In a nostalgic throwback to 1989, McDonald’s released an animated TV commercial promoting their salad options. The ad features the popular comic strip character Cathy, known for her humorous takes on dieting and lifestyle, alongside NFL coach Mike Ditka. The commercial combines playful animation with a catchy jingle to highlight the fast-food chain’s healthy offerings, showcasing how McDonald’s aimed to appeal to a health-conscious audience even decades ago.
Todd Rundgren Showcases Revolutionary Philips CD-i on MTV Music News in 1993
From 1993, here’s a cool story from MTV Music News about Todd Rundgren discussing the Philips CD-i technology. This innovative multimedia CD format was an early attempt to merge audio, video, and interactive content, with Rundgren highlighting its potential in the music industry and beyond.
The Verve’s Home Movies From Back In 1996
This video from 1996 features the British band The Verve during a moment. The footage captures the band members in a candid and relaxed setting as they attempt to navigate their way to a rehearsal. This glimpse into their daily lives highlights the less glamorous and more personal side of being in a successful band, showing their camaraderie and the challenges they face behind the scenes.
The Monkees’ Peter Tork on the Pulse Plus Show In 1981
Peter Tork’s appearance on the Pulse Plus Show in 1981 showcased his enduring charm and musical prowess, captivating audiences with his distinctive blend of wit and talent. As a member of The Monkees, Tork brought a unique energy to the stage, effortlessly blending folk, rock, and pop influences. On the show, he charmed viewers with his infectious smile and laid-back demeanor, sharing anecdotes from his time in the band and beyond.
Ringo Starr Celebrates His Birthday With His Annual Peace & Love Campaign On July 7 2024
This July 7, 2024 Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Starkey will be joined on his birthday by family and friends, including Joe and Marjorie Walsh, Fred Armisen, Ed Begley Jr, Gregg Bissonette, Ben Dickey, Steve Dudas, Ben Harper, Greg Leisz, Asa & Roy Orbison Jr, Matt Sorum, Stephen Stills, Nick Valensi, Diane Warren, Don Was, Willie Watson, Gabe Witcher and more. NASA continues to support spreading the message to and from the universe, including messages of Peace & Love on their socials from across the solar system.
Prior to this musicians, including Ben Harper, Gabe Witcher, Willie Watson, Greg Leisz, Don Was, Ben Dickey and Gregg Bissonnette with Steve Dudas will celebrate Ringo’s music with tribute performances.
“OK Peace & Love here we go again!” said Ringo in a video message. “Thanks for joining me on my birthday. I am so grateful to you all for helping me promote Peace & Love. I want to give special thanks to all the Peace & Love Ambassadors – we are in 34 countries! thanks for doing it – and I gotta thank all the fans, peace & love – just join me in your mind, or on the bus or wherever you are on the 7th of the 7th just go Peace & Love at Noon your local time.”
The global celebrations continue to be confirmed and so far include (listed by time zones):
Sydney, Australia
Seoul, South Korea
Tokyo, Japan
Osaka, Japan
Yerevan, Armenia
Yekaterinburg, Russia
Tallin, Estonia
Ticino, Switzerland
Halle, Germany
Barcelona, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Brescia, Italy
Liverpool, UK
London, UK – Abbey Road Institute
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chascomús, Argentina
São Paulo, Brazil
Recife, Brazil
Uruguay
Amherst, NY USA
New York, USA
Cleveland, USA – Rock Hall
Asuncion, Paraguay
Lima, Peru
Bogota, Columbia
Panama City, Panama
Green Bay, WI USA
Guatemala City, Guatemala
San Jose, Costa Rica
Puebla, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Las Vegas, NV USA
Los Angeles, USA
Maui, Hawaii, USA
NASA (Outer Space)
The complete list of events will be posted on Ringo’s facebook page.
