The Flaming Lips have postponed their slated New Year's Eve concerts at Tennessee's Caverns venue.
Rick Kern/GettyImagesUPDATE (12/28): The Flaming Lips have postponed their planned New Year’s Eve shows in an underground concert venue. The band will now perform at the Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, on Feb. 19 and 20. “The Flaming Lips and The Caverns are heartbroken to deliver this news, and we know you’re no doubt sad to read it, but the health and safety of guests, staff, crew and everyone on stage is of utmost importance,” the venue announced on Instagram. “The new dates for the New Year’s celebration are on President’s Day Weekend…. And yes, it will still be a New Year’s celebration of epic proportions! Wayne and the band feel strongly about ringing in the New Year with you!”
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The Flaming Lips have announced their New Year’s Eve shows for 2021. The Oklahoma City psych-rock band will perform a pair of concerts at the Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, on December 30th and 31st.
The concerts, which go on sale July 13th at 11 a.m. CT, mark singer Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips’ return to the underground natural amphitheater after first playing the venue on New Year’s Eve 2018. During that performance, the group released balloons filled with confetti to be pierced by the cave’s jagged ceiling.
The announcement of the Flaming Lips’ New Year’s concerts cap an unpredictable year for the Caverns, which moved shows above ground to a quickly built amphitheater during the pandemic. The outdoor venue kicked off with four socially distanced shows by Jason Isbell in 2020 and recently hosted a similar concert by Margo Price.
“The story is how in a pandemic, during a really tough time, you can reimagine what the experience could be,” Todd Mayo, the founder and operator of the Caverns, told Rolling Stone earlier this year during an interview for his inclusion in the Future 25 list. “If there’s human beings on this Earth, they’ll be coming to see music in the Caverns 10,000 years from now,” he said of the subterranean venue’s longevity. “It’s not going anywhere.”
In addition to the Lips’ concerts, the Caverns has shows by Umphrey’s McGee, the Mavericks, and Bruce Hornsby on its 2021 concert calendar. The Flaming Lips announced their 2021-2022 tour in May, which kicks off August 20th, in Ogden, Utah. See tickets online here.
DragonForce have officially introduced Alissa White-Gluz as the band’s newest vocalist, revealing that the former Arch Enemy singer will now perform alongside longtime frontman Marc Hudson as the group moves into a new era.
Her debut performances with the band are happening soon, with White-Gluz set to appear at Florida’s Welcome To Rockville this weekend before joining DragonForce again at Ohio’s Sonic Temple the following week.
The upcoming concerts are part of the celebration marking 20 years since the release of Inhuman Rampage, the 2005 record that pushed DragonForce into worldwide metal success.
The group also revealed that this new version of the band has already started creating new music, hinting at an exciting new direction for the future.
Founding guitarist Herman Li described White-Gluz joining the band as an important new chapter for DragonForce.
He explained: “Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we’ve done up to this point."
Li also shared that even after two decades together, the band still feels inspired to keep evolving.
He said: “Together we will honour what made Inhuman Rampage matter, while showing people exactly where we’re going next… She doesn’t just sing, she makes all aspects of our music better. And she sounds incredible live!”
White-Gluz opened up about how excited she is to take on the new role, saying the collaboration already feels creatively rewarding and refreshing.
She said: “I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians.
“It feels great to showcase all the colours of my voice… in technically challenging, deeply energising, highly addictive songs.”
She also spoke about the continued support from fans over the years and how much it motivates her moving forward.
She said: “I want to keep pushing my boundaries and delivering exceptional music and live experiences to the fans that I cherish so much.”
The news follows a major transition period for White-Gluz, who officially exited Arch Enemy in November before releasing her debut solo single The Room Where She Died later that same day.
White-Gluz spent 12 years as part of the Swedish melodic death metal outfit.
The band's social media statement regarding her exit read: “Arch Enemy have parted ways with singer Alissa White-Gluz. We’re thankful for the time and music we’ve shared and wish her all the best. Wherever there is an ending, there is also a beginning. See you in 2026.”
White-Gluz wrote in her own statement: "After 12 years in Arch Enemy, we have parted ways. I am forever thankful to the thousands of amazing fans I have met along the way. Thank you, Beastligns! I can’t wait to share what I have been working on with you all (some big surprises in store). Stay tuned for big news in 2026 and see you very soon."
White-Gluz’s position in Arch Enemy was later filled by One Human musician Lauren Hart.
