Record Store Day 2026’s Most Wanted: Taylor Swift, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, Brandi Carlile, Hilary Duff, ‘Demon Hunters,’ Bruce Springsteen and Laufey Lead a List of 350 Exclusives A guide to highlights of Record Store Day 2026, including vinyl from Bruce Springsteen, 'Kpop Demon Hunters,' Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift and Tom Petty.

A guide to some of the hotties you can pick up at Record Store Day today. (Scroll past the annotated list of about 35 highlights if you want to see the full list of 355 titles.) variety.com/lists/record...

Paul McCartney Goes Deep Inside ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ at Secret L.A. Listening Session — Including Unveiling His First True Duet With Ringo Starr A few select fans got to hear Paul McCartney talk about every track on 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane' at a secret session, including a Ringo Starr duet.

Here's my report on the Paul McCartney listening session at Andrew Watt's place, for you Macca-heads out there, you know who you are. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Hollywood High Forever: Mitski’s Residency Shines a Fresh Light on the Famed School’s Rich Show-Biz History Mitski's residency at Hollywood High is part of a history of the school overlapping with the entertainment biz, including scores of famous alumni.

I did a profile of a high school... Hollywood High, which this week has been hosting Mitski's five-show residence. I was fascinated to get access to the school's museum, devoted to alumni ranging from Lana Turner and Judy Garland to the Real Don Steele to Edward Dmytryk. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Noir City Hollywood Carries a Tune: Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode on the 2026 Fest’s ‘Face the Music!’ Theme, and How Jazz Lent a Serious Subtext to Classic Crime Films Noir City Hollywood hosts Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode preview a festival at the American Cinematheque that will showcase films with musical themes.

Noir City Hollywood starts tonight at the Egyptian. Here is the detailed preview I did with Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode about the entire festival, ICYMI. Music figuring prominently on-screen in most or all of these films truly gives this year's festival a unique spin. variety.com/2026/film/ne...

Tift Merritt Is Set to Bring the ‘Sugar’ With Her First New Album in Nine Years: ‘I Got Back in Front of That Microphone and Was Like, Oh, This Is My Place’ (EXCLUSIVE) Tift Merritt talks about making her first album of all-new music in nine years with 'Sugar,' preceded by the preview track 'Finest Feelings.'

So exciting to announce and talk about Tift Merritt's first new album since 2017, "Sugar." If you love her, as I know many of my friends do, you'll want to read all about it. variety.com/2026/music/n...

‘NCIS’ Shocker: Rocky Carroll Tells All on His Unexpected [SPOILER] and Playing Director Vance for Nearly Two Decades In a candid interview, Rocky Carroll talks about when he learned what would happen in episode 500 of 'NCIS' and why he ended up embracing it.

Here's an exit interview I did with @RockyCOfficial about coming to terms with leaving the "NCIS" cast after 18 years... ‘NCIS’ Shocker: Rocky Carroll Tells All on His Unexpected [SPOILER] and Playing Director Vance for Nearly Two Decades variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Pacific Electric Rises in L.A.: Mumford and Sons’ Ben Lovett on Becoming ‘a Bill Graham Figure’ and Opening the Club He Hopes Will Kickstart a Whole New Cultural Hub Pacific Electric, an important addition to L.A.'s club scene, will also help create a new culture hub near downtown, says its visionary, Ben Lovett.

Glad to have Pacific Electric coming on to the L.A. club scene as a potentially valuable addition at the 750-capacity level. I talked with the man behind it, Ben Lovett, who divides his time between running a live business and being keyboardist for Mumford and Sons. variety.com/2026/music/n...

‘We Are the Shaggs’ SXSW Film Review: The World’s Most Polarizing Band Gets Its Due in Ken Kwapis’ Sweet Salute to Outsider Rock The Shaggs, the sister group that stirred 'avant-garde, or just bad?' debates, have their story told in 'We Are the Shaggs,' premiering at SXSW.

My review of an excellent Shaggs documentary that premiered at SXSW this weekend. variety.com/2026/music/r...

