The Mars Volta Returns with “Blacklight Shine”

June 21, 2022

Breaking more than a decade of omertà, The Mars Volta reawaken from their lengthy hiatus with the release of their new single and short film for “Blacklight Shine”, streaming now.

“Blacklight Shine” pulses with subtle brilliance, Caribbean rhythms underpinning sophisticated, turbulent songcraft. The song showcases guitarist/composer Omar Rodríguez-López and singer/lyricist Cedric Bixler-Zavala at their most accessible with pop melodies driving Bixler-Zavala’s story.

The lyrics of “Blacklight Shine” help to illuminate the idea of “a wave of rolling blackouts washing memories onto shore, a heartbeat that still remembers everything,” explains Bixler-Zavala.

On June 19, a mysterious cube appeared in Grand Park in Los Angeles, CA. ‘L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION’, an audio-visual art installation, was erected to tell the story of the return of The Mars Volta. Inside of the cube, visitors were taken on a full, immersive journey to outer space, and where “Blacklight Shine” was heard for the first time by the public. The experience inside of the cube was intended to provoke self-reflection, with the single guiding fans on a journey through endless galaxies and back down to earth, to oneself. Those who were unable to witness ‘L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION’ in person, can look forward to a digital experience on July 1.

Today, the band also announces upcoming tour dates kicking off September 23 at The Factory at Deep Ellum in Dallas, TX and closing in Los Angeles, CA at The Palladium with special guest Teri Gender Bender The following dates mark the first time the band has performed live since 2012.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 24 at 10AM local time at: www.themarsvoltaofficial.com

The Mars Volta Tour Dates
September 23 – The Factory in Deep Ellum – Dallas, TX
September 25 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
September 27 – The Metropolitan Opera House – Philadelphia, PA
September 29 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
October 1 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA
October 3 – The Anthem – Washington, DC
October 5 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON
October 6 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
October 8 – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
October 11 – The Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
October 14 – Moore Theatre – Seattle, WA
October 18 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
October 21 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA

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Heavy Music Needs More Gimmicks

Luke Spencer

June 20, 2022

There are thousands of bands not doing anything to stand out and are indistinguishable from one another? Why aren’t any of them embracing a gimmick? Heavy music needs more gimmicks.

Heavy Music Needs More Gimmicks

The next list video will be about great bands with gimmicks. I think this is something worth expounding on and gimmicks should not be discouraged, especially as so much of rock and metal has lost popularity. There are very few bands that are trying to do something to be noticed in the sea of bands all sounding and looking similar.

Click here for a video on
The Top 10 BEST
MTV Unplugged Performances!

Gimmick = a device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business.

Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss.

Ghost, also formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States, is a Swedish rock band that was formed in Linköping in 2006.

Ice Nine Kills is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts who are signed to Fearless Records.

Avatar is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed in Gothenburg in 2001. Sabaton is a Swedish heavy metal band from Falun, Sweden.

I Prevail Announce “TRUE POWER” & Music Video “Body Bag”

Ana Santos

June 17, 2022

Platinum-certified and twice GRAMMY-nominated Michigan rock powerhouse I PREVAIL — Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitars/bass), Dylan Bowman (guitars), and Gabe Helguera (drums) — are back with TRUE POWER, their third full-length offering on Fearless Records. The much-anticipated album arrives on August 19. Pre-order it here.

Today, the quintet has shared the video for the absolute barnburner of a first single “Body Bag.” Watch it here.

I Prevail have established themselves as the forerunners of the genre in the 21st century. The new record, once again produced by Tyler Smyth, features the sort of stadium-sized riffs that will rattle your teeth loose from your gums and unforgettable, supremely catchy melodies that will camp out in your brain for weeks at a time. The band also alternately mixes screamed vocals that sound as though they crawled from the depths of hell with soaring, emotional vocals and heartfelt, intimate lyrics that go so deep, they hit marrow. The end result is an album that resonates with the listener in the most personal way.

“Trauma was a very reflective record,” says singer Brian Burkheiser, referring to TRUE POWER‘s game-changing predecessor. “I’d struggled with a major vocal injury and had been wondering whether I wanted to continue doing this thing at all. Eric [Vanlerberghe] had also lost his best friend over that same time, so there was a lot of heartache behind it. With TRUE POWER, we were going into a new phase. After taking that trauma and figuring out how to channel it, you find this sense of newfound confidence and an ability to grow as a person: to become truly yourself. We took a ‘no rules’ mentality into the songwriting, and a lot of it is heavy as fuck, but the songs sound as diverse as they’ve ever been, too. There is a song on the record called ‘There’s Fear In Letting Go,’ and that became a huge mantra for us. Yeah, it can be scary letting go of things, but it can also help you take back everything that’s yours: which is exactly what we’ve done on this album.”

