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Veeps Launches New Exclusive Concert Streams From Galantis, Indigo Girls, Kaleo, LP, And Poppy

Eric Alper
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Today, the experience of streaming concerts gets even better as premium streaming platform, Veeps, released a suite of consumer apps that allows fans to enjoy live music shows from popular artists directly from the homescreen of their TV or mobile device. The apps go live with an incredible array of upcoming concerts including global dance superstar GALANTIS at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, the enduring folk rock music duo of INDIGO GIRLS, GRAMMY-nominated Icelandic blues-rock band KALEO (also live from Red Rocks), KINGS OF LEON’S upcoming sold out O2 Arena show in London, singer/songwriter LP at the Fillmore Philadelphia, GRAMMY-nominated artist POPPY from House of Blues San Diego, and a beautiful capture of SLASH Ft. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS – Live From Boston show.

The multi-platform release marks the most robust app coverage of all concert streaming services, with Veeps apps available for free download on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, and Android. While Veeps has always made live and on-demand concerts available via veeps.com, today’s release puts premium quality live music directly into a viewer’s TV without having to cast from a phone, screen-share or deal with annoying cables. And for those that love to watch shows from anywhere, the phone and tablet experience has been upgraded to the native app quality consumers expect from premium entertainment services. Concerts are available on a pay-per-view basis from directly within the apps.

With COVID heavily impacting live, in-person concerts over the last two years, consuming music livestreams has become firmly established fan behavior that is showing little signs of slowing down. A survey conducted in late 2021 indicated that as in-person concerts return fully, four out of five people planned to continue watching music livestreams. Over 90% of people also responded saying that they would purchase a livestream of a concert they wanted to see in person but couldn’t attend — a key insight as artists look to expand their live audiences beyond physical tour stops. Analysis of Veeps ticket buyers of hybrid shows showed that around 90% of concert stream watchers were not in the local market of the in-person concert, indicating that streaming provides fans with greater access to their favorite artists.

Today’s app release is yet another move from Veeps to guarantee that the world’s best live music appears wherever people are consuming content all around the world. In March, Veeps was announced as the only concert streaming platform to be included in Verizon’s new concert and entertainment hub, +play. This follows an announcement last year to install top-of-the-line camera equipment that enables turnkey livestreaming in a number of music venues across the U.S. — including House of Blues Chicago and New Orleans, The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Irving Plaza in New York, The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington, and Dos Equis Pavillion in Dallas, TX. — in partnership with Live Nation.

Fans can access the Veeps apps for iPhone, iPad, or Android in the iOS or Android app stores, or on their TV by searching “Veeps” in the Apple TV or Roku app stores.

FEATURED SHOWS AVAILABLE IN THE VEEPS APPS NOW —

KINGS OF LEON LIVE FROM O2 ARENA LONDON ON JULY 2

Just announced: Kings of Leon head back to where it all began with a global livestream event at the O2 Arena London on Saturday, July 2, 2022. The When You See Yourself tour returns the family band to the UK for the first time in over four years. Since their debut in 2003, Kings of Leon (Caleb (guitar/vocals), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and Matthew Followill (guitar)) have released seven albums (Youth & Young Manhood (2003), Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004), Because of the Times (2007), Only by the Night (2008), Come Around Sundown (2010), Mechanical Bull (2013), WALLS (2016), sold over 20 million albums and nearly 40 million singles worldwide. The multi-platinum selling band has had five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, all seven of their studio albums on Billboard’s Top 200 list and two singles that reached #1 on Modern Rock radio. With the release of WALLS, the band garnered their first-ever number one album debut on the Billboard Top 200. In addition, they have had nine GRAMMY Nominations, three GRAMMY Award wins, three NME Awards, two Brit Awards, and one Juno Award. They have toured all over the world, playing at top venues and headlining major festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Glastonbury. Kings of Leon most recently released their eighth studio album When You See Yourself on March 5th to critical and fan acclaim, with their lead single “The Bandit” receiving a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Song in 2022. Tickets for “Kings of Leon Live from O2 Arena London” are on sale now at Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for three days after the event airs.

TICKETS HERE.

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SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, LIVE FROM BOSTON ON APRIL 15

Announced to the world on March 25, SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS will celebrate the release of their new album by sharing it with fans around the world via a global streaming event to be held Friday, April 15, 2022, at 12 PM PT. The show will wrap up their nationwide  “The River Is Rising” U.S. tour of sold-out shows and release of their new single “April Fool” HERE off their new album 4, which is available everywhere now via Gibson Records (in partnership with BMG), HERE, and in limited-edition bundles HERE. “Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Live From Boston, shot on location in March during the group’s sold out House of Blues show, the full production, multi-camera streaming concert event will give fans around the globe the chance to see SMKC’s electrifying live show which The Chicago Sun-Times heralded “a rock-solid powerhouse” and “a curated, 21-song salute to some of their own best material” adding, “As long as Slash is still standing, rock music will always be alive and well” (3/3/22). The set list will include classic favorites, as well as brand new songs from their new album 4, released last month on Gibson Records/BMG. Tickets for “Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Live From Boston” are on sale now at Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for 48 hours after the event airs.

