Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy announces new US tour leg for early 2022

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy, the current band led by Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl Palmer, has announced plans to launch a second leg of its tour commemorating the legendary British prog-rock group’s 50th anniversary in 2022.

The U.S. trek will get underway with a January 27 show in Jacksonville, Florida, and is mapped out through a February 12-13 engagement at New York City’s famed jazz club The Iridium.

The first three dates of the tour — the Jacksonville gig, and shows on January 29 in Clearwater, Florida, and January 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — are rescheduled concerts from 2021 that also will feature The Alan Parsons Live Project.

The new shows follow ELP Legacy’s 2021 tour leg, which took place in last month.

“Our Fall 2021 tour was first time since the pandemic hit that we were able to be together and perform,” says Palmer. “The response was remarkable and proved to us that live music was in great demand once again. The band and myself cannot wait to get out there once again for the Winter tour.”

The trek features ELP Legacy performing some of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s most popular material along with a multimedia presentation that includes original artistic film clips and archival career-spanning footage of the famed trio. The band features Palmer joined by Paul Bielatowicz [bee-ell’-uh-TOE-vitch] on guitar and vocals, and Simon Fitzpatrick on bass and Chapman stick.

More U.S. dates are expected to be added to the 2022 trek. The band also will be touring the U.K. in April and mainland Europe in May and June.

Visit CarlPalmer.com to check out ELP Legacy’s full list of upcoming tour dates.

Watch animated video for Joni Mitchell’s classic Christmastime ballad, “River”

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

It’s coming on Christmas, so what better time for the first official music video for Joni Mitchell‘s classic 1971 piano ballad, “River,” to make its debut?

The animated clip, which you can watch now at the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter’s YouTube channel, is basically a black-and-white watercolor painting come to life depicting a melancholy Joni as she looked in the early 1970s, alone in her home and then skating on a frozen river.

As the video nears its conclusion, the animated black-and-white icy river and snowy landscape floods with springtime colors.

At the end of the clip, a quote from Joni appears that reads, “‘River’ expresses regret at the end of a relationship…but it’s also about being lonely at Christmas time…A Christmas song for people who are lonely at Christmas! We need a song like that.”

The video was directed by Russian animator and painter Matvey Rezanov, and pays tribute to Mitchell’s own painting style.

“River” appeared on Mitchell’s acclaimed fourth studio album, Blue, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The song is believed to have been written about her breakup with Graham Nash.

Earlier this month, Joni, who turned 78 last month, was saluted for her lifetime achievements and artistic contributions at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., and she will be similarly feted at the star-studded 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala taking place in Los Angeles on January 29.

In November, the Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) box set was released, containing hours of unreleased home, studio and live recordings Joni made during and around the sessions for first four studio albums, including Blue.

Nirvana files to dismiss ’Nevermind’ cover lawsuit

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Nirvana has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit that asserts the cover of the band’s 1991 album, Nevermind, which shows a naked baby swimming for a dollar bill, constitutes child pornography.

As previously reported, 30-year-old Spencer Elden, who was photographed at four months old for the Nevermind cover, sued Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and the late Kurt Cobain, represented by his widow and executor of his estate, Courtney Love, this past August, alleging that the grunge group committed “commercial child sexual exploitation of [Elden] from while he was a minor to the present day.”

In Nirvana’s dismissal request, obtained by Billboard, the band’s lawyers argue that Elden’s claims are “not serious” and “absurd.” Moreover, the motion maintains that the statute of limitations on Elden’s allegations have expired.

For Elden’s claims to fall within the statute of limitations, he would’ve had to filed his lawsuit within 10 years of “reasonably discovering” the “violation” or “injury.” Since he filed in August 2021, that means he must have learned of the “violation” no earlier than August 2011, which Nirvana’s lawyers argue is not true.

“Long before 2011, as Elden has pled, Elden knew about the photograph, and knew that he (and not someone else) was the baby in the photograph,” the motion reads. “He has been fully aware of the facts of both the supposed ‘violation’ and ‘injury’ for decades.”

The motion also brings up Elden’s own recreations of the Nevermind cover as an adult, as well as the Nevermind tattoo on his chest, and the claim that he used his fame as the Nevermind baby to “pick up women.”

“Elden has spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed ‘Nirvana Baby,'” the motion reads.

