It a big weekend for The Go-Go’s ...  yes - the iconic all-female L.A. punk band, have released their first new recording in nearly 20 years, “CLUB ZERO” (which you can stream below) and their new Alison Ellwood  (Laurel Canyon, History of the Eagles) directed documentary THE GO-GO’S, will premiere on Showtime.  

The film gives "full access to The Go-Go’s, both past and present, this candid archive-rich documentary assesses the group’s place in music history as it focuses on their roots as a formidable contender in L.A.’s late ‘70s punk scene, detailing their rise to the top as they become one of the decade’s most beloved acts as well as an unstoppable force. It also examines the personalities and dynamics behind their rise, fall and numerous reincarnations. Until this definitive film, there has never been a serious appraisal of and showcase for The Go-Go’s’ talents or achievements – as musicians, ground breakers, but even more so, as survivors." 

Check out the trailer: 

And as for their new single - a live version of “CLUB ZERO” is a self-produced song  was “created via email exchanges amongst band members" 

Club Zero

Don't have Showtime? Use code GOGOS to get 50% off a Showtime subscription for the first month after a 30-day free trial. Redeem by 8/15. New subscribers only! 

Lollapalooza like 99% of the music festival in 2020 was forced to pull the plug on their physical festval (LOCK'N Fest is still holding out on being able to have a live event in October)  

So rather than pack it in and plan for 2021- the grandfather of music festivals has put together 4 days of live and global Lolla archival footage that they will stream on YouTube

Highlighting the 80+ performances is the Porno For Pyros reunion, we've been waiting 24 years for this! 

Plus - You have Alabama Shakes 2015 set (Thursday @5:05pm), Paul McCartney's 2015 set  (Thursday @ 9:50pm), SHAED (Friday @ 7:10pm), The Cure's 2013 set (Friday @ 8:00 pm), Janes Addiction (Saturday @745p), Pearl Jam's 2018 set from Brazil (Saturday @ 8:40pm),  Grace Potter & the Nocturnals' 2011 set (Sunday @ 7:05pm), Portugal. the Man's 2018 set (Sunday @ 8:15p), and Arcade Fire's 2010 set (Sunday @ 9:35pm)... 

You can browse the full daily lineups below ... and stream it all HERE 

?Thursday 7/30 Lineup

Photo: Lollapalooza Facebook

Friday 7/31 Lineup

Photo: Lollapalooza Facebook

?Saturday 8/1 Lineup

Photo: Lollapalooza Facebook

Sunday 8/2 Lineup 

Photo: Lollapalooza Facebook

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, along with his family, has consistently been providing us with quarantine content for the past few months with "The Tweedy Show"

On the Instagram live feed, the Tweedys have told jokes and stories, performed Wilco songs, and done a lot of covers.  

On the July 23rd (episode 77) - Tweedy covered Billie Eilish's I Love You ... you can hear it below... here is a recap of the entire hour: 

-Jeff says that he's as old as Roy Orbison was when he made the first Traveling Wilburys record

--I Love You (Billie Eilish cover)

--Jeff says he hasn't learned Magnetized

--Jeff plays an instrumental version of Deeper Down

--Jeff explains he can't show his record collection right now because they're everywhere and everything's a mess

--Far Far Away (in a different key)

--Jeff settles the record on the Corona commercial featuring Love Is Everywhere (Beware): it's mostly Pat's vocals used in the commercial

--Rilkean Heart (Cocteau Twins cover sung by Sammy)

--Susie mentions that Casey and Spencer will be performing on Hideout Cosmic Country Friday

--Ain't It Strange (Dr. Dog cover sung by Sammy)

--Susie and Jeff talk about meeting Barack and Michelle Obama

--Jeff says that he got to visit the White House and meet the Obama's dog, but Barack wasn't there. He left him the Diamond Light 10 inch single.

--Reincarnation (Roger Miller cover)

In other Jeff Tweedy news - if you are feeling the itch for a live concert and either in the Chicago area or willing to travel - JT will be performing  playing a drive-in concert on September 18 at The McHenry Outdoor Theater in Illinois. 

Tickets go on sale HERE this Friday (7/31) at 11 AM CST ... 

In case you were wondering - yes, there are a ton of safety guidelines (and a COVID liability waiver).  In addition to the show being 18+, the venue has the following FAQ's answered: 

Can I get out of my car? 

Yes, but you must stay within the confines of your space allocated to your vehicle as much as possible. You may lay in the bed of your truck or in the back of a van, you can stand next to your car, but MUST stay in your designated square of space with your party. If you are outside of the vehicle you must wear your mask at all times.

Are masks required? 

Face masks are required anytime you are outside of your vehicle and in all public areas such as the concession cart, restrooms, or box office

What do I do, if I need to visit the restroom?

