Is Green Day teasing 30th anniversary ‘Dookie’ plans?

Is Green Day teasing 30th anniversary ‘Dookie’ plans?
ABC/Randy Holmes

Is Green Day planning a 30th anniversary Dookie celebration?

In an Instagram post, Billie Joe Armstrong and company shared a photo of a reel-to-reel recorder alongside the caption #Dookie30. They also included a pair of eyes emojis.

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.

Earlier this year in January, Green Day released a 25th anniversary edition of their 1997 album, Nimrod.

Meanwhile, Green Day has also been working on a new record, the follow-up to 2020’s Father of All… 

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James Taylor’s 1979 album, ‘Flag’, getting limited-edition pink vinyl release

James Taylor’s 1979 album, ‘Flag’, getting limited-edition pink vinyl release
Sony Music Entertainment

One of James Taylor’s classic albums is getting a new vinyl reissue. The singer’s 1979 studio album, Flag, will be getting a limited-edition reissue by Music on Vinyl.

Only 1,000 copies of the new pink-colored vinyl will be available on September 1 courtesy of Music on Vinyl. It will be released on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, with a gatefold sleeve with linen laminate finish.

Released in May 1979, Flag was Taylor’s ninth studio album and featured such songs as “Millworker,” “Brother Trucker” and a cover of “Up On The Roof,” which was his final top-40 hit as a solo artist.

The limited-edition vinyl Flag is available for preorder now.

Music on Vinyl has already released several James Taylor albums on limited-edition vinyl. Previous releases include 1985’s That’s Why I’m Here, 1977’s JT, 2002’s October Road and 1993’s James Taylor Live.

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Queen’s Freddie Mercury to be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame

Queen’s Freddie Mercury to be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame
by Pete Still/Redferns

Freddie Mercury will soon receive another prestigious honor. The late Queen frontman will be posthumously inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame later this year.

“Inductees and Artist Ambassadors inspire courage, character, and service for the betterment of our country and humanity,” Grammy member Maki Hsieh, president and CEO of the Asian Hall of Fame and CEO of the organization’s founder, the Robert Chin Foundation, shares.

Mercury was born in Zanzibar, but both his parents were Asian, from the Parsi community of western India.

The Asian Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be celebrated at a fundraiser taking place at the Biltmore in Los Angeles on October 21. Tickets for the gala are on sale now.

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Mike McCready leading supergroup featuring Beck, St. Vincent & more for upcoming benefit show

Mike McCready leading supergroup featuring Beck, St. Vincent & more for upcoming benefit show
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for PJ

Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready is putting together a one-off supergroup for an upcoming benefit show.

Mike McCready and The Casual Acquaintances will feature Beck, St. Vincent, Keanu Reeves‘ band Dogstar, Tenacious D‘s Jack Black, Dave Matthew Band bassist Stefan Lessard, Cindy Blackman Santana and Fred Armisen.

The event, dubbed Best Night of Your Life, will be hosted by Will Ferrell and will support the organization Cancer for College, which provides college scholarships to cancer survivors. It’ll take place October 21 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

Along with the performance by McCready and company, Best Night of Your Life will feature comedians Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Jo Koy, Patti Harrison, Roy Wood Jr. and Rory Scovel, as well as actors and SmartLess podcast hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. Additionally, Maya Rudolph will perform with her Prince cover band Princess.

For more info, visit CancerforCollege.org.

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2023 Allman Betts Family Revival to hit 16 cities

2023 Allman Betts Family Revival to hit 16 cities
courtesy of The Allman Betts Family Revival

The music of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts will once again be celebrated with the 2023 Allman Betts Family Revival, a 16-date tour kicking off in November.

The trek will feature performances by Gregg’s son Devon Allman, Dickey’s son Duane Betts and The Allman Betts Band featuring Tal Wilkenfeld on bass. Anders Osborne, and North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther and Cody Dickinson are also part of the lineup, with special guests in select cities. The tour will also feature visuals from The Brotherhood of Light, known for their previous work with the Allman Brothers.

The tour, which will feature two full sets of Allman and Betts music, kicks off November 25 in St. Louis, Missouri, stopping in cities like Nashville, Boston, New York and Charleston before wrapping December 17 in Austin, Texas.

This is the seventh year of the Revival tour. It was started by Devon in 2017 as a one-off concert in San Francisco, marking what would have been his father’s 70th birthday. It has now been rebranded to reflect the celebration of Gregg, who passed away in 2017, and Dickey. 

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, August 11. A full list of artists and ticket information can be found at allmanbettsfamilyrevival.com.

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Stone Temple Pilots + Collective Soul performing at Green Bay Packers Kickoff Weekend festival

Stone Temple Pilots + Collective Soul performing at Green Bay Packers Kickoff Weekend festival
Carlos Tischler/Getty Images

Stone Temple Pilots and Collective Soul are playing the Green Bay Packers’ Kickoff Weekend festival.

The free event will be held September 23 outside of the Packers’ famed Lambeau Field stadium. It celebrates the team’s opening home game of the 2023 NFL season, taking place September 24.

