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march, 2026

sun01mar8:00 pmsun11:59 pmPEACHESNo Lube So Rude Tour8:00 pm - 11:59 pm Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street

mon02mar8:00 pmmon9:30 pmKota The Friend8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Monday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Avery Marcel Joshua Jones (born October 16, 1992), known by his stage name KOTA The Friend is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He got his stage name from the Disney movie Brother Bear and is actually a Native American word “Koda” meaning friend.

Kota most recently released his No Rap on Sunday album, which include singles featuring Big Sean and Fivio Foreign. Besides his No Rap on Sunday release, Kota has released a number of albums and EPs. In 2024 he released Once in a Blue Moon, an album collaboration with Statik Selektah, and in the same year he released Lyrics to Go 5, the 5h installment of his popular Lyrics to Go series.

Kota is a trained musician as well. He started playing the trumpet in the 4th grade, in a Brooklyn public school. He was able to get accepted into music programs in middle school, high school, and college, as a trumpet player. After Kota left college he started his music career, as a writer and performer.

Kota the Friend released his debut mixtape, Palm Tree Liquor in 2016, followed by his second mixtape Paloma Beach in 2017.

In 2018, he released his third mixtape, the lengthier Anything, with 2019 marking the release of his first independent studio album, FOTO, followed by the Lyrics to GO, Vol. 1 compilation in January 2020 and then his second studio album, EVERYTHING, in late May of the same year. Kota then went on to release Lyrics to GO, Vol.2 in January 2021 and the collaborative project To Kill A Sunrise with Statik Selektah later in March. Lyrics to GO, Vol.3 was surprise-released in January 2022, with Kota’s third studio album, MEMO, following in July of that year. Kota the Friend has spent the last couple years of his life traveling the world.

Kota has remained 100% independent throughout his career—turning down 3 major record labels; instead, creating his own label and apparel brand, FLTBYS (Flight Boys). He frequently cites a do-it-yourself mentality, such as filming his own music videos, recording within a home setup, and producing most of his discography. His mentality was fueled by a desire for freedom and to avoid the sense of musical confinement.

Kota’s music has been featured in movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming platforms.

Kota the Friend cited Jay-Z, Nas, Kid Cudi, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Pharrell as some of his influences in music.

mon02mar10:30 pmmon11:59 pmKota The Friend10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Monday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Avery Marcel Joshua Jones (born October 16, 1992), known by his stage name KOTA The Friend is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He got his stage name from the Disney movie Brother Bear and is actually a Native American word “Koda” meaning friend.

Kota most recently released his No Rap on Sunday album, which include singles featuring Big Sean and Fivio Foreign. Besides his No Rap on Sunday release, Kota has released a number of albums and EPs. In 2024 he released Once in a Blue Moon, an album collaboration with Statik Selektah, and in the same year he released Lyrics to Go 5, the 5h installment of his popular Lyrics to Go series.

Kota is a trained musician as well. He started playing the trumpet in the 4th grade, in a Brooklyn public school. He was able to get accepted into music programs in middle school, high school, and college, as a trumpet player. After Kota left college he started his music career, as a writer and performer.

Kota the Friend released his debut mixtape, Palm Tree Liquor in 2016, followed by his second mixtape Paloma Beach in 2017.

In 2018, he released his third mixtape, the lengthier Anything, with 2019 marking the release of his first independent studio album, FOTO, followed by the Lyrics to GO, Vol. 1 compilation in January 2020 and then his second studio album, EVERYTHING, in late May of the same year. Kota then went on to release Lyrics to GO, Vol.2 in January 2021 and the collaborative project To Kill A Sunrise with Statik Selektah later in March. Lyrics to GO, Vol.3 was surprise-released in January 2022, with Kota’s third studio album, MEMO, following in July of that year. Kota the Friend has spent the last couple years of his life traveling the world.

Kota has remained 100% independent throughout his career—turning down 3 major record labels; instead, creating his own label and apparel brand, FLTBYS (Flight Boys). He frequently cites a do-it-yourself mentality, such as filming his own music videos, recording within a home setup, and producing most of his discography. His mentality was fueled by a desire for freedom and to avoid the sense of musical confinement.

Kota’s music has been featured in movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming platforms.

Kota the Friend cited Jay-Z, Nas, Kid Cudi, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Pharrell as some of his influences in music.

tue03mar6:00 pmtue11:00 pmMuo Duo6:00 pm - 11:00 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

tue03mar7:00 pmtue10:00 pmMaggie Lindemann7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Webster Hall, 125 E 11th Street

tue03mar8:00 pmtue9:30 pmJane Handcock8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Tuesday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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R&B artist Jane Handcock is known for her plainspoken lyricism and a versatile voice that sounds natural whether over throwback soul, progressive R&B, electro, or reggae, among other styles. She got her start co-writing songs with former classmate Adrian Marcel and established a long-term association with legend and fellow Oakland native Raphael Saadiq, who presented her first two albums, Truth Be Told (2016) and Truth Explains a Lot (2017). Following a stint with Def Jam that yielded a couple singles, Handcock settled in with Snoop Dogg and Death Row, delivering World of Women (2023) amid outside work that included a showcase on the soundtrack of The Color Purple. All along, Handcock has juggled writing for other artists and herself. By the time she released “I Can’t Recall It” (2024), her list of collaborators included the likes of Kelly Rowland, Big K.R.I.T., and Killer Mike.

Born and raised in Oakland, Handcock (real name Myariah Summers) started singing at a very young age and came up in the church. She attended Oakland School for the Arts, and was classmates with Adrian Marcel and Kehlani. While working on Marcel’s 7 Days of Weak — for which she co-wrote all of the songs — she met Raphael Saadiq, with whom she continued to collaborate extensively. She co-wrote songs for the likes of Kelly Rowland and Big K.R.I.T. before she made her solo debut in 2016 with Truth Be Told, presented by Saadiq. The sleek album was highlighted by the Marcel-assisted “Down 2 Learn,” an impassioned ballad with a snaking bassline true to the Bay Area. Truth Explains a Lot, the 2017 follow-up, included a sequel to “Down 2 Learn” and an appearance from Mistah F.A.B. Handcock continued to write for other artists over the next couple years but was more prolific on her own, issuing a handful of EPs over the course of 2018 and 2019. She closed out the decade with the nine-song release Summer Type Flow.

Another independent EP from Handcock arrived in 2020, after which she was briefly affiliated with Def Jam, releasing “Like My Weed” in 2021 and “Til We Meet Again” in 2022. The first of those two singles appeared on Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm. Handcock then joined the roster of Death Row Records, a smooth transition with label boss Snoop and October London both present on her refined 2023 album World of Women. The same year, Handcock contributed to the soundtracks for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and The Color Purple. In 2024, the singer was featured on Killer Mike’s “Lord Prepare Me,” and she partnered with Charlie Bereal on the single “I Can’t Recall It,” a breezy ballad. – Biography by Andy Kellman

tue03mar8:00 pmtue11:00 pmNepFlorida Girls Goes To...Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm World Cafe Live - Philly, 3025 Walnut Street

Time

(Tuesday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

World Cafe Live - Philly

3025 Walnut Street

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The story of Nep begins in Daytona, Florida, a place of endless motorcycle rallies, sticky summers, and the kind of small-town culture she always knew she’d leave behind. Growing up surrounded by Bike Week and Biketoberfest, she felt both shaped and alienated by the noise of her hometown. “Beaches are fucked, Daytona sucks,” she sings on Biketoberfest, mocking and mourning the place that raised her.

It’s that push and pull, the desire to escape and the need to memorialize, that fuels her debut album, Noelle. Written during her senior year at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Nep crafted the record with her best friend and collaborator Jake Sonderman. Between classes, late-night studio sessions, and college parties that often bled into the lyrics themselves, the pair built an album that feels both diaristic and cinematic: raw experience refracted through sharp, infectious indie-pop.

Each track on Noelle pulls from a different corner of Nep’s lived experience and explores a different sonic palette. All Around Beauty captures the heartbreak of running into an ex at a college party, blue tongues, Jell-O shots, tears in the bathroom. The title track, Noelle, sets aching strings against lyrics of rage and betrayal: “I was a kid / You were a guy / It’s not fair / I was a girl.” Black Car begins as a delicate piano ballad before erupting into a punk track with a heavy metal guitar solo, memorializing a summer defined by grief and family rituals. Scar leans into a bluegrass inspired folk arrangement that detonates into a harsh rock ending, tracing the way friendships can wound and mark us permanently. By the album’s end, July opens into a big band sound with horns dominating the track & points toward renewal: “I think I might love life again.” The final track, Florida Girl, closes the record with an anthem of self realization, a defiant chant that reclaims her roots while refusing to be defined by them.

Nep has been building an audience for years, long before any records were even finished. Short clips and demos posted to TikTok racked up over 5 million likes, drawing fans to her mix of sardonic humor, brutal honesty, and a quirky charm that makes even her darkest songs feel oddly uplifting. She quickly translated that online energy to the stage, selling out early headline shows in Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago, and touring alongside Ricky Montgomery, mxmtoon, and Grent Perez.

With the release of Noelle, Nep is not just putting out an album; she’s leaving Florida behind. After years of translating Daytona’s beaches, bike rallies, and heartbreak into song, she’s moving to Los Angeles, a new chapter, a new landscape.

Even so, traces of home are everywhere in her songs: in the defiance of Florida Girl (“You can never break a Florida girl”), in the humor and heartbreak of I Will Always Love You, Alright, and in the unflinching intimacy of The Soundtrack.

