Thursday, March 31, 2016

Billy Corgan Reunites with Smashing Pumpkins Guitarist James Iha (jambands.com)




Billy Corgan continued the Smashing Pumpkins’ “In Plainsong” tour with a stop at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. The show saw former Pumpkins guitarist James Iha join the fold with Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin for a series of songs from their 1993 album Siamese Dream.

Read more and watch a clip @ jambands.com

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Guns N' Roses Confirm 21 City U.S. Tour (Ultimate Classic Rock)




Guns N’ Roses will play an expanded 21-city tour along with the previously announced set of six reunion shows, their publicist confirms.

Shows will take place in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Venues and dates are still forthcoming.


Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Guns N' Roses Confirm 21-City U.S. Tour

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Rolling Stones Thrill Huge Crowd at Historic Havana Show (Rolling Stone)




In the recent series of monumental arrivals in Cuba — Netflix, Airbnb, a U.S. president — none looms as large as the Rolling Stones, who played to an estimated 500,000 Cubans in Havana on Friday. On an island overlooked by time for more than a half century, the group became the focal point of life for at least a day. The iconic tongue logo sprouted up on T-shirts across Havana, and cabbies, bartenders and friendly locals asked almost anyone, "Do you know the Rolling Stones will play tonight?" as if to confirm that the concert was indeed real.

Read more of Richard L. Dewey's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/live-reviews/rolling-stones-thrill-huge-crowd-at-historic-havana-show-20160326#ixzz44DL4r2UT

Monday, March 28, 2016

AC/DC Reps Respond to Axl Rose Guest Singer Rumors (Ultimate Classic Rock)




AC/DC‘s representatives have responded to rumors suggesting that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose will join the group as a guest singer, neither denying nor confirming the story, but instead telling NME they have “nothing official to announce.”


Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: AC/DC Reps Respond to Axl Rose Guest Singer Rumors

Sunday, March 27, 2016

On the turntable this Sunday...The Joshua Tree


The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and depicts the band's love–hate relationship with the United States, using socially and politically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery.
Inspired by American tour experiences, literature, and politics, U2 chose America as a theme for the record. Recording began in January 1986 in Ireland, and to foster a relaxed, creative atmosphere, the group recorded in two houses, in addition to two professional studios. Several events during the sessions helped shape the conscious tone of the album, including the band's participation in A Conspiracy of Hope tour, the death of roadie Greg Carroll, and lead vocalist Bono's travels to Central America. Recording was completed in November 1986; additional production continued into January 1987. Throughout the sessions, U2 sought a "cinematic" quality for the record, one that would evoke a sense of location, in particular, the open spaces of America. They represented this in the sleeve photography depicting them in American desert landscapes.

The Joshua Tree received critical acclaim, topped the charts in over 20 countries, and sold in record-breaking numbers. According to Rolling Stone, the album increased the band's stature "from heroes to superstars". It produced the hit singles "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and "Where the Streets Have No Name". The album won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1988. The group supported the record with the Joshua Tree Tour throughout 1987. Frequently featured on critics' lists of music's greatest records, The Joshua Tree is one of the world's best-selling albums, with over 25 million copies sold. U2 released a remastered edition of the record in 2007 to commemorate its 20th anniversary. In 2014, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the US Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Friday, March 25, 2016

Terrapin Crossroads Announce Easter Weekend Festivities (jambands.com)



Terrapin Crossroads will host two days worth of events over Easter Weekend beginning March 26. On that Saturday, there will be lawn games, ping pong, bocce and other hosted activities before Phil Lesh holds a reading of his favorite folk tales, fairytales and children’s stories. 

Read full article @ jambands.com

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Billy Idol still pulls off punk look, crooner voice




By MIKE WEATHERFORD
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL


OK, ladies and some gents, qualified good news: You only have to wait a half-hour for Billy Idol to take his shirt off.

Alas, it’s just a tease. The once-and-future chest-bearer turns his back on you and not only puts his jacket back on, but — after a theatrical stage grunt to accompany a brief flash of the still-taut abs — straps on an acoustic guitar to conceal them.


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

April 2016 New Music Releases (Ultimate Classic Rock)



The slate of April 2016 new music releases begins with Cheap Trick, whose Bang Zoom razy … Hello represents both their first album since 2009’s The Latest and their first since Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx took over for drummer Bun E. Carlos. And that’s just the beginning, as the month promises plenty of cool sounds

Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: April 2016 New Music Releases 

Monday, March 21, 2016

This Thing Called Life: Prince Announces His Memoir In Style (NPR Music)




"Y'all still read books, right?" Prince asked from the balcony of Manhattan's Avenue Club on Friday night, knowing what the jubilant response would be from the crowd of publishing folks, journalists and VIPs gathered below.