From now through July 7, The Beatles Channel on SiriusXM (Channel 18), will air special programming celebrating Ringo’s birthday. Listen now to The Beatles Channel on the SiriusXM App link https://sxm.app.link/RingoBirthdayPR
Starbucks will also be supporting Ringo’s peace & Love campaign by playing a special playlist in 15,000 US & Canadian locations and a few key cities throughout South America, Europe & Asia.
Please watch and share this message from Ringo – posting anytime as of July 1, 2024 – so people know how to participate.
And remember – Peace & Love!
Multi-Grammy Nominee and 4x Blues Music Award-Winner Duke Robillard’s Lost Album ‘Roll With Me’ Is Out August 30
Stony Plain Records announces an August 30 release date for Roll With Me, the new album from two-time Grammy nominee and four-time Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Duke Robillard.
“Back in the early 2000’s I was given the OK to start a new blues album for Stony Plain,” Duke Robillard explains about the new album’s genesis. “It was a very prolific period for me, and somehow after recording nine hot blues tracks, I got another album concept and we started another album session. I said we’d get back to the blues album soon after finishing the new project. As things sometimes go, we got busy with gigging, touring and life, and the blues album we cut kept getting put aside and we kept coming up with new album concepts within months of release of the last one.
“Finally, after two decades and dozens of recordings, we got to the place where it was time for my final Stony Plain record. All this time, I knew we had to get back to the album we had started back in 2005. I knew those tracks were really strong, but until I listened to them again, I didn’t realize just how strong they really were.”
On Roll With Me, Robillard pays blazing tribute to Texas immortal Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown on “You Got Money” and the instrumental “Boogie Uproar;” legendary blues shouter Big Joe Turner on a piano-driven “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” and New Orleans kingpin Fats Domino on the rumba-rocking “Are You Going My Way.” There’s also a trio of Chicago blues classics from the respective songbooks of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Boyd. Duke’s vocals connect with the same power as his razor-sharp guitar (Chris Cote takes over at the mic for “Look What You’ve Done” and “You Got Money”).
Duke invited some heavy hitters to back him up. Pianist Matt McCabe is on all but two tracks (those feature Bruce Bears), while bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Mark Teixeira keep the rhythm section cooking. Doug James and Rich Lataille are among the muscular saxophonists; Sugar Ray Norcia guests on harp for “Look What You’ve Done.” Duke cools the tempo down to lights-out level for an elegant “Give Me Back My Money,” but the title track sums the mood up: this album hurtles forward like a hard-charging midnight express.
Recorded at Duke’s Mood Room in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, by Thom Hiller and Lakewest Recording in West Greenwich, R.I. by John Paul Gauthier, Roll With Me is the latest in a long and distinguished series of albums the guitarist has made for Holger Petersen’s Canadian indie Stony Plain. Their working relationship harks back to 1993, when the two met at a folk festival in Winnipeg. Petersen was the executive producer on Robillard’s album, Duke’s Blues the next year. Duke developed into a Stony Plain mainstay with Stretchin’ Out Live (1998), Living with the Blues (2002), Exalted Lover (2003), Blue Mood—The Songs of T-Bone Walker (2004), Guitar Groove-A-Rama (2006), Duke Robillard’s World Full of Blues (2007) and The Acoustic Blues of Duke Robillard (2015).
“I’m traveling and playing all over the world still, so this is definitely not a farewell record,” Robillard happily reports. Now it’s time to roll with Duke!
ROLL WITH ME Track Listing
1. Bluecoat Man (Eddie Boyd)
2. Just Kiss Me (Duke Robillard)
3. Are You Going My Way (Antoine Domino)
4. I Know You Love Me (Joe Turner)
5. Boogie Uproar (Clarence Brown)
6. Look What You Done (McKinley Morganfield)
7. Built For Comfort (Willie Dixon)
8. My Plea (Duke Robillard)
9. You Got Money (Clarence Brown)
10. Boogie Woogie Country Girl (Joe Turner)
11. Give Me Back My Money (Duke Robillard)
12. Don’t You Want To Roll Will Me (Duke Robillard)
Bossa Nova Buddies: JUNO Nominees Alex Bird, Ewen Farncombe & Cheo Turn Chance Meeting Into ‘Papaya’
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Two Toronto jazzmen and a Brooklyn DJ walk into a bar. And when they all walk out, they’ve written the slap of the summer.
