Posts in category: JamFest News

Neil Young has announced his first tour since 2019 where he will play songs he has never performed live before next month. 

It comes after he launched a surprise comeback at a tree-logging protest in Canada back in February.

The singer and environmental activist, 77, announced the news to his fans on Wednesday during a live Zoom call with paid Patron subscribers to the Neil Young Archives. 

His tour on the West Coast begins on July 1 at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles which seats 1,200 people and finishes on July 23 at the Oxbow RiverStage in Napa, California.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on June 14 and he is using Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange to prevent resellers from getting hold of them and charging extortionate prices. 

Young has remained out of the limelight largely since he demanded Spotify remove all of his music because it hosted Joe Rogan’s podcast, which Young claims shared vaccine misinformation.

In an open letter to his manager and record label telling them to have his catalogue taken down, the Heart of Gold singer writes: ‘They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.’

Young has announced 13 shows in 22 days across California, Oregon and Washington. 

He will only be playing old songs he has never performed live instead of his traditional hits. 

‘I don’t want to come back and do the same songs again,’ he said. 

‘I’ll feel like I was on some sort of carnival ride. I’d rather be doing these others songs I haven’t done…I won’t have to compare how I’m doing ‘Heart of Gold’ to [how I played it in] 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020…’

The Grammy-winning singer has prepared a song list made up of 15 tracks and it includes ‘Song X’ from his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam, ‘Prime of Life’ from 1994 record Sleeps With Angels, and ‘If You Got Love’ from 1982 album Trans. 

He added: ‘I did a demo of [If You Got Love] a few years [after Trans] with a synclavier, a drum machine, harmonica, and some effects.

‘I listened to it [recently], and it turned me on again. I’m now doing it with the organ and harmonica. It’s pretty cool.’

Young believes his hardcore fans will know 80 percent of the tunes and insisted ‘they’re not new songs’.

‘They’re old songs. But I wake up with them in my head every morning,’ he said. 

‘They are songs that apply to my life right now, and apply to everyone’s lives in this era that we’re in. Some of them were written 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago, but never really played live.’

He previously had a tour scheduled in 2019 but he postponed it to work on film projects. Young was going to return in 2020 but that plan was disrupted by the pandemic.

The legendary artist then made a surprise return to the stage by performing at a demonstration against tree logging in Canada in February. It was the first time he had performed live since Farm Aid in September 2019. 

The performance was part of the United For Old-Growth protest, promoted by the Wilderness Committee campaign group.

He sang a selection of his most popular hits, including ‘Comes a Time’ and ‘Heart of Gold’.

Organizer Torrance Coste tweeted a video of Young performing to a crowd of several hundred people  and said: ‘Sometimes you organize a rally and rock legend Neil Young comes and sings at it as a surprise. 

The protest was against the Canadian government’s supposed failure to protect old-growth forests. It also included a peaceful march and rally.

Young then performed an extended show with former bandmate Stephen Stills at the Hollywood Bowl on April 22 and later appeared at the same venue to play at Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concert. 

He was reluctant to perform in public for so long due to concerns about coronavirus.

‘I don’t want to play until you feel safe, and it is indeed, safe,’ he said after pulling out of Farm Aid in 2021. 

‘My soul tells me it would be wrong to risk having anyone die because they wanted to hear music and be with friends.’

In the since-deleted online letter, he specifically took aim at comedian and podcaster Rogan, who signed a $100 million deal with Spotify in May 2020, giving them exclusive rights to his show The Joe Rogan Experience.

‘With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE [Joe Rogan Experience], which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence,’ he wrote.

‘Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy.’

‘I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform … They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,’ continued Young, who is married to Blade Runner actress Daryl Hannah, 61.

Much of his music is no longer on the platform, but some of his hits remain on compilation albums.

The singer sold 50 percent of his catalogue to U.K. investment fund Hipgnosis Songs last year, reportedly for $150 million.

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Critically acclaimed Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan solidifies himself as the biggest breakout artist of the year with the release of Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) out now via Mercury Records/ Republic Records/ Universal Music! Fans have eagerly awaited this extended version of 2022’s celebrated album, which includes seven new songs and Kahan’s latest single “Dial Drunk.” Prior to its release today, the track had already amassed millions of views online, with fans singing its every word during live performances on the “Stick Season Tour.”

Recently, Kahan was the most-talked about artist at Boston Calling Music Festival, performing to a crowd of 40,000 fans during his Saturday evening set. His performance received critical acclaim from the likes of The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Boston.com, and many more, with Consequence hailing Noah as “New England’s newest favorite son.”

