Page 6 – That Eric Alper

Why Your Email List Is Still One Of The Most Valuable Things You Own As An Artist

Eric Alper

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Apr 14, 2026

Why Your Email List Is Still One Of The Most Valuable Things You Own As An Artist

Every few years someone declares email dead. They’re wrong every time, and artists who believed them have paid for it. Streaming platforms change their algorithms without warning. Social media accounts get shadowbanned, suspended, or simply stop reaching the people who followed you. TikTok can disappear from an app store overnight. None of that happens with an email list. When someone gives you their email address, they’re giving you direct access to their attention, and no platform can take that away from you.

The numbers back this up. Email consistently outperforms social media for open rates, click-through rates, and conversion. A post on Instagram might reach five percent of your followers on a good day. An email lands in an inbox, and if your subject line is any good, a significant portion of your list will actually read it. That’s not a small thing. That’s the difference between announcing a show to your real audience and shouting into an algorithm.

Building the list is the part most artists avoid because it feels slow. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with your show: collect emails at the merch table with a simple sign-up sheet or a tablet running a form. Add a sign-up link to every platform you’re on, your Instagram bio, your Linktree, your Bandcamp page, your website footer. When you release something new, make the email list the first place it lands, before social media, before streaming. Give your subscribers a reason to be on the list that nobody else gets, a demo, an early ticket window, a handwritten note, something that makes the subscription feel like access rather than a newsletter.

Platforms like Mailchimp, Substack, and Bandcamp all offer tools that make this manageable even for artists without a team. Substack in particular has changed the conversation because it gives artists a built-in discovery mechanism alongside the list itself. You don’t need a massive budget or a label behind you to run an effective email program. You need consistency and a reason for people to open what you send.

The artists who have survived every platform shift, every algorithm change, every industry upheaval, are the ones who own their relationship with their audience. A Spotify follower is borrowed. An email subscriber is yours. Start building that list today, treat the people on it like they matter, and you’ll have something no streaming deal or social media strategy can replicate.

Sid Krofft, Visionary Co-Creator of H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, Dies at 96

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 14, 2026

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Sid Krofft, Visionary Co-Creator of H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, Dies at 96

Sid Krofft, the Canadian-born puppeteer and television visionary who partnered with his younger brother Marty to build one of the most distinctive creative empires in the history of children’s television, died Friday at the Los Angeles home of his friend and business partner Kelly Killian. He was 96. Marty had died in November 2023 at age 86. With Sid’s passing, an era ends completely.

Together, the Krofft brothers created a body of work that was impossible to categorize and impossible to forget. H.R. Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, Lidsville — these weren’t just Saturday morning shows. They were full worlds, built from scratch with big-headed puppets, psychedelic colour, low-budget ingenuity, and a genuine creative recklessness that network television has never quite replicated. The shows ran for short original broadcast runs and then lived for decades in reruns, burrowing into the memories of every kid who watched them. H.R. Pufnstuf alone ranked 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll of all-time cult favorites.

The brothers always denied the obvious question. “You can’t do a show stoned,” Marty told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re bizarre, that’s all.” Bizarre was the right word, and it was always meant as a compliment. Their shows had an edge that Disney never touched, vivid and slightly unsettling in ways that kids couldn’t name but absolutely felt. The Beatles reportedly requested full tape sets of Pufnstuf episodes. McDonald’s copied their aesthetic so directly for McDonaldland that the Kroffts sued, winning a reported seven-figure settlement in 1977.

Sid was the dreamer. Marty was the one who made the dreams survivable. “I get a dream, and Marty gets it done,” Sid said in a 2000 TV Academy Foundation interview. That division worked for decades. Sid was performing at clubs in New York by age 15, working for Ringling Bros. by 20, and running a wildly popular adults-only burlesque puppet show, Les Poupées de Paris, by the early 1960s. That show drew an estimated 9.5 million viewers in its first decade and played world’s fairs in Seattle, New York, and San Antonio. Richard Nixon attended during his presidential run. Shirley MacLaine was at opening night.

When NBC recruited them to design costumes for The Banana Splits Adventure Hour in 1968, the Krofft era of television had effectively begun. H.R. Pufnstuf followed in 1969, running 17 episodes before NBC’s low rights offer ended the run. The show outlasted that cancellation by generations. Their variety work, including The Donny & Marie Show, The Brady Bunch Hour, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, showed they could work across formats. As recently as 2015, Mutt & Stuff was a genuine hit on Nickelodeon, proving the Krofft sensibility hadn’t aged out of anything.

