Coachella 2025 Weekend 2 Recap

Coachella at night is magical. Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Weekend 2 of the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was one of discovery to be sure. I not only enjoyed catching a number of artists for the first-time ever, I was more able to fully appreciate a few returning favorites (Lady Gaga, Japanese Breakfast, The Marias) and saw the Go-Go's for the first time in more than 30 years! Here I showcase my favorite artists seen as Coachella last weekend (April 18-20).

Glixen performing at Coachella on April 18.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Glixen — The first artist I caught on day one (April 18) was Glixen, a strong shoe gaze-styled quartet whose sound came off as a cross between Mazzy Star and Dinosaur Jr. The band made the most of its 30-minute set inside the Sonora tent and pleased the enthusiastic crowd on hand with a powerful set of heavy originals. 

TOPS — Canadian quartet TOPS blended melodic rock, ear candy-styled songcraft, new wave, occasional jazzy flourishes and winning vocal harmonies across their 40-minute set in the Sonora tent. 

Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go's at Coachella.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

The Go-Go's — Although the Go-Go's were not as tight as many of the other bands that appeared at Coachella over the weekend, there is no denying the unbridled enthusiasm of the groundbreaking all-female Los Angeles outfit elevated their performance on the Outdoor Theatre stage on Friday afternoon. With a setlist filled with catchy and memorable material, the band thrilled the faithful with tracks including "Vacation," "Lust to Love," "Head over Heels," "Our Lips Are Sealed" and set-ending "We Got the Beat." However, I thought the single best selection of their set was "This Town," a song that showcased the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' formidable strengths.

Benson Boone performing his new advance track "American Heart" at Coachella.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Benson Boone — The biggest surprise of Weekend 1 was when rising 22-year-old singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Benson Boone covered Queen's timeless hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" and brought out that band's Brian May to play his timeless lead guitar work on that 1975 classic. Although May didn't show up for Boone's Weekend 2 set on the Coachella Stage, Boone had no trouble impressing the audience with his signature style of modern pop-rock. Opening with "Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else," other uptempo cuts included "Cry" and "Mystical Magical." He proved equally skilled when sitting on the piano and performing more intimate material as evidenced by the early sections of "Slow It Down," "There She Goes" and the piano-anchored power ballad "Forever and a Day." Late set standouts included the title track from his forthcoming album ("American Heart"), a stunning take on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the latter complete with a large vocal choir) and rousing version of his 2024 hit "Beautiful Things."

Maria Zardoya of The Marias.
Photo courtesy of Coachella

The Marias — Los Angeles' the Marias attracted such a large and enthusiastic crowd to the Outdoor Theatre it's clear the quartet could have performed on the larger Coachella stage. Lead singer Maria Zardoya is a particularly charismatic singer and she connected strongly with Coachellagoers on Friday; the stylish talents of drummer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman and keyboardist Edward James enhance the Marias' remarkable style. Highlights included a shimmering take on "Real Life," the fanciful "Only in My Dreams" (the latter a track fully utilizing the striking set design), intense "Hush" and bewitching "Paranoia." The Marias closed with the Spanish language gem Cariño," with Zardoya venturing out into the crowd to greet excited fans. 

Parcels — One of the best sets of Weekend 2 belonged to Parcels, a five-member Berlin, Germany-based group that masterfully blended synth pop, disco, funk and alternative dance styles together on the Outdoor Theatre stage. Opening with the intoxicating dance track "Overnight," the group proceeded to keep the dance-minded party going with winning tracks including the harmonies-adorned "Lightenup," "Tieduprightnow" and the new single "Safeandsound," the latter featuring an explosive finale.

Fans watch Lady Gaga perform on one of the massive Coachella Stage screens.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Lady Gaga — No matter any Coachellagoer's specific taste in music — be it rock, jazz, dance, rap, hip-hop or you name it — there is a better than good chance they were blown away by Lady Gaga's 20-song performance spread over five specific acts on the Coachella Stage to cap the opening day of Weekend 2. The large audience was immersed in the artist's so-called "Mayhem Ball" (named after her mega-successful new album Mayhem), and were treated to a fast-moving concept concert featuring Lady Gaga singing and dancing up a storm. Following her acclaimed Coachella Weekend 2 performance, it was announced that Lady Gaga will bring her "Mayhem Ball" tour across the nation beginning in Las Vegas on July 16.

