Classic Hits

The history of two legendary music venues will be explored in books set for release in October.

This Ain’t No Disco: The Story of CBGB, about the famed New York punk club CBGB that launched the careers of bands like the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads, will be reissued with bonus material on Oct. 15.

The book from author Roman Kozak with photos by Ebet Roberts was originally released in 1988 and has long been out of print. It’s described as “a detailed warts-and-all history, with memories, stories and gossip from dozens of insiders who worked, played or just hung out at CBGB.”

The new edition features an added forward by Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz, plus new photographs and added pieces about the club’s 2006 closing.

Also coming out on Oct. 15 is Marquee: The Story of the World’s Greatest Music Venue by Robert Sellers and Nick Pendleton. The book, which was previously released in the U.K. but will now be available in North America, delves into the history of London’s Marquee, opened by Nick’s father, Harold Pendleton.

The Marquee originally opened as a jazz club in 1958 but later transitioned to rock, with bands like Jethro Tull, Yes and Genesis playing the venue in the early days of their careers. The Rolling Stones played their first-ever show there in July 1962, with artists like the Police, the Jam, Adam and the Ants, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard also playing there.

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The Rolling Stones are out to improve the way you hear their music on the go.

The band has teamed with Speaqua Sound for a limited-edition portable and waterproof speaker collection. The line is made up of three of Speaqua’s models, each decorated with The Stones’ iconic lips and tongue logo.

“This collection is where the rebellious spirit of rock and roll meets Speaqua’s cutting-edge, adventure-ready design,” reads the description. “Celebrating The Rolling Stones’ unparalleled influence on global music, the collaboration embodies Speaqua’s mission to bring more music to more places.”

The three models are The Cruiser H2.0, which is a small to-go speaker that comes with a bottle opener, and the Barnacle Pro 2.0 and Barnacle Vibe 3.0, which feature a mounting station and store up to 2,000 songs.

They are available to order now at speaqua.com.

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The B-52s have been added to the lineup for the upcoming concert celebrating former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday.

Put on by The Carter Center, Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song will be held at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on Sept. 17. The B-52s were formed in Athens, Georgia, while Carter hails from Plains, Georgia.

Other new additions to the lineup include Duane Betts, Carlene Carter, Angélique Kidjo, BeBe Winans, India Arie and Lalah Hathaway.

They join previously announced performers like Rolling Stone touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell, Eric Church, Maren Morris, The War and Treaty, Drive-By Truckers, GROUPLOVE and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus.

Proceeds from the event will benefit The Carter Center, which works to promote peace and improve health around the world. 

Tickets for the concert are on sale now. For more info, visit CarterCenter.org.

Jimmy Carter will turn 100 on Oct. 1. He is the longest-living U.S. president.

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Sting is getting ready to launch his North American tour with his new STING 3.0 power trio, and now they have a new song to play onstage.

It’s called “I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)” and it’s the former Police man’s first new music since his 2021 album, The Bridge. It features guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas, the other two members of the trio. The uptempo love song, rooted in the classic Bo Diddley beat, finds Sting singing in a more gravelly voice than usual, “I wrote your name upon my heart/ So I’d remember if ever we should part/ When I got lost inside life’s game/ I’d look into my heart and find your name.”

The Sting 3.0 theater tour kicks off Sept. 17 in Detroit and is set to wrap up Nov. 13 in Los Angeles.

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Neil Young recently told members of his Neil Young Archives site that he was planning some new tour dates this year, and he’s made good on that promise.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced he’ll headline the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, with backing band The Chrome Hearts, made up of Micah Nelson, Anthony LoGerfo and Corey McCormick.

A Neil Young Archives presale is happening now, with tickets going on sale to the general public Saturday at 10 a.m.

Besides the new dates, Young has only two other shows planned for this year so far. He’s one of the performers at Farm Aid, which is happening Sept. 21 in Saratoga, New York, and will also play the Harvest Moon benefit concert with Stephen Stills on Oct. 5 at The Painted Turtle camp in Lake Hughes, California.

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Paula Abdul has been forced to scrap her entire Canadian tour, plus a few U.S. dates, due to an injury that she says requires a “minor procedure.”

Paula was set to perform in Anchorage, Alaska, on Sept. 21 ahead of her Straight Up! To Canada Tour, which was going to kick off Sept. 25 in Victoria, British Columbia. The tour, which was scheduled to wrap Oct. 26 in Nova Scotia, also included a date in Fargo, North Dakota, on Oct. 12. Unfortunately, all those shows have now been canceled.

