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Walk The Moon

Photo: Courtesy of RCA Records

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Dancing With Walk The Moon

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Indie pop/rock band discuss how adversity inspired their album, Talking Is Hard, and perform their hit single "Shut Up And Dance"
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Oct 6, 2015 - 11:47 am

Indie pop/rock band Walk The Moon visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Walk The Moon discussed when they knew "Shut Up And Dance" would be a hit, how overcoming adversity inspired their album, Talking Is Hard, and the message they want to convey on the album, among other topics.  

Walk The Moon: Realizing "Shut Up And Dance" Was Special | GRAMMYs

"You never know if a song will be popular," said frontman Nicholas Petricca. "But I think when we first wrote 'Shut Up And Dance' there was something in us that knew immediately. ... And when we really felt it in our bones was the first time we played [the song] live. We were at this college in St. Louis and by the second chorus the kids were already singing along."

Cincinnati-based Walk The Moon comprise Petricca, guitarist Eli Maiman, bassist Kevin Ray, and drummer Sean Waugaman. The quartet debuted in 2010 with the independently released album, I Want!, I Want! They followed with 2012's Walk The Moon. Produced by GRAMMY winner Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley), the album broke the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 and included the Billboard rock hits "Anna Sun" and "Tightrope."

In 2014 Walk The Moon released Talking Is Hard, which features 12 tracks, including "Shut Up And Dance," which landed at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Different Colors." The album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200.

Walk The Moon are currently on an international tour, with dates scheduled through January 2016.

GRAMMYs

Chris Martin 

Photo:  Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for iHeartMedia  via Getty Images

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Chris Martin, Daya & Madison Beer Join Benefit Concert Against Drunk Driving

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The benefit show is in memory of late singer Noah Benardout, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2019
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Feb 19, 2020 - 4:32 pm

Chris Martin, Madison Beer and Daya are the latest artists to join the lineup for The Noah Benardout Foundation's inaugural benefit show raising awareness against drunk driving. 

The LOVR Benefit concert (named after the late Noah Benardout's stage name) will take place March 21 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Walk The Moon's Nicholas Petricca, Farr's Romeo, Braves, Dreamers, Lemmo, Saint Bodhi, Ryan Baer and El Javi are other previously announced artists. 

Benardout was a musician killed in August 2019 by a drunk driver in West Hollywood, Calif. Every day, 29 people in the U.S. die due to an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.

"It’s going to be a great night in memory of a talented young artist named Noah Benardout, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver while standing on an LA sidewalk," Coldplay tweeted out announcing Martin's participation.

Benardout released an EP called What Will Be... Will Be during his lifetime. 

Tickets for the benefit show are available now. 

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GRiZ at Bonnaroo SuperJam

GRiZ & friends at SuperJam

Photo: FilmMagic/Getty Images

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GRiZ & Friends Honored Dr. John And Other Music Legends During Bonnaroo SuperJam Set

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"His style of writing—without that I wouldn't exist. There's this badassery to it. His breaking rules paved the way for people like myself to do similar things with music," the saxophone-toting DJ/producer told Rolling Stone
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 18, 2019 - 12:49 pm

During Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this weekend, DJ/producer/saxophone master GRiZ offered two very different sets. Both showcased his energetic sax playing, but one saw him as the bandleader of the dozens of performers he brought together for the fest's annual SuperJam event.

This year's late-night jam session, which is curated and executed by a different artist every year, was titled "G.O.A.T.: A Celebration of Music Legends SuperJam with GRiZ." The 90-minute set was dedicated to late musical greats including late GRAMMY winners Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie and Prince, GRAMMY nominees Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle, and others. A powerhouse house band and specials guests, all chosen by GRiZ, filled the stage and brought the music to life.

Rolling Stone reports that the Dr. John tribute, which came in the form of his 1973 song "Right Place, Wrong Time," with GRiZ assisting the house band on his sax, was worked into the set list, following his sudden passing on June 6. They spoke to GRiZ and Stu Brooks, SuperJam's Music Director, who worked on the program for five months, organizing its music and plethora of incredibly talented musicians. The pair emphasized it was important to both of them to work Dr. John's magic into the performance.

