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Kurt Vile Announces New Album ‘Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me’ and a Massive World Tour

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Kurt Vile has a new album coming and a world tour to match. ‘Philadelphia’s been good to me’ arrives May 29 on Verve Records, led by the single “Chance To Bleed,” and the tour kicks off June 16 at History in Toronto before running through North America, the UK, and Europe well into September, with a second North American run picking back up in November. The hometown headline show at The Dell Music Center in Philadelphia on July 25 features co-headliners Pavement, making it one of the summer’s most anticipated shows on paper.

Vile describes the record as his most personal and most organic to date, largely self-produced across home studio settings in Los Angeles, Memphis, Athens, and his basement in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. “This is my ‘bringing it all back home to Philly’ record,” he says. “I’m treating it like my last record. I put everything into it. It’s my best vocal record. It’s my best electric guitar record.” That’s a significant claim from someone who’s been building one of the most consistent catalogs in indie rock for nearly two decades, and the lead single backs it up.

The gear traveled with him, the analog warmth stayed consistent, and the result is what Vile calls a return to home-recording roots at higher fidelity. “I’ve been waiting for that kinda natural element to show up again in my recordings, like the old home recording days,” he says. “I think I finally caught that again, but in a higher fidelity; it’s never overly polished, but it’s still pretty damn shimmery.” For a songwriter whose strengths have always lived in texture and feel, that’s exactly the right instinct.

The tour runs with multiple support acts across different legs, including The Sadies, Ryan Davis and The Roadhouse Band, Being Dead, and Twisted Teens, among others.

‘Philadelphia’s been good to me’ is out May 29 on Verve Records.

Kurt Vile 2026 Tour Dates:

June 16 — Toronto, ON — History

June 17 — Montreal, QC — Beanfield Theatre

June 19 — Burlington, VT — Higher Ground

June 20 — Greenfield, MA — Green River Festival

June 21 — Asbury Park, NJ — Stone Pony (North to Shore Fest)

June 22 — Pittsburgh, PA — Mr. Smalls Theatre

June 23 — Cleveland, OH — The Roxy

June 25 — Detroit, MI — Saint Andrew’s Hall

June 26 — Chicago, IL — Salt Shed

June 27 — Eau Claire, WI — Blue Ox Music Festival

June 28 — St Paul, MN — Palace Theatre

July 1 — Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom

July 2 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall

July 3 — Seattle, WA — 5th Avenue Theatre

July 5 — South Lake Tahoe, CA — The Hangar

July 7 — San Francisco, CA — The Castro Theater

July 8 — Los Angeles, CA — The Novo

July 9 — San Diego, CA — The Observatory North Park

July 10 — Phoenix, AZ — Van Buren

July 11 — Santa Fe, NM — The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co.

July 13 — Austin, TX — ACL Live at The Moody Theatre

July 14 — Houston, TX — Heights Theater

July 15 — Dallas, TX — Longhorn Ballroom

July 17 — Atlanta, GA — The Eastern

July 18 — Nashville, TN — Ryman Auditorium

July 19 — Asheville, NC — Orange Peel

July 20 — Saxapahaw, NC — Haw River Ballroom

July 22 — Washington, DC — Howard Theatre

July 23 — Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Paramount

July 24 — Boston, MA — Royale

July 25 — Philadelphia, PA — The Dell Music Center (w/ Pavement)

