Classic Rock 93.9

U2 bassist Adam Clayton is showing off his artistic talents on an elephant to raise money and awareness for mental health issues.

The rocker has decorated and signed a 4-foot-tall elephant statue titled “All At Sea.” The piece, which he created with Irish artist Debbie Chapman, represents “what concerns him in the world issues like people displacement, refugees, climate change, world poverty.”

The elephant is being auctioned off for the mental health campaign Elephant in the Room, which hopes to “start the conversation on mental health from the school room to the boardroom.”

Clayton shares, “For me personally, art – in all its forms – brings both comfort and joy. I can think of no better way to raise awareness for the vital conversation around mental health and well-being.” 

Adam’s elephant is one of many being auctioned off to raise money for Samaritans, a U.K. charity which provides support for those in emotional distress or at risk of suicide. The auction is open until Friday, October 6, at 8 p.m. 

U2 is getting ready to head to Las Vegas. They open their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency at The Venetian on September 29. A complete list of dates can be found at U2.com.

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Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready has announced a new signature guitar with Fender.

The Mike McCready Stratocaster is inspired by his own beloved ’60s Strat and recreates the worn, chipped-paint of the original guitar.

“Fender has remained a staple throughout my musical career, most notably when Fender’s Custom Shop recreated my first ever Stratocaster two years ago,” says McCready. “They did such an incredible
job replicating the sound and feel of the custom shop, even I get confused which one is the original!”

McCready adds, “Now, with the release of my artist signature, I’m deeply honored to not only further solidify my partnership with the brand, but to deliver a more approachable guitar to the hands of the next generation of guitar players featuring the state-of-the-art craftsmanship Fender is known for and a distinct tone that hold a special place in my heart.”

The Mike McCready Stratocaster goes for $1,899.99. For more info, visit Fender.com.

In related news, McCready talks about the upcoming new Pearl Jam album in an interview with Spin.

“The record’s gonna have some great examples of Matt Cameron‘s drumming that just blew my mind,” McCready says. “He took it up about 10 notches for this new record, and it really is because of [producer] Andrew [Watt‘s] enthusiasm, and … him jumping up and down and saying, ‘Try it again!’ and then saying ‘Oh, we got it!’ and on to the next thing.”

“[Watt] pushed us to play as best as we could,” he adds. “It’s hard for us to listen to other people because we have so many ideas ourselves.”

Pearl Jam’s most recent album is 2020’s Gigaton.

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Foo Fighters have announced two new U.S. headlining concerts.

The shows will take place September 28 in Santa Barbara, California, and October 10 in Houston. Tickets go on sale Thursday, September 14, at 10 a.m. local time.

For all ticket info, visit FooFighters.com.

Foo Fighters have played a number of one-off headlining dates and festival sets throughout 2023 in support of their latest album, But Here We Are. The performances have marked the first Foos shows with new drummer Josh Freese, who joined following the 2022 death of Taylor Hawkins.

The next date of the Foo Fighters’ schedule is September 15 at Chicago’s Riot Fest.

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The original members of Talking Heads — David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz — reunited at the Toronto Film Festival, September 11, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their iconic concert film Stop Making Sense. 

According to Consequence, the audience was up on their feet dancing during the world premiere of the newly restored 4K version of the film, with some of the band members reportedly joining in.

“When I was watching this just now, I was thinking, ‘This is why we come to the movie theaters. This is different than watching it on my laptop,’” Byrne said after the screening. “This is really different.” 

The screening was followed by a Q&A, moderated by Spike Lee, who called Stop Making Sense “the greatest concert film ever.”

While relationships in the band have been rocky over the years, Frantz told the audience, “It’s so good to be here with my bandmates tonight,” adding, “I’m very grateful to be here tonight and to be able to watch this and to enjoy it so much.”

Regarding the appeal of the film, Harrison noted, “one of the reasons of the lasting power of the film is you see that we are having so much fun on stage.” Weymouth added, “I love that show. It was magical. Everything about it was so special. Love. Between us and the audience.”

One thing that wasn’t revealed was whether this reunion will lead to any new concerts or music from the band. In fact, the subject wasn’t even brought up during the Q&A.

Meanwhile, the screening of Stop Making Sense played in IMAX theaters across North America and it sold out 25 screens at 165 locations, making it IMAX’s biggest live screening event ever, earning $640,839.

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Kansas will be extending the celebration of their 50th anniversary well into next year. The band just extended their Another Fork in the Road 50th Anniversary Tour, which will now keep them on the road through May, 2024. 

The new dates kick off February 2 in Pensacola, Florida, hitting such cities as Toledo, Ohio; Morristown, New Jersey; Albany, New York; Providence, Rhode Island, and more, wrapping May 18 in New Haven, Connecticut. The new additions also include the tour’s first stop in Kansas, with two shows in Salina, March 22 and 23.

“The way audiences have received the 50th Anniversary Tour has been spectacular,” Kansas drummer and original member Phil Ehart shares. “It only made sense to extend the tour into 2024.” He adds, “Heck, the first 50 dates didn’t even include the state of Kansas. You know we must perform there!”

Tickets for the new shows go on sale Friday, September 15, at 10 a.m. local time. The tour next hits Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, September 12. A complete list of dates can be found at kansasband.com.

