Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen’s Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University is expanding and the rocker is getting a building named after him.

School officials announced they’re building a new 30,000-square-foot building on the university’s West Long Branch, New Jersey, campus, which will house the Archives and the Center for American Music. It will also feature exhibition galleries and a 230-seat theater.

“I think a building with your name on it is a tricky thing,” Springsteen said during a ceremony Wednesday, October 18, according to the Asbury Park Press. “Because I’m still alive … I could get arrested for shooting tequilas on a public park. That’s something that could happen.” The latter comment is a reference to his 2020 DWI arrest in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

He added, “All I can say is I will do my best to do nothing for the rest of my life to embarrass a building.”

The building is expected to feature exhibits on Springsteen, with the archives giving fans the ability to listen to archival interviews, watch rare footage and more. There are also plans for concerts, teacher workshops, lectures, film series and more.

Monmouth University is currently in the process of raising the $45 million needed to build the new structure, with a planned opening for spring 2026. 

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After playing shows on the West Coast this summer, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, best known for his work with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, has announced a new set of fall tour dates.

Baxter, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of the Doobies, will kick off the new dates with a two-night stand in New York City November 7 and 8. The tour wraps November 19 in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. You can find details on JeffSkunkBaxter.com. 

The tour is in support of Baxter’s first solo album, 2022’s Speed of Heat, which features contributions by his old Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers pal Michael McDonald, plus country star Clint Black and blues guitarist Jonny Lang.

“We plan on performing virtually all the songs from Speed of Heat, along with a few surprises,” Baxter says. “The tours have gone extremely well, and it has been way too much fun and gratifying to perform these songs for a live audience, especially with a band as outstanding and amazing as the one I have the privilege of touring with me. The response has been incredible and just makes me want to keep on doing it!”

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Elton John isn’t going on tour anymore, but that doesn’t mean he can’t perform live.

Nashville’s WKRN-TV reports that on October 14, Elton played at a “top secret” private birthday party in Music City at the Twelve Thirty Club, which happens to be owned by Justin Timberlake. Justin and his wife, Jessica Biel, were there, but the party was for the wife of a local bigwig, identified by Nashville’s WSMV-TV as Jimmy Liautaud, founder of the Jimmy John’s sandwich chain.

WSMV-TV adds that Elton played a 12-song set, including “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocketman.”

Elton and Justin have known each other for quite some time: Justin actually played a young Elton in the Rocket Man’s video for the 2001 song “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.” It’s not clear if Justin had anything to do with booking Elton for the party.

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Stewart Copeland is revisiting his debut solo album.

The former Police drummer is set to release a new deluxe edition of Klark Kent on November 17, featuring a newly remastered version of the full album, all of the non-album singles plus two previously unreleased studio recordings.

One of those non-album singles, “Too Kool to Kalypso,” is out now. The song was originally released as a seven-inch single.

Klark Kent will be released in a variety of formats including digitally and as a two-LP and two-CD set. The CD and digital versions will also include a bonus of 12 previously unreleased demos.

Klark Kent was the first solo project released by any member of The Police. Copeland launched the project in 1978 as a series of singles before finally releasing the album in 1980. It includes the song “Don’t Care,” which Copeland had originally planned to record with The Police. It went on to be a Top 50 hit in the U.K.

Klark Kent Deluxe Edition is available for preorder now.

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Warren Haynes has revealed the lineup of artists joining him for his 32nd annual Christmas Jam, happening Saturday, December 9, at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.

The lineup includes Haynes’ band Gov’t Mule, ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons, Slash & Myles Kennedy, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Clutch, American Babies and Karina Rykman, with more artist to be added.

“Christmas Jam is such a special event for me and my family and more than 30 years later, it’s still so exciting to see the dynamic talent that comes together for the community in my beloved home of Asheville,” Haynes shares. “After a few years off, following an extraordinary two-night 30th Anniversary event, it felt great to return last year to continue the cause, which has and will always be: to have fun, play music, and celebrate being together while raising money for a local charity.”

In order to serve the Asheville community, an in-person local presale will kick off Saturday, October 21, at 9 a.m. ET, with a nationwide presale starting Tuesday, October 24, at 10 a.m. ET. The public onsale will begin Friday, October 27, at 10 am.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit Asheville Habitat for Humanity and BeLoved Asheville.

Fans will also be able to relive a past Christmas Jam with the December 8 release, The Benefit Concert Volume 20. Recorded live during the 30th annual Christmas Jam on December 7 and 8, 2018, it features performances by Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl, Gov’t Mule, Joe Bonamassa, Jim James, Grace Potter and more. It is available for preorder now.

