Greetings Rockers ’N’ Rollers! Last month consisted of my first cruise ever. A rock n’ roll cruise titled “Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise 2” after Steven Van Zandt (guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) radio station on XM Radio. The four-day event sailed from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico and featured 30 bands, all playing at least two sets. I was fortunate to see 34 performances by 24 bands. Punk legends, Social Distortion, headlined and played 2 amazing sets including hits “Story of My Life,”Bad Luck” and “Creeps.” Major highlights included The Raveonettes, Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks), Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts and Jesse Malin. Low Cut Connie (from Philadelphia), Soraia (from Reading, PA) and The Jellybricks (from Harrisburg) all represented Pennsylvania. Harrisburg natives, The Jellybricks, became fan favorites playing a fantastic Beatles all-star tribute show featuring random band members on the cruise to a massive crowd. Other artists included: Supersuckers, The Courettes, The Dollyrots, Buzzcocks, The Pandoras, The Woggles, The Sufrajettes, The Sonics, Gyasi, Palmyra Delran, Bobby Mahoney, Rival Sons, Barrence Whitfield, Black Lips, and Jon Spencer. The 2027 cruise will take place April 24-28 from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and they have announced The Damned and X as the first performers.
CBGB, the legendary Bowery club that started the punk movement in New York City has announced its second iteration of the CBGB Festival on September 26 at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn. This year’s line-up features Morrissey, Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols (with Frank Carter as lead singer), Interpol, Bikini Kill and Mannequin Pussy. Others scheduled to appear include Sleater-Kinney, Fred Armisen’s Ramones tribute band The Return of Jackie and Judy, the Buzzcocks, Circle Jerks, Agnostic Front and Haywire along with newer bands in the tradition such as Upchuck, Militarie Gun, High Vis, Bad Nerves, Panic Shack and Violet Grohl. Last year’s iteration featured headliners Iggy Pop and Jack White, with Johnny Marr, Marky Ramone, The Damned, Melvins, Gorilla Biscuits, Murphy’s Law, Cro-Mags, The Linda Lindas, Lambrini Girls, Angel Du$t, Lip Critic and others.
The Strokes have a full festival schedule in 2026 and have also announced a headline run through North America and Europe starting later this year. The “Reality Awaits: The World” tour consists of 30-dates visiting The Mann in Philadelphia June 26 and Merriweather Pavilion in Columbia, MD on June 27. The beloved band has played few headline shows in recent years, spending their time largely at festivals. Kurt Vile has announced a new album, ‘Philadelphia’s been good to me’, due out May 29 and added 2026 tour dates including a headline Philadelphia hometown show at The Dell alongside co-headliners Pavement on July 25. “This is my ‘bringing it all back home to Philly’ record,” Vile says. “I’m treating it like my last record. I put everything into it. It’s my best vocal record. It’s my best electric guitar record. It’s my most organic record, made in the comfort of my own zone.” Kurt Vile plays Pittsburgh Mr Smalls on June 22, Washington DC Howard Theatre on June 22 and Baltimore Ottobar on Nov 24. Billy Idol returns to the road this summer for the next leg of his successful world tour, “It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again!,” which kicks off at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA, on Aug. 7. Idol’s live show has been hailed as “a strong, forceful show just crackling with energy” and “over forty years into Billy Idol’s career, he remains just as remarkable as he started.” His new feature-length documentary film Billy Idol Should Be Dead, is streaming now on Hulu following a successful theatrical run. The documentary traces the life and career of the punk pioneer turned rock bastion featuring archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators. Billy Idol also plays The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA on Aug 20.
Geese have announced a North American fall tour after being praised as one of the best performances at this year’s Coachella festival. As a continuation of the rock band’s “Getting Killed World Tour” that started in 2025 in support of its fourth studio album, the new run of dates is naturally called “Getting Killed Again.” They are being called “the next great rock band” and biggest-NYC-rock-band-since-the-Strokes. Geese will play Washington DC Anthem on Nov 6 and Philadelphia Fillmore on Nov 7. ZZ Top will continue their “The Big One!” tour with 22 new dates including PNC Waterside Pavilion in Solomons, MD on Sept 11 and American Music Theatre in Lancaster on Sept 15. The band is currently touring with Dwight Yoakam on the “Dos Amigos Tour.” Jack White announced new dates for his 2026 headline tour. North American dates begin July 10 at Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem and also stops at Citizens Live in Pittsburgh on Nov 12. Eight-time Grammy winner Beck unveiled his “Ride Lonesome Tour,” a 25-date trek stopping at The Met in Philadelphia on Oct 18 and The Anthem in Washington DC on Oct 25. Bob Dylan has added additional dates to his “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour,” with two nights at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia July 24-25. The iconic singer-songwriter is a road warrior, visiting dozens of venues around the globe this year, including a sold-out show in South Bend, Indiana, where he grossed $247,412 off 2,350 tickets sold. Canadian rock vet Bryan Adams, has added a second series of U.S. dates to his Roll with the Punches Tour. The 16-date run visits CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on Aug 9 and Santander Arena in Reading, PA on Aug 11. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will once again be his special guests on all U.S. dates.
Lady Gaga’s world tour supporting her sixth solo studio album Mayhem came to a close on April 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York City after almost 100 performances around the globe during the past year. With worldwide grosses totaling $418.4 million from 1.95 million sold tickets during the official run of the tour. With the completion of “The Mayhem Ball,” her overall career gross jumps to $1.17 billion from 8.6 million sold tickets worldwide since her career began. She joins Taylor Swift, P!NK, Beyoncé, Madonna and Celine Dion as the only women to accomplish that feat. Lady Gaga’s average ticket price was $214.30, based on tickets sold at all 92 of her reported concerts. New Jersey native sons Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will headline a two-night concert event, June 4 and 5 at the OceanFirst Bank Center on the campus of the state’s Monmouth University, to mark America’s 250th birthday celebration. Other performers scheduled to appear include Kenny Chesney, Mavis Staples and Public Enemy. The “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us” lineup also includes Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Gary Clark Jr., Dion, Dropkick Murphys, Shemekia Copeland, Valerie June, Keb’ Mo’, Nils Lofgren, Darlene Love, David Sancious, Tony Trischka, Sister Sadie, Trombone Shorty and the New Breed Brass Band, Stevie Van Zandt, and Jimmie Vaughan. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks. Each artist is slated to perform “landmark songs from American music history.”
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with first-time nominees Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross. Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The induction will be held Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Those nominated this year but who came up short for the class of 2026 include Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Melissa Etheridge, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition and Shakira. Last year, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Soundgarden, Joe Cocker, Salt-N-Pepa, The White Stripes, Carol Kaye, Nicky Hopkins, Lenny Waronker, Thom Bell and Warren Zevon all were inducted.
MAY CONCERTS: Drug Church / White Reaper – Philadelphia Union Transfer May 2. The Jellybricks – Youngstown, OH May 2. Tom Keifer (Cinderella) – Jim Thorpe Penns Peak May 7. The Stitches – Philadelphia Fire May 15. Southern Culture on the Skids – Philadelphia Ardmore May 15. The Stitches – Harrisburg CCMH May 16. Halestorm – Grantville Hollywood Casino May 16. The Jellybricks – Hershey Vineyard May 22. Local H / Anthrophobia – Harrisburg CCMH May 26. Future Islands – Baltimore Pier Six May 28.