Noelle is both an origin story and an emancipation. It documents the mess of youth and the catharsis of finally walking away. In Nep’s world, scars become anthems, heartbreak becomes punchlines, and growing up in Daytona becomes the stuff of unforgettable songs.

tue03mar10:30 pmtue11:59 pmJane Handcock10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Tuesday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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R&B artist Jane Handcock is known for her plainspoken lyricism and a versatile voice that sounds natural whether over throwback soul, progressive R&B, electro, or reggae, among other styles. She got her start co-writing songs with former classmate Adrian Marcel and established a long-term association with legend and fellow Oakland native Raphael Saadiq, who presented her first two albums, Truth Be Told (2016) and Truth Explains a Lot (2017). Following a stint with Def Jam that yielded a couple singles, Handcock settled in with Snoop Dogg and Death Row, delivering World of Women (2023) amid outside work that included a showcase on the soundtrack of The Color Purple. All along, Handcock has juggled writing for other artists and herself. By the time she released “I Can’t Recall It” (2024), her list of collaborators included the likes of Kelly Rowland, Big K.R.I.T., and Killer Mike.

Born and raised in Oakland, Handcock (real name Myariah Summers) started singing at a very young age and came up in the church. She attended Oakland School for the Arts, and was classmates with Adrian Marcel and Kehlani. While working on Marcel’s 7 Days of Weak — for which she co-wrote all of the songs — she met Raphael Saadiq, with whom she continued to collaborate extensively. She co-wrote songs for the likes of Kelly Rowland and Big K.R.I.T. before she made her solo debut in 2016 with Truth Be Told, presented by Saadiq. The sleek album was highlighted by the Marcel-assisted “Down 2 Learn,” an impassioned ballad with a snaking bassline true to the Bay Area. Truth Explains a Lot, the 2017 follow-up, included a sequel to “Down 2 Learn” and an appearance from Mistah F.A.B. Handcock continued to write for other artists over the next couple years but was more prolific on her own, issuing a handful of EPs over the course of 2018 and 2019. She closed out the decade with the nine-song release Summer Type Flow.

Another independent EP from Handcock arrived in 2020, after which she was briefly affiliated with Def Jam, releasing “Like My Weed” in 2021 and “Til We Meet Again” in 2022. The first of those two singles appeared on Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm. Handcock then joined the roster of Death Row Records, a smooth transition with label boss Snoop and October London both present on her refined 2023 album World of Women. The same year, Handcock contributed to the soundtracks for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and The Color Purple. In 2024, the singer was featured on Killer Mike’s “Lord Prepare Me,” and she partnered with Charlie Bereal on the single “I Can’t Recall It,” a breezy ballad. – Biography by Andy Kellman

wed04mar7:00 pmwed11:00 pmPhotay7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Public Records, 233 Butler Street

wed04mar8:00 pmwed9:30 pmJane Handcock8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Wednesday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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R&B artist Jane Handcock is known for her plainspoken lyricism and a versatile voice that sounds natural whether over throwback soul, progressive R&B, electro, or reggae, among other styles. She got her start co-writing songs with former classmate Adrian Marcel and established a long-term association with legend and fellow Oakland native Raphael Saadiq, who presented her first two albums, Truth Be Told (2016) and Truth Explains a Lot (2017). Following a stint with Def Jam that yielded a couple singles, Handcock settled in with Snoop Dogg and Death Row, delivering World of Women (2023) amid outside work that included a showcase on the soundtrack of The Color Purple. All along, Handcock has juggled writing for other artists and herself. By the time she released “I Can’t Recall It” (2024), her list of collaborators included the likes of Kelly Rowland, Big K.R.I.T., and Killer Mike.

Born and raised in Oakland, Handcock (real name Myariah Summers) started singing at a very young age and came up in the church. She attended Oakland School for the Arts, and was classmates with Adrian Marcel and Kehlani. While working on Marcel’s 7 Days of Weak — for which she co-wrote all of the songs — she met Raphael Saadiq, with whom she continued to collaborate extensively. She co-wrote songs for the likes of Kelly Rowland and Big K.R.I.T. before she made her solo debut in 2016 with Truth Be Told, presented by Saadiq. The sleek album was highlighted by the Marcel-assisted “Down 2 Learn,” an impassioned ballad with a snaking bassline true to the Bay Area. Truth Explains a Lot, the 2017 follow-up, included a sequel to “Down 2 Learn” and an appearance from Mistah F.A.B. Handcock continued to write for other artists over the next couple years but was more prolific on her own, issuing a handful of EPs over the course of 2018 and 2019. She closed out the decade with the nine-song release Summer Type Flow.

Another independent EP from Handcock arrived in 2020, after which she was briefly affiliated with Def Jam, releasing “Like My Weed” in 2021 and “Til We Meet Again” in 2022. The first of those two singles appeared on Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm. Handcock then joined the roster of Death Row Records, a smooth transition with label boss Snoop and October London both present on her refined 2023 album World of Women. The same year, Handcock contributed to the soundtracks for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and The Color Purple. In 2024, the singer was featured on Killer Mike’s “Lord Prepare Me,” and she partnered with Charlie Bereal on the single “I Can’t Recall It,” a breezy ballad. – Biography by Andy Kellman

wed04mar9:30 pmwed11:59 pmIDK9:30 pm - 11:59 pm Baby's All Right, 146 Broadway

Time

(Wednesday) 9:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Baby's All Right

146 Broadway

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Maryland-based rapper IDK deals in direct and often nakedly autobiographical subject matter, rhyming about the pain of addiction and the complex world of drug dealing and substance abuse from firsthand experience. A string of mixtapes led up to releases like the 2019 studio album Is He Real? and its fully realized 2021 follow-up, USEE4YOURSELF. IDK continued to manage a new album each year, with Simple arriving in 2022, followed by F65 in 2023. The jazzy, trap-influenced BRAVADO+INTiMO appeared in 2024, and the rapper issued the mixtape Even the Devil Smiles in 2026.

IDK was born Jason Mills in London in 1992. IDK stands for “Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge,” another signifier of his often-vulnerable lyrical style. He released a string of mixtapes starting with Sex, Drugs & Homework in 2014, followed by SubTrap the next year and Empty Bank the year after that. These busy years also saw IDK collaborating with musicians such as Deniro Farrar, Cole King, and Jimi Tents and sharing stages with better-known rappers. His debut album, IWASVERYBAD, was released in 2017 on the Adult Swim label. The record featured cameos by a host of well-known names, including Chief Keef, DOOM, and even veteran West Coast talent Del the Funky Homosapien. A host of singles arrived in 2018 including “No Wave” featuring Denzel Curry and “Lil Arrogant” featuring Joey Bada$$ and Russ. The seven-track EP IDK & Friends 🙂 followed later that November.

In 2019, IDK’s second studio album, Is He Real?, arrived as his first release with a major label. The record expanded the rapper/producer’s range, exploring topics of faith and society. In 2020, he worked as music supervisor for Kevin Durant’s documentary Basketball County: In the Water, releasing the nine-track IDK & FRIENDS 2 as the soundtrack. The project included appearances from Juicy J, PnB Rock, Denzel Curry, Maxo Kream, and many others. In 2021, IDK issued the studio album USEE4YOURSELF, featuring guest spots from big names like Jay Electronica, Rico Nasty, and Slick Rick. The set, which hit number one on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart, was heavy on emotionally open lyrics and broke through the Billboard 200 chart. The following year saw the release of Simple, which included the hits “Taco” and “Dog Food (feat. Denzel Curry).” IDK kept rolling with the stand-alone single “Monsieur Dio,” followed in 2023 by his fourth LP, F65. A lengthy 22-track set, the album’s guest list included Snoop Dogg, Benny the Butcher, and Rich the Kid, among others. The single “Win” followed the album, and the rapper teamed up with Joey Bada$$ again in 2024, releasing the song “DENiM.” It was included on the full-length BRAVADO+INTiMO, which also featured Conway the Machine as a guest. In 2026, IDK issued the mixtape Even the Devil Smiles. It featured guests like Black Thought, Joey Valence & Brae, Pusha T, RZA, and a posthumous appearance from DMX. – Biography by Fred Thomas

wed04mar10:30 pmwed11:59 pmJane Handcock10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Wednesday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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R&B artist Jane Handcock is known for her plainspoken lyricism and a versatile voice that sounds natural whether over throwback soul, progressive R&B, electro, or reggae, among other styles. She got her start co-writing songs with former classmate Adrian Marcel and established a long-term association with legend and fellow Oakland native Raphael Saadiq, who presented her first two albums, Truth Be Told (2016) and Truth Explains a Lot (2017). Following a stint with Def Jam that yielded a couple singles, Handcock settled in with Snoop Dogg and Death Row, delivering World of Women (2023) amid outside work that included a showcase on the soundtrack of The Color Purple. All along, Handcock has juggled writing for other artists and herself. By the time she released “I Can’t Recall It” (2024), her list of collaborators included the likes of Kelly Rowland, Big K.R.I.T., and Killer Mike.

Born and raised in Oakland, Handcock (real name Myariah Summers) started singing at a very young age and came up in the church. She attended Oakland School for the Arts, and was classmates with Adrian Marcel and Kehlani. While working on Marcel’s 7 Days of Weak — for which she co-wrote all of the songs — she met Raphael Saadiq, with whom she continued to collaborate extensively. She co-wrote songs for the likes of Kelly Rowland and Big K.R.I.T. before she made her solo debut in 2016 with Truth Be Told, presented by Saadiq. The sleek album was highlighted by the Marcel-assisted “Down 2 Learn,” an impassioned ballad with a snaking bassline true to the Bay Area. Truth Explains a Lot, the 2017 follow-up, included a sequel to “Down 2 Learn” and an appearance from Mistah F.A.B. Handcock continued to write for other artists over the next couple years but was more prolific on her own, issuing a handful of EPs over the course of 2018 and 2019. She closed out the decade with the nine-song release Summer Type Flow.

