Featured

Diego Donamaria

photo credit Jerod Harris / Getty Images

Dan Reynolds has been on a mission with his Love Loud Festival in Utah. After struggling to get it off the ground in 2017, they still managed to have an amazing show (along with Neon Tree’s Tyler Glenn) with newfound support from the city and the Mormon community. The effort is based on bringing people together to understand each other and increase tolerance. After discovering that suicide rates were skyrocketing amongst young Mormons due to the church denouncing homosexuality, Reynolds wanted to do something and use his platform for good.

He’s done just that. It’s brought even more awareness to the LGBTQ community and support from Tim Cook (Apple CEO) and an AT&T sponsorship. This years fest was even bigger with stars like Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) plus Zedd, and others, and raising $1million to help suicide prevention.  His documentary on HBO, Believer, is incredible and a must see for everyone. We know next year the fest will be even bigger! What one guy can do makes our heart fill up.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Kalen Allen performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: A general view of the atmosphere at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: A general view of the atmosphere at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons performs at LOVELOUD Festival 2018 Powered By AT&T at Rice Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Chelsie Hightower performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons attends 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Grace Vanderwaal performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Zedd performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons performs at LOVELOUD Festival 2018 Powered By AT&T at Rice Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Jussie Smollet attends 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Tyler Glenn performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Michael Milkanin attends 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Mike Shinoda performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Mike Shinoda performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Tyler Glenn performs at 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: CEO of the Trevor Project Amit Paley attends 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: (L-R) Ken McNeely, Amit Paley, Tegan Quin, Dan Reynolds, Lance Lowry and Stephenie Larsen attend 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 28: Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and Justin Tranter attend 2018 LOVELOUD Festival Powered By AT&T at Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for LOVELOUD Festival)

Patrick Haines

by Jason Bollenbacher

In support of Monolith, the duo of Shannon and Jared Leto stopped in Houston for their 2018 tour. A giant black box. Lights began to dance through the cracks as Thirty Seconds to Mars show began at Houston’s Cynthia Woodlands Pavilion.  Slowly rising, you could make out silhouettes of Jared Leto standing and his brother Shannon at the drums on stage.  A blank canvas and a drum set, is how you would describe the stage for the Thirty Seconds to Mars show.  No microphones. No guitarists. No bass players.  Just a drum kit on a stage, drowned within a box of light as a monolith instrumental played.  A scene you would expect to see as a display for an art museum set the stage. See our full photo gallery.

Jared stopped, frozen, for what seemed like an eternity, to the crowds deafening cheers.  Leto exploded into dance as the first beat of Up in the Air hit.  Jared wore a flamboyant, orange kimono-like ensemble with sunglasses, hair pulled back, red track pants & shoes, and dark beard as he bounded across the stage.  Every song added to the Broadway-type production as lighted balls were brought out to be tossed through the audience.  Ending his performance he invited some of the attendees on stage while he performed.  Lucky them! Then confetti filled the air.

The show is a must see for any Leto or 30STM fans. It’s an incredible experience.

Set list

1. Up in the Air
2. Kings and Queens
3. This Is War
4. Dangerous Night
5. Do or Die
6. Hail to the Victor
7. Great Wide Open
8. Rescue Me
9. Pyres of Varanasi
10. Remedy
11. The Kill (Bury Me)
12. Walk on Water
13. Closer to the Edge

Tina Berard

jason bollenbacher

Jason Bollenbacher

by Diego Donamaria

Austin, TX – Alt rocker bands Weezer, Pixies and the Wombats light up the stage at the Austin360 Amphitheater

All the fandom in attendance was very excited about the co-headline of this summer 2018 by Weezer and the Pixies. Both rock groups have a large fan following that packed the Austin360 Amphitheater. The cool breeze set the stage for an epic evening of good weather, great music, and enjoyable times down memory lane. What’s not to like?

The Pixies are the legendary band that blazed the trail for the alternative rock’s mainstream takeover in the ’90s. Their influence was felt across the cords and lyrics of bands like Nirvana, Radiohead and Weezer. That brings us to Weezer, the LA band that recaptured the ’90s heydays with songs about nerdy stuff, love mishaps, and pacific coast dreams. Check out the full photo gallery.

The opening band was The Wombats, a rocker band out of Liverpool that has made a triumphant return with their new album ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’. They opened the evening with a solid set of their cheeky dance-rock songs, catchy melodies, and positive vibes. As the band played during their short set, fans continued to pour in.

By the time The Pixies took the stage the venue was almost full and the temperature was a lot more pleasant than earlier. The alt-rock veterans delivered a loud, high-energy set filled with their surreal lyrics and their well-known musical style of loud choruses and soft verses. Black Francis shredded each song like it was his last. Joey Santiago wailed on the guitar and Paz Lenchantin rocked her bass with the customary big red flower attached to her head. The 4 person power band ripped through a large number of classics, including “Caribou,” “Gigantic,” “Gouge Away,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Wave of Mutilation,” and their most mainstream hit, “Where Is My Mind?”

The stage was set for one of the most well-known alt bands in recent memory. Weezer opened up their performance with their hits “Buddy Holly”, “Beverly Hills” , “Hash Pipe” and “Undone”. From there, they had us all singing along to every song. One of my favorite parts of the performance was when the frontman Rivers Cuomo found himself in the middle of the amphitheater playing several well-known cover songs from The Turtles, Green Day and Oasis.

