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Rush’s Alex Lifeson shares the story of his first guitar

Posted yesterday at 4:45pm

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is featured in the latest episode of Gibson TV’s My First Gibson, and in it he explains that he was 12 years old when he got his guitar.

“I wanted to play guitar because I just thought it was such a cool instrument, I thought it sounded really cool," he shares. "You know, when I listened to music that had guitar music in it, particularly like The Beach Boys in that period, in the mid '60s, it was just the driving force of the music and it just kinda spoke to me I think.”

He says when he was in his teens, every Saturday he’d go to a music store in Toronto called Long and McQuade’s and take down a guitar and play until a sales person would kick him out. He talks about all the guitars he used to try out, until he finally got himself a Gibson, noting, “I just couldn’t believe how easy it was to play.”

Lifeson says that guitar was his main axe until Rush got their record deal, and he and the band went back to Long and McQuade's to buy new instruments; that was when he was able to purchase his first Les Paul.

“It was so cool doing that, it was like a dream come true for any young musician," he says.

Gov’t Mule replaces bassist on eve of tour

Posted yesterday at 4:00pm

Gov’t Mule heads out on their June tour starting Friday, June 8, and the lineup will look a little different at the shows.

The band announced on social media that bassist Jorgen Carlsson is leaving the group, and he’s being replaced by bassist Kevin Scott. No reason was given for Carlsson's departure.

“We thank Jorgen Carlsson for all his incredible work, including on ‘Peace…Like A River,’ and wish him the best,” the band shares, referring to their new album, which drops June 16. “Some of you may have seen Kevin with us last year when he stepped in for a few shows, so you know he’ll do a great job out there with us.”

The tour kicks off in Jacksonville, Oregon, with dates confirmed through June 24 in Fargo, North Dakota. A complete list of tour dates can be found at mule.net.

Peter Frampton set for Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camp in Nashville

Posted yesterday at 2:30pm

Here’s a chance to get up close and personal with Peter Frampton. The legendary guitarist just announced he’s taking part in Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camp USA, set for September 21-24 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville.

"I’m honored and very excited to be joining Tommy and lots of other great players for this wonderful event,” Frampton shares on Instagram, adding with a wink, “You never know what’s gonna happen.”

The four-day festival offers a plethora of activities for guitar players of all levels: performances by Emanuel and instructors, open mics, intimate groups and more, with workshops “strictly about immersing oneself in the joys of music and our lovely surroundings!”

Tickets are on sale now.

Reimagining of The Who’s Tommy extends Chicago run

Posted yesterday at 12:30pm

A new reimagining of the musical version of The Who’s Tommy, featuring a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging, is set to open at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre later this month, and demand for tickets has been so great its run has already been extended.

The show is set to begin previews on June 13, with opening night set for June 26. The run has now added eight more performances, which means it will run through July 30.

And fans are getting another behind-the-scenes look at the production, with interviews from the show’s lead, Ali Louis Bourzgui, and choreographer Lorin Latarro.

"I wanted to do something that will never go out of style so I’m trying to stick with a modernism that is classic,” Latarro says about her choreography for the show. Bourzgui adds, “Tommy will forever evolve itself as pop culture evolves. I can’t wait to bring Tommy to Chicago audiences.”

Based on The Who’s 1969 album and 1975 film, the original production of Tommy opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on July 1, 1992. It opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for Des McAnuff and Best Original Score for The Who's Pete Townshend.

Tickets for the new shows are on sale now.

Ace Frehley & Night Ranger headlining Gettysburg Bike Week

Posted yesterday at 11:30am

Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and Night Ranger are booked to perform at Gettysburg Bike Week, happening July 6-9 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Frehley will kick off the performances at the All Star Events Complex Friday night, with Night Ranger booked for Saturday.

Gettysburg Bike Week is considered one of the premier motorcycle rallies in the country. It features four days of motorcycle-related events, including an antique bike show, The Moto Mountain Stunt Show and plenty of rides, like the third annual Jeremy Plank Memorial Ride.

More info on Gettysburg Bike Week can be found at gettysburgbikeweek.com.

Night Ranger is currently celebrating their 40th anniversary on the road, with their next show happening Friday, June 9, in Marietta, Ohio. They will also join Bret Michaels on his Parti Gras tour, kicking off July 15 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at nightranger.com.

Frehley’s next show is set to go down June 30 in Kokomo, Indiana. A complete list of shows can be found at acefrehley.com.

Joni Mitchell shares “A Case of You” from 'At Newport' live album

Posted yesterday at 10:30am

Joni Mitchell fans are getting another taste of her upcoming live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport, a recording of her 2022 Newport Folk Festival performance, which was her first live performance in 20 years.

