Dawes’ and Lucius’ Joint Shows Reset the Bar for What a Collaborative Tour Can Be: Concert Review

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The torture is over for fans who waited weeks and months for Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” to arrive. But the truly faithful still have some work ahead, in trying to decode what or who is the subject of each of the 16 songs (plus four bonus tracks).

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Taylor Swift usually writes either an essay or poem to be included in her album packaging, but for “The Tortured Poets Department,” she used the buddy system. Stevie Nicks contributed a handwritten poem she wrote for Swift, which is the first thing fans will see when they open the LP gatefolds or CD booklets Friday morning. That doesn’t mean Swift skipped out on her usual duties, as the album packaging also includes a long handwritten poem she penned herself, placed after the lyrics in the booklets as a sort of epilogue.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Returning for its 15th annual edition this weekend, the TCM Classic Film Festival will turn Hollywood Blvd. into the center of the movie universe again for four days, for that very obsessive and loving subset of film fans that has the network’s vintage fare as part of their weekly and daily lives. And just what time span “classics” falls into is exemplified by the big opening and closing night films.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Barbra Streisand has recorded a new song, “Love Will Survive,” to serve as the end-title theme for “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” a six-part, Holocaust-themedseries that premieres on Peacock in the U.S. and Sky in other territories on May 2. The song will come out globally via her longtime label, Columbia Records, on April 25.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic For an artist looking to break Coachella, it pays to enlist friends at a cutting-edge production firm. At this year’s festival, L.A.-based Silent House has laid claim to designing and executing the elaborate productions for three of the four headliners.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic With the April 15 episode of “NCIS” on CBS, the overall franchise — including its multiple spinoffs — clocks its 1,000th episode. That’s a milestone for all of the associated series, but the mothership show accounts for nearly half of those, and is edging ever closer to its own once-unfathomable benchmark: “NCIS” O.G.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The 30th anniversary of the original animated film version of “The Lion King” will be celebrated at the Hollywood Bowl next month with a live-to-film concert/screening that will include cast members from both the movie and theatrical versions — and beyond — including Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Billy Eichner, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver and Bradley GIbson. The shows will take place at the Bowl May 24-25 and be produced by Disney Concerts, Fulwell 73 Productions, AMP Worldwide and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Doja Cat has rarely turned in an uninteresting or unprovocative performance, and her headlining set Sunday night at Coachella offered a plethora of looks and concepts designed to prompt dazzlement and debate among the viewing audience. Dinosaur skeletons? Mudbath choreography? Twerking Yetis? Her hour-and-a-half set just about had it all… Well, everything except for her biggest pop hits, like “Say So” and “Kiss Me More.” Familiar older songs were notably MIA from a setlist that included 12 songs from her 2023 “Scarlet” album, with its determined focus on her rapping side, and four more from the deluxe edition, “Scarlet 2: Claude,” that just popped.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Lana Del Rey had a couple of heavily favored cameos during her Coachella performance, welcoming recent collaborators Jack Antonoff and Jon Batiste, both of whom will be fronting their own sets later in the weekend — but also one far less easily guessed guest, in the form of Billie Eilish, who turned up for a surprise pair of duets. Taking to a terrace overlooking the massive stage, the duo first joined forces on Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes,” then turned their voices to “Video Games.” Both songs represent the first real breakout hits in these artists’ respective careers.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic She is still Shelby Lynne. That may sound like it’s saying it’s a little, but it’s really saying a lot, for anyone who holds a special place for the landmark album “I Am Shelby Lynne,” a turn-of-the-millennium masterpiece that put its bearer on the artistic map for good.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Paul McCartney was the obvious headliner of the bill Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl. But it was Buffett-mania that was in full sway, as a cast of dozens of singers and celebrity presenters — from Jane Fonda to Snoop Dogg — saluted or parroted a fallen musical hero for the three-and-a-half-hour “Keep The Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett.” Most of the night’s entertainers covered Buffett classics or obscurities, although McCartney, the Eagles and Snoop Dogg broke with that to regale the full Bowl house with their own material, while Zac Brown and (sending in a video contribution) Dave Matthews debuted brand new songs saluting Buffett.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The title of Laufey‘s new single and music video, “Goddess,” is intended somewhat ironically. The storyline of both has a star feeling she’s let down a lover who only wanted the glamorous version of her he’d seen on stage, not the everyday person.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Vampire Weekend’s matinee concert Monday in Austin was the ultimate ADHD-friendly show. Did you want to watch the band, in its first show back after a year-and-a-half break from touring, and a much longer absence in the States? That was an event unto itself, and a good enough reason for an easy sellout of the 5,000-capacity Moody Amphitheater.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Even on a day when much of America was hoping to see the sun go out, there’s still an ongoing need to hear someone sing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” That, among many other things, is what’s offered in tonight’s PBS broadcast of a tribute special for Elton John and Bernie Taupin, two of the worthiest talents ever to be awarded the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize. If you’re a fan — and who isn’t?, as they say — the two-hour show will provide a total eclipse of all your other most pressing entertainment needs.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Missy Elliott, whose career has provided the very definition of “leave ’em wanting more,” has long resisted touring, but that’s changing in 2024. Along with some high-profile support acts, the hip-hop icon will embark on a tour of arenas in 24 cities this year — shockingly, the first time she’s toured as a headliner in her entire career, which began with a bang in the 1990s. Supporting her along the way will be a trio of figures that are also instantly recognizable to anyone who knows Elliott’s career: Busta Rhymes, Ciara and Timbaland.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The last time Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played Los Angeles, back in 2016, it was to formally close down the venerable Sports Arena — “The Dump That Jumps,” as he famously dubbed the about-to-be-demolished venue he’d played so often. His song “Wrecking Ball” had a special resonance, then, in association with that dive that it can’t now: Springsteen’s current home in L.A., the Kia (nee: Fabulous) Forum, which he goes back to the ‘70s with, does jump, but no one’s going to go all Bette Davis and utter “What a dump!” about it in its refurbished state.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Kelsea Ballerini has been the hostess with the mostest, as far as the CMT Music Awards, but it will soon be time to slap an “emeritus” on that. She hosts the awards show, now seen on CBS, tonight for a fourth and last time. Ballerini is revealing she will be relinquishing the role after handling emcee duties since 2021; Kane Brown was her partner in co-hosting previous telecasts, leading up to her solo reign over the ceremony this time.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Tonight’s CMT Music Awards show will endeavor to emphasize what’s currently flameworthy, to borrow a word that has long since been retired from the telecast’s original name. Prime performance slots have been given to country music figures who are still on the ascent, from still-fairly-freshly-minted superstars Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson to up-and-comers who really seem fresh out of the oven, like Megan Moroney and TikTok sensation Dasha (pictured above, in rehearsals).

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Lucius has signed with Fantasy Records for future album releases, including the first to come down the chute in the deal, an all-new re-recording of the group’s seminal “Wildewoman” album. Set for release May 31, “Wildewoman (The New Recording)” will include 12-13 freshly recorded tracks, including songs with featured appearances by Brandi Carlile, Marcus Mumford and Devon Gilfillian.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Toby Keith, whose history with the CMT Music Awards goes back to having co-hosted the earliest incarnation of the show, will get his due in the wake of his recent death, as an all-star salute is planned for Keith on Sunday night’s three-hour CBS telecast. The tribute will feature performances by one of the hottest figures in country music, Lainey Wilson, along with his fellow industry veterans Brooks & Dunn, whose Ronnie Dunn is a fellow Okie.