Classic Rock 93.9

When Elton John retired from touring, he didn’t say he’d never play live again — and that’s what he did on Wednesday night, taking the stage at the London Palladium with his musical collaborator Brandi Carlile to preview songs from their upcoming album, Who Believes In Angels? 

The performance was recorded for the CBS and Paramount+ special An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile, premiering April 6. In addition to renditions of Elton’s big hits, Brandi’s songs and songs from the new album, they sat for a Q&A with Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, who it turns out was named after Elton’s song “Daniel.” According to NME, during the chat Elton revealed he owns “somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000” pairs of glasses.

Celebrities in the audience for the show included Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, Jason Momoa, Sacha Baron Cohen and Lily James. Onstage, Brandi and Elton’s backing band included Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, former Chili Pepper and touring Pearl Jam band member Josh Klinghoffer and producer Andrew Watt.

According to NME, Elton and Brandi played new songs “Swing for the Fences,” “Little Richard’s Bible,” “Who Believes In Angels?” and “You Without Me.” Elton also treated the audience to “I Need You To Turn To,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” “Your Song,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “I’m Still Standing.” Plus, he and Brandi covered Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and Jim Reeves‘ “He’ll Have to Go.”

Elton and Brandi will also perform April 5 on Saturday Night Live.

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The music of Patti Smith was celebrated with an all-star tribute at Carnegie Hall in New York Wednesday that saw Patti herself make a surprise appearance.

Smith — joined by her band Lenny Kaye, Tony Shanahan, and Jay Dee Daugherty — ended the evening with a performance of “Peaceable Kingdom,” tagging it with the first lines of her classic “People Have the Power.”

Just ahead of Patti was arguably the biggest guest of the night, Bruce Springsteen, who performed the hit “Because the Night,” which he co-wrote with Patti.

“If I had sung this song, it wouldn’t have been a hit,” Springsteen said. “It needed her voice and her incredible lyrics.”

All of the night’s performers were backed by a stellar house band that included Shanahan, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Charlie Sexton, Benmont Tench and Steve Jordan.

Among the evenings other highlights: Karen O got the crowd on their feet with her take on “Gloria,” Maggie Rogers wowed with “Frederick,” R.E.M.‘s Michael Stipe performed “My Blakean Year,” Johnny Depp covered “Dancing Barefoot,” Glen Hansard took on “Beneath the Southern Cross,” Susanna Hoffs performed “Kimberly,” The Kills’ Alison Mosshart performed “Ask the Angels,” Ben Harper covered “Ghost Dance,” and The National’s Matt Berninger covered “Piss Factory.”

Patti’s poetry was also celebrated, with readings from Scarlett Johansson, Sean Penn, Jim Jarmusch and Michael Shannon.

The night ended with Patti joined by all the performers for a rendition of “People Have the Power,” with the audience up on their feet and singing along.

The concert marked the 20th anniversary of the Music Of… concert series, put on by New York City entrepreneur Michael Dorf. Since the series launched in 2004, the concerts have raised over $2 million for charity.

Proceeds from the Smith concert will go toward music education for underserved youth.

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The history of Atlantic Records, home to such artists as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks and Aretha Franklin, is being celebrated in a new book.

75 Years of Atlantic Records, dropping March 30, will delve into the iconic label’s legacy. The hardcover book is a photographic history of the label, which was started in 1947 by legendary music exec Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. It is filled with photos, many of which have never been published before, including formal portraits and live shots. There are contributions from A-list photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Anton Corbijn and David LaChapelle.

“This book is a testament to the artists, visionaries, and stories that have defined Atlantic Records over the past 75 years,” said Benedikt Taschen, founder of the book’s publisher, Taschen. “It’s a celebration of music’s power to transcend boundaries and bring people together.”

75 Years of Atlantic Records also features essays by such award-winning writers as David Ritz, Ben Ratliff and Barney Hoskyns, with a foreword by singer Bruno Mars.

