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Röck Illustrated

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Stories from May 2026

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Unlocked: Jakob Nowell of Sublime

Unlocked: Jakob Nowell of Sublime

Jakob Nowell, the son of Sublime's Bradley Nowell, has seamlessly followed in his father's footsteps nearly three decades after his dad’s death. Jakob was just an infant when his dad died in 1996, right before the band's now-classic self-titled album dropped.

For years he was in the ska-punk band, LAW, which only released one LP in 2018. When they broke up in 2021, he formed a new project with producer Jon Joseph called Jakobs Castle. Their album Enter: The Castle dropped in 2024, which included tunes co-written by Rancid's Tim Armstrong.

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Bruce Springsteen Announces Power To The People Fest in DC

Tour or event poster for Bruce Springsteen Announces Power To The People Fest in DC

When Bruce Springsteen dropped the news in February that "the calvary was coming," and he would be making a 20-stop Land of Hopes and Dreams tour on the heels of his latest hit single, "Streets of Minneapolis," sharp eyed fans quickly noticed how the first show would be in Minnesota and the final gig would take place in Washington DC.

Because the tour would most certainly be a political one, whose edge would be sharpened by guest guitarist Tom Morello, many knew the Wednesday (5/27) finale at Nationals Park in the nation's capital would be a special one.

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Iron Maiden Kicks Off Run For Your Lives Tour with Gem from ’88

Tour or event poster for Iron Maiden Kicks Off Run For Your Lives Tour with Gem from ’88

The '80s saw Iron Maiden shoot out of a cannon on their volcanic rise to the upper tiers of heavy metal.

Beginning the decade with their self titled debut, Iron Maiden (1980), and increasingly improving with Killers (1981), The Number of the Beast (1982), Piece of Mind (1983), Powerslave (1984), and wrapping it up with Somewhere in Time (1986), the band's current Run For Your Lives World Tour is a 50th anniversary celebration focused those wildly successful and innovative first albums spilling over to Fear of the Dark (1992).

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Foo Fighters Live Debut a Song Nirvana Covered at BottleRock 2026

Foo Fighters Live Debut a Song Nirvana Covered at BottleRock 2026

What began in 2013 as an ambitious music and wine festival in picturesque Napa, California, BottleRock has turned into a three-day Memorial Day weekend event that's hard to ignore.

The 2026 edition ran Friday (5/22) through Sunday (5/24), at the Napa Valley Expo and was the fest's 13th weekend. The location is close to the city’s fine restaurants, tasting rooms and hotels.

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Setlist Insider: Biffy Clyro

Setlist Insider: Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro formed in Kilmarnock, Scotland, in 1995, when 15-year-old Simon Neil first started playing alongside drummer Ben Johnston and bassit Barry McGee. McGee was replaced by Ben’s twin brother James Johnston. Neil and the Johnston brothers have stayed the core of the band across the band’s 30+ year history.

The group's first UK top 40 single “Questions and Answers,” from The Vertigo of Bliss (2003), reached #26 on the UK singles chart in June 2003. Their first UK top 10 single came a few years later when “Mountains” went to #5.

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Doja Cat Live Debuts 3 Vie Tunes in Dublin

Doja Cat Live Debuts 3 Vie Tunes in Dublin

Doja Cat fans at the 3Arena got a treat Tuesday (5/19), when she live debuted a trio of new tracks on the first stop of the UK leg of her Tour Ma Vie World Tour.

The Irish got to hear "Lipstain," "Couples Therapy," and "Joy" from her fifth studio album, Vie, the LP that dropped last fall through Kemosabe Records and RCA Records.

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The Viper Room: Venue Spotlight

The Viper Room: Venue Spotlight

One of the most infamous, legendary, and surprisingly small rock clubs on the Sunset Strip of West Hollywood is The Viper Room, which sadly might soon face the wrecking ball.

Just east on Sunset Blvd of The Whisky, The Roxy, and The Rainbow, the structure that has been known as the Viper Room goes back over 100 years when it began as a grocery store called Young’s Market.

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The Four Best Performances at the 2026 ACM Awards

The Four Best Performances at the 2026 ACM Awards

America's country music stars gathered in Las Vegas on Sunday (5/17) for the 61st annual fiesta which awarded Cody Johnson as Entertainer of the Year and Ella Langley went home with seven trophies.

Over the course of the night, hosted by Shania Twain, there were several strong performances at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the home away from home of country music.

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