Billy Strings’ Broken Leg Enshrined in Thrasher’s Hall of Meat, Alex Koford Talks Unreleased Robert Hunter Lyrics
Al Di Meola Plays Jerry and Trey's Guitars, Paul McCartney Details Duet with Ringo Starr
Relix Daily
May 06, 2026
May 6, 2026
NEWS
For nearly three decades, Thrasher has enshrined the most brutal bails, slips and slams that pro-skateboarding has to offer in the Hall of Meat. As the magazine has transformed over 45 years into the authoritative record of the sport’s forefront and underground, the wince-inducing video series has become a badge of honor for those willing to put their bodies on the line, now cataloged in social media clips. After his tour-ending injury last month, Billy Strings has earned the gruesome honor.
FEATURE
“I’m self-taught. I never had a lesson,” Alex Koford admits over Zoom, before sharing some pertinent family history. “On my mom’s side, my grandfather was a jazz trumpeter in the Navy band and a member of some sort of Bay Area musician union. Then, on my dad’s side, my grandmother was a Danish opera singer. She was in the conservatory and touring around Europe; that’s how she met my grandfather. He was actually an OSS spy, pre-CIA. The story is that a Danish colonel, a friend of hers, said, ‘Hey, I have a friend I’d like you to meet,’ and introduced them. He started going to see my grandmother perform, and she ended up getting pregnant with my father.”
In February 1970, the Allman Brothers Band were on the brink of superstardom, just 11 months into their run together, already burning through venues on sheer force of will. Fortunately for posterity, the Grateful Dead's legendary soundman Owsley "Bear" Stanley had his tapes rolling during their three-night stand at New York City's Fillmore East on February 11, 13 and 14. The set features blues staples the band would employ for years, including "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Statesboro Blues," Gregg Allman's ominous "Whipping Post," and what are believed to be the earliest known live recordings of Dickey Betts' now-classic instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed," freshly written just before these shows.
WATCH
Artful six-string innovator Al Di Meola has been testing out some famous axes. In a series of posts shared on social media, the musician known for his fast fingerwork appeared in Family Guitar-generated teasers, playing acclaimed instruments: Jerry Garcia’s Doug Irwin crafted “Tiger,” Dickey Betts’ Fillmore-played 1958 Les Paul, and Trey Anastasio’s 1991 Paul Languedoc plugged into Garcia’s 1975 Mesa Boogie Mark I amp after visiting Family Guitar Headquarters in Chicago.
This t-shirt pays tribute to the humble venue where it all began - before the acid tests, before the stadiums, before the legend. Designed to honor the birth of the Dead, this piece celebrates the raw beginnings of a band that would go on to change music history. Whether you're a longtime Head or a new fan, this tee lets you wear a piece of that origin story with pride.
NEWS
Yesterday, Paul McCartney took part in a special fan album playback at London’s Abbey Road Studios, ahead of the imminent arrival of his twenty-first solo studio LP, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, due for release on May 29. During the conference of sorts, McCartney spoke about a forthcoming feature of the collection, “Home to Us,” the set’s second single and first-ever duet between Macca and his Beatles bandmate, Ringo Starr, due out on Friday, May 8.
NEWS
Jason Isbell’s ShoalsFest has confirmed its 2026 artist lineup. Returning to Florence, Ala.’s McFarland Park on Oct. 3 and 4, the Americana forerunner’s hometown get-together will celebrate its fifth annual presentation with two headline sets from Isbell and the 400 Unit and some of the host’s acclaimed peers, including a reunion between Drive By Truckers and Isbell for their first public performance together in 19 years.
NEWS
Newport Folk Festival is still slowly unveiling the artist lineup for its 67th annual presentation, and the past few weeks of rolling additions have brought more celebrated acts representing a wide range of genres. The latest additions to the legendary festival, returning to its longtime home of Newport, R.I.’s Fort Adams State Park from July 24-26, include longtime staples, first-timers, stadium-grade acts and emergent talents.
LISTEN
Kurt Vile has shared “Zoom 97,” the second single from his tenth studio album, Philadelphia’s been good to me, set to release on May 29 via Verve. With his first release since (watch my moves), his 2022 major label debut, the indie veteran and lifelong son of the City of Brotherly Love offers a candid view of his process and personality from three years in “an inspired state of flux.” The record’s second preview is a blur of half-thoughts, collected from Lincoln Drive’s roadside on Vile’s trips from his home to the heart of the city.
NEWS
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has revealed details about its annual SuperJam concept. The imminent collaborative set will be led by Kesha, and officially titled, KESHA PRESENTS: SUPERJÂM ESOTERÍCA: THE ALCHEMY OF POP. The set will take place on Saturday, June 13, in the This Tent, from 8:45 to 10:30 p.m.