In 2018, the brothers received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, they were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sid had been working on two books at the time of his death, one from his perspective as a performer, one from behind the scenes.

“I loved Sid with my whole heart,” Killian said. “He taught me more than I could ever put into words, about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature. I wish so very much that I had more time with him.”

Survivors include his three nieces, Marty’s daughters Deanna, Kristina, and Kendra.

Why Luther Vandross and R&B Artists Belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 14, 2026

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Why Luther Vandross and R&B Artists Belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Every year the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts an R&B artist, someone raises an eyebrow and asks whether they really belong. This year it’s Luther Vandross. The question itself reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Hall is, where it came from, and what it was always meant to celebrate. Here’s why the argument against R&B in the Rock Hall is – quite simply – absurd.

The Hall’s own origin story is inseparable from rhythm and blues. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Fats Domino were all R&B artists first. Keeping R&B out of the Rock Hall would mean dismantling the foundation the whole institution was built on.

“Rock & Roll” was never just a musical descriptor, it was a cultural one. The Hall exists to honor artists who moved the culture forward, shaped how people listened, and changed what was possible. Luther Vandross did all three, in his own lane, on his own terms.

Luther’s vocal approach shaped generations of artists across pop, gospel, country, and yes, rock. When an artist’s influence bleeds that far and that wide, genre classification becomes beside the point. The Hall is supposed to honor impact, not categories.

The Hall has inducted Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin. Drawing a line at Luther Vandross would be arbitrary at best and embarrassing at worst. The precedent was set decades ago and it was the right call every time.

Nobody hears “Dance With My Father” or “Here and Now” and thinks those records don’t belong in a conversation about the greatest popular music ever made. The Hall of Fame exists for exactly that conversation. Luther belongs in it.

Linda Creed Deserved Her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction a Long Time Ago

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 14, 2026

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Linda Creed Deserved Her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction a Long Time Ago

Linda Creed wrote “The Greatest Love of All” while dying of breast cancer at 37. She never saw Whitney Houston take it to #1. She was gone weeks before it happened. That single fact tells you everything about the kind of artist she was, and the kind of injustice that took four decades to correct.

Creed was the lyrical backbone of Philadelphia soul. Working alongside producer Thom Bell at Philadelphia International Records, she co-wrote the songs that defined an era: “You Are Everything,” “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” “Break Up to Make Up,” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New” for the Stylistics, and “The Rubberband Man” and “Ghetto Child” for the Spinners. These weren’t album cuts. They were the records people built their lives around. She wrote them with a melodic instincts and emotional precision that made them feel inevitable.

She did all of this while fighting breast cancer from age 26. She kept writing, kept collaborating, kept delivering. The diagnosis didn’t slow her output. It deepened it. “The Greatest Love of All,” written for a Muhammad Ali biopic in 1977, carries the full weight of someone who understood survival not as a concept but as a daily practice. George Benson recorded it first. Whitney Houston made it immortal. Creed wrote every word.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted her posthumously in 1992, six years after her death. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame took until 2026. That’s a long time to wait for someone whose fingerprints are all over some of the most beloved records in American music history. The Musical Excellence Award is the right category, and the recognition is genuine and deserved, but the timeline is worth acknowledging. Linda Creed was one of the great songwriters of the 20th century. The Hall of Fame finally said so out loud.

Phil Collins, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Wu-Tang Clan, and Sade Lead the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 13, 2026

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Phil Collins, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Wu-Tang Clan, and Sade Lead the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Tonight, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced its 2026 Inductees, spotlighting a standout group of artists whose impact has left a lasting mark on music and culture. Revealed live on ABC and Disney+ by Ryan Seacrest and 2022 Inductee Lionel Richie during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-themed episode of American Idol, the announcement kicks off the countdown to celebrate music’s highest honor.

The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will tape on Saturday, November 14th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The 2026 ceremony will then debut in December on ABC and Disney+. In 2027, the Induction Ceremony will return to Cleveland.

“Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music’s highest honor. We look forward to celebrating these remarkable artists at this year’s ceremony – it’s going to be an unforgettable night,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Phil Collins, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan are first-time nominees. Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, and Sade have all been nominated in the past. Ticket on-sale information for the 2026 Induction Ceremony will be announced at a later date.

