Alternative Music
Rihanna to Headline 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show
Rihanna, and not Taylor Swift, will headline the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Barbados pop star will take the stage during Super Bowl LVII on February 12th, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the NFL announced on Sunday. It’ll mark her first time headlining the halftime show. “We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,” NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky said in a statement. “Rihanna is a once in a generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance.” Related Video Late last week Variety reported that Taylor Swift was in line to headline the halftime show. A subsequent report from TM...
Post Malone in Hospital After Experiencing “Stabbing Pain” on Side of Body
Post Malone is in the hospital after experiencing a “stabbing pain” on the right side of his body. The injury appears related to the fall he took on stage during a concert in St. Louis last week. “I’m having a difficult time breathing, and there’s like a stabbing pain whenever I move or breathe,” Post Malone explained in an Instagram post. “We’re in the hospital now.” As a result, Post Malone has postponed his concert scheduled to take place in Boston on Saturday night. Advertisement Related Video Post Malone initially injured himself after he tripped into an uncovered hole that had been used to lower equipment below the stage. He landed on his ribcage and laid on the stage for several minutes as medics attended to him. The rapper was eventually able to stand up and walk off the stage with...
Gorillaz Bring Out Beck, Tame Impala, De La Soul, and More at Star-Studded Los Angeles Concert
Given that Gorillaz have worked with hundreds of collaborators over the last two decades, there’s always a good chance that a surprise guest or two will pop up during one of the band’s concerts. However, fans who attended Gorillaz’s show at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on Friday were treated to an especially star-studded affair, as everyone from Beck to Tame Impala to Thundercat made cameos. Beck joined Gorillaz to perform “The Valley of the Pagans,” from 2020’s Song Machine: Season One, as well as the world premiere of “Possession Island,” from Gorillaz’s upcoming album, Cracker Island. Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Thundercat also helped Gorillaz’s preview their next project, as they sat in for “New Gold” and “Cracker Island,” respectively. Other guests included ScHoolboy Q (“Pac Man,” anothe...
Smashing Pumpkins Perform “Beguiled” on Fallon: Watch
Smashing Pumpkins are set to release their new triple album, ATUM. In anticipation, the band appeared on The Tonight Show on Friday to perform lead single “Beguiled.” Watch the replay below. Billed as the sequel to 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/Machine of God, ATUM (pronounced “autumn”) will be unveiled over the course of three acts released 11 weeks apart. Act 1 will arrive on November 15th, with Act 2 following on January 31st and Act 3 coming on April 21st. A box set containing all three acts plus 10 additional bonus tracks will also be released on April 21st. Beginning in October, Smashing Pumpkins will hit the road with Jane’s Addiction for the “Spirits on Fire Tour,” a 32-date co-headlining outing that runs into the middle of November. Tickets are a...
President Biden Surprises Elton John with National Humanities Medal at White House Concert
President Biden surprised Elton John by bestowing him with the National Humanities Medal during a concert at the White House on Friday. The South Lawn performance was part of A&E Networks and The History Channel’s “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” an event celebrating “everyday heroes” like nurses, teachers, and activists. John performed hits like “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” at the event, but the artist, who created the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1991, seemed genuinely shocked when President Biden honored his activism instead of just enjoying his music. “Tonight is my great honor, and I mean this sincerely, to present the National Humanities Medal to Sir Elton John,” Biden said, as John, mouth agape and wiping tears from his eyes, clutched his piano. A White House officer ex...
Queen Elizabeth Knighted John Williams Before Her Death
Composer John Williams was one of the last people to be knighted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. According to The Daily Mail, the artist was on a Queen-approved list of those KBE honoraries for their services to UK-US relations. Williams, 90, is behind the music of countless classic movies, particularly from directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Williams has composed music for Star Wars, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schlinder’s List, Saving Private Ryan, the Indiana Jones films, the first two Home Alone films, and the first three Harry Potter films, just to name a few. He has 25 Grammys and five Oscats to his name, his Star Wars soundtrack is part of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, and in 2014 was the was the recipient ...
