Classic Rock 93.9

A new restaurant and venue inspired by the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia is set to open in Chicago’s West Loop area in March and the initial lineup of performers has just been announced.

Garcia’s Chicago, the brainchild of Peter Shapiro, who’s also behind The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, the Brooklyn Bowl chain and more, will open March 21. The first of three shows will be headlined by Grahame Lesh, son of the late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.

According to the venue’s website, “Garcia’s Chicago is a concert venue and restaurant celebrating Jerry Garcia’s extraordinary legacy, reflecting his heritage, eclectic artistry, and the vibrant community that surrounded him throughout his life.”

Shapiro and his company Dayglo Presents worked with the Garcia family on the venue. The website notes, “[E]very element of Garcia’s Chicago has been thoughtfully designed to tell a story, embracing the spirit of Jerry and the worlds he inhabited.”

In addition to the Grahame Lesh & Friends shows, the initial Garcia’s lineup features shows by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, Grace Potter and The Grateful String Band.

Tickets go on sale March 14. A complete lineup can be found at garciaschicago.com.

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KISS is delving into their archives to treat their fans to another classic live performance. The rockers announced the sixth installment in their Off The Soundboard live bootleg series, which this time will focus on a classic concert from 1985.

KISS – Off The Soundboard: HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas – December 3, 1985 was recorded during the band’s Asylum tour, and is the first soundboard release to feature Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Eric Carr with guitarist Bruce Kulick, who joined the band in 1984.

The album features performances of new Asylum songs like “Uh! All Night” and “Tears Are Falling,” along with KISS classics like “Detroit Rock City,” “Rock and Roll All Night,” “Lick It Up” and more.

KISS – Off The Soundboard: HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas – December 3, 1985, shipping March 28,  is currently available to preorder on KISS’ website as a 3-LP colored vinyl set that comes with a t-shirt.

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Bachman-Turner Overdrive is getting ready to release some new music.

The “Takin’ Care of Business” rockers, led by Randy Bachman, will release the new single “60 Years Ago,” on March 28, with proceeds benefiting The Bridge to Nowhere charity bike ride, which helps raise money to end chronic homelessness in Winnipeg, Canada.

The song features Randy and his sons Tal and Koko Bachman, with BTO’s Fred Turner on vocals, and a guitar solo from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and fellow Canadian, Neil Young.

“This song is our tribute to Winnipeg, the place where we grew up as teenagers in the ’60s, a time when the city’s music scene was exploding,” Randy shares. “It was the Liverpool of North America, a melting pot of incredible talents. Everyone I’ve talked to who spent time in Winnipeg and witnessed that musical explosion is excited to hear this song, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.”

“60 Years Ago” is available for preorder now.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive is set to kick off a Canadian tour on April 1 in Victoria, British Columbia. They will hit the States this summer with The Marshall Tucker Band and Jefferson Starship. The tour kicks off July 18 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

A complete list of dates can be found at btoband.com.

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Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 is launching a museum showcasing his personal collection of KISS memorabilia.

The Knights in Satan Service Museum will be open in Los Angeles on May 5-9, May 12-16, May 19-23 and May 27-30, with John himself leading guided tours of over 2,500 pieces amassed over nearly 50 years.

“In June 1977, when I was 7-years-old, my mom took me to Sears where I saw a record store display for KISS’ album Love Gun,” John says. “I loved monsters and music and begged my mom for the record. Hearing it for the first time was a total epiphany for me. And any time a birthday or Christmas rolled around, I got a new KISS poster or merch.”

“Collecting became a huge part of my life. It’s also helped me connect with the world as I’ve found pieces from Argentina to Chile, Taiwan to Japan,” he continues. “With KISS not touring anymore, the only real place to see this collection and go down memory lane is to come to the museum in Los Angeles. Hang out with me, I’ll answer questions, we’ll talk and I’ll tell stories.”

For more info, visit John5Store.com.

John will have some time to exhibit his KISS collection with Mötley Crüe postponing their Las Vegas residency from March and April to September and October. The delay is due to vocalist Vince Neil undergoing an unspecified medical procedure.

