Classic Hits

Former Pink Floyd singer/bassist Roger Waters‘ This Is Not a Drill tour of North America gets underway Wednesday night with a concert in Pittsburgh.

The trek originally was scheduled to begin in July 2020, but was pushed back two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour features a total 40 shows in the U.S. and Canada, running through an October 8 performance in Dallas. The outing will wind down with a trio of concerts in Mexico — on October 11 in Monterrey and October 14 and 15 in Mexico City.

The tour also includes multiple-night stands in Toronto, Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

As previously reported, the This Is Not a Drill concerts will be staged “in the round,” a first for Waters.

In a statement about the trek, Roger explained that his performances will offer “a stunning indictment of the corporate dystopia in which we all struggle to survive, and a call to action to LOVE, PROTECT and SHARE our precious and precarious planet home.”

He added, “The show includes a dozen great songs from PINK FLOYD’S GOLDEN ERA along side several new ones, words and music, same writer, same heart, same soul, same man.”

Leading up to the start of the tour, Waters has been posting a series of black-and-white video clips on his social media sites featuring footage of him rehearsing with his backing group, and sharing his excitement about the new show and its stage production.

The clips have included snippets of Roger and company playing such Pink Floyd classics as “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Eclipse” and “Another Brick in the Wall.”

Check out Waters’ full schedule at RogerWaters.com.

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Richie Furay, the country-rock pioneer who co-founded both Buffalo Springfield and Poco, has debuted a new cover of the 1958 Ricky Nelson hit “Lonesome Town” from his forthcoming covers album, In the Country, which will be released Friday, July 8.

Furay’s rendition of the memorable song premiered Tuesday at TheBluegrassSituation.com and on his official YouTube channel.

“Ricky Nelson was an idol and musical hero of mine. This song (or any) by Ricky had to be included on this record because of his influence on me,” Furay explains. “I remember watching and waiting for him to play on the old Ozzie and Harriet TV show. One such performance was the one that prompted me — I want to do this; I want to be a musician. Ricky was singing ‘Be-Bop Baby,’ and that was the clincher; I never looked back.”

The track features harmony vocals from country star and current Eagles touring member Vince Gill. Richie notes that his former Poco bandmate and longtime Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit, who also sings on In the Country, suggested that Furay use Gill on the song.

“What a thrill it is to have one of the greatest singers/musicians of our day perform on that special song,” Furay says.

As previously reported, In the Country is made up mainly of Furay’s interpretations of various well-known country songs and also includes a few notable crossover hits, like Marc Cohn‘s “Walking in Memphis” and John Denver‘s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

In the Country can be preordered now, and Furay has already released a couple of advance tracks from the album — covers of “Walking in Memphis” and Keith Urban‘s “Somebody Like You.”

Richie currently has just a few upcoming concerts lined up. Visit RichieFuray.com to check out his full schedule.

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Crosby, Stills & Nash‘s music can be streamed on Spotify again, five months after the legendary folk-rock trio requested their labels pull all their collective recordings off the streaming service. The move was made in solidarity with Neil Young over alleged COVID-19 misinformation hosted by Spotify.

CSN’s music returned to Spotify on Saturday, July 2; A source tells Billboard that David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash will be donating money brought in from the streams to charities focused on the COVID-19 crisis for at least one month.

In January, Young insisted that his music be removed from Spotify over alleged COVID-19 misinformation that was featured during the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which is hosted by the streaming service.

On February 2, CSN posted a joint Instagram statement that read, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”

In late January, Young had sent a letter to Spotify that basically gave them an ultimatum between keeping his music or continuing to host Rogan’s podcast, and the service ended up removing his music rather than cutting ties with the podcaster.

Meanwhile, Rogan responded to Young’s decision in late January, posting a video in which he denied he was “trying to promote misinformation.”

After Young exited Spotify, the company announced that it would be adding content advisories before podcasts that discuss COVID-19.

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If you missed seeing ABBA at the Voyage concert series last May, you now have another chance to see them perform. The hitmakers are coming together for an upcoming live concert, set for Wednesday on TikTok.

The Swedish pop icons announced their upcoming show on Monday and shared a video of them working hard at rehearsal.  

