Aerosmith To Reunite For Jam For Janie
More artists are being added to Steven Tyler's 6th annual Jam for Janie GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party. Aerosmith is reuniting at the event! Lainey Wilson is set to join Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Tom Hamilton, Matt Sorum, Linda Perry and more. In a statement, Tyler said "having an amazing artist like Wilson stop in and join is going to make this year's Jam rock like something I've never dreamed of." Steven Tyler's Jam for Janie GRAMMY Awards viewing Party is being held on Sunday at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish.
LED ZEPPELIN: Didn't Go to California
Led Zeppelin recorded "Going to California," but they didn't travel there this past Monday for the premiere of their new documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin. It was held in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theater (previously and commonly referred to as Grauman's Chinese Theatre) but the band reportedly boycotted the screening due to relations with director Bernard MacMahon over the initial cut of the film, which premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. It underwent a major transformation since then and will open in IMAX theaters on February 7th, followed by a nationwide theatrical release on February 14th.
Among those in attendance were Paul Stanley of KISS, Chris and Rich Robinson from The Black Crowes, actor J.K. Simmons, John Bonham's grandson, Jager Henry Bonham, son of Jason,
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, members of Garbage including Shirley Manson and Butch Vig, Paul McCartney's touring guitarist Brian Ray, and Stone Temple Pilots members Eric Kretz and
Robert DeLeo.
Grateful Dead Items Going Up For MusiCares Charity Relief Auction
The Grateful Dead will contribute to the 2025 MusiCares Charity Relief Auction, offering 20 rare items, including Jerry Garcia’s ivory-colored suit from “Go to Heaven” and Bobby Weir’s signed D’Angelico guitar. Mickey Hart’s psychedelic artwork and Bill Kreutzmann’s used drum equipment will also be featured. Additional highlights include rare test pressings, McIntosh speaker systems signed by Weir and Hart, and a Grateful Dead vault tour hosted by Rhino Entertainment’s Mark Pinkus. Proceeds will support MusiCares' mission to aid music professionals in crisis, including those affected by recent Los Angeles wildfires. The MusiCares Charity Relief Auction will take place this Sunday at 11AM Pacific at The Recording Academy in Santa Monica, California and it will also be available online. The Grateful Dead was named the Persons of the Year by MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, for 2025.
PAUL McCARTNEY: Blasting Back to Venus and Mars
Paul McCartney is releasing a 50th anniversary vinyl edition of the fourth album from Wings, 1975's Venus and Mars. The album was cut at half speed using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes from 1975 at Abbey Road Studios. It's a reproduction of the original UK pressing, with recreations of the original “Venus and Mars are alright tonight” circular sticker, “comparative sizes of sun and planets” bookmark sticker, and it contains two posters.
Set for release on March 21st, it will also be available to stream in Dolby Atmos for the first time. And there will be more celebratory Wings’ activities and announcements set to follow.
RUSH: Spanning Their Career
Rush are boxing up their career. Rush 50 is their first career anthology, containing 50 tracks spread over four CDs and seven LPs. There are songs off every studio, live and deluxe reissue album, plus seven unreleased tracks including five live selections from 1974 with the non-album songs "Bad Boy" and "Garden Road," a Vault Edition of "The Trees" with an alternate guitar solo, and the very last performance with Neil Peart in Los Angeles on August 1st, 2015 of "What You're Doing / Working Man / Garden Road." This set also contains a 104-page hardcover book, and, exclusive to the Super Deluxe edition are 20 lithographs illustrating one song from each studio album and a second 100-page hardcover book, The Fullness of Time, a brand-new graphic novel by Fantoons storytelling a conversation by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reminiscing on the trials, tribulations and successes recording each studio album and how the band's sound evolved with contributions from the producers and engineers they worked with on their studio albums.
Commenting on this collection, Geddy says, “50? Is that all?…seriously…it’s a cool collection…but look at all those songs – I’m exhausted just reading the effin list!” It will be available in five configurations on March 21st.
GEDDY LEE: In Support of Holocaust Remembrance Day
Geddy Lee was in Charlotte, North Carolina Monday night for a Q&A at Queens University.
But unlike his Q&A tour in support of his 2023 memoir, My Effin' Life, this was a much more serious conversation as Monday was Holocaust Remembrance Day, falling on the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp liberation. His parents were survivors of
Auschwitz and other camps.
"When it came time for me to put my memories of my career on paper... I couldn't tell that story without telling my parents' story," Lee told host Geoff Edgers of The Washington Post. "Now that my mom is no longer here to tell her story, I feel I need to tell her story, and I need people to remember what can happen..."I find myself a beneficiary of the wisdom and the suffering that they went through." He also said it's possible he may make a movie about his parents' Holocaust survival. Lee also expressed his concerns about the rise in antisemitism, and the spread of disinformation that is increasing hate against various groups of people.
And on a lighter note, he did talk about a few things concerning Rush — such as continuing to play music with Alex Lifeson and what it was like to tour with KISS — and he took a few questions from the audience saying that Clockwork Angels is his favorite album, and Permanent Waves was the most fun to record.
OZZY: A Sort of Homecoming
Sharon Osbourne tells BBC Radio WM that her husband Ozzy and the three other original members of Black Sabbath being honored by their hometown of Birmingham, England with the Freedom of the City "means a lot to him." The honorary title of City Freeman is awarded to those in recognition of their service to the city and is one of the oldest traditional ceremonies in the country. "He couldn't be happier right now. It's come at a great time for him."
And, speaking about what Birmingham means to her husband, she said, "It's who Ozzy is, he's never ever been one of these people who when you get fame you try and pretend to be something you're not. He's just Ozzy from Brum. That's what he is and he's never tried to be anything else. He owes so much to Birmingham — it's his blood, that's who he is."
