all the noise that's fit to blog
When Billy Corgan puts it out in the world that The Smashing Pumpkins is looking for a new guitarist, there's going to be a ton of virtuosos tossing their flying V's into the ring.
But who knew 10,000 would-be rockers would want a taste of standing in the shadows of the bald Chicagoan? And who would have guessed the winner would be an Instagram mainstay who slides into frame and shreds for a minute while making funny faces?
more
Despite coming out of the Grunge Era, Pearl Jam sure know how to instill both the elements of punk rock with those of how the Grateful Dead used to approach shows.
They're punk not in sound or style, but ethos. Many of the traditional ways of doing a rock tour are often thrown out the window with the Seattle veterans hit the road. One of them is: you have no idea what they're going to play.
more
When James Hetfield introduced "Inamorata" at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany last Sunday he made it sound like there was something wrong with the 11-minute rocker.
"This next song, we have never, ever played live before," the 60-year-old singer/shredder said to the 75,000 in attendance.
more
The mid-1980s were a weird time for rockers torn between diving into the softer synthesizer sound or doubling down on the harder guitars. No band struggled more with that fork in the road than Styx who started of as a rock group for the boys but slowly turned into a female favorite.
And at its heart was the tug-of-war over "Mr. Roboto," the lead single of the ambitious Kilroy Was Here concept album that broke the band up twice. Once in the early '80s and then again in the early '90s.
more
When Jane's Addiction's classic lineup reunited last week for the first time since 2010, it was the start of more good news for fans of the Los Angeles band.
Thanks to the return of guitarist Dave Navarro (who had been battling Long Covid), alongside singer Perry Farrell, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery, Jane's was set to reveal even better news: they will go on tour alongside Love and Rockets, a group they opened up for in the 1980s.
more
Before there was Coachella and Bonnaroo or even Lollapalooza there was the US Festival, funded by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who was just as much of a character as the bands he would overpay to perform in the sweltering heat of San Bernardino over Memorial Day Weekend in 1983.
After already losing millions in 1982 with his first US Festival (headlined by The Police, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, and the Grateful Dead), Woz decided to double down in '83.
more
With headliners Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, and Maná, the 11th annual BottleRock fest was in full force in picturesque Napa, California, where about 40,000 rock fans enjoyed good food, adult beverages and a variety of veteran musicians.
Due to it being held in the "Wine Country" of Northern California, one thing that stands out about this festival over the countless ones held around the world is approximately 40 local wineries are on the grounds for attendees to sample from.
more
Co-curated by Aaron Dessner of The National, last weekend Boston Calling held its 13th annual three-day festival at the Harvard Athletic Complex.
Headliners included Young The Giant, The Killers, Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion and Trey Anastasio.
more
On a scale from 1 to 10, Ed Sheeran's last 10 years have been a 10, or in Roman numerals an X.
Not to be confused with his 2014 sophomore album, x, which stands for multiply.
more
Even if you're The Boss, seemingly always on the road, and doling out epic shows with at least two dozen songs per gig, there are going to be some gems in your catalogue you might not get to when you have 21 albums.
This problem is compounded when you're Bruce Springsteen, who at this stage of his career is unofficially required to play a dozen of his greatest hits each night like "Born to Run," "Thunder Road," "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "The Promised Land," and "Dancing in the Dark."
more
When most people today think about Fleetwood Mac, they envision a soft rock collection of middle age hippies with two female singers and a giant behind the drums.
But during the first few years of the band, it was much different than that. Fleetwood Mac had an extremely successful triple guitar attack which could rock your face off with "Black Magic Woman" or help you drift off in a psychedelic journey with "Coming Your Way”
more
"Hold your cellphones up high, let's light this bitch up," Avril said to the Vancouver crowd that filled the Rogers Arena in British Columbia.
Besides being stereotypically friendly, these Canadians did it because their hearts had been broken on Monday night when the Edmonton Oilers beat their Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the playoffs to advance to Western Conference final.
more