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast on April 19, 2025.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Japanese Breakfast — As wonderful as indie art rock troupe Japanese Breakfast was at Weekend 1, the Michelle Zauner-led band was even more impressive Weekend 2. Over the course of 45 magical minutes the band ( which also features guitarist Peter Bradley, bassist Deven Craige and drummer-keyboardist Craig Hendrix) brought a mix of literate, musically diverse and fun material to the Outdoor Theatre stage. Zauner played guitar at times, danced at others and sang with palpable emotion throughout. A wide range of material connected with the crowd including alt rock ("Honey Water"), uptempo dance-minded cuts ("The Woman That Loves You," "Paprika," "Be Sweet"), breezy pop ("Road Head," "Picture Window") and semi-acoustic sorties ("Winter in LA," "Kokomo, IN"). 

Beth Gibbons at Coachella.
Photo courtesy of Coachella

Beth Gibbons — Best known as the singer and lyricist for groundbreaking English band Portishead, Beth Gibbons delivered one of the most ambitious and memorable sets of Weekend 2. Like Radiohead, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel, Gibbons brings an intensity, depth and immersive soundscape to her sonic world. Backed by a seven-member band of virtuoso players, Gibbons made the most of every moment of her 45-minute set in the Gobi tent. Her set featured a number of amazing originals from her acclaimed 2024 album Lives Outgrown including her set opening "Burden of Life," the lush "Floating on a Moment," the edgy "Rewind" with its creative use of strings and a horn, and "Lost Changes" — the latter with its probing and potent exploration of mortality and love. Additionally, she thrilled music lovers with a powerful take on the Portishead favorite "Glory Box."

The Beaches turned in an impressive set at Coachella.
Photo courtesy of Coachella

The Beaches — Canadian indie rock heroes the Beaches were one of my top discoveries of Coachella 2025. The all-female band blended New Wave, post punk and alt rock sonics throughout their fiery audience-pleasing appearance on Sunday. It's rare for a modern rock band to have undeniable chemistry across their complete lineup but Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass guitar), Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals) and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums) showcased that in spades. Standouts of the Beaches' set included the catchy opener "Cigarette," '80s-flavored "Takes One To Know One," sweeping "Jocelyn," confessional rocker "Edge of the Earth" and explosive closer "Blame Brett."

Kraftwerk — Pioneering German electronic band Kraftwerk conjured up the beginnings of electronic music with a set of the quartet's distinctive material constructed via generally sparse arrangements, mechanical vocals, drum machine-driven rhythms, synthesizers and snappy melodies. Led by co-founder Ralf Hütter, highlights included the driving opener "Numbers / Computer World / Computer World 2," unsettling "Autobahn," pulsating "Radioactivity" and engaging "The Robots." 

Regarding the widely reported antisemitic, jew-hatred performance by the Irish rap group Kneecap, I encourage everyone to read the "Setting the Stage for Hate: Kneecap and Coachella's Collapse of Conscience" Opinion piece in the Hollywood Reporter HERE. Although this writer did not see any of that performance, I was contacted by many who knew I was at Coachella and concerned to see a performer spewing these hate-filled views at the festival. There is no place for this type of hate at Coachella.

Robert Kinsler

'Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project' Special 40th Anniversary Edition

Just announced - this is sure to be one of the most-anticipated reissues of 2023!..Robert Kinsler

