Don\u2019t say The Midnight didn\u2019t warn you. After teasing fans on social media with ominous imagery, snippets of lush keyboard washes, and cryptic references to classic science fiction stories, the band that emerged over a decade ago out of Los Angeles returns with Syndicate, their fifth studio album (not even counting the three EPs released between) and their most ambitious and outward-looking work yet. Syndicate evolves The Midnight\u2019s simultaneously retro and forward-looking sound while cementing the band\u2019s status as perhaps the most musically and lyrically ambitious act to come out of the burgeoning synthwave scene.<\/p>\n
With four singles already released from the 17-track album (\u201cShadowverse,\u201d \u201cDigital Dreams,\u201d \u201cChariot,\u201d and \u201cLove is an Ocean,\u201d) the listener can already get a sense of the wider canvas the band is painting with. \u201cThis is our \u2018making peace with the apocalypse\u2019 record,\u201d says singer and lyricist Tyler Lyle.<\/p>\n
And while Syndicate\u2019s lyrics embrace the unsettled, sometimes paranoid side of the 1980s (few reminisces of the period focus on how preoccupied by nuclear war the eighties were) Lyle\u2019s creative partner Tim McEwan brings undertones of anxiety and even doom to the lush synth washes and hooky yet unexpected chord progressions that fans of The Midnight have come to know and love.<\/p>\n
The band was born in spring 2012 from the fortuitous meeting of two very different musical sensibilities. Atlanta-born Lyle emerged from the folk-inflected Georgia music scene that grew up around the legendary Eddie\u2019s Attic live music venue. \u201cI came to LA thinking I was gonna be the next Mumford and Sons,\u201d Lyle laughs, recalling how he was put together with Danish songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim McEwan in what he calls \u201ca songwriters\u2019 blind date.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two quickly discovered the overlap of their creative Venn diagram lay in the moody, synthesizer-driven sound that exploded in popularity in the wake of the cult thriller Drive and especially its enormously influential retro-1980s inspired soundtrack. But the new musical direction required a lot of adjustment from both men. \u201cUp until then I\u2019d been moving in more traditional pop circles,\u201d recalls McEwan, \u201cand I really had to unlearn those tendencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
For McEwan, this meant embracing his inner maximalist, using the maxim \u201cIf it feels like it\u2019s over the top\u2026add more!\u201d<\/p>\n
And for Lyle, it meant moving away from narrative-driven lyrics and toward songs that relied more on imagery and pure mood. \u201cI decided at some point that I\u2019m not gonna tell a story,\u201d says Lyle, \u201cInstead, I\u2019m gonna describe what the scenery is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The result is a listening experience that evokes in the listener Proustian sense memories of first loves and afternoons on the couch playing 8-bit video games while simultaneously feeling downright cinematic. In a genre sometimes derided for trafficking in easy nostalgia, The Midnight eschews putting air quotes around the DX7 solo of a 1980s radio hit in favor of washing over listeners and making them feel like they\u2019re standing on a rainy street under neon inside a Michael Mann or a Tony Scott movie.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got into (mythologist and Hero With a Thousand Faces author) Joseph Campbell and (Swiss psychotherapist and author) Carl Jung in a big way and realized at some point that instead of just being a synth pop band we were building an entire world with all of these archetypes,\u201d says Lyle. \u201cWe realized we were playing with the imagery of the \u201880s, but in the same way Springsteen did with midcentury America and factory work and such. That\u2019s when it really became fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also notable in a scene more known for studio experimentation, The Midnight quickly emerged as an exciting live rock and roll band with a big and devoted young audience that grew completely outside the major label\/radio airplay apparatus, scoring three number one singles on Billboard\u2019s electronic music chart, playing major festivals, selling out massive headline tours, and co-headlining a 2024 run with Chromeo. \u201cThat always trips me out,\u201d says McEwan. \u201cWhen we first started playing live, I wondered who was gonna show up. Was it just going to be people over 35?\u201d<\/p>\n
But the burdens of building and sustaining that audience outside the corporate mainstream took their toll. McEwan recently withdrew from touring to focus on songwriting and studio work, while Lyle dealt with a family health crisis that sent his muse on a voyage into bleak and sunless lands. \u201cI was spending a lot of time in doctors\u2019 offices, and thinking about the larger world and are we living in the end of times?\u201d Recalls Lyle. \u201cBut the truth is, all eight billion of our individual worlds will end \u2014 for each of us the apocalypse always comes.\u201d<\/p>\n
McEwan, too, found himself grappling with grief, loss and depression during this period. But ironically \u2014 or appropriately, depending on one\u2019s perspective \u2014 their parallel journeys into darkness ended up leaving The Midnight creatively re-energized. \u201cWe really reconnected with how much fun we had at the start of this journey,\u201d says McEwan. \u201cThis record is the most honest and earnest thing we\u2019ve ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n
So despite its often heady and heavy themes, Syndicate ends up being less about endings and more of a journey toward an unknown destination. Lyle frames it simply:<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is ending, so let\u2019s get started now.\u201d<\/p>","description":"Ticket Transfer Delay The event organizer has decided that ticket transfer will be delayed for this event. Please review the terms of AXS\u2019s Purchase Agreement (axs.com\/purchase agreement) for more information. Press [Acknowledge] to agree and proceed.","venue":{"venueId":"125119","active":true,"locale":"en-US","localeAvailable":{"1":"en-US"},"title":"The National","address_line":"708 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219","address":"708 East Broad Street","city":"Richmond","state":"VA","postalCode":"23219","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","timezone":"America\/New_York","ada":null,"keywords":["Richmond","Richmond VA"],"skinCode":null,"currency":"USD","media":{"10":{"media_id":"1359429","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_10_5582ea7befa42.jpg"},"12":{"media_id":"1359430","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_12_5582ea7c96f15.jpg"},"11":{"media_id":"1359431","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_11_5582ea7d0fdec.jpg"},"21":{"media_id":"1359433","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_21_5582ea7ddb3fe.jpg"},"22":{"media_id":"1359434","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_22_5582ea7e48fa9.jpg"},"60":{"media_id":"1359435","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_60_5582ea7eaaff3.jpg"},"61":{"media_id":"1359436","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_61_5582ea7f1efa2.jpg"},"14":{"media_id":"1367958","width":608,"height":252,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-23-15_14_5589db7902203.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":1119823,"link_title":"Directions","link_type_id":"45","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119828,"link_title":"Facebook Page Co-Host","link_type_id":"24","link_href":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bowerypresents\/","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119825,"link_title":"Parking","link_type_id":"17","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119827,"link_title":"Terms of Service","link_type_id":"18","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119829,"link_title":"FAQ","link_type_id":"52","link_href":"https:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"}]},"associations":{"performerIds":["1105256","252164"],"headliners":[{"performerId":"1105256","active":true,"locale":"en-US","keywords":["The Midnight"],"bio":"
