Category: Rock Daypop

The Eagles have extended their “Hotel California Tour”, adding North American dates that will take them through May 2022. The newly announced leg includes stops in Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Nashville, and points elsewhere. All today, The Eagles will play 22 shows between February and May.

The tour — which originally kicked off in 2020 — features the lineup of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit alongside Deacon Frey and Vince Gill, playing 1976’s Hotel California in full. Each date promises a performance of the album with the accompaniment of an orchestra and choir, followed by a second set of greatest hits.

Tickets for the new dates go on sale starting Friday, January 14th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. A pre-sale will precede the public on-sale on Thursday, January 13th (use the pre-sale code BELLS).

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Wendy Dio, widow and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, has revealed details about the upcoming documentary on the life and times of her husband.  The film is the first documentary to be fully authorized by Dio’s estate.

Said Wendy: “It’s coming out [later this] year. I [recently] saw the first cut of it. It was very emotional. It’s very different from [Dio’s autobiography]. ‘Cause the book finishes in 1986, with Ronnie playing Madison Square Garden. But the documentary goes all the way through his life till the end. And it was very emotional. We all cried. It was very emotional. But it’s really interesting and really good. Rob Halford is great in it, talking about stories. Lita Ford [and] Jack Black [are also in it]. Eddie Trunk [SiriusXM radio personality] and Mick Wall [author of Dio’s autobiography] both kind of narrated it and everything. I’m very pleased with it. I don’t know exactly when it’s gonna come out [this] year, but it’ll be out [this] year.”

Ronnie James Dio passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67. He was considered one of the greatest and most influential vocalists in heavy metal history. Dio was recording and touring with Black Sabbath’s offshoot ‘Heaven & Hell’ prior to his illness; he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2009. Dio underwent chemotherapy and made what is now his final public appearance in April 2010 at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles.

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Ben Gibbard of ‘Death Cab for Cutie has curated a Yoko Ono tribute album featuring his band, along with David Byrne, Japanese Breakfast, The Flaming Lips and more.   Titled Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono, the album — featuring 14 covers of Ono’s music — will be released on Feb. 18 (which coincides with Ono’s 89th birthday.   Sharon Van Etten, Yo La Tengo, Sudan Archives, Thao, US Girls, Jay Som, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields, Deerhoof, We Are King and Amber Coffman will also be featured on the album.

Gibbard said in a statement: “It’s very important to me that people get a chance to really understand what Yoko’s music is all about. My hope for the people who hear this music for the first time is that their idea of Yoko Ono is completely flipped upside down. I’m also beyond grateful to all the artists who contributed songs to this project.”

Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono will also be accompanied by a podcast hosted by Gibbard and music journalist Jenny Eliscu. The podcast will discuss Ono’s music with artists that are featured on the album.  Additionally, a portion of the album’s proceeds will be donated to ‘WhyHunger’, a non-profit organization that Ono has supported that fights hunger and poverty.

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The Smile — comprised of Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, along with Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner — have released their first single, titled “You Will Never Work in Television Again.” The lyric video can be viewed on The Smile’s official YouTube channel.  “You Will Never Work in Television Again” is also available to stream through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Bandcamp and Tidal.

The Smile will also be performing three intimate concerts in 15 hours on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 at Magazine London. The shows will be simultaneously streamed across three global time zones.  Tickets for the concerts go on sale Friday, January 7th. For more info and to sign up for pre-sale details, head here: https://thesmiletheband.com

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Journey guitarist Neal Schon explained why the band dismissed former lead singer Jeff Scott Soto, saying he “didn’t sound right” to them.  Soto replaced Steve Augeri in Journey in December 2006 after Augeri began suffering throat problems on the road. (Augeri had replaced singer Steve Perry in 1998.) But Soto lasted less than a year, and in December 2007, Journey hired Arnel Pineda, who fronts the band to this day.

Said Soto about his firing: “The problem is I don’t know. That’s the problem. If I knew what the problem was, if I knew the reason why I got fired, then at least I could be at peace with it; I could find a way to discuss it or talk about it. But I’m not legally supposed to talk about it. … It got to the point where we had to take it [to] legal side of things.” The singer said he simply wanted an answer as to why he was let go. “If I was told why I was fired, if I was told, ‘Your voice sucks,’ if I was told I killed one of the guys’ dogs, if I made somebody in their family angry, if I was told the reason why I was fired, I could make peace with it. But to this day, 14 years later — whatever it is — I don’t know. I don’t have the answers.”

Schon responded to Soto’s claims in a Facebook comment: “It was unfortunate, but Steve Augeri’s voice gave out. We were in the middle of [the] Def Leppard tour, so I was working with Jeff on [a] side project and suggested he come in and help [finish] the tour. It went well but all were not sold on him being the lead singer after writing a tune and listening. Both [keyboardist Jonathan Cain] and I agreed it didn’t sound right – or, better put, what we wanted. I hope this satisfies this ongoing drama. It didn’t work out.”

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David Lee Roth’s farewell residency performances at the House of Blues Las Vegas have been officially cancelled. Roth had announced his residency last October would be his ‘farewell’ shows, saying at the time: “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement… You’ve got the news. Share it with the world.” 

