Bikini Kill

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Legendary Riot Grrrl Band Bikini Kill Reunite, Announce Tour

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The "Rebel Girl" band will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles in New York City and a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the spring
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 12:24 pm

Bikini Kill, the legendary politically outspoken feminist '90s punk band that launched the Riot Grrrl movement, have reunited and announced a tour.

The "Rebel Girl" band, who inspired women to express themselves via music and DIY culture, will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. that will begin in the spring.

"Bikini Kill are thrilled to announce they will be regrouping to play shows in NY and LA this spring," the band said on their website. "They will perform with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass -- along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle."

The group formed in 1990 and were based in Olympia, Wash. and Washington, D.C. Before their break-up in 1997, they recorded and released a demo, two EPs, two LPs and three singles. They toured the U.S., Japan, Europe and Australia.  

Frontwoman Hanna went on to form band Le Tigre and a solo career as Julie Ruin. The Punk Singer documentary is based on her activism and musical career and shows the singer's life and battle with Lyme disease.

Tickets for all three shows will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 18. Both NYC shows will be on sale at 9 A.M. PT / 12 P.M. ET, while the L.A. show will go on sale at 10 A.M. PT / 1 P.M. ET. For more info, visit the band's website.

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Mike Garson

Mike Garson 

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A Bowie Celebration Announces Tour Dates

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A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 14, 2019 - 4:50 pm

David Bowie's backing bands are heading out on tour to continue the GRAMMY winner's legacy for the third year in a row.

A Bowie Celebration will tour cities in Europe in Jan. and early Feb., before hitting U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Houston and New York City until March. 

The tour is formed by Bowie's "longest-leading and most frequent band member" Mike Garson, guitarist Earl Sick, bassist Carmine Rojas, multi-instrumentalist Mark Plati, guitarist Charlie Sexton and vocalists Bernard Fowler and Corey Glover, according to Rolling Stone.

The magazine reports that the band has been joined by several guest vocalists in the past, including Perry Farrell and Evan Rachel Wood, and plays hits like "Rebel Rebel" and "Ziggy Stardust."

"One way or another, David is continuously there with us,” Garson said in a statement. “He’s on stage each night, in the audience and always in the very essence of each song. We do these shows for the fans who’ve loved David and his music, and for those who are new to his music-they’re about to get hooked. Through this process of the celebration of his music, we do these shows for David who is a constant presence in our minds, hearts and soul."

For more information on the tour see here.

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BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK

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K-Pop Titans BLACKPINK Will Visit U.S. During World Tour

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The "DDu-Du DDu-Du" singers have yet to perform in the U.S., but they've already made a huge impression in the West
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 9, 2019 - 4:25 pm

K-pop phenomenon BLACKPINK could be coming to a city near you in 2019.

The group's company YG Entertainment has announced that they are touring the world, with stops in North America, Europe and Australia. No specific dates for each continent have been released.

The "DDu-Du DDu-Du" and "Kiss And Make Up" (featuring Dua Lipa) singers have yet to play in the U.S., but they've already made some history here. BLACKPINKs "DDu-Du DDu-Du" is the highest charting song by an all-female K-pop group on the Billboard Hot 100. Their hit song same is also the fastest Korean group music video to accumulate 550 million views.

Even more impressive, BLACKPINK is also the first all-female K-pop group to perform at Coachella in 2019.

The fandom behind the group, who sing and rap, is massive outside of the U.S. Actor, director and producer (and former BuzzFeed employee) Eugene Lee Yang noted on Twitter how much the performance will mean:

"I've had countless chats with music insiders about its Western breakthrough, which has been happening the past few years. BLACKPINK playing Coachella is hugely significant. The locals have no idea what's coming."

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Joy Williams

Joy Williams

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Joy Williams Announces Headlining Tour Ahead of 'Front Porch' Album Release

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The former Americana/folk Civil Wars member will launch the tour on Feb. 25 in Phoenix
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 8, 2019 - 2:39 pm

GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Joy Williams has announced a headlining spring tour as fans wait for her upcoming release, Front Porch.