Fans also took note of some special foot attire Björn Ulvaeus sported during the promo shot — his iconic platform boots. Last month, he shared a hilarious video of him mourning his favorite footwear and wrote, “Those shoes went out of style decades ago… they’re never coming back.”   

In this new video, Ulvaeus is sitting at a piano and the camera pans down to his feet to show he’s wearing knee-high white platform boots that are embossed with a very familiar glittery silver design.

Boots aside, the video also shows Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad gearing up for their new show by singing at the microphone, holding up throwback photos of the group and hashing things out in the studio.

No other hints about what the concert will entail were provided in the preview. “ABBA live on TikTok July 6th!” the hitmakers wrote in the caption.  

No time was mentioned for the upcoming show, but several sleuthers claim it’ll air at 5 p.m. London time, which is noon ET.

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Guns N’ Roses‘ current trip to the U.K. is going through some ups and downs.

Starting with the downs, the “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers have announced that their show in Glasgow, Scotland, scheduled for Monday, is being postponed due to “illness and medical advice.”

“We are working on rescheduling options for this show so please hold onto your tickets and wait for a further update,” GN’R writes in a statement. “We appreciate your understanding and patience.”

As for the ups, GN’R played two concerts at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Friday and Saturday, which each featured a surprise appearance by Carrie Underwood. The country star joined Axl Rose and company for renditions of the Guns classics “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

You may recall that Axl previously guested during Underwood’s performance at the Stagecoach festival in May, during which they also performed those hits together.

In an Instagram post following the London collaboration, Underwood wrote, “I am but a fan who somehow managed to find her way on stage to have a moment of magic with her heroes! How did I get so lucky?”

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Journey‘s long-awaited new studio album, Freedom, arrives this Friday, but the band gave fans another taste of the record, releasing a song titled “United We Stand” on the Fourth of July.

The tune features Journey frontman Arnel Pineda singing in the chorus, “United we stand, divided we fall/ Love conquers all, even when darkness comes to call/ United we stand, divided we fall/ Just fall into to me now, girl, and together we can face it all.”

In announcing the release of the track, Journey posted a message about the song on social media that reads, “More than ever, we need to take care of each other and look after one another. ‘United We Stand’ is a reminder that together we can make a difference.”

The soaring rock ballad, which is the fifth advance track Journey has debuted from Freedom, is available now via digital formats. You also can watch a visualizer video for the song on the group’s official YouTube channel.

The other four advance songs released from the 15-track collection are “The Way We Used to Be,” “You Got the Best of Me,” “Let It Rain” and “Don’t Give Up on Us.”

As previously reported, Freedom will be released on July 8 and can be preordered now.

Following its release, Journey will play four special symphonic concerts in Las Vegas — on July 15, 16, 22 and 23. The band also has several other concerts lined up around the U.S. this summer. Visit JourneyMusic.com for their full confirmed schedule.

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Founding Yes frontman Jon Anderson kicks off a U.S. summer tour with the Paul Green Rock Academy this Thursday, July 7, in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

Anderson will be joined by over 20 talented young musicians at the concerts, which will feature a performance of Yes’ entire 1972 album Close to the Edge in honor of its 50th anniversary, as well as renditions of other songs by the legendary prog-rock band, tunes from Jon’s solo catalog, mash-ups and more.

“If you come you’re gonna to have a great time,” Anderson tells ABC Audio about the upcoming concerts. “I mean, seriously, these teenagers, ranging from 14 to 17, are just brilliant musicians.”

Released in September 1972, Close to the Edge peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200. The album features three long musical pieces — the title track, “And You and I” and “Siberian Khatru.”

Anderson explains that before his latest tour with the Paul Green Rock Academy, he’d already performed “And You and I” with the teens, and for his trek with them earlier this year, they added the epic “Close to the Edge” to the set.

“They had a ball doing it. I loved it,” Jon notes. “So, we thought, ‘Okay, we’re gonna do some shows this summer, so why don’t we celebrate the fact that it was 50 years ago that we did the album Close to the Edge?’ So they learned ‘Siberian Khatru.’ So we’re doing the whole album, which will be…wonderful chaos.”

Anderson says the shows also will feature a performance of “So Limitless,” a song he co-wrote with and recorded last year with members of the Rock Academy, as well as mashups including a Lenny Kravitz tune and Led Zeppelin‘s “Kashmir.”

