Classic Rock 93.9

After over 50 years in the music business, Lenny Kaye, best known for being the longest-serving member of the Patti Smith Group, is out with his debut solo album, Goin’ Local.

So, why did it take so long for the 79-year-old Kaye to make a solo album?

He tells ABC Audio he’s had many of these songs for years, noting, “I wrote them, many of them, just for my own personal artistic satisfaction.”

He says one of the reasons he wanted to release them now is because he needed “artistic closure,” adding “a lot of the songs are kind of personal.”

“I write them because I need to in a certain way,” he explains. “That to me is one of the ways in which you can understand yourself, a relationship, a sense of who you are.”

Kaye has already released several tracks from the album, including the title track, “The Things You Leave Behind” and “Solstice,” co-written by Smith.

Kaye says it “feels great” to finally share these personal songs with the public.

“I mean, it’s also kind of a culmination of the many personas I’ve had within making music over the many years,” he says. “I love being a new artist.”

And Kaye says he hopes fans who listen to the album get a feel for who he really is.

“I hope that they understand that I’m a person who feels deeply, who tries to be honest with himself,” he says. “And I just hope that they realize that it’s an honest representation of who I am at this moment in time.” 

Goin’ Local is out now. Kaye is currently on tour and is set to play in Sacramento on Friday.

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R.E.M. called it quits in 2011, and while some fans may be holding out hope for a full band reunion, guitarist Peter Buck tells Mojo they really shouldn’t.

“When we decided it was the end, I felt fine with it. That was the story – it had a beginning and an end,” he says. “I was happy with the whole arc, and we were all young enough to go off and do other things, and we all have been.”

“And unlike every other band in the world other than The Smiths, we’re not going to be doing the famous album reunion tour or any of that crap,” he adds. “It’s just not going to happen.”

Buck says he has no desire to “do a tour so we can make more money or be famous.”

“I just don’t want to be the legacy act at Glastonbury playing our 40-year-old hits,” he says. “It’s great that we did all that stuff when we did it, and I’m really proud of the performances. I don’t want to cheapen it by going out there just for ego and money. I don’t need the money, and my ego? Well, I’ve had enough applause to last 10 lifetimes.”

R.E.M. announced their split in September 2011. All four members — Buck, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Bill Berry — reunited to perform at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. They also reunited in February 2025 for a performance of “Pretty Persuasion” at Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy’s show in Athens, Georgia.

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Elton John wants fans to know that his upcoming shows in Mexico won’t just be him walking down the same old Yellow Brick Road. 

As previously reported, Elton will perform two shows in Mexico City in October after being unable to tour there during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. And even if you previously saw Elton on the farewell tour, he says this one is going to be totally different.

Tickets for the shows went on sale Thursday. Elton wrote on Instagram, “Mexico, I can’t wait to see you again! Marking my first shows in Mexico City in 14 years, these two performances will not be a continuation of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, but a special, one-of-a-kind set list I’ve curated exclusively for my Mexico fans.”

“These very special shows stand alone as a celebration crafted just for you!” he continued. “I can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

Since the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour wrapped up in 2023, Elton has continued to do shows here and there, including private events and charity performances. He also did a special concert with Brandi Carlile in London last March, sang at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in November and continues to perform at his annual Oscar party.

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The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are sharing their thoughts on AI, touring and more in the latest Billboard cover story.

AI technology was used to de-age the band in the video for “In the Stars,” the first single off their new album Foreign Tongues. But when it comes to using it to make music, they aren’t exactly on board.

“I’d rather hear something original. Music could do a lot better than just trying to copy itself,” Richards says. “We want new input. We don’t want more and more copying and synthesizing.”

“I don’t want people just putting stuff out there that can sound exactly like The Rolling Stones — I think that’s obviously wrong,” Jagger adds. “If someone wants to make music by AI, go ahead. But it has to be original — you have to have your own input and your own thoughts.”

He notes, “There are people who use AI to just make a song from scratch, in the style of The Rolling Stones. If you were any kind of creative person, you wouldn’t do that.”

As they have in previous interviews, the band once again touches upon whether they plan to tour behind Foreign Tongues; Jagger tells Billboard he would like to, even if it meant doing a residency.

“But the thing about a residency — the only downside for people is that it’s much more expensive for the further-out people that want to come and see the show,” he says.

Richards seems a bit more confident that shows will happen.

“I see no reason why next year, good Lord willing, we shouldn’t be able to, as you say, maybe a residency, something,” he says. “Maybe you find a different way of taking the thing on the road. Bring the road to us. That’s my suggestion.”

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Ozzy Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham, England, will celebrate the memory of the late metal legend with the first Ozzy Day.