Rising to an arena level and receiving two Grammy nominations — Best Rock Album for Trauma, and Best Metal Performance for crushing lead single “Bow Down,” I Prevail proved that they were built to last. To date, they’ve racked up more than 2.7 billion global streams, are approaching 350 million YouTube views, and saw their “Hurricane” single top Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 2020: officially the top song on U.S. rock radio at the time. A number of their singles have now been certified Gold and Platinum, and they have been praised by press far and wide, including Forbes, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and NPR.

I Prevail have affirmed their position among the genre’s elite.

TRUE POWER TRACK LISTING:
“0:00”
“There’s Fear In Letting Go”
“Body Bag”
“Self-Destruction”
“Bad Things”
“Fake”
“Judgement Day”
“FWYTYK”
“Deep End”
“Long Live The King”
“Choke”
The Negative”
“Closure”
“Visceral”
“Doomed”

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La Dispute Announce National Fall Tour

Ana Santos

June 16, 2022

Today, acclaimed post-hardcore band La Dispute have announced a delayed ten year anniversary tour in celebration of their seminal 2011 record, Wildlife. The sophomore album was hailed as “an ambitious concept album and a self-assured refinement of the [band’s] creative vision” via Brooklyn Vegan, while Alternative Press praised vocalist Jordan Dryer‘s “incredible knack for storytelling.”

On September 15^th, the quintet will start the tour off in their hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, making stops in NYC, DC, Chicago, Los Angeles and more. Sweet Pill and Pictoria Vark will be joining them on the run, with tickets going on sale this Friday, June 17^th at 10am local time. You can find them here: http://www.ladispute.org/

Musing on the upcoming tour and the past 10+ years that Wildlife has been out in the world, Dryer states, “I didn’t spend much time looking ahead in the first five or so years of this band, and didn’t anticipate spending much time looking back either, even as one ten year anniversary came and another one approached. But then the whole world shut down, and in its newly suspended animation we took the longest break we ever have from playing live, writing music together, even being in the same town. All we had was time to reflect on the past—on what makes this important to us. For the first time it made us look forward, to being back together in the same room, on the same stage, to the next night on tour, to celebrating milestones with the people who got us to them: each other, our extended family of friends, and you. Cheers to you for 10+ years of ‘Wildlife’, and for everything else.”

Formed in 2004 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, La Dispute has a firm passion for the concept of music and art as a medium for making new friends. As a result, La Dispute makes (or strives to make) music that is both artistically, technically, and emotionally engaging in hopes of establishing legitimate connections with any and all interested people, while encouraging dialogue between those people and themselves about things in life that truly matter and that truly last. La Dispute also carries a firm passion for the relevance of a live show, both for the bands involved and for the people in attendance, and will go to the grave believing that the environment created when strangers come together despite their differences to celebrate one important thing is invaluable and should not under any circumstances be taken for granted.

La Dispute is Jordan Dryer (vocals), Chad Sterenberg (guitar), Corey Stroffolino (guitar), Adam Vass (bass), and Brad Vander Lugt (drums). In their 16+ years as a band, La Dispute has released four studio albums, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair (2008), Wildlife (2011), Rooms of the House (2014), Panorama (2019) and 11 EPs.

9.15.22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
9.16.22 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot
9.17.22 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
9.18.22 – Toronto, ONT – Opera House
9.20.22 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
9.21.22 – New York, NY – Warsaw
9.23.22 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall
9.24.22 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
9.25.22 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts (TLA)
9.26.22 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
9.27.22 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
9.29.22 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s
9.30.22 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10.1.22 – Milwaukee, WI – BackRoom @ Colectivo
10.2.22 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Café
10.3.22 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
10.5.22 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
10.6.22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell
10.7.22 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
10.8.22 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
10.9.22 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
10.10.22 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
10.12.22 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
10.13.22 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone Berkeley
10.14.22 – Fresno, CA – Strummer’s
10.15.22 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
10.16.22 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720
10.18.22 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House
10.19.22 – San Diego, CA – SOMA
10.20.22 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
10.21.22 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
10.22.22 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival
10.23.22 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival
10.25.22 – Dallas, TX – Amplified Live
10.26.22 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
10.27.22 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
10.28.22 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
10.29.22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
10.30.22 – Gainesville, FL – Fest

