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May 2, 2026

	By Caryn Ganz

I see a lot of shows, and at this point, it takes a lot to surprise me. (Yes, even beyond “surprise” guests.) But Thursday at Foo Fighters’ (unsurprisingly fantastic) club show at Irving Plaza, something striking caught my eye.

All night, five large men were positioned at the lip of the stage facing the crowd, hauling crowd surfers over the barricade. I always like to watch the security guards at concerts to see if they’re getting into the music or just getting through the night, and one of the young guys on duty directly in front of Dave Grohl seemed to be vibing at times. But when the band reached its closer, “Everlong,” after two and a half hours, his face took on a different cast. I saw his lips moving as he mouthed along; he wiped away tears from both eyes, one hand touching his chest for emphasis on the chorus. I was overwhelmed watching his emotional reaction; many fans near the front reached out to hug him when the music ended, and the big security dude next to him did, too.

It was a welcome and simple reminder of what brings us all out to do this. Our writers captured a lot of that this week, too: Hank Shteamer visited Rush as the Canadian prog-rock icons prepared for its first tour without Neil Peart, who died in 2020, and saw firsthand the relationship its two surviving members have forged with Anika Nilles, the 42-year-old woman stepping in to handle his complex, memorable drum parts. The country singer and songwriter Ashley McBryde told David Peisner about how deeply drinking had been embedded in her personality and her songwriting, and the changes she had to make to save her own life. The Swedish singer Zara Larsson chatted with Olivia Horn about how after years in the pop doldrums, she started ignoring what she thought the industry would want and followed her own impulses — “And that’s just, ironically, when people start caring.” And Adam M. Rosen revisited “Heavy Metal Parking Lot,” the 17-minute documentary shot in 1986 as tailgaters at a Judas Priest in the Washington, D.C., suburbs guzzled beer and delivered unforgettable one-liners.

And this week The New York Times Magazine published its list of the 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters (a lot of angry responses seem to have missed the criteria — living and American are key). I didn’t work on the list, but you can safely assume I agree with Lindsay Zoladz that Billy Joel deserved a slot (see more of her personal selections in her newsletter here). There’s a constructive way to respond, by the way: You can cast your own vote until the end of May 5. And if you somehow haven’t seen Joe Coscarelli’s rare interview with Taylor Swift about her writing process, you can fix that right now here.

Nathan Cyprys for The New York Times Rush Lost Its Beloved Drummer. The Band Is Ready to Get Back on the Road. After losing Neil Peart to cancer six years ago, the trio is returning to touring with Anika Nilles, a powerhouse drummer who’s forged her own relationship with the group. By Hank Shteamer

Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times Zara Larsson’s Pop Career Had Stalled. But a Big Second Act Awaited. The Swedish singer spent a decade toiling outside the spotlight. But a PinkPantheress remix, a rainbow-streaked dolphin and an ability to roll with the punches brought her back. By Olivia Horn and Caroline Tompkins

Ashley McBryde Saved Her Own Life. Now She’s Rocking Out Her Way. The prolific country singer and songwriter has never quite fit the country music mold. Her upcoming album, “Wild,” revels in her individuality, and her sobriety. By David Peisner and Meghan Marin

She’s Blazing a Trail for a Traditional Korean Zither in Jazz The Seoul-born gayageum player DoYeon Kim has become an in-demand collaborator for some of the biggest innovators in improvised music. By Shaun Brady and Vincent Alban

Jason Kempin/Getty Images Critic’s Pick Kacey Musgraves Sounds Right at Home in the ‘Middle of Nowhere’ The country singer and songwriter’s sixth album is a triumph of self-realization that reunites her with early collaborators and a former foe (Miranda Lambert). By Lindsay Zoladz

The Cult Music Documentary ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot’ Turns Middle-Age The film capturing the scene outside a Judas Priest show was 17 minutes long, only available on VHS and won the hearts of a generation of rock fans. By Adam M. Rosen

THE MAGAZINE

Stefan Ruiz for The New York Times The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters More than 250 music insiders and six New York Times critics weighed in on who defines the new American songbook. Here are the artists they chose.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Taylor Swift Interview The artist shares stories behind some of her biggest hits, her love of a “rant bridge” and how life in the public eye informs the stories she tells in her songs.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Jay-Z Interview The artist shares stories behind his famous songs, the writing challenges he sets for himself and how he has sustained a hip-hop career.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Mariah Carey Interview The artist talks about writing her era-defining hits, the pleasures of collaboration and some of the ways she has been undercredited as a writer.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Nile Rodgers Interview The co-founder of Chic, the de facto house band of New York’s late-70s disco boom, talks about taking inspiration from the city’s club scene.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Lucinda Williams Interview The singer-songwriter talks about being self-taught, and reaching down into the deepest, darkest parts of herself to pull out a song.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Clark, McAnally and Osborne Interview Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark and Josh Osborne talk about songwriting as a day job and the art of telling simple truths in a single line.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE The Babyface Interview The craftsman behind dozens of hits for performers like Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men talks about how he wrote the love songs that defined a decade.

MORE OPINIONS

Thea Traff for The New York Times 11 Great American Songwriters Who Didn’t Make Our List The New York Times Magazine named the 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters. Here are more contenders, including Billy Joel, Frank Ocean and Neko Case. By Lindsay Zoladz