The Mars Volta (19+ Event)

Breaking a decade of omertà, The Mars Volta reawaken from their lengthy hiatus with an eponymous album that radically reshapes their paradigm. Formed by guitarist/composer Omar Rodríguez-López and singer/lyricist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, The Mars Volta rose from the ashes of El Paso punk-rock firebrands At The Drive-In in 2001. On a mission to “honour our roots and honour our dead”, The Mars Volta made music that fused the Latin sounds Rodríguez-López was raised on with the punk and underground noise he and Bixler-Zavala had immersed themselves in for years, and the futuristic visions they were tapping into. The albums that followed were one-of-a-kind masterpieces, their songs of breath-taking complexity also possessing powerful emotional immediacy. After the group fell silent, a legion of devotees (including Kanye West) kept up an insistent drum-beat for their return.   Now – a year after La Realidad De Los Sueños, a luxurious 18-LP box-set compiling their back catalogue, sold out its 5,000 print run in under 24 hours – the duo are back, accompanied this time by keyboard-player Marcel Rodríguez-López, bassist Eva Gardner and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones. The new album shakes loose some of The Mars Volta’s long-standing shibboleths, fearlessly defying all expectations and categorisations.   Instead, The Mars Volta pulses with subtle brilliance, Caribbean rhythms underpinning sophisticated, turbulent songcraft. This is The Mars Volta at their most mature, most concise, most focused. Their sound and fury channelled to greatest effect, The Mars Volta finds Rodríguez-López’s subterranean pop melodies driving Bixler-Zavala’s dark sci-fi tales of the occult and malevolent governments. Distilling all the passion, poetry and power at their fingertips, The Mars Volta is the most exciting and accessible music the group have ever recorded.

The Mars Volta

The Strumbellas (19+ Event)

Ever since forming in 2008 and releasing their debut album, 2012’s My Father and the Hunter, two-time JUNO award-winning alternative group The Strumbellas have steadily released  follow-ups containing every ounce of stomping, hand-clapping, alt-country gusto, from 2013's We Still Move on Dance Floors to 2016's Hope to 2019's Rattlesnake.  They’ll soon round the corner with a brand-new fifth studio album, Part Time Believer, a collection that signals The Strumbellas’ grand return and rebirth. Now with Jimmy Chauveau on board as lead vocalist, The Strumbellas spent the last four years writing, recording, and whittling 50 songs down to 12. Honed by producers Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Kaiser Chiefs), Keith Varon (Machine Gun Kelly), Stevie Aiello (30 Seconds To Mars), and Dave Schiffman (RHCP, The Killers), Part Time Believer continues The Strumbellas’ long-standing tradition of blending anthemic, brightly coloured compositions with yearning, contemplative lyrics. “I think people often feel like things are escaping them, or they're trying to grab on to something — happiness, gratitude, professional or personal goals — and for some reason, they just can't get there,” says David Ritter, who handles piano, organ, percussion, and vocals. “Even if they get the thing they want, it doesn't feel the way they thought it would. A lot of these songs are about trying to, like, figure out why we're all feeling this way, and how we can find more peace in our lives.”

The Strumbellas - Into Dust Tour

Layton Giordani

Layton Giordani (19+ Event)

Tape B (19+ Event)

Tape B, born Kemal Berk Alkanat, is a dynamic force in today’s electronic music scene, merging the nostalgic vibes of old-school dubstep with contemporary bass music and hip-hop. Born in Turkey and raised in the U.S. from the age of three, Tape B brings a distinctive sound that captivates with a blend of nostalgia and modernity, termed "Old School x New School."  His musical journey began at the University of Central Florida, influenced by early 2000s hip-hop and electronic pioneers like UKF and The Glitch Mob. His career took a professional turn after a revelatory experience at the Lost Lands Music Festival in 2019. Tape B's rise to prominence was fueled by viral SoundCloud mixes and dynamic live performances, including his iconic "Yo, Tape B" tag which has become a recognizable call throughout modern clubland and festivals. Achieving significant traction with remixes and original tracks, including the standout "Trippy Land" with Mersiv and Juicy J, “Gas Pedal Remix” with John Summit and Subtronics and “Ganja Tape” with Ganja White Night, Tape B has redefined expectations within bass music. As of 2024, Tape B achieved sellouts of every headline since December 2023, including rapid ticket sales at Denver’s Mission Ballroom and New York’s Great Hall. His introduction of Tape B Block Parties in 2024, as recently showcased across Texas with two sold-out events, has brought classic and modern dubstep brilliance to the forefront, further cementing his influence in the scene. With plans for a debut album that encapsulates years of sonic exploration and a desire to influence the hip-hop scene more profoundly, Tape B remains a vibrant and influential figure in electronic music. His commitment to innovation, community, and joy through music continues to drive his rapidly ascending career.

