Of all the reactions that musical creators for video games can hope for are artists covering your tunes. There has been a lot of covers of Tetris over the years, from bluegrass to dubstep, but you gotta love insaneintherainmusic’s jazzy rendition.
“Weird Al” Yankovic has just announced the dates for his 2019 Strings Attached tour
“Weird Al” Yankovic has just announced the dates for his 2019 Strings Attached tour – a high-energy, rock and comedy show featuring costumes, props, a video wall, and – for the first time – a full orchestra.
For his 2018 Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, Weird Al wanted to reward his hardcore fans with an intimate, scaled-down show that showcased a rotating setlist of semi-obscure deep-cut non-parody album tracks, many of which he and his band had never performed live before. For his 2019 Strings Attached tour, he’s back to playing the hits and classics – but this time his band will be supported every night by background singers and an entire symphony orchestra.
According to Al: “I wanted to follow up my most bare-bones tour ever with my most elaborate and extravagant tour ever. We’re pulling out all the stops for this one.”
“Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history, earning four Grammys and fifteen career nominations. He is best known for his hilariously irreverent parodies of hit songs, including “Eat It,” “Like A Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Paradise,” “White & Nerdy,” and “Tacky.” Yankovic’s 14th studio album Mandatory Fun (2014) made headlines when it became the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, and the first comedy album to even reach the top of that chart in over 50 years. The single “Word Crimes” debuted in the Billboard Top 40, making Al one of only four artists to have had Top 40 singles in each of the last four decades (the other three being Michael Jackson, Madonna and U2). He recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
THE STRINGS ATTACHED TOUR 2019
Wednesday, June 5 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
Thursday, June 6 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, June 8 – Melbourne, FL – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday, June 9 – Saint Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
Monday, June 10 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Thursday, June 13 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
Friday, June 14 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Saturday, June 15 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sunday, June 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
Tuesday, June 18 – Austin, TX – Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Concert Hall
Thursday, June 20 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
Friday, June 21 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Zoo Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 22 – St. Louis, MO – Fox Theatre
Sunday, June 23 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center Theater
Tuesday, June 25 – Roanoke, VA – Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
Thursday, June 27 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live!
Friday, June 28 – Simpsonville, SC – Heritage Park Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 29 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheatre
Sunday, June 30 – Atlanta, GA – State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Tuesday, July 2 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Foellinger Theatre
Wednesday, July 3 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion
Friday, July 5 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Saturday, July 6 – Cleveland, OH – Playhouse Square – KeyBank State Theatre
Sunday, July 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
Monday, July 8 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Thursday, July 11 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
Friday, July 12 – Philadelphia, PA – Metropolitan Opera House
Saturday, July 13 – Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Sunday, July 14 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thursday, July 18 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Friday, July 19 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater
Saturday, July 20 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
Sunday, July 21 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Tuesday, July 23 – Buffalo, NY – Center for the Arts
Thursday, July 25 – Interlochen, MI – Interlochen Center for the Arts – Kresge Auditorium
Friday, July 26 – Grand Rapids, MI – Devos Performance Hall
Saturday, July 27 – Milwaukee, WI – Miller High Life Theatre
Sunday, July 28 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival
Tuesday, July 30 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre
Wednesday, July 31 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater
Thursday, August 1 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 3 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
Sunday, August 4 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Civic Theatre
Wednesday, August 7 – Las Vegas, NV – The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Thursday, August 8 – Costa Mesa, CA – Pacific Amphitheatre
Friday, August 9 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Sunday, August 11 – Modesto, CA – The Fruit Yard
Tuesday, August 13 – Wenatchee, WA – Town Toyota Center
Wednesday, August 14 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
Friday-Saturday, August 16-17 – Seattle, WA – The Paramount Theatre
Sunday, August 18 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Monday, August 19 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Wednesday, August 21 – Victoria, BC – Save On Foods Memorial Centre
Thursday, August 22 – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre
Saturday, August 24 – Calgary, AB – Jack Singer Concert Hall
Monday, August 26 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Civic Center
Tuesday, August 27 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair
Thursday, August 29 – Indianapolis, IN – Farmer’s Bureau Insurance Lawn/White River State Park
Friday, August 30 – Madison, WI – Overture Center for the Arts – Overture Hall
Saturday, August 31 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Amphitheatre
Sunday, September 1 – North Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena
Toy Story 4’s Official Teaser Is Here!
Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy. Directed by Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?”) and produced by Jonas Rivera (“Inside Out,” “Up”) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer “Inside Out”), Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019.
The Next Generation Of Leahys Are Here
A Next Generation Leahy Christmas has been described as “breath-taking”, “astounding,” and “unforgettable.” Audiences simply don’t want the night to end because they have experienced something truly amazing and beautiful. Join the Next Generation Leahy and be inspired by these young people, energized by the music, and excited for the arrival of Christmas.