BRIAN MAY + FRIENDS STAR FLEET PROJECT Special 40th Anniversary Edition

STAR FLEET SESSIONS  Featuring Brian May, Edward Van Halen,  Alan Gratzer, Phil Chen, Fred Mandel 2-CD, Vinyl Single & LP DELUXE BOX SET Gold Series Release July 14, 2023    Digital Single “Star Fleet” (Edited Single Version) Leads In Release - available today, June 1 Pre-order Star Fleet Project “It’s all here. ALL of it. Every note we played on those two days is right here, on show for the first time. I will take you behind the scenes into that studio with us for two unforgettably exhilarating days.” - Brian May When Queen took a break for the first part of 1983, Brian May put his time to good use. Waking up one morning in Los Angeles, he decided to phone a few friends and invite them to collaborate on some tracks in California’s famous Record Plant studios. The resulting collaboration was a great success, and Brian would later mold the recordings into a unique mini-album, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project. This third release in the “Brian May Gold Series” offers an extensively revisited and expanded box set edition of these legendary sessions. The set is a complete document of the two days, April 21 and 22, 1983 that May spent in the Record Plant, Los Angeles accompanied by top rock music luminaries Edward Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards). The box set includes a spectacular 23-track CD filled with previously unreleased material.  Containing two CDs, one vinyl LP, and a vinyl single, as well as other collector’s items, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Sessions will be launched as a Deluxe Edition box set, worldwide on July 14th.   A separate exclusive 7” double A-side single, also available on CD comes out on the same day, July 14th, featuring newly mixed single versions of “Star Fleet” and “Let Me Out.” A special red vinyl version will be available exclusively through the official Queen Online store and is available to pre-order at: https://www.queenonlinestore.com/Brian-May/Starfleet/ The July 14 box set release is ushered in with a special stand alone digital single, “Star Fleet (Edited Single Version)” which becomes available to coincide with today’s, June 1st, box set announcement. The single digital track is available immediately for digital download and streaming.  Listen to the track HERE.

The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts announce performers for Concert Events coming in September 2022

Check out all the details we have so far related to the highly-anticipated Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts coming in September. Below is the artwork and official media release...Robert Kinsler

Taylor Hawkins at the "Celebration for Ray Manzarek"
event in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2016.
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Media Release

THE TAYLOR HAWKINS TRIBUTE CONCERTS

 

FOO FIGHTERS TO BE JOINED BY

CHRIS CHANEY, STEWART COPELAND, MILEY CYRUS**, LIAM GALLAGHER*, OMAR HAKIM, JOSHUA HOMME, CHRISSIE HYNDE*, JOAN JETT**, GEDDY LEE, ALEX LIFESON, BRIAN MAY, ALANIS MORISSETTE**, MARK RONSON, GENE SIMMONS**, NIKKI SIXX**, CHAD SMITH**, LUKE SPILLER**, SUPERGRASS*, ROGER TAYLOR, RUFUS TAYLOR, JON THEODORE**, WOLFGANG VAN HALEN, BRAD WILK**, PAT WILSON** & A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY CHEVY METAL!

 

PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

September 3 at Wembley Stadium (*Appearing in London Only)

September 27 at The Kia Forum (**Appearing in Los Angeles Only)

Foo Fighters Together with the Hawkins Family Present Two Global Events Celebrating the Memory & Music of a Rock Legend

 

The first wave of confirmed guests to join The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts in celebration of the life, music and love of one of modern music’s most beloved figures has been confirmed.

 

The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will feature the likes of Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Joan Jett, Mark Ronson, members of Queen, The Police, Rush, Kiss, The Pretenders, Motley Crue, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Supergrass, a special appearance by Dave Chappelle (in the UK only) and Chevy Metal, plus more to be announced — playing the songs that Taylor loved and created, with and alongside his FF brothers Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee.

 

The two all-star global events in celebration of Taylor’s memory and his legacy as a global rock icon will take place September 3 at London's Wembley Stadium and September 27 at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. For specific lineups — and to sign up to receive information on updates, timings, ticketing links and on sale dates — go to https://www.foofighters.com/.

 

The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will benefit charities in both the UK and the US chosen by the Hawkins family. Beneficiaries and further details will be announced shortly.

Queen + Paul Rodgers: Live In Ukraine 2008. YouTube Special. Raising funds for Ukraine Relief

Earlier today a historic 2008 performance by Queen + Paul Rodgers staged in front of a crowd of 350,000 in Kharkiv, Ukraine was streamed via Queen's official YouTube channel for Ukraine Relief.