Don’t say The Midnight didn’t warn you. After teasing fans on social media with ominous imagery, snippets of lush keyboard washes, and cryptic references to classic science fiction stories, the band that emerged over a decade ago out of Los Angeles returns with Syndicate, their fifth studio album (not even counting the three EPs released between) and their most ambitious and outward-looking work yet. Syndicate evolves The Midnight’s simultaneously retro and forward-looking sound while cementing the band’s status as perhaps the most musically and lyrically ambitious act to come out of the burgeoning synthwave scene.<\/p>\r\n
With four singles already released from the 17-track album (“Shadowverse,” “Digital Dreams,” “Chariot,” and “Love is an Ocean,”) the listener can already get a sense of the wider canvas the band is painting with. “This is our ‘making peace with the apocalypse’ record,” says singer and lyricist Tyler Lyle.<\/p>\r\n
And while Syndicate’s lyrics embrace the unsettled, sometimes paranoid side of the 1980s (few reminisces of the period focus on how preoccupied by nuclear war the eighties were) Lyle’s creative partner Tim McEwan brings undertones of anxiety and even doom to the lush synth washes and hooky yet unexpected chord progressions that fans of The Midnight have come to know and love.<\/p>\r\n
The band was born in spring 2012 from the fortuitous meeting of two very different musical sensibilities. Atlanta-born Lyle emerged from the folk-inflected Georgia music scene that grew up around the legendary Eddie’s Attic live music venue. “I came to LA thinking I was gonna be the next Mumford and Sons,” Lyle laughs, recalling how he was put together with Danish songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tim McEwan in what he calls “a songwriters’ blind date.”<\/p>\r\n
The two quickly discovered the overlap of their creative Venn diagram lay in the moody, synthesizer-driven sound that exploded in popularity in the wake of the cult thriller Drive and especially its enormously influential retro-1980s inspired soundtrack. But the new musical direction required a lot of adjustment from both men. “Up until then I’d been moving in more traditional pop circles,” recalls McEwan, “and I really had to unlearn those tendencies.”<\/p>\r\n
For McEwan, this meant embracing his inner maximalist, using the maxim “If it feels like it’s over the top…add more!”<\/p>\r\n
And for Lyle, it meant moving away from narrative-driven lyrics and toward songs that relied more on imagery and pure mood. “I decided at some point that I’m not gonna tell a story,” says Lyle, “Instead, I’m gonna describe what the scenery is.”<\/p>\r\n
The result is a listening experience that evokes in the listener Proustian sense memories of first loves and afternoons on the couch playing 8-bit video games while simultaneously feeling downright cinematic. In a genre sometimes derided for trafficking in easy nostalgia, The Midnight eschews putting air quotes around the DX7 solo of a 1980s radio hit in favor of washing over listeners and making them feel like they’re standing on a rainy street under neon inside a Michael Mann or a Tony Scott movie.<\/p>\r\n
“I got into (mythologist and Hero With a Thousand Faces author) Joseph Campbell and (Swiss psychotherapist and author) Carl Jung in a big way and realized at some point that instead of just being a synth pop band we were building an entire world with all of these archetypes,” says Lyle. “We realized we were playing with the imagery of the ‘80s, but in the same way Springsteen did with midcentury America and factory work and such. That’s when it really became fun.”<\/p>\r\n
Also notable in a scene more known for studio experimentation, The Midnight quickly emerged as an exciting live rock and roll band with a big and devoted young audience that grew completely outside the major label\/radio airplay apparatus, scoring three number one singles on Billboard’s electronic music chart, playing major festivals, selling out massive headline tours, and co-headlining a 2024 run with Chromeo. “That always trips me out,” says McEwan. “When we first started playing live, I wondered who was gonna show up. Was it just going to be people over 35?”<\/p>\r\n
But the burdens of building and sustaining that audience outside the corporate mainstream took their toll. McEwan recently withdrew from touring to focus on songwriting and studio work, while Lyle dealt with a family health crisis that sent his muse on a voyage into bleak and sunless lands. “I was spending a lot of time in doctors’ offices, and thinking about the larger world and are we living in the end of times?” Recalls Lyle. “But the truth is, all eight billion of our individual worlds will end — for each of us the apocalypse always comes.”<\/p>\r\n
McEwan, too, found himself grappling with grief, loss and depression during this period. But ironically — or appropriately, depending on one’s perspective — their parallel journeys into darkness ended up leaving The Midnight creatively re-energized. “We really reconnected with how much fun we had at the start of this journey,” says McEwan. “This record is the most honest and earnest thing we’ve ever done.”<\/p>\r\n
So despite its often heady and heavy themes, Syndicate ends up being less about endings and more of a journey toward an unknown destination. Lyle frames it simply:<\/p>\r\n
“Everything is ending, so let’s get started now.”<\/p>","media":{"103":{"media_id":"3995447","width":860,"height":400,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2018\/03\/the-midnight_03-30-18_103_5abe87779d395.png"},"19":{"media_id":5242503,"width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_19_68dd62b68b990.jpg"},"5":{"media_id":5242504,"width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_5_68dd62b71a81c.jpg"},"6":{"media_id":5242505,"width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_6_68dd62b77d9f8.jpg"},"9":{"media_id":5242506,"width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_9_68dd62b7dd8d2.jpg"},"20":{"media_id":5242507,"width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_20_68dd62b849016.jpg"},"7":{"media_id":5242508,"width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_7_68dd62b8affbe.jpg"},"24":{"media_id":5242509,"width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_24_68dd62b92339f.jpg"},"88":{"media_id":5242510,"width":1200,"height":628,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2025\/10\/the-midnight_10-01-25_88_68dd62b997bbb.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":"1072555","link_title":"Facebook","link_type_id":"12","link_href":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheMidnightOfficial\/","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"1074229","link_title":"Twitter","link_type_id":"13","link_href":"http:\/\/twitter.com\/TheMidnightLA","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"1074230","link_title":"Official 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house that’s falling apart but lit up like crazy,” he says now, six months after finishing a record that captures that exact feeling of ruin and regeneration, of charisma and catastrophe and of slashing at the night with nothing but pure electricity. Where 2016’s BLOODSWEAT<\/em> ended with a to-be-continued moment and Blaine shouting “Romance!” into the silence, By Night<\/em> ends with a second of feedback and noise. It's a perfectly spent finish to an adrenaline rush of a record that asks, “What just happened?”<\/p>\r\n Plague Vendor are already used to making nothing into something. It’s a place where the only way things happen is if you make them happen. A fearless our-way-is-the-hard-way work ethic and famously physical live shows won the band a ferocious fan base, a flash-bang debut album and place of pride on the Epitaph Records roster. When they called that album BLOODSWEAT <\/em>they might’ve just been explaining what it took to make it. (Or they could’ve just been talking about those live shows.) And when they stepped back into the studio in the late summer of 2018, they were ready again to do something new.