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Souvenirs: 80 Years of John Prine Brings a Community of Artists to Chicago This October

Eric Alper
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Souvenirs: 80 Years of John Prine Brings a Community of Artists to Chicago This October

October 8, 2026 would have been John Prine’s 80th birthday. The Prine Family and the Hello in There Foundation are marking the occasion with Souvenirs: 80 Years of John Prine, a tribute concert at The Chicago Theatre bringing together a wide community of artists to perform their favorite Prine songs, backed by his longtime live band.

Host and performer John C. Reilly leads a lineup that already includes Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff, Amos Lee, Andrew Sa, Briscoe, Jon Langford, Josh Ritter, Joy Oladokun, Kathleen Edwards, Margo Price, Noeline Hofmann, Ratboys, Shemekia Copeland, Steve Earle, The Cactus Blossoms, and The Sullivan Sisters, with more names still to be announced.

Additional events are planned across October 8–11, with full details coming in the weeks ahead. Proceeds benefit the Hello in There Foundation’s ongoing grantmaking, which since 2021 has distributed nearly $1.4 million in community grants to more than 100 organizations addressing food insecurity, housing, mental health, immigrant and refugee justice, addiction recovery, and more.

The foundation’s mission mirrors what Prine embodied across 5 decades: the belief that every life is worth singing about, and that music, at its best, is an act of community.

Adrien Nunez Is Headed to the Grand Ole Opry for His Long-Overdue Debut

Eric Alper
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Adrien Nunez Is Headed to the Grand Ole Opry for His Long-Overdue Debut

Adrien Nunez makes his Grand Ole Opry debut on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, and the announcement came with the kind of surprise moment that makes country music tick. Russell Dickerson called it from the stage of Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on May 8, catching Nunez completely off guard in front of the crowd.

Nunez will perform select songs and fan favorites from his 2026 EP ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’, out now via Warner Records Nashville. The Opry appearance adds another landmark moment to a year that’s already been moving fast for the rising singer.

Earlier in 2026, Nunez lit up Stagecoach Festival with 4 high-energy sets including a Mane Stage appearance and a surprise late-night slot with Diplo, where the 2 debuted the first-ever live performance of “Two Steppin’,” their new collaboration available now via Atlantic Outpost.

A debut album for Warner Records is currently in the final stages, with a release expected in the months ahead.

Spotify Turns 20 and Hands You the Keys to Your Entire Listening History

Eric Alper
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Spotify Turns 20 and Hands You the Keys to Your Entire Listening History

Spotify is marking 20 years with something genuinely personal. The platform has launched Spotify 20: Your Party of the Year(s), a mobile-only in-app experience that pulls back the curtain on your complete listening history, including data that’s never been shared before.

The experience surfaces your first day on Spotify, your first streamed song, your total number of unique songs listened to, and your all-time most-streamed artist. It also generates your All-Time Top Songs Playlist, a collection of your top 120 tracks complete with play counts, ready to save directly to your library.

Each data story comes with a shareable card, making it easy to post results or send them to friends. The experience is available now on mobile across 144 markets and in 16 languages. Open the Spotify app and search “Spotify 20” or “Party of the Year(s),” or go to spotify.com/20 on mobile to get started. A curated hub of global playlists celebrating the defining eras and cultural shifts of the past 2 decades is also available in the app.

The Waterboys Release New Single “Don’t Even Have To Say His Name” Ahead of Arena Tour and New Album

Eric Alper
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The Waterboys Release New Single “Don’t Even Have To Say His Name” Ahead of Arena Tour and New Album

The Waterboys have released “Don’t Even Have To Say His Name,” a new single out now on Chrysalis Records, written by Mike Scott as a direct response to the current political climate in the United States. “I hate bullies, and this song reflects my feelings about the political leadership of a country I love,” Scott says. “This song is part of our small contribution to that process. May it serve its purpose.” Produced by Puck Fingers and Famous James, the track features Scott on vocals and guitar alongside Famous James on piano and organ, Aongus Ralston on bass, and Crash Barclay on drums.

The single arrives ahead of ‘Atlantic Rain’, a 3-disc set of previously unheard music from the classic Fisherman’s Blues era, due July 17, and a run of summer arena dates under the banner The Fisherman’s Blues Revue. The ensemble is a serious one. Americana singer-songwriter Steve Earle joins to perform his own songs while contributing vocals, guitar, and mandolin to Waterboys material. Legendary Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham and Fisherman’s Blues flautist Colin Blakey are also on board, alongside Brother Paul on organ, Famous James on piano, Aongus Ralston on bass, Eamon Ferris on drums, and Norwegian lap steel ace Roar Øien.

