Classic Rock 93.9

Dead & Company has added a very special show to their final tour. Earlier this week the band started teasing a May 8 concert, with what appeared to be the Cornell University logo with the Grateful Dead lightening bolt,  leading to speculation they were going to be doing a show at the school. Well, now they’ve confirmed the gig. 

“There’s a lot of excitement brewing about what’s to come at Cornell University,” Dead & Company shared on Instagram. “Yes – it’s true – Dead & Company will be playing a benefit concert at @CornellUniversity!”

The “very special show” will take place at Barton Hall, with proceeds benefiting MusiCares and The Cornell 2030 Project. Only a limited number of tickets will be available for the show, and so far there’s no word on when they’ll go on sale. 

The new Cornell show coincides with the 46th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s infamous May 8, 1977, Barton Hall concert, which was a legendary band bootleg before officially being released in May 2017. In 2012, a soundboard recording of the show was chosen by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry.

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Bonnaroo has issued a statement following Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee‘s passing of a law restricting public drag performances in the state.

The law prohibits “adult cabaret performance,” which includes “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers,” on public property or in places it could be seen by a minor. Lee also passed a law banning gender-affirming health care for minors.

In a statement posted to Bonnaroo’s Twitter, organizers for the festival, which has been held in Manchester, Tennessee, since 2002, write, “Bonnaroo has and will always be a place for inclusivity, a safe haven for people of all walks of life and a champion of self-expression.”

“Rest assured The Farm will remain a sanctuary for those freedoms,” the statement continues. “Bonnaroovians will see no changes in programming or celebration of self-expression at the festival.”

This year’s Bonnaroo takes place June 15-18. The lineup includes Foo Fighters, Paramore, Portugal. The Man, Korn, AFI and Marcus Mumford, among others.

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We are two weeks away from the release of U2’s new album, Songs of Surrender, and they are giving fans yet another taste of what to expect. The Irish rockers just released their reworked version of the All That You Can’t Leave Behind classic “Beautiful Day,” which is a much quieter version than the original, with some new lyrics added toward the end.

Dropping March 17, Songs of Surrender contains 40 reimagined and rerecorded songs, all curated and produced by The Edge. This is the fourth song U2 has shared from Songs of Surrender, joining “One,” “With or Without You” and “Pride (In The Name of Love).”

“Beautiful Day,” released in October 2000, earned the band three Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

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Neil Young is set to release two more additions to his Original Bootleg Series next month.

The first, Somewhere Under The Rainbow, features Young and the Santa Monica Flyers, made up of Nils Lofgren, Ben Keith, Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina. It was recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre in London and, according to a press release, is “a long-cherished show that has been celebrated for its completely spontaneous and high-revved performance.” One of those performances, of the track “Human Highway,” is out now.

The second is High Flyin’, a double live album from the summer of 1977 featuring The Ducks, the group made up of Young, Bob Mosley, Jeff Blackburn and Johnny Craviotto. The band was known for making unannounced appearances at clubs in Northern California, and the collection features songs from those spontaneous shows, as well as two nights at Magical Devices studio. Young has offered up a taste of the bootleg, with the just-released performance of “Little Wing.”

Both bootlegs will be available April 14 on vinyl and CD at the Greedy Hand Store at Neil Young Archives, as well as at most music retailers.

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England’s Glastonbury Festival finally announced its 2023 lineup and, as has been rumored for weeks, Guns N’ Roses has been confirmed to headline.

GNR joins previously announced headliner Elton John, with Arctic Monkeys rounding out the headlining slots.

Also on this year’s bill are Blondie, which drummer Clem Burke let slip last month, along with Yusuf/Cat Stevens and many others. 

Glastonbury 2023 will take place June 21-25. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit GlastonburyFestivals.co.uk.

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Rush is celebrating another milestone anniversary with the release of Signals – 40th Anniversary, the latest edition to their 40th anniversary album series. Dropping April 28, Signals – 40th Anniversary will be available in three configurations, including a one-LP picture disc edition and a Dolby Atmos digital edition. 