AXS TV to air ‘Live from the Artists Den’ episodes featuring Ringo Starr, Robert Plant & more in 2022

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Starting in January, AXS TV will begin airing select past episodes of the popular performance series Live from the Artists Den, including shows featuring Ringo Starr and Robert Plant.

The season will kick off on Wednesday, January 12 with a performance by modern rockers Imagine Dragons, and the following week, on January 19, Plant and his former backing group Band of Joy will be featured.

The Led Zeppelin frontman’s episode was filmed in 2011 at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium, and includes renditions of Zeppelin’s “Gallows Pole” and “Ramble On,” as well as selections from Plant’s 2010 Band of Joy album. Among the musicians featured in the Band of Joy lineup were Americana artists Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin.

Starr will appear in an episode that will air on March 2. That program was shot in New York City at the Egyptian wing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2010, and features the former Beatles drummer performing songs by the Fab Four and from his solo career alongside Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 and Joan Osbourne.

Live from the Artists Den episodes will air weekly each Wednesday from January 12 through March 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Other artists featured on upcoming episodes include Sheryl Crow, country stars, Lady A and Tim McGraw, pop group OneRepublic, and rock acts The Killers, Alabama Shakes and The Wallflowers.

AXS TV programming executive Sarah Weidman notes that Live from the Artists Den presents the various acts “in an intimate setting with a small audience, interspersed with insightful clips that find the performers reflecting on their own work and careers.”

Eric Clapton drops lawsuit against German widow selling bootleg CD on eBay

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Eric Clapton‘s management said on Wednesday that he wouldn’t pursue the nearly $4,000 fine ordered against a German widow who attempted to sell a Clapton bootleg online.

Following a significant public backlash again the three-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Clapton’s management attempted to clarify the guitarist’s role in the suit, as well as their reason for pursuing legal action, in a statement to his fan club.

Germany, the statement explains, “is one of several countries where sales of unauthorized and usually poor-quality illegal bootleg CDs are rife.” As a result, Clapton “and a significant number of other well-known artists and record companies” hired German lawyers in the region to restrict the sale of the bootlegs.

“It is not the intention to target individuals selling isolated CDs from their own collection, but rather the active bootleggers manufacturing unauthorized copies for sale,” the statement continues. Had the widow, Gabrielle P., complied with the cease-and-desist letter, they say, “any costs would be minimal, or might be waived.”

However, the woman — who claimed that she had inherited the disc from her late husband and didn’t realize it was bootlegged — told them through her lawyer to “feel free to file a lawsuit if you insist on the demands.” Her attempt to have the case dismissed was rejected and the judge ruled in favor of Clapton’s camp, ordering her to pay $4,000 in legal fees for both parties.

“If the individual had complied” and “explained at the outset the full facts…any claim might have been waived, and costs avoided,” Clapton’s management said.

“When the full facts of this particular case came to light and it was clear the individual is not the type of person Eric Clapton, or his record company, wish to target,” they say, Clapton decided not to take further action.

Cool Yule: John Lodge, Nils Lofgren, Vanilla Fudge’s Mark Stein & The Go-Go’s’ Gina Schock share holiday plans

December 23, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Christmas is upon us, and a variety of music artists tell ABC Audio that, like so many people during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they’re planning a fairly low-key holiday celebration this year.

Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge explains that most years around this time he’d be on tour, “but not this year, so…I’m just gonna enjoy Christmas.”

Lodge notes that his wife is from Denmark, so his family usually observes the Danish tradition of dancing around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Nils Lofgren, a member of Neil Young‘s and Bruce Springsteen‘s respective backing groups Crazy Horse and the E Street Band, says his Christmas gathering likely will just feature him and his wife, Amy, their son Dylan, “his two dogs and our two dogs very quietly and safely having a very sedate Christmas, because it’s just not safe to do otherwise.”

Vanilla Fudge‘s Mark Stein says his family plans to “just have some stay-at-home dinners and opening presents, like most people in this country do.”

Stein also shares a holiday message for fans, wishing that people “stay safe and stay focused and appreciative of…what we do have this holiday season, because although there’s a lot of unrest going on in the nation and the world, anybody that’s got…a roof over your head and family that you can hug and love and share stories with and gifts…[that’s] more than enough payoff.”

Meanwhile, Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock won’t be home for the holidays. Schock, whose band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in October, says her yuletide plans entail “rehearsing and doing shows” with the group.

The Go-Go’s have five West Coast concerts lined up between December 28 and January 3.