The Waterboys 2026 Eire and UK Dates:

Aug 29 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro

Sep 5 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena

Sep 12 – London, UK @ The O2

Video: Alice Cooper’s Legendary 2013 Wacken Open Air Performance Is Available Now

Eric Alper
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Video: Alice Cooper’s Legendary 2013 Wacken Open Air Performance Is Available Now

August 2, 2013, Wacken Open Air: Alice Cooper took the main stage of the world’s largest metal festival and delivered exactly the kind of shock-rock spectacle that built his reputation across 5 decades, complete with guillotine, snake, costumes, and a band firing on all cylinders, with Nita Strauss and Ryan Roxie on guitars and Glen Sobel driving the whole thing from behind the kit.

Robin Trower Brings 19-Date US Tour This Fall Behind a Landmark Year of New Releases

Eric Alper
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Robin Trower Brings 19-Date US Tour This Fall Behind a Landmark Year of New Releases

Robin Trower has packed more into 2026 than most artists manage in several years, and now he’s hitting the road to match it. The former Procol Harum guitarist has announced a 19-date US tour launching September 15 in Fort Lauderdale and wrapping October 14 in St. Charles, Illinois, following a 5-date UK run in late August and early September.

The touring comes on the back of a remarkable run of releases. January brought ‘One Moment in Time: Live in the USA’, recorded across his 42-date 2025 American tour. April delivered an expanded edition of the classic ‘Robin Trower Live!’, including the complete 1975 Stockholm concert in full for the first time. And last month, Trower confirmed he’d just finished an entirely new studio album, the follow-up to last year’s ‘Come and Find Me’.

For a guitarist whose 1974 breakthrough ‘Bridge of Sighs’ remains a touchstone of blues-rock, this level of sustained output and live commitment speaks to an artist still fully engaged with the craft.

Robin Trower 2026 Tour Dates:

Aug 31 – Sunderland, UK @ Sunderland Central Fire Station

Sep 1 – Edinburgh, UK @ The Queen’s Hall

Sep 3 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy

Sep 4 – Cambridge, UK @ Cambridge Junction

Sep 5 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

Sep 15 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker

Sep 17 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live

Sep 18 – Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live

Sep 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage

Sep 21 – Nashville, TN @ The Fisher Center

Sep 24 – Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere

Sep 25 – Jim Thorpe, PA @ Penn’s Peak

Sep 26 – Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater

Sep 29 – Northampton, MA @ Academy of Music Theatre

Sep 30 – Ridgefield, CT @ The Ridgefield Playhouse

Oct 2 – Olmstead Falls, OH @ Palace Theatre

Oct 3 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live!

Oct 4 – Northfield, OH @ Northfield Park Racino

Oct 7 – Cincinnati, OH @ Andrew J. Brady Music Center

Oct 8 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Oct 9 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre

Oct 11 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory

Oct 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater

Oct 14 – St. Charles, IL @ Arcadia Theatre

Lamb of God and Trivium Bring a Co-Headline Metal Juggernaut to Australia This October

Eric Alper
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Lamb of God and Trivium Bring a Co-Headline Metal Juggernaut to Australia This October

Two of heavy metal’s most formidable live acts are hitting Australia together this October. Lamb of God and Trivium have announced a 5-city co-headline arena tour presented by Destroy All Lines, with Glasgow metalcore outfit Bleed From Within along for all dates as special guests.

For Lamb of God, the run marks their first full headline Australian tour in nearly a decade. The Grammy-nominated Virginia groove-metal veterans last played the country at Knotfest Australia in 2024, and they arrive this time behind ‘Into Oblivion’, their 10th studio album released earlier this year. Their catalog of “Laid to Rest,” “Redneck,” “Walk With Me in Hell,” and “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” has cemented them as cornerstones of the genre across 3 decades.

Trivium, Grammy-nominated and multiple Billboard 200 top 20 act, last toured Australia in 2023 for the inaugural Knotfest Australia. Their most recent output includes 2021 full-length ‘In the Court of the Dragon’ and 2024’s ‘Struck Dead’ EP, with a packed summer of European festival appearances ahead before the Australian run.

