Classic Rock News

Jon Bon Jovi’s not a chef, but he’s just won a prestigious James Beard award for his food-related philanthropy.

Jon’s charity, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, has been named a recipient of the James Beard Foundation‘s Impact Award, which recognizes those who work to “create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system,” according to the JBF website.

When Jon established his foundation in 2006, it was focused on building affordable housing. He and his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, expanded it in 2011 to open the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a nonprofit community restaurant in New Jersey that’s based on a “pay it forward” model. There’s a suggested donation for each meal, but those who are unable to pay can volunteer instead. Additional donations from customers cover food costs for those unable to pay.

In addition to serving food, the JBJ Soul Kitchen, which has four locations in New Jersey, also provides job training, resume support, employment assistance, access to local mental health providers and housing resources.

Jon’s charity is one of several Impact Award winners this year; they will all be honored June 14 at a ceremony in Chicago.

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On This Day, April 1, 2008 …

The Rolling Stones released Shine a Light, the soundtrack to their Martin Scorsese-directed concert film of the same name.

The concert doc featured performances from the band’s two-night stand at the intimate Beacon Theatre in New York, which took place October 29 and November 1, 2006. The shows happened during their A Bigger Bang Tour.

The movie featured special guests Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera performing with the Stones; they also appeared on the soundtrack.

Performances on the release included “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up.”

The last time The Rolling Stones hit the road was in 2024, in support of their 2023 studio album Hackney Diamonds. The tour, sponsored by AARP, took them across North America.

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Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band launched their Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour in Minneapolis Tuesday night, streaming the first two songs live on YouTube.

The Boss began the show with “a prayer for our men and women in service overseas,” before saying, “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times.”

“We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals, democracy, our Constitution and our sacred American promise,” he continued, noting America “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous administration.”

The show kicked off with a performance of the Edwin Starr track “War,” which according to setlist.fm, was the first time the band had performed the song live since 2003. That was followed by “Born in the U.S.A.,” which was recently used for a ACLU ad about President Trump’s attempt to get rid of birthright citizenship. Both songs featured Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello on guitar.

Springsteen also performed “Streets of Minneapolis” for the first time with The E Street Band, “The Promised Land,” “My City of Ruins,” “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” “Badlands” and “Land of Hope and Dreams,” as well as classics like “Born to Run,” “Hungry Heart,” “Dancing in the Dark” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.”

Paying homage to Minnesota native Prince, the band performed “Purple Rain” for the first time since 2016. They ended the night with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”

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The late Bob Weir is being honored for his commitment to protecting the environment.

The Music Sustainability Alliance has announced a new award named after the Grateful Dead co-founder, who passed away in January. The MSA Bobby Weir Sustainability Awards, to be handed out annually, will recognize “individuals and organizations in music who are advancing environmental responsibility and climate action.”

Weir’s family has thrown their support behind the awards, which “celebrate those who embody his long-standing commitment to protecting the natural world while strengthening the cultural power of music.”

“Bobby always strived to leave nothing but bare footprints on the Earth. If it was helpful to the planet, animals, or others, it was always a yes for him,” the Weir family said in a statement. “He spent decades encouraging the music world to consider its impact on the land, the climate, and future generations. We appreciate the opportunity to support MSA as it recognizes leaders carrying that spirit forward.”

“Bobby Weir has long demonstrated how music can inspire care for the planet, and we’re honored to have the support of the Weir family to recognize the innovators and leaders transforming the music industry and turn that spirit into real environmental progress,” said MSA co-founder and CEO Amy Morrison. “We hope the awards will shine a spotlight on the people across the music ecosystem who are proving that sustainability and creativity can move forward together.”

The first Bobby Awards, as they will be called, will be handed out April 14 in Los Angeles during the 2026 Music Sustainability Summit. More info can be found at musicsustainability.org.

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Journey is currently on their Final Frontier farewell tour, but it sounds like it almost didn’t happen.

A new article in Rolling Stone looks behind the scenes of the tour, featuring interviews with Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain and singer Arnel Pineda prior to the kickoff. It delves into the contentious relationship between Cain and Schon, and also reveals that Pineda originally didn’t want to do the tour.

Pineda’s reluctance had to do with the state of his voice and how his body handles cold weather, along with personal issues, including a contentious divorce, which was big news in his native Philippines.

“Back in 2024, I said to them, ‘If you’re planning to do a farewell tour, you better tell me, because my issues and my personal problems are getting more intense, and I don’t know if I want to go with you,’” he tells the mag.

But Pineda says the band booked the tour anyway, and he wasn’t happy. When he emailed them about it, he didn’t hear back. He was so upset he actually told them he wanted to retire, but he still got no answer.

When asked about Pineda’s feelings about the tour, Schon said “it’s been very confusing” and acknowledged Pineda sent messages about not knowing if he could do it. “But we all signed contracts, OK?” Schon says. “So, honestly, I’m signed up for the next two years. I’m ready for it.” He added, “I hope that he feels better about things.”

The interview ends with the first full-band rehearsal for the tour, with the writer noting Pineda sounded “stellar the entire time.” When asked if he was happy to be there, Pineda responded “60 percent,” adding, “The other 40 percent of me is still there in the Philippines.”

