Classic Rock News

A new reimagining of the musical version of The Who’s Tommy just closed at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, and it was a rousing success. 

BroadwayWorld.com reports the show’s recent run broke box office records for the venue and is now its highest-grossing production in its 98-year history. The show wrapped on August 6, with The Who’s Pete Townshend making an appearance for the final bow.

“I first saw this fantastic version of Tommy, the definitive version surely now, this afternoon,” Townshend told the audience. “So this was my second show, and it just gets better.” He added, “This has been a real shock for us how stupendously this has turned out. It’s just a wonder. It’s a triumph.”

The show sold out 36 performances and was even able to land a record for number of single tickets sold. Fans came from all over to country and the world to check it out. In addition to U.S. fans, tickets were sold to people in 21 other countries.

The Chicago production of Tommy featured a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging. So far there’s no word on whether it will play in any other cities or possibly move to Broadway.

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Robert Plant is spending more time on the road with his acoustic band, Saving Grace. The Led Zeppelin frontman, who sings and plays harmonica with the group, has announced a set of U.K. dates with the group, which features Suzi Dian.

The trek, with special guest Taylor McCall, kicks off November 1 in Brighton, England, with dates confirmed through November 23 in Stoke-On-Trent, England.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, August 18, at 10 a.m.

Plant and Saving Grace are set to kick off a set of European shows starting August 24 in Portorož, Slovenia. A complete list of dates can be found at robertplant.com.

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ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons is getting honored for his songwriting. The rocker, who’s responsible for writing such hits as “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Cheap Sunglasses” and more, is set to receive BMI’s Troubadour Award next month.

According to the music rights management company, the honor celebrates “a songwriter who has made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow.”

“With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an inedible mark on the music industry,” said Clay Bradley, BMI’s VP of Creative Nashville. “His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents.” 

Gibbons will receive the award on Monday, September 18, at an event at BMI’s Nashville office, featuring surprise tributes and performances.

Previous BMI Troubadour winners include Lucinda Williams, John Prine and John Hiatt.

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Neil Young has added a second date to his celebration of The Roxy’s 50th anniversary.

As previously reported, Young is set to perform at the famed West Hollywood venue on September 20. Now, he’s added a second show on September 21.

Both shows will benefit The Painted Turtle, a camp for children with serious medical conditions, and The Bridge School, which educates children with severe speech and physical impairments.

The concerts are taking place almost 50 years to the day Young first performed for the venue’s opening. He opened The Roxy with a three-night stand September 20-22, 1973, and a recording of the concerts, Roxy: Tonight’s The Night Live, was released as a live album in April 2018.

So far, there’s no info on when Young tickets will go on sale. When there, it will be posted to theroxyturns50.com.

But that’s not the only way The Roxy is celebrating its 50th year.  

Roxy owner Lou Adler is set to curate a new album, Live at the Roxy, featuring performances from such stars as Young, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Warren Zevon and more. Music fans will be able to listen to it at the Grammy Museum exhibit, The Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin’, which opens in September. It will also be available for purchase there, with proceeds going to MusiCares.

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Aerosmith is still together and about to set out on their Peace Out farewell tour, but things weren’t always so happy in the band. In fact, back in 2009, Aerosmith had a falling out with frontman Steven Tyler when he left to do American Idol, and the other members almost went on without him.

To do so, they needed someone to replace Tyler; rocker and former American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry says Aerosmith’s Joe Perry offered him the gig.

“I get this random call from Joe Perry,” Daughtry said on The Dave Rickards Podcast. “I thought it was a joke at first, but he didn’t even take time to, like, ‘How you doing?’ He just went into his reason for calling me.” Perry told him the band “wanted to work” despite Tyler not being interested, and then he asked, “How would you feel about hitting the road with us?”

Daughtry said the offer left him “speechless,” but he ultimately passed for many reasons. “First of all, I don’t consider myself any caliber of singer that Steven Tyler …He is irreplaceable, in my mind,” he said. “Furthermore, Steven Tyler’s alive. This whole fear of p****** off one of my heroes was just looming.”