TICKETS HERE.

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KALEO LIVE AT RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE ON MAY 16

Following a series of sold-out shows on the North American leg of their Fight Or Flight Tour, GRAMMY-nominated Icelandic blues-rock band KALEO make their triumphant return to Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Monday, May 16, 2022 with an exclusive livestream of their sold-out show via Veeps. After amassing over 1 Billion global streams, 39 international certifications and countless sold-out headlining shows spanning from London to Moscow, KALEO has proven to be a worldwide phenomenon. Led by front man/songwriter JJ Julius Son, the band released their sophomore full-length Surface Sounds in 2021, introducing the record with a pair of lead singles: “I Want More” and “Break My Baby,” both of which reached the Top 6 at Triple A radio. 2016’s RIAA Gold-certified breakthrough A/B spawned three hit singles – the GRAMMY-nominated “No Good,” the RIAA Gold-certified “All The Pretty Girls” and the chart-topping, two-time RIAA Platinum-certified “Way Down We Go” which was used in over two dozen television shows from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Riverdale,” leading the No. 1 single to top The Hollywood Reporter‘s Top TV Songs chart. KALEO completely sold out their first U.S. headline tour and was a standout at Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and were hand-picked to open stadium dates for the Rolling Stones. Tickets for “KALEO – Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre” are on sale now on Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for three days after the event airs. Opening acts Bones Owen and The Glorious Sons will be featured during the livestream, however their performances will not be available on demand.

TICKETS HERE.

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INDIGO GIRLS CONCERT SPECIAL ON MAY 8

Indigo Girls unite with members of their renowned backing band and special guests from across the globe for Look Long: Together, a career-spanning concert special on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 6 PM PT featuring hits, rarities, and for the first time, full-band live renditions of songs from 2020’s Look Long album. Woven between multi-cam performances, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray discuss songwriting and reveal the inspiration behind signature songs in a series of intimate home movie segments. Look Long: Together is your evening with the Indigo Girls: a one-of-a-kind celebration of nearly four-decades of music and community. Tickets are on sale now at Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for seven days after the event airs.

TICKETS HERE.

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GALANTIS LIVE FROM RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE ON APRIL 22

Internationally-acclaimed collaborative project Galantis has announced an exclusive livestream concert event, broadcasting live from its sold-out April 22nd show at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. One of the most dynamic live acts in dance music, Galantis boasts an innovative show that incorporates a three-tiered stage equipped with cymbals, drum pads, and 5 full-size kick drums. Since debuting in 2009, Galantis has sold out countless venues around the world on their headline tours and has thrilled crowds across the global festival circuit. The past few months have seen a series of massive genre-bending collaborations for Galantis, most recently including “What It Feels Like” with Navos & You, “Good Luck” with Mabel & Jax Jones, “Run” with Becky Hill, “Sweet Talker” with Years & Years and a remix of Coldplay & BTS’ #1 single “My Universe.” Galantis also reunited with Little Mix for a remix of their single “No,” marking the second collaboration this year with the superstar group after their 2021 global smash hit “Heartbreak Anthem” alongside David Guetta. Tickets for “Galantis: Live from Red Rocks Amphitheatre” are on sale now at Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for three days after the event airs.

TICKETS HERE.

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LP LIVE FROM THE FILLMORE PHILADELPHIA ON MAY 1

LP recently announced the global livestream from their tour stop at the Fillmore Philadelphia on Sunday, May 1, 2022. This show marks LP’s fourth livestream performance on Veeps and will also feature an opening set from Nick Leng. LP rose to international fame with 2017’s Lost On You. The album’s hit title track reached #1 in 18 countries and recently surpassed one billion streams. In 2018, LP released Heart to Mouth featuring the singles “Girls Go Wild” (Italy’s most-played radio hit in 2019) and “Recovery”. In 2021, LP released their latest album Churches, and are currently in the midst of their North American tour to support the release. Tickets for their livestream from the Fillmore Philadelphia are on sale now on Veeps; the show will be available for viewing for two days after the event airs.

TICKETS HERE.

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POPPY LIVE FROM HOUSE OF BLUES SAN DIEGO ON MAY 26

Just announced: Post-genre art and music visionary Poppy will be livestreaming from her Never Find My Place Tour stop at House of Blues San Diego on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Poppy has quickly risen to center-stage as an unassuming paragon of high culture, high fashion and high art. Embodying “alternative” in the truest sense of the word, she bleeds the boundaries between pop, progressive, and electronic underpinned by unpredictable time signatures shifts and heavy edge on her third full-length, I Disagree. I Disagree was a decisive document of her progression from internet phenomenon to musician of unparalleled aplomb, yielding critical acclaim in the form of cover stories for NME, Revolver, Kerrang!, Upset, TUSH and inclusion on several best of 2020 lists (#1 Upset, #12 Revolver, #19 Popbuzz, #23 Kerrang, etc.), as well as a GRAMMY nomination for Best Metal Performance (BLOODMONEY), making her the first solo female artist ever nominated in the category. Poppy premiered the title track from EAT (NXT Soundtrack) in an iconic performance for the GRAMMYs that left fans begging for more until the EP’s surprise release as part of a major televised event in partnership with WWE. She followed the EAT EP with the single Her to much acclaim for both the song and its innovative music video. Flux came next, accompanied by its own imaginative video directed by Poppy and the announcement of a new album of the same name. So Mean followed with an additional self-directed video – ahead of the full album drop on September 24, 2021. Tickets for Poppy’s livestream from House of Blues San Diego are on sale now on Veeps.