Journey’s tour hits Austin, Texas, on Tuesday.

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Smashing Pumpkins and Simple Minds are among the artists set to play the Darker Waves Festival, which mostly focuses on ’80s and ’90s alternative music. 

Smashing Pumpkins and Morrissey will headline the festival, taking place Nov. 14 at Huntington Beach City Beach in Huntington Beach, California.

The lineup, which is made up of 35 artists across three stages, also includes Buzzcocks, Marky Ramone, Soft Cell, Adam Ant, Gary Numan, The Motels, Missing Persons, Modern English, Silversun Pickups and Spacehog.

A presale begins Thursday at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets will go on sale to the general public an hour later at 11 a.m. PT.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit DarkerWavesFest.com.

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Iron Maiden has announced some additions to EddFest, their 50th anniversary celebration, happening July 10-11 at Knebworth Park in Knebworth, England.

The rockers revealed that Blaze Bayley, who replaced frontman Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999 and appeared on their albums The X Factor and Virtual XI, will headline the Maidenville stage during the Friday, July 10, festivities.

They’ve also added Maiden bassist Steve Harris’ early band Gypsy’s Kiss to Friday’s bill. Harris formed Gypsy’s Kiss in 1974 with singer/guitarist David Smith. He went on to form Maiden in 1975.

“Having the opportunity to put together our very own festival at Knebworth, and celebrate 50 years of Iron Maiden, has given me a chance to bring together friends past and present and create a really special weekend for the fans,” says Harris. “I’m very pleased that Blaze is able to join us and perform some of the songs we wrote and recorded in the [’90s].” He added, “He has been a big part of Iron Maiden’s career, and I know the fans will be really excited to see him on stage at EddFest.”

Harris notes, “It’s also great to have Gypsy’s Kiss playing with us at Knebworth too. They were a big part of my musical heritage and it’s really exciting to have them play at the Maidenville stage.”

Iron Maiden will headline EddFest at Knebworth Park on July 11. Other artists performing include The Hu, The Darkness, Airbourne and The Almighty. More info can be found at IronMaiden.Knebworth.com.

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James Taylor, Van Morrison, Sting and Deep Purple are among the artists booked to play the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival, taking place in Montreux, Switzerland, July 3-18.

All four artists are booked to play the festival’s Auditorium Stravinski, with Sting performing on July 4, Deep Purple confirmed for July 13, and Taylor and Morrison set for July 18.

Deep Purple, of course, has quite a connection to Montreux. The band’s iconic tune “Smoke on the Water” was inspired by the 1971 fire that burned down the Montreux Casino; the title’s a reference to smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva. They last played the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2024.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon local time.

This year marks the 60th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival is returning after a two-year hiatus.

A complete lineup and more ticket information can be found at MontreuxJazzFestival.com.

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Dave Grohl has shared a preview of the vinyl version of the upcoming Foo Fighters album, Your Favorite Toy, in an unboxing video.

“I’ve never done an unboxing thing before,” Grohl says in the clip. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever seen this.”

Grohl then opens the package to reveal the record sleeve and the LP inside. He also pulls out the included lyric sheet, if you want to pause and enhance to see the words to some of the currently unreleased songs on the record.

“This is amazing, I’m very happy, we put a lot of work into this one,” Grohl says. “Our team of genius artists helped us make something really nice for you.”

Your Favorite Toy, the follow-up to 2023’s But Here We Are, is due out April 24. It includes the released songs “Asking for a Friend,” “Caught in the Echo” and the title track.

Foo Fighters will play a one-off show in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 28, followed by headlining sets at the Welcome to Rockville and BottleRock Napa festivals in May. They’ll launch a full North American stadium tour in August.

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The Moody Blues’ singer/guitarist Justin Hayward is hitting the road on The Story In Your Eyes tour, where he’ll perform songs from every era of his career, share stories with the audience and take part in a Q&A.

Hayward tells ABC Audio that preparing for the tour has been quite nostalgic for him, but says, “I’m finding out things about these songs at the same time.” He notes, “Some of these things I’ve never done onstage before.”

“I find I’m just looking at things that just kind of resonate right now with me,” he adds.

When it comes to picking songs for his set, Hayward says he knows there are tunes “the audience would be disappointed if I didn’t do,” mentioning tracks like “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.”

“I think I have to kind of put myself in a position of someone from in the audience and what I would like if going to see artists that have really meant something to me,” he says. He also thinks about the person coming to see him for the first time.

“Because these shows aren’t always about nostalgia or about people coming again and again to see me or the Moodys,” he explains. “So I’m very much aware of that as well, because then the audience evolves too.”

When it comes to the stories he’ll share with the audience, the 79-year-old Hayward says they won’t necessarily be just about the music.

He says he likes to share stories of the band people may not already know and talk about “the affection that we have for each other,” noting their relationship was “quite unique really in my experience.” 

Justin Hayward’s The Story In Your Eyes tour begins Tuesday in Cerritos, California. A complete list of dates can be found at JustinHayward.com.

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