Another independent EP from Handcock arrived in 2020, after which she was briefly affiliated with Def Jam, releasing “Like My Weed” in 2021 and “Til We Meet Again” in 2022. The first of those two singles appeared on Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm. Handcock then joined the roster of Death Row Records, a smooth transition with label boss Snoop and October London both present on her refined 2023 album World of Women. The same year, Handcock contributed to the soundtracks for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and The Color Purple. In 2024, the singer was featured on Killer Mike’s “Lord Prepare Me,” and she partnered with Charlie Bereal on the single “I Can’t Recall It,” a breezy ballad. – Biography by Andy Kellman

thu05mar6:00 pmthu9:00 pmCaroline Jones6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

Time

(Thursday) 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location

Mercury Lounge

17 E Houston Street

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Singer and songwriter Caroline Jones is a multi-talented artist with a strong background in pop and contemporary folk music, though it was a song aimed at the country market that gave Jones her commercial breakthrough. In addition to her 2011 debut Fallen Flower, her initial efforts were all self-released until the arrival of “Tough Guy” from 2018’s Bare Feet launched her onto the U.S. charts and the country mainstream.

Born in New York City, Jones grew up in Connecticut and developed a love of music at an early age. At the age of nine, she asked her parents to enroll her in singing lessons (she was particularly keen on learning how to sing “My Heart Will Go On” like Céline Dion), and she was ten when she wrote her first song. Jones also took piano lessons, and after mastering the keyboard, she learned to play guitar, banjo, and Dobro. She was 16 when she visited Nashville for the first time; she attended a songwriters’ night at the famous Bluebird Cafe, and the experience led her to put new focus on composing. She moved to Florida and began studying the compositional styles of country artists she admired, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams. While honing her songwriting skills, she relocated to New York City, and began playing out regularly. In partnership with Stedman Graham and the Sonima Foundation, Jones also performed at schools and colleges as part of The Heart Is Smart, an educational program that encourages young people to use music and songwriting as a means of expression. She also became the host of Art & Soul, a satellite radio show in which she chats with fellow musicians about the art and craft of songwriting. In January 2011, Jones issued her first album, a self-released effort titled Fallen Flower, which was soon followed by Nice to Know You in January 2012 and Clean Dirt in March 2012. The prolific artist released a fourth album, The Heart Is Smart, in September 2012, and several digital singles over the next four years. In 2016, Jones teamed up with producer Ric Wake, who produced the Céline Dion number that inspired her as a girl, among many other credits. Their sessions not only highlighted Jones as a vocalist and songwriter, but showed off her instrumental talents, with her playing all the instruments except bass and drums. One of the first fruits of their collaboration was “Tough Guys,” a song about a woman’s empowerment in a male-dominated world; it was released as a single in October 2016, and quickly attracted a following via satellite radio and online play. “Tough Guy” turned Caroline Jones into one of country music’s rising stars, and she reached new audiences as she toured as an opening act for the Zac Brown Band. Her appearance at a hurricane benefit concert put her in contact with Jimmy Buffett, who liked her style and signed her to his Mailboat Records. Mailboat released Jones’ fifth album, Bare Feet, in March 2018; she co-produced the set with Wake. The effort was her first to chart on Billboard, landing in the Top 20 on the Heatseekers, Independent, and Country Sales lists. The following year, she issued the EP Chasin’ Me. – Biography by Mark Deming

thu05mar7:00 pmthu11:00 pmMarket7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue

thu05mar8:00 pmthu9:30 pmKem8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Thursday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

thu05mar8:00 pmthu11:00 pmBryce Vine8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street

Time

(Thursday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Bowery Ballroom

6 Delancey Street

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A rapper and singer who blends pop, hip-hop, and alternative rock influences, Bryce Vine delivers witty, thoughtful lyrics and catchy hooks that have won him a substantial following. His rhyming style is at once relaxed and quick-witted, full of dry wit and casual observations on relationships (his 2018 breakthrough hit “Drew Barrymore”) and the world around him (2014’s “Sour Patch Kids,” his first online success), while the tracks mix up hip-hop conventions with idiosyncratic melodies with the guitar often prominent in the arrangements. After enjoying major success as an independent artist, Vine signed with a major label for the release of his debut full-length, Carnival, in 2019. He continued to release a steady stream of singles where he explored different sounds and feelings, with the boastful rap of “Nobody,” the cocky breakup tune “y can’t we b friends,” and the darkly witty sociopolitical pop of “American Dream” all arriving within six months in 2022. Vine clicked again with 2025’s Motel California, which included the songs “Drugs,” “Vine St.,” and the title tune.

Bryce Vine was born Bryce Ross-Johnson in New York City on June 16, 1988. His mother, Tracey Ross, was an actress and his father, Brad Johnson, was a restaurateur. When he was ten years old, Vine moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where she pursued her career and looked after her son. In 1999, she landed a leading role on the daytime drama Passions, and her character appeared on the show until 2008. Her success allowed the family to settle in the L.A. suburb of Westlake Village, and watching his mother at work inspired young Vine to consider a career in the arts. His father shared a love of vintage R&B with his son, and when Vine was 13, his parents gave him a guitar, which he taught himself to play. In addition to ’90s R&B, he was also strongly influenced by pop-punk and alternative rock, especially Green Day and Third Eye Blind.

With time, Vine honed his talents as a vocalist and writer, and he made his recording debut in 2010 with a guest appearance on G-Eazy’s track “Coming Home.” At the suggestion of family and friends, he auditioned for The Glee Project in 2011, a reality television series intended to recruit talent for the then-popular TV show Glee. While Vine was accepted for The Glee Project’s first season, he was eliminated in the first episode; he later said he was happy with the outcome, telling a reporter, “That was not the right place for me.” Vine continued to focus on his music, attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he got to know Nolan Lambroza, who was making a name for himself as a producer, working with the likes of Lil Wayne, Pitbull, and Justin Bieber. Lambroza was impressed with Vine’s talents, and he signed him to his independent record label, Kiva House Lambroza.

In 2014, Vine released his debut EP, a six-song set called Lazy Fair (the title was a play on the French phrase “laissez-faire,” which was also the name of a boat owned by his parents). The EP spawned two online hits, “Sour Patch Kids” and “Guilty Pleasure,” which respectively racked up over 11 million and five million plays on streaming services. Bryce poked fun at the clichés of hardcore rap with 2015’s “The Thug Song,” a track built around a Green Day sample that prevented it from receiving a commercial release. Another EP, Night Circus, was released in 2016. A year later, Vine issued a single, “Drew Barrymore,” which became a hit after it was re-released in 2018, eventually going double platinum.

The early-2019 single “La La Land” (with YG) also reached the Billboard Hot 100 (and earned platinum certification). His debut full-length, Carnival, arrived in July and made the top half of the Billboard 200 album chart. In addition to Carnival, Vine also released the single “I’m Not Alright” with Loud Luxury in 2019, which earned a gold plaque. In February 2020, Vine was back in action, issuing the single “Baby Girl” (featuring Jeremih), which rose to Number 29 on the pop charts. A five-song EP, Problems, came out in August 2020 and included the tracks “Life Goes On” and “Problems,” the latter featuring Grady. A collaboration with the indie electronic group Cheat Codes, “Stay,” came out as a single, as well as appearing on the Cheat Codes’ 2021 LP, Hellraisers, Pt. 1.

Another teaming with a noted electronic dance pop act came in 2022 when Vine guested on “Water,” a single from U.K. duo Snakehips. (Three remix versions, from Ferreck Dawn, Quarterhead, and Torren Foot were issued simultaneously with the original track.) Vine’s busy release schedule did not slow down, as he issued three more major singles — “American Dream,” “y can’t we b friends,” and “Nobody” — in the first six months of 2022. In March 2023, he released a five-song EP, Serotonin, which included collaborations with Pheelz (“Help”) and Josef Salvat (“Grow Up”), and before the year was out, he issued two more songs, “Margot Robbie” and “Fix This” (the latter with Olivia Lunny). Vine devoted most of 2024 to touring, travel, and reconnecting with family and friends, while he also managed to find time to work on new songs. May 2025 saw the release of a second full-length album, Motel California, a set of gently satirical songs about life, love, and the lifestyle of the Golden State. – Biography by Mark Deming

thu05mar10:30 pmthu11:59 pmKem10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

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(Thursday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

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Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

fri06mar7:00 pmfri11:00 pmSweet Pill7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Ukie Club, 847 N Franklin Street

fri06mar7:00 pmfri11:00 pmgreekThe Cedar's Tape Tour7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street

fri06mar8:00 pmfri9:30 pmKem8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Friday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

fri06mar8:00 pmfri11:00 pmrum.goldIs There Anybody Home Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Public Records, 233 Butler Street

Time

(Friday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Public Records

233 Butler Street

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Rum.Gold is the alias of Delonte Drumgold, a progressive R&B artist whose softly affecting vocals suit his intimate writing and favoring of nuanced, layered productions. The Brooklyn-based Drumgold released his first EP in 2019, and the next year attracted more attention with Aimless, an EP highlighted by the Jamila Woods collaboration “Waiting For.” The pensive Thicker Than Water marked his full-length debut in 2021, and it was followed in 2023 by U Street Anthology, an LP shaped by Drumgold’s reckoning with his adoption and reflections on his upbringing in and around Washington, D.C. Is There Anybody Home?, his third album, appeared in 2026.

Born in D.C., Drumgold sang in church, and later took up trumpet, which he played in his high school jazz band. This led him to Berklee College of Music, where he earned a degree in music business management and marketing. Based in Brooklyn after college, Drumgold began recording and uploading tracks to Soundcloud, and eventually took the name Rum.Gold. With help from fellow singer/songwriter and producer James Chatburn, he put together an EP entitled Yarn, released in 2019. For Aimless, an EP issued the next year, Drumgold worked with Chatburn and George Moore, as well as Jamila Woods, with whom he duetted on “Waiting For.” Thicker Than Water, his first album, followed in 2021, and though it involved input from a considerably greater number of associates, its biggest songs, “Human” and “Thankful,” were produced respectively by Chatburn and Drumgold.

