Classic Rock 93.9

Journey will continue the celebration of their 50th anniversary with a new tour in 2024.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced dates for their 50th anniversary Freedom Tour 2024 with special guest Toto. The trek kicks off February 9 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and will wrap April 29 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

“We are looking forward to hitting the road again with our very good friends Toto!” Journey guitarist Neil Schon shares. “Come join us for a special evening full of fun and rockin’ good memories. See you soon, friends.”

Keyboardist Jonathan Cain adds, “Honored to take our timeless songs on the road with another band whose songs are also timeless, Steve Lukather and Toto. It will truly be a musical evening to be remembered.”

A Citi card presale begins Tuesday, September 26, at 10 a.m. local time, with the general onsale set for Friday, September 29, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of tour dates can be found at journeymusic.com.

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On This Day, September 25, 2017…

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers headlined The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles California for what would turn out to be their final concert ever, as Petty would die less than two weeks later.

Petty and the band treated fans to such classic tunes as “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin’,” “Breakdown,” “Learning to Fly” and more, wrapping the night with “You Wreck Me” and “American Girl.” 

On October 2, Petty was found unconscious at his home, and died at UCLA Medical Center, although there were initially premature reports of his passing. The coroner report revealed that drugs played a role in his death.

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Dave Grohl took a moment during Foo Fighters‘ headlining set at the Louder Than Life festival to pay tribute to Kent Stax, late drummer of the band Scream.

Grohl, of course, played in Scream as a teenager before he went on to join Nirvana and then form Foo Fighters. He actually joined Scream in Stax’s place when he left the band in 1986.

“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Scream,” Grohl told the Louder Than Life crowd. “And the man who’s place I took in that band, Mr. Kent Stax, one of the best punk rock drummers of all time, he passed the other day. So this one’s for Kent.”

The Foos then launched into their set closing performance of “Everlong.” Fan-shot footage of the moment was posted to YouTube.

Stax, born Bennett Kent Stacks, died September 20 following a battle with metastatic cancer. News of his passing came just a day after Scream had announced a new album, DC Special, featuring the original Still Screaming lineup: vocalist Pete Stahl, guitarist Franz Stahl, bassist Skeeter Thompson and Stax. Grohl also contributed to the record, which is due out November 10.

Foo Fighters have also been dealing with the death of their longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away March 2022. They returned to the road earlier in 2023 with new drummer Josh Freese.

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Bob Dylan was the surprise guest at Farm Aid 2023, which took place Saturday, September 23, in Noblesville, Indiana. 

The legendary artist wasn’t on the announced lineup but turned up to the Rouff Music Center to treat the crowd to a twenty-minute set. According to setlist.fm, Dylan was backed by The Heartbreakers and performed three tracks: “Maggie’s Farm,” for the first time since 2003, “Positively 4th Street,” for the first time since 2013, and “Ballad of a Thin Man.”

Dylan’s appearance was notable, as it was his comments about the plight of U.S. farmers at Live Aid in 1985 that sparked the idea for Farm Aid.

But Dylan was far from the only big name on the bill. The organization’s board members, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews and Margo Price also performed, along with Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros featuring The Wolfpack and more.

This was Young’s first return to Farm Aid since 2019, and he performed a short set that included “Comes A Time,” “Are There Any More Real Cowboys,” “Love Earth” and “Heart of Gold.” Mellencamp treated the crowd to eight songs, including classics like “Small Town,” “Jack & Diane,” “Rain on the Scarecrow” and more.

Willie closed the show with a full 18-song set that included “On The Road Again,” “Always On My Mind” and others, with many of the artists joining him for his closing numbers, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”/”I’ll Fly Away” and “It’s Hard to Be Humble.” 

Farm Aid raises funds in support of family farmers, and fans can still help. A Farm Aid 2023 silent auction is running until October 6, offering autographed guitars, posters, books, albums and more from this year’s artists. All proceeds benefit Farm Aid.

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Heart’s Nancy Wilson and onetime AC/DC drummer Chris Slade are set to take part in a very special High Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, happening February 15-18 in Los Angeles.

The event, which also features Stone Temple Pilots brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo, will give fans a chance to live like rock stars, experiencing band rehearsals, jam sessions and more, with a focus on the music of Heart, STP and AC/DC. Participants will even get to perform at famous Los Angeles venues, including the Viper Room and the Troubadour, where they’ll wrap the weekend performing onstage with Slade.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all skill levels. Those who sign up will receive a song list ahead of time in order to prepare for their rockin’ weekend.

