Time to say goodbye - maybe WHAT: 2018 has been a year of planned goodbyes. Neil Diamond announced he was stepping away from the stage, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ozzy Osbourne are on what they are calling their farewell tours (neither of which are coming to Orlando), and Slayer and the Warped Tour both...
K.D. Lang (stylized as k.d. lang) is never quite sure who she’s singing for. “My fans kind of elude me in that I’ve eluded my fans over the years,” says the Canadian. “You know, I’ve switched genres. I win and lose fans every time I put out a record. But I think the consistency is me and my love...
You might laugh at Birdcloud lyrics, but they aren’t a comedy act. The country duo out of Nashville is “definitely more” in a punk vein, according to singer Jasmin Kaset. Kaset and Makenzie Green have been bringing their caustic acoustic act since they formed in 2010. On Sept. 4, Birdcloud will...
The Great Irish Hooley is back at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant for its 7th year of bringing special food, drinks and entertainment to this Disney Springs venue. The event will be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. Here’s what you’ll find: Two new cocktails made with artisan syrups that includes...
Before the crowd packing into the Camping World Stadium on Wednesday gets to hear from Queen Bey and her husband, the audience is going to get to rock out to some local grooves. Orlando’s DJ Nasty will open with DJ Khaled and Chloe x Halle for Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the On the Run Tour. Orlando hip...
Violinist Kev Marcus and viola player Wil B don’t shy away from the implications of their existence. Forming the hip hop-fusion duo Black Violin, the pair from Florida recognize that they don’t fit the traditional mold for classical artists. Hence the 2015 album “Stereotypes” and its title track...
A bus driver tells his passengers, “If you don’t know where you’re going, ask me and I’ll help. If you know where you’re going, good luck. If you think you know where you’re going, there is no hope for you.” People who think they can dance have been burning up the Fox airwaves since 2005. Now the...
Umphrey’s McGee isn’t picky about who’s in their audience. “If you like live music and like going to shows where people are having fun and there’s a really welcoming community and you like rock and roll, then give it a shot,” said keyboardist Joel Cummins. The jam band out of Indiana is on tour...
Aug. 12 is National Vinyl Record Day. While you might think this day is about dusting off some old records from days way gone by, you may be surprised to find many modern artists are producing music in vinyl format to provide a richer, more immersive experience. Whether you are a collector or prefer...
Bob Dylan’s most recent album, 2017’s “Triplicate,” is a three-disc set containing covers of 30 classic songs. This continues the songwriter’s trend of all-cover albums started with his last two records, “Shadows in the Night” and “Fallen Angels.” Dylan digging into the Great American Songbook...
Music takes over St. Augustine for four weekends in September in a celebration of local, regional and national singers, songwriters and musicians. The Sing Out Loud Festival features hundreds of free performances and an array of music genres, including indie pop, soul, pop rock, Americana, bluegrass...
Riot Fest will take over Douglas Park September 14-16 as scheduled, putting fan speculation around its cancellation to bed. “@RiotFest Can you please just confirm Riot Fest is happening? I'm flying in from NY. Starting to get worried and tomorrow is the last day I can cancel my trip for a full...
Amanda Shires just released a turning-point album, one that takes her to a new level as a songwriter and sonic adventurer. But “To the Sunset” (Silver Knife/Thirty Tigers) didn’t arrive without some struggle. Shires, who is married to songwriter Jason Isbell, gave birth to a daughter in 2015, and...
“What is so daunting about somebody’s brain just struggling a little bit?” asks Chicago-based rapper, performer, and filmmaker Nikki Lynette. It is 2018, yet discussions about mental health in this country continue to disappear as quickly as they arrive in the public consciousness. There are many...
The Labor Day weekend just ended, but the fall season has wasted no time getting started. Among the musical highlights of this weekend: Orbert Davis Quintet. Because Chicago trumpeter Davis is co-founder and artistic director of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, listeners tend to identify him with...
When Kris Allen won “American Idol” Season Eight in 2009, the show was in the middle of its original 15-season life cycle. The Kelly Clarkson/Carrie Underwood boom years were over, but winners could still expect to do reasonably well, and Allen forged a solid career as a singer-songwriter. By the...
The Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan accidentally drowned in a bathtub after drinking, a coroner's inquest concluded Thursday. A police officer told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court that a pajama-clad O'Riordan was found submerged in her bathtub at a London hotel on the morning of...
"The Bobby Brown Story," a two-night biopic chronicling the life and career of the controversial R&B singer, kicked off Tuesday with an episode that detailed everything from Brown's often tragic childhood to his struggle with drug addiction. One early scene recalled the fatal stabbing of his childhood...
Kanye West apologized to Drake in a series of nine tweets early Wednesday for falling out with him over the "Lift Yourself" beat -- which the two were apparently going to record together -- and accusations that West played a role in the lyrics of Pusha-T's diss tracks toward Drake, "Infrared" and...
Tony Bennett turned 92 last month, so when he takes the stage of the Ravinia Festival on Saturday evening, he’ll be breaking a lot of records. Oldest jazz vocalist still packing houses around the world? Check. Largest discography of any major jazz singer still working today? By far. Most exuberant...
Third time was the charm for North Coast Music Festival at Chicago’s Union Park, which was forced to evacuate during its headlining time slots the first two nights of its three-day Labor Day weekend event due to lightning in the area. Sunday, however, went off without a weather hitch for top-billed...