An archival Alice Cooper concert album that captures the shock rocker performing at a Dallas record store with the surviving members of his original band will get its official wide global release. Live from the Astroturf will come out on multiple formats September 30.
The album was originally released as a limited-edition vinyl disc. The new release will be available as a colored-vinyl LP packaged with a DVD featuring the 2019 documentary about the reunion performance; a CD/Blu-ray set also featuring the audio and the documentary; and a digital version of the record.
The reunion show took place in 2015 at Good Records in Dallas and featured Cooper joined by guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith from the original Alice Cooper band as well as guitarist Ryan Roxie from Alice’s current touring band, who stepped in after the late Glen Buxton died in 1997.
The performance was a surprise to the attendees, who had gathered at the record shop for a special in-store signing event intended to promote Dunaway’s memoir, Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs!
The concert featured Cooper and company running a selection of songs from the group’s early-1970s albums, including classics like “I’m Eighteen,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Under My Wheels,” “Elected” and “School’s Out.”
The band’s performances of “I’m Eighteen and “Under My Wheels” will be featured on the Live at the Astroturf DVD and Blu-ray in addition to the documentary about the event and a lengthy interview with Dunaway, Bruce and Smith.
Physical versions of Live at the Astroturf can be preordered now at Ear-Music.net.
Here’s the full Live from the Astroturf track list:
“Caught in a Dream”
“Be My Lover”
“I’m Eighteen”
“Is It My Body”
“No More Mr. Nice Guy”
“Under My Wheels”
“School’s Out”
“Elected”
“Desperado” (Instrumental Bonus Track)
DVD/Blu-ray:
–Documentary
–Music Video: “I’m Eighteen”
–Music Video: “Under My Wheels”
–Extensive Interview with Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith
Primus has canceled the upcoming European leg of the band’s A Tribute to Kings tour.
The outing, set to kick off in the fall, was scrapped due to “unavoidable logistical challenges.”
“We apologize to our fans who were planning to attend and look forward to performing in Europe again soon,” Primus says.
Refunds will be issued to ticket holders at the point of purchase.
The A Tribute to Kings tour, which first launched in 2021, features Primus performing Rush‘s 1977 album A Farewell to Kings in full, as well as a set of their own songs. The most recent North American leg made a stop in the “Tom Sawyer” outfit’s hometown of Toronto in May, which was attended by Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson.
The lineup of the 2022 Aftershock festival is going through some shake-ups.
Organizers for the California hard-rock extravaganza announced Tuesday that Judas Priest and several other acts — including Bullet for My Valentine and Alice Cooper touring guitarist Nita Strauss — have dropped off the bill. A tweet announcing the news did not give a specific reason for the change, noting only that those acts are “no longer able to perform at Aftershock 2022.”
As replacements, Danzig and In Flames are among the artists that have now joined the Aftershock lineup.
Aftershock 2022 takes place October 6-9 in Sacramento. The lineup also includes KISS, Stone Temple Pilots, Slipknot, Rob Zombie, Papa Roach, Shinedown, My Chemical Romance, Helmet, GWAR and Evanescence.
Judas Priest had been scheduled to perform on October 7, the same day KISS is headlining the event. The appearance had been the first scheduled date on the fall 2022 leg of Priest’s 50 Heavy Metal Years tour, which now will kick off with an October 13 concert in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Jimmie Allen will make his debut performance appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Tuesday night, airing at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS. He’ll also perform on Good Morning America and GMA3 Wednesday morning on ABC.
Kelsea Ballerini will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday. Comedian Chelsea Handler is filling in as a guest host. The show airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
Fancy Hagood has teamed up with Kacey Musgraves for “Blue Dream Baby,” released in honor of International Pride Day.
Garth Brooks will be honored with the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award at the NSAI Nashville Songwriter Awards on September 20 at the Ryman Auditorium.
Kesha released the music video for her 2019 single “Rich, White, Straight Men” on Tuesday to protest the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. “Abortion is healthcare and healthcare is a human right,” she said. “I am a woman who should have the right to my own bodily autonomy. I should feel safe. I don’t. We won’t rest until we all are protected.”
Demi Lovato has a new tattoo — a spiderweb on their left shoulder. The “Skin of My Teeth” singer showed off their new ink on their Instagram Stories and wrote, “A spider you can see now!”
