Upcoming Shows

OZOMATLI

ft. Deuce Eclipse

If Los Angeles had a soundtrack, it would be Ozomatli. Since 1995, the multi-genre cultural powerhouse has blended Latin, hip-hop, funk, reggae, and global influences into an unmistakable sound that captures the city’s energy and diversity. Emerging from LA’s politically charged streets, Ozomatli has spent three decades uniting communities through music—earning three GRAMMY® Awards, performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and touring the world from New York to Tunisia, Mongolia, and beyond. Their socially conscious lyrics and infectious grooves have made them a beacon of unity, resilience, and celebration.

May 2025, Ozo kicks off the 30 Revolutions Tour—a tribute to three decades of music, culture, and connection. As part of the tour, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Sweet Relief and Backline to support mental health services for music industry professionals.

As they continue into their fourth decade, Ozomatli stands as a living testament to the past, present, and future of Los Angeles—moving hearts, minds, and dance floors across the globe.

The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band's  unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all  over the world.  

When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in  1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set  the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement  and it's DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind  on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth  culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess”  and “Save It For Later”.  

The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with  their classic first album “Just Can't Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their  contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and  one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement.  

However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over  fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious  dance rhythm. The band's sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the  General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued  its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded  album set for a 2016 release, the band's first new album since 1982's “Special Beat Service”.  

Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring  the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat,  General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”.  

You just can’t stop The English Beat!  

Louis “sirlou” Kahn 

The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band's  unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all  over the world.  

When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in  1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set  the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement  and it's DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind  on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth  culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess”  and “Save It For Later”.  

The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with  their classic first album “Just Can't Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their  contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and  one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement.  

However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over  fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious  dance rhythm. The band's sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the  General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued  its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded  album set for a 2016 release, the band's first new album since 1982's “Special Beat Service”.  

Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring  the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat,  General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”.  

You just can’t stop The English Beat!  

Louis “sirlou” Kahn 

CORONER

with Special Guest HEATHEN

Coroner kicked things off in Zürich back in 1985 and quickly built a reputation as one of underground  metal’s most forward-thinking and technically ferocious bands. With Ron Broder on bass and vocals,  Tommy Vetterli on guitar, and Marky Edelmann on drums, the trio put out five critically praised  records and a semi-compilation between 1987 and 1994, each one dragging thrash metal further into innovative, more experimental territory. 

The albums they released on Noise Records didn’t just push the genre’s limits. They dismantled them  and put something sharper in their place. Even now, those albums are considered cult staples. You  could say they laid the groundwork for what progressive metal became: 

• R.I.P. (1987) 
• Punishment for Decadence (1988) 
• No More Color (1989) 
• Mental Vortex (1991) 
• Grin (1993) 
• Coroner (1994 | self-titled semi-compilation) 

Coroner’s sound has always lived at the edges. It’s a collision of speed, structure, and control. Built  on thrash, their music pulled in classical form, avant-garde twists, jazz complexity, and the cold  mechanics of industrial metal. Every piece was delivered with pinpoint precision and Ron Broder’s  unmistakable vocal grit. 

Often called “the Rush of thrash metal,” Coroner, along with bands like Voivod and Watchtower,  helped shape what would later be known as technical and progressive thrash. 

With each release, their sound pushed further. By the time No More Color, Mental Vortex, and Grin  hit, things had grown sharper. The production became tighter, the arrangements more offbeat, and  the sound had drifted far outside any genre map. 

That influence stuck around. From major players in metal to offbeat experimental types, generations  have taken something from their no-rules, no-compromise approach. For a lot of people, Coroner  weren’t just ahead of their time. They were the reason to start thinking differently about what metal  could even be. 

The band stepped away in 1996 and disappeared from the spotlight. But when they came back in  2011, it wasn’t to rehash the past. They had unfinished business. 

Marky Edelmann bowed out after the early reunion shows, and longtime live partner Diego  Rapacchietti stepped behind the kit, reigniting the band’s rhythmic core. 

Since then, they’ve played select shows and festivals across the globe — Hellfest, Maryland  Deathfest, Brutal Assault — and headed back to the U.S. in spring 2025. More European dates are  lined up for summer. Every show brings the weight of where they’ve been and the tension of where  they are now. 

In October 2025, Coroner will release their first new studio album in over thirty years, through Century  Media and Sony Music Switzerland. This one took time. It moved slow, stayed quiet, and took shape  mostly in the background. Until the moment felt right to let it surface. 

The album was produced by Tommy Vetterli and Dennis Russ, and recorded at Tommy’s renowned  New Sound Studios. Mixing and mastering came from Jens Bogren, known for his work with Opeth,  Sepultura, Kreator, Amon Amarth, and Ihsahn. 

What came out of it wasn’t a callback. It was something new. 

“We didn’t pick up where we left off. We surfaced through something else entirely.” — Tommy Vetterli 

A work born from silence, friction, and control.

LEFT TO SUFFER

with LARCENIA ROE, and FR3AK

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia, Left To Suffer quickly carved a place for themselves within the modern heavy music scene by merging relentless brutality with experimental flourishes that push the genre’s boundaries. Rising to prominence with their breakout record A Year of Suffering and continuing momentum through projects like Feral and Leap of Death, the band has become known for their crushing heaviness, emotional honesty, and willingness to evolve. Along the way, they’ve collaborated with genre heavyweights and cultivated a dedicated fanbase drawn to their unflinching approach to both sound and subject matter. With each release, Left To Suffer has refined their identity, proving themselves one of the most innovative and fearless acts in heavy music today.

