Classic Rock News

On Wednesday, Live Nation launched its 2022 Concert Week promotion, which offers $25 tickets to shows by more than 200 artists taking place across North American throughout the summer.

In total, over 3,700 concerts will be discounted as part of the promotion, which runs through Tuesday, May 10. Among the many participating tours is REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy‘s Live & UnZoomed package trek, which kicks off May 31 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Founding REO Speedwagon keyboardist Neal Doughty says he and his band mates are excited to be returning to full-scale touring following two years where the number of shows they played was reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re thrilled that live music is back, of course, because that’s our entire life,” he tells ABC Audio. “But we just want to really let people know that, hey, come out of your house, it’s safe now. Live music is back and Live Nation is gonna kick-start the whole thing.”

Doughty notes that REO and Styx have toured many times together many times over the years, and the two bands really complement each other.

“[I]t just really works well,” Neal maintains. “Like our manager says, ‘One plus one equals three when it’s Styx and REO.’ And then, of course, you put somebody like Loverboy on the show, and who would not go to a show like that? I don’t know.”

Doughty also points out that his band and Styx both deliver a balanced show that offers up “the right mix between the love songs and the hard-rock songs.”

The Live & UnZoomed tour is mapped out through a September 18 concert in Bangor, Maine.

For full details about the Concert Week promotion, including a list of participating artists and venues, visit LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek.

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Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and original Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine will perform at the Asian Hall of Fame’s Celebrate Asia Festival, taking place July 30 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.

The red-carpet event is a benefit for Asian Hall of Fame‘s newly launched Brain Injury Endowment, which supports trauma survivors, victims of hate crime and brain injury research.

Seraphine will be playing a headlining set with his band California Transit Authority, or CTA, which also features former Chicago bassist/singer Jeff Coffey and veteran keyboardist Ed Roth, who also frequently collaborates with Krieger.

Both Seraphine and Krieger are Asian Hall of Fame Ambassadors, awarded annually to noteworthy non-Asian people who support the Hall of Fame’s mission of celebrating Asian excellence, cross-cultural collaboration, and multiracial fairness to with a goal of overcoming anti-Asian violence.

The event begins with a VIP reception starting at 4 p.m. PT that will include an artisan showcase, traditional performers, and food from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The reception also will include a memorabilia auction featuring collectibles from Chicago, The Eagles, U2 and more.

The concert will run from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT. Early bird tickets to the Celebrate Asia Festival can be purchased at AsianHallofFame.org.

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There hasn’t been much to laugh about in the Foo Fighters world over the last month or so, but perhaps the home release of Studio 666 might be able to help.

The horror-comedy movie, which stars the members of the Foos as fictionalized versions of themselves trying to record a new album in a haunted mansion, will be available to buy digitally on May 10, and on Blu-ray and DVD May 24.

Studio 666 first premiered in theaters this past February, and has been available as an on-demand rental since March. Frontman Dave Grohl also recorded a metal EP under the moniker Dream Widow, the name of a fictional band from the movie.

It was the same day that the Dream Widow EP dropped, March 25, that drummer Taylor Hawkins unexpectedly died at age 50. Foo Fighters have remained quiet since, breaking their silence only to announce the cancellation of their tour dates.

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Pearl Jam paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins during their concert in San Diego Tuesday.

As noted by SPIN and captured in fan-shot footage posted to YouTube, frontman Eddie Vedder took a moment to honor Hawkins before performing the song “Quick Escape,” specifically mentioning Hawkins’ friendship with PJ drummer Matt Cameron.

“[Hawkins] emitted something very incredible and very special,” Vedder said. “We’re all missing him.”

Turning back toward Cameron, Vedder continued, “Matt, I’m sorry again for your loss. But it just gives us another chance to say how much we appreciate you, as well.”

Hawkins died unexpectedly on March 25 at age 50, after which Foo Fighters canceled all of their tour dates. Members of the Foos were reportedly in attendance when Red Hot Chili Peppers performed in their place last weekend at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Pearl Jam’s San Diego show marked their first show since Hawkins’ passing, and the band’s first stop on their long-delayed U.S. tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020 before getting postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outing will continue Friday in Los Angeles.

