Tag: music festivals

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

If you were frequenting this site over the course of the past few months, you might recall that last month I announced that I was selected as an inaugural member of the Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Music Writers Workshop in Philadelphia. 

Sound Type is Asian Arts Initiative’s Music Festival and Writers Residency designed to support and uplift new, experimental and courageous music from the Asian Diaspora and beyond. The Asian Art Initiative will also provide a series of workshops, gatherings and mentorships to primarily BIPOC musicians, journalists and critics to help build a sustainable ecosystem for them. 

As a member of the workshop. I’ll be attending and writing about the showcases of the Sound Type Musical Festival, as well as other music-related programs at the festival. The commentary, articles, interviews and reviews will be published after the 2024 season. 

The first show of the series will feature Victoria Shen with Qiujiang Levi Lu on March 23, 2024. Shen’s work eschews conventions in harmony and rhythm in favor of extreme and abrasive textures and gestural tones built around analog modular synthesizers, vinyl/resin record and self-built electronics. My understanding is that tickets are still available for the show. So, Philadelphia friends, come on through to check out a night of boundary-pushing music — and hang out with your boy. Maybe we can stop at Bar or Tattooed Mom after.

https://asianartsinitiative.org/programs/victoria-shen-live-in-concert

Before the show, AAI will be hosting two events:

Friday, March 22, 2024: A Conversation with Victoria Shen. Moderated by Joyce Chung, Curator at Asian Arts Initiative, the pair will delve into the creative practice behind Shen’s current exhibition at AAI and how Shen experiments with making instruments and spatial relationship of sound. This event is free but you need to sign up for tickets. Information can be found here: https://asianartsinitiative.org/programs/victoria-shen-artist-talk

Saturday, March 23, 2024: Sound Type Seminar with Victoria Shen and writer and designer Mindy Seu, moderated by AAI’s Anne Ishii. The pair will discuss their boundary-pushing work and its relation to Sound Type’s mission: uplifting new, experimental, courageous music from the Asian diaspora and beyond!

https://asianartsinitiative.org/programs/sound-type-seminar-victoria-shen-and-mindy-seu

Check out the bios and information on me and the rest of the fascinating and extremely talented members of the Music Writers cohort, check out the following link: 

https://asianartsinitiative.org/news/meet-our-writers-2024-sound-type-music-writers-workshop

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

With Spring just around the corner, that means Summer Festival announcement season is upon us. So let’s get to it.

Founded back in 2006, Pitchfork Music Festival has proven to be one of the most welcoming, accessible and rewarding festival experiences in the global festival circuit, hosting 60,000 music fans of all ages from across the globe in Chicago, one of my favorite cities in the world. Each year, the festival prides itself on a distinct blend of discovery and tradition through showcasing the best up-and-coming acts, touring stalwarts and legends like.

Through a collection of its varied vendors and an annual specialty record fair, the festival works to support local businesses, while promoting Chicago arts and food communities as a whole.

The 18th edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago’s Union Park, and will take place Friday, July 19, 2024 through Sunday, July 21, 2024. Yesterday, festival organizers announced the festival’s headliners and its full lineup.

Pitchfork Music Festival’s first day will feature headliner Black Pumas, along with sets from Jai Paul, 100 gecs, Jeff Rosenstock, Yaeji, Sudan Archives, Amen Dunes, billy woods & Kenny Segal, Tkay Maidza, Doss, ML Buch, Rosali, Angry Blackmen, and Black Duck.

The festival’s second day will be headlined by Jamie xx and will feature sets from Carly Rae Jepsen, Jessie Ware, De La Soul, UNWOUND, Bratmobile, Wednesday, Water From Your Eyes, Sweeping Promises, feeble little horse, Hotline TNT, Kara Jackson, L’Rain, and Lifeguard.

The festival’s last day will be headlined by Alanis Moriseette and will feature sets from Brittany Howard, MUNA, the legendary Grandmaster Flash, Les Savy Fav, Crumb, Jessica Pratt, Mannequin Pussy, Hailu Mergia, Model/Actriz, Nala Sinephro, Maxo, Joanna Sternberg, and Kenya.

