A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood coming September 8, 2017

I wanted to highlight the upcoming release of this noteworthy tribute to Les Paul, which is coming out on DVD tomorrow (Sept. 8, 2017)...

A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood

coming to DVD on September 8, 2017

A live concert tribute to the "godfather of the electric guitar" Les Paul, 

featuring the world's best guitarists.

With a legendary career as a hit-making musician, solid-body electric guitar trailblazer, and an inventor of unprecedented recording techniques, he has impacted and influenced the many facets of the music industry like none other. Filmed live at what was then the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on February 8, 2006, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood gives viewers a front row seat for an unforgettable night of powerhouse performances, as some of music's biggest names come together to honor the ultimate icon. The night is headlined by show-stopping numbers from an all-star slate of Paul disciples, that includes Slash and Edgar Winter teaming up on the Stevie Wonder staple "Superstition;" Toto axeman Steve Lukather's rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing;" and Joe Perry and Buddy Guy closing the night with a soulful blues set. Other highlights include spirited performances by Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Neal Schon, and more.

As part of the night's festivities, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood also features rare commentary taken from several of Paul's final interviews recorded at New York's landmark Iridium Jazz Club, as well as at Paul's home in Mahwah, New Jersey. The special event was held to raise funds and awareness for the South Central charity A Place Called Home, designed to give at-risk youth a safe and secure environment they can thrive in.

The program is produced by Icon Television Music, Inc., HD Net (now AXSTV), and In Touch Entertainment and distributed by MVD Entertainment Group. The award-winning production team includes Charles Carlini ("Les Paul's 90^th Birthday Concert at Carnegie Hall"), Bob Cutarella ("Les Paul & Friends"), Howard Lipp ("Les Paul 90^th Birthday Concert at Gibson Amphitheater"), and Glenn Aveni ("Les Paul Chasing Sound").

Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation stated, "It is without a doubt that Les Paul is the 'Father of Modern Music' and that musicians from every corner of the globe and in every genre of the music industry stand upon his shoulders. He was an inventor, an award-winning musician, an innovator and most importantly a very special man I also had the privilege of calling my friend. The artists and producers who have made this tribute program possible give us every reason to remember that Les Paul was a man who influenced our music industry profoundly. I am thrilled that viewers everywhere will have the chance to witness his greatest through the performances and storytelling of this wonderful program."

To pre-order the DVD go HERE.

Dead & Company set dates for 2017 Fall Tour

The music of the Grateful Dead truly lives on through the powerful performances of Dead & Company. Read my review of the group's terrific performance at Irvine Meadows in July 2016 here. I first caught the band earlier that year at a strong performance at the Fabulous Forum; you can read my review of that show here.

Check out the media release before on details on the troupe's next series of concert dates...

Tickets on Sale Beginning Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 10 a.m.

Fresh off their highly acclaimed summer tour, DEAD & COMPANY has added a fall leg to its 2017 tour beginning with two shows at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, November 12, and Tuesday, November 14, and running through Friday, December 8, at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Tickets go on sale for most concerts starting Saturday, September 16, at 10 AM through Ticketmaster, unless otherwise noted. Tickets for the Orlando and Sunrise concerts go on sale Saturday, September 23, at 10 AM. A full listing of tour dates can be found below.

Dead & Company performing at Irvine Meadows on July 26, 2016.
Photo: Bob Steshetz

The celebrated group features original Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir alongside singer/guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Continuing in the tradition of the Grateful Dead, the group draws from the Dead’s vast catalog of songs and is taking the iconic music catalogue to new heights.

To ensure fans get tickets in their hands directly, Fan Registration will be available for the fall tour dates beginning today, September 7, at Noon ET, through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program; supplies are limited, further information here. Presale opportunities will be available beginning Tuesday, September 12, at 10 AM.  

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, September 12, at noon through Friday, September 15, at 10 PM in all markets except in Orlando and Sunrise, Florida. In Orlando and Sunrise, American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public Tuesday, September 19, at noon through Friday, September 22, at 10 PM.

