Classic Rock
RUSH’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Perform with Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, and Danny Carey at Taylor Hawkins Tribute Show: Watch
The second of two tribute concerts in honor of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins took place Tuesday night (September 27th) in Los Angeles. Among the gargantuan 53-song setlist were three RUSH songs performed by original members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson and a cast of all-star drummers. Lee and Lifeson were first joined by Dave Grohl for “2112 Part I: Overture,” the first movement of the 1976 prog-rock epic. The trio nailed the difficult stop-and-start rhythms, with Grohl pounding away at the floor tom and eying Geddy for cues. Grohl then handed over the sticks to Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who has become somewhat of a journeyman, playing on Ozzy Osbourne’s recent albums in addition to his full-time work with a very active RHCP. Here, he settled into the pocket for “W...
David Bowie’s Hunky Dory Era Chronicled in Upcoming Box Set Divine Symmetry
For the most fervent of David Bowie fans, the 12 months leading up to the legend’s 1971 masterpiece Hunky Dory will soon be documented with the expansive box set Divine Symmetry, out November 25th via Parlophone. As a preview, you can hear an unearthed BBC Radio recording of “Kooks” today. Divine Symmetry comprises four CDs and one Blu-Ray that contain countless home demos, radio sessions, and live and studio recordings — including 48 that have just been unveiled for the first time. Additionally, Parlophone will also release an LP companion to Divine Symmetry that features alternate mixes of many of the album’s most notable songs. Pre-orders are ongoing. Aside from the hours of music, Divine Symmetry also includes a 100-page hardback book featuring exclusive memora...
Beck Covers Neil Young’s “Old Man” in Tribute to Tom Brady: Stream
Tom Brady is currently the oldest NFL quarterback to start a game at 45 years old, and NBC’s Sunday Night Football chose to celebrate him by using Beck’s cover of Neil Young’s “Old Man” in a commercial for next week’s matchup between Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs. The song choice is a bit on the nose, but it works. “Old man, look at my life/ 24, and there’s so much more,” Beck sings, as highlights of Brady’s legendary career are juxtaposed with the 27-year-old’s Mahomes’ accomplishments. Both quarterbacks won Super Bowls at the age of 24. Toward the end of the commercial, Mahomes walks up to Brady after the Buccaneers’ 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, which brought Brady’s record to 3-2 in their head-to-head match-ups. “Hey, you’re a ...
Roger Waters Pens Open Letter to Putin As His Concerts in Poland Are Canceled
Aspirational expert in foreign affairs Roger Waters has written an open letter to Vladimir Putin in light of Russia’s war on Ukraine. But rather than asking the Russian president to withdraw, the former Pink Floyd member has instead asked Putin to promise that he won’t “overrun the whole of Europe.” “Firstly, would you like to see an end to this war?,” Waters wrote to Putin on Facebook. “If you were to reply and say, ‘Yes please.’ That would immediately make things a lot easier. If you were to come out and say, ‘Also the Russian Federation has no further territorial interest beyond the security of the Russian speaking populations of The Crimea, Donetsk and Lubansk.’ That would help too. I say this because, I know some people who think you want to overrun the whole of Europe, starting with ...
President Biden Surprises Elton John with National Humanities Medal at White House Concert
President Biden surprised Elton John by bestowing him with the National Humanities Medal during a concert at the White House on Friday. The South Lawn performance was part of A&E Networks and The History Channel’s “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” an event celebrating “everyday heroes” like nurses, teachers, and activists. John performed hits like “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” at the event, but the artist, who created the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1991, seemed genuinely shocked when President Biden honored his activism instead of just enjoying his music. “Tonight is my great honor, and I mean this sincerely, to present the National Humanities Medal to Sir Elton John,” Biden said, as John, mouth agape and wiping tears from his eyes, clutched his piano. A White House officer ex...
Stevie Nicks Shares Cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”: Stream
Stevie Nicks has been performing a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s 1960s protest song “For What It’s Worth” on tour (get tickets here), and now you can hear the studio version on streaming services. Take a listen below. The cover was recorded earlier this year with hitmaking producer Greg Kurstin and two longtime members of her touring band: backing vocalist Sharon Celani and guitarist Waddy Wachtel. Nicks’ take doesn’t stray far from the original, but her perspective as a woman gives extra meaning to the lyrics, which are just as relevant today: “There’s a man with a gun over there/ Telling me I got to beware.” “I’m so excited to release my new song this Friday,” Nicks wrote on social media earlier this week. “It’s called ‘For What It’s Worth’ and it was written by Stephen Stills in 1...
