You can watch HARDY‘s final show of the year from the comfort of your home, thanks to the online streaming platform Veeps.
HARDY’s set to wrap up 2023 with a sold-out home state concert Saturday, December 9, at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. As an added bonus, CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson‘s set to open.
You can stream the whole show — including Lainey’s kickoff — starting at approximately 8:10 p.m. CT. The concert’s free for subscribers or $20 for the single event for nonsubscribers. You can find all the details at Veeps.com.
HARDY and Lainey are sure to sing “wait in the truck,” their chart-topping collaboration that picked up two CMA awards earlier this month.
The long-running punk band’s days on the live stage will come to a close with three performances in Los Angeles, taking place October 4-6.
Those dates will be preceded by the final U.S. leg of NOFX’s farewell tour, which kicks off April 6 in Fort Worth, Texas.
“We’ve played over 2000 shows in 33 countries, in more than 300 cities and darn it…we’re a bit tired,” says frontman Fat Mike. “One thing I know in my heart…this is going to be the most emotional, heartbreaking, greatest tour of our career. I’ve never been so excited and at the same time terrified. Mostly excited…”
Tickets go on sale Monday, November 20. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit PunkinDrublicFest.com.
Fantasia said she wasn’t too thrilled at the thought of reprising her role as Celie in the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple.
Taking on the role, she said, would remind her of past trauma she didn’t want to again experience.
But that’s the very reason she joined the cast. She did it “for every young lady that has been through some of the things that I’ve been through.”
Fantasia spoke about persevering through adversity at Variety‘s 2023 Power of Women event, opening up about how her testimony is helpful to others.
“Sometimes we don’t want to share what we go through but I knew that my tests were part of my testimony and I knew that my testimony would help a lot of people,” she said.
She added, “I knew this role would bring up some certain things in my life that I thought I was over but I think I just suppressed.”
Fantasia revealed that in a phone call about the movie offer she told them, “I cannot do it. I’m married. I’m happy.”
She later deemed it necessary to play Celie “not even [just for] the young ladies.”
“There are some ladies that are a lot older than me that say, ‘Thank you for sharing your story,'” she said.
In her Power of Women cover story, Fantasia opened up about overcoming her 2010 drug overdose and getting back up after the low moments in her life.
Kool & The Gang drummer and founding member George “Funky” Brown passed away Thursday, November 16, at the age of 74.
“We lost our beloved husband and father, Kool & The Gang founding member George Brown last night,” read a statement provided by the family to ABC Audio. “He passed away peacefully at Long Beach Memorial Hospital surrounded by family. His incredible talent and presence will be greatly missed and never forgotten.”
Kool & The Gang also paid tribute to Brown on Facebook, calling him “the funkiest drummer the world has ever seen.” They added, “His beautiful soul is now at rest. We love you George. Thank you for giving us the sound of happiness.”
Brown formed Kool & The Gang in New Jersey in 1974 alongside brothers Robert “Kool” Bell and Ronald Bell, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Charles Smith, Woodrow “Woody” Sparrow and Ricky West.
In addition to playing drums, Brown co-wrote many of the group’s biggest hits, including their #1 classic “Celebration” as well as “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Get Down On It” and “Too Hot.”
Brown, the Bells brothers and Taylor were all inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, and the group was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2015.
Although the lineup of Kool & The Gang has changed over the years, Brown was still performing with the group and was one of the longest serving members alongside Robert “Kool” Bell. Bell is now the last surviving founding member of the group.
Eric Clapton’s iconic “The Fool” guitar has sold for big bucks at auction.
The 1964 Gibson SG electric guitar, which Clapton first played onstage while touring the U.S. with his band Cream, sold at Julien’s Auctions for a whopping $1.27 million, a new world record for a Clapton guitar.
The famous guitar got its name because of its custom-painted psychedelic finish, courtesy of The Dutch art collective The Fool.