TICKETS HERE.

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ALL SHOWS:

  • Ludo on April 22, 2022 live from House of Blues Chicago
  • Apocalyptica on April 27, 2022 live from House of Blues Chicago
  • Dorothy on April 30, 2022 live from House of Blues Chicago
  • Car Seat Headrest on April 30, 2022 live from The Wiltern in Los Angeles
  • Better Than Ezra on May 6, 2022 live from House of Blues New Orleans

Carole Bayer Sager And Mike Stoller To Be Honored As BMI Icons

Eric Alper
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Carole Bayer Sager And Mike Stoller To Be Honored As BMI Icons

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is thrilled to celebrate the best in songwriting at the 70TH Annual BMI Pop Awards. Legendary music creators Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller will be honored as BMI Icons, celebrating their indelible and timeless contributions to the art of songwriting. BMI’s Pop Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year and BMI’s top 50 most-performed pop songs in the U.S. of the previous year will also be named.

“BMI is thrilled to be honoring two iconic songwriters, Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller, alongside the creators of some of today’s most-performed songs,” said Cane. “As we commemorate BMI’s 70th Pop Awards, we pay homage to the craft of these two musical legends and their timeless contributions to BMI and the great American songbook. We’re proud to present them with the BMI Icon Award for their lasting impression on fans worldwide and on the songwriters following the path they’ve laid out to musical greatness, which is second to none.”

With a career spanning over five decades, GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is responsible for lyrics to some of the most popular songs of our time, including “Nobody Does It Better,” “A Groovy Kind of Love,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” and the Oscar-winning theme from the movie Arthur, “Best That You Can Do.” She’s written more than 400 songs that transcend generations and has worked with some of the biggest stars in music, such as Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Melissa Manchester, Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and many more.

Sager has received many accolades and honors throughout her illustrious career, including 26 BMI Awards, and she was named BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year in 1977. She’s also received an Oscar, two Golden Globe Awards, a GRAMMY win for Song of the Year for “That What Friends Are For,” and a combined 15 nominations. Adding to her collection of prestigious awards, Sager has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2019, she was the recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

World-renowned songwriter Mike Stoller is one-half of the legendary team of Leiber & Stoller, whose iconic partnership spanned decades with countless chart-topping songs among their hugely successful repertoire. Together, they wrote over 20 songs for Elvis Presley, including “Hound Dog,” “Love Me,” and “Jailhouse Rock,” and wrote and produced all the hit songs performed by The Coasters, such as “Searchin’,” “Yakety Yak,” “Charlie Brown,” and “Poison Ivy” to name a few. Other timeless classics written by the pair include “Love Potion Number 9,” “I’m A Woman,” and “Is That All There Is?” as well as “On Broadway” co-written with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and “Stand by Me” co-written with Ben E. King. The hit musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber & Stoller won a GRAMMY Award in 1995, was nominated for seven Tony Awards and is the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history.

Other accolades for Stoller include being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1987). He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1994) and his handprints are embedded at the Hollywood RockWalk on Sunset Boulevard (1994). Over his acclaimed career, Stoller has also been honored with a Trustee GRAMMY Award (1999), Johnny Mercer Award by the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame (2000), an Ivor Novello International Songwriters Award (2000) and an impressive 57 BMI Awards, among others.

As the newest BMI Icon honorees, Carole Bayer Sager and Mike Stoller join an elite group of songwriters who have received BMI’s highest honor for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Previous recipients include Barry Manilow, The Bee Gees, Brian Wilson, Carlos Santana, Carole King, Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Foster, Dolly Parton, the Jacksons, John Fogerty, Kris Kristofferson, Mann & Weil, Merle Haggard, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks, Sting and Willie Nelson, among others.

Universal Enters Exclusive, Global Publishing Agreement For Elvis Presley’s Catalog

Eric Alper
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Universal Enters Exclusive, Global Publishing Agreement For Elvis Presley’s Catalog

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), a leading, global music publisher, and Authentic Brands Group (ABG), a global brand owner, marketing and entertainment company and owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, today announced an exclusive global publishing deal to represent the historic song catalog of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Elvis Presley.

A global music icon and one of America’s most prominent cultural catalysts, Presley helped revolutionize rock and roll, transforming it into a mainstream, commercial genre, pioneering the future of music itself. With songs that are among the most recognizable and popular in history, Presley’s vast musical legacy spans pop, country, R&B, contemporary and gospel.

As part of the expanded relationship, UMPG and ABG will represent Presley’s catalog of legendary hits worldwide, excluding the UK, including “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “It’s Now or Never,” “Memories,” “A Little Less Conversation,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Me Tender,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “Teddy Bear,” “Amazing Grace,” “All Shook Up,” “Tears On My Pillow” and countless more everlasting songs.