The bathrooms will be open, with plenty of hand soap and sanitizer available in each. We have also provided protective toilet seat covers in each stall. We just ask that you dispose of the toilet seat covers in the small garbage can in each stall. Please do NOT flush them down the toilet. Every other stall will be closed so we can sanitize them. We will then open those stalls, close the others and, in turn, sterilize those as well. There will be markers on the floor to help with the 6’ of social distancing that everyone is expected to abide by. Please be responsible with following the spacing guidelines when and where available, and of your best discretion in any places where you may not see any markers. 

What do I do, if I want to purchase concessions or merch?

Merch & concession stands will be open. There will be markers on the floor to help with the 6’ of social distancing leading up to both that everyone is expected to abide by.  Please be responsible with following the spacing guidelines when and where available, and of your best discretion in any places where you may not see any markers.

How do tickets work per car, person, and dedicated space? 

A single car pass ticket includes entry for up to 4 people per vehicle. There must be a legal seat and seatbelt for every passenger inside the car. Based on the number of legal & available seats/seat belts beyond the 4 included tickets, a discounted upgrade can be purchased for $30 per person. If you choose to bring less than 4 people the starting base price will remain the same and will not be discounted, no minimum passenger requirement for entry. 

If you have the space and the quaranteam to join you safely, we recommend doing so. It will offset the price to be cheaper per person in the party too! So come out with your squad, but keep in mind the whole party needs to fit comfortably in the dedicated space provided with your vehicle, and everyone is expected to follow those perimeter guidelines. 

No parking available for oversized vehicles (i.e. large vans, buses, motorhomes, etc)

Can we purchase the extra tickets when we arrive, and for a full car at the gate?

Since we are operating at a limited capacity, we expect this event to sell out. It is STRONGLY encouraged to purchase your vehicle pass and extra passenger tickets in advance to ease and quicken entry into the venue, and to help limit any unnecessary points of contact. 

If you do decide at the last minute there is an extra person in your party, we will have customer service attendants at the main entrance to assist with passenger add-on tickets. 

We will have 4 entry lanes with one dedicated to day of show purchases and upgrades. 

Please follow the directional signage upon entry - If you enter into the wrong lane and do not have all of your tickets you’ll be asked to go to the back of the main line. Please don’t be that party. 

Full vehicle day of show purchases on-site will only be offered while space lasts. 

Again, we cannot urge you enough to plan before you arrive and purchase online at www.collectivpresents.com

What ticket types are available?

We tried to make this as simple as possible for you. The front 2 rows in front of the stage will be sold as premium viewing.

In addition to premium passes will be sold in the following sections - Front Lot, Middle Lot, and Back Row locations. 

Each section will be parked as first come, first serve basis, so we encourage everyone to plan on arriving early.

Age Restrictions?

This event is 18+ for entry. All passengers must have a valid ID for entry into the show.

Is there re-entry? 

There is no re-entry.

How does sound work?

We will have a full PA system in place for these shows so plan on rolling down your windows to enjoy the show. 

You will be allowed to place chairs in front of/next to your car as long as you do not exceed the designated area assigned to your car. Masks are required whenever you are outside of your personal vehicle. No exceptions.

What time should we arrive?

We encourage everyone to arrive early and allow enough time to get situated in your spot before the show begins. 

Doors at 6:00PM

Each section will be parked in order of arrival, so we recommend arriving early.

Can we bring food?

Yes - please note grills, BBQ pits, open fires, tents and the like are NOT-permitted, You are welcome to bring your own pre-cooked food and nonalcoholic beverages. We will also have concession carts on-site offering food and beverages for purchase.

What concessions are available?

The concession building will be open to the public at a limited capacity and we will be offering freshly made Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Jumbo Pretzels, and Nachos. 

We will also offer a variety of Candy and Bottled Beverages from beverage/food/snack carts in the parking lot.

What steps are being taken to enforce social distancing, & safe dancing?

If you need to leave your car, masks are required. The State of Illinois has a mask policy in effect, we will have a zero tolerance policy on this, anyone not following this rule will be asked to put on a mask or leave the venue.

Your entire party is required and expected to responsibly stay in your dedicated space for your car and party, unless visiting an approved area where distancing must and will be enforced. 

6 foot markers will be placed in these approved aforementioned areas such as concessions, merch and restrooms. 

Our working staff will submit to a temperature check upon arrival, a pre-shift health screening, will be required to wear masks and receive sanitation training prior to arrival at work. All working staff will be provided and required to wear PPP including masks and gloves. 

Disposal masks will also be available upon request if needed to guests.

Are Flow toys allowed?

Flow toys are allowed as long as they stay within the borders of your dedicated parking space and are used safely, not bothering or endangering anyone in (or out of) your party. 

What forms of payment do we accept?

Credit Card and Cash payments will be accepted. We strongly encourage everyone to use credit card payments whenever possible.

What if it rains?