2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees:

Performer Category:

Phil Collins

Billy Idol

Iron Maiden

Joy Division/New Order

Oasis

Sade

Luther Vandross

Wu-Tang Clan

Early Influence Award:

Celia Cruz

Fela Kuti

Queen Latifah

MC Lyte

Gram Parsons

Musical Excellence Award:

Linda Creed

Arif Mardin

Jimmy Miller

Rick Rubin

Ahmet Ertegun Award:

Ed Sullivan

SOMBR Stuns at Coachella With Billy Corgan and Announces 37-Date Fall Arena Tour

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 13, 2026

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SOMBR Stuns at Coachella With Billy Corgan and Announces 37-Date Fall Arena Tour

SOMBR made his Coachella debut Saturday night and left no question about where he stands. Tens of thousands of fans packed the field to the outer edges, and a surprise appearance from Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins for a performance of “1979” turned an already enormous set into a genuine moment. Rolling Stone called it “undeniable rock star energy.” The Los Angeles Times said the Corgan appearance was “one of the moments that simultaneously proved that rock never died and it’s on the rise.” He returns to the desert next Saturday for Weekend Two.

Coming off that performance, the 20-year-old GRAMMY-nominated New Yorker has announced the You Are the Reason Tour, a 37-date North American arena headline run this fall. It opens July 22 at Pepsi Center in Mexico City and closes November 23 at Madison Square Garden in his hometown. The support lineup across the run includes Interpol, The Last Dinner Party, Tom Odell, Dove Cameron, Balu Brigada, King Princess, The Hellp, and Hannah Jadagu on select dates. Artist presale starts Tuesday, April 14 at 10am local. General on-sale is Friday, April 17 at 10am local.

New single “Potential” drops this Thursday, April 16 at 3pm PT with an official music video, following “Homewrecker,” SOMBR’s fifth entry on the Billboard Global 200, fourth on the Hot 100, and his highest first-week debut yet. His breakthrough “Back to Friends” spent 52 weeks on the Hot 100, hit #1 on Spotify’s Global and U.S. charts, led Alternative Radio for five weeks, and eventually topped U.S. Pop Radio more than a year after release. Debut album ‘I Barely Know Her’ followed, with “Undressed” and “12 to 12” each landing Top 20 on both the Global 200 and the Hot 100.

SOMBR entered 2026 with a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination and a performance on the telecast, after a breakout 2025 that included a Best Alternative win at the MTV VMAs and appearances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Saturday Night Live. The arena run feels less like a next step and more like an inevitability.

You Are the Reason Tour 2026 Dates:

