Backstage in London at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Louis Tomlinson threw his hands into the center of a huddle with his bandmates before the show. There was a familiarity to the moment, which was captured in December 2022 and opens the new documentary All of Those Voices, directed by …
Read More »Maximum Taylor: Here's How the Eras Tour Hits New, Swift-ier Heights
Taylor Swift has no fewer than four new albums —Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights —to cover in the Eras Tour, which was both an opportunity and a major challenge. It wasn’t hard to imagine that she’d end up sidelining the quieter material of Folklore and Evermore in favor of her …
Read More »Ed Sheeran Confesses: Tears, Trauma, and Those Bad Habits
I n case there’s any doubt, Ed Sheeran is well aware of the fact that he’s … Ed Sheeran. “I’m not an idiot,” he says, early in our acquaintance. “When you say in your office, ‘I’m gonna go and interview Ed Sheeran,’ you must get sneers. I’ve always been that …
Read More »Blood, Sweat, and Blackmail: How an Iron Curtain Tour Ruined a Rock Giant
Music and politics were always entwined for Steve Katz. As a teenager in the Sixties, he’d travel from his apolitical family’s home on Long Island to Greenwich Village, where he’d watch radical folkies like Tom Paxton, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Dave Van Ronk play. He grew especially close with Van …
Read More »Hayley Williams, Hozier, and a Squad of Drag Queens Spread Joy at Nashville's 'Love Rising' Concert
Radical joy and consistent action were the messages at Nashville’s Love Rising benefit concert on Monday, an event that drew supporters to the city’s downtown Bridgestone Arena. Hosted by Drag Race alumna Asia O’Hara and featuring performances by Hayley Williams, Hozier, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris, Allison Russell, Joy …
Read More »Noise Rules the Night in Austin
It’s been a long week in Austin, and many of the musicians and fans who flew into Texas had already split town by Saturday night —but those who were left made it a night to remember, with furiously loud punk noise, enormous EDM beats, and more. Here are the best …
Read More »Mojo Nixon Became a Cult Hero Singing About Anarchy, Sex, and Elvis. At 65, He Still Won't Shut Up
It’s well after midnight somewhere off the coast of Florida, and Mojo Nixon is leading a cruise ship full of lubricated and rowdy country-music fans in a bawdy singalong of a song titled “Tie My Pecker to My Leg.” We won’t get into the lyrics here, but the verses touch …
Read More »K-Pop, Punk Rock, and a Drag Show Keep the Good Times Going in Austin
And then it was Friday. The arrival of the weekend coincided with St. Patrick’s Day to bring a huge influx of revelers to downtown Austin last night, as it does most years, leaving long lines of curious folks dressed in green queuing outside previously under-the-radar venues. There was still tons …
Read More »Alt K-Pop Collective Balming Tiger Proudly Represents Korea's Rising Subculture Movement
When global audiences think about the most exciting acts from South Korea, their minds likely go first to blockbuster pop phenomenons like BTS and Blackpink. But there’s a thriving underground scene taking shape in Seoul, too, led by groups like Balming Tiger — a multimember, wildly eclectic-sounding collective that made …
Read More »Remi Wolf, Mariah the Scientist Turn All the Way Up in Austin
On Thursday evening, Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Showcase was the place to be — and not just because it took place inside while storms were wreaking havoc elsewhere at SXSW.The third night of the event at ACL Live at the Moody Theater was all over the place in an …
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