The former Americana/folk Civil Wars member will launch the tour on Feb. 25 in Phoenix, then head to cities including New York City, Denver and San Francisco before closing it out May 4 in Nashville, Tenn.

Williams was excited to share tour dates in a video posted to social media. "Happy 2019 ya'll. Brand new year and I am headed out on tour this spring," Williams announced. "I cannot wait to see you."

While Front Porch, the follow-up to 2015's Venus, has no official release date, Williams has released two singles from her forthcoming disc: "The Trouble With Wanting" and "Canary."

The singer recorded the album during the early part of her pregnancy with daughter Poppy Lou, who she gave birth to in 2018. She told Rolling Stone that "There is an energy that is very creative in having a baby. It gives a sense of urgency on top of all the creative energy."

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Williams experienced a great deal of personal change in the last few years, including losing her father to cancer and parting ways with her former Civil Wars performer John Paul White in 2014 (Venus was made in the aftermath of the group's breakup). But, as she explained to Rolling Stone, she’s more comfortable with herself than ever: "So much of this is about coming home,” Williams said. “Whether to a physical place or to yourself. The lines on my face, I can see them more clearly now. But a lot of them are laugh lines. This record feels like breathing more deeply into who I am. Come what may."

See William's tour dates and ticket information here.

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Julian Casablancas of the Strokes 

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Meet Me In Bilbao: The Strokes Announce "Global Comeback" Tour In 2019

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The band will headline the Bilbao festival, which will also feature Thom Yorke, Rosalía, Vince Staples and the Voidz, Julian Casablancas' side project
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Dec 17, 2018 - 2:29 pm

New York City band The Strokes, who were at the forefront of the garage-rock revival in the early 2000s and have become noted veterans in the alt-rock genre, have announced their "global comeback" that will begin with a set at the Bilbao BBK Live Festival in 2019, their first performance together since 2017.

The band will headline the fest in Bilbao, Spain, which will also feature GRAMMY winners Thom Yorke and Weezer, as well as Latin GRAMMY winner Rosalía, rapper Vince Staples, and the Voidz, frontman Julian Casablancas' side project. While no other tour dates have been announced, a press release confirmed by a band representative said that the festival will "kick off their global comeback," according to Consequence Of Sound.

The comeback comes as great news to fans, as the Strokes haven't released any new material since their 2016 EP, Future Present Past. Members have been busy working on side projects. Casablancas has been touring with the Voidz, who released their latest album, Virtue, in 2018.

Albert Hammond Jr., one of the guitarists in the band, released a solo album, Francis Trouble, earlier this year and teamed up with Fender to release a Signature Series Stratocaster. Nick Valensi, responsible for the other riffs behand the band, was on tour this year with his other band CRX.

Bassist Nikolai Fraiture's band Summer Moon will tour with The Killers in the beginning of 2019. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti has done artwork outside of working with Little Joy and other side projects.

Interestingly enough, the "Meet Me In The Bathroom" band, whose releases have received mixed reviews by critics—other than their highly anticipated and highly acclaimed 2001 debut Is This It?—has chosen their first show to be Spain, where Casablanca's father is from. While a reunion has been announced, the band continues to have their fans guessing on the release of new material.

In 2016, after the release of Future Present Past, Valensi confirmed in an interview with DIY Magazine that the band was working on new music: "We are slowly but surely working on an album," he confirmed, adding: "I don't know when it's going to be released, we're kind of just in writing sessions. We're writing…"

Before the DIY interview, Valensi told NME that they might just pull off a Beyoncé-style drop: "If I start saying a lot now, people get too excited…Then there's all this hype you've got to compete with, and that's not fun. If anything, I'd rather just pull a Beyoncé at some point next year and just drop s**t."

For now fans in the U.S. can consider making the trek to Spain to see The Strokes' performance. More info here.

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