During the making of Thicker Than Water, Drumgold learned that he had been adopted. Through his birth certificate, he found his biological mother, and he and she eventually met at the church where she was serving as minister. The revelation, along with additional complicated feelings toward his hometown, greatly informed U Street Anthology, his second album, released in 2023. The intimate set was brought to fruition with help from George Moore, Rahm Silverglade, Frankie Scoca, and especially Josh Grant, who worked on over half of the songs. Mereba was featured on “Water My Heart,” while Kiah Victoria joined Drumgold on another romantic ballad, “Forget Me.” Within a year and a half of U Street Anthology’s release, Drumgold began previewing his next LP with “Is It Something I Said.” That song, along with a handful that followed into late 2025, appeared on Is There Anybody Home?, issued in March 2026. – Biography by Andy Kellman

fri06mar8:00 pmfri11:00 pmRobert Glasper8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street Event Organized By: WXPN

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(Friday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Union Transfer

1026 Spring Garden Street

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Robert Glasper is the leader of a new sonic paradigm with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. To date, he boasts 5 Grammy wins and 12 nominations across 11 categories, an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary “13th” with Common and Karriem Riggins, and a Peabody Award for his Composition of “Mr. Soul!”. His work and accolades bridge all aspects of the music business, from live touring to film scoring, composing and producing. Evolution is his hallmark. Glasper’s breakout crossover album Black Radio changed the face of the genre and set a new expectation for what popular music could be. The album won him the Grammy for best R&B album and established him as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists; notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, winning another Grammy for the elastic track “These Walls”. The ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community: from long-time sonic brothers Mos Def and Bilal, to legends including Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu. Glasper’s eternal pursuit to further his sound has been consistent in challenging and transforming his creative horizons across the board. Whether producing a remix album with Kaytranda or as a bandleader, Robert consistently defies the limits of the genre. This is evident in a portfolio that ranges from his acoustic jazz trio; which simultaneously defies and elevates the traditional idiom by uniting it effortlessly with electronics from visionary DJ Jahi Sundance, to August Greene; a collaboration with Common + Karriem Riggins, to R+R=Now; a supergroup at the crossroads of hip-hop and Jazz. In the last year alone, Glasper has seen a staggering diversity of success. He released Black Radio III and Black Radio III Supreme Edition on Loma Vista Records; with features ranging from Jennifer Hudson, Killer Mike, and the late Mac Miller. On screen he created the original score for Run The World Season 2 and The Best Man television series. In July 2022 he was the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the first Blue Note Napa Valley Jazz Festival, which brought to the stage a plethora of iconic artists; from Chaka Khan to Maxwell and Glasper’s Dinner Party project featuring Snoop Dogg. October 2022 sees him back in New York for his now-legendary month-long residency at the Blue Note NYC, with the usual array of star-studded appearances from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Questlove, Alex Isley and Miguel joining him both on and off stage. With boundless innovation and elite technique as his signature it’s no surprise that Glasper has an avalanche of accolades, awards, and achievements to his name – most recently being asked to play at the 2020 March On Washington with Derrick Hodge and funk legend, Sir George Clinton. In August of 2020, Robert released ‘Better Than Imagined’ which won the Grammy for Best R&B song in 2021; the first taste of his Black Radio 3 album. Featuring H.E.R and Meshell Ndegeocello, the song advocates for Black love and the power, and responsibility, we have to improve our world; again demonstrating that, above all, Glasper is an artist at the heart of a moment – and a movement – to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future.. The hip-hop-head-nod ballad is a dedication to just that: the beauty and brilliance of a heritage that is as much Kendrick as it is Coltrane, and which seeks to empower and uplift with every offering. Glasper later went on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Album for Black Radio 3 in 2023 In his own words: “Black lives matter and so does black love; no one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven’t had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we’re going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships — how we communicate, how we see ourselves, how we treat each other. It’s not always good, even though maybe it could be.” – Robert Glasper

Organizer

WXPN 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

fri06mar8:00 pmfri11:00 pmCat PowerThe Greatest Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Brooklyn Steel, 319 Frost Street

Time

(Friday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Brooklyn Steel

319 Frost Street

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An artist unafraid to bare her soul and follow her muse anywhere, Cat Power’s Chan Marshall pens emotionally unflinching songs and performs them with strength and vulnerability. Her earliest albums, such as 1996’s What Would the Community Think, reflected the influence of New York’s experimental rock scene. As time went on, the folk, blues, and soul music she was raised on made themselves known on 1998’s Moon Pix and 2006’s The Greatest, which featured performances by Memphis soul legends. Though Marshall’s respect for her roots made her a gifted interpreter on albums like 2008’s Jukebox and 2023’s Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert, her music never felt stuck in the past. As she added electronics on 2012’s Sun and released one of her starkest albums yet with 2018’s Wanderer, she established herself as one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters and paved the way for like-minded artists such as Mitski, Snail Mail, and Angel Olsen.

Chan (pronounced “Shawn”) Marshall was born Charlyn Marie Marshall in Atlanta, Georgia on January 21, 1972. Marshall’s father was a blues musician, but her parents divorced when she was young, and she spent much of her nomadic childhood moving back and forth between her father, her mother, and her grandfather. She grew up singing hymns while attending church with her grandmother, and wrote her first song when she was in fourth grade. Meanwhile, she immersed herself in the Otis Redding, Rolling Stones, and Credence Clearwater Revival albums in her stepfather’s collection; in her teens, she listened to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure.

When Marshall was 16, she moved in with her father in Atlanta, and by 18 she had dropped out of high school and settled on her own. She became a part of the city’s indie rock scene and played with several bands before forming a group called Cat Power. The name came from a trucker’s cap emblazoned with “Cat Diesel Power” that Marshall spotted while working at a pizza joint. She later took Cat Power as her solo performing moniker. In 1992, Marshall moved to New York City with a former member of her band, who also introduced her to the city’s experimental music community. She began playing semi-improvised shows, and in 1993 befriended the band God Is My Co-Pilot, who released Cat Power’s debut single “Headlights” b/w “Darling Said Sir” that year on their Making of Americans label. A gig opening for Liz Phair made fans out of Two Dollar Guitar’s Tim Foljahn and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, both of whom volunteered to help her make an album. In December 1994, they recorded 20 songs in a single day at a New York basement studio. The recordings were split into two releases: October 1995’s mini-album Dear Sir, a raw outing that balanced cathartic original songs with covers of songs by Tom Waits and This Kind of Punishment, and March 1996’s Myra Lee, which appeared on Shelley’s Smells Like Records label and featured some gentler songs alongside Marshall’s outbursts.

Strong reviews led to Marshall signing with Matador Records, and her third album, What Would the Community Think, appeared in September 1996. Recorded at Memphis, Tennessee’s Easley Studios and produced by Shelley, the album boasted more polished and wide-ranging performances and more focused songwriting, all of which were on display on the single “Nude as the News.” Following the album’s release, Marshall took a break from music and left New York City, relocating to Portland, Oregon and eventually a farmhouse in South Carolina. It was there that she experienced an intense nightmare that led her to write the songs that became the heart of her next album. Working with the Dirty Three’s Mick Turner and Jim White at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, Australia, September 1998’s Moon Pix featured a warmer, more full-bodied sound than Cat Power’s early work. The following year, Marshall embarked on a tour where she provided live accompaniment to the 1929 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc, and her setlist of original songs and covers inspired her to record some of these renditions. Appearing in March 2000, The Covers Record included a new recording of “In This Hole” from What Would the Community Think, along with interpretations of classic songs by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, Moby Grape, and others. The album’s simple, intimate approach struck a chord with enough listeners that it reached number 44 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the U.S.

In February 2003, Marshall returned with You Are Free. Offering a more poised and cohesive sound than her previous albums, it featured guest appearances from fans Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl as well as Ellis. The album marked Cat Power’s debut on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, peaking at number 105. The following October saw the release of Speaking for Trees, a DVD/CD set capturing a two-hour Cat Power performance of original and cover songs set in a woodland. During 2005, Marshall recorded The Greatest, a soul-influenced album featuring Memphis R&B legends Mabon “Teenie” Hodges and Leroy “Flick” Hodges from the Hi Records Rhythm Section. Marshall’s first album without cover songs, The Greatest came out in February 2006 to widespread acclaim: it debuted at number 34 on the Billboard 200 and won that year’s Shortlist Music Prize. She toured later that year with a group she called the Dirty Delta Blues Band, featuring White, Judah Bauer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Gregg Foreman of the Delta 72. Marshall worked on several other projects around this time, ranging from a duet with Karen Elson on the Serge Gainsbourg tribute album Monsieur Gainsbourg: Revisited and an appearance on Yoko Ono’s album Yes, I’m a Witch to a role in the film My Blueberry Nights. The Dirty Delta Blues Band formed the core of Marshall’s studio band for her next album, January 2008’s Jukebox. Another set of interpretations of songs originally by the likes of Billie Holiday, James Brown, and Joni Mitchell, the album built on The Greatest’s success, reaching number 12 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S. and selling over 100,000 copies in Europe. Marshall expanded on the album with that December’s Dark End of the Street EP, which collected more songs recorded while making Jukebox. Also in 2008, she appeared on Beck’s album Modern Guilt. The following year, Marshall contributed to the charity album Dark Was the Night and to Neko Case’s album Easy Come Easy Go.

After collaborating with Eddie Vedder on his album Ukulele Songs and releasing a version of her song “King Rides By” that benefitted The Festival of Children Foundation and The Ali Forney Center in 2011, Marshall released Sun in September 2012. Five years in the making, the album incorporated electronics into her signature style and was recorded in several locations, including her home studio in Malibu and in Paris with Cassius’ Philippe Zdar. Upon its release, it debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 album chart. Shortly after its arrival, Marshall was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema, an immune disorder that causes swelling in the body. Due to ongoing problems with the disorder, Marshall delayed her European tour until 2013. In 2015, she narrated the Janis Joplin documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue.