Tape B: The Soundtrack To Everything You Forgot

Fit For A King: LONELY GOD TOUR

Fit For A King

FIT FOR A KING use the tools of heavy music and melodic hooks to honestly explore the dark side of the human experience, ultimately wrenching timeless hope from the jaws of anxiety, depression, and seemingly certain despair.No matter the pristine picture of self-worth we project, in the unquenchable pursuit of recognition and affirmation, the gnawing anxiousness of guilt and brokenness chews away at our spirits, uncovering new pain and vulnerability. Dark Skies is FIT FOR A KING’s evocative declaration of a hard won victory. “This album is far from happy. It’s about personal struggles,” explains singer Ryan Kirby. “It touches on many subjects relevant to all of our daily lives.”The music and message of FIT FOR A KING is a battle cry against the darkness. This is a sound that stands in defiance of the mounting pressure of modern life, not through dismissiveness or easy answers, but with earnest struggle. The four young men of FIT FOR A KING are just like the rest of us. They hurt, they bleed, and in that raw transparent authenticity, they offer true solidarity. Beneath the most vicious downpour, they cling to unrelenting grace.Like trailblazing metalcore giants Underoath and As I Lay Dying before them, FIT FOR A KING skillfully mine the varying extremes of this music, building a catalog that sees them at home on tours with hard rock and deathcore bands alike. The band has traveled the United States and Europe with Vans Warped Tour, Beartooth, Every Time I Die, August Burns Red, The Amity Affliction, Whitechapel, For Today, After The Burial, and Attila to name a few.Kirby, guitarist Bobby Lynge, drummer Jared Easterling, and bassist/vocalist Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary are easygoing and affable on the road, effortlessly maneuvering within the various social circles with goodwill and charm, without sacrificing an ounce of what they believe or who they are. It’s something the Texas band’s growing following respects. Simply put, FIT FOR A KING is real.FIT FOR A KING was built with bootstrap ethics and do-it-yourself vigor. On the strength of self-released material, the group joined Solid State for a string of successful albums that connected with the downtrodden and dispossessed. Creation/Destruction (2013) debuted at Number 6 on the Hard Rock chart. Slave to Nothing (2014) cracked the Top 50 of Billboard’s Top Current Albums. Deathgrip (2016) climbed to Number 5 among Hard Rock Albums.Recorded with celebrated producer/mixer Drew Fulk (I Prevail, Motionless In White, Memphis May Fire), Dark Skies is a collection of diverse anthems powered by the undeniable weight of truth-telling emotional vulnerability.“Tower of Pain” takes unbridled heaviness to breathtaking heights. “Shattered Glass” is a killer throwback to the band’s most aggressive earlier work. Songs like “Price of Agony” see the quartet soaring to new melodic heights with unrestrained urgency. “Anthem of the Defeated” veers in yet another direction, evoking the percussive power of Slipknot or Mudvayne. Yet all of it is anchored in FIT FOR A KING’s signature sound, one their fans trust.“Debts of the Soul” is an examination of the sleeplessness that comes with ruminations on the nature of death. “When Everything Means Nothing” is a challenge to unplug from the vapid desperation of putting on a front online. “Oblivion” is one of the most faith-based songs the band has released. The song’s narrator pleads in the chorus, “Tell me I won’t be forgotten.” It’s a reminder of the grace of God and the power of true forgiveness without end.No matter the political divisions, the staggering alienation arising from our paradoxical and increasingly “connected” world, or the mistakes we all make, FIT FOR A KING offer a foundation of open-mindedness and compassion.“We're a very transparent band. We aren’t pretending to be something we're not,” says Kirby. “We don't want to act like rock stars and we also don't want to act like we're poor musicians that can barely eat everyday. We don’t portray a false image. We want people to know exactly who we are.”FIT FOR A KING cherishes unwavering honesty. Even under Dark Skies.