Music – Page 746 – 105.7 WDNY

On This Day, July 31, 1980: The Eagles’ long run ended in Long Beach

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, July 31, 1980…

During a benefit gig in Long Beach, California, Eagles members Glenn Frey and Don Felder spent the show detailing how they planned to beat each other up after it was over.

The show – now known as the “Long Night at Wrong Beach” – was a benefit for California Sen. Alan Cranston’s reelection campaign. The band basically split up after the gig, although they did go on to release a live album of the tour, Eagles Live, in order to fulfill their commitment to Elektra Records.

The band eventually reconvened in 1994, although Felder was kicked out of the group in 1999. Frey passed away in 2016, but the band continued on with Glenn’s son Deacon Frey and Vince Gill joining the group.

In July 2023, the Eagles announced they were going on their final tour, but they are still performing. They kicked off a Las Vegas residency at the Sphere in September 2024 and will return to the venue on Sept. 5, with shows scheduled through November. A complete list of dates can be found at eagles.com.

Watch Elton John rock with Spinal Tap on ‘Stonehenge,” from ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Elton John appears in the long-awaited Spinal Tap sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, but before the film hits theaters, you can watch him rock out with the Tap in a new video.

In the sequel, estranged Spinal Tap bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls — played by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, respectively — are forced to reunite for one final concert. In the video, which is a scene from the movie, we see the band onstage, performing their classic “Stonehenge.”

After Tufnel delivers the spoken intro, a piano rises up out of the stage with a caped Elton behind the keys. He throws off his cake and begins singing the song, with the band joining in. At the end, a full-size replica of Stonehenge — not the 18-inch high version that became famous in the first film — descends from the ceiling.

The new version of “Stonehenge” appears on the soundtrack album for the film, which includes nine new songs and four “reinvented” classics. In addition to “Stonehenge,” Elton also joins the band for a remake of their early hit “Flower People,” while Paul McCartney, who’s also in the movie, duets with them on “Cups and Cakes.”

Also on the album, superstar country couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood appear on a new version of one of Spinal Tap’s other classics, “Big Bottom.” Yes, you heard that correctly.

Here’s the track list for The End Continues album, due Sept. 12, the same day the sequel hits theaters:

“Nigel’s Poem”
“Let’s Just Rock Again”
“Flower People” with Elton John
“Brighton Rock”
“The Devil’s Just Not Getting Old”
“Cups and Cakes” with Paul McCartney
“I Kissed a Girl”
“Angels”
“Big Bottom” with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood
“Judge and Jury”
“Rockin’ in the Urn”
“Blood to Let”
“Stonehenge” with Elton John

Josh Freese confirms return to Nine Inch Nails: ‘Feels amazing’

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Drummer Josh Freese has confirmed his return to Nine Inch Nails.

Freese, who was let go from Foo Fighters in May after two years playing with Dave Grohl and company, previously drummed with the “Closer” outfit from 2005 to 2008.

“Leaving Nine Inch Nails at the end of 2008 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Freese writes in an Instagram post. “My wife and I were expecting our third child, and I knew I need to step away from life on the road to be home with my family.”

“NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it,'” the post continues. “And it wasn’t just a feeling, it was a certainty. That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else.”

You can catch Freese in action with Trent Reznor‘s band when NIN’s Peel It Back world tour launches in the U.S. Aug. 6 in Oakland, California.

“Being back on tour with Trent and the crew — helping them do what they do best night after night — is something I’m incredibly excited about,” Freese writes. “To be part of that energy again feels amazing.”

“If you get a chance to catch one of these shows over the next six weeks, I promise, they’re going to be absolutely unforgettable,” he concludes. “Hope to see you out there.”

As for Foo Fighters, they’ve reportedly recruited longtime NIN drummer Ilan Rubin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He had to ‘Learn the Hard Way,’ but Jordan Davis is up for a sequel to ‘Bar None’ video

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

If you’ve experienced the other-worldly watering hole Jordan Davis inhabits in his “Bar None” music video, you know it’s filled with countertops that disappear into the walls and ceilings that seem to collapse on top of pool tables.

But Jordan admits he had some doubts at first.