Bleed From Within bring 20 years of metalcore credibility to the support slot, fresh off their seventh studio album ‘Zenith’ in 2025, having previously shared stages with Slipknot, Bullet for My Valentine, and Megadeth.

Artist early bird presale opens Friday May 15 at 9 am local. General tickets go on sale Thursday May 21 at 9 am local via destroyalllines.com.

Lamb of God and Trivium 2026 Australian Tour:

Oct 2 – Perth @ HPC

Oct 4 – Adelaide @ AEC Theatre

Oct 6 – Melbourne @ John Cain Arena

Oct 9 – Sydney @ Hordern Pavilion

Oct 11 – Brisbane @ Riverstage

Candy Whips Gives Heaven 17’s “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” a Timely New Life

Eric Alper
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Candy Whips Gives Heaven 17’s “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” a Timely New Life

Wendy Stonehenge, the electro/New Wave project Candy Whips, has released a cover of Heaven 17’s “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” and the timing is no accident. Originally released 45 years ago, the song’s political lyrics have lost none of their edge, and Stonehenge recognized it immediately. “This song was originally released 45 years ago, and it’s more relevant than ever,” he says. “I decided it needed to be given a new life.”

The interpretation slows the tempo slightly while deepening the dance groove, stripping back the arrangement to give the lyrics room to land. “My version is much more stripped down but also even more danceable,” Stonehenge explains. “This is the first time I’ve made a straight up dance track. It was a fun challenge to work outside of my usual comfort zone.”

The new single follows ‘Moonlight’, Candy Whips’ doo-wop covers EP featuring reimagined versions of The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You,” Marvin and Johnny’s “Cherry Pie,” and the Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman.” Ripe with vocal effects, drum machines, and synths, ‘Moonlight’ connected classic source material to a modern production sensibility. “If I could turn young people on to this older music, that would be amazing,” Stonehenge says.

An established member of Northern California glam rock outfit Glitter Wizard, Stonehenge launched Candy Whips during the pandemic as a focused outlet for synthpop and electronic experimentation, fusing punk energy with electronic production in ways that didn’t fit the Glitter Wizard mold. Critics have placed the project alongside Devo, Gary Numan, NEU!, Trevor Horn, Oingo Boingo, Wall of Voodoo, and Sparks, and the new single adds another strong entry to a catalog that keeps finding new ground.

“(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” is out now via Kitten Robot on all major platforms.

Amy Martin Announces New Album ‘Bones’ Due July 17 With Title Track Out Now

Eric Alper
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Amy Martin Announces New Album ‘Bones’ Due July 17 With Title Track Out Now

Amy Martin has announced ‘Bones’, her new album arriving July 17, 2026, produced by Chance McCoy of Old Crow Medicine Show. The title track is out today alongside an official music video. Drawing from southern gothic, indie-folk, and alt-country, the 8-track collection sits firmly in the territory of grief, endurance, and self-reflection, delivered with the Appalachian-rooted directness that defined her 2023 debut ‘Travelin’ On’.

Martin describes the album’s origins with the kind of clarity that runs through her writing. “Bones started as one song, and writing it unearthed a lot of grief I thought I’d already dealt with: unresolved faith, losses, and things I’d buried and called healed,” she says. “I’m not interested in wallowing. I’m interested in reckoning.”

A former vocalist in an alt-bluegrass ensemble in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Martin relocated to Denver in 2021 and crowdfunded ‘Travelin’ On’, which established her as a genuine presence in the Americana community. ‘Bones’ builds on that foundation with sharper lyricism, deeper emotional range, and a sound that balances weight with warmth throughout.

‘Bones’ Track Listing:

“Old Red”

“Bones”

“Give Me Hell”

“Intervention”

“Writer’s Block”

“Oh No No”

“How Do I Move On?”

“Under The Rubble”

Zara Larsson’s Stunning 2021 Stockholm Symphony Concert Is Now Available to Watch

Eric Alper
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0
Zara Larsson’s Stunning 2021 Stockholm Symphony Concert Is Now Available to Watch

In 2021, Zara Larsson brought her catalog to Stockholm’s Berwaldhallen with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under conductor Hans Ek, who reimagined her pop anthems with full orchestral arrangements and described the experience as unlocking the “hereditary melancholy” beneath the surface of her music. Broadcast on Swedish national radio and television, the performance placed Larsson’s voice against a rich, dynamic backdrop that shifted the emotional weight of familiar songs entirely.

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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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