There will also be a super deluxe edition that includes one CD, one Blu-ray audio and one black-vinyl LP with new artwork from original album designer Hugh Syme. It will also include four 7-inch singles, “Subdivisions,” “Countdown,” “New World Man” and “The Weapon (Single Edit),” all with new artwork. 

In addition, the super deluxe edition comes with a 40-page hardcover book, featuring song illustrations and new artwork from Syme, as well as unreleased photos from the Signals Tour. There’s also a double-sided 24-inch by 24-inch poster featuring Syme’s new Signals artwork and an outtake photo of the original album cover, plus a lot more.

The official Rush online store will also be selling a limited edition super deluxe box that comes with eight lithographs of the late Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on Signals.

Signals – 40th Anniversary is available for preorder now.

Originally released in September 1982, Signals was Rush’s ninth studio album. It peaked at 10 in the U.S. and went on to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry of America.

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On this Day, March 3, 1990…

Paul McCartney’s world tour came to Tokyo, Japan with Sir Paul playing six sold-out nights at the Tokyo Dome.

McCartney’s set included such Beatles classics as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude” and more, as well as Wings tunes like “Band on the Run,” “Let ‘Em In” and others.

The shows were part of McCartney’s first world tour under his name, and his first major tour in over ten years, following the Wings UK Tour 1979.

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Season two of Queen The Greatest Live continues, with this week’s episode titled “Flash and the Hero.”

Episode seven once again focuses on the opening of the show, this time the band’s January 5, 1982 concert at Milton Keynes Bowl in the U.K. It shows how Queen got the audience going with their one-two punch opening number, a medley of their songs “Flash” and “The Hero.”

The band builds excitement in the crowd by playing “Flash,” from the 1980 film Flash Gordon, over the PA system as they take the stage, and then launch into “The Hero,” the second track from the film’s soundtrack.

Queen’s Milton Keynes show was part of the 30-date European Hot Space Tour. Queen On Fire – Live at the Bowl was released on DVD/CD back in 2004.

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Over the past nine years, Billy Joel has performed in stadiums and other venues around the world, but each month — barring illness or a global pandemic — he comes back to New York to do a concert at Madison Square Garden as part of his ongoing residency. Billboard reports those shows alone have just crossed the $200 million mark in total earnings.

Through Billy’s Valentine’s Day show — the 87th of the residency, which kicked off in 2014 — Billboard reports that his total grosses are $201.5 million and he’s sold 1.6 million tickets. Of course, he’s also raking in the bucks from his other, non-Garden concerts.

Billy has said that he’ll continue his residency as long as there’s interest, and according to Billboard, there certainly is: The shows continue to sell out nine years on. What’s more, Billy’s earning more per show: Back in 2014, he was taking in nearly $2 million per show, but now he makes more than $3 million, mostly due to the increased ticket prices that come with dynamic pricing.

According to Billboard, since 1986, which is the first year that data is available, Billy has earned over $1 billion on the road and sold more than 14 million tickets.

The Piano Man will be adding to his huge take starting next week when his co-headlining tour with Stevie Nicks kicks off in LA’s SoiFi Stadium.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd can thank American Idol for their latest chart resurgence. The band’s classic track “Simple Man” has returned to the Billboard charts following Idol contestant Colin Stough‘s performance of it on the season premiere of the ABC talent competition.

“Simple Man” is currently at 23 on the Hot Rock Alternative Songs chart, thanks to 3.6 million new U.S. streams and 1,000 new downloads. The tune is also up to 11 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart.

Stough earned a golden ticket with his performance, which has since been viewed over 1 million times on YouTube. 

One of Lynyrd Skynrd’s most popular tunes, “Simple Man” appeared on the band’s debut album, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd). It has spent over 100 weeks on Billboard’s Rock Streaming Songs chart and another 25 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart.

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