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Power trip returns, reshaped by loss, the thrash metal band finds catharsis in a familiar place.

Evan Minsker

Four years after the death of frontman Riley Gale, Power Trip surprised fans onstage at Mohawk in Austin, featuring a new vocalist. Samantha Tellez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Four years after the death of frontman Riley Gale, Power Trip surprised fans onstage at Mohawk in Austin, featuring a new vocalist.

The open-air venue Mohawk in Austin, Texas, has an upper deck perch that's perfect for observing the churning cyclone of bodies below. Emotions were high on Dec. 1, 2023: Texas band Fugitive was the headliner, but many in the crowd had a hunch about the promised "special guests." When Power Trip , the crossover thrash metal giants who had been missing in action for four years, finally appeared, there were tears in the pit. Bodies flew from the stage into the torrent of thrashing heads screaming every word of "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)" in blunt, ecstatic unison. It was a moment of catharsis for a scene that had been in mourning since the shocking 2020 death of the band's lead singer, Riley Gale .

Blake Ibanez, guitarist in both Fugitive and Power Trip, called the decision to bring the band back that night "testing the waters" to see how fans would react. "It was a safe way to do it, because on one hand it's, like, 'Hey, it's just a Fugitive show, and I'm having the guys come up here. We're gonna just celebrate and play the songs,' " he tells NPR on a video call. "I mean, at some point it's gotta happen." This year, Power Trip will play full-length sets at the Pomona, Calif., festival No Values (June 8), in its hometown of Dallas (July 6) and in New York City (Aug. 24).

It's an opportunity for a passionate fan base of hardcore kids and metalheads to celebrate — people who loved the band's boundless energy, how it could wield scream-along pop hooks using the heaviest, scuzziest, most abrasive metal soundscapes. Some at the Mohawk show spoke of it with near-religious reverence. "This is so cliché, but it was the most electric feeling I've felt at a show," said Erica Hotchkiss, a fan from Irving, Texas. She and some friends drove three hours south to Austin to catch the show based on a clue in the flyer: an illustration of an executioner, which is a key piece of iconography from arguably Power Trip's most beloved song . "We didn't know if they were just going to come out and make an announcement. But we knew that we had to be there."

It was fans like this who compelled Power Trip to come back. "They can see we're in it for the right reasons," Ibanez says. "We didn't make any money off Power Trip at that show. We didn't do it for that. We did it for ourselves because we miss playing these songs together, and we did it to celebrate Riley." The full shape of what's next isn't yet defined beyond this handful of shows. Here's what's certain: The band wants to perform the music they put out, across two albums and scattered singles. Gale's family wants them to play. It took years for everyone to get to this point.

The loss of a lyricist and a leader

"It was one of the worst things that happened to me in my life, because Riley was my best friend," says Brandon Gale, Riley's father.

Riley Gale died in his sleep on Aug. 24, 2020, from the toxic effects of fentanyl. He was 34. The band lost its voice and lyricist; the scene lost a leader. Power Trip built its reputation on gleefully chaotic live shows, and those shows wouldn't have been half as powerful without the longhaired figure in a camo hat barking out front about systemic injustice, corporate greed and oppression. Every word was shouted with an authoritative grizzle; he could galvanize a crowd with a single-syllable grunt. "He had very strong messages in there," Brandon Gale emphasizes. "It wasn't just yelling for the sake of yelling on stage. He wanted people to genuinely get engaged in the message."

"Riley, dude, he was just such a force on stage," says Gray Muncy, a photographer from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who estimates he captured over 40 of the band's shows (and somehow never broke a camera in the process). "I've shot so many photos of him, and it was so easy because of his emotion." Whenever Muncy gets a compliment on photos of Power Trip, he credits the chemistry between the band and its audience. "If you go to a really good hardcore show, the crowd is in the band," he said. "There's that symbiotic relationship where they feed off of each other."

Riley Gale, pictured here in 2018 at the Saturn in Birmingham, Ala., could galvanize a crowd with a single-syllable grunt. David A. Smith/Getty Images hide caption

Riley Gale, pictured here in 2018 at the Saturn in Birmingham, Ala., could galvanize a crowd with a single-syllable grunt.

In the wake of his passing, the Gales set up a 501(c)(3) charity called the Riley Gale Foundation in an effort to honor Riley's strong convictions. Brandon Gale says his son was the small guy in school who would stand up to bullies, and that he volunteered in soup kitchens as a young man. The foundation aims to be a continuation of his passions in life: It puts funds toward helping unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in the Dallas area (Riley was a committed supporter of the queer-focused outreach group Dallas Hope Charities), has named a library in his honor (he was a voracious reader) and also donates to a local dog rescue (loved animals).

Gale's friends affirm that on and off the stage, he led with empathy: He was the guy who let touring bands crash at his place, who made himself available to anyone who needed an ear. "With the fans, he wanted to be someone anybody could reach out to and talk to if they were dealing with something in their lives," says Power Trip guitarist Nick Stewart. "He was just such a comforting person when people didn't know where they stood. He felt like he could try to help everybody."

Before Power Trip began, Ibanez described Riley's previous band Balls Out as "the kings of Dallas hardcore." Gale was without a band when Ibanez, Stewart and bassist Chris Whetzel's band Reality Check was beginning to fizzle in the late 2000s. Mutual friends suggested they talk, and soon enough, Gale and Ibanez — then 21 and 16 — started bonding over hardcore bands like Cro-Mags, Breakdown and Leeway over messages on MySpace.

Power Trip's sound was a meeting point between hardcore punk and thrash metal, and in the process of creating it, the band connected with a wide swath of listeners interested in the greater sphere of heavy music. "We know we play a very subversive style of music, but we also want this to be for everyone," says drummer Chris Ulsh. "We want people to feel comfortable at our shows and have a good time. We're the type of band that can play with anyone regardless of if we're playing with indie bands, death metal bands, punk bands, whatever."

Steadily, a community of passionate fans formed around the band. Hotchkiss, who has an executioner tattoo with the caption "swing of the axe," saw the band around 10 times before attending the surprise show in Austin last year. "I'm married to my husband because we ran into each other at a Power Trip show," she said. Hotchkiss was a fan from the Dallas hardcore scene; her husband Kris was a metalhead. Previously acquaintances, they bonded instantly after she saw him in the pit: "Power Trip was our common ground." The date of that show appears on a decorative pillow in their home.

Who could step into Riley's role?

In the months after Gale passed, Ulsh said the band didn't consider or discuss the prospect of keeping the band going "for a really long time." It was 2020, and playing shows wasn't an option due to COVID-19, anyway. But as live music started to return, the band's members were talking on one of their regular FaceTime calls, and Ulsh broached the subject. "I'd never really mentioned it to anyone else and it kind of seemed like no one else had talked about it, but everyone was just like, yeah, we should," he says. "I like being a band with these guys, and we all seemed to feel the same way."

Some of the band's members had been busy with different projects, Ibanez with Fugitive and Ulsh with Quarantine. Still, the idea of these four starting a different band together didn't feel right — like it wouldn't be honest or respectful to their past together. "We put so much into this band and it just kind of seemed like it would be compounding tragedies: losing a close friend and then losing this thing that we dedicated our adult lives to," Ulsh says.

Power Trip in 2024 now includes vocalist Seth Gilmore (far left). He plans to give it his all "to honor the spirit of Riley's memory." Adam Cedillo/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Power Trip in 2024 now includes vocalist Seth Gilmore (far left). He plans to give it his all "to honor the spirit of Riley's memory."

"If anybody's going to step into this role and sing these songs, it'd be someone from our world who has history with us and gets this whole thing and knew Riley," Ibanez says. "The pool for that? I mean, I think it's [not] overstating it to say it's incredibly small. Beyond that, who's actually willing and is capable of doing it?"

Seth Gilmore was the guy, a friend embedded in the Texas hardcore scene for as long as Power Trip existed. As the frontman of Fugitive, he had established chemistry with Ibanez. Initially, he was hesitant. "A year or so after Riley passed, before we even started Fugitive, I may have thrown it his way: 'Hey, would you want to mess around with some of these songs I've been working on, that were actually songs for the Power Trip album that never happened?' " Ibanez recalls. The implication that he'd be standing in for Gale gave him pause, so he dropped it until well after Fugitive had earned the respect of fans. "By the time I brought it up to him again in the past year, at that point he didn't really think twice about it." Gilmore confirmed Ibanez's assessment in a statement, saying he plans to give it his all "to honor the spirit of Riley's memory."