SUN KIL MOON

Sun Kil Moon All The Artists was released on Caldo Verde Records March 28, 2025. The album was recorded in Highland Park, Los Angeles 2023/2024. Music by David Stagno. Words/vocals by Mark Kozelek.

Sun Kil Moon Quiet Beach House Nights was released on Caldo Verde Records, digitally, outside of North America, August 2023. Several singles including 'Raging Bull's Jaw' and 'Damian' have been released as singles in the USA since 2022. The album was released on both CD and vinyl within the USA in 2024. Mark has toured in support of the album in both Europe and the USA throughout 2023 and 2024. Sun Kil Moon has also released various singles, worldwide, including 'Been on Echinacea,' 'Santa Ana,' and 'All The Artists Live in L.A.'

Sun kil Moon featuring Amoeba was released outside of North America, September 2024. The album has been released on both CD and vinyl October, 2024. Sun Kil Moon featuring Amoeba is a collaboration between Hungarian band Amoeba and singer Mark Kozelek, recorded in Hungary in 2022 and 2023. The single 'Mindy' and 'Hungarian Lullaby' have been releases as singles in the USA.

Mark is contributor to substack, releasing photography, music, and writing, on the first of each month.

Sun Ki Moon Welcome to Sparks, Nevada, was released January 7, 2021. The album is about Mark's life and times throughout the first half of 2020. Shortly after, Mark released, Lunch in the Park. The album picks up where "Sparks" left off, detailing his summer, fall and winter of 2020.

BISHOP SNOW

WHEEL

with SOUND AND SHAPE

Charismatic leaders. These are the dictators, demagogues and false idols who, around theworld at this very moment, are stoking division and igniting war in the name of nothing butself-gain. They’re also the unmistakable target of Wheel’s latest album ofthe same name: aseven-song prog metal opus that strives for all things right in a world gone wrong.Since forming in 2015, Wheel have swiftly grown from underdogs of Helsinki, Finland, to aninternational tour de force. The angular riffs, unforgettable melodies and adventurous scopeof the trio’s 2019 debut,Moving Backwards, was instantly adored by fans of megastars fromTool to Coheed & Cambria. Then, 2021 follow upResident Humanreceived rave reviewsfrom publications across the planet, praising its sonic evolution and bravely dystopianthemes.Charismatic Leaderswas meticulously crafted to meet Wheel’s ever-heighteningbenchmarks.Its songs date as far back as 2020,and recording with engineers/co-producersDaniel Bergstrand and Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah) stretched from August to December2023. The end result, mixed by Forrester Savell,has consolidated all the gains of what camebefore: singer/guitarist James Lascelles, lead guitarist Jussi Turunen, bassist Jere Lehto anddrummer Santeri Saksala’s third album represents their heaviest and most conscious musicto date.Already, Wheel have toured the world with such prog metal idols as Epica, Leprous, Volaand Soen, and it’s easy to imagine the irresistible hook of “Disciple” or the explosive guitarsof “Submission” only amplifying the excitement of their shows.Wheel’sTheDark Side Tour 2026will take fans deep into the band’s musical universe,showcasing songs rarely heard on stage next to classics from their catalogue. Wheel willrevive hidden gems, creating an intense and immersive live experience. This tour promises aunique journey for longtime followers and a thrilling discovery for newcomers alike.

THE WHITE BUFFALO

“Everyone knows that you can sing…” 

For The White Buffalo – aka singer / songwriter / guitarist Jake Smith, Oregon-born, Southern California-raised – it was time to take the less travelled path; to assemble notions for studio album Number 8, the follow-up to ‘On The Widow’s Walk’ (Snakefarm, 2020), and embark on a voyage of discovery.

Out with the old, the organic, the expected, the tried; in with the new – new producer, new studio, new location, no distractions, no looking back…

Enter ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’…

“You think we’re a country band? A folk band? Americana? Rock? What the fuck are you gonna say now?!” laughs Jake. “With this album, I wanted something outside of what I’ve ever done. I wanted to open up. Do something dangerous. I’m hard to put into a singular genre as it is, but now I really wanted to take away any kind of preconception or pigeon-holing.

“And don’t ask me, cos I don’t know what it is! It’s a genre-bending thing – there’s elements and influences from ELO, Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circus, pirate music, yacht rock, and I’m driving and pushing some of these numbers in a way I’ve never done before.

“At the top of the pandemic, I put the acoustic guitar on its stand, got a synthesizer and began writing on it, not really knowing how to play keys, just exploring the different sounds and landscapes. In the not knowing, it allowed me to expand my vocal melodies and compositions in ways the guitar had possibly limited.” 

When Jake, flanked by regular touring / recording compadres, bassist / keyboard player / guitarist Christopher Hoffee and drummer Matt Lynott, crossed the threshold of East Nashville’s Neon Cross Studio, a converted Southern Baptist Church, he wasn’t chapter an’ verse prepared, as usual.

The time before recording had been a crazy one, so there were a bunch of loose ends to be tied (“I’m a perpetual procrastinator” – Jake), plus only three of the 12 songs had been completely written. Jake had maps in his head, but most were mere bones of compositions with only a few key lyrics penned. This allowed producer / studio owner Jay Joyce – plus trusted assistant, Jason Hall – the wiggle room to really get involved, to guide and explore new frontiers …

“It was a whirlwind of creativity,” recalls Jake. “We tracked 12 songs in 11 days; no over-thinking, no looking for perfection, no egos, no playing it safe, just feel, and I’ve never had a producer act so much like a producer… twisting, elevating and contorting our talents!”