The new owner of the legendary instrument is Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, whose Jim Irsay Collection already consists of iconic rock memorabilia from artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, The Beatles,Bob Dylan, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and more.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to the mental health awareness initiative Kicking the Stigma, started by the Colts and the Irsay family.
“The Fool” sale was part of Julien’s Played, Worn, & Torn: Rock ‘N’ Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia auction, which runs through Saturday, November 18. Also sold during the first day of the auction was one of Eddie Van Halen’s stage-played Charvel EVH series electric guitars, which went for $117,000, well above the original estimate of between $40,000 and $60,000.
Bob Dylan has come out in defense of Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner, who earlier this year was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board in response to comments he made in a New York Times interview that were deemed racist and sexist.
The rocker gave a shout-out to Wenner during his show Thursday, November 16, at the Beacon Theatre in New York, saying hello to him in the audience and telling the crowd, “Jann Wenner, surely everybody’s heard of him. Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and we don’t think that’s right. We’re trying to get him back in.”
Wenner drew backlash while out promoting his recent book, The Masters. He tried to explain why it didn’t include interviews with any Black or female artists, saying there were no women “articulate enough on this intellectual level.” Regarding Black artists, he acknowledged the genius of Stevie Wonder but noted, “I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters,’ the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.”
Wenner did eventually apologize, noting the artists featured in the book — Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono and Bruce Springsteen — “were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews.”
Billie Eilish performed her Barbie soundtrack song “What Was I Made For?” during Variety‘s Power of Women event, held Thursday, November 16.
The “bad guy” artist also delivered an impromptu speech at the celebration. She began by sharing that she didn’t plan on speaking, quipping, “I would rather give my platform to people who that know what the f*** they’re talking about.” However, she was moved to take the stage following remarks made by Barbie actor Ariana Greenblatt, who talked about the impact “What Was I Made For?” has had on her.
Echoing comments she’s made in recent interviews, Eilish said, “I’ve never felt truly like a woman. I’ve spent a lot of my life not feeling like I fit in to being a woman.”
“This sounds kind of f***** up but I have a lot of internalized misogyny inside of me and I find it coming out in places I don’t want it to,” Eilish continued. “And I have to say, with full transparency, I feel very grateful to be a woman right now. I feel very proud, and I feel very honored to be here.”
You can watch Eilish’s entire speech and her “What Was I Made For?” performance now via Variety.com.
Judas Priest is giving fans another preview of their upcoming album, Invincible Shield. The rockers just dropped the track “Trial By Fire,” the second song from the album following “Panic Attack,” which was released in October.
Invincible Shield, Judas Priest’s first new album since 2018’s Firepower, is due out March 8 and is available for preorder now.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers plan to hit the road in support of the record starting March 11 in Glasgow, Scotland. They’re bringing the tour to the U.S. starting April 18 in Wallingford, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at judaspriest.com.
While Lollapalooza has traditionally been known for rock and alternative acts, the 2024 edition of Lollapalooza India will feature some top pop acts.
Jonas Brothers, Halsey and OneRepublic as well as Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sting are headlining the festival, which will take place in Mumbai January 27-28. This will mark the first time JoBros and Halsey have ever performed in India, and the first time JoBros and Sting have ever played at a Lollapalooza festival.
Among the more than 35 artists on the bill are Lauv and U.K. rockers Royal Blood and Keane. Tickets are on sale now.
Tyla, the South African star whose breakthrough hit “Water” continues to see success, is back with not one but two remixes of the track.
The 21-year-old singer tapped rapper TravisScott for a hip-hop version and electronic DJ Marshmello for an upbeat dance record.
Tyla, along with Scott, debuted the hip-hop remix at the GQ party for its Man of the Year issue, in which Scott is one of the cover stars.
“Water” made its rounds on the internet due to the seemingly nonstop use on TikTok and the accompanying viral dance she created.
The popular single earned Tyla the acclaimed Billboard Rookie of the Month for October, her U.S. TV debut and her first Billboard number one after placing atop the U.S. Afrobeats chart.
Both remixes of “Water” are available for streaming on major platforms.