While the idea of fronting Aerosmith was “a terrifying concept” to Daughtry, he’s still happy he was asked, sharing, “it is a story that I will hold near and dear for the rest of my life, for sure.”

As for Aerosmith, they eventually reunited with Tyler. Their Peace Out tour, with openers The Black Crowes, kicks off September 2 in Philadelphia. A complete list of dates can be found at aerosmith.com.

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On This Day, August 15, 1969…

The Woodstock Music & Arts festival kicked off on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York.

Billed as “three days of peace and music,” more than 400,000 music fans crowded the farm to see performances by such artists as Richie Havens, Santana, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix and more.

So many people turned up for the three-day festival that it caused massive traffic jams on the New York State Thruway, with some folks abandoning their cars to walk to the festival.

A documentary about the festival was released in 1970, and two soundtrack albums were also released, with other albums coming out to coincide with anniversaries of the fest.

The original site of the festival is now part of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, with a theater constructed about 500 yards from where the festival took place.

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As a guy who’s taken the stage in some pretty elaborate outfits over the years, it’s no wonder Elton John has been tapped by The Masked Singer to help create an episode dedicated to his music.

The show’s landmark 10th season kicks off September 10 on Fox, with a new lineup of costumes, including “Donut,” “Anteater,” “Hawk” and “S’More.” One episode will not only feature the contestants performing Elton’s hits, but Elton himself will be making the song selections. Other themes this season include “One Hit Wonders,” “Harry Potter Night,” “Disco” and “NFL Night.”

Among the alumni who’ll be returning this season to perform all-new unmasked duets are Joey Fatone and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child.

Last season, the competitors included Michael Bolton, Debbie Gibson, Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider, David Archuleta and Pentatonix.

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Dolly Parton was able to reunite Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for her upcoming Rockstar album, and we’re finally going to get to hear it. 

Dolly announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she’s releasing her cover of The Beatles “Let It Be” on Friday, August 18. Not only does the song feature Paul and Ringo, but it also has Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton.

Dolly shares, “This song is really special to me.”

Dolly will release Rockstar on November 17. In addition to the stars on “Let It Be,” it features Dolly collaborating with such artists as Steven Tyler, Steve Perry, Sting, Stevie Nicks, Richie Sambora, Elton John, John Fogerty, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and more.

It is available for preorder now.

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Green Day is continuing to tease the upcoming 30th anniversary of the band’s hit 1994 album, Dookie.

In an Instagram post, the trio shares a video collage of Dookie-era photos while what sounds like a demo or stripped-down recording of the track “When I Come Around” plays in the background.

The post also includes #Dookie30 in the caption and instructions to sign up for Green Day’s email list so that you don’t “miss a thing.”

Green Day first started sharing #Dookie30 posts earlier in August with similar throwback photos.

The RIAA Diamond-certified Dookie will officially turn 30 in February 2024. Not only did the album mark Green Day’s breakout record, it’s also considered a landmark release for the ’90s pop-punk scene.

In between the #Dookie30 posts, Green Day announced that they’d be making a donation in support of those affected by the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.

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Mick Fleetwood’s restaurant in Maui, Fleetwoods on Front Street, was destroyed last week by the recent wildfires on the island, as previously reported. The Fleetwood Mac star, who has been living on the island for nearly 30 years, calls the devastation unbelievable.

“I think it’s almost, this is not real what has happened, complete and utter destruction of a whole town,” he tells ABC News. He calledthe devastation “a massive blow to the Hawaiian culture of this island,” noting that “the islands of Hawaii are mourning as we speak.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was in Los Angeles when the fires began August 8 and was eventually able to return to the island with a plane full of supplies. But that’s only the beginning of how Mick is hoping to help the folks on the island.  

“The raising of funds, the raising of help, all of these things are dynamically, hugely important,” he says. “To draw down and keep the attention of what has happened, I think that’s a huge part of what I intend to be doing.”

Mick is convinced the community will come back, no matter how long it takes. He says that the beauty and  “romance of these islands” will be a “powerful reminder” to people so they don’t forget about the devastation.  

“That element can help heal the island and also keep this present with everyone with regards of what has happened here,” he says. “[It will be] a reminder that we’ll come out of this and come back like other communities have done.” 

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