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Warren Haynes, Margo Price, and Cimafunk Lead the 2026 Hudson River Music Festival at Croton Point Park

Eric Alper
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Warren Haynes, Margo Price, and Cimafunk Lead the 2026 Hudson River Music Festival at Croton Point Park

The Hudson River Music Festival returns to Croton Point Park on Father’s Day, Sunday June 21st, and the 2026 lineup is the fullest expression yet of the festival’s roots in Pete and Toshi Seeger’s folk picnic tradition. Presented by Harper House Music Foundation, RiverFest FPS, and Dayglo Presents, the all-ages, zero-waste event brings together folk, rock, blues, country, funk, and Afro-Caribbean music across two main stages and a full day of family programming, with early bird pre-sale beginning March 26th and public on sale March 27th at hudsonrivermusicfestival.com.

The Hudson Stage lineup anchors the day with genuine weight. Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band performs for the first time as a trio alongside Grahame Lesh, son of Grateful Dead founding bassist Phil Lesh, and Daniel Donato, founder of Cosmic Country and Rolling Stone’s designated “Nashville’s Newest Guitar Hero.” That combination of improvisational pedigree and cross-generational jamband DNA makes their set one of the most anticipated of the summer festival season. Grammy-nominated Margo Price brings her heartfelt Americana storytelling, Grammy-nominated Cuban artist Cimafunk delivers his explosive fusion of funk, hip-hop, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, four-time Grammy nominee Jesse Welles brings socially conscious folk with deep historical resonance, and Chaparelle rounds out the stage with classic country charm.

The newly introduced Rainbow Stage deepens the festival’s community and heritage focus considerably. Composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram, a living link to decades of American music history, performs alongside Damaris Bojor, creator of the innovative genre “Folkpirano,” Tom Chapin and The Chapin Sisters carrying forward a beloved family folk tradition, the Guthrie Family Singers celebrating multi-generational storytelling, The Ebony Hillbillies representing African-American string band tradition, and Leah Song, frontwoman of Rising Appalachia, whose activist artistry aligns perfectly with the festival’s environmental mission.

The North Star Stage rounds out the day with all-ages programming including The Rock and Roll Playhouse, Bash The Trash, yoga sessions, a Kids and Family Arts and Crafts Area, and roaming performances from Arm of the Sea featuring puppeteers from Jim Henson Studios. Dedicated ADA access, ASL interpreters for all Hudson and Rainbow Stage performances, accessible shuttles to Croton-Harmon Train Station, and a food court doubled in size from last year complete a festival that takes its commitment to community as seriously as its music. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a GA ticketed adult.

Puddle of Mudd Release Deeply Personal New Single and Video “Free”

Eric Alper
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Puddle of Mudd Release Deeply Personal New Single and Video “Free”

Puddle of Mudd are back with “Free,” a new single and music video drawn from their 2025 album ‘Kiss the Machine’ on Pavement Entertainment. Directed by Vicente Cordero and filmed in Los Angeles, the video brings to life one of the most personally meaningful songs frontman Wes Scantlin has put his name to, a direct reckoning with bad influences, hard years, and the deliberate choice to surround yourself with the people and forces that actually help you grow.

Scantlin speaks about the track with the kind of unguarded honesty that has always made Puddle of Mudd connect with audiences well beyond the rock faithful: “Everybody goes through life with ups and downs, and you can find your way. Accept the people who are trying to help you.” That directness, paired with the band’s signature muscular rock production, gives “Free” the same emotional resonance that made “Blurry” and “She Hates Me” endure across two decades and more than seven million album sales worldwide. A band this deep in its catalog releasing something this genuine is worth paying attention to, and “Free” is one of the most honest and hard-hitting things Puddle of Mudd have released in years.

The Book of Mormon Returns to Toronto for a Limited Run at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Eric Alper
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The Book of Mormon Returns to Toronto for a Limited Run at the Princess of Wales Theatre

The Book of Mormon is back in Toronto, and it is only here for three weeks. The landmark musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone, opens April 7th at the Princess of Wales Theatre for a strictly limited engagement running through April 26th. This marks the show’s fifth engagement on Mirvish stages, following a sold-out run in 2024, and tickets are available now at mirvish.com or by calling 1.800.461.3333.

The credentials behind The Book of Mormon remain staggering fifteen years after it first opened on Broadway. Nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, five Drama Desk Awards, four Olivier Awards from its West End run, and more than 30 international awards across three continents. It broke the Eugene O’Neill Theatre house record more than 50 times on Broadway and shattered single-day sales records in London’s West End. The Original Broadway Cast Recording on Ghostlight Records remains the standard against which musical theatre albums are measured.