So it was Gilmore barking "Manifest Decimation" and "Hornet's Nest" to the crowd at Mohawk. Gale could never be replaced, but for fans who had just watched a Fugitive set, the consensus was that it was an organic fit. "I personally don't think there's any other person better to fit the bill than Seth," Hotchkiss said. Of course, fans had a hunch he would be the guy. "Even before everybody knew Power Trip was playing that night in Austin, I said, 'Seth, your life's about to change,' and he just smiled," Muncy says.

There was some fallout from that night, too. Brandon Gale issued a statement saying the family was not told in advance about the show and was caught by surprise. He later issued an apology, saying that while he wishes he'd gotten a heads-up from the band, he still regrets the statement. "While it came as a surprise, it was a very visceral reaction and I would certainly undo it," he says.

That one show wasn't the extent of the issues between the band and Brandon Gale, as the statements brought to light a civil lawsuit he'd filed on behalf of Riley's estate on Feb. 10, 2021, against the members of Power Trip. The suit alleged breach of fiduciary duty and claimed the band owed the Gale estate money from merchandise sales, tour revenue and royalties. On Dec. 8, one week after the surprise set in Austin, the case was settled.

"There was an unfortunate need for the litigation," Brandon Gale says. "It was critically important that the foundation received all of the money that Riley was entitled to because that's the primary source, with contributions, of how we build and grow the foundation. It's settled, and what I want to do is focus on the good stuff going forward."

"We probably don't want to comment on that," Ulsh says of the lawsuit. "That was a very difficult and s****y thing that happened that we had to go through. It's behind us now, and we just want to leave it behind us." Ibanez adds: "When something really tragic happens like that, there's a lot of emotions involved. It happens this way with a lot of similar situations, when you have the family of someone who wasn't really involved and is trying to figure everything out and get things together. Yeah, it's behind us. And as everything stands, everything's all right."

Asked about the future of the band, Brandon Gale offered his blessing: "If Power Trip goes out and they start touring again, people are going to buy their music and Riley's going to get his royalties and the foundation's going to grow. So how could we not be in favor of that?"

'We're just taking it one step at a time'

Power Trip is currently resuming rehearsals in Dallas. Ulsh says he's excited to get back to playing for wild crowds instead of repeating the same songs over and over to each other in a practice space. Ibanez is excited to feel the rush again, too: "We were gone from it for so long, and then you get up there and it's like, wow, I forgot we're part of something really special."

Though Ibanez let it slip that Power Trip had been working on a new album before Gale's death, he refused to engage further on the possibility of new music in the future. "The main focus is to play the catalog — that's what people want to hear. I don't think we're really particularly interested in moving on from where we were," Ibanez says. "We really want to honor Riley and want to honor what we've done before just moving forward. That's the main thing, to treat the whole situation with as much respect as possible. ... We're just taking it one step at a time."

While Ulsh, Ibanez and Whetzel all stayed busy in recent years with other bands, Nick Stewart hadn't been back on a stage since Power Trip's last show with Gale. "I'm a civilian — I just book shows and don't have a side project right now. So it's even more reason why I'm excited to do this," Stewart says. "It's been our lives since I graduated high school, so to be able to do it again is really special. I love performing, man; I love getting up there and giving everything I got." As he spoke, his dog began barking in the background. "Sorry, my dog's going crazy. But yeah, excited as my dog right now to get up there and play some shows."

That December night in Austin, Muncy looked around in the pit and saw how many people around him were crying. "When I first thought about them playing, I was, like, 'My friends need this; Texas needs this show, our scene needs this,' " he says. "But then once it happened, I was like, 'You know what? My friends in the band needed that show more than anybody.' Those four dudes, they sacrificed a lot to get where they are. They can't just quit."

• Consequence

Power Trip Announce Return with New Singer Seth Gilmore

The band will play the just-announced No Values festival and more gigs in 2024

Power Trip have announced that they will return in 2024 with new singer Seth Gilmore, and will play their first official shows since the tragic 2020 passing of frontman Riley Gale.

The band issued a statement on Tuesday (February 20th) shortly after it was announced that Power Trip would play the inaugural No Values festival , a massive gathering taking place June 8th in Pomona, California. The lineup also features The Original Misfits, Iggy Pop, Social Distortion, Sublime, and many more acts.

Gilmore previously performed a five-song set with the surviving Power Trip members at a surprise gig at a club in Austin, Texas, in December. The singer fronts the bands Skourge and Fugitive, the latter featuring Power Trip guitarist Blake Ibanez.

Power Trip’s full statement reads as follows:

“Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley. We know this can’t be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way. We’ll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we’ve received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who’ve been there throughout our existence as a band. With that, we are excited to announce a round of upcoming 2024 performances starting with No Values festival on June 8th in SoCal. Joining us will be our long-time close friend / collaborator, and singer of Fugitive / Skourge — Seth Gilmore — who will be handling vocals for these upcoming shows. Stay tuned, more info on the way…

Riley Gale Forever. Power Trip Forever.

See you in the pit.

– Blake, Chris, Nick and Chris”

At the time of Gale’s death in August 2020, Power Trip were one of the most respected metal acts to emerge in the 21st century, leading a new wave of thrash bands. In a  March 2021 interview , Ibanez remarked, “We do want to continue to play music together; we just are not sure what that looks like at this time.”

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As the band mentioned, the No Values fest will be the first of a number of gigs that Power Trip plan to play in 2024. Stay tuned as those shows are announced.

Watch footage of Seth Gilmore performing with Power Trip in the video clips below.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by POWER TRIP (@powertriptx)

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Power Trip Announce 2024 Return, Name Live Vocalist

A few months after reuniting for a brief live set this past December, Power Trip have announced their 2024 live return and named the vocalist they will continue with for these upcoming gigs.

The members of Power Trip — Blake Ibanez, Nick Stewart, Chris Whetzel and Chris Ulsh — played a show in Austin, Texas on Dec. 1 with Seth Gilmore of the bands Skourge and Fugitive. It marked their first live performance since the death of vocalist Riley Gale in August of 2020.

It appears as though the band plans to continue on with Gilmore as their vocalist. In a new post on their Instagram , Power Trip announced their first live show of 2024 will take place at California's No Values festival on June 8. They also alluded to some other shows that will take place later in the year.

The statement reads:

Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley. We know this can’t be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way. We’ll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we’ve received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who’ve been there throughout our existence as a band. With that, we are excited to announce a round of upcoming 2024 performances starting with  @novaluesfestival  on June 8th in SoCal. Joining us will be our long-time close friend/collaborator, and singer of  @fugitive_tx  /  @skourge713  —Seth Gilmore—who will be handling vocals for these upcoming shows. Stay tuned, more info on the way… Riley Gale Forever. Power Trip Forever. See you in the pit. - Blake, Chris, Nick and Chris

Misfits , Social Distortion , Iggy Pop , Turnstile , Bad Religion , Sublime , The Dillinger Escape Plan , The Damned , Suicidal Tendencies and Black Flag are among the other artists who are set to play the festival.

Check out the post below to see the full lineup.

After Power Trip's December 2023 show with Gilmore, Gale's family issued a statement that they were caught "entirely by surprise," as they were apparently unaware that the remaining members were planning a show together.

READ MORE:  12 Bands That Called It Quits After the Death of a Member

Shortly after, Gale's father clarified the family's comments in a new message, and wrote, "We also would like to specifically appreciate and thank Seth Gilmore. He really put his all into that performance."

"As Riley's dad and the person who wrote the original message, it broke my heart to hear that I got it wrong. I humbly request that you understand the raw emotions we face and how they impact us every day thinking about what the world lost when Riley died," he concluded.

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Meet Power Trip, a band determined to wreak havoc with the system

They’ve taken thrash’s template and doused it with filth, and they’re kicking political apathy in the face. Meet Power Trip, a band determined to fuck up the system

The world is going to hell right now. But as society fractures, the one cliché we’ve been told we can rely on is that impending doom and political uncertainty will result in great art. The climate in America is at its most conservative since the original thrash boom raged against Reagan. It’s been a while, but we live in hope that metal is ready to fight against the system once again.

