Event Calendar

Two of the biggest bands in heavy metal – MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD – will be joining forces on a co-headline tour across North America this year, presented by SiriusXM.  And to add to the firepower of this already formidable tour,Trivium and In Flames are joining, making this THE must-see heavy music package of the year. The tour will stop at PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte on Saturday June 13 and Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on Sunday June 14.  Tickets will go on general sale Friday, February 14th from livenation.com.

MEGADETH, fueled by Dave Mustaine’s triumphant return to the stage following his diagnosis and recovery of throat cancer, will embark on their first North American tour since 2017. Speaking on the epic announcement, MEGADETH’s leader and frontman, Dave Mustaine says 

"Hello me! I’m back again, better than ever and coming to a town near you with Lamb of God, Trivium and In Flames. If you want high octane metal madness this is the tour for you."

LAMB OF GOD released their first new music in five years last week with the single “Checkmate”. The track is the first to be released from the band’s self-titled eighth studio album, due out May 8th, which is one of the most anticipated and important metal records of the year. Commenting on their upcoming co-headline run, Mark Morton, lead guitarist of LAMB OF GOD, adds

“The world has never needed heavy more than it does today and top to bottom, this tour delivers! Lamb Of God has toured with and been friends with all of these bands for years, but for all of us to be on the same bill is something extra special. Come early and stay late. This is THE metal tour of the year.”

TRIVIUM’s Matt Heafy adds

“We are happy to be a part of the biggest real metal tour of the year.  This tour is the main event and represents heavy metal and the culture that goes with it.“

With IN FLAMES singer, Anders Fridén stating 

“We were honored to be asked to join this package. We were actually supposed to take this Summer off, but of course we couldn’t say no. After playing shows with all of these guys for years, 2020 is going to feel like a kick ass reunion. See you on the road, Jesterheads!”

Produced by Live Nation, this epic 55-city tour will stretch across summer and fall, kicking off June 12th in Bristow, VA and hit every region of the U.S. before wrapping November 13th in Reno, NV. Multiple Canadian shows are scheduled as well.

Tickets and VIP packages for all four artists go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, February 14th at 10am local time at LiveNation.com. Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets & VIP packages beginning Tuesday, February 11th at 10am local time until Thursday, February 13th at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

Atlantic recording artist Melanie Martinez has announced today’s release of a new song and an extensive leg of her world tour. “Copy Cat (Feat. Tierra Whack)” is available now at all DSPs and streaming services HERE. 

Martinez has further announced plans for a major North American headline tour, produced by Live Nation  – her biggest and most adventurous stage production thus far. Dates begin June 3rd at The Armory in Minneapolis, MN and then continue through late July.   Melanie Martinez is bringing her K-12 Tour to Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh Friday 6/26 & Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Saturday 6/27.  Martinez has partnered with PLUS1 for the “K-12 Tour” to support crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth through the Trevor Project for her US dates, and local organizations working to support and empower the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ communities for her Canadian dates. For more information about PLUS1, please visit www.plus1.org.

Fan presales begin today at 2PM (local) and tickets go on sale to the general public starting Thursday, February 13th at 10 am (local). To get tickets and see the full list of tour dates visitmelaniemartinezmusic.com. Citi is the official presale credit card of the K-12 Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows beginning Tuesday, Feb 11 @ 10am local time until Wednesday, Feb 12 @ 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

"Copy Cat” will be featured on her first project since 2019 album K-12, an EP entitled After School which is due for release this Spring. Tierra Whack is the first artist to be included as a feature on a Melanie Martinez track.

“I’m so thrilled to be releasing this song with the most magical artist and insanely gifted lyricist, Tierra Whack,” says Martinez. “This song was written years ago and from an empathetic perspective, even while in a very hurt place. We’re all told that imitation is flattery to ease the pain that the ego feels when other people get credited for our ideas and our work. But being human includes feeling a multitude of feelings, and naturally this song came about when expressing those very raw emotions. I hope this song can not only bring comfort to anyone experiencing that feeling but also remind them to empathize with people who are just doing what society has conditioned them to believe will make them successful.”

Martinez is “the sweetest, realest, most genuine person I’ve ever met,” says Tierra Whack. “After dropping ‘WHACK WORLD,’ she was one of the first people to reach out and immediately show love. So excited to share our new song together!”