August 13 — Paredes de Coura, PT — Paredes de Coura Festival

August 15 — Saint-Malo, FR — La Route du Rock

August 17 — Hamburg, DE — Mojo

August 18 — Copenhagen, DK — Vega

August 21 — Trondheim, NO — Pstereo

August 23 — Hasselt, BE — Pukkelpop

August 24 — Amsterdam, NL — Paradiso

August 25 — Nijmegen, NL — Doornroosje

August 27 — La Tour-de-Peilz, CH — Nox Orae

August 28 — Paris, FR — Rock en Seine

August 29 — Luxembourg, LU — Den Atelier

August 30 — Köln, DE — Gloria

September 1 — Munich, DE — Muffathalle

September 2 — Prague, CZ — Archa+

September 3 — Berlin, DE — Huxleys Neue Welt

September 4 — Maastricht, NL — Zero for Three

September 6 — Dorset, UK — End of the Road

September 7 — Bristol, UK — The Crane

September 8 — Brighton, UK — Chalk

September 9 — London, UK — Troxy

September 11 — Manchester, UK — The Ritz

September 12 — Birmingham, UK — XOYO

September 13 — Glasgow, UK — SWG3 TV Studio

September 14 — Dublin, IE — Vicar Street

September 15 — Leeds, UK — Project

November 4 — Buffalo, NY — Asbury Hall

November 5 — Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall

November 6 — Louisville, KY — Headliners Music Hall

November 7 — St. Louis, MO — The Sovereign

November 8 — Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall

November 10 — Des Moines, IA — Wooly’s

November 11 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall

November 12 — Omaha, NE — The Waiting Room

November 13 — Fort Collins, CO — Washington’s

November 14 — Denver, CO — Summit

November 16 — Fayetteville, AR — George’s Majestic Lounge

November 17 — Memphis, TN — Minglewood Hall

November 18 — New Orleans, LA — Joy Theatre

November 20 — Athens, GA — 40 Watt Club

November 21 — Charleston, SC — The Music Farm

November 22 — Charlotte, NC — Neighborhood Theatre

November 23 — Richmond, VA — The National

November 24 — Baltimore, MD — Ottobar

Billy Idol Adds a Full Summer Arena Run to His Already Relentless World Tour

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Billy Idol has added a new leg to his “It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again!” world tour, and it’s a substantial one. The summer run kicks off August 7 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, rolls through arenas and amphitheaters across the country, and closes September 27 in Albuquerque. In between, Idol plants himself in Las Vegas for a week-long residency, “Hot In The City: Las Vegas,” at Fontainebleau from August 28 through September 5. Tickets go on general sale April 10 at noon local time.

The tour follows a world run that saw Idol sell out venues across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, and arrives on the back of ‘Dream Into It’, his first full-length album of new material in over a decade, out now on Dark Horse Records. The album reached No. 7 on the U.S. Top Albums Chart and No. 4 on the U.S. Current Rock Album Chart, with contributions from longtime collaborator Steve Stevens, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, and Alison Mosshart of The Kills, produced by Tommy English. That’s a record that earned its chart positions.

There’s more to the moment than just the tour. Billy Idol Should Be Dead, a feature-length documentary directed by three-time Grammy winner Jonas Åkerlund and produced by Live Nation Studios, is streaming now on Hulu. And Idol is a nominee for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, with the announcement coming soon. “Over forty years into Billy Idol’s career, he remains just as remarkable as he started,” the Dallas Observer noted. The live show, the new album, the documentary, and a potential Hall of Fame nod: it’s a full moment for one of rock’s most durable figures.

“It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again!” Tour Dates:

July 10 — Prior Lake, MN — Lakefront Music Festival

July 12 — Highland Park, IL — Ravinia

August 7 — Scranton, PA — The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

August 8 — Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena

August 11 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater

August 14 — Darien Center, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater

August 15 — Syracuse, NY — Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview

August 18 — Gilford, NH — BankNH Pavilion

August 20 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake

August 22 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

August 23 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

August 28 — Las Vegas, NV — Fontainebleau

August 29 — Las Vegas, NV — Fontainebleau

September 2 — Las Vegas, NV — Fontainebleau

September 4 — Las Vegas, NV — Fontainebleau

September 5 — Las Vegas, NV — Fontainebleau

September 10 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

September 11 — Grand Rapids, MI — Acrisure Amphitheater

September 13 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH — Blossom Music Center

September 16 — Kansas City, MO — Morton Amphitheater

September 18 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion

September 19 — Rogers, AR — Walmart AMP

September 22 — Tulsa, OK — BOK Center

September 27 — Albuquerque, NM — First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater

Howard Jones Curates the Ultimate ’80s Summer Tour With Wang Chung, English Beat, and Modern English

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Howard Jones didn’t just book a summer tour. He curated an experience, hand-picking Wang Chung, The English Beat, and Modern English to join him on 21 North American dates under the banner of his “Things Can Only Get Better” tour, running July 19 through August 23. Each act performs a full set, hosted by SiriusXM and former KROQ stalwart Richard Blade, making every night a complete event rather than a support-slot shuffle. Jones intends this to be the first of an annual run.

