KennyHoopla has released a dynamic live performance of four songs from his latest project, SURVIVORS GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//. The set was recorded at DTS Sound Space at KROQ, and featured blink-182 drummer Travis Barker along with guitarist Nick Long.
The trio came together and created electricity on stage. Although Kenny was subdued while introducing the four songs—“estella//,” “hollywood sucks//,” “silence is also an answer//,” and “inside of heaven’s mouth, there is a sweet tooth//”—he was ferocious while performing. He swung his body definitely across the stage as his voice commanded the room.
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Kenny is paving the way for a new generation of rock musicians. Still, he won’t grant himself the title of “rock star.” The artist discussed his complicated relationship with the term ahead of his debut Alternative Press cover.
“I feel like [being a] ‘rock star’ is a more-than-life thing where it’s narcissistic and self-absorbed and not empathetic,” Kenny says. “And that’s what I’m saying is fucking not me. So, if we’re gonna call ourselves rock stars—if y’all are gonna just fucking dye your hair and go over a trap beat and call yourself a rock star—then I’m about to do whatever I can to push that in the right direction in this generation. A rock star to me? The people decide that for you. You can’t label yourself. That’s something you have to earn.”
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The performance follows the June release of the highly anticipated SURVIVORS GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//, a collaboration between Barker and Kenny. We saw the two team up in November 2021 with the early-2000s-punk-reminiscent “estella//.” The duo then released “hollywood sucks//,” a brutal commentary on Los Angeles culture.
Kenny has also worked with nothing, nowhere. and JUDGE on “blood,” and with the Neighbourhood’s Jesse Rutherford and grandson to reimagine “lost cause//.”
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Despite their chemistry, their collaboration only came about after Barker reached out to Kenny via Instagram. According to an interview with Alt Press, Barker has been a fan for a long time.
“I loved Kenny’s music from the moment I heard it and showed everyone it,” Barker says. “We connected and kept talking about working together… rest is history.”
Much like Barker, Kenny has also been a long-time fan of the iconic blink-182 drummer. Kenny told Alt Press he was attracted to the band because of the vulnerability they displayed in their music.
“It’s like this pathetic vulnerability of the heart and this truth to it,” Kenny says. “A lot of people will talk about depression in their songs. And then people ask me, but I don’t feel cool about that. And it’s not even something that I want to do. It’s just what it is. It sucks. I feel crazy feeling the way I feel and [being] the person I am…I really have been [an] outcast and been in weird situations growing up. And that’s what comes out in the music, so that’s what I’m saying. It’s natural. That was what blink-182 were. They were just putting it all out there.”
Kennyhoopla live performances:
Kenny is set to go on tour with Machine Gun Kelly this fall, as well as play at a number of festivals. Buy tickets here and check out the full list of dates below.
8/09 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town (w/ YUNGBLUD)
8/10 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town (w/ YUNGBLUD)
8/28 – Leeds, UK @ Reading & Leads (Radio 1 Dance Stage)
8/29 – Leeds, UK @ Reading & Leads (Radio 1 Dance Stage)
9/02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
9/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/10 – Omaha, NE @ Westfair Amphitheater (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Lan (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/13 – New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/14 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
9/15 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/17 – West Springfield, MA @ The Big E (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
9/21 – Detroit, IL @ Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Icon Music Center (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
9/24 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
10/03 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/10 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
10/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/18 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Shrine (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amp (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/23 – Atlanta, GE @ Shaky Knees @ Piedmont Stage
10/23 – Atlanta, GE @ Shaky Knees After Show @ Masquerade
10/24 – Dallas, TX @ Toyota Music Factory (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/27 – Charlotte, NC @ Metro Credit Amp (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/28 – Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union Live (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)
10/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Peterson Event Center (w/ Machine Gun Kelly)