While continuing to tour, Marshall began work on her next album, recording in Miami and Los Angeles with engineer Jeff Dominguez and mixer Rob Schnapf. Marshall made her Domino Records debut with 2018’s Wanderer, a set of stripped-down, folk and blues-inspired songs that included “Woman,” a collaboration with former tourmate Lana Del Rey, and a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Wanderer peaked at number 96 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and reached number four on the Independent Albums chart. Several new songs from Marshall appeared on the soundtrack to the 2021 film Flag Day, and that year she toured with Alanis Morissette and Garbage. In January 2022, Marshall released Covers, her third collection of interpretations of some of her favorite songs; these included works originally performed by artists such as Del Rey, Frank Ocean, the Pogues, and Kitty Wells. That November, Cat Power ventured to London’s Royal Albert Hall to perform a song-for-song re-creation of Bob Dylan’s famed May 1966 concert, where he switched from acoustic to electric mid-show (though the show was actually held the Manchester Free Trade Hall, a mislabeled bootleg made it forever known as the “Royal Albert Hall Concert”). A year later, the reverential set was released as Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. – Biography by Heather Phares

fri06mar9:00 pmfri11:59 pmThe Ramona Flowers9:00 pm - 11:59 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

Time

(Friday) 9:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Mercury Lounge

17 E Houston Street

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Bristol-based quintet the Ramona Flowers make streamlined, guitar-forward pop with high production values and a sound that’s at home in the clubs but ready for stadiums. The band’s sound grew increasingly polished as they went, taking new forms on albums like 2025’s Made by Humans.

The group formed in 2012 after the disbandment of several other projects, taking their name from the lead female character of the comic book and film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The core of the group consisted of guitarist Sam James, bassist Wayne Jones, and keyboardist/guitarist Dave Betts, who met up with drummer Ed Gallimore and vocalist Steve Bird to begin crafting moody, electronically peppered alternative rock sounds in the vein of textural but still traditional acts like U2. They gigged often locally before catching the attention of indie Distiller Records. The label issued their 2012 EP Dismantle, a 2013 follow-up EP entitled Lust and Lies, and eventually, their full-length debut Dismantle and Rebuild in 2014. A second album, Part Time Spies, was released in 2016, and a third, Strangers, materialized in 2018. Along the way, the band shrunk to a four-piece and released a steady drip of singles, remixes, and EPs between more realized album-length projects. In 2025, the band’s fourth album, Made By Humans, was released, delivering the most potent and commercially accessible version of their sound to date. – Biography by Fred Thomas

fri06mar10:30 pmfri11:59 pmKem10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Friday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

fri06mar(mar 6)11:00 pmsat07(mar 7)3:00 amHoang11:00 pm - 3:00 am (7) Webster Hall, 125 E 11th Street

fri06mar(mar 6)11:00 pmsat07(mar 7)3:00 amArloTake Me Away Tour11:00 pm - 3:00 am (7) Baby's All Right, 146 Broadway

sat07mar6:00 pmsat9:00 pmCure For Paranoia6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

sat07mar7:00 pmsat11:59 pmFlamingosis7:00 pm - 11:59 pm Zone One at Elsewhere, 599 Johnson Avenue

sat07mar8:00 pmsat9:30 pmKem8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

sat07mar8:00 pmsat10:00 pmWhatmoreEastcoast W My Dogs Tour8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N Front Street

sat07mar8:00 pmsat11:00 pmrum.goldIs There Anybody Home Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Public Records, 233 Butler Street

Time

(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Public Records

233 Butler Street

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Rum.Gold is the alias of Delonte Drumgold, a progressive R&B artist whose softly affecting vocals suit his intimate writing and favoring of nuanced, layered productions. The Brooklyn-based Drumgold released his first EP in 2019, and the next year attracted more attention with Aimless, an EP highlighted by the Jamila Woods collaboration “Waiting For.” The pensive Thicker Than Water marked his full-length debut in 2021, and it was followed in 2023 by U Street Anthology, an LP shaped by Drumgold’s reckoning with his adoption and reflections on his upbringing in and around Washington, D.C. Is There Anybody Home?, his third album, appeared in 2026.

Born in D.C., Drumgold sang in church, and later took up trumpet, which he played in his high school jazz band. This led him to Berklee College of Music, where he earned a degree in music business management and marketing. Based in Brooklyn after college, Drumgold began recording and uploading tracks to Soundcloud, and eventually took the name Rum.Gold. With help from fellow singer/songwriter and producer James Chatburn, he put together an EP entitled Yarn, released in 2019. For Aimless, an EP issued the next year, Drumgold worked with Chatburn and George Moore, as well as Jamila Woods, with whom he duetted on “Waiting For.” Thicker Than Water, his first album, followed in 2021, and though it involved input from a considerably greater number of associates, its biggest songs, “Human” and “Thankful,” were produced respectively by Chatburn and Drumgold.

During the making of Thicker Than Water, Drumgold learned that he had been adopted. Through his birth certificate, he found his biological mother, and he and she eventually met at the church where she was serving as minister. The revelation, along with additional complicated feelings toward his hometown, greatly informed U Street Anthology, his second album, released in 2023. The intimate set was brought to fruition with help from George Moore, Rahm Silverglade, Frankie Scoca, and especially Josh Grant, who worked on over half of the songs. Mereba was featured on “Water My Heart,” while Kiah Victoria joined Drumgold on another romantic ballad, “Forget Me.” Within a year and a half of U Street Anthology’s release, Drumgold began previewing his next LP with “Is It Something I Said.” That song, along with a handful that followed into late 2025, appeared on Is There Anybody Home?, issued in March 2026. – Biography by Andy Kellman

sat07mar8:00 pmsat11:00 pmCat PowerThe Greatest Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Webster Hall, 125 E 11th Street

Time

(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Webster Hall

125 E 11th Street

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An artist unafraid to bare her soul and follow her muse anywhere, Cat Power’s Chan Marshall pens emotionally unflinching songs and performs them with strength and vulnerability. Her earliest albums, such as 1996’s What Would the Community Think, reflected the influence of New York’s experimental rock scene. As time went on, the folk, blues, and soul music she was raised on made themselves known on 1998’s Moon Pix and 2006’s The Greatest, which featured performances by Memphis soul legends. Though Marshall’s respect for her roots made her a gifted interpreter on albums like 2008’s Jukebox and 2023’s Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert, her music never felt stuck in the past. As she added electronics on 2012’s Sun and released one of her starkest albums yet with 2018’s Wanderer, she established herself as one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters and paved the way for like-minded artists such as Mitski, Snail Mail, and Angel Olsen.

Chan (pronounced “Shawn”) Marshall was born Charlyn Marie Marshall in Atlanta, Georgia on January 21, 1972. Marshall’s father was a blues musician, but her parents divorced when she was young, and she spent much of her nomadic childhood moving back and forth between her father, her mother, and her grandfather. She grew up singing hymns while attending church with her grandmother, and wrote her first song when she was in fourth grade. Meanwhile, she immersed herself in the Otis Redding, Rolling Stones, and Credence Clearwater Revival albums in her stepfather’s collection; in her teens, she listened to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure.

When Marshall was 16, she moved in with her father in Atlanta, and by 18 she had dropped out of high school and settled on her own. She became a part of the city’s indie rock scene and played with several bands before forming a group called Cat Power. The name came from a trucker’s cap emblazoned with “Cat Diesel Power” that Marshall spotted while working at a pizza joint. She later took Cat Power as her solo performing moniker. In 1992, Marshall moved to New York City with a former member of her band, who also introduced her to the city’s experimental music community. She began playing semi-improvised shows, and in 1993 befriended the band God Is My Co-Pilot, who released Cat Power’s debut single “Headlights” b/w “Darling Said Sir” that year on their Making of Americans label. A gig opening for Liz Phair made fans out of Two Dollar Guitar’s Tim Foljahn and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, both of whom volunteered to help her make an album. In December 1994, they recorded 20 songs in a single day at a New York basement studio. The recordings were split into two releases: October 1995’s mini-album Dear Sir, a raw outing that balanced cathartic original songs with covers of songs by Tom Waits and This Kind of Punishment, and March 1996’s Myra Lee, which appeared on Shelley’s Smells Like Records label and featured some gentler songs alongside Marshall’s outbursts.

Strong reviews led to Marshall signing with Matador Records, and her third album, What Would the Community Think, appeared in September 1996. Recorded at Memphis, Tennessee’s Easley Studios and produced by Shelley, the album boasted more polished and wide-ranging performances and more focused songwriting, all of which were on display on the single “Nude as the News.” Following the album’s release, Marshall took a break from music and left New York City, relocating to Portland, Oregon and eventually a farmhouse in South Carolina. It was there that she experienced an intense nightmare that led her to write the songs that became the heart of her next album. Working with the Dirty Three’s Mick Turner and Jim White at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, Australia, September 1998’s Moon Pix featured a warmer, more full-bodied sound than Cat Power’s early work. The following year, Marshall embarked on a tour where she provided live accompaniment to the 1929 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc, and her setlist of original songs and covers inspired her to record some of these renditions. Appearing in March 2000, The Covers Record included a new recording of “In This Hole” from What Would the Community Think, along with interpretations of classic songs by Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, Moby Grape, and others. The album’s simple, intimate approach struck a chord with enough listeners that it reached number 44 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the U.S.