“It’s with an incredibly heavy heart that I need to share with you an update regarding some injuries I’ve recently sustained,” the “Forever Your Girl” singer wrote on Instagram. “In an effort to keep going, I’ve received targeted injections that will allow me temporary relief, but the demands of an entire tour is a different story.”

“After multiple consultations with my doctors and exploring all available options, I’ve been advised that one of my injuries requires a minor procedure followed by a 6-8 week recovery time,” she continues. “Therefore it will prohibit me from proceeding with the Straight Up! To Canada Tour as well as the dates in Alaska and North Dakota.”

She offers her “deepest apologies to all my amazing fans,” saying it “truly breaks my heart” to have to cancel.

“I’ve been looking forward to the energy, love, and connection we always share when we’re together,” Paula concludes. “I promise I’ll be back, stronger and better, dancing my heart out and performing for all of you very soon, to give you the show you deserve.” 
 
Paula spent the summer as part of New Kids on the Block‘s Magic Summer 2024 tour.

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Sammy Hagar is set to play in the desert next year.

The former Van Halen frontman is one of several non-country acts booked to perform at the 2025 Stagecoach country music festival, happening April 25-27 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the same location as the Coachella music festival.

Hagar is on the bill for Sunday, April 27, which features headliner Luke Combs, as well as Midland, Goo Goo Dolls, The Bacon Brothers and more.

Zach Bryan and Jelly Roll are also set to headline, with the lineup including Brothers Osborne, Tommy James and The Shondells, Lana Del Rey, Creed, Backstreet Boys, Sturgill Simpson, Ashley McBride and T-Pain.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. PT.

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The upcoming Bruce Springsteen and The E Street band tour documentary has a release date.

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, shot during the band’s current reunion tour, will premiere on Hulu and Disney+ Oct. 25.

“Our new film Road Diary will take you on a journey from behind the scenes at rehearsals to shows that we performed all around the world this year,” The Boss shared in a video on social media. “You’ll get to experience a little bit of the fun and magic that we get to experience every night.”

The caption of the post adds that the doc follows Springsteen and the band through “their one-of-a-kind preparation process and onto performances for tens-of-thousands across continents.”

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, directed by Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, is set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, which runs Sept. 5-15.

In other Springsteen news … the rocker and his wife, Patti Scialfa, are confirmed to perform at the 18th annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit, happening Nov. 11 at David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. The event, presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, will also feature appearances by comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and Jim Gaffigan, as well as Norah Jones and DJ Questlove.

To date, Stand Up For Heroes has raised $84 million to help veterans and military families.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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On This Day, Sept. 5, 1981 …

Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks topped the chart with her debut solo album, Bella Donna, which was produced by Tom Petty and Jimmy Iovine.

The album featured four hits singles, the highest-charting one being “Stop Draggin My Heart Around,” a Petty-penned track, which she recorded with him and the Heartbreakers. The song peaked at #3.

The other hits included “Leather and Lace,” a duet with Don Henley, which peaked at #6; “Edge of Seventeen,” which hit #11; and “After the Glitter Fades,” which peaked at #32.

Bella Donna, which spent nearly three years on the Billboard 200 Album chart, has been certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA.

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Pearl Jam wrapped their two-night stand at New York’s Madison Square Garden Wednesday and were joined by two very special guests, E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt and producer Andrew Watt, who produced the band’s latest album, Dark Matter.

Eddie Vedder gave a shout-out to Little Steven before performing the Dark Matter track “Won’t Tell” and again mentioned him before performing another track from the album, “Waiting for Stevie,” although the song isn’t about him. The performance featured Watt on guitar, and Watt also joined the band for a performance of the Vs. track “Rearviewmirror.”

Eddie again paid homage to Bruce Springsteen’s old friend and guitarist during his solo portion of the encore, performing “I Am A Patriot,” which was written by Van Zandt and made famous by Jackson Browne.

And Little Stevie finally got in on the action during the show’s penultimate song, a roaring rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World,” featuring not only Stevie, but Watt, show opener Glen Hansard and Hansard’s band. 

Elsewhere in the show, Pearl Jam performed the Vs. track “Glorified G” for the first time on the tour, with Eddie letting fans know it was a request from a friend. He also discussed how he doesn’t like performing the song because it’s about guns, mentioning Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Interestingly, the set also included a performance of the Ten track “Jeremy,” which was inspired by gun violence.

Other highlights of the night included a performance of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth,” Eddie and Glen collaborating on Glen’s tune “Song of Good Hope” and the tour debut of the band’s cover of the Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer.” 

Next up, Pearl Jam bring their Dark Matter tour to Philadelphia for two shows, Sept. 7 and Sept. 9.

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