With an impressive clientele numbering Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Fidlar, Ashley McBryde, Halestorm, Little Big Town, Cage The Elephant, to name just a few, multi-instrumentalist Joyce has a reputation for working at an intense level.

He’s a Grammy Award-winning Producer of the Year (2018), has 4 CMA and 5 ACM Awards, and when it comes to making music, the Ohio native is never one to take the obvious route – perfect for an album featuring a dozen musical vignettes, individual yet constant in flow; an album loosely based around the shifting of the seasons and the shifting of a relationship; an album showing off the complete scope of Jake’s song-writing craft, from the stripped back to the fully loaded…

“Jake is fierce, he basically wrote a whole movie,” says Jay. “We holed up in an old church, in the midst of the pandemic. It was just the four of us, making the soundtrack to his movie, and I have to say, it was inspirational.”

To keep the storyline as clear as possible, the 12 songs were recorded in sequence, with every square inch of Neon Cross brought into play; a new sonic palette was required, a unique set of sounds, and if it meant pushing the musicians into new, sometimes uncomfortable, areas, well, that was the price to pay…

“Oh, he would break at least one of us on the daily!” exclaims Jake. “At some point, we all questioned if we could even sing or play! We’d start at 11, have lunch at one or two, be done by seven, and we felt like we’d gone to war!! Exhausted, our heads spinning. Like, what did we even do today?!

“A lot of stuff was tracked on the fly, and Jay would help guide arrangements, bridges, links, all sorts of things, then he ended up adding other elements in the mix to bind it all together. He’s an insane musician and he would change things on a dime. We’d spend an hour getting a drum tone, then he’d say, ‘Sounds amazing, but any fool can make a drum kit sound good’. So he’d abandon all of that, and end up using a 50 dollar child’s kit mic’d with a singular microphone and pump it through a tiny Marshall amp. His mind works in a manner I’ve never witnessed in anyone else!”

But what about the vocal recording? Surely Jake’s signature baritone, a much-revered calling card, required nothing more elaborate than a candle-lit corner, some honey, cigarettes and coffee…

“Not reallyl!” laughs Jake, “he kept putting me in strange and awkward positions – on two or three of the songs, he sat me down on a low-profile couch, with the mic a foot off the ground, so I’m hunched over singing with my knees higher than my head. He was taking away my body, my power. He’d say, ‘Everyone knows that you can sing, bro, what else is there…?’ He was looking for a vibe, a cool factor, not vocal acrobatics. 

“And he’s meticulous about trimming the fat, and about syncopation, where the words are landing. He would also sense if something wasn’t quite working, or if it was getting repetitive; on ‘Love Will Never Come’ he forced me to abandon the vocal melody and lyrics I had prepared, nearing a hundred words, saying it sounded like, ‘Hickory Dickory Dock… I’m bored after hearing that melody twice’. He made me take an entirely different approach, on the spot, like, ‘Make up something cool. Now! GO! GO!’ I’ve never been challenged like that before! The first thing that spilled out of me was the map for that performance. 

“He’s a fucking genius with a splash of bullying ex-wife. You know he’s right, you trust him, and he will push you beyond what you think you’re capable of.” 

For ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ to achieve its full potential, Jake knew the experience had to be immersive, which is why the Nashville location proved crucial. Not only were the three musicians away from the lures of home, but the house they all stayed in was just a block from the studio, and filled with a variety of instruments. Wherever they were, they could hone in on the project, and some of the songs came together while the clock was ticking… 

“I wrote ‘Love Song #3’ eight days into recording,” remembers Jake. “I knew the story and the scope of the album needed a true love song, so I wrote one from a melody I had swimming around in my head. 

“I work strangely well under desperate conditions,” he continues, making sure to give credit to his fellow musicians, his ‘band of brothers’; they hadn’t heard the songs at all prior to entering the studio, “coming in blind”, but they collectively stepped up to the plate, and beyond, sometimes getting a tune out of instruments they’d never even heard of!

As for Jake, he was happy to embrace a project where new boxes were being ticked on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. This time around, it was all about building on glories past, adding fresh, exciting, more left-field moments to a style and a sound that has seen his music growing in stature worldwide, supported by key placements in the worlds of TV and film (‘Sons Of Anarchy’, ‘Californication’, ‘The Punisher’, ‘The Terminal List’, etc.).

Over the years, Jake has built a second-to-none reputation for the emotional weight of his music, and here this core element dramatically underpins a body of work that allows the imagination of the listener to play an important part throughout, building on a tale of debauchery (of the drunken variety) and blame, of love and loss, a life lived against the odds, the whole thing set in one lunar year, following our anti-hero through the highs and lows of the seasons. 

And who is this mysterious Donna? And what was she doing in the bar? And in the bathroom?!  (‘She Don’t Know That I Lie’). She’s right there at the heart of the action, and the song that bears her name is probably the most propulsive on the album – an open display of Jake’s deep regard for the great Jeff Lynne…

“During the pandemic, I would ride around on my bike with a speaker on the back, tripping balls, and listening to ELO,” he recollects. “I love Jeff Lynne!”

Hard on the stiletto’d heels of ‘Donna’ comes album closer ‘Life Goes On’, which bring things to a conclusion in gentle, reflective tones. Jake felt his way through the song in the studio, then when he stepped up to do it for real, was told by Joyce that his first take was ‘the one’…

“He wouldn’t let me have another crack! ‘You can’t beat that!’ One single imperfect take when I wasn’t even aware we were recording. Pure, honest, true…”

Which effectively sums up ‘YOTDH’ as a whole, The White Buffalo’s most unpredictable and inventive work to date, the most well-rounded, too – surprising, spontaneous and spectacularly genre resistant.

