Todd Rungren is getting to play songs from his favorite Beatles album on Fab Four-themed tribute tour

March 7, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Todd Rundgren is one of several well-known musicians who are taking part in the 2022 edition of the “It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: A Tribute to The Beatles” tour, which kicked off last week.

While the 2019 edition of the trek showcased songs from The Beatles’ 1967 self-titled album, aka The White Album, this tour focuses on 1965’s Rubber Soul and 1966’s Revolver.

Todd, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year, tells ABC Audio that while he’s a fan of Rubber Soul, Revolver is his very favorite album by the Fab Four.

“When they did Revolver…[they] actually redefin[ed] the [rock] genre,” Rundgren notes, “adding tape loops and backwards guitar solos and things like that, all sorts of studio techniques that nobody had used before.”

Todd says when it came time to choose songs to perform on the trek, he immediately “nabbed” two Revolver tunes that were among The Beatles’ first forays into psychedelia — “She Said, She Said” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

“I said, ‘No one else is doing those but me,'” Rundgren recalls with a laughs. “No one else has taken as many drugs as me in this band, and therefore I qualify.”

Joining Todd on the outing are Christopher Cross, founding Moody Blues and Wings member Denny Laine, Badfinger‘s Joey Molland and former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff. Each artist performs several Beatles tunes, as well as a couple of the best-known tunes from their own careers.

Rundgren says the tour members’ own hits actually “get an equally great response” as the Fab Four songs during the show.

The tour continues tonight in Red Bank, New Jersey, and winds down on March 27 in Kansas City, Missouri. Visit GlassOnyonPR.com for a full list of dates.

Watch video of Deep Purple giving a rocking rehearsal performance of Love’s “7 and 7 Is”

March 5, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

A new video capturing Deep Purple performing Love‘s 1966 garage-rock gem “7 and 7 Is” during a live rehearsal has debuted on the earMUSIC label’s official YouTube channel.

The band shot the clip in a warehouse in Germany in November 2021 during a promotional tour of the country. Deep Purple’s music video for their recent cover of Fleetwood Mac‘s “Oh Well” was shot at the same time.

Deep Purple’s studio versions of “7 and 7 Is” and “Oh Well,” appear on the band’s latest album, Turning to Crime, which was released last November 2021. Turning to Crime, recorded remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown, is the group’s first album made up entirely of songs by other artists.

The 12-track collection, which was produced by the band’s frequent collaborator Bob Ezrin, also includes versions of Bob Dylan‘s “Watching the River Flow,” Little Feat‘s “Dixie Chicken,” The Yardbirds‘ “Shapes of Things,” Cream‘s “White Room” and more.

Deep Purple has launched a website dedicated to the new album, TurningtoCrime.com, and you also can order the record at the site.

Last month, Deep Purple kicked off its 2022 tour itinerary with a pair of concerts in Florida, and the band also took part in the latest edition of the Rock Legends Cruise. Next up for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will be a May 22 show in Tel Aviv, Israel, that will be followed be a series a European concerts.

Patti Smith, Trey Anastasio, Paul Simon and more took part in virtual 2022 Tibet House US Benefit Concert

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

The 35th annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert was held Thursday night as a virtual event that streamed live on Mandolin.com, and among the many highlights were performances by Patti Smith and Phish‘s Trey Anastasio, as well as appearances by Paul Simon and Iggy Pop.

Smith kicked off the concert by singing a moving rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem in tribute to the people of Ukraine, as Russia continues its invasion of the country. Later in the show, Patti performed her song “Peaceable Kingdom” with her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith.

Smith, accompanied by her band, also sang “Happy Birthday” to the event’s artistic director, influential composer Philip Glass, who turned 85 in late January.

Anastasio played a set that included the deep cut “Snowflakes in the Sand. “

Meanwhile, Simon and Iggy were among several special guests who were on hand to deliver spoken-word messages. Others included New Order‘s Bernard Sumner and Stephen Colbert.

The performance lineup also included Laurie Anderson, Nathaniel Rateliff, Angélique Kidjo and country artists Jason Isbell and Margo Price, as well as actor Keanu Reeves, who recited the Alan Ginsberg poem “Pull My Daisy.”

The concert wrapped up with Patti performing her classic 1988 anthem “People Have the Power,” which has become a tradition at the long-running annual event.

