Guitar icon Marty Friedman will follow the print release of his compelling autobiography last December, “Dreaming Japanese,” with an audiobook version via Recorded Books on June 24. The audiobook release is available to pre-order now across all digital platforms via Amazon here.
Written with veteran music journalist Jon Wiederhorn (“Louder Than Hell,” “Raising Hell”), “Dreaming Japanese” debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Heavy Metal Books chart and has received praise from major outlets including Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Decibel, and Publishers Marketplace. The autobiography shares Friedman’s inspiring journey from landing a gig as the lead guitarist for legendary thrash metal outfit Megadeth during their peak years to his emigration from the U.S. to Japan, where he became a prominent television figure and Japanese pop culture household name as well as being appointed an official Ambassador of Japan Heritage.
“I hope people can take away that there’s never a ‘right’ way to live your life,” says Friedman. “If you feel that pull to do something completely insane, something that everyone tells you is impossible, maybe you should listen to it. The normal tendency is to paint yourself in a good light, but what I find most interesting is when artists don’t do that. The humble beginnings, the failures, the total insanity-those are the moments that stick with people.”
“The book is really a journey that reveals Marty’s unwavering dedication, unwillingness to compromise, and continual triumph in the face of adversity,” says co-author Jon Wiederhorn. “From his greatest fantasies to his worst nightmares, It’s a testament to the resilience and determination of a multi-dimensional guitar hero who ranks right up there with the very best.”
The “Dreaming Japanese” audiobook delivers Friedman’s story with verve with a riveting narrative that captures his relentless perseverance as he struggled to start again from nothing. After spontaneously leaving his home in the US, to feeling lost in the middle of Tokyo with few connections or concrete plans, the story traces his journey to acclimate and assimilate into the inner core of an alien society, language and culture. In fascinating detail and clarity, Friedman shares how he gradually made inroads into the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming a household name and fixture on mainstream television and earning respect as a highly influential solo artist. “Dreaming Japanese” follows the wildly entertaining, inspiring, and above all, unprecedented path of a rock and roll guitar player who took the biggest risk: leaving worldwide success to start over from scratch in a country, culture and society far from his own and ultimately becoming an official ambassador of Japan.
From the adrenaline-soaked years touring the world with Megadeth-where he co-wrote some of the band’s most iconic albums like “Rust in Peace” and “Countdown to Extinction”-to his surreal reinvention as a lead guitarist in J-Pop acts and host of over 800 Japanese television shows, “Dreaming Japanese” reveals the wildly entertaining, deeply human, and often hilarious story of a man who risked everything to chase a new dream halfway across the globe.
Chevy Metal – the long-running cover band co-founded by late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins – today announced their headlining summer tour across the United States.
The band’s summer dates begin Monday, July 19, in Denver at the Marquis Theater, followed by stops in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere before wrapping up in Southern California in August. Local openers will be performing at each date, TBD.
Pre-sale ticketing for Chevy Metal’s summer tour begins TODAY, Wednesday, May 21. The presale code is: MULLETPASS. General on sale starts Friday, May 23, at 10 a.m. Purchase tickets here.
Chevy Metal got their start around 2002, when Taylor Hawkins began playing small gigs with bassist Wiley Hodgden — his longtime drum tech from the Foo Fighters. Over the years, the lineup evolved, especially on guitar, and so did the scale of their shows. What began as a low-key side project grew into a full-throttle rock outfit, playing everything from intimate venues to major corporate events.
These days, guitar duties are handled by Brent Woods, who learned his craft from the legendary Randy Rhoads. And since Hawkins’ death in 2022, the man keeping the beat for Chevy Metal is none other than his son, Shane Hawkins.
“The shows will be loud,” says co-founder Hodgden. “It’s old-school rock and roll: lots of drum solos. There will be cussing — sorry, we try not to, but it happens.”
