Classic Rock News

This Saturday, August 13, marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of the classic teen comedy-drama Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The hit film, which featured such soon-to-be stars as Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates and Forest Whitaker, also had deep connections to the rock music world.

For starters, the screenplay was written by one-time Rolling Stone journalist Cameron Crowe, who went on to write and direct such rock-themed movies as Singles and Almost Famous.

The Fast Times soundtrack was packed with original songs by well-known rock artists, including Jackson Browne, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, The Go-Go’s, Don Felder, Billy Squier, Sammy Hagar, Graham Nash and Stevie Nicks.

Meanwhile, Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson appears in a scene in which Judge Reinhold‘s character Brad Hamilton tries — and fails — to flirt with her.

Several other scenes included humorous references to popular rock acts. Here are three examples:

–In a scene featuring Leigh’s Stacy Hamilton and Cates’ Linda Barrett, as the two friends chat in the high school cafeteria, they realize that several of their female classmates have “cultivated the Pat Benatar look.”

–As the shy, nerd-ish Mark Ratner, portrayed by Brian Backer, nervously prepares for his first date with Stacy, his smooth-talking but sketchy pal Mike Damone — played by Robert Romanus — shares his special five-point plan for a successful date. Point five? “When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV.”

–Just before the end credits of the film roll, we’re informed that Penn’s perpetually stoned surfer-dude character Jeff Spicoli has won a bunch of reward money for saving model/actress Brooke Shields from drowning, but spent all the cash to hire Van Halen to play his birthday party.

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Way back in 2018, when Elton John first announced his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, he told reporters that he’s told his kids, “When Daddy dies, promise me you won’t have a hologram of me going around the world.”  But he never said anything about appearing in the metaverse while he’s still alive.

Elton’s husband and manager, David Furnish, tells the British publication MusicWeek that he’s been looking into how to expand Elton’s brand in the metaverse — meaning 3D virtual worlds that allow people to interact via computer-generated avatars. 

In the past couple of years, the metaverse has become very popular with musicians — many artists have staged exclusive concerts within these virtual worlds. So, Furnish says, why shouldn’t Elton get in on the action?

“That’s going to be a big new market for music discovery,” Furnish tells Music Week. “We’re looking at it closely but carefully. Elton’s been a bit like an avatar his entire life, throwing things on and off, changing and moving forward.”

It’s all part of Furnish’s five-year plan to promote Elton’s music to younger audiences; projects like the Rocketman film and Elton’s Lockdown Sessions album have been a part of that. The plan seems to be working: According to Furnish, more than half of Elton’s Spotify listeners are aged 18 to 35.

And while Elton admits he’s hopeless when it comes to technology, Furnish says that once his husband “understands the role it plays in his world, he’s happy to give it a try … but then you better get it right.” As Furnish puts it, “If it doesn’t turn out the way it should, he’s not happy.”

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Paul McCartney is mourning the loss of his brother-in-law John Eastman — older brother of his late first wife, Linda — who died Thursday of pancreatic cancer at age 83, according to U.K. newspaper The Sun.

“My dear brother-in-law, John Eastman, has passed away,” the former Beatles legend writes in a tribute posted on his official website. “Having known each other for over 50 years it is an extremely sad time for me, and our families.”

McCartney continues, “John was a great man. One of the nicest and smartest people I have had the good luck to have known in my life. ⁠Not only did he help me massively in my business dealings as my lawyer but as a friend he was hard to beat.”

Sir Paul adds, “His sense of humour always shone through in everything he did and his devotion to his family was supreme. ⁠We had so many fun times together through the years, but when the time came to be serious, he was unbeatable.”

The note concludes, “[W]ords can hardly describe his passion for life and our affection for this amazing man. He will be sorely missed but always held dear in the hearts of those of us who knew and loved him. See ya Johnny!”

Accompanying the message is a photo of McCartney and Eastman smiling as they do yoga poses together.

John Eastman and his late father, Lee, were both lawyers who helped guide McCartney through his legal separation from his fellow Beatles during the band’s breakup and also advised Paul on some of his lucrative business endeavors, including his investment in music publishing.

Paul wed Linda Eastman in March 1969, and the couple remained married until Linda’s death in April 1998 at age 56.

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Rush‘s surviving members, singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, reunited Wednesday night at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, at a concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular animated comedy show South Park.

Lee and Lifeson made a surprise appearance, joining their longtime friends Primus for a performance of Rush’s classic 1977 song “Closer to the Heart” while South Park co-creator Matt Stone sat in on drums.

This marked the first time Lee and Lifeson have played together in public since longtime Rush drummer Neil Peart‘s death from brain cancer in January 2020.

Before Lee and Lifeson hit the stage, a video featuring South Park-style cartoon
versions of them was shown in which they humorously discussed what they could do to help Stone and South Park co-creator Trey Parker celebrate the 25th anniversary.

“[Should we] send them some free Rush beer?” Lee poses. “Or even worse, we could show up and jam with them, eh?” Lee and Lifeson then hit the stage, to wild applause.

Rolling Stone reports the concert included full sets from Primus and Ween, and Stone joined in on various instruments for renditions of original South Park songs.

The show was filmed for South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert special, which premieres on Comedy Central this Saturday, August 13, at 10 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Paramount+ starting August 14.

Stone is a lifelong Rush fan, and the band has been referenced in South Park numerous times, including the 2011 episode “Royal Pudding” that features the prog-rock legends performing at a vigil after the princess of Canada was kidnapped.

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The Beach Boys and Green Day are just two of more than 30 artists that will help you work up a sweat during with the recently announced 2022 Peloton All for One Festival.