“The Atlantic crew changed the way records were made and how people heard them,” Mars writes. “It was an explosion in Sound, and it was pure magic.”

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The Who’s Pete Townshend is turning 80 in May, and while he’s still working on music and other projects, he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to keep at it.

“I’ve got maybe 10 years left as a creative,” he tells Rolling Stone in a new interview. “So I’m doing all kinds of interesting things, theatrical projects, art projects, book projects, working. … I’m really active on music and doing stuff and trying to keep myself fueled up.”

To that end, Pete Townshend The Studio Albums, a box set of his solo albums, drops Friday. Pete is also set to reunite with his bandmate Roger Daltrey to headline two benefit shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall March 27 and March 31. He notes he’s “hoping to keep it simple.”

“I’m actually nervous. And I think Roger’s nervous as well,” Pete says. “We’re both in our eighties. … That kind of stuff gets harder as you get older.”

But regardless of the pressure, Townshend notes the shows are sold out. “I could go out and just play a f****** kazoo. I’ve made the money for the charity.”

As for the future of The Who, Pete says, “I think we’re at an interesting time. And I think for the Who, it’s probably not as interesting as it is for some other people.”

“I think what we call the Who is just Roger and me. And we can exchange e-mails and we can sit and nag at each other about various political things on which we agree or disagree,” he says. “But the fact is that we have this legacy, and it’s a Black Swan legacy, which is that we’ve been lucky.”

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Gene Simmons made headlines when it was revealed he was offering up the chance to be his roadie for a day to a fan willing to shell out $12,495 for the experience. While many fans were shocked by the price tag, the KISS rocker says he thinks it’s totally worth it.

“When I was a kid and went to see shows, I was always curious, ‘What’s it like when they’re in a hotel? What’s it like when the stage is set up? What’s it like being onstage when they’re performing and seeing the audience from the stage?’” Simmons tells The New York Post. “I decided, ‘You know what, nobody’s ever done it. Why not open the idea to be my personal roadie for the day?’”

“The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” is only available to one person per show, but that person will become a member of the Gene Simmons Band crew for the entire day. They’ll help load in and set up for the show, and get a GSB crew member shirt, hat and laminate.

Plus, the purchaser and their guest will get some personal time with Simmons and receive a signed bass guitar Simmons used for rehearsals.

“You meet at the hotel where you have breakfast together or, you know, whatever floats your boat,” Simmons tells the paper. “You ride with me to the gig. You can set up amplifiers and drums to your heart’s content. You’re onstage, right offstage to my right. You can video the crowds, whatever. And I pull you onstage to sing a song with me.”

More info can be found at genesimmonsaxe.com.

After postponing several tour dates scheduled for April, the Gene Simmons Band is set to kick off their tour on May 2 in Peachtree City, Georgia. A complete list of dates can be found at GeneSimmons.com.

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It’s been “The Longest Time” but we’re finally getting a documentary on Billy Joel.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes, named after a song on his album Storm Front, will debut on HBO and be available to stream on Max this summer. Described as an “expansive portrait of the life and music” of the Piano Man, the film is a two-parter, which seems fitting considering Billy’s career now spans more than 50 years.

According to HBO, the movie will explore “the love, loss, and personal struggles” that fuel Billy’s songwriting, and will feature “unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs.” There will also be “extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews.”

Director and producer Susan Lacy says in a statement, “For those who think they know Joel’s story, as well as those who are not as familiar, I believe this two-part film is both a revelation and a surprise. I was drawn to his story as someone who knew little at the outset, and was astounded at how autobiographical his songs are and how complex his story is.”

It’s not clear how far back the movie will go, but Billy’s family history is so interesting in itself that it inspired a 2001 documentary called The Joel Files. That movie told the story of how, in 1938, Billy’s grandfather Karl Amson Joel was forced to sell his successful business in Berlin due to Nazi intimidation and how that incident had repercussions for decades afterward.