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Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is heading out on the road this fall to celebrate Genesis’ classic album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced dates for the Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights and Solo North American tour, which kicks off Oct. 4 in Ithaca, New York, and wraps Nov. 22 in Portland, Oregon.

Like the name suggests, the tour will have Hackett performing songs from 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, as well as other classic Genesis tunes and music from his solo career.

Ticket presales are happening Wednesday and Thursday, with tickets going on sale to the general public starting Friday.

A complete list of dates can be found at hackettsongs.com.

Released Nov. 22, 1974, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was a concept album based on Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel‘s idea about a Puerto Rican youth named Rael who goes on a journey of self-discovery.

On March 28, Genesis will celebrate the album’s anniversary with the release of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition, which includes a remastered album, a Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos mixes done under the supervision of Gabriel and Tony Banks, and never-before-released demos.

It is available for preorder now.

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Ringo Starr’s Ringo & Friends at the Ryman premieres Monday on CBS, and fans are getting another sneak peek at the special.

The network just released a clip of Ringo joined by rocker Jack White for a performance of the Carl Perkins track “Matchbox.” Starr previously recorded his take on the song for The Beatles‘ 1964 EP Long Tall Sally.

Ringo & Friends at the Ryman premieres at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. It was recorded during Ringo’s two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in January, following the release of his new country album, Look Up.

Other “friends” joining Ringo include Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton, Brenda Lee, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Rodney Crowell and The War and Treaty.

Both Ryman shows ended with an all-star performance of The Beatles song “With a Little Help from My Friends,” with proceeds from the song benefiting California wildfire relief efforts.

Ringo is getting ready to hit the stage once again this summer. He’ll kick off a new tour with his All-Starr Band on June 12 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at RingoStarr.com.

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A new book will delve into the legacy of heavy metal rockers Iron Maiden.

Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History will cover the first 50 years of the band, featuring never-before-seen photos and more, taking fans through the band’s history chronologically and covering their albums and tours, along with the evolution of their mascot Eddie and more.

The book will feature album and single artwork, stage props, handwritten lyrics, artifacts from band members personal collections and more. It also includes a foreword from Maiden founder Steve Harris and an afterword by frontman Bruce Dickinson.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff that I’ve managed to unearth for this book,” Harris shares. “I knew I had kept a lot of things from the early days but they have lasted really well and the photography has brought them back to life. I hope the fans are going to love looking at all the stuff presented.”

Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History will be released by Thames & Hudson this fall. So far, an exact release date has not been announced.

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James Taylor has extended his summer tour, adding 14 new shows to the trek.

The new dates will take place in August and September, starting with a two-night stand in Boston, Aug 26 and 27, and wrapping Sept. 17 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tickets for all new shows go on sale Friday at 9 a.m.

The tour, which has Taylor backed by his All-Star Band, kicks off May 5 in Phoenix, and includes several multiple night stands including two-night stands in San Diego and Santa Barbara, California; Woodinville, Washington; and Morrison, Colorado.

It also includes his annual shows at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, happening July 3 and 4, and a performance at Milwaukee Summerfest on June 21.

All shows feature vocal harmony trio Tiny Habits as special guests.

A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

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Counting Crows have announced a U.S. tour alongside The Gaslight Anthem.

The summer outing, dubbed The Complete Sweets! tour, launches June 10 in Nashville, and will wrap up Aug. 23 in Englewood, Colorado. Presales begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time. 

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit CountingCrows.com.

The Complete Sweets! tour takes its name from the upcoming Counting Crows album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, due out May 9.

The most recent Gaslight album is their 2023 reunion record, History Books.

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Indiana rocker John Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Mellencamp was inducted by Billy Joel, who told him, “Don’t let this club membership change you, John.  We need you to be pissed off and restless because no matter what they tell us—we know this country is going to hell in a handcart.”

He added, “People need a voice like yours to echo the discontent that’s out there in the heartland … They need to know that somebody out there feels the way they do.”

Mellencamp then treated the crowd to performances of the Uh-Huh tracks “Pink Houses” and “Authority Song.”

Also inducted on that day were Madonna, Leonard Cohen, and The Ventures.

(Video includes uncensored profanity.)

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