THE EXPENDABLES

ft. CHAD TEPPER & ACARI

The Expendables have proven anything but in their nearly 25-year career since starting out as a  spirited party band in high school performing surf-rock covers for birthdays and family  gatherings. A quarter-century later, elementary school buddies Raul Bianchi, Adam Peterson and  Geoff Weers, along with bassist Ryan DeMars, who joined in 2000, have forged a unique sound  born in the laid-back beach life in their hometown of Santa Cruz, CA. The Expendables’  infectious hybrid of ska, surf-rock, punk, reggae and metal can be heard in their latest streaming  track, “Surfman Cometh,” a spaghetti-western meets “Pipeline” twang that could easily form the  soundtrack to the latest Quentin Tarantino film. The song is the first release from the group’s new  and improved Band Room, their longtime rehearsal space in a 1,100 square foot warehouse and  former wine cellar on Coral Street, where Adam Patterson took charge of the final mix to great  effect. The band’s previous studio album of original material, 2015’s Sand in the Sky, was  followed by The Expendables’ second release featuring acoustic reworkings of past material,  Gone Raw, 2019’s follow-up to 2012’s Gone Soft. The Expendables continue woodshedding  until they can get back out on the road. Their 2017 Moment EP, which debuted at #1 on the  Billboard Reggae chart, showed the band starting to move into different musical directions, a set  featuring collaborations with reggae crooner HIRIE, rapper Tech N9ne, Eric Rachmany, and  Micah Peuschel

SIPPY

SIPPY is a Sydney-born bass music powerhouse whose name has become synonymous with fearless sound design, unapologetic intensity, and stage-commanding energy. Now based in Los Angeles, the ICON Collective alum continues to carve her own lane with Scars in Stereo (Deadbeats, 2025) - her long-awaited debut album that captures both her raw power and emotional evolution as an artist.

A standout of the global bass scene, SIPPY made her name dominating the Australian festival circuit, with headline tours and performances at Touch Bass and Spilt Milk, before making waves in the U.S. bass scene. She’s since gone from support slots for Zeds Dead, Excision, and Dirt Monkey to sold-out headline shows, most recently completing her ‘Gremlin Mode’ Tour and taking stages at Red Rocks, Tomorrowland, Lost Lands, Bass Canyon, and ÎLESONIQ.

Now, SIPPY is entering the next phase of her artistic evolution with her debut album, Scars in Stereo, out October 17th via Deadbeats. The record showcases a more personal and vulnerable side of her artistry while elevating her technical production skills and emotional range. Lead singles "Ashes" (August 15) and "Killa" (September 12) have already begun to shift expectations, pairing haunting vocals, raw storytelling, and bold bass design in a way only SIPPY can.

A proven favorite on labels like Deadbeats, Bassrush, and UKF, and with official remixes for The Chainsmokers, Zeds Dead, and Marshmello under her belt, SIPPY continues to push boundaries. Scars in Stereo arrives October 17, 2025, alongside a national tour and high-profile festival appearances - marking a bold new chapter for one of bass music’s most compelling voices.

THE GARCIA PROJECT

The Garcia Project performs full, unaltered classic Jerry Garcia Band setlists from 1976–1995 — song for song, set for set — using era-correct arrangements, tempos, instrumentation, and gear to recreate the authentic sound that defined those legendary shows.

Since 2010, The Garcia Project is more than a tribute, the band delivers the emotional and communal experience that made the classic Jerry Garcia Band so beloved. A recent Grateful Web feature described their performances as “a night of healing, heart, and pure Jerry magic,” noting that The Garcia Project opens “a little doorway back to the Jerry Garcia Band years,” with the same warmth, looseness, and deep musical breath that defined the original concerts.

Over the years, fans have affectionately dubbed The Garcia Project the ‘DSO of JGB’ — not as a comparison to any other band, but to express the level of precision, intention, and respect they bring to recreating classic shows.

Their authenticity has earned praise from the musicians who lived it

METALACHI

VARIALS

with UnityTX, HEAVY//HITTER, BOLTCUTTER

LIZ COOPER

The thing about finding yourself is there's always another corner to turn. The Vermont-based

singer/songwriter Liz Cooper made her third album during a period of intense self-discovery and

reinvention. She moved to New York for the first time, weathered a pandemic, came out to

herself after falling in love with a friend, and experienced her first queer relationship and

breakup, all in the course of a few years. New Day marks both a personal and a musical

revolution for Cooper – a plunge into psychedelic pop depths and a fullhearted reflection of a

whirlwind chapter in her life. These songs scintillate with the kind of self-confidence that only

beams through after you've aimed a sharp gaze inward and realized that whatever you see will

always keep darting ahead of you.

In making New Day, Cooper radically overturned her habitual approaches to making music.

Rather than writing with a full band behind her, she recorded demos alone in her apartment,

learning day by day to trust herself as she forged her new sound. “I needed to show up for

myself to finish writing something that felt impossible,” Cooper says. “New York really

challenged me to become a better writer, artist, and person. Living there made me ask myself,

why am I making this? Why am I doing any of this? What's the point? I was tired of being

pigeonholed as a guitar player and Americana artist. I needed to follow my own creative bliss.”