The evening's occasion was the announcement that Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House publishing, had purchased the rights to the enigmatic 57-year-old music legend's memoir, which is expected sometime in 2017.

Read more of Piotr Orlov's article @ NPRMusic

Sunday, March 20, 2016

On the turntable this Sunday...Music Complete




Music Complete is the tenth studio album by English rock band New Order. It was released on 25 September 2015 by Mute Records, their first album on the label. The album features guest vocals from Elly Jackson of La Roux, Iggy Pop and Brandon Flowers.

During the summer of 2014, New Order promoted the album through online media, at Lollapalooza Chile with two songs, "Singularity" and "Plastic", and 30-second snippets released directly onto their official YouTube account. It was announced that Gillian Gilbert was returning to the band, but with Tom Chapman taking Peter Hook's place as bassist. Two singles were released from the album directly: "Restless" as the album's lead single on 29 July, and "Tutti Frutti" on 19 October 2015. A third single, the track "Singularity", has a planned release date of 18 March 2016.

The album itself, through general media, is more electronic than its predecessors, and their first album of new material in a decade. The cover art was designed by long-time collaborator Peter Saville, which comprises a montage of lines with four colour schemes: red, yellow, green, and blue, which varies in pattern depending on the package.

Music Complete was released on CD, both clear and black vinyl LP, and digital download on 25 September 2015, with a 8LP deluxe box set released on 20 November 2015. The album received generally favourable reviews, and holds a Metascore of 76 on review aggregator Metacritic. A tour in support of the album ran from 4 November 2015 through 20 December 2015.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Umphrey’s McGee Honor Keith Emerson, Welcome Skerik in Seattle (jambands.com)





Umphrey’s McGee continued their tour at The Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA, last Friday night, honoring a fallen icon and welcoming a special guest in the process.

Read more @ jambands.com 

Friday, March 18, 2016

New Order Play With Their Pleasure Zones in Joyous New York City Show (Rolling Stone)




Up, down, turn around. New Order kicked off their new U.S. tour last night with a celebratory sold-out show at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The Manchester goth-disco kingpins are in cocky form these days, after releasing their sparkling new Music Complete in the wake of their nasty split with bassist Peter Hook.

Read more of Rob Sheffield's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/live-reviews/new-order-play-with-their-pleasure-zones-in-joyous-new-york-city-show-20160311#ixzz42nADKDJ2

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Don Henley Confirms That the Eagles Are Done (UCR)




Don Henley says an emotional performance with Jackson Browne at this year’s Grammy Awards will be the Eagles‘ last. The surviving members gathered on that night in tribute to co-founder Glenn Frey, who co-wrote “Take It Easy” with Browne in the early ’70s. He died suddenly in January.


Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Don Henley Confirms That the Eagles Are Done

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Watch Phil Collins Return for First Concert in Five Years (Rolling Stone)




Phil Collins officially kicked off his comeback Friday night as the singer returned to the stage for his first solo concert in nearly six years at the Dreaming On The Beach benefit concert at Miami's Fillmore.


Read more of Daniel Kreps' article @Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-phil-collins-return-for-first-concert-in-five-years-20160312#ixzz42n7KOblH

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer Dies (UCR)




Keith Emerson, the outsized co-founding keyboardist in Emerson Lake and Palmer has committed suicide at 71, according to both Billboard and TMZ. He’d reportedly been suffering from depression over a degenerative nerve issue in one hand that had sharply curtailed his ability to play, TMZ added.


Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer Dies 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Widespread Panic Announce Summer Tour Dates



Widespread Panic have announced their summer tour dates for the months of June and July, including several multiple-night runs across the country.

