Events

Article and Photos Contributed by Rachel Catherine The Kicking My Feet Tour is a celebration of Ruel’s sophomore album, Kicking My Feet, an album that describes through music that feeling of falling in love, when you’re all giddy, giggling and kicking your feet as you start falling hard for someone. A feeling that I know all too well, about a time or two hundred. But it was one fabulous way to end February, a month of love–very fitting for the album and the tour. It was a nig

There is always something in the air when we find ourselves at El Club. Maybe it is the intimacy of the space. Maybe it is the way Detroit weather insists on being theatrical. On Saturday, February 28, 2026, winter decided to put on a show of its own, whipping up a full blizzard with icy rain slicing through the city. It did not matter. Bryce Vine brought his Let’s Do Something Stupid Tour to town, and Detroit showed up hungry.

El Club in Detroit, MI, welcomed Alex Sampson and the ‘Thank You For Loving Me’ Tour for a night that felt incredibly special, despite the illness that was sweeping its way through the lineup for the evening. But none of them let it dampen the night, and it was proven time and time again that the show really can go on even when you're feeling under the weather.

A candid night of music, memory, and choosing how to live the one life we get on this spinning rock. Article & Photos by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff I walked into the Neptune Theatre chasing something familiar — the kind of catharsis only the lyrics of your youth, long buried in the recesses of your mind, can unlock. Little did I know that I would walk out with something far more personal. What unfolded onstage wasn’t just a two-hour rock performance, rather a revealing conversa

The Wishbone Tour transformed Prudential Center into a haven for Sad Internet Teens and the stories that shaped them. Article & Photography Contributed by Miranda Wyman On February 27, Conan Gray brought the Wishbone Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark and from the moment the doors opened, it was clear this would not be just another pop concert. Before the show even started, the “Conehead” community inside the arena was impossible to ignore. Fans gathered in front of the

Some photographers fall into the pit and never climb out. Nikki Cardiello is one of them. She started as an artist in the classic sense, drawing and illustrating, always orbiting creativity. But the real spark hit the first time music and a camera collided. At 14, she brought a $20 HP digital camera to see the Jonas Brothers from the nosebleeds at Nassau Coliseum, snapped a bunch of blurry little ghost-figures, and still walked away thinking, No, this feels extremely right.

The Fillmore Detroit has a way of making every show feel larger than itself, and on February 10, it became the gathering place for fans of Motion City Soundtrack, many of whom had carried these songs with them for years. Its towering ceilings and ornate gold detailing framed the room with a sense of permanence, a reminder that countless performances had lived and ended within those same walls.

There used to be a time when buying merch felt simple. You grabbed a tour tee, wore it like a badge of honor, and let it mean exactly what it was supposed to mean: I was there. It was about fandom and a souvenir rolled into one, no second thoughts required. Now, merch comes with baggage. Hot Take: Merch has become the backbone of an artist’s paycheck, and as that pressure has grown, so have the prices. Artists make slivers of what they once did through streaming platfor

Music festivals have become some of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. They create moments that launch careers, define summers and bring fans together in unforgettable ways. Heading into 2026, the continuation of these iconic festivals promises even bigger lineups, louder crowds and more moments that will be talked about for years after the fact. If the past few years are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be nothing short of legendary.

There’s a particular kind of electricity that only a Gov Ball moment can generate. Today, January 5, 2026, that anticipation found its release as Governors Ball unveiled its lineup, and with it, the atmosphere of festival season officially shifted. This wasn’t just a list of names appearing on a screen; it was a collective intake of breath, a reminder of how live music continues to bring people together.

Live music has never been cheap. But it has also never felt this inaccessible. Ticket prices are climbing. Dynamic pricing is quietly inflating face value. Resellers scoop up inventory in seconds. And fans are left refreshing screens, watching tickets triple before checkout, even loads. The frustration is loud. The response from the industry is not.

It started with a whisper. A tiny idea. A quiet moment where we decided to try something ourselves, this time with our full chests. We didn’t know where it would go. We just knew we wanted to build something with intention. SoundCheck began small and digital. Our first interview lived in a Word document. Our first artist was someone we already knew and believed in.

There was a time when genres held real power. They were the industry’s filing system, the listener’s compass, the cultural shorthand for who you were and what you stood for. If you said you were into rock, people made assumptions about your personality. If you said you loved pop, people assumed something entirely different. Genres carried weight, identity, and meaning.

Article By Ernesto Raul Aguilar Q101 kicked off its week-long Twisted Xmas 2025 series at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom with a high-voltage opening night that blended indie cool, alt-rock energy, and full-on pop spectacle. Three bands, each with a distinct voice and presence, took the stage and delivered a night that felt as festive as it was electric, setting the tone for the rest of the holiday concerts ahead. The evening opened with Los Angeles band Out in Front, who wasted no

Detroit did not blink at the weather. Even with a snowstorm delaying flights and pushing doors nearly two hours past schedule, the crowd kept arriving. People bundled against wind and ice still chose to stand shoulder-to-shoulder inside The El Club, a small venue with the energy of something much larger. It was our first time shooting here, and stepping into a space without a barricade meant we became part of the audience instead of perched in front of it.

The music industry is constantly adapting to technological changes. Social media has become the biggest marketing tool for artists. Cellphones are being held up to record every second of a performance. With the rise of viral sensations becoming stars, not all artists can decide whether they can start in small venues or go straight into being an opening act for the biggest superstar in the world.

There was a time when encores felt like actual miracles. The lights went down, the crowd begged for just one more song, and the air buzzed with the kind of hope usually reserved for lottery tickets and marriage proposals. For a few glorious minutes, we had no idea if the band would return. It was a negotiation between us and them. A shared secret. A spark of live music magic.

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Franklin Jonas is currently touring with his brothers, playing massive rooms night after night. But before the doors even open, he’s outside the venue with his band hosting intimate pop-up sets that feel like community gatherings. These aren’t secret, random moments either. He posts on Instagram ahead of time so fans know exactly where to find him. It’s intentional. It’s thoughtful. And it’s rare. Franklin Jonas performing outside of Pr

Article and Photography Contributed by Fernando Flores Grant Knoche performing at the Meadows in Brooklyn, NY - Photography by Fernando Flores (IG: @fernandofloresphotography ) So good it's on AUTOPILOT Grant Knoche’s rise from kid-friendly pop prodigy to a fully realized alt-pop force has been nothing short of electric. His latest tour stop in Brooklyn proved exactly why audiences are so drawn to his world, kicking the night off with a burst of warmth and charisma from Taylo

Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography ) Article & Photos Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt If you grew up blasting pop punk on your iPod Nano, this tour was basically therapy. The Delilah vs. Juliet Tour brought two fan-favorite names, Plain White T’s and We The Kings, together for a night that felt like Warped Tour 2010 all over again. And with Emo Nite setting the tone, the nostalgia levels were off the charts. We The Kings hit the stage first and hone