The full lineup is below:

Full lineup:
 
FRIDAY
Black Pumas
Jai Paul
100 gecs
Jeff Rosenstock
Yaeji
Sudan Archives
Amen Dunes
billy woods & Kenny Segal
Tkay Maidza
Doss
ML Buch
Rosali
Angry Blackmen
Black Duck
 
SATURDAY
Jamie xx
Carly Rae Jepsen
Jessie Ware
De La Soul
UNWOUND
Bratmobile
Wednesday
Water From Your Eyes
Sweeping Promises
feeble little horse
Hotline TNT
Kara Jackson
L’Rain
Lifeguard
 
SUNDAY
Alanis Morissette
Brittany Howard
MUNA
Grandmaster Flash
Les Savy Fav
Crumb
Jessica Pratt
Mannequin Pussy
Hailu Mergia
Model/Actriz
Nala Sinephro
Maxo
Joanna Sternberg
Akenya
 

Tickets are on sale right now, and they include single and three-day passes in three tiers — General Admission, PLUS and VIP:

General Admission tickets are $109 for a single day pass and $219 for a three-day pass.

The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, which includes a range of exclusive amenities is $199 for a single-day pass and $399 for a three-day pass.

The Pitchfork VIP upgrade, which includes offerings such as side-stage or front of stage viewing at the two main stages, unlimited access to backstage lounges, complimentary beverages, daily catered meals, mobile charing stations, tarot readings, massages, access to reserved parking and more. The Pitchfork VIP upgrade is $379 one a one-day pass and $699 for a three-day pass.

Payment plans are available for all ticket types. More details are available here.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Spring and summer, along with warmer weather are just around the corner. And you know what that means? Festival announcements, followed by festival season.

Presented by Bell and Coors Light, OSHEAGA Music and Arts Festival‘s 17th edition will take place August 2, 2024 – August 4, 2024 in Montréal‘s gorgeous Parc Jean-Dreapeau. Over the course of 16 previous editions, OSHEAGA has become a global reference for great music and top-notch festival experiences: Attendees come to the Montréal and the festival to experience something that they simply can’t find anywhere else. Located on two islands, one which is man-made, just off the shore of Montréal Island and Vieux Montréal, Parc Jean-Drapeau was the site of the Expo 1967. The park has one of the most stunning views of Montréal’s skyline and Mont Royal, and while in the park, you’re able to catch a wide variety of artists, both emerging and established across an array of genres.

Festival organizers and books have curated this year’s festival with the explicit mission of appealing to fans of every genre, style and generation. Grammy nominated, rinsing folk pop artist Noah Kahan will be headlining the festival’s first day, August 2, playing what will be a rare festival set this summer. Fans of singer/songwriter pop can also catch Hozier, who played a sold-out show at Laval’s Place Bell last year; Teddy Swims, the genre-bending artist, who has dominated Tik Tok; Melanie Martinez, the alt-pop phenom, who has amassed over 12 billion streams and more; and singer/songwriter and actor Reneé Rapp, who starred in the Broadway production of Mean Girls — and played a much-talked about, sold-out show at MTELLUS last October.

If you dig punk and alt rock — and you were a child of the 90s or came of age in the 90s, OSHEAGA has got something for you: 90s punk icons Green Day will be headlining the festival’s second day, August 3. Fully expect to hear tunes from Dookie, American Idiot and more. But personally, I’d love to hear songs off Warning. Beloved old-school punks Rancid, rising Los Angeles rockers The Linda Lindas, riot grrrl legends Sleater-Kinney and The Smashing Pumpkins are the day’s biggest names. The Smashing Pumpkins return to the OSHEAGA stage for the first time in 17 years.

SZA, the biggest name in pop at the moment will be headlining the festival’s third and final day. And if you dig genre-bending pop anthems. T-Pain will be making his OSHEAGA debut. The festival’s bill features a wide variety of Afrobeats and Afropop including Grammy Award winner Tyla, who won the first ever Best African Music Performance Award for her global smash hit “Water;” Nigerian artist Ayra Starr; Haitian artist Michaeël Brun, who played a sold-out Festival International de Jazz Montréal show last year.

If you’re a hip-hop head who digs both chart-topping and underground emcees from across the globe, OSHEAGA will have something for you: This year’s lineup will feature Denzel Curry; Bronx emcee Lil Jay, who played Place Bell back in 2022; Swedish, experimental beat-driven sensation Bladee; British emcee Skepta, who has made a name for himself for pairing UK grime-driven bars with Afrobeat influences; Belgian emcee Hamza, who spits bars in a silky French; and Moroccan emcee ElGrandeToto.

If you dig electronic dance music, OSHEAGA will have something for you: Wildly popular Dutch DJ and producer Martin Garrix, who headlined last year’s îLESONIQ Festival will be playing; acclaimed French electronic duo Justice will be playing OSHEAGA to support their first album of original material in seven years; British electronic music artist and producer Labrinth, best known for the music in acclaimed series Euphoria will be making a rate live appearance this year, too. Additionally, there’ll be live performances from Overmono, Iréne Drésel, Confidence Man, The xx‘s Romy and DJ sets from Uncle Waffles and Mochakk.

