To celebrate its 40th birthday, on May 14, 1988, Atlantic Records rented out Madison Square Garden for the day and night and got their money's worth as they put on a 13-hour star-studded celebration that was simulcast on FM radio stations around the globe and on a fledgling cable outlet relatively new to original programming called HBO.
Founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abrahamson, the label gave the world R&B legends like Aretha, Ray Charles, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding. In the mid '60s it branched out into rock when it signed Yes, CS&N, and the mighty Led Zeppelin.
While Southern California was deep in FOMO from watching an endless parade of social media posts of the colorful, other worldly Northern Lights auroras seen by millions; Pasadena, California had something of its own to be jealous about: another Cruel World festival of '80s artists.
This year Duran Duran, Blondie, Gary Numan, and Simple Minds had grey haired Gen Xers squeezing back into their Doc Martens to relive the halcyon days of MTV, import 12-inch records and a different type of British Invasion.
Saturday Cruel World returned for its third year at the Brookside Golf Course next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with headliners Duran Duran, Interpol, Blondie, Simple Minds, and a reunion four decades in the making from Tones on Tail.
Last year freak lightning forced the even to be cut short but the Goldenvoice organizers (who also put on Coachella) brought Iggy Pop and others back the next day for more rock of the '80s and especially that new-wave, goth, industrial stuff Gen X was blessed with during high school.
Steve Albini, the idealistic punk rock musician and engineer died Wednesday at 61 years old after suffering a heart attack.
His legacy will live on through a wide range of records that helped push the boundaries of alternative music. Albini's work ethic, no-nonsense style, and commitment to supporting musicians by refusing to take royalties on the records he had a hand in is extremely rare and should be celebrated.
Cat Power is one of the most interesting singers in music and she's been on a fascinating tour.
Notoriously shy on stage, the singer (who is no stranger to covering other artists) spent the last few months traveling North America and Europe mirroring Bob Dylan's notorious 1966 "Royal Albert Hall" concert.
Wouldn't it be nice if bands we loved always got along?
Fans of rock history know that even the most balanced groups barely last a few years together before splintering off into solo project or breaking up entirely.
Let's hope the wicked got some rest Monday night because Cage the Elephant had a full day Tuesday, May 7, in Los Angeles.
To support their forthcoming album, Neon Pill and subsequent tour which this was part of its soft opening, the Best Rock Album Grammy winners of '17 and '20 woke up bright and early to get interviewed on KROQ's morning show quickly followed by a mini concert for contest winners.
Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, is home of Michael Jordan's NBA team the Hornets, the Carolina Panthers NFL club, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
But it wasn't really known as the place for a sweet weekend music fiesta until last weekend's inaugural Lovin' Life Fest that brought together many genres of popular styles from hip-hop to alternative to classic rock.
St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, the wildly artistic and creative musician who got her start in the Polyphonic Spree kicked off her latest tour at a club in Boyle Heights, east of downtown Los Angeles with live debuts and rarities.
While not what one would call a follower, the talented guitarist is the latest in the trend of musicians beginning their tours by slumming it at small clubs.
I wonder about Idles a lot. Is this a band we're all supposed to keep secret?
I wonder because they sell out their gigs way more than typical bands, yet I rarely hear buzz about them and even on this, their first stab at North America in 2024 before they pop back to Europe and then return to the States in the fall, I don't see much chatter about them on social media or in the press or anywhere.