“You read the treatment down,” he says, “and I remember thinking, like, ‘Dude, this is gonna be the most futuristic video. Like, I don’t even know if this fits the song.’ But I trust [director] Patrick [Tracy] 100 percent and he was just like, ‘No, I know what you’re saying, but don’t worry. It’s gonna look cool.'”

Once Jordan spent a “super long day for a video” on the “movable” set, he was sold, calling it “the coolest video I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Patrick would probably be like, ‘Dude that was actually a disaster to get built and do all that,'” Jordan says. “But I had a blast. So I think we should do it again.”

Jordan’s favorite part?

“That ceiling coming down on me on the pool table is pretty cool,” he says.

“Bar None” is from Jordan’s Learn the Hard Way album, which comes out Aug. 15.

‘Small Town’ celebration: John Mellencamp’s ‘Scarecrow’ turns 40

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

It was 40 years ago that John Mellencamp, then known as John Cougar Mellencamp, released his critically acclaimed eighth studio album, Scarecrow, which was filled with songs about the fading American dream, thanks to the greed of corporate America.

Recorded in his studio in Indiana, Scarecrow was filled with songs speaking to the people of the heartland, like “Rain on the Scarecrow,” which addressed the plight of small family-owned farms during the 1980s, as well as “Small Town,” in which Mellencamp sang about his experiences growing up in Indiana.

The two were among the five singles released from the record, with three of them hitting the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100: “Small Town” and “Lonely Ol’ Night,” which both peaked at #6, and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” which went to #2. “Rain on the Scarecrow” peaked at #21, while the fifth single, “Rumbleseat,” hit #28.

Scarecrow wound up being a commercial success for Mellencamp. It landed at #2 on the Billboard 200 and has gone on to be certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Mellencamp’s interest in the plight of the American farmer didn’t end with Scarecrow. The same year as the album’s release, he, Willie Nelson and Neil Young organized the benefit concert Farm Aid to raise money to help U.S. farmers.

The first concert was held on Sept. 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, and the Farm Aid organization has raised nearly $80 million since then. The 40th anniversary concert will be held Sept. 20 in Minneapolis. Mellencamp, Young and Nelson, who are all part of the Farm Aid board, are headlining, along with Dave Matthews and Margo Price, who joined the board in 2001 and 2021, respectively.

Bilmuri’s hoping to be a ‘gateway’ into heavy music for pop fans at Lollapalooza

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Aside from headliner Korn, there isn’t much metal on the 2025 Lollapalooza lineup. But if you’re still hoping to bang your head and throw up metal horns at Chicago’s Grant Park, consider checking out Bilmuri.

Bilmuri, which is playing Lolla on Saturday, is the project of Johnny Franck, former guitarist for the metalcore band Attack Attack! As one of the few artists from the metal world on the Lolla bill, Franck feels his set is an opportunity.

“I’m always super happy to play, like, pop festivals, because it’s nice when you stand out as kind of a heavier act,” Franck tells ABC Audio.

Franck adds that he’s “excited for pop fans to see what a heavy show is for the first time.”

“Maybe an Olivia Rodrigo fan wanders over or something like that and sees, like, ‘Oh, there’s pop elements to it that’s enjoyable,’ but there’s also, like, ‘Oh, this is a breakdown and this is a heavy riff and this is what fans do to that,'” Franck says. “Maybe we can be a gateway for some pop fans to get into heavier music.”

Bilmuri fans old and new — you may have also heard his single “More Than Hate,” which is currently charting on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking — can catch him on his U.S. headlining tour, which continues Thursday in Detroit and picks up again after Lolla in September.

“I try to deliver an hour, an hour and 10 minutes of the absolute most pure enjoyable time,” Franck says of the Bilmuri live experience. “If something’s not enjoyable, it’s gonna get pulled for something that’s more.”

Lollapalooza 2025 takes place Thursday though Sunday. Select sets will stream on Hulu.

Michael Jai White says Method Man helped bring new film ‘Trouble Man’ to life

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Michael Jai White plays a cop turned private investigator in his new film, Trouble Man. His character, Jaxen, is hired to help find missing R&B singer Jahari (La La Anthony), a mission he completes with her boyfriend, Money, played by Clifford “Method Man” Smith. White says Meth not only helped onscreen but was a huge help off screen, as well. He says the film wouldn’t have been completed if it weren’t for Meth.

