AGP Executive Report

Punk Rock Loss: Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome (Eugene Richard O’Connor) has died at 71, with the band calling him an “architect” of punk and a “one-man hurricane” of feral riffs. K-Pop Spotlight: BLACKPINK’s Lisa says she “couldn’t sing” during a tough period, crying in the studio until producer Teddy Park pushed her through. Pop Poll: Dove Cameron’s “When in Rome” topped this week’s new music favorite poll, beating fresh tracks from Jhené Aiko, Slayyyter and Bleachers. Big-Stage Live: Pierce The Veil returned to San Diego with a sold-out Petco Park homecoming, packing about 40,000 for their biggest-ever crowd. NFL + Broadway: Hamilton cast members will perform a medley at the Giants-Cowboys halftime show, with marching bands from Morgan State and Penn State joining. Local Music Calendar: Bluegrass and chili brought crowds back to Tahlequah’s Bluegrass & Chili Festival, while Thunder Bay’s Wake the Giant capped a sold-out waterfront day headlined by Flo Rida. Tour News: Empire of the Sun announced a six-date Australia/New Zealand run for Feb–Mar 2027.

Health & Music News: Billy Joel says loud concerts were damaging his brain, sharing that doctors implanted a shunt after a normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis. Comeback Spotlight: Céline Dion kicked off her Paris comeback residency after stiff person syndrome sidelined her for years, with the emotional return marked by tears and a full 26-show run. Metal & Legal Drama: Mastodon hit back at a lawsuit from Brent Hinds’ estate, calling it meritless as the dispute centers on compensation and posthumous likeness use. New Releases: Koma Amara dropped the eight-track album Hevala Min, dedicated to the Martyrs of Kurdistan Freedom. Live & Touring: Spiritbox toured Europe in support of Tsunami Sea, while Slipknot’s Jim Root says the new single “Arsenal” isn’t representative of the rest of their upcoming eighth album. Pop Culture Crossover: CMAT performed on SNL UK, bringing “Euro-Country” and “Stay for Something” to the stage. Stadium Moment: Diljit Dosanjh became the first Punjabi artist to headline Wembley and announced an Ahmedabad stadium date.

Legal & Radio: Atlanta host Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan is set to return to V-103’s “The Big Tigger Morning Show” after prosecutors declined to move forward in a domestic violence case, with his comeback slated for Monday, Sept. 14. Health & Performance: Céline Dion’s Paris return keeps making headlines—her comeback show at Plenitude Arena ran 29 songs and left her visibly emotional as she pushed through stiff-person syndrome. Music Business Fight: Mastodon is calling a lawsuit from Brent Hinds’ estate “meritless,” denying claims they used his likeness to promote “Marrow Deep.” Local Music & Community: Singapore R&B singer Gail Belmonte is building momentum ahead of Homegrown 2026, while Mississippi’s Columbia Food & Music Fest crowned another year of small-town country fun with Dukes of Country. Loss: Country singer Brian “Nashville” Duckworth (Taylor Made) died at 56. Live Scene Watch: Korea’s small venues are getting caught in “dancing” rules that treat them like nightclubs, turning parties into compliance standoffs.

CMA Awards Buzz: Ella Langley leads the 2026 Country Music Association nominations with nine nods, while Megan Moroney’s Cloud 9 sparked major fan outrage after missing Album of the Year. Tour Ticket Chaos: Oasis confirmed 2027 tour dates via a Manchester drone show, but fans are already panicking about ticket sales after past “dynamic pricing” backlash. Big-Stage Music News: U2’s Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. named 2027 MusiCares Persons of the Year ahead of a Feb. 5, 2027 gala in Los Angeles. New Releases & Artists: Charli xcx kicked off her Music, Fashion, Film tour in Philadelphia with a surprise “Stay Away” and a guest duet with Underscores. Live Music Calendar: Ocean Way’s Santa Monica festival was canceled due to storm-driven erosion, while JNX FEST returns as a free all-ages Mariposa County event. Indie Spotlight: Rubber Band Gun’s Bloodwork lands as another warm Historic New Jersey release.

