Classic Rock 93.9

REO Speedwagon is set to play two very special shows in Las Vegas this fall. An Evening of Hi Infidelity … and More will see the band performing their classic album Hi Infidelity in its entirety, along with a set featuring other hit songs.

The shows are happening Friday, November 10, and Saturday, November 11, at the Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, with tickets set to go on sale Friday, April 7, at 10 a.m. local time.

“The Venetian is an intimate theater, and Hi Infidelity is an intimate album,” frontman Kevin Cronin shares. “We bared our souls in these songs, so it will be emotional for us to play the whole album for the first time and tell its story. Then we get to blow the lid off the joint with the hit-filled second set.” 

Released in November 1980, Hi Infidelity peaked at number one on the Billboard Album chart, and featured the hit songs “Take It On The Run” and “Keep on Loving You.” It was the biggest selling album of 1981 and was certified 10-times platinum by the RIAA.

And REO Speedwagon has plenty of other shows on their schedule. Their next concert is happening April 12 in Albany, Georgia. A complete list of tour dates can be found at reospeedwagon.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, April 3, 2015…

Bob Burns, the original drummer for Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, died in a car crash near his home in Cartersville, Georgia. 

Burns helped to form Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964 with Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Larry Junstrom, but left the group in 1974.

He is credited on recordings from the group’s first two albums, 1973’s (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) and 1974’s Second Helping. That includes such Lynyrd Skynyrd classics as “Free Bird,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Simple Man.”

In 1996, after years out of the public eye, he joined the band for a performance in conjunction with the film Freebird: The Movie. Then, in March of 2006 he returned to perform alongside the band at their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, who was responsible for launching the careers of such artists as Madonna, The Talking Heads, and more, passed away Sunday at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer.

Stein co-founded Sire Productions with record producer Richard Gottehrer in 1966, which later became Sire Records. In addition to Madonna and Talking Heads, Stein is known for signing such future stars as the Ramones, the Pretenders, Ice-T and more, along with a slew of new wave acts like Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnyman, and others. 

Stein was also vice president of Warner Bros. Records until his retirement in July, 2018. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2005, and was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016 with the Richmond Hitmaker Award.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Kinks became rock ‘n’ roll superstars with Ray Davies as lead vocalist, but he says that was never really his ambition when he started playing music.

In an interview with The Sun, Ray says he wanted to be just like some of his musical heroes, like Chet Atkins and jazz guitarist Tal Farlow, “and just sit at the side playing guitar and let other people do the hard work.” Ray notes, “I thought there was too much responsibility in being a frontman so I tried to give the job to (brother) Dave (Davies) but he didn’t accept it.”

Ray also says their label “thought I had good diction in the days when manners prevailed,” recalling that they told him, “My dear boy, you should be the singer.”

Ray is promoting The Kinks’ recently released compilation album The Journey – Part 1, which features songs handpicked by him, Dave and Mick Avory. He also talked to the paper about some of their biggest hits, including 1964’s “You Really Got Me,” which he says almost didn’t get released. 

“The record company didn’t want us to put it out because they thought it was too aggressive,” he says. “I don’t know what they’d do with it in today’s world.”

The Journey – Part 1 is part of the band’s 60th anniversary celebration. The Journey – Part 2 is expected to come out later this year, along with other events and activities celebrating the anniversary happening throughout 2023 and 2024.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards went down in Austin, Texas Sunday night, and while the night celebrated country music’s biggest stars, rock was also well-represented.

The show featured a once-in-a-lifetime tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd and their late guitarist Gary Rossington, who passed away last month. The performance, which was introduced by Peter Frampton, featured a trio of guitar greats – Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, and Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes – along with Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers and country star Cody Johnson on vocals, Rolling Stones’ keyboardist Chuck Leavell, and Wynonna Judd and LeAnn Rimes filling in for Skynyrd’s backup singers, The Honkettes.

The all-star lineup treated the crowd to performances of Skynyrd classics “Simple Man” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” with current Skynyrd members Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke watching on from the audience,  along with Rossington’s widow, Dale Krantz Rossington and daughter Dale, and the late Ronnie Van Zant’s widow Judy and his granddaughter.

