Publication Date: March 24, 2026
March 24, 2026UncategorizedAnnounces Ricochet Tour with Alkaline Trio
March 23rd, 2026 by Joey Clark
Chicago-based punk rockers Rise Against are on the road with Destroy Boys at the moment, but they’re not ready to stop anytime soon!
The band announced a second run of U.S. dates that will make up their Ricochet 2026 Tour, named after their release from last summer, “Ricochet.” Joining them on this run will be fellow Chicagoan punks, Alkaline Trio.
GREAT PARK LIVE
Irvine, California
October 23rd, 2026
On top of their touring schedule Rise Against has remained engaged with their fans and the community at large. This past December the four-piece invited a selection of fans for their All Rise Together (A.R.T.) project. It was an experience in which fans created custom posters inspired by the lyrics of the song “Ricochet” that were placed behind Rise Against as they performed and recorded a live set in which those fans got to be the live audience.
The group is well-known for being active politically and has teamed up with fellow musician and activist Tom Morello on several occasions over the years. Their latest endeavors included a talk and performance entitled “The Role of Art in Resistance” last year in which both discussed the influence music has to bring about change. They also joined forces to perform at A Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota in which all proceeds went to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
In relation to Alkaline Trio joining the bill, Rise Against stated, “This isn’t just a tour, but a celebration of two bands that sprung from the same soil and the same Chicago basements and bowling alleys. We can’t wait to link back up with our Windy City brethren, Alkaline Trio. Together, we take what we both started so long ago on a tour that is long overdue.”
Alkaline Trio has been busy in and out of the studio since their 2024 record release, “Blood, Hair and Eyeballs.” In 2025 the band went to work with lead singer Matt Akiba’s former blink-182 bandmate, Travis Barker. This collaboration spawned three singles, “Oblivion,” “Bleeding Out,” and “Surprise Surprise.” Following the singles releases, the group toured with blink during their Mission Impossible Tour.
You will not want to miss out on this incredible Chicago-styled punk rock team up! For SoCal fans Rise Against and Alkaline Trio will be stopping off in Irvine at Great Park Live on October 23rd for the final night of this tour. Tickets to the tour are available now.
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March 23, 2026UncategorizedSlated for Two Nights at House of Blues Anaheim
March 23rd, 2026 by Joey Clark
Warped Tour veterans, Boys Like Girls are set to play two nights at the House of Blues in Anaheim in May for The Soundtrack of Your Life Tour. This year will mark 20 years since the band released their pop-punk, self-titled album “Boys Like Girls,” which gifted us hits like “The Great Escape” and “Hero/Heroine.”
Boys Like Girls formed in the Boston suburb of Andover in 2005 and quickly gained a sizable following after posting several demo songs to their PureVolume and Myspace pages. The demos would quickly capture the attention of talent agent Matt Galle, and record producer Matt Squire (who would produce the band’s debut album).
Since the launch of their label debut, Boys Like Girls has remained a staple act in the pop-punk scene. They’ve nearly spent every year as band on the road together with exception of taking time off for personal projects only to come back stronger each time. And this tour is looking to be no exception.
Joining Boy Like Girls on the road will be iDKHOW and Arrows in Action. iDKHOW is an indie pop solo project that was started in Salt Lake City and helmed by The Brobecks frontman and former Panic at the Disco! bassist, Dillon Weekes.
Arrows in Action is a pop-rock trio that banded together at the University of Florida but calls Nashville home. They’ve amassed millions of streams and a faithful fanbase since their formation.
If you are looking for a fantastic night of music, make sure you get your tickets for Boys Like Girls at the House of Blues in Anaheim on May 1st and 3rd before they sell out.