The agreement builds upon Universal Music’s existing relationship with ABG. In November 2020, Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, and ABG, one of the world’s leading intellectual property owners and entertainment companies, announced a strategic initiative to acquire and actively manage artist brands. In working together, the companies joined forces to expand the legacies and cultural impact of artists worldwide across a wide range of consumer touchpoints to drive opportunities in merchandise, memorabilia, endorsements, brand experiences and content, among many others.

Widely acclaimed as the best-selling solo music artist of all time, Presley has sold more than 500 million records. He holds the record for most songs charting on Billboard’s Top 40 with 114 hits, including an astonishing 40 within the top 10 and 18 reaching number one. Presley won three Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Hall of Fame, Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Honky Tonk Hall of Fame, among others. Presley also holds numerous records including the most RIAA certified Gold and Platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart.

As one of the world’s leading brand owners, ABG’s portfolio includes iconic celebrity brands such as Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali, and creates memorable brand experiences that come to life across key consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media.

It is hard to overstate the impact that Presley had on pop music and American popular culture. Presley’s unswerving devotion to the music itself – rather than existing norms – ultimately paid off. Channeling R&B, gospel and country influences through his unique voice and audacious charisma onstage, Presley struck a spark with diverse audiences that helped ignite the age of Rock ‘n’ Roll. In many ways, Presley’s cultural impact was amplified by his early and enthusiastic embrace of TV, film and video – a crossover that would revolutionize the way people danced, inspired visual artists, laid the foundation for MTV and modern music videos, and ultimately transformed the entire genre of live performance.

With Presley’s catalog now represented by UMPG and ABG, his music will continue to reach, captivate and inspire fans for generations to come.

More than 60 years after his global debut, Elvis’ legacy is stronger than ever. His life and music have inspired countless hit musicals, movies and TV series’, fiction and non-fiction books, musical covers, and commercial endorsements, as well as a robust merchandise program spanning collectibles and fashion collaborations. Elvis’ highly anticipated return to the silver screen will be ushered in with Baz Luhrmann’s biopic “Elvis” starring Tom Hanks and Austin Butler, debuting in theaters June 24. Additionally, Netflix has also ordered an animated action-comedy series “Agent King” coming later this year.

An enduring symbol of “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s” stardom, Graceland, Elvis’ Memphis home, is the second most-visited home in the United States after the White House, drawing over 600,000 visitors annually and tens of thousands of fans for its Elvis Week celebration. With more than 15 million fans across social media and a growing multimedia presence, the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” continues to inspire today’s most influential musicians, designers, entertainers, and social influencers and captivate audiences around the world.

Olivia Rodrigo Honored As 2022 Songwriter Of The Year At ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Eric Alper
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Olivia Rodrigo Honored As 2022 Songwriter Of The Year At ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Recognizing the chart-topping songwriters, producers and publishers behind the biggest pop music hits of 2021, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) today announces the winners of the 2022 ASCAP Pop Music Awards.

Celebrating a year of record-breaking hits and fresh from three Grammy Award wins, Olivia Rodrigo adds ASCAP Pop Music Awards Songwriter of the Year to her growing collection of top industry accolades. Initially known for her quadruple-platinum, breakout single “drivers license,” Rodrigo continued her meteoric rise with Sour, breaking Spotify records while becoming the first artist to chart three songs from a debut album simultaneously in the Billboard Top 100’s top 10. The pop superstar takes home the top ASCAP honor —her first ASCAP Award ever— recognizing her megahits “deja vu,” “drivers license” and “good 4 u.”

The ASCAP Pop Music Awards honor the songwriters and publishers of the most performed songs of the past year in pop music. The winning songs are determined by data for terrestrial and satellite radio and for actual programmed and on-demand audio streams that is provided by Luminate (formerly P-MRC Data) in accordance with ASCAP’s publicly available rules.

Watch The Previously Unreleased ‘Some Might Say’ (Live at Knebworth 1996) by Oasis

Eric Alper
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Watch The Previously Unreleased ‘Some Might Say’ (Live at Knebworth 1996) by Oasis

Here’s previously unseen performance of ‘Some Might Say’ taken from Oasis’ Sunday night full length concert at Knebworth, featured on the DVD and Blu-ray of the ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ release. Directed & edited by Dick Carruthers with audio mixed by Will Shapland in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’, the definitive live album, DVD and Blu-ray is out now via Big Brother Recordings Ltd.

The live album formats include 2CD, and triple LP on heavyweight vinyl with the digital version of the album featuring HD audio. The DVD has been released as a triple disc set including the ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ cinematic documentary plus both nights of the live concert in full, with the Blu-ray in single disc format.

Limited edition formats include the 2CD with DVD of the cinematic documentary, plus a Super Deluxe Box Set including the triple LP, 2CD and triple DVD plus replicas of the original gig memorabilia, available exclusively from the band’s online store.