The show is rain or shine. You stay in your car for safety. In the event of severe weather messaging will be broadcast on video screens throughout the venue on our social media platforms.

Can I bring my dog? 

Only service animals will be allowed on-site, no dogs or other pets will be permitted into the event.

As we approach the 2020 election - the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) has composed an open letter condemning the unlawful use of copyrighted music by politicians at campaign rallies - that has been co-signed by a myriad of musicians including Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, REM, Lorde, and more.

photo: Theresa Sanchez 

The message, specifically targeted to the Republican and Democratic National, Congressional, and Senatorial committees, came with the following statement: 

“We’ve seen so many artists and estates dragged into politics against their will and forced to take aggressive action to prohibit the use of their music — usually songs that are broadcast during political rallies.  It can confuse and disappoint fans and even undermine an artists’ long term income — and mostly it’s just not right. Politicians that want to represent the public trust must do better — by seeking consent before exploiting an artist’s or songwriter’s image and work.”

 

photo: Monika Clark

Here is the full letter and list of signees: 

July 28, 2020

Dear Campaign Committees:

As artists, activists, and citizens, we ask you to pledge that all candidates you support will seek consent from featured recording artists and songwriters before using their music in campaign and political settings. This is the only way to effectively protect your candidates from legal risk, unnecessary public controversy, and the moral quagmire that comes from falsely claiming or implying an artist’s support or distorting an artists’ expression in such a high stakes public way.

This is not a new problem. Or a partisan one. Every election cycle brings stories of artists and songwriters frustrated to find their work being used in settings that suggest endorsement or support of political candidates without their permission or consent.

Being dragged unwillingly into politics in this way can compromise an artist’s personal values while disappointing and alienating fans — with great moral and economic cost. For artists that do choose to engage politically in campaigns or other contexts, this kind of unauthorized public use confuses their message and undermines their effectiveness. Music tells powerful stories and drives emotional connection and engagement — that’s why campaigns use it, after all! But doing so without permission siphons away that value.

The legal risks are clear. Campaign uses of music can violate federal and (in some cases) state copyrights in both sound recordings and musical compositions. Depending on the technology used to copy and broadcast these works, multiple exclusive copyrights, including both performance and reproduction, could be infringed. In addition, these uses impact creators’ rights of publicity and branding, potentially creating exposure for trademark infringement, dilution, or tarnishment under the Lanham Act and giving rise to claims for false endorsement, conversion, and other common law and statutory torts. When campaign commercials or advertisements are involved, a whole additional host of rules and regulations regarding campaign fundraising (including undisclosed and potentially unlawful “in-kind” contributions), finance, and communications could also potentially be breached.

More importantly, falsely implying support or endorsement from an artist or songwriter is dishonest and immoral. It undermines the campaign process, confuses the voting public, and ultimately distorts elections. It should be anathema to any honest candidate to play off this kind of uncertainty or falsely leave the impression of an artist’s or songwriter’s support.

Like all other citizens, artists have the fundamental right to control their work and make free choices regarding their political expression and participation. Using their work for political purposes without their consent fundamentally breaches those rights — an invasion of the most hallowed, even sacred personal interests.

No politician benefits from forcing a popular artist to publicly disown and reject them. Yet these unnecessary controversies inevitably draw even the most reluctant or apolitical artists off the sidelines, compelling them to explain the ways they disagree with candidates wrongfully using their music. And on social media and in the culture at large, it’s the politicians that typically end up on the wrong side of those stories.

For all these reasons, we urge you to establish clear policies requiring campaigns supported by your committees to seek the consent of featured recording artists, songwriters, and copyright owners before publicly using their music in a political or campaign setting. Funding, logistical support, and participation in committee programs, operations, and events should be contingent on this pledge, and its terms should be clearly stated in writing in your bylaws, operating guidelines, campaign manuals, or where you establish any other relevant rules, requirements, or conditions of support.

Please let us know by August 10th how you plan to accomplish these changes.

Sincerely,

Aerosmith

Alanis Morissette

Amanda Shires

Ancient Future

Andrew McMahon

Artist Rights Alliance

B-52s

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Blondie

Butch Walker

CAKE

Callie Khouri

Courtney Love

Cyndi Lauper

Dan Navarro

Daniel Martin Moore

Duke Fakir

Elizabeth Cook

Elvis Costello

Erin McKeown

Fall Out Boy

Grant-Lee Phillips

Green Day

Gretchen Peters

Ivan Barias

Jason Isbell

Jewel

Joe Perry

John McCrea

John Mellencamp

Keith Richards

Kurt Cobain estate

Lera Lynn

Lionel Richie

Linkin Park

Lorde

Lykke Li

Maggie Vail

Mary Gauthier

Matt Nathanson

Matthew Montfort

Michelle Branch

Mick Jagger

Okkervil River

Pearl Jam

Panic! At The Disco

Patrick Carney

R.E.M.