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ New Live Album Captures Fabled 1997 Residency at San Francisco’s Fillmore
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ fabled 20-show run at San Francisco’s Fillmore in 1997 is the subject of a new deluxe box set coming on November 25th. Live at the Fillmore (1997) is being put out by Warner Records in collaboration with Petty’s estate and Mike Campbell. It marks the first Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live album to be released in 13 years. Various configurations of Live at the Fillmore (1997) will be available, including a 3xLP version simulating one of the concerts and a comprehensive box set comprised of 58 songs and 14 humorous spoken word tracks. The material featured on the release was curated by Campbell and Ryan Ulyate alongside executive producers Benmont Tench, Adria Petty, Annakim Petty, and Dana Petty. Advertisement Related Video Much of the material found on ...
Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard Stadium Tour Grosses $173.5 Million
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe’s co-headlining stadium tour brought in a whopping $173.5 million, making it the highest grossing tour of either band’s career. The highly anticipated outing finally took place in 2022 after being postponed twice due to the pandemic. The bill was utterly stacked, with the aforementioned headliners receiving support from fellow rock icons Poison and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. Average ticket sales for each night were 37,520 — more than three times the draw that Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe had previously reached on their own — with an average nightly earning of $4.96 million. Advertisement Related Video Boston was the largest market, with the bands playing a two-night stand at Fenway Park on August 5th and 6th. A total of 64,000 tickets sold for $9.3 million ...
Crowded House Reschedule North American Tour to 2023
Crowded House recently announced they would have to postpone their first North American tour in 12 years due to their drummer’s lower back injury, and now the band has revealed the trek is being pushed to 2023. The rescheduled “Dreamers Are Waiting” leg now kicks off May 2nd in Vancouver. It includes shows in New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Nashville, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping in Boston on May 30th. See the full itinerary below. Previously purchased tickets are valid for the rescheduled dates. Tickets are available now for the majority of the shows via Ticketmaster, with additional seats for dates in Los Angeles and Oakland opening up on Friday, September 23rd at 10:00 a.m. local time. Advertisement Related Video The upcoming tour is in support of Crowded House’s comeback...
Mark David Chapman, John Lennon’s Killer, Denied Parole for 12th Time
Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon in 1980, has been denied parole for the 12th time, Rolling Stone reports. Chapman shot Lennon outside the artist’s New York City apartment on December 8th, 1980 and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 20 years to life at New York’s Green Haven Correctional Facility and became eligible for parole in 2000, though he’s been denied at the hearings he’s had every two years since. Chapman’s latest parole hearing took place in August. In a statement, the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said, “Following an interview with the Board of Parole on August 31, 2022, Mr. Chapman was denied release with a hold of 18 months. His next appearance date is scheduled for February 2024.” Advertisem...
“The Last Waltz 2022” Tour Returns with Warren Haynes, Don Was, and More
The Last Waltz is coming back for a victory lap. The tribute to The Band’s iconic final concert will make head back onto the road this November, with returning headliners Warren Haynes, Don Was, Kathleen Edwards, and more set to perform. Organized by original band member Robbie Robertson, his son Sebastian, and Keith Wortman of Blackbird Presents, “The Last Waltz 2022” pays homage to The Band’s historic 1976 farewell show. The tribute tour kicks off with two nights at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, on November 3rd, and continues throughout the month at historic venues along the East Coast. “The Last Waltz 2022” will also host performances from Jamey Johnson, Dave Malone, Anders Osborne, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, and Terence Higgins. Mark Mullins & The Levee...
Aerosmith Rock 50th Anniversary Show at Boston’s Fenway Park: Photos + Video
Aerosmith were finally able to celebrate their 50th anniversary in grand style on Thursday night (September 8th) with a hometown show at Boston’s Fenway Park. The concert was originally set to take place in 2020, but was twice postponed due to the pandemic. The landmark gig marked Aerosmith’s second show back after the pandemic and Steven Tyler’s recent rehab stint kept the band off the road for two-and-a-half years. They warmed up with a concert in Bangor, Maine, this past Sunday (September 4th). After an opening set by fellow Boston rockers Extreme, the Aerosmith boys kicked off their set with “Back in the Saddle.” Joining original members Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and Tom Hamilton for the career-spanning 19-song set was drummer John Douglas, who is filling in for Joey Kramer as he...
