Music – Page 829 – 105.7 WDNY

Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony look back at Van Halen’s ‘dark’ record ‘Balance’

August 13, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Ahead of the upcoming expanded edition release of Van Halen’s 1995 album, Balance, former members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are reflecting on the record in a new video posted on YouTube.

In the clip, Hagar calls Balance “one of the darkest records lyrically I’ve ever done in my life.” He adds, “And a lot of it was just coming off of what was going on within the band. … Everyone’s life was going through changes on this record.”

Despite the turmoil, Sammy says Balance was a “great record,” and they both give credit to producer Bruce Fairbairn and engineer Mike Fraser.

“Without those two guys, this record probably wouldn’t have got made and the band could have broke up right there,” Sammy says.

He joked, “Instead it waited for the tour.”

Balance was the band’s last studio album with Hagar and the last to feature Anthony on an entire album.

Both Hagar and Anthony also discussed some of the “great music” on Balance, including songs like “The Seventh Seal” and “Can’t Stop Loving You.”

As for the track “Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do,” Hagar says it was “one of the most painful vocals I’ve ever done in my life. It makes ‘Dreams’ sound easy. But great lyric.”

“These are great songs,” Sammy concludes. “Great record. Great, great, dark record.”

Balance (Expanded Edition), dropping Friday, will be released as a two-LP/two-CD/Blu-Ray set featuring a remastered edition of the original album, along with audio and video rarities. The set will also include eight live performances from the band’s 1995 show at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Blu-ray includes restored promo videos along with a previously unreleased live clip of “The Seventh Seal,” shot in Minneapolis in 1995.

Balance (Expanded Edition) is available for preorder now.

When We Were Young announces 2025 side shows

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The When We Were Young festival has announced its run of side shows for 2025.

Artists including Taking Back Sunday, Ice Nine Kills and Story of the Year will be headlining concerts around Las Vegas Oct. 17-19 as When We Were Young takes place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds Oct. 18-19.

Presales for the side shows begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. PT. For all ticket info, visit WhenWeWereYoungFestival.com.

When We Were Young 2025 will be headlined by blink-182 and the reformed Panic! at the Disco.

Lady Gaga is coming to Roblox’s ‘Dress to Impress’ game

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Lady Gaga is bringing Mayhem to Dress to Impress, a game on the Roblox platform.

In Dress to Impress, players create outfits around a specific theme, selecting clothing, accessories and hairstyles from a big online selection. Everyone’s fit is then judged by the other players, and you can win in-game currency.

From Aug. 16 through Aug. 23, you’ll be able to play Lady Gaga’s Mayhem, where you can choose from Gaga-related themes, clothes, items and more. According to the sign-up page, “You might even have a chance to meet Lady Gaga In-Game through an Exclusive Outfit Competition, judged by Lady Gaga herself.”

Based on the footage the game has posted, many of the looks you can choose from are inspired by the outfits Gaga wears during her current Mayhem Ball tour.

You can sign up to be notified at Roblox.com.

Robert Plant on turning down Black Sabbath’s farewell, why there won’t be another Led Zeppelin reunion

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Robert Plant reveals in a new interview with Mojo that Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi invited him to participate in their Back to the Beginning farewell show, but declined the offer. The concert, in Birmingham, England, turned out to be Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance before his death.

“I said, Tony, I’d love to come, but I can’t come. I just can’t,” the former Led Zeppelin frontman says. “I don’t know anything about what’s going on in that world now, at all. I don’t decry it, I’ve got nothing against it. It’s just I found these other places that are so rich.”

Plant will release a new album with his acoustic band Saving Grace on Sept. 26, and they’ll head out on a U.S tour on Oct. 30. While they’ve been known to play Led Zeppelin tunes like “The Rain Song” and “Four Sticks” at their shows, Plant prefers to stay away from the bigger hits.

“What were the hits? How can they be related to now, where do they fit? They fit as a sort of memoir,” he says. “When people say that I don’t like ‘Stairway To Heaven,’ I just don’t like the idea of it. These iconic things – they’re just what they are.”

He adds, “But you know, most people have missed some of the best Zeppelin stuff. ‘For Your Life,’ on Presence. ‘Achilles Last Stand!’ F***** hell. Just extraordinary that three people and a singer can do that.”

The last time the surviving members of Led Zeppelin performed together was in 2007 in London at the tribute concert for record exec Ahmet Urtrgen. While Plant says that performance “came through,” he doesn’t expect it will ever happen again.

As for why, he says, “I suppose, to do it for the sake of it was never what Zeppelin was about.”

Nashville notes: Scotty McCreery’s Hootie video + John Morgan’s tour friends

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Brent Anderson, Jeb Gipson and Ryan and Rory will join John Morgan on his Friends Like That Tour, named for his #1 with Jason Aldean. The trek kicks off Oct. 9 at New York’s Buffalo Iron Works.

Kane Brown‘s music video for “2 Pair” will drop Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.

Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker and the other members of Hootie & the Blowfish have been busy shooting the music video for their top-10 hit, “Bottle Rockets,” at The Windjammer beach club in Charleston, South Carolina.

Beyoncé wins 1st Primetime Emmy

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Beyoncé is getting closer to EGOT status, recently earning her first-ever Primetime Emmy. The Television Academy announced the winners of the 77th Emmy Awards in juried categories, and her Beyoncé Bowl Netflix special was named winner of outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction or reality programming.

Bey took home the win alongside costume designer Shiona Turini, assistant costume designers Erica Rice and Molly Peters, costume supervisor Chelsea Staebell and head of workroom Timothy White. The juried awards will take place Sept. 6-7 at LA’s Peacock Theater and will air Sept. 13 on FXX, followed by the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14.

Bey is also nominated for two more awards: outstanding variety special (live) and outstanding directing for a variety special.

With the latest feat, Beyoncé now has 35 Grammys and a Primetime Emmy.

She was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song in 2022 for her involvement in “Be Alive” with Dixson, which is on the King Richard soundtrack. Bey has never received nods for Tony Awards.

‘What’s Happening!!’ star Danielle Spencer dies at 60

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Danielle Spencer, a former child actor best known for her role as Dee in the 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!!, has died, a publicist for her family confirmed to ABC News.

Spencer died Aug. 11, due to gastric cancer and cardiac arrest. She was 60, according to Sandra Jones, a family friend who is serving as the family’s spokesperson.

“This untimely death is really hard to process right now,” Jones told ABC News Tuesday. “She is a sweet and gentle soul and she is going to be missed very, very much.”

In 1977, Spencer survived a fatal car crash that killed her stepfather and manager, Tim Pelt, according to her biography on her website.

After recovering from her injuries, Spencer went on to earn a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine in 1993.

Spencer starred in 65 episodes of What’s Happening!!, an ABC sitcom about three teenage boys growing up in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, according to IMDb.

Spencer played Dee Thomas, the boys’ younger sister. She also appeared in 16 episodes of the show’s sequel, What’s Happening Now!

She moved from California to the Richmond, Virginia, area in 2014.

At the time of her death, Spencer, who previously battled breast cancer, lived with her mom in an area outside of Richmond, according to Jones.

In addition to her mom, Cheryl Pelt, Spencer is survived by her younger brother, jazz musician Jeremy Pelt.

In an email Tuesday, Jeremy Pelt told ABC News that Spencer was “a very loving spirit who fought courageously until the very end.”

Jeremy Pelt also shared a tribute to his sister on Instagram Tuesday, writing, “Many of you knew her as ‘Dee,’ but she was more than a child actress.”

“She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter- and in many ways, my mother’s best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease,” he continued. “And she was MY sister and protector.”

He added that he was “thankful” to be with his sister when she took her last breath and was “gutted” by her death, writing, “I love you, forever.”

Special IMAX screening of ‘Spinal Tap’ sequel will feature Q&A with band and director

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to 1984’s mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, is hitting theaters Sept. 12, but some fans will get a chance to see it a couple days early thanks to a very special IMAX screening.

Dubbed the On, Off, and Around the Record Live Event, the screening will include an exclusive Q&A with director Rob Reiner, in character as documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi. He’ll be joined by Spinal Tap band members David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls aka Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, respectively.

The event will be held Sept. 10 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles and will stream live in theaters across the country.

Tickets are on sale now.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will follow the band as they reunite after 15 years for a final concert. It will feature cameos from Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Books, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and more.

Anthrax to perform on 2026 70000 Tons of Metal concert cruise

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Anthrax has joined the lineup for the 2026 70000 Tons of Metal concert cruise, taking pace Jan. 29 to Feb. 2.

“These legendary Soldiers Of Metal are ready to turn this ship into a floating Madhouse!” cruise organizers say.

70000 Tons of Metal 2026 will set sail from Miami and will stop in Nassau, The Bahamas. Tickets go on sale Aug. 19 at noon ET.

For more info, visit 70000tons.com.

Anthrax is coming off a run of U.K. dates, which included performing at Black Sabbath‘s farewell Back to the Beginning concert. Back to the Beginning marked the final live performance by the late Ozzy Osbourne, who died just over two weeks after the show.

A puzzle for his fans? Riley Green answers ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’

August 12, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Riley Green‘s got a little puzzle for his fans to solve.

“Something’s coming soon,” he teases in an email blast sent out Tuesday.

“I’ve got some news to share, but I want to see if you can guess it first,” he continues, going on to challenge readers to post their answers to their Instagram Story and tag him, promising one of them will win an autographed vinyl album.

Scrambled letters follow, complete with Hangman-style blanks:
“NTDO DINM FI
I OD XUEELD
TOU GUUTSA 92″

Spoiler alert: It’s probably safe to say the deluxe edition of his third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do, is coming Aug. 29.

So far, he hasn’t revealed the new additions to the 18-track record.

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