Follow La Dispute:
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Shinedown Veeps Global Livestream Of Release Day Event

Ana Santos

June 15, 2022

Following the recent arrival of their new single “Daylight,” multi-platinum rock band Shinedown have announced that theywill be celebrating the release of their new studio album Planet Zerowith a free Veeps global livestream of their album release day event on July 1^st.Taking place at Daddy Kool Records inSt. Petersburg, FL, beginning at 3pm EST, Shinedown will perform a ticketed free outdoor show followed by acelebration and signing in-store with fans.

Please visit the event page HERE to get access to the free ticket to this special release day livestream experience, which will be shared with fans worldwide by Veeps, a premium concert streaming platform launched by Joel and Benji Madden and part of Live Nation Entertainment.

Fans who would like to attend the performance in-person at Daddy Kool Records can claim a free ticket HERE. The first 500 people to pre-order Planet Zero on Exclusive Clear LP/CD and select in-store pick-up as the shipping option HERE will be guaranteed entry to the in-store signing (which is separate from the performance ticket). The albumswill be distributed in store at the signing following the show.

SHINEDOWN TOUR DATES 2022

June 3 – Nuremberg, Germany @ Rock im Park
June 5 – Nuremberg, Germany @ Rock am Ring
June 7 – Budapest, Hungary @ Groupama Aréna +
June 9 – Hamburg, Germany @ edel-optics.de Arena
June 11 – Donington, UK @ Download Festival
June 13 – Belfast, UK @ Ormeau Park +
June 16 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli Vredenburg
June 17 – Clisson, France @ Hellfest
June 18 – Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting
July 8 – Deadwood, SD @ Deadwood Live! Open Air Music Series
July 9 – Deadwood, SD @ Deadwood Live! Open Air Music Series
July 11- Casper, WY @ Ford Wyoming Center^
July 12- Kearney, NE @ Viaero Event Center^
July 14 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
July 15- Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheatre (special guests Jelly Roll, Austin Meade & Salt Creek)
July 16 – Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest
July 19 – Quebec, QC @ Centre Videotron *^
July 20 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia *^
July 22 – Toronto, ON @ History *
July 23 – Windsor, ON @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor *^
July 26 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre *^
July 27 – Moose Jaw, SK @ Mosaic Place *^
July 29 – Saskatoon, SK @ TCU Place *^
July 30 – Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Resort & Casino *^
July 31 – Edmonton, AB @ Convention Centre *^
August 2 – Penticton, BC @ South Okanagan Event Centre *^
August 3 – Abbotsford, BC @ Abbotsford Centre *^
August 28- Knoxville, TN @ Thompson Bolin Arena #
September 3 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater ~
September 5 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ~
September 6– Cedar Rapids, IA @ Alliant Energy Powerhouse ~
September 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake ~
September 10 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center ~
September 11 – Camden, NJ @ Waterfront Music Pavilion ~
September 13 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center ~
September 14 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center ~
September 16 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion ~
September 17 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview ~
September 18 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loan Amphitheater at Virginia Beach ~
September 20 – Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater ~
September 21 – Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theater ~
September 23 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life (not a Live Nation date)
September 24- Grayslake, IL @ WIIL Rock Fest – Lake County Fairgrounds
September 26 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion ~
September 28- Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center ~
September 30 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ~
October 1 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ~
October 2 – Cedar Park, TX @ H-E-B Center at Cedar Park ~ (not a Live Nation date)
October 5 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater ~
October 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion ~
October 8 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center ~
October 9 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock (not a Live Nation date)
November 10 – Cologne, Germany @ Palladium @
November 12 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle @
November 15 – Offenbach, Germany @ Stadthalle Offenbach @
November 19 – Munich, Germany @ Zenith, Die Kulturhalle @

Key:
* with Pop Evil
^ with Ayron Jones
# with Dorothy and Diamante
+ with Iron Maiden
~ with Jelly Roll and John Harvie
@ with Asking Alexandria and Zero 9:36

FOLLOW SHINEDOWN
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Flogging Molly Brought The Heat To St. Louis

Luke Spencer

June 15, 2022

“Let’s give a big middle finger to Ireland!” -Dave King

Not something you’d expect from the singer of Flogging Molly, but the reason was when he looked at his phone before the show, he saw that it was only 59 degrees back in Ireland compared to 100 degrees in St. Louis. The heat drives anyone to anger.