“I was asked about whether metal could be political still,” Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale snorts. “And I think it’s bullshit to say that it couldn’t. It’s always been about going against the grain and pushing the boundaries – not just in music but also in the way we think. But I’m no political science major, I can only try and deconstruct what I think is wrong. I’m more interested in what my songs mean to you! I want to know how what I write affects people.”

Once Riley gets on a roll, he’s almost impossible to stop. Having been front and centre of one of the most explosive and vibrant thrash bands of the past decade, he’s got used to running his mouth at maximum pace. But he has a level of intelligence and intellect that is totally at odds with the lazy, meat-headed metal dude stereotype. In fact, the inspiration for Power Trip’s lyrical standpoint came while Riley was studying English at college around the time of their 2009 Armageddon Blues EP.

“I got into this ‘Intro To Rhetoric’ class with this professor called Dr Kyle Jensen,” explains Riley. “He was the shit, so intelligent, and I just wanted to take every class I could with him. And I was already thinking about the future, accepting the fact that we were going to see World War Three. I knew, even 10 years ago, that we were going to see this huge global change that would redefine what being human is because of technology. I don’t feel comfortable in this environment. My professor really encouraged me to continue that thinking, to take these French post-modern philosophy classes and watch the news every day from many different sources. It really made me realise my place in the world. So every record is about, ‘Oh, the world is fucked!’ I wrote the new one before Trump was even elected! I mean, I didn’t need to change anything!”

Since forming in Texas in 2008, just for, as Riley puts it, “Something cool to do to pass the time”, Power Trip have mutated from a fun hobby to one of the most vital bands around. After releasing a couple of EPs and one excellent full-length album in 2013’s Manifest Decimation , they became hotly tipped in underground circles. But newcomers and existing fans alike have been blown away by latest album Nightmare Logic ’s brand of brutal, warp-speed crossover – it takes everything that Power Trip have done up to this point and makes it hit harder, faster and more often. It’s like a trip through some of heavy music’s most glorious moments; everything from Testament to Agnostic Front to Sepultura to Obituary are represented. If you like your music heavy, harsh and abrasive, and feel that you have been underserved over the last few years, Power Trip have got your back.

“The problem with metal recently has been that it’s either too polished, like Avenged Sevenfold or Five Finger Death Punch, or bands have a gimmick or try to step out of the box just to be different,” says Riley. “The new thrash records are way too polished. I think part of our appeal is that people think we sound old as shit! We still try and have our own sound, but I guess we aren’t reinventing the wheel. It’s a mixture of something modern with an old-school approach.”

The ‘old-school approach’ means being able to cut it live, and, with Power Trip about to head over to our shores with Napalm Death and Brujeria, they’ll need to show their prowess.

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“I always say that if you put us in front of anyone that likes heavy music, they are going to leave liking our band,” Riley confidently predicts. “We toured with Lamb Of God and Anthrax at the end of 2015. We were the opening band and no one knew who we were. So me and Chris [Ulsh], our drummer, would walk through the crowd just before we were due to come on. There would always be some country motherfucker like [adopts Southern drawl], ‘Let’s get these faggot opening bands out the way!’, and then after we’d play, he’d be at our merch stand telling us we were the greatest opening band he’d ever seen. I remember seeing videos of those early thrash and hardcore shows and they looked genuinely dangerous. We want it to be that wild again, no matter how big the venue, no matter where we are on the bill – we want to instigate people losing their minds.”

It all points to a bright future… for Power Trip at least. For society at large? Riley isn’t so sure.

“I’m constantly thinking about the future,” he says. “The song Executioner’s Tax is about people just plugging into technology, eating whatever they want and waiting to die. Just checking out of life and wanting a nice, warm, comfy death. And I’m like, ‘Nah! Fuck that!’ Let’s try and do something about the world if we don’t like it or if we’re really that unhappy. We aren’t meant to sit in some small apartment and wait for The Reaper to show up! I guess a lot of it is because I know I won’t reach old age, or I’ll end up an empty shell of myself. I guess once you accept that, it’s actually quite empowering.”

Despite this attitude, and the disdain Riley has for those currently holding control of the world, there is a message of hope and positivity within Power Trip’s music: they’re not giving up yet, and neither should we.

“We’re honoured to be sharing a stage with a band like Napalm Death,” he tells us. “I look at the way that Barney [Greenway, frontman] talks to people onstage. It’s not just the level of passion and belief he has, but the eloquence and the intelligence and the empathy for his fellow man. That’s inspiring to me. That’s where I aim to be. I’m not there yet, but I believe in the power of the human spirit. I think we can make it through, whatever hell we are about to go through.”

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Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.

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POWER TRIP announce first proper show since RILEY GALE's death

Power Trip are coming back.

The Texas crossover-thrash unit played a surprise mini-set late last year in Austin, which marked their first time onstage since the tragic death of frontman Riley Gale in 2020. As it turns out, it wasn't a one-off event, but a hint at the new era Power Trip are about to enter.

Today (February 20th), the band have announced their first proper show in four years, which will go down at the newly-minted No Values fest in Pomona, California, on June 8th. Other bands on the bill include the Misfits, Dillinger Escape Plan, Turnstile and many other punk/hardcore OGs.

In an accompanying statement about the future of Power Trip, the group's surviving members — guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart, bassist Chris Whetzel and drummer Chris Ulsh — revealed that Seth Gilmore, frontman of Ibanez's side project Fugitive, as well as the Texas hardcore unit Skourge, will be taking Gale's spot behind the mic for all upcoming shows. 

"Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip," the band wrote.

"It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley.

"We know this can't be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.

"We'll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we've received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who've been there throughout our existence as a band.

"With that, we are excited to announce a round of upcoming 2024 performances starting with No Values Fest on June 8th in SoCal.

"Joining us will be our long-time close friend/collaborator, and singer of Fugitive/Skourge  —Seth Gilmore— who will be handling vocals for these upcoming shows.

"Stay tuned, more info on the way…"

See the band's full statement below.

This show (and the surprise one last year) aren't the first rumblings Power Trip have made since the band essentially went on hiatus following Gale's death in August 2020.

In 2022, Ibanez mentioned in a couple cryptic interviews that Power Trip were planning to continue the band, and that they even had an album's worth of songs in the tank that they'd been working on behind the scenes. 

"There's… I guess you can call it a record," Ibanez told Knotfest in September 2022.  "There's a bunch of stuff out there. That's really all I can say. I don't know. I can't really say too much."

"We've been working really hard on it," he continued. "Me and [Ulsh], we have great chemistry and the same thing we've always done when we make records together. The same vibe is there. I'm really proud of the stuff we've written together. So I'm looking forward to that. I don't know when everything's gonna happen, but I'm looking forward to it."

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POWER TRIP announce NYC and Dallas...

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Power Trip live: Reviews of Metallica, Tool, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses

For those about to rock, we salute you. We'll be reporting all the action at Power Trip, Goldenvoice's three-day metal festival in the desert featuring heavy-hitters Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden on Friday, AC/DC and Judas Priest on Saturday, and culminating with Metallica and Tool on Sunday.

Will this "once-in-a-lifetime" billing live up to the hype? Check back here for the sights, sounds, special guests and music reviews from the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

• Review: Metallica closes out festival in electric style
• Review: Tool underwhelms after AC/DC energy
• Power Trip Day 3: The good, the bad and the epic
• Review: AC/DC delivers epic set after seven-year hiatus
• Review: Judas Priest delivers beyond expectations, new album
• Power Trip Day 2: The good, the bad, the sweat
• Review: Guns N' Roses brings crowd pleasing, hit-filled set
• Review: Iron Maiden brings the drama to first Power Trip set
• Power Trip Day 1: The good, the bad, the hot

Tool and Metallica close out the last day of Power Trip in style

Tool and Metallica are two distinctly different bands, so, naturally, they brought two vastly different shows to the same audience Sunday night at Power Trip.

But there was a third band we couldn't help to compare them with: AC/DC.

It's probably unfair to compare the performance of one band to another, particularly when one is as beloved as AC/DC, and is playing its first live show in more than seven years. But while Tool sounded crisp and loud, and thousands appeared to enjoy the band's set at the festival, it inevitably felt like a let down after AC/DC, and as festivalgoers were gearing up for a highly anticipated show from Metallica.

Metallica, on the other hand, understood their assignment. Closing out a once-in-a-lifetime festival such as Power Trip is no easy task, and the California rockers didn't disappoint on Sunday night,

Read our full Tool review here.