The touring production is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner, based on the original Broadway direction by Parker and two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw. The creative team behind the design is equally decorated, with Tony Award winners Scott Pask (set), Ann Roth (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting), Brian Ronan (sound), Larry Hochman, and Stephen Oremus all contributing to a production built to the same standard that made the show a global phenomenon.

Performances run Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, with Wednesday and weekend matinees. Three weeks at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and then it is gone. Do not wait on this one.

Classical Guitarist Brandon Acker on Why He Traded Metal for the Lute and Never Looked Back

Eric Alper
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Classical Guitarist Brandon Acker on Why He Traded Metal for the Lute and Never Looked Back

Classical guitarist and lutenist Brandon Acker has posted a candid, entertaining video tracing his journey from long-haired metalhead to specialist in classical guitar and early plucked instruments including the lute and theorbo. It is a genuinely compelling watch for anyone curious about where those two worlds intersect.

The Diffie Classic Returns in September to Honor Country Legend Joe Diffie and Support First Steps

Eric Alper
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The Diffie Classic Returns in September to Honor Country Legend Joe Diffie and Support First Steps

The second annual Diffie Classic returns September 21st and 22nd, bringing together country music fans, golfers, and the Nashville community for a two-day tribute to the late Joe Diffie. The event kicks off Monday September 21st with a golf tournament at 12 Stones Crossing Golf Club in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, followed by a live concert at the Nashville Palace on Tuesday September 22nd. Proceeds benefit First Steps, a Nashville-based early intervention and child development organization that held deep personal meaning for Diffie and his family.

The connection between Diffie and First Steps runs back decades. His son Tyler, who has Down syndrome, attended First Steps’ programs for several years, and from 1992 through 2004 Diffie championed the organization through annual Country Steps In For First Steps concerts and golf tournaments. The Diffie Classic, organized by his sons Parker Diffie and Travis Humes, brings that legacy full circle. “Dad loved golf and his family and was deeply appreciative of everything First Steps did for Tyler,” the brothers share. That personal grounding gives the event a warmth and purpose that goes well beyond a standard tribute.

First Steps Executive Director Heather Higgins frames the partnership with equal clarity: “From the earliest days of his rise in country music, Joe Diffie made an intentional commitment to give back to the community he loved.” The classic 1990s country hitmaker behind “Pickup Man,” “Third Rock from the Sun,” and “John Deere Green” was as committed to his community as he was to his craft, and this event honors both dimensions of that legacy with genuine care.

Golf team registration is $800 per four-person team, covering both days of events including golf, cart, meals, beverages, and event swag. Sponsorship opportunities range from $500 Gold Hole Sponsors to $5,000 Platinum Title Sponsors. The Tuesday night concert at Nashville Palace is included with golf registration, with a limited number of standalone concert tickets available for fans not participating in the tournament.

Emerging Pop Architect Arden Alexa Announces Debut Album ‘Hope You’re Watching,’ Out April 24

Eric Alper
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Emerging Pop Architect Arden Alexa Announces Debut Album ‘Hope You’re Watching,’ Out April 24

Arden Alexa does not make pop songs so much as she constructs worlds. ‘HOPE YOU’RE WATCHING’, her debut album out April 24th and crafted over three years with producers Simon Jay and Luke Shrestha, is the fullest expression of that instinct yet, a cinematic, emotionally driven collection that bridges high-energy pop with theatrical sophistication and intimate confessional storytelling. Built on over 1.3 million Spotify streams and writing credits for Warner Chappell and Sony Music, the album arrives with real momentum behind it.

The scope of Alexa’s creative vision is genuinely striking. She pulls from Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Danny Elfman, musical theater, and glossy modern pop to give her songs a dramatic almost orchestral weight, even when the subject matter is deeply personal. Her Lebanese-Syrian heritage runs through the details, from string arrangements that feel like film overtures to old-Hollywood visual choices that inform everything from costumes to merch design. She writes or co-writes every track and stays closely involved in production and engineering, arriving in the studio with the visual world already fully mapped. Every drum hit, string line, and lyric is designed to serve that larger vision.

The title track sets the tone immediately, moving seamlessly between bright pop production and emotionally driven cinematic moments. Previously released singles “Crush!!!” and “BREAK MY HEART” have already demonstrated her range, with the former accumulating over 450,000 Spotify streams and the latter drawing nearly 800,000 YouTube views. Alexa frames the album with characteristic clarity: “This album was my first step into truly figuring out what kind of artist I wanted to be and how I would channel all of my influences and inspirations into a sound entirely my own.” The result is one of the most assured and fully realized pop debuts in recent memory, and a serious opening statement from an artist with a great deal more to say.

A music video for “Crush!!!” drops May 1st, inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany’s and filmed with an intimate team that included her brother, her boyfriend, and her cat Liza. Nominations at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards for Best Female Vocal and Best Original Song provide early industry validation for what the music makes immediately apparent.