While recording, Cooper assumed production duties for the first time in her career, which

enabled her to work bold new textures into each song. Together with co-producer Dan Molad

(Lucius, JD McPherson), she wrung entirely new sounds out of her guitar with studio equipment

she’d never tried before. For the album’s bristlingly optimistic title track, Cooper ran her guitar

through a Kaoss pad synthesizer while Molad captured the sound by swinging a microphone

around the room. They visited the War on Drugs’ studio to record feedback from Marshall

amplifier stacks. Rather than focusing solely on composition and performance, Cooper took a

sculptural and procedural approach to production. “Instead of writing my guitar parts note by

note, I was experimenting on the spot,” she says. “It opened my mind up – and it felt really

good.”

Despite its boisterousness and verve, New Day was originally born in a quiet place. After nearly

a decade of living in Nashville, where she'd moved at age 19, Cooper relocated to Brooklyn in

February of 2020. She had expected to stay on the road as a touring musician as she'd done for

years, but the pandemic soon upended the industry and shuttered venues indefinitely. Confined

to her neighborhood and her apartment, Cooper sought out new ways to keep making music.

A longtime guitarist who found her first musical home in Nashville’s Americana scene, Cooper

taught herself to play the piano during lockdown, opening up brand new creative channels

outside her usual writing practices. She didn't have to worry about disturbing her neighbors with

an amplified electric guitar, and the process of learning an instrument while simultaneously

writing on it unearthed an almost childlike sense of discovery. The piano proved to be a loyal

friend during a profoundly alienating time. "It felt like someone I could lean on – like the piano

was my voice when I couldn't talk or sing," says Cooper.

As songs started to trickle out, Cooper flew back and forth to Los Angeles to record with Molad,

who engineered her 2021 album Hot Sass. The first song they recorded together was the

riotous new wave number "Boy Toy," where Cooper fully ignites her confidence as an openly

queer performer. "I wrote 'Boy Toy' the night before we went into the studio. It was totally

random, not at all planned," says Cooper. "I met up with my friend Caroline Kingsbury, and we

were like, Let’s make a fun song that’s just super direct and sexy and big. It felt so powerful and

free to start there."

Over time, Cooper built out the songs she had written and demoed in New York. Slow and

sparse sketches became big, buoyant anthems. She looked to early Beck records for inspiration

as she crafted New Day's crisp, high-contrast sound.

On the album's lead single and title track, fuzz bass churns underneath twinkling synths and

binaural backing vocals. Piano and strings take center stage on the swelling "IDFK," one of

many songs inflected by Lou Reed's classic album Coney Island Baby, which Cooper played on

repeat while living in Brooklyn. The bittersweet "Sorry (That I Love You)" conjures the extremes

of a troubled relationship over warm, vintage-toned guitar and bass, while closer "Baby Steps"

wraps the album on a hopeful note: "I've made mistakes / I'm only human / These baby steps /

Lead me to you," she sings at the love song's sweetly irresistible hook.

"I struggled so much while writing this record," Cooper says. "I felt like I wasn’t allowed to come

out – I was dealing with a lot of internalized homophobia. Celebrating my queerness and

understanding who I am has been a long process. Every day is a new day of coming out to

myself and to everyone around me. I’m very proud to be making music that feels honest to me

and my experience."

No matter how many times you change, no matter how many hours you commit to improving

yourself, each new phase in a life is still only a prelude to the next one. With New Day, Cooper

captures the unfurling transformations that revealed her to herself – and leaves the door wide

open for all the people she's still yet to become.

THE DAVE MATTHEWS TRIBUTE BAND

DMTB is a celebration of the music of the Dave Matthews Band - a time machine to a funky tea party in the 90’s, a boisterous era of tape trading, sing-alongs, and exploration into a new sonic landscape spearheaded by complex guitar riffs, soaring violin melodies, smooth sax lines, and explorative-explosive drumming.

Dedicated to recreating that moment in musical history, the DMTB has been honing their craft for over 20 years. Since 2004, the band’s ruthless touring schedule has been unparalleled, playing over 2000 shows in 46 states and 10 countries. The Buffalo, NY based band has successfully paid tribute to the Dave Matthews Band, with heartfelt recreation of DMB’s musical spirit.

The DMTB aims to transport the listener back in time. The band takes inspiration from the classic DMB sound, with immense respect for the original quintet. While including material from the bands later and current catalogs, the goal is to create a well rounded and authentic tribute.

The attention to details, love for the music, and sense of community creates an atmosphere that causes concert goers to say “...wow, if I close my eyes, it's like I’m there!”

JOANNA WANG

Joanna Wang weaves bits of Americana with baroque pop, rock, punk, video game soundtracks, jazz, and folk into whimsical and irreverent tunes that often approach the themes of innocence and cynicism.

Since releasing her debut album in 2008, she has created a series of distinctive projects over the years, including “The Adventures of Bernie the Schoolboy,” “Galaxy Crisis: The Strangest Midnight Broadcast,” “BOB MUSIC,” “House of Bullies,” “Modern Tragedy,” and most recently, “Hotel La Rut”, which was featured on The Needle Drop’s favorite albums of 2024.

Joining Joanna on this North American tour will be the original recording lineup of “Hotel La Rut”: Bill Athens (bass), Asher Fulero (keys), Peter Knudsen (guitar), Micah Kassell (drums).

Joanna Wang has been the recipient of several Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan over her distinguished decade-long career, and continues to push boundaries as one of the most creative contemporary songwriters of our era.