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March 23, 2026UncategorizedMarch 22nd, 2026 by Kevin Gomez
Based on their rough start, addictions, and self-admitted lack of talent, there’s not many who foresaw NOFX surviving their first few years – much less four decades later – and having one of the biggest impacts on punk rock music (Descendents frontman Milo Aukerman commented in the film, “They’re the punk rock Beatles”). For a band who got no love in their early days and even years later continued to get no respect, in the words of Rodney Dangerfield, the band is finally getting their chance to celebrate and look back at a storied career.\
“40 Years of Fucking Up,” a film by NOFX holds back no punches and gives a raw history spanning the band’s career. It’s what you would expect a movie about NOFX to encompass: sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. The band held the world movie premiere at SXSW in Austin on March 15th, but arguably the even bigger and more important date was their hometown show in Santa Monica at the Landmark Nuart Theatre. As lead singer and bassist Fat Mike Burkett says it in the film, “I still get nervous for hometown shows.”
A celebrity’s row of who’s who in punk rock history showed up to celebrate NOFX, including Josh Homme, Deryck Whibley, Gerard Way, and Linda Ramone. The event was curated by the Punk Rock Museum, headed by museum Chief Communications Officer Melanie Kaye. Friends of the band, many of whom were featured and thanked in the film graced the red carpet for photo ops inside the movie’s lobby including members of Lagwagon, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Strung Out.
This was not the band’s first foray into chronicling their lives. In 2008 they aired “Backstage Passport” on Fuse TV, a video diary giving fans a rare glimpse into their touring lives. This was special as NOFX famously shunned media attention, rejecting radio airplay and refusing to submit any music videos to MTV after the network rejected their first three attempts.
In 2015 they released the film, “Backstage Passport 2” on DVD followed in 2016 by “The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories,” an autobiography about their lives, written in their own words.
The band members were of course in attendance including drummer Erik “Smelly” Sandin, guitarist, “El Hefe” (Aaron Abeyta), keyboardist Karina Denike, Burkett and ex-wife, Erin (who together ran Fat Wreck Chords for 35 years), and their families. Famously absent from the event was guitarist and founding member Eric Melvin.
Before the movie aired Burkett took to the stage to say that he grew up watching movies as an adolescent going to see the sold-out “Star Wars” opening day. He would eventually go on to see a movie that changed his life forever: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” “It didn’t just change my life; it saved my life,” he declared. He vowed to one day release a movie about music and cross-dressing, which is exactly what he was doing today.
The movie details the band’s early days and home life, including Sandin’s struggles with heroin addiction, but is more centered around the band’s farewell tour, kicked off by Burkett’s decision to retire. A major factor in his decision to call it quits came from the shocking revelation that he had recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which meant an end to his excessive drinking and cocaine. As he put it, “I don’t know how to be sober on stage.”
The film does briefly explore Burkett’s cross-dressing habits, which although started in his teens, he never did so publicly until his 40s. In a rare glimpse of Burkett being vulnerable he even dons one of his latex feminine masks on and explains he hopes being so open about his own interests may inspire others out there to feel more comfortable about their own gender or sexuality.
As I mentioned above the film concludes with the band’s last three performances ever, culminating with the band’s final song written by Burkett, “We Did It Our Way.” Although, that is how the movie itself ended, the real-life drama between Melvin and Burkett continues to play out.
Burkett revealed in a Q&A with the band that his former best friend had made accusations against him, and that, “I didn’t want to be on stage with Eric Melvin anymore and that’s why the band broke up.” The next day Melvin posted a statement on Instagram denying that he ever sued Burkett, never even served him with papers, but rather sent a letter asking for financial records for the band, which he had been requesting for years.
As a fan, even if the band truly is retired and never play another show again, it would be really nice to at least see Melvin and Burkett patch things up as longtime friends and brothers. As Burkett put it, “I lost my best friend.” After “40 Years of Fucking Up,” let’s hope this is one they don’t mess up.
EVENT PHOTO GALERY
by Joey Clark | Highway One Photography
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March 19, 2026UncategorizedThe Wow! Signal is Coming
March 19th, 2026 by Traci Turner
The English rockers who can do no wrong, Muse just announced a new album and dropped the first single. The “Supermassive Black Hole” gents’ 10th album will hit the streets on June 26th and is titled “The WOW! Signal.”
The Grammy winners launched the news from space – literally! Partnering with Sent Into Space, Muse sent “a specially-designed tablet 33km up into the atmosphere” to premiere the video for the first single, “Be With You.”