Chevy Metal’s specialty as a ’70s dirt-rock cover band is turning deep album cuts into their own. “We don’t just play covers like the original,” says Woods. “We make them our own, as if we wrote them. We fuck them up a bit, speed the tempos, add jams, etc. We just have fun with it.”
Fans can expect a high-energy night of music sourced from such legends as Black Sabbath, Van Halen, The Police, Queen, Thin Lizzy and The Rolling Stones, just to name a few.
Past surprise guests have included rock royalty such as Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones), Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons (Kiss), Roger Taylor (Queen), Chad Smith and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Robby Krieger (The Doors), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue), and, naturally, the Foo Fighters.
Chevy Metal’s summer tour promises the same wild spirit, with a rotating set list and occasional musical guests. No two nights are ever the same.
Chevy Metal were ignited in 2002 by the rhythmic prowess of Taylor Hawkins and his longtime friend and musician Wiley Hodgden. Taylor, recognized worldwide as the iconic drummer for the Foo Fighters, brought a relentless energy to the stage fueled by his infectious passion for classic rock. Wiley, a singer and bass player, was the drum tech for Hawkins at this time. Together, they envisioned Chevy Metal as a side hustle cover band that focused on quintessential rock classics mixed with deep cuts.
As the band evolved, Taylor and Wiley welcomed into the fold the extraordinary talents of guitarist Brent Woods, a seasoned touring and session guitarist and a student of the late legend Randy Rhoads.
Chevy Metal spent the first 10 years as a band playing dive bars and small clubs, then progressed to the grandeur of arenas, festivals and even stadiums, sharing the stage with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Dave Grohl, Joan Jett and Mick Jagger, among other greats.
After Taylor’s untimely passing in 2022, Chevy Metal’s members paid tribute to him later that year at star-studded memorial shows in London and California. These were thought to be Chevy Metal’s final performances, but Taylor’s son, Shane Hawkins, decided that the band must endure, thus taking his father’s place as its drummer.
Wiley, Brent, and Shane continue to channel the spirit of old-school rock and roll, delving into the rich soundscape of the ’70s and ’80s as they continue their dedication to preserving and celebrating the timeless magic of classic rock.
CHEVY METAL 2025 SUMMER TOUR DATES:
Sat Jul 19 — Denver, CO — Marquis Theater
Sat Jul 20 — Aspen, CO — Belly Up Aspen
Wed Jul 23 — Allston, MA — Brighton Music Hall
Thu Jul 24 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
Fri Jul 25 — Philadelphia, PA — The Foundry
Sat Jul 26 — Washington, DC — The Atlantis
Sat Aug 9 — Long Beach, CA — Alex’s Bar
James McMurtry will release The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy on June 20 via New West Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by McMurtry & Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens) and is his first album in four years. It follows his 2021 acclaimed New West debut, The Horses and the Hounds, which Uncut magazine said “lifts storytelling-in-song to meticulous new levels” and Pitchfork awarded an 8.0, saying “James McMurtry stands out even among the Lone Star State’s finest songwriters…” The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy features appearances by Sarah Jarosz, Charlie Sexton, pat mAcdonald, Bonnie Whitmore, Bukka Allen, and more alongside his trusted backing band—BettySoo on accordion & backing vocals, Cornbread on bass, Tim Holt on guitar, and Daren Hess on drums.
As varied as they are, McMurtry’s new story-songs find inspiration in scraps from his family’s past: a rough pencil sketch by Ken Kesey that serves as the album cover, the hallucinations experienced by his father, the legendary writer Larry McMurtry, an old poem by a family friend. A supremely insightful and inventive storyteller, McMurtry teases vivid worlds out of small details, setting them to arrangements that have the elements of Americana but sound too sly and smart for such a general category. Funny and sad often in the same breath, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy adds a new chapter to a long career that has enjoyed a resurgence as young songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell (who is namechecked on the new album) cite him as a formative influence.