Read our full Metallica review here.

—Brian Blueskye and Andrew John

Power Trip proves itself to be an international affair

What’s the furthest someone traveled to Power Trip? It’s hard to say, but Indio resident Leonard Ortiz has something that provides answers. Since Friday, Ortiz has collected signatures from attendees and their origins on a California state flag. Some of the attendees who signed included residents of Australia, Nepal, Austria, and Colombia. Ortiz said there was also “a lot of Mexico on there.”

Ortiz said he got the idea to track signatures at Power Trip from attending Metallica concerts and seeing fans with flags from their home states doing the same.

“I just thought it would be cool to do (at Power Trip),” because I knew that AC/DC and Iron Maiden have a following from all over the world, and I want to put it (the flag) up in my mancave. People are really digging it, and I’ve only had one person tell me no when I’ve asked them to sign for whatever reason,” Ortiz said. 

—Brian Blueskye

The most rockstar-worthy burger at Power Trip comes from Grill 'Em All

There’s one food vendor in the South Lounge area of the festival that gets our unofficial award for Most Clever Play on Words: the metal-inspired and Alhambra-based burger restaurant Grill ‘Em All, which is a take on Metallica’s 1983 debut album “Kill ‘Em All.”

Desert Sun reporter Andrew John tried the AC/DC burger and enthusiastically said “It’s good!” after taking his first bite.

The restaurant is known for showing pro wrestling and a selection of burgers named after metal icons such as Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and more.

Holy Dive Bar provides sports fans and non-sports fans alike a shaded place to kick back, grab a drink

Rob Vollgraf traveled to Power Trip from Northern California with the understanding that he’d be able to watch his Las Vegas Raiders at the Holy Dive Bar. He'd heard about the setup inside Empire Polo Club, but was skeptical about whether it would be anything substantial.

On Sunday, the festivalgoer admitted he was pleasantly surprised.

“They’ve done an outstanding job here,” said Vollgraf, wearing a black Raiders shirt. “This blew away my expectations.”

Read the full story here.

—Andrew John

Tool brings fans from around the world to the polo grounds

When Alejandro Grijalva Duran saw the lineup announcement in March for Power Trip and noticed the band Tool was part of it, he immediately contacted his son, Juan Pablo Grijalva Saenz. The two purchased tickets and made travel arrangements to Indio from Chihuahua, Mexico.

On Sunday, the father and son had just waited in line at Tool’s merchandise booth and was taking pictures with a poster they'd purchased. Power Trip is the first time the two will see the band perform. 

“(Tool) is a unique band,” Grijalva Saenz said. “You see the lineup and all the classic rock bands, having Tool in the lineup at this festival is mind-blowing. Their concept in music is different than other bands like Judas Priest, AC/DC and Iron Maiden, so it’s a unique occasion to see Tool at this festival and venue.”

Grijalva Duran is a longtime fan, and said there are limited opportunities to see Tool in Mexico, who typically perform in cities such as Monterrey or Guadalajara.

“I like a lot of Tool’s music and have been a fan since the beginning,” said Grijalva Duran.

Real metal fans take their grandkids to Power Trip

Brooklyn Harper and Illy Pirylis of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, both 17, have been enjoying Power Trip this weekend with their grandmother, 59-year-old Kerri Yingst of Hobe Sound, Florida. But it's not the first time they've rocked out at a concert together.

It's the third festival the trio have attended together since the 2022 Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach.

On Saturday afternoon, all three were excited to see the first performance by AC/DC in seven years and spent over an hour standing in line at the band's merchandise tent after the gates opened. Yingst referred to her granddaughters as her "concert buddies"

“I didn’t know they liked my music,” Yingst said. “I was (in New Jersey) visiting and I heard Black Sabbath coming from the bedroom, and I’m like ‘Wait a minute, maybe they’re just on YouTube.’ I go about my business and go back upstairs, and I asked them, ‘Do you like that?’ and they said ‘Yeah!’ That’s when we found Welcome to Rockville and started going to festivals together.”

To read the full story, click here.

AC/DC starts out strong despite seven-year performance hiatus

Shortly after AC/DC performed “Shoot to Thrill” about an hour into their Saturday set at Power Trip, CNL Executive Transportation owner and operator Craig Blucher was heading towards the exit to give a client a ride.

But as he walked, the San Diego resident who has seen AC/DC seven times described the set as “epic.”

Blucher’s first time seeing AC/DC was during the original lineup era featuring original frontman Bon Scott, who died in 1980. He also caught the band’s comeback tour that same year with current vocalist Brian Johnson.

Since AC/DC released the album “Power Up” in 2020, the band hasn’t played together live, meaning Saturday’s performance was its first show in seven years.

Even though AC/DC is celebrating 50 years, the band hasn't announced a new album or any plans to tour, leaving many to speculate whether Power Trip may be the group's last performance.

When asked if he thinks it will be the last, Blucher said he hopes not.

“They need to stay healthy and they’re getting old. These old timers don’t live forever,” Blucher said. 

Check out AC/DC's setlist here.

Check out our full review of AC/DC's set here.

Judas Priest announces new album, brings out Glenn Tipton

Judas Priest replaced Ozzy Osbourne as the first band on the Power Trip Day 2 schedule, but they didn't act like anyone's second choice.

After five decades, the English heavy metal group proved it still has plenty of gas in the tank, far exceeding expectations. The crowd cheered as Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" played as the intro, but was followed by a few moments of silence before a graphic showed on the video screens announcing Judas Priest's upcoming album, "The Invincible Shield," which is due out March 8.

Perhaps the best moment of the set was the encore, which featured guitarist Glenn Tipton, who retired from the band in 2018 due to Parkinson's disease. Tipton performed with the group during the last three songs of the set: classics "Metal Gods," "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight."

Click here to read the full Judas Priest setlist.

Coachella has 'Spectra,' Power Trip has the rocker cactus

While concertgoers are not allowed inside "Spectra," the popular illuminated installation that features a winding ramp, right next to it is a new piece of art that has many lined up to take a selfie with.

A blue devil-horned-shaped cactus has caught the attention of many here at Power Trip. It has provided a perfect photo-op for this metal festival, with Spectra, the ground’s iconic Ferris wheel and the mountains of La Quinta providing a cool backdrop. 

Power Trip's hottest accessory will cost you $20, and sellers prefer cash

One thing most festivalgoers probably didn't expect at Power Trip, which markets itself very openly as a cashless festival, is a vendor that asks for cash. That's exactly what fans are facing when they go to purchase light-up AC/DC devil horn headbands at one of the various vendor carts scattered across the festival grounds today.

Although these vendors technically take credit cards (because they have to to be part of the festival), the signs on the carts read "$ CASH IS KING !!!"

The night's hottest accessory, which will set you back $20, is a nod to AC/DC co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter, and only remaining founding member Angus Young, who popularized the devil horn symbol by using his two index fingers to form two horns above his head while he performs.

—Niki Kottmann

Judas Priest proves to be the most punctual band of Power Trip thus far

Judas Priest just took the stage, just a few minutes later than scheduled, unlike the Friday performers who were 20 minutes (Iron Maiden) and 40 minutes (Guns N' Roses) behind schedule. Now let's see if they can make Ozzy proud.

Group of fans decide to push through the Power Trip gates early

Those of us who entered Day 2 of Power Trip through the Red Path/camping area got a surprise Saturday when a group of rowdy festivalgoers decided they didn't want to wait any longer and pushed the gates open. Security nearby let it happen, seemingly because they were going to open the gates themselves a few minutes later, and because those who pushed through were hit by a wall of metal detectors and bag checkers on the other side of the gate.

Guns' N' Roses delivers the hits to close out the first day of Power Trip

Guns N' Roses put on a phenomenal show of heavy rock 'n' roll hits and treated festivalgoers to highlights of the band's career, even paying tribute to Sir Paul McCartney's 50th anniversary of the James Bond anthem "Live And Let Die." The two-hour set was full of stunning video production and lasers, but notably no pyrotechnics.

Even though the band was 40 minutes late for its headlining performance, the crowd was calm and there were no signs of the old days when the band would appear hours late or not at all. When the festival went dark and the band's strange animated psychedelic visuals appeared, the crowd was on its feet, screaming in anticipation.

Starting with "It's So Easy," frontman Axl Rose appeared like a lightning rod and the rest of the band, which also features original members guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, were precise in every note.

