Mumford & Sons and Beck Lead iHeartRadio’s Inaugural ALTer EGO Lineup

Jordan Bailey

iHeart Radio is becoming quite the purveyor of music festivals both big and small, and they’ve added another to their lineup. Come Jan. 19, 2018 the Forum will host ALTer EGO, which will find well-known names in rock, indie and folk take stage over one long day in Los Angeles.

Top honors for this inaugural event go to a band that’s gone from banjo-toting folk icons to chart-topping pop-rock giants. Mumford & Sons’ debut “Sigh No More” shot them into the upper echelons of folk-dom with the single “Little Lion Man” followed not long after with 2012’s “Babel” that spawned yet another international hit with “I Will Wait.” Mumford’s latest album (“Wilder Mind”) came in 2015 and brought along with it an adjusted sound featuring more prominent electric instruments and radio-friendly choruses. Aside from an amazing live sound overall, it’s no telling what their set at ALTer EGO will bring. Joining Mumford is the band responsible for revitalizing the rowdy rock shows from the bygone era of the 1970s, Cage the Elephant. The Kentucky boys’ latest studio effort (“Tell Me I’m Pretty”) found them on the stage at the 59th Annual Grammy’s with a Best Rock Album award in their hands. They’re already to the point of releasing a live, acoustic compilation project entitled “Unpeeled” which is stacked with hits from their past four studio albums. Beck nabbed a spot on the bill as well. “Colors” is his new album, released Oct. 13, which infused elements of pop and hip-hop to create a happy-go-lucky mashup of vibrant sounds. By the time this event has happens, the Ohio-based indie outfit WALK THE MOON will already have dropped their third studio album. “What If Nothing” is said to continue the band’s use of 80’s influenced sounds. Also hailing from Ohio, The National’s latest album “Beast Sleep Well” has taken to the dark side to discuss the current state of the world through music. Their set at ALTer EGO will no doubt lean heavily on this effort alongside the Grammy Award-nominated “Trouble Will Find Me.” Spoon is back in the news, not only because of iHeart’s new festival, but because “Hot Thoughts,” their new studio album, was released earlier this year. Last but not least, Dashboard Confessional is quietly making a comeback after the band’s initial rise in the early 2000s. From “Screaming Infidelities” to “Vindicated,” Chris Carrabba’s emotionally-charged acoustic-rock tunes have been making the rounds this year as Dashboard’s fan base begin to reminisce on the old days.

Among these acts, more are set to be announced in the coming months. For those that are unable to make it to The Forum, iHeart Radio will be live streaming on many of the stations alternative and rock stations across the world.
ALTer EGO will take place on Jan. 19 at LA’s The Forum.