Not to mention, this week, he continued his “Stick Season Tour” with the first of two sold-out shows at New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall. Tonight, he is set to perform a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The “Stick Season Tour” marks Noah’s biggest and most successful run to date with 300,000 tickets sold-see the full list of upcoming tour dates below, and stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come soon.

In addition, Noah recently announced his new mental health initiative, The Busyhead Project. Sharing its name with his 2019 debut album, The Busyhead Project has joined forces with a handful of national and local organizations to increase mental health awareness, amplify discussion, and democratize resources. Its first goal will be to raise “$1 million for mental health” with Kahan donating a portion of every ticket sold on the “Stick Season Tour”. Impressively, nearly $340,000 has already been raised for the initiative. The Busyhead Project will direct donations and actions to benefit organizations Bring Change to Mind, Jack.org, Oasis Center, Project Venture, Rural Behavioral Health Institute, and Upper Valley Haven. On the road, it will also spotlight local organizations who have positively impacted their individual communities at each show, making a donation and providing a space at the venue for the respective organization.

Noah Kahan has cemented himself as the artist to watch this year. Upon release last fall, Stick Season debuted at #14 on the Billboard 200 Chart, #4 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums Chart, #5 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart, and #5 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums Chart. Not to mention, it skyrocketed to #6 on Spotify’s Weekly Top Albums USA Chart, and Noah had six songs from the album featured on Spotify’s Viral 100 Chart – the most of any artist on the chart at that time – with “Stick Season” securing the #1 spot. To date, the album has garnered over 600 million global streams. The viral title track also captured #1 on the AAA Radio Chart – Noah’s first #1 at the format – and fan favorite track “Homesick” currently sits at #5 on the chart. Stick Seasonreceived praise from the likes of Associated Press, CBS This Morning, Song Exploder, Billboard, GQ, Esquire, V Magazine, People, and many more, while Noah delivered captivating live performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Artists Den’s “Live From My Den.”

To celebrate the release of Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever), yesterday, Noah joined TalkShopLive with his fans, where he answered their questions and talked about making the record.

The “Summer Of The Sticks” is finally here!

STICK SEASON (WE’LL ALL BE HERE FOREVER) TRACKLIST:

“Northern Attitude”

“Stick Season”

“All My Love”

“She Calls Me Back”

“Come Over”

“New Perspective”

“Everywhere, Everything”

“Orange Juice”

“Strawberry Wine”

“Growing Sideways”

“Halloween”

“Homesick”

“Still”

“The View Between Villages”

“Your Needs, My Needs”

“Dial Drunk”

“Paul Revere”

“No Complaints”

“Call Your Mom”

“You’re Gonna Go Far”

“The View Between Villages (Extended)”

2023 “STICK SEASON” NORTH AMERICAN TOUR (SOLD OUT):

June 9 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion^

June 10 Philadelphia, PA The Mann Center^

June 11 Charlottesville, VA Ting Pavilion^

June 13 Charlotte, NC Sky Credit Union Amphitheater^

June 14 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater^

June 16 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo

June 17 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park #

June 18 Charleston, SC Firefly Distillery #

June 20 Asheville, NC Rabbit Rabbit^

June 22 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion @ Nautica^

June 23 Cincinnati, OH The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park^

June 24 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest

June 25 Dillon, CO Dillon Amphitheater

July 26 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

July 28 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival

July 29 Burlington, VT Waterfront Park^

July 30 Burlington, VT Waterfront Park^

August 3 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza

August 5 Saint Charles, IA Hinterland Music Festival

August 8 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre^

August 9 San Diego, CA Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater^

August 11 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre^

August 13 San Francisco, CA Outside Lands Music Festival

August 15 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park^

August 16 Vancouver, BC Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre^

August 18 Spokane, WA Pavilion at the Riverfront^

August 19 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater^

August 20 Palmer, AK Alaska State Fair

August 26-27 Richmond, VA Iron Blossom Music Festival

August 31 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall #

September 1 Syracuse, NY St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview #

September 2 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center #

September 5 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater #

September 6 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion #

September 7 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion #

September 9 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center #

September 12 Columbus, OH KEMBA Live! #

September 13 St. Louis, MO Saint Louis Music Park #

September 15 Indianapolis, IN TCU Amphitheater @ White River State Park #

September 16 Detroit, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre @ Freedom Hill #