The tour opens at Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions on July 19 and hits major rooms coast to coast, including The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, ACL Live at Moody Theatre in Austin, Citizens House of Blues in Boston, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, and The Bowl at Sobeys Stadium in North York, Ontario, for the finale. The setlist pulls from all four catalogs: Jones’ “Things Can Only Get Better,” “What Is Love,” and “No One Is To Blame,” Wang Chung’s “Dance Hall Days” and “Everybody Have Fun Tonight,” The English Beat’s “Save It For Later” and “I Confess,” and Modern English’s “I Melt With You.” That’s a lot of songs people actually know every word to.

“I’ve always dreamed of curating a tour with my favorite bands that could bring some positivity in our troubled times,” Jones said. “Our aim is to bring some joy with the banging pop anthems that we all know and love.” Wang Chung’s Jack Hues noted that while the bands have known each other since the ’80s, they’ve never toured extensively together. That alone makes this worth showing up for. Jones will preview the tour on SiriusXM’s First Wave Hollywood Happy Hour with Richard Blade on April 10, with a live interview and studio performance.

Jones most recently completed an eight-date UK run last November marking the 40th anniversary of ‘Dream Into Action’, and he’s noticed something encouraging at every show. “It’s just great to see the old fans still there, and they’re bringing their kids and even Gen Z is showing up,” he said. “This is so exciting for me because it means my music is being discovered by a whole new audience.” Four British bands, one summer, a lot of anthems. Tickets are on sale now.

“Things Can Only Get Better” Tour Dates:

July 19 — Napa, CA — Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions

July 20 — Saratoga, CA — The Mountain Winery

July 21 — Paso Robles, CA — Paso Robles Event Center

July 23 — Los Angeles, CA — The Greek Theatre

July 24 — San Diego, CA — Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

July 26 — Las Vegas, NV — Resorts World Theatre

July 29 — West Valley City, UT — Maverik Center

July 30 — Greenwood Village, CO — Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

August 1 — Council Bluffs, IA — Harrah’s Stir Cove

August 4 — Austin, TX — ACL Live at Moody Theatre

August 5 — Grand Prairie, TX — Texas Trust CU Theatre

August 7 — Indianapolis, IN — Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park

August 8 — Rochester Hills, MI — Meadow Brook Amphitheatre

August 11 — Kettering, OH — Fraze Pavilion

August 12 — Lewiston, NY — Artpark Amphitheater

August 14 — Atlantic City, NJ — Borgata Resort Spa & Casino

August 15 — Washington, DC — The Anthem

August 19 — Boston, MA — Citizens House of Blues

August 20 — Wantagh, NY — Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

August 23 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center

August 23 — North York, Ontario — The Bowl at Sobeys Stadium

The Publik Take Aim at Performative Morality With Fierce New Single “Guaranteed”

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The Publik aren’t interested in subtlety. “Guaranteed” is a direct, unfiltered broadside aimed at the erosion of free expression and the rise of performative morality in modern American life, and it arrives with the kind of sonic intensity that makes the message impossible to ignore. Gritty guitar work, commanding rhythms, and emotionally charged vocal delivery combine into a track that mirrors its own urgency, a rallying cry that doesn’t flinch from the discomfort it’s designed to provoke.

The band is explicit about what drove the song. “‘Guaranteed’ is about how in America right now we’ve gradually lost the freedom of speech to the point now where when you do say what you want to say and truly express concerns or beliefs, the threat of being reprimanded is very real,” The Publik says. The target isn’t just political pressure, it’s the hypocrisy underneath it: the same forces suppressing expression while wrapping themselves in moral authority. The track goes after that contradiction directly and without apology.

Lyrically, “Guaranteed” pulls apart the blurred line between personal belief and public condemnation, challenging listeners to sit with uncomfortable truths about modern discourse and social division. It’s the kind of writing that earns its aggression, rooted in something specific rather than generalized frustration. The band has always built their reputation on music that sparks conversation rather than just filling a room, and this single is their clearest statement yet.