Click here to read the band's complete Power Trip setlist.

Our highs and lows of Power Trip Day 1: Where's the good food hiding?

OK, so festival food is famously never great, but Coachella always includes some trendy (and mouthwatering) Asian food from LA and Stagecoach always has delicious BBQ (when Guy Fieri's involved, you know it's good), so what is Power Trip going to be notable for cuisine-wise? So far, crappy grilled cheese.

That might be on me for ordering something a bit odd, but I thought you couldn't mess up grilled cheese! It's so simple! Tomorrow I'll be going in a totally different direction and heading straight for the booth of a Palm Springs favorite: Sandfish.

Read up on our other highs and lows from the first day of the festival here.

Parking causes headaches on Power Trip Day 1, leads some to leave early

Parking for those who tried to get in after 4:30 p.m. today was reportedly out-of-this-world difficult (our own photographer nearly ran out of gas in the middle of Miles Avenue because traffic controlers forced him to circle the venue so many times), which seems to be the reason why many people were seen leaving the festival after the first hour of Guns N' Roses' set.

I can't blame them for wanting to beat the traffic, and I can't help but wonder how long it's going to take me to get out after Guns N' Roses is done playing ... moral of the story: get here as early as possible tomorrow, festivalgoers.

Iron Maiden delivers theatrical, energetic set to kick off the night

As Iron Maiden kicked off the first set of Power Trip performing "Caught Somewhere In Time," frontman Bruce Dickinson appeared as if he stepped into the present day from a futuristic sci-fi film set.

That post-apocalyptic vibe continued throughout the stellar performance, which included stage visuals showing the flux capacitor from the 1985 time travel comedy film "Back to the Future."

Want to see the complete set list? Click here.

—Niki Kottmann and Brian Blueskye

Metal fans came from all over the world for this event

As the rumors began circulating about Power Trip in March, Rob Myers of Hershey, Pennsylvania created the Facebook community “Power Trip Festival Group,” which has over 10,000 members. On Friday afternoon, Myers met a fraction of the group in front of the Ferris wheel for a group photo. A group member brought a California state flag and is having members sign it as he meets them at the festival.

Myers said he has created similar groups for festivals such as the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio and estimates 5,000 attendees from all around the world and demographics joined the Power Trip group during April.

“People had interest in seeing six powerhouse acts all at once,” Myers said. “These bands have international recognition – Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Metallica – even in Europe, you don’t see all three of those bands at one festival. You may see one, but you’re not going to get all at once.”

The members of the group have posted invites for carpooling to the festival, social gatherings in the area and even shared travel tips for those new to the Coachella Valley. There’s a stronger sense of community among metal fans for this festival than the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach country music festival.

“If you go to any metal festival, especially if you’re in camping, you’re never going to have an empty stomach, an empty cup or go without anything you need,” Myers said. “I have met grandmothers and mothers at metal festivals and they’re the ones helping those who say ‘Hey, I need this’ or ‘I ran out of this.’ Everybody just wants to take care of each other. With metal, there are different emotions, some of these people have been hurt and have a stronger sense of empathy. I’ve noticed people who have been through something, metal is their healing." 

Our first impression of the festival: spacious

Although it was crowded by the entrance, once the gates opened 18 minutes behind schedule, our first impression of the festival was that it's wonderfully spread out. Nobody's on top of each other, and even though the merch tents were Coachella-level busy less than 15 minutes into the start of the festival, the Iron Maiden-specific and Guns N' Roses-specific booths had shockingly small lines.

This is also a little nerdy of us to notice, but the famed Coachella/Stagecoach Ferris wheel (aka Le Grande Wheel) is back with new open-air cars (as opposed to the traditional enclosed cars we're used to at the other two festivals).

Power Trip: Gates are open and crowd has cool cross-generational vibe

The gates are open at Power Trip but the music has yet to start. The crowd so far consists of lots of big groups and families with adult children. "How you holding up mom?" was heard from a man who appeared to be in his late 30s or early 40s.

Those who attended the original "Trip" ... Desert Trip in 2016 that featured the kings of classic rock ... will understand.

Also notable about the first hour on scene: It's hot. Overheard waiting to get through the gate: “I’m sweating so much I’m losing my buzz, it’s terrible!”

—Niki Kottmann and Kate Franco

Headed to Power Trip but don't want to miss the game? You can experience both

Goldevoice is typically all about the music. But this weekend at Power Trip, the promoter is offering a rare opportunity to watch live sports at one of its bar areas within the festival.

All weekend long, festivalgoers can head to the Holy Dive Bar to watch the following televised sports:

• Thursday: NFL Chicago @ Washington
• Friday: MLB Playoffs
• Saturday: MLB Playoffs
• Saturday: NCAA Football
• Sunday: NFL Football

—Niki Kottmann and Andrew John

Power Trip pre-game: Free tattoos at AC/DC-themed pop-up bar in Indio

AC/DC will hit the stage for the first time in seven years during the second day of Power Trip, but you don't have to wait until Saturday to get in on the fun.

Club 5 Bar in downtown Indio has officially opened as a pop-up fan experience called the AC/DC High Voltage Dive Bar , featuring collectible rock relics, unique Easter eggs, a beer garden food trucks and, perhaps most notably, free tattoos of the many different AC/DC logos over the band's 50-year history.

If you're looking for a place outside the festival grounds to honor the gods of rock, this is your spot.

Power Trip special guests: Who we think might make a stage cameo

Would it even be a Goldenvoice festival without surprise special guests? Here's a few we're hoping to see (and yes, some are far-fetched, but we can dream):

With Guns N' Roses:

• Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig (to sing "Attitude")
• Bob Dylan (to sing that cover of "Knockin' On Heavens Door")

With AC/DC:

• AC/DC could quite possibly bring out any rockers, but ... wouldn't it be amazing if they brought out actor/singer Jack Black for the cover of "It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" from the movie "School of Rock"?

With Metallica:

• King Diamond (to sing "Mercyful Fate")
• St. Vincent, Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor, or another artist who performed on the "The Metallica Blacklist"

Power Trip set times: When will Tool, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica take the stage?

Need some help planning your Power Trip? Here are the set times :

• Friday, Oct. 6:  Iron Maiden at 6:45 p.m., Guns N' Roses at 9:25 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 7:  Judas Priest at 6:45 p.m., AC/DC at 9:25 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 8:  Tool at 6:55 p.m., Metallica at 9:35 p.m.

Where is Power Trip festival 2023?

Power Trip, which features six heavy metal bands from Friday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 8, is being held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Music-lovers likely know (or know of) the venue as the home to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach country music festival, which are held on the lush grounds at 81-800 51st Ave. over three weekends in April.

But this isn't the first October "Trip" staged by Goldenvoice. Desert Trip, featuring Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Neil Young and Promise of the Real, Roger Waters and Paul McCartney , was held at the polo grounds over two October weekends in 2016. It was heralded as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the biggest names in classic rock on one stage.

—Kate Franco

From the archive: When Desert Trip rocked the music world in 2016

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Listen to Power Trip’s New Live Album

By Noah Yoo

Power Trip have released Live in Seattle 05​.​28​.​2018 , a new live album that was recorded during the Texas metal group’s 2018 tour with Sheer Mag. It’s out now on streaming services and Bandcamp; all purchases made on Bandcamp will go towards “offsetting the financial impact of the numerous Power Trip tours and live appearances cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” The album was recorded at Neumos and was mixed and mastered by the band’s front-of-house audio engineer, Zachary Rippy.

Power Trip’s last studio album Nightmare Logic was released in 2017. The following year, they released Opening Fire: 2008-2014 , a compilation of early recordings.

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TAKE Release Brand New Album "Power Trip"

July 11, 2021 By Brandon J. in News | No Comments

The band TAKE , from Las Vegas, Nevada are back with a brand new album titled “Power Trip” . The album is a trip down a familiar path while retaining the heaviness and originality the band has become known for. This isn’t the typical, this isn’t mundane and this certainly is not boring. It’s a heavy album but not consisting of that same cookie cutter style everyone is going for. Brings to mind bands like The Warriors, Pantera, Living Sacrifice, Every Time I Die, and really closing the divide between all the diverse sounds of heavy bands you know and love. Check out “Power Trip” now on your digital market of choice or on bandcamp here .

