With the new year only four days away, we just can’t help but think about what’s to come in 2016. With various artists announcing reunions, releases, and tours in 2016, there’s no shortage of great music planned for the new year. Here are ten musical items that have us ready to segue into 2016!
1. Tool And Primus’s January Tour / Album
Coming soon to a city near you, it’s Tool and Primus! The two bands will tour the country throughout the month of January, kicking off 2016 on the right foot with some incredible music. Tool only played one show in all of 2015, on Halloween, and the two bands are more than eager to hit the road with music new and old. With any luck, there may also be a new album from Tool, and we’re more than ready to hear what would be the band’s first release since 2006’s 10,000 Days.
2. The Reunion Of Ween
The Boognish has risen! Fans of the brown-loving band have been eagerly awaiting their return since a hiatus was announced in the early parts of 2012. With Ween all but absent since their final show in 2011, the announcement of a reunion run in Colorado had fans jumping over each other, looking for tickets. When the dust settled, the band announced shows at the Okeechobee Festival and NYC’s Terminal 5, with hopefully more planned performances on the docket. Either way, we can’t wait to Ween in 2016!
3. Pearl Jam’s Return
Legendary alternative rockers Pearl Jam turn 25 in 2016, and fans are already expecting a major celebration. While no detailed plans have been announced, bassist Jeff Ament recently confirmed rumors that the band does have plans on the docket. There are also circulating rumors about the group returning to Bonnaroo in 2016, though that remains to be seen.
4. Jimmy Page On Tour
The Led Zeppelin guitar god has finally finished his archival project, and is now itching to take some new music to the streets. In a recent interview, Jimmy Page revealed plans to assemble an ensemble for a world tour! Whoever plays and whenever it happens, this band is bound to shake things up and rock us all to the core!
5. The Flecktones Reunion
What happens when you get Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten, Howard Levy and Jeff Coffin on one stage? Magic, that’s what. Fans of the beloved Flecktones group got some incredible news earlier this year, when the group announced plans to reunite in 2016. Those plans solidified when Telluride Bluegrass Festival revealed their 2016 lineup, with none other than Béla Fleck & The Flecktones on the bill. We’re definitely ready to hear this band’s first performance since 2012!
6. Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Cindy Blackman Santana, And Wayne Shorter
The above musicians comprise the band Supernova, a supergroup put together by Carlos Santana and his wife Cindy Blackman Santana. Can you just imagine Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana sharing the stage? The group is supposed to perform together in 2016, and we’re certainly eager to see just what this jazz fusion supergroup can do!
7. Gorillaz
Finally, someone let them out of their cage. The futuristic animated band, led by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, have confirmed work on a new studio album for 2016. The band hasn’t been active since 2010, and fans are sure to feel good upon their return.
8. Bob Weir’s Cowboy Album
Early on in 2015, Bob Weir revealed plans for a new album full of “cowboy songs.” Not a ton is known about the album, except that drummer Joe Russo and lyricist John Perry Barlow are both involved with the process. Additional musicians involved include Josh Kaufman, Josh Ritter, Scott Devendorf and lyricist Gerrit Graham. Let’s hope this project sees the light of day in 2016!
9.Soulive’s New Album, Produced By Pretty Lights
After members of the Soulive/Lettuce contingency performed with master producer Pretty Lights, it was no surprise that Derek Vincent Smith signed on to produce the new forthcoming release from Soulive. While no specific date has been revealed for the new album, drummer Alan Evans spoke extensively about the plans in an interview with L4LM.
Whenever this comes out in 2016, get ready for a fantastic album of music!
10. Los Pescados En Mexico
When the New Year’s run is done, uberfans will flock down to Mexico for three nights of beach-side Phish shows. Playing at the Riviera Maya Resort in Mexico, Phish announced their first-ever destination performances back in September. Tickets sold out almost instantaneously, with a lucky few thousand primed and ready to see their phavorite band by the seashore.
Some honorable mentions include new releases from David Bowie, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, as well as performances from Butch Trucks’ new Allman Brothers-themed band Les Brers, The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, and, of course, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Festival season also promises to be a non-stop riot, with AURA, the inaugural Okeechobee Festival, and Summer Camp all dishing out great lineups! Not to mention the rumored Dead & Company tour dates…
What are YOU looking forward to in 2016? Let us know.