Classic Rock
Street Artist Turns NYC Subway Station into “Van Halen Avenue”
A New York City street artist paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen in the most clever way, turning the Van Siclen Avenue stop in Brooklyn into “Van Halen Avenue”. The same artist pulled a similar stunt last month, turning the 50th St. station in Manhattan into “Ruth St.” in honor of late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Adrian Wilson is the artist who conceived the subway tributes in honor of the guitar legend and the Supreme Court justice. After being featured on the news for his Ginsburg tribute, he figured someone else would have taken the initiative for the Van Halen guitarist, or at least taken credit for it. But, as he wrote on his Instagram, he ultimately took matters into his own hands. “Come on people,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a pic of his “Van Halen Avenue” sign. “I even explaine...
George Thorogood Premieres “Bad to the Bone” from Deluxe Reissue of Live in Boston, 1982: Stream
George Thorogood and The Destroyers have been going strong for more than 40 years. And they’re going back nearly that long for a new deluxe reissue of the album Live in Boston, 1982. In advance of the release, Thorogood is teaming up with Consequence of Sound to premiere a visualizer for the deluxe edition’s previously unreleased live version of his signature tune, “Bad to the Bone”. The deluxe edition, dubbed Live in Boston, 1982: The Complete Concert, adds 12 previously unreleased songs to the original 2010 release, for a total of 27 tracks. The reissue will be available as a 4-LP 180-gram vinyl set; a 2-CD edition; and digitally beginning December 4th via Craft Recordings. A red marble vinyl release will be made available exclusively for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November...
Alex Van Halen to His Late Brother Eddie: “See You on the Other Side”
Alex and Eddie Van Halen, via Warner Bros. Records Alex Van Halen has acknowledged the passing of his bandmate and brother, Eddie Van Halen, with a brief statement to media outlets. The drummer also shared a charming photo of the two of them as children. In keeping with the short tributes that have already been posted by Eddie’s other Van Halen bandmates, Alex simply wrote, “Hey Ed. Love you. See you on the other side. Your brother, Al.” The heartwarming photo depicts Alex standing up in overalls while a toddler-aged Eddie sits on a rocking horse and plays a toy drum. Thus far, there has not been an official band statement regarding Eddie’s death, but Alex’s message follows social media tributes from recent and former Van Halen members David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Gary Che...
Tame Impala Covers John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” : Watch
Today, October 9th, would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. As a tribute to the late Beatles legend, Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker has shared a bedroom cover of the iconic Imagine song “Jealous Guy”. When we say bedroom cover we mean it quite literally. In a video posted to the Tame Impala Instagram account, Parker is seen singing and strumming along to the 1971 tune while lounging in his big comfy bed. In the original version of the song, Lennon’s vocals are bolstered by a full band’s worth of instruments, but Parker manages to translate the track’s timeless beauty with just his voice and an acoustic guitar. Props to him for having a bedroom with surprisingly great natural reverb, because even though this was probably shot on an iPhone the sound quality is pretty great. Watch d...
Slade’s Noddy Holder on Pushing Glam to Greater Heights
Kyle Meredith With… Slade Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Slade singer and guitarist Noddy Holder jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about the band’s new singles collection, Come On Feel The Hitz. The two discuss how the band would take rock to new places during their ’70s peak, pushing Glam to greater heights, and influencing everyone from Nirvana to the hair bands of the ’80s. Holder also gives the story behind their cover of “Get Down and Get With It”, choosing to leave the band (and music) after releasing 1991’s Radio Wall of Sound, and the band’s plans for Dave Hill to carry on a new incarnation in the future. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which...
Stevie Nicks Releases New Solo Song “Show Them The Way” Featuring Dave Grohl: Stream
Stevie Nicks has just released her first new solo song in nearly a decade. It’s called “Show Them The Way” and features Dave Grohl on drums. A music video helmed by renowned director Cameron Crowe is due out later today; in the meantime, you can stream the audio below. The Fleetwood Mac icon previously said she was inspired to write “Show Them The Way” when revisiting an old dream. One night right before the 2008 election, Nicks fell asleep and imagined herself in the company of a variety of notable politicians and activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, John Lewis, and Bobby Kennedy. It’s stuck with her ever since, and she decided to tap into the sentiment of that imagined memory for the song, which was produced by Greg Kurstin (Sia, Adele, Beck)....
Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony Honor Eddie Van Halen with Video and Onstage Tributes: Watch
Former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony have paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen with a new video message. The pair happened to be getting ready to perform at Hagar’s “Birthday Bash” concert this week at Catalina Island when news of the guitarist’s death broke on Tuesday. The two musicians had both been estranged from Eddie for several years, with Hagar revealing Wednesday that he had recently made peace with the guitarist. Previously, Hagar and Anthony shared very short statements on social media, both expressing that they were heartbroken over Eddie’s death. In a new video message filmed during rehearsals for Hagar’s annual birthday bash, Hagar and Anthony expressed how shocked they were to hear the news of Eddie’s passing. “For Mike and I, it was just like getting ...
Sammy Hagar Rekindled His Friendship with Eddie Van Halen Before the Guitarist’s Death
Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen weren’t always on the best of terms, but Hagar rekindled his friendship with the guitarist in the months prior to the latter’s death on Tuesday. Before reconnecting, the pair hadn’t directly spoken since the end of the 2004 Van Halen reunion tour. However, in a note passed on to The Howard Stern Show this morning (October 7th), Hagar revealed that he’d secretly reconnected with his former bandmate via text in recent months. Their text communication was kept secret to prevent possible Van Halen reunion rumors. Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985, replacing original frontman David Lee Roth, who went on to pursue a solo career after having his own disputes with Eddie. Often labeled “Van Hagar” when the Red Rocker was out front, the band continued its massive success...
Eddie Van Halen’s Wife Janie and Ex-Wife Valerie Bertinelli Share Heartfelt Tributes to the Late Rocker
Two of the women who were closest to Eddie Van Halen have shared heart-wrenching tributes to the late guitar legend. His wife, Janie Liszewski Van Halen, and his ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, both posted tributes to the rock icon following his death on Tuesday. Most reports suggest that the Van Halen guitarist passed away following a battle with throat cancer. However, Bertinelli mentioned lung cancer in her Instagram post, perhaps confirming a report by TMZ that the cancer had spread to other parts of his body. Bertinelli, best known for her role on the TV sitcom One Day at a Time, married Eddie in 1981. They separated in 2001, and divorced in 2007. The couple had one son, Wolfgang, who would eventually become Van Halen’s bassist. Along with sharing a photo of herself with Eddie an...
Van Halen’s Top 10 Songs In Honor of Eddie Van Halen
This feature originally ran in January 2014 and is being recirculated in honor of Eddie Van Halen’s passing. Van Halen overwhelmed America. With their big hair, long legs, and jaw-dropping solos that went on for days and days, the Pasadena rockers were loud, lewd, and loved. They sang about beautiful girls, devilish bad boys, and dreamy schoolteachers. Their videos were just as majestic as their sound, turning everyone into howling hound dogs with nights to lose. They conquered the world, too. With 1984, the hard rockers went toe to toe with global sensation Michael Jackson, whose Thriller also happened to feature guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The blockbuster album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts, and stayed there for five weeks, eventually selling 12 million copies states...
Musicians and Celebrities React to Death of Eddie Van Halen
Tragically, news broke earlier today that the legendary Eddie Van Halen has died at age 65 following a long battle with throat cancer. Needless to say, the rock world and beyond has been devastated by the iconic musician’s passing. The Van Halen guitarist’s playing influenced countless musicians over the past 40-plus years. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revolutionized the way the instrument was played with his lightning quick fingers, as evidenced on the instrumental classic “Eruption”. Along with David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, and his brother Alex, Eddie Van Halen dominated rock music with Van Halen. Beginning with their 1978 self-titled debut, they came out swinging, quickly becoming multi-platinum superstars. They continued to achieve massive success with Sammy Hagar as their sing...
David Lee Roth on Eddie Van Halen’s Passing: “What a Long Great Trip It’s Been”
David Lee Roth has honored his longtime bandmate Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on Tuesday (October 6th). The singer offered a short but poignant tribute, joining fellow Van Halen members past and present in saluting the guitar god. Eddie Van Halen died after a battle with throat cancer, and the tributes have poured in from the music and entertainment world. On Tuesday evening, David Lee Roth shared a photo of himself with Eddie, with the words, “What a long great trip it’s been.” Roth’s words follow similar tributes from former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. Hagar, who replaced Roth when he left Van Halen in the ’80s, simply wrote, “Heartbroken and speechless. My love to the family.” Anthony, the band’s longtime bassist before being replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen in ...