ELISE TROUW

with SWELL FOOP and MEERNA

Elise Trouw has spent most of her life counting

As a child in rural Fallbrook, California, she could tell you exactly how many stairs were in her house – though she might skip one just to land on an even number. Before she had words for it, Elise was tracking the rhythm of the world: steps in multiples of four, chairs in symmetrical rows, piano notes practiced at 5am in precise sequence. Her parents eventually made her wait until 6am. 

This early obsession with order and balance would later lead her to the drums, where everything clicked. “Drumming was like a physical manifestation of how my brain already worked,” she says now. “Counting subdivisions, staying locked into the groove – it just made sense to me.”

It also offered something else: protection. Behind the kit, she didn’t have to be the center of attention. She could participate without exposing too much.

That changed when she began to sing.

Best known for her seamless one-woman-band videos and genre-blurring musicianship, Elise rose to fame in the late 2010s through viral live-looping mashups and meticulous multi-instrumental performances. Her debut album, Unraveling, released as a teenager, led to a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a two-week tour opening for Incubus. With no label or manager at the time, Elise was suddenly in green rooms and industry meetings where she was both admired and underestimated – navigating adult spaces while still barely out of high school.

“I didn’t realize until later how much I felt like I had to be palatable,” she reflects. “I wanted to be seen as likable. As someone who could play well and sing well and look good doing it, even if that meant not being my full self .”

Even her songwriting during that time was shaped by a desire to connect – sometimes by leaning into what she thought people wanted to hear. “I wasn’t always writing from a deeply personal place,” she says. “I was still figuring out what I was allowed to say.”

But while she was performing onstage, another project was taking shape in secret.

Her new album The Diary of Elon Lust, out February 13th, 2026 via Midtopia, is the most radical departure of her career – and also the most honest. It’s a satirical concept album told through the persona of Elon Lust: a twenty-something male alter ego who embodies a cocktail of entitlement, objectification, and weaponized likability. Part archetype, part confession, part cautionary tale, Elon is made up of things men have said to Elise. Or to her friends. Or to you.

“I started writing these songs as a joke,” she says. “But over time I realized – they weren’t completely jokes. And suddenly, they were the only songs I was writing that felt real.”

Across 14 tracks – each one a diary entry of sorts – The Diary of Elon Lust dissects modern masculinity through playful, uncomfortable, occasionally absurd vignettes that blend humor and social commentary with deeply personal truth. The songs are bolder. The lyrics are sharper. The satire is pointed – but never preachy.

The lead single “All You Need Is Lust” introduces the character with a tongue-in-cheek mantra that turns the Beatles’ famous phrase on its head. Over layered vocals and hypnotic groove, Elon invites listeners into a cult of carnal worship, where desire is king and female bodies are holy objects. The surreal music video, inspired by the Hieronymus Bosch painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights, features dancers with cherry heads, boob costumes, and a fever-dream aesthetic that leans into discomfort. “We wanted it to feel strange and unsettling—somehow sexual, but not sexualized,”

“The Perfect Girl” draws from a memory that’s stuck with Elise since middle school: the day a group of boys made a “hot or not” list ranking all the girls in class. The song is absurdly upbeat – Elon rattles off ideal features like a Frankenstein sculptor – but the subtext is darker. “It was one of the first moments I realized how girls were being seen,” she says. “It wasn’t much about who we were. It was about how we looked. That never really left me.”

Later tracks like “A Little Blood” dive into the shame women are made to feel for their bodies – except, of course, when those same bodies serve male pleasure. And on “Gentleman,” Elon paints himself as the self-proclaimed “good guy,” racking up points for being decent while still expecting thanks in return. These contradictions – harmless on the surface, corrosive underneath – are what make the character so effective. Elon is not a monster. He’s familiar. Maybe even likable. He’s “just joking.”

While Elise’s past work has always showcased technical brilliance, Elon Lust allows for something more: vulnerability, messiness, agency. The drums are still there, the grooves still tight. But this time, Elise isn’t hiding behind them. She’s stepping forward, even if it means letting go of perfection.

Social media was the launchpad for Elise’s early success. Her live-looping videos drew millions of views across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and helped her build a fanbase outside the traditional industry gatekeepers. But it also came with a cost. “It gave me visibility,” she says. “But it also exposed me to things no one would say to my face. There’s a specific kind of cruelty that comes from anonymity online..”

She doesn’t read comments anymore. Or if she does, only on good days.

And while The Diary of Elon Lust may sound like a sharp left turn, it doesn’t invalidate what came before. “I’m proud of Unraveling,” she says of her debut. “It was where I was at. It was real in its own way. But I was 17, and I wasn't comfortable being fully honest in my songwriting yet.”

This new project is different.

“This album might feel like a big departure, but it’s the first time I’ve felt free in my songwriting —it's my humor, my perspective on the world,” she says. “Even though these songs come from my own experiences, I hope people hear them and understand too.”

SWELL FOOP

Swell Foop is an indie rock band hailing from Berkeley, California, composed of Sophia Shen and Miranda Loyer on lead vocals, guitar, and bass, and Tiena Elias on drums. Having met as students at UC Berkeley, Swell Foop has made its rounds through the Bay Area's DIY venues and backyard stages, but over the years has matured into something more meaningful than a fleeting college band, a change marked by the release of their debut EP "Don't Spare Me" in 2024. Songwriters Sophia and Miranda conjoin introspective lyrics with enthralling melodies, beckoning the listener into narratives surrounding femininity, identity, and change. Their songs range from dreamy indie pop to bass-driven rock, balancing vulnerability and earnestness with unshakable determination

HOT 8 BRASS BAND

Drawing on the traditional jazz heritage of their hometown of New Orleans, the Hot 8 Brass Band are renowned for including elements of funk, hip hop, rap, and its local variation, “bounce” in their music. The collective earned a win in the 64th Annual Grammy Awards 2022 for their feature on John Batiste’s ‘Album of The Year', following the nomination of their ‘The Life & Times Of…’ LP for ‘Best Regional Roots Album’ in 2013.

