Classic Rock News

Paul McCartney kicked off the latest leg of his Got Back tour in Montevideo, Uruguay, and treated fans to the live debut of the latest tune from The Beatles, “Now and Then.”

According to setlist.fm, McCartney broke out the tune about halfway through his set. Fan-shot footage reveals that as he played, the video for the song, which featured archival footage of The Beatles, was projected on the screen behind him.

Released in November, “Now and Then,” featured vocals John Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s, along with new recordings from McCartney and Ringo Starr, and guitar parts George Harrison recorded in the ’90s during the sessions for their Anthology series. The song, said to be the final Beatles tune, debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 in the U.K.

As for the rest of the show, McCartney opened with The Beatles’ classic “A Hard Day’s Night” and played such classic tunes as “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Love Me Do,” “Jet,” “Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die,” “Get Back,” “Hey Jude,” “Blackbird” and “I’ve Got A Feeling,” which was a duet with video of Lennon. 

Next up, McCartney brings his Got Back tour to Buenos Aires on Oct. 5. A complete list of dates can be found at paulmccartney.com.

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The Black Crowes have been forced to cancel another concert on their Happiness Bastards tour due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

After canceling their Oct. 1 show in Pikeville, Kentucky, “due to travel complications” caused by the hurricane, the band announced they’ve canceled their Oct. 3 show at CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, South Carolina, “due to damage sustained by the venue” from the hurricane.

Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. The band urges anyone who bought tickets from a third party retailer to contact them for their refund. 

The Black Crowes kicked off the second leg of their Happiness Bastards tour on Sept. 27 in Northfield, Ohio. Their next show is scheduled for Oct. 4 in St. Augustine, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at theblackcrowes.com.

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Sammy Hagar will be honored in Las Vegas Friday with a key to the Las Vegas Strip. 

The rocker will be on hand for the ceremony, which will take place on the Strip-side patio of his Cabo Wabo Cantina. 

The event will recognize Hagar’s “profound economic and charitable impact in Clark County, Nevada,” and celebrate the 15th anniversary of Vegas’ Cabo Wabo Cantina and also Hagar’s 77th birthday. 

While Hagar doesn’t technically turn 77 until Oct. 13, he will be celebrating his big day in Vegas onstage at his Birthday Bash concerts at the Palms Casino, Friday and Saturday. He’ll also host Sammy’s Birthday Splash at the Palms Pool on Saturday, with cake and a guest appearance by Rick Springfield.

Sammy will then bring his birthday celebration to his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for two nights, Oct. 11 and Oct. 13.

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Pop star Camila Cabello has shared her take on The Who classic “Behind Blue Eyes,” which appears in the trailer for the video game Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred.

While the original song, from the band’s 1971 album, Who’s Next, is dark and moody, Camila’s take is even darker and moodier. Her cover is a shortened version of the song, without the more rocking chorus.

“I hadn’t heard it before. That was what made me so excited to work with Diablo,” Camila tells Rolling Stone. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is one of the greatest songs of all time.'”

“Behind Blue Eyes” was originally written to be sung from the point of view of a character in a concept album project called Lifehouse, which The Who later abandoned.

Camila tells Rolling Stone the idea that she could introduce her fans to the song was “one of the most fun parts” of recording it. She adds, “I also feel like as a writer, it makes you better, too, because it’s always your hope to make a song like that.”

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred arrives Oct. 8.

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Record Store Day has named Pearl Jam‘s “Waiting for Stevie” as its 2024 Song of the Year.

“The sentiment behind the music, and the fact that it’s just an overall amazing rock track that transcends when performed live, makes ‘Waiting for Stevie’ an easy pick for RSD Song of the Year,” says RSD co-founder Michael Kurtz.

To celebrate the honor, an exclusive 12-inch single featuring a live version of “Waiting for Stevie” recorded during a May show in Seattle will be released on Record Store Day Black Friday, taking place Nov. 29. The single’s B-side includes a live rendition of the song “Wreckage” from a May Las Vegas concert.

Both “Waiting for Stevie” and “Wreckage” appear on Pearl Jam’s new album, Dark Matter.

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Bush has announced a Sixteen Stone vinyl reissue in honor of its upcoming 30th anniversary.

The LP will arrive on Nov. 22 in six different color variants. You can preorder your copy now.

Sixteen Stone, Bush’s debut album, was released Dec. 6, 1994. It spawned singles “Glycerine,” “Machinehead,” “Comedown,” “Everything Zen” and “Little Things,” and is certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Bush spent the summer on a greatest hits tour. They put out a best-of compilation, Loaded, in 2023.

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Jon Bon Jovi is set to sit down with The Late Show host Stephen Colbert for a conversation about his career during New Jersey’s Montclair Film Festival. 

The event is happening Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Tickets go on sale to Montclair Film and NJPAC members on Wednesday, with the general public getting access starting Friday. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Jon Bon Jovi to the Montclair Film Festival and to share what promises to be a special evening of conversation,” Montclair Film artistic director and co-head Tom Hall shares. “As an artist who embodies empathy and community, Jon’s work represents the values that inspire everything we do at Montclair Film. We look forward to a wonderful night.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the New Jersey-based nonprofit arts organization Montclair Film. More info can be found at montclairfilm.org.

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John Mellencamp will be honored with a statue at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus during homecoming weekend. 

Mellencamp is expected to attend the unveiling of the statue, which is happening Oct. 18 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Elsie Irwin Sweeney Rock Garden on the north end of the Fine Arts Plaza. The statue was created by artist Michael McAuley, an IU alumnus from Bloomington, who is also the creative director at Livingston Designs Sculpture Studio.

Registration is now open to members of the public who’d like to attend the unveiling. 

“We are excited to welcome John to our campus once again as we commemorate his invaluable contributions to music, art and our university,” IU President Pamela Whitten said. “The arts have long been a point of pride at IU, and we look forward to honoring a musician and artist who has generously given back to his fellow Hoosiers and greatly impacted American culture.”

Mellencamp’s artwork is also on display at the university. His exhibit, Crossroads: The Paintings of John Mellencamp, is currently running at the IU Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art.

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Loverboy’s classic single “Working For The Weekend” has been reworked for a new IHOP commercial.

The band rerecorded the track and changed it to “Working for the Weekday” to promote the chain’s new House Faves menu, where select items are priced at just $6 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

The campaign also includes a new music video modeled after the classic “Working for the Weekend” video, only instead of Loverboy performing the tune, it is a group of syrup dispensers, one of which even sports frontman Mike Reno’s red bandana from the original clip. 

“Working with IHOP to bring our song to life in a fresh, innovative way has been such a rewarding experience,” Reno shares. “We have always loved going to IHOP and enjoying breakfast together as a band, so being able to have our work featured in the House Faves campaign is a dream come true.”

Released in September 1981, “Working for the Weekend” appeared on Loverboy’s sophomore album, 1982’s Get Lucky. The song peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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On This Day, Oct. 1, 1988 …

Bon Jovi scored their first U.K. #1 with their fourth studio album, New Jersey, which also peaked at #1 in the U.S., where it spent four weeks on top. 

The album featured such hit singles as “Bad Medicine,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “Born to Be My Baby” and “Lay Your Hands on Me.” 

Prior to New Jersey, the band’s best-charting record in the U.K. was 1986’s Slippery When Wet, which peaked at #6.

Over the course of their career, Bon Jovi would earn five #1 albums in the U.K., the others being 1992’s Keep the Faith, 1994’s Cross Road – The Best of Bon Jovi, 1995’s These Days and 2000’s Crush.

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