New Frank Zappa Boxed Set, Zappa/Erie From Between 1974-76 Gets Released June 3

Eric Alper
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New Frank Zappa Boxed Set, Zappa/Erie From Between 1974-76 Gets Released June 3

The latest audio treasure to be excavated from Frank Zappa’s vast and legendary vault, Zappa/Erie, brings together an exciting trio of shows that the Maestro performed in Erie, Pa. and the surrounding area between 1974-76. Due June 3, the new six-disc boxed set/digital collection contains more than seven hours of unreleased, electrifying live performances from Zappa and three different lineups of incredible musicians from this peak period. Of the 71 tracks, only 10 minutes have been released before, on Zappa’s classic 1974 live album, Roxy & Elsewhere, outside of the amateur recordings that have been passed around on the bootleg/tape trading circuit.

Overseen by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, Zappa/Erie boasts detailed liner notes about the shows and recordings from Travers, along with Erie, Pa. journalist, Dan Schell, author of the encyclopedic book, “9 Years Of Rock: The Story Of The Concerts At The Erie County Fieldhouse,” who provides some illuminating, behind-the scenes insight into the shows and venues. The liners are rounded out with photos of Zappa by David Smith, images of the original tapes, and include original concert fliers, a newspaper review of one of the shows, and a scathing rebuttal to the review from a passionate fan. The audio, which was professionally recorded on 4-track tape by Zappa’s team of engineers Bill Hennigh, Brian Krokus, Davey Moire and Claus Weideman, was newly mixed from the original tapes by longtime Zappa Trust associate Craig Parker Adams at Winslow Ct. Studios and mastered by John Polito at Audio Mechanics, who both also aided in restoring the audio as needed, to present these historical concerts as cleaned up as sonically possible.

Zappa/Erie is available to pre-order today exclusively via Zappa.com and will include a limited edition poster illustrated and designed by Fantoons that features various Easter eggs from Zappa’s unparalleled and uncompromising career. A version of the boxed set without the poster will be available to pre-order on April 22.

The three complete shows included on Zappa/Erie are presented in chronological order and trace Zappa’s history with the Pennsylvanian lakeside suburb. The set kicks off with a concert at Edinboro State College, a local university outside of Erie, on May 8, 1974, and is followed by Zappa’s first proper concert in Erie at the Gannon Auditorium at the private, Catholic, Gannon University on November 12, 1974; and concludes with what would be his last Erie show, held at the Erie County Fieldhouse on November 12, 1976. In addition to the full shows, several performances from South Bend, Ind.; Toledo, Ohio; and Montreal, QC, taken from the same time period, are included as bonus tracks.

The Edinboro concert in ‘74 was part of a small, month-long run of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of Zappa’s ever-evolving seminal band, The Mothers, as well as his just-released album, Apostrophe (‘). Zappa’s formidable band for the tour was made up of Bruce Fowler on trombone and vocals; Chester Thompson on drums and percussion; Don Preston on synthesizer; George Duke on keyboards, synthesizer, and vocals; Jeff Simmons on guitar and vocals; Napoleon Murphy Brock on tenor sax, flute and lead vocals; Ralph Humphrey on drums; Tom Fowler on bass; and Walt Fowler on trumpet. As Travers writes in the liners, “The addition of Walt Fowler on trumpet and Don Preston on keys really helped to expand the instrumentation of the band. Another major factor, by this time, Frank had purchased two Ludwig Octa-Plus drum sets. This large drum set configuration was becoming extremely popular and it provided Chester Thompson and Ralph Humphrey a new wide range of tom-tom sizes to play on. The new sounds were cleverly integrated into Zappa’s compositions.”

Part of the song repertoire for the tour was a medley of songs that Zappa constructed from the Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut album, Freak Out, and 1968’s We’re Only In It For The Money, but with significantly altered arrangements. Zappa/Erie marks the first time these renditions, as well as a full concert from the 10th anniversary tour, will be released. Spread across disc 1 and 2 of the collection, some of the concert’s many highlights include “Cosmik Debris,” a great, funky arrangement of “Pygmy Twylyte,” “Montana,” “Cheepnis,” “Inca Roads,” with a strong cowbell motif throughout, and the radically reconfigured versions of early Mothers tracks like “Hungry Freaks, Daddy,” “Wowie Zowie,” “How Could I Be Such A Fool,” “Harry, You’re A Beast,” and “The Idiot Bastard Son.” Although never officially released, the show has grown in stature thanks to a board cassette that leaked from Zappa’s inner circle and has been available in the bootleg world for many years. It’s from this show that Zappa used segments from “Son Of Orange County” and “More Trouble Every Day,” for his beloved Roxy & Elsewhere album. Now, finally, nearly five decades later, the full concert mixed from the master tape is being made available.