Regina Spektor

Rosanne Cash

Sheryl Crow

Sia

Steven Tyler

T Bone Burnett

Tift Merritt

Thomas Manzi

Train

Rumors of a Porno For Pyros reunion have swirled for several years, but those rumors were all but confirmed when PFP member Mike Watt admitted that he and the rest of the band (Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins, and Peter DiStefano)  had filmed four songs together. 

We now know that this footage will be used for this weekend's Lollapalooza YouTube livestream  (July 30-August 2).  The appearance will be the band's first performance in 24 years. 

PFP aren't the only band to appear on the live stream - 150 bands are set to appear - including live and archival footage from Paul McCartney, The Cure, Jane's Addiction, Illiterate Light, Arcade Fire, Lorde, Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr, and many many more.  

The four-night broadcast event kicks off this Thursday (July 30) at 5pm CT - and  can be viewed exclusively live on the Lolla YouTube channel... the full schedule will be released this Wednesday, (July 29)

In what can only be considered irony  - Bono and the Edge of U2 and St. Vincent aka Annie Clark both took to social media on the same day  to post covers of the Led Zeppelin’s classic “Stairway To Heaven” yesterday (July 26) 

St. Vincent's post, on her Instagram, was a nod to all the six string strummers who have not been able to play in their local guitar store: 

Since guitar stores have been closed, I thought you might have missed the sound of someone fumbling through ‘stairway to heaven.’ (Not pictured but honorable mention, ‘smoke on the water’ ‘sweet home Alabama’ ‘black dog’ ‘where ever I may roam’). Love to all my guitar players out there. I know. I miss it too.” Don’t forget “Enter Sandman, Annie!

Bono and the Edge had a little more serious note to their cover - dedicating it to their  long-time road crew who like to play the song while soundchecking before shows.  

Bono says: 

“There’s one annoying aspect of an Irish crew that has to be said ... Wherever you go in the world, whatever venue you’re playing — whether it’s the Olympia or 3 Arena or Madison Square Garden — you walk into the venue and it’s a big moment, and you’ll hear a song that we said, ‘We’ll never, ever play this.’ And that’s right, ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ These professionals believe they play this better than the band. And you know, it might be true.” 

So who covered it better ... take a listen to both below: 

U2 - Stairway to Heaven

St Vincent - Stairway to Heaven

Earlier this year- Dave Grohl started his Dave's True Stories series - telling amazing tales of his rock and roll career. And now, he's made the first audio post to the series - coming to the defense of some of our most essential workers - teachers.

“So, with me being a high school dropout, you’d imagine the current debate surrounding the reopening of schools wouldn’t register so much a blip on my rock & roll radar, right? Wrong. My mother was a public school teacher.”

Please take 10 minute to listen to the full post below ... his well articulated thoughts are mostly serious - with a little Dave humor sprinkled in here and there.    

The post ends with this powerful quote - "Teachers want to teach, not die.  And we should support and protect them like the national treasures that they are.  For without them, where would we be.  May we show these tireless altruists a little altruism in return.  I would for my favorite teacher, wouldn't you?" 

The Rolling Stones have released a never before heard song “Scarlet,” ahead of the deluxe reissue of Goats Head Soup.  The new track features Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist Rick Grech (Traffic, Blind Faith, Family).

The track was recorded in October 1974, when The Rolling Stones were due to enter the recording studio - and the band in the studio before them just happened to be Led Zeppelin.

Keith Richards recalls the track “Scarlet” was an accident -  

"We walked in at the end of a Zeppelin session. They were just leaving, and we were booked in next and I believe that Jimmy decided to stay ... We weren’t actually cutting it as a track- it was basically for a demo, a demonstration, you know, just to get the feel of it, but it came out well, with a line up like that, you know, we better use it.‘’

You can stream the track below: 

When the pandemic started, Buddy Clements' family knew they needed a way to keep him active and positive.  

Clements, who is 90 years old, had recently lost his wife of 57 years so his family decided to keep his spirits up by letting him do what he loves to do - entertain.  They began learning dances and posting them on the popular social media channel - TikTok.  

The silly dance videos received great reception but his daughters say they didn't expect  the videos to go viral - some have over 200,000 views! 

Clements' daughter, Lisa Colmus, says seeing his enthusiasm and moves at 90 is equally impressive and inspiring! 

Checkout Buddy's moves below: 

 The 2020 LOCKN' Festival - originally scheduled for June 2020 to celebrate Phil Lesh's 80th birthday -  was postponed due to coronavirus.  Rather than rescheduling to 2021 - like most other festival are doing - LOCKN' is still planning on moving forward with an in-person festival October 2-4, 2020.  

