Primus‘ Les Claypool will be quite prepared for the band’s upcoming Rush tribute tour.
Apparently, the “My Name Is Mud” singer has been jamming with none other than Geddy Lee ahead of the outing.
Over the weekend, Claypool posted a photo on his Instagram of him alongside the Rush legend, with each bass luminary holding their signature instrument.
“Learning from the master…” the caption reads.
Should you wish to see the result of Lee’s imparting wisdom to Claypool, Primus’ tour launches August 10 in Boise, Idaho. The band will be playing Rush’s 1977 album, A Farewell to Kings, in its entirety.
Reba McEntire opened up to fans about her experience with COVID-19 during a recent livestream on TikTok, encouraging everyone to remain vigilant about the spread of the virus.
The country legend and her boyfriend, actor Rex Linn, both caught COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, she explained.
“It’s not fun to get this. I did get it. Rex and I got it and it’s not fun,” she detailed, according to People. “We were both vaccinated and we still got it, so stay safe, stay home and be protected the best you can.”
The singer added that taking precautions is especially important as case numbers begin to rise again. “I just want to say one thing: This has been a hard year and it’s getting rougher again. You guys, please stay safe,” Reba insisted. “Wear your mask. Do what you have to do. Stay home.”
Last week, the singer indefinitely postponed a public memorial she’s planned for August 8 to celebrate the life of her late mom, Jacqueline, who died in March 2020.
Reba explained that the postponement was due to an uptick in local COVID-19 cases, adding that her mom would “scold us to pieces for putting on a memorial on her behalf with so many lives in danger of COVID exposure.”
Aaron Marshall/Courtesy of Sympathy for the Record Industry
A new Go-Go’s tribute album featuring cover tunes by a wide variety of artists is slated to be released as a two-LP set in the coming weeks.
If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now is a 24-track collection that includes contributions from The Romantics‘ Mike Skill, Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom, Blondie drummer Clem Burke and, from The Go-Go’s themselves, bassist Kathy Valentine.
Skill is featured on a rendition of “Tonite” — a song from the Go-Go’s 1981 debut album, Beauty and the Beat — along with veteran Detroit rocker Nikki Corvette and current A Flock of Seagulls drummer Kevin Rankin.
Phantom has teamed up with his girlfriend, Eagles of Death Metal touring bassist Jennie Vee, for a version of “Beatnik Beach,” from The Go-Go’s’ second album, 1982’s Vacation.
Burke and Valentine both play on veteran alt-rockers The Coolies‘ version of the Go-Go’s rarity “King of Confusion.”
Other artists featured on the tribute include Josie Cotton, Holly and the Italians, E.G. Daily and Paul Collins Beat.
Here’s the full list of songs on If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now, according to the project’s official Facebook page:
Josie Cotton — “Fading Fast”
Fastbacks — “Vacation”
Pale Lips — “Get Up and Go”
The Romantics’ Mike Skill & Nikki Corvette — “Tonite”
The Short Fuses — “How Much More”
The Chubbies — “Good Girl”
Juniper — “Turn to You”
The 5678’s — “Surfing and Spying”
Hayley and the Crushers — “Lust To Love”
Holly and the Italians — “Can’t Stop the World”
Miss Marr — “Worlds Away”
The Yum Yums (featuring Caroline) — “Unforgiven”
The Suite Sixteen — “Speeding”
Natalie Sweet — “He’s So Strange”
The Coolies with special guests (Clem Burke & Kathy Valentine) — “King of Confusion”
Paul Collins Beat with Marci Marks of The MnM’s — “Our Lips Are Sealed “
Jenny Vee with Slim Jim Phantom — “Beatnik Beach”
Transatlanic Bunnies — “Whole World Lost Its Head”
The Heels — “Skidmarks on My Heart”
E.G. Daily — “We Got the Beat”
Tina & the Boom Booms — “You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can’t Sleep)”
The Tweezers — “We Don’t Get Along”
The Nutley Brass — “Head over Heels”
The Baby Shakes — “This Town”
Ed Sheeran and Annie Lennox are two of the many stars who’ll take part inWe for India, a three-hour virtual benefit show that’ll be broadcast on Facebook on India’s Independence Day, August 15.
The event is designed to encourage donors worldwide to give $3.5 million for post-COVID-19 relief work in India, as well as preventative measures against the future spread of the pandemic. All donations will go to GiveIndia, the country’s largest charity donation platform, to provide humanitarian aid and support the country’s medical infrastructure.
In addition to Ed and Annie, Mick Jagger will appear, as will Nile Rodgers of CHIC, podcast host Jay Shetty, Sister Sledge, and Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, who created the music for Slumdog Millionaire. A host of Bollywood stars are also involved.
Coheed and Cambria has premiered the video for “Shoulders,” the band’s latest single.
The clip finds Claudio Sanchez and company in an industrial warehouse wearing all-white jumpsuits, contrasted with a line of people all dressed in red.
“As a band, we’ve always been a little outside of the mainstream and that’s helped keep us true to ourselves,” Coheed says. “As people, it’s important to focus on your strengths and who you are, and not try too hard for acceptance. Everyone is special and has their own unique contributions and that’s what the video represents.”