Today, Holler shared the album highlight, “Sailing Away.” McMurtry says, “Several times I’ve made a wrong turn over by the Pentagon, trying to get to a club in Alexandria, Virginia in time for load-in. Satellite navigation seems to always get confused in that neighborhood. So I had that line about being lost over by the Pentagon kicking around for years while I waited for a song to put it in. Finally, the rest of the details filtered in from years of touring.”
Rolling Stone previously shared the album’s rumbling title track, calling McMurtry “one of America’s greatest living songwriters.” A kind of squirrely blues, it features two mysterious figures who appear only to those slipping from reality, yet it’s never grim nor especially despairing. Instead, he namechecks a “Weird Al” deep cut and depicts a tortured soul who doesn’t have to work a nine-to-five. McMurtry says, “The album title and that song comes from my stepmother, Faye. After my dad passed, she asked me if he ever talked to me about his hallucinations. He’d gone into dementia for a while before he died, but hadn’t mentioned to me anything about seeing things. She told me his favorite hallucinations were the black dog and the wandering boy. I took them and applied them to a fictional character.” Speaking to Rolling Stone, McMurtry added, “I stole one line from the late Keith Ferguson, who played bass in the Fabulous Thunderbirds back in the day. I didn’t know Keith, but Ronnie Johnson, our longtime ex-bassist, used to hang out with him some. Ronnie remembers Keith stirring his drink on the front porch as the sun came up and saying, ‘I like to sit up and watch the squares go to work.'”
For The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy, McMurtry called on his old friend Don Dixon, who produced his third album, Where’d You Hid the Body?, back in 1995. He says, “A couple of years ago I quit producing myself. I felt like I was repeating myself methodologically and stylistically. I needed to go back to producer school, so I brought in CC Adcock for Complicated Game, and then Ross Hogarth did The Horses & The Hounds. It seemed natural to revisit Mr. Dixon’s homeroom. I wanted to learn some of what he’s learned over the last thirty years.” McMurtry and his band worked to create something that sounds spontaneous, as though he’s writing the songs as you hear them. They were open to odd experiments, weird whims, and happy accidents. In addition to his original compositions, the album features a pair of covers as bookends, “Laredo (Small Dark Something),” an opioid blues & testimony from a part-time junkie losing a weekend to dope by Jon Dee Graham, and Kris Kristofferson’s “Broken Freedom Song.” McMurtry says, “Kris was one of my major influences as a child. He was the first person that I recognized as a songwriter. I hadn’t really thought about where songs come from, but I started listening to Kristofferson as a songwriter and thinking, How do you do this? Kris had just passed not too long before we recorded ‘Broken Freedom Song.’”
Once the album was mixed, mastered, and sequenced, McMurtry recalled a pencil sketch he had found a few years earlier in his father’s effects. It seemed like it might make a good cover. “I knew it was me, but I didn’t realize who drew it. I asked my mom and my stepdad, and finally asked my stepmom, Faye, who said it looked like Ken Kesey’s work back in the ‘60s. She was married to Ken for forty years.” The Merry Pranksters—Kesey’s roving band of hippie activists and creators—stopped by a couple of times to visit Larry McMurtry and his family. “I don’t remember their first visit, the one documented in Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I was too young, but I do remember a couple of Ken’s visits. I guess he drew it on one of those later stops. I remembered it and thought it would be the perfect art, but I had to go back through the storage locker. It’s a miracle I found it again.” It’s a fitting image for an album that scavenges personal history for inspiration.
Known for his powerhouse performances, McMurtry tours year-round. He’ll be in Tomball, TX tomorrow night and his initial tour dates in support of the new album feature stops at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles, Tractor Tavern in Seattle, The Bluebird Theater in Denver, Le Poisson Rouge in NYC, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, and more. Please see tour dates, with more to be added, below.
“You follow the words where they lead. If you can get a character, maybe you can get a story. If you can set it to a verse-chorus structure, maybe you can get a song. A song can come from anywhere, but the main inspiration is fear. Specifically fear of irrelevance. If you don’t have songs, you don’t have a record. If you don’t have a record, you don’t have a tour. You gotta keep putting out work.”