The festival has updated their website with a 'Policies for Health and Safety' section on their website - that focuses heavily on COVID-19.  The site states:

We want to update everyone on the current state of our planning for LOCKN’ 2020. As we develop our plans to produce LOCKN’, the safety of our fans, staff, vendors, and artists remains our number one priority. Because the public health authorities are continuing to learn more about how the coronavirus spreads, the procedures for LOCKN’ must be flexible to ensure we are conforming to the latest guidance and recommendations. So with the understanding that things might change, here are some of the ways we are planning to make it possible to gather together and experience live music in a safe manner this October.

The site continues to explain the policies: 

They are exploring the possibility of having mobile Covid testing labs at the main entrance - with on-site test rapid results being available. Additional health screenings will be administered throughout the grounds as well.  

Face masks will be required to be worn (by all attendees, staff and partners) with  reasonable exceptions for people eating or drinking while physically distanced from others.

The LOCKN' show field will be divided into sections, each having a limited capacity that will be filled daily on a first-come, first-served basis .. and physical distancing will be enforced.

Going cashless and using your wristband to for onsite purchases will be highly recommended.  

The size and spacing in the camping areas will be increased.  

Shared surfaces throughout the venue and campgrounds will be disinfected regularly and an increased amount hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the grounds.  

There will be no re-entry and only 3 day passes will be sold.  

The site concludes with a message from the the LOCKN' Team: 

This list is only a snapshot of our current thinking. As we learn more over time, we will continue to update you. We are here for you and we are excited to see you again soon. If anyone can follow the House Rules and have fun at the same time, it’s LOCKN’.

Holding a festival in 2020 still seems pretty ambitious - with other industry insiders saying live music won't return until 2022 - but for now - LOCKN' is holding out hope for a 2020 festival.  They will make a final decision by August 31.   

On what would have been his 56th birthday (July 20), the Chris Cornell estate has released the musician’s previously unreleased cover of Guns N’ Roses’ classic 1989 ballad, “Patience.”

Before his passing, Chris heard his daughter Toni, then 12, sing “Patience” in their house. She asked him to record the song so she could sing along with him. The finished song was completed a few months before Chris’ death in 2017 *sigh*

A statement on his Facebook page reads:

“His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories and art. It is true a man is not dead while his name is still spoken… and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns just as bright as ever upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us — his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.”

When the coronavirus pandemic hit - one of the first categories of business to shut down was the concert industry ... and unfortunately - the reality is they will be one of the last to reopen. 

And while we miss the live music experience terribly - one expert predicts our wait to return to concerts may extend to late 2021 or most likely - 2022.  

Marc Geiger, the Lollapalooza co-founder and former William Morris Entertainment global head of music, was a guest on The Bob Lefsetz Podcast, and when asked when he thought concerts would return in the era of COVID, his prediction was grim : “In my humble opinion, it’s going to be 2022.”

Referring to events like concerts and sporting events as 'super-spreader events', Geiger says there are at “probably 20” roadblocks" that need to be addressed and overcome before these events can return.  

The virus is a key roadblock of course - so a vaccine will be key.  Social distancing options another ... and a third key roadblock he sees: insurance.  “With [COVID], there’s infinite liability,” he said, and there will be a huge challenge for venues and promoters to find insurance companies willing to cover their events.

Geiger goes on to say -  “the next six months may be more painful than the last six months, and maybe the next six months after that are even more so.”

If this grim prediction is true - the support of live music lovers for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is more important than ever.  NIVA is calling on Congress to provide music venues with funding needed to be able to survive the shutdown.  Click HERE to send a note to your representatives letting them know you support the RESTART Act

Listen to the full interview below:

In 1973, the Grateful Dead's iconic dancing bears made their debut on the back cover of the group’s 1973 LP "History of the Grateful Dead, Volume 1 (Bear’s Choice)."

Photo: Nike

And now - they are getting their own sneakers - courtesy of the NIKE SB line.  The brand confirmed they will release the limited edition Nike SB Dunk Low Grateful Dead shoe in green and yellow  on July 24 at "select skate shops" .. and in orange at FTC, a skateboard shop located in San Francisco's Haight/Asbury district on July 18.  

Photo: Nike

There's been rumors and images of the shoes for several months - but this official announcement comes with the following description: “...the shoe playfully features bear-inspired detailing, such as a faux-fur and suede upper, a frayed Nike Swoosh mimicking the bears’ collars and an image of the bear on the tongue. (Another iconic Grateful Dead logo, the Steal Your Face skull, is printed on the underside of the sockliner”.

Photo: Nike

There's also a convenient pocket on the tongue - for holding your .... loose change... 

Photo: Nike

If you are into accessorizing - you can complete the look with a bucket hat! 

Photo: Nike

Hopefully these will be easier to get than the Beastie Boys and David Bowie shoes! 

The late Hal Willner was known for putting together all kinds of  special music projects ... and as one of his last projects before he passed was AngelHeaded Hipster: The So , which will come out September 4 via BMG (pre-order here).