What’s with the name? According to the band: “The WOW! Signal takes its name from one of the most compelling interstellar mysteries of the last century: a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source.
The astronomer who discovered the anomaly famously circled the now-iconic sequence ‘6EQUJ5’ and wrote ‘WOW!’ on the printout beside it — giving the signal its name and cementing its place in scientific and pop-culture lore.”
Muse’s last album, 2022’s “Will of the People,” debuted at number one globally and we expect this to be no different.
The band comprised of Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard, and Chris Wolstenholme last toured in support of the 2022 album, so fans in the US are a wee bit anxious to see them live again. So far a new tour has not been announced, but surely that will come…
“Uprising,” “Starlight,” “Knights of Cydonia,” “Madness,” “Map of the Problematique,” “Time Is Running Out,” “Psycho,” “Hysteria,” and “Supremacy” are just a few of the songs fans go crazy for and that leads to concerts selling out quickly, so once a tour is planned, be ready to jump!
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March 18, 2026UncategorizedCelebrate 30th Anniversary
March 18th, 2026 by Traci Turner
“Bringing Down the Horse,” the second album from The Wallflowers, was released in 1996, making this year its 30th anniversary. The album truly thrust Jakob Dylan and crew into the mainstream thanks to the radio love for “6th Avenue Heartache,” “The Difference,” “Three Marlenas,” and the mega hit, “One Headlight.”
The Wallflowers will spend 2026 celebrating the 30th anniversary by playing the album in full on an expansive North American tour. As if that was not enough, they will also perform Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Long After Dark.”
“Coming back after such a long time, we wanted to do something special for the 30th anniversary of Bringing Down the Horse,” Dylan said. “We decided to play what seems to be our fans’ favorite Wallflowers album, and for us, we wanted to play one of our favorite Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers records, Long After Dark.”
The trek will kick off April 17th in Portland, OR and keeps them traveling through September 6th where it closes out in Milwaukee. Despite the fact that they are hitting pretty much every state, SoCal just gets their April 26th performance at the Stagecoach Music Festival.
Dylan remains the one constant member of The Wallflowers with the last album release being 2021’s “Exit Wounds.” The band’s current roster includes Chris Masterson and Ben Peeler (guitars), Aaron Embry (keyboards), Whynot Jansveld (bass), and Mark Stepro (drums).
Tickets are on sale now, although selling out in some of the smaller venues, so get on it!
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March 18, 2026UncategorizedAnnounces Two Nights at the Fonda
March 18th, 2025 by Amberlee Meyer
In a surprise announcement, Sir Paul McCartney is performing two nights at the legendary Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. These unexpected shows on March 27th and 28th are the legend’s first live performances since his 2025 Get Back Tour.
The epic body of work that McCartney has created cannot be condensed into one article and he has created a legacy that will last for decades to come.
Before his solo career, there was a little band called The Beatles that changed the musical landscape forever. Volumes upon volumes of books have been written about the band’s influence; the album names roll off the tongue as generations of music lovers have known them for decades – “Please Please Me,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!,” “The Beatles” (aka “The White Album”), “Yellow Submarine,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Abbey Road” – they changed music in a way the world had never seen before.
From Fab Four phenom to prolific solo artist, with his song “Maybe I’m Amazed” laying down the footwork for lo-fi music as we know it today, to his next band, Wings, with wife Linda at his side, McCartney is adored and remembered the world over. He has always been the best kind of rock star, in part because he doesn’t consider himself one.
These two dates are a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a living legend and a cultural icon in a very intimate setting. It will also be a phone-free event, so you can truly be absorbed in the experience.
Fans who registered on McCartney’s site will be notified on March 24th and 25th if they were lucky enough to score a ticket purchase link.
It’s a night you won’t forget… if you are lucky enough to be selected!
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March 17, 2026UncategorizedDrops 2026 Lineup
March 17th, 2026 by Kevin Gomez
Just Like Heaven, the indie-alt festival which originally started in Long Beach has since grown to a massive festival celebrated at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Last year’s lineup featured bands just as hot as the sweltering heat with Vampire Weekend, a Rilo Kiley reunion, Empire of the Sun, Block Party, and TV on the Radio. The prior year featured The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie, as well as Phoenix, and The War on Drugs.