When Zappa rolled into the Gannon Auditorium in Erie later that fall, he was backed by the slimmed down lineup of Thompson, Duke, Brock, and Fowler, with the venerable Ruth Underwood rejoining the group on percussion. Despite Zappa suffering from the flu, he soldiered through like the professional he was and delivered a strong performance with an equally strong band. The setlist varied greatly from the previous show a few months earlier and highlights, found on discs 3 and 4, include the 1974 live arrangement of “Dinah-Moe Humm,” with Zappa singing the extra line that normally didn’t get sung, the constantly in flux “Inca Roads,” “Penguin In Bondage,” “Uncle Meat,” and “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow.” Zappa’s guitar improvisation during “Dupree’s Paradise” provides a glimpse of compositions to come, mainly “Zoot Allures,” and “Any Downers” Aside from battling illness, Zappa also grappled with an unruly audience who were clashing amongst themselves because the audience in the back were upset the people in the front wouldn’t sit down so they could see, which caused a lot of tension. Because of this, Zappa stopped the show several times to get the crowd under control and fans get to hear how he handled the situation. Zappa himself released incidents like this such as “Geneva Farewell” on You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 5. so it continues the tradition. The bonus tracks on disc 3, “Montana” and “Get Down,” taken from South Bend, Ind. in ‘74 were hand-picked and mixed by Zappa but never released.

By November 12, 1976, when Zappa next came to Erie for what would ultimately be the last time, he was more popular than ever and had graduated to the Erie County Fieldhouse where the major touring acts played in town during the ‘70s. Armed with a completely different line-up, the band consisted of Eddie Jobson on keyboards and violin; Patrick O’Hearn on bass and vocals; Ray White on guitar and vocals; Terry Bozzio on drums and vocals; and Lady Bianca on keyboards and vocals, who would leave the band a week later after only touring for a month. Although Zappa and the band put on a great performance, the show wasn’t without drama as a sudden blizzard threw a wrench into things, resulting in the light and sound equipment not making the show in time. At the last minute, rented systems were acquired by the venue and it caused certain fans to complain to the box office that they “didn’t get their money’s worth.” Featured on discs 5 and 6, the setlist is mostly culled from tracks from the albums Apostrophe (‘), Over-Nite Sensation, and Zappa’s newest LP at the time, 1976’s Zoot Allures. Songs like “The Torture Never Stops” and “Black Napkins” showcase extraordinary, extended guitar workouts from Zappa on the then-brand new compositions. An extra bonus performance of “Black Napkins,” from the Toledo, Ohio show the following night ends the set and exemplifies how Zappa would perform songs differently from show to show.

Assembling this new set, Zappa/Erie, was something of a passion project for Joe Travers who grew up in Erie. Although he had seen the tapes marked “Erie” in the Vault in his 27 years as the Vaultmeister, it wasn’t until the pandemic that he finally gave these shows a listen and realized they were too good to not release. “When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, I found myself, like so many others, with a lot of extra time on my hands,” Travers reveals in the liners. “Because of this, I threw myself even more deeply into archiving the fabulous vault of Mr. Frank Zappa. During this time, it dawned on me that in all my years being the Vaultmeister for Zappa, I had never prioritized documenting the concerts FZ played in my hometown of Erie, Pa.” The Erie booklet includes an autographed polaroid of Zappa that Travers’ mother excitedly picked up for him at a local Erie garage sale sometime in the ‘90s. For years it’s been tucked away for safe keeping, and only recently when working on this release, did Travers reexamine it only to realize it was most likely taken at the Erie County Fieldhouse in 1976. So now, more than 46 years after it was snapped and two decades after Travers mother gifted it to her son, it has made its way into the packaging chronicling Zappa’s Erie shows, bringing everything full circle.

Erie Track Listing

CD 1: LIVE FROM EDINBORO, PA – MAY 8, 1974
1. “Someone Has Just Asked Me…”
2. Cosmik Debris
3. Pygmy Twylyte
4. The Idiot Bastard Son
5. Cheepnis
6. Inca Roads
7. Montana
8. Dupree’s Paradise (Intro)

CD 2: LIVE FROM EDINBORO, PA – MAY 8, 1974 (Cont’d)
1. Dupree’s Paradise
2. It Can’t Happen Here
3. Hungry Freaks, Daddy
4. You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here
5. How Could I Be Such A Fool
6. I Ain’t Got No Heart
7. I’m Not Satisfied
8. Wowie Zowie
9. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black
10. Harry, You’re A Beast
11. The Orange County Lumber Truck
12. Oh No
13. Son Of Orange County
14. More Trouble Every Day
15. Camarillo Brillo

CD 3: BONUS TRACKS: LIVE FROM SOUTH BEND, IN – MAY 12, 1974 (1-2)
LIVE FROM ERIE, PA – NOVEMBER 12, 1974 (3-14)
1. Montana
2. Get Down
3. Tush Tush Tush (A Token Of My Extreme)
4. Stink-Foot
5. RDZNL
6. Village Of The Sun
7. Echindna’s Arf (Of You)
8. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?
9. Penguin In Bondage
10. T’Mershi Duween
11. The Dog Breath Variations
12. Uncle Meat
13. Building A Girl
14. Dinah-Moe Humm

CD 4: LIVE FROM ERIE, PA – NOVEMBER 12, 1974 (cont’d)
1. I’m Not Satisfied
2. Montana
3. Dupree’s Paradise (Intro)
4. Dupree’s Paradise
5. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow
6. Tush Tush Tush (End Vamp)
7. Oh No
8. Son Of Orange County
9. More Trouble Every Day

CD 5: LIVE FROM ERIE, PA – NOVEMBER 12, 1976 (1-7)
LIVE FROM TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 13, 1976 (8)
LIVE FROM ERIE, PA – NOVEMBER 12, 1976 (9-12)
1. The Purple Lagoon
2. Stink-Foot
3. The Poodle Lecture
4. Dirty Love
5. Wind Up Workin’ In A Gas Station
6. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin
7. The Torture Never Stops
8. City Of Tiny Lites
9. Pound For A Brown
10. You Didn’t Try To Call Me
11. Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink
12. Would You Go All The Way?