The 26 song  Marc Bolan/T. Rex tribute album features  covers  by U2 (ft. Elton John),  Nick Cave, Joan Jett, Father John Misty, Lucinda Williams, Perry Farrell, Todd Rundgen, Kesha, Sean Lennon + Charlotte Kemph Muhl, Julian Lennon + Victoria Williams, and more.

So far we have heard two tracks from the record - Nick Cave's cover of "Cosmic Dancer" and most recently Joan Jett's rendition of Jeepster with Marc Ribot on guitar, Jim White on drums, and Thomas Bartlett  on piano and arrangements.  Hear both tracks below 

Joan Jett - Jeepster (Official Video)

Nick Cave - Cosmic Dancer (Official Video)

This is no punk squat house ... Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong's Oakland, California French Normandy-style home has hit the market - and could be yours for $7.25 million.  

Photo via Compass 

Here is the official listing from Compass Real Estate:

WELCOME TO PARADISE! Located at Julia Morgan's historic 1911 Red Gate Mansion site, this extraordinary home has impressive provenance. After the 1991 fire burned many architecturally significant homes, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong enlisted architect Mark Becker to design this privately gated, 6,911sf French Normandy home. The stately front steps are an homage to its enchanting past w/ over $1m in restorative masonry using the original Red Gate bricks. The home has a comfortable ease, yet exudes richness at every turn: dramatic light filters in & casts shadows on the curvature, a rough-hewn wood beam ceiling draws you into the volume of the foyer, and intentionally imperfect walls mix seamlessly w/ antique lighting from the French flea market at St-Ouen. GG Bridge & SF skyline views abound, including at the pool & cabana. And as any rockstar needs, a recording studio & original flyers from the band's early days at iconic 924 Gilman create an edge among the historical elegance.

Photo via Compass 

You can view the full listing for the 5 bedroom and 5.5 bath mansion from Compass Real Estate HERE 

Photo via Compass 

Since the world wide COVID-19 lock downs started - residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been some of the hardest hit - having very little interaction with the others outside their facilities.  

One nursing home in the United Kingdom has come up with a fun way to engage their residents - having them recreate iconic album covers. 

Sydmar Lodge Care Home residents and carers have been recreating classic album covers. The home has now been in lockdown for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/XS5YQ4f1Sw

— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020

The adorable idea was the brainchild of activities coordinator Robert Speker - who had the residents dress up for photo shoots and posed for photos that were used to mimic album art by David Bowie, The Clash, Adele, Queen, and more .  

pic.twitter.com/IJqcB69tQo

— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020

Speker said his "aim was to show care homes need not be a sad environment, even during this pandemic" and that the residents had a "good giggle" at the activity :) 

pic.twitter.com/hweEgdHSIt

— Robert Speker (@robertspeker) July 10, 2020

A GoFundMe has been established to help create more activities to help residents happy, entertained and full of spirit as the lockdown continues.  He has also hinted a calendar of the images to raise funds is in the works.  You can donate HERE  

Live music venues have been some of the hardest hit businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  They were the first to close - and will be one of the last to re-open. It has been predicted that nearly 90% of these venues will not be able to rebound from the closure.  Let that sink in .... 

But there are attempts being made to help these venues make it through ... The National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA, has launched the ‘Save Our Stages' campaign aimed at providing aid to independent venues, festivals and promoters across the country. 

To support the initiative - NIVA is asking fans of live music to urge their legislators to support and cosponsor S. 3814/H.R. 7481, the RESTART Act, introduced by Senators Young and Bennet in the Senate and Representatives Golden and Kelly in the House, which would ensure the survival of independent venues, festivals and promoters across the nation.

NIVA has made it simple to show your support - you can click HERE to add your information to a form letter that will automatically be sent to your representatives.  It just takes 30 seconds to help save some of our favorite venues that have no idea when they will reopen. 

DMV Members of NIVA include: 

49 West Coffeehouse (Annapolis)

9:30 Club (Washington DC)

Baltimore  Soundstage (Baltimore)

Black Cat (Washington DC)

Blues Alley (Washington DC)

Bottle & Cork (Dewey Beach)

Bravo Bravo (Washington DC)

City Winery (Washington DC)

DC9 Nightclub (Washington DC)

Dupont Underground (Washington DC)

Eighteenth Street Lounge (Washington DC)

Freeman Stage (Selbyville)

Howard Theatre (Washington DC)

Lincoln Theatre (Washington DC)

Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia)

Metro Gallery (Baltimore)

Ottobar (Baltimore)

Pearl Street Warehouse (Washington DC)

Pie Shop (Washington DC)

Rams Head Onstage (Annapolis)

Songbyrd Music House (Washington DC)

The 8x10 (Baltimore)

The Anthem (Washington DC)

The Hamilton Live (Washington DC)

The Sidebar (Baltimore)

U Street Music Hall (Washington DC)

Union Stage (Washington DC)

Upfront Inc (Baltimore)

Baltimore based band Future Islands are back with their first new single in nearly three years - 'For Sure'.  Watch the post-apocolyptic Sam Mason directed video below.  