September 17 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage #

September 30 Ocean City, MD Ocean’s Calling

October Austin, TX Austin City Limits Music Festival

^ with Joy Oladokun

# with Ruston Kelly

* with Briston Maroney

As Noah Kahan changes, he casts those experiences onto songs like light through a film projector. At the core of the music’s upbeat energy and unfiltered lyrics, you’ll hear who he was before and who he became—almost in real-time. The Vermont singer still pens songs straight from the heart and still cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor; he’s just changed in all of the right ways (and chronicled them via his songwriting). He gained that understanding through quite the journey from small town Vermont to global renown. He’s racked up over two billion streams, released three full length albums (Busyhead, 2019; I Was / I Am, 2021; Stick Season, 2022) and a mid-pandemic EP (Cape Elizabeth, 2020), picked up a Gold Certification for “Hurt Somebody” feat. Julia Michaels, and performed on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, TODAY, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. After 5 years of critical acclaim and global touring, he sought an even purer style of writing and arrangement inspired by his New England roots, a challenge from within to convey a vivid representation of what he loves, fears, and struggles with most passionately. The result is Noah’s critically acclaimed new album Stick Season, which features his Gold-Certified viral hit single “Stick Season” and has become his most successful release to date. Following the album release, Noah embarked on the first two legs of his sold-out “Stick Season Tour” across North America, which continues this summer, where he’ll play his biggest venues to date, including the iconic Radio City Music Hall, The Greek Theatre, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Rumors of a collaboration between Rosé and Zayn Malik have intensified after his manager, Nicola Carson, followed the Blackpink member on Instagram.

The speculation first surfaced Wednesday after outlets such as Music Mundial and Pinkvilla claimed that the British pop star is in New York working on his new album and that Rosé has been spotted in a recording studio around the same time. International Business Times could not independently verify the information.

Pop culture- and music-focused Twitter accounts such as Pop Tingz and About Music also tweeted that Rosé and Zayn are “rumored to release a new song together.”

ZAYN X ROSÉ

The rumor of a collaboration between Rosé and Zayn Malik has come out. Zayn is currently working in New York, for his new album and coincidentally Rosé has also been in a recording studio, just in the same city 👀. pic.twitter.com/4bcbUNYUww

— Music Mundial (@MusicMundial) June 7, 2023

Talks of a Rosé-Zayn collaboration grew after his manager followed the South Korean artist on Instagram.

There is no official announcement from either singer about a potential collaboration, but many of their fans are already hoping that the rumor that Rosé and Zayn are working on a song together turns out to be true.

“Please, we just want this to be real. Another project for Rosé will be insane,” one fan commented, while another one said, “[Oh my f—–g god], my [favorite] One Direction member and Blackpink member! We won!”

Another fan commented on Zayn and Rosé’s artistry and vocal skills, predicting that a song from them would be a “hit.”

A hit is coming, both are amazing artists and have good vocal agility. Rosé and Zayn are already popular globally. It’ll boost their career on a new peak. We will be tuning 👍♥️

— CC4: #1🐠🎴 (@salvation_010) June 8, 2023

“[I don’t know]. [I] don’t wanna get my hopes up. [I] want this to happen, but I don’t have the confidence that it’ll happen. [I’m] just gonna wait [until] it’s official,” another fan wrote.

idk… dont wanna get my hopes up. i want this to happen, but i dont have the confidence that it’ll happen. just gonna wait till its official..

— louxanne 🌸 (@arsinoelle) June 8, 2023

However, not all fans think a collaboration between Rosé and Zayn is a good idea.

In a South Korean online community, one person shared a post with the title, “Rosé, why are you with this bastard?,” seemingly referring to Zayn’s issues with the Hadid family.

The post sparked mixed reactions, with one user commenting: “In this country, even if you make an absurd remark on the air, you will be buried. [B]ut in that neighborhood, you can do whatever you want with adultery and violence, and you can live without any problems.”

“Zayn Malik’s manager recently followed Rosé, so if you watch it, you’ll know. The timbre looks good,” commented another one.

Before the collaboration rumors surfaced, some fans were already wondering how a duet between Rosé and Zayn would sound. An artificial intelligence-generated video of the two artists’ voices covering Coldplay’s song “Fix You” was uploaded on TikTok.

Rosé and her three fellow Blackpink members Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa are currently on their “Born Pink World Tour.” After the Asian leg of the tour, the South Korean girl group will perform in Australia’s Melbourne and Sydney this weekend and next week, respectively.

Governors Ball Music Festival 2023 has said that it will go ahead as planned this weekend despite “hazardous” air quality in New York.