<\/p>\r\n They spent eleven days locked in at Hollywood’s legendary EastWest Studios (Brian Wilson, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop) with St Vincent\/Chelsea Wolfe producer John Congleton, with all visitors banned and all distraction eliminated. (Well, one blood relative has was allowed once.) They had the instinct to delay the sessions until they knew they could get Congleton, and when they met, they connected intensely and instantly, more like co-conspirators than colleagues. They would even complete each other’s sentences, says drummer Luke Perine. With Congleton’s precision production, they found their own way between the powerful-but-too-polished sound of right now and the engaging-but-aging reinterpretations of classic punk\/rock albums of the 60s and 70. And with Congleton’s limitless encouragement, they did things Plague Vendor never did before: chorused bass in endless waves, lightning-strike flashes of synth, motorik man-machine drums that sound inhuman and human at once and even a string section that’ll be a surprise if they ever do it live.<\/p>\r\n “We knew we could trust him to take us as far as we wanted,” says Perine, and inspired by the opportunity, the band stretched and warped their songs, discovering a merciless sense of tension and apprehension that set every moment on edge. (That’s how they play live, too, says bassist Michael Perez: “It’s all a performance—building energy and releasing it.”) Blaine broke out new vocal ideas, new vocal styles, new depths of imagery and intensity that feel like flashbacks instead of pop songs. If BLOODSWEAT<\/em> was a primal scream, By Night<\/em> would be a precision attack. And, says Blaine, “I had my ammunition ready.”<\/p>\r\n The record starts like you’re in the studio with them. There’s a second of chatter to check if you’re ready, and Perine’s drums, Perez’ bass and Rogers guitar aligning in formation. Then a snap dynamic change and anxious heart-pounding piano as Blaine slides in, out of breath and into a scream before the minute mark. That’s “New Comedown,” and the rest is just as stark, raw and out of control—even the love songs, when there are love songs. (“You gotta have light to have dark,” says Blaine.) 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In that relatively brief time, core members Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson have forged connections between the worlds of Metal, Drone, Contemporary Composition, Jazz and Minimalism with startling results while remaining true to the eternal principles of volume, density and weight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The release of The Grimmrobe Demos<\/em> (1999) sent tremors throughout the underground with its bold realisation of hitherto unimagined heaviness. Building on the innovations of Seattle pioneers Earth - and naming a track in honour of their leader Dylan Carlson - Sunn O))) forged even deeper into a realm of reverberating darkness. However it was with the release of \u00d8\u00d8 <\/em>Void<\/em> (2000) that the duo staked their claim as an outfit that would redefine how we view - and hear - guitar music in the early 21st century. There were detractors and skeptics, of course. But, undeterred, O\u2019Malley and Anderson continued to refine their sound with 2002\u2019s Flight Of The Behemoth<\/em>, featuring contributions from legendary Japanese Noise artist Masami Akita aka Merzbow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Evolving at a rate contrasting with the pace of their diurnal riffs, Sunn O))) unleashed White1<\/em> in 2003. This ambitious sonic document constituted many listeners\u2019 first contact with the outfit and demonstrated the flexibility of their aesthetic. Contributions from Runhild Gammelsaeter (Thorr\u2019s Hammer), Joe Preston (Melvins\/Thrones) and the arch-drude himself, Julian Cope, assisted the music\u2019s rapid radiation from its molten core of heavily amplified ambience. Around this time, the mainstream music media started to take an interest: the baffled curiosity that greeted \u00d8\u00d8 <\/em>Void<\/em> gave way to the suspicion that something not unlike a paradigm shift was taking place. In interviews, O\u2019Malley and Anderson revealed themselves as engaged and articulate ambassadors for the world of sound they had created. Meanwhile, rumours of hooded figures grinding out immense, immersive riffs suggested that Sunn O))) were a live experience to be reckoned with. This was confirmed by a succession of actions including a thunderous performance at London\u2019s Underworld on Halloween 2003, an event preserved for posterity on the live album The Libations Of Samhain<\/em> (2004). Sunn O)))\u2019s live career is littered with such landmark shows. The group\u2019s performance at Bergen Cathedral, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival was immortalised on vinyl as D<\/em>\u00f8<\/em>mkirke<\/em>, for example, and they have staged similarly memorable interventions at many international music festivals including Barcelona\u2019s Sonar (2009), Krakow\u2019s Unsound (2009), CTM Berlin (2013), Japan\u2019s Earthdom (2007) and Leave Them All Behind (2012), North Carolina\u2019s Hopscotch (2012), Australia\u2019s Totally Huge New Music Festival (2007) and All Tomorrow\u2019s Parties\/The Nightmare Before Christmas (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009) and Supersonic (2007 and 2009) in the UK. Sunn O))) also curated the 2011 edition of Holland\u2019s legendary Roadburn Festival, bringing together Keiji Haino, Winter, Scorn, Earth, Voivod and Circle among other heavyweights.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By the time White2 <\/em>followed in 2004 there was no denying the group's impact. The shockwaves travelled internationally and were received eagerly by an audience notable for its diversity. Metalheads, Noiseniks and experimental aficionados were united in their appreciation while countless artists and groups attempted to incorporate Sunn O)))\u2019s visceral churn into their own creations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For their next full-length release, O\u2019Malley and Anderson journeyed deep into the abyss. With Malefic (Xasthur) and Wrest (Leviathan) on vocal duties, Black One<\/em> was misinterpreted by some as Sunn O)))\u2019s attempt at a Black Metal record. In fact it was, as O\u2019Malley told The Wire Magazine in 2009, \u201ca stark exploration\u201d of certain aspects of their work. However bleak and unforgiving, Black One<\/em> was their most collaborative effort to date, an approach which similarly informed O\u2019Malley and Anderson\u2019s other major release of 2006, Altar<\/em>. Co-credited to Japanese rock mutants Boris, this album explored a broad spectrum of sonic strategies from thick, oily miasma to graceful, almost country-ish songcraft. The two groups came together for triumphant live performances of the album at London\u2019s Kentish Town Forum in December 2007 and at ATP New York in September 2010.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Advancing from a self-created world and operating on their own terms, Sunn O))) have proven themselves the model of what King Crimson\u2019s Robert Fripp would call a \u201csmall, mobile, intelligent unit\u201d. They are capable of expanding or contracting their line-up according to the needs of each project and of moving fluidly between the concert hall and the academy. For a 2006 collaboration with Banks Violette at the Maureen Paley Gallery in London, O\u2019Malley and Anderson performed inside a sealed room while vocalist Attila Csihar clawed his way, vampire-like, out of a black coffin. The audience were permitted to hear - but not see - the sounds created, although the relics of the performance were later preserved in salt and exhibited. That same year, Sunn O))) performed alongside Liars, Burning Star Core and Leopard Leg as part of the music strand of the Frieze Art Fair, filling the London Hippodrome with wave upon wave of amplification with the assistance of Godflesh\/Jesu legend Justin Broadrick.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pushing forward in their recorded work but unafraid to embrace their past, in 2008 Sunn O))) announced a number of live shows to mark the tenth anniversary of their first release The Grimmrobe Demos<\/em>. For these dates, O\u2019Malley and Anderson returned to their original two-man line-up, thereby reminding audiences where and how it all began, exposing once again the fundamental core of their sound. The same year saw Japanese label Daymare Recordings reissue \u00d8\u00d8 <\/em>Void<\/em> with an extra disc of collaborations with legendary British experimentalists Nurse With Wound. Their sixth album nevertheless indicated a group with its feet planted firmly in the present. Monoliths And Dimensions<\/em> (2009) retained the heaviness of previous releases whilst incorporating elements of spectralist composition and jazz. The album\u2019s finale, Alice, was the most elegiac and beautiful piece the group had ever recorded, its mood of profound melancholy enhanced by veteran jazz trombonist Julian Priester (Sun Ra\/Herbie Hancock) and typically masterful group arrangements courtesy of Eyvind Kang.