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Breaking Benjamin Hit the Road This Fall With Chevelle and Starset Across 30 North American Dates

Eric Alper
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Breaking Benjamin Hit the Road This Fall With Chevelle and Starset Across 30 North American Dates

Breaking Benjamin are back on the road in a serious way. The rock veterans have mapped out a 30-date North American run kicking off September 2 in Camden, New Jersey and wrapping October 24 in Bristow, Virginia, with Chevelle, Starset, and Kami Kehoe providing support throughout.

The routing covers both coasts and everything in between, moving through New York, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Phoenix, and a string of major southern markets before closing out on the East Coast. It’s a thorough, well-constructed run through amphitheatres and arenas that suits the band’s scale perfectly.

Breaking Benjamin’s catalog has maintained a grip on rock radio for over two decades. “The Diary of Jane” and “Breath” from 2006’s ‘Phobia’, followed by “I Will Not Bow” off 2009’s ‘Dear Agony’, remain fixtures in the format. Their last full-length of new material, ‘Ember’, dropped in 2018, with the 2020 compilation ‘Aurora’ featuring reimagined versions of earlier tracks keeping the catalog active in the years since.

No new music has been announced alongside the tour, but a run this size, through venues of this caliber, with a support package this strong, commands attention on its own terms.

Tickets are on sale now.

Fall 2026 Tour Dates:

September 2 – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, NJ

September 3 – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, CT

September 5 – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY

September 6 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ

September 9 – RBC Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON

September 10 – Darien Lake Amphitheater, Darien Center, NY

September 12 – Allegan County Fair, Allegan, MI

September 13 – Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI

September 15 – The Pavilion at Star Lake, Burgettstown, PA

September 16 – Ruoff Music Center, Noblesville, IN

September 18 – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL

September 20 – Mid America Center, Council Bluffs, IA

September 22 – Mystic Lake Amphitheater, Shakopee, MN

September 24 – Morton Amphitheater, Kansas City, MO

September 25 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO

September 28 – Ball Arena, Denver, CO

September 30 – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre, West Valley City, UT

October 2 – Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

October 3 – Honda Center, Anaheim, CA

October 5 – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, Phoenix, AZ

October 7 – First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater, Albuquerque, NM

October 10 – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX

October 12 – Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX

October 13 – Walmart AMP, Rogers, AR

October 16 – Mercedes-Benz Amphitheatre, Tuscaloosa, AL

October 17 – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA

October 19 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL

October 20 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL

October 23 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC

October 24 – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA

Hilary Duff Expands “The Lucky Me Tour” With Added Shows in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and London

Eric Alper
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Hilary Duff Expands “The Lucky Me Tour” With Added Shows in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and London

Hilary Duff’s “The Lucky Me Tour” just got bigger. Four cities are getting second nights, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and London, and the demand behind those additions says everything about where Duff stands right now as a live act.

The album driving the tour, ‘luck… or something’, is out now via Atlantic Records. It’s the foundation for a run that stretches from June 2026 all the way through February 2027, covering the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. The scale is substantial, and the routing reflects a genuine global fanbase.

The newly added dates land July 9 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, August 6 at Madison Square Garden, August 13 at Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre, and September 15 at The O2 in London. Tickets for all dates are on sale now.

The supporting lineup is strong across the full run. La Roux joins for the European and select dates, Lauren Spencer Smith supports the Canadian winter leg, and Jade LeMac opens the US amphitheatre run. Three distinct supporting acts across three distinct legs keeps the package fresh throughout.

The full routing below covers every date from June through February.