Smoke from over 400 Canadian wildfires swept through the East Coast over the past few days, deeming it the “worst air quality in the world” and topping pollution records around the globe. Schools, restaurants, and attractions closed across the state on Wednesday, June 7.

Annual music festival Governors Ball has announced that it will continue to go ahead from June 9 – 11 despite the air conditions, vouching to “keep check” of the air quality over the weekend.

Read this next: New 140-capacity club Outer Heaven opens in New York

Speaking to Pitchfork, a representative from the outdoor festival said that they “acknowledged” the current air quality in New York, but are ensuring the health and safety of attendees.

“We’re closely monitoring the air quality with weather experts and are in close contact with city officials,” they wrote.

“As always, the health and safety of New Yorkers is our top priority. At this time, the festival is continuing as planned. We are hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming days and are looking forward to a great weekend!”

Read this next: Primavera Sound Madrid cancels first day due to severe weather

Yesterday, Governors Ball – which is due to be headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, and ODESZA – posted on social media: “Skies are clearing in NYC and conditions are expected to be significantly improved by tomorrow.”

The Palos Verdes Street Fair and Music Festival is this weekend on June 10-11 at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

UPSTATE BEAT – A few weeks ago, I highlighted some of the summer concert events I am most excited about — from Nipperfest in Schenectady’s Central Park on July 22 to the triple bill of hip-hop pioneers Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep and Roxanne Shante at Empire Plaza in Albany on Aug. 2.

But that column was more about my taste, so I decided to query some local music fans to find out what upcoming musical events they are most excited to attend this summer.

Summer tends to bring larger acts to the area at venues such as Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and a sense of nostalgia is often involved in the concert choices. We like music that brings us back to our youth.

For Kathy Conway of Amsterdam, that means seeing Gary Puckett & The Union Gap on the Happy Together tour with the Turtles, the Cowsills and other 1960s pop bands at Albany’s Palace Theatre on Aug. 1.

“In the late ’60s, my first concert was Gary Puckett & The Union Gap opening for Judy Collins in Albany. My dream came true!” said Conway. “Attending Gary Puckett & The Union Gap shows are a way for me to relive my first favorite band from my teenage years.”

Conway owns a complete collection of 45 RPM records from the ‘60s pop band, known for hits such as “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Woman, Woman.” She first heard the band playing on her transistor radio, and even got to meet Puckett at a Spectacular Sixties concert at Proctors in Schenectady in 2014.

“Gary Puckett is still singing songs and touring even after all those years. I picked a keeper ‘first band’ to follow way back in the late ‘60s,” Conway said.

For the Generation X cohort, the nostalgia concert of the summer might be the indie rock triple bill of the Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power at MASS MoCA’s Joe’s Field on Aug. 26.

The Pixies were a relatively short-lived band in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but following their acrimonious 1993 breakup the group’s stature in the music world only grew, influencing bands from Nirvana to Weezer. When the Pixies re-formed in 2004, fans were ready.

The offbeat indie rock band, known for gloriously quirky songs like “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Here Comes Your Man,” have now been together longer post-reunion than they were initially a group. The Pixies regularly release new music and tour, although the role of original bassist Kim Deal, an integral part of the group, is now filled by bassist Paz Lenchantin.

Still, the nostalgia component to the Pixies’ appeal remains.

“The Pixies album ‘Surfer Rosa’ was released my junior year of high school, and along with ‘Doolittle’ it was a major part of the soundtrack of my youth,” said Kim Marsella of Gansevoort.

“The later albums helped me get through college and grad school, but I’ve never seen the band live. Although I would love to see Kim Deal, who I just worshipped in high school and still do, I’m still super excited. I also think Modest Mouse will be fun to see. I love their energy.”

For many area music fans, the tour by Dead & Company, which comes to SPAC on June 17, is not to be missed.

This summer’s tour will be the final one by Dead & Company, who represent the best opportunity to relive the spirit and music of legendary jam band the Grateful Dead, which ended in 1995 after the death of frontman Jerry Garcia.

Dead & Company formed in 2015 when the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir joined forces with musician John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge, and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. The supergroup quickly became one of the most popular touring bands.

“I grew up listening to taped copies of recorded Grateful Dead shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s,” said Tara Eaton of Saratoga Springs. “I was at the last show Jerry played at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany in March 1990. So, for me, seeing a Dead & Co show is an embodiment of the ‘60s and ‘70s counterculture and the San Francisco revolutionary spirit of that moment in our history. It’s happy, exciting, everyone is vibin’, and the songs are poetry in motion.”