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Indie Vision Music

21 Iconic Moments That Made Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi

Posted: April 26, 2024 | Last updated: April 26, 2024

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With four decades under their belt, Bon Jovi are still at the top of their game. In support of the 40th anniversary of their debut album, the band of brothers from New Jersey have readied themselves for a big, big year.  

First, they released a new single in 2024, the aptly named “Legendary” from their upcoming 16th studio album, Forever. Then there’s the limited edition ruby-colored vinyl LP for the 40th anniversary of the Bon Jovi album, ruby being the traditional gift for such an occasion. And to cap it all off, a four-part docuseries on Hulu, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.  

With a sound and look that defined the 80s, Bon Jovi ruled radio and MTV with a remarkable string of hits like “Livin On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” and “Wanted Dead Or Alive.” They’re internationally known for their songs that bridged the gap between hard rock and pop, epic videos, dynamic live shows, and all that hair. While topping the charts and performing to over 100,000,000 fans, they picked up multiple awards from The Grammys, MTV, CMT, Billboard, and American Music Awards.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to celebrate the 40th anniversary of legendary rock band Bon Jovi, who’ve “seen a million faces, and rocked ‘em all.”

Here’s our chronological list of 21 of Bon Jovi’s most iconic moments. A primer of what it takes to continue to make a mark, four decades on. Aspiring rockers, hair models, and philanthropists take note.

Humble Beginnings

John Francis Bongiovi Jr. was born in 1962 in Perth Amboy, NJ to John Francis Bongiovi Sr. a barber and a former Marine, and Carol (Sharkey). He has two siblings, brothers Anthony and Matthew.

Musical Inspiration

Growing up not far from Asbury Park, Jon grew up idolizing another Jersey legend, Bruce Springsteen , who he now counts as a close friend. 

Musical Prodigy

Jon began his career in music working as a janitor at the famed NYC recording studio, the Power Station, which was owned by his second cousin. It was here that he developed the incredible work ethic that became his mantra, work harder than everyone else.

Name Change

Following the example of another two-worded rock band, Van Halen, Jon changed his name from Bongiovi to Bon Jovi and shared the name with his newly named band.

The Original Lineup

Bon Jovi was founded in 1983 in Sayerville, NJ, and was comprised of Jon Bon Jovi (frontman, lead songwriter, vocals, and guitar), Richie Sambora (songwriter and guitar), Tico Torres (drums), Alec John Such and later Hugh McDonald (bass), and David Bryan (keyboards and cascading curls).

The band soon found unparalleled success by blending hard rock with undeniable pop hooks.

First Album

The band’s debut album, the self-titled Bon Jovi , was released in 1984 and included their first hit, “Runaway”. Legend has it that Jon first got the idea for this monster hit on the bus ride to work at the Power Station.

Early Success

7800 Fahrenheit , the band’s second album, took its name from the melting point of rock (now that’s clever) and introduced the band’s all-caps logo which would be used on subsequent albums. Singles “Only Lonely” and “In And Out Of Love” were both Billboard hits.

Hitting the Big Time

1986’s Slippery When Wet was the album that changed everything. It was an instant and massive success and has sold over 28 million copies to date.

Co-written with Desmond Child and full of hits that you know you know every word to like “You Give Love A Bad Name” (their first number 1), “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Never Say Goodbye,” the album cemented the band’s place in rock history.

Jersey Boys

Hot on the heels of Slippery When Wet , Bon Jovi’s follow-up LP made it clear that they would always be true to their roots by paying homage to their home state with its title, New Jersey .

The album’s first three tracks “Lay Your Hands On Me,” “Bad Medicine,” and “Born To Be My Baby” all went Top 10, along with ballads “Living In Sin” and “I’ll Be There For You,” — a feat matched previously only by 11 artists.

Lasting Love

While enjoying their unparalleled ride atop the charts, Jon decided it was time to marry his longtime girlfriend, high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley . The two eloped in Vegas in 1989, are happily married to this day, and have raised four children, daughter Stephanie, and sons Jesse, Jake, and Romeo.

The Silver Screen

After years of back-to-back recording and touring, the guys took a much-needed hiatus. During this time, Jon kept busy writing the soundtrack to the film Young Guns II which starred Emilio Estevez, Keifer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Christian Slater.

Jon’s power ballad for the film, “Blaze of Glory” remains a staple of the band’s live show, despite being Jon’s first solo release. Not content to rest on his laurels, Richie Sambora also released his debut solo album at this time, Stranger In This Town .

End of an Era

Keep The Faith , the band’s fifth album was the last with their original lineup. It featured hits “Keep The Faith,” “In These Arms”, and “Bed of Roses.”

Model Behavior

In 1994, to support Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Jon recorded a cover of “Please Come Home For Christmas.” The video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and featured supermodel Cindy Crawford .

Chart Toppers

The band continued releasing chart-topping albums from the late 90s to today – These Days , Crush , Bounce , Have A Nice Day , Lost Highway , The Circle , What About Now , Burning Bridges , This House Is Not For Sale , 2020 , and 2024’s Forever .

Jon Bon Jovi has also earned acclaim as an actor. He’s appeared on the TV shows Sex and the City , Ally McBeal , and The West Wing , and in films such as Moonlight,   Valentino and New Year’s Eve . 

Other Ventures

After years of selling out stadiums on their concert tours, it made sense that Bon Jovi and Sambora would look to expand upon that footprint and did so by becoming majority and minority owners of AFL team Philadelphia Soul from 2004-2008.

Giving Back

Jon’s philanthropic arm, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, was founded in 2006. According to its site, the organization “worked to break the cycle of hunger, poverty, and homelessness through developing partnerships, creating programs and providing grant funding to support innovative community benefit organizations.” It also includes JBJ Soul Kitchen, which provides healthy meals for paying and in-need customers.

Hall of Famers

In 2009, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside luminaries such as Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

A Deserved Honor

Inducted by Howard Stern, the boys from small-town New Jersey were admitted to the esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 in a class that included The Cars, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues, and Dire Straits.

Making Sacrifices

Years of singing his heart out took a toll on Jon’s voice and, in 2022, he underwent vocal fold medialization surgery. The procedure, along with daily voice exercises, will allow him to continue recording and performing for years to come.

Person of the Year

To celebrate his phenomenal run of 40 years in the business, Jon was named 2024 MusicCares Person of the Year.

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Mike Pinder, Moody Blues Founding Keyboardist, Dead At 82

The musician's family confirmed that he passed on Wednesday (April 24) at his home in Northern California.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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Mike Pinder, the last surviving original member of psychedelic rock of 1960s/70s prog rock band the Moody Blues has died at 82. The pioneering keyboardist/singer credited with helping to introduce the mellotron into the rock arena passed away on Wednesday (April 24) at his home in Northern California of undisclosed causes.

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Born in Erdington, Birmingham England on Dec. 27, 1941, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Pinder co-founded the group in May 1964 with multi-instrumentalist/singer Ray Thomas, singer/guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist/singer Clint Warwick; Laine and Warwick left the band in 1966 after the release of 1965’s debut album, The Magnificent Moodies , and were replaced by guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist Lodge. Pinder and Laine co-wrote all the original songs on Moodies , which included the band’s wistful, R&B influenced breakthrough single, “Go Now.”

Pinder took lead vocals on the majestic, symphonic opening instrumental, “The Day Begins,” and is credited with writing “Dawn: Dawn Is a Feeling” and the “Sunset” portion of the trippy “Evening” suite. The album also featured what would become the group’s signature mind-trip single, “Nights in White Satin,” which ran up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was re-released in 1972.

Pinder’s experimentation with the then-new keyboard helped it become a staple of prog and psychedelic recordings by groups including Yes, Genesis and King Crimson. His explorations continued on the Moody’s 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord , another concept LP which explored the concepts of inner exploration and discovery. He contributed vocals to the propulsive single “Ride My See-Saw” and is the credited songwriter on the mind-tripping psychedelic journey through the universe “The Best Way to Travel,” featuring the acid-tinged lyrics, “Speeding through the universe/ Thinking is the best way to travel/ And you can fly, high as a kite if you want to.” He also wrote the Indian-influenced album ender “Om,” which incorporates Pinder’s mellotron, as well as sitar, tambura, tabla and cello.