Okay, that’s a bit of an oversimplification. But it’s still a good thumbnail for how we got “Papaya,” the intoxicating first collaboration between Canadian national treasures of jazz Alex Bird and Ewen Farncombe and Venezuelan-born, New York-based Latin-dance giant Cheo. And boy, is their story a case of being in the right place at the right time.
It all went down when Cheo arrived early for a DJ gig at Toronto’s Rivoli and decided to see who was playing at the nearby Cameron House. That turned out to be the celebrated Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks, featuring Bird on vocals and Farncombe on piano. Taken by what he heard, Cheo began corresponding with Bird—and before long, the three of them had written an exciting set of tunes that played to all their strengths while carving out something vibrant and distinctive in its own right.
Appropriately enough, the first fruit of their alliance we’re getting to sample is “Papaya,” which may have its roots in a chance meeting in Ontario but evokes the spirit of NYC’s famed Copacabana club in 1968. With the multi-talented Cheo on guitar and Farncombe on Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer, the track keeps up a head-bobbing, hip-swaying lilt while Bird brings pitch-perfect period enunciation to the imagery of a “dance they do/ Gettin’ way down low/ With a Bossa Beat/ Swinging to and fro.” And whoever “they” might be, they certainly seem to be having themselves a time:
Well, they wave their hands
And they flip their hair
Without a care
Goin’ with the flow
Bird and Farncombe brought in their fellow Maverick Jacob Gorzhaltsan to provide tenor sax and flute. While they were all ready, they put down a full EP, the forthcoming Casanova, Bossa Nova, Lover Man. One of the most hotly anticipated releases of summer ‘24, the record teams “Papaya” with three more songs: the title track, “All the Way Tonight” and “Lullaby for Dreaming.” The latter two were brought to the table by Cheo and then had their lyrics translated into English by Bird; the other half are Bird/Farncombe compositions with words by Bird and Cheo.
What you’ll hear is the dynamic synthesis of some seriously formidable pedigrees. Undisputed masters of modern vocal jazz, Bird and Farncombe have been nominated for two JUNOs—first with the Mavericks for 2021’s You Are the Light and the Way and more recently in the 2024 Vocal Jazz Album of the Year category for their duo recording, Songwriter. The grateful recipients of support from the Canada Council for the Arts, they also penned the country’s official Thanksgiving anthem, “The Sweetest Moments.” In their various configurations, they’re a top draw on club and concert stages across the country.
Cheo, meanwhile, has won one Latin Grammy and been nominated for another 10, in recognition of his far-ranging skills as a guitarist, songwriter, DJ and producer. Over the course of nearly three decades, he’s woven his name tightly into the fabric of Latin music—first in his native Caracas and later in his adopted home of New York, where he performs extensively as both a solo artist and a member of numerous popular bands, including his own dance/funk outfit, Los Amigos Invisibles. He’s a vigorous collaborator whose partnership with Neil Ochoa and Alvaro Benavidez as Los Crema Paraiso yielded the 2015 album De película, later named one of the 10 best of the year by NPR. During the pandemic, his weekend DJ sets “Casaecheo” and “Bajo Perfil” were streamed to over 20,000 live viewers.
Now these highly accomplished boundary-breakers have come together to introduce us to what they call “bossa nova for the 21st century.” Based on their past triumphs and the tantalizing groove laid down on “Papaya,” they’re clearly on to something. Aren’t you glad Cheo didn’t stop into a pizza joint instead?