This year’s edition will also proudly showcase homegrown acts. Roughly a third of the 2024 lineup features artists from Québec and Canada at large, including Ontario-based TALK, an acclaimed, multi-Juno Award-nominated, bilingual artist, with massive following in la belle province will be playing the festival. Acclaimed, Prince Edward Island-based indie outfit Alvvays are on the bill. Local funk outfit Clay and Friends, who I believe I caught at M for Montréal in 2019 or so will be playing. ASDIQ Félix Award winner CRi and local hip-hop outfit Planet Giza will also be playing on the OSHEAGA stage.

3 Day Tickets are already available. Single-day tickets go on sale Friday at 10:00am. Pricing and links are below y’all.

OSHEAGA 2024 TICKET PRICES
(Taxes and service fees included. Prices are subject to change without notice.)

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET / SINGLE-DAY: starting at $165 CAD
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET / 3-DAYS: starting at $395 CAD

CASINO DE MONTRÉAL GOLD TICKET / SINGLE-DAY: starting at $320 CAD
CASINO DE MONTRÉAL GOLD TICKET / 3 DAYS: starting at $745 CAD

PLATINUM TICKET / SINGLE-DAY: starting at $685 CAD
PLATINUM TICKET / 3 DAYS: starting at $1,620 CAD

American Express Cardmembers can get Front Of The Line® presale tickets started yesterday at 10:00am ET and goes until tonight at 10:00pm ET tonight.

Click HERE to take advantage of the offer.

3-Day Tickets are available here: https://osheaga.com/en/tickets-osheaga-2024

Single Day Tickets will be available here, tomorrow morning: https://osheaga.com/en



News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Photo Credit: Catherine Horath

I’m excited and thrilled to announce that I was selected as a member of Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Music Writers Workshop in Philadelphia.

Sound Type is Asian Arts Initiative’s Music Festival and Writers Residency designed to support and uplift new, experimental and courageous music from the Asian Diaspora and beyond. The Asian Art Initiative will also provide a series of workshops, gatherings and mentorships to primarily BIPOC musicians, journalists and critics to help build a sustainable ecosystem for them.

As a member of the workshop. I’ll be attending and writing about the showcases of the Sound Type Musical Festival, as well as other music-related programs at the festival. The commentary, articles, interviews and reviews will be published after the 2024 season.

Check out the bios and information on me and the rest of the fascinating and extremely talented members of the Music Writers cohort, check out the following link:

https://asianartsinitiative.org/news/meet-our-writers-2024-sound-type-music-writers-workshop

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

The Totally Tubular Festival announced its inaugural lineup and tour dates, which initially featured stops at 17 markets across North America starting June 28, 2024 in Santa Barbara, CA and closing out July 27, 2024 in Cincinnati.The tour includes a July 18, 2024 stop at Pier 17.

Due to popular demand and impressive ticket sales, festival organizers have added additional markets to its inaugural run. “Sales in our initial 17 markets have been so strong, that I decided to add new markets, and invite more friends to the party,” Jon Pleeter CPO (Chief Party Officer) of Totally Tubular Festival says.

Tickets for the newly added dates will go on sale, Friday, February 16, 2024 at 10:00am local time. You can get tickets and information here: totallytubularfestival.com.

The festival’s first lineup features a collection of artists that exploded into the pop culture zeitgeist in the early to mid 1980s as a result of regular rotation of their music videos on MTV. Because of nostalgia — and the songs were great — the sounds of the 80s and the artists, who created that song have seen a resurgence in popularity over the last handful of years. 

The artists performing on the 2024 tour include:

“This is a dream lineup for those who love the music of the early 1980’s, and for those who want to relive the days when life was…plain and simply–a total party,” says Jon Pleeter, CPO (Chief Party Officer) of Totally Tubular Festival. “You wore dayglow, you wore parachute pants, you had big hair, perms and more perms, mullets, leg warmers, along with tons of buttons and lots of rubber bracelets. You wore sunglasses at night. The choruses were big, and the hooks were bigger—the party didn’t end.”

“This event will be an explosion of fun and excitement, from the opening note to the final curtain!! It is truly an honour to be a part of the 2024 Totally Tubular Festival and share the stage with our illustrious contemporaries from the greatest decade of new wave music!!” Men Without Hats’ Ivan Doroshuck says. “Come join us and sing-along to all the hits!!”

“I have talked many times with Thomas Dolby about the chance of touring together and, at last, we have arranged a great list of dates in North America. The Totally Tubular Tour has an amazing line-up of great artists from the golden era of 80s music and I can’t wait to see you all,” Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey says.