The rock group that fully embraced the flower power Woodstock vibe of the late 1960s further explored the deepest recesses of their consciousness on 1969’s On the Threshold of a Dream , which again featured Pinder’s vocal contributions and songwriting on four tracks, the incense-spiced blues raga “So Deep Within You,” as well as floaty “Have You Heard (Part 1)” (and “Part 2”) and the roiling instrumental “The Voyage.”

The group’s 1972 LP, Seventh Sojourn , found Pinder blazing a trail with another new instrument, the Chamberlin, another electro-mechanical keyboard that also used a tape-like device that would later be featured on recordings by Stevie Wonder, James Taylor and Edgar Winter.

After a long break, the Moodys returned in 1978 with their ninth album, Octave , on which Pinder traded his mellotron and Chamberlin for synthesizers on what would be his final studio recording with the band. It featured just one track credited to Pinder, the meditative ballad “One Step Into the Light,” on which he also provides lead vocals.

Before his passing, Pinder the was the last living member of the original lineup following the death of bassist Warwick in 2004, singer/flautist Thomas in 2018, drummer Edge in 2021 and guitarist Laine in 2023. “Mike your music will last forever. Rest in peace on your travels to heaven,” Lodge wrote on Twitter . The band, including Pinder, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Pinder released his debut solo album, The Promise , on the band’s label, Threshold, in 1976, followed by a second one, Among the Stars , in 1994 and 1995’s A Planet With One Mind .

See the statement from Pinder’s family and listen to some of his contributions to the band below.

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St. Vincent Dives Headfirst Into the Darkness

Seven albums and 17 years into an acclaimed solo career, the musician Annie Clark said she craved “a pummeling” on her new LP: “I want something to feel dangerous.”

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By Lindsay Zoladz

Reporting from New York and Los Angeles

• April 18, 2024

On a recent Tuesday night in a dressing room of the Brooklyn Paramount Theater, Annie Clark, the 41-year-old musician who records as St. Vincent, thumbed through a shelf of secondhand records and sipped a glass of pink champagne. Clark, invited to D.J. the venue’s grand reopening party, was the room’s first inhabitant since a major renovation restored the former movie palace; a pristine, new-car smell lingered.

Holding court among a few members of her team and her 23-year-old sister, Clark was an attentive host in this antiseptic space, ready with a witty remark (the carefully curated LPs were probably “someone’s deceased grandma’s record collection”) or a topped-off beverage. She wore a cream-colored silk blouse, black kitten-heeled shoes and a gauzy black bow tied artfully around her neck.

Even in a moment of relative repose, Clark possessed a feline hyper-awareness of her surroundings. Dave Grohl, who plays drums on two tracks off St. Vincent’s blistering new album “All Born Screaming,” later told me in a phone interview, “When you’re talking to her and you’re looking in those eyes, you can only wonder what reels are whirring in her brain, every second.” He added, amused, “I’ve never seen her with her eyelids half closed.”

Clark is a gifted and nimble guitarist with a dexterously spiky playing style that contrasts with the moony smoothness of her voice. She is also known for the absolute commitment of her live performances. “What she does is so transformative,” said the musician Cate Le Bon, Clark’s close friend of over a decade, in a video interview. “When I see her play, it freaks me out sometimes. I can be even helping her get ready for a show, and it’s like I know nothing of the woman who’s onstage.”

Seven albums and 17 years into an acclaimed solo career, Clark has eked out a singular space in music, occasionally intersecting with the mainstream but for the most part staying uncompromisingly countercultural. She has collaborated with both David Byrne and Dua Lipa ; the riot grrrl pioneers Sleater-Kinney and the post-post-riot-grrrl pop star Olivia Rodrigo . She was one of four female musicians asked to front Nirvana for a night in 2014 when the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “She’s obviously outrageously talented,” Grohl said. “For her to play a Nirvana song was, maybe, a lot less complicated than her own music.”

I first met up with Clark in March, when we drank iced coffee beneath the shady pergola outside her manager’s Hollywood office. She carried a black Loewe handbag and wore a white T-shirt bearing the name of the Swedish punk band Viagra Boys. Clark has, in the past, embodied various characters and donned costumes — a gray-haired cult leader on the cover of her 2014 self-titled album; a louche ’70s glamour girl on her 2021 release “Daddy’s Home” — but these days she’s more or less dressing as herself.

“I’ve certainly played with persona, because I’m queer,” Clark said from behind large sunglasses. “That’s how I play and make sense of my life. All of that just seems absolutely natural to me, to play with persona and identity and to put it in the work.”

But adopting an over-the-top persona, she said, is not something she finds particularly compelling right now. “I’m more interested in that which is raw and essential,” she said. “You’re alive or you’re dead. And if you’re alive, you’d better live it, because it’s short.”

In some sense, Clark is coming off the greatest commercial success of her career, and one that is decidedly more sunshiny than the work she’s known for: During a session with the ubiquitous producer Jack Antonoff, who collaborated on her two previous albums, Clark helped write “Cruel Summer,” the sugar-rush pop song that Taylor Swift released on her 2019 album “Lover.”

“It was something Jack and I worked on and made its way to Taylor and made it back, as those things go,” Clark said. Though it was not initially released as a single, Swift’s formidable fan base has, in the past year, willed it into becoming the unofficial anthem of her Eras Tour and a No. 1 hit four years after its initial release. Clark attended a show in Los Angeles last year and found it surreal to witness 90,000 people singing along. “I’ve never seen anything like it, much less been a part of anything like it,” she said.

And yet, she has no interest in replicating that formula in her own music. In fact, “All Born Screaming,” due April 26, contains some of the heaviest, darkest and weirdest St. Vincent music to date. “That’s what I want from music right now, personally,” Clark said, safe in the shade of the California sun. “I would like a pummeling. I want something to feel dangerous.”

CLARK HAS A reputation for being guarded with journalists, in part because she does not like talking about her personal life. Unsurprisingly, she did not want to specify why themes of grief and loss permeate her new album, because she does not think it would make much difference to the listener. In one of our later conversations, she said that she believed a performer’s duty is simply “to shock and console” ad infinitum. Explaining oneself is superfluous to that job description.

“Generally everyone is misunderstood, and you realize it’s not your job to make people understand you,” Le Bon said. “It’s your job to work and align yourself with your own integrity. I think that’s even harder to harness when you’re an artist as big as Annie. But she does.”

“She’s almost certainly wildly misunderstood by people,” she added, “but there’s a perverse joy in that.”

Le Bon, who is from Wales, met Clark when she was opening for a St. Vincent tour in 2011. She said that at first she found it difficult to get to know Clark: “She was very mysterious, doing yoga a lot of the time,” Le Bon said. Eventually, however, Le Bon found a way into a “really rewarding” friendship. “She’s so honest without agenda, and that’s a rare thing in the world we both exist in,” Le Bon said. “She asks the tough questions, she gives you the real answers.”

Clark was born in Tulsa, Okla., and raised mostly in the Dallas suburbs. She picked up the guitar at 12 and showed a precocious talent; in her early teens, she sat in with her music teacher’s band and chose a song with a high level of difficulty, Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary.” Her aunt and uncle play as the jazz duo Tuck and Patti, and they brought her on tour one summer as a roadie to show her the realities of touring life. She loved it. “Some of my fondest memories of touring are from those really early days,” she said.

Le Bon said she sees a stark demarcation between the somewhat severe and imperious musical figure “St. Vincent,” and, as she put it, “Annie Clark from Dallas.” Annie Clark from Dallas slowly emerged, in our conversations, as a funny, genial and lightly self-deprecating person who enjoys modern comedy (she quoted “30 Rock” from memory and referenced both “Veep” and “Waiting for Guffman”), is close with her many siblings, and on at least one occasion has drunk too much pink champagne at a party celebrating the reopening of an old Brooklyn theater to make it to Pilates the next morning.

But I witnessed something switch over in her when we met one afternoon at Electric Lady Studios in the West Village, where Clark worked on parts of her last several albums. “This is the room where I recorded the vocals for ‘Violent Times,’ ‘Broken Man’ and ‘Sweetest Fruit,’” she said, referring to songs on the new album. She jumped up from a couch to demonstrate how she’d sung into a particular microphone. Then she got distracted by the studio’s wall of consoles and patch bays.

“Where is this 67 patched at the moment?” she asked herself with sudden ease, like an expat shifting into her native tongue. “Oh yeah, through the 1073. But where’s the 1176?”