The tour runs through an August 6 show in Albany, New York.

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After canceling several recent concerts because of health issues affecting multiple band members, Whitesnake has now pulled the plug on the rest of the current European leg of its Farewell Tour.

“It is with the deepest sadness that I must announce that due to continuing health challenges, doctor’s orders, and our concern for everyone’s health and safety, Whitesnake is unable to continue its European Farewell Tour,” frontman David Coverdale writes in a message posted on the group’s official website.

He continues, “I extend my sincere apologies to All of Whitesnake’s Amazing Fans who have been looking forward to the remaining scheduled shows of this tour, All of our Amazing, Fabulous Snakes & tour personnel who have been working so hard to put on these shows, and All of the promoters and other professionals who have helped set up the tour…I Appreciate & Love You All!!!”

Before the latest announcement, Whitesnake had canceled their June 25 appearance at the Rock Imperium Festival in Cartagena, Spain, because drummer Tommy Aldridge was “under the weather,” and then canceled the next three concerts — June 28 in Milan, Italy; June 30 in Vienna, Austria; and July 2 in Zagreb, Croatia — due to Coverdale suffering from “an infection of the sinus and trachea.”

The remainder of the European trek was to have featured seven more shows, running from a July 4 performance in Budapest, Hungary, through a July 19 gig in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Whitesnake is now scheduled to return to the stage for the North American leg of its Farewell Tour, which kicks off August 17 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, and is plotted out through an October 21 performance in Las Vegas. The band will be supporting The Scorpions at most of the shows.

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Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has announced plans to release a new concert album and video titled Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More documenting a recent performance from his latest tour of the same name.

The show, which took place last September in Manchester, England, features Hackett and his backing band performing Genesis’ 1977 live double album Seconds Out in its entirety, as well as some select solo tunes, including a couple from his latest studio effort, 2021’s Surrender of Silence.

Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More will be released as a two-CD/Blu-ray set, a two-CD/DVD package and via digital formats on September 2, while a four-LP/two-CD collection will follow on November 25.

The versions featuring the Blu-ray and DVD will boast 5.1 surround sound, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary and promotional videos.

“I’m so happy to release my ‘Seconds Out & More’ show,” Hackett says. “A spectacular night with a band on fire tearing into that magic music combining the true spirit of Genesis with a fresh virtuosic approach and an extraordinary sound under amazing lights. This show is a feast for both ears and eyes. The best of so many worlds!”

You can check out a video of Hackett and his band playing the 1976 song “Squonk” from Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More at Steve’s official YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, Hackett and his solo band recently completed a series of Down Under shows and will continue their “Seconds Out & More” trek tour this year in Japan, Europe and North America. Hackett will also launch a new themed tour, “Foxtrot at Fifty,” in the U.K. in September and October. Visit HackettSongs.com for his full tour schedule.

Here’s the full Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More track list:

“Apollo Intro”
“Clocks — The Angel of Mons”
“Held in the Shadows”
“Every Day”
“The Devil’s Cathedral”
“Shadow of the Hierophant”
“Squonk”
“The Carpet Crawlers”
“Robbery, Assault and Battery”
“Afterglow”
“Firth of Fifth”
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
“Musical Box (Closing Section)”
“Supper’s Ready”
“The Cinema Show”
“Aisle of Plenty”
“Dance on a Volcano”
“Los Endos”

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Disco legend Gloria Gaynor is one of the many artists confirmed to perform on the 2022 edition of PBS’ annual A Capitol Fourth television special, which airs Monday, July 4, at 8 p.m. ET.

Airing live from Washington, D.C., the 42nd annual edition of A Capitol Fourth will be hosted by country star Mickey Guyton and will feature an all-genre performance lineup that includes Gaynor, Cynthi Errivo, Jake Owen, Darren Criss, Yolanda Adams, Andy Grammer, Keb’ Mo’, Rachel Platten and the National Symphony Orchestra.

The program also will feature a 65th anniversary celebration of the Broadway musical West Side Story led by Tony Award-winning legend Chita Rivera, tributes to U.S. military personnel and a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial.

Capping off the event will be a massive fireworks display. In addition to airing on PBS, the A Capitol Fourth special will be viewable on PBS.org and at the network’s official YouTube channel.

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