Fans grew wary when, by February, there was no news of a lineup, ticket sales, or any kind of update for this year. But on Friday, Just Like Heaven’s official social media announced the festival would be returning August 22nd in Pasadena to everyone’s delight. If fans thought that was exciting, they were simply beside themselves when the official lineup for 2026 dropped Monday morning.
The two headliners for this year’s festival will be The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem. Both are no strangers to Brookside at the Rose Bowl, as each headlined one of the two-day 2022 This Ain’t No Picnic Festival.
The Strokes last released “The New Abnormal” in 2020, and though there were rumors of a working on a new album in 2022, there have been no updates since. But that has not slowed down any interest in the band as fans have already sold out a stop in San Francisco, right before they play the two weekends of Coachella.
LCD Soundsystem, however, have been working since 2024 on their fifth studio album, which would be their first since 2017’s “American Dream.” Thus far, the only taste fans have gotten is the first single, “X-Ray Eyes,” the band’s first new song since 2022.
The band will be playing a slew of festivals leading up to August including Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival and Roadrunner.
Just Like Heaven will also feature indie darlings Dayglow, the brainchild of Sloan Struble, Whitney, Porches, and STRFKR, the side project of Joshua Hodges. Also appearing will be electro-funk duo Chromeo, Feist, and the legendary Matt & Kim, who is one of my favorite live performers. The lineup also features A Club Called Rhonda, which a few years prior was its own tent with dance floor and DJs throughout the day.
Just Like Heaven sells out quickly every year, so be ready to scoop up your tickets when they go on sale this Friday at 11 a.m. PST.
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March 17, 2026UncategorizedPublic Image Ltd Tour & Album on the Way
March 17th, 2026 by Traci Turner
There is no one quite like John Lydon. Formerly known as Johnny Rotten during the Sex Pistols days, Lydon is an instantly recognizable frontman who is sure to put on an incredible show that will not be boring!
His post-Sex Pistols outfit, Public Image Ltd (PiL), will undertake an extensive North American tour this fall. Dubbed This Is Not… The Final PiL Tour, the trek begins September 3rd in Pioneertown, visits Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Boston, and plenty of other major cities before closing out October 9th in Nashville. The band has already plotted out another round of dates that kick off in February 2027.
The band is also set to release a new live album, appropriately titled “Alive,” which was recorded during last year’s tour. The release date has not been set, but it is expected this spring. In addition, PiL – Lydon, Lu Edmonds (guitar), Scott Firth (bass), and Mark Roberts (drums) – is currently in the studio recording an album of new material for release in early 2027.
Announcing the tour, Lydon said: “We’re looking forward to playing to our friends in North America. It feels like it’s been a long time and we’re pleased to be coming back. We’ve just been into the studio for four weeks to start work on our new record. You’ll be hearing a lot more from PiL.”
Photo by Paul Heartfield
Lydon – who recently appeared on the British version of “The Masked Singer” – created PiL in 1978 after the spectacular demise of Sex Pistols. PiL found early success but then had a 17-year hiatus. Lydon revived the band in 2009, touring globally and dropping three critically acclaimed albums. Now we wait for the next…
SoCal fans can catch Public Image Ltd on September 3rd in Pioneertown at Pappy & Harriet’s, September 8th in Santa Ana at The Observatory, September 10th in Los Angeles at The Belasco, and/or September 11th in San Diego at House of Blues. That’s a whole lotta Lydon for you!
Tickets for all shows go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. local time.
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March 15, 2026UncategorizedDavid McWane Could Use Our Help
March 15th, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
The year was 1987, I just landed my first gig in music as a board operator at a small AM radio station in Long Bech, California. Since then, I have been very-very lucky; I am still working in this industry. During this journey I have been fortunate enough to meet a ton of people. Some meetings were great; some were Ok and some not so great – that happens over 30+ years. From time-to-time you hear good things about certain artists; and sometimes that too works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Meeting David McWane was definitely a very positive moment in my life.
