Kool Music News

Dead & Company launches charity sweepstakes for VIP tickets to Cornell show

Posted yesterday at 5:30pm

Dead & Company is set to play Cornell University’s Barton Hall on May 8, as previously reported, and now they are giving fans a chance to win a VIP experience at the very special show.

The band has launched a Fandiem sweepstakes: The winner and a guest will nab two VIP Pit tickets to the concert, along with early entry into Barton Hall. They also get admission to the Cornell ’23 VIP reception the night before, which features a special photo exhibit. The prize also includes a limited event poster, an on-site experience concierge, roundtrip airfare to Ithaca, New York, and two-night hotel accommodations.

Proceeds from the sweepstakes, as well as the concert, benefit MusiCares and The Cornell 2030 Project. The deadline to enter is April 25.

The new Cornell show coincides with the 46th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s infamous May 8, 1977, Barton Hall concert, which was a legendary band bootleg before officially being released in May 2017. In 2012, a soundboard recording of the show was chosen by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry.

Lionel Richie admits he no longer lasts “All Night Long”

Posted yesterday at 5:00pm

Lionel Richie’s classic “All Night Long (All Night)” celebrates its 40th anniversary this summer, but if Lionel wants to sing the truth he may have to change the lyrics. While appearing on The View Tuesday, Lionel admitted that at 73 years old, he can no longer relate to the sexy lyrics of his hit tune.

“Let me give you the first part that I have to really, really say to you. When I wrote 'All Night Long,' it was truly all night long,” he said. "Now my 'all night long' is down to a fierce 15 minutes. But, don't worry, we'll talk about that later!"

Richie was on the show with his American Idol co-judges Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, who actually seemed impressed by Lionel’s admission.

“Fifteen minutes, that's long, bud,” Perry responded. "As long as it's not four times a night, seven days a week.”

Lionel then talked about writing the song and shared he got stuck on it because he had “everything but the hook.” It didn’t come to him until he was visiting a friend named Lloyd in Jamaica. He explained, “I said, 'Guys, I gotta go back to the studio, man. I got to go back, man, 'cause I gotta go work all night long, all night long.'"

Lionel says Lloyd’s friends would later tell him he got “ripped off” because Lionel didn’t share any money from the song with him. When Joy Behar suggested he rectify that, Lionel joked, "Alright, Lloyd, I'll send you a check."

The Who releases “Eminence Front” from upcoming Wembley concert album

Posted yesterday at 4:30pm

The Who’s new live album, The Who with Orchestra Live At Wembley, drops Friday, and they have shared one more track ahead of its release.

The latest is their live performance of "Eminence Front," a song from their 1982 record It’s Hard, which features Pete Townshend on vocals. They've also shared a lyric video for the tune, which features some footage of the Wembley performance.

The Who with Orchestra Live At Wembley was recorded during the band’s July 6, 2019, headlining show at the famed London venue. The concert has them performing classic tunes from albums like Quadrophenia, Tommy, Who’s Next, Who Are You and more backed by a 50-piece orchestra.

Classics from David Bowie, Bob Seger & more featured on 'Prom Pact' soundtrack

Posted yesterday at 3:45pm

Disney Channel’s upcoming movie Prom Pact may take place in the present, but it features an '80s-themed prom, which means there's a lot of '80s music on the soundtrack.

Billboard reports the soundtrack features such classic tracks as David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” Billy Idol’s “Mony Mony,” Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love” and more.

“There are so many songs I wanted to include,” the film’s director and executive producer, Anya Adams, tells the mag. “There’s not enough movie for the songs we wanted to use, but I wanted to bring in a multitude of different ’80s music."

Prom Pact debuts Thursday, March 30, on Disney and will then stream on Disney+.

Here’s the Prom Pact soundtrack:

“Believer” – Imagine Dragons
“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish
“Addicted to Love” – Robert Palmer
“Old Time Rock & Roll” – Bob Seger
“What Makes You Beautiful” – One Direction
“Fall on Me” – Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
“Let’s Dance” – David Bowie
“The Promise” – When in Rome
“Mony Mony” – Billy Idol
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” – Whitney Houston
“Only You” – Yazoo
“Coincidance” – Handsome Dancer
Theme from Ghostbusters

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Humble Pie Legacy announces September tour

Posted yesterday at 2:45pm

Humble Pie founding drummer Jerry Shirley is ready to celebrate the band’s legacy, launching a new incarnation of the late '60s/early '70s group.

Shirley's announced a new tour, Jerry Shirley Presents: Humble Pie Legacy – 50 Years of Smokin’, which will feature a group of artists he's handpicked to carry on the band’s name: band leader and guitarist Dave “Bucket” Colwell, bassist Ivan Bodley, drummer Bobby Marks and vocalist/guitarist Jim Stapley.

