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The Savannah Bananas and ESPN Announce Their Biggest Banana Ball Deal Ever With 25 Games

Eric Alper
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The Savannah Bananas and ESPN Announce Their Biggest Banana Ball Deal Ever With 25 Games

The Savannah Bananas and ESPN have announced their largest distribution deal to date, a 25-game exclusive package for 2026 with every game streaming on Disney+ and the ESPN App, and select games airing across ESPN networks and ABC. The agreement more than doubles last year’s 12-game offering and marks the first time Banana Ball has aired on ABC, with that debut set for Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, one of the largest Banana Ball events ever staged.

The deal builds on a partnership that began in 2022 with the ESPN+ original series Bananaland. Since then the Bananas’ national audience has grown every season, and the 2026 schedule reflects that momentum directly. Bananas owner Jesse Cole called it the biggest collaboration to date: “As we launch the Banana Ball Championship League with six teams and sold-out shows all over the country, we couldn’t imagine a better partnership to grow the game.”

Three dates stand out beyond the broadcast milestones. On March 26, the Bananas take over Angel Stadium in Anaheim to coincide with Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland Resort, facing the Indianapolis Clowns. On May 29, Banana Ball heads to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World, with the Party Animals facing the Loco Beach Coconuts. And on July 23, the Party Animals and Clowns square off at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, just down the road from ESPN headquarters.

The full 25-game schedule runs from February 28 through August 29, hitting iconic venues including Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Coors Field, Busch Stadium, Target Field, and Gillette Stadium. All games are fully produced by the Savannah Bananas themselves.

Banana Ball at Wrigley Field. On ABC. In a sold-out stadium. This is not a niche story anymore.

2026 ESPN Banana Ball Schedule:

Feb. 28 — Tallahassee, FL — Doak Campbell Stadium — Tailgaters vs. Bananas — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Mar. 14 — New Orleans, LA — Super Dome — Party Animals vs. Bananas — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Mar. 28 — Anaheim, CA — Angel Stadium — Clowns vs. Bananas — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Apr. 25 — Bronx, NY — Yankee Stadium — Party Animals vs. Bananas — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

May 2 — College Station, TX — Kyle Field — Bananas vs. Tailgaters — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

May 23 — Knoxville, TN — Neyland Stadium — Tailgaters vs. Bananas — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

May 29 — Orlando, FL — ESPN Wide World of Sports — Party Animals vs. Coconuts — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Jun. 13 — Lincoln, NE — Memorial Field — Bananas vs. Firefighters — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Jun. 19 — Cincinnati, OH — Great American Ballpark — Bananas vs. Clowns — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jun. 20 — Cincinnati, OH — Great American Ballpark — Bananas vs. Clowns — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Jun. 21 — Cincinnati, OH — Great American Ballpark — Bananas vs. Clowns — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jun. 27 — Eugene, OR — Autzen Stadium — Bananas vs. Party Animals — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jun. 28 — Eugene, OR — Autzen Stadium — Bananas vs. Party Animals — ABC, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jul. 23 — Hartford, CT — Dunkin’ Park — Party Animals vs. Clowns — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jul. 24 — Chicago, IL — Wrigley Field — Bananas vs. Firefighters — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jul. 25 — Chicago, IL — Wrigley Field — Bananas vs. Firefighters — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jul. 26 — Chicago, IL — Wrigley Field — Bananas vs. Firefighters — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Jul. 31 — Boise, ID — Albertson Stadium — Tailgaters vs. Party Animals — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 1 — Boise, ID — Albertson Stadium — Tailgaters vs. Party Animals — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 7 — Minneapolis, MN — Target Field — Bananas vs. Coconuts — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 8 — Minneapolis, MN — Target Field — Bananas vs. Coconuts — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 15 — Denver, CO — Coors Field — Clowns vs. Bananas — ESPN, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 21 — St. Louis, MO — Busch Stadium — Coconuts vs. Bananas — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 22 — St. Louis, MO — Busch Stadium — Coconuts vs. Bananas — ESPN2, Disney+, ESPN Unlimited