Both “Copy Cat (Feat. Tierra Whack)” and the upcoming tour follow the phenomenal success of Martinez’s internationally acclaimed album and accompanying full-length film, “K-12,” available now at all music retailers and streaming services. Hailed by Forbes as “a perfect conceptual album in the streaming age,” “K-12” entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #3 upon its September 2019 release – the multi-talented pop phenomenon’s highest chart placement thus far. In addition, “K-12” debuted at #1 on the “Alternative Albums,” “Soundtracks,” and “Vinyl Albums” charts, as well as #2 on “Pop Albums” and #3 on “Top Albums.” Internationally, “K-12” made top 10 debuts in Canada, Australia, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, New Zealand, and Spain.

Produced by Michael Keenan with the exception of one song produced by Kinetics & One Love, “K-12” marks Martinez’s long anticipated follow-up to her RIAA platinum certified, 2015 debut album, “CRY BABY.” The new album further serves as a soundtrack companion to an eerily enchanting musical film, written, directed, and starring Martinez. K-12 is streaming now atDSPs and Martinez’s official YouTube channel, where it has earned close to 43 million views to date. Praised by Billboard as “a visual dream world of the 24-year-old’s own making… a whimsical, highly dramatized version of school life, filled with pastels, magic, oversized hair bows and babydoll dresses,” the film is also available on iTunes, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Fandango Now, Vudu US, Comcast Cable, Cox Cable, Microsoft Store US, and Stingray/Qello.

In addition to today’s premiere of “Copy Cat (Feat. Tierra Whack),” last week saw Martinez unfurl a series of compelling new videos for songs featured on “K-12,” including “Orange Juice,” “Detention,” “Teacher’s Pet,” “High School Sweethearts,” and “Recess,” all of which are written and directed by Martinez and streaming now via YouTube. “K-12” also includes the previously released “Lunchbox Friends” and “Show & Tell” videos, which have contributed to driving Melanie's YouTube channel to the precipice of 10 million followers. 

Widely applauded for her remarkably creative live performances, Martinez further introduced “K-12” to the world with a visually stunning presentation of the album’s “Strawberry Shortcake“ on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, streaming HERE.

Meanwhile, Martinez is currently traveling Europe on her epic “K-12 Tour,” with remaining dates set for Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. From there, Martinez returns to the US for a series of already sold out “K-12 Tour” dates beginning March 17th at Anaheim, CA’s House of Blues and continuing through the month. Naaz will support on all European dates, and Sub Urban will open the March US dates. For complete details and additional information, please see melaniemartinezmusic.com.

(Nashville, TN) – Four time GRAMMY® Award winning duo and Curb | Word Entertainment recording artist for KING & COUNTRY is taking its unparalleled live show on the road this summer, and will take some friends along for the ride. The first ever for KING & COUNTRY with Company | Summer Nights Tour will see the groundbreaking duo share stories and songs under the stars in amphitheaters across the U.S., featuring support from Echosmith and Dave Barnes. The 16 date trek kicks off on July 2nd in Kansas City KS, and wraps up on August 8th in Corbin, KY. Ticket pre-sale starts today at 10:00am (CST), to access the pre-sale enter the code SUMMER2020 HERE.

Joel & Luke Smallbone, the brothers that make up for KING & COUNTRY, share in a statement: 

"Summer is a time where families and friends get to sit back, have fun, and create special memories together. With that in mind, we wanted to bring along a few friends this summer for our first ever for KING & COUNTRY with Company | Summer Nights Tour! We’d like to personally invite you and your friends & family as we bring you one of our most memorable tours yet!"

Fans will see Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota join for KING & COUNTRY each night to perform the duo's GRAMMY® award winning track "God Only Knows," reprising her role from the Timbaland- produced remix of the hit song.

for KING & COUNTRY has tallied two more GRAMMY® wins in 2020 for both their latest full-length album Burn The Ships and their collaboration with Dolly Parton on the smash hit "God Only Knows." The duo is currently on the burn the ships | world tour, which has produced 46 SOLD OUT shows to date.

