Classic Rock News

After his solo touring plans were put on hold last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moody Blues singer/guitarist Justin Hayward will get back on the road starting in September for a monthlong U.S. trek.

The outing, dubbed the “Nights” tour, gets underway with a September 13-14 stand in Chicago and winds down on October 15 in Clearwater, Florida. The 22-date trek also will stop in venues in other Midwest cities, as well as along the East Coast.

Hayward’s longtime guitar accompanist Mike Dawes will open the shows with a solo set.

The most recent new music that the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer released was a two-song digital EP featuring the original songs “One Summer Day” and “My Juliette” that came out in March 2020.

Here’s a full list of Hayward’s upcoming U.S. tour dates:

9/13 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/14 — Chicago, IL, City Winery
9/16 — Cincinnati, OH, The Ludlow Garage
9/18 — Warren, OH, Robins Theatre
9/19 — Kent, OH, The Kent Stage
9/20 — Munhall, PA, Carnegie of Homestead
9/22 — Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
9/24 — Fairfield, CT, The Warehouse at FTC
9/25 — Hartford, CT, Infinity Hall Hartford
9/26 — East Greenwich, RI, Greenwich Odeum
9/28 — Boston, MA, City Winery Boston
9/29 — Rockport, MA, Shalin Liu Performance Center
9/30 — Plymouth, NH, The Flying Monkey
10/2 — Huntington, NY, The Paramount
10/3 — Sellersville, PA, Sellersville Theater 1894
10/5 — Nashville, TN, City Winery Nashville
10/7 — Atlanta, GA, City Winery Atlanta
10/9 — Fort Lauderdale, FL, Amaturo Theater at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
10/10 — Key West, FL, Key West Theater
10/12 — Ponte Vedra, FL, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
10/14 — Orlando, FL, The Plaza Live
10/15 — Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theatre

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The annual Stagecoach festival focuses mainly on country music, but the event also has traditionally featured some big-name artists from other genres, and the forthcoming 2022 edition of the fest is no exception.

The Black Crowes and Motown legend Smokey Robinson are part of next year’s lineup for the three-day extravaganza, which is scheduled to run from April 29 to May 1 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the same site as the popular Coachella fest.

Both The Black Crowes and Robinson will play on the final day of the festival. The respective daily headliners for the upcoming event are country stars Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs.

Among the many other artists on the bill are Tanya Tucker, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Midland, Lee Brice, The Mavericks, Brandi Carlile, The Marcus King Band and Margo Price.

Additionally, next year’s festival — Stagecoach’s 14th event — will feature a new partnership between YouTube and music event promotions company Goldenvoice, enabling the festival to livestream all three days of music on YouTube.

Passes for Stagecoach 2022 go on sale this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. PT.

The 2020 and 2021 installments of the Stagecoach fest were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Doors guitarist Robby Krieger will share his life story, including his adventures with his famous band, in an upcoming memoir tilted Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with The Doors.

The book, which will be published on October 12, features the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and songwriter opening up about his journey to becoming a member for one of the most influential U.S. bands to emerge during the the 1960s and beyond.

Set the Night on Fire offers a series of vignettes in which Krieger discusses such highlights as buying his first guitar, getting arrested for drugs as a teenager, writing songs with singer Jim Morrison in his parents’ living room, playing his first gigs with The Doors at empty bars and backyard parties, recording his bands classic albums, and eventually performing in front of massive adoring crowds.

The book also will feature anecdotes about Robby’s experiences and encounters with other famous musicians, unhinged fans and more.

In addition, Robby recounts some of the difficulties he endured during his life, including his struggle with drug addiction, battling cancer, and his twin brother’s mental health issues.

Krieger co-wrote Set the Night on Fire with Jeff Alulis, an author and documentary filmmaker who also was lead singer of veteran punk band The Dead Kennedys from 2003 to 2008.

You can pre-order the book now.

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Another summer means another summer music playlist from Barack Obama.

Over the weekend, the former president took to social media to share what he’s listening to these days. Like past playlists, the 2021 edition encompasses a range of genres, and it includes songs by several famous rock veterans.

Among the tunes that appear on the 38-track playlist are The Rolling Stones‘ “Tumbling Dice,” George Harrison‘s “My Sweet Lord,” Bob Dylan‘s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” Chicago‘s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” and Joni Mitchell‘s “Coyote.”

Alongside the list, Obama wrote, “With so many folks getting together with family and friends, there’s a lot to celebrate this summer. Here’s a playlist of songs I’ve been listening to lately — it’s a mix of old and new, household names and emerging artists, and a whole lot in between.”

