Greetings Rockers ’N’ Rollers! Last month began in New York City with the debut of LA pop duo Haute and Freddy on June 3 at the Slipper Room. The group consists of singer Michelle Buzz and drummer Lance Shipp and it was their first concert on the East Coast. In the past, the pair has written hit songs for Britney Spears and Katy Perry but now are pursuing their own career with a Renaissance wardrobe and 18-Century English words. Haute and Freddy have already introduced amazing songs like “Shy Girl,” Scantily Clad” and “Anti Superstar.” Philadelphia band, Mannequin Pussy played an outstanding show at Harrisburg’s XL Live on June 8. The indie punk group that began in 2010 nearly sold-out the venue to capacity and has been selling out venues everywhere on their current tour. Mannequin Pussy continue to build a loyal following with their impressive songs ‘I Got Heaven,’ ‘Loud Bark’ and ‘I Don’t Know You.’ Mannequin Pussy head to Europe for summer festivals but return to their hometown on Sept 19 as the support act for Turnstile at The Mann.
The borough of New Cumberland held a fantastic music festival the weekend of June 13-15. The Iron Bridge Music Festival featured The Wailers, The Badlees, Michael Gilbicki (Rusted Root), Chris O’Leary Band, Parrot Beach among others. A huge success with record attendance in the park.
The SoapGirls from Cape Town, South Africa returned to Central Pa after nearly two years. The sister duo originally played Lovedrafts in 2023 but this time visited Racehorse Tavern in Thomasville, while Lovedrafts is under construction in downtown Harrisburg. The SoapGirls put on a fantastic show and their touring schedule is relentless with hundreds of shows per year worldwide. Their current ‘Wild At Heart Tour 2025’ in America includes 33 shows in 51 days.
John Lydon has delivered a blunt rejection to his former Sex Pistols bandmate Steve Jones’ recent public offer for reconciliation. The Sex Pistols are currently touring with Frank Carter. When asked, Lydon responded with characteristic directness. “He can go f*ck himself! Not after all that. Sorry. Three strikes you’re out mate. No, never.” The former Sex Pistols frontman continued his criticism of his former bandmates’ current activities. “They’ve humiliated themselves,” he said. “It’s the gift that goes on giving.” Lydon suggested they should have pursued original material instead. “I would have loved for them to have written new stuff and have gone out that way,” he said. “That would have been brave and good. But it isn’t, it’s karaoke. I can’t see it in any other way. They belong on a cruise ship with that malarkey.” These tensions are rooted in past legal disputes. The disputes have strained the band’s relationships for decades. Steve Jones recently mentioned that it “wasn’t even worth asking” Lydon to join their reunion shows. This was given their strained relationship, which has been nonexistent since 2008.
Taylor Swift is now the sole owner of her masters after a six-year fight to reclaim her first six albums. The Grammy-winning artist announced on May 30, that she has bought back her music catalog from Shamrock Capital. The amount she paid to purchase her life’s work has not been disclosed. “Hi. I’m trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow. A flashback sequence of all the times I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news. All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled then yanked away. But that’s all in the past now,” Swift penned in a handwritten letter. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me,” she continued, revealing that she now has ownership of all her music videos, concert films, album art, photography and unreleased songs.” In June 2019, Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records in a massive $300 million deal. Swift’s catalog, which included her six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation, was believed to be worth about $140 million. Swift labeled Braun a “bully” and “the definition of toxic male privilege in our industry.” In 2020, Braun’s Ithaca Holdings sold Swift’s masters to Shamrock Capital for $300 million. Forbes officially named Swift a billionaire in October 2023. While an estimated $500 million of her fortune came from music royalties and touring, the other half was attributed to the rising value of her music catalog – making her one of the few musicians to achieve billionaire status through music alone.
Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys’ who inspired “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and other summertime anthems, died at the age 82 on June 11. The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers — Brian played bass, Carl lead guitar and Dennis drums — he and his fellow Beach Boys rose in the 1960s. The Beach Boys had more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million. The 1966 album “Pet Sounds” was voted No. 2 in a 2003 Rolling Stone list of the best 500 albums and Paul McCartney cited the ballad “God Only Knows” as among his favorite songs, often bringing him to tears.