I can’t recall the exact year, but it was the middle of summer, and it was in Pomona, you got it – it was my summer at the Warped Tour. I got to meet many of the bands, but it was a chance encounter that I would never forget. We just got done shooting a band, and the photographer I was with said, hey let’s go check out Big D. I knew the name, I knew “Shining On,” but other than that song I wasn’t familiar with them – that would change very quickly.
The show had already begun, and the lead singer stood behind the mic in complete control of the crowd. I remember it like it was yesterday – the lead singer said, “Thank you for checking us out. We’re from Boston Massachusetts – we’re Big D and the Kids Table,” and they segued into their Specials cover of “Little Bitch.” Needless to say, the crowd lost their minds.
Since then, I have gotten to know Big D and their lead singer David McWane. He turned out to be not just a great entertainer and lead singer, but an even better person. I try to stay objective when I write stories, but for this one, I will just speak truth as I see it.
McWane is one of those guys that was brought up right by great parents and has surrounded himself with a band of brothers that puts out insanely cool music. They have traveled the world together and put out era-defining songs and are the class of the third wave of ska.
I once asked Kevin Lyman, the organizer of Warped Tour, which were his top 5 bands to have ever played Warped tour. He named Big D in that list, and it was because of McWane. He called him a “stand up guy.”
As for me, yeah – he turned out to be the real deal. Someone who cares about people and the world we live in. He goes above and beyond often, something I have always admired about him.
Sadly, a few years ago David was diagnosed with throat cancer. As you could imagine it was a dark and very scary time for him, his wife, his parents, loved ones, bandmates and fans worldwide. Luckily with treatment he was able to make a recovery. Like the Phoenix, McWane and Big D was back at it putting out music and touring.
All who follow Big D had an inkling something was up when they canceled their Mexico tour without much explanation. The fear I had and a few of our friends had was that the cancer had returned. Truth is, I don’t know and neither do any of our collective band of friends that love this band. We just all wish for the best.
We finally got the answer. The band posted on their socials; “Today we’re launching a GoFundMe for our friend and bandmate, Dave is currently in treatment for cancer and hasn’t been able to work, and the financial strain has started to build. He’s always been someone who shows up for the people in his life — his friends, his band, and his family — and now it’s our turn to show up for him. If you’re able to donate or share, it would mean a lot. Thank you for helping us support Dave while he focuses on getting through treatment.”
His fans are so taken by this news, many well wishes were posted on the band’s social media pages … one person wrote “One of a kind, emphasis on kind.”
For the moment, we are holding our collective breath that he will be OK. For now, we are going to spread the word that he could use some help. Cancer sucks and can hit any of us, so this news hits us all hard as we know so many people that have been stricken by this horrible disease.
Stay tuned for more detail as they become available. In the meantime, if you have room in your heart and your wallet, please help one of the very good people in the music industry, David McWane. Please donate anything you can to his GoFundMe page in order to help him get through this difficult time.
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March 12, 2026UncategorizedINDUSTRY REPORT # 58
CATCHING UP WITH SCOTTY MORRIS
March 12th, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
Every once in a while, we come across a band that is not only part of history, but they also made it. Bands like The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana all changed the musical landscape. Hard to believe that in 2026, one of those bands are not only around, but they are coming to the OC. The band is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
The year was 2006, and swing music made its way back into the mainstream of everyday life courtesy of a movie called “Swingers.” The 1996 feature film captured the resurgence of the “swing” music revival featuring music from Ventura’s number one sons, Scotty Morris and his band of brothers. I had the opportunity to chat with Scotty about all that is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
What stood out most to me was despite all the glory and fame that the band deservedly has received, he remains down to Earth and a very well-grounded cat. What I found interesting is the original band lineup remains intact.
Morris wears the kick-ass suits and handles the mic duties. Kurt Sodergren slaps the skins, the double bass is all Dirk Shumaker; Andy Rowley leads the brass section on sax, while Glen “The Kid” Marhevka is on trumpet. The band wouldn’t be complete without Karl Hunter who doubles sax and clarinet, while Joshua Levy plays the keys.
When asked how they managed to still be together after all these years, Morris said “I love these guys, we are a family. Like any family we have disagreements, but we always come together. We have lots in common and like many of the same things, which helps keep our sanity. But we are brothers, and that’s what’s kept us together.”
We touched on his early days and what drew him to swing. He laughed and said, “I was a punk rock kid at heart, still am, the music just spoke to me.” He went on to say, “but I also loved Saturday morning cartoons, and the classic and swing music that was the soundtrack to many of those toons.” We both laughed at that as I knew what he meant.
He went on to say, “I love punk music, but swing really spoke to me.” I asked him about his wardrobe, because he has lot of great suits. I told him I spoke with Mike Ness not long ago, and he said he never changed anything about himself to do his music, he is who he is and his closet represents that. Morris laughed and said, “I agree with Mike, you are your music and I have a closet full of cool clothes; I didn’t have to re-invent myself, it is who I am.”
I then asked what it was like when “Swingers” came out. He said, “It was so surreal, it was crazy how everything changed for us, I never forget what it took to get here, and I will never take it for granted. I mean we’ve played the Super Bowl, and performed on Dancing with The Stars, I mean that doesn’t happen to everyone. So yeah, we are very lucky and very grateful – we will always continue to work hard.”
I asked about the band name, he laughed again and said it was a chance meeting with legendary blues artist and band leader Albert Collins, and he received a poster signed “To Scotty, the big bad voodoo Daddy.” Morris and the guys thought it was a perfect name.
I then asked the 10-million-dollar question – the rumor is there is new music coming soon from the band. Morris said, “That’s no rumor, I have 10 songs written, we’re just working on them to get something out.” I asked if there was an album name or release date? He said, nothing just yet, but it is coming. He sounded so excited, like a teenager going to his first dance.
Truth is, this band is dynamic, energetic on stage, and deliver an electrifying performance on stage. For the local fans, great news… Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is coming to town.
You can them March 28th at Garden Amphitheatre. Show support will be provided by Jessica Kazzmarek Band. This will be an epic show, so if you like to jive, jump and shake what your mama gave you, get out and see these legends. Tickets are on sale NOW!
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March 12, 2026UncategorizedLong Beach 2026 Lineup Released
March 12th, 2026 by Kevin Gomez
Pack the sunscreen, grab your clear festival bag and make plans to have your mom drop you off, because the Vans Warped Tour is coming back again to Long Beach. Actually, if you were there for some of the original Warped Tour years, your kids might be old enough to drop you off this time.
After a resounding success of 80,000 people at last year’s Long Beach date, founder Kevin Lyman is bringing the festival back again with even more dates, and this year he’s going international. The Vans Warped Tour will make the rounds again at Washington, D.C., Long Beach, and Orlando, and this year expands to Montreal and Mexico City.
As they did last year, the Warped Tour slowly began releasing bands for the past 30 days. Gradually, a solid lineup started to unveil, with the full official lineup dropping Tuesday. Now, there are still eight bands whited out presumably for bands that cannot be named yet due to proximity clauses but will be revealed as the date gets closer. My guess for the band after Hot Chelle Rae and Hot Milk is Hot Mulligan.
Part of the magic of the Warped Tour was that this was a stage for some of the biggest names in punk, alternative, hardcore, hip-hop, and everything in between, while being a showcase for the younger bands coming up.
Some of the biggest bands playing the Long Beach dates are Jimmy Eat World, Papa Roach, Flogging Molly, Simple Plan, The Used, All Time Low, and Bowling for Soup. There’s also a throwback to bands who used to play Warped Tour in the ‘90s and 2000s like Bayside, MxPx, Lagwagon, Mad Caddies, and The Ataris.
We even have some repeat offenders who played last year’s Long Beach show including The Used, Honey Revenge, Taking Back Sunday, and Plain White T’s. As for newer up and coming bands, you will definitely want to catch sets from Codefendants, Winona Fighter, Holy Wars, and carolesdaughter.
The Long Beach dates will be July 25th-26th. Tickets have been on sale for a bit including a blind sale before any bands were announced. Act quickly because all three of last year’s dates sold out, and 2026 should be no different.
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March 11, 2026UncategorizedINDUSTRY REPORT # 57
Catching Up with Nicole Alvarez
March 11th, 2026 by Traci Turner
The world of radio is a business like no other. Stations can be rock one day and country the next. Beloved DJs can be let go randomly without the chance to say goodbye to listeners. A voice you may have associated with one brand may move to another. The one constant of radio is change.
Last year the LA radio market participated in several of those changes, including a major crosstown move for Nicole Alvarez. Leaving her radio home of more than 20 years, Alvarez relocated to Alt 98.7 and is now handling middays.
After beginning her radio career at WPLA (Jacksonville) and WZTA (Miami), Alvarez landed at KROQ, where she earned an amazing reputation for her artist interviews, musical knowledge, and kind heart. In addition to the “standard” on-air gig, Alvarez co-hosted the syndicated “Loveline” with Dr. Drew Pinsky and Dr. Chris Donahue,
She voiced additional alternative stations owned by the same company (Audacy), served as an MTV correspondent, and is a member of the Recording Academy’s Rock Committee. She is also an incredible writer and is the primary West Coast contributor for Consequence of Sound.
After one week of middays, we decided to check in with Alvarez and see how things are going at the new gig…
Traci: It’s always weird to research someone before interviewing them, because this sounds like I am a creeper, but how was Disney this weekend?
Nicole: Disney is a lot! I think I have shin splints and I’m having trouble walking.
Traci: I saw it was the Disney Food & Wine Festival. Was there something that was the best thing you’ve ever tasted?
Nicole: Wine. A glass of wine, honestly.
Traci: Another very important question from my stalking you this weekend is, what was your last tattoo?
Nicole: Oh, I got a tattoo on my hand that says Unforgettable Dance in Spanish to remind me of my family growing up, my Cuban family, and to remind me this is one dance that we get and we should do it right.
Traci: I know you began your radio career quite young, so you obviously had a love for music at an early age. What was the first song you fell in love with?
Nicole: The first song that I remember absolutely adoring and needing to hear over and over again was Prince, “Purple Rain.” That was the first song that I remember becoming obsessed with. I have a very strong love for that song. It was in the “Stranger Things” finale not too long ago, and it was unexpected, and it floored me.
Traci: How did you know you wanted to go into radio?
Nicole: I was about 10 or 11, and in the car back then, there was only radio. I would listen to a station called Zeta, 94.9 Zeta (in Miami). There was a lady, her name was Kimba, and she had this perfect raspy voice. She was obsessed with Steven Tyler, and all she did was talk about music, and she’d go to concerts. Before I even knew what that all meant, I knew that I wanted to do exactly what she did.
She continued; There was no other question in my mind. I never wanted to do anything else; I wanted to be that lady. I wanted to have her perks, and I wanted to live that exact life. That was it. I wasn’t very career-minded outside of that. I had a really good time growing up. I liked going out. I lived a big life, and I never really… Now that I’m saying it out loud, that must have horrified my parents! I never even took the steps to be in radio. I just knew that that’s what I wanted to do. That’s when I decided – it was just a woman that I heard on the radio.
Kimba – Zeta 94.9FM, Miami / Fort Lauderdale
Traci: And you really went for it! I mean, that’s a pretty big deal – especially for your parents, I’m sure – for you to eventually move from Florida to Los Angeles.
Nicole: Yeah, I was in college in Jacksonville, and I wanted to stay in Florida, and I wanted to be by the ocean. Jacksonville seemed to make sense. I got my first heartbreak experience there. We went to a club and the rock station from Jacksonville was playing. They were guesting at this club and I went up to whoever was in the booth and I said, “How do I get a job at your radio station?” They gave me a name.
She continued; The following Monday, I called this woman over and over and over again. They hired me at the rock station in promotions; it wasn’t even on air. And the rest, as they say, is history. But yeah, my parents had no idea. They just tried to get me to stay in school, and I wasn’t crazy about school.
Traci: I think that’s funny you said that you started in promotions. I found often with radio, once you get your foot in the door, if you just show up, you’ll get to the job you want.
Nicole: That’s exactly right. You just get your foot in the door. You have no idea where you’re going to end up. Just get your foot in the door and show up. And if somebody asks you to do something, say yes. One piece of advice that I got in radio when I first started working was, “Wear as many hats as possible.” That never left me. I did that. I just put on as many hats as possible and learned to do whatever I could do.
Traci: You get to Los Angeles, 20 plus years at one station, and now this opportunity to work for Lisa Worden, who was just named program director of the year by industry folks, and picked up a Woman of the Year award at NAMM. First of all, in this industry, it is rare to have a woman in that role, but then, you have the absolute best! Plus you’ve worked together already.
LISA WORDEN
Program Director ALT987 | SVP iHeart Media Alternative & Rock
Nicole: I worked with her at KROQ, she was my music director. So I’ve known her for 23 years, and we have worked together for the most part until she left for iHeart eight years ago.
Traci: Did you find it was easy to fall back into place with her?
Nicole: Yes. Because we’ve stayed in touch this entire time and I’ve watched her career and I know what she’s about and what matters to her. And she’s also watched me grow. We’ve been able to stay in each other’s lives long enough; I know her language. At the end of the day, she just wants people that are stoked and that do good, hard work. That’s what I’m giving her. She’s wonderful. She knows how to command a team.
Traci: Tell me your thoughts on that team.
Nicole: From The Woody Show to being reunited with Stryker and Booker and getting to work with Christen at night. The team that I’m on is extremely solid, and they built this thing way before, long before I got here. I came in very respectfully knowing that. Now, just to be part of this team that Lisa built, that I get to contribute to and I get to grow with is really exciting!
Traci: What new music is coming up this year that you’re excited about?
Nicole: There’s so many. I feel like everybody’s coming out with new music this year! I’m really excited to see what Muse does this year. Muse is the artist who I think I’m the most excited about.
Traci: I was fortunate to be on the red carpet for band interviews at ALTer EGO in January and that was a crazy scene! Do you still find artist interviews difficult or scary?
Nicole: Yeah, because well, for me, I want to do a great job. There’s a pressure that I put on myself. But also, you just don’t know who you’re getting. One thing I’ve learned about artists is a lot of times, who they are onstage is who they need to be. They do have an armor when they’re onstage. They get to become this persona. And a lot of times artists off stage, they’re a little more… They’re disarmed.
She continued; Some artists have a really hard time answering questions. Other times, they’re just sick of being asked the same things or having the same conversations over and over. I try and be very thoughtful about how I approach it. But yeah, I get super nervous. At the end of the day, I just want to do a good job, and I want the artist to be happy and I want my boss, and I want the fans to be happy, and that’s a lot of pressure.
Traci: Are you chugging Pepto before the interview like I am? (laughing)
There was no other question in my mind. I never wanted to do anything else.
NICOLE ALVAREZ
Nicole: No! (laughing) I did that a few times, but that didn’t really work. I’m less nervous now than it used to be, but I also believe that the day that all my nerves go away is when I’ve stopped caring. And that’s maybe a sign to move on. But the nerves are good. They do motivate you.
Traci: Can you recall an interview that was your favorite?
Nicole: There’s so many, but my last one that I keep wishing I had over and over again is Marcus Mumford. I would sit down with Marcus Mumford a hundred times in a month if I could. Yeah, Mumford & Sons in general, all of them are charming. But Marcus is particularly just a wonderful person. He’s very present. He’s very funny. He’s very engaged. And he likes to talk. So Marcus Mumford, easy.
Traci: Now that you are a full-fledged team member at Alt 98.7, are there any major station events or activities coming up that you are allowed to talk about?
Nicole: I know that there’s a lot of little events coming up that I cannot talk about. (makes sealed lips gesture) I know that we’re doing The Woody Show After Hours Takeover at Disney California Adventure Park. We close the park after hours, and it’s just the listeners. But other than that, I think it’s just a lot of little surprises along the way.
NICOLE ALVAREZ
Monday through Saturday
10am to 2pm
To find out what surprises are in store for you – and to properly welcome Nicole Alvarez back onto the LA airwaves – make sure to listen to Alt 98.7 however you get your radio injected into your ears!
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SID 260312 | JIMMY ALVAREZ | EDITOR [...]
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