Other artists that Obama has been listening to include Bob Marley & the Wailers, Stevie Wonder, Simply Red, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Staple Singers and Miles Davis.

With so many folks getting together with family and friends, there’s a lot to celebrate this summer. Here’s a playlist of songs I’ve been listening to lately—it’s a mix of old and new, household names and emerging artists, and a whole lot in between. pic.twitter.com/xwTPun9wsw

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 10, 2021

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E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt was honored by the American Federation of Teachers over the weekend and, during the emotional ceremony, praised teachers for being “on the frontlines against ignorance.”

According to a statement from AFT, Van Zandt, 70, was awarded the organization’s Making a Difference award for his support of teachers, inclusive of his “years of work promoting and appreciating the work of educators” through his philanthropy.

The guitarist appeared virtually at the federation’s TEACH summer educational issues conference on Saturday.

“This is an amazing award, coming from my favorite people — you,” Van Zandt began in his pre-recorded speech. “You, my friends, are the ones who make a difference every day. Teachers are on the frontlines against ignorance. Honestly, we have never needed you more.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also praised the arts-inclusive twist on the STEM acronym, now called STEAM to include arts education.

“There are no wrong answers in the arts,” said Van Zandt. “The arts provide a comfort zone, and that extends to other disciplines.”

He closed his speech by praising all educators, saying, “I can’t overstate my appreciation for all you do and for this award. I salute you. You are helping to create the next generation of engineers, scientists, doctors, nurses, artists, activists, writers and even musicians.”

In the statement, AFT president Randi Weingarten said they chose Van Zandt to receive the honor because he “passionately spreads the gospel of teachers’ tireless work and actively engages with teachers and students during regular classroom visits and through TeachRock.org, his free online music and arts curriculum.”

The statement adds, “He lends his name and notoriety to supporting educators, which is particularly special given everything they’ve done to support students in the last year.”

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Grand Funk Railroad returned to the road earlier this month for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020.

Founding Grand Funk drummer/singer Don Brewer tells ABC Audio that he feels “awesome” about getting to play concerts again, noting that as the health crisis got worse, he’d feared that normal touring might never come back.

“And when it finally started turning around and things started opening up and the vaccines came in, it was like, ‘Man, maybe we can do this again,” he notes. “And now it’s like this is a blessing…that we’re able to get back out and do it.”

The 72-year-old rocker says he’s excited “hear the crowd again and look at the faces and to see the smiles and to see people enjoying what we do.”

The band currently has about 20 confirmed upcoming dates on its 2021 trek, which is called the the Some Kind of Wonderful Tour, named after Grand Funk Railroad‘s hit 1974 cover of the 1967 Soul Brothers Six tune “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

Brewer tells ABC Audio that Grand Funk’s 2021 set list is similar to the one they played prior to the pandemic, although they’re adding a couple of old tunes back into the show, 1969’s “Heartbreaker” and 1970’s “Mean Mistreater,” the latter of which Don says the band hasn’t played since 1998.

The current Grand Funk lineup, which also features founding bassist Mel Schacher, has now been together for 22 years.

“We’re brothers,” says Brewer. “Not only Mel, but everybody. And we lucked out to put this group of guys together, because I don’t think I’ve ever been in a band where you get along with everybody…And we do.”

Check out the band’s full tour schedule at GrandFunkRailroad.com.

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Two legendary hard-rock artists — Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler — have joined the already-star-packed lineup for the Ronnie James Dio virtual birthday celebration that takes place online Saturday, July 10, starting at 5 p.m. ET.

The benefit event, which coincides with what would have been the late metal icon’s 79th birthday, will be viewable at RollingLiveStudios.com and will feature a variety of performances, interviews and “special birthday messages” from the participating artists.

The previously announced artists taking part in the commemorative bash include Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, Sammy Hagar, Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, Lita Ford, longtime Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee, Deep Purple‘s Glenn Hughes, Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis, Tenacious D, Anthrax‘s Joey Belladonna, GN’R drummer Frank Ferrer, former GN’R guitarist Gilby Clarke, drumming brothers Carmine and Vinnie Appice, former Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo, ex-Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy, current Thin Lizzy frontman Ricky Warwick, and various alums of the Dio band.

The event will raise money for the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, a charity founded in Dio’s memory following his 2010 death from stomach cancer.

Tickets and special merchandise can be purchased at RollingLiveStudios.com/Dio. In addition, tickets are available now for a special virtual VIP afterparty scheduled for Sunday, July 11, at 5 p.m. ET.

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An instrument featured on one of the most iconic album covers of the punk-rock era, The Clash‘s London Calling, will go on permanent display at the Museum of London on July 23.