You want to live next door to Taylor Swift? Now you can! Seacoast Current reports the home located at 2 Kidds Way in Westerly, Rhode Island, is a stone’s throw away from her house and is on sale for $18.5 million. The beachfront home has several amenities, including a pool, seven bedrooms and 8.5 baths — but being neighbors with Taylor is probably the biggest perk.
Speaking of Taylor, Camila Cabello spread the love to her friend on her Instagram Stories by sharing a clip of Taylor performing “Betty” and wrote, “I will always f***in love Taylor Swift.”
Another one of Taylor’s friends had her in mind on Tuesday. Selena Gomez told USA Today the “Shake It Off” singer “really loved” the new season of Only Murders in the Building, whichis streaming now on Hulu.
Selena also revealed to The Times she has a lot in common with her Only Murders character, Mabel. “Being standoffish is not foreign to me,” she quipped. “Most of the time, I don’t trust a lot of people.”
Meghan Trainor reflected on her breakout single, “All About That Bass.” She said of her debut song, “Can’t believe it’s been 8 years and now I just finished my 4th album???” Meghan’s new album, Takin’ It Back, arrives October 21.
The Who‘s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have donated a signed electric guitar to a charity auction that will raise money for Music Support, an organization that helps people in the U.K. music industry who are dealing with mental health and addiction issues.
Daltrey and Townshend have signed a white Fender Stratocaster “Player” model that’s up for bid at CharityStars.com. As of Tuesday evening, the highest bid for the guitar was $1,220. Bidding will continue until July 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
Several other items are being auctioned at CharityStars.com to benefit Music Support, including a snare-drum head played and signed by The Clash‘s Topper Headon, a Fender Strotocaster guitar autographed by all six members of Iron Maiden and a Fender Squier guitar signed by each member of Coldplay.
Sean Penn has returned to Ukraine, where he was shooting a documentary when the Russian invasion began, and he’s apparently back to work there.
The Oscar-winning actor reportedly met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where the president reportedly thanked him “for the attention and support he has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” according to the Ukrainian Presidential News Service.
“Sean, we are very interested in showing the world what happened around Kyiv,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. “I know you were here in the early days of this war. Much has changed in Kyiv. But there are some cities around Kyiv that are very important to show to the world — to show what Russia has done.”
For his part, Penn reportedly was interested in visiting various places in the country to document what has happened since he fled the country on foot into Poland back in February.
He said in a statement to People at the time, “President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle,” calling the country “the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams.”
In June, Penn’s Community Organized Relief Effort raised money for the war-torn country at an event that Zelenskyy addressed remotely.
(WASHINGTON) — As Tuesday’s primaries get underway, the influence of big money, the “big lie” and some Democratic groups have meddled in some of the races.
Primaries in several states, including Colorado, Illinois and New York, will also be held against the backdrop of the latest — surprise — Jan. 6 hearing in the House.
Republican candidates remain divided on Donald Trump’s evidence-free election denialism across Colorado’s congressional and statewide GOP nominating contests, which are further complicated by Democratic efforts to boost the seemingly more right-wing candidates — assuming those choices would then backfire in the general election.
Two GOP politicians are on the ballot in the Republican Senate primary hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet. Businessman Joe O’Dea, the moderate in the race, has focused his campaign on public safety and economic reform.
In stark contrast, Ron Hanks has centered his campaign around the “big lie,” baselessly disputing the last presidential race. Hanks attended Trump’s infamous Jan. 6 rally in Washington ahead of the deadly insurrection at the Capitol.
In this GOP Senate primary, some Democrats have directed their money toward supporting Hanks, the election denier in the race. Democratic Colorado, a super PAC, has run ads highlighting Hanks’ conservative values; and ProgressNow Colorado has simultaneously campaigned against O’Dea. Their thinking — as yet unproven — is that Hanks will ultimately be less appealing to much of the electorate even if the conservative base embraces him.
Meanwhile four Republican candidates are vying for the nomination in Colorado’s newly minted 8th Congressional District. Whoever wins will face off against Democratic Nominee Rep. Yadira Caraveo. This highly competitive election could help decide who controls Congress in 2022, where Democrats hope to preserve their fragile majority.
The candidates in that race include state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine and political newcomer Tyler Allcorn.
While there is no front-runner in this four-way primary, Lori Saine, the most conservative candidate on the ballot, may likely prove the easiest for Democrats to beat, given past trends.
The House Majority PAC has run ads featuring Saine. Though the ad does not deliberately promote her, it characterizes her as a “conservative warrior” with strong popular Republican stances. A political action committee backing Democratic candidates has also run ads against Saine’s opponent Kirkmeyer.