Shirley shares, “Having spent a long time carefully putting together such a wonderful band of top-class players with the help of Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell, my musical director and band leader using his recruiting skills, I am thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to see and hear them light up the live stage later this year."

And the new incarnation of Humble Pie has the blessing of at least one of its former members, with Peter Frampton sharing, “I wholeheartedly support this venture.”

The nine-date tour is set to kick off September 13 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, wrapping September 24 in Kent, Ohio, with additional dates to be announced. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday. A complete list of tour dates can be found at humblepieofficial.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd co-founder Bob Burns’ royalty rights acquired by Primary Wave

Posted yesterday at 12:45pm

Primary Wave Music has acquired the catalog of yet another classic rocker. Billboard reports the company’s purchased the royalty rights of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns in what’s being described as a multimillion dollar deal.

Burns, a founding member of the band who died in a car accident in April 2015 at age 64, is credited on recordings from the group’s first two albums, 1973’s (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) and 1974’s Second Helping. That includes such Lynyrd Skynyrd classics as “Free Bird,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Simple Man."

“Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first two albums are timeless and are celebrated to this day,” Primary Wave Music’s senior vice president of business & legal affairs, Samantha Rhulen, shares, noting it's "an incredible honor" to have his catalog. She added they "will ensure that his legacy is recognized by generations to come.”

Burns’ catalog is just one of many Primary Wave has acquired in recent months. Others include Joey Ramone, The Doors’ Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek and Steve Van Zandt.

The Alarm release new 'Forwards' single “Whatever”

Posted yesterday at 12:00pm

The Alarm is giving fans another taste of their upcoming album, Forwards. The band has released the third single from the record, “Whatever,” along with a video that was inspired by frontman Mike Peters’ second battle with cancer in 2022.

“I was inspired to write this song after hearing John Lennon sing ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’ on the hospital radio,” Peters tells The Big Takeover, which premiered the video. “I thought to myself, ‘Never mind the night ... what am I going to do to get through life?’”

He adds, “The song ‘Whatever’ was born soon after and it’s really about the most simple, yet most important things like family, friends and loved ones who help you in the hours of need and an appreciation of life’s fundamental gifts such as being able to breathe, talk and to walk.”

Forwards will be released June 2 on both CD and vinyl, with two vinyl options available, a classic green and white star white vinyl edition, plus a limited edition metallic green vinyl, available only at independent record stores. The album is available for preorder now.

Stevie Nicks postpones two more shows due to “continued Covid illness within the band”

Posted yesterday at 11:10am

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on Stevie Nicks’ solo tour.

After postponing two shows earlier this month, she’s now postponing two more "due to continued Covid illness within the band." She has not revealed who in the band is dealing with the virus.

The latest shows affected include Thursday’s scheduled concert in Oklahoma City and Sunday’s show in New Orleans. Both concerts have already been rescheduled, with Oklahoma City moved to April 11 and New Orleans moved to April 15.

Stevie’s next scheduled concert is set for April 5 in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by a co-headlining date with Billy Joel in Arlington, Texas, on April 8. A complete list of dates can be found at stevienicksofficial.com.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters announce 23-date We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday tou

Posted yesterday at 10:15am

courtesy of Elvis Costello & The Imposters

Elvis Costello will be working during his summer vacation. The singer and his band The Imposters, featuring Charlie Sexton, just announced the 23-date We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday tour, named after a line in his song "The Beat" from the 1978 album This Year's Model.

The tour, featuring Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, kicks off June 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia, hitting such cities as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Boston and New York before wrapping July 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, March 31. A complete list of dates can be found at elviscostello.com.

On This Day, March 28, 1976: Phil Collins makes his U.S. live debut as Genesis lead singer

Posted yesterday at 10:00am

On This Day, March 28, 1976 ...

Phil Collins makes his U.S. live debut as Genesis’ lead singer on the band's first tour since Peter Gabriel's departure.

Gabriel announced his departure from Genesis in August 1975, following the tour in support of their sixth studio album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The first tour without him was in support of The Trick of Tail, with Genesis performing across North America and Europe.

Interestingly, on March 28, 1996, exactly 20 years after he made his live debut as frontman, Collins announced he too was leaving Genesis to focus on solo work and movie soundtracks.

That break lasted almost nine years, with Genesis launching a reunion tour in 2007.

Tom Leadon, co-founder of Tom Petty's early band Mudcrutch, dies at 71

Posted yesterday at 9:30am

Tom Leadon, co-founder of Tom Petty’s early '70s band Mudcrutch, passed away March 22 at the age of 71, Variety reports.

The news of Leadon’s death prompted Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, who was also a member of Mudcrutch, to pay tribute to his bandmate on social media.

“Tom Leadon was my deepest guitar soul brother,” Campbell shared. “We spent countless hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other things. A kinder soul never walked the earth. I will always miss his spirit and generosity. Sleep peacefully my old friend.”

Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, who also played in Mudcrutch, paid tribute as well, writing, "Tom Leadon. I am out of words. But i will never be out of love."

Petty and Leadon formed Mudcrutch in Gainesville, Florida, in 1970. Leadon left the group in 1972 and moved to Los Angeles, where he played with Linda Ronstadt and was in the country rock band Silver. In 2007 Petty and Leadon reunited and a reformed Mudcrutch, with Campbell and Tench, released a self-titled album in 2008. They also went on tour to support it. They released a live EP, Extended Play Live, featuring songs recorded on the tour.

Led Zeppelin’s 'Houses of the Holy' turns 50

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

Atlantic Recording Company, A Warner Music Group Company

March 28 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Led Zeppelin’s iconic album Houses of the Holy, the band’s fifth studio album and the first to not feature an eponymous title.

Houses of the Holy featured such Zeppelin classics as “The Song Remains the Same,” “The Rain Song” and “Dancing Days." Interestingly, the record’s title track didn’t make the album and later appeared on 1975’s Physical Graffiti.

“The sound of it is so much more interesting than any other Zeppelin album because they had more time to play around with it,” Jason Hanley, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's VP of education and visitor engagement, tells ABC Audio about Houses of the Holy. “It was their moment to push those boundaries a little bit.”

Hanley notes that Zeppelin “always sort of diverted people’s expectations in a way."

“If (1971's) Led Zeppelin IV became the blueprint of what Zeppelin could sound like, Houses of the Holy is a different record and it takes it in a new direction,” Hanley says. "They just kept upping the ante each time.”

Houses of the Holy went on to be a huge success for Led Zeppelin and was certified Diamond by the RIAA for over 10 million albums sold. In addition, it has made several lists as one of the greatest albums of all time.

“This album was their moment to experiment, and have fun and do something different. And because of that it’s become one of the great iconic records of rock 'n' roll,” Hanley says.

Sammy Hagar & The Circle announce Las Vegas show, promise to play Van Halen tunes

Posted Monday evening

Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Sammy Hagar & The Circle are coming to Las Vegas. The band is set to play the Pearl at the Palms Hotel on July 15, with The Circle made up of former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham.

Hagar tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal that fans who come to the show should expect to hear his numerous hits, as well as some classic Van Halen songs.

“Michael and I will feature what we call, ‘The Other Half,’ with a lot more Van Halen, even a few early songs,” Hagar explains. “We debuted this band in Cabo at my birthday bash, years ago, and it makes all the sense in the world that there is no one out there supporting the Van Halen catalog, which has some of the greatest rock songs ever written.”

Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, March 31, at 10 a.m. local time.

Def Leppard takes fans behind the scenes at recent shows

Posted Monday afternoon

Def Leppard is back with the fourth installment in their tour diary, sharing behind-the-scenes footage of their shows in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hollywood, Florida.

“This is the last South American show, Buenos Aires, Argentina,” frontman Joe Elliott says in the clip. “It’s been a blast. Absolute blast.”

Before the Buenos Aires concert, guitarist Vivian Campbell predicts it will be the “best audience yet."

“Not that the previous audiences have been anything but spectacular, but Buenos Aires, I have a strong suspicion,” Campbell says. “It doesn’t change how we play. We always try our best, regardless. We always give at least 11%, sometimes 12.”

And it’s good they like Buenos Aires, because they got stuck there. After taking off in their joint Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe jet, they had to return because of mechanical problems. They wound up stuck in the airport lounge for about seven hours before they finally left the airport.

The clip also features footage from off and on the stage during their show in Hollywood, Florida, including Rick Savage warming up backstage, and a drum duet between Rick Allen and Mötley's Tommy Lee.

“It was a really good way to finish off a month away from home doing this whole South American kinda expedition as it were,” Elliott says of the show. “Absolutely very exciting, especially at this stage in our career to be able to do something like this is absolutely astonishing.”

Next up the tour hits the U.K., with the first show May 22 in Sheffield, England. A complete list of dates can be found at defleppard.com.

David Lee Roth returns to the stage in Las Vegas

Posted Monday afternoon

David Lee Roth made his return to performing last week, taking the stage at a private corporate event in Las Vegas.

According to Consequence, the former Van Halen frontman joined the all-star cover band Royal Machines at a party for Home Depot at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, where he performed the Van Halen classic “Panama.”

Royal Machines is made up of musicians Billy Morrison, Mark McGrath, Donovan Leitch Jr., Chris Chaney and Josh Freese, and they were joined by Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens. The event also featured special appearances by Idol, Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels and Linda Perry.

It’s been a while since we saw Roth onstage. In 2022 he was supposed to headline a residency in Las Vegas, which were to be his last shows before retiring from performing. He wound up canceling them.