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We now know who will direct Zendaya in the Ronnie Spector biopic.

Barry Jenkins will helm the film about the lead singer of The Ronettes for A24, ABC Audio has confirmed.

David Kajganich will write the original screenplay. Rather than reading like a traditional biopic, the film’s story will reportedly center on the singer’s life with her first husband, the troubled producer Phil Spector.

Zendaya was first announced to be in talks to play the rocker in 2020. She was hand-selected by Ronnie Spector, who was an executive producer on the film before she died, to play her. Shortly after Ronnie Spector died in January 2022, Zendaya took to Instagram to pay tribute to the star.

“This news just breaks my heart. To speak about her as if she’s not with us feels strange as she is so incredibly full of life,” Zendaya wrote. “There’s not a time I saw her without her iconic red lips and full teased hair, a true rockstar through and through.”

Zendaya also thanked Ronnie Spector for the time she spent helping to prepare her to take on the role.

“Ronnie, being able to know you has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Zendaya wrote. “Thank you for sharing your life with me, I could listen to your stories for hours and hours. Thank you for your unmeasured talent, your unwavering love for performing, your strength, resilience and your grace.”

This marks the third collaboration between A24 and Jenkins after the Oscar-winning Moonlight and the upcoming film Sorry, Baby, for which he serves as a producer.

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INXS is the latest Australian act to get a shoutout from Dua Lipa during her tour Down Under.

Fan-shot footage posted to social media shows the pop star performing the classic INXS track “Never Tear Us Apart” at her Wednesday concert at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, with the audience loudly singing along with her.

INXS — made up of Michael Hutchence, brothers Andrew, Jon and Tim Farriss, and Garry Gary Beers — formed in Sydney in 1977. “Never Tear Us Apart” was the fourth single off the band’s 1987 hit album, Kick, which went to #3 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The single peaked at #7 on the Hot 100.

This isn’t the first local act Dua has paid tribute to during her Australian tour. Earlier in March she performed a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” during her show in Melbourne.

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Graham Nash has announced a new leg of his 2025 North American tour, which will have the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer spending his summer on the road.

The new dates kick off July 8 in Red Bank, New Jersey, with shows in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Virginia, Pennsylvania and more. The tour wraps Aug. 6 in Buffalo, New York.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Nash is about to launch a new U.S leg of his tour. The trek kicks off March 29 in Easton, Maryland, and wraps April 26 in Menlo Park, California. He also heads to Europe this year, with dates beginning Sept. 26 in Berlin, Germany. A complete list of shows can be found at GrahamNash.com.

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell is opening up about his life and musical career in the new memoir Heartbreaker, which is out now.

Campbell worked with ghostwriter Ari Surdoval on the memoir. He tells ABC Audio it wasn’t difficult for him to dip into his past for the book.

“I would just talk and as I would talk, little synapsis would go off and little memories I didn’t know were in there would come back to me,” he says.

Of course, a good portion of the book delves into his relationship with Petty, both the good and the sometimes not so good.

“I wanted to tell the truth, but I didn’t go in certain areas that I thought were unpleasant or unnecessary to his character or my relationship with him,” he says. “But I didn’t want to sugarcoat it and make an untruth.”

He also gives fans insight into his work writing songs for and with Petty, noting, “I wanted to illuminate the songwriting magic. How it happens.”

He adds, “You can’t conjure it up when you want it. … Sometimes it does all come in at once, if you’re lucky.”

The book also delves into Petty’s unexpected death in 2017 and Campbell’s relationship with him at the end.

“We weren’t touchy-feely dudes that talked about your feelings, you know? But we knew,” he shares. “There were a lot of things that didn’t need to be said. You know, that I love you … we knew it.”

But in the end, Campbell did get to tell Tom he loved him at his bedside in the hospital.

“They told me he could hear me,” Campbell explains. “So I said what I had to say. But there was no unresolved issues that I had to get off my chest.” 

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