Classic Hits

Toto’s Steve Lukather is ready to share a new solo album. Bridges, Lukather’s ninth studio album, will drop June 16.

The record features contributions from past and present members of the Toto family, including David Paich, Joseph Williams, Simon Phillips, Shannon Forrest, Lee Sklar and Steve Maggiora, along with Lukather’s son Trev and Gov’t Mule bassist Jorgen Carlsson.

Lukather says the album title seems appropriate because it’s “a bridge between my solo music and Toto music,” adding, “It also proves that most of my old pals and I are still great friends, and I wanted to do a record ‘in the style of,’ as Toto will never record another studio album. This is as close as we will get.” 

And to give fans a taste of what to expect, Lukather has released the first single from the record, “When I See You Again,” which he wrote with Williams, Paich and Stan Lynch. 

But until the release, Lukather will be pretty busy on the road this summer. He’ll be touring as part of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, with the shows kicking off May 19 in Temecula, California. A complete list of dates can be found at RingoStarr.com.

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The fashions of some of rock and pop’s biggest divas — including Elton John, Cher and Tina Turner — will be celebrated in a new exhibit at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum starting in June.

The exhibit, DIVA, will “celebrate the powerful and personal stories of creativity, ambition, and resilience of some [of] the best known divas, from opera goddesses and silent movie stars to sirens of the big screen and today’s global megastars.” 

The exhibit is divided into two acts. Act One focuses on the rise of the term “diva” to describe female stars and will include costumes, photos and memorabilia from O.G. divas like Maria Callas, Josephine Baker, Marilyn Monroe, Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis and Mae West.

Act Two will focus on “the diva today,” and among the items on display will be a number of Cher’s iconic Bob Mackie ensembles; a 1977 “Flame Dress,” also designed by Bob Mackie, worn by Tina Turner; a yellow and pink minidress worn by Blondie‘s Debbie Harry in 1979; one of Pink‘s outfits; and the over-the-top Louis XIV costume, complete with a massive powdered wig, that Elton John wore to his 50th birthday party in 1997.

Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand, as well as Lizzo, Annie Lennox, Prince, Grace Jones, Aretha Franklin, rapper Missy Elliott, RuPaul and Bjork will also be part of the exhibit via photos and archival material.

The exhibit opens June 24. Tickets are on sale now.

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Sammy Hagar and Bob Weir are once again teaming up for a good cause. The two artists have announced their eighth annual Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit concert, which raises money for the Pediatric Cancer Program at the University of California San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital.

The benefit, the first in three years, will take place May 13 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, with a lineup that features former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Heart‘s Nancy Wilson, Chris Isaak, Don Was and more, plus yet-to-be-announced special guests.

“I’m thrilled that we’re back for an eighth year and back home at the Fillmore in San Francisco where it all began,” Hagar shares. “Most of all I’m so grateful to my friends and partners who lend their unconditional support year after year,” noting the artists “donate their time and deliver unbelievable performances so all of the profits can go directly to an incredible cause.” He adds, “That’s my kind of philanthropy!” 

Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m. PT.

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In 1991, Eric Clapton broke his own record for the longest run of shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall with 24 concerts. That legendary run was commemorated with a double live album and home video, but now fans are getting more. 

The record-setting run will be celebrated with a new limited-edition box set, The Definitive 24 Nights, dropping June 23. It features six hours of live music from those shows, with 35 never-before-released performances, including a previously unreleased orchestral version of “Layla,” which is out now.

The 24-night run featured Clapton performing with one of three lineups — a rock band, a blues band, or an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen — and the set will feature what amounts to a full concert of each genre.

The Definitive 24 Nights will be released in a six-CD or eight-LP set, with both featuring three Blu-ray discs, a hardcover book and an individually numbered lithograph of a Clapton photo by Carl Studna. There will also be standalone versions of each concert — 24 Nights: Rock, 24 Nights: Blues and 24 Nights: Orchestra. All options are available for preorder now.