The home exercise company’s annual event features a variety of well-known musical acts contributing their music to a special weekend of Peloton classes, which this year takes place from August 19 to August 21. Members will be able to choose from different musician-themed courses, including cycling, running, strength and yoga.

The Beach Boys are contributing a new remix of their classic 1966 song “God Only Knows,” created by DJ John Michael specially for Peloton.

Other participating artists include John Mayer, Alanis Morissette,  Muse, Florence + the Machine, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Wu-Tang Clan and T-Pain.

Peloton has been putting on this event every year since 2018 — but it only became a music festival last year. The home fitness company made the change to help its members feel more connected, thanks to the power of music, during the ongoing pandemic that caused many gyms to shut their doors.

“All for One has always been a way for us to connect the Peloton community since music is an essential part of keeping the experience fresh and motivating for our Members,” says Peloton executive Gwen Riley. “This year, we’re giving members more classes and more artists than ever before for a three-day celebration of music, movement and our community around the world!”

For more info, visit OnePeloton.com.

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Ozzy Osbourne is going from “Iron Man” to “giant inflatable man.”

A 25-foot inflatable of the metal icon, which was designed by famed comic book creator Todd McFarlane, will be touring across the U.S. leading up to the release of his upcoming solo album, Patient Number 9.

After making its debut at the San Diego Comic-Con last month, the inflatable made surprise appearances in Los Angeles and Las Vegas over the last few days. Its next stop is at this weekend’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

Further appearances will be announced up to 24 hours ahead of time, while some will be unveiled without advanced notice. The inflatable’s journey will come to an end in New York City the week Patient Number 9 is released on September 9.

You can follow the inflatable’s tour via Ozzy.com. You can also enter to win the inflatable in all of its 25-foot glory by presaving or preadding Patient Number 9 on Spotify or Apple Music.

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The Eagles recently announced that they extended their Hotel California 2022 Tour with a run of six Canadian dates in September, and now comes word that “due to overwhelming demand,” the band also will be playing six more shows in the U.S. in November.

The newly added stateside concerts are scheduled for November 15 in St. Louis; November 17 in Des Moines, Iowa; November 19 in New Orleans; November 21 in Birmingham, Alabama; November 23 in Kansas City, Missouri; and November 25 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tickets for their shows go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 19, at 10 a.m. local time, while a limited number of VIP packages will be available that day. Presale tickets will be available starting Thursday, August 18, at 10 a.m. local time. Visit Eagles.com for more information.

As previously reported, the tour features the Eagles performing their classic 1976 Hotel California album in its entirety, as well as other memorable tunes by the group, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir. The band’s current lineup includes founding singer/drummer Don Henley, longtime guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist Timothy B. Schmit, and country star Vince Gill on vocals and guitar.

The Eagles’ Canadian outing is plotted out from a September 9 concert in Toronto through a September 22 show in Vancouver. The band wrapped up a series of European dates in June and also mounted an extensive U.S. leg earlier this year.

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The 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival will take place on September 24 in both New York City and in Accra, Ghana. And, as usual, the lineup is very star-studded.

The New York edition of the fest will be held in Central Park, and its bill will include Metallica, as well as Mariah Carey and Jonas Brothers. The event, which will be hosted by Global Citizen ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas. also will feature performances by Italian rockers Måneskin, pop singer Charlie Puth, Latin star Rosalía and country star Mickey Guyton, with more artists to be announced later.

Meanwhile, the concert in Accra, Ghana, will commemorate the 65th anniversary of African nation’s independence, and the show will feature such stars as Usher, SZA and H.E.R.

The concerts will be broadcast and streamed on ABC, ABC News Live, FX, Hulu, Twitter, YouTube and more. A primetime special, Global Citizen Festival: Take Action Now, will air September 25 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.

As always, tickets to the concerts are free, and can be earned by downloading the Global Citizen app or visiting GlobalCitizen.org and taking action on the charity’s issues.

Global Citizen is calling for world leaders to work to fight extreme poverty and specifically is asking the leaders attending the United National General Assembly to invest $600 million in the future of women and girls worldwide, to close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall and to provide $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis.

According to Global Citizen, as many as 1.2 billion people now live in countries experiencing food, energy and financial crises and as many as 200 million more may experience extreme poverty by November if action isn’t taken now.

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Talking Heads guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison and former King Crimson guitarist/singer Adrian Belew are among the artists who have been added to the lineup of the 2022 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, which takes place from September 30 to October 2 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

Harrison will be joined by Belew, who toured and recorded with Talking Heads during the early ’80s, and a group of backing musicians for a performance of the band’s classic 1980 album Remain in Light. Their set will also feature select other Talking Heads tunes, as well as songs from their respective solo careers.

Other artists confirmed to play the festival include Emmylou Harris, Marcus Mumford, Lucius and Buddy Miller. For more info about the festival, which is a free event, visit HardlyStrictlyBluegrass.com.

Ahead of their performance at the festival, Harrison and Belew will come together for a special concert and Q&A event celebrating the Remain in Light album on September 29 at the famed Los Angeles theater The Wiltern.

The show will begin with a conversation between Harrison, Belew and actress/singer Tawny Newsome about the Talking Heads’ heyday, and the group’s influence on the musical and cultural landscape. Harrison and Belew will then perform with a group of musicians that includes former members of the Brooklyn, New York-based band Turkuaz.

Tickets for the event are available now at LiveNation.com.

Harrison, Belew and members of Turkuaz previously gave a series of performances celebrating Remain in Light in 2021 and earlier this year.

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