Musically, it’s The Publik at their most focused and most fierce. Every element of the track, the instrumentation, the delivery, the production choices, serves the song’s central argument. Nothing is wasted. For a band carving their place in the modern rock landscape on the strength of fearless artistic expression, “Guaranteed” is a significant step forward.

Florence and the Machine Opens Sold-Out U.S. Tour With Planned Parenthood Partnership at Every Stop

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Renowned indie rock band Florence and the Machine is kicking off her sold out U.S. tour with a show of support for Planned Parenthood and access to health care. Beginning on April 8, more than a dozen Planned Parenthood affiliates will table at multiple stops on the tour to talk with concertgoers about the essential sexual and reproductive care Planned Parenthood health centers provide, which is under attack by the Trump administration and its backers in Congress. 

Florence Welch, Florence and the Machine, said, “Planned Parenthood health centers are a lifeline for millions of people, and they are relentlessly attacked. Having access to a trusted provider is essential and also the difference between life and death. In this moment of uncertainty for our rights, I’m proud to support Planned Parenthood and create space on my tour for them to connect people with the care and information they need.”

Caren Spruch, national director of Arts and Entertainment, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said, “Florence Welch has long used her platform to speak out for reproductive freedom and care, including bravely sharing her personal experience with pregnancy loss. Her new album, Everybody Scream, is a powerful testament to the importance of ensuring everyone can make decisions about their own bodies.

“We could not be more honored or grateful that she has chosen to work with Planned Parenthood affiliates during her tour. With Florence’s support, Planned Parenthood can empower new audiences to have vital conversations about their health and defend their reproductive rights.”

As part of this teamwork, affiliate staff and volunteers will be on hand at Planned Parenthood-branded tables to talk to fans about Planned Parenthood health center services in their communities, volunteer opportunities, and the fight for access to sexual and reproductive health care.

The participating Planned Parenthood affiliates include: Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates (Seattle), Planned Parenthood Arizona, Planned Parenthood of Florida, Planned Parenthood Illinois, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington, Planned Parenthood Michigan, Planned Parenthood North Central States, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, Planned Parenthood South East, and Planned Parenthood South Pennsylvania.

Because the Trump administration and congressional Republicans’ unconstitutionally “defunded” Planned Parenthood by blocking people with Medicaid from getting care at Planned Parenthood health centers, fewer people can get the time-sensitive, lifesaving care they need. In 2025, 51 Planned Parenthood health centers closed down as a result of attacks on sexual and reproductive health care.

Bonnaroo 2026 Drops Its Full Schedule With Skrillex, The Strokes, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Noah Kahan Leading the Charge

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Bonnaroo has released its full 2026 performance schedule, and the four-day lineup running June 11 to 14 on the Farm in Manchester, Tennessee, is stacked from Thursday night through Sunday’s final set. Skrillex opens the weekend, The Strokes and RÜFÜS DU SOL headline Friday and Saturday respectively, and Noah Kahan closes it all out on Sunday, with Alabama Shakes, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Clipse, Modest Mouse, Japanese Breakfast, Trombone Shorty, Teddy Swims, Turnstile, Major Lazer, and dozens more filling out one of the most genre-spanning lineups the festival has assembled in years.

New this year, Bonnaroo is offering 1-Day and 2-Day tickets in addition to the full four-day pass, giving more fans a path to the Farm regardless of schedule or budget. The Where Stage relocates for the first time into Centeroo, hosting late-night sets from Big Gigantic, Clozee, Eazybaked, and others well into the early hours. The After Hours programming is equally deep, with Ganja White Night, Gorgon City sunrise sets, Chase and Status, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist, Weird Al Yankovic’s late-night Roovue, and more running alongside the main stage action.