CD 6: LIVE FROM ERIE, PA – NOVEMBER 12, 1976 (cont’d) (1-11)
BONUS TRACKS: LIVE FROM MONTREAL, QC, CANADA – NOVEMBER 10, 1976 (12)
LIVE FROM TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 13, 1976 (13-14)
1. Black Napkins
2. Terry’s Erie ’76 Solo
3. Patrick’s Erie ’76 Solo
4. Wonderful Wino
5. The Purple Lagoon (Outro)
6. Stranded In The Jungle
7. Dinah-Moe Humm
8. The Purple Lagoon (Outro)
9. Camarillo Brillo
10. Muffin Man
11. The Purple Lagoon (Outro)
12. You Didn’t Try To Call Me
13. Black Napkins
14. The Purple Lagoon (Outro)

“Prince and The Revolution: Live” Is Being Remastered and Digitally Enhanced

Eric Alper
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“Prince and The Revolution: Live” Is Being Remastered and Digitally Enhanced

James Brown had the Apollo. Jimi Hendrix had Monterey Pop. And Prince had Syracuse, New York’s Carrier Dome—the March 30, 1985 Purple Rain Tour stop that was beamed to millions live via satellite and captured for posterity in the Grammy Award-nominated concert film Prince and The Revolution: Live, and which has since gone down in history as one of the most iconic live recordings in pop and rock history.

For the first time, this powerful performance by Prince and The Revolution has been remixed from the original 2” multitrack master reels and the film has been digitally enhanced onto Blu-ray video with selectable stereo, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos sound. Prince’s late-career and Grammy-nominated recording engineer, Chris James, remixed the recently discovered source audio, which had remained archived in Prince’s legendary Paisley Park vault for over three decades. The new release of Prince and The Revolution: Live will be available June 3, 2022, and marks the first time that the concert will be available on vinyl (as a 3-LP set) and on CD (as a 2-CD/Blu-ray set).

In conjunction with the physical formats, Prince and The Revolution: Live is also the first Prince release to be made available to supporting digital streaming platforms in spatial audio, as it will be delivered in Dolby Atmos. The first preview track, the jaw-dropping show opener “Let’s Go Crazy,” was made available today.

Additionally, a limited run Collector’s Edition of the iconic performance will be available exclusively from the official Prince Store. Housed in a luxe foil box, the set includes the remixed and remastered audio pressed onto 3 colored LPs (purple, red and gold vinyl), 2 CDs, the Blu-ray video, an expansive 44-page book complete with never-before-seen photos of the Purple Rain Tour, new liner notes highlighting stories and memories from all five members of The Revolution, and a limited run 24 x 36 poster. The Collector’s Edition was designed by Grammy-nominated artist Mathieu Bitton and Grammy-nominated creative director and Prince associate Trevor Guy.

With this new audio-visually enhanced release of Prince and The Revolution: Live, both longtime Prince fans and new generations of music lovers are invited to experience the groundbreaking, mesmerizing, creative tour-de-force that Prince brought to the stage with The Revolution during the Purple Rain Tour in an entirely new and immersive way.

“Listening back to that Syracuse show, I’m like, wow, we sound like a freight train just coming out of nowhere,” says The Revolution’s BrownMark. “That was powerful. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

In other Prince news, Chicago will glow purple this summer when Prince: The Immersive Experience makes its worldwide debut on June 9. Presented by Superfly in partnership with The Prince Estate, attendees will be invited to immerse themselves fully in the music and life of Prince.

Preston Pablo Releases Major Label Debut Single “Flowers Need Rain” Featuring Banx & Ranx Today

Eric Alper
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Preston Pablo Releases Major Label Debut Single “Flowers Need Rain” Featuring Banx & Ranx Today

Canadian singer/songwriter, producer, Preston Pablo, releases his major label debut single “Flowers Need Rain” featuring Banx & Ranx today.

“This song represents something extremely special to me, my love for music,” says Preston about the new track. “Last year, when my focus shifted towards making music my career, I found myself struggling creatively and mentally. A lot of things in my life changed. The volume at which I was creating was intense and rapid. Everything felt like a new experience to me, and I was just trying to put the puzzle pieces together in my mind. I was immersed into a different world of music and I was learning everything on the fly. I felt extremely overwhelmed and confused because I was living a life that I had always dreamt of, but a big part of me felt lost. There were so many emotions and unanswered questions in my head during this process, and this song was my way of expressing them.”