Information on prices and how to register can be found at rockcamp.com.

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Rush’s Geddy Lee is getting ready to release his new memoir, My Effin’ Life, on November 14, and he’ll be heading to the U.K. to promote it with a new spoken word tour.  

Kicking off December 10 in Wolverhampton, England, the shows will feature Geddy reading key passages from the book. He’ll also be interviewed by a guest and take questions from fans. 

“Writing this book has meant spending so much time living in the past. I’ve never lived my life looking anywhere but forward, which is why I resisted doing this kind of thing for so long,” Geddy shares. “Being in a band all those years was reassuring because it was an ongoing thing. It felt like it was forever.”

He added, “But you need a lot more determination to proceed in the world of music without the comfort of your bandmates, and I can only hope that finishing this book will release me to return to what I do and love best.” 

The spoken word tour consists of five dates, wrapping December 18 in London. Venue presales begin Thursday, September 28, with the general sale happening Friday, September 29. Each ticket purchased will come with a copy of the book. A complete list of dates can be found at rush.com.

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Yes kicked off a new leg of their Classic Tales of Yes tour on Thursday, September 21, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the band, made up of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen, are certain fans won’t be disappointed.

Howe notes, “We’ve put together a great setlist covering the length and breadth of Yes’ career.”

“Our ‘Classic Tales of Yes’ tour is one of our most diverse and adventurous tours to date,” Downes adds, noting, “Of course, alongside many of the other Yes classics, we are also adding in a few surprises for good measure.”

According to setlist.fm, opening night featured performances of songs from their most recent album, Mirror to the Sky, as well as such Yes classics as “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Going For The One,” “Roundabout,” “Starship Trooper” and more. 

Next up, Yes brings their tour to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday, September 22. The trek wraps November 4 in Riverside, California. A complete list of tour dates can be found at yesworld.com.

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There’s nothing quite like seeing Bruce Springsteen play a show close to his home in New Jersey, and now the rocker is sharing some of his favorite local performances with fans.

The Boss, who turns 74 on Saturday, just shared The Live Series: Songs of New Jersey, a playlist made up of previously unreleased live performances recorded in the New Jersey/New York area, many of which are about the Garden State.

They include such performances as “Born To Run,” live from the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 9, 1981; “Jersey Girl,” performed at Giants Stadium, also in East Rutherford, on August 22, 1985; “My Hometown,” from St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold, New Jersey, on November 8, 1996; “Atlantic City” from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on January 31, 2016; and “My City of Ruins” at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on August 25, 2016.

You can listen to The Live Series: Songs of New Jersey now streaming on digital outlets.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are currently on a break from touring, after postponing September shows so The Boss could recover from a peptic ulcer. Their next show is scheduled for November 3 in Vancouver, Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.

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The Rolling Stones’ latest single, “Angry,” is featured on the official Spotify soundtrack to EA SPORTS FC24, the football (soccer to most folks in the U.S.) entertainment platform with a community of over 150 million users. 

“Angry” is the first single off The Stones’ upcoming album, Hackney Diamonds, dropping October 20. EA Worldwide Executive and President of Music Steve Schnur tells HitsDailyDouble the band approached them about featuring the song on the soundtrack.

“The premiere of EA Sports FC 24 delivers a definitive global soundtrack that builds on innovation and authenticity,” Schnur shares. “We’ve curated a player experience that celebrates diversity and discovery via new music that defies genres, erases borders, creates football culture and powers football life.” 

Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow, Run the Jewels and more.

EA SPORTS FC24 comes out September 29.

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Foghat has unveiled the latest track from their upcoming album, Sonic Mojo. The new tune, “She’s a Little Bit of Everything,” was co-written by founding drummer Roger Earl’s former Savoy Brown bandmate, the late Kim Simmonds, before he passed away in December 2022. 

“As soon as I heard this song, I knew it was for us,” Earl shares. “I claimed that it was written about Kim’s wife, Debi, but she is far too fine a person to ever admit that that’s where it came from. I really believe that this is where Kim got the inspiration for this song.” He adds, “It’s probably my favorite.”

Guitarist Bryan Bassett adds, “The song is a straight blues rocker that’s quickly becoming a crowd favorite in our live show.”

You can listen to “She’s A Little Bit of Everything” via digital outlets and on YouTube.

“She’s A Little Bit Of Everything” is one of three songs Simmonds co-wrote for the album along with the already released “Drivin’ On” and “I Don’t Appreciate You,” which is coming October 20.

Sonic Mojo, Foghat’s first album in seven years, drops November 10. It is available for preorder now.

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