Home Blog Page 6

Hayes Carll Plays Intimate 1927 Concert Series In Bristol This August

Eric Alper
-
0
Hayes Carll Plays Intimate 1927 Concert Series In Bristol This August

A songwriter’s songwriter is heading for one of the most fitting rooms imaginable. Birthplace of Country Music presents Hayes Carll as part of its intimate 1927 Concert Series, with cocktails and catering, on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The lobby reception starts at 6 p.m., with the show following at 7 p.m.

Carll has spent more than two decades earning his standing as one of Americana’s most beloved and consistent voices, and he’s done it by staying unflinchingly himself rather than chasing trends. His songs cut through the noise and name hard truths with humor, humility and heart, landing as both deeply personal and widely understood.

His pen reaches well past his own records. Carll’s songs have been cut by Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack and Brothers Osborne, though it’s his own warm, weathered delivery that leaves the deepest mark. American Songwriter put him in John Prine territory, praising the way he wraps serious ideas in dark humor and melodies that stick after a single listen.

The accolades have followed. He’s been recognized by the Americana Music Association, nominated for a Grammy, and championed by The New York Times and Pitchfork. Rolling Stone Country framed his work as a testament to slowing down and appreciating the moment, to loving, parenting and engaging with the world in a lasting way.

This is the kind of show the 1927 series exists for, a celebrated writer in a small space where every lyric carries. For longtime followers and newcomers alike, an evening with Hayes Carll offers something rare, a voice that’s still doing the work and still listening.

Event Information:

What: 1927 Concert Series with Hayes Carll

Where: Birthplace of Country Music Museum

When: Friday, August 21, 2026

Lobby Reception: 6 p.m.

Show: 7 p.m.

Video: Red Hot Chili Peppers Storm Poland In Remastered 4K Concert From 2007

Eric Alper
-
0
Video: Red Hot Chili Peppers Storm Poland In Remastered 4K Concert From 2007

Here’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the absolute peak of their powers. Newly remastered in 4K UHD and now streaming, this full concert captures the funk-rock quartet at Poland’s Silesian Stadium in 2007, deep in their ‘Stadium Arcadium’ era when their global reach and creative run were both cresting. The chemistry is the whole show, Flea’s thundering basslines locking with Chad Smith’s powerhouse drumming, John Frusciante’s intricate guitar lines weaving through, and Anthony Kiedis prowling the front with his charismatic vocals. The setlist mixes beloved classics with cuts from the double album, swinging between high-energy anthems and soulful, melodic stretches. It’s a pristine document of one of the most compelling live acts in music history, firing on all cylinders in front of an ecstatic Polish crowd.

Taco Bell’s Feed The Beat Marks 20 Years Of Artist Discovery With 100-Strong Anniversary Class

Eric Alper
-
0
Taco Bell’s Feed The Beat Marks 20 Years Of Artist Discovery With 100-Strong Anniversary Class

Two decades in, one of the most unusual partnerships in music keeps doing what it set out to do: feed working musicians. Taco Bell has unveiled the Feed The Beat 20th Anniversary Class, 100 rising artists joining a program that’s backed more than 2,000 musicians since 2006. The roster runs wide, with This Is Lorelei, Gelli Haha, Ecca Vandal, The Two Lips, Cure for Paranoia, Cashier, MX Lonely, Cdubz, Bad Nerves, The Hellp, Lowertown, Terror, Chezile and Jai’Len Josey among the names spanning indie rock, hip-hop, country, electronic and hardcore.

The idea behind Feed The Beat has always been refreshingly plain. Musicians on tour need to eat, so the program started by handing artists $500 in Taco Bell gift cards to cover meals between shows, no contracts and no obligations. That ethos still drives it 20 years later.

The model has grown well past free food. Participating artists can land their music in Taco Bell content and events, plus amplification across the brand’s huge social presence. Nearly 200 Feed The Beat artists have featured in campaigns over the years, and the program champions inclusivity, staying free to submit and built to support artists for the long haul.

The pop culture moments speak for themselves. Doja Cat covered Hole’s ‘Celebrity Skin’ in the 2022 Big Game spot The Grande Escape, and Turnstile turned up across multiple campaigns, including the 2022 Nacho Fries spot and last year’s Luxe Cravings ad with Tony Hawk.