Local Music Infrastructure: MSU-born Bogue Street Records is launching a student-artist incubator to produce albums with three MSU students across the 2026-27 school year, backed by a Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant. Bluegrass Live Circuit: Vero Beach’s Heritage Bluegrass Music Series returns for an eight-show run starting Oct. 10 with free admission and a lineup mixing touring award-winners and Florida favorites. K-Pop Spotlight: BLACKPINK’s Jisoo says acting helps her focus on emotion over perfection, and she’s chasing unexpected, even “scary” roles as she gears up for solo-era releases. Big Screen + Music: Russell Crowe’s Venice premiere doc What Love Builds traces how music shaped his life long before acting. Festival Disruption: Santa Monica cancels Ocean Way, a beachfront fest headlined by The Killers and Olivia Dean, after Hurricane Marie storm damage. Community & Culture: Calgary’s premier pitches a “Nashville North” plan after a Nashville trip, aiming to grow partnerships and talent transfer. Charts/Breakthrough: Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” keeps extending its Hot 100 reign, tying major all-time milestones for a female country hit.

9/11 Music Remembrance: John Ondrasik and Five for Fighting will play “Superman” in New York for a 9/11 tribute concert, recalling how the song became an unofficial anthem after the attacks. Theatre & Community: The Station Theatre’s “Come From Away” (about diverted 9/11 passengers) has sold out ahead of its Sept. 10-27 run, with “docu-musical” vibes mixing humor and heartbreak. New Album Buzz: Shygirl announces her second album Swallow! for Nov. 6 and shares “Lucky[Hymn],” a more acoustic-leaning turn from her club sound. Tour Watch: Charli xcx confirms the UK/Europe leg of Music, Fashion, Film for Feb. 2027, including Dublin’s 3Arena and Manchester’s Co-op Live, with Audrey Hobert opening. Live Music Spotlight: Red Hawk’s Stage Bar books two country nights—Four Barrel (Sept. 11) and All Hat No Cattle (Sept. 12). Pop Culture & Music: The Spice Girls announce a singles-and-demos LP for their 30th anniversary, while a Spice Girls finalist says she was “gutted” she didn’t make the band. Local Classical: Cornell students and faculty team up for Cuban chamber music at Lincoln Hall.

CMA Spotlight: Taylor Swift is back at the Country Music Association Awards, earning Single of the Year for “I Knew It, I Knew You” from the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, marking her first CMA nomination in years. New Music Watch: Julien Baker kicked off a surprise solo comeback with an unreleased track (“Lathe”) at Third Man Records, hinting at a heavier new era. Album Buzz: Adéla’s major-label pop debut “PRIMA” leans into stardom and control, with “KGB” as the lead single. Live Music Pulse: Muse brought fresh material into its Chula Vista set, proving new songs can sit comfortably beside classics. Community & Culture: Coastal Concerts scouts top chamber talent for its 2027–28 season after a trip to the Chamber Music of America conference. Local Events: The Nantasket Beach Car Show returns Sept. 13 with live music, a veterans fair, and charity fundraising. Theatre & Music: “Come From Away” continues to land as a 9/11-era kindness story, with productions highlighting real-life pay-it-forward inspiration.

New Album Drops: Singer-actor James Reid is releasing “Honey, I’m Home” via Careless Music, timed to his hit teleserye “Someone, Someday,” after a songwriting camp and a Spotify-breaking collab. Chart Rules Upgrade: Billboard and Luminate are making qualifying “Smart Media Albums” chart-eligible for the first time since CDs, starting with the Oct. 2–8 tracking week. New Music Releases: Slayyyter returns with “Crank 2,” while Sampa The Great announces “Nu Zamrock” (Oct. 30) and shares “Simon Says.” Pop + Video Buzz: Rosé teases “New Trick,” arriving Sept. 17 with a music video shot on Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro. Tour/Release Timing: Bruce Springsteen says a completed record is done but another project will come first, pushing his long-awaited album further out. Local Music Support: Grand Rapids launches “Phase Zero,” certifying musicians as city vendors to help them formalize small-business plans and play free public shows. Legacy + Community: Música del Aire will honor Antonia Apodaca with a free Northern New Mexico tribute concert Sept. 15.