Aug. 29 — Foxboro, MA — Gillette Stadium — Bananas vs. Coconuts — ESPN Unlimited, Disney+

Lithuanian Sludge Metal Force Erdve Announce Third Album ‘Epigrama’ With Crushing New Single

Eric Alper
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Lithuanian Sludge Metal Force Erdve Announce Third Album ‘Epigrama’ With Crushing New Single

Erdve have announced their third album, ‘Epigrama,’ arriving May 29 via Season of Mist. The Lithuanian experimental sludge metal outfit have unveiled lead single “Nyra” alongside a music video filmed among the monumental sculptural works of the Park of Europe in Joneikiškės, Lithuania. The track is out now, and it is exactly as heavy as the band’s reputation demands.

“Nyra” does not rush toward impact. It builds. Dense atmospheric guitars and restrained rhythmic movement accumulate into a suffocating meditation on grief, memory, and unresolved responsibility. The composition develops through structured tension rather than sudden aggression, presenting loss not as a fleeting reaction but as a force that traps the individual within cycles they cannot escape. For a band that has always prioritized intentional songwriting over surface aggression, “Nyra” is a precise and devastating opening statement.

Since emerging from Vilnius in 2016, Erdve have pushed their experimental vision album by album. Their debut ‘Vaitojimas’ established a hard and sludgy foundation. Their 2021 follow-up ‘Savigaila’ sharpened that into something more abrasive and dramatically intense. ‘Epigrama’ marks another deliberate shift, built around meticulous consistency between music, lyrics, and sound production, where every element contributes to a cohesive emotional architecture. The band self-produced, mixed, and mastered the record entirely.

Erdve are also known for performing in unconventional spaces, including a 2019 show at the church of St. John’s in Vilnius and another at the Lukiškės Ex-Prison. That instinct for context and atmosphere runs through everything they do, and ‘Epigrama’ is no different.

‘Epigrama’ is available to pre-order now on CD Digipak, digital download, and 12″ vinyl in both black and silver, black and white marbled variants. May 29.

Award-Winning Star Eryn-Jean Norvill Headlines the North American Premiere of Virginia Gay’s ‘Cyrano’

Eric Alper
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Award-Winning Star Eryn-Jean Norvill Headlines the North American Premiere of Virginia Gay’s ‘Cyrano’

Virginia Gay’s ‘Cyrano’ is making its North American Premiere in Toronto, running now through April 5 at the CAA Theatre. The production stars Eryn-Jean Norvill in the title role, one of Australia’s most decorated theatre performers, leading a cast that includes Madeline Charlemagne as Roxanne and George Ioannides as Yan. Tickets are available now at Mirvish.com.

Gay’s reimagining of the Edmond Rostand classic is a gender-flipped retelling that earned a Fringe First award at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, where it played to sold-out houses. The story follows Cyrano as a wordsmith and charmer working twice as hard as everyone around her, deeply ashamed of something about herself, while writing the perfect love scenes that another man delivers to the woman they both adore. The Times awarded it five stars and called it “a giddy, sensitive celebration of love.” The Stage matched that rating, calling it “enormously uplifting and infectiously sweet.” The Financial Times called it “dazzlingly clever, witty, knowing, satirical and heartfelt all at once.”

Norvill brings formidable credentials to the role. She is a multiple Sydney Theatre Award and Green Room Award winner, recognized for her landmark performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray for Sydney Theatre Company. Her West End castmates are equally strong, with Charlemagne bringing credits from Hadestown and Hex at the National Theatre, and Ioannides arriving with Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre and Annie at the Piccadilly on his resume.

