Journey’s Jonathan Cain says it’s time to say farewell: ‘We’re just repeating ourselves’

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Journey is currently out on their Final Frontier Tour, which is scheduled through the end of November, and keyboardist Jonathan Cain says the band’s retirement is coming at the right time.

Describing the tour as “a grind,” Cain tells the Rock & Roll High School podcast, “I think the only reason I’m still out here is the fans, you know? It’s time for me to close the chapter. It’s a beautiful time to say goodbye, for me.”

Cain notes, “After playing the stadium tour with Def Leppard last year, I just felt like we’d done it. And we’re just repeating ourselves. The new albums don’t seem to move the needle. That’s why I’ve gotten into Christian music, because I can still sing a melody there and praise the Lord, and it still, you know, gets received.”

Elsewhere in the podcast, Cain talks about Journey’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Former lead singer Steve Perry did join them onstage for the honor, but he didn’t sing with them, which Cain says he’s still surprised about.

“I was certain — I would have bet money he would’ve changed his mind and come and sang ‘Lights’ with us or something, but he didn’t, which was weird,” Cain says. “I would have bet money that he was gonna come to soundcheck the day before and show up. I kept looking in the wings and he never came.”

Cain also owns up to starting a rumor that Perry might pop up at some point during the farewell tour. “He got wind of it and immediately shot it down,” Cain said. “I always had said that he’s welcome on our stage any time. And he knows that that’s an open invitation. And he might still change his mind, we never know.”

U2 joins Shane MacGowan tribute album

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

U2 has been added to the track list for the upcoming tribute album to late Pogues frontman and fellow Irish artist Shane MacGowan.

Bono and company have put their spin on the Pogues song “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” for the compilation, due out Nov. 13.

The album, titled 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan, also includes Bruce Springsteen’s previously released cover of “A Rainy Night in Soho.” Other contributing artists include Hozier, who sings the holiday classic “Fairytale of New York” alongside Oscar-winning actress Jessie Buckley, Dropkick Murphys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Tom Waits and The Pogues themselves.

You can check out the full track list via MacGowan’s Instagram.

MacGowan died in 2023 at age 65.

The Pogues reunited in 2024 and launched a U.S. tour in 2025 featuring original members Spider Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley alongside guest vocalists and musicians.

Paul Di’Anno live album announced to accompany upcoming documentary

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

A new Paul Di’Anno live album has been announced to accompany the upcoming documentary about the late former Iron Maiden singer.

The set, which was recorded in 2022 in Croatia, is due out June 26. You can listen to its included rendition of the Maiden song “Phantom of the Opera” out now.

“Phantom of the Opera” first appeared on Maiden’s 1980 self-titled debut album. Di’Anno sang on Iron Maiden and its 1981 sophomore follow-up, Killers, before parting ways with the band. He was replaced by Maiden’s current singer, Bruce Dickinson.

The Di’Anno documentary, titled Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer, will be released June 9 on Blu-ray/DVD and digital. It features appearances by Maiden bassist Steve Harris, Metallica’s James Hetfield and KISS’ Gene Simmons.

Di’Anno died in 2024 at age 66. He’ll be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Maiden as part of its 2026 class.

On This Day, May 28, 2007: The Police reunited for first tour in over 20 years

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, May 28, 2007 …

The Police launched their reunion tour at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band, was the first time Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers had toured together since 1986.

The band treated the crowd to a hits-filled set that included such songs as “Message in a Bottle,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “Roxanne,” “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Every Breath You Take” and more.

The tour hit North America, Europe, the U.K., Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, before wrapping Aug. 7 in New York City. It earned over $360 million making it one of the highest grossing tours of all time.

Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters to play Tom Morello-curated Power to the People Festival

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters are among the artists who’ll be performing at Power to the People Festival, scheduled for Columbia, Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion on Oct. 3.

Described as a “non-partisan” “day of peace, love, justice, and music,” the festival is curated by Tom Morello, who’s part of Springsteen’s current Land of Hope and Dreams tour. He announced the festival on stage during Springsteen’s show at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park on Wednesday night.

According to the event’s website, it will serve to remind people of the “power everyday human beings have when they come together … to shape our country and our planet on, and beyond, Election Day.”

In addition to Springsteen and Foo Fighters, performers include Morello, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Jack Black, Taylor Momsen, ex-Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, grandson, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Cypress Hill, Killer Mike, The Linda Lindas, Serj Tankian of System of a Down and Dropkick Murphys.

A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales will go to VoteRiders, a pro-democracy, pro-voter organization, and HeadCount, which will also be on site to help fans register to vote.

Presales start May 20 at 10 a.m. ET at PowerToThePeopleFest.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public May 30 at 10 a.m. ET.