About for KING & COUNTRY:

Four-time GRAMMY® award-winning Australian duo, for KING & COUNTRY, comprised of brothers Joel & Luke Smallbone, collaborated with renowned entertainer Dolly Parton to release a brand-new version of the duo’s 11-week #1 hit “God Only Knows” in 2019. In 2020, the track won a GRAMMY® award in the Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category, and the album that produced the original hit - burn the ships - won a GRAMMY® in the Contemporary Christmas Music Album category. for KING & COUNTRY graced the CMA stage to perform “God Only Knows” with Dolly Parton at the CMA Awards, and performed their unique and powerful rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” at CMA Country Christmas, receiving national critical praise for both. In the days following their Christmas performance, Joel and Luke Smallbone saw their previously released version of “Little Drummer Boy” undergo a 1,338% increase in downloads, a 60% increase in on-demand streams, and sit atop Billboard’s Christian Digital songs chart. They have garnered six No. 1 hits, nine Top 10 hits, six GRAMMY® nominations, three Billboard Music Award Nominations, an American Music Award nomination, and had songs featured on the Emmys, Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football and other high- profile events. National performances include The Tonight Show, Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The View, CMA Awards, and CMA Country Christmas. Currently, the duo is on the road with the burn the ships | world tour, which has SOLD-OUT over 40 shows across the world including USA, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, and New Zealand. In total, for KING & COUNTRY has accumulated 775 million on-demand streams with an audience airplay of 5 billion.

About Echosmith

Multi-platinum alt-pop trio Echosmith released their sophomore album, Lonely Generation, earlier this year where it reached #2 on the iTunes Pop Chart and #11 on the iTunes Overall Album Chart. Their new single “Diamonds” shines a light on the value of individuality, while title track “Lonely Generation” addresses how it can feel lonely in this hyper-connected social media world and is a reminder to focus on real connections. The sibling trio, who released their bold, synth-driven Top 20 Hot AC hit “Over My Head” in 2018, has earned critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Vulture, MTV, Elle, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, NYLON, and more. Along the way, the trio has captivated crowds worldwide, toured with twenty one pilots and Pentatonix, garnered over 1 billion streams, and performed on numerous national TV programs including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, TODAY, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Echosmith is currently on their headlining “Lonely Generation” tour across North America.

About Dave Barnes

Dave Barnes is a respected Nashville artist and songwriter who received Grammy and CMA nominations for Blake Shelton's recording of his song "God Gave Me You," and has also penned songs for Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett & Maren Morris, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Marc Broussard, Billy Currington, Hunter Hayes, Matt Wertz, Ben Rector and many others. He has toured extensively over the past 15 years as an artist showcasing his catalog of ten full-length albums, including a new early 2018 release, Who Knew It Would Be So Hard To Be Myself, as well as opening for artists including Bonnie Raitt, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Lady Antebellum, Hanson, One Republic and more. Barnes is also well-known for his brand of humor with many youtube video series as well as several sold-out stand-up comedy shows throughout the Southeast.

Dubbed Summer Traditions 2020 (a nod to the outdoor summer tour-circuit the band has done annually since 2006), Slightly Stoopid and fans alike will travel the states, sharing good times with one another through music and community as they have done since the band’s inception 25 years ago. This 2020 edition of Slightly Stoopid’s summer amphitheater tour kicks off in Eugene, OR on June 11th, 2020 and routes the beloved So-Cal band throughout North America, including Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on Friday July 17. Joining SlightlyStoopid for their Summer Traditions 2020 tour are special guests Pepper, Common Kings, and Don Carlos.  

Fans gain first access to the artist presale beginning Tuesday, March 10th at 10 AM local at www.slightlystoopid.com. The local presale will run from 10 AM - 10 PM local time on Thursday, March 12th, and the general public on-sale will then take place on Friday, March 13th at 10 AM local time at LiveNation.com, the CEI Box Office at Coastal Credit Union Music Park, Duke Energy Center Box Office, via the Live Nation app, and Ticketmaster.  

Formed in the mid-90’s by founding members Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald, Slightly Stoopid has steadily risen to the top - always fostering their dedicated fanbase. Steeped in Southern California culture and armed with profound creativity and skilled musicianship, Slightly Stoopid is today recognized as one of the most successful touring reggae-rock acts in history. Expanding and evolving over the years to include drummer Ryan “Rymo” Moran, percussionist Oguer “OG” Ocon, saxophonist Daniel “Dela” Delacruz, keyboardist Paul Wolstencroft, and trumpet and trombone player Andy Geib, Slightly Stoopid has released 9 studio albums and 4 live concert recordings since 1995. Known for nurturing a “family” of spirited musical collaborators, Slightly Stoopid has hosted and guested with a slew of artists including Sublime, Ozomatli,  Karl Denson (Rolling Stones/Greyboy Allstars), Don Carlos, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Rashawn Ross (Dave Matthews Band), and many others. 