Preston continues; “I had taken a break from writing music because I was creatively drained after multiple writing trips. When I decided that I was ready to get back to it, this was the first song that I wrote. I played the chords on guitar and then the chorus melody followed. I was so moved by the chorus that I didn’t even finish writing the whole record. I decided to record a demo of just the hook and chords alone. Later that day I got together with some friends and we filmed a visual piece to go with it. A few days later I released it onto my social media channels and people really connected with it. Soon after that, with the help of Banx & Ranx and Sara Diamond we decided to finish writing and fully produce the record. For me, this song was and always will be the answer to all of my uncertainties. It’s simple, I need music in my life to live and grow the same way flowers need the rain.”

Preston’s evolution comes through loud and clear on the new track. Featuring the Multi-Platinum duo, Banx & Ranx [Dua Lipa, Sia, J Balvin] – guitar riffs underscore vulnerable verses throughout the track. It gives way to a swooning refrain over an upbeat melody. “We are so proud and grateful to develop an artist like Preston,” say Banx & Ranx. “The work we do with him challenges us to go outside of our comfort zone while pushing him to do the same. The fact that he’s Canadian makes it even better since we are striving to help create more Canadian superstars!”

Preston Pablo channels a fresh perspective on R&B and pop through live instrumentation and eloquent songwriting. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer made his solo debut in high school with the single “OMO.” Right out of the gate, it eclipsed 648K Spotify streams. He continued to gain traction with a series of releases. Tapped for the compilation Bangers Only, Vol. 1, he linked up with fawlin and Chill Only for “Circles” [3.3 million Spotify streams] and SauceOnly and Zeegs for “When We Were Kids,” which racked up over 6 million Spotify streams. His single “One Sided” amassed 1.4 million Spotify streams as he joined forces with pablø for “She Tried It,” “Control,” and “Ideas.” On the heels of “Chargie,” Banger of the Day predicted, “we are expecting Preston to have another big year.” Along the way, Preston signed to Universal Music Canada as he honed what he describes as a “modern vintage” style. After racking up nearly 20 million streams independently, he draws a big sound out of small town roots on singles such as “Don’t Break (My Soul)”, “Flowers Need Rain” and more to come.

“Flowers Need Rain” is just a snapshot of what’s to come from the emerging artist this year. Stay tuned for much more.

ABBA To Release Brand New Career-Encompassing LP & CD Box Sets On June 10, 2022

Eric Alper
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ABBA To Release Brand New Career-Encompassing LP & CD Box Sets On June 10, 2022

When Voyage, the first new ABBA album in 40 years, and the accompanying shows in London were announced in September 2021, the global headlines it garnered underlined the phenomenal popularity of ABBA, four decades after they pressed the pause button on their career.

Fans all thought that the perfect arc of eight album releases from the sunshine of 1973’s Ring Ring to the chill of 1981’s The Visitors represented the complete ABBA story. However, one of pop’s most electrifying groups still had surprises in store and their brand new album, Voyage, showed all the ABBA hallmarks were still very much intact. Voyage topped the charts in 18 countries world-wide and became the group’s highest ever placing in the US at No 2.

This brand-new 10-LP Box Set, pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl, and 10-CD Box Set, offers the opportunity to enjoy Voyage alongside the ‘golden eight’ (Ring Ring, Waterloo, ABBA, Arrival, The Album, Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper and The Visitors), as well as ABBA Tracks, which features non-album singles such as Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), Fernando and other cherished b-sides. With the addition of a 40-page booklet in the 10-CD Box Set featuring album information and classic ABBA photographs from throughout their career, The ABBA Album Box Set is the ultimate collection for an ABBA fan, and an incredible souvenir of the group’s astonishing return.

If that wasn’t enough, the group will release ABBA’s Studio Album Picture Discs, which reunites all of ABBA’s prized studio albums on a special format (Ring Ring, Waterloo, ABBA, Arrival, The Album, Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper and The Visitors). Strictly limited edition, the collection is available as a discounted 8LP bundle, and 9LP bundle (inc. Voyage) for a limited time only. The albums are all released on 10th June.

The countdown is well underway. The concerts begin at ABBA Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London opening on 27th May 2022.

U2 Releases “A Celebration” 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition EP Exclusively For Record Store Day 2022

Eric Alper
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U2 Releases “A Celebration” 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition EP Exclusively For Record Store Day 2022

U2 have announce the 40th-anniversary vinyl release of “A Celebration,” a limited edition 12” vinyl EP to celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

“A Celebration” is U2’s seventh single and was originally released in March 1982, between the albums October (1981) and War (1983).

This 40th-anniversary limited-edition reissue is a 4-track EP containing two previously unreleased recordings. The first is a studio out-take of the title track. The second is a performance of b-side and live favorite “Trash, Trampoline And The Party Girl,” recorded live in October 2015 in Köln, Germany during the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour.

TRACKLIST:
SIDE A
A Celebration – 02:55
A Celebration (Studio Out-take) – 02:52
SIDE B
Trash, Trampoline and The Party Girl – 02:34
Trash, Trampoline and The Party Girl (Live from iNNOCENCE +eXPERIENCE Tour, Köln 2015) – 03:16

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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