“The Lucky Me Tour” Dates:

June 22 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL

June 23 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL

June 25 – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA

June 27 – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX

June 28 – Germania Insurance Amphitheater, Austin, TX

June 30 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving, TX

July 3 – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, Phoenix, AZ

July 8 – Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA

July 9 – Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA (NEW)

July 11 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA

July 12 – Toyota Amphitheatre, Wheatland, CA

July 14 – Cascades Amphitheater, Ridgefield, WA

July 15 – White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, WA

July 17 – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre, Salt Lake City, UT

July 20 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

July 22 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO

July 23 – Ruoff Music Center, Noblesville, IN

July 25 – Mystic Lake Amphitheater, Shakopee, MN

July 26 – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL

July 28 – Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH

July 30 – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN

August 1 – Truliant Amphitheater, Charlotte, NC

August 2 – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA

August 5 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

August 6 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (NEW)

August 8 – Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA

August 9 – TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann, Philadelphia, PA

August 12 – RBC Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON

August 13 – RBC Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON (NEW)

August 15 – Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI

August 16 – Acrisure Amphitheater, Grand Rapids, MI

September 6 – 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland

September 8 – Utilita Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, UK

September 10 – The O2, London, UK

September 12 – AO Arena, Manchester, UK

September 13 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, UK

September 15 – The O2, London, UK (NEW)

October 20 – Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ

October 22 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AU

October 24 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, AU

October 26 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, AU

October 29 – RAC Arena, Perth, AU

January 22, 2027 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

January 26, 2027 – Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB

January 27, 2027 – Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB

January 30, 2027 – Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB

February 2, 2027 – TD Coliseum, Hamilton, ON

February 4, 2027 – Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON

February 5, 2027 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

February 7, 2027 – Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS

February 12, 2027 – Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, MX

Old Dominion, Darius Rucker, and Flo Rida Head to the Beach for Moon Crush “Odies Beach Vacation” This October

Eric Alper
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Old Dominion, Darius Rucker, and Flo Rida Head to the Beach for Moon Crush “Odies Beach Vacation” This October

Moon Crush is back. The second annual “Odies Beach Vacation” runs October 1 to 3 in Miramar Beach, Florida, with Old Dominion headlining both nights and a main stage lineup that makes this one of the more stacked beachside festivals of the fall season.

Joining Old Dominion across the three days are Darius Rucker, Flo Rida, Fitz and The Tantrums, Jake Owen, Phil Vassar, Uncle Kracker, and the Nashville Yacht Club Band. It’s a deliberately wide-ranging roster that keeps the energy moving across genres without losing the laid-back coastal atmosphere the festival is built around.

Old Dominion isn’t shy about their enthusiasm. “Last year was great and this year, with this group of artists, is going to be nothing but positive energy. We’re already counting the days until October.” A headliner that’s that invested in the overall experience tends to set the tone for the whole event.

The “Odies Grove Stage” returns as well, spotlighting an all-female lineup from Nashville’s songwriting community. Tera Lynne, Rachel Horter, Stacey Kelleher, Presley & Taylor, Amanda Raye, and Ginn all have sets on that stage, making it a genuine second destination within the festival.

Beyond the music, the weekend includes yoga, bonfires, karaoke, party cruises, and golf tournaments. Tickets are on sale now at odiesbeach.com.

Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell Bring Their Electric Chemistry to Broadway This Fall in “Much Ado About Nothing”

Eric Alper
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Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell Bring Their Electric Chemistry to Broadway This Fall in “Much Ado About Nothing”

Jamie Lloyd’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” is coming to Broadway this fall, and it’s arriving with one of the most compelling stage pairings in recent memory. Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell return as Benedick and Beatrice for a strictly limited 10-week engagement at a Shubert Organization-owned theatre to be announced.

The production already proved itself at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it earned 4 Standard Theatre Award nominations including Best Director for Lloyd, Best Actor for Hiddleston, and Best Actress for Atwell. The chemistry between the two leads was the talk of the West End run, and Lloyd isn’t understating it.

“The chemistry between the two of them was palpable from the first rehearsal and I could sense it was a magical pairing for the ages,” Lloyd says. “It’s an honor to bring their joyous performances in Shakespeare’s beloved comedy to Broadway this fall.”

