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Ryan J. Downey

Longtime journalist and manager, as seen and/or read: Billboard, MTV News, The Hollywood Reporter, MSNBC, Loudwire, and more.

PANTERA Set First Avenue Club Show

PANTERA will play an intimate show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The long-running club was featured in the classic film Purple Rain, starring one of Minneapolis' most famous residents, the late Prince.  The special performance will take place on Thursday, August 15, the night before the band opens for METALLICA at U.S. Bank Stadium. The reconstituted band features classic line-up members Philip H. Anselmo and Rex Brown alongside Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde.  First Avenue announced the show on X (formerly Twitter).  Rex asked me to write a story in the Vulgar Display of

August 13th, 2024|News Updates, Rock, Uncategorized|

AVENGED SEVENFOLD Throwback Show

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will play a special Orange County club show for their diehard fan club in October, celebrating two of their classic albums.  Billed as the opening band for long-running hardcore act Death By Stereo, A7X will perform songs from their "new albums" Waking the Fallen (2003) and City of Evil (2005) at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California, on October 25, 2024. Tickets are $25 and are only available to members of the band's Web3, forward-thinking, NFT-driven Deatbats Club.  City of Evil was the band's first album for Warner and produced the MTV TRL hit "Bat Country."  Get information

August 13th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

Week of August 12, 2024

Birthday wishes to Jonathan King (Shelter Music Group), Dino Kourelis (FM Music Management), and Libby Coffey (Prime PR Group) (August 13); Nadia Teichmann (Welcome to Horrorwood), Steven Kleisath (Further Seems Forever), Curtis Peoples, Matt Baird (Spoken), Bret Bair (Live Nation) (August 14), Alex Shelnutt (A Day To Remember), and SuChin Pak (ex-MTV News) (August 15). 

August 13th, 2024|Birthdays, Rock|

SUBLIME On Stern

SUBLIME, now featuring 29-year-old Jakob Nowell in place of his late father, Bradley, performed four songs on The Howard Stern Show.  Rolling Stone premiered a clip of "Santeria" exclusively today.  "Santeria" appears on the band's self-titled third studio album, released in 1996 and certified 5x platinum by the RIAA in 1999.  The entire performance will hit YouTube tomorrow. 

August 13th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

In Conversation with PISTOLS AT DAWN

PISTOLS AT DAWN quickly made a name for themselves on tours with Alter Bridge and Mammoth WVH, Fozzy, and Ugly Kid Joe and with their 2023 debut album, Ascension. The band’s blend of arena rock bombast and postmodern melody earned accolades from American Songwriter and Brave Words, among others. The hard-driving hard rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, kicked things up another notch with the addition of new vocalist Jonathan Sookdew Sing, a massive talent from the small South American country Suriname who moved to Miami, Florida in 2013 to build a career in music. Sing brought bassist Gabriel Cuevas with

August 8th, 2024|Interviews, Rock|

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT Classic Now 6x Platinum

Blue Öyster Cult's 1976 hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was just certified 6x platinum by the RIAA this week. The enduring staple of the Classic Rock format appeared on the band's Agents of Fortune album. Two other BÖC songs earned new certifications this week, as well: "Burnin' for You" (from 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin ) and "Godzilla" (from 1977's Spectres) are now double-platinum and platinum, respectively.  In related news, I managed to compose this entire post without making a hacky "more cowbell" joke.  A few years ago, I had Buck Dharma on my Metallica podcast, Speak N' Destroy. 

August 8th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

CHURCH OF LAZLO Moves To 98.9 The Rock

Longtime Kansas City, Missouri afternoon show The Church of Lazlo (with Lazlo, Slimfast, and Snowcone) moved to KQRC (98.9 The Rock) effective today, Thursday, August 8, 2024.  The shift from the show's longtime home, KRBZ (ALT 96.5), comes as Audacy flips ALT 96.5 to sports. The Fan takes over 96.5 at 6 am CT on August 15. 

August 8th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

In Conversation with MARK TREMONTI

Mark Tremonti never slows down, from the recent Creed reunion and Alter Bridge albums to the brand new single, "Just Too Much," from the forthcoming sixth Tremonti album, The End Will Show Us How (due January 10th, 2025). Mark and I caught up about his multiple bands, home studio, giant spiders, pinball machines, philanthropy, and his ongoing Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra performances.  RYAN J. DOWNEY: When inspiration strikes, how do you know which band you’ll park it with?   MARK TREMONTI: The only time I park something for a specific band is if it's for the Tremonti band because

August 6th, 2024|Interviews, Rock|

Week of August 05, 2024

Happy Birthday wishes to "Metal" Maria Ferrero (Adrenaline PR) (August 05);  Tim Tournier (Janus Music Management), Savannah Boyd (Other People Records), Jimmy Hubbard (photographer), Ben Orum (All Shall Perish) (August 06); Kyle Borman (Bordur Coach), Troy Glessner (producer), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) (August 07); Michael Keene (The Faceless) (August 08); Tyler “Telle” Smith (The Word Alive), Scott Mellinger (Zao) (August 09); Ross Halfin (photographer) (August 11). 

August 5th, 2024|Birthdays, Rock|

JINJER Joins SHIPROCKED 2025

Jinjer, The Glorious Sons, DED, Rivals, and comedian Big Jay Oakerson are among the latest lineup announcements for ShipRocked 2025.  The cruise is set for January 19 - 25, sailing from Miami, Florida, to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.  The lineup includes Parkway Drive, Hollywood Undead, Nothing More and The Struts, as well as 10 Years, Atreyu, Austin Meade, Buckcherry, Calva Louise, DED, Des Rocs, Devour The Day, Diamante, Flat Black, The Ghost Inside, GHØSTKID, The Glorious Sons, Goodbye June, Jigsaw Youth, Jinjer, Kid Kapichi, Nevertel, Oxymorrons, Plush, P.O.D., Rivals, Silly Goose,

August 5th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

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