Dave Mustaine is going unplugged for his latest collaboration with Gibson.
The Megadeth frontman has announced the Dave Mustaine Songwriter acoustic guitar. It marks the first signature acoustic Mustaine is releasing with Gibson since announcing his partnership with the famed guitar brand in 2021.
Despite the lack of electricity, the Dave Mustaine Songwriter still brings the metal with its ebony finish and Vic Rattlehead artwork. It’s also Gibson’s first-ever 24-fret acoustic guitar.
You can buy your own Dave Mustaine Songwriter now via Gibson.com. A limited run of 100 guitars will feature a soundhole label signed by Mustaine.
Mustaine and Megadeth are currently on the Metal Tour of the Year alongside Lamb of God, Trivium and In Flames. This summer, they’ll hit the road with Five Finger Death Punch.
Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty is one of the headlining acts for a new music festival taking place in Indianapolis during the late summer.
The two-day event, dubbed the All IN Music & Arts Festival, will be held September 3-4 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
“The All IN Music & Arts Festival is excited to bring an exceptional festival experience to the heart of Indianapolis,” organizers say. “We’re kicking off our inaugural event with a limited-capacity boutique experience unlike anything before. And it’s all at one of the best festival locations in the country.”
The event’s other headlining acts are Daryl Hall & John Oates and the alternative rock bands Cage the Elephant and Portugal. the Man. The lineup also includes Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and his current band The Dirty Knobs, plus Motown legends The Four Tops, Dawes, Lucinda Williams and Hearty Har. Hearty Har is band that features Fogerty’s sons Shane and Tyler.
Additionally, All IN will feature tribute performances dubbed “Dreamsets,” which will celebrate the music of Tom Petty and The Allman Brothers Band with artists including Dawes, Duane Betts and Widespread Panic‘s John “JoJo” Hermann, as well as special guests that will be announced at a later date. It’s perhaps worth noting that the current touring lineup of The Dirty Knobs features original Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch.
Next Wednesday, May 18, marks the 10th anniversary of Santana‘s first Las Vegas residency show at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and coinciding with the occasion, the band will launch its latest engagement at the venue that night.
Carlos Santana and his group also have extended their An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live Vegas residency into the fall of 2022 with two newly announced eight-date series of concerts, taking place in September and November.
Tickets for all of the new performances go on sale to the general public this Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m. local time via HouseofBlues.com/Santana, MandalayBay.com and Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.
Citi card members and Santana fan club members can buy pre-sale tickets starting Wednesday, May 11, at 10 a.m. PT; visit CitiPrivatePass.com and and Santana.com for more information. House of Blues, Live Nation, MGM Rewards and Ticketmaster pre-sales will begin Thursday, May 12, at 10 a.m. PT.
Part of the money from the tickets sold for Santana’s Las Vegas shows will benefit the Milagro Foundation, the charity Carlos co-founded that helps young people in impoverished communities around the world. Some of the proceeds also will be donated to the House of Blues’ Music Forward Foundation, which uses music to help young people develop life skills.
Besides the Vegas shows, Santana will be mounting a major joint trek with Earth, Wind & Fire this summer dubbed Miraculous Supernatural 2022 Tour. The outing is scheduled from a June 17 concert in Chula Vista, California, through an August 27 performance in Tampa, Florida.
Here are all of the dates of Santana’s upcoming Las Vegas residency dates:
Red Hot Chili Peppers are the artists confirmed to headline the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival, which will take place October 7-9 and October 14-16 in Austin, Texas.
The event’s other headliners are Pink, The Chicks, Paramore, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, Flume and Lil Nas X.
The bill also features dozens of other acts, Phoenix, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats,Spoon, The War on Drugs, Billy Strings, Manchester Orchestra, and Yungblud, plus Taipei Houston, the band featuring the sons of Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich.
Some of the artists on the undercard will only play one of the two weekends.
Tickets go on sale today at noon CT. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit ACLFestival.com.
Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off a world tour in support of their new album, Unlimited Love, on June 4 in Seville, Spain. The North American leg of the trek gets underway July 23 in Denver.
U2‘s Bono has certainly lived an interesting life, and now we’ll get to read his side of the story in his memoir, Surrender, coming November 1.
The book may be titled after U2’s song “Surrender,” from their 1983 album War, or perhaps “Moment of Surrender,” from their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. It’s subtitled “40 Songs, One Story,” as each of the book’s 40 chapters is named after a U2 song.
The book follows Bono, born Paul Hewson, from his childhood in Dublin, to the formation of U2 and its journey to superstardom, to his 20-year career as an activist for causes such as the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty.
Bono also created 40 original drawings for Surrender, some of which are featured in an animated video, in which he reads an extract from the chapter titled “Out of Control.” The extract is from the part of the book where Bono describes writing U2’s first single on May 10, 1978 — his 18th birthday — 44 years ago today.
In a statement about the project, Bono says, “When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life.”
“‘Surrender’ is a word freighted with meaning for me. Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept,” he continues. “A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress…With a fair amount of fun along the way.”
Jason Scheff & Jay DeMarcus: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for The Kevin Carter Foundation; Deen Castronovo: Scott Legato/Getty Images
Generation Radio, a new supergroup featuring former Chicago singer/bassist Jason Scheff, Journey drummer/singer Deen Castronovo and ex-Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus, has signed a deal with the Frontiers Music label and will be releasing its debut album this summer.
The band, which also features guitarists Chris Rodriguez and Tom Yankton, first began playing shows under the moniker The Rise Above in 2020.