SF’s Chase Center releases mini-doc highlighting Metallica’s international community

December 22, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Following Metallica‘s recent 40th anniversary shows at the San Francisco Chase Center, the venue has released a mini documentary highlighting the community of the band’s international fan base.

The four-minute video, streaming now on YouTube, includes interviews with fans who traveled to S.F. for the concerts from countries including Kuwait, Colombia and Chile.

“[Metallica is] like a soundtrack to my life, and millions and millions of people around the world feel the same way I do,” one fan says.

Metallica’s 40th anniversary shows took place December 17 and 19, and streamed live online. Rebroadcasts of the streams will air via the Coda Collection channel on Amazon Prime Video starting December 24 at noon ET.

Watch tonight: Joni Mitchell & more celebrated at star-studded Kennedy Center Honors event

December 22, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

The 44th annual Kennedy Center Honors special airs tonight on CBS, featuring star-studded tributes to Joni Mitchell, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Bette Midler, as well as Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and opera baritone Justino Diaz.

Among the performers and presenters who took part in the gala, which was held December 5 in Washington, D.C., were Paul Simon, Graham Nash, Stevie Wonder and many more.

Nash was featured as the narrator of a video presentation celebrating Mitchell, who was his one-time romantic partner. Among the performers who paid tribute to the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter were Herbie Hancock, Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlile and Ellie Goulding.

Simon, a close friend of Michaels, performed his classic Simon & Garfunkel tune “America” in honor of Lorne. The segment also featured tributes from Steve Martin and various former and current SNL cast members, including Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Seth Meyers, Kevin Nealon, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Michael Che and Colin Jost.

The event’s finale featured a salute to Gordy, which included musical tributes from Wonder and Smokey Robinson.

The Kennedy Center Honors special airs at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on CBS.

Andrew Watt describes “full-circle, unbelievable moment” playing with Eddie Vedder

December 22, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

When Andrew Watt was growing up, he predicted he’d end up working with Eddie Vedder. He just didn’t know it then.

Speaking with Billboard, the producer/guitarist shares that he would go to Pearl Jam shows when he was younger while holding a sign reading, “Let me play the guitar solo to ‘Alive.'” Flash forward to the year 2021, and Watt is indeed playing alongside Vedder in his solo backing band, The Earthlings.

“It’s just an actual full-circle, unbelievable moment that I feel like I’ve been ready for my whole life,” Watt says. “It’s not supposed to happen like that — you’re not supposed to have those posters on your wall and be in the position where you’re creating with those people.”

In addition to playing in his live band, Watt is also producing Vedder’s upcoming solo album, Earthling, due out February 11, 2022.

“I’m so excited for everyone to hear it,” Watt says of the record. “We’re just finishing up the mixes and stuff, and I’m just really excited.”

He adds, “I don’t want to say too much besides, just to hear his voice in front of me, and get to play guitar and bass under that? It’s like a celebration.”

Vedder and The Earthlings will launch a U.S. tour in February 2022. The collective also features Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, and singer-songwriter and Once star Glen Hansard.

Fox’s New Year’s Eve special featuring Billy Idol & other stars canceled

December 22, 2021 by Classic Rock 93.9

Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022 special, which was going to feature performances by Billy Idol and various other stars, has been canceled due to the surging number of COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.

The show was set to be hosted live in New York City’s Times Square by Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, alongside special correspondent Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy Osbourne.

A statement from Fox obtained by Variety reads, “While we are confident in the health and safety protocols for Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022, the recent velocity of the spread of Omicron cases has made it impossible to produce a live special in Times Square that meets our standards.”

The statement continues,”We will not be moving forward with Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022 in New York. The health and safety of our casts and crews has always been, and will continue to be, of the utmost importance. Replacement programming for New Year’s Eve on Fox will be announced in the coming days.”

Variety notes that it “remains to be seen” whether the announced musical guests, including Idol, whose performance was among several that were recorded at an earlier date, will still be part of said replacement programming.

In an unrelated note, Idol canceled his planned appearance this past Monday at the 2021 Above Ground benefit concert, an event organized by his longtime touring guitarist Billy Morrison and Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro.

Billy explained in a Twitter post that he’d dropped off the bill of the Los Angeles event because he’d caught a respiratory cold that affected his voice, while noting that he’d tested negative for COVID-19 twice.

Idol is next scheduled to perform in February, when he serves as the opening act for Journey‘s 2022 tour.

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