Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann comments on Dead & Company’s Sphere residency

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Dead & Company recently announced they’ll be doing a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and now drummer Bill Kreutzmann has shared his thoughts on the shows in a new Instagram post.

“Historically, it was always a psychedelic circus when the Grateful Dead pulled into Las Vegas,” he writes. “There’s a pulsing beneath those neon lights that Mickey (Hart) and I tapped into while Jerry (Garcia) led us on a wild carpet ride over the Aladdin Theater in the 1980s and down into the bowl of the Sam Boyd Stadium for 14 memorable nights in the 1990s.”

He notes that Grateful Dead shows have always been “about transformative experiences, so now, as our legacy evolves and as we continue to shape-shift into several different forms at once it’s great that that part of the tradition continues, with Dead & Company taking up residence in a transformative venue.”

Kreutzmann sat out Dead & Company’s final tour in 2023, with the band explaining at the time it was the “culmination of a shift in creative direction as we keep these songs alive and breathing in ways that we each feel is best to continue to honor the legacy of the Grateful Dead.”

While he hasn’t confirmed whether or not he’ll be doing the Vegas shows, he did end his post with a statement that could be interpreted as saying he won’t. He offered, “To all those who make it there, have a blast, my friends.”

Dead Forever – Live at Sphere will consist of 18 shows over six consecutive weeks, starting May 16. Fans can now register for the presale, which starts February 5 at 10 a.m. PT. The general on-sale starts February 9 at 10 a.m. PT.

MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer dead at 75

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Wayne Kramer, the guitarist for the highly influential Detroit proto-punk band MC5, has died. He was 75.

The news was announced Friday, February 2, in a post on Kramer’s Facebook reading, “Wayne Kramer passed away today peacefully from pancreatic cancer. He will be remembered for starting a revolution in music, culture, and kindness.”

Kramer was a founding member of MC5, which formed in 1963. The band was particularly known for their 1969 song “Kick Out the Jams,” the impact of which can be heard throughout the last 50 years of rock music, and they memorably performed for Vietnam War protesters during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

“Brother Wayne Kramer was the greatest man I’ve ever know,” Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello writes in an Instagram post. “He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music and was the only act to not chicken out and performed for the rioting protestors at the 1968 Dem National Convention.”

MC5 broke up in 1972, and Kramer fell into drug addiction and spent time in prison. He detailed his life in the 2018 memoir The Hard Stuff, and became a voice for recovery and prison reform in the rock community.

Kramer played in an MC5 reunion show in 1992 and reformed the band again in 2003. In 2018, Kramer spearheaded a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Kick Out the Jams album, which featured Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil on guitar.

In a December 2023 Mojo interview, Kramer revealed that he was working on a new MC5 album with guests including Morello and Slash.

“Whenever and wherever any of us kick out the jams, Brother Wayne will be right there with us,” Morello says.

Billy Joel puts Palm Beach mansion back on the market

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Joel told his audience on New Year’s Eve that he’d be spending more time in Florida in the future — but apparently, he doesn’t want to spend that time in his Palm Beach-area mansion.

The Palm Beach Daily News reports that Billy has put the mansion, located in Manalapan, near Palm Beach, up for sale for $54.7 million. If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that he originally listed it in late 2022 for $64.9 million. The listing expired in August 2023, so now it’s back on the market at this lower price.

Billy’s owned the oceanfront mansion on 1.6 acres since 2015, when he bought it for just over $22 million. It has nine bedrooms, a two-bedroom guest house and a 10-car garage, as well as a wine cellar and theater.

As for where Billy plans to live once he sells this house, the paper reports that he bought a $9 million townhouse in Palm Beach in 2021. Other artists who have homes in Palm Beach include Jon Bon Jovi and Rod Stewart, with whom Billy will be touring this year.

Billy will be performing on the Grammy Awards Sunday night, singing his new song, “Turn the Lights Back On,” and one of his classic hits.

Ace Frehley rocks out in space in video for “Walkin’ on The Moon”

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has dropped the video for his latest single, “Walkin’ on The Moon,” from his upcoming album, 10,000 Volts.

The clip has Frehley landing on the moon, where he’s met by an alien who hands him a guitar. He then performs the song with the help of some alien bandmates. It ends with him waking up to realize it was all a dream.

“Walkin’ on The Moon” is the second single Frehley has released from 10,000 Volts, following the album’s title track. The record, Frehley’s first solo release since 2020’s Origins Vol. 2, comes out February 23.

Metallica launches new ’The Blending Sessions’ conversation series with Blackened Whiskey distiller

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Metallica has launched a new conversation series called The Blending Sessions.

In each episode, the metal legends will speak with distiller Rob Dietrich, with whom they work on their signature Blackened Whiskey.

The first two episodes, titled “Raising the Bar” and “Uniquely Metallica,” are streaming now on You Tube. Future installments will premiere weekly.

