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KISS’ Gene Simmons confirms that David Lee Roth is no longer the band’s opening act

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Brian Lowe; Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ABA

After their End of the Road farewell tour was put on hold last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, KISS is set to relaunch the trek on Thursday in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth was the tour’s original support act, but in a new Rolling Stone interview, KISS bassist/singer Gene Simmons confirms that Diamond Dave is no longer part of the outing.

While Simmons doesn’t explain specifically why Roth isn’t touring with KISS anymore, he says, “[I]t bears noting that during Dave’s heyday, nobody did what he did. He was the ultimate frontman. Not [Robert] Plant, not Rod Stewart, nobody. He took being a frontman way beyond anything. And then, I don’t know what happened to him…something. And you get modern-day Dave. I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, you know, doing all that. I don’t want to think of bloated naked Elvis on the bathroom floor.”

It’s worth noting that Roth did open the first run of KISS dates in early 2020 before the pandemic began. The support act for KISS in 2021 will be rock painter Garibaldi.

Meanwhile, with COVID-19 continuing to be an issue in the U.S. and around the world, Simmons has a message for fans coming to his band’s shows.

“I would highly recommend for everybody to get two Pfizer or Moderna shots, please — for the rest of us,” he says. “Even if you believe the Earth is flat, it’s not.”

Gene adds, “The entire road crew must be vaccinated twice. Nobody gets backstage or onstage without wearing masks, and everybody stays at a safe distance and you’ve got to wash your hands and do everything else the CDC says.”

Check out KISS’ full concert schedule at KISSOnline.com.

Pop Evil postpones tour dates due to frontman’s positive COVID-19 test

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty has tested positive for COVID-19.

As a result, the “Breathe Again” rockers have rescheduled eight of their upcoming tour dates, running from August 17 in Des Moines, Iowa, to August 25 in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

“To our Evilz, we always want to be fully transparent with our fans and the status of our shows,” Pop Evil says in a statement. “All of our band members and crew have been vaccinated prior to us starting tour. Yesterday, and again this morning, Leigh Kakaty tested positive for COVID-19. Leigh wanted to make sure his test wasn’t a false positive before postponing any more shows.”

Pop Evil plans to resume the tour August 27 in Virginia Beach. They’re supporting their new album, Versatile, which dropped in May.

Britney Spears says she’s been sharing topless photos because she wants to see herself “in a lighter way”

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Britney Spears has not only shut down “twisted” rumors about her body, but she’s revealing why she’s been sharing more risqué photos as of late.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the “Toxic” singer shared a new group of photos where she cradles her bare chest with her hands while holding a single red rose.

Shutting down speculation that she is pregnant or had breast enhancement surgery, Britney explained that she wants to regain ownership of her body and wants to love it again, and sharing such photos help her accomplish that.

“In my opinion it’s quite twisted the immediate response of when any woman is hot and they want to shed a layer… just on a practical scale of being in your car and realizing you’re wearing a stupid long sleeve shirt in the summer,” she wrote. “The immediate reaction to any woman who does this after shedding a layer is DAMN I FEEL BETTER…therefore you think you look better.”

“I’ve had a billion shows where I’ve done that and to my horror uhhh [well]…sometimes I didn’t look so great,” she continued, noting such moments were “embarrassing” for her.

“I feel like performing made me too self-conscious about my body and that’s not attractive,” wrote Britney. “I honestly feel like the weight of the would [sic] has been on my shoulders and it’s made me view myself that way !!!! I wanted to see myself in a lighter way…naked…like the way I was born.”

“Seeing myself in my purest form gives evidence that pain … hurt … tears … and heavy burdens aren’t who I am. I am a woman …. a beautiful … sensitive woman,” she added, before thanking her fans for continuing the #FreeBritney movement. She also hinted, “There’s a way deeper meaning to the movement than you can ever imagine.”

Maren Morris tackles late-night TV guest hosting of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hitmaker Maren Morris tested her hosting chops on Monday, filling in for Jimmy Kimmel on his ABC late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“The Bones” singer opened by joking, “I flew all the way from Nashville to be here tonight — I came here on Delta, and hopefully I’m not coming back with delta,” referring to the COVID-19 variant.

“Now some people have said, ‘Maren, you’re a country singer. What business do you have hosting a late-night comedy show?'” Maren continued. “And to them I say, ‘Mom, get out of my dressing room!'”

Morris, 31, also noted that she was right across the street from where she auditioned for American Idol when she was 17 and “didn’t even make it past the first round.”