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Following today’s news that Judas Priest will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year as recipients of the Musical Excellence Award, ex-Priest guitarist K.K. Downing shared his feelings about the legendary metal group finally achieving the honor.

Referencing the fact that Judas Priest was passed over for induction twice, after receiving nominations in 2018 and 2020, Downing explained to eonmusic, “[W]hen you get nominated that amount of times and don’t win, when you actually do win, it takes the edge off it a bit, because you’ve failed a lot of times. But it’s better to score the goal at the end of the game!”

Downing, who was a member of Judas Priest from 1970 to 2011, has had a strained relationship with his ex-band mates since exiting the group. That being said, Priest frontman Rob Halford told Billboard Wednesday that all of the band’s former members who will be inducted “have every right to be a part of the event,” adding, “I’m very pleased for everybody. There’s no bitterness. There’s no angst.”

For his part, Downing says he’s “not sure” if he’ll reunite with the band at the ceremony, which is scheduled for November 5 in Los Angeles.

“I think it’s just a question of seeing how everything lies when it comes to them, really, because a lot of things can happen between now and then, the 70-year-old rocker noted. “[A] lot of things could get better, but they could get worse, or stay the same.”

Downing said he’s particularly happy that two of Priest’s former drummers, Les Binks and the late Dave Holland, also will be inducted.

“They were an integral part [of the band] for a long time,” K.K. said.

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Eurythmics are among the seven artists who’ve been chosen for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Performer category in 2022.

The U.K. duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who made their mark starting in the ’80s by mixing synth-pop with rock and soul, both chatted about the honor with Rock Hall president and CEO Greg Harris via Zoom, and an edited video of the conversation has been posted at the institution’s YouTube channel.

In the clip, Lennox noted that while she and Stewart were collaborating, they were wholly focused on making music, not on garnering honors like a Rock Hall induction.

“We were in a zone. We created our own zone. And I think…at that time…to get that opportunity to create was what we wanted,” Annie maintained. “It wasn’t about the prizes. Because those things, if you create something of value, maybe the prizes will come, but you can’t make anything because at the end of the day you were gonna be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. No, you have to do the journey. You have to take the steps.”

Stewart, meanwhile, pointed out that American music was a big inspiration to both him and Lennox.

“Obviously, Annie’s Scottish, I’m British, and we’re going into the American Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Dave noted. “And…I feel quite full-circle in a way, because there we were in our hometowns…in Aberdeen and Sunderland, and listening to sort of American music, whether it’s like soul music or Motown or…I was listening to blues music, and never imagined in a million years that I’d even be making any music, never mind being in America and being put in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

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Pat Benatar is among the artists who will be welcomed into the Roll & Roll Hall of Fame at the institution’s 2022 Induction Ceremony, which takes place November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The powerhouse singer, who will be inducted with her husband and longtime musical collaborator, Neil Giraldo, issued the following statement with her husband: “We are thrilled and humbled to become part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame family. Thank you to everyone who voted especially the fans and congratulations to all the other inductees.”

Benatar and Giraldo also shared their feelings about their impending induction in a Zoom interview with Rock Hall President and CEO Greg Harris that’s been posted on YouTube.

In the clip, Pat explains, “You know, I’ve been lobbying for probably 25 years to get the real story about how everything began. It wasn’t about [just] me…it was about us together. And so I’m really I’m very excited and pleased that we get to go in together because that is the real story.”

She adds, “It feels good and it doesn’t change everything…not in the way that you would think. It’s just really nice for your children, for the legacy, for the fans…But for you, you’re grateful and you’re like, ‘That’s great.'”

Giraldo, meanwhile, acknowledges that the Rock Hall induction is a great honor, while noting that he and Benatar have never been preoccupied with awards and accolades.

“[T]he greatest thing always…[is] when you see and talk to the fans or the people that loved the music [and hear] how it changed their lives,” Neil maintains. “And that’s the most powerful thing you can ask for. And if this helps to exploit that even more, we’ll keep going and we’re not stopping.”

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Rob Halford has shared his reaction to Judas Priest‘s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in an interview with Billboard.