The Blending Sessions series follows the 2023 premiere of Metallica’s official podcast, The Metallica Report.

Green Day earns career-best vinyl sales week with ’Saviors’

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Green Day earned a new personal-best sales feat with their latest album, Saviors.

According to Billboard, the 14th studio effort from the “American Idiot” outfit sold 18,000 copies on vinyl during its first week out. That’s the highest U.S. vinyl sales week Green Day has ever had in their career.

As previously reported, Saviors debuted in all of its formats at #4 on the Billboard 200. It marks Green Day’s 12th top-10 release.

Green Day will launch a U.S. tour in support of Saviors in July. During the run, they’ll be playing their albums Dookie and American Idiot in full in celebration of their respective 30th and 20th anniversaries.

Sarajevo documentary featuring U2 to play in AMC theaters

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The documentary Kiss the Future, featuring Irish rockers U2, is set to open exclusively in AMC theaters in the U.S. starting February 23, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kiss the Future, directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain and produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony, is based on Bill Carter’s memoir Fools Rush In. It follows a group of underground musicians and creatives during the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from April 1992 to February 1996. The doc includes footage of U2’s memorable 1997 concert at Koševo Stadium celebrating the country’s liberation, along with interviews with Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton.

In addition to the theatrical release, AMC will host an early screening of the film on February 21, which will include a conversation with The Edge and Clayton.

The film received its world premiere in February 2023 at the Berlin Film Festival and also opened New York’s Tribeca Festival in June. It also screened at Sarajevo Film Festival’s Open Air program, with Bono and The Edge surprising the crowd with an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”

Following the AMC run, Kiss the Future will stream on Paramount+ later in the year.

How The Beatles’ “Now and Then” wound up in ‘Argylle’

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Beatles final song, “Now and Then,” appears in the new movie Argylle. It turns out director Matthew Vaughn actually got the tune for the film before anyone knew it even existed.

During an appearance on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast, Vaughn shares that he was having a hard time finding a perfect song for the film when Giles Martin, Argylle’s music producer and the co-producer on “Now and Then,” spilled the beans on The Beatles song.

“Over a year and a half ago, I was with him and I said, ‘I’m really struggling to find what I call the romantic song of the movie, ’cause I need it to be sad, but hopeful…’ And he said, ‘Do you want to hear a new Beatles song?’” Vaughn shares. “And Giles has got a hell of a sense of humor, so I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah. Whatever.’ And he goes, ‘No, I’m being deadly serious.’”

Vaughn notes, “He played it to me, and it was as if (John) Lennon had seen the film … We just slapped it on the movie, and we didn’t have to edit anything — it just fitted the picture.”

“Now and Then” was released in November. It features vocals Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s along with new recordings from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and guitar parts Harrison recorded in the ’90s during the sessions for their Anthology series.

Argylle is in theaters now.

Grammy Awards to feature tribute to Tina Turner

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The world lost a number of well-known musicians in the year since the last Grammy Awards, including Tina Turner, who will be honored at the 2024 event. One of the show’s executive producers hint that Beyoncé may be involved in the tribute.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Raj Kapoor says this year’s in memoriam segment will include 16 minutes of performances and reveals there have been discussions about Bey being part of the Tina portion.

“We’ve definitely had conversations, and we know how much Tina and Beyoncé loved each other,” Kapoor says. While he didn’t confirm or deny that such a tribute would take place, he adds, “The Tina Turner tribute will be amazing. We are really excited. It may be a little unexpected, but it’s going to be absolutely amazing.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Beyoncé helped celebrate Tina. In 2005, she performed “Proud Mary” in tribute to Tina at the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 2008, they performed the song together on the 50th Grammy Awards.

In addition to Turner, music legends who died since the last Grammys include Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffett, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington, Sinéad O’Connor, Gordon Lightfoot and the Eagles‘ Randy Meisner.

Kapoor also confirmed that Billy Joel will perform his new single, “Turn the Lights Back On” — his first in 17 years — and at least one of his classic hits. Additionally, Joni Mitchell will be joined by frequent collaborator Brandi Carlile as well as Jacob Collier, Allison Russell, SistaStrings, Lucius and Blake Mills.

The Grammy Awards air Sunday, February 4, on CBS.

Judas Priest drops video for ‘Invincible Shield’ track, “Crown of Horns”

February 2, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Judas Priest has shared the video for “Crown of Horns,” the latest single off their upcoming album, Invincible Shield.

The clip gives fans some insight into how the song was made, showing all the band members recording their parts in various studios and, in some cases, at home.

“Crown of Horns” is the third single Judas Priest has released from Invincible Shield, following “Panic Attack” and “Trial By Fire.” The album, Priest’s first since 2018’s Firepower, is due out March 8 and is available for preorder now.

Judas Priest is set to kick off a U.K. and European tour starting in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 11. They’ll bring the tour to the U.S. starting April 18 in Wallingford, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at judaspriest.com.

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