Classic Rock News

A new reimagining of the musical version of The Who’s Tommy, featuring a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging, is set to open at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre later this month, and demand for tickets has been so great its run has already been extended.  

The show is set to begin previews on June 13, with opening night set for June 26. The run has now added eight more performances, which means it will run through July 30.

And fans are getting another behind-the-scenes look at the production, with interviews from the show’s lead, Ali Louis Bourzgui, and choreographer Lorin Latarro.  

“I wanted to do something that will never go out of style so I’m trying to stick with a modernism that is classic,” Latarro says about her choreography for the show. Bourzgui adds, “Tommy will forever evolve itself as pop culture evolves. I can’t wait to bring Tommy to Chicago audiences.”

Based on The Who’s 1969 album and 1975 film, the original production of Tommy opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on July 1, 1992. It opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for Des McAnuff and Best Original Score for The Who’s Pete Townshend.

Tickets for the new shows are on sale now.

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Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and Night Ranger are booked to perform at Gettysburg Bike Week, happening July 6-9 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Frehley will kick off the performances at the All Star Events Complex Friday night, with Night Ranger booked for Saturday. 

Gettysburg Bike Week is considered one of the premier motorcycle rallies in the country. It features four days of motorcycle-related events, including an antique bike show, The Moto Mountain Stunt Show and plenty of rides, like the third annual Jeremy Plank Memorial Ride. 

More info on Gettysburg Bike Week can be found at gettysburgbikeweek.com.

Night Ranger is currently celebrating their 40th anniversary on the road, with their next show happening Friday, June 9, in Marietta, Ohio. They will also join Bret Michaels on his Parti Gras tour, kicking off July 15 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at nightranger.com.

Frehley’s next show is set to go down June 30 in Kokomo, Indiana. A complete list of shows can be found at acefrehley.com.

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Foo Fighters have shared a Facebook post thanking producer Greg Kurstin, along with engineers, mixers and other collaborators with whom they worked on their new album, But Here We Are.

“A most heartfelt and profound ‘thank you’ to Greg Kurstin, Julian Burg, Darrell Thorp, Spike Stent, John Lousteau, Oliver Roman, and Alastair Christie for helping the band walk back into the studio again, lock the door behind us, and make the most important album of our lives,” the post reads. “We certainly couldn’t have done it without you.”

But Here We Are, which dropped last Friday, marks the first Foo Fighters album since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022.

“Our love and gratitude goes beyond words,” the post continues. “The memories and songs will last forever.”

Foo Fighters returned to the road in May for their first tour following Hawkins’ passing. They also introduced new drummer Josh Freese during a streaming concert.

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Joni Mitchell fans are getting another taste of her upcoming live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport, a recording of her 2022 Newport Folk Festival performance, which was her first live performance in 20 years.

The latest release is Joni’s performance of the 1971 Blue track “A Case of You,” featuring special guests Brandi Carlile and Marcus Mumford. 

Joni Mitchell At Newport will be released July 28 and will feature songs from the onstage “Joni Jam.” Other guests on the album include Carlile’s bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Wynonna Judd, Celisse, Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith.

Joni Mitchell At Newport is available for preorder now.

The new song release comes ahead of Mitchell’s return to the stage this weekend. She’s set to headline a “Joni Jam” on June 10 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, Washington, with Carlile as a special guest. The show is the legendary singer’s first ticketed performance in 20 years, and it sold out almost immediately.

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On This Day, June 8, 1991…

Bruce Springsteen married E Street Band member Patti Scialfa in a private ceremony at their Los Angeles home.

The couple started dating in 1988 during the Tunnel of Love tour, while he was separated from his first wife, model Julianne Phillips. Phillips filed for divorce in August of that year.

After living together in New Jersey, Springsteen and Scialfa moved to Los Angeles, where they welcomed their first child, son Evan, in July, 1990. After their marriage, they went on to have two more children, daughter Jessica, born in December, 1991 and son Sam, born in January 1994.

The couple, who currently live in New Jersey, became first time grandparents in July, 2022, when Sam and his fiancée welcomed a baby girl.

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Back in April Neil Young returned to the stage for the first time since before the pandemic, and now he’s ready to head back on the road. Rolling Stone reports that during a Zoom with Neil Young Archives subscribers, the rocker announced he’ll be hitting the road on a West Coast tour set to kick off in early July.