For more info, visit Packers.com.

While STP isn’t from Green Bay, or anywhere in Wisconsin, they may be looking for a new football team after the Chargers left their hometown of San Diego for Los Angeles. Collective Soul, meanwhile, hail from Georgia, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

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Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx is writing another book

Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx is writing another book
Per Ole Hagen/Redferns

Nikki Sixx may be busy on tour with Mötley Crüe, but it sounds like the rocker’s finding some time to pursue one of his other creative interests: writing.

“Started on my 5th book. If things go smoothly we should be able to release it next year,” Sixx shared on Facebook, adding, “If it connects it will be my 5th time on the New York Times best seller list….”

Those bestsellers Sixx is referring to include the 2001 Crüe memoir, The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Band, as well as 2007’s The Heroin Diaries, 2011’s This Is Gonna Hurt and 2021’s The First 21.

“It’s an honor to write books. I’ll keep you in the loop……,” he adds, before noting, “Thank you for always supporting my addiction to words.”

The book is one of many projects Sixx is working on. In the caption, he also mentioned another book, “an animated show that includes music” and “new Motley,” referring to the rumored new music that’s on the way. He shares, “Creative times ahead- SOBRIETY ROCKS.”

In the meantime, Mötley Crüe is currently on their stadium tour with Def Leppard. They play Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, August 8. A complete list of dates can be found at motley.com.

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Steely Dan to reissue classic album ‘Aja’ on vinyl

Steely Dan to reissue classic album ‘Aja’ on vinyl
Geffen/UMe

Steely Dan has announced the latest album in their vinyl reissue program, which will likely excite fans. 

The band’s classic Aja will be reissued on vinyl September 29, the first time the album has been released on vinyl in more than 40 years. The reissue is remastered from an analog tape copy of the album and will be released on 180-gram black vinyl, along with a premium 45 RPM version on Ultra High-Quality vinyl.

Released in September 1977, Aja was Steely Dan’s sixth studio album. The record peaked at #3 on the album charts, becoming the band’s highest-charting album. It featured such hit singles as “Peg,” “Deacon Blues” and “Josie” and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. It was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2010.

This is the fourth Steely Dan record to get a vinyl reissue. The reissue program, which Donald Fagen has overseen, started with their 1972 debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill, reissued in November 2022. It was then followed by 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, which dropped in May, and 1974’s Pretzel Logic, which dropped that July.

The program plans to reissue three more albums — 1975’s Katy Lied, 1976’s The Royal Scam and 1980’s Gaucho —over the next year.

Aja is available for preorder now.

Next up, Steely Dan is set to open for the Eagles on their Long Goodbye Tour. It kicks off September 7 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. A complete list of dates can be found at steelydan.com.

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Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Metallica nominated for 2023 MTV VMAs

Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Metallica nominated for 2023 MTV VMAs
Courtesy of MTV

Foo FightersRed Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica are among the nominees for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.

All three will compete in the Best Rock category: Foos for “The Teacher,” RHCP for “Tippa My Tongue” and Metallica for “Lux Æterna.” Other nominees in the category include Linkin Park’s “Lost,” Måneskin‘s “The Loneliest” and Muse‘s “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween.”

In addition to multiple past VMA wins, Foo Fighters was honored with the Global Icon Award in 2021, while RHCP has also earned multiple VMA honors, including the Global Icon Award in 2022 and the Video Vanguard Award in 2000. Metallica has won two previous VMAs.

The 2023 MTV VMAs take place September 12 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. For the full list of nominees and to vote for your favorites, visit Vote.MTV.com.

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Private funeral for Sinead O’Connor held in Ireland; U2, Bob Geldof among the mourners

Private funeral for Sinead O’Connor held in Ireland; U2, Bob Geldof among the mourners
David Corio/Redferns

Sinéad O’Connor was laid to rest in Ireland Tuesday, August 8, in a private ceremony attended by fellow musicians like Bob Geldof and U2’s Bono and The Edge, as well as Irish president Michael D. Higgins, The Independent reports.

Fans lined the streets of Bray, County Wicklow, to pay their respects to the singer outside her former home, Montebello, which she lived in for 15 years. Fans also left notes, flowers and candles outside the home in tribute to the singer.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, an Islamic scholar and chief imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, led the private ceremony, calling the singer “a voice that moved a generation of young people” and adding she “could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance.”

Following the service, the hearse with O’Connor’s flower-covered casket drove through the streets as fans threw more flowers and applauded as it passed. It was led by a Volkswagen van, covered in both a pride and Rastafarian flag, that played Sinead’s music.

“The outpouring of grief and appreciation of the life and work of Sinéad O’Connor demonstrates the profound impact which she had on the Irish people,” Higgins said of the singer. “The unique contribution of Sinead involved the experience of a great vulnerability combined with a superb, exceptional level of creativity that she chose to deliver through her voice, her music and her songs.”

O’Connor passed away in July at the age of 56. So far, no cause of death has been revealed.

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