debut three-track EP, out now via BMG, opens with “Fabulous,” a chant-ready pop anthem shaped by British humour, queer nightlife, and a complete refusal to shrink. It’s a calling-card that works immediately, and the story of its first public play proves exactly why. At Soho’s legendary Ku Bar, the entire room was screaming the chorus back before the first verse was done. “I jumped up on the bar and started lip-syncing along,” MEEK says. “I did half of the first intro and then everyone, literally everyone in the bar, was screaming, ‘I’m so fucking fabulous.'”

The video for “Fabulous” was directed by Sophie Muller, whose credits include Sade, Annie Lennox, Beyoncé, Kylie, and Blur. Set in Blackpool, it captures MEEK tearing through the northern seaside town in a joyful, gloriously unhinged blur of glam-trash energy. It’s instantly iconic in the way only the best pop videos manage to be.

The EP’s two additional tracks show genuine range. “Brixton” is a stripped-back, old-school South London portrait, warm and grounded. “I Want Love, But Not That Much” is all acerbic wit and sharp-edged humour aimed squarely at an ex. Three tracks, three different angles, all connected by MEEK’s soaring vocals and a point of view that’s entirely her own.

This is a debut that arrives knowing exactly what it is. Bold, playful, emotionally honest, and built for rooms full of people who need a song to scream. MEEK is the real thing.

Washington DC Modern Rockers Waking Stone Unleash Fiery New Single “Make Money”

Eric Alper
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Washington DC Modern Rockers Waking Stone Unleash Fiery New Single “Make Money”

Waking Stone have been building toward something with their debut album, and “Make Money” makes the strongest case yet for why this Washington DC band deserves your attention. It’s the fourth single from their forthcoming record, and it hits differently from everything that came before it. Where their earlier releases earned praise for their upbeat, hopeful energy and accessible sound, “Make Money” goes somewhere darker and more urgent.

The track is a direct, unfiltered takedown of corporate greed and the billionaire class gambling recklessly with everyone else’s future. It’s blunt, it’s heavy, and it’s exactly the kind of rock music that feels necessary right now. The lyrics don’t trade in abstraction. They paint a vivid picture of a society pushed to its limits by unchecked ambition, and the music matches that energy beat for beat.

Critics have already taken notice of Waking Stone’s earlier singles, pointing to their “palpable freedom,” “fresh energy,” and a sound that genuinely stands apart in the current modern rock landscape. “Make Money” doesn’t abandon that identity. It sharpens it, pushing the band’s signature high-energy approach into more intense and confrontational territory without losing any of the momentum that made those first three singles land.

The full album is on the way, and if “Make Money” is any indication of where Waking Stone are headed, it’s going to be worth the wait. Four singles in and this band is still accelerating.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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