Classic Rock 93.9

Jack White and Eddie Vedder were rocking together in Japan.

The Pearl Jam frontman made a surprise appearance during the “Seven Nation Army” artist’s show in Tokyo on Saturday and joined him for a collaborative performance of Neil Young‘s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

That the two would jam together on that particular song seemed almost inevitable. Pearl Jam has long covered “Rockin’ in the Free World” during their live shows, while White just played it during February’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert special, which also featured Vedder.

Eddie’s wife Jill Vedder also posted footage of White’s show from backstage, capturing his performance of the White Stripes song “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground.”

White is currently touring in support of his latest solo album, No Name. Following a second show in Tokyo on Monday, he’ll return to the U.S. for a run of dates beginning in April.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron has released a new EP with singer Shaina Shepherd.

The EP is called New Beginning and includes five tracks. 

If Shaina’s name sounds familiar, that’s probably because she played alongside Cameron and fellow surviving Soundgarden members Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd during a reunion performance at a December benefit concert. She handled vocals in place of the late Chris Cornell, who died in 2017.

Following the benefit concert, Shaina dismissed the idea of joining Soundgarden permanently, saying, “Soundgarden is a revolutionary band that changed my life, your life, the world. I could never front Soundgarden.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Envy of None, the band featuring Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, is sharing another new single off their upcoming sophomore album, Stygian Wavz, which drops March 28.

The latest is the track “The Story,” which songwriter and vocalist Maiah Wynne says is about “wanting to be better, to grow, and the sense of desperation that comes with that desire.”

“To me, the song is about the struggle of not being able to break bad cycles. I had been stuck for a very long time and was trying to be better,” she says. “Whether it’s habits, addiction, self-sabotage, or just unhealthy patterns, we all are trapped by something we are trying to break away from. If I had the power to write my own story, I’d want to be the hero, but so often I am my own villain.”

You can listen to “The Story” now via digital outlets and watch the accompanying video on YouTube.

This is the fourth song Envy of None has released from Stygian Wavz, following “Under the Stars,” “Not Dead Yet” and the title track.

Stygian Wavz is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bruce Springsteen fans are anxiously awaiting the upcoming movie Deliver Me From Nowhere, in which The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White plays The Boss — and it sounds like they aren’t going to be disappointed.

While Springsteen has already said in interviews that he was impressed with White’s portrayal, one of the actors in the film, comedian Marc Maron, is sharing just how well White pulled off the role.

In an interview with Collider, Maron talks about White doing his own singing in the film and shares, “[T]here were times when Bruce didn’t know whether what he was listening to was him or Jeremy. It’s a good story, man.”

Maron plays a recording engineer named Chuck Plotkin in the film, directed by Scott Cooper, noting it’s a “very small part, but the guy is pivotal in the story.” He adds that the best part about doing the role was getting to hang out on set with Bruce and his manger Jon Landau, who is played in the film by Jeremy Strong.

“The real perk of doing that movie was Strong is playing Jon Landau, and White is playing Bruce, but Bruce and Jon, the real ones, were just out at Video Village,” he says. “They were hanging out the whole time. So, Scott would yell cut, and then you’d just go hang out with Bruce for a while. So, that was pretty great.”

He adds, “So anytime you had a minute to get off the set, you’d just go ask Bruce some questions.”

Deliver Me From Nowhere follows Springsteen’s efforts to make his 1982 solo album Nebraska. The film is based on Warren Zanes‘ book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ first-ever live album is finally getting a full U.S. release to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Saturnight: Live from Tokyo, recorded on June 22, 1974, at Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo, was originally only released in Japan, but will now get its first full release in the U.S. on May 2. While it was made available in the U.S. as a limited-edition Record Store Day exclusive vinyl in November, it will now be released digitally and on CD, vinyl and limited-edition lava splatter vinyl.

The CD will include a 16-page booklet with lyrics, as well as notes from some of the people who were there, including bassist Bruce Lynch and Stevens’ 1974 tour manager, Carl Miller. The vinyl version will come in a gatefold sleeve with the same lyrics and notes.

The live album includes performances of songs like “Wild World,” “Oh Very Young,” “Where Do the Children Play,” “Lady D’Arbanville,” “Peace Train” and “Father & Son.” It also features the first live performance of Stevens’ rendition of Sam Cooke‘s “Another Saturday Night,” which would go on to become a top-10 hit.

And fans can now get a taste of that concert with the release of Stevens’ live performance of “King of Trees,” from the album Buddha and the Chocolate Box, which is available via digital outlets.

