On July 22, 2025, the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, NC, will host a farewell that feels less like a goodbye and more like a defiant, glitter-streaked exclamation point. Cyndi Lauper, the original punk-glam siren of the MTV age, brings her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour to town—a final, full-throated howl from a woman who never asked for permission to be loud, strange, or sublime. From the moment she burst through the screen in 1983 with She’s So Unusual, Lauper has been a genre-bending force, blending pop, new wave, and rock with a theatricality that critics have called both eccentric and revolutionary. She’s a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony winner who turned feminist anthems into chart-toppers and made vulnerability sound like rebellion. This tour is her victory lap, her curtain call, her way of saying: “I’m still here, and I still have something to say.” For more, visit cyndilauper.com.

Opening the night is Jake Wesley Rogers, a Missouri-born singer-songwriter who channels the flamboyance of glam rock and the introspection of modern pop into something wholly his own. Critics have likened his sound to a fusion of Elton John’s piano-driven theatrics and Florence Welch’s emotional intensity, all filtered through a distinctly queer lens. Rogers’ music is a study in contrasts: lush yet raw, grandiose yet intimate, with lyrics that explore identity, love, and the human condition. His performances are not just concerts but cathartic experiences, inviting audiences into a world where authenticity reigns supreme. To explore his artistry further, visit jakewesleyrogers.com.

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