With these young minds leading the way, their music is constantly evolving bringing Celtic music into the modern era for a new audience. In all of their music The Next Generation Leahy takes their passion for music, song, and dance – which flows from every pore in their bodies – and creates something new and vibrant. The Next Generation Leahy has been sharing this gift of music with audiences all over Canada and the United States for the past three years. They have shared the stage with iconic artists like Donnell Leahy, Natalie MacMaster, The Chieftains, We Banjo 3, and many more! Their music is being recognized now around the world, with invitations to perform in Ireland, China, and Scotland. No matter the setting, audiences recognize in these musicians a talent that is beyond their years.
All under the age of 16, they are accomplished multi-instrumentalists whose live performances are filled with the high-energy, infectious Celtic-based music associated with their Leahy heritage. Fiddle, cello, French accordion, singing, piano, and French-Canadian step-dancing all find a voice on stage. The music that lives in each of these young people – which is so joyful, so positive, and so rare – simply cannot be contained.
This December, join The Next Generation Leahy as they share the magic of Christmas with you.
November 23, 2018 The Regent Theatre Oshawa, ON
November 30, 2018 Schauer Center Hartford, WI 7:30 pm
December 1, 2018 Monroe Arts Center Monroe, WI 7:30 pm
December 6, 2018 The Urban Field House Belle River, ON Christmas show
December 7, 2018 The Urban Field House Belle River, ON Christmas show
December 8, 2018 The Georgian Theatre Barrie, ON Christmas show
December 9, 2018 The Empire Theatre Belleville, ON Christmas show
December 12, 2018 London Music Hall London, ON Christmas show
December 13, 2018 Burlington Performing Arts Centre Burlington, ON Christmas show
December 15, 2018 The Roxy Theatre Owen Sound, ON Christmas show
December 16, 2018 Sanderson Centre Brantford, ON Christmas show
December 19, 2018 The Opera House Gravenhurst, ON Christmas show
December 22, 2018 Flato Markham Theatre Markham, ON 2 SHOWS! – Christmas show
January 25, 2019 Dunn Center PAC at Wesleyan College Rocky Mount, NC
January 26, 2019 Cary Arts Center Cary, NC
March 19, 2019 Clover School District Auditorium Clover, SC
March 22, 2019 Sumter Opera House Sumter, NC
March 23, 2019 Suffolk for the Cultural Arts Suffolk, VA
March 24, 2019 Thalian Hall Wilmington, NC
April 11, 2019 DeWitt Performing Arts at Cole Auditorium Hamlet, NC
April 13, 2019 Mac Gray Auditorium Statesville, NC
May 10, 2019 Edgerton Performing Arts Center Edgerton, WI School performance only
May 11, 2019 Edgerton Performing Arts Center Edgerton, WI
June 8, 2019 Bluegrass in the Country Festival Providence Bay, ON
October 11, 2019 Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Arts Pawleys Island, SC
Music Matters series takes on Beach Boys and The Ramones – And This Is An EXCELLENT Place To Star If You’re New To The Bands
The University Of Texas Press has a great idea on their hands. How to sift through the dozens, if not hundreds of books about a really popular artist. Two books in particular, Why the Beach Boys Matter and Why The Ramones Matter provide an excellent introduction to the bands that just not survived the music industry, but electrified and revolutionized it long after their biggest releases took hold on the world.
Of all the white American pop music groups that hit the charts before the Beatles, only the Beach Boys continued to thrive throughout the British Invasion to survive into the 1970s and beyond. The Beach Boys helped define both sides of the era we broadly call the sixties, split between their early surf, car, and summer pop and their later hippie, counterculture, and ambitious rock. No other group can claim the Ronettes and the Four Seasons as early 1960s rivals; the Mamas and the Papas and Crosby, Stills and Nash as later 1960s rivals; and the Beatles and the Temptations as decade-spanning counterparts.
The author, Tom Smucker, has written about pop music and politics in publications such as Creem and The Village Voice, and he used his experience as a perfect opportunity to reflect on a pivotal period in music history.
This is the first book to take an honest look at the themes running through the Beach Boys’ art and career as a whole and to examine where they sit inside our culture and politics — and why they still grab our attention.
As for Why The Ramones Matter, well, that’s a silly question, right? But the book’s author Donna Gaines, who has written for Rolling Stone, MS, the Village Voice, Spin, Newsday and Salon, is as close to the scene as anyone – Gaines grew up in Rockaway Beach, Queens, a surf town made famous by the mighty Ramones. Her work has been published in fanzines, trade and scholarly collections, journals and textbooks.
