Eddie Vedder‘s all-star solo band got even more firepower when Duff McKagan joined the Pearl Jam frontman onstage during his show in Seattle on Monday.
The Guns N’ Roses bassist joined Vedder and his Earthlings for a rocking cover of The Pretenders‘ “Precious.” Fan-shot footage of the performance is streaming now on YouTube.
The Earthlings, named after Vedder’s new solo album, include Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, and guitarist and producer Andrew Watt.
In related news, McKagan’s daughter Grace has released a new song called “Baby That’s Rock N Roll.” It follows her 2021 single, “One You Love.”
The embattled country singer tops the country charts this week with his latest single, “Sand in My Boots.” This is his first single to top the charts since he was caught on video using the N-word in February 2021.
“You guys are the best,” Morgan said in a video thanking fans and country radio for the hit. “I’ve said it before, I’ve said it a lot actually, that y’all are the best fans in the world and I don’t just say that to say it. I really mean it.”
In the aftermath of the N-word video’s release, Morgan was temporarily dropped from country radio and disinvited from attending major awards shows, including the ACM and CMA Awards, despite nominations. He was also temporarily suspended from his record label, Big Loud Records, and removed from his former talent agency, WME.
Despite the furor, the East Tennessee native’s sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, on which “Sand” is featured, remained at #1 for 10 weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200 and became one of the top-selling albums of 2021.
Gwen Stefani‘s youngest child is about to turn eight, and his mom made sure Apollo feels special ahead of his big day.
Peopleobtained snaps of the singer’s Instagram stories from over the weekend that show Gwen showering her son, whom she shares with ex Gavin Rossdale, with love and affection. Apollo’s birthday is February 28.
One photo, which features a blue sticker that reads “Birthday Boy,’ shows Gwen grinning widely while looking up at Apollo. Another snap is of the blindfolded youngster trying to smash some candy out of his piñata, while others provide small vignettes of Apollo’s birthday party. The birthday boy invited over many friends and everyone feasted on a two-layer birthday cake that had Arizona Cardinals decorations. The cake featured a Cardinals jersey bearing the number 10, which belongs to DeAndre Hopkins, who is presumably Apollo’s favorite NFL player.
Gwen also shared multiple snaps that showed off how she celebrated youngest son’s big day — from wearing a shirt that had one of Apollo’s hand-drawn photo emblazoned on the front to wearing a gold bangle with his name etched on in white.
Aside from Apollo, Gwen shares two other sons with Rossdale: 15-year-old Kingston and 13-year-old Zuma. The “Hollaback Girl” singer has since remarried country singer Blake Shelton. Just last week, Gwen shared some never-before-seen footage of their wedding, which featured a proud Blake kissing Apollo on the cheek.
Tool is releasing a “re-imagined and extended” version of “Opiate,” the title track off the band’s 1992 debut EP.
The updated recording, titled “Opiate2” will be released March 1 on digital outlets, ahead of the EP’s 30th anniversary on March 10. It’ll be accompanied by a new, 10-minute short film, which will be released March 18 exclusively on Blu-ray.
The Blu-ray package will also include a 46-page art book featuring various photos, plus “interviews and insights from special guests.”
In related news, Tool has announced a limited edition “ultra deluxe” version of the band’s 2019 album, Fear Inoculum. The signed five-LP collection is available exclusively on Tool’s current U.S. tour, and will be available first to those who purchased Tool Army VIP tickets. A wide release for the box set is currently scheduled for April.
The Rolling Stones haven’t announced any official plans for 2022, but in a new post on his socialmediapages, Mick Jagger hinted that the band might be getting back to work soon, we assume either touring or recording new music.
Jagger posted a series of photos of him vacationing in Jamaica, along with a note that reads, “A little downtime before things get busy!” The pics show Mick holding an acoustic guitar with the ocean behind him, looking at some fresh produce at an outdoor market, standing in front of a wall painting, and playfully knocking on the door of the Roof Night Club in Port Antonio, Jamaica.
The Rolling Stones wrapped up a U.S. leg of their No Filter Tour in November of last year, and the band is widely expected to continue touring this year at some point. The Stones also have been working on songs for a new studio album over the last couple of years, although no official release details for the project have been announced.
In other Stones news, guitarist Keith Richards has posted a video of him “unboxing” the upcoming deluxe 30th anniversary reissue of his 1992 sophomore solo album, Main Offender, on his socialmediapages.
The minute-long clip shows Richards flipping through the pages of the booklet included in the box set, which he calls “incredible.”
“What am I seeing? I’m seeing some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had, you know,” Keith comments as he checks out photos of his collaborators on the album. “Waddy Wachtel, Steve Jordan, Ivan Neville, Charley Drayton, Sarah Dash, Babi Floyd…Bobby Keys…It don’t get no better than that.”
He adds, “I love to work with these guys. Always have. It’s all love.”
Green Day and the reunited My Chemical Romance will headline the 2022 Firefly festival, taking place September 22-25 in Dover, Delaware.
The bill also includes Weezer, Avril Lavigne, Bleachers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Head and the Heart, All Time Low, Yungblud, WILLOW, Manchester Orchestra, Cold War Kids, GAYLE, Matt Maeson, Wolf Alice,The Regrettes and Mod Sun.