Flogging Molly came to Music Park without The Interrupters who had to bow out for the evening due to sickness. Even though the heat, Flogging Molly woke up the crowd playing music going back more than 20 years. This tour is one of celebration as not only is it to promote the band’s upcoming album Anthem but also as it’s the first time since the pandemic that the band has returned to St. Louis.

“The Croppy Boy ’98”

It was a night of dancing. Extremely humid, sweaty dancing. We need more concerts like this in rock. Something lively and energetic that involves sing-alongs and cheering. The group has continued to deliver that through the years. With the Summer 2022 tour continuing on with The Interrupters after the band’s recovery, many cities are going to be able to dance along with the band in this hot summer. The show in St. Louis proved people are still looking for something fun to get behind and Flogging Molly can provide.

Setlist:
Drunken Lullabies
The Hand of John L. Sullivan
These Times Have Got Me Drinking / Tripping Up the Stairs / Tripping Up the Stairs
A Song of Liberty
Devil’s Dance Floor
Selfish Man
Crushed (Hostile Nations)
The Seven Deadly Sins
Salty Dog

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbIdGP3F8th/

Click here for a video on
The Top 10 BEST
MTV Unplugged Performances!

10 Rock And Metal Musicians That Got Sober

Luke Spencer

June 13, 2022

The world of rock and roll is not always glamorous and many have suffered behind the scenes. Fortunately, there is always help. This video looks at 10 rock and metal musicians that got sober.

Click here for a video on
The Top 10 BEST
MTV Unplugged Performances!

Alcoholics Anonymous = https://www.aa.org/
Narcotics Anonymous = https://www.na.org/
Help Guide = https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/addictions.htm
SAMHSA National Helpline = https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Michael Trent Reznor is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.

Robert John Arthur Halford an English singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969^[1] and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Zachary Phillip Wylde is an American guitarist and singer. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, and lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Label Society.

Nikki Sixx is an American musician who is the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.

Jonathan Howsmon Davis , also known as JD, or JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn.

Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, is a British-American guitarist from Stoke-on-Trent, England. He is best known as the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Slash has received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest guitarists in history.

David Randall Blythe is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of heavy metal band Lamb of God.

Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over 54 years.

Nita Strauss is an American rock musician. She is the current touring guitarist for Alice Cooper and has a successful career as a solo artist. Anthony Kiedis is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Parkway Drive Announced As Co-Headliner For ShipRocked 2023

Ana Santos

June 13, 2022

ShipRocked has announced Parkway Drive as the co-headliner for the 2023 cruise, joining Falling In Reverse atop a bill that includes Nothing More, Skillet, Suicidal Tendencies, Motionless In White, grandson, Ayron Jones and over a dozen others. The January 22-28, 2023 sailing on Carnival Magic will feature Parkway Drive’s first American performance since spring of 2019.

Parkway Drive said, “After the last couple of years of chaos, we can’t wait to share this unique experience with our fans…cruising and exploring one of the most beautiful parts of the planet by day and smashing the stage by night. We’re so stoked this is happening and we’ll see everyone on deck!”

The Australian juggernauts recently released a new single, “Glitch,” marking their first new material since 2018’s Reverence. Parkway Drive have steadily evolved during their nearly 20 year history which includes six critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (all of which achieved Gold status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, nearly a billion total streams, and thousands of shows.

ShipRocked expands to six days for its 13^th sailing. In addition to headlining performances from Falling In Reverse and Parkway Drive, the ultimate rock music cruise vacation will also feature ShipRocked‘s resident all star band The Stowaways, along with Ayron Jones, Bad Omens, Bones UK, BRKN LOVE, D.R.U.G.S., Dropout Kings, Fame On Fire, Giovannie and the Hired Guns, grandson, Lilith Czar, Motionless In White, Nonpoint, Nothing More, Nova Twins, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Skillet, Suicidal Tendencies, Wage War, Wargasm and Zero 9:36, and more to be announced.

ShipRocked 2023 departs from Port Canaveral, Florida with stops at Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas, Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos Islands, and Dominican Republic’s Amber Cove. A very limited number of staterooms are still available at www.ShipRocked.com and a waitlist option will be offered once the cruise is sold out.