Dead & Company has once again partnered with CID Entertainment to offer VIP Experiences & Seamless Packages on tour including a premium concert ticket with early venue entry, a limited edition, screen printed poster, and a commemorative concert ticket and case. For full package details, visit CID Entertainment.

Check deadandcompany.com for complete ticketing information.

The inaugural Dead & Company tour, in the fall of 2015, kicked off with two sold-out shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden, which Billboard dubbed as "magical,” followed by three highly successful U.S. tours. Dead & Company is “potent enough to enrapture the faithful and convert the skeptical” (Boston Globe).

Dead & Company Fall Tour 2017 Dates:

SUN    12-Nov             New York, NY            Madison Square Garden                 

TUE     14-Nov            New York, NY            Madison Square Garden     

THU    16-Nov            Philadelphia, PA        Wells Fargo Center**

FRI      17-Nov             Boston, MA                TD Garden    

TUE     21-Nov            Washington D.C.       Capital One Arena    

WED   22-Nov            Hartford, CT               XL Center**

FRI      24-Nov           Detroit, MI                  Little Caesars Arena 

SAT     25-Nov            Columbus, OH           Nationwide Arena    

TUE     28-Nov           Charlotte, NC             Spectrum Center      

WED   29-Nov           Atlanta, GA                 Philips Arena 

FRI      1-Dec               Dallas, TX                   American Airlines Center    

SAT     2-Dec              Austin, TX                   Frank Erwin Center**

TUE     5-Dec              New Orleans, LA       Smoothie King Center          

THU    7-Dec              Orlando, FL                Amway Center++     

FRI      8-Dec              Sunrise, FL                 BB&T Center++

**Tickets are not available through Ticketmaster for these concerts.

++Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 23, at 10 AM.

Penelope Spheeris' 'Dudes' coming to Blu-ray on October 10, 2017

The forthcoming release of director Penelope Sppeeris' 'Dudes' on Blu-ray is all the sweeter thanks to the wealth of bonus features announced as part of this Collector's Edition...

PENELOPE SPHEERIS’ DUDES

STARRING JON CRYER

COMES TO BLU-RAY FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

ON OCTOBER 10, 2017

“An almost unclassifiable oddity – a punk-road movie-Western-ghost story.”

– Moria Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Los Angeles, CA – The 1987 rock ‘n’ roll comedy adventure Dudes is heading to Blu-ray from Shout! Factory’s Shout Select line on October 10! Dudes [Collector’s Edition] contains new interviews with Jon Cryer, Flea, and Daniel Roebuck as conducted by director Penelope Spheeris, as well as new interviews with Catherine Mary Stewart, writer J. Randal Johnson, and producer Miguel Tejada-Flores. Additional extras include the theatrical trailer, still gallery, and a vintage featurette: Making of Dudes.

Urban angst meets the Wild West when three NYC punks (Jon Cryer of Pretty in Pink, Daniel Roebuck of River’s Edge, and Flea of Suburbia and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on a road trip to California cross paths with a vicious gang and their psycho leader (Lee Ving, Streets of Fire and Fear). Aided by a pistol-packin’ knockout (Catherine Mary Stewart, Night of the Comet), a daredevil Elvis Presley impersonator (Pete Willcox), and mystical spirits of the past, they relentlessly pursue the gang to an epic, hallucinogenic, final showdown. 

Directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Penelope Spheeris (The Decline of Western Civilization, Suburbia, Wayne’s World), Dudes blasts a killer soundtrack featuring The Vandals, The Little Kings, Keel, Jane’s Addiction and Steve Vai.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

·         Jon Cryer interviewed by Penelope Spheeris

·         Flea Interviewed by Penelope Spheeris

·         Catherine Mary Stewart Interview

·         Daniel Roebuck interviewed by Penelope Spheeris

·         J. Randall Johnson and Miguel Tejada-Flores Interview

·         Theatrical Trailer

·         Vintage Featurette – Making of Dudes

·         Photo Gallery

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Factory Productions, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr, Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Alice Cooper Shine on New DVD Titles

An already-legendary benefit concert featuring both Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, companion releases capturing country music heroes Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens, and a groundbreaking period of Alice Cooper's '70s career finally released on DVD make for some terrific viewing (and listening!) via new releases.