A screen shot from today's steaming event featuring Queen + Paul Rodgers.

Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen shared: “Queen + Paul Rodgers: Live In Ukraine 2008. YouTube Special. Raising funds for Ukraine Relief. In September 2008 Queen + Paul Rodgers answered a call from Ukraine’s Elena Pinchuk’s ANTIAIDS Foundation to reach out to the youth of the country with the message Don’t Let AIDS Ruin Your Life by playing a free Life Must Go On AIDS awareness concert in Kharkiv’s historic Freedom Square to a live audience of more than 350,000 – and a television audience of more than 10 million.”

I really enjoyed the concert and it was nice to help out with the important cause as the invasion by Russia and the obvious genocide of the Ukrainian people continues to play out in Eastern Europe. The setlist includes classics from Queen as well as Rodgers-fronted bands Free and Bad Company.

Donations made in connection with the online concert stream go to UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency.

Here is the track listing for the two-hour concert:

Tracklisting:
One Vision
Tie Your Mother Down
The Show Must Go On
Fat Bottomed Girls
Another One Bites the Dust
Hammer to Fall
I Want it All
I Want to Break Free
Seagull
Love of My Life
39
Drum Solo
I’m in Love With My Car
Say It’s Not True
Shooting Star
Bad Company
Guitar Solo
Bijou
Last Horizon
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
C-lebrity
Feel Like Makin’ Love
Bohemian Rhapsody
Cosmos Rockin’
All Right Now
We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
God Save the Queen

For more information, visit Queen's stream of the event HERE.

Brian May announces re-release and new music video of his classic single

Brian May's single "Driven By You" is available now! 

 

Brian May announces re-release and new music video of his classic single 

“DRIVEN BY YOU”

ahead of remastered “Back To The Light” album

“The song Freddie Mercury generously gave his blessing to be my solo track.”

Released on Friday, June 25, 2021

Watch and listen here: http://brianmay.lnk.to/DrivenByYou

  

Brian May’s first solo hit, and the unforgettable TV ad it was made for, came from the most unlikely of origins. 

“Driven By You” is, without doubt, one of rock’s most rousing and lasting anthems. Originally written for a Ford car television commercial, the solo track was a worldwide hit when it first debuted as a single off May’s 1992 “Back To The Light” album. But the unforgettable song had its beginnings oceans away from the open roads of the UK countryside that were framed in that TV ad.

Originally released in November 1991, “Driven By You” saw success worldwide including reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 9 on the US Billboard Album Rock Chart. Re-released to download on June 25 ahead of the forthcoming remastered reissue of May’s “Back To The Light” album on August 6, the reissue of the track comes with a scorching new 30^th Anniversary video edit. The performance was originally filmed when the Queen legend sang the track live for the first time at the 1991 Guitar Legends concert in Seville, Spain, and during his 1992 South America tour. 

The energetic footage features Brian performing the song with an all-star band including Cozy Powell on drums, Neil Murray on bass and Steve Vai on rhythm guitar. Plus, Rick Wakeman and Mike Moran on keyboards, alongside Maggie Ryder, Miriam Stockley and Chris Moran on backing vocals. That music video can be seen in its updated form here: http://brianmay.lnk.to/DrivenByYou 

Sharing the backstory to “Driven By You,” May cites a Los Angeles pool bathroom as the unlikely starting point for his classic song.

“There’s a kind of mystery about writing songs. You never know where they come from. All I know is I was sitting around a swimming pool in Los Angeles with an ad producer. He’s sitting there sunning himself. I’m there with my future wife sunning myself by the pool, and we get talking. And he says, ‘Oh, you write songs don’t you?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I write songs.’ He said, ‘Well could you write a song for an advert? Have you ever done that?’ And I went, ‘No, I’ve never done it.’ He asked, ‘Would you like to?’ And I said, 'Yes, I’d be very interested.’ He then asked me how I would feel about a slogan that goes, ‘Everything we do, we do for you’.