For the governor’s race, two candidates are facing off in Colorado’s Republican primary to unseat Democratic incumbent Jared Polis: Heidi Ganahl, the establishment favorite, and Greg Lopez, an outspoken election denier who has emphasized that, if elected, he would pardon Tina Peters, an accused election worker there. (She has said she is innocent.)
The Democratic Governors Association sponsored ads raising Lopez’s profile, emphasizing his staunch conservative stances on issues like abortion access and gay marriage.
Against the backdrop of Trump’s election lies, Democrats play a risky game — potentially advancing election deniers further in the race for elected office.
In New York, the Democratic primary for governor features a three-way race between a favored incumbent who has yet to serve a full term and two challengers on her left and right.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is considered a front-runner after she stepped into the position (and became New York’s first female governor) in 2021, following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation.
Her two primary opponents are Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Four candidates are fighting for the nomination in the New York GOP gubernatorial primary: Rep Lee Zeldin, Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani (son of Rudy Giuliani) and Harry Wilson.
Zeldin was first elected to the House in 2014 after serving in the state Senate; he is a member of the House Financial Services and House Foreign Affairs committees. Zeldin also voted in 2021 to sustain objections to certifying the 2020 election results even after the Jan. 6 attack.
The younger Giuliani’s dad is a former New York City mayor and adviser and attorney for former President Trump. Andrew Guiliani recently had to join a gubernatorial debate from a separate studio, instead of appearing alongside the other candidates, because he refused to provide proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Astorino is a consultant and former county executive of Westchester County while Wilson is a businessman who emphasizes his working-class roots. Notably, Wilson supports abortion rights, according to Politico, which could appeal to liberal-leaning voters in a general election in light of the reenergized national conversation around abortion after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade.
In Illinois, the governor’s race is becoming a heated battle between billionaires as candidates enter the last leg of the primary.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker — whose family controls the Hyatt Hotel enterprise — is running for reelection. A billionaire in his own right, Pritzker is expected to succeed in his party’s primary.
Two Republicans are fighting for the chance to go head-to-head with Pritzker in the general election.
Richard Irvin was the first Black mayor of one of Chicago’s largest suburbs, Aurora. Irvin and his campaign have heavily focused on crime and taxes, while the former mayor has avoided mentioning other pressing issues such as abortion.
Pritzker’s nemesis — Billionaire Ken Griffin of Citadel, a hedge fund and financial services company — has helped fund Irvin’s campaign: According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, Griffin has donated $50 million. Griffin also poured millions in 2018 against Pritzker during his first run for governor of Illinois.
Pritzker and the DGA have spent millions trying to ensure that Irvin is not the GOP nominee in the race.
Another candidate is Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey, who received an endorsement from Trump on Saturday during the former president’s rally in Illinois.
Bailey fought against COVID-19 restrictions, is against abortion access and is an avid supporter of the Second Amendment and Trump.
Bailey has also garnered support from billionaire Richard Uihlein — a mega GOP donor who has thrown millions behind Bailey’s run for governor. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, Uihlein has donated $9 million to Bailey’s campaign.
The Illinois primary will also display some of the most heated battles involving incumbent candidates drawn into the same congressional district.
GOP Reps. Mary Miller and Rodney Davis will face off against each other in Tuesday’s primary.
Davis voted to certify the 2020 election and supported a proposal for a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission. On the other hand, Miller voted against certifying the 2020 election results.
Trump endorsed Miller in the race earlier this year and held a rally for her last weekend where Miller spoke on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe, saying that it was a “historic victory for white life.”
“President Trump, on behalf of all the MAGA patriots in America, I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the Supreme Court yesterday,” Miller said.
A spokesperson for Miller told the Associated Press the line was a “mix up of words.”
Davis tweeted to criticize Miller, saying her initial comments were part of a “disturbing pattern of behavior she’s displayed since coming to Congress.”
In January 2021, Miller had quoted Adolf Hitler during a rally in Washington. She said then: “Hitler was right on one thing. He said, ‘Whoever has the youth has the future.'”
Davis has also outraised Miller, $3.4 million to $1.4 million. In addition, the Club For Growth has supported Miller during her reelection.
Over in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, incumbent Reps. Marie Newman and Sean Casten will face off against one another.
