Hey friends. 👋

I don’t want to be dramatic, but I think the sky has been going through something.

Every time I check the forecast, it’s just more little cloud icons lined up like they’re on tour. Rain today. Rain tomorrow. Rain with a special encore performance. And apparently, it’s not just us. Different cities, same gray sky. One big national mood board of soggy shoes, moody lighting, canceled plans, and aggressively romanticizing staying inside (for the fifth time in a row…)

Which brings me to my very personal rain-related miracle: months ago, I lost my umbrella. Not the flimsy one that flips inside out if someone breathes near it. My GOOD umbrella. And one day this week, while it was fully pouring, I thought, “Man, I really need to find that umbrella soon.” That same day, I found it at my coworking space. After months. Untouched. No one took it. Humanity restored. Now, did someone take my good headphones that same week too? Yes. But hey, you win some, you lose some…Anyway, until the sun clocks back in, we’ve got music news, tour announcements, summer plans, and a few very good reasons to open the calendar instead of the weather app.

A lot happened at the American Music Awards this week, so let’s exhale together. BTS won Artist of the Year, Karol G picked up the International Artist Award of Excellence and Best Latin Album for Tropicoqueta, and Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award before performing at the show for the first time since 2004. The nostalgia machine was also working overtime, with Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas reuniting, plus appearances from Hootie & the Blowfish, New Kids on the Block, and the Pussycat Dolls — basically a group-chat fever dream with better lighting.

Olivia Rodrigo leaned into beautiful chaos with her new “The Cure” video, unraveling in the most cinematic possible way. It is dramatic, moody, and very much built for anyone who has ever stared out a window like they were in act three of a teen movie.

Charli XCX turned the fashion show into an underworld commute in her new “SS26” video. The clip is all couture, doom, and glossy weirdness — exactly the kind of pop spectacle that says, “Yes, the apocalypse has a dress code.”Bad Bunny is officially entering the toy box, joining the voice cast of Toy Story 5 as — truly, perfectly — “Pizza with Sunglasses.” The character is reportedly a cool, mysterious slice-of-pizza toy living among forgotten toys in an abandoned shed.

Ariana Grande opened the vault with “Knew Better Part Two,” a previously unreleased Dangerous Woman outtake. It is a tiny time capsule from one of her fan-favorite eras, which means Arianators are now professionally emotionally unavailable.

Drake became the first artist to hold the top three spots on the Billboard 200 at the same time. Subtlety may not be the brand, but scoreboard behavior absolutely is.

Wiki announced Ancient History, his first solo album in seven years, due June 12. The project comes with production from heavy-hitters including the Alchemist, Navy Blue, Nick Hakim, and Mount Kimbie’s Dom Maker, so the “long-awaited” part is doing some real lifting here.

DJ Koze dropped “Spiralen,” a seven-minute swirl of club hypnosis that will likely make DJs nod knowingly in dark rooms all summer. The track is part of an upcoming AA-side single, which is a very elegant way of saying: yes, the groove has a sibling.

Arab Strap announced Half-Told Tales and previewed it with the biting single “You You You.” The duo described the track as a kind of “disco-metal incantation,” which sounds like a threat, a genre, and a very specific late-night mood all at once.

Neil Young made his first live appearance of 2026 with solo performances of “After the Gold Rush” and “Heart of Gold.” After canceling his 2026 tour dates earlier this year, the surprise return had the quiet power of a legend simply walking back into the room.

Spotify and Universal Music Group signed a new licensing deal aimed at letting Premium users create AI covers and remixes from participating UMG artists. The pitch is consent, credit, and compensation — or, in industry-speak, “please remix responsibly.”Recent Tour Announcements

This week, we’re honoring both ends of the going-out spectrum: sipping wine at a gorgeous outdoor concert and following your heart directly to a giant inflatable panda.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Summer Concerts

A winery concert series already sounds like something your most organized friend would casually book six months out, but Chateau Ste. Michelle’s summer concert lineup is genuinely stacked.

We’re talking Bob Dylan, Dierks Bentley, Ziggy Marley, Boyz II Men, Sarah McLachlan, Beck, Yellowcard, and more, all happening at a winery in Woodinville, Washington. So yes, technically it’s a concert calendar. Emotionally, it’s sipping something chilled on a lawn while pretending you’re in a very tasteful summer montage.

Basically, if your ideal night out includes live music, good wine, and a setting that makes you want to say “this is so us”, this belongs on your radar.

Panda Fest

Ashley Eggert from Do317 went to Panda Fest last weekend and confirmed it is very much worth knowing about!

Panda Fest is one of the biggest outdoor Asian food festivals in the U.S., with 300+ Asian street food options, 50+ specialty vendors, live performances, cultural activities, and, naturally, a giant inflatable panda holding court over the whole thing because subtlety is not the assignment.

Think dumplings, skewers, desserts, handmade goods, music, and  photo op. And good news: it’s not staying in one place. Panda Fest is making its way to more cities soon, so check the link here and see if it's coming to your city! 

The official 2026 Lollapalooza Aftershows are here, which means the real scheduling Olympics can begin.

Sure, Lolla weekend is already stacked, but the aftershows are where things get extra fun. Tiny rooms, late-night sets, artists popping up across Chicago, and the very real possibility that your favorite festival act is suddenly playing a venue where you can actually see their facial expressions.

We posted the full lineup, so if you’re the type who needs to stare at the grid like it’s a conspiracy board, we respect that deeply. You can browse every official aftershow on Do312, and yes, you can also enter to win tickets to select shows while you’re there.

And if you want to go even bigger, our Lollapalooza flyaway giveaway is still live. Festival tickets, Chicago summer, and one very strong excuse to start clearing your calendar. Go enter, then start plotting which aftershow you’re emotionally prepared to fight for.

The DoWEEs are still in birthday mode because apparently they didn’t need a birthDAY, they needed a whole season. Honestly, we’re here for it, and we're still very much in celebration mode over here at DoStuff.

For new DoMORE members, the birthday special is a pretty ridiculous deal: 12 months of DoMORE for just $50. That’s a full year of monthly ticket drops, aka more concerts, comedy, culture, and nights out you don’t have to overthink.

Already a member? You’re not left out. Every time you refer a friend using your DoMORE referral link, your friend gets a free 1-month trial, you get a free month added to your membership, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win $5,000.

Basically: new members get the deal, current members get a sweepstakes shot, and the DoWEEs get to keep acting like birthday royalty. Everybody wins. Mostly you, hopefully.

That’s it for this week.Now let’s all collectively pray for more sunshine. Jess ✨