Read more @ jambands.com

 Widespread Panic Tour Dates
April 8 Austin, TX—ACL Live at Moody Theater
April 9 Austin, TX—ACL Live at Moody Theater
April 10 Austin, TX—ACL Live at Moody Theater
April 12 Jackson, MS—Thalia Mara Hall
April 13 Jackson, MS—Thalia Mara Hall
April 15 Live Oak, FL—Wanee
April 16 Live Oak, FL—Wanee
April 19 Augusta, GA—James Brown Arena
April 20 Chattanooga, TN—Memorial Auditorium
April 22 N. Charleston, SC—N. Charleston Coliseum
April 23 Birmingham, AL—BJCC
April 25 Knoxville, TN—Tennessee Theater
April 26 Knoxville, TN—Tennessee Theater
April 28 Charlottesville, VA—nTelos Pavilion
April 30 Raleigh, NC—Walnut Creek Amphitheater
May 1 Huber Heights, OH—Rose Music Center
May 3 Detroit, MI—Fillmore Detroit
May 5 Chicago, IL—Chicago Theatre
May 6 Chicago, IL—Chicago Theatre
May 7 Chicago, IL—Chicago Theatre

June 17 Rogers, AR – Arkansas Music Pavilion
June 18 Memphis, TN – Mud Island Amphitheatre
June 19 Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
June 21 Omaha, NE – Orpheum Theater
June 22 Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
June 24 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 26 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 29 Missoula, MT – Ogren Park at Allegiance Field
June 30 Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
July 2 Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater*
July 3 Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater*
July 6 Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s
July 8 Las Vegas, NV – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino^
July 9 Las Vegas, NV – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino^
July 10 Las Vegas, NV – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino^
July 12 San Diego, CA – Civic Theatre
July 14 Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre
July 15 Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre
July 16 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

(*) w/ Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons
(^) w/ Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Sunday, March 13, 2016

On the turntable this Sunday...The Gift




The Gift is the sixth and final studio album by English mod revival band The Jam. It was originally released on 12 March 1982 by Polydor as the follow-up to The Jam's critically and commercially successful 1980 album Sound Affects. The songs were largely recorded during 1981 to 1982, assisted by Peter Wilson, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of the band's later work. It was one of the band's most successful studio albums, reaching No. 1 in the UK.

After the album's release, Paul Weller went on to form The Style Council. The song "Carnation" was later covered by Liam Gallagher of Oasis and Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene.
A 2-disc deluxe edition was released in 2012 for the album's 30th anniversary.

The album moved away from the simple three-chord music of In the City and This Is the Modern World, and the more melodic All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Affects, to demonstrate Weller's love of northern soul. Funk bass lines and wah-wah guitar effects were often used throughout the album, along with jazz influences such as brass sections and saxophone solos (most notably on the track "Precious") and "Trans-Global Express" which was based on the Northern Soul funk hit "So Is The Sun" by World Column, lifting the chorus and rhythm line in their entirety from that song. Only two songs on the album exceed three and a half minutes.

The biggest hit of the album was "Town Called Malice". The song's title riffs on the novel "A Town Like Alice" whilst its lyrics lament disappearing aspects of stereotypical working class life in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. The message is not altogether negative though and the song stands as a potent rallying call to roll with the changes. One of the quintessential "state of the nation" songs in the band's catalogue it is still frequently performed by Weller in concert as a rousing finale to the set. "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?", which was released as a 7" vinyl single in the Netherlands only, represents the efforts put in by 9-to-5 working men and women of Britain, who keep society running (and as such, are unsung heroes). Unlike the earlier song "Mr. Clean" from All Mod Cons, Weller does not mock the character, but rather praises him/her. However, the character from "Mr. Clean" represents a completely different strata of society, the executive/upper management types who would typically hound and otherwise make the character from "Just Who Is The 5 O'Clock Hero?"'s life difficult.

Weller's experimentation of several different musical styles previously unexplored by The Jam on this album led to increasing disagreement with the other band members, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler, who were disillusioned with the move away from a traditional pub rock or punk rock style. The band broke up after touring the album (even after its massive success, rising to No. 1 on the British charts) on the 'Trans-Global Express Tour'.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Paul McCartney Announces First Dates of One on One Tour (jambands.com)



Paul McCartney will debut his new One on One tour this April with the first batch of dates that kicks off April 13 in Fresno, CA with McCartney’s first appearance at the SaveMart Arena.

