Classic Rock
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...
Black Sabbath Selling Black Lives Matter T-Shirt in Style of Band’s Classic Logo
Black Sabbath are showing support for Black Lives Matter by selling a t-shirt with the activist movement’s name spelled out in the style of the iconic metal band’s logo. All net proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated to support Black Lives Matter. The godfathers of heavy metal played their last show in 2017, but they continue to have legions of fans throughout the world. The reaction to the t-shirt on the band’s Facebook page has been mostly positive, with some dissenters renouncing their fandom over its political nature. Those naysayers have been called out by supportive fans, who cite the band’s political anthems like “War Pigs” and “Wicked World” as examples of the heavy metal legends taking a stance on social issues in the past. The shirt plays off the purple band logo ma...
Roger Waters Announces US + Them Live Album
Today brings the digital home release of Roger Waters’ latest concert film, US + Them, chronicling his 2017-2018 world tour of the same name. Come October 2nd, the Pink Floyd legend will release a companion live album, as well as a physical version of the film on Blu-ray and DVD. The concert film follows Waters as he embarked on a massive 156-date tour around the world. Waters co-directed the film with Sam Evans, using footage from his dates in Amsterdam and the UK. It captures the spectacle of the “Us + Them” tour, with its dizzying image projections and trippy rainbow laser pyramid. The setlists, too, were something to behold, chock-full of Pink Floyd’s greatest hits from The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of the Moon, as well as rarely performed tracks ...
Penny Lane from The Beatles Song “in Danger of Being Renamed” over Possible Slavery Ties
As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to surge worldwide, citizens and governments alike are being forced to reconsider monuments to heritages of racism. In America, everyone from GWAR to Taylor Swift is calling for the removal of confederate statues, with one petition proposing they be replaced with ones of Dolly Parton. Meanwhile, over in Liverpool, England, folks are seeking to rename the famed Penny Lane — immortalized in the classic song by The Beatles — over its purported connection to the slave trade. It seems many believe the road was named for James Penny, a slave merchant who spoke against abolition in Parliament. Last week, as protests over racial injustice and inequality gripped the country, signs for the street were defaced and graffitied, with “racist” being sprayed ab...
Paul McCartney’s Birthday Wish Is for People to Stop Eating Meat
It’s pretty wild to realize Paul McCartney, the guy who throws cathartic multi-hour-long concerts with ease, will turn 78 years old this year. To preface his birthday on June 18th, he’s written a blog post for PETA in which he details his sole wish for the big day: that people will finally stop eating meat and, ideally, go vegetarian. “All I’ve ever wanted for my birthday is peace on Earth — including for animals,” The Beatles bassist wrote in the blog post. “That’s why this year, I’m urging fans to watch a video I hosted for PETA, titled ‘Glass Walls.’ We called it that because if slaughterhouses had glass walls, who would want to eat meat?” “Whether you’re worried about diseases that spring from slaughterhouses, the animals who suffer terribly and needlessly, or the catastrophic impact o...
Neil Young Unearths Homegrown Track “Vacancy”: Stream
It took 46 years, but next Friday (June 19th) finally brings the release of Neil Young’s Homegrown. The “unheard bridge between Harvest and Comes A Time,” the 12-track LP was recorded between June 1974 and January 1975, but was ultimately locked away as Young “wanted to move on” following his separation from actress Carrie Snodgress. Now, though, Homegrown will finally receive release on June 19th through Reprise Records. To preview the release, Young previously unveiled the album track “Try”. Now, he’s unveiled a second offering in “Vacancy”. Take a listen below. Of the 12 tracks featured on Homegrown, five of them would later find homes on other albums. “Try”, “Vacancy”, and five other songs have been been issued before. You can pre-order Homegrown on vinyl here. [embedded cont...
Paul McCartney Announces Collector’s Edition of Flaming Pie
Paul McCartney has been rolling out special reissues from his catalog as part of his Grammy-winning Archive Collection series for a while now, and it looks like his next release will double as a celebration of his 78th birthday. As it turns out, the newest record to get the archival treatment is his beloved tenth solo album, 1997’s Flaming Pie, which is due out July 31st via MPL/Capitol/UMe. These new Flaming Pie releases include previously unreleased material and bonus tracks. Strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, the Collector’s Edition includes five CDs, four LPs, two DVDs, a marbled art print portfolio of Linda McCartney prints, and his Allen Ginsberg collaboration “The Ballad of the Skeletons” — the first time it’s ever being pressed to vinyl — all wrapped up in a cloth-wrapped c...
Bob Dylan Reveals Rough and Rowdy Ways Tracklist
Bob Dylan has unveiled the track list for his forthcoming new studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, which due out June 19th via Columbia Records. The great bard revealed all 10 tracks in a folksy video on his Instagram account. As expected, the tracklist album features previously released singles: “False Prophet”, “I Contain Multitudes”, and, yes, the 17-minute closer “Murder Most Foul”. As previously reported, the album marks his first release of entirely new material in eight years (specifically, 2012’s Tempest). Sadly, he won’t be able to support the album until likely next year as he recently canceled his planned tour. Watch the announcement below, and pre-order your copy of the album here. Editors’ Picks Rough and Rowdy Ways Tracklist:01. I Contain Multitudes02. False Prophet03. M...
