Tedeschi Trucks Band will perform the national anthem at the 152nd Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve this Saturday, May 2, at Churchill Downs Racetrack.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are set to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” just after 5:00 p.m. EDT. The performance will air live as part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage.
“Tedeschi Trucks Band’s soulful sound and remarkable vocal presence make them an exciting addition to this year’s Kentucky Derby,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to Churchill Downs and know their performance will capture the energy, emotion, and spirit that define Derby Day.”
The 12-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band recently released their sixth studio album, Future Soul, and kicked off a six-month North American tour. The band won a Grammy Award in 2012 for Best Blues Album and has also earned multiple Blues Music Award and Americana Music Association nominations.
“Performing at the Kentucky Derby is a true honor for us,” said Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. “We’re thrilled to be invited and grateful for the opportunity to perform at such an iconic event.”
Tedeschi Trucks Band joins a list of past Kentucky Derby anthem performers that includes Grace Potter, Wynonna Judd, Carly Pearce, Tori Kelly, Pentatonix, Harry Connick Jr. and LeAnn Rimes.
I’ve been listening the the Berlin-via-Massachusetts crew Elder for a long time, and I still mostly think of them as a doom metal band. But when you hear the opening of Elder’s new track “Capture/Release,” it’s clear that that’s not the case anymore. Elder have been moving in gentler, proggier, most psychedelic directions for years.…
While they are just finishing ‘The Gor Gor Strikes Back US Tour’, Gwar have now announced another massive tour in autumn. Dubbed ‘Gor Gor Must Die! North American Tour’, it encompasses 36 shows in total and features support from Midnight and Mac Sabbath. Read more…
He screamed his way into metal history. Then cancer tried to silence him for good. Now, for the first time, Chuck Billy—the iconic frontman of Bay Area thrash legends Testament—tells the whole truth in his unflinching memoir, Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments of Chuck Billy, publishing November 10, 2026, from Permuted Press.
This is not your typical rock memoir. Structured as two interlocking testaments, the book traces the full arc of a life lived at maximum volume—and then something louder than any riff: the fight to stay alive. The Old Testament plunges readers into the explosive birth of Bay Area thrash metal, the formation of Testament, the rivalries, the brotherhood, and the reckless, glorious chaos of becoming one of the genre’s most powerful voices.
The New Testament is something rarer and more raw—a frontman at 38, blindsided by a devastating cancer diagnosis, drawing on his Native American and Mexican-American heritage, spiritual healers, visions, and the fierce love of a metal community.
At the center of that community: the legendary Thrash of the Titans benefit concert—one of the most galvanizing moments in heavy metal history—which rallied old rivals into brothers and helped ignite a genre revival while keeping Chuck Billy in the fight.
“This book is about two versions of me that are really just one story,” says Billy. “The guy who thought he was invincible, and the guy who learned how fragile life really is.”
Co-written with Dave Erickson, Holding My Breath delivers the unfiltered insider story of thrash metal’s rise alongside a deeply human account of mortality, miraculous recovery, cultural identity, and chosen family. It is, equally, a gift to lifelong Testament fans and to anyone who has ever faced the unthinkable—and refused to let go.
“Chuck Billy is a major influential voice in the thrash metal scene. Permuted Press is thrilled to be publishing his remarkable personal journey.” –Anthony Ziccardi, Publisher of Permuted Press
The book features a foreword by Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and an afterword by Randy Blythe (Lamb of God)—two of metal’s most revered voices bearing witness to Chuck Billy’s enduring legacy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chuck Billy is the powerhouse lead singer of Testament, one of thrash-metal’s original Bay Area legends since the ’80s. He beat cancer in 2001 and came back stronger, weaving his Native American (Pomo) roots into his life and lyrics. Fourteen studio albums in, he has been honored with a California State Assembly recognition for his positive influence on Native communities, was part of The Smithsonian National Museum of The American Indian’s exhibition ” Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians In Popular Culture,” and won “Best Music Video” at the American Indian Film Festival for “Native Blood.”
As the release of Defect Designer‘s new record Depressants approaches, the trio stream another new track in advance titled “Scorching The Rival Pogonomyrmex Burrows”. Read more…
ShipRocked is back for its 17th year. The rock music cruise vacation returns January 24-30, 2027, sailing out of Miami, Florida, aboard the Carnival Horizon with close to 30 bands and over 4,000 guests. The ship heads to Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras — a first-time port of call for the event — and Cozumel on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Producer ASK4 Entertainment has confirmed Papa Roach, Ice Nine Kills, Nothing More, Highly Suspect, Badflower, Set It Off, and Magnolia Park as the lead acts for ShipRocked 2027. Rounding out the current bill are Aurorawave, The Barbarians Of California, Buffalo_Farm, Caskets, The Dark.FM, Des Rocs, Ekoh, Fury In Few, Good Terms, Kami Kehoe, Muttlee, Nate Bergman, Scarhaven, Sludge Mother, TX2, Upon A Burning Body, VANA, Wargasm, and Waxed. More acts are still to be announced, as is the guest lineup for fan-favorite all-star ship band The Stowaways.
Several of the confirmed artists have already weighed in on the upcoming sailing.
Papa Roach‘s Jacoby Shaddix said, “We’ve had some unforgettable moments on ShipRocked, and the 2027 edition will bring even more. We’ll see you ShipRockers out on the high seas!”
Ice Nine Kills‘ Spencer Charnas added: “I’m positively buoyant about stepping back aboard and rocking the boat together. ShipRocked is always a (killer) whale of a time!”
Highly Suspect‘s Johnny Stevens kept it casual: “Honestly, I just want to eat pizza on the back of the boat with strangers and watch y’all sing karaoke. Honored to be invited back to ShipRocked. Rock music? Cruise ship? That’s wetness overload. Stoked. See y’all soon.”
Magnolia Park said, “We’re super stoked to be a part of ShipRocked this year. We’ve gotten a lot of requests from people to be a part of it, so we’re pretty grateful that we got asked. And we can’t wait to rock out with everyone soon.”
Staterooms are limited. Last year’s sailing sold out at 4,100 guests — the largest ShipRocked to date — so anyone interested in booking should move quickly and head over here.
The 2027 edition goes under a “ShipRocked Samurai” theme and returns fan-favorite cruise director Cookie as host. The Carnival Horizon brings the full package: comfortable staterooms, a spa, multiple bars and dining options, a water park, and an IMAX theater.
Guests can also get the party started early at the free ShipRocked pre-party and concert on January 23 at The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, just south of downtown Miami. Bands for that event will be announced in the coming months.
Beyond the music, the cruise offers photo meet & greets, artist-hosted events and activities, theme nights, an onboard tattoo parlor, The Music Experience lounge, tropical port visits, and a rock-and-metal spin on classic cruise activities — ShipRocked Beach Wars, a blackjack tournament, dodgeball, live band karaoke, game shows, singles mixers, trivia, and heavy metal morning yoga, among others.
The event has also built a strong charitable track record. The ShipRocked Cancer Sucks! onboard charity auction raised a record $200,000 during the 2026 cruise, pushing the all-time total to over $1.2 million raised for cancer research.