Last year the brand launched the Feed The Beat Record Club, letting Taco Bell Rewards Members claim an exclusive vinyl box through a Tuesday Drop in the app. Artists including 54 Ultra, Anxious, Doja Cat, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, hemlocke springs, Hot Mulligan, Magdalena Bay and Portugal. the Man have had albums featured, with a fifth edition dropping next month.

The new class joins an alumni network stacked with names who’ve gone on to big things, among them Noah Kahan, Mannequin Pussy, 100 Gecs, Dillon Francis, The All-American Rejects, NEIL FRANCES, Tanner Adell and RØZ, all of them just starting out when they got the call.

Tim Bergevin, Taco Bell’s Vice President of Entertainment, Energy, and Events Marketing, said it’s been incredible to watch the breadth of artists the program has supported, and that this class continues the commitment to fueling musicians on the road. Jon Landman, CBDO at The Syndicate, pointed to how rare the original concept was, a brand backing up-and-coming musicians across all genres without asking for anything back, and noted the goal has always been authentic relationships.

You can dig into the full 20th Anniversary Class at FeedTheBeat.com.

Owain Rhys Davies, Welsh Actor Of ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ And West End Stages, Dies At 44

Eric Alper
-
0
Owain Rhys Davies, Welsh Actor Of ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ And West End Stages, Dies At 44

Owain Rhys Davies, the Welsh actor known to global audiences as Agent Wilson in David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’, has died at 44. His brother Rhodri confirmed the news in an Instagram post.

Born in Cardiff, Davies built a career that moved easily between stage and screen and crossed continents. His London West End work ran through major productions including ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘By Jeeves’, and he appeared in ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ at the Royal National Theatre. His stage credits stretched worldwide, taking in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’, ‘Something Rotten’, ‘Grease’, ‘Under Milk Wood’ and the UMPO Summer Blockbuster, which he also directed. He recently finished a sold-out run of ‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged’ at the International Theatre Salzburg.

On screen, his three episodes as Agent Wilson in Lynch’s acclaimed ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ brought his widest recognition. His other television and film work included ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’, ‘The Indian Doctor’, ‘The OA’, ‘My Dead Ex’, ‘The Relationtrip’ and the feature ‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life’. He also lent his voice to Travis Beacham’s award-winning Audible series ‘Impact Winter’.

Tributes have poured in from those who knew him. Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt called him a beautiful friend who was joy and life and talent and kindness all at once, and said she was devastated by the loss. Rhodri Davies described the reach of his brother’s love and generosity as vast, noting the family-like bonds Owain built with friends and colleagues alongside his biological family.

The family has asked for privacy as they come to terms with the loss and said they will share further information as arrangements are made. Owain Rhys Davies is survived by his father and his brother, Rhodri.

Video: Placebo Light Up Mexico City On ‘Loud Like Love’ Tour In 2014

Eric Alper
-
0
Video: Placebo Light Up Mexico City On ‘Loud Like Love’ Tour In 2014

A pro-shot night from Placebo’s ‘Loud Like Love’ tour now lives online, and it’s a gem. Filmed at the intimate El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City in 2014, the show came as a special smaller gig right after the band’s huge Vive Latino festival set, giving a few thousand lucky fans a personal evening with one of alternative rock’s most magnetic live acts. Brian Molko’s unmistakable voice leads the charge, locked in with Stefan Olsdal’s melodic bass and Steve Forrest’s sharp, dynamic drumming. The set moves between fresh material and the anthems that built the band’s name, and the energy in the room never dips. It’s a glam, punk and alt-rock blend delivered with real force, a cherished document for longtime fans and a perfect entry point for anyone meeting Placebo for the first time.


NYC Co-Names West 8th Street For Jimi Hendrix, Launching National TeachRock Education Push

Eric Alper
-
0
NYC Co-Names West 8th Street For Jimi Hendrix, Launching National TeachRock Education Push

A Greenwich Village street is about to carry one of the most revered names in music history. On June 10 at 11 a.m., New York City will officially co-name West 8th Street Jimi Hendrix Way, honoring the guitarist and cultural icon just a block from the historic Electric Lady Studios he founded. The ceremony, pushed back from February 24 after inclement weather, lands at the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue and West 8th Street.

NYC District 2 Council Member Harvey Epstein leads the co-naming, spearheaded by the Hendrix family-owned Experience Hendrix, L.L.C., headed by Janie Hendrix, alongside musician and writer Jeff Slate. The day doubles as the public launch of a national education partnership with Stevie Van Zandt’s TeachRock, expanding a library of more than 500 free, standards-aligned lessons that teach history, social studies, language arts and other core subjects through music and popular culture.