In February 2003, Marshall returned with You Are Free. Offering a more poised and cohesive sound than her previous albums, it featured guest appearances from fans Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl as well as Ellis. The album marked Cat Power’s debut on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, peaking at number 105. The following October saw the release of Speaking for Trees, a DVD/CD set capturing a two-hour Cat Power performance of original and cover songs set in a woodland. During 2005, Marshall recorded The Greatest, a soul-influenced album featuring Memphis R&B legends Mabon “Teenie” Hodges and Leroy “Flick” Hodges from the Hi Records Rhythm Section. Marshall’s first album without cover songs, The Greatest came out in February 2006 to widespread acclaim: it debuted at number 34 on the Billboard 200 and won that year’s Shortlist Music Prize. She toured later that year with a group she called the Dirty Delta Blues Band, featuring White, Judah Bauer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Gregg Foreman of the Delta 72. Marshall worked on several other projects around this time, ranging from a duet with Karen Elson on the Serge Gainsbourg tribute album Monsieur Gainsbourg: Revisited and an appearance on Yoko Ono’s album Yes, I’m a Witch to a role in the film My Blueberry Nights. The Dirty Delta Blues Band formed the core of Marshall’s studio band for her next album, January 2008’s Jukebox. Another set of interpretations of songs originally by the likes of Billie Holiday, James Brown, and Joni Mitchell, the album built on The Greatest’s success, reaching number 12 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S. and selling over 100,000 copies in Europe. Marshall expanded on the album with that December’s Dark End of the Street EP, which collected more songs recorded while making Jukebox. Also in 2008, she appeared on Beck’s album Modern Guilt. The following year, Marshall contributed to the charity album Dark Was the Night and to Neko Case’s album Easy Come Easy Go.

After collaborating with Eddie Vedder on his album Ukulele Songs and releasing a version of her song “King Rides By” that benefitted The Festival of Children Foundation and The Ali Forney Center in 2011, Marshall released Sun in September 2012. Five years in the making, the album incorporated electronics into her signature style and was recorded in several locations, including her home studio in Malibu and in Paris with Cassius’ Philippe Zdar. Upon its release, it debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 album chart. Shortly after its arrival, Marshall was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema, an immune disorder that causes swelling in the body. Due to ongoing problems with the disorder, Marshall delayed her European tour until 2013. In 2015, she narrated the Janis Joplin documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue.

While continuing to tour, Marshall began work on her next album, recording in Miami and Los Angeles with engineer Jeff Dominguez and mixer Rob Schnapf. Marshall made her Domino Records debut with 2018’s Wanderer, a set of stripped-down, folk and blues-inspired songs that included “Woman,” a collaboration with former tourmate Lana Del Rey, and a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Wanderer peaked at number 96 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and reached number four on the Independent Albums chart. Several new songs from Marshall appeared on the soundtrack to the 2021 film Flag Day, and that year she toured with Alanis Morissette and Garbage. In January 2022, Marshall released Covers, her third collection of interpretations of some of her favorite songs; these included works originally performed by artists such as Del Rey, Frank Ocean, the Pogues, and Kitty Wells. That November, Cat Power ventured to London’s Royal Albert Hall to perform a song-for-song re-creation of Bob Dylan’s famed May 1966 concert, where he switched from acoustic to electric mid-show (though the show was actually held the Manchester Free Trade Hall, a mislabeled bootleg made it forever known as the “Royal Albert Hall Concert”). A year later, the reverential set was released as Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. – Biography by Heather Phares

sat07mar8:00 pmsat11:00 pmWhat So Not8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Elsewhere Space, 599 Johnson Avenue

Time

(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Elsewhere Space

599 Johnson Avenue

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Three years ago, Chris Emerson, better known as What So Not, rediscovered the dancefloor. Not as the accomplished artist and producer that he is, or even as a DJ. Emerson purposefully returned to the dancefloor as a participant, so he could experience the music from the other side of the stage. Looking and listening and dancing, soaking up the energy of the crowd, he brought everything back to his second album, Anomaly.

“I was having the year of my life,” says Emerson of that time. “I wasn’t thinking about streams and playlists. I wasn’t sitting at my computer or on my phone or at meetings. I would never hang out at gigs. I was always working in my dressing room, building a set, or finalizing an edit, or checking a mixdown, or finishing a song, trying to fit it all into the set.

“But I realized how important it is to experience everyone moving in unison and feeling something. I went big wave surfing in Tasmania where I could have died. I took every opportunity presented to me, every experience. I started living my life again, to the highest level imaginable, and that has really come out in the music on Anomaly.”

Emerson released his critically- and commercially-acclaimed debut album, Not All the Beautiful Things, in 2018. He headlined his own venue tours of North America and his native Australia. Since his first release in 2011, Emerson has racked up gigs in over 70 countries. He counts Rüfüs du Sol, Skrillex, RL Grime, Toto, Run the Jewels, Flux Pavilion, Noisia, Daniel Johns, San Holo and Jagwar Ma among his collaborators. He collected the Australian Independent Record Award for Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single for his song “Beautiful” featuring Winona Oak. He is looking at a billion streams in his rearview.

Says Emerson, “I had to get out of the cycle of the touring artist life where you feel like you’re forever chasing your tail. I was winding down from touring and started asking myself, ‘Who am I now? Where am I going? What am I doing?’”

For most of 2020, Emerson lived on the beach in Australia, alongside a dozen or so creatives working in a cross-section of mediums from visuals to design to music. In this artist commune of sorts, without deadlines or commitments, he explored new genres of music, new ways of creation, new production techniques, new sound designs, new equipment, all the while taking recommendations from his fellow artists. From books and films to live performances and interviews, Emerson went from being isolated in his What So Not world, to becoming completely immersed in artistic stimuli.

“It was a big reset,” says Emerson. “I started from zero again and it helped me shape a lot of this album.

“Anomaly is the natural evolution of Not All the Beautiful Things,” he continues. “I was very sad at the time of [Not All the Beautiful Things] and I was working out how to feel normal again. That album was like therapy. Anomaly is more high energy and empowered. It is the first time I feel confident being myself and living a life again. Not the life of a musician that performs around the world, but the life of someone who is really living, experiencing the cities, festivals and sites I travel to.”

The album was created in various parts of the world: The Netherlands, Nicaragua, Germany, Australia, Atlanta and Los Angeles. What each of these locations had in common was a creative ecosystem which Emerson seamlessly became a part of. Everything he was around was inspiring ideas and being fed into what would eventually become Anomaly.

In every city, Emerson connected with different collaborators. Oliver Tree and Killer Mike converge on the slow grooves-into-low-slung beats of “Mr. Regular.” Louis the Child, Captain Cuts and JRM meld on the soul strains of the pop-flecked “On Air,” which is centered around sounds from a plastic toy flute. MØ floats over the fluttering synths of “Mercy”—a stripped down version of which appeared on her 2018 album, Forever Neverland. The DMA’s brought their ‘90s Britpop sensibility to Emerson’s skipping breakbeats on the first single, “The Change,” and EVAN GIIA brings a dark texture to the constrained and eerily emotional “Messin’ Me Up.” Emerson himself sings on the mantra-like album opener, “Alive.”

Anomaly rifles through genres, dipping into everything from melodic bass and bombastic drops to cinematic builds and skittering beats and even classic rock styles. These are neatly pulled together with Emerson’s crafted production techniques. The eclectic nature of his original music is a reflection of his wide-ranging and unpredictable DJ sets, where nosebleed drum ‘n’ bass can be heard alongside the Pixies and, as the intense reaction of his audience attests, it just makes sense.

The songs might go through a number of iterations before the final versions heard on Anomaly. The album was fleshed out and refined over a seven-month period during graveyard hours in ShockOne’s legendary drum n’ bass studio in Perth, Australia in 2021. Here, for the first time on a proper system, Emerson was able to tweak previously inaudible sonic complexities in his music for countless hours.

“I’ll have an idea for a song and I know there’s something absolutely gold in it,” says Emerson. “But, I either don’t have the personal experience or the technical experience to turn it into what it deserves to be and that takes time. You might not find that missing piece for three or four years. I believe that gives you the time to develop yourself as a person and as an artist. ‘Mr. Regular,’ for example. I wrote with Oliver Tree in 2015 and it got Killer Mike on it in 2021 and it’s being released in 2022. It never would have existed like that if I just rushed it out.

“I’m not making something that’s going to phase out,” he continues. “I’m not following a trend. I’m doing what I personally feel so I’m never worried about something coming out years later because it’s still going to sound fresh and interesting.”

Emerson is as forward-thinking as he is timeless. He has created a 3D animated film, also called Anomaly, that matches up with the songs on the album and is being released in tandem with it. The film takes place in an indeterminate time in the far future and is a metaphorical representation of Emerson’s own life as an ordinary boy growing up in a small town who travels to the big city to explore its possibilities.

The central message of the film is finding your calling, the importance of your existence and how you impact the world. The narrative works as one piece, or as individual music videos. The film will be screening in boutique theaters in cities where the Anomaly tour hits, viewable the day before Emerson’s shows.

Says Emerson, “The exciting part is, the audience has familiarity with the characters and the universe from the film. We can then take all our characters, scenes, backgrounds and locations and bring them into any online space: a VR festival, a video game festival, NFTs.

“The other component of it is, extracting every piece of this film and repurposing it to have the most impact on stage. Rather than playing a video everyone’s already seen, we can track the movements of a professional dancer performing a scene and have that be projected as a giant robot on screen.”

Into the second decade of his career, Emerson is as enthusiastic and inspired as he was at the start—with the benefit of self-reflective insight and a wider world view.

sat07mar9:00 pmsat11:59 pmSurfing For Daisy9:00 pm - 11:59 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

sat07mar(mar 7)10:00 pmsun08(mar 8)2:00 amÆON:MODEQUANTUM10:00 pm - 2:00 am (8) Racket NYC, 431 West 16th Street

Time

7 (Saturday) 10:00 pm - 8 (Sunday) 2:00 am

Location

Racket NYC

431 West 16th Street

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ÆON:MODE is the brainchild of Australian-born producer JP Orchison, best known under his primary moniker, Blanke.

ÆON:MODE has allowed the producer to thrive in a lane of Drum & Bass that is influenced by the likes of Sub Focus & Pendulum. After D&B focused Blanke singles ‘Alchemy’ & ‘Mystery’ hit #1 and #2 most played at triple j- the ‘Blanke Present’s ÆON:MODE’ stage name was born to support a string of D&B focused performances in Australia.