Health & Community: Oklahoma musician Tony Foster Jr. is hosting a Sept. 24 benefit concert in Oklahoma City to help fund his kidney transplant and recovery, with performances from Cleon Windley, Flow the Wise and Sid Carter. Pop Culture Satire: Trey Parker and Matt Stone are temporarily renaming “South Park” to “SOUTH AMERICA” in a jab at Trump-era “Lake America” map changes and Paramount’s Skydance deal. Classic Rock Spotlight: Billy Joel, 77, says he’s recovering after brain surgery for normal pressure hydrocephalus and insists he’s “not going anywhere.” New Releases & Tours: Tobe Nwigwe’s album “The Bridge” lands Oct. 9, drawing on Texas and Nigeria highlife roots; Paul Oakenfold brings his Mission Underground Tour to Victoria on Oct. 18. Live Crossover Moments: Evanescence and Poppy debuted “End Of You” live with Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante absent, marking the first onstage run of the 2025 collab. Awards & Honors: The Selecter’s Pauline Black will receive an Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the 2026 Independent Music Awards.

Country Spotlight: Carly Pearce and Riley Green share behind-the-scenes details of their steamy duet “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” plus the quick path to the collaboration that landed on Pearce’s Honest Woman. Irish Releases & Tours: Bell X1 announce Good Bones for Nov. 13, with an autumn/winter run through Wexford, Dublin, Cork, Derry, Belfast and Kerry; Doireann Ní Ghlacáin follows with debut solo album An Tairseach: The Threshold (Jan. 15, 2027) and a tour hitting Galway, Cork, Limerick, Belfast and Dublin. New Album Watch: Brian Eno revives Opal Records with reissues of two long-lost albums (Another Day on Earth, Drawn From Life) and newly released live videos. Big Live Moments: Glastonbury 2027 tickets are set at £408 (plus fees) with sales dates in October; The Warehouse Project reveals its 20th anniversary flagship show at Depot Mayfield on Nov. 27. Local Scene Picks: Dublin’s disndat keeps live music seven nights a week; Northampton’s Andy Crofts readies his solo debut Melody Boy for a full-band London show Oct. 20. Industry/Legacy: Metallica gets a full-album ranking roundup as the band’s 45-year arc continues to dominate headlines.

Local Live Music: The Pulaski Corn Show keeps it rolling with two hometown-style sets: the Bicho Brothers (classic rock + Latin percussion) on Sept. 10 and Nashville honky-tonk singer James Carothers on Sept. 11. New Releases: Jhené Aiko announces Westside Whimsy, arriving Sept. 11, and David Archuleta follows with holiday album Warm Me Up out Oct. 30. Big-Stage Pop/Rock: Cage the Elephant headlines the 2026 NFL Munich Game halftime show on Nov. 15. Ticketing/Events: iHeartRadio Music Festival returns to Las Vegas Sept. 18–19—here’s where to buy tickets. Music Education: Georgia Pre-K Week will distribute Every Amazing Song to 87,000+ students, while Indiana’s Tri-County Jr./Sr. High gets a grant to level up music instruction with MakeMusic. Community Platforms: New Orleans Public Library’s Crescent City Sounds reopens submissions for local artists through Oct. 2. Tragedy/Health & Safety: University of Iowa marching band member Derek Phillips dies after heat stroke and cardiac arrest during the Sept. 5 game.

SB19 News: Josh Cullen teased what looks like new solo music with an Instagram post of code-like symbols, following a wave of SB19 members’ solo releases since May. Indie Rock Release: Bloc Party shared “Lagoon Blue,” the final early single ahead of Anatomy Of a Brief Romance, and it’s tied to a love story that later fell apart. Pop Culture & Music TV: Sir Tom Jones says ITV “sacked” him from The Voice UK after 13 years, while reports point to a reduced role amid an insurance-related decision and a coaching shake-up. Touring Spotlight: Stevie Wonder announced a 50th anniversary Songs in the Key of Life world tour with full-album performances, including major UK dates and a Dublin stop. Milestone Video: Burna Boy and Shakira’s “Dai Dai” hit 1 billion YouTube views, with the track tied to FIFA World Cup 2026. Local Live Music: The Bishops headline Anderson’s free extended summer concert series on Sept. 11. Broadway Casting: Sherri Shepherd will play the Genie in Aladdin on Broadway this fall.