‘HOPE YOU’RE WATCHING’ Tracklist:

  1. HOPE YOU’RE WATCHING
  2. BREAK MY HEART
  3. mess of you
  4. Poison
  5. Crush!!!
  6. Worth It
  7. Thank God
  8. National Boyfriend Day
  9. Here

Bryan Adams Hits the Road This Summer With Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on All U.S. Dates

Eric Alper
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Bryan Adams Hits the Road This Summer With Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on All U.S. Dates

Bryan Adams is heading back out on the road, and he is bringing serious company. The celebrated singer-songwriter has announced a U.S. arena tour beginning July 24th in St. Louis, with rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo joining him on every date. Sixteen arena shows across sixteen cities, running through mid-August, the tour supports ‘Roll With the Punches’, Adams’ 16th studio album and his first release on his own imprint Bad Records.

Adams launched the album with characteristic directness: “So much has happened in the past couple of years, all of which has been the inspiration for Roll With the Punches. Rock on.” That energy carries into a tour routing that hits hard across the South, Midwest, and Northeast before wrapping August 16th in Milwaukee. Having Benatar and Giraldo on every date elevates the bill into genuine event territory, two of rock’s most enduring and beloved live acts sharing a stage night after night.

The U.S. run is followed by a Canadian tour beginning August 24th, with rising artist Lights supporting across a fourteen-date run through Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Adams on home turf with a coast-to-coast Canadian routing is always a significant event, and this run reaches cities including Hamilton, London, Saskatoon, and Penticton alongside the major markets.

Taken together, the full summer campaign represents one of the most substantial touring commitments Adams has undertaken in years, and the Benatar and Giraldo pairing on the U.S. leg makes those arena nights something well beyond a standard support-the-album run.

U.S. Tour Dates (with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo):

Friday, July 24 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center

Saturday, July 25 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena

Sunday, July 26 – Thackerville, OK – WinStar World Casino & Resort

Tuesday, July 28 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Wednesday, July 29 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Friday, July 31 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Saturday, August 1 – North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena

Tuesday, August 4 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Wednesday, August 5 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center

Saturday, August 8 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Sunday, August 9 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

Tuesday, August 11 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena

Wednesday, August 12 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

Friday, August 14 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center

Saturday, August 15 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Sunday, August 16 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum

Canadian Tour Dates (with Lights):

Sunday, August 24 – Trois-Rivières, QC – Amphitheatre Cogeco

Monday, August 25 – Kingston, ON – Slush Puppie Place

Tuesday, August 26 – Oshawa, ON – Tribute Communities Centre

Thursday, August 28 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum

Friday, August 29 – London, ON – Canada Life Place

Sunday, August 31 – Sudbury, ON – Sudbury Arena

Monday, September 1 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – GFL Memorial Gardens

Wednesday, September 3 – Thunder Bay, ON – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Friday, September 5 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre

Monday, September 8 – Lethbridge, AB – VisitLethbridge.com Arena

Wednesday, September 10 – Red Deer, AB – Marchant Crane Centrium at Westerner Park

Thursday, September 11 – Dawson Creek, BC – Ovintiv Events Centre

Saturday, September 13 – Penticton, BC – South Okanagan Events Centre

Danish Power Metal Warriors Seven Thorns Make Their Turkish Debut at Istanbul’s Dorock This April

Eric Alper
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Danish Power Metal Warriors Seven Thorns Make Their Turkish Debut at Istanbul’s Dorock This April

Seven Thorns are mid-tour and heading to Turkey for the first time. The Danish power metal outfit, known for their cinematic sound, soaring vocals, and orchestral-heavy live shows, bring “The Road To Power European Tour 2026” to Istanbul’s Dorock on April 5th for an exclusive one-night appearance, the band’s first ever performance on Turkish soil.

The band has spent the past decade building a formidable reputation on the European metal circuit, blending crushing guitar riffs with symphonic elements and melodic intensity into a live experience that earns comparisons to the theatrical grandeur of the genre’s finest acts. Seven Thorns arrive in Istanbul with a rebuilt lineup and a clear message: “We are back with a new line-up. We are stronger than ever. We are (not) the same.” That kind of declaration, backed by a full European run already underway across Italy, Croatia, and Greece, carries weight.

The Istanbul date sits at the center of a broader Balkan and Eastern European run that continues through Bulgaria and Romania before the tour wraps. For Turkish metal fans, a single night at Dorock with a band of this caliber and this momentum is not an opportunity to sleep on. The remaining tour dates following Istanbul round out an already substantial European campaign.