Over the years, Slightly Stoopid has built a sweeping legacy for themselves, continuously expanding in diversity and repertoire. Warriors of the road, their touring has grown domestically and internationally, including sold-out dates all across the world, and festival appearances at famed events such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, New Orleans Jazz Fest, among others.  Twenty five years into the journey, the prolific collective has much to celebrate; the band founded their own record label, Stoopid Records, they created and curate their annual Closer to the Sun destination music festival in Mexico, which has sold out the past two years, and continue to explore (and master) the art of musical collaboration, most recently with such artists such as Bob Weir, Barrington Levy, G. Love (Garrett Dutton), the Marley family, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, and more. 

For more information on Slightly Stoopid including up-to-date tour and ticket information, visit - http://slightlystoopid.com/

Award-winning violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling will hit the road this summer in support of her ARTEMIS album. Produced by Live Nation, the 36-city tour kicks off on Thursday, June 25th in Minneapolis, MN and ends on August 14th in Toronto, ON. Stirling will bring an all new production to audiences throughout North America in iconic venues including Red Rocks in Denver, CO on July 8th and her inaugural appearance at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on August 3rd, which will feature surprise special guests. 

Lindsey Stirling with special guests Kiesza and Mako to bring “The Artemis Tour” to Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on July 30.  Tickets go on sale Friday March 6 at 10am at LiveNation.com & via the Live Nation app.  

“After taking the Artemis tour all over the world, I can't wait to FINALLY bring it home to the states,” Stirling said. “I never know how to describe my shows but they are theatrical, full of choreography, costumes, and a light show that would make a DJ feel quite at home. This Artemis tour is my biggest and boldest show yet and it’s a joy to perform. I hope you love it.”

Fans can gain access to a special pre-sale by signing up on her website today: lindseystirling.com. Pre-sale begins Wednesday, March 4th at 10am local. Tickets will be available to the public Friday, March 6th at 10am local.

Special VIP packages will be available on the North American Tour, including limited Meet & Greet Experiences, an invitation to Lindsey’s World - a pre-show party where Lindsey will share her experiences in life and music - a chance to see an exhibit of Lindsey’s costumes and memorabilia, and much more. VIP details here.

Stirling’s fourth studio album, ARTEMIS, was released in fall of 2019 and made an appearance on the Billboard Top 200 chart as well as topping the Billboard Independent and Electronic Charts. Lindsey’s recent TV appearances include the Champions finale of America’s Got Talent and appearances on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show and ABC’s Kelly and Ryan in addition to filming several new videos and working on her accompanying Artemis-inspired Comic book series.

Sign up for pre-sale access and get ticket info: https://found.ee/Lindsey_touring

VIP details: https://found.ee/NA_Artemis_VIP_2020

Tickets available to the public Friday, March 6th at 10am local.

bout Lindsey Stirling

Lindsey Stirling remains fearless enough to always dream big.  Since the release of her 2012 self-titled debut, the electronic music impresario, violinist, dancer, and artist quietly and humbly became one of the 21st century’s most innovative stars by clinging to her groundbreaking vision of cinematic violin-driven electronic music. After bowing at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart, holding #1 on the Classical Album Chart for 21 consecutive weeks, and receiving a Billboard Music Award for “Top Dance/Electronic Album,” her sophomore opus Shatter Me would not only garner an RIAA Gold certification, but it would rank as the #2 Dance/Electronic Album and #1 Classical Album on Billboard’s 2015 Year-End charts. Attracting over 12 million subscribers and 2.8 billion-plus views on YouTube, in 2015 Forbes placed Lindsey at #4 on its yearly YouTube artists list, making her the highest-ranked female. Her headline tours would play to a cumulative audience of over 800,000 people worldwide, and her literary debut The Only Pirate at the Party, co-written with her sister Brook S. Passey became a New York Times Bestseller.  Lindsey’s third-studio album Brave Enough, debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart, went on to score the #1 spot on Billboard’s year-end Top Dance/Electronic Album list and earned Stirling a 2017 Billboard Music Award for “Top Dance/Electronic Album”. In 2017 Lindsey released her first ever holiday album titled Warmer in the Winter featuring classic and original songs.  This album was the #1 new Christmas album of 2017, ahead of pop music heavyweights such as Gwen Stefani and Sia.  It was also the best-selling new holiday album and the best performing holiday album on Pandora with over 40 million spins.   With such insistent demand coming from her fans, the Christmas Album marked another special release in 2018 with a few new songs as well as some Christmas classics.   Lindsey’s musical talent and success on YouTube with over a Billion Views also launched a successful career into Television.  Driven by a strong International Fan base, Lindsey was runner-up on Season 25 of ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars” with her partner Mark Ballas and did a stint on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” as well.  She has continued to build an impressive fan base that stretched across all demographics forging her own path for future young Artists to emulate.  Amongst her numerous achievements, Stirling co-headed the US tour with Evanescence which was named as one of Live Nation’s 10 best-selling amphitheater tours of the 2018 Summer in addition to winning several coveted Music Awards and numerous appearances on the top Billboard Charts.  Lindsey Stirling embodies the true spirit of today’s independent recording artist whose symbiotic relationship with her fans has led to a Worldwide audience filled with positivity.  By using her own story to show young adults that confidence in the very thing that makes you unique is the key to success, she continues to be a light in today’s Entertainment Scene and bring her own brand of ‘Magic’ to the many lives she has touched. 