In 2023 The ‘Blanke’s ÆON:MODE’ Remix of Ray Volpe’s anthem ‘Laserbeam’ was released, clocking over 5 million streams on Spotify alone and landing in the top 10 most played D&B tracks of 2023 on 1001 Tracklists. It has seen live support from the likes of Sub Focus, Chase & Status, Andy C, Wilkinson, Dimension and many more. ‘Awake’, a collaboration with Metrik followed soon after, landing on renowned label Hospital Records, ushering in the next phase of ÆON:MODE – a fully fledged stand alone project.

The ÆON:MODE live experience has hit Red Rocks in Denver, Melkweg in Amsterdam, Rampage Open Air in Belgium & Listen Out Festival in Australia, alongside a host of other festivals in North America.

In April 2024, his unreleased remix of Odd Mob & Omnom’s hit ‘Losing Control’ was played by Dom Dolla & John Summit as the closing record in their huge Back to Back set on the Outdoor Stage of Coachella weekend one. A collaboration with Friction ‘State of Mind’ and a single on Wilkinson’s Sleepless Records ‘Lonely’ followed in Q2 2024.

sat07mar(mar 7)10:00 pmsun08(mar 8)5:30 amPHOTON10:00 pm - 5:30 am (8) Knockdown Center, 52-19 Flushing Avenue

Time

7 (Saturday) 10:00 pm - 8 (Sunday) 5:30 am

Location

Knockdown Center

52-19 Flushing Avenue

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DJ Photon for psychedelic or progressive trance aka DJ On Om for chill-out/ambient sets has been dancing since 1986 and djing since 1999 and is known as Nigel Photon when it comes to writing. I’ve been playing psychedelic trance for 15 years now since 1999.

In India with Chris Deckker, (ReturnToTheSource/Earthdance) Cosmix and others, the last set on the main stage at the incredible 1999 Solipse festival (Hungary), at the legendary Warp parties in London all in 1999 and then I became a Chichime Resident from 2001-2004. Since then, I’ve played at The Boogie Returns, my own parties Quantum Mind and Xentrix vs. Revolve, Chichime vs. Antiworld, Roots, Messmedia (Midlands), Venom, Existence Celebration, Sixth Sense and Gaia parties all in London, Sunrise festival, Tshitraka festival in Germany, Offworld festival and Waveform festival, Goa at Hilltop 2009 and Curlies, Antaris Festival Germany and Alchemy Festival UK. I have played the last six years in Goa. At Xpirit of Chapora, Hilltop and Curlies. In Thailand, the Blue Moon party Koh Tao, Jungle Experience and the Full Moon festival. In Germany, Tshitraka Project festival 2008, the Indian Spirit festival and Antaris. In Portugal, the last two Freedom Festivals. In the UK, at Sunrise Festival and Waveform Festival.

I’ve also been playing chill-out for the last 12 years, at Chichime, Psychedelic Academy, Acid Monkey, Venom, Psychedelic Circle, In Spiral, Boogie Woogie, many many parties in London. At Ambiosonic festival France and Indian Spirit festival Germany. As Nigel Photon I’ve worked on and edited various psy-trance magazines, the most recent of which is Revolve Magazine.

sat07mar10:30 pmsat11:59 pmKem10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Saturday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

sun08mar5:00 pmsun8:00 pmSurfing For Daisy5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

sun08mar8:00 pmsun9:30 pmKem8:00 pm - 9:30 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Sunday) 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

sun08mar8:00 pmsun11:00 pmTrue Jackson8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Mercury Lounge, 17 E Houston Street

sun08mar8:00 pmsun11:59 pmNaomi Cowan8:00 pm - 11:59 pm SOBs (Sounds of Brazil), 204 Varick Street

Time

(Sunday) 8:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

SOBs (Sounds of Brazil)

204 Varick Street

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Naomi Cowan takes the stage at SOB’s! Touted as one of the Caribbean’s top rising female artists, Naomi’s unique vocal tone and stellar live performance abilities have opened the way for her to stand amongst the greats. A child of reggae royalty, Cowan was born & raised in Kingston, Jamaica under the mentorship of her parents Tommy Cowan, OD (reggae music producer, songwriter & former road manager for Bob Marley) & Carlene Davis OD (international reggae vocalist).

After being recognized as the Breakthrough Reggae Artist of 2018 at the 2019 Jamaica Reggae Industry Awards, Naomi has since performed live across the globe in London, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Trinidad, Miami, Toronto, New York, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands & across the island of Jamaica. Throughout her career, she has served as Brand Ambassador for the Bob Marley Foundation, opened for grammy-award winning R&B artist Estelle, graced the cover of Buzzz Magazine’s April issue, and performed on the Reggae Sumfest stage. Her hit single ‘Paradise Plum’ has topped several reggae charts and has become a staple in the new wave of reggae music.

The former Miss Teen Jamaica’s passion for youth empowerment can be seen through her work with youth in both Toronto & Jamaica. She is a speaker and mentor for the We Inspire Girls to be Strong Women tour, Manifesto Jamaica and the We Transform Jamaica program.

sun08mar10:30 pmsun11:59 pmKem10:30 pm - 11:59 pm Blue Note, 131 W 3rd Street

Time

(Sunday) 10:30 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Blue Note

131 W 3rd Street

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Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated singer/songwriter and author KEM ascended from the shadows of addiction and homelessness on the streets of Detroit to become a legendary R&B pillar in Motown’s rich musical history.

In April 2023, KEM unveiled his best-selling memoir, “Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption.” This powerful memoir provides a glimpse of his tumultuous upbringing, leading up to, and through, his darkest moments.

Music became KEM’s sanctuary during a challenging upbringing, a medium through which he could communicate when words fell short. As he composed reflective lyrics drawn from his life experiences, his signature vocals, and melodic expressions gave voice to his innermost feelings.

Perfecting songs in homeless shelters, he revitalized his spirit amidst the daily struggles of seeking his next meal and battling addiction. A pivotal moment arrived on his 23rd birthday in 1990, as KEM sat by the Detroit River, nursing a bottle of malt liquor. A revelation struck him – a surrender to faith that would change the trajectory of his life and propel him toward his destiny of becoming one of music’s most vital voices.

Often likened to iconic artists such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Jarreau, and Marvin Gaye, KEM’s music is a testament to his innate storytelling prowess and lyrical depth. His music is a captivating blend of sensuous, groove-laden melodies paired with his mesmerizing vocals, all enveloped in lyrics overflowing with love, emotion, and hope.

For more than two decades, millions have embraced his music, drawn to his honest lyrics, distinctive voice, and magnetic stage presence. KEM’s incredible transformation from a homeless young man battling addiction, to a beloved R&B superstar, is evident in the evolution of his music.

KEM’s musical journey is studded with remarkable achievements. He independently released his debut album, Kemistry, in 2002, leading to a recording deal with Motown Records. His first #1 hit single, “Love Calls,” solidified his status as an R&B powerhouse. His subsequent albums, Kem Album II, Intimacy, What Christmas Means, Promise To Love, Love Always Wins, Full Circle, and Anniversary – The Live Album earned KEM eight #1 chart-toppers, platinum and gold certifications and multiple Grammy® nominations.

KEM’s philanthropic endeavors mirror his enduring spirit. He established Mack & Third, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to addressing fundamental human needs. Mack & Third supports initiatives such as homelessness, hunger, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. His “Mack & Third

LIVE” concert fundraiser and food drive has provided free meals and top-tier live music to thousands of homeless individuals.

KEM’s personal journey exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and the healing force of music. From the darkest days of addiction and homelessness to the pinnacle of R&B success, he personifies triumph over adversity.

His musical legacy is etched in his timeless music, unwavering dedication to philanthropy, and status as a modern music icon. KEM’s ability to touch hearts, convey emotions, and resonate deeply with listeners through the universal language of love leaves an indelible mark on the world.

KEM’s story inspires not only through his music, but also through his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, one song and one act of kindness at a time.

fri13mar8:00 pmfri11:00 pmWhatmoreEastcoast W My Dogs Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street

thu19mar8:00 pmthu11:59 pmSweet Pill8:00 pm - 11:59 pm Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street

fri20mar8:00 pmfri11:59 pmSweet Pill8:00 pm - 11:59 pm Warsaw, 261 Driggs Avenue

sun22mar7:00 pmsun11:59 pmJoyce ManorI Used To Go To This Bar Tour7:00 pm - 11:59 pm The Fillmore, 29 E Allen Street

Time

(Sunday) 7:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

The Fillmore

29 E Allen Street

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California outfit Joyce Manor spin raw emotions from an unfettered delivery of power pop and emo, with the occasional side of other styles like punk and jangle pop. They emerged in the late 2000s with a blistering punk sound on their eponymous debut (2011) and follow-up Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012). As the group evolved, they took cues from pop-punk and indie rock on major-label debut Never Hungover Again, which drew upon influences from Weezer and Jawbreaker, a maturation that continued on album’s like 2018’s Million Dollars to Kill Me and 2022’s 40 oz. to Fresno.

Based out of Torrance, California, Joyce Manor was initially conceived as the acoustic pop-punk duo of longtime friends Barry Johnson (vocals, guitar) and Chase Knobbe (guitar). Before long, the lineup expanded to include bassist Matt Ebert and drummer Kurt Walcher. Early demos and EPs revealed a fiery punk outfit with short songs (rarely more than two minutes) and a raw accessible nature that endeared them to local punk fans. After a split 7″ with fellow Californians Summer Vacation, Joyce Manor joined the roster of hardcore label 6131 Records. Their self-titled, full-length debut was released in 2011 to critical acclaim, landing the band on many year-end best-of lists. A split with Oakland’s Big Kids followed, as the band increased their nationwide touring.