The latest release is Joni’s performance of the 1971 Blue track “A Case of You,” featuring special guests Brandi Carlile and Marcus Mumford.

Joni Mitchell At Newport will be released July 28 and will feature songs from the onstage “Joni Jam.” Other guests on the album include Carlile’s bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Wynonna Judd, Celisse, Lucius’ Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith.

Joni Mitchell At Newport is available for preorder now.

The new song release comes ahead of Mitchell’s return to the stage this weekend. She’s set to headline a “Joni Jam” on June 10 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, Washington, with Carlile as a special guest. The show is the legendary singer’s first ticketed performance in 20 years, and it sold out almost immediately.

On This Day, June 8, 1991: Bruce Springsteen marries Patti Scialfa

Posted yesterday at 10:00am

On This Day, June 8, 1991...

Bruce Springsteen married E Street Band member Patti Scialfa in a private ceremony at their Los Angeles home.

The couple started dating in 1988 during the Tunnel of Love tour, while he was separated from his first wife, model Julianne Phillips. Phillips filed for divorce in August of that year.

After living together in New Jersey, Springsteen and Scialfa moved to Los Angeles, where they welcomed their first child, son Evan, in July, 1990. After their marriage, they went on to have two more children, daughter Jessica, born in December, 1991 and son Sam, born in January 1994.

The couple, who currently live in New Jersey, became first time grandparents in July, 2022, when Sam and his fiancée welcomed a baby girl.

Neil Young to play rarities on upcoming West Coast tour

Posted yesterday at 9:30am

Back in April Neil Young returned to the stage for the first time since before the pandemic, and now he’s ready to head back on the road. Rolling Stone reports that during a Zoom with Neil Young Archives subscribers, the rocker announced he’ll be hitting the road on a West Coast tour set to kick off in early July.

But fans shouldn’t expect a greatest hits show. Neil explained that the performances will focus on songs he hasn’t actually played live before, suggesting that about 80 percent of the set will be made up of these rarities.

“I don’t want to come back and do the same songs again,” he said. “I’ll feel like I was on some sort of carnival ride. I’d rather be doing these others songs I haven’t done.” He adds, “I won’t have to compare how I’m doing ‘Heart of Gold’ to [how I played it in] 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020.”

Some of the songs Young says he’s rehearsed for the show include “Song X” from Mirror Ball, his 1995 album with Pearl Jam; the 1994 Sleeps With Angels track “Prime of Life”; and “If You Got Love,” an outtake from 1982’s Trans.

He says, “They’re not new songs. They’re old songs. But I wake up with them in my head every morning. They are songs that apply to my life right now, and apply to everyone’s lives in this era that we’re in.”

Details of the tour will be announced Friday, with Young noting it will open with a multiple-night residency in a “tiny, little unknown theater that’s close to one of the most well-known theaters in the world.”

Led Zeppelin is the subject of new photo exhibit opening June 8

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

The legendary rock band Led Zeppelin is the subject of a new exhibition at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, opening Thursday, June 8, in New York and Los Angeles.

The gallery notes that the exhibit “chronicles the band’s exalted rise, widely-storied world tours and rare moments in music history immortalized only in memory and fine art photography.”

Among the photos in the exhibit is one from the band’s first photoshoot ever, along with artwork from their classic 1971 album, Led Zeppelin IV, signed by guitarist Jimmy Page.

Both cities will open their exhibits with an opening night party, "transporting patrons back in time to when rock gods ruled and Zeppelin was king." Fans interested in attending can RSVP at morrisonhotelgallery.com.

Music of Badfinger’s Pete Ham celebrated on new tribute album

Posted Wednesday afternoon

Pete Ham, the late founding member of the British rock band Badfinger, is being celebrated with a special tribute album, with proceeds going to help those struggling with mental health.

Shine On: A Tribute to Pete Ham features 35 new recordings of Ham songs, including such classic Badfinger tracks as “Day after Day,” “Baby Blue,” “No Matter What” and “Without You."

Stan Lynch, drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, appears on three tracks on the album. He says, “The more I learned about Badfinger the more upset it made me, because they were so rich with promise. It’s not just a cautionary tale – it’s truly heartbreaking.”

Lynch is likely referring, in part, to the fact that Ham and bandmate Tom Evans died by suicide, Ham in 1975 and Evans in 1983.

The album, which is available for preorder now, will be released June 23, with all proceeds going to Mental Health America of Southeast Florida.

KISS’ Gene Simmons impressed after visit to Parliament

Posted Wednesday afternoon

KISS bassist Gene Simmons made a surprise appearance in, of all places, U.K. Parliament, where he sat in on a PMQ session, a weekly session where members of Parliament get to ask the prime minster questions.