After wrapping a nearly non-stop global tour in support of their 2016 debut album A/B, GRAMMY-nominated Elektra/Atlantic Records’ KALEO announces their Fight or Flight Tour. Launching in Portland, Oregon on July 1, KALEO is set to perform at venues across North America including Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on August 7, Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre on August 8 and many more through Oct. 17 (announcement video HERE). Tickets on sale Friday March 6 10am at LiveNation.com & via the Live Nation app.

Frontman and songwriter JJ Julius Son has been in the studio allowing a combination of globe-trotting and meticulous tinkering to influence the highly-anticipated follow-up to the Gold-certified A/B, resulting in spectrum of sounds recorded around the world – in North America, South America and across Europe. Refreshingly free of calculation, with Julius Son allowing each tune to dictate its path while simultaneously leaning-in to his blues, folk and rock inclinations.

“‘Fight or flight’ speaks to our instinctual response to choices: to stay and fight or to flee,” offers Iceland-native Julius Son. “Throughout the process of making this new album while touring and recording abroad, learning new languages and incorporating sounds from the varying cities I visited, what was most remarkable was seeing first-hand how we are more alike than we are different. This idea to stay, stand our ground and fight for what we believe in keeps resurfacing, and I think as we finish this next record and begin the next chapter, we wanted the fans to know we’re not going anywhere. We’re here with them.”  

Earlier this month, KALEO announced their return to Red Rocks on July 21 after releasing two new singles written solely by Julius Son: “I Want More,” which Texas Monthly calls “a tender-yet-tough anthem” that “goes down nice and easy,” and “Break My Baby,” that Loudwire describes as “hooky and groovy, showcasing the range of [Julius Son’s] vocal and a gritty, bluesy approach.”

Amassing over 1 Billion global streams, 39 international certifications and countless sold-out headline shows spanning from London to Moscow, breakout album A/B spawned three hit singles for the Icelandic rock band – the GRAMMY-nominated “No Good,” the Gold-selling “All The Pretty Girls” and the chart-topping, 2x Platinum-certified “Way Down We Go,” which was used in over two dozen television shows, leading it to No. 1 on The Hollywood Reporter’s Top TV Songs chart.

Joining KALEO on the road include special guests Matt Maeson, known for No. 1 Alt Radio hit “Cringe” and his most recent Alt Radio Top 20, “Go Easy”; Warner Records' alt-pop 20-million-plus streaming "Hollow" three-piece Belle Mt.; and Wilder Woods, whose self-titled debut features his current single “Someday Soon” and Top 20 radio favorite, “Supply & Demand.”

Before setting out on their Fight or Flight Tour, KALEO is set to perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight (2/27) on CBS as well as perform a short series of dates in small, intimate settings, including 3 sold out shows: May 27 at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, Mass. and two nights at Gramercy Theatre in New York, June 1-2. The band also plays the Radio 104.5 Birthday Show in Camden, N.J. on May 30.

With new music on the horizon, every order of two (2) or more tickets purchased online for select KALEO Fight or Flight Tour stops includes one (1) physical or digital copy of their upcoming album.^ For access to ticket presales, join KALEO’s mailing list at www.officialkaleo.com.

For more information on performances, pre-sale opportunities, tickets and additional announcements, please visit www.officialkaleo.com and follow online on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and YouTube.

