Brand New Announce First Public Shows Since Allegations Against Frontman, Jesse Lacey Addresses Stepson’s Death for the First Time

Brand New have announced their first public performances since 2017, following sexual misconduct allegations against frontman Jesse Lacey. While the band has played private and benefit shows in the years since, and Lacey has performed solo, this marks their official return to the stage.

The band has confirmed three upcoming shows, posted on their website and sent to their mailing list subscribers:

• March 26th: The Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
• March 28th: Megacorp Pavilion – Newport, KY
• March 29th: The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN

In 2017, Lacey publicly addressed the allegations, admitting to causing “pain and harm to a number of people” and acknowledging his failures in respecting women. As a result, Brand New canceled their remaining tour dates that year.

Alongside these announcements, Lacey addressed a personal tragedy over the weekend, publicly speaking about the death of his stepson, Miles. During a performance at the Eastside Bowl in Nashville on March 2, Lacey introduced a new song titled “Death,” written in the aftermath of his loss. This was the first time he had spoken publicly about Miles‘ passing. A fan-filmed video of the performance can be found below.

Lacey shared the emotional impact of the loss with the audience, saying:

“I’m not gonna talk too much about this, but me and my wife Andrea lost our son three years ago. His name was Miles, and it was as hard as you can imagine. I didn’t want to go on stage… I would say his name, because you have him to thank also for me being up here. He was a very, very, very easy boy to love. Grief is a very hard thing to navigate, and I have found that for me, music lessens the poison of it. And I have found that being with people… Grief’s like this thing, this super, super heavy weight you carry on your back all the time. When I’m with people, when they can listen to the story of what my family has gone through, it’s kind of like they take some of the weight for you for a little while and they carry it with you. I feel like music has done that for me as well. I just wanted to extend my gratitude to you because I feel that tonight. I hope that me being up here helps you carry some of it, and thank you for helping me carry some of it. I think I’ve written so much about death in Brand New, and since I’m still trying to write about it in a new perspective, as unwanted as it is. I can’t get it right, but this is as close as I got.“

The intimate show also included a mix of Brand New tracks and solo material. Fans who attended or streamed the performance were treated to an intimate look at Lacey’s personal reflections on grief, loss, and the role of music in healing.

Lacey’s upcoming performances with Brand New are highly anticipated, signaling not only a return to the stage for the band but also offering a glimpse into the continued personal and musical growth of the frontman.

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