Joyce Manor moved over to Asian Man Records for their next album; Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired appeared in April 2012, boasting an efficient nine songs in just over 13 minutes. When it came time to do the next album, the band — with Asian Man’s blessing — jumped to Epitaph Records. The ten-song, 20-minute album Never Hungover Again was produced by Joe Reinhart, mixed by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Belle and Sebastian), and saw release in summer of 2014. After a long stretch of touring, during which their demands against stage diving and free shows alienated some fans but drew raves from others, the band began work on another record. First, they replaced Walcher with new drummer Jeff Enzor, then they hooked up with producer Rob Schnapf, who had worked with artists like Elliott Smith, Guided by Voices, and Rancid. Schnapf taught Johnson the tricks of stretching one-minute songs into three-minute songs, and introduced the band to a real recording studio for the first time. The resulting album, 2016’s Cody, was their most professional-sounding effort yet and featured guest vocals from singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and Fun.’s Nate Ruess. Joyce Manor continued the narrative two years later with their fifth effort, Million Dollars to Kill Me, which touched upon themes of doubt and hope. Recorded in Salem, Massachusetts, the 2018 set featured new drummer Pat Ware and the tracks “Fighting Kangaroo” and “Wildflowers.”

Released in 2020, the rarities compilation Songs from North Torrance collected an array of early highlights from the band’s salad days. Much of the album is focused on Joyce Manor’s 2008 to 2010 acoustic punk origin when they were still just the duo of Johnson and Knobbe. By 2022, they had parted with their third drummer and rather than fill the vacancy, they carried on as a trio with Motion City Soundtrack’s Tony Thaxton filling in as a session drummer. With this lineup and a returning production team of Schnapf and Hoffer, they completed their sixth studio album, 40 oz. to Fresno, which was released that June. The trio spent the next three years touring — including a stint with Weezer — while also working on their next album. The first song released from it leaned into the jangling guitars that occasionally popped up on 40 oz. to Fresno; the Brett Gurewitz-produced “All My Friends Are Depressed” was heavily influenced by the Smiths. – Biography by Corey Apar

tue24mar7:00 pmtue11:59 pmJoyce ManorI Used To Go To This Bar Tour7:00 pm - 11:59 pm Brooklyn Paramount, 385 Flatbush Avenue Ext

Time

(Tuesday) 7:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Location

Brooklyn Paramount

385 Flatbush Avenue Ext

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California outfit Joyce Manor spin raw emotions from an unfettered delivery of power pop and emo, with the occasional side of other styles like punk and jangle pop. They emerged in the late 2000s with a blistering punk sound on their eponymous debut (2011) and follow-up Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012). As the group evolved, they took cues from pop-punk and indie rock on major-label debut Never Hungover Again, which drew upon influences from Weezer and Jawbreaker, a maturation that continued on album’s like 2018’s Million Dollars to Kill Me and 2022’s 40 oz. to Fresno.

Based out of Torrance, California, Joyce Manor was initially conceived as the acoustic pop-punk duo of longtime friends Barry Johnson (vocals, guitar) and Chase Knobbe (guitar). Before long, the lineup expanded to include bassist Matt Ebert and drummer Kurt Walcher. Early demos and EPs revealed a fiery punk outfit with short songs (rarely more than two minutes) and a raw accessible nature that endeared them to local punk fans. After a split 7″ with fellow Californians Summer Vacation, Joyce Manor joined the roster of hardcore label 6131 Records. Their self-titled, full-length debut was released in 2011 to critical acclaim, landing the band on many year-end best-of lists. A split with Oakland’s Big Kids followed, as the band increased their nationwide touring.

Joyce Manor moved over to Asian Man Records for their next album; Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired appeared in April 2012, boasting an efficient nine songs in just over 13 minutes. When it came time to do the next album, the band — with Asian Man’s blessing — jumped to Epitaph Records. The ten-song, 20-minute album Never Hungover Again was produced by Joe Reinhart, mixed by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Belle and Sebastian), and saw release in summer of 2014. After a long stretch of touring, during which their demands against stage diving and free shows alienated some fans but drew raves from others, the band began work on another record. First, they replaced Walcher with new drummer Jeff Enzor, then they hooked up with producer Rob Schnapf, who had worked with artists like Elliott Smith, Guided by Voices, and Rancid. Schnapf taught Johnson the tricks of stretching one-minute songs into three-minute songs, and introduced the band to a real recording studio for the first time. The resulting album, 2016’s Cody, was their most professional-sounding effort yet and featured guest vocals from singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and Fun.’s Nate Ruess. Joyce Manor continued the narrative two years later with their fifth effort, Million Dollars to Kill Me, which touched upon themes of doubt and hope. Recorded in Salem, Massachusetts, the 2018 set featured new drummer Pat Ware and the tracks “Fighting Kangaroo” and “Wildflowers.”

Released in 2020, the rarities compilation Songs from North Torrance collected an array of early highlights from the band’s salad days. Much of the album is focused on Joyce Manor’s 2008 to 2010 acoustic punk origin when they were still just the duo of Johnson and Knobbe. By 2022, they had parted with their third drummer and rather than fill the vacancy, they carried on as a trio with Motion City Soundtrack’s Tony Thaxton filling in as a session drummer. With this lineup and a returning production team of Schnapf and Hoffer, they completed their sixth studio album, 40 oz. to Fresno, which was released that June. The trio spent the next three years touring — including a stint with Weezer — while also working on their next album. The first song released from it leaned into the jangling guitars that occasionally popped up on 40 oz. to Fresno; the Brett Gurewitz-produced “All My Friends Are Depressed” was heavily influenced by the Smiths. – Biography by Corey Apar

thu26mar8:00 pmthu11:00 pmCupcakKeThe BakKery Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Brooklyn Steel, 319 Frost Street

Time

(Thursday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Brooklyn Steel

319 Frost Street

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Bold and outspoken Chicago rapper CupcakKe has achieved viral success and critical acclaim with her brazen, unapologetically explicit songs and videos that channeled the likes of Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and Gangsta Boo. Her work explores sexuality in graphic detail, and while many of her songs are humorous and playful, she has more serious, introspective material that deals with sexual abuse (“Pedophile”), racial issues (“Picking Cotton”), and LGBTQ empowerment (“Crayons”). She debuted in 2016 with a pair of raunchy EPs and a full-length, Audacious, following with the critically acclaimed Queen Elizabitch (2017) and Ephorize (2018).

Elizabeth Eden Harris was born in Chicago in 1997. At the age of 14, she began writing religious-themed poetry, performing in local churches. She started turning her poems into raps and uploading them to YouTube, receiving thousands of views. In late 2015, inspired by Khia’s hit “My Neck, My Back,” she decided to write sexually explicit material. The videos “Vagina” and “Deepthroat” appeared and quickly spread on the Internet like wildfire. Both songs appeared on her debut mixtape, Cum Cake, in February 2016. S.T.D (Shelters to Deltas), named for Harris’ years spent in homeless shelters, followed in June, and the studio album Audacious arrived in October. The releases received praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, MTV News, and numerous hip-hop websites.

Harris guested on Charli XCX’s song “Lipgloss,” which appeared on her March 2017 mixtape, Number 1 Angel. CupcakKe’s second studio album, Queen Elizabitch, appeared soon after, and the rapper toured North America twice during the year, in addition to releasing two subsequent singles, “Exit” and “Cartoons.” Both songs appeared on her third studio album, Ephorize, which dropped near the beginning of 2018. The set peaked at number two on the Heatseekers chart, while landing in the Top 20 of the Billboard Independent Albums chart. Months later, she issued her fourth full-length, Eden, featuring the singles “Quiz” and “Blackjack.” CupcakKe closed her decade with a flood of singles in 2019, including the size-obsessed viral hit, “Squidward Nose.” The following year, she reached a career high with the single “Discounts,” which topped streaming charts and rose into the Top Ten of the Billboard Digital Songs chart. – Biography by Paul Simpson

fri27mar8:00 pmfri11:00 pmCupcakKeThe BakKery Tour8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Brooklyn Bowl - Philadelphia, 1009 Canal Street

Time

(Friday) 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Location

Brooklyn Bowl - Philadelphia

1009 Canal Street

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Bold and outspoken Chicago rapper CupcakKe has achieved viral success and critical acclaim with her brazen, unapologetically explicit songs and videos that channeled the likes of Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and Gangsta Boo. Her work explores sexuality in graphic detail, and while many of her songs are humorous and playful, she has more serious, introspective material that deals with sexual abuse (“Pedophile”), racial issues (“Picking Cotton”), and LGBTQ empowerment (“Crayons”). She debuted in 2016 with a pair of raunchy EPs and a full-length, Audacious, following with the critically acclaimed Queen Elizabitch (2017) and Ephorize (2018).

Elizabeth Eden Harris was born in Chicago in 1997. At the age of 14, she began writing religious-themed poetry, performing in local churches. She started turning her poems into raps and uploading them to YouTube, receiving thousands of views. In late 2015, inspired by Khia’s hit “My Neck, My Back,” she decided to write sexually explicit material. The videos “Vagina” and “Deepthroat” appeared and quickly spread on the Internet like wildfire. Both songs appeared on her debut mixtape, Cum Cake, in February 2016. S.T.D (Shelters to Deltas), named for Harris’ years spent in homeless shelters, followed in June, and the studio album Audacious arrived in October. The releases received praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, MTV News, and numerous hip-hop websites.

Harris guested on Charli XCX’s song “Lipgloss,” which appeared on her March 2017 mixtape, Number 1 Angel. CupcakKe’s second studio album, Queen Elizabitch, appeared soon after, and the rapper toured North America twice during the year, in addition to releasing two subsequent singles, “Exit” and “Cartoons.” Both songs appeared on her third studio album, Ephorize, which dropped near the beginning of 2018. The set peaked at number two on the Heatseekers chart, while landing in the Top 20 of the Billboard Independent Albums chart. Months later, she issued her fourth full-length, Eden, featuring the singles “Quiz” and “Blackjack.” CupcakKe closed her decade with a flood of singles in 2019, including the size-obsessed viral hit, “Squidward Nose.” The following year, she reached a career high with the single “Discounts,” which topped streaming charts and rose into the Top Ten of the Billboard Digital Songs chart. – Biography by Paul Simpson

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