👋 Hey hey, music maniacs — welcome back to Fans With Benefits, your weekly hit of what’s hot, what’s happening, and which artists are casually saving the world between tour stops.

This week, Elton John and Brandi Carlile throw down $1M for HIV relief like it’s just another Tuesday, Coachella turns the desert into a glam-soaked oven, and the 2025 tour lineup is looking dangerously good. We’re talking whiskey-soaked weekends at Bourbon & Beyond, hypnotic indie dreamscapes from The Marías, and enough live shows to blow out your budget and your group chat.

Here’s what’s poppin’:

• Coachella 2025: Glitter, Chaos, Heat

• Elton & Brandi Raise $1M for HIV Relief

• 10+ Events

  • The Marías

  • Bourbon & Beyond Festival

  • Phish

  • The Millennium Tour 2025

  • Mac DeMarco

Crank it up, hit that group chat, and let’s get into it. 🎧

🤘 Music Mashup

Coachella 2025: Heat, Hype & Headliners Who Delivered

Coachella 2025 was less “Desert Paradise” and more “Hotter Than Hell,” as fans endured 102°F heat and soaring ticket prices for a star-stuffed lineup that delivered big – if you could survive long enough to enjoy it. Lady Gaga’s set was a main-character moment, complete with haughty glam, a transition from Abracadabra to Judas, and enough power to raise the dead (or at least the sunburnt). Charli XCX led a Brat Pack of alt-pop icons in a set that brought out Billie, Lorde, Troye, and half of VIP Instagram. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders popped in mid-rally to remind everyone that even at Coachella, the revolution’s still sexy. 🔥

Nostalgia ran the show as much as the Gen Z glitter, with Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott rewriting time during Megan Thee Stallion’s cowgirl-boot-clad performance. Tyla and Lisa from Blackpink proved K-Pop’s staying power, while Basement Jaxx, Kraftwerk, and T-Pain made a compelling case for boomerang bangers. And yes, a Yo Gabba Gabba! set featuring Weird Al and Flavor Flav might’ve been the wildest thing on site—but in Coachella’s “quarter-life crisis” era, all bets are off. 🪩

🫶 Artists Doing Good

Elton & Brandi Fight Back: $1M Raised to Save HIV/AIDS Relief

Elton John and Bran di Carlile are using their star power for something far bigger than chart-toppers. In response to the Trump administration’s recent cuts to global HIV/AIDS funding, the two icons launched the “Who Believes in Angels?” campaign through their respective foundations. The initiative has already raised $1 million to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Rocket Response Fund, which is stepping in to keep clinics open, meds flowing, and lifesaving services intact. 🚀

Their partnership isn’t just symbolic—it’s strategic. Borrowing the name from their collaborative album, the campaign blends music and mission with laser focus. “It’s an incredible honor to launch this partnership,” Carlile said, while Elton vowed not to let decades of progress go up in smoke. With international support dwindling, their move is a bold reminder: when leaders fall short, artists can step up. 🎤

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📢 Sound Off

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🎶 Event Radar

The Marías – Submarine Tour 2025

The Marías are plunging into deep sonic waters with their Submarine Tour, and we’re more than ready to drown in their dreamy vibes. Expect sultry vocals, hypnotic visuals, and an atmosphere that feels like swimming through velvet. With new music on the way and a live show known for turning moody pop into magic, this tour is not just a vibe—it’s a full-on immersive experience.

Get tickets here

Bourbon & Beyond Festival

It’s not just a music festival, it’s a lifestyle—and possibly a religious experience for whiskey lovers. Bourbon & Beyond brings the best of Kentucky: big music names across rock, country, and soul; pitmaster-level BBQ; and, yes, rivers of bourbon. Expect sets that go hard and cocktails that go down easy. Come for the lineup, stay for the hangover stories.

Get tickets here

Phish — West Coast Tour 2025

Jam royalty Phish is lighting up the West Coast this spring with no-repeat setlists, marathon jams, and pure psychedelic bliss—whether you’re a seasoned vet or a jam-curious newbie, this is your cue to get weird. Before the tour kicks off, fans got the chance to win the ultimate Phish experience thanks to a Fandiem-powered sweepstakes supporting The WaterWheel Foundation’s wildfire relief efforts—offering travel, hotel, show tickets, and a poster. The giveaway is over, but the jams are just getting started.

Get tickets here

The Millennium Tour 2025

Your middle school playlist just got a tour bus. The Millennium Tour 2025 is bringing back Trey Songz, Bow Wow, Omarion, and more for a nostalgia-fueled night of R&B, hip-hop, and shirtless serenades. It's a time machine with Auto-Tune and synchronized dance moves — and yes, you're gonna scream when “Ice Box” drops.

Get tickets here

Mac DeMarco 2025 Tour

Mac DeMarco is hitting the road in 2025, delivering his signature blend of jangly guitars, dreamy vibes, and slacker-sage wisdom to venues across the map. His shows feel like a long-lost mixtape found in your glovebox—quirky, warm, and weirdly profound. And yes, he’s also swinging by Bourbon & Beyond, adding some offbeat charm to the festival’s whiskey-fueled chaos. Catch him there or on tour—either way, you’re in for a beautifully bizarre ride.

Get tickets here

• Wilco – An August Evening With Wilco – Wilco brings their signature blend of poetic rock and cozy melancholy to select cities this August for a perfectly wistful summer soundtrack. Get tickets here

• Lucy Dacus – Forever Is a Feeling Tour – Lucy Dacus hits the road with a tour full of heart-heavy ballads and indie rock moments that feel like a diary come to life. Get tickets here

• Nickel Creek – Celebrants Tour – The bluegrass trio reunites for a rich, rootsy celebration of harmony, string wizardry, and storytelling in motion. Get tickets here

• BLACKPINK – 2025 World Tour – K-pop’s royal court returns with a global takeover of epic proportions. Expect stadium-sized energy, razor-sharp choreography, and enough glam to short-circuit your phone camera. Get tickets here

• Charli XCX – Brat 2025 Arena Tour – Pop’s reigning brat is hitting arenas with glitter, chaos, and synth-pop bangers in tow. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, and it’s got serious main-character energy. Get tickets here

🎤 Mic Drop

Prince played 27 different instruments on his debut album For You — released when he was just 19 years old. Talk about a one-man band! Read more here!

That’s a wrap for this week! Until next time, keep the bass thumping and the coffee brewing. 🎵🔥

Signing off,

The Fandiem Team