Transcending genres and trends, Hot 8 have performed and collaborated with the likes of Jon Batiste, Blind Boys of Alabama, Basement Jaxx and Alice Russell, and provided live support for Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and Mary J Blige. Since forming they have established a decade-long affiliation with actor/BBC 6Music DJ Craig Charles, among other tastemakers, DJs and journalists worldwide. After a festive appearance Live at Maida Vale for Lauren Laverne (BBC 6 Music), the Hot 8 Brass Band performed for Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny on BBC Two to welcome in 2019. Later that year, after taking to the stage at the BRIT awards in February, Hot 8 Brass Band were invited on the European leg of George Ezra’s tour.

KASH'D OUT

with BEACH FLY

Florida-based reggae/rock band Kash’d Out has been hustling hard since day one. Formed when Greg Shields (lead vocals) and Jackson Hauserman (guitar) first met during a studio session, the band quickly found its sound. With the addition of Joey Brohawn on bass, Marshall Hearne on drums, and most recently A-Mac on keys, Kash’d Out's clever lyrics, tasteful guitar riffs, and infectious grooves came to life.

Their breakout caught the attention of Hawaiian legends Pepper, who signed them to LAW Records and released their debut full-length album, The Hookup. Before the album even dropped, the band hit the road with Pepper and Less Than Jake, launching them onto the Billboard Reggae Charts and into households across the country.

Since then, Kash’d Out has become a relentless touring force, supporting genre staples like Collie Buddz, The Expendables, and Iration, while also headlining multiple national tours.

Their most recent album, Butter (released on LAW Records), showcased the band’s musical growth and experimentation, further solidifying their reputation for crafting songs that blend catchy melodies with honest, introspective lyrics.

Now signed to Ineffable Records, the band continues to evolve. Their latest single, “Mushroom Tea” featuring Little Stranger, dives into a playful, psychedelic groove—bringing together bounce, wit, and a touch of nostalgic stoner charm. It marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter as they gear up for their next full-length album, due out in 2026.

With a packed touring schedule and a high-energy live show, Kash’d Out continues to bring their music to fans across the country—spreading good vibes and authentic connection at every stop.

Beach Fly is the feel-good musical project led by John DeMari. He got his start interviewing some of his favorite artists like Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, and Iration on the 2 Minute Podcast.

Beach Fly’s homegrown, organic sound is a refreshing blend of modern reggae influences and feel-good beachside rhythms. Drawing inspiration from bands like Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution, as well as acoustic-driven favorites like Jack Johnson and Xavier Rudd, their music captures the essence of laid-back coastal living.

With smooth melodies, uplifting lyrics, and infectious grooves, Beach Fly is on a mission to transport you straight to a sun-soaked paradise. Whether you’re catching waves, relaxing with friends, or simply looking for an escape, their sound delivers the ultimate tropical vibes.

AURORAWAVE

 with BRACE YOURSELF

aurorawave is a boundary-pushing rock band recognized for pioneering a distinct sound they  term reggaecore — a fusion of heavy guitar-driven intensity and rhythmic influences drawn from  reggae. Their music integrates aggressive, groove-oriented arrangements with emotionally  charged lyricism, resulting in a style that is both musically intricate and viscerally accessible. 

Formed with the intention of absolute authenticity, aurorawave established a clear identity with  their self-titled debut album. The project featured notable collaborations with members of The  Ghost Inside, Atreyu, and Attila, introducing the band’s hybrid sound to a broad spectrum of  alternative and heavy music audiences. Their debut positioned them as emerging voices with the  versatility to operate across multiple subcultures within the rock and reggae landscapes. 

In 2025, the band unveiled Monument, a decisive step forward in their evolution. The album  brings together an eclectic and high-profile group of collaborators, including Aaron Gillespie  (Underoath), Frankie Palmeri (Emmure), Left To Suffer, Ekoh, Jesse Royal, The Movement, and  Kumar Fyah. Monument expands the band’s sonic framework while retaining the emotional  weight and urgency that define their approach. The result is a record that is both thematically  cohesive and musically diverse. 

Known for their dynamic live performances, aurorawave has developed a reputation for  translating studio complexity into high-impact, crowd-responsive sets. Their ability to connect  across genre lines has earned them placements on varied lineups and growing support from fans  of alternative rock, metalcore, and modern reggae. 

aurorawave represents a deliberate convergence of influences — not as an aesthetic novelty, but  as a fully realized artistic direction. Their work continues to resonate with audiences seeking  depth, intensity, and innovation in contemporary rock.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD

with SKINHEAD

STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA

ft. Napoleon Murphy Brock

SIR WOMAN

Kelsey Wilson has never been able to escape the pull of music. At the early age of 4, she began playing violin and quickly became fascinated with her family’s expansive record collection. Growing up homeschooled with a mother whose life had been embedded in the gospel church, Wilson found herself immersed in the genre and became enamored with R&B and gospel artists like Otis Redding, Billy Preston, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. It wasn’t until her teenage years that she was introduced to genres like country rap and pop. “None of it really hit after so many years of what I was listening to, so I just implanted gospel into my brain.” 