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Ozzy Osbourne is going back under the knife.

On the first episode of the newly relaunched The Osbournes podcast, the Prince of Darkness reveals he requires another surgery, marking his fourth operation since suffering a fall in his home in 2019, which aggravated injuries he suffered in a 2023 ATV accident.

“What they’ve discovered, the neck has been fixed, but below the neck, there’s two vertebrae that when the bike hit me … they’re disintegrated, there’s nothing left of them,” the 74-year-old Ozzy says.

He adds, “All I know is, right now, I’m in a lot of pain, I’m in a lot of discomfort.”

Ozzy’s physical health, along with a variety of other factors including his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease and the pandemic, has kept him from playing a full live show for nearly five years. He was scheduled to play the upcoming Power Trip festival in October, but he dropped off the lineup in July, sharing, “My body is telling me that I’m just not ready yet.”

While he’s still unable to perform, Ozzy’s continued to keep his voice in shape with lessons and exercises.

“I think you’re sounding better,” Ozzy’s daughter Kelly says.

For more on Ozzy’s condition, you can stay tuned to The Osbournes podcast, which returned Tuesday, September 12, after a five-year hiatus. It’ll feature weekly conversations between Ozzy and Sharon alongside their children Kelly and Jack.

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On This Day, September 12, 1975…

Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here.

The album featured the nine-part “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” which was tribute to founding member Syd Barrett, who’d been fired seven years earlier due to his drug use and mental health issues.

The album’s title track became a classic rock staple, and has often made the lists of the greatest songs of all time. Other songs on the album include “Have a Cigar” and “Welcome to the Machine.”

Wish You Were Here went on to be a huge hit for the band, reaching #1 in both the U.S. and U.K. It became Pink Floyd’s fastest selling album ever, and went on to sell 20 million copies.

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Van Morrison is getting ready to release another new album.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just dropped a cover of the Johnny Kidd classic “Shakin’ All Over”; it’s the first single off his new album, Accentuate The Positive, dropping November 3.

Just like Morrison’s last album, Moving On Skiffle, in which he reinterpreted Skiffle music, popularized in the U.K. in the 1950s, Accentuate The Positive has Morrison sharing his take on some of his personal rock ‘n’ roll favorites, like The Johnny Burnette Trio’s “Lonesome Train,” Big Joe Turner’s “Flip, Flop and Fly” and many others.  

“Rock ‘n’ roll is about simplicity, sincerity and expressive power and there’s no way you can get away from that,” Morrison shares. “That’s why it’s good and that’s why it’s lasted. It’s spirit music.”

The album features guest appearances by the late Jeff Beck on the track “Lonesome Train,” with vocals by Chris Farlowe, and blues musician Taj Mahal on “Lucile” and “Shake Rattle and Roll.”

You can listen to “Shakin’ All Over” now via digital services and on YouTube.

Accentuate The Positive is available for preorder now. Here is the track list for the album:

“You Are My Sunshine”
“When Will I Be Loved”
“Two Hound Dogs”
“Flip, Flop and Fly”
“I Want a Roof Over My Head”
“Problems”
“Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes”
“The Shape I’m In’
“Accentuate The Positive”
“Lonesome Train”
“A Shot of Rhythm and Blues”
“Shakin’ All Over”
“Bye, Bye Johnny”
“Red Sails in the Sunset”
“Sea of Heartbreak”
“Blueberry Hill”
“Bonaparte’s Retreat”
“Lucille”
“Shake, Rattle and Roll”

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The Who is featured in the latest issue of the U.K. magazine Uncut, and fans who grab a copy will get more than just an interesting article about the band.

Each issue comes with an exclusive CD, featuring 10 tracks from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ upcoming box set, Who’s Next | Life House, which drops September 15. And fans who live in Ireland can snag even more, with some copies sold at Tesco stores coming with a double-sided The Who poster, plus a 32-page guide to the band’s albums.

The Who issue of Uncut features an interview with Pete Townshend, in which he talks about a variety of subjects and, according to the mag, “unravels the complex relationship between their enduring masterpiece and this legendary ‘lost’ album,” referring to the 1969 classic Who’s Next and Townshend’s abandoned project Life House.

While Uncut is only available in the U.K., fans from all over can get their hands on a copy of the special issue by ordering it on the mag’s website. 

Who’s Next/Life House super deluxe edition will feature a whopping 155 tracks, with 89 songs that have never been released and 57 fresh remixes. That includes Townshend’s Life House demos, various session recordings and two complete concerts from 1971: one recorded at London’s Young Vic theater and one recorded at San Francisco’s Civic Auditorium. It is available for preorder now.

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Aerosmith has only played a handful of dates on their Peace Out farewell tour, and now it’s come to an abrupt halt. 

“I’m heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor’s orders not to sing for the next thirty days,” frontman Steven Tyler shared on social media. “I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday’s show that led to subsequent bleeding. We’ll need to postpone a few dates so that we can come back and give you the performance you deserve.” 

The postponement affects September shows in Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Raleigh and Washington, DC, and all have been rescheduled to early 2024. Fans who can make the rescheduled dates are urged to hold on to their tickets, and those who can’t attend will receive refunds.

Aerosmith kicked off their Peace Out tour on Saturday, September 2 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is now expected to resume on October 11 in Tampa, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at aerosmith.com.

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