The stream of the 2022 Tibet House US Benefit Concert will be available for viewing at Mandolin.com until this Sunday, March 6, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Money raised by ticket sales benefit Tibet House US, a non-profit organization that works to preserve Tibetan culture.

Additional money is being raised for the charity via a CharityBuzz auction that runs through March 8 and features guitars signed by Simon and Pearl Jam, among other memorabilia.

Mike Campbell and his group The Dirty Knobs have released their second album, ‘External Combustion’

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Founding Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and his current band, The Dirty Knobs, released their second album, External Combustion, today.

External Combustion, a follow-up to 2020’s Wreckless Abandon, is an 11-track collection that features guest appearances by Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame, Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, and alt-country artist Margo Price.

Campbell wrote most of the songs on External Combustion during the past year, although two tunes date back to the 1990s and were recently rediscovered by Mike in his vault of unreleased tracks.

Earlier this week, Campbell and The Dirty Knobs released their collaboration with Price, “State of Mind,” as a digital single. It was the third song from the album that was released as an advance track, after “Wicked Mind” and “Electric Gypsy.”

Campbell and The Dirty Knobs kick off a U.S. tour in support of External on March 9 in Tampa, Florida. After a series of headlining shows that runs through a May 1 concert in Austin, Texas, the band joins country star Chris Stapleton‘s trek as an opening act from early June until late July. Visit TheDirtyKnobs.com for the group’s full schedule.

Here’s the complete External Combustion track list:

“Wicked Mind”
“Brigitte Bardot”
“Cheap Talk”
“External Combustion”
“Dirty Job” — featuring Ian Hunter
“State of Mind” — featuring Margo Price
“Lightning Boogie”
“Rat City”
“In This Lifetime”
“It Is Written”
“Electric Gypsy”

America’s Gerry Beckley releasing new solo album, ‘Aurora,’ in June

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Co-founding America singer/songwriter Gerry Beckley will release his latest solo album, Aurora, on June 17.

Coinciding with the announcement, Beckley has released one of the album’s tracks, a catchy pop gem titled “Friends Are Hard to Find,” via streaming services.

Gerry explains that the new song “seeks to relieve the isolation all of us felt during the last nearly two years,” and was written with inspiration from “the spontaneous creativity” of famed songwriter Jimmy Webb, who is Beckley’s good friend.

Aurora is an 11-song collection that Gerry recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic at his two home studios, in Sydney, Australia, and Venice, California. The tracks on Aurora include tunes that began as unfinished demos and scratch recordings that date back as far as the early 1970s, as well as brand-new songs written during the past two years.

Beckley co-wrote one of the new songs, “Tickets to the Past,” with his America band mate Dewey Bunnell, marking the first time a tune that they wrote together will not first appear on an album by their band.

Aurora is sequenced like a traditional two-sided vinyl LP, with songs that are arranged to flow with a beginning, a middle and an end. Reflecting on the new collection, Gerry says, “When you hold a mirror up to your life, it’s hard to control how much of your life is in that reflection. I don’t want to say it’s about one thing in particular, I’d rather leave it more open-ended.”

America’s currently on tour in the U.S., and has more than 20 upcoming dates lined up this year. The band’s next concert is March 11 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Here’s the full Aurora track list:

“Aurora”
“I Fall Down”
“Never Know Why”
“Tickets to the Past”
“Way to Go”
“Friends Are Hard to Find”
“Peace of Mind”
“Indy’s Gatho”
“Aerial”
“Superscope”
“Tears”

Red Hot Chili Peppers premiere new ’Unlimited Love’ track, “Poster Child”

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Red Hot Chili Peppers have shared another preview of their hotly anticipated new album, Unlimited Love.

The latest cut is called “Poster Child,” and is available now via digital outlets. An accompanying animated video is streaming now via Facebook.

“Poster Child” is the second Unlimited Love track to be released, following lead single “Black Summer.” The album, which marks the return of both longtime guitarist John Frusciante and frequent Peppers producer Rick Rubin, arrives in full on April 1.

RHCP will launch a worldwide stadium tour in support of Unlimited Love in June. The U.S. leg begins in July.

Randy Newman reveals he broke his neck, postpones European tour

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Randy Newman is postponing his 2022 U.K. and European tour dates while he recovers from a broken neck.