“All Born Screaming” began with a sonic puzzle: “How do I render the sound inside my head?” After “hours and hours and hours basically making postindustrial dance music in my studio by myself,” Clark said she realized that the sound in her head was something she would not be able to explain to anyone else. So, although she has been a very involved co-producer on each of her other albums, she decided “All Born Screaming” was something she would have to produce herself.

She approached the task with characteristic zeal. She asked her friend and collaborator Cian Riordan to give her engineering lessons, and he found her an impressively apt pupil. “She would show up, there would be coffee, she’d have a notepad ready,” Riordan said in a phone interview. “She’s extremely focused. There was so much intention with everything.”

She mastered compression, mic shootouts, signal flow. To his dismay, Riordan eventually found Clark starting down a path that he had seen trip up many musicians in the digital age: analog synthesizers.

“Any time someone brings modular synths into the studio, that’s usually my cue to be like, ‘I’m going to go somewhere else, because this is going to be a giant waste of time,’” Riordan said. “But with her, it was really incredible to watch. She would buy all these esoteric things that I didn’t even know about, and I’d come back and they were all synced up and she’d be making music on them. It was fun to see her take it so far.”

Clark said those synths allowed her to build a new sonic world. “You’re actually harnessing electricity,” she explained. Her enthusiasm was palpable; her speech kicked up its tempo. “It’s going through unique circuitry, and you are at the helm, so you’re like a god of lightning.”

CLARK HAS LONG been someone who gets a thrill out of testing her limits and rising to challenges, but around the time of her brightly barbed 2017 album “Masseduction” she was beginning to hit a wall. “It would be like, ‘Sure you can go from Memphis to Beijing to Champaign, Ill., in a weekend,” she said. “Sure you can. See if you can pull this off.” But suddenly, after years of “going, going, going,” she noted, “my body just kind of shut down. My stomach — everything about my stomach hurt.” She stopped drinking and went into what she calls “nun mode,” throwing herself headfirst into studio work.

It wasn’t until the pandemic, though, that she was truly forced to slow down and stay put. She got very good at D.I.Y. projects and installed a lot of light fixtures. She also finished building her home studio and worked on a record that had been gestating for a while. During the pandemic, “Some artists went very interior and quiet, understandably,” she said. “Then, you know,” she laughed. “Some people put on wigs.”

She was referring to “Daddy’s Home,” the heavily stylized ’70s-inspired album she made in response to her father’s release from prison, after he served eight years for conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. “Daddy’s Home” won a Grammy for best alternative album and featured some imaginative experiments, but it was a polarizing release that generated some criticism online.

Clark is aware of this and thinks the album was in part a casualty of bad timing. “The story sort of became, not that I made a record about a difficult familial time, but that, like, ‘OK, good, we have someone to blame for the prison-industrial complex,’” she said. “It’s like, oh wait — that’s not quite what I was going for. But those were the times. Everyone’s lives upturned and everyone was increasingly online and there was a lot of fervor in general.”

For “All Born Screaming,” Clark went back to basics and drew inspiration from “that sort of rock that is the first music that felt like it was mine, and not music from another generation.” She was talking about Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos and, yes, even that band she helped induct into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While working on the bracing head banger “Flea,” she realized she needed some enormously forceful percussion. The only person she could imagine playing on it was Grohl. So she wrote to him saying as much, and a few days later he was in her home studio, laying down drum tracks for that and the back half of “Broken Man.”

“He’s a great drummer because he’s a great songwriter, right?” Clark said. “He adds so much power and electricity and vibrance, but he’s always supporting the song. He takes a song from a nine to, like, a hundred.”

“All Born Screaming” is sequenced like a journey from darkness into light; its brooding first track is titled, appropriately, “Hell Is Near.” The title-track finale ends up somewhere more comfortably earthbound, but while she was making the song, it was torturing Clark, who just “couldn’t crack the feel of it.” She called Le Bon and played her what she had. Le Bon told her, “Give me a beer, a bass and two hours.”

It worked. The song is bouncy and delightfully off-kilter, strange in St. Vincent’s inimitable, specific way. Clark said the song sprung from the realization that, as she put it, “Joy and suffering are equal, necessary parts of the whole thing. And the only reason to live is for love and the people we love and that’s kind of it.”

“It’s not easy," she added. “But it’s simple.”

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Uvalde Mariachi Band and Boulder Concert Chorale collaborate to spread healing through music

The cacophony of sound that filled the fellowship hall at Boulder’s Atonement Lutheran Church Tuesday night immediately hinted at the high-energy week ahead for the Uvalde, Texas, High School Mariachi Band "Los Coyotes" as they launched into their special partnership with the Boulder Concert Chorale .

After dropping their bags and instruments in a warm-up space, the students gathered for a large buffet-style dinner at the start of their first meeting and then broke off into different rooms to begin rehearsing.

"I'm just excited to share a new experience with the group,” said Arianna Ovalle, one of Los Coyotes’ violin players. “Most of us will never experience this ever again."

Jayro Del Valle, who plays the guitarrón with the group, echoed her feelings. "It's just amazing playing with other people, meeting new people and bringing two things together. Singing and playing."

The Colorado visit is the latest opportunity for pride and healing for the small Texas community still reeling from the unimaginable tragedy of the May 24, 2022 , attack on Robb Elementary School that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Just under a year after the massacre, Los Coyotes provided Uvalde with a much needed moment of celebration by winning a first-division rating at the UIL State Mariachi Festival . Media attention surrounding that achievement led Boulder Concert Chorale Artistic Director Dr. Vicki Burrichter to reach out to  Mariachi Director Albert Martinez.

"I saw an article in Rolling Stone magazine about them last summer, and I was so impressed with Albert and I thought,’ my God, this guy is just amazing what he's doing with these kids,’" Burrichter said. "He's helping them to celebrate their culture and celebrate their music… Everybody goes through difficult times and tragedy, and he has just really taken the opportunity to use music as a way to mend hearts and lift spirits and help make the kids proud of who they are and where they come from."

Martinez said the band received interest from many different places after its festival win, from invitations to perform at award shows to offers to record an album. Although he and the school district viewed many of those proposals with some reservation, the invitation from the Boulder Chorale stood out.

"Number one, the history of the choir, the history that they have. They've been here for a long time, and so you know that that's something to respect," Martinez said. "And the way Dr. Vicky spoke about her choir and the people here and the hearts that they have and the community here, it just felt right."

Ann Marie Espinoza, executive director of communications for Uvalde CISD, explained that the district's vetting process examined more than just logistics of a partnership.

"Where is their heart? What do they intend to highlight? Because we have a group of students here excelling in Mariachi , representing our district with extreme pride and culture, and then going to competition," Espinoza said. 

During their five-day visit to Colorado, Los Coyotes held a masterclass with St. Vrain Valley School District students at Skyline High School in Longmont and will play in four concerts around Boulder County, including the Chorale's Fiesta de la Luces this weekend. 

"It's cool to try and teach other people what we can do and they can also follow us if they want and try to just to have fun with meeting others," said Del Valle, the guitarrón player.

The events may be fun, but Martinez believes this opportunity will be transformative for his students. He compared the experience to his time playing with Linda Ronstadt,.

"I want to see the way these kids are going to turn around because they don't know it yet. They don't understand it yet. This is amazing. And that's what they're about to feel and they don't understand it," he said.

Raydean Roman, a chaperone for a Mariachi band trip, recognizes the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her daughter and the other students. “I'm amazed — the group of people that got us here, the friendship as we walk through the door, the comradery that they have amongst each other.”

For Ovalle, the violinist, this week underlines the unifying power of music. 

"It makes me feel proud,” she said, “especially playing mariachi music since it is cultural and music's just beautiful. I listen to it every day, everybody listens to music every day, so just to be able to play it, it's an awesome thing."

For her part, Burrichter expressed gratitude for this new partnership, and the opportunity to celebrate the traditions of both groups.

"This is just how I wish the world worked. That different cultures, different peoples would talk to each other, would play music together, would eat fabulous food together, would share their lives and their stories," she said. "And music is one of those things that does that."

Uvalde High’s mariachi band and the Boulder Concert Chorale are putting on a free concert Friday evening at Pioneer Elementary School in Lafayette and are both featured at the Chorales’ Fiesta De Las Luches Saturday and Sunday. Los Coyotes will also perform Saturday as part of BMoCA’s Dia Del Nino celebration.

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