Nate Smith has barely been on the scene two years and he’s already stacking multi-platinum singles, selling out headlining tours, and landing major brand partnerships. The Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour, Powered by Honda, kicked off March 26 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa with opener Brandon Wisham, and it’s rolling across the country through the spring. Special guests Josh Ross and Just Jayne join on select dates.
Honda’s involvement goes well beyond a logo on a banner. Smith, who regularly rides a Honda ATV on property near his Nashville home, personally designed a custom-wrapped Honda FourTrax Foreman Rubicon DCT EPS that’s on display at each tour stop, with fans entered to win it through a sweepstakes. “Designing a custom four-wheeler we get to give away to fans just takes it to another level,” Smith said. The partnership is built on genuine overlap, not a manufactured endorsement.
The numbers behind Smith are hard to argue with. Over 3.9 billion global career streams. Four consecutive number ones, including “Fix What You Didn’t Break,” after becoming the first artist in Country Aircheck/Mediabase history to launch with three straight multi-week chart-toppers. His self-titled debut went Gold, ‘California Gold’ followed with genre-blending collaborations featuring Avril Lavigne and Alesso, and the accolades, including ACM New Male Artist of the Year 2024, have kept coming. After this tour wraps, he’s direct support on Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour 2026.
Universal Music Group has launched a €500 million share buyback program, purchasing its own shares on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange and several other European exchanges. The program, announced March 30 and now underway, covers a maximum of 50 million shares and is expected to wrap up no later than October 1, 2026. Trading decisions are handled independently through a single broker arrangement.
Repurchased shares will be used to meet obligations under UMG’s 2022 Global Equity Plan and potentially to reduce the company’s overall share capital. The program operates under EU Market Abuse Regulation guidelines and UMG will provide regular progress updates through press releases and its website.
Buyback programs of this scale typically signal a few things. A company deploying this kind of capital generally believes its shares are undervalued and wants to put that conviction on the record. It also returns value directly to remaining shareholders by reducing the total share count. For UMG, which has faced pressure around streaming revenue growth and the ongoing challenges of AI and digital rights, this move sends a clear message: the company’s leadership has confidence in its long-term position and the financial firepower to back it up.
Forty years since ‘Please’ arrived and redefined what a pop duo could sound and look like, Pet Shop Boys get the definitive visual retrospective they’ve always deserved. ‘Pet Shop Boys Volume,’ out April 7 from Thames and Hudson, is a 560-page document of everything Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have built across music, art, film, theater, design, and fashion. Over fifty million records sold. Three Brit Awards. Six Grammy nominations. Number ones including “West End Girls,” “It’s a Sin,” and “Always on My Mind.” The catalog alone is staggering, but this book is about the full picture.
Authors Chris Heath and Libby Sellers move through the duo’s entire visual output year by year, covering sleeve artwork, video stills, stage sets, costume designs, photoshoots, and collaborations with luminaries including Es Devlin, Zaha Hadid, Derek Jarman, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Philip Hoare’s original introduction is joined by new contributions from Sellers on Pet Shop Boys’ place in design history, and a foreword from Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller on the enduring power of their image. The jacket itself is designed by longtime collaborator Mark Farrow.
‘Pet Shop Boys Volume’ is a visual feast and an authoritative record of four decades of creative innovation from the most distinctive duo in pop history.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is taking its International Jazz Competition to Paris for the first time in its nearly four-decade history, and the 2026 edition has a focused, powerful theme: jazz vocals. In partnership with the Fondation Louis Vuitton, the competition will bring together exceptional young vocalists from around the world, all 30 and under, competing for more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes. First place takes home $50,000.
The competition weekend lands October 10-11 at the Fondation’s Frank Gehry-designed Auditorium. Semifinals run Saturday, October 10, with the Finals and an All-Star Gala Concert closing things out Sunday evening. Acclaimed vocalist and Institute Trustee Dee Dee Bridgewater leads the jury. The whole event streams globally on Medici.tv, FLV Play, and YouTube.
Bandsintown, la plataforma lÃder mundial de descubrimiento de música en vivo y eventos, anunció una nueva integración con Apple Music que lleva los listados de conciertos de Bandsintown directamente a la plataforma de streaming. Con el lanzamiento de iOS 26.4, las fechas de la gira aparecerán automáticamente en las páginas de artistas de Apple Music, en la pestaña de Inicio y en una nueva pestaña de Conciertos dentro de la Búsqueda, lo que amplÃa la forma en que los fanáticos descubren la música en vivo mientras la escuchan.