“And I went, ‘Yeah, I could relate to that’ because I can feel that in my own mind about my own self. And it got modified later on. It became ‘Everything we do is driven by you’ because it was about cars and I liked that even more. And as soon as he said that, I went off to the bathroom with my little tape recorder and sang some stuff into the tape recorder. I sang most of the verse and a bit of the chorus, which is the way it happens with me. Suddenly a light goes on and I could hear it in my head, I could hear the whole thing, ‘Driven By You’, and I wrote it for them, for the Ford Car Company, and completed it very quickly. I went into the studio when I got back, completed it quickly for them, and then they liked it.”

Revisiting “Driven By You” today, May has also revealed how the song helped create a special understanding with Freddie Mercury in his final days and how the Queen singer encouraged his dear friend and bandmate to ‘find his wings’ in his solo career.

Talking of Freddie, May says: “I played it to Freddie and I said, ‘Freddie, you know if this becomes a Queen track, which it might do, obviously you should sing it.’ He listened and went, ‘You’ve done it very well darling, and I think you should sing it’. Now whether that’s because he really did think I sang it well or just because he didn’t want to sing anything, I don’t know. But he said, ‘It’s beautiful, it’s great, it’s very complete in its own way, you should do it.’ And he said something very profound at the time. He said, ‘You know we’re all thinking and wondering what’s going to happen to me, and you don’t have to feel embarrassed about it. You know you should be thinking about your solo career at this time and if this is the beginning of your solo career then it’s a very worthy beginning. This is probably the beginning of your finding your wings as you need to do.’ So Freddie was very far-sighted and very generous as always and sort of gave me permission to do this as a solo track, which I did.

“I rewrote the words as a piece of relationship therapy, you know, ‘Everything I do is driven by you’ and put it out as a single and it was a hit. So it was a nice boost to me to feel I could do things on my own. I wasn’t just a piece of Queen. And that’s what I believe about the core of songs; sometimes you don’t know why you’re writing them. You don’t know where it’s coming from, but it can be channelled into a way which makes sense in various ways. And things are always about life for me; they’re always about relationships. Either my relationships or relationships with people around me. It’s about humans interacting. That to me is the most exciting thing in the world; the most important thing and the hardest thing to get right in your life. A lot of people can do great stuff. You know, fly aeroplanes, go to the Moon. Relationships… not so easy. So it’s about that as always.”

“Out of the Light,” the companion release available in the “Back To The Light” box set and on the 2CD and digital formats, features three alternative versions of “Driven By You” including the original Ford Ad Version and a Cozy (Powell) and Neil (Murray) ’93 version.

“Driven By You” is available to download and stream from June 25.

Brian May’s “Back To The Light” remastered reissue is available on August 6 on CD, Vinyl, Cassette, digital download and streaming formats and can be pre-ordered here: https://BrianMay.lnk.to/BackToTheLight

Sights and Sounds: Sparks, Pearl Jam, ‘Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar’, Peter Himmelman, Spafford

While the global live concert industry is still at a close-to complete standstill, there are plenty of announcements as it relates to new videos, upcoming albums and television specials. There is even news about a live drive-in performance coming to Arizona later this month ...Robert Kinsler

Sparks ride "Lawnmower" into album release day 

NEW SONG/VIDEO OUT TODAY, NEW ALBUM OUT TOMORROW

A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

ARRIVES DIGITALLY TOMORROW, FRIDAY, MAY 15;

