Classic Rock News

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.

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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.

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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.

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No matter how metal you think you are, you’ll probably have a tough time beating the baby who was literally born to the sound of a live Metallica show.

Luan Figueiró was born at Metallica’s concert in Brazil this past Saturday, May 7. Luan’s mom, Joice, shared her story in an Instagram post that Metallica later re-posted to their Story.

In the post, Joice explains that she was 39 weeks pregnant, and watched the show while sitting in the accessible section. She continued to feel fine after opening sets from Greta Van Fleet and Ego Kill Talent and for most of Metallica’s performance, but toward the end of the show, she started to feel contractions.

Joice’s water soon broke, and the ambulance didn’t have time to bring her to a hospital’s maternity ward.

“He was born right there…to the sound of Metallica,” Joice wrote.

While the experience was obviously overwhelming, Joice added that she’s feeling “great physically.”

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U2 singer Bono and guitarist The Edge paid a surprise visit on Sunday to a subway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, that’s currently serving as a bomb shelter, where the duo performed a short set that included some of their best-known songs, RTE.ie reports.

In a message posted Sunday on U2’s Twitter feed, Bono and The Edge wrote, “President [Zelenskyy] invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do.”

According to RTE.ie and various posts on social media, the songs that the two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers performed included “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Desire,” “With or Without You,” “Vertigo,” “Angel of Harlem,” “One,” and “Pride (In the Name of Love).”

Rolling Stone reports that Bono and The Edge also were joined by members of the Ukrainian band Antytila, who are now serving in the Ukrainian military, to perform a version of the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me.”

Bono changed select lyrics in some of the songs to reference Ukraine, and Russia’s ongoing military invasion of the country.

The singer also addressed the crowd on hand for the performance, telling them, “The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom. We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon.”

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On Friday, Graham Nash released his new concert album, Live — Songs for Beginners/Wild Tales, which features the folk-rock legend performing his first two solo albums in their entirety, culled from four special shows that took place in September 2019.

“I’d always loved those two albums…and I always wanted to do them live, but I never did,” Nash tells ABC Audio about 1971’s Songs for Beginners and 1974’s Wild Tales. “And then my wife, Amy, one day said, ‘You know, I’d like to see that show. You better put it together.’ And so I did.”

To help organize the shows, which were held at four different venues in the northeastern U.S., Graham enlisted his two main touring musicians — guitarist Shane Fontayne and keyboardist Todd Caldwell — who put together a larger group to present the albums live.

“It was a band that I’d never played with…and they did remarkably well,” Nash points out. “Of course, Shane and Todd gave them the albums and said, ‘This is what we want to do…just learn your parts.’ And…they did. And…I only rehearsed with them probably for about three-and-a-half days.”

The group also included Caldwell’s brother Toby on drums, Thad DeBrock on pedal-steel guitar, one-time Black Crowes bassist Andy Hess and two female backup singers.

To create the live album, Nash says he listened to all four concerts and “chose the best versions of each song.”

Reflecting on the album’s quality, Graham says, “[T]hese tracks sound really good to me. Everyone’s singing good, everyone’s in tune, everyone’s playing well…I’m very proud of this record.”

Live — Songs for Beginners/Wild Tales is available now on CD, as a two-LP vinyl set and digitally.

Here’s the full track list:

Songs for Beginners
“Military Madness”
“Better Days”
“Wounded Bird”
“I Used to Be a King”
“Be Yourself”
“Simple Man”
“Man in the Mirror”
“There’s Only One”
“Sleep Song”
“Chicago”/”We Can Change the World”

Wild Tales
“Wild Tales”
“Hey You (Looking at the Moon)”
“Prison Song”
“You’ll Never Be the Same”
“And So It Goes”
“Grave Concern”
“Oh! Camil”
“I Miss You”
“On the Line”
“Another Sleep Song”

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Longtime Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit‘s latest solo studio album, Day by Day, was released today.

The 12-track collection features guest contributions from an impressive lineup of musicians, including Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham, John Fogerty, longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench, Doobie Brothers multi-instrumentalist John McFee, blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd and acclaimed session drummer Jim Keltner.

Coinciding with the album’s arrival, a music video for the project’s third single, “I Come Alive,” has debuted at Schmit’s YouTube channel. The clip features Timothy performing the upbeat, ska-flavored tune at a Los Angles rehearsal studio with most of his touring band and a trio of background singers.

“I was feeling really good about things in general when I started this song,” Schmit explains. “I decided it wasn’t necessary to try and go particularly deep, so I let it sort of roll out of me without too much second guessing. It’s a simple love song intended to express my feelings right from the surface.”

“I Come Alive” is preceded by the advance singles “Simple Man” and “Heartbeat.” Buckingham contributed electric guitar to “Simple Man,” which also features backing vocals from ex-Beach Boys touring members Chris Farmer and Matt Jardine, the latter being the son of founding Beach Boy Al Jardine.