“But I stuck with it,” she continued, “and ten years later I won a Grammy.”

Maren also filled us in on how she’s been coping with the pandemic, admitting the past year has been “stressful,” mostly because “when I wear a mask, my name sounds like ‘Karen.'”

The country superstar also shared that she’d “spent the whole pandemic in quarantine with an infant, so basically, this next hour is a vacation for me.”

“I don’t care how much you cry, will not be breastfeeding any of you,” she warned the studio audience.

Morris also revealed that she’d “spent the weekend doing some research,” on the different laws regarding the legal use of marijuana in various states, which she turned into a song, which included lines such as “California’s down with doobies, from Oakland to Hollyweed/and in Washington and Oregon it’s cool to spark that green.”

Later, Maren chatted with country icon and fellow Texas native Willie Nelson and Hacks actress Megan Stalter. The show featured a performance by Gabriels, fronted by singer Jacob Lusk.

Korn confirms lead singer Jonathan Davis tested positive for COVID-19

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After Korn was forced to cancel a Saturday concert in Pennsylvania when a member of their “camp” tested positive for COVID-19, the band confirmed Monday that their lead singer, Jonathan Davis, is battling the virus.

Taking to Facebook, the two-time Grammy-winning band updated fans about their upcoming concert dates.

“We really appreciate your patience as we work out the next steps for our tour. On Saturday, we received the unfortunate news that Jonathan tested positive for Covid, and needless to say, we had to postpone the show last minute,” the rockers explained. “As a result of his positive test, we also need to reschedule the next handful of shows. As always, our primary goal is to ensure the safety of everyone involved, so this is something that has to be done.”

Korn assured fans that Davis is doing okay, saying, “Jonathan’s spirits are high, and he’s resting and recovering now.”

“We’re as disappointed as you are about the circumstances, but we’ll get through it though, and we can’t wait to see you once we’re back, firing on all cylinders once again,” the band closed before revealing which shows have been postponed while others will not be rescheduled.

The two cancelled dates are on August 24 and 25, in Darien Center and Syracuse, New York, respectively, “due to scheduling conflicts.” Those who held tickets for the cancelled shows will be “contacted for refunds.”

Here is the new list of dates for the rescheduled shows:

9/25 — Scranton, PA, The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
9/28 — Wantagh, NY, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
9/26 — Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Cente
10/2 — Hartford, CT, XFINITY Theatre
10/1 — Mansfield, MA, Xfinity Center
10/3 — Gilford, NH, Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

The Weeknd reacts to “Blinding Lights” chart feat: “Forever grateful”

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Weeknd‘s “Blinding Lights” set the all-time record Monday for most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100: a total of 88. Now, the Canadian star has taken to Instagram to share his feelings about the milestone.

“Forever grateful to be able to experiment with sounds, try new things with my voice and create music with the people I truly love and respect,” he writes. “For the last decade every song has been a journey and to be able to continue this journey has been nothing short of a blessing. It’s the only gift I could ever ask for.”

“I’ll be doing it for as long as I can breathe. I love my fans and wouldn’t be here without you,” he continues. “Big day for blinding lights. Multiple songs in the top 20. [My second mixtape] Thursday turns 10. [My dog] Caesar turned 4 and the f**king dawn is coming. LET’S GO.”

“The dawn is coming” is, of course, what Weeknd’s been saying for several months now when talking about his next musical era. In his post, he included a variation on the popular Batman-slapping-Robin meme: It’s a cartoon of himself in his After Hours red jacket, singing “Oooh, I’m blinded b…” being slapped by himself in the present day, saying, “The dawn is coming!!!!”

(Instagram embedded below contains uncensored profanity.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)

Bob Dylan accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1965

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A woman who claims she was groomed and sexually assaulted by Bob Dylan when she was a minor has filed suit against the music icon.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court, identifies the now 68-year-old alleged victim only as J.C.

The woman claims that the alleged abuse happened in 1965 when she was 12 years old, saying Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, took advantage of her at his Chelsea Hotel apartment 56 years ago. J.C. claims Dylan used his fame to gain her trust and began to groom her “as part of his plan to sexually molest and abuse,” according to the legal documents.

“Bob Dylan (‘Dylan’), over a six-week period between April and May of 1965 befriended and established an emotional connection with the plaintiff, J.C., to lower her inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and, threats of physical violence, leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day,” the suit claims.

J.C. claims she was sexually abused several times by the singer, which has led her to allegedly grapple with “permanent” anxiety, depression and humiliation over the years. She claims to have sought medical treatment because the mental toll had “incapacitated plaintiff from attending her regular activities.”

