60th anniversary of The Who celebrated with special merch collection

January 17, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Who is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year with a brand-new line of merch with British clothing company Modfather.

The Who x Modfather Clothing 60th Anniversary Collection features several T-shirts, including one with a 60th anniversary logo and one featuring the cover of 1973’s Quadrophenia. There’s also a black tee paying homage to The Who’s Tuesday night shows at The Marquee Club in 1964 and an Acid Queen shirt, celebrating The Who’s Tommy.

The collection also includes two scarfs, an umbrella and two slipmats for turntables.

“Modfather Clothing was born from a passion for classic Italian scooters & British subcultural style,” The Who shared on Instagram. “Music has and will always be at the heart of everything they do.”

The line, with items ranging in price from $19 to $76, is available now at TheWho.com.

The Who — Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon — released their debut album, My Generation, in December 1965. They’ve gone on to sell over 100 million records worldwide and are considered one of the most influential bands in rock ‘n’ roll. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2008.

Sting, Ringo Starr pay tribute to the late director David Lynch

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Sting and Ringo Starr are among the musicians paying tribute to director David Lynch, whose death was announced Thursday.

Sting shared a photo on Instagram of him and Lynch on the set of the 1984 movie Dune, which Lynch directed, sharing, “David was a modern giant of the avant garde. I am so proud to have worked with him on the first Dune movie. Rest in peace.”

Ringo also shared a photo of him and Lynch on social media, with the message, “God bless David Lynch, peace and love to all his family.”

And Graham Nash posted a tribute on his Instagram Story, sharing a black-and-white photo of the director and writing, “Rest in Peace to this one of a kind soul.”

Lynch, the Oscar-nominated director of films including Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, and co-creator of the cult drama series Twin Peaks, was 78.

New Lollapalooza book due out in March

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Having already gotten the docuseries treatment, the history of Lollapalooza is now being told through a different medium.

A new book called Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival is due out March 25. It’s written by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour, who also authored the ’80s metal book Nöthin’ But a Good Time.

Readers can expect interviews with artists including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Patti Smith, Alice in Chains and Metallica, as well as Lolla founder/Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell. Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil penned the foreword.

The Lollapalooza docuseries premiered in 2024 on Paramount+.

Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Sting among the artists playing FireAid

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and Sting are among the artists confirmed to play FireAid, a benefit concert to raise money for those affected by the California wildfires and to support efforts to keep such disasters from happening again.

The concert will take place Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum, both of which are in Inglewood, California.

Other artists on the bill include Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Earth, Wind & Fire, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Gwen Stefani, Pink, Tate McCrae, Gracie Abrams and Lil Baby, along with Dave Matthews and John Mayer playing together for the first time.

More artists and special guests will be announced at a later date, as will the lineups for each venue.

Tickets for the concerts go on sale Jan. 22 at noon PT.

For those who can’t attend in person, FireAid will broadcast and stream live via a number of different platforms, including Apple Music and Apple TV+, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video, YouTube and select AMC movie theaters.

Visit FireAidLA.org for more information.

Peter Frampton to take part in Duane Eddy tribute concert

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Peter Frampton is one of the artists set to pay tribute to the late guitar legend Duane Eddy at a special tribute concert at the Opry House in Nashville.

Titan of Twang: A Celebration of Duane Eddy is taking place April 13, with a lineup that also includes Vince Gill, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Earle, JD McPherson, Molly Tuttle and Jim Lauderdale.

Tickets for the show go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.

Eddy, who passed away April 30, 2024, had 15 top-40 singles throughout the late ’50s and early ’60s, with his breakthrough being the 1958 instrumental track “Revel Rouser,” which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his first Gold record.

Other hits include: “Peter Gunn,” the Henry Mancini-composed instrumental for the TV series of the same name, “Cannonball,” “Moovin’ ‘N’ Groovin’” and “Because They’re Young.”

Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh earns $1 million a year from MTV’s ‘Ridiculousness’

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Devo’s biggest hit single may be the 1980 track “Whip It,” but it turns out it isn’t the group’s biggest moneymaker.

According to Rolling Stone, that distinction goes to the tune “Uncontrollable Urge,” from their debut album, Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, because a cover of the track is used as the theme song to the MTV series Rob Dyrdek’s Ridiculousness.

The show is aired on the network so often that Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo’s lead singer and main songwriter, earns an estimated $1 million a year from its use, the rocker’s wife and manager, Anita Greenspan, tells the mag.

“I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh says. “I would’ve been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income.”

Among those other songs Mothersbaugh is referring to are the themes for Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Rugrats, as well as scores for several Wes Anderson films.

Greenspan adds that it’s “ironic” they make so much money from MTV, noting that in the early days of the network it aired a lot of Devo, before the network stopped playing them.

“[The videos] were subversive, they didn’t like them and wouldn’t play them anymore,” she says. “Now ‘Uncontrollable Urge’ is easily the most-played song on MTV, so [Devo] wins.”

James Taylor announces annual July 4 holiday shows at Tanglewood

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

James Taylor has announced his annual Independence Day shows at Tanglewood, in the Berkshire area of Massachusetts.

Taylor and his All-Star Band just announced they’ll play the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, on July 3 and July 4; the Fourth of July show will end with a fireworks display for the holiday. Both shows will feature special guests Tiny Habits.

This certainly isn’t the first time Taylor has played Tanglewood. In fact, this year marks 51 years since Taylor first took the stage at the venue. Last summer, in honor of his 50th anniversary, he was awarded the Tanglewood Medal, in recognition of his career and long standing support for the venue.

Proceeds from the July 4 show will be donated to support Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. ET.

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to appear in new Vevo Music series ‘Singing Earth’

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck is set to appear on a new music series, hosted by Screaming Trees/Mad Season drummer Barrett Martin.

The series, Singing Earth, debuts Friday on the Vevo Music Network, with Buck set to appear in the second episode. Buck describes the show, which can be watched on YouTube, as “a cool musical travelogue.”

Photos shared by Barrett reveal that he and Buck interview Brazilian singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil for the series, while another shows Buck relaxing between recording sessions in São Paulo, Brazil.

Buck and Martin previously worked together in the supergroup Silverlites, which also featured The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson and singer Joseph Arthur. They released their self-titled debut album back in November.

Dave Grohl responds to question about Foo Fighters playing LA fire benefit concert

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Dave Grohl has responded to a question about whether Foo Fighters will be performing at the upcoming FireAid Relief benefit concert supporting those affected by the Los Angeles fires.

TMZ caught Grohl on camera after spending the day cooking meals with the organization Feed the Streets for displaced families and inmate firefighters. When asked if the Foos might be playing FireAid, Grohl responded, “I dunno!” with a lilt in his voice.

FireAid is set to take place Jan. 30 at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome. The lineup has yet to be announced.

Foo Fighters haven’t performed live since before Grohl announced in September that he fathered a baby outside of his marriage. Their first show since the news broke was scheduled for later that month at the Soundside Music Festival, but the set was canceled.

David Bowie’s ‘Young Americans’ to be reissued on vinyl and picture disc for 50th anniversary

January 16, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

David Bowie’s ninth studio album, Young Americans, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the milestone will be marked with the release of a new reissue.

The album will be released as a limited-edition half-speed mastered LP, as well as on picture disc that comes with a poster. Both will be released March 7, which is 50 years to the day of the album’s original 1975 release.

Both versions are available for preorder now.

Young Americans, the follow-up to 1974’s Diamond Dogs, was considered a departure from Bowie’s glam-rock style, focusing more on soul and R&B influences. The album, which featured backing vocals by a then-unknown singer named Luther Vandross, debuted in the Billboard 200 top 10 in the U.S. and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. It also featured Bowie’s first #1 single, “Fame.”

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