Wed, Jul 22 — Mexico City, MX — Pepsi Center**

Sun, Jul 26 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheater**

Mon, Sep 29 — Vancouver, BC — Rogers Arena+#

Thu, Oct 1 — Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena+§

Fri, Oct 2 — Portland, OR — Moda Center+§

Tue, Oct 6 — Sacramento, CA — Golden 1 Center+‡

Wed, Oct 7 — San Jose, CA — SAP Center+‡

Fri, Oct 9 — Anaheim, CA — Honda Center+‡

Sat, Oct 10 — Los Angeles, CA — The Kia Forum+‡

Mon, Oct 13 — San Diego, CA — Pechanga Arena+‡

Tue, Oct 14 — Glendale, AZ — Desert Diamond Arena+‡

Thu, Oct 16 — Oklahoma City, OK — Paycom Center+*

Fri, Oct 17 — Houston, TX — Toyota Center+*

Sat, Oct 18 — Dallas, TX — American Airlines Center+*

Mon, Oct 20 — Austin, TX — Moody Center+*

Wed, Oct 22 — Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena+*

Fri, Oct 24 — Sunrise, FL — Amerant Bank Arena+*

Sat, Oct 25 — Orlando, FL — Kia Center+*

Mon, Oct 27 — Charlotte, NC — Spectrum Center+*

Tue, Oct 28 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena+*

Thu, Oct 30 — St. Louis, MO — Enterprise Center=*

Fri, Oct 31 — Kansas City, MO — T-Mobile Center=*

Sun, Nov 1 — Minneapolis, MN — Target Center=*

Tue, Nov 3 — Milwaukee, WI — Fiserv Forum=*

Wed, Nov 4 — Chicago, IL — United Center=*

Fri, Nov 6 — Indianapolis, IN — Gainbridge Fieldhouse=^

Sat, Nov 7 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena=^

Sun, Nov 8 — Columbus, OH — Nationwide Arena=^

Tue, Nov 10 — Washington, DC — Capital One Arena=^

Thu, Nov 12 — Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena=^

Fri, Nov 13 — Cleveland, OH — Rocket Arena=^

Sat, Nov 14 — Buffalo, NY — KeyBank Center=^

Mon, Nov 16 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena=^

Wed, Nov 18 — Boston, MA — TD Garden=^

Thu, Nov 19 — Philadelphia, PA — Xfinity Mobile Arena=^

Sat, Nov 21 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center=^

Sun, Nov 23 — New York, NY — Madison Square Garden=^

2026 Festival Dates:

Sat, Apr 18 — Indio, CA — Coachella (Weekend Two)

Sun, May 24 — Napa, CA — BottleRock Napa Valley

Thu, Jul 30 — Chicago, IL — Lollapalooza

Sat, Aug 1 — Montreal, QC — Osheaga Festival

Tue, Aug 11 — Budapest, Hungary — Sziget Festival

Thu, Aug 13 — Copenhagen, Denmark — Syd For Solen

Fri, Aug 14 — Oslo, Norway — Øyafestivalen

Sat, Aug 15 — Gothenburg, Sweden — Way Out West

Sun, Aug 16 — Helsinki, Finland — Flow

Thu, Aug 20 — Gampel, Switzerland — Openair Gampel

Sat, Aug 22 — Biddinghuizen, Netherlands — Lowlands

Sun, Aug 23 — Hasselt, Belgium — Pukkelpop

Thu, Aug 26 — Paris, France — Rock En Seine

Sat, Aug 28 — Stradbally, Ireland — Electric Picnic

Sun, Aug 29 — Reading, UK — Reading Festival

Mon, Aug 30 — Leeds, UK — Leeds Festival

Tue, Sep 1 — Munich, Germany — Superbloom

Fri, Sep 11 — Quebec City, QC — Fono Festival

Sat, Sep 12 — New Glasgow, NS — Sommo Festival

Australian Country Sensation James Johnston Teams With Chase Matthew on New Single “Smoke I’ve Known”

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 13, 2026

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Australian Country Sensation James Johnston Teams With Chase Matthew on New Single “Smoke I’ve Known”

James Johnston and Chase Matthew have released “Smoke I’ve Known,” a collaboration that connects two small-town country stories separated by 10,000 miles and finds the common ground between them. The track is out now via Warner Music Australia, with the official music video premiering Friday, April 17. Written in Nashville, it’s a direct, emotionally honest exploration of roots, identity, and the memories that define where you come from. Listen here.

Johnston, a three-time Golden Guitar winner and the driving force behind the top-selling ARIA Charts Australian Country Album of 2025, describes the song as a tribute to dirt bikes, bonfire nights, and the moments that pull you back home. “Even though Chase grew up in Tennessee and I’m from Australia,” he says, “this song proves that while country life looks different across the world, the heart behind it is the same.” Matthew, whose current single “Holdin’ It Down” is climbing country radio after his 2025 multi-week #1 “Darlin’,” echoes that feeling. “Australia is one of my favorite places in the world,” he said, “and we immediately knew we wanted to write a song that represents country music worldwide.”

The chemistry between them isn’t manufactured. The two connected on social media, told their publishers to make it happen, and spent time in Nashville writing and filming the video together, riding bikes between sessions. That ease comes through in the track. It doesn’t sound like a strategic cross-market collaboration. It sounds like two people who actually get each other.

Johnston arrives at this release on serious momentum. At the 2026 Countrytown Awards, he swept Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year (both for the second consecutive year), Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. His sophomore record ‘Where You’ll Find Me’ is out now, produced by Jared Adlam with contributions from mentor and country superstar Morgan Evans. Matthew, meanwhile, boasts over 1.7 billion global streams, a growing list of major tour supports including Keith Urban and Jason Aldean, and a new album arriving summer 2026.