“Dig out your old rollerblades. Fire up the Delorean. Or just pull on a white glove and moonwalk over to the Totally Tubular Festival!” Thomas Dolby says.

“Best way to spend a hot summer night…Great bands playing great music…Totally Tubular…That’s What We Like About You!” The Romantics say. “Keep on rocking and we will see you there!”

“This package has never been done! It will be the first time sharing the stage with some of our favorite acts. We’re stoked!!” Tommy Tutone says.

“The Totally Tubular Festival is gonna be a LOT of fun!” The Plimsouls’ “Eddie Munoz says. “I am looking forward to greeting our fans and sharing a stage with my friends in other bands who are also along for this EPIC ride! I hope everyone who comes out has a most Bitchin’ time! I know I will!”

“I’m really looking forward to bringing The Plimsouls’ special brand of power-pop garage rock to the people. Can’t wait for folks across North America to see AND hear this great band.,” The Plimsouls Garrett Vandremolen says.

A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will go towards food banks locally in each market.

TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL tour dates — with new dates marked:

6/25 – Seattle – Remlinger Farms *NEW SHOW*

6/27 – Sacramento – Hard Rock Live *NEW SHOW*

6/28 – Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Bowl

6/29 – Los Angeles – YouTube Theater

6/30 – Oakland – Fox Theatre

7/3 – Phoenix – Arizona Financial Theatre

7/6 – Denver – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

7/9 – Irving, TX – Pavilion @ Toyota Music Factory

7/10 – Houston – 713 Music Hall

7/12 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheatre *NEW SHOW*

7/13 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheatre

7/14 – Washington, DC – Anthem *NEW SHOW*

7/16 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre

7/17 – Boston – MGM Music Hall @ Fenway

7/18 – New York, NY – Pier 17

7/19 – Atlantic City – Hard Rock Live @ Etess Arena

7/20 – Bushkill, PA – Poconos Park Amphitheatre

7/23 – Montreal, QUE – Place Bell

7/24 – Toronto, ONT – Great Canadian Casino Resort

7/26 – Detroit – Meadowbrook Amphitheatre

7/27 – Cincinnati – Riverbend Music Center

7/28 – Cleveland – Blossom Music Center *NEW SHOW*

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms


Co-founded back in 2018 by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years has featured several hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from Canada, the UK, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong and of course, the US. 

Since its founding, the festival has quickly established itself as the first stop in New York and in the US for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy international artists. Notable festival alumni include a number of JOVM mainstays including GIFT, Penelope Isles, The Orielles, Thus Love, as well as Pom Poko, Pom Pom Squad, Sid Simons, Sobs, Water From Your Eyes, Peel Dream Magazine, Kiwi Jr., and a growing list of others. 

The festival’s fifth — er fourth? — edition will take place March 6, 2024 – March 10, 2024 in some of the Lower East Side’s best and renowned independent venues including Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, Bowery Ballroom, The Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Pianos, and more.  

Over the past handful of months, the festival’s organizers have announced several waves of the artists playing this year’s edition. And much like previous editions, 2024 will feature an eclectic array of artists from across the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union and more. Just a little under a month out from the start of the fifth New Colossus Festival, its organizers have announced the festival’s final lineup and schedule. Parties will be presented by BandsdoBK, BrooklynVegan, Dedstrange Records, Exclaim!, FOCUS Wales, Groover, Joyzine, Maker Park Radio, M for Montréal, Planetary Group, Radio Free Brooklyn, The Spanish Wave and Tokyo Calling. You can check out the full lineup and official festival playlist below.

In addition to the festival schedule, New Colossus Festival’s organizers announced the return of their partnership with Ditto, who will present another series of music industry related panel discussions, which will feature representatives from Netflix, VEVO, Music Managers Forum, Chartmetric and more. And they’ll be a performance from Ditto artist min.a. More details on that will be coming soon.

