“I feel I’m treading new ground … writing about things that I’ve felt for a long time but never really written about,” he said in a promotional interview from 1989 to promote his But Seriously album. The was a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks, respectively. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the UK, eventually selling 2.75 million copies there and 4 million in the US. The lead single “Another Day in Paradise” won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Bikini Kill Announce International 2020 Tour Dates
Legendary feminist punk band, Bikini Kill recently regrouped for 10 thrilling performances in select cities NYC, LA and London + a special headlining Riot Fest appearance. Marking their first full shows since 1997, the enthusiastic fan response saw these shows selling out quickly. The band is thrilled to announce today, a more expansive, international tour in 2020.
The run kicks off with a valiant return to Olympia, WA and a benefit concert for Interfaith Works Nightly Shelter, a local non-profit acting as the only shelter/homeless services program that explicitly prioritizes women and LGBT single adults in the Olympia community.
These shows sees the band performing with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass — along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle. Hailed by The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and The Los Angeles Times, the reunion has sparked critical discussion on the band’s legacy and influence on culture and music today with Entertainment Weekly, NYLON, The New York Times.
Active from 1990 to 1998, Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that started in Olympia, WA, and later moved to Washington, DC. Billy Karren joined Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail on guitar after the band had played several shows as a three-piece. Credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early ’90s via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live shows, Bikini Kill encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance. They used touring as a way to create an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows and made fanzines. This informal network created a forum for multiple female voices to be heard.
Bikini Kill started touring in June 1991, serving up their radical feminist punk rage to crowds across the US several times, as well as making their way through Europe, Australia and Japan. The band recorded and released a demo tape, two EPs, two LPs and three singles which are available via their independent label Bikini Kill Records. The band has just re-issued Pussy Whipped and Reject All American, available now on vinyl & CD for the first time since they went out of print 7 years ago. They also uploaded their entire catalog on streaming services last Fall. Now available for streaming on Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music, the catalog includes landmark releases from 1991’s Revolution Girl Style Now to 1998’s The Singles, which features production, guitar and vocals from Joan Jett.
3/13: Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater & *Benefit For Interfaith Works*
3/16: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre &
3/19: Victoria, BC @ Distrikt #
3/23: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom ^
5/12: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
5/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
5/14: Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
5/16: Winooski, VT @ Higher Ground
5/18: Montreal, QB @ M Telus
5/20: Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
5/22: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
5/23: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
5/24: Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
08/12: Oslo, Norway @ Øya Festival
& w/ Table Sugar
^ w/ Lithics
# w/ Mecca Normal
Video: Pearl Jam plays basketball at a suburban high school outside of Cleveland for charity in 1992
Here’s high school television coverage of Pearl Jam back in May, 1992 playing a charity basketball game versus local Cleveland rock radio station WMMS.
Genius Builds an Electric Guitar Out of 800 Pieces of Paper
Burl of Burl’s Art, who regularly builds guitars made from unusual materials, takes the unconventional route and makes a bright red guitar out of 800 sheets of paper.
Dolly Parton’s ‘Heartstrings’ Official Trailer Is Here
Eight Dolly songs. Eight Dolly stories. Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings is an anthology series that showcases the stories, memories, and inspirations behind her most beloved songs. Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings premiered on November 22, only on Netflix.
https://youtu.be/Rk0dfTAH7ME
Niall Horan Announces Nice To Meet Ya Tour
Niall Horan has announced his Nice To Meet Ya tour with special guest Lewis Capaldi plus Fletcher.
“Nice To Meet Ya”, the first single from Horan’s new album, has already amassed more than 35 million combined global streams. Over 30,000 fans tuned in for the live premiere of the official video and the clip racked up more than 13 million views in the first week of release.
Rolling Stone praised the “alluring single” and TIME named “Nice To Meet Ya” one of the “5 Best Songs of the Week” upon its release in October. Billboard declared it “Horan’s most daring track yet…”
Originally from Mullingar, Ireland, Horan has sold over 80 million records and toured the globe multiple times as part of the iconic One Direction. With his full-length solo debut Flicker (Capitol Records), he achieved massive global success and widespread critical acclaim. The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in October 2017 and soon earned Platinum certification or greater in 20 countries, including the U.S. In addition to surpassing three million in worldwide album sales and nearly 3.5 billion combined streams worldwide, it topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 61 countries.
