Greetings Rockers “N” Rollers! The past month began with the return of Green Day to Hersheypark Stadium on September 2nd. The pop-punk band brought their current ‘The Saviors Tour’ playing infamous albums ‘Dookie’ and ‘American Idiot’ in their entirety. The night also included performances from The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas. The North American tour leg ended on September 28th and Green Day will head to Mexico, South Africa and Asia in 2025. Alternative-rockers, Jane’s Addiction, lead their reunion tour to the East Coast with a show at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock on September 7th. A fantastic night of all four original band members playing 14 classic Jane’s songs. The North American tour was supported by Love & Rockets and Crawlers. Pearl Jam also visited the East Coast with two shows in both New York and Philadelphia, and one Baltimore show on September 12th featuring a 25-song set including ‘Even Flow,’ ‘Jeremy’ and ‘Alive’ among others. The legendary-grunge band will now take the ‘Dark Matter Tour’ to New Zealand and Australia for the remainder of 2024.
Harrisburg’s XL Live continues to bring notable shows every weekend. This past month included Darkstar Orchestra (a Grateful Dead experience) September 14th on the outdoor Southside Stage with a massive attendance. And Harrisburg University brought indie-musician, Pete Yorn, to XL Live on September 21st. Yorn has released 10 full length albums including his debut, Musicforthemorningafter, which gained international recognition in 2001. Post Malone played to a capacity crowd at Hersheypark Stadium on September 20th bringing his ‘F-1 Trillion Tour’ which consisted mainly of his current country album and notable hits. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) is gearing up for a two-month North American tour that features dates all across the United States and Canada. Bach will be performing 16 dates in his native country, Canada and his final show takes place at HMAC in Harrisburg on November 3rd.
Jane’s Addiction has canceled the remaining dates of their reunion tour following an onstage physical altercation between singer Perry Farrell and his bandmates on September 13th. The 23-city tour was the first outing will all four original members since 2010. Guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery collectively released a separate statement expressing concern for the mental health of Farrell. “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour. Our hearts are broken.” Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau, stated that “Perry’s frustration had been mounting” because “he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the rest of the band.”
Grammy-award winner, Kendrick Lamar, will headline the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans on February 9th. The rap megastar, who has won 17 Grammys, said he’s looking forward to bringing hip-hop to the NFL’s championship game, where he performed as a guest artist with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem in 2022. “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” Lamar said in a statement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.” The 37-year old artist also became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.”
Dave Grohl recently welcomed a new baby outside of his marriage, the musician revealed in a statement September 10th. Grohl, 55, stated “I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to my new baby daughter. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness.” The Foo Fighter frontman married wife, Jordyn Blum, in Aug 2003 and have welcomed three daughters together. Neil Young will headline a benefit concert on October 5th, as he adds more live performances after abruptly canceling the Crazy Horse tour earlier this year. In late June, Young announced his tour would take a “big unplanned break” due to illness in the band. Young said while he was just about ready to get back on the stage some of the other members of Crazy Horse “aren’t there yet.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping. A judge denied his bail on September 17th, the Bad Boy Records founder was transported from a federal courthouse to a federal jail. Prosecutors consider him a threat to society and a flight risk. Before his first court appearance, the music mogul had offered $50 million in collateral using his homes, also offered to wear a GPS monitor and give up his passport. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he could face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
Eagles opened their long-awaited 20-night run at Las Vegas’ Sphere on September 20th. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” Don Henley said to the crowd, “Welcome … To whatever this is!” The two-hour show runs through 50 years of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers’ hits. Joining Henley in the band’s current iteration is Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, Glenn Frey’s son. Eagles Live Nation-promoted Sphere run continues on select dates through January 25th.
Heart has added 5 more dates to the “Royal Flush Tour,” including New York’s legendary Radio City Music Hall. The band pulled off the road in July after Ann Wilson said she “underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous.” On September. 9th, Heart announced rescheduled dates beginning in late February.
Metallica announced that it will extend its “M72 World Tour” into a third year with 21 North American dates in 2025, including two nights of headlining the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio. The band will bring its “No Repeat Weekends” featuring two different sets and different supporting acts across two nights to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on May 23rd and 25th with supporting acts Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies and Ice Nine Kills. Metallica has played for approximately 3 million fans since April 2023, and the band will conclude its 2024 run with four nights at Mexico City’s 65,000-capacity stadium.
Iron Maiden haven’t even embarked on the North and South American leg of their current “The Future Past World Tour” yet, but have already announced plans for a new world tour for 2025 and 2026. Dubbed “Run For Your Lives”, the tour will celebrate 50 years of the legendary band forming in 1975. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson commented, “Next year is a very special one for Iron Maiden, and we’re going to be giving our fans a once-in-a-lifetime live experience. This is a tour that’s gonna put a smile on your face and a cheer in your throat.” Red Lion, Pennsylvania natives, Halestorm, will open for Iron Maiden on select European dates. Their current tour visits Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Novelber 1st and Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on November 12th.
REO Speedwagon announced their retirement on September 16th, citing “irreconcilable differences” between frontman Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall. The news came following the wrap of REO Speedwagon’s co-headline tour with Train, “Summer Road Trip.” The band stated, “It is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025.”
Bad Religion has called off its North American fall tour less than a month before it was supposed to start, citing an “an unforeseen family circumstance.” The Los Angeles punk rock band led by Greg Graffin was supposed to start September 17th at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Desert rockers Queens Of The Stone Age have canceled their remaining dates for 2024 as frontman Josh Homme recovers from emergency surgery. The nature of Homme’s surgery was not disclosed. In 2010, he underwent leg surgery that left him bed-ridden for more than three months. He was also diagnosed with cancer in 2022, though he said in 2023 surgery was successful at treating it.The band announced, his convalescence will take some more time. “Josh has been given no choice but to prioritize his health and to receive essential medical care through the remainder of the year.” the band stated.
Warped Tour founder Keven Lyman has confirmed reports that Vans Warped Tour is set to return in 2025, which will mark the traveling festival’s 30th anniversary. “We have something cooking for 2025. Details should be ready in a few weeks,” Lyman commented. Warped Tour came to an end in August 2018 after many years being a launch pad for many punk bands. The festival also crossed over with artists Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, Ice-T, Katy Perry and Demi Lovato.
Oasis have reunited and announced a long-awaited run of UK and Ireland shows for next summer: 19 sold-out stadium shows. Oasis commented, “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.” These are the first Oasis shows since 2009 and plans are underway for “Oasis Live ’25 world tour” to visit continents outside of Europe later next year. The Manchester-band became one of the biggest cultural phenomenons of the era as their 1994 debut Definitely Maybe became the fastest-selling debut album in British history – and has since reached 17-times platinum in recognition of 5 million-plus domestic sales. Over 10 million fans from 158 countries attempted to purchase tickets and the reunion could gross more than $400 million dollars with each brother taking home $50 million.
OCTOBER CONCERTS: Fidlar – Philadelphia TLA Oct 11. Anthrophobia – Reading Skatepark Oct 12. Gene Loves Jezebel – Philadelphia 118 North Oct 13. Fidlar – Washington DC 9:30 Club Oct 14. Fontaines DC – Washington DC 9:30 Club Oct 18. Ravagers – York Skid Row Oct 19. Dehd – Washington DC
Howard Theatre Oct 23. Drug Church – Philadelphia Union Transfer Oct 27. Drug Church – Baltimore Soundstage Oct 30.