The production is directed by Clare Watson and produced by Roast Productions, the London-based company behind recent projects including Vanya starring Andrew Scott and Macbeth starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma. The creative team brings serious theatrical firepower to what is already a proven, celebrated production.

Performances run Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Wednesday matinees at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The run closes April 5.

‘Cyrano’ Performance Schedule:

Tuesday — Saturday: 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 1:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 2:00 p.m.

March 14 — April 5, 2026 — Toronto — CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St.

Visionary Singer-Songwriter Imaad Wasif Releases Soul-Bearing New Album ‘Superconsciousness’

Eric Alper
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Visionary Singer-Songwriter Imaad Wasif Releases Soul-Bearing New Album ‘Superconsciousness’

Imaad Wasif has released his seventh album, ‘Superconsciousness,’ out today via his own Voidist Records imprint. The record arrives accompanied by a new video for “We Are Hunters,” premiering via FLOOD Magazine, and a release show set for Sunday, March 22, featuring special guests Lael Neale, Chalk Teeth, and Devendra Banhart on DJ duties.

The album carries real weight behind it. Wasif was displaced by the 2025 Altadena wildfire while already navigating significant personal upheaval, and ‘Superconsciousness’ was completed through all of it. “My soul is this album, there for the taking,” he says. “It embodies my hope, my pain, and shines a light on my many contradictions.” Produced by Lewis Pesacov and mixed by Derek Coburn, the record blends goth-folk, Indian ragas, minimalism, and post-punk into something that feels both meticulously composed and genuinely alive.

The collaborators Wasif assembled are well matched to the material. Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Garrett Ray of Vampire Weekend, Heather McIntosh of Neutral Milk Hotel, and Dylan Fujioka of Meatbodies all contribute, lending the album a depth that extends well beyond a solo record. FLOOD calls it “a multidimensional exploration of sounds,” while Bearded Gentlemen Music describes it as “an essential transmission for the disillusioned.” KCRW captured the current single perfectly: “‘We Are Hunters’ begins as a raga meditation and unravels into something far more feral, part Sonic Youth haze, part spiritual excavation.”

Earlier single “Believe” anchors the album’s emotional core, a fragile, piano-led elegy that opens into fuzzed-out intensity. American Pancake called it “a forever song,” noting its hymnal quality and classical beauty. Taken together, the ten tracks on ‘Superconsciousness’ form a record that Wasif describes as being about transmuting darkness, not ignoring it, but pushing through it toward something with positive force.

Wasif’s career spans collaborations with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lou Barlow, and Karen O, whose songs he co-wrote for Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. ‘Superconsciousness’ is his most personal and fully realized work yet.

‘Superconsciousness’ Tracklisting:

  1. Believe
  2. The Rainbow
  3. We Are Hunters
  4. Dark Lord
  5. Echoing
  6. Looking Through My Skull
  7. Weightless
  8. Body and Soul
  9. Shielded
  10. Over New Land

Record Release Show:

Sunday, March 22, 2026 — with Lael Neale, Chalk Teeth, and Devendra Banhart (DJ)

Yorkshire Singer-Songwriter Fiona-Lee Drops “Not My Friends” and Announces Debut UK Headline Tour

Eric Alper
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Yorkshire Singer-Songwriter Fiona-Lee Drops “Not My Friends” and Announces Debut UK Headline Tour

Fiona-Lee has released “Not My Friends,” the latest single from her forthcoming EP ‘Every Woman,’ arriving April 17 via Gravity and Capitol Records. The track is out now on all platforms, and her debut UK headline tour kicks off in April to coincide with the release.

“Not My Friends” is Fiona-Lee at her most direct. The song tackles the cycle of investing in the wrong relationships to avoid loneliness, a fear she describes with clear-eyed self-awareness: “That fear of loneliness can be a hard cycle to break, even when you’re fully aware of it.” Produced by Thom Lewis, the man behind Sam Fender’s landmark albums ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ and ‘Seventeen Going Under,’ the track builds relentlessly from earthy, soaring guitars toward an anthemic climax built for large rooms.