“Recently, I noticed I was shrinking. People over whom I had towered now towered over me. Could this be payback for having written ‘Short People’? Turns out, my neck was broken,” the Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning songwriter wrote in a statement posted on his official website and Instagram account.

“They operated on me successfully, I think. For even now, I look less like an anteater and more like a folk rock artist from the early sixties,” the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee continued. “But the doctor said I’m not quite ready to tour. I was really looking forward to coming to Europe to perform. I miss performing a great deal and I look forward to a time when I can come. I’m sorry I won’t see you this time but I will see you soon.”

Newman, 78, was set to kick off his An Evening with Randy Newman tour in Dublin, Ireland, on March 15, with subsequent stops in the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Germany and France. This marks the third time Newman has postponed the tour. It was originally set to begin in 2020, but was pushed to 2022 due to the pandemic. He was also scheduled to swing by Australia and make his first-ever trip to New Zealand, but put those shows on hold in January 2020 following hip surgery.

The statement promises “new dates to be announced as soon as possible,” and that current ticket holders will be contacted with additional info about the rescheduled dates in the future. The status of Newman’s recently announced May 1 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival remains unconfirmed.

Paul McCartney headlining UK’s Glastonbury

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Paul McCartney has confirmed the online speculation: He’ll be headlining the U.K.’s prestigious Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, June 25. The festival is returning in person this year after the last two editions were canceled due to the pandemic.

On February 24, McCartney tweeted what appeared to be a Wordle score, with the stats, “Wordle 121 25/6.” Since those numbers don’t actually make sense in Wordle world, fans suspected something was up, and one spelled it out: “I think 121 25/6 is saying 121 days to Glasto and Saturday Glasto is 25th June. Guessing he is headlining.”

If you’ll recall, McCartney had been slated to play a headlining set at the 2020 Glastonbury Festival, but that event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as was the 2021 edition of the fest.

As previously announced, Billie Eilish will be the headliner at this year’s festival on Friday, June 24, while rapper Kendrick Lamar has just been announced as the headliner for Sunday, June 26.

Also on the bill: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream and dozens more.

Museum exhibit celebrating Billy Gibbons’ Texas roots opening this month in Galveston

March 4, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons has curated a new exhibit called the “Billy F Gibbons Texas History Experience” celebrating his career and music and their connections to his home state, which will open on March 25 at The Bryan Museum in Galveston, Texas.

Gibbons will be taking part in an exclusive Q&A session at a VIP opening event for the exhibit on the 25th beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT, and tickets are available now at TheBryanMuseum.org.

The exhibition will feature some of Gibbons’ personal equipment and will look at how some songs written by Billy relate to Texas history and certain locations in the state.

A webpage dedicated to the exhibit at TheBryanMuseum.org features biographical information about Gibbons, as well as background on four ZZ Top songs with Texas-related themes — “La Grange,” “Heard It on the X,” “Deguello” and “Balinese.”

The “Billy F Gibbons Texas History Experience” will run through July 3 at the museum.

The Bryan Museum opened in 2015, with a mission of bringing to life the history of Texas and the American West.

In other news, for a second year in a row, Gibbons will be headlining the Tennessee Motorcycles and Music Revival, taking place this year May 19-22 at country legend Loretta Lynn‘s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

While Gibbons performed with his solo band The BFG’s at the 2021 event, this year he will be accompanied by a star-studded group of friends and guest artists. Billy performance is scheduled for May 20. The lineup also features more than a dozen other artists, including The Outlaws.

Besides the music, the four-day event will feature stunt shows, bike shows, motorcycle racing, off-road trail riding, a custom motorcycle showcase, and more.

Tickets for the extravaganza can be purchased at Tixr.com.

Iron Maiden cancels concerts in Russia & Ukraine

March 3, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Iron Maiden has become yet another rock artist to have concerts canceled because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The legendary U.K. heavy metal band has scrapped shows in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 29 and in Moscow on June 1. In a statement, Iron Maiden writes, “We are very sorry to announce that due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows…on the 2022 Legacy of the Beast World Tour.Ticket-holders for both shows will be informed by the respective promoters on refunds at the appropriate time.Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.”

The rockers launch their 2022 trek with a European that that begins May 22 in Zagreb, Croatia. The Legacy of the Beast tour’s North American leg gets underway with a September 11 show in El Paso, Texas.

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