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recently, Sunn O))) have established a Bandcamp page which serves as an exhaustive archive of their entire back catalogue, including rarities and essential live material. 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In that relatively brief time, core members Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson have forged connections between the worlds of Metal, Drone, Contemporary Composition, Jazz and Minimalism with startling results while remaining true to the eternal principles of volume, density and weight.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n The release of The Grimmrobe Demos<\/em> (1999) sent tremors throughout the underground with its bold realisation of hitherto unimagined heaviness. Building on the innovations of Seattle pioneers Earth - and naming a track in honour of their leader Dylan Carlson - Sunn O))) forged even deeper into a realm of reverberating darkness. However it was with the release of ØØ <\/em>Void<\/em> (2000) that the duo staked their claim as an outfit that would redefine how we view - and hear - guitar music in the early 21st century. There were detractors and skeptics, of course. But, undeterred, O’Malley and Anderson continued to refine their sound with 2002’s Flight Of The Behemoth<\/em>, featuring contributions from legendary Japanese Noise artist Masami Akita aka Merzbow.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Evolving at a rate contrasting with the pace of their diurnal riffs, Sunn O))) unleashed White1<\/em> in 2003. This ambitious sonic document constituted many listeners’ first contact with the outfit and demonstrated the flexibility of their aesthetic. Contributions from Runhild Gammelsaeter (Thorr’s Hammer), Joe Preston (Melvins\/Thrones) and the arch-drude himself, Julian Cope, assisted the music’s rapid radiation from its molten core of heavily amplified ambience. Around this time, the mainstream music media started to take an interest: the baffled curiosity that greeted ØØ <\/em>Void<\/em> gave way to the suspicion that something not unlike a paradigm shift was taking place. In interviews, O’Malley and Anderson revealed themselves as engaged and articulate ambassadors for the world of sound they had created. Meanwhile, rumours of hooded figures grinding out immense, immersive riffs suggested that Sunn O))) were a live experience to be reckoned with. This was confirmed by a succession of actions including a thunderous performance at London’s Underworld on Halloween 2003, an event preserved for posterity on the live album The Libations Of Samhain<\/em> (2004). Sunn O)))’s live career is littered with such landmark shows. The group’s performance at Bergen Cathedral, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival was immortalised on vinyl as D<\/em>ø<\/em>mkirke<\/em>, for example, and they have staged similarly memorable interventions at many international music festivals including Barcelona’s Sonar (2009), Krakow’s Unsound (2009), CTM Berlin (2013), Japan’s Earthdom (2007) and Leave Them All Behind (2012), North Carolina’s Hopscotch (2012), Australia’s Totally Huge New Music Festival (2007) and All Tomorrow’s Parties\/The Nightmare Before Christmas (2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009) and Supersonic (2007 and 2009) in the UK. Sunn O))) also curated the 2011 edition of Holland’s legendary Roadburn Festival, bringing together Keiji Haino, Winter, Scorn, Earth, Voivod and Circle among other heavyweights.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n By the time White2 <\/em>followed in 2004 there was no denying the group's impact. The shockwaves travelled internationally and were received eagerly by an audience notable for its diversity. Metalheads, Noiseniks and experimental aficionados were united in their appreciation while countless artists and groups attempted to incorporate Sunn O)))’s visceral churn into their own creations.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n For their next full-length release, O’Malley and Anderson journeyed deep into the abyss. With Malefic (Xasthur) and Wrest (Leviathan) on vocal duties, Black One<\/em> was misinterpreted by some as Sunn O)))’s attempt at a Black Metal record. In fact it was, as O’Malley told The Wire Magazine in 2009, “a stark exploration” of certain aspects of their work. However bleak and unforgiving, Black One<\/em> was their most collaborative effort to date, an approach which similarly informed O’Malley and Anderson’s other major release of 2006, Altar<\/em>. Co-credited to Japanese rock mutants Boris, this album explored a broad spectrum of sonic strategies from thick, oily miasma to graceful, almost country-ish songcraft. The two groups came together for triumphant live performances of the album at London’s Kentish Town Forum in December 2007 and at ATP New York in September 2010.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Advancing from a self-created world and operating on their own terms, Sunn O))) have proven themselves the model of what King Crimson’s Robert Fripp would call a “small, mobile, intelligent unit”. They are capable of expanding or contracting their line-up according to the needs of each project and of moving fluidly between the concert hall and the academy. For a 2006 collaboration with Banks Violette at the Maureen Paley Gallery in London, O’Malley and Anderson performed inside a sealed room while vocalist Attila Csihar clawed his way, vampire-like, out of a black coffin. The audience were permitted to hear - but not see - the sounds created, although the relics of the performance were later preserved in salt and exhibited. That same year, Sunn O))) performed alongside Liars, Burning Star Core and Leopard Leg as part of the music strand of the Frieze Art Fair, filling the London Hippodrome with wave upon wave of amplification with the assistance of Godflesh\/Jesu legend Justin Broadrick.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Pushing forward in their recorded work but unafraid to embrace their past, in 2008 Sunn O))) announced a number of live shows to mark the tenth anniversary of their first release The Grimmrobe Demos<\/em>. For these dates, O’Malley and Anderson returned to their original two-man line-up, thereby reminding audiences where and how it all began, exposing once again the fundamental core of their sound. The same year saw Japanese label Daymare Recordings reissue ØØ <\/em>Void<\/em> with an extra disc of collaborations with legendary British experimentalists Nurse With Wound. Their sixth album nevertheless indicated a group with its feet planted firmly in the present. Monoliths And Dimensions<\/em> (2009) retained the heaviness of previous releases whilst incorporating elements of spectralist composition and jazz. The album’s finale, Alice, was the most elegiac and beautiful piece the group had ever recorded, its mood of profound melancholy enhanced by veteran jazz trombonist Julian Priester (Sun Ra\/Herbie Hancock) and typically masterful group arrangements courtesy of Eyvind Kang.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n Recently, Sunn O))) have established a Bandcamp page which serves as an exhaustive archive of their entire back catalogue, including rarities and essential live material. 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By Turtles<\/a>","headlinersText":"Trampled By Turtles","supporting":"The Last Revel<\/a>","supportingText":"The Last Revel","tour":null,"eventTitle":"Trampled By Turtles<\/a>","eventTitleText":"Trampled By Turtles"},"age":"All 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At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who'd ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn't rely on amplification. Simonett hadn't played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who'd previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass. Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who'd ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn't rely on amplification.<\/p>\r\n Simonett hadn't played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who'd previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.<\/p>\r\n There crossover appeal has landed them on the #1 spot of Billboard’s Bluegrass Charts on every record they’ve released while playing marquee festivals like Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. Countless tours with diverse artists ranging Shakey Graves, Zach Bryan, Wilco, Caamp, Mt Joy, Willie Nelson, Avett Brothers, Lord Huron and many more have followed solidifying a loyal fanbase. Their last full length album Alpenglow was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. 2025 began with the band releasing a cover of Bon Iver’s “From Emma” with Caamp’s Taylor Meier (aka Sumbuck) on lead vocals. A few new collaborations are set to be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>","media":{"82":{"media_id":"1180339","width":1770,"height":580,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/04\/trampled-by-turtles_04-15-15_82_552ea0d76aa79.jpg"},"103":{"media_id":"3973076","width":860,"height":400,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2018\/02\/trampled-by-turtles_02-13-18_103_5a822afab9dbc.jpg"},"19":{"media_id":5390591,"width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_19_6a078666058c1.jpg"},"5":{"media_id":5390592,"width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_5_6a07866654b3e.jpg"},"6":{"media_id":5390593,"width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_6_6a0786669fca8.jpg"},"9":{"media_id":5390594,"width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_9_6a078666dd2ec.jpg"},"20":{"media_id":5390595,"width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_20_6a078667227ba.jpg"},"7":{"media_id":5390596,"width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_7_6a07866760956.jpg"},"24":{"media_id":5390597,"width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_24_6a0786679aa52.jpg"},"88":{"media_id":5390598,"width":1200,"height":628,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/05\/trampled-by-turtles_05-15-26_88_6a078667db205.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":"881206","link_title":"Official Website","link_type_id":"8","link_href":"http:\/\/trampledbyturtles.com\/","link_target":"_none"},{"link_id":"911643","link_title":"Facebook Page","link_type_id":"12","link_href":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrampledByTurtles","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"920704","link_title":"Featured Video","link_type_id":"15","link_href":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=X9TlWXAdv1Y","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"921832","link_title":"Twitter","link_type_id":"13","link_href":"http:\/\/twitter.com\/tbtduluth","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"933591","link_title":"Youtube VEVO","link_type_id":"14","link_href":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/tbtduluth","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"940449","link_title":"Amazon","link_type_id":"11","link_href":"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Trampled-by-Turtles\/e\/B001LIEP92&tag=aeglive0a-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"1070518","link_title":"Instagram","link_type_id":"49","link_href":"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tbtduluth","link_target":"_none"}]}],"supportingActs":[{"performerId":"1103046","active":true,"locale":"en-US","keywords":[],"bio":" Much like their sorrowful, purposeful melodies, the members of The Last Revel contain this thick thread of self, and of place, when it comes to the underlying trait in the sounds and scope of their intent, onstage and in the studio — survival mode.<\/p>\r\n “Honestly, I don’t know if we would’ve been able to do this career for as long as we have without persistence,” says guitarist Lee Henke. “By living in a challenging place, it’s definitely conditioned us to have a high tolerance for discomfort, a certain toughness to push ahead.”<\/p>\r\n That sentiment of tenacity and passion lies at the heart of The Last Revel’s latest album, Gone for Good. Produced by Trampled by Turtles lead singer Dave Simonett, the record is a multilayered ode to the life of an artist, life on the road, and what it means to be a human being in uncertain times.<\/p>\r\n “This is a step in our careers that feels like there’s no going back,” says banjoist Ryan Acker. “There’s a level of commitment now that, just a couple of years ago, we didn’t fathom we could take on. The boat is off the shore and you can’t see land anymore — we’re in it now.”<\/p>\r\n Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Americana\/indie-folk outfit harkens to the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of what it means to pursue your dreams in real time. The foundation of which is conjured by a deep appreciation and genuine respect for the vast landscape and sometimes-harsh realities of what it means to emerge from the Midwest.<\/p>\r\n “We grew up in the Midwest and we’ve all kind of stayed in this region of the country,” Henke notes. “This place has imprinted itself on who we are, and that challenge of life here is part of who we are now.”<\/p>\r\n Alongside Henke and Acker is fiddler Vinnie Donatelle. When the ensemble finds themselves behind the microphone, it’s the culmination of their vocal talents that truly showcases the mission of The Last Revel — harmony.<\/p>\r\n “There’s no better feeling [when we’re singing together],” Acker says. “And it makes you understand something primal, these melodies and these harmonies. It’s internal and it’s really powerful to sing your heart out with the people you love and your best friends.”<\/p>\r\n The seeds for The Last Revel were initially planted when Acker and Henke met in college in Wisconsin and started jamming together. Following graduation, the duo eventually headed for Minnesota, crossed paths with Donatelle, and started putting together a musical project. By 2011, the group was formed in Minneapolis.<\/p>\r\n “The name comes from the idea of saying, ‘One last go, one last celebration,’” Henke recalls. “It’s treating every show like it could be the last one kind of makes it extra special each time. It’s become a mantra through all the hardships we’ve been through — it’s crazy we get to do this, so let’s act like it might be the last one.”<\/p>\r\n “It feels like a miracle,” Acker adds. “This is a career where, hell or high water, this is what I’m doing. This is something we feel genuine about creating and sharing with people — there’s no other option.”<\/p>\r\n Early on in the band’s tenure, The Last Revel was clocking in around 200 shows each year, and did so for several years. Burnout was real, with the act deciding to go on hiatus in 2019 to recalibrate and reenergize what it is within the group that remains steadfast.<\/p>\r\n “I tried to quit music. And then, the moment I accepted [I was done], I wrote five new songs the next day,” Henke shakes his head in awe. “There’s always been a real therapeutic element to writing music for me. And it goes beyond that now, where if I don’t write for [a while], I feel pent up — there’s something that needs to come out.”<\/p>\r\n A couple years went by, with Henke and Acker eventually circling back to one another. The musical chemistry and unbreakable camaraderie was still intact, with each thinking the same thing — let’s give music another shot. To note, Gone for Good is The Last Revel’s second album since reuniting in 2021.<\/p>\r\n “We spent so much time together in our twenties and thirties where, even as friends, let’s just get back together and see how it feels,” Acker says. “Let’s just record some music and release it.”<\/p>\r\n “The first step was all about just reconnecting — to hell with anyone else giving a damn about the music,” Donatelle adds. “The only important thing is playing some music together.”<\/p>\r\n When The Last Revel released Dovetail in 2023, the reunion album sparked wildfire, whether it was with longtime, loyal fans of the band or newcomers coming across the group by mere happenstance. Now back on the road on the stage, the bandmates were happily surprised by the unexpected response by sold-out gigs wherever they toured.