Hiddleston and Lloyd have history. Their collaboration on Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” transferred from London to Broadway in 2019, earning 4 Tony nominations including Hiddleston’s first Best Actor in a Play nod. This reunion carries that same creative trust.

Hiddleston is direct about what the role means to him. “For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to play Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Working with Jamie Lloyd and Hayley Atwell on Shakespeare’s most warm-hearted play has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my performing life.”

For Atwell, the stakes are personal in a different way. After 20 years on London’s West End stages, this production marks her Broadway debut. Lloyd’s reimagining, staged as a modern dance party with bold, vibrant pink design elements, gives Shakespeare’s classic an immediacy that has clearly resonated with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Echosmith’s Sydney Quiseng Steps Into Her Own Era With the Deeply Personal ‘That’s My Baby!’ EP

Eric Alper
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Echosmith’s Sydney Quiseng Steps Into Her Own Era With the Deeply Personal ‘That’s My Baby!’ EP

Sydney Quiseng has always written from an honest place. ‘That’s My Baby!’, her new 6-track EP, takes that honesty further than ever, chronicling marriage, pregnancy, personal growth, and the complicated emotions that come with building a new life while building a solo career simultaneously.

The EP arrives mere weeks before her due date, a deliberate and meaningful piece of timing. It follows her debut EP ‘Phases’, which was released the day she found out she was pregnant, making ‘That’s My Baby!’ a genuine full-circle moment. “I’ve always dreamt of becoming a mom while also pursuing my dream in music,” Quiseng says, “so putting ‘That’s My Baby!’ out right before my baby comes into the world feels really special.”

The new single “Bad Habit” is a guitar-driven, toe-tapping track about knowing you need to change and doing nothing about it anyway. Quiseng is specific about where it came from. “I wrote ‘Bad Habit’ after going to a party and having a lot of conversational regret. I have always been a chronic people pleaser and sometimes I shapeshift a little too much when I’m meeting someone new.” That kind of unguarded specificity is exactly what makes her writing connect.

The EP also features “Coffee Shop in Kyoto,” fan favorites “When a Good Thing Ends” and “That’s My Baby (On Main Street),” plus new tracks “Bloom” and “Mhm (I Like That).” Together they map the full emotional range of a major life chapter with real candor.

Quiseng rose to global recognition as the frontwoman of Echosmith, whose “Cool Kids” went quadruple-platinum and found a second life through a viral TikTok resurgence. Since then she’s secured a global publishing deal with BMG and landed placements on Spotify’s All New Country, Apple Music’s New in Country and New in Americana, and TIDAL’s Country Rising. Nashville has taken notice.

Lonesome River Band Find the Ache of Home on New Single “There Where the River Rolls Around”

Eric Alper
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Lonesome River Band Find the Ache of Home on New Single “There Where the River Rolls Around”

Lonesome River Band have a gift for finding the emotional center of a song and building an arrangement around it with quiet precision. Their second Mountain Home Music Company release of 2026, “There Where the River Rolls Around,” is a prime example, a track that balances old-time structure with modern arrangement touches and lands with real resonance.

The song comes from longtime collaborator Billy Smith, who previously delivered LRB staples “Hobo Blues,” “Tears In My Tracks,” and “Crazy Heart.” Banjo player and group leader Sammy Shelor describes how it came together. “As we listened to the song one late night going down the road in the bus, the arrangement just fell into place and we began working on it. A haunting song about leaving home searching for more and longing to be back.”

That arrangement is worth paying attention to. Damped rhythmic guitar chords provide a contemporary underpinning beneath a melody that traces the outline of a classic old-time fiddle tune. After each chorus, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar carry the full melody forward in a simple, sonically rich statement that rewards close listening.

Lead singer and mandolinist Adam Miller delivers the lyrics with a laconic, wistful quality that suits the song’s themes of longing and displacement perfectly. It’s a track about chasing dreams and paying the cost, told without melodrama and all the more affecting for it.