Stephen Hibbert, TV Comedy Writer and Actor Who Played the Gimp in ‘Pulp Fiction,’ Dies at 68 Stephen Hibbert, a TV comedy writer and actor who went from the Groundlings to achieving cult status playing the Gimp in 'Pulp Fiction,' died at 68.

Rest in peace, Steve Hibbert. variety.com/2026/film/ob...

"Vision of Love" is actually my favorite Mariah song! But I get where you're coming from with the Adele point.

In a Thrilling U.S. Headlining Debut at the Troubadour, Sienna Spiro Shows Why She’s About to Become the World’s Next Pop Vocal Superhero: Concert Review In her U.S. headlining debut at the Troubadour, Sienna Spiro already felt like a superstar, casually employing one of the best voices of her generation.

What a singer, what a performance... In a Thrilling U.S. Headlining Debut at the Troubadour, Sienna Spiro Shows Why She’s About to Become the World’s Next Pop Vocal Superhero: Concert Review variety.com/2026/music/c...

A time when both softcore porn and Billy Graham films could aspire to be, like, real movies! (And occasionally succeed!)

This one ends with Sorbo breaking character to do a five-minute altar call, followed by a three-minute Mike Huckabee prayer... which, for someone who saw a lot of Billy Graham/World Wide Pictures releases back in the day, definitely brought back a vibe...

‘Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist’ Review: Kevin Sorbo Steps Into Nicolas Cage’s Shoes for Sequel, After Rapture of Previous Movie’s Entire Cast ‘Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist' is a sequel to the 2014 reboot, whose cast members, including Nicolas Cage, have all been left behind.

Sorry you missed it. I reviewed it and used the headline to make the (perhaps obvious) joke about the previous movie's entire cast beig raptured. variety.com/2023/film/re...

‘Kennedy Center Honors’ Will Be Renamed ‘Trump Kennedy Center Honors,’ With Program Moving to a Smaller Venue ‘Where Ticket Demand Will Be Even Higher’ 'The Kennedy Center Honors' will henceforth be called 'The Trump Kennedy Center Honors,' and move to a small hall while the host venue is shut down.

variety.com/2026/music/n...

‘The Beach Boys Love You’ Gets Its Live Premiere After 50 Years: Al Jardine and Darian Sahanaja on Finally Bringing the Classic Album to the Stage Al Jardine and Darian Sahanaja talk about bringing the Beach Boys' classic 'Love You' to the L.A. concert stage for a premiere a half-century later.

Who's going to the United Theater in L.A. tonight to see Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band perform "The Beach Boys Love You" in its entirety for the first time? Here's a Q&A I did with Al and Darian Sahanaja about the road to playing some or all of this material live... variety.com/2026/music/n...

‘Amadeus’ Review: Jefferson Mays Shines as a Funny, Frothing Salieri in a Gorgeously Mounted and Essential Revival at the Pasadena Playhouse The revival of 'Amadeus' at the Pasadena Playhouse is everything you could hope for, from the rich stage design to Jefferson Mays' riveting Salieri.

I loved the "Amadeus" that is now running at the Pasadena Playhouse. Here's my Variety review. I hope you get a chance to see it before March 15 if you're at all inclined. variety.com/2026/music/r...

Viva Baz Vegas! Baz Luhrmann on the Burning Love That Went Into ‘EPiC’: ‘We Are Giving Elvis the World Tour He Dreamed Of, Playing on the World’s Biggest Screens’ Director Baz Luhrmann goes in-depth on making 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,' and why he wants everyone to 'see it on the biggest screen possible.'

My semi-epic Q&A with Baz Luhrmann about "EPiC." Read it and see it... Viva Baz Vegas! Baz Luhrmann on the Burning Love That Went Into ‘EPiC’: ‘We Are Giving Elvis the World Tour He Dreamed Of, Playing on the World’s Biggest Screens’ variety.com/2026/music/n... via @variety.com

‘Here Lies Love’: David Byrne and Director Snehai Desai on Adapting the Dance Musical for L.A.’s Taper, and Why Imelda Marcos’ Story Nervously Parallels Contemporary America David Byrne's musical 'Here Lies Love,' which hit Broadway in 2023, is opening in L.A. He and Mark Taper Forum director Snehai Desai discuss the show.