<\/p>\r\n “It kind of took us off-guard,” Acker says of the fan response. “And it’s become this reciprocal, motivating thing now. People didn’t forget about us, and many more discovered our music over COVID than we had anticipated — the music we made is continuing to reach people.”<\/p>\r\n “That initial response was so powerful,” Donatelle adds. “But, on the other end of things, [the music] was never about any of us individually. It’s about the way that people connected to our music and just the way the music had a life of its own outside of us.”<\/p>\r\n Reflecting on Gone for Good, Acker feels a real, tangible, more so positive shift in what it is The Last Revel aims to do moving forward. It’s this collective realm of collaboration, all in hopes of connectivity not only between the bandmates, but also the audience itself night in and night out — from coast-tocoast and back around to Minnesota.<\/p>\r\n “And I think that shows up more on this record than ever,” Acker says. “We’ve finally clicked on what the band’s purpose is, the ethos behind all of this — we’re figuring out how to be ourselves and be happy through the music.”<\/p>","media":{"19":{"media_id":"5328123","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_19_6994d45c42556.jpg"},"5":{"media_id":"5328124","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_5_6994d45c84e64.jpg"},"6":{"media_id":"5328125","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_6_6994d45cb71dc.jpg"},"9":{"media_id":"5328126","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_9_6994d45ce9674.jpg"},"20":{"media_id":"5328127","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_20_6994d45d2802f.jpg"},"7":{"media_id":"5328128","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_7_6994d45d62bd0.jpg"},"24":{"media_id":"5328129","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_24_6994d45d95fbb.jpg"},"88":{"media_id":5328130,"width":1200,"height":628,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/02\/the-last-revel_02-17-26_88_6994d58b3f7c2.jpg"}},"links":[]}],"additionalPerformers":[]},"media":{"17":{"media_id":"5368089","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_17_69e126bb5803f.jpg"},"1":{"media_id":"5368090","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_1_69e126bba6181.jpg"},"2":{"media_id":"5368091","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_2_69e126bbe4955.jpg"},"4":{"media_id":"5368092","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_4_69e126bc2d971.jpg"},"18":{"media_id":"5368093","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_18_69e126bc6c898.jpg"},"3":{"media_id":"5368094","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_3_69e126bcaecc2.jpg"},"23":{"media_id":"5368095","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_23_69e126bcf14fb.jpg"},"86":{"media_id":"5368096","width":1200,"height":628,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_86_69e126bd3ec76.jpg"}},"relatedMedia":{"1":{"media_id":"5368090","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_1_69e126bba6181.jpg"},"2":{"media_id":"5368091","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_2_69e126bbe4955.jpg"},"3":{"media_id":"5368094","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_3_69e126bcaecc2.jpg"},"4":{"media_id":"5368092","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_4_69e126bc2d971.jpg"},"23":{"media_id":"5368095","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_23_69e126bcf14fb.jpg"},"17":{"media_id":"5368089","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_17_69e126bb5803f.jpg"},"18":{"media_id":"5368093","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_18_69e126bc6c898.jpg"},"86":{"media_id":"5368096","width":1200,"height":628,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2026\/04\/trampled-by-turtles-tickets_10-15-26_86_69e126bd3ec76.jpg"},"81":{"media_id":"1180339","width":1770,"height":580,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/04\/trampled-by-turtles_04-15-15_82_552ea0d76aa79.jpg"},"102":{"media_id":"3973076","width":860,"height":400,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2018\/02\/trampled-by-turtles_02-13-18_103_5a822afab9dbc.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":"911643","link_title":"Facebook Page","link_type_id":"12","link_href":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrampledByTurtles","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"921832","link_title":"Twitter","link_type_id":"13","link_href":"http:\/\/twitter.com\/tbtduluth","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":"920704","link_title":"Featured Video","link_type_id":"15","link_href":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=X9TlWXAdv1Y","link_target":"_blank"}],"olympics":null,"keywords":[]},{"eventId":"1403830","active":true,"createdUTC":"2026-04-06T17:57:51","modifiedUTC":"2026-08-27T20:56:54","locale":"en-US","localeAvailable":{"1":"en-US"},"title":{"presentedBy":"Outback Presents<\/a>","presentedByText":"Outback Presents","headliners":"Nurse Blake<\/a>: But Did You Die? Comedy Tour","headlinersText":"Nurse Blake: But Did You Die? Comedy Tour","supporting":null,"supportingText":null,"tour":null,"eventTitle":"Nurse Blake<\/a>: But Did You Die? Comedy Tour","eventTitleText":"Nurse Blake: But Did You Die? 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With a career that has taken him from the bedside to sold-out comedy tours around the world<\/strong>, Nurse Blake celebrates the hard work of nurses and healthcare providers in a way that is both hilarious and deeply relatable.<\/p>\r\n His journey in healthcare began at just 17 years old as a patient transporter. Passionate about nursing from the start, he earned his BSN in 2014 from the University of Central Florida (UCF)<\/strong> and served as President of the Florida Nursing Student Association<\/strong>. Even as a student, he was an advocate for change—in 2013, he founded Banned4Life<\/strong>, a movement that played a key role in ending the FDA’s lifetime ban on gay men donating blood.<\/p>\r\n After graduation, Nurse Blake worked in Level 1 trauma centers across the country<\/strong>, but an unexpected passion for social media transformed his career. What began as funny Facebook videos to de-stress quickly went viral, earning him nearly 4 million followers<\/strong> and a devoted fanbase of nurses and nursing students worldwide. The New York Times<\/strong> even hailed him as a “genuine phenomenon.”<\/strong><\/p>\r\n World-Renowned Comedy Tours – Over 200,000 Tickets Sold<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Now, he takes his signature humor beyond the screen with his sold-out stand-up comedy tours<\/strong>, which have sold over 200,000 tickets worldwide<\/strong>. His PTO Comedy Tour<\/strong> (2022) expanded from 14 cities to 55 due to overwhelming demand<\/strong>, and in 2023, he launched the Shock Advised Comedy Tour<\/strong>, a 100-city North American & International run filled with live skits, videos, and interactive stories from his nursing days.<\/p>\r\n His comedy has taken him to some of the most iconic venues in the world<\/strong>, including the Sydney Opera House & The Chicago Theatre.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Founder of NurseCon at Sea – The Ultimate Nursing Conference<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Beyond comedy, Nurse Blake is the founder of NurseCon at Sea<\/strong>, the most unique and exciting nursing conference in the world. Hosted on a cruise ship, NurseCon at Sea brings together thousands of nurses for top-tier continuing education, epic entertainment, and an unforgettable community experience<\/strong>. With continuing education courses, networking events, and high-energy shows, NurseCon at Sea is unlike any other conference—designed for nurses, by nurses.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n
For more than three decades, Ron Vincent has captivated audiences with an astonishingly authentic recreation of the music, voice, spirit, and stage presence of the legendary “Cat Stevens” (Yusuf). Blessed with an uncanny vocal and visual resemblance, Ron doesn't simply perform the songs—he transports audiences back to the golden era when timeless classics such as Wild World, Father and Son, Peace Train, Morning Has Broken, Moonshadow, The First Cut Is the Deepest, and countless others first touched the hearts of millions.