Cómo funciona Los artistas pueden conectar la URL de su página de artista de Apple Music dentro del panel de control de Bandsintown for Artists. Una vez conectados, los eventos se sincronizan globalmente con Apple Music en un plazo de 24 a 48 horas y aparecen en dos nuevas ubicaciones:
Páginas de artistas: se muestra una sección de “Próximos conciertos” cuando los artistas están de gira
La integración se basa en el rol existente de Bandsintown que impulsa los datos de eventos en vivo en todo el ecosistema de Apple, como Shazam, Apple Maps, Spotlight Search, Apple Photos y Apple Music Set Lists. Con la incorporación del entorno de transmisión de Apple Music, los artistas ahora pueden llegar a los fanáticos con información de conciertos en el momento en que están escuchando activamente.
“Bandsintown ha impulsado los listados de conciertos en todo el ecosistema de Apple durante años, desde Shazam y Apple Maps hasta Spotlight Search y Photos”, señaló Fabrice Sergent, cofundador y socio gerente de Bandsintown. “La expansión a Apple Music brinda a todos los artistas a nivel mundial una lÃnea directa a los fanáticos apasionados, haciendo que sus espectáculos salgan a la luz justo cuando los oyentes están más inspirados para verlos en vivo”.
Los listados de conciertos están disponibles en dispositivos con iOS 26.4, actualmente en versión beta pública y para desarrolladores, y pronto se hará un lanzamiento más amplio.
Bandsintown Concerts, la galardonada aplicación y sitio web para fans, ofrece el catálogo de música en vivo más completo del mundo, y utiliza IA para generar más de 400 millones de recomendaciones personalizadas de conciertos al mes basadas en los hábitos y preferencias musicales de los fans.
Bandsintown for Artists proporciona a 700.000 músicos de todos los tamaños herramientas para publicar eventos, anunciar giras, gestionar preventas y ventas, y promocionar conciertos en sus propiedades digitales mediante nuestros widgets y API.
Bandsintown Pro ofrece soluciones automatizadas de marketing y distribución de eventos a más de 65.000 lugares, festivales y promotores, lo que los ayuda a aumentar la visibilidad de los eventos en todas las plataformas digitales, a la vez que ahorran tiempo y venden más entradas.
Topanga Days returns this Memorial Day weekend, 5/23-5/25, with three days of music, food, and community. Headlining the event will be longtime blues rockers, Canned Heat, New Orleans funk/soul/jazz legend and Grammy winner, Cyril Neville, and longtime So-Cal favorites, Long Beach Dub Allstars.
The Topanga Days festival will also feature several other acclaimed musical acts including Golden Dawn Arkestra, Will Worden, Ny Oh, Omar Velasco, and Wall of Sound (Grateful Dead Tribute).
“This year’s Topanga Days lineup is a true journey into musical exploration,” says James Webber, booking agent and board member. “Bringing Canned Heat back to where it all began will be extra special, and there’s no doubt Cyril Neville and the Long Beach Dub Allstars will get the crowd vibing. Add that to great food, beer and wine, and kid-friendly activities, and you have yet another epic Topanga Days weekend.”
Founded in 1973, the Topanga Days Country Fair began as a grassroots fundraiser to support the Topanga Community Center, and has since blossomed into a popular annual event for music and art lovers everywhere.
“Topanga Days has always attracted a community of diverse individuals looking to celebrate the natural beauty and communal positivity of Topanga Canyon,” says Nonie Shore, VP of Events. “This is a time where guests can let loose, enjoy good music, and explore the magical side of Topanga in a truly idyllic setting.”
Topanga Days also features unique wares from local artists and craftsmen, as well as extensive family-friendly activities including an eclectic Memorial Day Parade, kids’ Fun Zone, face painting, games, and the annual pie eating contest.
“Memorial Day weekend can’t come soon enough,” says Sophie Zeiler, VP of Fundraising. “Topanga Days brings out the best in our community, and we’re always honored to inspire all our attendees each year.”
Topanga Days takes place 5/23 – 5/25 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on the grounds of the Topanga Community Center at 1440 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, CA 90290.