“At a Dead show, you feel like there is a real chance for peace and love for our fellow humans to reign — like there’s hope for a better world,” Eaton said, adding. “Let your love light shine!”

Another undeniably popular act is Dave Matthews Band, which has performed at SPAC more than 40 times since 1994. The South African-born Matthews has always been a big fan of the Saratoga Springs amphitheater, where he typically returns for two shows every summer.

Alisa Huggins of Glens Falls has been to every Dave Matthews show at SPAC since 2000, and has seen his band perform a total of 58 times throughout the Northeast. She and her friends make a full day of it, staging picnics in the pavilions at Saratoga Spa State Park before Dave takes the stage. She even met Matthews at Farm Aid at SPAC in 2013, when he was on the bill for the farm advocacy organization, of which he is a founding member.

Matthews’ deeply nostalgic songs tend to resonate personally with his audience.

“It’s a yearly tradition. I’ve made a number of friends through the years bonding over our love for the music,” said Huggins.

Here are some other picks by area music fans:

Laura Jane Grace, Empire Underground in Albany, June 28

“I’m excited because I think the songwriting and music are fantastic, and they speak to me. But I also recognize the importance of LJG as a visible role model for those who might be transitioning or struggling with their own gender dysphoria. Brave people inspire other people to be brave and be themselves.” — Diana Steenburg, Albany

Tears for Fears, SPAC in Saratoga Springs, July 2

“Tears for Fears remain my favorite pop band from the ‘80s. Their more recent albums are just as good or better than their early work. Solid songwriting, catchy hooks, great balance of new wave sounds and electric guitar work. I saw them open for Hall & Oates some years ago, and they stole the show. I’m excited to see them in a headlining slot.” — Bob Buckley, Albany

X, Empire Live in Albany, July 3

“To me, they remain an important band, and they get out there and prove that they still enjoy sharing the music and history with the crowd. I missed the very early iterations of their fame, so this is only my third live X show, and I wouldn’t miss it.” — Chris Nemeth, Albany

Big Thief, Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, July 19

“Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker has gotten increasingly adventurous with her songwriting and arrangements, so I’m eager to see how the band performs her songs live.” — Eric Schneider, Saratoga Springs

Julia Jacklin, Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, Aug. 4

“She’s an Aussie singer with an incredible voice. I caught her twice pre-COVID at the Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta, and it will be amazing to see her in such an intimate venue.” — Craig McAvoy, Waterford

Messer Chups, No Fun in Troy, Aug. 21

“Summer is all about hitting the beach and catching some tasty waves, so I’m eagerly looking forward to the killer surf/rockabilly/twang/rock ‘n’ roll lineup of Messer Chups, Ichi-Bons and Albany’s own Jagaloons. Messer Chups from St. Petersburg, Russia, look like a motorcycle mechanic and a craft brewer kidnapped a Bettie Page look-alike to have her play bass in their band. I’m interested in any band that has been known to rock the ‘Twin Peaks’ theme live.” — Leif Zurmuhlen, Schenectady

Categories: Entertainment, Life and Arts, Life and Arts, Saratoga Springs

For the first time in the 2020s, Japan’s summer music festival calendar looks normal.

During the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale gatherings were postponed or canceled, delivering a major blow to the country’s music industry. And when events started making their return, something felt off. Hampered by lower capacities and rules like “no cheering,” the communal thrills such festivals usually bring were missing. That, though, was a necessity — a health precaution as well as a way to keep the media eager to spot any festival slipups at bay.

Thankfully, the happy vibes — and a sense of freedom — are back in 2023, with relaxed regulations and dozens of regional and genre-specific live-music events happening over the next three months. It’s safe to call this the true return of summer music festivals, with a surplus of options to fill up the season.

You might not be able to find him on Spotify, but if you’re on the West Coast this summer, you can find Neil Young back on stage. The Godfather of Grunge will return to touring for the first time since before the pandemic with a run of solo acoustic theater shows in July, per Rolling Stone.

There is a slight catch to Young’s first tour in four years, as he explained to paid Patreon subscribes to the Neil Young Archives in a Zoom call on Wednesday (an official announcement is slated for Friday). For these concerts, Young has crafted a setlist centered largely around songs he’s never played live.

