Got to say that we are March-ing into the season where all the hiding rock and rollers come out of their hibernation and there is SO much activity starting…
First, my favorite, favorite, favorite singer Eddie Vedder is heading on a small West Coast solo tour from April 2 – 15th. Is this awesome or what?!?!? Called the “Eddie Vedder April Fools Tour,” this Pearl Jam frontman will start out in Vancouver and make his way down the coast to his last stop in San Diego. Now it’s not the band, it’s just Eddie, but get over to www.pearljam.com for all the 411.
Aerosmith is collaborating with “Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock” to create “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith”, the first game built around this legendary band. Fans will actually have the chance to download and jam to Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” The song will be available for free from February 16-18 on Xbox LIVE. Pretty cool, get over to www.guitarhero.com to get the info! (I will!)
“Rock of Love” bachelor Bret Michaels is out on the road touring to sold-out venues across the country with his solo band. Michaels is singing some classic Poison tunes along with his solo material of soon-to-be classics. Bret’s band is tight, tuned, and the crowds are truly wild. There are a bunch of dates that announce the bars/clubs that Bret and the guys go to cool down after the shows, so fans are really getting a good close up look at this gorgeous and talented frontman.
The VH1 reality show, by the way, was the #1 show on all of cable for the month of January. Apparently all the sucking face really struck a chord with the viewers! But word on the street is that Bret has found true love this time around. He’s even gone on television recently, giving Ellen Degeneres the secret that he’s happy with a woman right now! Hmmmmm… I’ve got my bets on who is going to win the VIP pass to his heart, but who knows for sure. Not naming names, but l I do know is that “Rock of Love” really beats out all those other bachelor/bachelorette shows hands-down man!
That reminds me, 3 Doors Down will release their fourth studio album May 6. The self-titled follow-up to their platinum-plus 2005 effort, Seventeen Days, embodies the fiery passion and creative maturation of a quintessential American rock band at the top of its game. The first single, “It’s Not My Time,” is scheduled to hit radio on February 19.
If a bit softer Cali rock and country is more to your liking, The Eagles will headline the newly added third day (Friday, May 2) of the STAGECOACH Country Music Festival May 2, 3 and 4, the line-up of Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, the Judds, Carrie Underwood and Big & Rich. Man, I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since I had the honor of meeting Don Henley at a Poison rehearsal. I was literally tongue tied as I got him to sign my copy of ‘The End of the Innocence’ CD that I still have hanging on my wall! Not HE is ROCK royalty! Get your butt over to www.eaglesband.com to check it out.
Now, getting to a much harder music festival, America’s premiere rock festival, ROCK ON THE RANGE, is back for its second year, with a line-up that includes headliners Stone Temple Pilots. Rocking on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH, I tell you what I am not missing this one. I interviewed the band in Los Angeles before their first CD dropped, and as a new band starting out I witnessed a star quality and passion that was and is still rare. They were gonna make it no matter what. I’ll tell ya, they didn’t give a shit about my tape recorder during out luncheon with the band and me and their publicist squished in a round booth, they were raw, raucous, and raunchy. With the sound to back it up, ahhh, they were true rockers.
Meanwhile, until I hit you up again next month, feel free to email me with your latest band stuff on your band at CAS11099@aol.com
Peace.
