Classic Rock
“Rock for Relief” Virtual Benefit Concert to Feature Corey Taylor, Lzzy Hale, Alice Cooper, and More
Corey Taylor, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. A bevy of notable rock musicians are coming together for a good cause. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, and more will perform during the “Rock for Relief” virtual benefit show, while Alice Cooper and others will conduct interviews. “Rock for Relief” is being organized by United Stations Media Networks and Storic Media Podcast Network, with proceeds benefitting Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund. The streaming event airs this Friday, July 3rd, at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT, and will rebroadcast immediately following at 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT. In addition to Taylor, Hale, and Rossdale, the performance lineup includes ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, George Thorogood, Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy, Filt...
Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello to Play Ringo Starr’s 80th Birthday Party
Paul McCartney (photo by MJ Kim), Ringo Starr (photo by Philip Cosores), and Sheryl Crow (photo by Ben Kaye) You say it’s your birthday? It’s Ringo Starr’s birthday, too… and he’s doing it up big. The Beatles drummer will celebrate turning 80 years old this year with “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show”, a special livestream event featuring musical performances by everyone from Paul McCartney to Sheryl Crow. Don’t get jealous; you’re invited, too! In addition to the aforementioned artists, “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” will feature The Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Gary Clark Jr., and Sheila E. The broadcast will kick off on July 7th at 5:00 p.m. PDT via Ringo Starr’s YouTube channel. It’s free to watch, but donations are encouraged and will be split between Black Lives Matter, The David Ly...
Activists Call for John Lennon’s “Imagine” to Replace US National Anthem
“The Star-Spangled Banner” doesn’t seem that racist, as long as you skip the later verses and ignore the white supremacist who wrote it. Taking those aspects into account, however, some activists are calling for America to find a new national anthem, and one popular proposal has put forth John Lennon’s “Imagine”. “But wait,” you may be saying. “I’ve sung ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ for years, and I’m not racist. Besides, those patriotic high notes really make my rocket glare.” And it’s true, the one verse that we trot out at sporting events is merely unsettlingly violent, rather than outwardly prejudiced. If that’s the only part of Francis Scott Key’s 1814 poem that you’re familiar with, then the history behind the third verse will be a bit of a shocker. In the offending passage, Francis Sc...
Jefferson Starship on 45 Years of Red Octopus
Kyle Meredith With… Jefferson Starship Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jefferson Starship member David Freiberg jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to discuss the 45th anniversary of the band’s sophomore album, Red Octopus. The singer and multi-instrumentalist talks about the variation of styles heard on the record, how the band kept a family environment amidst a revolving door of members, and how “Miracle” became an unlikely hit. Freiberg then goes on to give us a scoop on the band’s upcoming album Mother of the Sun — their first since 2008 — and its first two singles: one of which was written by the retired Grace Slick and the other a tribute to founding member Paul Kantner. Kyle Meredith With...
The Rolling Stones Threaten to Sue Donald Trump Over Unauthorized Use of Their Music
The Rolling Stones have no sympathy for the devil. The legendary rock band is threatening to sue Donald Trump and his campaign over the continued unauthorized use of the band’s music. According to a statement released on Saturday, The Rolling Stones and the performing rights organization BMI have served Trump with a final warning to cease playing the band’s music at official campaign events and rallies. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed,” the statement reads. As BMI explained to Deadline, the Trump campaign has a Political Entities License which provides them with access to more than 15 million musical works in BMI’s repertoire. However, the license includes a provision t...
Sammy Hagar Clarifies Comments About Going Back on Tour: Only When It’s “Safe and Responsible”
Sammy Hagar made headlines recently when he said he’d “rather personally get sick and even die, if that’s what it takes” to get the concert industry going again amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the veteran rocker is clarifying the extreme portion of his comments, while also saying he does want to get back on the road this year, if possible. For more context, Hagar’s longer quote in Rolling Stone read, “This is hard to say without stirring somebody up, but truthfully, I’d rather personally get sick and even die, if that’s what it takes. We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run. I would rather see everyone go back to work. If some of us have to sacrifice on that, OK. I will die for my children and my grandchildr...