“I don’t want to come back and do the same songs again,” Young said. “I’ll feel like I was on some sort of carnival ride. I’d rather be doing these other songs I haven’t done…I won’t have to compare how I’m doing ‘Heart of Gold’ to [how I played it in] 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020…”

Young said he has a list of about 15 songs for the shows, calling out several in particular from throughout his vast catalog. “Song X” from his 1995 collaboration with Pearl Jam, Mirror Ball, made the cut, along with “Prime of Life” from 1994’s Sleeps With Angels, and the 1982 Trans outtake “If You Got Love”.

While the emphasis for these shows is on deeper cuts, Young isn’t annexing his tome of hits. According to the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, about 80% of the show will be devoted to the hidden gems.

“They’re not new songs,” he said. “They’re old songs. But I wake up with them in my head every morning. They are songs that apply to my life right now, and apply to everyone’s lives in this era that we’re in. Some of them were written 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago, but never really played live.”

The full list of tour dates will arrive on Friday, but Young teased that the run will begin with a four- or five-night residency at a West Coast “tiny, little unknown theater that’s close to one of the most well-known theaters in the world.”

Since Farm Aid in September 2019, Young has performed live just three times. He took protestors by surprise when he appeared at the “United For Old Growth Rally” in Victoria, BC on February 25th where he played two acoustic songs. Two months later, he staged a proper set with former Buffalo Springfield bandmate Stephen Stills at the guitarist’s Light Up The Blues benefit for autism. The following week, he made a brief appearance as part of the star-studded Willie Nelson 90th birthday concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

Young attributed his years-long reluctance to play live to lingering fears of the spread of COVID. While he did not engage with fans face-to-face, he kept up a steady flow of Fireside Sessions livestreams during quarantine, performing solo acoustic rarities from his cabin in the Colorado mountains, his wife Daryl Hannah behind the camera. All the while, the Neil Young Archives kept fans stocked with a continuous slate of archival releases, with Young even digging up his “lost” 1975 album Homegrown, among many other gems from the vault.

Stay tuned for additional details regarding the Neil Young West Coast solo acoustic tour.

Swifties didn’t just take over Soldier Field this past weekend in Chicago.

According to the city’s official tourism and marketing organization Choose Chicago, this past weekend in Chicago broke hotel occupancy records, thanks to a handful of downtown events, including the 2023 James Beard Awards, a large medical conference, and of course, three nights of sold-out Taylor Swift shows at Soldier Field.

“Chicago set its new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied,” a tweet from Choose Chicago read Wednesday, adding that more than 44,000 hotel rooms were occupied over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Those occupancies, the organization says, accounted for $39 million in total hotel revenue.

This just in! 🚨

Chicago set its new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied!

Thanks to three nights of Taylor Swift, the ASCO Annual Meeting, the James Beard Awards and more.

This isn’t just post-pandemic–we had more rooms filled than ever in Chicago’s history! pic.twitter.com/OqEGB3ZB2C

— Choose Chicago (@ChooseChicago) June 7, 2023

A recent report from the Chicago Sun-Times said that new data from the organizing shows nearly 48.9 million domestic and overseas visitors hit the town in 2022, an amount 60% higher than in 2021.

And summer events in the city aren’t set to slow down anytime soon. More than 60 big-name concerts including Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen and Dead & Company are set to come to venues across the city, along with events like a first-ever NASCAR Chicago Street Race, the 2023 Taste of Chicago, Lollapalooza and more.

Diljit Dosanjh Slams Report Of Being Touchy With Taylor Swift

A tweet from a Canadian news outlet based in British Columbia on Wednesday read, “BREAKING: Vancouver patrons were in for a surprise when they saw two of their favourite stars dining together at Cactus Club Cafe Coal Harbor on Monday night. Multiple sources confirmed that Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh were laughing and being ‘touch touch’.”

O Wednesday (June 8), Diljit tweeted in Punjabi as he joked about the report. In the now-deleted tweet, the singer-actor wrote, “Yaar privacy naam di v koi cheez hundi aa (There is something called privacy).”

In other news, Taylor and Matty Healy, who began dating in May this year, have reportedly broken up.

Work Front

Meanwhile, on the work front, Diljit Dosanjh will be next seen in Rhea Kapoor’s The Crew, also starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu, and Kriti Sanon. He also has Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila, alongside Parineeti Chopra. Diljit also performed twice at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2023 in California this year.

Diljit Dosanjh is known for his popular Punjabi songs such as Proper Patola, Do You Know, Patiala Peg, Lover, Vibe, and others. He has worked in Bollywood films such as Phillauri, Soorma, Welcome To New York, Arjun Patiala,Sooraj Pe Mangal Bhaari, Good Newwz among others.