Speaking to The New York Post, J.C.’s attorney, Daniel W. Isaacs, said of the lawsuit, “She provided a lot of detailed information regarding the time in question that leaves no doubt that she was with him in the apartment during the time in question.”

J.C. is requesting a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages.

A representative for Dylan, 80, denies the account and told The New York Post, “This 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended.”

‘Love You, Little Lady’: Brett Young reveals his best “dad-ing” superpower

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Now that Brett Young and his wife Taylor are parents to both their toddler, Presley, and their youngest daughter Rowan, who was born in July, it’s safe to say the two have their hands full. But Brett admits he’s perfected a dad superpower or two he hopes makes things a little easier.

“I think what I’ve realized is like the best “dad-ing” is to be able to identify mom’s needs without her having to tell you,” he explains. “Because [the mothers are] gonna take the brunt of it, especially at this age, like the baby needs mom all the time.”

“And so trying to figure out where you can insert yourself,” he continues, “and help without getting to the point where she’s like, ‘Ahh, help me!'”

“So I think at the beginning it was like taking out the trash,” Brett says, “or doing the dishes or things that I would normally do, but just making sure they were never — like there wasn’t ever a dish in the sink. The trash never got half full or things like that.”

With Presley about to turn two in October, Brett has had some time to perfect his technique.

“I think I’ve been able to watch Taylor be a mom long enough to know what she needs before she needs it,” he reflects. “And so I think that the skill set that I’ve kind of honed in on the most in the last year-and-a-half is being able to read Taylor and make sure she has what she needs from me before she has to ask me for it.”

Brett’s new children’s book, Love You, Little Lady, inspired by being a parent, comes out August 24.

The Police’s Andy Summers says new documentary ‘Under the Volcano’ is “an ode” to late producer George Martin

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Courtesy of Universal Pictures Content Group

Mari Under the Volcano, a new documentary about the state-of-the-art recording studio that late Beatles producer George Martin built on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, was released today via digital, streaming and video-on-demand platforms.

AIR Studios Montserrat opened in 1979 and was used by some of the world’s biggest music stars until the island was devastated by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Then, in 1995, a volcanic eruption made most of Montserrat uninhabitable.

The film features new interviews with many artists who recorded at the facility, including The Police‘s three members, Dire Straits‘ Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett and Duran Duran‘s Nick Rhodes.

Police guitarist Andy Summers, whose band recorded 1981’s Ghost in the Machine and 1983’s Synchronicity on Montserrat, tells ABC Audio that he considers Under the Volcano “an ode to…Martin.”

“[H]e had this vision to go and build this place on…this very funky island,” Summers says. “That kind of interested me, how he first went there and fell in love with it.”

Andy also notes that The Police felt like they’d really made it when they got to work on Montserrat, noting that it was “the ultimate rock star dream to go to the Caribbean” to record.

Summers recalls an incident during the Synchronicity sessions where the notoriously contentious band members decided to ask Sir George if he’d produce them to help resolve conflicts they were having.

Summers says he visited Martin at his home across the island, and, over a spot of tea, George told him, “I think you’re gonna sort this out. I don’t think I need to come over there.”

Andy says that after Martin’s “calming” words, the band “went through the rest of the album without a hitch.”

Visit UndertheVolcanoMovie.com for more info about the film.

Beartooth wants you to “get every dollar’s worth” from live show

August 17, 2021 by WDNY Radio

If you catch Beartooth on their current tour in support of their new album, Below, then you’ll finally be listening to it in its intended environment.

“Musically, it was truly designed for a live show,” frontman Caleb Shomo tells ABC Audio of Below. “The whole record, front-to-back.”

Shomo started writing the music to what became Below while on tour in early 2020, but the lyrics didn’t come until the world was plunged into the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is an album full of devastatingly dark lyrics set to energetic, driving riffs that explode into giant choruses bursting with emotion. In other words, it’s perfect for the Beartooth live experience.

“I think about what do I love when I go to a live show,” Shomo explains. “I love jumping around and going nuts to riffs, and I love singing until my voice is gone. I just try and curate an environment [where] that’s possible.”

Overall, Beartooth’s goal is for “every single person who buys a ticket gets every dollar’s worth out of that thing.”

“We wanna play more songs than we’ve ever played,” Shomo says. “We wanna play louder, play harder, have a better light show, have better production elements, have more interaction throughout the whole event.”

Beartooth’s tour continues Tuesday night in Sacramento, California.

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