Pop stars Halsey and Dua Lipa will headline, as well.
Pre-sale tickets will go on sale this Friday, February 25, at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the general on-sale the following Monday, February 28, at 10 a.m. ET.
Michael Bublé’s new video for “I’ll Never Not Love You” is out, and confirming reports, you can clearly see that his wife Luisana Lopilato is pregnant with their fourth child, confirming earlier reports that she was expecting again.
The video ends with Michael back in the same grocery store that was featured in the video for “Haven’t Met You Yet.” Luisana co-starred with him in that video, back when they were just dating. In the first video, he leaves the store alone, but in the new video, he and Luisana leave the store together, along with three kids, who may or may not be their own children Noah, Elias and Vida. Luisana is wearing a white top that’s knotted so you can see her baby bump.
As for the rest of the video, it shows Michael and Luisana re-enacting famous romantic scenes from iconic movies, such as Casablanca, Sixteen Candles, Love Actually, Titanic, Jerry Maguire, The Notebook, The Princess Bride and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
“I’ll Never Not Love You” is the first single from Michael’s upcoming album, Higher, which is due out March 25.
The second of two shows John Mayer was to have played at New York’s Madison Square Garden hit an unexpected bump on Monday when his drummer, Steve Ferrone, tested positive for COVID-19. But the show went on, in a different format — or, as John described it, as “a very special presentation.“
The concert Monday night featured John performing acoustically with the band, minus Ferrone. Then, for the last five songs plus the encore, Roots and Tonight Show drummer Questlove made a surprise appearance and filled in on the drum kit. Questlove and John have been friends since 2003, when the former played on John’s song, “Clarity.”
On Instagram, Questlove posted about how it all happened, writing that he was eager to go see John’s concert, because Steve Ferrone is his drumming idol, having played with everyone from Tom Petty, Duran Duran and Eric Clapton, to Rick James, Chaka Khan and Aerosmith.
“I got out my show clothes all [excited] & then I checked my phone: ‘Ferrone got covid, can you sit in?’” Questlove wrote. “Truth be told I coulda played the whole show…I was anxious, amped, timorous, excited, scared & hyped!! Gotta say once onstage it was gravy.”
John wrote in the comments, “What you did was unforgettable and brilliant. Thank you for saving the day.”
John also wrote on Instagram, “My boundless appreciation goes out to the legendary @questlove, who stepped in on an hour’s notice to help end the show on such a powerful and definitive note….Most importantly, I thank everyone in attendance whose enthusiasm and energy in the face of some disappointing news lifted us all to something far greater than I could have ever expected.”
John noted that the next few stops on the tour will feature the same acoustic format, minus Questlove.
The Whowill play a special acoustic show on March 25 at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2022 edition of the annual series of benefit concert for the Teenage Cancer Trust that singer Roger Daltrey helps organize.
The event will mark the band’s first concert since February 2020, and will take place a month before the recently announced The Who Hits Back! tour of North America kicks off.
The acoustic show will feature Daltrey and Who guitarist Pete Townshendaccompanied by two members of The Who’s touring band — guitarist/backup singer Simon Townshend and backing vocalist Billy Nicholls — as well as by bassist Phil Spalding, percussionist Jodie Linscott, keyboardist Geraint Watkins, violinist Charlie Hart and accordion player Andy Cutting.
The concert will feature a mix of Who classics, rarities and fan favorites. The show’s opening act will be The Wild Things, a British rock group whose upcoming album is being produced by Pete Townshend.
The 2022 Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts will run from March 21 through March 27. This year’s other headlining acts include Yungblud on March 23, Madness on March 24, Liam Gallagher on March 26 and Ed Sheeran on March 27. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My wonderful team and I have pulled out all the stops to make this 20th series of shows for Teenage Cancer Trust the best ever,” Daltrey says. “The Who will be back on stage this year at the Hall alongside some wonderful talent. After the last two unbelievably difficult years, young people with cancer deserve everything we can do for them.”
Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 25, at 9 a.m. local time at RoyalAlbertHall.com.
On his new double album, Macon, Georgia, Jason Aldean does some things he’s never tried before. First of all, the project was released across two discs, the first of which came out last November as Macon and the second of which, Georgia, will arrive in April.
It’s also the tenth album of Jason’s career, so he wanted to do something special. He’s never done a greatest hits package or a live album, and while Macon, Georgia doesn’t qualify as either, it does include some elements of both. Each disc ends with five live tracks of Aldean classics like “Amarillo Sky,” “Big Green Tractor” and “Any Ol’ Barstool.”
“The idea was to at least pull one live song from each of the previous nine albums,” the singer says. “Obviously, one album will have two off it. But after this long [of a career], you know, you’re trying to just get creative and find new ways to give your fans something different that you haven’t given them yet.”
But don’t expect a full greatest hits album from Jason anytime soon. “We’ve never done a greatest hitsrecord. That’s been by choice for me,” he points out.
“I hope I got a lot more hits in the tank, so I don’t want to put out a Greatest Hits yet, because I don’t feel like I’m finished,” he reflects, but adds that his creative approach to structuring his new album was his way of giving listeners a little bit of that ‘greatest hits’ feel.
“I felt like that was sort of a way to do that, a little bit,” Jason explains.
Georgia, the second half of the country star’s double album, is due out on April 22.