The press has been paying close attention. DIY Magazine cited her “Florence Welch-like, vibrato-tinged rawness,” while Dork called her “one of the UK’s most essential new songwriters.” Rolling Stone UK described her simply as “a very special artist.” BBC Radio 1’s Sian Eleri was more personal still: “I love her so much.” That breadth of support reflects an artist whose songwriting cuts through across audiences.

Fiona-Lee arrives at this headline tour with strong momentum behind her. She has already supported CMAT and Miles Kane, sold out a headline show in Leeds, and secured major support slots with The Maccabees and Paul Weller. A busy summer festival run follows the April dates, including appearances at Neighbourhood Weekender, Big Feastival, and Victorious Festival.

‘Every Woman’ is a six-track EP that tackles difficult emotional terrain with poise and precision.

‘Every Woman’ EP Tracklisting:

  1. Erin
  2. Every Woman
  3. Imposter
  4. Not My Friends
  5. Rational
  6. Victim

Live Dates:

April 25 — Hull — The New Adelphi Club

April 29 — London — Paper Dress Vintage

April 30 — Manchester — Deaf Institute

May 23 — Warrington — Neighbourhood Weekender

July 17 — Shropshire — Ludlow Castle (with Paul Weller)

July 31 — Leeds — Kirkstall Abbey (with The Maccabees)

August 28 — Kingham — Big Feastival

August 30 — Cornwall — Victorious Festival

The Bob Dylan Center Open Applications for the 2026 Songwriter Fellowship

Eric Alper
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The Bob Dylan Center Open Applications for the 2026 Songwriter Fellowship

The Bob Dylan Center and Universal Music Publishing Group, the world’s leading music publishing company, have joined forces again for the Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship. The Fellowship was created to refine songwriting skills while forging meaningful connections with music industry creative executives through the resources of the Bob Dylan Center.

To be awarded to two recipients annually, each Fellowship encompasses a $25,000 project stipend, roundtrip airfare, and travel accommodations to Tulsa. Additionally, these recipients will gain public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study Dylan’s creative process, mentorship from UMPG songwriters and executives, and recording time in Tulsa’s historic The Church Studio, the famous studio of Leon Russell.

Applications will be reviewed by the BDC and UMPG executives. Fellowship recipients will be selected by a panel of renowned and esteemed singer and songwriters, including: Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend; James Mercer of The Shins; Dan Wilson; and Lucy Dacus, also known for her work with boygenius.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Fellowship and due April 27, 2026. The Fellowship will run from Aug. 2026 through July 2027.

To complete the application, click the link below and create a SlideRoom account here.

Global Recorded Music Revenues Top $30 Billion For the First Time Since 1999

Eric Alper
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Global Recorded Music Revenues Top $30 Billion For the First Time Since 1999

The global recorded music industry has hit a milestone not seen in over two decades. According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026, recorded music revenues reached $31.7 billion in 2025, the highest figure since 1999, not adjusted for inflation. It marks the 11th consecutive year of growth, with gains recorded across every region in the world.

Streaming remains the engine driving everything. Subscription streaming revenues surpassed $22 billion, representing 69.6% of total recorded music earnings. The number of paid streaming subscribers globally now stands at 837 million, up from 752 million the previous year. That growth is consistent, broad-based, and showing no signs of slowing.

Physical formats delivered a notable rebound. Led by a 13.7% rise in vinyl sales, physical music grew 8% in 2025 after a 3% decline in 2024. Performance rights revenue reached $2.9 billion, while synch income and downloads each saw modest declines. The U.S. held its position as the world’s largest market with 38.7% of global revenues, growing 3.3% year over year and adding more than $400 million in revenue.