PHYSICAL FOLLOWS ON FRIDAY, JULY 3

“These songs are as wonderfully wild, fractured, rambunctious, jittery, and above all melodic as the best in the band’s bulging catalog.” - American Songwriter (4/5 stars) “A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip follows Sparks' characteristic diversity, with plenty of theatrically styled camp.” - Billboard “After nearly 50 years and over two dozen albums, Sparks continue their reign of resonantly quirky art pop-rock delights on A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip.” - Pop Matters “No band should by rights sound as sharp, melodic and funny more than 50 years into their career. But Sparks are no ordinary band.” - Q Groundbreaking pop icons Sparks – Los Angeles-based brothers Ron and Russell Mael – have announced today’s release of “Lawnmower,” the latest song release from their upcoming 24thstudio album, A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP. “Lawnmower” is available now via BMG at all DSPs and streaming services. The video will premiere on YouTube at Noon today (May 14). A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP arrives at all digital platforms tomorrow, Friday, May 15; the album’s physical release – including CD, vinyl, and cassette – is set for Friday, July 3. Billboard premiered “Lawnmower” with a Russell Mael Q&A yesterday. LISTEN TO “LAWNMOWER” WATCH “LAWNMOWER” A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP is still available for pre-order, with all pre-orders joined by an “instant grat” download of “Lawnmower,” as well as the previous track releases, “One For The Ages,” “I’m Toast,” “Self Effacing,” and “Please Don’t Fuck Up My World.” A number of formats are on offer, including CD, 2x heavyweight colored and picture disc vinyl, and cassette; limited exclusives include signed prints, deluxe CD book editions, and a very special Sparks beret. For complete details, please visit allsparks.com. PRE-ORDER A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP has already been met by strong critical praise, with Pop Matters hailing the LP as “yet another remarkable testament to Sparks’ enduring appeal and quality…it’s another wildly thought-provoking, fun, and wholly distinctive venture.” A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP “fizzes with as much energy as any of their records,” declared Q, “being an effervescent brew of rock, electronica, and classical.” “Ron and Russell Mael’s world is as fabulously off-skew as ever,” wrote MOJO, “and, even better, wonderful melodies tumble out of the speakers.” “There is surely not a pop duo of their vintage still releasing durable, endearing music,” wrote the Irish Times. “A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP adds to their catalogue yet another collection of watertight pop songs that manage the feat of sounding just how you want Sparks to sound while deviating ever so slightly from the familiar.” “They’ve done it again,” enthused Record Collector in a five-starred rave. “Art-pop’s greatest cottage industry continues with this new, splendid record.” “Sparks’ abiding gifts for pop melody, surreal humour and clever, quirky lyrics crafted with precision and attention to old-fashioned virtues of the songwriter’s craft – meter and scansion, rhyme and rhythm – remain not just undiminished but honed to a peak of perfection,” wrote Louder Than War. “With A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP, Sparks have drawn on the many styles and many great moments in a multi-faceted career that began in their native Los Angeles in 1967, while retaining the unique identity. Whatever style they embrace, and they have embraced most – pop, rock, New Wave, synth-pop, disco, dance, electro, orchestral, opera – they always remain ineffably, irrefutably, inescapably, undeniably Sparks.” Ron and Russell Mael will join The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess for an extra special edition of #TimsTwitterListeningParty featuring A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP on Wednesday, May 20 at 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT. Fans are invited to follow @sparksofficial and @tim_burgess on Twitter for real time, live commentary on the album; to tweet, please use the hashtag #TimsTwitterListeningParty. This year should also see the eagerly awaited premiere of the musical Annette, the first English-language film from groundbreaking French director Leos Carax (Holy Motors, Pola X), written by Ron and Russell Mael and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. In addition, director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver) will continue work on his as-yet-untitled Sparks documentary, a long-in-the-making feature-length film celebrating this singular band.

CONNECT WITH SPARKS: ALLSPARKS.COM TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE

Pearl Jam shares compelling “Retrograde" Music Video

New album 'Gigaton' available now via Republic Records 

NEW YORK, NY – Today, Pearl Jam revealed the music video for the Gigaton single “Retrograde.”

Watch it HERE.

For the visual, the band teamed up with director Josh Wakely [Beat Bugs, Motown Magic]. The animated clip opens with a lone traveler driving through the rain and descending upon a strip mall. Visiting a psychic, the protagonist witnesses the destruction of the world in a crystal ball as the seas overtake the Eiffel Tower in Paris, London Bridge in London, and the group’s native Seattle. Fluid animation moves like an oil painting in motion as the animated musicians—Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, and Matt Cameron—step out of their respect tarot cards and into a march. While the water continues to rise climate change activist and revolutionary Greta Thunberg appears behind the crystal ball as a clairvoyant.

“Retrograde” is the latest single from the band’s new album, Gigaton—available now.