You can watch the “Shoulders” video streaming now on YouTube.
“Shoulders” was released in July. It follows Coheed’s 2018 album, Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures.
Coheed launches a U.S. tour with The Used August 27 in Los Angeles.
Following the news that Tesla would be postponing their next few shows due to “members of the touring party contracting COVID,” the band’s guitarist, Frank Hannon, has now confirmed that he’s one of those suffering from the disease.
Tesla’s shows on August 5 and August 6 featured guitarist Howie Simon filling in for Hannon. On Instagram, Hannon writes, “I want to thank my friend Howie Simon for stepping in to help us. please accept my apology for not saying anything sooner, but I’ve not been able to move all week in pain.”
“The day the bus was leaving I woke up w 102 fever, shakes and couldn’t hardly breathe. So I stayed home. I’ve been unable to hardly move or function since,” he continues. “Tested positive for Covid. (yes I got the vax, thought maybe it was side efx). Howie did the 2 Oregon shows for me, and the guys are postponing more dates until we’re all cleared up and safe .. I love you all LET’sGET REAL.”
Tesla bass player Brian Wheatposted, “Hello folks it’s obvious some of us have come down with Covid please send out good vibes to my brothers in the crew and the band we’ll get back out there when everyone is healthy again …… and for the record this isn’t fun.”
Zac Brown Band brought their The Comeback Tour to Boston’s Fenway Park on Sunday, and they made a little bit of history in the process.
The band last played the beloved baseball park — which is home to the Boston Red Sox — in 2019 for back-to-back nights during The Owl Tour. During those appearances, they set a venue record, becoming the only musical act to sell out 11 consecutive shows at Fenway Park.
But as of Sunday night’s performance, ZBB has one-upped themselves yet again: Their sold-out show marked 12 consecutive sell-outs at the venue.
The milestone comes in the middle of a busy summer full of new music. The group’s current single, “Same Boat,” is inside country radio’s Top 20. Meanwhile, they’ve dropped a number of other songs, including two co-written by Luke Combs and another that’s a duet with buzzy Americana up-and-comer Marcus King.
The Comeback Tour continues later this month with a stop in Maryland and will last through mid-October, ultimately wrapping up with a hometown show grand finale at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Prince‘s album Welcome 2 America, originally recorded in 2010 but just recently released, has debuted at number four on the Billboard album chart. It marks the late legend’s highest-charting new album since 2009’s Lotusflow3r/MPSound.
Lotusflow3r debuted and peaked at number three in April of 2009. Since then, Prince has had higher-charting albums, but only with previously released material. For example, The Very Best of Prince hit number one after his death in 2016.
Welcome 2 America also debuted at number one on the Billboard R&B Album chart.
To coincide with the album’s release, a video of Prince performing his song “17 Days” at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, recorded during the Welcome 2 America tour in 2011, is now available to watch on YouTube. It’s part of the footage in the concert Blu-ray that comes with the deluxe edition of Welcome 2 America. “17 Days” was the B-side of Prince’s 1984 classic, “When Doves Cry.”
If you need more Prince, a new season of The Prince Estate’s official podcast has launched, starting with The Story of Welcome 2 America. It documents the years 2010 to 2011, when Prince recorded the album, shelved it and then decided to perform concert residencies around the world.
Acclaimed and prolific session drummer Josh Freese appears to be The Offspring‘s new drummer.
Freese, who’s played with bands including Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle, manned the kit for the “Self Esteem” rockers during their show in Los Angeles Sunday. The drummer posted video from the performance on his Instagram.
The LA date marked not only The Offspring’s first full in-person show since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was also the band’s first concert to follow the departure of drummer Pete Parada.
Parada, who’d played in The Offspring since 2007, announced last week that “it has recently been decided that I am unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour” because he’s unable to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to his history with the neurological condition Guillain–Barré syndrome.
It’s unclear whether Freese is a permanent replacement or just a one-off fill-in. It does appear the arrangement was relatively last-minute: according to another Instagram post from Freese, Offspring frontman — and licensed pilot — Dexter Holland flew him to and back from Denver Saturday where he was playing another gig so that he could make Sunday’s concert.
By the way, Freese has played drums on the past four Offspring records, including this year’s Let the Bad Times Roll.
Mick Jagger and Annie Lennox are two of the many stars who’ll take part in We for India, a three-hour virtual benefit show that’ll be broadcast on Facebook on India’s Independence Day, August 15.
The event is designed to encourage donors worldwide to give $3.5 million for post-COVID relief work in India, as well as preventative measures against the future spread of the pandemic. All donations will go to GiveIndia, the country’s largest charity donation platform, to provide humanitarian aid and support the country’s medical infrastructure.
It’s not clear whether Jagger will simply be seen in a video message or if he’ll perform. Lennox will perform, alongside her daughter, Lola Lennox. Others appearing include pop superstar Ed Sheeran, Nile Rodgers of CHIC, podcast host Jay Shetty and Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, who created the music for Slumdog Millionaire. A host of Bollywood stars are also involved.