Cuomo would rejoin the rest of the band onstage and continue to deliver a stream of great crowd favorites. I enjoyed hearing Weezer’s take on the cover of Toto’s “Africa”, as well as the group’s newest single, “Feels Like Summer”. The band would close with the biggest sing along of the night, “Say It Ain’t So”. We loved the covers- Winterlong
(Neil Young cover) and Head On (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)

This is a must see tour and might make our Best Shows of 2018 gallery-stay tuned!

Set List

Wave of Mutilation
Bel Esprit
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Um Chagga Lagga
Isla de Encanta
U-Mass
Classic Masher
I Bleed
Crackity Jones
Caribou
Gouge Away
River Euphrates
Break My Body
Bone Machine
All I Think About Now
Debaser
Tame
Head On
(The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)
Hey
Gigantic
Velouria
Here Comes Your Man
Winterlong
(Neil Young cover)
Where Is My Mind?

Nick Berard

Amanda Shires

by Diego Donamaria

Patrick Haines

by Jerri Starbuck

It was a huge week in Nashville, with record crowds and record heat, with the CMT Awards, the CMA Fest, celeb bar openings (Blake’s), concerts at the Ryman, tons of after-party shows with headliners, and another big music fest just down the road (Bonnaroo).

Every bar and restaurant also became a CMA Fest venue that had stages for tons of showcasing musicians from around the country, getting a chance to be seen and heard. From FGL, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, John Rich, Gavin Degraw, Caleb Followill, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Dan Auerbach, downtown Nashville is a hot spot for celebrity musician’s bars and restaurants.

Over 380 artists on 11 stages from The Music Center, The Ryman, and Nissan Stadium plus tons of outdoor shows at Riverfront, Breakout, Hardrock and other stages. Huge names like Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban,  really helped sell the huge Nissan Stadium shows each night. There were tons and tons of free music to the public which was so cool. See all our CMA Fest photos on Austin 101 Magazine.

But the fest was also a great showcase for newer or not as well-known (yet) artists such as Hunter Hayes, Wild Feathers, Lindsay Ell, Frankie Ballard, Cam, Lauren Alaina, Grainger Smith, RaeLynn. Plus many legacy country musicians like Tracey Lawrence, The Bellamy Brothers, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Little Texas, Linda Davis, LeeAnn Womack, and more. We love that there was something for everyone and every age.

Chase Bryant

Lindsay Ell

Jon Pardi

Dan and Shay

Check out our Instagram for tons more photos.

Some of the coolest things, people, and moments we saw: Garth Brooks interview, Trisha Yearwood at HGTV, Randy Travis getting an award, John Rich dancing with fans at his bar, the just opened-Blake Shelton’s new bar-Ole Red, A Thousand Horses, Mason Ramsey, Lindsay Ell, Cam, Jon Pardi, Midland, Old Dominion, LeeAnn Womack, Tracy Lawrence, Dustin Lynch, great surprise appearances from Sam Hunt, Jake Owen, Dwight Yoakam, Backstreet Boys, and tons more. We love that there were so many great Texas artists at CMA Fest representing our great state.

Best up-and-comers- RaeLynn, Lindsay Ell, Carly Pearce, Cam, Maddie & Tae, Runaway June, Restless Road, Tyler Rich, Claire Dunn, Morgan Waller, Tegan Marie.

Daily shows we felt were the highlights:

Day 1- Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Restless Heart, Lindsay Ell, Chase Bryant, Lauren Alaina, Runaway June, Nashville cast w/ Charlie Hesson, Dan and Shay, Brothers Osborne, Jason Aldean

Day 2-RaeLynn, Tyler Farr, Cam, Cadillac Three, Aaron Watson, Hunter Hayes, Grainger Smith, Tegan Marie, Wild Feathers, Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, Blake Shelton, Old Dominion, Carrie Underwood

Day 3- Tracy Lawrence, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood at HGTV, Scooter Brown band, Michael Ray, Tyler Rich, Dustin Lynch, LeeAnn Womack, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban headlining at Nissan.

Day 4- High Valley, Luke Pell, Thousand Horses, Ricky Skaggs, Brett Eldridge, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, FGL, and tons of surprise appearances from Dwight Yoakum, to Randy Travis and Backstreet Boys at Nissan closing out the fest.

Bummed we missed: CMT Awards, Blake playing at his bar, Ashley McBride, Jimmie Allen, Last Bandoleros, Easton Corbin, Jaredd Niemann, Kip Moore, Jillian Jaqueline, Dillon Carmichael, Tanya Tucker, Terri Clark, Sundance Head, Joe Diffy, Song Suffragettes panel,  and more fest female artists (weren’t there- Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Margo Price, Kelly Clarkson, Reba, Dolly, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Allison Krauss, (for that matter, groups like LBT, Lady A.).

So many great musicians and legends were at the fest representing the Lone Star state (Texas) such as: Randy Travis, RaeLynn, Grainger Smith, Midland, Last Bandoleros, LeeAnn Womack, Easton Corbin, Sundance Head, Jaredd Niemann, Chase Bryant, Hudson Moore, Aaron Watson and more.

We love that the fest proceeds help enrich and sustain music education programs across the country through CMA’s nonprofit arm, the CMA Foundation and many artists donated their time.

If you weren’t in Nashville, don’t fret- watch the CMA Fest show on ABC August 8th!