The former Van Halen frontman had originally planned to kick off his Sin City residency with shows on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Those two performances were canceled just days beforehand, with representatives saying via statement at the time that the shows were cancelled “Due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID and out of an abundance of caution for those working and attending the shows.”  However, now the entire run has been canceled – which includes shows for Jan. 5, 7 and 8, as well as Jan. 14-15 and Jan. 21-22.

Roth made his first public comments on Wednesday about the residency cancellation, saying: “Sometimes you win, Sometimes you lose, We got rained out… Covid cancelled. Future shows? When the benefit concerts for Colorado, Farm Aid, and hospital workers ‘everywhere’ come up; Call me..”

Ticketholders for the canceled Roth shows will be automatically issued a full refund. No announcement was made regarding any potential future  or rescheduled dates.

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A judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Nirvana’s naked-baby artwork for Nevermind constitutes child sexual exploitation. The surviving members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic), the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, photographer Kirk Weddle, and the labels that released Nevermind were all named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The baby in question — Spencer Elden, who is now 30 — claimed he suffered “lifelong damages,” including loss of wages, as a result of the album cover, and described the enterprise as a “sex trafficking venture.” Last month, a lawyer for the defendants filed to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Elden’s claim “is, on its face, not serious” and adding that the statute of limitations on the claims had expired in 2011.  In addition, the motion to dismiss said that long before the statute of limitations expired, “Elden knew about the photograph, and knew that he (and not someone else) was the baby in the photograph.  For years, Elden had participated in paid campaigns recreating the cover image, in addition to getting the album’s titled tattooed on his chest. If Elden’s claim were true, everybody who owned the album cover would be “guilty of felony possession of child pornography.”

Elden’s team had until December 30 to respond to the motion to dismiss, but missed the deadline.  Elden has until January 13 to refile the case with appropriate changes.

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Grateful Dead drummer and founding member Bill Kreutzmann announced on Monday that he has pulled out of Dead and Company’s upcoming Playing in the Sand concerts in Mexico, citing health concerns.

Kreutzmann wrote on Twitter: “Playing in the Sand has become my favorite tour stop in recent years and there’s so much about it that’s just so great. And thus, it is with a heavy and still recovering heart that I have to relay a note that I received from my doctor this morning ordering me to sit this one out.  After a lifetime of playing special beats, it’s almost no wonder that my heart came up with its own idea of rhythm. All jokes aside, my doctor has ordered me to take it easy (and stay safe) through the end of January so that I can continue to drum and play for you for many tours to come. I have a lot of music left in me and there’s no stopping me from playing it. I’ve never been one to obey orders or play by the rules but in the interest of longevity, I hope you’ll understand. I wish my brothers in the band the best these next two weeks and I look forward to meeting back up with them — and with you — before you know it. Please stay safe out there so that we can do it all again.”

Kreutzmann had to miss several Dead and Company shows last fall, with Jay Lane filling in for him. Lane is expected to fill in for Kreutzmann in Mexico as well.

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On Monday (January 3), David Bowie’s estate announced that the entire David Bowie catalog, which includes hundreds of songs, including massive hits like “Fame” and “Under Pressure,” is set to be sold to Warner Chappell in one of the largest music publishing deals. The deal is rumored to be worth around $250 million, and is the latest in a string of big catalog sales from the likes of Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Bruce Springsteen, and others.

According to a statement from Warner Chappell Music Co-Chair and CEO Guy Moot: “All of us at Warner Chappell are immensely proud that the David Bowie estate has chosen us to be the caretakers of one of the most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring catalogs in music history. These are not only extraordinary songs but milestones that have changed the course of modern music forever. Bowie’s vision and creative genius drove him to push the envelope, lyrically and musically—writing songs that challenged convention, changed the conversation, and have become part of the canon of global culture. His work spanned massive pop hits and experimental adventures that have inspired millions of fans and countless innovators, not only in music, but across all the arts, fashion, and media. We are looking forward to tending his unparalleled body of songs with passion and care as we strive to build on the legacy of this most extraordinary human being.”

Speaking for the Bowie Estate, entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman said: “We are truly gratified that David Bowie’s body of music will now be in the capable hands of Warner Chappell Music Publishing. We are sure they will cherish it and take care of it with the greatest level of dignity.”

Bowie’s estate is expected to release a posthumous album on Friday, January 7, in honor of what would have been his 75th birthday on January 8th. Bowie died of cancer in 2016.

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Cheap Trick is coming back to Las Vegas for a residency at The Strat Theater, running Feb. 25-26, and March 4-5.  Brad Goldberg, senior vice president of marketing and entertainment for hotel owner Golden Entertainment Inc. said:  “We aren’t just bringing rock ‘n’ roll to the Las Vegas Strip, we’re throwing a party. We’re thrilled to add Cheap Trick to our lineup of legendary rock residencies at The Strat for what will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for their fans.”

Cheap Trick will be busy this year; their European tour set for February had been pushed from ‘21 to this year, as well as the band’s appearance at the Under The Stars festival in Australia. Cheap Trick’s co-headlining tour with ZZ Top in Canada has been moved to this spring; and a series with Rod Stewart has been moved to this summer.

Tickets start at $75, running to $300 for VIP packages, onsale at 10 a.m. Monday at: https://thestrat.com/entertainment/featured/cheap-trick.

All attendees will be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test within 72-hours prior to event entry, or have vaccination cards showing they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

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