James McMurtry’s The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited khaki color vinyl edition, as well as a limited compact disc edition, both signed by McMurtry will be available via Independent Retailers. A limited blue color vinyl edition, as well as a limited compact disc edition, both signed by McMurtry are available for pre-order NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy Track Listing:
1. Laredo (Small Dark Something)
2. South Texas Lawman
3. The Color of Night
4. Pinocchio in Vegas
5. Annie
6. The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy
7. Back to Coeur d’Alene
8. Sons of the Second Sons
9. Sailing Away
10. Broken Freedom Song
James McMurtry On Tour:
5/23 – Main Street Crossing – Tomball, TX
5/24 – St. Joseph’s Chapel – Galveston, TX
6/6 – The Lensic – Santa Fe, NM
6/7 – KiMo Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
6/8 – Hotel Congress – Tucson, AZ
6/9 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
6/11 – Troubadour West – Hollywood, CA
6/12 – Rio Theatre – Santa Cruz, CA
6/13 – Hopmonk Tavern – Novato, CA
6/14 – Hopmonk Tavern – Novato, CA
6/15 – The Center for the Arts Grass – Valley, CA
6/17 – Shrine Social Club (Shrine Ballroom) – Boise, ID
6/18 – Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR
6/19 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
6/10 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
6/21 – The District Bar – Spokane, WA
6/22 – Great Northern – Whitefish, MT
6/24 – Zootown Arts Community Center – Missoula, MT
6/25 – The ELM – Bozeman, MT
6/26 – The Commonwealth Room South – Salt Lake City, UT
6/27 – Aggie Theatre Fort – Collins, CO
6/28 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
6/29 – Wave – Wichita, KS
8/15 – Fitzgerald’s – Berwyn, IL
9/4 – Proud Larry’s – Oxford, MS
9/5 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL
9/6 – 40 Watt Club – Athens, GA
9/7 – Visulite Theatre – Charlotte, NC
9/9 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
9/10 – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
9/11 – Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN
9/12 – Woodward Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
9/13 – The Athenaeum Theatre – Columbus , OH
9/14 – Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI
9/16 – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, ON
9/17 – Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA
9/18 – Birchmere – Alexandria, VA
9/19 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA
9/20 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
9/21 – The Annex – Norfolk, VA
9/23 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
9/24 – Capitol Theatre Macon – Macon, GA
9/25 – Standard Deluxe: Little House Concert – Waverly, AL
9/26 – Saenger Theater – Hattiesburg, MS
9/27 – Chickie Wah Wah – New Orleans, LA
VEEPS, the leading global platform for live-streamed concerts and entertainment, is proud to announce a strategic relationship with Postmedia Studios, a part of Postmedia Network Inc. (“Postmedia”), to bring VEEPS All Access to Canada for the first time. VEEPS All Access is the first music subscription service to offer unlimited viewing of premium quality concerts and live music entertainment for a monthly or annual fee. This collaboration between VEEPS and Postmedia Studios will deliver unparalleled access to live entertainment for audiences across the country, from major cities to small towns, both live and on-demand.
“This collaboration is a significant milestone for VEEPS as we expand our offering in Canada,” said Kyle Heller, Co-Founder of VEEPS. “With Postmedia’s vast reach and deep connection to Canadian communities, we’ll be able to bring even more Canadian fans closer to the music and artists they love from Arcade Fire to Metric, Coldplay, and beyond. We’re introducing this special, lifetime rate for those who sign up early as members”
VEEPS All Access gives Canadian fans access to thousands of hours of live and on-demand concerts, comedy specials, music documentaries, intimate artist interviews, and live entertainment featuring popular Canadian artists like Shawn Mendes, Arcade Fire, Alanis Morissette, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Terri Clark, Alessia Cara, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jessi Cruickshank, Mae Martin, and Anvil as well as an incredible display of content from world-class international artists like Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Alicia Keys, Fall Out Boy, Kings of Leon, and many more.