Lizzo’s “Special Tour” Showcases All of Her (Many) Talents: Review
A visibly moved Lizzo returned to the stage Friday night for the debut show on her “Special Tour” (get tickets here), a 28-date jaunt in support of her latest studio album, Special. Part variety show spectacle, part megachurch empowerment retreat, the performance showcased all of Lizzo’s special talents, from powerhouse singing, to flute playing, to motivational speaking and choreo slaying. “My name is Lizzo, and welcome to the first night of my very first arena tour,” she said proudly in one of many moments when deep gratitude registered on her face as she paused to take in the rapturous screams of thousands. Before the stage lights blinked on and opener “The Sign” blared over the sound system, a voiceover of the singer set the heartening tone for the evening. “I really believe that love ...
R.I.P. Pharoah Sanders, Pioneering Jazz Saxophonist Dead at 81
Pharoah Sanders, the saxophonist who played with John Coltrane and helped pioneer the spiritual jazz movement, has died at age 81. The label Luaka Bop announced his death, saying in a statement, “He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.” Farrell Sanders was born on October 13th, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His first instrument was clarinet, but he began playing the tenor saxophone in high school, and even led his school’s band when they were in between directors. After moving to Oakland, he met John Coltrane, and began playing in his band in New York City in 1965. He played on a dozen Coltrane albums in the 1960s. Around the same time, Sanders met Sun Ra, who n...
R.I.P. Louise Fletcher, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Dead at 88
Louise Fletcher, the Oscar-winning actress best known for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has died at age 88. Her family announced her death to Deadline, saying she died in her sleep at her home in Montdurausse, France. Born on July 22nd, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, Fletcher got her start by appearing in 1950s television Westerns like Lawman and Maverick. In 1959, she married film producer Jerry Bick, who she remained with until 1977. The couple had two children, and she took 11 years off from acting to raise them. In 1974, she appeared in Robert Altman’s crime drama Thieves Like Us, where she caught the attention of director Miloš Forman. Forman then cast her in his upcoming film adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, ending...
Stevie Nicks Shares Cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”: Stream
Stevie Nicks has been performing a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s 1960s protest song “For What It’s Worth” on tour (get tickets here), and now you can hear the studio version on streaming services. Take a listen below. The cover was recorded earlier this year with hitmaking producer Greg Kurstin and two longtime members of her touring band: backing vocalist Sharon Celani and guitarist Waddy Wachtel. Nicks’ take doesn’t stray far from the original, but her perspective as a woman gives extra meaning to the lyrics, which are just as relevant today: “There’s a man with a gun over there/ Telling me I got to beware.” “I’m so excited to release my new song this Friday,” Nicks wrote on social media earlier this week. “It’s called ‘For What It’s Worth’ and it was written by Stephen Stills in 1...
Demi Lovato Rages at “HOLY FVCK” Tour Stop in Sacramento: Review and Setlist
After months of anticipation and the release of a rock-centric new album, Demi Lovato played their first solo show on the US leg of their “HOLY FVCK” tour (grab tickets here) at Sacramento’s Hard Rock Live on Thursday night (September 22nd). Dressed in all red and supported by an incredible backing band, Lovato was in excellent form, showcasing her powerhouse vocals while proving they’re well-suited for just about any genre, be it the pop sound that comprised Lovato’s last several albums, or the heavier rock tone that persists on her 2022 entry Holy Fvck. First up was opener Dead Sara, a Los Angeles five-piece who ripped their way through a barrage of tracks that combined hard rock, punk, and grunge elements. Frontwoman Emily Armstrong — who also features on the Holy Fvck album standout “H...
Santigold on New Album Spirituals, Women in Music, and Her Own Line of Tea
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Santigold gives Kyle Meredith a call to discuss Spirituals, her first new album in six years. Related Video The genre-blending artist says the album that found a lot of influence in the big events of the past few years. She tells us about how the record was a lifeline for her, the moments that speak of Black women in survival mode, and how women are constantly being told they’re not of value. Santigold also talks about her upcoming tour (tickets for which can be found here), as well as the tea she created to go along with the multi-sensory experience of the LP. Advertisement Listen to Santigold disc...