Day by Day also includes a song titled “Grinding Stone” that features Schmit harmonizing with Browne and Fogerty. In addition, Timothy’s daughter Jeddrah sings backing vocals on the album.

Day by Day is Schmit’s seventh solo album overall, and his first since 2016’s Leap of Faith. It was recorded at his home studio in Los Angeles County during breaks on the Eagles’ tour schedule.

The album is available on CD, as a two-LP set and digitally.

Here’s the full Day by Day track list:

“Simple Man”
“The Next Rainbow”
“Heartbeat”
“Mr. X”
“Question of the Heart”
“Something You Should Know”
“I Come Alive”
“Feather in the Wind”
“Grinding Stone”
“Taste Like Candy”
“Conflicted”
“Where We Belong”

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Whitesnake has just released a new best-of compilation titled Whitesnake Greatest Hits, featuring remixed and remastered versions of 16 classic tracks by the band, via digital formats.

The album also will be issued on CD and as a two-LP vinyl set on June 17, while a CD/Blu-ray collection will follow on July 15.

The compilation includes updated mixes of such memorable Whitesnake songs as “Here I Go Again,” “Is This Love,” “Still of the Night,” “The Deeper the Love and “Fool for Your Love.”

Frontman David Coverdale who oversaw the project, notes, “We’ve definitely expanded on the original Greatest Hits, took them all out of the sonic time capsule of the ’80s and ’90s, and brought them up to date, sound-wise…as always, we have the original albums for those who consider them holy relics.”

Former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian, who also contributed his talents to Whitesnake’s recent Red, White and Blues trilogy, played Hammond organ on over half the songs on the collection, among them “Here I Go Again” and “Fool for Your Loving.”

In addition, the updated mixes of the songs “The Deeper the Love” and “Judgement Day” include new performances from ex-Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg.

Coverdale also unearthed archival performances by former Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes that were included on mixes of “Slide It In” and “Give Me All Your Love.”

The new Whitesnake Greatest Hits album’s arrival coincides with the launch of the band’s farewell tour, which kicks off with European leg that begins May 10 in Dublin. Check out all of the dates at Whitesnake.com.

Here’s the full track list of Whitesnake Greatest Hits:

“Still of the Night”
“Here I Go Again”
“Is This Love”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
“Slide It In”
“Slow an’ Easy”
“Guilty of Love”
“Fool for Your Loving”
“Judgment Day”
“The Deeper the Love”
“Now You’re Gone”
“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again”
“Sweet Lady Luck”
“Crying in the Rain”
“Forevermore”

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The 2022 KISS Kruise just got even bigger.

The 11th edition of the “Rock and Roll All Nite” icons’ annual seafaring event has added a second week, set to take place October 24-29. That will lead into the originally announced — and now sold-out — dates of October 29 to November 3, which will mark KISS’ “final onboard performances.”

Pre-sale tickets for the newly added dates are available now. If you’re a particularly dedicated KISS fan who purchases tickets for both weeks, you’ll be rewarded with “an exclusive laminate, an exclusive signed item by KISS, happy hour with the band, and a specialty two-timer t-shirt.”

For all KISS Kruise info, visit TheKISSKruise.com.

Meanwhile, KISS is currently touring South America as part of the group’s ongoing End of the Road farewell tour. The trek will return to the U.S. starting May 11 in Milwaukee.

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Columbia Records is celebrating Bob Dylan‘s 60th anniversary as a recording artist for the label by releasing a new music video for his classic 1965 song “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”  The video’s inspired by the tune’s original promo film, which featured Dylan flipping through handwritten cue cards with select lyrics from the song.

The new visual, dubbed “Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022,” offers a dynamic video collage of segments inspired by the original lyrical cue cards, each designed by a different artist, musician or filmmaker. Among the celebs who contributed to the clip are Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Primal Scream‘s Bobby Gillespie, and filmmakers Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders.

You can watch the “Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022” video at the newly launched Dylan60.com microsite, which features details about each cue card that appears in the clip, as well as the original flick. The “Subterranean Homesick Blues” promo film first appeared at the beginning of director D.A. Pennebaker‘s 1967 documentary Don’t Look Back, which focused on Dylan’s 1965 U.K. tour. It included a cameo by legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg.

You also will have a chance to watch the new video with a special Augmented Reality lens filter that can be accessed on Instagram and Snapchat, and that allows viewers use a virtual pair of Dylan’s Ray-Ban sunglasses to watch a select 10-second segment of the “Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022” clip.

In other news, the Bob Dylan Center, which will serve as the home of over 100,000 pieces of Dylan-related memorabilia, is scheduled to open his Tuesday, May 10, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A series of special events celebrating the grand opening are taking place in Tulsa in the coming days, including concerts by Patti Smith and Elvis Costello at Cain’s Ballroom tonight and on May 7, respectively.

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