Remaining “The Road To Power” Tour Dates:

April 5 – Istanbul, Turkey – Dorock

April 6 – Ruse, Bulgaria – Karaoke Star

April 7 – Varna, Bulgaria – Varna Live Club

April 8 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Old Skull

April 9 – Timisoara, Romania – Nemesis Art Club

Banjo Player and Geologist Benny Bleu Announces New Album ‘When I Am A Fossil,’ Out June 5

Eric Alper
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Banjo Player and Geologist Benny Bleu Announces New Album ‘When I Am A Fossil,’ Out June 5

Benny Bleu spent a decade making ‘When I Am A Fossil’, and the patience shows in every note. The New York-based banjo player, songwriter, and former environmental geologist announces his new album arriving June 5th, a deeply personal and philosophically rich collection of songs shaped by years spent witnessing, as Bleu puts it, “the residue of man’s progress.” The result is one of the most quietly ambitious folk records of 2026, rooted in the Anthropocene and asking a question that lingers long after the music stops: how might a scientist from the deep future know we were here?

The album bridges old-time banjo traditions with jazz phrasing, global rhythms, and modern sonic exploration across a concept record anchored in climate change, mortality, and resilience. Recorded live to tape over four days in Pennsylvania with collaborators Gus Tritsch, Huck Tritsch, Eric Heveron-Smith, and Katie Martucci, the record captures ensemble interplay and spontaneity that ten years of careful crafting has not smoothed away. It feels immediate and unhurried at the same time, equally at home on a front porch or in a late-night philosophical spiral.

Bleu’s background as an environmental geologist gives the album a grounding that most folk records simply cannot access. His work took him not to mountains and lakes but to gas stations and factories, and that specific, unglamorous perspective on human impact gives ‘When I Am A Fossil’ a moral weight that never tips into preachiness. The title track channels that perspective into something genuinely haunting, a meditation on deep time that manages to feel both vast and intimate. This is the kind of album that announces a distinctive artistic voice fully formed and worth following closely.

A 2026 tour supports the release, mixing intimate solo sets with full band performances across the East Coast and beyond, including a full band release show at Bop Shop Records in Rochester on June 6th and a Caffe Lena appearance in Saratoga Springs on May 3rd. ‘When I Am A Fossil’ is available for pre-order now ahead of its June 5th release.

2026 Tour Dates:

April 10 – Rochester, NY – Little Theatre

April 17 – Frostburg, MD – Clatter Cafe (w/ Dakota Karper)

April 18 – Westminster, MD – Common Ground Downtown (w/ Dakota Karper)

April 19 – Naples, NY – Hollerhorn Distilling

May 3 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena (full band)

June 6 – Rochester, NY – Bop Shop Records (full band)

June 13 – Rochester, NY – Abilene (full band)

June 14 – Naples, NY – Hollerhorn Distilling (full band)

September 20 – Walton, NY – Music on the Delaware

November 12 – Soquel, CA – Ugly Mug

November 16 – Portland, OR – Hostel Cafe

Taiwanese Soul-Psych Favorites Sunset Rollercoaster Bring ‘QUIT QUIETLY’ to North America This Fall

Eric Alper
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Taiwanese Soul-Psych Favorites Sunset Rollercoaster Bring ‘QUIT QUIETLY’ to North America This Fall

Sunset Rollercoaster have been one of the music world’s best-kept secrets for over a decade, and ‘QUIT QUIETLY’ is the album that keeps closing that gap. The Taiwanese soul-psych outfit have announced a North American fall tour behind their 2025 release, hitting Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver between September and October. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 27th at 2pm EST.

The numbers behind ‘QUIT QUIETLY’ tell their own story. The album surpassed one million Spotify streams on its first day of release, landed ten songs in the Spotify Top 200 in its opening week, and earned a spot on the U.S. NACC Top 200. Single “Bluebird” has already passed four million streams. For a band that has always built momentum through word of mouth and relentless touring rather than industry machinery, that kind of immediate impact reflects just how deep their audience runs.

The Taipei five-piece has been building toward this moment since their debut album ‘Bossa Nova’ arrived in 2011, followed by the globe-traveling EP ‘Jinji Kikko’ and its runaway single “My Jinji,” which has independently accumulated over 117 million Spotify streams. Fuji Rock, Coachella, sold-out runs across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., praise from NME, Paste, Hypebeast, and Brooklyn Vegan, and a Beats By Dre mini-documentary later, they remain one of those rare acts whose reputation consistently outpaces their mainstream profile. ‘QUIT QUIETLY’ is their most mature and contemplative work yet, and these North American dates are the fullest expression of that record on a live stage.

The venues selected match the moment perfectly, from History in Toronto and Brooklyn Steel to The Warfield in San Francisco and Showbox SoDo in Seattle. For anyone who has not yet caught Sunset Rollercoaster live, this is the tour to fix that.

2026 North American Tour Dates:

September 9 – Toronto, ON – History

September 11 – Boston, MA – Citizens House of Blues

September 13 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel

October 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo

October 18 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield

October 21 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo

October 24 – Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver

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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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