For a limited time, Canadians and Postmedia subscribers can lock in a lifetime monthly rate of CAD $13.99—a 30% discount—by subscribing through a Postmedia website link. This provides unlimited access to all VEEPS content at this special price through the end of the Summer.
As part of the launch, VEEPS and Postmedia Studios are excited to announce a special livestream event featuring one of Canada’s most iconic bands, Metric, performing live from Toronto’s 15,000-capacity Budweiser Stage on June 6. “We’re thrilled to have people from all over the world join us virtually for this very special hometown performance of Fantasies in Toronto,” says Emily Haines of Metric. “It’s going to be a romantic, nostalgic evening for all. Wherever you may be, we’d love to have you there with us.”
Erika Tustin, Postmedia Studios, added, “Postmedia’s unparalleled reach across Canada gives us the unique ability to introduce VEEPS to audiences in every corner of the country. This strategic relationship highlights the power of our network to connect Canadians with unforgettable live entertainment experiences.”
As part of the collaboration, Postmedia has launched a new music coverage channel on Canoe (canoe.com), which was recently rebranded as an entertainment, lifestyle, shopping and commerce site. On Canoe, audiences will find music and industry coverage from across the country, be the first to hear about concert news and trends and get access to interviews with artists performing on VEEPS.
“Entertainment has the power to unite and inspire like nothing else,” said Steven Amato, Founder of Contend, Postmedia’s strategic partner in Postmedia Studios. “This collaboration bridges the physical and virtual worlds, giving Canadians access to the artists they love, no matter where they are.”
VEEPS and Live Nation will support the launch with a robust promotional campaign, leveraging their global expertise and deep experience connecting artists with fans. This strategic relationship is set to redefine how Canadian audiences experience live music and entertainment, while fostering a new era of access, storytelling and creativity. VEEPS content is available via veeps.com and apps on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Samsung, and Android. VEEPS All Access subscribers will gain unlimited access to hundreds of upcoming live and on-demand performances each year, exclusive VEEPS-only artist content, merch drops, and more for a special introductory price of $13.99 a month.
Today, rising country star Cooper Alan announced the Western Canada leg of his headlining To The Bar Tour. Following the US leg of the tour, the charismatic singer-songwriter will kick-off the Canadian leg of the tour on October 8th, in Winnipeg, MB.
Known for his electrifying yet intimate live performances, the newly added tour dates underscore the remarkable demand driving Alan’s rapidly growing tour. With the first leg of the tour, Alan made major stops in Chicago, Indianapolis, Anaheim, and more selling out twenty of the headlining shows, before wrapping in April.
On the upcoming Canadian leg, fans can look forward to captivating performances from the fast-rising country star—packed with high energy, powerful lyrics, and a modern yet nostalgic take on the genre. For a full list of tour dates, see below. Tickets are available now. For details on VIP packages and to purchase, please visit cooperalanmusic.com.
In addition to the newly announced tour dates and amidst a whirlwind year for the breakout artist, Alan also launched his foundation, The Cooper Alan Foundationearlier this year which supports mental health organizations and causes. The hitmaker also released two singles, “Holy Ghost,” and “I Gotcha” which have quickly become fan favorites alongside his signature country mashups. With no signs of slowing down, Alan is gearing up to release more new music this year and will perform at various festivals this year including CMA Fest, Country Jam, County Line Country Fest, and more.
A rising star with the spirit of a true entertainer, a penchant for outside-the-box thinking and a growing, self-built audience, Cooper Alan is an artist willing to take country music where others have never dreamed – and fans love him for it. Whether it’s a deeply personal, step-by-step romantic saga, or an off-the-wall party anthem, Alan’s music is already some of country’s most fearless work, and he’s just getting started. A native of Winston-Salem, NC, the independent artist has racked up more than 550 million streams, a massive digital presence with more than 15 million followers across all social media platforms, and a touring footprint that sold over 150,000 tickets to date. It all stems from an ability to meet fans where they are – a creative renegade freely mixing musical styles, with boundless energy, sharp writing, and often, a sense of humor. But don’t be mistaken, there’s nothing gimmicky about it.