Flicker included the 2x Platinum single “This Town,” which has amassed over 800 million streams worldwide, and the 3x Platinum “Slow Hands,” which shot straight to No. 1 in 44 countries, claiming the top spot on Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 chart for two weeks and surpassing 10 million in adjusted track sales globally with 1.5 billion streams worldwide. Horan’s Flicker World Tour included sold-out dates in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Singapore, Japan, Brazil and Australia.
After topping the U.K. Official Singles chart for a nearly unprecedented seven weeks, Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its 24th consecutive week on the tally and is the first No. 1 single from a debut U.K. artist since February 2016. Worldwide streams of the track are approaching two billion. Already certified Platinum by the RIAA, “Someone You Loved” has now earned 2.5 million equivalent song units in the U.S. It is certified Platinum or greater in a total of 18 countries. Capaldi’s debut album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, is the fastest selling UK debut of 2019 with 90,000 albums sold in the first week. To date, it has sold over 1.5 million adjusted albums worldwide and combined global streams now exceed 2.6 billion. The 23-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter recently wrapped a sold-out headline tour of North America and his March 2020 tour of the UK and Ireland sold out in mere seconds, making him the first artist in history to sell out arenas prior to the release of a debut album. Capaldi was hailed as a 2018 Vevo DSCVR Artist To Watch and a 2019 Vevo LIFT Artist, longlisted for the BBC Sound Of 2018 Poll, and won Breakthrough Artist of the Year honors at the Scottish Music Awards. He was nominated for the BRIT Awards Critics’ Choice award and named an MTV UK PUSH Ones To Watch artist.
FLETCHER’s debut EP – you ruined new york city for me – is out now on Capitol Records. The EP is a highly personal story of first love and heartbreak and features FLETCHER’s breakout hit “Undrunk,” which has amassed more than 100 million streams worldwide, since earning the #1 spot on Spotify’s Viral Chart. The EP also includes follow up singles, “If You’re Gonna Lie” and “All Love.” FLETCHER made her late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon with “Undrunk,” which spent several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Noted as the fastest rising song at pop radio from a new artist in the last 5 years, she also earned impressive slots on Wango Tango, The iHeartRadio Music Festival and Z100’s upcoming Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden this year. FLETCHER has been performing sold out headline tours of both North America and Europe, with sets at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Life is Beautiful, and other prominent festivals already under her belt. The singer-songwriter, who somehow also found time to graduate from NYU’s famed Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music, has already begun carving out a space for herself in pop music. PAPER states FLETCHER is “one of the most exciting female artists to emerge in pop,” and it’s clear that she has much more to say.
Niall Horan – Nice To Meet Ya 2020 Tour – North American Dates
DATE CITY VENUE
4/20 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
4/22 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
4/24 Miami, FL BB&T Center
4/25 Orlando, FL Amway Center
4/27 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
4/29 New York, NY Barclays Center
5/1 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
5/2 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
5/6 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
5/8 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
5/9 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
5/11 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
5/13 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
5/15 Glendale, AZ Gila River Arena
5/16 Las Vegas, NV MGM Garden Arena
5/18 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
5/20 San Jose, CA SAP Center
Fred Penner Announces The Cat Came Back 40th Anniversary Tour
Calling all Fred Heads! Fred Penner announces his cross-Canada The Cat Came Back 40th Anniversary Tour, starting in Ottawa, ON on February 28.
A gentle giant with an undeniable ability to make you feel good about yourself, this musical master brings 40+ years of commitment, consistency and depth to a career that blends the many genres of performing and communication.
From delivering a prolific 13 albums to families across North America to countless energetic live shows for eager audiences; 12 seasons and over 900 episodes of Fred Penner’s Place TV series on CBC (Canada) and Nick Jr. (USA) to composing music for YTV’s Tipi Tales and keynote presenting at numerous early childhood conferences, Fred has, without a doubt, established himself as a fundamental part of the North American family entertainment scene. Always building on a common theme rooted in integrity and a “belief in what I can do” he has created a lasting impact that crosses generations and continues to grow.
Penner’s visibility has allowed him the privilege and joy of using his voice to support organizations including UNESCO, World Vision, UNICEF and the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.
Whether through Juno Award winning albums, concerts, videos, books or television, his cornerstone philosophy remains the same: “Never underestimate your ability to make the difference in the life of a child”.