As the outlet explains, not only does the festival's name comes from Dr. John's 1974 album Desitively Bonnaroo, but Brooks performed as member of his touring band in 2015 and GRiZ is deeply influenced by the late New Orleans' jazz/funk legend.

Related: Dr. John, New Orleans Music Legend, Dies At 77

"We obviously had to pay tribute to Dr. John," Brook's told Rolling Stone. "It's a great way to process loss of someone's life—by celebrating at this [festival], it's serendipitous to the max."

"It's a really morbid situation to be in," GRiZ added, "but also kind of a blessed situation—that we had a platform that we were able to celebrate his life." The Detroit-native also spoke to how Dr. John's joyously experimental music inspired his own risk-taking in his sound and style:

"His style of writing—without that I wouldn't exist. There's this badassery to it. His breaking rules paved the way for people like myself to do similar things with music…That 'free and easy' thing—that makes me feel like I don't have to be worried about what my heart feels about this music and the way it should sound."

One simple yet poignant piece of wisdom Dr. John shared with Brooks during their time touring together, "Be free and easy," served as the thesis statement for the sprawling set. "I feel like that's the ethos of this entire SuperJam," GRiZ added.

Rapper/animator ProbCause, a regular GRiZ collaborator, and singer Chrishira Perrier, a backing vocalist for Trombone Shorty and GRiZ, were two members of his SuperJam house band who helped bring the show to life, along with a stage full of instrumentalists that included the Naughty Professor's horns.

Perrier helped lead the salute the Franklin, Prince and Rick James and Miller with respectively, "Respect," "1999" with help from K.Flay, "Mary Jane" and "Dang!," which ProbCause supported. Prob also rapped "Grinding All My Love" for Nipsey, and K.Flay channeled her inner- Kurt Cobain for Nirvana's "Lithium." Activist singer/songwriters Nahko Bear and Nattali Rize sang Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved."

Avicii's "Wake Me Up" was also on the 25-song set list, as well as Bowie's "Let's Dance," Queen's "We Will Rock You," in honor of Freddie Mercury, as well as their collab "Under Pressure." Walk The Moon frontman Nicholas Petricca helped lead the glam-rock classics.

While the loss of Dr. John and the other transcendent musicians has left a void in our hearts and in the music world, their powerful music will allow their legacy to live on for generations. As GRiZ told the outlet, the power of performing the songs was palpable:

"Every time we get a featured vocalist or a featured [musician who played with the artist we cover], the energy explodes. You can close your eyes in that moment and feel like you're in the presence of that person performing that song."

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Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Firefly Festival 2019 Lineup Announced With Panic! At The Disco & More

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Find out who will headline and who will serve as supporting acts at next year's Delaware fest
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Dec 12, 2018 - 1:37 pm

The Firefly Music Festival 2019 lineup was announced on Dec. 11 for next summer, June 21–23, in Dover, Delaware. The eighth annual, open-air fest features headliners Panic! At The Disco, Post Malone and Travis Scott. All three are past or present GRAMMY nominees.

GRAMMY winners in the lineup include TLC, Vampire Weekend and Zedd. Artists who received GRAMMY nominations, on the bill, include Courtney Barnett, Death Cab For Cutie, DJ Snake, and Tyler, The Creator.

Some of what makes festivals so unforgettable are the performances by newcomers and emerging artists. With many more expected on Firefly's multiple stages, a few who we've written about or spoken to include Alison Wonderland, Brockhampton, Dashboard Confessional, GRiZ, Kygo, Gucci Mane, Jessie Reyez, Snail Mail, Walk The Moon, and Young The Giant.

For your chance to see what makes "the east coast's largest music and camping festival" unforgettable at The Woodlands beside Dover International Speedway, tickets and special packages go on sale Friday Dec. 14 at the Firefly Festival website.

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Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen

Jacklyn Krol/ The Recording Academy

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Lollapalooza After-Parties Give Fans Intimate Experiences With Artists

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After Lollapalooza ends, official after-parties are where all of your favorite musicians perform in intimate Chicago venues
Jacklyn Krol
GRAMMYs
Aug 6, 2018 - 6:10 pm

The Lollapalooza experience doesn't end when the lights turn off. The fun continues through the wee hours after the music festival ends with its notorious after-parties.