Among the most distinctive additions is Camp Busyhead, created in partnership with Noah Kahan’s The Busyhead Project, offering morning yoga, a self-care package, and community programming, with a portion of every pass donated to mental health advocacy. Kesha, meanwhile, leads the 2026 SuperJam under the full title “KESHA PRESENTS: SUPERJÂM ESOTERÍCA: THE ALCHEMY OF POP,” which says everything and nothing at once and will almost certainly be unmissable. Infrastructure upgrades include improved drainage, miles of new roadways, 135 acres of new turf, and the long-awaited return of Bonnaroo Radio.

Tickets are on sale now at bonnaroo.com.

Bonnaroo 2026 Full Lineup:

Thursday, June 11

Skrillex

Four Tet

Vince Staples

Spiritual Cramp

Friday, June 12

The Strokes

GRiZ

Turnstile

Mt. Joy

Major Lazer

Jessie Murph

Yungblud

Geese

Cloonee

Lil Jon

Blood Orange

Wet Leg

Hot Mulligan

bbno$

Zack Fox

Smino

Sidepiece

Rachel Chinouriri

The Dare

Adventure Club

NOTION

Mother Mother

Łaszewo

Blues Traveler

Wolfmother

Wednesday

The Chats

Lambrini Girls

Amble

Daniel Allan

Goldie Boutilier

Dora Jar

Villanelle

Jackie Hollander

PawPaw Rod

Ganja White Night

INZO

Saturday, June 13

RÜFÜS DU SOL

Teddy Swims

The Neighbourhood

Alabama Shakes

Chase & Status

Sara Landry

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

Amyl & The Sniffers

Sub Focus

Gorgon City

flipturn

Passion Pit

Snow Strippers

Tash Sultana

Wyatt Flores

Boys Noize

Holly Humberstone

Deathpact

SG Lewis

Osees

Waylon Wyatt

The Runarounds

DJ Trixie Mattel

Buffalo Traffic Jam

Confidence Man

Arcy Drive

Mountain Grass Unit

Juelz

The Stews

Congress The Band

Midnight Generation

Sunami

Nikita, The Wicked

“Weird Al” Yankovic’s Bigger & Weirder Late Night Roovue

KESHA PRESENTS: SUPERJÂM ESOTERÍCA: THE ALCHEMY OF POP

Sunday, June 14

Noah Kahan

Role Model

Kesha

Tedeschi Trucks Band

LSZEE

Clipse

Mariah the Scientist

Daily Bread

Modest Mouse

Big Gigantic

Japanese Breakfast

Turnover

San Holo

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Del Water Gap

Spacey Jane

Audrey Hobert

Fcukers

Blondshell

Little Stranger

Aly & AJ

Hemlocke Springs

Steph Strings

A Hundred Drums

Girl Tones

Motifv

New Jersey Indie Rockers The Melancholy Kings Conjure Film Noir Magic on Cinematic New Single “New Girl”

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The Melancholy Kings have released “New Girl,” the fourth single from their album ‘Her Favorite Disguise’, and it’s the kind of track that rewards close listening. Built around Mike Potenza’s hushed vocals and delicate acoustic foundations, the song is an ode to a film noir ingenue frozen in celluloid, with sparse drums from Paul Andrew, atmospheric electric guitar from Peter Horvath, and Scott Selig bowing harmonics on upright bass creating a slow-burn cinematic soundscape that cellist Carolyn Jeselsohn deepens considerably with elegant, timeless lines running through the mix.

The accompanying video, also created by Selig, manipulates footage into a shape-shifting abstraction of film noir ambiance that reinforces what the lyrics are already doing: deconstructing the boundary between what’s real and what’s reel. It’s a bittersweet, hypnotic tribute to the strange intimacy of loving someone who exists only in black-and-white frames, and the whole thing lands with the atmospheric depth the subject demands.

‘Her Favorite Disguise’ was produced and recorded by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ, and draws an unapologetic line back to the rough-hewn alt-rock of the pre-grunge ’80s. The New Jersey indie rockers have already released “Bitcoin Elegy,” “Victoria,” and the quasi-psychedelic “UV,” the latter featuring trumpeter Mac Gollehon, whose credits include David Bowie, Duran Duran, and Mick Jagger. The full album is out now on limited edition 12″ vinyl and across all digital platforms.

