Author: Musicians Today Contributor

On the evening of August 30, 2025, the Alton Amphitheater in Illinois transformed into a vibrant celebration of music, culture, and connection as the Alton Jazz & Wine Festival returned to the banks of the Mississippi River. Against a warm, late-summer backdrop and the soft glow of riverfront lights, the festival offered an immersive experience that blended soulful jazz performances with local culinary flair—drawing residents and visitors alike into the heart of southern Illinois’ cultural revival. The night opened with a captivating performance by Arvell & Co., led by Arvell Keithly, a seasoned vocalist and musician whose career includes performances…

Machine Gun Kelly, the genre-blurring artist known for his dramatic transition from rap to rock, stunned fans with a surprise performance at Snapchat’s Santa Monica studio, celebrating the release of his highly anticipated new album, Lost Americana. The intimate performance was a testament to MGK’s evolving musical journey and further solidified his place in the rock scene. Known for his willingness to experiment with different sounds, MGK’s set captured his growth as an artist and showcased the bold new direction he’s taking with his music. The performance, which was kept under wraps until the last moment, was a treat for…

Legendary rocker John Fogerty has unveiled plans for his highly anticipated ‘The Legacy Tour,’ set to take place during the fall of 2025. Running from August through November across North America, the tour will bring fans an unforgettable live experience, filled with the iconic hits of Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) that made Fogerty a household name. The tour promises to be a celebration of his remarkable career and the timeless music that continues to resonate with generations of fans. Fogerty, now 80 years old, will revisit some of CCR’s most memorable tracks, many of which have become synonymous with the…

Rock legend Alice Cooper has stunned fans worldwide with the release of The Revenge of Alice Cooper, a full-length album that reunites the original Alice Cooper Group for the first time in more than five decades. Dropping in July 2025, the record is the band’s eighth studio effort and the first since 1973’s Muscle of Love to feature Cooper alongside guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. For longtime fans, the album feels like a time capsule cracked open, merging the raw theatrical energy of the 1970s with fresh production and new material. The reunion itself is…

The live music industry has experienced a remarkable resurgence in 2025, signaling a return to vibrant performances, packed venues, and exciting new experiences for fans. The growth of the live music sector is a testament to the ongoing recovery and adaptation of the cultural landscape following the challenges faced in previous years. According to reports, this revival has been driven by several key factors, including the return of major music festivals, the expansion of international tours, and the integration of immersive technologies that are reshaping the concert-going experience. One of the most notable factors contributing to the resurgence is the…

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced a significant price increase for all editions of the PlayStation 5 in the United States, effective August 21, 2025. This price adjustment will see the standard PS5 retail for $549.99, the digital edition at $499.99, and the PS5 Pro priced at $749.99. This increase of $50 per model comes in response to a variety of economic challenges, particularly the tariffs that were imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. These tariffs, which range between 15% and 30%, have had a lasting impact on the cost of manufacturing and importing gaming consoles. While Sony had previously attempted…

System of a Down has excited fans by announcing a highly anticipated six-concert tour across North America, set to begin on August 27, 2025. The band, known for its high-energy performances and innovative blend of metal, rock, and alternative sounds, will start the tour with two shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 27 and 28. Following those performances, System of a Down will take the stage at Soldier Field in Chicago for two more shows on August 31 and September 1, before concluding the tour at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, with concerts scheduled for September…

On August 15, 2025, Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field in San Francisco became the setting for one of Zach Bryan’s most powerful concerts to date. Before a crowd of 50,000 fans, the Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter transformed a large-scale performance into something deeply personal, blending vulnerability, storytelling, and community into an unforgettable evening. From the moment Bryan walked onstage, his approach stood apart from the spectacle often associated with stadium-sized performances. He appeared in his familiar denim and boots, guitar slung over his shoulder, exuding an unpretentiousness that immediately set the tone. Rather than leaning on pyrotechnics or flashy backdrops, Bryan allowed…

A lifelong journey from orchestral percussion to funkadelic House, blending precision, grit, and global rhythm. The Classical Cadence: A Life in Rhythm For Greg McCunn, rhythm has always been more than a sequence of beats. It has been a language. His earliest musical memories are grounded in classical percussion, where timpani, snare, and mallet instruments demanded precision and discipline. In orchestras, Greg learned to speak through silence, to build tension with a single strike, and to create emotion without words. This early training became the foundation of his craft. Yet even at that stage, there was an undercurrent of restlessness.…

In a stunning surprise for fans, Taylor Swift unveiled her much-anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, during a midnight appearance on the “New Heights” podcast on August 12, 2025. The podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce, provided the perfect platform for the singer to reveal her new project in a manner that was as unconventional as it was exciting. The reveal came at exactly 12:12 a.m. ET, a moment that resonated deeply with Swift’s penchant for symbolism. As she opened a mint-green briefcase—a nod to her signature color—Swift captured the attention…