After releasing Take Forever, a 5 song EP telling the real-life story behind his wedding in the Fall of 2023, Alan was named as a 2024 Pandora Ten Artist To Watch and named to the Sirius XM and Pandora 2024 Future Five List. Soon after launching his single Take Forever, it climbed to number one on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot30 Weekend Countdown. With his latest singles “Holy Ghost,” “I Gotcha,” “Jesus Saves,” “Suit and Tie (Sixteen Tons),” “Wake Me Up (Country Version) (feat. Aloe Blacc),” and “Plead The Fifth” Alan takes his first step into the next batch of music to come. Coming off a sold out Australia headline tour at the end of 2024, Alan recently wrapped up his US leg of the To The Bar Tour, which hit markets all across the United States in the Spring of 2025.
TOUR DATES:
June 7, 2025 – Nashville, TN – CMA Fest Riverfront Stage
June 10, 2025 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry: OPRY 100
June 12, 2025 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
June 13, 2025 – Wisconsin Dells, WI – Crystal Grand Music Theatre
June 14, 2025 – Worthington, MN – Worthington Windsurfing Regatta & Music Festival
June 21, 2025 – Strathmore, AB – Cowboy Town Concert
June 27, 2025 – Loma, CO – Country Jam 2025
June 28, 2025 – North Platte, NE – NebraskaLand Days
July 10, 2025 – Wabash, IN – Honeywell Center
July 11, 2025 – Lawrenceburg, IN – Lawrenceburg Event Center
July 12, 2025 – Troy, MO – Lincoln County Fair
July 19, 2025 – Timmins, ON – Rock on the River
July 25, 2025 – Bowling Green, KY – SKyPAC-Hall
July 26, 2025 – Maumee, OH – 41st NW Ohio Rib Off
July 30, 2025 – Medina, OH – Medina County Fair
July 31, 2025 – Ludington, MI – Styx Ludington
August 1, 2025 – Prairie du Chien, WI – County Line Country Fest
August 2, 2025 – Lincoln, IL – Logan County Fair
August 6, 2025 – Point Pleasant Beach, NJ – Jenk’s Club
August 7, 2025 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canal Side
August 8, 2025 – Malone, NY – Franklin County Fair – Grandstand Concert Series
August 9, 2025 – Buffalo, NY – Terminal B at The Outer Harbor
August 10, 2025 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
August 13, 2025 – Berrien Springs, MI – Berrien County Youth Fair
August 16, 2025 – Alexandria, MN – Douglas County Fairgrounds
August 22, 2025 – Pueblo, CO – Colorado State Fair
August 29, 2025 – Mount Pleasant, IA – 75th Midwest Old Threshers Reunion
August 30, 2025 – Plymouth, WI – Sheboygan County Fair
September 5, 2025 – Emmett, ID – Roadhouse At The Mill
September 6, 2025 – Puyallup, WA – Washington State Fair
September 11, 2025 – Washington, DC – Plaza Stage at Nationals Park
September 12, 2025 – Danville, VA – Carrington Pavilion
September 18, 2025 – Sarasota, FL – Big Top Live
September 19, 2025 – Fort Myers, FL – The Ranch
September 26, 2025 – Albuquerque, NM – Sandia Amphitheater
September 27, 2025 – Mona, UT – Young Living Fall Festival & PRCA Rodeo
October 2, 2025 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa State Fair
October 8, 2025 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts*
October 9, 2025 – Saskatoon, SK – Coors Event Centre*
October 10, 2025 – Regina, SK – Conexus Arts Centre*
October 12, 2025 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre*
October 14, 2025 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall*
*Newly announced Canadian date
For every time you’ve ever shouted “Norm!” at your screen, here’s the ultimate tribute. Peacock’s nostalgic compilation captures every classic Norm Peterson entrance on Cheers—and honors the late, great George Wendt with love and laughter.