The 20-date summer run will start in Atlanta, GA on August 6, includes concerts at Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Friday August 7 & Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh Saturday August 8, and culminate in a hometown gig in Phoenix, AZ, Labor Day Weekend, on September 5th.  New Jersey based The Front Bottomswill join the tour as direct support with Turnover opening the festivities on in Charlotte and Raleigh.

Tickets for the tour will be available to the general public starting on Friday, March 13th at 10AM local time with various presales beginning as early as Tuesday, March 10th at 12pm local time. The tour is produced by Live Nation, for more information and tickets please visit www.jimmyeatworld.com. 

Jimmy Eat World continue the 2020 roadshow in support of their “bold, brave and ultimately defiant” (NME)10th studio album, Surviving(listen here). With 10 records to pull from, the sets will prove to satisfy all fans new and old... As the band proclaims:  

“Whether we’ve slept on your floor after the ‘97 basement show or you’ve just only recently heard about us, we will have something you’d be into catching live!”

Not to be missed, The Front Bottoms recently returned with “Camouflage,” a standalone single teasing a larger body of work on the horizon in 2020.  The FADER declared the song, “…a celebration of sorts for a band perennially on the fringes of a major breakthrough.”

Jimmy Eat World are Jim Adkins, Rick Burch, Tom Linton and Zach Lind.

San Francisco-born Ari Leff jumped from piano to viola to jazz to electronic before settling into his suave singer-songwriter role as Lauv. He started out on piano and viola, before picking up a guitar at the age of 11. By high school, he was diving into jazz, but it wasn't until he ended up at New York University studying music technology, that he found his muse—and his spirit animal. He adopted the moniker Lauv, meaning "lion" in Latvian, a nod to his mother's heritage. "Lion" is also the Hebrew translation of his first name Ari, and he happens to be born a Leo, too. 

He's since embraced this name fully, quickly roaring onto the music scene, first with 2015 single "The Other," a throbbing electro-R&B ballad, which landed on Spotify's Global Top 100 list. He soon released his debut EP, ‘Lost in the Light,' showcasing his velvety, evocative pop, and signed to Dr. Luke's imprint Prescription Songs. Still, Leff was seeing his biggest successes as a writer and producer for other artists. He helped pen Billboard Hot 100 hit "No Promises," recorded by Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato, as well as "Boys" by Charli XCX. But he was saving his most romantic romps and wistful melodies for his biggest project to date: his own debut album, or rather, playlist.

On the heels of releasing the synth-soaked soother "I Like Me Better," which became Lauv's first Hot 100 single, he soon found himself on tour with Ed Sheeran, then headlining his own world tour in 2018. That same year, he compiled 17 of his own songs for ‘I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist),' a polished and playful pop collection of teenage dreams and lovestruck tragedies brightened by his smooth R&B vocals and dreamy electronics—think Coldplay's melancholic anthems mixed with The Weeknd's sad-boy seductions. 

Multi-platinum and Grammy-nominated, British singer-songwriter David Gray has announced plans for a 2020 North American tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his seminal album, White Ladder. The“WHITE LADDER: THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR” produced by Live Nation will kick off on July 13th at Artpark Amphitheater in Lewiston, NY. The North American tour announcement follows on the heels of Gray’s upcoming UK, Ireland and EU tour. He recently added his third 3Arena show in Dublin and is on pace to sell out the tour in these countries overall. David will be performing the multi-Platinum album,White Ladder, in its entirety as well as greatest hits. This will be a once-in-lifetime tour that fans won’t want to miss.

David Gray will bring his “White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary Tour” to Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Thursday August 13 and Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh Friday August 14.  Tickets for the tour are set to go on sale starting Friday, November 8th at 10am local time at LiveNation.com and via the Live Nation app.  Fans can get first access to presale tickets on Tuesday, Nov 5th by signing up for David's email list.  

In conjunction with the tour, David Gray has announced the February 14th release of the White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary deluxe edition (IHT Records/ AWAL), to celebrate the trailblazing album’s 20-year anniversary. The global multi-platinum selling album, and one of the greatest, most heart-warming word-of-mouth successes in music, will be released on 2xCD, 4xLP, and digital formats. This will include a special remastered edition of the iconic album plus White Ladder era previously unreleased rarities, B-sides and demos.

Says David Gray, “What happened with White Ladder involved more than music. It was a sort of heart and soul moment of total surrender for everybody involved, for me and the audience. That was it. It doesn't get any better than that.”

