Tribute
Joy Division’s Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris to Celebrate Ian Curtis During Livestream Event
Next Monday, May 18th, marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. To honor his memory and legacy of that day, his former bandmates/New Order members Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris will be taking part in a benefit livestream event presented by United We Stream. Marking the beginning of the UK’s Mental Health Awareness Week, “Moving Through the Silence: Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Ian Curtis” will take place at from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET at the United We Stream website and Facebook page. Billed as “a special evening of music, poetry and conversation,” the event will raise funds primarily for the Manchester Mind mental health charity, with 30% of the donations also going to the Nordoff Robins music therapy center and the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s...
Little Richard Tributes: Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Jimmy Page, Cyndi Lauper Honor Rock Pioneer
Little Richard, one of the greatest artists in the history of popular music died on Saturday. Words like “trailblazer” and “pioneer” somehow feel insufficient; Little Richard was rock and roll, embedded deep within the genre’s DNA. His reach extended far beyond hits like “Tutti Frutti”, and his innovations in vocal technique, fashion, sexual expression, and concert spectacle influenced generations of musicians. In the wake of his passing from cancer at the age of 87, thousands of artists released statements expressing all that the late titan meant to them. “When we were on tour with him I would watch his moves every night and learn from him how to entertain and involve the audience and he was always so generous with advice to me,” Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger remembered. “...
How Kraftwerk and David Bowie Paved the Way for Music As We Know It Today
In 1976, David Bowie introduced his bravest new world yet. Zig-zagging across Europe and North America to promote his 10th studio album, Station to Station, he set the scene, night after night, with spliced footage from Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s surrealist masterpiece Un Chien Andalou. It was a strange yet enthralling scene for fans, but had the artist, then known as The Thin White Duke, had his way, four motionless Germans would have graced the stage instead. The request, of course, was made, but a firm yet friendly “nein danke” from Kraftwerk later led musical history to opt for another course. Midway through the Station to Station live run, also known as the “Isolar Tour”, Kraftwerk co-founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider met with Bowie at their Kling Klang Studio in their h...
Kurt Vile Covers John Prine’s “Sam Stone” During Love From Philly Livestream: Watch
Virtual music festival and fundraiser Love From Philly took place this past weekend and boasted headlining performances from local heroes Kurt Vile and former bandmates The War on Drugs. Broadcast from his own basement, Vile’s set featured his 2010 song “I Know I Got Religion” and 2015’s “I’m an Outlaw”. The main highlight, though, came towards the end when the guitar maestro paid tribute to the late John Prine by covering his classic “Sam Stone”. Vile and Prine actually performed the track together before during a concert in Philadelphia two years ago. Vile has also repeatedly praised the folk legend in interviews. Speaking to The Guardian in 2018, he described Prine as “one of the greatest living American songwriters: he’s a killer performer and storyteller, with all these lamenting...