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The iconic documentary The Last Waltz, which captured The Band’s final concert, is returning to theaters as part of the film’s 45th anniversary celebration. Fathom Events will screen the Martin Scorsese-directed film on Sunday, November 5, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

The return to theaters was in the works before the August 9 passing of The Band frontman Robbie Robertson. Each screening will feature an introduction from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, in which he shares his perspective on The Band’s final show. 

The Last Waltz, considered one of the greatest concert documentaries of all time was released April 26, 1978. It  focused on The Band’s show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976. 

Billed as their “farewell concert appearance,” the show featured guest appearances by a whole host of musicians, including Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Ronnie Wood, Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and Neil Young. 

The film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2019.

Tickets for the Fathom screenings are on sale now.

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The Rolling Stones are set to drop their new album Hackney Diamonds on Friday, October 20, and it looks like fans are going to get some insight into how it was made. 

Variety reports that a new one-hour TV documentary, The Stones: Still Rolling, will take fans inside the studio with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers as they record their first album of new material in 18 years.

According to the description, the doc gives fans “a rare glimpse of the Rolling Stones as they power forward,” with the story “told vividly through a first-ever roundtable conversation between the band (members)… giving viewers access to places they have never been.”

The special was directed by Paul Dugdale, whose credits include Elton John: Farewell From Dodger Stadium and Adele: One Night Only. It is being produced by Mercury Studios and Fulwell 73, the producers behind The Kardashians Hulu series and Carpool Karaoke: The Series.

So far, there’s no word on where or when the doc will air.

Hackney Diamonds, featuring guest appearances by the late Charlie Watts, former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, is available for preorder now.

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Nikki Sixx has responded to Sharon Osbourne calling him an “a**hole.”

As previously reported, Sharon made the comment on the latest episode of The Osbournes Podcast amid a conversation about the time Ozzy Osbourne allegedly snorted a line of ants while on tour with Mötley Crüe in the ’80s. The legend, which Sharon doubts but Ozzy maintains is true, was depicted in the 2019 Crüe biopic, The Dirt. Ozzy also disagreed with Sharon’s assessment of Sixx.

In a social media post reacting to the podcast, Sixx writes, “We had a lot of love and respect for Sharon. We love Ozzy.”

Sixx’s tweet quoted another post mocking Sharon’s appearance, which he’s apparently seen more of since she made her comments.

“When people comment on stuff calling [Sharon] a plastic granny t***** I have it deleted,” Sixx writes, though he spells out the word. “Not sure what she’s upset about now but let’s not [perpetuate] her comments by posting negativity about her.”

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Paul McCartney made his first appearance with John Lennon’s band The Quarrymen at New Clubmoor Hall in Liverpool, England.

McCartney was so nervous that he messed up his big guitar solo on the song “Guitar Boogie.”

Years later, McCartney claimed George Harrison, who joined The Quarrymen in February 1958, was recruited because McCartney realized he was “just too frightened” to be the group’s lead guitarist.

Of course by 1960, the band evolved into The Beatles, one of the most successful rock groups of all time. McCartney also went on to have a successful solo career and continues to tour to this day. In fact, he launches the latest leg of his Got Back tour on Wednesday, October 18, in Adelaide, Australia. 

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Peter Gabriel has spent the past year giving fans previews of his new album, i/o, dropping a new song with each full moon. Now, he’s finally ready to share the entire project. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to release the 12-track record December 1. It will be his first album of new material since 2010’s Scratch My Back.  

“After a years-worth of full moon releases, I’m very happy to see all these new songs back together on the good ship i/o and ready for their journey out into the world,” Gabriel shares. 

All songs on the album are getting two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side Mix by Mark “Spike” Stent and the Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake. Each artist’s mix will be part of a double-CD package and will also be available as separate double vinyls.  

“We have two of the greatest mixers in the world in Tchad and Spike and they definitely bring different characters to the songs,” Gabriel explains. “Tchad is very much a sculptor building a journey with sound and drama, Spike loves sound and assembling these pictures, so he’s more of a painter.”

There will also be a third remix, the In-Side Mix in Dolby Atmos, by Hans-Martin Buff, which will be included in a separate three-disc set that also includes a Blu-ray. 

Peter Gabriel’s i/o is available for preorder now. 

Here is the track list:

“Panopticom”
“The Court”
“Playing for Time”
“i/o”
“Four Kinds of Horses”
“Road to Joy”
“So Much”
“Olive Tree”
“Love Can Heal”
“This Is Home”
“And Still”
“Live And Let Live”

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