The lineup at the ceremony reads like a celebration of the music itself. Joining Epstein are TeachRock founder Stevie Van Zandt, Experience Hendrix President and CEO Janie Hendrix, Grammy-winning Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, songwriter and performer Valerie Simpson, CBS Orchestra guitarist Felicia Collins, and producer and engineer Eddie Kramer, who worked closely with Hendrix and helped conceptualize Electric Lady Studios.

The centerpiece of the partnership is a new multimedia Hendrix curriculum for middle and high school students. The lesson, Jimi Hendrix: Rock’s Trailblazing Innovator and Influential Guitarist, traces his path from Blues and R&B roots to a revolutionary impact on rock, sound design and live performance. Students dig into how he reshaped creative identity and why his influence still lands more than 50 years on.

There’s real craft behind the classroom tools. The lesson was co-developed with educator and musician John Anthony, and it features exclusive archival footage from Experience Hendrix, including Hendrix’s legendary 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival performance. TeachRock teamed with NYU’s MusEdLab to build interactive tools that let students experiment with the guitar effects and sonic innovations that defined his signature sound.

Epstein framed the tribute around the neighborhood’s history of culture, arts and activism, calling Hendrix a groundbreaking musician and a powerful voice for peace, racial equity and social justice. Van Zandt put it plainly, saying Hendrix didn’t just play guitar, he reimagined what art could be, and TeachRock wants students to feel that same sense of possibility.

Janie Hendrix connected the project straight to the family’s mission, describing her father’s music as a gateway for young people to connect with history, creativity and their own potential.

The free lesson is available now at teachrock.org as part of TeachRock’s curriculum library, aligned with National Standards for Music Education, National Core Arts Standards, Social Studies standards and Common Core State Standards.

Event Details:

What: Official West 8th Street Co-Naming Ceremony Honoring Jimi Hendrix

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.

Where: Corner of West 8th Street and Sixth Avenue, New York City

Who: Council Member Harvey Epstein, Stevie Van Zandt, Janie Hendrix, Vernon Reid, Valerie Simpson, Felicia Collins, local TeachRock educators and students

Elvis Costello Brings ‘Radio Soul!’ Tour To Niagara Falls This September

Eric Alper
-
0
Elvis Costello Brings ‘Radio Soul!’ Tour To Niagara Falls This September

One of the sharpest songwriters of the last 50 years is coming to Niagara Falls. Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton land at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino on Saturday, September 12, 2026, as part of the ‘Radio Soul! The Songs of Elvis Costello from the Early Days to the Late Hours’ tour.

Costello rose up in the late ’70s and never stopped moving, folding rock, punk, pop, jazz and orchestral music into a catalogue that runs hundreds of songs deep. He’s a Grammy winner and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the live show still crackles. Expect the classics that built his name plus the new material that keeps him vital.

The hits run long. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” “Veronica,” “Alison,” and “Oliver’s Army” only scratch the surface of a songbook that’s been covered across every genre imaginable.

The company around him carries serious pedigree too. Charlie Sexton, guitarist, songwriter and producer, has recorded with Ron Wood, Keith Richards, David Bowie and Bob Dylan. Costello himself has worked alongside Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett and Allen Toussaint over the decades, a guest list that reads like a music history syllabus.

This is a night built for a room that knows the words. The OLG Stage at Fallsview ranks as the number 1 venue in Canada by size, a 5,000-seat hall overlooking the Horseshoe Falls, and it’s the kind of space these songs deserve.

Cathy Price, Vice President of Marketing and Resort Operations for Niagara Casinos, called Costello one of the most profoundly influential figures in popular music, with songs that keep resonating across generations.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 a.m. through ticketmaster.ca.

Alan Doyle’s Sold-Out East Coast Kitchen Party ‘Tell Tale Harbour’ Returns To Toronto

Eric Alper
-
0
Alan Doyle’s Sold-Out East Coast Kitchen Party ‘Tell Tale Harbour’ Returns To Toronto

The crowds spoke, and Mirvish Productions listened. After a sell-out run during the 2025/26 season, the musical comedy ‘Tell Tale Harbour’ rolls back into Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre this winter, December 22, 2026 to January 24, 2027.

Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle co-wrote the show and stars as Frank, anchoring a story that runs on equal parts mischief and heart. The reviews tracked the reaction. The Toronto Star called it hilarious with an enormous heart. Global News landed on feel-good and fun, wonderfully written and performed.

