Calendar

With a brand-new track, “Bridges Burn” from their forthcoming collection of songs, Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions), slated for release on July 13, South Carolina rock band NEEDTOBREATHE is doing what they do best—taking their music to their fans with the Forever On Your Side Tour.

The expansive 37-city tour produced by Live Nation kicks off Aug. 10 in New Braunfels, Texas and will make stops across iconic amphitheater and theater venues across major markets in the U.S. including Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre on August 21 and Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh on August 22. Los Angeles duo JOHNNYSWIM and Billy Raffoul will support the band.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 30 at 10am local time at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster, or by phone 800-745-3000. Citi® is the official pre-sale credit card of the Forever On Your Side Tour. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 27 at 10am local time until Thursday, March 29 at 10pm local time through Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

Grammy Award nominated R&B recording artist and songwriter Leon Bridges has announced his 2018 headline tour, Good Thing Tour. Leon, who is touring in support of his forthcoming sophomore album, Good Thing, out May 4 via Columbia Records, will kick off his tour in his home state of Texas on June 9. The tour touches down in a slew of major cities across North America including Austin, Nashville and Los Angeles amongst many others. The tour will conclude in October with two shows at Radio City Music Hall.

Support comes from a variety of artists including Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Khruangbin and Masego.

Leon Bridges will play Red Hat Amphitheater on August 27. Tickets go on sale Friday March 30 at 10am at livenation.com, the Duke Energy Center and Coastal Music Park box offices, Ticketmaster, and by phone at 800-745-3000.

“Hopscotch is a weird and wonderful festival largely because no one group of people define it. It is not just for industry types. It is not just for teenagers with floral crowns. It is not just for the Glow People. And by being for no one in particular, it ends up being for everyone. In three days of music, I met all of those types, plus married couples, college kids, cratediggers, in-towners and out-of-towners. Come one, come all.”—Brightest Young Things

With 120 bands over 3 days in September, Hopscotch is known for adventurous lineups, memorable performances, and a fan-friendly atmosphere. From large outdoor main stages in Raleigh City Plaza and Red Hat Amphitheater to intimate club shows, the festival features music in almost every genre imaginable—rock, hip-hop, metal, folk, electronic, experimental, and more—and its schedule highlights this diversity each year.

“The premiere experimental and underground festival in America”—Ad Hoc

“Hopscotch Music Festival is one of the best and most eclectic music festivals in America.” —Spin

“In Raleigh Thursday through Saturday, it was all about an extraordinarily cool roster of bands. With streets cordoned off throughout the downtown area, thousands of people … wandered among ten participating music venues, creating a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere.” —Rolling Stone

“Hopscotch: perfection, indeed” —The News & Observer

“Like most who know of its perfection, I’m almost afraid to gush too much at the risk of jinxing or ruining the best three days of music experiences one can be given…Perfectly curated with a blind ear to any buzz, specific genre, or anything else…Hopscotch Festival can turn the biggest music snob cynic into a carefree music lover once again. The word perfect is thrown around lightly all over the place (I misuse it all the time), but that’s the only word to describe this dream of a music festival…PERFECT.”—We Listen For You

From its inception in 2010, Hopscotch has been a signature event for the creative community of Raleigh, North Carolina. Approximately 20% of the festival’s performers hail from in-state—a figure few, if any, nationally recognized music festivals can claim. With official programming stretching across 12 walkable venues, an art exhibition, more than 30 day parties, and the Hopscotch Design Festival, Hopscotch is a city-wide celebration for locals and fans visiting from faraway locales.

Live Nation Urban and TCG Entertainment will create and tour the first and only official Estate approved symphonic Prince celebration, titled 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince.

4U will present the music of Prince like never before, with a full symphony orchestra. In addition, each show will feature a live band with world class musicians and vocalists who will perform alongside the orchestra. 4U will draw from Prince’s singular and extensive music catalog, highlighting many of his hits that captivated generations of fans, alongside lesser known gems. Questlove, an avid Prince fan, has helped curate the music and orchestral arrangements that will be played by the symphony.

The shows in Charlotte and Raleigh are part of an extensive 2018 tour will include shows in both the United States and Europe.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to livenation.com.

Those wishing to purchase Wide Open Bluegrass Main Stage tickets (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations should go to IBMA’s World of Bluegrass website, WorldofBluegrass.org. Single day general admission for the ticketed portion of the Wide Open Bluegrass festival starts as low as $50. A three-day Bluegrass Ramble pass available for $75. Additional details and pricing information are available at the website.

About IBMA

IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s nine-year run in Raleigh is the product of their successful partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Center, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee. ibma.org

About PineCone

PineCone is a year-round source for roots music fans in the Triangle region of North Carolina, a state with deep roots in the tradition of making music. North Carolina is home to some of the finest singers, songwriters, musicians, and luthiers in the world. Ballad singing, blues, bluegrass, gospel, and old-time string band music are just some examples of the folk music traditions passed down through generations that remain prominent in our communities today. Founded in 1984, PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, is a non-profit organization that presents more than 200 programs annually, including more than 30 concerts, youth programs, participatory jams and sessions, and a weekly radio show. Since 2013, PineCone has also been the producer of PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, the festival component of the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass. pinecone.org

Those wishing to purchase Wide Open Bluegrass Main Stage tickets (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations should go to IBMA’s World of Bluegrass website, WorldofBluegrass.org. Single day general admission for the ticketed portion of the Wide Open Bluegrass festival starts as low as $50. A three-day Bluegrass Ramble pass available for $75. Additional details and pricing information are available at the website.

About IBMA

IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s nine-year run in Raleigh is the product of their successful partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Center, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee. ibma.org

About PineCone

PineCone is a year-round source for roots music fans in the Triangle region of North Carolina, a state with deep roots in the tradition of making music. North Carolina is home to some of the finest singers, songwriters, musicians, and luthiers in the world. Ballad singing, blues, bluegrass, gospel, and old-time string band music are just some examples of the folk music traditions passed down through generations that remain prominent in our communities today. Founded in 1984, PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, is a non-profit organization that presents more than 200 programs annually, including more than 30 concerts, youth programs, participatory jams and sessions, and a weekly radio show. Since 2013, PineCone has also been the producer of PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, the festival component of the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass. pinecone.org

The music of Umphrey’s McGee unfolds like an unpredictable conversation between longtime friends. Its six participants—Brendan Bayliss [guitar, vocals], Jake Cinninger [guitar, vocals], Joel Cummins [keyboards, piano, vocals], Andy Farag [percussion], Kris Myers [drums, vocals], and Ryan Stasik [bass]—know just how to communicate with each other on stage and in the studio. A call of progressive guitar wizardry might elicit a response of soft acoustic balladry, or a funk groove could be answered by explosive percussion. At any moment, heavy guitars can give way to heavier blues as the boys uncover the elusive nexus between jaw-dropping instrumental virtuosity and airtight songcraft.

UMPHREY’S MCGEE with special guest Zach Deputy will play Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Friday October 12. Tickets go on sale Friday July 13 at 11am at LiveNation.com, via the Live Nation app, Duke Energy Center and Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek box offices, Ticketmaster, or by phone 800-745-3000.