Classic Hits

Carlos Santana and his famous band have extended their long-running Las Vegas residency well into the spring of 2023.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have announced two new eight-date engagements of their An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live show at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The first runs from January 25 through February 5 and the second from May 17 through May 28.

Tickets for all of the new performances go on sale to the general public this Saturday, September 24 at 10 a.m. local time via House of Blues.com/Santana, MandalayBay.com and Ticketmaster.com. Fans can also call 800-745-3000 to purchase tickets.

Santana fan club members and Citi card members can buy presale tickets starting Wednesday, October 21 at 10 a.m. PT; visit CitiPrivatePass.com for more information. House of Blues, Live Nation and Ticketmaster presales will begin Thursday, September 22 at 10 a.m. PT.

Part of the money from the tickets sold for Santana’s Las Vegas shows benefits the Milagro Foundation, the charity Carlos co-founded that helps young people in impoverished communities around the world. Some proceeds will also be donated to the House of Blues’ Music Forward Foundation, which uses music to help young people develop life skills.

Meanwhile, Santana has three shows left on his current run of House of Blues residency concerts — Sept. 21, 23, 24 and 25 — and the band also has another previously announced eight-date stand this year that’s scheduled from November 2 to November 13.

Visit Santana.com to check out the group’s full tour schedule.

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Elvis Costello has announced plans for a unique, 10-night stand dubbed 100 Songs and More that will take place from February 9 to February 23 at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre.

Costello will perform a completely different set each night and will play more than 200 of his songs over the course of the engagement. Elvis has confirmed 10 tunes that he’ll perform at each show; he’ll play at least 10 additional songs during every gig.

The first five concerts will feature Costello performing solo; he will be joined by his Attractions and Imposters keyboardist Steve Nieve at the remaining five shows. Elvis penned a clever poem that hints that some surprise guests may also be joining him during the run. For more information, visit ElvisCostello.com.

Tickets for the 100 Songs and More concerts go on sale to the general public this Friday, September 23, while presale tickets are avaiable to Citi card members through the company’s Citi Entertainment program. Visit CitiEntertainment.com for more details.

In other news, Costello has two special charity shows scheduled on September 30 at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The concerts will feature him playing tunes by late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia and Garcia’s longtime songwriting partner Robert Hunter. The event will raise money for Prader-Willi Homes of California, a charity dedicated to the creation of a residential center for people with Prader-Willi syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

In addition, Costello will be performing at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on October 1.

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Guns N’ Roses‘ classic 1991 albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II will be reissued on November 11 in multiple configurations and formats, including expansive CD and vinyl box sets featuring remastered versions of both records plus a treasure trove of bonus content.

The super deluxe Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I & II box sets will feature either seven CDs or 12 LPs. Both versions will include a Blu-ray featuring a previously unreleased video of the band’s May 1991 performance at The Ritz Theatre in New York City, as well as a new live music video for “You Could Be Mine.”

In addition, the box sets will feature the full audio of the New York City show and of a complete and previously unreleased concert that Guns N’ Roses played in January 1992 in Las Vegas.

The super deluxe box sets also feature a 100-page hardcover book that boasts rare photos, memorabilia and archival documents, as well as such collectible items as a replica fan club materials and backstage pass, uniquely designed lithographs, seven band photo prints, a poster and more.

The reissues also will be available together as a four-LP colored-vinyl collection, and separately as deluxe two-CD sets, single CDs and two-LP black-vinyl sets. Digital versions of all the version also will be available.

Released simultaneously in September 1991, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted at #2 and #1, respectively, on the Billboard 200 chart. Use Your Illusion I features the top-10 hits “Don’t Cry” and “November Rain,” while Use Your Illusion II includes the top-30 single “You Could Be Mine.”

Both albums have gone on to be certified seven-times Platinum by the RIAA.

You can preorder the reissues now.

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This Saturday, Elton John is set to perform at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., but on Friday, while he’s in the neighborhood, he’ll be stopping by to visit the Bidens.

President Joe Biden and the first lady will host a performance by Elton on the South Lawn of the White House as part of an event called “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme.” Organized in collaboration with A+E Networks and The History Channel, the event will honor teachers, nurses, frontline workers, mental health advocates, students LGBTQ+ advocates and more.

It will also “celebrate the unifying and healing power of music” and pay tribute to Elton’s “life and work.”