A floating music festival, a rock & roll summer camp held in the dead of winter, a family reunion for the growing number of ShipRockers who have forged lifelong relationships out of a shared passion for music (and an occasional bucket of beer) – ShipRocked is the premier rock music vacation, offering dozens of performances and unique collaborations, artist-hosted events and activities, theme nights, and ample opportunity for fans and bands alike to unwind and create new friendships in tropical paradise.

Throughout the year, ShipRocked’s community of “ShipRockers”–as well as others from around the world–are staying connected via “Making Waves – The ShipRocked Podcast,” which launched in 2020 and is available for free through iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. “Making Waves” features interviews with ShipRocked alumni artists, as well as other top music artists, actors and entertainment industry experts. It’s distributed via Sound Talent Media / Evergreen Podcasts and is hosted by Chad Nicefield and Justin Press.

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Knotfest Roadshow 2022 Fall Tour Announced

Ana Santos

June 13, 2022

Hot on the heels of the massive second leg of Knotfest Roadshow 2022 tour, Slipknot have announced today that they will be hitting the road for their fall tour, this time with horror-themed metal maestros Ice Nine Kills and metalcore titans, Crown The Empire. Produced by Live Nation, the run will kick off on September 20th in Nashville, TN and hit an additional eight cities before culminating in Irvine, CA on October 7th. Knotfest Presale begins on Tuesday, June 14th for Premium Members and people can sign up to gain access through Thursday, June 16th. General on sale starts at 10am local on Friday, June 17th from Knotfest.com/Roadshow.

2021 marked a banner year for Slipknot. Making a triumphant return to the road, their Knotfest Roadshow 2021 tour sold out amphitheaters across the country, bookended with the record-breaking Knotfest Iowa and the biggest headline show of their career, Knotfest Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium where they debuted their first new music in two years – the furious ‘The Chapeltown Rag’ taken from the highly anticipated new Slipknot album, expected to release this year. In addition, they topped the bills of multiple, internationally renowned festivals including Riot Fest, Rocklahoma, Inkcarceration, Welcome To Rockville, and more.

Keeping this jaw-dropping momentum going into 2022, Slipknot are set to wrap on their Spring run of Knotfest Roadshow 2022 tour this week. The first two legs of the tour have seen the band play a staggering 40 dates in arenas nationwide. The first leg featured In This Moment and Wage War, the second leg featured Cypress Hill and Ho99o9.

With absolutely no signs of slowing down, Knotfest Roadshow 2022 steamrolls on, razing each city it touches to the ground. Don’t miss the epic Fall run of this undeniable beast of a tour when it hits the road this September. Full routing below:

Tue Sep 20 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Wed Sep 21 Springfield, MO Great Southern Bank Arena
Sat Sep 24 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Tue Sep 27 Austin, TX Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Wed Sep 28 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavilion
Sat Oct 1 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
Sun Oct 2 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion
Tue Oct 4 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
Fri Oct 7 Irvine, CA FivePoint Amphitheater

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PUP Live Up To Potential In St. Louis

Luke Spencer

June 11, 2022

It was a sloppy Friday night show (their words, not mine).

PUP returned to St. Louis in the middle of the “PUP Returns Thank ******* God” tour at The Pageant. This runs along with the promotion of the group’s latest album “The Unraveling Of PUPTHEBAND” which came out earlier this year (short review of the album below).

With the opening keyboard notes of “Four Chords” leading into more new music from the band’s latest release, it was clear that PUP had their performance and timing down. Deep into the tour after waiting almost endlessly for pandemic restrictions to end. Despite the comically cynical nature of many PUP songs, this was an upbeat show to a good crowd in St. Louis. This indeed was a great Friday night show, even though the band has felt like it’s been Friday for several days in a row.

This was my first time seeing PUP live even though I’ve been listening to the band for years, with Morbid Stuff being one of my favorite albums of 2019. In that time since following the band, I’ve always heard PUP put on a good performance. I’m not only happy with what I saw, but I wasn’t the only one. This was a concert that felt good to be at. Stefan Babcock addressing the crowd and thanking St. Louis for always being good to them and then telling everyone to make friends with each other in the audience made everything feel wholesome, before going into songs with a cynical but cheeky outlook on life.

PUP will continue on the road through the US and overseas later this year. Click below to see photos from PUP live in St. Louis, scroll down for tour dates, and to hear music from the band’s latest album.