Each year, Lollapalooza Aftershows feature over 110 artists, including the same up-and -coming and legendary musicians that perform at the festival, in more than 55 performances in some of Chicago's legendary venues. The biggest difference? The air-conditioned music venues are way more intimate than the festival's stage performances. This year, fans sold out all of the aftershows months in advance despite the fact that a normal day at Lollapalooza means enduring a hot summer day that can easily be over ten hours long.  

Last year at Lollapalooza there was a newcomer who opened for The 1975's after-party, Dua Lipa. Back then, the British singer/songwriter was just beginning the ascent into her career of international pop stardom. This year she was the headliner of her very own after show with opener BUDDY at The Vic Theater selling out months earlier in under a minute. The crowd at The Vic roared when she spoke about being an opener last year, their cheers letting her know how far she'd come  One of the stand out moments of the unforgettable night was the crowd singing “Be The One” back to Dua, who donned the biggest smile and laugh. Her dancers interacted with the songstress making the lyrics seemingly come to life creating a true visual performance.  

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa performs at The Vic Theater in Chicago
Photo: Jacklyn Krol

Another one of the fastest selling parties this year was with none other than rapper/singer Blackbear and Albanian rapper Gashi-- Blackbear even had a custom “Blackbear Lollapalooza” platform.  Both of Blackbear’s festival and after-party sets were similar and featured moments in which fans could speak directly to him. The lighting of his show was a sight to see. The mood had a true after party vibe and didn't feel like a concert at all.

Rock bands took center stage at this year's aftershows. GRAMMY-nominated Highly Suspect performed with the support from Cleopatrick. Highly Suspect brought passion to the stage and made the show look like fun rather than work.

In another rockin' after-party, the soulful Dorothy kicked things off for upstar rockers Greta Van Fleet on Saturday night at the Vic Theatre. Though they’re relatively newcomers, Greta Van Fleet is proving themselves with the amount of passion they bring. They have dedicated fans for a reason and it’s clear how much the band loves them back. The band will continue the Lollapalooza fun when they play the festival in Brazil in 2019.

YUNGBLUD may single-handedly save rock n’ roll with his inspirational lyrics. His on-stage demeanor gave an abundance of energy to the show that the crowd reciprocated by jumping. The enthusiasm continued when Catfish and The Bottlemen took the stage.

GRAMMY winner Jack White had a much different experience planned for his fans-- his show was a no phones or camera concert. Fans sealed up their phones and enjoyed an intimate performance from White. The intimacy of his performance was a treat for fans who only have the option of seeing him play at massive arenas. The crowd was so engaged, they sang along to almost every lyric. Fans who were left wanting to snap a pic of White, unlocked their phones in the lobby with delight.

Pop music was definitely not in short supply. Rising star morgxn opened up for GRAMMY-nominated Carly Rae Jepsen at Park West. The theatre perfectly donned a disco ball above the crowd, exactly the vibe her set brought. You couldn't help but dance at the show; not a single person left the theatre without dancing. Fans jumped, as she kicked off her set with “Run Away With Me.”  Jepsen performed 16 of her songs, including all of her hits, to a crowd that knew all of the beats. Jepsen smiled as she heard her fans echo her lyrics.

GRAMMYs

Walk The Moon perform at Concord Hall
Photo: Jacklyn Krol

Walk The Moon did triple duty at the festivities this year. They performed at the festival and had not one, but two after parties. One show was a DJ set at a bar-arcade and the other was a performance at Concord Hall with the support of Pale Waves. The band's walk out song was "Circle Of Life" from  "The Lion King," which was the most memorable ending to the weekend.

Lollapalooza isn’t just about the pop or the rock genres. Singer/songwriter Tyler Childers brought his country influence and shared the stage with sister duo Larkin Poe for a sold-out show at Schuba’s Tavern. Larkin Poe opened up the show performing their bluesy, rock inspired music with stunning and out of this world guitar solos.

Lollapalooza's aftershows truly made the festival even more epic. While the 2019 Chicago line-up hasn't been announced yet, the after-parties will surely bring a different experience to festival goers next year. 

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