Get it at www.pearljam.com.


story here

AXS TV releases clips & highlights featuring Brian May, Joe Walsh, Tanya Tuckar and James Burton from ‘Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar’

Premieres Sunday, May 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT

Brian May, left, with Sammy Hagar / Photo courtesy AXS TV

Watch Brian May share how his Signature Guitar Sound was inspired by Rory Gallagher & James Burton HERE

Watch Sammy Hagar, Joe Walsh and James Burton perform the Elvis classic “Jailhouse Rock” HERE

Sammy Hagar returns to Nashville to celebrate rock legend James Burton at an all-star bash for the famed guitarist for Elvis, John Denver and many others. Backstage he sits down with music legends Brian May of Queen, Joe Walsh and recent GRAMMY®-winner Tanya Tucker.

Here are two press clips from the episode for media use:

Interview highlights from the episode include:

• Tanya Tucker discusses beginning her singing career in Nashville at age nine and her love for Elvis
• Joe Walsh shares his secret to musical longevity.
• How Brian May and Queen continued after Freddie Mercury’s death. 

Peter Himmelman's 'This Is How It Ends' debut single

from artist's forthcoming album 'Press On'

Americana Highways premiered the track here. 



NEW YORK, N.Y. — Press On, Peter Himmelman’s forthcoming 13-song album, was recorded live in Los Feliz, Calif. in a total of three days. “We used a simple creative forcing frame for our three-day marathon session, which consisted of four rules,” Himmelman says. “Upright bass on every song, little to no cymbals and high-hats, no professional background singers, and as much live recording as possible. We wanted anyone listening to the music to feel as if they were in the room with us as we were recording.” These days not many players have the musical chops to record without stopping to fix mistakes, or to improvise complex parts on the fly. The musicians Himmelman selected for the project were capable of both, and they were excited about the chance to make a live-in-studio recording in a short span of time. 

Recorded with the help of Himmelman’s longtime bassist/collaborator Matt Thompson, drummer Jimi Englund, keyboardist Chris Joyner, and guitarist Greg Herzenach, the spare, soulful soundsof the debut single, “This Is How It Ends,” allow room for Himmelman’s biting, and sometimes, nearly clairvoyant lyrics to rise up through the swirls of gospel-like colors within the musical arrangement. Producer and engineer Sheldon Gomberg notes, “the musicianship on ‘This Is How It Ends’ is of the highest quality. These guys are some of my favorite players around. The way they listen and respond to what’s happening is what gives the record its remarkable immediacy.”

“This Is How It Ends,” which Himmelman composed on the piano one afternoon in his living room in Santa Monica, California, was written nearly a year prior to his move to New York City in August of 2019. “As with many songs of mine that I wind up being most attracted to, this one was also a surprise when it emerged,” Himmelman muses. “I asked myself then and now, where did this come from, what does it mean?”  

This is the sound of unearthly silence, after a year of blood and violence. These are

 the men grey with ash, rollin’ their barrels of useless cash...

Press On, produced by Gomberg, Thompson, Himmelman, and Arthur Himmelman, is set for release in July 2020, with details to be announced shortly.

SPAFFORD announces live concert at the Drive-In



MAY 24, 2020 | DIGITAL DRIVE-IN | MESA, AZ

Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona based progressive rock band Spafford is set to perform LIVE in Mesa, AZ on May 24. The show will take place at the famed drive-in movie theater "Digital Drive-In.” This is the band’s first live performance since the Covid-19 epidemic forced bands worldwide to cancel tours and scheduled performances. There will be a limited number of tickets available for this performance. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 15th at 10AM PST.  

PURCHASE TICKETS TO SPAFFORD LIVE AT THE DRIVE-IN 

“We are extremely excited for this opportunity. Everyone on our team has been working tirelessly to ensure that this will be an amazing experience that follows all social distancing guidelines. We want to provide a safe, fun environment for everyone to get out and enjoy our music!” said Spafford of the upcoming performance. 

Fans will be able to see this first of its kind live show from the comfort of their own vehicles while also practicing social distancing. For fans elsewhere in the country, the show will be live-streamed for free via Spafford’s YouTube and Facebook pages. 

Spafford are known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each and every Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.



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