Full 2024 Festival Lineup

  • airu (ES)
  • BackDrop Cinderella (JP)
  • BALACLAVA (US)
  • Bells Larsen (CA)
  • Big Bliss (US)
  • Bloody Knives (US)
  • Boy With Apple (SE)
  • Bruiser and Bicycle (US)
  • Canned Pineapple (UK)
  • Carinae (US)
  • CHAII (NZ)
  • Chavez Cartel (AU)
  • church crush (US)
  • Coral Moons (US)
  • Crystal Canyon (US)
  • Cucamaras (UK)
  • Currls (UK)
  • DD Island (US)
  • Diary (US)
  • Dirty Sound Magnet (CH)
  • Dream Nails (UK)
  • Dresser (CA)
  • Dropper (US)
  • Ducks Ltd. (CA)
  • Durian Silo (US)
  • DYE CRAP (FR)
  • Earth Dad (US)
  • Eclectic Charango Beats (US)
  • Empty Nesters (CA)
  • Factual Brains (US)
  • flirting. (UK)
  • Flowers for the Dead (US)
  • FRANKIIE (CA/US)
  • Friend of a Friend (US)
  • Georgie Boyd (UK)
  • GOKUMON (JP)
  • Hadda Be (UK)
  • Hause Plants (PT)
  • Head North (US)
  • Heffner (US)
  • Hiding Places (US)
  • High. (US)
  • Hippie Hourrah (CA)
  • Holiday Ghosts (UK)
  • Hollows (UK)
  • Hot Garbage (CA)
  • Hotel Lux (UK)
  • Hotel Mira (CA)
  • Housewife (CA)
  • HUGMYND (US)
  • Iceblynk (US)
  • Idle Hours (UK)
  • iskwē (CA)
  • Island Moons (US)
  • Jelly Kelly (US)
  • Keegan Powell (CA)
  • Keep (US)
  • King Bug (US)
  • Kingfisher (SE)
  • KT Laine (CA)
  • La Sécurité (CA)
  • Langkamer (UK)
  • Last Waltzon (CA)
  • Lavender Blush (US)
  • Los Premios (ES)
  • Love Language (CA)
  • Loveseat Pete (US)
  • LOW-RES (SE)
  • Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys (DE)
  • Luge (CA)
  • Mary Shelley (US)
  • Meagre Martin (DE)
  • Melody Fields (SE)
  • min.a (US)
  • MINAS (Wales)
  • Moon Walker (US) 
  • Mother Tongues (CA) 
  • Mr Floyd Larry (US)
  • MX Lonely (US) 
  • My Favorite (US)
  • Nara’s Room (US) 
  • Nicole Yun (US) 
  • Niño Disco (US) 
  • NOBRO (CA) 
  • O. Wake (US) 
  • Oceans (AU) 
  • Orange Doors (US) 
  • Orchestra Gold (US) 
  • OSKA (AT) Outer Shapes (US) 
  • P.H.0 (US) Palomino Blond (US) 
  • PANIK FLOWER (US) 
  • Paper Lady (US) 
  • PAPISA (BR)
  • partygirl (US) 
  • Petite League (US) 
  • Phantom Handshakes (US) 
  • Phantom Signals (US) Phantom Wave (US) 
  • poolblood (CA) 
  • Pop Music Fever Dream (US)
  • POSTDATA (CA) 
  • Prewn (US) 
  • Programmique (US) 
  • Radio Trapani (IT/NL) 
  • Reme (ES/UK) 
  • Retrofile (CA) 
  • RIP Dunes (US) 
  • Roost.World (US) 
  • Rosier (CA) 
  • Saloon Dion Sara Parigi (IT) 
  • Sarakiniko (FR) 
  • Sasha Cay (CA) 
  • Scrounge (UK) 
  • Sham Family (CA) 
  • Shelf Lives (UK) 
  • Shunk (CA) 
  • Sick Joy (UK) 
  • Silent Mass (US) 
  • Silver Liz (US) 
  • Slash Need (CA) 
  • Spyres (Scotland) 
  • Starcleaner Reunion (US) 
  • Stuck In The Sound (FR) 
  • Subsonic Eye (SG) 
  • Sugar For The Pill (GR) 
  • Sun Entire (CA) 
  • sunnsetter (CA) 
  • Swutscher (DE) 
  • Tagua Tagua (BR) 
  • Talking to Shadows (US) 
  • Teddy Hunter (Wales) 
  • Telula (US) 
  • Tennis Courts (US) 
  • The Band Cope (US) 
  • The Gulps (UK) 
  • The National Honor Society (US) 
  • The Wesleys (CA) 
  • Them Airs (US) 
  • Two-Man Giant Squid (US) 
  • Ultra Q (US) 
  • Vera Ellen (NZ) 
  • Vox Rea (CA) 
  • WAN (PE) 
  • William The Conqueror (UK) 
  • Wince (US) 
  • Winona Forever (CA) 
  • yael s. copeland (US) 
  • ZOLA (US)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-6th-schedule

Thursday, March 7, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-7th-schedule

Friday, March 8, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-8th-schedule

Saturday, March 9, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-9th-schedule

Sunday, March 10, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/copy-of-march-9th-schedule

You can purchase a festival badge here.