Roger Waters Under Fire for Anti-Semitic Comments
Roger Waters has come under fire for recent comments in which he described Jewish-American billionaire Sheldon Adelson as a “puppet master,” blamed Israel for the death of George Floyd, and called Zionism an “ugly stain” that “needs to be gently removed by us.” Waters made the remarks in a new interview with the Middle East Media Research Institute. Discussing the relationship between the US and Israel, Waters singled out Adelson, the American business magnate and GOP political donor whose net worth is approaching $40 billion. Adelson is “the puppet master pulling the strings of Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, and what’s his name… the Ambassador [to Israel]…,” Waters commented, before wrongly identifying Ambassador David Friedman as “Greenberg.” “And Sheldon Adelson is a right-wing fa...
Sammy Hagar Is Willing to “Get Sick and Even Die” to Kickstart the Concert Industry Again
While most music acts have acknowledged that public health comes first when it comes to touring in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sammy Hagar would “rather personally get sick and even die” if it means kickstarting the concert industry again. The Red Rocker was one of several veteran artists polled by Rolling Stone as to when they would feel safe returning to the road. Most of the artists remarked that they would want to wait until there’s a COVID-19 vaccine or safe measures in place, but the former Van Halen singer is willing to put his life on the line. “I’ll be comfortable playing a show before there’s a vaccine, if it’s declining and seems to be going away,” remarked Hagar. “I’m going to make a radical statement here. This is hard to say without stirring somebody up, but truth...
Whitesnake on Restoring Old Art and Writing New Endings
Kyle Meredith With… Whitesnake Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Whitesnake singer David Coverdale speaks with Kyle Meredith about the band’s trilogy of new compilations called Red, White, and Blues, and how the series was inspired by restoring old art. Coverdale dives into being influenced by Marc Bolan, The Who, and early Pink Floyd for the 2000 song “She Give Me”, how knee surgery led to the new song “Always The Same”, and what we can expect from the series, particularly a new ending for “Is This Love”. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep into the artist’s work...
Roger Waters Performs “Two Suns in the Sunset” in Quarantine: Watch
Roger Waters has uploaded another socially-distant performance of a Pink Floyd classic. The time around, Waters and his touring band connect virtually to play “Two Suns in the Sunset”, the closing song off Pink Floyd’s 1983 album, The Final Cut. Watch below. The performance is prefaced by a screen of text warning viewers that “We’re at one hundred seconds to midnight on the doomsday clock. This is the the closest the Human Race has ever been to nuclear catastrophe.” In a corresponding video caption, Waters spoke about the dangers of nuclear weapons: “That we allow [them] to exist in a world controlled by deranged sociopaths is, in itself, a deranged arrangement. We are many they are few. We could just say no, to the whole MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) insanity. It makes zero...
Tom Petty’s Family Issues Cease and Desist to Trump Over Use of “I Won’t Back Down”
The family of Tom Petty has issued a cease and desist to Donald Trump over the unauthorized usage of Petty’s song “I Won’t Back Down” during a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday. Trump took the stage as “I Won’t Back Down” played over the speakers. According to a statement released by Petty’s family, “Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind.” “Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind,” the statement continued. “Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together.” The family said it was issuing a cease and desist notice to Trump’s campaign. “We would hate for fans that are marginalized by the...
Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Arcade Fire to Play on Preservation Hall Jazz Band Livestream
Dave Grohl (photo by Philip Cosores), Preservation Hall Jazz Band (photo by Paul R. Giunta), and Paul McCartney (photo by Joshua Mellin) Summer music festivals may be canceling left and right due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but that won’t stop Newport Folk Festival staple the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from playing loud and proud anyway. On Saturday night, the famed group will perform a livestream from their respective homes alongside some special guests, including Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, and Arcade Fire. The livestream, dubbed “Round Midnight Preserves”, will take place on June 20th from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. In addition to the Foo Fighters frontman, The Beatles bassist, and Arcade Fire, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews, Beck, Irma Thomas, My Morning J...