Foggy Mountain Spaceship has done the impossible—turning Pink Floyd’s swirling psychedelia into a hypnotic banjo dreamscape. With three unique banjos and endless creativity, their cover of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is pure cosmic joy.
Country music icon Reba McEntire continues to prove why she’s one of the genre’s most enduring forces, scoring the biggest streaming debut of her career with her new single “Trailblazer,” a powerhouse collaboration with Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert. The anthem—celebrating the legacy, grit, and unstoppable spirit of women in country music—garnered an impressive 2.6 million on-demand streams in its first week, marking a new personal best for Reba in the streaming era.
Blending Reba’s iconic vocals with the bold authenticity of Wilson and the fiery charisma of Lambert, “Trailblazer” is more than a song—it’s a generational moment. The track has resonated deeply with fans across age groups, earning widespread praise for its powerful message and dynamic trio performance.
Following its electrifying live debut at the ACM Awards, “Trailblazers” quickly became one of the highest-streaming songs of the week, reaching 882,000 daily streams by day 3 post-performance—further proving its cultural and commercial impact.
Reba will bring that same fire to the stage later this month as she kicks off the Music City Rodeo at Bridgestone Arena on May 29, marking the first performance of the three-day event. The appearance is highly anticipated and expected to be a highlight of the rodeo’s inaugural run in Nashville. Tickets for the event can be purchased HERE.
With this career milestone, Reba continues to blaze new trails of her own, showing that true legends only get stronger with time. For more information on Reba, visit www.reba.com
Though they may be led by Woody Guthrie’s incredible grandson on vocals and guitars, Cole Quest & the City Pickers are a true ensemble collaboration, sporting buoyant harmonies and virtuoso harmonica, Dobro, and banjo playing and with multiple members singing lead. And like Cole’s grandfather, the folk and bluegrass group calls NYC home. In fact, Quest didn’t even play folk and bluegrass music until one day when he wandered into a pub in Astoria, Queens, to hear a band playing one of his grandfather’s songs.
Cole Quest & The City Pickers have shared bills with Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Della Mae, Tony Trischka, Michael Daves, earned spotlights from Folk Alley, WFUV, and American Songwriter, played a packed sets at the Brooklyn Folk Fest, Otis Mountain Get Down Festival, and Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival, and have toured Germany twice.
Their first album in four years, Homegrown (July 18 / Jalopy Records) features three Woody Guthrie songs (including Woody’s iconic “Pastures of Plenty”), a Woody Guthrie/Arlo Guthrie co write, and songs by Peter Rowan and John Hartford as well as new songs written by Quest, that draw on the tradition but come from his own life experiences. The original song “I Ain’t” starts off humorously but soon becomes poignant, in wishing for a better world and listening and allowing space for others to speak. “I Ain’t” is out today as the first single.
Quest writes: “During the pandemic, the world was grappling with the early stages of Trump-ism, while numerous activist movements were fighting to protect their rights. At the same time, I had experienced a health issue that forced me to completely change parts of my lifestyle and diet. Clearly, things were shifting—and I needed to learn how to adapt.
I asked myself: What does the world need from me right now? and What do I need from myself right now? My answer: Stay out of the way! I realized my role was to give space to others who truly needed it—to be active by being passive, to listen instead of speaking. At best, this approach could serve as quiet leadership. At worst, it would at least avoid adding more chaos to an already turbulent time.
I decided to make a list of things I wanted to do to make these changes, or rather, things I wanted NOT to do to make these changes. Changing the perspective from a “To Do” list to a “To Don’t” list seemed like an approach I could get behind and so I ran with it.
The song, I Ain’t, provides a humble reminder as I move forward in these continuously evolving times. I may not be able to tell you exactly what I plan to do about the future, but I have a few ideas of what I won’t be doing.”