Artists: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Moby, Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, more
Title: Change Begins Within: A Benefit Concert for The David Lynch Foundation (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
You might like if you enjoy: The Beatles, Moby, Betty LaVette, Ben Harper
Tell me more: A special event featuring sets from a number of legendary musicians is reason enough to celebrate, but imagine a once-in-a-generation concert boasting sets from both Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney with the former Beatles then joining forces to perform several Fab Four classics together. Those are among the many reasons to run out and get a copy of Change Begins Within: A Benefit Concert for The David Lynch Foundation. Filmed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 4, 2009, the now-legendary concert also features performances teaming Moby and Bettye LaVette ("Trouble So Hard/Natural Blues"), Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper (an excellent cover of the Queen/David Bowie classic "Under Pressure"), and Sheryl Crow and Harper (George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord"). Appearances from British singer-songwriter Donovan and comedian Jerry Seinfeld also shine in the concert film, directed superbly by Michael Dempsey. Bonus features on the DVD include interviews with McCartney, Starr, Vedder and Harper. Information: eagle-rock.com.

Artists: Dwight Yoakam
Title: Dwight Yoakam – Live From Austin, TX (New West Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard
Tell me more: On Oct. 23, 1988, Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens each performed individual sets while cameras rolled as part of PBS' series "Austin City Limits." Now both those performances have been issued as individual releases, with each title providing the performance on audio CD and on DVD. Although Yoakam was a native of Kentucky, from his youth he fell in love with Owens' groundbreaking "Bakersfield" sound (also a favorite of country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons) and fused that with his own bluegrass and authentic country sound. The Live From Austin, TX appearance from Yoakam is an hour-long joyride, with both uptempo favorites ("Guitars, Cadillacs," "Please, Please Baby," the night-ending "This Drinkin' Will Kill Me") and tender ballads ("Home Of The Blues," "I Sang Dixie") among the choice cuts. Yoakam is joined by Owens for a wonderful duet of their number one single "Streets Of Bakersfield," (also featuring the beautiful accordion work of Flaco Jimenez). And everywhere across the set the stellar work of guitarist Pete Anderson and fiddler Scott Joss add nuanced firepower to the selections. Information: NewWestRecords.com.

Artist: Buck Owens
Title: Buck Owens – Live From Austin, TX (New West Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard
Tell me more: It was an enthusiastic Yoakam who pulled his musical idol Owens out of a self-imposed 10-year retirement in 1988, leading up to the tandem sets showcased on the newly-issued "Live From Austin TX" releases. Owens' turn is pure fun, with the Sherman, Texas native kicking things off with his 1963 number one hit "Act Naturally" (a favorite of Ringo Starr, who recorded it with the Beatles in 1965). The fast-paced set also includes other beloved Owens nuggets including the lovely ballad "Together Again," his signature Bakerfield romp "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail," rockabilly-styled "Hot Dog" (the title track from his 1988 studio album) and honky tonk gem "Put Another Quarter in the Jukebox." Owens is joined on stage by Yoakam for a duet of "Under Your Spell Again." He caps off his performance with a countrified take on Chuck Berry's rocker "Johnny B. Goode." Information: NewWestRecords.com.