“I know that the band is very excited to have partnered with Frontiers on this first release from Generation Radio,” Scheff says in a statement. “I have a personal great feeling about it, having brought Frontiers to Chicago to release our 36th album [2014’s] Now: Chicago XXXVI, of which I produced and co-wrote the title track. We have a beautiful history together, so it only made sense to bring Frontiers into any of my ongoing projects.”
He adds, “We are booking live dates as we speak and are already talking about getting started on the next record.”
Demarcus, meanwhile, explains, “Any fans of Chicago, Journey, or Rascal Flatts will find something in this record that will resonate with them. To make some music with my friends and heroes is a truly incredible thing.”
In a video message posted on Generation Radio’s Instagram page on May 6, Scheff revealed that the album will be released sometime in August.
According to the band’s official website, Generation Radio has seven concerts on its 2022 schedule, spanning from a May 21 show in Cocoa Beach, Florida, through a September 17 performance in Raleigh, North Carolina.
It’s worth mentioning that longtime Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone was part of Generation Radio’s lineup until recently, but it’s not clear if he’s still with the group.
On the track, Gabriel delivers harmonies alongside lead vocals by Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne.
In recent interview with the Montreal Gazette, Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler said about the collaboration, “[Gabriel] came to the studio and we had a day to work on it. He does this thing where he double-tracks his voice, high and low. As soon as he put the high vocal down, I was like, ‘Oh s***, that’s Peter Gabriel.'”
You can check out “Unconditional II (Race and Religion)” now at Arcade Fire’s official YouTube channel. The track and the album also are available via various digital and physical formats.
Gabriel previously recorded an Arcade Fire song, the Neon Bible track “My Body Is a Cage,” for his 2010 covers album Scratch My Back.
Gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples and Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik will be honored Ex-Allman Brothers Band singer/guitarist Warren Haynes is among the artists slated to perform at the 20th anniversary benefit for the Little Kids Rock charity, which will take place May 17 in New York City.
Little Kids Rock is a nonprofit with the goal of restoring and expanding music-education programs in public schools.
Also at the event gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples and Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik will be honored, respectively with the Peace & Freedom Award and the Rocker of the Year prize.
The event also will include performances from Run-D.M.C.‘s Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, pop singer Jon Secada and The Voice‘s season-three winner Cassadee Pope.
This year’s benefit will be held at New York City’s Terminal 5, beginning at 6 p.m. ET in May 17. Tickets and tables can be purchased now at LittleKidsRock.org.
To raise additional funds for Little Kids Rock, a silent auction will launch on Tuesday, May 10, at the organization’s website.
Proceeds raised by the benefit and the auction will go toward funding Little Kids Rock programs, teacher training and instrument donations.
After wrapping up their “Sin City Nights” Las Vegas residency last month, German rockers The Scorpions have now unveiled dates for a full 2022 North American tour in support of their latest studio album, Rock Believer.
The trek, which kicks off August 21 in Toronto, will feature Whitesnake serving as special guests at most of the shows. Whitesnake’s performances also will be part of their own Farewell Tour. Swedish rock band Thundermother also will perform as an open act on The Scorpions’ trek.
So far, 24 shows have been confirmed, and the outing is mapped out through an October 21 concert in Las Vegas.
Tickets for the Rock Believer tour go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 13, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Members of The Scorpions’ Rock Zone club will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets starting Tuesday, May 10, at 10 a.m. local time; visit The-Scorpions.com/RockZone for more information. Whitesnake is also offering fans a chance to buy pre-sale tickets. Visit Whitesnake.com for more details.
“After the amazing start we’ve had with our residency in Las Vegas, it’s about time to come back for a real tour to rock the U.S. like a hurricane again,” says Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine. “We can’t wait to see all you Rock Believers out there!”
Adds Whitesnake’s David Coverdale, “Once again it’s time to feel the sting of The Scorpions & the bite of the Whitesnake!!! Can’t wait!!!”
First up for The Scorpions in a European tour that gets underway tonight in Lisbon, Portugal. Check out the band’s full schedule at The-Scorpions.com.
On Saturday, Ringo Starr was presented with an honorary doctorate by Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music as part of the renowned school’s 2022 commencement festivities.
The former Beatles drummer was not in attendance at the event, but accepted the honor virtually via a pre-recorded video.
“I send you all peace and love, everybody,” Ringo began his speech. “I’m sorry I can’t be with you today in person, but I do want to congratulate the Class of 2022, yeah! Well done, graduates. And I want to thank you for the honorary doctorate degree. I’m a doctor at last.”
The 81-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer continued, “I never went to college, but I certainly have had a lot of experience making music, so I suppose I earned this in my own way.”
Starr then noted the great experiences he playing with different bands, including his early group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, followed by The Beatles, and then his current All Starr Band.
Ringo concluded his speech by saying, “If I could wish anything for you, it would be that the passion and love that you have for making music…continues to guide you through wherever your career takes you next. It’s great when the success happens, and Berklee students have seen a lot of it…but it’s important to remember that’s not what this is all about. For each of us, it started with a dream to play music. And may your dream keep unfolding for you, as it has for me.”
Also receiving honorary doctorates from Berklee on Saturay were R&B singer and Berklee alumna Lalah Hathaway, award-winning composer and producer James Newton Howard, and acclaimed bass player Chuck Rainey.
For more details about Berklee’s 2022 commencement event, visit Berklee.edu.