Single Day Online Pass Adults: $31.80 for TCC members / $63.60 for non-members Kids (ages 6-12): $16 for TCC members/ $31.80 for non-members Ages 5 & Under: Free Active Military with ID: Free on 5/25
3-Day Online Pass Adults: $74.20 for TCC members / $148.40 – non-members Kids (ages 6-12): $37.10 for TCC members / $74.20 non-members 5 & Under: Free
FunZone Online Price $21.20
Prices increase at the door. Purchase discounted tickets online in advance.
Parking is available on the street with free shuttle service. Limited handicap parking is provided on the Community Center grounds. Only service dogs with vests and appropriate + current papers allowed.
Queens native and street-level rock troubadour Jesse Malin has a story that demands to be told in full. ‘Almost Grown: A New York Memoir,’ co-written with Debra Devi and out April 7 from Akashic Books, traces Malin’s life from a scrappy kid in a broken home to CBGB at thirteen, Madison Square Garden in his twenties, and collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Lucinda Williams. It reads less like a rock memoir and more like ‘The Basketball Diaries’ with a guitar slung over its shoulder.
The book doesn’t sidestep the hard parts. In 2023, Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that paralyzed him from the waist down. His recovery, including stem-cell therapy in Buenos Aires, became a widely covered story picked up by Rolling Stone, the New York Times, CNN, and beyond. The outpouring of support produced ‘Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin,’ a tribute record featuring twenty-eight artists. By December 2024, he was back on stage for two sold-out nights at New York’s Beacon Theatre. That’s the kind of resilience this book is built around.
Paul McCartney sat down with director Morgan Neville for a wide-ranging conversation about ‘Man on the Run,’ now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The two covered the full arc of McCartney’s post-Beatles life, from the formation of Wings to the creative and personal decisions that shaped one of rock’s most consequential second acts. It’s a rare, unhurried look at an artist reflecting on his own story with real candor.
Las Vegas sits on the other side of the planet from Australia, but Slots of Vegas Casino closes that distance in a single click. The platform leans hard into its Vegas identity — neon-lit visuals, a game library built around the kind of high-energy RTG pokies you’d find on the Strip, and a bonus structure that rewards both new accounts and long-term players in equal measure. The welcome offer runs to A$5,000 plus 250 free spins. Cashback is available to all players from day one. The VIP program delivers free chips, monthly insurance, and personalised gifts at its highest level. Here is how it all fits together.
Welcome Bonus and the Promotions Structure
The Slots of Vegas Casino welcome offer delivers a 250% match on the first deposit plus 50 free spins on some of the platform’s most popular slots. The total package across the welcome sequence reaches up to A$5,000 plus 250 free spins in total. A promo code is provided at sign-up to activate the offer. Standard wagering requirements apply to bonus funds and free spin winnings before cashout is available.
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Seasonal and holiday promotions rotate through the calendar as limited-time offers alongside the permanent programme. Checking the promotions page before each deposit ensures the right offer is applied at the right time.
The Game Library: RTG Pokies, Progressives and Table Classics
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The pokies section carries the broadest range. Three titles from the core catalogue give a useful sense of what players encounter across the library:
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Roulette
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Available in the table games section
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Specialty
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The Slots of Vegas VIP program runs four levels, each delivering escalating rewards in the form of free chips, monthly insurance, weekly cashback, personal hosts, higher table limits, and exclusive gifts.
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FAQ
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Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
Matthew Hild has written the Olivia Newton-John biography that serious fans and music historians have been waiting for. ‘A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John’ arrives May 14, 2026 from Bloomsbury Academic, and it goes well beyond the sequins and the headlines. This is the full picture, built on extensive archival research and original interviews with friends and associates who knew her best.
The numbers alone tell part of the story. Over 100 million records sold. Starring roles in Grease and Xanadu. A Billboard-ranked hit in “Physical,” named the most popular single of the entire 1980s. Newton-John wasn’t just a pop star, she was a generational force who shaped what popular music looked like for over four decades.
But Hild’s real contribution is what sits beneath the catalog. He traces Newton-John’s decades-long public battle with breast cancer, her fierce advocacy for environmental causes, animal rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, and the personal resilience that defined her off-camera. These aren’t footnotes. They’re the spine of the book.
The biography moves from her early years in Australia through her final recording, a deeply moving duet of “Jolene” with Dolly Parton. Every chapter brings new detail, including never-before-shared insights that reframe how readers will understand her choices, her career, and her character.
‘A Little More Love’ is a meticulously researched, deeply human portrait of one of pop music’s most enduring figures.