While plans to move back to England have yet to take hold, she says Ozzy is "dying to come home, and that's what's been a bit tough. Each time we make arrangements to come, something happens that he can't do it, and he's desperate to come home. We're not home [in the U.S.]. It's not where we're from, it's not what we are. People here have been fantastic to Ozzy, but it's not his home."
Ozzy plans to donate his awards and platinum discs to a Black Sabbath museum that is being planned for the city. And as for his health, Sharon says he's doing good and "is hanging in there." Ozzy turned 76 on December 3rd.
Styx Brings 'The Grand Illusion' to Las Vegas
Styx kicked off their five-night Las Vegas residency inside the Venetian Resort last weekend with a performance of their 1977 album "The Grand Illusion" in full, followed by a hits set featuring classics like "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "Renegade." The band also played tracks from their latest album, "Crash of the Crown." Styx is currently working on a new album, drawing inspiration from real-life experiences. Following their Vegas run, Styx will head out on a summer tour with REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder.
Dave Matthews Band Announces 2025 Tour Dates
Dave Matthews Band is mapping out a 2025 U.S. tour this spring and summer. The 35-date tour starts on April 27th with an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. They'll make a stop in Noblesville, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, Maryland and more before wrapping things up with their annual Labor Day weekend residency at Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington. General tickets go on sale Friday, February 21st.
"Did he ask me to write a song with him? I didn’t take that seriously. We’d had a few pints." The night Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder hung out 'til dawn with Bob Dylan in an Irish bar in New York
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready covered Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" at a star-studded concert in New York in 1992, celebrating Dylan's 30-year recording history. The duo's acoustic performance was described as "riveting" and a highlight of the evening. Vedder expressed hope their tribute would introduce younger fans to Dylan's music, and later revealed that they had shared beers with the folk-rock legend after the show. Dylan appreciated Pearl Jam's music and offered advice to the two young musicians, including suggesting they visit Dublin. Vedder has continued to cover Dylan songs in the years since the concert.
Bob Dylan announces tour of small cities, pays tribute to The Band's Garth Hudson
Bob Dylan is set to embark on a new leg of his “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour,” performing in smaller cities across the Midwest starting in March. The tour will kick off in Tulsa and include stops in Wichita, Kansas, Mankato, Minnesota, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. These concerts mark Dylan’s first live performances since the release of the biographical film “A Complete Unknown,” which received multiple Oscar nominations. Dylan’s 2020 album “Rough and Rowdy Ways” will be featured in the tour, including singles like “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes.” Tickets for select shows are available for purchase, with resale options on platforms like Vivid Seats and StubHub.
Bruce Springsteen Archives to bestow Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty American Music Honors
The 2025 American Music Honors will celebrate legendary artists Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Emmylou Harris, Tom Morello, and Joe Ely for their influence on American music. Hosted by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, the event will take place on April 26 at Monmouth University in New Jersey. The honorees represent a diverse range of genres, including rock, Americana, soul, and country, with each artist having made a significant impact on Billboard's charts and American music history. Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Emmylou Harris, and Joe Ely have all achieved chart success and critical acclaim throughout their careers, solidifying their places in music history.
War Announces 'Eric Burdon and War
Eric Burdon & War - The Complete CD Collection, set for release on March 7, features four CDs showcasing Eric Burdon's time with War from 1969 to 1971. The collection includes the band's first two albums, "Eric Burdon Declares 'War'" and "The Black-Man's Burdon," as well as the 1976 release "Love Is All Around." The hit single "Spill the Wine" is also included in the set. This release follows the recent launch of "Live in Japan 1974," the first live album featuring all seven original War members.
IN OTHER NEWS
Bob Dylan has paid tribute to Garth Hudson, keyboardist in The Band who died last week at 87. “Sorry to hear the news about Garth Hudson,” writes Dylan. “He was a beautiful guy and the real driving force behind The Band. Just listen to the original recording of ‘The Weight’ and you’ll see.” Hudson was the oldest and longest living member of The Band’s original lineup.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 2025 film series will feature a night for hardcore Bob Dylan fans. Fifty Years in Sixty Minutes: An Evening With the Bob Dylan Center will be screened on March 10th, and the Hall says, "This one-hour program of videos from the Bob Dylan Archive features rare and previously unreleased clips."
Jerry Garcia's music will be the focus of two performances by the Boston Pops. The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, conducted by Keith Lockhart, will be held on June 3rd and 4th at Symphony Hall in Boston. Sitting in will be Jerry Garcia Band members Melvin Seals and
Jackyln LaBranch, plus Dead & Company and Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge. Details at BostonPops.org. This August 9th marks the 30th anniversary of Garcia’s passing.
Eric Clapton has written the prologue, and Paul Simon the foreword to Dion's memoir, Dion: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher. Dion is celebrating the publication with a new song, “New York Minute,” which is about his love of the city and his wife of 62 years, Susan.
Michael McDonald, Los Lobos and Lyle Lovett are among the artists playing at Americana Fest Salute to John Hiatt Saturday at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Hiatt will be on hand for the event, which will raise money for MusiCares wildfire relief efforts.
Green Day will be one of the headliners at the Minnesota Yacht Club festival, which runs July 18th through the 20th at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul.
Def Leppard have released the first episode of Behind the Tour 2025, this one showing highlights of the private show they played on January 18th in Leon, Mexico. At this show, Phil Collen’s guitar tech, John Zocco, filled in for Vivian Campbell, who is recovering from a bone marrow transplant for his Hodgkin's lymphoma. You can watch it on YouTube.