The show also featured a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan from Gary Clark, Jr., who performed a rousing rendition “The House Is Rockin’.” 

And if that wasn’t enough, The Black Crowes also performed on the telecast, joining Darius Rucker for a collaboration on the Crowes’ classic “She Talks to Angels.” Plus, Alanis Morissette teamed with Lainey Wilson, Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade for a performance of her classic “You Oughta Know,” and Wynonna and Ashley McBryde performed a cover of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In December, a woman named Julia Holcomb filed a lawsuit in California accusing Steven Tyler of sexual assault, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Well, now Tyler is seeking to have the suit dismissed. 

Deadline reports that in legal documents seeking the dismissal, the Aerosmith frontman’s lawyers argue Holcolmb’s claims shouldn’t be allowed, either in whole or in part, because she consented to the relationship, which occurred in 1973 when she was 16 and he was in his 20s. They also argue he has qualified immunity from her claims because of his previous status as her onetime legal guardian.

They say Holcomb hasn’t “sustained any injury or loss by reason of any act or omission on the part of (Tyler),” adding the rocker’s “actions were legitimate, good-faith, justified, nondiscriminatory and/or non-retaliatory.”

In her suit, Holcomb claimed she and Tyler were together for three years starting in 1973, saying the rocker got her mother to grant him guardianship over her, which allowed her to live and travel with him. Holcomb claims she “was powerless to resist” the rock star’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability,” and that he “coerced and persuaded” her into believing their relationship was a “romantic love affair.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Queen + Adam Lambert have added more dates to their North American Rhapsody Tour.

The band has added eight new dates “due to overwhelming fan demand,” including second shows in Baltimore, New York, Boston, St. Paul, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

The tour now features 22 shows overall, opening October 4 in Baltimore, Maryland, and now wrapping November 12 in Los Angeles. 

Tickets for the new dates go on sale Friday, April 7, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of shows can be found at queenonline.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

If you think you’ve been hearing a lot of Fleetwood Mac songs on TV lately, you aren’t imagining things.

AdAge reports that since the beginning of 2022, music by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers has been featured across 16 different TV shows and commercials — and that doesn’t include clips played during reports of singer Christine McVie’s November 2022 death.

According to licensing platform Songtradr, the track that got the most exposure was 1987’s “Everywhere,” which was featured in a Chevy electric vehicle commercial, as well as a recent Kohl’s campaign. In addition, Fleetwood Mac’s “I’m Coming Home to Stay” was featured in the standout third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, which featured Nick Offerman.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is set to release two of his ’90s solo albums on vinyl for the first time ever. The albums, 1993’s Guitar Noir and 1999’s Darktown, have been newly remastered specifically for vinyl and will be released June 2 as Gatefold 180g two-LP sets.

“I’m thrilled that my two albums Guitar Noir and Darktown are being release[d] on vinyl for the first time!” Hackett shares. “My music took on a darker edge for both those albums, and I explored additional sounds and genres I hadn’t touched before.” 

Both albums are available for preorder now.

As previously reported, Hackett recently announced he’ll be coming to North America for a tour in which he’ll play Genesis’ 1972 album, Foxtrot, in its entirety, plus other songs from his catalog. The tour kicks off October 3 in Montreal, Canada, and hits the States October 5 in Ithaca, New York. A complete list of dates can be found at hackettsongs.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Pink Floyd is continuing the 50th anniversary celebration of their classic album The Dark Side of the Moon with a very special event. Unfortunately for U.S. fans, it’s in Australia.

The band has announced a listening event on April 20 on a remote peninsula off the coast of Western Australia to coincide with the Ningaloo Eclipse. The plan is to hit play on the album at 10:16:54 a.m. so the line “… but the sun is eclipsed by the moon” will sync exactly when the total solar eclipse happens.

The band is holding a contest that will give eight lucky Australian fans a chance to experience this unique listening opportunity. Those interested just have to submit a 30-second video by April 7 explaining why they should be picked.

The winners will then be filmed, with video of the experience featured on Pink Floyd’s social media pages.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.