In regards to the track, the band had this to say: 

For Sure is a song about love and trust, because one cannot exist without the other. It’s a summer song, where love is the sea, and trust is giving us the courage to jump. And love is waiting. Trust is waiting. It’s a song about opened doors and closed ones. Ones that open into the world and ones that never close.

 

For Sure was written in the summer of 2018 but it’s coming out in a very different kind of summer. So many people around the world are far away from those we love, unable to hold them, through fear of sickness and death, or quarantined by closed borders. And all we can do is wait, hold on to that love, and trust those around us to make the right decisions. So that hopefully, next summer, we’ll be back together, on that precipice, jumping into the sea.

Future Islands - For Sure (Official Video)

The Virgin Money Unity Arena - the first 'dedicated socially distanced music venue' is set to open in the UK this summer.  Located in Gosforth Park, about a 5 minutes from Newcastle, the venue boasts 500 viewing spaces altogether, roughly six and a half feet apart from each other, and can accomodate 2,500 people: 

According Virgin Money Unity Arena's site, here's how the venue will operate: 

How does the event work?

You can purchase your ticket for your chosen event online, you will then receive a confirmation email and e-ticket. Please keep hold of these. You will then be asked for your car registration and will be allocated a time slot for arrival.
When arriving at the entry gate you will be required to show security your e-ticket.

You will then be directed by staff to our car park. Once parked up you will join a socially distanced queuing system and be directed to the arena.

Our staff will then direct you to your personal viewing space where you can enjoy the show.

You can collect your pre-ordered food and drink on arrival. If you didn’t get the chance to pre-order you can order via The Unity Arena app without leaving your area.

When the show ends our staff will safely direct you back to your car and you will be given directions to safely exit the site.

The initial lineup for the venue includes - The Libertines, Two Door Cinema Club, Maximo Park, and more

For years,  Ringo Starr has been throwing legendary birthday party's for himself... but he, like like the rest of the world, the former Beatles drummer had to pivot and make adjustment for the celebration of this 80th year ...

"As most of you know, I’m fond of a good birthday party… but this is a bad year to host a get-together of any kind ... So I’m celebrating with my friends in a new way this year — we’re going to have to keep our distance due to the coronavirus,” 

Ringo rang in the start of his ninth decade with a little help from his friends - virtually.  You can rewatch the hour long celebration below - with some highlights including jamming on “Helter Skelter” with Paul McCartney, Gary Clark Jr's blues inspired rendition of  “Come Together”, Ben Harper and Dave Grohl's Zoom duet and  Sheryl Crow's amazing one-woman-band rendition of “All You Need Is Love.”

Over 100,000 people watched the special live - which was a fundraiser for some of Ringo's favorite charities, including WaterAid, MusiCares, David Lynch’s TM Foundation and the Black Lives Matter Global Network: “the fight for justice, equality, and an end to all this racist violence.”

The most amazing thing about Ringo - is that he is still doing all of this in his 80's!  Peace and Love Ringo! 

Ringo Starr’s Big Birthday Show!

In September of 1999, Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 50th birthday week by performing six nights of shows at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex with his E Street Band.  The shows were all special in their own way - with the band playing rarely performed live tracks like like “The Fever,” “Blinded by the Light” and “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?” 

But the show that fans (especially hardcore bootleg collectors) laud the most - was the final show of the stint - September 25th, 1999.  And it has finally been made available for (legal and high quality) download via Bruce's monthly concert download series

The site notes: 

A memorable six-night stand in the City of Brotherly Love ends on a high note with some old friends on Philadelphia '99. The 22-song set begins in jaw-dropping fashion with the long-awaited return of “Incident On 57th Street,” last played in December 1980, and features the first Reunion tour performances of “Point Blank,” “Sherry Darling” “Streets of Philadelphia,” “Jungleland” and “Raise Your Hand” to appear in the Archive Series. Philadelphia ’99 also includes one of only five stagings of the epic “New York City Serenade” circa 1999-2000 following a 24-year hiatus.

Below is an excerpt from the show, appropriately the song Streets of Philadelphia, which Bruce has only performed eight times since that night.  

