Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Dec. 3, 1979 …

Tragedy struck The Who’s concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati when 11 fans were trampled to death trying to get into the venue.

The concert was using “festival seating,” and fans waiting in the front of the line were crushed as others in line thought the band’s soundcheck was the actual concert and tried to push their way in. 

In addition to the deaths, 26 fans were injured.

The Who were not told about what happened so the show went on as planned. Authorities kept them in the dark, fearing how the crowd would react if the show was canceled. 

The Who did not return to Cincinnati for another 43 years; they played their first concert in the city since the tragedy in May 2022.

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Steely Dan is set to reissue another classic album on vinyl.

The latest is the band’s fourth album, Katy Lied, which will be released Jan. 31, marking the first time the album’s been available on vinyl in over 40 years. The reissue has been remastered from an analog tape copy of the album and will be released on 180-gram black vinyl, along with a limited-edition premium 45 RPM version on ultra high-quality vinyl.

Released in March 1975, Katy Lied featured the top-40 hit “Black Friday,” along with “Bad Sneakers” and “Doctor Wu.” The record peaked at #13 on the Billboard Album chart and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

The release is part of Steely Dan’s vinyl reissue series, which launched in November 2022 and has been personally overseen by Donald Fagen. It started with their 1972 debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill. Since then, they’ve reissued 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, 1974’s Pretzel Logic and 1977’s Aja, and they’ll close out the series in mid-2025 with 1976’s The Royal Scam.

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The all-star Soulshine benefit concert raised $4.5 million for hurricane relief and recovery efforts in North Carolina and Florida.

The sold-out concert took place Nov. 24 at New York’s Madison Square Garden and featured sets by Warren Haynes Band, Dave Matthews Band, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Goose, along with special guests Trey Anastasio, Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and more. 

“The damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene to my beloved home of Asheville and all of Western North Carolina has truly devastated me,” Haynes shared when the concert was announced. “Every year, it is my honor to host the Christmas Jam and give back to the community there, but this year, we need to do things a bit differently.” 

The money raised from the show will benefit the SOULSHINE Concert Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, which will be distributed to a variety of nonprofits on the ground in North Carolina and Florida.

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James Taylor has announced his first concert for 2025.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to play Milwaukee Summerfest, where he’ll headline the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on June 21.

Taylor will be backed by his All-Star Band for the show, which will feature special guests Jason Mraz and Tiny Habits.

Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday at 10 a.m. CT.

Milwaukee Summerfest takes place over three weekends — June 19-21, June 26-28 and July 3-5 — with shows at a variety of venues across the city. So far a complete lineup has not been announced.

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It’s been one year since KISS played the final date of their End of the Road world tour, and they are apparently feeling nostalgic. 

The band just shared an almost 20-minute video recap of the Dec. 2, 2023, show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, which was their final goodbye to the road. 

The clip kicks off with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons descending to the stage on platforms while playing “Detroit Rock City” as pyro goes off around them. It also features clips of them performing “Heaven’s On Fire,” “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” and more.

The video ends with the introduction of the “new KISS era,” with video debuting their KISS avatars.

Simmons and Stanley also shared a special message to fans to mark the anniversary.

“While it’s true we stopped touring, this is not the end,” Simmons said. “I wish I could tell you the amazing things that are brewing but you will soon be able to experience it beyond anything you’ve experienced.”

Stanley added, “You’re not forgotten, the 50 years aren’t forgotten and the years to come will not be forgotten either.”

Finally, Simmons noted, “Hang in there. KISS is forever.”

KISS announced their End of the Road world tour in September 2018 following a performance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. They launched the tour in January 2019 in Vancouver and wrapped it with two Madison Square Garden shows in 2023, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.
 

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‘Tis the season for the Ten Days of Pearl Jam.

The grunge vets’ annual holiday tradition kicked off Sunday with a live video for “Scared of Fear,” a track off their new album, Dark Matter. The performance was filmed during a May show in Vancouver, which marked the first date of PJ’s 2024 tour.

The series continued Monday with performances of “Scared of Fear” and fellow Dark Matter cuts “Running” and “Setting Sun” recorded at Pearl Jam’s Seattle headquarters as part of their interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe.

Dark Matter was released in April. It’s the 12th Pearl Jam album and the follow-up to 2020’s Gigaton.

(“Running” video contains uncensored profanity.) 

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It’s not uncommon for David Lee Roth to share somewhat bizarre videos of himself dancing to other people’s music, but in his latest clip he’s showcasing one of his own songs.

The rocker has posted a new video of what appears to be him singing along to Van Halen’s “Panama,” although the caption notes it’s the solo version of the tune he recorded with his Roth Band.  

“Panama” was the third single off Van Halen’s hit album 1984 and was a top-20 hit.

Roth released his new version of “Panama” back in September 2022. It was one of several Van Halen tracks he rerecorded on his own. Others include “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Unchained,” “You Really Got Me,” “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “Atomic Punk” and “Jump.”

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Lenny Kravitz shared a sweet throwback photo on Instagram to wish his daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz, a happy birthday. 

Zoë turned 36 on Sunday, and her rocker dad posted a black-and-white photo of them cuddling together on a bed when she was younger.

“Happy birthday Zoë…. Thank you for teaching me what true love and joy is,” Lenny, who is shirtless in the photo, shared in the caption. “I couldn’t be more proud of you. I love you.”

Zoë is Lenny’s only child. Her mother is his ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet, who he was married to from 1987 to 1993.

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Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer will no longer be helping people get caffeinated.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer announced the closing of his Rockin’ & Roastin’ Coffee brand on the company’s website, noting that no orders will be filled passed Nov. 30.

“To all of Rockin’ & Roastin’s loyal subscribers and my coffee loving fans along the way – It is with deep deep sadness that we have had to make the decision to close the business of Rockin & Roastin’ Coffee,” read Kramer’s message. “After the years of working to recover from the devastation to our business from the impact of Covid, significant increases in the cost of doing business and the tragic, painful loss of my wife, Linda, there just is no realistic alternative but to close our proverbial doors.” 

Linda passed away in June 2022 at age 55.

Kramer launched Rockin’ & Roastin’ Coffee in 2013, sharing on the company’s website that he was motivated to start his own coffee line after drinking lots of bad coffee on the road. He described his coffee as “some of the finest, purest kick-a** coffee on the planet, sure to please the palate of any ‘coffee-sseur.’”

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On This Day, Dec. 2, 2012 …

Rockers Led Zeppelin were celebrated as Kennedy Center Honorees at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C.

Jack Black handled the intro, calling the band — made up of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and the late Jason Bonham — “the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time.”

The tribute also featured several performances, including “Stairway to Heaven” by Heart‘s Ann and Nancy Wilson, with John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham, behind the drum kit.

The night also featured performances of “Rock and Roll” by Foo Fighters, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and “Ramble On” by Kid Rock and “Whole Lotta Love” by Lenny Kravitz.

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