Music

Barry Manilow is starting a run of shows September 21 as part of his Las Vegas residency. By the time he’s finished, he will have broken Elvis Presley‘s record for most performances at the venue. 

The late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll did 636 performances at the Las Vegas Hilton between 1969 and 1976. Manilow’s residency is in the same theater, though the property is now called the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. He says things have changed since Elvis’ time, when it was considered deeply uncool to perform in Vegas.

“It was known as … ‘cheeseball’ … ‘old-fashioned,'” he tells ABC Audio, but not anymore. 

“You take a look at these casinos and you can take a look at the billboards, these are young people that are playing Vegas. These are big acts!” he says. 

“I’ve been playing there off and on since the ’80s. It would be one stop on a tour,” notes Manilow. “But this is a … bona fide residency, and I just love it. I love the audiences. I love this place. The Westgate is the perfect size for what I do.”

For the 80-year-old entertainer, the gig means he can play live for fans without being on the road.

“I can stay home for most of the week. And then I go and I do the weekends there and I keep the band working and I keep the crew working … it’s the perfect answer,” he says. “And … yes, we are ‘in residency’ — and we’re not kidding.”

“A lot of people say, ‘We’re in residency’ … they do two weekends and they never come back,” he laughs. “I definitely am there!” 

Proceeds from this record-breaking weekend of shows will benefit six different charities, including Musicians on Call and Barry’s own Manilow Music Project.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Nirvana‘s In Utero is now 30 years old.

Released on September 21, 1993, In Utero had the difficult and unenviable task of following Nirvana’s giant 1991 album, Nevermind, which had made worldwide stars out of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, and brought the grunge and alternative rock movement of the ’90s to the mainstream.

Coming off of Nevermind, Cobain was deemed the “voice of a generation” that spoke for the angsty and disaffected youth of the day. It’s a role he seems to speak to on the opening In Utero track “Serve the Servants” with the line, “Teenage angst has paid off well/ Now I’m bored and old.”

Meanwhile, Cobain’s increased fame put scrutiny on his personal life. His marriage to Hole‘s Courtney Love, with whom he had a daughter, Frances Bean, had become tabloid fodder, along with reports of the couple’s drug use.

In Utero was produced by Steve Albini, with whom Cobain wanted to collaborate due to his work with bands including Pixies and The Breeders. The harsher sound of the record prompted mixed feelings from Nirvana’s label, as well as among the band members themselves, who at one point considered rerecording the album. Eventually, frequent R.E.M. producer Scott Litt was brought in to remix future singles “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies.”

Upon its release, In Utero was a critical and commercial success, even while Walmart and Kmart refused to sell it until the album artwork was changed. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Later in 1993, Nirvana recorded their legendary MTV Unplugged performance. Cobain died by suicide in April 1994, making In Utero Nirvana’s final studio record.

A 30th anniversary reissue of In Utero will be released October 27.

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Johnny Marr has announced a new solo best-of compilation, Spirit Power.

The 21-track collection, due out November 3, collects highlights from the ex-The Smiths guitarist’s four solo albums: 2013’s The Messenger, 2014’s Playland, 2018’s Call the Comet and 2022’s Fever Dreams Pts 1-4.

You’ll also find two new songs, “Somewhere” and “The Answer,” as well as several previously unreleased demos and alternate recordings. You can listen to “Somewhere” now via digital outlets.

“I’ve played a lot of arenas over the years, and in terms of songwriting, there’s nowhere to hide,” Marr says of “Somewhere.” “For a song to work, it has to be a banger. I know it’s almost uncool to think in those terms, but I grew up in a house where my parents listened to Motown, where you couldn’t get a song released if it wasn’t full of hooks.”

Here’s the Spirit Power track list:

“Armatopia”
“New Town Velocity”
“Easy Money”
“Spirit Power & Soul”
“Hi Hello”
“Somewhere”
“The Messenger”
“I Feel You”
“The Answer”
“Dynamo”
“Spiral Cities”
“Night and Day”
“Sensory Street”
“Walk Into the Sea”
“Candidate”
“Tenement Time”
“Hi Hello (Demo)”
“Somewhere (Demo)”
“The Answer (Crazy F Version)”
“The Messenger (Demo)”
“Speak out Reach Out (Crazy F Version)”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne is a big fan of OTTTO.

The Prince of Darkness has named the group, which features Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo‘s son, Tye, “one of my favorite new bands.”

“I’ve known the bass player since he was kid,” Ozzy writes in a Facebook post alongside a link to the OTTTO song “Skyscraper.”

By the way, the elder Trujillo played in Ozzy’s live band before joining Metallica in 2003. He also plays on Ozzy’s latest solo album, 2022’s Patient Number 9.

OTTTO, meanwhile, recently played a run of gigs as part of Metallica’s “Takeover” events in between shows on the M72 tour.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Halsey seems to have officially moved on after breaking up with Alev Aydin, the father of their son.

The New York Post has photos of Avan Jogia, an actor perhaps best known for playing Beck Oliver in Nickelodeon’s Victorious, and Halsey holding hands, kissing and hugging while watching a performance at the Cara Hotel in Los Feliz, California.

The two have been linked for several months and were seen together on a beach in Barcelona in June.

Halsey and Aydin split up about five months ago; in April, the singer filed for primary physical custody of their son, Ender, but said the two planned to co-parent.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Pink, a Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native, is showing love to her Philly fans after playing two hometown shows this week. “Thank you Philly for riding with me til the wheels come off,” she posted on Instagram, alongside photos from backstage. “These last two nights were pure magic. I’ve never felt more alchemy in my life…Thank you for taking me in, protecting me and giving me what I needed to survive- anywhere in the world.”

While fans went crazy for *NSYNC’s reunion at the MTV VMAs earlier this month, Joey Fatone says his kids were less than impressed. “The funny part is, my kids are so chill and I guess, maybe jaded? I don’t know if jaded is the correct word but they’re more like, ‘[shrugs] Oh, that’s cool,’” he tells Access Hollywood. “It’s dad’s job.”

As previously reported, Ed Sheeran opened for John Mayer at a benefit show in Los Angeles Tuesday night. But Billboard reports he also joined John during his set for a couple of duets. They sang John’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” together, as well as a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin.’”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Liam Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, gave an update on his health Tuesday after the singer was hospitalized for a kidney infection late last month. “So I’ve gotten a lot of comments about Liam, asking how he’s doing, and I just want to let everybody know that he’s doing so much better,” Cassidy said in a TikTok video. “He is out of the hospital and he is in good hands.” Liam was forced to cancel his South American tour due to the illness.

Pink, a Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native, is showing love to her Philly fans after playing two hometown shows this week. “Thank you Philly for riding with me til the wheels come off,” she posted on Instagram, alongside photos from backstage. “These last two nights were pure magic. I’ve never felt more alchemy in my life…Thank you for taking me in, protecting me and giving me what I needed to survive- anywhere in the world.”

Demi Lovato has been announced as one of the headliners for The Global Exchange Conference, a four-day event on addiction, mental health and wellness. She’ll join conference founder Jerry Schwab for an intimate chat on November 14. The event takes place November 12-15 at Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort.

While fans went crazy for *NSYNC’s reunion at the MTV VMAs earlier this month, Joey Fatone says his kids were less than impressed. “The funny part is, my kids are so chill and I guess, maybe jaded? I don’t know if jaded is the correct word but they’re more like, ‘[shrugs] Oh, that’s cool,’” he tells Access Hollywood. “It’s dad’s job.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.