Rodrigo y Gabriela Mark 20 Years of Their Debut With a Deluxe Vinyl Release and a North American and European Tour

Eric Alper
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Rodrigo y Gabriela Mark 20 Years of Their Debut With a Deluxe Vinyl Release and a North American and European Tour

Twenty years on, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s self-titled debut still stands as one of the most striking acoustic guitar albums of its era. The GRAMMY Award-winning duo are marking the milestone with ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela + Re-Foc (20th Anniversary Edition)’, a limited edition 2xLP out now via ATO Records that pairs a new vinyl master of the original album with something fans have never had before.

‘Re-Foc’, the duo’s previously unreleased 2002 debut recording, appears on vinyl for the first time and makes its long-awaited digital debut simultaneously. It’s a genuine discovery, an early chapter that Rodrigo y Gabriela describe as essential to everything that followed.

“For most people, including ourselves, the Croc album is our debut album because it was the first one released worldwide,” they say, “but Re-Foc was a really important piece of the puzzle. Without Re-Foc, we wouldn’t have been able to write the songs on the Croc album.” That context makes the release genuinely significant.

The collection arrives in 2 vinyl editions. An exclusive limited run of 700 units pressed on gold emerald and gold black ice colored vinyl, and a retail version on jade and citrus-colored eco-wax vinyl. Both include a bonus poster.

Re-Foc standout “30 de Marzo” is available now alongside a live session performance video. It’s an immediate reminder of how fully formed this duo’s chemistry has always been.

The anniversary tour is already underway, with North American dates followed by European shows through late May. Several Irish dates are already sold out.

2026 Anniversary Tour Dates:

May 23 – Royal Festival Hall, London, United Kingdom

May 25 – The National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

May 26 – Dolans Warehouse, Limerick, Ireland (Sold Out)

May 27 – Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland (Sold Out)

BACK-ON Reclaim the Anime World They Helped Build With New EP ‘ANIMANIA’

Eric Alper
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BACK-ON Reclaim the Anime World They Helped Build With New EP ‘ANIMANIA’

BACK-ON have been part of anime music’s global rise for over two decades. With ‘ANIMANIA’, the Japanese rap-rock duo aren’t revisiting that world as guests, they’re walking back in as architects. The 4-track cover EP is out now, and it’s a confident, energetic celebration of a musical identity they helped build.

The lead single “Guess Who Is Back” sets the tone immediately. Originally performed by J-pop superstar Kumi Koda for the anime Black Clover, the track was composed by BACK-ON themselves, with lyrics co-written alongside Koda. It’s racked up over 42 million Spotify streams since its original release, and BACK-ON’s reimagining brings it fully into their lane.

“Out of all the songs we’ve provided for other artists, this one really felt the most ‘us’,” says KENJI03. “When the idea for this EP came up, this was the first track we picked, no question.” TEEDA adds that the focus was on channeling BACK-ON’s signature style rather than leaning on shout vocals, letting the track breathe in a way that feels distinctly theirs.

The animated lyric video, produced by UK-based 12 Inch Media (known for work with Bring Me The Horizon, Ed Sheeran, and Oasis), matches the track’s intensity and anime spirit with real visual energy.

‘ANIMANIA’ also includes BACK-ON’s take on “PRIDE” from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY, the One Piece theme “HANDS UP!” which BACK-ON originally wrote, and “GO!!!” by longtime peers FLOW, the track known worldwide as a defining opening theme for Naruto. The EP draws on songs connected to Fairy Tail, Mobile Suit Gundam, and Kamen Rider, franchises that have carried BACK-ON’s music to audiences across the globe.

The sold-out ANIMANIA live shows late last year proved the appetite is there. The EP delivers on every bit of that momentum.