The show is available for download HERE at Live Bruce Springsteen 

Show setlist and credits: 

Edit this setlist | More Bruce Springsteen setlists

 

• Bruce Springsteen - Lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Roy Bittan - Piano, keyboards
• Clarence Clemons - Tenor and baritone saxophones, percussion, backing vocal
• Danny Federici - Organ, keyboards 
• Nils Lofgren - Guitar, pedal steel, backing vocal
• Patti Scialfa - Guitar, percussion, backing vocal
• Garry Tallent - Bass
• Stevie Van Zandt - Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, backing vocal
• Max Weinberg - Drums
• Recorded by Toby Scott and Ross Petersen
• Mixed by Jon Altschiller from multi-track digital masters; Additional engineering by Danielle Warman
• Mastered by Jon Altschiller
• Post Production by Brad Serling and Micah Gordon
• Art Design by Michelle Holme; Cover Photo by Danny Clinch
• Tour Director: George Travis
• Jon Landau Management: Jon Landau, Barbara Carr, Jan Stabile, Alison Oscar
• HD Files are 24 bit / 44.1 kHz; DSD files are DSD64

Over the past 25 years - we've been entertained by not only Dave Grohl's anthemic Foo Fighters music - but also the fun he's been having while making and playing the music ... he's invited 5 year old fans to jam with him on stage, played an epic show in DC in a chair because he had broke his leg, pranked an audience into thinking he broke his leg again ... and chugged countless beers on stage with everyone from Santa to people celebrating their 21st birthday at the Foo's first and only show at Merriweather Post Pavilion. 

But in a conversation with Apple Music's Matt Wilkinson, airing  July 4, 2020 - exactly 25 years after Foo Fighters' debut, self-titled was released, the Grohl has opened up about his career with both Nirvana and Foo Fighters.  

Photo: Tedd Henn

On joining Nirvana - Dave talks about how the band became very famous right after his joining: 

"Well I mean I joined Nirvana, I was their fifth drummer, right?  They'd had a team of drummers before me and some of them were more, I don't know, more in the band than others. So when I joined the band, I didn't know Krist and Kurt at all. And when we first met and started playing, it was clear that when we got together to play that it worked really well, and we sounded what most people know now to sound like Nirvana .... It was almost exactly a year from the time I joined to the time Nevermind came out. And then once it came out, it was like things happen so quickly. The band got really big. But every band I'd been in before then was with friends that I'd known for a really long time. And so there's some security in that. So when you join a band where you don't know anyone and you're just starting to get to know each other, and it sounds great when you play music, you're just starting to get to know each other, but there's not a deep personal connection. And then the band becomes really huge really quickly. You're just so nervous that you're going to either get fired or it's going to stop. I didn't want to get fired basically. And so I was doing my best to keep this thing from going away. So there was this real insecurity that I had, 'I'm not good enough. They're going to find somebody else" 

Following Cobain's death in 1994, Grohl admits he was uncertain of his musical future - 

"I started getting calls from people to ask if I wanted to play drums with them or join another band, and I just didn't see that happening at the time ... I didn't really want to write or even listen to music, much less join a band and play in one. So it was strange, when your life is just pulled out from under you like that. I don't think anyone really thought much about what came next. You were stuck in that moment. So eventually, I just pulled myself off the couch and thought, 'Okay, I've always loved playing music and I've always loved writing and recording songs for myself. So I feel like I need to do that just for myself.''

What came from that moment was Foo Fighters - an album written and recorded by Grohl 'just for fun' as a cathartic experience to recover from Cobain's death.  

"I would dedicate [that album] to Krist and Kurt because still to this day, the Nirvana experience was probably... I mean I don't want to say... I have children. I can't say it's the most important event in my entire life. But it's safe to say that we wouldn't be here right now talking about this if it weren't for my time in Nirvana. And I had learned so many lessons from Kurt, I learned so many lessons from Krist. It was such an honor to be in that band and it was so devastating when it ended. But we have that catalog of music that we made together and that experience changed not only us, but a lot of the world that we lived in. So I think that that was probably my life's most formative period. I went from being a messy teen to then being in this band that was huge. And then it all ending and trying to build life again with the lessons that I had learned through all of that" 

 

 

 

 

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Repost from @foofighters • Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of Foo Fighters' debut album! ???? To mark the occasion watch Dave’s interview with @w1lko only on @applemusic. Link in bio. #FF #FF25 #ff2020 #foofighters #foos #davegrohl #davidgrohl

A post shared by Foo Fighters Team (@foofightersteam) on Jul 3, 2020 at 6:46pm PDT

Grohl only made 100 copies of the album, comparing its recording to a school project ..  "I was preparing, I had charts”, one of those copies went to a friend who had a radio show ... who later called Dave and said ‘Hey, I played this for the record company and I think they want to put it out.’ 

His reaction -  "Well shit, it’s just a demo ... But that’s when the alarms went off where I’m like, ‘Oh man, maybe it should be a record. Maybe I should release it.’ So I sent one to my manager, John. I’m like, ‘Yeah, a record company wants to put out this tape I made.’ He goes, ‘Send it to me.’ So I sent it to him and he goes, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, I mean it could be fun to make a record.’” 

You can hear the full interview via Apple Music