Homegrown was produced by four-time GRAMMY Award-winner Steve Rosenthal (The Rolling Stones, Blondie, Lou Reed, Woody Guthrie, Natalie Merchant, Ollabelle, Dave Van Ronk, Laura Nyro, Erroll Garner and Alan Lomax. He was the owner of the Magic Shop studio and NYC’s famous venue The Living Room.
The album traces Quest’s journey in life and music, kicking off with Pete Seeger speaking Woody Guthrie’s words before launching into a fantastic, harmony-laden rendition of the latter’s iconic song “Pastures of Plenty,” a request from Nora Guthrie. Led by the powerhouse vocals of Christian Apuzzo, and featuring dobro, the arrangement starts with inspirations drawn from Jerry Douglas and Dan Tyminski and goes on to feature driving banjo and dialed in harmonica.
“Since I was little I’ve been surrounded by, what I believe to be, some of the greats of American folk music,” says Quest, continuing, “I’ve grown up with their words, their music, their ideologies, their perspectives. Homegrown is a collection of material that is sincerely close to me and where I come from. It’s the music of my roots – our roots.”
Quest then sings about New York — where Woody also spent two decades — in the original, Guthrie-esque, observant, funny “Where I’m From.” Chris Apuzzo takes lead vocals on John Hartford’s melancholic waltz “In Tall Buildings,” about being trapped in an office job.
“Só Pra Variar” presents an incredible showcase for the brilliant harmonica-playing of Brazilian Matheus Verardino, who sings it in Portuguese. It’s a cool fusion of bluegrass instrumentation with Brazilian music. The album wraps with the band’s radiant harmonies on Guthrie’s “Philadelphia Lawyer,” Peter Rowan’s “Dust Bowl Children,” and Quest’s solo rendition of “My Peace” with lyrics by Woody and music by Arlo Guthrie.
Quest plays resonator guitar and pedal steel and alternates acoustic guitar and lead vocals with Christian Apuzzo. Matheus Verardino illuminates the harmonica, Mike Mulhollan handles the banjo and Craig Akin the bass. Label mate and guest Wyndham Baird provides organ.
Cole Quest & The City Pickers Tour Dates:
June 14 – Great Barrington, MA – The Guthrie Center
August 1 – Brooklyn, NY – Jalopy Theatre
September 13 – Silver Bay, NY – Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival
September 20 – Pearl River, NY – Rockland Conservatory of Music
Oh Boy Records, the beloved independent label founded by the late John Prine, is proud to continue its mission of storytelling, service, and support for those in need with The Belonging EP Vol. 2, available Friday, May 23. Exclusively on Bandcamp for purchase for a limited time, The Belonging EP Vol. 2, follows the warm reception of Vol. 1, released last week. Both EPs will be available on until Tuesday, May 27th.
This second installment in The Belonging EP series delivers another powerful collection of John Prine covers with a special focus on previously unreleased recordings and rare tracks. Created in tribute to Prine’s legacy of compassion, humor, and humanity, the EP continues to benefit The Belonging Fund, a charitable initiative from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) in partnership with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. All proceeds will go directly to support immigrant families in crisis across the Nashville area. The suggested donation is $10, with fans encouraged to give more if they’re able. Every dollar goes directly to those who need it most.
As part of Prine’s enduring legacy, You Got Gold: Celebrating the Songs of John Prine will return to Nashville from October 9–12, 2025, with performances at iconic venues including the Ryman Auditorium (on Prine’s birthday, October 10), The Bluebird Cafe, The Basement East, and the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Proceeds will benefit The Hello in There Foundation, supporting marginalized and overlooked communities. Tickets are on sale now at yougotgold.johnprine.com/tickets.
Track Listing – The Belonging EP Vol. 2:
Send All My Loving to You – previously unreleased
Ways of a Woman in Love – first time on Bandcamp
Treat Me Nice – previously unreleased studio version
Old Shep – live in studio, previously unreleased on streaming platforms
Try and Find Another Man – previously unreleased studio version