The setup is pure Atlantic Canada. A small harbour loses its fish plant, and the whole village scrambles for a way to survive. A frozen french fry factory could save everyone, bringing jobs and a future, but the deal comes with a catch. The town needs a full-time resident doctor.

So the townspeople do what any proud community would do. They spin the truth, stage an elaborate charm offensive, and try to convince an interim doctor to make the move permanent. It’s as relatable as it is ridiculous, and it celebrates the people who build a life on the edge of the mighty Atlantic.

The score and the laughs hit the level you’d want from the best East Coast kitchen party, warm and rowdy and built to send a crowd home grinning. Based on Ken Scott’s screenplay ‘The Grand Seduction’, the show comes co-created by Adam Brazier, Alan Doyle, Bob Foster and Edward Riche.

Doyle leads a deep Original Canadian company. The cast features AP Bautista as Marie, Joel Cumber as Gus, Susan Henley as Vera, Gabrielle Jones as Gina, Melissa MacKenzie as Kathleen, Laurie Murdoch as Yvon, Kale Penny as Dr. Chris, and Alison Woolridge as Barbara, among others.

Joining them are Toronto musician and actor Michael Cox on swing, Saccha Dennis (& Juliet Toronto) as Louise, and Trevor Patt (Disney’s The Lion King, Toronto 2024) as Chip.

Brian Hill directs, with orchestrations, arrangements and music direction by Bob Foster, and choreography by Robin Calvert. The production first played the Royal Alexandra as part of Mirvish Productions’ 2025-2026 Main Season, in co-production with The Confederation Centre of the Arts, developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.

Tickets go on sale Monday June 15 at 10AM at mirvish.com or by calling 1.800.461.3333.

Performance Schedule: Tue – Sat: 7:30PM Wed: 1:30PM Sat / Sun: 2PM

Holiday Schedule: Thu Dec 24: 1:30PM Fri Dec 25: No performance Sat Dec 26: 2PM & 7:30PM Sun Dec 27: 2PM & 7:30PM Tue Dec 29: 1:30PM & 7:30PM Wed Dec 30: 1:30PM & 7:30PM Thu Dec 31: 1:30PM Jan 1: No performance

The Concept Album Is Back, and Kendrick Lamar Is the Reason

Eric Alper
-
0
The Concept Album Is Back, and Kendrick Lamar Is the Reason

We live in the most singles-obsessed era music has ever seen. Streaming rewards the standalone hit, the playlist add, the fifteen-second TikTok hook, and most artists have happily adapted by releasing songs designed to survive on their own. Then there’s Kendrick Lamar, who has spent his entire career treating the album not as a loose collection of tracks but as a single, intricate piece of storytelling. And here’s the remarkable part: he keeps winning. In a world built to punish the long-form, Kendrick has made the cohesive, narrative-driven album feel essential again. He survived the singles era and proved there’s still a deep hunger for something more.

To understand why, you have to start with ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’. Critics noted it was a concept album with an autobiographical narrative, and Kendrick built it like a film, literally. The LP’s artwork labels it “a short film by Kendrick Lamar,” and the 12-track narrative paints a vivid picture that fully immerses the listener into summer ’04 in Compton, telling the story of how a good kid in a bad neighborhood escapes the cycle of gang violence. The structure is daring: he’s compared the narrative to Pulp Fiction, as the chronology jumps from the middle to the end to the beginning of the album. Songs are told from shifting perspectives, some through his new-found viewpoint as Kendrick Lamar and some through the perspective of his younger persona K.Dot. This was a major-label rap debut engineered to be experienced front to back, in order, as one continuous story.

What makes Kendrick a master of the form is that he refuses to repeat the same trick. Across his catalog, ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ works as a refracted version of ‘good kid’, trading a single narrative woven through many voices for multiple narratives told in one voice, while ‘DAMN.’ breaks down into individual stories, each song its own self-contained world. He treats each project as a fresh structural problem to solve, and his ambitions scaled up accordingly. ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ was a sprawling, 78-minute portrait of America and his dangerous place in it, layered with funk and jazz. Kendrick himself framed his entire creative identity around this approach, saying on the album’s release, “I pride myself on writing now rather than rapping. My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work, rather than just a 16-bar verse.”