The festivities will take place across the city on July 22, the one-year anniversary of Ozzy’s death, and will include art installations and live music. Birmingham’s giant bull statue, which is named Ozzy, will be specially dressed for the occasion.

“Ozzy Day is a fantastic example of Birmingham working together to celebrate the legendary Ozzy Osbourne,” says Sam Watson, chair of Central BID Birmingham. “By bringing together businesses, cultural organisations and public spaces, we’re creating a city centre wide experience that encourages people to celebrate the legacy of a truly global, Birmingham-born icon.”

Ozzy died on July 22, 2025, just over two weeks after he performed for the last time alongside his original Black Sabbath bandmates at the massive Back to the Beginning concert. He was 76.

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KISS’ Gene Simmons was supposed to headline a new fan expo in Las Vegas in September, but the event has now been moved to next year.

The Gene Simmons’ Legends of Rock Expo was supposed to take place Sept. 25-27 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, but a post on the event’s Instagram account reveals that it’s been moved to May 14-16, 2027.

“Due to a major scheduling conflict, we have made the difficult decision to reschedule the Gene Simmons Legends of Rock Expo,” reads the post. “While we know this change may be disappointing, the additional time will allow us to make the Rock Experience even bigger and better, while fine-tuning an incredible celebrity lineup.”

In addition to Simmons performing with his Gene Simmons Band, the lineup for the Legends of Rock Expo includes Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, The Police’s Stewart Copeland and The Kinks’ Dave Davies.

Tickets that were already purchased will be valid for the new dates. More info can be found at legendsofrockexpo.com.

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Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant is set to receive the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the artist’s “extraordinary contributions to Americana and American Roots music.”

“Robert Plant’s relationship with Americana music extends far beyond influence—it is one of genuine passion, stewardship and artistic curiosity,” said Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association. “His willingness to immerse himself in the traditions of blues, folk, country and gospel, while continuing to push their boundaries, has expanded the audience for Americana around the world.”

“Few artists have done more to honor the music’s past while helping shape its future,” Hilly adds. “We are thrilled to recognize his extraordinary contributions with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Following his years with Led Zeppelin, Plant has embraced roots and Americana music, most notably with his collaborations with singer Alison Krauss and producer T Bone Burnett. Their 2007 album, Raising Sand, won the Grammy for album of the year, while its follow-up, 2021’s Raise the Roof, won best Americana album at the Grammys. Plant’s more recent exploration of the genre resulted in the 2025 self-titled debut album from his band Saving Grace, with Suzi Dian.

Plant will be honored during the 25th annual Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 16 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Tickets for the ceremony are on sale now.

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Bob Dylan doesn’t appear to be taking a break from the road anytime soon.

The 85-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a set of fall tour dates that will take him to Europe and the U.K.

The European leg of the tour begins Oct. 17 in Oslo, Norway, and includes stops in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy before wrapping Nov. 22 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The tour then hits the U.K. starting Nov. 25 in Bournemouth, England, and wraps with five nights at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Dec. 1-8.

Tickets for all shows go on sale July 22.

Dylan’s last tour of Europe and the U.K. took place in fall 2025.

Dylan is currently on a North American tour that hits Boston on Thursday. The tour wraps Aug. 1 in Nashville.
A complete list of dates can be found at BobDylan.com.

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On This Day, July 16, 2008…

Billy Joel played the first of two nights at New York’s historic Shea Stadium, the venue’s final concerts before its demolition.

Held at the home of the New York Mets, the show saw Joel welcoming several guests, including Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey and Paul McCartney. During the second concert, on July 18, McCartney was driven to the stage by the same groundskeeper who drove The Beatles onto the field when they played Shea Stadium in 1965.

Demolition on the venue began in October 2008.

A documentary of the shows, The Last Play at Shea, premiered in 2010 at the Tribeca Film Festival and later played at Citi Field, the stadium that replaced Shea. A CD and DVD of the shows were released in March 2011.

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The Rolling Stones have shared a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the artwork for their latest album, Foreign Tongues.

The album cover features a mashup of caricatures of the faces of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. In the behind-the-scenes clip, the artist, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, paints the image while looking at a variety of different photos and drawings of the rockers.

“The Rolling Stones, they’re such an iconic band, even people who may not be avid fans of The Rolling Stones, they imagine those guys on the stage singing and performing,” Quinn says in the clip. “This is an image for an album cover, you know, it’s not like a work of art for a gallery or museum. It has to be an image that would be collectively embraced and digested by a wider public.”

He adds, “They don’t have to be art connoisseurs to like it.”

Foreign Tongues, The Rolling Stones’ 25th studio album, is out now.

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