The Clash’s Paul Simonon has indefinitely loaned the museum the Fender Precision bass that he smashed at a September 1979 concert by his legendary band at the New York City venue The Palladium.

A photo snapped by Pennie Smith of Simonon smashing the bass at the end of the show wound up on the cover of the British rockers’ classic album, which was released in December of ’79 in the U.K. and January 1980 in the U.S.

The bass previously was featured in the popular “The Clash: London Calling” exhibit that ran from from November 2019 to September 2020 at the Museum of London and celebrated the 40th anniversary of the album.  The instrument now will go on display indefinitely in the museum’s World City gallery, and it eventually will be displayed at the facility’s planned new location in London’s West Smithfield section.

“We’re thrilled to have Paul Simonon’s Fender Precision bass on long-term loan,” says Museum of London curator Beatrice Behlen. “A seminal piece of music history, the moment the bass was smashed was immortalised on The Clash’s seminal album London Calling, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world.”

She adds, “We are aware that many were unable to see the guitar as part of our exhibition The Clash: London Calling in 2020 due to coronavirus, so we are pleased to provide a second opportunity to see it.”

Free tickets to view the World City gallery can be reserved at MuseumofLondon.org.uk.

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The recently reported remixed and re-edited version of the concert film capturing The Rolling Stones‘ historic 2006 show at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach got its release today.

The Rolling Stones — A Bigger Bang: Live on Copacabana Beach is available as a DVD/two-CD set, an SD Blu-ray/two-CD package, a deluxe two-DVD/two-CD collection, a three-LP colored-vinyl set, and digitally.

The Copacabana Beach concert took place on February 18, 2006, in front of 1.5 million people, making it one of the biggest free shows ever. The event was part of The Stones’ tour in support of their 2005 studio album, A Bigger Bang.

The Rio performance featured select songs from A Bigger Bang and a cover of the R&B gem “The Night Time Is the Right Time,” along with a collection of Stones classics.

The updated concert video features four songs that didn’t appear on the original 2007 DVD The Biggest Bang, which included the Copacabana Beach concert: “Tumbling Dice,” “Oh No, Not You Again,” “This Place Is Empty” and “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The deluxe two-DVD/two-CD set includes footage from a 2005 Salt Lake City concert on the second DVD.

Coinciding with the release of A Bigger Bang: Live, a video of The Stones performing “Midnight Rambler” at the Copacabana Beach concert was posted today on the band’s official YouTube channel.

Here’s the track list for the Rio concert:

“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
“It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)”
“You Got Me Rocking”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Oh No, Not You Again”
“Wild Horses”
“Rain Fall Down”
“Midnight Rambler”
“Night Time Is the Right Time”
“This Place Is Empty”
“Happy”
“Miss You”
“Rough Justice”
“Get Off My Cloud”
“Honky Tonk Women”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
“Start Me Up”
“Brown Sugar”
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

And here’s the track list for the Salt Lake City show (deluxe versions only):

“Start Me Up”
“You Got Me Rocking”
“She’s So Cold”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Rain Fall Down”
“It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)”
“Wild Horses”
“All Down the Line”
“Night Time Is the Right Time”
“Slipping Away”
“Infamy”
“Miss You”
“Rough Justice”
“Get Off of My Cloud”
“Honky Tonk Women”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
“Brown Sugar”
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

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A new documentary focusing on the poetry, prose and artistry of late Doors frontman Jim Morrison is being developed as part of a partnership between JAM Inc. — the managers of Morrison’s estate — and the Gunpowder & Sky production company.

The film will incorporate the singer’s recently unearthed personal diaries, as well as rare home-movie footage. News of the documentary comes on the heels of the recent publication of The Collected Works of Jim Morrison: Poetry, Journals, Transcripts and Lyrics. The book that features most of Morrison’s previously published work, as well as a bounty of unpublished writing, including the aforementioned diaries.

“Jim was a poet and a writer and a filmmaker long before he ever thought about music,” JAM Inc. CEO Jeff Jampol tells Billboard. “All these decades everybody talked about Jim Morrison the rock star, which he certainly was. But we really felt it was time to even the playing field and talk about these other aspects of Jim, which were either not as known or celebrated or discussed.”

Jampol also notes that the producers are searching for a director “who understands the import and the depth and the gravity” of Morrison.

“You need a director who is empathetic to the human and the artist and the art, [who] understands the history and context,” Jampol maintains.  He adds that he’s hoping the as-yet-untitled film will be ready for release by late 2022 or early 2023.

July 3 marked the 50th anniversary of Morrison’s death at age 27 in Paris.

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