As a member of the progressive caucus, Newman is facing an ethics probe into whether or not she bribed someone into not running for office. She has denied wrongdoing.
(WASHINGTON) — Startling testimony on Tuesday from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson before the House committee investigating Jan. 6 drew shock from Donald Trump’s orbit as well as support for Hutchinson’s character — and a rebuke from the former president himself.
Hutchinson, who worked as a top aide to Mark Meadows, Trump’s last chief of staff, was the only witness at a surprise hearing on Tuesday. She testified for nearly two hours about Trump’s frame of mind surrounding the 2020 election he lost as well as the events before, during and after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.
Speaking before the House committee under oath, Hutchinson recalled how she had been told that Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent on Jan. 6 when he was told he could not go to the Capitol with a supportive mob after his speech at the Ellipse near the White House. She also testified that, in a separate incident, Trump threw his lunch at the wall after then-Attorney General Bill Barr gave an interview saying there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election — and it wasn’t the only instance of Trump breaking plates or tossing tables over, she said.
Hutchinson told the panel that Trump wanted to ease security for his Jan. 6 speech despite being told that people looking to attend the rally were armed. “They’re not here to hurt me,” Trump said, according to Hutchinson, who testified that he went on to downplay accounts that the mob at the Capitol called for then-Vice President Mike Pence to be hung.
Tuesday’s hearing was capped off with warnings from Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a Trump critic and vice chair of the committee, warning that some witnesses had been intimidated by the former president’s allies.
But it was Hutchinson’s testimony that drew the strongest reaction, with the former president trying to dismiss her as a lowly and disingenuous staffer whom he did not know. Others who worked in the White House with Hutchinson and Trump, however, publicly defended her.
Trump wrote on Truth, his social media site, that he had “heard very negative things” about Hutchinson during her time in his administration and called her a “phony” and a “leaker.”
But aides and former members of Trump’s administration expressed surprise at her testimony, saying it could be further damaging to the twice-impeached former president.
“This is bad,” one aide still close to Trump told ABC News.
Mick Mulvaney, Meadows’s predecessor as chief of staff, echoed that.
“This is explosive stuff. If Cassidy is making this up, they will need to say that. If she isn’t they will have to corroborate. I know her. I don’t think she is lying,” he tweeted.
“That is a very, very bad day for Trump,” Mulvaney added once the hearing finished.
And while Hutchinson’s testimony sparked claims online of lying or hearsay among Trump loyalists — and the Republican Party’s official social media accounts — those who worked in the White House alongside her vouched for her values and her background.
“Anyone downplaying Cassidy Hutchinson’s role or her access in the West Wing either doesn’t understand how the Trump WH worked or is attempting to discredit her because they’re scared of how damning this testimony is,” tweeted former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, who resigned after Jan. 6. “For those complaining of ‘hearsay,’ I imagine the Jan. 6 committee would welcome any of those involved to deny these allegations under oath.”
Tuesday was the latest in a series of public hearings the House committee plans to hold through at least July, focusing on such topics as Trump’s pressure on the Department of Justice to overturn the 2020 election results and the violent events of the insurrection itself.
The panel’s work come as Trump openly teases a third presidential run, in 2024. While polling shows the public broadly disapproves of Trump’s conduct related to Jan. 6, surveys also show him as the front-runner among the conservative base in a potential 2024 GOP primary field.
Chris Hemsworth turned the Australian premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder into a family date night.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe actor, 38, brought along wife Elsa Pataky and their twin sons, Tristan and Sasha, for the star-studded event at the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney on Monday.
Hemsworth kept things casual with an all-black look, pairing a T-shirt with a blazer and pants while Pataky rocked a black dress with cut-outs and sequins at the top for a hint of sparkle.
The couple’s 8-year-old sons wore their best red carpet ensembles as they adorably clung to their dad while posing for photos.
Hemsworth and Pataky, who married in December 2010, also share a 10-year-old daughter, India.
Thor: Love and Thunder sees Taika Waititi returning to direct the God of Thunder’s newest adventure. Hemsworth’s titular hero is once again joined by Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie, the king of New Asgard. Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster takes on the title of Mighty Thor.
And keeping it in the family, both Pataky and Sasha are credited with small parts in the movie; Chris’ brother Luke Hemsworth also reprises a small role from Ragnarok.
Playing the movie’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher, is Christian Bale. The Guardians of the Galaxy are also featured in the film, including Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.
Thor: Love and Thunder premieres in theaters July 8 from Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