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Paul Simon is ready to share new music and there’s a specific way he wants you to listen to it.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will release the new album Seven Psalms next month, which, as the press release notes, is “intended to be listened to as one continuous piece.” The 33-minute album features seven songs, all recorded on acoustic instruments. It features a guest appearance by his wife Edie Brickell, along with British vocal ensemble VOCES8.

“This whole piece is really an argument I’m having with myself about belief or…not,” Simon explains in a trailer for the album.

Seven Psalms, Simon’s first album since 2018’s In the Blue Light, will be released in entirety on vinyl, CD and digitally on May 19.

Here’s the track list for Seven Psalms:

“The Lord”
“Love Is Like A Braid
“My Professional Opinion”
“Your Forgiveness”
“Trail of Volcanoes”
“The Sacred Harp”
“Wait”

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Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band release the album ‘Live’ Bullet, recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan.

Now considered one of the greatest live albums of all time, it helped Seger break through to a national audience, while the live version of “Turn the Page” became a rock radio staple. 

In addition to “Turn the Page,” several songs from the record actually became hit singles, including “Nutbush City Limits” and “Lookin’ Back.”

The album was certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA, and in 2012 it ranked at 10 on Rolling Stone’s poll of the all-time favorite live albums. 

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April 12 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of R.E.M.’s debut album, Murmur, which helped launch Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck from indie artists to eventual Rock & Roll Hall of Famers.

Released by I.R.S. Records in 1983, Murmur, produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, featured songs the band had already been performing for fans on tour, including a rerecorded version of their debut single “Radio Free Europe,” which was originally released in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone.

The album debuted at 36 on the Billboard Albums chart, but it was a huge hit with critics. In fact, Rolling Stone named Murmur the Best Album of 1983, beating out such classics as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, The Police’s Synchronicity and U2’s War.

By 1991, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA, and continued to land on “best of” and “must have” lists, including the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die; Rolling Stone’s 2013 list of The 100 Best Debut Albums of all Time, where it landed at 18; and Blender’s list of the 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die.

Of course, following Murmur, R.E.M. went on to have huge success, releasing 15 studio albums. Their two biggest commercial hits were 1991’s Out of Time and 1992’s Automatic for the People. They earned three Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, their first year of eligibility.

Much to many fans’ dismay, R.E.M. officially disbanded in 2011, although there are still plenty of folks holding out hope for a reunion one day.

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George Thorogood and the Destroyers have canceled their upcoming tour as Thorogood deals with some health issues.  

“George has been diagnosed with a very serious medical condition that will require immediate surgery and quite a few weeks of recuperation and healing,” the band shares. “You, our fans, mean the world to us, and we know this news is not want you wanted to hear, but rest assured George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be back.”

They add, “We’ll keep you updated as we know more.”

The tour of the U.S. and Canada was supposed to kick off April 27 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wrap May 21 in Big Flats, New York. Fans who have tickets will be receiving refunds for the canceled dates.

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Dave Mason is hitting the road this summer.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a 22-date Endangered Species tour, which kicks off May 17 in Davenport, Iowa, and hits such cities as Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Hartford, Annapolis and more. 

“There is nothing quite like performing live. I love it!” Mason shares.

The tour also includes two nights with the Steve Miller Band: June 24 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and the tour closer on June 28 in Boston, Massachusetts. 

And fans can expect a lot more from Mason this year. He’s set to release his memoir, Only You Know and I Know, in late 2023, and will also be releasing new music later in the year.

A complete list of tour dates can be found at davemasonmusic.com.

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Love and Rockets‘ comeback tour just got a bit bigger.

The “So Alive” group has added more dates to their upcoming U.S. outing, which marks their first live performances in 15 years. The new shows run from June 5 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to June 17 in San Antonio, Texas.

A presale for tickets begins Wednesday, April 12, at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the general on-sale Thursday, April 13, at 10 a.m. ET.

Love and Rockets previously announced a West Coast tour, kicking off in May at the Cruel World festival in Pasadena, California.

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