The Who's Press Conference Today - Are the Songs Over?
The Who are once again saying goodbye as they just announced The Song Is Over -- The North American Farewell Tour. They famously said goodbye in 1982, but it didn't stick. They're making the announcement now in London at the Iconic Images gallery, which you can watch live on Live Nation's YouTube channel.
They will do 16 shows starting on August 16th in Sunrise, Florida and wrapping up in Las Vegas on September 28th. Among the iconic venues they'll visit are Madison Square Garden in New York, Boston's Fenway Park, and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the decision to bring things to an end, Roger Daltrey says, "Every musician's dream in the early '60s was to make it big in the U.S. charts. For the Who, that dream came true in 1967 and our lives were changed forever. "The warmth of the American audiences over the years have been inspirational to me, and reflect the feeling I remember getting after hearing the first rock records coming across the radio. Musical freedom! Rock gave us a feeling of generational rebellion. "To me, America has always been great. The cultural differences had a huge impact on me, this was the land of the possible. It's not easy to end the big part of my life that touring with The Who has been. Thanks for being there for us and we look forward to seeing you one last time.”
And Pete Townshend adds, “Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets and listening deeply and intensely. "Music was everywhere. We all felt equal. Today, Roger and I still carry the banner for the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle and of course, all of our longtime Who fans. "I must say that although the road has not always been enjoyable for me, it is usually easy: the best job I could ever have had. I keep coming back. Every time I do, I meet new fans and feel new energy. "Roger and I are in a good place, despite our age, eager to throw our weight behind this fond farewell to all our faithful fans, and hopefully to new ones who might jump in to see what they have been missing for the last 57 years. This tour will be about fond memories, love and laughter. Make sure you join in.”
Tickets go on sale next Friday, May 16th at 10:00 AM local time at TheWho.com/tour. All dates are subject to change.
8/6 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena
8/19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
8/21 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
8/23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall
8/26 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park
8/28 – Wantagh, NY – Jones Beach Theater
8/30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
9/2+4 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
9/7 – Chicago, IL – United Center
9/17+19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
9/21 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
9/23 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
9/25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
9/28 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
Soundgarden Still Intends To Release Final Chris Cornell Album
May 18th marks the 8th anniversary of Chris Cornell's passing. Since that time, the rest of Soundgarden and Cornell's widow, Vicki Cornell, have been at odds legally over a variety of issues, some of which remain unresolved. Also unresolved is the fate of remaining Soundgarden material that still features Cornell's vocals. Guitarist Kim Thayil says there are still plans to unlock the vaults. "Our objective and goal was always to complete that [album],” Thayil told "Rolling Stone." "I think everyone in the band feels that way...It would be a great gift to the fans,” Thayil added. "And I do think about this, and I don't know how strange this sounds, but I feel like it's a gift to Chris too." No word on what legal hurdles remain to be cleared before this happens.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Releases Live "Sweet Home Alabama" In Advance Of New Live DVD
We already knew that Lynyrd Skynyrd's 2022 appearance at the Ryman Auditorium will be released as both a live album and a DVD. The performance is notable as the final on-stage appearance by founding member Gary Rossington. The release will include special appearances by Jelly Roll, Marcus King, John Osborne of The Brothers Osborne, Brent Smith of Shinedown, and Donnie Van Zant. "Celebrating 50 Years - Live At The Ryman" will be available everywhere on June 27th. Prior to that release, the band has dropped their Ryman performance of "Sweet Home Alabama," which you can check out now on YouTube.
BRYAN ADAMS: Rolling With Liz
Bryan Adams has released a third song off his forthcoming album, Roll With the Punches.
Titled "Never Ever Let You Go," he says it's about "dealing with your own insecurities." "Do I have enough courage to do this? I'm to insecure, whatever it is, to make this thing. But now that I got you, I just don't want to let you go, you know." Adams also released a video for the song and he called upon an old friend to star in it, model and actress Elizabeth Hurley. "I thought it would be so nice to have someone that's recognizable. I thought of Liz immediately and I thought, 'I can't call her.' And then I thought, 'Hell with it, I'm just gonna call her.' I called her and she said, 'Oh, I'd love to. When is it?' I said, 'Um, next week.' She goes, 'I could do Thursday.' I said, 'We could do Thursday.'" (laughs) The video shows them riding a roller coaster together interspersed with Adams and his band performing the song. Roll With the Punches, his 16th studio album, will be released on August 29th.