James Johnston 2026 Tour Dates:

Thu, May 1 — Cairns, Australia — Country Fest QLD Honky Tonk Pre Party

Fri, May 30 — Kulltorp, Sweden — High Chaparral Country Festival

Thu, Jun 12 — Townsville, Australia — Country Fest QLD

Fri, Jun 13 — Camden, Australia — Boots N’ Beats

Sat, Aug 1 — Tara, Australia — Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races

Sat, Aug 16 — Writtle, UK — Country Calling Festival

Fri, Aug 29 — Amamoor, Australia — Gympie Music Muster

Oct 2-4 — Tailem Bend, Australia — The Bend Classic

Eric Church Announces Three Nights at Red Rocks and Two at Lake Tahoe This July

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 13, 2026

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Eric Church Announces Three Nights at Red Rocks and Two at Lake Tahoe This July

Eric Church just wrapped the Free the Machine Tour and he’s already announced what comes next. The 11-time GRAMMY nominee returns to Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado for three nights in July, followed by a two-night stand at Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic in Stateline, Nevada. These shows celebrate 20 years of Church’s catalog, and each night is designed to be different from the one before it.

The Red Rocks run lands July 6, 7, and 8, with Corey Kent, 49 Winchester, and The Creekers serving as respective special guests. Lake Tahoe follows July 15 and 16, with ERNEST supporting both nights. Church Choir presale for Red Rocks opens Wednesday, April 15 at 10am MT, with public on sale Friday, April 17 at 10am MT. Lake Tahoe presales begin April 21, with public on sale Friday, April 24.

The Free the Machine Tour, which honored boundary-defying album ‘Evangeline vs. The Machine,’ drew serious critical attention on its way out. The Green Bay Press-Gazette called it “so nuanced, so sneaky sophisticated, so good,” while the Minnesota Star Tribune summed up Church’s approach as “about conviction not convention, about evolving, not standing pat.” These summer dates build directly on that momentum.

Church is a seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year, and holds 32 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certified songs. Tickets and presale signups are available at EricChurch.com.

Upcoming Dates:

Sun, Jul 6 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with Corey Kent)

Mon, Jul 7 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with 49 Winchester)

Tue, Jul 8 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with The Creekers)

Tue, Jul 15 — Stateline, NV — Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic (with ERNEST)

Wed, Jul 16 — Stateline, NV — Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic (with ERNEST)

French Rock Duo The Inspector Cluzo Are Organic Farmers Who Also Play 80 Shows a Year

Music

Eric Alper

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Apr 13, 2026

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French Rock Duo The Inspector Cluzo Are Organic Farmers Who Also Play 80 Shows a Year

The Inspector Cluzo are Gascony-based rock duo Laurent and Mathieu, organic farmers who run a 15-hectare family farm in southwestern France and have somehow also played more than 1,300 gigs in 67 countries since 2008. That combination alone makes them worth paying attention to. Their “Less Is More Part 2” world tour now includes 40 North American dates, kicking off September 19 at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta with tickets on sale now.

Their tenth album, ‘Less Is More,’ was produced by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, The Raconteurs) in Nashville, recorded live in four days and mixed in three. Rolling Stone ranked it the fifth best album of 2025 and the top French album of the year. Classic Rock UK also listed it among the year’s best rock releases. The record has moved over 10,000 LPs, driven largely by physical sales, a deliberate choice rooted in the band’s ecological principles.

The duo’s live reputation is built on raw energy and nothing else. No backing tracks, no production crutches, just two musicians who’ve spent nearly two decades tightening their show to something close to perfection. This past summer they opened for Neil Young across several European dates. They’ve played Fuji Rock, Lollapalooza, Download, and Hellfest. The stage experience shows every night.

The North American run moves through Washington DC, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Denver, and more before wrapping October 30 in Jacksonville, FL. The European leg continues through December. For tickets and full details, visit theinspectorcluzo.com.

Less Is More Tour Part 2 Dates:

Fri, May 29 — Les Landes, FR — Festival Les arts s’en mêlent

Fri, Jun 13 — Mont de Marsan, FR — Plumaçon Arena

Mon, Jun 16 — Clisson, FR — Hellfest

Thu, Jun 26 — Revelles, FR — R4 Festival

Sat, Jun 28 — Quimper, FR — Irreductible Festival

Wed, Jul 16 — St Julien-en-Genevois, FR — Guitares en Scènes

Thu, Jul 31 — Malestroit, FR — Au Pont du Rock Festival

Fri, Sep 19 — Atlanta, GA — Shaky Knees Festival

Mon, Sep 22 — Washington, DC — Pie’s Shop

Tue, Sep 23 — New York, NY — Groove

Wed, Sep 24 — Pittsburgh, PA — Club Café