Labor Day Live Music: Escanaba’s City Band kept the parade going despite downtown construction, while Ishpeming Community Events extended its farmers market and live music series through Sept. 23. Community Festivals: Bumbershoot 2026 in Seattle is back in a strong groove, and Parowan’s Iron County Fair Parade leaned into a “Rockin’ the 90’s” theme with big local turnout. Local Spotlight: Mac MacAnally headlined a free “Just a Few Friends” park show, and Fort Oglethorpe’s James Rogers kicked off Labor Day with a hometown song. Big-Name Releases/News: JISOO’s “Click” topped a Billboard favorite-new-music poll, and Sir Cliff Richard announced “Only Number Ones,” a 12-track covers album. Industry/Legal: A Denver lawsuit accuses St. John’s Lutheran Church and School of failing to protect a girl from alleged abuse by a music director. AI Backlash: Dolly Parton’s sister Stella hit out at “AI garbage” tributes after Dolly’s death.

Oasis Buzz: A massive archive of Oasis recordings is headed to auction for up to £1.6m, even as the band objects—highlighting how fan- and industry-grade memorabilia keeps colliding with artists’ wishes. Documentary Spotlight: Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger is getting major review attention for its intimate, rehearsal-heavy look at the band’s 2025 reunion run. New Music Releases: Ellie Goulding drops I Know Too Much, Carly Rae Jepsen expands into a double album with Day and Night, and Chaka Khan returns with Chakzilla. Pop/Charts: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” lands a big country-radio moment, fueling talk about where TS13 might go next. Live & Local: DJ Jazzy Jeff brings a fountain-synced set to Longwood Gardens; plus a wave of community gigs and festivals—from Psych Fest in Edinburgh to Bunkfest’s volunteer awards. Music Industry/Tech: A guide to saving Facebook live music as MP3 in 2026 points to how fans keep building personal libraries. K-pop: Jeon Soyeon readies her solo album What a Wonderful Life, while NiziU and KickFlip map out major comebacks. Tragedy: Andy “The Butcher” Williams, a wrestler and Every Time I Die guitarist, dies at 48 after collapsing mid-match.

Death in Music & Wrestling: Andy “The Butcher” Williams, longtime rhythm guitarist for Every Time I Die, died at 48 after collapsing during an independent match in Millvale, Pennsylvania; CPR was administered and the bout was called off. Awards Buzz: Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show swept all seven Emmy categories it was nominated for, setting a record as the most-awarded Super Bowl halftime show in Emmy history. New Music Radar: Saoirse drops tech-house single “Boombox,” while Holly Lester releases EP Open Your Mind, plus more fresh picks for September. Live & Local: The Sauble Beach Party wrapped a weekend run with Flo Rida, Simple Plan, and Chris Young; in Canada, 73 Challenger return to Crofton for a free classic rock show. Industry Move: TBWA\Media Arts Lab hires Google music supervisor Anh Do as its first global head of music. Tour News: Angus & Julia Stone announce 2027 Australia dates for Karaoke Bar, including a Sydney Opera House Forecourt stop.

Bad Bunny Emmy sweep: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny won seven Creative Arts Emmys, and Bad Bunny earned his first Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Live-music community spotlight: South Bend’s YART DIY arts and music festival returns with 36+ acts across four stages, pushing safe, creative self-expression. Band-to-band crossover: Marcus King reflects on his friendship with late Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds, including how they “nerd out” over solos. Sacred music export: The Priests keep spreading sacred music worldwide, rooted in their 1970s Northern Ireland beginnings and a Sony recording deal. Local festival energy: Goosfest lays out its arts-and-music lineup with sold-out “Two Pianos” and more ticketed events. Streaming milestone: System of a Down’s “Johnny” finally lands on streaming for the first time as Toxicity’s 25th anniversary rollout continues. Tour disruption: AC/DC’s Toronto Rogers Stadium date is in doubt after storm damage and a city order to remedy unsafe building conditions. Album review: Kasabian’s “ACT III” leans dance-forward but leaves rock-identity questions hanging. Tribute & legacy: Dolores O’Riordan is remembered via Hot Press reflections ahead of what would’ve been her 55th birthday.