Simmons, who was a guest of Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley, seemed to be impressed by what went down and felt the U.S. could learn some things from how the Brits act.

"What I just saw in there was controlled chaos. It was the clash of wills but respectful - the right honorable so and so, it was fascinating,” Simmons said, according to the BBC. "I think Americans can take a big lesson in civility in how to make democracy actually work and still respect the other side."

Simmons also seemed to admire the history and age of Parliament, noting it was something Americans don’t really understand.

"America is so young and has no sense of history, everything over there is just fast, immediate, instant gratification and there's no time to sit there and just gaze, I mean, look where you are - it's insane,” he said. "We're standing on, in terms of democracy, hallowed ground."

Simmons was in England for the kickoff of the band's U.K./European leg of their End of the Road tour. It hits Prague on Saturday, June 10. A complete list of dates can be found at kissonline.com.

Elton John asks for phone number of blind child in audience: "He just broke my heart all night"

Posted Wednesday afternoon

Now that Elton John's a father of two young boys, he seems to have a soft spot for kids — including one visually impaired child who attended his concert Tuesday night in Leeds, England.

In video posted on the Leeds-Live website, Elton is seen stopping the concert to praise fans in the audience who've attended more than 100 of his concerts and other fans who've dressed up like him. "It makes me feel so happy," he says. "And I'll tell you what made me feel even happier tonight is a little boy in the front row called Louie."

"And he can’t see me but he can hear me," Elton added. "And he just broke my heart all night.”

As the audience cheered, Elton told the boy, "You are so special, young man, and you made me feel so great tonight. I tell you what, we are going to get your telephone number and I’ll keep in touch with you.” The audience cheered again.

Elton thanked the crowd for "so many years of love and loyalty," adding, "You’ve shown me more kindness on this tour than I can ever remember."

Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour officially wraps up in July.

David Bowie’s daughter shares a dance with dad in throwback video

Posted Wednesday afternoon

David Bowie’s daughter, Alexandria “Lexi” Jones, is giving the public a little more insight into her relationship with her rock star dad. The 22-year-old, whose mom is supermodel Iman, just posted a throwback video to Instagram, showing her dancing with her dad. She captioned the clip, “My forever sunshine.”

The video starts with Lexi dancing on Bowie’s feet as the rocker sings along to the English nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence.” She later breaks off and dances on her own as Bowie watches on. Then, at the line “down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose,” Bowie does the very dad thing and steps in to “snatch” her nose.

This isn’t the first time Lexi has shared a throwback video featuring her dad. Back in January, on the seventh anniversary of Bowie’s January 10 death, she shared a clip of them playing piano together.

Bryan Adams & Joan Jett kick off tour in Baltimore

Posted Wednesday afternoon

Bryan Adams kicked off his North American tour in Baltimore Tuesday, treating fans to a 23-song set filled with lots of hits and more.

According to setlist.fm, Adams kicked off the show with the So Happy It Hurts track “Kick A**,” then proceeded to rock the crowd with such classic tracks as “Somebody,” “Summer of 69,” “Cuts Like A Knife,” “Run To You,” “It’s Only Love,” his duet with the late Tina Turner and more.

Of course, there were plenty of ballads, including “Heaven,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and “All For Love,” which was a collaboration with Sting and Rod Stewart. There were even two requests, "Never Gonna Rain" and "The Boys Night Out," a song he hasn't played since 2015.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are opening for Adams on this tour, and while their set was filled with hits, they also took the opportunity to debut some new songs, playing “Shooting Into Space,” “(Make the Music Go) Boom," “If You’re Blue" and "Whiskey Goes Good" from their just-released EP, Mindsets. The rest of the set was filled with fan favorites, including The Runaways track “Cherry Bomb,” plus classics like “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Crimson & Clover,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Bad Reputation.”

The Bryan Adams/Joan Jett tour hits Philadelphia on Wednesday, June 7. A complete list of dates can be found at bryanadams.com.

The Guess Who drops video for 'Plein D’Amour' track “Headline”

Posted Wednesday morning

The Guess Who has dropped a new video for their latest single, “Headline,” the third track released from their upcoming album, Plein D’Amour.

“Headlines are inherently orchestrated, recurring one-liners regurgitated by our media. They are negative in nature and most of the time…. verbatim en masse,” songwriter and lead singer Derek Sharp says of the track. “Something genuine, uplifting and inspiring is the path forward. This dusty old review could use a new headline.”

“Headline” follows The Guess Who’s previous two Plein D’Amour singles “The King” and the album’s title track, which had great responses on streaming services. The album is available for preorder now.

The Guess Who is currently on a tour of North America. Their next show is happening June 28 in Layton, Utah. A complete list of dates can be found at theguesswho.com.

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