FRED PENNER: THE CAT CAME BACK 40th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Friday, February 28 – Ottawa, ON – Algonquin Commons Theatre
Sunday, March 1 – Belleville, ON – The Empire Theatre
Tuesday, March 3 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
Wednesday, March 4 – Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Concert Hall
Thursday, March 5 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Sunday, March 8 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
Tuesday, March 10 – Calgary, AB – Jack Singer Concert Hall
Thursday, March 12 – Edmonton, AB – Winspear Centre
Sunday, March 15 – Red Deer, AB – Red Deer Memorial Centre
Saturday, March 21 – Nanaimo, BC – The Port Theatre
Sunday, March 22 – Victoria, BC – McPherson Theatre
Friday, March 27 – Vernon, BC – Vernon Performing Arts Centre
Sunday, March 29 – Kelowna, BC – Kelowna Community Centre
Sunday, April 5 – North Vancouver, BC – Centennial Theatre
Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me Trailer
‘Somebody Up There Likes Me, the first in-depth film biography of Ronnie Wood was released to cinemas around the UK and Ireland in November, 2019, and should be on your fave streaming service any moment now.
Ronnie Wood – artist, musician, producer and author. Yet, there is so much more to know about the man himself. This intimate portrait traces the lives and careers of one of the most important guitarists in rock music, capturing what it means to be such an iconic presence. Since he bought his first Rogers electric guitar for £25 over 55 years ago, Ronnie Wood has been at the centre of rock ‘n’ roll, his electrifying and timeless style a key part of British music history.
Ronnie Wood said, “When my mate (acclaimed director) Mike Figgis approached me to make this documentary film I was baffled where to start and where to finish …Oh well, how about from being born into the Wood dynasty to where I am right now! That should do it … The title says it all, hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it. “Leave ‘em wanting more”, as the man said, so look out people, there’s a lot more stories to be told.”
Interspersed with dazzling vintage performance footage of The Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and the Rolling Stones, ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ traces Wood’s life from his upbringing in West London, where his father Arthur would fall asleep in neighbours’ gardens as Wood and his two brothers often awoke to find “characters draped over the furniture” who Arthur had brought home from the pub.
Made over two years for Eagle Rock Films, the documentary features brand new interviews with Wood’s Rolling Stones bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, as well as his Faces bandmate, Rod Stewart. Other interviewees include Wood’s wife Sally Wood, singer Imelda May and artist Damien Hirst. Hirst reminds viewers how Wood is one of the few musicians to have a respected alternative career as a painter. He says, “Ronnie is a dab hand – he can paint better than me.”
While Figgis’ film is sympathetic to Wood, it doesn’t shy away from his hardships. He talks openly about his battles with drink and drugs, speaking honestly about overcoming his freebase addiction as well as beating lung cancer.
Mike Figgis said, “Music has always been central to the way I approach filmmaking. Working with Ronnie on ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ was a great opportunity to explore the roots of the UK Blues and Rock scene, something I had begun in 2002 with Red White and Blues, the Martin Scorcese produced history of the British blues scene, The bonus was Ronnie himself. A multi-talented storyteller, artist and musician. His candour and warmth was always present as he talked about the highs and the lows of his career thus far.”
‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ takes its title from Wood surviving his chronic smoking habit, as he says: “When they operated on my cancer, they took away my emphysema. They said my lungs were as if I’d never smoked. I thought: ‘How’s that for a Get Out Of Jail Free card?’ Somebody up there likes me, and somebody down here likes me too.”
Throughout, footage of Wood playing guitar and harmonica is a reminder of a versatile instrumentalist, while he also thoughtfully and skilfully paints in his studio. ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ is a new look at Ronnie Wood – a rewarding and always compelling insight into one of music’s most likeable, successful but complex key players.
Ringo Starr & Dave Grohl Interview Each Other
Two drummers turned frontmen go deep on their craft, losing John Lennon and Kurt Cobain, and finding life after their legendary bands.
Ministry Performs A Brilliant Version Of ‘(Every Day Is) Halloween’
The still-legendary industrial metal band Ministry, led by Al Jourgensen, rebuilt its own 1984 anthem “(Every Day Is) Halloween”. The video was shot by photographer Thaddeus Bridwell in a moody black and white to still capture the Goth vibe of the classic tune.