But fans shouldn’t expect a greatest hits show. Neil explained that the performances will focus on songs he hasn’t actually played live before, suggesting that about 80 percent of the set will be made up of these rarities.

“I don’t want to come back and do the same songs again,” he said. “I’ll feel like I was on some sort of carnival ride. I’d rather be doing these others songs I haven’t done.” He adds, “I won’t have to compare how I’m doing ‘Heart of Gold’ to [how I played it in] 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020.”

Some of the songs Young says he’s rehearsed for the show include “Song X” from Mirror Ball, his 1995 album with Pearl Jam; the 1994 Sleeps With Angels track “Prime of Life”; and “If You Got Love,” an outtake from 1982’s Trans.

He says, “They’re not new songs. They’re old songs. But I wake up with them in my head every morning. They are songs that apply to my life right now, and apply to everyone’s lives in this era that we’re in.”

Details of the tour will be announced Friday, with Young noting it will open with a multiple-night residency in a “tiny, little unknown theater that’s close to one of the most well-known theaters in the world.”

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The legendary rock band Led Zeppelin is the subject of a new exhibition at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, opening Thursday, June 8, in New York and Los Angeles.

The gallery notes that the exhibit “chronicles the band’s exalted rise, widely-storied world tours and rare moments in music history immortalized only in memory and fine art photography.” 

Among the photos in the exhibit is one from the band’s first photoshoot ever, along with artwork from their classic 1971 album, Led Zeppelin IV, signed by guitarist Jimmy Page.

Both cities will open their exhibits with an opening night party, “transporting patrons back in time to when rock gods ruled and Zeppelin was king.” Fans interested in attending can RSVP at morrisonhotelgallery.com.

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RATT’s first five albums are being celebrated with a new box set, The Atlantic Years, dropping Friday, June 9, and frontman Stephen Pearcy is excited for its release.

He tells ABC Audio the set “is the true history with all five guys,” referring to the classic lineup of Pearcy (vocals), Warren DeMartini (guitars), the late Robbin Crosby (guitars), Juan Croucier (bass/vocals) and Bobby Blotzer (drums).

The set includes 1984’s Out of the Cellar, 1985’s Invasion of Privacy, 1986’s Dancing Undercover, 1988’s Reach for the Sky and 19909’s Detonator, along with the 7-inch single of “Nobody Rides for Free,” which was released in 1991 and featured in the Patrick Swayze/Keanu Reeves flick Point Break.

Pearcy says of all those records, Out of the Cellar is his favorite “because it was our first anything.” The album featured the band’s big hit, “Round and Round.” He notes, “The song has legs, it’s alive and kicking and it’s a beautiful thing. If you’re going to call me a one-hit wonder, which we’re not, thank you very much, then we wrote the best f***** one hit we could possibly give you.”

The box set also features a 12-page replica tour book, with never-before-seen photos and more. Pearcy says all of the surviving members had some input in what photos were included in the set.

But fans shouldn’t hope that will lead to them working together more in the future. He jokes, “That’s about as close to a reunion as … as we’re gonna get.”

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Metallica raised $200,000 through the band’s Month of Giving charity initiative.

Throughout May, the metal legends raised money through their All Within My Hands foundation for The Farmlink Project, which helps deliver farm fresh produce to food banks.

“Working with all of you (Metallica fans) and All Within My Hands has been the ultimate privilege for us at Farmlink,” says CEO Ben Collier. “You have all rallied together this month, demonstrating that you are not only passionate about music but also about making a lasting impact on the world!”

Metallica is currently on tour supporting their new album, 72 Seasons. The international trek comes to the U.S. in August.

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Pete Ham, the late founding member of the British rock band Badfinger, is being celebrated with a special tribute album, with proceeds going to help those struggling with mental health. 

Shine On: A Tribute to Pete Ham features 35 new recordings of Ham songs, including such classic Badfinger tracks as “Day after Day,” “Baby Blue,” “No Matter What” and “Without You.”

Stan Lynch, drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, appears on three tracks on the album. He says, “The more I learned about Badfinger the more upset it made me, because they were so rich with promise. It’s not just a cautionary tale – it’s truly heartbreaking.” 

Lynch is likely referring, in part, to the fact that Ham and bandmate Tom Evans died by suicide, Ham in 1975 and Evans in 1983. 

The album, which is available for preorder now, will be released June 23, with all proceeds going to Mental Health America of Southeast Florida.

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