3 DOORS DOWN: Singer Has Kidney Cancer
3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold just announced that he has kidney cancer. In a video posted by the band on Wednesday afternoon, Arnold says, "I'd been sick a couple of weeks ago and then went to the hospital and got checked out and had actually got the diagnosis that I had clear cell renal [cell] carcinoma that had metastasized into my lung. And it's stage four, and that's not real good." "But you know what? We serve a mighty God, and he can overcome anything. So I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all. But it is gonna force us to cancel our tour this summer. And we're sorry for that. And I'd love for you to lift me up in prayer every chance you get. And I think it is time for me to maybe go listen to 'It's Not My Time' for a little bit."
According to the National Cancer Institute, clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body have a five-year survival rate of about 10%.
The 46-year-old Arnold and the rest of the band had a number of headlining dates and opening slots for Creed this summer.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Takes to the Desert
Bruce Springsteen has posted a video for "Faithless," the third song he's released off his forthcoming compilation, Tracks 2: The Lost Albums. The black and white video shows Springsteen wearing a cowboy hat and walking through the desert while the lyrics are superimposed over the footage. He eventually takes shelter in a shack before walking off into the sunset while leading a horse.
"Faithless" is the title track to the third of seven albums contained in the set. It was supposed to be a soundtrack to a film that was never made. He recorded much of the Faithless album between the conclusion of the Devils & Dust tour in November 2005 and the release of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in April 2006. The album "explores Springsteen’s unique vision of spirituality in the mythic American West, while working inside of this uncharted artistic medium." Springsteen says, “This was a really unusual collection of songs. You could recognize details and maybe a character or two. But for the most part, I just wrote atmospheric music that I thought would fit.” Tracks 2 will be released on June 27th.
Wolfgang Van Halen Lands Horror Movie Legend for New Mammoth Music Video
Director Robert Rodriguez collaborated with Wolfgang Van Halen to create the music video for Mammoth's new song, "The End." The video pays homage to Rodriguez's film "From Dusk Till Dawn" and features zombies and werewolves, along with cameos from Myles Kennedy, Valerie Bertinelli, and Slash. Van Halen also discussed his involvement in Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final show, expressing his deep respect for the legendary musicians. The collaboration with Rodriguez and the tribute to Black Sabbath hold special significance for Van Halen, reflecting his admiration for iconic rock figures.
BAD COMPANY: Shot Straight to Gold
50 years ago today (Thursday) May 8th, 1975, Bad Company's second album, Straight Shooter, was certified gold less than two months after it was released. Drummer Simon Kirke tells us while it may not be their best album, it feels it's the one that best defines their sound. "It was the first album that we made as a band, a band that had done many, many shows together -- we were a cohesive unit. There were some fabulous songs, you know, 'Good Lovin' Gone Bad', 'Shooting Star', 'Feel Like Makin' Love', one of my songs, which I will always be grateful for, 'Weep No More', and it exemplified four guys that found their little niche and were happy together." Straight Shooter went to number-three on both the Billboard 200 and U.K. chart and has sold over three-million copies in the U.S. Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 8th at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Bumbershoot 2025 Announce Lineup With Weezer, Bright Eyes And Janelle Monae
The lineup for the 2025 iteration of Washington's Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival is being revealed. Weezer have been announced as one of the headliners, performing "The Blue Album" in its entirety. The two-day festival is taking place in Seattle over Labor Day Weekend, August 30th and 31st. Tickets for Bumbershoot 2025 are available now through the festival's website.
IN OTHER NEWS
Physical copies of the new Led Zeppelin documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, will reportedly be released on June 18th. The film is currently available on numerous streaming sites.
Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night, who perform together as Blackmore’s Night, will be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on Tuesday, May 13th, at its museum in Stony Brook. The couple live on Long Island, which is where Candice grew up. Candice will accept the award and will perform. Blackmore won’t be attending.
While Sammy Hagar went home to California over the three days he was off from his Las Vegas residency, Michael Anthony remained at the RV park in Vegas where he spent Cinco de Mayo – May 5th. He posted a video on Instagram of him making his “famous nachos.”
Def Leppard posted a video on Instagram of Maryland Governor Wes Moore in a Maryland record shop on Record Store Day, and, looking at a Def Lep album, he said, “People are actually shocked that I get down with Def Leppard.”
Burton Cummings has announced A Few Good Moments Tour. It starts on June 21st in Edmonton, Alberta and runs through August 29th in Saratoga, California. Cummings will team up next year with Randy Bachman for a Guess Who tour.
Peter Frampton has posted more photos on Instagram of himself in his Nashville studio recording his new album. He says, “Over half the tracks are almost finished.”