Nashville Southern Rockers Parker Barrow Bring ‘Glass Eyes Cryin’ and a UK Tour This July

Eric Alper
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0
Nashville Southern Rockers Parker Barrow Bring ‘Glass Eyes Cryin’ and a UK Tour This July

Parker Barrow are heading back to the UK this July, and they’re arriving with new music in hand. The Nashville-based southern rockers have released ‘Glass Eyes Cryin’, the latest single from their ‘Hold The Mash’ EP, and it’s a strong indicator of where the band is headed.

The track is groove-driven and layered, built around Megan Kane’s powerful lead vocals and threaded with gospel textures that give it real emotional range. It’s a sass-filled response to emotional manipulation, delivered with the kind of slow-burning confidence that makes it hit harder than a straight-ahead rocker would.

“Glass Eyes Cryin’ was the first song we wrote and recorded for Hold The Mash,” says drummer Dylan Turner. “We felt it was the perfect song to kickstart a musical shift to what the band has become since our previous record.” That shift is audible, and it works.

Parker Barrow is husband-and-wife duo Megan Kane and Dylan Turner, expanded in 2023 with the full-time addition of guitarist and musical director Alex Bender. His inventive riffs and fiery playing anchor the band’s signature blend of rock, southern rock, blues, and soul. Their debut album ‘Jukebox Gypsies’ earned global praise, and the single “Back To Birmingham” crossed a million YouTube views.

The ‘Hold The Mash’ EP followed in 2025, with “Make It” landing on Planet Rock’s main playlist. A UK support run with The Damn Truth that same year expanded their fanbase further. The momentum heading into this summer’s UK dates is real.

Six shows across July, including a festival slot at Steelhouse, make this a proper run worth catching.

2026 UK Tour Dates:

July 17 – Treehouse, Frome, England

July 18 – John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, England

July 21 – Audio, Glasgow, Scotland

July 22 – Greystones, Sheffield, England

July 23 – Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, England

July 24 – Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale, Wales

HOKKA Unite Finland’s Rock Royalty on ‘Via Miseria IV’ and the Emotional Gut-Check “Heart Said No”

Eric Alper
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HOKKA Unite Finland’s Rock Royalty on ‘Via Miseria IV’ and the Emotional Gut-Check “Heart Said No”

Three names from Finland’s rock legacy, one band. HOKKA brings together former Blind Channel frontman Joel Hokka, The Rasmus founding member and guitarist-songwriter Pauli Rantasalmi, and drummer Jimi Aslak, and their debut album ‘Via Miseria IV’ is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

The album’s third single “Heart Said No” is the emotional centerpiece of the campaign so far. Built around a captivating piano melody, it’s a vulnerable, soaring anthem that showcases a side of HOKKA distinct from earlier singles “In The Darkness” and “Death By Cupid’s Arrow,” while staying fully within the band’s cinematic, high-intensity world.

Joel Hokka doesn’t hold back describing the track. “Big boys don’t cry, except when writing songs like this,” he says. “‘Heart Said No’ was the first song I ever wrote with tears in my eyes, and I wasn’t the only one in the band.” That kind of raw honesty is exactly what gives the song its weight.

‘Via Miseria IV’ explores struggle, resilience, and inner conflict across its full runtime, and the singles released so far confirm the album has both the sonic depth and thematic range to back that up. The cinematic video for “Heart Said No” matches the song’s emotional scale perfectly.

HOKKA also has a packed summer of Finnish festival dates ahead, plus an appearance at Rock The Lakes in Switzerland in August.

2026 Live Dates:

June 12-13 – Kesämössö, Lahti, Finland

June 27 – Tuska, Helsinki, Finland

July 3-5 – Ruisrock, Turku, Finland

July 4 – Tuhdimmat Tahdit, Tampere, Finland

July 17-19 – Ilosaarirock, Joensuu, Finland

July 23-25 – Kuopiorock, Kuopio, Finland

July 25 – QStock, Oulu, Finland

August 14-16 – Rock The Lakes, Cudrefin, Switzerland

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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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