Country Singer Brittany Brodie Gives It Her All With “Like A Woman Should”
When you finish your workday, you want to leave the stresses, strains and struggles of the job at the door and feel comfort, companionship and love from your better half at home. Canadian country singer Brittany Brodie is bringing those feelings to the surface with her latest stellar single “Like A Woman Should,” out now.
Brodie, who grew up in Mount Forest, Ontario but now calls Nashville home, wrote the song at the Nashville Songwriters Association International with help from co-writers and friends Natalie Otto and Charles Austin. “We wanted to write something very down-to-earth, real and romantic about loving your man when you get in from a long day or a long week and just want to show him appreciation when you reconnect after being so busy,” she says. “Making time for each other.”
The song’s surefire arrangement gives way to Brodie’s sweet delivery with a style that would make stalwarts like Shania Twain, The Chicks or Carrie Underwood jealous. Free of any slick production qualities or gadgetry, “Like A Woman Should” is a sensual, earthy, Americana-flavored track that would sound strong on the Opry stage or sitting around a campfire. The lyrics showcase how Brodie would want to treat her better half when the rigors of the proverbial rat race are done.
Give it your all, puttin’ in the time
I’m countin’ down the seconds
Since our last goodbye
Til you’re home again
Oh til you’re home again
“Some people have said it’s the country version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On,’ which I think is perfect,” Brodie says of her 26th single release. “It feels so good to write about what comes easy, which is real life that everyone can relate to.”
Listening to country legends like Vern Gosdin, Johnny Horton, George Strait and Dottie West growing up, Brodie also was influenced by Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride and Faith Hill. It’s those talented touchstones Brodie has used in honing her own material while performing nationally and internationally, including an appearance at Scotland’s Belladrum Festival in July, 2022. She also regularly performs the national anthem prior to Nashville Sounds Triple A baseball home games.
When not on the road, she can also be found performing in and around Nashville. Such gigs include playing as part of Rebel Rouser Rounds at The Stillery and a Nashville Songwriter’s Showcase at The Commodore Grille. In June, 2024, she also made her maiden appearance at the Smash Farm at Live Oak in Nashville. Such shows in the country music hub also resulted in her sharing the stage and performing with country icon Vince Gill.
The future looks wide open for Brittany Brodie thanks to “Like A Woman Should,” a single that speaks to a universal desire after punching the time clock. “I love a true story, and you can feel that in this song.”
SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe and Country Music Legend Randy Travis Call on Congress to Approve the American Music Fairness Act
On June 26, SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe and country music icon Randy Travis testified before Congress on the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 791), which would require AM/FM radio stations to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air.
In his testimony at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe highlighted that the U.S. is the only democratic nation in the world without a performance right for artists on AM/FM radio and advocated for Congress to modernize the nation’s copyright law to protect creators.
Huppe said, “Congress must set a standard that creators need to be compensated wherever and whenever their music is played – especially when their creations form the backbone of the business model like they do for AM/FM radio.”
Huppe also underscored how the current system harms artists domestically and overseas: “American musicians lose almost $300 million of taxable U.S. income each year because we lack these protections in the U.S. – this is on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars they are already missing out on domestically.”
Country music star Randy Travis also provided testimony during the hearing on behalf of creators. Randy’s remarks (delivered by his wife Mary) emphasized the need to provide fair compensation for artists who form the backbone of the music industry.
Mary Travis said, “Music is, was, and will always be his lifeline. But that lifeline has changed. And we need to acknowledge that. The days of Randy packing a car and trekking thousands of miles across the country to visit radio stations and deliver copies of his newest cuts on cassette, in hopes of having his music heard, are a thing of the past.
Of all the things we do differently than we did a century ago, one thing remains the same—the voice is still the mandatory bridge between the writer and the listener. And it’s time to do right by the ones that create the sound, the melody, the emotion that keeps the listeners coming back and the advertisers buying in.”
In 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy and now suffers from aphasia, making it difficult to speak and sing. Earlier this year, Travis demonstrated how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool in support of creators by using an AI model to release a new song, called “Where That Came From.”