Saturnight: Live from Tokyo is available for preorder now.

And speaking of live performances … Yusuf/Cat Stevens has a big live show on the books for 2025. He’s set to open for Neil Young at his BST Hyde Park show in London on July 11. Van Morrison is also on the bill.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash is blasting a New Jersey resident who used one of his most iconic lyrics to share what Nash calls “hate and intolerance.”

The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young singer took to his Instagram Story to respond to a sign that read “boys have a penis, girls have a vagina,” along with “Teach your children well … Crosby, Stills & Nash.”

“It has come to my attention that a vile individual in NJ has this sign in his yard with a quote from my song Teach Your Children,” Nash writes. “I want to make it abundantly clear that I do not support this kind of hate and intolerance and that this is a disgusting message that has nothing to do with my song.”

He adds, “A sign like this is meant to exclude and shame people which is the very opposite of the message that I spread throughout my music.”

Nash reiterated his support for the transgender community, noting he “would never seek to make them feel less than or ashamed of being who they are.”

Finally he writes, “If you teach your children anything, let it be compassion and understanding. Especially of anyone who might not be exactly like them.”

“Teach Your Children” was released in 1970 and appeared on the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album Déjà Vu. It peaked at #16 on the Hot 100 chart, but went on to be one of the band and Nash’s signatures tunes.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Marianne Faithfull passed away in January at the age of 78, but she’s still got music to share.

A posthumous four-track Marianne Faithfull EP, Burning Moonlight, will be released as a limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day on April 12, with a digital EP to follow on June 6.

“As we grieve the loss of Marianne, we are pleased to announce the release of these songs which she worked on during the year before her death,” her son, Nicholas Dunbar, shared in a statement. “Marianne lived to create and perform music – it was her driving force and she never stopped. Right up until the end she was looking forward to this release which now completes and celebrates her remarkable artistic career.”

The EP was recorded to celebrate Marianne’s 60 years in music, with the press release noting the songs mix “her pop roots with her folk influences.”

“It’s a good time to look back,” Faithfull said upon completing the recording. “It helps me to remember all the things I’ve done. I can’t say I’m a particularly nostalgic person, but I am enjoying this period of reflection.”

To coincide with the announcement, the title track of the record has been released to digital outlets. It’s described as a “moving ballad of resilience and acceptance,” noting it “was inspired by the opening line of her debut single ‘As Tears Go By,'” which was a song written by The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and their manager Andrew Loog Oldham. The tune later became a top-10 hit for the Stones.

Burning Moonlight is available for preorder now. Here is the track list:
“Burning Moonlight”
“Love Is”
“Three Kinsmen Bold”
“She Moved Thru’ The Fair”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Back in December, the U.K.’s Royal Mint honored Paul McCartney with his own coin. Well, now his bandmate John Lennon is getting one, too.

The Royal Mint is set to celebrate the legendary musician’s legacy with a new commemorative coin, being released to coincide with the year Lennon would have turned 85.

Designed by expert coin designer Henry Gray, the coin features a portrait of Lennon taken on the roof of his New York City penthouse. It is based on an image from music photographer Bob Gruen. The portrait is in the middle of the coin, with Lennon’s name on the left and the word “Imagine,” in reference to his iconic single and album, on the right.

“Arguably one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time, Lennon’s achievements as an artist, activist and advocate for peace continues to live on and will now be forever remembered on a coin,” Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint, said. “Still admired by millions of people and generations worldwide, we hope this coin and its design will be treasured for many years to come.”

The Lennon coin will go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. GMT via The Royal Mint website.

The coin is part of The Royal Mint’s Music Legends coin series. Other artists commemorated with coins include Queen and David Bowie.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

An official feature documentary on Iron Maiden is in the works.

The film, produced by Universal Pictures Content Group, is set to premiere in cinemas worldwide in the fall in celebration of the metal icons’ 50th anniversary. It is described as “an emotive journey through Iron Maiden’s 50 year history told from the perspective of both the band and some of their most devoted followers,” including Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich, KISS‘ Gene Simmons and actor Javier Bardem.

“We’re proud Universal Pictures Content Group has chosen to share the unique story of Iron Maiden with the world,” says band manager Rod Smallwood. “We have given them unrestricted access to the band, our fans and musical peers.”

Smallwood adds, “We trust that they will excite not only music fans but also anyone who loves a story of an underdog beating the odds to become and remain one of Britain’s biggest musical exports since our first record released 45 years ago.”

The currently untitled doc will also include the final interview with original Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, who passed away in 2024.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.