Upon its 20th anniversary, it’s interesting to consider the extraordinary aftermath of White Ladder. Its success spawned a new wave of singer-songwriters in an acoustic boom that resonates to this day, a soul-baring lineage that can be directly traced from David Gray to the all-conquering Ed Sheeran. Indeed, Ed is a fan, known to cover ‘This Year’s Love’ live. Fellow world beating British superstar Adele is also an admirer, citing ‘This Year’s Love’ as one of her all-time favorite break-up songs.

Blackberry Smoke will kick off their extensive “Spirit Of The South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock and Roll” this summer with special guests The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe.  

Spirit of the South: A Celebration of Southern Rock and Roll featuring Blackberry Smoke, with special guests The Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers to play Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre on Friday August 14, Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on Saturday August 15, and CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park Simpsonville on Sunday August 16.  Tickets go on sale Friday March 6 at 10am at LiveNation.com and via the Live Nation app. 

Created in celebration of the various roots and influences within Southern music, every show will conclude with a unique collaborative finale, which will feature Blackberry Smoke, The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers, Jaimoe and additional surprise guests showcasing the inspirations of Rock, Blues, Gospel and Soul music. Additionally, for the first time ever, Blackberry Smoke is partnering with The Allman Brothers Band Museum At The Big House—located in Macon, GA—to bring the band’s storied history on the road with a new mobile set up. The museum will feature never-before-seen archival items including original hand-written lyrics, awards, rare family photographs, iconic pieces of clothing and jewelry, one-of-a-kind instruments played by the band and more. Jaimoe will also be onsite at the museum and available for meet and greet opportunities at each stop. All “Spirit Of The South Tour” ticket holders will be granted free access to the museum with $1 of each ticket donated to The Allman Brothers Museum at the Big House to help preserve its history and heritage.

Of the collaboration, The Big House Museum director Richard Brent shares, “We feel privileged to have this opportunity to get out on the road and bring some of these unique items to the fans. The museum has become such an amazing place for people to gather, but it comes with a big price to maintain and expand. If you haven’t been able to get down to Macon, GA, this exhibit will give you a great visual of what we are about. You will not only get to see what we have brought out, but you also will get to learn some great stories from the songs, albums and images of The Allman Brothers Band. We know that by showing a small portion of what the ABB museum has to offer, it will inspire folks to stop by the Big House the next time they are in the Macon area.”  

Additionally, of the tour, Blackberry Smoke lead singer Charlie Starr shares, “We are beyond excited to bring our Spirit Of The South tour to fans this summer. If you think of this music as a genre and you step back far enough to see the scope of what a handful of bands from the South were able to accomplish, it’s pretty damn staggering. All without giving a damn about what was hip or trendy at the time. It’s music that is a part of the fabric of people’s lives…music that we all love and cherish deeply. On this tour we’d like to celebrate the musical freedom championed by those pioneers and maybe help tell the story. It’s not only what people think of as Southern Rock, but all the elements in Rock and Roll that make it Southern.  It’s blues, gospel, soul, jazz and bluegrass…everything that took root in the South and spread all over the world.  We feel this tour is going to give us all a unique opportunity for something really special. I think everyone will love the Celebration!”

The Allman Betts Band’s Devon Allman also comments, “I’ve been knowing the Blackberry cats a couple decades, we come up in the same circuit. This tour is going to be special, the sweet warm summer nights and the epic jams at the end. Can’t f***ing wait!”

The new tour adds to a landmark series of years for Blackberry Smoke, who recently returned to the studio with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to begin work on their next album, including a new song with Jamey Johnson. They also recently spent time at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, GA creating new renditions of several songs with ties to the historic studio and the town. The new music follows the release of their latest full-length album, Find A Light, which debuted as the best-selling Country and Americana/Folk album in the country, entered at #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart in 2018. Of the album, NPR Music praises, “pushes the envelope while providing that famous Blackberry Smoke autonomy, delivered with soulful vocals, haunting harmonies and kick ass songs.” After the release of Find A Light, Blackberry Smoke released two additional projects—a live album and concert film, Homecoming: Live In Atlanta (stream/purchase here)—which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart—and a 6-song acoustic EP, The Southern Ground Sessions (stream/purchase here).

Blackberry Smoke is Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards). Since their debut in 2004, the band has independently released six full-length records and has toured relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. In addition to their work as musicians, Blackberry Smoke remains committed to charitable work and has raised nearly $400,000 benefiting children’s cancer research.