“I’m very influenced by what I grew up with, seeing alpha males like Jim Brown and Fred Williamson, and really celebrated how they worked together,” he tells ABC Audio. “This script had been around for a long time, but I wasn’t gonna do it until I found my Fred Williamson, which is Method Man.”

White says Meth was the “perfect person” for the role, because “the world has seen him evolve just from a rapper to somebody who’s worked on himself inside and out.” He says Method Man also played a pivotal role in bringing his idea for the film to fruition.

“[When] you have a mission to do something for the culture that hasn’t been done in a long time, sometimes it takes you actually telling your representatives, ‘Listen, you stand back. I got this. This is a personal thing. We’re going to do this movie together,'” White says. “You know, they’re there to make you money and everything else, but sometimes we roll up our sleeves for the sake of the culture and the sake of our legacy. And that’s what he did.”

The result, Trouble Man, arrives in theaters on Friday.

Rob Thomas wants Ryan Gosling to join him onstage for a ‘Barbie’ duet

July 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

In 2023, Matchbox Twenty‘s song “Push” popped up in an unexpected place: the box office smash Barbie movie. And lead singer Rob Thomas says it may not be out of the question to have Ken himself, Ryan Gosling, duet with him on that song.

Gosling as Ken performs “Push” in the Barbie movie as a way to reflect his newfound belief in the patriarchy. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Rob is asked about the possibility of them performing the song together. “Listen, if I could’ve done that, I would’ve already left [my wife] Mari and be with him right now,” he laughs. “He’s an attractive man.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rob then tells his manager, “Let’s see about getting Ryan Gosling to the show to sing with us” when his upcoming solo tour hits California.

“If that happened, you’d be witnessing the bromance of the ages,” Rob adds.

Of course, Rob has no actual plans to leave his wife, who he’s been with since 1998. The song “Thrill Me” on Rob’s new solo album, All Night Days, is about their relationship and was inspired by Shania Twain‘s “You’re Still the One.”

“I used to love ‘You’re Still the One’ and that sentiment,” Rob tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The reason why [relationships] sometimes don’t work out is because people are ever-evolving. If you’re lucky, both of you evolve in the same direction, or are willing to accept the changes happening to each other. When that happens, it’s magical.”

Report: Foo Fighters recruit Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin; Josh Freese reunites with NIN

July 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails have reportedly traded drummers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dave Grohl and company have recruited longtime NIN drummer Ilan Rubin to man the kit after parting ways with Josh Freese in May. THR also reports that Freese is rejoining Trent Reznor‘s band after previously playing with the “Closer” outfit from 2005 to 2008.

Nine Inch Nails seemingly welcomed Freese back in an Instagram Story reading, “Let’s f****** go @joshfreese.”

ABC Audio has reached out to reps for Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails.

Freese joined Foo Fighters in 2023 following the 2022 death of Taylor Hawkins. In the post announcing the end of his Foos tenure, Freese shared that the band told them they decided “to go in a different direction with their drummer.”

“No reason was given,” Freese wrote.

As for Rubin, he first played with Nine Inch Nails from 2008 to 2009 before returning in 2013, and remained the band’s live drummer through the European leg of their Peel It Back world tour, which just concluded in July. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with NIN in 2020.

Rubin also plays in Tom DeLonge‘s Angels & Airwaves project.

Foo Fighters are set to return to the live stage in October for a run of dates in Asia.

Nine Inch Nails’ Peel It Back tour continues with the U.S. leg in August.

Biffy Clyro enters ‘Hunting Season’ with latest ‘Futique’ song

July 30, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Biffy Clyro has shared a new song called “Hunting Season,” a track off the band’s upcoming album, Futique.

The punky tune, which is out now via digital outlets, marks the second cut to be released from Futique, following lead single “A Little Love.”

Futique is due out Sept. 26. It’s the follow-up to 2021’s The Myth of the Happily Ever After.

Biffy Clyro will launch a European tour in January.

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