The fastest-growing regions tell an important story about where music is heading. Latin America led all regions with revenue growth of 17.1%, with Brazil and Mexico both placing in the global top ten markets. China overtook Germany to become the fourth-largest market globally, posting 20.1% growth. The Middle East and North Africa grew 15.2%, with streaming accounting for 97.5% of the region’s total revenues.

Taylor Swift was 2025’s biggest-selling global artist for the fourth consecutive year, with the top five rounded out by Stray Kids, Drake, The Weeknd, and Bad Bunny. ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” was the year’s biggest-selling single, while Swift’s 12th studio album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ led across all album formats.

The IFPI also flagged a growing threat that the industry cannot afford to ignore. Streaming fraud, accelerated by generative AI, is redirecting revenues away from artists and rightsholders at an increasing rate. Deezer reported receiving more than 60,000 fully AI-generated tracks daily in January 2026, with 85% of streams on AI-generated music across the platform in 2025 flagged as fraudulent, a 70% increase from the year prior. IFPI and its member companies are pursuing direct legal action, with manipulation services disrupted and shut down across Germany, France, Norway, Brazil, and Canada. The message from the industry is direct: streaming fraud is theft, and the organizations with the data and leverage to stop it must act.

BTS Reunite for First Late-Night Appearance Together Since 2021 on Fallon

Eric Alper
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0
BTS Reunite for First Late-Night Appearance Together Since 2021 on Fallon

BTS are back together on American television for the first time since 2021. RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook will appear on back-to-back episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 25 and 26, marking the group’s first full reunion on U.S. late night following the completion of their mandatory military service. The interview and first performance air March 25, with the second performance following the next night.

The timing is loaded. BTS’s fifth studio album “ARIRANG” is out March 20, two days before the Netflix global live performance “BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG” streams March 21. Their feature documentary “BTS: THE RETURN” premieres March 27 on Netflix. The Fallon appearances land squarely at the center of one of the most anticipated pop comebacks in recent memory.

The scale of their 2021 Tonight Show takeover gives a sense of what to expect. That July appearance amassed nearly 120 million digital views, featuring performances of “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” Individual members have appeared on the show in the years since, but this marks the first time all seven have returned together. The difference between a solo appearance and a full BTS reunion is not a small one.

The March 25 episode also features Ariana DeBose, with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day appearing alongside BTS on March 26. The Tonight Show airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC and streams the following day on Peacock.

One of the biggest reunions in pop music this year lands on late night television this month. Do not miss it.

R&B Icons Xscape Headline “The Mother’s Day Love Affair” With K. Michelle and Donell Jones

Eric Alper
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0
R&B Icons Xscape Headline “The Mother’s Day Love Affair” With K. Michelle and Donell Jones

Xscape are coming home. The Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling R&B group headline The Mother’s Day Love Affair, a one-night-only concert event at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on Sunday, May 10. Joining them are powerhouse vocalist K. Michelle and R&B mainstay Donell Jones. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m. via FoxTheatre.org, with artist and venue presales beginning Thursday, March 19.

Xscape, featuring Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, and Tamika Scott, helped define the sound of 90s R&B with hits including “Just Kickin’ It,” “Who Can I Run To,” and “Understanding.” Their return to the Fox Theatre, one of Atlanta’s most storied stages, is a genuine homecoming, a celebration of legacy on the ground where it was built.

K. Michelle brings her own considerable weight to the evening. Her appearance comes ahead of her highly anticipated debut on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 17, making this one of her first major live performances in this new chapter. Donell Jones rounds out the bill with late-90s and early-2000s classics including “Where I Wanna Be” and “U Know What’s Up,” anchoring the night in the kind of R&B that holds up without apology.

UpFront Presents framed the event plainly: “Atlanta’s mothers deserve more than brunch.” The lineup backs that up. Three acts, one iconic venue, and a cultural moment that positions The Mother’s Day Love Affair as one of the most significant Atlanta concert events of the spring season.

One night only. May 10 at the Fox Theatre.

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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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