The Bidens will deliver remarks at the event. The fact that A+E and The History Channel are involved seems to indicate that the whole thing will be televised at some point, but there are no details on that as of yet.

This week, Elton is also performing in Atlanta as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

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Journey guitarist Neal Schon recently shared some details about his band’s concrete and potential touring plans for 2023 and beyond during pro wrestler/rock singer Chris Jericho‘s Talk Is Jericho podcast and in a separate interview with ABC Audio.

In July, Journey announced that four North American concerts that were postponed earlier this year had been moved to March 2023 and that their Freedom Tour 2022 support act Toto would be opening the rescheduled shows.

Schon revealed to Jericho that the makeup shows will be part of a full 2023 tour leg featuring Toto that will kick off in February and will include about 40 dates.

“[W]e’re gonna do the secondary markets in the United States and do some of the main markets that we didn’t hit this last time,” Neal explained.

He added that, after taking “a little break,” Journey and Toto will head to Europe and Japan, noting that Journey would open for Toto in Europe, where the latter group is more popular.

Meanwhile, Schon revealed to ABC Audio that he hoped to schedule a series of U.S. stadium shows in late 2023 that would feature Journey, Toto and Santana.

Neal, who was a member of Santana from 1971 to 1972, noted that with 2023 marking the 50th anniversary of Journey’s formation, “it makes total sense to do something with Carlos [Santana] … because that’s where I came from before I started Journey.”

Schon told ABC Audio that he talks to Carlos multiple times a week, and revealed that Santana wants to play shows with Journey, and that the guitarists have also discussed getting together to collaborate on some new music.

“[There’s] a lot of musical history there,” Neal said. “And of course … we love playing together too.”

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Daryl Hall has lined up a new series of fall U.S. tour dates with support act Todd Rundgren, with whom the Hall & Oates singer has been playing concerts on and off throughout 2022.

The eight-show run kicks off November 19 in Syracuse, New York, and then heads to the Midwest for concerts mapped out through a December 3 performance in Evansville, Illinois.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 23, at 10 a.m. ET, while presale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, September 20, at 10 a.m. local time.

Hall and Rundgren have a previously announced show scheduled for October 1 in Brookville, New York. Tickets for that event are already on sale.

Hall’s dates with Rundgren have been in support of Daryl’s first solo compilation, Before After, which was released in April.

Daryl also has four Hall & Oates concerts scheduled for next month — October 7 in Atlantic City, New Jersey; October 9 in Uncasville, Connecticut; October 20 in Sparks, Nevada; and October 22 in Laughlin, Nevada.

Meanwhile, as previously reported, Rundgren will be taking part in the 2022 Celebrating David Bowie tribute tour, which runs from an October 6 show in San Diego through a November 13 concert in Phoenix. In addition, Todd will release his long-delayed, collaboration-packed album Space Force on October 14.

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Elton John not only received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II, but he performed at multiple royal events and met the monarch a number of times during her 70 years on the throne. On Monday, he took to Instagram to reflect on his history with the queen as the world tuned in to watch her funeral.

“Today I’ll be joining the rest of the world in remembering Her Majesty The Queen,” Elton writes. “My own memories of her are filled with joy and admiration. The Queen honored me with a CBE, a knighthood and the Companion of Honor.”

He adds, “I was lucky enough to perform at three of her Jubilees. They were always joyous and humbling experiences. But it was the moments out of the public eye that I will most fondly remember her for: dancing together to ‘Rock Around the Clock’ at Windsor Castle or experiencing her great wit, warmth and humor first hand.”

“She served with grace and dedication,” he concludes, “and she will be sorely missed.”

He added two photos to his post: One of himself in the ’70s meeting the queen and one of them meeting in more recent times, with fellow musical British knights Tom Jones and Cliff Richard looking on.

Elton danced with the queen to Bill Haley‘s “Rock Around the Clock” at Prince Andrew‘s 21st birthday party in 1981. As Elton hilariously describes in his autobiography, Me, Princess Anne asked Elton to dance with her to Elvis Presley‘s “Hound Dog.” When the DJ segued from that into “Rock Around the Clock,” the queen appeared and asked if she could join them — which she did, still holding her handbag.

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The sixth annual edition of Joe Walsh‘s star-studded VetsAid benefit concert takes place November 13 in Columbus, Ohio, and will be livestreamed globally at 6 p.m ET via the Veeps platform.