Artist: Alice Cooper
Title: Welcome To My Nightmare Special Edition DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
You might like if you enjoy: Vincent Price, KISS, Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires
Tell me more: Catching Alice Cooper deliver a powerful and entertaining concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles last month, this writer was anxious to watch the newly-released Welcome To My Nightmare Special Edition DVD, a title featuring both a TV special Alice Cooper: The Nightmare and the Welcome To My Nightmare concert film from the mid-1970s. Both features on the DVD will thrill fans of Cooper. Aired on ABC-TV in the U.S. in April 1975, Alice Cooper: The Nightmare fully developed the concept of Cooper's album Welcome to My Nightmare, with Cooper portraying the child Steven and Vincent Price serving as the Spirit Of The Nightmare. The television special (directed and choreographed by David Winters) is fascinating, with Cooper delivering groundbreaking segments animated by creatively-lit theatrical sets, talented dancers and dynamic glam and shock rock that bring Cooper's nightmare to life. Filmed at London's Wembley Arena in September 1975, Welcome To My Nightmare was shown in movie theaters in 1976. The entertaining concert features seminal tracks from Cooper's early career including rousing versions of "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "The Black Widow," "School's Out" and the affecting ballad "Only Women Bleed." Information: eagle-rock.com.


Robert Kinsler

Walter Becker Remembered

Walter Becker performing at Coachella in Indio, CA on Friday, April 17, 2015.
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Posted by Robert Kinsler

Since the news broke yesterday (Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017), musicians and Steely Dan fans have been mourning the death of Walter Becker. The famed guitarist died after an undisclosed at the age 67.

Although I never saw Steely Dan back during their initial run spanning 1972-1981 when they were first breaking ground with their fusion of rock, jazz and R&B, I made up for it since the turn of the century catching the duo at Irvine Meadows in June 2000, at Gibson Amphitheatre in 2009, and at the Greek Theatre in July 2011.Fast forward to 2015 when I was especially fortunate to have caught Fagen and Becker at the Santa Barbara Bowl on April 15 and then at Coachella later that week on April 17.

You can read my review of the band's full-length performance of their album Aja in 2011 here. I consider that concert to be among the best I have ever seen.

You can read my review of the group's performance at Coachella in 2015 here.

Here are some tributes to Becker, starting with Donald Fagen:

Here is Donald Fagen's remembrance of his friend and musical partner originally posted on Rolling Stone's website:

"Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. We started writing nutty little tunes on an upright piano in a small sitting room in the lobby of Ward Manor, a mouldering old mansion on the Hudson River that the college used as a dorm. 

We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues. 

Walter had a very rough childhood - I’ll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people’s hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby’s singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter.

His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band.

I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band."

Recording Academy™ Statement 
September 3, 2017
"With Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen, Walter Becker created some of the smartest, most artful rock to ever hit the charts. Brimming with irony and filed in with brush strokes of jazz and R&B, three of the group's albums—1977's Aja, 1980's Gaucho, and 2000's Two Against Nature—were nominated for the Album Of The Year GRAMMY^®, with the latter winning the award. Walter and Steely Dan set the standard for sophisticated progressive pop, and he will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues."
Neil Portnow
President/CEO
Recording Academy

Peter Frampton (via Twitter on Sept. 3, 2017)

"#RIPWalterBecker The incredible wealth of inspiring music you gave us will always push me to be a better musician/writer. Thank you Walter."

Steve Lukather of Toto (via Twitter on Sept. 3, 2017)

"Really sad to hear Walter Becker has passed... Steely Dan music touched me deep. My desert Island music. RIP Walter. Condolences Donald..."

Geoffrey Downes of ASIA and YES (via Twitter on Sept. 3, 2017)

"The Royal Scam & Aja were particularly inspirational albums for me. Thank you for the music, Steely Dan. #RIP #WalterBecker"

Mark Ronson (via Twitter on Sept. 3, 2017)

"Rest in peace WALTER BECKER, one half of the team i aspire to everytime I sit down at a piano. thank you for your unparalleled contribution."

Nile Rogers (via Twitter on Sept. 3, 2017)

"#RIPWalterBecker Very sad news. They're one of my favorite bands."