I love "Here Lies Love," and even without the full-immersion production that was done on Broadway in 2023, the show stands up. I was glad to write about the Mark Taper production that just opened, even if I didn't go quite as crazy on the reporting as three years ago... variety.com/2026/music/n...

Amy Grant on Making Her First New Album in 13 Years, ‘The Me That Remains,’ After Asking: ‘Am I Doing People a Disservice in My Sixties, Singing Songs From the Perspective of a 30-Year-Old?’ (EXCLUSIV... Amy Grant will issue her first new album of original material in 13 years, 'The Me That Remains.' In a Q&A she discusses the journey back to new music.

It'd been a long time, a really long time, since I talked with @amygrantofficial.bsky.social, and I was glad to catch up, finding her at least as thoughtful and conscience-driven as ever. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Beach Boys ‘We Gotta Groove’ Boxed Set Revives Cult Love for Classic ‘Love You’ Album: Producers and Engineers Tell What Went Down in the ‘Brian’s Back’ Era At a Grammy Museum event celebrating the the Beach Boys' 'We Gotta Groove' boxed set, producers, engineers and Mike Love discussed the 'Love You' era.

The Beach Boys love you, and I love the Beach Boys loving you. variety.com/2026/music/n...

August Ponthier on Coming Out as Non-Binary and Exploring the Tension Between Home and Freedom With a Remarkable Debut Album, ‘Everywhere Isn’t Texas’ August Ponthier, who came out as non-binary and changed names after several EPs but before their debut album release, talks about navigating change.

Glad to have talked with August Ponthier again. Do yourself a favor and check out their new album. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Megyn Kelly just shouting “FOOTBALL IS OURS” at Piers Morgan about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is the perfect example of this moment in time. Put it in a time capsule and send it out into space.

Brandi Carlile on What It Means to Sing ‘America the Beautiful’ at the Super Bowl in a Time of Turmoil: It’s a Song of ‘Fragile Hope, for Where America Could Be’ Brandi Carlile talks about what it means to sing 'America the Beautiful' at the Super Bowl in a time of national turmoil, as a song of 'fragile hope.'

I'm grateful Brandi Carlile took time in advance of the Super Bowl to talk about about what "America the Beautiful" means to her, as an American, queer person, activist, person of faith and Seahawks superfan. variety.com/2026/music/n...

cover of The Washington Post on Wednesday Feb 4, 2026. Headline on bottom, right: Musk wanted to hook users; his chatbot got more sexual

My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power

Ok y'all. Whats going on is making me cry on the regular. It feels weird to be here at the GRAMMYs - but I want to honor the music of my ancestors by playing it- we gonna do some busking tomorrow, come say hello if you’re in town for the shindig.

Final Grammy Awards Predictions: Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and ‘Golden’ Set to Rule Music’s Biggest Night 2026 Grammy Awards winner predictions in all categories include Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and more.

I made predictions in the top four categories at the Grammys. I'm foreseeing some love being shared, between Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, "Golden" and Olivia Dean. ... Final Grammy Awards Predictions: variety.com/lists/2026-g... via @variety

How Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend Became the World’s Warmest Music Festival: It’s Not Just the Tropical Temperatures Brandi Carlile's Girls Just Wanna Weekend 7 featured the Chicks, Sam Smith and other female or non-binary artists providing activism and escapism.

I wrote a longer piece about the whole Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival experience with Brandi Carlile, the Chicks, Sam Smith, Shelby Lynne, etc. Please read it if you're at all inclined and can handle a little FOMO. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Thank God for the patriots of @ICEgov — we have your back 100%. You are SAVING the country. Shame on the leadership of Minnesota — and the lunatics in the street. ICE > MN

Pete Hegseth, who is from Minnesota, dismisses peaceful protesters as "lunatics" and adds, "ICE > MN"