The central experience of the Ramones and their music is of being an outsider, an outcast, a person who’s somehow defective, and the revolt against shame and self-loathing. The fans, argues Donna Gaines, got it right away, from their own experience of alienation at home, at school, on the streets, and from themselves. This sense of estrangement and marginality permeates everything the Ramones still offer us as artists, and as people. Why the Ramones Matter compellingly makes the case that the Ramones gave us everything; they saved rock and roll, modeled DIY ethics, and addressed our deepest collective traumas, from the personal to the historical.
You can get Why The Beach Boys Matter here and Why The Ramones matter here and here.
Steven Van Zandt Creates A Free School of Rock: Free Lesson Plans That Helps Educate Kids Through Music
Stevie Van Zandt’s TeachRock project brings rich educational materials to teachers and students everywhere – at no cost. The lesson plans and resources at TeachRock allow a one-of-a-kind, multimedia experience that helps young people connect the history of popular music to classroom work across the disciplines. From social studies and language arts to geography, media studies, science, general music, and more: TeachRock has engaging and meaningful material for every classroom.
Steven Van Zandt founded the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation in response to a drop-out crisis he saw crippling American education. Believing that student engagement is a significant facet of the crisis, he conceived a curriculum based around popular music, a subject that connects with student interest and passion. Importantly, what he then created with his team is a curriculum that is not restricted to music departments alone, a truly interdisciplinary curriculum. TeachRock is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Council for Geographic Education, with partners including Scholastic Inc., PBS, Reelin’ in the Years, ABC News, Rock’s Backpages, New York University’s Steinhardt School, and the Grammy Museum.
The more-than-120 lesson plans at TeachRock are divided into two categories. The Core Lessons explore the interconnected histories of popular music and American culture from the 19th century to the present. The Special Collections lessons are constructed alongside documentaries and feature films. Both categories are brimming with engaging resources and exciting classroom activities for teachers of all ages and disciplines.
Not sure where to start? Try a TeachRock-curated Suggested Path lesson set.
The “Welcome Teachers” section of the site is designed to help educators make the most of all that they provide. From professional development videos to standards and partner resources, this will be a home base for teachers who bring TeachRock into the classroom.
Lesson plans collections tailored to specific grade levels, subjects, and topics of study.
Pearl Jam’s ‘Self Pollution Radio’ Broadcast from January 8th, 1995
Hey… am I on? were the uncertain first words delivered by Pearl Jam singer-come-DJ Eddie Vedder at the start of the band’s 1995 frolic on the airwaves, Self-Pollution Radio. The four-and-a-half hour show, broadcast on January 8, ’95, was a Seattle scenester’s delight, featuring live sets from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, The Fastbacks, and Mad Season (a satellite project for Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Alice In Chain’s Layne Staley, previously known as The Gacy Bunch), a spoken word piece from Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, tracks from ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl’s ‘upcoming solo album’ (at least that was how it was credited at the time), impromptu interviews and much more. Records played came from Sonic Youth, Daniel Johnston, American Music Club, The Who, The Gits, Babes in Toyland, Louis Armstrong and numerous others. The Pearl Jam set played that legendary evening, now presented in full on this CD, was stunning. With the vast majority (7 cuts no less) coming from the group’s then recently released Vitalogy album, with the other 3 numbers performed coming from PJ albums 1 (Ten) and 2 (Vs). The session also featured new drummer Jack Irons, original sticks-man with Red Hot Chili Peppers, playing live with the group for the first time – having recently replaced the dismissed Dave Abbruzzese. The venue for the live music (the DJ part was pre-recorded) was a house in Seattle owned by Vedder which was used for rehearsals by both Pearl; Jam and by other bands and musicians. The ‘live room’ apparently was the front bedroom! This recording remains an important historical document in the Pearl Jam story, but remains too a hugely enjoyable listening experience with this astonishing group playing as though their very lives depended on it.
Here’s The Blues Brothers Animated Series Promo Film
What movie do you always watch when it’s on TV, no matter what part of it you land on? I’ve seen The Blues Brothers movie a few dozen times, and it’s still one of my faves. Although it earned just under $5 million in its opening weekend, but went on to gross over $115 million in theaters worldwide. So it’s no surprise the creatives behind the scenes would want to keep that success going. I didn’t realize until now Dan Aykroyd shopped around a Blues Brothers Animated Series, featuring the adventures of Elwood, Jake and the band. It never got to air, and here’s the animated series promo.
Debbie Harry Performing Hits with The Muppets In 1981
Here’s an segment from 1981’s The Muppet Show, when Robin’s Frog Scout troop visits the show, getting in everyone’s way backstage. They ask Debbie Harry for help earning their punk merit badges, and she teaches them how to do the pogo. When Gonzo cancels his act, the Frog Scouts get their chance to do a performance of close-order drills.
Because, Blondie and The Muppets.
35mm footage of the VERY Hip London’s King’s Road in the late 1960s
The golden age of 20th-century fashion, so cool, filmed in old-school HD.