Crucially, his commitment to the form has amplified his cultural relevance. The deepest, most demanding album of his catalog became one of the most widely discussed records of its decade. Seven years after its release, ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ had more than 1.5 billion streams on Spotify and continued to hold its place in the zeitgeist, with individual tracks taking on lives of their own. “Alright” became a Black Lives Matter anthem, “The Blacker the Berry” served as its flip side, and “How Much a Dollar Cost” delivered a haunting meditation on mortality set to a Radiohead piano loop. A 78-minute jazz-rap song cycle produced a protest anthem chanted in the streets. That’s the proof that concept albums still pierce the mainstream when they’re built with this much intent.

So why does this matter beyond Kendrick himself? Because he’s reset expectations for what an album can be in the streaming age. He’s shown a generation of artists that artistic ambition and commercial success can coexist, that audiences will still sit with a full body of work if you give them a reason to. His roots were in the form from the very beginning, going back to early projects like ‘Section.80’, which featured two central characters, Tammy and Keisha, who appear in and out of frame as aspects of their lives are relayed. The concept album spent years on the margins while the industry chased singles. Kendrick Lamar dragged it back to the center, one short film at a time, and made the rest of music remember that the album, done right, is still the most powerful canvas an artist has.

How to Build a Music Website That Works

Eric Alper
-
0
How to Build a Music Website That Works

Here’s the situation every artist faces in 2026: your fans are scattered across platforms you don’t control, fed by algorithms that can bury you overnight. Your website is the one place that’s entirely yours. It’s your digital home base, where fans discover your music, where promoters learn who you are, and in a world dominated by social platforms and unpredictable algorithms, having your own corner of the internet is your foundation. The encouraging part is that it has never been easier to build one. You don’t need to know code, learn design, or hire an expensive agency. Here’s how to make a site that actually does its job.

Start with the few pages that matter

Resist the urge to build something sprawling. You can improve it over time, so start by publishing the essentials: your homepage, about page, music page, and contact page. That’s enough for fans and promoters to understand who you are and what you offer. As your career grows you can add more, with a fuller setup typically including Home, Music, Shows, Store, EPK, and a Contact page so fans and event organizers can easily navigate.

Pick a domain and platform that fit your goals

Your web address is part of your brand. Choose a domain that matches your artist or band name so fans can easily find you, which also strengthens your branding and makes your site look more professional when you share links on streaming platforms or social media. For the platform itself, the right choice depends on what you want. Bandzoogle is built for musicians and offers tools like stores and EPK templates, Squarespace focuses on design with easy drag-and-drop editing that works well for visual artists, and Shopify is best for selling merch with strong store features.

Make the three core actions effortless

This is the single most important principle, and the one most artists get wrong. Fans usually want three things: to listen to music, to see tour dates, and to buy merch. If these actions are hard, the website fails. Build everything around those three jobs. Put a music player with streaming integration front and center, add upcoming dates with ticket links in a simple calendar layout, and keep your store clean and easy to reach.

Capture emails and keep streaming links visible

A mailing list is the audience you actually own, immune to any algorithm change. The mailing list must be visible and should appear at the top of the homepage, and streaming links should be easy to access. This matters more than ever, because fans crave a direct line to you. A 2025 Music Industry Report found 92% of fans expressed a deep desire to feel a more intimate connection with their favorite artist, 78% said exclusive behind-the-scenes content made them feel more connected, and 85% believed direct communication channels bridged the gap between them and the artist.

Keep a press-ready EPK on hand

Promoters and journalists make fast decisions, so give them everything in one place. Press mentions or achievements should be listed, including links to reviews or charts, because all these elements help others understand the artist quickly, so a strong EPK increases the chances of opportunities. A downloadable version adds extra value.

Build for mobile and for speed

Most of your visitors are arriving on a phone. Mobile-responsive design is essential, since 64.95% of web traffic is mobile, and your core features should include a music player with streaming integration, high-quality photos and videos, tour dates with ticket links, contact information, and social media links. Speed is just as critical. Site speed is very important, so images should be compressed before upload to help pages load faster.

Avoid the most common mistake: over-design

It’s tempting to load your site with effects, but restraint wins. Many musicians over-design their websites by adding too many effects or animations, which slows down the site and hides important content. Simplicity works best, clear design improves user experience, and fast access to key features increases engagement. When your music, your shows, and your store are one tap away, your website stops being a digital flyer and becomes the working hub of your career. Build for the fan in a hurry, and you build for everyone.

1...567...3,744Page 6 of 3,744

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

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

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper