Posts by Jeremy Lukens

Toadies’ eighth studio album continues the band’s throwback alt-rock sound and stays true to the raw, aggressive roots of their early work. The Charmer was one of the last albums produced by the late Steve Albini, with whom the band had always wanted to work. As is typical with Albini albums, The Charmer has a […]

On April 26, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit stopped at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, for a night of heartfelt Americana. The veteran singer-songwriter was backed by his five-piece band, made up of guitarist Sadler Vaden, bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Chad Gable, Derry deBorja on keys, and Will […]

On April 9, the Two Tours Collide tour stopped at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida, for a night celebrating guitar mastery and blues roots. For two months, Samantha Fish’s Paper Doll Tour and Tab Benoit’s I Heart Thunder Tour combine for co-headlining shows without an opener. The show […]

The twelfth album from Los Angeles metal veterans Black Label Society has all of the band’s trademarks. Loaded with pummelling riffs, blazing guitar solos, bluesy licks, and a southern rock twang, Engines of Demolition is undeniably heavy without sacrificing hooks or accessibility. Frontman Zakk Wylde broke into the industry as Ozzy Osbourne’s new guitarist in […]

On March 16, Joyce Manor brought its eclectic punk tour to the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, for a night of intense rock, protest, and crowd surfing. Four bands brought different punk flavors to the festivities, starting with Baltimore quintet Combat. Led by singer and guitarist Holden Wolf, Combat played a short, frenetic set […]

When a Flower Doesn’t Grow, the full-length debut from Ontario indie rock duo Softcult, is a collection of introspective alt-rock that balances heavy riffs with jangling melodies. Twins Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn self-produced the album, using the eleven tracks to explore sexuality, gender roles, and emotional growth. The title comes from a quote from Dutch […]

Last August, thrash metal icon Dave Mustaine announced the end of Megadeth. After one final album, the band’s seventeenth, and a farewell tour, Mustaine is hanging up his Flying V guitar. This is partly due to issues with his hand, including arthritis and Dupuytren’s contracture, a painful condition that causes one or more fingers to […]

After a two-year hiatus, The Sword reunited in August for a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of its seminal album, Warp Riders. On October 24, the tour stopped at The Beacham in Orlando, Florida, for a night of three distinct styles of heavy rock. On the day of the show, the door and set times […]

On October 19th, 2026, Phantogram hit the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, for a sold-out show on the penultimate stop of the tour. It was a night of big beats and high energy. The Franco-Mexican duo Los Eclipses kicked off the night with a 45-minute set of songs from the 2024 debut, Eden Sauvage. […]

On Friday night, Anamanaguchi and Be Your Own Pet came to the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, for the last night of the Buckwild Tour. The night featured contrasting styles, starting with aggressive rock and ending with dance pop. Nashville rockers Be Your Own Pet kicked off the night with an energetic 40-minute set […]

Katie Schecter’s third studio album, Empress, offers another modern take on the retro sounds that have inspired her. The Nashville (via New York) singer-songwriter recorded the album live while pregnant with her daughter. The themes of motherhood, femininity, and the desire to impart wisdom and creativity to her child run throughout the album. Empress feels […]

It took Marc Broussard three tries to bring his tour to Florida. The January shows were canceled due to the historic snowstorm in Louisiana, which made travel impossible. The shows were canceled again in May. But in October, Broussard finally hit the Sunshine State for three shows, culminating with a set before a sell-out crowd […]

On Wednesday night, Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand played in Orlando, Florida, for the first time in 21 years. The Human Fear Tour stopped at a packed House of Blues for a night of hyper party rock.  Newcomer Master Peace started the night with a short set of energetic indie pop. Backed by a guitarist […]

Forty years ago, a group of students at Berklee College of Music formed the progressive metal band Dream Theater and became one of the genre’s biggest acts. On September 12th, the prog metal icons brought their 40th Anniversary Tour to the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida. With no opening act, the band treated the […]

On Wednesday night, Garbage kicked off the Happy Endings Tour with a celebratory performance at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Florida. Singer Shirley Manson told the audience that it was probably the last time they would play in that city due to the financial strain of modern touring. “The streaming era makes touring very […]

On Wednesday night, Jerry Cantrell brought his I Want Blood Tour into a packed House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, for a celebration of alternative rock. Opening act Sparta started the night with a 45-minute set of melodic alternative rock. The performance, led by Jim Ward’s emotional vocals and catchy guitar hooks, set the stage […]

Battle Station, the debut album from Lucie Sue, is an energetic blend of alt-rock influences, incorporating elements from industrial metal, punk, and pop rock. The French rocker delivers head-banging riffs and pounding rhythms, meshed with melodic vocals and danceable beats. It’s party rock for the alternative scene, where the partygoers are misfits from various genres. […]

Halestorm has spent the last sixteen years honing its unique brand of hard rock, combining metal heaviness with classic rock riffing, powerful vocals, and radio-friendly pop-rock melodies. After five albums and dozens of great songs, the Pennsylvania rockers return with their most ambitious album yet. Everest has all the hallmarks of a Halestorm album — […]

On a sweltering Monday night on August 4th, Volbeat and Halestorm brought the Greatest of All Tours Worldwide to Tampa, Florida’s Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheater, for a celebration of melodic hard rock. With the venue’s roof still missing since being damaged by Hurricane Milton last year, most fans had no shelter from the oppressive […]

It’s been twenty years since the last System of a Down album, and although the band has toured off and on since 2010, there’s no indication there will be another recording. Luckily, that’s not Daron Malakian’s only band. In 2008, two years after System of a Down went on hiatus, Malakian launched a new band, […]