What truly sets this production apart is that THE WORLD OF CAT STEVENS has received the rare distinction of being officially endorsed by Cat Stevens (Yusuf), his brother David Gordon, and The Stevens family. Ron has been recognized as the only Tribute Artist of his kind to receive their blessing for preserving and presenting the music with the respect, authenticity, and heartfelt passion it deserves.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Ron regularly travels thousands of miles to perform throughout the United States, bringing American audiences a concert experience unlike any other. His performances have earned standing ovations from lifelong Cat Stevens fans who are continually amazed by the breathtaking likeness in both appearance and voice.
Rather than simply impersonating an icon, Ron Vincent honors the legacy of one of history's greatest singer-songwriters with sincerity, warmth, and remarkable musical precision. Every performance celebrates the timeless messages of hope, peace, love, and humanity that have made Cat Stevens' music endure for generations.
Whether performing in theaters, casinos, performing arts centers, festivals, or concert venues, THE WORLD OF CAT STEVENS delivers an unforgettable evening that faithfully recreates the magic, emotion, and soul of Cat Stevens at the height of his career.
For audiences who never had the opportunity to experience The Real Cat Stevens live—or those who wish to relive those unforgettable memories—THE WORLD OF CAT STEVENS starring Ron Vincent is as close as it gets.","venue":{"venueId":"125119","active":true,"locale":"en-US","localeAvailable":{"1":"en-US"},"title":"The National","address_line":"708 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219","address":"708 East Broad Street","city":"Richmond","state":"VA","postalCode":"23219","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","timezone":"America\/New_York","ada":null,"keywords":["Richmond","Richmond VA"],"skinCode":null,"currency":"USD","media":{"10":{"media_id":"1359429","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_10_5582ea7befa42.jpg"},"12":{"media_id":"1359430","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_12_5582ea7c96f15.jpg"},"11":{"media_id":"1359431","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_11_5582ea7d0fdec.jpg"},"21":{"media_id":"1359433","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_21_5582ea7ddb3fe.jpg"},"22":{"media_id":"1359434","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_22_5582ea7e48fa9.jpg"},"60":{"media_id":"1359435","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_60_5582ea7eaaff3.jpg"},"61":{"media_id":"1359436","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_61_5582ea7f1efa2.jpg"},"14":{"media_id":"1367958","width":608,"height":252,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-23-15_14_5589db7902203.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":1119823,"link_title":"Directions","link_type_id":"45","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119828,"link_title":"Facebook Page Co-Host","link_type_id":"24","link_href":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bowerypresents\/","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119825,"link_title":"Parking","link_type_id":"17","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119827,"link_title":"Terms of Service","link_type_id":"18","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119829,"link_title":"FAQ","link_type_id":"52","link_href":"https:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"}]},"associations":{"performerIds":["1123133"],"headliners":[{"performerId":"1123133","active":true,"locale":"en-US","keywords":[],"bio":"
phenomenon. The newly trio’d—Matt Stephenson [vocals, producer], Sean Kelly
[drums], and Lucy Caputi [guitar]—fortify a punk exoskeleton with electronic alchemy
and cinematic ambition outfitted for an uncompromisingly heavy attack. Rave, metal,
punk, and pummeling electronic (and real) drums collide and splinter like shrapnel into
kaleidoscopic blasts of vibrant color and visceral sound.
After amassing millions of fans, hundreds of millions of streams, inciting critical acclaim,
and captivating at cap crowds in nineteen (19) countries YTD in 2025 so far, the band
continue to elevate on their seventh full-length LP, Psycho Warrior.
“I’d been reading analytical psychology and the writings of Joseph Campbell and Jung,”
recalls Matt. “There’s a concept of the collective unconscious and these archetypes that
we innately have. We adopt different personae in order to get through the day. In
essence, you complete yourself by facing your shadow self. To do so, you must accept
the less savory aspects of who you are. There’s a lot of validity to these theories. Right
now, we’re a very psychologically damaged culture and society. We’re being pushed
over the edge with social media and technology. Any chance of resistance against these
systems starts in the mind, so this was the genesis of Psycho Warrior.”
Machine Girl carved out an incomparable lane upon arrival in 2012. Stephenson’s 2014
full-length debut LP, Wlfgrl, achieved bona fide cult status shocked to life by “Out by 16,
Dead on the Scene,” “Ghost,” and “Mg1,” which reeled in north of 43 million Spotify
streams and counting. Their sound proceeded to completely reinvent itself across each
LP that followed - Gemini [2015], …Because I’m Young Arrogant and Hate Everything
You Stand For [2017], The Ugly Art [2018], U-Void Synthesizer [2020], and 2022’s
two-part Original Soundtrack for the video game Neon White. Most recently, 2024’s MG
Ultra incited the most enthusiastic critical applause of the band’s career so far. Pitchfork
professed, “Their music together plays like the soundtrack to the final boss level of
some finger-blistering bullet hell,” and Dazed mused, “it’s hard to imagine a better
soundtrack for the revolution than Machine Girl.”