Beck Pays Tribute to Walter Becker at Detroit Concert
Billboard reported that while opening for U2 on that band's Joshua Tree Tour 2017 at Detroit's Ford Field on Sept. 3, 2017, Beck and his band paid tribute to Becker during a performance of "Where It's At." You can read that full report here.

TJR (Music Worth Buying host)
Finally, watch my Music Worth Buying co-host TJR's tribute to Becker via the link below:

Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn Coming to Soka Performing Arts Center on September 30

This is big news. I can't recall the last time that legendary Roger McGuinn came to Orange County, CA to perform. I got to see the legendary artist when he performed a solo show at the Stagecoach Festival in April 2013 and he was truly outstanding. You can see my review of that concert here

Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Performs New Folk Music at Soka Performing Arts Center

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Roger McGuinn will perform at Soka Performing Arts Center on Friday, September 30, 2017. Photo credit: John Chiasson Aliso Viejo, CA – The Byrds founder Roger McGuinn performs at Soka Performing Arts Center on Saturday, September 30, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. as part of the Pop Classics Series. Single-concert tickets are $45 for adults; $37 for students, seniors, and active military families; and $33 each for groups of 10 or more. Purchase tickets and packages online at PerformingArts.Soka.edu or by calling 949-480-4ART (4278). “Music would be a very different place if it hadn’t been for Roger McGuinn” (Rolling Stone). With his signature 12-string Rickenbacker sound, and his instantly recognizable vocals he created hits like “Turn,Turn,Turn,” “Eight Miles High,” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” McGuinn is known to guide his audience along a journey of story and song; expect to hear some new folk music that he so passionately embraces. Roger McGuinn performing at the Stagecoach Festival in April 2013. Photo: Robert Kinsler McGuinn has been spearheading his acclaimed Folk Den Project, touring with country superstar Marty Stuart and his band, appearing at the Corona Theatre to open the Montreal Folk Festival, playing at Stagecoach, and appearing as a “Very Special Guest” on selected dates of Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus Tour. McGuinn disbanded the Byrds in 1973 to pursue his dream of a solo career. He made five solo albums on Columbia Records. He later rejoined Gene Clark and Chris Hillman in 1978 on Capitol Records for three albums. However, in 1981 he decided it was time to return to his folk roots and began touring solo acoustic. Arista records released Back From Rio in 1991, a rock album that included his friends Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Michael Penn, and John Jorgensen. Prior to forming The Byrds, McGuinn toured and performed folk music with the Limeliters, Chad Mitchell Trio, and Bobby Darin as a guitarist and banjo player. McGuinn moved to New York at Darin’s request to work for his publishing company, TM Music. His experiments in merging folk and rock didn’t please the folk purists, so he moved to Los Angeles to work at the Troubadour. It was after an opening set for Hoyt Axton that Clark approached him with appreciation for his new musical blend. They started writing songs together in the folk den of the Troubadour. It wasn’t long before David Crosby joined them and added his unique concepts of harmony to the duo, thereby completing the underpinnings for one of the most influential bands of the 1960s.

For more details and ticket information, see www.performingarts.soka.edu. Event Info: An Evening with Roger McGuinn  Friday, September 30, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. Soka Performing Arts Center Soka University of America 1 University Drive Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Tickets: $45/$37 Event URL: http://tinyurl.com/SokaRogerMcGuinn ### Soka Performing Arts Center is located at 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo on the campus of Soka University of America. The 1,000-seat concert hall features world-class acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, acoustic designer of noted performance venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Designed to truly reflect the university’s commitment to sustainability, the concert hall and adjacent Maathai Hall (featuring a black box theatre and dance studio) have been built to Gold LEED standards and feature vegetated green roofs. Photo voltaic cells on the Soka Performing Arts Center roof generate approximately 15% of the facility's electrical needs. Soka University of America is a private, non-profit, four-year liberal arts college and graduate program. The campus was rated in the Top 50 National Liberal Arts Colleges in US News and World Report’s “Best Colleges 2017.” The university is open to top students of all nationalities and beliefs and was founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life. For more information: www.soka.edu.