While Wilson never thought she would be a professional musician, life had other plans. In the early 2010s, Wilson found momentum as the lead vocalist and violinist of the Austin-based Americana outfit Wild Child. “I was writing songs with someone who played the ukulele, so I realized that I could fit melodies and words over the chords he was playing and it was really easy.” Throughout their 14-year tenure, the group released five albums and has toured with artists like Mt. Joy, Robert Ellis and Shakey Graves. Because it was “easy,” Wilson believed that she was supposed to be making folk music. After all, the band has found moderate success over the years, from movie and TV show placements to commercial jingles. But the music didn’t feel “authentic” to Wilson. “I wasn't being my genuine self,” she says. Still, she didn’t know what kind of music she would make if she was in complete control. In 2018, the year before lockdown, she penned what would be the first Sir Woman record — several songs that didn’t quite fit in the Wild Child world. At the time, she didn’t intend to create a band or touring the record. “I just wanted to make an album that sounded like me entirely.” 

The name of Wilson’s rollicking solo project fittingly came to her just as Wild Child was playing the last festival before their hiatus. While roaming around the festival grounds, a security guard yelled at her, calling her “sir” and “woman.” Something clicked: It was the song that she had been singing in a dream the night before, the character she longed to create. “It felt so appropriate and reminded me of Motown, just classic but powerful. It was everything that I didn't really get to express in Wild Child.” 

As Sir Woman, Wilson took the Austin music scene by storm in 2022 with the release of her full-length self-titled debut. It led to her taking the stage at renowned clubs, earning Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, as well as features in Rolling Stone, Spin.com, Variety and the Cover of Austin Chronicle and many other publications. The buzz surrounding Wilson’s project has helped earn Sir Woman upwards of 30 million streams on Spotify. 

Now, Wilson is funneling her long passion for soul, funk and R&B into a double album — If It All Works Out and If It Doesn’t. But making one — let alone two albums —isn’t something she ever intended to do. Throughout the making of both her records, Wilson experienced a great deal of 

loss. While recording If It All Works Out, her sister died. In between the making of her debut and the second LP, her father passed away. They were both chapters in her life that needed to be shared separately. “It basically came out to be an album for a good day and an album for a bad one, because you need music for both experiences.” 

Throughout the 11 tracks of If It All Works Out, Wilson clung to the ideas of love, positivity and romance. The album’s cinematic lead single, “Who You Gonna Love?” pays homage to a brassy Motown classic, while embracing Sir Woman’s overall ethos of lifting yourself up. “It was all the records from the 70s that I loved listening to growing up, I got to emulate and do my version.” “Heaven” is Wilson’s long-awaited understanding of the sentiment behind Bonnie Raitt’s iconic ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” “It’s this shameless plea for one more night with the person

that you love, even though you know, they don't want to be there anymore.” The album’s closer, “Making My Way” is a heartbreaking conclusion to the record that grapples with the gravity of loss Wilson experienced in such a short period of time. She began writing the first verse after her sister passed away (“I’m gonna see you again someday”) during lockdown when she was unable to have a funeral for her. For a while, she couldn’t move past that line. When it came time to wrap up the record, her father passed away. Immediately, the second verse came to her. “It was like the universe was making me wait to finish the song because it was gonna be connected to another major loss. So it was the most cathartic recording experience I've ever had. A song has never meant more to me.” 

While If It All Works Out has a hopeful lens, If It Doesn’t is the kind of album that can uplift you when you’re facing life’s challenges. The 10 tracks may seem uplifting on the surface, but they were crafted during one of the darkest times in Wilson’s life. As the lead single, the ‘90s R&B-tinged “Never Gonna Give Me Up,” is a cheeky, dance number that pays tribute to her music discovery in her teen years. “You never want to give me up / But you never want to give me love,” she sings with a playful lilt. On “Believe It or Not,” Wilson meditates on being enamored with someone who doesn’t believe them. “It is unrequited love, but you love this person so much that you don't care.” With “New Story,” Wilson explores the power of reinvention. “I got in a conversation with someone who believes that nobody ever really changes, and as someone who just went through such a drastic change and came out the other side, a completely different human being. I was like, ‘This is absolutely untrue.’” 

Leading up to each album's release, Wilson has been sharing singles from both records. If It All Works Out was released on February 21st, while If It Doesn’t is set to drop on May 16th.

MELROSE AVENUE

with AUTUMN KINGS and STRAY VIEW

About Melrose Avenue: Melrose Avenue is a melodic punk/metalcore outfit hailing from Australia. With their explosive sound and captivating online presence, they have amassed a dedicated following and become one of the most viewed Australian musical acts of the year. Stay tuned for their upcoming tour dates and be prepared to be blown away by their electrifying never seen before performances!

TROY DOHERTY

TROY (Troy Doherty) is a rising pop singer-songwriter and the voice of Hermes in EPIC: The Musical, earning a fast-growing worldwide fanbase. His debut album ZODIAC has surpassed 20 million streams, fueled by multiple viral videos and over 1.2M monthly Spotify listeners. After selling out every show on his beta tour, TROY now brings his fan-inspired 2026 U.S. ZODIAC Tour to cities across the country.

His entertainment career includes roles such as Clayton Swain on TNT’s The Last Ship, the Hambone King on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, Byron in Zoey 102, and standout theatre performances including **the Artful Dodger in Oliver! ** and Scut Farkas in the world-premiere of A Christmas Story: The Musical.

TROY writes and produces his music, blending indie pop, rock, soul, and cinematic influences into an emotional, powerful live experience.

TROY live in 2026 brings every sign, every story, and every emotion to the stage across the U.S. The ZODIAC era is here.  Experience it!