The latter LP also set the stage for Psycho Warrior, functioning as a prelude.
“MG Ultra is the setup,” reveals Matt. “It explores mind control and brings attention to
the overall concepts. It’s Act 1. Sonically, it’s more rave-y, but the songs seem hopeless
conceptually. Psycho Warrior was made after, and it follows as Acts 2 and 3 of the same
arc. Lyrically, it’s more empowering and anthemic. We worked out a lot of the framework
with bass guitar and more punk and metal elements.”<\/p>\r\n
– June 2025 in New York, allowing their vision time to naturally take shape.
Now, the single “Come On Baby, Scrape My Data” layers a guttural bassline atop a
woozy old school computer loop, conjuring a frenetic bounce from the depths of
cyberspace. Matt’s upbeat punky cadence warbles and wheezes on the verses until
culminating on a glitchy chant, Wanna know me? Wanna own me? Wanna clone me?
F**k you, you can blow me.
“It was written after experiencing something creepy and fucked up either with A.I. or the
surveillance state,” he reveals. “My phone knows me way too well—which is a feeling
we’ve all gotten very used to within the last ten years. The song teases big tech
companies, taunting them to come and try to take our data and identities. It’s a pretty
decisive way to open up the record in terms of attitude.”
Elsewhere, brain-rattling beat-craft sets the tempo for “Rabbit Season.” Neon keys
chime and echo off in the distance, and a snappy hook takes hold, “I love the feeling.”
“With Machine Girl’s lyrics, I’ll take some dystopian or dark subject matter and flip it into
something more lighthearted,” he notes. “I took the concept of conspiracy rabbit holes
and used it to make a bouncy dance track. ‘Rabbit Season’ is obviously a reference to
Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny. It discusses the cartoonish world of conspiracies and
false, subjective realities people are trapping themselves inside of.”
Then, there’s “Dread Architect” [feat. Drumcorps]. A relentless drum-n-bass barrage
crashes into manic screams underlined by groans of fuzzed-out feedback and
laser-precise synths.
“To me, ‘Dread Architect’ is almost the antagonist of the whole double-LP,” he states.
“It’s the worst of our war-hungry billionaire class leaders who are seething to create a
horrible future. We’re witnessing the destruction of the environment worldwide. Mark
Zuckerberg and all of these billionaires have already built bunkers for the apocalypse.
They’re trying to get out of here and go to Mars. It’s grim and fucked up. Drumcorps is
the de facto metalcore breakcore producer extraordinaire. He provided some super
gnarly guitar tracks for us to chop up and use too.”
Back in October 2024, the band had welcomed Lucy as a live member. Formally etching
out her place in the fold, she handles lead vocals on “Ignore The Vore.” Matt adds, “It’s
the first track where my vocals take a backseat, and Lucy is front-and-center. It was an
exciting experiment, and it’s a new form of Machine Girl.”
Nearing the six-minute mark, the epic “Psychowar” revolves around the chug of
distorted guitars, piston-like percussion, and paranoid pleas a la, “Pass me the
Kool-Aid.”<\/p>\r\n
to the central theme. The lines, ‘Fight your Psychowar,’ refer to confronting the parts of
yourself you don’t want to confront, overcoming them, and becoming mentally stronger.
The first half is darker. On the second, you’re picking yourself up, working on your shit,
fighting your ‘Psychowar,’ and becoming a Psycho Warrior.”
In the end, Machine Girl tap into the sound of self-actualization. It’s gritty, dirty,
unpredictable, beautiful, and utterly brilliant.
“We really want the music to be life-affirming,” he leaves off. “Catharsis is important in
the world of Machine Girl. This is probably the most cathartic album we’ve made.”<\/p>\r\n
Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town<\/em>, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates' background in rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil <\/em>(2005) and Trouble<\/em> (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn't until 2008 and the band's fourth release, Duluth<\/em>, that Trampled by Turtles received recognition by the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino<\/em> arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year. Two years later, their crossover appeal landed them at number 32 on the Billboard 200 pop charts upon the release of their sixth album, Stars and Satellites<\/em>. In addition to major bluegrass and folk festivals, they began showing up at Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. The official concert album, Live at First Avenue<\/em>, followed in 2013, recorded at Minnesota's most famous venue. A year later, the band returned with the darker-toned Wild Animals<\/em>, which bettered its studio predecessor on the album charts, reaching number 29 on Billboard. Countless tours with bands like Lord Huron, Wilco, Caamp, Mt Joy and Deer Tick to name a few have followed. 2022 will see the release of the band’s latest body of work called Alpenglow<\/em> which was produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.<\/p>","description":null,"venue":{"venueId":"125119","active":true,"locale":"en-US","localeAvailable":{"1":"en-US"},"title":"The National","address_line":"708 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219","address":"708 East Broad Street","city":"Richmond","state":"VA","postalCode":"23219","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","timezone":"America\/New_York","ada":null,"keywords":["Richmond","Richmond VA"],"skinCode":null,"currency":"USD","media":{"10":{"media_id":"1359429","width":318,"height":187,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_10_5582ea7befa42.jpg"},"12":{"media_id":"1359430","width":134,"height":79,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_12_5582ea7c96f15.jpg"},"11":{"media_id":"1359431","width":238,"height":140,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_11_5582ea7d0fdec.jpg"},"21":{"media_id":"1359433","width":678,"height":399,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_21_5582ea7ddb3fe.jpg"},"22":{"media_id":"1359434","width":564,"height":564,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_22_5582ea7e48fa9.jpg"},"60":{"media_id":"1359435","width":322,"height":322,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_60_5582ea7eaaff3.jpg"},"61":{"media_id":"1359436","width":220,"height":220,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-18-15_61_5582ea7f1efa2.jpg"},"14":{"media_id":"1367958","width":608,"height":252,"file_name":"https:\/\/images.discovery-prod.axs.com\/2015\/06\/the-national_richmond_06-23-15_14_5589db7902203.jpg"}},"links":[{"link_id":1119823,"link_title":"Directions","link_type_id":"45","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119828,"link_title":"Facebook Page Co-Host","link_type_id":"24","link_href":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bowerypresents\/","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119825,"link_title":"Parking","link_type_id":"17","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/venue-info","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119827,"link_title":"Terms of Service","link_type_id":"18","link_href":"http:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"},{"link_id":1119829,"link_title":"FAQ","link_type_id":"52","link_href":"https:\/\/www.thenationalva.com\/faq","link_target":"_blank"}]},"associations":{"performerIds":["105913","1103046"],"headliners":[{"performerId":"105913","active":true,"locale":"en-US","keywords":["ampled By Turtles","Palomin"],"bio":"