Lou Gramm on being back out on the road: ‘I get excited about seeing a large audience’

May 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Original Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm is currently on tour and tells ABC Audio that getting out on a stage is something he loves to do.

“I get excited about seeing a large audience,” he says, “and then running out there and starting the first song is incredibly exciting.”

The tour follows the March release of Gramm’s new solo album, Released, which is made up of songs the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer recorded in the 1980s that didn’t make it onto his previous solo albums.

On tour, fans can expect a mix of solo singles like “Midnight Blue,” and Foreigner tunes like “Cold As Ice” and “Hot Blooded,” plus songs from the new album.

As for which new songs he’s most excited to perform, Gramm notes, “They’re all special. I mean, we took 2 1/2 years putting a lot of songs together, and picking songs that sounded the best and different from each other.”

And while Gramm still loves to perform, he does admit that at 76 he’s just not up for long tours anymore.

“I don’t have the stamina, and my mind starts to wander,” he says. “I enjoy playing and I enjoy performing to an audience and it’s a lot of fun, but an hour and a half set is taxing to an old bird like me, you know?”

Gramm is set to play Stamford, Connecticut, on Thursday, with the tour wrapping Oct. 8 in Columbia, South Carolina. A complete list of dates can be found at LouGrammOfficial.com.

Bret Michaels performing at Freedom 250 Great American State Fair in Washington, DC

May 27, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Poison frontman Bret Michael is performing at the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The festival takes place June 25 through July 10 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Admission is free.

The lineup also includes Flo Rida, Morris Day & The Time, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Young MC and C+C Music Factory.

For more info, visit the Freedom 250 Instagram.

Paul McCartney has a ‘Chicken Shop Date’ on Friday

May 27, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

As a vegetarian, Paul McCartney doesn’t eat chicken, but that isn’t stopping him from appearing on the popular YouTube series Chicken Shop Date on Friday.

The show features host Amelia Dimoldenberg meeting a celebrity guest at a local fried chicken restaurant, and then asking them quirky questions while they eat. Each episode is only about eight minutes long.

In an Instagram post promoting the appearance, Amelia wrote, “Money can’t buy me love…but it can buy me vegan nuggets and chips ! my date with @paulmccartney is out FRIDAY.”

On an Instagram Reel featuring her and Paul acting goofy in the chicken shop, she wrote, “HELP! My biggest date yet.”

Amelia has welcomed everyone from Cher, Ryan Reynolds and Sabrina Carpenter to Cynthia Erivo, Conan O’Brien and Ben Stiller to the show.

‘Foreign Tongues’ producer says new Rolling Stones album is ‘rawer and liver and jammier’

May 27, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Andrew Watt produced The Rolling Stones’ well-received 2023 album Hackney Diamonds and the band’s upcoming release, Foreign Tongues. But Watt says he prefers latter, out July 10, because the Stones “never play the same f****** thing the same way twice.”

Watt tells the U.K. paper The Telegraph that for Foreign Tongues, he had the band play live in the studio. “It’s always changing, and then there’s moments where they blow your brains out with how unbelievable and tight it is, and they’re all on it,” he explains. “But part of their magic is that it’s always changing. … [S]o the recording process had to be something where we were going for keeps at all times, so you could capture those moments, moving with the heartbeats of the guys in the room.”

As a result, Watt tells the paper, “I like this one even more [than Hackney Diamonds]. It’s rawer and liver and jammier and wait till you hear the s*** Keith [Richards is] playing. It’s unbelievable.”

Describing the dynamic between Richards and Mick Jagger, Watt says, “You would think two people that have been with each other for as long as they have could read each other’s minds, and there’s times where they do and there’s other times where they go exactly opposite, and it’s those moments where some of the greatest s*** comes out.”

“When they’re recording, they’re almost like fencing a little bit,” he adds. “You know, it’s like this eloquent kind of battle that is occurring.”

“Balancing that whole act and keeping it moving along so you’ve got the take when the magic happens, that is really the main part of the job,” Watt notes. “Really, it’s the most fun thing in the world.”

Watt also produced Paul McCartney’s The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

Rock for Ronnie auction includes signed guitars & Metallica ‘S&M2’ violin

May 27, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Rock for Ronnie benefit concert, which pays tribute to the late metal icon Ronnie James Dio, has announced a trio of signed instruments going up for auction as part of the event.

Attendees will be able to bid on a Lakland bass signed by Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler and an Epiphone Les Paul signed by George Thorogood. Additionally, Lita Ford, who’s headlining Rock for Ronnie, will contribute a custom-made guitar featuring the artwork from the Dio album Holy Diver, which she will sign and then play during her set.

Additionally, the auction includes a violin from Metallica’s 2019 S&M2 concert.

Rock for Ronnie takes place Sunday in Los Angeles. It raises money for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund in support of cancer research.

Dio died of stomach cancer in 2010 at age 67.

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