“It’s a very, very important institution for recognizing various people that have been in music since music began, right from the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll,” Halford says. “To be part of that is, like, wow…”

After being nominated twice before, Priest will finally be inducted as part of the Rock Hall’s 2022 class, with the Musical Excellence Award. Halford and company’s exclusion from the Hall has long been a sore spot for metal fans, who’ve criticized the institution for not properly recognizing heavy music.

“Glory hallelujah, there’s another metal band in now,” Halford says. “That’s the blessing we’ve all been waiting for.”

Halford adds that being inducted with the Musical Excellence Award, as opposed to in the more publicized Performers category, is “a really sweet addition.”

“They really look at you beyond the simple band that you are,” Halford says. “They really dig deep as to this album and that album this song and that song. I think that really supports what we’ve always tried to do.”

Halford is also hoping to see any former Priest members who wish to attend at the ceremony — “They have every right to be a part of the event,” he says — but has one main goal for induction night.

“All I want is a self(ie) with Dolly Parton,” he laughs.

The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place November 5 in Los Angeles. Parton is among the inductees in the Performer category, along with Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon.

Meanwhile, a video of Halford sharing his excitement about Priest’s impending induction has been posted on the Rock Hall’s YouTube channel.

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If you can’t make it to Southern California’s 2022 BeachLife Festival later this month, you can still enjoy the beach vibes, and some of the musical performances, from the comfort of your own home.

Select sets from the three-day event, which will be held May 13-15 on Redondo Beach, will stream live online for free. Among the many artists you’ll be able to watch are Steve Miller Band, Stone Temple Pilots and The Smashing Pumpkins.

The stream begins May 13 at 1 p.m. PT via BeachLifeFestival.com and at Volume.com/BeachLifeFestival. The livestream of Miller and his band’s set will take place Sunday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m. PT, while Stone Temple Pilots’ and The Smashing Pumpkins’ will be livestreamed on on Saturday, May 14, at 6:20 p.m. PT and 8:50 p.m. PT, respectively.

Other artists on the BeachLife Festival’s livestream schedule include Weezer, 311, Sheryl Crow, UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell, Sugar Ray and Matisyahu.

BeachLife tickets are also still available for those who wish to attend in person.

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The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced, and among this year’s honorees are Pat Benatar, Judas Priest, Duran Duran and Eurythmics.

Benatar, Duran Duran and Eurythmics are among seven artists being inducted in the Performer category, along with country icon Dolly Parton, rapper Eminem, singer/songwriter Carly Simon, and pop/R&B legend Lionel Richie.

Judas Priest will be inducted in conjunction with receiving the Musical Excellence Award, as will acclaimed R&B production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Regarding Benatar’s induction, Rock Hall president and CEO Greg Harris tells ABC Audio that she “really set a path for lots of…female artists,” noting that with her “unbelievable vocal range…she could bring it both [on] ballads and rockers.”

Benatar will be inducted alongside her husband and longtime guitarist, co-producer and songwriting collaborator Neil Giraldo.

Heavy metal fans are sure to be happy about Judas Priest finally being inducted, but perhaps a bit baffled that the dynamic band isn’t part of the Performer category.

Since 2000, the Musical Excellence Award has been presented to 25 musicians, songwriters and producers in recognition of their “originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.” Previous recipients include ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, rapper LL Cool J, and late Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads.

Harris tells ABC Audio, “Judas Priest are going in through this category because they had such a massive influence on the [metal] genre…and being the godfathers.”

While inductees in the Performer category often get the most attention, Harris says Musical Excellence Award recipients, like Judas Priest, are “equal” to the Performer honorees.

“They’re all Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees,” Harris insists.

Meanwhile, reflecting on Duran Duran’s credentials for induction, Harris cites the British New Wave bands “infectious melodies” and “complex musical arrangements,” as well as their mixture of guitar and synths, as influential.

And speaking of guitars and synths, Harris says U.K. duo Eurythmics took those and made them “really funky,” adding that frontwoman Annie Lennox‘s “unbelievable voice” really brought “’60s soul into the ’80s.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be held November 5 at L.A.’s Microsoft Theater, and will air later on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

This year’s other inductees include Early Influence Award recipients Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotton; and Ahmet Ertegun Award honorees Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson.

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