Today, Randy and Mary Travis joined ABC’s Good Morning America to share more about his journey, the importance of the American Music Fairness Act, and how AI can positively impact the music industry with the right protections in place.
Full witness testimony as well as a video of the hearing is available at judiciary.house.gov.
Summer Entertainment in Vegas is Stacked, From Chart-Topping Divas to Throwback Acts and More
Las Vegas has long been synonymous with entertainment, offering headlining residencies from global superstars, tour stops from today’s top acts and comedy sets from the best comics in the game. Spectacular shows can be found year-round, but the entertainment landscape heats up even more during summer.
To mark the season of sensational entertainment, Visit Las Vegas has debuted its Alive in Vegas campaign. Here in Vegas, you don’t just go for the show, you go for an experience—you go to feel alive. The artists featured in the campaign and playing the destination this summer season can be listened to with the LVCVA’s Alive in Vegas Spotify playlist.
Here are some of the season’s most anticipated shows, from a lineup of divas with powerhouse vocals to throwback shows and more.
Chart-Topping Divas
The leading ladies of the music industry—representing country, pop and more—take the stage up and down the Strip, in both headlining residencies and highly anticipated concerts.
- Lady Gaga continues her LADY GAGA: JAZZ & PIANO residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM on select dates through Saturday, July 6.
- Mariah Carey continues her Mariah Carey: The Celebration of Mimi Live in Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM on select dates from Friday, July 26 through Saturday, Aug. 10.
- Shania Twain continues her COME ON OVER – The Las Vegas Residency – All the Hits! run at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on select dates from Friday, Aug. 23 through Saturday, Sept. 7.
- P!nk brings her Summer Carnival tour back to Allegiant Stadium for a second time—with special guest Sheryl Crow—on Friday, Sept. 13.
’90s Throwbacks
The ’90s are back in a big way, and Vegas has taken notice with several nostalgic residencies and concerts.
- Garth Brooks continues his Garth Brooks/Plus One residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on select dates through Saturday, July 13.
- Blink-182 plays T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday, July 3.
- Jodeci presents a brand-new residency at House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on select dates from Friday, July 5 through Saturday, July 13.
- Gin Blossoms play The International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on Saturday, July 6.
- Missy Elliot plays T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, July 13.
- Jewel and Melissa Etheridge play Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort on Wednesday, July 24.
- Jane’s Addiction and Love and Rockets play BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 9.
- Boyz II Men perform at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24, as well as Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31.
- Babyface continues his residency at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1.
- Hootie & The Blowfish play BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24.
- Bush plays Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Country Music
Cowboy boots and Stetsons aren’t just for when the rodeo is in town in Las Vegas, as the summer entertainment calendar features some of country’s most popular acts.
- Brett Young plays Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 2.
- Morgan Wallen plays a special, two-night engagement at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 8 (featuring opener Jelly Roll) and Friday, Aug. 9 (featuring opener Bailey Zimmerman).
- Chris Young plays Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10.
- Carrie Underwood continues her REFLECTION residency at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas on select dates from Wednesday, Aug. 14 through Saturday, Aug. 24.
Women in the Comedy Scene
Stand-up comedy has long been known as an industry dominated by men, but some of its brightest women stars are taking the mic in Vegas.
- Whitney Cummings performs at The Mirage Theatre at The Mirage Hotel & Casino on Saturday, July 6.
- Nikki Glaser performs at The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.
- Anjelah Johnson-Reyes performs at The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas on Saturday, July 27.
- Chelsea Handler becomes the first woman to hold a Strip comedy residency at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 1.
- Cristela Alonzo performs at The International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on Sunday, Sept. 15.
- Girls Gotta Eat podcast duo Ashley and Rayna perform at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 21.
For a full listing of summer entertainment, visit the LVCVA Newsroom. For more information on entertainment in Las Vegas, go to www.VisitLasVegas.com.