Livestream passes and limited-edition merch bundles are available now at VetsAid.Veeps.com.

As previously reported, VetsAid 2022 will take place at Nationwide Arena and will feature performances by Walsh’s recently reunited James Gang, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, The Breeders and The Black Keys.

The James Gang will be joined by Grohl during their set, which is being billed as the group’s final performance, dubbed “One Last Ride.” 

All of the performers on this year’s VetsAid bill have connections to Ohio. Proceeds raised by the concert and livestream will be donated to charities that specifically support Ohio veterans and their families.

“The arena show sold so fast that we just had to find a way to share the James Gang reunion and this historic night of Ohio rock and roll with more fans across America and the world,” Walsh says about organizing the livestream. “We at VetsAid learned how to livestream over the past two years so I’m proud to partner again with Veeps to bring this show directly to fans … so that we can raise even more money for Ohio vets and their families.”

Meanwhile, VetsAid has launched a contest offering fans who donate to the campaign the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the concert that includes round-trip airfare, lodging, premium seats, access to the VIP lounge, dinner for two and a coffee date with Walsh the day before the show. Visit Fandiem.com/VetsAid to enter.

In addition, fans participating in the livestream will have the chance to donate funds during the event.

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An initial list of performers has been announced for the special tribute concert for late Yes drummer Alan White that’s scheduled to take place October 2 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.

The lineup includes all of Yes’ current members with the exception of guitarist Steve Howe — keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison, bassist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen — plus former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin.

The bill also includes the members of Alan’s solo band White, founding Santana drummer Michael Shrieve, Pearl Jam/Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, longtime Queen touring musician Spike Edney, one-time Journey singer Jeff Scott Soto, and ex-Heart members Roger Fisher, Mike Derosier and Steve Fossen.

More performers will be announced soon.

As previously reported, the concert will feature performances of songs from throughout White’s long career, including renditions of tunes by Yes, John Lennon, George Harrison and more.

The event will be hosted by Alan’s longtime friend, retired U.S. radio personality Bob Rivers, and all proceeds from the show will benefit the WhyHunger charity.

Tickets for the concert are available now at Ticketmaster.

White was Yes’ drummer from 1972 until his death this past May at age 72. Prior to joining the famous British prog-rock band, Alan was a member of Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, and he played on the 1969 album Live Peace in Toronto, John’s 1970 single “Instant Karma,” Lennon’s landmark 1971 album Imagine and 1972’s Some Time in New York City. He also contributed to Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, including the chart-topping single “My Sweet Lord.”

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Neil Diamond may be nicknamed the Jewish Elvis, but he also has a little Santa Claus in him. The legendary singer/songwriter has released four Christmas albums over the years, and he’s now curated a new holiday compilation featuring select highlights from those records.

A Neil Diamond Christmas is due out October 28 as a two-CD set, a single-CD collection and as a two-LP 180-gram vinyl package pressed on either standard black vinyl or limited-edition gold-opaque vinyl.

The retrospective features a mix of traditional and modern yuletide tunes, as well as original holiday songs culled from 1992’s The Christmas Album, 1994’s The Christmas Album Volume II, 2009’s A Cherry Cherry Christmas and 2016’s Acoustic Christmas.

A Neil Diamond Christmas also includes a new mix of Neil’s rendition of “O Holy Night.”

Among the other tracks featured on the record are versions of the John Lennon classic “Happy Christmas (War Is Over),” as well as “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “White Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Winter Wonderland.”

You can preorder A Neil Diamond Christmas now.

Here’s the full track list of the two-CD edition:

Disc 1
“Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”
“The Christmas Song”
“Jingle Bell Rock”
“White Christmas”
“You Make It Feel Like Christmas”
“Morning Has Broken”
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
“Silver Bells”
“Cherry Cherry Christmas”
“Sleigh Ride”
“Winter Wonderland”
“Christmas Medley: It’s Almost Day/Make a Happy Song/We Wish You a Merry Christmas”

Disc 2
“O Holy Night”*
“Little Drummer Boy”
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel/We Three Kings of Orient Are”
“Silent Night”
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
“Mary’s Boy Child”
“Children Go Where I Send Thee”
“The First Noel”
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”**
“Angels We Have Heard on High”
“Christmas Prayers”
“Joy to the World”

* = new mix
** = does not appear on two-LP vinyl version.

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