Sly Stone, the funk pioneer who fused soul music with psychedelia, rock and gospel with his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Band Sly and the Family Stone, died June 9 at the age of 82. His family announced, “After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family.” The band burst on to the scene in the late 1960s and performed at Woodstock, had No. 1 hits with “Everyday People,” “Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” b/w “Everybody Is A Star” and “Family Affair,” was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1993.
Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy,” had a hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and earned a Grammy Award for producing “Weird Al ” Yankovic’s debut album, died at 77. Derringer died on May 26 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Derringer worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Kiss, Barbra Streisand, Air Supply, Bonnie Tyler’s and Cyndi Lauper and he toured with Ringo Starr and The All-Starr Band.
Hardcore band Turnstile has announced “THE NEVER ENOUGH TOUR,” a North American headline consisting of 23-shows. The band continues its rapid rise in the world of heavy music with its latest release, NEVER ENOUGH. Turnstile will play Philadelphia’s Skyline Stage at Mann on Sept 19 with support from Mannequin Pussy, SPEED, Jane Remover. Morrissey has announced a new batch of North American tour dates for the fall of 2025, as the former Smiths frontman will tour in mostly theaters. Dates include: New York City Radio City Music Hall on Sept 16 and Philadelphia’s The Met on Sept 23. In early 2026, Morrissey will play a handful of rescheduled dates from his 2024 tour that were canceled due to a sinusitis attack. Dead & Company will perform three nights at Golden Gate Park on Aug. 1, 2 and 3 to celebrate Grateful Dead’s 60 years of music. Billy Strings will open the show on Aug. 1, while Sturgill “Johnny Blue Skies” Simpson will appear on Aug. 2 and Trey Anastasio Band on Aug. 3. Each special guest will perform for up to 75 minutes. The concerts are in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Phish is hitting the road this summer and has unveiled 32-tour dates, which include two-night stands at Philadelphia’s Mann Pavilion on July 15-16 and New York’s Forest Hills Stadium July 22-23. The famed jam band has sold more than11.5 million tickets in their career. Stevie Nicks is adding eight shows to her 2025 solo tour, bringing the total run to 17 performances. The legendary singer has added stops on her “Live in Concert” tour at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of fame inductee is also a Grammy winner and multi-platinum artist who has sold more than 220 million albums. Twenty One Pilots will tour stadiums and amphitheaters across the U.S. and Canada this summer and fall in support of a new album. The band’s eighth album Breach is due in September and the band has announced the 21-date “The Clancy Tour: Breach 2025.” Twenty One Pilots will visit Hersheypark Stadium on Sept 27. Texas legends ZZ Top have added more than a dozen dates to their ongoing “Elevation Tour.” Drummer, Frank Beard is on the mend and back with the band after “foot and ankle issues.” “This has been a great tour so we figured it would be a good idea to add some additional dates to keep the good times rolling. Come on out and see us at a concert venue near you,” guitarist Billy F Gibbons said. Dates include: Lancaster’s American Music Theatre on Sept 15 and Bethlehem Wind Creek on Sept 21.
Billy Joel is being forced to cancel all scheduled concerts because of a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). The announcement notes that the brain disorder, in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, has been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.” The affected tour dates included performances with Stevie Nicks, Sting and Rod Stewart. Joel is undergoing physical therapy and has been advised by his doctor to refrain from performing during this recovery period. The iconic singer is “grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage. I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
American icon Dolly Parton will stage a six-performance residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas this December, a rare run of shows for the 79-year-old legend. “Dolly: Live In Las Vegas” is set for Dec. 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13 at The Colosseum. The residency will be Parton’s first extended run in 32 years and her first post-pandemic concerts of any kind. The setlist will “[weave] together seven decades of classic hits and fan favorites.” “To say I’m excited would be an understatement. I haven’t worked Vegas in years and I’ve always loved singing there. I’m looking so forward to the shows and I hope you are as well,” Parton said.
JULY CONCERTS: Yam Yam – Harrisburg Sawyers July 4. The Martini Bros – Lemoyne Negley Park July 5. Rocet Mafia – Harrisburg XL Live July 11. Rod Stewart – Philadelphia Mann July 12. Ryan Adams – Reading Santander July 14. Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Ace Frehley, Vixen – Clearfield County Fair July 19. Swisher Sweets – Lebanon Gin Mill July 19. Steel – Thomasville Racehorse Tavern July 19. Broncho – Washington DC Union Stage July 24. Broncho – Philadelphia Johnny Brendas July 15.