Paul McCartney Tour Dates:
April 13 Fresno, CA—SaveMart Arena
April 15 Portland, OR—Moda Center
April 17 Seattle, WA—Key Arena
April 19 Vancouver, BC—Rogers Arena
April 20 Vancouver, BC—Rogers Arena
April 30 Little Rock, AR—Verizon Arena
May 2 Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford Premier Center


Read more @ jambands.com

Friday, March 11, 2016

Bob Dylan Announces New 'Fallen Angels' Album and Tour (UCR)




Bob Dylan will release his 37th studio album this spring and follow its arrival with a lengthy summer tour of the United States.
Titled Fallen Angels, the new LP is scheduled to drop on May 20 — just days before Dylan’s 75th birthday — and will be made available via redemption code to most ticket buyers on the upcoming tour


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Bob Dylan Announces New 'Fallen Angels' Album and Tour 

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Phish Detail New Archival Release from Fall 1996 (jambands.com)



Just in time for March Madness, Phish will release a fall 1996 show from University of Kentucky’s Rupp Arena. The show, performed shortly after the group debuted Talking Heads’ Remain in Light on Halloween in Atlanta, serves as their only show to date at the arena named after famed basketball coach Adolph Rupp.

Read more @ jambands.com 

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

AC/DC Postpone Tour As Brian Johnson Faces 'Total Hearing Loss' (UCR)



AC/DC have postponed their 10 remaining U.S. dates, citing a scary medical issue for frontman Brian Johnson. He has apparently been “advised by doctors to stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss,” according to a news release. The band was set to bring their “Rock or Bust” tour to Atlanta on Tuesday (March 8).

Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: AC/DC Postpone Tour As Brian Johnson Faces 'Total Hearing Loss' 

Monday, March 7, 2016

How Van Halen Conquered the World in Just 10 Shows (UCR)




One of the best chapters of Greg Renoff‘s excellent new book Van Halen Rising chronicles the band’s meteoric rise to fame during their first world tour in 1978. The above gallery offers a look at 10 particularly important performances that helped transform Van Halen from hometown heroes to platinum-selling superstars in just under a year.

Read More of Matthew Wilkening's @ Ultimate Classic Rock: How Van Halen Conquered the World in Just 10 Shows 

Sunday, March 6, 2016

On the turntable this Sunday...Check Your Head




Check Your Head is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992, by Capitol Records.

Three years elapsed between the release of Paul's Boutique (the band's second album) and their recording of this album. Check Your Head was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village in 1991. It was re-released in 2009 in a number of formats and featured 16 b-sides and rarities as well as a commentary track. The album is extensively broken down track-by-track by Mike D, MCA, Ad-Rock, Mario Caldato Jr., and Money Mark in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.


In contrast to their previous album, Paul's Boutique, the Beastie Boys returned somewhat stylistically to their punk rock roots on Check Your Head, playing their own instruments for the first time on record since their early EPs (although they did provide live instrumentation on at least two songs on Paul's Boutique). Hence photographer Glen E. Friedman's idea to shoot photos with their instrument cases (one of which became the cover). Supposedly, a trading card with Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. from a set of Desert Storm trading cards was the inspiration for the title.

The album was their first to be fully co-produced by Mario Caldato Jr. Caldato was an engineer on Paul's Boutique and was credited as producer on that album's track "Ask for Janice". The album also marks the first appearance of longtime collaborator keyboardist Money Mark. The Beastie Boys toured with the Rollins Band and Cypress Hill in early 1992 to support Check Your Head.



Saturday, March 5, 2016

Gregg Allman Announces ZZ Top and More for Laid Back Festival at Red Rocks (jambands.com)




As previously reported by jambands.com, Gregg Allman’s Laid Back Festival, a one-day event headlined and curated by Allman that premiered last year at Nikon at Jones Beach, will be expanded to five cities this year, and now the lineup for the final stop at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre has been released. 

Read more @ jambands.com


Friday, March 4, 2016

Phil Collins Announces Comeback Concert (UCR)



Only a week after clarifying his coming-out-of-retirement scenario by saying that he wasn’t planning to go on tour, Phil Collins has announced a concert. This will be his first billed show since the conclusion of his tour in support of 2010’s Going Back.

Read More of Dave Lifton's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Phil Collins Announces Comeback Concert 

Thursday, March 3, 2016

White Denim's Final Pop-Up Show tonight in Austin, TX




White Denim will perform one final pop-up show in their hometown of Austin, TX, this evening (March 3) at Hole in the Wall. 

White Denim will be releasing their latest album, Stiff, on March 25. 

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Def Leppard Announce Summer Tour With REO Speedwagon and Tesla (UCR)




Def Leppard‘s latest summer package tour includes some new friends as well as familiar faces.
The band took to social media to announce the new dates, publishing a Facebook post that reveals they’ll be hitting the road this summer with REO Speedwagon and Tesla.


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Def Leppard Announce Summer Tour With REO Speedwagon and Tesla