Order of Canada Artist Tom Wilson Tehohàhake Joins Toronto’s Nicholas Metivier Gallery

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Tom Wilson Tehohàhake, the Hamilton-based painter, writer, and musician appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023, has joined Nicholas Metivier Gallery, with new paintings debuting at the Dallas Art Fair April 16 to 19. Wilson has been painting for over 30 years, but his work took on an entirely new dimension after 2015, when he discovered he was adopted and that his birth mother was Mohawk from the Kahnawake reserve outside Montreal. Since then, his canvases have become the primary space where he reconciles his two lives, layering vibrant, intensely detailed imagery drawn from childhood dreams and what he describes as “blood memory,” the inherited wisdom, experience, and trauma passed down through generations. “The dotted details in these paintings are a tribute to Kahnawake beadwork, to the colour and intricacy delivered by the hands of my ancestors,” Wilson says. His bestselling 2017 autobiography ‘Beautiful Scars’ established him as a compelling literary voice, and excerpts from his writing frequently appear within the paintings themselves, making each work simultaneously visual art and personal testimony.

Twisted Sister With Sebastian Bach and Tyler Henry Are Headed to Fallsview Casino This Fall

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Fallsview Casino Resort has announced two very different but equally compelling fall shows at the OLG Stage. On October 8, Twisted Sister featuring Sebastian Bach on lead vocals brings a full-throttle evening of hard rock firepower to Niagara Falls, with Adam and the Metal Hawks along as special guests. Then on November 14, clairvoyant medium Tyler Henry returns with his “Evening of Hope and Healing” show, fresh off his live Netflix series ‘Live from the Other Side’. Tickets for both go on sale Friday, April 10 at 10:00am through ticketmaster.ca.

Twisted Sister’s catalog of anthems, including “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” has never needed an introduction, and pairing that material with Bach, the former Skid Row frontman whose vocal range and stage presence are in a class of their own, turns the October 8 show into something genuinely hard to categorize and impossible to dismiss. Tyler Henry, meanwhile, has built one of the most dedicated followings in live entertainment through his E! series ‘Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry’ and subsequent Netflix work, offering audiences something entirely different: comfort, validation, and the kind of emotional experience that stays with people long after the show ends.

Show Dates:

Twisted Sister Featuring Sebastian Bach on Lead Vocals Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 8:00pm | OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino

Tyler Henry – The Hollywood Medium: An Evening of Hope and Healing Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 8:00pm | OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino

Victory Kid Channel Late-Night Anxiety Into Anthemic New Single “You’re Alright”

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Victory Kid have released “You’re Alright,” the latest single from their upcoming sophomore album ‘Catalyst’, arriving May 24. Built on the hook-heavy energy of early 2000s pop punk, the track pairs bright, driving guitars with some of the band’s most vulnerable writing yet, capturing the push and pull between internal panic and outward reassurance with the kind of anthemic lift that makes difficult subject matter feel survivable rather than suffocating.

‘Catalyst’ has a origin story worth knowing. Frontman Harrison Nida wrote the album’s foundational material during what he describes as his “reality at the bottom,” working through depression, weed dependency, and a decade-long relationship unraveling in real time, while drummer and co-founder Carlo Ribaux had relocated to Zurich, leaving the band’s future genuinely uncertain. What emerged from that period was 19 songs mapping mental health, political disillusionment, and the slow grind of self-realization. The album was ultimately recorded at Capitol Studios’ legendary Studio B, with producer Michael Pepe (Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein) bringing in Andrew Remley on bass and lead guitar, Matt Appleton on horns, and Stevie Blacke on strings to expand the sonic palette well beyond the band’s punk foundation.

“Victory Kid approached this record with poise, grace and the vision to execute a rock album that would stand the test of trends for years to come,” says Pepe. Ribaux tracked drums on the custom Masters of Maple kit built specifically for Studio B, and the room did exactly what Capitol Studios rooms do. “I’ve never played a bigger drum kit in my life,” he says. “And that’s exactly how it sounded.” The result is Victory Kid at their most expansive, balancing pit-ready anthems with moments of genuine restraint and reflection.

A European run is confirmed for summer and fall, including major festival appearances.